February 28th – Morning & Afternoon

Bianca's eyes slowly fluttered open in that natural wake-up fashion. She could tell the sun was up, and a soreness that told her she hadn't moved a muscle during the night.

Her eyes slowly started to focus on the room, and specifically the dark form in front of her. It was a sleeping Maggie, curled up in a chair she had made into a make-shift bed. Bianca grinned, she could get used to that face being the first sight she saw each morning. With the current living arrangement though, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

She laid there and studied her friend. Her left cheek was pushed up hiding her eye due to the pillow she was laying on…her dyed, dark hair was pulled back in a pony tail, and she could make out that blonde roots were starting to show…her mouth was just slightly parted and her lips moved in and out with each breath she took.

Bianca could just lay there and stare at this all day, because in this slumbering state, alone in this room, she was "Bianca's Maggie". There was no one to get in their way, no outside forces pulling them apart. This was Bianca's time to bask in the glow of the woman she loved, and who obviously did care for her if she took up a post where she could watch over her during the night. No matter if it was still only one sided, Bianca was enjoying watching the woman she loves sleep.

As she allowed her eyes to trace up and down her friend, she noticed the clock sitting on the nightstand just behind her friend's head, it read 8:15. "Wow", she thought, "I've been out for quite awhile, but it felt really good and……..8:15?" She quickly sat upright in bed and looked at the clock again…Patrick would be there in 15 minutes to pick them up…she must not have set the alarm clock before getting into bed.

She swung her legs around so she was sitting upright in the bed and stood up to run and grab her suit for the day. As she got up she called out, "MAGGIE! Get up! We have to leave in 15 minutes!"

Maggie sat upright and muttered a half-dazed, "Wha….?" when she too noticed the clock. "Aw man! I figured you had set the alarm!" She threw the comforter off and ran for the clothes she had left sitting in the hall the night before. Scooping up the items, she dashed down the second floor walkway to the guest bedroom to change.

Bianca plucked up her black pinstriped pant suit, a black blouse and some black flats from her closet. It was one of her favorite outfits, and right now she was grateful, since it took little effort to get into.

She had slept in her clothes all night and so she quickly tugged off the shirt, scrubbed her face, changed her bra and pulled on the black blouse. She yanked her hair back, pulled it up over her ears, and fastened it into a high riding ponytail. Make-up she could do in the car since she didn't wear much.

She tossed off the jeans she had been wearing, changed her panties, slid on some hose and threw on the pants. She took a quick look in the mirror and judged it was passable. She slipped on her shoes and dashed into the nursery to get Miranda ready to go, slipping on her jacket as she went.

The baby was standing in her crib, holding on to the rail and made an enormous grin when she saw Bianca coming through the bathroom door.

"Well good morning Munchie!" Bianca beamed. "Are you all awake and ready for your first day of running a multi-national corporation?"

Miranda giggled and made little spit bubbles.

"That's how I feel about it too honey!" Bianca laughed as she picked up the little girl and carried her over to the changing table. She got Miranda out of her pajama's, cleaned and changed her and fit her into a little black and white dress with ruffles. For an extra giggle, she grabbed the gifts Opal had given them, a matching pair of black & white berets, though Bianca thought she would skip wearing hers. She placed Miranda's on her head, with just the slightest tilt, and exclaimed "Perfect!"

Bianca heard the door to the hallway open and it was followed by Maggie's voice. "Aw man…I guess I should have told you what I bought after all." She turned to find Maggie wearing what was essentially her own pant suit except with a knee length skirt, 1" heels instead of flats and her hair pulled back almost exactly the same.

Bianca couldn't help but chuckle. "So we'll look like twins…who cares!"

"Well, let's see; confused best friend, who also happens to be your daughter's temporary nanny, and wears a somewhat matching outfit…" Maggie eyed Bianca's hair, "and apparently also has a matching hairdo done in a rush…naw…no one will think we're odd." she said, with a dismissive hand gesture and a smile.

"Well, they can just suffer." Bianca laughed as she picked up Miranda. They heard the buzzer going off signaling that Patrick had arrived. "We almost made it! Can you run down and tell him we will just be a few minutes, and could you grab some bottles from the fridge for Miranda?"

"No problem on either account." Maggie said as she turned and headed for the door. She hurried down the stairs, went to the front door and buzzed Patrick back "We'll just be a few minutes Patrick."

"No problem Ma'am." was the reply.

"Uh uh uh! What did we go over last night?"

"No problem….Maggie." came Patrick's jovial voice in reply.

"That's better…see you in a few." Maggie retrieved the bottles from the fridge, and met Bianca back in the entry hall just as Bianca was putting Miranda in her stroller. She placed the bottles in the diaper bag and took up the position behind the stroller.

"What are you doing?" Bianca asked with a quizzical look.

"Well, unless 'nanny' means something I am unaware of, I would say I'm doing my job."

Bianca laughed. "Oh yeah, I guess you would be! Should I refer to you as 'Ms. Stone' when you are on duty?"

Maggie rolled her eyes. "I already broke Patrick of that, don't make me work on you also. Come on, get the door! Can't be late your first day."

All settled in the limo, Patrick started towards the Cambias Industries offices, the girls were in the back, hastily applying make-up as they drove along.

"So, I guess I should actually ask…who should I introduce you as?" Bianca asked as she studied herself in her compact's mirror. "Nanny? Best friend? What?"

"Let's just go with 'nanny' for now, that will probably cause less confusion." Maggie said as she opened her mouth wide to apply some lip gloss. Once done, she smacked her lips and looked at Bianca, "Yes? No?"

Bianca stared at Maggie's lips, and tried to compose herself as she thought of kissing them only a few days before on the plane. "Oh..um…they look fine." she said as she quickly looked away. "Patrick?"

"Yes Ms. Montgomery?"

"Can you run an errand for me today? I need another key made for the apartment so Maggie can let herself in, in the mornings."

"Certainly Ma'am."

Bianca fished her keychain out of her purse, paused for a moment to smile at the sight of Lily's life-jacket keychain, and removed the key to give to Patrick. She handed it to Maggie to pass up as she was sitting closer to the privacy window.

Maggie passed it through the hole. "Here you go Patrick."

"Thank you Ms. Stone." he said as he reached over with his hand to take it.

"HEY! I thought we settled that 'Ms. Stone' stuff last night AND this morning!"

Patrick chuckled. "I was off duty at that moment, on duty you will still be 'Ms. Stone'."

Maggie grunted. "We'll settle this later mister." She slid back to Bianca and whispered to her friend, "I had him calling me 'Maggie'…I swear I did!"

Bianca gave her a very sarcastic look of agreement, "Sure you did…I believe you."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "You're all impossible…I can't believe I came here by choice!"

The limo swung into the underground parking facility for Cambias Industries and pulled up to the elevator doors located along the back wall. There was a man in a suit waiting around this area, who came to attention as soon as the limo had gotten close.

Patrick got out to open the door for the ladies, but the man who had been waiting had beaten him to it. Patrick gave him a disgusted look for beating him to his job, but he accepted it and walked towards the elevator to summon it. Since he recognized who it was, he felt safe in doing so.

"Ms. Montgomery! It is such a pleasure to meet you! My name is Jean Dumas, and I will be your personal assistant." he said as he held out his hand to help Bianca to get out of the car.

Bianca eyed the hand with obvious surprise, but took it anyway as limos were not always the easiest thing to get out of. "I know who you are, I chose you from the assistant's pool."

"Of course you did ma'am. I apologize for my over eagerness, I am just very excited to be working for you."

"Don't worry. The shine will wear off once you catch her on a bad morning." Maggie said with a laugh as she retrieved Miranda from her car seat.

Jean shot Maggie a dirty look and gave a dismissive snort. He asked as coolly as possible, "And you're nanny's name is…?"

"She would be Maggie Stone, my best friend who is helping me out by being a temporary nanny." Bianca smirked and waited to see how long it would take all the words to register.

Two seconds later Jean was very apologetic. "Oh…I am sorry Ms. Stone. I had not been made aware of your accompanying Ms. Montgomery to France." He tried to change subjects as quickly as possible. "I've had some of the companies Wonkey Wiblets furniture sent up and put in Ms. Montgomery's office for the little one."

Bianca eyed Jean up and down, she looked over at Maggie who had moved herself and the stroller to the elevator, and asked her silently with the look in her eyes for her friends' opinion. Maggie responded with an indifferent shrug. Bianca turned her attention back to Jean. "You know what Jean, I think I have your first assignment for you."

"Oh? Of course ma'am whatever it is, I am very eager to get started!"

"Good. Have candidates for the position of my personal assistant in my office at 9:30 tomorrow morning." Bianca said as she walked towards the open elevator Patrick had called for, while all this was going on. She waited for Maggie to get the stroller inside, joined her, turned to face the doors and to see a stunned Jean standing there with his jaw open. "Patrick, after you get the key made, just expect some time this afternoon to drive at least one of us back to the penthouse please."

Patrick nodded and stepped away from the elevator to allow the doors to close. Once they had, he turned and walked past Jean who still stood motionless. "I think I would take the service elevator and get to work on my assignment as soon as possible if I were you."

He slid into the driver's seat of the limo and chided to himself, "I think I am going to take a real liking to those three ladies." He started the limo and pulled away just to see Jean pushing the button on the service elevator to go up.

Maggie was first to break the silence in the elevator. "Ok…what in the world was that?"

"A quick lesson that the only snobs allowed in my presence are my own family." Bianca said with a smile. She turned her head to look at Maggie and stared into her eyes for the briefest of moments and added, "And no one dismisses you within my earshot."

Maggie blushed and looked down, staring at the top of the stroller. "Well….thank you, but you didn't have to essentially fire him you know."

"He made my skin crawl. Just something about him didn't sit right with me. He looked great on paper, but he certainly lacked the personality I hoped for. Also, a good PA would have known you were with me and assumed that was who you were. So, if he learns to watch what he says, and to whom from this, than all the better."

Maggie thought to herself, "Wow…when the Kane in her comes out, it comes out guns-a-blazin…I think I finally understand that mysterious 'Kane Appeal'" she acted as if she was scratching her face to hide her smirk, "and I also might understand what all those boyfriends saw in Erica."

The elevator dinged, signaling that they had arrived at their destination. "Ready?" Bianca inquired.

Maggie took a breath and as the elevator doors opened. "Like I have a choice at this point."

Maggie had been in Bianca's office for 3 hours now as Bianca made the rounds of the building being introduced to everyone. She had walked around the private office and explored it twice already. The walls were lined with dark brown book shelves filled with three ring binders with exciting labels such as "European Div. 3rd Quarter Breakdown", she thought she would wait for the movie version of that one. Bianca's desk was a huge dark oak affair that looked like it was built to sustain hurricane force winds. It appeared at least two cows had given their lives for the high backed chair that sat behind it.

It was very evident that this had been a very manly-man's office before now. Bianca had told Maggie that the same decorators who had done the penthouse, were also going to be doing the office, but due to the short notice, they hadn't been able to do both projects in time.

The only saving grace were the two walls dominated by huge windows that faced in the direction of the Eiffel Tower, which was a good distance away. "At least that's a landmark I can always go by." she thought.

Maggie sat on the brown leather couch that faced the two large windows, flipping through a French edition of "Vogue", the only thing to indicate this was a woman's office now, while Miranda napped in the crib. She had taken off her jacket and it rested over the far arm of the couch. She had already had her fill of business attire.

The lone visitor in those three hours had been the now ex-personal assistant Jean, dropping off resumes from the assistant's pool on Bianca's desk. He had shot Maggie a dirty look as he passed her, she returned it with the biggest smile she could muster and a perky, "Hi there!" He simply grunted and made a hasty retreat.

Finally the door opened with Bianca walking in followed by four very serious looking men. Maggie set down her magazine, stood and hastily threw her coat back on and buttoned it. Bianca gave her an apologetic smile. She began talking to the four men in French and the only thing that Maggie picked out of it was "Mademoiselle Maggie Stone" when Bianca had pointed towards her, so she had guessed she was being introduced. She smiled at all four men and gave just the slightest bow of acknowledgement to each.

Bianca turned and looked at her. "How long as she been asleep?"

"About an hour, so we probably shouldn't wake her."

Bianca smiled a thin, self-satisfied grin, she liked hearing Maggie say that. It made her feel warm and very safe for some reason. She turned to the board members and explained that Miranda was down for a nap and they would have to meet her later. The gentleman looked crestfallen, but understood. They said their good-byes and filed out of the room.

Bianca closed the door behind them, turned around and leaned her back against the door. "My brain hurts."

Maggie laughed. "Alrighty then…and why would that be?"

Bianca walked over and fell into the couch, putting her hand to her forehead and resting it there. "Sure, I can speak French, but I have never had to speak it this much, for this long…and the other board members are due to arrive in just a little bit."

Maggie sat down next to Bianca and pulled her friends head forwards to rest it on her shoulder. She reached up and rubbed the exposed side of the head. "Your doing fine, and the more French you speak, the easier it will get."

"I know, but man, I think some of those board members who were in here do speak English, but are trying to test how far I can go in French. They seemed to know what I was saying the few times I did speak in English."

"Well I am sure they are wondering who you are to be so young and in charge. Not to mention gorgeous…."

The word just hung there for a moment, like the proverbial pink elephant in the room everyone was to polite to comment on. Bianca finally lifted her head from Maggie's shoulder. "Thanks..for the compliment and the head rub, I feel much better."

Maggie grinned and said, "You're welcome for both." While in her head she was thinking, "Smooth Stone..real smooth."

"So, I was thinking of ordering some lunch in…care to join me Nanny Stone?"

"Sure…on one condition, and somehow I think you can guess what that condition is!"

Both girls laughed in that oh-so-comfortable way.

The girls had found some menus out in the now vacant personal assistant's desk, and ordered some salads from a local deli. While waiting for them, Bianca had woken Miranda and given her a bottle and played with her. Once the food was delivered, the girls dug into their own lunches while sitting around Bianca's huge desk.

"So, besides your brain hurting from all the French, how painful has today been?" Maggie asked before taking in a forkful of lettuce.

"Not horrible, but not great either. To be quite honest Maggie….I'm not even sure what I am supposed to be doing! The board of directors wanted either Ethan or I here, but beyond that, I have no clue what exactly I'm supposed to be doing."

"You know, this sounds like a certain scared girl I had to drag out to Willow Lake for a swim one night several years ago." Maggie said with a mischievous twinkle.

Bianca laughed "Well, Willow Lake is a little far away to go for a swim, but this is different. I had been around my mother for awhile, I had an idea what she did, but Cambias is completely different. It's an umbrella company, we acquire other companies and bring them in, so what exactly is my job? Do I find companies for us to buy? Do I run the companies we have? I have no clue!"

"Well, call me crazy, but, did you think about asking someone?"

Bianca sat up very straight "Oh yes, I am sure that conversation would go well 'Hi, I'm your new boss, would you mind telling me what exactly it is I do?' Somehow I don't see that going over well."

Maggie stood from her chair and walked over to where she could be next to Bianca. She pulled up the hem of her skirt some to allow her legs more freedom and hopped up on the desk to sit. She took Bianca's hands into her own and said, "Listen to me, if you were anyone, and I do mean anyone, other than Bianca Christine Montgomery, then I would be joining you in your chorus of doubts. However, I know that you are the strongest, bravest woman I have ever met. If anyone can do this, it's you." Maggie smiled and leaned forward to look her friend straight in the eyes. "And do you know what other trump card you have?"

"I have no clue, but I have a feeling you are about to tell me." Bianca said with a laugh.

"Well, as long as you have a certain little Munchkin, they can't exactly fire you."

Both women turned their heads to look at Miranda who was sitting in a high chair that had also been sent up by Jean. She saw both women looking at her, which made her smile and smack her hands against the table top while giggling.

"I prefer 'daughter' to 'trump card', but you do have a point." Bianca sighed and sat back in her chair and went into a slouching position, which caused her to break her hand contact with Maggie. "I would rather make it on my own merits though."

Maggie crossed her legs at the knees, putting her hands down to either side of her and gripped the desk. "You will Bianca, you just have to give it time. No one expects you to nail this down in just one day you know."

"I do." was Bianca's sheepish reply.

"Well, I wouldn't expect any less from you, but you will get this, I have faith in you."

Bianca smiled. Maggie believing in her was a bigger morale boost than the shorter girl could know. She looked up at her friend and said, "Thanks…that does help you know."

Maggie smiled back and hopped off the desk. "Good!" She leaned forward and placed her hands on the arm rests of the chair, "Now, rest your brain, don't think about any of this, and finish your lunch! You need the energy." She leaned even further forward and placed the lightest of kisses on Bianca's forehead, she then turned and returned to her chair to finish her salad.

Bianca, sat frozen in the chair, relishing the lingering feeling of her friends lips against her skin. After only a few seconds she sat back up and dug back into her lunch, but the smile didn't leave her face for the rest of the meal. She just hoped that none of her stolen glances at Maggie lingered so long as to be too obvious.

With lunch over with, Bianca returned to the world outside her office door to face another round of greeting board members. Maggie had asked if she could use the phone to call Reggie for an update on Lily and to see how packing her apartment had gone.

When 2 PM rolled around, that made it 8 AM in Pine Valley, she figured it was safe to assume Reggie was up. Maggie picked up the phone and gave the number to the Cambias operator to call Reggie's cell phone. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey Reggie, its Maggie."

"Maggie who? Last Maggie I knew cut town without saying good-bye, so I don't know who you could be."

"Ha ha funny man….sorry about that. It was kind of a very, very last minute decision."

"If it means you are with Bianca, and I get the happy ending I always wanted to see, then it's all good with me."

"Don't go jumping to any conclusions yet Reggie. Just because I am in Paris doesn't mean Bianca and I are a couple." Maggie wanted to change subjects as quickly possible, and being delicate wasn't going to allow that. "How's Lily doing?"

Reggie paused, "Not good…we can't even get her to count backwards. She's counting things, but randomly. Aidan finally figured out she was counting the ceiling tiles, and the checks on Jack's shirt, but other than that….she just stares Maggie."

Maggie could hear Reggie's voice cracking. "She's gonna be fine Reggie, she is so strong, and so brave, you just watch, she'll be back to solving mysteries and embarrassing all of us with her math skills in no time."

"I know, but it doesn't make it any easier to watch her go through this. And when you add in Edmund dying…things aren't good here right now….oh, and speaking of not good, I had a run in with Jonathon at your place while Dani and I were packing it up."

Maggie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Are you both ok?"

"Yeah. He was acting all tough and threatening, but we finally got him out when Dani threatened to call her dad down at the police station…..he knows where you are now, and who you are with."

"That's his problem to deal with, I did this for me."

"Well, he just said something about Paris being for lovers and kind of dropped it."

Maggie gritted her teeth and tried to hold back her anger. "As long as you both are ok, that's all that matters."

"We're fine…your apartment is packed up. Dani already expressed your clothes to you and they should be there by the weekend. Your other stuff, we just had to guess what you wanted and we got that stuff down to the shippers to go with B's stuff."

"Thank you so much Reggie, and please thank Dani for me too. When things are settled with Lily, do you think you could have Jackson get a hold of me? I am going to need someone's help getting all my utilities shut off and bills paid. Leaving like I did, nothing got done and….oh no…" a thought hit Maggie like a lightning bolt. "Reggie…what did you guys do with Nemo and the crew?"

Reggie paused, scrunched up his face and replied, "Who?"

"My fish…the aquarium in the hallway?"

"Oh…your fish are fine. We knew we couldn't send them over, so Dani took them. She says she's just watching them for you, in case you come back, but she seemed to like them a lot."

"Well they are hers for as long as I'm gone. I'll give her a call sometime soon and tell her what all she needs to do."

"So…you said for as long you're gone…how long is that going to be exactly?"

"Nice try Reggie, but no one knows that answer yet…not even me." She paused for a moment, building up her courage. "Reggie, could you…..could you tell me, with as much detail as possible, what Jonathon said while he was there?"

"Are you sure you really need to know that? You're gone, you're done with him, why even think about him?"

"Please Reggie? I just need to know."

Reggie sighed, and reluctantly told Maggie all the details of the brief, yet adversarial, conversation.