May 23rd – Evening

Bianca hated when she worked past 5:30, and now it was getting close to an hour past that. She wanted to get home to Miranda, as she was all she could think about during the day. Well…and maybe another person as well. She gathered up her papers, slipped them in her briefcase and turned off her desk lamp before heading out.

She had already sent her assistant, Aurélia, home for the night, so it was just her in the office. This caused her to be a bit shocked when someone knocked on her office door, just as she reached for it. She opened it to find Ethan Cambias standing on the other side.

"I know. Last person you expect to see?...I need your help. I won't lose Kendall."

After getting over the initial shock of even seeing him standing there, his words began to sink in. "Well first off….'hello'. Secondly, what do you mean 'lose Kendall'? What happened now?"

"Can I come in to discuss this?"

"Well…" Bianca looked at her watch, "actually, no. I'm heading home, but you can come with me if you want."

"Ok…probably a better setting anyway, as this will take some time."

Bianca walked out of her office and closed the door behind her. "Fine…but could you wait here for a minute? I need to drop some papers off down the hall and I will come back for you."

"Of course." He replied, and Ethan took a seat on the love seat in Bianca's outer office as she left to go down the hall. Once she was at a safe distance, she pulled out her phone and called down to Patrick so he wouldn't be surprised by the arrival of the surprise visitor. Then she placed a call to Maggie.

"Bon jour!" came the chipper voice at the other end of the line.

Bianca smiled. "Don't say that unless you are prepared to a hold a full conversation in French."

"Caller ID dummy, I knew it was you. What's up? Are you delayed again?"

"No…well….yes….I don't know. I'm bringing someone home with me and thought I had better warn you."

"Oh! Did you go to a bar and pick up a hot girl?" she asked in a teasing voice.

Bianca smiled at the ease Maggie joked about her sexuality. "Oh they're hot, but this isn't exactly a girl. Ethan just showed up at my office door out of the blue wanting to talk to me about Kendall."

"Um….ok….I'll set another spot for dinner and change into something that doesn't look like I have been writing a paper for two days in it….since that is exactly what I have on."

"Thanks…..Maggie." Bianca said, catching herself almost saying 'honey'.

"No problem! Oh! And you better warn Patrick before you get downstairs!"

"Mind reader! I already did…see you in a bit."

Down in the parking garage, Bianca grinned at the sight of Patrick as she and Ethan walked to the limo. Patrick was standing at attention with the door open, and was even wearing his chauffeur's cap, which he hated, and only wore when Maggie would tease him about it.

She allowed Ethan to get in first. As he did, she and Patrick shared a wink. He was quickly becoming more like family than an employee, but with Ethan about, they were silently agreeing to play their assigned roles of employer and employee.

Ethan had taken a seat on the long bench as there was only room for one on the main seat, due to the presence of Miranda's car seat. "Sorry about that." Bianca said. "I just leave it in here all the time, as I never know when I will need to take her some place, and it is a real pain to take in and out."

Ethan smiled his crooked grin. "No problem. How is my little cousin?"

"She's fine. Maggie looks after her during the day, then I take over in the evenings when she heads off to class."

Ethan looked down at his trousers and picked off some imaginary lint. "So….you and Maggie are…."

"The very best of friends." Bianca said curtly, indicating he should watch what subjects he inquired about. "Are all the crews back on the Miranda Center as promised?"

Now it was Ethan's turn to feel the stab of an unwelcome question, and to realize that she did have the Kane instinct of going for the jugular. "Yes. They are all back as promised."

"Good. So, now what is this about Kendall that you felt the need to fly all the way to Paris to talk about it?"

"Well…" Ethan flashed a look towards Patrick. "Excuse me, driver? Could you put up the privacy screen please?"

"Of course sir." replied Patrick as the screen lifted into place.

Bianca frowned slightly, but said nothing as Ethan turned to face her again. "You were saying?" she inquired.

"Well, it seems Kendall is going to marry my father to help him get his gambling license back, and then they will sue me for my half of Cambias."

Bianca wasn't sure, but she felt as if she had just stepped into a whole other world. A world she had left behind when she and Maggie had departed for Paris. Now, it was as if she was right back in the thick of the craziness that was Pine Valley.

Ethan stood in the kitchen, his suit jacket and tie off, his sleeves rolled up and was pacing while drinking some white wine, talking with Bianca. "You have to help me with her Bianca."

Bianca was sitting at the butchers block with Miranda in her lap. "I don't have to do it Ethan, but I will. If you love her as much as you say you do, and she's making all these crazy decisions, then yes, I will talk to her and see what I can do for you."

Just then, Bianca's cell phone started ringing. "Hello? Mom? Mom…what? What? Slow down…slow down…hold on a minute." She stood up and walked over to Ethan. "Could you take her into Maggie for me? It's my mother and she's rambling something about a wedding and a banyan tree." She handed her daughter over to Ethan, which he gladly accepted. Bianca walked out of the room with her cell phone, repeatedly saying "Slow down mom!"

Ethan walked over to Maggie's room, and before knocking, read the sign that hung there that said "La Hutte de Plaisir"…"The Pleasure Hut". Ethan smiled and looked over his shoulder at Bianca, who was standing in the dining room. He mumbled "'The best of friends' huh?" and chuckled. He knocked on Maggie's door and asked if he could enter. Once he heard a "sure", he walked on in.

The room was large, and eclectic in its decoration. From a lava lamp on the bed stand, to the Pachinko machine in the corner, the room screamed young American. The distinctly French furniture though leant the room a bit of the city that surrounded this American's oasis.

"Sorry to disturb your studying…." Ethan began as he walked over to her with Miranda, "but Bianca's on the phone with her mother and asked me to bring Miranda in to you."

"Oh lord, if it's Erica, this could go on for awhile." She stood up and took Miranda from Ethan's arms. Miranda quickly cuddled up to Maggie and nestled her head in the crook of Maggie's neck. Maggie smiled a gentle grin and rested her head against Miranda's.

Ethan slid his hands in his pockets and smiled at the two ladies in front of him. "She really seems to have taken a liking to you."

"Yeah, well we spend just a wee bit of time together." Maggie said sarcastically, as she sat back down at her desk. Maggie nodded with her head towards her bed. "You can have a seat if you want, she'll probably be a little while."

"Thanks." replied Ethan as he sat down at the end closest to Maggie. "So…things are going well for you over here?"

"Yeah…school's going well, I've got these swanky digs to live in and I get to hang out with the two most beautiful girls on the face of the planet everyday!" she said as she turned her head and kissed the top of, the now drowsy, Miranda's head.

Ethan caught the plural form of her comment about the 'beautiful girls', but smiled and kept his thoughts to himself.

Just then Bianca came storming into Maggie's room. "Ok everyone, battle stations….my mother has lost her mind!"

Maggie and Ethan looked at each other, and then to Bianca. Maggie asked, "This is news to you? I always thought you were bit quicker on the uptake…."

"Oh no, this is a whole new level for her. Ethan…could you call the pilot and see how soon the jet could be ready to leave?"

"Do I need to leave already?"

"Oh no, not like that. I do…and Miranda…and you….and Maggie if you would like to come."

Maggie and Ethan looked at each other again, and then back to Bianca. "Um..Bianca…would you mind joining us in our reality and tell us just a few more details?"

Bianca took a deep breath. "Uncle Jack 'kidnapped' Mom to talk some sense into her, he took her to Boca Raton by yacht, where they found a gorgeous banyan tree and now mom wants to get married under it and wants all of us there so they can get married as soon as possible." She let her deep breath out.

Ethan stood up, made a little bow to Maggie and Miranda, and turned back to Bianca. "I think I'll just call the pilot. I caught Boca Raton in there…that should be enough information." He patted Bianca on the shoulder as he passed her.

"So….can you come?" Bianca asked.

"I wish I could…really…we've only been waiting for this marriage for years now, but I have got to finish this paper." she said with a frown. "You aren't upset are you?"

Bianca lifted her hands and pushed locks of hair behind both ears. "No! Of course not! Leave it to my mom to spring this on us with no warning!

Maggie stood up and walked over to Bianca. "You're sure you aren't mad?"

"Disappointed? Yeah, of course I am. But mad? How can I be mad when it's homework?" She pulled Maggie into a light hug so as not crush Miranda, and Maggie returned it, one-armed. After breaking the hug, Bianca asked, "Could I impose on you for say an hour to help me pack though? I have got to leave tonight!"

Maggie smiled an evil grin. "Is it even possible to get one Kane woman ready in an hour, let alone two?" she asked with a nod towards the baby in her arms.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Come on." And with that, all of them exited Maggie's room.

"You are only going to be gone a few days Bianca! You have enough clothes packed to move back, and…..wait a minute…is there something you aren't telling me?" Maggie bellowed from the closet of the main bedroom.

"No, but with my mom you have to plan for every possible contingency!"

Maggie walked out of the closet, more clothes in hand. "True! I grabbed your black bikini…just in case. Florida and all that, she might want to go to the beach or something." She paused long enough to throw some more clothes in the luggage. "Man…now I wish I could go, but I have to hand that paper in first thing Wednesday. Of course after that, THEN I have free time!" she said while throwing her hands up in frustration.

Bianca was bent over one of her suitcases, zipping it up. "I know, but nothing can be done. Even if I sent the jet back for you, you wouldn't arrive in time." she said with a frown.

There was a soft knock at the door. "Bianca…whenever you're ready. Your driver is downstairs, and the jet is ready for us."

"Thanks you take one of these bags down for me?"

"Only one? It looks like your ready for an around the world trip!"

"What can I tell ya Ethan…that's the Kane women for you." Maggie piped in.

Ethan groaned under the weight of a bag in each hand, but he made it out the door. "I'll see you downstairs." he said over his shoulder.

"Are you sure no one's head is going to explode when you arrive with him?" Maggie asked.

"I hope not, but he seems to really love Kendall, and this whole crazy plan she has with Zach….I have to see what I can do Maggie."

"That's our Saint Bianca. Anyway…you have room for one more small bag?"

Bianca looked around puzzled. "Didn't we get everything put away?"

"You did, but I have gifts for everyone that I have been slowly buying for when the wedding was supposed to happen. Can you just take them with you?"

"Of course! We'll just grab them when we get downstairs." Bianca tilted her head and pouted a bit. "You realize….this will be the longest we have gone without seeing each other since we got here."

Maggie looked down and fiddled with the zipper on one of the bags. "Yeah…not sure how I will feed myself with the language barrier." she said with a soft chuckle.

Bianca walked over and pulled her into a big hug. "I need a big one this time so I don't go through withdrawl."

"You're trying to make me cry aren't you?"

"NO! I…" she pulled back in the hug so she could look at Maggie, but kept her arms around her. "Well…since we got here, and got the whole living arrangement problem settled…I've just gotten so used to seeing you everyday. It will be rough going without."

Maggie blushed. "Me too…this has been really good for me Bianca. I feel like I'm getting back to healthy finally."

Bianca pulled her close for another hug, but this time nothing was said. Both girls closed their eyes, and tears began to well up. They stood like this for several moments before it was finally broken. Each reached up with the backs of their hands to brush away their own tears while laughing in embarrassment.

"Boy, aren't we mature…can't go a couple days without each other!" said Maggie.

"And that's all it is…a couple days. I promise."

"Good! I would hate to have to hunt you down!"

Her tears gone, Bianca bent over to pick up a suitcase and saw her briefcase lying on the bed. "Oh! Could you do me a favor on Wednesday? After you turn in your paper of course."

"Sure. What do you need?"

"Can you drop some papers I had to sign off at the office?"

"Oh yeah, not a problem! And it will give me a chance to harass Patrick at work!" she said with a chirp. "Now, you go on downstairs, I'll grab Miranda out of her crib, and you'll be ready to attend the tenth Erica Kane wedding!"

Bianca closed her eyes and shook her head. "It's amazing how you can make everything sound so normal."

May 25th – Afternoon

Maggie was strolling down the sidewalk near the Cambias building. She had dropped the papers off like Bianca had wanted, and Patrick said he would meet her down the street at the coffee shop after he had run an errand. Since she had only ever driven in and out of the Cambias building, in the back of a limo, she had thought to take the train this time so she would be to actually get out and look around for once. Now she was just taking a slow stroll down the street, looking in the windows of the small boutiques that lined either side of the avenue.

As she stopped to look in the window of a jewelry store, she thought she saw someone staring at her out of the corner of her eye. When she turned to look, they were gone. She just chalked it up to her imagination, and continued down the street.

It was a gorgeous day, just a few clouds, and not too hot, or too cold. The perfect day for a walk. With her paper turned in, she had decided this was the perfect way to spend a Bianca & Miranda-free afternoon. She really had not had much of a chance to explore the city, and she still occasionally had to remind herself she actually lived in Paris now. Her! Maggie Stone! Living in Paris! She grinned for a moment as she looked around. "And that teacher, Mrs. Branbridge, said in third grade that those Stone girls would never get anywhere in life. HA! Take that you old battle axe!"

She stopped to look in another window. Just as the grin had appeared suddenly, it now disappeared. Though the reflection in the window was her own, it made her think. "Oh Frankie….if only you were here…". She was shocked out of her daydream as she again felt as if she was being watched, but when she turned her head, no one was there except normal pedestrians passing her by. No one was staring at her as far as she could see. She shrugged her shoulders and moved on down the street.

When she reached the coffee shop, she got in line figuring she would go ahead and get a latte in her before Patrick arrived. All the time she was in line she kept trying to work out the words to place the order. She had slowly been picking up more and more words, but they still did not come naturally to her. And with Bianca gone, it was a little disconcerting being in a city with this many people, and still feeling alone and isolated because she did not speak the language.

When her turn at the counter arrived, she blurted out what she thought was an order for a latte, but the barista looked at her perplexed. She tried it again. He still looked at her puzzled. From somewhere behind her a voice said something in French, the barista smiled and began making a latte.

"You were very close to having it correct Maggie, it's just the enunciation needs a little more work" said the voice.

Every hair on her neck stood on end. She slowly turned, knowing who it was, but still hoping she was wrong. She looked up slightly at the short, pixie like hair-do, the deep dark eyes and that smirk of a grin she had always wanted to slap off her face. "Hello…..Lena."