Title: A Little Respect
Author: Misty Flores
Teaser: Pursuing a relationship with Aiden after discovering Bianca in bed with Babe, Maggie begins to question even her own self worth when she finds herself at delving deeper into a baby kidnapping mystery, and an intense love triangle.
Timeline: Before Paris, Before Jonathan, and right after an 'I Never' confession.
Rating: Towards the later chapters, will heavily feature an M rating for sexual situations.
Notes: Remember the time in AMC history when Maggie was achingly in love with Bianca, told Bianca and Bianca turned her down, and still, Maggie was there, selflessly in love, trying hard to be the best friend she could be, even while Bianca went on and on about Lena and Babe? Maggie in love with Clueless!Bianca always breaks my heart and it's the Maggie I love the most.
This is a monster - 40 chapters in it's completed form. While the focus is Bianca and Maggie, it is, in reality, an AU, with one thing changed: What would happen if Maggie had run to into the arms of a genuinely nice guy instead of a crazed psycho? How would that affect the timeline, the surrounding relationships, and Bianca?
Here's one take on the question - turns out? It would affect quite a bit of people.
Characters featured: Maggie, Bianca, Aiden, Anna, Robin, Kendall, Greenlee, Jonathan, Babe, Jamie - and their prospective arcs
Part Two
I'm so in love with you
I'll be forever blue
That you give me no reason
Why you're making me work so hard
-- Erasure, A Little Respect
Maggie was acting oddly.
Bianca stared at the door, peering at it as if she could somehow see through it, and by default, into Maggie's heart and mind.
Already, she felt cold, and shuddering at the feeling of loneliness, Bianca reached for the throw draped clumsily over Maggie's couch, pulling it over her shoulders and settling back into the coach, tilting her head toward the ceiling and closing her eyes.
Lena's voice rang in her thoughts, and Bianca wondered, how it had come to this, learning to both dread and anticipate her girlfriend's calls. They were no longer just sweet messages and professions of adoration, but every single call was also another push, another argument, another way of avoiding Lena's increasingly incessant demands to join her.
Bianca clung hard to the throw, and tried to pretend they were the warmth of a person, wrapping them in her embrace. She pulled it tighter around her, breathing in through her nose, letting out a hard sigh.
Lena. Babe. Bess.
Her mind was full of problems and stress, and she ached to talk about it, to turn to the only person who would listen and understand and somehow know that it would be okay, without reservation and judgment. Maggie was her best friend. Maggie was always there to provide the arms she needed, the warm embrace she craved. Maggie's touch was always right and always there. And Maggie loved her.
Bianca's eyes shot open, and she let the throw drop, staring up at the cracked ceiling. Maggie, eternally confused Maggie who thought she loved her that way and now couldn't stand to touch her, wouldn't stand for lingered embraces or glances, so afraid of the possibility she ran from even the most innocent of touches.
Bianca had promised to be there for her. She had promised to try, but all her best friend was doing was running from her, and Bianca selfishly almost wished Maggie would take it all back, turn straight on her again, just so Bianca could bury herself into Maggie's arms and feel Maggie's tender kisses against her cheeks and forehead without complication or pretense or worry about what it all could mean.
There was so much complication in her life, she needed the simple brilliance that was her connection with Maggie. She needed her best friend.
"God," she whispered, shifting on the couch to stare hard at the door again, willing Maggie to come back.
The phone rang, and Bianca shook herself from her annoyed contemplation, reaching for the cradle, finger pinching the bridge of her nose. "Hello?"
"It's me," she heard, and with a sudden jump in her heart, thoughts of Maggie flew fast from her mind as she straightened, eyes widening.
"Babe?"
"Bianca, I need to talk to you. I need to talk to you so much."
"What is it?" she said immediately, clutching the phone with both hands, "Is it Bess?"
"No, it's..." Babe's voice cracked, her emotion so tangible, and it reached into Bianca's chest and twisted her soul achingly. "I just needed to hear your voice."
"I'm here," Bianca said immediately, her heart suddenly warming with affection. "I'm always here for you, Babe."
--
It was frigid.
Grateful for Jamie's jacket, Maggie dug her fingers further into the deep pockets, watching her tennis shoes as they bobbed up and down on the sidewalk, one foot in front of the either, letting the cracks on the sidewalk determine her pace.
Step on a crack, she thought idly, pausing to hop gently over a line, then another, grimacing when it became actual effort to get to the other block of cement. "God," she said, shaking her head at the action. "You really are a shrimp, Maggie Stone."
Bianca's long legs would have had no problem with this game. She was probably queen of the step on the crack Olympics. Bianca had beautiful long slender legs, always smooth underneath her fingertips, like satin.
"God,Maggie," she snapped to herself, jerking out of the sudden mooning. "Get over it for like, a minute, would you?"
She hopped again, and found her foot diagonal against a jagged crack. Staring down at the view, she had a sudden mental picture of her mother, screeching as the bottle of Jack Daniel's slipped from her fingers, and she stumbled down the stairs, nearly taking a stunned Frankie with her.
Suddenly the game wasn't so much fun anymore.
Shivering, Maggie brought her feet together, glancing up away from the sidewalk and looking over her street, quiet and a little desolate in the evening hours. The sun was just beginning to set, and she could see the brilliance of the hues on the horizon, mingling with departing clouds. On her right, she could catch the beginning glow of the moon.
It was a beautiful sight, and Maggie was alone, with no one to share it with.
Sucking in her breath, she tore her eyes from it, glancing back up to her building, and then glancing back down the street.
She was saved from actually having to decide anything, when she heard an accented, "Maggie!"
She turned. To her surprise, it was Aiden coming toward her, slamming his car door closed, and rounding the hood, glancing both ways in that sneaky super spy way of his, tugging on black leather gloves and jogging up to her.
"Aiden," she greeted, crossing arms over herself, quirking an eyebrow in recognition. "What's up?"
"What are you doing out here?" he said immediately, big ole' accent slurring his words, his breath coming out in moist white puffs. "It's freezing, Maggie."
They had definitely hit a cold snap, which was weird. She had worn a tank top the week before.
"I have a jacket," she said, rolling her shoulders, emphasizing Jamie's too large coat. "I'm nearly drowning in it." He narrowed his eyes, obviously not getting the humor. "I'm fine," she said, bobbing her head. "What are you doing here?"
He didn't look convinced, but answered the question anyway. "I came by to see you, actually. Didn't answer your cell phone."
Oh. Yeah. "Kinda forgot it. And my wallet. And my keys. And my brain, apparently," she muttered, before she glanced up again at the handsome dark-eyed friend of hers. "Why were you coming to see me?" It was a valid question - Aiden was a good guy and all, and for a while, he was kinda family, in a related by marriage kinda way, but he hadn't ever stopped by just to chat. He hadn't ever stopped by at all, actually. Aiden's eyes darkened, and he glanced away, and just the troubled look was enough to cause a sudden sink in her stomach. "I'm guessing it wasn't a social call?"
He frowned, eyebrows furrowing together before he indicated to his car. "Feel like taking a drive, Maggie?"
--
They drove for a while, Maggie glancing out the window at the passing streets and Aiden taking his time with the turns.
Even now, off duty, she noted that he made sure to take a couple more turns than were necessary, without signaling, fluid, abrupt moves designed to shake anyone tailing them.
Just the thought brought a secret smirk to her lips. Anyone who wasn't from this town would think it weird that a Private Investigator who used to be in Intelligence could actually have a full time job in a small gossipy little dot like Pine Valley. It said something that she thought it was all perfectly normal.
Another glance at Aiden, and the smile died. "Aiden," she said, shifting in her seat to face him. "What is it?"
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught her gaze, before he glanced back at the road, square chin hardening, an obvious gulp causing his Adam's Apple to bob up and down.
"Anna called me."
The name did it's work, as Maggie lost her breath, immediately picturing her cousin's ex-wife, Aiden's aunt, and Maggie's hero. "Anna called you?" she breathed, straightening in her seat, suddenly unsure how to react. She felt like a child, her hands folded in her lap, glancing down at her tangled fingers.
He looked like a statue, hands tightening over the steering wheel so hard the knuckles were white, eyes narrowed and focused on some unknown place, and his voice was hard, dusty.
"She's sick, Maggie."
--
She shoved into the door at one in the morning, after Aiden picked her lock, thanking him with a small smile, and burying herself into his arms for one more hug.
The door closed behind her, and only then, did she hear him walking away from her.
Maggie collapsed against the door, eyes closing now, locking on a thousand memories of Anna, beautiful and poised, so together and so wonderful Maggie distinctly remembered wanting to be her when she 'grew up'.
She felt weighted, drifting in sludge, and exhausted, she shrugged off Jamie's jacket and let it drop to the floor, kicking around it to head for the couch.
There was a lump on it.
Maggie blinked, stared hard, until her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she was able to make out the slender form of Bianca Montgomery, strewn across the couch, eyes closed, breathing evenly against the fabric.
She looked exhausted.
Suddenly overwhelmed, Maggie sank to the floor, drinking in the image of Bianca desperately, imprinting Bianca into her brain, letting just the sight of her take her away from Anna and what Aiden had told her.
Breathing in raggedly, Maggie found one of Bianca's hands peeking out from underneath the throw, and she reached for it, hesitant at first, until she felt the soft contact of the limp digits, and then clasped tightly, resting her head against the cushion, leaning forward to brush her cheek against Bianca's palm.
Her eyes closed, and tears lifted through the lashes, drifting silently down her cheeks.
The hand came to life gently, jerking, before she heard a sleepy, "Maggie?"
She sucked in her breath, biting her lip to contain her emotion. "It's me, Bianca."
"What time is it?"
"It's late," she whispered. "Go to sleep, Binks. I was just checking in."
"Okay." The hand settled again against her, squeezed her own. "I'm glad you're home."
Maggie opened her eyes, and craned her neck to look up, over the cushion at the face of Bianca, eyes already closed again, drifting back to sleep.
She couldn't help her impulse, and in her emotion, she shifted and pressed her lips tenderly to Bianca's forehead, lingering to whisper, "Me too. I love you."
Bianca didn't respond, but Maggie didn't really expect her too. Instead, Maggie settled herself on the floor again, and held onto Bianca's hand, closing her eyes and wiping at her tears.
end part two