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 delving deeper into a baby kidnapping mystery, and an intense love triangle.
PART TWELVE
I'm sorry I can't always find the words to say
Everything I've ever known gets swept away
-- 3 Doors Down, Here By Me
Under normal circumstances, Maggie would have considered breaking and entering a viable crime, and something she normally should have tried to steer clear of.
Helping Jamie break into the Chandler Mansion, however, didn't take much convincing. Even before the whole 'sex with Jamie in Mr. Chandler's limo' incident, Maggie had been seen as low class by Mr. Chandler, and even J.R., who had been a friend all those years ago, was now a class A ass.
Maggie's morality took a very liberal nosedive when it came to them both.
She wasn't proud of it, but Frankie had once taught her the art of picking locks, something her twin sister had learned on her own, simply because Frankie was Frankie and picking locks was something she had to learn how to do. It was like her twin had gone to some sort of local deviant school while Maggie had actually tried to learn constructive information.
They had been a game to Maggie, something she learned from her sister, just because she liked to learn, but to Frankie, they had been serious. Real. Her sister sat for hours, with her collection of locks and her mother's stolen bobby pins, hiding on the roof just outside their window, tinkering, fiddling, until she heard the satisfying pop. Until her eyes lit up with satisfaction, and she would scuttle into the bedroom and barrel into Maggie, disrupting her book or her dolls or whatever Maggie was doing to occupy her time, waving the dismantled lock with such triumph and pride.
"You do it!" Frankie would tell her, shoving it into her lap. "You do it!"
Maggie never wanted to, but she always gave in, because Frankie took it so seriously. They had to learn, Frankie would always insist – to her sister, it was about survival.
Maggie had never realized it was because Frankie was preparing to run away.
It was what occupied her thoughts on the drive away from the Chandler mansion, after a successful lock pick and an almost unsuccessful break-in, a run in with J.R. and yet another clue to this whole 'Why is Babe acting like she's on crack' puzzle.
Frankie the survivor, who tried so hard to instill those instincts in her, tried to bury it into her head that she had to learn it all, so they could survive it all, together.
In the end, Frankie hadn't survived. All of Frankie's tactics and tricks and cons, and it had just gotten her killed.
"You do it!" she heard, echoed into her head. She had come into Pine Valley, slid into the role that was Frankie, taken Frankie's love for Bianca and held it close to her heart. Taken Frankie's family and made it her own.
Frankie had only learned how to survive. She had never learned how to live.
"You okay?"
Maggie inhaled sharply, lifting her head from the plastic linen of the seat belt, blinking back her emotion, glancing quickly at the concerned look at Jamie's face. She offered a tight smile.
"Yeah," she said, eyes once again jetting to the side of the road, watching the trees as they zipped past. "Fine. Just thinking about stuff."
"The next chapel's not too far off. We should get there soon."
"Okay." She fingered the drawing in her lap, Jamie's find, a clue. What had to be a stained glass window. Where else could a stained glass window be, but in a church?
It was the wild goose chase from hell, thanks to the surprising number of churches and chapels from here to Llanview.
"So, you've been hanging out a lot with Aiden Devane, lately."
He said it with such a forced demeanor, overly casual. A grim smile floated onto her face. Jamie was never subtle, even when he tried.
"He's my boyfriend, Jamie," she said flatly, "That would be the reason why."
Jamie's mouth twitched, and he shoved hard down on the accelerator, pitching them forward, shifting gears.
"What?" she said, monotone. "You might as well say it."
"I just don't get it," he suddenly burst, one hand on the wheel, eyes on the road. "What about winning it?"
"Winning it?" she repeated, hand on her chin, taking in the forest. "Winning what?"
"Bianca," he snapped, like she was an idiot. "Come on, Maggie. You were in the game!"
"In the game?" She was acting like a parrot, but Maggie was a little irritated, and as a result, didn't care. "Jamie, there was no game. I wasn't ever in it. There wasn't ever anything to win, okay?"
"You know there wasn't anything to Babe and Bianca in bed," he argued. "She explained that to you."
"Oh, yeah?" she said dryly. "And what's Lena? Another smokescreen? Please."
"Maggie-"
"Or is your version of winning it taking vows? Taking up my habit at the altar of Saint Montgomery, preserving my chastity on the off chance Bianca might one day wake up, and think, 'I think I might give Maggie a chance in hell today!'"
Jamie blinked, confused for a second, before his shoulders sunk, and he jerked the wheel, spinning the car into another curve. "Come on, Maggie. It's like things changed between you two after that whole thing."
Maggie smiled bitterly, shaking her head as she shifted up in the seat, tightening the seatbelt. "They did. I got a wake up call."
"But nothing happ-"
"Yes, it did, Jamie! Something happened to me." Whipping her head to catch a quick glare, she felt her voice rise, her emotion getting away from her. With a sigh, she tried to contain it, lowering her tone when she continued, "That whole fiasco woke me up, okay? It made it clear that Bianca and me? It's never going to happen. I'm happy with Aiden. He's fun. He's hot. He loves me and makes me feel like I deserve it." He pressed his mouth together, a thin line. "Bianca will always be my best friend. But we'll never be together, okay? Get over it, I have."
He didn't answer for a moment, her words sinking into the silence, until he shifted his large frame in the chair and muttered, "Right. Cause it's that easy."
Maggie sighed, biting down the tension inside of her, making a point of relaxing in the seat and clapping open Jamie's drawing. "Shut up, Jamie."
--
"I have something for you."
Confused, Aiden wasn't sure how to respond. He stayed put, hands on his thighs, glancing up at his girlfriend, who only two hours before had run from him after he had unceremoniously confessed his love.
The phone call an hour and a half later, requesting that he meet her at the boathouse after she had failed to find him ("What'd you do, run off!" "No, Maggie, that was you.") at the hospital, wasn't encouraging.
Aiden was almost sure he was getting dumped, or getting a rather stern talk.
Maggie's silly smile and the way she was swinging her torso, hands behind her, was a surprise. Aiden didn't know if it was because Maggie had gotten over it, or he had finally managed to drive Maggie completely nuts.
"You have something for me?" he repeated.
Maggie grinned, pulling up a crate and settling herself onto it, an action that took some time, as his girlfriend decided to the take the opportunity to mimic a cat, peering at it, dusting it off, smoothing her skirt to make sure none of her skin actually touched the dirty board, and then, finally, lowering herself, wincing, and scotching up a bit forward.
Satisfied, she looked at him.
"Comfortable?" he couldn't help asking.
"Not really," she said, grimacing as she shifted on her makeshift seat. "It's itchy." When he only kept staring at her, an amused smirk floating onto his lips, she only stared back. "What?"
"Nothing," he said, shaking his head, trying hard to resist the urge to pull her into his lap, in his opinion, a much more comfortable seat. "You have something for me?" he reminded her.
"Oh! Yes!" Maggie took in a breath, let it out, and smiled. "Okay." Holding out her hands, she waited expectantly for him to take them. He did, smoothing fingers over her soft skin, cradling her hands in his. "I freaked out. I'm sorry."
"Yes, you did. And apology accepted," he said immediately, suddenly overwhelmed with relief. "I meant what I said, Maggie, but... I know it's far too soon-"
"Now, hold on!" Maggie said, interrupting him with a wave of her hand. "Don't interrupt!"
"I apologize. Again."
"Good. Hush up, Brit Boy. Okay. Look, what you said? It took a lot of amazing strength, and yes, you only did it because you were a complete ass the minutes before, but... it wasn't fair how I reacted either. I don't want you to think, I don't appreciate it. But... I don't know if I can..."
He glanced away, nodding mechanically. He knew that. He knew going into this. Maggie had been in love with Bianca for years – he had seen it. He had lived it.
"But that doesn't mean I won't ever say it." Maggie's flashed another dazzling, half grin, before she settled down further, shivering in the wind, and suddenly placed a little hard metal object in his hand.
It was a key. "What's this?"
"It's a key," she said, with a 'duh' expression on her face. "It unlocks doors."
"Well, I gathered that."
"It's to my apartment. I had an extra one... and I want you to have it. Call it a gesture. Call it whatever you want. But I don't want you to think I'm just killing time. I care about you, Aiden. And I want you in my life."
He looked at the little object, then back up at Maggie. She had given him her key.
For some reason, it made him ridiculously sentimental. "You realize I could have just picked your lock."
"Please," she sniffed. "Anyone can pick a lock. Few people are invited into my home and my heart, Mr. Devane."
A surge of emotion enveloped him, but he wasn't surprised by it. He was just in love.
"Come here," he murmured, pulling on her hand, into his lap, into his lips.
--
She found Aiden sitting on her couch, wearing a befuddled expression on his face, Jamie's Xbox controller in his hands, staring at the screen.
She couldn't help smiling, chuckling in amusement as she closed the door behind her. "Some Max Payne you are."
"I don't get it," he muttered, cocking his head adorably. "Isn't bullet time like cheating?"
"No," she said, settling into the couch beside him, offering her distracted boyfriend a quick kiss. "It's like awesome. I kill at that game."
"In that case," he said grandly, tossing her the controller, "Be my guest."
"Ooh. A challenge!" Uncrossing her legs, she squinted, readying herself for the next round of gunplay. "And how was your day?"
"The usual," he said, thumbing along her shoulder, landing affectionate fingers in the nape of her neck. "We're getting no closer to finding out who shot Ryan."
"I thought it was that Ethan guy."
"There's no proof," he said matter-of-factly. "He's arrested but I can guarantee you it won't be enough to hold him. It hasn't stopped me from trying to get it. Believe me, I'll keep going until I find something."
"Aren't you the single-minded hunk," she murmured sweetly, before her eyes widened and she jerked the controller. "Crap!"
"Trouble?"
"Max Payne just died," she sighed, slumping back against the sofa. "Don't worry. He'll live again!"
"Later," he ordered, and she grinned as he took the controller away from her, tossing it on the coffee table and curling her into him, tipping her head up for a lingering kiss. "Mmmm," she murmured, "You feelin' lucky?"
He grinned that adorable grin and kissed her again, working his way down the column of her throat, mumbling against her skin, "And how was your day?"
"Oh, the usual," she mimicked, sighing raggedly as she leaned into him, tipping her head to allow better access. "Class, breaking and entering, random goose chases-"
He stopped the fun stuff he was doing to her neck. "Pardon?"
"Class," she began again.
"No, I got that," he said, cutting her off. "Breaking and entering?"
"Oh." Blushing slightly, Maggie sucked in her breath and offered her sweetest smile. "It doesn't count! We broke into the Chandlers!"
"The Chandlers!" Aiden sat up, and Maggie shrunk a little in her seat when he gave her the most obvious disbelieving glare. "Maggie, Adam Chandler? The man who once had you arrested!"
"It was only that one time – and how'd you know about that!"
"Maggie, you're a smart girl. You know that breaking and entering is a felony-"
"Jamie started it!"
"Maggie."
Maggie sighed, breaking out of his arms to bury her face into her hands. "At least be proud of me – I picked a lock!"
The look on his face clearly indicated he thought she was a bit of an idiot.
"I was doing it for Bianca," she said finally. "She's... all... weirded out because Babe is acting like a dumb blonde, which is a normal day for Babe, but apparently there's different levels, and Babe is hitting a new low."
He kept staring at her. "Maggie. Knock it off."
The patronizing, condescending tone only irritated her. "I'm not going to 'knock it off'," she snapped. "And I already have a father, and he sucks. Why is this such a big deal to you?"
Aiden stayed seated as she huffed up. "Maggie, it's a felony. And you should be concentrating on your school work, which at last check, was, according to you, rather demanding- instead you're breaking into the home of a man who, you already confessed, hates you, spending the entire day on what you termed as a 'wild goose chase'-"
"Okay, stop using my words against me, that's annoying."
Aiden sighed, staring up at her with his deep dark eyes, obviously thinking.
Maggie licked her lips, arms crossed stubbornly. "Bianca needs my help." Their eyes locked, but Maggie only arched hers further, challenging him to the fight.
Instead, her boyfriend surprised the hell out of her. "All right," he said after a beat. "How about this? If you promise to stop putting yourself in harm's way, and concentrate on your school work, I will look into this myself."
The offer was so unexpected, she could only blink at first, stuttering heart filled with sudden hope. "Really?"
"Yes, really." He grinned, a naughty smirk. "Consider it a perk of dating a PI."
"Oh, my God, Aiden! Thank you! I'll be a good girl, I promise!" Before she could help herself, she straddled his lap, peppering his face with kisses, ignoring his laughter. "Wait-" Pulling back suddenly, she regarded him suspiciously. "What do you want for payment?"
Broad palms slipped about her waist, settling just under her shirt, smoothing up to finger her bra strap.
"Pig."
"Pig that loves you," he reminded her, as she giggled, lowering her mouth to his and kissing him passionately, cradling into him as he held her firmly in his lap.
The phone ringing broke the moment, as Maggie closed her eyes in frustration and moaned, holding her mouth stubbornly on his. It still rang again.
"You don't have to get that," he said, pulling on a lock of hair as she sighed, pulling away.
"Yeah, I do," she said frankly. "It's a thing. It's a sickness. I can't not get my phone." His hands fell dramatically, horny Aiden honestly put out as Maggie rolled her eyes, slapping at his shoulders. "Like you don't get enough."
She stayed in his lap as she arched for the phone, pulling it to her ear. "Hello?" Taking the opportunity, Aiden began to nuzzle her neck on the other side, ignoring her sudden hiss.
"Maggie?"
"Bianca?" Maggie blinked, moving back slightly, avoiding Aiden's kisses when she detected an odd tone on her friend. "What's wrong?"
"Ethan's been arrested," Bianca said with a rush of breath. "Kendall's freaking out and now she wants me to give him Miranda's shirt!"
"Miranda's shirt?" she repeated, mind suddenly clicking onto the memory. "Wait, the one you gave birth to Miranda in! She's insane!"
"Maggie, I don't know what to do-"
"Okay, calm down! Where are you?"
"Fusion."
"I'll be right there," she said, already moving off of her boyfriend's lap. "Just don't go anywhere, okay?" Tossing the phone, she reached for her jacket. "Kendall's freaking out, which is freaking Bianca out. I have to go-"
Aiden gave her an oddly even look. "This isn't what I meant by concentrating on school, Maggie-"
"I know, I know, but I can't not go, okay? She needs me." She kissed him again, caressing him once on his cheek and straightening. "I'll call you."
"Maggie."
But she was already scurrying for the door, leaning back in a near acrobatic move to grab her purse, closing the door shut behind her.
--
For a multimillion dollar company, Fusion was surprisingly low key. Maggie honestly was surprised that the place still managed to run itself with the Witches of Eastwick at its helm, Kendall and Greenlee were always involved in their personal drama or each others, and Simone just kept getting arrested.
It made sense that Bianca would be there, at least to take up the slack. Her best friend had surprised even her with her amazing business sense at so young an age, and Maggie had always been so incredibly proud of her.
In a way, she cherished the small idea that when Bianca freaked out, she had called her. It seemed like the old days, when they relied on each other no matter what – Pre-Babe. Pre-Lena, even.
She hurried into the steel elevator, pressing the button and waiting impatiently, tapping her feet, watching the numbers dial up, until they hit the Fusion loft.
Stepping out, she was surprised to discover Jamie, here of all places, speaking to Bianca. Watching them both, Maggie frowned, lingering in the open elevator.
Jamie said he was going to the library after their bust at the chapel – not Fusion. Maggie lingered, keeping quiet, realizing with a sudden sour expression why. They were talking about Babe. Bianca, in fact, was in the middle of another 'Babe is the exalted one' speech.
Seriously. It was like a cult.
"Babe and her mom have had a really rough life, always in survival mode, and I'm sure that that's involved some lightweight scamming."
Even Jamie seemed a little suspicious. "But you would never see Babe scamming you?"
Maggie's frown deepened, arms crossed as she shifted eyes to Bianca. "Me? No! Because Babe knows that whoever she is is cool with me. And... and I know that deep down, she's a total righteous person." Maggie winced. Deep, deep, DEEP down, maybe. "This memorial to Miranda just proves it."
"Memorial?" she suddenly interrupted, genuinely confused. "What memorial?"
Jamie whirled, eyes widening with surprise, but Bianca only smiled, motioning her forward. "Maggie, it's amazing. As a surprise for me, Bianca had a stained glass window put in a chapel, as a memorial for Miranda!"
Maggie blinked, confused. "What?" Turning suddenly to Jamie, she discovered her friend scratching his ear, eyes on the floor. "I thought you said you didn't find anything!"
He had lied. Why had he lied? "It wasn't the one we went to, Maggie-"
"Oh, cause you had time to find yet ANOTHER chapter in the forty five minutes we were apart!"
Jamie glared at her, shifting eyes from her to Bianca. "Maggie, right now isn't the best-"
"Why would you lie to me?"
"Maggie?" Pressing a hesitant squeeze to her forearm, Bianca hesitantly asked, "What happened?"
"Ask Pinocchio," she snapped, glaring at him. "What did you find!"
"Maybe it's none of your business, Maggie."
"Oh, so NOW it's none of my business!" Shaking off Bianca's slight pull, Maggie took another step forward, into Jamie's personal space. "First you don't shut up about helping you find this thing, and now you're pushing me out of it?"
"I gotta go," he said immediately, ignoring her completely.
"Don't dismiss me like a mini J.R., Jamie-"
She shuddered, anger coursing through her, mind whirling. What the hell! Jamie had lied? He had found the window and he hadn't told her?
Why the hell had Jamie lied?
"Bianca, is there anything that Babe could do to shake your faith in her?" he said, above Maggie.
Maggie shut her mouth, eyes narrowing. Babe. Babe had done something. Sucking in her breath, she turned to Bianca, suddenly wanting to hear her answer.
Bianca looked confused, obviously unsure what the sudden fight was about, but her answer was completely sincere. "I don't think so. I mean, even though Babe has made some questionable decisions lately, I'm sure that in the end, it's going to turn out that everything she's done she did for the right reason and we can't see it right now. I'm not really helping you that much, am I?"
Maggie had to agree. She was making her a little nauseous, but that's all the good she had done her.
Jamie looked at her, then at Maggie, and finally just sighed. "There's only one thing that's going to help. I gotta go."
The phone rang, and after casting Maggie a quizzical look, Bianca sighed, heading to answer it. Maggie followed Jamie to the elevator.
"Spill it, now. What are you protecting?"
"You know what, Maggie?" Jamie closed his eyes, rubbing at his head. "If I did it, I did it for a reason, all right?"
"You said you wanted to count on me – now you're shutting me out?"
"I don't know anything," he snapped. "Just let me handle it!"
"Like hell I am!"
"Stay out of it, Maggie." And he stepped into the open elevator, shutting it against her.
What. The. Hell!
If Babe had put together a big memorial for Miranda, why the hell would she hide it? Why would Jamie hide it? And why the hell was Jamie asking cryptic questions to Bianca?
"Something's afoot, Watson," she mumbled, a sudden headache forcing her to close her eyes, bow her head. Thank God, Aiden was on board. Maybe he knew how to ask the right questions – or at the very least beat the truth out of her very dumb roommate.
"Maggie!" Bianca suddenly appeared at her side, a white shawl draped over her figure, carrying her purse. "I gotta go find Kendall at the police station – she's really worried."
"Okay," she said immediately, "Why don't I come with you?"
"Will you?"
"Sure, of course!" She hit the button for the elevator, and as they waited, she turned again, "Bianca – don't you think it's weird that Babe would just build a memorial like that for Miranda and not tell you?"
"It's a surprise, Maggie!" Bianca flashed her a big grin. "We can't ruin it, okay?"
Maggie clucked her tongue, and stared back at the elevators doors.
The lingering doubt stayed with her.
--
Kendall wasn't at the station, but Jonathan Lavery was.
Bianca struggled to hold her temper in check, kept to herself as she watched Ryan's brother harass the police officer, voice rising fast as the officer left him.
Clearing her throat, she moved forward. "Excuse me, Jonathan – Was Kendall here with Ethan?"
Jonathan turned, recognizing her with a sudden sniff, dismissing her again. "Yeah, she was. Isn't that perfect?"
Bianca blinked at the animosity. "Why are you so angry?"
He whirled again. "Because Ramsey shot my brother! We all know he did it."
Bianca struggled not to roll her eyes. "Oh he didn't," she enunciated. "There's evidence. Face it, Jonathan, you could be wrong!"
"The hell I am!"
"I'm not going to go around accusing someone just because you say so!"
Jonathan laughed, an incredulous sound that sounded completely patronizing. "You made your choice days ago – you and your sister, both of you. You chose to side with a stranger over Ryan."
Oh. My God. "I didn't choose anything. I was going to walk away from Ethan until the evidence just cleared him. Why don't you just let the police do their jobs!"
He dismissed her again, landing his target on Chief Frye.
"What's going on?" Maggie finally joined her, purse underneath her.
"Jonathan," Bianca muttered. "He's going nuts."
"Wow," Maggie said, eyeing him and his argument with the detective. "He's really worked up. Don't ever go to the bathroom here, by the way. Scariest thing I've ever seen."
"Maggie?"
Bianca blinked, taken by surprise when her best friend stepped forward, and actually offered the temperamental brother a hug. "Hey, you okay?"
"No!" He rubbed his eyes, shaking his head erratically. "This place, this place reeks – It's like it's one incompetent move after another. They let go of the guy who shot Ryan?"
"Ethan?" Maggie looked genuinely concerned. "Oh, wow. Well, you know, Aiden's still looking. If he did it-"
"He did it," he said shortly. Bianca pressed her lips together, watching as they continued to talk, ignoring her completely, until he said, "I gotta get out of here, my head's gonna explode." He hugged Maggie again, lingering a little too long, as Maggie gave him a squeeze.
"Be careful, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah – thanks, Maggie."
A small knot of irritation settled in Bianca's stomach, melting and flooding through her body, as she stared at Maggie in disbelief, Her expression was clear, as her friend looked back at her after Jonathan walked out, and said simply, "What?"
"What the hell was that?"
"What was what?"
"That!" Bianca waved an arm in the departed Jonathan's direction. "The hugs? Are you friends with him?"
"Well, we're not enemies." Maggie looked genuinely bewildered, which only seemed to frustrate Bianca more. "Bianca, his brother just got shot. He has every right to want to blame someone."
"Even if they're innocent!"
"Well, I don't blame him because I've been there before. I know what it feels like, with my sister." Maggie's eyes were narrowed, her stance was suddenly defensive.
Frankie. Bianca shook her head, suddenly very, very angry.
"I can't believe you're defending him!"
"I'm not!" Maggie's tone had risen suddenly, and it was enough to cause a sudden quiet, as both girls glanced at the crowded station, Bianca staring at the floor.
"What's with you?" Maggie hissed, tone low, and Bianca sighed, turning away. "Bianca, if you have something to say, say it now."
She felt heated, flushed, and there was a tension now inside of her, that forced her to look away from Maggie, keep her gaze on the floor.
"I'm just wondering if there isn't... another motivation..."
"What are you talking about?"
Bianca swallowed, struggling to contain herself. "It looked like flirting."
For a moment, Maggie seemed struck. Her friend deflated, and suddenly laughed bitterly. "You're serious. Bianca, what, do you think I have absolutely no self control?"
"Maggie." She hadn't meant to insult her.
"Yes, Jonathan's hot. But I'm with Aiden. And we're fine. Better than fine."
Bianca took in a harsh breath. "Maggie, I really didn't-"
"Thank you so much for defending Aiden's interests, Bianca. But things couldn't be better." A worked up Maggie was hard to turn off, and Bianca gave up, closing her mouth at the flashing brilliance in Maggie's eyes, evidence of Maggie's testy anger. "You know what? I have to study, and I don't feel like having this conversation."
"Well, maybe we need to have it."
The sentence seemed out of place, and it was odd, coming out of her before she could stop it. Maggie's eyes widened, suddenly bewildered, and Bianca licked her lips.
"What does that mean?"
Bianca suddenly warred with herself, looking into Maggie's beautiful face, suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of loss, of panic.
She didn't want to think that the idea of Maggie flirting with Jonathan had nothing to do with Aiden and everything with how it made her feel.
But the fear was starting to consume her, and in her head, Aiden's profession of love screamed at her.
"Bianca," Maggie urged.
She licked her lips, mouth opening slightly, near tears with her frustration.
"Bianca!" Babe. Bianca blinked, torn from Maggie when her friend came rushing up to them both. "What are you doing here!"
Maggie shook her head, obviously annoyed, but Bianca was ashamed to feel actual relief, as Maggie stepped away from her, nodding a short hello to Babe.
"Hi," she said weakly, "I came here looking for Kendall. She had come with Ethan, but I think I missed them."
"It's a sign," Babe squealed, latching on to her arm. "I know it is."
"I'm gonna go," Maggie said flippantly. "Catch a ride with Babe, okay?"
"Maggie-"
"Bye, Babe," Maggie said, dismissing them both.
Babe just grinned, held her tighter. "Bye, Maggie!" Turning back to her, she just nodded. "Bianca!"
"What's a sign?" she asked, confused, eyes torn between watching Maggie go and Babe's brilliant, smiling face.
"Running into you here. Bianca, I need you to go somewhere with me."
"Where?" she asked, still distracted, as Maggie looked back, caught her gaze, and kept going.
"Llanview."
Bianca frowned, torn away from Maggie at the mention of the city, suddenly back in the moment, staring distinctly at Babe.
"What's in Llanview?"
end chapter
Coming Soon
Bianca's shirt gets stolen, Maggie confronts Jonathan and Aiden finally confronts Binks.