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 THIRTEEN
Well I've been afraid of changing
Cause I've built my life around you
-- Landslide, Dixie Chicks
--
Ace was in Llanview.
A little blonde boy with brilliant blue eyes and a cheery smile, sitting in Babe's arms, he could almost be her child. Babe was brilliant with him, obviously as taken with him as he was with her.
Bouncing Bess in her lap, Bianca found it difficult not to think of Miranda, of what could have been, and she ached inside.
But she kept the smile on her face, comforted by the presence of Bess, gurgling happily, chubby fist wet with her drool.
Babe cooed at little Ace, palms spread against his tummy, laughing as he responded, and Bianca had to laugh with her, shaking her head at Babe's obvious affection for the little boy.
Babe kept her eyes on little Ace, but her tone was odd, as she said suddenly, "At least I have you laughing again."
Bianca blinked, confused. "What?"
"You've been a little quiet." Babe looked up, expression serious. "Want to talk about anything?"
Bianca sighed, curling an arm around Bess thoughtfully, glancing around the Llanview park, suddenly lingering on Maggie's face as her friend walked out on her at the police station. "I just... I've got a few things on my mind, that's all."
"A few things," Babe asked gently, "Or just Maggie?"
Bianca jerked her head back to Babe, but Babe only smiled gently. "I was at the police station, too," she pointed out. Bianca blushed, looking down at Bess. "Did you two have a fight or something?"
Bianca laughed uneasily, an odd heat coursing her body. "It's seems like all we've been doing lately is having little fights."
"That's not good."
"No, it's..." Bianca considered the knot in her stomach, and looking at Babe's supremely open face, finally just said. "Babe, I think I'm jealous."
There was a horrible, dreadful silence, until Babe suddenly laughed unexpectedly, shaking her head as she cuddled little Ace. "Well, Bianca, at least you finally said it. That's the first step."
Startled, Bianca followed her headshake with one of her own. "What does that mean?"
"Honey, it's obvious that you're jealous. It's obvious what Maggie means to you."
Obvious. Right. There was a smoky veil over Bianca's head and she couldn't shake herself enough to even get clear. "Well, maybe you can help me out because it's like I'm in murky water trying to get clean and I'm drowning."
"That's an ugly metaphor."
"It's true!" Bianca sucked in her breath, bobbing Bess, turning to face Babe. "Babe, I've committed myself to Lena. I was so sure she was what I wanted. I was so sure that Maggie and me had finally sorted it all out, and then she tells me she loves me, and suddenly-"
"You don't know what you want anymore."
Bianca sighed, slumping on the bench, cheek against Bess' crown. "And before I even get a minute to breathe," she continued, lifting her head, "to really breathe and to try to sort it out and figure out what that means to me, she sees you and me in bed together and goes running off into Aiden's arms, and it's like it never even happened, and I can't downshift that fast."
"Honey, Aiden is a rebound."
"Stop, Babe."
"It's obvious." Babe shifted closer. "Maggie saw you and me and... thought the worst, and she rushed into this thing with Aiden to avoid getting hurt again."
Bianca laughed bitterly. "Well, even if that's true – she says she's happy with him, Babe. And if I'm a good friend, I have to be happy for her. This could be it for her. Her and Aiden. Done deal."
"Okay, look. Aiden seems like a great guy. He'll find someone else. What you and Maggie have – Bianca, how are you ever going to find that again?"
Bianca sighed. "I have you, don't I?"
Babe looked taken aback at the affectionate words, but smiled sadly, reaching over to take Bianca's hand in hers. "Yes," she said firmly. "You do. Always. But, I'm not Maggie." Bianca closed her eyes, inhaled deeply. "Bianca, I love you. I want you to get your happy ending. I want you to get everything you deserve. Maggie loves you now. She's never taken that back, and it's there, Bianca. You just have to take it. Take it now because the deeper Maggie gets with this guy the harder it will be. And I don't want you to just not do anything when you know what you have to do and then regret that for the rest of your life. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."
Babe was crying. Overcome with concern, Bianca squeezed her hand harder, pulling her close. "Babe? What is it?"
Her friend shuddered, wiping at her tears, staring at Bianca. "Bianca. Please, I love you. Just do what I ask you to do and talk to Maggie. Can you really see you yourself in Poland?"
Babe's eyes shone with truth and guilt. Bianca swallowed, and glanced away.
--
She had suggested a night out, a reason to get spiffy, drink Magopolitans and try to somehow get her hot British boyfriend out on the dance floor.
She had yet to accomplish the dancing thing, but the rest of the evening was going pretty well. Tucked away in a booth, she was appropriately handsey, laughing when he ate the cherry out of her girly drink, kissing to ensure they got to 'share'.
They talked about everything, from school to his work to Anna.
"I'm thinking of going up to see her again," he said, an offhand remark following his report – so far, no more lumps, though the chemotherapy had taken it's toll. Anna no longer had her long, beautiful hair. "What do you think?"
Caught off guard, Maggie nearly choked on her drink, glancing up at him before she swallowed down the alcohol, placing her drink back on the table. "Sure! Just ... um..." Taking in a hesitant breath, she turned in her seat, reaching for his hand. "School is just harsh right now, and I don't know if I can stay too long-"
"We can fly up for a weekend if you'd like."
She smiled, suddenly battling between her need to see Anna, and the growing suspicion in her mind about Bianca. "Okay, sure. But Aiden?" He nodded, face suddenly pensive, thumb drawing across her fingers. "I'm really worried about Bianca."
He looked at her a second longer, and then glanced away. "Are you?" he asked.
Maggie found herself so consumed with thought she didn't catch the odd tone. "All this stuff that's happening – I know you said you'd look into it, but I can't stop thinking about it. Jamie lied to me. And that stupid window... I almost got up last night – the middle of the night – just to drive to that stupid chapel and see it for myself." Aiden's eyes darkened, brows furrowing. "Everyone's hiding something, and Bianca's so... blind to Babe and any fault she can't even conceive of Babe trying to deceive her. And in my head, I'm trying to connect all the dots, and I just can't-"
"Hey." He stopped her, curling hands around her waist, fingers tipping her chin upwards so she had no choice but to see her. "I told you I would look into it. I will, Maggie. I promise. I've already started."
She blew out her breath, suddenly overwhelmed. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "I just have this crazy feeling that everyone is hurtling down a cliff like lemmings, and I just... Bianca being hurt like she did when Miranda died... I can't take that again."
His thumb traced her jaw, forehead tilted against hers, and he comforted her, like he always did.
"Hey," he said again, catching her attention, a buoy in her despair. "I'll figure it out. Whatever Babe and Jamie and whoever else is hiding? We'll find it together. We'll stop it. Bianca won't get hurt again."
He was so wonderful and sincere, and Maggie trusted him implicitly. With a smile, she leaned forward, capturing his lips with hers, enraptured in a tender, intimate embrace, suddenly oblivious to the club around them.
A nagging sixth sense was what caused her to pull away, glance back and suddenly blink, when she realized Bianca, Reggie, and Dani were all ten feet away, all staring.
A small, modest flush of embarrassment went through her, as she leaned back, eyes connecting with an unreadable Bianca. "Um... hi guys."
"Hi..." Bianca averted her eyes, breaking their stare. "Once again, my timing stinks."
Maggie frowned, shifting in the seat, and already, Aiden was standing up, offering to share the table, drawing seats and being a good boyfriend.
Maggie sat, tucked under his arm, watching Bianca, considering her, her beautiful, loyal friend. She looked especially ravishing tonight, her hair tumbling down in curls, a maroon halter top setting off her bare shoulders perfectly. Protected by Aiden, Maggie felt almost comfortable, admiring Bianca, her beauty, her trust.
Everything she ever loved about Bianca was there, written on her face, and as Reggie and Aiden and Dani made small talk, she kept staring at Bianca, sudden resolve forcing her to straighten. No one was going to hurt Bianca again. Ever.
She was brought out of her intense thoughts when she realized Dani and Reggie had both gotten up to dance, and there was now awkward silence at the table – Aiden and her on one side, Bianca on the other.
"I think we need another round," Aiden said suddenly, reaching over and planting a possessive kiss on her lips, one she smiled into, and rising, "I'll be right back."
"How've you been?" she asked, when it was just her and Bianca, staring at each other like strangers.
"Okay," Bianca answered, nodding her head mechanically, shrugging as she did that 'Bianca' thing, pushing her hair behind her ears. It was a nervous tick.
Maggie felt a flood of regret, remembering the last time they had seen each other, and the way they ended things.
"You know..." she began hesitantly, leaning forward. "I'm sorry, what... with what happened before. You were just trying to be a friend." Bianca swallowed, glanced down. Maggie bit her lip, taking a glance at the pink elephant sitting right between them. "Okay, it seems like..." she licked her lips, and powered through, "ever since I told you I loved you, the friend things has been a little..."
A small smiled played on Bianca's lips. "Uncomfortable?"
Maggie suddenly grinned. "At least."
Bianca sighed. "Well, things have been really complicated..."
Maggie nearly rolled her eyes at that. "Not things, Bianca. Us." She stared at the distance between them, and finally shook her head. "Come..." Waving her over, she skipped to the next seat, until Bianca was there, inches away, just as she should have been. Maggie smiled at her friend's beauty. "You know that I'll always love you. I mean, that's a done deal." Bianca stare was hesitant, obviously not sure where Maggie was going with it. Maggie just wanted to put Bianca's apprehension to rest. "As for the other part... I'm over it."
The words didn't seem to have the desired affect. Bianca just looked even more confused. "Wait, you mean... like... the gay part?"
Maggie fought a small wince at the words, but she kept going. Bianca deserved to have at least one aspect of her life free and clear of hidden agendas and emotional complications. Maggie was still her best friend. Maggie was going to damn well prove that.
Taking another breath, Maggie began again. "Do you know what I want more than anything? I want us to just go back to the way things were. Best friends. Easy. Simple." Bianca's brown eyes flickered with something, but Maggie couldn't quite catch it. "You can be with Lena and I can be with Aiden. What do you say?"
She waited, waited for the relief that she was sure would come into Bianca's face, now that she didn't have lovesick Maggie's tender heart to worry about. She didn't see it, she didn't see much of anything, really, until Bianca broke into a familiar smile and finally just said, "I say we're always going to be best friends."
She opened her arms, and Maggie fell into them gladly, closing her eyes as she sighed into Bianca's embrace. She smelled of Enchantment perfume, and her skin was so incredibly soft.
Maggie had missed Bianca's hugs. She squeezed tighter, breathing her in, until Aiden standing behind her with a tray of drinks had her suddenly untangling herself from Bianca's arms, suddenly aware of just how intimately she had been touching her best friend. She returned her attention to her boyfriend. It was a relief, really, to have Aiden's arm around her again, to laugh and joke with him, and ignore Bianca's stare on her. Everything was easier with Aiden, and when Bianca finally got up to leave, giving her this stare that speeded up her pulse and knocked her heart into her throat, she just swallowed it down and nodded, grateful for Aiden's solid, reassuring presence beside her.
They didn't stay too much longer, Aiden had some excuse about work, and Maggie didn't fight him on it. Honestly, the night had worn her out more than she thought it would, and she didn't want to have to sit and smile with Aiden while fighting off being consumed with the odd stare Bianca had given her before she had left.
On their way out, however, Jamie stopped in. She hadn't spoken to her roommate since their fight, and when she saw him, he looked haunted.
Maggie caught his stare, but Jamie only turned away. Beside her, Aiden caught the gesture, PI trained brained already working as she looked at him.
"I'll find out," he told her, brushing a distracted kiss on the top of her head, and leading her out.
--
She was halfway through her third term paper when she had decided: Screw it, she needed a break.
Aiden was working hard, so Maggie had decided to find Bianca, at least to try and hang out, make some truth out of that whole 'We'll always be best friends' talk, something that had been a little hard to prove since they hadn't seen each other or talked since then.
Arriving at Bianca's apartment, Maggie found herself stumbling back in surprise when the door flew open before she even had a chance to raise her hand up to knock.
Her friend nearly toppled into her, brown eyes shining with unshed tears, and in her hysterical emotion, Maggie's startled fear immediately shifted to concern.
"Bianca!" Reaching forward, she grabbed hold of Bianca's hands, keeping her from running her over, swinging her to the side so she was able to calm her down. "What's wrong! Hey!"
Bianca was breathing heavily, and her eyes were streaked with tears. She was panting, and she said raggedly, "My shirt. My shirt is gone!"
"Your shirt?" she repeated, unsure what shirt out of Bianca's billions she meant.
"Miranda's shirt!" Bianca breathed. "Someone stole it!"
Oh, God. Maggie licked her lips, trying hard to keep her tone calm. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure! Maggie, I gotta go-"
"Okay! Okay! I'll go with you-" Already, she was leading them to the elevator, keeping Bianca's hand in hers, clutching on tightly. Pushing the down button, she glanced fretfully at her friend. Bianca was really struggling to keep it together. She could tell, in the way her friend tangled her fingers in hers, latched on so tightly. "Where are we going?" she ventured.
Bianca swallowed hard, sucking in her breath and said matter-of-factly, "Jonathan Lavery's. He's the only one who I would even think-"
"Bianca..."
"I have to know, Maggie."
Maggie blinked, but kept her doubts to herself, instead just nodding. "Okay. We'll find out."
Who would do this? Who would ever be capable of taking something like that away from Bianca, her last remnant of Miranda, the last testament to her broken, bleeding heart?
She didn't think even Jonathan and his temper would be capable of such a thing, but if he was...
Maggie brought their enclosed hands in hers and pressed a distracted kiss on Bianca's thumb.
The elevators opened and with a small push on the small of Bianca's back, she led her inside.
--
Panic was swirling around the edges of her brain like tendrils, ready to claw in, take hold. Her fear and her anger had run together into a meshed blur, and because of that, Bianca held tightly to Maggie's hand, running her thumb along Maggie's palm, concentrating on Maggie's skin, Maggie's comforting hold.
It kept her temper in check, her sanity in place, as her heart beat erratically, body flushed with horrified wonder and extreme anger at who would even attempt to do such a thing. Who would do this?
She stayed quiet, said nothing when Maggie made a phone call, clipping the phone shut when they got to Greenlee's place.
"Okay," Maggie said, in this strangely even voice, like she was trying to keep Bianca from panicking. But the closer they got – the madder she got, and Bianca found herself shuddering with so much emotion when they banged on the door and Jonathan Lavery opened it to them, eyes widening with surprise.
"Maggie. Bianca."
Maggie was already moving, shoving past him, opening the way for her. "Jonathan," her friend said, "We have a question for you."
He blinked, glancing between them both. "Sure..."
Bianca shook her head, swallowed as Maggie stood beside her, arms crossed, backing her up. "Did you take my shirt?" she asked immediately. "The one that could help Ethan prove he was a Cambias?"
Jonathan tilted his head, a confused expression flitting across his face. "I have no idea what you-"
"Do you smell something burning?" Maggie said suddenly, and Bianca's heart sunk, breathing heavier when something flashed over Jonathan's face, and they both watched Maggie move fast to the fireplace. "Oh my God-"
"Oh, my GOD-" Bianca whispered.
"Get away from there!"
"You did it!" she whispered, eyes wide, horrified. "You did it, and you-"
Maggie fought the flames, snatching at a black cloth as Jonathan strode at her. "Get the fuck away from there!"
"You asshole!" Maggie snapped, and in her hands was a black, charred cloth. Her camisole. "How could you?"
"Where the fuck do you get off?" Jonathan snapped, towering over the smaller girl. "Charging into my house – accusing me off-"
"Jonathan, you stole my shirt..." Overcome, Bianca wrapped her arms around herself, sinking suddenly onto the couch. "HOW COULD YOU!"
"You are a fucking asshole," Maggie spit, the cloth clutched in her fingertips. "What kind of monster would do something like this?"
"Give me that shirt."
Bianca's head jolted up, suddenly taking in the very real situation. Maggie, in her protective mode, not caring one bit when Jonathan strode forward, on his face very real rage. "Leave her alone-"
"Fuck off," Maggie snapped, so angry the profanity spilled from her mouth. "Do you know what you did, Jonathan? Can you fathom what the hell you did? You took away the only remnant of a child from a mother! You deserve to go to jail for this!"
He grabbed her, the lunge so fast that Bianca jumped, heart exploding when she remembered suddenly the same thing happening before – Maggie in Michael Cambias' arms, trying to protect her-
"Maggie!"
"Give me that shirt!"
"Don't touch me!" she snapped, already jerking away, the black cloth clutched in her fingers. Already at Bianca's side, Maggie pressed the cloth into her fingers, keeping her behind her. Bianca swallowed, torn suddenly with bring presented with the remnants of her camisole and Jonathan's very real rage, and Maggie at the brunt of it. "And stay the hell away from her."
Jonathan stared at them both, eyes moving from one to another, before he grinned and laughed. "Oh, is that what this is? Is that how are you are, Maggie? I thought that whole boyfriend act was a little unconvincing. He just a beard for you, Maggie?"
"Screw you," Maggie breathed. "He's very real."
"Oh, yeah?" he spat back, moving forward, hands curling into fists. "Where the hell is he?"
"Right here," someone answered, and Bianca found herself collapsing in relief when Aiden Devane strode through the open door, on his face a rage she hadn't ever seen before.
"I called him," Maggie said helpfully, before Aiden slammed a fist into Jonathan's face, bringing down the younger man.
"Touch either of them again," Aiden breathed, hands already at Jonathan's collar, wrinkling fabrics in his angry fists, "And you'll never have full use of your hands again."
Bianca sunk down on the sofa, in her hands the last bit of the fabric that represented all she had lost – that represented Miranda.
Closing her eyes, she suddenly found herself sobbing, clutching it to her face, breathing in ash and smoke.
Arms encircled her, and Bianca leaned into them, reaching blindly for Maggie, felt Maggie's lips on her forehead, Maggie's words in her ear.
Her heart throbbed, and Maggie held her. Like she always had.
--
An hour and a police statement later, Bianca stood outside Ryan and Greenlee's apartment, Maggie at her side, watching as Aiden and Ryan both argued with the police. Jonathan had been led away in handcuffs, glaring at them both.
Ryan had come to her, ready to ask her for something, until Maggie snapped at him like a rabid dog, launching into a statement about Miranda's shirt and what Jonathan did. When Ryan looked to Bianca for support, she hadn't been able to offer him much of anything.
The little fabric square, the last of Miranda, had been placed in a plastic evidence bag, along with the ashes in Ryan's fireplace, the entire place a circus. She had regained control, and Maggie hadn't left her side, one hand on the small of her back, a solid presence.
"You okay?"
Bianca had a hard lump in her throat, and it made it difficult to speak, but she nodded, working through it with a breathless sigh and a smile to her friend. "Thank you, Maggie."
Maggie smiled again, squeezing her elbow, turning her attention to Aiden, as Maggie's boyfriend moved away from the departing police and frustrated Ryan and approached both girls.
"The police'll handle the rest," he said. "But I wish you had waited for me, Maggie-"
"If I waited any longer the shirt would have been completely burned, Aiden," Maggie said thickly. "Honestly, I didn't think he had done it, but... thank God for instinct, right?"
Aiden smiled tightly, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Right. You ready to go?"
"Uh... sure... Binks?" Bianca blinked, suddenly the center of attention, torn from glancing at the ground, trying to ignore the hardening knot in her stomach, to discovering Maggie's concerned frown. "Do you need me to be with you? I can't stay-"
"No- no!" Bianca shook her head immediately, trying hard to manage a smile. "You two have done enough, really. Kendall's on her way, and so is Mom... I'm gonna be fine."
Maggie once again smoothed her palm against her back and Bianca fought the impulse to clutch tightly onto her hand and beg her not to go.
"Okay," Maggie said, hugging her again before pulling back, turning back to her boyfriend.
Aiden didn't move. "Maggie, why don't I meet you downstairs, I just have to wrap things up."
Maggie blinked, obviously unsure what that meant, but obeyed, nodding as she waved again to Bianca, and headed for the elevator.
It left her alone with the dark-eyed PI, and Bianca, already fragile, wasn't prepared for the complete rage that simmered in his eyes when he finally turned to her.
"I'm aware of what you've lost," he said, obviously struggling for control. "And for it, I apologize, but I can't keep letting you do this."
She felt a hot flush of something creep down her spine, as she shook her head, confused. "I don't –"
"I know about her feelings for you," he snapped, and Bianca's spine jerked straight, her mouth suddenly gone dry. "I'm not normally the jealous type, Bianca. I don't want you to think that's what this is all coming from. I'm saying this as someone that cares about Maggie, and as someone that cares about her too, I'm hoping you'll take this as it's meant."
"Aiden," she said, suddenly not in the mood, her voice went firm, rigid. "What are you saying."
"I want you to stop using Maggie's feelings for you as a crutch, Bianca." The words slammed into her, and once again, she was knocked off balance. "She was put into danger today because of her blind loyalty for you."
She shook her head, suddenly incensed, "Aiden, I didn't put Maggie in danger. It was her choice-"
"Maggie has blinders on when it comes to you. You tell her to jump and she asks how high, how often, if you want it done again. Everyone knows it. She's your protector and you've gotten used to it, taken it for granted, and now you hide behind it." Aiden stepped forward, eyes a violent dark brown color as his tone lowered and he said furiously, "You may not love her that way, Bianca, but I sure as hell do. I want to protect her and I want what's best for her. The last thing I want is for Maggie to be in a guy like Jonathan's radar, and her blind loyalty to you just put her there."
Bianca's heart constricted, and she found herself battling for words, her mind whirling. "Maggie is my best friend," she said quietly.
"Yeah?" Aiden shook his head. "Looks to me it's more like Maggie running to your rescue every time you need her. That's not friendship to me, Bianca. I was there, Bianca, I was there when Maggie took on everything for you – she told me wanted to take it on – for you. Because she loved you. You've yet to return the favor – you've never put Maggie first. The last few years, Maggie's never gotten the respect she deserves from you."
She tried to argue the point, tried hard with her incensed heart to argue that he was wrong, that she had given Maggie as much as she had taken, but her mind whirled and Bianca's broken heart threatened to splinter even further when she realized she couldn't come up with one moment, one image, one instance of an example of how it had all been about Maggie.
Eyes flooded with tears, and Bianca shut them, trying to hold them in, as she crossed her arms against Maggie's angry boyfriend, Maggie's boyfriend who loved her, who wanted to protect Maggie because all Aiden had seen was Bianca take Maggie for granted, time and time again.
"I'm sorry," she said finally. "I do love her, Aiden." Her eyes lifted to his and she swallowed and said to him, "And I promise, I'll try not to rely so much on her. I'll try to be a better friend. I'll try to prove to her just how much she means to me."
She was starting to figure it out – just how much Maggie meant.
Bianca's fear now, as Aiden swallowed hard, tested her sincerity, Maggie's boyfriend who loved her, was that it may have already been too late.
End chapter
Coming Soon
Jamie and Babe skip town, Binks tries to face her evolving feelings for Maggie, and Aiden tries to face his jealousy head on and Maggie just tries not to freak out.