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 Thirty-Three

You see love-- a tight, thorny thread that you spin in a circle of gold
You have me to hold me
a token for all to see
captured to be yours alone
And I need just a little more silence,
and I just need a little more time
The courage to pull away
there will be hell to pay
the deeper you cut to the bone

Leave me be, I don't want to argue
I'd just get confused and I'd come all undone
If I agree, well, it's just to appease you
Cause I don't remember what we're fighting for

-- Time, Sarah Maclachlan

The back of her crown resting against a familiar headrest, Maggie wondered idly about the passage of time, about circles.

Jamie was quiet beside her, thumbing along the rim of his steering wheel, huddled in his large overcoat, somber expression focused on what little they could see of the park.

With little to say, Maggie had let Jamie take her wherever he wanted, and as a result, they had ended up here, parked in a desolate cement lot, one flickering streetlight and the darkness of the park surrounding them.

Maggie wanted to sink herself into her seat, close her eyes, and not wake up for years.

The keys in the ignition jiggled, as she could feel Jamie shift his large form in his seat. Before long a flannel, slightly smelly jacket was awkwardly placed over her body, Jamie trying his best to be gentle.

He jostled her shoulder and Maggie's eyes shot open with an unintended hiss, arching in the seat and, on instinct, slapping at his hand.

"Stop-"

"Sorry. I'm sorry-" Jamie put both hands in his lap, like a contrite little boy. "I just... you know - you were shivering, and-"

The phrase caught hold of her. "What?"

"I thought you were cold."

Puppy dog eyes stared at her, and Maggie glanced down to her fingertips, curling around the blanket unconsciously. They were shaking, ever so slightly.

"Oh my God," she whispered, biting down on her lip in retaliation, pulling his blanket tighter around her. Turning her head, she looked blankly into the fading image of the woodsy park.

"Maggie, what's wrong?"

She smiled bitterly. "What, you haven't heard?"

Jamie was quiet for a moment. "Right, cause everyone's so damn anxious to talk to me. I'm the town leper, Maggie."

Her mouth curled down, a mimic of disgust, eyes still away from him, on the outside. "Can you blame them?"

Breath hitched in, then rushed out again. "I'm not going to talk about that."

"Why?" she asked tightly. "Why don't you want to talk about it?" He sighed again loudly, and Maggie turned her head, eyes sharp and cold. "No, tell me, Jamie! Tell me how you were so in love with Babe you didn't give a damn about screwing over me, screwing over Bianca, screwing over your own brother-"

"I was trying to fix an impossible situation, Maggie-"

"Bullshit." Maggie's anger was palpable, thickening the air with her own contempt. "You wanted to fix the situation to make it better for you." Jamie's fingers tightened over the steering wheel. He kept his eyes facing forward. "If Babe hadn't just abandoned you, left you to be hanged all on your own, you'd be with her now, with J.R.'s son, raising him and pretending he was yours, playing house and not giving a damn about anything but your own dick."

It was easier to get angry - to face what was in front of her now than what she left behind, to rip into the friend who had betrayed her than to think about who she had betrayed herself.

"I loved Babe," Jamie said finally, the words exploding off his lips like the cork off a bottle. "I loved her, and because of that I couldn't stop it. I didn't want to stop it. You think I wanted to fall in love with my brother's wife? You think I wanted to leave my best friend behind? I loved Babe, and you loved Bianca. I couldn't think-"

"You never think," she muttered.

"Right - I couldn't control myself, Maggie! Maggie, you know as well as I do that if the situation was reversed, and Bianca had taken and kept Babe's baby and you found out-"

"Bianca DID take her baby!" Maggie snapped, losing control. "Remember! She did and when they told her that baby wasn't hers, her own Miranda, she went back to the hospital and she put that beautiful baby girl back into the SKANK's arms." Her head was pounding, her breath was fast, uneven. "Don't ever compare your baby stealing bitch to Bianca, Jamie. It's not the same thing - it'll never be the same thing."

Jamie's eyes glittered with resentment, but in the wake of her outburst, the anger slowly began to dissolve, and his expression changed, mouth closing, a hard swallow visible at his throat.

Anger suddenly became uncertain, when Jamie's voice now was tainted with wonder. "You still love her."

She closed her eyes against the truth of it, palm fisting around the cloth of the blanket.

"Maggie... why are you here?"

Breathless, thoughts whirling and mind threatening to explode, Maggie ached for the numb feeling of distraction.

Looking at Jamie, she took in the familiar face.

Without another word, she reached forward to grab hold of his collar, pulling towards herself, until she could move her mouth hungrily against his.

Instantly, she felt him respond, and curling her hand into soft sandy brown hair, Maggie deepened the kiss, inviting him in further, suddenly desperate to forget.

--

He gave her an hour.

An hour before he could no longer stand it, before he jerked open the bedroom door and pulled his black coat from it's place on the rack.

"What's going on?" Glancing up from the living room, Robin looked immediately confused.

"Has Maggie called you?" he asked immediately, stuffing his keys in his pocket.

"Maggie? No!" Robin straightened, knees on the cushions as she peer from over the top of the couch. "I thought she was in there with you!"

"She's been gone for an hour," Aiden murmured. "A bloody hour with no call-"

"Where did Maggie go?" Anna's tone was stern, already alert and awake, as she strode into the living room, rubbing at the lines of sleep on her face.

"I don't know!" he snapped, "We had a fight and she walked out-"

"You let her walk out."

The accusation in Anna's voice wasn't what he cared to hear. "We had a fight, Anna. She's been cheating on me for months - I think I have to right to be a little angry-"

"Of course you do." Anna's arms were crossed, eyes narrowed into slits. "So you let a defenseless, confused, scared girl with her arm in a sling and her leg in a cast go parading outside in the middle of the night?"

"Anna, I'm already worried sick-"

"Aiden, she's confused," Robin interjected, already moving off the couch. "And she's in no shape to be wandering around like Kerouac."

"Aiden, find that girl," Anna whispered quietly. "Because if you don't, she will run."

"Run?" Aiden snapped. "Run where?"

Robin licked her lips, looking between them. "To Bianca, maybe?"

"Robin, that isn't what I-"

Aiden shut his eyes and cursed out loud, not bothering to apologize as he turned on his heel and jerked open the door, leaving them behind.

--

Kissing Maggie was a habit that Jamie had never forgotten.

He kissed her hard, reveling in sweet lips and the familiar contact, solace in the desolation he had slid into himself.

It was unconscious, a reaction he couldn't quite help, until the kiss ended abruptly, and Maggie stared into his face, hard eyes inches from his own, warm breath chilling on his wet lips.

"No," she breathed suddenly, as the dizzy feeling began to dissolve, and Jamie's brain began to catch up. "I'm not going to do this-"

Shaking himself out of his arousal, Jamie could only stutter in his bewilderment. "Maggie-"

"NO, Jamie." She shoved him hard, with genuine strength. "I'm not going to screw myself out of this one."

"What are you talking about?" Her free hand fumbled for her door, and struggling, Jamie lunged to hold her still. "Maggie-"

"Don't! DON'T, JAMIE!" The door clicked open, and she nearly fell out of her seat.

"Maggie, Maggie!"

"Leave me alone, Jamie!"

"All right!" Hands up, he tried to stay still. "I'm not touching you- just tell me what's wrong-" She hobbled fast, not looking back, and Jamie sucked in his breath. "Dammit-" Scrambling for the lock, he pushed at his own door, stepping out into the chilly air. "MAGGIE!" he shouted into the darkness, looking frantically into the dark woods. "It's the middle of the night! Just let me take you home!"

Already, Maggie was disappearing into the shadowed, darkened park.

Jamie shook his head, going back to his trunk, and jerking it up, searching blindly for his flashlight.

Maggie was already hidden in darkness.

Jamie slammed the trunk closed.

"Shit."

--

Bianca brought the red wine to her mouth, letting the aroma linger in her nostrils before sucking in a rather unladylike gulp.

"So how much did my big mouth set us back tonight?"

Swallowing, Bianca regarded her strangely apologetic sister, staring at her with an almost timid expression.

"Kendall, it's okay..." She felt weak, placing the wine glass deliberately on the coffee table. "This is my fault - I didn't think -" She closed her eyes, rubbing her fingers along her temple. "Okay, I did, but I didn't... God."

"Bianca..."

"I just..." Bianca bit her lip, sudden self loathing making her shudder. "I just thought when the truth came out it would be quiet - that maybe Maggie could tell Aiden or... I didn't think-"

"You didn't think?" Kendall's voice seemed like a cross between amusement and incredulous disbelief. "Bianca, I warned you Kendall and I would play dirty!"

"I know, I know!" Bianca shook her head. "I told you, it's my fault. I should have been there for Maggie - I thought I was going to be. And now-"

"And now Aiden's gone home and probably dumped her on her ass and she's going to blame you?" Kendall's tone was hesitant.

Lifting her head up, Bianca traced a manicured fingernail around the edge of her wine glass. Her smile was bittersweet. "Almost ironic, isn't it?"

"What, that you started this because you couldn't bear the thought of not having any more Maggie love and now there exists the very real possibility that she'll hate you forever once she finds out that her name was the warcry at SOS?" Kendall flashed her own weak smile. "No, why do you ask?"

Bianca had to laugh helplessly. It was the only option she could think of instead of crying.

A sudden explosion of bangs against her door caused her to jump in her nearly, nearly toppling over the wine glass.

"What the-"

Glancing at the clock, Bianca shot her sister a bewildered glance.

"Who the hell is coming by at this hour!"

"Whoever it is," Bianca breathed, rising to her feet. "They're going to wake Miranda-"

Moving fast, she bit back her annoyance and opened the door. "Look, we have a baby sleeping..."

The words died in her mouth as a handsome, pissed off Aiden glared at her, breathing hard.

"Nothing's changed," he said gruffly. "But she's not picking up the phone and I'm bloody worried sick. So just tell me she's here and she's safe, and I'll go."

The words sunk in, but they didn't make sense. Mind whirling, Bianca only continued to stare, mouth open.

"Bianca."

"What?" She finally sputtered. "Who?" When he stared incredulously, the answer came immediately, jerking into her heart with a stutter of sudden panic. "Maggie?"

"I'm not here to drag her off, Bianca," he spat, his words hard. "But she's not picking up her cell phone. Just tell me she's safe and I'll-"

"Aiden, she's not here!" Losing herself, she nearly shouted the last word, and wincing immediately, she waited, until the telltale wail of a baby caused her to lose her breath.

"It's okay!" Kendall said immediately, when Bianca looked at her imploringly, already heading for the bedroom. "I'll take care of it."

Turning back, she kept her hand on the door, focusing in on what Aiden was saying.

Maggie's boyfriend's expression was quickly changing, guarded face losing the angry expression as the realization of what she was saying filtered in. "She's not here?"

"No, she's not-" Bianca made herself stop, suck in a swallow before she whispered furiously, "You lost Maggie!"

Aiden rolled his eyes, huffing slightly. "We had a fight, Bianca. That shouldn't be a surprise after what happened tonight."

"And what, she took off? You let her?"

"I didn't let her-"

"She has a cast on! She's walking around like a hobbit!"

"Don't tell me Maggie's never run out on you."

Bianca's unexplainable anger at Aiden was hard to control, as her eyes closed and she took in the severity of the situation. Turning back into her apartment, she grabbed hold of her black jacket. "Kendall! Kendall!"

Jogging out with a sniffling baby Miranda, Kendall bounced the baby on her hip. "What?"

"Maggie's missing-" Bianca breathed, tugging on the jacket. "I'm going with Aiden-"

"What?" Fisted hands in his pocket, Aiden didn't look too keen on the idea. "Despite your gallant effort, Bianca, she's my girlfriend. At least for now, so until you get notice-"

"Aiden, I can go with you or I can find her on my own."

Her expression was stony and stubborn, and for good reason. As Aiden searched her face, she gave him no sympathy for the simple truth: she knew Maggie better than he did - she stood a better change of finding her first - and if she found her alone-

"Fine," he snapped. "Let's go-"

Looking beseeching at Kendall, her sister only waved her off. "I can handle the baby, go. It's fine."

Gratefully, Bianca came forward to plant a distracted kiss on Miranda's cheek, and then on Kendall's, before turning toward the door and regarding her rival.

"Let's go."

--

Tired and out of breath, Maggie knew how to get to the boathouse with her eyes closed.

Her cellphone buzzed insistently inside her coat, and Maggie, taking care as she lifted her heavy cast onto the stairs and teetered herself up, willed it to just shut up.

On the last step, she closed her eyes, and deliberately reached inside, not bothering to find out who the caller was, before shutting it off.

"Not in the mood to talk, huh?"

"SHIT!" The gravely voice that came out from the darkness startled her, fear spiking into her as she nearly jumped a foot in the air, losing her grip on her phone as it clattered to the stairs, and then off. Scrambling, Maggie grabbed hold of the railing with her free hand, eyes wide as she now barely made out the figure turned in her direction.

"Maggie! I'm sorry! Are you-" Holding on tightly to the rail like a child to her mother's leg, Maggie couldn't control her erratically beating heart, as Jonathan Lavery stepped into the moonlight, concern on his handsome features. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"What the..." Closing her eyes, Maggie pressed her forehead against the wood, trying hard to recover. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Jonathan was holding a bag of greasy french-fries, and he was chewing on them methodically as he arched an eyebrow, turning back to the emptiness of the boathouse. "Late night snack," he said, as Maggie simply glared. "Want one?"

"No thank you," she said stiffly, not quite ready to let go of the railing. Jonathan arched an eyebrow.

"Need some help there?" he asked her, small smile darting onto his features.

"No, I'm fine-" she snapped, pride causing her to straighten, and carefully, let go of the wood. With a relieved breath, she managed to stay upright.

Jonathan shot her a smile, digging into his bag and pushing another couple fries into his mouth. "What are you doing out here, Maggie? I mean, me - I don't really sleep well - but it's the middle of the night. Not really safe for a small girl like you, especially in your condition."

Something about the way he said it sent a sudden chill down her spine, but as she hitched in her breath and stared hard at him, the troublesome Lavery had already settled back down on the docks, more interested, it seemed, in his french fries than her.

"My condition?" she asked, stilted.

Mouth full, he rushed to chew through his food, indicating with a grunt and a motion of his hand to her cast and her arm. "You know - the cast. The sling. You've had an incredible month, Maggie Stone."

He was... odd.

Maggie sighed raggedly, looking down at Jonathan, sitting in the exact same spot she had so often rested with Bianca. "Why are you being weird?"

"I'm not being weird."

"Yes, you are. You're..."

"Nice?" he asked, eyebrow arching. When she rolled her eyes, he grinned sheepishly. "Yeah... I have my good days, Maggie - you just seem to catch me on my worst, lately."

"Like burning Bianca's shirt?"

"Mmm..." he said, nodding, looking almost sheepish. "Definitely not my best show of character." When Maggie shook her head, he just shook it right back. "Hey..." He shrugged. "I was being loyal to my brother. He's been the only guy to give me a chance..." Maggie watched as Jonathan trailed off, losing himself into whatever world he suddenly went into. Sadness lurked over his features. "He took care of us - as kids. Protected us."

Something about the wording, the way he said it, seemed horribly familiar. Shuddering, she took a tentative step forward. "From who?"

Shaken, Jonathan locked gazes with her, and at her beseeching look, suddenly laughed nervously. "It doesn't matter. Besides, you don't need me spilling my guts - I definitely don't deserve it. And you need your space, especially after what happened at the SOS with your boyfriend and Bianca. Look, I'll just go - give you some time-"

He was moving fast, but the passing phrase he just dropped made her suddenly reach out, catch hold of his forearm. "Wait - what?"

Blinking, Jonathan looked down at her hand on his arm, then up again. "What?" Her stare was curious, demanding, but blank. Jonathan's eyes widened. "Oh, man... you didn't know."

Blood rushing into her ears, Maggie only held on tighter. "Know what?"

--

"God!"

The frustrated exhalation burst out of Bianca's lips as soon as she pushed out of the cabin. Following closely behind, Aiden wore a tense, irritated frown.

"You didn't think I tried David's?" He asked, kicking at the wooden railing, breath a small cloud of fog from his lips.

"Where else?" Bianca closed her eyes, obviously agitated, nervously pinching strands of hair and sliding them behind her ear. "You know what? I know it's cold. But we have to try the boat house."

"The boathouse."

At the incredulous statement, Bianca's eyes narrowed to slits, tone tempered with barely restrained contempt. "Yes, the boathouse. Maggie and I used to go there all the time. It was our..." she sighed, losing her strength, leaning on the porch railings. "Our safe place."

Bianca's liberal use of the word 'our' created an unconscious shudder, as Aiden rolled his shoulders to control himself. "You think she'll want anything to do with your and your safe place?" Jaw hardening, Bianca glared. Aiden took in the beautiful face, the stony angles, porcelain features. "How many times?"

"Excuse me?"

He kept completely still, staring hard at Bianca. "How many times did she kiss you and come home to me?"

"Oh, God..." Bianca breathed out unsteadily. "Aiden-"

"Come on, " he said, accent thick in his agitation. "You told everybody else! I was practically the last bloke to know! Why don't you tell me!"

"Aiden, it's not about that!"

"THE HELL IT'S NOT!" The pounding headache, the increasing pressure, just got worse, and Aiden felt himself suddenly explode. Hands came out, as Aiden pounded hard on the railing, causing Bianca to jump with the force of it. "THE HELL. IT'S NOT." Coming forward, Aiden stepped closer, looking hard into her face. "WE LOVED each other, Bianca. And you had your chance. She gave it to you - you blew it. You ignored her. She told you she loved you and you patted her on the head like a school girl, told her it was lovely and to keep on doing it, and then left her hanging out to dry like a suffocating fish. And we WERE happy, Bianca. We could have been happy! But screw that!" Turning, Aiden threw his hands up in the air. "Because Bianca Montgomery wasn't happy, and if the Kanes aren't happy, forget everything else!"

Bianca was breathing hard, head shaking, form trembling. "And that makes what you did okay? Yes, I made a mistake. Yes, I was blind and scared and suffocating because I had LOST MY DAUGHTER. I broke Maggie's heart, and every part of me regrets that. But you knew - you KNEW she loved me. You KNEW how much. If you loved her you wouldn't have swept in and given her your family to cling to. If you loved her you would have come to me. You would have kicked my ass and told me how BLIND I was, and you would have told me how much I hurt Maggie, because you knew she loved me - but no." Aiden swallowed, as Bianca came forward, stepping close to him. "NO - YOU had to go, and take her when she was desperate to forget. You wanted her for yourself. This wasn't ABOUT MAGGIE, it was about YOU getting the girl for once because YOU were tired of always being the nice guy and losing out-"

"You think I'm a nice guy?" he snapped, finger pointed in her face. "I'm not a nice guy, Bianca!"

"Damn right!"

In the darkness, they stared at each other, breathing like angry bulls.

Aiden closed his eyes and took a step back, unable to shake the reality of the fact that Bianca was a woman - and women were not to be touched.

"Let's get one thing straight," he said, trying hard to be calm. "I was in Intelligence. I killed people. I did things that weren't moral or just. They were bloody cold." Licking his lips, he regarded her. "If I wanted to I could destroy you. If I was as selfish as you paint me to be I could have used whatever means necessary to bring you down. But I won't. And you know what?" He managed a hard, cold smile. "You're going to do it all on your own. And I'll be waiting, when Maggie's finally free of you."

Bianca's eyes shimmered in the dark, staring at him with newfound recognition, and for the first time, a little bit of fear.

"Boathouse?" he asked, and moved down the porch steps, away from Bianca.

--

"Oh my God..."

Maggie sunk down on the wooden bench. Her head was ringing, whirling with graphic depictions of what Jonathan had described for her, in vivid Technicolor.

"Oh, God... Maggie-" She was trembling, shaking and unable to stop. "Maggie, I'm sorry..."

"Don't," she whispered, as tentative hands gently touched her, then just as quickly moved away. "I just... I can't believe..."

In SOS. All of it in SOS -

"Maggie, it'll blow over." Jonathan sat carefully beside her, but Maggie almost didn't hear him, as she closed her eyes, and inhaled sharply. "Look... hey - it's just gossip."

"It's not just... GOSSIP," Maggie bit sharply through ground teeth. "It's my life. My sexuality. My lover-"

"And they'll get over it. Look, they're just people. You don't think I've had my share of gossip since I got here? My brother was the head of Cambias Industries! I was front page news!"

Maggie found herself chuckling bitterly, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Hey - what, few months later? People don't even remember my name."

"People tend to remember the name Bianca Montgomery," she said methodically, lifting her eyes to meet his. "Believe me."

Mouth pressed together, Jonathan clearly didn't know how to respond to that.

Blowing out an unsteady breath, Maggie's free hand wrapped tighter around the planks.

"Hey." A gentle pressure on her shoulder, just as quickly letting know. "I know we've got our... past, Maggie, but... I know what it's like to be caught between a rock and a hard place. I can be a friend if you need me. Okay?"

Raising her head, Maggie looked deeply into the dark, handsome features of Jonathan Lavery. His mouth broadened into a smile. "I have a feeling we could be friends."

"There you are." Boots pounded heavily on the porch, and Maggie blinked, discovering Jamie Martin glaring down at her, out of breath and obviously annoyed. "You don't go running into the middle of the woods in the middle of the night, Maggie! It's dangerous!"

"Yeah, I was just telling her that," Jonathan quipped.

Jamie blinked, finally registering the other man. "What are you doing here with him!" he asked sharply. "Isn't that the guy who burned Bianca's shirt?"

"Aren't you the guy who stole Bianca's baby?" Jonathan returned. His eyes locked on Maggie. "Is he stalking you or something?"

"Oh, screw you, man!" Jamie shook his head, irritated enough not to care. "Come on, Maggie, it's late. I'm taking you home."

Blowing out her breath, Maggie's mouth tightened, fingers tightening around the wood. "Jamie, I don't want to go home-"

"Look, I'm sorry, all right? I screwed up!" Coming forward, he knelt in front of her. "You can be pissed at me, that's fine! But I'm not leaving you here alone with this guy! Let me take you home!"

"I think I can take of her." Jonathan's voice was hard, and Maggie licked her lips, glancing between the two men, as Jamie rose to his full height, and glared into the skinnier face.

"Yeah? Think you can take care of me? Cause that's the only way in hell I'm leaving you alone with her."

Maggie was not in the mood for the display. "Oh, God-" Rolling her eyes, she teetered to her feet. "It's too fucking late for a guy fight, all right? Jamie, come on-"

Tugging on Jamie's jacket, Maggie tried to drag him with her.

"Maggie, are you sure you're all right with this guy?" Jonathan cocked his head, eyes narrowed.

"She'll be fine -" Maggie kept pushing, until Jamie finally started to move. "Stay the hell away from her, buddy."

"I think that's her choice, BUDDY." Maggie reached the stairs, turning back to him. Jonathan hadn't moved. Tipping his head, he smiled. "I meant what I said, Maggie."

She looked into the face, the kind smile.

"Okay, we're going." Suddenly hissing in, Maggie yelped when she was literally swept off her feet and held tightly to Jamie's chest. Jonathan raised a hand in salute, as Maggie watched him, Jamie carrying her off.

--

The boathouse was empty. Maggie had simply disappeared.

Bianca found herself actually close to panicking now, as she closed her eyes and let out another frustrating sigh, grabbing a wooden oar and shoving it aside. "There has to be someplace we haven't looked."

"We've been bloody everywhere," Aiden said, eyes shut tight, fingers counting the places. "Myrtle Fargate's, SOS, the bloody dorms, the library at the bloody school, the hospital, the dive bars-"

"I know, I know but..." Bianca fell onto the wooden bench, fingering the cold wood. "There has to be some place we haven't looked. There has to be. I can't consider the other option."

Aiden froze, looking back at her inquisitively. "What other option."

"Option #1 in the Maggie Book of Wisdom," Bianca mumbled miserably, looking up at him. "When in doubt - run like hell."

Even as she said it, the possibility made her shiver, close her eyes and swallow. When she opened them again, Aiden was still staring at her, increasing worry in his expression.

"She has no money," he said suddenly. "No clothes - she didn't even take her keys."

"It wouldn't stop her." Bianca licked her lips. "If she's that upset - she's got fight or flight HONED. Whenever things got difficult that's the first thing she would do. I used to keep her here, but -"

"But she just may have gotten the push she needed to leave for good," he finished. Bianca locked a somber gaze. "Dammit," he whispered, rubbing into his neck. "You know, if you were the one to make her stop running, it's bloody brilliant that you'd be the one to start her back up, isn't it?"

The phone rang, cutting into his sarcastic, angry statement. Fumbling with it, Bianca held it immediately up to her face. "Hello?"

"Bianca?" The voice familiar, but so unexpected, it took her a beat before the name registered. "Bianca?"

"Jamie!"

"Yeah - look, I'm sorry - I know you want to hear from me, but-"

Bianca deflated, disappointment palpable, shaking her head at an expectant Aiden, who turned away in disgust. "Jamie, you'd be right, especially now-"

"But I'm at home, and Maggie-"

The name caught her attention, air catching in her throat. "Maggie?"

"Yeah - I found her on the street, and she didn't want to go back to Aiden's, I tried to take her to you, but she's... she's really pissed off, and-"

"And, what?" Bianca clutched tighter to the phone, holding on for dear life. "Is she okay?"

A second, and then a labored sigh. "Yeah, she's fine. I guess. But she wouldn't go anywhere, so... she's gonna spend the night here with me-"

She closed her eyes in sudden relief. "We'll be right there-"

"No, Bianca-"

Shutting the phone, she turned to Aiden, catching his attention with the look on her face. "What?"

"Well, I forgot the Maggie Cardinal rule number two," she said heavily.

"Which is?"

Bianca offered a flat look. "When confused, run to Jamie." Aiden narrowed his eyes. "He's her buffer. She's at his apartment right now."

"Guess there was a place we didn't look," he said, hand on the small of her back, already leading her down the stairs, away from the boathouse.

--

He hadn't meant for them to come over.

Now, Jamie found himself standing in front of Maggie's lovers, both glaring at him like he was the devil himself.

Both were tall and imposing, in their dark trench coats and matching frowns, dark hair and big dark eyes. They looked like twins, and Jamie frown bitterly, wondering if Maggie ever noticed her very telling similar taste in both sexes.

"Guys, she doesn't want to see either of you," he snapped, hands in front of his body. "Okay? She's really friggin' pissed."

"So she's staying with you!" Maggie's boyfriend, his dad's old mate, had obviously not lost any sleep over jailing his son. "I'm not quite sure that's the best idea."

"Yeah, Jamie, you know? She doesn't like you much either, " Bianca offered.

"Yeah, you're right!" he whispered, furiously, glancing back to his tiny bathroom, water still spurting, signifying Maggie's attempt to shower. "And that should tell you just how PISSED she is, okay? So, just... let her stay with me for the night. She's safe here."

"You know, I'm not quite sure I buy that."

"Yeah, well believe it." Bianca narrowed her eyes, and Aiden only glared harder. "Hey, I understand you two kinda hate me, but Maggie was my best friend-"

"Emphasis on was," Bianca said sharply. He nearly winced, breathing in unsteadily as he tore his gaze from Bianca's angry face.

The noise of water blasting from the shower stopped, and Jamie swallowed hard.

"It doesn't mean I stopped caring about her. She trusts me enough to stick around, I'll take care of her." When they continued to stare, he sighed raggedly. "I'm not gonna sleep with her, all right? She just needs a place to crash - cause you two screwed it up so badly!"

"Then let us take her somewhere else," Aiden responded evenly. "Myrtle Fargate's or-"

Jamie let out a bitter, angry laugh. "She wants to stay here. And as long as she wants to, she can."

"I'm not going to leave her with you," Aiden snapped.

"And what right do you have to dictate where the hell I stay?"

Jamie froze, and let out a labored sigh, stepping aside and looking back, as Maggie hobbled into the living room, hair wet and left arm gingerly out of her sling, dressed in her dark pants and dark tanktop.

Maggie's eyes were slate - cold. "What the hell are you two doing here?"

Bianca tossed Jamie was worried glance. "Maggie, we were worried."

"Oh, were you? I'm sorry." Maggie's tone was fake politeness, edged in bitterness. "I see you two had no problem hooking up again. Did you run into anymore bars - scream at each other. Throw things?"

"Maggie, that's not fair."

Maggie slid her eyes over to Aiden. The dark glance was enough to shut him up. "I'm not fair, Aiden - you knew that. What are you doing here? Bianca?"

"Maggie-"

"I don't want to see you. I don't want to talk to you." Maggie's face was dark, and Jamie inhaled uneasily, crossing his arms over his broad chest and settling against the sofa, purposely making an effort to stay the hell out of this.

"Maggie, I know we've got our problems, but this is not the way to handle it."

"You're right." Maggie turned, offered a sunny smile. "Your way, is to scream at a lot of people in the middle of a crowded bar. I know this is a little too private for you two, but it'll just have to do."

"Maggie, what happened..." Bianca was actually stuttering now, so unnerved by Maggie's cold demeanor she had no idea what to say. "It wasn't planned."

"No? Not part of your amazingly clever plan to break me and Aiden up? Congratulations, Bianca." Her attention turned to Aiden, as she said flatly, "Mission Accomplished."

Jamie jerked his head to Aiden, as the older man looked almost stricken, focus entirely on his young girlfriend. "Maggie, we're not broken up, yet."

"Oh, so it's just a matter of time then? Let me save you the trouble." And she hobbled away, back turned away from them.

"Maggie-"

They didn't get it.

"I think you guys should leave." He stood, stepping between them and Maggie, arms crossed, stance firm. "She'll be fine." When they only stood there, he swallowed. "There's nothing you can do now," he whispered furiously. "She wants nothing to do with you! Let her sleep it off! She's PISSED."

Finally. FINALLY, they seemed to get it. As Aiden stared hard at Maggie, and then at Bianca, before walking out of the apartment, shutting the door almost violently behind him.

Jamie was left with Bianca, brown eyes beseechingly on Maggie. When she glanced at Jamie, he shook his head minutely.

Bianca finally hung her head, blowing out raggedly. "Take care of her, okay?" His old friend had no choice but to leave, walking out of his apartment.

In the silence, Jamie found his nervous adrenaline at a high speed, as he turned and discovered Maggie, sitting on his couch, fumbling with the sling she had taken apart, staring at the thing with dead eyes.

Coming forward gingerly, Jamie sunk down beside her, and drew his hands into his lap. Confronted with the magnitude of Maggie's predicament, Jamie had to admit something to himself.

He had no idea what to do.

--

Sniffing in the delicate scent of her earl grey tea, Erica Kane decided, it would be a good day.

Basking in the glow that came from the morning rays of sunshine, she stood on the uplifted platform of her bedroom, sighing to herself, pulling the carefully woven silk kimono further against her body, kissing her skin with the soft fabric.

The bedroom door opened, and Erica's lover stepped into the room, looking severe and stern and so JACK.

"Jack," she smiled, and opened her arms. "Isn't it a beautiful morning?"

The look on his face told her plainly, he didn't agree. Almost immediately, her smile froze. "Jack? What is it?"

Her finance's wore a solemn frown. "I think you should take a look at this." In his hands were the local tabloids. She rolled her eyes.

"Jack, those are rubbish. You know that. Whatever they're saying, it can't be as bad-"

"Erica, you need to see it." Holding it up against his chest, Jack gave her a perfect view of the headline.

Erica stared at it. And stared. And kept staring.

It seemed unwilling to sink in.

LESBIAN KANE IN BITTER LOVE TRIANGLE.

And her Bianca, her baby, front and center.

EXCLUSIVE PICTURES.

THE WOMAN WHO BROKE BIANCA'S HEART.

"Oh, dear."

And then the world got fuzzy, and her legs gave out.

--

End chapter