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.

NOTE - The rest of this story is rated M for serious sexual situations between two female women. Did everyone read that? Okay. Moving on.

Part Thirty-Seven

If you need a friend,
don't look to a stranger,
You know in the end,
I'll always be there.

And when you're in doubt,
and when you're in danger,
Take a look all around,
and I'll be there.

I'm sorry, but I'm just thinking of the right words to say. (I promise)
I know they don't sound the way I planned them to be. (I promise)
But if you'll wait around a while, I'll make you fall for me,
I promise, I promise you I will.

- the promise, when in rome

--

"You're holding it wrong."

"How the hell do you hold it wrong?"

"Look, can't you just pivot-"

"If I pivot, Ross, it'll hit the wall and scrape it-"

"It won't hit the wall-"

Sighing, Maggie carefully unslung the backpack from her shoulder, throwing an almost amused glance back at Anna, watching Robin and Jamie try to unsuccessfully manipulate a dresser into his tiny apartment.

"You know," she quipped, coming forward and around the struggling pair. "You two keep this up? I'll start thinking all this fighting is really sexual tension."

Throwing her head back, she caught the flushed face and almost horrified look on Robin and Jamie's faces. "Maggie? No. Just... no."

"Come on, it can't be that hard, can it?" Anna asked, coming up behind them both. "Shift it to the side, and then push."

"That's what I'm telling Himbo, but does he listen?"

"Himbo?'

Rolling her eyes, Maggie sunk down on Jamie's worn down couch, surveying the bachelor pad. Small portions of Maggie had begun to spill over, invading Jamie's messiness with touches of the feminine persuasion.

Feeling the worn out fabric beneath her fingertips, Maggie found herself taking in a ragged breath, thinking suddenly of Bianca's generous offer.

"Maggie?" Breaking free of her thoughts, she tossed Anna a distracted smile, careful with her slingless arm, shifting over to let her sit. "You all right?"

Grunts and thumps a background soundtrack, Maggie pursed her lips, nodding insincerely. "It's just... did you know Bianca asked me to take over her apartment when she left?"

A loud thump alerted her to a sweaty Jamie and Robin, both giving her disbelieving glares. "Now she tells us."

"I didn't take it, you guys," she reminded them softly.

"Why not? Bianca could afford to hire movers," Jamie quipped, splaying over the dresser, now blocking the apartment's entrance, just inside the door.

"Is Bianca's apartment nice?"

"If you like the Greek-Roman tragedy-esque thing," he answered. "All white and... girl-y."

Anna shook her head, indicating Maggie simply let them talk, and lowered her voice. "When did she ask you this?"

"A week ago," Maggie answered softly. "She told me she wasn't sure if she wanted to give it up quite yet and was hoping I would ... take it."

Anna wore a look of subtle scrutiny, one Maggie found herself looking away feverishly from, glancing down at her hands, feeling the ache that seemed to tighten in her chest every day.

Now that Bianca was leaving, the closer and closer that day came, the harder it seemed to breathe.

"And you didn't take it?"

Maggie pressed her lips together, suddenly remembering the hopeful smile on Bianca's face, dark eyes glowing with love and tender resolve. "I can't afford the rent, and she offered to keep paying for it since it would still be in her name, and... I just couldn't." Biting softly at her lower lip, she glanced up tensely. "It just seemed like... I wasn't ready for what that meant."

"Yeah, free rent? Who wants that?"

Robin rolled her eyes, smacking Jamie on the shoulder. "Learn a little tact, yeah?"

"Please. Look who's talking, Miss 'Let's Make a A List."

A pang of irritation hit her, and Maggie eyed them both with a glare of warning. "I'm ignoring you both in hopes you'll go away. You really do bring out the worst in each other, do you know that?"

"Has Bianca kept her promise to you?" Anna asked simply, as if she wasn't hearing them at all. "Has she pushed you, Maggie?"

"What?" she asked, startled by the question. "No, God, no, Anna. She's been so... careful. And sweet and almost... scared. Honestly, it's frustrating. We're working so hard, and... friendship shouldn't be this much work, should it?"

"Why is it work?"

An image of Bianca came into her mind, of just the day before, a quiet moment spent packing, as Maggie held on tightly to Miranda, cooing in her ear, the little girl recognizing her instantly now, laughing and giggling in a familiar sound that made her smile with love.

A pause, and then a look, and the emotion that burst into her heart when the look in Bianca's eyes overtook made her close her eyes raggedly, trapped between wanting so badly to run away from it and acting on her own fear: to hold tightly to Bianca, and never let her go.

They played a stilted game, talking in circles, anything but what they were both thinking of.

"I almost called her," she managed, voice suddenly rough, strained. "I almost called her in the middle of the night and begged her not to go." Burying her face in her hands, she inhaled unsteadily, shaken by just the thought. "I wanted to call her and beg her to stay here, with me, because I was so scared of her leaving."

Calm, careful hands landed gently on her shoulder, kneading. "Have you thought about actually asking her?"

"I can't ask her." Maggie's head lifted. "I can't, Anna. She's leaving because the board demanded it. Her or Ethan. Ethan can't go, and if she doesn't it'll seriously jeopardize Miranda's standing with Cambias, her inheritance. I can't ask Bianca to risk all that just because I want her here, not when I'm not even sure what I want from her."

"Maggie..." Robin slid down beside her, resting on the armchair. "Didn't she ask you to go with her?" The implication was surprising, coming from Robin and when both her and Jamie stared, her almost cousin in law flushed, shifting. "I thought you were running away and we'd never see you again, Maggie! This is a different thing."

"It's still running away, isn't it?" Her quiet answer made Robin press her lips together, frown, and Maggie only shook her head slightly, glancing around to the small group around her. "For the first time in my life, there are things holding me here. For the first time, I don't WANT to run away. I feel like I have to stay. I'm not ready to throw everything away to go to Paris."

"Maggie..." Jamie's broad chest was covered with his crossed arms, but his face was delicate, sincere. "Is it that you're not ready for Paris, or do you still not ready to trust Bianca?"

She closed her eyes, and simply breathed.

--

"You know, most people are excited to be going to Paris," Kendall remarked dryly. "The shopping alone..."

Bianca lifted her eyes to her sister and her friend Anita, carefully thumbing over a yellow blanket that she folded delicately in her arms.

Closing her eyes, she buried her nose into the soft material, cheek passing softly against the fabric.

"When I told Maggie I was raped," she began quietly, handling the material like the priceless treasure it was, "She wrapped me up in this, and told me she loved me. For the first time, I felt like I wasn't drowning."

The admission was followed by a long silence, until Bianca, sudden tears stinging, forced herself to put down the blanket, glance up at her sister and her friend Anita, both women frozen midway through their actions.

"So I'm going to put this in the 'save' pile," Kendall announced, carefully taking it away from her, smiling gently.

Laughing unsteadily at her own emotion, Bianca sank down on her couch, taking in the curious disarray of her apartment.

"Bianca?" Anita's face was a mask of stoic support. "Just because she's not going with you doesn't mean you're losing her."

"Then why does it feel like she's pulling away from me?"

In the open doorway, Maggie's smile wasn't the biggest it had ever been, but it was still a sweet sight to see. "I brought movies," she said, brandishing two red envelopes. "And some ice cream."

Bianca smiled, eyes widening when she lingered on Maggie's foot. "And another surprise!"

Maggie grinned, walking slowly, but walking, not hobbling or teetering. "Great, right? I'm not allowed to do any big runs or anything, but at least I'm not wandering around looking like a reject from a Lifetime movie."

Taking the bag of groceries from Maggie, Bianca allowed herself another look at Maggie. The sling was gone, and now, so was the cast, Color flushed Maggie's cheeks, and her eyes sparkled with life.

She had never been more beautiful.

Catching the lump in her throat with a hard smile, Bianca simply turned away, making a show of looking into her bags. "Wow..." she managed, trying hard to sound carefree."You went all out."

"Yeah... well, who knows when we're going to do this again, right?"

The forced ease in the sentence made her falter, shut her mouth and battle through the tightness inside of her.

"I know it's not my place," Bianca whispered, pressing her cheek against her palm. "And I know that Maggie's heart isn't mine to claim. I know that, I do. But I'm terrified of leaving her here. Aiden's so desperately in love with her. She's living with Jamie... Jonathan's calling her all the time – she's got this army of men-"

"And none of them are you."

Bianca sighed raggedly, connecting a dark glance with her sister. "I promised Maggie that I would love her no matter what. That's the easy part. But I can't help but feel like Maggie feels like I'm abandoning her. And if she does feel like that..."

"She'll rush into something else?" Anita crossed her arms, arching a careful eyebrow. "Honey, she's smarter than that."

Bianca frowned, pursing her lips. "I know that. Maggie's amazing. And she's so wonderful with Miranda. And everytime we see each other it's just another reminder that I won't be here in two weeks."

"So... where's Miranda?"

Turning back, Bianca discovered Maggie glancing around, obviously in search of her daughter.

"Kendall asked to take her for the night," Bianca answered, forcing a plastic smile on her face. "She wanted some alone time before... you know."

"Oh..." Disappointment flickered in Maggie's expression, and it touched something inside Bianca, caused a sudden shake of her fingers.

"I thought it would be nice to just hang out," she said, rushing into the breathless statement. "You know... like we used to."

Maggie stood still, chewing on her lower lip with a studious expression, until she glanced from the boxes strewn around the living room to connect with her look intensely.

"Sure." The answer came out oddly, and Bianca craned her head, studied her closely. Maggie only smiled, before turning away, to unload her DVDs.

"You know, there's a perk to being really, really, disgustingly rich," Kendall offered, hands in her lap, voice an octave higher. Glancing at her sister fitfully, Bianca smiled. "Two words," Kendall hinted. "Private. Jets."

"That's true," Anita approved, obviously more than a little disturbed that she and Kendall seemed to actually agree on something. "You and Maggie can visit all the time. Paris is just a few hours away."

"And if she doesn't?" Bianca shuddered. "What if she just uses this as an opportunity to sink back into herself?"

There were so many doubts, so many regrets and fears, and to Bianca, three days was like a sentencing.

"God," she whispered, laughing bitterly. "I finally get that song."

"What song?"

"I left my heart in San Francisco."

That was followed by another bout of silence, until Anita cleared her throat, her husky purr interjecting carefully. "Somehow I don't think we're the people you should be talking about this to."

"I can't talk to Maggie about this," she whispered.

"Baby sis, you're gonna have to," Kendall agreed. "Because if you get on the plane with this many regrets, this many things unsaid, you'll just grow further apart."

"I can't!" Bianca argued. "She'll think I'm pressing her! I offered her this apartment and she turned it down, she won't come with me to Paris – I don't want to scare her anymore than I already have. I want Maggie to trust me. I don't want to drive her farther away."

A soft palm drifted over her knee, squeezing comfortingly, another rubbed at her back. "Maggie's coming over tonight, right?"

Lifting her head from her hands, Bianca stared at her sister with a mixture of curiosity and dread. "Yeah."

Arching a conspirator's eyebrow, Kendall met Anita's questioning brown eyes with a wink. "Why don't I take Miranda for the night?"

"Oh..." she began raggedly. "Kendall-"

"Hey! Purely selfish motivations here!" she argued, throwing her hands up, the very picture of innocence. "Can you blame me for wanting to spend some time with my baby niece before she leaves me behind?"

"Like you won't be the first one on that jet after Bianca," Anita said, with so much amusement in her voice Bianca was almost frightened at the friendliness between the two.

Kendall gave her another wink, and swept a comforting arm against her sister's shoulder. "Come on. You guys could use the time alone. Be friends again. Whatever happens? It'll happen."

Bianca gave her an almost glare, shutting down her own skittish hope with a roll of her eyes. "Just friends, Kendall," she reminded her sister.

--

Maggie lay on the carpet, head resting against her propped up elbow, sipping a glass of red wine as if it were priceless, wearing a small smile, and an almost mischievous grin.

"What are you thinking about?"

Bianca grinned, blushing as she laughed. "I was just thinking about the time you made me jump into the freezing cold lake in the middle of the night."

Maggie snorted, nearly coughing into her drink, the memory just as vivid, it seemed, when she chuckled merrily, burying her cheek into her hands. "I had to," she answered proudly. "You were chicken."

"I was not!" Bianca tried to look offended, but her smile was too cheesy to be anything but genuine, reaching forward to gently cuff Maggie on her shoulder. "I'm just sane."

"Please." Her friend tilted the red liquid, watching it slide around the glass, staring into the deep richness of its color. "You have your moments."

"Name one."

Eyes lifting from the glass, Maggie shot her a knowing glare.

The look was enough to cause an embarrassed flush, as Bianca closed her eyes, smiling uncomfortably. "Okay... temporary insanity," she admitted, unable to refer to what Maggie was immediately thinking of without the shaky quiver of her heart accompanying her. "I'll admit that."

Maggie pressed her lips together, studying the flush that heated Bianca's lips, eyes darker than before. "You did go a little nuts there, didn't you?"

Face falling against the almost rough fibers of the carpet, Bianca found herself a little breathless, lingering on Maggie's lips, as her friend's tongue darted out, scooping up a gentle drop of wine.

Angry at her weakness, Bianca shut her eyes.

"Bianca?"

"Yeah..."

"I'm just wondering..." Her eyes opened slowly, discovering Maggie thumbing her cup idly, heavy in thought. "I'm just wondering if that would happen again."

Bianca's heart stilled, smile falling away immediately. "I told you it wouldn't," she answered thickly. "Did you not believe me?"

Hesitation clouded Maggie's expression. "And in Paris?"

Unable to understand, Bianca lifted herself up to her elbows. "Maggie? What do you mean?"

Maggie kept her eyes on her wine glass, mouth pulling up in a phantom mimic of a smile. "If you saw Lena again, in Paris..."

Sucking in her breath, Bianca closed her eyes. "Maggie..."

"Or another beautiful women..."

"Maggie..." Carefully, she reached over, a touch to Maggie's cheek causing her friend to meet her eyes. Lip trembling, Bianca smiled, pulling back and forcing herself to lay on her hands, keep her from losing control. "When I told you I'd wait... I meant it."

Maggie didn't say a word, just kept staring at her with a deep, dark gaze, as if letting Bianca's words settle, cement inside of her.

What was going on in that intense gaze, Bianca didn't know, but her heart began to pound in wonder, when Maggie took another sip of wine, and deliberately reached out, placed it far away from her.

"Maggie..."

Turning, Maggie lifted herself up, and wrapped fingers around Bianca's filled glass, placing it beside her own.

Bianca was lost in a haze, blood rushing inside of her with anticipation, wonder and dread, senses overwhelmed when Maggie crawled closer to her, arm moving over her and forcing Bianca onto her back, trapping her.

Haunted by Maggie's smile, Bianca found herself drugged, overtaken as Maggie searched her face, eyes so dark they seemed to mirror her own startled, lusty expression.

What Maggie was looking for, Bianca didn't know. She was only aware of her out of control heartbeat, the sudden heat of her body, and the tantalizing thrill of the brush of Maggie's legs over hers, the tease of the body nearly straddling her.

"Maggie, what are you-"

"Shhhh..." the tone was low, reverent, almost a purr, and Bianca shuddered helplessly when Maggie lowered herself, breathing against her mouth, descending into a soft, seductive kiss.

Startled, Bianca had no words, breath stolen from her as Maggie carefully lifted her head, searching her eyes. Bianca's chest rose and fell in harsh pants, and Maggie smiled again, dangerous and sexy, lowering her head once more for another kiss.

Taken prisoner, Bianca was lost in the sensation, mouth parting willingly for Maggie when her tongue swept against her lips, and then inside, plunging into her with such force and dominance, Bianca couldn't help the inarticulate moan that Maggie ripped from her throat, buried into her kiss.

Aching to hold her, Bianca reached up, only to groan desperately when Maggie caught her arms with surprisingly force, pressing them back down on the carpet, holding her captive.

"Maggie," she whispered, a painful plea, when Maggie straddled her, weight settling against her stomach, Maggie's heat making her arch up desperately, as Maggie's lips descended on her neck, sucking gently against a particularly sensitive spot on her jaw, making her shudder.

"Shhh, Bianca," she heard against her ear, tongue toying with her earlobe.

She couldn't help the thrust of her hips, the displacement of Maggie that pressed firm breasts more firmly against her own, as lips sloppily lost hold of her ear and hungrily journeyed back to her mouth.

Maggie kissed her with such marked possession, tongue dipping into her mouth, mating with hers with such dominance Bianca couldn't help but submit, feeling the grind of Maggie on top of her, an onslaught of emotion and physical sensation, causing her to shake from pure feeling.

"Oh, God," she mumbled around the tongue plunging into her, sucked it in greedily, until Maggie broke the kiss with another lick against her mouth. When Bianca's eyes shot open, Maggie shook her head.

"Don't move," she heard, and then Maggie's hands lifted, eyebrow arched in warning. Bianca splayed out against the carpet, chest heaving as Maggie lifted her own shirt, so slowly, revealing tanned, toned flesh, and the beautiful sight of breasts incased in a black bra, cupping them like a feast for her alone.

She ached, groaning when Maggie reached behind and unclasped the bra, the mounds of flesh spilling free.

Unable to help herself, Bianca's hands moved, smoothing up the legs that hugged her hips, cupping them in her hands, thumbs rolling the darkened nipples. Maggie's legs trembled against her, and suddenly her hands were torn away, tangled in Maggie's, as Maggie leaned down again, taking control just by taking Bianca's mouth again.

She kissed her hungrily, Maggie's bare breasts pillowed against her own, hips grinding, creating the knot of lust in her groin, the fluid heat rapidly building.

"Bianca," she heard, and mumbled in response, trying to arch up, cradle Maggie and once again rebuffed, hands holding her down again, keeping her on bottom. She had no moment to complain, when Maggie once again settled hotly on her neck, running her tongue along her sternum, and suddenly reaching between them, lifting buttons out of holes.

Shirt spread open, Bianca's eyes rolled back when palms reached roughly into her bra, catching hold of the breast encased there and squeezing almost painfully.

She gasped, back arching into a hot mouth, as the fabric was roughly pushed aside and lips closed over her nipple, bathing her in moist heat.

And suddenly there were fingers on her jeans, jerking, pulling, and Bianca's haze was punctured, eyes lifting in heady desire to see Maggie hunched over her, so desperate, so determined.

Her throat went dry, lust knocked away by sudden concern.

"Maggie..." She whispered. "MAGGIE."

Reaching down, she grabbed hold of those hands, jerked them up until Maggie was pressed against her, hands cradling the face.

What she saw broke her heart.

"Maggie," she whispered furiously. "You won't lose me. I love you."

Maggie stared down at her, so terribly unsure. So terribly frightened.

Suddenly desperate to prove herself, she lifted her head, and buried her mouth in Maggie's, kissing her deeply.

"I love you," she managed again, drawing Maggie closer to her, pushing up with her weight, leading Maggie back, until she could settle against her would be lover, murmuring against perfect lips, tangle her tongue against hers. "I love you."

Tears sparkled in Maggie's eyes, and Bianca's heart shuddered, as she carefully smoothed fingers down Maggie's body, fingers nimbly pulling on Maggie's jeans, mouth panting against hers.

"I love you," she whispered, as fingers dipped in, past a rough patch of hair and sliding into moist warmth.

She froze. Maggie gasped against her, hips rising against her palm, fingers closing almost painfully against her shoulders. Bianca stared hard into Maggie's face, the feel of the wetness surrounding her making her heart suddenly rush, taking in Maggie's arousal with surreal wonder.

Flicking experimentally, she bit her lip in reaction, when Maggie's eyes fluttered closed, hips bucking to get closer. Biting at her jaw, Bianca buried her moans by settling her mouth hotly over hers, sealing her cries into her mouth, fingers shifting against Maggie's heat, sliding further inside when Maggie rode against her. "I love you," she murmured again, and Maggie kissed her desperately, tears streaking against her skin when she began to moan, wordless cries of abandon as she moved against Bianca's moving digits.

Bianca felt it, the rapid breathing, Maggie's thighs clamping shut when muscles contracted, and she bit her lip in reaction, grinding against Maggie's leg when she felt herself tremble in response.

When her Maggie came with a raw cry, ripped from her throat, breaking her kiss to keen against Bianca, clawing at her shoulders and pumping against her fingers, Bianca's body convulsed with her, forehead falling against Maggie's chest.

In the wake of the orgasm, Maggie sudden closed her eyes, dissolving into soft whimpers, shudders.

Suddenly overwhelmed, Bianca curled her into her body, cradling her from her own emotion when Maggie's arms encircled around her neck, face buried into her chest, like a broken child.

Closing her eyes, Bianca held her as tenderly as she could, smoothing fingers through sweaty hair, whispering gently into her ear reassurances of her love.

end chapter