A/N: Thank you yet again for your wonderful reviews. I love reading them, and they mean a lot. I hope you're enjoying this journey as much as I'm enjoying writing it. I'm sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. I was absolutely slammed at work last week, long workdays filled with mind numbing meetings. I also had to write my annual self-appraisal. I hate those things with a passion. The week did end on a bright note though when I caught Biancapalooza on soapcentral's website. It was great hearing Christine and Eden and the special guests.

Back to this chapter, I had originally thought that I could wrap this thread up in two chapters, but I was wrong again. I started writing and the mind wandered off. Before I knew it, it was kind of long, and I still had a list of ideas that I hadn't tapped yet. I'm thinking one more chapter should do it on this subject. Hope you enjoy it!

/

Bianca lay awake in bed thinking of the day ahead of her. To be honest, she wasn't really looking forward to it at all, but there was something that needed to be done whether she liked it or not. The girls were going to see Reese today and while she dreaded spending time with her ex, she knew she would have to do it today. If it was at all possible, she wanted the girls to have a relationship with Reese since she was their mother too even though she hadn't been much of one or acted like one in a very long time, but she just couldn't trust her to not try and run off with the girls if they were alone together. No matter what it was, Bianca would go to hell and back to keep her daughters happy, safe and, most importantly, with her. It had been decided that they would meet for a movie. If the girls were okay after that, they might go somewhere and talk a little. Gabby didn't quite understand what was going on. Her memories of Reese were all but gone having faded significantly because she was so young. Miranda, on the other hand, was an entirely different story. She remembered Reese and a few of the good times they had together in Paris. She also remembered the pain Bianca had gone through during the divorce. Her mother had done her best to hide that from her children, but Miranda had seen it. The young girl didn't miss much especially where her family was concerned. Memories of last year's incident when Reese's lawyer, or the scary man as she referred to him, tried to take her and Gabby away from her mom and back to Paris were still fairly vivid for her. All of this made her hesitant and curbed whatever curiosity she had a great deal. Miranda felt better when she was told that Bianca would be there with her and her sister. She was nowhere near ready enough to spend time alone with Reese.

Bianca had hoped Marissa would have been able to come along as well, but AJ had a doctor's appointment so she would be handling this visit alone. She turned her head slightly to look at Marissa. Bianca loved to watch her sleep. The sight never ceased to amaze her. She looked so peaceful and even more beautiful if that was at all possible. Seeing her love begin to wake up brought a smile to the brunette's face. She loved Marissa's so-called morning routine. It was something the redhead had started not long after their first night together and when she began staying over more frequently. Bianca smiled even more when she remembered her girlfriend's reply when questioned about how she woke up every morning. Bianca couldn't bring herself to complain in any way because she found this routine way too enjoyable. Marissa turned on her side with her right arm draping itself across Bianca's stomach. She began to draw closer as she burrowed herself against Bianca's side. Her hand began to caress the brunette's soft curves sending a shiver of delight through her whole being. A smile crossed Marissa's face as she raised her head finding Bianca's waiting lips.

Marissa began to slowly drift towards consciousness. As she did, her senses became flooded in every way with Bianca. Her love's sweet scent was the first thing to pull her from her peaceful slumber, and her body reacted immediately starting what she dubbed her morning routine. It was something Marissa had started not long after their first night together and when Bianca began staying over more and more often. When asked about it, Marissa honestly couldn't tell Bianca why she did what she did. There was only one explanation that she could think of for this, and she gave the simple and honest answer that her body seemed to have a mind of its own whenever she was around Bianca which elicited a happy sigh and the goofy grin she loved from her girlfriend and no complaints about the routine. As she turned on her side, her right arm instinctively draped itself across Bianca's stomach, and she drew herself closer to the brunette. Marissa began to softly caress the wondrous curves of Bianca, loving both the feel of her velvety soft skin and the reaction Bianca's body had to her touch as she felt a shiver go through her. Marissa smiled and raised her head and enjoyed the taste of her love's intoxicating lips. Marissa finally opened her eyes to a sight that never failed to take her breath away, and she gave Bianca a dazzling smile. "Good morning."

The brunette returned the smile with one that was equally stunning. "Good morning, beautiful. Have I ever told you how much I love how you wake up in the morning?"

The dip in Bianca's voice made Marissa's heart skip a beat. "I think you might have mentioned it a few times before. You were staring again."

"I told you a while ago I thought it was a bad habit that I was going to develop. It turns out I was right. You know, I was never much of a morning person until you, but you have made me truly appreciate them." Bianca shifted and rolled on top of Marissa as she leaned down to claim Marissa's lips for a fervent kiss.

A soft moan escaped from the redhead as her arms wound tightly around Bianca. When they separated gasping for air, Marissa smiled. "Have I ever told you how much I love how you wake up in the morning?" I do love a wide awake Bianca in bed in the morning.

"You might have mentioned it a few times before." Bianca gave her a mischievous smile as warm brown eyes began to darken with desire.

"Good, just checking." Marissa pulled Bianca down to her closing the distance between them. The same thought crossed their minds as they lost themselves in each other. I can't think of a better way to start the day.

/

Marissa sat in bed humming happily as she caught up on reading several briefs when she heard a knock on the bedroom door. She smiled as she glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was a little on the early side for Gabby's regular morning visit but maybe she woke up early for some reason. The little girl had gotten into the habit of waking up before Miranda and AJ and coming into their bedroom for some extra snuggle time. Depending on what was going on that day, it might be with only one of the women or it could be with both. Whichever occurred didn't matter to Gabby. She was just happy to have some extra special alone time with them. Being the youngest, she sometimes found it was hard to be heard above Miranda and AJ when the three of them were all together. Her one on one time with Marissa and her mom was her favorite part of the day, and the usually quiet little girl became quite animated and talked a blue streak entertaining both women with stories, jokes and songs or just talking about whatever was on her mind. She had their complete and undivided attention, and she loved it. Marissa took off her glasses. "Come in." She was surprised by who opened the door. "Miranda, good morning. You're up early."

"Morning. Where's mom?"

"She's getting a shower. She'll be done soon. Do you need to talk to her?"

Miranda shook her head. "I was wondering if I could talk to you."

Marissa moved her glasses and files to the nightstand. "Of course you can, sweetie. You can talk to me anytime you want." She pulled back the covers. "Come on up."

The young girl hesitated briefly eyeing the files Marissa had just moved. "I'm not bugging you, am I? If you're working, I can talk to you later."

"Nope, I always have time for you. Come on."

Miranda smiled as she closed the door and climbed into bed next to Marissa.

"What's up, sweetie?"

"I don't know that I really want to see her today."

"See who? Oh, you don't know if you want to see Reese. Why?"

"She hurt mom an awful lot and made her sad for a long time. I don't like to see her sad like that."

"I don't like to see her like that either. That's the last thing in the world I want, but your mom's not sad anymore, is she?"

A big smile and shake of her head were Miranda's first responses before adding, "Nope, she's really happy now because of you."

Marissa smiled. "Thank you, but I can't take all of the credit. You, Gabby and AJ make her very happy too, and I don't think she can make your mom sad like that anymore. You know, your mom doesn't want you to worry about her."

Miranda made a face which made Marissa laugh.

"I know, I know. You worry about her anyway no matter what she says. I do too."

"I know you do. I'm glad somebody else does. I know she doesn't like it when people worry about her."

"No, she doesn't. I guess it's a good thing she has us then, huh?"

"Yep, it sure is!"

"Is there another reason you don't want to see Reese?"

Miranda's eyes began to fill with tears. "She made Gabby sad too, made her cry. I don't like it when anybody does that to her. It makes me really mad."

"Gabby is very lucky to have you as a big sister. Your mom and I don't like to see her sad either. It makes us mad. We'll have to keep an extra special eye out to make sure that doesn't happen, won't we?" The question was answered with a nod, and Marissa saw her lips begin to tremble. "Did she make you sad too?"

Miranda could only nod as the tears she had been holding back so bravely began to stream down her face. Marissa held the sobbing child and began to slowly rock her. Her heart was breaking for Miranda. How in the hell could that woman do this to her, hurt Miranda like this? I swear to God if I saw her right now, she wouldn't make it out of here in one piece."

After several minutes, Miranda's tears slowed, and she looked up at the redhead. "Marissa, why did she forget about us for so long? Did Gabby and me do something wrong?"

Marissa wiped the girl's tears away and took a deep breath. "First of all, you and Gabby didn't do anything wrong. Nothing that happened is your fault. I don't ever want you to forget that, okay? I've never known two more special or precious girls in my life. I want you to always remember that."

"Why did she forget about us then? Doesn't she love us?"

How in the hell do I answer that? Marissa sighed and struggled to come up with an explanation for Miranda for something she couldn't even begin to fathom herself. "I'm sure she loves you the best that she possibly can, but some people have a hard time showing it. Personally, I don't know how anyone couldn't help but love the two of you. And maybe she didn't forget about you as much as she lost sight of the really important things. That happens when people get busy and lose focus on what matters the most. They think they're doing the right thing at the time, and they don't realize that it isn't. Sometimes, smart people do some not so smart things. I wish I had better answers for you, Miranda. I just don't know for sure. I can tell you what I do know as sure as I'm sitting here with you. I know that your mom loves you and Gabby with all of her heart and could never and will never forget either of you. The same goes for AJ, your Aunt Kendall and your Grandma Erica. I also want you to know that I love you and Gabby as much as I love AJ and could never forget about either of you. Do you believe me?"

Miranda looked at Marissa and smiled as she nodded. "Yeah, I do, and I love you too. Do you think I should see her?"

"Oh, I can't answer that, sweetie. That's something you have to decide that for yourself."

Miranda made a face. "I knew you'd say that. Mom thinks I should see her."

"Yes, she does, but she'll understand whatever you want to do."

"I know she will, but I really care about what she thinks. We do lots of things that she thinks we should, don't we?"

Marissa laughed. "Yeah, we do. Your mom can get us to do all kinds of things, and it's only because she thinks it's the best thing for us. The thing is she's usually right about it. Don't tell her I said that."

Miranda giggled. "I won't. Greenlee says you and mom have each other wrapped around your little fingers and can get the other to do anything you want."

Marissa arched an eyebrow and shook her head. "I'm thinking maybe you shouldn't listen to Greenlee so much. When you love someone, you don't mind doing things for them if it makes them happy. You like doing things for them."

"You love my mom a whole lot, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I love her very, very much."

"And she loves you a lot too."

"Yes, she does."

"You're happy, aren't you?"

"I've never been happier in my life then I am with your mom, Gabby, AJ and you."

"I thought so. Mom's happy too. You know how I can tell?"

"How can you tell?"

"She smiles all the time like you do, and I even hear her humming sometimes like you."

Marissa smiled. "You know you're pretty smart."

Miranda returned the smile before growing thoughtful. "She did that with you and Krystal, huh?"

Marissa sat there stunned for a minute. "What do you mean?"

"She got you to get along with her more. I overheard you two talking one time. She wants you to get along with her because she's your mom, but you don't call her mom. I know somebody else raised you, and you call them your mom and dad. Why's that?"

Marissa was blown away by just how much Miranda knew and how smart she was. "Wow. You're too smart for my own good. Is that why you wanted to talk to me? You thought I might understand what you're feeling about seeing Reese a little more than your mom because of me and Krystal?"

Miranda nodded. "Yeah, it's kinda the same. If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay."

"It's okay. We can talk about it some. What can I tell you? Krystal didn't think she could take care of me when I was born so she asked her friends to take care of me. She thought it was the best thing to do for me, and they adopted me and raised me. They were the best mom and dad I could have asked for. They were so great and loved me very much, and even though they're gone, I still love them very much. I didn't know Krystal until a few years ago, when I was an adult. We have some things that we have to figure out still. I thought for a long time I did something wrong or wasn't good enough for some reason, but now I know that it wasn't anything I did. It was a decision Krystal made based on what was going on at the time, and it's one that she's told me that she regrets. It's still hard for me to understand it sometimes and to forgive her. Your mom thinks it's important that we get along and that I try to forgive her. She thinks that I'll feel better about things if I do. Because I love and trust your mom with all of my heart and think that she's the most amazing and forgiving person I've ever known, I'm trying to do that. Do you understand?"

Miranda sat for a minute thinking about what she'd just been told. If Marissa could try with Krystal, then she supposed that she could try with Reese. "I think so. I guess I should see her then since mom thinks it's a good idea and because she's here."

"If that's what you think you should do, then you should. Your mom will be there with you though so you won't be alone."

"I wish you could be there too."

"Oh Miranda, I wish I could too, but I have to take AJ to the doctor's. If I didn't have to do that, you know I'd be there."

Miranda nodded. "I know. He needs somebody there with him because he doesn't like going especially if he has to get a shot. I don't either."

"I know. I don't like getting shots myself."

Miranda grew thoughtful again. "What should I call her?"

I can see that I'm getting all of the easy questions today. "What did you call her before?"

"I called her Mama Reese, but I don't know now."

"Well, if you feel comfortable calling her that, then that's what you should call her. If you don't, I guess you could call her Reese or whatever else feels right to you."

"Kind of like you do with Krystal?"

"Yes, I don't feel comfortable calling her mom so I go with her first name, and Krystal's okay with that. She understands."

Miranda nodded. "Marissa, I know you and mom tell each other everything so it's okay if you want to tell her that we talked, but can you not tell her I cried? I don't want her to be upset."

"If you don't want me to tell her, I won't. I promise. If you want to talk more after you see Reese, it doesn't matter what I'm doing, you just have to ask. Okay?"

Miranda nodded. "Okay. I might want to do that if you're sure it's okay."

"It's more than okay with me. Anytime you want to talk, I'm here. Are you okay? Do you feel any better?"

"Yeah, I do. I feel a lot better. Thanks, Rissa." Miranda smiled and snuggled next to her.

Marissa kissed the top of her head and held her tightly. "You're welcome, Mimo."

Bianca came out of bathroom surprised to see her oldest daughter snuggled next to Marissa. She had been expecting to see Gabby instead. "Is everything okay?"

Marissa looked at Miranda who smiled and nodded as she met her gaze. "Yes, of course it is. Miranda and I were just talking about things."

"Okay if you're sure." Bianca heard a knock on the door and opened it to see Gabby. "Morning, mommy. Morning, Rissa." She stopped when she saw her sister, and a slight pout started to form on her face. Marissa smiled and held out her free arm. Gabby returned the smile and jumped into the bed immediately snuggling next to Marissa's other side.

The brunette smiled watching her daughters with Marissa. "I guess we're just missing AJ now."

As if on cue, the little boy appeared and joined the girls and Marissa in bed. "Morning, Bianca. Morning, mom."

"Morning, buddy. It looks like everyone is up early today." Bianca looked at her four favorite people and sighed contentedly. "Is there room for me?"

Marissa smiled brightly. "Always."

Bianca joined her family and gave Marissa a loving kiss. This is perfect.

/

Marissa was exiting the kitchen after checking on dinner when Bianca and the girls arrived home from their meeting with Reese.

Gabby launched herself at the redhead, nearly knocking her over. "Rissa!"

"Hey, monkey!" Marissa scooped up the adorable little girl and began tickling her. "Someone's full of energy."

"A good nap will do that every time for a certain little girl." Bianca laughed and gave Marissa a quick kiss.

"Did you fall asleep during the movie?" The redhead asked playfully.

Gabby nodded and gave her a sheepish grin. "I tried to stay awake, but I got sleepy."

"I understand. It was dark, and you were snuggled up on your mom's lap and got all nice and comfy. It's hard stay to awake sometimes when all of that is going on, isn't it?"

"Uh huh." Gabby gave her a big smile and nodded.

"Let me guess. Did she rub your back too?"

"Yep."

"Well, it sounds to me like that it was her fault."

Bianca snorted. "Thanks for throwing me under the bus."

Gabby nodded and giggled. "Where's AJ?"

"He's in his room building something with his Legos. He could probably use some help. Do you think you're up for that?"

"Yeah!" Gabby gave her a kiss as Marissa put her down, and the little girl raced upstairs.

Miranda had been quiet since getting home, and she glanced at her mother. "I'm not in trouble, am I?"

Bianca smiled. "No, of course you're not in trouble."

"You're not disappointed in me?"

"Mimo, I could never be disappointed in you."

Miranda breathed a big sigh of relief not being able to stand thinking her mom would be upset with or disappointed in her in any way.

Marissa plopped down next to Miranda on the sofa, putting her arm around the girl. "What about you, Miranda? Did you like the movie?"

The young girl looked at Marissa and shrugged. "It was okay."

"You know it's alright if you had a good time, and it's okay to like Reese too."

"I know. Mom told me the same thing. I still don't know how I feel about her. I would've liked it better if you and AJ were there with mom and us."

Marissa kissed the top of Miranda's head. "I would've liked it too." She looked at her girlfriend who nodded. "How about tomorrow the five of us go see another movie? How does that sound?"

Miranda smiled brightly. "That sounds really good! I like that idea a whole lot."

"Okay, why don't you go tell AJ and Gabby, and the three of you can figure out what you want to see. We'll make plans over dinner."

She gave the redhead a hug and hopped off the sofa. "Thanks, Marissa!"

"You're welcome, Miranda. Tell AJ and Gabby that dinner will be ready soon."

As the young girl headed upstairs, she stopped and turned. "Mom can tell you everything that happened today and don't worry. I won't listen, and I'll make sure Gabby and AJ don't either."

Marissa lips twitched in amusement especially after seeing Bianca's puzzled reaction. "Thank you." She glanced at the brunette and whispered. "I'll tell you later."

Bianca took her daughter's place on the sofa next to Marissa and reclined against her as she rested her head on the redhead's shoulder. Marissa's soft, warm arms immediately encircled her, and she absorbed all of the love Marissa had for her in that embrace. Bianca closed her eyes and savored the feel of her love holding her, loving her.

After several minutes, Marissa finally spoke. "Are you ready to talk now?"

Bianca sighed. "I am."

"So, how did it go?"

"It was … interesting."

"I'm going to need more details than that. You do know that, right?"

"Yes, I do, and you know that I have every intention of giving you all of them. When we met Reese at the movie theater, Gabby didn't recognize her at all and went into her shy mode. She wouldn't let go of me."

"I know you're not surprised. You thought that would happen."

"I did. Gabby was just so young when we left Paris, and she hasn't seen Reese in well over two years. I knew she wouldn't know her. In a way, it's a blessing. When things started to go bad between us and Reese was working so much and not spending any time with them, Gabby didn't understand, and she cried and asked for her, not knowing why Reese wasn't there. It broke my heart to see Gabby like that. I don't think I could ever go through that again, and I know I don't want Gabby to. I also know that I don't have to worry about that with you."

"No, you don't. I love them too much, and I would do anything for those girls just like you would do anything for AJ."

"I would do anything for him. I love him as much as I love the girls. He's an amazing boy. You've done a great job with him."

"Thank you. Speaking of amazing children, how was Miranda?"

"Ah, Miranda, she was very polite to Reese and very protective of her sister, me and you."

"Me? What do you mean?"

"Before I answer that question, could you tell me what the two of you were talking about this morning? We didn't get much of a chance to talk earlier, and I've been somewhat curious especially after that little exchange the two of you just had."

"She told me she wasn't sure about seeing Reese. Miranda didn't like the fact that Reese had hurt you so much and made you sad. She doesn't like seeing you like that. You know she doesn't miss much, and she's so bright and perceptive. By the way, I told her that I didn't like seeing you like that either."

"I tried so hard to make sure that the girls didn't see what I was going through. Miranda doesn't miss anything though. And just so you know, I'm not the least bit sad anymore. In fact, I've never been happier in my life thanks in large part to a certain redhead that I know and love."

"Well, there's a certain brunette that has done the same exact thing for me. I didn't know that I could be so happy and love someone as much as I love you." Marissa leaned forward capturing the smiling lips of Bianca. She sighed happily as the brunette settled back into her arms before continuing her story. "Miranda also told me that she didn't like that Gabby had been so sad either, that it makes her mad when that happens. I told her that Gabby was very lucky to have her as a big sister. She reminded me a lot of Kendall when she was telling me that."

"Yes, I definitely see flashes of my sister in her. She is so protective of her little sister."

"I told her that neither of us liked seeing Gabby sad like that either and that we would keep an extra special eye out to make sure that doesn't happen." Marissa paused knowing this would be the hardest part of the story for her to relate and for Bianca to hear, and she held her tighter. "She told me that Reese had made her sad too. You're not going to like this next part. Miranda then asked me why she had forgotten them for so long and if it was something that her and Gabby had done, and could they have done something wrong that caused all of that to happen."

Bianca took a deep breath trying to calm herself as she gripped Marissa tighter. She lowered her voice so the children wouldn't hear the anger she felt for her ex. "That's what I hate the most about everything that happened. That Miranda and Gabby could think for one second that they were responsible in any way for Reese's actions towards them makes me so damn mad at her. I can handle anything else but that. I just want to slap the shit out of her for that. I will never understand how she could've done that to them, to give so little thought to how they would feel and what they would think. It's something that I won't let happen this time with her."

"You know I won't let that happen either."

"I know you won't. The fact that Miranda could ask you that speaks volumes about your relationship with her, how much she trusts you, and how much she loves you."

"I love her too, as much as I love AJ and Gabby."

"I know, and more importantly, she knows that. I've done my best to try and reassure her that she and Gabby did nothing wrong."

"It's something we'll keep doing until she really believes it. It's something I have absolutely no problem doing. My problem is with Reese, and trust me, if she had been anywhere close this morning, there's no way in hell she would have made it out of here in one piece. She still might not make it out of this town that way. I'll be more than happy to hold her if you ever do decide to slap the shit out of her."

"Thank you and I'll remember that. I know that was a hard question for you to answer. So, what did you tell Miranda?"

"You're right about it being a hard question, but she had a much harder one for me. I mean how do you come up with an answer that she can believe for something you can't begin to fathom. I tried to give her the best answer I could and reinforce what we've talked about in how to handle that particular question. I told her that I thought that Reese loved her as best as she could, but some people have a hard time showing it. I then told Miranda that maybe she didn't forget about her as much as she lost sight of the really important things, and that people get busy and that happens. They think they're doing the right thing at the time, and they don't realize that it isn't. Sometimes, smart people do some not so smart things. I felt like I was trying to excuse the inexcusable, but I know it won't help Miranda by giving her that particular opinion right now. There was something I could be positive about though, and I told her that you loved her and Gabby with all of your heart and could never and will never forget either of them. I told her I felt the same way too. Then, she asked me if I thought she should see Reese. I told her I couldn't answer that question for her. She would have to decide that for herself."

"I think you handled that as well as it could be handled, but I never had any doubt that you would. You said she had a harder question for you. What was it?"

Marissa cleared her throat and proceeded again. "She asked me about Krystal and our relationship."

Bianca sat up, looking at her girlfriend shocked. "Miranda asked you about that? Wow. How did she? Why did she?"

"She overheard us talking about my working on my relationship with Krystal. Miranda knows that she's my mother but that I don't call her mom because someone else raised me. She wanted to know why. It wasn't until that moment that I realized that we have something more in common. I can't believe I didn't put it together before then. We were both left by a parent. The reasons are different, but the feelings are still the same for us. You wonder if you did something wrong or why you weren't good enough. It's still something I think about, not as much as I used to, but I do sometimes. That's why Miranda wanted to talk to me about Reese."

"She saw the similarities between the two of you and thought you would understand what she's feeling better than, well better than anyone else that she knows. I have to say that I never put it together myself. Were you okay talking with her about it? I know it's a touchy subject for you sometimes. She didn't mean to upset you."

Marissa caressed Bianca's cheek. "I know that, and I know why she asked. It really is fine, B, and it's nowhere remotely as difficult to talk about as it used to be. That is all because of you. If it helps Miranda, then I will talk with her about it as much as she needs. If it makes you feel any better, she said we didn't have to talk about it if I didn't want to. Like I said, she's an amazing girl. She's just like her mother."

"Thank you, and you are absolutely incredible for being so willing to do that for her." Bianca leaned in for a lingering kiss. "I understand what happened today so much better now."

"What did happen? You owe me the rest of the story. Gabby went into her shy mode, and Miranda was very polite and protective. For some reason, Miranda thought you might be upset with her or disappointed. I'm guessing that's connected to the protective mode."

"It is. We really didn't get off to a good start. Reese tried to give her a hug, and Miranda backed away."

"I can understand that. It was way too fast for Miranda. She hasn't seen Reese in over two years, right?"

"Yes, it's been that long. It would appear that Reese didn't quite understand why Miranda might have a problem with seeing her after all that time, and she gave me a look letting me know that she was none too happy. I thought no one else saw it, but I found out later that Miranda caught it and was high alert and protective mode. Don't worry, I'll explain. The theater was pretty crowded, but we managed to find four seats together. Reese tried to take a seat next to me, but Miranda had other ideas."

Marissa had a puzzled but slightly amused look on her face. "What did she do?"

"She put herself in charge of where everyone would sit. She made Reese take the first seat. Miranda then made sure her and Gabby were in between us. She put Gabby's booster seat in the seat next to mine while she took the one next to Reese. She made sure to explain that Gabby needed to sit next to me since she was so little. It didn't take long for Gabby though to decide she wanted to sit on my lap. Once that happened, Miranda quickly moved to the empty seat which blocked Reese from taking it. Don't think I don't see that smirk."

"What smirk? I don't know what you're talking about. I mean just because Miranda doesn't have a problem with me sitting next to you, I don't know why you'd think I'd be smirking."

Bianca rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile seeing how pleased Marissa was with Miranda's actions. "Yeah, right. Before the movie started, Reese started to bring up things we had done before. Whenever she did that, Miranda would chime in with something. She was very polite about it though and would say 'excuse me' every time she did it. She would either ask me a question or one of Reese. My personal favorite is when she would mention you. It soon became the Marissa show. Everything was 'Marissa this' or 'Marissa that'. I could tell it was starting to get to Reese. I just couldn't bring myself to stop her and had a hard time keeping a straight face. Anyway, Reese started to say something about the interruptions, but I stopped that in its tracks. Pretty soon, she just gave up trying to talk to me and tried to talk to Miranda some. To her credit, Miranda did try to look a little interested when they were talking. That only lasted a couple of minutes though because the movie started. Afterwards, Reese got a call about work and had to leave. Again, work came before the girls."

Marissa sat quietly for a minute. There were a couple of things she felt needed to be discussed. "First, you have to know that I didn't put Miranda up to any of that."

"Maybe not directly but..."

"Bianca…"

"Let me finish. I know you didn't put her up to that. That thought never entered my mind. Miranda adores you. After telling me about your talk with her from this morning, it's very clear to me that she was determined to keep an eye out for you where Reese was concerned. There's something else bothering you though. What is it?"

Marissa paused and knowing she had to be honest with Bianca. They had always been honest with each other and had promised to always be that way. Plus, she could never hide anything from her anyway and vice versa because they knew each other too well. "You know that I trust you completely, right?"

"I do, and the same goes for me."

"I have to say it really bothers me with how Reese approached this meeting. It sounds like she was treating this as more of a date or a family outing with the four of you. I mean from what you've told me, she kept trying to sit next to you and bringing up old times. To be honest, I hate that she's using this time to try and get close to you again and using the girls to do it when she should be focused on trying to rebuild her relationship with the girls. I trust her as much as I trust JR, and it proves my point that she wants you back. I really don't like her."

"Is it bad that I like that you're a little jealous about this?"

Marissa made a face. "I guess I am a little jealous. It's funny. I never really thought of myself as that type of person. I've just never felt about anyone else the way I feel about you."

Bianca smiled. "First of all, you have nothing to be jealous about. I am not remotely interested in Reese, but I can see where it would bother you. It would bother the hell out of me if you were spending time with JR and AJ like that. Second, she can talk about whatever good times we had together until the cows come home, and it won't matter at all to me. Those memories don't hold a candle to what we have and what we share. Everything else pales in comparison to us." Bianca emphasized her point with a loving kiss. "Got it?"

Marissa sighed and returned the smile. "I got it."

"Good! Third, you're right about her approach and focus. She should be worrying about getting to know the girls again. She said she wanted to take them to the zoo in two days and hoped we could talk. You and I, however, have a meeting with the builder then, and I'm not changing that appointment. I think I have the perfect idea on how to re-focus her attention on the girls." Bianca picked up her phone and started dialing.

The look Marissa saw in the brunette's eyes caused her to ask, "What are you up to, Montgomery?"

Bianca gave her a mischievous grin. "You'll see. Kendall? Hi, I have a huge favor to ask."

Marissa started laughing when she realized what Bianca had up her sleeve. Damn, I didn't see that coming! She never fails to surprise me.

"Hey, Binx. What kind of favor? What's Red laughing about?"

"Well, Reese wants to spend some time again with the girls the day after tomorrow, but Marissa and I are meeting with the builder. Would you consider going with them? After today's visit, I think it's better for someone else to take my place."

"What happened today?"

"Reese seemed more interested in me than the girls, and Miranda wasn't very fond of that. She saw it as a threat to Marissa."

"My niece is very smart."

"You won't get any arguments from me on that."

"What are you going to do with AJ while you have your meeting?"

"We were going to see if Tad or Krystal could watch him." There was a pause on the other end of the line, and Bianca could hear her sister thinking.

"If I were to do this for you, I could take AJ with us. He wouldn't be any problem, and I don't think even Reese would mind him tagging along."

"That would be great if you're sure you wouldn't mind."

"I don't mind at all. Okay, I'll do it on two conditions. First, I get to bring someone else along if they're available to join us, and second, you don't tell Reese about the change in plans. I get to tell her."

Bianca smiled. "I believe I'm pretty safe in saying that Marissa and I can live with those conditions."

"Perfect! When you get the details firmed up, let me know. Tell Red that I said 'hi', and I've got her back. Talk to you later."

"I will, and thanks, Kendall." Bianca hung up with her sister and simply grinned at the redhead.

Marissa laughed at the amused look on Bianca's face. "You're having your sister go with them! You are very twisted and not nearly as sweet and nice as people that don't know you think."

"Eh, I have my moments! I am Erica Kane's daughter."

"Oh, I know. Do I want to know what Kendall's conditions were?"

"She says 'hi' by the way. This isn't a condition. She offered to take AJ along so we won't have to worry about a sitter."

"That's great. He really likes her."

"The feeling is mutual. Now, the first condition is that she gets to bring someone else along with her if they're available."

"Something is telling me that's Greenlee, and that means Reese is going to have to spend the afternoon with the two of them! I almost feel sorry for Reese. On second thought, no, I don't."

"I don't either. Condition number two is that she gets to tell Reese about the change in plans. Knowing Kendall, she's going to tell her at the last minute."

"In case you didn't know, I love your sister."

"Kendall feels the same way about you, and she said to tell you that she had your back."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For listening and understanding how I feel about everything that's going on."

"It's no more than anything you've ever done for me, and like I said before, I totally get it. I would feel the same way if the roles were reversed."

Marissa gazed into Bianca's eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too." Bianca smiled as she closed the distance between them for a tender kiss that conveyed all of the love the two shared. They were interrupted a few minutes later by the sound of their children coming downstairs.

"Hi, Bianca."

"Hi, buddy. How was the doctor's?"

"It was okay. He said I'm growing like a weed."

Bianca ruffled the boy's hair. "Well, your mom and I could've told him that."

AJ giggled and turned to his mom. "Is dinner ready?"

"Just about. If the three of you set the table, Bianca and I will finish getting it ready. Deal?" The kids nodded and headed off after Bianca towards the kitchen.

Marissa pulled Miranda aside for a moment. "Your mom told me about today."

The young girl made a face. "Are you disappointed in me? I told you I would try with her, but I saw what she was trying to do. I didn't like it. I want you and mom to be happy, and being together makes you both happy."

She is so much like Bianca and always thinking about others first. "No, I'm not disappointed. I don't want you to worry about me and your mom so much. The two of us are good and very happy. I promise. So, don't worry about us. I meant what I told you earlier. It's okay if you like Reese and get along with her. This is about what you want and what makes you happy. Remember that, alright?"

"Okay, I will."

Marissa smiled and kissed the top of the girls' head. "Good, and Mimo, thanks for today."

Miranda grinned. "You're welcome, Rissa."