A/N: How have you all been? I'm sorry about being a little late with this update. The chapter was getting a little long so I decided to split it up. That means part of the next one is done already so hopefully I can get it posted pretty soon.
As always, thank you for the reviews! I love them, and they help feed the beast so please keep them coming! Okay, I'm picking up this chapter not too long after the last one. I hope you enjoy this latest update!
/
Bianca moaned. "Oh God, this is so good! I can't even begin to describe just how good it is!"
Marissa laughed as she watched the expression on her girlfriend's face. "I think I have a pretty good idea judging by your reaction. You have some chili and cheese on your chin. Come here."
Bianca grinned and leaned across the kitchen table where Marissa kissed the chili and cheese off her girlfriend's chin before placing a lingering kiss on her lips.
Marissa grinned mischievously. "Mmmm, you're right. It is really good. Do you think Krystal would give me her chili recipe if I asked her? I could make these for you more often."
"She might. It's definitely worth a shot." Bianca took another bite of her chili cheese fries and rolled her eyes. "Even re-heated, these are still the best ones in town. I didn't realize how hungry I was."
"If I seem to recall, you made the decision to hold off on lunch." Marissa smirked.
"And if I seem to recall, I didn't hear you complain about that decision." Bianca smirked right back.
"No, you definitely didn't. I was more than happy with your choice. Gotta love a woman who knows what she wants and knows how to get it." Marissa grinned. She gazed at Bianca. The redhead loved the private moments like this when it was just the two of them, and they were just simply Bianca and Marissa and not someone's mother, sister or daughter. They loved those roles, cherished them, but it was nice to have time like this to themselves. She gave a contented sigh as she continued to watch Bianca. She knew without a doubt that she had never seen anyone or anything as beautiful as the woman sitting across from her. The smile in Bianca's warm, chocolate eyes matched the one crossing her lips as she thoroughly enjoyed something as simple as her favorite junk food, and her luscious brown hair was tousled from their earlier lovemaking. There seemed to be this glow, this warmth that emanated from her soul, and it touched and warmed every part of Marissa. She is absolutely breathtaking.
Bianca glanced at Marissa. The look in hazel eyes captured her attention as she was about to take another bite of a chili cheese fry. "What? Do I have more chili on my face? If I do, feel free to take care of it like you did a minute ago." Bianca waggled her eyebrows and grinned mischievously.
Marissa laughed. "No, you don't have anything else on your face, and I'll be more than happy to rectify that situation should it happen again. I was just thinking about how beautiful you are and how happy you make me."
Bianca gave Marissa that goofy grin she loved. "No happier than you make me and definitely no more beautiful than you are. Talk like that will get you absolutely everywhere." The brunette leaned forward for a lingering kiss.
"Good, I'm planning on getting absolutely everywhere again with you later."
Bianca's eyes drifted down. "Hey, how did you get my t-shirt?"
"Just noticing that, are you?"
"Well, I was pretty distracted and needed to replenish my energy from earlier."
"Ah, I see. I hope I didn't wear you out too much." Marissa flashed a wicked grin.
Bianca laughed. "Not a chance! Did you forget that I recover pretty quickly when I'm properly motivated?"
"I do love when you are motivated."
"Back to the question at hand, counselor. Why are you wearing my shirt?"
"I seem to recall us having this discussion before, B. Remember, possession is nine-tenths of the law. So, this would be my shirt at the present time." Marissa smirked.
"Hmmm, I think I found a loophole in that so-called law when we had that discussion. I'm pretty sure I can find it again." Bianca grinned as she leaned in close.
"I have no doubt that you can." Marissa sighed. "You don't know how much I hate to say this, but before you get too many ideas about that loophole, Susan will be dropping the kids off any minute."
Bianca groaned, settling for a lingering kiss and pulling away reluctantly. "I didn't realize it was that late. Just so you know, I plan on retrieving my shirt later."
"I'm look forward to it." Marissa gave her a brilliant smile.
Bianca leaned back slightly in her chair but still held onto Marissa's hand, entwining their fingers. "So, tell me how things went earlier."
"To be honest, it went better than I thought it would. I had a few minutes alone with Sam to go over everything again with her. I wanted to make sure that she understood why she couldn't stay with us. I also wanted to make sure she knew that we would still be involved and there to help her, that we weren't deserting her. She seemed to understand. Mike got there and signed the papers, and Sam told them everything. Jesse dispatched some officers to track down the others involved. By that time, Aya had arrived. Sam was a little unsure of her at first, just a little leery."
"That's perfectly understandable."
"Yeah, it is, but Aya, as you well know, is a force of nature. You can't help but like her and trust her. She handled the situation perfectly. Sam was at ease with her in no time. I'm pretty sure you knew Aya would come through though." Marissa smiled.
Bianca shrugged. "Like you said, you can't help but like and trust her. I decided I'm going to keep the number of people connected to the Center that know about Sam's involvement in the break-in confined to a small group. You, obviously, Aya, Jan, Kendall and me will know. That's it for now. Kendall will probably tell Greenlee though which I can deal with. Mom's out of town again, and I don't want to have to deal with her reaction over the phone. It's better if I do it face to face. I think the staff would be okay with everything and understand, but I don't want Sam to feel like she's constantly being watched for signs of doing something like this again. I don't think she will though, do you?"
"No, I don't think so. This whole thing shook her up, and hopefully, it scared her straight. Her attitude did a 180 between yesterday when we first met her and today. Sam sees this as a chance to get some semblance of her old life back, and I don't think she'll do anything to jeopardize it. I told her we would check on her later after she got settled in and that you would see her tomorrow at the Center. As for limiting the number of people who know the details, I think that's pretty smart. It'll make her transition a little easier. And you can add Jack and Caleb to the group of people that know for obvious reasons. As for Erica, I will leave that up to your discretion. You know her better than I do, but I think the sooner you tell her, the better."
"Thank you, for everything."
"You're welcome." Marissa met Bianca halfway across the table for a tender kiss.
They pulled apart when they heard the front door open and Susan calling for them. "Hello, Bianca? Marissa?"
Bianca saw Marissa's eyes light up and smiled. She knew the redhead missed spending time with the kids last night. "Go ahead. They're just as anxious to see you as you are them. I'll clean up in here and be with you guys in a minute."
Marissa smiled brightly and gave her girlfriend a quick kiss. "Thanks!"
/
The redhead entered the family room, smiling even more when she saw her children. "Hey, gang!"
"Mom!"
"Rissa!"
"Mommy!"
The kids rushed forward to be showered with hugs and kisses.
"We missed you, Rissa!"
"I missed all of you too, Mimo. Thanks for picking them up for us, Susan."
"No problem, Marissa. Tell Bianca I said hi, and you all have a good night. I'll see you later."
The redhead followed Susan to the door and locked up after her. When she returned to the family room, she looked down at the kids. "Let's sit down, and you all can tell me about your day."
The kids nodded and followed her to the sofa. Gabby took her usual position on Marissa's lap while AJ and Miranda settled on either side of her.
"Where's Bianca?"
"She's in the kitchen, buddy. She'll be out in a minute. So, what's the homework situation look like tonight?"
"We don't have any, Rissa. Since we have our field trip to the museum tomorrow, they didn't give us any today."
"Well, that worked out pretty good, didn't it?"
"Are you still mad at mommy?"
"She was really sad last night, mom. I know she's sorry for whatever she did."
Marissa looked at the anxious, faces of their children and smiled softly. The kids just get straight to the point, don't they? "No, I'm not still mad at mommy, and I know she's sorry. We had a nice long talk earlier and worked everything out. Look, I know it's scary when you see us not getting along sometimes. It's something that happens with everybody though, in every relationship. The three of you fight sometimes, but does that mean that you don't love each other?"
The three shook their heads.
"No, we still love each other. We just get on each other's nerves sometimes." Miranda stated.
"She's right. We bug each other sometimes." AJ agreed.
"Well, it's kind of like that with me and Bianca. Just because, every once in a great while, we might not get along, it doesn't mean that we don't love each other. I need you to listen to me very carefully, okay? I've never lied to you, have I?"
The kids shook their heads in unison.
"Bianca and I love each other very much, and because we do, that means we're going to do everything we can to always work things out. I don't want you to worry about us. Neither of us is going anywhere. Okay? We're good now. I promise."
The kids sighed with relief and smiled having received the reassurance they needed.
"Were you able to help mom out, Rissa?"
"Yes, I was. Actually, we're both helping a girl who has gotten into some trouble, and she doesn't have anyone else around to help her right now. Bianca was the first one to recognize all of this and asked for my help. Luckily, I was able to take care of a few things for her."
Bianca had been watching from the doorway as Marissa explained things to the kids. She always manages to break things down perfectly for them and ease their fears. She's absolutely amazing. She walked over to her family. "Don't listen to her. Marissa did more than take care of a few things. She figured out a solution that everyone involved could agree to. I'll be honest that was no small task, and it took a lot of work. In other words, she was her awesome self." Bianca grinned as her girlfriend blushed at the compliment. The brunette leaned in and gave Marissa a quick kiss. Bianca sat down next to AJ. "Did I hear correctly that there's no homework tonight?"
Marissa nodded. "You did. There's no homework because of tomorrow's field trip to the natural history museum."
"Well, if that's the case, what would you all say to movie night and pizza for dinner?" Bianca knew the answer before she asked the question, but loved the enthusiastic response she received from everyone. "Alright then, why don't you three put your backpacks in your rooms? We'll pick out a couple of movies when you get back and order pizza."
The kids nodded, hopped off the sofa and headed up to their rooms.
"Pizza, huh?" Marissa smirked as Bianca slid next to her.
"Well, I don't feel like cooking, and I don't think you do either."
"You would be correct. Pizza is perfect. Since we had such a late lunch, we can just grab a slice later."
"That works for me. You were great with them, as always."
"Well, I didn't want them to worry about us. I meant what I said. I love you too much to let an argument get in between us."
"I love you too, and I'm right there with you on not letting anything get in between us. I'm going to make sure to let you know that every day."
"I already know that, but I'm not adverse to you telling and showing me." Marissa grinned.
Bianca sighed happily. "It will be my pleasure." She pulled Marissa close for a loving kiss.
"I told you they'd be kissing, AJ. Mom had that goofy grin on her face when she was talking to Rissa."
"You're right, and mom loves when she does that."
The women laughed and pulled apart hearing their oldest children's commentary.
"Did I really have that grin on my face?"
"Yep, and I can't help myself when you do." Marissa gave her a quick kiss, and both women laughed again hearing AJ and Miranda release an exaggerated groan.
Gabby wasn't quite sure what her brother and sister were complaining about. She didn't see anything wrong with what her mothers were doing. They looked really happy and that's all that mattered to her. She shrugged and skipped over to the sofa. The couple made a Gabby-sized space for her in between them, and she nestled into her favorite spot. "What's wrong with AJ and Miranda?"
"They're being silly and teasing us." Bianca smiled. "What movies are we watching?"
"They're picking the movies, and I get to pick our story for bedtime." Gabby smiled brightly.
"What story do you want to hear later, monkey?" Marissa smiled as she asked.
"I wanna hear the 'Little Mermaid', please."
"Well, the 'Little Mermaid' it is then. What movies do you guys have in mind?"
AJ and Miranda had picked 'Finding Nemo' and 'The Muppets'. They settled back on the sofa with Miranda next to Marissa and AJ next to Bianca. The first movie was started after the pizza was ordered, and they settled in for the evening.
/
It had been two weeks since Sam's life had finally taken a turn for the better. She still had a long way to go, but it was definitely better than it had been at any time over this past year. It had been over two weeks since she had met Bianca and Marissa, and the couple, as they had promised, had been with her every step of the way so far. The goal was to place her with a new foster family. This time, however, it would be one that was properly vetted by Bianca and Marissa. She was still staying in one of the safe houses, and she was okay with that because she was indeed safe. Everyone there was keeping an eye out for her, and she was starting to relax and find a routine she was comfortable with. She was also starting counseling sessions. She'd only had a couple sessions so far, and while it was hard at first to open up, she was beginning to start that process. Sam, in turn, was making good on her promises to them. She was cooperating with the police and making progress catching up with her school work with the help of a tutor. In addition to all of that, she was now working on her community service and helping out at the Miranda Center every chance she got, within reason. Bianca and Marissa didn't want her to take on too much all at once and be overwhelmed. For now, she was shadowing Jan and Aya and serving as a gofer for them. She found she really liked the work and helping out. She also liked spending time with Bianca and Marissa. They were probably the nicest and most honest people she had ever met, next to her mom and dad, and she didn't want to disappoint them.
Today, she was helping Jan and Aya with some filing that needed to be done. The three were making good progress. Bianca was currently out of the office at a meeting with Kendall and Greenlee. Sam had to admit that she really liked that pair as well and thought they were pretty funny. She was leaving Bianca's office after grabbing some files when she practically came face to face with a petite woman who looked very familiar, but she just couldn't think of her name. Sam knew she was somebody famous though.
"Jan, dear, is Bianca in?"
"Erica, it's nice to see you again. No, she's not. She has a meeting over at Fusion with Kendall and Greenlee, but she should be back soon."
Erica noticed the young woman watching them. "And who are you dear?"
Aya came around to Sam's side and put a comforting arm around her. "This is Samantha Robinson, and she's helping us out around here for a while. Sam, this is Erica Kane, or as we know her around here, Bianca's mom."
Before Aya had said the woman's name, it finally dawned on Sam who this woman was. You'd have to be living under a rock not to know who she was. Sam's mom loved reading about the woman's exploits and used to watch her talk show all the time. Now, she was face to face with the living legend and immediately intimated as the woman inspected her. Whoa, Bianca's mom is Erica Kane? Holy crap! I would never have guessed that. Erica Freakin' Kane! Pull it together, Sam and don't embarrass Bianca. "H, hi, Ms. Ms. Kane. It's nice, nice to meet you."
Erica raised an eyebrow at Aya's introduction. The woman was lucky she liked her and that she was such a valuable asset to her daughter. It wasn't that she wasn't proud of her daughter because she was extremely proud of Bianca, but she was, first and foremost, Erica Kane after all. She eyed the nervous, young girl. Erica had the sneaking suspicion that there was something she didn't know about this girl. Both Aya and Jan seemed to be on alert and protective of her. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place where she'd heard it quite yet. "Samantha, how long have you been helping out at the Center?"
"I, I, I've been helping out for a couple weeks. I have to tell you that I think Bianca's just the nicest person in the whole world. She's been great to me, her and Marissa. I don't know anybody that would help me like they have, especially after everything I did."
Jan and Aya sprang into action and tried to usher Sam away. Judging by Erica's reaction, it was obvious that she didn't know exactly who Sam was and what she was referring to yet, and they really didn't want to be the ones to tell her. They were also worried about how Erica would react towards Sam. "We really should get back to work."
That last comment caught Erica's attention immediately. She raised her hand and effectively stopped the other women in their track and prevented them from whisking the girl away. "My daughter is an extremely remarkable woman, and yes, Bianca is very nice, almost too nice sometimes. The same thing could be said for Marissa. Tell me, Samantha, exactly what kind of assistance did they offer you?"
"Well, Bianca offered to help me after just talking to me for a few minutes. I was expecting her to yell at me and be mad when she found out I helped cause some of the damage here from the break-in, but she wasn't. She was nice and just talked to me. She talks to me every day and checks up on me. And Marissa, well, she worked out that deal with the district attorney so I have community service here now instead of being locked up in detention. Now, I have a nice place to stay too because of her. She checks up on me too. Like I said, they've been great."
Everything fell into place for Erica now, and she remembered where she had heard the girl's name. Jack had mentioned it once while on a phone call with someone, most likely Marissa. This girl was one of the people responsible for causing so much damage to the Center, the place that meant so much to her youngest daughter. She could see Bianca offering to help her through some misguided notion that this girl could be saved, but Marissa was different. The redhead had assured Erica time and time again that she would go out of her way to protect Bianca, and now, she does something like this? She offers legal advice to someone who basically attacked Bianca and helped get her off with just a slap on the wrist? No, that was not Erica's idea of protecting her daughter. Marissa had a great deal of explaining to her, and she was going to get to the bottom of this mess and make sure it was rectified. Those responsible would be punished to the fullest extent of the law. While she was tempted to give this girl a piece of her mind, she held off, for now. It would not be good for her public image to be seen berating a teenager in public. She would be dealt with later in private.
"I see. They have done quite a great deal for you, particularly Marissa it would seem."
Sam grew increasing uncomfortable under Erica's steady gaze and upon hearing the icy tone in the woman's voice. She was hoping against hope that she hadn't screwed something up. "Y, yes, ma'am."
Jan cleared her throat. "Bianca will be back any minute, Erica. Would you like to wait in her office?"
"No, that's fine. I just remembered another appointment I have to get to. I'll see her later. Good day, ladies."
Crap on a cracker. This is not going to turn out well. Aya turned to Sam. "Why don't you grab the rest of the files from Bianca's office and take them to the conference room. We'll finish everything up in there."
Sam nodded. "Did I do something wrong? Bianca's mom seemed really upset. I didn't get Bianca or Marissa in trouble, did I?"
"No, that's just Erica being Erica. Don't worry. Everything will be okay."
Jan nodded. "Aya's right. There's nothing to worry about." She waited until Sam was out of sight before turning to her friend. "Okay, we need to get a hold of Bianca and Marissa. Erica did not take that well at all, and she was pissed off."
"That's an understatement. You try Bianca, and I'll try Marissa."
The women pulled out their cellphones and began to make the necessary calls when they were interrupted.
"Good afternoon, ladies. Bianca and Kendall aren't here yet, are they? We had a little bet on whose shortcut was better."
"No, they're not, Greenlee, and we really need to get a hold of Bianca." Jan said.
Greenlee noticed the concerned look on the other two women's faces. "If they're not here, they should be right behind me. What's up?"
Aya answered. "Erica was here and met Sam."
"Erica's in town? Oh, she doesn't know what Sam did, yet."
"She does down. Sam told her how great Bianca and Marissa were about everything she'd done and were helping her. While she was doing that, she let it slip that she helped with the break-in. It was out before we could stop her. Erica did not look happy."
"Where's Erica now?"
"She left. I have a feeling she's on her way to see Marissa since Bianca wasn't around."
Greenlee nodded. "You're probably right. If I know her, she's going to rip into Marissa."
"Who's going to rip into Marissa?" Bianca asked, immediately concerned for her girlfriend.
Kendall was right behind her sister. "Is Red okay?"
Greenlee looked at the sisters. "These two were just telling me that Erica's back in town and stopped by. She met Sam. Long story short, she knows what she did, and that you and Marissa have been helping her. Your mom was not a happy camper."
Jan nodded. "Erica left as soon as she heard that Marissa was the one who worked out the deal with the D.A."
"Oh God, she's going to take it out on Marissa. I have to warn her." Bianca started for the door, but stopped briefly. "Is Sam okay? What did mom say to her?"
"Sam's fine. Erica didn't say anything to her." Jan answered.
Bianca released a breath. "Good. I'm glad to hear that at least. I've got to get to Marissa."
Kendall nodded and headed out with her sister. "I'll drive while you try and get a hold of Red. Greenlee, will you take care of things here?"
"I'm on it. I'll get these two to help me with the information we needed. Keep me in the loop. Good luck!"
/
"Hi, this is Marissa Tasker. I'm unable to take your call right now. Please leave a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."
"Rissa, it's me. Mom's back in town, and she found out about Sam when she stopped by the Center while I was over at Fusion. I have a feeling she's headed your way. Kendall and I are on our way over. I hope you get this before she gets there. I love you." Bianca disconnected the call.
"Don't worry, Binx. Red can handle herself around mom. She's done it before."
"Yeah, Kendall, but this situation is a little different. I wish I would've been able to talk with mom before she found out, told her myself. Maybe, I could've explained things to her so she wouldn't try and take this out on Marissa. You know how mom is. I really hope she gets my message before mom sees her. "
"Yeah, I do know how mom gets, but I honestly believe that Marissa will be alright. She knows how mom can be. If she gets your message before mom gets there, she'll have some time to prepare herself."
"I hope so. I'm a little a surprised mom didn't say anything to Sam."
"I'm not, Binx. Think about it. How would it look if she was seen tearing apart a girl in public? That's a scene that would be going viral in no time flat. That would definitely hurt her image, and you know how mom feels about her image." Kendall smirked.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Bianca conceded.
"Okay. Where do you think Marissa might be right now?"
"Well, I know she's not in court. She said she was meeting with some clients today and then catching up on some briefs."
"So, if she's with a client, she wouldn't be answering her cellphone, right?"
"Right, she puts it on silent when she's with them because it cuts down on the interruptions. She likes to give them her full attention when she's meeting with them."
"If she's not in her office meeting with clients, where else could she be?"
"She could be in the firm's law library doing some research. When she goes there, she'll sometimes either put her phone on silent or leave it in her office if she needs to concentrate. I'm going to text her."
Kendall nodded and pressed her foot down on the accelerator. Hang in there, Red, and remember, don't show her any fear.
/