A/N: First, as always, thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them so please keep 'em coming. Second, sorry for the delay in getting this update out here. Life interfered with me updating earlier. Well, life and Olympic fever. London is putting on quite the show for everyone. Nice job!

I can't believe I've reached the milestone of 50 chapters with this story! When I started this, I honestly didn't think I'd be taking it this far. There's still more ideas floating around in my brain including picking up some of the breadcrumbs I've left along the way. So, look for some more drama and fluff to come. For this chapter, I'm picking up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy it!

/

Erica breezed into the law offices and made her way to Marissa's office. Finding it empty, she decided to track down the redhead rather than wait for her. Her initial anger had diminished somewhat on the drive over, but she still needed to speak with Marissa and have her explain how she could help someone who had been responsible for damaging a place that meant so much to Bianca. On her way to the reception desk, she heard a familiar voice coming from one of the offices. She recognized the name on the outside of the office. She paused briefly before entering.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Brian. That defense won't hold up under a good cross examination. You should let me handle it. If you do this, you're going to crash and burn, my friend." Tim smirked.

"Tim's right. He really should be the one handling this case. If you ask me, that's a crappy defense if I ever heard one. Why would you even think something like that would work?" Vicki asked.

Brian sighed heavily and wondered why he'd been saddled with Tim and, by default, Vicki. He considered himself a patient man, but these two had finally crossed the line. "First off, Tim, you're not my friend. You never have been, and you never will be especially after that the stunt the two of you tried to pull on Marissa. Now, if I seem to recall, Jack made me lead counsel on this, first chair. Tim, you're second chair and only there to assist me. And just to be clear, I didn't ask for your help. You were assigned because Jack and the other partners didn't think you could do a lot of damage on this case just assisting me. Vicki, you're not even assigned to it so I'm not really sure why the hell you're even here. I didn't invite you to this meeting, and I sure as hell didn't ask for your opinion. Maybe if you concentrated on your own cases more instead of butting in where you're not wanted, you'd be doing better by your own clients. I will answer your question though before you leave my office. I ran this by someone whose opinion I respect and admire. I asked someone who knows what she's talking about and puts her client's interests above her own. I asked Marissa, and you know what? She agrees with me. I'll put her opinion up against either one of your's any day of the week."

Erica knocked on the doorframe as her head peered inside the office. "Excuse me, dear, but aren't you Marissa's friend Brian?"

Brian looked up and smiled. He was glad to be interrupted from dealing with dumb and dumber, or as Marissa affectionately called them privately 'bitch and jackass'. To say he was surprised by the woman appearing in his office doorway was an understatement. "Ms. Kane. Hello. Yes, I am. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, I'm looking for Marissa. Would you happen to know where she is?"

"If she's not in her office, I would say she's most likely in the law library."

/

Marissa was engrossed in reading the case law for a brief she was writing when she entered her office. She quickly checked the time and sat down behind her desk and immediately got to work, not noticing that the cellphone she had left on her desk when she was in the law library reflected that she had a missed call and a new voicemail.

/

"I'd be more than happy to show you where that is, Ms. Kane." Vicki piped up, unable to stop herself from trying to get an in with someone of Erica's stature who was also a partner's fiancée.

"And who are you?"

"I'm Vicki A…"

Erica recognized the name of this insipid blonde instantly. "Oh, you're Vicki. That explains a great deal." She turned to the tall, dark-haired man. "And I suppose you must be Tim?"

"That would be me. I guess my reputation precedes me." Tim gave her his most charming smile.

Erica rolled her eyes. "Yes, it does, and trust me, it's not something to be very proud of." Erica turned back to Vicki with a look of utter distaste. "The same can be said for you. Did either of you really think you had any chance at all with Marissa? Did you really think she thought so little of herself and Bianca and their relationship that she would lower her standards and choose either of you when she has my daughter? Did you really think she would throw their life together away for the likes of trash like you?"

Brian coughed back a laugh. It was obvious that Erica knew not only about the pair's bet and but what had happened in New York. He had kept his word to Marissa and not mentioned anything to anyone at the firm. She hadn't wanted to draw any more attention to what the pair had attempted and didn't want to recount what they pulled in New York with any of their coworkers. It was bad enough with everyone talking about the bet. She really didn't want to add to any more gossip. With her permission though, he had told his wife what had happened when he called her later that night from New York. Stef was furious at the pair's actions because she really liked and cared for Marissa and Bianca. They discussed what had happened more when he had gotten home, and after she had thought about it, she advised him to let Kendall know what happened. Bianca's sister would have a much better idea of how to handle the situation. He followed her advice and told Kendall when they ran into her at the school fair. The couple had given her the highlights of what had happened, telling her that Marissa had taken care of the pair. They did not, however, share the ugly details that Brian given her. She thanked him and assured him that she would take care of things. It was clear to him that Kendall had been keeping an eye on things and that she had also informed Erica, and he was thoroughly enjoying his front row seats to the floor show. Bianca and Marissa had told him about the legendary woman and how she could cut someone down to size with a simple look. He remembered laughing and not entirely believing them at the time, but he now realized that he was wrong on that count and owed them an apology.

"Wh, what do you mean?" Vicki turned glare at Brian. He managed to hide his smirk and put his hands up to signal that he had nothing to do with this.

"Oh, don't blame Brian. He didn't say anything to me about your so-called bet and what I believe would be called your 'crash and burn' in New York and neither did Marissa or Bianca. In fact, I would dare say that neither one of them gives either of you a second thought, particularly Marissa. As for Bianca, she knows she has nothing to worry about where you're concerned. I mean, why would she? Let's face it, neither of you remotely compare to Bianca." Erica looked at Brian. "Would you be a dear and tell me how to find the library, Brian?"

"I'd be happy to, Ms. Kane."

"Please, call me Erica."

"Okay, Erica, head back towards Marissa's office. At the end of that hallway, take a left, and it's right there. You can't miss it."

"Thank you, Brian." Erica smiled and headed out of the office when she was stopped by a mumble of someone calling her bitch. She turned and gave the pair a withering glare, and Brian would've sworn on a stack of bibles that he saw Vicki and Tim visibly shrink right in front of him. If he had to describe it, he would say she looked at them like they were something she had scraped off the bottom of her shoe. Brian did manage to close his mouth, unable to believe they had the nerve to call her that even though it was to her back, but she was still within earshot and way too close to hear it, which she obviously did.

Erica crossed back to the pair. "Oh my, I really hate to disappoint you, but I've been called much worse by far better people than the likes of either of you. I find it highly amusing that you would think that I would be insulted by a term as crass as that. You also seem to forget who I am. I believe the partners of this firm, and they are well aware of your little stunts around here by the way, will be extremely interested in your conduct here today. I believe the term 'borrowed time' had been mentioned in conjunction with your names prior to today. I would suggest you start packing your things now and look for another firm, one outside of Pine Valley. It's going to be extremely difficult for you to find employment here. You see, I have contacts at all of the firms here in Pine Valley, and they know it's to their advantage to keep me happy. Not hiring you would make me very happy." With that parting shot, Erica turned on her heels and headed off to find Marissa. A smirk crossed her face as she walked down the hallway. She did rather enjoy that.

Brian couldn't help but chuckle as he made a mental note to tell both Stef and Marissa about what he'd just witnessed. He also told himself to make sure he never got on the bad side of Mama Kane.

/

Marissa heard her cellphone buzzing somewhere on her desk and scrambled to find it. She finally located it under a file and saw she had a voicemail and a text message. She decided to check the voicemail first and listened to Bianca's warning that Erica was most likely on her way to her office. Great, I get to deal with a pissed off Erica. That's just perfect. I don't mind Erica at all, but I hate handling her when she's hacked off. Damn. Oh well, it's for Bianca.

"Marissa, how are you this afternoon, dear?"

The redhead looked up hearing her name and smiled, wishing she'd had more time to come up with a plan for dealing with her. It's my fault for not having my phone with me earlier. "Erica, what a nice surprise to see you."

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No, of course you're not. Please have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine, dear. Thank you."

"Could I ask you to give me just one minute then? I really should answer this text. My paralegal has a question on something she's researching for me."

"Of course, dear."

"Thank you." Marissa read her text, having a feeling it was a second warning from Bianca.

"Rissa, mom knows about Sam. I think she's on her way over to your office. Kendall and I are on our way. Let me know if you get this. Love you."

Marissa answered back. "The diva has landed. Love you too."

The redhead smiled as she faced her girlfriend's mother again. An idea of how to diffuse the situation she was now facing had sprung to mind. She wasn't sure if it would work, but it was worth a chance. "I'm sorry about that, Erica. I didn't know you were back home. I'm glad you're here though. It saves me a phone call."

Erica was taken slightly by surprise. She had hoped to catch the redhead off-guard with her sudden appearance. "You were going to call me?"

"Yes, I was going to call you. I wanted to talk to you about a few things that have happened since you've been out of town. They concern the break-in at the Miranda Center."

"Oh, they do? What about it?"

"Well, there's some really good news regarding it. A number of arrests have been made. There was actually a gang of sorts behind what happened there along with the break-ins at several other businesses throughout the city."

"A number of arrests? How many are we talking about?"

"Jesse has a total of six individuals in custody at the moment. Some of them are cooperating in hopes of less jail time while others are holding firm. You'll be happy to know that the district attorney himself is handling everything."

"Mr. Jensen is handling this personally? That is good to hear. I have to say it's about time as well. This has drug on for far too long for my liking."

Marissa sighed. "I agree with you on that. It has drug on for too long for taste as well. That being said, I don't believe you're going to be happy with this next part."

Erica raised an eyebrow as she tilted her head indicating that Marissa had her full attention. "And why is that, dear?"

Marissa cleared her throat and dove in to her explanation. No guts, no glory, Tasker!

/

Bianca looked at her cellphone as an alert came through of a new text message from Marissa. "The diva has landed. Love you too." She released a sigh.

Kendall glanced over at her sister. "What is it, Bianca?"

"It's a text from Marissa."

"And?"

"She says 'the diva has landed'."

Kendall couldn't help but laugh. "Well, you've got to hand it to Red. She manages to keep her sense of humor even when facing mom head on."

"Yeah, she does. I probably shouldn't be worrying so much about her, huh?"

"No, you shouldn't. All Red needs is just a small opening, and I think she'll be able to get through to mom."

"You're right. Marissa is extremely good at making people see the other side of an argument reasonably. Plus, mom actually likes her, and she respects her too. I never thought I'd be saying that about anyone I was involved with."

Kendall chuckled. "I never thought I'd hear it, but you're right on both counts."

"I just hope this doesn't mess any of that up. Can you go any faster, Kendall?"

"You got it, Binx."

/

Marissa knew she was taking a chance, but it had to be taken especially since Erica already knew she was involved with helping Sam. Better to face her head on now with a little spin than deny it and be called out on it later. That was something she wanted to avoid if at all possible. Erica was a force of nature and could be extremely intimidating especially when crossed. Besides, Marissa could see where Erica was coming from in her fierce protection of her family in general and Bianca specifically. Her youngest daughter had endured too much heartache to count. Marissa had given Erica her word that she would protect Bianca and would never knowingly hurt her. Helping someone responsible for the Center break-in would definitely be seen as a violation of that promise, that trust. "Well, I represent one of the individuals responsible for the break-in, a girl named Sam."

The lawyer had managed to surprise Erica several times since the two had known each other, but the confession she had just received from Marissa was definitely the most surprising of all to date. "You represent someone who did this? How in the world could you do something like that? I was under the impression that you were as appalled as I was regarding what they had done. To represent …"

Marissa held up her hand to stop Erica from continuing. "You're right. I am just as appalled as you are by what happened. I also didn't see me representing one of them, but there are mitigating circumstances."

"I don't see what on earth would change your mind."

"Please, Erica, hear me out. Jesse arrested Sam a little over two weeks ago. He called Bianca down to the station to give her an update. That's when things changed."

"I don't understand, dear. What changed?"

"Bianca saw something, recognized something in Sam, and decided to help her. She then asked me to help her as well, to represent her. I wasn't going to at first. I didn't even want to listen or talk to her, but your daughter is very convincing. So, I talked to Sam, and what I heard made me realize that Bianca was right and convinced me to help her. I can only give you a few details because of confidentiality, but I can tell you this. Sam was a good kid. She was a good student involved in a lot of activities and never caused any problems and had a clean record. A year ago, her world fell apart. She was away on an overnight field trip for school. While she was gone, her parents died. It was carbon monoxide poisoning due to a faulty line with a gas stove. The police were called to investigate when neither one showed up at their respective jobs. She arrived home just as the coroner was removing them. The only family they know of is an aunt that was estranged from them, and they haven't been able to locate her. As a result, Sam was placed in foster care."

"Well, that is quite sad, but I don't see how that …"

"I'm not done. The foster family she was placed with was quite literally a living nightmare. She became the family punching bag. The abuse was pretty brutal. She ran away but was found and turned back over to them."

"She was turned back over to them? How was that even possible if what you're saying about the abuse was true?"

"I wish I could give you answer that made any type of sense, but I can't. Sam told the social worker what was going on, but she didn't believe her and failed to follow through. Sam fell through the cracks. After she was returned things got much worse for her. So much so, that she ran away a second time and that's when she hooked up with that gang."

"While it's tragic what happened to her, it doesn't justify what she did to Bianca and the Center, Marissa. Surely, you must see that."

"I do, Erica, and I never said it did. What it does is explain what happened and why. Sam had nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to. The members in this gang are, from what Jesse tells me, masters of manipulation. They knew how to play her perfectly to get her to do what they wanted. They used her fear of being put back with that foster family to their advantage at first, and they later used her fear of what they would do to her if she turned them in to the authorities. Sam saw no way out, had no one to help her, no one to trust until Bianca came along and saw past her tough exterior and was willing to give her the help she needed."

Erica had been listening intently to what Marissa had told her. It was a lot to absorb. She had been angry when she found out the redhead was helping that girl out, but after hearing what she had been through from Marissa in the usual straight-forward manner she always had with Erica, her mind was changing.

"We're not interrupting anything, are we?"

Erica turned upon hearing Bianca's voice and saw both of her daughters standing in the doorway of the lawyer's office. "Kendall, Bianca, I was wondering when you would get here."

Kendall gave her mother a hug and smirked. "Hi, mom. We would've been here sooner, but traffic was surprisingly heavy."

"Hi, mom." Bianca followed Kendall in hugging their mother before walking over to Marissa's side of the desk and giving her girlfriend a quick kiss. "Hey."

Marissa grinned. "Hey, yourself."

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I am. Your mom and I were just talking."

"Yes, sweetheart, Marissa is just fine. There really is no need to worry. She's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. As she said, we were just talking." Erica huffed slightly.

Kendall took a seat next to Erica while Bianca pulled a chair around the desk and sat next to Marissa.

"So, what were you and Red talking about?" Kendall smirked.

Erica noted Bianca taking Marissa's hand by what seemed like instinct. Their fingers instantly entwined, and Marissa smiled and winked at the youngest Kane woman in a show of what was obviously a mixture of love and support. Erica smiled inwardly at the loving gestures shared by the couple and was reassured that whatever help the lawyer had given was done so with the full knowledge and support of her youngest. A wave of relief washed over Erica again where Bianca and Marissa were concerned assuring her that this time was indeed vastly different. "Please, dear, don't insult me. You and your sister know exactly what we were talking about. Marissa was finally filling me in on the break-in and the progress that's been made in regards to it. Something the three of you should have done earlier."

"I'm sorry, mom. That's my fault. Don't blame Marissa or Kendall. Marissa wanted me to tell you earlier, but I wanted to wait until you were home to have this conversation and tell you face to face and not over the phone. I thought it best for all concerned."

"I suppose I can see your point. Well, I'm here so let's have it now, shall we?"

Bianca looked at Marissa. "Are you okay with us doing this here?"

The redhead nodded. "Yes, I am. I don't have any other appointments this afternoon. Here's fine."

Bianca turned to her mother. "I'm not sure where you want me to start."

"Marissa tells me that you thought this girl Samantha needed help."

"Marissa's right, mom. And she goes by Sam, by the way. I had to help her. She didn't have anyone else. There is no family or friends to speak of."

"So, you took it upon yourself to help someone you have no idea about, yet again, and Marissa just blindly agrees. I know how you are. Your heart is too big for your own good sometimes. I really did expect more from Marissa though, some more common sense."

The redhead simply raised an eyebrow and her smirk met Kendall's

"Mom, don't! Marissa didn't want to help at first. To be honest, she wasn't very happy with me. I didn't ask for her help in the best way. It definitely wasn't one of my finer moments, and let's just say that it's a mistake I'll never repeat again."

"Bianca, if I didn't want to help, I wouldn't have. Despite what everyone seems to think, I am perfectly capable of telling you 'no'. You just have this annoying habit of being right a majority of the time. Not all the time mind you, but a majority of it. So, you don't get all of the credit." Hazel eyes cut to Erica. "Or blame this time. I'm equally responsible, and I don't regret it for a minute."

Kendall snickered at the united front the couple was presenting. It really didn't surprise her at all. What did surprise her was the slightest ghost of a smile on her mother's lips which disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.

"That's all well and good, but this girl is walking away with barely a slap on the wrist."

"Mom, she's not getting away with anything. Marissa also saw to that. In exchange for her cooperation with the police and testifying against the others, there are a number of things Sam has to do per her agreement with the district attorney. The biggest among them is a significant amount of community service. Marissa thought it was only fitting to perform that at the Miranda Center, and I couldn't agree more. That's why Sam was at the Center today. She's already begun her work there and has been meeting and actually exceeding all of the other requirements. The thing we need to do now is find her a good home."

"Bianca, please tell me you're not considering her moving in with you."

Bianca gave a wry smile. "You know, mom, it's funny. Marissa had pretty much the same reaction when the subject of finding a place for Sam to live came up. I'll tell you what I told her. I know Sam can't stay with us. We've got our hands full with our three kids and all of their activities in addition to our jobs along with moving to the new house. We won't be able to give Sam the attention that she needs, and she's going to need a lot of it. What we are going to do, however, is make sure we find a good home for her where she is safe and taken care of."

Erica smiled upon hearing that Marissa had moved quickly to point out that them taking the girl in was not an option. She was also relieved that Bianca was so willing to see reason on that point. "I'm curious. Where is she staying right now?"

"She's staying at one of our safe houses. We wanted her to be someplace where we knew both her foster family and that gang couldn't find her. A safe house was the most logical choice. Again, that was Marissa's idea and one I fully support."

Erica noted how many times Bianca had said 'we' during the course of their conversation. She was more confident in using that term than Erica had ever seen her before, and Marissa's reaction to it warmed Erica's heart. The redhead's eyes had barely left Bianca from the moment she had entered the room, and the same could be said for her daughter. Even when addressing Erica directly, Bianca's eyes inevitably made their way back to Marissa. Erica saw the amused look on Kendall's face indicating what was happening was a common occurrence where the couple was concerned. Erica shook her head and smiled softly. She had been out of town on her book tour since two days after the break-in so she hadn't spent a great deal of time with the couple recently, preventing her from observing them up close herself. While Kendall had kept her apprised, it wasn't the same as seeing things for herself. To her expert eyes, the relationship was stronger than ever, and there was no wavering on either side. Erica considered everything she had been told by the couple. While she hadn't been happy at first, she was re-thinking that position. "Well, it appears that Marissa really did think of the best interests of all concerned, particularly your's, dear. Does this Samantha, I mean Sam, need anything?"

Marissa smiled and shook her head. "No, Bianca is making sure Sam has the proper supervision with Aya and Jan taking that on personally, but thank you for the offer."

"Thank you, mom. I appreciate it, and Marissa has things covered on the legal front."

"Very well, I need to get going. I'll be in town for the next two weeks. I'd like the three of us to do lunch. Do you think you can find the time in your schedules?"

"We'll make the time, mom."

Erica nodded. "Call me later with a date and time, and I'll make the arrangements. Kendall, dear, I'd like to catch up with you and Zach as well."

"I'm sure we can arrange that. I'll walk out with you and give these two a minute alone. I'll meet you outside, Binx. Good seeing you again, Red."

"Good seeing you too, Curly."

Bianca waited until her mother and sister left and had closed the door behind them before focusing completely on Marissa. "Are you sure you're okay, Rissa?"

"I told you before I was fine, and I meant it. I had just a sliver of time enough to collect myself, thanks to your heads-up, before your mom got here, and honestly, she was fine. I could tell she was a little ticked at first, but there was no huge blow up. I decided to be upfront with her for the most part. She heard me out, and that's all I could ask. Erica was just making sure I was doing my job where you're concerned and taking care of you."

"If she wanted to know that, all she had to do was ask me. I would tell her you are taking excellent care of me." Bianca grinned as she closed the distance between them with a tender kiss that soon deepened.

The pair separated reluctantly when the need for oxygen became a necessity.

"You're doing the same for me. Okay, you need to get out of here so I can finish up and get home and finish this conversation properly there." Marissa gave her a wicked grin.

Bianca sighed. "Alright, I'll go but only because I don't want Kendall to come looking for me and finding the two of us in a position that will scar both my sister and me for life."

Marissa laughed. "I'll walk you out."

/

After seeing Bianca to Kendall's car, Marissa headed back to her office. As she passed Brian's office, her friend stopped her and motioned her inside.

"Hey, Marissa, got a sec?"

"Hey, Brian. Sure. What's up?" The redhead took a seat.

"Did Erica find you?"

"Yeah, she did. You knew she was here?"

"She was looking for you earlier and stopped by my office when she couldn't find you in your's. You'll never guess who she met."

"Who? NO! You've got to be kidding me! Not dumb and dumber!" Marissa refrained from using her favorite nickname for the pair at work.

"Yep, and let me tell you I had a front row seat for the action. Wanna know what happened?" Brian smirked.

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Seriously? Of course, I wanna know! Like you even have to ask!"

As Brian related every detail of the earlier encounter, Marissa couldn't recall a time where she had laughed harder, and she had yet another reason to wrap up her work and get home as soon as she could. She knew Bianca would absolutely love hearing what Erica had done, but that would be after they finished their earlier conversation though.