A/N: I have a couple of things to say real quick so please bear with me. To everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy particularly those on the East coast in the States, you're in my thoughts. Please stay safe and know that we're pulling for you.
Next, I'm not sure if I will have an update before November 6th. If I don't, remember that it's Election Day here in the States so don't forget to vote. There are many that don't have the right that we enjoy so please don't take it for granted. (I also won't miss the political commercials.) Okay, I'm stepping off my soapbox now.
As always, thanks for the wonderful reviews. I really appreciate them so please keep them coming. It's Halloween so I thought I'd post a little early for all of you. I hope you enjoy this update!
/
Bianca was waiting for Marissa at their table at Krystal's. It was Marissa's first day back at work. She was only doing half days at the firm to ease her way back into work so she would be going home after they had lunch. The brunette checked the time, again. Something wasn't right. Marissa was late, and she hadn't called or texted with a reason for her delay. She always did that so Bianca wouldn't worry. The last time she was late with no word was when Robert Brennan tracked her down and slammed his car into Marissa's injuring her in the process. They'd been beyond lucky that she hadn't been injured more severely. Bianca had been hesitant about her lover going back to work since Brennan was still on the loose, but Marissa was going stir crazy at home. After speaking with her doctors, they agreed to allow her to return back to work on the condition she slowly eased her way back into the normal workday. Bianca was now regretting that decision more and more with each passing second that Marissa was late. Something was horribly wrong.
She checked the time again. No matter how hard she tried, Bianca just couldn't shake the ominous feeling and decided to call Marissa. It went straight to her voicemail.
"Rissa, it's me. I'm at Krystal's and wondering where you are. Is everything okay? Please call me. I need to hear that you're okay. I love you." Bianca disconnected the call and offered a silent prayer. Please be okay, Rissa. Please let her be safe.
"Still no word from Marissa?" Krystal asked clearly growing as concerned as Bianca.
"No, not yet, and I'm really getting worried, Krystal. This isn't like her."
"I'm sure she's fine. Something probably came up, and she couldn't call." Krystal was doing her best to comfort her daughter's partner and to ease her concerns.
The brunette shook her head. "She always calls unless something is wrong." Bianca heard the front door open and saw Jesse enter followed by her sister. She could tell Kendall had been crying. "No."
Kendall raced over to her sister. "Bianca."
"No! No! No! No! Don't say it, Kendall! Don't you dare say it!"
"Binx, I'm so sorry." Tears started to stream down Kendall's face. Her heart was breaking for her sister. "It's Marissa."
"NO!"
"I'm sorry. You don't know how sorry I am. There was an incident at the firm. Someone called in a bomb threat, and the building was evacuated. In all the confusion, Marissa was separated from her bodyguard, and …" Kendall choked on the words she had to say.
"You're wrong, Kendall. Marissa's fine. She has to be." Bianca's voice began to break and tears began to sting her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Bianca, but I'm not wrong. Brennan used that confusion and attacked her. He hurt her, and she's, she's, she's gone. Marissa's gone."
"NO! She's not! I'd know if she was! She can't be gone! Not again! I can't do this again!" Tears flowed down Bianca's distraught face. "It's not her!"
"It is, Bianca."
"How do you know, Kendall? They could be wrong! They are wrong!"
"They're not, Bianca. I saw myself. It's Marissa. She's gone." Kendall reached for her sister as started to sway.
Jesse darted forward when he saw Bianca start to collapse to try and catch her.
"NO!" The anguished sobs racking her body as reality set in. Her legs gave out, and everything went black.
/
"No, Rissa! No!"
"Bianca. Wake up, Bianca. Please, Bianca, wake up."
Brown eyes opened, and Bianca shot up in bed. She took a shaky breath. Reality began to enter her consciousness. Her eyes darted around the darkened room as her heart raced. Bianca felt soft, warm arms envelop her. It didn't happen. It was a nightmare.
Marissa held Bianca tightly. "B, I'm here. I'm right here. You're safe."
Bianca's heart began to slow, and she tried to pull away. "I'm sorry. I'm fine now. It was just a bad dream. It was nothing."
Marissa shook her head and pulled her lover closer. "Bianca, that wasn't nothing. It was more than a bad dream. You're not fine. You're shaking." She pulled backed slightly and gently wiped the tears from her lover's face. "This is not fine, B. You've had these nightmares the last three nights. Something's wrong. Talk to me, please. I can't help if you don't tell me what's going on."
Bianca saw the concern in beautiful hazel eyes that could penetrate her very soul. Marissa was right. She couldn't continue like this. "I lost you. You were gone."
"What do you mean?"
"Brennan got to you, and …" Bianca's voice was thick with emotion and began to crack. "I lost you."
Marissa pulled Bianca to her again and softly kissed her temple. "You didn't lose me though. It wasn't real. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere. No one is going to take me away from you. I promised you a long life together, and I keep my word. Old and gray, remember?"
Bianca nodded as her head was nestled against Marissa. Both her breathing and heartbeat slowed significantly as Marissa's love and strength began to flow over her like a waterfall.
"Good. You've been so strong for so long. It's time to let someone help you. It's time to let me help you. I want you to tell me about the nightmare. I know you don't want to, but I believe you need to. You've been keeping things inside and that's not good. I think that's why you've been these nightmares."
Bianca gazed into Marissa's eyes and saw the truth behind what she was saying. She took a deep breath and began. The brunette talked for what seemed like hours relaying not only the details of her nightmares but all of her fears regarding what was happening now. She'd been holding back so much, trying to be strong, but once she started, she found she couldn't stop. Sharing her burden with Marissa lifted a huge weight off of her.
When Bianca finished, Marissa kissed her softly. "Do you feel better?"
Bianca nodded. "I do. I just, I was so scared. It seemed so real. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."
"I want you to listen to me and believe what I tell you. I'm right here, and nothing or no one is going to take me away from you. You couldn't get rid of me if you tried. You're stuck with me. I love you."
A small smile crossed Bianca's face. "I love being stuck with you. I'm not letting you go, ever. I love you."
"That's exactly what I wanted to hear." Marissa kissed Bianca with all of the love that she had for her.
As the need for air became a necessity, they reluctantly separated breathless. Bianca saw the desire in Marissa's eyes but was afraid that she wasn't healed enough. "Rissa, remember your ribs. I don't want you to hurt them."
"B, I don't give a damn about my ribs. They're just fine. I want you. I need you. Please let me show you just how much."
Bianca smiled and was unable to deny Marissa. She couldn't deny herself. She needed Marissa more in that moment than she ever had before. She needed to feel her, to love her. Bianca kissed Marissa fervently as she drifted backwards onto the bed and pulled her lover with her.
/
Marissa slowly woke up and smiled as felt Bianca pressing against her, holding her tightly. Her lover's body molded perfectly into her's. The redhead peered at the bedside clock. It was almost time to get the kids up and ready for school. Marissa smiled again as an idea crossed her mind. Bianca needed to sleep. Since she'd gotten released from the hospital, her lover had been doing everything around the house, refusing to let Marissa help and insisting she needed to rest and heal. Well, the redhead was healed enough to get the kids ready for school, and Marissa was going to take advantage of the fact that Bianca wasn't awake yet to argue the point. She carefully eased out of Bianca's arms. She disabled the alarm before it could sound and bent over to retrieve her crutches from under the bed. She softly kissed Bianca before slowly making her way out of the bedroom and down to the kids' rooms.
/
Bianca woke up to find herself alone in bed and Marissa nowhere in sight. She glanced at the clock and saw it was almost time for the kids to head to school. The brunette grabbed her robe, and after checking their bedrooms and finding them empty, she headed downstairs. The sounds of laughter from the kitchen directed her course. She opened the door to find her children at the kitchen table all dressed and finishing up their breakfast and her lover at the oven with her back to the door. Bianca placed a finger to her lips in silent request to her children to remain quiet. It was met with grins and nods, and she approached her lover, wrapping her arms around her waist.
"Good morning, beautiful."
Marissa leaned back into her lover's embrace. "Good morning."
"What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm just doing my part and taking my turn. I got the kids ready for school and made them breakfast. Now, I'm making you breakfast. I thought you needed the rest and deserved a little surprise."
Bianca glanced over Marissa's shoulder and grinned. "You're making me chocolate chip pancakes!"
"Yes, I am. They're almost ready so if you would please sit down …" A knock on the door interrupted her.
"It's probably Susan. I'll be right back." Bianca kissed the redhead quickly and headed to answer the door.
Marissa walked over to the table. She gave each child a hug and kiss. "Have a good day, and I'll see you tonight. Love you."
"Love you too. Bye, Mom. "
"Bye, Rissa. Love you."
"Love you, Mommy. Bye"
The kids headed towards the family room where Susan was waiting. Bianca hugged and kissed each of her children, told them she loved them and wished them a good day. After they left, she set the alarm and headed back to the kitchen.
Marissa set a plate down on the table for each of them and joined Bianca. "I wanted to bring you breakfast in bed, but that wasn't really possible with the crutches. Plus, I knew you'd want to say goodbye to the kids."
"Thank you, but you didn't have to do this."
"Yes, I did. Like I said earlier, you deserve it. You've been doing so much for everyone. I wanted to do something for you. Let me do this for you."
"Okay, I give. Besides, you know I'm not going to turn down chocolate chip pancakes. How are you feeling this morning? Be honest."
Marissa grinned. "I'm good, a little sore, but good. Believe me when I tell you that any discomfort from my ribs was worth it. How are you?"
Bianca chuckled. "I'm glad it was worth it, and you're more than good. As for me, I'm much better thanks to you."
"I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that. I know all of this has been rough on you, but I need you to promise me that you won't try and keep all of this inside and handle everything on your own. We're a team, a damn good one, and we can get through anything together. Will you do that?"
"I will. I promise. You're right. We are a damn good team. I should've talked to you earlier, told you how I was feeling, told you about the nightmares."
"Yes, you should have, but you told me about them last night. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I am. It all just felt so real."
"But it wasn't. I'm here and not going anywhere. Got it?"
Bianca smiled. "Got it."
"Good."
"So, what are the plans for today?"
"We've got my appointment with Dr. Lawson."
"Hopefully, she'll give the go ahead on the surgery tomorrow. The sooner it is, the sooner you can completely recover. What else?"
"Well, I was thinking and hoping we could come back here and have our ways with each other again." Marissa smiled wickedly.
"I do love you're thinking, Tasker." Bianca grinned as she captured Marissa's lips.
/
Robert Brennan rolled over in bed and winced. He stumbled out of bed knocking the empty whiskey bottles that littered the room out of his path to the bathroom. He splashed some water in his face in attempt to revive himself. He stared at his reflection in the grimy mirror confirming that he looked exactly like he felt, like hell. He raised his dirty t-shirt and examined the gash in his side that resulted from crashing his car into that lawyer. It didn't look good at all and hadn't gotten any better. It was red and swollen and hurt like hell. It was probably infected, but there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it right now. It was all that redheaded bitch's fault. Because of her, he couldn't get anywhere close to an ER. The police were staking them out, still on the lookout for him. Brennan rubbed his face. He needed food and time to think. He needed to come up with a way to get back to Pine Valley and even the score with her. He grabbed a jacket and headed out. He stopped short and ducked behind a pillar when he spotted two men speaking with the desk clerk. They were looking in the direction of his room. Brennan swore and darted away from the motel knowing he would have to find someplace new to hole up.
/
"Well, Marissa, the swelling has gone down, and I'm ready to fix it tomorrow if you are."
"I'm more than ready, Dr. Lawson."
"I'm glad to hear that. Okay, we'll be doing a cadaver graft. The recovery time is much faster since we're not having to introduce trauma to another part of your body for a graft. As I explained to you earlier, this approach has excellent results. I've had some patients off their crutches without their knee brace in around a week and starting physical therapy. We'll be performing arthroscopic surgery which is less painful and allows for a quicker recovery. This also means that you won't have to stay overnight."
"All pluses in my book." Marissa grinned.
"How long will the surgery take?" Bianca asked.
"It usually takes around two hours. Since Marissa's surgery is scheduled for 9:00 am, I'll need you here at 8:00 am. If all goes as I believe it will, you should be able to go home by lunch time. You'll need to take it easy, especially the first day. We'll set up a follow-up appointment for next week and take it from there. Any questions?"
"No, I can't think of anything. You've gone over everything I can think of. Bianca?"
"I can't think of anything either. Thank you, Dr. Lawson."
"Yes, thanks, Dr. Lawson."
"You're welcome. I'll see you tomorrow morning."
The couple left the hospital and headed home.
"So, what do you want to do today?" Bianca asked.
"I was thinking we could grab lunch and I can have my way with you, or I can have my way with you first and then we can have lunch. Which sounds better to you?" Marissa grinned wickedly.
Bianca chuckled. "Those are my only choices?"
"Well, I am having surgery tomorrow, and the doctor said I'll need to take it easy for a couple of days afterwards so …"
"Uh huh. Well, I can't very well deny your request, now can I? I do have a suggestion though."
"What's that?"
"You can have your way with me, we have lunch, and then I'll have my way with you." Bianca suggested with a mischievous grin.
"I do love your suggestions."
/
Zach, Kendall and their boys joined the Tasker-Montgomery family for dinner that night. Having their cousins over kept AJ, Miranda and Gabby occupied and not focused on Marissa's surgery as much. While the kids played in the family room, the adults remained in the dining room talking.
"Binx, I have to say you look a lot better, like you got some much needed rest."
"I did. I've been having nightmares about Brennan, about him getting to Marissa and …" Bianca's voice trailed off, unable to finish the ugly thought.
Marissa squeezed her lover's hand. "I finally got her to tell me what was going on."
"Yeah, she made me realize that I was being stubborn by not talking about it, keeping everything inside. I couldn't keep it inside anymore. Once I finally realized that and opened up to her, it was like a huge weight was lifted off of me. I'm still worried for her safety, but now, I know not to keep it from Rissa. Knowing it and accepting it, well, I was able to finally get a good night's sleep. It also helped that she took care of the kids this morning and let me sleep in a little."
Kendall grinned. "Will wonders never cease? Thank you, Red, for getting through to my hard-headed sister and making her see reason. You didn't have any problems getting the kids ready did you?"
"No, not at all. They were great, especially when I told them how much Bianca needed the extra sleep. I was afraid we were going to wake her up when they bumped into our bedroom door, but she was sound asleep."
"Well, I was kind of exhausted. It was a late night."
Kendall caught the look exchanged between the two and rolled her eyes. I really don't need to know anything else. Thank god Greenlee's not here. She cleared her throat pulling the couple's attention from each other.
Zach grinned at his wife's reaction and decided to change the subject for her. "What time do you need to be at the hospital tomorrow?"
"The surgery is scheduled for 9:00 so we have to be there at 8:00. Dr. Lawson thinks Bianca should be able to bring me home by lunch if all goes as she thinks it will."
"Do you need us to do anything for you?" Kendall asked.
"No, we should be good. We can drop the kids off at school on our way to the hospital, and Susan will pick them up after school's out. The doctor thinks that Rissa will probably just doze on and off during the day."
"And Bianca has promised to take it easy herself while I'm doing that."
"Another big concession from my little sister. You are a good influence on her, Red." Kendall laughed.
Bianca glared at her sister. "Yeah, yeah. If everyone keeps telling her that, her head's going to be too big for me to deal with."
"I have a feeling you'll keep me in check." Marissa grinned before turning serious and directing her attention towards Zach. "So, what's the latest, Zach? I can tell you know something."
"I do have an update from the investigators. They tracked down Brennan's last known location to a place called the Hideaway Inn in Center City. It looks like they just missed him by minutes."
Bianca sighed. They were so damn close. She just wanted him caught and for this whole thing to be over. "Why do they think that?"
"They found a bag with some clothes, toothbrush and things like that. They're going to stake it out, but since he hasn't shown back up, they doubt that he'll be back. They contacted the police for them to send some crime scene investigators over, but they did manage to take a look around beforehand. Brennan's hurt."
"How can they tell?" Marissa asked.
"They found bloody bandages and towels in the bathroom, a lot of them, and they looked like the blood was fresh. We know he hasn't gone to an ER or a clinic because the police have been all over them. The room was also a pig sty. If he has an open wound which it looks like, odds are good that it's infected."
"I can't say I'm sorry about that." Bianca stated grimly. "Did they find anything else? Any indication of where he might go?"
"You want my honest opinion?"
The couple nodded.
"I think he's going to try and make his way back here."
Marissa nodded. "I think you're right."
"Try not to worry. We've got security in place, and it's not going anywhere. I'm not going to let anything happen to anyone."
/
Marissa was lying in Bianca's arms. "Are you still awake?"
Bianca chuckled softly. "Yeah, I am. I can't sleep."
"Me either. I have to admit that I'm a little nervous about tomorrow. I know it'll be fine, but …"
"Yeah, me too. I know Dr. Lawson is a great doctor, but I can't help but be a little nervous."
"It's not just that though, is it?"
"No, it isn't. I just want the son of a bitch caught, Rissa. I'm tired of us living our lives constantly looking over our shoulders."
Marissa sighed. "I know. I'm tired of it too. Anything thoughts on what more we can do?"
"Not really. I tell you what. Let's take one thing at a time. We'll get through the surgery tomorrow and then we'll come up with a plan." Bianca pulled Marissa closer. "Deal?"
"Deal."
/
Bianca got Marissa settled on the sofa and watched as she began to doze off again. The surgery went very well according to Dr. Lawson, and Marissa was still dealing with the aftereffects of the anesthetic. She'd spent a couple of hours in bed when they got home, and now, she wanted to be somewhere else, needing a slight change of scenery. Bianca smiled as she gazed at her lover. She was so relieved, so grateful that everything had gone as expected.
"You're staring again." Marissa smirked drowsily.
"It's that bad habit of mine. I just can help it."
Marissa patted the spot on the sofa next to her.
Bianca happily took it and then pulled Marissa to her so the redhead was resting against her. With her lover soon fast asleep again, Bianca allowed herself to relax and drift off as well.
/
"Is Rissa really okay, Mom?" Miranda whispered.
"Yes, she is. The medicine they gave her is making her sleepy. That's all. I promise."
AJ smiled as he watched his Mom sleep. He believed Bianca and trusted her to tell him and his sisters the truth.
Gabby leaned in and kissed Marissa as softly as she possibly could. She placed Minx by the redhead's side. "Love you, Mommy."
/
The following week, the couple went for a checkup. Marissa went to an examination room while Bianca waited for her.
Dr. Lawson smiled. "Marissa, I couldn't be happier with the progress you've made. Everything is healing even better than I hoped. What do you think about retiring the brace and crutches?"
"You don't have to ask me twice!" Marissa grinned broadly.
"Okay. If your knee starts to bother you, put it back on and use the crutches. Otherwise, you can put it away. We'll start you off on some physical therapy next week. No running though. They'll most likely start you off on a bike, but I'll let the therapist map that all out with you. Here's his name and number. The sooner you set something up with him, the sooner you can get started. Make a follow-up appointment with my office manager on your way out for two weeks from now. I can check on your progress after you've started therapy. Any questions?"
"What about work? When can I go back?"
"Getting a little stir crazy?"
Marissa chuckled. "A little bit, yeah."
"I understand. I want you to take another week off to get used to the demands of physical therapy. After that, I'd like you to start off on half days for a couple of weeks. Then, I see no reason why you can't go fulltime. You'll need to watch what you wear in the way of heels for a while for obvious reasons."
"I understand."
"Anything else?"
"Nope, I'm good. Thanks so much, Doctor." Marissa shook the doctor's hand and smiled.
"You're more than welcome. I'll let you give Bianca the good news. I'll see you in two weeks."
/
"Seriously? You don't need the brace or crutches?"
"That's what the good doctor said. I only need it if it starts bothering me. I'll see her in two weeks, and I need to make an appointment with the physical therapist when we get home. She wants me to take one more week off and then do half days for two weeks before going back fulltime."
Bianca smiled brightly. "That is great news. How about we celebrate with lunch at Krystal's? After that, I'm sure we can think of some other ways to celebrate."
Marissa's smile matched that of her lover's. "That sounds perfect."
/
Bianca checked the time and headed into the Miranda Center. Since it was Saturday, the parking lot was empty except for her car. Her task for today was simple. She would pick up some files and spend some time that weekend catching up on paperwork if she could. Jan, Aya and the rest of her staff had done a stellar job of holding down the fort for her, but with Marissa starting back to work on a reduced work schedule on Monday, it was time for Bianca to get back to it as well. She smiled when she thought of the progress her lover had made in therapy this past week. Bianca had to remind Marissa not to push herself too hard a couple of times. Other than that, she had no problems.
The brunette glanced over her shoulder. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched but didn't see anyone around. She shrugged and headed inside.
/
Robert Brennan watched from the shadows as the brunette looked around. He thought for a minute that she might have seen him, but the shrug told him she hadn't. He'd been staking out the Center for a couple of days with the hope of seeing her. Today was finally his break, his chance to get even with that redheaded bitch, his chance for payback, his chance to make her feel the pain he did. He glanced around and didn't see anyone. He smirked as she walked inside. They probably thought they were safe. It's good I waited. Now, their guard is down, and that bitch is gonna pay. Both of them will. This Montgomery bitch knows where my wife and son are, and she's gonna tell me, after I've had some fun of course.
Brennan patted his jacket pocket, feeling the gun inside. It had cost him what remaining money he had, but it was worth it. Inside his other pocket was a roll of duct tape he'd managed to pocket from a hardware store. The plan was simple. He'd ambush the brunette using the gun to subdue her, use the duct tape to restrain and get her to tell him where his wife and son were. He'd then get her to call the redheaded bitch. While they were waiting for her to show up, he had a few ideas of how to occupy his time. He stood and winced. Damn side. It hurts like a son of a bitch. Something else that bitch is gonna pay for. He crossed the street and entered the building. A smile of pure evil formed on his face as he saw the brunette in her office with her back to the door. This was going to be easy. From what he'd heard, the woman was a do-gooder, and he'd lay odds that she was just as much of a pushover as his wife. He slowly made his way towards her office, pulling his gun out as he went. Take it slow. Don't make any noise. No sense in giving her any warning.
/
Minutes later a series of loud pops could be heard outside.
/
A/N: Yeah, I went there again with the cliffhanger. I'm going to blame it on the day for having my evil side come out to play. I'll let you decide if it's a trick or treat! Happy Halloween!