A/N: Howdy! Thanks again for reading, reviewing and sticking with me on this Minx adventure! It's much appreciated. I forgot to post this with the last update. Sarah (SG) and her husband welcomed a baby daughter named Wendy Carolina to the world in May! Congrats to them! Also, I've been doing spot checks on Soapnet and the airing of the repeat episodes of the classic AMC. SG is now showing on them! It's after New Year's on the repeats so no Minx pairing yet. Marissa and JR's divorce is about to become final and huge cracks are showing in Bianca and Reese's marriage so Minx should start getting screen time soon. If you're in the States and can get Soapnet, the show airs 1:00am – 4:00am Eastern Time, Tuesday – Saturday. Okay, back to this story. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!

/

Bianca glanced up when she heard Jan call her.

"Sorry to interrupt, Bianca, but the school is calling. The principal is on the line and wants to talk with you."

"Thanks, Jan. Put her through please." Bianca cleared her throat and connected to the principal's call. "Hello, Ms. Evans."

"Ms. Montgomery, good afternoon. I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's been an incident here today."

Bianca was instantly on her feet and reaching for her purse ready to rush over to the school. "An incident? What kind of incident? Are AJ and Miranda okay?"

"They're safe and are fine. I would prefer to discuss this in person. Would either you or Ms. Tasker …"

"I'll come. Marissa's in court this afternoon. I'm on my way now." With that, Bianca disconnected the call and was out the door only stopping for a moment to tell Jan she was leaving.

/

Bianca parked the car and immediately headed to the principal's office. She'd been wracking her brain the entire drive over as to what could've happened. The brunette kept reminding herself that the principal had assured her that the kids were safe and were okay. No matter how many times she told herself that though, she was still nervous and knew she wouldn't feel better until she saw them for herself and knew exactly what happened.

She was greeted by Grace Benson, the school secretary. "Ms. Montgomery, hello. Ms. Evans is expecting you."

"Hello, Mrs. Benson." Bianca quickly glanced around the office for her oldest children. "Where are AJ and Miranda?"

"They're back in class. It's better if Ms. Evans explains everything." Grace escorted Bianca to the principal's office and closed the door as she left.

"Ms. Montgomery, please have a seat. I wish we were meeting under different circumstances."

Bianca nodded. "That makes two of us. Mrs. Benson said the kids are back in class?"

"Yes, they are. I spoke with them briefly. For all intents and purposes, they were fine. They asked if they could go back to class. It seems Mrs. Simpson is doing a science experiment they really wanted to see with Diet Coke and Mentos. We've alerted school security though, and they are keeping an eye on everything."

Bianca remembered the kids going on and on about the experiment at dinner last night and again this morning over breakfast. If they wanted to go back to class and school security was on alert, then she wouldn't disagree with that decision. "What happened exactly?"

"During recess, Miranda saw a man across the street watching AJ. She immediately went to Mrs. Simpson and told her about the man. She also told her that she recognized him as AJ's father. We have on file that there is a protection order against Mr. Chandler."

Bianca took a deep breath. A part of her just had this feeling that JR would make an appearance soon. Things had been going too smoothly for them lately. "Yes, there is. Marissa has full custody of AJ. Without going into some of the more sordid details, Marissa had temporary custody when JR attempted to take AJ out of the country without her knowledge or permission. Luckily, he was stopped. After a fairly ugly custody hearing, Marissa was granted full custody. A protection order was put into place after the decision. JR is not permitted unsupervised visitation. We've instructed the children that if they see him and neither of us are around that they need to go to the nearest adult for help."

"It appears that's exactly what Miranda did today. While AJ is here, we'll make sure that no one who is not authorized will either see him or remove him from school property. We will alert the police should we see Mr. Chandler near the school again. As for today …"

"Marissa and I will contact the appropriate parties." Bianca knew that since JR didn't actually make contact with AJ that he didn't technically violate the order. As a result, the police wouldn't be able to do anything about today's incident. She could however and would.

"Given everything that's happened today and the fact that school is almost over for the day, is it safe to assume that you would like to pick AJ and Miranda up?"

"Yes, I would very much so."

"I will go and inform Mrs. Simpson to have them come to the office when they are dismissed. You can wait here if you'd like."

"I'd like that, thank you."

Ms. Evans nodded and left the office leaving Bianca alone with her thoughts. The brunette knew she would need to let Marissa know everything that was going on but knew the best way to do it was face to face and not by some voicemail or text. After a day in court, Marissa had a habit of heading back to the office to go through emails that she missed while being gone for the day. Bianca knew that JR's return needed to be dealt with sooner than later and that Marissa would agree with her. Bianca also knew that her fiancée's cellphone would be off while she was in court so she decided to send a text asking her to bypass the office and come home straight from court. As soon as Marissa turned her phone on, she would see it.

Hope the case went well today. I have no doubt that it did given how amazing of an attorney you are. Could you skip going back to the office when you're done and come straight home? Something's come up that we need to talk about. Drive safe and I'll see you soon. I love you.

Susan had been scheduled to pick up the kids that day so Bianca called her to inform her that she was picking up AJ and Miranda but would still need her to pick up Gabby. The bell sounded indicating that school was over for the day. Bianca left the principal's office and was soon greeted by Miranda and AJ.

Bianca smiled as soon as she saw them. "Hey, guys."

Miranda quickly greeted her mother. "Hi, Mom."

AJ hung back slightly. He knew why his brunette mother was here. "Hi, Mom."

Bianca sensed AJ's unease and decided to hold off on the needed conversation until they were home. For now, she asked about a topic that she knew would ease any tension as they walked to the car. "We'll talk about other things when we get home. For now, tell me about the science experiment. Was it interesting? Did you like it?"

AJ grinned as he settled into the car and fastened his seatbelt, happy for the brief reprieve. "Uh huh! It was awesome. When Mrs. Simpson put the Mentos in, the Diet Coke shot straight up into the air."

Miranda nodded and joined her brother in describing what happened. "It was like what happened on that TV show we saw about that geyser Old Faithful. Mrs. Simpson said it was a …" Miranda paused to remember what their teacher had said. "A chemical reaction. She tried it with a couple of other soft drinks, but the Diet Coke had the biggest explosion. It was really cool."

"Mrs. Simpson said it was because there was something different in the Diet Coke that caused it to be bigger. We wore goggles, and she made us stand back so we wouldn't get wet and sticky from the soft drinks."

"I'm glad about that. I wouldn't want to deal with two sticky kids." Bianca grinned. She pulled out of the parking lot keeping an eye out for JR while her oldest children chattered on about what their day had been like.

/

Marissa headed home immediately after reading Bianca's text. She knew her fiancée wouldn't ask her to come straight home unless it was important so the redhead did as requested. The entire drive home Marissa tried to figure out what was up but nothing was coming to mind. She sighed as she pulled into the garage and grabbed her things before heading inside. She spotted Bianca and the kids outside so she dropped her things and went to join them.

"Hey, babe."

Bianca smiled as the couple exchanged a quick kiss. "Hey, I'm glad you're home."

"Hey, guys."

The kids waved. While AJ and Miranda continued to play on the jungle gym, Gabby was engaged in a game of fetch with Max.

"You want to tell me what's going on?"

"Why don't you change into some more comfortable clothes? We'll talk when you come back out."

Marissa wanted to ask why she didn't want to talk with her privately inside but sensed there was a specific reason for Bianca's suggestion. Again, Marissa agreed to her fiancée's request. "Okay. I'll be back in a few minutes."

/

After changing and putting her briefcase away, Marissa grabbed a glass and the pitcher of iced tea. Stepping outside, she refilled Bianca's glass before filling her own.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, tell me what's up."

Bianca took a deep breath and began. She lowered her voice so little ears wouldn't overhear. "I got a call from the school earlier. During recess, Miranda saw JR across the street. As soon as she did, she did like we told her and went to her teacher to tell her what was going on. Mrs. Simpson took the kids to Ms. Evans' office. JR was gone when they looked again."

Marissa exhaled slowly, shaking her head as she did. She hated hearing that her ex was back in town and knew it most likely meant he would try and cause trouble for them. The redhead observed AJ and Miranda. "They seem okay."

"Yeah, they do, and I really think they are for the most part. They wanted to go back to class after talking to Ms. Evans."

Marissa was a little surprised by that before remembering something. "The science experiment, right?"

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, they really wanted to see it."

"Have you talked to them about what happened yet?"

"No, I thought they deserved a brief reprieve. Plus, I thought it was best if we talked to them together."

"You're right. I knew things were going too smoothly on that front. Why in the hell is he back now? What was he thinking when he went to the school? Is he going to try and take AJ again or revisit custody?"

Bianca took Marissa's hand. "I don't know, baby. What I do know is that he's not getting AJ. We're going to keep him safe, and he's going to stay with us. We'll do whatever it takes for that to happen. It's as simple as that."

A small smile formed on Marissa's face. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For always knowing exactly what to say to make me feel better and giving me the boost I need. For reminding me just how perfect you are for me. I love you."

"And I love you, more than anything. You're kinda perfect for me too, just so you know."

Marissa chuckled briefly. "Good to hear. I guess we should talk to the kids and then make a call about security. A call to the police isn't a bad idea either. From what you've told me, JR didn't violate the order, this time. Who knows about next time? If he does, you can be damn sure that the order's getting enforced."

Bianca's resolve matched that of her fiancée. "Yes, it is. Let's talk to the kids and then we'll start dinner."

/

"Am I in trouble?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, AJ. Why would you think you would be in trouble?"

The boy shrugged, his eyes downcast and refusing to make contact with his either of his mothers. "It's my fault dad was so mean and tried to hurt you." AJ remembered how scary and mean his dad was when he was around before.

Marissa pulled her son to her. "Look at me. AJ, please look at me." When her son's gaze met her's, she continued. "None of this is your fault. You haven't done anything wrong. Bianca and I don't want you to think for one second that you did. Okay?"

"Okay. Why's he back here? Is he gonna try and take me away from you again?"

"We're not sure why he's back, Buddy, but Marissa and I are sure of one thing. You're not going anywhere. This is your home, and you're stuck with us." Bianca smiled.

AJ returned the smile and nodded. "I like being stuck with you."

Marissa hugged her son. "Good. As for Miranda, good job today. You did exactly what we told you to do. We're proud of you."

Miranda nodded but didn't really want to admit that she was scared. She learned from her run in with Amber from last year though to be honest with her parents especially when things were too big for her to handle by herself. "I was afraid he was gonna try and take AJ. I didn't want that to happen."

The couple exchanged a glance. They weren't going to wait and see what JR had up his sleeve, and they weren't going to allow him to take over their lives or the lives of their family. If he wanted a fight, that's exactly what he was going to get.

"It's not going to happen, Mimo. Do you trust your Mom and me?"

The girl nodded. "I do."

"Then trust us when we tell you that we won't let that happen."

Miranda did trust them more than anything. They had kept her and Gabby here and stopped AJ from being taken before. She knew they would do it again. "Okay."

"Good. Now if something like this happens again, we want you to do exactly what you did today. Your Ma and I are going to get some help to keep an eye on you when we're not around. You'll meet them tomorrow so you know who they are. This will just be temporary until we know what's going on and we feel everything is okay." Bianca explained.

After answering the kids' questions, assuring them and easing their fears, especially those of AJ, as best they could, the family enjoyed an evening together.

/

Marissa paced back and forth in their bedroom. "I hate this. I hate having to hire security guards, and I hate JR for doing this again. I think we might have to postpone the trip to New York next weekend. I just don't feel right leaving them with JR wandering around town."

Bianca reached out and pulled Marissa down onto her lap. "I hate this too, but the guards will keep AJ safe. Kendall and Zach know what's going on and will keep an eye out for JR if we do decide to go away, but we can reschedule the trip if that's what you think is best. We'll do whatever you want. The important thing is that you don't let the stress get to you."

Marissa sighed and rested her head on Bianca's shoulder. She knew Bianca was right. With her trying to get pregnant, stress was not good for her right now. She hated that JR could get under her skin so easily and was in effect still trying to control her life. Kendall and Zach would keep AJ safe. She knew that without question. The kids were also looking forward to spending next weekend with their cousins. "No, let's keep the appointment. I'm tired of giving him control over our lives. This is something that we want. I'm not going to let him stop us."

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay, we'll keep the appointment. If anything changes though, we'll reschedule. I want you to do something for me."

"Anything."

"I want you to let me handle the bulk of this situation with JR." Bianca held up her hand to stop Marissa's protest. "I'm serious about this. I know JR and his tricks better than anyone else. I won't let him hurt you, AJ or our family. You're going to be having our baby. I don't want you stressed out about him. I want you focusing on our hopefully soon to be new addition. You've taken such good care of me and the kids and have fought hard for our family. Now, it's my turn. If it gets to be too much, I'll let you know, but I really want to do this. Your job is to have our baby. My job is to take care of you and to do everything in my power to make sure you can do your job."

Marissa gazed into the eyes of the woman she loved and trusted so much. The woman who she knew would lay her life down for her and their family just as the redhead would do for them without a second's thought. She could tell how much this meant to Bianca and she knew that her fiancée could more than handle JR. "Okay but only if you promise not to keep anything from me. We do this together like everything else. I'm willing to let you handle any face to face interaction with him like I did for the most part with whatshername, but don't sugarcoat anything for me, don't hide anything. Don't forget Jack and Caleb are ready to go to battle for us again if it goes that far."

Bianca gave her a quick kiss. "You have a deal."

Marissa noticed the glint in her fiancée's eyes. "Oh, I know that look. I love that look. You're looking forward to releasing your inner Kane woman on him, aren't you?"

Bianca grinned. "Maybe. I didn't get much of a chance to during the custody hearing, and we were still kind of new as a couple. We'd only been together a couple of months and weren't even living together yet. Now …"

"Now, we're engaged and have made a home, literally and figuratively. We belong together."

"Exactly, and I'm not giving any of it up. I've waited too long for this, for you. No one is taking away what is …" Bianca stopped not wanting to claim ownership like JR used to when it came to the redhead.

Marissa smiled knowing what Bianca was about to say and why she stopped herself. "What's yours. We are you know. I'm yours just like you're mine. We belong to each other, and I couldn't be happier saying that. I love you."

A happy sigh escaped the brunette. "That makes two of us."

"You do know how much I love it when you release the inner Kane woman. It's so damn hot and does all kinds of wonderful things to me. It also makes me want to do all kinds of wonderful things to you." Marissa waggled her eyebrows.

Bianca laughed. "You are so not right, but you're mine. And I love you." Bianca quickly flipped positions and was resting on top of Marissa. "I suppose, if you want and feel up to it, I could release some inner Kane woman for you now."

Marissa grinned. "Hot damn! There is nothing I want more. I do believe that makes me the luckiest woman there is. Release the Kane!"

/

"So, Dipshit is back in town? Wonderful. I suppose it really was too much to hope for that he actually drop off the face of the earth." Kendall deadpanned.

Bianca sighed. "What I don't get is why now? Why show up at the school and come within a hair of violating the order?"

"Binx, you're trying to think rationally, and you can't do that. We're talking about JR after all. There's not a rational bone in his body. He's not capable of thinking that way. How's AJ doing?"

"He's okay. He knows that Rissa and I will do whatever we need to do to keep him safe. Luckily, they only have a few more days of school left. The day camp has excellent security, and they've also agreed to let us have a security guard of our own actually on the grounds to help keep an eye on things."

"I hate that you have to do that. I can only imagine the cost of that."

Bianca shook her head. "I've got more than enough money for this. Besides, cost doesn't matter to me, not when we're talking about the safety of my family. I've waited too long and fought too hard for what I have with Marissa, the girls and AJ. I'm not giving any of it up. Not now, not ever."

Kendall smiled seeing the determined look in her sister's eyes. "Well, whatever you need, Binx, you know that Zach and I will do whatever we can to help. We're talking about my family too."

"Thanks, Kendall."

/

JR was taking a walk through the park trying to figure out his next move when he happened upon Bianca and Kendall sitting on a bench. Seeing their backs were to him, he crept closer to eavesdrop on their conversation. Maybe, he would overhear something he could use. Maybe, things weren't so happy for Marissa and Bianca. Maybe, Marissa came to her senses.

/

"So, what about next weekend? Are you still going to New York? Do you still need us to watch the kids?"

"Yeah, we do. We thought about rescheduling but decided against it. Rearranging our lives for a certain someone's unexpected appearance gives him too much control and we're not doing that. That ship has sailed."

"Good! How's Marissa doing with all of this? It's a big step."

"She's a little nervous but even more excited."

Seeing the smile on her sister's face, Kendall didn't have to guess what she was thinking about. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Thinking about what Marissa will look like with a little baby bump." Kendall smiled.

/

What the hell?! Marissa is going to have a baby with her?! She wouldn't even consider having one with me, but she will with her girlfriend? She's lost her damn mind! I think I'm going to be sick.

/

Bianca smiled even more. "Yeah, I am. How did you know?"

"You always get this goofy grin when you're thinking about her. It's gotten even bigger and goofier since you've started planning to have a baby together."

"I can't help it. She's beautiful as it is, but I know she'll be even more so when she's carrying our baby. I can just picture how happy she'll be. I can't even begin to tell you how much it means to me that she wants to do this with me, share this with me and I can't wait to spoil her, pamper her and give her everything she wants and needs."

A sharp bark of laughter sounded behind them and the sisters turned around quickly.

JR sneered at them. "Well, well, well, it looks like you can't give her quite everything now, can you, Bianca?"

"What are you talking about, JR?" Bianca asked through gritted teeth.

"Well from what you were telling dear old sis here, Marissa wants a baby. That's not something you can really do for her, at least not without the help of a turkey baster, now is it? Nothing says love and romance like that." JR smirked.

/

A/N: I know. I know. I did another cliffhanger. I just can't stop the evil side of me sometimes. Oh, I wanted to mention the science experiment for the kids. I wanted to give them something that would help get their minds off of the drama with Dipshit. There are actually videos around detailing it. For some reason, the ingredients in Diet Coke do in fact produce the bigger explosion. See you soon!