A/N: I'm back! Thanks for reading and reviewing! It's amazing to me that I'm still getting notices of new followers and favorites. It's truly humbling and means a lot. Again, thanks!

I have a question to ask and could really use your feedback. I've had Marissa call Bianca 'babe' a few times. I'm struggling to find a similar term of endearment for Bianca to call her. I just can't use 'babe' for her because that's the name of Marissa's sister, and it just feels a little awkward to have Bianca call her that. Would 'baby' work or is there a better name? I appreciate your thoughts on this.

Now, back to the story. We're picking this chapter up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!

/

"I can't help it. God knows that she's beautiful as it is, but I know she'll be even more so when she's carrying our baby. I know she's going to be beyond happy. I can just see it now."

"What about you?" Again, Kendall knew the answer to her own question.

"Me? 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. I'm going to make sure that she's taken care of and doesn't want for anything. I'm going to pamper her. Anything she wants or needs, she's going to get."

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

JR sneered at them. "Well, well, well, Binky wants to play daddy. Too bad you can't really play that role. You were so sure you could do everything for her, but it looks like you can't give Marissa quite everything after all 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. You don't have the right equipment. It seems you need some outside help. Nothing says love and romance like a turkey baster, now does it?" JR smirked. "Hey, I know. If you want, I'd be more than happy to donate my services. Of course, I prefer to do it the more traditional way. It would save you time and trouble. Marissa probably could use a change of pace by now too. Show her what she's missing."

Bianca rolled her eyes and tried her best to ignore the man's crude comments and the leer on his face. She knew he was trying to bait her and that was something she wasn't going to allow. "That's not going to happen. What are doing here, JR?"

"I'm just going for a stroll in the park, enjoying this lovely weather."

"What are you doing in Pine Valley?"

"I'm back to see my son."

"After being away for a year, you finally decide to come back?"

Kendall crossed her arms and smirked. "If you asked me, I think the only thing you've found out about yourself while you were 'trying to find yourself' is that you are still a disgusting pig."

JR glared at the older brunette. "I don't recall asking you, Kendall, and I really don't give a damn what you think. I'll have you know that I'm a changed man."

"That's highly debatable. If you were, you wouldn't have shown up at school without telling anyone." Bianca scoffed.

"I just wanted to see my son. I have that right, and there isn't anything you can do about it."

"There's an order in place, JR, and you know it. You're not allowed to have unsupervised visits. If you want to see AJ, you have to ask Marissa and me. We haven't forgotten that you tried to take AJ out of the country without her permission. That's why the order's still in place. You violate it, you're going to jail. Don't even think that we won't enforce it."

JR stepped forward trying to intimidate Bianca. "You really think you can stop me?"

Bianca didn't back down one inch. Her steely gaze was unwavering. "There's no thinking about it. I know I can stop you."

JR saw the look in his former friend's eyes, and it made him back down. He decided to try another tact. "Look, you and Marissa are going to have another baby. You're going to have your hands full. I could help you with that by …"

"Don't even finish that thought. You can't honestly think for one minute that we would give AJ up, that we would think it's possible to replace him." Bianca shook her head in disbelief and disgust. "AJ is part of our family, and we love him. We're not giving him up or replacing him."

"Fine. I was just thinking of you." JR tried smoothly. Inside, he was kicking himself. He probably should've known better. It wouldn't be that easy or simple with them. It never was.

"Like hell you were. You were thinking about yourself just like you always do. I can't even believe you."

JR thought of another angle to try. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm desperate. I just want to see my son."

"If that's all you want, then you need to run it by us first. We'll talk to AJ, and see what he wants to do."

"You'll talk to AJ? What in the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means we'll ask AJ whether or not he feels comfortable seeing you."

"Comfortable seeing me?! He's my son! Why wouldn't he feel comfortable seeing me? What have you been saying to him? Have you been filling his head with lies about me?" JR could feel his anger starting to build.

"You know that's not something Marissa or I would do. The last time AJ saw you, you scared him. He was afraid of what you would do. It's your anger and the way you yell and scream. You couple that with you trying to take him away from his home and family, it gave him nightmares for a while. He doesn't feel like he can trust you."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about, and I don't know any such thing. You could easily twist his thinking to whatever way you want just like you did Marissa's. Everything was just fine with my family until you decided to stick your nose into it and corrupt them. You just couldn't stand to see us happy and had to ruin everything. You're not his mother. You don't have any rights where he's concerned."

Bianca steeled herself and gritted her teeth. She would be damned if she let him make her lose her temper and be drug down to his level. "I didn't do any such thing, JR. If you remember, you were the one who asked me to help you try and win Marissa back. I wouldn't do it because I would never manipulate Marissa like that. She's more than capable of thinking for herself and making up her own mind as to what she wants. That's a concept you could just never grasp about her. I've never told her what to think, and the same goes with AJ. I wouldn't do that to them. I love them too much. The only things I've done are fall in love with Marissa and make a home with her, AJ and the girls. I've done nothing to you or taken anything away from. You've done all of that yourself."

"We'll see what the courts have to say. I have rights. You don't." JR spat.

"You lost those rights when you tried to bribe the social worker and the judge. Marissa has full custody. As for going to the courts to revisit that, you can try. The only thing you'll succeed in doing though is hurting AJ. You know, it's sad that you seem to think that Marissa will roll over and back down from a fight with you. She won't. She's not the pushover you think she is. She's strong and will do everything in her power to protect her family. So will I. You'd be wise to remember that. You won't win."

JR glared at Bianca but was forced to back down by the glint her eyes. He turned and saw his ex-wife. Her expression was unreadable to him. He remembered that she hated when others spoke for her before. Maybe, he could use that to his advantage.

"So, you're going to let her speak for you now?"

Marissa glanced at Bianca and threw her a smile before shrugging at JR's question. She had heard most of their encounter and had been tempted to step in, but she had promised Bianca that she would let her handle things. She also knew that her fiancée could more than handle herself. "It would seem so."

"You said you hated when I did that."

"I did."

"But you don't with her? What's so different now?"

"Bianca knows what I want. She listens to me and respects my thoughts, feelings and opinions. When she speaks for me, it's because she knows what I want and because she asks me before doing it. Everything she's said? It's exactly what I would say. In fact, I couldn't have said it better myself."

"You've changed and not for the better."

"I suppose I have changed some, but I beg to differ that it's not for the better. I'm more confident in myself and who I am. A large part of that is because of Bianca. It's amazing how it feels to have someone who really listens to you and is there no matter what. To have someone that loves you and doesn't treat you as a possession or a prize, that's something that I never experienced with you. Bianca hasn't corrupted me in the least little bit. She's simply loved me and treated me as an equal. That's the difference."

As Marissa talked, Bianca joined her by her side and taking her hand.

It was then that something caught JR's eye, the ring on Marissa's hand.

"What the hell's that?!"

Bianca looked at the ring and then at her fiancée. "It's an engagement ring. I asked Marissa to marry me."

"And I said 'yes'."

JR stood there looking at the couple stunned by what he'd heard. "You've got to be kidding me. You're joking, right?"

Marissa met his gaze. "I've never been more serious about anything in my life."

The blonde shook his head and spat at Bianca. "You're stealing my life, and you're not going to get away with it."

"I'm not doing anything of the kind, JR. You and Marissa are divorced, and we fell in love."

"You twisted her thinking, and it's just wrong."

"Wow, you still think that little of me. You still believe that I can't think for myself. Tell me. What's so wrong about Bianca and me being together? I remember when you tried to set Bianca up with someone from the office."

JR shook his head, unable to offer any type of argument or defense. "It just is. I want to see my son."

"Bianca told you that we'll talk with AJ and see how he feels."

"What the hell! She doesn't get to say in when I see my son!"

Seeing his anger on the rise again, Bianca positioned herself slightly in front of Marissa. She didn't think JR would physically assault the redhead, but she wasn't going to take that chance. If JR wanted to get to Marissa, he would have to go through her.

Marissa, for her part, placed her hand on Bianca's arm, reassuring and calming her at the same time. "Yes, she does because she's looking out for him and has his best interests in mind. Bianca knows exactly what AJ went through when you tried to take him and then again during the custody hearing. Now, where are you staying? Are you staying with Adam and Brooke?"

"Yes." JR replied tersely.

There had been some reluctance on the part of Adam and Brooke to let him stay with them when he showed up on their doorstep the day before because of his previous exploits. Brooke, however, convinced Adam they could keep an eye on JR if he stayed with them and make sure he kept himself in check and limit the amount of trouble he might try and cause. They knew AJ was flourishing with the couple and didn't want JR to get in the way of that.

For her part, Marissa knew the answer to that question before she even asked it. They had contacted Adam and Brooke as soon as they heard JR was back in town. Bianca had spoken with Brooke, and the older woman had assured her that the couple still had their support. During the custody fight, Adam had a change of heart when he realized JR was headed down the same road he had traveled when it came to his son. That road ended with JR being the damaged soul he was today. Adam did not want that cycle to continue in the next generation and wanted to spare his grandson that pain. It was that realization that had him throw his support behind Marissa. He knew without a doubt that she and Bianca would provide the boy a loving and stable home. Having witnessed this change in Adam, the couple readily allowed him to see his grandson. They felt it would be good for both grandfather and grandson, and time had proven them right.

"Okay. One of us will call you there after we talk with AJ. Is there anything else?"

JR shook his head and stalked off seething inside. To him, it felt like he was being replaced by Bianca, that she had stolen his life. He needed to get out of there and away from them. He needed to think.

Bianca glanced at her fiancée. "Are you okay?"

Marissa leaned in for a quick kiss. "I'm good. My fiancée saw to it that I was. What about you? You took the brunt of it from him."

"Oh, I'm good. I can handle him just fine. There's only a problem when he starts going after my family. He needs to understand that he's not married to you and hasn't been for a long time. He was the one who screwed up, and his loss is definitely my gain. And I for one am smart enough to know what I have and not let it go, ever."

Marissa grinned. "That's very good to hear, and just so you know, everything you said goes double for me."

Kendall watched the couple and shook her head as she smiled. Nothing gave her greater joy than to see her sister fight for what was truly her's and the long overdue happiness that she had found since being with Marissa. "Nicely done, ladies. I'm not sure if any of that got through to Dipshit or not though and whether or not he'll back off."

Bianca sighed knowing that her sister was more than likely right. "I have a sneaking suspicion you're right. We'll be ready for him though."

/

When the couple returned home, they pulled AJ aside to speak with him in private.

"So, AJ, your dad is back in town."

"He is?" He knew Miranda had seen him outside school, but to have his mothers confirm his presence made it all too real.

"Yes, his is. Bianca and I saw him earlier today."

"What happened?"

The couple had already decided that they would never reveal to AJ everything his father had said.

"We talked. He told us that he wants to see you. Marissa and I told him that we would talk with you about it."

"Do I have to see him?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, you don't, not if you don't want to."

AJ fidgeted in his chair. "What if I want to?"

"If you do, that's okay too. We'll make that happen. Bianca and I won't be upset with you at all if you do."

"One of us will be there with you if you do see him." Bianca added seeing a worried look on her son's face.

AJ breathed easier knowing he wouldn't be alone with his dad if he did see him. The boy was torn about what he wanted to do. Part of him wanted to see his dad just as much as a part of him didn't want to see him. He still loved his dad, but he didn't necessarily like him especially when he yelled and said mean things about his Moms. "Do I have to tell you now?"

"No, you don't. You take as much time as you want and need. Whatever you decide will be just fine with us, and we'll be there for you no matter what. We don't want you to worry about us. Okay?"

AJ nodded. The relief that he didn't have to make a decision then and there was clearly evident. "Okay."

"If you want to talk about any of this, all you have to do is let us know."

"Thanks, Ma. Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome, Buddy. I love you."

"I love you too, AJ."

"Love you both."

/

A few days later

Marissa sat on a table in the exam room of the Franklin Clinic waiting for Dr. Roeth to come in and begin the insemination procedure. Bianca was right by her side holding her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Breathe, Rissa."

"Sorry. I guess I'm more nervous than I thought I would be."

"It's alright and perfectly normal to be nervous."

"Ms. Montgomery's right. Everyone is nervous when we do this. In fact, I'd be worried if you weren't." Dr. Roeth smiled as she did her best to reassure the redhead. "Are you alright to get started?"

Marissa took a deep breath and exhaled. "Yes, I am."

"Good. I need you to lie back and try to relax."

The redhead did as instructed. Bianca placed a gentle and loving kiss on Marissa's forehead. Their hands remained linked throughout the entire procedure.

/

"We're done." Dr. Roeth informed the couple a short while later. "I just want you to relax here for a little bit and then you can go. Remember what I told you, no strenuous activity today and limited activity tomorrow. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call. I'm here when you need me. I'll have a nurse come back and let you know when you can get up. Good luck."

"Thank you, Dr. Roeth. I'll make sure she follows doctor's orders." Bianca smiled while the doctor chuckled at her reply having no doubt the brunette would do just that.

"How are you doing, Rissa? Any discomfort?"

Marissa exhaled. "I'm doing okay and no discomfort so far. I'm glad it's over and really hoping it worked."

"Me too. If it doesn't though, I don't want you to worry. We'll try again."

"Thank you. So, what do you have planned for me today since I can't really do anything? You were pretty sneaky about your plans."

Bianca smiled. "I suppose I can tell you now. We'll go back to the hotel, have a nice late lunch in our suite and then we'll go to the spa for a little pampering of a manicure and pedicure."

Marissa's face lit up. "Oh, I love you! I can't remember the last time I had a mani/pedi. There just hasn't been time what with our jobs and shuttling the kids to all of their activities."

"I know. There really hasn't been, but I intend to see that we change that. This isn't just because of us trying to have a baby either. We need to make time for us, something that focuses on us being Marissa and Bianca the couple and not just the kids' moms. To that end, I was thinking of a regular date night. It could be as simple as us going out to dinner and maybe a movie, but something that's just for us."

"You won't get any argument from me on that. I'm completely onboard with the idea of a regular date night for us. I love spending time alone with you."

Bianca leaned in for a loving kiss. "I was hoping you would be onboard with my idea. I'll plan the first one when we get back home."

"You're really too good to me."

"That's simply not possible and never will be."

/

"Hey, Binx. How are things going in New York?"

"It's going okay."

"And Red?"

Bianca smiled. It meant so much to her that Kendall truly cared about Marissa and had been so supportive of them from the start. "She's doing good. We just finished lunch. She's going to rest a little before we go to the spa. How are things there?"

Kendall understood what her sister was saying without her actually saying it. "So far, so good. Everyone is behaving themselves for the moment."

"That's good to hear." Bianca breathed a little easier hearing that things were still relatively calm. JR had steered clear of AJ for the past week even though he had started to call Marissa's cellphone on a regular basis several times a day to try and weaken her resolve. That was something that wasn't going to happen. Marissa was resolute on protecting AJ and not pressuring him. This resulted in more pressure on her however and that was something Bianca was trying to diffuse for her fiancée. To that end, she and Marissa decided to have JR's number blocked on the redhead's cellphone. This left him with the only option of calling Bianca's cellphone because their home phone was unlisted and there wasn't a soul in Pine Valley that was going to give him that number. JR was loathed to call Bianca and was doing his best to avoid her.

The sisters talked for a few more minutes before ending the call.

"I know you have to be as exhausted as Red. Why don't you go take a nap with her? You can call us later. I know the kids will be chomping at the bit to talk to you both then."

"Thanks, Kendall. You're right. Neither of us slept all that well last night. We were both anxious about today so it was a late night and an early morning. I'll call you later."

Bianca disconnected the call and walked into the bedroom. She couldn't help but smile seeing Marissa asleep on the bed. She was so beautiful, and it never failed to take her breath away. The brunette joined her fiancée in bed as carefully as possible so as not to wake her.

"Hey." Marissa smiled sleepily, taking Bianca's arm and pulling her closer.

"Hey. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You can wake me up anytime you want. How are things at home?"

"Honestly, they're good."

Marissa nodded. "I'm glad you decided to join me. I know how tired you are, and don't even think of telling me otherwise."

Bianca chuckled. Marissa knew her all too well. "I wouldn't dream of it. Go back to sleep. We've got plenty of time for a nap." Bianca kissed Marissa softly as she spooned her.

/

Two days later

Bianca and Marissa were back home after their trip to New York and from having picked up the kids from Kendall and Zach's.

"Mom, Ma, can I talk to you?"

Marissa stopped setting the table and glanced over at her son. "Of course you can, Buddy."

Bianca turned down the heat on the stove and joined Marissa and AJ at the table. "What's up?"

"I was thinking that I do want to see my dad. I miss him. I don't want to, but I do. Is that okay?" AJ looked nervously between his Moms.

Marissa smiled softly at her son. "Yes, AJ, it's okay."

"You're not mad at me?"

"No, sweetheart, we're not mad. We understand."

"Your Ma is right. We do. I'll call your dad and set something up."

"Will you be there with me?"

"Yes, one if not both of us will be right there with you. We don't want you to worry about anything, okay?

AJ nodded. "Okay."

"Good. Why don't you help me finish setting the table while Bianca calls your dad?"

/

Bianca grabbed her cellphone and headed into the family room for privacy.

"Chandler."

"JR, it's Bianca."

"It's about damn time you called me. Have fun in New York?" JR didn't even try and hide the snarkiness in his voice. He had tried to find out exactly where they were going in hopes of causing some trouble for the couple, but he didn't have any luck.

Bianca ignored the question. "AJ would like to see you."

"Ha! I knew he would! This must really be bothering you and Marissa. I know the two of tried your hardest to fill my son's head with lies about me, but it didn't do any good, now did it? He still loves me and wants me in his life, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it." JR gloated. "I want you to bring him over to the mansion tomorrow morning, and I'll drop him off at your place tomorrow night. I just need you to tell me where you live."

"Are you done?" Bianca waited a beat before continuing. "Good. Now, I'm going to tell you how this is really going to go because you seem to have forgotten a few facts. Namely, Marissa has full custody, and there is a court order in place that prohibits you from seeing him unsupervised. You also seem to forget that you're not in charge, and you don't get to make the decisions and tell us what to do. So, you can see him tomorrow, but I'm not bringing him to the mansion and you're not coming to our home. We'll meet you at Krystal's tomorrow afternoon. You're not going to see him alone. I'll be there the whole time making sure he's safe and that you don't try anything. AJ may want to see you, but he doesn't want to be alone with you. Take it or leave it."

JR gritted his teeth. "Fine! We'll play it your way, for now." We'll see what my new lawyer has to say about all of this. Enjoy this while you can, Binky.

"Bye, JR." Bianca disconnected the call. The couple knew that JR was up to something and had already contacted Caleb and Jack. Gone were the days where they would wait for him to make a move before they scrambled for a counter plan of attack. If JR thought he was going to walk all over them, he was definitely in for a rude awakening.