A/N: Thanks, as always, for reading, reviewing and following! It means a lot. Yeah, I was kind of evil with the cliffhanger from the last chapter. It's my evil side I tell ya. She's back after having been subdued by the cough medicine. I know that you, dear readers, live all over the world. I'm in the States in the Midwest and we are getting hammered by polar vortexes and artic blasts. We just got some more snow which I'm about to go shovel, and the temperatures have been below zero (that's in Fahrenheit) several times. We're going to hit those frigid temps again next week. I'm ready for spring. Enough of that rant, time to bundle up and go shovel some snow. This chapter picks up where the last left off. Hope you enjoy this update!

/

"Thank you, Lisa. I really appreciate you helping out until I find a secretary. Hopefully, you won't have to do it for very long. I'll be interviewing secretaries in the next day or two while I'm also working on getting our team setup. It's a good thing I had a light week scheduled meeting wise." Marissa was interrupted by her office phone ringing. She checked the caller id and recognized the number immediately. "Excuse me a minute. This is the private investigator working on the Walkers' case."

"No problem. Go ahead."

Marissa spoke briefly with the investigator and was not happy with what she heard. She set up a time to meet with him in person. When she hung up, Marissa muttered under her breath. "Dammit."

Lisa glanced up. "I'm guessing it wasn't good news."

"No, it wasn't. Let me rephrase, it's not looking like it's going to be. He's not 100% sure on this yet and needs to do a little more digging, but he may have found a relative of Sam's."

"You're right, that's not good. That could affect the Walkers' adoption of her."

"Yes, it could. It all depends on, if this turns out to be true, the connection between that relative and Sam. Courts tend to try and keep the biological connection. They lean more towards it. Thankfully, it's not always the case, but more weight is definitely given to biology. When I talked with Sam at the beginning of this process, she didn't know of any relatives that were still alive."

"That's sad that she didn't have anyone else back then."

"It is. Her parents were a little older when they had her. Sam's mother was an only child and her parents passed away a few years back. Her father's parents died a while ago as well. He did have a sister but there was a falling out. They hadn't seen each other in years."

"Do you know why?"

"Yes, and because I'm going to need some help on this case, I can tell you all of this. She had a history of substance abuse, heroin to be precise. His sister had stolen from them to support her habit. At first, it was small amounts, just a few dollars that would go missing here and there. Then, more and more money would disappear. This always seemed to happen when she visited Sam's family. Somehow, she got a hold of their credit cards and ran up the charges on them. She then opened up others in their names. By the time they figured everything out, their credit was shot all to hell and they were deeply in debt. Sam didn't know a lot of this. They kept this from her as best they could. We got most of this information from a police report they filed."

"They pressed charges then?"

"Yes, they did. It was their only recourse to try and salvage their credit and really their lives. It turns out the Robinsons weren't the only ones whose identities she stole. She ended up going away for a year. There was hope that she would get clean. No such luck though. When she was released, she fell right back into her old habits. They ended up finally a restraining order against her to keep her out of their lives, and they hadn't seen her since they'd gotten it."

"What happened to her? I know that she died but that's it."

"She overdosed. The police found her in a condemned building. It was scheduled to be demolished, and the police were clearing out the squatters."

"God, that's awful."

Marissa nodded. "Yes, it is."

"Did the investigator give you any idea of who the relative is or what their connection might be?"

"No, he needed to follow up on this lead he had. He'll have a better idea by the time we meet."

"Are you going to tell them?"

Marissa sighed. "I'm torn but leaning towards telling Gail and Alex. I don't want this to come out of nowhere if it turns out to be true. That would be devastating to them."

"You're probably right. I suppose that I'd want to know if I was in their situation."

"That's my thought too. I'm going to call them and see when they can meet. I'd like to do it as soon as possible. I was hoping for this afternoon, but I'm booked solid after everything that's happened this morning."

A knock on the door interrupted the pair and had Marissa checking the time. Her first appointment setup by Lisa was here.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Hi, Claudia. Come on in. You're right on time. Lisa and I were just finishing up."

Lisa smiled. "Sorry, it's my fault. Do you want me to call the Walkers and set up something for you?"

"Ordinarily, I'd say yes, but I want to handle this myself. I'll take care of it, but thank you."

"No problem. I think I'll go check in with boss #2 then and see if he needs anything. I'll check back with you later."

"Thanks." Once Lisa left, Marissa turned her attention to the other lawyer. "Claudia, thank you for fitting me in. I know how busy you are."

"It's not a problem at all. Congratulations again on being made partner. You really do deserve it."

"Thank you."

"Can I be honest?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way and have always appreciated the fact that you are a straight shooter and tell it like it is."

"Thanks and same here. It's really nice to have a woman as one of the partners here finally. You broke through that glass ceiling and that's very gratifying to see."

"I'm honored to be the first and hopefully not the last, at least if I have anything to say about it. Obviously as you know, I'm leading the family law department and have the opportunity to create my team. I'd like you to consider joining me. I admire your work and honestly believe you would be a valuable asset."

The other woman smiled. "Thank you. When Lisa stopped by earlier and asked if I had time to meet with you, I was hoping you were going to ask me that."

"Is that a 'yes'?"

"It's definitely a 'yes'." Claudia really was happy to be joining Marissa. She not only respected her and her work, but she liked her. She seemed like a truly good person. What you saw with her was what you got. There were no pretenses and that was something Claudia liked and appreciated, especially in a boss.

"Great! Welcome aboard! Would you like to have your paralegal Mark come with you?"

"Yes, I would, if that's alright. He's kind of become my right hand."

"It's more than alright with me. I'm still trying to get some things organized. I have a couple of other people that I want to talk to and need to interview secretaries. I hope to have that all taken care of in the next day or two. Once I do, I'll set up a team meeting and then we can get to work. In the meantime, I'd like you to think about the department and how you'd like to see it, the direction you'd like it to go in. Like I said earlier, I welcome the input."

"I will. Could I ask who else you have in mind for the department?"

"Sure. No official announcement has been made yet, but Brian has been made a full associate and Lisa a junior associate. They have agreed to come on board."

Claudia nodded. "I'm glad to hear that. They're both good and work hard."

"You are right about that. Please keep this next part private since I haven't had the chance to talk to them yet. I plan to ask Brandon and Sofia to join us as well."

"Wow, you are picking a killer team. Don't worry, I won't say anything."

Marissa smiled. "Thank you. I'd like to think it's a pretty damn good team. If Brandon and Sofia join, I'm assuming they will want to bring along their paralegals."

"Will Lisa report to Brian?" Claudia asked. It was standard practice at the firm to have junior associates pair up with newer full associates while they got up to speed with their increased responsibilities instead of paralegals. Plus, she caught Lisa's remark about 'boss #2' earlier.

"Yes, she will. They work together well, and it will be good experience for both of them. I will have her work with you and the associates in our department as well though. Eventually, we'll get another paralegal which they'll share for a while."

"I look forward to working with her. She's good." Claudia knew about Lisa and how good she was. The lawyer expected no less since Marissa trained her.

"I'm glad to hear that. Do you have any other questions for me right now?"

"No, I'm good for now. I'll get my brain to working on what you asked. I'm really looking forward to this."

"So am I. If you think of anything, you know where to find me. And again, I'm really glad to have you on board."

Marissa sighed in relief after Claudia left. She was glad to have her on the team. There was a definite respect between the women, and they had worked well together in the past. Claudia also supported Marissa when she was dealing with Vicki and Tim which was something the redhead would never forget. Now, she could only hope her next interviews went as well. If they did, she'd be all set. The redhead's office phone rang snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Hi, Ellie. What's up?"

The firm's receptionist smiled on the other end of the line. She liked the redhead and was happy about her promotion. "First, congratulations on the promotion. I didn't get the chance to say it earlier."

"Thank you."

"Second, I know you have a lot going on right now, but I've got Taylor from Human Resources on the other line. She needs to talk to you, something about a job posting."

"Ah yes, I need to do one for a secretary. Alright, you can put her through please, and thanks."

/

Bianca paused before walking through the glass doors leading to the firm's law offices. Marissa's name was already stenciled in with the names of the other partners. The brunette traced the lettering with a combination of love and pride. She glanced up as one of the doors was opened from the other side. A dark haired man smiled and held the door open for her. Bianca nodded, smiled and stepped inside before thanking him. He nodded in return before leaving through the same door.

"Hi, Ellie." Bianca smiled in greeting the receptionist.

The woman responded in kind. "Hi, Bianca. How are you?"

"I'm good. How about you?"

"I can't complain. So, what do you think of our latest partner? The name looks pretty good up there with the others, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it most certainly does. I couldn't be prouder of her. How'd the announcement go?"

"It went really good. Jack gave a great speech to introduce her, and everyone was really happy about it. She gave a pretty good speech too."

"My wife does have a way with words." Bianca couldn't hide the smile that seemed to come with that phrase. "Do you know if she's free right now? I knew she'd be busy today so I brought her lunch."

Bianca always checked in with the receptionist first before heading to Marissa's office. She never assumed that it was safe to walk on back to her wife's office and interrupt. Marissa could be with a client, and Bianca would never intrude on someone else's privacy. Ellie appreciated the courtesy immensely having worked in a couple of firms where the spouses of the partners were not nearly as considerate as Bianca Tasker-Montgomery. "I'm honestly not sure. I know she's had a lot of people going in and out of her office today. I'll call back for you, or better yet. Lisa!" Ellie had spotted the young lawyer.

The blonde glanced in her direction and smiled. "What's up, Ellie? Oh hi, Bianca."

"Hi, Lisa."

"Do you know if Marissa's free right now and up for a visitor?"

Lisa smiled. "Actually, yes, she is free and has a break between meetings. I was just going to run and get her some lunch, but I see that's not necessary. Come on, I'll walk back with you so I can get my purse and head out for myself."

Bianca nodded. "Thanks, Ellie, and have a good day."

"You too, Bianca."

/

"Before I forget, congratulations, Lisa! Rissa told me you accepted the new position."

"Thank you! I can't tell you how much it means. Plus, I still get to work for her. It couldn't be better. Congratulations to you as well. Marissa told Brian and me about the baby. I couldn't be happier for the two of you. Boss junior is going to be a lucky kid."

Bianca laughed at the nickname. "Thank you. We're pretty happy ourselves."

"Oh, Marissa mentioned her limit on caffeine. Just so you know, I'm on it. I've been looking into healthier alternatives that will still give her a boost of energy."

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

"She thought you might, and I'm happy to do it." The pair stopped at Marissa's office. "Here you are. Have a good lunch. I'll see you later."

"You too."

/

"Hi, Gail."

"Hi, Marissa. What can I do for you? Oh, before I forget, congratulations! Sam told us Bianca told some of the staff at the Center that the two of you are expecting. That's wonderful news."

"Thanks. We're pretty happy about it. How did she find out already? She's not scheduled to be at the Center until after school."

"Aya sent her a text after Bianca told them. Sam was so excited that she called me between classes."

"Ah, that makes sense."

"I don't think she's the most excited one in our family though. That honor belongs to Carol. She was thrilled beyond words. You can probably expect a call from her sometime really soon."

Marissa chuckled. "I look forward to talking to her. I guess it won't take long for word to get around especially after Opal finds out. I'm not sure if it will be Erica or Krystal to tell her. It all depends on who sees her first. After that, I don't really think Bianca and I have to worry about telling anyone else. It'll all be taken care of."

"You've got that right about how fast word travels in this town, and Opal is usually at the epicenter. So, what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you and Alex were free tomorrow, maybe in the afternoon?"

"Let me check real quick. Yeah, we are. Do you have an update for us?"

"I have a partial update, and I wanted to go over a few things with the two of you."

"Okay. Anything you want to tell me now?"

"No, I want to wait if that's okay with you."

"Alright. We can wait. Is 3:00 okay?"

Marissa scanned down tomorrow's calendar page. It was filling up quickly. "That works for me. I'll see you tomorrow."

"We'll see you then."

The redhead hung up and sighed heavily. She could hear the wariness in Gail's voice. A knock on the door had her glancing up. When she saw her wife standing there, a huge smile spread across her face. Seeing Bianca's smiling face was exactly what she needed. "Hey."

"Hey yourself. How are you doing?" Bianca crossed the room, set the bag from Krystal's on the desk and gave her wife a quick kiss.

"Mmm, I'm doing much better now." Marissa pulled Bianca back down for another kiss. "You brought me lunch!"

"Yeah. I knew you were going to be too busy today to actually get out for it, and I want to make sure both you and our little one are well taken care of."

"Thank you. You're going to join me, right? Because that taking care of thing goes both ways."

"Yes, I am." While Bianca unpacked the lunch, Marissa grabbed two bottles of water from her small refrigerator.

As they began to eat, the couple chatted.

"I saw your name on the door when I came in. I have to say that it looks pretty damn good."

Marissa grinned. "Yeah, it does, doesn't it? Don't tell anyone, but I took a picture of it."

Bianca laughed. "I won't say anything, and I don't blame you one bit. I would've taken a picture of it myself if some guy wasn't coming through the door when I got here. I still might try and sneak one when I leave. I have to show off your big news. I hear the announcement went over really well, not that I thought it wouldn't."

"It did. Jack was very generous. I'm also making progress on my team."

"That's great. I know you have Brian and Lisa. Who else?"

"Claudia and Sofia are joining. I'm meeting with Brandon later this afternoon. Then, I'll be concentrating on a secretary."

"Is that why you were sighing when I came in?"

"You heard that, huh? No, it wasn't. I was setting up a meeting with Gail and Alex for tomorrow. I received what's looking like bad news regarding Sam's adoption."

"Oh no, I hate to hear that. Are you able to tell me? If not, I understand."

Marissa put down her sandwich. "Because they've gave me permission to tell you about the case before, I can tell you what I know right now. I had a call from the investigator we have working on their case. It's looking like Sam might have a relative of some sort out there."

"No! Dammit. I really don't want to hear that. They've all been so happy."

"Yeah, I know. It's not for sure. He's still following up on the lead. It's going to take him a few more days to track it down."

"You're going to talk to Gail and Alex about this tomorrow." It wasn't a question. Bianca knew her wife and knew why she was doing this. It's what she would do.

"Yeah, they need to know exactly what's going on. I don't want them to be blindsided by anything. When they asked me to help, they had me promise to be straight with them, not to sugarcoat anything, and I agreed."

"What are the chances of this relative getting custody of Sam?"

"It's hard to say. The courts do like to keep biological families together if they can. They want them to have that connection. You and I know, however, that's not always best for the child. Sam is 16 so they will definitely listen to her and take her feelings into account. Besides, if this turns out to be true and there's no proof that it is yet, but if it is, we're going to fight. I will fight for them for however long they want me to because I honestly believe Sam belongs with them. She's thrived under them, and she's happy. I'll do whatever I can to keep that family together and more importantly to keep Sam safe."

"I have no doubt that you will. If there is anything I can do to help, I will, just let me know."

"I know, and I will."

/

"Hey, Ellie, I was wondering …" Lisa stopped when she saw what the receptionist had up on her computer screen. "Are you thinking of posting for the position of Marissa's secretary?"

The brunette looked around. "Yeah, I am. Don't get me wrong, I like my job, but it's not the most challenging. I'd like to try something new."

"Go for it!"

"Could I ask you what Marissa's like to work for?"

"Honestly? She's great. She's not a pushover by any stretch of the imagination, but she's really fair and will back you up and fight for you when you need her to. Marissa can spot a phony a mile away which is something she had to learn the hard way, but it's a great skill. It's something I wish I could do as easily."

"So if I were to apply, any advice for me?"

"Be honest and upfront with her. She values that more than anything. She doesn't like kiss-ups. I would just say be yourself, and you should be pretty good."

"Thanks. So, what can I do for you?"

"Oh, I was wondering if you knew who I could talk to about ordering some other healthier drink alternatives to stock up on in the break room. I found some that I think people will like."

"Do I want to know why?"

"There's a reason, but I can't really say."

Ellie nodded. "Alright, try Greg. He should be able to help you."

"Thanks! And like I said before about the job, go for it."

/

After she and Marissa finished lunch and kissed each other goodbye, Bianca left her wife's office and headed for the firm's exit. She stopped when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.

"Bianca!"

"Hey, Brian."

"Congratulations!" The two laughed at their simultaneous well wishes and stepped into Brian's office.

"Ladies first."

"Thank you. Congratulations on the promotion!"

"Thanks! I was hoping it would happen but wasn't expecting it right now. I was thinking maybe next year so it was a surprise, a really great one though. I have to tell you what makes it even better is being able to work for Marissa. She's going to make a great partner, and I'm honored she asked me to join her team."

"Well, she respects and trusts you. Plus, she wouldn't have asked you if she didn't believe you could do a good job. What did Stef say?"

Brian smiled. "She said pretty much what you just did. She's taking me out tonight to celebrate. Speaking of celebrating, congratulations to you! Marissa told me and Lisa about the baby earlier. That's just the best news."

"Thanks. I couldn't agree with you more."

"When I told Stef that piece of news, she literally screamed she was so happy. She said something about it making sense now why Marissa didn't drink during the bachelorette party, but that it ended up being a good thing."

Bianca laughed. "Yeah, it definitely was, and no, I'm not going to give you any details about the party so you can just stop trying to them out of me. You forget I live with a lawyer. I know the tricks."

Brian sighed. "You can't blame a guy for trying. Anyway, Jamie will be having a playmate soon."

"Yes, he will. Is he taking part in your celebration tonight?"

"Ah no, Stef is going to get a sitter, and we are going out on a proper date, grownups only."

"Good for you! Could I ask you to do me a favor?"

"Sure. Anything."

"Could you keep an eye on Rissa and make sure she doesn't overdo and get too stressed out? She's putting her team together, interviewing secretaries, moving offices, handling her current case load …"

"Say no more. I'll be happy to pitch in wherever I can."

"Thanks. I know that she can do it. I have no doubt about that at all. It's just that with the baby, it's even more."

"You're worried about her and the baby. I understand, trust me. I was like that with Stef when she was pregnant with Jamie. Do you mind if I give you a little advice? It could help you from making the mistake I did and help avoid a fight."

Bianca nodded. She was not above taking some advice, especially on this. Yes, she had been pregnant before. That was the thing though, she had been pregnant. Now, she was on the other side, and this was an entirely different experience for her. "Yes, please."

"It's okay to be worried about her, about them. You can't help it, and it's perfectly natural. The trick is to strike that balance. You know, of worrying about her, making sure she's okay, not overdoing and knowing you can't do everything for her, letting her be herself and believing she'll be okay. I got real overprotective of Stef at one point, and she finally had enough and laid into me, big time. I'll admit that she had every right to. I was treating her as this, for lack of a better description, delicate flower, and she is far that. She is strong and independent and couldn't stand that I was basically trying to put her in bubble wrap. She absolutely hated it, and once she called me on it, I honestly couldn't blame her. I know I'd hate being treated that way. I think Marissa is a lot like her. Your wife …" Brian paused. "Wow, that's the first time I've called her that. Sounds really nice."

"Yeah, it does." Bianca smiled brightly.

"Your wife is fearless, and I really mean that. She is one of the strongest people I know. When I think of the things that she's been through, I don't know if I could've gotten through it all. She did though and look at her. She has a wonderful, loving family and is a success professionally."

"She has some pretty great friends too."

"Thanks. You know what I mean. When you look at where she was, especially when she first came to Pine Valley, to where she is now, it's amazing, and she did it because she's strong, tough and a fighter. She fights for those that she cares about and loves, and her family is at the very top of that list. She will do whatever she needs to do to make sure that this baby is safe. It's just what she does when it comes to family. Granted, she might not like some of what she might have to do like slow down a little, but she'll do it. Just remember, she's not made of glass and won't break very easily"

Bianca smiled. Brian was right and had described Marissa to a 'T'. She was incredibly strong, brave, fearless, and she would definitely do whatever was needed to make sure their little one was safe. The brunette silently berated herself. She'd forgotten what she felt like when she was pregnant. She was still the same person she'd always been and just as capable. The only difference was that she was pregnant. The same was true for Marissa. She just needed to remember that, and Brian had helped her do that. "You're right. Thank you. I remember now what I felt like when I was pregnant. It drove me nuts."

"One other thing to keep in mind, I was so focused on trying to do everything myself so Stef didn't have to do anything, worry about anything. That wasn't good. All it ended up doing was stressing me out and straining our relationship. I finally realized that I couldn't do it all. No one can, including you. Please don't take that wrong way."

Bianca stopped him. "I'm not offended at all. I know I can't do it all. It's a lesson I learned the hard way. So trust me, I know I'm not Wonder Woman."

Brian chuckled. "You're a hell of a lot closer to being her than I am to being Superman. Seriously though, I will help her as much as she lets me. I don't have a problem with that at all. Whatever the two of you need, let me know. I'll do my best to help."

"Thank you. I appreciate it, and I really appreciate the advice and this talk. It's definitely something I'm going to take to heart. If you ask me, Stef's a pretty lucky woman."

The man actually blushed slightly. He wasn't exactly comfortable taking compliments. "I don't know about that, but do me a favor? Could you tell her that the next time she gets on me for forgetting to put the seat back down or not putting a roll of toilet paper on the spindle?"

Bianca laughed. "I'll see what I can do, but I can't promise it'll help. Those are pretty big offenses."

Brian sighed dramatically. "Yeah, that's pretty much what Stef has said."

"Okay, I need to go and let you get back to work. I don't want to get you in trouble with the boss. Thanks again though for everything."

"You're welcome."

"I'll see you later."