A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! It's greatly appreciated. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!
/
Marissa arrived at Krystal's a couple of minutes before Bianca. Instead of going in right away, she opted to wait for her wife so they could go in together. When the redhead saw her pull up and park, she walked over and opened the car door for her with a bright smile on her face.
"You waited for me."
"Always."
The couple shared a tender kiss before separating and heading inside. As they took their seats at their table, they waved to Krystal and Opal who were behind the counter. Krystal was talking to a dark-haired man with flecks of gray in it and going over what looked to be blueprints. Opal was talking to a customer. Both women smiled and indicated they would be over shortly. Just a minute or two later, the Dynamic Duo made their way into the restaurant. A smile crossed both of their faces when they saw the couple. It had been a few days since they had seen each other, and they were eager to catch up.
"Hey, Binx, Red. Long time no see."
"It's good to see you're both coming up for air."
"Really, Greenlee? How many times do we have to go over this?" Kendall rolled her eyes.
Greenlee grinned. "Oh yeah, I keep forgetting."
Kendall muttered. "The hell you do. You just enjoy torturing me. And why do you always think they're doing that?"
"Well, they are newlyweds. I mean you remember what it was like when you and Zach were first married. Plus, Marissa's got pregnancy hormones going on. That always adds to the fun."
"Hi, Kendall. Hi, Greenlee. How are the two of you doing?" Bianca asked while her sister and cousin continued their discussion.
Marissa chuckled and answered for the friends. "We're good. How are you?"
"We're good too. It's nice to see you."
"It's nice to both of you too. What have you been up to?"
Kendall and Greenlee stopped their bickering and watched the couple's exchange. The friends shook their heads, clearly amused and getting the hint.
"The two of you are really cute." Greenlee rolled her eyes as she took a seat.
"Sorry, ladies." Kendall nodded in her best friend's direction. "Trouble over here just loves to torment me."
"She's right. I do. In all fairness, she does the same to me too."
Bianca laughed. "You're both right. It is good to see you both though."
Kendall smiled at her sister. "It's really good to see both of you as well, especially you, Red. You've been putting in a lot of hours lately at work."
"Yeah, I have. I've been working on Sam's case. There was a hearing today."
"Oh, that's right. How'd it go?"
"It went pretty well."
"Pretty well?" Bianca scoffed. "Oh please, she was amazing. She kicked Pete Taylor's ass."
Kendall and Greenlee burst out laughing while Marissa smiled at her wife and shook her head.
"Not that you're biased or anything, B."
"Oh, I'm completely biased, but I'm also right."
"Tell us all about this ass kicking then." Kendall asked.
"It wasn't anything special. I was just doing my job."
"Let us be the judge of that, Rocky." Greenlee smirked.
Marissa rolled her eyes before wincing slightly.
"Are you okay, Rissa?"
"I'm fine, B. I think I just need something to eat."
"You really didn't eat much at breakfast."
"Yes, I know. You told me that earlier, but like I told you at the time, I didn't feel like it." Marissa answered mildly irritated. She knew Bianca meant well, but sometimes, it could be a little much. Maybe though, she was letting her hormones get the better of her right now so she shook off the feeling as best as she could.
Bianca backed off some but did motion for a server to come over.
"So, what happened in court?"
Before either Marissa or Bianca could answer, Sam and Carol entered and headed for the counter. Seeing the foursome though, they made a detour and stopped at their table.
"What are you two doing here?" Bianca asked. "We thought you'd be home by now."
"Gail and Alex are home. None of us felt like cooking after this morning. So, we're picking up some carryout." Carol looked at Kendall and Greenlee. "I hope they've told you how amazing Marissa was."
"My sister was just getting ready to tell us that."
"Marissa."
"Yeah, Sam. What's up?"
"Could I talk to you alone for a minute?"
"Sure." The redhead turned to the others. "I'll be back."
"Take your time. I'll help Bianca tell them what happened." Carol knew what Sam wanted talk about. She'd planned on calling Marissa later, but seeing her now gave Sam the perfect opportunity to talk to her in person.
/
"I talked to Grandma and Gail after we left court. There was something those guys said earlier that bothered me, and I wanted to talk to you about it."
"Okay. We can talk about whatever you want. You know that though already."
Sam smiled. "Yeah, I do. You've been great. I want to say this, and I really hope you don't get mad or disappointed in me. They kept talking about how you were influencing me and saying some things about me and Molly that I didn't like. I wasn't exactly sure what they we're trying to say but had a pretty good idea the more I thought about it. Grandma pretty much confirmed it for me. They were trying to say that you and Bianca were …" Sam paused trying to find the right word without offending Marissa. No matter what she said, it was going to sound bad.
"Go on. I promise I won't get mad."
"They were trying to say you and Bianca were trying to convert me, trying to make me gay. You're trying to take advantage of me because of everything I'm going through right now and am confused. Am I right?"
Marissa nodded. "Yes, I think you are. That's the exact impression I got from them. You know that I would never try and influence you or take advantage of or manipulate you. You are your own person and more than capable of making your own decisions. Just because I'm in love with a woman doesn't mean for one minute that I'm out to have you be the same."
"I know, and I don't care that you and Bianca are together. It doesn't matter to me that you're both women. I mean, love is love to me, and the other stuff doesn't matter."
"I couldn't have said it better myself, Sam." Marissa smiled. She could tell something was still bothering the teen. "Something else is on your mind though. What is it?"
"I didn't like what they were saying. I'm not gay. Molly is just my friend. Well, she's more than my friend. We're like sisters." Sam paused.
It was suddenly clear to Marissa. "You're not gay, but Molly is, isn't she?"
"Yeah, she is. She hasn't come out to anybody else besides her family and me. If she has to come to court and testify, then …"
"Then, her sexual orientation could come out."
"Yeah, it could, and I don't want her to get hurt just because of me."
"I understand. Her sexual orientation has nothing whatsoever to do with this case, but I can easily see the other side attempting to make an issue out of it. I'll do my best to stop that from happening, but I can't promise that it won't come up. Have you talked to her about this yet?"
"No, I haven't. I'm going to talk to her tonight."
"If you want and think it might help, I'll be happy to talk to her after you've told her what's going on."
To say Marissa's offer was a big relief for Sam would be an understatement. "That'd be so great if you could. I'm sure she'll have some questions."
"It's not a problem. Call my office and make an appointment with Ellie. That way we'll have some time blocked off. You guys can just swing by after school one day."
"Thanks, Marissa!"
/
"That snake kept trying to bait Marissa and make her lose her temper, but she wouldn't do it." Carol smiled. "If it was me, I'm sure I would've let him have it with both barrels."
"That's the thing about Rissa. People think they can do that. She's not that easy to bait though. Yeah, she has a temper, but who doesn't? I know I do."
Kendall nodded as sister spoke. "I think it's the red hair. I'm serious about this. There's a stereotype about redheads being short tempered. Whether or not that's fair, I don't know. I can only say that my sister-in-law isn't like that."
"What aren't I like?" Marissa asked as she and Sam rejoined the others. The redhead placed the glass of iced tea she had ordered while talking with Sam on the table. She saw Bianca eye the beverage with a look of disapproval.
"Carol was just telling us how Payne was trying to bait you, but you weren't falling for it. He probably thought it would be easy since redheads are notorious for short fuses." Greenlee explained.
"Ah."
Carol looked at Sam. "Is everything okay?"
"Yep, let's get our lunch and go home. I'll see you later this week, Marissa."
"I'll see you, Sam. I would like to speak with Gail, Alex and you as well, Carol. We'll set something up, okay?"
"We'll be ready whenever you need us, dear. Thank you again for today." With that, Carol and Sam headed to the counter to pick up their order.
Kendall grinned at her sister-in-law. "From what Carol told us, it sounds like you really did kick some ass today, Red."
Marissa shrugged. "I try my best."
"I ordered your chili cheese fries." Bianca said.
"Thanks, I'm starving."
"I also got you a lemonade. You know you need to watch the caffeine."
"Please, don't start. I really needed it. It helped settle my stomach."
"You're not feeling well?" Krystal asked as she joined the group.
"I'm fine. My stomach's bothering me a little. I just need to eat something. Once I do, I'll be good to go."
"You're drinking iced tea? Who brought you that? I told them not to unless they checked with Bianca first. All that caffeine isn't good for you. I'll get you some ginger ale. That always helped Babe when her stomach bothered her, especially when she was pregnant with AJ. I'll be right back."
Marissa sat quietly as she tried to calm herself down while the others watched unsure of what to say. They could all plainly see that she was upset by what the older woman had just said.
Bianca spoke first. "Rissa, you know she didn't mean anything by it."
Marissa glared at her wife. "Don't. I need to go."
"But you haven't eaten yet."
"I'm not very hungry anymore."
"Rissa."
"No. Just don't. I'll see you at home. I need to stop by the office and pick something up. I won't be long though."
Bianca bristled slightly. "I thought you were done working for the day."
"I am. I just need to pick something up. Like I said, it won't take long. We'll still have time to ourselves before the kids get home. Oh, we have to help AJ and Miranda out on their school projects. They're not due for another week, but they want to get started on them."
Bianca realized she'd forgotten something. "Oh, I can't tonight. I forgot that I'm meeting Brittney tonight to work on our project for class."
Marissa stared at her wife. What had started out as a good day had progressively gotten worse. This latest piece of news was just the icing on the cake. "Will Brittney be coming to the house again?"
"No, we're going to meet here. I'm sorry. I forgot all about it until you mentioned the kids' projects."
"So much for celebrating." Marissa saw Krystal approaching and just couldn't deal with her right now, especially after the attempted comparison to the sister she never knew. "I need to go. I'll see you later." The redhead grabbed her purse and left.
Kendall and Greenlee exchanged a glance with both wondering what the hell was going on. Bianca and Marissa always shared a quick kiss whenever one would leave without the other. It was something the friends had teased them about. That didn't happen this time, and both women looked fairly upset. The friends hoped they resolved whatever was going on between them quickly.
Seeing her sister was upset, Kendall tried to talk to her. "Binx."
Bianca took a deep breath. "I need to go."
"What about lunch? You haven't eaten anything either."
"You know, I'm not all that hungry myself right now. I'll see you later."
Krystal looked on confused after seeing both Marissa and Bianca leave suddenly. "Is everything alright with them? I hope it wasn't anything I said." The last statement was made jokingly.
Kendall and Greenlee were at a loss for words because, well, what she'd said, intentional or not, was somewhat to blame for the couple's abrupt departure. They could see that realization dawn on her.
Krystal was instantly kicking herself. She really hadn't meant to hurt her daughter. She just wasn't thinking, and because of her carelessness, she had done exactly that. Krystal only hoped that Marissa would be able to forgive her.
/
Bianca was sitting in the kitchen mulling over what had happened at Krystal's earlier. She didn't hear the garage door so she was surprised to see Marissa walk through the door leading from the garage and into the kitchen.
"Hi."
"Hi. I'm a little surprised to see you so soon. I thought you were going to work."
Marissa sighed. "I told you I was just going to pick something up and that it wouldn't take long. Didn't you believe me?"
"It's just that you've been working a lot recently."
"On Sam's case, yes. You said you understood."
"I know I did. It's just that …"
"You thought I was putting work ahead of our family."
"That's not what I was going to say."
"I'm not Reese! I would never do that. I thought you knew that. Besides, this, me working on this particular case, all started because of you."
"So, this is my fault?"
"I didn't mean it that way. You asked me to listen to Sam so I did, and after I did, I had to help to her. You were good with that, at least you told me you were. Now, she needs my help again. The Walkers need my help. After everything Sam's been through and after everything Carol's done for me, I have to do this."
"I get that, but Claudia and Lisa should be helping you more."
"They are helping me. They're back at the office working so I could come home early like I said I would. I was hoping we'd be able to spend the evening together since we haven't been able to the last few days. Except now, we can't. Besides, I'm not the one that has someone following me around like a lost puppy."
"What are you talking about?"
"Brittney."
"She's a fellow student. We're in class together."
"She has the hots for you. She practically drools over you, and you brought her here into our home."
"First, you encouraged me to go back to school, and second, you're wrong. It's not like that. She doesn't think of me that way."
"You're the one who's wrong because she does, and I don't want her around here."
"She was only over here once, and it was just for a few minutes. Don't you trust me?"
"Of course, I trust you. I don't trust her, and having someone looking at you like she does around the kids gives them the wrong idea and could confuse them."
"Rissa, there's nothing going on. It's just your hor…"
"Don't blame it on my hormones. I have eyes and can see. And speaking of my pregnancy, you need to stop treating me like I'm made of glass."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh please, you watch me like a hawk. Today, when I had the iced tea at Krystal's, you would've thought I committed a mortal sin the way you looked at me. I'm not going to put our baby in jeopardy."
"I know that."
"Do you? Because you sure don't act like it sometimes. You're constantly reminding me that I should do this or I should do that, or that I can't do this or I can't do that. You never ask why I may be doing something, and now, I have to get your permission when we're out on what I'm allowed to drink?! How the hell is that supposed to make me feel? I'm 30 not 3! I had enough of decisions being made for me before. I don't need that again, ever!"
"I am not JR! Don't even go there! I always ask for and value your opinions! We make decisions together!"
"Except for when it comes to decisions now regarding how well I'm taking care of myself and the baby. Don't think I didn't notice you not denying what Krystal said at the restaurant earlier! And by the way, I didn't say you were like JR. He would've just bribed them not to serve me what I want."
"I'm just trying to make sure you're taking care of yourself, especially since you're working so much."
"Seriously?! Who is taking the rest of the day off and who isn't?"
Bianca had no answer for that, and Marissa knew it.
"Yeah, exactly. Just go meet Brittney. I need to start on dinner."
"We're not done with this conversation."
"Oh, I know. Do me a favor while you're out. Watch Brittney closely. I mean really close. See how many times she touches your arm, leans in a little too close, laughs a little too loud or stares a little too long. Then, come back and tell me it's all in my mind or just my hormones working overtime. And don't worry, I'll make sure I only eat and drink what's on the approved list. I won't dare deviate from it. If you don't believe me, I'm sure you can ask the kids when you see them." Marissa snapped.
"Do me a favor then too. You may be home and off work but actually take the night off. Don't read a file or a report. Let's see if you can do that. And maybe you'll be calmed down and rational when I get back home! Maybe then we can actually talk about something other than your unfounded jealousy." Bianca snapped back before storming out of the kitchen and slamming the door behind her.
/
At that moment, Marissa wanted to do nothing more than to curl up into a ball and cry her eyes out, but that was out of the question since the kids would be home soon. She willed herself not to cry because if she did right now there would be no way she would be done in time to hide any traces of her breakdown from the kids. The redhead also knew there was no way she would be up to answering their questions about what was wrong, especially when she herself wasn't sure why and how the day had gone to hell in a hand-basket. Marissa took a deep breath and headed back to the couple's bedroom to change from her suit into something more comfortable.
Her jeans were a little tighter when she pulled them on. She stopped and noticed her baby bump had grown, a sure sign that she would be needing larger-sized clothes soon. All of a sudden, she felt huge especially when she thought of Bianca's study partner, Brittney. The girl looked like she could be blown away by a good stiff breeze. Was she seeing things? Were her hormones making her imagine the girl crushing on her wife? No, she was sure of what she had seen, and she knew Bianca would never cheat on her. She trusted her. The redhead didn't trust Brittney, but she did trust her wife without question, even if Marissa was starting to get as big as a house. Dammit all to hell. I hate feeling like this.
/
Bianca sat in the parking lot at Krystal's. She was hurt, upset, angry, worried and a whole host of other emotions. No matter how hard she thought about it, she still couldn't figure out what the hell happened at home. The morning had started off pretty good. Marissa had done a great job in court and really had kicked Pete's ass. That was not an exaggeration. And Bianca had loved seeing her wife in action. They had been looking forward to having lunch together and then spending some alone time with each other before the kids came home from school. So what happened to change things?
The iced tea. Rissa had order a glass, and I thought she shouldn't have. She knows caffeine isn't good for the baby. That's why she had cut back on it. I was just reminding her of that which she didn't seem very happy about but was taking it in stride until … until Krystal gave her a hard time about it too and said she had talked to her servers and told them to check with me first. Bianca recalled the discussion she'd had with Krystal about it. The brunette didn't necessarily agree with what the older woman had proposed, but she also hadn't vetoed it outright either. Bianca remembered the look on her wife's face. The offhand remark did more than irritate her. Then, Bianca remembered something else. Marissa had said that for some strange reason iced tea always settled her stomach. Oh my god, I'm such an idiot. Her mom used to give that to her when she was growing up. It was something Marissa had told her some time ago. The redhead had commented that she knew it was a little odd but that's what worked for her. Today, her feelings had been disregarded, ignored, and Krystal, although not meaning to, was treating her like a child who was simply being disobedient for the sake of being that way while Bianca had stood by and said and did nothing.
Have I been treating her like that this whole pregnancy? No. That's something JR would do, and I am not like him. I meant it when I said I respected her opinions. That son of a bitch never did and never would. Marissa and I are equals, and that's how I treat her. Have I really lately though? Bianca could feel doubt starting to seep in. If she hadn't been, it was only because she didn't want anything to happen to her wife and child. That concern was born out of love and nothing else.
Bianca then thought back to her words regarding Marissa's work. Had she gone overboard? She honestly hadn't compared her to Reese, but she could see where Marissa might see it was being inferred. Yes, Marissa was working a lot lately, but it was for someone she cared about, someone they both cared about. Her wife hadn't been in a courtroom for a little while. Bianca could sense she was anxious about maybe being rusty, but Marissa didn't volunteer anything further. And I didn't ask. I wonder if I had asked her would I have been able to do it a way so she didn't think I was doubting her abilities?
The brunette sighed. She wanted nothing more than to race home and work things out, but she couldn't. Bianca had to meet up with Brittney and finish up this last assignment for class. Maybe by delaying going home, they would both be cooled off by the time she did go back there. That led her to another train of thought. Brittney. In her mind, there was no way she could be interested in Bianca. The brunette was married with three kids and a fourth on the way. Plus, Brittney was probably 19 so Bianca had a good 10 years on her. Given all of that, there was absolutely no way she could be interested in Bianca. But Marissa had been so sure. No, she was just being jealous and emotional. Bianca shook the thought from her mind and went inside the restaurant.
She found an empty table and pulled out her notes. The brunette was a few minutes early so Brittney wasn't there yet. There were two other people not there either, and Bianca was grateful for their absence that evening. The first was Krystal, and the second was Opal. Both women were off which meant she wouldn't have to deal with any questions from either of them. Krystal had hopefully realized what she had done earlier. If she had and was there, she would be asking Bianca for advice and apologizing to her when the one she should be apologizing to was Marissa. As for Opal, she'd be interrogating the brunette about what had happened because Krystal would most likely have mentioned something but not everything to her. When it came to gossip and digging for answers, Opal was relentless. Maybe Jesse should consider putting her on the PVPD's payroll and have her question suspects he couldn't get to crack. Bianca glanced around the room. That's when she saw Greenlee who was there with Ryan and Emma. They shared a friendly nod to acknowledge each other's presence. Bianca couldn't help but wonder if Greenlee's being there was merely a coincidence or something else.
/
Marissa had just finished taking the casserole out of the oven and was getting ready to call the kids for dinner when she heard someone at the front door. When she saw Kendall on the other side, she both was and wasn't surprised to see her sister-in-law.
"Hey, Kendall. What brings you here?"
"I got kicked out."
"What?"
"Zach and the boys are having a guys' night, no girls allowed. That leaves me with no place to go for a couple of hours, and it is dinner time. A good home-cooked meal would really be nice and appreciated a great deal."
Marissa chuckled at Kendall's overly dramatic sigh. "You can come in on one condition."
"What is it?" Kendall eyed the redhead suspiciously.
"You have to help me with AJ's and Miranda's projects for school."
"You've got a deal, Red!"
Marissa held the door open wide. "Then come on in. Dinner is ready."
/
A/N: Okay, I hope you don't hate me for this chapter. It wasn't planned at all, but it has been mentioned a couple of times to add some conflict (for lack of a better word) between our girls. This popped into head and wouldn't let go until I wrote it down. Life can't be all rainbows and butterflies all the time. Trust me and don't worry about Minx too much. I think Dynamic Duo might have something up their sleeves. See you soon!