A/N: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! I know I sound like a broken record, but I really do appreciate it! It's hard to believe I'm approaching 900 reviews! That just blows me away. I never could've imagined that, so thank you. Okay, this chapter picks up where the last one left off. There is a large section in italics which is a flashback. Hope you enjoy this update!
/
"That's great news, Brian. Marissa has to be relieved."
"She is, Lisa, but she'll be even more so when she actually sees Bianca. I think having Kendall with her is helping her a lot."
"I'm sure you're right. It's probably good for Kendall too. I know how close she and Bianca are. Have you seen Erica yet?"
"Not yet, but I know she's on her way. Kendall called her and let her know what was going on. Was Caleb able to get ahold of Jack?"
"Yes, he was. Bryce is going to finish up the negotiations with the client while Jack goes to the hospital. You'll be seeing him soon."
"Were you able to get ahold of Susan? If she can't watch the kids, I know Stef won't have a problem watching them."
"I talked to her, and Susan said it's not a problem. She'll pick them up from school and stay there as long as they need her to. She figures she can keep them distracted for a while. I'll call her with an update when we're done."
"That's good to hear. I'll let Marissa know that. What about the Center?"
"It was on lockdown because of what happened, but we were able to get through to Jan. Sofia is over there now helping them sort through everything. The police are questioning everyone about what happened. Once they finish giving their statements, I have no doubt that you'll have some more company over there."
"I don't doubt that at all. They love Bianca. Okay, I better go. I want to call Stef real quick and let her know what's going on and that I might be late getting home. Then, I want to get back to Marissa."
"I'll let everyone here know what you told me, and then, I'll call Sofia. She can pass on the news to everyone at the Center. Give Marissa and Bianca my love. I'll stop by when I'm done here."
"I'll let them know. See you later."
Brian disconnected the call and then dialed his wife. The call went to her voicemail since she was still in class.
"Hey, it's me. I might be a little late tonight. There was an incident at the Miranda Center, and Bianca was attacked. She's in the hospital. That's where I am now. The initial diagnosis the doctor gave Marissa is that Bianca's going to okay. She and Kendall just went up to see her. I'm going to go up there now and see how things are. I want to stick around here for a little longer just to make sure that Marissa's alright and doesn't need anything. She's hanging in there as well as can be expected. Give me a call when you get this, and hopefully, I'll be able to give you some really good news. Oh, don't worry about the kids. They've got it covered. Susan's going to be watching them. Okay, I'm going to go. I love you, Stef."
/
Brian saw Erica rush in as he ended his call. The diva looked fit to be tied and was giving the nurse manning the admissions desk an earful. He figured it was best for everyone if he stepped in.
"Where is my daughter? I demand to know her condition this instant. Who are her doctors? She's to get the best care possible. I know the chief of staff, and if she doesn't, heads will roll."
"I might be able to help out, Erica."
The diva whipped around and saw Brian standing behind her. Erica was glad to see her daughter-in-law's best friend. His presence told her that Marissa hadn't been there alone. He would also be able to help Erica locate her family. "Brian. Where is Bianca, and is she alright? Is Marissa with her? Is Kendall there too?"
Brian nodded. "Frankie took Marissa and Kendall up to see Bianca. They are on the 3rd floor. I was just heading up there now. I'll tell you everything I know on the way up."
Erica felt some of her anxiety ease by his calm demeanor and took the arm Brian offered her. "Thank you."
The two made their way to the elevator, and Brian began to relate all he knew.
/
"Her initial diagnosis according to Frankie is a mild concussion, and she hasn't lost consciousness this whole time. Her doctor is the same one Marissa had."
"Dr. Torres. She's very good." Erica remembered the doctor and had been extremely pleased with her care and treatment of her daughter-in-law.
"Yes, she is. Jake is treating her other injuries which Frankie said were minor."
Erica closed her eyes and released a relieved sigh. The diva had had a brief flashback to the time Bianca was in a coma when Kendall had called to tell her she was injured and in the hospital. The fact that she hadn't lost consciousness was a good sign indeed. "How is Marissa holding up?"
"As well as can be expected. Kendall's with her so you know she's looking out for her. I think once she sees Bianca she'll be a lot better though."
"I'm sure you're right. What happened? Kendall didn't have many details when she called me."
"From what I've been told, there was an incident at the Center. A woman by the name of Amelia Mears was looking for her ex-girlfriend. Her name is Kirsten Tanner. Amelia had been abusing her, and Kirsten finally left and is staying in one of the Center's shelters. It seems that when Amelia showed up, she wasn't happy that no one would tell her where Kirsten was, and she went after Bianca. The only other thing I know is that Amelia's family has money and is pretty well connected in Llanview."
"Well, this isn't Llanview, now is it?" Erica huffed. "If this woman and her family believe they can get away with hurting my daughter, they are sorely mistaken."
"I couldn't agree more. Oh, I've heard that Jack is on his way here."
"Yes, he is. You'll have to thank your team for me for getting ahold of him."
The two stepped out of the elevator and walked to the waiting room where Kendall was seated.
/
Kendall glanced up and saw her mother and Brian walking her way. She answered Erica's question before her mother had a chance to ask it. "Bianca's going to be okay."
"Oh thank goodness!" Erica hugged her oldest daughter and felt relief flooding through her. "You've spoken with the doctor then?"
"Jake came out and talked to us. Dr. Torres was still back with Bianca wrapping up a few things. She has a mild concussion, but there's no permanent damage. She also has a sprained wrist and some bruises. Jake said she's going to be sore for a few days, but they expect a full recovery."
"The only better news would be that she wasn't here at all. Is Marissa back with her?"
"Yes, she is. I thought they could use a little time alone before everyone descended on them."
Erica nodded. "I believe that was the right decision as well. How is Marissa holding up?"
Kendall pondered the question for a moment. "I think she's doing okay. Better now than she was since we know that Bianca is going to be okay. She definitely was stressed earlier but was holding it together. I have a feeling things could change slightly though when she is able to think more about what happened."
"What do you mean?"
"It seems the woman who attacked Bianca was injured somehow and is a patient here as well."
Brian couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He'd had no indication of this from Lisa when he'd talked with her. Odds were she didn't know. If she did, Brian was positive she would've said something to him. "Seriously? Do you know why?"
Kendall shook her head. "I don't have any specific details about anything. All Jake said was that he had treated her. Well actually, he didn't say he treated her specifically. Marissa guessed for some reason. I guess she just had a feeling. Jake was surprised but did not deny it. Before she went back to see Bianca, Marissa wanted me to make sure Jesse knew she was here."
This was news to Erica. If the woman that had hurt her daughter was there, Erica was going to make damn sure she didn't just walk out. No, she was going to pay. "That woman is here? Where is Jesse?"
The elevator doors opened to reveal the chief of police and Greenlee. The smaller brunette had headed over to the hospital as soon as she wrapped up a meeting. She and Jesse had exchanged a few words on the way up. While Jesse had an idea of what had happened, Greenlee didn't. That changed however when she saw the other three looking their way.
"I could have this wrong, but I seriously doubt it. I'm pretty sure that those three are talking about you. What's going on, Jesse?"
/
"Please, Bianca, we're almost done. Just a few more minutes."
"I told you I'm fine, Dr. Torres. There's no need for me to be here. The only thing I need right now is to see my wife and make sure she's okay. She's pregnant, and her worrying about me unnecessarily is not good for her or our little one."
"Given the fact that you're in a hospital right now, I don't see it as worrying unnecessarily about you." Marissa said as she stood in the doorway of Bianca's room. Hazel eyes scanned her wife, and while she was alarmed to see the brunette hooked up to several machines and some obvious bruising on her arms, Marissa was relieved to see Bianca and hear her attempting to dismiss her own condition in favor of the redhead's. This meant that Bianca was, well, Bianca.
"Rissa!"
"Hey." Marissa had to restrain herself from running over to her wife's side when she saw the doctor. The last thing she wanted to do was something that might further harm Bianca. "Hello, Dr. Torres."
The doctor smiled in acknowledgment. "Hello, Marissa. It's fine. Come on in. Maybe with you here, your wife will cooperate."
Marissa kissed her wife tenderly and took one of Bianca's hands in her own. "Are you giving the doctors a hard time?"
Bianca made a face. "No, I was just worried about you. I'm not hurt that bad, and you don't need to be worrying about me and stressing out. It's not good for you and our little one."
The redhead shook her head. Sometimes, her wife could be so stubborn. "So you said. Bianca, you have a concussion. That's not something to be taken lightly. It's serious, and you are going to do what Dr. Torres says understand? This is about you and making sure that you're okay. Sparky and I are good. Got it?"
"Yes, I got it." Bianca pouted.
"Good. Thank you, and I love you." Marissa gave her wife a quick kiss.
"I love you too."
Marissa turned to the doctor. "Dr. Torres, I think she'll behave for you now."
Dr. Torres chuckled. The couple hadn't changed since she had seen them last year. "Thank you, Marissa. If you're willing to stand over to the side, I'm good with you staying."
The redhead did as asked and watched carefully as Bianca followed the doctor's instructions. Marissa wanted nothing more than to take Bianca in her arms, but this exam was important.
"Very good. We're all finished." Dr. Torres motioned Marissa back over, and the redhead immediately took her place by Bianca's side with their hands entwining immediately.
"As I told you earlier, Bianca, you have a mild concussion. The MRI we performed shows no signs of brain swelling. Your cognitive functions are good as well. You do have some sensitivity to light, some dizziness, nausea and a hellacious headache, but those are all normal symptoms with a concussion. Now that I've finished your tests and thoroughly assessed your condition, I can give you something for the pain. This will help not only with your headache but with the pain you're experiencing with your wrist. As Dr. Martin told you earlier, you need to keep that brace on it for a week, and the only time you can take it off is when you bathe. He'll reevaluate your condition next week. What I told you regarding Marissa's treatment when she was my patient applies to you as well. You need to take it easy and rest. That means no physical or mental exertion, and I'm ordering you to stay home from work the rest of the week."
"When you say 'stay home from work', Dr. Torres, does that mean no work at all for her? In other words, no reading reports, reviewing budgets, conference calls with the office or donors, interviewing candidates for open positions and planning events?" Marissa asked the doctor while clearly making a point to Bianca.
"That's exactly what I mean. No work, Bianca. Your brain needs to rest."
Bianca scowled. There was a lot to do at the Center, and she really didn't think she could afford to take the time off.
"I know what you're thinking, B. You heard the doctor though, and don't think I'm not going to tell Jan and Aya all of this. Between them and your Mom and Kendall, I've got all the help I need to keep you in line. For good measure, I could tell the kids to make sure you're behaving. You know the three of them will keep an eye on you." Marissa grinned.
"You don't play fair." Bianca's scowl increased.
"When it comes to your health, you're right, I don't. You don't with mine. So, why should I with yours?"
Bianca knew when she was beaten. "Fine, no work until next week. So, Dr. Torres, when can I go home?"
Marissa's gaze quickly flew to the doctor. More than anything, she wanted Bianca home but only if it was what was best for her wife.
Dr. Torres eyed the couple and paused. She knew this question was coming and had been giving it careful thought as she reviewed Bianca's test results. "I want you to stay here for a couple of more hours. This pain medication will be kicking in soon so you'll nod off for a little while. I'm trying to keep things as calm as possible for you right now. When you wake up after your nap, I'll check you out one more time, and then, you can go home."
The couple smiled in relief.
"There are a few things I want to go over with both of you. Marissa, if you see any of Bianca's symptoms increase, I want you to call me right away and bring her back here immediately."
"I will."
"Also, for tonight, I'll need you to check on her every four hours just to make sure there are no changes in her condition."
"I can do that."
"Rissa, you need your rest."
"It's not a problem. I'll sleep when you do. We'll both be off tomorrow and can rest then while the kids are in school." Marissa noted the expression on her wife's face. "What? You really didn't expect me to go to work tomorrow did you?"
"No, you're right. I guess I didn't."
"Alright, I'm going to leave you two alone for a few minutes to grab some information for Marissa, but I'll be back to check on you." Dr. Torres left the couple alone.
Bianca shifted in her bed to make room for Marissa. "Join me?"
Marissa smiled and slid in next to her wife taking her in her arms. "Always. How are you feeling?"
"Better. The stuff Dr. Torres gave me seems to be working." Bianca sighed as rested in Marissa's arms. "What about the kids?"
"What about them? Do you mean what are we going to tell them?"
"Yeah. I don't want them to be worried or scared."
"I don't want to go into too many details because that could scare them and make them think you did something wrong, which you didn't. I figure we can tell them you were helping someone, and somebody else didn't like it. You got hurt in the process, but you're going to be okay. The person who hurt you is going to face the consequences for doing so."
"That should work for now. I'm sure they'll have more questions tomorrow. We have to get them to school."
"I'm going to call Susan with an update in a few minutes, tell her not to tell them anything since we can tell them when we get home, and ask her if she can drop them off at school tomorrow."
"Okay. I don't want you driving if you're up all night with me."
"Are you up for telling me what happened?"
"Yeah, I am. I know I'm going to have to give a statement to the police."
"Yes, you are because I meant what I said about the person who hurt you facing the consequences for it." Marissa stated seriously.
Bianca knew there was no dissuading her wife from that opinion, and she wouldn't be deterred either if this had happened to her. Actually, she hadn't been. Bianca had made sure that Brennan paid for almost killing Marissa. The brunette nodded and related what happened. "From what I could piece together Amelia followed Diana to the Center. She came inside and introduced herself to Julie as a blogger by the name of Amy who wanted to do a write-up on the Center. She said she wanted to interview one of our clients and visit a shelter, which would never happen. Diana was leaving my office and spotted her. That's when everything went all to hell."
/
"Where is she?! Where is Kirsten?! Where are you keeping her dammit?!" Amelia screamed.
"Why the hell would you think I would tell you? You want to beat her up again? That's not going to happen. She's knows exactly who you are, and you are out of her life, permanently. She's safe, and she's going to stay that way." Diana fired back.
"I've never hurt her. I love her. Why can't you understand that? Anything that I've ever done has been for her own good and to help her."
"Are you listening to yourself? Beating her is for her own good?! Sending her to hospital with broken bones is for her own good?! Those things are helping her? Are you insane?"
"Diana, please calm down. Ms. Mears, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Bianca stated as calmly as possible, trying to diffuse the situation. She could see two security guards making their way over to them after having been alerted by Jan. Bianca didn't want Amelia to know this though because she thought it could spook her and who knows what the woman would do then.
"Who the hell are you?! I'm not going anywhere, not without Kirsten. Wait, you're sleeping with her, aren't you?! You whore! She's mine. You're not going to keep me away from her." Amelia could feel her rage bubble up and lunged at Bianca before anyone could react.
Bianca wasn't able to move quite fast enough to fend off the attack. Amelia grabbed the brunette and shoved her hard into a nearby wall. Bianca's head slammed into the concrete causing waves of blinding pain and a moment of nothingness. Bianca then felt the woman grab fistfuls of hair and sling her towards the floor. The brunette was able to put her right hand out at the last minute stopping her head from hitting a desk. While this saved her from further head trauma, it caused her hand to bend back awkwardly and absorb her entire weight. Bianca crumpled to the ground in pain and could feel more than see Amelia gearing up for another attack. It was then that Bianca heard Jan next to her, the assistant's worried voice creeping in. The next person the brunette heard was Aya shouting.
"Get the hell away from Bianca!"
"What are you going to about it, bitch?"
"I'm giving you one last warning."
"Right, like you're going to be able to stop me." Amelia spat as she began to charge.
"Hell no!" Aya shouted and fired the Taser gun. It was a direct hit and caused the woman to drop to the ground immediately and spasm. "I warned her. Get some restraints on her now, and oh, watch out for the mess she just made on the floor."
"Bianca, Bianca, stay with me." Jan pleaded.
The brunette tried to focus on her assistant.
"Thata girl. Hang in there for me, alright?"
"I'll try. Is, is everyone okay?"
"She only got you. Aya had to tase her."
"Let's get her secured. Move her to one of the huddle rooms until the police get here and deal with her. The Center is in lockdown, no one in or out." Aya started directing everyone and threw a worried glance in Jan's direction. "How's Bianca?"
"Okay, I think. Her head hit that wall pretty hard. I really don't think we should move her."
"I think you're right. We don't want to risk further injuring her. Hang in there for us, Bianca." Aya turned to the concerned crowd beginning to form around their boss. "I know you're all worried about Bianca, but she needs some air so let's give that to her please. You know that Jan is taking good care of her. Who called the police?"
"I did. They're on their way and so is an ambulance."
"Good." Aya saw two guards, Bruce and Charlie, lifting Amelia, who was starting to come around, off the floor. "Julie, go with them and help them keep an eye on her." Given the nature of their business and the clientele they served, part of their normal protocol was to always have a female with another female. This helped them avoid any possible issues, complaints or appearance of impropriety.
"What the hell did you do to me? You're gonna pay. You don't know who you're dealing with." Amelia slurred and tried to kick at Julie. This caused the guards to lose their grip and drop her. Her knees slammed into the floor and had her howling in pain. The guards pulled her back up and carried her away with Julie following behind.
Sirens could be heard growing closer, and soon, paramedics and police rushed in.
Aya called over to the paramedics. "Over here."
They immediately began examining Bianca while the police, led by Brot, began questioning the staff about what happened. Brot was not happy to see Bianca injured and knew there would be hell to pay for it. He quickly called Jesse to report the incident.
"We need to get you to the hospital, ma'am. I think you're going to be just fine, but we want to be positive. Your head took a pretty nasty blow, and you need to get it checked out."
"Alright. I need someone to call Marissa."
"Who's Marissa?"
"She's her wife." Brot supplied. "Bianca, I just talked to Jesse, and he's going tell her. Don't worry, okay?"
"Okay, okay. Tell her that I love her."
"We will, but you're going to be telling her that yourself really soon." Brot looked at a paramedic. "Could one of you give the chief a quick update?"
"I'll do it while we're taking her to the ambulance."
Bianca was carefully placed on a backboard and her neck safely secured to prevent possible further injury. She was then lifted onto a gurney and then taken to the ambulance. One paramedic spoke briefly with Jesse telling him that Bianca's injuries did not appear life threatening.
Brot returned inside and found Aya. "Was anyone else injured?"
"Yes, the woman who attacked Bianca. I had to fire a Taser at her because she kept trying to attack. We restrained her after that. Guards were pulling her off the floor when she tried to kick someone, and they dropped her. She hit her knees pretty hard. We have her back in one of our huddle rooms."
"Alright, let me go check her out. I'll probably need to take her to the hospital and have them take a look at her. I'll need you to pull the security tapes, and I would suggest contacting an attorney just to stay ahead of everything."
"Thanks. I'll call Sofia after I get you the tapes."
"This is all my fault." Diana Holmes said as she watched Bianca being taken away.
"Diana, this isn't your fault." Jan assured the shaken woman. "This is all on Amelia, not you. I'm not telling you anything Bianca wouldn't. Trust me on that. I overheard the paramedics talking to Brot, and she's going to be okay. Focus on that, alright?"
"I'll try. Do you think I should say anything to Kirsten about any of this?"
"I would hold off on that until we have a better handle on things."
Diana nodded.
/
Bianca was wheeled into the emergency room and quickly examined by Jake who was working there that morning. He immediately called for Dr. Torres when he saw she had a head injury.
Amelia Mears was brought to the hospital a short while later by Brot, and threatened and complained the entire way there from the Center. According to her, she was a victim who felt threatened by Bianca and was attacked unnecessarily. She was going to sue everyone connected to the Center. Brot just let her rant and kept quiet about the fact that the Center had security tapes that he was positive would back up the witness accounts from those present at the time of the incident.
/
"Things are kind of a blur after I got here with all of the tests they were performing. I'm feeling better now that everything has quieted down, and I'm not having to move around as much. Did you feel like this?" The brunette turned and asked her wife.
"Yeah, I did. Don't push yourself and just take it slow. If you start to feel dizzy or any of the other symptoms Dr. Torres mentioned, stop whatever you're doing, take a break and let me know. That's the important thing. If you start to feel worse, you have to tell me right away. I'm not kidding about this, B. We're not going to take any chances when it comes to your health. Head injuries are serious, and you don't mess around with them. I want you around for a very long time. You promised me old and gray, and I intend to hold you to that. The kids and I need you. Your Mom and Kendall need you too. Promise me you'll follow the doctor's orders and not fight me on this."
Bianca knew there was no way she could refuse Marissa's fervent pleas, especially when she looked at her like she was now. "I promise. What about you? Are you okay? Be honest, please."
Marissa sighed. "I'm okay now that I know you're okay. I was scared to death earlier though when all I knew was that you were hurt. I couldn't get to you fast enough, and no one was telling me anything. The thoughts that were going through my head …" Marissa didn't finish the sentence because she couldn't allow herself to go there.
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault. I can't tell you how relieved I am that you're going to be okay and that I can take you home tonight."
Bianca settled back in Marissa's arms. "Me too. I think I'd probably go nuts if I had to stay here tonight."
"Luckily, you don't have to worry about that, and I don't have to worry about you being near that woman."
"What do you mean?"
"Amelia is here, somewhere. I don't know where exactly, but she's in the hospital. It seems Jake treated her after he took care of you. I can't believe she said those things to you, called you those things and attacked you." Marissa tightened her arms protectively around Bianca. She wanted nothing more than to beat the snot out of the other woman. "I meant what I said before. She's going to pay for what she did. She may think she's going to get away with it …"
"Rissa."
"Don't Rissa me. This is no different than when I was here because of Brennan. Amelia's family may have money and connections, but that's in Llanview. Here, she's going to have to deal with me, Kendall and your Mom, plus a whole bunch of other people. None of whatever they have matters to us."
"Okay." Bianca knew she was fighting a losing battle and that Marissa was right. This really wasn't any different than when Marissa was injured.
"Okay? Just like that?"
"Just like that. You're right. I just need you to promise me something though."
The redhead eyed her suspiciously. "What is it?"
"Promise me you won't let yourself get too worked up or get yourself in trouble."
Marissa rolled her eyes. "I'll do my best. That's all I can promise."
"I'll take what I can get. Now about my Mom and Kendall …"
"Oh no, I make no such promises for them. There's no way in hell I'm doing that. I know better than to get in the way of a Kane woman when she's seeking vengeance. I will promise to represent them should they need legal assistance though." Marissa grinned.
Bianca half-laughed and half-yawned in reply. Despite the quip, the brunette knew that Marissa would never let Erica or Kendall do anything that would get them in trouble.
"The pain medication kicking in for you?"
Bianca nodded sleepily. "Yeah. Don't go though, not yet?"
Marissa smiled and kissed the top of her wife's head. "I'm not going anywhere. I will have to call Susan in a little while, but that can wait for now. I know Kendall and your Mom will come back soon. So, I don't have anywhere else I need to be or even want to be. You just rest. I'll be here, always."
"You should rest some too. You and Sparky need it." With a hand placed protectively on Marissa's belly, Bianca sighed contentedly and drifted off.
Marissa had to stop herself from laughing at Bianca's slip. She was going to have to tease her wife about that when she was feeling better.
/
Erica squared off against the chief of police. "So, Jesse, what are you going to do about this Mears woman?"
/
A/N: Did you really think my evil side wouldn't leave you with a cliffhanger? You should know her better by now. I have an important question for all of you. We're not there yet, but when Marissa has Sparky (and I'm not revealing the baby's sex but feel free to guess that and name as well if you want), do you want a weather incident like with the other three? No deaths or kidnappings would be involved though. I'm thinking more of a snowstorm or flood or something like that, OR it could just be semi-normal incidents surrounding the birth. My sister had some interesting things happen with hers, and it could be something along those lines. I appreciate any ideas you have! See you soon!