A/N: As always, thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! I appreciate it, and it really keeps me going with this story. A few of you definitely got me thinking about something. I'll have to see what I can do with that. On to this chapter, we're skipping ahead just a little bit. Hope you enjoy this update!

/

Bianca was soon healed enough to return to work but not before a promise was given to Marissa to take it easy. As much as she disliked being waited on and fussed over, the brunette agreed to it because to do otherwise would add to any stress she had already put Marissa under by being hurt, at least that was the conclusion Bianca arrived at in her mind. Christmas followed in Pine Valley soon after Bianca's return to work, and the holiday had passed without any major incident occurring. It was now the day after Christmas, and the Miranda Center was closed for the day. Even though the Center's annual fundraiser was in less than a week, Bianca had them close up so her staff could spend a couple of days off with their families. If there was an emergency, there were procedures in place to handle it. As for the Tasker-Montgomery's, they were taking full advantage of the time off by spending the day at home relaxing and staying away from the hordes of shoppers taking advantage of the day after Christmas sales.

It would have been a perfect day except for a certain call taking place.

JR didn't return to Pine Valley for the holidays since he was still working on himself. There were many who really weren't sure what that exactly meant but were grateful he wasn't causing any problems. As a result of his continued absence, he and AJ communicated via Skype. These sessions were primarily monitored by Bianca, and sometimes by Marissa but only if the brunette wasn't available. As much as they wanted to, the couple still couldn't completely trust JR, and to be honest, they probably never would. There was just too much history there. Bianca, for her part, did not want JR anywhere close to her wife if she could help it. As much as she said it didn't, Bianca could tell having anything to do with JR grated on Marissa. The redhead was able to hide it from AJ but not her wife. Bianca resolved that she would do everything possible to limit the amount of time Marissa had to deal with JR.

The day after Christmas had been arranged as a day for JR and AJ to talk since he wasn't available on the actual day.

/

"Hi, Dad! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, AJ. Did you have a good one?"

"Yep, I sure did! The Moms got me and Miranda our own iPads. I can do a lot of cool designs with it. We're not allowed to use them without them around though. Oh, thanks for the jersey! I'm wearing it now. Can you see it?" AJ was using Bianca's laptop for the conversation, and he moved it some to show JR that he was wearing the replica Cincinnati Reds jersey of his favorite player he had sent to him as a Christmas present.

"Yeah, I can. It looks great on you, and you're welcome. I'm glad it got there in time. I'm sorry I couldn't be there."

AJ shrugged. "It's okay. I understand. Ma said you were really busy and couldn't make it, that you would if you could. You weren't alone, were you?"

JR felt an odd mixture of gratitude and anger at his ex-wife for providing an excuse. Marissa had only done it so AJ wouldn't be hurt and wasn't waiting all day for his father to call him. JR, for his part, didn't want to acknowledge his real reason for staying away. "No, I wasn't. There were lots of people around here. So, I was good."

"That's good. You shouldn't be alone on Christmas. Oh, I'm supposed to say thank you for sending the soccer ball for Miranda and basketball for Gabby. They really liked them and said thank you."

The gifts in question had been shipped to Bianca's office with good intentions. Usually, the couple would have had their children thank the gift-giver in person, but this was a different circumstance. Miranda remembered the day JR showed up at school and knew he had tried to take her brother a couple of times before. She suspected he would've tried again that day if he had had the chance so she didn't trust him, and no amount of gifts that he might give her would change that. Like her mothers, she couldn't be bought. Gabby didn't quite grasp everything that surrounded her brother's dad but could tell that the others were leery of him. That was good enough for her and she followed suit in not quite trusting the man. AJ was torn. He remembered how his father used to be what felt like a long time ago, and he missed him, missed how he used to be. The boy also knew how his father was in recent times and didn't like that version of him at all. Part of him wanted his dad around, but the other part of him, the larger part, didn't want that if it meant losing his family. To AJ, that was both of his mothers, his sisters and the others that were in his life that loved him without question or condition. AJ talked to his Moms about what he was thinking and feeling. He didn't want them to be mad at or disappointed in him. They assured him they understood and would support his decision no matter what it was. That was what made AJ okay with talking to his dad.

Bianca had had a heads up regarding the gifts. JR had called Tad and asked him to see if it was alright with Bianca and Marissa to send the girls something along with his gift for AJ. The couple had to admit that they were surprised by the gesture and agreed as long as they were sent to the Miranda Center so they could be checked out first. Basically, the couple wanted to sure there were any hidden notes in what was being sent. While the women appreciated the gestured, they weren't allowing themselves to be lulled into trusting him.

"I'm glad they liked them, and I'm really glad you liked the jersey. I gotta admit Phillips had a good year."

AJ nodded happily. The boy had Brandon Phillips' stats memorized and followed his favorite player avidly during the baseball season. "Yeah, he was awesome."

"Thanks for my present. That's a great picture of you, son."

A knock on the door had Marissa going to answer it while Bianca continued to monitor the conversation.

/

"Aya, Kate! What a nice surprise. Merry Christmas! Come on in."

"Hi, Marissa. Is Bianca around?"

The lawyer could see the normally calm and collected office manager was a mix of emotions, excited and beyond happy chiefly among them. "Yeah, she's in the family room."

"Oh, Merry Christmas!"

Marissa laughed. Something was definitely up with the couple. Smiles were plastered on their faces.

"B, we've got company."

Bianca glanced up and smiled. "Hey, you two. What's up?"

Kate and Aya exchanged glances before Kate happily thrust out her left hand. "Aya asked me to marry her yesterday, and I said yes!"

"That is fantastic! Congratulations!" Bianca hugged the newly engaged couple as did Marissa.

"She's right! That is just the best news. We need details!"

/

JR heard a commotion on the other end of the Skype session. "What's going on there, AJ?"

"One of Mom's friends came over and just said she's gonna get married."

"Oh, you've got a bunch of women over there squealing and giggling. I bet that has to get old."

AJ shrugged. "Not really. They're just happy, and Aya's really cool. She sang in the Moms' wedding and was really good."

JR bristled slightly. He failed yet again to gain points with his son. "Oh, that's nice."

"You have five more minutes, Buddy." Bianca noted as she kept an eye on the Skype conversation. The couple had put time limits on the sessions for the time being because they didn't want AJ hanging out on the computer all the time. Plus, AJ had promised Gabby he'd play one of her new games with her.

"Okay, Mom"

AJ jostled the laptop as he answered Bianca. This allowed JR a glimpse of Marissa. It had been a couple of months since he had seen her. Bianca usually handled setting up the Skype sessions. At first glance, it appeared to him that his ex-wife had gained some weight, and JR had to admit that made him happy. He briefly thought this fact would make her less desirable for some reason to Bianca since she wouldn't be the picture perfect wife. Just as fast as that thought came, it was dismissed. He knew that wouldn't make a difference to Bianca. She always saw beyond a person's exterior. No, a little weight wouldn't change the brunette's feelings. She wasn't like that. That's when he noticed something. He noticed how Marissa was standing as she talked to a woman he didn't recognized. JR noticed she had one of her hands resting protectively on her now slightly expanding belly. Finally, he noticed her smile. JR had never seen her happier. Marissa was practically glowing, and he just knew.

"Dad?"

"Oh sorry, AJ. Hey, is your mom, I mean your ma feeling okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, she is now. She wasn't for a little while, but Mom said it was, um, morning something."

"Morning sickness?"

"Yeah, that's it! It's just 'cause of the baby. She's better now though and doesn't get sick like she did a while ago."

"She's having a baby."

"Uh huh! I'm gonna be a big brother again! I can't wait! It's kinda exciting. I'd really like it if I had a brother but another sister would be okay too. The Moms are really happy. They say it doesn't matter to them if it's a boy or girl. They just want Sparky to be healthy. Oh, Sparky's the nickname that Aunt K gave the baby. Ma really likes it, but Mom says she doesn't. We think she really does though."

There was only one thought running through JR's mind. She wouldn't have a baby with me, but she'll have one with Bianca.

"Isn't it exciting, Dad?!"

"Huh? Oh yeah, AJ, it's … it's great."

"I gotta go, Dad. I told Gabby I'd play a game with her. I'll talk to you soon. Merry Christmas!"

"Uh, yeah. Talk to you soon. Merry Christmas."

/

"And then, she asked me to marry her." Kate beamed.

"Very romantic, Aya." Bianca was happy for the couple. They really were made for each other.

"Well, I try." Aya grinned.

"You definitely succeeded." Kate squeezed her now fiancée's hand.

"Kate and I have something we want to run by the two of you."

"Sure. What is it?" Marissa asked.

"Well, neither of us have any younger family members, and your kids are like the best. So, we were wondering if it would be okay with you if we asked them to be in the wedding."

Bianca glanced over to Marissa who nodded. "It's fine with us, and I think the kids will be thrilled."

"They're old hands at it now." Marissa chuckled. "I'll go get them so you can ask."

"Thanks!"

/

The Miranda Center's New Year's Gala was a huge success, even more than the previous year's. Since turning over more of the fundraiser's responsibilities to her extremely capable and talented staff, particularly Jan and Aya, Bianca was able to mingle more and simply enjoy ringing in the New Year with Marissa by her side. Sam volunteered to babysit for them which allowed the couple to enjoy the evening out. In the back of their minds was the thought that they might not be making next year's gala considering that this time next year they would have a wonderful new addition to their family.

With Sam volunteering to watch the kids, Bianca and Marissa were able to give Susan two tickets to the gala as part of their Christmas present to her. The babysitter was thrilled and went with a friend to celebrate ringing in the New Year. Marissa also gifted tickets to the gala to her team as part of her Christmas gift to them. It gave them and their significant others a fun evening out, and the gift was truly appreciated by them. Bianca, on the other hand, wasn't able to do the same thing for her team since they were busy running the event. Her replacement gift of two extra days off with pay was much appreciated.

By the time they got back home after the gala, the kids had been tucked in for a couple of hours, and Sam was asleep in the guest room. Part of the agreement to having her babysit was that she would stay over. Neither Bianca nor Marissa wanted her driving that late and especially with the added likelihood of drunk drivers out there. The Walkers were onboard with this condition as well, and Sam herself was good with it too.

/

It was two days before Marissa's high school reunion. She and Bianca were seated at their table at Krystal's along with Kendall and Greenlee. After a short break and a conversation between Krystal and Marissa to sort through their issues, the couple resumed meeting there for lunch, just not quite as often as they had been in part because of work schedules and them trying out new places because of Marissa's cravings.

"So, Red, are you looking forward to the reunion?"

"Yeah, but I've got to admit I'm a little nervous too."

"Why?" Greenlee asked. "I would think you had a lot of friends."

"I did, but we really haven't stayed in touch. You know how it is. Life just happens, and people get busy. Plus, Devon is pretty small, and quite a few people I went to school with couldn't wait to get out of there and explore the world."

Kendall nodded. "I suppose I can see that. Do you know anyone that's going?"

"No, I don't, and that's partly why I'm nervous. With every class, you had your cliques. Devon High was no different, and some of them could be downright mean. Those are the ones I'm not looking forward to seeing."

"Somehow, I think you can hold your own with them. Think of all of the people you've had to deal with here starting with the Chandlers, a certain obnoxious reporter, Brennan and Prussell.

"Prussell?"

"Pete and Russell. Yeah, now that I hear it out loud, I'm not all that crazy about that name. I'll see if I can come up with something else. My point is that some snarky cheerleaders or other types of stuck up idiots are nothing after all of that." Greenlee smirked.

Marissa laughed. "I'll keep that in mind. I do know for a fact though that I will have the most beautiful and amazing wife there."

Bianca blushed. "Talk like that will get you anywhere, Counselor."

"I think you can give it a rest, Bianca. I mean you already got her knocked up."

Kendall spit out her drink. "You have to give me some warning next time if you're going to say something like that. Wow."

Greenlee shrugged. "You'd think you would know better by now."

Bianca shook her head and checked the time. "We better go. It's almost time for our appointment with Dr. Abbott."

"Ooh, you're right. We don't want to be late."

"Just a regular checkup, Red?"

"Yep, just checking on Sparky."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "We're not using that nickname."

Marissa just grinned and whispered to the other two amused women. "No matter she says, I think it's growing on her. We'll see you later."

"We want a full report of the reunion when you get back."

"You got it."

Greenlee sighed as the couple left holding hands. "They're never going to stop doing that, are they?"

"Probably not."

"Alright, let me go pay our check, and we'll head back to the office. We've got a meeting with a buyer."

Kendall gathered her things while Greenlee headed to the counter to pay. As she stood, she was hit with a wave of dizziness and had to grab the table to steady herself. A moment later, she was fine and dismissed it quickly. I just got up too fast.

"You ready?" Greenlee asked as she returned.

"Yeah, let's go."

/

It was a somewhat milder than normal winter in Pine Valley. The night before they were to head to Devon, there was a light snow falling. Bianca padded into the their bedroom and found Marissa bathed in moonlight as she sat on the window seat of the bay window gazing out at the small pond and woods behind their home while she lovingly stroked her baby bump. Bianca's breathed hitched at the sight.

Beautiful, simply beautiful. Bianca thought to herself.

Marissa turned and smiled lovingly when she heard her wife come in. "Hey. All locked up?"

"Yep, we're all in for the night. How's it looking out there?"

"It's already slowing down. I don't think it will amount to more than a dusting so the roads should be clear tomorrow."

Bianca settled herself behind Marissa on the window seat, wrapping her arms around the redhead and resting her chin on her wife's shoulder. The brunette could tell something was on her wife's mind. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just a little anxious. My recent visits have only consisted of visiting my Mom and Dad, and I didn't see anyone else when I was there. The last time any of them saw me was probably on the news when the massage parlor was raided. Not exactly a shining moment for me."

"The charges against you were dropped. You didn't have anything to do with any of the illegal activities there, and you were just working there to earn money for school and just to survive."

"I know that. You know that. That's really not going to matter to some of them though. They're just going to focus on the fact that I worked at a massage parlor. They won't even give it a second thought as to who the customers were, and let me tell you, the ones pointing their fingers and yelling the loudest shouldn't be. Stones and glass houses come to mind." Marissa paused. "There is one other thing."

"Let me take a guess. Me?"

Marissa turned around to face Bianca. "Yes. To the best of my knowledge, no one knows that we're married. We've managed to stay off the tabloids' radar despite who your Mom is. When you think about it, that's a huge accomplishment."

"Yeah, it really is. It's made our life a lot simpler too."

"You can say that again. I haven't told any of them because I haven't really talked to any of them to tell them. I'm not embarrassed to be with you, far from it. I am so proud to be your wife, and I meant what I said earlier. I'm going to be the luckiest person there because I'm married to you."

"That makes two of us, and I know you're not embarrassed. I'm guessing you're a little anxious because you don't how they're going to react."

"Yeah, it is a small town after all. A lot of the town's activities were centered around the various churches. Some of them were progressive. Others, not so much. It's pretty much going to be the same way with some of the people at the reunion. Some are really open minded, and it won't matter to them. Some of them though can be pretty judgmental, and they'll probably go on and on about how disappointed my parents would be in me. Here's the thing though. If they believe that, they really didn't know my parents as well as they think they do because there is not a doubt in my mind about how my Mom and Dad would feel about me, about us."

"How's that, Rissa?"

"They'd be happy for me, happy that I found someone like you, someone who loves me with her whole being and would do absolutely anything for me. They wouldn't be disappointed by the fact that I'm in love with a woman. As long as I'm happy, they would be happy. We would have their full support and blessing. No one would dare say anything derogatory about us around them, not if they didn't want to face the wrath of Roy and Lydia Tasker." Marissa chuckled at the thought of her Mom and Dad taking on all comers before turning serious again. "The truth is that I don't care what those others might say about me. I just don't want them giving you a hard time."

Bianca smiled softly, not really surprised that Marissa was worried about her. "Well, I can handle it. I have before and can again if I need to."

"You shouldn't have to."

"Neither should you, but that's how some people are. It's sad but true. My main concern is that I don't want them giving you a hard time."

"You know what? If they do, screw 'em. I have everything that I've always dreamt of. I'm happy with my life, even if I am starting to look like a beached whale."

"Hey, you're talking about my wife, and you are no beached whale, far from it. You're carrying our child and are so beautiful that I'm completely serious when I say that you take my breath away. I think you're the perfect size. I know I'm completely biased when it comes to you, but that doesn't mean it's not true."

Marissa leaned in and kissed her wife. "Thank you."

Bianca smiled brightly. "My pleasure. So, is there anyone that you're hoping might be there?"

"Well, Tommy Finnegan might be there."

"Who's he?"

"My first real boyfriend."

"Not Jimmy, the boy your Dad scared off after your first date?"

Marissa laughed. "No, his family moved to California our sophomore year so I very seriously doubt he would be there."

"So, this Finnegan guy, am I going to have to worry about him, keep an eye on him, maybe fight him?" Bianca asked with a smile.

"No, you have nothing to worry about. We dated for a couple of months and discovered we were better friends than boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Anyone else?"

"My best friend, Josephine Shelton, or Jo for short. Her parents were huge Josephine Baker fans, hence the name. She hated it growing up. That's why she shortened it to Jo. Her grandmother still called her Josephine though. I did sometimes too just to give her some grief."

Bianca chuckled. "Yeah, I can see you doing that. When was the last time you saw her?"

"Not long after Mom and Dad's funeral. She went away to college in Chicago, Northwestern to be exact. Her dream was to be a doctor. She came back when she heard what happened from her folks. It meant so much."

Bianca pulled Marissa close and hugged her. "You haven't seen her since then?"

"No, she had school, and I was struggling to just stay above water. We lost touch after a while. I regret that we did. I really hope she's there. It would be so great to see her again. I think you'd like her."

"I'm sure you're right. Who else?"

The couple spent the next hour or so talking about Marissa's classmates, some friends and some not.

"Thank you." Marissa leaned back into Bianca's embrace.

"For what?"

"For making me feel better about going. I'm looking forward to it now." The redhead checked the time. "We should probably get some sleep."

"Yeah, we do have a bit of a drive and a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Bianca stood and held her hand out for Marissa. "Susan said she'll be here by 8:00."

"Yes, we do. Good. Maybe we can stop at that diner for lunch on the way there." Marissa gave her wife a loving kiss. "Yep, I am so going to show you off, and everyone will be green with envy."

Bianca laughed. "You're bad. Come on. Let's go to bed. If you're going to show me off, I need my beauty sleep."

"You have the beauty part covered already." Marissa grinned.

"Wow. You're good. If it wasn't so late, I'd let you have your way with me."

"Oh, you would huh?"

"Yep." Bianca kissed her wife tenderly. "I'll definitely let you have it tomorrow."