A/N: Thanks for reading, reviewing and following! It's really appreciated. Sorry, I'm a little later posting today. I've been busy at work and had to help my niece with something so my writing time was cut into somewhat. For this chapter, we are now at the class reunion. I hope you enjoy this update!
/
It was early afternoon by the time Bianca and Marissa rolled into Devon. Only a dusting of snow fell overnight, and the roads were perfectly clear by the time they left Pine Valley. The reunion festivities were scheduled to begin early that evening. This left the couple plenty of time to make an important stop before checking into the bed & breakfast where they had reservations.
Marissa was surprised by what she found on her parents' graves. Fresh flowers rested by their headstones. The redhead knew exactly who was responsible for the simple but extremely thoughtful and touching gesture.
"You did this, didn't you?"
Bianca nodded. She had arranged for flowers to be delivered to the Taskers' plots once a month. Being a few hours away, it was one of the ways she came up with of honoring Marissa's parents. Bianca didn't know the florist would be delivering them around the time of their visit though.
"I wanted to do something for them, for you. I hope you don't mind."
Marissa kissed her wife tenderly. "Why would I mind? Thank you." The redhead placed the bouquet she had brought next to the other one already present and stood. Holding Bianca's hand, she began to speak. "Mom, Dad, this is Bianca, my wife, the mother of my children, your daughter-in-law and my best friend. She is quite simply the love of my life. B, my parents, Roy and Lydia Tasker, the ones who helped make me who I am. Yes, I know this introduction is totally unnecessary and might seem silly to some, but it feels right to me."
Bianca smiled at her wife, knowing in her heart that Marissa wished desperately that her parents were still there and that they and Bianca could have met. "Hello. I should tell you, although I'm positive you already know, that you have a beautiful and brilliant daughter. She is very special and someone that I am so proud and happy to be married to. I know you're as proud of her as I am. I also want you to know that I cherish her and will do everything in my power to keep her safe and to let her know every day how much she is loved."
"See. What did I tell you? She's amazing. It's not hard to figure out why I fell in love with her. Now as you probably know, I'm pregnant! As you would say, Mom, your baby is having a baby. So far, so good. I'm due near the beginning of April, and we don't know what we're having yet. We want it to be a surprise. Bianca has been great dealing with my morning sickness, mood swings and odd cravings."
"She has had some weird cravings. I didn't think you could put jalapeños on that many things, but it turns out I was wrong. No matter how much she tries to convince me how great it tastes, I am not going to try a peanut butter, jelly and jalapeño sandwich." Bianca faked a shiver.
"You don't know what you're missing, B."
"I'm more than happy to take your word for that."
Marissa chuckled. "You're probably wondering why we're here, especially in the winter. We're here for my high school reunion. Well, it's not just mine. It's several classes. Thanks to Bianca, I'm going to brave it and see what everybody's been doing since I left. I'm not sure how it's going to go and what they may think of me given what happened before I left, but we decided that we don't care."
"Exactly. You're going to be great, Rissa, and will knock their socks off."
"See. I told you. I have an amazing wife." The redhead turned thoughtful. "We need to go. I'll stop back by tomorrow before we leave. I love you, Mom and Dad." Marissa touched her fingers to her lips before touching them to her parents' headstones.
The couple slowly made their way to their car, walking hand in hand the entire way.
"Are you okay, Rissa?"
"Yeah, I am. I just feel a little closer to them here. I know they're not actually here, but it's hard to explain."
"I get it. It's like that with my Grandma Mona and when I visit her. Do you want to take some time before we head over to the reunion? We have plenty of time after we check in at the B&B."
"No, I really am okay. Let's go."
/
The class reunions were being held at Devon High School. It was the one venue in town that could accommodate the crowd expected for the ten classes celebrating their respective class reunions. Bianca and Marissa parked in the school's lot and walked to the school's main entrance. They paused at the base of the steps and read the sign above the doors, Welcome Devon High School Class Reunions.
Bianca glanced at her wife. "Are you ready?"
Marissa nodded confidently and took the brunette's hand. "Yes, let's do this."
They walked inside and stopped at the table set up for checking in manned by two women. One was engaged in conversation with another Devon High returnee leaving the other to greet the couple. Marissa couldn't quite place her and quickly deduced that she didn't attend high school with her.
"Hi, I'm Dana and welcome to the Devon High School reunion. Are you both graduates?"
"No, just me."
"Alright. What is your name?"
"When I was a student, it was Marissa Tasker. Now, I'm Marissa Tasker-Montgomery."
"Welcome back, Marissa. Let me just get your name tag, and your guest is?"
Marissa glanced at the brunette by her side. "This is my wife, Bianca Tasker-Montgomery."
Dana hesitated for just the briefest of moments. "Welcome, Bianca."
The brunette nodded. "Thank you."
"Here are your name tags. As indicated on your invitation, there will be buffet which will open in an hour. There is dancing throughout the evening, and we have a photo booth available if you would like to take pictures any time tonight. Seats are not assigned so feel free to sit wherever you'd like. There are programs listing tonight's activities at each seat. I hope you both have a good time."
"Thanks, Dana." Marissa affixed her name tag and waited for Bianca to do the same before they walked into the gym.
/
Not a moment after the couple had set foot inside, someone called out for redhead.
"Marissa? Marissa Tasker?"
The redhead turned and smiled widely. "Cory? Oh my gosh! You look great!"
"Me? You look fantastic! And, oh my god, are you?"
"Yeah, I'm pregnant."
"Wow! Congratulations! You will be a great mom."
"I don't know about great, but I already am a Mom." Marissa turned for Bianca to join her.
"You are? What do you have?"
"Well first, this is my wife Bianca, and this is Cory Miller. Somebody had the bright idea to have us as lab partners in science class. Despite that fact, we somehow managed to pass."
"Oh, hi, Bianca. Nice to meet you." There was only a slight hesitation, but Cory was always the type of person who was very open-minded and accepting regardless of whatever the situation.
"Hi. Nice to meet you too. And you're right. She's a great Mom."
Cory smiled. "I knew it."
"Between us, Bianca and I have three children, four counting this one. Bianca has two daughters, Miranda and Gabby. I have a son I adopted during my first marriage. His name is AJ."
"Do you have pictures?"
"Of course we do!" Marissa pulled out her phone and showed off pictures of the kids.
"They are so cute. Your girls look just like you Bianca."
"Thank you. We're pretty proud of all three."
"What about you, Cory?"
"Do you remember Chris Jacobs?"
"Yeah, you dated back in high school."
"We're married now and have a son."
"Congratulations! Pictures?"
Cory rolled her eyes. "Uh, yeah. Chris is around here somewhere."
"He's a cutie, and I can't wait to see Chris."
"So, where are you now and what do you do? Please tell me you didn't go into medicine."
"We live in Pine Valley." Marissa laughed. "No, I didn't. I'm a lawyer."
"Whew. I'm sure the medical profession heaved a huge sigh of relief when you made that decision." Cory joked.
"Hey, I wasn't one who cut out the squid's eye."
"Do I want to know, Rissa?" Bianca smirked.
"We were dissecting a small squid and were supposed to be focusing on the reproductive organs. Somehow, Cory pulled out one of its eyes instead."
"Yeah, I still don't know how I managed to do that."
"I think Mrs. McChristian probably is too. What about you? Where are you and Chris living? You better not be a doctor either."
"We're still here in Devon. Chris is in IT, and I'm a teacher. So, it seems we've saved countless lives."
"It would appear so. All we had to do was not to become doctors." Marissa cracked.
"Yep. You know, I'm not surprised that you're a lawyer." Cory looked at Bianca. "She always loved a good fight. I remember when we did moot court in political science class. Marissa was the prosecutor, and Shelly Griffin was the defense attorney. Shelly was the stereotypical head cheerleader who dated the quarterback and was the queen bee of the school. She thought she'd be able to just breeze through the trial and win because the majority of the jurors were either absolutely drooling over her or scared to death of her."
"Ah, you must be talking about Shelly and Devon High's 'trial of the century'."
"Jo! It's so good to see you!" Marissa sprang up from her seat and hugged the newest arrival who had a big smile on her face as well.
Bianca saw a beautiful and extremely fit African-American woman who was slightly taller than Marissa. The women beamed at each other, their happiness at seeing the other clearly evident.
"I was really hoping you were going to be here. You look great."
"That makes two of us, Rissa. You're looking pretty damn fine yourself. Hey, Cory."
"Hey, Jo. Looking good."
"You too."
"Jo, I'd like you to meet someone. This is my wife, Bianca. Bianca, this is Josephine Shelton."
"Nice to meet you." Bianca smiled.
Jo glared playfully at Marissa, knowing exactly what her friend was doing. "Please call me Jo. It's widely known I don't like that name. It's nice to meet you too. Wait." Jo's eyes grew wide as what Marissa had just said sunk in, and she read the nametags the women were wearing. "Your wife?"
Marissa nodded as her old friend processed this newly revealed information. "Yep, my wife."
"I'm so sorry. I just … I just didn't know. Um, wow. I'm making this really awkward right now, aren't I? Okay. Nice to meet you, Bianca." Jo offered her hand for Bianca to shake which she did. "Am I safe in assuming then that you are the Montgomery in this relationship?"
Bianca chuckled. "Yes, you are."
"Wait a minute." Realization dawned on Jo. "Bianca Montgomery as in Bianca Montgomery?"
Marissa laughed at her friend. "That would be her name. I thought we already established that."
Jo scowled at her friend. "Shut up, Tasker. I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to your wife. Are you the same Bianca Montgomery that founded the Miranda Center?"
Bianca was a little surprised by the name recognition. "Yes, I am. You've heard of it?"
"Yes, I have, and you shouldn't be surprised. It has a stellar reputation in my line of work."
"What is it you do?"
"I'm a psychologist."
Marissa grinned. "So, it's Dr. Shelton now, huh? I'm proud of you for keeping at it, Jo. I always knew you could do it."
Jo smiled back at her friend. The redhead knew of the doctor's early struggles growing up and had always been supportive of her. "Thank you. Yeah, you always told me that, especially when I didn't believe it myself. So," Jo motioned between the couple. "This makes complete sense now. Only someone like you, Bianca, would be good enough for her. You done good, Rissa. I'm happy for you."
The friends hugged again and Jo whispered to the redhead. "Your parents would be too."
"Thank you."
"Oh, what was that?" Jo took a step back.
Marissa laughed again having felt the baby kick. "That would be Sparky. Just wants to say 'hi' I suppose."
"Oh my gosh, I didn't even notice! How could I not notice?! You're having a baby! Congratulations! That is just the best news! So that would make Bianca …"
"Yep, Bianca's my baby mama!"
Cory snorted not surprised by the friends at all.
Bianca rolled her eyes. "Great. There are two of you. I thought I'd have a little break since Kendall and Greenlee aren't here."
"Who's Sparky?" Cory asked.
"Who are Kendall and Greenlee? It sounds like I might like them."
"Kendall is Bianca's sister, and Greenlee is Kendall's best friend and business partner. They own Fusion, and yeah, you'd love them. Kendall nicknamed our little one Sparky."
"Fusion Cosmetics? Get out! I love their stuff and was thrilled when Macy's started carrying their line. Why Sparky?"
"It seems my sister thinks that the baby will be a lot like Rissa, kind of a spark plug, and it just kind of spun from there. I'm still not agreeing to that nickname by the way."
Marissa grinned. "I'm wearing her down on it."
Bianca sighed. "Was she always like this?"
"Yes." Cory and Jo answered in unison and laughed.
"I thought so. As for Fusion being at Macy's, you can thank Rissa for that. She helped negotiate the deal for them. My wife is a kickass attorney."
Jo laughed again seeing the pride in the brunette's expression. "You're a lawyer, huh? Yeah, I can totally see that. You always loved a good fight."
"She still does."
"This is why you were talking about moot court, Cory."
"Yep. God, I remember Shelly's expression when they announced the verdict, and she found out she lost. It was priceless and probably one of the best moments senior year."
Jo nodded. "Yeah, I have to agree with you on that."
"What was this trial about?"
"You mean you never told her about the trial, Rissa?" Jo was shocked.
"No, it never really came up."
"I can't believe that. Well sit back, Bianca, you're in for a treat. You want to tell to it, Cory, since you started it?"
"Nah, you'll tell it much better than me."
"Tell what?"
"Paul!" The three classmates greeted another friend.
"Ladies, all I can say is wow. I didn't think it was possible, but you look even better now than you did in school."
"Glad to see some things haven't changed. You can still shovel it with the best of them." Cory smirked.
They were soon joined by other former classmates and their significant others, and after introductions were over, someone asked what they had been talking about.
"The trial." Cory answered simply.
"Ooh, I love this story. Who's telling it?"
"Jo."
Paul rubbed his hands together. "Well, get on with it!"
"Alright, hold your horses. Bianca needs a little background. It seems Marissa has never told her about it."
"She's being modest, not that I'm surprised." Cory offered.
"It wasn't that big of a deal." Marissa shrugged.
"Shush! We've got a whole group that says otherwise. Shelly Griffin was the head cheerleader, homecoming queen our junior year, class president our freshman through senior years and overall queen bee of the school."
"Queen bitch is more like it." Someone in the crowd muttered. Those in the crowd that knew her agreed.
"If she was so bad, why was she your class president 4 years running?"
"She was a bully, and people were scared of her." Jo answered.
"Correction, most people were scared of her."
"I stand corrected, Cory. You're right. Most people were scared of her. Your wife wasn't. She never backed down from her, and Shelly couldn't stand it." She was so used to everybody jumping when she said to but not Marissa. She refused and intervened would Shelly would find a new target to pick on. If you haven't realized it, your wife is very stubborn."
"Oh, I know, trust me on that. Wait. Shelly?" Bianca put 2 and 2 together. "Is that the same Shelly who tried to bully you when you were a little girl by pushing you in that race?"
Marissa could feel all eyes shift to her. She grinned at her wife. The redhead wasn't surprised at all that she had put the pieces together. "Yes, that would be her."
"I'm sensing a story that we somehow don't know. When did this happen?" Cory was intrigued by this revelation and could tell the others were too.
"When we were five, Shelly challenged me to a race. I was a lot smaller than her at the time but was winning. She didn't like it, big surprise. So, she pushed me from behind and knocked me down."
"Her Dad was recording the race, and you could see that when that other girl pushed her that Rissa's knees were skinned up pretty bad."
"Oh, I know your Mom and Dad were royally ticked off by that." Jo added.
"Yeah, they were. They talked to her parents and told them what happened. She got grounded as a result. I don't think she ever really got over it."
"Ya think?" Jo chuckled. "Shelly tried her damnedest to make your life a living hell in school. Now, it's pretty clear why. Talk about holding a grudge. Wait a minute. There's something else to this, isn't there? Bianca, you're going to have to tell us because this one obviously holds things back."
Bianca sighed. "Yes, she does that sometimes. Once Rissa's knees healed, she challenged this Shelly to another race and kicked her ass, fair and square."
Everyone burst out laughed, and Jo noted again the look of pride on Bianca's face with that pronouncement.
"Way to go, Tasker!"
"The grudge thing makes perfect sense now. Shelly absolutely hated to lose, and to have Marissa challenge her like that and beat her, you know that pushed her over the edge. As for our girl Marissa here, that explains a lot too."
"Yes, it sure does, Cory. As someone trained in understanding the motives of people and what makes them tick, I would say that young Ms. Tasker took that as an early cue to fight for the underdog, to …"
"Shut it, Josephine." Marissa's amusement clearly evident in hazel eyes and was matched by that in her friend's eyes.
The others present cracked up again at the friends' exchange. They all knew Marissa was the only one present who could get away with using Jo's full given name.
Jo huffed. "I think someone is deflecting."
"I think someone should make sure they're up to date on their malpractice insurance."
"Fine. Back to the story. Where was I?"
"Shelly's a bitch and Marissa's stubborn."
"Thanks, Callie! Senior year, everyone takes political science. The big project for that class is moot court, and everyone participates in it together no matter which period you take it. It's just one big murder trial. The defendant is completely chosen at random by a simple drawing. Everyone signs up for the other roles. Our senior year, Chad Hines was picked as the defendant. Shelly let it be known that she was going to be the defense attorney, no if's, and's or but's. You see, Chad was Shelly's boyfriend, and they were the 'it' couple. When she made that announcement, no one wanted to go up against her, no one except Marissa that is. They had gathered all of the seniors together to talk about the assignment since word had gotten back to the teacher that there might be trouble finding someone to be prosecutor. Right in the middle of the assembly, Marissa stood up and volunteered like it was no big deal when the entire senior class, hell the entire school, knew otherwise. Shelly was less than pleased."
Cory snorted. "Seriously? 'Less than pleased.' That's putting it mildly. She was pissed and started shouting that Marissa was going down and there was no way she could beat her."
"I think the exact quote was that she was 'going to wipe the floor with Marissa and crush her'." Callie added.
"Let me guess. Rissa didn't even flinch." Bianca knew her wife wouldn't blink in the face of such threats.
"Exactly! Which made Shelly even madder."
Jo picked up the thread. "Yeah, there were rumors that Shelly planted a spy on the prosecution's side for info and even broke into Marissa's locker looking for her notes. She didn't find anything though."
Bianca smiled. "She wouldn't. Rissa doesn't keep her notes in obvious places."
"Of course she doesn't." Jo wasn't surprised by this information at all. It was just like her friend to try and think ahead. "Shelly and a couple of her followers started trying to intimidate other students so they wouldn't help Marissa."
"Why was she going to all of this trouble?"
"Other than the established fact that she hated Marissa? It was for the grade. The winning side was locked in for an 'A' for the project which was ½ of our grade for the year in that class. Shelly needed that 'A' to be valedictorian. She wanted to be that so bad she could taste it."
"Did she end up with it?" Seeing the others shake their head no, Bianca asked the obvious question. "Who did then?"
Marissa grinned. "Jo, and it helped her get a full ride to Northwestern."
"That made me public enemy #2 right after Marissa. I probably would have replaced her if Shelly hadn't finished 3rd to Marissa's 2nd place."
"Let me take a wild stab at this. Political Science class was the difference."
Jo snickered. "Yes, it was. For some reason, the fact that someone stood up to Shelly made a huge difference around school. It also helped that it was Marissa, and everyone, well almost everyone, liked her."
"Jo and Cory were the first ones to sign up to help me. Meet my medical examiner and lead detective."
"Given what I know about the two of you, I can totally see that."
"Thank you. Pretty soon, we weren't alone. Almost everybody wanted to be on Marissa's side." Cory stated.
"Can you really blame us? I don't want to give you a big head, Marissa, but you were smarter and nicer than her. You treated us like human beings and not like something you found on the bottom of your shoe, which is exactly what Shelly did." Callie volunteered.
"I just treated you like I would want to be treated."
Bianca smiled at her wife's matter of fact response. Her circumstances may have changed, but Marissa's attitude hadn't. She was still following the golden rule impressed upon her by her parents.
"The trial itself got a little ugly. Shelly kept trying to sling mud and distort facts, but Marissa built her case brick by brick until there was no denying the facts. The jury had to find in her favor. I could tell Mr. Scott, our teacher and judge, was worried what they might do though because he knew how a number of them felt about Shelly. They came through though and did the right thing."
"The verdict was announced in front of the whole school, and it was nuts. The majority were cheering their heads off because it felt like this major coup had taken place." Cory noted.
"Shelly lost it and started crying and saying that Marissa cheated. It got a little ugly. Shelly would just not let it go until …" Jo paused.
"Until?" Bianca noticed the somewhat evil grins on those assembled around them. She then saw a glint in hazel eyes that she was all too familiar with.
"It was senior week which came right after the trial and before graduation. We were all at the public pool as part of our graduation activities. We didn't do a senior class trip. Shelly was at it again and was hammering everyone, ripping them to shreds. Marissa finally had enough and told her to back off. She'd been an extremely gracious winner and was taking everything in stride, trying to take the high road."
"Then she went after Jo." Cory picked up for her friend who she could tell was getting slightly emotional remembering the incident. "Shelly was particularly vicious, and Marissa snapped. Now, what happened next is up for debate. All I can say is that somehow Shelly ended up in the pool with a bloodied lip."
Bianca could tell Cory knew exactly what happened as did the others, but they weren't talking even after all these years. "A pool, huh?"
Marissa laughed. "Purely coincidental."
The brunette simply smiled and caught the quick look between Marissa and Jo. There was more to the story. She was sure of it, and Bianca felt the slightest pang of jealousy which she quickly brushed aside. There was no doubt in her mind that if she asked her, Marissa would tell her the untold story.
"Did that shut her up?"
"Eventually, once she realized she didn't have any witnesses, and it was her word against everybody else that was there."
/
"I can't believe you had the nerve to show up here, and that all of you are fawning over someone who was basically a prostitute."
All eyes fell on a tall blonde with a sneer on her face. Marissa instantly grasped Bianca's hand hoping to calm her wife and prevent her from doing anything she might regret later.
"Marissa isn't a prostitute and never was. That's some delusion you came up with in your twisted mind." Cory defended her friend immediately.
"Oh please, she was arrested at 'Heavenly Hands', and we all know what went on there. And look at who she married. The marriage itself is an abomination, but then her wife is loaded. The poor little orphan who was barely scraping by is now living on easy street, and all she has to do is spread her legs."
"You don't know the first thing about me or my wife and our lives together. Everything I've heard about you tonight is right. You are nothing but a bitch who is unhappy with her life. Say one more word …" Bianca's temper was escalating fast.
Jo flew out of her seat and stood to her full height of 5' 10" and towered over the blonde. She'd heard enough and now was her chance to repay her friend. "Let's get something straight, shall we? The charges against Marissa were dropped when the police realized that she was innocent so she's not now nor was she ever a prostitute. She was working there to support herself after she lost her parents. You say anything like that again about her and I will knock all of the bitch out of you. I know it's a helluva job because you're 100% bitch, but I'll do it and enjoy it. You of all people would know what happened at that place considering your dear old daddy was one of ones busted there, and word has it that he was one of their best clients. What does that make him? Now as to what you term Marissa's 'abomination', Marissa and Bianca are married. It's legal, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it so get your head out of your ass and join this century. There is nothing wrong with them being in love and married. Love is love so get the hell over it. You've always been so damn jealous of Marissa, and for what? She's always worked for everything that she's gotten. She's earned it. Unlike you who has had everything handed to them all on a silver platter. Have you appreciated any of it? No, you lord it over everyone, rub it in their faces and treat them like dirt. Let me tell you something, honey. You are not one bit better than anyone here. You can take your hate, small-mindedness and prejudice and shove them up your ass. And if you ever say one word about Marissa again, I promise you that you will feel pain that you haven't felt before because a broken jaw and no teeth are not fun." Jo could tell by the glare on Shelly's face that she wanted to hit her. "Bring it. I dare you."
Shelly knew she was outmatched and backed down immediately. "This isn't over."
"Yeah, it is. I suggest you get a life of your own so you have something else to focus on."
The blonde stalked away, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
/
"Been saving that up for a while, Josephine?" Marissa knew exactly what to say to dispel the tension.
Jo burst out laughing. "I guess I was. Sorry for interrupting you, Bianca, but I owed her."
"It's okay. I understand, and thank you."
"You're welcome. It was my pleasure."
"Thank you as well, Cory."
"Happy to do it. I don't know about anybody else, but I could sure as hell use a drink."
Everyone else agreed and started to head towards the bar.
"What are you drinking, Jo? My treat." Cory offered.
"Whiskey sour sounds good."
Bianca could tell the friends needed a moment alone. "I'll get you something, Rissa."
"Thanks, B."
/
"Wow. When you let it go, you really let it go."
"She deserved it and more. No one talks to you like that and gets away with it. Besides, I owed you one."
"You really didn't, but thanks. You were channeling Granny Morgan."
Jo laughed. Her maternal grandmother was definitely a force to be reckoned with so she took this as the compliment it was meant to be. "Thanks."
"So, Dr. Shelton, where are you living now? How's your Mom? What are the other particulars in your life? Are you involved with anyone? Any kids?"
"Mom is good. She said to tell you 'hi' if I saw you. I'm in New York now and practicing at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Mom moved there with me when she realized I wasn't coming back here to live, and there wasn't much left for her here anyway. She did go back to school and is finally pursuing photography full time. She never remarried but dates some. No kids for me yet. I'm seeing a really nice guy. He's a professor at NYU. Mom loves him."
"Well, that's settled. Jessica Shelton does not give her blessing to just anybody."
"No, she definitely does not."
"That's great about your Mom. I know it was hard for her here."
"Yeah. After Dad, it took her awhile to get back on her feet. She did her best for me though."
"That's because she loves you. I can't even imagine everything she went through. You were the reason she was able to get through it."
"That's partially true. Your parents helped out a lot, and you were a big reason I was able to get through it. I can never repay you."
"There's no need. I can't believe you're in New York. We're definitely going to have to meet up. I'd love to see your Mom again and for you to meet the kids."
"Don't I know it. I'm not losing touch with you again. I'm sorry I did the first time."
"I'm sorry too and am just as guilty. There was some stuff that happened that I just didn't know how to tell you."
"Will you now?"
"I will but not here. It's definitely a conversation that should be held in private."
"Good enough. I promise not to analyze you." Jo cracked.
"Glad to hear that. I will tell you that this is my second marriage."
"Your second? Do I want to know what happened during the first?
"Oh, Jo, there's not enough time right now for that, and before you ask, it was a man. Bianca is the only woman I've ever been with. There was one good thing that came out of that marriage though, my son AJ. He is such a great kid. He's my ex's biological son, but I adopted him and have full custody. Speaking of adoption, my biological parents are alive and well and living in Pine Valley."
Jo's eyes grew wide at this revelation. "What? Do you have a relationship with them?"
"Eh, I'm trying, but it's hard and complicated. It turns out I had a twin sister, fraternal twin. She was kept, and I wasn't. I never met her. She's AJ's biological mother and died in a tornado that ripped through Pine Valley. Being adopted couldn't have worked out better for me though because I had the best parents I could ever hope for."
"Roy and Lydia adored you. I should've been there more for you. I'm sorry." The brief synopsis Marissa had given her would've made her head spin if she had stopped to think about, but that was something she would do later.
"The feeling was mutual about Mom and Dad. You were there the way that I needed you to be. It got kind of crazy there for a bit, and I couldn't make sense of a lot of it myself. There's no way anyone else could have at the time. Well, maybe Bianca. She gets me in a way that no one else has. That's something that makes her special." Seeing her friend's confusion, Marissa continued. "My biological family did something beyond the pale to her. I can't tell you here, and I won't tell you without her permission, but I can't even imagine what they were thinking. Bianca forgave them though."
"I understand." Jo did understand because she knew her friend would give her the same courtesy. Some stories weren't yours to tell. "But you still have a hard time with it."
"Yeah, I do because the thought of anyone doing what they did to her. I can't even begin to tell you how it makes me feel. I'm trying though because of her, because she asked. I tell you, they could make a soap opera out of my life."
Jo chuckled and then became thoughtful. "Could I ask you something?"
"You can ask me anything, Jo. You know that."
"I do. I just …"
"Go ahead."
"When did you know you were gay or bi?"
"That's the thing. I don't know that I would necessarily say I'm either. You know I don't like labels. I'm just in love with Bianca. I didn't fall in love with a gender. I fell in love with a person who so happens to be a woman."
Jo nodded. "A very special woman from everything that I've heard."
"You've heard right. She is. I've never met anyone like her and know that I never will. She is smart, funny, kind, caring, and as beautiful on the inside as she is out. She's also the strongest and bravest person I know. A lesser person wouldn't have made it through everything that she has."
"That makes me happy to hear because you deserve the very best, my friend. I meant what I told her earlier. I can't tell you how happy I am for you. And I'm sorry about earlier if it seemed like I wasn't okay with the two of you being together because as long as you're happy, I'm good with it. That's all that matters to me. I was just surprised."
Marissa laughed. "No problem, and I think I have you beat on that one. I was never attracted to a woman before so imagine my surprise. Things changed with her though. We started as just friends. The friendship deepened, and before I knew it, I was in love with her. It was the best damn thing that's ever happened to me."
"How is it having Erica Kane as a mother-in-law?"
"Definitely an adventure and never boring. We actually get along pretty well, and I like her. The public sees her one way, and some of that holds true in private. There's a great deal more to her though, and I'm glad she's on my side. I wouldn't trade what I have for anything in this world."
"Judging by that smile, I can see that. And now, you have Sparky on the way."
/
"Seriously? Our little one is not going to be called Sparky." Bianca sighed as she and Cory joined the other two.
Marissa grinned. "You keep telling yourself that, Babe, but I just don't think you're right." The redhead saw the plate of appetizers her wife had brought back with her, a clear indication that the buffet was now open. Leave it to Bianca to be looking out for her. Marissa had to admit that she was getting hungry, and her eyes lit up when she saw there were jalapeño poppers. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome." Bianca could tell Marissa's mood was lighter and had a feeling it was a result of the conversation with her friend. She was glad. The brunette also saw the delight in hazel eyes as she bit into a certain appetizer.
The four women talked for a while as they ate, enjoying their time together. Bianca really did like the other two women and was glad Marissa had had them in her life growing up. She was also happy for their return and knew they wouldn't let themselves drift apart again.
"Okay, we can't have you all sitting here. Who wants to join me on the dance floor?" Callie asked as she joined the others.
"I'll come!" Cory hopped up.
"Count me in too." Marissa looked at wife. "What about you, B?"
"You go ahead. I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Okay. What about you, Jo?"
"The same."
Marissa looked between the two. It seemed that the two women had come to an unspoken understanding of some sort. "Got it. You're going to talk about me now. I'm cool with that. I just ask that you keep the number of embarrassing stories to a minimum."
"We'll try, but that's going to be hard. You gave me a lot to work with growing up." Jo cracked and watched as the redhead rolled her eyes before giving Bianca a quick kiss and heading to the dance floor.
/
Bianca turned to Jo. "So, is this where you grill me and tell me I better not hurt Marissa?"
/
A/N: I was going to do the reunion in one chapter, but it was getting pretty long as you can tell. I wouldn't have been able to post an update today if I continued with what I have in mind. I hope you liked the new characters I added. There just wasn't a lot of history with Marissa, and I wanted to give her some. See you soon!