A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! I appreciate it. Hope everyone in the States had a Happy Thanksgiving. Mine was drama free so it was good. This chapter picks up a little while after the last one. There's a shout out in the author's at the end of this chapter. Hope you enjoy this update!
/
Bianca and Marissa walked into Krystal's and were quickly waved on to their table by Nadine. They had stopped by for a late lunch after meeting with the kids' teachers for parent/teacher conferences that morning. This meant the kids had the day off school. While AJ and Miranda were happily at home under the watchful eye of Susan, Gabby was currently spending time with Opal. The couple's youngest had been particularly clingy lately when it came to Marissa. Instead of staying home with her brother and sister, Gabby had insisted on going with her mothers, so much so to the point where tears had been shed. A compromise was reached after the couple explained that she couldn't go to the meetings with them. Bianca and Marissa would meet with the teachers while Gabby would hang out with Opal for the short period of time needed for the parent/teacher conferences. By doing this, Gabby would be able to spend more time with her mothers, Marissa in particular, since she would see them long before they returned home. Opal was the perfect person to keep Gabby distracted and readily agreed to watch her.
The reports from the teachers had been glowing, for the most part. Gabby's teacher expressed some minor concern. She had noticed the little girl was not her normal bubbly self and had become slightly withdrawn. Gabby had always like school and soaked everything up. She always contributed in class and had a happy-go-lucky attitude that made her a favorite with everyone, but now, it seemed like she couldn't wait for school to be over, like she didn't even want to be there at all sometimes. She was quiet and kept more to herself. It was as if there was something on her mind, and whatever it was weighed heavily on her. The teacher asked if they knew of anything that might be causing this change in her personality, and the couple honestly couldn't think of anything. Yes, she was clingy, but they thought it was a phase she was going through because of the baby, that she was worried about losing her place in the family or was maybe even a little jealous about it. After talking with her teacher however, they would definitely be having a long talk with Gabby when they saw her later that day.
/
"Ladies, it's good to see you. How are you doing today?"
Marissa glanced up and smiled. "Hi, Krystal. We're doing pretty good. How about you?"
"I can't complain."
"Thanks for letting us borrow Opal today for a little while."
"It's no problem at all, Bianca. I have to tell you that Opal was really looking forward to today and had all kinds of plans for their time together. It didn't matter to her that you only needed her to watch Gabby for a couple of hours."
"That sounds like her."
"Did the parent/teacher conferences go okay?"
Marissa nodded. "They did."
"That's good to hear. How's Kendall doing? Is she back to work yet?"
"She's doing okay and started back yesterday, only on half days though for now. Greenlee will make sure of that." Bianca answered.
"I can imagine she will. So, she and Zach are having a little girl. I think that's great."
"Yeah, I really like the idea of having a niece." Bianca grinned.
"Me too. I think Zach will put the fear of god into anyone she dates."
Krystal chuckled. "I have no doubt about that. Do they have a name picked out yet?"
Bianca shook her head. "Not yet, but now they just need to focus on names for a girl."
/
The door opened, and Gabby rushed in with Opal right behind her. The little girl made a beeline for the table where her mothers were sitting. She immediately latched onto Marissa and relief seemed to flood through her.
"Hi, Mommies! Missed you!"
"Hi, Monkey. We missed you too. Did you have fun with Opal?"
Gabby shrugged taking up residence between her mothers. "Yeah."
"Hi, Opal. How was she?" Bianca asked as she helped Gabby off with her coat.
"Oh, she was very good, no problems at all. She couldn't wait to get back to the two of you though. She saw the two of you through the window, and I was chopped liver. I will tell you that she has some new fans at the beauty parlor, nothing unusual there though considering where she comes from."
"Thank you for watching her for us."
"It was my pleasure." Opal smiled at young brunette. "I had fun, little missy. We'll try and do something again real soon."
"What do you say?" Bianca prompted.
Gabby glanced up at the older woman. "Thank you, Opal."
"You're welcome." Opal waved as she headed to the restaurant's backroom.
Krystal turned back to the family. "I'll put your order in. What should I add for Gabby?"
Marissa glanced at her daughter. "Chicken nuggets and chocolate milk, Monkey?"
Gabby nodded. "Yes." Seeing the silent prompt from both mothers, she quickly amended her statement. "Yes, please."
Krystal chuckled. "I'll put that right in and send someone over with your drinks."
"Thank you."
Marissa and Bianca shared a silent conversation over top of Gabby's head followed by a quick nod. It was time to talk to their youngest. While this wasn't the ideal place, they would have more privacy here than at home without AJ and Miranda being around.
/
"Gabby."
"Yes, Mommy?" Gabby answered her brunette mother.
"Is there anything you want to talk to Mommy or me about?"
A confused look crossed the girl's face. "Huh? What do you mean, Mommy?"
"We talked to Mrs. Weber today. She said you've been really quiet in class and not acting like you normally do. You don't volunteer like you usually do and keeping to yourself. We've noticed you acting like that at home too. You like spending time with Opal, but you didn't seem like you wanted to today."
Marissa took over. "You've been wanting to spend all your time with me, and while I love doing things with you because it's one of my favorite things, I want you to have fun with others. It doesn't seem like you have been. What's going on, Monkey? You know you can tell us anything. Maybe, we can help, but you have to tell us first."
Sensing her daughter's reluctance. Bianca decided to take a chance and follow her instincts. "Gabby, are you upset about the baby? Don't you want to be a big sister?"
Gabby shook her head. "No, I wanna be a big sister, Mommy. I wanna be one just like Mimo. She's the bestest."
"Are you afraid the baby is going to take your place then?"
"No, I know you and Mommy love us the same."
"Then, what's going on?"
Gabby looked at both of her mothers and sagged. It was time to tell them. "I … I'm afraid."
"Afraid of what, Monkey?"
"I'm afraid you're going to die." Gabby blurted.
"What? Why would you think that?"
"Aunt Kendall's sick cause of her baby. She's been in the hospital lots, and they're afraid about her heart. They say she could die cause of all that. If she could, then you could, and I don't want that to happen to you, Mommy. I love you. I don't wanna lose you."
Marissa's heart broke as tears began to stream down her daughter's face. Her gaze met Bianca's and saw the same heartbreak. "Come here, Gabby."
The little brunette went over to her redheaded mother who pulled her onto her lap. Gabby burrowed into Marissa while tiny sobs wracked her small body.
Marissa wrapped her arms around Gabby and began to rock her gently. Bianca scooted over to Gabby's seat and assisted in soothing the girl. Gabby's sobs began to quiet down after a few minutes much to her mothers' relief.
"Gabby, the baby isn't hurting me, and my doctor has told me that there is nothing wrong with me. Everything is just the way it should be. I'm okay."
"But Aunt Kendall …"
Bianca took this one. "Sweetie, Aunt Kendall's baby isn't making her sick. Aunt Kendall has had problems with heart before this baby."
"She has?"
"Yes. You know that scar that she has on her chest?"
"Uh huh."
"A few years ago, Aunt Kendall was sick, and the doctors had to fix her heart. It's not because of the baby. She has doctors keeping an eye on her to make sure she and the baby are okay."
"But what about that lady?"
"What lady?"
"They said there was this lady who got sick and died because of her baby."
"What?"
"They said they saw it on TV."
Bianca was confused. "Who are they?"
"Some of the moms of the kids in Ian's class. I heard them talking when we were playing together during recess. They said there was a movie about it."
It finally dawned on Marissa what Gabby was talking about. There had been a movie on Lifetime recently about a mother who died during labor. She'd only heard about the movie because she did not want to watch it. In fact, she had made sure she steered clear of it. The last thing she needed to watch was a movie like that. With her hormones the way they were, a Hallmark commercial could start tears flowing. She knew without a doubt a movie like that would have her a blubbering mess so she stayed away from it like the plague.
Marissa mouthed the movie's title, 'A Mother's Heart', and Bianca knew immediately what was behind her daughter's distress. Bianca hadn't wanted to see the movie either. While she believed everything would be okay with both her wife and sister, the subject hit a little too close to home for her comfort.
"Gabby, I want you to listen to me, okay?"
"Okay, Mommy."
"What they were talking about what was just a movie. It was a story that someone made up. It wasn't true. I was just at the doctor's last week, and she told me that everything was good. You don't have to worry about me. I am going to be fine and so is Sparky."
Seeing that Gabby wasn't buying what she was saying 100%, the redhead thought quickly. "I have an idea. How would you like to come to my next doctor's appointment? You could talk to her and see what's going on with Sparky. What do you think?"
"Really? I could do that?" Gabby asked hopefully.
Bianca smiled. She thought it was a great idea. "I don't see why not. I'm sure Dr. Abbott would be okay with it. Do you want to?"
Gabby thought for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, I do."
"Okay then. I'll call Dr. Abbott, and let her know what we want to do."
"What do you think about including AJ and Miranda?" Bianca asked not wanting them to feel left out and slightly concerned they might be worried as well even though she hadn't noticed any changes in their personalities. "I think they might want to see the baby too."
Gabby nodded bravely. "Okay, I don't want them to be scared."
Marissa squeezed her daughter tightly. "That's very thoughtful of you, Monkey. Do you feel better?"
"Yeah, I do."
"We're very glad to hear that. I'll call school tomorrow and talk to your teachers so the three of you will miss just a little bit of class when we go to our appointment."
"Gabby, you need to tell us when you're scared or when something's wrong or bothering, sweetie. It's not good to keep those kinds of things inside. If you do, there's no way we can help you, and that's what we're here for. It's our job to take care of you and make things better. Okay?" Bianca added catching her daughter's eye. The brunette sighed in relief when she received a small smile in return from her daughter.
"Okay, Mommy."
"Monkey?"
"Yeah, Mommy?"
"Are you okay to sit in your own chair for a little bit? I need to go to the bathroom, again."
Gabby giggled and slid off her redheaded mother's lap. She remembered her mom's joke about Sparky and her bladder. "Tap dancing?"
Marissa chuckled. "Yes, tap dancing. Thank you. I'll be right back."
/
As Marissa made her way back to the ladies' room, Krystal stopped her. She had noticed something was going on at the table and held off on delivering their order.
"Is everything okay with Gabby? She seemed upset."
"Everything's okay now, just a little misunderstanding."
"Good. I'll have someone bring your orders over."
"Thanks. Sorry, Sparky is tap dancing on my bladder again."
Krystal chuckled. "I understand. Go. It will be waiting at the table for you."
/
Bianca was breathing a little easier knowing the cause of Gabby's change. As she watched her youngest color in the coloring book she had been given by Nadine when the waitress stopped over with their drinks, she couldn't help but be slightly irritated by what she'd heard. She really wished those parents had been paying attention to their surroundings when they were discussing that movie. Because they hadn't, Gabby had gotten the wrong impression and thought it was real. She made a mental note to talk with Kendall later and check on Ian, make sure he was alright. Bianca also thought it would be a good idea to speak with Gabby's teacher again and fill her in on what was going on.
/
Marissa exited the ladies' room and started for the table when she got what she thought was a good idea.
The redhead took her seat. "Hey, I was thinking I might make it an early day at work and spend the afternoon with my favorite minions."
Gabby perked up. "Could we watch 'Frozen'?"
"Sure."
"Well, I can't let you have all the fun. I think I'm going to do the same thing." Bianca smiled.
"Yay!" Gabby beamed.
"I couldn't have said it better myself, Monkey."
/
Two days later.
"Bianca Tasker-Montgomery?"
"This is us, guys."
The family stood and followed the nurse down the hallway to the exam room Marissa was in. While the redhead was undergoing the first part of her normal exam, Bianca stayed in the waiting room with the kids. The brunette would have liked to have been with her wife for the entire exam, but the kids didn't need to see a certain part of it. What they were going to see, however, was an ultrasound. The nurse opened the door and motioned for the family to go in.
Marissa was dressed and reclined on the exam table. The redhead smiled seeing her family. "Hey, it's okay. Come on in."
Bianca led the kids to the stools that had been brought in for the kids to stand on in order to see the monitor while she took her usual spot next to her wife.
"Dr. Abbott, I'd like you to meet our kids. This is AJ, Miranda and Gabby. Minions, this is Dr. Abbott. She's my doctor and is taking really good care of me and Sparky."
"Hello, it's nice to meet the three of you. Your Moms have told me all about you. They are very proud of you."
Shy 'hellos' were offered along with soft smiles hearing the doctor's words.
"Before we do anything else, would you tell Bianca and kids what you just told me?"
"Of course. Marissa and Sparky are doing good. All of Marissa's vital signs are good and where I like them to be. Her weight is good as well. The same goes for Sparky, progress is right on track. I'm very happy with both of them."
"Good. Rissa's been doing everything you've told her."
The doctor smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Okay, let's get started. Marissa, if you would raise your shirt." As the redhead did as asked, Dr. Abbott explained to the kids what she was going to do. "I'm going to put this gel on your Mom's belly. I'm doing that so I can move this wand on it easier. This wand is going to send a signal to this monitor here, and we'll be able to see and hear Sparky. Don't worry. This doesn't hurt your Mom or Sparky."
Three sets of eyes grew wide in wonder.
"Really?! Sparky can talk?" Gabby asked.
"Not yet, but we can hear Sparky's heartbeat. Listen really close. It's going to sound like a bunch of horses running. Ready?"
Three heads bobbed up and down enthusiastically. Eyes were peeled to the monitor as the baby's image appeared on screen and the sound of the racing heartbeat filled the room.
The doctor readily picked out what she was looking for and pointed it out to the kids. "There is Sparky."
Heads were cocked and eyes were glued to the screen as Dr. Abbott pointed out the things they were seeing such as the baby's head, arms, fingers, etc…
"Whoa! This is so cool." AJ had barely blinked.
"It looks like Sparky is sucking on a thumb." Miranda pointed out with a huge grin.
"Good eye, Mimo. It looks like that to me too." Bianca smiled at her oldest daughter's excitement.
Gabby was speechless as she took everything in.
Marissa smiled seeing the awestruck look on the youngest family member's face as Sparky kicked. "What do you think, Monkey?"
"It doesn't hurt, Mommy?"
"Nope."
"Wow." If possible, Gabby's eyes grew even wider. "Is that Sparky's heartbeat?"
"Yes, it is."
"Dr. Abbott, is Mommy really okay?" Gabby asked as she grew serious. It was a question she had to ask.
AJ and Miranda looked up at the doctor and awaited her answer.
"Yes, Gabby, your Mommy really is okay."
After a moment, Gabby nodded. "Okay. How big is Sparky now?"
The couple exchanged a glance, both wearing relieved expressions as the kids were seemingly satisfied with the answer. They now were peppering the doctor with other questions such as how much Sparky weighed and how the ultrasound worked. That last question was Miranda's. There appeared to be no end to her curiosity. Dr. Abbott answered each question, not talking down to the kids once but broke things down so they could understand. She was actually impressed by some of the questions.
"Looks like this idea was a winner. I'm really glad we did this." Bianca whispered.
Marissa nodded. "Yeah, I think it was too."
/
"If you follow me, Mrs. Shelton, I'll take you to Ms. Kane's dressing room."
Jessica nodded as she followed a young man down crowded hallway. Erica was in New York for her appearances on 'The View'. The diva had called Jessica and asked if she would be willing to meet her on the show's set. When Jessica agreed, Erica arranged a pass to the show. She also had made lunch reservations for them after the taping was done for the day. Erica had chosen one of her favorite restaurants in the city, per se. It was a five star restaurant located on Columbus Circle that was known for its nine-course tasting menu. That would provide them with more than enough time to talk and get to know each other better. Both women found they really liked each other during the time they had spent together at the baby shower and were looking forward to today.
The man stopped in front of a dressing room and knocked on the door. "Ms. Kane, your guest is here."
"Come in."
He opened the door for Jessica. "You have five minutes." The assistant added before leaving to tackle another task before the taping began.
Erica nodded at the assistant before he left to let him know she understood. "Jessica, please have a seat. It's so good to see you."
"Erica, it's good to see you too. How have you been?"
"I've been well. And yourself?"
"Pretty good. Marissa told me about Kendall. I'm so glad she's doing better. You must be so relieved."
"Thank you, and I am. I do worry that she'll need surgery though. I've been reaching out …"
The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Ms. Kane, it's time."
"We'll have to pick this up after the show. I've arranged a seat for you in the audience if you'd like."
"I would love it. Thank you." Jessica was floored. She hadn't been expecting any of this. Marissa was right. Erica had been nothing but kind to and generous with her.
/
"Ah, Ms. Kane, welcome back. It is so good to see you again." The maître de at per se welcomed Erica.
"Claude, it's good to be back."
"If you and your guest would me, I'll show you to your table."
Erica nodded, and she and Jessica followed the man. After both women were seated, he handed them menus and took their drink orders before hurrying off.
Jessica glanced around. "I've heard of this place but haven't been here before. What do you recommend?"
"The Australian Black Winter Truffles are excellent as is the veal. I always do a tasting which gives me a variety of items. You might want to do that if you're not sure what you want."
"That sounds like a very good idea." Jessica set her menu down for a moment. "I have to thank you for today. When I woke up this morning, I can tell you that the last thing I thought I would be doing today was meeting Whoopi Goldberg. Thank you for introducing me. I hope I didn't embarrass you by going all 'fan girl' on her."
Erica chuckled. "You were fine, and I wasn't embarrassed at all. In fact, Whoopi actually told me she thought you were very charming."
"I don't know about charming, but I'm glad I wasn't too bad."
The waiter delivered their drinks and took their orders leaving them alone for a while to talk.
"You were saying earlier you were worried that Kendall would need surgery. Marissa had mentioned that was a possibility."
"Yes, it is. Her doctor is capable, but I don't want merely capable. I want the best."
"I can certainly understand that. If it were Jo, I would feel the same way."
"I've spoken with a few doctors. There is one cardiologist that is brilliant."
"Who is it? I'm assuming you've spoken with him."
"It's David Hayward."
"Marissa's biological father?"
"Yes, and I spoke to him. I practically groveled before the man, and he merely asked what was in it for him. I offered him everything, and for a moment, I thought there was a chance we could come to an agreement. I was wrong. He turned me down cold and said there was nothing I could give him that would induce him to help."
"That is awful. I can't believe someone would be that cold and callous. Marissa must be so disappointed and heartbroken by his refusal."
"I haven't told her or Bianca or anyone else for that matter. This was something I chose to do on my own. I had hoped to reason with him, but that didn't happen."
"Why would he refuse to help? Doctors take an oath."
"They do, but that doesn't seem to mean anything to David, at least when it comes to my family. Along with Krystal and their daughter Babe, they have hurt my family time and again in the most horrendous ways. It's almost like they took pleasure in hurting the one member of my family who has the kindest and most forgiving soul."
"Bianca."
Erica nodded. "Yes, Bianca. What they did to her is beyond cruel." The diva paused. "I know that Marissa hasn't told you what they did, and she's done so to protect Bianca. I wasn't planning on going into any of this for the same reason, but I feel you should know who you could be dealing with in order to help protect Marissa should they try and do something to hurt either her or Bianca again."
Jessica couldn't deny her curiosity. "If you're comfortable enough to tell me, I would like to know, especially if it could help them. You have my word that it won't go any further."
"Bianca and Babe were pregnant at the same time. They were trapped together in a cabin during a storm. A man by the name of Paul Cramer took Babe's baby to give to his sister and gave Bianca's child to Babe. As a result of this, Bianca was led to believe her child died."
"Oh my god. I can imagine she was devastated."
"She was. Babe discovered what happened, that she had Bianca's child. Instead of being honest and coming forward, she kept this information to herself, for a while at least, and acted as if nothing was wrong. Krystal and David both learned the truth and chose to perpetuate the lie and covered it up. They stood by and watched as my daughter suffered through the most painful loss a parent could have and did nothing."
"I have no words. What would possess someone to do something like that? How did Bianca get Miranda back?"
"Ah, Babe found out that her child was alive and where he was. It was only then, when it was convenient for her, that she revealed the truth. She went on the run after taking that child. That left Miranda here, discarded when she was no longer useful to Babe. JR didn't know the truth, probably the only time in his life he wasn't guilty of something. Unfortunately, that didn't last long. He pushed Bianca over a balcony when she told him what happened and tried to take Miranda. As a result, Bianca went into a coma. It was only when we were able to remove Miranda from JR's custody that Bianca woke up."
"Oh my, I … I don't know what to say. While all of this was going on, while she was dealing with the loss of her child, Bianca founded the Miranda Center. She's also found it in her heart to forgive them. Bianca truly is amazing."
Erica smiled. "Yes, she is. Bianca is the best of us. She is a great deal like my mother."
Jessica thought for a moment. "Huh, that makes sense now."
"What does?"
"Marissa. She told me that she has a harder time forgiving them for what they did to Bianca rather than for what they did to her. Knowing her like I do, I'm not surprised by that at all. Marissa was raised with a defined moral and ethical code. She knows that everything isn't black and white. But something like what they did? There would be no way to justify causing someone that much pain. It wasn't just Bianca that was hurt. Miranda and AJ were innocent victims as well. That is why she can see beyond what was done to her but not to the people she loves. I would expect no less from her."
"Because of her parents?" Seeing the nod in reply, Erica continued. "What were her parents like? She's told us about them, but I would like your thoughts."
Jessica smiled remembering her friends. "Roy and Lydia were the best. My husband had problems. Today, they would've been able to diagnose him as being bipolar. Back then however, no one knew what to call it. Things were difficult. I saw the looks and heard the whispers especially after he killed himself, but when Roy and Lydia were around, there was nothing. They pretty much laid down the law to others, and no one said a peep or looked at me cross-eyed when Roy and Lydia were there. Marissa is very much their daughter. She became Jo's self-appointed champion and got into a couple of scrapes because of it, but that didn't matter to her. To her, it was worth it because she was protecting her friend."
"I've seen her fight for others, particularly for Bianca and the children. I have to be honest that I had my reservations about her at first. Bianca has been hurt romantically in the past. She's fallen for the so-called 'straight' girl before only to have her heart broken. Marissa had given no indication of being attracted to women prior to her involvement with my daughter."
"That's true. She told me as much. Marissa also told me however that she didn't fall in love with a woman as much as she fell in love with a person who happened to be a woman."
"She's told me that as well. My main concern though was her biological family because of everything they had done to Bianca." Erica paused and smiled. "She has shown me that she is nothing like them and has even called me out on something when I had inadvertently caused Bianca to doubt herself on a particular matter. Marissa has been nothing but supportive of Bianca and the rest of my family. I view her as a daughter. I don't feel I need to worry quite about Bianca quite as much with her around because I know she will protect her with everything she has. The same holds true for Bianca. I've never seen her happier, more content, and she will do everything in her power to keep her family safe."
Jessica smiled. "I believe that, and to know that Marissa has found a family that she deserves is such a relief. Thank you for taking care of her."
"You're welcome."
"What are you going to do about Kendall?"
"Keep looking for another specialist."
"I could talk to Jo if you'd like. She knows a lot of doctors and could get a list for you."
"Thank you. I would appreciate that."
"You're welcome."
"Let's talk about more pleasant topics."
"Alright. Marissa said that Kendall's having a girl."
Erica smiled. "Yes, we're adding to the Kane woman line."
/
Marissa read the caller id and smiled brightly. "Jessica, how are you? I heard you and Erica had a nice time together in New York."
"We did. She couldn't have been more generous or gracious. How are you and Sparky doing?"
"We're good, and that's not just me saying that. Dr. Abbott agreed."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"So, what's up?"
"What? I can't call you just to say 'hi' and check up on you?"
"You can, but you forget I know you and that tone of voice. It's telling me there's another reason for this call. Spill it."
Jessica should have known that Marissa would suspect something was up. She was just too damn perceptive sometimes. Jessica shook her head and charged forward with the real reason behind this call. She hoped she wasn't overstepping, but Jessica felt Marissa needed to know and, more importantly, would want to know.
/
A/N: Gabby's story was inspired by a suggestion from Huskermania. Thank you for the idea. I switched it up slightly from the original prompt so I hope that's okay, and I also hope I did it justice. Okay, time to put my Christmas tree up. See you soon!