A/N: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! I appreciate it and all of you. I've got a busy day ahead of me. I have some errands to run before I have to get ready for the surprise birthday party some friends are throwing for me. Yeah, I know about it, not all of the details but enough, and I need to work on my surprised face for them. I can't take their fun away from them, and I know how lucky I am. I was given cover story to get me to the location of the party and did verify that the Final Four games would be on tonight. That's important because my Kentucky Wildcats are still playing, and I'm not the only one that will want to be watching the game. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!

/

Greenlee had been thinking about her conversation with Kendall all morning. It was gnawing on her. Did she miss something? Was Rafaela pressuring Bianca in any way, making her uncomfortable and feel like she had to do something she didn't want to? Greenlee hadn't seen anything like that happening, but that didn't mean that it wasn't. The two had spent some time together when she wasn't around to observe them. If Rafaela was up to something, Greenlee was sure as hell going to put a stop to it. Yes, there was a time when she and Bianca had not gotten along, but that was a long time ago. Now, she considered Bianca family. They were cousins after all, and if Erica and Jack ever got their act together and actually got married again, they would be sisters. No, Greenlee wasn't about to let someone hurt or take advantage of Bianca, not if there was anything she could do about it and there sure as hell was. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the conference room where Liz and Ashley were waiting for her.

"Hi, Greenlee. Ready to get started?" Liz glanced up at the petite brunette.

"In a minute. I need to ask you both something, and I need you to be honest with me, both of you."

Ashley glanced at Liz, and then nodded. "We'll try our best."

"What's going on with Rafaela?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is she interested in Bianca?"

"How so?"

Greenlee sighed. These women were not going to make this easy. "Romantically."

"I don't know what you …"

"Oh please, can we cut the crap? I don't need you to spin me. Is Rafaela interested in Bianca romantically, and if she is, is she using this time to further those interests?" Seeing the two share another look, Greenlee continued. "Look, Bianca is family. I'm not going to use her or anyone else for that matter to secure a deal. Is Rafaela expecting something more from Bianca? Because if she is, I'm here to tell you that Bianca is not part of any deal. If anyone suggests otherwise, we'll call this off, and I'll walk away from this deal right now."

Liz held up her hands. "Hold on, please. Yes, I believe Rafaela is attracted to Bianca. She is her type."

"Exactly what is her type?"

"Attractive, intelligent people. Gender doesn't matter to her. Rafaela's sexual orientation is fluid. That's how she describes it herself. Despite her attraction, we would never make any deal contingent upon her romantic interest being reciprocated. Yes, Rafaela likes to flirt and have her fun, and she can be needy at times. All of which can cause problems sometimes. If it has this time, I am truly sorry. She would never force anyone though. Rafaela had to deal with that early on in her career, and made a pledge to herself that she would never do something like that to anyone else."

Ashley continued. "We really would like to work with you. This could be a good partnership for both parties. What can we do to help?"

"She really doesn't mean any harm." Liz assured.

Greenlee sighed. She could see they were being sincere. "Rein her in. Tell her no more demands of Bianca's time. She's out of the equation."

"Done."

"Good. I'll let Bianca know we're good, and that I won't need her help any more on this, that I'm taking it from here."

"One thing. Rafaela did express some interest in making a donation to the Miranda Center. It truly is heartfelt and a cause close to her heart. She had an aunt who was in an abusive relationship and couldn't get away. She's blind in one eye as a result but finally out of that relationship, even though it was at a heavy cost. Rafaela really was impressed with what Bianca's built here and told us that she would like to make a donation. No strings attached."

"I'll let Bianca know."

/

"So, Mom, tell me about Rafaela."

"What makes you think I know something about her?"

"Oh please, you're Erica Kane for god's sake. Even though you're not out walking the catwalks, you still have your finger on the pulse on anything that deals with the modeling industry. You know something about pretty much everyone connected with it. Don't even try and deny it."

Erica smiled. "You're right, I do. Fine. Rafaela has been linked to many famous men, be they actors or athletes. The thing is that while the media and public defines her as straight, she considers her sexual orientation, in her own words mind you, as fluid. If she finds someone attractive, it doesn't matter to her if it's a man or woman."

"Interesting. So, she could be attracted to Bianca."

"Yes, she could. Your sister is an attractive woman after all with many admirable qualities."

"Yes, she is."

"What's going on with Marissa?"

"She's not feeling particularly attractive right now."

"Why?"

"Because of that little guy that you're holding."

"What weight she gained was because of her pregnancy and is perfectly natural. I can tell she's lost a few pounds already."

"Yeah, she has, but her wife is hanging around a supermodel, someone who was voted one of the world's most beautiful women. That doesn't do a lot for your confidence under normal circumstances. I can tell you it wouldn't do a lot for me right now if Zach was hanging around her."

"No, I suppose it wouldn't, but surely Bianca has told her otherwise."

"I'm not sure." Kendall sighed. "I hate talking about this aspect of their relationship, but I'm going to have to. We all know they have an active sex life. You can tell that just by the way they look at each other. Because of Danny, they haven't been able to engage in those activities."

"It's been over six weeks though. That restriction should be lifted by now."

"Yes, but Bianca has been busy hanging out with a supermodel."

"Oh, I see. Marissa being self-conscious about her appearance and Bianca being pre-occupied and spending time with an attractive woman …"

"It's kind of like the perfect storm."

"Now, I understand the problem. They need time alone."

"Exactly. My current situation doesn't really lend itself to being able to do something to help them accomplish that."

"No, it doesn't, and don't even think about it. Your health is very important, and I won't allow you to neglect it. We have a bit of a quandary. Since tomorrow is Friday, I can have AJ, Miranda and Gabby come over after school, and Jack and I can spend some time with them. I believe there is a movie out that they want to see. They could even stay all night. Jack enjoys 'camping out' with them in the living room. It makes me wonder who the actual child is sometimes."

Kendall laughed. She could definitely picture her mother's fiancée down on the floor and acting like a big kid. She'd seen him act like that before at family gatherings. "The kids would love that. That leaves us with Danny. He's too little. There is no way they would be away from him overnight."

"That is very true. Perhaps they could be persuaded to leave him for a couple of hours."

"We might be about to convince them to do that."

/

"Hey."

Marissa was jolted from her thoughts when she heard her wife's voice. She glanced in the direction it came from and found Bianca standing next to the bench.

"Hey, yourself."

"Are you here by yourself?"

"Yeah, I am. Danny's watching Kendall, and your Mom."

Bianca smiled. "He should be able to keep them in line."

"Hopefully."

"Do you mind if I have a seat?"

"No, please."

Bianca sat down and held out the rose. "This is for you."

"Thank you."

"I didn't get the chance to write out a card. Um, I'll tell you what I planned on writing though if you'd like to know."

Marissa nodded. "I would."

"This would be under the letter 'I' as in idiot, which is what I've been lately. I promised you that I wouldn't be spending a lot of time helping out at Fusion. What did I do? I broke my promise and threw myself into it. In the process, I've neglected you and the kids."

"Neglect is kind of strong."

"What would you call it then? I sure as hell haven't been there like I should be. You've been taking care of everything at home by yourself, including my sister. I didn't even wake up last night for Danny. You haven't taken any time for yourself until now, and I'm guessing you only are now because my Mom probably made you." Bianca could tell by the expression on Marissa's face that she had guessed correctly. "What I hate the most is that I forgot about your appointment with Dr. Abbott. I can't even tell you how sorry I am about that. I shouldn't have forgotten. You have to know that you mean everything to me, and there is nothing more important than your health. Without you, none of this means anything."

"I do know that. It hurt though when you didn't ask, and so I lashed out, maybe a little more than I should have."

"You had every right to though. I don't think you said anything that I didn't deserve. I did break my promise."

"Do you know why?"

"Somewhat, but it doesn't justify it in any way. Nothing does. I got caught up in helping Greenlee. She and Kendall have done so much for us, and I wanted to do a good job for them. Then, I met Rafaela. She expressed a genuine interest in the Center, and well, it was flattering to have someone that famous know about and be interested in it. And because of her feeding my ego, I lost sight of what's truly important in my life, the people that mean the most to me. That's you and the kids."

Marissa smiled. She could see the honesty in Bianca's eyes and knew she meant every word she said. The redhead also knew how much the Miranda Center meant to her wife. It had been born during the lowest point in Bianca's wife, when she had been led to believe that Miranda was dead. Bianca poured her heart and soul into building the Center, and it had helped her channel her grief into something that would help others. "I know what it means to you, how important it is. I also know how much you want to help them, how much you need to help them. When someone you love is involved, you give your all. You can't seem to help yourself. It's one of the many reasons I love you."

Bianca studied her wife. "I have to say you're being awfully understanding right now, more than you probably should be."

"To be honest, it's because you're being harder on yourself than I ever could. Yes, you broke your word, and I was hurt."

"I'm so sorry."

Marissa held up a hand to stop Bianca from apologizing again. "I know. I know you are. You know, I was sitting here thinking, and you were right. I was a little jealous of her, of Rafaela."

"Why?"

"Oh come on, seriously? She's gorgeous, has a perfect body, skin, hair and a number of other things. I don't look the same as when you married me. I mean, look at me."

Bianca cupped Marissa's face, making her wife look at her. "No, you don't. You are even more beautiful. There aren't any words to describe how beautiful you are to me. Rafaela doesn't hold a candle to you. She never could and never will. No one ever will."

"But the weight …"

"Rissa, you gave me the most precious gift I could ever receive, I could ever ask for. You gave me Danny. If I've made you feel like I don't want you, I am so sorry because nothing could be further from the truth. These past weeks of not being able to make love to you have been like torture. Let me tell you, I used a lot of cold water, and while cuddling is nice, it sure as hell is no substitute. You have no idea how much I want you. I can never get enough of you, will get enough of you. You are the only woman that I want, that I ever will want. Everyone else pales in comparison to you, and you've ruined me for anyone else. I look at you, and I still get butterflies. That's something I don't ever see changing. We have a lifetime together. Old and grey, remember?"

Marissa took a shaky breath and leaned into her wife's touch. "I remember. For someone who says they don't have a way with words, I'll just say that you could definitely fool me."

Bianca caressed her wife's cheek. "It's easy with you because I mean every single word. I love you."

"I love you too." Marissa captured Bianca's lips in a loving kiss.

Both women sighed happily when they finally separated. They knew they still had things to talk about, but the worst was over.

"I really hate to say this right now, but I should get home. I've been gone a while."

"And leaving Danny alone with Mom and Kendall for an extended period of time could corrupt him." Bianca smirked.

Marissa laughed. "Exactly. Also, your Mom came over with a pretty big gift bag."

"She went shopping for Danny." Bianca sighed.

"Yep. I didn't have the heart to say anything to her. I couldn't take her fun away. Plus, she almost slipped and called him her grandson."

Bianca's eyes grew wide at the revelation. "No! Wow. That's amazing."

"I know. Kendall and I didn't say anything though."

"Good call. I should probably get back to work because I'm leaving on time tonight. I'm having dinner with my family."

"You are, huh?" Marissa smiled.

"Yep! What would you say to going out to dinner? Maybe Krystal's? You deserve the break."

"We both do, and I think it's a great idea." Marissa kissed her wife again. "Walk me to my car?"

"Definitely." Bianca stood up and held out her hand which Marissa happily took.

/

Aya nudged Jan when she saw Bianca return. "She's smiling."

"Yes, she is." Jan sighed in relief.

"Let me know how everything went." Aya said before heading off to a meeting.

When Bianca stopped by her desk to get her messages, Jan had to ask. "Everything go okay?"

"Everything went great. I actually ran into Marissa in the park, and we had a really good conversation."

Jan smiled. "I'm very happy to hear that."

"So am I, and you know something, I need you to do me a favor."

"Name it."

"I need you to clear my schedule for tomorrow. I'm taking the day off and spending it with my wife."

"Consider it done. Can I ask you something?"

"What about Kendall?"

"Yeah. I know that AJ, Miranda and Gabby have school, and Danny won't be a problem for you."

"I'm one step ahead of you. I called Zach on the way back over here. He's taking tomorrow off to spend with his wife."

Jan laughed. "Good for you. Now, get back to work. You're leaving on time tonight if I have to throw you out of here myself. Plus, I've got a schedule to rearrange."

"Yes, ma'am." Bianca smiled. "Jan?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks, for everything."

/

Erica answered the door to Minx Manor and greeted the delivery boy from the couple's favorite florist. "Good afternoon, Nolan."

The young man's eyes grew wide. He couldn't believe that Erica Kane knew who he was. "Hello, Ms. Kane. Is Marissa home? I have a delivery for her."

"Marissa is out at the moment, but I'll be happy to take the delivery for her. Please come in." Erica stepped aside to allow Nolan to enter. It was then she saw the arrangement. "Oh my, those are lovely. Would you mind setting those on the coffee table?"

Nolan nodded. "No problem. Hi, Mrs. Slater."

Kendall smiled. "Hi, Nolan. Wow, that is beautiful. Who's it from?" Seeing the grin on Nolan's face, Kendall knew. "Bianca sent them."

"Yeah, she stopped by the shop a little while ago and said these had to be delivered today."

Erica handed Nolan a very generous tip. "We'll make sure that Marissa gets them."

Nolan saw the tip and couldn't believe the amount. "Thank you, Ms. Kane!"

"You're welcome. Have a nice day."

"You too."

After Nolan left, mother and daughter looked at each other.

"So, Binx got Red flowers. It's a start."

"Yes, it is. According to Marissa's text, she should be home soon. These should help bring a smile back to her face."

"Definitely." Kendall heard the door leading from garage to the kitchen open. "Red's home."

/

Marissa walked into the family room with a big smile on her face and carrying a rose. "Hey, sorry I was gone a little longer than I had planned. How's Danny?"

Kendall and Erica both made note of that smile.

"Quite the charmer and no problem at all. I put him down for a nap not long ago." Erica said.

"Thank you." Marissa's gaze fell on the flower arrangement.

"Oh, those just came for you." Kendall answered her sister-in-law's unasked question. "Nice rose."

"Thank you." Marissa walked over to the coffee table, set her rose down, and plucked the card from the bouquet. It didn't seem possible, but her smile got even bigger and brighter as she read what her wife had written her.

"So, where did you go?"

Marissa sat down next to her sister-in-law. "I did a few errands, went to the park and ran into Brian. We talked for a bit. It was good to see him. He was worried about the two of you possibly corrupting Danny."

Kendall chuckled. "Yeah, I can see him saying that."

"Then, I saw Bianca, and we talked."

"Judging by that smile on your face, I'd say it went well." Erica hinted.

"It went very well. We still have some things to talk about, but we're good."

"I had no doubt that you would be, Red. You and my sister just fit."

Marissa smiled. "Yeah, we do. We just needed some time to cool off."

Erica nodded. "Yes, you did, and I'm very glad the two of you realized that."

"Without any intervention or schemes from our loving and well-meaning family. Go figure. By the way, thanks for coming over today, Erica. I hope you didn't have to change any plans."

"You knew?" Erica shook her head. "Of course you did. It was no problem, dear. I was glad to come over. It allowed me to help you as well as spend time with Kendall and Danny."

Kendall chuckled. "You're too smart for our own good sometimes, Red."

"Nah, I just know how this family works. What are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing that I know of."

"Bianca is leaving work on time, and we're all going to Krystal's. All of you are welcome to join us."

"That sounds nice, and it's on the list of things I can do. Are you sure you want us there?"

"Positive."

"Alright. I'll call Zach and check with him."

"I'll call Jack. I'm sure he would love it as well."

"Great."

"Since all of our cards are on the table, I have a question or an offer, if you will. How would you like it if Jack and I kept AJ, Miranda and Gabby overnight tomorrow? We could even watch Danny for a couple of hours."

"That's … that's really generous. I'll talk it over with Bianca. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

/

Bianca knew there was one more call she needed to make. Greenlee. She had to talk to her and explain that she wasn't going to be able to help with Rafaela anymore. Her family was her top priority, and Bianca needed to focus on them. She didn't want to let either them or herself down again. As she reached for her cellphone, it started to ring. The name on the caller id was one she recognized.

"Hi, Greenlee. Believe it or not, I was just going to give you a call."

"I saved you a call then. Do you have a couple of minutes to talk?"

"I do. What's going on? How are the negotiations going?"

"They're going really well. That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. I appreciate all of your help. You have been great and have gone above and beyond. I don't know what I would have done without you." Greenlee paused. "You've done way too much, and I just can't ask you to do anymore. I wouldn't feel right about it. So, I'm going to take it from here. You don't need to do anything else."

Bianca couldn't let Greenlee finish. She had to tell her. "I'm sorry, Greenlee, but I can't help anymore with Rafaela. I let things get away from me, and my family is suffering as a result. I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen. I'm sorry."

The words they had both been saying as talked over each other finally sunk in for both women.

"Wait. What?"

"You don't want to help anymore?"

"You don't need me to help?"

"Hold on. Time out. Let me go first please, Bianca."

"Okay."

"I got the feeling that your helping me with Rafaela was causing problems between you and Marissa, and you have to know that I would never intentionally do something like that. You both mean too much to me, and I'm sorry for any trouble this may have caused."

"I do know that, Greenlee. You did kind of have a hand in Rissa and me realizing how we felt about each other. I can tell you talked to Kendall."

"Yeah, I did. She called earlier. I can't tell you …"

"No, please stop. I really did want to help. I just kind of got carried away with helping and had a hard time saying 'no'. This is all on me. It's my fault and no one else's. I need to step back now though and do something for me. So, I'm sorry for you feeling responsible or guilty because nothing could be further from the truth. I just hope that I haven't done anything to jeopardize this deal for you."

Greenlee chuckled. "Nah, I'm good. I had a nice long talk with Liz and Ashley earlier. Rafaela has a little bit of a history. Incidents seem to follow her around. It's most likely because of her flirting. She's pretty bad about it. I simply told them that you were not part of any deal, and if they tried to make it that way, there would be no deal. You're family."

Bianca smiled. "Thank you. There was a time you know …"

"Yeah, I do. Thankfully, we've grown up, especially me."

"So, what did they say?"

"They apologized and said they would talk to her, get her to back off. She apparently doesn't mean any harm, she just can't help herself. They really want this deal and think it could be good for both sides. I agree, but if you're not comfortable …"

"No, I am. I think you're right. Plus, it's not like I'm going to be dealing with her anymore."

"Very true. Thank you for your help. I really do appreciate everything you did."

"You're welcome. I just need to know my limitations, and this definitely made them clear to me. It was a wake-up call."

"Is everything alright with you and Marissa?"

"Yes. We still have a few things to talk about, but we're talking and not yelling. That's a big help right there."

"Always helps Ryan and me."

"Us too. I ran into Rissa earlier in the park, and like I said, we talked. It was something we both needed to do. It's just a start, mind you. I screwed up and need to make it up to her. I'm starting by leaving work on time tonight, going out to dinner with my family, and taking tomorrow off to spend the day with my wife while the kids are in school."

"Well if you ask me, I'd say that's a very good start. If you need any help, just let me know."

"Thanks. I will. Actually, how would you like to join us for dinner tonight? We're just going to Krystal's."

"I don't want to impose."

"You wouldn't be. I had a text Rissa just a few minutes ago. Kendall, Zach, the boys, Mom and Jack are going to meet us there. It won't be the same with you, Ryan and Emma."

"Well, if you're sure?"

"I am. Come."

"Aright. I'll call Ryan, and we'll meet you there."

"Good."

"Oh, if you're spending time alone with Marissa tomorrow, where's Kendall going to be? I don't have to ask about Danny because I know he'll be home with you. I can watch Kendall if you need me to though."

"Thank you for the offer, but I've already taken care of it. I talked to Zach, and he's going to take the day off as well. He said it would be his last chance to have some one-on-one time with Kendall for a while so he's all on board with it and making some plans for them."

"I'm glad to hear that. They both could use it. Alright, I'm going to go. I'll see you tonight."

"See you later."