Things Change

by luci465

This is my take on how Bianca and Marissa discovered that there was something more than just friendship going on between them and spinning it forward to show their life together.

215. The Incident

A/N: As always, thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! Your support has been nothing short of incredible, and I am extremely grateful for it and each one of you. It's hard to believe that it's been 4 years since I started writing this story. AMCGL7, I think you might be right. This kind of has turned into a novel or maybe novels. I suppose I could have broken it up into a couple of different stories, but I just haven't found a good place to cut it. So, Things Change is just going to continue to grow and be one big ass story. With that said, on to year 5!

As for this chapter, I apologize for it being a little late. If you look at the word count, you'll notice that it's pretty long. Given the subject matter, I didn't want to drag it out and wanted this wrapped up in one chapter. As I stated in the previous chapter, this is something I've thought about writing for almost a year. Please check out my author's notes at the end of this chapter to read about the incident behind it. Unfortunately, certain events have become all too common place here in the States. Oregon, Arizona, and Texas are states with the most recent examples of violence in our schools. There was even an incident at my alma mater in Kentucky a few months where a student was threatened with a gun on campus. Thankfully in this case, no one was hurt. I don't know the answer to this. I just know it has to stop. This chapter touches on this subject, and it could be a trigger for some of you. With that said, if you don't want to read this chapter, I more than understand. I will tell you that this story wraps up in this chapter. So, if you want to continue to follow Things Change, know that the next chapter will start a new thread. If you do want to read this chapter, I ask you to trust me. I will never cause any harm to a child in my writing. It's something I just can't do. Call it bad story writing or not if you want. It's just something I can't do. So again, please trust me.

This chapter starts a couple of hours prior to where the previous one ended and then picks up from where it ended. Hope you enjoy this update!

/

"Are the two of you ready for your quiz?" Bianca asked as she poured AJ and Miranda some orange juice.

AJ nodded. "I'm ready." While they were nearing the end of just their first full week of school, their teacher decided to give them a quiz to see where the class was and how much they remembered from the previous school year. The class wasn't exactly happy about it, but there was nothing they could do about it other than study.

"Me too. She said it's really just a review of what we learned last year though, and it won't really count against us if we do badly." Miranda added.

Marissa saw the glint in the eyes of their two oldest children. Even though it wouldn't count against them, both still wanted to do well, and do better than the other. It was a friendly competition between AJ and Miranda, and only bragging rights were at stake. Their mothers let it go but would step in if it ever got to be too much.

"Your Mom and I just want you to do your best. That's all we ever ask."

Miranda nodded. "We know."

"Who's picking us up after school today?" Gabby asked.

"I am, and then, we're going to get Danny. Your Ma has a late meeting."

Marissa sighed. "I wish I didn't, but Bryce called a partners' meeting."

"Do you know why?" Bianca asked.

"He didn't give many details, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with a big fish that we're trying to land as a new client. With everyone's schedule being so packed and Jack still on his honeymoon with Erica, this evening was the only time everyone was free. It's going to be even later for Jack, and I'm sure Erica isn't too happy about it."

"I think that's a safe bet. Are you doing a skype session with him?"

"Yeah. We need all the partners there." Marissa checked the time. "I've got to go."

While Marissa kissed AJ, Miranda and Gabby goodbye, Bianca got Danny into his carrier.

"Love you all. Be good and learn lots." Marissa smiled giving the kids her usual sendoff message. The redhead then turned to Bianca and gave her a loving kiss. "I'll see you later, beautiful. Have a good day."

Bianca grinned. "You too. I love you."

"I love you too." Marissa smiled before leaving with Danny.

/

"Hi, Miranda."

"Hi, Amber."

"How do you think you did on Mrs. Mills' test?" Amber asked as she caught up with her best friend at recess.

"I think I did okay. What about you?"

Amber shrugged. "I'm not sure. I didn't really get the chance to study like I wanted to last night."

"Why?"

"My mom and dad were fighting again, and it got pretty loud."

"I'm sorry. What were they fighting about?"

"Pretty much what they always do. There was one new thing though. Mom wants to take me out of this school and put me into this one run by a friend of hers. It's private and really small. There's just a couple of teachers, and I really don't like the one I would have."

"You don't? Why?"

"She yells a lot and talks about people who aren't the same as them, ones that think differently."

"People like my Moms."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. She's like my mom and says that the people not like them are going to go to you know where." Amber didn't want to repeat the hate-filled words to the girl who had become her best friend.

Miranda sighed. She felt bad for her friend and hated that she had to go through this. Amber had confided to her that her parents had been fighting more and more lately. Miranda did her best to be there for Amber. "It's not your fault they think that way. What did your dad say?"

There was one good thing that had come from all of this fighting. Amber's father had started standing up to his wife as well as sticking up for his daughter more and more. "He said I'd go there over his dead body. He doesn't want me around those people, and said that they were a bad influence. Mom blew up and started screaming that I was being corrupted going here and being around certain people. Dad said the only ones corrupting me were her and the people she goes out with. Mom didn't like that and said something about him not having a say in it because she would get custody."

Miranda knew exactly what that meant. "Do you think they're going to get a divorce?"

"I don't know. I just know that I'm tired of them fighting all the time. If they ever do get one, I don't want to live with her, not like she is now. I'd want to live with my Dad."

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

The two girls stopped in their tracks when a kickball bounced in front of them before going over the playground's fence. They heard a boy's voice.

"Ms. Jessup, the ball went over the fence."

"All right, Tommy. You can go get it, but come right back."

A dark-haired boy nodded and darted out of the fenced-in area to retrieve the ball. As he bent down to pick it up from its resting place in the gutter, he stopped. "Hey, AJ, come here. You gotta see this!"

AJ had been playing kickball as well with his friend and was waiting for him to return. The blonde stood by the fence's opening, careful not to go beyond it because he lacked permission to do so. "What is it?"

"I found a gun!" Tommy said excitedly. "This is so cool. We can forget about kickball. It's kinda lame next to this."

Seeing his friend start to pick it up, AJ called out to him. "You shouldn't pick it up, Tommy. Something bad could happen." AJ was all too familiar with guns and who shouldn't have them. He knew his dad had one at one time, and when JR was drinking, it had scared the boy. It was just another reason why he hadn't wanted to spend time with him. As for his mothers, they didn't particularly like guns and didn't have any in their home.

Tommy scoffed. "I've handled a gun before and nothing bad happened."

"You did?"

"Yep. My brother's a security guard and has one."

"Doesn't he lock it up? He's supposed to because you could get hurt."

"He does, but he doesn't know that I know the code to his gun safe. Look, guns are no big deal."

"You should listen to AJ, Tommy, and leave it alone. We need to tell a teacher." Amber said. Her parents had guns, but they were always locked up in gun safe that she didn't know the code to. She never touched them.

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Look, just because your boyfriend says something doesn't make it true."

"They're right, Tommy. You shouldn't touch it. You could get hurt or somebody else could. I'm going to get Ms. Jessup." Miranda turned to find the teacher.

"I'll come with you, Miranda." Amber started to walk away with her friend.

Everything started to move in slow motion for AJ. Just as his sister and Amber started to move, Tommy bent back down to pick up the gun. An old pickup truck drove by just as AJ yelled out to his friend. "Don't, Tommy!" The loudest bang the blonde had ever heard sounded, and the next thing he knew, kids were crying out and running everywhere.

/

"Marissa." Ellie tried to catch her breath, and the redhead in question could tell immediately that something had happened.

"What's up, Ellie?"

"You had a call on your cellphone."

Marissa usually left her cellphone with her secretary when she was in the office and headed into a meeting or deposition that required her undivided attention. The redhead had given Ellie permission to answer it in her absence in case an emergency came up with Bianca or the kids.

"It was the school. There's been some sort of incident, and it's on lockdown."

The redhead's blood ran cold hearing that one word, lockdown.

"Do you have my phone?"

Ellie nodded and handed her the device. "I'll take care of things here."

Marissa took it with a slight nod acknowledging what Ellie had just said and started walking back towards her office. She was in desperate need of privacy. Her mind was racing, and more than any other time in her life, she needed to think.

/

"Come in." Bianca called out from behind her desk when she heard the knock on her office door. Normally, she didn't like to be interrupted when she was with a potential donor, but the man sitting across from her on the other side of the desk was starting to get on her last nerve.

Jan popped her head inside and motioned for her boss. Like Marissa, Bianca left her cellphone with Jan when she was in a meeting in which she didn't want to be disturbed. "I need to speak with you, privately."

"If you'll excuse me for just a minute, Jonathan." Bianca walked over to her assistant knowing something was not right. "What's wrong, Jan?"

"The school called. It's been placed on lockdown. They didn't have any other details at this time."

"Do you have my cellphone?"

Jan handed over the phone. Her boss wasn't looking well at all, understandably so. Bianca looked white as a ghost, and her hand shook as she took the phone. "I'll get rid of Mr. Berman. Why don't you go into that conference room over there? You can have some privacy there until he leaves."

Bianca nodded numbly. She was almost to the room when her phone rang. A quick glance at the caller id told her it was the person she desperately needed to talk to in that moment. "Rissa, did you hear what happened?"

"I just found out. I hardly know anything though, just that the school's on lockdown. Have you heard anything else?"

"No, that's all I know too. Rissa, I don't like this at all. Something's really wrong."

"I know." Marissa was interrupted by a knock on her office door.

Lisa entered quickly and closed it behind her. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but we caught the news." Lisa paused. There was no good way to say this. She didn't think she would ever have to utter her next words. "There are reports of a shooting at the grade school."

"Oh my god!" Marissa's blood ran cold.

"What is it, Rissa?" Bianca wasn't able to catch what Lisa had said.

"Lisa said the news is reporting there was a shooting at the school." Marissa knew without a doubt that that was the hardest thing she ever had to say. She would've given anything not to have had to tell Bianca that, but her wife needed and deserved to know what was going on.

"Oh dear god. We have to get over there." Bianca was nearly frantic. This was her worst nightmare come to life.

"We do. Are you okay to drive?"

"As okay as I can be right now. You?"

"The same. I'll meet you there. I love you."

"I love you too."

/

Bianca raced back to her office, nearly running over a few people along the way but not having the time to stop or care. She had three children in that school that she needed to get to now.

"Is everything all right?" Aya asked as she followed Bianca into her office. The office manager had been one of those the brunette had nearly run into.

Bianca shook her head. "No, it's not. The news is reporting that there's been a shooting at the kids' school. I'm heading over there right now. I need you to …"

"Go, just go. Don't worry about this place at all. We'll take care of things here. Everything will be okay. The kids are going to be okay."

"I hope to god you're right." Bianca grabbed her purse and ran as fast as she could to her car.

"What happened? I know the school's on lockdown." Jan asked her friend. Aya looked shell-shocked.

"Turn on the news right now. There's been a report of a shooting at the school."

/

"I've got to go. I've got to get over to the school."

"Do you want me to watch Danny for you?"

Marissa froze at Lisa's question. The daycare was going to be her first stop originally. Now, she was left to wonder should she or should she not take him.

"Marissa?"

The redhead snapped out of her momentary fog. She decided to go with her gut. "No, I'll take him. Part of me says that maybe I shouldn't, but I need him with me right now. I think Bianca's going to need him there too. Have Ellie cancel everything."

"She's already on it. Try and think positive, okay? The kids are going to be okay."

"God, I hope you're right." With that, Marissa was gone.

Several other members of the firm whose children also attended the school were scrambling out of the office as well. All were desperate to get to their children. Those that remained behind were huddled around TVs, radios, computers, cellphones and whatever other devices were available and able to provide them with details. Their thoughts and prayers, along with those of the other residents of Pine Valley, were with them.

/

Bianca pulled up to Pine Valley High and parked in the first spot she found. It was as close as she could get to the grade school since the area immediately surrounding it was blocked off as part of the lockdown. The high school was also where police were directing the parents of the students at the grade school to go to await word. Bianca raced into the school and was directed to the auditorium. Other parents were there already with more right behind the brunette. They all wore the same expressions, a mixture of shock, fear, disbelief. They were all desperate to see their children, to see with their own eyes that they were okay. Bianca glanced around the room for her wife, but didn't see her. She did, however, see the parents of some of the kids' classmates.

"Binx!"

"Kendall!" The sisters embraced.

"Do you know anything?" Kendall asked desperately.

"No, I don't. I'm guessing you don't either."

Kendall shook her head. "No, dammit. Where's Marissa?"

"She's on her way. Zach? Greenlee?"

"They're both on their way. Greenlee was trying to get a hold of Ryan. He had to fly to New York this morning."

"I can't imagine being that far away right now. It's hard enough being here let alone hundreds of miles away."

"I know. It makes it hard on Greenlee too."

"Is Lexie at home with the nanny?"

"Yes, she is. I have to say I kind of wish she was here right now."

Bianca noted how pale her sister was. She supposed she shouldn't be surprised. Kendall was still recovering from having Lexie as well as the surgery for her pacemaker so Bianca knew this added stress wasn't good for Kendall on top of those things. "Come on. Let's see if we can find a place to sit."

"I'm fine, Bianca."

"I'm sure you are, but I could use a seat."

Kendall knew what her sister was doing and why. Even now, Bianca was looking out for her. Instead of fighting her on it, Kendall decided to just go along with her. "Okay. Let's go."

No one they talked to as they walked across the room knew anything. They were all waiting to hear something from either the police or the school administration, but representatives from either group were not forthcoming with any information at the moment. Waiting was definitely the hardest part.

/

Greenlee scanned the room, and after she spotted them, she ran over to the sisters out of breath. "Anything?"

Kendall shook her head. "Not yet. Did you get a hold of Ryan?"

"He's on his way to the airport and will be here as soon as they can get the jet gassed back up. I can't tell you how glad I am that he has that private plane. Zach? Marissa?" Greenlee asked as she took a seat.

"On their way."

"Dammit, I wish we knew something." Greenlee looked around. All she saw were the worried faces of other parents struggling to keep it together. It was then she saw a blur of red coming their way.

"Bianca!"

Relief flooded through Bianca when she saw her wife making her way through the crowd with the baby carrier clutched tightly in her right hand. "Rissa!"

The couple embraced, and when they separated, Bianca released Danny from his carrier and picked him up. Holding him in her arms helped more than she could say. Now, she just needed the other three there.

"Nothing yet?" Marissa asked the others.

"No, nothing."

"Why the hell haven't we heard anything?"

"Marissa?"

"Kim, hi."

"Hi. Bianca."

"Kim. You remember Kendall and Greenlee?"

The woman nodded. "I do. Hello."

Marissa could see the other woman's eyes were rimmed red. "How are you doing?"

"Probably the same as you. I'm scared to death for Shelby." Kim smiled softly when she saw Danny. "He's adorable."

"Thank you." Bianca said. "Would you like to join us?"

"I'd like that very much. Thank you."

"Is your husband on his way?" Kendall asked.

"I hope so. Bernie was on a service call when I tried to get a hold of him. His reception can be pretty spotty in certain locations. The dispatcher said he would send someone out to let him know."

"Oh my gosh, Rissa. What about Claudia?" Bianca suddenly remembered Marissa's second in command at the firm.

"Andi wasn't feeling well today so Claudia stayed home with her." Marissa assured her wife.

"This is probably the only time she's glad about that." Greenlee noted.

The women all agreed. While they didn't want to see their children sick, today, it meant safety."

/

"Brian, have you heard anything from Stef?" Lisa asked as the man rejoined them at Ellie's desk.

"Nothing that's any help. They are directing the parents and guardians to the high school, and that's pretty much all she knows. It makes it hard on her because her students are asking questions, and she doesn't have any answers. She did say they are doing an early dismissal for the high school and middle school students. Once all of her students are gone, Stef's going to try and find Marissa and Bianca."

"Ellie, have you heard anything from Marissa yet?"

The secretary glanced up and saw two of the firm's partners. "Not yet, Mr. Cortlandt."

"If you do, please let one of us know as soon as possible." Bryce requested.

"I will." Ellie agreed.

"I can't even imagine what she's going through right now. Ellie, could you do me a favor?" Caleb asked.

"If I can, sir."

"Contact the other secretaries and see exactly how many of those working for us have children or family members at the school."

"I'll get right on it. I know that for us only Marissa is affected today. Claudia's daughter is home sick."

"Thank you. I'm sure Claudia is relieved to know she's safe." Caleb turned to Bryce. "We're going to have to cancel tonight's meeting. I know Meyers won't be happy since he was flying in on Friday specifically for our presentation, but that's just too damn bad. Marissa is a partner, and we need her input.

"You're right, we are. Without her there, we won't have the presentation done in time, and there is absolutely no way in hell I'm going to ask her to come back in tonight with everything going on right now. She's going to need to be with her family just as much as they are going to need to be with her. I hate that she's going through this. I'd be out of my mind." Bryce shook his head to clear it. "Enough of those thoughts. I'm going to think positive because I don't even want to think of the alternative. Everyone will be okay. Hopefully, we can reschedule with Meyers. If not, so be it. Either way, we need to get a hold of Jack about tonight."

"I'll take care of that. They may not even know what's going on here yet. Knowing Erica, she'll be on the first plane home."

"And Jack would be flying it himself if they can't find a pilot. I'll call Meyers." Bryce said before heading to his office.

Caleb nodded and pulled out his cellphone as he walked down the hallway to his office. He hated doing this but didn't see any way around it.

/

"You're not going to have any fingernails left, Jan."

The assistant looked down at her hands and noted that Aya was right, but she couldn't help it. She had been chewing on her nails ever since Bianca left and a TV had been pulled out to watch news coverage of the ongoing drama at the grade school. "You're probably right. It's an old nervous habit though. The reporters aren't saying anything new. Dammit, they have to be okay. Bianca has been through way too much. If something happened to the kids, I'm afraid that could break her."

Aya nodded sadly. "I know. She's probably the strongest person I know, and I also know that we don't know everything she's been through. But this? I don't know how you come back from something happening to your child."

"I don't either. We can't think that though. We have to think positive. Do you think Erica knows what's going on yet?"

"Hmmm. I didn't even think about her. I'm not sure. You know Bianca and Marissa are probably just focusing on the kids. They may not have had the time to do it. Do you think we should call her?"

Jan shook her head. "No, I don't think so. We don't know anything yet to tell her, and you know Erica's going to have questions. I just hope Bianca and Marissa get some answers for themselves and get them soon."

/

Marissa felt a vibration in her jacket pocket and pulled out her cellphone with a frown.

"What is it, Rissa?" Bianca asked.

"It's Caleb. He wants to know if we've told Erica or Jack what's going on."

Kendall and Bianca both winced at the thought of telling their mother.

"I haven't even thought of that."

"Neither have I."

"I didn't think about calling Jack either. Why is Caleb asking?" Greenlee asked.

"There is a partners' meeting this evening. If I had to guess, they're cancelling it and want to let Jack know."

Greenlee nodded seeing where Marissa was going. "When they call him, he's going to want to know why, and then, everything will come out."

"Pretty much."

Kendall looked at her sister. "To be honest, Binx, I don't know if I can deal with Mom right now. I'm barely holding it together as it is."

"Same here."

"Yeah, I don't know that I could tell Jack."

"I'll see if Caleb is willing to tell them for us. Damn, I forgot about Krystal. I'm sure she knows by now though." Marissa hit the button to call Caleb.

"Marissa, I'm really sorry to bother you right now."

"It's okay. You asked something we hadn't thought about yet."

"First, can I ask …"

"We still don't know anything. I have to tell you that this waiting is killing us. Getting back to your question, we haven't told them. Would you mind calling Erica and Jack and let them know?"

"Of course. What about Krystal?"

"You read my mind. Her too, please. Tell them we'll call when we know something. One more thing. Jessica and Jo."

"Yes, they'll want to know. I'll call them too."

"Thank you."

"Marissa, I …"

The redhead heard the slight hitch in his voice. Caleb was the strong silent type, and usually kept his emotions in check. That did not mean he didn't feel. On the contrary, he felt things very deeply. Marissa knew this better than most. "I know. Me too, Caleb."

"There's Brot!"

Hearing her sister-in-law, Marissa's head snapped to where she was pointing. "Caleb, I've got to go. Brot just got here. Hopefully, he can tell us something."

"Go. I'll take care of those calls."

"Thank you." Marissa disconnected the call and followed the others over to where the policeman was standing.

/

Brot, dressed in his uniform, was immediately swarmed by anxious parents. Question after question was lobbed his way in rapid fire succession, not giving him a chance to answer one before the next was asked. He raised his hands asking for quiet, and when it finally calmed down, he spoke.

"I'm Sargent Brot Monroe with the Pine Valley Police Department. Let me start off by telling you that your children are safe and accounted for."

There was a very audible sigh of relief from the crowd, and then, the questions started again.

"Are any of them injured?"

"A few of the children who were on the playground sustained minor injuries such as scrapes and bruises. That is the extent of their injuries, and they are being taken care of by medical personnel."

"When can we go get them?"

"We want you all to stay put." There was a groan of protest before he continued. "I know all of you are anxious to see them, but in the interest of their safety and to make sure no one gets missed, we are escorting them over here along with their teachers."

"Their safety? I thought you said they were safe."

"They are, ma'am, but there is a lot of press out there. We want to make sure they don't bother them. Your children are on their way now. We are doing this a grade at a time, starting with the youngest."

"What happened?"

"We heard reports of shots being fired."

"This is an ongoing police investigation. As such, we are not at liberty to discuss certain details at this time, but we will as soon as possible. Right now, we are interviewing teachers and students about what happened."

That last comment caught Marissa's attention, and the lawyer in her couldn't let it pass. "Are you saying you're interviewing minors without the presence or permission of a parent or guardian?"

Brot wanted to kick himself. He forgot that there might be lawyers in the crowd. When he saw who asked the question, he wasn't really surprised. "It's being done in the interest of time and safety." One look at Marissa told him she wasn't buying the flimsy excuse. Truth be told, the officer wasn't thrilled with it either. Brot had told the captain they should hold off on the interviews, but man with the higher rank ignored him. The chief of police hadn't arrived yet, and until Jesse got there, the captain was the highest ranking officer on the scene which meant he was in charge and they had to follow his orders.

"You know as well as I do that is not proper procedure." Marissa noted.

"Is she right?"

"They're scared right now."

"I'll take care of it immediately." Brot was able to hold off further protests by pulling out his radio and stepping aside. He returned a few moments later. "Chief Hubbard has already ordered for the interviews to be stopped, and he is on his way here to give you more details regarding the incident."

"And you're sure it's safe?"

"Yes, sir. There is no active shooter on site. The area is secure."

Brot fielded other questions, doing his best to assure everyone while at the same time not revealing exactly what happened.

/

"Mommies!"

Bianca and Marissa nearly wept for joy when they heard Gabby calling to them while Kendall released a shaky breath at what she saw, Zach crossing the room holding both Gabby and Ian. When they got closer, he set Gabby down, and she raced to her mothers who were waiting with open arms. Zach placed Ian in Kendall's arms, and she held him tight. Other children were reunited with their parents right after Zach's entrance.

Zach kissed his wife and held both her and their son. He saw four children were still missing.

"How did you get them?" Kendall asked when she could finally speak.

"I was walking from my car when I saw these two. Actually, it's more like they saw me."

"I saw Daddy first." Ian grinned.

"Yes, you did. He broke ranks and ran over to me. Gabby was in another group and saw me after I had Ian. So then, she ran over."

Gabby rested her head on Marissa's shoulder. "What happened, Mommy?"

Marissa glanced at Bianca. Neither wanted to have this conversation here, especially when they really didn't know what happened themselves. "We're not sure right now, Monkey, but we'll talk when we get home, okay?"

"Okay. Where are Miranda, AJ, Spike and Emma?"

"They are on their way over."

Gabby nodded. She could tell something bad had happened but didn't know what it was exactly. What she did know was that she was happy to be with her Moms.

Emma appeared next and ran over to Greenlee. The two hugged, and while she was relieved, Greenlee couldn't breathe easy just yet, not until the other three children were there with them.

"Where's Dad?

"He's on his way. Why don't we give him a call?" Greenlee pulled out her cellphone and dialed Ryan. While Emma was talking to him, another child made his appearance.

Kendall saw Spike as he ran over to her.

"Hi, Mom."

"Oh, baby, I am so relieved to see you."

While they were happy to see Emma and Spike, Marissa and Bianca were growing more and more anxious as they waited for their two oldest children. After what felt like an eternity, their prayers were answered.

"Mom! Ma!"

Relief flooded through the women and tears flowed.

"AJ! Miranda!"

The birthday twins ran to their mothers and were immediately engulfed in their arms.

After several minutes of simply clinging to each other, they heard a throat clearing. Bianca glanced up and saw Jesse.

"What's up, Jesse?"

The chief smiled. "Everyone. I would like to talk to AJ and Miranda in private along with one of you of course."

"What did you do to your leg, AJ?" Gabby asked.

It was then that the others noticed the bandage on the boy's leg, and then, they saw one on Miranda's arm.

"What happened? Are you both okay?" Marissa asked as she inspected them for other injuries.

"That's what I wanted to talk to them about."

"Chief, what happened? An officer said you wanted to talk to Amber." Doug Baldwin asked as he approached the group with Amber clutching him, a bandage on her knee. Tammy was right behind them trying to pull Amber away from her father, but the girl wasn't having any of it.

Soon, they were surrounded, and Jesse's hopes of doing this quietly were gone.

"From what we've found out so far, a student went to get a ball that had gone out of the playground. He found a gun in the gutter and went to pick it up. It was at this time that a truck passing by backfired. It startled the student, and he dropped the gun. Fortunately, it did not go off. Other students saw the gun, heard the truck, and thought the noise was the gun firing. It was then that things got a little chaotic. Students were running and some fell or were knocked down which resulted in some receiving minor injuries. The school was immediately placed in lockdown, and we were notified. We immediately secured the firearm and did a search of the premises to insure there was no other threat to the students, faculty and staff."

"It was you, wasn't it?" Tammy glared at AJ and Miranda and yelled at them. "You're behind this. It was your fault."

Marissa placed herself in front of her family while Bianca pulled AJ and Miranda closer to her.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll back off. I will not have you speaking to my children like that." Marissa warned.

"It wasn't their fault."

Tammy glanced at her daughter. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"But I do." Seeing she wasn't getting anywhere with her mother, Amber pleaded with her father. "Dad, I was there. AJ and Miranda didn't do anything wrong."

Doug knelt down and looked his daughter in the eye. "What happened, Amber?"

"It was somebody else who found the gun. He called for AJ to take a look at it. He wanted to play with it. AJ told him not to touch it or play with it. He said it wasn't a toy and that it was dangerous. Miranda said the same thing and that we needed to tell a teacher. She went to get one, and then, that's when everything happened. I remember hearing AJ shouting for him not to touch it."

Miranda stepped next to her redheaded mother. "Mr. Baldwin?"

"Yes, Miranda."

"Amber told the other boy the same thing and was going with me to get a teacher."

Doug smiled. "Thank you for telling me that, Miranda. It sounds like the three of you were very brave, especially AJ."

Marissa had one arm around Miranda and hugged her to her side. "And very smart too."

Bianca smiled and rubbed AJ's back. "I couldn't agree more. The three of you should be very proud of yourselves."

AJ ducked his head shyly. "I just did what my Moms would want me to do. Miranda too."

"How did you all get hurt, Buddy?" Bianca asked.

"I heard a loud bang and got scared. I started to run and tripped and fell. I saw another boy running, and he ran into Miranda and Amber and knocked them down. He didn't mean to though. He was just scared too."

Tammy started to say something, but stopped seeing her husband's glare.

"Chief, do you need anything else from us right now? I'd really like to take Amber home."

"I would like to get the name of the boy who found the gun. I promise he won't get in trouble. I just have a few questions about where exactly he found the gun."

"Do you promise?" Miranda asked.

"I promise."

"It was Tommy Weston." AJ volunteered. "He didn't mean to cause all of this."

"I'm sure he didn't. Thank you. The three of you did exactly what you should have. I'm proud of you, and I know your parents are too. You're all free to go. If I have any other questions, I'll be in touch."

The crowd started to disperse. On their way out, they were informed that the school would be closed the next day and that counselors would be available for the students when they returned.

"Amber, thank you for what you said about AJ and Miranda." Bianca said gratefully.

"You're welcome."

Doug smiled at the brunette. "Thank you for saying that, and I apologize. My wife should not have yelled at your children. It was out of line and won't happen again." He glared at his wife before softening his gaze towards his daughter. "Let's go home."

Zach pulled Jesse aside, and Marissa followed the two men. "What haven't you told us, Jesse?"

The chief sighed. "The gun was loaded. When we found it, the slide was back, but it was jammed. What we don't know is when it got jammed."

"That's why you want to talk to Tommy?" Marissa asked.

"Yes."

Zach mulled this over and asked a question. "Any idea of how the gun got there?"

"We're not positive, but there was a police chase down that street early this morning. We think it might have gotten tossed out of the car we were chasing. It was a high-speed chase so it could've been tossed up the street and just came to a rest in front of the school. I'm just glad that no one was hurt."

"You're definitely not alone on that." Marissa glanced over her shoulder. She knew it could have turned out so much worse than some scrapes and bruises. "If you're sure you don't need anything else at the moment, we're going to go home."

"Go. Oh, I apologize for them being questioned without you there. Captain Barnes was a little overzealous, and I've spoken with him about that. I promise he won't be doing that again."

"Thank you."

Bianca raised a questioning eyebrow at her wife when she returned.

"I'll tell you later. I don't know about all of you, but I'm ready to go home."

The kids nodded eagerly as did Bianca.

Spike finished talking to Ryan and handed the cellphone back to Greenlee.

"What do you think, Emma? You ready to go home?" Greenlee asked her step-daughter.

Emma, who had been leaning into Greenlee with her arms wrapped around her, nodded. "Yeah."

"I think that is an excellent idea, Red." Kendall said as she shifted Ian in her arms. "Binx, I'll call Mom, and let her know everyone's okay."

Bianca nodded gratefully. They would all need to talk to their children about what happened that day. AJ and Miranda had been right in the middle of everything however, and their mothers needed to have a different conversation with them, one that would tell them exactly what happened. "Thanks, Kendall. Tell her I'll call her later."

Hugs were exchanged among the group before they split up. Zach took Ian while Spike went with Kendall. Miranda and Gabby went with Bianca and the boys with Marissa. For the most part, they were all able to dodge the press who were scrambling for comments. They didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment. What the Tasker-Montgomery family wanted right now was just to go home and be together.

/

Bianca arrived home just a few minutes before Marissa. Both mothers wanted to inspect the injuries their oldest children sustained for themselves. It wasn't that they didn't trust the medical personnel because they were sure they did a good job in taking care of them. They just needed to see for themselves how bad it was.

After the kids changed and Danny was settled on his blanket in the middle of the family room floor, AJ and Miranda sat on the sofa with a first aid kit in between them and their mothers kneeling in front.

"Why did Amber's mom yell at us? Does she really think I'm bad?"

Marissa glanced up at her oldest son. It broke her heart to see him questioning himself and to see how much it bothered him because she knew how much he liked Amber. The redhead was still mad as hell at Tammy and wanted to kick her ass into the next week. She beyond fed up with the woman and her attitude. Yell at her all you want, but her children? Hell no. That was a line no one was going to cross without facing her wrath.

Sensing her wife's simmering anger, Bianca answered. Not that she wasn't mad herself, because she was. Bianca's anger, however, was just a smidge less than Marissa's at the moment. "First off, Buddy, you're not bad, not by a longshot, and neither is Miranda. Okay?"

AJ nodded and so did Miranda.

"And you did nothing wrong today. In fact, you did everything right, and so did Miranda. Both of you did exactly what you were supposed to do. We're so proud of you. We know you were probably scared, and that's okay. It was a scary situation, but again, you did the right things. You didn't touch the gun, and you tried to convince Tommy not to. Miranda, you knew to get a teacher, and tell them what was going on. That's exactly what you should have done. And Amber? She was right too."

"But why did her mom yell at us then?"

"I don't think she was mad at you, Buddy. I just think she was really scared. We all were. We didn't know if all of you were okay, and we had to wait a long time to find out that you were safe. When people are that worried or scared, they sometimes take it out on the wrong people. Sometimes, there's not really anyone to blame. That's what it was today. It wasn't anyone's fault. Is it right when they do that? No, it's not. She shouldn't have yelled at you." Bianca could hear her wife mumble something under her breath, and even though she couldn't make it out, the brunette had a very good idea of what it was. "I think it was just because she was scared. That doesn't make it right, but I think that's what happened." Bianca hoped AJ believed her because he didn't need to think otherwise. Did Bianca believe what she said? Not really because Tammy was a bitch and didn't have the best track record when it came to her actions regarding Bianca and her family, but for her son's sake, that's the story she would stick with.

"Okay." AJ seemed appeased by his brunette mother's explanation.

"AJ."

"Yeah, Ma?"

"If she or anyone else does that again though, we want you to tell us. Okay?"

"Okay."

Marissa shrugged as if to say 'what?' when Bianca looked at her with a raised eyebrow. The brunette let it go because she wanted to know if it happened again as well. God help the person who did it.

"I know we heard what Amber told Jesse earlier, but your Mom and I would like to hear what happened from the two of you. Could you do that for us?"

"Uh huh."

"Good. Let's put all this away and get something to drink before you do."

/

With the first aid kit put away, Bianca's and Marissa's clothes changed and everyone having something to drink, the family gathered back together in the family room, and when they were all settled and comfortable, AJ and Miranda told their mothers what happened. Gabby was surprised to find out what happened and a little scared as well, but talking with her mothers helped assure her a great deal. If, and they hoped it didn't happen, but if she found herself in the same situation, Gabby promised to follow her brother and sister's example. As for AJ and Miranda, they felt better too. Bianca and Marissa had a calmness that reassured them that they were safe and were going to be all right.

By the time they were done, stomachs were starting to grumble.

"What do you say we order some pizza for dinner?" Bianca suggested. Normally, that would be something they would do on a Friday or Saturday night, but she didn't feel like cooking and was sure Marissa felt the same way. Plus, the kids deserved this treat.

The kids nodded happily.

"Breadsticks too, Mommy?"

Bianca laughed. "Breadsticks too."

"I have a very important question. What is our ice cream situation?"

"I think we could use some chocolate, Ma." Miranda said with a grin.

"Hmmm. Well then, I think we need to rectify that situation because I'm seeing sundaes for dessert. Sound good?" Marissa asked.

"Yeah!"

"Then, it's settled. B, if you will order the pizza and breadsticks, I will run to the store for ice cream and pick up our order on the way back."

"Works for me."

Both women knew they were spoiling the kids a little, but if anyone deserved it that night, it was them.

/

After dinner and dessert, it was decided to watch a movie. The couple also knew they needed to make a few calls to let others know things were okay. Not wanting to leave the kids alone to do that because they were still, understandably, a little clingy, Bianca made her calls first while Marissa stayed with the kids.

Erica was her first call, and the diva was extremely relieved to hear from her youngest daughter. Bianca filled her in on what AJ and Miranda had told her, but left out the part where Tammy yelled at them. It wasn't the time. She might tell her mother later but not tonight. Erica told Bianca that she and Jack were cutting their honeymoon short and heading back the next day. Bianca tried to convince her mother that it wasn't necessary, but Erica would not be swayed. When they were done with their conversation, Bianca called Jan. The assistant was relieved to say the least. She had heard on the news that no one was seriously injured, but hearing from Bianca directly that the kids were okay did the trick in calming her down. Bianca told Jan that she was taking the next day off to be with the kids, and Jan told her she would take care of things around the office. The assistant also told her she would call Aya and let her know. Between the two of them, everything would be covered. When they were done, Bianca returned to the family room.

/

Marissa's first call was to Jessica and Jo who put her on speaker so they could both talk to her. After Caleb had called them earlier, they had followed the story online and were extremely relieved to hear from the redhead herself.

"Jo, could I ask you for a favor?"

"Name it."

"Would it be too much to ask if you could talk to the kids about today, on a professional level? Bianca and I talked to them, and the school is providing counselors. We just to be sure they're okay and want them to talk to someone we trust."

"I'd be more than happy to. I just want to remind you that whatever they tell me …"

"Whatever they tell you will be considered privileged. I know and so does Bianca. We also know that you'll tell us if there is something seriously wrong and further counseling is needed."

"I will. Is Saturday soon enough or do you need me earlier?"

"Saturday is perfect. Thank you. I can't tell you how much that means to us."

"You don't need to thank me, Marissa. Whatever you need, I'll be there."

"Is it all right if I tag along?" Jessica asked.

Marissa laughed. "Like I could keep you away or that you even have to ask. Of course you can."

"Would you like me to call Caleb for you?"

"I should probably do it myself, but thank you. I guess you'll have to come up with another excuse to talk to him tonight."

Jo burst out laughing. "Oh, you should see her, Rissa. She's blushing."

"I can't believe the two of you." Jessica huffed.

Marissa laughed. "I'm sorry, Jessica, but I couldn't help myself."

Jessica sighed. "I know, and if you didn't say it, Josephine would have."

"She's right."

"I should go. I have a few more calls to make, and I don't want to be away from the kids longer than I have to. Thanks. Love you both."

"We love you too."

Once their call was disconnected, Marissa called Caleb and talked to him for a few minutes. He told her that the other partners were giving the next day off to those who had children at the school. Marissa was more than onboard with that since she was planning on taking the next day off herself. The two lawyers covered a few more details before ending their call. Marissa's last call was to Ellie to tell her she wouldn't be in the next day. The secretary was glad to hear the kids were okay, and she assured her boss that things would be taken care of at the office. Brian had already stepped up and rescheduled the deposition Marissa was going to that morning before everything happened. It would be the next day, but again, he would be taking care of it. The two went over a few more things before saying goodbye. Marissa thought about calling Brian, but decided to send him a quick text instead. She really wanted to get back to the kids. Plus, the redhead did run into Stef as well as Sam as they were leaving the school. Both were relieved that everyone was safe and promised they would let the others know. With her calls over, Marissa headed back to the family room.

/

When the movie was over, the kids got ready for bed while Marissa bathed Danny and changed him into his pajamas.

The couple was finally alone and could talk. Bianca was horrified to find out that the gun was loaded, and by some miracle, had jammed. If it hadn't, who knows what would have happened.

A soft knock on the bedroom door halted their conversation.

"Come in."

The door opened and revealed AJ, Miranda and Gabby.

"Is everything okay?" Bianca asked.

"Could we stay with you tonight?" Miranda asked before chewing on her lip.

The couple exchanged a quick glance before Marissa answered.

"It's been a while since we've done this. Of course you can. Come on in."

The trio smiled and raced to join their mothers.

Bianca looked around. "We're missing someone."

"Danny!"

Marissa nodded. "Yep. I'll pull the spare baby bed in here if you want to go get him, B?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"I'll help you with the bed, Ma." AJ volunteered.

"Me too." Miranda added.

"I'll help you with Danny, Mommy."

"Thank you, Gabby."

"Could I get Minx from my room?"

"Yes, you can."

A short while later, everyone was back in the couple's bedroom. Danny was sound asleep in his spare bed while the others were getting settled in Bianca and Marissa's king-sized bed. The kids were having a hard time relaxing so Marissa starting to hum a familiar tune. Almost immediately, it began to work its magic, and the kids started to snuggle in.

Bianca smiled softly as Marissa then began to sing as AJ, Miranda and Gabby drifted off.

All through the night, near and far
We will be together
So hush, don't you cry
You will be in my arms
Forevermore.

/

A/N: I hope you're all with me still. What inspired this story? A couple of days after Christmas last year, some friends and I were meeting for lunch. It's something that's become an annual tradition for us. Two of my friends came over to my house so we could drive together. When I answered the door the first time, my friend Lori asked if I knew that there was a gun in front of my house. She wasn't sure if it was real or not. Either way, I didn't know, and said I would check it out when we left. My friend Kim arrived a couple of minutes later and said the exact same thing that Lori did. I decided to go ahead and check it out. As soon as I bent down and saw it, I knew it was real. I could tell that the slide was back too. I live along a busy road, and while I don't have kids, my neighbor does and has grandchildren. Across the road, is a Catholic grade school which thankfully wasn't in session because it was on Christmas break. I didn't want to leave it there on the sidewalk because I didn't want to take the chance of a child walking by and picking it up thinking it was a toy. So, I carefully picked it up, making sure the barrel wasn't pointing at me or anyone else, and laid it on the floor in my house. I called the police, and they came over. The officer went onto my porch to inspect it. When he returned, he told us that it was loaded but had jammed. We talked for a few minutes, and he remembered a high-speed chase had taken place around 2:00 that morning. This led us all to believe that it had most likely been tossed in the course of the chase and landed in front of my house. He took some information and left with the gun. Surprisingly, we were only a few minutes late for lunch, but did have the best reason. See you soon!