A/N: Happy Halloween, and if you're in the States, don't forget to set your clocks back an hour! I really love it when we 'fall back' and get that hour back. An extra hour of sleep is like the best thing. Thanks for continuing to read, review, and follow! I really appreciate it.

For Jen, you asked a very interesting question and made an equally good point while doing so. No, Miranda and Gabby do not nor will they ever call Krystal 'grandma'. For one, I don't see Marissa, knowing everything that she does, being okay with that. In my head cannon, Marissa hates what her family did to Bianca. In fact, that bothers her more than what Krystal did when she sold Marissa as a baby. More importantly, while Bianca is extremely forgiving (personally more than I could ever be), I don't see her being okay with that either, especially Miranda calling Krystal that. The woman did help keep her daughter away from her and perpetuate the lie that her daughter was dead. That's not what your typical grandma would do. You're right about Erica. She would blow a gasket if that ever happened. Can you imagine that scene?! No, there is just too much there for the girls, especially Miranda, to ever call Krystal grandma. When you think about it, Marissa doesn't call her 'mom' so I just can't see Miranda and Gabby making that connection to call her grandma. Dammit. You got me thinking of something now. Okay, I made a note and can continue.

This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!

/

Marissa sighed and rested her head against her SUV's headrest. The redhead turned off the vehicle's ignition and watched the garage door close. It had been a long day with the meeting running well into the evening before they finally broke for dinner. The group headed over to the Yacht Club and was then escorted to a private dining room where they mingled before dinner. Bryce pulled the partners aside after Meyers and his people left. They agreed that things seemed to have gone quite well and decided to meet early the next morning to review. Marissa had managed to slip away for a few minutes before dinner had been served to call home and talk to the kids and Bianca.

Now, she was finally home. Relief had flooded through her as she caught sight of Minx Manor. Most of the lights in the front were out, and glancing at SUV's clock as she drove down the driveway, she knew the kids would be in bed. Marissa wasn't happy about missing their bedtime story, but she knew Bianca had it covered. With another sigh, the redhead grabbed her things and headed inside after disarming the alarm. She deposited her keys, purse, and briefcase on the kitchen counter before turning and being greeted by Max. After petting him for a couple of minutes, Marissa headed upstairs to see the kids. Each one was given a kiss and blankets were adjusted for the older children. Max positioned himself in the hallway outside of their rooms when Marissa headed downstairs. The redhead turned off the remaining lights that were left on and reset the alarm before she padded down the hallway to the master bedroom.

Bianca glanced up from the book she had been reading, removed her glasses, and smiled as her wife entered the room. The brunette had been alerted to Marissa's presence when she heard her moving around on the first floor before she heard her over the baby monitor whispering to Danny.

"Hey."

Marissa gave her a tired smile. "Hey. What would you like to know?"

"Go ahead and change. We can talk a little once you're comfortable."

"Thank you." Marissa grabbed her pajamas, which Bianca had laid out for her, and headed to bathroom. She emerged several minutes later, face washed and teeth brushed, and climbed into bed next to her wife.

Bianca studied her wife for a moment. "You look tired."

"I am. It was a really long day. How did it go with Danny at the Center and with the kids overall?"

"He was good as gold. I'm sure this will come as no surprise to you, but our son was a hit today, especially with Bruce."

Marissa laughed. "You're right, I'm not surprised. I can picture Bruce with him now. He's going to be a great dad. How's Lucy?"

"Good but anxious."

"I remember feeling like that."

"Me too. So, Danny was a big hit and had visitors throughout the day fawning all over him. They're glad he's coming back tomorrow."

"You're sure you're okay with having him there again?" When Marissa had slipped away earlier to call home, she told Bianca about the possibility of tomorrow being another long day. The brunette was all over it and said she would take Danny into the office again.

"I'm positive. At the moment, there is a lull in my scheduled meetings so it's no problem for me to have him there. I called Jan after I got off the phone with you, and she has my schedule taken care of already." Bianca smiled. "I really loved having him with me. A couple clients saw him, and I think it really helped them, especially when he giggled."

"I'm glad to hear that. There's nothing like hearing a baby laughing, one of the best sounds ever."

"Definitely. And don't worry about tomorrow. We're a team." Bianca reminded her wife.

Marissa smiled. "Yes, we are. If we get through tomorrow, I think things will calm down."

"Good. As for the other three, they were pretty good too. They missed you but understood."

"I missed them too."

"I know. So, what's he like, and how did the presentation go?"

"How to describe Brady Meyers? Smart, very smart, obviously. He wouldn't be where he is now if he wasn't. He's attractive and charming. And most of all, he knows that he's all three so that makes him very confident."

"Almost too much?"

"Borderline. As for the presentation, I think it went pretty well. Charles, that's the COO, seemed impressed. I liked him. He was able to rein in Brady whenever it needed to be done."

Bianca noted Marissa's furrowed brow and could tell something was bothering her. "There's something on your mind. What is it?"

Marissa shook her head. "I'm not sure. There's something about Brady that … I don't know. I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Are you okay? I mean, he hasn't said or done anything to make you uncomfortable or feel threatened, has he?" Bianca concern was evident. Her first priority would always be the safety and well-being of her family.

"No, he hasn't." Marissa did her best to assure her wife. "And if he ever does either, I'll say something and put a stop to it immediately. Trust me on that."

"I do. And if he does cross the line, I will not hesitate to kick his ass, tech genius or not."

Marissa smiled seeing the fire in her wife's eyes. She had to admit that it made her feel good, and if she wasn't so damned tired she would do something about it. "You'll be the first one I tell. I promise."

Bianca nodded. "Thank you. Okay, let's get some sleep. You have another early day tomorrow. You have court in the afternoon, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I have to say that I'm looking forward to it after spending all this time away because of Meyers. It shouldn't last too long though. You're going to have a busy day yourself. Danny definitely will keep you on your toes."

"Just like his Mama." Bianca teased.

"I'm not the only one. His Mommy has been known to do that too." Marissa leaned over and kissed her wife. "Thanks for waiting up for me. You are exactly what I needed. I love you."

"Anytime. I love you too."

The couple turned off their bedside lamps, kissed once more, and then settled into each other's arms before drifting off to sleep.

/

"I can't believe you hired someone to investigate Marissa Tasker." Charles eyed the file on Marissa that Brady was reading. His disappointment in his friend clearly evident.

"I don't see what the big deal is. We hire investigators all the time to do background checks on the people we may do business with. We may be doing business with this firm of which Marissa is a partner of. You were the one that recommended that we consider using them. Or have you forgotten that? I would think you would be happy that I'm doing my due diligence here."

Charles sighed slightly exasperated by the other man. "Of course I haven't forgotten that I recommended them, and yes, I'm well aware of the fact that we perform background checks."

"What's your problem then?"

"My problem is the real reason behind your investigation and the fact that it's quite a bit more in depth than the usual background check."

"I don't know what you're talking about. This is no more than what we would normally …"

"Do me a favor, Brady. Give me a little credit here and don't insult my intelligence. I do have a brain and know how to use it. I also know you quite well. She's married."

Brady shrugged. "So. That's never stopped me before, and if Ms. Tasker gives in to temptation and strays from her vows, I don't see how that's on me. Quite the opposite. It's all on her."

"Well if you haven't noticed, you're not exactly her type. She's married to a woman."

"Funny you should mention that. It seems that Ms. Tasker likes variety in her partners."

"What are you talking about?"

"She was married before, to a man. So, it would seem that I'm her type after all." Brady smiled as he dropped the file on coffee table in his hotel suite and stood. He was quite pleased with himself. The tech giant loved the chase.

"Dammit, Brady. She's got a family. You were right there when she was talking about her kids."

"Again, not really my problem." Brady threw the comment over his shoulder as he walked away.

Charles shook his head. He and Brady had been friends for a very long time, and his friend didn't use to be this callous. That was something that happened when the fame started to build and come into play. There was no denying the man was brilliant, but Charles did not the changes in his friend. It was becoming harder and harder to stand by and say nothing. He wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to do it. Charles had discussed leaving Meyers Tech with his wife, and this trip, along with Brady's actions and attitude, was pushing him closer and closer towards that decision. Plus, he liked Marissa. She was nice and did not deserve whatever game Brady had in mind.

/

"Mr. Meyers, were you expected today?" The receptionist looked through the calendar of partner meetings scheduled for the day and didn't see the man anywhere on it.

Brady smiled. "No, I'm not. I just happened to be in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by. Oh, is there someplace they can set this up?"

The young woman glanced around and saw a group of people accompanying the man. "What do they have?"

"Lunch of course."

"Let me make a call." She called the first partner she could think of, and after a moment talking with him, hung up and turned back to Brady. "Mr. Thompson will be right with you."

"Thank you." Brady looked around the reception area, discretely glancing down hallways trying to determine where a certain lawyer's office was, as he waited.

"Brady, good afternoon. What brings you here today? I thought you were flying back to New York."

"That was the original plan, but I decided to stick around for a couple of days. I wanted to thank you, the other partners, and everyone here for all of the hard work you've put in on your presentation. It was very impressive."

"Well, thank you." Geoff glanced at the group of people standing by the receptionist.

Brady followed the lawyer's eyes. "Oh, as a way of showing my gratitude, I thought I would bring you all lunch. I know it's hard to get away from the office to eat sometimes so I thought I would help a little."

"Thank you. That's very generous." Geoff turned to the receptionist. "Melissa, could you call Alana and have her come out and help. I think the large conference room is free this afternoon, and they can set up in there. Then, just spread the word to everyone."

"Yes, sir. I'll get right on it."

"Are any of the other partners around? I thought I might say 'hello'. I really enjoyed meeting all of you yesterday."

Geoff shook his head. "I'm afraid it's just me, and I'll be leaving shortly for a meeting with a client. The others are in meetings around town, but I think they'll be back in another hour or so. Marissa being the exception though, she's in court. You never know how long that's going to take so I don't expect her back here today. I'm sorry. If we had known you were going to stop by, we would have changed some schedules around."

Brady waved him off. "No problem. This was last minute after all. You said Marissa was in court. Do you think I could stop by? It might be interesting to see her in action."

"Sorry. She's in juvenile court, and those sessions are private."

"Seems like I'm striking out. Perhaps, we can set something up next week. I have a few questions."

Geoff nodded. "We can definitely make that happen. Let me know what works for you, and we'll set it up."

"I'll let you know."

"Good. If you'll excuse me, I need to take care of a couple of things before my meeting."

"Of course. Don't let me keep you. Do you mind if I take a look around? I really didn't get a chance to yesterday."

"Go right ahead. Make yourself at home. If you need anything, just ask Alana."

"Thank you."

The two men shook hands before Geoff headed back to his office.

/

Brady began to wander down one of the firm's hallways when he stopped someone and asked where he might find Marissa's office. With the information in hand, Brady nodded and continued on his way. He soon found himself standing outside her office. Glancing inside, he saw a younger woman typing away in front of a computer. Brady cleared his throat and rapped his knuckles on the door frame.

Ellie glanced up. "Hello. May I help you?"

"Good afternoon …" Brady paused and read the nameplate on her desk. "Ellie. I'm Brady Meyers."

"Hello, Mr. Meyers. It's nice to meet you. Is there something I can help you with?" Ellie was aware of who the man was and his importance to the firm. The firm's entire staff had been instructed to go out of their way to be nice and helpful to him.

"Yes, I was hoping to see Marissa."

"I'm sorry, but Ms. Tasker isn't here. She's in court."

"Oh well, I could just wait in her office for her." Brady quickly moved around the secretary's desk which was stationed outside Marissa's office. The man was itching to take a look inside. By doing so, he believed he would have a better idea of what Marissa was like and plan his strategy accordingly.

While Brady was fast, Ellie was faster. She was immediately on her feet and blocked his path. "I'm sorry, but I don't expect her back today. If you want to leave a message, I will make sure she gets it. I know Marissa will get back with you as soon as possible."

"Hey, Ellie. Do you have that brief Marissa was reviewing for me?" When Lisa saw the secretary wasn't alone, she stopped. "Oh, hello. I'm sorry to interrupt."

"No problem. I'm Brady …"

"Brady Meyers, I know. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Meyers." Lisa shook hands with the man.

"Please, call me Brady." He gave her an easy smile.

Ellie went back to her desk to retrieve the file in question. "I've got it right here for you, Lisa. Marissa said to tell you excellent work."

Lisa smiled at the praise. "I guess I had an excellent teacher."

Ellie chuckled but stopped when she saw movement behind her. Brady was just about to enter Marissa's office. "Excuse me, but I can't allow you in there." The secretary moved quickly and shut the office door.

"I just thought I'd take a peek inside. Geoff Thompson said I could make myself at home."

"That may be, but with Ms. Tasker not here, I have to guard her privacy as well as that of her clients."

"I'm afraid I don't understand. What's the big deal about me seeing her office, especially if a partner gave me permission?"

Lisa stepped in to offer her support to Lisa. "The only one who can give permission to go in there is Marissa since it's her office, and she is a partner just like Geoff. One partner's authority does not supersede that of another partner. Also, there could be files out for other clients, and while I'm sure you wouldn't mean to, you could view that information by accident. That would be a breach of client privilege which could have serious ramifications for not only Marissa but also for the firm. Ellie is simply protecting all those concerned. I'm sure you would want us to take the same precautions for you."

Brady smiled. He couldn't think of a convincing argument and knew he had to back down. "You're right. I apologize. My bad. I wasn't thinking. I hope you'll accept my apology."

Ellie nodded. "Of course. Would you like to leave her a message?"

"No, that's okay. Geoff is going to set up some additional meetings next week. I just thought I would say 'hi' since I was here." Brady headed for the outer office door before he turned back to the two women. "Oh, there is lunch in the larger conference room, just a thank you for everything the firm has done for me so far. Stop in if you haven't eaten yet."

"Thank you. We'll be sure to do that." Ellie said as she watched the man walk away.

Lisa glanced at Ellie. She knew there was no way the secretary was going to leave her post after what had just happened. "You want me to grab you something and bring it back?"

"Thanks. I'd appreciate it."

"No problem, and don't worry. You did exactly what Marissa would want you to do."

"Yeah, I think so too. That was a little on the weird side, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was."

"Thanks for backing me up."

"No problem. I don't think he'll be back, but would you mind some company for lunch?"

"I'd like that."

"Okay. I'll see what the choices are for lunch and text you for your order." Lisa smiled as she left.

Ellie laughed. "Now, that's service." The secretary took her seat again. She knew she had to let Marissa know what had happened. For one, she didn't want to get in trouble, and for another, it bothered her for some reason. Something just didn't seem right about it. Ellie knew Marissa would want to know. With that decided, she pulled out her cellphone and sent a quick text for her boss to call her when she had a chance. Ellie knew she most likely wouldn't hear from Marissa for a while since she turned her cellphone off when she was in court, and that was fine with her since it wasn't really an emergency. Whenever she called her back would be soon enough though.

/

"Hi, Bruce. How are you doing?"

"Marissa! What a nice surprise. I'm doing pretty good. How about you?"

"Same here, especially since my case wrapped up early. I decided not to go back to the office and surprise my wife."

"Good for you."

"Bianca says Lucy's doing good but a little anxious?"

Bruce nodded. "Yeah, right on both counts."

"Want a little advice from someone who's just gone through it?"

"Definitely."

"Just be there for her as best you can. She may not say it, but she does appreciate it and will realize later everything you've done. I know I had my really bad days, and I honestly don't know how Bianca put up with me sometimes. She did though, and she was there for me. I'm not saying she was perfect, but she did her very best. That meant everything. You're in this together, and you'll get through this together. If you ever need to talk, both Bianca and I are pretty good listeners."

Bruce smiled. "Thanks. I really appreciate that."

"You're welcome. So, I hear there's a new boss around here."

"Ah yes, the little guy has been keeping everyone in line."

"Danny does the same to all of us at home. Someone needs to."

"Yeah, you're a pretty rowdy bunch at Minx Manor from what I hear." Bruce joked.

"It's Bianca. She's the real troublemaker." Marissa couldn't keep a straight face and burst out laughing with Bruce joining her.

"Wow. You almost pulled that off."

"Yeah, I was pretty close. Oh well, I better go see my troublemaker. I'll talk to you later. Have a good day, Bruce."

"You too, Marissa."

/

It wasn't until Marissa was walking from her car to the Center's main entrance that she realized she hadn't turned her cellphone back on after court. The redhead retrieved the device from her purse and turned it on. She was relieved to find she only had three missed messages. Marissa stopped to scroll through them.

The first message was from Geoff Thompson to all of the partners stating that Brady Meyers had stopped by with lunch for the entire firm. That was pretty nice of Brady. Geoff also stated that the tech giant wanted to meet again next week and more details for the meeting would be forthcoming as soon as possible. Marissa sighed. She had hoped to get started on the kids' Halloween costumes then. Miranda was going to help her this year and couldn't wait for them to begin. With work being what it was lately, Marissa had had to delay their start twice already. They still had several weeks before Halloween was upon them, but making the costumes by hand required a great deal of work and was something that shouldn't be rushed. Plus, she also needed to finalize her plans the couple's upcoming anniversary. The redhead knew she would have to come up with some sort of compromise between work and family obligations.

The second message was the one Geoff's secretary Alana had sent out to the entire firm informing them about the lunch and that it was ready for everyone to enjoy. Marissa chuckled as she read that message. She knew the food was probably gone within an hour of the message going out. When people heard 'free food', it was pretty much a universal truth that they came out of the woodwork to devour it.

The third message was from Ellie and simply asked that she call her when she had a chance. Something told Marissa to take care of that sooner rather than later so she called her office.

Ellie answered the phone without looking at the caller id. "Marissa Tasker's office."

"Marissa Tasker speaking."

There was a brief pause before what the caller said sunk in. Ellie groaned. "I hate when you do that."

Marissa laughed. "I know, and that's partially why I do it. So, what's up? Oh, I heard about lunch. Did you get something? That was pretty nice of Brady to do that."

"Yeah, it was, and I did. Lisa brought me something back, and we ate in my office. I have to admit it was pretty good."

"Hmm, better than what I got off the food truck outside the courthouse I bet. Wait. Why did Lisa bring you a plate? Why didn't you get your own? I mean, I know your boss can be a real hard-ass sometimes, but I'm pretty sure she would've been okay with you stepping away from your desk for lunch." The humor was clearly evident in Marissa's voice.

Ellie rolled her eyes knowing that nothing could be further from the truth. Marissa was probably the best boss the secretary had ever had. "Well, you're right on the hard-ass part."

"Watch it! Seriously though, what gives?"

"Well, I didn't feel comfortable leaving your office unattended."

"Why?"

"There was a minor incident."

That had Marissa's interest. "What kind of incident?"

"Someone was back here, and they kept trying to get around me to get into your office."

"Who?"

"Brady Meyers." Ellie winced as she said the name.

"What? Did you say Brady Meyers tried to get into my office?"

"I did."

"Tell me exactly what happened." Marissa sat down on a bench just outside the Center's doors.

Ellie took a deep breath and told her boss everything that had happened earlier. "Lisa witnessed most of what happened so you can check with her if you need to." The secretary was starting to get worried when she didn't hear anything on the other end of the line. "I thought you would want to know. I'm sorry if I overstepped. I just didn't think you would want him snooping around in your office without you being here. If you need me to apologize to him, I will. I don't want anything I did to jeopardize this deal. I know it means a lot for the firm. I …"

"It's okay, Ellie. Don't worry, I believe you. From what you've told me, I don't see that you've done anything wrong. You were right to stop him. I don't want someone outside of my team in my office without me there, especially someone I don't really know. While I don't normally leave files out, that's not to say it couldn't happen, and if someone else were to read a client's file, that would be a huge breech. There's also no reason for him to be trying to get in there. I'm glad you and Lisa were there, and you handled it correctly. Thank you. Now, I don't want you to worry about anything. If, and I don't think this will happen, but if someone says anything to you about this, have them talk to me. I'll take care of it. I don't want you to worry anymore about this. Alright?"

"Alright."

"Good."

"I'm guessing you are out of court. Are you coming back to the office?"

"Actually, I wasn't planning on it."

"Good. I know you've been putting in a lot of hours lately. You deserve the break."

"Yeah, I'm hoping Bianca will be happy with my decision. I'm actually at the Center right now, and am hoping to surprise her."

"She'll love it."

"What all do you have left to do?"

"Some filing and transposing some notes."

"Okay. I want you to do something for me. Wrap up what you absolutely need to, lock my office up, and then, go home or go out as the case may be."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. You've earned it. Go have fun."

"Thanks! I'll tell Security to keep an eye on your office."

"I would appreciate that. Thank you. Have a good weekend."

"You too." After talking with Marissa, Ellie was very relieved that she had been correct in what she had done. She started wrapping things up, per her boss's instructions, so she could get an early start on her weekend.

Across town, Marissa sat a moment replaying her conversation with Ellie. What Brady tried to do bothered her some, and she definitely would be addressing it. She decided it could wait until next week. The redhead didn't want to give the man any more thought than she had to at the present time. For now, Marissa just wanted to spend some much needed time with her family, and that started by surprising her wife. She didn't want to make Bianca wait any longer.

/

"Hi, Marissa! It's good to see you. I didn't think you were stopping by today." Jan said as she greeted the redhead.

"Hi, Jan. I got done with court early so I thought I'd call it a day and surprise Bianca. Danny keeping you all in line?"

"Yes, he is. He definitely is in charge. Go on back. She'll be happy to see you."

"Thanks." Marissa said as she made her way back to her wife's office.

The door to Bianca's office was partially open so Marissa quietly ducked inside. A wide smile spread across her face at the sight that greeted her. Danny was on his blanket on the floor giggling and waving his arms and legs. The reason? Bianca alternated between making funny faces, playing peek-a-boo with him, and blowing raspberries on the boy's tummy.

At a particular funny and very un-Kane-like face, Marissa couldn't hold her laughter in anymore. Bianca glanced over her should and smiled brightly at the surprising but oh so welcome sight of her wife.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." Marissa crossed and gave her wife a loving kiss before kissing Danny's forehead and joining her and their son on the floor. "Is Mommy being silly?" The redhead asked as she tickled the boy's tummy.

"Well, Mama knows all about being silly."

"True." Marissa shrugged.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why are you here?"

"I got done early and decided that I didn't want to go back to the office. So, I'm starting my weekend early."

"Yeah? I like that idea. Care for some company?"

"I would love it."

"Okay. Help me pack up, and we'll get out of here."

"I can do that. What do you think of going to the park for a little bit?"

"I think that sounds like a plan. What do you think, Danny?" Bianca asked.

The boy giggled as he was scooped up by his redheaded mother.

"Sounds like a 'yes' to me." Marissa laughed.