A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review, and follow! I appreciate it. I also want to thank you for the response on my question regarding a sequel. Your input really means a great deal to me. With that said, Things Change will continue as is with no sequel. I'll still ask you all questions from time to time though, if that's okay with you. This chapter skips ahead a week. Hope you enjoy this update!

/

While Bianca made herself comfortable on the small sofa in Marissa's office, her wife booted up her computer. As the laptop went through its startup routine, Marissa joined her wife and took a satisfying sip of the coffee they had picked up at Krystal's on their way into Marissa's office. It was the week following Adam's funeral, and the reading of his will was being held today at the law offices of Marissa's firm with Geoff Thompson leading the proceedings. Brooke decided it was better to have it there, on neutral ground, given the fact that JR would be present, and while she wasn't exactly sure how he would react when he heard the contents of the will, she had a pretty strong feeling that his reaction would not be good. Brooke knew exactly what was in the will because she had been present when Adam reviewed and signed the document he had Geoff draw up. It was for this reason that she wanted this on neutral ground and where security, if needed, would be present. Because Bianca was mentioned in the will, she drove into the office with Marissa. After dropping Danny off at daycare, the couple went up to the redhead's office to relax before the reading which they believed was sure to be stressful.

Bianca had been observing her wife all morning and knew she was preoccupied with thoughts centering around what would be revealed shortly in Adam's will. "Are you okay, really?"

Marissa sighed. Bianca knew her too well. "For the most part, I guess."

"You're worried about JR?"

"In part. I'm also worried about what it all means for AJ."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm worried that Adam might have some sort of condition or catch to any inheritance he may have left AJ. Look, I know Adam had changed, but I also know how much he cared about the 'Chandler legacy' and its relationship to Chandler Enterprises. It wasn't all that long ago he was wanting to chart out AJ's future with the company."

Bianca scrunched her face as she remembered that discussion. "True. If AJ wants to do something with the company when he's older, I'm fine with that as long as that's something he wants to do and not something he feels he has to do out of obligation."

"Exactly. I don't want strings attached to anything for him. He should pursue his own dreams and not some path that was predetermined because of who he was related to."

"I don't either. That's why he has us. We stopped David from trying to force him into following him into medicine, and we'll do the same if we need to depending on whatever Adam's wishes are. AJ's still just a boy, and as mothers, our job is protect him."

"Which is exactly what we'll do, no matter what."

"Feeling better?"

"Yes." Marissa gave her wife a chaste kiss. "Thank you."

"Any time." Bianca smiled.

A knock on the door drew their attention.

"Come in."

Ellie appeared and smiled. "Good morning, Marissa. Bianca, it's nice to see you."

"It's nice to see you too, Ellie. Good morning."

"Morning, Ellie. What's up?"

"I've cleared your schedule for the morning and moved the staff meeting to two o'clock."

"Perfect. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Can I get either of you anything?"

Marissa glanced at Bianca who shook her head. "We're good. Thanks. If you or anyone else needs me for anything, we'll be here for another 30 minutes. Then, we'll be in the conference room near Geoff's office. I'm not sure how the reading will take."

Ellie nodded. "Got it. I'll only interrupt in the case of an emergency. If either of you need anything before then, just let me know." With that said, Ellie ducked out of the office and went back to her desk.

A few minutes later, there was another knock on the open door, and Sofia Jackson appeared.

"Good morning. I'm not interrupting, am I?"

Marissa shook her head and smiled. "Good morning. You're not interrupting. Come on in."

"Hi, Sofia."

"Hi, Bianca. It's good to see you."

"You too."

Sofia turned her attention to her boss. "I wanted to let you know that I won't be able to make our staff meeting this afternoon. I have a meeting with a prospective client."

"Okay." Marissa could tell there was more to it. "Do I know this possible client?"

"Yes, you do. It's Doug Baldwin."

Marissa nodded. "I had a feeling. He stopped by our house last week while we were at Adam's funeral, and told Jessica to tell me that he had an appointment with you."

"Are you sure you're okay with me representing him?" Marissa and Sofia had talked extensively about the Baldwins when she broached the possibility of Doug seeking their help. The redhead provided what information she could regarding the family and was completely upfront about all of their interactions with Tammy. If Sofia took Doug's case, Marissa knew it was vital that Sofia not be blindsided by anything Tammy might say, and if the woman somehow found out about Sofia's sexual orientation, it was an absolute certainty that she would say something. It would eat at Tammy knowing her husband was being represented by a lawyer who happened to be a lesbian. This wasn't the reason Marissa recommended Sofia though. No, the redhead recommended her because she truly believed that Sofia was the best lawyer on her team to represent Doug.

"I'm more than okay. I wouldn't have recommended you if I didn't believe that you were the best person for the job. I know you can do this."

"Thank you. Just a reminder, I'll be keeping you out of this as best I can because of your history with his wife. So, I won't give specific updates in our staff meetings."

"I'm fine with that too. I don't want to do anything that would jeopardize your case. Between us, the less interaction I have with Tammy Baldwin, the happier I am. As always, if you need anything, my door is open."

"I know, and I appreciate it." One of the things that Sofia really liked about working for Marissa was the fact that she trusted and had faith in those who worked for her, while at the same time being there to offer support and advice if it was needed.

Bianca checked the time. "We should get back there, Rissa."

Marissa looked at her wife's watch. "Oh, you're right. Good luck this afternoon."

Sofia stood. "Thanks. Good luck to the both of you too."

"Thanks. I have a feeling we may need it." Marissa said as she and Bianca headed to their meeting.

/

Marissa held the conference room door open for Bianca and followed her wife into the room. Inside, they discovered that, of those mentioned in the will, they were the first to arrive. Geoff was seated at the table with Vanessa, one of his associates, on his right while Peyton, one of his paralegals, readied places at the table for those who would be attending.

The young man glanced up. "Oh, Ms. Tasker, good morning."

"Good morning, Peyton. This is my wife, Bianca."

"Hello, Peyton."

"Ma'am. Could I get either of you something to drink?"

"Some water." Marissa glanced at Bianca who nodded.

"I'll be right back."

Geoff and Marissa had spoken the day before, and both agreed that she wouldn't be given any preferential treatment. She would be treated like everyone else who would be attending the day's proceedings to avoid any appearance of impropriety. Geoff nodded when he saw both women. "Marissa. Bianca, lovely to see you again."

"Thank you, Geoff. It's nice to see you again too."

"This is Vanessa Wright, and she will be assisting me today. Vanessa, this is Bianca Tasker-Montgomery."

"It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

"If it was from Marissa, don't listen to her. She exaggerates."

"I speak only the truth when I talk about you. Hi, Vanessa."

"Hi, Marissa. Please sit wherever you feel comfortable. We'll get started as soon as everyone is here."

/

The couple sat a few seats away from Geoff, leaving the seats closest to him for Brooke and Stuart. It wasn't long before the others who could attend today's meeting started to arrive. Unable to attend were Colby and Haley. It seems Colby was traveling through Europe, and the investigators dispatched by Liza to locate her daughter had yet to track her down. Haley had been in a car accident a few days before the funeral. The accident resulted in a broken leg for her that required surgery. She was now home resting but unable to make the trip from California just yet. Geoff made arrangements to fly out and go over the details of her inheritance the following day. Those in attendance chatted quietly while they waited for one last person to arrive. JR wasn't there yet and had everyone waiting as a result.

"If JR's not here in five minutes, Geoff, we'll go ahead and get started." Brooke instructed the attorney. This was not the most pleasant of tasks, and she didn't want to have it drag out because JR was attempting some sort of passive/aggressive power-play. Adam's death had hit Stuart especially hard, and this was not helping him. Brooke wasn't surprised by JR's actions towards her, but she had hoped he would at least think of his uncle. That, unfortunately, didn't seem to be the case since they had already waited twenty minutes. After the additional time had passed, Brooke nodded at Geoff to begin.

"We are here to read the last will and testament of Adam Chandler. I ask that you hold any questions you may have until the end. With that said, let's begin. I, Adam Chandler, being of sound mind, do attest to this being my last will and testament. To Bianca Tasker-Montgomery …"

Bianca's eyebrows rose in surprise. She wasn't expecting to be mentioned specifically.

"Ah, you all just couldn't wait for me, could you? What is she doing being mentioned in my father's will? She has no connection to him." JR spat as he entered the conference room.

"We've been waiting for you, JR, but you're 25 minutes late. I decided to get started because I didn't feel it was right to have everyone wait all day for you to decide to show up." Brooke held up a hand to stop his protest. "Don't even try and say that you didn't know what time this was starting. I told you at the funeral and sent you a text yesterday. If you had been on time, you would have heard Mr. Thompson's request to hold any questions until the end. Now, if you would, please take a seat so we can get started. Geoff, please continue."

JR huffed and sat down.

"To Bianca Tasker-Montgomery, I suppose I should actually say to the Miranda Center, but one can't think of it without thinking of you since you are its heart and soul. To the Miranda Center, I leave the sum of five million dollars."

Bianca's eyes grew wide hearing the sum. She hadn't been expecting anything to begin with, let alone a sum so generous. Donations in Adam's name were still flowing in, but this was something above and beyond. "Oh …"

Geoff continued reading. "Not expecting that were you now? From what I've heard from others but especially from Brooke and Stuart, you do amazing work there, and I regret I didn't do more when I was alive to help in that cause. I don't know if I ever told you how much I admired you. You are a strong woman, and you turned a tragedy into a triumph and a beacon of hope. There aren't many who could have done what you have, and it was an honor knowing you."

Bianca didn't know what to say hearing the unexpected words of praise from Adam. She felt Marissa squeeze her hand and turned to see hazel eyes filled with love, pride, and agreement gazing back at her.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by your strength given who your mother and grandmother are. Between us, you were always my favorite with Mona being a close second, and Erica being a very distant third. Actually, feel free to tell Erica that."

It was here that Brooke interrupted. "Adam wanted me to tell you that he laughed a great deal over that. It actually took him a couple of minutes to compose himself."

Bianca chuckled and shook her head amused by Adam's last jab at her mother. "I have no doubt about that. I'm sure he was happy getting the last word in over Mom."

Everyone but JR laughed.

"I really do appreciate his generosity, Brooke. The Center will be able to do so much with it."

JR, who was seated across from Bianca and Marissa, could only glare. He wanted to protest the amount, but it wasn't going directly to Bianca. It was going to the Center, and he knew protesting it would only make him look bad. Saint Bianca wins again.

Geoff began reading again and listed a few other charities Adam had designated for donations. Among them was an AIDS charity with the donation made in honor of Cindy Chandler. Both Stuart and Scott struggled to keep their emotions in check when they heard that. Knowing that Adam did this to remember the wife and mother they had lost many years ago, touched the men deeply.

"To Marissa Tasker-Montgomery, I leave the sum of one million dollars."

Marissa choked in surprise. She was in shock. The redhead had assumed she was only named in the will as it pertained to AJ.

"You have got to be kidding me!" JR sprang from his seat. "There is no way in hell that that dyke deserves anything let only a million dollars! The only thing she ever did was marry me, and trust me, I wouldn't have gone to Annie if you had been remotely good at spreading your …"

"Enough! You will sit down, Mr. Chandler, and keep your mouth shut and your vile opinions to yourself. If you don't, I will have no problem whatsoever in having you removed from these proceedings as well as this premises. Do I make myself clear?" Geoff was furious and doing his best to hide it. It was evident, however, he meant every word.

JR sat back down and glared at his ex-wife with renewed anger. That glare, however, didn't hold a candle to that of Bianca. Only Marissa's tight grip on her arm kept the brunette from reaching across the conference table and smacking the crap out of JR. As it was, JR seemed to lose some of his bluster when he was caught in the Kane death glare.

Geoff cleared his throat and began again. "I leave the sum of one million dollars. I know you'll be surprised by this, but it's what I want to do. There is one catch. I want you to spend some of it on something fun. I know that will be hard for you to do given how you were raised, and I will say that the Taskers did a good job. I'm sure your parents would have run to the bank, and I have no doubt you're your first instinct was either that or investing it as well."

Marissa smiled. It was true. That's exactly what her parents would've done, and she was a little surprised that he mentioned them. She and Adam talked when one or the other was either picking up or dropping AJ off. Both found the conversations pleasant and had found themselves looking forward to them.

"So while that may be something you do with the majority of it, use some of this money for fun. Now, I know you'll also say I didn't need to do this, and while that may be true, it's also true that I wanted to. You see, you didn't have to allow me the opportunity to spend time with AJ, but you did. For that, I will be forever grateful, not only to you but to Bianca as well. The two of you have done a wonderful job raising AJ. He is a smart, confident, kind, caring, and loving young man. That is all thanks to the two of you. In addition to the time I was able to spend with AJ, I also enjoyed spending time with you as well, Marissa. Now, I know someone won't be happy with this bequest, and that he will do his best to be unpleasant and make this difficult for you. I apologize for that. I know you can handle it though. You shouldn't have to, but you can because you're strong. This leads me to my grandson. To AJ Tasker-Montgomery …"

JR snapped the pen he was holding in half. "Are you kidding me?! His name is AJ Chandler and not some hyphenated …"

"His name is AJ Tasker-Montgomery. AJ chose to change his name, and he did it because he was tired of being associated with you and all of the pain you've caused him." Marissa didn't raise her voice, but there was a definite edge to it.

"He's my son. The two of you have done nothing but forced your perverted lifestyle on him and …"

"No. It seems I have to remind you yet again that you lost your parental rights, and before you start to point the finger at someone else for the umpteenth time, you should take a look in the mirror because you are the only one to blame. Not me. Not Bianca. Not anyone in this room. Not anyone else. You, and only you, are to blame. Until you realize that and take responsibility, AJ will continue to refuse to see you or have anything to do with you. Bianca and I aren't keeping him away from you. You are. I also seem to have to remind you that Bianca adopted AJ. Again, this was done because he asked. She is his other parent, and there is no one better to help raise him. AJ loves and trusts her, and he knows that Bianca will always be there for him." Marissa turned back to Geoff and spoke in a calm, even voice. "I apologize for the interruption, Geoff. Please continue."

Geoff hid the smile that had appeared on his face due to Marissa's scolding of her ex-husband. He thought she handled it far better than he would have. "To AJ Tasker-Montgomery, I leave the sum of twenty-five million dollars. This will be put in a trust to be administered by his mothers, Marissa and Bianca Tasker-Montgomery. Upon his twenty-fifth birthday, AJ will be given access to one-third of the amount with the rest made available upon his thirtieth birthday. If AJ ever wishes to work there, a position will be made available to him at Chandler Enterprises. This bequest is in no way contingent upon his working at Chandler Enterprises. Marissa, Bianca, I know you will administer this trust wisely. I know you will do what is in AJ's best interest. Notice that I said no strings are attached to this. It just goes to show that I could listen when I chose to."

JR muttered something under his breath incoherently, but the others ignored it.

When he finished reading Adam's bequest to AJ, Geoff moved on to the others present.

/

The couple was mentally exhausted, and their heads were still spinning by the time Geoff finished reading Adam's will. It had taken a considerable amount of time and had wrapped up around lunchtime. Bianca and Marissa decided to call it a day and take the afternoon off. While Bianca called Jan and had her assistant clear her schedule, Marissa had Ellie do the same for her. They then picked Danny up from daycare and headed to Krystal's to grab a bite to eat.

A male server saw them enter and smiled. As the couple made their way to their table, he retrieved a highchair for Danny and brought it over.

"Krystal and Opal are going to be upset that they weren't here today. How are you all doing?"

"Not bad, Kevin. How are you?" Marissa asked.

"Pretty good. I can't get over how big this little guy is getting."

Bianca smiled as she finished fastening Danny's bib. "Tell us about it. He's growing like a weed."

"Well, the two of you must be doing something right because he looks pretty happy. Can I get you something to drink?"

"Iced tea for both of us please."

"You got it. I'll just leave these menus here for you. Take your time."

"Thanks."

"Hey, I'm surprised to see you both here." Kendall said as she and Greenlee walked over to the couple's table. The friends were dropping by the restaurant for lunch when they spotted their favorite couple along with their youngest son. "Hi, Danny!"

The tiny redhead giggled and waved his arms seeing the Dynamic Duo.

"How did it go?" Greenlee asked. Both she and Kendall were aware of what was happening today.

Marissa smiled and motioned for the women to join them. "It was exhausting and surprising. Bianca and I decided when it was over to take the rest of the day off."

"We knew neither one of us would be able to focus at work so we're playing hooky. Rissa's right about it being surprising."

"Dipshit was there, right? Did he have anything to do with that?" Kendall asked.

"Yeah, he was there. He finally decided to show up about thirty minutes late, and he was in typical Dipshit form." Marissa informed the Dynamic Duo after covering Danny's ears. The last thing she wanted was for Danny's first word to be 'dipshit'. "I was afraid Bianca was going to lose it and smack the crap out of him."

"He's lucky I didn't. He deserved it. What he said to you?" Bianca released a breath.

"I know, and one of the many reasons I love you is how strongly you stand up for me." Marissa rewarded her wife with a quick kiss. "As it was, he's lucky Geoff didn't go off on him more than he did."

Bianca smiled at the memory. "Yeah, that was pretty good. He basically told him to sit down and shut up."

"Good for Geoff! I always liked him." Greenlee smirked. "So, were there any surprises in the will?"

"Oh yeah, you could say that. Adam donated five million dollars to the Miranda Center and said some very nice things about Bianca."

"Seriously? Wow. That's very generous. About the Center, not about Binx. We all know my little sister is great." Kendall winked.

"Very true." Marissa agreed as she gave Danny a few more dry Cheerios which were happily grasped by her son.

"That wasn't the only surprise." Bianca wanted to divert the conversation from herself. "He left some money to Rissa."

"What?! Adam? Adam Chandler? He named you in his will?" Kendall was shocked.

Marissa nodded. "He did, and I still can't believe it. I wasn't expecting it at all. He did have one condition."

"Which was?" Greenlee asked.

"I have to spend at least part of it on something fun."

"Wow. Any ideas?"

"Nope. Like I said, I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything. I'll be open to suggestions in a day or two though."

"Challenge accepted." Greenlee and Kendall smirked.

"Let me guess. JR wasn't happy." Kendall said knowingly.

"To say the least. He was downright ugly, and like I said earlier, he's lucky I didn't lose it."

Marissa squeezed her wife's hand and continued. "Adam left AJ quite a bit of money. It's in a trust to be administered by Bianca and myself." The couple had decided to keep the amount private and that they would only tell AJ that he was left some money but not how much. When he was older and able to understand, they would give him the details, but right now, he was simply too young. It was also being kept quiet for their son's safety. "JR didn't like that either. I had to remind him that he lost his parental rights and that Bianca adopted AJ."

"It actually got worse."

Kendall looked at her sister. "How so?"

"Scott. Adam left him some money but also said he had instructed the board of directors to name Scott the new CEO of Chandler Enterprises."

"Oh." Greenlee knew how well that would've gone over.

Bianca nodded. "Yep. What really did it though was Adam's bequest to JR."

"The bulk of the estate was left to Brooke and Stuart. Adam also made bequests to Colby, Haley, and a few other family members as well as some charities. Those were pretty much straightforward with no conditions. That's not the same with JR. He left him some money, but there is one big condition. JR has to stay sober. Any time he wants money which is in a trust, he has to take a drug test. No test, no money."

Greenlee let out a low whistle. "Damn. JR had to hate that."

"Yep. Adam did it because he's trying to save JR's life, but JR doesn't see it that way." Marissa stated.

"He sees it as Adam trying to control his life from beyond the grave, and he blames you and Bianca for that." Kendall observed.

Bianca nodded. "Pretty much."

/

Across the street, JR observed the women through the restaurant's window.

/

A/N: Oh, look what my evil side did! For those of you wanting to know what's going on with Greenlee, I promise you will find out next chapter. See you soon!