A/N: Thanks, as always, for continuing to read, review, and follow! It's appreciated as are all of you. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!

/

"Do you know whether or not if JR going to stay in Pine Valley or go back to wherever he was? Where was he anyway?" Greenlee asked.

"California. Berkley to be exact. I'm not really sure how he ended up there though. As for staying here, I don't know. I'll be honest, it would be so much easier for everyone if he didn't, especially AJ. I don't want him worrying about what to say or do every time he might run into JR. He shouldn't have to. AJ's just a boy. He's already had to grow up a little faster than I'd like. I don't want JR taking away the remainder of his childhood because JR can't or won't grow up." Marissa remarked.

"It's sad when the child is the responsible and mature one." Greenlee agreed. "Luckily, AJ has the two of you."

"He's also lucky that he has Aunt K and Aunt G." Bianca added with a smile.

"AJ definitely has us. Do you know where JR's staying while he's here?" Kendall asked.

Marissa shook her head. "No, but we know he's not at the mansion. There was some major tension between JR, Brooke, and Scott."

"The question I have for you, Rocky, is do you think JR will contest the will?"

"That's a good question, Greenlee. It's possible. I mean, it got pretty ugly when it came to my inheritance and Bianca and I being named as administrators of AJ's trust. It got even uglier though when it came to Scott and Chandler Enterprises. I hope he doesn't contest it because the last thing Brooke and Stuart want or need is for this to drag out, but I really wouldn't be surprised if he did."

/

Across the street, JR observed the women through the restaurant's window. He was still seething from the reading of Adam's will, and seeing the women laughing as they ate only fueled his anger. His father's requirement of drug testing whenever he wanted money was a slap in the face. Basically, JR would have a babysitter and would be at their mercy anytime we wanted money which was rightfully his. The blonde scoffed when he thought about the money left to him. In his mind, it was a mere pittance, and he said as much during the meeting. Everyone else disagreed and thought that an inheritance of several million dollars put into an established trust was indeed very generous. JR vehemently disagreed with them. The main reason being that Scott had been left the same exact amount as him with no restrictions as well having received Adam's blessing to be the next CEO of Chandler Enterprises. Scott was a Chandler in name only. He wasn't a 'real' Chandler like JR because Scott didn't have the Chandler blood running through his veins like JR. The blonde believed Adam had ripped away his birthright and then turned around and handed it to Scott on a silver platter. It was bad enough that Adam had decided to leave Marissa a hefty sum of money, which JR didn't believe she deserved, as well as put her and Bianca in charge of AJ's trust, but to leave the company to Scott was pouring salt into a wound that had been festering for years.

AJ's trust. His fists clenched when he thought of it and the fact that Marissa and Bianca were named to administer it. What right did Bianca have to have any say in that? Yeah, he knew about Bianca adopting AJ and him changing his name. Marissa could say it was AJ's decision all she wanted, but he wasn't buying it. It also didn't change the fact that he was AJ's father and knew what was best for his son, not Marissa and certainly not Bianca. JR should have a say in how that trust fund was administered. Hell, he should be in charge of it. He knew more about financial matters than either of them.

JR also sure as hell knew more about running a company than Scott or anyone else who had been in that room. Chandler Enterprises should have been left to him instead of his cousin. If not JR, then at least AJ with JR in control until his son was old enough to take the reins. As it stood now, AJ wouldn't have any type of role in the company. Hell, knowing Scott, JR believed there might not even be a company left by the time AJ was old enough to take over. His cousin couldn't manage his way out of a paper bag let alone a company the size of Chandler Enterprises. It was up to JR to preserve the company for AJ. It was his legacy. That was reason he didn't buy the story others were attempting to peddle about AJ not wanting to have anything to do with it when he was older. AJ was a Chandler, and as such, the boy's place was at Chandler Enterprises. JR would make sure that's where his son would be, no matter what. Contesting Adam's will seemed to be the answer. Besides gaining control of Chandler Enterprises, he could overturn his drug testing requirement, Marissa's and Scott's inheritances, and Marissa and Bianca's control over AJ's trust.

The thought of all that as well as their reactions when it happened brought a smile to JR's face. That smile vanished the instant something Marissa did caught his eye.

/

Danny started to fuss, and Marissa knew the reason for it. "Okay, I hear you Sparky. Mama's going to take care of you. Danny needs a new diaper. I'm going to go back to Krystal's office and take care of that." Marissa lifted her son from the highchair, and with him on her hip, she grabbed the diaper bag.

Bianca got up as well. "While you're doing that, I'm going to run to the ladies' room. We'll be right back."

When the couple was gone, Greenlee turned to Kendall. "You see him too, don't you?"

"Yes, I do, but I don't think Bianca or Marissa did because of where they're sitting. He's been there a while, almost all the way through lunch." Kendall stood. "I'm going to go talk to him."

"What? Are you nuts? Don't answer that. I'm coming with you."

"No, I need you to stay here and keep them occupied."

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "How am I supposed to do that? You'll be right across the street."

"I don't know. You're always going on about how smart you are. Prove it. Look, I don't care what you have to do as long as you keep them here. I don't want them to have to deal Dipshit anymore today."

"Okay. Okay. I agree that they shouldn't have to deal with him again, and I'm also brilliant. Go. I'll keep them here."

"Thanks, and I didn't say you were brilliant." Kendall threw over as her shoulder as she quickly headed outside.

/

JR froze. He was going to go into the restaurant and taunt the couple with his plans to contest the will, but when he saw Marissa holding a baby with red hair, he froze. Could that be? That could've been mine.

"Hello, JR."

The blonde's head snapped up in the direction of the voice saying his name. "Kendall. I didn't see you there."

"So I noticed." Kendall sat on the bench JR was seated on but left room in between them, not wanting to get too close to him. "What are you doing here?"

"What? I'm not allowed to walk around Pine Valley? The last I checked, this was a free country which means I can come and go as I damn well please."

"It still is, but when it comes to you, I've learned that things are never quite as innocent as you say."

"Why do you say that?"

"Given your stalker past when it comes to Marissa, one might find it highly suspicious that of all of the places in Pine Valley, you just happen to end up at the restaurant that Krystal owns and that Marissa and Bianca frequent. Add in the fact that you're parked on this bench with them directly in your line of sight, most would understand my concern."

"Whatever." JR was too preoccupied to come up with any type of comeback. "Who's the baby? Is it hers?"

"He is Daniel Christopher Tasker-Montgomery, and yes, he is their son."

"Daniel?"

"Danny for short. He's named after Marissa's dad and Bianca."

That got JR's attention, and he clenched his jaw to help lessen the sting. "He looks like her."

"Like Marissa?"

JR nodded.

"Yes, he does."

"He could've been mine."

"A lifetime ago, perhaps, but I really doubt it."

"I wanted kids, but she didn't."

"That should tell you something right there. If I recall correctly, this was after Annie tried to kill her. Marissa found out about the affair and the fact that you tried to cover up not only it but who was responsible for the attempt on her life as well. Your marriage was dead after that. You wanted a child to hold onto Marissa. She knew bringing a child into something that toxic was not a good idea."

"I was trying to save our marriage."

"Having a child is not a solution. It's not a fix for a bad marriage, and it never will be."

"Bianca stole …"

"Oh for the love of god, shut the hell up. You're like a broken record with that. Do you even know how old and tired that line is? Bianca didn't steal Marissa from you. You can't steal someone that doesn't belong to you. Here's the thing you seem to forget, Marissa is not an object. She's not something you can own, and she's not a prize or a reward. You broke, no, you shattered her trust. There is no coming back from that. You will never make her happy, and if you stop to really think about it, how can she ever make you happy if she's not happy. Now Bianca, Bianca makes her happy and vice versa. Think about it. Have you ever seen Marissa smile as much as she does with Bianca?"

"No." JR admitted begrudgingly.

"Let her have that happiness, let her enjoy it. If you do that, maybe you can find your own happiness. You can't tell me that you're happy or have been happy for a long time. The reason is because you can't be while holding onto something that will never be."

/

"Where's Kendall?" Bianca asked when she returned to the table. Marissa was just a few steps behind her carrying a much happier Danny.

"She had a call with a client and stepped outside so she didn't disturb anyone in here. You know how she is about that."

Bianca nodded. It was a pet peeve of Kendall's.

"Would you want to head home soon?" Marissa asked her wife.

"Oh, it is almost time for Danny's nap, isn't it? That works for me."

"Okay. You take him, and I'll run to the ladies' room and then settle our bill."

Bianca smiled as she held out her arms to Danny who grinned and babbled happily as he reached out for her. Once in Bianca's arms, Danny began to play with the locket around her neck while Marissa slipped away. Bianca glanced out the restaurant's window. "JR's here?"

Greenlee sighed. She was afraid something like this would happen as soon as Bianca had sat back down. "Dammit. Why did you have to sit there? If you had just sat in your original seat instead of Kendall's, you wouldn't have seen him. Yes, JR's here. Well actually, he's out there. He's been there awhile. Kendall didn't want him bothering you or Marissa anymore today so she went to talk to him. I've been keeping an eye on her. I trust him about as far as I can throw him."

"I trust him even less than that. There hasn't been any type of blow up on his part?" Bianca had to ask even though she knew that if there been that Greenlee wouldn't still be sitting inside Krystal's. She would be outside, right next to Kendall, and swinging away at JR. It was something Bianca had always been a little jealous of. Yes, she knew Kendall would always have her back, but it's different when it's someone outside of your family, someone not obligated by blood to jump into the fray. It wasn't until Marissa came along that Bianca truly felt she had that person. To paraphrase one of her favorite lines from 'Grey's Anatomy', Marissa was her person and vice versa. This wasn't to say that Greenlee wouldn't have her back because she had and continued to have it. It was just different. Greenlee was Kendall's friend first and foremost, and as such, Kendall would always come first over Bianca. Marissa's loyalty to Bianca, on the other hand, would always take precedence over what she had to either Kendall or Greenlee. That's just how it was. They all knew it and accepted it.

Greenlee smiled. She was neither surprised nor offended by the question. "Nope. He's been surprisingly calm. I know you want to go over there, but don't. Just wait and see what happens. If he does anything, we'll be over there in a heartbeat. Okay? I'm not going to let him do anything to hurt her. I promise."

Reluctantly, Bianca agreed. "Okay, but the instant he does anything remotely threatening …"

"We'll be there. You have my word. Now, what about Marissa?"

"As much as I would like to keep it from her in order to protect her, I won't. So, don't ask me to."

/

As much as JR hated to admit it, Kendall actually made sense. Seeing Marissa with a baby, a son she shared with Bianca, had his hopes of a future with her fade even more to an almost non-existent point. He also had to admit that while he loved Marissa, she didn't excite him the way Annie, or women like her, did. Marissa was just too damn good. She liked to follow the rules too much for his liking. He needed someone who could get his blood pumping, someone who didn't, in his mind, hold him back like she had when they were married by thinking he could be better, something that he knew was never going to happen. Maybe, just maybe, if JR stopped some of this, maybe then he could be happy. If that happened, maybe AJ would want to spend time with him.

"AJ …"

"Is happier than I've ever seen him. He's thriving under their care. Let him have that. Let him have a childhood. Let him be a child and not a parent. He doesn't need to worry about your baggage. Isn't that what you for him? Isn't that what you want for your son? To simply be happy?"

A part of JR knew Kendall was right. He didn't want AJ to hate him, to be afraid of him. JR remembered how AJ looked at him during Adam's funeral. He didn't see love. He saw hesitation and fear, and he needed to do something to change that. JR wanted him to have the happy childhood that he felt Adam had denied him, and most of all, he wanted AJ to love him again. "You're almost being nice to me, Kendall. I have to wonder why because I was expecting something different. You're not going to threaten me?"

Kendall smirked. "Oh, I don't I have to do that. You and I both know that I'll do everything in my power to crush you if you hurt either Bianca or Marissa. There's no place that you'll be able to hide, at least not for long, because I will hunt you down and make you pay dearly. If it means looking under every rock or in every hellhole to find you, I'll do it, and Zach will be more than willing to help me. Since you know all of that already, I don't really need to say anything to threaten you, now do I?"

He saw it in her eyes. JR knew without a single doubt that Kendall meant every single word. Besides the not so veiled threat, Kendall had also given him a lot to think about. JR stood and gave her a curt nod before he walked over to his car.

After he pulled away, Kendall was able to breathe a little easier. She waited a beat and then crossed the street to rejoin the others inside Krystal's.

/

"He left." Bianca was shocked.

"Wow. I was not expecting that." Greenlee shook her head. She was definitely going to have to find out everything that was said between the two.

"Hi." Kendall's eyes shifted between her sister and best friend.

Bianca raised an eyebrow. "So, how was your conversation with JR?"

Kendall turned to glare at her friend. "What happened to distracting her?"

Greenlee threw her hands up. "Do you not see where she is sitting? She has a clear of where you were. And being in broad daylight right across the street from us? Yeah, not the most private place to have a conversation with him."

The three women stopped and turned their heads when they heard a throat clearing.

While she was settling their bill at the counter, Marissa had witnessed most of what had occurred. "Do I want or need to know what's going on right now or can it wait until later?"

"It can definitely wait until later. Nothing bad happened, I promise." Kendall crossed her heart.

Bianca eyed her sister closely. "Okay, I'll drop it for now, but we're getting a full rundown later."

"You will. Word for word, scout's honor."

"You were never a scout. Too many rules for you."

Kendall grinned at her sister. "True. Plus, they don't have the most stylish of outfits either. How about you have my word as a Kane woman?"

Bianca chuckled. "I'll take it. Rissa and I are going to take Danny home. We will talk later."

Hugs were exchanged, and Kendall and Greenlee both kissed a sleepy Danny.

"Thanks for whatever you said to him, Kendall. I really didn't want to have to deal with JR anymore today." Marissa said as she reached for her purse.

"You're welcome, Red."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Greenlee."

"I'll see you then, Marissa."

"Oh, and lunch is on me. It's already taken care of." Marissa waved and followed Bianca and Danny out.

Kendall turned to Greenlee. "She'll see you tomorrow? Are you telling me that you haven't talked to Marissa yet?"

"No. I haven't had the chance what with Adam dying, his funeral, and now the will. I'm meeting with her tomorrow though. We're going to talk then. Now, tell me what happened with you and Dipshit."

/

"Hi, Marissa."

Marissa glanced up from her desk and smiled. "Hi, Greenlee. Come on in and have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?"

Greenlee did as asked and sat down. She was nervous. It was nothing that Marissa had done. It was just that this was really big for her. "Some water would be good."

The redhead retrieved a bottle of water from her mini-refrigerator and handed it to Greenlee before taking a seat.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

Greenlee took a sip of water, and then, she finally let everything out in one breath, a breath she felt she had been holding all morning. "I'd like to talk to you about adopting a child."

/

A/N: I kind of thought it was time for Kendall to have a conversation with JR, being the protective big sister that she is. Now, a few of you guessed or hoped what Greenlee wanted. You all are good. Here are a few things to ponder and provide feedback on if you would. If an adoption goes through for Greenlee and Ryan, should it be a boy or girl? Name ideas would be appreciated as well. Here's the big question for you. If there is an adoption, should it be a baby, toddler, preschooler, or older child? Just a few things to think about. See you soon!