A/N: Thanks as always for continuing to read, review, and follow! I really appreciate it. I also love reading your comments. So, I got inspired for another story and was going to center it around Valentine's Day, but I ran out of time for it to be posted by that day. No worries though since I was able to make a tweak to it and have it take place around another holiday. It's a work in progress so look for it in a couple of weeks. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!

/

Marissa sighed happily as she put her car in park and got out. It was when she was getting Danny out of his car seat that she heard one someone calling her name. The voice sent chills down her spine.

"Marissa."

With Danny on her hip but taking care that he was shielded from the blonde man, the redhead turned. "JR."

"Is … is that your son?" JR asked as he strained to get a closer look at the boy.

"Yes, mine and Bianca's." Marissa really wasn't trying to bait her ex-husband, but she also wanted to make it clear in no uncertain terms that Bianca was Danny's mother just as much as she was.

JR grimaced at the response but let it slide by as he still continued to try and get a better look at the boy. "His name is Danny?"

Marissa knew Kendall had told him that much when her sister-in-law relayed their conversation to her and Bianca. "Yes, it is." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lisa and was flooded with relief. "Lisa, could you come here for a moment?"

The young lawyer stopped when she heard her name being called. A quick glance told her all she needed to know, and she immediately headed over to where her boss was. "Morning, Marissa. Hi, Danny."

The boy giggled hearing his name.

"What's up, boss?"

"Would you mind taking Danny in to the daycare for me?"

"No problem. I loved to. I'll tell them you'll be in in a few minutes?"

"Yes, that would be great. Thank you." Marissa kissed her son before handing him over to Lisa. The redhead kept her gaze focused on the pair until they were out of sight. With them safely inside the building, Marissa could turn her full attention to the manner at hand, JR. It wasn't that she believed JR would do anything to harm Danny, but Marissa wasn't going to take that chance. She needed to know that her son was safe. "What can I do for you, JR?"

"I have to say I'm surprised that you named him after your dad. I didn't know the two of you were that close."

"What are you talking about?"

"David, I didn't know the two of you had patched things up. Come to think of it, I didn't know that was David's middle name."

That really ticked Marissa off, and it took everything she had not to lose her temper. They had been married so how could not know who she considered her Dad to be? "He's not named after David. I don't even know what his middle name is. He's named after my Dad, Roy Daniel Tasker. Bianca picked it out. She knows how much my Dad means to me. I picked out his middle name and chose Christopher, for Bianca."

"Christine." JR swallowed hard.

"Yes."

JR cleared his throat. He didn't like hearing that at all, but he couldn't do anything about it. "From what I could tell, he looks like you."

"Thank you."

"Junior, long time no see."

Marissa had to bite her lip when she heard Caleb. She hadn't seen him pull into the parking so that told her one thing. Lisa had sounded the alarm about JR, and Caleb had answered the call. There was a part of Marissa that was happy about that, and that part of her really liked the look on JR's face when he saw Caleb.

"What are you doing here, Cortlandt?"

"I work here. What about you, Junior?"

"I wanted to talk to Marissa, alone."

Caleb smirked. "Interesting."

JR glared at the other man. "Well."

"Well what?"

"Are you going to leave?"

"No." Caleb grinned.

It took everything Marissa had not to burst out laughing. Caleb was enjoying this way too much. He loved riling up JR. It was one of his favorite things to do. As much as she would love to watch this continue to play out, Marissa knew she had to step in and diffuse the situation before it got out of hand. "Could you give us a minute, Caleb?"

"Sure. I'll be right over here." Caleb took a couple of steps back and leaned against Marissa's car.

"Thank you." Marissa turned back to JR. "What did you want to talk about?" She could tell he was distracted by Caleb being there. "JR!"

"What?" The blonde pulled his glare away from Caleb. He didn't like the older man being there at all. It really bothered him.

"You wanted to talk."

"Oh, right. He's not going anywhere, is he?"

Marissa glanced over her shoulder and saw a still grinning Caleb less than five feet away. "Nope."

"We can't do this in private?" JR asked.

"No, we can't."

"Are … are you really that afraid of me? I mean, do you really think I would do something to hurt your son? You felt you had to send him away for him to be safe?"

Marissa knew she had to choose her next words carefully. "Honestly? I don't think you would hurt him, but I can't say the same thing about me however. When you lose your temper, you also lose control. While you haven't hit me before, I've seen that look in your eyes, and it's one I recognize. I've seen it in the eyes of spouses and partners of clients of mine that have been abused. I've seen it in the eyes of partners and spouses of clients of the Miranda Center. So while you haven't done anything to me, I recognize the potential. I won't take that chance, especially with any of my children present. You may not mean to hurt them, but if you're not in control of your actions and they are present, there is a chance you could injure them while trying to get to me. That's a chance I won't take. I won't have them be collateral damage."

JR paled at what Marissa had said. He couldn't believe she honestly thought that he would hurt her physically. He had never raised a hand to her and certainly not to AJ. The thought may have briefly crossed his mind when she wouldn't even consider the possibility of another reconciliation, or when she told him she was with Bianca, or when she stopped him from leaving the country with AJ, or when she was granted full custody of his son and JR had lost his parental rights, or when she was named as administrator of AJ's trust, or when she just wouldn't shut up and listen to him. It wasn't as if he had acted on the urge though, not yet anyway. Not yet. That simple two word phrase had his blood run cold. He also realized the list of instances where he had thought about it. Oh god, she's right. Could I really do that? What kind of monster have I become? JR looked at her. "I … I … I understand."

Caleb and Marissa quickly glanced at each other. Neither had expected that response, and they were both a little bit in shock.

"Uh, what did you want to talk about, JR?" Marissa asked.

"Oh right, sorry. Um … I talked to Kendall the other day, but I'm guessing you already know that."

"I do."

"She … what she said got me to thinking. You see, I went there to tell you I was going to contest the will, the whole thing. I was going to tell you that you didn't deserve the money my dad left you, and that you and Bianca shouldn't be the administrators of AJ's trust because I should be the one in charge of it. Then, I talked to Kendall. I can't tell you how much I hate to admit it, but she made some valid points. What you just said? Well, I guess it just drove the point home even more. I'm not going to contest the parts of the will that concern you or AJ. I don't want to put him through anything like that again."

Marissa was taken aback a little. "Thank you, JR."

"You're welcome."

"Are you going to contest any of the other parts?"

JR nodded. "I'm thinking of contesting the drug testing part. I don't think I need it. I'm one year sober."

"Congratulations. That's a big accomplishment. You should be proud." Marissa smiled warmly. She truly hoped JR was turning his life around. If not for himself, then at least for AJ.

The blonde smiled proudly. "Thanks. I am. So, I was hoping I could ask for two favors."

"It depends what they are."

JR chuckled. "Yeah, I figured. The first one. Could you tell Uncle Stuart, Brooke, and Scott that I won't contest their parts of the will either?"

"Sure, but you know you could do that yourself."

"Yeah, I know. It's just that I don't want to see them quite yet. When I think about what I did, how I acted, at the reading, I'm … I'm … I'm a little ashamed of myself, especially when it comes to Uncle Stuart."

Marissa could see he was contrite. "Stuart loves you, JR, no matter what."

"I know, and that's what makes it so hard. I'll talk to him later but just not right now. I don't want them worrying about what I'll do."

"All right, I'll tell them." Marissa didn't want Brooke, Stuart, and Scott worrying unnecessarily so she agreed for their sakes.

"Thanks."

"The second favor?"

"It has to do with AJ." JR reached into his back pocket and removed an envelope. "I wrote him a letter. Could you give him this? After you check it out of course. I don't blame you for doing that by the way given how I've been acting. This just tells AJ that I love him and am really proud of him. It also tells him that I'm sorry for everything I've put him through, and that I hope he can forgive me someday. I put my contact information in there too. If he wants to call or email me, he can, as long as it's all right with you of course." JR held the envelope out to Marissa who took it.

"I'll read it, and if I don't see any problems with it, I'll show it to AJ. Are you staying in Pine Valley?"

"No, I'm heading back to California in a few hours. I need to get back and take care of a few things. I'll let you know when I plan on coming back. I'm sure I'll have to be back about the will. So … uh … thanks." JR nodded curtly before walking away.

Caleb moved to stand next to Marissa and watched JR drive away. "Do you think he meant any of that?"

Marissa shrugged before gathering her things from the car. "I don't know. I'd like to think he did for AJ's sake, but I can't really trust him because of everything he's done. He doesn't have the best track record. I've learned it's best to exercise caution when it comes to JR."

"Very smart. Do you need any help carrying any of that in?"

"I've got it. You wouldn't believe how much you can juggle once a baby is around. Thanks though. I want to thank you for coming out here to provide backup too. I'm guessing Lisa had something to do with that?"

Caleb chuckled. "You don't need to thank me, and yes, she did. I ran into her and Danny in the main lobby. She told me Junior was out here. I know you could have taken care of it without me here, just like you did with me here, but a very wise person once said 'I've learned it's best to exercise caution when it comes to JR'." Caleb opened the door to the building for Marissa. "Besides, Bianca would have my hide if I didn't do anything."

Marissa laughed at her words being spoken back to her and at his assessment of Bianca's reaction to this visit. "Yeah, you're right. She would. So, Jessica didn't come back to the house last night." The redhead then saw something she never had before, Caleb Cortlandt blushed.

Caleb cleared his throat. "Yes, well, she's a special woman. Don't you have to check on your son or something, Tasker?"

"Yes, I do." Marissa smiled. His tone may be gruff, but it was only to cover up his embarrassment. "Thanks again."

As he started to walk away, Marissa called out to her friend and mentor. "Caleb, you're pretty special yourself."

Caleb returned the smile and winked. "As are you, Red, as are you."

Marissa nodded and walked into the daycare to see Danny before heading up to her office. She knew she would have to call Bianca when she got there.

/

"He did what?!"

That was pretty much the reaction that Marissa had expected from her wife. The tone of her voice was part incredulity and part fury. Again, it was pretty much what Marissa had expected when she called Bianca to tell her about what happened that morning. After checking on Danny, the redhead headed up to the firm's offices. Her first stop was Lisa's office. Marissa wanted to thank her for what she had done earlier, but the younger lawyer wasn't in her office. The redhead made a note to herself to check in again later. She then headed to her own office, and after she was settled, Marissa called Bianca. She knew there was a good chance word of what happened would get out, and it was better if her wife heard it from her first.

"JR stopped by and approached me in the firm's parking lot."

"Rissa …"

"I know. Please just listen to me first, with no interruptions."

"You're okay? Danny is okay?"

"Yes, we're both okay. I promise."

Bianca sighed. "Okay. Go ahead. I promise I'll do my best not to interrupt."

"Thank you. I had just gotten Danny out of the car when JR approached us." Marissa sensed Bianca was about to speak but quickly stopped her. "You promised you wouldn't interrupt." She heard Bianca huff on the other end of the line, but that was it so she continued. "I saw Lisa and had her take Danny inside. No sooner had she left then Caleb arrived. It seems Lisa ran into him in the lobby and told him about JR."

"Lisa deserves a raise."

Marissa laughed. "I'll consider it. Anyway, once JR finally realized that Caleb wasn't going anywhere, he told me what he wanted." Marissa then went on to explain what JR had said. There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment when she had finished. The redhead knew this meant that Bianca was mulling over everything so she remained quiet.

"Have you read the letter yet?" Bianca asked when she finally broke the silence.

"No, I haven't. I really haven't had the chance. The first thing I did after JR left was check on Danny. After I did that, I stopped by Lisa's office to thank her. It turns out I'll have to wait on that since she wasn't there. Then, I got to my office and called you. I'm thinking I'll just wait until tonight that way we can read it together after the kids go to bed. We can discuss everything and not worry about being interrupted."

"That sounds like a good plan. Speaking of interruptions, I have a meeting in a couple of minutes. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm positive. You can even check with Caleb to confirm everything."

"I don't need to do that. I trust you. Could you thank him for me though too?"

"I will. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you the best part. After JR left, Caleb and I were talking, and I mentioned Jessica not coming home last night. Caleb actually blushed. It was really cute and very sweet."

"Seriously? Caleb blushed? I didn't think that was possible. He must really like her."

"Yep. He said she was a special woman."

"Well, he's right about that. Caleb's pretty special too."

"That's exactly what I told him." Marissa heard a knock and saw a familiar blonde standing in the doorway who she waved inside. "Lisa just got here."

"Okay. I need to go anyway, or I'll be late. Talk to her and thank her for me please. I love you."

"I love you too."

/

Marissa turned her attention to the young lawyer once the call with her wife was disconnected. "Hey, your ears must have been burning."

"Telling the wife how awesome I am, boss?" Lisa joked as she sat down.

"As a matter fact, I was."

"I was just joking. You know that, right?"

Marissa laughed. "I know, and while you were, I wasn't. I was telling Bianca about what happened in the parking lot. She wanted me to thank you, and she also said that I should give you a raise."

"Please tell her that she's welcome. I'm just glad I had an early deposition."

"Is that where you were earlier? I stopped by your office after I checked on Danny, but you weren't there."

"Yeah, I was in a conference room. We just finished. I wanted to see how you were. Did you need something in particular?"

"As you can see, I'm good, not even a scratch on me. I just wanted to thank you for everything, especially for taking Danny and getting him safe. He was biggest my concern. I could focus once I knew he was safe. You don't know how much I appreciate that. Then, you sent Caleb out."

Lisa chuckled. "Yeah, I saw him in the lobby. He was wondering why I had Danny. I told him about JR. I'm glad I ran into Caleb because I really wasn't comfortable leaving you alone with JR. I don't want you to think that I don't think you could take care of yourself though. It's just that I don't trust him."

"I understand, and I don't trust him either. It all turned out okay. Plus, Caleb really loves getting under JR's skin. It's kind of a hobby for him. He's good at it too."

"Yeah, I don't doubt that. So, everything went okay?"

"It did. He said what he needed to and left."

"Good, I'm glad. I know he's caused you and Bianca a lot of problems."

"That he has, but it seems we may get a little break. He's headed back to California later today."

"Really? That's good news. Do you believe him?"

"Where JR's concerned, it's always best to proceed with caution. In other words, I'm not going to take any chances."

"Sounds like that's the best approach. Okay, I'm going to get back to work. My boss can kind of be a stickler for that sometimes." Lisa grinned.

"Sounds like she has to be with you." Marissa smirked. "Seriously though, thank you."

"You're welcome."

/

Marissa had been hard at work for a few hours when her cellphone rang. The redhead smiled when she saw who it was. "Hey, Jo!"

"Hey, Marissa. How's your day going?"

"It's been interesting. I'll tell you all about it later. What's up?"

"Well, I'll be in Pine Valley on Friday."

"Really? That's great. I can't wait to see you, and I know Jessica feels the same. She's missed you."

"I can't wait to see all of you. I've missed her too. So, I was thinking."

"Should I be worried?" Marissa smirked.

"Funny as always, Tasker. Don't give up your job though. Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted." Jo huffed with no real bite to it.

Marissa laughed at the playful teasing from her friend.

"I was thinking that we needed a girls' night."

"Hmmm, I have to say I like how you think, Shelton. Who all are you thinking about including?"

"You, Bianca, Kendall and Greenlee, of course."

"Of course. It's not a party without them, and they would be so pissed if they weren't included."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Those are two women I don't want mad at me. Oh, Rafaela and Maura, and really whoever else you can think of."

"Okay, I'll get on finding a babysitter."

"Already taken care of. I talked to Mom, and she is more than happy to babysit your hellions. She didn't say anything to you?"

Marissa laughed at that. "They are a rowdy bunch, aren't they? No, she didn't. I haven't seen her today. She was out with Caleb and didn't come home last night."

Jo groaned. "Okay. I didn't need to know that."

"I mentioned it to Caleb when I saw him here this morning. He blushed and called her a special woman. So, I don't think you need to worry about his intentions."

"You're right. I don't. I know they really care about each other, and I'm happy for her. I just don't want to hear about her … you know."

"Her sex life."

"You do know that you're enjoying this way too much, don't you? I bet you have a huge grin on your face right now too." Jo knew her friend well. She also knew that if their roles were reversed she would be giving Marissa a hard time too.

"Yep and yep! She's happy, Jo. I don't know the last time I've seen her this happy."

"I know. Me either. It's just that nobody wants to hear that about their parents doing that. Okay, I really need to change the subject. So, girls' night on Friday. We'll work on the details later. Sound good?"

"Sounds good. I guess I need to make some calls."

"Yes, you do. It'll make everyone there think you're actually doing some work instead of just pushing papers around." Jo chuckled.

"You know what you just told me about not quitting my day job? Right back at ya, Doc."

"Ha! Whatever. I need to go. I'll see you Friday."

"See you then. Oh, we need to set some time aside for just the two of us to talk. I need to tell you about Adam's will. There's been a lot of drama around it."

"I'm intrigued. You're on. We're definitely overdue for a good talk. Later."

"See ya."