A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review, and follow! It's very much appreciated. I'm sorry I'm a little in posting, but I've been busy celebrating my birthday. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!

Update: I've made a few changes to this chapter and reposted. Please read my updated author's notes at the end of this chapter.

/

Across the street, a blonde woman observed the pair as they disappeared inside the restaurant. The man was African-American, handsome, and fit, and he was completely unknown to her. The woman, however, was another story. It had been years, a lifetime, but there was no mistaking who the brunette was. She would know that smile anywhere. In fact, she used to dream about that smile every night years ago. "Bianca." She had to get a closer look. With a quick glance in either direction, the blonde darted across the busy New York street and into the restaurant.

Bianca was nowhere in sight when the blonde entered the restaurant, but she was quickly met by the maître d.

"Good afternoon. How many in your party?"

"Just one."

"Very good. Could I have your name please?"

"Sarah Livingston."

"Thank you, Ms. Livingston. Let me just check if I have a table clear. I'll be right back."

Sarah took the opportunity to glance around the restaurant to see if she could spot Bianca. On her second pass, she saw her and an empty table nearby. When the maître d returned, she made a request. "I was wondering if I could have that table. Please?" Sarah slipped him a twenty dollar bill.

"Of course." After he pocketed the money, the maître d turned and grabbed a menu. "If you'll just follow me please."

The blonde nodded and followed the maître d to her requested table while she took extra care to make sure Bianca did not see her as she passed the brunette's table. She took the seat the maître d pulled out for her and was pleased with the view it offered her. Her vantage point allowed Sarah to see Bianca but remain concealed at the same time. Over the course of her lunch which she hadn't eaten much of, she noted that the man and Bianca seemed friendly enough. They were laughing and smiling and seemed interested in what the other was saying. Sarah wasn't picking up on any type of romantic vibe from them however, and she couldn't help but wonder who exactly they were to each other.

That wasn't her main focus though. Her main focus was Bianca. She had to admit that the brunette was even more beautiful now than she was when they had met and gotten to know each other years ago as girls. Of course, their relationship hadn't started under the greatest of circumstances. Both were young, scared and literally starving themselves to death. They had met in rehab, both having been forced there by their respective families in a last ditch effort to save their lives as they struggled to overcome anorexia nervosa. Somehow during this hellish time, the girls had fallen in love. They both survived, but ultimately, their relationship didn't.

That, Sarah knew, was mainly because of her. She wasn't strong enough to fight for Bianca or their relationship, and Sarah bowed to the pressure from her parents, who were adamantly opposed to her relationship with someone of the same sex. She had broken up with Bianca and gotten engaged to a man by the name of Ian Kipling. At one point, Sarah wasn't sure if she would be able to go through with it, but she did. The marriage hadn't lasted very long though. No matter how hard she tried, Sarah just couldn't live the lie. It wasn't fair to her, and it wasn't fair to Ian. That was pretty much what Bianca had told her when she found out about the engagement, and she'd been right.

Sarah remembered everything about that time. Bianca tracked her down in New York when Sarah had called. Her intention had been to tell Bianca about the engagement over the phone, but she ended up leaving a benign message. Bianca didn't buy it though, and when she found her, she begged Sarah to run away with her. Bianca had been willing to give up everything right then and there. Sarah wasn't strong enough though, wasn't brave enough. She ended up breaking Bianca's heart that day when Ian stopped by and let news of their engagement slip before she had had the chance to tell Bianca herself. When Erica showed up to drag her daughter back to Pine Valley, things went from bad to worse.

At the time, both Sarah and Bianca were still in the closet when it came to their families knowing about their sexual orientation. Although, Sarah's mother had found letters from Bianca. Her mother blamed the young brunette for corrupting and brainwashing her daughter, and Sarah hadn't been strong enough to correct her. It was after the discovery of those letters that the pressure for Sarah to get married to Ian increased tenfold. After finding out that Bianca had found Sarah in New York, Sarah's mother moved the wedding up. Sarah had gone to Pine Valley on the eve of her wedding to talk to Bianca. She shouldn't have done that. It had been a mistake, a big one. Sarah still didn't know what she hoping to accomplish. As a result of her showing up that day though, Bianca ended up coming out to Erica which was a whole other story.

A few months after her wedding, Sarah left Ian unable to live the lie any longer, and she'd run straight to Bianca. They made plans to run away together, but Sarah had a secret. She had relapsed and stopped eating. As a result, she had to be hospitalized and ended up going back to treatment. The one good thing that came out of that mess was a better relationship with her mother. Sarah's mother still had a problem with her daughter's sexual orientation, but she tried which was something.

Sarah had been so lost in her memories that she hadn't seen Bianca and her companion leave. She needed to see Bianca again and talk to her this time, but she was at a loss on how to make that happen. Suddenly, it hit her. Sarah shook her head and couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it sooner. The blonde pulled out her cellphone and googled Bianca Montgomery.

/

"I told you. No luck, yet again." Greg sighed. The professor had really started to get discouraged. He and Bianca had just left the fifth jewelry store they had visited that afternoon, and like the four previous ones, they hadn't had any luck.

"Look, I know it's hard, but try not to let this get to you. We will find something."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"Let's call it woman's intuition." Bianca's smile faded somewhat when she saw the look in Greg's eyes. She could see depression had begun to set in. "Okay. Time to pull out the big guns. Follow me."

Greg did as requested and followed the brunette across the street. When he saw the store Bianca had in mind, he paused outside the entrance. "Tiffany's? Bianca, I can't afford anything in here."

"Do you trust me?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Good. I know you want to get her something really nice but not too expensive. That's just not her style, right?"

"Right. Jo would be furious if I spent too much."

"That's what I thought. Marissa is the same way. I'll let you in on something. Yes, this is Tiffany's, and it has a reputation of being very expensive. The thing is, not everything is super expensive here. Some of the rings are reasonably price. I know this because this is where I got Marissa's ring and where she also happened to get mine."

"Really?"

"Yep. Come on. Someone is waiting for us."

Greg was confused. "What do you mean?"

"I called ahead." Bianca winked as she went inside.

/

The pair were greeted by a salesman once they were inside. "Good afternoon. Welcome to Tiffany & Company. My name is Justin. Is there something I can help you with?"

Bianca smiled. "Hello. I have an appointment with Laura Carter."

"Laura is just in back. I'll go get her." With that, Justin was gone.

"Who is Laura Carter?" Greg asked.

"She is the saleswoman who helped both Marissa and me find a ring for each other. Of course we didn't know that until later. Laura is awesome, and I am positive that she'll be able to help you."

"With an endorsement like that, I better come through." Laura appeared and smiled. "Hi, Bianca. It's good to see you again."

"Hi, Laura. Same here. This is my friend, Greg Murphy. He's looking for an engagement ring."

Laura held out her hand for Greg. "It's nice to meet you, and congratulations."

"Thank you. It's nice to meet you too." Greg shook the saleswoman's hand.

"If you'll follow me, we'll get started." Laura led them to an area she had set up for their private showing. As they walked, she glanced over her shoulder. "How's Marissa?"

Bianca smiled brightly as she always did when asked about her wife. "She's great. She told me to tell you 'hi'. If she hadn't had court scheduled, she would've been here."

"Tell her 'hi' back for me. So, the baby?" Laura had helped the couple with their wedding bands and had been told of the pregnancy due to their concern over the possibility of Marissa's fingers swelling during it. They wanted to make sure the wedding band picked out for her fit.

"Oh, we had a boy. His name is Daniel Christopher, and here is his picture!" Bianca had her cellphone out and pulled up the latest picture she had of the entire family.

"Oh wow. He's adorable and so are your other kids."

"Yeah. I'm completely biased so it's good to hear someone else say it." Bianca laughed.

Greg nodded. "They are really good kids, Bianca, and that has everything to do with you and Marissa."

"Thank you. I'm very lucky."

When the three were seated, Laura looked at Greg. "Tell me about your hopefully soon-to-be fiancée."

"Her name is Jo, and she's incredible. She has it all. She's a psychologist so you know she's intelligent as well as kind and caring. She's also beautiful and has a smile that lights up the room. In addition to all of that, she has a wicked sense of humor, and she can sing."

Bianca smiled hearing Greg gush over Jo.

"She sounds special. I can tell that you love her very much. Do you have a picture?"

Greg nodded happily and pulled up a picture of Jo on his cellphone. "Yes, I do."

"She's very beautiful." Laura studied the picture for a minute before handing the device back. "Now that I have an idea of what Jo is like and have seen her, let's talk rings. Do you have a particular metal in mind for the band such as gold, white gold, platinum …"

"Platinum. Jo has a mild allergy to gold." Greg readily answered.

Laura made a quick note. "That definitely narrows things down. So, gold is out and platinum it is. What kind of stone?"

"A diamond, definitely a diamond."

"Do you have a particular cut in mind? There is princess, square, pear …" Seeing the slight panic in Greg's eyes, Laura made another note. "I tell you what. I'll just bring several different ones out for you to look at. Do you know Jo's ring size?"

Greg gave a relieved smile. "She wears a 7 ½."

"Okay. I think I have enough to get us started. Let me go pick out a few things, and I'll be right back. Do either of you want anything to drink while you wait?"

"No thanks. I'm fine."

Bianca shook her head. "I'm good too."

Laura nodded and headed over to the cases where the rings were.

Greg looked over at Bianca. "I can't thank you enough for this. You're right about her. Laura is pretty awesome. She seems to really know her stuff. None of the others took the time to ask about Jo and what she's like."

"She does. I knew you'd like her."

"I feel bad about taking all your time. If you need to go …"

Bianca smiled. "Don't worry about me. I'm having fun and am really happy to help. Being here actually helps me out some. Christmas is just a few weeks away. Since Marissa isn't with me, this gives me the perfect opportunity to shop for her present with her being none the wiser. She's worse than the kids sometimes when it comes to snooping around for presents."

Greg laughed. "Sounds like she keeps you on your toes."

"You have no idea." Bianca chuckled. She wouldn't have it any other way though and couldn't help but smile as she thought about this because she knew Marissa would say the same exact thing about Bianca keeping her on her toes. Marissa was that piece she had been missing for years. The redhead had a zest for life that was infectious. Every day was a wonderful, new adventure, but at the same time, there was a stability that Bianca had never had before in a relationship. So while things were stable, they were never boring, and Bianca had never been happier.

"Jo's the same. Gotta be something about those girls from Devon."

"You might be on to something there."

Laura returned with several rings for Greg to look at. "Let's start with these. If you don't see something you like, I can get some more."

Greg nodded as he began to study the rings.

/

"Hey, Red. Did Bianca get to New York okay?" Kendall asked as she joined her sister-in-law at Krystal's.

"Hey, Kendall. Yes, she did. She called right after she landed. After she checked in to the hotel, she was going to meet Greg for lunch."

"It's nice that they can get together."

"Yeah, it really is." Neither Marissa nor Bianca had told anyone about the real reason behind the brunette meeting up with Greg. To everyone else, it was simply two friends meeting up for lunch. If word had gotten out to the contrary, it could ruin Greg's upcoming proposal, and neither woman wanted that to happen.

"Are the kids okay with her having to go away?"

"As okay as they can be. They miss her but understand that this is something she needs to do from time to time. To be honest, it's harder on Bianca than it is on them."

Kendall nodded. For Bianca, her family was everything and always came first, and she hated having to leave them. "I know. It's just as hard on you too though, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is, but I know she's helping so many as a result of these trips. You know as well as I do that Bianca is the heart and soul of the Miranda Center."

/

Sarah sat back as she read yet another online article about Bianca and the Miranda Center. For some reason, she was surprised at what her former girlfriend had accomplished. She shouldn't have been though. Sarah remembered Bianca as kind and caring. It seemed that hadn't changed. It also seemed that time had been very kind to the brunette. Sarah studied the picture of her ex-girlfriend that was on the Center's website, and there was no denying that Bianca was even more beautiful now. She also looked happy. If she had to hazard a guess, Sarah would have to say that the redhead and four children that accompanied Bianca in that picture had a lot to do with that. Sarah had never had children, and it was something she did regret to a certain degree.

Another difference between her and Bianca was that Sarah wasn't nearly as happy as the brunette appeared to be in the website's picture. Sarah sighed as she thought about her life. It definitely hadn't turned out like she thought it would, and she couldn't help but wonder what might have been if she had just been brave enough to stand up to her parents all those years ago and not broken up with Bianca. Would they still be together? Who knows? That was anybody's guess. Even if they weren't, maybe at the very least Sarah would be happier than she was currently was. She needed to see Bianca, needed to talk to her, needed to find out if she was as happy as she appeared to be in that picture. Sarah really couldn't explain why she needed to, she just did. How though? It suddenly hit her. The best chance she had for this was to track her down, and the best place to start was the Miranda Center's New York branch. Sarah checked the time and decided to get an early start to the day tomorrow.

/

"Wow! I can't believe I found Jo a ring! Thank you again for helping me, Bianca." Greg was smiling from ear to ear. The smile was a mixture of excitement and relief. With Laura's expert help and some key assistance from Bianca, the professor had found the perfect ring for Jo, and it hadn't cost him his life savings.

"You're welcome, again. It's a beautiful ring."

"Do you really think Jo's going to like it?"

"She's going to love it, and it's going to be because it's from you."

Greg smiled. "I really should get this home where I know it's safe. I don't want to carry it around all day."

"I don't blame you. I want to do the same with Marissa's necklace." After checking out several items in the store, Bianca had chosen a diamond and emerald necklace for Marissa. She knew the emeralds would bring out the green in her wife's eyes.

"That's a beautiful necklace, and she's going to love it. You get that locked up in your room's safe. I'll run Jo's ring home and meet you back here in a couple of hours." After making their purchases, Bianca and Greg walked back to the hotel the brunette was staying in. They stopped in the lobby and made plans to meet up for dinner.

"Sounds like a plan. Speaking of plans, maybe you'll tell me about yours for the proposal."

Greg chuckled. "We'll see. I might need a little help and was thinking of asking Marissa."

"I know she'll be more than happy to help you."

"Good. I'll see you in a couple of hours." Greg waited until he saw Bianca get on the elevator before he left.

/

"How did it go this morning?" Bianca asked her wife as she adjusted the phone in her office at the Center in New York. While she had talked to the kids last night before they went to bed, Bianca hadn't called this morning because she knew everyone would be busy getting ready for school and work. The brunette waited until she had gotten into the office to call Marissa. They had talked for a while after the kids were in bed the previous evening, and Bianca had filled her wife in on the results of her day with Greg. Marissa was thrilled beyond words that he had found a ring. She had everything faith that Bianca would be able to help him, and her wife had justified her faith in her yet again.

"Hectic as usual, but the kids got to school on time. Danny is in daycare, and I am now enjoying my coffee while talking to my beautiful wife."

"Always the charmer, Counselor."

"You make it easy. So, meetings and more meetings for you today?"

Bianca sighed. "Yep, and you know how much I love them."

"I do. Make sure you eat something and take a cab back to the hotel when you leave tonight."

"I promise I will. You make sure you get something to eat as well. I know how you are when you're working on a case and I'm not there."

Marissa laughed. "I promise I will. Have a good day. I'll call you in a couple of hours for my midday Bianca pick me up."

"Funny. I have a midday Marissa pick me up that I'm already looking forward to. I love you, Rissa."

"I love you too, B."

With the call disconnected, Bianca started reviewing some paperwork before her first meeting.

/

The receptionist glanced up at the woman who had just walked into the Center. "Good afternoon. Welcome to the Miranda Center. My name is Hillary. May I help you?"

"Yes, I'm looking for Bianca Montgomery. I was told she was here today."

"She is. Do you have an appointment?"

"No, I don't, but I'm hoping she'll want to see me."

"Ms. Montgomery has a very busy schedule today. So, I can't promise anything, but I can check and see if she has a few minutes. May I ask your name?"

"It's Sarah Livingston."

"Please have a seat, Ms. Livingston, and I'll be right back."

/

A/N: Good guesses on who it was from Bianca's past! I wasn't able to find out a lot about Sarah detail-wise. So, I'm going to take some creative license with the character. The basics given here were what I was able to find out. Her name was Sarah Livingston, and she and Bianca met in rehab while both were recovering from anorexia and fell in love. Sarah's parents were not supportive at all of her relationship with Bianca and pressured Sarah to end it. She did and became engaged to and eventually married a man.

Updated A/N: Thanks to Huskermania who passed on some links to videos on YouTube, I was able to get some more information on Sarah. I changed her husband's name to what it was on the show and a few details surrounding the Bianca/Sarah storyline. I felt I had to. It didn't feel right if I left it like it was having the information that I do now. I am still going to take some creative license with her character because there are some blanks to fill in. See you soon!