A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review, and follow! I appreciate it and all of you. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
/
Bianca turned on her blinker and slowly made her way off of the highway and onto the exit ramp for Pine Valley. There was a large curve to the ramp so the brunette made sure to take her time. It wasn't like there was anyone behind her trying to get her to go faster. Thanks to a combination of the weather, the late hour, and it being Christmas Eve, the roads had been fairly deserted. At the end of the exit ramp, Bianca put her blinker on again and said a silent thanks that the light was green so she didn't have to come to a complete stop. Suddenly, something darted out in front of her. Instinctively, Bianca slammed on her brakes instead of pumping them like you're supposed to in weather like this. She struggled to maintain control of the SUV when the brunette hit a patch of ice which had the vehicle spin 360 degrees. When the SUV stopped spinning, Bianca took a shaky breath and glanced out the driver's side window. She found she was inches from having gone off the side of the road and into a ditch. Bianca put the SUV in park and rested her head against her seat's headrest as she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to calm her nerves. Thankfully, she hadn't gone into the ditch which was a really good thing. The spinout, however, did nothing to help her nerves.
The brunette jumped when she heard a rap on her window. Bianca's eyes sprung open, and her gaze found a middle-aged man staring back at her with concern. She blinked her eyes a couple of times as she took in his appearance. He was wearing a red jacket with what appeared to be white trim. His hat was also red with a white lining and was the kind that had ear flaps. To top everything off, he had a white beard. He was saying something to her, but Bianca couldn't quite make it out and shook her head so he motioned for her to lower her window which she did about halfway.
"Are you okay, Miss? I saw you spin out as I was coming up the road, and I just wanted to check on you and make sure you were okay."
Bianca glanced over her shoulder and saw one of the plow trucks that belonged to the city. She didn't recall seeing any other vehicles when she got off the exit. "Oh, I'm okay, now at least. I just gave myself a little bit of a scare when I hit that ice patch. Two deer darted out in front of me, and I just barely stopped in time to not hit them."
The man nodded. "Yeah, I saw them run into the woods. You're lucky you didn't hit one of them because they would've done a number on your car. Why are you out here on a night like this? I know why I am. I've got to work."
"My flight was cancelled from Philadelphia so I rented this to drive home."
"You've been on the road for quite a while. You live in Pine Valley then?"
"I do. You work for the city, I take it?"
"Yep. My name's Kris, by the way."
"Hi, Kris. I'm Bianca." The brunette lowered the window so the two could shake hands.
"It's nice to meet you, ma'am. There must be someone pretty special people waiting for you at home to be driving in this all the way from Philly."
"My wife and kids. It's our youngest son's first Christmas, and I really didn't want to miss it."
Kris nodded again. "Ah, I understand that and have been there. As soon as I'm done with my shift, I'm headed home for my granddaughter's first Christmas."
"You definitely understand then."
"I sure do. You've obviously been doing a good job driving to make it all the way here. I'd have to say that if it wasn't for those two deer you'd be a lot closer to home." Kris scratched his beard for a moment as he thought about something. "Do you mind if I ask where you live?"
"Off Crescent."
"Hmm. You know that this road runs into Crescent which also happens to be my route. How about you follow me for a little bit? I have to plow and lay down some salt. Following me should help your drive some."
Bianca's eyes grew wide. "Really? I don't want you to get into any trouble."
"What trouble? We're going in the same direction after all." Kris smiled.
"Yeah, we are. If you're sure?"
"I'm positive. We need to get you home safe and in time for Christmas morning, and I'll feel better knowing you made it home. Are you okay to drive? You're not too shaken up?"
Bianca shook her head. "No, I'm good. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this."
"That smile tells me how much. Let me go get my truck, and then, we'll head out."
"Thank you so much! Merry Christmas!"
"You're welcome. Merry Christmas!"
/
A relieved smile spread across Bianca's face as she put on her blinker to indicate her upcoming turn. She lowered her window, stuck out her arm, and waved to Kris who had stopped and poked his head out of his truck's window to return the wave. He had been a godsend to her because she was sure she wouldn't have made it home if she hadn't been following him. Bianca then turned the rental SUV down the driveway leading to Minx Manor. Thanks to the snow picking up in intensity, it had been a white-knuckled drive from Center City. Bianca was sure the kids would be thrilled when they woke up in a few short hours with their Christmas wish of a white Christmas being granted. The brunette pulled around to the garage, turned the car off, sent a quick text to Eileen letting her know she'd made it home safe and sound, and got out of the car. Grabbing her carry-on bag and purse first, she then punched in the code for the garage door and ducked inside. She would worry about returning the SUV to the rental agency and picking up her car from the airport later. After reaching the door leading into the kitchen, Bianca pressed a button to close the garage door.
Once it was down, she entered the home. The kitchen light was on, but the room itself was empty. Bianca set her purse and carry-on down and then removed her snow-covered boots setting them on the mat by the door. Next, she took off her coat, and draped it over a chair before heading to the family room.
/
Bianca paused in the doorway, smiling at the sight that greeted her. Marissa was in her Christmas flannel pajamas. Miranda had seen them in a catalog and thought it would be fun for the family to get matching ones. So, they did, and they had Jessica take a picture of all of them. That photo ended up being their Christmas card this year. Yes, they were that family, and they didn't care the least little bit, even when being teased by Kendall and Greenlee. Marissa was humming softly as she filled the family's Christmas stockings that were hanging by the fireplace. Bianca quietly crept over and wrapped her arms around her wife.
Marissa sighed feeling soft lips place a kiss on her shoulder. "I didn't think you'd ever get here, Santa. You should know that my wife could be home any time now, and as much as I love you, I love her even more. So, I'm sorry, but this can't happen."
Bianca laughed. "She's one lucky woman."
"Oh no, I'm the lucky one." Marissa turned around in her wife's arms and rewarded Bianca with a loving kiss that soon deepened.
The two finally separated when air was needed and rested their foreheads together.
Marissa smiled brightly. "Hey. You made it home for Christmas."
Bianca's smile matched the redhead's. "Hey. I told you I would."
"Yes, you did, and I never doubted you. How were the roads? Were they bad?"
"They're getting that way. Could we talk about all of that later? I definitely have a few stories for you about my adventure home."
"Of course."
Bianca sighed happily. "It's so good to be home."
"Mmm, it's good to have you home. Do you want something to eat?"
"No, I'm good. I made a pit stop along the way and grabbed something at McDonalds." Bianca glanced around the room. "I'm sorry you had to pull all of the presents out by yourself and get everything ready for tomorrow."
"It couldn't be helped. You were a little busy trying to get home. Besides, I had some help from your Mom, Jo, and Jessica. You can make it up to me later though." Marissa winked.
Bianca chuckled. "That will definitely be my pleasure. I'm glad they were able to help out. So, what can I do to help now?"
Marissa smiled. She knew exactly what her wife wanted to do. "Why don't you go check on the kids?"
"You know me too well. I'll be right back." Bianca gave her a quick kiss before she headed up to the kids' rooms.
/
Bianca silently entered each of the kids' rooms and found they were all asleep. Miranda's blanket had been pushed aside so Bianca pulled it back up to cover her and kissed her. When she entered AJ's room, Max had lifted his head the instant she had cracked the door open. It seemed he had chosen their oldest son as his sleeping partner for the evening. He relaxed as soon as he saw who it was. Bianca patted the dog's head after she had kissed AJ. She checked on Gabby next and chuckled softly at the sight of her youngest daughter sprawled across her bed. Bianca repositioned her and covered her back up. After kissing her, the brunette made her way to Danny's room. He was fast asleep as well. Bianca marveled at how much he reminded her of Marissa when she was asleep. The brunette found she couldn't wait to see his reaction in the morning. She bent down and kissed him before she left. Once she was in the hallway, Bianca said a silent thank you that she had made it home to them. She then headed downstairs to see what she could help Marissa with.
/
While Bianca was upstairs, Marissa warmed up some hot chocolate she had set aside in the refrigerator earlier for Bianca. As she waited for it to warm up, the redhead finally felt as if she could breathe for the first time all day now that her wife was home. Marissa grabbed her cellphone and sent a quick group text to Erica, Kendall, Greenlee, Jessica, and Jo as well as Jan and Aya to let them all know that Bianca was home safe and sound. Jan and Aya had checked in with Marissa as soon as they had heard about the airports closing. No sooner had she set her cellphone down to stir the hot chocolate then she had a reply back from Erica to thank her for the update and to have her give Bianca her love. Kendall's reply was quick as well, and Greenlee's was right after hers. Marissa wasn't surprised that they had responded as fast as they had. She knew they had all been worried and were anxious to hear about Bianca. The redhead placed her cellphone back down and grabbed a mug to fill up. When that was done, she set the pot in the sink to deal with in the morning. Marissa then headed back to the family room.
/
Marissa held out the plate holding the cookies for Santa when Bianca came downstairs. "You can help me with these. I took care of the carrots for the reindeer earlier."
"I love the jobs you come up with for me. Any hot chocolate?" Bianca asked as she took a cookie.
"Of course." Marissa held out the mug for her wife. "I put some aside for you to warm up when you got home."
Bianca sighed as she sipped the chocolatey drink as she joined Marissa on the sofa. The couple enjoyed the quiet and simply being with each other as they each ate a cookie. This allowed Bianca to decompress from her travels. After a few minutes, the brunette looked at the clock sitting on the mantle. It was now after 2:00 AM. "It's been a long day."
"Yes, it has." Marissa cupped her wife's face. "Let's go to bed. Everything is as ready as it's going to be in here, and I know you have to be exhausted from that drive."
"A little, yeah."
"You go get ready for bed, and I'll lock up."
Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss. "Deal." The brunette padded down the hallway. She had to admit that the day was finally catching up with her. Bianca wanted to tell Marissa all about her adventure and Eileen and Kris, but that could wait. Right now, all she wanted to do was wash up, put her pajamas on and crawl into bed with her wife.
/
Marissa smiled at Bianca when the brunette exited the bathroom wearing her Christmas pajamas. She looked adorable. "Feeling a little better?"
"Yes. I'm finally getting rid of that chill. How were the kids tonight?" Bianca asked as she slipped under the covers.
"They were a little worried that you wouldn't make it home in time, but I told them that Santa was on the case and would do his best to help you out. They were good with that, and then, they turned back to barely contained excitement about what Santa was going to bring, besides you of course."
"Of course."
"I love how AJ and Miranda are still playing along about Santa for Gabby. I know she'll join them doing the same for Danny."
"Yeah, they are great. What about you? Are you excited about what Santa is bringing you? You know you have been an awfully good girl."
"I do my best. I hope I'm not too good though."
"Oh no, you have just the right bit of naughty. So, you didn't answer my question."
Marissa shook her head. "I'm good. You're home and safe. That's all I wanted for Christmas."
"Wow, talk about a coincidence. You're all I want for Christmas too. Remind me to text Eileen to thank her again."
"Who's Eileen?"
"Oh, she's the reason I'm here. I met her while we were in line for rental cars. She was in front of me. We talked and shared pictures while we waited. After I got the last one, which we'll have to return sometime and pick my car up too, I saw her at the coffee shop after I grabbed a sandwich to go. I found out I got the SUV because she couldn't drive it due to recent shoulder surgery. I asked where she was going, and found out she was headed to Center City to see her granddaughter and her family. Because she couldn't drive the SUV, she was stuck at the airport. I'm not sure when she would've gotten out of there because there was a long wait for a taxi. I just couldn't live with myself knowing she was stuck there so I offered to drive her. It' not like it was that far out of my way. She insisted on paying for gas. It was nice having someone to drive with. We had an interesting conversation along the way, and she helped me stay awake. I want to tell you all about it. Oh, I want to tell you about Kris too." Bianca yawned.
"And I want to hear about both of them. You can tell me all about it later though. It's going to be an early wakeup call because of our minions, and you need some sleep."
"I'm not going to argue with you on that, except maybe to say that you need some sleep too."
The couple shared a loving kiss before settling into each other's arms with happy smiles on their faces and drifting off into a peaceful slumber. It had been a long day for both of them and would be an early morning as well so their private celebration would have to wait a few hours. Neither woman would complain though because it would be worth the wait.
/
The couple's position had shifted overnight, and now, Marissa smiled as she felt Bianca burrow into her side. Hazel eyes opened and she gazed at her wife. It hadn't been a dream. Bianca had made it home, and she was safe. Marissa kissed her wife gently and received a mumbled response which caused the redhead to chuckle softly. Before she could do anything else, there were multiple knocks on their bedroom door.
"Bianca. Bianca." Marissa chuckled at the brunette's reluctance to wake up. "It's time to get up. Our minions are just outside our door waiting to storm the family room to see what Santa brought them."
The mention of their children had Bianca forcing her eyes open.
"There you are. Good morning, beautiful. Merry Christmas." Marissa leaned down and gave her wife a loving kiss.
Bianca gave her a tired smile. "Good morning. Merry Christmas. I guess we should let them in. Oh, I know! Let's surprise them."
"I like it." With one more quick kiss, Marissa sat up while Bianca hid under the covers. "Come in."
"Merry Christmas, Ma!" The kids shouted in unison as the approached their mothers' bed.
Miranda's brow furrowed seeing that the side of the bed belonging to her brunette mother appeared to be empty, and she couldn't hide her disappointment. "Mom didn't make it home?"
Bianca threw the covers off causing the kids to jump. "Merry Christmas!"
"Mom! Merry Christmas!" The kids rushed forward and catapulted themselves onto the bed tackling Bianca in the process.
Marissa laughed as she observed the scene. "We're missing someone very important. I'll be right back."
A few minutes later, Marissa returned holding Danny. She stopped in the doorway and laughed seeing the smiling faces of her wife and three oldest children.
Bianca glanced up and smiled. "Hey, little man! Merry Christmas!"
Danny started kicking and giggling when he saw his brunette mother.
"I think someone missed you and definitely wants to see you." Marissa chuckled as she handed over their youngest to Bianca.
As the kids chatted away happily with Bianca, Marissa found her cellphone and snapped a few pictures.
Bianca glanced up and saw what her wife was doing. She looked at the kids. "I think we need a picture with Ma. What do you guys think?"
"Yep!"
"I think that can be arranged." Marissa smiled as she jumped on the bed to join her family.
Once they were assembled, Marissa extended her arms and snapped a picture of the happy family. She viewed the image and showed it to the others for their approval. They all deemed it perfect, and Marissa sent it off to family and friends along with the message of 'Merry Christmas from the Tasker-Montgomery Family'. Marissa knew everyone would be relieved to see Bianca safe and sound.
"What do you think? Should we see what Santa brought everyone?" Bianca asked knowing the answer.
"Yeah!"
"Okay. Go wait in the family room, and don't open anything. We'll be out in just a minute." Marissa instructed AJ, Miranda, and Gabby as she took Danny from her wife.
The couple laughed as the kids scrambled out of bed and down the hallway. Bianca got out herself and made a quick stop at the bathroom while Marissa grabbed her video camera. The couple, along with Danny, padded down the hall to join the other members of their family.
/
Bianca rested her head against her wife's shoulder and sighed happily as the couple observed the scene in front of them. Wrapping paper was strewn across the floor, the oldest three children were engaged in their gifts, Danny crawled happily around the room stopping occasionally to grasp at the brightly colored paper and bows which he found much more fascinating than any of his presents, and Max happily chewed on one of the many bones that had been stuffed into his stocking.
"Thank you for my earrings and bracelet. They're beautiful. I especially love the new picture of everyone for my locket. You did too much."
Marissa put the video camera down and shook her head. "No, I didn't. You deserved all of that and more. Thank you for my necklace and laptop. You know I know how I feel about emeralds."
"You're welcome. Oh, I have one more gift for you." Bianca slipped an envelope out from under a book on the coffee table. She had managed to hide it there earlier while everyone else was distracted.
"B, you shouldn't have."
"Yeah, I should have. I hope you'll share it with me."
Marissa's confusion was cleared away when she opened the envelope. "Oh my God! Tickets to Adele! We have tickets to Adele!" Marissa kissed her wife soundly when it sunk in that Bianca had somehow gotten them tickets to one of the sold out shows in New York City later the next year. "How did you get these? We tried to get them when they went on sale but couldn't get through."
Bianca shrugged. "Sometimes, it helps being Erica Kane's daughter. Mom has connections you wouldn't believe. Now, these are part of a weekend away. I already have Jessica booked to watch the kids. So, what do you think? Did I do okay?"
"Did you do okay? Please. You did great! Thank you, and yes, I will definitely be sharing these with you. A weekend away with you in New York sounds like heaven."
"I couldn't agree more. Oh, Mom's working her connections to see if we can get tickets to 'Hamilton'. I've heard it's good."
"Are you serious? This is going to be like one of the best weekends ever." Marissa had been holding one present back to give her wife later, but she just couldn't wait any longer. "I've got one more thing for you too. Here." The redhead held out a bright green envelope.
"You know that you don't have to give me anything else."
"I know, but I really want you to have this."
Bianca saw how excited her wife was as she took the envelope and pulled out a certificate. "Oh my God! Are you serious?"
"Yep! What do you think?"
"I love it! A weekend in Bradford at the Bryant Inn!" It was where the couple had spent their honeymoon. "You have reservations for us at the stables!"
"Well, we didn't get the chance to check them out along with a few other things when we were there because we were otherwise occupied." Marissa grinned.
Bianca laughed. "Yes, we were, and you didn't hear me complain."
"Me either. I thought this would be fun and give us the chance to do some of the things we weren't able to do last time, like the horseback riding which I know you love."
"I do. Can we do some of the things we did last time though?" Bianca waggled her eyebrows.
It was Marissa's turn to laugh. "I'm counting on it."
"I am so in! I love it. Thank you."
"You're welcome. I love you. Merry Christmas, B."
"I love you too. Merry Christmas, Rissa." Bianca leaned in and kissed her wife. Before the kiss could deepen, her stomach growled.
Marissa pulled back and chuckled. "It looks like we'll have to continue this after breakfast. When was the last time you ate something anyway?"
Bianca thought for a moment. She realized that other than the cookie she had eaten when she got home that it had been quite some time since she had anything to eat. "It's been a little while."
"Well, we need to rectify that. How does waffles sound?" The question had everyone's ears perk up, and they all agreed it was a great idea. "Okay then. I'll go get started on breakfast."
"I'll come help. I could definitely use some coffee. Are you guys okay watching Danny for a few minutes while we work on breakfast?" Bianca asked.
Miranda nodded. "Yep, we got him."
"Thank you."
/
As the couple worked on cooking breakfast, Bianca told Marissa about her adventures from the previous day.
"Wow. That's something about Eileen. Everything looked good between her and her granddaughter then?"
"As far as I could tell, yeah. They hugged and were both smiling when I left."
"That's definitely a good sign. I know you wouldn't have left her if you didn't think everything was okay. If you had an inkling of doubt, Eileen would be having breakfast with us this morning."
"Yes, she would. So, you're not upset with me?"
"No, not at all. Why would I be? It was absolutely the right thing to do. Besides, I trust your instincts."
Bianca gave Marissa a quick kiss. "Thank you."
"Now, about your spinout. Bianca, when I think what could have happened. You promised you wouldn't take any unnecessary chances." Marissa mildly scolded.
"And I didn't. There was nothing I could do about the two deer running in front of me. I mean, something like that could happen in good weather. And I had to keep going at that point. I was only a couple of miles from home. There was no way I could stay where I was."
Marissa sighed. "I know. I just … I don't know what I do if something happened to you."
Bianca pulled her wife into her arms and held her. She understood how Marissa felt because she knew she would feel exactly the same. "I feel the same way about you. I'm okay though. Nothing happened to me, and I made home in time for Christmas."
All of the worry that Marissa had kept bottled up since yesterday finally dissolved in Bianca's loving embrace. "You're right. I'm glad Kris showed up when he did."
"Me too. He made the drive from the exit to here so much better than it would have been most likely." Bianca glanced at her wife. "Feel better?"
Marissa nodded and rewarded her wife with a kiss before she stepped back. "I do. Thank you. Okay, I think we've got everything ready."
"I'll get the kids."
/
"Mom?"
"Yes, Gabby."
"Did Santa help you get home?" Gabby asked.
Bianca set her fork down to ponder her youngest daughter's question. Gabby had a hopeful look on her face. Out of the corner of her eye, Bianca could see AJ and Miranda roll their eyes. "Well, I'm not 100% sure, but I think he might have."
That had the attention of all three of the oldest children.
"Really?"
"I'll tell you what happened, and you let me know what you think. Okay, Gabby?"
"Okay."
"When I got off the exit, two deer ran in front of my car. Luckily, I was able to brake in time and didn't hit them. The last time I saw them, they were running into the woods." Bianca noted how relieved the kids were to hear that the deer were safe. "I sat there for a minute or two, and all of a sudden, there was a knock on my window. It was an older man, and he was dressed all in red and had a white beard. He told me his name was Kris and that he had seen what had happened from his snowplow. He wanted to make sure that I was okay. I told him I was, and we talked about our families a little. Kris then asked me where I lived, and I told him. That's when he suggested that I follow him since he had to plow our road. I have to tell you that it made my drive those couple of miles a lot easier."
"That really happened, Mom?" AJ was skeptical of the story.
"It really did. The funny thing is that I don't remember seeing any other cars or headlights when I pulled off the highway. It was kind of like he just appeared out of thin air."
Gabby's eyes grew wide. "It must have been Santa!"
"Why do you think that, Gabs?" Miranda asked. She was a little skeptical just like AJ.
The youngest brunette rolled her eyes and sighed. Gabby held up her hand and started ticking off her points. "He was dressed all in red, just like Santa. There were deer around, probably reindeer when you think about it since it can be hard to tell the difference between deer and reindeer especially if it's dark outside. Mom said she didn't see anybody else around, and he just appeared. Sounds kind of like magic to me, just like the kind Santa has. And last but not least, his name was Kris. Santa also goes by Kris, as in Kris Kringle." Gabby crossed her arms proudly and leaned back in her chair once her case was successfully presented and rested.
AJ and Miranda looked at each other, then at Gabby, and then back at each other. Neither one knew how to respond. While they knew Santa didn't really exist, they couldn't deny that their little sister had just made a very convincing argument.
"If you ask me, I think we have the makings of another lawyer in the family." Marissa grinned proudly.
Bianca chuckled. "I think you're right."
Gabby grinned in kind before she responded. "If it's all right with you, I'll leave being a lawyer to Miranda. I still want to be a veterinarian."
Marissa smiled at her daughter. "It's more than all right with me, Dr. Tasker-Montgomery."
"I like how that sounds." Gabby tilted her head as she rolled the title around in her head.
Bianca nodded. "It does have a very nice ring to it. Okay. Is everyone done with breakfast?"
The kids nodded and answered in unison. "Yep!"
"Why don't you go get dressed? Then, you can check out the snow or play with your presents some more."
AJ, Miranda, and Gabby scurried out of the kitchen.
Marissa stopped Bianca as she started to clean the kitchen table. "I've got this. Go ahead and get a shower. I know you're dying for one."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive."
"Okay. Thanks. I washed up a little before we went to bed, but it's not the same. I really could use one just to wash everything off from yesterday and hopefully perk me up for when people get here. Speaking of, I wonder how the roads are."
"I was wondering the same thing myself. I'll put Danny in his playpen and drive up the road to check things out while you get your shower."
"Sounds like a plan." Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss before they headed their separate ways.
/
Marissa walked into the master bedroom and smiled when she heard Bianca singing Christmas carols in the shower. The redhead had returned from her trip up their driveway to the main road. She had been surprised to find that their driveway had been plowed, and she had no idea by whom. As a result, Marissa had easily made it to the main road and found it to be good condition as well. It looked like their open house was on as long as everyone felt comfortable venturing out later that day. Marissa checked the time and knew she and Bianca would need to contact guests shortly to give them an update. It was then that she heard Bianca's cellphone ringing. The device was still plugged into its charger. Not knowing how much longer Bianca would be in the shower, Marissa decided to answer it. The couple would answer each other's cellphones if the other wasn't around.
"Merry Christmas!"
"Oh, Merry Christmas! Bianca?"
Marissa didn't recognize the woman's voice on the other end of the line, and she had to admit she was a little curious as to who was calling her wife. "No, Bianca can't come to the phone right now. This is her wife. Can I help you?"
/
A/N: Just couldn't help myself with a Christmas cliffhanger! See you soon!