A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review, and follow! I appreciate it. I'm sorry for not posting last week. I had a small bout of writer's block and needed to work my way through it. I also happened to cut the tip of one of my index fingers which made it a little awkward to type. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!

/

After the kids were in the bed and the house was locked up, the couple padded down the hallway to their bedroom. They changed into their pajamas and settled into bed to finally talk. Earlier in the evening, Marissa had mentioned to Bianca that she had some things to tell her once they were alone. Bianca could tell that whatever it was her wife wanted to discuss was important, and she would admit that she concerned. The couple managed to keep their focus on the kids that evening however and didn't let on that anything was up.

Once they were settled in bed, Bianca turned to her wife. "What's up?"

"I have good news, concerning news with the possibility of it being bad, and really good news. Do you have a preference as to what I tell you first?"

"I suppose you should save the really good news for last. It will give me something to look forward to. As for the other two, I'll let you choose."

Marissa nodded. "Okay. Those two actually go together. As you know, Tammy went to Oak Haven yesterday for her psych evaluation."

"Yes. She's claiming diminished capacity. Did you hear how it went?"

"I did. Mike stopped by my office today. He had just gotten the report from Dr. Russell."

"She's the doctor doing the evaluation, right?"

"Right. From what Mike told me, she's very smart, and it would take a lot to fool her. She was going to interview Tammy yesterday, but she had to push it back because of another patient. Dr. Russell decided to keep Tammy there overnight so she could do a full, uninterrupted evaluation today."

"And?"

"According to Dr. Russell, Tammy knew exactly what she was doing, that it was illegal, and what would happen to Doug as a result of her actions. She could also tell that Tammy was faking her current condition. The doctor had an orderly keep an eye on Tammy when she was in the activity room. He reported back what she doing while she was there. Basically, she was observing and then mimicking some of the other patients."

"I'm not surprised. So what does this mean? The defense expert says one thing and the prosecution another."

Marissa nodded. "The prosecution expert is highly regarded and the defense not so much. Mike will go after the other doctor's track record."

"Won't they do the same with Dr. Russell?" Bianca asked.

"They will try, but it's going to be tough. Dr. Russell's record is pretty much above reproach."

"And Mike thinks that their defense won't work, that he can beat it?"

"Yes, and knowing Mike like I do, I believe he can."

"If you believe him, then so do I. Did you talk to Doug?"

"I did. He was pretty relieved that Tammy was back in jail and also relieved to hear the doctor's diagnosis. He has restraining orders against Tammy for him and Amber, but …"

Bianca nodded sadly. "But you and I both know that sometimes they aren't worth the paper they're written on."

"Exactly. They're only good if people are willing to abide by them. In Tammy's case, we all know that she'll ignore it and break it. The best place for her to be is in jail. It's safest for Doug, and more importantly, it's safest for Amber."

"Sad but true." Bianca paused. "So, that's the good news that goes with the concerning news that has the possibility of being bad."

"Yep."

"Okay. Let me have it."

"While she was there at Oak Haven, Tammy ran into two former Pine Valley residents."

Bianca knew instantly who Marissa was talking about and groaned. "Janet and Annie."

"Yeah, I'm afraid so."

"That's just great." Bianca sighed as she pondered the ramifications of those three meeting. "Do we know what they talked about? What was said?"

"Well, we do know that they talked about us some. Janet had a session with Dr. Russell after Tammy left. She was agitated and asked to speak with the doctor. Janet told her that Tammy asked about you, but Janet didn't tell her anything."

"I guess that makes sense. Janet does consider Mom a close friend, and she has always liked me. Annie though …"

Marissa chuckled. "Yeah, we know how Annie feels about me. The orderly did hear Tammy bring up my name, but he couldn't hear what was said."

"Dammit. I don't like this, Rissa. I've got to admit that I'm worried for you."

"And I'm worried for you. Let's be honest here. Tammy hates you more than she hates me." Marissa took one of Bianca's hands. "I don't want to change how we live our lives. I'm not willing to give Tammy or Annie that kind of power."

"You're right. I don't either. So, what do you suggest?"

"Well, Mike is aware of the situation and is going to monitor it. He's also going to do his best to make sure Tammy finally pays for her crimes. I have no doubt that he can do it. As for us, we live our lives but keep our eyes and ears open, and be ready for what, if anything, comes our way. For now, they're both locked up. Annie is in Oak Haven. Tammy is in jail and has been denied bail so she's not going anywhere at least until the trial is over."

"Okay. If something changes, we'll know and be able to plan accordingly. Oak Haven is supposed to let you know if Annie gets released, right?"

"They are, and Mike will definitely let me know about Tammy."

"Good. What about Greenlee and Ryan? Do you think we should let them know about this?"

Marissa nodded. "I think we should. They agreed to let Annie write Emma on the condition that she behaves herself."

"Maybe they can find out what the two of them talked about."

"Maybe. It's worth a shot at the very least. We'll set up lunch with Greenlee and Kendall tomorrow."

Bianca chuckled. "Sounds good. We definitely need to include Kendall. She'll never let us hear the end of it if we don't."

"Oh, we don't want that." Marissa feigned fear and shuddered causing Bianca to laugh at her wife's dramatics. Neither woman was really scared of Kendall. They just knew she would whine and complain once she found out, and that was something neither wanted to subject themselves to. "Erica should probably know too. I'll let you tell her."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks."

Marissa grinned. "You're welcome. Would you like to hear the really good news now?"

"Yes. I could definitely use it."

"Okay. I've been given special permission to tell you. That's it, and you can't tell anyone."

"I'm definitely intrigued. Okay. I promise I won't tell anyone."

"After Mike left, Brian stopped by, and we talked for a little bit about Tammy and that whole mess. Then, he told me his news. Stef's pregnant."

"She is?! That's great! They have to be so excited. When is she due?"

"The beginning of June. I haven't had a chance to talk to her yet, but Brian is thrilled."

"What about Jamie?"

"They haven't told him yet, but plan on doing that soon. Brian is going to take some time off once the baby is here."

"Just like he did with Jamie. I'm so happy for them. We should plan something with them before she has the baby."

"That's exactly what I told Brian. He's going to check with Stef, and I was to check with you."

"Well, I can't think of anything that we have coming up. So any date they pick should be fine. We could see if either Sam or Susan could watch the kids, and they could watch Jamie if Brian and Stef are okay with it."

"Good idea. We won't really need a babysitter for Miranda and AJ much longer." Marissa noted. There was a bit of melancholy in her voice knowing that their oldest children were indeed growing up, and Bianca picked up on it right away because she felt the same way. It wouldn't be long before AJ and Miranda would be okay on their own for a few hours. The same couldn't be said for Gabby however, and that time was even further away for Danny. When the time came that Bianca and Marissa felt that AJ and Miranda would be okay without a sitter for an extended period of time, they would still most likely turn to a sitter for Gabby and Danny. Neither Bianca nor Marissa wanted AJ and Miranda to feel as if their mothers thought they were built in babysitters for their younger siblings.

"No, we won't. They are definitely growing up." Bianca yawned. It had been a long day for her, and she could tell her wife was tired too. "Let's get some sleep. It's going to be an interesting day tomorrow."

"You're right. It will be." Marissa nodded. The day was definitely catching up with her.

The couple shared a loving kiss before they settled further into their bed and soon drifted off to sleep.

/

Bianca texted Kendall and Greenlee the following morning and set up lunch with them and Marissa. Once that was accomplished, she set aside some time with her mother to let her know what was going on. Despite what she had said, Marissa was going to go with her to talk with Erica, but she received a call from Mike before she left for the office. He wanted to meet with her and Doug to discuss the case at the same time Bianca had set to meet with Erica. Bianca more than understood and assured Marissa that she would be okay discussing the latest developments with her mother. She knew that meeting had to be important. Mike wouldn't have called Marissa at home that early otherwise.

/

When Greenlee and Kendall entered Krystal's, they immediately headed over to Bianca and Marissa's table where they found the couple waiting for them.

"Hey. What's up? Bianca said you had something important to tell me." Greenlee asked as she sat down.

Marissa nodded. "I'll get right to the point. Tammy is claiming diminished capacity for her defense, and her lawyer found someone willing to testify to that."

Kendall raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? I guess I shouldn't be surprised by a move like that. We all know that's a crock though. She knew what she was doing."

"No argument here. Mike agrees with us too, and he wanted his own expert to evaluate her. Tammy was transported to Oak Haven where Dr. Russell interviewed her. A couple things came up, and the evaluation had to be pushed back a day. The doctor decided it was in everyone's best interest to have Tammy stay overnight. She wanted to be able to conduct a thorough interview, one that wasn't interrupted. While she was there, Tammy ran into Janet and Annie."

"Annie? Son of a bitch." Greenlee was not feeling good about this at all. "What did they talk about?"

"Unfortunately, we don't really know. Janet was a little agitated and needed to talk to Dr. Russell after Tammy left."

"It's never good if Janet is upset." Kendall said.

"True. She told the doctor that Tammy was asking about me. The orderly that was keeping an eye on her said that he overheard Tammy mention Rissa as well."

"I'm not sure who Annie hates more, Marissa. You or me."

"I think it's probably a tie, Greenlee."

"Lucky us. So, we're not exactly sure what, if anything, they may be up to. I'll let Ryan know what's going on when I see him later." Greenlee thought for a moment. "I'll see what he thinks about approaching Annie to see what happened. We let her write to Emma so part of me doesn't think she would do something to screw that up, but we're talking about Annie so you can never know for sure. She could think that she might be able to get away with stirring things up, but she would be dead wrong. Ryan and I won't hesitate to step in. We have to think about what's best for Emma and the rest of our family which includes you."

"Thanks." Bianca smiled. It still amazed her just how far she and Greenlee had come in their relationship.

"So do you know how Tammy's interview with the doctor went?" Kendall asked.

"Not anything like she wanted from what Mike told me. Dr. Russell didn't buy her act for one second, and her report to the court will say the same thing."

"Doug has to be relieved."

"He is. I'm actually going to see him in a little bit. Mike wants to meet with us."

"Any idea about what?"

"I'm not 100% sure."

"You have an idea though. You just don't want to say." Kendall studied her sister-in-law. She'd gotten to know Marissa fairly well over the years and knew she had good instincts, Kendall had learned to trust those instincts. She would be willing to bet that whatever Marissa's gut was telling her was dead on.

"Not yet."

"Lawyer/client privilege, or very close to it." Bianca said.

"Yes." Marissa grinned. "I love it when you talk lawyer."

Kendall and Greenlee rolled their eyes when they saw Bianca waggle her eyebrows in response to Marissa.

"Can you do that after we eat, please?" Kendall groaned.

Marissa smiled at her sister-in-law. "I'll try my best, but it's going to be hard. My wife is pretty damn sexy."

"Have I told you lately how much I like you, Marissa?" Greenlee laughed seeing her best friend's discomfort. Kendall really was too easy sometimes.

Kendall shook her head. "Whatever. Are you telling Mom what's going on, Binx?"

"I am. I'm meeting her while Rissa is meeting with Doug and Mike."

"You dodged a bullet on that one, Red."

"Don't I know it." Marissa chuckled.

/

After lunch, Bianca went to see her mother while Marissa headed back to the office.

"Sweetheart, it's good to see you." Erica welcomed her daughter with a hug.

"Hi, Mom. It's good to see you too. How was Italy?" Erica and Jack had traveled to Italy not long after New Year's for a long vacation and had just returned.

"It was fabulous. Jack and I had a wonderful time."

"I'm glad to hear that. You both have been working a lot lately and deserved that time off."

"Thank you. How are Marissa and the children?"

Bianca smiled. "They're good. Danny is jabbering away and is getting so big. AJ, Miranda, and Gabby are doing great as well."

"I'll have to stop over and see all of them. And Marissa?"

"She's amazing, as usual. She's been very busy with work."

Erica noted the smile in Bianca's eyes when she talked about Marissa. "Ah, yes. She was helping with that whole situation with your friend Doug and that horrible woman."

"Yes, she's still helping him out. She was going to come with me, but the District Attorney wanted to meet with her and Doug. That whole thing with Tammy is why I'm here."

"It is? How so?"

"Tammy is trying for a diminished capacity defense."

"Jack mentioned something about that. He said he wouldn't be surprised if she tried it."

"They found someone willing to testify that it's true. The D.A. wanted his own expert because he wasn't buying it. So, they took Tammy to Oak Haven to be evaluated. While she was there, she ran into Janet and Annie."

Erica raised an eyebrow when she heard those names. She immediately knew the implications of Tammy, Annie, and Janet meeting, and none of them were good. "She did?"

"Yes. It wasn't for very long, and we don't know everything that was said."

"But you know something."

"We do. Both Marissa's name and mine were brought up. We know this because of an orderly who was keeping an eye on Tammy and also because of Janet. From what we've been told, Janet didn't like Tammy and went to the doctor to tell her what was going on."

"Ah, Janet. She always did like you."

"That's because I'm your daughter, and she considers you one of her closest friends."

Erica rolled her eyes. "Yes, she does. In this case however, it would appear to work to our advantage. Where is Tammy now? Is she still at Oak Haven?"

"No, she is back in jail. Dr. Russell determined that Tammy was well aware of what she was doing and knew right from wrong. Her testimony will be very useful when this case goes to trial."

"How did you find out about them meeting?"

"Mike told Rissa all about it yesterday. He knew of Rissa's history with Annie, and when my name was brought up too, he wanted to make sure we knew what was going on. Mike also told Rissa that he's going to keep a close eye on Tammy."

"It is good that the two of them are close friends."

"Yes, it is. I know he would like Rissa to leave the firm and go work with him because he's asked her a number of times, but she's turned him down every time. Rissa's happy where she is and doing what she is. She likes being in a private practice." Bianca knew that one day Marissa might branch out on her own. It was something they had discussed privately, but that was in the future. It was also something Bianca wouldn't share with anyone without her wife's knowledge and consent.

"So, am I safe in assuming that Janet did not say anything to Tammy then?" Erica knew firsthand the lengths that Janet would go to in order to protect someone she cared about, and she cared about Bianca.

"You would be. The real issue is Annie. We all know how she feels about Rissa and what she's capable of. Rissa and I met with Greenlee and Kendall for lunch and told them what was going on. Greenlee and Ryan need to know for Emma's sake."

"Very true."

"Greenlee is going to tell Ryan, and then they'll see if they can find something out. Annie has a lot to lose if she causes any problems. At the same time, she might not care and think that any trouble she causes us is worth it."

Erica nodded. "I agree. If Annie feels as if she is backed into a corner, she could very easily strike back. Do you have a plan regarding Tammy?"

"At this point, there's really not much we can do other than wait and keep our eyes open for anything. We're also not going to let this change our lives. If we did that, it would be giving her control, and that is not something we are willing to do."

"I am very glad to hear that. You and Marissa appear to have a good understanding of things. I will speak with Jack and tell him everything that you have told me. If you or Marissa need anything, you will let me know."

Left unsaid was the fact that Erica wouldn't just leave it at that. Bianca knew her mother, and as such, she knew Erica wouldn't sit idly by and do nothing. As she looked at her mother, it was as if Bianca could see the wheels turning and a plan forming. She also knew not to press her on it because it would be futile.

"We will. Okay, I better get back to the Center. I'll let you know if anything changes."

"Thank you, sweetheart." Once Bianca was gone, Erica pulled out her cellphone and scrolled through her contacts to find the number for the private investigator she always used.

/

"Mike and Doug are both here, Marissa."

"Thanks, Ellie. Send them in please."

"Marissa, it's good to see you again." Mike said with a smile.

"It's been a long time since yesterday. Have a seat. Hi, Doug."

"Hi, Marissa." Doug was clearly on edge. He had run into Mike in the parking lot, and the two had walked in together. It took everything in his power not to pepper the D.A. with questions, but he remembered what Marissa had told him and let her take the lead. Doug knew his faith in her was well placed because she hadn't steered him wrong yet.

Marissa could see her friend and client was anxious, and she didn't blame him. If the truth be told, she was anxious herself. "So, what's up, Mike?"

"I had an interesting call from Tammy's lawyer early this morning. He had received Dr. Russell's report late yesterday, and he wanted to talk."

Marissa knew what that meant so she sat back and listened.

"It seems he knows the difference in reputations of my expert versus his."

"What's that mean?" Doug asked.

"It means he knows that the defense they had planned for Tammy is a bust. Dr. Russell has an impeccable reputation while his expert doesn't. He also knows that Mike would tear his expert to shreds. Am I right, Mike?"

The D.A. chuckled. "Yeah, you are. To that end, he wanted to talk about a deal."

"Tammy is willing to plead guilty?" Doug couldn't believe it. He knew his ex-wife too well. She wouldn't give up so easily, not that anything related to this whole mess up to this point had been easy. Far from it. "There's more."

"I'm afraid so. They would like me to reduce the charges to misdemeanors with a sentence of time served." Mike stopped Doug before he could protest. "Don't worry. There's not a chance in hell that I'm going to make that deal, and I told him exactly that. He came back with two other offers, both of which were for time served."

"No, Tammy needs to do time of some sort, if only for what she's put Amber through."

"I couldn't agree more, Doug. That being said, are you at all interested in some sort of deal?"

Doug looked to Marissa. "What do you think?"

"I agree that Tammy needs to serve some time, but you never know what verdict a jury is going to come back with. A plea deal would ensure that she does time, and it would stop Amber from having to testify. I don't know for sure that she would be called, but I wouldn't put it past the defense."

"There's no reason to call her. You said that you weren't planning on doing that, Mike. Did you change your mind?"

"No, I didn't, but Marissa is right. Tammy's lawyer told me that he was thinking of calling Amber to testify for the defense."

"Are you kidding me? She hasn't put her through enough already? Now, she wants her to testify. Just when I think that Tammy can't go any lower, she pulls something like this. Why in the hell would she put Amber through that? No, I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen. If Tammy is found guilty on all of the charges, what kind of sentence are we talking?"

"All told, she's looking at 15 years."

Doug nodded as he was calculating in his head. "And she doesn't want to do any time."

"Correct."

"Do you have any recommendations?"

"I wouldn't go any lower than six years." Mike said.

"Amber would be 18, out of high school, and on her way to college. Could we get some sort of restraining order so she can't have any contact Amber while she's in jail?"

"We could definitely make that part of the deal."

"Okay, she does all of it, all six years, and she's released after Amber's graduation. There is no contact with Amber."

"I'm guessing you also want Tammy to admit her guilt in court. You want an actual guilty plea, no Alford plea?" Mike asked.

"An Alford plea? What's that?"

Marissa stepped in to answer the question. "An Alford plea is a guilty plea, but the defendant doesn't actually admit guilt. They still assert their innocence, but they admit that the prosecution has enough evidence to persuade a judge or jury that they are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."

"So, she wouldn't admit to doing anything wrong?" Doug shook his head. "No. No. She admits what she did in court. It needs to be on the record. If she doesn't do that, then no deal." He didn't like the idea of a deal because Tammy would be getting off easy, but Doug didn't want this to drag on. It was taking a toll on Amber, and he didn't know how it would affect his daughter if she had to testify. Doug wanted to spare her some grief if it was at all possible.

"All right. Let me see what I can do. Marissa, I'll give you a call as soon as I know something."

Marissa nodded. "Thanks, Mike."

Doug shook the D.A.'s hand. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

/

Bianca sat in her office and thought about her conversation with Marissa the night before. From what her wife told her, a plea deal for Tammy was being discussed. She really hoped it worked out for Doug and Amber. She was pulled from her thoughts by a knock on the door.

"Hey, Aya. What's up?"

"Angie Hubbard is on the phone. She needs to talk to you right away. Before you ask, it has nothing to do with Marissa or the kids."

Bianca breathed a sigh of relief when she heard her family was okay. "Thanks. I'll take it now." Bianca picked up her office phone. "Hi, Angie. What can I do for you?"

"Hi, Bianca. I hate to bother you, but I have a patient that needs some help. And you were the first person that came to mind. Let's face it. You were the only person that came to mind."

Bianca knew what Angie was saying without her actually saying it. "I'm on my way."