Title: Confessions Lead to Strange Bedfellows
Author: Kimberly21570
Fandoms: Guiding Light / All My Children
Pairings: Olivia and Natalia / Lena and Bianca
Disclaimers and other Assorted Ramblings: The characters of Olivia and Emma Spencer, Natalia Rivera, and Doris Wolfe, are owned by CBS/TeleNext and Proctor & Gamble. The original characters of Jennifer, Tracy, Jacob and Dylan Jackson-Morgan and their extended family, Detective Sargent Langston Malloy, Attorney Danika Kováč, and their daughter McKenna, Mariana, the nanny, Judge Bennett Thomas and her daughters, Rian and Lauren, and Toni Martin are the property of this author, and any resemblance to fictional characters, or real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
No copyright infringement intended with regard to Guiding Light, CBS/TeleNext, Proctor & Gamble, or any other person or entity. The dialogue, settings, and story content in these scenes are original. Written for fun, not profit. All other standard disclaimers apply.
Due to time constraints, this hasn't been edited. Thus, any mistakes contained herein are solely my responsibility. Thank you to all who continue to read and/or comment. I appreciate the time you have invested in this story.
Rating: This section of Chapter 16 is rated PG-13 for some adult language.
I hope y'all continue to enjoy!
Kimberly
Confessions Lead to Strange Bedfellows
Copyright May 2009
"When you meet someone so different from yourself, in a good way, you don't even have to kiss to have fireworks go off."
— Lisa Schroeder, I Heart You, You Haunt Me
Chapter 16.9 – A Few Fireworks of Our Own:
Monday, June 22, 2009… Danika Kováč's Room, The Beacon—4:15 p.m. Central Daylight Time
"I'm just… so amazed to see her here in your arms," Dani said, sounding as if she were in awe, as she watched their daughter, snuggled against her wife's chest, fast asleep. It was a sight she had longed to see since the moment she'd found out she was pregnant. One she never thought she would be privileged enough to witness; and it meant everything to her. "She never goes to…"
The comment died on Dani's lips when she felt Langston's body tense against her side, as they sat together on the sofa. They'd spent the last half hour talking quietly, Langston asking questions, and Dani sharing little things about McKenna. And now she'd ruined it. She knew exactly how Langston had taken the aborted comment, and despite the fact that Langston's assumption was wrong, the damage had already been done.
Even as Dani silently chastised herself, Langston's heart lurched in her chest, the insinuation stabbing like a dagger. Struggling to hold her composure, she arched an eyebrow. "Strangers?" she supplied, sounding as though she was mortally wounded. It wasn't a question, though her tone said otherwise.
"I'm so sorry, Lang," Dani said hoarsely. Her voice was teeming with regret. What the hell was she thinking, that she would even allude to such a thing! Langston wasn't a stranger at all. Dani had gone to great lengths to ensure that. McKenna had woken up every single day to a photograph of her two mommies on their wedding day. Dani had framed it, and put it on the chest of drawers in the nursery, in McKenna's direct line of sight. And every morning, and after every nap, she picked McKenna up, and talked to her about her other mommy as she pointed her out in the photo. And there were still photos of Langston, with and without Dani, all over their home. Dani hadn't changed a single thing about the way it was decorated, except to add more reminders of Langston after she'd gone. "That's not what I was…"
"You should be," came Langston's fiery retort, every muscle in her body constricting. This time Anger wouldn't be placated. It raged from a place deep within, demanding recognition. "I cannot fucking believe you would say something…"
"Langston, I…"
"No!" Langston snapped, startling McKenna. Instantly, she felt remorse—not for her response, but for the effect her response had on her sleeping child. With a gentle hand caressing soft, dark curls, she soothed her daughter, as she lowered her tone. It took every ounce of willpower to tamp down the roiling fury. "I can't listen to your excuses right now. I just want some time with my daughter." It wasn't a request.
Dani nodded once. What could she really say? "Certainly," she agreed, as she slowly slipped away from Langston's side. Standing to her feet, she gazed down at the two of them, regret etched in her dark eyes. "I'll be in the other room."
"No, I mean I want time with her," Langston reiterated. This time she stressed the duration.
Dani looked stricken. Surely, she couldn't mean… Her heart raced in her chest, and her palms began to sweat. "I don't understand."
"Let me put it bluntly then," Langston said, glaring up at her wife. "You've had eight months. Now it's my turn." She gave Dani a moment to process, and then she issued the orders, "Pack some of her things. And give me a list of anything else she'll need." She was finished playing games.
"Langston," Dani said, her tone low and reasonable. "You don't know anything about taking care of a baby."
"Neither did you when she was born," Langston countered. The insinuation in her tone said, At least you had the opportunity to learn from the beginning. You stole that from me.
"Lang, please," Dani begged. "You can't just take her."
"Watch me," Langston dared. Her tone was calm, but those brooding blue eyes flared dark with challenge.
"She needs me, Langston," Dani argued. "Think about what's best for her."
"Believe me," Langston said coldly. "That's the only thing I'm thinking about."
Saturday, July 4, 2009… The Bauer Barbecue—7:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time
"Whew!" Rian blew out a breath as she shook the sweat from her tangle of short, dark locks. She grinned, almost flirtatiously, as her gaze momentarily fell into Toni's. It was a wholly unconscious action. "Never in my life have I so thoroughly enjoyed getting my ass kicked," she commented, drawing a blush from the younger woman.
Surprised by the response, Rian swiftly averted those intense, dark eyes, as she reached for the black and blue canvas bag she'd discarded on the ground near the basketball goal prior to the start of the game. Grabbing the fresh white hand towel she always kept stashed within, she wiped the perspiration from her face and neck, and then tossed the towel on top of the bag.
"Great game, Ladies," Tracy said admiringly. Hands planted on her knees, she was grateful for the fabric of her well-worn basketball shorts to keep her sweaty palms from sliding on her skin, as she worked to catch her breath. Despite the fact that she and Rian were both in top physical shape, Lauren and Toni had given them both a workout.
"Agreed," Lauren acknowledged. Long, sinewy fingers raked through shaggy blonde locks.
"This was a lot of fun," Toni added. "Thanks for including me."
"Glad you could join us," Lauren said. Lifting the bottom of her t-shirt, she displayed further evidence of a strict workout regimen—a set of finely sculpted abs—as she wiped the sweat from her brow.
Toni's breath caught, and her mouth turned dry as a desert gulch, as she watched rivulets of sweat stream down between Lauren's breasts, meandering their way along the carved edges of those taut abs. She suddenly grew very aware of the pooling of heat in a very concentrated spot between her legs. No woman—not even Tracy during those years of crushing over her—had ever evoked such a reaction in her. Ridiculously sexy.
Glancing toward Toni, Tracy grinned as she noticed the look on the younger woman's face. She recognized it well. "Thursday nights, anytime," she said reiterating her invitation of a few weeks prior. And then she glanced at Rian and Lauren. "I play with college friends at the fieldhouse. Seven o'clock," she explained. "You're welcome to join, as well. We can always use a couple more good players. Keeps us in shape."
"Sounds like a great way to keep my skills sharp over the summer," Lauren said. "I might just take you up on that."
Swiping her thick, dark mop back from her face, Tracy nodded. "I'll look forward to it," she declared. "Listen, I've gotta run, check on the kids."
"Catch you later," Rian tossed offhandedly, knowing they would all end up back together for the annual Bauer fireworks display.
"You've got some serious moves there," Rian said to Toni, as Lauren engaged with Tracy for another brief moment.
The flush on Toni's cheeks deepened at the compliment. "Thanks," she said, her breathing returning to normal. She took a quick swig from the bottle of water she'd left lying courtside. "Means a lot coming from you."
"Nah, I'm overrated," Rian said, brushing off the inherent compliment. "Lauren's the one with the real talent. But if you tell her I said so, I'll deny every word," she said with a teasing lilt as she caught Lauren's gaze over Toni's shoulder.
Having heard Rian's every word despite her conversation with Tracy, Lauren just grinned and shook her head. Sidling up to her sister, she draped an arm over her elder sibling's shoulder. "Don't let the false modesty fool ya, Toni," she said, her blue eyes dancing with mischief. "She's a total egomaniac, this one."
Rian's expression feigned incredulity. "Stop telling stories about me, Lauren," she groused. "I am nothing of the sort."
The adamant tone of Rian's denial drew a laugh from Lauren.
Brow furrowing, Toni's gaze drifted from one sister to the other. Slipping the tip of one finger into her mouth, she bit down on it adorably. "I don't know, I think I'm more inclined to believe Lauren's stories than yours," she commented to Rian, a playful grin teasing the corners of her mouth.
Rian looked suitably offended as she planted a hand on her hip. "Oh, yeah? And why is that?"
Toni laughed. "I've already had a few run-ins with your ego today," she reminded. "Or have you forgotten?"
A perfectly sculpted eyebrow arched upward, matching the curl of the corner of Rian's mouth. "Touché," she conceded.
Shaking her head, Lauren grinned. "Are you two gonna stop flirting anytime soon?" she asked with a teasing lilt. "I don't wanna miss out on the fireworks."
Taken aback by the subtle accusation in Lauren's tone, Toni looked almost stricken. "I—I'm sorry…"
Waving her sister off with a dismissive hand, Rian balked, "Hey, whoa. I was not flirting."
"Really?" Lauren countered dryly, a blonde eyebrow dubiously cocked.
"Not for a second," Rian said, holding up her hands in surrender. "I may not follow all the rules, but I definitely follow the Cardinal Rule."
"And what's that?" Lauren inquired curiously.
"No poaching," Rian answered.
Confused, Lauren fixed her sister with a glare. "What are you talking about?"
Rian smirked. "You'll figure it out soon enough, Little Sis," she said with a wink toward Toni. And then she grabbed her canvas bag from the grass, and took off in a sprint across the yard toward their mother and Doris, leaving Toni's lips sporting a shy grin, and Lauren to ponder the meaning.
Saturday, July 4, 2009… The Bauer Barbecue—7:45 p.m. Central Daylight Time
Casually toweling the sweat from her mop of thick, dark curls, Tracy ran the absorbent terrycloth material beneath the neckline of her jersey, blotting the moisture that had pooled between ample breasts. And then she tossed the towel onto the arm of the poolside lounger, and dropped down on the seat beside it.
At a nearby table, Jen appeared to be in deep conversation with Jacqueline, and thus, having checked on the kids, finding them splashing around in the pool again, Tracy kicked off her sneakers, and leaned back, crossing long, toned legs at the ankles as she relaxed into the reclining back support.
"Miss Tracy?"
She could've sworn she'd only closed her eyes for a moment, but when one eyelid inched open Tracy noticed the sun had moved considerably toward the west. She squinted against the lingering brilliance of sunlight filtering through the trees, as she met Emma's sweet, expectant gaze.
"Hey, Emma. What's up?" Lightly, she patted the seat beside her.
Emma accepted the invitation, folding her hands in her lap. "Do you know when my moms are coming back?"
"I'm sure they'll be here before the fireworks start," Tracy answered. "Why? Do you need something, Sweetie?"
"No." Emma shook her head, the tips of her braids lightly slapping against her cheeks as she did. "I was just wondering."
Tracy offered a benevolent smile. "How about I give them a call, just to check up on them?" she suggested, understanding the child's reluctance to be a bother.
"Really?"
Tracy sensed relief in Emma's tone. "You betcha," she said reassuringly.
"Thanks, Miss Tracy," Emma said. She punctuated her gratitude with a quick, shy hug, and then she scampered off across the concrete deck, jumping fearlessly back into the water.
Tracy heard yelps of complaint from her sons upon impact, and she laughed to herself as she leaned over, fishing her phone out of the gray canvas bag the lay on the deck beside her chair. Serves them right, she thought playfully, having seen what Emma looked like after the two of them were finished with her earlier that afternoon. She was still shaking her head as she dialed Natalia's number in hopes of getting an ETA for their return to the barbeque.
Saturday, July 4, 2009… The Farmhouse of Love—7:45 p.m. Central Daylight Time
"I finally figured out why none of my relationships ever worked out." Olivia's tone was soft, reflective, as she nuzzled against Natalia's neck. Her body was so warm, her scent, so sweet, that Olivia wanted nothing more than to lose herself in the nearness of her.
Natalia's mouth curled into a smile as her hand slowly caressed Olivia's bare hip. "Oh, yeah?" she husked. "And why's that?"
Lying on her side, Olivia shifted onto her elbow. And gazing down at Natalia, her head propped against one hand, she reveled in their closeness, the length of her body pressed snugly against Natalia's side. The sense of contentment she felt in simply being with her was so new, so refreshing, that it terrified her in the most exhilarating way. Lightly, a fingertip traced the curve of Natalia's jaw. "Because I was waiting for you," Olivia whispered sincerely.
Mahogany eyes brimmed with tears. "You say the sweetest things to me," she murmured hoarsely.
Olivia scattered tender kisses along Natalia's skin; first her brow, her temple, her cheek, and finally, her soft mouth. "I'm only speaking the truth," she murmured.
"I feel the same way, Liv," Natalia confessed, fingertips lightly caressing Olivia's cheek. "Gus may have been my first love," she said with a slightly wistful lilt to her voice. "But you, Olivia Spencer, are my forever love."
"I'm gonna hold you to that," Olivia whispered, jade eyes flickering with emotion.
Grinning, Natalia tapped the corner of Olivia's mouth with her fingertip. "See that you do," she insisted, her tone playful, yet firm. And then she kissed her. A lingering kiss that stole Olivia's attention, causing her mind to go hazy, even as it awakened the faint whispers of desire that smoldered deep within her body. And unbeknownst to either of them, somewhere across the room, Natalia's phone vibrated before kicking over to voicemail, as they lost themselves in one another once again.
Monday, June 22, 2009… Danika Kováč's Room, The Beacon—5:15 p.m. Central Daylight Time
Having calmed considerably, thanks to Mariana's reentry into the suite and their subsequent tearful reunion, Langston smiled as she looked down at the child who lay contentedly in her lap. McKenna's nap had been short, but obviously effective, she decided, as she listened to a mixture of happy gurgling and the rustling of a diaper caused by the constant kicking of chubby little legs against the taut muscles of her abdomen.
Amused, Langston chuckled, and a huge, double-toothed grin was her reward. A swell of emotions overtook her. How was it possible to feel the depth of love she was experiencing when she'd known of this child's existence for less than a day? What if Dani was right? What if the separation from Dani might hurt her? She would never intentionally hurt a child—especially her own! Yes, she wanted time to get to know her child, but her anger had been a kneejerk reaction. Not that she wasn't still angry, but she didn't really mean that she would take McKenna away.
She hadn't said as much to Dani yet, despite her wife's recent return to the room. And she wasn't finished fighting. But she couldn't say the things that needed to be said with McKenna in her arms. "Mariana?" she called, directing her voice toward the back of the suite. She knew the older woman was nearby, keeping vigil over her girls—all three of them now.
"Yes, Miss Langston?" Mariana replied, addressing the younger woman as she had both girls when they were children. She was fresh from the shower after a relaxing time at the pool, and more than pleased to have found the younger woman not only upright and coherent, but also getting acquainted with her child.
"Would you mind taking McKenna for me?" Langston asked. "Dani and I have a few things to discuss, and then I'll come in to get her, okay?"
"Yes, of course," Mariana quickly agreed.
Holding the baby close, Langston brushed a kiss against her dark curls. And then reluctantly, she released her child into Mariana's capable arms. The pain of even a momentary separation tore at her heart. "Thank you," she said softly.
A simple nod was Mariana's response, and then whispering sweetly to her little charge, she quickly disappeared down the hallway.
Her anger resurging in the wake of her daughter's absence, Langston turned sharply, squaring off with Dani. "What would have been best for my daughter," she said, her tone dark, as she plunged right back into their previously-abandoned conversation, "would've been to know me from the moment she was conceived. But I didn't have that luxury, did I?"
"That was your choice, not mine, Langston," Dani said coolly. She would take responsibility for a lot of things, but not for Langston Malloy's infamous stubborn streak.
"Bullshit," Langston snapped. Her blue eyes were dark, stormy, flashing with fury.
"I called you, Langston," Dani retorted, her own anger rising. "Dozens of times. I left you messages to call. Messages begging you to come home." She stressed the begging part. "For months. And what did I get in response?" she queried needlessly. "Nothing. Nothing but silence. And eventually, a notice that your number had been disconnected. I should probably thank my lucky stars you didn't disconnect my number as well, since our cell service is still in your name."
"What the hell does that have to do with you not telling me about my daughter?" Langston snapped. "She's eight months old! I left three years ago." She stressed the length of her absence.
Dani's heart lurched, tears streaming down her face as the pain of the past came back to haunt her. "You never even listened to any of my messages, did you," she managed as she choked back the tears. It wasn't a question. She already knew the truth. Had known it all along. Still, it hurt to know without a doubt that it was true.
Shaking her head, Langston acknowledged the truth. "The sound of your voice was too much to bear," she said hoarsely. It killed her to admit the pain, but Dani knew her to well to hide it.
"I was pregnant when you left," Dani confessed, her tone hoarse with anguish.
"What?" Langston felt her heart clutch in her chest, strangling the air from her lungs. She struggled for breath.
"I found out two days after you walked out," Dani said in a strangled whisper, the sheer emotion of the confession threatening to overwhelm her. "I tried to call…"
"I… I didn't even know you'd been to the doctor that month," Langston said, sounding mortally wounded. "I thought we were gonna wait after…"
"We'd had so many disappointments, Lang," Dani said quietly. She reached out, brushing her fingertips against her wife's arm. "I didn't want to put you through that again, if it didn't work."
"But it did work," Langston said, still mulling the truth over in her head. It didn't seem real.
"Yes," Dani confessed in a strangled whisper.
"Are you telling me we have another child?" Langston couldn't believe what she was hearing. And if she'd allowed herself to really process it, she would've been forced to admit she knew it wasn't that simple.
Shaking her head, Dani barely choked out the words. "The stress of the trial… of losing you, I… I miscarried, Lang. I was nearly five months along when I lost our son."
Like a vengeful scepter, Dani's words sliced straight through Langston's heart. The pressure on her chest was so intense that it knocked her off her feet. She barely managed to grasp the arm of the sofa. And when she did, it was with her injured side. She cried out at the searing pain that shot from her chest, through her shoulder into her neck, and finally into her head. And then she dropped to the floor, unconscious.
Saturday, July 4, 2009… The Cottage, Martha's Vineyard—8:45 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
Lost in the memory of Langston's body, once solid and strong, crumpling to the floor in a lifeless heap, Dani buried her face in her hands. She could still hear the sound of her own voice, screaming, crying, begging Langston to wake up, as she kneeled beside her wife's body, shaking her violently, praying, for the first time since she was a child, that this wasn't the end.
Still, Langston lay there, motionless except for the jostling caused by Dani's attempts to stir her, Dani's tears spilling down onto her t-shirt, once again soaking her skin.
TBC in Chapter 16.10…