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, Doris Wolfe, Vanessa Chamberlain, Matt and Maureen "Maury" Reardon, Phillip Spaulding, Beth Raines, Bill Lewis, and Frank Cooper are owned by CBS/TeleNext and Proctor & Gamble. The characters of Lena Kundera, Bianca Montgomery, Kendal Hart Slater, Zach Slater, Alexander Cambias, Erica Kane, Jackson Montgomery, Paulina Kundera, Maggie Stone, and Jake Martin belong to ABC/Disney and Prospect Park. The original characters of Jennifer and Tracy Jackson-Morgan, Detective Sargent Langston Malloy, her daughter, McKenna, Attorney Danika Kováč, Judge Bennett Thomas and her daughters, Rian and Lauren, and Jacqueline Morgan 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, All My Children, ABC/Disney, Prospect Park, 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.
Many thanks to my friend and favorite FFW, WickedWanda926, and to my friend newfan64, for their ongoing willingness to edit my stories. Words cannot express how much I appreciate the two of you and your steadfast support of me, both personally, and as a would-be writer. Also, a heartfelt thank you to all who continue to read and/or comment. I know I've been terrible about responding to your wonderful feedback, and I sincerely apologize. Please know that I appreciate the time you have invested in this story.
Rating: This section of Chapter 16 is rated PG.
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 16.13 – A Few Fireworks of Our Own:
Saturday, July 4, 2009… The Bauer Barbecue—10:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time
"Mommy! Ma!"
The sound of Emma's excited voice rang out across the yard as she ran toward her mother's at breakneck speed. She'd seen Olivia's car pull into a vacated parking spot near the edge of the Bauer's long driveway, and was immediately in motion.
"Hey Jellybean!" Olivia greeted with a wide smile.
At the same time Natalia said in a softly honeyed voice, "Hi, Sweetie!" Her dimples were heart-stopping, the smile on her face was so vibrant. And her skin glowed like a ray of sunshine, despite the darkness that surrounded them. She looked healthier and happier than she'd ever been in her entire life—and more importantly, for many reasons, she felt that way, too. Emma was one of those reasons. Her heart swelled every time she heard Emma call her "Ma," and she couldn't have loved the child more if she'd given birth to her.
Emma skidded to a halt right in front of them, planting her hands firmly on her hips. "Where have you been?" she demanded, brow furrowed.
Olivia bit back a chuckle. The child looked exactly like Natalia on the many occasions Olivia had pissed her partner off, both before and after they were together. "We went home to get you a change of clothes."
"I don't need any clothes," Emma informed. "Miss Tracy washed mine after Dylan got me all muddy in the creek."
"We know," Natalia said. "She told us when I called her a little while ago."
"Then why did you have to go home?" Emma whined.
"We were already there when she called, Sweetie," Natalia answered patiently.
"I was worried about you," Emma said sadly. "We came back, and you were gone, and Daddy said he didn't know where you were, and…"
Natalia glanced at Olivia, who arched an eyebrow in concern. Without a word, she knew what Olivia was thinking: Phillip. He was there, and Olivia was so wrapped up in Natalia that she'd forgotten all about him.
What if…
"Where's your Daddy now, Em?" Olivia asked warily. She could already feel her pulse racing with fear, but the sureness in Natalia's warm, steady gaze calmed what could have been a meltdown.
"He and Beth already went home," Emma reported. "He said he would call you tomorrow, to ask if I could come visit him next week."
"Over my cold, de…" Olivia immediately began muttering.
"Olivia," Natalia said sternly enough to halt the comment before it slipped out completely.
"I don't have camp," Emma interjected. "Can I, Mommy? Please?"
"We'll see," Olivia said noncommittally.
Emma's lower lip jutted out as a scowl overtook her smiley face. "That always means no when it comes to Daddy," she pouted.
Crouching down beside her daughter, Olivia met that saddened gaze. "Well, this time it really means we'll see," she reiterated, knowing full-well the topic would come up with Natalia later that evening, and she would find herself, once again, defending her stance when it came to Phillip. "And you're right about us disappearing, Em. We're sorry we worried you."
Grinning again, Emma flung herself toward them, wrapping her arms around Olivia's neck. "That's better," she declared. "I missed you guys."
"We missed you too, Sweetie," Natalia cooed reassuringly, as she gently stroked Emma's hair with a gentle hand.
Grasping one hand from each mother, Emma tugged. "Come on," she said, propelling them into motion. "You missed all the big fireworks, but there's still come sparklers and stuff we can play with."
Olivia glanced at Natalia, their daughter swinging their arms between them. "At least it's not bottle rockets," she muttered under her breath.
Natalia chuckled in response. "Behave."
Delivered on a firm tone, Natalia's playful, yet stern, command sent a prickle of heat searing throughout Olivia's body, culminating in the hardening of her nipples and an unanticipated, yet most pleasurable throbbing between her legs. Jade eyes grew nearly black with desire as she met Natalia's gaze. "I love it when you order me around."
"Yes, I can tell," Natalia said with a grin that could be described as almost cocky. "And I'll be happy to continue when we get back home."
Olivia grinned, almost devilishly. "Lucky me."
Saturday, July 4, 2009… The Cottage, Martha's Vineyard—11:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
"Thanks for listening tonight, Kendall," Dani said sincerely as they sauntered toward the back deck of the cottage. They had chatted long after the fireworks display ended, Zach having offered to take the boys back to the yacht for bed soon thereafter. "It helped, just talking about her."
Kendall offered an empathic smile as she brushed friendly hand across Dani's back. "I'm glad," she said warmly. "I'll be back in the morning if you'd like to talk more. About anything."
Dani's face adopted a sheepish expression. "I hope my being here didn't displace you and your family," she said, feeling guilty.
"Not at all," Kendall said unconcernedly. "We usually stay on the yacht with mom and Jackson when we're here. Especially if Paulina and Alexander are visiting as well. There's a lot more room onboard, and it gives Lena and Bianca some peace and quiet here after everyone leaves for the night."
"Sounds like you've got a great system worked out," Dani commented. Pausing, she turned to lock the gate that cordoned off the upper deck from the staircase that led down to the second level.
"Only thing better would be Zach and I buying our own place out here," Kendall commented. And then she grinned. "We're working on that," she added, as she reached for the handle on the back screen door.
"Working on what?" Bianca sounded intrigued. She arched an eyebrow to punctuate her question before continuing the cleanup of assorted toys that were scattered about the recently restored hardwood floors in the family room.
"Finding a place here on the beach," Kendall answered.
Tossing a glance toward Dani, Bianca launched an exaggerated eye roll. "Yes, because we don't see nearly enough of one another in Pine Valley, where she and Zach built a house a quarter mile from us," she remarked dryly. But her grin gave away her unspoken pleasure.
When Paulina married Alexander, he moved into the cottage Lena had built for Paulina on their property in Pine Valley. And soon thereafter, Zach and Kendall decided to join them—at Lena and Bianca's invitation, of course—building a house on the southwestern edge of the Montgomery-Kundera property, just outside of Pine Valley. Bianca loved that she could see her sister's front porch from the master bedroom of her own home, and that they were within walking distance of one another, regardless of the season. But that didn't keep her from teasing her eldest sibling. "She has to follow me here on vacation a half dozen times a year."
Kendall wrapped a long, sleek arm around her younger sister, giving her an affectionate squeeze. "Oh, you just shush," she teasingly ordered. "You know you love it that I traipse after you."
"Guilty as charged," Bianca agreed, hugging her sister in return.
Brushing a kiss against Bianca's temple, Kendall untangled her arm. "I'm taking your car back to the marina," she announced in an easygoing manner that said this was the norm, as she moved toward the kitchen.
"You know where the keys are," Bianca said just as causally.
"See you all in the morning," Kendall called back, as she exited the cottage, locking the front door behind her.
"'Night," Bianca replied, an affectionate smile playing on her lips.
"You and Kendall seem really close," Dani commented, curling her legs beneath her as she perched on one end of the sofa. She regarded her hostess with interest as she anticipated a response.
Bianca nodded slightly, her expression reflective as she dropped down onto the sofa across from her guest. So much had changed since the first time she'd met her eldest sister. She remembered the years of rivalry and fighting. So much hurt and misunderstanding. And finally, a chance to grow closer—thanks to her precious daughter, Jordan. She and Kendall had reconciled not long before Jordan was conceived, but the means by which she was conceived—a brutal rape by Michael Cambias—became an unlikely catalyst for their mutual bonding, and from there, their relationship had grown infinitely closer. And now, she wouldn't trade the relationship, the friendship, she had with Kendall for anything in the world. "Yeah," she said softly. "We are."
"That's really nice," Dani said genuinely.
"It is," Bianca agreed. "Aside from Lena, Kendall is my closest friend," she shared. "And then, of course, there's Mags."
"The doctor," Dani recalled correctly.
"Yes," Bianca confirmed. "She's actually a specialist in women's medicine. She volunteers a lot of time at the center, and we're very lucky to have her," she commented, referencing Haven of Hope, the women's center she founded after Jordan was born.
Dani smiled. "She seems to hold you in high regard, as well," she commented.
Nodding, Bianca's expression turned wistful. "We're as close as sisters."
A dark eyebrow arched. "Sisters, huh?" she questioned, a hint of disbelief in her tone.
"Yeah," Bianca replied with a shrug. And then she tilted her head, studying the attorney. Something in Dani's tone said she didn't quite buy that story, but Bianca didn't ask.
Answering her hostess's unspoken question, Dani said, "I get the impression it was something more, once upon a time."
Surprised not only by Dani's insight, but also by her candor, Bianca blinked twice. "How did you know?"
Dani shrugged. "Like you, it's my job to study people," she replied. "It's the way you look at one another, the way you touch so easily, so freely. I don't believe you were ever lovers, but it's obvious the affection runs deep."
"Impressive," Bianca granted. "I was in love with her once upon a time," she confessed. "And if she weren't straight, we would probably be together." She smiled then, thinking of Lena and their children. "But then I wouldn't have Lena or our girls, and Mags wouldn't have Jake, or Cheska and Stone. Somehow, I think things worked out the way they were supposed to."
"Sure seems that way," Dani smiled. And then she regarded her hostess with a curious interest. "You don't tend to play the 'what-if' game, do you?"
Slowly shaking her head, Bianca asked rhetorically, "What possible good could come from it?"
"None, I suppose," Dani replied unnecessarily.
"It's a good way to drive yourself crazy," Bianca noted.
"You're right," Dani conceded. "I've been driving myself completely nuts when it comes to the choices I made with Langston, and it hasn't changed a single thing."
Bianca offered a reassuring smile. "Hang in there," she said with an encouraging pat to Dani's forearm, as she stood from the sofa. "I'm a firm believer that we all end up where we're supposed to be. Sometimes it just takes a little longer than we'd like."
Dani nodded, a slight smile gracing her lips. "Your sister says you have a sixth sense about these things," she reported. "I'm counting on you both being right."
Saturday, July 4, 2009… The Bauer Barbecue—10:45 p.m. Central Daylight Time
"There's Frank," Natalia commented as she and Olivia walked, hand in hand, toward the back patio where Doris and Bennett were saying goodnight to Jen and Tracy, and Emma and Maury appeared to be ambushing Maury's mother Vanessa. Emma had quickly tired of the sparklers, and run off to find Maury again. From the look of things, neither Olivia nor Natalia envied Vanessa at the moment.
Olivia grunted an acknowledgment.
Trying to sound casual, an effort to keep Olivia's temper at bay, Natalia said, "I should go talk to him."
"Do you really have to?" Olivia sounded less than enthused.
Natalia cast a sideways glance at her partner, and frowned. "You know I do," she answered.
"I know," Olivia sighed. "Do you want me to come with?"
Giving Olivia's hand a gentle squeeze, Natalia offered a tremulous smile. "Thanks, but this is on me. I was really hard on him earlier, and I owe him an apology."
"He shouldn't have walked into our house," Olivia contended, her tone firm.
"No, he shouldn't have," Natalia agreed. "But that's no excuse for the way I spoke to him. I was so focused on my own needs that I said hurtful things to him, and no one deserves that."
"You really are some kind of a saint," Olivia stated. "You know that, don't you?"
The question was rhetorical, but Natalia responded anyway. "I'm far from being a saint, Olivia," she countered matter-of-factly. "I just do my best to be a decent human being."
Smiling, Olivia brushed her fingertips across Natalia's cheek. "You do a far better job than I."
"We're not in competition," Natalia remarked lightly. "Now, you should probably go rescue Vanessa from the girls. It looks like they're up to something."
Olivia nodded. "Yeah, I think you're right," she agreed. "I'll go say a quick thank you to Jen and Tracy, tell Doris and Bennett goodnight, round Emma back up before she and Maury drive Vanessa crazy, and we'll meet you back at the car whenever you're ready." She had a feeling they would be going home with two little girls, instead of one. Not that either of them would mind. Maury was always well-behaved, and Emma loved having her over.
Leaning over, Natalia brushed an affectionate kiss across Olivia's lips. "Thank you," she whispered sweetly.
Instinctively grasping the full context of Natalia's gratitude, Olivia offered a soft smile in response. "Always," she murmured, her gaze locked on Natalia's. She squeezed Natalia's hand, and then slowly released it as she moved away, leaving her to attend to the matter at hand.
Saturday, July 4, 2009… The Bauer Barbecue—10:45 p.m. Central Daylight Time
By the time Olivia reached the patio, Jen was folding one of the quilts their group had used that day, while Tracy helped to clear abandoned plates and cups from several of the tables. Doris and Bennett were saying goodnight to Rian and Lauren, who were headed to Rian's apartment for the night. And Emma and Maury were busily cajoling Vanessa into allowing an impromptu sleepover.
Olivia paused at the edge, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched the two of them expertly tag-teaming Maury's mother. She couldn't help the fond smile that played across her face as she remembered Vanessa's response to hearing that she and Natalia were involved romantically. She had anticipated pushback. What she'd found was an unexpected ally…
Saturday, March 14, 2009… The Chamberlain Mansion—5:15 p.m. Central Daylight Time
"So, I guess you've heard all the scuttlebutt about my relationship with Natalia." Olivia Spencer crossed her jean-clad legs, balancing a Limoges teacup and saucer on her right knee as she lounged in a well-appointed armchair across from Vanessa Chamberlain. She was there to pick Maury up for a sleepover.
Much to Olivia's chagrin, Emma had disappeared up the staircase toward Maury's room the moment they'd arrived, leaving Olivia to chat with Vanessa while she waited for the girls' return. Unlike previous impromptu visits with Vanessa while waiting for the girls, this time Olivia found that she felt a bit nervous. Not for herself, but out of concern for Emma. She and Vanessa had long ago buried any animosity regarding Olivia's failed relationship with Vanessa's son, Bill. But Olivia wasn't certain at all how Vanessa would react to the news of her involvement with Natalia. As a result, she feared that Emma could lose a best friend, if Maury's mother was opposed to the arrangement.
A single, regal nod preceded Vanessa's verbal response. "I have," she said without judgment. The two women had been together for just a few weeks at that point, and every busybody in town was still chattering about it.
"You're not asking if there's any truth to it," Olivia said after several moments passed.
"I don't see where it's any of my business," Vanessa replied forthrightly. Taking a sip of her own tea, she set the porcelain teacup and matching saucer on the antique French side table that was positioned between the two chairs.
"Why not? Everyone else in this town seems to have made it their business," Olivia countered sardonically.
"Please," Vanessa said with a touch of wry humor. "When it comes to scuttlebutt, you and Natalia have nothing on me. When the news broke that Matt and I were together, we were accused of all manner of scandalous things."
"Such as?" Olivia prodded.
"A handsome young charmer from the wrong side of the tracks… a rich, forty-something socialite?" Vanessa ticked off the boxes. "We didn't stand a chance against the gossip mill in this town. He was branded a gold-digger, and I, a cradle-robber. And those labels were assigned by so-called friends and family. We won't get into what the Press had to say."
"I'm guessing you didn't own WSPR back then?" Olivia said drolly.
Vanessa laughed—the warm-honeyed sound of a woman who felt at peace with herself. "No, I certainly did not. If I had, heads would have rolled."
Olivia smiled. "I've no doubt."
Vanessa's expression turned serious then, her dark blue eyes filled with sincerity. "Don't pay any attention to the naysayers. If Natalia makes you happy, and you're lucky enough that she feels the same way, just grab all the happiness you can, and hold onto it for dear life. Nothing else matters."
Nodding, Olivia felt the sting of tears pooling in her eyes. "Thanks, Vanessa," she said softly. And then straightening her torso, she took a deep breath. "Now, where are those girls of ours? Natalia let me order pizza tonight, and it'll be ready for pickup in fifteen minutes."
"Let you?" Vanessa arched an eyebrow, her tone, teasing. "Oh, how times have changed."
Olivia grinned. "You have no idea."
Saturday, July 4, 2009… The Bauer Barbecue—10:45 p.m. Central Daylight Time
An incessant tugging on her t-shirt and the sounds of Emma's and Maury's excited chatter yanked Olivia back to the present. She laughed, already knowing the source of the urgency. "Yes, Em, yes, you can stay over at Maury's tonight." She glanced up, meeting Vanessa's smiling gaze. "If it's alright with her mother."
"Oh, it is!" Emma chirped, as she hopped up and down.
Glancing down at her daughter, she brushed a hand through long chestnut tresses. "Then I guess it's a good thing we brought you that change of clothes after all, huh?"
"Yup." Emma popped the 'p.' "Where's my bag?"
"It's in the back seat of my car," Olivia answered. "The doors are unlocked. Why don't you girls run over and grab it?"
"Thanks, Mommy!"
Before Olivia could respond, Emma was on the run, Maury's hand clasped firmly in her own as she swiftly trailed behind her. Shaking her head, she moved toward the group of women. "I swear, I don't know where they get their energy," she sighed.
"I know what you mean," Vanessa readily agreed, as Olivia stepped toward her. Perfectly coifed, her silvery hair had replaced the nearly black locks of her youth, but her face was still flawless and her blue eyes shone in the firelight that flickered in the tiki torches scattered along the perimeter of the concrete porch.
Doris cocked an eyebrow, as she moved toward Olivia on the porch. "Well, from the looks of you, I'd say you've managed to expend quite a bit of energy yourself over the past few hours," she quipped, her comment directed toward Olivia.
Olivia made a face at her. "What does that even mean?"
"It means you look like a walking orgy," Doris wisecracked.
"DJ!" Bennett exclaimed, clearly chagrined.
Standing just a few feet away, Jen struggled to stifle a laugh. Not nearly as successful at the feat, Tracy turned toward her, burying her face in Jen's shoulder as she snorted in laughter. Neither of them would dare say it, but Doris wasn't wrong about Olivia's appearance.
"What?" Doris feigned innocence. "Don't even try to tell me you disagree."
Bennett leveled her with a glare, and Doris raised her hands in surrender. But she didn't back down from her statement.
Laughing, Olivia shook her head. "Never thought I'd see the day someone could shut you up with a glance," she teased. She was glad to see she wasn't the only Alpha Female who'd met her match.
"I could say the same of you," Doris countered.
Olivia smiled and nodded. "Must be something in the water."
Saturday, July 4, 2009… The Bauer Barbecue—10:45 p.m. Central Daylight Time
Approaching Frank from behind, Natalia was careful not to startle him. "Frank?"
The soft, tentative tone of her voice gently drew him from his beer, and he turned toward her. "Natalia!" he said, surprised to see her there.
"Could we talk for a minute?" she asked.
"Sure," he said congenially. Quickly rising from the picnic table bench, he offered her a place at the table. "Please, have a seat."
"Thanks," she said quietly. Carefully, she lowered herself to the bench, noting that he didn't attempt to offer assistance. The expression in his eyes said he wanted to, but that he understood that he shouldn't. It was then that she realized the extent of the damage she had caused by what she'd said to him earlier in the evening.
"I owe you an apology," she said forthrightly.
"No, Natalia," Frank interrupted. "You were right to be angry. I have no right to just walk into your home. I..."
"Oh, I'm not apologizing for being angry about that," Natalia was quick to establish. "You're right. You have no business barging in on us. But I am sorry for the hurtful things I said to you."
Frank nodded, but remained silent.
"I'm grateful that you care enough to check up on me," Natalia continued. "We just need some boundaries, that's all."
"I get it, Natalia," Frank said with a shrug. "Olivia and Rafe can take care of you just fine. I'm just… still scared of missing out on our little girl's life, like I did with so much of Marina's."
"Frank, I promise you, I have no intention of trying to keep your daughter from you," Natalia assured. "I've already raised one child without a father. I'm not looking to make it two."
"You really mean that?" He eyes gleamed with hopefulness.
"We're naming her after your grandfather," Natalia reminded. "Remember?"
A broad grin spread across Frank's angular face. "I still can't believe that was Olivia's idea."
"Well, it was," Natalia reaffirmed. "Believe it or not, Olivia really cares about you. And if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't even have known his name."
"I guess… we really haven't gotten to know one another very well, have we?" Frank ventured.
"Probably not as much as we should have, given that we're about to have a baby together," Natalia admitted, somewhat guiltily. "But that's something we can work on. We'll have her whole life to learn about each other."
The expression on Frank's face said he was in favor of that idea. "Yeah, we do, don't we?"
His question was clearly rhetorical, so Natalia moved on, setting in motion another of Olivia's plans. "Why don't we get started next Saturday evening?" she suggested. "Blake is bringing Clarissa for a sleepover with Emma that night, and she's staying for dinner. Why don't you join us?"
Frank looked contemplative for a few moments, and then he nodded. "That sounds nice."
"Good," Natalia said with finality. She patted his arm as she rose from the picnic bench. "We'll see you around seven."
Grinning, Frank said, "I'll be sure to knock at the door."
Natalia smiled. "Make it the back door," she instructed. "Guests come through the front. Family uses the back."
Sunday, July 5, 2009… The Spaulding Jet—12:45 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time
"I can't believe I'm actually doing this," Langston said, her tone nervous as she paced the thickly carpeted cabin of the Spaulding corporate jet. Phillip had sprung into action, contacting the Spaulding pilot, making arrangements for the jet to be fueled and readied for takeoff, the moment he'd heard she was planning to reunite with Dani out on Martha's Vineyard. Now it was nearly midnight, and they were cruising at thirty thousand feet, somewhere over northern Indiana, she guessed. "I can't believe I'm flying halfway across the country, in a borrowed jet, in the middle of the night, on some half-cocked quest to find my wife."
"Sweetheart, you really must settle down," Jacqueline said soothingly. "It's not like Dani isn't hoping you'll show up."
"What if she's changed her mind?" Langston queried. "The whole time she's been gone, her responses to my texts have been mostly… polite, and non-committal."
"And what have you been texting her?"
"Pictures and stories about McKenna and all the cute little things she's doing," Langston shared.
"Nothing about the two of you, or what you see for the future of your marriage?" Jacqueline pressed.
"No," Langston sighed. She knew where Jacqueline was going with this, and she didn't like it. "But she could've said something. She could've asked!"
"You asked her for space, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"She's giving you space," Jacqueline shrugged.
"Why did she have to pick now to start listening to me?" Langston asked dryly. Her emphasis on the timing said Dani had never bothered to listen in the past.
Jacqueline laughed softly. "Because she loves you, Darling, and she doesn't want to risk losing you again. Now stop pacing, and come sit over here with me. We can get in a few games of Scrabble® while McKenna sleeps. You're distracted, so I might actually have a chance at beating you."
Langston grinned, and her blue eyes gleamed with challenge. "Don't count on it."
TBC in Chapter 16.14…