Okay confession… I'm rushing because I'm quickly running out of time to get this done. Or at least to an adequate stopping place before real life comes back to bitch-slap me a little bit. I charged through this chapter really so that I could get to the next one, which I've been steadily working on for about a week now and it's the – ahem – culmination of Perfect Weekend Numero Uno. But I also couldn't skip the day in between as there are still important real world issues silently awaiting our lovelies' attention.

So there will be one more chapter after this one followed by at least a two-week hiatus on my part, after which I'll have to decide exactly what I want to do to wrap this story up – or keep going on, whichever seems to work best for the direction I've steered them. And suggestions are always welcome and appreciated, as other Minxbian writers and readers will of course be my best source of outside help but I really can't keep walking through every single second of their lives, no matter how much I might want to.

So anyway, today we're focusing on Kendall and Krystal and Bianca and Marissa, with a little JR folly for color and effect. As I'm sure you've gathered I'm really not a fan of his and will treat him as more of an infuriating complication than anything. It's the return of the flaming Dipshit…

Real World: Pine Valley

Part II – Krystal's

"Shhhhh… don't wake them up yet."

"Why not?"

"Because Gabby – if we let them sleep then we can have candy for breakfast."

"Yeah and we can go downstairs and play video games if they're gonna sleep for a while."

"How do we know how long they gonna sleep?"

"We don't but if you don't shush then they'll wake up right now and then we'll have to have egg whites or something for breakfast instead of candy. Do you want to have egg whites for breakfast Gabby?"

There was a short pause. "No," Gabby finally whispered, and Marissa saw the side of the fort sway as all three shadows disappeared cautiously through the opening. She sighed and rolled over slightly, burrowing warmly against the still sleeping Bianca and draped her arm gently across her stomach and she savored the smooth up and down of her steady breathing. She lifted her head to examine her girlfriend's peaceful face and grinned as she noticed her eyes fluttering beneath her eyelids, wondering what she was possibly dreaming about.

After a moment she could hold out no longer as Bianca's intrinsic beauty got the best of her and she leaned forward and placed her lips tenderly against the brunette's, Bianca's sluggish sigh only spurring her forward as she rolled herself on top of her completely, but before Bianca's eyes opened she felt her lips begin to move to kiss her back. When Marissa had gotten her fill she pulled back and watched Bianca's eyelids slowly lift and she finally gazed into those stunning chocolate pools again.

"Every morning," Bianca rasped quietly, and Marissa's eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

"You mean good morning?"

Bianca chuckled softly as she brushed the bangs from Marissa's forehead. "No I mean every morning. Please wake me up like that every morning."

"Ah," Marissa said with a happy grin. "Well what if you wake up first?"

"Well then I guess I'll have to wake you up like that," she replied as she lifted her head for another quick kiss before resettling on the pillow and once again Marissa indulged her fingers in her luscious hair. "It's just about the best way to wake up. I can't wait for you to experience it."

"I could always just roll over and doze off again…" Marissa suggested playfully as she leaned her body to the side but Bianca's firm arms grasped around her back and held her in her place.

"No – I think it would be best to just wait for another morning. I can see plenty of opportunities ahead. And besides – I'm not ready to move yet."

"Me neither, but the kids just snuck out with the intention of gorging themselves on candy again."

Bianca groaned and sat up slightly. "Wonderful – we should probably go catch them before they make themselves sick. We probably let them have too much last night as it is."

"Eh – it's their stomachache," Marissa replied lightly, and Bianca's eyes flashed with amusement.

"You think so?"

"Yep. Plus I went downstairs in the middle of the night for some water and hid the rest of the stash so they couldn't get to it," she supplied with a sly smile. "I figured we might run into this problem this morning since we didn't tell them no at all yesterday. Today's the day we have to reestablish the rules and I thought the best way to do that would be to eliminate the problem."

"How very wise of you," Bianca approved, grinning crookedly at the redhead. "I love that you plan ahead."

Marissa shrugged. "Mom duties never cease, even at four in the morning."

"I hear that," Bianca agreed as she lifted up the sheet into the larger room of the fort and glanced at the clock on the DVD player. "Well it's almost eleven so they made it longer than I thought they would. And so did we – I'm surprised I slept so well on this squeaky air mattress."

"I know I slept like a log once I got back up here. And you – I don't think you moved an inch from the time I got up to when I got back and I was afraid that me moving around so much would wake you up but you were sleeping like death."

"You could have woken me up."

"Why?" Marissa questioned her. "You look ravishing when you sleep so why would I want to disrupt the beauty when I could just lie there and stare at you to my heart's content?"

"My you are quite the charmer Tasker," Bianca replied and Marissa grinned impishly at her and winked. "Yeah – either that or you're kinda creepy. Take your pick."

Marissa reached behind her and grabbed a pillow, launching it at the brunette who started laughing hysterically as it bounced off her head. "Oh and you're just as charming yourself, jerk," she giggled as the static from the tossed pillow made Bianca's hair stand up slightly, and Marissa's breath caught in her chest at the sight. Good god she is so incredibly stunning in the morning…

Bianca smoothed her hair out and leapt forward as her arms wrapped tightly around Marissa's shoulders and the two toppled over, Bianca's long hair falling in wavy curtains around them as she kissed the redhead again. Marissa felt her lips smile against hers as both continued to chuckle blithely, and after a few seconds Bianca rolled off of her and rested her head on her elbow. "I was trying to give you a compliment you know…" Marissa told her.

"Oh yeah, I got that," Bianca replied with a wide smile. "I guess it's just going to take some time before I get used to waking up with you like this."

"Well get used to it," Marissa said softly, the conversation suddenly serious as their eyes zeroed in on each other again. "I'm not going anywhere."

Bianca swallowed hard and nodded slowly. "Me neither."

/

"Okay guys remember the deal," Bianca said two hours later as she twisted around from the driver's seat to address the three children in the back. "No talking about Marissa and I until we talk to Kendall and Krystal first, got it?"

"Why not?" Gabby asked, innocently tugging at the bottom of one of her pigtails. "You said last night that we's a family now."

"We are baby, don't worry," Marissa reassured her. "We just haven't told anybody that except you guys and we want the chance to tell Kendall and Krystal the same way, understand?"

"Yeah," Miranda and AJ replied in unison, each unbuckling and hopping quickly from the car. Bianca got out and went to free little Gabby from her car seat as Marissa tugged at the back of AJ's shirt before he followed Miranda into Krystal's.

"Hold up buddy, I need to talk to you a second," she told him, and the two made their way to a bench near the door as Bianca and Gabby went inside after Miranda. Bianca made sure to share a reassuring smile with Marissa before the door closed behind her, mentally urging her forward and hoping that her advice from earlier would help her through the conversation.

"What's up?" AJ asked his mother as they sat down, and Marissa slowly allowed her held breath to leak from her chest.

"Well, I just kinda wanted to talk to you alone for a minute and see how you're dealing with everything that happened yesterday," she said as she absently tucked his flyaway blonde hair out of his face. "You still happy?"

"Yeah!" AJ exclaimed with another toothless smile that forced a return from Marissa. "Yesterday was so much fun! Can we sleep in the fort again tonight?"

"We'll have to see buddy, you have school tomorrow," she replied. "And afterward your dad is gonna pick you up and you'll go home with him again, you remember?" AJ's shoulders slumped slightly and his eyes lowered to gaze at his hands as he sighed heavily. "What's wrong buddy?" Marissa asked tentatively, her chest constricting at his expression for fear that it still had something to do with how AJ was acting when she'd picked him up. "You can tell me."

"Nothing's wrong really," AJ told her quietly. "I'm just kinda bummed that I don't get to stay with you and Bianca and the girls, that's all."

"I know buddy, we'll all miss you like crazy," Marissa assured him. "But you'll be back to stay with us before you know it, I promise." AJ nodded but his sad expression didn't lift so Marissa forced herself to ask the question she was dreading. "This… this has nothing to do with your dad yelling at you on Friday, does it buddy? Because if you're still scared for some reason then I want you to talk to me about it."

"No I'm not scared," AJ replied. "I just… I don't know. Daddy works all the time and he's always yelling into his cell phone and sometimes I feel like he really doesn't have time for me. But with you and Bianca and Miranda and Gabby it's better – we get to build forts and play games all weekend and you're always around. It's just more fun I guess… I don't have to play video games by myself as much. But it's okay I guess…"

Marissa scooted toward her son and wrapped him tightly inside her arms as she leaned her cheek against the top of his head so he wouldn't see the silent tears that had started to fall. "Buddy you know your daddy loves you," she told him, and AJ nodded again. "I know he works a lot but it's because he's trying so hard to make sure you have everything you need. And you know what? You can always call me whenever you want to. I don't care if it's the middle of the night – I'll always answer for you, I promise."

"Double promise?" AJ asked, and Marissa chuckled softly as she lifted up her pinky for her son.

"Double pinky promise," she said as AJ's tiny finger enclosed firmly around her own. "There's no one more important to me in this whole world than you."

"Me too," AJ replied, finally grinning again as he lifted his head. "And I'm glad you get to be happy with Bianca and Miranda and Gabby all the time now."

"Thanks buddy," Marissa smiled at the boy, her heart once again bursting with affection for his sideways grin. "And I need to talk to you about that too. I know Bianca and I talked to all three of you kids earlier about not saying anything about us to Kendall or Krystal until later this afternoon once we've talked to them, but you and I didn't really get to talk about telling your dad."

"Why does dad have to know?"

Marissa backpedaled slightly, sitting back momentarily as she tried to figure out where the question had come from. "What do you mean?"

"Well I don't know… daddy doesn't really have anything to do with you loving Bianca does he?"

"No buddy he doesn't. I fell in love with Bianca without any influence from anybody but her."

"Right – so then maybe it's just not daddy's business you know?" AJ ventured. "He didn't make you happy but Bianca did and besides I don't want him to get mad again, especially if I'm going to be there with him alone now."

"Buddy are you really okay about what happened with him on Friday?" Marissa tried again, and this time she saw the resolve crack on her son's face and she shivered involuntarily as she braced herself.

AJ's reply was so quiet that Marissa almost missed it, but as she leaned forward she heard him whisper, "I don't want to worry you now that you're so happy mommy."

"AJ don't worry about that," she told him as she rubbed his back comfortingly. "Just tell me what's bothering you because now I'm just worrying about you."

"Well…" AJ started slowly, and Marissa found herself holding her breath painfully. "It's just… daddy was kind of… he was yelling louder than I've ever heard him yell before."

"Well what was he yelling about?"

"You mostly," AJ supplied softly with a tentative glance up at his mother. "I don't know who he was talking to but his voice was shaking and he kept using swear words and when he heard me behind him he turned around and even used one at me. That's when I ran away."

"What did he say to you baby?" she croaked, her eyes now shining with angry tears.

It took the boy a moment to respond but finally his eyes lifted back to his mother's as he spoke. "He said 'get the… F word… out of here AJ'."

Marissa's hand instinctively clutched the boy's neck as she pulled him back in again, her tears spilling over as she wildly attempted to tame the livid anger in her chest but as AJ's beautiful blonde head laid tenderly against it she felt her whole body relax as she squeezed him tighter and the boy's arms lifted to hold her back. "I'm so so sorry baby," she whispered as she kissed his hair. "There's no excuse for your daddy to ever use harsh language with you and I'm going to talk to him about it. Don't worry."

"No please don't," AJ said quickly as his head shot upward, his green eyes flashing with concern. "I don't want him to think that I tattled on him or to yell at me again for it. It's okay – he came up a while later and apologized so it's okay. Really."

No it is not okay, Marissa silently fumed, beating back the mental image in her mind of her pounding her ex-husband with a baseball bat for scaring their son so badly. She took a deep breath and forced her voice not to shake as she replied. "AJ you should never be scared of your dad yelling or cursing at you and if you are then that's a problem. Are you afraid for him to pick you up tomorrow after school?"

"He won't pick me up – the sitter will," AJ told her sadly. "He probably won't even be home before bedtime. He never usually is so no I'm not really scared of him mommy, honest."

"Well how about I arrange with daddy for me to pick you up and then we can get a snack before I drop you back at the house," Marissa suggested, and AJ's eyes lit up again. "We might even be able to get Miranda and Gabby too. Would that make you feel better?"

"And Bianca?" AJ asked as he bounced forward on the bench. "Can Bianca come too? We can all go get ice cream!"

"That sounds perfect," Marissa replied as her heart soared again at AJ's happiness to always include Bianca. "I'll call daddy this afternoon and set it up."

AJ threw his arms around her neck and hugged her hard. "Thanks mommy!"

"You're welcome buddy – anything for you." But as AJ sat back again his eyes locked seriously with hers and she tilted her head in question. "What?"

"Are you gonna tell daddy that you love Bianca?"

"Do you think that I should?"

"No," AJ replied immediately. "He was shouting the loudest about how he had to do something to get you back again so I think if he finds out that you're a couple with Bianca now that he'll just get angry again – maybe angrier. I don't want to make him angry again."

Shit – I knew he wasn't really through yet, Marissa thought darkly at AJ's revelation. What in the world is he going to have up his sleeve this time? "Okay AJ – we'll wait to tell your dad," she agreed after a moment. "But honestly buddy he's going to find out eventually. We don't want to keep our new happy family a secret and I also don't want your dad to hear about it somewhere else. That will only make it worse."

AJ thought about it for a moment and then replied. "What about next weekend then?" he asked. "Maybe by then all of his anger might have disappeared and he'll see how happy you are now. If he loves you then he'll be happy you're happy, right?"

And once again Marissa thought she had a mini heart attack at her son's beautifully innocent outlook. "Yeah buddy," she stuttered. "Yeah that's right."

AJ smiled widely and kissed his mother's cheek as he hopped off the bench. He grabbed her hand and tugged her gently for the door. "Okay good now let's go eat. I'm starving!"

But Marissa pulled his hand back so he turned around and she knelt down until she was eye-level with him. "You understand that your dad will always be your family too, right AJ?" she asked. "Me and your dad not being together doesn't mean that we're not still family."

"I know," AJ replied brightly. "Now we're just a bigger, different kind of family right? And because we're bigger that just means there's more love to go around right?"

"That's exactly right buddy," Marissa replied with a beaming smile. "You are so so smart AJ, and the greatest little boy that ever lived." She kissed his cheek before standing up, AJ's renewed grin only furthering Marissa's overflowing heart.

AJ didn't reply as he released her hand to hold the door open for her, and as she passed the little gentleman she realized that his sunny smile was really the only thing that mattered.

/

"Well that didn't go exactly how I thought it would…" Bianca said as she and Marissa followed Miranda, AJ, Gabby and Spike into the park and the four kids sprinted screaming toward the playground.

"Yeah I know… I hope Kendall and Ian hurry back so maybe we can still salvage part of our plan," Marissa replied with a sigh as she and the brunette made their way over to a bench nearby where they could watch the kids. "Even if we could manage to tell her today I would feel better."

"A little excited are we?" Bianca asked with a raised eyebrow as Marissa grinned crookedly at her.

"Perhaps…" she said, planting a quick kiss on Bianca's cheek. "I was just really hoping to tell at least one of them today."

"Well I think Kendall and Ian will be back pretty quickly," Bianca replied. "I don't think she was going to give him a bath or anything – just a change of clothes."

Bianca and Marissa had both made valiant efforts during their short lunch at Krystal's to break away from the crowded table with their respective family member and share their news, but Krystal had been so slammed with the lunch rush that she was barely seen for more than three or four minutes and Kendall had had to rush home with Ian about ten minutes into the meal to change the toddler out of the shirt and pants that Spike had accidentally spilled his soda all over. That had left the two with four children to tame and then escort to the park, and as Marissa watched them play she couldn't help but smile broadly despite her slight downheartedness at her failed attempts with her mother.

"So how'd it go with AJ earlier?" Bianca asked, relieved to finally be able to find out since they hadn't been able to talk over the chattering children all through lunch. "Is he still doing okay with everything? What did he say about JR?"

"Oh yeah – that," Marissa replied darkly, finally remembering the conversation with her son earlier as it's lingering anger had faded in the presence of the kids and Bianca. "Well he might have left out a few details about what exactly JR was shouting about on Friday that scared him so much."

"Uh oh – like what?"

"Well like the fact that JR was cussing up a storm and when he heard AJ come in he screamed at him to get the fuck out and no, I'm not filtering his language."

"What!" Bianca gasped, her cheeks immediately flushing with anger but Marissa placed a hand on her arm to calm her.

"I know, believe me I wanted to snatch up my cell phone and call that jackass and send him a few choice words of my own," she told her, "but AJ was still so upset by it that I didn't want to make it worse by reacting just as badly as JR has. AJ needs somebody to be an emotional constant for him and in all honesty JR's elusive anger returning doesn't really surprise me but he certainly doesn't get to take it out on AJ."

"No he doesn't," Bianca seethed with her teeth clenched. "I'd like to give that jerk a piece of my mind…"

"Me too Bee," Marissa sighed, "but I think we both know that would only make it worse. Especially since AJ also informed me that JR was yelling so loudly about me and how he had to do something to get me back."

Bianca's stomach turned over at this and she swallowed hard to tame it, forcing her eyes to meet Marissa's without giving away her overwrought and sudden terror. "He – he was shouting about trying to get you back? To who?"

"AJ didn't know, and I don't think it matters. All I think it means is that JR's little stunt yesterday may not be the only one he has planned."

"But you told him then that it was over between the two of you right?" Bianca asked shakily, and Marissa's angry expression softened completely as she brought a hand up to her cheek.

"Bianca," she began quietly, smiling reassuringly at her girlfriend. "Whatever JR may or may not have planned will not change what happened with us this weekend, I swear. I'm only telling you so that we can be prepared for whatever he's got coming. We'll deal with it together, okay?"

"Deal," Bianca replied, and she glanced quickly around the park before leaning forward to steal a quick kiss. "So what do you think that could be?"

"I have no idea but knowing JR it could be anything. Although after the way we left it yesterday I really don't know what else he thinks he's going to be able to do. I hope I made myself perfectly clear about what I think about him."

"Well I certainly thought so," Bianca told her with a grin. "So then what are we going to do about telling him about us? We don't want to make things worse."

"Well you know my insanely intelligent son agrees with you there," Marissa responded as she turned to scan the jungle gym for AJ, who was swinging across the monkey bars behind Spike. "He pretty much begged me not to tell JR yet, but only because he was afraid of making him yell again. But on the plus side he also seemed perfectly at ease with everything else, apparently not scared at all of what me being with you could mean."

"That's because he doesn't really know what to expect yet," Bianca told her. "To him and with the values he was raised on it doesn't seem extraordinary at all that his mother would suddenly fall for a woman but sadly he's going to find out that that's not always the widely accepted viewpoint. Although I really hope we can shield him from most of it but you know how kids are… you remember last month when that kid called me a lezzy and he got in a fight over it. That might only get worse now."

"Well at least he's got the instinct," Marissa said as she watched her son intently, relishing his loud laughter as he skipped around after Miranda in the sunshine. "I know it'll be an adjustment for him…"

"Which is why Miranda and I talked about it before you and AJ came into Krystal's earlier," Bianca said and Marissa gazed questioningly at her as she continued. "Miranda voiced concern for AJ for that very reason – that having two mommies is a little different just because of how some people treat you and she said she was going to make sure that they watched out for each other, at school and everywhere else. She said that she 'needs to make sure and take extra special care of her brother now'."

"She called AJ her brother?" Marissa asked incredulously, and Bianca nodded happily.

"Yep, they certainly seem to have grasped that concept the quickest of all."

"Well honestly I think they were both kinda there already which is helping more than anything," Marissa mused. "They've always been like brother and sister so I think that's why they're so excited because now it's real for them." She smiled softly as she watched the two kids chase each other across the crunching rocks with Spike and Gabby behind them, losing herself momentarily to the blissful perfection of the picture and the heartwarming sound of their constant laughter. Good god I just keep getting happier, she thought dreamily. In spite of all the unresolved stuff with JR I just can't seem to keep from smiling till my cheeks ache. This is definitely the way it should have been…

She turned back to face Bianca, a little surprised to see that she wasn't eyeing the playing children but instead she stared unblinking back at her, her smile so impossibly wide that Marissa couldn't help but return it. She tilted her head in question and Bianca sighed serenely as she sat forward.

"I am just so in love with you," she said steadily, bringing both of her hands up to cup Marissa's face and the redhead inhaled deeply at the comforting sensation. "And I still just can't believe this is really happening. How did it get this perfect?"

"Because you're so perfect," Marissa said instantly, blushing slightly under Bianca's palms at her unfiltered cheesiness. "I mean… well yeah – because you're so perfect."

"Ditto to that," Bianca grinned as she leaned forward, and Marissa thought only briefly about the fact that they were in public before releasing the thought, her girlfriend's insatiable lips so impossible to resist and she likely would have willingly lost herself inside them for a good while but after only two seconds the women ripped apart as an outside voice intruded into their moment.

"Uhhh… what's happening over here?" came Kendall's voice from behind them and both women whirled around to see Bianca's older sister standing next to Krystal not ten feet away, Kendall with her arms folded in front of her chest and an amused expression on her face while Krystal stood beside her with her mouth hanging open. "This is uh – a new development I see…"

"New indeed," Krystal breathed. "What's uh – what's going on here? Are you two…?"

"We're together now Krystal, yeah," Marissa responded, immediately rising from the bench to stroll over to the other two and she took Bianca's hand firmly as she followed her. "I tried to tell you earlier but you were so busy that I didn't want to bother you. But yes – Bianca and I have fallen in love and we're going to be together now."

Krystal stood granite-still as she blinked slowly at her daughter while Kendall charged forward and threw her arms around her sister. "Oh my god Binx I'm so happy for you!" she shrieked, lunging for Marissa after releasing Bianca and the redhead felt all the air leave her lungs as Kendall's iron grip engulfed her. "And Marissa! I knew it! I knew there was something more about the way you felt for her! I'm so glad you guys have finally figured it out! This is so wonderful!"

"Thanks Kendall," Marissa told her, still eyeing her mother cautiously as she was finally freed from her arms.

"Okay – details!" Kendall exclaimed as she pulled the two by the wrists back over to the bench and forced them to sit again. "Just… you know… don't go too far if you know what I mean. Just tell me how this happened! When did it happen? How did it happen? Where did it happen? What does it mean?"

"Okay Kendall, slow down," Bianca told her, turning along with Marissa to gaze back at Krystal who still hadn't moved from her spot ten feet away. Kendall got the hint and fell silent, the three women on the bench now waiting for whatever reaction would come.

"Krystal?" Marissa tried after a moment, and the woman's eyes finally lifted to meet her daughter's.

"So… so you two are in love huh?" she asked, and Marissa couldn't decide if her voice was so quiet because she was shocked or because she was upset.

"Yes," she told her evenly, rising once again to stand in front of her. Mother and daughter locked gazes as Krystal nodded slowly, and Marissa was suddenly compelled to explain herself. "I've been falling in love with her for a while now and last Friday we finally managed to talk about it. I had a huge fight with JR and moved out of the mansion and now I'm staying with Bianca and the girls at Wildwind. I am completely done with JR and am truly happy for the first time in my life, and that's because of Bianca. I love her."

Kendall beamed silently at her sister as she rubbed her back happily, Bianca's teary smile at Marissa's words the only real proof she required, though she did find herself quite impressed by the redhead's pluck. Krystal continued to nod as Marissa spoke and as she finished she swallowed hard and smiled slowly, stepping silently forward to wrap her arms around her daughter.

"I am so happy for you," she whispered in her ear, and Marissa closed her eyes and leaned into the woman, intense relief washing across her shaky limbs. "I thought something had changed between you two this morning," Krystal went on as she pulled back again, now smiling broadly. "And I've had a suspicion for a little over a month now. I'm glad you two have finally worked it out."

"You knew?" Marissa asked dubiously. "How?"

"Oh please, you two have been making eyes at each other across my restaurant for ages," Krystal said airily with a wave of her hand. "I knew it was only a matter of time before something happened."

"Yeah you two weren't exactly all that subtle you know," Kendall piped in. "When Binx told me how she felt I really wasn't surprised at all, although I was just a little thrown at your willingness to jump on the bandwagon, red."

"How could I not?" Marissa asked with a fond glance at the brunette on the bench, and both Kendall and Krystal raised their eyebrows. "I guess that I was the last one to see what was apparently just painfully obvious."

"Well maybe not painfully," Kendall goaded her gently with a grin. "Just – you know. Noticeable."

"Whichever."

"Whichever what?" came a much deeper voice from behind them, and Marissa's blood ran instantly icy as she recognized the rumbling tone. "What are we talking about over here?"

"We're not talking about anything that concerns you JR, so just fuck off," Marissa said as she turned quickly around, Bianca instantly by her side again. "What are you doing here?"

"Is this not a public park?" he asked, finally coming to stop a few feet in front of the women. "I saw my son over there playing and I wanted to say hello. Is that a crime?"

"Nope," Marissa managed to reply through clenched teeth, "but if you go over there and scare him again I swear they're going to have to scrape your nads off the sidewalk."

Kendall chuckled from behind them and Marissa glanced back at her, noticing that she stood squarely behind her sister while Krystal stood behind Marissa's other shoulder and her heart swelled at their support. JR leered darkly at her before calling up another fake grin.

"Ladies could I possibly have a moment alone with my wife?" he asked casually, and Marissa literally saw red.

"I am not your wife JR," she fumed quietly at him. "Don't ever call me that again."

"Fine whatever. Can I have a moment with my ex-wife please?"

"No you can't," Bianca answered him as she stepped forward. "Whatever you've got to say you can say right here."

Wow – she's incredibly sexy when she's pissed off, Marissa thought, but her attention was forced to return to JR as he openly sneered at her.

"Heh – you think you get to decide that? You can't stop me from…"

"Watch me," Bianca cut him off menacingly, taking another step forward and JR actually faltered somewhat.

"Easy there," he said as he raised his hands up. "I'm not here to start any trouble. I just need to talk to Marissa."

"Then talk," Marissa told him as she crossed her arms. "What do you want?"

JR glanced around at the surrounding women, apparently going over his options but quickly saw that he didn't really have any so he sighed and started talking. "I just wanted to apologize for what happened yesterday," he said, and the forced sincerity in his tone made Marissa's anger flare again but she bit her tongue. "I was just responding to you walking out on Friday and it was wrong. I'm sorry and I've gotten the master key from Bruce and you can get your things whenever you like. But I'd also like to ask you again to reconsider your decision. I know I can be difficult sometimes but I want to try to be better for you – for us. Please Marissa – you've got to give me another chance. We owe it to AJ and to the family that we should be. We belong together; you, me and AJ, just like we used to be. We were happy Marissa and I know we could be again if you'll just give me the chance to show you. Please."

"You know what JR, that was really great speech," Marissa replied flatly. "Did you practice that on the way over here or did you make it up on the spot?"

"This is just me Marissa," JR told her, his voice dropping to a pathetically low level as he trained his eyes to peer puppy dog-like at the redhead. "I'm just a man in love who's trying to set it right again."

"Well that's too bad because I'm not in love with you anymore and I haven't been ever since I found out about you and Annie. So it doesn't matter what you have to say now – it's over."

"Marissa you can't hold that over my head forever…" JR tried, but Marissa shook her head.

"Yeah JR, actually I can," she told him, her voice rising despite her best efforts to control it. "Because it only further proves the kind of man you really are, and like I told you yesterday that's not the kind of man I want in my life. In fact I don't want any man in my life anymore, so just get the hell out of here before I get really upset."

"What do you mean you don't want any man?" he asked her. "What – you plan on staying celibate for the rest of your life? Come on Marissa, I didn't screw up that bad."

"Yeah you did, and no I'm not," Marissa responded evenly, her face flushing slightly at the small innuendo but she charged forward. "Look – the only thing that matters is that you and I are done JR. Just accept it and move on."

"I won't ever move on," he said, his voice dropping so low that the women could barely hear it and Marissa glanced beside her to Bianca, who rolled her eyes. "I want to make this work and I'll do whatever it takes. Look – I've got to go to Paris this evening to see about the new buildings there and I want you to come with me. It could be like a second honeymoon. I'll take time off and we can talk and reconnect…"

"Okay just stop JR!" Marissa boomed, and she turned quickly to make sure that none of the children had heard but they were too preoccupied playing tag to notice. "What don't you understand? Gaaaaah you are the most bull-headed man I have ever known in my life! Just get it through your thick skull – we are not going to happen ever again! I've moved on already – there is no hope for you. It's done! Finished. Over with. Just leave me alone."

"You've moved on huh?" JR asked, stepping closer slowly as he glared at Marissa. "I don't believe that. I can tell that you're in love Marissa – I can see it in your eyes. So why don't you just admit it and give me another chance?"

"I am in love JR, but it's not with you," Marissa told him as her voice dropped back to normal, seeing that she really had run out of ways to break through to him. "Does that help you? I'm in love with someone else so just let me go now. Please."

"You… you're in love with someone else…" JR repeated slowly, his eyes skating across her face as comprehension set in. After a moment he glanced sideways at Bianca who was wildly trying to level him with her gaze, and after a quick second Marissa saw recognition flash across his eyes and his head shot upward as he pointed madly between the two. "No man huh? Not going to stay celibate huh? In love with someone else?" he questioned, his voice a low rumble that shook with instant rage but Marissa felt Bianca's hand grasp hers firmly as she matched his step forward.

"Yes JR – I love Marissa," she told him forcefully as the two came practically nose-to-nose. "I love her more than you ever could have and I'm not ashamed to admit it. She deserves so much more than anything you've ever given her."

"Oh this is rich," JR said ominously, his square jaw tensing. "So you turned Marissa gay huh? You worked your little lesbian magic and got her to switch teams just because you hate me right?"

"See JR, this is just another one of your problems," Marissa interjected, stepping forward so she was shoulder-to-shoulder with her girlfriend and their hands tightened together. "You're turning something that is entirely about me into something about you, like it's some kind of attack or something. Well I've got news for you – this has nothing to do with you. Bianca and I fell in love because we were always going to because we belong together, and it has nothing to do with what went wrong between you and me. You messed it up JR, and not just once. So just suck it up and take responsibility and leave me alone. I'll never leave Bianca so just accept it."

"So you're like what – some kind of 'lesbian' now?" JR asked, throwing his hands up to air quote the word mockingly and Marissa stepped forward but Bianca pulled her back.

"Sure JR, call me whatever you like as long as it's not wife," she told him, and to her surprise she felt Krystal's hand on her shoulder as she and Kendall both stepped forward to stand behind them again.

"I think it's time for you to go now JR," Krystal said. "You've said your piece and now it's time for you to go."

JR shook his head and looked toward the playground. "I'm taking my son," he said as he stepped away, lumbering across the grass but all four women took off after him and cut him off.

"You can see him after you get back from Paris," Marissa told him, her heart pounding so hard that she could barely breathe. "He'll stay with…"

"He will not stay with two lesbians," JR spit at her, his voice now a low growl that made Marissa swallow in fright but then her anger surged as what he'd said sank in.

"I'm sorry?" she asked, resisting the urge to slap him since they were so near to the playground. "Since when did you turn into a homophobe JR?"

"Since my ex-wife suddenly switched teams and is trying to confuse my son," JR replied, trying to step around Kendall but she and Bianca wouldn't allow him through. "Goddammit move out of my way or I'll move you myself!" he bellowed so loudly that people on the surrounding benches heard, and one quick glance over her shoulder showed her that AJ and the other kids had become privy to the situation and they all made their way hesitantly over.

"Good – AJ come on, we're going home now," JR commanded the blonde boy, doing absolutely nothing to hide his explosive anger which only made AJ melt against his mother's side. "AJ come on! We're going home right now!"

"No…" AJ replied quietly, snuggling closer to Marissa as Bianca stood firm behind his back with Gabby in her arms and Miranda by her side, who reached out a small hand to rest on AJ's shoulder. "I want to stay with mommy."

"Well too bad because she's not your mommy anymore," JR told him, to which all four women immediately started yelling.

"How dare you tell him that!" Krystal shrieked.

"Who the hell do you think you are JR?" Kendall asked as she set Ian down so that she could gesture angrily while Bianca clutched tighter to Gabby, needing to keep something to occupy her hands so she wouldn't begin beating the pulp out of the man.

"You take that back," she growled threateningly as Marissa stepped forward and tucked AJ securely behind her as she closed the remaining distance between them so she could stare him straight in the eye.

"You are officially at your lowest point JR," she told him, carefully filtering her words to exclude any that the children shouldn't hear. "And if you ever say that to my son again I swear – I will make good on my promise from earlier. Do not mess with me, and don't make the mistake of thinking that I'll back down. I am not afraid of you and AJ is mine no matter what you think or try to do. You will never take him away from me."

"No – I don't want to leave mommy," AJ's timid voice rang out from behind her and she turned to see heavy tears start tumbling from his eyes. "Why wouldn't you be my mommy anymore? You're my mommy."

"I know I am sweetie, and that will never change," Marissa assured him as she knelt down and wrapped the boy in her arms. His tiny arms wound around her neck and wouldn't let go so she stood with the boy still in her arms as he peered nervously at his father who stood stone-still with an evil glint in his eyes.

"Did you tell him what kind of life you're setting up for him?" he asked after a moment, all the fake sorrow from before gone completely, replaced with only abundant amounts of steaming anger.

"Yes JR we did actually, and he's thrilled," Marissa supplied, matching every ounce of JR's malevolence. "All he sees is the happy family that we are, not the labels that you just tried to stick on me."

"You and Bianca?" AJ asked, and Marissa nodded as the boy turned to address his father. "Mommy and Bianca are really happy daddy. I thought you would be happy for them because mommy's – well – mommy and Bianca's your friend."

"It's not that simple AJ," JR responded through clenched teeth, and his tone made his son shrink back again.

"It should be that simple," AJ breathed quietly against Marissa's shoulder, but JR had finally had enough.

"Okay that's it," he said as he stepped toward Marissa, who stumbled back against Bianca, Krystal, Kendall and the kids as they all surged to form a perimeter around her as she stood there with AJ in her arms. "Move out of my way!" he roared again as he was forced to stop. "AJ – you're coming home with me. Right now!"

"No!" AJ shouted back. "I'll only go home with you when you quit yelling and being so mean to everybody all the time! I want to stay with mommy and Bianca – they never yell at me."

"AJ you have no idea what you're saying!" JR tried, but the look on his face showed that he was beginning to understand that his attempts would be futile. "Do you know what mommy is now? Do you understand what that's going to mean for you?"

"The only thing that mommy is is my mommy," AJ told him instantly, finally sliding out of Marissa's arms but not leaving her side as he faced his father, and Marissa's heart cracked in two at his love and his bravery.

JR stumbled at that, finally standing down as his shoulders slumped and he looked at the small crowd in front of him. He could see that he had not only scared his son but the other children as well, along with completely pissing off the four women they clung to. He blinked a few times and lowered his head, trying to get a grip on his seething anger. "Okay fine," he finally spoke quietly, refusing to look up again as he turned away. "I'll be back from Paris on Friday. We'll talk more then."

And with that he walked purposefully from the park back to his car, the group he left behind only breathing easy once he'd gotten inside and driven away.

/

"You okay honey?" Krystal asked Marissa about an hour later, the whole gang then seated at a large table back at the restaurant as the women attempted to cheer up the children with ice cream sundaes. Bianca and Kendall had them all laughing again as they told them silly stories while Marissa sat at the end of the table with her head on her hands, staring blankly into space as she stewed over JR.

She took a deep breath before responding. "I will be I think," she said. "The prospect of not having JR around for a few days is helping but the worrying about what he'll do once he gets back is not. I'm not sure I have the energy to fight him for my son."

"But you will if you have to," Krystal told her confidently, and the look on Marissa's face showed her that she knew she was right. "But hopefully it won't really come to that. AJ can see that there's nothing wrong with you or the path you've chosen and I think that will break through JR's thick head better than anything."

"That's true," Marissa agreed, "but I still don't want that kind of hatred modeled for him, and especially not from his father. I really thought JR was had more sense than that."

"I think he does for the most part, but once again that old Chandler anger got the better of him," Krystal replied, and Marissa cocked an eyebrow at her. "And no I'm not defending what he did today – that was just about as low as I've ever seen him go, telling AJ what he did. But you know JR. He said it without thinking about it because he was angry and the bottom line is that AJ does need that guy in his life, no matter how much you or I may hate him. The only thing you've got to focus on is this new wonderful relationship you're starting on now. You've got Bianca and your three beautiful kids and more than enough love to make up for what JR can't supply right now, so AJ's gonna be just fine. Trust me."

Marissa shook her head and couldn't help but smile at her mother. "You're really okay with all this? It's really that easy for you?"

"Marissa, even after what happened with JR today when we all came back here and everybody was so upset you still kept grinning this goofy little grin every single time you looked at her," Krystal explained with a gentle squeeze to Marissa's wrist. "If she can make you that happy without really doing anything then I'd say that's someone you need to hold on to. So yes – it's really that easy."

"You're amazing," Marissa said as she leaned forward to hug her, and as they pulled apart Kendall scooted toward them.

"Sorry to interrupt here ladies but the kids just suggested a rousing game of kickball over in the park this afternoon and they want everybody to play," she said with a smile in the kids' direction. "You in?"

"I'm sorry but Grandma Krystal has to work, but I'll try to sneak over to cheer from the sidelines for a little while," Krystal replied, but Marissa smiled widely and got up to stand behind Bianca's chair, placing her hands on her shoulders.

"Well you can count me in," she said, to which all five kids shouted happily and took off for the door while Kendall marched after them trying to pull up Ian's baggy shorts. Bianca rose and snaked an arm around Marissa's waist as they headed to the door and Krystal called a farewell as she disappeared back to the kitchen.

"You okay?" Bianca asked quietly as they stepped outside, kissing Marissa's forehead as she laid her head on the taller woman's shoulder. Marissa smiled sincerely and watched their kids skip across the street, wrapping both arms around Bianca's waist as she looked up to peer into those amazing brown eyes that glowed so happily back to her. She leaned forward for a loving kiss and Bianca hummed appreciatively, both women knowing that they would deal with JR later – right then all that mattered was brightening their children again.

When Marissa pulled away shortly after she settled her head once again onto her shoulder as they crossed the street together, and she realized instantly that she was in fact "Just perfect," she told her girlfriend, her returned bright smile all she needed to see to know that it was the absolute truth.