Disclaimer - Not the Beatles
Paris, France
Summer, 2005
Chapter 9Maggie woke up disoriented, trying to hold onto the wisps of the really incredible dream she'd been enjoying, but it slipped through her fingers and was gone. Now she was lying on her stomach, her head half buried under the pillow. Despite the echoes of the wonderful dream, she was starting to become concerned about the weight pressing down on her back and inhibiting her breathing. She was beginning to wonder why it seemed so hard to pull in a deep breath. Then the weight shifted a bit and Maggie heard a moan. Even still half asleep and slightly oxygen-deprived, she had to grin.
Bianca. She was using Maggie as a pillow, lying half across her back, her cheek on Maggie's shoulder. As she shifted in her sleep, she attempted to burrow deeper into her 'pillow', rubbing her cheek against Maggie's tank top, her hand clutching at the rib-knit material.
Maggie sighed contentedly, enjoying the warmth of Bianca against her skin. Just as she started to drift off again, she felt Bianca's hand moving south, fingers splayed open. It slowed when it reached the small of her back and Maggie relaxed a moment. Bianca whimpered a little in her sleep trying to nuzzle closer into Maggie's skin, her hair tickling where it spilled over Maggie's shoulder. Then Bianca's hand continued its southern route, heading straight for Maggie's ass.
"And now I'm up," she exclaimed, leaping quickly out of bed mere seconds before the hand reached its intended destination.
Bianca's head bounced off the mattress. "What the-!" She pushed herself up and brushed the hair out of her eyes, jolted awake by the turn of events. "Maggie?" she called sleepily. "You okay?"
"Oh, hey," Maggie stammered, grabbing some running clothes out of the dresser. Danger! Danger, Will Robinson! "'Morning, sleepyhead."
"Good morning," Bianca replied to Maggie's back as the smaller woman bolted for the bathroom. "Damn, and that was a really good dream, too..." Bianca whispered, leaning back against the headboard. Then the fog in her brain cleared. "Oh, not so much a dream, Binks..."
In the bathroom, Maggie was changing into her running clothes and muttering to herself. "What am I doing?" she asked aloud, not expecting an answer. "Jeez, Stone, get a grip!" She sat down on the closed toilet lid to lace up her Nike's. "You freaked out because she almost had her hand on your ass? How many times has someone had their hand on your ass? Cripes, how many times have you had your hand on her ass!?" Maggie dropped her head in her hands. "Jeezus, Mary Margaret, what are you, 12?" She sat up and shook her head, smiling ruefully. "No," she sighed, "More like a horny 16-year old, a very horny 16-year old..."
With another huge sigh, Maggie pulled her hair back into a ponytail and left the bathroom. With any luck, Bianca had fallen back to sleep and she could get out of the apartment without a confrontation. She glanced at the bed.
If it weren't for bad luck... Maggie thought.
Bianca was wide awake, sitting up against the headboard of the bed, her legs stretched out in front of her, crossed at the ankles. Her arms were crossed over her chest and if she could have been tapping her foot anxiously, it would have completed the picture.
"I'll be back soon," Maggie said with false brightness, hoping to make a quick getaway. She headed quickly for the door. "Brioche for breakfast?"
"Maggie..." Bianca gave her a pout. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Rolling her eyes, Maggie went to Bianca's side and leaned in, giving her a quick good morning kiss on the lips. "Love you."
Before Bianca had the chance to respond, Maggie had spun around and was headed for the door. She heard Bianca chuckle as she reached for the doorknob.
"It's a very nice ass," the brunette called out, stopping Maggie dead in her tracks. "Really. Very nice."
That spun Maggie around and she saw Bianca watching her with a devilish grin on her face. "Why, you little shit," Maggie muttered.
Suddenly, she took off running toward the bed. Bianca shrieked and jumped up, leaping off the far side, hoping to keep the huge mattress between them. Maggie just threw herself across the wide bed and reached for Bianca, managing to snag her wrist.
Okay, Bianca thought in a bit of a panic, maybe this wasn't such a bright idea. "Teasing!" she yelled, trying to break free of Maggie's hold. "I was teasing!" But she was giggling as she said it. "Maggie!"
Maggie held on tight, laughing just as hard as Bianca was, trying to pull her back toward the bed. Bianca managed to jerk her wrist free with a hard tug, yanking Maggie right off the side of the bed.
"Holy crap!" Maggie yelped in surprise, just before she hit the floor. She started giggling harder, seeing the look on Bianca's face.
Bianca thought it might be a good time to lock herself in the bathroom, but before she could take more than two steps, Maggie had caught her ankle, taking her down onto the floor next to her. Bianca cried out in surprise as she rolled onto her back, laughing hard while Maggie jumped on top of her, pinning her hands up over her head.
"Gotcha," Maggie said, breathing hard from the exertion. "Don't mess with Maggie Stone, Binks. I'll win every time."
"Sorry!" Bianca answered, still giggling and gasping for breath. "Sorry, sorry, sorry..."
"No, you're not."
"You're right. I'm not."
It fell silent for a moment as they both managed to get control of their breathing. Maggie's eyes locked on Bianca's, then lowered when Bianca's tongue darted out to quickly lick her lips. Slowly, Maggie dipped her head. Bianca's eyes fluttered shut. Maggie hesitated, her lips almost, but not quite, touching Bianca's. The air was thick with anticipation.
Maggie pressed a quick peck to Bianca's cheek, then jumped up. "Be home soon," she called, trotting to the door. "Love you!"
Bianca continued to lay there for a moment, still trying to catch her breath, her heart thundering in her chest. She rolled onto her side. "Love you, too," she called out, not sure if Maggie had even heard her. Then she propped her head in her hand and plucked at the carpet, working out various forms of torture in her mind for one Maggie Stone.
They were sitting at a table under a blue and red Cinzano umbrella at a sidewalk café in the Sceaux district on the outskirts of Paris. The umbrella shaded them from the intensity of the shining sun as they sat waiting for their lunch to arrive.
It was hard to believe they were only about 7 miles from the Eiffel Tower. The picturesque town of Sceaux had the feel of a quaint village with its 16th century church, narrow streets, and two chateaux in the vast gardens at the Parc de Sceaux. The gardens were created the same designer who designed the gardens at Versailles, the Chateau in Fontainbleau and Vaux le Vicomte. Downtown Paris was just a few miles away, but it felt more like centuries.
Maggie was filling Miranda's sippee cup with juice while Bianca fixed a plate of fruit for the little girl. The waitress brought their sandwiches moments later, then, after seeing if they needed anything more, left them to their meal.
Maggie picked up a French fry and checked the heat, blowing on it to cool it down. Once it was at an acceptable temperature, she held it out to Miranda, who giggled and snatched the treat from Maggie's fingers. Maggie glanced up and caught Bianca's gaze on the two of them.
"What?" she asked, returning Bianca's smile.
Bianca shook her head. "Nothing." She picked up a fry of her own. "So…" she began.
"I liked Martine," Maggie interrupted, knowing exactly where this conversation was headed. Nannies. Which one they would hire. If Maggie had any say in the matter, they wouldn't go with the black-haired girl who kept her gaze on Bianca longer than was necessary. "She was gentle, caring and friendly. Miranda seemed to like her."
"Maggie…"
"She'd be perfect."
"And it has nothing to do with the fact that she's 55 and widowed? With 3 grown children of her own?"
"No," Maggie replied, making a face. "Why would you think that?"
"Yeah, right. Well, lucky for you, I liked Martine as well. She seemed to have a way with Miranda and her references were impeccable. And she doesn't seem to make you nervous."
"Oh, ha-ha." Maggie sipped her diet Coke. "I didn't like the way she looked at you."
Bianca smiled, knowing full well Maggie wasn't referring to Martine but to the raven-haired Sophie. "Yeah, I kinda got that."
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Just a little," Bianca admitted. She decided a change of subject was in order. "Of course, with Martine available to watch Miranda when we need her, we'll be able to plan a few evenings out."
Maggie gave Bianca a grin. "That'll be nice. Really nice." She thought about it for a moment. "But, honey, the next date's on you. I'm still trying to come up with something that measures up to last time."
"Okay. I'll see what I can do."
After lunch they continued their stroll down the narrow streets of Sceaux,. There were a lot of little shops to explore, more diverse boutiques than the haute couture shops in Saint-Germaine-des-Pres. Bakeries, toy stores, chocolatiers, dress shops, mens stores, there was an abundance of things to buy.
Miranda shrieked with joy as they passed another toy store, so of course they had to go inside. Much to Bianca's surprise, though, there wasn't a toy in the shop that interested Miranda quite as much as the black and white cat that paced back and forth on the counter above her. When Bianca glanced back at Maggie, the petit blonde actually had the nerve to cock an eyebrow at her, a smug little smile on her face.
"I told you, Binks," Maggie said as they exited to the sidewalk. "The munchkin needs a pet."
"Bite me, Mags," Bianca replied sweetly, quickly walking away down the street.
Maggie fought back a snicker. "See, Miranda?" she said to the baby. "We're wearing her down. You stick with me, kid, and you'll have a dog or cat by the end of summer. Trust me." The little girl laughed in reply. "Now, as for that 'bite me' comment… I've been giving that some serious consideration lately…"
The front door opened.
"Honey, I'm home!" Bianca called out.
Maggie grinned from her seat on the sofa in the den. "In here," she called back. She heard the door close and looked back over her shoulder to see Bianca coming through the doorway. "Hey. You're home early."
"Hey," Bianca replied. She leaned over the back of the sofa and kissed Maggie on the cheek. "What's up?"
Maggie frowned a bit. Man, this is some serious deja vu... she thought. "What was that?" How weird is this? I've lived this already...
"What was what?"
"You know what. What was with that incredibly poor hello kiss?" Bianca suddenly became very interested in a loose thread on the jacket of her business suit, causing Maggie a moment of unadulterated fear. A shiver of apprehension raced up her spine, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand at attention. "Bianca…" Maggie said warningly.
"Maggie…" Bianca began.
Oh, no, I remember this!, Maggie thought. Suddenly, she jumped to her feet. "Oh, my God, your mother's coming, isn't she?"
Bianca just nodded. "Mom and Kendall will be here any minute."
"Shit!" Maggie exclaimed, pacing feverishly through the den. "She's bound and determined to catch us doing something, isn't she? Oh, she may say she approves of us being together, but she doesn't approve of us being together. You're her baby, no one's going to be good enough for you!"
Bianca watched Maggie with a bemused expression on her face. "Honey, you need to relax before you blow a vein," she said, trying not to laugh.
Maggie didn't reply, instead she grabbed Bianca's hand. "Come on," she said, pulling the brunette toward the door.
"What? Maggie! What are you doing?!"
"We're going to go have sex, or maybe take a shower together," Maggie replied, her voice filled with determination. Fear? No, determination. "She'll catch us, it'll break the cycle and she won't show up unexpectedly anymore."
"You're crazy."
"Not yet, but Erica's working on it."
Bianca managed to slow Maggie's forward progress and pull her down to a seat on the stairs. "Maggie," she said in a voice than never failed to calm Maggie down. "Hey, do me a favor."
"What?"
"Take a deep breath and relax." She waited until the blonde did just that. "Mom and Kendall are just coming for two days before they fly back to Pine Valley," she explained. "My mother is not trying to catch us doing anything, okay?"
"Yeah, right."
Bianca laughed and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Well, it's true. Here, I'll prove it to you."
Maggie caught Bianca's sly look and returned her smile. "Oh, yeah? How?"
"Well…" She reached up and kissed Maggie on the lips. "I was thinking something along these lines." And she kissed her again. "See? Everything's just fine…"
Maggie put her hand to Bianca's cheek and pulled her back for another kiss. "Not quite yet," she whispered.
"Why not?"
"You keep talking…"
The next time their lips met, passion ignited. Bianca leaned in to Maggie, slipping an arm around her waist and catching the blonde's free hand in hers. Maggie responded by deepening the kiss and wrapping her arm around Bianca's shoulders, holding her closer, wanting nothing more than to pull her girlfriend's body into hers.
The front door flew open. A bucket of ice water couldn't have succeeded in separating Maggie and Bianca any better or faster.
"Bianca, sweetheart!" Erica Kane's voice called out.
"You didn't even lock the door?!" Maggie croaked, falling back on the stairs.
Bianca grimaced. "I guess I forgot," she admitted sheepishly.
"Self-fulfilling prophecy," the blonde muttered to herself as Erica and Kendall appeared at the foot of the stairs. "Freakin' self-fulfilling prophecy!" Maggie glared at Bianca. "I will get you back for this."
"Look at it this way," Bianca whispered. "She caught us. Cycle broken." She gave Maggie a quick peck on the cheek, then stood up and straightened her skirt. "Hi, Mom. How was the Riviera? Where are Uncle Jack and Reggie?"
As Bianca led her mother went into the living room, Maggie was left to face Kendall. The taller girl just smirked knowingly.
"That obvious?" Maggie asked, turning three shades of red.
Kendall laughed. "Oh, yeah." She paused and looked thoughtful for a moment. "It's nice to see Bianca finally getting some action, though."
Maggie stood up. "You're a real laugh riot, Kendall. Really, I can't contain myself…" She left Bianca's sister standing there laughing as she joined the two women in the living room.
The next day, the four of them decided to take a tour of the countryside. With Maggie at the wheel of a BMW X5 SUV and Miranda in her car seat, they decided to venture to Chartres to see the grand Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Chartres.
Before they had reached the Place Charles de Gaulle, though, Bianca was a nervous wreck, her foot jammed once more into the floorboards, her knuckles white where they gripped the armrest. Maggie grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together. "Okay, Binks," she said as they ventured into the Arc de Triomphe's roundabout. "From now on, we're sedating you before we leave the apartment."
Bianca covered her eyes with her free hand to avoid watching the tiny Renault out her window nearly trade paint with the luxurious Beemer. "I'm never driving over here," she muttered. "Never, never, never."
In the backseat, Erica had a death grip on the door handle, her foot shoved hard into the floorboards. Kendall glanced over at her mother, did a double-take, then flat-out stared.
The great Erica Kane was absolutely terrified.
"Mother," Kendall asked softly. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," Erica replied through gritted teeth. She attempted her patented hair-flip, but it was a stiff gesture. "See? I'm fine."
Kendall tried very hard not to laugh out loud. "Uh, Mags, can you get us out of here before we experience two nervous breakdowns?"
"As you wish..." Maggie replied, circling the roundabout, then turning back onto Avenue Foch.
Bianca noticed immediately. "Uh, Maggie..."
"Man," Maggie whispered, looking down at the BMW's navigation system. "What terrible directions. I didn't even need to go that way." She glanced at Bianca, a devilish grin spreading across her face. "My bad."
"Oh, you are so dead," Bianca snapped. "So dead."
Maggie just started laughing. When Bianca reached out and smacked her hard on the arm, Kendall couldn't help chuckling, which just made Maggie laugh harder. Bianca smacked her again. Maggie kept laughing. Kendall joined in. Miranda started giggling. Erica sat in terrified silence until they reached autoroute A10.
Chartres was approximately 90 kilometers, or 56 miles, southwest of Paris. They traveled through some beautiful country on their drive to the medieval city, passing forests, valleys and picturesque lakes. Well before they arrived in Chartres, they could see the spire of the great cathedral, seeming to be suspended in mid-air from a distance. The sight was truly impressive.
Once in the city, Maggie found her way to the church and pulled into a parking space nearby. They exited the car and while Bianca and Maggie settled Miranda into her stroller, Erica and Kendall stood in awe of what lay before them.
The cathedral itself was impressive, gothic in style, massive in stature. Building on it was begun in 1145, completed in 1260, in between it survived a huge fire in 1194 that destroyed all but the western front. Inside, they were amazed by the colors thrown off by the huge rose window and stained glass that dominated the cathedral.
Bianca read from a brochure she had gotten when they arrived. "Dating from the early 13th century, the glass largely escaped harm during the religious wars of the 16th century; it is said to constitute one of the most complete collections of medieval stained glass in the world, despite "modernization" in 1753 when some of it was removed by the clearly well-intentioned but misguided clergy. From the original 186 stained-glass windows, 152 have survived."
"Do you believe the colors?" Maggie whispered in reverence.
"That color of blue is called Chartres Blue," Bianca said, noticing a passage in the brochure. "It's almost ethereal..."
"It's gorgeous."
They spent many long minutes admiring the large labyrinth on the floor, set in blue and white stones into the nave of the church. During the middle-ages, when pilgrimages to Jerusalem could not be made, many people would make their pilgrimage to Chartres, where they could then crawl the length of the labyrinth on their knees all the way to the center, then retrace their steps before returning home. Maggie and Kendall walked it slowly, trying to determine the length it was meant to represent, then slowly made the trip out the same way.
"It was supposed to feel like a couple miles, at least," Maggie said softly.
"Wow," Bianca whispered. "On their knees?"
Kendall nodded. "Amazing, isn't it?"
"Incredible."
After they had spent a considerable amount of time exploring the massive church, they went in search of a café for lunch. They talked as they ate, marveling again over all they had seen.
When they were done, they wandered the cobbled streets of the Old Quarters of Chartres, many of which were quite steep and very narrow. It was a fascinating trip back in time.
When they returned to Paris late that evening, they ate a small meal, and after Bianca put Miranda down for the night, they retired to the balcony with a bottle of wine.
"So Jack and Reggie went on home?" Maggie asked.
"Yes," Erica replied. "Lily was coming back from camp this week and school will be starting soon so they went straight home from Nice."
Damn, Reggie always seemed to have her back. Maggie really missed him, especially now.
"Did Reggie enjoy his first trip to the French Riviera?" Bianca wanted to know.
"Oh, yes," Kendall laughed. "He especially enjoyed the topless beaches."
They all laughed at that thought.
Kendall talked hesitantly about the man she had met while there, but Erica seemed to be especially happy for her. She had made no secret of the fact that she did not like Ethan one bit. She had figured early on that he was lying to Kendall and she went after him like a mother bear protecting her young cub. Before they all turned in for the night, Bianca made Kendall promise to return soon so the taller girl could reconnect with her French gentleman.
"You think this guy is serious about Kendall?" Maggie asked later, sliding beneath the covers while Bianca changed for bed. "Or is he Transitional Man?"
Bianca shrugged. "I'm not sure it matters, as long as he takes her mind off Ethan."
"Good point." Maggie scooted close to Bianca after the brunette climbed into bed. "So..." she said softly, nuzzling Bianca's neck. "How you doin'?"
"What was that? Joey Tribiani?"
"What? No good?" Maggie waggled her eyebrows at Bianca.
Bianca laughed. "Is that the best you can do?"
"You think you can do better?"
"Is that a challenge?"
"Oh, you bet." Maggie sat back and grinned. "Give it your best shot."
"Well, okay." Leaning in, Bianca captured Maggie's lips in a gentle kiss, pressing her back onto the bed.
"Pretty good so far," Maggie whispered, a hitch in her voice as Bianca slid her lips to Maggie's throat. She tilted her head back to allow Bianca better access. "Getting better..."
Bianca smiled against the soft skin of Maggie's neck, stringing a necklace of soft kisses along her throat. She dipped her tongue into the hollow behind Maggie's ear, hearing the swift intake of breath above her, feeling the goose bumps it raised on Maggie's arms. She nipped at Maggie's earlobe, then moved her lips to the spot beneath Maggie's jaw that she knew was ticklish. She placed a wet, open-mouthed kiss on the pulse that thudded hard in Maggie's neck, feeling Maggie's fingers tangle in her hair. She pulled back and looked into Maggie's eyes, seeing the love and desire reflected in her own eyes. Slowly, she lowered her head. Their lips were almost brushing against each other.
Bianca placed a quick kiss on the tip of Maggie's nose. "Good night, honey," she said, flopping over and turning her back to Maggie. She reached up and turned off the bedside lamp and settled into her pillow.
"What the hell-?" Maggie exclaimed, left breathless and… well, wanting.
"Don't mess with Bianca Montgomery, Mags," Bianca informed her, grinning to herself in the darkness. Check and mate. "I'll win every time."
Frustrated beyond belief, Maggie didn't sleep at all that night.
Bianca, on the other hand, slept like a baby.
TBC-