Goodness, life got even more hectic than I imagined. I went through the surgery, a painful break up, some family problems and some personal issues that prevented my graduation. So I'm still a student, for now.

I know most of that doesn't really matter but, I've missed you guys so much but with how life got, writing became a chore instead of something fun. But, without further ado, I give you the next chapter!

Bianca was looking down at her phone, texting JR and letting him know about the latest development. She could practically feel him buzzing with excitement over the next messages. With an affectionate chuckle, she turned away from the closet without looking inside and moving to her nightstand to put her phone on charge. She let out a wistful sigh as she thought about Marissa, her grin becoming giddy as the seconds ticked by.

Pulling off her shirt, she tossed it onto the bed and turned back to her closet; she needed to get comfortable for movie night with her girls.

Steven held his breath, watching the emotions play across Bianca's face. Seeing that happiness and knowing he wasn't the cause of it made him angrier. When she turned away without a thought, he felt betrayed, rejected even. It was like she was ignoring him. He grit his teeth, moving quietly to exit the closet. Before he could make his present known, Bianca began to turn back to the closet as she removed her shirt. His heart found it's way to his throat as he admired her in her tank top.

Her eyes had just snapped up when he moved further from the closet. Reacting on instinct, he lashed out right before she could scream and caught her as she hit the ground. He felt his pulse spike as he caught her to ease her down,

"Shh, shh baby, I've got you." he whispered, lifting her and putting her on the bed. Unsure of what else to do, he removed his belt and bound her hands in front of her and laid her on her stomach before moving away from the bed. He had to go see his girls.

Marissa was on cloud nine as she sat in her seat next to the polite old lady. The woman had been chattering away for the better half of fifteen minutes about her grand children and Marissa found herself more amused than anything. She figured her indescribably good mood had a lot to do with Bianca. The mere thought of the woman's name was enough to make her smile unconsciously. The old woman near her gave her a playful grin,

"I know that look." she teased, nudging Marissa's arm. Marissa felt herself jump in surprise.

"I'm sorry?" she responded. The old woman laughed,

"That look on your face. It's the look of love," she started knowingly. She turned a little, her eyes twinkling in amusement. "What's his name?" she asked. Marissa blushed, weighing her options.

"Her name is Bianca and she's... she's the most beautiful woman you'll ever meet." she said, her voice barely above a whisper. The woman beside her felt surprise grab her but shook it off. She wanted to hear more,

"Tell me about your Bianca?" she requested. Marissa chuckled, shaking her head.

"Well, it all started when I came to Pine Valley..." she began her tale. The woman settled in for what she just knew would be an amazing story.

Steven moved quietly along the upstairs, checking in the girls' room and frowning when he didn't see them. He removed his shoes at the top of the stairs and crept down, hearing them bickering in the kitchen.

"No, I want jellybeans!" he could hear the pout in Gabrielle's voice. His precious Gabrielle, his baby girl. His heart squeezed in his chest as he moved down the hall more slowly.

"Well I want apple slices!" Miranda retorted. He stopped, remaining in the shadows of the hall as the two went back and forth. He took one more step forward before shaking his head and moving back, he needed to tend to Bianca first. The girls could wait. He raced up the stairs as quietly as possible, missing the suspicious look Miranda turned to the hallway just as he disappeared.

Miranda would be the first to tell you she didn't understand certain things in life. She was still just a kid, only nine and she missed things that her mom didn't. But despite her age, she could always tell when something wasn't right. It made her tummy feel weird and her heart beat fast. Kind of like the nights when she had a nightmare and she couldn't get away from any of the evil monsters. She looked at Gabrielle, holding her finger to her lips,

"Shh," she said quietly. Gabrielle instantly quieted, her eyebrows furrowing.

"What is it?" the little girl asked quietly. Miranda shook her head,

"Stay right here. I'm gonna go check on Mom, okay?" she said seriously. Gabrielle looked toward the hall and hesitated, "I won't take long. You just pick out all the black jellybeans before we get back." she said. Gabrielle perked up immediately, nodding her agreement as Miranda exited the kitchen.

Steven wasn't sure what to do, so he decided to put some of the duct tape he saw in Miranda's room over Bianca's mouth. He moved quietly, but his movements were swift and well practiced. He turned her over, lifting the blanket over her and tucking her in gently.

"Soon baby," he cooed softly. "Soon. I'm going to go make sure our girls are safe, okay? You just rest my princess." he said, his hands gentle as they moved through Bianca's hair. When he stood, he looked in the doorway and paused at the deer in headlight's expression Miranda wore. It felt like slow motion as he dove for her just as she began screaming.