This is my longest chapter EVER – I did consider splitting it into two but decided you deserve the whole thing after following me all these months – enjoy!

…

Kendall had everything in place. The kids were with Opal, the wine was chilling, the snacks were ready to be opened and the guests were on their way. Bianca still had no clue about the party. She was sat at the piano playing a few chords and had told Kendall just moments ago that she was looking forward to a quiet night in. Well she wasn't going to get a chance.

As if on cue the doorbell rang.

"Would you get it?" called Kendall from the kitchen.

"Okay." replied Bianca.

Kendall watched from the doorway as her sister hauled herself up from the piano stool onto her crutches and worked her way to the door.

She opened the front door to find Madison, Randi, Cara and Amanda waiting outside, most of them clutching a bottle of wine.

"Surprise!" exclaimed the chorus on the doorstep as Kendall came out to join her astonished sister.

"What's going on?" asked Bianca.

Kendall grinned as she put her arm around her sister's shoulder.

"I thought you could use a bit of fun after all these last traumatic months. This is your welcome home party.

Everyone trailed in from the doorway handing Kendall their bottles before giving Bianca a hug.

Kendall couldn't help but feel relieved as her sister visibly relaxed and a happy smile lit her face.

Well it was a good start to the party but Kendall was worried about the absence of the guest of honour.

As Kendall moved to close the door a breathless Marissa stopped her.

"Sorry I'm late! I got caught up saying goodnight to AJ." She apologised. She had obviously run from the car.

Bianca's jaw dropped at the sight of Marissa. She was wearing what Kendall could only describe as a hot little red dress. Kendall was also pleased to see her sporting the fetching black beret that Bianca had sent her; a definite improvement on the green baseball cap. Marissa engulfed Bianca in a warm hug and over the red head's shoulder Bianca gave her sister a mortified look.

Kendall hated that her baby sister was trapped in the idea that she could endanger Marissa's life simply by being near her – well tonight was going to shatter all those delusions and hopefully pull both women back together where they belonged.

"Who's for a glass of wine?" asked Kendall, taking on her role as hostess as they all settled on the couch.

"Yes please!" said Randi. "Red if you've got it."

"Red for me too." said Amanda.

"I can't." said Cara, putting a hand on her pregnant stomach.

"I've got sparkling cider for the non-drinkers." said Kendall.

"Just one glass." said Marissa. Kendall noticed she had settled on the couch next to Bianca, which made her little sister stiffen visibly.

"I'm a cider too." said Bianca. Kendall nodded, Bianca couldn't drink on her current medication.

"I'll give you hand." said Madison, hopping up from the couch to follow Kendall into the kitchen.

They returned with trays of snacks and the wine.

"So what's the plan for this evening?" asked Bianca a polite smile on her face.

"Well it's a party." said Kendall with a grin as she turned on Miranda's X-box. "I thought we could start with a little Karaoke!"

…

They were now on their second bottle of wine. Marissa's one glass was becoming one that never emptied as Kendall kept topping it up along with everyone else's.

Marissa certainly impressed Kendall – she was a Karaoke natural. Jumping into any group song and killing the solos. Kendall had to laugh though; there was no doubt that despite her amnesia, there was still something between Bianca and her. Currently Marissa was belting out Diana Ross' 'Chain Reaction' and she seemed to be singing the whole song to Bianca alone. For her part Bianca was trying to bury herself into the cushions, a painfully torn expression on her face as she watched the woman she loved.

Bianca had been reluctant to join in the fun much to Kendall's frustration. She had sung with them all in a group rendition of 'Bohemian Rhapsody', but refused to take part in any more. Well Kendall wasn't going to let her get away with it.

As Marissa finished to much applause, Kendall got up.

"Okay Bianca, it's our turn."

Bianca shook her head.

This was greeted with derisive shouts from everyone else and soon they began to clap and chant her name. It was clear no was not an option.

Kendall helped her reluctant sister to her feet and handed her a microphone.

Bianca sigh turned into a smile as Kendal's song choice kicked in.

'You Can't Touch This' by MC Hammer.

…

The third bottle of wine was now empty and Kendall was struggling to open the fourth. Amanda and Madison were arm in arm singing along with 'Copacabana' by Barry Manilow.

Marissa and Randi were talking animatedly on the couch about Randi's latest fashion shoot in California. Bianca was sat between them. She was sitting very still, her back rigid as she stared into the middle distance. Kendall's brow furrowed at the strange expression on her sisters face until she noticed Marissa's hand. Marissa was leaning forward, all her attention on Randi's description of the Long Beach Shoot while her hand wove absent minded patterns on the inside of Bianca's thigh, just behind the knee. The sight of it just made Kendall smile. There was hope that tonight would end very well indeed. She just had to sort out her muddle headed sister. It was time for a new party game.

As Amanda and Madison finished to rather scattered applause Kendall filled up everyone's wine glasses once more.

"I think we need to play something else."

"Truth or dare." suggested Randi

"Never-have-I-ever!" exclaimed Amanda, taking a deep draught from her glass.

"That's hardly fair to Marissa." said Madison.

"Oh god I'm so sorry!" cried Amanda suddenly mortified. "I forgot about your amnesia!"

"That's okay." said Marissa sitting back on the couch, her hand still settled on Bianca's knee.

"It must be horrible." continued Amanda, "Maybe we should play something to help you remember."

"I think that is an excellent suggestion." said Kendall, which is precisely what she had in mind.

"I don't think that would be a good idea." said Bianca quietly. "It's not safe."

"What?" exclaimed Marissa, "Why isn't it safe?"

Everyone was staring at Bianca confused.

"Cara I'm glad you're here." said Kendall putting an arm around the doctor's shoulder. "I need you to explain to Bianca what happened to Marissa. She seems to think that she almost killed her with a memory and that it's quite possible that it could happen again."

"Is this about the seizure?" Cara asked, looking at Bianca bewildered. "That was no one's fault, Bianca. Marissa had a brain bleed…"

"I know and she was fine until I tried to make her remember." insisted Bianca, looking cautiously at all the guests.

"Bianca anything could have triggered the seizure, turning her head too fast, sneezing. She was very lucky that it happened with you to sound the alarm. If she had started to fit in a corridor or the fire escape or even alone in her room… if we hadn't got to her in time, we wouldn't be having this conversation." Cara gave Marissa remorseful smile. "You saved her life through your actions Bianca, risking your own health to do it. You didn't put her in danger for a second. You saved her."

"I saved her." muttered Bianca in a disbelieving voice.

"My hero." said Marissa smiling.

Bianca turned to look at Marissa and smiled back and for the first time in a long time, Kendall saw the hope return to her sister's eyes.

"And this isn't something that will happen again." reassured Cara. "The surgery was completely successful. She's fine; she really is out of danger. The only help she needs is in recovering her memory."

"And I can't think of anyone better placed than you." said Kendall grinning at her sister

"I saved her." Bianca muttered again, as if trying to make the fact sink in. "And now she's really fine?"

Marissa squeezed Bianca's knee and leaned into her side.

"If you had concerns why didn't you ask me about it?" she asked.

"Because my baby sister is an idiot." said Kendall laughing out loud, relieved to have gotten through to her sister at last.

"Kendall!" protested Bianca.

"You're in idiot." said Kendall again.

Bianca acquiesced. She turned and gave Marissa a cute smile that made her nose wrinkle.

"I'm an idiot."

"I forgive you." said Marissa, once more giving Bianca's knee a squeeze.

As they looked at each other time seemed to freeze.

...

"So a memory game!" cried Amanda, making everyone jump. The alcohol was obviously getting the better of her. Kendall silently cursed her for breaking up the moment. How was going to get those two together if people kept interrupting?

"What like twenty questions?" asked Madison as she reached forward for a handful of chips.

"Look its fine. We don't have to play a game for me. There are only three things that people want to always tell me anyway." said Marissa, counting down on her fingers. "First that I love AJ, second that I should be careful of JR and finally that Bianca loves me. Well I know I love my son, I am always careful when it comes to JR, and of course Bianca loves me she's my best friend!" Marissa grinned at Bianca, "Even if she does worry about the dumbest things. The things I miss knowing are the little bits that nobody knows."

"Such as?" asked Kendall, curious.

"Such as…" said Marissa taking a swig of wine as she thought, "Such as why do I have a stuffed pig in a shoebox in my closet? Or… what was the first book I read? What was the last book I read? Who's my favourite movie star? What's my favourite film? Why is red my favourite colour? What's my favourite piece of clothing? Do I prefer dogs or cats? What is my proudest achievement? What was my most embarrassing moment? Do I have any phobias? When was my first kiss? Why do I have a scar on my big toe…? "

Marissa stopped when she noticed everyone staring at her in silence.

"I thought we weren't playing twenty questions." said Randi, laughing.

"I don't think we can help with any of that." said Madison. "But I'm sure we all know something about you. We should all share."

"I agree." said Kendall, looking pointedly at her sister.

"I'll go first shall I?" asked Madison. She was sitting back on the couch, looking a little dopey. The alcohol was obviously hitting her now as well. "I know you had an affair with my boyfriend Scott. JR was having a thing with his step-mother at the time and…"

"Brooke!" gasped Marissa.

"No." said Madison, laughing, "Annie."

Marissa nodded; she obviously remembered the name now.

"Well, Scott always said the affair was first and foremost about friendship, for both of you."

Everyone waited for Madison to continue, but her head was now nodding drowsily onto her chest. That was the obviously the end of her information.

"That's a lame fact." said Amanda, as she refilled her own wine glass. "I know something you didn't know even before the amnesia."

Amanda's eyes briefly flitted guiltily over to Cara for a moment.

"When I thought I had lost my husband to Cara, I slept with JR. It was when he was trying to win you back and you upset him by rejecting him. I don't think he ever told you about it."

Bianca's eyes went wide as her hands balled into fists

"JR slept with you while he was trying to win back Marissa! The two faced swine."

Marissa looked surprised at Bianca's sudden anger.

"It's okay." she assured her. "The past is the past."

"It was just one night!" said Amanda. "I regretted straight away."

An awkward silence settled for a moment.

"Next!" cried Kendall, keen to keep the party going.

"I don't know anything about you." said Randi, waving her hand dismissively. "Except that you were a lawyer and you helped Bianca get divorced…" Randi giggled to herself, "Oh… and that Bianca loves you."

Kendall waited for Marissa to react to the news, but she just grinned and nodded before draining her glass.

"I guess it's my turn now." said Cara. "Well I also know something that's not really a memory but it's something you should know." Cara patted her belly, "This is your half-sister or brother."

It was Kendall's turn to be horrified as she worked out what Cara was saying.

"David Hayward!" she gasped, "You slept with David Hayward?"

"I know he's old enough to be my father but he is an amazing man." said Cara, "He performs miracles, just look at Bianca here. He saved my life and he saved your life. He has brought people back from the dead. He is amazing!"

"He also has issues." said Bianca diplomatically.

"I know." said Cara, "Which is why I am raising this baby on my own."

Marissa smiled and leaned forward to touch Cara's belly.

"A little brother or sister?" she said with a grin.

"I guess it's my turn." said Kendall. "I remember a time when you thought that David was dead. You were having trouble dealing with your grief, after losing your adopted parent as well. I gave you a lamp and told you to smash it and let out your frustrations. You ended up wrecking the entire hotel room! That was the day I realised what a firecracker you were. Over to you Bianca," she added, "What do you need to say to Marissa?"

Bianca looked nervously at Marissa and took a deep breath before giving her a small smile.

"The pig in the shoe box was your very first toy. Your daddy gave it to you the day you were adopted. You took him everywhere with you, his name is Mr Snuffles… I'm not sure if it is the first book you read but you were obsessed with 'Green Eggs and Ham' by Dr Seuss as a child and could recite it word for word by the time you were six… The last book you read was 'Emma' by Jane Austin, you wanted to cleanse your head after Scott made you read 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'… Your favourite movie star is I guess Johnny Depp... Your favourite film is 'Parent Trap', the original with Haley Mills. You loved this film growing up, which is kind of freaky because at the time you didn't know you had your own long lost twin... Your favourite colour is red because it reminds you of autumn and your favourite item of clothing as a pair of red suede shoes. You would wear them with everything if you thought you could get away with it… You always had rabbits growing up and would choose rabbits over cats and dogs every time… um… Your proudest moment was when you adopted AJ and legally became his mother… Your most embarrassing moment was probably when Krystal found you working in a seedy massage parlour, in order to raise funds to go to Law School… You have a phobia of snakes, but you are fine around spiders and bugs for which I am eternally grateful because I hate them… um… Your first kiss… That was with a boy on holiday. You couldn't remember his name, but you were both reading a comic together under a tree when he leant over and kissed you. You ran away crying… And the scar on your big toe was caused by you dropping your mother's large, highly-prised lead crystal bowl on your foot when you were eight years old, smashing it to pieces."

Marissa was listening to Bianca's words, her jaw hanging wide open.

"How do you know all that?" she asked in an awed whisper.

Bianca just turned red in embarrassment.

"It's because she love you." said Kendall.

"Yep she definitely loves you." said Randi giggling, everyone nodded; at some point they had finished the fourth bottle of wine.

Marissa smiled at Bianca, which only made her cheeks go redder. Kendall sighed. She realised, those two are going to need a bit more of a push if they were going to get back together. Something was still holding Bianca back.

"Awesome!" cried Amanda.

Everyone turned to stare at her. She had at some point made her way back to the computer console.

She was holding aloft a computer game. It was the Disney Princess version of the Karaoke game.

At that moment Kendall knew just the push her sister needed and it would be in the form of a song. Kendall drained her wine glass, before crawling towards the computer console to grab a microphone. Kendall struggled to her feet, the wine making her a little dizzy.

"Right." She declared. "I am now going to sing a song in honour of my sister – from her favourite movie! I want everyone to join in. Except…" she pointed an unsteady finger at Bianca and Marissa.

It took her moment to find the song she wanted, but soon everyone was serenading Bianca and Marissa with 'Kiss the Girl' from 'The Little Mermaid'. Kendall could see Bianca giving her a long suffering look. Marissa was smiling and swaying along with the music, laying half across Bianca's lap, the alcohol clearly making her unsteady.

Bianca had a fixed grin on her face as Marissa kept glancing from Kendall to Bianca.

Marissa was giggling like crazy when the song was finished. It wasn't quite the reaction Kendall was hoping for.

"Our turn!" cried Marissa, still giggling at the surprised expression on Bianca's face as she pulled her to her feet.

Bianca overbalanced, falling into her drunken girlfriend.

In the euphoria of the party, everyone had forgotten Bianca's leg.

Cara helped to steady them both, before handing Bianca one of her crutches. She was the only other person left who was sober enough to help.

"Whoops." said Marissa, awkwardly. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm fine." said Bianca reassuringly.

"Well lean on me." said Marissa pulling Bianca's free arm around her neck and wrapping her own arm around Bianca's waist.

Marissa picked a song from a film she had seen with AJ.

They began a duet of 'A Whole New World' from Aladdin.

Bianca took the first part. This was the first song she had sung properly for the whole night. Kendall smiled as her sister sang; she could never tire of hearing her sweet beautiful voice. Marissa was equally mesmerised. She was staring at Bianca transfixed and missed the beginning of her own verse. Together they gave the best performance of the evening.

…

"I think it's time to call it a night." said Bianca.

Kendall looked at her sister. She was probably right; the room had started swaying a while ago. She was still waiting for it to stop.

Kendall got up from where she had been lying face down on the sofa and noticed for the first time that the room was empty.

"Where is everyone?" she asked confused.

"They've gone home to their beds, which is where I think you should be. Can you get up because I can't carry you, or are you planning on sleeping on the couch tonight?"

"I'm up." said Kendall struggling to her feet. The room spun alarmingly for a moment. "I'm up."

Kendall looked round the room again.

"Where's Marissa?"

"I told you everyone's gone home." said Bianca patiently.

"She could have stayed." said Kendall. She narrowed her eyes at her sister. "Why didn't you tell her the truth?"

"It wasn't the right time."

"Of course it was." protested Kendall. "We told her you love her and she was all over you, I saw it!"

"Yes." said Bianca simply, as she tried to turn her sister towards her bedroom. "I'm going to talk to her tomorrow."

"Why not tonight, it was all perfect? I planned it to be all perfect!"

"Two reasons. Firstly she was almost as drunk as you are and I couldn't take advantage of her. And secondly… she doesn't know I'm gay."

"Of course she knows…" began Kendall confused. "…But we all told her you love her."

"Yep, Marissa knows her best friend loves her."

"But you have to tell her!" exclaimed Kendall grasping both her sister's shoulders.

"I plan to." said Bianca. "I'm going to talk to her tomorrow."

"Good." said Kendall, and then she wrapped her arms round her sister neck.

"You are the best sister in the world do you know that."

"I think you own that honour." said Bianca once more steering her sister towards her bedroom. "Thanks for tonight."

"I think we are both the bestest sister in the world." decided Kendall which made Bianca laugh.

"Good night Kendall."

"Goodnight." said Kendall before turning back to her sister. "You will tell her tomorrow."

"I promise I will." said Bianca, a determined smile on her face.

…