Marissa manoeuvred her way into AJ's room with a large tray in her hands.
"Sandwiches all round." she announced, "And I got you all a juice as well."
She was greeted by three wide-eyed kids all wearing identical grins, which made her wonder what they had been up to while she was gone.
Marissa had made her way upstairs with the tray and her laptop bag on her left shoulder. She was planning to give the kids a treat.
Marissa placed the tray on an empty space on AJ's dresser and Miranda came forward to help her hand out the food.
While the kids all took happy bites out of their sandwiches Marissa began to unpack her computer.
"So guys, as you couldn't come to New York, what do you say we have our own little premier?"
"Aunt Kendal said we were too little to see the film." said Miranda.
"And you are." said Marissa with a grin. "But your mommy was on television yesterday afternoon. It should be on the internet now. What do you say we all watch it together?"
Gabby clapped her hands.
"Yay!"
"Is that okay AJ?" Marissa asked.
AJ nodded his head eagerly, his mouth stuffed with the last of his cheese sandwich.
…
They all squeezed up the head end of the bed. AJ had the computer on his lap with Miranda on one side of him and mommy and Gabby on the other.
"…there you go." said Marissa giving him instructions. "Now type in Ellen…"
AJ carefully did as he was told, he could feel Miranda beside him aching to take over so he was determined he wasn't going to make a mistake.
"…And then click on that one there…"
When the next page came up Gabby pointed excitedly at the screen.
"There's mommy!" she exclaimed.
AJ clicked on the picture and the video started to play.
…
Ellen DeGeneres was smiling at the camera.
"Now we you have all heard that the powerful and controversial film 'Erica' premiered in New York last week. We had two of our top reporters there getting to the heart of the issues…"
…
A video clip began of Erica talking to two little girls in tutu, Sophia and Rosie.
Both girls were a little self conscious in front of the cameras but Erica was being patient with them.
"I like your dress." said Sophia with a big grin. "Do you like my dress?"
"I think you both look like princesses." said Erica with a warm smile. Both girls preened a little at the compliment.
"I want to meet a princess." said Sophie.
Rosie nodded.
"We haven't met one yet."
"Not yet." agreed Rosie.
There was pause while the girls were prompted with their next question.
"This film is about you." Said Sophie
"It is." Said Erica.
"Wow." Both girls gasped together.
"We never met anyone who got their own film before." cried Sophie very excitedly.
"Well I'm very excited about it too." said Erica. "I've been quite ill until recently so I've no idea what I'm going to see. So it is very exciting."
Both girls nodded and grinned although Rosie looked a bit more thoughtful.
"I hope you feel better." she said.
"Yes, feel better." agreed Sophie.
"Thank you." Said Erica. "And you two keep up the good work you are both fantastic."
"Thank you." Both girls cried bouncing for joy.
…
"Could those two be any more adorable?" said Ellen what a grin, "And we really need to get them an interview with a princess, don't we?"
There was a cheer from the audience.
"Does anyone have my cousin Kate's schedule, I'm sure she wouldn't mind."
There was laugher now as well as cheers.
"Speaking of adorable, I would like you to welcome one of the nicest people I have ever had the privilege to meet, best known as Erica Kane's youngest daughter, please welcome Bianca Montgomery."
The camera pulled out to show Bianca seated on the chair beside her.
"I'm not sure what to say to that." said Bianca as the applause died away, "Except, thank you. I'm glad to be here. And can I just say those two girls are really cute."
"Aren't they!" agreed Ellen.
…
Gabby frowned.
"They didn't let her dance. They always dance."
"You've seen this show before?" Marissa asked.
"With Opal." explained Gabby. "The lady's funny, she plays peek-a-boo and gives presents."
"Well they were probably just worried about your mommy's leg and that's why she didn't dance."
Gabby nodded.
…
"Now you were also at the premier."
"I was." said Bianca.
"We have pictures."
The first image up was a group hug with Kendal and Bianca either side of Erica.
"I haven't seen any of these yet." said Bianca watching the screen curiously
The second was a picture of Bianca and Natalie Portman.
"Is it weird to have someone else play at being you?"
"A little. But Natalie is an amazing actress so I knew I was in good hands."
The third photograph caused a hoot from the crowd.
"And who may I ask is this?"
Bianca gave an embarrassed grin. It was the picture of Bianca and Marissa's kiss.
"That's my girlfriend Marissa." said Bianca her cheeks turning a little pink.
"I must say that's a nice dress she's wearing."
"It is isn't it." said Bianca nodding.
…
Marissa's cheeks turned a little pink too as she was watching, but she didn't miss the excited nudge that Miranda gave AJ.
…
Ellen was now getting into interview mode.
"Now you are here to talk about the film of your mother's life, and we will, but first I would like to say that you are an incredible woman, an incredible woman – you have been through so much and you do such good work… and as we have seen you are also gay… You came out to the world when you were, what, nineteen. That cannot have been an easy thing?"
"No, no." said Bianca her expression a little more serious. "Although I think it was harder coming out to my mother than the press. You could always tell how the press was going to take it; my mother was a more daunting prospect."
"Now I read in your mother's autobiography, that she believes when you came out to her was one of the proudest moments in her life."
Bianca nodded and smiled.
"She says that now, but at the time she took it less well. But now, now she is one of my strongest supporters, and I love her for it."
The audience burst into applause.
…
Gabby began clapping as well.
…
"Well your mother is 'Erica Kane', there is no other." said Ellen with a wide smile of her own. "But fewer people know your story. You have had a very traumatic life yourself… and because of that you founded the now globally recognised Miranda Centre. A charity helping woman and children suffering abuse or neglect."
"The Miranda Centre is something I am very passionate about. From its small beginnings it has become a whole support network and it keeps women and families safe, and I am very proud of that. We don't just provide medical care, counselling, and a refuge. We offer childcare, training and education classes. We are there to help women find a life for themselves after the abuse."
The applause from the audience grew even louder when she finished speaking.
"A worthy cause." said Ellen, nodding enthusiastically, "A very worthy cause."
This instigated even more applause and whoops and cheers. Some of the audience members were even up on their feet.
…
Gabby keen to join in too was trying to stand up while she clapped, but Marissa pulled her back down.
"You have to sit down or you will miss it." said Marissa, settling the excited four year old back onto her lap.
…
When the audience eventually calmed down Ellen asked her next question.
"Now I must say that you are looking very well."
"Thank you." said Bianca graciously.
"But that wasn't the case nine months ago. You were injured in the same shooting that put your mother in a coma."
"I was."
"Now you were completely paralysed." said Ellen, a slight frown on her forehead. "I mean you wouldn't know it looking at you now."
Bianca nodded and gave her a small smile.
"I was in hospital for a several months, I think I had over seven operations in the end. I still have nerve damage in my leg and a scar, but apart from that I have made a full recovery. I'm very lucky."
"And when we say paralysed, you couldn't move at all?" said Ellen, looking seriously at Bianca.
"I couldn't move" she confirmed, "Or feel anywhere below my neck."
There was a loud gasp from the audience.
"We actually have a picture of you in hospital." said Ellen turning towards the wide screen at the back of the studio.
A picture appeared, inciting more gasps from the audience. It was a photograph of Bianca in her head brace lying in her hospital bed, with her sister Kendal sat beside her, talking to one of the nurses.
…
"Poor mommy." cried Gabby reaching out to touch the screen.
…
"I think that was after my seventh operation, when I'd regained some motor control." explained Bianca, although she looked a little surprised that they had a copy of the picture. "And I want to take this opportunity to say a grateful thank you to all the hospital staff that helped me with my recovery, they were outstanding." She added smiling to the camera.
"But your children also helped." prompted Ellen.
Bianca nodded.
"My two girls." she said with a grin.
…
"That's us!" cried Gabby. "That's us!"
…
"What are their names, we should say, hi. Do you think they will be watching?"
…
Gabby was bouncing excitedly.
"We're watching. We're watching"
…
"They might be." said Bianca. "It's Miranda and Gabby."
"Hi Miranda. Hi Gabby." said Ellen waving to camera.
…
"Hi mommy! Hi Ellen!" Gabby called excitedly was she waved back.
She kept looking over to her sister a massive grin on her face. Miranda gave a wave too, mostly for her little sister's sake.
…
"We should say hi to AJ too, he'd hate to be left out." said Bianca still smiling and waving through the screen at them.
"Who's AJ?" asked Ellen.
"My girlfriend's son."
"Hi AJ…"
…
Marissa glanced across to AJ, he certainly looked delighted at being included. She also noticed a look that past between him and Miranda.
Miranda seemed to mouth the word 'Girlfriend' and both children's grins almost doubled in size.
…
"Now your children started quite a phenomenon." said Ellen.
"The get-better pictures." said Bianca. "I was getting fed up with the view from my hospital bed, because you can see that whole brace thing I was forced to wear. I could only lay on my bed and stare at the ceiling tiles. So my kids decided to draw me a picture each, to give me something nice to look at. Then they recruited the whole town to draw me a picture and then it leaked to the Miranda centre, and then it went global. I had received over 500 drawings by the time I got out of hospital. And as you can see it did help."
"But you took this one stage further."
"I did, I recruited a groups of artists to create works of art based on the drawings and put together an exhibition as a way to spread the good feelings."
"I actually went to the exhibit when it came here to LA and you know there was some crazy stuff."
Ellen turned to the screen again and this time a picture of the mermaid quilt done by the Pine Valley Quilting Circle appeared. The picture captured perfectly the slightly cross-eyed expression on the mermaid's face.
There was a laugh from the audience.
"My sisters drawing inspired that one." explained Bianca
The next picture was the boat and shark fixed to the ceiling.
"It's like something out of jaws." said Ellen, to more laughter.
Finally the screen showed a video of the horse race piece which included two of Miranda's pictures.
"Now I get that it's a horse race." said Ellen, "But why oh why is that one unicorn being ridden by a bunny rabbit?"
"That I couldn't tell you." said Bianca with a laugh.
…
"'cause bunnies are bw-illiant!" exclaimed Gabby.
…
Ellen was watching the screen excitedly.
"Wait for it he's going to win! He's going to win. Yay."
A cheer came up from the audience as well as the bunny did a series of victory backflips on his still galloping unicorn.
Ellen turned back to the camera.
"Now I'm afraid we have to take a short break. When we return we will be talking about the new film 'Erica' and what it is like to be the daughter of Erica Kane…"
…
As the video clip ended Gabby leant back against Marissa and looked up at her.
"'Rissa, is mommy coming home soon?"
"Very soon." said Marissa.
"Are you picking her up from the airport tonight?" Miranda asked.
"I am." said Marissa
"Can we come?" asked Miranda.
"Yeah, can we come?" asked Gabby.
"Can we?" asked AJ sitting up in bed.
"I'm afraid Bianca is taking a very late plane home, so you will all be asleep in bed when she arrives."
"Can't we stay up and see her. We promise to be good." begged AJ.
Marissa almost laughed to see the eagerness in her son's eyes.
"No, you are still sick and it will be a school night. You will have to wait to see her in the morning."
All three children gave a disappointed groan.
"But when I see her I promise to tell her how much you all love her and how much you all missed her."
"And you tell her how much you love her too." said Gabby. "And then in the morning you can tell us about our new ho…."
"Mom, can I ask you something!" cried AJ quickly, cutting Gabby off, a slight look of panic on his face.
"Sure." said Marissa. "Just a minute; what were you saying Gabby?"
"She's just being silly." said Miranda, giving her sister an annoyed glare. "You don't have to tell mommy anything if you don't want?"
"What?" asked Marissa even more confused; those kids were definitely hiding something.
"Mom." said AJ trying to cause a distraction. "Can I… um… have another sandwich? Please!"
Marissa realised that the three kids were trying to keep a secret, although it probably wasn't a wild guess to assume that it had something to do with the house. Marissa smiled. She had plans of her own in that regard… starting tonight.
"Sure. I'll get you a sandwich." said Marissa letting the matter drop. "Do you two want anything else to eat?"
Marissa tried not to laugh at the instant look of relief on the kid's faces.
…