This chapter proved incredibly long, but I saw it so vividly in my head and I had to write it all down.

Thank you last week to my readers and reviewers, (especially ct2191, thank you for your daily reviews I do appreciate them)

SPOILERS - this week - Two very differant articles are published, surprise visitors come to Disneyland and a new life is welcomed to Pine Valley.

...

Marissa woke up in a strange bed, but with a familiar feeling of warmth nearby. Still half asleep, she realised it was the hushed whisper of children's voices that woke her, and then she remembered where she was… Disneyland, Paris, France.

Marissa slowly opened her eyes to see Bianca snuggled in beside her, still sound asleep. She propped herself up slightly to see AJ, Miranda and Gabby all awake and sitting up in bed.

"Good Morning." she said with a groan.

"Morning." the kids whispered back.

Marissa looked around sleepily; she reached out to find her watch in the night stand to check the time. It was well after seven, time to get up. That way they would have plenty of time to get ready, have breakfast and get to the park for the nine o'clock opening.

The only problem was that Bianca was still fast asleep; clearly more worn out by yesterday than she was willing to admit. Marissa found herself gazing adoringly at Bianca's soft sleeping features.

"Should we wake her?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

"Gently." said Miranda softly.

Gabby clasped her hands together and gasped

"Kiss her like sleeping beauty!" she whispered excitedly.

Marissa looked down at Bianca's slightly parted lips.

"…like sleeping beauty." she echoed, her smile wide. She was beginning to lose count of the number of times she had woken Bianca with a kiss.

Slowly she leant down and pressed her lips gently against Bianca's. Her girlfriend moaned pleasantly and a hand snaked behind Marissa's head holding her in place as Bianca sought to lengthen the kiss.

"Good morning." Bianca sighed seductively.

Marissa gave a discrete cough.

"Um… Morning," she said pulling away.

"Morning mommy!" came a loud exclamation from Gabby.

Bianca's flirty expression suddenly changed as remembered where they were.

She sat up suddenly and was about to wish the kids a good morning when all the breath was knocked out of her as Gabby jumped from her bed onto Bianca.

"I love you mommy." cried little Gabby, settling on her lap and kissing her mom on the nose.

"I love you too, little sweetie." said Bianca, blowing a kiss right back to her youngest daughter.

She gave Gabby a squoosh while looking across to her elder daughter, who was sitting up bleary eyed in bed.

"And good morning Miranda, did you sleep okay?"

"I guess." said Miranda, thoughtfully. "Gabby woke me up when she started wriggling. It made the whole bed shake."

"Were you being a little wriggle bottom?" Bianca asked, giving her daughter a playful poke.

"I wanted to get up." said Gabby with a pout.

"Well you know you shouldn't wake up your sister if she's sleeping."

"Sorry mommy." said Gabby quietly.

"I don't think it's me you have to say sorry to." said Bianca.

Gabby looked across to her big sister.

"Sorry M'anda." she said.

Miranda shrugged.

"It's okay really. Just don't be such a wiggly-worm."

"Okay." said Gabby sadly.

Bianca then glanced across to AJ on his lone cot on the other side of the room.

"How about you, buddy? How did you sleep? Did your mom's snoring keep you awake."

"Hey!" cried Marissa, swatting Bianca's arm. "I do not snore!"

"I slept good." said AJ.

"You slept 'good'?"laughed Marissa, "You slept well!"

"That too." said AJ, spotting an opportunity to tease his mom.

"Right!" exclaimed Marissa suddenly pulling aside the covers and swinging her legs out of bed. "Let's get up and ready or we will be wasting valuable Disney time! Who wants the bathroom first?"

"Me!" cried Miranda, leaping from her side of the bed.

"Right the rest of us will sort out our outfits for today." said Marissa, lifting Gabby from Bianca's lap. "And mommy can start her exercises."

"Oh joy." said Bianca, straightening up with little enthusiasm.

"Mom, can I wear, my Cars t-shirt?" AJ asked leaning over the foot of his bed without actually getting out of it in order to rummage in his suitcase.

"Sure." said Marissa, multitasking, as at the same time as she was helping Gabby unfasten her own case. "But remember you'll need a sweater as well, it's cold out. You too, little lady" she added to Gabby.

Leaving Gabby to peruse her own case Marissa turned to Bianca and gave her a warm smile.

"Are you alright to do your upper body work-out while I wrangle the kids and then we can do the rest of you when they're dressed?" she asked.

Bianca nodded,

"Makes sense." She grinned at AJ and Gabby and added excitedly, "Because the sooner we get ready the sooner we can go in the rides!"

"Yeah!" cried AJ in agreement, punching the air in excitement; they were starting in Discoveryland today and he was eager to go on the driving ride again.

Marissa gave Bianca a wink before disappearing into the bathroom to turn on the shower for Miranda.

…

"I want to help you mommy." said Gabby, coming over to stand by the bed; watching her mom as she strapped on her wrist weights.

Bianca patted the bed opposite.

"Well you can do a very important job. I have to do every exercise ten times. You could do the counting for me."

"I'm good at counting." said Gabby, happily.

"Yes you are." agreed Bianca, "…So are you ready?"

"Ready!" exclaimed Gabby, as her mommy started her with her work-out. "One… two…"

…

Once Miranda was all set, Marissa emerged from the bathroom to find Gabby no longer going through her suitcase. Instead she was sitting opposite her mommy, copying her movements and counting loudly as she did so.

Marissa smiled as she watched Bianca with her youngest daughter; encouraging her with her counting and making her laugh as she went through her stretches. She knew Bianca was finding being in the wheelchair frustrating, but her girlfriend was still endeavouring to keep her family happy; putting everyone first as always. She really was incredible.

Taking a deep breath Marissa turned her attention back to her own son, who was roughly shoving his unwanted clothes back into his case.

She reached out to tussle his ever lengthening bangs.

"You know I was reading they have a proper old fashioned barber shop here. It would be like getting a cowboy haircut."

AJ pulled his head out of Marissa's reach.

"I don't want a haircut at a barber shop, they might shave it all off." he said nervously.

Marissa sighed, she'd hoped her son might think it sounded cool.

"It was just a thought." she said, backing down; his haircut would have to wait until they got back to Pine Valley.

"I'm ready!" Miranda shouted from the bathroom.

Marissa left AJ and stuck her head back into the bathroom. Miranda was standing there wrapped in a large fluffy towel. Marissa gave the older girl a quick rub down and then shooed her out into the bedroom.

"Right AJ your next." she called.

She quickly checked the shower temperature and left AJ pulling off his pyjamas.

Emerging into the bedroom once again, she found Miranda, her outfit already chosen, carefully getting herself dressed.

Marissa then noticed from the corner of her eye that Bianca wasn't doing her exercises quite right. She was stretching her arm across her chest. She was supposed to be swinging them as far as they would go; instead she was simply going through the motions.

"All the way." Marissa called, scolding her girlfriend lightly. She knelt in front of her Bianca putting one hand on her girlfriend's shoulder and pushing the other arm tight across her chest, just the way the physiotherapist had shown her.

Bianca took a resigned sigh, and looked down into Marissa's eyes.

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice." she said, a soft smile on her lips.

"Well I did." said Marissa, smiling back.

Marissa helped Bianca do a couple more proper stretches, while Gabby counted,

"…eight …nine …ten."

"MOM!" AJ suddenly cried from the bathroom.

Marissa gave Bianca a long suffering grin.

"Duty calls." she said. She then pointed a warning finger at Bianca. "Exercise properly or there is no point!"

"Yes ma'am!" said Bianca giving her a teasing salute.

Marissa stole a quick kiss from Bianca's grinning lips as she got up from the floor, before heading to her son's rescue.

AJ was flailing about in the shower stall with his eyes tightly shut and shampoo suds running down is face.

"MOM!" he cried again, "There's soap in my eyes!"

"Come here. Let's rinse you off." she said, directing her son back under the shower spray. "Keep your eyes closed."

…

Bianca was doing her final upper body routine, slowly raising her hands up over her head, holding them in place and then slowly lowering them again.

"Mommy?" Miranda asked, a nervous quiver to her voice.

"What's wrong, angel?" Bianca replied, as Gabby counted stretch number four.

"Will you ever get better?"

Bianca hadn't expected that question.

"Honey, I am better. I'm getting stronger every day."

"But don't you get sad when you can't go on some of the rides with us?"

"Yes… but I get to see you having fun and that more than makes up for it. Seeing my girls laughing and happy is worth a million rides in a teacup."

"Really?" Miranda asked, her voice lifting slightly, she really needed to believe it.

"Really." said Bianca, with all the conviction she could muster.

…

Marissa eventually emerged with a towel draped AJ, her sleeves rolled up and the front of her night shirt soaking wet.

"Right little miss, it's your turn." she said, addressing the youngest Montgomery

Gabby turned back to Marissa.

"But I haven't finished counting yet."

"Miranda can take over, can't she." said Bianca. "You need to get washed and dressed or we will be late for breakfast… they might run out of chocolate croissants!"

Gabby's jaw dropped… not the chocolate croissants!

"Coming." she cried racing to the bathroom.

Miranda took over Gabby's seat on the edge of the bed.

"What did you get to?" she asked.

"Six I think." said Bianca, "But you don't really have to count…" she added quietly. "That was just for Gabby."

"But I want to." insisted Miranda. "I want to help any way I can!"

Bianca smiled at her thoughtful daughter.

"Okay." she said pulling up for her next stretch. " Lets count… six… seven…"

…

Bianca was now lying on her back on the floor with her knees bent. Miranda was holding one foot, AJ had the other and Gabby was sitting beside her excitedly counting her sit ups. She was up to nine.

"Come on!" exclaimed Marissa; sitting on the other side of her, one hand on her left knee to hold it in place, "One more!"

Miranda and AJ were shouting encouragement as well.

Bianca pulled herself up one last time to rousing cheers. Having the kids involved certain made her morning exercises more fun.

"Ten!" cried Gabby.

Bianca flopped back onto the floor in relief.

"Right kids, you'll have to move." said Marissa, straightening out Bianca's legs, "One last exercise."

The last exercise wasn't really an exercise at all, but a massage along the muscles of her left leg to check then there were no strains or circulation problems.

Bianca propped herself up on her elbow to watch Marissa start on her left toes. She still couldn't get used to watching someone touching her body and yet there was no sensation. Resigned Bianca lay back and starred up at the ceiling, glad for the opportunity to get her breath back. Turning her head she could see Miranda, Gabby and AJ quietly watching Marissa work. The worried expression of concentration on Miranda's face stung a little. Bianca hated being a source of worry to her girls. She knew she was lucky a hundred times over to be alive, but part of her wished that the miracle cure had worked a little better and brought her back whole.

Bianca was lost in thoughts when she was startled back to reality by the unexpected sensation of Marissa's fingers high up on her thigh. She turned back to her girlfriend and caught the quick smirk on her face.

"All done." said Marissa. She darted forward and kissed Bianca briefly, before helping her girlfriend sit up. "Come on my sweaty princess, it's your turn for the shower."

"Thanks" said Bianca with a laugh.

She wrapped her arms around Marissa's neck as she slowly got to her feet.

"Can we help?" asked AJ, putting out his own hand for support.

"Why don't you sort me out an outfit to wear while I wash up?" Bianca suggested.

"Okay, Binks." said AJ and all three children hurried to her suitcase.

Determinedly, Bianca walked towards the bathroom, one arm around Marissa's shoulder for support.

"Do you need a hand?" Marissa asked when they got to the bathroom door.

Bianca bit back laugh.

"Better not." she said, "I remember your 'hand' from yesterday."

Marissa gave a chuckle of her own at the memory.

Bianca found herself staring at Marissa; she couldn't stop the wide smile that spread across her face.

"I do love you." she said with a sigh. "And this morning, the way you got the whole Munchkin army ready with no fuss. I'm beginning to think the wrong person got the 'Super Mom' mug."

Marissa smiled back. They both turned to watch the three kids, working together as they sorted through Bianca's suitcase of clothes.

"Face it, we are blessed with amazing kids." said Marissa.

"We are." agreed Bianca, but her eyes flicker back to Marissa's face. She couldn't resist, catching Marissa's chin with finger and thumb, turning her head to face her.

Bianca seized the opportunity to kiss Marissa sweetly once more.

"But that doesn't change the fact that I have an amazing girlfriend as well." she sighed.

…