The next morning Bianca found Kendall in the office at Fusion. She just had to look at Kendall and her older sister knew she needed to talk.

Kendall excused herself from her chat with Randi about the release date for the new colours in the Midnight Shadow line and grabbed her coat.

"Why don't I buy you a coffee." said Kendall heading for the elevator. Bianca smiled gratefully and followed her.

…

They went downstairs to ConFusion. Kendall ordered them a drink at the bar and led Bianca across to the seclusion of a booth.

"So spill!" said Kendall as she took her seat.

Bianca smiled sadly.

"I wanted to talk to you about Miranda…"

Kendall visible relaxed,

"Oh thank god, I thought you were going to say our mom had done something!"

Bianca's expression spoke a million words. Kendall wasn't far off the mark, Erica clearly had upset her, but that wasn't her sister's reason for being here!

"So Miranda." said Kendall, opting to avoid the clearly unwelcome subject of their mother.

"You offered before to talk to her." said Bianca, her features softening again as she spoke of her daughter.

"Whatever you need." said Kendall.

"I just… I've spoken to Dr Stanhope and we've had the 'conversation'" said Bianca, adding the quotation marks with her fingers. "In truth it didn't go too badly. But it hasn't done anything to chase away the nightmares. I just thought if she could talk to someone who sees rape from the same side she does..?"

Kendall reached across the table and squeezed her distressed baby sister by the hand.

"Whatever you need." she repeated. "I could speak to her tonight if you want!"

"Would you?" said Bianca hopefully. "I'm running out of ideas. She slept in our bed again last night and she still has nightmares or wakes up with little panic attacks. It breaks my heart that she can't let it go… or it won't let her go!"

"I can come over after school or she could come to mine?"

"Do you need Dr Stanhope to mediate?" Bianca asked, "I could ask him. It helped me!"

Kendal wasn't sure how she felt about the thought of a shrink listening in.

"I think," said Kendall, "That if we want Miranda to feel like this is normal it needs to be just a conversation between us."

Bianca nodded gratefully.

"I just think there are still things she's not telling me!" said Bianca, a broken-hearted catch in her voice.

"Hey," said Kendall, squeezing her sister's hand again. "I'll talk to her. I know it's impossible but just try not to worry."

"Thank you!" said Bianca her smile once more returning.

…

When the drinks arrived, conversation turned to AJ and Spike's sleepover and the princess party and the two sisters relaxed into their familiar friendship.

"Gabby is just a sweetheart, isn't she." said Kendall when she heard the party was her youngest niece's idea.

"She really is." said Bianca, "And Ayesha was just so cute! I still can't believe Marissa did all that on top of the less than successful dinner party the night before..."

As she spoke, Bianca's face fell as she trailed off; brought back to the subject she had earlier tried to avoid.

"Just tell me what she did." said Kendall, referring to their mother; although she already had a good idea.

"She basically, after being rude to Marissa all night for no reason, then went on to accuse her having an affair with Scott! I just… I just can't have her doing that to me again! Interfering and ruining my life. I told her if she couldn't accept my family them she couldn't be part of it! She hasn't spoken to me since."

"You did the right thing." said Kendall, "Jackson is trying to distract her with the wedding plans. This will blow over, it's clearly her new obsession."

Bianca sighed,

"And don't her usual obsessions end up blowing up on everyone's faces. I just can't have that happening to my family! It's too precious."

"Honestly, I think we both know our mom can rant and scheme all she wants, it won't even put a dint in your relationship with Marissa. You two are meant to be!"

Bianca smiled.

"I guess if you look at it that way!"

"What other way is there to look at it? We've survived Erica being Erica all these years. Just think of it as good practice for Marissa to help her cope with all the years to come!"

Bianca laughed, but she shook her head.

"You know at some point she's going to have to stop using that as an excuse, Erica being Erica..!"

"Well it looks like you didn't excuse it!" said Kendall in all seriousness, "Maybe this time she will actually learn to leave well alone!"

Kendall and Bianca shared a sage nod and then grinned in unison, and then the laughing started. Who were they kidding?

"It was a nice thought!" said Bianca through the giggles.

"…Not going to happen!" said Kendall with a grin.

"…Not going to happen!" Bianca agreed still smiling.

…