Looking Back

Title: Looking Back

Author: A.M. Glass

Rating(s): PG-13 - NC-17

Disclaimer: The characters from "All My Children," belong respectively to Agnes Nixon, A.B.C. and the Disney Co. The characters from "The L Word," belong respectively to Ilene Chaiken, Showtime Network Inc., Viacom Productions, Anonymous Content, MGM and Dufferin Gate Productions. No copyright infringement is intended or inferred. The story along with any/all original characters are the sole property of the author and cannot be used without expressed permission first.

Author's Notes: I decided after reading a lot of posts about Lena and Bianca crossing over to The L Word, to write a story that does just that. There was only one small problem. The ages of the characters. I'd asked if anyone knew how old Lena, Bianca and Marina were. Bianca was easy, she had just turned twenty. However, the other two... totally different story. No one really knows. For the sake of this story, I've had to do the following. Lena is thirty-six and Marina is forty-two. You'll see exactly why I had to do this as the story unfolds. As to Bianca's behavior, I've only known one person who's been raped - and I didn't feel comfortable enough to ask her to see if how I've written Bianca was realistic in a sense that what she says or does could possibly ring true. So if it doesn't, I apologize in advance.

Chapter 1

"Why don't we stop for something to drink?" Bianca suggested as she watched the scenery go by.

"Where?"

"Umm... how about over there?" Bianca pointed out the window.

"Are you sure?" Lena questioned as her brown eyes surveyed the parking situation. She was about to suggest stopping somewhere else when a car pulled out. "I may have spoken too soon." After parking the car, they both stepped out into the sunny day.

"Isn't beautiful?" Bianca asked as she turned around feeling the sun on her face and smiling.

"Not as beautiful as the company."

"Come on, let's go inside," she said as she pulled Lena towards the entrance.

As soon as they entered they could tell the place was obviously popular, it was crowded.

"Why don't you grab that table?" Bianca pointed to the lone one towards the back. "I'll get the drinks."

"But..."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it. If you don't hurry we might lose the table."

"I like to worry," Lena said.

"I know you do."

Lips pressed against each other briefly.

"I'll be back in a minute."

Taking a seat Lena looked around the place. She smiled as she watched Bianca make her way to counter. Spotting a copy of the newspaper, Lena picked it up and started reading.

"I'd like a coffee and a..." Bianca glanced at the menu, "decaffeinated iced tea please."

"Of course. Will that be for here or..."

"For here," Bianca interrupted.

"Why don't you show me where you're sitting and I'll take these over to you."

"You don't have to," Bianca protested.

"I insist."

"But..."

"As the owner, I would take offense if you didn't allow me to take them for you."

"I'm not going to win am I?"

"No."

"Okay, I'm right over there," Bianca pointed out.

"I'll be there in a moment."

"Thank you."

"My pleasure."

Lena heard the chair pull back, closing the paper and putting it aside she noticed Bianca had come back empty handed. "Did you forget something?"

"No."

"Here you are, one coffee and one..."

Lena froze. It couldn't be, not after all these years. It can't. It can't. She looked up and gasped.

"Lena?"

Chapter Two

Bianca looked at the shocked expression on Lena's face, it was gone seconds later. "Lena... do you two know each other?"

Lena turned her attention to Bianca. "Bianca... this, this is Marina Ferrer. It's still Ferrer isn't it?"

Marina nodded.

"Marina, this is Bianca Montgomery, my everything."

Bianca shook hands with the other woman as her eyebrows rose at Lena's introduction. "How do you do."

"Hello. Are you in town long?" Marina asked looking at Lena.

"No."

"Two weeks..." Bianca replied wondering why she had answered that way. What was going on?

"I see. Well, enjoy your drinks."

"Wait," Bianca said as Marina had started leaving the table. "You never said how much I owe you."

"No. There's no charge - it's the least I can do," Marina paused momentarily as she gazed in Lena's direction. "For an old friend."

"Are you sure?" Bianca asked sensing there was more to what Marina had said.

"Positive. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"Don't let us keep you," Lena said her voice hard.

Marina nodded and left.

"Lena..."

"Can we go please?"

"What's going on? Who is she?"

Lena sighed, "Bianca, I'll tell you everything, I promise but not here - please, let's go to the hotel and I'll explain then."

"Fine. But remember our pact Lena, no secrets."

Lena reached out, taking Bianca's hand in hers and brought it to her lips. "No secrets," she replied.

Marina watched as both Lena and Bianca left. She wasn't surprised. She had seen the flash of pain cross Lena's features before they were buried under the cool exterior.

"Bianca Montgomery..." she whispered to herself. Perhaps if she ran into Alice she'd ask her to find out what she could about the young woman who had obviously captured Lena's heart. Something she'd held for a brief period of time before she had made a mistake.

Before she had broken Lena's heart.

Marina had gone over the situation time and time again and still came to the same conclusion. She was a wild spirit and knew that one day in the future she might be the woman whom Lena had hoped she would be.

After all these years Marina still wasn't sure if she had achieved the goal.

"Hey Marina!"

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts she smiled and returned the greeting as Shane, Dana and Alice walked in. "Hello everyone. How are you?"

"Great," Alice replied as she sat down.

"The same," Dana answered.

"Meaning she misses soup chef," Shane added.

"Shut up," Dana grumbled, knowing Shane had hit the mark.

"I'm sure she'll forgive you Dana," Marina ventured.

"She's crazy about you, anyone can see that," Alice said.

"They're right Dana... give her time," Shane told her.

"Yeah well..."

"Alice could I see you in my office for a moment?"

Alice looked at Dana and Shane, who shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay."

"I won't keep her long," Marina promised.

"That's okay, I'm sure Danes and I can think of something to keep us occupied."

"Danes?"

"Yeah, you don't like it Dana?"

"I don't know..."

Marina and Alice left their friends discussing the merits of Dana's probable new nickname.

When they had gone into Marina's office, Dana looked at Shane, "What was that about?"

"Haven't got a clue," Shane answered distractedly as a brunette she'd never seen before walked in.

* * *

"Okay, what's the name again?" Alice inquired.

"Bianca Montgomery."

"Montgomery..." Alice muttered as she wrote the name down. The name seemed to strike a chord with her for some reason and she hadn't figured it out yet.

"Alice."

"Yeah," she replied looking up as she put her notebook away.

"You mustn't tell anyone what I'm asking you to do."

"Of course not..."

"I mean it Alice. I don't want another Bette and Tina fiasco."

Alice winced briefly. She was never going to live that down. So, she had promised Tina not to tell anyone about the pregnancy at least not before Bette had found out. Well, it wasn't like she told everyone, Dana hadn't known.

"Do you understand?"

"Yeah - yeah."

"This is important to me, I'm trusting you Alice."

"I'll get you what I can."

"Thank you," Marina said.

"I'd better get back."

"I'll be there shortly."

Alice left the office and tried to think of something to tell Shane and Dana. They'd want to know what the meeting was about. "Oh brother."

Chapter 3

As soon as they had checked into the hotel suite, Lena had begged off the discussion and headed straight for the shower.

Bianca had waited for as long as she could, taking a deep breath, knowing she was intruding she knocked on the door, "Lena... I'm coming in." Bianca slowly opened the bathroom door and was immediately immersed in steam from the shower.

"I'll be out in a moment," Lena called out.

Although they had been traveling together the last two weeks; sleeping side by side with Bianca finding herself in Lena's embrace come morning they had not taken the final step in their reconciliation. Bianca had hoped when she suggested the trip that this would be the perfect chance for them to be themselves without interruptions. A chance to re-build what they once shared.

She believed they were finally moving in the right direction - kisses that had once been a chaste meeting of lips had evolved into passionate exchanges that left them both gasping. Bianca had actually developed a plan; she was going to begin her seduction of Lena tonight.

Now, as she looked through the opaque glass shower door, seeing Lena's body just out of reach, she wasn't sure.

Lena had closed herself off and that frightened Bianca more than she'd like to admit.

Bianca wanted to slide the door open, step into the shower with Lena and hold her close. To whisper it would be all right, together they would face any situation and come out on top. Until she knew what was going on, Bianca could do nothing but wait.

As the water ran down her body, Lena knew it was only a matter of time before Bianca would demand to know what had happened this afternoon. Yet how could she tell her?

How could she say that it wasn't Michael that had taught her to close her heart? He was simply fortunate enough to reap the rewards.

No - that honor belonged to Marina.

Marina had left an empty shell that Michael had been able to fill with his schemes and lies. Like a woman drowning Lena had taken hold of him and held on for dear life, whatever the price.

Looking back, Lena thought she should really thank Marina. If it wasn't for her she would have never have met Bianca. She would have never had the opportunity to know what it was like to fall in love once again. To realize that her heart was capable of doing more than just pumping blood throughout her body.

Lena knew however as soon as she told Bianca what had happened - Bianca would move heaven and earth to give Marina a piece of her mind and quite possibly a first hand taste of the infamous Kane slap.

If the past year had shown Lena anything it was this: the Kane/Montgomery/Hart women fiercely guarded their relationships. That was not to say that their luck in that department was stellar. Far from it, they did however fight with all they had.

Perhaps Lena was simply projecting what she secretly hoped Bianca would do. Defend her honor - defend her heart, their love for one another.

Reaching out, Lena turned the water off. She heard the door slide open, allowing the cool air to enter making her shiver.

"Come on - let's get you dry," Bianca said softly as she held out one of the large fluffy towels she had brought with her on the trip. The ones the hotels had provided simply weren't big enough to cover her at the moment.

Without saying a word, Lena stepped out of the shower and into Bianca's waiting arms. She allowed Bianca to dry her off, never thinking how this was the first time since they had made love that Bianca had seen her naked.

Bianca carefully dried Lena's body - her heart quickening at the sight of Lena's skin. She silently acknowledged if the events from earlier this afternoon had not taken place she wouldn't be drying Lena's body.

Bianca would have been exploring it with her lips, her tongue and her hands. She filed those thoughts away - this wasn't the time or place. This wasn't about her. This was about Lena and how seeing Marina had affected her.

Wrapping the towel around Lena's body, Bianca took her hand and led her through the door and back into the bedroom. Grabbing the nightgown Lena normally slept in from the bed; where Bianca had placed it earlier, she took the towel away - tossing it on the bed and helped Lena slip into the nightgown.

"There," Bianca said as she kissed Lena briefly on the lips. "I'm gonna order from room service - why don't you lie down for a little bit."

Lena nodded and got under the covers, bringing them up around her shoulders. She could hear Bianca moving around the room but couldn't find it in herself to care. She only wished the cold sensation that seemed to permeate her body would leave.

'What the hell did she do to you?' Bianca wondered as she saw Lena's body huddled under the blankets. "Hello, yes this is suite 519, I'd like to order room service please."

Chapter 4

Jenny stopped by The Planet and could tell that something had happened. Marina was not her usual self. She had smiled at her when she came in, but no enticement on her part could get Marina alone in her office.

"I'm fine, really." Is what Marina had told her when she asked if anything was wrong, was there something she could help with.

As she watched Marina her mind began to dream up different scenarios as what may have happened. If she had been anyone else - a different kind of writer, Jenny could have taken Marina's behavior as perhaps a sign that the older woman was losing interest in her. Jenny knew that wasn't the case. The ache she still felt from yesterday's impromptu get together quashed the idea.

Finishing her coffee, Jenny glanced at her watch. Sighing she knew she had to leave in order to get home before Tim. Taking in Marina's body with hungry eyes, Jenny once again appreciated the soft curves that she ached to touch, hold, pinch, caress and so much more.

Perhaps they could get together later on.

"Marina."

"Are you leaving?" she asked as she finished pouring another coffee.

"Yeah, I've gotta go."

"So soon?"

Jenny bit back the retort that popped in her head. She had been sitting for forty-five minutes, "Tim's coming home."

"Of course."

"I'll call you later?"

"If you'd like," Marina replied. "Jenny..."

"Yeah."

"I may not be home 'til late. I have a few errands to run."

"Oh... okay. I'll call tomorrow instead."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I'll see you later," Jenny replied as she briefly squeezed Marina's arm before heading home.

Marina hadn't wanted to lie to Jenny, but she didn't want to be in her company tonight. All she hoped was that Alice would get her the information she needed.

* * *

"Lena... honey... wake up," Bianca said softly as she gently caressed Lena's cheek in attempts to wake her gradually.

"What?" Lena mumbled as her eyes fluttered open. What had happened? Why was she in bed and what time was it?

"Baby, I got you some soup."

Lena slowly pushed herself up into a seating position. "Soup?"

'Yeah, I thought you might be hungry when you woke up."

"I'm sorry Bianca..." Lena said as she glanced at the clock on the nightstand, she had been asleep for three hours.

"Don't worry about it."

"No," Lena reached out and took Bianca's hands in hers. "I said I would explain when we arrived..."

Bianca slid her hand from Lena's grasp and placed an index finger on Lena's lips. "You were exhausted. You needed to get some sleep."

"What about you?" Lena asked moving Bianca's hand away. "You need to rest as well. Did you eat?"

"Yes, I ate. I knew you'd worry," Bianca said with a knowing smile.

Lena brought Bianca closer and kissed her gently before resting her forehead against Bianca's. "I can't help it."

Pulling back, Bianca shook her head slowly. "No matter how many times I go on about being able to take care of myself, I never regret how you look after me... us."

"I love you both so much Bianca..." Lena said her eyes bright with tears.

"I know," Bianca replied. "I love you too." Taking Lena's hand and placing it on her protruding belly, she whispered, "We both do."

* * *

"Marina?" Alice called out as she entered the office.

"Yes."

"I've got one question. How do you know Bianca Montgomery?" she asked as she sat across from her.

"What? Why? What did you find out?"

Alice had taken out the folder she had needed to bring the material she had been able to get. "Well..." she began, looking at her notes. "She's twenty years old - got top grades in school..."

"Alice," Marina interrupted, "This is all very nice, but who is she."

"I'm getting to it," she shuffled some papers out of the way. "Her mother is Erica Kane, perhaps you've heard of her?"

"Erica Kane... I think so."

"You know, she owns Enchantment, the cosmetic company. It's based out of a small town in Pennsylvania - called Pine Valley."

"Go on," Marina encouraged as she leaned forward in her chair.

"It seems that young Miss Montgomery, a lesbian I might add, is the heir apparent to her mother's vast fortune but unfortunately that's not the most interesting thing."

"Unfortunately?"

Alice nodded, "About nine months ago she was raped, by the son of multibillionaire Alexander Cambias, Michael."

"What!" Marina was shocked - there was no way she would have ever guessed that the radiant looking... mother to be. Dear God. "She's pregnant," Marina blurted out.

Alice looked up. "How did you know?" Seeing that she wasn't going to get an answer, she continued, "Okay... this Cambias guy, a real sweetheart of a man," Alice said sarcastically, "... was able to beat the rape charges... lack of evidence or something like that. It really didn't matter, 'cause a few weeks later he wound up dead."
"He's dead?"

"His body was found in some warehouse, shot with a .38 caliber gun. Bianca's half sister, Kendall Hart Cambias was later arrested for his death," Alice explained as she continued to shift through the copies of articles she'd brought with her.

"Cambias? Bianca's sister married him? This was before the rape correct?"

Looking up, Alice shook her head. "No, after."

"How could she?"

"I haven't finished," Alice said. "Kendall is arrested and brought to trail for murder."

"Did she do it?"

"No."

"Who did?"

"You've got to let me tell you about the trial, you'll never believe me but every word I'm about to tell you is the truth."

"All right." Marina could tell that Alice was excited by what she'd found out and was anxious to share the information.

"The verdict could have gone either way by the time a woman... where is that name," Alice muttered to herself, "Here it is, Greenlee Du Pres, who happens to be Bianca's cousin, disrupted the entire proceedings and things quickly headed south for Kendall."

"What did she do?"

"I'll tell you in a minute. When it looked like Kendall was going to get convicted, Erica Kane; Kendall and Bianca's mother - the Diva herself confessed in court that she killed Cambias."

"You're making this up."

Alice laughed. "I thought the same thing, but I kept digging and it came back the same, except... Erica wasn't the only person in Pine Valley who apparently had a motive to off the guy. There was a parade of people called in to testify by Kendall's defense team that they had been arrested or suspected in one way or another in Cambias' murder."

"This is a soap opera," Marina interjected as she shook her head. She was still wondering how Lena was involved.

"Tell me about it and I thought we were bad. Anyway, when it came down to it, the judge had to declare a mistrial. Witnesses had perjured themselves and evidence had been fabricated. Hell, Kendall claimed to be pregnant with Michaels' baby. The Special Prosecutor for the case thought she was lying not only about the marriage but the baby as well and had a DNA test run, which she passed. The thing is," Alice paused dramatically, "... she wasn't."

"What do you mean?" Marina asked getting thoroughly lost.

"She wasn't pregnant..."

"But you said..."

"She faked it... all of it. She even wore some get up that made her look pregnant, which is what Miss Du Pres exposed during the trial. She ripped the dress right off of Kendall while she was testifying and everyone could see the pouch she was wearing."

"Come on Alice, you expect me to believe this actually happened?" she asked and watched as Alice nodded. "First of all, faking a marriage - it might be difficult, not impossible. But the DNA test - that I find hard to believe she could pass if she wasn't pregnant."

"It doesn't hurt when your sister is the one actually having the baby."

"Alice, please," Marina stood up and walked around the desk. "This is ridiculous. Do you mean to tell me that Bianca had a hand in this?" she couldn't imagine it.

"Yes."

"How? Or better yet, why?"

"No one knew she was pregnant."

"How could they not know she was pregnant?"

"Apparently, she was hiding it and don't ask me why, I haven't a clue. None of the newspaper accounts mentioned it - and I don't want to bring up some of the wild theories the tabloids wrote about."

"What does any of this have to do with Michael's murder?"

"After the mistrial..."

Marina nodded her head.

"Bianca apparently goes to the judge and tells her that she killed Michael."

"Let me see that," Marina said as she sat down next to Alice and looked at the accumulated data she'd brought with her.

As Alice was putting her notes away she heard Marina gasp, looking over she noticed the picture Marina was staring at. "That's Bianca and her ex-lover..." She was about to take out her notes again; there were really far too many names to remember, when Marina whispered, "Lena Kundera."

"That's it. I decided to go back to when they dropped the rape charges against him. She was there, at the courthouse. According to the news reports, she had to be held back. It's hard to imagine that she and Bianca were together in the first place," Alice muttered.

"Why do you say that?"

"She was working for him, for Cambias," Alice said missing Marina's shocked expression as she went through her bag. "Boy, I gotta tell you Marina, this would make for a great series of stories..."

"What are you talking about?" Marina asked as she looked away from the file. Lena had worked for Cambias?

"The trial... it's a goldmine."

"Alice, you can't."

"Are you kidding? This is something I can sink my teeth into, something that my putz of a boss would actually run. Think of it. You've got the lesbian angle - like it or not, that sells. You've got rape, murder, blackmail, and deceit. You've got everything. Maybe a series is too narrow... maybe a book deal," Alice said to herself.

Marina had to put a stop to this and quickly. "Alice, you know this story has been covered by every news agency by now."

"Yeah but..."

"Alice," Marina sighed. This wasn't going to be easy and might put a strain on their friendship but it had to be done. "I need to ask you for another favor..."

Alice suddenly developed a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She started shaking her head, "Don't..."

"You have no idea what I'm going to ask..."

"The Hell I don't!" she stood up and began pacing the small office. "You don't want me to do the story."

"Hear me out..."

"Marina..."

"I can't let you."

Alice stopped. "Whoa! Whadda you mean, you can't let me?" in the split second it took her to glance at Marina, a look of realization crossed Alice's face. "You know her don't you?" she asked as she picked up the article she printed out. She looked at the photograph in question. "You know this Kundera woman don't you?"

"Yes."

"Oh fuck me." Alice groaned as she sat back down all the while wondering in the back of her mind when she finally made it home, should she put Lena's name in the computer and see what happened. Would there be any hits? Six degrees my ass!