Title: A Matter Of Time.

Author: A.M. Glass

E-Mail: glasswrks@yahoo.com

Rating: PG

Copyright: January 23, 2004

Disclaimer: The characters from “All My Children,” belong respectively to Agnes Nixon, A.B.C. and the Disney Co. 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 Note: This is a Bianca and Lena piece of fiction, however, this does come from Maggie’s P.O. V.

Feedback: Up to you, although I would like to know what you thought about it.

Maggie sat silently as she watched the interaction between Lena and Bianca. She felt a momentary twinge of jealously but pushed it aside. She knew she had her chance once  – although she never thought about ever having or needing it. Let alone missing it.

She sighed to herself as Lena took Bianca’s hand in hers – she knew from experience that Lena was feeling the softest hands she’d ever encountered in her life so far and that from here on end she would forever compare everyone else’s with Bianca’s.

Maggie had the feeling that sooner or later Bianca would turn her way and ask her a question, she had her suspicions that Bianca only did it to make her feel that she was still important, still in the loop.

And as much as she appreciated the sentiment, Maggie really wished Bianca would be so obvious about it. The sudden look of surprise as Bianca registered the fact that she was still in the room, including her in the conversation when it wasn’t necessary.

Bianca had been coming to her – seeking her advice, which she freely gave. Perhaps it wasn’t always the best but it was always from the heart. This was or rather had become a thing of the past, it no longer mattered that they were living together – in a purely platonic manner mind you – now that Bianca had told Lena the truth.

And slowly but surely Lena was rapidly becoming an undeniable presence in Bianca’s – and to a greater extent – her life once more.

The longer Bianca and Lena spoke, the more Maggie could see what had attracted her sister, Frankie, to Bianca in the first place.

Bianca was by no means a saint. She had her problems like everyone else, except there was something about her, which made Maggie want to protect her at all costs. As if she were channeling her sister’s feelings for Bianca.

This need had shifted into overdrive as soon as Maggie found out about Bianca’s pregnancy. Nothing and no one could touch Bianca unless they went through her first.

Lena included.

For months Maggie had been Bianca’s buffer... her champion you might say. A duty she took to heart. However, it didn’t stop the one person Maggie had hoped to shield Bianca from. The one person who had breeched the walls – the fortress Maggie had built around Bianca to keep her safe from not only Erica but from anyone else who might harm her or the baby.

Lena.

The woman who managed not only to capture Bianca’s imagination, but her heart as well. It didn’t matter how much Bianca tried to deny her feelings for the Polish beauty – yes, even Maggie acknowledged Lena’s beauty, Bianca’s heart could not, would not let Bianca forget.

How many late night talks had they had about Lena.

How Bianca, prior to the rape felt that Lena was her soul mate. How Lena was the one she was truly destined to be with for the rest of her life.

Of course Bianca would end up apologizing to her about Frankie, always saying, “I loved her Maggie – I did. Please don’t think I didn’t. It’s... it’s just not the same...”

She would smile, reach out for Bianca’s hand, telling her not to worry, she knew Bianca’s feelings for Frankie where honest and sincere. It was only her heart’s way of saying it was time for her to move on and she had.

There was nothing to apologize for.

This was before those bouts of jealousy she suffered when it seemed that Bianca was moving away from her and moving more towards Lena.

Maggie admitted to herself that there was a time – months in fact – where her feelings for her best friend had changed without her knowledge until one evening she and Bianca were sitting on the couch. They had been talking about one thing or another – it wasn’t important enough to stand out in Maggie’s mind, inasmuch as what happened next.

Bianca gasped, a shocked expression covering her face, she quickly reached out and took Maggie’s hand and placed it on her belly. When she felt the baby kick, Maggie couldn’t help herself and she embraced Bianca.

They had shared hugs before, so this was nothing new. Except it was different. It was in that moment – her head on Bianca’s shoulder, her arms around Bianca’s body that she suddenly noticed the fragrance coming from the shampoo Bianca had used earlier that evening. How the intoxicating odor made Maggie turn her heads towards Bianca’s neck – she pulled away – and held Bianca at arms length, a false smile on her face.

She was absolutely terrified.

She had been seconds away from kissing Bianca’s neck. There was no thoughts about how she liked guys, only what it would be like to taste Bianca’s skin.

Ever since that moment, Maggie felt herself slip into the role of Bianca’s partner.

She had made sure all of Bianca’s needs were met, the ones she could do. She went to the appointments to see her cousin David with her. She did everything to create a safe haven for Bianca and the baby.

She wasn’t aware however, not at first, how other people would pick up on the changes in her behavior where it concerned Bianca. For all intents and purposes these people thought of them as a couple.

Of course Bianca’s declaration of that to Lena speeded things along.

Maggie couldn’t help be feel needed. It was something she wasn’t used to and the longer she experienced it, the more she wanted it.

It didn’t bother her in the least that hadn’t become intimate. She really didn’t expect that to happen no matter whom Bianca was with at the time. She was quite content with what they had.

She thought she was in love and Bianca continued to act as if nothing had changed between them. Bianca had assured Maggie that she had gotten over her infatuation with her and was very happy that it hadn’t damaged their friendship.

Maggie knew she didn’t stand a snowballs chance in Hell with Bianca, especially with Lena around.

Her mind was in turmoil.

On one hand, she recognized that Bianca and Lena belonged together – she had even pointed this and other things favoring Lena in a good light out.

Yet, on the other hand – Bianca had reached out to her, not Lena.

She sighed. She had gone over this many times in her mind already. It was only a matter of time before Bianca realized that Lena wasn’t going to leave – that yes, Lena was still in love with her and was waiting patiently for a signal from Bianca to finally show her.

On that faithful day – one of tremendous joy on Bianca and Lena’s part, Maggie would have to let go.

As hard as it might be – as badly as her heart demanded that she do something, anything to stop it from happening – there was one thing Maggie couldn’t stop. As she listened to their conversation – watched their subconscious moves – the hands reaching out, touching briefly – the distance between them that once seemed as vast as an ocean, was now inches apart.

Maggie knew she couldn’t stop true love.

No more so than she could stop time.

“Maggie... what do you think?” Bianca asked as she turned in her direction not wanting her friend to feel left out.

The End.