The Beach
Title: The Beach
Author: Fab_fan
Fandom: All My Children
Pairing: Frankie/Bianca
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not my characters
Summary: If you asked anyone, they would tell you that Bianca’s ‘special place’ was the boathouse.
If you asked anyone, they would tell you that Bianca’s ‘special place’ was the boathouse. Whenever she needed to think or take some time out of the hectic frustrating emotional all-consuming existence that was Pine Valley, she would make her way to the rickety old building where the water was still fresh as the day the land was settled and the walls were lined with oars for the small boats that sailed the crystal surface. She had been going there ever since she came back to Pine Valley as a teenager. She went with Leo and Laura. She hung out there with JR and Tim. She and Maggie made countless memories there, talking and laughing as best friends. The boathouse was important to her. The entire town knew that.
What the entire town didn’t know was that Bianca never considered it her one true special place. Sure, if someone asked her, she would immediately point them in the direction of the wooded speck of outdoors and pristine water. She would mention the many times she went there and how many moments she shared with the ones she cared about and loved there.
She never told them about the beach.
She couldn’t. The words would get stuck in her throat. They wouldn’t dislodge until she was alone, no prying eyes or ears around to discover that the beach was where Bianca felt the most. Where she went when her life was at its lowest ebb. Where ghosts of remembrance haunted her.
Where she and Frankie spent their time together.
Frankie never really went to the boathouse. They stopped by once, but it didn’t feel right. Everyone knew about the boathouse.
Almost no one knew about the beach.
They first met at the beach for coffee and bagels. Bianca could remember how cute Frankie looked trying to act all tough while perched on a rock with the waves softly singing in the background. It was the eyes that gave her away, though. Frankie’s eyes were gentle as they watched her take too large of a bite of bagel. She could see the amusement and tenderness in them as Frankie lightly teased her. Smooth lips quirked into a crooked lopsided half-grin that to this day made Bianca’s heart flutter just thinking about. Bianca found Frankie a job and a home that day with Opal. Frankie was relieved when Opal said yes. Her shoulders lifted and fell with a silent sigh and her eyes twinkled once more at the brunette. She was staying in Pine Valley.
They had their first date there. Nothing fancy. A tiny picnic of sandwiches and colas spread out on a blanket as they stared out into the white capped waves. Frankie told joke after joke, her grin growing each time Bianca laughed or giggled. They held hands for the first time there. After the food was eaten and the remnants packed away, the two teenagers sat quietly on the blanket. Bianca bit her lip as she cast sidelong glances at the shorter girl. Frankie looked so peaceful in the fading sunlight. There was still a crinkle in the corner of her eye, though. A tiny hint of something that Bianca wouldn’t understand till later. Wanting to comfort Frankie, wanting to complete that connection that hummed in her veins and buzzed in her head, wanting to simply feel warm skin against her own, Bianca slowly slid her hand across the quilt and rested her palm carefully on Frankie’s. Frankie startled at the touch, her eyes darting to the porcelain fingers cautiously threading between her own slightly darker dirtier ones. Bianca held her breath as Frankie stared, a subtle war of emotions flickering in hazel eyes. Bianca knew Frankie could be skittish. She was tough and brave, strong and independent, but she also could put up walls faster than any builder and cut herself off emotionally from whatever situation she was in. Bianca had already seen glimpses of it. Seen how Frankie tried to not allow herself to let go when they were together. The older girl held herself back, not fully allowing Bianca to know her, understand her, see her. It didn’t matter, though. Since the first day they met, Bianca could see her. Knew her. It started with a feeling in her gut that only grew. She had a feeling Frankie knew Bianca could see around her staggered walls. It was why Frankie attempted to maintain control as much as possible around her, moreso than around anyone else. It was also why they could not stay away from each other. Bianca was drawn to the complex interesting wonderful person that she knew without a doubt Frankie was. Frankie found herself overcome by the kindness, openness, and unadultered care that no one else had ever offered her. They had not known each other long, but they spent hours upon hours each day together. Both were learning from each other. Changing. Growing. Bianca was becoming braver. She was learning she could stand up for herself. That she could do anything she wanted in life. She didn’t have to be her mom or the perfect daughter. She could just be herself, and that was more than enough. Frankie was beginning to trust. It was that trust that shone in hazel orbs as Frankie twisted her hand so their palms connected on top of the blanket. Their hands stayed together until they said goodbye.
It became normal for sand to dust the usually stark white tiles of Bianca’s bathroom floor and gather at the corners of her bedroom. The beach morphed from a little known corner that not many Pine Valley residents knew about into the place Bianca and Frankie could be alone. The sand and rocks offered them a reprieve from the judgmental stares and borderline harsh criticism they encountered in the town. There were no problems at the beach. No worries. Frankie wasn’t homeless or half believing she would never be good enough for Bianca the second she perched on the tip of a boulder with seagulls flying high overhead. Bianca wasn’t the gay daughter of a tabloid famous mother who wasn’t sure her mom would ever fully accept and love who she was.
At the beach, they were simply Frankie and Bianca, two teenagers quickly and deeply falling in love.
They shared kisses behind the sand dunes. They built a lopsided sand castle and picked out patterns amongst the stars. One night, with the quiet solitude only broken by the hypnotic back and forth of the ocean’s current, Frankie tentatively laid Bianca down on the quilt that had found a home in the trunk of the teen’s car ever since that first picnic. Bianca lovingly guided the trembling hands across her sleek body. Gasps and muted cries fell from kiss stained lips. Calloused fingers tripped over her delicate curves. Fumbling hands and a hungry mouth touched every inch of perfect marble hued flesh, the moonlight glowing on Bianca’s skin as if she were a greek goddess. Passion danced across their sweat soaked bodies.
After, Bianca held Frankie as they both recovered. The dark blonde’s head nestled in the crook of Bianca’s neck. Uneven puffs of air peppered the side of Bianca’s throat as she pressed her lips to Frankie’s rumpled hair and forehead. She felt Frankie drift off to sleep, and she tightened her arms wrapped around her lover.
Bianca would never forget Frankie’s first time making love.
The beach was everything. It was where she got to know Frankie. Not the brash overconfident street runner who wasn’t afraid of a fight. She fell in love with that girl back in Pine Valley, where Frankie stood up to her mom and didn’t give a damn what anyone said about her. No, at the beach she fell in love with the gentle vulnerable romantic who only snuck out when no one else was around. The lover who brokenly whispered how she felt into Bianca’s ear as they recovered from lovemaking beneath the stars. Who listened as Bianca talked about anything and held her hand and kissed away her tears when that anything became too much for the brunette. The one who ducked her head and kicked at a pile of sand with blushing ears when Bianca flirted with her and pecked her cheek.
The one who promised to go with Bianca to prom and secretly planned on doing everything she could to make it the best night of Bianca’s life.
They never got to go to prom together.
Frankie was killed before they could even spend Christmas together.
Bianca’s gift for Frankie still sat in the trunk of her old car. Beneath the picnic blanket. She was going to take Frankie to the beach and give it to her there. Frankie never really got to celebrate the holiday growing up, and Bianca wanted to make it memorable. She wanted Frankie to understand that Bianca loved her with all of her heart. There was someone in the world that loved Frankie.
The last time Bianca went to the beach as a teenager, it was the day of Frankie’s memorial service. It was a sunny day. Perfect sort of weather. Barely any clouds. Warm. Beautiful. She was meant to give a speech at the service. Talk about Frankie because no one else could. No one else knew the vagabond. Bianca would later learn not even Maggie knew Frankie as well as her. Bianca was the only one to ever see past Frankie’s defenses, and whom Frankie found herself wanting to. Hours before the service, Bianca drove to the beach. She walked to the smattering of rocks the couple would sometimes sit on, her heels sinking into the pebbly sand with each step. She claimed the rock that always seemed to be hers and stared at its companion. It was empty this time. It would always be empty. She closed her eyes, and she could almost hear Frankie’s chuckle. Could see the charming grin and taste the saltiness of the sea air on pink lips.
Bianca stayed there until she had to go. She didn’t want to leave. Leaving meant saying goodbye. She couldn’t say goodbye. Not to Frankie. Only the knowledge that there were people waiting for her, waiting to hear about Frankie’s life so they could say goodbye as well, prompted her heavy legs to move. She didn’t know tears were falling down her cheeks until she was at the memorial service and David pulled her into a hug.
She didn’t return to the beach until years later. Until after she had a child and her sister needed help securing her future with Zach. She went to make sure Kendall and Zach worked everything out, realized they loved each other and belonged together. Once that was accomplished, she wanted nothing more than to leave. Babe stopped her from making a mad dash home. Brought up her apologies about what happened with Miranda. Bianca didn’t want to talk about her little girl with her former best friend, especially at the beach. If she were to be honest, the brunette was secretly relieved they were at a far end of the stretch of land, nowhere near where her and Frankie tended to be. She wasn’t sure what she would have done if the memories from back then were tarnished by Babe’s appearance. Bianca might have let go of most of her anger regarding the taking of her child, but the residual left over didn’t touch the joy she still recalled when it came to this area.
That was it. She only came back once, refusing to go near the patch of sand that was hers and Frankie’s. How could she go back when Frankie wasn’t there with her? It wouldn’t have been right. None of this was right.
Everyone thought the boathouse meant the most to her. Was the most special place on the planet.
They were wrong.
It never was the boathouse