Garden Party
Title: Garden Party
Author: Fabfan
Fandom: All My Children
Pairing: Bianca/Frankie
Rating: PG-ish
Disclaimer: Not my characters. I don’t own them. I only make them mildly happier than their tv counterparts get to be.
Summary: A prequel of sorts to Shakespeare in the Park.
Note: You can find Shakespeare HERE
This was uncomfortable.
Scratch that. This was more than uncomfortable. This was ridiculous. Insane. A strange new form of torture devised to punish her for whatever misdeeds she committed both in this life and whatever previous incarnation her life took. This should be outlawed under cruel and unusual punishment. Right up there with bamboo shoots under the fingernails and Chinese water torture.
The Crystal Ball should be renamed Night from Hell.
“Enjoying yourself?”
Frankie shot a look at her twin sister, Maggie. Her clone was sipping from a full glass of sparkling champagne with an exuberant smile. Of course Maggie would be loving this. A chance to play dress-up and dance to really old music while eating food the size of a thumb nail. That was straight up girly girl princess Maggie’s alley.
Maggie grinned and poked Frankie’s shoulder, “At least pretend like you’re having a good time. It’s not that bad.”
“Says the girl who was freaking out three hours before we got here about what she was going to do with her hair.” That had been amusing. Frankie wished she got it on film.
Maggie rolled her eyes, “Lighten up. Have some of this champagne. It’s really good.”
Neither one of them ever really had champagne before. It wasn’t exactly the type of drink they could afford. Well, before they found out their dad was actually one of the richest men in the country. “Nah. You seem to be liking it enough for the both of us.”
“Fine. But at least mingle some.”
“These people hate me.” No one wanted to mingle with her unless it was to glean some shred of gossip about the Chandlers. She wasn’t lying, either. The only one to approach her was Greenlee, and she’d made it obvious that her only goal in the conversation was to see how well the newest spawns were adjusting with their demon father. Everyone else sort of turned their backs at her or offered her polite but cold smiles before walking away.
“They don’t hate you.”
Frankie snorted and tugged at the too tight collar of her shirt. “Must be why Erica Kane’s been watching me like an executioner all night. I swear at one point she did the eye pointing thing to show she has her eye on me.”
“You’re weird.”
“I’m being stalked.” Frankie countered. She let a long breath out and shifted on her feet, “Why do people do this stuff?”
“What? Charity?” Maggie twirled her glass, “Because it’s what good people do.”
She barely tampered down the urge to flip Maggie off, “The whole Ball thing. It’s such a joke.” She waved her hand at the masses of tuxedos and gowns, “Look at all of ‘em. They’re dressed up in clothes worth more than our home back in Green Bay patting each other on the backs because they’re writing a check for some bogus charity that probably doesn’t even exist. It’s all a show so they can prance around and wear a bunch of jewels and gossip about each other. So fake.”
Maggie sighed, “Not everyone is like that here.”
“Adam’s like that.” Frankie shrugged.
“He’s our dad, Frankie.”
“Doesn’t mean he’s a good guy.”
“He took us in when he found out. He’s paying for us to go to college.”
Frankie bit the inside of her lip. Maggie hadn’t seen the Adam Frankie had. Hadn’t spent as much time with him. Maggie acted like she was the one to take care of the two of them, but Frankie knew better than anyone what the world was really like. Maggie might bandage the cuts and tell her to eat her vegetables, but Frankie was the one who snuck out at night after Maggie fell asleep to get the cash that paid for the bandages and vegetables. Frankie didn’t want to take things from anybody, but sometimes it was the only way. She’d do what she had to for them to get by.
Adam saw that inside of her. Saw the devious dark part hidden within.
A snake always could see the creatures that skirted the edges of the shadows cast by the rocks it hid beneath.
“You should really give him a chance. Give this town a chance.” Maggie touched Frankie’s arm.
Frankie glanced at the hand, “Whatever.” The thing was, she had been. She was giving Pine Valley a chance. She actually liked it there. Loads better than Green Bay. Even the family deal wasn’t too bad. Sure, JR could be annoying sometimes, but he wasn’t horrible. To be honest, she didn’t mind having a brother.
Especially a brother she could talk to late at night when no one else was listening about struggling with addictions she refused to admit threatened to take hold of her life at one point.
It also was sort of nice to have a dad.
Not that she’d ever say that to Adam’s face.
Like it mattered what she said. The whole town saw her as a mini-Adam for some reason. It still boggled Frankie’s mind how they made that connection. They left Maggie alone, why not her?
Rolling her shoulders, Frankie nodded at the table of finger foods, “I’m getting something to eat. Hopefully they have something more than a sliver of foie gras on caviar toast points.” That was the most unappetizing thing she’d ever heard muttered to her by a server.
“Ok.” Maggie waved as Frankie started to walk away, her attention already on a handsome young man strolling toward her.
Frankie picked her way through the crowds, darting around shiny shoes and fashionable heels. Reaching the table, she bumped shoulders with the guy nibbling on a cheese puff, “Hey.”
JR peeked over at her, “Hey,” he tilted his head, “sick of this song, yet?”
“I swear they’ve been playing the same one for over an hour.” Frankie leaned against the table.
JR nodded, “Yeah. You want a drink?”
“God yes.” Frankie peered over at the drinks. Champagne and more champagne. Foiled again.
Catching her look, her stuck his hand inside his jacket, “I brought my flask.”
“You’ve been holding out on me.” Frankie eyed the small container as he brought it out.
“Holding out on what?” a voice spoke up from behind them.
This could not be happening. Did the world hate her this much? She couldn’t even get one sip of whatever liquor JR filled that thing up with? “Adam.” she slowly spun around.
“Frankie. JR.” he greeted them with a studious look. “How are you enjoying the festivities.”
“Great, dad.” JR replied.
“And you, Frankie?”
“Oh, it’s been absolutely splendid.” sarcasm dripped from her words, causing JR to clear his throat to cover his chuckles.
Adam kept his gaze on her, “I see you opted to forgo the gown Liza bought you.”
“Not my style.” Adam’s girlfriend chose something a runway model would adore. “Don’t exactly feel like falling flat on my face tonight.”
Adam smirked, a tiny flicker of caring amusement in the movement, “I doubt that would happen.”
“I doubt you know me that well.” Frankie pushed away from the table. He clearly hadn’t seen her the one time she gave in and let Maggie put a pair of heels on her feet. Her ankle still ached when she thought about it. Those things were dangerous. Putting those on with the disaster of a dress Adam’s wife/girlfriend/whatever picked out? She would be a goner before even getting to the car on the way over. Besides, she didn’t need someone picking out her clothes for her. She wasn’t a little kid. This guy wasn’t going to step in and becoming Daddy Warbucks or something.
Frankie’s eyes connected with Adam’s, the contrasting colors challenging yet there was a shade of familiarity in them. A familiarity Adam recognized and which caused his smirk to grow.
“Hey, Frankie, there’s someone I want you to meet.” JR intervened, gesturing emphatically at the other end of the room.
“Wait,” Adam grasped Frankie’s arm. Frankie tried to shrug off his hold, but it didn’t work. “We need to talk sometime.”
“About what? Fashion tips? Ask the woman who actually bought a gown.”
“No, about your education.” Adam pulled her closer, “I have a proposition for you and JR I’d like to speak with you about soon.”
Frankie’s eyebrow rose, “Uh huh. Not interested.”
He released her arm, “I was hoping to talk with you and your brother about the family business. Our legacy. Together.”
Frankie blinked at his piercing blue eyes. He was a bastard, but he knew the words to say to claw at her heart. Brother. Family. Our. Together.
He patted her arm, “Tomorrow over breakfast. I want you and JR to spend your summer at Chandler Enterprises. You’ve already been making me very proud with how you’ve handled different issues that’ve popped up, and I believe you’d do well in a more formal position.”
Frankie swallowed roughly, “Alright.”
“Good.”
Frankie backed away, sharing a glance with JR before turning on her heel and walking away, JR at her side. The two meandered through the people, Frankie’s thoughts on what she’d been offered and the man who offered it. For a moment, Adam seemed almost...fatherly. Like he gave a damn. But, Frankie knew he wasn’t a stand up guy. She saw the traits in him she’d seen in others who ran gangs and pushed people around. Didn’t mean her heart wasn’t clenching with the hope of being a part of something. Frankie had only opened up fully to one person about how much she wanted a family. Craved the love and acceptance the Chandlers were presenting. It was something she never really had before. Adam, with all the rumors of how slimy he was and the cold glint she saw in his normal gaze, was handing that to her.
“Dad can be a bit pushy about Chandler at times.” JR spoke up.
Frankie shrugged, “Have you worked there before?”
“Not too much. Dad’s shown me around.”
“What would we do there?” This was a huge conglomerate. What use did they have for two kids who didn’t know the corporate world like the back of their hand?
“Take over the world?” JR replied with a joking grin.
Frankie rolled her eyes, “You’ll have to start working on your evilness to do that. You’re not badass enough to take over the world.”
“What?” He playfully bumped shoulders with her, “And you are?”
“Oh yeah, man. I was swiping cds when I was nine.” Maggie needed a birthday gift.
JR shook his head with a laugh before waving at someone stepping away from a small quartet of people, “There she is. Bianca!”
Frankie felt her breath catch as a blinding smile graced the features of a beautiful heart shaped face, “JR!”
She watched the boy receive a friendly hug from the other girl before he pointed at her, “This is my sister, Frankie. I don’t know if you’ve met. Frankie, this is Bianca Montgomery.”
Bianca faced Frankie, her blinding smile softening imperceptibly, “Hi.”
“Hey,” her eyes roamed the taller girl. Frankie twisted her fingers into a fist to hold back the sudden rush of affection and desire that stoked the slumbering embers in her belly. The other woman looked radiant. Her thick dark hair was perfectly curled to frame her face. A sleek midnight blue dress clung to her milky curves, teasing at what lay beneath.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Bianca held out her hand.
Frankie stared at it for a second before shaking it, “Yeah, you too.” Man, their hands fit together perfectly. That warm palm felt good against her own. She almost didn’t let go. Of course, that would look weird. About as weird as thinking some chick’s hand fit perfectly in her own.
“Are you here alone?” JR asked as their hands disconnected.
Bianca smiled self-deprecatingly, “Yep. I was supposed to come with a friend, but they couldn’t make it at the last minute. What about you?”
“Dad decided we should come as a family. Since it’s Frankie and Maggie’s first time.”
“Oh, that’s right. You haven’t been to this before, have you?” Bianca glanced at Frankie.
Nope. Charity Ball torture was a first for her.
“How are you liking it?”
“It’s fine.” It was complete and utter misery. Getting to see this gorgeous face wasn’t half-bad, though. It was actually really awesome.
“Bianca!” shrilled like a siren in the air.
Bianca sighed, “My mother calls. I’ll see you two later?”
“Yeah.” JR nodded as Frankie mumbled something similar.
With one last look, Bianca walked away. Frankie totally watched the sway of her hips as she moved.
----------
Air. She needed air.
The party was in full swing. The entire town was there. Well, most of the town. All those with checkbooks and pens ready to be used. All those people crammed into a ballroom made the place feel blazing hot. Couple that with discrete stares and that dumb guy from the Exposer following her around till she accidentally shoved him into a tray of cheesecake bites made for a need to escape.
Stumbling out the side door, Frankie tugged mercilessly at her collar. She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep calming breath of the cold winter air, her temper threatening to turn as red hot as the ballroom felt. She was ready to deck that reporter. The only thing that stopped her was the fact Erica Kane was standing right there watching the whole thing. Erica might not be her biggest fan, far from it, and Frankie didn’t exactly worship the ground the diva walked on, but she didn’t want to make a scene in front of her.
Word would get back to a certain someone if she had.
Frankie didn’t want that person thinking she was a...crazed brawler or something.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know anyone was out here.”
Frankie opened her eyes and peeked over her shoulder to see Bianca standing at the entrance to the little garden. She still looked as mesmerizing as before. A coat covered up the dress, but Frankie could still make out the contours of her body. The moonlight shimmered in her hair and the stars seemed to glimmer in her eyes. Clearing her throat, Frankie spoke softly, “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight. For I never saw true beauty till this night.” And...she had no idea where that came from. At least, that’s what she told herself.
With an astonished blink, Bianca walked past the snow tinged trimmed evergreens, hands nestling in the pockets of her thick coat. Snow crunched under her heels, and she subtly took in the figure before her, “What did you say?”
“Um...” Damn that Shakespeare class! Damn it to Charity Ball hell! “It’s Romeo and Juliet.” Maybe she could play it off as champagne drunkenness. She did step outside into freezing temperatures without a coat. A possible sign of inebriation.
Wow, it was cold out.
She somehow missed that the first time around.
Bianca grinned gently, “That’s adorable.”
“It’s tragic.” Much like her sudden blurting out of quotes from old English bards. She didn’t do that inside.
Bianca slowly pulled out a pair of gloves and a hat from her pockets, “It’s lovely.”
Frankie felt a fluttering in her belly right next to the fire building from the embers, “Following a stranger into the dark night. Will this be a quick or slow death? Professor Plum in the garden with the candlestick?” She couldn’t take her eyes off of Bianca. She was like a sensual creature, supple curves dipping and crashing like waves oncoming to the shore. Hypnotizing and terrifyingly griping in their splendor and wantonness.
“What are you thinking?” came out in a breathy whisper.
“You are my heart, my life, my one and only thought.” recited Frankie, the words automatically spilling out from some crevice of her mind that remembered the reading assignment from her literature class the day before.
Bianca cupped her palm around Frankie’s cheek, thumb stroking her soft skin, “I’ve missed you.”
“Yeah,” Frankie leaned into the touch, “missed you too.”
Bianca stepped into her, inhaling sharply, “I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“Bianca,” came out in a much more desperate murmur than Frankie wanted. But, she needed Bianca to stop. Step back. Not be so damn attractive and amazing.
“Here,” Bianca pressed the gloves into shivering hands. She carefully plopped the hat on Frankie’s head, tucking it over her hair and ears, “it’s chilly out.”
“Someone could see us.” Frankie half turned away from her, tensing as a gust of wind straight from Antarctica smashed into her. She blamed her momentary lapse of judgment on the cold. It turned her brain into ice. That’s why she let Bianca touch her like that.
“Take the gloves, Frankie.” Bianca ordered, “You’ll catch a cold or worse.”
Seeing the absolute seriousness in her companion’s eyes, Frankie did the only thing she could. She took the gloves.
“Are you ok?” she watched Frankie tug the wool over her fingers. “I saw that creep Donald Steele bothering you.”
“No big deal.” wow these mittens were warm, “I took care of it.”
Bianca giggled, “Yeah, you got him covered with dessert.”
“He should be thankful it was cheesecake and not the molten lava cake. That stuff would burn.”
Bianca chuckled at the joke.
Breathing in deeply, Frankie bit the inside of her lip, “Well, it was nice talking to you...whoever you are, but I should go.”
“Wait,” Bianca peered over her shoulder before grasping Frankie’s arm.
Frankie made herself believe her nerve endings weren’t tingling from something as simple as a touch on the arm. Because that sort of reaction only came from other sorts of touching...like when a hot chick was sitting in her lap with her hands doing things the people back in the ballroom probably wouldn’t talk about. “What?”
Bianca took another look around before guiding Frankie to the edge of the garden behind an ice-tipped fountain statue. Out of sight of the windows and door, she easily pressed into the shorter woman. “I’ve really missed you.”
“Wai...” Frankie was cut off as a pair of lips descended on her own.
Whatever thought Frankie might have had was lost in the bursting array of colors and fiery sensations. If this was her death, it sure as hell was a short painless one because she didn’t know it even happened till she was already in heaven.
If Frankie could think, she’d mentally smack herself for how dumb that sounded. It was true, though.
With a hunger that would have scared her if she was thinking at all, Frankie dove into the kiss. Her hands griped Bianca’s body, arms holding her near. A spark shot through her at the feel of the warm body sinking into her own. Bianca kissed her back feverishly, hands skimming every inch of Frankie they could touch.
Frankie held on, burying her face in Bianca’s chest as a hot wet mouth traced her jawline and tasted the shell of her ear. She trembled, shaking with each swipe of a teasing tongue. Her fingers tickled Bianca’s hips, dipping beneath the coat.
“I can’t stop thinking about us, Frankie. Not since that night.” Bianca whispered into her ear. Her fingers hooked around the back of Frankie’s neck, caressing it tenderly.
Frankie gulped roughly, memories teasing her cheeks till they were rosy pink. That night.
The night they made love together for the first time.
It was like being reborn.
As fumbling and unsure as it was, Frankie never felt more passion than in Bianca’s arms. Never more desire. More...love. It had been slow. Sweet. Tender. Unforgettable.
And they hadn’t been able to touch each other since then.
Scratch the whole Charity Ball torture thing. This was way worse.
“I love you.” Bianca added with a light kiss to the knit hat.
Frankie squeezed her hips at the declaration. “I...I love you, too.” fell out quietly. It was overwhelming, terrifying, yet wonderful. She never felt anything resembling love before Pine Valley. Then, she arrived in this town and it was hitting her like a freight train.
“I know, honey.”
Frankie tangled her fingers in Bianca’s hair, the words bubbling up from wherever the random snippets of words resided, “You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. I have loved none but you.”
Bianca brushed her fingertips along Frankie’s throat, “You mean so much to me.”
And her senses were fighting to regain control. Or at least be recognized as existing. “We can’t do this here.”
“I know.” Bianca sighed, “I hate this.” She growled lowly, tender ministrations halting, “I hate that...that I can’t be inside dancing with you.”
“I don’t even know how to waltz.”
“You know what I mean.”
She did, “It wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“I know.” Bianca bit her lip, “How are you? How is everything going with your dad?”
“I’m just waiting for him to tell me he filed the papers to change my name to Chandler.” Adam would do that without telling her.
Bianca cracked a smile, “Adam can be a bit forward, but he cares about you.”
“I don’t know. Maybe.” she didn’t have much experience with caring parental types.
“Give it time. I know you want this to work.”
She did. Bianca was the one Frankie fully opened up to about all this. How much she longed for love and acceptance. For the family the Chandlers presented. “Adam is going to ask me to work with him and JR this summer at the firm.”
“That’s great.”
Frankie lifted her chin, “We’ll be competitors.”
“Only in the boardroom.” Bianca kissed the tip of her nose, “It might be interesting seeing you like that.”
“The stuff pornos are made of.”
“Frankie!” Bianca gently slapped her shoulder, “We’re not making a porno.”
“Arguing over some business deal only to end up on the table...”
“making love.” Bianca interrupted her. She flattened her palm over the hollow of Frankie’s throat, “I would be making love to you.”
“Semantics” Frankie winked.
“We’re not going to end up on a table, unless you want my mom and your dad to see.” Bianca leaned down, “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to be with you that way? To touch you? Hold you?”
If it was as long as Frankie, it was a damn long time. “How long?”
“Since I felt your hand in mine for the first time.”
“We shook hands when we first met.” which wasn’t that evening.
Bianca kissed her lovingly, “Guess it’s been since then.”
She caressed Bianca’s sides, “What? You’re serious?” Since they first met? That was...nuts. Her heart actually skipped a beat trying to comprehend it. It also told her she felt the same, but now was not the time to be listening to her heart’s strange ramblings.
“I want you, Frankie.” Bianca traced the curve of her eyebrow, “I’ve wanted to know you since I first saw you. Being with you...once I learned how special you are, I can’t help but love you.”
Frankie ducked her eyes, those words affecting her more than she was willing to admit, “I love you, too.”
Their eyes met.
That was all it took.
Their lips met in a passionate kiss that curled toes and made inner hearts squeal. Frankie clutched the front of Bianca’s coat, blindly fighting with the buttons as Bianca tugged at her neck, urging her even closer.
The buttons gave way with minimal fuss. Her hand trailed around and up Bianca’s front, tripping along the plane of her stomach before settling over a plump breast, “We shouldn’t do this here.” God, she wanted to. She wanted to make love until she couldn’t move for a week. Dreamed about it ever since she left Bianca’s bed.
“Can’t see us.”
“Someone could hear us. That idiot Exposer dude probably has hidden microphones all over the place.” He would too, the creep.
“Let them.”
Frankie met Bianca’s eyes, “You don’t mean that.”
Bianca kissed her, pushing into her hand.
“Bianca...please.” she was surprising herself with how much strength she was showing in that moment. If you had asked her before this evening, Frankie would have laughed in your face at the mere suggestion that she’d turn down sex with Bianca, ever.
“Shhh,” Bianca shushed her, “we’ll be quiet.”
Frankie watched in a trance as Bianca took the hand cupping her breast. She slowly peeled off the mitten and brought it to her mouth, pressing delicate kisses to each knuckle before wrapping her lips around a finger and sucking softly.
Yeah, that strength? It was gone.
Oh, was it ever gone.
She didn’t care if the whole town walked in on them. She didn’t care it was damn cold out and she really should be making love to Bianca on a bed with candles and flower petals. If Bianca didn’t care, she didn’t care.
Until the distinct sound of voices filtered in from the trees near the edge of the garden.
Voices from a tree. What the hell? Was this a joke? “Bianca, did you....”
Yep, those were voices.
The two girls looked at each other.
The crunching of boots on snow hit the air.
“Shit.” Frankie muttered as Bianca flew off her at the same time Frankie tried to back up. They got tangled together and fell to the ground, both hitting it with a harsh thud.
They scrambled to separate, Bianca tripping over her own dress as Frankie’s brand new shoes slipped on the wet ground.
Bianca bent over to help her up, a worried look on her face.
Frankie crawled to her knees, silently thankful for the soothing hands on her back.
The footsteps were right next to them.
Dr. David Hayward strolled out, shovel in hand, some woman Frankie’d never met before at his side. He frowned as he noticed the garden wasn’t empty. Frankie slouched on the edge of the fountain, head resting in the curve of her hand as she idly picked at the fabric of the mittens and forced herself to not think about the wet splotches on her knees. Bianca stood near the other end of the garden, inspecting a group of small statues.
“Good evening.” David greeted, looking back and forth between them.
Frankie shot him an unamused look, “Hayward.” He was as shady as her dad was. Where did he even come from?
“Hi, David.” Bianca gave a tiny wave.
“Everything all right?” he asked.
Frankie snorted, “You’re the one who just walked out of the darkness holding a shovel.” Was this really Clue? Was it Professor Plum...aka Dr. Hayward? Dr. Hayward in the garden ruining her love life with a shovel. Life sucked.
Bianca sent him a smile, “I just wanted some air.”
“I see. The party can get a bit much after a while.” he nodded.
Frankie quickly stood up, “Yeah, you never know who might magically appear.” she went to leave.
She didn’t really want to leave Bianca alone with this guy.
Pretending like she wasn’t worried, Frankie turned to face Bianca, “What’s your name again?”
“Bianca. JR introduced us.”
“Right. JR’s friend.” Frankie subtly tilted her head, “You know where he is?”
“I can help you find him.” Bianca moved to Frankie’s side.
“I don’t need an escort.” Frankie rolled her eyes.
“I’m trying to help.” Bianca shot her a look before waving at David, “Have a nice evening.”
Frankie began to walk, Bianca at her side.
JR better still have that flask.