Disclaimers: I own nothing. Wish I did, but I don't since they're all property of ABC/AMC. I'm just using them for my own creativity.

Premise: I think the title of this story pretty much says it all. Bianca and Maggie are apart. I'm following the canon of Maggie cheating and adding my own twist to things.

Feedback: Yes, please. This writer loves it.

Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word

What have I got to do to make you love me
What have I got to do to make you care
What do I do when lightning strikes me
And I wake to find that you're not there
-Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word, Elton John

Snowflakes continued to fall outside, collecting on the ground. Indeed the holiday season was in full swing. Houses were decorated, malls were packed with crowds and children reveled in the joy of sitting on Santa's lap.

Inside of the Fusion office though, was a whole different story.

Kendall tapped her stiletto-clad foot against the floor, listening as the rings kept coming and coming. "Oh you better pick up," mumbling under her breath. "Pick up. Pick up. Pick up."

Josh looked up and eyed Kendall. "It's a lost cause. When are you going to get that through your head? Maggie is not going to answer any of your calls."

"Oh, she will if it's the last thing I do," Kendall stood from her chair. Grabbing her coat, she stormed towards the back, climbing the stairs to the rooftop. After being ambushed by the sudden chill, Kendall yanked her cell phone from her coat pocket and dialed the multi-digit number once again.

--

Ringing. Incessant ringing began seeping its way into her brain. Just when she thought it would end, finding a moment's peace, it would start again. And then it would stop… and then it would start. Much like a cycle, it was rinse then repeat, as it had been for the past few weeks.

Finally deciding to put it all to an end, Maggie's arm snaked out from under the comforter as it blindly tried to locate the cordless handset. Knocking over empty food cartons in the process as well as half full bottles of Orangina, she managed to grab the phone and press it to her ear.

"He..Hello?" came the feeble greeting. Sadly, she wasn't prepared for the rage that was about to rear its ugly head into her poor ears.

"Maggie Stone, you're an idiot. A coward and an idiot," Kendall's verbal tirade began and she wasn't about to back down. Oh, she was angry and Maggie was about to bear the brunt of it all. "I'd like to know what the hell you're doing… what you're thinking and why the hell you broke my baby sister's heart."

Burrowing out from under the comforter, Maggie sat up on the couch. "I…"

"No, don't speak, because right now, you're going to listen to me and then when I'm done, that's when you'll speak."

"Um… okay."

"You're speaking. God, you don't even listen either."

Maggie didn't reply, she simply gulped and raked her fingers through her hair. Rubbing her eyes, she glanced at the clock, realizing she'd been asleep on the couch all day. Then again, this wasn't anything new, considering her lack of motivation to do anything since Bianca left with Miranda, without so much as a note. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and listened attentively to what the feisty Kane woman had to say.

"You know, I have to say, for you to go and ruin a relationship… you've got some pretty impeccable timing. Just when I'm about to experience utter happiness with my husband and son, in comes my baby sister, all up in everyone's business like the world is about to end. If you were going to do something so idiotic like cheat on her, couldn't you have waited like, oh I don't know… NEVER?!" Kendall said exasperatingly as she sat down on the steps carefully, making sure not to scuff her jeans.

"I'm sorry," Maggie muttered weakly.

"What did I say about not speaking!?" the curly haired beauty snapped back. Then, she chuckled, "I hate to say it, but you're as much of a dimwit as Babe is."

Maggie gritted her teeth, unable to stay silent. "I am NOTHING like Babe."

"Oh, yeah right. She cheated on JR. You cheated on Bianca. Hell, the two of you are related. It seems to run in the family," Kendall smirked, taunting the blonde for a reason. "Your cousin David is dragging everyone into his personal hell. What makes you so different? For all I know, you just threw away the best thing you ever had in your life for some slut named Cecelia."

"ENOUGH!" Maggie growled, eyes filling with angry tears. Within seconds they cascaded down her cheeks. "Enough!! I'm an idiot! I'm stupid! And yes, I made the worst mistake of my life and I can't undo what I did. I ruined everything."

Suddenly, neither woman spoke. For a second, it seemed as though the line had gone dead until Kendall heard the faint sounds of sobbing on the other end.

"Talk to me, Maggie. Tell me what happened," Kendall's tone softened a bit, compassion replacing the anger she felt moments ago.

"I can't. I made a mistake."

"Hey, do you know who you're talking to? I'm the queen of making mistakes. Just talk to me, maybe I can help smooth things a bit. I promise not to scream in your ear again."

Maggie reached for the box of tissues and pulled a few out so she could wipe her eyes. "I made a mistake."

"Yeah, you said that already." It was Kendall's turn to listen as she looked down at her jeans, resisting the temptation to pick at the loose thread she'd just noticed. "Maggie, you broke Bianca's heart. Do you know, it took JR jumping out of a four-story window for her to finally open up about the misery she's feeling. Bianca is a mess and as much as she's trying to hide it, I can tell it's hurting her. She's trying to fix everyone else's relationship problems and avoiding her own."

"I'm sorry," repeating the phrase for what seemed like the millionth time over the course of the last few weeks.

"Sorry is not going to cut it, Maggie," Kendall paused. "It's just not enough."

"I know."

"Why'd you do it? Why did you have to go and mess up the one good thing the both of you had in your lives?"

Maggie ran a hand through her tangled hair once again, hesitating with her answer. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Kendall's brow furrowed. She could feel the anger rising within her but managed to keep it at bay. "What do you mean, you don't know? Don't tell me you got drunk or something."

"No, I wasn't drunk. I was well aware of the situation," pressing a hand to her forehead. The memory vividly played itself out in Maggie's mind.

"So, you knew what you were doing?" She was almost afraid to ask, fearing the next words out of the blonde's mouth.

"Yes," Maggie sighed deeply, "…and no."

Kendall shook her head in disbelief almost as if she were talking to Maggie face to face. It took a cold blast of air for her to realize she was still alone on the Fusion rooftop, accumulating horrendous long distance charges. "Wait… what do you mean, yes and no."

Silence seeped into the conversation again, Maggie still on the couch, surrounded by the mess of books, papers and empty food cartons. Letting her mind drift while pondering a response to Kendall's query, she was brought back to the night everything had fallen apart.

"Maggie, are you still there?"

"Yeah, sorry," Maggie bit down on her bottom lip. Her emotions were now a whirlwind, not sure of how to feel or what to say. All she did feel at the given moment was guilt and mostly anger, which wasn't directed to anyone in particular but herself. "I'm… forget it, I keep saying the same thing over and over again. It's obviously not solving anything. I'm just one huge lost cause."

"Okay, I get it," Kendall scoffed. As much as she wanted to be sympathetic to both her sister and Maggie, the self-pity was beginning to grate on her last nerve. "Seriously, you and Bianca are pathetic. The both of you sound like sad puppy dogs right now and it's just… you know what, tell me about this slut you did it with. What was her name again? Oh yes, Cecelia."

Maggie shuddered at the mere mention of the name. "What about her?"

"Who is she?"

"My former lab partner."

Kendall exhaled slowly. "Okay. Former."

"Yes," the blonde affirmed.

"Did you kiss her?"

"Yes."

"Did you sleep with her?" When Maggie didn't reply, Kendall immediately thought the worst. Sadly, her conclusion was correct. "Oh God, you did," gasping at the realization. "Maggie, why?"

"I uh… I…" Maggie's throat suddenly went dry, reminded of her mistake. Unable to give Kendall an explanation that seemed feasible, she ended the call and tossed the phone to her side.

"Hello?!" Kendall checked the screen of her phone. "Maggie? Hello?" Stuffing it back into her coat pocket, she muttered under her breath, "Coward."

-end chapter -