-X-
"We were meeting up at one of the more popular coffee shops, three days ago, going over some details, what time to board the plane, how to act around customs. Stuff that we always go through. Me and Spade. She had said that she was new to everything, so I talked her through the details." Alex had started saying. "Everything was going fine, we were just wrapping up and someone came up to our table. I thought it was Kubra at first, so I wasn't too worried, but when I actually got a look at the guy – it definitely wasn't Kubra. Spade never told me, she used to be a part of a different ring. So this guy, he starts yelling at Spade, telling her that he told her never to tell anyone about what she had been a part of before. She tried explaining that she didn't, that I didn't know anything. But he didn't believe her. He grabbed her, so I told him to back off. He pulls a gun, tells me to sit my ass down. So I did, but once he turned around to Spade again, I jumped at him, tried to get the gun." Alex sniffed slightly as she told her story. "He pulled the trigger. Went right through her heart. She never stood a chance,"
"As soon as the gun went off, everyone started panicking. Some ran for the door, others hit the ground. It was chaos. He grabbed me and held the gun to my chin, snarling and spitting something at me, I can't remember. All I remember is Spade's body lying on the floor, eyes wide open. Then the guy threw me to the ground, pointed and pulled the trigger. Grazed my right arm." She said, moving her arm slightly. "He ran out. I crawled over to Spade. She looked so scared, like I let her down. I should've had a gun with me. Why didn't I bring it? She would still be here. I should have done something. Something else." Her voice began cracking. "It's all my fault. She's dead and it's all my fault." She buried her face in her hands and sobbed quietly.
Piper shook her head and gently helped Alex over to the bed, urging her to lay down. She pulled a sheet up over Alex and crawled into bed next to her, pulling Alex close to her and gently caressing her cheek. Alex sniffed and looked up at Piper. "She reminded me of you." She murmured. "She was smart, and resourceful. She was almost like a sister." Alex whispered. "And now it's my fault that she's dead. I didn't even do anything. I just closed her eyes and I ran out of there."
Piper shook her head. "It isn't your fault. What's meant to happen, just does." She said quietly. "Where'd you get the dressing for your arm?" she asked quietly, lifting Alex's arm out from under the sheets and looking at the bandages.
"Um, there was some stuff, under the sink." Alex murmured in reply.
The bandages were tattered, they looked like Alex had tried to rip them into strips, then hacked at them with scissors. They were just thin cotton bandages, no gauze or cream of any kind. Piper stood and headed towards the bathroom, but Alex grabbed her wrist. "Don't leave." She said quickly.
Piper shook her head. "I'm just going to get some better bandages for your arm." She said. She looked down at the frightened Alex and took Alex's hands in hers. "I promise, I'm not going anywhere." She said.
Alex bit her lip, slowly releasing Piper's wrist. Piper walked into the bathroom and found stray bandages strewn about the bathroom. She opened the cupboard under the sink and found some gauze, ointment, and some extra bandages. She carried them out to the bed and sat down next to Alex, unwrapping her arm. Alex winced slightly as the bandage came off, looking down at her arm slightly as Piper laid the bandages aside.
Piper sighed softly as she looked down at Alex's arm. The bullet had grazed her arm, traveling on a slight upward slant. "It isn't too bad. Could've been worse, I guess." Piper murmured. She opened the ointment and put it on the gauze, pressing it gently to Alex's arm, pulling back slightly as Alex let out a wince, but didn't move. She wrapped the bandage around Alex's arm, securing the ends and tossing everything else onto the floor. She laid back down next to Alex, who murmured a soft thanks, and curled herself up against Piper again. She pressed her forehead against Piper's chest, tears falling from her eyes once again.
"They're going to come after me." Alex whispered. "Kubra can't protect me. Not anymore. This ring, they're bigger than Kubra's. They're going to find me." She said to Piper. She looked up at her girlfriend and shook her head. "I can't put you in danger." She murmured.
Piper looked down at Alex and shook her head. The dark-haired woman, the woman who Piper knew as indestructible, was now so vulnerable, so scared. Yet, she was still trying to protect her, even if she couldn't protect herself. "I don't need any protection." Piper responded firmly. "I'm worried about you. I've never seen you this scared." She told Alex. She watched her hide her face, shaking her head.
"A person can only take so much." Alex whispered.
Piper sighed softly. "You've been through enough. Let me protect you this time." Piper whispered. She lifted Alex's face to look at her. "Please," She murmured. "Don't push me away."
Alex looked up at Piper again, gazing into her eyes. She sighed and nodded softly, pressing herself as close to Piper as she could. She wrapped her arms around Piper and bit her lip again crying softly as she felt Piper's own arms wrap around her body, pulling her closer to her girlfriend's chest. Alex pressed her hand to Piper's heart, feeling the strong beat. But she couldn't help but remember how easily it could all be ripped away from her, how life could be snuffed out like a flame, how short it could be. She sobbed softly, grabbing at Piper's shirt above her heart again, holding on to her as tightly as she could.
-X-
Piper brushed Alex's hair behind her ear as she slept, gazing down as she rested on her chest. Alex told her that she hadn't slept at all since the coffee shop. Every time she started to fall asleep, she saw Spade's face, how scared she was, and she saw his face, how angry he was, she felt the gun pressed up against her chin. Piper had calmed her every time she woke screaming, holding her face, stroking her hair, pulling her close, telling her she was safe. She had finally fallen asleep after three hours of waking, screaming, shaking, crying, pleading. Piper could tell she was utterly terrified.
A knock sounded at the door, causing Alex to stir slightly. Piper shifted, laying Alex on the bed. She grabbed the gun off the side table, tucking it into the waistband of her jeans. She padded to the door, opening it just enough to see who it was.
A tall, stocky man stood in front of the door. Piper looked up at his face, seeing a long scar reaching from his left eye, across his nose and down to his right cheek bone. Piper brushed her hair behind her ear, smiling softly. "Can I help you?" she whispered softly.
"I'm looking for someone named Alex." The man said.
Piper shook her head. "Sorry, no guy named Alex here." She said sweetly. She knew that this man was probably trouble, so she covered by saying that she thought the 'Alex' he was talking about was a man. She shrugged softly and smiled suggestively. "Just me and my new husband Thomas." She said, pulling the first name that came to her head. She watched the man look past her, trying to look back into the room. Piper dropped one hand from the door and rested her hand on the butt of the gun resting in her waistband. "Is there something else I can do for you?" she asked, batting her eyelashes.
The man took one final look towards the room and shook his head. "Nah." He said. He turned abruptly and stomped back down the hall out of sight. Piper shut the door quickly and quietly and pulled out Alex's bags. She opened the drawers and grabbed her clothes, throwing them in the bag, making sure she didn't miss anything. She zipped up the bag as soon as she was sure she had everything. She had checked the bathroom and the closets, then she grabbed her phone and went online, trying to find them a flight out as soon as she could.
Piper laid down next to Alex, trying to convince herself to wake her up, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. For the first time in at least three days, Alex looked peaceful. Probably for the first time in days, she wasn't scared out of her wits. Piper locked her phone, sighing softly, and wrapped her arms around Alex once again, closing her eyes and waiting for her to wake up.
-X-
Piper woke to see Alex looking up at her. "Why are the bags packed?" Alex whispered.
Piper sighed softly and brushed the sleep out of her eyes. "We need to leave, as soon as we can." She murmured. "Someone came to the door looking for you. I told him you weren't here, but soon enough they're going to come back looking." She explained.
Alex's face gave way to an expression of terror. "W-what did he look like?" she whispered.
Piper shrugged. "Tall, overweight, he had the biggest scar on his face." She murmured.
Alex's eyes grew wide. "That was him. The guy who killed Spade." Her breathing began to grow quicker, and her eyes began to dart around the room.
Piper could see that Alex was beginning to freak out. She took Alex's face in her hands and shook her head. "Shhh…Alex, Alex, Alex, it's okay. It's alright. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you. I'll keep you safe." She said. She looked into Alex's eyes, gently stroking Alex's cheek with her thumb. She pressed Alex's forehead against her own, gently whispering to Alex. "I won't let anything happen to you."
Alex wrapped her hands around Piper's wrists and nodded, tears falling from her eyes again. She bit her lip and kept nodding. "Let's get out of here." She insisted.
Piper nodded. "Lets." She whispered.
-X-
Thanks for all the feedback you guys! And just on the first chapter?! You guys are totally awesome! Anyways, I love the reviews you guys gave me. Please keep it coming!
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