Thanks for the vacation ideas. Again, I am going to use some of the other suggestions later in the story. This chapter is for MadeintheUS for her contribution of Thailand. I have never been to Thailand, so it was difficult to write about. I hope I did the country justice.
You and me were always with each other
Before we knew the other was ever there
You and me, we belong together
Just like a breath needs the air
...
They say everything it happens for a reason
You can be flawed enough, but perfect for a person
Someone who will be there for you when you fall apart
Guiding your direction when you're riding through the dark
Despite Piper's new job and the pending gallery opening, she convinced Alex to take some time off for a true vacation. Piper had told the GLBT center director of her plans right after she was hired so there wouldn't be an issue with her new job. The director knew how hard Alex worked and how little time Alex would take off if left to her own devices. In addition, the advance notice was certainly sufficient for the non-profit.
Piper wasn't sure about all of the restrictions on Alex's passport from her original deal with the FBI from the initial deal that sent her to prison. So she called Caputo who said he'd get back with her as soon as possible. Caputo's response would likely determine where she and Alex could go on vacation. Piper wanted to surprise Alex with the location, so she couldn't exactly go to her and start asking questions.
When the plans were finalized, Piper was doubly excited. While she and Alex were dating, Alex did so many kind things for her and treated her like a princess. Piper felt she could never do such things for Alex in return. However things were finally falling into place.
"Pipes, I'm home." Alex was used to her wife waiting for her when the elevator started its creaky climb to the third floor. When she wasn't, Alex called out again. Alex realized she had gotten a little spoiled recently. Piper came out from around the pillars from the office with a magnificent smile plastered on her face.
"Hi babe!" Wrapping her arms around Alex, she kissed her firmly. She almost managed to hold it an acceptable amount of time before she started giggling.
Alex pulled back and looked at her strangely. "What, pray tell, have you been smoking?" Alex smooched her on the forehead.
Piper rolled her eyes and motioned to the couch. "Have a seat, but don't touch anything." There were several envelopes strewn about the hand hewn coffee table. "What would you like to drink?"
"Surprise me."
Piper decided to do just that and poured them both a scotch and soda. Handing one glass to Alex, she gathered the envelopes in her lap as she curled up next to Alex. "I have a surprise for you Al."
"I hope so. You look like the cat that ate the canary." Alex couldn't help smiling at the warm feeling a happy Piper gave her. Piper's confidence had grown an incredible amount over the past few months and the nightmares were virtually non-existent. Alex had noticed that she had even stopped carrying the firearm. Life was getting back to normal. "Come on you tease! What is it? The suspense is killing me." Alex was feeding off of Piper's high.
Piper dumped the contents of one of the envelopes onto Alex's lap. "VACATION TIME. Everything is cleared at the center, all bookings have been made, and we are going to have a blast. I'm so absolutely thrilled. And, you," she said poking Alex in the chest, "didn't even catch wind of the planning."
Alex was almost giddy as she gathered up the tickets and brochures. "You sneaky woman you! Where are we going?" Alex's face dropped as she began to thumb through the pamphlets. "Piper. Did you plan a trip to Thailand?"
"Oh my goodness Alex. It is going to be so beautiful. Just think of the cultural, the food, and the shopping. Did I mention the food? There are so many things to see and to do there. It's going to be fabulous."
Alex was dumbstruck. She didn't know quite how to handle this. She breathed deeply, trying to calm her heart which was now racing for a different reason. What am I going to tell her? She's so happy. Alex leaned over to press her lips against an animated Piper. "I love you so much Pipes. You did such a good job in planning this. But babe, we can't go to Thailand."
The resulting silence was deadening. Piper blinked her eyes rapidly. "Alex it's all planned. What do you mean we can't go?"
Alex took another deep breath and gathered Piper's hands in her own. "Babe, Thailand is one of the top opium producing countries on the planet. That region produces probably close to twenty percent of the opium in the world. I can't go there. That is on the restricted list." Alex paused trying to gauge Piper's reaction. "I love that you have worked so hard at trying to surprise me. I should have let you know the exact restrictions earlier. I am so sorry."
"Hmmm." Piper pondered a few moments. "Well it's a good thing I have this then." She reached to the table and selected a much thicker, legal sized packet and handed it over, sky blue eyes twinkling even more than before. "Open it."
Alex took the packet, gently opened it, and withdrew a legal folder bound by brads. She opened the cover and began scanning pages. Alex gasped as she scanned even more quickly. Alex's bewildered look was almost comical. "Fuck" was the only thing Alex could think to say. Alex was in shock.
"There's a separate letter as well." Piper's voice was soft and gentle. "It's a personal letter from Caputo."
Alex pulled the envelope open and read it. In fact she read it several times, tears building each time.
Dear Alex,
I don't think I ever expressed my gratitude for your actions in bringing down Kubra's cartel. You not only put your own life at risk but also the life of your wife. You never once asked what was in it for you, only demanded safety for Piper.
What I didn't tell you was the deal that I was authorized to negotiate for your cooperation. After everything that happened, I honestly was going to follow through regardless. Things just happened so quickly. Plus, gears move pretty slowly around here. When Piper called me about passport restrictions, I knew that I had to uphold my end of the deal even though you were unaware.
Enclosed is a copy of the paperwork that was filed in the US District Court and approved all the way through. Your trafficking conviction has been fully expunged. All rights of US citizenship have been fully restored. I know I cannot give you back the eight years you spent locked away. But you certainly have proved that you deserve to live the rest of your life free.
Thank you.
Caputo
Alex drew her knees to her chest and buried her face in her lap. Her shoulders were shaking with the tears Piper knew were falling. She wrapped her arms around Alex and murmured comfort into her hair.
With her tear streaked face, Alex looked up at Piper. "I don't know where I would be had you not come into my life Piper Vause. All I know is that I'm a much better person having met you. I cannot believe this. Do you have any idea what it means to have my record expunged?"
Piper nodded somberly. "Well Caputo did all of the hard work. All I did was plan the vacation. How about we go to Thailand?"
Piper was trying her best to rouse Alex from bed. "Get up sleepy head. It's tourist time."
Alex rolled over and pulled the blanket over her head. "Hmmpht, leave me alone. It's vacation. Sleepy time." Alex mock snored.
"Alex," Piper whined. "I have today planned out. Let's get up." She crawled back into bed atop of Alex and started nuzzling her neck.
Alex reached from under the covers and enveloped Piper in her arms. "I'll give you exactly two hours to stop that." She turned her face to catch Piper's lips on her own.
Piper jumped up and said, "No! Get up. You know, I could threaten to withhold my affection, you know." Piper's voice had an evil yet teasing tone.
"You wouldn't!" Alex mocked gasped as she managed to place her feet on the floor. "Okay, I'm up."
Piper hopped up and down. "This morning is T'ai Chi in Lumpini Park. I've heard the locals will help you with the basics."
"So I'm getting up at the crack of dawn for Thai Yoga? Seriously?" Alex looked amused.
"Not yoga silly. It's actually a form of martial arts." Piper pulled her hair back into a loose pony tail and tossed some clothes to Alex. "Come on. I promise to make it worth your while later."
With that, Alex leapt up and hurriedly threw on her clothes. "When you put it that way, I'm all for some yoga. Let's go!" Both women laughed.
Out of respect for local culture, the couple did not hold hands on their journey to the park. They were welcomed by the natives who showed them the slow, methodical movements in an introduction to T'ai Chi. While the motions were calculated, the pair definitely felt the strain on certain muscle groups, yet felt relaxed at the same time. After the hour class, they returned to the hotel to shower. The rest of the morning was spent strolling about Pak Klong Talad, Bangkok's renowned fruit and flower market. Piper was in awe of the different plant species and the beauty of the foreign flowers.
Alex found a local rose and held it up to Piper's face. "As beautiful as this rose may be, nothing with ever match the exquisiteness of my wife." She gave Piper a chaste kiss and then purchased a bouquet of roses mixed with some of the local flowers. "For my lovely bride." Of course, Piper blushed.
Back at the hotel, Piper poured over the books on Buddhism in Thailand she had purchased when preparing for the trip. She had wanted to know as much about the culture as possible when deciding what to do. Their visit to the Grand Palace, former residence of the kings of Thailand was highlighted by a long tour through Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) which is regarded as the most sacred temple in all of Thailand.
The next morning was another early morning for the couple as they wanted to visit Damnoen Saduak before the crowds. They were rewarded at the famous floating fruit and vegetable market with colorfully clad merchants paddling their wares along the congested canals with their canoes laden with fresh produce. Alex felt as energized as Piper acted. The stress of not taking any days off of work rolled away with each new activity.
Later that afternoon, Alex collapsed on the sofa, invigorated yet exhausted at the same time. She knew how much this trip meant to Piper so she dared not express her weariness. "What's on our schedule for this evening Pipes?"
Piper smiled shyly. "You are drained, aren't you?" Piper came to sit by Alex on the couch, curling up beneath Alex's arm.
"I'm okay Pipes. As long as you are enjoying yourself, I'm happy. You really are good at finding things to do. Although…" Alex looked at Piper with that look in her eyes. "You did make a promise to me a few days ago to make these early mornings worth my while."
"Yes I did. How about we make good on part of that promise tonight?"
Alex's heart quickened as she leaned over to nibble on Piper's ear. "Now that's the best offer I've heard all week." She began to kiss her way down Piper's neck and around the front of her throat. Piper dipped her head down to meet Alex's lips and kissed her full and strong.
Then Piper got up and pulled Alex to her feet. "Come on. You need to change clothes."
"How about I just shed them here?" Alex resisted being pulled towards the bedroom. She drew Piper back to her and began to kiss her again.
Piper gently pulled away. "Alex," she said with a firm but gentle voice. "Come on." As she led Alex to the bedroom, Alex found a loose fitting pair of pajamas on the bed. Piper pointed then turned to change clothes herself.
"Ummm Pipes. Seriously? PJ's? I thought we were getting undressed for my reward. Not getting into night clothes."
Alex was interrupted by a knocking on the door. Piper held up one finger to Alex's questioning look, went to the front room, closing the bedroom door behind her. She reopened the bedroom door and chastised Alex. "Change clothes. And stay here. I'll come get you in a few moments."
Alex was dumbfounded. This isn't exactly how I thought tonight would go. She heard low voices and rustling movement of furniture being moved in the front room. Soon Piper opened the bedroom door.
"Okay, we are ready for you." Alex followed Piper into the room where she saw two Thai masseuses with padded yoga mats rolled out on the floor. "Lay down sweetie. You are about to have the best massage of your life."
Alex's eyes twinkled. "I thought I gave you the best massages in your life."
Piper playfully pushed at Alex. "Seriously, down." Alex complied and Piper laid down next to her.
As the masseuses began their ministrations, pulling and stretching limbs, it was all Alex could do to stymie the moans of pleasure. Eventually the pair were directed to take various simple yoga poses. For two hours, Alex and Piper were prodded, stretched, pulled and walked on. When the session was over, Alex could not bear to move.
"That was incredible. Wow." Alex managed to pant. She slowly brought herself up to a sitting position and reached for the water that had been left for them on the nearby table. "I'm not sure I'll be able to drink enough water to wash away all of the toxins they pulled from my muscles." She rolled over to wrap her arms around Piper. "Thank you my love. While that wasn't quite what I was expecting, it was amazing."
Piper looked at Alex lovingly. "You my dear are worth it." They lay on the mats for quite a bit longer before Piper prompted. "Why don't you go take a shower?"
"Why don't you join me?" Alex returned to her earlier state of arousal and began covering Piper's bare skin with kisses.
"Al don't get yourself all worked up! Just enjoy the sensations from the massage. We have the rest of our lives to make love."
Alex mock pouted. "If you say so Mrs. Vause." Alex pulled herself to her feet and kissed Piper on top of her head.
"I do say so Mrs. Vause."
Upon Alex's return from her hot, steamy shower, the front room had been transformed from a massage parlor to a dining room. The yoga mats had been replaced with a pair of straw mats with a short table between them. The table had many covered soups, dishes and bowls of rice, ready to serve dinner. Candles had been lit at various places around the room. Alex's heart swelled with admiration for Piper. First the massage and then dinner. She really has been planning.
"You've outdone yourself Piper." Alex was beaming.
"Give me a few minutes to shower. Open a beer, and I'll be right back." Piper gave Alex a quick kiss.
Alex found a six-pack of Singha beer on ice next to the table. She popped one open and took a long drink. There were so many emotions flowing through her – it was overwhelming to say the least. The more she thought about Piper, the more she didn't know whether to laugh or to weep. As long as I am breathing, I know I will never find another soul so tightly tethered to mine. Alex wiped away a tear. I don't know how she does it, but this woman makes me sappy as hell. Alex took another drink of her beer as she heard the shower turn off. She expectantly waited for Piper's return.
The next day, the pair traveled by plane to Chiang Rai, the gateway to the Golden Triangle. They spent several days touring the temples, churches, and museums. There were so many shopping markets that Alex had to buy another suitcase for the things Piper was buying. One afternoon was spent taking a Thai cooking class. Piper accused Alex of not learning a thing because she laughed throughout the entire course.
"Pipes. I had a blast. But I couldn't understand a damned thing they were saying. Besides, you are the one with the flair for cooking. You have to admit, it was hilarious." She kissed on Piper's nose as Piper continued to pout at Alex's folly. "Besides, I'm sure the tip I left made up for my laughter!"
"Why do I put up with you?" Piper goosed Alex in the ribs.
"Because you love me."
While in Laos, the couple decided to make a visit to a museum of unusual sorts – the Hall of Opium. The three story museum featured wildly bizarre works of art depicting hallucinations, mystery and danger. The entire third floor is dedicated to the history of the opium cultivation and trade in Thailand. The trip through the museum was somber for Alex and Piper. Neither woman spoke a word.
They stood in front of the display which detailed trafficking attempts and notorious smugglers. Alex broke the silence between them. "Opium. The plant that brought the almighty Alex Vause down to her knees in more ways than one. Heroin almost killed me and it put me in prison for eight long years. And these people are here profiting from people like us who are curious enough to throw down 300 baht to read the propaganda and lies spouted by the government. Yes opium provided for many families and supported an extremely poor country but to what cost. How many lives ruined? How many lives lost?" Alex hung her head. "And I was a part of that problem."
"Al. Look at me Alex." Piper pulled Alex's chin up to look at her in her eyes. "You are no longer that person. That person is gone. You are a good person. That is all you have to remember. You have your health, and you have me. The rest of this – is just bullshit."
Alex did not respond but simply walked away.
After a drunken night with the locals, Alex awoke the next morning like the previous day had not happened. This was a relief to Piper as she never meant to dredge up bad memories for Alex. This was vacation after all.
The couple spent the rest of their vacation learning about Thai culture to include a tour of a local village in Ban Mae Kampong. Piper had somehow managed to make arrangements to visit a local school where they were joined by a member of the village chief's family who brought the pair into their home for lunch. Piper spent the afternoon doing her best to converse with the local craftsmen as she purchased handicrafts and herbal products created right in the village.
Because their days had been so jam-packed with planned activities, Piper relented to Alex's pleas for relaxation and left the evenings to Alex. Mostly they spent time lounging in their hotel room, reading Buddhist quotes to each other from one of the books Piper had picked up.
The return flight was 20+ hours which in itself was tiring, but both women were satisfied to spend the time curled in their seats with each other. The only angst felt was going through customs at JFK. Despite Alex's conviction being expunged, there was still trepidation as she handed her passport over to the agent. The apprehension felt by both women was for naught as each were summarily waved through customs without a second glance by the agent.
They arrived home in the late afternoon. Because they had slept on the plane, their internal clocks were fairly reset back to their regular time even though their bodies were weary. Piper rushed Alex upstairs to the second floor, leaving the limo driver to bring up all of the bags. Without giving Alex time to question her, she started drawing a bath in their oversized tub. She knew that as long as she kept Alex involved with things that required no clothes that Alex would not be asking any questions whatsoever.
In Ch2, Piper had thought about the separation from her family. She's going to make another effort to make amends with her mother. How will Carol to react to these attempts?
