Piper opened the umbrella covering her and Jack from the rain. Alex pulled her hood up and stepped next to them, her hand on the small of Piper's back, gently propelling her forward.

"Go ahead, Pipes. You two stay dry."

Piper would have argued there was room for all of them but she knew Alex wouldn't hear it. She was protective of Piper when it was just the two of them, but since their family had expanded she had become almost OCD.

"Ok, mama bear."

They walked back in Popi. Piper shook the umbrella out and leaned it next to the front door.

"Hi, Jean."

Alex waved at the girl behind the counter before walking around her to Piper and Polly's office.

Piper put Jack down, not needing to watch him in the store, knowing he'd run after Alex, following her to the back.

This was going to be an interesting day, she thought to herself. She watched Alex walk around the corner and slump in the seat in front of Piper's desk, groaning.

Polly looked up from the paperwork she was still working on with a puzzled look.

"Don't tell me you started arguing in the 5 minutes you were gone."

Alex just shook her head no.

"It's a long story," Piper sighed, sitting at her desk.

"Ayix!" Finn called out, excited to see her.

"Hey, buddy. Has Jack been good today?"

"Yeah, he's a good baby."

She smiled. Jack stood next to her, laying his head on her thigh. She brushed his hair back with her hand.

"You want to play with Finny?"

He shook his head no.

"Come here, muffin."

She picked him up, sitting him on her lap. He leaned into her, his chest against her chest and tangled his right hand up in her hair, his left hand up to his mouth sucking his thumb.

"Jack," Piper started to lecture him about sucking his thumb again.

"Leave him be, Pipes. He's only a baby once."

"Enabler."

Alex just smirked.

"He's a good baby," she said, quoting Finn.

Piper laughed.

"Ok, you're not fighting," Polly looked between them, "so what's with all the sighing?"

Alex rubbed Jack's back and could feel him relaxing, probably falling asleep. She looked at the clock on the wall and noticed it was almost his nap time.

"We ran into someone at the coffee shop."

"Jesus, Piper! Just tell me, don't drag it out."

Jean stuck her hand around the corner, "There's a man here asking for you two."

Alex frowned knowing immediately who it was. She stood up, stepping over the baby gate, laying Jack down in his playpen.

She followed Polly out to the front and saw Larry standing near the front door, looking at all the products lining the walls.

Polly stopped walking, "Larry?"

"Are you fucking deaf," Alex barked at him, "I told you not to come in here."

Piper was behind her, a hand on her shoulder, attempting to calm her down before a scene was started in their business.

"I know, I was just curious. About the store... The kids..."

"You can be curious all you want," Piper started, "that doesn't mean you have the right to barge in."

They all looked at the baby monitor in Piper's hand when they heard a phone ringing over it.

"Is this who you ran into at the coffee shop?" Polly looked back to Piper and Alex.

Piper nodded.

"Look, Larry," Polly continued, "I know we were friends at one point and you really helped me with Finn when he was born, but Pete will lose his shit if he knows you showed up here."

"Can I see him?"

Polly sighed. Larry did help her with her son. They were close. She couldn't blame him for being curious and wanting to see him. But her relationship with Pete was still rocky, and one of the causes was now standing in front of her.

"Ok."

"Polly!" Piper yelled at her and frowned, knowing the risk she was taking.

They heard crying over the monitor. It wasn't the toddler crying of Finn. Piper started moving to the back when they heard Jack calling for Alex over the speaker.

"Mama," he whined, "Mama."

"He wants you," she looked at Alex.

Alex stood still, assessing the situation, wondering if she should leave Piper and Polly alone with Larry. Jack's crying snapped her out of her thoughts, she glared at Larry and walked to the back.

"You can see Finn, Larry." Polly said quietly, "It'll be fine, Piper." She turned back to Larry, "Just wait for Alex to get Jack. I don't think she wants you around them."

The store phone rang and Jean answered it. Piper, Polly, and Larry stood awkwardly in silence. They could hear Alex on the monitor.

"What's wrong, baby?"

"Mama," he sounded sniffly and tired.

"It's for you," Jean said, holding the receiver out for Piper.

"Hello?"

"Yo, blondie," Nicky said, "I called your woman but she didn't answer her cell so I called the book store and Poussey said she'd stepped out. She with you?"

"Yeah, she's here."

"You guys busy or do you wanna grab lunch? I have a surprise for you."

"Well isn't this day just full of surprises," Piper said sarcastically.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Text me where you want to meet, we actually need to get out of here for a while."

"Will do. Bring your gremlin."

Piper handed the receiver back to Jean and walked back around the corner, sticking her head in like Jean had.

"Al, Nicky called. We're gonna meet her for lunch."

Alex nodded her head, "I'll grab your stuff."

She picked up her cell phone from Piper's desk and her wife's and son's coats. She walked back to the front, diaper bag over one shoulder, Jack laying on the other.

She didn't look at Larry again, afraid she would lose her temper, but they could all feel the tension radiating off her. She knelt down, standing Jack up in front of her. Piper took her coat, slipping it on while Alex pulled Jack's arms through his hooded sweatshirt, zipping it up.

"This is weird," Larry observed.

"No shit," Piper huffed.

"No, I mean... Seeing you two with him. He looks just like you. And it's like you belong together."

"We do," Alex scowled.

Jack whimpered and she relaxed her face. She smoothed his wavy hair, smiling at him. She might have been irritated from seeing Larry but she didn't want her son to pick up on it.

"How old is he?"

"Almost one," she replied. "Let's go, Pipes."

Alex stood up, holding Jack's hand, leading her family out. Piper grabbed the umbrella next to the door. It had stopped raining but she didn't want to be unprepared again.

Piper looked back at Polly before walking out the door, "You gonna be ok, Pol?"

"Yeah, I'll see you later."

Piper nodded and closed the door behind them.

x

Polly led Larry to the back.

"Wow. It's like you have a day care in your office."

"Alex designed it for when Piper was gonna come back to work. She knew she wouldn't want to leave Jack with a stranger, or leave him period for that matter."

"It's so weird seeing them with a baby."

Polly laughed and nodded her head, "It was weirder to see Alex with a pregnant Piper. She's really proven herself. They adore him."

"He looks just like Piper."

"He looks like Alex when he's talking. His hands fly all over the place." She smiled thinking about the little boy, "His eyebrows do the exaggerated movements like her and he's already got the little smirk down."

"How is he... Is that nature vs nurture?"

"I'm not sure. They both gave a sample when they wanted to do IVF. He's kind of a mix of both of them."

Larry looked at Finn playing quietly with some crayons at a little desk in his play area. A few weeks ago Alex heard him telling Polly he wanted a desk like her and the next day when she showed up for work she saw one was set up with a couple little chairs and a drawing pad and coloring supplies.

"She really stepped up. For both of us. I like her," she smiled at the memory. "Hey, Finn," he looked up from his doodle, "come here, I want you to meet someone."

He walked to the edge of the baby gate, smiling shyly.

"This is Larry."

Polly lifted him up and held him so Larry could see him closer.

"Hi buddy."

"Ayix calls me buddy." He looked around, realizing she wasn't there anymore. "Where's Ayix?"

"She went out with Pipi."

"Jack too?"

"Yes, Jack too." Polly looked at Larry, explaining, "We bring the boys to work every day. They're really close."

"I love Ayix's baby."

"Alex's baby?" Larry's eyebrows shot up.

"He's a mama's boy."

"I never would have thought of her as the maternal type."

"None of us did, not even her. Well, Piper maybe. But she's always seen something in her the rest of us hadn't. I guess it's just finally coming out."

"They got married?"

"Yeah. They're happy." Polly smiled sadly at Larry.

Larry focused his attention back on the little boy in Polly's arms.

"He's big."

"It's those Harper genes."

"Is Pete around more?"

"Yeah. Alex opened a bar when she first got out," she didn't want to say 'of prison' in front of her son, so she hesitated before continuing, "She gave him a job as GM. He works nights and weekends, but he gets to party still and comes home at a reasonably decent hour, and doesn't feel the need to fly off to Asia or Africa to explore volcanoes or chase big game."

"That sounds like Alex," Larry laughed.

"Yeah," Polly smiled, "they kind of bonded. Wanderlust spirits, I guess. We all go on vacation every 6 months or so. Get that adventure out of their systems so they don't get stir crazy."

She felt uncomfortable talking about her husband with Larry, the man she cheated on him with, but she felt he deserved the truth.

"He likes his job. He can be an adolescent party boy and still come home to his family. We're grateful Alex is in our life. She sold the bar when she started these stores, but told her friend who took over to keep him on."

"Can I hold him?" Larry asked, looking again at Finn.

Polly held Finn out to him. Larry bounced him.

"I bet you don't remember me."

Finn shook his head no.

Larry felt a pang of jealousy. Alex had married Piper, had a baby with her, given her the life she wanted. She still took her on trips, everyone loved her and was grateful to have her. She was the anti-Larry. Not boring, able to provide, no longer causing drama. Even Polly and Pete were benefiting from having her around. It sounded like she had taken Larry's position and made everyone's lives better.

He sighed.

"Is it bad I'm a little envious?"

"Of what?" Polly looked at him confused.

"Alex."

She had a sad smile on her face again, "Weren't you always?"

"I guess so," he laughed.

x

When the door closed behind them Alex let go of Jack's hand and let him walk a few steps ahead of them. Piper had the umbrella in one hand and took Alex's with the other, feeling the warmth Jack left behind.

They walked in silence till Jack started skipping and jumping into the puddles the rain had left behind.

"Jack," Alex started to tell him to stay out of them, seeing his pants getting soaked.

"Leave him be, he's only a baby once," Piper said smirking, throwing Alex's earlier words back at her.

"He's gonna get pneumonia."

"So dramatic," Piper laughed, relieving some of the tension Larry had caused between them. "There's a change of clothes in his bag. Let him play. A few puddles won't get him sick."

Alex huffed. Piper looked at her. Her shoulders were still tense and she was frowning.

"Is that face because of the puddles or because of Larry."

Alex's lips pulled into a tight smile, "Maybe a little bit of both."

Piper smiled at her, stroking her interlaced fingers.

"He'll be gone by the time we get back. I'll tell Polly to tell him to call next time."

"I don't want there to be a next time," Alex admittedly quietly.

Piper studied her again, a realization washing over her, "Wait, you're not jealous are you?"

Alex shrugged.

"I don't want him around our family either. That chapter of my life is closed, and it wasn't closed pleasantly. I have no desire to catch up with him, or be friends for that matter. I love you, and our family. You gave me hope and happiness again. You're my everything."

She could see Alex relax at her words. She unlaced their fingers and wrapped her arm around Piper's waist, pulling her closer to kiss the top of her head.

"So did you make up meeting Nicky to get us out of there, because I wouldn't be upset if you did."

Piper laughed, "No, she called saying she had a surprise for us."

"That sounds ominous."

Piper laughed again and didn't stop Alex from pulling Jack away from the next puddle they approached. She knew her wife needed their comfort.

Alex placed him on her hip, kissing his head too, and sighed again, this time content.