So I admit, I may have lied with that "discontinued" tag. Here's Chapter Four, have fun nerds.

The next few days of Piper's life was doctors, nurses and more doctors. People came in to check her injuries, ask her how she was feeling and other things that she just said yes simply because she didn't really understand what she was being asked.

Nicky occasionally popped in as well, giving her updates on Alex's condition. Piper gratefully welcomed that information.

Apparently the woman had taken a hard hit, having been in the front of the car when they'd crashed. She'd broken both legs but thankfully no damage to her back. It would only be temporary. Piper was relieved to say to the least.

But she was so dreadfully tired of talking about her injury. She'd broken a couple of ribs and the rest of her body was dreadfully bruised. She just wanted to rest, not be endlessly interrogated abound t how tired she felt.

The week went by painfully slowly but she still hadn't seen Alex. Despite all the doctors and Nicky reassuring her that she was fine, Piper still felt worried. It was okay to be worried, right? After all they'd went through it together. It was natural to be worried.

It was another week before she saw Alex.

They were both being discharged at the same time and Piper thanked the gods for that fateful alinement. Maybe she'd get a glimpse of her, ask a question or two effort they'd have to part ways.

The doctor sent her to go home with only a warning not to strain herself. She was healing, not fully healed yet, but quite enough to be walking about. Piper had politely declined calling her family for a lift. The only one she could stand to see was her brother and he was away with his wife so that wasn't an option.

So they'd called a taxicab.

Piper sat in the waiting room, waiting patiently for the taxi to arrive. It was late enough, the sky only beginning to dull. In a few hours it would be too dark in walk about safely and-

"Hey Chapman."

A familiar voice cut though her thoughts. Piper's heart fluttered and she turned her head in hope. It was Alex, being pushed in a wheelchair but still Alex. The woman looked as battered as Piper felt.

"How are you?"

Piper gasped. "Vause..."

Alex rolled up beside her, a smile plastered on her face. The woman pushing her leaned back, trying to give them some privacy to talk. "How you doing, Pipes? They said you'd broken some ribs but I didn't see you."

"I was so worried."

It slipped out without Piper's consent. She hasn't meant to say anything, she'd meant to say some witty but flirty comment back. But it was the honest to god truth.

She'd been so worried about Alex's well being. It had been on her mind every day. How was Alex? When will I see her again? Is she okay? She'd been so worried about a woman she'd only met for a few minutes in a bar as a late hookup.

But for some reason, their relationship felt more meaningful than that. Like it was more than just a desperate hookup. Maybe going through a car crash did that.

Alex broke out into a wide grin and nudged her leg with her hand. Piper's skin pickled. "Same Pipes. Nicky's been coming in to see you, yeah? I asked her to keep an eye on you."

Piper laughed. "Oh Nicky's a show. She's great, I love her. Slightly mad though."

Alex nodded in agreement. "Oh she's absolutely crazy. You should have seen what she did at Christmas last year..."

The two of them talked casually about life and stuff until the taxi arrived. Much to Piper's surprise, they were taking the same one.

Alex explained that Nicky was out with Lorna today and they couldn't collect her. So they'd called a cab for her. Which happened to be the same one as they'd called for Piper.

It made sense. Of course the hospital would be cheap like that.

But Piper soon realised that she didn't really want to go home. She kinda liked it here, all the people and constant him of noise. Her house was huge, she knew that. It wasn't like she was short on money after all.

But it would be so empty. Even when she had Larry living with her, their voices had echoed across the rooms. She'd lived there for years and it had never gotten that homely feel. It was just too big t be home.

And now she was alone. Alone in that huge house without another body to keep her company.

Piper realised she was really alone.

She helped Alex into the cab as she couldn't help herself in. The back was roomy, plenty of space for the broken woman. The driver took their addresses and set off, heading for Alex's place first. Piper's gaze was out the window, thinking.

"You seem upset," Alex commented.

Piper snapped her head up, a flush rising to her cheeks. She'd noticed. How? Was it that obvious?

Alex tilted her head. "Sorry. I just got a vibe from you. You and I.., we've got a connection..." Alex stopped, grimacing. She probably hadn't meant to say that.

Piper blushed even more but she nodded her head. "I... I... It's just..." She took a deep breath. "I'm going to be so alone in my big house. I don't want to be alone."

Alex arched a thin eyebrow. "Alone? Don't you have any family?"

"Touchy subject," Piper said for an answer.

The woman nodded sympathetically. "I understand that all too well," she sighed. "I don't talk with my family any more. My father was a dick and left years ago and my mother died three years ago. I didn't have any siblings."

Piper touched her hand softly. "I'm sorry."

Alex laughed off her concern. "It was a while ago, Chapman. I'm fine."

The driver halted next to an apartment block in a darker part of the city. "Stop One," he called out, eyeing the two of them.

Alex frowned as she peered outside. Then looked down at her legs. And back up again. She frowned even deeper. "Hey Piper. Would it be too much to ask you to help me inside?"

Piper then realised that it would be pretty impossible for Alex to make it to her apartment by herself. She frowned. If she hasn't been here what would she have done?

"Of course," she smiled, getting up. "My house is a short walk away anyway." She told the driver that they'd be getting off here. He seemed more than relieved to get them both out.

After a bit of manoeuvring and straining of her practically non-existent muscles, she managed get Alex's wheelchair out onto the footpath. They both thanked the taxi driver and he went on his way.

"You sure your house is near here?" the woman asked as Piper started wheeling her towards the building. "This area can be kinda... Shady at night."

Piper scoffed, glancing around her. "That's an understatement," she sniffed, waving a hand at the graffiti and teens smoking under the trees. A few shot looks a tad Ern but mainly they drew no interest.

Alex grinned. "You think that's bad, wait 'til you meet the inhabitants."

Something about that sentence made Piper's blood chill. She'd never been a bad person. Like she did well in school, rarely disobeyed her parents, stayed in at night instead of going out clubbing. The thoughts of drugs didn't even get a look in.

She shivered.

She wheeled Alex into the lobby which was surprisingly clean for the outside looks. A quick sweep told her that there wasn't anyone on the reception desk but there were was an elevator ton the right of it.

"Thank fuck we have an elevator," Alex moaned as Piper pressed the button. "I live on the fifth floor! Imagine trying to get up those flights of stairs!"

Piper had to agree. There'd be no way she'd be able to carry Alex up those stairs. Alex was what? 5'10? She was pretty damn tall. And pretty. Very mentally slapped herself. She didn't need to think of this right now.

Piper agreed with her and they both went into the elevator. Alex's apartment was the fourth down the hallway. The door was locked as expected.

Alex swore and rummaged for a key in her pocket but then the door opened.

To reveal a grinning, bushy-haired as always, Nicky. Piper's mouth dropped. What? Hadn't Nicky been out with her fiancée? What was she doing here? What?

"Nicky, you little shit," Alex swore, stopping her looking. "You were here the whole damn time?"

Nicky shrugged, opening the door wider to let them in. "Eh maybe. Come in, Chapman."

It was then that Piper realised why Nicky had skated collecting Alex. Because she knew it would force her to help Alex in because she couldn't do it herself. And thus bring her inside their apartment. She couldn't believe it.

That woman was damn sneaky.

And Piper had to fight back a grin. She had to give her some credit. That was a brilliant idea. Giving Nicky a smile, she wheeled Alex into the apartment. The woman jumped at the sight of it.

"Shit Nicky, this place is a mess!" Alex complained. "What did I tell you about cleaning up? It's not fucking hard!"

Nicky waved her off as she shut the door. "Enough with you and your cleanliness! I have enough with Lorna up my case! You just got back, maybe-"

"What you say 'bout me, huh?"

A strong Boston (or was it Brooklyn?) accent cut through the room, turning all faces to look. The woman whom Piper assumed to be Lorna stepped out from a doorway, hands on her hips.

She was short with dark brown hair that bounced across her shoulders in curly waves. Her lips were painted bright pink as she smiled at the bushy haired woman. She was pretty, Piper would admit.

And from the wedding ring of her finger it was obvious this was the woman Nicky talked so fondly of.

"Oh 'ello there," she greeted, coming over to see Piper. She squinted up at her. "You must be that Piper one that Nicky was talkin' 'bout, right? Nice to meet yah, names Lorna Morello."

"Soon to be Lorna Nichols," Nicky butted her, hugging her fiancé from behind.

"Naw naw naw, dear," Lorna protested, tapping her hands. "I said Nicole Morello."

"Whaaaat? I could have sworn we'd agreed with Nichols-"

Alex wheeled herself forward to interrupt the couple. "Bet you two have been getting all heated up having the apartment to yourself. What? Did the neighbours complain at all?"

Lorna waved a hand. "They always be complainin', ain't much different."

Nicky nodded though she put her two fingers near her mouth and stuck her tongue between them. Alex started to laugh and Piper had to join in. The three of them, such a group. They were a real laugh.

"So Piper, you gonna stay for dinner?"

As much as she wanted to, Piper felt she had to decline. She had a lot to do. "Oh I couldn't, I have to be going home and-"

"Home? You got a car, Chapman?" Nicky interrupted.

"Well no, but-"

"Naw, like hell we letting you walk home at this time," Lorna said firmly. "You ain't want to be messing with these folks. They all slim and shady, you can stay for dinner and call a cab."

And just like that Piper was staying for dinner.

Not that she minded. Lorna it turned out was Italian-American and was really good at making lasagna. She claimed that her parents didn't even teach her, that it was an old mentor named Red.

The other two nodded fondly when she said that, like they knew her too. Piper didn't pry.

The lasagna was absolutely amazing, Piper had to go for seconds. And she gobbled all that up too. Hospital goodbye a small awful, let's be real. And then Nicky opened a wine bottle and she had to have some of that too.

And this was how she ended up sitting on their couch at eleven o'clock, chatting and drinking wine. They were great, they all were. Funn, witty but unbelievably friendly. It turned out Alex wasn't just sexy but she was also such a nice person.

She could stay here and be happy.

And as if she'd taken the words right out of her mind, Nicky asked "You should stay over, Chapman. We'd love the company. Might make Vause be a llittle less mopey."

Naturally she'd tried to protest but both her desires and their somewhat solid arguments, she'd found herself staying the night. And lying in Alex's bed in the dark.

The woman lay on the other side of the double bed, breath warming Piper's neck. The apartment was double roomed with double beds in each. Nicky and Lorna had one while Alex usually slept alone. Except tonight she shared it with Piper.

Piper rolled over to face the woman. Those eyes fluttered open to rest on her. She smiled.

"Did you help them plan it?" she whispered softly.

Alex frowned them rolled her eyes. "Not even. The two of them, sneaky little bastards. They knew they'd be able to persuade you to stay." She snorted. "Guess I have to thank them though."

"Hmm?"

Alex tilted her head. "You said you didn't want to be alone. Well... You don't have to be."

"What are you saying?"

Alex ran a hand down her cheek and Piper longed for that touch. "Stay with us. If you want to leave, we won't ever stop you. But you're welcome here any time."

Piper blinked, staring at her in the dark. Stay.. With them? Like permanently? Could she really? She closed her eyes. She needed to think. She need to think about it.

"You don't need to answer right away," Alex's voice reassured her.

"No," Piper said, opening her eyes. "No, I'd like that. I like to stay. Thank you."

Alex smiled and it was so real and soft that Piper's heart fluttered. "I should be thanking you."

"Hmph. We'll see about that when you live with me."

Alex laughed and Piper thought that she could drown in that laugh. So pure and beautiful. So amazing.

And so she fell asleep, laying next the dark haired woman. Life was good. Things were great. She was happy.

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