Chapter Ten

Basically my girlfriend said she'd never talk to me again if this didn't go the way she wanted it to so...here you go.

Enjoy.

"This is Alex Vause, twenty six years old, she has two bullet wounds to her lower abdomen and one to her chest." The paramedic explained to the doctors. Piper had glued herself to Alex's side from the moment the gun was fired. She ran alongside the trolley as Alex was wheeled through the hospital and then she was through the double doors and gone.

Hours passed and Piper had heard nothing. People rushed in and out of the double doors Alex had disappeared through, she was told she would have to wait every time she asked to see her. The news was on in the waiting room and several anxious people stood around watching worrying for friends or family that they had come in with or that had been in Time's Square without them.

"Breaking News – As the clock struck midnight an act which can only be described as evil was committed in New York's beloved Time's Square. Gun shots were fired as the ball dropped…one person is confirmed dead whilst five are seriously injured, our thoughts and prayers go out to their loved ones and families. We'll keep you updated folks."

Piper put her head in her hands. All she could do now was wait.

"Miss Chapman. Excuse me Miss?" The doctor shook Piper in her chair. It was eight am and she had fallen asleep in her chair exhausted. The doctor looked down at her with pity in his eyes. "Miss Chapman, I have some news for you."

"Alex, is she alright? What's happening? Please tell me she's okay?" The words tumbled out of her mouth a panicked jumble. "The bullets caused a lot of damage. The one that entered the chest skimmed her right lung causing a large amount of bleeding and shattered a rib, the force of that breaking another, though we were able to retrieve the pieces without causing any further damage. The ones that entered her lower abdomen perforated her left kidney which had to be removed and…well the other destroyed the majority of her womb. Alex will never be able to conceive. A doctor is speaking to her at the moment; discussing her options, she asked us to explain to you, you'll be allowed to see her shortly."

The doctor walked away as Piper sat shocked. They hadn't talked about children yet, this changed everything and nothing, Alex was alive and that was all that mattered.

"Oh Alex, baby!" Piper ran to her, tears flowing again but managed to contain herself from throwing herself on her. "Yes." Alex was groggy and sounded like every breath hurt. "Alex, I love you so much, you're going to be okay, I'm sorry, I love you." Piper was hysterical and the tears just kept coming. Alex smirked up at her. "Listen would you…" She said slowly and waited for Piper to stop gulping back the tears. "I said yes. You might have missed that over your tears. Yes, Piper. Yes because you're wonderful and kind and caring and intelligent and funny and adorable, yes because your family are amazing, yes because I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you, yes because life is clearly too short and yes because when those shots were fired you threw yourself over me, which was sooo stupid, but so so so brave. Yes Piper, I would be honoured to be your wife because you're my Everything."

It took Piper a moment because it seemed like a life time ago that the snow was falling gently around them and they were lost in a happy little bubble as Piper proposed before it was pierced with sadness. And then the tears started again but they were happy tears. And a ring was being slipped (gently) onto Alex's finger and they were kissing (gently). The night's worries disappeared.

Alex was a very grumpy patient it turned out and really did not like being waited on as much as she thought she would. After two weeks of scans, more scans, three operations and two doctors determining she was in shock when she explained to them quite calmly that she wasn't planning on conceiving anyway, she was released.

Now she lay grumpily on their leather sofa eating chocolate pudding with a plastic spoon. "I tried to explain that if we were going to have kids that A) It wouldn't be any time soon and B) You're way more motherly anyway." She said through a mouthful of chocolate happiness. Piper laughed.

Piper it turned out was a very good nurse. She was patient and caring, kind and she made resting amusing at least. She was also very tolerant when Nicky (Alex's Best friend) turned up on Alex's instructions with a naughty nurse outfit.

Alex's café was on hold and Polly had been managing Poppy's on her own for at least a month now but was completely understanding about it ("You'd do the same if it was Pete or god forbid, Finn, take as much time as you need sweetie. Give Alex our love.") And Piper's family along with Polly, Pete, Nicky and her wife, Lorna, they were getting by. They had the perfect support system.

Alex had had a constant stream of visitors since she arrived home and there were get well soon balloons filling every free space in the apartment.

"The first one was really nice but there are seventeen of them now! Just wheel me over there so I can pop them, pleaaase Pipes?" Alex begged.

"One more day and I promise you can pop them, okay grumps?" Piper teased.

If anything all Alex's injuries did was bring them closer, some days Alex would be fine, others she would wake up in a cold sweat, pain radiating through her body and they learned a lot more about each other because of these times. Piper would hold Alex close and rock her gently, running her fingers through her hair until she drifted back off to sleep. And when this failed they'd talk about anything and everything until finally they were asleep again.

One night Alex talked about her Mum for the first time since Piper had known her.

"She was awesome my Mom, she brought me up all by herself. She was pretty cool. She worked three jobs you know Pipes? Dad was no good, didn't stick around past conception and my Mom still did good. I miss her Pipes, I was so scared in that ambulance, all I wanted, you and her, if that was my last moment, I wanted you both there." Alex mumbled sleepily. "I miss her." She drifted again as a tear rolled down her cheek.

It was in those months that Alex was recovering that Piper knew marrying her would be the best thing she ever did.

The next one will be bigger I think, update may be slow, I have five exams in the next two weeks and my girlfriend's birthday, it's going to be manic. I'll do my best!

Thank you for the continued support.

Review, tell me what you want to happen, what you liked/disliked - let's face it, I need all the help I can get!