WARNING – this chapter is rated M, sex scene.

Chapter 11

Alex felt so nervous, Piper would be picking her and Sally up in half an hour for Thanksgiving dinner. The idea of actually meeting Carol Chapman face to face was starting to make her stomach turn. She decided a joint would make her feel better and sat next to the bedroom window as she smoked, trying to convince herself it would all be fine.

Sally walked into the bedroom to finish getting dressed, the overwhelming smell of pot was impossible to miss.

"Really? We're going to Piper's place to have Thanksgiving with her family and you're smoking a fucking joint?"

"I'm nervous okay, it's just one."

Sally walked over to her sister and took the joint from her hand, "You're relaxed enough, being high won't help your chances of impressing anyone. And maybe put on jeans that don't have holes in them."

Alex rolled her eyes and looked down at her jeans, there was a rip across one of the knees and another across her thigh.

"I don't even think I have jeans without rips, and besides, these are comfortable."

Sally stubbed out the joint and threw it in the bin before kneeling next to Alex, "Trust me kid, if you don't want Piper's mum to think you're some kind of thug, put on some different jeans, brush your hair, and stop getting high."

Alex knew Sally was probably right, but it didn't make the situation any less annoying. She didn't want to have to try and impress anyone, she didn't care what people thought about her. But she did care about what Piper thought. Compromise wasn't ever terribly high on Alex's priority list, but she took a deep breath and changed her clothes. She stood in the bedroom and looked at herself in their cracked mirror. She looked herself up and down, she felt like there was nothing impressive about what she saw. She stood there in dark blue jeans, a tight black t-shirt, and a pair of old black and white vans. She had no idea how to make conversation with people like Carol Chapman. Actually, she never wanted to make conversation with people like Carol Chapman. Even Piper didn't seem to like her own mother, how the hell was she meant to get along with her.

Alex jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, Sally was standing behind her, "Don't get so worked up over this, it's just dinner, that's it. Go in there and be yourself, just….minus the asshole part."

"Thanks Sal." Alex saw her sister smirking behind her and the two girls finished getting ready. It was going to be a long day.

0-0-0-0-0

Piper picked up Sally and Alex in the late afternoon, it was only a short drive back to her place.

"My mum is already driving me crazy. It's our first thanksgiving since she left my dad and she's acting like nothing has changed, like, at all! Thank god my grandma is there, we've always been close."

Alex listened to Piper ramble on about her family, but inside she felt like she could barely breathe.

Sally didn't see any point in pretending Alex wasn't freaking out, "I think you might need to have a few words with the girl in the back Pipes, she'll a little nervous about meeting Mrs Chapman."

Alex glared at Sally from the back said, but she stayed quiet.

"Don't worry Al, she doesn't know we're together yet, this'll just give you a chance to get to know her. And Cal will be there too, he practically goes around telling his friends that he knows you and Nicky on a personal level. If you start to feel really nervous you can excuse yourself to go to the bathroom or something. Or talk to my grandma, she's a lot more bearable than my mother."

"I know you're trying to make me feel better Pipes, it's fine, I'll be fine."

Alex leant forward and punched her sister in the shoulder, "It would be great if you wouldn't put like, all my vulnerabilities out there."

"Like I said earlier Lex, leave the asshole side of your personality off the table and it'll be all good."

"Great advice."

Alex slumped back into her seat and tried to think about something else. She was also trying to block out Sally's laughter from the front seat. It wasn't much longer before they pulled up at Piper's apartment block, it look a hell of a lot nicer than where Alex and Sally lived. Piper parked and they walked towards the big front entry and made their way to the elevator.

Piper wanted to reassure Alex one last time that everything would be okay, and gave her a quick kiss before the elevator doors opened. Just a few short moments later and Alex was walking through the front door of Piper's apartment for the first time. Everything was so, white. Alex was trying to take in her surroundings when she found herself standing in front of two older women.

"Mum, grandma, this is Sally and Alex. And you guys already know Cal."

Alex saw Cal standing in the background with a goofy grin on his face, "maybe he can give me a joint if things really start to go downhill."

Alex ran her eyes over Carol Chapman, who was standing there in a very smart blue and white striped shirt with a dark scarf around her neck, with a knee length skirt to match the scarf. She had blonde hair and blue eyes just like Piper, but she was shorter than her daughter. Piper's grandmother looked like an older version of Carol, standing around the same height in a floral dress and a light cardigan.

Alex and Sally greeted both of them, shaking hands and following everyone towards the kitchen. Everything still looked so white, Alex almost felt like she was in a hospital. But there was the occasional splash of colour from a pillow or painting on the wall. She watched Sally and Piper follow the two older women towards the kitchen, but there was no way she was about to follow them. Alex walked towards the kitchen table, with its absolutely perfect and pristine setting, and sat next to Cal. She spoke to him occasionally at school when he wanted to buy pot, but that was about it, aside from when they ran into him at Piper's dad's house. He seemed liked a decent kid.

"Are you trying to grow a beard Calvin?"

Alex pretended to study the teenage boy's chin, while he smoothed out the few stray hairs he'd managed to grow.

"Hey, I've been cultivating these for weeks now. Pretty soon you won't even recognise me."

Alex smiled, at least she could rely on Cal to take her mind off things.

"Please tell me you have at least one joint hidden in your room?"

"What do you think this is Vause? Of course I do! You will sooooo need one once my mum finds out you're banging her only daughter."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Cal."

0-0-0-0-0

Twenty minutes later and they were all sitting at the kitchen table, eating dinner and making insanely polite conversation. Alex sat there and listened to Sally compliment the food and make small talk. Fuck, Alex really wished she was better at small talk. But turns out it didn't matter, as Carol Chapman turned her attention to Alex as well as Sally.

"It's so nice to finally meet Piper's new friends, she's hardly been home since the new school year has started!"

"Mum.."

"Well it is true sweetheart. So tell me Sally, what are your plans for next year?"

Piper was really hoping her mum wouldn't offend Sally and Alex, but given the older woman's track record and the several glasses of wine she'd already had, Piper didn't have high hopes.

"Well, I've been thinking about getting into cooking. The lady I work for might be able to get me an apprenticeship at a local restaurant."

"Oh that sounds fantastic, I wish Piper cooked more, but she could never quite get the hang of it."

Alex looked across the table at her girlfriend. If looks could kill, then Carol would have been dead right there at the table.

"I can cook, thanks mother."

"Well I wouldn't know dear, seeing as how you're never here anymore. Anyway, what about you Alex? Any plans for after school?"

Alex was taken aback, her plan was to sit there in silence, she hadn't banked on Carol wanting to actually talk to her.

"Ummm, not really."

"Oh come on dear, there must be something you're interested in."

Alex had no idea what she wanted to do after high school, and given their financial situation she wouldn't have many options anyway.

"I really don't know. Maybe writing?"

Alex was so relieved when Piper stepped in, "Just leave her alone mum."

"It's very hard to make a living from writing dear, but I'm sure you'll work something out in the end You've still got a few more years at high school?

"Yeah, just a couple more years." Alex hoped it wasn't obvious that she was sweating, she really had no interest in answering any more of Carol's questions.

"And what about your parents, what do they do?"

Piper started berating herself internally, "Fuck! I should've told her not to ask about their parents!"

Alex had absolutely no intention of answering that question, and she was grateful when she heard Sally's voice.

"It's just me and Alex Mrs Chapman, we live on our own."

Even Alex thought she saw a hint of understanding on the older woman's face, and she immediately changed the topic.

The rest of the meal went pretty smoothly, with Carol and her mother filling most of the conversation, leaving Piper, Sally, Alex and Cal to talk amongst themselves. After another hour, Carol and her mother were in the kitchen making coffee, and Piper had excused herself to go to the bathroom. Alex got up from the table and followed the blonde, she definitely needed some stress relief after that dinner.

Alex snuck up behind Piper in the hallway and slipped her arms around her waist, kissing the back of her neck. She loved it when she heard Piper squeal and turn around so they could kiss. Alex forgot all about dinner, how much she hated the holidays, and forgot about Carol Chapman. She wanted to lose herself in Piper, she needed to. She pushed her girlfriend up against the hallway wall and started kissing her neck again, biting and licking her way towards Piper's mouth. Every sound that escaped Piper's mouth was like pure sex for Alex, and she could feel herself getting worked up. She moved her hands up Piper's body until they slipped under her shirt, and she could feel Piper tighten her grip around her neck.

She started to run one hand over Piper's bra and starting rubbing her breasts. She could feel how worked up the blonde was getting, she loved it.

"Fuck…Al….."

"I never stop thinking about you Pipes."

They still hadn't slept together, but Piper was definitely ready. Alex moved her hand from Piper's chest down her body, until she reached her zipper. Alex looked her girlfriend in the eye to make sure there was no hesitation, she didn't want to do anything Piper wasn't ready for. When she saw nothing but pure lust in Piper's eyes, she slowly undid the zipper on her jeans and slipped her hand inside, in between Piper's legs. Alex had to remind herself to be quiet, which felt almost impossible as she ran her fingers over Piper's underwear. She could feel how turned on the blonde was, and she loved the fact that it was all because of her.

"Agghhh, Alex…"

Piper had her lips pressed against Alex's ear, and she felt like she was losing all self control. She'd slept with two guys before, but they never made her feel like this, not even when they were having sex. Here she was, fully clothed with Alex, standing in the hallway of her mother's house, and she was completely overwhelmed by how much Alex was turning her on. She knew Alex had been waiting, she knew the brunette didn't want to push the whole sex thing. Piper appreciated it, but she didn't want to wait anymore, especially after everything they'd been through together in such a short amount of time. She needed to feel that connection with her girlfriend.

"Stay here tonight. Sally is meeting up with John later anyway, I need you to stay with me."

Alex smiled into another kiss, "Of course I'll stay."

Alex kept rubbing her hand over Piper's centre, she could feel herself starting to lose control. She knew she needed to stop, but she really didn't want to. Alex eventually pulled her hand away and did up Piper's zipper. She felt the blonde running her fingers through her hair and pull her in for another kiss, but it was softer this time. They kept standing there, just kissing, Piper didn't think it was possible for someone's lips to feel that soft, but Alex's always did.

Piper pulled back from the kiss, she knew they needed to get back to the table. She exhaled deeply and leaned her forehead against her girlfriend's.

"I love you so much Al."

0-0-0-0-0-0

Alex couldn't stop smiling as she walked back down the hallway towards the kitchen. She went to turn around the corner and nearly walked straight into Piper's grandmother.

"Shit! Sorry, I didn't see you there."

It then occurred to Alex that she had no idea what this woman's name was or what she was meant to call her. She'd gone back to feeling like she was five years old again.

"That's okay dear. Come sit with me while the others make the coffee. You can call me Celeste, by the way."

Alex followed the older woman into the lounge room and they both sat on the couch. Although it didn't really look like anyone ever sat in that room. She thought about her own lounge room, which seemed to always be scattered with magazines and books. All Alex saw on the coffee table here was two remotes and the TV guide.

"So Alex, tell me about yourself."

"Ummm, there's not really much to tell."

"Nonsense, Piper wouldn't like you so much if there was nothing to tell."

Alex could feel herself sweating again, "What the hell was that supposed to mean?"

"What? I mean, she's really more Sally's friend than she is mine. I just kinda tag along."

Alex finally forced herself to look at the older woman, all she saw was a kind smile.

"Come on dear, tell me about yourself. I promise I don't bite."

Alex took another deep breath and decided to give Celeste a chance, she certainly seemed a lot warmer than Carol.

"I guess, I like to read. I read a lot, actually, and I've been writing a lot lately too. It's nice, like a little escape."

"Writing is a wonderful skill to have, Piper used to write a lot, but no so much anymore. But she's always loved to read. I suppose that's something you both have in common."

"Yeah, I guess so. Piper's easy to get along with, Cal too."

Alex was finally starting to feel more relaxed, and Celeste seemed to notice.

"Carol isn't a bad person, she's just a little more uptight since the separation. But she'll get through it just fine, we all do. Are your parents separated dear?"

"No…"

Alex didn't care how nice this woman was, she did not want to talk about either of her parents.

"I live with Sally, our aunt helps out a bit, we get by."

"Sounds like you girls are both very independent."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Alex looked back up to see the older woman smiling at her, "I can see why Piper likes you so much."

Alex was about to ask what she was talking about, but she was stopped when they heard Carol's voice calling them back to the table for coffee.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Alex was so relieved when dinner was finally over, she survived. She was also relieved when Carol said it was okay for her to sleep over. It was close to 10 pm when Carol went to bed, and Celeste followed soon after. But there was something different about Piper's grandmother, it wasn't just that she was warmer than her daughter. She hugged all of them before she headed to bed.

"It was lovely to meet you girls."

They exchanged their goodbyes and Celeste went to bed, leaving all three girls and Cal sitting in the lounge room with the TV on in the background. Sally's phone started ringing as soon as Celeste left the room. It was John, she had arranged for him to pick her up so they could go see a late movie. She answered after the first ring and walked into the hallway before she started talking.

Piper had been waiting hours to touch Alex again, and hugged her straight away, "See, that wasn't so bad."

"No, it was all good Pipes. Thanks for inviting us, it was a good distraction."

Even Cal agreed, "Seriously Alex, consider that to be a successful introduction. She asked you like, two or three whole questions, that's good for her. It means she doesn't actively dislike you. And the fact that you're a girl means you're allowed to sleep in Piper's bedroom."

"Okay, please stop talking Cal."

Sally had gotten off the phone with John quickly and came back into the lounge room. Alex could tell her sister was looking forward to the rest of her night. She was definitely dating John, even if she wouldn't admit it.

"John's waiting out front, I'm gonna head off. I'll call you tomorrow Lex."

Sally hugged Alex goodbye and whispered one more message into her ear, "Behave yourself."

Sally smiled at her sister and said goodbye to Piper and Cal before disappearing. It was the first time in so long that both sisters had someone else in their lives other than each other, it almost felt weird. Alex kept trying to push thoughts of Diane out of her mind. She knew she'd get upset if she let herself think about things too much, and she didn't want that to happen tonight. Not when she had the chance to be completely alone with Piper in a real bed.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Cal had finally gone to bed and Piper lead Alex to her bedroom. Alex looked around and smiled at the books covering her girlfriend's bedside table. There were still boxes in one corner, and a light blue quilt covering the double bed.

"I can't believe that you of all people still haven't finished unpacking." Alex made herself comfortable on the bed and watched Piper walk towards her.

"I'm never here remember?"

"Oh yes, of course. So where do you spend all your time?"

"Nowhere special." Piper sat down next to Alex and put an arm around her. "Just hanging out with some girl."

"Oh yeah, she must be pretty amazing if you're spending all this time with her."

"She likes to think she is."

Piper linked her fingers through Alex's and they both stood up, facing each other. Alex was a little bit taller than her, forcing the blonde to lift her head slightly to look her girlfriend in the eye. Piper had been thinking about this moment for a while, and she knew exactly how she wanted it to go. She reached out and grabbed the bottom of Alex's t-shirt, lifting it over her head. She could see Alex's chest rising quickly with every breath, even she was nervous. She tossed Alex's t-shirt on the edge of the bed and then moved her hands to the brunette's jeans, slowly undoing the button and zipper. Piper slowly pulled then down, letting Alex kick them off, along with her shoes.

Piper stood there for a moment before she took off her own clothes, and eventually the two girls were standing in front of each other in their bras and underwear. Piper wanted to take her time, she wanted to see and know every part of Alex. She reached up and took off her girlfriend's glasses, placing them on the bedside table. Piper felt like she could finally see Alex's eyes properly, they were such a deep green, she knew Alex could never lie with her eyes.

Piper stepped closer to Alex, and reached around her back to undo her black bra. She let it fall off her arms and then drop to the floor. Piper had never seen Alex like this before. Sure they'd slept next to each other, they'd showered together, got changed in front of each other, but she'd never looked at her like this. She knew Alex liked to be the one in control, but Piper felt like this was a situation where she needed to control what was happening. She needed to show Alex what she meant to her. Piper let her eyes linger over Alex's chest and down her body, until she saw that familiar scar. It was a reminder of so many things, but Piper wouldn't let her mind wander. She held onto Alex's hands and walked her towards the bed, making her lie down first. Piper then crawled on top of the brunette, Alex never stopped watching her.

Piper sat on top of Alex, her knees on either side of Alex's thighs. Neither of them said a word, and Alex's eyes kept following Piper's every movement. Piper reached behind her own back and unclasped her bra so she could take it off. She didn't want anything to be hidden, she wanted to give all of herself to Alex. Piper lowered her body on top of Alex's until their chests were touching, and she started to kiss her. Part of her was surprised that Alex had let her take control of everything, if anything it proved how much Alex did trust her.

She kept kissing the girl underneath her, and she could feel Alex's hands move onto her waist, pulling their bodies closer together. Piper felt Alex's hands move further up her body and over her chest, making her breath hitch in her throat. Piper found herself moving her hips against Alex, she needed more. She moved her mouth from Alex's, slowly kissing down her neck and then moving to her chest, making Alex move her hands back to Piper's hips. Piper was acting on pure instinct, and all of a sudden it didn't matter that she'd never been with a girl before. She knew exactly what she wanted to do to Alex.

Piper kept kissing Alex's chest, and she could tell her girlfriend was trying to be quiet. But Piper could still hear the small moans slipping past her lips. Piper moved back up to Alex's face and kissed her on the lips again, she could feel the younger girl moaning into her mouth. Piper moved one hand onto Alex's chest while she was kissing her, and she kept grinding her hips into her. She could feel Alex's grip on her hips getting tighter and tighter, and eventually she felt the brunette slip a hand into her underwear, taking her by surprise.

"Aghh, Al."

Piper could feel Alex smiling against her lips, "Something wrong Pipes?"

Piper smiled back, "You're not going to distract me tonight." Even though it felt amazing, she pulled Alex's hand out of her pants and put it back at her side. She kept moving her hips against Alex's, and she couldn't stop looking down at her face. Piper could see the look on her girlfriend's face as she responded to every move and touch. Piper knew that Alex had completely given herself up to her, and that was something Alex never did. Piper was brought back to reality when she felt Alex whisper in her ear.

"Keep going babe."

Piper closed her eyes and took a deep breath, she was starting to feel nervous. But not the bad kind of nervous, the exciting kind. The kind of nervous that she knew would change their relationship from tomorrow onwards.

Piper kept her eyes trained on Alex's as she moved her hand down her body until she could feel the soft material of her underwear. She felt Alex life her body up and pull down her underwear, and Piper was suddenly very aware that Alex was completely naked underneath her. Piper tried to take everything in, but she felt like it would never be enough.

Piper felt Alex put a hand on the back of her neck and pull her back down for a kiss, but this one was deeper. She could feel Alex getting more worked up underneath her, and Piper slipped her hand back down Alex's chest, her stomach, until her fingers moved between the brunette's legs. She could feel how wet Alex was, Piper couldn't believe it was all because of her.

She moved her fingers through Alex's folds as their kisses became deeper and harder. Again, Alex kept moaning into the blonde's mouth, she needed more. Piper felt Alex pull back from the kiss and whisper in her ear.

"Fuck me."

Piper started to kiss Alex's neck as she moved her fingers inside of her girlfriend.

"Aghhh, fuck, mmhhh."

Piper started moving her fingers deeper inside of Alex, curling them in and out. She tried to respond to all of Alex's movements, especially as the brunette pulled Piper in closer and closer. Piper could feel how turned on her girlfriend was and she completely lost herself in the moment, until she felt Alex whisper in her ear again.

"Touch me Piper."

Piper looked down at Alex's face again, "Fuck, she's so beautiful, she's gorgeous".

Piper pulled out her fingers and started rubbing circles over Alex's clit. She never stopped looking at the girl underneath her. Alex had her head leaned back against the pillow, with her eyes closed and her lips slightly parted. Piper couldn't stop looking at her face, she needed to see her face while this was happening. She moved her face closer to Alex's until their foreheads were touching, she couldn't get close enough.

Piper kept her eyes open and she could tell Alex was close, her breathing was ragged and her body kept seeking out more contact. Piper could feel how wet she was getting, and it wasn't much longer before Alex started falling over the edge. She saw Alex's lips part wider and the moans starting to slip out of her mouth. Piper couldn't stop herself from leaning her mouth closer to Alex's and kissing her as she came. She could feel her girlfriend moaning into her mouth and reach down to grab Piper's hand as she rode out her orgasm. Piper kept her forehead resting against Alex's as she came down from her high. Piper had never experienced anything like that. She didn't think she could love Alex more than she already did, but now she felt different. Now she felt like Alex was really hers, she loved her even more. She moved her fingers back up Alex's body, wiping her fingers on her own underwear. Alex's breathing had finally slowed down, and Piper could see the sweat glistening on her skin. She leaned down and kissed her gently, and brushed the hair out of Alex's face.

She felt Alex put her arms around her and pull her down until their bodies were flush against each other. Piper shuffled down Alex's body so she could lie her head on the brunette's chest. She could feel Alex's chest go up and down with every breath, and she could feel her heart beating. She felt the soft skin of Alex's chest against her cheek, she felt like she never wanted to move.

Piper felt Alex running her hands gently up and down her back and she closed her eyes. Piper never wanted to move from that spot. That single moment was the happiest she could ever remember being, she never wanted to forget what that felt like.

A/N

Hello again, it's great to read all the reviews and know that the story is resonating with people. The story has been pretty heavy overall, so the girls definitely deserved a nice moment. Sooo, I tried to make the sex scene "respectable" given their ages. But sex scenes are by no means my strong point, so keen to hear how you felt about it as readers. I really wanted Piper to be the one to take the lead on their first time, and show that Alex was willing to let her do that.

Also, I know in the series that Celeste is Bill's mother, but I wanted her to be Carol's mother in this story.

Cheers.