Chapter Eleven - I love reading your reviews. Thank you to everyone taking the time to read this story.

"The fuck have you been? I've been short staffed all morning"

"Oh chill your tits, Vause. I'm here now. It's not like there's a queue out the door for morning cocktails."

Alex rolled her eyes and came out from behind the bar. "Well, you're not getting a break today."

"What? Why!"

"I'm going out for lunch with Piper and you're going to cover me."

"Ah yes, the infamous lunch."

"Whats that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing," said Nicky, pouring herself a large glass of orange juice from the fridge carton. "Ole Polly Poppins isn't too impressed about you and swift hanging out. She had me over last night trying to get me to change your mind." Alex laughed.

"And how did that go?"

"Swimmingly, as you can imagine. Piper is pretty pissed off though. Was glad to get out of there alive. What? What is that face?"

"What? Nothing."

"Sad that I got to see Chapman's knicker draw before you?" Nicky wasn't quite quick enough to dodge the flying tea towel that hit her squarely in the face. Alex walked away to her office, rolling her eyes as Nicky called after her. "You are, aren't you."

Alex was surprised to find Red sitting at her desk, glasses on and reading over the paper work from yesterday at the new venue. She nodded to Alex, not taking her eyes from the paper, and pressing her red painted lips tight together. Alex knew this to be a sign of 'do not disturb me', and so took her place on the opposite side of the desk and pulled out the large folder from under her pile of papers that had been given to her only weeks before. Two light coloured envelopes with her name written in curled scripture on the front. She had only opened one of them properly, the one with bank details so she could buy the place. Now she pulled the contents from the second folder. There was a thick collection of paper in here, all neatly stapled together. The top sheet was a hand written letter.

'Alex,' the letter read, 'You are a long standing friend and partner, and I am glad that you are willing to be on my side this one last time.' Alex scoffed at this. As if she had been given a choice. 'In here you will find phone numbers for my people. These are people you can trust should you need them. There are also basic deeds to bank accounts and property should you find you need them. Remember, I am placing my money in your safe keeping. If trouble comes you way, do not contact me. I have people stationed close by. They will be able to help if trouble starts.' This sent a chill down her spine. What did he mean? Kubra's men were stationed where? In her bar? She hoped not. She had full trust in every one of her employee's and didn't believe they could be working for him. 'Be warned though, my dear, that I will be keeping tabs on you. Don't fuck up, Alex. I will know. You won't like the consequences.' Alex sighed as her stomach filled with an old familiar sense of dread and anxiety. She knew exactly what Kubra could do should she fuck up. She had been there, and seen it happen to many others in her time. How could she have been so naive to think she had truly escaped him when she left. Alex hated to admit it, but she knew a small part of her would always belong to him. He would always be able to control her, and to find her. She pushed the paper back into the envelope. Alex didn't want to know Kubra's people. Hopefully, she never would. She picked up the folder and placed it in the bottom most draw of the desk, locking it with a small key she kept on a lanyard around her neck, and pushed back her chair. Red looked up at her, a small scowl pinching her nose above where the Russians thin framed glasses sat.

"What is wrong?" She asked, harshly.

"How do I get myself in this mess, Red."

"You get yourself mixed up in messy people. Don't do that, and you have no problems." Alex let out an exasperated laugh, and stood up.

"Where were you when I was nineteen."

"In my own mess." Red replied, turning her attention back to the papers in her hand, sipping on the coffee in the other.

Alex turned and left the office, closing the door softly behind her. Checking her watch, she saw it would still be hours before Piper came. She would have to keep herself busy. She tied her hair back, and disappeared into a back room to do the stock check. That should keep her busy for an hour or two.

Piper stood shivering outside a warehouse in a quiet estate. Only the odd truck had passed her, and she had hardly seen a soul in the forty three minutes she had been standing there, waiting. She knew better than to call again, confident that someone would come. When they would be there was another issue, and she silently cursed at her stupidity for leaving the apartment without a hat, or at least a pair of gloves to stop her fingers turning blue. Another car turned the corner, and she looked up hopefully, but it passed her quickly. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she brought it out to see it was a text from Polly. 'Where are you?'. Piper snorted, and went to put the phone away when it buzzed again. 'I'm sorry Pipe, it's none of my business. I guess…' but the small pop up on the screen didn't show anymore of Polly's message. At least she was apologising, Piper thought, but she would leave it for a bit before she replied. Polly needed to know she was stepping over the line.

"Chapman?" Piper look up, surprised. A car had pulled up without her noticing. The window was rolled down on the passenger side, and a thin, long haired woman was in the passenger seat, sunglass covered eyes staring over at her.

"Yes." She replied, still slightly taken aback from the appearance of the stranger.

"Number?" Pipers eyebrows shot up. She simply stared at the woman, until she flashed a familiar looking card in Piper's direction.

"H-four-four-seven"

"Get in." Piper hesitated for a second. She glanced past the thin woman to see the driver, a young man dressed in a suit and staring straight ahead. The woman did not like having to wait however. "You called us, didn't you."

"I wasn't expecting you." Piper replied, perhaps a little too harshly. Then the back window was rolled down, and a familiar face was revealed from behind the shaded glass.

"Get in Chapman." Piper knew not to argue now. She hurried around the other side of the vehicle and got in. "What's the issue?" The man asked when she was in and the door was closed behind her. Piper removed the paperwork she had found this morning and handed it to the man, jolting forward slightly as the car began to move. 'Is there an issue?'

"This name, Alexandra Vause, how is she involved?" Piper watched him carefully. His face showed nothing. He looked down at the document, and turned it over.

"Did Mendez not run through new information?"

"He did, but there was no mention of Vause." Piscatella looked at her. She could see he was searching her face.

"What are you looking for here?"

"I just want to know. Should I be watching her?" Piper tried not to reveal the anxiety in her voice. Piscatella sighed.

"Vause was on our watch list a few years ago, but paid her way out of the group and has been off the radar since. As far as we are concerned, she isn't a threat. Why her name is on this though," his eyebrows pinched together, "Perhaps we should look into this." He directed this to the woman in the front, who nodded once and made a note on her phone.

"I can."

"She's not your target. If all goes well, she shouldn't even come into it." Piper tried not to show her worry, but her face must have given her away. "You know her?" He knew. Piper didn't want to lie, but if she wasn't sure what the consequences would be in this situation. Yet her delayed response spoke volumes. "Do you need to step back?"

"No." She replied firmly, turning to face him. "I just needed to know."

"Why?"

"So I know who I'm risking my life for, and who not to bother with."

"Her names on the paper. Either she back in with Kubra-"

"No, she wouldn't be." Piper knew she was running a thin line interrupting him. This meeting was foolish, she was told what she needed to know and what she was required to do, not the other way round. Suddenly, a small bubble of information that Mendez had given her the morning before came back. "We traced her, years back? She was importing from those dealers in Columbia?"

"Yes."

"But she disappeared."

"Looks like she got out somehow."

"Jesus Christ. I'm surprised she's alive."

"From the looks of it," he said, waving the contract in the air between himself and Piper, "She's not completely out."

"Look," said Piper, finally allowing the desperation to leak into her voice, "Let me keep an eye on her. I can report back to you anything that comes up. It might be a good lead."

"And what if it turns out she's one of Kubra's guys. Are you going to be the one to take her down?"

Piper hesitated. She let out a deep breath, and looks Piscatella squarely in the eye. "If that's the job."

He regarded her, the corners of his mouth almost turned up, like he was smirking at her, yet his eyes were hard. "Fine. Keep an eye on her. But don't get too involved Chapman. I don't want to take you out too." And with that he turned his large body and faced forward. The driver stopped the car. Piper took this for her cue to leave. Exiting the car quickly, and immediately missing the warmth, she turned to say something, but found no words came. "I'll be in touch." The door closed, and the car pulled away.

Piper waited until the car had rounded the corner to let her body slump. "Shit." She murmured. Then, checking the time on her watch and finding she was late for meeting Alex, hurriedly looked around to see where she was. Piper was surprised to find herself outside Joey's, the all night cafe just around the corner from her own apartment. She pulled out her phone. The message from Polly was still up as a notification, with a couple of new messages too. Well, she really would have to wait now. Quickly pulling up Alex's number, she pressed dial.

Alex had finished checking stock faster than usual. Maybe it was the lack of Nicky disturbing her every five minutes which meant she could actually get a job done for once. She had sent Taystee and Joe on break, and was manning the bar with Nicky until the time came for Piper to arrive. Although she was getting bored now. Lunch time on a Monday was never busy.

"Boss!" Joe called from the staff room, "Your phone is ringing."

"Thanks Joe," she replied, and walked quickly towards her office. By the time she had fished her phone from her bag, she had missed the call. Seeing it was Piper, she was about to call back, when the girls name flashed up again.

"When you said lunch date, I assumed you would be here in person."

"I'm sorry," came Piper's voice through the phone. She sounded stressed. "I'm running late. Work has been, hectic."

"That's okay. I've been pretty tied up myself." Alex lied. She didn't want to sound pathetic.

"I'll be there in twenty."

"I can't wait." Alex mentally slapped herself. How.. how uncool. Oh, well now she sounded like a teenager. Cool it Vause. There's nothing wrong with being excited to see someone. Or maybe there was when you had only known that someone a week. Jesus. She laughed at her own juvenility, and made her way back out to the bar, where Nicky was polishing glasses.

"Who was it?"

"Piper, she's running late."

"Not a great start."

"But she's hot. I'll take it." They grinned at each other.

"Whens she does get here, though, you need to approach the topic of the new bar."

"I don't want to spend my lunch away from work, talking about work."

"Actually Alex," said Red, exiting the kitchen, ringing her hands dry on a tea-towel, "She is right. We need to get things moving. I am happy to do the paper work, set up our license and get talking with trade companies, but if you are selling it as an entertainment venue, you need the entertainment." And she turned promptly and marches back into the kitchen.

"She has ears like a bat." Nicky whispered.

"I heard that." Came a raspy voice from the kitchen, and both women smirked.

"Yes, okay, I'll mention it today."

"Good. At least this way we can both avoid that lanky scarecrow of a manager."

"Not your type." Nicky shook her head, her eyes widening. "No, you like them more short and angry."

"Ha, don't get me started on her." Said Nicky, turning round to wipe down the top of the bar.

"What's happened now?"

"Pete." Alex crooked an eyebrow questioningly. "You know the dude who brought her purse back in and apparently left his number in there. Well she gave him a call today. They're going out for drinks later." As Nicky spoke, Alex couldn't help the amused smile that crept onto her lips. "What?"

"Nothing. Just not used to seeing you brood over a girl."

"I'm not brooding. I just think its fucking disrespectful, that's all. I spend the night at hers last night, and she spent the whole time being mad at me because I wouldn't turn against my best friend like she would. I'm telling you, that girl has a screw loose. I'm glad I'm not more involved."

Alex laughed, "You sure know how to pick 'em."

"Fucking curse, I tell you Stretch." She paused, looking around, "Where is Morello?"

"Speaking on crazy." Said Alex, and earning herself a hard punch in the arm. "I don't know actually. She should be in today. I don't think she's called."

Nicky sighed. "I think you should leave it, really its not much of a loss." Alex didn't respond. Lorna had out Nicky through torture for at least a year, but she didn't think it would help to agree with her friend. If Lorna did turn up this week, Alex might have to have a quiet word about her moving on. A loud group of people entered, and made their way straight to the bar.

"So this is the famous AVDV we heard so much about!" Big Boo, the stage manager from Red Lion grinned at them both.

"Hows it going!" Nicky said jovially, leaning over the bar top to greet Boo. "And who is this dowdy crew?" Boo laughed.

"Guys from the Lion, meet Nichols and Vause." There was a murmur of greetings and drink ordering, until all of the group had made their way to a table, and only Boo was left there with Nicky and Alex.

"So, what happened after you left Friday? You and Chapman..?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Nah, Stretch here is more of the chivalrous type. Takes a girl back to her place to cuddle."

"Fucking pansy."Alex gave them both the finger, and busied herself with cleaning. "Jesus, no come back? You're as smitten as Pipe then."

"They got it bad." Nicky laughed, kicking Alex playfully.

"There's only one cure for that" Boo replied, putting her fingers up to her mouth in a V and flicking out her tongue.

"Unlike both of you broads, I like to know the woman I'm taking to bed."

"Oh yeah, you really were great friends with Daphne and Chloe before you 'took them to bed'"

"Don't forget 'Tuesday girl'" said Taystee, who was walking towards them from the staff room, "You two were like this." She held her crossed fingers up in front of her.

"And Wednesday girl and Silv-" Boo was crying with laughter by this point.

"Yeah alright, okay. I like to have sex. Sue me!"

"Good to know." A light voice chimed. Mortified, Alex looked up to see Piper standing just behind Boo, her face crinkled into a shit eating grin. Alex felt her face go red, and she buried her head in her arms. The women around her erupted into more laughter.

"On that note, ladies, we should leave these two love birds to start their lunch date." Nicky clapped her on the back, and whispered, "Just make sure you use protection."

"Bitch!" Alex clipped back. Nicky and Taystee laughed, and dispersed.

"Looks like I missed all the fun."

"If by fun, you mean tearing me apart."

Piper laughed, "What's Boo doing here?"

"Checking out the bar I guess." Alex had stood up, but couldn't quite make eye contact with Piper.

"Shall we get out of here?" The blonde asked, sensing Alex's continued embarrassment, and the brunette nodded. Once Alex had gotten her coat, then exiting, waving goodbye to their friends inside.

"So," said Piper, looping her arm through Alex's as they strolled down the side walk away from the bar. "You like to have sex eh."

"Ugh." Alex gave her a playful push, "Not you too."

"I'm just checking where I stand. I don't want to get into anything without all the details."

Alex chuckled. "Well there you have it. I hope its not a deal breaker."

"It's good with me. You should know though, Im really into bondage, handcuffs and all." Alex looked over to see Piper smirking mischievously. She stopped suddenly and pushed Piper up against the brick wall of the building they were walking next to. Piper's eyes went wide, but willingly accepted Alex's touch as she pinned the smaller girls arms to her sides. Alex kissed Piper's neck gently, just under her ear, and made her way slowly to the corner of her perfect lips. She knew people walking by would be scowling, and this really was not appropriate, but she didn't care. Neither did Piper it seemed, her blue eyes darkening with lust, her gaze only for Alex.

"I think that's something I can work with." Alex whispered seductively in Piper's ear, before releasing her, and pulling her back to standing. She chuckled as Piper shook her head slightly, as if trying to clear it. "Everything okay there Pipes?"

"Just great." She said quietly, her expression still slightly dazed and cheeks lightly flushed. She looked up at Alex, and grinned. "You play dirty."

"Its the only way I know how." They laughed, and continued to walk, pretending they weren't both aching for each other. "Where are we going anyway?"

"Actually, I thought we could have a picnic."

Alex looked at her, incredulously. "You are aware its winter right?"

"It will be fun." Alex just continued to stare at her like she was crazy. "Trust me."