Shit, I'm sorry for this painfully long wait. I hope the length and content of this chapter make up for it... Xx


Chapter 11: Kiss It Better

"And in the end, we were all just humans, drunk on the idea that love, only love, could heal our brokenness." - Christopher Poindexter

A model. A trophy. A pretty face. One in a million. Replaceable. Shallow. Those were the things Piper saw in everyone's eyes when they'd look at her and how they made her feel. Every guy she's ever been with only wanted to show her off. Because she was a model. She was getting paid tons of money for being beautiful. And her expensive good looks were the reason men were interested in her. And her famous name and famous face were the reason agencies and designers hired her. In the end, every person turned her into a thing, a thing everyone else could profit from. Her boyfriends could make their friends jealous and designers could promote their clothes incredibly easily if the blonde presented them at fashion shows. She belonged to the world. And the world loved the things Piper could offer, it loved the things they could take away from her. That was why she was so empty and lifeless. But Piper was a professional, she has always been. She couldn't complain about it. The world was her master, and her prison. It shackled her and ever since Alex has been gone for good, the chains have been tighter than before. Especially on this day when she met Tyler, no longer being able to avoid him as the contract between the two of them has still been official. She had insisted to see him in the presence of their agents, and they did, Tyler playing his part perfectly and acting like the gentleman he wasn't. Piper had an intention, though. She wanted to somehow find a way out of the deal.

Back then, when she had signed it, she had been angry. And jealous. And not professional at all. Alex had been hooking up with other girls whilst Piper hadn't been there to do so and it had made her feel sick. Sick because she hadn't been in the position to be envious. But the jet-haired woman had gotten under her skin and had already had a deep hold of her. Controlled by the things Alex had made her feel, Piper had wanted payback and eventually gotten herself into this mess that was the contract. Although bad news were better than good news in the media, the model had wanted to clean her image. And at that point, she hadn't known that Tyler Durden was the complete opposite of the person he pretended to be. So she found herself in this situation she was in and it reminded her of how much Alex got her fucked up. If she had never met her, she would've never gotten into this mess. And although Alex had made it clear that she was sorry for it, it didn't change her situation. It would take Piper some time though to realise that she herself wouldn't be able to release herself. As much as the green-eyed woman had gotten her fucked up, at the same time she was the only one who was going to fix this mess she had made.

"Don't leave me alone with him, okay?"

"What?"

"Stay beside me."

"Piper, are you okay?"

Her agent didn't know. Nobody knew. Only Alex did, she was the the blonde's witness. The rest didn't know Tyler Durden's real face. All of them were blinded, just like Piper once had been and fell for the facade he was putting up. And whilst the facade Piper was putting up meant to protect her, his was meant to fool other people. What was even worse was that his was at least as good as Piper's, if not even better.

"Piper?"

She heard her agent's question but she wasn't really listening. It was late, the evening about to turn into a warm summer night when the model and her agent were in the car and driving to the meeting. Due to their busy schedules, neither parties had been able to come to an earlier meeting. If it had been up to Piper, there wouldn't have been a meeting with him in the first place. She just wanted to get it over with so she could peacefully return to her lifeless life. Without Alex. Even after everything, the blonde would still catch herself thinking about her. Her mind would nearly overdose as she was having so many Alex-thoughts. If she hadn't been the professional she was, she would probably even go to the upcoming MMA fight, watching Alex from afar in the big crowd, perfectly hidden.

"Piper?"

Her own name falling from the other woman's lips in a way that didn't sound as good as the way it would fall from Alex's soft lips eventually made her aware of her situation. Finding herself sitting in the car next to her agent, her blue gaze stopped looking through the darkened windows, looking for something, and settled on her companion. Raising her brows, she looked more exhausted than she already was. Lately, she was traveling from one state to another, flying from one photoshoot to another and it left some marks on her face. She wasn't sleeping well, knowing that it was due to her job and not knowing that in those short nights, sleep wasn't the only thing she was missing.

"Hm?" the blonde asked, letting her agent know that she finally had Piper's attention.

"Is everything alright?"

No.

Nothing is alright.

"Yes," Piper lied with a forced smile before her eyes dropped and her fear broke through inside of them. "Just tired."

The blonde didn't even take special trouble to hide her worries as her agent was part of the huge swarm that believed everything they saw and heard. And if her agent didn't care for her, she wouldn't have questioned Piper's statement. Their relationship was mainly professional. Yet, through the years she has been working for the model, they have established an easy friendship. That was why she said, "Yeah, you've been traveling a lot lately. I hope it's not too much stress for you."

It apparently wasn't too much stress because, if it had been, Piper wouldn't have been able to still find some time to think about Alex.

"Don't worry, Jane."

Her agent gave her a warm smile which Piper really wanted to return. In the end it was just a lift from one corner of her lips though.
"Why are you nervous?" Jane suddenly asked, making Piper looking at her with confusion.

When she saw the look on the blonde's face, she quickly added, "Ever since we've gotten into the car you've been moving your hands."

Shooting a glare at her hands as if she wanted to scold them for being a traitor, her eyes instantly fell back on Jane when the model heard her say, "I'm not gonna leave you alone with him."

The rest of the ride remained silent, her agent not once asking why Piper had nearly pleaded her not to leave her. Maybe Jane wasn't one of those other people. Maybe Jane was one of those few people who saw the bigger picture. It reminded her of Alex who was able to look past everything and everyone as well. And this reminded her of the fact that she was thinking about the black-haired an awful lot.

Her thoughts were shoved back into the back of her head when the car eventually came to a halt, letting the two women know that they have arrived. The meeting was set at some fancy hotel in Manhattan and Piper was relieved when she could get out of the car without being bothered by any paparazzi as her driver had parked the car in a secluded area in the hotel's car park. The door opened and the model needed a moment before she eventually got out of the car, straightening her blouse and instantly looking to the other side of, checking if her agent was really with her. Seeing that the other woman gave her a nod when she left the car as well was the closest to security and relief Piper could feel.

"I'm glad that you found some time, Ms Chapman," a short man in a casual suit said to her, shaking her hand, when the two women reached the suite of the hotel they were supposed to meet. She wondered if he knew Tyler Durden.

The last steady breath escaped from her lungs as her blue gaze landed on the delusive face that was Tyler's. He approached her, wrapping his strong arms that were rather dangerous than protective around Piper's lank body and whispered, "I know everything."

Suddenly, the promise Jane had given her lost its meaning, knocked out by Tyler's quiet words. He released her from his grip, dropping his arms slowly, on their way wandering over the blonde's back and bottom. Piper was still frozen as she hadn't hugged him back and stood frozen in the doorway, his words which were only meant for her own ears as she was also the only who could understand them violently crashing against the sides of Piper's mind. She didn't need to ask. She already knew what he was talking about, what he knew.

The model quickly looked over her shoulder when she could break free from her paralysed state and saw that her agent was still behind her, seeing her silhouette from the corner of her blue eye before Piper took a some steps forward to walk further into the room. Jane's presence wouldn't help her in any way.

After they sat down at the glass table, the chandeliers from the ceiling illuminating the room as the sun had already set, Piper's stomach began to turn more than it had before. It was crazy how Tyler's words, only his thereness was effecting her this much. She could nearly see the poison that was running through his entire being filled the air. He was siting across from and luckily, the tabletop was big enough to keep a firm distance between them. Remembering how she once had almost slept with him created another knot inside of her. Alcohol made you do stupid things. Drugs made you do stupid things. Jealousy made you do stupid things. Hate made you do stupid things. And love, love simply killed you. But love was a topic that Piper believed would never be a topic when it came to Alex. Love didn't drive her into her arms. She blamed her loneliness. And her pain. Because when she was with the jet-haired woman, she would forget about those things. As she realised that she began to think about her again and knew that it would go too deep, she fought to focus on the conversation.

"So, again, thanks for coming. I guess I'd do us all a favour if we just cut right to the chase of the matter as we all are very busy. It's about what happened at Mr. Durden's birthday party, involving a certain Alex Vause and how it all affected our arrangement-"

"I don't understand how Alex Vause's actions involve my client" Jane interrupted her who didn't know.

She didn't know that Piper and Alex had occasionally been hooking up in the past and that Piper had been the reason Tyler was sitting at this table with a broken nose. Unlike Tyler, she knew nothing.

Tyler's agent laughed nervously, shooting a glance at the taller man next to him who was simply staring silently at the model. Although his face was empty, Piper saw the craziness behind it.

"Well, Ms Chapman was at the party as well-"

"I know. I was there when Piper signed the contract to be Mr Durden's fake girlfriend."

Even though Piper appreciated Jane's protectiveness, she knew that it would be in vain. She didn't know. She knew nothing.

"Yes, and as Tyler's fake girlfriend, she was and is still supposed to act like a girlfriend."

"I don't understand," her agent eventually stated, her eyes falling on Piper shortly before they returned on the man across from her.

"She left the party after Alex Vause had attacked Mr Durden and injured him. With Alex Vause. And a couple days later at the award show, she left the event, too. With Alex Vause."

"I didn't leave with her," Piper instantly clarified, memories of that night she didn't want to think about flashing in front of her eyes.

Her sudden words made Tyler raise a brow at her as his stare intensified. But Piper ignored it. At least, she tried.

"No matter with who Piper left and didn't leave, I still don't understand what the problem is. Behind closed doors, Piper and your client are strangers. Their romantic relationship is only meant to be displayed in public. So, what's the point?"

Again, the short man gave Tyler a nervous look, seeming completely lost and afraid and cleared his throat. But it wasn't his voice that said, "The point is that people saw that Piper left me, for a stupid junkie. Although she is supposed to be my girlfriend. She defied our contract."

"How?"

She didn't know.

She knew nothing.

He knew everything.

"Our arrangement was mainly meant to clean Piper's image, are you following me? However, she shitted on it again."

She knew nothing. He knew everything.

"Excuse me?"

With a wicked grin, Tyler realised, "You don't know, do you? Piper didn't tell you."

Jane frowned, looking to her side at Piper and searched for an explanation which she eventually got.

"The media might believe that Piper is my girlfriend. Or, at least it once did before Piper decided to be Alex Vause's girlfriend."

She knew.

Eventually, all eyes settled on the model who was staring through the glass of the table, trying to avoid their gazes and having to deal with them. Her own azure eyes shot up when she heard her agent say, "Piper fulfilled her part of the contract. It's none of anyone's business who is Piper's girlfriend or boyfriend and who isn't behind closed doors. The media believes that you are a couple. That was the only the goal of the arrangement. Anything else is off-topic. So, why are we here Mr Durden?"

She didn't know.

She knew nothing.

Letting out a pathetic chuckle, Tyler shook his head as he explained, "I guess there's a misunderstanding, Miss. Piper did not fulfill her part of the contract. She defied it. Piper agreed to act like my girlfriend in her interest because the public found out that our lovely model of the moment was having dirty affairs. With women. And now she has an affair with a woman again who happens to be Alex Vause who was physically abusive towards me. We're back at the start, don't you see? We're running in circles."

Shaking her head, Jane huffed, getting fed up with this discussion that made no sense to her. "Well Mr Durden, as I already said, it's none of anyone's business who Piper sees and meets behind closed doors. I thought we wanted to cut to the chase. So, what's the real issue here?"

Exaggeratedly, Tyler let himself back into his chair when he laughed again. Although Piper was more than grateful for her agent's defensive behaviour, the blonde knew that it would only backfire. Jane promised to stay with her during this meeting but Tyler would get his chance to drop his mask. And his anger behind it was only increased by Jane's words. Actually, she just wanted to tell her to shut up. But Piper was only an observer, watching this conversation she had no influence on from far away, and, when it would be over, she'd be the protagonist of it, having to face the antagonist that was sitting across from her.

"The issue is that Ms Chapman wasn't careful enough. She forgot who she belongs to, whom she belongs to."

She belonged to the world.

The world was her master, and her prison.

"You don't own Piper if that's what you're trying to say Mr Durden."

"Officially, I do," he responded to Jane whilst Piper was too paralysed to move, and too mute to speak.

"Pardon!?"

Slowly and yet predictably, Jane started to lose her temper, Tyler's words fire to her professional coolness.

"Piper is officially my girlfriend-"

"In public," she cut him off.

Letting out a sigh, her agent tiredly said, "You're just wasting our time. This is either tell us what the real issue is, if there even is an issue or we leave immediately."

Like a maniac, he smirked, his light eyes darkened by his sadistic core when he casually stated, "Our arrangement will be over in less than a month. If Piper decides to disrespect it again, we will extend it."

"You can't do that."

Jane.

Shut up.

If you want to help me, shut up.

With another smirk, he eventually got up, his darkened eyes between his swollen nose that yet again reminded her of Alex moving from Jane onto Piper. They settled on the model and he gave her final nod as he stated, "We warned you."

And then he walked away, followed by his agent whilst Jane shook her head in disgust before she turned to look at the blonde.

"Did this just really happen?"

Piper held her gaze and although silence surrounded them for a moment, she found her way out of her mute and numb state with a deep breath. "I want to go home."

Rapidly, almost throwing over her chair, the model got up and headed with heavy steps to the door. It seemed to be over. But it wasn't over. It was only the calm before the storm. Nevertheless, she tried to escape.

"Piper?" she heard her calling out her name but it didn't stop Piper's quick movements.

"Hey."

A hand wrapped around her slim wrist and as a reflex, the golden-haired woman violently shook it off. When she turned around, she saw that the hand was no chain. It was only Jane's hand that was meant to calm her down.

"What is going on?"

She knew nothing.

He knew everything.

"Nothing."

"Piper-"

"Nothing."

This time, the word came out harder, sharper, louder, making the seven letters strong enough to make Jane understand to accept Piper's lie.
On their way to the carpark, neither of the two women caught glimpse of Tyler. It was almost terrifying how he seemed to just have disappeared. But Piper knew he didn't. As they sat down in the backseat of the black car, Piper's door fell shut while the other woman's was stopped from it.
The face of a young woman who was apparently working at the hotel as she was dressed in its uniform showed up, informing Piper's agent that she had forgotten something in the suite.

"I'll be right back," was the last thing the model heard Jane say before she left her.

She heard how the door closed and found herself sitting alone in the car as her driver Gerald was outside, standing a few meters away from the vehicle. The back of her head met the headrest and, although her eyes were closed, she saw how the watch hand was slowly moving in front of her. She might make it. It might be over. No more Alex. That was the only condition. If she behaved and stayed away from the dark-haired woman, she'd be free in less than a month. Piper has never met a person before that could affect her life so much even when that person wasn't around. Even when Alex wasn't really with her, wasn't exactly next to her, her absence was enough. Enough to make Alex present in her life. She wondered if she would ever disappear.

Suddenly, the car moved and when the blonde heard how a door fell shut, her eyes fluttered open and let Piper know that she was right. It wasn't over.

"Finally we can speak in private."

Looking through the window to look for her driver, he added, "He bestowed privacy on us."

Gerald's look on his face that he was giving her was saying something different. At least, Piper could tell herself that was right. She had seen it coming.

"Honestly Pipe, what do you see in her? Besides pills and cocaine."

He was staring holes into her profile whilst she was staring paralysed ahead, trying to avoid his gaze and his question.

"She's a fuck-up, Piper, a crackhead, everyone knows that. She doesn't even try to hide it."

Although Piper would call her an asshole, although Alex herself would call herself a fuck-up, she hated it when Tyler called her so. She couldn't tell if she was being selfish, feeling like the only person who was in the position to talk about Alex in such a way, or if she was being protective of her. She didn't know. All she knew was that he knew everything.

"And yet, you feel like you need to waste your precious time on someone like her. Look, you messed up, you know? You've got yourself into this position and, if you really want me to help you, stop fucking around with her and stop fucking up."

Towards the end of his words, his voice raised and his stare intensified, letting out the first parts of his anger that was the only real thing about him.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you."

She was numb, mute, paralysed, her lungs begging for air.

"Piper."

Her name came out like a lashing. She eventually looked at him and saw an apologetic smile creeping upon his face as he raised his brows.

"Why do you surround yourself with such people? Look, you're pretty, you have a pretty face, a pretty body, you could have anyone in this whole damn world. And still, you go to a violent hophead that doesn't hesitate to lay hands on someone. Piper, you're a model, flawless like a doll. That's all you'll ever be. Is that why you go to her? Because you're only a pretty face on long legs? Not worth of anything? You're nothing Piper. You're nothing when you're with her. I know that it's hard to find someone who loves you for more than your looks but, that's all you can offer. Nothing else. And you know that, right? And she gives you some high, dirty love because that is all you will ever get and makes you forget that nobody will ever really love you. Because you're just a model. Because you're nothing. Do you still believe that being everybody's darling makes them fall in love with you? C'mon Piper. The pretty little princess that only deserves the love of a beast."

Shifting slightly closer, he concluded, "I get it, Pipe, I really do. You're lonely. And she's there… but don't you dare to shit on my help or to embarrass me in any way again."

She still looked at him, holding his sick gaze when he eventually dropped his head and pulled back, about to step out of the car. Before he left, he looked at the blonde one last time and told her, "Enjoy your last days with the junkie. She'll be in jail in a couple of weeks."

And with that, the sound of how the door closed filled the inside of the car. Piper became an observer, the words she had just heard flying around in front of her. She didn't even notice when her agent came back with her forgotten purse or how the car began to drive. She only noticed how he drove her into her arms.

The world was her master, and her prison. And Alex was her wallbreaker, and her chainbreaker.


There were two options. One, she was still dreaming or two, she hadn't been dreaming at all. Because when her emerald eyes opened, she was still here. She was awake, lying next to her and staring at her hands which were on her stomach. She was still here and Alex was awake. It hadn't been a dream. The opium hadn't played tricks on her mind. Piper really had come to her place the previous night and really had said those words. It was real. It was real and although the woman next to her was already up, she hasn't left. Alex had a bunch of questions and they all were carried by one single question. Was Alex in the position to ask any of those questions? Lately, they've been talking more than they once had but every word they exchanged would still be able to provoke a fight. Yet, Alex really wanted to know. She cared. She cared to know what had broken Piper this much that she had turned to the most loveless person that existed. She asked Alex for the impossible. And apparently, Alex had done the impossible. Because Piper was still here, she was lying next to her in the brunette's bed. Although her apartment had once been her sacred cave that no one else except the people who were dear to her were allowed to enter, she no longer minded letting Piper in. The blonde was the first woman Alex shared her bed with. And it didn't bother Alex anymore. So, in conclusion, didn't she have a right to know why Piper used her as her shelter? They never defined their 'relationship'. It was a thing which simply existed. Nonetheless, this thing didn't contain feelings… did it? How was Alex supposed to know that if she herself didn't even contain feelings. At least she thought she didn't.

However, she kept staring at the beauty only inches next to her. Mirroring the other woman's position, Alex kept lying on her back as well, only her head turned to the side. And although she had done it a thousand times before and should know her body inside out, she studied her nevertheless. Her gold waves, her sculptured profile, her dark eyebrows, her kissable lips and even though she was as beautiful as always, Alex saw the dark cloud hanging above her. Something was wrong, something had happened. And Alex needed to know what. Because she cared. Fuck, she really cared.

Her green gaze remained on her, moving slightly down to land on Piper's hands. If there was one thing Alex had learned about the woman next to her, it was the fact that every time she was flustered, she didn't know what to do with her hands. So Piper would always begin to fumble at her own hands, her slender fingers gripping around her other fingers or intertwining her own hands to tear them apart again. And Alex wanted to reach for one of her nervous hands and hold it to calm it down. Eventually, she didn't though because it would remind her that she cared. Yet, Piper needed her comfort, at least she had last night. But the night was over and the burning morning fell on them, and the brunette wondered if it would tear them apart as it usually did. Piper was by her side, though. She hadn't left. She had asked Alex to love her, although she knew that Alex was never capable of it. Deep down, a silent voice was trying to tell them that they both had been wrong. If the raven-haired woman wouldn't have let opium take over control, and if Piper hadn't been too desperate, they both would have heard that voice.

The silence was still between them and around them, filling Alex's bedroom and the short yet strong distance between the two of them. Only the brunette's eyes on Piper were able to break it. But Piper still hasn't moved, caught somewhere between her delirium and reality. She was aware that Alex was awake as well. She was aware of her piercing eyes on her. Nonetheless, she remained stiff, her hands and her heart the only things that were actually moving. Because she thought that she was just another number to Alex. She was just another faceless, nameless hook-up to her. She would know that she was wrong though if she saw the way Alex was looking at her. The emerald-eyed woman knew that Piper used her to forget about her loneliness or her brokenness or both. But the blonde didn't know that Alex willingly let herself be used by her. Alex didn't care. Because she cared. If Piper saw the way the woman next to her was looking at her, she wouldn't believe her own eyes. Because she would see that Alex cared.

And yet, she mistook her silence, unbeknownst to her that the brunette simply didn't know how to talk to her, how to ask her if she was okay. So she kept trying to ignore her to avoid a confrontation. Alex wasn't someone who comforted people. If she were, she would say something Piper concluded. And neither did the brunette deal with feelings. Because she had none, she hadn't failed to make that clear to Piper. Their closure was only physical and would never be anything else. And yet, Alex was the only one who was there for her when she needed someone. Or was everyone there for her but the only one Piper really needed was Alex? No, that's impossible. But Jane tried to be there for her, didn't she? She supported her when they had met the person that drove Piper into the arms of the woman next to her. Because Alex was… Alex. No matter how much anyone could try, only Alex could give her what she needed. Because Alex was what she needed. And this realisation tore the oxygen out of her lungs because, although Alex might want Piper, she didn't need her. The only thing Alex needed and would ever need were her drugs. And she wasn't wrong, Alex did need her drugs more than anything. But Piper was her greatest drug, poison and cure at the same time that always left the brunette craving for more. She was Alex's own personal drug. And if they just talked, she would know that.

But instead, Piper kept fumbling with her hands whilst Alex watched her as if she were far away and not right beside her. Maybe that was the problem. Although they would be next to each other, neither of the two would really be there because, while Alex would be too high, Piper would be too deep in her own loneliness. Yet right in this moment, the dark-haired woman was sober. She could be there. And she eventually was.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

There they finally were, those words that cut the silence. Even though it didn't surprise the blonde that Alex knew that something had happened the other night as the taller woman could read her, it did surprise her that Alex asked. Maybe she wasn't just another number to her.

When she answered after another moment of silence, her mouth didn't speak up but attacked Alex's as she rolled on top of her. That was their pillow talk. Fighting and fucking. And right now, Piper needed the latter. The bare flesh of her body collided with Alex's whilst the woman underneath her was the only thing she consumed. At first, she felt that the brunette didn't really return the kiss, her soft lips not moving against hers. Although Piper was wondering why Alex was so numb underneath her, her thoughts dissolved into thin air when she felt a hand wrapping around her neck and sharp teeth sucking onto her bottom lip. Alex finally gave in and pulled the woman above her closer whilst her other hand settled onto her hip. Their kiss intensified with every second and, although it was rather hot and desperate, judged by the way Piper's tongue was fighting with Alex's, it was gentle nevertheless. Because if that was the only way Alex could be there for Piper, she let her willingly use her. So she let her body speak and let her cold thumb run over Piper's cheek whilst the other woman was holding onto her with her lips.

She felt how she got pushed deeper into the mattress of her bed by every kiss. They broke apart, only so the blonde could move south and sucked onto the ivory skin of Alex's neck as Piper's warm hand grabbed one of the other woman's boobs. It made Alex shiver, every touch incredibly intense as she was totally sober and therefore absolutely aware of everything. Of Piper's lips, Piper's hands, Piper's knee between her thighs, Piper's attempt to avoid any conversation, Piper's issues. That was why she was absolute mush underneath her, especially when hands wrapped around her wrists and pinned her against the sheets. She could barely move and wasn't in control, something that usually made her panic but in Piper's hands, hands that were so warm and so soft, she was willing to give up and give in. Yet why, what changed?

They were about to have sex, something they had had a dozen times and still, ever since last night, it was different. Piper's hands were more tender than usual and, although they were still burning her white skin, it didn't set her on fire but rather warmed her. Damn, her hands were so soft. Unlike her sharp teeth that were biting onto the brunette's neck. And although it branded her, making the blood boil within her, she didn't flinch. Because it was still different and Alex was eager to find out why.

As Piper trailed kisses along her neck towards Alex's chest, her icy hands still held in place by Piper's, her back jumped of from the mattress when the woman on top of her captured a nipple with her hot mouth, her even hotter tongue circling around it. The things the blonde was doing to her made it hard for her to keep quiet, something that had never been a challenge for her. But, as Alex had already known, Piper could break anything. Her routines, her habits… fuck, even her heart to bring it back to life again. Goddamn, I'm fucked up.

The dark-haired woman bit onto her bottom lip, knowing damn well that Piper was testing her. Because the way the model's mouth sucked onto her nipple whilst her knee was moving against the highly sensitive nerves between her legs was fighting to elicit a noise from her. But only her body was meant to speak so it began to tremble to the rhythm of her heartbeat as the back of her head sank deeper into her pillow. Although this was so much better than talking, Alex's need to know what had happened to Piper wasn't gone. It was simply overshadowed by her growing need to get off. And the blonde needed her as well and she definitely didn't miss an opportunity to show her this as her right hand released Alex's hand and brushed over the sensitive skin of her side, the touch like a feather and yet intense like fire. Especially when this hand was dangerously close to the throbbing heat between her legs when it gripped around her thigh.

As if Piper was waiting for it, she finally heard a moan falling from the brunette's lips and its beautiful sound actually pulled her hand closer to her clit. "Fuck," Alex hissed between gritted teeth and that was when the blonde knew that nobody, no one else, but her touched Alex like she did, fucked Alex like she did, knew Alex's body like she did. Those other girls had nothing on her. They were just some bimbos that got to spend some time with Alex, only to be abandoned by the emerald-eyed woman. So, as Piper was taking over control, was given control by Alex, and had the power to turn Alex into beautiful mush, she knew that she wasn't one of those nameless bimbos. And somewhere deep down, she hoped that she wasn't a nameless bimbo. She didn't want to be a nameless bimbo. Although she didn't know why, she didn't want to get caught up in her own thoughts but rather drown in the woman underneath her. So she began to trace the lines of the lips between Alex's thighs with her slender fingers as she released Alex's nipple. With a smug expression on her face, she looked up and saw that the brunette was completely hers. Her green eyes were closed, her neck tensed, her head thrown back and buried in the pillow, her free hand gripping onto the sheets. She was hers.

After the sight underneath her took her breath away, Piper's attention fell back onto Alex's desperate body. Her hand was still between the brunette's legs, touching wet folds. Making her way south, she made sure that her chin hit Alex's tensed abdomen, marking her route before her face was eventually between the brunette's thighs. Piper's hand let go of the other woman's hand that had been pinned against the mattress and wrapped around Alex's leg whilst her other still teased the brunette, her fingers nudging her inner lips. With every touch the blonde saw how goosebumps adorned the ivory skin of the woman underneath her, replacing the moans she fought to hold back. As Piper's face was close to her throbbing heat, Alex could feel the blonde's breath against it and she had never felt more boneless, the last piece of composure leaving her body.

"Piper," she breathed out, letting her know that she needed her.

Her desperate confession was successful as a slender finger entered her and she felt the nudge of the tip of a wet tongue on her clit. Every fibre of her being tensed at this touch, making her back jump up and her lungs pressing out a low breath while her knuckles turned white from gripping onto her sheets. She never felt so much. Sex had never been this intense for her before Piper. Before Piper, sex had been different, sex with all those different women had been different. She hadn't let any of them tease her, she hadn't let any of them touch certain parts of her body, she hadn't given any of them control, she hadn't felt a damn thing. They had made her come, at least a few of them but it had been difficult for them. Unlike for Piper who apparently only needed to breathe against her skin to make her lose her complete composure and her need grow immensely. Some might wonder why she had had so many one-night stands if nearly no one had been able to fuck her properly. Sometimes, Alex was wondering about this, too. Maybe it was the drugs that increased her sexual drive, maybe it was that, as Piper might have already figured out, Alex simply really liked fucking. Or maybe it was some deep depressing reason behind it. That, if Alex didn't get any emotional closeness, the least she would get was physical closeness. Because no one bothered to get under her skin so why would she bother to bare her soul if she could as well just bare her body? She was more than a drug-addict, more than a hot body, more than a lone wolf. But apparently, those other things she could be and could give were things no one wanted. Except Piper?

Finally, Piper captured her and began to suck onto the sensitive bundle of nerves that have already been waiting for the blonde's tongue. Her touches were simply overwhelming, driving Alex insane who was getting closer to just let go. Instead, the control freak inside of her released the sheets and found golden waves, getting tangled up in them. The strong grip on her hair reminded Piper that she could do anything to Alex. She could use her, possess her, drive her wild. Alex wouldn't care. Because she cared.

As her shoulders were right next to Alex's thighs, holding them apart, Piper could feel how the brunette's body was trembling. So, in order to elicit another ecstatic reaction from the woman underneath her, Piper added instantly two fingers and picked her pace up as well. A raw curse escaped Alex's mouth that was quiet yet strong enough for Piper to hear. This was another trait that proved that they two were their opposites. Whilst the blonde wouldn't torture herself even more and wouldn't keep quiet, Alex would bottle everything up and fight to keep her composure. But her shaking body made Piper sure that at the end, the brunette would yell, she would let it out. She would no longer swallow her moans, nor her emotions. Those were things only the model was able to elicit. Something nobody ever accomplished.

Fingers gripped even tighter around her soft hair as Piper's mouth licked, kissed, consumed, tasted, devoured the dark-haired woman who would reach her climax any second. The ecstasy of the things she was feeling took her over, making her feel high and drunk at the same time. Everything she would do now, everything she would say now would be out of her control. Her lungs struggled to supply her with oxygen as the only thing she was capable of inhaling was the woman between her legs. Breaths came out unsteady, reminding Alex that she could just give in and give up.

She nearly came out of her daze when Piper's fingers left her, only to make space for the blonde's tongue that made her walls and mastery immediately crumble. It pushed deeper and faster into her and Alex was sure she would pass out every moment if she kept holding back. Only a few wet thrusts later, she eventually did. Her back arched up, her hand turned into a fist around Piper's hair, her neck was covered in veins as she said the other woman's name so loudly. The only thing inside of her was Piper's tongue that slowed down its motion as Piper didn't want to tear the other woman away from her climax. Breathing heavily, her chest rose and fell quickly whilst Alex was struggling to calm down. The heaviness of her organs fell upon her and she dropped her head onto the pillow again and her boneless body never felt emptier. But it was a good empty feeling. Unlike this other empty feeling she had when Piper… wasn't around. Internally, she hoped that her deep thoughts about the blonde were only caused by the heavenly orgasms Piper could give her. Only Piper. It was just random that the model happened to be the only who was able to do this… wasn't it? This was absolutely physical and Alex wasn't confusing sexual needs with emotional needs. Their relationship was strictly corporal. She needed Piper's body, not Piper. Yet, why was the first appropriate thought she could form to ask Piper what had broken her so much that she had come to her?

The taste of herself ripped her out of her thoughts as the blonde locked her lips with hers. She had been so deep in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed the moment Piper's tongue left her, only to collide with her own. Piper's hands wrapped around her neck, destroying any proximity between them so that their bare fronts met, making Alex shiver again. The blonde's legs were surrounded by hers, bumping against another as Alex put her hands on her slim waist to pull the woman above her impossibly closer. She wasn't a bottom, she had never been but if Piper wanted her to be beneath her, she suddenly didn't mind. If someone saw her right now and could read her thoughts, they would call Alex whipped. But she wasn't aware of her submissive behaviour, fine with doing everything Piper asked her to or did to her. Neither was she aware of her heart-eyes that looked up at Piper when they pulled apart. Whilst her green gaze searched for the bluest blue that made Alex feel so blue, Piper's eyes landed on the other woman's swollen lips. If Piper just looked at her, she would see that she was no longer a trophy. If Piper just looked at her, she would see that Alex was falling deeply, irretrievably, irrevocably in love with her. It was the most inevitable thing in the whole world. She would see that Alex had been the first to break the promise they were going to give each other.

When a cold hand rested on her cheek, Piper still avoided Alex's gaze as she told her, nearly whispering, "I have to go."

Without having time to blink an eye, Alex instantly asked, "Do you?"

"Yes."

"So you're not gonna tell me what happened?"

As she realised that Alex hadn't forgotten about it and actually bothered herself to find out what had happened the other night, her azure eyes shot up at her and were barely strong enough to hold Alex's gaze although it was nothing but soft.
"I don't know what you mean"

"Seriously?"

"Nothing happened."

"It wasn't nothing that brought you here after you broke this thing off between us."

"Ever thought that you're not the only one who likes to fuck?"

"Ever thought that you can talk to me?"

"Alex."

"Piper."

"Forget about it, okay?"

She brushed Piper's cheek with her thumb when she saw that her blue eyes dropped again. Seeing that Piper avoided her gaze another time, the brunette eventually pulled her hand back, again not knowing how to talk to the woman that was still above her.

"It's about him, isn't it?" Alex eventually spoke, having known the whole time that it had to do something with Tyler. "What did he do to you?"

No matter if it was jealousy, possessiveness or plain protectiveness, Alex knew that she cared about this broken angel and if she wasn't flying away the whole time, the black-haired woman would embrace her.

Piper shook her head whilst her fingertips began to run over Alex's collarbone, her eyes fixed on the spot. "Don't bother about it, Alex."

"What if I want to bother about it?"

"You don't need to."

Memories of the night when Alex had brought a hammered Piper home came to her mind, causing her to say, "Why is it so hard for you to let someone help you?"

She saw how blue eyes shot up at her as if they checked if Alex had really just asked her that. They fell onto Alex's collarbone in an instant again though and when Piper didn't break the silence, the brunette added, "Piper, I-"

"Miss Alex I-don't-answer-calls-nor-door-bells Vause, where the damn hell-Crap."

Turning her head to the side, Alex saw her mother standing in the doorway. While Piper was still on top of her. In her bed, in her bedroom, in her apartment. And her own mother witnessed it. Suddenly, she felt like a teenager who just got caught and saw how Diane stared at them for a second before she turned around and walked quickly out of the room. The brunette didn't feel ashamed of her mum walking in on them. Yet, she knew what was waiting for her on the other side of the door. And that was way worse.

"Was that your mum?" Piper asked her as they both were still staring at the door with wide eyes.

"I wish my answer was no."

She felt how the mattress shifted and Piper's warmth left her. Noticing its lack, her green eyes searched for her and saw that the model got up, gathering her clothes from the floor as her naked body was covered by a a sheet. Watching the blonde rather clumsily picking up her clothes, Alex had to grin as she could tell that Piper was embarrassed. The red colour on her cheeks was the perfect proof.

"Calm down, kid. The only one freaking out should be me."

As if she didn't hear her, Piper kept walking around and when she wanted to make sure that she had all of her clothes, she noticed that one thing was missing.

"Shit."

Not being sure if she understood the other woman correctly who apparently began to panic, Alex stood up, not bothering herself to cover her exposed body with a blanket and walked up to her.

"What?" she asked, standing behind Piper who sifted through her clothes.

"Alex, my bra, I can't find it."

"So? They're absolutely overrated, didn't you know that?" Alex stated as she pulled blonde hair back and wrapped her arms around Piper from behind, exploring her skin and placing kisses along her neck.

"Alex."

It was supposed to come out as a warning but it rather happened to sound desperate, the brunette's presence and proximity distracting her.

"Your mum's outside… and it's probably somewhere in the living room. Fuck," she eventually reminded her when one hand grabbed her boob while another moved south.

"And?" her husky voice whispered into Piper's ear before she continued to kiss her jawline.

And although it was enough for the model to forget about everything, the last bit of composure pulled her back as she turned her head to the side to meet Alex's lips, connecting them before she was standing in front of the taller woman. When she felt teeth biting onto her bottom lip, the blonde pulled the brake and pushed Alex lightly back, making her walk backwards.

"Go."

Chuckling, Alex looked at her and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Alex."

"Your wish is my command, princess," she heard Alex say who approached her to press a last gentle kiss on her lips, Piper returning it eagerly before her warm hands wandered from Alex's neck to her shoulders to push her back again.

Alex smiled at her and turned around to grab her glasses and her robe. When she watched her walk out of the room and closed the door behind her, Piper realised that Alex was still hers. They weren't even in bed anymore and yet, Alex was still hers. Suddenly, she registered what had just happened, the banter between the two of them, Alex's gentleness. It was like they were a couple. Except, that they weren't. She couldn't believe that she once had called the same person emotionally unavailable. Something has changed. But she just shook her head, trying to shake off her thoughts and feelings off as well and put on her jeans as she was waiting for Alex to return with her missing bra.

For the very first time, Piper actually took a proper look at the brunette's bedroom. It wasn't fancy or pretentious, rather vintage and the model had to admit that it matched its owner. Sitting on the edge of the huge bed, she noticed the even huger bookshelves on each side of the drawer which was across from her. As it caught her attention, she stood up and scanned the seemingly endless amount of books, most of them old literature, timeless classics and even poetry. Piper was more than surprised as she caught a deep glimpse of Alex which made her question yet again who Alex was, who she really was. A junkie, an asshole, a MMA fighter, a sussed nerd, a dark and twisted masterpiece, or simply a misunderstood mystery.

She nearly jumped when she heard a raspy voice say, "Next time you rip your clothes off, don't throw them into the deepest corner of my apartment… they'd be nice decoration though."

Dropping her hand that had been grazing over the other woman's books, she knew without turning around that Alex was standing behind her.

"Although I read all of them I can't really get myself to throw any of them away."

A small smile appeared on her face and she eventually turned around, seeing that Alex was holding out her lost underwear to her. And although half of her body was naked, she also saw that the brunette was undressing her with her eyes. It was crazy because Alex wasn't the only who couldn't keep her hands off her. If they were alone, Piper would jump right into bed with her again. But as they weren't, she just grumbled, "No," and grabbed her bra and put it on.

The cocky Alex surfaced as the taller woman raised a brow at Piper and gave her her signature smirk. "She wants to get to know you," she suddenly told the blonde who instantly froze.

"What?"

"She's my mother, Piper."

"Yeah, but-" we're not together.

Her last three words remained inside of her head and when she heard how the brunette began to laugh, she deadpanned, "Very fucking funny, Alex."

"I just had to make sure you still hate me."

"Oh, don't worry about that," she reassured Alex before the emerald-eyed woman silenced her with a long kiss.

"Bye," Alex eventually said between their kisses that neither seemed to be willing to stop.

"Bye," the model replied and connected their lips for the hundredth time and after a few more moments, they eventually broke apart, Alex's heart eyes staring at her before she turned around and walked ahead towards the door of her bedroom.

As they stepped outside, she found her mother still sitting on the couch in the living room and when she heard the two women walking out of their personal zone, her head instantly turned around, her eyes following them. They eventually reached the front door and as Piper was about to leave, she looked over at Alex's mum, saying, "It was nice to meet you, Miss Vause," and quickly disappeared as she began to blush again.

Right in the moment the door fell shut and Alex was still standing with her back to her mum, she didn't even wait for her to speak up and just told her, "No."

"Oh come on baby girl, I've never seen any woman walking out of your apartment, let alone sleeping at your apartment. Not even Nicky ever slept at your place. Who is she?"

Letting her head fall back, Alex walked past her into the kitchen, preparing some coffee.

"You can't walk away from this conversation, Alex."

"I know but it's still worth a try."

She wondered how what the chances had been that her mother had to visit her when Piper was at her place as well. Very likely, she concluded and remembered that an unlucky devil like her couldn't expect anything but something like this.

"Why are you here mum?" she asked her, knowing that it wouldn't be enough for her mother to drop the topic.

"Hey, don't be a dick. If you ever looked at your phone you would've had enough time to hide your secret girlfriend from me."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"But you want her to be your girlfriend."

Her response came out so fast that it was nearly too obvious that she was lying to herself as well. "What? Piper?! Hell no."

"Then why was Piper here?" Diane asked her, rising a brow at her daughter in the same way she would always do.

"Mum, I'm not going to talk to you about this."

"This, huh? So there's something going on between you and… Piper."

"You know what? If this helps you falling at sleep at night then yes," Alex told her as she poured coffee into two mugs and walked back to her mum and handed her one mug before she sat down in the armchair across from her.

"Lately, I've rather been losing sleep over you, kid."

Seeing the confused expression on her daughter's face, her mother explained, "Tyler Durden, does that ring a bell?"

Alex immediately groaned, not hiding her hate for that human scum and asked, "What about him?"

"He sued you, he'll go to court because of what happened."

"Yeah, I know," Alex nonchalantly said and took a sip from her coffee.

"Damn, Alex, that's not some unimportant stuff."

"Mum, I know it's actually your job but honestly, don't worry, okay? I've handled it."

"Apparently not well enough as you obviously forgot your meeting with your lawyer in like an hour."

Alex's gaze instantly met Diane's who added, "Yeah, see how well I know you. I knew you'd forget it, that's why I'm here."

Placing her mug on the coffee table, the brunette quickly made her way to the bathroom to make herself ready. As she nearly reached it, she heard Diane say, "I'll go with you to Mr. Bennett. And on our way you'll tell me about all the things you love about Piper."


She was back.

The black panther was back.

She was staring at her hands that were covered in her boxing gloves whilst she was sitting on the bench in the cubicle, waiting to release her inner beast. This time though, it was different. She's never been alone before any of her former fights. Nicky or Lorna or Red would be around, or all three of them. But now, she was alone and again she was telling herself that she was better off this way. Because Nicky and Lorna and Red definitely were better off without her, just like everyone else. But instead of getting lost in her memories, she turned this bad energy into fuel that she was going to add to her fire. Although she was in the catacombs, she still heard how the crowd was going wild. She didn't expect anything else because this was a title fight. And a media fight. The loathed champion returns from her darkness, reclaiming what is hers after she lost everything. It was a fucking perfect tale like a greek saga. And Alex was the antagonist, the villain, Hades.

She didn't care though. She didn't care if people were going to scream her name. She didn't care what they were going to say. She would win, she knew that. And the only thing she cared about was to know if Piper was going to be here. They haven't spoken ever since the last time they had seen each other and although only a week passed, Alex was more than eager to see her again. But maybe Piper didn't feel the same, maybe she didn't feel lonely enough, maybe she didn't feel broken enough, maybe she found someone better who could distract her from her demons.

"Vause, come on, time to go," an UFC member suddenly told her.

Alex looked at the man who was standing in the doorway and when she took a deep breath, she shut down everything and got up. Following him out of the catacombs, she saw Vee Parker talking to one of her corporators before she saw the brunette and approached her.

"Nervous?" the dark-skinned woman asked her as they were walking towards the exit.

Answering her question with only a look, Vee Parker chuckled lightly and added, "You can still back down, you know? There ain't no shame in it, Alex."

"Go tell this your koala girl, Parker."

Again, she made the older woman chuckle and before Alex stepped out of the catacombs and into the arena, a hand landed on her shoulder and made her stop her movements. She looked at the black hand as she heard the other woman say, "Don't take it personal, Alex… it's just, I really don't like you."

Before she could ask her what she was talking about, she watched Vee Parker walking away with a frown. She's trying to get into your head, Alex. Don't let her in. Don't let anyone in. And with that attitude, she walked out and into the crowd.

Without any music being played in the background, the dark-haired woman walked like a gladiator that was only a slave trained to kill towards the couch, the loud crowd joining the silence. Some people began to mutter, saying things Alex didn't hear, didn't want to hear. Hidden underneath her coat and her face underneath a hood, her gaze was fixed on the ground. And when it finally fell onto the cage, her adrenaline was the only thing she was living off. Feeling her heart beating against her ribs, Alex approached it and eventually, the silence broke and the crowd began to yell. Her opponent was already in the cage, basking herself pathetically in glory. The referee opened the door for her and she headed straight to her corner, her team that wasn't actually her team but former MMA trainers who were paid to take care of Alex so she could officially fight as she had no trainer anymore. She opened her mouth so one of them could put the mouthpiece in and when the referee called them, Alex was ready to break every single bone of Stella Carlin's body.
When she approached him, the Australian woman was standing right in front of her. She stared her down, her opponent holding it and the only thing that was separating them was the referee who said, "Alright, you know the instructions, I expect a clean fight. No scratching, biting, strikes, or anything ugly. Touch gloves, go back and lets do this."

The women did as they were told to and headed back to their corner, waiting for the final sign. Before it finally came, she shot one last glance at the back, looking for familiar blonde hair but didn't find it. Hearing the signal, she turned back and let out her anger and the black panther that followed its hunger. She quickly moved up to the other woman, not being patient and already beginning to attack her. Most of her punches hit nothing but air whilst Carlin used one moment of her carelessness and took advantage of it. The dark-haired woman felt a hard fist colliding with her cheekbone and suddenly she remembered what pain felt like as she usually numbed her body. When she saw another fist coming at her, she made a swift move and tackled to Australian woman, making her fall onto her back. Alex instantly hovered over her, grabbing her arm to twist it violently. Somehow, the woman underneath could free herself from the grip and pushed the taller woman off her. When they got onto their feet again, Alex pushed her against the cage, leaving her opponent no space to escape. She punched her, kicked her, grabbed her to make her fall. Before she did though, the bell stopped her. Before she could walk back into her corner, she heard the other woman say words like "slut" and "hoe" and what wouldn't leave her mind, "Piper". And after that moment, everything went downhill for Alex.

The first round ended and in the following four, the brunette lost more blood than she caused. No matter which trick she used, no matter how she tackled her, Carlin could always free herself and every time she did, more blood fell from Alex's nose and lips. She couldn't understand why, but she knew that she was losing. Because she was successful. Vee fucking Parker got into her head. Ever since the end of the first round, Alex has been wondering what that woman knew, how she had found out the things she knew and what any of this had to with Piper. Because Stella Carlin had said her name. She definitely had. Ignorance was slowly killing her and the brunette more and more lost her focus whilst her uncontrolled anger got the better of her. Her punches weren't precise anymore, her kicks were too high or too low. And all this time, she tasted more and more iron. She couldn't remember the last time she had hit the ground this often in a fight or had been bleeding this much. Because there was no last time. Alex had never been fought against someone who had the chance to beat her. Not after Red had successfully trained her and introduced her to the world of legal fights. She once had been so close to become a legend. But as Red had already told her, her greatest enemy was herself.

And it beat her, when the third round finished and Stella said Piper's name again. Although the round was over, Alex followed her into her corner, driven by her rage and pushed the other woman against the cage. The referee swiftly tore the two apart, leading Alex into her corner and asked her if she wanted him to disqualify her. Alex only shrugged her shoulders as she didn't pay attention to anything but her loud thoughts Vee Parker implanted into her mind. She was so close to find out what all those words the older woman had said to her really meant. The fourth round started though and a hard kick against her shoulder tore her out of her thoughts.

Eventually, she was getting frustrated, fed up with the fact that she was losing and fed up with the fact that Vee Parker had known all along how this was going to end up. She had it all planned out. That was what she had meant when she had said that she had taken care of everything. More and more punches hit her and it was getting harder for Alex to see, her vision absolutely blurry and her mind clouded. Her body was aching just like every bone inside of it and Alex had never been more desperate for a shoot than in this moment. It was like she was fighting for the first time in her life. Probably because when the fourth round ended and Alex returned to her corner, Red wasn't waiting for her, nor Nicky. Nobody. And as her eyes still haven't found golden, long hair, Alex knew that Piper wasn't going to show up. In that moment, it hit her. She deserved this. All of this. She deserved to get beat up, to be fucked over, to be forsaken, to be all by herself. She had no pack, she was a lone wolf that didn't know where she belonged. Because in this cage, she felt out of place.

The final round began and Alex didn't care anymore. She actually surrendered herself to her opponent as she didn't dodged any knocks or kicks and desperate anger lead her fists. The brunette didn't even take cover because that was something Red would always remind her of. But Red wasn't here, nobody was here. Her downfall was perfect when a strong fist met her temple and a second hit her nose, covering her face in red and making her stumble backwards. And then, it was over. And Alex ultimately lost everything.


The blood didn't stop to fall. From her nostrils, her mouth, her eye. She reached for the fifth or sixth towel that wasn't already soaked and red and pressed it against her lips and nose. The only thing on her mind was the wish to just pass out, to just kill everything she was feeling. But even though she knew how she could do that, her body was too heavy from her pain that she didn't want to move. If she a clock, she would know that she's been bleeding sitting for almost an hour on this bench. When she had gotten into her cubicle, the only thing she had managed to do was to take her gloves off. The rest has been too hard. She just lost her title, her name, her reputation which, as bad as it might have been, was giving her an identity. But now she reached the bottom of the ocean. And she didn't know how to get to the surface again. She probably would never get to it. It was terrifyingly silent in her cubicle that it nearly screamed at Alex how alone she was. Yet, there was nothing on her mind, nothing inside of her. Only pain. But she knew that pain, she was familiar with it. That was the kind of pain she had felt after every fight she had had. That was the kind of pain she could take. Unlike the pain she would feel when it came to certain people. Especially Piper. But she didn't want to think about the blonde. Thoughts about her had been the reason that had gotten her into the situation she was in. Piper was messing with her mind and everyone who would know that like Vee Parker could use it against her. It was like Piper was her weakness. And it didn't make sense to Alex. Nonetheless, she didn't want to bother herself about finding a reason or some sort of sense and changed the side of the now red towel. She had to take a shower, it was only a few metres away and yet, it was too far away. Just like everyone else apparently…

"Alex?"

The brunette didn't hear someone calling her name nor that the person approached her. Only when that person kneeled in front of her, Alex was aware of her presence, her green eyes finally finding its target.

"Oh my god, your face," she said and took the towel out of Alex's hand, using the last fresh one to stop the bleeding.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't make it earlier… how long have you been sitting here?"

"I don't know, what time is it?"

"11:30."

"Then for an hour."

"Why?"

"Because taking my gloves off was the only thing I could do."

"And you've been bleeding the whole time?"

"Yes."

"Alex, you should see a doctor, look at your-"

"Face? I know, I'm still pretty though."

"Alex-"

"It's not the first time that I get beat up, alright? I'm fine."

"But it's the first time that no one was there for you."

"I don't care."

Finally, her emerald dared to look at her ocean blue and again it didn't fail to make her feel so blue. Alex saw that the other woman wanted to speak up but when she didn't, the brunette told her, "You're here now."

For a while, neither of them said anything, the other woman continuing to press the towel against her face to catch the blood whilst Alex just studied her.

"Show me your hands," she eventually broke the silence and the brunette lifted her hands that were still bandaged.

The woman in front of her handed her the towel and began to take the bandages off, something Alex hadn't been able to do anymore. The red bandages fell on the floor and the woman who was kneeling in front of her eventually got up, holding out a hand to Alex. "You need to take a shower… there's blood everywhere on you. And you reek."

"Some people think it's sexy," the MMA fighter told her as she took her warm hand and slowly got onto her feet.

"I'm not some people... but you're lucky."

And then she carefully rested a hand on Alex's neck and pulled her towards her, closing the distance between them. Alex was sure that this woman had to be doing magic as she kissed her pain away and made her realise that she hasn't lost everything and everyone. Instead, she won this warm, fuzzy feeling inside of her that shoved the ache into the background. Because Piper was there for her. And everything else was just background.