A/N: Suprize! Got chapter 12 finished quickly, so I figured I'd go ahead and let you guys have it. Thanks for the fav's, follows and reviews. It means a lot. Here's 12.

Winter Roses

Piper opened the door to her apartment, Alex leaning heavily against the wall for support. The blonde helped the taller woman inside and sat her down on the couch. Alex immediately curled into a ball on her side, her favorite possition, it seemed. Piper closed and locked her door before kneeling in front of Alex, shooing Phoebe away.

"Have you eaten at all today, Alex?" Piper questioned, searching Alex's sea green depths.

The brunette looked away, someting akin to shame shadowing her features and making Alex look like a little girl. Piper figured then that was the reason for Alex getting sick just moments before. Having no nutrients in her system and then getting so upset had just been too much for her body to handle.

"I'm gonna run you a bath, okay? Then you can brush your teeth and rest if you need to, but I really think you should eat something.." Piper brushed Alex's hair out of her face, sad that Alex was feeling this way. More than sad, really. She fucking hated it. Piper wanted Alex to feel better, to be better. She'd seen brief glances of what Alex could be without the grief. Just that morning Alex had been happy. Truly happy, and Piper had loved it. Had loved Alex that way. And Piper wanted her back. Happy Alex. She was going to make it happen.

Somehow.

"Okay.." Alex nodded, offering Piper a small, vulnerable attempt at a smile.

Piper kissed Alex's forehead again, lingering there just simply to be close to the other girl. Something was happening inside her, changing much faster than she'd ever anticipated. Her usually untouchable heart was responding to the beautiful disaster that was Alex Vause, like it had been waiting just for her. Only her. Piper could feel it, and even though it frightened and confused her, there was no way she could deny that Alex had her by the heart strings and her grip was only getting stronger. It was almost painful.

Alex closed her eyes, enjoying the soft pressure of Piper's lips on her skin. The hand that was lingering at the side of her neck was warm, Piper's thumb stroking her cheek tenderly. The brunette pressed into the hand, stress leaving her body the longer Piper touched her. She sighed, quietly, nearly content now that the emotional storm and then the numbness had gone away for the most part. Alex was still upset, but was trying her best to hide it. She'd put Piper through enough in a few hours to last her a lifetime.

"It's gonna get better, Al. It'll be hard, like it was today. But you can get through it. We can." Piper said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Just don't shut down on me, okay?"

Alex nodded, wanting to kiss Piper, but knowing she should really brush her teeth first. The blonde, however, didn't see the problem with it, and moved forward, closing the small gap between their mouths. The kiss was tender and only lasted about 2 seconds before Piper pulled away, blinking rapidly. She gave Alex a sweet smile and then went to get Alex's bath started.

A few moments later, the blonde returned and helped Alex to her bathroom. She remembered the last time Alex had been there and hoped it didn't make Alex cry all over again. Piper was sure the poor girl had to be tired of that. For her part, Alex said nothing as she slowly and shakily got her clothes off once again. Piper held onto her hand as the tattooed girl lowered herself into the tub.

Alex went limp in the bathtub, her eyes closing at how good it felt to be able to rest her body in warm, soothing water. She closed her eyes, inhaling the sweet scent of lavender. A small, crooked smile creeped across her face, knowing that Piper was doing everything she could to calm Alex's nerves and soothe her.

At seeing Alex's lopsided half-smile, Piper quirked a brow in question. She was glad to see it, but it also worried her at the same time. "Al?"

Green eyes opened and looked towards Piper, even though she was too far away to see clearly. Alex reached out to the blonde, and Piper didn't hesitate in taking hold of the strong but delicate hand, kneeling beside the tub. Piper ran her thumb over Alex's warm, wet skin before speaking again.

"Are you okay, now?"

Alex closed her eyes again and nodded. "Thank you. The lavender oil is doing the trick."

"Should I stay in here?"

"Do you want to stay in here?" Alex countered, raising a brow at Piper, turned towards her now. Her eyes were still red from all the crying she'd done during the day and the green irises were bright and shiny, almost startling the blonde with their intensity.

Before Piper could respond, Alex was speaking again.

"Because you don't have to. I know you're probably tired of babysitting a grown woman. I'll be okay for a while if you want to go sit down and.. I dunno, clear your head a little? I don't know how this works." Alex admitted, sounding a bit like a timid teenager, rubbing absentmindedly at her lip. "I want you to stay in here but you might not want to. And if you'd rather go in there it's okay. I'm okay."

Piper couldn't help but smile at the girl in the bathtub. Alex was adorable when she was being all shy and whatnot. "I'm gonna get the food heated up and make a call. Call for me when you're ready to get out."

Alex nodded, "I will."

Once in her livingroom, Piper stood still for a moment, trying to wrap her head around exactly what had transpired in the last few hours. It was clear to her now, far more clear than it had been before, that Alex was much more than she'd bargained for. Piper hadn't ever dealt with anything remotely similar to this situation before. She didn't know how to help, didn't know what to do. At all.

She knew a little about bipolar disorder, but only a little bit, and a lot of it was probably just bullshit. The blonde intended to do her research as soon as she had the time, but for now she was just guessing. As for helping Alex deal with what had happened to her, Piper was only going by what she'd seen in movies and on telivision. Trying to be supportive, to be there in general. Then, there was what she had done to the poor girl, herself. Piper clenched her jaw, trying to keep herself from getting lost in the moment. Alex needed her now, and after her colossal fuck up, Piper was damn sure going to be there come hell or high water.

The blonde ran her hands roughly over her jeans before setting about to warm up the food she'd gotten for them. Once that was done, she set it up on the coffee table with two generous glasses of water. She'd wanted a glass of wine horribly, but didn't want to give Alex anything alcoholic. Phoebe wanted in the bathroom, and kept meowing at Piper to get a hint, but the blonde had closed the door to give Alex a bit of privacy, cat included.

Piper got her cell phone out and called Polly, hoping she wasn't interrupting anything important for her best friend. Polly had said she and Pete were going out to see a movie but that was probably overwith now. The blonde waited impatiently for the other girl to answer, pacing back in forth in her kitchen. Phoebe nearly tripped her a few times, trying to weave inbetween her feet like it was some sort of game.

"Hey, Pipe. Everything okay?" Polly answered, voice overly curious.

"Yeah, yeah.." Piper lied.

"Liar. What's up? Did you ever get ahold of Alex?"

Piper nodded, "I did. She was at home asleep. I wanted to see if we could leave the shop closed tomorrow? I, uh.. I have something I need to do."

"I can run it by myself for the day. Tell me what's wrong. You're never this secretive with me. Is it something to do with Alex?" Polly wondered.

The blonde sighed, "I don't want to leave her by herself tomorrow. I'm not telling you why."

"Bring her up to Popi, then. She could read all day or something. She probably wouldn't make a mess of things; I saw how she put everything back exactly the way she'd found it." Polly suggested before grumbling at Pete to stop drinking directly from the carton.

"She's not well." Piper said quietly. "She's weak and threw up earlier. I've got her in the bath right now, but I want to spend tomorrow getting her health back up."

"Does this mean we're gonna start puking, too? Damn it."

"I think it's because she didn't eat and she got really.. Upset." Piper supplied, "So you really don't mind if I stay home with her?"

"As long as you don't come back with some stupid virus, I'm cool with it. I gotta go, but you're not off the hook. I know something else is bothering you. I'll call you tomorrow night. Later, bitch." Polly hung up the phone.

Piper sat her phone on the counter to charge and walked quietly up to the bathroom door. She knocked softly and Alex told her to come in. Once inside, Piper closed the door to keep the cat out and to keep the warmth in. She looked at Alex, taking in the way her black hair looked like ink swirling around in the deep water around her.

"Is the water still warm enough?" Piper asked, sitting on her toilet seat and holding eye contact.

Alex nodded, "It's fine. I feel like a ragdoll, though. All my muscles are relaxed and the lavender oil is making me kind of sleepy. I don't want to go to sleep."

"You don't have to. Do you need any help washing up or are you all clean? I've got the food ready. Hopefully the cat leaves it alone. She wants to see you." Piper said, smiling when Alex's eyes lit up a bit at the mention of Phoebe.

"I'm ready to get out. You have a toothbrush for me?" Alex asked, bracing her arms on the sides of the tub to lift herself up. She wobbled a bit before finally managing to sit up properly.

"Yeah," Piper responded, standing up to look in the medicine cabinet for one of the unopened toothbrushes she kept in there. Once she had it in hand, she closed the cabinet and turned in time to see Alex get to her feet. She tossed the toothbrush onto the vanity and rushed to Alex's side.

"Jesus, Alex. I was gonna help you up." Piper said, helping the taller woman to step over the side of the tub and stand properly. The blonde grabbed the fluffy white towel she'd used that morning and wrapped it around the brunettes broad shoulders.

Alex frowned to herself. She didn't like being treated like a little kid, but knew better than to mention it. She knew Piper was right to want to help her. If Alex had fallen it just would've made everything a lot worse. There'd be water everywhere and the possibility of another injury. So, the tall brunette said nothing, and let Piper help her over to the bathroom sink.

Piper opened the toothbrush for Alex and put the toothpaste on it before wetting it and handing it to Alex. The other simply took it, avoiding eye contact. Piper noticed the way Alex was leaning against the counter and that she was still dripping water on the floor despite the towel. She could clean it up later, but was worried about Alex slipping in it, so she held on to Alex's waist gently, prepared if the brunette were to stumble. She sighed and lent her forehead against Alex's shoulder, her arms wrapping around the thin waist of the taller woman.

Once Alex was finished brushing her teeth, she put the toothbrush beside a pink one in the holder. In the mirror she could see Piper still leaning into her from behind. The brunette relaxed a bit, knowing that the blonde wasn't meaning to be as bossy as she was coming across. Alex took Piper's hands in her own, running her thumbs over the blonde's knuckles.

"Let's get your hair dried." Piper said, helping Alex to sit down on the toilet. She grabbed a smaller towel and set about wrapping Alex's hair in it, glad when Alex didn't protest her actions even though the girl was most likely capable of doing at least that much by herself.

She helped the other girl to dress in the clothes she'd put her in earlier, and led the brunette slowly to her living room. Alex sat down and grinned wide when the little black cat hopped into her lap and began purring loudly while rubbing her face all over Alex's chin. Alex chuckled, scratching behind the cat's pointy little ears. Piper watched the scene for a few moments before getting her phone so she could take a picture for herself. She also wanted Polly to see this side of Alex. The blonde quickly focused on the view in front of her and snapped the perfect photo. Alex was smiling, perfect teeth on display, green eyes bright as Phoebe was biting her chin. The sound of Alex's laugh was music to Piper's ears. She put her phone back on charge and sat down beside her lover, being ignored completely by her cat.

"She's missed you." Piper stated, chuckling when Alex had to hold the cat still in order to look over at her.

"I can tell," Alex said.

xXxXx

After they'd eaten the burgers Piper had picked up for them earlier, both women were stetched out on the couch. Alex was on the inside, facing the blonde as they talked quietly. Phoebe was asleep at the end of the sofa, purring loudly. The girls were discussing how Piper wasn't excited about Christmas, especially since her mother had volunteered for it to be at Piper's apartment.

"I've never had anything here before. Thanksgiving was at their house back in Conneticut, like it's always been. I guess I just figured we'd do Christmas there as well. I don't have a lot of room here and I know all Mother's going to do is pick on me about this and that the entire time. It's all she ever does." Piper sighed, stiffling a yawn.

"Why? I think you're doing pretty well for yourself. You graduated college, you have your own apartment, your the co-owner of your own business." Alex said softly, glad Piper was close enough that she could focus on her clearly. She pushed a strand of blonde hair behind Piper's ear, letting her hand linger.

"She doesn't care about what I have managed, she's just worried about what I haven't. Like, for instance, that I don't have a husband, yet. Or even a boyfriend. She thinks I should be focusing more on getting married and having children than having a business and my own life." Piper answered, frustrated that she was getting angry about it and her mother wasn't even in the same state.

"Do they know you like women, too?" Alex questioned, not liking the idea of Piper marrying a man at all. It made her stomach turn.

Piper frowned, "Cal does. But nobody else does besides Polly. My parents would disown me. I think Grandmother might be more understanding, but she's the only one besides Cal who actually likes me the way I am."

Alex felt bad for asking the question and pulled Piper closer to her, not feeling nearly as weak now that she'd eaten most of her burger and a few fries. Piper relaxed in her embrace, snuggling as close to Alex as she could. The brunette was warm and soft, and Piper really needed the strong but gentle arms to hold onto her for a while. Piper hadn't realized how stressed out she was until Alex whispered sweetly to her, causing Piper to close her eyes to fight tears.

"It's okay.." Alex said, kissing Piper's forehead. "I've got you, now."

xXxXx

Three weeks later, Alex was on her way to Red's with Piper's arm linked through her own. They had managed to find a routine that worked easily for both of them. They would switch back and forth sleeping in Piper's apartment and then Alex's. The brunette had finally bought a nice couch and a flatscreen tv, along with a dvd player so that Piper wouldn't be as bored when she came over. They had started going out on Piper's off days, and when Piper came home from work Alex had usually either ordered food or even cooked it herself, if she was at Piper's place. Now, they were going to Red's for the first time together since September. Alex needed to get information about Lorna for Nicky, but was just now brave enough to show up there. And even now was only because she had her girlfriend with her.

"It's so cold, Alex. You really need a better jacket." Piper said, snuggling deeper into Alex's side as they walked down the street. It was starting to snow and all the taller woman was wearing was her leather jacket, a scarf and her black beanie.

"I like this one." Alex shrugged, "I'm fine. We're almost there, anyway."

Piper rolled her eyes and let the subject drop. She knew why Alex wouldn't wear a different jacket, but knew better than to bring it up. Alex still hadn't spoken to her about her mother, but they had plans to go by Alex's old house after getting breakfast at Reds. Something about making sure the rose bush was alright and that everything was still standing. Piper knew it was personal that Alex was allowing her to see where she'd grown up, and made sure not to bring that up either in case Alex got too worked up about it and changed her mind.

Alex pushed the door to Red's open and let Piper in before following behind her. Tricia, the girl who had taken their order at the counter the time before, was still there, somehow. She looked a little less angry this go-round. The girls ordered coffees and some soup before Alex asked Tricia to tell Red she was there.

The girls sat down in a booth in the back corner, Alex facing outward so that she could see when Red was coming, hoping to avoid getting popped in the head. Their food was served to them and shortly after, Red was walking towards them. She saw the nervous look on Alex's face and clenched her fists to avoid reaching out and smacking Alex glasses right off her pretty face. Something about Alex just made Red angry as of late, especially when she disregarded everyone else's feelings and simply vanished whenever she felt like it.

"How nice of you to show up, Alex. You brought another blonde, or is this the same girl? Never seen you with the same girl twice. You've usually got a different girl with you every time. Except for that one girl. The crazy one. You remember. What was her name? Stacie.. Sss.. Something with an 'S'. Aha! Sylvia, that was her." Red snapped, glad that Alex was blushing bright pink. The girl across from Alex cocked her head to the side and gave Alex a curious look, one brow arched.

"Red-"

"You should've seen it, Blondie. Alex here is usually a great player- love 'em and leave 'em, but this girl had her so whipped. Alex did everything she said- it was so funny. They came here once and Sylvia made Alex cut her food up for her like she was a little kid. The tall one just did it, even if I could tell it made her mad. Then Alex got pissed off about something and poured her cup of hot coffee down Sylvie's shirt and just left. It was terrible but I laughed for an hour, I swear." Red chuckled, wiping at her eyes at the memory.

Piper looke at Red with wide eyes for several seconds before looking back at Alex, who was staring down at her bowl of soup like it was the most interesting thing in the whole world. The brunette's face was still red, and Piper couldn't tell if she was angry or just embarrassed, or maybe both. Piper had to admit to herself that she knew Alex had a temper, but hadn't expected that.

"After that, Alex here went back to sleeping with married women and random girls." Red stated, knowing she could push Alex just a little bit more before the dark haired girl snapped back at her.

"Red. Shut up." Alex said in a calm voice, looking up and fixing the older Russian woman with a cold stare.

"What, Blondie doesn't know about your past life?" Red questioned. She knew she was being unnecessarily mean, but she was angry with Alex for disappearing yet again. She'd been worried sick about the girl when she'd left her place drunk, and now Alex just showed up out of nowhere, yet again, acting like everything was perfectly fine, no harm done.

Piper looked at Alex with worry and curiosity.

"What's she talking about, Al?"

"Noth-"

Red cut Alex off, "She hasn't told you? Probably doesn't want to scare you off, I guess. Maybe it's better you didn't know."

Alex stood up quickly, towering over Red. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" She growled, staring the small Russian woman down with anger burning in her eyes.

Piper reached out and took Alex's hand, trying to make the fist relax. "It's okay, Al. We can talk about it later. Just ask Red what you need to before this gets out of hand."

"She knows better than to touch me, Blondie." Red stated, gently pushing Alex away from her. The brunette continued to glare at her, but backed up a step.

"Where's Lorna Morello?" Alex managed to ask between gritted teeth.

"Nicky's girl? She told you to ask, huh?" Red sighed. "Doesn't Nicky know I'd tell her if I knew anything?"

Alex simply shrugged.

"Haven't seen her in a while. She quit soon after you left last year. All she said was something about moving on with her life. I told Nichole that." Red said, eyeing Alex sternly. "If I hear anything else, I'll let Nicky know."

Alex clenched her jaw but said nothing else, sitting herself down and avoiding Piper's eyes. Red, however, wasn't done making Alex's life a living hell. The Russian moved closer to Alex before reaching out and popping Alex in the head loud enough to make a sound and knock her glasses ascew.

"That's for bowing up at me, little girl." Red stated in a low voice, "Ever since Diane was killed you haven't been right. Don't forget who your family is."

With that, the Russian turned and walked off, leaving the pair sat at the booth in silence. Alex fixed her glasses calmly and stood up yet again, walking towards the bathrooms. Piper was rooted to her seat, it seemed. She wanted to follow Alex, to make sure she was alright, but she also wanted to question the hell out of her. Another part of her was fuming, pissed off that Red, someone Alex had said was the only 'family' she had left, would humiliate Alex that way. And why did she always have to hit Alex? Piper quickly made her mind up and followed after the shorter Russian woman, not bothering to stop when Tricia told her she couldn't go back there.

"Red!" Piper called, trailing behind the woman and catching up to her easily. When Red finally stopped, they were in a little office-type area in the back of the diner, not even completely outside the kitchen.

Red sighed and turned around, sitting back in her rolling office chair. "What is it, Blondie?"

"I don't know what you were talking about back there, and Alex will tell me when she's ready. But why do you have to put your hands on her?" Piper asked, trying to keep calm, but everytime she thought of it, it made her blood boil a little more. She couldn't stand that Red had hit Alex both times she'd ever been around the woman, even if it wasn't a slap to the face. It was still bullying, and Red was supposed to be Alex's family.

Red glared at the blonde. "You really don't know me well enough to be in here, girl. Here's something you need to know about me: I do whatever I want to do. Alex is someone I've known a very long time. Much longer than you. If I want to put my hands on her, I will. She forgets who's the boss, I remind her. A little pop to the side of the head every once in a while won't hurt her. Why are you really back here?"

"That is why." Piper stated, although her curiousity was getting the better of her. "Who is Diane?"

Red blinked at Piper. "You really don't know anything about Alex, do you?"

"I know that she's got a troubled past and I know that her mother is dead, her best friend is in prison, the only 'family' she has left is a mean old Russian lady that talks down to her, and that her emotions are a wreck. But I also know that I want to know more.." Piper said, seeing a framed picture of Alex and Nicky when they were much younger, posing with matching crossed eyes and wide smiles. The flash is glaring in Alex's glasses, but the picture is perfect. Beside it is a framed picture of Alex's mother, looking eerily like her daughter with a smirk and arched brow.

Red followed Piper's line of vision. "That's Diane. Alex's mother. She was murdered in her own house a little over a year ago during a break in. Last summer, I think. Alex found her. After that, the girl hasn't been right. She's always been a little strange, but now.." Red shook her head, "Now, she's worse."

"My God.." Piper covered her mouth. She had known Alex's mother was a personal subject, but now she felt terrible for not knowing. For talking about her own mother like she was the most horrible person on planet earth, when Alex had lost her own so horribly and had been the one to find her.

"There's a lot you don't know, Blondie. But if she's in love with you, you'd better not abandon her. She's had far too much of that, and I don't think she can handle it again. I know you're the girl she brought here last time. If she's been true to you, then she's yours. You'll never meet a more loyal person. But be careful with her." Red said, taking note of how the blonde looked devestated for Alex.

The blonde nodded, "I will be.."

"Good. Now get out, Piper." Red said, recalling what Alex had said the girl's name was back in September.

Piper didn't hesitate, just turned around and walked back to the booth. Alex was nowhere in sight, so she walked back to the restrooms. The door to the women's room was unlocked and there was nobody in any of the three stalls. Panic shot through Piper's veins. Fuck, she probably thinks I left.

Quickly, Piper made her way to the register. "Where's Alex?"

Tricia gave the blonde a confused look. "She left a $20 on the table and got the hell outta here real fast. She looked.. weird. Had a strange look on her face. Like kinda blank?"

"God damn it. Fuck. Fuck!" Piper growled before pushing past Tricia once again.

"Where is Alex's old house? She's not here and I think that's probably where she went."

Red gave her the address and told her to hurry.

xXxXx

Alex wouldn't answer her phone and it had been at least half an hour. The cab came to a stop and Piper paid before scurrying out of the vehicle. The snow was coming down heavier, now, and Piper wanted to find Alex before it got much worse. She'd just now fully recovered from her cold, and Piper didn't want it to return much worse. The blonde looked at the house in front of her, taking note of it's run down appearance and the trash in the front yard. There was a rose bush, no blooms in sight, and a broken window right beside the door being held together with duct tape from the inside as well as a few wooden planks.

Piper knew this was the right house, even if she hadn't ever seen it before. For some reason, she just knew. The blonde zipped her coat up and pulled the hood on top of her head, sitting down on the concrete steps that led up to the front door. She could hear sirens wailing in the background, the noise of other vehicles and screeching tires louder here than where she lived. There were people walking down the streets with large dogs on leashes, some obvious drug deals, a woman pushing a stroller and smoking a cigarette. It was very different from where Piper had grown up, and just being here made her see Alex more clearly.

She sighed and called Alex's phone again. No answer. Piper shoved her hands in her pockets, wishing Alex would just show up. Hoping that she hadn't come here for no reason and that Alex hadn't just gone home, instead. After a while, she got up and started picking up the trash littered around the yard, shoving it down in the neighbor's trash can. She wondered over to the rose bush, taking note that it looked well taken care up dispite nobody living here anymore. When she turned back around, there was someone sitting on the steps, face hidden in their hands.

"Al.." Piper whispered, walking slowly towards her, leaving tracks in the fresh snow, a fleeting thought that it might stick this time.

"How are you here?" Alex looked up at her, eyes vibrant with a mixture of emotions. Her cheeks were red along with her nose, making Piper think she'd walked the entire way.

"Red gave me the address." Piper answered, sitting beside her girlfriend and sighing in relief when Alex leaned into her, resting her head on Piper's shoulder.

"Do you want to go in?"

Alex was quiet for a while.

"Babe?"

"Will you hold my hand?" Alex asked, sounding like a scared child.

"Of course, Alex. Anything you need me to do, I'm here." Piper said. She slowly got to her feet and helped the brunette to stand. Alex stared at the front door for a while before pulling keys out of her inside pocket. She reached forward with a shaking hand, and after several tries, unlocked both locks.

Alex pushed the door open and tried to swallow a lump that was quickly forming in her throat. Several moments later, she stepped inside, Piper following right behind her. The blonde closed the door behind them and flipped on the light switch. They had come in through a small living room, which had a small love seat and a large box screen tv sitting on the floor. There were even more books here than at Alex's apartment, and several pictures still on the walls. One of them was of a little baby girl, her wispy black curls were swept up in a tiny ponytail atop her head. She was grinning beautifully, showing off two brand new bottom teeth while drool ran freely from her mouth. Her large bluish green eyes stood out sharply against her thick, dark lashes and soft, already perfect ebony brows. Piper took the photo from the wall, silently asking Alex if she could keep it. The brunette said nothing but tugged her along behind her.

The brunette led Piper to her old bedroom, the one she'd shared with Nicky most of the time. There was no bed in the floor, and Piper figured that's the one that Alex had in her apartment. On the walls there were posters of rock bands, a nearly empty book shelf, and a few pictures and drawings. There was a run down old dresser with a mirror, and a wooden chair in front of it. The mirror was covered in stickers and marker, with dust and age spots. There was a picture of Alex in a long, blue gown beside a much shorter Nicky. Both girls were wearing the square caps, but Nicky's hair was still just as wild as ever, sticking out every which way. Then, there was a picture of Diane, Alex's mother, posing with Nicky and Alex, the girls in the graduation gowns again and Diane dressed nicely in a skirt and white blowse. She's got a huge smile on her face and all three have tears in their eyes.

"She's beautiful, Alex." Piper whispered, daring to look at Alex. The taller girl was clenching her jaw, and nodded.

Alex pulled Piper behind her, out of the room. She walked slowly to the room across from her old one, opening the door. The smell hit her hard and she gasped, trying to keep the tears at bay. It smelled like her mother in here, like the perfume she couldn't really afford but always found a way to get. 'Far Away' by Avon. Now, Alex couldn't help but think the name was appropriate. She sat down on the queen sized bed, glad that it wasn't directly on the floor as her's had always been. Diane had tried to get Alex a bed frame multiple times, but Alex had always told her no, there were other things she could spend money on. Piper stood in front of her and Alex leaned her head against the blonde's chest. Piper played with her hair for a while, glancing around the room as she did so.

There were more books in here, dozens of them on a book shelf and even more in the floor and on the dresser. Most of them looked like they'd been through hell, but there were a few that were relatively new, judging by their well kept appearance. There was a mirror on the far wall with more pictures, and dirty clothes still sitting in a hamper. The dresser had an open jewelry box on it, a few rings on display, none of them very flashy.

"That part doesn't make sense to me." Alex whispered, her eyes landing on the little wooden box.

"What do you mean?" Piper questioned, stroking Alex's hair.

Alex tried to clear away the lump that was making it hard to breathe or speak. "The person who broke in here.. They didn't take anything."

Piper remained silent, hoping Alex would tell her more, but not daring to push her. She continued to play with Alex's hair while the brunette rested her head on her chest. Then, Alex was looking up at her.

"I don't understand." Alex whispered.

xXxXx

A/N: Please review and let me know your thoughts. Let me know if you have any ideas about what is going to happen, or whatever you feel like saying. I need the reviews to stay motivated, guys. -SK