"Okay, let me hear your story."
"Our story?"
"Yeah, how did you meet Piper?"
"A bar."
"…Okay…Piper?"
Piper hesitates, squirms in her seat. "I met Alex fresh out of college. I was looking for adventure and she gave me the world."
Alex chuckle sardonically rolling her eyes. "I met Piper after my first big run for the cartel. I was looking for a good time and she gave me a broken heart."
"First fight?"
"Ha, where should I start?"
"Alex!"
"What!"
"Our first real fight would be when Alex got me fired from my job."
"That douche deserved it and I would do it again."
"He was just being nice."
"Oh, Please! That jerk was practically all over you and you just let him!"
"You didn't have to punch him now did you? I searched for weeks before finally landing that job."
"It was a shit job, Piper. I hated you working there all hours of the night." Alex slouches crosses her arms. "Shoulda punched that dick earlier."
"You never told me that." Piper softens as Alex looks away shaking her head at the admission.
"I'm telling you now."
"I told you I didn't want to do it."
"I didn't have a choice, Piper."
Rachael, the shows writer, has been lucky enough to spend the past few weeks listening to Alex and Piper argue about almost every aspect of their life together. Sometimes she thinks they forget she is a writer and not their therapist. Still, she listens, nods, and sometimes writes.
"You always have a choice, Alex. It was selfish and dangerous and you didn't give a fuck. You made me in to a mule."
"Fuck you."
"That was the beginning of the end for us." Pipers voice cracks.
"Really? Funny, I thought the end was the day you left after my fucking Mom died!"
The room is silent. Rachael stares between the two locked in a hateful glare.
"How about a break?"
"Sounds great." Alex stands abruptly hurrying out the room.
Piper follows closely behind stopping her just outside the hotel lobby. "Alex."
"Piper, Jesus. I can't fucking do this with you. How many times are you going to make me apologize for Brussels?" Alex leans against the corridor burning holes into the tacky carpet beneath her. Piper leans next to her, eyes skyward.
"You're right. I'm sorry…and I'm sorry for leaving-"
"Stop." Alex pushes off the wall not wanting to revisit this fight.
"Where was this again?" Rachael listens intently. Thankful the pair has finally found a topic they can agree on.
"Java." Alex laughs sitting up to lean across the table. "It was great."
Piper pouts. "No, it was shit!"
Alex burst out laughing her head plopping against the table.
Rachael raises a brow. "I don't get it."
Alex lifts her head mimicking Piper. "It was shit." It's almost a squeal from the fit of laughter consuming her.
Piper takes a deep breath shoving Alex away. "Shut up! That's not how I meant that."
"But Pipes it was shit!" Alex's eyes are watering from all the laughing and Piper can't help but smile. She hasn't heard that laugh in so long she doesn't care it's at her expense.
"I had a stomach flu in Java. It was horrible, but apparently it makes for a great story." She bites her lip smiling at Alex who is wiping her eyes still lightly chuckling.
"That was a great story. The whole village came out to see you poop."
Piper stares at Rachael shaking her head. "Glad I'm so amusing for you."
"No, aces are wild."
"What?"
The conference room table is now covered in three different decks of cards as Piper and Alex try to explain their version of poker to Rachael.
Piper waves her hand. "Here let's start over. I know it's confusing at first but you'll get it." Piper gathers the deck up and begins shuffling half.
"So you guys just decided to invent your own card game?"
Alex shuffles the other half expertly. "We spent a lot of time on planes. This was the only way we could occupy ourselves."
Piper chuckles. "Not the only way." She bites her lip giving Alex a suggestive look.
"Do tell." Rachael leans forward biting the tip of her pen.
"No!" Both Piper and Rachael jump at Alex's stern tone. "I like you Rachael, I do. We've spent the last two months telling you every detail of our relationship but some things are off limits." Alex never takes her eyes off the cards in her hands.
"Alex, I'm just trying to get a better understanding of the dynamic between you two. It's crucial to the show."
"You've got our dynamic down pat. We scream…we yell…it's…" Alex trails off.
Piper picks up where Alex leaves off. "…It's how we love."
To say the last few months for Piper have been stressful would me a severe understatement. Fables is stagnant. In her absence business isn't exactly declining but she hasn't been around to secure new clientele and she fears the competition may take advantage of the situation. This leaves two options: abandon her obligation to Orange or train someone else her tricks.
Option one is absolutely last resort. Especially not now that Alex is finally coming around. The first couple months were trying and exhausting. Piper was not deterred by Alex and her harsh words or the cold shoulder she gave. Piper agreed with Alex about love not being enough. Alex and Piper were full of complications, fights, and misunderstandings. But there was more to them. They loved deeper than most could understand and though Piper couldn't put it into words she could show her. That was the plan at least. Prove to Alex that they were more. Prove that through all the lies, manipulations, and heartache they were still meant to be.
So that left option two. That left Nicky. Sure, she wasn't what most would consider business material. Yeah, she was a bit rough around the edges, but she was Pipers only hope. Nicky was the only one with the intelligence and charisma to land a client. Polly was too flustered and often found her foot in her mouth. Katie was young, naïve, and let others call the shots. Not Nicky, she was tough enough to bounce back after a rejection and wise enough to know when to walk away.
"Okay, repeat it back to me."
"What?"
"What you're going to say to Elizabeth."
"Nice tits." Nicky fondles her own boobs grinning.
"Jesus, Nicky this is important. Every one of her books have made the best-seller list and Elizabeth always holds her signing here." Piper resumes tapping on her laptop.
"That's what I don't get. If she always ends up signing here anyway, why go through the hassle every time? Wouldn't it be easier to just choose Fables from the get?" Nicky's head falls back on the chair.
"That's not how this business works. The Authors don't care about building lasting relationships. They want their book dropped at a premiere location because it looks good for them. We go through all this nonsense every time to assure the client that Fables is still the best choice." Piper stares at Nicky waiting for a response. "This is important, Nicky. I need to know you understand." Nicky straightens in her seat catching Pipers gaze but stays silent. She is nervous biting the inside of her cheek. "I wouldn't send you if I didn't think you were fully capable."
"I don't understand. You're here, why can't you take the meeting?"
"I won't be here for the next one and I need to know you can do this on your own."
"Fine, how do I look?" Nicky stands running her fingers along the fabric of her new pantsuit.
"Like you're gonna knock 'em dead."
"Overkill, Blondie." Nicky takes a deep breath opening the office door before turning around. "Here goes nothing."
Nicky secures the client. In fact Elizabeth absolutely loves Nicky and her raunchy sense of humor and signs only an hour into the meeting. Nicky is ecstatic, bouncing on her heels grinning from ear to ear in her now ruffled pantsuit. She circles the office explaining in detail the meeting using her hands to accent how absolutely amazing it went. It's a rush. The adrenaline pumping through her veins is a feeling Nicky has not felt since her last time using. Nicky is consumed with the natural high.
Piper smiles chin rested on her palm watching Nicky. Her eyes dance with pure joy and Piper for the first time in months is relieved. She made the right choice. Nicky will handle Fables and Piper will have more time to convince Alex.
Nicky is just wrapping up the story. Leaning across the chair telling Piper how Elizabeth invited her to a party over the weekend with some high-profile authors.
"Sounds lame." Alex rests in the door frame smiling. "Who wants to go chit chat with a group of pretentious old fucks?" Alex tilts her head offering a small smile Pipers way before returning her gaze to her best friend. "I have a better idea."
"Crash the party? Might ruin my new persona, Vause." Nicky still grinning finally takes a seat. "I'm turning a new leaf. Gonna buy myself a dinner jacket with elbow pads and buy a pipe, for tobacco of course." She wages her eyebrows devilishly.
Alex takes the seat next to her. Piper watches the two interact from across her desk. Today is turning out to be much better than expected. Even if Alex isn't including her in the conversation and is only here to see Nicky she is here. Alex is not hiding out around the corner waiting for Nicky she is here inside Fables. This is something.
Nicky jumping out of her seat and rushing out the door draws Pipers attention away from her thoughts. Alex turns in her seat to face Piper a sly grin forming on her lips.
"Hey."
"Hey." Piper clears her throat.
"It's really awesome what you've done for her. I haven't seen Nicky like this…" Alex shakes her head. "Shit I've never seen her excited about something like this ever." A small chuckle.
"She did it. I just gave her the opportunity." Alex nods standing and makes her way towards the door. Piper doesn't want her to leave. She begins to panic. Alex walking out the same door she did almost six months ago reminds Piper of how badly she has missed her. "Alex."
Alex turns waiting for Piper to speak. "Piper?"
"I miss you."
"How? We literally spend four days side by side from the time we wake up until the time production comes to a close."
Piper rounds her desk leaning against it. "No, Alex. I miss you."
Alex closes the door leaning against it yet not looking in Pipers direction. She takes a deep breath. "I miss you too, Kid."
Authors Note: Because I'm a lover not a fighter.