A/N: Happy update. I rushed this one to get it finished in time for a certain someone but I hope it's okay for you all, I enjoyed writing it so I hope you enjoy reading it. Its a drama free chapter! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, they give me inspiration and help me when I write the next chapter. (M, look for your easter eggs, they are obvious this time and in the form of songs.) I look forward to your reviews and thoughts on the chapter.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
As Diane walked through the door she was a little surprised to see Alex asleep on the sofa, she shook her gently to wake her.
"Alex, honey, you fell asleep on the sofa, go to bed or you will get a bad back."
Alex grumbled and rolled onto her back to face her mom who was standing over her.
"Piper's in my bed."
"Alex? Seriously?"
"God, no mom, long story, bad date, I'll tell you in the morning." With that Alex rolled over again and Diane disappeared off to her bedroom but not before sticking her head in though Alex's bedroom door checking that Piper was in fact in there and that she was okay. She worried about Piper as if she was one of her own. Now her dad was gone she needed someone and Diane decided that it would be her. She smiled as she saw Piper lying there, fast asleep in Alex's clothes.
"There's hope for them yet." She thought to herself as she walked away and into her own bedroom.
As Piper awoke the next day, confused and hot she darted her eyes around the room. She knew that this room was vaguely familiar but she couldn't quite put a name to the belongings, that was until she rolled over to look at the posters that spanned the walls, she noticed a familiar white bear with an embroidered holly hock on its foot.
"Alex." She whispered to herself as she remembered the events of last night. Piper couldn't find her phone anywhere but she knew it was early as the room was still dark. She soon figured that she must have left it on the coffee table in the living room.
The blonde carefully walked across the creaky painted white floorboards in Alex's room and over to the door, she wondered for a while where Alex was sleeping and she eventually came to the assumption that she must have left to go and sleep at Sylvie's house. She balled her fists as she creeped quietly through the house to the living room. Piper was beyond surprised to see Alex curled up in a blanket on the sofa when she reached for her mobile phone.
"Piper?" Alex asked without opening her eyes.
"Yeah Alex?" Piper questioned back.
"Piper looked beautiful mom, red really is her color."
Piper bit her lip to fight back a laugh, she didn't take Alex as a sleep talker.
"Is it honey?" Piper questioned doing her best Diane impression.
"Yeah, you know what mom?"
"What honey?"
"She's prettier than Sylvia, but don't tell Sylvia, or Piper."
"I won't, don't worry"
Alex then mumbled something incoherent and inaudible which Piper assumed was "Thank you."
Piper shook her head in disbelief as she grabbed her phone and checked the time, the screen lit up the whole room and the light stirred Alex from her sleep.
"What the fuck Piper, what time is it?"
"Erm... two minutes past four." Piper whispered, Alex didn't seem in the best of moods, she definitely wasn't an early riser.
"Shit Pipes, go back to bed."
Piper suddenly gained some courage, or stupidity, she wasn't sure which. "Only if you come with me."
"What?" Alex asked, unsure if she'd heard correctly.
"It's nothing like that, just come to bed with me, its a double bed and you'll get back ache lying here." Piper reasoned with Alex, trying to make it sound if they were genuine reasons and not just excuses.
"Fine." Alex said, trying to make herself seem exasperated by the situation and not at all pleased by Piper's offer.
The screen to Piper's iPhone went black and a small spiraling icon signified that it was completely empty of charge. "Shit." Piper commented as she recognize the symbol.
"Shit." Alex commented as she smacked her knee on the coffee table trying to get around it.
"Careful." Piper whispered as she grabbed Alex's hand. "This way."
"I know my way around my own apartment Pipes." Alex spoke a little too loudly for Piper's liking.
"Shh, you'll wake your mom and sister."
"I've heard that one before." Alex commented with a suggestive intonation in her voice. She had stopped feeling tired the moment Piper's hand touched hers.
"Shh, now let's get to bed." Piper pushed the door to Alex's bedroom open gently and then let go of her hand.
Alex swore she had never felt more empty than in that exact moment. Her hand felt cold as Piper pulled away and climbed into bed. The raven-haired girl stood in awe as Piper pulled off the over sized hoodie and large grey slacks and threw them to the floor. Alex let her mind wander for a moment as she imagined Piper in her boxers.
"You coming?" Piper asked as she noticed Alex staring.
"Uh, yeah." Alex replied as she pushed the door closed gently. She blindly felt her way to her usual side of the bed but was surprised when she fell upon a soft arm.
"Alex, that's my arm." Piper stated.
"Piper, that's my side of the bed." Alex retorted. She lifted the sheets as she crawled in, Piper shuffled over to the other side of the bed and the pair laid in silence for a while.
"Well that's the first time anyone has ever dragged me to a bedroom by the hand and it's not resulted in sex." Alex stated, unsure of anything else to say, she usually only had women in her bed for sexual reasons, she made Nicky sleep on floor or the sofa, or Alex slept on the floor or sofa when she stayed over. She didn't even share a bed with Sylvia to sleep.
"Well you know what they say, there's a first time for everything."
The pair fell silent once again but it was comfortable as always, something was different with Piper, or was it everything? Alex let her mind wander and she was ignorant to Piper's presence after a while until she rolled over and mumbled. The raven-haired girl let out a grin that spread from ear to ear as she too rolled over, her knee brushing the back of Piper's thigh up to the material of the boxers, it was entirely unintentional but it pleased Alex. She took a deep breath and rolled over the other way to face away from Piper. She wore the biggest smile as she fell asleep that night.
Piper barely slept that night and she was just about conscious when Diane poked her head through the door after noticing that Alex was no longer asleep on the sofa as she had been hours earlier. The light from the hallway flooded through the gap in the door that Diane had created.
"Oh, sorry Piper did I wake you?" She questioned s she noticed Piper's arms move to shield her eyes.
"No, it's okay Alex sleep talks, she's a mumbler."
Diane laughed. "Yeah, always has been, have you got any sense out of her yet?"
"Yeah." Piper said as she stepped out of bed, she completely forgot that she was wearing nothing but Alex's Ramones t-shirt and a pair of American Apparel boxers.
As Piper glanced over at Diane, she noted the surprise on her face. "I was warm." The blonde commented nonchalantly as she walked over to the corner of the room where the slacks and over sized hoodie lay.
"Well Piper, I have to go to work in about an hour, care to join me for a coffee on the sofa? You can tell me all about your disastrous date."
Piper paused as she headed towards the door. "How did you know?" She questioned.
"Alex." Diane stated as if that could be the answer to everyone of Piper's questions.
Piper nodded.
"Don't tell Piper though mom, you promised." Alex mumbled barely audible as she pressed her face into the pillow.
The pair didn't dignify Alex with a response, they just laughed and the blonde pulled the door closed behind her.
As they sat on the sofa with their freshly made coffee and spoke about the disastrous date. Piper didn't leave out a single detail.
Eventually curiosity got the better of Diane. "You said you heard Alex talking, what did she say?"
Piper blushed a little, she wasn't expecting Diane to ask but she would never lie to Diane. "She was talking to you actually, she told me, well you, that Piper is prettier than Sylvia, but apparently you aren't allowed to tell me or Sylvia."
The oldest Vause laughed loudly as Piper finished speaking. "I guess that explains the comment she made as you left the room."
"I guess so." Piper said as she drank the last of her now cold coffee.
"Oops, better get going to work. Could you stay until I get back as Alex doesn't wake up till dinner time, she doesn't know I have to work this morning, she's really not an early riser."
"I figured." Piper answered remembering the events that occurred as of four o'clock the same morning.
"I'll pay you of course." Diane said as she placed her mug in the kitchen.
"Don't be so silly, consider it payment for letting me stay over." Piper turned and leaned her arm over the back of the sofa as she spoke to Diane.
"Girl, please. I should be paying you for that too, no one should have to share a bed with Alex." After a long explanation from Piper earlier that morning Diane had been brought up to date with the events occurring early from when she left for the date all the way up to the events that lad to the pair in Alex's bed, she didn't want the woman getting the wrong idea.
"She's quite courteous you know."
Diane laughed at what Piper had said. "If you say so. Oh, and Piper could you possibly make pancakes with Elizabeth this morning. I promised her I would. She probably won't be up for some hours yet, she had a late night last night."
Piper nodded. "Sure, not a problem." With that Diane disappeared into her bedroom and Piper turned on the TV.
The oldest Vause emerged a few minutes later looking more than a little glamorous for her job at Wendy's.
"You look lovely today." Piper said as Diane walked into the kitchen are looking for her keys.
"This uniform is not flattering dear." Diane did a mock spin as Piper watched on, enviously.
The natural brunette grabbed her keys and bag and went to walk out of the door before Piper called out to stop her.
The blonde walked over to where Diane was standing near the open door. "Thank you for everything Diane, have a good day at work."
Diane smiled from ear to ear. "No, thank you Piper." She said as she leaned down slightly to kiss the blonde on the forehead.
It was Piper's turn to smile now. Diane disappeared through the door and Piper shut it behind her, she was happy to stay, she was in no rush to get back home.
It was a while before Elizabeth woke up and for the most part they sat on the sofa playing clapping games and singing songs until Piper decided that it was late enough in the day to crank the stereo up and start making pancakes.
Alex awoke around lunch time to an empty bed. Piper was no longer there. The raven-haired girl furrowed her brow and looked around the room, she noticed that the slacks and over sized hoodie that the blonde had thrown into the corner of the room had now gone. She reached for her glasses off of the bedside table and swung her legs out of the bed.
As Alex reached for the door handle she could hear singing. She smiled to herself and then opened the door, she stepped out of her bed room and leaned herself against the hallway door frame. The raven-hared girl marveled at the sight before her. Elizabeth was sat on the counter of the breakfast bar wearing a nightie and dressing gown swinging her legs and singing her heart out as Piper wiggled her bum and sang to the music.
"She's kinda hot though, yeah, she's kinda hot though." The pair sang together, Piper was holding a mixing bowl and stirring vigorously which made her bum shake a little more. Alex was entranced.
"I could get used to this." Alex spoke when she finally pulled her eyes away from Piper.
Piper remained calm in the situation and didn't jump like Elizabeth did.
"Oh, finally crawled out of bed did we sleeping beauty?" Piper didn't even turn around to speak, it was as if she knew Alex was there the entire time and she was purposely taunting her with her dancing and appropriate choice of songs. "You want some pancakes? Me and Liz are making some." Piper twirled around now to face the direction of the hallway. Elizabeth remained quiet whilst she watched the pair's interactions.
Alex pulled her signature smirk and pushed herself off of the wall with her shoulder. She kept her arms crossed until she walked towards Piper when she unfolded them to dip her finger into the pancake batter. Piper batted her hand away but she had scooped some up already. "Yes please." Alex commented as she swiped Piper's nose with the batter covered finger. The blonde scrunched her nose up as she felt the coldness of the mixture on her nose.
The raven-haired girl smiled as she licked the remaining mixture off of her own finger and walked over to the stereo skipping a few tracks on the 5 SOS CD until one of her favorite tracks played. 'She's so perfect'. She then went and sat at the breakfast bar.
"Where's mom, she have to work?"
"Yeah, she said she'd be back just after twelve so she should be back any minute now." just as Piper went to grab the ladle from the utensils Diane walked through the door.
"There's my three favorite girls." Diane said as she stepped into the apartment.
Elizabeth jumped down off of the counter and ran to her mom to give her a big hug.
"She got you domesticated already Piper?" Diane asked as she approached the breakfast bar.
"Elizabeth has yes." She commented knowing full well that Diane meant Alex.
"What about this one?" The oldest Vause asked as she pressed a hand against Alex's back.
"Not yet."
"I think it's fair to say you've got Alex here domesticated, given that she gave up her bed for you last night."
Piper blushed at Diane's words, it was kind of true.
The youngest Vause joined the Alex and Diane at the breakfast bar and they all sat down watching as Piper danced her way through making pancakes, she made everyones favorite's, Diane had blueberry pancakes, Elizabeth had chocolate chip with whipped cream in the shape of hearts and Alex had strawberry pancakes with whipped cream. Alex grumbled as she received her pancakes. "No hearts for me Pipes?" She questioned.
"You aren't six Alex." Piper stated calmly trying not to get flustered like she usually did hen she heard the nickname.
Alex didn't reply she just simply raised her eyebrow in the signature Vause look.
Elizabeth stuck her tongue out at Alex. "I'm seven in six days."
"Yes you are kid." Alex replied as she stuffed pancake into her mouth.
"Alex, please, try and be a lady."
Elizabeth and Piper burst out laughing at Diane's comment, they knew that no matter how hard Diane tried Alex would never be a lady.
After Piper finished her own strawberry and white chocolate chip pancakes she sat down at the breakfast bar alongside the three Vause's and began eating. All was silent for a while before Diane finally spoke up.
"Piper Vause, I like it." Alex and Piper's head tuned to Diane so quickly their heads almost snapped off of their shoulders.
"When you are in this house, you are a Vause." Diane explained. "You truly are one of the family, and you're good at making pancakes so if nothing else we'll keep you around for making pancakes."
The group laughed and finished their pancakes. Diane had promised to take Elizabeth to the park so she went to get changed. Elizabeth disappeared into her bedroom to get changed and Piper grabbed her bag from the corner of the room which held her clothes that she had worn the night before.
"I'll go and get changed in the bathroom." Piper said as Alex approached her own bedroom door.
"No, it's okay, I'm gonna jump in the shower anyway so you just get changed in my room, unless you want a shower that is?" Alex was stumbling slightly over her words, she didn't fully understand the protocol for getting changed in front of someone who you haven't had sex with. She also didn't want it to sound as if she was inviting Piper into the shower with her, she didn't frown at the idea but she did feel slightly self conscious after seeing Piper's damn amazing runner's legs last night.
"Okay, I'll get dressed in your room, you go have a shower."
Alex nodded but opened the door to her room for Piper before wandering off into the bathroom.
"So you can be a lady." Piper called after her.
Alex smiled as she walked away, not that Piper could see.
Piper attempted to check the time on her phone but she quickly remembered that it had gone dead, she took a look at the wires that stretched from the extension cable that she had almost tripped over the night before. She found the one that fit her phone and plugged it in, she dropped it onto the bed and left it to charge as she got dressed. It wasn't long before Piper had discovered her mistake, she hadn't planned on staying over and so there was no spare pair of underwear or clean bra in her bag, they were n the bathroom, hanging over the radiator drying. She couldn't go in because Alex was showering.
The blonde took a deep breath and thought about the situation for a moment, she could use this to her advantage.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Ten minutes later Piper was sitting on Alex's bed fully clothed scrolling through the 12 missed calls and 17 text messages all from Polly asking where she was, telling her that her mother was concerned. Piper knew that was a lie, if she really as concerned then surely she would have rang Piper herself. She dropped Polly a simple text saying 'Babysitting, overnight shift, I'll be home later.' She thought that would suffice.
As the blonde threw her phone back onto the bed Alex walked into the room, a towel wrapped around her waist and one around her head. "Did you forget something Piper?" Alex asked clearly hiding something behind her back.
Piper played it cool. "No, I don't think so."
"Your underwear maybe?"
"No, got mine right here." Piper commented pulling the waistband on her jeans down slightly revealing a pair of Alex's underwear.
Alex bit her lip and smiled playing along with the game.
"Maybe you're missing a certain black lace bra?"
"Nope, got mine right here." Piper pulled down the sleeve of her vest top to reveal one of Alex's black lace bras.
"I guess these must be mine then." Alex commented with a smirk playing across her face.
"Must be." Piper threw Alex her attempt at a signature Vause look.
The raven-haired girl threw the black lace set at Piper and sat down on the bed next to her.
"Just wash them and bring them back." She laughed.
"Aye, aye captain." Piper threw Alex a playful wink and a salute.
At that moment Piper's phone rang. The caller ID read 'She-Devil' and in brackets underneath it read 'Mom'.
Piper sighed and pressed the dismiss button, there was no way she was facing her mom right now.
"I have to go. " Piper sighed seeming very down-hearted.
She turned to leave Alex's room as Alex reached out to grab her wrist but stopped, opting instead to say her name. "Piper?"
"Yeah?" Piper asked unsure of what Alex was going to say.
"You still up for those plans we made for Elizabeth's birthday?"
Piper hummed in approval. "Yeah of course."
"See you in a few days then." Alex said as Piper walked away. Alex was mistaken last night, this exact moment right here and now as she heard the apartment door shut signifying Piper's departure was the moment she felt the most empty.
The raven-haired girl let herself fall backwards onto the bed.
"Fuck." She muttered as she exhaled deeply.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review, I always love reading them, they put a smile on my face. You all deserved a fairly cute chapter I think.