The Brooklyn heights brownstone was something out of the 18th century. It was huge and smelled strongly of old money. Alex always knew Piper had a strong financial background and this was not surprising.

Getting in, it felt like no one had lived there long enough to make it home. The furniture was antique and untouched. The pictures on the walls were too old. A little blonde girl and two boys. Piper's brothers, Alex guessed. Some were on the beach, others probably in this house. Three perfect preppy kids.

Piper strode past Alex to close the curtains looking out onto the streets.

"Make yourself at home." She said looking out of the window.

Alex was stunned by the way Piper was acting about the whole thing. Like this was normal. Like she didn't lie to Alex for almost a year. Like Alex was the one at fault for not seeing it. And maybe she was. Maybe she was blinded by the love. The fake love. And that was the strange thing, the love. It didn't feel unreal. In fact, it was the realest thing she had ever felt. So easy and natural. And now it hurt like a knife stabbed in her back. A painful reminder that this person that she loved might have done it just for an act. An act to fool her. She was not accepted or loved or cared for. She was used.

The sun was high up in the sky outside with beautiful weather, contrasting the mood inside. Alex was too tired to stand so she sat back on the couch. Piper was switching on the lights when she finally give in and broke her silence.

"They will not find us here?" She asked.

"No, this place is not listed on my- on my records." Piper answered, still not meeting her eyes. "But we can't stay here for long. We need a place to lay low for a few days or weeks."

"And what after that?"

Piper released an exasperated sigh. "Alex, I didn't plan for this, okay? We need to think of a plan as we go."

"So, you being a spy wasn't planned? Was it improvised?"

"Please, Alex." Piper pressed on her forehead - her migraine was coming back.

"Please what, Piper?" Alex raised her voice. "Please not ask for answers? Please forget about your fucking lies? Please shut up? Piper, you cannot run away from this when I am literally stuck with you. I need answers, Piper. Answers which I am pretty sure I fucking deserve."

Alex blinked back her tears. This was not a time to be vulnerable. But she was. She felt helpless, stuck, scared for her life. And all Piper gave her was a tired look. Well, that was nothing new. That was the old Piper, Piper she knew. Running away from confrontation and truth. Doing things and not giving a fuck about consequences for others. But Alex had fallen in love with all her vices along with her virtues. She had fallen in love foolishly.

Piper offered only a quite, "What do you want to know?"

"Why? Why did you do it? Love me, betray me and then save me?"

Piper sat beside Alex on the couch, looking into her eyes for the first time. And what Alex saw in her eyes was not contempt or anger or frustration. It was a look of hopelessness. Defeat. Guilt. Something that Alex herself felt. So when Piper took her hand in hers, she didn't resist. She just let it happen. She had been craving the contact. The instantaneous relief that the contact brought.

"I was telling the truth back in Paris. I never meant to hurt you." Piper was drawing circles on her hand, her eyes trained to the motion. "I fell in love with you - am still in love with you. The mission-," Piper sighed. "I was supposed to make you fall in love so that I could get to Kubra. He and his terrorist operation had gotten into agency's radar. They thought you were involved too. But you weren't. And I couldn't make them see that. They thought you were all the same. They wanted everyone associated behind bars. And after what happened to Fahri, I couldn't let you…"

Alex removed her hand from her grasp. She cradled her head in her hands instead. Elbows resting on knees and legs shaking. Fahri. Did Piper ratted him out? Was he dead because of Piper? The answers to these questions were both yes and no. Fahri wouldn't have died if he had chosen a more honest profession.

"The night of the party, I heard Kubra talking to someone - Aydin, he was talking about framing you for something. I had to pretend to be drunk in front of him. But when he tried to…I- I ran out. I couldn't handle it anymore. I copied a couple of files from his computer. That's how I knew about the attack and that Kubra will be in the city. So, I decided to follow him here. But you wanted to come as well. As far as I am guessing, you weren't supposed to be here. You were supposed to be in Paris where they would arrest you easily and … assassinate you."

"How did you know where I was?"

"They tracked your phone when you left the voicemail."

"Of course, they fucking did." Alex gave a dry laugh. "And you magically fucking appeared right on time to save my ass."

Piper nodded.

"But that doesn't change the fact that you lied to me from the very beginning. Let me believe that you loved me when you just used me. You really should have been a con artist. I hate you for it. I don't think I have it in me to forgive you." Alex's voice was devoid of any emotion. She was cold and unattached. She can't trust herself with Piper anymore. "When this is over, I don't have any idea how it will be, but when it is over, I am done. I am done with your lies. I am done with your deception. I am done with you-"

"That isn't fair, Alex. I love you. I am sorry-"

"Don't. I don't want your apology, Piper. When this is done, we are done."

Alex's hands were shaking. She adjusted her glasses with one hand and looked Piper straight in her eyes. Piper was on the brink of tears. And Alex, although she hated herself for it, wanted to just lay down on the couch with her and forget about the world. Piper agreed wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She stood up and looked down at Alex with newfound concern.

"When was the last time you slept?" She asked.

Alex tilted her back on the couch and removed her glasses like they were irritating her.

"I don't even fucking remember."

"Get some sleep then. Bedroom's upstairs. Food is in the kitchen. Call me if you need anything."

Alex nodded absentmindedly and walked away from Piper. Piper gazed at the retreating form longingly. She was relieved that they were alive but had no fucking idea what to do next. With Poussey down and that guilt drowning her slowly, Piper hated that she had no control over the situation.

Feeling the need of fresh air and sweet escape, Piper found her old running gear, a black hoodie, an old pair of sunglasses and a Yankees snapback. Enough things to get away unrecognised but not suspicious. She left a handwritten note and closed the door behind her making sure that Alex was sleeping upstairs.

She ran her way through Brooklyn heights anxious to meet the only person who could give her some insight in her current situation.

—-

The park was emptier than usual. Piper ran the first mile in eight minutes. No other runners were on the tracks given the time and the recent events. She assumed most of the people were too afraid to come out of their house. It worked in Piper's favour anyhow.

Piper slowed down when she saw what she had come here for. She stopped to catch her breath and instantly a smile was forming on her lips. In front of her was this beautiful lake under the charming midday sky. As the clouds passed by, the slow blowing wind, a flock of pigeons gathered around a bench occupied by a single woman. A woman Piper was happy to see.

She walked her way around the bench and sat quietly beside the woman. The sudden scattering of pigeons was the only sign of her arrival. The woman beside didn't stop her monotonous movement of her hand to feed the birds. She was calm like she had expected it although Piper knew there was no way she could have known her arrival.

"You found me." The woman said in an amused voice.

"You have been coming here for the past decade. Figured I would find you here again, Miss Claudette." Piper replied.

"We are creatures of habit, aren't we?" Miss Claudette looked up at Piper. The old age has added a new layer of experience in her eyes, Piper noticed.

"Well, you taught me that habits are death sentences in our line of work."

"I am not in the same line of work, now am I?"

"No." Piper answered. "Of course not."

"What brings you here, Chapman?" Miss Claudette asked. "What do you seek?"

"I fucked up-"

"Language, agent." The woman scolded. "And yes, I am aware of your little mishap."

"So, you know about Alex and the whole thing?" Piper asked, surprised. Miss Claudette nodded. "How?"

"A little birdie told me." She chuckled. "I have my ways, Chapman. I suppose you have a good reason behind your actions."

"I think so."

"The damage you've caused, can you fix it?"

"I don't know. I have no idea how to. I want to. But all I see are closed doors and literal dead ends. And now, with Poussey being shot…"

"Piper." Miss Claudette said after a while. "What is the one thing that you want right now?"

Piper closed her eyes and released her breath in a silent wow. She took her time but she already knew what her answer would be.

"Forgiveness. Redemption." Piper rubbed the back of her neck. "I don't know, I have been feeling like the bad guy for a while now. I would like to stop that."

"Okay. Then what's stopping you from getting it?"

Piper chuckled. "The whole fucking universe."

"Again with the language." Miss Claudette smirked. "The universe has a funny way of winding us up in the exact place where we need to be. Stop thinking for a moment. Thank god for you are alive, you have someone to love, something to live for. What's needed to be done will be done when the time is right."

"Maybe you are right." Piper shrugged.

"Oh, I am always right, dear." Miss Claudette smiled pleasantly. "About this Poussey girl, she's the marine one right?"

"Yes. The only one that I trusted." Piper said. "And she got shot because of me. She wasn't supposed to be there. She went there following me."

"People make their own choices, Chapman. And they face the consequences themselves." Miss Claudette said. "Go meet this friend of yours. Make sure she is okay. Apologies. They won't be looking for you there. As far as I know the agency, they would be too busy saving their reputation."

Piper nodded and smiled in affirmation as she got up and walked away, not looking back.

"If you need me, you know where to find me." Miss Claudette called after her.

"Of course." Piper yelled back.

—

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