Piper pulled over in front of a shady motel. Alex pulled on the sunglasses and a hat to go to the front desk. The early hours of morning worked in their favour. The receptionist was half asleep when they asked for a room with twin beds. The receptionist handed them the key card without even looking up.

They chose a room right in front. Mostly due to easy escape and good vantage point. The moment Alex opened the door, Piper lunged in to the bed. Face down, she exhaled in relief.

"God… I missed a real bed." Piper said into the blanket. "This is so soft."

Alex chuckled at her nuances. "You slept in Nicky's bed." She taped their prized audiotape to top of their dresser from inside. A safe place she had discovered in the drug business.

"Yeah. But this more soft. And clean." Piper got up an elbow, smiling at an amused Alex. "C'mon. Get down-" she reached for her wrist and tugged her.

"I have my - Ouch!" Alex exclaimed. Piper had tugged a little too hard causing her to fall on the bed. "You. Are. A. Dork."

"But I am cute." Piper said with an innocent smile.

Alex scoffed and laid beside her properly on the tiny bed. She kept a small gap. Mostly due to uncertainty. But Piper raised an eyebrow asking a silent question,

Should I?

Alex succumbed. Giving permission to her to get close. And she was glad she did. Because Piper slid closer like she was starving for her touch. They laid in the small bed side by side. Comfortably. After a long time, it felt like they were safe.

"Do you think Nicky will be okay?" Piper broke the silence in a barely audible voice.

"She is a tough kid. And you called Red, right. I am sure she will be okay, Pipes."

"Will we be okay?" Piper asked next.

Alex smiled at the undertone her question has. She knows what Piper's asking about. Not today. Not tomorrow. But them in the long run. Will they be okay? And to be honest, Alex doesn't know it herself. She is still not sure about any of this. Yes, she wanted to love Piper, wanted to be close but - she would have to trust her again. With her fears and dreams, she would have to trust her again. And she knows the real danger - she has heard enough lies that she can't recognise the truth anymore. The truth that she still loves her and loves being loved by her.

Alex ignored the undertone of the question and decided to give Piper something else instead.

"I can't close my eyes." She said. Piper looked at her attentively. "I tried. Back in the car. Every time I close my eyes I see him. Aydin. He's just beneath me and I am strangling him. I see his red face and his dead eyes. I know, this sounds stupid b-"

"Al," Piper interrupted,her eyes soft and fingers tracing the tattoo on her arm. "It's not stupid."

"But I can't get him out of my fucking head." Alex released a frustrated sigh. "He had a family. They should be able be to mourn him. Nobody should die like that."

"Yeah, well, he should have thought of that before he became a contract killer for Kubra."

"Before he became a henchman, he used to work at a eurotrash clothing store." She laughed softly. "Before he tried to kill me, he didn't kill me. We went out drinking sometime. Me and Aydin and Haluk. They were decent dancers and big tippers. I took his life, Piper. I killed him. He was coming for us and I just- I just thought I couldn't let him hurt you. Or Nicky. I just wanted him to stop."

Piper could see the tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. She held her closer, held her hand and rubbed her hand in her back. It broke her to see Alex like this. It angered her that she hadn't been there. That Alex had to do something like that.

"I fought him. He wouldn't give up. He kept coming and I kept fighting. Then I was taking his life. I was so angry and sad and frustrated that I just kept going. I get it now. That night in the hospital. How you couldn't stop. I couldn't stop either. I kept going till he was d-dead. And now I have to live with it." She sniffed. "Does it get easier? The pain. The guilt. I mean, you do it all the time. Does it get easy, Pipes?"

"No." Piper answered honestly. "It doesn't get easy. It's always hard. You don't kill someone and forget even if they were there to kill you in the first place. And believe me, it's a good thing. It's better to feel pain than nothing at all."

"Then how?" Alex asked. "How do you do it? How do you live knowing that you killed someone?"

Piper smiled gently and wiped away a stray tear from Alex's cheek. "I often think about what would have happened if I hadn't done anything. If I had not fought someone and put them down, then they could have hurt people I care about. If there's anything that makes it feel like worth it - hold onto to it. What could have happened if you hadn't stopped him? Hold onto that part."

Alex thought about how ruthless he was. How merciless. What would've happened if she had given up? He would have certainly killed her and Piper and Nicky. He would have burned them all. Alex could never live with knowing that she didn't do everything she could. It takes off the guilt a little bit. And she is thankful that she isn't here alone.

"I miss heroine-" Alex started.

"Al-" Piper got up. Her eyes widening in worry.

"No. Just hear me out. I miss heroine. Doesn't mean I'll do it. I just -" she grunted. "All these thoughts, I would rather not think anymore. Do you think this is over?"

"This?"

"This whole thing. Feels like we've been living in this chaos for a decade. Do you think we are on the other side of it?"

"I would like to think that we are. They usually like things wrapped up quickly. But I don't know."

"You know what I am ready for? Things to be easy…" Alex absentmindedly touched a bandaid on Piper's forehead.

"We could do easy -"

Alex scoffed. "I'm not buying it."

"We could try. We could be like old people. Talk about articles and eat soup and hold hands on the slow stroll to the ass doctor for colonoscopies."

Alex laughed and placed her head on Piper's shoulder, looking up at the weary ceiling. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly in Piper's scent. It was comforting.

"Diane would be proud." Piper said gently caressing Alex's hair.

"Proud of what?" Alex said. Her voice barely audible.

"That you feel bad about killing him even though you were just trying to defend yourself. That you know what's good and what's bad. That you are a really nice person in your heart."

Alex stayed silent for a while. "Pipes…" She said. "That's very cheesy. And mum does say cheesy stuff like that. So thank you."

Piper smiled and let herself get drowned in the comfortable silence that preceded. But Alex slightly shifted to her left to face Piper. She had this zen look on her face that Piper had only seen in times of vulnerability. And she knew that the look meant that Alex has given it a lot of thought.

"About us - what I said before - when this is all over, I would really like to give us a chance." Alex bit her lower lip in anticipation.

"Okay." Piper simply answered.

"I would like it to be my choice. I would like to be with you because I wanted it. Not because of the agency or the circumstances. I would like it to be real this time. And honest. And perhaps it will take some time. But I would really like to have that chance."

"Okay." Piper smiled and kissed Alex on her jawline tenderly. This was something. This meant that Alex was not giving up on them. And that they might get to where they were before.

Alex looked at her like she wanted to say something more. Like she was barely holding it back.

"What?" Piper asked softly.

"I am glad we have each other in this mess."

"Me too. I mean I would rather be on a beach in Tahiti but this is a close second." Piper joked.

Alex looked over and grinned, Piper couldn't help it, she smiled.

"I heart you." Alex said.

"What is that? Like I love you for pussies."

"Say pussy again."

"I heart you too."

Piper's heart was spinning in circles like it was electrocuted. They laid there like that in what seemed like a safe haven. Just quiet and there. No words, only their eyes filled with contentment.

—-

"You are sure you want to stay here." Piper asked one last time. She was ready with her car keys, her gun and her phone.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. Besides you said that you don't trust them. It's safer if I am here." Alex set a burner phone and the audio player side by side.

"Yeah. That's - that's right." Piper said. "Just stay safe. And remember to-"

"-just pick up the call, remain silent and play the tape for less than 30 seconds. You have said that like 10 times already." Alex said in a bored voice.

"I don't want to fuck this up." Piper sighed.

"And you won't. We will be okay. Go now or you will be late." Alex came close and kissed the top of Piper's head.

"Stay safe." Piper said, closing the door.

"You too." Alex replied.

—

Alex had devised the plan that she should stay behind. Piper had gotten along with it. It was a good plan. The tape was the only leverage they had and it would be foolish to bring it with her to Caputo no matter how trustworthy he was. But now, walking through Central Park, she was anxious about Alex. Leaving Alex behind again didn't feel so good. She wanted this to be over as soon as possible.

Their usual spot in the Park was already occupied by Caputo. He was leaning against the steel net in his black long coat, a muffled wrapped around his neck looking over the softball pitch. Kids were playing around. Everything looked normal. Piper checked for covert agents in civil dresses. There were none.

She walked up to him and stood on his right side. He nodded sideways in acknowledgment.

"You came alone?" Piper asked.

"Like you said." He replied. "I wasn't certain that you would show up. And since you have, I believe your accusations are serious."

"They are, Joe."

"Do you have it? The evidence. Because if this is serious, we will have to act soon."

"I don't have it on me. I need assurance that Alex will be safe."

"She will be. If what you say is true, you have my word that the agency will do everything in its power to keep her safe."

"Okay. I am going to call her and you will listen to a part of the tape. Then we will discuss how to proceed."

"That'll work for me."

Piper pulled out her phone and dialed for Alex. It rang for more than 30 seconds. She waited for her to pick up the call. She didn't.

"Fuck." She muttered under her breath.

"What happened?" Caputo asked, worried.

"She is not picking up."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Caputo shouted.

"Just wait, alright!"

Piper tried again. It went straight to voicemail. This wasn't normal. Alex would never miss this intentionally. Something must be wrong. Horribly wrong. She tried again. This time someone picked up.

"Hello, Ms. Chapman…" An articulate voice spoke on the other side. She had heard that voice before. On television, precisely. And hearing that voice again sent chills down her spine. "I believe you are capable of understanding how crucial the situation is for you and your girlfriend. I know you are meeting with Joe Caputo right now. But I have someone you will not want to lose."

Piper walked farther away from Caputo.

"I want to hear her voice."

"As you wish…" he said and the next voice that came made Piper dug her nails into her palm. "I am okay, kid." Alex said in a weak voice.

"Now, Ms. Chapman, I have Ms. Vause but I don't have the tape. I would advise you to follow my instructions as closely as possible. Is that clear?"

"Yes."

—

A/N:

You all are lovely people. Can't thank you enough for the response. Some of the titles were so nostalgic that I had to go back and read them. Now the questions;

- Am I trying to abandon this story?

Nope. No way.

- Is there any character death?

Not any of the main ones.

- Is Nicky gonna be okay?

You'll have to find out.

- Will I write anything after this?

I don't know. I have some ideas but still no plot to write. However, if I do write something I'll let you know by the end of this book.

That was all. Have a good day :)