This is the final chapter of the story. Let me know what you think! (PS: there's a one year time jump between this chapter and the last.)
"Can you believe her?" Alex asks as she stands in awe at the threshold of her office door. "How did she even manage this?"
"Don't ask me," Nicky responds, smirking at the sight of the taller woman walking over to her desk that now holds two wrapped presents and a large box; two helium balloons resting against the side courtesy of the two weights on the floor. "Seems like blondie feels guilty for being away for your birthday."
"I should call her," Alex begins, before Nicky places a hand on her forearm, stopping her movements.
"Time zones, Vause. Who knew Piper being away would make you so fucking useless," she laughs before moving to back out the room. "Don't work yourself too hard, four-eyes."
Now alone in the room, Alex smiles to herself as she runs her hand along the white envelope that featured her name in Piper's distinctive cursive writing.
The message on the inside is short, yet makes her smile. The blonde again apologises for her work schedule getting in the way of any plans, and instructs for the smallest present on the table to be opened last.
Letting her curiosity get the better of her, the brunette begins to open the contents on her desk; one box revealed a chocolate cake with 'Happy Birthday Al' written in white icing, while another contained an expensive jacket that she had voiced an interest in but didn't wish to commit to the numbers on the price tag. Upon finally reaching the final present, Alex smirks as she sees Piper had wrapped a box in a box - something the blonde knows the brunette always likes to point out.
The smile is soon wiped from her face once she lifts the lid on the streamline compartment; she blinks rapidly as she eyes the contents of the box, and before she even has the chance to think, she grabs her phone and dials Piper's number.
Fuck time zones.
The rest of the week proved to drag along, but by the time Piper was due to arrive home, Alex felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness to see her wife. They'd gotten married just over a year ago in an intimate ceremony that involved both of their friends and family - much to their surprise when the Chapmans didn't turn down their invitation. The past week had been the longest the pair had been separated since the blonde's last book tour before their wedding, and although it wasn't a major spell of separation, the unfamiliarity of being alone made Alex realise it's something she doesn't hope becomes a regular occurrence any time soon.
Waiting along with a crowd of people by the arrivals area, the brunette shifts her weight as she switches between checking her phone and looking up every few minutes. Piper had text her half an hour before, letting her know she had landed, but in not hearing anything since, the brunette was unsure when she would appear.
Her ringing phone immediately grabs her attention; in seeing the caller id not belonging to the person she hoped it would be, she sighs before answering.
"What?" she asks, hoping the call has some form of purpose other than cause her irritation.
"Jesus, Vause, who pissed you off?" Nicky's rough voice rings through the phone.
"You know I'm at the airport, Nic. What do you want?" Alex continues, unsure whether her best friend remembered the reason why she had taken the day off work.
"Oh, shit, I completely forgot," the wild-haired woman borderline shouts down the phone, causing the brunette to pull the phone slightly away from her ear.
While listening to her best friend explain her morning events, Alex's attention is grabbed by the sight of a large group of people heading her way. Her focus shifts to look for her wife, and once her sights land on a familiar head of blonde hair, she smiles to herself - now completely zoned out of the phone conversation.
"Nic, I need to go," she begins, interrupting her friend, but not caring at this moment in time. "I'll call you later," she adds before hanging up the phone and placing it into the pocket of her jeans.
She watches Piper as she attempts to walk towards the exit without bumping her suitcase into anyone, and once she manages to catch the blonde's eye, her smile widens as she sees one mirrored in the features of the woman now approaching heading her way.
Without saying anything, Piper lets go of her suitcase, drops her brown duffle bag, and pulls the taller woman into a hug, letting out a heavy breath into the side of her neck.
"Hey," Piper smiles after eventually pulling back from the hug with watery eyes.
"Hey yourself," Alex smirks, pushing a piece of blonde hair behind its owner's ear. "Don't cry," she adds, chuckling at her wife's attempt to keep her emotions in check.
"I'm not crying," Piper laughs, wiping below her eye.
"Sure," the brunette comments, leaning down to pick up her wife's bag and suitcase. "I believe we have some catching up to do," she smiles, grabbing onto Piper's outstretched hand as they walk towards and out of the exit.
By the time they reach their car, Alex places the bags she's carrying into the back before moving into the driver's seat. She goes to put her keys into the ignition, but soon she feels a hand land on her forearm, bringing a pause to her movements. Looking to her side, she sees Piper staring at her, but before she gets the chance to move or even say anything, the blonde moves closer and connects their lips for the first time in just over a week.
"Now you can go," Piper comments after pulling away and removing her arm from her wife, smirking at the look of shock on the taller woman's face.
"Thanks, I needed your permission for that," Alex chuckles, toothy smile growing as she feels a light slap land on her arm.
"Are you okay?" Piper asks, walking into the living room and taking a seat next to her wife.
Alex, looking up from where her focus had previously been, blinks quickly before nervously adjusting her glasses. "Yeah, I think I am. Just-" she pauses, letting her shoulders relax. "I wasn't expecting this."
"Surely you were at least expecting it, Al. You came to the appointments with me," the blonde laughs, shuffling further along the sofa to grab her wife's right hand.
"It's fucking crazy," she shakes her head out of disbelief, waving the white stick similar to the one she had opened in her office a few days prior.
"It is pretty wild," Piper says, squeezing the brunette's hand almost out of reassurance, "but exciting at the same time."
"How are you feeling? You're not nauseous or anything?" Alex asks, sounding unsure as to what is going to happen next or how to really navigate their current conversation.
The blonde chuckles
"That's not for another few weeks, Al."
Leaning over to kiss the brunette's jawline, Piper again squeezes their hands together and smiles as she bites down on her lower lip.
"But everything's perfect. It was before, it is now, and it will be as long as you're here."
"Well that was fucking cheesy," Alex comments, returning the hand squeeze.
"Ah, there she is: the asshole I chose to marry and have children with."
"Children?" Alex asks, eyebrows widening. "As in plural? Let's just focus on this one to begin with, Pipes."
"Yep, there she definitely is. Alex Vause-Chapman right over here," Piper smiles.
She feels an overwhelming sense of love wash over her. Although their journey to be together wasn't anywhere near smooth sailing, she would do it all over again if it meant she'd end up right here: exactly where she belongs.
Here we are: the end.
Thanks for all the kind comments and PMs about this story. I started off with a great idea in my head, but life got in the way on a few occasions, and I felt here was the right place to bring it to a close.
Happy reading.