A/N: Hello to anybody reading this! I am really sorry for how long it's taken to get the next chapter up and ready, for not replying to any reviews or messages and for any spelling/grammar mistakes you may come across (as there is a fair bit to go through and I'm quite tired…:/) Let's just say there have not been enough hours in the day…
Anyways… I hope you will forgive me my lateness and also that you enjoy the chapter! Read on! :)
Alex reread the message again, a grin slowly spread across her face as she quickly tapped out a reply.
From Alex:
Hey yourself Pipes! Sounds great! Want me to pick you up?
Alex hoped she didn't sound unexcited by the idea but also she didn't want to seem as eager as she really felt because that might seem a little weird… She didn't want to say or do anything that might give the wrong impression to Piper.
A few minutes later the brunette's phone buzzed in her hand and Alex was snapped out of her distracted daydream by the sensation of the vibrations that made the tips of her fingers tingle. Quickly she read the message.
From Piper:
Great! That would be brilliant :) How's ten for you?
Alex smiled to herself, recalling their first encounter at Red's Bookshop and Café. She remembered seeing Piper in the queue in front of her but at the time it never even crossed her mind that they would talk or get to know one another and now they were having a coffee date. But, she clarified to herself, not a proper date as Piper was in a relationship and she was certainly not ready to start something with anyone, regardless of how good looking the may be and how easily they seemed to get on.
Alex looked up from the phone in her hand, her mind wandering. She looked out towards the open window a few meters to the left of her queen sized bed, shook her head and smiled. She had forgotten to close the curtains again so a slight breeze and silvery tendrils of light crept through the open window and reached her horizontal form lying on top of the covers. The distraction of the city life outside lulled the already sleepy woman into a sort of doze until she remembered she hadn't replied to Piper's text. Her phone screen flashed on again at the push of the power button and she drowsily unlocked her phone.
From Alex:
Okay then, I'll see you at ten! Night Pipes. :)
The brunette hit send and her eyes began to close as exhaustion started to claim her body. The screen lit up once more and from the lock screen she read Piper's reply.
From Piper:
See you then! Goodnight Al. :)
Gently nudging her phone away from her body and onto the far side of the bed, she quickly drifted off to sleep, a half smile still played on her lips and her eyes moved beneath her eyelids, her mind playing her a happy dream only she would ever see.
Piper hurriedly threw, what she considered, vital items into her bag on the old wooden kitchen side board as she knew Alex would be arriving any second and she was most definitely not ready.
Polly stood from where she had been perched impatiently on the arm of the sofa watching her friend dart around the open plan kitchen and sand came over to her but stopped when a meter or so away from her, watching Piper from a short distance.
"Haven't you left yet?" she asked in a tone that never failed to raise Piper's temper.
"Thanks, Pol!" Piper exclaimed, slightly frustrated with her poor organisation that morning and it showed in her tone. Polly's words still in her ears Piper rolled her eyes and grumbled: "You randomly came round to see me and now you can't wait for me to leave!"
Polly opened her mouth to argue but she was saved from thinking up a retort when Piper's phone made a little noise and her best friend's attention diverted immediately to unlocking the screen and reading the message.
From Alex:
I'm outside when you're ready :P
"She's here. Shit!" Piper muttered, managing to sound both pleased and even more frustrated with herself at not being ready earlier all at the same time.
"Oh hurry up Piper!" Polly said, shaking her head. She looked over at the door to Piper's bedroom and quickly adverted her gaze, refusing to meet Piper's annoyed glare that she could feel burning holes into the side of her head.
"Don't worry, I'm just going to say goodbye to Larry then I'll be out of your hair, anyone one would think it was you who lived here not me…" Piper said sourly in response.
Piper quickly paced over to the bedroom door that was slightly ajar and poked her head around it to see Larry tapping away at his silver laptop keyboard wearing the same clothes he had been a day earlier, trying to desperately finish an article for his newest story on some weird craze that Piper wasn't sure she fully understood from his half-hearted attempt at explaining it to her the evening before. Piper made to step forward to let him know she was about to leave and stopped when he shifted his gaze to her momentarily, his eyes now seeming to register her presence in the room less than a meter from where his feet lay on the bed.
"I'm on a roll right now Piper…" He said trailing off at the end. His voice suggested that he wanted to be left to it and so Piper smiled and waved quickly, masking her twinge of hurt at being dismissed so casually, and backed out of the room to say goodbye to Polly instead.
"See you soon Pol." Piper said with a tight smile as she picked up her bag and swung it over her shoulder. She gave her friend a loose hug and made her way to the door.
"Yeah, have a good time Piper. But not too good you hear? I don't want this Alex replacing me as your best friend, understand?" Polly replied dryly. Piper couldn't tell whether her friend had been joking or not…
Piper shook her head and sighed as she pulled the front door closed behind her with a click and began descending the stairs that led to the main entrance to her building. Her old trainers made rhythmic tapping sounds as she stepped on the loose plastic edging of each step until she reached the outer door.
Alex watched as Piper exited the building and made her way to the passenger side of the car that was parked as close to the main entrance as she could get.
"Hey Kid!" She called from the car window she had just rolled down, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
Piper opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat and seemed to relax somewhat, no longer needing to rush as she was where her schedule of the day said she would be.
"You got everything?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow in the signature Vause style, taking in how flustered Piper has seemed when she had left the building. Piper rummaged through her bag and swore. The sound of profanity coming from such a proper looking person made Alex chuckle softly and she shook her head to try and stop herself from properly laughing at the blonde for actually checking.
"I've left something behind…" Piper said in dismay, cursing herself as she was usually so organised. "I'll be quick I promise!"
In an attempt to be true to her word Piper sprinted back up the stairs to her apartment, keys already in her hand and let herself in quietly.
"Hey, it's only me. I just forgot my-" she managed to call out before her blue eyes took in the sight before her.
Her best friend and her boyfriend tumbled away from each other in various stages of undress. As they tried to disentangle, Larry's shirt caught on one of Polly's blouse buttons and it took them a few seconds to separate again. Having seen enough already to put two and two together Piper grabbed her purse from the kitchen counter then turned and practically fell out the front door again in her hurry to get back to Alex who was waiting for her in the car.
Larry and Polly both tried shouting variations of "Piper, wait!" in the hope of getting her to listen to their excuses. But Piper wasn't listening. The blonde thundered down the stairs, taking as many as she could at a time, the black plastic strips blurring in her vision as she came flying out the main door looking as white as a sheet.
"Well kid, I can't fault you for saying you'd be quick!" Alex said with a laugh, until she took in Piper's expression. How she looked like she was trying not to cry. Before she could ask her what was wrong a man exited the building almost as quickly as Piper had, his shirt haphazardly done up.
"Drive." Piper ordered softly, not daring to look at the brunette for fear of what her expression would be.
So Alex roused her engine from the low rumble it had been idling at and pulled away before the man could even reach the car.
It wasn't until they settled into Alex's favourite nook in the book section of Red's Book shop and Café that Alex even attempted to find out what had happened in the few short seconds Piper had been back in her apartment for and had caused her to react as she did. She hadn't dared try on their way there as her friend looked like she was barely holding it together. Piper had refused to meet her gaze and the brunette wore a faint scowl at the turn of events.
Alex motioned for Piper to sit in what was Alex's favourite spot in the whole shop, a comfy and slightly worn looking love seat that Alex spent a fair amount of her time reading in during the lunch hours of her shifts.
Alex carefully dragged a nearby beanbag in front of the loveseat and sat back into it, facing Piper full on. Piper reacted by putting her head in her hands and began sobbing quietly, her blonde hair falling around her hands as she hid her face from the woman in front of her.
"Hey." Alex whispered softly to her.
Piper sniffed in response and bit her lip in an attempt to subdue her tears a little. Alex leant forward so she was kneeling in front of her friend at her face level.
"Hey." She repeated as she tucked a stray blonde tress behind its owner's ear. Finally Piper met her eye and let out a shaky breath.
"What's wrong Pipes?" Alex asked just as softly as before, her hand lingering on Piper's cheek.
"I-I-it's Larry and Polly," Piper spluttered in between the hiccupping breaths that threatened to become sobs. The blonde took a moment before trying to elaborate further. "Larry was… he was cheating on me with my best friend…" As she heard it out loud it seemed to hit her again and her remaining composure crumpled into barely contained cries that seemed to make her whole body shake with the effort of trying to supress them.
Alex moved from her knees into a low crouch and then fitted herself into the space next to Piper on the loveseat. Gently, she pulled Piper into her arms and she was met with little resistance as Piper buried her face into her shoulder where she sobbed until she made no sound. The brunette wordlessly held the blonde to her and stroked her friend's now dishevelled hair lightly. In an attempt to soothe her, the brunette murmured soft words into the other woman's hair and softly rubbed small circles on her back as she cried.
After a little while Piper shifted position slightly to better fit herself into the space inside Alex's arms, now partly curled up on the older woman's lap as she had tucked her legs up to her chest and was now entirely on the loveseat and half sat on Alex too. But Alex didn't mind or object, if it helped Piper get through the situation Alex was all too familiar with, then so be it.
For many minutes the pair sat in silence, the only sounds that could be heard were coming from people outside their little reading nook. Alex dared to try and catch the younger woman's eye, and was met with vacant blue orbs that were still hazy with a film of tears waiting to fall. Piper's mind raced with all her thoughts and what she had seen constantly replayed in her head. She turned her head as she flinched from the scenes playing inside her head and exhaled as she felt Alex rest her cheek on the blonde's soft hair.
How their exchange looked to other people was not at the forefront of either woman's mind, especially seeing at they had not seen anybody else since arriving nor had they really wanted to.
Alex's patience and presence slowly managed to calm the blonde down. She was about to brave suggesting they move to the café and order some food and drinks as it might make the younger woman feel a little better, when their wavering calmness was rudely interrupted.
"Get your fucking hands off my girlfriend." Came a voice from the only entrance to the reading nook.
Piper's head whipped up at the voice and Alex's comforting arms around her tensed into a protective embrace. Alex did not let go of the blonde and she did not make any move to indicate she wanted her to, she felt safe where she was and Piper was worried that if she moved she would lose that safe feeling, then she would have to face Larry and all that would entail regardless of whether she wanted to.
The lack of compliance with his demand seemed to infuriate the still half dressed man. Alex took a second to wonder how he was not stopped on his way here, looking like he did, only the top two buttons of his shirt were fastened and his trousers hung precariously on his hips due to his belt still being undone. He was not looking his best to try and make the situation any better between him and Piper. Surely he'd had enough time to at least sort out his clothing situation a little…
"I know your game bitch," Larry shouted loudly, breaking the soothing ambience of the reading nook. "Trying to turn Piper gay and steal her from me!" he accused, jabbing a finger towards Alex and then Piper.
Piper felt Alex tense at Larry's words and flinched again but this time at the idea and reality of Alex being insulted because of her. Larry took another step towards the pair and Alex maneuvered herself abruptly upright, leaving Piper mourning the safe feeling that had fled as soon as Alex unwrapped her arms from around her.
"Okay asshole, firstly I'm not playing a game or trying to steal your girlfriend, there is no bloody 'gay agenda' okay! I am trying to un-fuck up the mess you've made, and second you don't just turn gay…" Alex raged back at him, letting the latter part of her argument subside, mentally reasoning that it was not the right place to have that debate.
"So you're a smart arse too, are you? I don't see what you're problem is bitch." Larry spat as he tried to square up to her and failed on account to her being almost half a head taller than him and looking a lot more terrifying.
"I'm sorry to have to point this out to you, but if you hadn't been sleeping with her best friend then there wouldn't be a problem…" Alex seethed, trying and failing, to contain her rising anger.
"Why the fuck do you care?"
"Because she is my friend."
"Yeah, well I didn't come to speak to Piper's 'friend', I came to talk to my girlfriend." He sneered.
Alex glanced over her shoulder and met Piper's lowered gaze and the blonde shook her head slightly.
Refocusing on man in front of her she said, "I don't think she wants to talk to you right now."
Larry scowled and looked past Alex towards Piper.
"Piper," he said, trying to get her to look at him. "It only happened a few times." He shrugged as if that detail made all the difference.
"You're really not helping yourself here…" Alex said, and Larry suddenly lunged past her to try and wrap a hand around Piper's wrist and pull her towards him. He didn't make it close enough to touch her before Alex's hand whipped out and firmly shoved him in the chest, stopping him in his tracks. Piper looked up at the sound of them colliding, and gasped as almost in slow motion she saw Larry pull back a fist and aim a punch straight to Alex's face, finally having had enough of her intervention. Her head snapped to the side and she inhaled sharply, but other than that she gave no other reaction to his violent action.
"Alex!" Piper cried out, reaching out a hand toward her friend. She stopped the closer she got to her due to it decreasing the distance between her and one of the two people she wanted to see the least at that moment. She heaved a sigh of relief as a wild haired woman she recognised as the one who had made their drinks from a few weeks ago appeared behind Larry and place her hands firmly on his arms to prevent him attempting to swing for Alex again.
"I don't know what has been going on here, but it stops. Now." A strong Russian accent commanded from the entrance to the nook. "And you, Sir," Red pointed at Larry, "Will leave immediately and not come back."
"Wha-" was all he managed before he was roughly steered away from the two women in front of him by the wild haired woman behind him.
Red followed after Nicky and Larry to make sure that the unwelcome patron truly had left the premises.
"If you dare come back in here or come anywhere either of those girls again without their saying so, you will be reported for harassment. Do you understand me?" Red's parting words to him were serious enough that he walked away stiffly, without so much as a backward glance in the direction of the place he had just been thrown out of.
As soon as Larry had been escorted from the room, Piper reached out again towards the brunette, she searched Alex's face for signs of damage, guilt and panic making her eyes giant and round. The impact of Larry's fist had split the skin over the taller woman's left cheek and already a bruise was forming around her eye.
Piper held the older woman's uninjured cheek with her hand as she inspected the wound and her other hand rested on Alex's waist to steady her as the brunette seemed to be having trouble standing due to how quickly her head had snapped to the side, it had left her dizzy and a little wobbly.
Piper guided Alex over to the loveseat they had occupied together earlier and helped her sit down. Moments later Nicky re-entered the room with a tray, from which she removed two drinks which she placed on a small table by the side of the loveseat and surrendered an ice pack for the inevitable swelling and bruising of Alex's face into Piper's waiting hand.
As Nicky left, Piper gently applied the ice pack to Alex's cheek and winced as Alex sucked air in through her teeth at the contact of the cold on her cut cheek. One glance in Piper's eyes and Alex could tell she blamed herself and was already beating herself up mentally for causing this to happen to her.
"It wasn't your fault kid…" The brunette tried to reassure her, attempting to bite back a wince as the ice was removed from her face.
"I feel like it is." Was all Piper said in reply and refused to look at her friend again until she was encouraged to take a seat and have her drink.
Both Alex and Piper sat in the loveseat, sipping their drinks in silence. They sat close together, their knees touching and Piper sighed as a thought occurred to her.
"I understand now why they were so hyped about me becoming friends with you. It added an element of unpredictability to their plan, apparently you add an air of mystery to me." Piper laughed mirthlessly. "What else have they lied to me about…?" Her eyes unfocused as she became lost in thought.
"Hey." Alex said, feeling Piper had been left with her thoughts long enough today and so tried to get her attention to break her from her trance. She put down her now empty paper cup and nudged the blonde with her elbow.
"Hmmm?" Piper inquired, her attention snapping back to the woman before her.
"Penny for them Pipes?" Alex said light heartedly, attempting to lighten the tension still in the room after Larry's entrance.
"Not much that you haven't already heard…" Piper trailed off, then picked up again as she said, "Do you want to go somewhere else?"
"If you want to." Alex said with a shrug. She had nowhere to else to be and she wasn't sure she was in a fit state to drive as the area around her eye had swollen slightly which was making it increasingly difficult for her to see. "Although Pipes I might have to ask you to drive as I can't see much out my left eye…" she meant for it to make Piper laugh but she frowned and nodded in acceptance.
The pair collected their belongings and as if on autopilot Alex picked up the tray with the now empty drinks cups and warm ice pack on it. The tray in one hand and the other at the small of Piper's back to guide her, they made their way towards the employee entrance situated between the crossover of the café and bookshop.
Momentarily handing Piper the tray, Alex keyed in the unlocking code for the door and opened it for Piper to go through and followed close after her before the door could lock shut behind her. On the other side of the door Nicky glanced up at them from where she had been preparing boxes of books to be put out at the start of the next shift.
"Hey Vause," She greeted the brunette fondly. "Blondie." She added with a nod towards Piper. Her odd choice of name drew a laugh from Piper and the tension in the air lifted somewhat at the sound.
"Just wanted to thank you and Red before we left for what you did and for the drinks. Please tell Red I'll pay for them when I come in for my next shift." Alex directed the request towards the wild haired woman.
"No worries Vause. Red said she'll sort it and not to mention it."
Alex opened her mouth to protest but was interrupted by her friend turning to Piper and speaking in a stage whisper that it was obvious Alex would hear.
"You'd think she take 'Don't mention it' as a cue not to, ya know…mention it…"
Piper hid her mouth behind her hand and made no sound, the shake of her shoulders and the glint in her eye provided all the evidence that she was trying her best not to laugh at Nicky's comment. Nicky grinned, knowing full well that one look at Alex's face and both of them would be in stiches.
A second passed in silence and Nicky cleared her throat politely.
"Now as much as I would love to stay and talk to you lovely ladies, well of course I mean Blondie as there's nothing ladylike about you Vause…" she paused to nimbly jump out the way as Alex made a playful dart towards her for her comment and picked up a couple of books in her hands when she felt she was a safe distance. "But alas I have to take a few of these beauties out into the shop. So I bid you farewell!" With an almost graceful bow to the pair and a very unsubtle wink towards Piper, Nicky left through the door the two women had come through earlier.
"Well then kid," Alex said with a sigh as she ran her hand through her slightly tangled hair, "Shall we go?" with that she made her way out through another door and out towards the main entrance to the bookshop and café.
As the door swung shut behind them a cold gust of air stung Alex's broken skin like tiny ice needles prickling her skin and out of the corner of her eye Piper saw her wince in pain at the sensation. The pair walked close together down the street on which they had first met on due to their coffee fuel collision towards where they had parked earlier that day. Piper guided the older woman by the arm as her balance had yet to fully return to normal and brought her to a halt by the passenger side of what she now came to recognise almost immediately as Alex's car.
Alex turned to her and opened her mouth as if she were going to say something. She hesitated and then looked down at her shoes as if she couldn't bring herself to say what she wanted to while looking Piper in the eye. Alex swore to herself that her pride would be the death of her one day.
"Pipes…" she started. "I know I was joking about it earlier and I really hate to ask, but do you think you could drive please? I can't see very well and I don't want to crash with you in the car…" Alex's face was a mixture of guilt and worry as to how Piper might react to her request.
She was surprised when the blonde smiled and nodded her head.
"Pass me your keys, Al." she said holding out a hand.
Alex fished out her car keys from her pocket and placed them carefully into Piper's waiting hand. She watched as her friend's fingers curled around the keys and they jangled softly in her grip. Without another word she unlocked the car and leant forward to open the passenger door for Alex. She helped her into the car before shutting the door again and walking round to the driver's side and getting in.
"Where are we going?" Piper asked, turning to check Alex was properly seat-belted and ready to go. "Just thought I'd ask as I've got to try and drive there an' all…"
"Umm… I hadn't really thought that far ahead…" Alex admitted. "How about my apartment? If that's not..?"
"Okay then. Not an issue, Al." Piper finished for her. With a reassuring smile she added: "I'll need some idea where it is and possibly directions but I'm sure I'll manage to find it."
They drove in near silence, the only sounds were Alex pointing out turnings or roads when Piper wasn't sure where to go. In between the sound of her directions, it was the kind of silence nobody ever wants to disturb because it is both comfortable and comforting. In those moments that was all either woman needed to feel and so they remained in their relative quiet until they arrived outside the apartment block Alex had directed them to.
As they pulled into a space the engine died down and Piper extracted the key from the ignition before unbuckling her seat belt. She opened her door and went round to assist Alex getting out of the car and then the pair made their way into the main building. Without difficulty the women made their way up the first flight of stairs and came to a halt. Alex pointed along towards the end of the narrow corridor to the only door in that direction. Piper took this to mean that it was the door they were after and when they stopped outside it, Piper fiddled with the keys she still had in her possession until one slid into the lock perfectly and the door popped open with a soft click.
As they entered Alex threw her arm out expertly into the slightly dim room in front of her and switched on a decent sized light that cast a homely glow on the sparsely outfitted room, giving it a warm look. Piper gazed around in awe at the brunette's home, taking in the wall to wall bookcases and endless piles of books stacked in various heights and smiling slightly as she breathed in and noticed how it all smelt slightly of Alex.
The brunette shuffled over to one of the two sofas that filled the room and flopped ungracefully onto it. Piper chuckled quietly at the older woman, who looked up at her and rolled her eyes.
"What? Don't tell me you've never done that on a sofa before because I'd know you'd be lying!"
"I can't say that I have…" Piper started.
"Then you haven't lived!" Alex called out, theatrically throwing her hands out in front of her and letting them fall back to her sides with muted thumps. "Go on Pipes! It's actually quite fun…" she said and raised an eyebrow in the signature Vause look an unspoken dare.
Piper obeyed and she received a heartfelt cheer and the brunette laughed happily, not at all resembling the scary woman she had seen earlier who held back Larry when Piper had not wanted to speak to him.
Piper marvelled at how positive the woman in front of her was being, not long ago Alex had been in a similar situation to herself and the knowledge of that tugged at her insides painfully. Piper frowned at the thought of Alex feeling like she currently did but quickly masked it as she didn't want her friend to notice it or ask any questions.
Green eyes met hers and something flashed behind them, recognition of where the blonde's thoughts had travelled. Alex gave her a tight smile before standing and coming to perch on the arm of the sofa near to where Piper's feet were.
"Hey kid, don't worry okay? You can stay here tonight if you want to and we can sort out everything else tomorrow morning." Her voice was soft and very gentle. So gentle that Piper wasn't sure if she'd imagined it, the expression on Alex's face though showed that even if she hadn't said it, it was what she was thinking.
"Thank you Al…" Piper replied gratefully, secretly pleased that she wouldn't have to go back to the apartment she shared with Larry. It was not like she could go and stay with Polly, her usual port of call whenever anything happened, she might have done had her best friend not been the other person she was so desperate to avoid in that moment.
And Piper certainly couldn't go to her parents' house… Not for the first time that day, Piper thanked whatever it was that had caused her to meet the wonderful person that was Alex Vause who had become her friend so quickly. Today would most definitely have gone a lot worse had Alex not been there to comfort and support her.
Alex's voice broke the blonde from her wandering thoughts, although she had to repeat herself as she realised Piper had not heard her the first time. "Are you hungry? I can do toast or something simple if you like?"
"That would be great... I've not really eaten much today…" she trailed off.
"Fancy anything in particular?"
"Just whatever you're having… I don't want to be a pain."
"Pipes, you couldn't be a pain if you tried!" Alex replied as if it were the most obvious statement in the world. Then she added, "If you want to get changed, there's room to the right over there, it has some spare clothes and pyjamas in the chest of drawers. You're welcome to them. Go have a look if you want while I quickly whip us up some food." Alex smiled kindly before heading towards the kitchen and leaving Piper to make her way to the room she'd mentioned.
A few minutes later Piper wandered out from the spare room and back towards the sofa she had occupied earlier. She was met by the sight of Alex sleepily munching on some toast and sipping from a glass of apple juice. An identical plate of food waited for her on the wooden coffee table positioned in the middle of space between the two sofas.
"Thank you Alex." Piper said as she sank back into her sofa.
"Not a problem, kid." Alex answered with a smile.
A short while later after both women had finished their food and drink and their plates and cups had been washed and left to dry over night, they decided to have an earlier night that either woman would usually consider. Recalling the events of the day in their heads reminded them both of why they were completely exhausted and why maybe attempting to rest would be a good idea.
The older woman insisted on making sure her guest was contented before she would hear of going to bed herself. They spoke for a couple of minutes from their positions across the spare room, Alex standing by the door and Piper tucked into the single bed, before they bid each other farewell until morning.
"Goodnight Pipes." The brunette whispered from the doorway as she switched the overhead light off and slowly brought the door to.
Already the blonde's eyes began fluttering closed and her voice thick with the weight of being at the edge of sleep, the young woman in the room replied:
"Goodnight Al."
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I promise this is only just where it starts getting interesting…. ;) Please please please review if you enjoyed it! (Feel free to review as well if you didn't as I'd love to know how I can make it more enjoyable for everyone.) I would love to hear what you thought and if you have any requests or suggestions I would gladly take them aboard! Thank you for reading! :D