Hello again! I had this idea swimming around my head and figured I should get it out. Thank you to everyone who has supported this story. I re-read the earlier chapters and they're not very good. Lol! So thank you for sticking it out. Hopefully this one will be a little better.
And thank you to the recent Guest reviewer who happened to post a review while I was writing this last night. What are the odds! :)
Best to you all
"Fuck off, Nicky. You know it has to be perfect."
Alex had been looking for an engagement ring for Piper, but after about a month of browsing, she just couldn't find one that was good enough. Nicky's patience and her willingness to help were beginning to wear then.
"Vause, we've been to all of these stores before. Multiple times. Maybe you need to expand your search parameters."
Alex just nodded her head and walked over to the glass display cases. Nicky huffed in exasperation and went over to stand near Alex.
"I'll know it when I see it," Alex said. "I want to get her a ring that she'll love."
Nicky still couldn't believe how much of a sap Alex had turned into since meeting Piper. She was happy for them, of course, but she was still getting used to her bad ass best friend gushing about her feelings.
"She'll love anything you get her," Nicky encouraged. "Because it's from you."
Alex grinned at how cheesy Nicky sounded.
"What? I was trying to talk your gushy wushy love language."
"Uh-huh."
"Yeah, it didn't feel right. So how's the fucking?"
"Jesus, Nicky!" Alex whisper yelled and gently nudged Nicky with her elbow. Both women fell into a comfortable laughter.
Alex suddenly stopped. Her laughter quickly faded.
"That's it."
Nicky could barely hear her. "Huh? What's it?"
"The ring. That's it." Alex pointed to what she was looking at. "That's the ring I'm going to give to Piper."
Nicky patted Alex on the back then clapped her hands. "Thank Jesus! Finally! Yo, hey, guy, can we get some assistance over here?" Nicky motioned to the well dressed employee across the store.
The man walked over, unlocked the display case, and handed the ring to Alex for her inspection.
As she held the ring, Alex couldn't help but become a little overwhelmed. This felt so right. She knew marrying Piper was the right decision and now that she had the perfect ring, she just couldn't believe how happy she was.
Alex looked at the ring for a few more minutes, holding it up to the light and inspecting it from every angle.
"So….?" Nicky prodded.
Alex looked up at her best friend, a wide grin across her face, and then turned toward the employee.
"I'll take it!"
Once they left the store Alex felt as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders; Nicky too for that matter, but for different reasons.
"Fucking miracle! You finally found it! No more fucking shopping!"
"Your unwavering support is heart warming," Alex deadpanned at her best friend.
"Hey, Stretch, I'm happy for you! I am! All the shopping was just a bit tedious."
Alex conceded. "I know, I know. Thanks for sticking it out."
Nicky nodded. "It is a fucking gorgeous ring." She patted Alex's arm.
Alex smiled. "Thanks….asshole. I've been so god damn stressed! Come on, let's get a beer!"
Alex walked into her apartment.
"Pipes? Babe? Are you home?"
"Bedroom!"
Alex walked down the hallway towards the bedroom. Piper was the picture of domesticity – folding laundry, hair up in a messy ponytail, no make-up, and wearing sweats with one of Alex's old t-shirts.
Alex couldn't believe how naturally beautiful Piper was. She loved seeing Piper dressed up when they went out, but there was something about seeing her in this state that made Alex's heart soar. She couldn't help but smile warmly at her girlfriend.
"Hi, babe," Alex beamed and kissed Piper's cheek.
"Hi, Al. How's Nicky?"
"Good. Obnoxious. Loud. You know Nicky," Alex laughed.
Piper giggled. "True."
It had been about 14 months since Alex and Piper took their walk around New York. And almost four months since they had moved in together. Since Alex didn't have an ordinary job and an office to go to every day, she moved into Piper's apartment so Piper could remain close to the Popi store.
During that time Alex had been introduced to Piper's quick temper and Piper had come to recognize when Alex was putting up her walls and trying to pull away. There had been screaming matches and tears, but they were always followed by apologies and declarations to be better. They always come back to one another. They were a work in progress, but working on it together was the best part.
Alex had become Piper's rock. It was Alex who supported her and gave her the confidence and motivation to make amends with her family. While her family was far cry from The Brady Bunch, Piper felt comfortable enough to bring Alex to family functions; something she never thought would be possible. Bill and Carol, while still not 100% on board with Piper's current relationship, couldn't deny how happy she was. They made a real effort to include Alex in their family and that's all Piper could ask for.
Piper in turn was Alex's anchor. Piper was her North Star and the direction she always traveled towards. Before she met Piper, Alex would travel, sometimes continuously, with no real reason to go home, except to see her mom (and Nicky and Lorna). She would play in various tournaments in random towns just to pass the time and keep herself busy. She never had a reason to stay in one place or a reason to think about her future. Piper changed all of that. Piper grounded her and provided Alex with a home she always wanted to return to.
Alex sat on the bed and helped Piper with the laundry.
"What are your thoughts on dinner tonight?" Piper asked.
"Hmmm….what about pizza? Anything but deep dish?" Alex winked at Piper.
"That sounds perfect." Piper walked out of the bedroom and down to the hall closet to put the rest of the towels away. "You want to go out or do delivery?" Piper asked when she walked back into the bedroom.
"Come here," Alex said, extending her arms towards Piper.
Piper smiled shyly, walked up to Alex and stood between her legs. Alex wrapped her hands around Piper's waist and rested her head on Piper's stomach. Piper's hands instinctively went to Alex's head and she ran her fingers through her dark hair. Alex sighed deeply, thinking about how in just a few days she was going to ask Piper to marry her. Part of her didn't know if she'd be able to wait that long. She felt like she was going to blurt the words out at any moment. Alex tightened her grip on Piper's waist.
"Hey," Piper said. "Everything okay?"
Alex kissed Piper's stomach then looked up at her. "Mm-hmm. Everything's perfect."
Piper leaned down and kissed Alex softly.
"Delivery," Alex said. "I love you."
Piper smiled at Alex's sudden display of emotion. "I love you too. I'll go get the menus."
As Alex watched Piper walk out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen she began to think about the first time they had said "I love you" to one another.
About two months after their walk through New York, Alex had brought Piper home to meet Diane. Alex was a bundle of nerves and Piper loved how absolutely adorable it was.
"Aww, baby. Deep breaths," Piper grabbed Alex's hand and smiled.
Alex shot her a look. She was enjoying this too much. Piper was nervous too, but she wasn't the wreck that Alex appeared to be.
"Just drive," Alex said.
Piper did her best to suppress her giggle.
They had been at Diane's house for all of 30 minutes when Alex realized she had no reason to ever be nervous. Of course Piper and Diane immediately got along. Everyone always loved Piper and Diane was always so welcoming. In fact, the two had been so wrapped up in constant conversation Alex wondered if either woman would even notice if she left.
And so began their traditional Sunday trip to Diane's for dinner.
Another two months had passed since that initial meeting. Piper was again driving, but was becoming increasingly distracted by Alex's hand on her thigh.
"Alex…." Piper warned.
Alex smiled and leaned over the console towards Piper. "What is it Pipes? Everything okay?"
Piper shivered at feeling Alex's hot breath on her neck.
Alex kissed Piper's neck and moved her hand to between Piper's legs.
"Let's skip dinner tonight," Alex breathed.
Piper fought against everything she was feeling and maintained her composure.
"We're not skipping dinner. We're almost there anyway. You're just going to have to keep it in your pants until later tonight, Vause."
"I'll do my best," Alex said and licked Piper's earlobe.
Piper looked at her girlfriend. That mischievous little smirk could always make her smile. Piper regularly looked forward to Sunday dinner with Diane. In the short time she had known Diane, they had become very close. Diane was sweet and supportive, and provided Piper with much of the maternal relationship she was missing. On Sundays Piper loved being a part of their little family of three.
As usual, Diane was thrilled to see them when they arrived. She hugged them both tightly before everyone made their way to the living room. The women chatted for about 20 minutes until dinner was ready.
Dinner was filled with the typical wine and laughter. Piper loved seeing how easily Diane and Alex spoke to and teased one another. It was like watching a tennis match sometimes. Piper swore their cheeks had to hurt from laughing so much during the meal. It warmed her heart to see Alex so free and happy.
After dinner they found themselves in the living room again, each woman with a cup of coffee. Alex and Piper sat on the couch while Diane was in the chair across from them.
"Girls, there's something I wanted to talk to you about," Diane said as she placed her coffee on an end table.
There was something in Diane's voice that Piper didn't like and she immediately grabbed Alex's hand, holding it tightly.
Alex looked at Piper briefly, her sudden movement concerning her a little.
"What is it, Mom?"
"Girls…I'm sick. I…I found out a few days ago that I have cancer. The good news is that they caught it early. Early enough the doctor thinks to make a real difference. Next week I'm going to…."
Diane kept talking, but Alex couldn't hear her. Her heart was beating in her ears, drowning out all other sounds. Her head was foggy. This couldn't be real. She felt nauseous. She couldn't understand what she was hearing. She looked down at her hands, both of them now held by Piper. She looked at Piper, but didn't see her. She looked at Diane and ached. Alex felt like she was miles away, having only left the shell of her body sitting on her mother's couch.
The rest of the night was a blur. Alex couldn't tell you how the night had ended or when she and Piper left. The only thing she remembered was hugging Diane. Hugging Diane and never wanting to let go.
Piper parked outside of Alex's apartment. The drive back had been in silence. Piper turned in her seat to face Alex. She slowly raised her hand and brushed Alex's cheek.
"Al…? Alex….?" Piper kept her voice soft. "We're here. Let's go inside."
Alex sat motionless and just continued to stare out the window. After a couple of moments Alex seemed to register what Piper had said and finally turned to face her.
"I'm okay. You don't have to come in. You can go back to your place."
Piper shook her head. Alex was a lot of things right now, but "okay" was not one of them.
"No, I'll stay with you tonight. Let me stay."
It was Alex now who shook her head. "No, you can go home. Like I said, I'm okay. I just need to be alone for a bit."
Piper wanted to protest further, but there was an edge to Alex's voice that she wasn't completely familiar with yet. Piper knew arguing was the last thing either of them needed right now, so reluctantly she nodded and just said "okay."
Alex reached up to Piper's hand that was still on her cheek and kissed her palm.
"Al, please call me if you need anything, okay? Please?"
Alex just nodded. "Goodnight, Pipes."
Piper watched Alex walk into her apartment building, her head down the entire time. Piper wanted so badly to run after Alex. To hold her. To be there for her. But she didn't. Alex had told her that she wanted to be alone and Piper wanted to respect that. She didn't want to be the cause of any more pain for Alex. Wiping tears from eyes and drying her cheeks, Piper drove home.
Alex walked into her apartment and went directly into her bedroom. She didn't remove a single piece of clothing. She didn't even take her shoes off. She simply fell onto her bed and began to cry.
Alex awoke the next day in the same position. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot. Her mind was still foggy. She just needed to escape. She wanted to get wasted and forget yesterday ever happened, but didn't even have the energy to do that. Instead, she got up, put on proper pajamas, and just crawled back into bed.
It was already dark when she woke up next. She had slept the entire day away. Rolling over she reached towards her phone and saw that she had about a dozen missed calls and text messages from her mom and Piper. Alex immediately began to cry again. She didn't want to talk to or see anyone. But she also didn't want to make either woman worry. They were just concerned. Alex quickly typed out "I'm ok. Talk soon." and sent the message to both her mom and Piper.
By Tuesday afternoon, Piper's worrying had gotten the best of her. After talking non-stop with Polly, she decided to call Diane. She needed to know what to do without upsetting Alex further. She wanted to help Alex. She felt so useless.
"Just give her some time, sweetie." Diane's voice was always so comforting. "She's always needed time to process and work things out on her own. She'll come around, I promise. Just let her do it at her own pace."
"But I'm worried. I want to be there for her. How long does it usually take for her to 'come around'?" Piper asked.
Diane sighed. "It just depends. She's a strong girl, letting go of that strength doesn't come easy for her. Just be patient."
Alex had slept through the night and woken up around 11:00 Tuesday morning. She didn't know what to do with herself. She felt lost. She knew she should get out of bed at some point. She should shower. Probably try to eat something. But all of that seemed useless at the moment. After an hour of just laying there she eventually got up and showered. The eating would have to wait until later though. She was still nauseous.
She made her way to the couch and flipped on the TV. Some corny high school teen movie she and Piper had watched a few weeks ago was on again. She smiled slightly and put the remote down, oddly comforted watching the movie that now reminded her of Piper.
Alex spent the rest of the day on the couch watching bad weekday television and drinking beer after beer. After the sun set she again made her way to her bedroom and crawled into bed. She laid in the dark for a while just thinking. She thought about her mom – how everything was different now. Everything had changed once Diane shared her news with them. Alex had never been so sad. Eventually her mind drifted to Piper. It always came back to Piper. She thought about how Piper had wanted to stay with her on Sunday night. She felt guilty for pushing Piper away, but she needed to be alone. At least she thought she did. The more Alex felt lost, the more she began to consider if Piper's company could comfort her. Alex got up and went to her dresser. She opened the top drawer and found the pajamas Piper had gotten in the habit of leaving at her place. Alex again felt comforted at the very idea of Piper. She stood at the dresser for a moment more before going into the bathroom to take something to help her sleep. As she was about to drift off, Alex grabbed her phone and typed a simple message to Piper:
I need you.
Piper was already in bed when she heard her phone go off. She quickly reached for her phone, hoping that Alex had finally contacted her. Piper read the message and felt her heart ache. She jumped out of bed, threw on some clothes, and ran for her door. As she hailed a cab, she responded to Alex:
On my way.
Piper walked quickly from the cab to Alex's building and through her lobby.
"Hi, Joe," Piper greeted the doorman.
"Evening, Ms. Chapman," he nodded.
Piper made her way to Alex's door and knocked. And waited. Then knocked again. Growing frustrated, she found the spare key Alex hid in the light fixture in the hallway and unlocked the door. The apartment was dark, illuminated only by the glow of the streetlights below. Piper could make out the beer bottles scattered around the living room.
Piper made her way down the hall to Alex's bedroom. She could see Alex curled into a ball, her back to the door.
"Al? Baby? It's me."
Alex didn't say anything. She simply reached behind her feeling for Piper.
Piper took her hand and crawled into bed behind Alex. It wasn't often that Piper got to be the big spoon. Alex pulled Piper's arm around her.
"Pipes."
"It's okay. I'm here." Piper kissed Alex's neck and pulled her even closer. "I'm here."
Piper awoke a few hours later to an empty bed.
"Al?" Piper listened to the stillness of the apartment. She heard a small sob disturb the quiet.
Piper found Alex in the bathroom, sitting on the edge of the bathtub. She knelt down on the floor between Alex's legs. She wiped the tears from Alex's cheeks. Piper kept her right hand on Alex's left cheek, rubbing it soothingly with her thumb.
"Hey…" Piper whispered. "Baby?"
After a moment, Alex looked up to meet Piper's gaze. Her usual bright green orbs were again pale and bloodshot. Piper's eyes filled with tears at seeing how upset Alex was.
"What am I going to do, Pipes? I can't lose her."
"Ssshhh….you can't think like that. We're not going to lose her."
"This is so scary. I don't know what to do. I can't…I can't protect her from this. I can't fix this for her. I feel so helpless."
Piper sat up a little straighter and wiped away her own tears. "Alex. Al, look at me."
Alex again hesitantly met Piper's gaze.
"You're right. We can't protect her. But we can do everything in our fucking power to help her and be there for her. You heard what she said. They caught it early. We have every reason to be optimistic. We'll be there for her every step of the way. We'll take her for treatments. We'll take care of her on the days she feels sick. We'll talk to her doctors. We'll make sure they're doing everything possible to treat Diane..."
Alex's heart swelled as she listened to Piper. She realized that while she had used "I" to talk about Diane, Piper was only using "we." We would help her. We would be there for her. Piper was here for her. Piper was here for her family. Piper wasn't going anywhere. Alex's heart began to beat faster at the meaning of Piper's words. As her mind drifted back to the current conversation, Alex realized that Piper was still talking, convincing her that they could do this together.
"…and if that doesn't work then we'll try something else. We will not let Diane-"
"I love you." The words just came out. Alex didn't even think about it. She just said what she felt. She had thought for several weeks that she was in love with Piper, but she was too scared to say it. But now she wasn't scared anymore. Piper's passion gave her courage.
Piper froze, startled by the sudden change in conversation. "What?"
"I love you," Alex repeated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"You do?"
"Mm-hmm."
Piper excitedly threw her arms around Alex neck and hugged her tightly.
Piper pulled away to look at Alex again. "I love you, too. I do. So much."
For the first time in what felt like weeks, Alex smiled. Alex smiled so wide that she thought she might pull a muscle in her cheeks. Piper couldn't contain her own giddy smile and quickly connected her lips to Alex's. The women broke apart in laughter before again resuming their kiss.
"Hey, Pipes, you want to go for a walk? Queensboro Bridge?"
It was a week later and today was the day. Alex had gotten the ring back from the jeweler after having it sized and she couldn't wait any longer to make Piper her fiancé. She had everything planned out, but was trying to be casual.
She walked up behind Piper as she stood in the kitchen and wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist. Alex nuzzled the back of her neck, kissing her gently.
"If we hurry we can get there by sunset."
Piper turned to face Alex and kissed her deeply.
"Aren't you Miss Spontaneity today?"
Alex just shrugged. "Why not? It's so nice out."
Ten minutes later they were on their way to the Queensboro Bridge. Alex had enlisted the help of Nicky and Lorna to pull off the proposal. Nicky and Lorna were to hang out in the same spot Alex and Piper had had their first kiss to ensure that no other strangers would be mulling around. As the arrival of Piper and Alex neared, Nicky and Lorna were to light the candles and lay out the flowers that Alex had given them. Having an open flame on the bridge probably wasn't completely legal, so Alex wanted to wait until the last possible moment for Nicky and Lorna to light the candles.
As she and Piper walked, Alex discreetly text Nicky, updating her on their location. Once they got to the bridge, Alex felt her nerves kick into overdrive. Her heart was racing and her legs felt like jelly. She squeezed Piper's hand and kissed the back of it.
"What's up with you? You're awfully fidgety," Piper teased.
"Hmm? Oh just a little cold."
Piper didn't really buy Alex's response, but let it go.
Alex kept taking deep breaths, trying to settle her nerves.
They were close enough to now see Nicky and Lorna and Alex text her best friend with the go ahead to light the candles and head in the opposite direction.
As they walked up to the setting of their first kiss Piper stopped.
"Alex? Alex, what is all this?"
"Do you like it?"
"Is it for us?"
"Yes. Well, it's for you. Do you like it?"
"It's so beautiful. And with the sunset…But why? It's not my birthday or our anniversary or anything."
"Well maybe it can be a different anniversary."
"What do you mean?"
Alex steadied herself and took a deep breath. Piper searched Alex's eyes, still not sure what exactly was happening. Alex held both of Piper's hands in hers.
"Piper, I love you. I never knew I could love someone as much as I love you. You're everything to me and I never want to be without you."
"Alex…" Piper now had tears in her eyes.
"You've shown me how to love fully and freely and how to believe in another person. You were there every step of the way with my mom and I'm so happy that we're all still here together."
Alex's voice broke at the mention of her mom and like she had done so many times before, Piper moved her hand and soothingly stroked Alex's cheek.
"You're my life and I want to spend the rest of it with you by my side."
Both women now had tears streaming down their cheeks as Alex got down on one knee. She removed the ring from her pocket and looked up at Piper's bright blue eyes. Piper was on cloud nine. Her heart was beating wildly. She looked so happy. Her smile was again melting Alex's heart.
"Pipes, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?"
The question had barely left Alex's lips, "Yes!" Piper nearly shouted. She pulled Alex up and into her arms, crying freely into the crook of her neck. "I love you I love you I love you," she repeated.
Alex broke the hug so she could place the ring on Piper's finger.
"It's perfect, Al. I'm so happy."
Alex pressed her lips to Piper's, never wanting to break the connection. They kissed again like they were the only two people in the world; soft and slow and full of passion…until the sound of Alex's ringing cell phone interrupted their euphoria. They broke apart whispering 'I love you' to one another before Alex answered.
"Looks like she said yes, right?! Do we have a fucking epic bachelorette party to plan?! Can we come back? We've been watching and it feels creepy!"
Alex laughed. Fucking Nicky.
"Yes! Get your asses over here!"
Alex hung up and turned to Piper. "Incoming. I hope you're ready to celebrate."
Piper laughed and kissed Alex. "As long as I'm with you, I'm ready for anything."
Thank you everyone! Cheers!
