hi guys. first, thank you all SO much for reading/reviewing/following. i love writing this story, and i hope you love reading it. chapter five is going to be in two parts, because it was getting very long, but the two parts were too related to make it two separate chapters. so here's chapter five part one. let me know how you like it. i will deviate a little more from canon in chapter five part two, because although i did love how they did 1x08, i would have done it slightly differently. thanks for reading. enjoy.

Joss knew- she just knew- that seeing Sally and that silly little Story girl would mess with Alex, and therefore mess up her own plans for the evening. So much for mojitos and Golden Girls. Joss saw the look on Alex's face the moment she entered the cramped apartment; Alex's sad eyes glued to the laptop screen. And Joss just knew that damn Sally was to blame.

"Uh oh," Joss said aloud before moving to the couch where she sat with Alex and her laptop.

Yep. Sally had none too subtly cropped Alex out of every picture and suddenly had many pictures of herself and Story in their place. Joss had to admit she couldn't blame Alex for being upset by this; but she still desperately wished that she weren't. They had a big, relaxing night planned, and Joss had so been looking forward to some chill alone time with Alex.

Joss looked up to see Alex's big, beautiful brown eyes threatening to spill over with tears. Joss could not take that sad look on that perfect face. Didn't Alex know how amazing (and how much better than that goddamn Story book) she was?

"God, you're so beautiful," Joss said, and was leaning in to her friend before her words had even registered in her own head.

That was the thing about Alex: as impulsive as Joss could be, Alex was the only person who ever made her feel things that she didn't even realize she was feeling. She was drawn to the girl, and always had been, but she had never realized the intensity of it until now.

Joss kissed Alex instinctively, lovingly, before Alex pulled away.

"Wait," Alex said, a question and confusion in her eyes.

"What?" Joss didn't know if Alex didn't want to be kissing her or if she was just being cautious, as she often was. The look Alex sent her as Joss stared at the girl's lips answered that for her.

"Nothing," Alex shook off, the confusion never leaving her face.

So Joss kissed her again, just as lovingly- but more passionately. Alex didn't have anything to worry about. She was perfect and absolutely stunning and Sally never deserved to have her, let alone hurt her. And Joss was determined to show her that.

X x x

To Joss, there was no feeling quite like the one she had after having sex with Alex. That probably seemed stupid, but post-coital time had never had that peacefully exhausted feeling like it had with Alex. Sure, Joss had slept with many men and afterwards her body felt satisfied and spent, but with Alex her mind and heart felt satisfied as well.

Alex had never looked sexier or more beautiful than she did right now, Joss decided. T-shirt hanging off her shoulder, hair disheveled, and Joss knew exactly what Alex was wearing underneath that sheet (nothing). She smiled, feeling so content and fulfilled, and Alex smiled back. Joss could not resist the urge to lean over and kiss the girl propped up next to her. Joss felt Alex grin into the kiss and decided that there was no better feeling.

"Mmm," Joss squeaked through her smile, wanting to just hold Alex there next to her for the rest of the night (mojitos and Golden Girls in bed didn't sound too bad). "But I have to pee," she whined.

Alex laughed sweetly. "Well hurry up about it," she smiled.

Joss smacked one last kiss onto Alex's lips before hopping out of bed, grabbing a fresh pair of underwear and disappearing into the bathroom, throwing a sexy, sly smile behind her.

Alex hadn't felt this good in as long as she could remember, in every aspect. Sex with Joss was exciting and incredible, but afterward she felt absolutely relaxed. To lie around with Joss, stealing kisses and giggles, made Alex feel something that she wasn't entirely sure she had ever experienced. The attraction and chemistry that they shared, along with the comfortableness that they were fortunate enough to have with each other, was an unreal combination to Alex. She stretched and smiled to herself.

Joss's phone rang before the blond was back in the bedroom, shaking Alex from her peaceful daze.

"Do you want me to get that?" Alex called out to the girl.

"Who is it?"

Alex looked at the phone, all the way across the bed on the nightstand. So far away. And she was so comfortable. But she reached over reluctantly anyway.

"It's your sister."

Joss appeared suddenly and Alex was awestruck by how amazing she looked in just boy-cut underwear and a shirt.

"Fascinating."

Alex loved the way that Joss spoke. To look at the girl before knowing her, one may judgmentally guess that she was flighty or unintelligent, but the moment she spoke it became obvious that that was nowhere near the case.

Joss's tone during her phone conversation made it immediately evident that something was up. Alex felt herself becoming disappointed before she even knew what was going on. She knew that Joss didn't owe her anything- they were just friends and Joss had her own life- but Alex still couldn't help the hurt she felt.

Joss was sincerely sorry and unhappy to leave Alex so suddenly, which made Alex feel slightly better, but she was still leaving. Alex already had so many questions about the two of them; questions she didn't feel she had the right to ask. After all, Alex was the one who stated that they were just friends- that their first shower encounter was just for fun. How could she switch her feelings around so dramatically now? She couldn't.

So Joss kissed her on the cheek and she left, and once she was gone Alex cried. She was angrier at herself than anything else, though she did miss the feeling of Joss's body lying next to hers. She felt like an idiot. She was an idiot. She swore that she wouldn't let this happen; she had been so happy to have a new friend. And now here she was, sad, alone and half-naked, crying over a girl that she could never really have.