Piper woke up early the next morning. Blindly, she reached over to cuddle against Alex. Her eyes shot open when she felt nothing. Alex was gone.
Piper pushed the home button on her phone. The display said 7:02 AM. No missed calls, 1 unread text from Polly.
Where's Alex? When did she leave? Is she still mad? Is she back at Nicky's?
Piper sighed and got out of bed. She found Jack in his crib, sucking his thumb and playing with a stuffed giraffe. He stood up when he saw her and opened and closed his fists, silently asking her to pick him up.
She was surprised to hear the front door opening. She walked around the corner, Jack on her hip, and saw Alex walk in with 2 coffees on a carrier tray in one hand and a white bag in the other. She kicked the door shut behind her with her foot.
"Hey, Pipes," she said quietly.
Her voice cracked with... Was that nerves? Her eyes had some of their sparkle back. The corner of her lips pulled into a tight smile.
"I ran out to grab some bagels and coffee for breakfast before you woke up... Guess you beat me."
Jack screamed and his hands flew in the air in excitement, "Mama!"
Piper put him down and he ran to Alex, trying to climb up her leg. Piper took the coffees from Alex so she could pick up their son. He was a mama's boy before their fight, but since he'd been separated from Alex he was whiny and clingy any time she entered the room. Piper had been keeping him at night since his crib was at their house and Alex would take him to work several days a week, and several nights for dinner before having Nicky return him to Piper.
"Miss you, mama! Miss you!"
His hands tangled in her hair and he clung to her body while she hugged him.
"I know. I'm sorry, kid."
She kissed the side of his head and attempted to put him down but he clung to her and whined. Piper took the coffees to the living room and sat on the couch, Alex close behind her. Jack bounced on her knees, his back against her chest, her arms wrapped around him. She sat hunched over, her cheek resting against his. He was twirling a curl of her hair in his fingers and she was pulling on his toes.
They talked and had sex a few hours ago, but she didn't know where they stood now. Did that mean they made up? Was Alex coming home? She decided to start with a neutral question, afraid of pushing Alex.
"Are you going to work?"
Alex didn't look up from Jack's toes when she answered, "I told Lorna to help Poussey at the book store so I could take the day off."
"Oh," Piper took a sip of her coffee, "that's nice. Have any plans?"
Alex laughed and it sent a tingle down Piper's spine. She had missed that deep booming laugh.
"Jesus, Pipes. Can you be more transparent?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do I have any plans," she laughed again and shook her head, looking up at Piper with a smirk on her face.
"I guess that was kind of lame."
"What are you really thinking?"
Piper looked at her shyly, "I'm thinking you should go get your stuff from Nicky's."
Alex sat quietly for a moment. Her eyebrows were furrowed and Piper could practically hear her mind at work.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I meant what I said last night, and we miss you." She placed Alex's hand on her stomach, "This family needs you."
Alex looked at their joined hands before pulling Piper against her side and kissing her head.
"I heart you," she mumbled against Piper's hair.
x
Another three tense weeks dragged by and they were now sitting in the exam room of the fertility clinic. Alex was somewhat grateful the tension was from the unknown, not fighting.
"And there it is," the doctor located their baby and an image of it popped on the screen, the beeping of it's heart echoed around them.
Piper held her hands to her mouth and tears filled her eyes. Alex leaned forward, staring with her mouth hung open.
Piper looked to the doctor, "And you're sure everything's normal?"
"Yes, I just checked the additional tests we ran. You and your baby are perfectly healthy, it just gave us a little scare."
"Holy shit," Alex sat back, nerves suddenly hitting her.
"Congratulations," he smiled at them. "I'll have a copy of the picture waiting for you out front. Remember to schedule a follow-up appointment with your OBGYN. Nice to see you again."
Alex stood up and paced once he left the room, "We're gonna have two."
"That was the plan," Piper laughed. She noticed the panic on Alex's face, "Al, you okay?"
"Two!"
She pulled her glasses off and continued pacing, rubbing her temples.
"Hey."
She didn't acknowledge Piper.
"Hey!"
Alex stopped in her tracks at Piper's tone. Piper hooked Alex with the end of her finger and pulled her close to the exam table by the pocket of her jeans.
"Are you okay?"
"Not really. Kinda freaking out," Alex's leg bounced with anxiety.
Piper took Alex's hand and placed it on her stomach, smiling up at her playfully.
"I'll let you name this one," her eyes sparkled with mischief.
Alex laughed. They had agreed on literary names with Jack and decided to keep the theme for the next baby. Several of their favorite authors were named Jack and it was an easy decision for their son's first name. 'Classic and strong,' Alex had nodded at the suggestion. Piper loved The Catcher in the Rye but wasn't crazy about giving their child the middle name Holden. Alex had begged and bribed until Piper gave in.
'It's either Holden or Jay,' she had told Piper one night.
'Jay is a letter, not a name.'
'Excuse you, Jay Gatsby would be insulted.'
'His name was James Gatz.'
Alex had sat back pouting and Piper laughed. She knew Alex loved The Great Gatsby. Many of their friends often compared her to the bootlegger.
'Fine. Jack Holden sounds better than Jack Jay. I'll compromise.'
Alex had kissed Piper all over her face at the news, like she did to Jack now. It had the same effect on mother and son, making the recipient giggle. Piper smiled at the memory.
"I'm gonna name it Daisy Fay if it's a girl," Alex's leg had stopped bouncing and there was a smirk on her face. Her eyes sparkled like she was thinking of that same memory.
"You wouldn't dare," Piper smiled knowing she had calmed Alex's nerves and happy they shared another wonderful memory.
"I would. Daisy..." Alex leaned down and kissed Piper gently, "Fay..." She pulled back and whispered the last name, "Chapman."
Alex jumped back and held her hands out in defense before Piper could push her.
"You're not funny!" Piper yelled with a smile on her face and couldn't contain her laughter.
Alex held her hand to her chin, feigning deep thought, "Maybe Alex Jr. That works for a boy or a girl."
"Alex!" Piper laughed again but tried to look serious, "You can't name a girl Junior!"
Alex looked delirious with glee. The next 34 weeks were going to be fun, thinking of ridiculous names to torture Piper with.
"Harry Potter Vause."
"Alex!"
x
That night Jack was laying between them in their bed while Alex read to him. It was the same story she read to him every night before bed. Usually Alex and Jack's bed time ritual was their special bonding time, but her deep voice was soothing and Piper was still instructed to relax and avoid stress.
She loved watching her wife and son interact, the way their love was palpable. Nicky said it was like watching Alex with a miniature version of Piper.
He had been sleeping with them since Alex had moved back in, unwilling to separate from his mother. Alex's voice relaxed Piper and Jack and helped lull them both to sleep.
"A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she held him, she sang: I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be."
He pointed to the baby in the book like he did every night, talking around the thumb in his mouth, "I your baby, mama."
"Yeah, you're my baby."
She kissed his head and looked at Piper who shook her own. No way, she mouthed. They had discussed talking to him that night about the new baby but it looked like Piper was chickening out. Alex didn't really blame her after his last statement and the fact that he'd been so possessive of her since she'd come back home.
Alex shifted her attention back to the book, "The baby grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was two years old, and he ran all around the house. He pulled all the books off the shelves. He pulled all the food out of the refrigerator and he took his mother's watch and flushed it down the toilet. Sometimes his mother would say, 'this kid is driving me CRAZY!'"
Alex tickled Jack's sides when she mimicked the frustrated mother in the story and he squealed with laughter.
x
Piper woke up a little after dawn. Jack's feet were in her ribs and his body was stretched out diagonally, his face on Alex's stomach. His left hand held his thumb in his mouth and his right hand clutched Alex's shirt like he didn't want to give her any chance of escaping while he slept.
The floor creaked as she walked away, followed by Alex's voice from the bed behind her.
"Everything alright?"
"I need to pee again."
She walked back to Alex's side of the bed when she was finished in the bathroom.
"Move over, I miss you."
Alex readjusted, pushing Jack to Piper's side of the bed and moving herself to the middle, giving Piper her spot. She was on her back and Piper was nestled into the crook of her arm. The blonde draped her arm over Alex's stomach. Jack squirmed until he was laying on Alex's chest. Piper moved her arm to let him get comfortable and placed it over his back once he claimed that spot as his new resting place.
"You think he's gonna be jealous?" Piper whispered.
"Yes," Alex laughed quietly. "He's jealous when you kiss me."
"We fucked up," Piper frowned.
"He's little," Alex hugged Piper closer, "he won't remember his parents fighting and he'll get over this inseparable phase. Besides, he needs to get used to sharing. It's good for kids to have a sibling."
Piper smiled up at her, "You never had an older brother."
"I'm sure his sibling won't be as much of a pain as you," Alex winked.
"Hilarious."
Alex breathed in his baby scent, "I want another blonde bundle." He still smelled like a baby, but she missed his newborn smell. She gently stroked his blonde waves, "I love him." She twirled a piece of Piper's golden hair in her fingers, "And you." She locked eyes with Piper, "And our new one, little Bella Swan."
Piper's smile faded to a scowl.
"You're gonna lose that privilege if you keep playing that stupid game!" she hissed.
"You hear that, Eustace Clarence?" Alex rubbed Piper's stomach, "Mommy doesn't like your name."