It was a warm June day and Piper was especially moody. At 20 weeks she was half way through her pregnancy, hormonal, hot, and tired. The humid air during her family's walk home from the park hadn't helped.

Alex was in Jack's room putting their son down for a nap when Piper's phone rang. She answered it quickly without looking at the caller ID, startled by the ringing.

"Yes?!" she snapped.

"Take it easy, Shawshank. Don't rip my head off."

She sighed, recognizing her brother's voice.

"Sorry, Cal. What's up?"

"I called Alex but she didn't answer. She around?"

Piper hesitated before answering, suspicion lacing her reply.

"Yes...?"

"Can I talk to her?"

Piper's family hadn't reacted well to the news that she was intending to stay with Alex post-prison. Cal was excited and welcoming, even teasing Piper he was jealous she landed such a hot chick. Danny had yet to meet Alex, uninterested in spending any time with his family once he moved out. Her parents were cold and distant. The first time Piper brought Alex home her mother had tried offering to set her up with a 'nice young man' that was a dentist and the son of one of her friends, in front of Alex, making Piper livid and Alex chuckle at the blatant disregard for her in Piper's life.

She knew it wouldn't be easy or probably even likely that they would ever approve. The fact that they eloped didn't help her win any points, but with Jack's birth her parents had started to allow Alex to refer to them by their first names. They were by no means affectionate but Alex could tell they were coming around, perhaps subdued or comforted by the knowledge that Alex was a legally contributing and successful member of society now, building a life with Piper that somewhat resembled the WASPy dreams they once had for her.

Despite Cal's fondness for his sister-in-law, he lived in the middle of nowhere and rarely spoke to anyone, her being no exception. Piper was surprised to hear he was looking for her.

Piper looked up from the couch hearing Jack's door close and Alex walk out.

"Yeah, hold on." She held the phone up in her hand, "Al, Cal's on the phone."

Alex headed towards her, eyebrow raised.

"Okay?"

"He said he wants to talk to you."

Alex's face scrunched in confusion. She took the phone from Piper, plopping next to her on the couch and putting it on speaker.

Her only assumption for Cal reaching out to her so randomly was that he needed help with something, "What's wrong?"

Cal laughed in the Chapman 'you caught me, but I'm going to act offended' fashion.

"I can't call just to talk to my favorite sister-in-law?"

Alex looked at Piper and rolled her eyes.

"Cut the shit, Chapman," she said, addressing the phone.

"Okay, maybe I had a question for you."

"Mhm," Alex replied with an 'I knew it' hum.

"So I'm having a hard time getting a good harvest off a crop this summer and..."

Piper snatched the phone from Alex's hand, "Calvin Chapman, if you think my wife is going to help you grow pot you're out of your fucking mind!"

"But, Pipes..."

"I don't give a fuck what you have to say, Cal! You do realize we both went to prison on drug related charges, don't you?"

"I just need a few tips!"

Alex was trying to hold back her laughter, seeing how angry Piper was getting. She gently removed the phone from her wife's grip.

"I imported heroin, I never grew or made anything. I have no idea."

"Damn it."

"Goodbye, Cal!" Piper yelled, attempting to end the call.

"Wait!" he cut her off, knowing she was about to hang up on him. "Mom actually did want me to call."

"Is that so?" Piper's voice dripped with sarcasm and exasperation.

"Well... She asked me to a few days ago. At least I remembered!"

"What does she want?"

"She said she called you and left a message but you never returned her call so she wanted me to make sure you were coming tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" Alex asked.

"Their anniversary dinner."

Piper groaned and hung her head, her eyes closing in frustration.

"Can't you just tell her you never got ahold of us?"

"And lie to our dear, sweet mother? I would never think of doing something so..."

"Forget it, Cal. I'm not trading your silence for help with your stoner recreational activities."

"Fine, then I'll see you tomorrow, 3 o'clock at their house. Bye Alex!"

He hung up quickly before Piper could yell at him anymore.

Piper sighed and rubbed her temples.

"Can you take Jack to get a hair cut when he wakes up? I've been meaning to all week but didn't have any time. It's getting all shaggy and I just know my mother's going to have something to say."

"So? Fuck her, he's our baby."

Piper's lips turned up in a small smile.

"You don't care it looks all wild?"

"Nope," Alex said. She gave Piper a mischievous grin and gently rubbed her belly making Piper's heart flutter and Max kick, "my kids can be wild if they want to."

"You know she can hear you, right?"

"Good," Alex said to Piper, then leaned in close to stage whisper against her stomach, addressing Max. "You be as crazy as you want, wild child."

Alex laughed when she felt Max kick against her hand.

"Hey, that's not a bad name."

"Hmm?" Alex hummed questioningly, glancing up at Piper while tapping on her stomach against Max's kicks.

"Max Wilde. It's still literary. Oscar Wilde, Where The Wild Things Are..."

Alex smirked and wagged her eyebrows.

"Laura Ingalls Wilder."

Piper smacked her arm, giggling.

"You're never gonna let that go, are you?"

Alex smirked again, "Nope."

"What do you think?"

"Max Wilde Vause, eh? Are you sure you're not suggesting that just to piss your mom off?"

Piper shrugged and small smile formed across her face, "Maybe."

"Well maybe I'll consider it," Alex said before capturing Piper's lips in a gentle kiss. "In the mean time you can have the small satisfaction of knowing you're not gonna show up to your parent's house with a baby that has short trimmed hair."

"He looks cute with his hair cut like a little man."

"With that neatly trimmed blonde hair parted at the side he looks like a fucking Mormon," Alex laughed. She ran her hand under Piper's shirt and started tracing random shapes against Piper's skin and spoke quietly, almost shyly, "I like when it gets to grow out a little. The waves in his hair turn into curls."

Piper smiled down at her wife, "You fucking sap. I never thought I'd replace 'confident drug smuggling Alex' as my favorite."

Alex looked up with the beginning of a scowl on her face, "What the fuck does that mean?"

"Just that 'mother of our children Alex' is by far my favorite."

"Whatever," Alex mumbled, thankful she didn't blush as easily as Piper.

x

They had pulled up to the Chapman's home and Piper and Alex were in no rush to go inside. Neither voiced it, but they both took their time unbuckling Jack from his car seat, retrieving his diaper bag, and walking towards the front door.

Jack held two of Alex's fingers as she led her family up the steps. Piper stood behind them, Alex's silence only made Piper more tense. She placed her hand on the small of her wife's back, caressing her affectionately, telling her in their unspoken way that she loved her and she was glad she was there. Alex looked back at her and attempted to turn her grimace into a tight smile.

Since the first time Alex had met Piper's family she had learned to stay quiet and follow Piper's lead. She knew her presence made things uncomfortable and didn't want to make it harder for Piper than it already would be. She didn't give a fuck what they thought about her, but she loved her wife and their children and didn't want them to suffer because of her.

Family was important, she missed her own mother every day. As much as Piper resented her family Alex knew she adored her father and loved Cal and she wasn't willing to be the reason they didn't talk or see each other. So she sucked it up, dealt with her in-laws when she had to, and stayed quiet.

Alex rang the door bell and Piper shuffled nervously behind her, bending down to smooth out Jack's already straightened shirt.

"He's fine, Pipes." Alex held her gaze and gave her a genuine smile. "You're both perfect."

Piper smiled back at her and gave her a quick kiss before the door opened.

"Piper, dear," her mother clapped her hands together. "I was wondering what was taking so long. Cal did tell you 3 o'clock, didn't he?"

Piper sighed. She's starting already. It's going to be a long day.

"Yes, mother."

She peaked around Alex to see Jack hiding behind her leg, "Is that my grand-baby hiding back there? Come give your grandmother a kiss. Look how big you've gotten!"

He hesitated, holding onto Alex's leg, his shyness taking over.

Alex nudged him gently, "Go on, kid. It's alright."

He walked out from behind her, extending his hand in a quick wave.

"Hi gramma," he said quietly before placing his hand back in Alex's.

"Well come inside then!" she said happily, attempting to bring the group off the porch. "Alex," she said with a nod as her daughter-in-law walked past her.

"Carol," Alex returned the nod. She looked down at Jack to see him scratching at the collar of his shirt.

Piper had dressed him in dark blue pants and a grey polo shirt because while it may be summer and his hair may be longer than usual, there was no way she was willing to hear more of her mother's bitching for bringing her child to a family event in his usual shorts and tee shirt with an alien, dinosaur, shark, pirate ship, guitar, or skull on it.

Piper had followed her mother inside to the study and Alex could hear her interacting with her family while she and Jack lagged behind.

"And where is my grandson?"

Alex was putting Jack's diaper bag in one of the guest rooms but she could still hear Bill's voice so she shooed her son out.

"Probably with Alex," Piper said, looking relieved to see them joining the others. "There he is. Her shadow, he follows her everywhere."

Alex nudged Jack ahead to give his grandparents a hug.

Bill picked him up and bounced him.

"Oh my! You're getting very big, aren't you?"

Carol nodded in agreement, "Very tall for his age."

"My mama's tall," Jack said quietly.

Alex felt her heart swell with pride any time the blonde boy claimed something positive took after her. She noticed him scratching at his collar again.

"What's wrong, son?"

He wiggled, signaling for Bill to put him down and walked to Alex, pulling on the collar.

"It's choking me."

She chuckled at his Piper style dramatics and bent down to undo the second button on his shirt.

"When dinner's done I'll get you another shirt from your change of clothes, okay?"

He nodded that he understood and she kissed his nose, unaware that everyone was watching them interact.

x

Piper sat with her parents and Cal in the study after dinner while Alex was cleaning Jack up and putting him in his promised change of clothes, the same study the Chapmans sat in when Piper announced her prison sentence.

"Have you decided on a name for this new addition?" Bill asked, "Polly told your mother you found out it's going to be a girl."

"Jill," Alex said with a smirk, joining the group and sitting next to Piper.

"Jack and Jill?" Carol asked, her face going pale.

"She's joking, mother," Piper said with a laugh.

Jack ran in and tapped Piper's leg, "I made you this."

He held up a page with several scribbles in different colored crayons.

"Thank you! It's very nice. Why don't you make one for Uncle Cal?"

"'Kay!"

He ran back out the way he came, stopping in his tracks when he reached the doorway.

"What's your fa'rite color, Uncle Cal?"

"Green," Cal said, sharing a mischievous grin with Alex and receiving and glare from Piper.

Jack ran out and then back in a few moments later, this time holding a green crayon.

He held it up for Alex to inspect, "This one?"

"That's right," she smiled.

"Come color wif me, mama."

She hesitated for a moment and he picked up on the fact that she would need some convincing to leave his mother's side.

He climbed on the couch, onto her lap, and poked her cheeks with his index fingers.

"P'ease, p'ease, p'ease?"

Alex smiled and pushed his golden hair off his forehead, the loose curls falling across his face just above his eyebrows.

She felt Piper stroke her leg and say quietly, "I'll come find you if I need anything."

Alex looked at her, trying to gauge her response. With Piper so moody lately and her preexisting annoyance with her mother Alex wasn't sure if she should leave her side.

Piper nodded and squeezed her thigh and Alex lifted Jack so she could stand up.

"Why don't we color outside?" she asked him as he followed her out to retrieve his construction paper and crayons.

When things got especially heated or loud Alex would often retreat to the garden, finding it to be the only place of peace for her in that house.

The study was quiet after they left, an almost awkward silence falling over the group.

"I can tell she's a good mother," Carol said.

Piper was frozen.

Did she really just say that?

She looked at her father who was nodding his silent approval and Cal who looked as stunned as she felt.

"Th-they adore each other," she finally managed to stutter out.

"She only looks happy to be here when she's looking at the two of you," Carol added.

This time Piper wasn't at a loss for words.

"Well who's fault is that?" she said with a glare.

For once Carol was quiet so Bill took over, "We've discussed your situation..."

"My situation?!"

"Maybe that wasn't the right phrasing..."

"That's my wife and son, and I'm pregnant with our daughter! It's not a situation, it's my life, and if you can't see I've never been happier..."

"We can see it, darling." Bill held his hands up to appease Piper while he tried to explain, "The way you look at each other... We know it's not a phase."

Piper relaxed a bit.

"Polly said Alex has a special smile that's just for me. She only sees it when Alex is around me," she smiled at the memory, thinking how she'd never realized Alex's eyes only lit up in that way when she was talking to her.

"We're sorry for pushing you away."

Carol spoke up again, "You have to understand we wanted you to live a certain life..."

"Well this is the life I want."

"We understand," her father took back over, patting Carol's leg, "and we want you to know we'll try to be more supportive."