A/N: Hey guys, so firstly a massive apology for the shorter chapters and infrequent updates, when did life get so busy huh?
I have a fairly good idea of where I'm going with this story but any suggestions are well received but we are finally finding out some of those pieces of the jigsaw.
Pleas follow, favourite, review, PM, any form of feedback!
Have at it guys...
Chapter #14…
Alex was due to be out of town the following day. She hated Saturday's and this one was proving to be the worst yet.
Climbing on her bike at 7am, the brunette reflected on the previous day as she made the four hour drive to New Jersey.
Glad of the monotonous droning of her bike against the road, she opened up the throttle on the interstate, happy to drown out her continuous thoughts of Piper.
Today she needed to be strong, she needed to be focussed.
Pulling up to the familiar grey gates she cut the motorcycle engine, idling up to the gate operator on the left hand side.
"Morning Joe"
"Hey Alex, how you doing?"
Alex nodded, her red blotchy eyes a clear indication of her lack of sleep the previous night.
"You're usual spot's free, give her my best."
"Thanks, I will."
As the gate crawled open, Alex edged through, taking her usual left turn at the end, parking her bike in front of the clinically white building before her.
She entered in through the main entrance giving a nod and wave to the two receptionists sat at their desk on the right. Heading down the long corridor, the sterile smell hitting her as she took the fourth right followed by the first left to reach the wooden door before. She knocked gently as she entered.
The room was always the same. Off-white walls adorned with sockets, heavily loaded with plugs and cables that branched to the left and right.
The small window on the back wall letting in the few glimpses of sunlight that shone onto the metal fixtures and fittings and the railings on the bedside before her. A cork board adorned with pictures, mostly of Alex, above the bed head.
Finally, the familiar blue leather recliner in the far right corner.
Alex couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief as she made her way over to the chair.
"Mom."
"Oh Alex baby it's so good to see you." Diane reached for her daughter, both arms outstretched as they embraced.
"How are you feeling today? Are they looking after you properly? Have you eaten?"
"Al, last time I checked I'm pretty sure I'm the mom."
Diane chuckled, poking the brunette in the ribs as she took a seat beside the older woman, grasping her right hand firmly between hers.
Alex raised her eyebrows at her mother, a smile playing on her lips.
"You know I could just ask the nurse, it's Lisa today isn't it, she'll tell me straight."
"I think she'll tell you anything you ask for Al, the size of the crush she has on you!"
Alex and Diane shared a smirk, recalling the first time the newer nurse had met Alex, clearly smitten with the brunette.
"How you feeling?" Alex asked seriously.
"I'm fine Al, they started the dialysis a few hours ago, I'm so used to it now I don't even feel it."
Alex squeezed Diane's hand.
"What's going on with you Al, you look like you haven't slept at all."
Alex mocked shock at her mother's blunt delivery.
Diane and Alex were always open and honest with each other, mostly because they saw though each other's bullshit so quickly. It had served them well since Diane had been diagnosed with kidney failure 6 months earlier and received several rounds of dialysis per week, which Alex was always present for.
Seeing the pause from her daughter at the earlier question, Diane instantly knew the issues Alex had.
"You've met a girl!" Diane squealed in excitement.
Alex recoiled, she knew her and her mother were close but even she was surprised at Diane's skills of intuition.
"Seriously, you should start some sort of detective agency" Alex joked.
"Don't change the subject Al, I want to hear all about her, what's her name?"
Alex shifted in her seat to face Diane, relieved to finally be able to spill her heart to her mum.
"Piper" Alex smiled at the mention of the girl's name.
"So tell me everything"
Diane smiled at her daughter. It was reciprocated by Alex who dived straight into the telling of her first meeting with the blonde.
XxX
"So after she punched her in the face, Piper ran out and I haven't seen her since."
Alex finished up her recollection of the previous day, still wincing at how her time with Piper had ended so abruptly.
"Fucking Sylvie!" Diane exclaimed, she'd never been a fan of Alex's fuck buddy.
Diane had quickly learned about the clingy and manipulative Sylvie having seen Alex's phone constantly ringing and her face appearing whenever Alex made the trip to see her.
Diane also knew how it worked between Sylvie and her daughter knowing the lack of commitment Alex had.
"What do I do mom? How do I win her back?"
Alex looked sheepishly towards her mother as the nurse entered the room to check the dialysis machine.
"Go tell her how you feel Al, I've never seen you like this before, my baby all grown up and in love!"
Alex shook her head as she hung it down, hiding the red blush that was rushing rapidly up her face. Once she was sure she had regained a normal colour she looked back at her mom.
"Way to over-exaggerate mom." Alex replied rolling her eyes.
With the nurse finishing up her final routine of checking the dialysis machine she turned to Alex.
Her red hair was spiked up highlighting the black eyeliner at the edges of her eyes, glasses hanging loosely from a purple cord around her neck. Her thin red lips pursed as she looked directly into Alex's green eyes.
"In Russia we have a saying, take the bear by the balls" she gestured a cupping and squeezing action with her right hand.
"Thanks Red" Diane responded laughing as Red carefully squeezed Diane's shoulder affectionately before making her way towards the door. "See Alex, take the bull by the horns" Diane added.
"Ah you Americans butcher the Russian sayings!" Red winked at Diane as she retreated from the room and down the corridor.
Diane and Alex chuckled together.
"I tried to see her yesterday but her flatmate wouldn't let me near her, said she didn't want to see me."
"Alex, have I not raised to have a little more determination than that?"
Diane looked directly at her daughter, her stern tone causing Alex to meet her mother's gaze.
"You spend every minute of every day trying to see this girl and tell her how you feel. You like her Alex, a lot, whether you want to verbalise it or not I can see it and you need to make sure she damn well knows about it. Go find her, don't let anything or anyone stand in your way. Be honest with her about everything and when you get her, you bring her straight here, you hear me?"
Diane broke out into a wide grin that was quickly matched by Alex.
The younger girl had often been subjected to tough pep talks from her mother during hard times of bullying at school and Diane's advice was always spot on.
Alex relished the time she spent with her mom, forming a clear plan in her head of how she was going to sort out this complicated mess that had somehow embroiled her.
She would fight for Piper, she was sure, it was inevitable.