A/N

Hello again! Thanks everyone for your patience with this chapter. I'm still on holidays, but have been writing a little along the way. Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday break, I certainly have. It might be another week or two until regular updates start again. And of course, thanks for reading.

This chapter is rated M.

Cheers.

Chapter 13

Alex finally got Piper showered and into clean clothes. The blonde was a lot calmer now and thinking more clearly. Alex set up their bed in the lounge room and got Piper to lie down with her.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Piper nodded, she was ready to start talking, "Grandma was fine with everything, but I didn't tell her about Healy, I'm sure mum has filled her in on that by now. When I told her we were together, she didn't care. But she said I had to talk to mum, so we went there after dinner. Fuck, she was so angry Al."

"What did she say?"

"She was angry that I didn't tell her about us, and she's worried about the Healy situation. She just kept going on, I lost it at her. I yelled at her and I left. That's when I called you."

"Maybe you should go to her meeting with Caputo tomorrow morning? It might help to clear things up."

Piper really didn't want to go, Alex could see it all over her face, "Think of it like this Pipes, if you're there then you can make sure she knows the truth about what's going on. It'll give you a chance to explain everything to her, and then you know exactly what Caputo is saying to her."

"You should come too."

"I really don't think they want me there Pipes."

"I don't care, I want you there, you're the other half of this. If he's making threats against me, he's probably saying the same things about you."

Alex thought about it. Piper was probably right, but Alex really didn't want to be stuck in a room with Carol Chapman.

"I'll think about it, I don't wanna cause more trouble for you tomorrow, or end up starting a fight. Your mum isn't exactly my biggest fan."

Piper didn't care what her mother thought, she wanted Alex to be there. Alex had been dealing with crap from Healy for so long, she needed to be there. She got closer to Alex so she could kiss her properly, she didn't want to think about tomorrow.

Alex could feel the urgency in the blonde's kisses, they were getting deeper and harder. Piper eventually rolled them over so that Alex was lying on top of her. She didn't want to think anymore, she needed to know what it felt like. She was so afraid of what might happen in the coming months, she needed this, she couldn't wait.

Alex was more than happy to take the lead, and pressed her body against Piper's. She could sense what her girlfriend wanted, but she wasn't sure this was the right time. She didn't want the first time she made love to Piper to be marred by anything. Alex could feel Piper's breathing change, she needed to say something before things went any further.

"Are you sure? We don't have to do this if you're upset."

Piper didn't hesitate in grabbing Alex's hand and lowering it down her body towards her pyjama shorts, "I'm not upset anymore. I need this, I need to know what it feels like to be with you. I need you, that's all I care about."

Alex felt Piper move her hand in between her legs, she could already feel the heat. She kept going, she was starting to lose herself in the moment. Alex had been thinking about this since last week, she wanted Piper, but only once she was ready.

Alex could finally do all the things she'd been thinking about, taking Piper's top off and running her hands over her chest, feeling how soft her skin was. She started grinding her hips into Piper, softly at first and then harder as they both started to get more worked up. Alex couldn't get enough of this, she would never get tired of touching the blonde. Alex breathed into Piper's ear, sending shivers down her body.

"Remember, you need to be quiet."

Piper could barely speak in between her ragged breathes, "I...aghh, I don't know if I can.."

Alex smiled into Piper's neck, she didn't want to wait any longer, she needed to touch her. Alex ran her hand down Piper's body and into her shorts, she could feel Piper was already getting wet. She wanted to take it slow, this wasn't just a fuck, Alex wanted to make a new connection to Piper. She wanted to show Piper what it felt like to be with someone that loved you.

Piper's body jerked up into Alex's as soon as the brunette touched her, she'd never felt this sensitive before. Alex loved it when Piper grabbed onto her neck, pulling them closer together. Piper pulled Alex so close, their lips were almost touching, but not quite. Alex kept her eyes completely focused on the girl underneath her, that's all she could think about. There was something she wanted to do, but she needed to make sure Piper wanted it too.

Alex kept her lips almost pressed against Piper's as she spoke, "I wanna go down on you."

Piper closed her eyes just thinking about it, she'd never been that intimate with someone before, but she trusted Alex, she wanted all of her. She opened her eyes and looked up at the brunette, nodding her head.

Alex started slowly kissing her way down Piper's body, down her neck and to her chest, taking off the blonde's top. She kissed her breasts, they were so soft and smooth, she loved the way they felt against her lips. She took one nipple into her mouth and started running her tongue over it. She smiled as she felt Piper squirming underneath her, Alex was hitting all her most sensitive spots. Piper pressed her face into the pillow, trying to muffle any sounds she made.

Alex kept making her way down Piper's body until she reached her shorts. She gently lifted Piper's legs and pulled the shorts down until she was completely naked. Alex crawled back up Piper's body to kiss her on the lips, making sure she was still comfortable.

Alex was surprised when the blonde grabbed her face and kissed her hard before whispering in her ear, "I don't want to wait anymore..."

Alex kissed her on the lips one more time before she shuffled back down her body. She put her hands on Piper's thighs, rubbing them gently. She could see how aroused Piper was, Alex didn't want to wait any longer either. She leaned in and slowly licked up Piper's centre, letting the blonde get used to the feeling.

"Aggh, Al…"

Piper's reaction put Alex at ease, and she kept going. She focused her tongue on Piper's clit until she felt hands in her hair, she knew she'd hit the right spot. Alex flattened out her tongue and kept focusing on Piper's clit, with the blonde now moving her hips into Alex's face. The brunette could tell she wanted more, she could feel how wet Piper was getting. She moved one hand up Piper's body until she reached her chest, and she started massaging one of Piper's breasts, putting extra pressure on her nipple.

Piper tightened her grip on Alex's hair even more, no one had ever made her feel like this. There were so many sensations running through her body, making her push her hips into Alex's face harder and harder. She grabbed Alex's hand that was on her breast, riding out every feeling together.

"Ohhh fuck..."

Piper sounded like she was getting close, and Alex wanted her to feel everything. Piper whimpered as Alex moved her hand from her breast, running it back down her stomach and thighs. Piper was about to pull the brunettes hand back up when she felt Alex slip a finger inside her.

She kept pushing her face into the pillow to stifle her moans, Alex was paying attention to every part of her body, and it felt amazing.

Alex gently slipped in another finger, and kept focusing her tongue on Piper's clit. She kept curling her fingers inside her girlfriend, she could feel her walls tightening. Alex knew exactly how she wanted to take the blonde over the edge.

She kept curling her fingers inside Piper and then sucked her clit into her mouth, running her tongue over it again and again. She felt Piper's walls tighten even more, and the blonde kept writhing underneath her. Alex knew she was coming.

She tried to catch a glimpse of Piper's face, but the blonde had her head leaned all the way back, trying to stop her moans as she came in Alex's mouth.

"Oh my god FUCK!"

Alex's head was starting to hurt from Piper's grip on her hair, but she liked it. She helped Piper down from her high, eventually slipping out her fingers and wiping her mouth on her shoulder. She crawled back up Piper's body, the blonde was still breathing heavily. She pushed the sweaty hair from Piper's face and kissed her softly on the lips. Alex opened her eyes when she noticed Piper taking shallow breaths, and she saw tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Hey, Pipes are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

Piper shook her head and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's neck, she needed her to be close.

Alex wasn't sure what was going on, so she kept hugging Piper and wiped away her tears.

"You can talk to me Pipes, you've got me a bit worried over here."

Piper felt like an idiot and cursed at herself, "Who the hell cries after sex!"

"I just feel really overwhelmed right now..."

Alex kissed Piper on the cheek and passed her back her t-shirt and shorts so she could get dressed, but she stayed silent, letting the blonde talk at her own pace.

"The way I feel...it's still new to me. And I've never let anyone else touch me like that before, but it's so different with you. You make me feel so different Alex, and now my mum wants to take you away from me."

Alex kissed Piper on the nose, glad that she wasn't crying anymore, "You make me feel different too Pipes, but I'm not going anywhere, don't think about it like that. No matter what happens tomorrow, if your mum hates me and won't let me in your house, if she won't let you go to school, or whatever…All those things are temporary, but I'll still be here when things go back to normal."

Piper nodded as she leaned her head on Alex's chest, she didn't have anything left to say. There was nothing left now, she'd given Alex all of her vulnerabilities, she'd let the younger girl see everything about her. Now she had to step back and believe Alex's words, that's all the brunette had to give her. That's all Piper needed to hear.

"I love you Alex."

0-0-0-0-0-0

Piper sat next to her mother the next morning in Caputo's office. She couldn't stop grinding her teeth, her jaw was actually starting to hurt. All the blonde could hear was her own breathing, she was starting to wonder whether the others could hear it too. Alex wasn't there, they both ended up agreeing that Piper would go on her own, and then they'd decide what to do next. She looked across at her mother, who didn't acknowledge her at all. They still hadn't spoken since the night before when Piper stormed out of the apartment. They'd both met at the school that morning, exchanged a polite glance, but that was it. Now Caputo was about to start talking, and Piper had no idea what her mother was thinking.

"Thank you for coming in today Mrs Chapman."

Piper kept looking at her hands, she couldn't bring herself to look anyone in the face, but she tried to pay attention to what Caputo was saying. She needed to make sure he told the story right, without twisting the facts against Alex.

"As I mentioned on the phone, the issue is with a student called Sam Healy. Now, he's been through a rough time, but that's no excuse for his behaviour."

Piper felt her ears burning as soon as she heard her mother mention Alex.

"And what about this Alex girl? What's the excuse for her behaviour?"

"Look, Alex is a good kid at heart, but she's also had a lot to deal with. I think what we have here is a group of young people that are trying to work out how to handle their own emotions, and things have gotten out of hand."

"And what are you doing about that? My child is being threatened, to be perfectly honest I don't want her attending this school anymore."

That thought made Piper practically jump out of her skin. Not being at the same school as Alex, not knowing if she was safe every day, it wasn't an option.

"No mum you can't do that! I'm not changing schools in senior year!"

"Piper.."

"No, you're not listening to me! If you want me to do well, then you won't make me change schools when we're almost half way through senior year!"

Piper's breathing intensified, now she was almost certain the others could hear it. She managed to snap back to reality when she heard Caputo's voice.

"Just calm down Piper, it's okay."

Carol was surprisingly quiet. Even though she was angry and worried, she didn't want to hurt her daughter.

"So what are you doing to protect my daughter?"

"Do you remember the details we spoke about over the phone? About why this situation has escalated?"

"Yes Mr Caputo, and all I know is that my daughter shouldn't be involved in any of this! So what are you doing to protect her?"

"We're keeping him under a very close watch, and the girls will stick together during the day."

Piper watched on and saw her mother lean forward in her chair, "And what are you doing to protect my daughter from Alex?"

Piper looked at Caputo, who had a confused look on his face, "Well, Piper doesn't need protection from Alex. I can promise you she's not a violent student."

"But the violence seems to follow her, doesn't it Mr Caputo?"

"Which is why we're keeping a very close eye on Sam Healy."

Piper couldn't listen anymore, she tuned out the rest of the conversation. Caputo kept reassuring her mother that the teachers would watch Healy closely, that there was no need to switch Piper to another school, that Alex didn't present any physical threat to Piper. She was sick of it.

They agreed that Carol would meet Caputo again next week, and in the meantime Piper needed to make sure she stayed with friends at all times as an extra precaution. Piper didn't understand why they couldn't just expel Healy, it all felt so unfair.

Piper looked her mother in the eye as soon as they left Caputo's office. The two women stood in the empty hallway, just looking at each other.

"Will you be home for dinner tonight?"

Piper knew this was her mother's way of trying to patch things up, "Sure, I'll be home by 6."

Piper stood completely still and watched her mother walk down the hallway towards the main exit. Things could have gone so much worse in that meeting, and she was trying to look on the bright side. She wasn't moving schools, she wasn't being kept away from Alex. Piper needed to learn to accept any small wins and be ready for the next step, no matter what it was.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"So sounds like the meeting went better than you expected?"

Piper was sitting on the couch in the Vause apartment, between the two sisters. She gave them the run down of the meeting on the way home, she still felt drained from it. Sally had been doing most of the talking, while Alex kept a tight hold on Piper's hand.

"Yeah, I mean…there was no yelling or threats being made…"

Piper was so relieved when she finally heard Alex's voice, she was starting to worry about what the brunette was thinking.

"So how are things with your mum?"

"I'm not even sure….I think things are okay, but we haven't spoken properly. My guess is that in true Chapman fashion, she'll pretend like everything is fine. She'll still be pissed at the school and probably drive Caputo nuts, but..."

"But she'll pretend like I don't exist..."

Alex couldn't stop herself from finishing that sentence. It hurt a little bit, but at least Piper was still in her life. And no one could blame Carol for getting angry with the school, it was about time someone rattled those cages. Carol just wanted her daughter to be safe, any one could understand that. Alex was just grateful that she wasn't actively trying to keep them apart, even if it was completely obvious that Carol didn't like her.

"I'm sorry Al."

"Don't be silly Pipes, it's not your fault. It's fine, the main thing is that we're all together."

Alex felt Sally's hand on her shoulder, she was making her way back from the kitchen with beers she'd managed to get from Reds place.

"Exactly. At least the hardest part with your mum is over, and like I said last night, you can always crash here with us."

"Thanks Sal." Piper really did appreciate everything about Sally, she was the most genuine friend Piper had ever had.

Piper took the beer from Sally just as she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket, it was her mother.

"Hi mum."

Sally stood there and watched the look change on Piper's face, and the phone call ended very quickly.

"Well, looks like I'm free for dinner after all. So much for making progress, she doesn't want to see me."

Sally sat back down next to Piper, she knew her friend was hurting, "Stay with us for a couple days, maybe she needs some time to process everything."

"That's not it Sal, she has no fucking clue how to deal with this, she doesn't want to deal with it. She couldn't even be bothered coming up with a real reason for cancelling dinner, all she said was that something came up."

Piper let herself lean into Alex, this was the first time in a long time that she felt completely lost. Neither of her parents could be bothered with her, and suddenly the two girls sitting next to her made up most of her world.

Alex pulled Piper in closer and kissed her on the cheek, "Stay here tonight, you can borrow some clothes for tomorrow, then after school we can go pick up some of your stuff. Give it time Pipes, maybe your grandma can help?"

"Yeah, maybe."

Piper was determined to bury her face in Alex's shoulder and her long dark hair, she needed to escape.

"How do you keep it together Al? With everything you've experienced, how do you do it?"

"I don't keep it together Pipes, nobody does. I've fallen apart so many times in the last two years, then Nicky or Sal help me pull it together again."

Piper sat up straight and looked at her girlfriend, that was the first time she'd heard Alex talk like that.

She ran her finger tips over Alex's cheek, "What if we start helping each other pull it together?"

Alex leaned in closer and kissed Piper softly on the lips, that was all the reassurance she needed.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Piper borrowed clothes from Sally for school the next day, they were similar sizes so the jeans and t-shirt fit surprisingly well. She was with Sally at their lockers in the morning when Cal came up to her.

"So, what did you do to piss mum off so much?"

Piper furrowed her brows as she looked down at her brother, maybe he could give her some insight into Carol.

"Why? What happened last night?"

"She called dad and he came over for dinner, of course you were their topic of choice."

"Seriously Cal, what did they say?"

"They wouldn't say much in front of me, just that you were going off track and maybe they shouldn't have made you switch schools, I dunno. So come on, what the hell happened?"

Piper didn't want Cal to be worried about Healy doing anything to her, so she kept her explanation brief.

"She found out about me and Alex."

"Ohhh shit! No wonder she was so weird last night. What are you gonna do?"

Piper looked towards Sally, who gave her a small smile.

"I'm staying with Sally and Alex for a few days, then I guess I'll come home and see what happens. What was dad like last night? Did he say much?"

"Nah, it was all ultra civil, but like I said, they wouldn't say much in front of me. I gotta run to class, but I'll call you tonight."

Piper watched Cal run down the hallway, she needed to remember that he was on her side, and that he was also stuck in that house with Carol.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Alex was struggling to concentrate on anything during class, she couldn't stop thinking about what Carol would do next. The same thoughts kept circling through her mind and it was driving her nuts. She knew talking to Carol wouldn't help, Caputo couldn't do anything, so all she could do was wait. Wait, and be there for Piper.

She excused herself to go to the bathroom, deciding she'd be safe enough on her own when everyone was in class. She saw Nicky give her a glare from the back of the class room but she brushed it off. She knew everyone was just looking out for her, but she was sick of being tailed everywhere she went at school.

Alex walked into the closest girls' bathroom and went to look at herself in the mirror, she looked tired. She was about to go into one of the cubicles when someone else walked in, she turned around to see who it was.

"Are you fucking kidding me Sam, what now?"

Sam had followed Alex into the bathroom and was standing near the door. She knew she had to stand her ground, he'd never done this before.

"I just want to talk."

"Fine, so talk." Alex had absolutely no interest in talking to him, but she also didn't want this to turn into a fight. She'd let him say his piece, and then get the hell away from him.

"I'm not a bad guy."

Alex didn't respond, whatever he thought he was or wasn't, he certainly wasn't a good guy.

"My life changed that night too, you're not the only one that's had a tough time."

It's like he was waiting for Alex to say something, but she stayed quiet.

"My mother might as well be dead, she'll probably never be able to come home. She's medicated constantly, half the time she has no idea who I am."

"Why are you telling me this?" Alex was keen for this conversation to end as soon as possible.

"Because you need to know, you're not the only one that's hurting."

"Is that why you treat me like I'm nothing, huh?"

"You've got no idea what it's like to be treated badly! I'm the one that no one will talk to! I'm the one with the crazy mum in the mental institution! How do you think that makes me feel?"

Even though he'd started to step closer to her, Alex didn't move, she was determined to stand her ground, no matter what.

"You're the only one that came out of that accident in one piece. You didn't die, you didn't get sent anywhere, but you still blame my mother for all of it. It's not all her fault, she didn't know what she was doing, I could have helped her."

Alex had never seen this side of him, he wasn't even making much sense anymore. His mother ran the red light, she slammed into their car, she did it all to herself. Diane did nothing wrong that night, but Alex wasn't stupid. Of course she knew that night had changed Sam's life too, that his life got harder after that night. Maybe something had happened between him and his mother, maybe they'd fought, maybe they didn't get along, she had no idea. She knew he was hurting too, but that didn't give him the right to take it out on her.

"Whatever Sam, just get out of the way."

Alex started to step towards him, but he didn't budge.

"Now you're dragging Piper into your life, you don't need to flaunt in out in the open in the school hallways. She's not like you Alex, you should stay away from her."

It took all of Alex's self control to not tell him to get fucked right there, she knew she needed to stay calm. But she really wasn't interested in hearing about how she was no good for Piper, especially after talking about the car accident.

"I'll leave her alone Alex, but only if you do."

Alex was about to say something when the bathroom door opened again and Nicky walked through, "C'mon Vause, time to get back to class."

Nicky got worried as soon as Alex left class on her own and decided to follow her. As soon as she walked into the bathroom and saw Healy blocking the doorway, she knew she'd done the right thing.

Alex walked past Healy and out the bathroom door, with Nicky holding onto her arm. She was surprised when he let her walk past without saying anything. Maybe he was starting to get emotional because it was nearly Christmas, she couldn't be sure. But one thing was certain, Nicky was pissed at her for leaving class on her own.

"What the fuck Alex! Which part of don't walk around school by yourself did you not understand?"

"Sorry okay, I thought I could go to the bathroom without a chaperone, I was clearly wrong."

"What the hell was going on in there anyway?"

Alex didn't even know what to tell Nicky, she felt like maybe Healy was starting to crack.

0-0-0-0-0

Alex made Nicky promise to not tell Sally or Piper about the bathroom incident, nothing bad happened and she didn't want to dwell on it. The school day was finally over and Alex was in the car with Piper and Sally. They were going to swing past Piper's apartment so she could pick up some clothes, the blonde was obviously nervous.

She parked her car outside the apartment building and just sat there, staring at the steering wheel. Alex put a hand on her shoulder from the back seat, "Do you want us to wait in the car?"

"No, no I've got nothing to hide, come with me."

The girls walked into the apartment building and followed Piper to her front door. The blonde linked her fingers with Alex's before she finally opened the door. She wasn't expecting her mother to be home in the middle of the day, and hadn't seen her car downstairs. Piper led the two other girls into the apartment and towards her bedroom, but stopped in her tracks when she noticed someone standing in the kitchen, her father.

Piper tightened her grip on Alex's hand, she hadn't seen her father in so long, she didn't know what to say.

"Dad, what are you doing here?"

Bill Chapman looked his daughter up and down, letting his gaze linger over Piper's hand that was still clinging to Alex.

"I was hoping to catch you after school, your mum told me what's been going on, I'm worried Piper."

Piper started to feel frustrated, this was all her dad was ever good at, making an appearance every now and then to make himself feel like a real parent. But he didn't care enough to let her live with him, even when she begged him, he said no.

She tried to push past him, she wasn't in the mood to be told about all the wrong decisions she was making.

"There's nothing to worry about, I'm fine."

Bill grabbed Piper's arm before she could get past him, speaking loudly, "We need to talk about this."

"No, we don't!"

Piper shrugged off his grip and turned to face him, with Sally and Alex now standing behind her.

Bill turned his gaze towards the two sisters, "Piper and I need some time to speak, I'd appreciate it if you could give us some privacy."

Alex looked to Sally, searching for an answer, but she heard Piper's voice again before anything else happened.

"No, I don't want them to leave. I'm here to pick up some clothes and then I'm leaving."

"Piper! This isn't a game, we need to talk. Where are you even staying?"

Piper grabbed Alex's hand again and took a few steps towards her dad, "I'm staying with Alex and Sally, I'm sure mum told you all about them."

Piper was hoping he would back down, he never liked to be dragged into a confrontation. But instead, he started talking to Alex.

"Listen Alex, I'm sure you can understand our concern, which is why it's best if you keep your distance from Piper for a while."

"No dad! You don't get to just step into my life when it suits you! I begged you to let me live with you, I fucking begged you! But no, all you cared about was having time for the other women in your life. You don't care about me or Cal. Fuck, at least mum lets us live with her!"

Alex pulled Piper closer to her and spoke quietly, "Just go to your room and get your stuff, we'll wait here for you."

Piper tried to calm down, she wanted to get out of that house as fast as possible. She turned to go to her room, but Bill moved towards them and grabbed onto Alex's arm. All he wanted was to get her out of the way, but that one action pushed Piper over the edge.

"No, you don't get to touch her! Everyone thinks they can do whatever they like to her, and I'm fucking sick of it!"

Bill stepped back from the girls, shocked by Piper's reaction, he'd never seen her like that before.

Sally knew the situation wasn't going to improve and stepped in, putting an arm around her friend.

"Let's go Pipes, you can borrow our stuff, come on."

Piper slowly nodded, she was putting all her energy into not crying, she didn't want to cry in front of her dad. She let Sally lead her out of the apartment with Alex following behind. Bill didn't say anything else, and watched them leave.

Sally took the car keys and drove them all back to the Vause apartment, she hadn't expected things to go that badly. Seeing how Piper interacted with her parents made her appreciate her time with Diane even more, even if it wasn't very long.