Nicky, for all her sarcasm and gruff, was not Alex's best friend for nothing. She'd felt a kinship with the tiny woman instantly. Rehab had been almost too much for her definant, angry, nineteen year old self to take but it had not been Nicky's first time at the rodeo and she'd taken Alex under her wing, showing her the ropes, making the three months bearable. When they had checked out, within weeks of one another, (after a disastrous and thankfully short lived intimacy), they discovered their chemistry only lay in making a song together, in fleshing out ithe pieces, bone by bone. They wrote songs of solitude and of pain and then of great joy and they worked incredibly well together, Alex balancing Nicky's manic song writing style with her own calm, methodical process.. It was Alex's idea to form a band. Neither of them sang particularly well and couldn't play drums at all so they remained on the look out for ladies to complete thUeir group. Lorna was a waitress at Red's who causally mentioned to Nicky one day after she'd brought her coffee that she sang. Poussey, they had found through sheer dumb luck; she'd been playing drums for a shitty band at a house party Alex had been at, wooing her to join them by noting she was way too good for the band she was with. It had taken alot for them to even get off of the ground but they had stuck it out and Alex had stuck it out with Nicky, through relaspes and the aftermath of Hurricane Lorna. And Nicky had stuck by Alex in the same manner.

Which was why Alex wasn't shocked to see her friend amble down the aisle and plop in the seat across from her. Red had stolen Piper for the last twenty minutes or so to go over the iternary for the press junket in Boston (the radio interviews they had were all together but Piper would be doing some newspaper spots solo) and Poussey had fallen asleep with her headphones in, Nicky having tucked a travel pillow behind her.

The bassist had been unharacteristically quiet over the past few days, save from enjoying the time she spent with Diane but Alex knew her well enough to know not to push. Piper was still very much a sore subject and although Nicky insisted she liked the singer, the whole thing didnt quite sit well with her, a fact Alex was painfully aware of. Her friend was every bit her protector as Diane was.

"Hey."

"Hey," She returned, nodding her head towards the bassist. "What's up?"

Nicky shrugged. "Oh you know...living in my fuckin' head, thinking about seeing her again...wondering if I'll tell her to go fuck herself or just fuck her."

'"Talk about two different reactions."

"Tell me about it," The other woman said ruefully. "And I obviously don't wanna hurt P more than I already have..."

"How are things with you guys?" She took a swig of water from the Poland Spring bottle on the seat next to her.

"Uh...shaky. Your Mom convinced me talk to her. I mean like really talk to her and she had all these-things she wanted to say, ya know? And I mean, I fucking like her. Who wouldn't, right? She's fucking awesome. But there's no way I can be with somebody now...I'd fuck it up, man. You know I would. Amd I'd end up hurting her. I sure as hell don't want that."

"What'd she say?"

"She said she got it. That she could wait, if there was something to wait for."

"Shit," Alex acknowledged soberingly, "That's serious...I hope you told her you were working on getting your crap together. Maybe once you see Morello you can get her out of your system once and for all and you can move on. P is damn good people."

"Hypocrite," There was no malice in Nicky's tone, only a miserable camaraderie.. "Maybe seeing Larry tomorrow will be what you need to move on."

Her words struck a raw nerve and Alex had to gather herself. "Look," she focused down at her boot, "Not the same situation." A sudden revelation hit her and she glanced back up at Nicky. "Oh fuck me...it's exactly the same situation, isn't it?"

"Except you have what I never did, dude. Chapman loves you. And I tried to overlook it because I didn't want you to get hurt but the other night at the bar, the way she looked at you...You'd have to be blind not to notice. Whatever she decides, it isn't gonna be an easy decision, Vause." She looked out the window as the bus sped down the stretch of highway. "But you at least have a fighting chance."

"Nick," Alex put a hand on her knee, "Morello loved you."

"No she didn't. She loved the idea of me...once the promise of the perfect guy and the white picket fence and the dream of the nice little fucking nuclear family came along...I was nobody to her. "The bassist pursed her lips. "It took me a long time to accept it but I think I finally have."

"Do you think you still have to meet with her then?" She asked carefully.

"Yeah...I think that I do. Tell her how much she hurt me...how she doesn't fucking have control over my mind anymore...that's the only way I can move on, really...with P, with anyone." She focused back on her friend. "She wants to go with me to meet her. Got all protective and shit. It was kinda cute, actually. Usually people assume I can take care of myself."

"Yeah well, we know better. You be careful, you hear me? I'm serious. Don't get sucked in." Lorna could be sweet as pie, but Alex had never fully trusted her. There was a definite manipulative streak in the other woman, one Alex had been able to recognize from the get go. She had mentioned it in passing to Poussey who agreed but their friend had been too far gone to realize it. The singer's sudden proclamation that she was engaged to a man from her hometown and was leaving the band had blindsided all of them, but no one more so than Nicky and she feverently hoped her best friend could keep her head when she saw Lorna face to face for the first time in months. Having Poussey tag along could only help the situation but Alex dare not say another word.

"You too. I mean, the way I see it, you got two choices, dude. Fight for her, tell Larry to back the fuck off or bow out." Nicky shrugged. "The question is, which are you gonna pick?"

Alex sighed deeply, taking a swig of water before replying. "I'm a fighter, man. You know me...I'm not about to let her go easily but at the same time, certain shit is not up to me. I guess we'll see in a few hours, won't we?"

"See what?"

Alex couldn't know exactly how much Piper had heard of their conversation but her tone was casual and she touched Nicky's shoulder lightly as she stood behind her. Without an apology on either end, per say, they had seemed to come to some sort of an unspoken truce and for that at least, she was relieved.

"See how fucking burnt out we"re all gonna be," Nicky covered smoothly. "Boston is no joke..four days, two shows, press shit...buckle up, Chapman."

Her words held a double meaning and it was not lost on either of them as Nicky stood up to go back to her seat and Piper sat down again next to Alex.

"Nichols," Red called from the helm of the bus, "I'd like to speak to you. Now."

The bassist rolled her eyes. "Coming Mom," She turned to Alex and Piper. "See you guys in three hours when she's finally done with me." She sauntered up the aisle.

"She's right, you know," Piper said softly. "Between a short rehearsal time and the two shows and interviews and everything else, it's all going to be completely crazy."

"I know," The guitarist acknowledged, "And anything can happen."

She didn't need to elaborate and Piper rested her head on her shoulder. "I told him I'm staying at the hotel , because we're getting in from the airport so late. He's picking me up at 10 tomorrow morning because he has the time we're on town off from work. I'm going to stay at our apartment while I'm here. I...I know we never really discussed it."

As much as it felt like a blow, Alex had expected as much. Realistically, she knew she had no rights as far as Piper was concerned, for the time being at least, and no real control of what Piper did and didn't do with Larry. But it wasn't something she wanted to consider either.

"You'll meet Polly too and fair warning, she'll probably figure us out the second she lays on you. She's as perceptive as your Mom but there's no way in hell she's going to be as cool about it. She worships the ground Larry walks on."

"Whatever happens, I'll deal with it, Piper. Not much can break me at this point." Except you choosing Larry, she silently added. It wasn't a fair assertion to make and she knew it. She hadn't asked the other woman to make such a decision yet but it was coming. Piper needed to take the lead first, to give her an indicator of where she stood.

"Well, we have the rest of this bus ride together and the flight and then the hotel for a bit, anyway..." The blonde trailed off. "This is going to change everything again, isn't it? Whatever happens...nothing's going to be like it was before."

"No." Laying a kiss on her head, Alex brought her closer. "It's not."

A few hours (and a diner stop and two Starbucks runs) later, the band and Red arrived at the airport in Boise to board the redeye to Boston. The bus would make the rest of the trek and meet them in Boston the following day. When Alex had questioned why Red didn't just fly them the entire way from Portland or why they hadn't just remained on the bus she'd fed her some garbage about budgetary needs. "Do you really want to spend two days on a bus?" She asked, shaking her head. "You girls give me enough worry without spending all that time in close quarters."

Piper hated flying; it was one of the first things Alex had learned about her and though she had traveled quite a bit both with her family and throughout college, the flight itself sent her into a state of panic and she'd fall into an immediate uneasy slumber for the duration, her coping mechanism of choice.

In Boise, though, she grabbed Alex's hand upon take off, the other woman squeezing it back reassuringly and held it for the entire four hour plane ride, even as she slept. Across the aisle, Nicky and Poussey were out cold, heads resting on one another's, Red behind them, glasses perched on her nose, typing furiously on her laptop, muttering something Alex couldn't quite make out.

She couldn't sleep. Not that she ever could on an airplane. Everything was too sterile, too far removed from the the common comforts of home (or more accurately as of late, a hotel) for her to relax enough to be able to even shut her eyes. Instead, she calmed herself by counting Piper's slow, steady breaths, watching the way her face completely relaxed, the smile skirting briefly over her features making Alex wonder if she were dreaming. She hoped it was about her.

Mercifully, they finally landed at Logan airport (an exhausted Piper having slept through the entire flight) and across the aisle her bandmates began to stir as the plane made a somewhat bumpy landing on the strip.

Hey," Alex gently nudged the blonde after their captain had made his final speech and they were welcomed to Boston, "We're here."

Piper opened her eyes, blinking rapidly. "That was quick." Her voice was still thick with sleep and Alex smiled.

"C'mon, we'll get our bags and hop on the shuttle to the hotel." She unfastened her seatbelt and rose, extending her hand to Piper as she did the same. Luckily, they didn't have rehearsal until five at night, giving them adequate time to rest, save for a interview at two.

There was little hope for sleep though for her though, even as she crawled into the cool linen sheets and rested her head on the 500 thread count pillows ("Maybe we'd have money for air travel if we didn't stay at expensive ass hotels all the time," she had grumbled to Nicky once. Her friend had countered, "Red doesn't do Holiday Inn's"), Piper already in bed. She wrapped her long body around the other woman's, tracing small circles across her shoulder blades, noting how very tangible she felt underneath the tips of her fingers. Piper was warm and safe and very much hers at that moment. It was silly, really. She didn't belong to anyone but herself but truthfully, Alex was just as much Piper's as she felt like she was hers. There was no one else for her and no matter what the circumstances were or what they became, her heart was taken.

"Night." The singer said softly, sounding completely spent once again. What she wasn't saying came through loud and clear. I'm scared.

Alex got it. She was absolutely terrified of what was to come but she remained silent, choosing to siimply kiss the top of her head. Her hands rested on Piper's hips and she pullled her in just a little more, even though it was pretty much physically impossible to get any closer. The digital clock on the nightstand flashed 2:45 a.m., which meant that in seven hours, Larry would pick Piper up. She would see her at the radio interview, of course, and rehearsal, but it would not be the same woman as whom she was holding. That would be his Piper; perfectly coiffed and reserved and quietly confident. That Piper was fine too, Alex had grown to love all facets of her personality but she knew there was so much more...sides of her she hadn't shown anybody but Alex. Either that or she was naive enough to believe it.

The sound of water jolted her awake and groaning, she rolled over to squint at the time. 9:15. Piper was in the shower, her side of the bed rumpled and barren and Aex immediately missed her warmth. It was the first time since they'd begun their thing, whatever it was, (affair didnt seem quite right but neither did relationship) that she'd woken up without Piper next to her. The feeling instantly left her displaced somehow, as if something had been taken from her abruptly.

Before she had a moment to mope, Piper emerged from the bathroom fully dressed, towel drying her hair haphazardly. She wore a pencil skirt and a white button down and it almost took the other woman aback seeing her dressed so formally, as she had grown accustomed to her more casual look of late.

"Hey," She greeted, seeing she was up. "Did I wake you?"

"No." She sat up. "You look nice."

Self consciously, Piper glanced down. "Thanks. Don't worry, I'll change for the interview."

"It's the radio, Pipes," She laughed lightly, "No one's gonna see you."

"I know...all I meant was it's not in line with our image. I have other clothes I can wear."

"Oh, so Larry likes the uptight look. I get it now." There was an edge to her tone and she realized it as soon as she said it.

"Don't be nasty, Al, please." She sighed, sitting beside her on the bed. "Do you think any of this is easy for me? Leaving you here, being deceitful to him, knowing how I feel about you? This sucks, big time. But I haven't seen him in a month, OK? I need to feel things out, see where things are at."

"Doesn't make me any less jealous." She mumbled and Piper rose an eyebrow. "What? You don't think I get jealous? He may have been with you first, Piper, but I'm in over my head here and the thought of him kissing you and touching you..." Her green eyes darkned. "It makes me fucking nuts."

Logically, she knew this was the point where she should ask Piper to make a solid decision so she could know either way what to do. Diane would've told her to man the fuck up and lay it all out so she knew whether it was a real, genuine love or Nicky and Morello, redux. Didn't she have enough to be concerned about, what with two nearly sold-out shows, two interviews, and the possible further psychological torture Morello could inflict on Nicky? But despite realizing this was the best course of action, she felt once again, it simply wasn't the right time and she was beginning to think there never would be one.

"Sweetie," She placed her hand on Alex's knee, "Nothing can change how I feel about you. Nothing. The best, most unexpected gift in all of this...that was you, Al. And I wouldn't change a thing. But Larry was a big part of my life...he still is. We're supposed to be getting married in three weeks..."

Alex looked down at her hand and exhaled sharply. "You put your ring back on," she observed. "Because you're seeing him."

"Yes," Piper replied uncomfortably, "I'm seeing him and he'd definitely notice."

She hadn't worn her ring steadily for weeks, aside from being on stage where there were sure to be pictures taken. Her excuse had been it was constantly catching on things, but Alex knew the real reason was it was difficult to sleep with someone else while you had a huge rock screaming thae reminder you were engaged.

"Just weird, that's all."

"I know," Piper kissed her tenderly and Alex clung to her for a minute, pressing their foreheads together. "Everything feels weird right now."

"I wish I'd gotten up sooner. I could've taken you to breakfast. Or coffee, at least."

"I thought about that too, but I'm glad you slept," She smiled. "You looked so peaceful. I'm always up after you so I never get to watch you sleep. You're so beautiful."

"Creep," Alex said fondly, unwilling to let her go. She was painfully aware that Larry would be at the hotel very soon and she wanted to do anything to keep her there as long as humanly possible. "Let me buy you a coffee...there's a Starbucks downstairs. That way you'll be close to the lobby when he comes."

Knowing fully well she was just buying time, the singer readily agreed and together they took the elevator downstairs where Alex bought the other woman an iced Americano and herself a grande black, her stomach swimming too much for anything rich. They elected to sit on the plush lobby sofa, watching people come and go without comment.

Sitting so closely together that their knees kept brushing, Alex let herself miss Piper one more time, down to the bottom of her soul, before she steeled herself. Crying wouldn't help anything but staying busy would keep her mind from wandering. She'd grab Nicky when Piper left for a song writing session. They needed to work on the new album and there wasnever a time where she could use the distraction more.

Piper's phone buzzed, cutting through the silence, and she glanced at it quickly. "I've gotta go." They both stood and she hugged Alex tightly.

"Love you," She said into her ear but Alex couldn't reply. Instead she squeezed her in turn, brushing her lips against Piper's cheek.

"I'll see you at two, OK?" The singer picked up the handle of her suitcase and wheeled it toward the front door, turning to go.

"Pipes!" Alex called and the other woman turned around, stopping in her tracks, her blue eyes uneasy. "Uh...see you at two."

Once again, Piper seemed to hear the unspoken sentiment in her words and she smiled. "See youAnd with that, she was gone.

"Fuck," Alex found herself sinking back down into the couch, all the air seeming to deflate from her lungs. There was no way she was going to stick around to see Piper and Larry's reunion so she headed back upstairs and knocked on Nicky's door.

"Yo," She answered the door in her underwear and a tank top, her hair looking like she'd gotten electrocuted, rubbing her eyes blearily. "It's waaay too fuckin' early, Vause." Getting a good look at her friend's face, she quickly shook her head and stepped aside to let her in.

"Chapman left, huh?"

"What makes you say that?" Alex flung herself across Nicky's unmade bed, shoving her face into the pillow.

"Well, frankly you look like shit."

"Thanks, I fucking love you too."

Nicky shrugged. "Just being honest, man. And you're all mopey."

Alex lifted her head. "I am not mopey."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself, dude. It's fine...she went back to him. Fucking blows. I get it."

"She did not go back to him, for your information," She retorted. "She's seeing where things stand, OK? Is she just supposed to blurt shit out?"

"OK...well, did you tell her to tell him? Regardless of what she decides, at the end of the day, she's fucking lying and she's gonna go and build her marriage on a lie?"

"What do you care if her marriage is built on a lie? Aren't you the one who's always saying what a fucking douche bag Larry is?" She narrowed her eyes. "Whose side are you on anyway?"

"Always yours," She answered smoothly perching in the desk chair across from her. "But lying is fucking awful...Larry's an asshole but she should still tell him. Maybe he'll dump her on the spot and there you go..."

"I don't want to be her consolation prize, Nick," She loved the girl, she truly did, but sometimes she missed the bigger picture in such a glaring way, she was tempted to smack her upside her head. "I want her to be with me because she wants to..."The brunette swept her glasses up and sighed. "My head really hurts so can we please not talk about this anymore?"

"Whatever you need," Nicky rose and began pulling random articles of clothing out of the drawers. "You can buy me breakfast, if that'll help. I'm fucking starving. Don't think I ate anything since like 9 last night."

Alex rolled her eyes but smiled in spite of herself. "Do you ever not think about food?"

"Uh, yeah. When I'm thinking abou sex. Sometimes I think about food during sex so...I guess you have a point."

Alex chucked a pillow at her head. "Hurry up, will ya? We have an album to work on."

"You better be buying me a really good breakfast," Nicky grumbled, slipping into a pair of jeans. "And before you ask, no I haven't spoken to Morello. Last time she texted she said she wanted to meet after tomorrow's concert and she would let me know when and where..."

"Not that your stubborn ass is going to listen to me anyway, but I still think you should bring P with you. I mean, can't hurt, right?"

"You worry about Chapman, OK? You have a motherfuckin' boatload of shit to handle besides my problems. Let's go."

Luckily, time with Nicky did get her mind off of Piper and they managed to have both a delicious breakfast at a place in Harvard Square and work on a few songs they'd been tossing around. Around one, they headed back to the hotel to get ready for their interview on K-109.6.

Alex got dressed quickly, opting for a fitted short black skirt, black spaghetti strapped tank top and thigh high boots, playing up her eyes with shadow and eyeliner. She had just finished applying mascara when a text came in. Picking up her phone from the bathroom counter, she read Piper's messege, scowling.

Larry's coming to the radio station.

Fucking wonderful, She replied hurriedly, her mouth forming a thin, hard line as she typed. Defintely the last news she expected and completely unwelcome at that. The thought of facing him, of facing them together, was enough to feel her breakfast begin to come up.

"Man up, Vause ," Alex told her reflection. Seeing him was inevitable and it was happening sooner rather than later. She had no choice but to deal with it.

With one final glance in the mirror, she headed out the door and down to The Green Line to head to the station. There was no sense in waiting for the girls as Nicky would undoubtedly show closer to two and not having heard from Poussey all day, she had no idea what time she'd be there. It would have been nice to walk in with reinforcements but Alex was used to doing things on her own.

Upon entering, getting a vistor's pass, and being directed to a little green room, she immediately spied her bandmates, her heart pounding with relief. Nicky looked remarkably put together for her and Poussey wore a white halter top and fitted jeans and Alex noticed rather quickly that Nicky was doing her very best to try not to stare. It was hard to keep a straight face and she turned away so no one would see her smirk. Then she saw them.

Piper and Larry were hand in hand, Larry beaming, obviously buoyant to have Piper back on his arm. The blonde, for her part, appeared a little less thrilled. She had changed (as she told Alex she was going to), into black ankle length jeans, strappy sandals, and a tank that Alex instantly recognized as hers, the lace netting on the collar making it unmistakable.

Holy fuck, she's wearing my shirt. The thought that Piper had packed the item into her luggage and claimed it, was inexplicably making her knees weak. If the singer was trying to send her a messege, it was coming through loud and clear.

It was then that they locked eyes and Piper finally smiled for the first time since she'd entered the room. "Hey, Alex. Hi," She turned to Nicky and Poussey. "You guys ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be, I guess.," Alex matched her light tone, not trusting herself to say much more. "Larry," she acknowledged, "What's up?"

"Just glad to have my girl back," He replied with a grin, giving Piper a light squeeze. "Missing her like crazy. Plus, now we can finalize some wedding stuff in person, huh, Pipe? This one is always too busy to talk much when I call." Larry shook his finger at Alex jokingly, "You're working her too hard, boss."

"Oh yeah, Al is a real slave driver." There was a mischievous glint in the blonde's eye that made Alex uneasy. "So demanding too..."

Nicky, who'd been talking with Poussey while simultaneously shoving pretzels in her mouth that the radio station provided, happened to hear Piper's end of the conversation and raised her eyebrow while the drummer put her head into her hands.

"Is that true, Alex?" Larry questioned, kissing the side of Piper's head. "I think she deserves an extra long honeymoon then, right? We're thinking Cancun..."

Piper shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing's set in stone."

"So the wedding is two days after you play New York. September 17th. Piper told you guys you're invited, didn't she? Seriously, you all are a big part of her life now. The more the merrier, right? My Dad booked The Plaza, so..."

Thankfully before Alex could reply (and she really had no clue whatsoever what would've come out of her mouth), an intern entered the room and introduced herself.

"Hey guys," She addressed the room cheerfully, "My name's Casey and I'm going to-"

"Stop right there," Red had just stepped through the door, making every bit the grand (late) entrance. "I'm their manager and I need to see a list of questions. They will only answer what I approve of..."

Casey looked taken aback. "Uh, that's the first I'm hearing of this but uh, what do I know, right? I'm just an intern."

"Find someone who does know then or I take my girls and go," The manager growled with a ferocity that even Alex would've found frightening if she didn't know the older woman was putting on a complete act.

"Let me go see what I can do."

Casey rushed off and the room was completely silent until Nicky said, "Jesus, Red, way to make the intern piss her pants."

"Pre-approved questions?" Alex chimed in, hands on her hips. "Is that really nessecary?"

Red glared in her direction. "Do you really want to answer questions about your personal life?"

"I have nothing to hide," She was never one to back down from a challenge and she knew exactly what their manager was alluding to.

Casey suddenly reappeared. "Here you go," She handed Red a piece of paper, tucking her long blond hair behind her ears nervously.

Red scanned the list skeptically, her mouth twitching. Finally she looked up. "OK. We'll do it. Ready ladies?" Noticing Larry, she grinned. "And gentleman."

She couldn't fucking believe he was going with them and as he guided Piper into the hall, his hand resting on the small of her back, she felt a swift, venomous rage rise up in her. She wanted to tell him to take his fucking hands off of her, to proclaim her love in front of everyone, to cause a huge scene, something. But she bit her bottom lip hard instead and forced herself to look away.

The interview went extremely well and the DJ's, Robby and Jim, were affable and funny and although Alex had a difficult time being overly warm (at least in her opinion), she thought she did a decent job of selling the concert and Nicky and Poussey made up for whatever charm she lacked. Quite a few of the questions were directed toward Piper whom Robby said "people were going out of their freakin' minds for." Piper was humble and slightly self-depreciating and adorable as hell but Alex couldn't help but think some of her answers were given being mindful of the fact Larry was in the room.

Finally they were finished and as they said their good-byes and headed out, Alex reminding them they had a rehearsal in two hours, Larry touched her arm.

"Hey," He said quietly, glancing at Piper who was talking to Red, "I just want to thank you for taking such good care of her on the road. She told me that one night she had too much to drink and you made sure she was OK...I know she told you some stuff about her past. I hate not being there, you know? But knowing she has you to look after her...well, you're a great friend to her, Alex, and I appreciate that more than you know."

If he had punched her or sworn at her, it would've been easier to accept. But his gratitude..that was a pill she just couldn't swallow and she certainly didn't need a reason to feel sorry for Larry Bloom. Yes, he was possessive and clingy but the man was so stupidly unassuming that Alex had a small pang of guilt.

"It's no big deal. Piper's one of us and we take care of each other."

"Still," He jammed his hands into the pocket of his khakis, "I can tell she values your opinion. Do you think it's possible to take off for those two weeks? Like the first two weeks in October? Pipe told me you're working on a new album but it won't drop by then, will it?" He trained his puppy dog brown eyes on her. "I think she could really use a break. She's been at it hard this month."

Oh, you have no idea. Aloud, she said. "Whatever, that should be fine." Please, just stop talking.

Luckily, Piper elected to go over at that moment to save her. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Oh nothing," Larry put an arm around her waist, "Just chit chatting. Can't I get to know my fiancee's friends? Especially the important ones. Right, Alex?"

"Right." She looked at Piper, her eyes stealing up and down the length of her body. "Nice shirt."

The singer turned red. "Thanks. Um, anyway, Larry and I are going to grab some lunch before rehearsal, so I'll see you soon."

"Why don't you come?" Larry suggested amicably. "If you don't have plans."

"I'm sure Alex-"

"It's fine...thanks anyway, but I have stuff to do." Chinese water torture was preferable to watch Larry make googly eyes at Piper over Cesar salad.

"Well, how about dinner after rehearsal? Everyone is invited...my treat. And I'll see if Polly and Pete are free too."

"Uh, sure," She replied, realizing she was fucked. There was no getting out of it but at least her friends would be around if shit got too weird.

"Great, it's settled then. Alex, I'll see you in a few hours. C'mon, Pipe."

Turning to leave, Piper turned back. "I'm sorry," she mouthed over her shoulder, making an apologetic face. Alex wasn t sure if she meant for Larry's impromptu dinner invitation or the whole mess in general, but her apology was of little comfort.

As soon as they had left, Nicky and Poussey strolled up. "Did I fucking hear that clown right? He's coming to rehearsal now too? Jesus, does the poor girl get to take a shit alone?"

Alex sighed. "Yeah, he's a clingy motherfucker."

"And he wants us to have dinner with them tonight," Poussey added incredulously. "Like that ain't gonna be awkward as fuck."

"Piper's best friend and her husband are tagging along too," Alex groaned. "Seriously, fuck my life. What did I do to deserve this?"

Nicky put a hand on her shoulder. "Easy, sister. You fell in love with a straight, engaged girl. Makes perfect sense to me."

Rehearsal was every bit as weird as Alex had thought it would be and she was tempted to tell Larry their practices were ususally closed and to come back in two hours, but she tried her best to ignore him. It wasn't easy, especially when she realized Piper was holding back ever so slightly. Of course, her voice was velvet, same as always, but she approached the love songs with a slight trepidation that could be blamed on nothing else but her discomfort with the situation.

Finally, they were finished and they made plans to meet up at a tapas restaurant in Back Bay within the half an hour.

As they restored the rehearsal space to what it looked like, Nicky sauntered up. "You gonna head back to the hotel to change?"

"Wasn't planning on it. You?"

Nicky shook her head. "I'm not the one who has to make a good impression on the best friend, though."

Alex made a face but she ended up going back to thel hotel anyway and putting on a pair of fitted jeans and a black Cynthia Rowley t-shirt she had gotten in Portland. A little touch of red lipstick completed the look and she found herself staring into the mirror longer than she normally would have. She knew she looked good but she also knew Polly would be a hard sell, no matter what.

Twenty minutes and an Uber ride later, Alex walked into the restaurant. The place was decorated in lush reds and oranges and lit by candlelight. The thought fleetingly crossed her mind that she'd love to take Piper on a date to a place like this. Reality hit like a splash of cold water as soon as the hostess directed her to their table and she saw Larry and Piper, heads bent in, laughing over a joke she was not privy to.

"Hey," Nicky greeted, waving her over. "Sit next to me. Pete was just telling us about the time he was scaling a mountain in New Guinea and the harness broke and he was trapped on the side of the mountain for like, four hours."

"Scariest day of my life," He quipped in an English accent. "Except for my wedding day. Sorry, babe," He apologized with a grin to the petite brunette next to him.

She rolled her eyes. "Please don't take anything he says seriously," She told the table. "He's just never been around so many beautiful women at once." Polly looked at Alex."I'm Polly, by the way. Piper's told me alot about you. You're actually all she talks about lately...you and the band."

"Alex," She extended her hand, willing her face to stay neutral. "I've heard alot about you too."

"All good things, I hope."

"Of course," Managing a strained smile, she whispered to Nicky, "I hope you ordered me a drink."

"Bloom got some pitchers of sangria," Her friend touched her arm. "Sorry, I know that's not your usual..."

Alex shook her head. "If it has alcohol in it, I'm good."

"Stop whisperin' over there, you two," Poussey called, setting down her menu. "What's goin' on? You gotta share with the table."

"Just talking liquor," Nicky said evenly. "So," She directed toward Polly, "You guys are coming to the show tomorrow night, I hear?"

"Yeah, we can't wait. I've been keeping up with you guys online...been getting raves in every city."

"A huge part of it is thanks to Piper," Alex couldn't resist adding, "We all work our asses off, of course, but she's crazy talented."

Piper smiled at her from the other side of the table. "Thanks but you give me far too much credit, Al."

"Mhmm," Polly had a peculiar expression on her face. "Yes, Piper's always been very driven, even in college. She deserves all this and more."

"Undoubtedly," Larry agreed, lifting up his glass. "No sangria yet, but that's OK. A toast to my lady. Pipe," He turned to her, "We're all so proud of you and I, for one, can't believe such a goddess is going to make me the happiest man alive in three weeks. To Piper!"

Everyone followed suit and as Alex lifted her water glass to her mouth to drink, she felt Polly's eyes on her.

"So, Piper, " Her friend asked, "We haven't really talked wedding stuff in awhile...you still planning on wearing Nana's dress?"

"Uh, yeah. It's in the closet, in the apartment. Should still fit. Hopefully," She laughed.

"And you'll wear my earrings and shoes from my wedding."

"Yeah, sounds good. "

"God, where's the Piper I know? The one who used to have her clothes colored coded and make endless lists? You're awfully blase for someone who's getting married in less than a month."

Piper shrugged, "The Piper you know hasn't been in a different city every few days. It's fine. It'll get done. It's a really small wedding."

Polly stared. "OK...if you say so."

The waiter brought over the pitchers of sangria and Larry busied himself by pouring everyone a glass. When he got to Polly, she passed.

"Oh my God," Piper said sharply, her eyes widening, "Pol, are you-"

No," Her friend said softly, "But we've been trying, so.."

"That's amazing!" Larry enthused, slapping Pete on the shoulder. "Great news. Hell, maybe Piper and I will follow you guys soon."

Alex choked on her water, Nicky immediately patting her back. "I'm fine," She managed, "I just need some air."

Rising, the brunette practically bolted out of the restaurant and as Nicky stood to follow her, Piper put up her hand. "I'll go check on her, you enjoy your drink. Uh, panic attack," She explained to Larry on the way out the door. "She gets them all the time. Be right back."

"Alex?" The blonde looked outside the front of the restaurant. "Are you still here?"

"Yeah." She answered from the side walk. "I'm fine, Piper. Go back inside."

"You certainly didn't look fine in there. You're as white as a sheet." She sat down next to her.

"Seriously, you better go before Larry sends out a search party."

"He knows I'm with you..." Her tone lowered. "He was talking out of his ass, you know. We've never even discussed having kids."

"Wasn't just that, Pipes," She turned to look at her," "It's sitting in that fucking restaurant, watching you guys being a real couple, watching you guys all day, actually. As much as I knew exactly what I was getting into, it still really fucking hurts. OK? Satisfied now?"

Tears spilled over but she couldn't bring herself to give a fuck. She couldn't remember the last time she cried but she was far past the point of preserving her image.

"I didn't sleep with him."

"What?" She swiped at her wet cheeks.

"I made some lame excuse..." Her blue eyes were earnest and she took Alex's hand in hers. "I just couldn't do it...the only thing I could think about was you."

"Piper-"

"OK," They looked up to see Polly standing in front of them, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "Does one of you mind telling me exactly what the hell is going on here?"

Dropping Alex's hand, Piper shook her head. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on Piper, I know you, remember, and I know when you're not telling me something." She turned to Alex. "I saw the way you were looking at her in there...how long has this been going on, huh?"

Alex was about to protest when Polly went on, "I mean it all makes so much more sense now...Piper's constantly talking about you...the little looks, the reluctance with wedding planning...Fuck, Piper, how could you be so stupid? Guys like Larry don't come across every day and you're going to throw it all away to experiment? She's hot, I get it, I went to Smith too, you know. And she's a musician but what the hell were you thinking?"

"Can you please stop fucking talking about me like I'm not here?"

"Oh, you do not get to have a say in this," Polly raged, "You slept with her, even though you knew she was engaged...what was she to you? A conquest?"

"Pol, I love you. You know I do. But right now, you need to shut up. You have no idea what you're talking about. It isn't like that."

Something changed in Polly's expression and she immediately stopped dead in her tracks. "Holy shit. You're telling me you guys are in love...aren't you?"

"It's nothing I ever planned on," Piper said quietly. "It just kind of...happened."

"Well, you're going to have to tell him. No matter what else happens, you can't keep lying." Polly's face was ashen. "It isn't fair to him, Piper, and you know it."

"I know," She sighed. "I'm just waiting for the right time."

"Oh no. No." Polly's voice was steel. "You need to tell him. Tonight. Because if you don't, then I will."