I'm back everyone! Oh how being sick can be good for writing fanfiction. Hope you guys enjoy this one. I'm speeding things up a little in this chapter, nothing major is happening until the end. I'm trying to please myself as well as everyone reading this story, but I mostly want to write this for myself. This is still somewhat a personal story, only I didn't have an Alex Vause to take care of me like Piper has. Wish I had though, that would've been so much better.

Anyway, I'll let you get to it! Happy reading :)

Piper goes back to her family home two weeks after her visit to the hospital, Alex drops her off and insists on seeing her into the Chapman residence. Alex had received another call a few days before the blonde was set to go home; Carol asked her to help her plan a little surprise for Piper, wanting to show that her family really does care about her, even though they didn't always show her.

Alex had been surprised to say the least, but she complied and helped her plan everything, filling her in on Piper's plan for her return. Piper is genuinely surprised when she sees her family, including her beloved grandmother and Polly and Pete all inside her house's living room to welcome the blonde home. Carol invites Alex to stay over for a bit, and Alex accepts, not wanting to completely leave her student just yet.

Alex is afraid the strong feelings for her student will subside now that she didn't have her close anymore; little does Alex know, these feelings won't subside at all. They have a small party in honor of Piper's return and recovery; parents and siblings extremely glad she made it through the rough patch. Piper gives Alex the first hug of the evening, taking longer than the other hugs she gives her family and friends, but no one seems to really mind. They all know the big part the brunette plays in the blonde's recovery; and they're extremely thankful.

A few hours later, the small party comes to an end, and it's time for teacher and student to say goodbye for a few days until Monday comes back around. Piper's grandmother Celeste was the only one who had already left, she needed to get back to her husband at home, and she was tired as well. Polly and Pete are the next to leave; Polly profusely apologizing for not paying more attention to her best friend; Piper forgives her. She understands what it's like to be head over heels, and doesn't blame her for being in love.

Piper's family stay behind in the living room as Piper walks Alex to the front door of the Chapman residence; leaving them with a little bit of privacy. Alex wordlessly pulls her student in for a tight hug; it lasts for several minutes before the brunette tries to pull back. Piper doesn't want to let her go just yet, the familiar scent of what quickly became home washing over her. No matter where Piper is, as long as she has Alex's arms wrapped around her, she'll always feel safe. A few minutes later, Piper realizes Alex really needs to get going if she wants to get home safely, so she pulls back, but keeps her hands on the brunette's shoulders.

"Thank you so much Alex."

"No problem Pipes. I'm here for you, always." Alex keeps her hands on the blonde's hips, loving the way they seem to perfectly wrap around them. She locks eyes with her students, green washing into blue, something that has happened numerous times before. The world, as always, falls away for the both of them. They both have to find every ounce of restraint their bodies have to not pull the other one in for a searing kiss. But, despite the desire running through student and teacher, nothing happens (yet). They're painfully aware of the position of the brunette, realizing that they can't pursue their feelings just yet.

"See you on Monday at school Piper."

"See you on Monday Ms. Vause."

The weekend seems to last forever for both Alex and Piper. Alex is now again alone at her apartment on a Saturday night, and she misses the presence of her student. Her smell is still faintly lingering in the apartment, and she can't help but think it smells like home. Home used to smell like her mother, Diane Vause being her rock ever since she was born, but now it's mixed in with the smell of the blonde. She smiles as she steps into her bedroom, Piper's smell seems to be much more present than anywhere else in the apartment.

She picks up the pillow her student had been sleeping on; and hugs it tightly to her chest. It's the best substitute for hugging Piper for real, and it's what she has to go with until Monday morning. She lays down, still fully clothed and hugging the pillow to her chest, and falls asleep quickly. The next morning she wakes up in a daze, reaching out for her student in the bed, but she meets nothing but cold sheets. That's when she realizes her student is at home, like she's supposed to be and not with her anymore.

She sighs, she really wishes she could have her student with her always; loving the life the blonde brought into her apartment. When Alex and Piper would get home, the blonde immediately ran to the bedroom to change into something comfortable or her running gear. Alex would prepare dinner while she went out for a run, or while she's dancing around the apartment to the most random songs that came cracking through the radio.

Alex has a stupid, goofy smile tugging at her lips at all the memories of her time with Piper; and she can't get rid of it. She knows how madly in love she is with her student, and curses herself. She shouldn't be falling in love with a student, but Piper wasn't just a girl. She knows that in any different situation, the blonde would've been hers ever since the beginning. But she knows she can't do that, and it's kind of depressing.

Piper realized she just should've kissed the brunette when they were saying goodbye on Friday night. It's the only thing that runs through her mind all weekend. It doesn't help that her parents and brothers ask questions about Alex all the time; what was she like? Did she take good care of you? … Piper answers them all, but leaving out how she really feels about her teacher. She knows that their parents accepting that their pretty little daughter is gay will be a huge step, if they're ever willing to take it.

Alex is constantly on the forefront of the blonde's mind; she can't forget about her. She just wants to spend the rest of her life wrapped up in the brunette's strong arms that will protect her from all kinds of harm. She thinks about all the great times they had together at the brunette's apartment. The many conversations, their effortless banter (once the blonde had fully recovered from the initial shock of the events), their hugs, watching movies … They had done so much during the few weeks they 'lived together', but Piper couldn't get enough.

They had spent a few nights finding the best possible therapist for the blonde. Piper didn't really mind who it was, but Alex was set on finding the best therapist for her student. She wasn't dealing with something like bullying, but rape and probably even more. Piper still hadn't told her anything about what happened, but Alex didn't pry either. She doesn't want to upset her student and make her fall back down even deeper. She didn't know the full extent of the blonde's problems and she doesn't want to add to it.

They found one that met up with all of Alex's standards, and Piper was happy that the brunette seemed to care so much about her and worried that the best wasn't enough for her. Piper still felt like she didn't fully deserve all this attention from her stunningly beautiful teacher, but she accepted the fact that the brunette was willing to take care of her when no one else did. She wished she could stay at Alex's apartment until the end of the school year, but unfortunately she couldn't do that to her teacher; so, with some reluctance, she went back home to her parents and brothers. Her parents seemed to have come around a little, accepting the fact that their daughter was going through a rough time and they needed to be there for her.

Piper has her first appointment in a few days; she didn't want the brunette to feel obliged to join her or take her there. The therapist was actually quite busy as well, so she couldn't get an appointment earlier anyway. Piper's extremely nervous to see how this will go; hopefully she finds a therapist she can really confide in and gives her good advice. The blonde hopes to God that it will go well. She promised Alex she would tell her how the appointment went.

As Piper is lying in bed on Sunday night, all she can think about is seeing her history teacher again the next morning. "Thank God it's the first class of the day," Piper thinks as her mind wanders. Piper is replaying the few weeks she had together with the brunette as a movie in her mind. She remembers all the hugs, the cuddling, the jolts of electricity running through her body with skin-on-skin contact, all of it. Every single minute with Alex Vause meant another perfect memory saved in Piper's brain. No matter what happened, she'd be forever grateful to her teacher.

Piper plays with the hem of the t-shirt she is wearing, the one she secretly stole from Alex's bedroom. The brunette was wearing it to bed for the past week until Piper had to leave, and the blonde couldn't help but want to take it with her; and so she did. She wanted something that had the brunette's unique smell on it, so she could feel a little more at home. She couldn't have her teacher close to her anymore, so she settled for the next best thing. She keeps it tucked away so no one of her family can find it though, she doesn't want to have to explain.

She brings the collar up to her nose, the brunette's distinct smell washing over her immediately. An absentminded smile makes its way onto the blonde's face, broad and beautiful. Piper is once again overwhelmed by the feeling of safety that comes with the brunette's smell. It smells like Piper's new home; and the blonde quickly realizes that home is where her heart belongs, and her heart belongs in the hands of her gorgeous AP History teacher. And it should scare her; she once gave her heart to another person and got it back quickly; completely shattered and seemingly impossible to fix. But the blonde thinks she might just have found the cure for it. But it doesn't scare her; instead she wants the brunette to fix it as soon as possible.

Piper falls asleep with the image of a smiling Alex behind her eyelids. A small smile stays on her mouth as she sleep soundly. The familiar smell surrounding her made for a comfortable cocoon of warmth; the only thing Piper misses is the feeling of her teacher's arms around her and her toned body close to hers. They had often slept together in the same bed, but nothing had happened. Piper wanted a lot of things to happen; but she wasn't sure the brunette felt the same way, and she didn't want to put her in a dangerous position. So she kept to herself; oblivious to the feelings the brunette had for her as well.

She wakes up the following Monday morning with a small smile on her face. Today she gets to see Alex Vause again, and Piper can't wait. She wants to tell the brunette all about her weekend, nothing happened since Friday night but Piper just wants to talk to her teacher. She quickly makes her way for breakfast and then goes into the bathroom. The bandages around her wrists are gone now; but the cuts are still quite visible. She had cut much deeper than she first anticipated, and her recovery wasn't always the best. She hasn't cut again, but the urge still comes up every so often. Sometimes, she told Alex about the urge; but most of the times she didn't. She didn't want to upset the brunette even more than she already did the first time.

"Good morning, Miss Vause."

Alex looks up from her phone; she was texting back and forth with her mom since she woke up on Monday morning. Alex had told Diane about Piper going home the previous weekend, and Diane was worried about the both of them. The older Vause had seen the intense connection between her daughter and the blonde; something that happens to one in a thousand, maybe even a million. Diane had never had anything like it; Alex's father abandoning her as soon as she found out she was going to have a child. But Alex had a great chance on a true love; and she hopes that her daughter pursues it.

"Good morning Piper." Alex smiles as she sees her student standing in the doorframe. It had only been a few days since the last time they saw each other, but they really missed the other over the weekend. Piper silently approaches the teacher's desk, needing the embrace of her teacher after what felt like the longest weekend in history. Alex stands up, awaiting the blonde with open arms. Piper made sure she would be the first one to be in the brunette's classroom; just like Alex told her to. Alex demanded a hug when she left the Chapman residence Friday night, and of course Piper listened.

No words are spoken when they hug; they don't need to. They let their actions speak louder than any words ever can. Both Alex and Piper relish in the warmth the other radiates; the care that seems to drip down from their bodies. The feelings Piper has for Alex, the feelings Alex has for Piper, can be described with one simple word: love. But they don't dare to admit it just yet. They've only known the other for a few weeks, but they have spent more time together than most people. The connection was instant; and they both felt it.

Alex pulls away from the hug; asking how her student is doing on this great Monday morning. Piper is extremely relieved that the brunette in front of her still seemed to care about her. She was a little afraid that Alex only felt obligated to take care of her because she was the one to find and help her deal with the whole 'Larry-ordeal'. She still felt slightly at fault, she should've just gone out with him instead of refusing to date him altogether. Alex had countered that fact many times; and Piper tries her best to believe the brunette.

But it wasn't always working. Two male voices screaming at her inside her head frequently; the cause of many nightmares. Alex had woken her up from a few, but not all. She still had nightmares about the events from that unfortunate Wednesday morning recently; and a certain Saturday night years before. The voices were insulting her; throwing every thinkable option at her head over and over again. She tried so hard to block them out; to not listen to them, but it proved to be too difficult the majority of the times it happened.

The presence of Alex Vause was a blessing and a curse all at once; Piper wanted her teacher to hold her close, kiss her demons away and whisper in her ear that everything was going to be okay, but Piper couldn't just ignore the teacher-part. It could get the both of them in trouble. Piper had some reasons to believe that the brunette was interested in her in the same way the blonde was interested in Alex, but she couldn't do anything right now. Piper couldn't wait until the end of senior year. If the feelings for her teacher were as deep as they are now; she'd pursue them for sure.

Piper wasn't a very decisive person; but this was a matter she was extremely certain about. She could see the love swimming in her teacher's eyes, and she was quite sure the brunette loved her too (little does she know the extent of that love). All these thoughts run through Piper's head as she feels the strong arms of Alex wrapped around her frame. She snaps out of them once they hear chatting right outside the door and they pull apart. They smile at each other broadly before Piper turns around to take her seat in the middle of the classroom.

Later that Monday, Alex calls Piper to check in. Alex knows the Chapmans seemed to have come round from their waspy ways at least a little, but she still worries that they'll push Piper into telling the reasons behind the cutting. Alex tried to tell them not to do such things because it would be counterproductive, but you never know.

"Alex?"

"Hey kid."

"Is everything okay?"

"I should be the one asking Piper. Everything's absolutely fine, just calling in to see how you're doing at home."

"Oh right … Everything's okay here. They haven't asked much, and I'm not ready to tell them too much yet. I want to figure everything out with the therapist before telling everyone about what happened and how that made me feel."

"Of course Pipes, you should do that. You make the decisions here, no one will push you into it. Everything set for your appointment?"

"Yeah, tomorrow at 6PM. I'll tell you about it afterwards or at school. Hey Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you so much for everything. I'm really fucking lucky to have someone like you to support me."

"No problem Pipes; anything for a beautiful girl like you." Piper can almost hear the wink in Alex's voice. She blushes.

"Pipes? You there?"

"What? … Oh yeah, yeah I'm here."

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Penny for your thoughts, kid." Piper was a bit taken aback by this. She was thinking about how it felt like to kiss the brunette's plump pink lips. They were the softest she ever felt, like a silk scarf caressing her own lips over and over again.

"Oh … nothing special, just this beautiful brunette who happens to care about me."

"Really now? Do I know her?"

"Yeah I think so. She's tall, dark hair, secretary glasses, born in New York … And she's cute when she sleeps."

"Hmmm, sounds familiar. Diane'll be glad to hear you're thinking about her." Alex chuckles at the other end of the line.

"Oh you asshole! You know very well who I was thinking about."

"Yeah I do Pipes, and I think it's incredibly sweet. If you must know, I'm thinking about you as well."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I mean we're on the phone so I'd have to now wouldn't I?"

"Oh … Yeah I guess."

"Pipes I'm joking! Of course I think about you! I'm constantly worried about you. Don't let your family push you into anything you don't want to okay? You tell them whatever you want to tell them when YOU are ready for it okay kid?"

"Yeah, I'll do that. Thank you Alex. See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow Pipes. Sweet dreams kid."

"Sweet dreams Al."

The rest of the school year passes in a blur for both of them. There had been some minor gossiping about Piper, but nothing that affected her too much. Piper knows how gossiping and bullying can affect one's life, hearing the stories from Diane about her daughter's younger years at school. Piper felt very sorry for the brunette, she couldn't understand how anyone would bully such a sweetheart. Alex never hid the facts about her past, growing up with a mom who was working four jobs and clothes from the thrift shop, and Piper had never judged.

Piper witnessed the beautiful bond between mother and daughter Vause up close, immediately wishing that she could have the same. She grew up with everything she could have ever asked for; except the love of her parents. They didn't seem to care about their children; whereas Diane seemed to do nothing but care about Alex. Alex told her about the few nights they spent together, watching an old movie on the couch, and how these were the times she learnt to cherish the most.

Piper went to meet her therapist every other week on Tuesdays. She briefly reported back to her family about them, and she talked to Alex about them as well. Alex made sure to call every Tuesday night, to hear about Piper's time with her therapist. She was always glad to hear that there seemed to be some progress. Slowly but steadily, the blonde seemed to grow back into the person she was supposed to be, learning from her past experiences and becoming a beautiful and caring person.

They talked a lot; before and after class or on the phone during the evenings. Some people knew about Alex finding Piper after the first time and helping her get Larry arrested after the second time. A lot of students were shell-shocked; how could such a nerd be such a terrible person? Larry had always seemed like a nice guy, nerdy but sweet nonetheless, no one could've suspected him capable of such things.

Polly became a much better friend for the blonde, equally dividing her time between her boyfriend and her best friend. Piper was grateful for her time alone with the red-haired girl; and sometimes even the presence of her Australian boyfriend could make her feel better. Polly and Pete knew better than to flaunt with their relationship around the blonde, so they mostly kept their hands to themselves.

No one gave Piper shit about what happened to her; they all let her recover and heal on her own. Piper had a few people around her every day that care about her, and that's all she needs to fully become her own person in time. She learnt from the events in the past; and it will make her a better person. Her therapist was also a great help; Alex had found her a great one. Whenever she was having a hard time, or she'd have panic attacks or nightmares she could always call her or her teacher for help.

May 26th, 2016. Litchfield High in Connecticut. The last day of Piper's high school career. Both Alex and Piper were happy and sad at the same time about the blonde's nearing graduation. Happy that they could finally pursue the deep connection the two of them share without getting into trouble, but sad that Alex will soon be moving back to New York City, physical contact being a near impossibility. The only way for the two to be close in a physical way is when Piper decides to go to university in NYC.

Piper and Alex are standing in the history classroom they spent a lot of time in over the last couple of months. It would be the last time in a few weeks that the two would see each other; until the graduation ceremony. Alex had wordlessly pulled the blonde in for a long and tight hug once Piper stepped in the classroom. This is the position they still find themselves in, half an hour later. Both Alex and Piper have tears slowly building up in the corners of their eyes. They haven't fallen yet, but they're threatening to.

After a while, Alex pulls back from the tight embrace, gently placing her hands on the blonde's hips. Piper pulls back as well, releasing her arms that were tightly wrapped around the brunette's neck, instead placing them on her shoulders. They lock eyes, blue washing into green, as they so often do and they let the comfortable silence fall over them again.

"So … this is it huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"I'm gonna miss you Pipes."

"I will miss you too Al."

Now Piper is the one to rewrap her arms around the brunette's neck and placing her head against her chest. She hears the brunette's calming heartbeat underneath the brunette's tank top. The smell of leather still lingering on the brunette's clothes, it was soothing for the blonde to engulf herself in. Wrapped up in Alex's arms, Piper feels like she's home. She wants the older woman to know how she feels about her, and decides to act.

She pulls back wordlessly; surprising Alex. She looks into the green eyes of her teacher for half a minute before closing her baby blues and instinctively leaning forward. Alex knows what's going to happen, and acts on it as well. She closes her forest greens and leans forward as well.

Their lips meet in the middle; and fireworks explode inside their heads. They can almost hear a crowd cheering, everyone happy that they finally took that final step. Both of them feel completely at ease; safe and exactly where they belong. That homey feeling washes over them like a wave over the shore.

They kissed! I know you guys have been waiting for this to happen for a while now; but I wanted to make sure everything was set exactly as I wanted it to be. Now felt like the right time, and don't worry, I won't let them be apart for too long. They both have things to figure out still; but they'll make it.

Until next time!