Piper asked her girlfriend for a couple of hours alone with her mother before Alex arrived at Carol's apartment. The brunette was perfectly fine with that situation, because she, too, needed to talk to her own mom one on one.

The two drove to a quaint coffee shop down the road, Alex with her suitcase in the trunk of her mom's car, feeling apprehensive about leaving her when she'd only arrived the day before.

Alex swirled agave nectar into her green tea and joined Diane at a table. "I'm not sure what to say."

Diane put her hand on top of her daughter's. "I won't let him treat you like this."

She lifted her eyes. "How can you live with him?"

"He's a good man, Al; just not on this issue." Diane tried. "I've been chipping away little by little, and I think it's working, but it's going to take some time."

Alex shook her head. "So what—you're going to let him take his sweet time coming around to accept that Piper and I are gay?"

"We talked this morning." Diane tried to look her daughter in the eye, but Alex kept her focus on the Christmas tree in the corner of the coffee shop. "I told him that if my daughter wasn't welcome in our home, I didn't feel welcome there either."

Alex whipped her head around. "You said that?"

"We're a package deal, kid." She shrugged, taking her daughter's hand in hers. "Bill has known that from the very beginning."

She lowered her head. "Yeah, but he didn't know I was a lesbian when you first got together."

"Doesn't matter," the older woman began with confidence in her tone. "He has 24 hours to figure shit out. Tomorrow's Christmas day, and I'm hoping for a miracle."

Alex gave her a thin, closed lip smile.

"The first thing we need to do is get you healthy, kid, and then you can decide what you want to do after that. Maybe take a few classes or get a steady job in Manhattan. You've always loved the City."

"Yeah, but I can't afford it if I make minimum wage," the younger Vause commented.

Her mom leaned forward. "I don't want you to worry about that right now. I'm going to take you to the doctor, she'll give us tips on how to make you well again, and we'll go from there."

Alex's shoulders slumped, but she nodded.

"I'm glad you're back, hon."

She swatted a single tear that fell. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Piper."

Diane smiled. "She's a keeper."

Alex reflected on Piper's current condition and wondered if her mom would think of her as a keeper if she knew she was pregnant because of a one night stand.

Piper recalled in an instant why she'd despised her mom's apartment from day one—it was decorated like a castle with gold and marble as far as the eye could see. It was ostentatious and uncomfortable, and she didn't understand why her mother would want to live like that.

"I'm glad you got here when you did." Carol pressed her cheek lightly against her daughter's in lieu of a kiss. "Molly Maids sent some woman over this morning who was not effective." She walked towards the bathroom, tilting her head to the side for Piper to follow. "Look at the streaks on the shower door!"

Piper clenched her jaw, reminding herself that if it wasn't for her mom, she might very well have been homeless that night. "I can fix it."

Her mother eyed her up and down. "Since you didn't dress up for Christmas Eve, you're more than welcome to try. Gloves and cleaning solutions are under the sink."

The blonde glanced at her jeans and red sweater in the mirror as her mom disappeared. She didn't know how long she'd be able to tolerate Carol Chapman, but at that moment in time, she had no other option.

Alex arrived at Carol's apartment two hours after Piper, and she was greeted with a limp handshake from the older blonde.

"You don't look gay," Carol said, scrutinizing Alex's figure.

The brunette pushed her glasses higher upon her nose. "Do lesbians have a look?"

"Of course they do," she huffed, folding her arms. "Most of them are manly-looking. I think the term is butch." Carol appeared proud of herself for knowing that particular vernacular.

"Mom!" Piper reprimanded. "Not all lesbians look like that, and it is completely careless to determine a person's sexual orientation by outward appearances."

Her mother waved a dismissive hand at Piper, and eyed Alex from head to toe. "Well, Alex, you're quite attractive. I would never peg you as gay, and please take that as a compliment." Carol jostled her head as if Piper's previous comment was insignificant. "I can see why my daughter is attracted to you—physically at least."

Alex creased her forehead. "Thanks, I guess."

"I'm not sure how much I need to know about you though," Carol sighed, fluffing a gold, shimmery pillow on a side chair. "Piper can be fickle with whomever or whatever she likes."

The blonde was taken aback. "I've had one boyfriend my entire life. How can you say that I'm 'fickle'?"

"Don't argue with me, young lady." The older woman put her hands on her hips. "I'm not just referring to boys."

Piper took a step closer to her mom and tried to look her in the eyes, but Carol glanced in the opposite direction. "I can assure you: I'm with Alex for the long haul. Get to know her if you'd like, but I wouldn't want you to go out of your way."

"Don't worry, I won't." Carol spun on her sensible heels and clicked her way towards the kitchen. "I expect you to do your own laundry and make your own meals," she called. "Oh, and I don't buy excessive groceries, so if there's something you'd like to eat, you'll have to purchase it yourself."

After Carol rounded the corner, Alex leaned forward and said in a louder than normal voice, "It's nice to meet you, too." She rolled her eyes and grinned at her girlfriend. "So that's who you lived with for 16 years?"

Piper let out a long breath. "The one and only, Carol Chapman."

That afternoon, nothing Carol had to say was warm or welcoming. The only small talk they made was about the cleaning service and how disappointed Carol was in their work ethic. Alex didn't know how to reply to that since she'd never had a maid her entire life, so she tried changing the topic to something she could talk about with ease. First, she talked about the weather, but that was met with complaints about the apartment manager not keeping the walkway clear of snow. Next, Alex tried talking about Italy, but Carol said she'd only been once and had no desire to return to that "Machiavellian society." Finally, she tried talking about Piper—the one sure thing they had in common—but Carol only chastised her daughter for not staying in touch and putting on a few extra pounds. Piper's mother went on to say that while she didn't understand a lesbian lifestyle, she was a better person than Bill Chapman, and had no problem letting homosexuals stay at her apartment…temporarily.

The young couple retreated to the spare bedroom, and as soon as the door was shut, Alex chuckled. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Piper smiled. "I told you."

"I thought you were being dramatic." She pushed away from the door and took Piper's hands.

"I might be prone to theatrics…sometimes…but I couldn't make up half the shit my mom says." She craned her neck up for a kiss.

"Sometimes?" Alex grinned.

The blonde released one of her lover's hands and pushed her hair across her forehead. "I'm not overly dramatic."

"Please," Alex huffed, lips tugging upwards. "You missed your calling as a thespian."

Piper smiled and wiggled her eyebrows. "I'll settle for being a lesbian."

After a quick peck on the forehead, the brunette continued. "Your mom is so pissed at your dad that she's allowing us to stay here just to spite him." She shook her head. "I don't see this ending well."

"I know." The blonde looked up at her. "They don't even know about my pregnancy yet."

Alex nudged her glasses higher. "When are you going to say something?"

"Probably the day I go back to college." She unzipped her bag and pulled out her toiletries. "Will you be there when I tell them?"

She raised her eyebrows. "If you want me to."

"I do." Piper paused. "How was the talk with your mom?"

"Fine." The brunette glanced at her watch. "She's taking me to the health clinic in a few minutes."

Piper halted her movement and looked Alex in the eyes. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No," she stated casually. "I could use more time alone with her if that's ok."

"Of course, it is." Piper ran a hand down her girlfriend's arm. "Maybe I can go with you next time—if there is a next time."

Alex gave her a small smile. "I'd like that."

The blonde exited the room, and for the first time since Piper had traveled all the way to Milan, Alex felt arousal stir deep within her. She instantly recognized that once familiar hunger—something she hadn't experienced in a very long time. Alex grinned at the thought of having sex with her lover and hoped that Piper was still attracted to her in that way.

Although Alex didn't think she'd get a clean bill of health from the doctor, she didn't think she had an addiction to drugs or alcohol. She'd gone five days without either so far, and no part of her wanted to get high. In fact, the thought of snorting cocaine sickened her.

The doctor ordered a urine analysis and blood work, explaining that the results would take at least 48 hours to come in because of the holiday. She had a long, private conversation with Alex about nutrition and taking care of her body, and the brunette was only mildly annoyed that the doctor seemed to be treating her like a child. She deserved the lecture, but that didn't mean she enjoyed it.

The young doctor also recommended that Alex see a psychologist for the next couple of months. At first, the brunette put up a fuss, claiming she didn't have health insurance nor the money to "see a shrink." Alex didn't have a leg to stand on after the doctor informed her that the psychologist was part of the Affordable Care Act and she wouldn't have to pay a dime. (Judging by her mom's expression, seeing a mental health professional wasn't optional.)

Alex promised to read the articles and books listed on the printout that the doctor gave her. She needed to be well—be healthy—for Piper and the baby. She was tired of feeling depressed and sickly; Alex had a new reason to live, and that had everything to do with Piper.

Diane made good on her promise of not standing for Bill Chapman's homophobia—she told her husband he'd need to find an alternative place to lay his head, because she sure as hell wasn't going to bed with a man who had shunned her very own flesh & blood.

Alex and Piper remained at Carol's apartment at night, though they visited with Diane during the day. Piper refused to spend any more time than absolutely necessary with her mother, and the feeling seemed mutual. Alex had nailed it when she said that the reason her mom allowed her and Alex to stay at her apartment was to "one up" her ex-husband. It wouldn't be the first time.

Piper had only a small inkling of what Diane's conversations with her father were like that made him leave his own home. Diane was a force to be reckoned with, and Piper assumed that if their major disagreement concerned her daughter, the older Vause would have her claws out. The blonde was thankful for Diane's presence in her life, and even after being home for only a week, she could see a positive change in Alex's health and mood largely due to Diane.

Alex's test results came back, and her drug and alcohol biomarkers were low or non-existent. That wasn't a huge surprise to Alex, though Piper wondered if Diane was more shocked than she let on that her daughter had been completely clean since her return from Europe.

The younger Vause read a couple of articles about drug and alcohol abuse, but those weren't the ones that intrigued her—the ones she couldn't put down were about nutrition and the body/mind connection. She tossed around phrases like biochemical detoxification, integrative therapeutics, and micronutrient deficiencies. Alex read three books about addiction & nutrition in just as many days, and Piper could see her lover's mind at work. She'd identified the problem and was fascinated by the natural, non-medical solutions.

Piper hadn't witnessed Alex apply herself academically in high school, but she'd known that the brunette was incredibly bright solely by her expansive vocabulary. The way Alex studied nutrition & health for substance abusers was how Piper had once relentlessly prepped for the SAT.

Over their final week in Greenwich together, Alex began experimenting with food. When her mom came home from work, she showed Alex a few simple culinary techniques like how to poach an egg and blanch vegetables. Piper was overjoyed at watching her lover grasp hold of something with such gusto, plus she benefitted from the healthful meals that the brunette forced her to eat.

Two days before Piper headed back to Smith, her father returned home. Apparently, he and Diane had reached an understanding, and she allowed him to come back. While Piper was grateful for Diane's persistence with her dad, she knew that the next bombshell she'd drop on them might very well put her right back on the curb, so she hadn't moved out of her mom's apartment just yet.

Piper prepared herself for what she knew was going to be another calamitous conversation. She'd talked with Alex at length about how she should bring up her pregnancy, but the brunette had no tips or tricks that would make it any easier. "Just fucking blurt it out," Alex had offered, at which point Piper had given her a pointed look.

Piper and Alex entered the living room to find Diane sitting on the edge of an armchair and Bill standing at the far end of the room, hands on his hips. Alex sat on the sofa, but she didn't lean back; she was ready to pounce if Bill said anything that would upset Piper.

She glared at her father. "Are you ready to listen with an open mind?"

"Yes," he whispered, but she could tell nothing could be further from the truth.

Piper decided to finish the conversation that they'd begun two weeks earlier instead of jumping into the fact that she was pregnant. She needed her father to understand that she was in love with Alex, and that wasn't going to change.

She inhaled deeply and scratched her forehead, preparing herself mentally for a bout. "During my junior year in high school, I started developing feelings for Alex—feelings I'd never had before."

"What about Larry?" Bill asked. "He was your boyfriend."

The brunette chuckled, and Piper figured that her lover must've been thinking of how ludicrous it was to be compared to her ex-boyfriend.

Piper stood between the Christmas tree and the sofa. "Larry wasn't the boy for me—he wasn't the person for me."

"So you decided you liked girls?" he scoffed.

"I prefer the term women," the brunette chimed in.

If looks could kill, Bill had shot Alex dead.

"Alex was interesting and smart and different," Piper continued, hands twisting in front of her belly. "I'd never met anyone like her. She made me feel…appreciated in a way that no one had before."

Bill looked away, fingers massaging his chin.

"Before I knew it, I was in love." She glanced at Alex, who gave her a sweet grin.

The brunette reached out, and Piper linked their fingers together.

Her father furrowed his brow. "How is that possible?"

Piper kissed her lover's knuckles before letting go of her hand and standing directly in front of him. "Remember when I walked in on you and Diane at Sardi's a million years ago?"

He clenched his jaw.

"I'll never forget what you told me that day: 'Sometimes we can't control where our heart goes'," she repeated in a soft voice. "Alex and I are in love; we're a couple, and you can either get on board or miss out on my life."

Diane looked up at her husband with desperation as Alex stood next to Piper, ready to perform whatever act was necessary—save her from a slapped face or ready to run.

"I don't understand it." Bill covered his mouth. "But I don't want to lose you, Piper."

Piper watched Diane's face light up as if she wasn't certain her husband would pull through. For her part, the blonde wanted to rejoice at her father's statement, but she couldn't bask in his semi-approval with other matters weighing heavily on her mind.

"There's something else," Piper admitted, glancing at Alex. "It's something you all need to know."

Cal, who had been lurking in the kitchen, walked past the entryway, eating a Christmas cookie.

"Get in here, Cal," Piper called, hands on her hips.

Her brother stood behind the sofa, chewing slowly. "What's up?"

Alex took her hand, squeezing it tightly as Piper steeled herself for what she was about to confess.

"There's no easy way to say this." She released a long, trembling breath. "I'm um…I'm pregnant."

All three of them raised their eyebrows high enough to touch the ceiling.

"Excuse me?" Bill replied.

"What?" Diane looked at her daughter. "How could that be?"

Cal's eyes roamed from left to right, looking at Piper and then at Alex. "Isn't that impossible?"

"I hadn't slept with a guy before Piero." The blonde decided to get it all out as quickly as possible. "He was one of Pete's friends—they played soccer together, and he was on exchange from Italy." She placed her free hand on her belly, rubbing it in slow circles. "We had sex once, and I didn't feel well afterwards, so I went to the doctor six weeks later."

Piper had never said the man's name aloud until that moment, and she could see the blood rush out of Alex's face. The brunette hadn't wanted to know details about her baby's father, but now that he wasn't nameless anymore, Piper could see her girlfriend's mind ticking like a bomb. Piper thought for a moment about excusing herself with Alex so she could check in on her mental state, but she decided that pressing on with her father was more critical in that moment.

"I don't understand." Bill shook his head. "You aren't loose, Piper."

"No, she's not," Alex jumped in. "She just told you; it was one time."

He gave the brunette another death glare.

"I'm three months along." Piper lowered her head and looked at her belly. "And I'm keeping it."

She knew that was the first time Alex had heard her say those words. It shouldn't have been surprising—Alex knew that she would've at least mentioned abortion as an option when she'd first informed her of the pregnancy if that was ever a real possibility.

Bill plopped into the armchair, almost as if he'd fallen. "This is completely out of character. What were you thinking?"

She shrugged. "It was a rare moment when I didn't want to think…I just acted."

He shook his head as if trying to clear the fog. "Why didn't you use protection?"

"I thought we did! He ripped open the packet and…" Piper trailed off, embarrassed by her confession. She didn't feel the need to explain every detail of that horrendous night, so she settled for, "I was drunk and stupid. It's a mistake I'll pay for the rest of my life."

"Yes, it is!" Bill huffed. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to raise a child?"

"Yeah, I have an idea," she said defiantly.

"You're still in college, and you have a job lined up for you. Everything was perfect!" He shook his head. "Why would you screw it up like this?"

She crossed her arms. "I'm still going to finish college and work at Time—there's no question about that."

"But you're going to have a child! How in the hell will you handle everything as a single mother?" Bill yelled.

"I'll figure it out. Lots of women do," the blonde whispered, averting her eyes.

"I'm very disappointed in you, young lady."

Her father's words stung—despite not verbalizing her need for his approval, she'd sought it her entire life.

As silence descended upon them, Diane tried in a hopeful voice, "Is there some part of you that's excited about having a baby?"

Piper's gaze landed on her. "No, not yet, but I'll get there."

"Children are a blessing." She looked at Alex. "My situation wasn't exactly like yours—I thought Alex's father loved me, but he'd just used me. There was a time in the beginning of my pregnancy when I considered an abortion." Her eyes filled with tears. "Can you imagine a life without this one in it?"

Piper's chin quivered. "No, I can't."

Alex hugged her girlfriend, and Piper buried her head in the crook of her neck and cried.

Bill stood. "My daughter and I need some time alone."

"No," Piper said, lifting her head but not entirely removing herself from her lover's arms. "Not tonight, dad." She dabbed her cheeks with her shirtsleeve. "I'm exhausted, and I can't fathom talking about this until I'm blue in the face."

"Tomorrow, then," he sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Cal, anything you need us to know since it seems to be a confessional in our living room tonight?"

Cal shook his head vigorously.

He walked towards his study and turned around with a stern look on his face. "I'll speak with you in the morning."

Before Diane left the room, she grabbed Piper's arm. "Just so you know, I'm happy for you, kid. It might not have happened like you wanted, but you're gonna be just fine. I know it."

The blonde let go of Alex and took a few steps towards Diane, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. "Thank you."

It was the first time anyone had told Piper they were happy for her. Alex had said words of encouragement and support, but she'd never used the word, happy.

Note: Did you honestly think I wouldn't have Diane stand up to Bill? Of course she wouldn't allow her bigoted husband to kick her daughter out of her home. Although I chose not to write a scene between Bill and Diane (this story is told through Piper and Alex's POV), rest assured, in my mind Diane let him have it.