Instead of posting two shorter chapters, I've combined them into one long one, so this is the end of Roots & Wings. The final chapter is rated M for Mature. Thanks to my beta, Nicki, once again, and thank you to those of you who continued reading this story until the end and found some joy in it. I don't anticipate writing anything in this fandom again, but if S4 inspires me, I'll pick up the pen again.
Alex had no idea what time it was when she woke up to a crying baby in her lover's arms. She jolted up and reached for the infant. "I'm sure this won't be the first time this one will wake me up from a deep sleep."
Piper chuckled. "I'm afraid not."
"Have you slept at all?" The brunette took the infant into her arms and stood.
The blonde yawned. "A little. I'm sore."
Alex wiggled her eyebrows. "Want me to make it better?"
"Alex!" She chastised her girlfriend with a slight grin. "We have to name her, you know."
They'd tossed around names a couple of weeks ago, but they hadn't settled on one in particular.
"She's not a Chloe," the brunette said, looking down at the baby. "Or a Charlotte."
"Well, she's definitely not a Maika. That was too Asian anyway."
Alex shot her a look. "Don't be racist."
Piper rolled her eyes. "What about Elizabeth?"
"No." The dark haired woman lifted the infant closer to her face, basking in the sweet smell of powder. "What about Matilda?"
"Matilda?" Piper extended her arms, reaching for the baby. That wasn't a name they'd discussed. "Where did you come up with that?"
Alex handed her over. "I don't know. It just came to me."
"Matilda?" The baby's eyes barely blinked, and her head shifted. "Tilly?"
"That's a bad ass name." Alex sat next to them, tucking the blanket under the infant's tiny arm.
"You think 'Tilly' is bad ass?" Piper grinned.
"Damn straight." She lifted the baby girl's chin. "Isn't that right, Tilly?"
She swore the baby nodded. "Look! She agrees."
Piper's eyes never left her lover's face. "Then, Matilda it is."
Alex's eyes finally met hers. "Just for the record, you're a badass, too."
"Me?" She looked down at their child, rocking her a bit.
"Yeah, you." The brunette chuckled. "You kicked ass during the delivery."
Piper laughed and immediately held her stomach. "Ugh, that hurt. Don't make me laugh, Al."
"We intend on making you laugh for the rest of our lives." She kissed the infant's forehead. "Isn't that right, Tilly?"
The baby girl let out a small sound, leaving the women with looks of amazement.
"She's already got you wrapped around her finger," the blonde whispered, running her hand over the baby's bald head.
"That will never change," Alex replied in a similar tone. She kissed whatever part of her girlfriend's body that she could reach, which happened to be her shoulder. "I'm so proud of you, babe."
Piper touched Alex's cheek. "Thank you."
"Get some sleep." Alex took the infant from her arms and walked away, hoping that her lover would be able to sleep if only for a few hours.
Piper had delivered the baby just after 3 a.m., and by 9 o'clock the next morning, her family showed up at the hospital.
The blonde knew Diane would be overcome with emotion when she met Matilda for the first time, but she had no idea what to expect when her father saw the baby. She watched intently when Diane handed Tilly off to Bill.
"Hi," he whispered, holding the infant up high, directly across from his face. He pulled her closer, one hand behind her wobbly neck. "Welcome to the world, little Chapman."
Piper glanced at Alex, who appeared to be ready to pounce if Bill said anything inappropriate. The dark haired woman seemed to be pleased with Bill's reaction, so she continued telling her mom and Cal about her lover's water breaking and the car ride to the hospital. Every other minute though, Alex flicked her eyes in Bill's direction.
"She's perfect," her father said with watery eyes. "Absolutely perfect."
"She is." The blonde smiled and shifted in the hospital bed. She was exhausted, and the pain meds had worn off considerably.
Bill glanced at his daughter. "She has your nose."
Again, she smiled and hoped beyond hope that Matilda would bring her father and her closer together.
Bill passed the infant to Cal, who had no clue how to handle a baby. They all laughed at Cal's attempt to soothe the now crying child until Alex took Tilly from him.
"It's ok, Cal, you'll get the hang of it," Diane said, patting her step-son on the back.
"I don't mind holding her, but I can't change shitty diapers." He shoved his hands in his pockets.
Alex tapped her elbow against Cal's ribs. "I don't want that job either."
"Too bad," Bill commented. "It's part of being a parent."
Piper's eyes found Alex's and they both grinned at the comment. It was the first time Piper's dad made any reference to both of them being parents, and the blonde was shocked that he'd acknowledged it.
"You won't even mind changing dirty diapers after a while." Diane put her arm around her daughter's waist. "You're both gonna fall in love with Matilda so much that even the smell of her shit won't bother you."
"Gross," Cal replied. "Speaking of poo, I think she just soiled herself."
A nurse walked in and greeted the family, announcing that it was time for the new mom and child to get some rest. She whisked the infant out of Alex's arms and showed the brunette for the second time how to change a dirty diaper.
They all hugged Piper, giving her words of congratulations and encouragement before piling out and promising to drop by the next day.
"That went better than expected," Alex said, sitting next to Piper with their freshly changed baby.
"I know." She reached out and put a hand on Matilda's little head. "I didn't expect my dad to call us both parents."
She looked down at the baby. "Tell me about it."
"It's time to feed her," the nurse said, propping Piper's back up with an extra pillow. "We won't worry about modesty right now." She helped Piper open her gown as Alex handed Tilly to her lover.
"Your boobs are still huge," Alex commented with a smirk.
The nurse glanced up at her. "They're going to be big until Matilda is finished nursing."
"Good news for both of us, right Tilly?" Alex whispered, smirk still firmly in place. She brushed Piper's hair behind her ear.
"Alex," Piper complained in a soft voice.
As Matilda latched onto Piper's nipple, Alex stood close by with her hand on the blonde's head.
"You're doing great," the nurse commented. "Got her?"
She nodded and watched her daughter suck on her nipple and make little mewing sounds. Piper looked up at her girlfriend with awe. "I can't believe I made her."
The brunette kissed her on the lips. "She's perfect. I'm so proud of you."
"I can't wait to be her mom with you," Piper sniffed.
Alex gave her a toothy grin. "Me, too, babe."
The delivery was easy compared to the breast feeding. Tilly didn't take to her mom's nipple easily, so they had to bring in a lactation specialist. Three weeks later, Tilly found as much pleasure in her mother's boob as her other mom did.
"I ordered Chinese food," Alex called from the other room.
"I hope you got Moo Goo Gai Pan!" She yelled over a wailing infant.
The brunette reentered the room with a stack of folded clothes. "I can't wait for that craving to end."
"What if it never does?" She lifted her eyebrows.
"It has to—there's no way one person can eat Moo Goo Gai Pan four times a week for the rest of her life." Alex set the clothes on a side chair and took the crying infant from her lover's arms. "Isn't that right, Tilly?"
The baby stopped crying as Alex rocked her in her arms.
Piper separated their clothing into different drawers. "Maybe your mom can watch Matilda while we have a nice, quiet meal together."
"I'm sure she'd love that." The brunette plopped into the rocking chair and stared at the tiny bundle of joy.
Piper smirked as she shoved a pair of Alex's black, boy shorts into the drawer. "And maybe we can have sex."
Alex's eyes shot open. "Yes, please."
They hadn't fucked in over a month, not for Alex's lack of trying, but because Piper just couldn't get in the mood. The brunette understood her lover's frame of mind and respected her wishes to refrain from sexual activity until Piper was ready, but it wasn't easy.
The blonde eyed her girlfriend up and down. "I thought you might like that suggestion."
Alex rocked their daughter as Tilly slowly closed her eyes. "I hate that I'm bringing this up," she whispered. "But I thought you had to wait, like, six weeks before you could have sex?"
"You can't penetrate me," the blonde replied. "But it's perfectly safe for me to receive oral sex if you focus on my clit."
"I would be happy to focus on your clit." She smirked.
"In fact, maybe we can do it right now." Piper bent down to kiss her girlfriend on the mouth. "Is Tilly asleep?"
Alex nodded as she handed Matilda to Piper, who placed her in the bassinet next to their bed.
The blonde turned on the musical mobile that dangled over the bassinet, locked the door, and met Alex in the middle of the room. Their kisses started out light, but it didn't take long for them to become hungry. Alex's hands trailed up her girlfriend's shirt and covered her full breasts. She was rewarded with a deep moan.
Piper grabbed her lover's ass, forcing her backwards until they were standing next to the bed. Alex sat on the lip of the bed, while Piper removed her own clothing. "Take it off, Vause."
The brunette did as she was told, and they were both naked and all over each other in less than a minute. Piper's hand travelled down her lover's stomach to her center, and Alex arched up as soon as she felt her nimble fingers enter her folds. She allowed Piper to explore her pussy while she took one of the blonde's nipples into her mouth. The nipple tasted sweet, and Alex couldn't get enough. She didn't want to suck too hard for fear of milk coming out, but she used just enough pressure to please both of them.
Piper inserted two fingers into her lover's wet pussy, pumping them in and out while rubbing her clit with the pad of her thumb. "You feel good."
Alex moaned, and the blonde continued her motion and leaned down to kiss her lover. Piper looked into Alex's eyes with deep desire. "I want you to cum for me."
With that, Alex exploded into an intense, rolling orgasm. She sighed and whimpered and repeated Piper's name several times as her back arched into her lover's hand.
Alex panted as Piper removed her fingers from her center. The blonde brought her wet digits to her own mouth and sucked Alex's juices off. "You taste good, too."
Alex smirked, becoming aroused once again at watching her lover suck her fingers. "I want to taste you."
Piper rolled onto her back, but not before kissing Alex's tits along the way. The brunette placed a string of open-mouthed kisses down her girlfriend's chest, stomach and inner thigh. She opened Piper's pussy and looked inside.
"Does it look ok?"
Alex placed a kiss just above her opening. "It looks fucking delicious." She swirled her tongue on Piper's clit, relishing in the familiar taste of her lover. She was sure to be gentle as she sucked the small nub, using only her tongue and lips to pleasure Piper.
"Just like that, Al!"
Her tongue circled the blonde's bud relentlessly, and Piper's hands flew to her girlfriend's head, holding it firmly against her. "Right there…yeah! God, Alex…I'm cumming, ah!"
The brunette rode out Piper's orgasm, wishing she could move her mouth to her lover's opening to taste her more fully, but respecting that she'd have to wait another two weeks for such pleasure. When the orgasm subsided, Alex kissed her way back up to Piper's mouth.
Piper flung an arm over her forehead. "Fuck, that was good."
"Yeah, it was." Alex chuckled, reaching absentmindedly for her hand. "Especially with Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star repeating in the background."
The blonde snorted. "I definitely saw stars, so I suppose it's apropos."
She rolled onto her side and pecked Piper's shoulder. "I thought you said you could program that thing to play like a hundred different songs."
Piper twisted her neck to place a kiss on top of her lover's head. "That hasn't exactly been a priority, Al."
"Mmm," she mumbled. "I'll ask Cal to figure it out before he leaves for college."
"Just make sure he doesn't come in our room smelling like a fucking pot shop."
"Ok," Alex chuckled, passing her hand across her girlfriend's now flat stomach. "Ready for round two?"
The blonde gave her a look. "Really? Already?"
Alex blinked heavily. "I want you to lick me."
Piper smirked. "Then climb aboard."
"What, are you a train conductor?" She straddled Piper's face with her legs, lowering her pussy onto her lover's eager mouth.
The blonde grabbed hold of her ass, pulling her closer as she ate Alex's pussy with gusto. "I've been meaning to ask if you'd be into role playing, but a train conductor isn't the first profession to pop into my mind."
The brunette bucked her hips forward and tossed her head back as she rode Piper's face, all talk of trains vanishing from her mind. One look down at her girlfriend chomping on her pussy sent her over the top. "Oh, babe! Yeah, ungh, Piper, fuck me! Yeah!"
Piper continued mouthing her center and sucking the tender skin while Alex finished the orgasm and her hips stopped moving. She moved back, essentially sitting on the blonde's chest, and looked at Piper's glistening mouth and chin.
"Oh, my God, that was fucking amazing."
Piper licked as far down on her chin as she could. "I love when you ride me like that."
"Why don't I return the favor?" She lifted one leg over Piper's chest and laid flat on her back, crooking her finger. "Come here."
"You're insatiable," Piper giggled but did as she was told.
"Look who's talking! You were like a fucking nymphomaniac for the duration of your pregnancy!"
Matilda made a noise, and both women's eyes darted to the slumbering baby.
"She's fine. We'll be quick," Alex said as Piper's pussy hovered over her mouth.
"I miss doing this with you," the blonde confessed, lowering her center to her lover's lips. She reached back and toyed with Alex's nipples.
"You're not the only one," she replied between initial licks.
Alex let her lover ride her face the way she'd done moments earlier and was rewarded five minutes later with a loud, powerful orgasm reminiscent of the ones Piper'd had in her second trimester.
Just as the blonde completed her orgasm, Matilda started crying. "Impeccable timing, kid." She hopped off Alex's face, kissing her mouth firmly and whispering, I love you, before retrieving their daughter.
Piper's maternity leave came and went in a flash, and she had an extremely difficult time going back to work and leaving Matilda at home. Her only saving grace was that the infant was in good hands with Diane and Alex.
What shocked the hell out of the couple was who volunteered to take care of Tilly on Thursdays: none other than Bill Chapman. His company agreed that he could work from home one day a week, which suited the older man just fine for "a couple of months." Piper and Alex would need to figure out more permanent childcare in the fall, when Alex would begin her internship at DSM Nutritional Consultants, while taking three classes at the community college.
Bill had softened up a bit now that his first grand daughter was in his life, and lucky for everyone, she was a mellow, happy baby even in her earliest stages. She rarely cried unless it was for a purpose (hungry, soiled diaper, or waking up). Tilly allowed anyone to hold her without a fuss, making it easy for the infant to be passed around when one person's arms grew tired.
All of her doctor's appointments went well, and she was a healthy, growing baby girl. Piper didn't suffer from postpartum depression, which was a huge relief for both she and Alex. The couple's sex life wasn't nearly as robust as it had been months earlier, but they made time to pleasure each other at least once a week.
Cal helped out with Tilly more than Piper ever thought he would, especially in the mornings when Alex needed to be at school and Piper at work. Cal enjoyed giving his niece a bottle in the rocking chair, but he still wasn't comfortable changing diapers.
Diane counted down the days until she could babysit her grand-daughter, and she relished every moment with the child. She never complained about working part-time; in fact, she loved it and enjoyed helping "the gals" out.
Alex still worked at Salvatore's four nights a week and at least one day on weekends. She'd been able to sock away a healthy chunk of change that would allow them to move into a place of their own sooner than expected. She'd found an affordable daycare in Brooklyn that would take babies as young as six months old, so she put their name on the waiting list. Housing was more affordable in some of the less trendy Brooklyn neighborhoods, plus Alex could earn her Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition Sciences at Brooklyn College.
There were only a handful of occasions when the couple loathed living in the Chapman home, and that mostly happened when they didn't get enough privacy. They were already stretched too thin, and they could go weeks without spending quality time together. Piper knew that would happen during the baby's early years and while she was still putting in extra hours to impress her supervisor at Time. Her hope was to move into advertising for the mega-publishing company, which would mean she'd be able to work from home more often.
Piper insisted that once every two weeks, she and Alex would have a date night, and Diane always volunteered to watch Matilda on those evenings. The first few times the couple tried going out, they were too exhausted to enjoy themselves. (Alex fell asleep during a movie once, and Piper zonked out on the car ride home.) Finally, after three months, they were able to see a play or go to dinner without falling asleep before the date ended.
One late summer weekend, Alex booked a hotel room in the City, not giving a fuck that it cost $250 a night. They needed to reconnect (and fuck each other's brains out).
"Are you worried about leaving Tilly for 48 hours?" Alex asked when they arrived at their 14th floor room at the Sheraton in Midtown.
Piper hoisted her suitcase onto an ottoman. "The only thing I'm worried about is that I didn't leave enough bottles or pump enough milk."
"You left fifteen of them, babe," Alex chuckled. "Tilly drinks like five a day, so I think we're good."
The blonde pulled an envelope out of her suitcase. "What's this?"
"I don't know." Alex walked over to her. "Open it."
She ripped open the side and slid out a gift certificate to Gramercy Tavern. "It's from our parents."
The brunette's eyes bugged out. "Two hundred dollars? Wow."
"It had to be your mom," Piper said, looking up at her girlfriend.
"My mom doesn't know the first thing about fine dining in Manhattan," she let out a puff. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I think it was your dad."
The blonde wrinkled her brow. "My dad? No way."
"Let's call them." Alex yanked her cell out of her pocket and called the house phone. "Hi, mom. Piper and I just opened the envelope you stuck in her bag." She threw an arm around her lover.
"Oh, you got it, did ya?"
She put her mom on speaker phone. "That was incredibly generous," the blonde chimed in.
"Whose idea was it?" Alex asked.
"Believe it or not, it was Bill's. He even made reservations for tonight at seven."
"I don't believe it," Piper replied. "Seriously?"
They heard Matilda cooing in the background.
"Yep. He wanted to give you something special."
"Wow, that was…" Alex trailed off. "Unexpected."
"..to say the least," Piper added. "Please thank him for us."
Alex kissed the top of her head. "How's Tilly?"
"She's just great, aren't you?" They could tell that Diane was smiling down at their little girl.
"Can we FaceTime?" Piper enquired.
"Like I know how to do that!" Diane complained. "You two go, enjoy yourselves. I'll ask Cal how to FaceTalk tomorrow. Deal?"
"Deal," they replied in unison.
"Thanks again, Diane. This is a really special treat." Piper wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's waist.
Other than her work clothes, Piper hadn't worn a nice outfit since they'd all gone to brunch before she gave birth. Even then, she had to wear a maternity dress, so putting on something that actually hugged her curves and looked good was a treat.
"Fuck, you look good." Alex admired her lover's green V-neck, lace dress that she'd purchased from Banana Republic exclusively for their weekend in the City.
"So do you." Piper sauntered over to stand between her legs.
Alex hadn't bought a new outfit for the occasion, but she wore a dress that she remembered Piper loved back in the day—a simple, black fitted sheath that showed off her curves. The silver and turquoise necklace and earrings complimented the dress perfectly.
Alex rubbed behind Piper's knees as the blonde leaned down for a kiss. "You're going to take off my lipstick."
Piper smiled. "I'm going to take off more than just your lipstick when we get back."
She returned the smile. "I'll hold you to it."
The couple walked hand-in-hand to the restaurant, and it felt like years since they were able to go out practically carefree. They were seated at a window table at Gramercy Tavern, giving them the best view of the sidewalks of New York.
"I think I want a glass of wine," Alex announced, pulling the wine menu into view.
Piper raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"I was never an alcoholic, Piper. I've chosen not to drink for the past nine months." She inhaled a breath through her nose. "I'm ready."
Just then, the server arrived and introduced himself as Oscar. "May I offer you a cocktail? Maybe a glass of Prosecco?"
Piper stared at her lover as a smile crept across her face. "I think we're drinking wine. Al?"
The brunette grinned. "I'll have a glass of the Vina Ardanza Rioja."
"Make that two." Piper reached across the table to hold her girlfriend's hand.
"Excellent choice," Oscar stated with a quick nod. "Shall I bring the bottle?"
The brunette glanced up at him. "A glass will do for now."
"Great. I'll return with your wine and to answer any questions about our menu." He walked away as a busboy topped off their water.
The blonde squeezed her lover's hand before releasing it. "You sure you're good with this?"
"Positive." Alex beamed. She returned her attention to the menu. "What looks good to you?"
Piper scanned the menu. "That savory custard sounds amazing."
"So does the seafood chowder." Alex linked their ankles under the table, and Piper lifted her eyes over the top of the menu to watch a smirk form on the brunette's face.
Oscar returned with the wine, explaining the custard to Piper and encouraging at least one of them to try the Arctic char. "I'll give you a few more minutes to consider your options."
"I'd like to propose a toast," Alex said, lifting her glass. "To making it this far together. I never dreamed we'd get here, kid. I owe you everything."
"You don't owe me anything." She clinked her glass against Alex's. "I'm just glad neither of us gave up on each other."
"I'll drink to that." Alex swirled the ruby-colored liquid in her glass before taking in a long sniff, and then bringing it to her mouth. "Damn, that's good!"
Piper took a sip. "It's very good."
The three course, prix-fix menu was to die for—Alex ordered the golden beet salad, sunchoke & seafood chowder, and pineapple sorbet; Piper had the chestnut & mushroom custard, smoked Arctic char, and caramel flan.
By the end of dinner, they were equally full but not bloated. Piper commented about how nice it was to not have indigestion like she did when she was pregnant. "It's also nice to see my toes again when I bend over." They each enjoyed the one glass of wine during dinner, not opting for a second. Piper would've obliged, but she didn't want to take things too far the first time Alex reintroduced alcohol to her system in nearly a year.
The blonde noticed that Alex was a little fidgety by the time the bill arrived, and she hoped it wasn't because of her decision to drink wine. They exited the restaurant into the cool late-August air, and Piper was happy to have brought a sweater along. As she shoved her arms in the sleeves, she watched Alex tangle her hands together in front of her—a behavior that often signaled her lover's nervousness. Maybe she was just cold.
As Piper looked down to button her sweater, she heard Alex's voice. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you."
The blonde glanced to her left, and her girlfriend wasn't next to her. She stopped walking and twisted her neck around. "Alex?" Piper lowered her gaze and saw her girlfriend down on her knees. "Did you fall?"
"No," she laughed, opening a ring box. "I have on a dress and couldn't exactly get on one knee without flashing all of Manhattan."
Piper's hands quickly covered her mouth as she mumbled, "Oh, my God!"
"I was going to do it during our toast, and I'd written this long fucking proposal, but my mouth felt like it had cotton in it, and I just couldn't pull it off." The brunette took a deep breath. "If you told a perfect stranger about our journey to get where we are now, they'd think we made half of it up. We've been through some amazing times together, and some really fucking low points. Never in a million years did I think you'd still want me after what I went through in Europe, but you did. You had enough faith in me to pull me out of the gutter, and I honestly believe that if you hadn't saved me when you did, I wouldn't be standing, well, kneeling here today."
"Alex."
People on the sidewalk slowed down presumably to enjoy the show.
The brunette stood with a little help from her girlfriend and dusted off her knees. "I want to raise our daughter together; I want to struggle together to get to a place where we can finally call it our life; I want to grow old and maybe even a little crotchety with you." She raised her eyebrows. "I love you so fucking much, Piper Elizabeth Chapman." A toothy smile spread across Alex's face. "What do you say we make it official? Marry me, babe."
Piper threw her arms around her lover's neck as a few stray tears ran down her cheeks.
"You're strangling me," the brunette breathed.
She pulled back, taking Alex's face in her hands. "Yes. I will marry you."
Their mouths crashed together, and people on the sidewalk applauded and let out a few hoots & hollers.
Alex broke the kiss and showed her the vintage diamond Edwardian engagement ring. "I hope you like it."
The blonde leaned a little closer. "It's stunning."
Alex slipped it on her ring finger, clearly proud of herself for picking out the right ring and glad that it fit.
"I can't believe it!" She held her hand up and watched the diamonds sparkle from the lights in the restaurant and a street lamp. "Oh, Alex!" Once again, she tossed her arms around her now fiancée.
They walked arm in arm back to the hotel, every once in a while, Piper holding her hand out to admire the ring. Once they were inside, she got a better look at it in the abundant light.
The couple made love softly and slowly several times throughout the night, never letting the other go.
As the sun rose in the early morning hours, Alex could hardly keep her eyes open, but before she fell asleep, she whispered in Piper's ear, "We'll finally be a real family."
The End