A/N It's update time. This chapter really did turn out a lot more in depth and subsequently different than how I had imagined it when I first told you Diane would be in this chapter. So hopefully you still like it.
Reviews:
I3VauseMan: Thank you and I raise my glass back at you for yet another kind review. Jealous Alex was awesome to write as we don't get to see it very often. I love writing the love between Alex and Piper- it is adorable. Haha, I love the banter too- it is just so much fun to write.
Guest: Aw thank you- glad you are enjoying it. Hopefully this chapter lives up to your expectations.
So sorry for the mistakes, it is late here and I am practically sleep editing. But, I knew I needed to get this up as I won't be able to tomorrow, so please forgive my mistakes.
…..
Two weeks had passed since Piper had first stayed over at Alex's, the lover's beginning a routine of dividing their time between each apartment, allowing them to spend every night together in each other's arms. Throughout the past few weeks, Piper had only suffered a handful of mild nightmares, allowing the transition to staying at Alex's to be relatively smooth and uneventful. Piper knew that the reason this change had gone with such ease was largely because she felt comfortable around Alex, the fact that the brunette lived alone making Piper feel confident in falling asleep, knowing there was no surprise house guests wandering around her during her slumber. Piper hated not knowing what was going on in her surroundings, feeling afraid in the company of people she didn't know, the nightmares tending to resurface as a result of her uneasiness.
Piper lays snuggled into Alex's side, having spent the night at the brunette's apartment, the blonde having a satisfyingly nightmare free night. Piper rests her head on Alex's chest, watching her sleeping girlfriend intently, a small smile playing on her lips as her head rises and falls with Alex's relaxed breathing, a feeling of pure contention filling the blonde's body. These restful moments with Alex were quickly becoming Piper's happy place, times where she felt safe and shielded from the horrors that could be the world that surrounded, the brunette's comforting arms feeling like the barriers that kept harm at bay. Piper could slowly feel her life beginning to slot into place, the jumbled pieces of her heart finally coming together again, Alex having every reason to do with Piper allowing herself to feel a sense of happiness for the first time in a long time.
Alex begins to shift underneath Piper, her eyelids fluttering open to reveal those emerald eyes Piper adored so much. A smile spreads across Alex's lips, her hand reaching up to stroke soothingly through Piper's messy blonde hair. "Morning, Pipes," she rasps, her voice laced with sleep, as she plays absentmindedly with the tips of Piper's locks.
Piper gives a wide smile in return. "Morning," she murmurs, her neck craning up so her lips can meet those of the brunette's. Alex deepens the kiss, raising her hands to caress Piper's face, gently pulling her closer so that she is now resting on top of her own body. They continue to kiss passionately, their tongues intertwining, breathing laboured, only pulling away after multiple attempts to ignore the incessant buzzing of Alex's cell phone in the other room fail.
Piper grumbles in displeasure as Alex slips herself out from the under the covers, the comforting warmth of her girlfriend's body beginning to fade as she makes her way from the room and towards the ringing phone. Sighing, Piper rolls onto her side, the sound of Alex's indistinct chatters filling her ears as she burrows her face into one of Alex's pillows, her eyelids drooping as she allows sleep to take over once again.
Piper awakens some time later to the mattress dipping as Alex climbs back under the covers, her arms wrapping around Piper from behind as she plays the big spoon. Piper smiles as Alex places a tender kiss on the back of her neck before snuggling her face into its side. "Who was on the phone?" Piper asks sleepily, yawning as she turns herself over onto her back to look at Alex.
Alex shifts back slightly to give Piper room, her hand resting on the blonde's toned stomach, the pad of her thumb caressing the exposed skin. "Just my mom," she answers, before nervously chewing on her bottom lip, unsure of how to word her next sentence.
Piper smiles at Alex, adoring the relationship Alex had with her mother, Piper secretly relishing in the opportunity to observe the effects of when a mother loves and cares for her child, Piper never really having bared witness to a healthy mother-daughter relationship before she met Alex. Piper always enjoyed hearing Alex talk about her mother, the love and adoration that glinted in her girlfriend's eyes as she did never ceasing to warm Piper's heart.
Alex had such admiration for her mother, having watched her work so hard to provide for her when she was growing up, working countless jobs and mind-numbing hours just to ensure she could deliver Alex a sense of stability. For so many years, it had just been the two of them against the world, this allowing Alex and her mother to share a deep emotional bond with one another, a bond that still to this day remained very strong. Alex missed her mom dearly, ensuring that she made the time to speak to her at least once a week on the phone, always looking forward to their comical, banter filled discussions.
Their earlier phone call had been no different, Alex spending the whole time grinning widely as she tried to muffle her laughter, knowing Piper had fallen back to sleep in her bedroom and not wanting to wake the sleeping blonde. Her heart had begun to flutter in excited anticipation as her mom informed her that she had managed to get a couple of last minute vacation days and was wanting to come visit her, upset that she had not had the chance to visit her daughter in over two months. Alex had elatedly agreed immediately, before becoming suddenly nervous at her mother's request to finally get the chance to meet Piper, Alex having spent a large majority of their phone time gushing about the blonde.
Throughout their relationship, Alex had never discussed the possibility with Piper of her meeting her mother, the brunette always conscious of pushing the boundaries and walls Piper had constructed around herself, knowing that the whole concept of a relationship was very new to her. However, despite all this, Alex truly was desperate for Piper to meet her mother, wanting the two people she cared about most in the world to finally meet and connect, knowing that her mother would love Piper just as much as she did.
The only girl Alex has ever brought home was Sylvia, her mother never really taking a liking to the woman who would go on to cheat on her, Alex wishing she would have listened to her mother's concerns sooner, stubbornly believing that if she put in the effort she could make the relationship work despite her never feeling as emotionally committed as one should be. Alex hadn't realised it at the time, but she was never truly in love with Silvia, merely just in love with the idea of what she could represent. Alex had wanted to find that one person she could call her own, the one person she knew she could count on no matter what and whilst that person hadn't turned out to be Sylvie, the more time that went by, she truly believed that that person was Piper. Despite Piper's troubled past, there was just something different about her, something Alex knew was the reason she felt so strongly for the blonde and saw infinite possibilities for the future.
Moving her hand from her stomach, Alex fiddles nervously with the hem of Piper's ridden up shirt, not really sure about how to bring up the topic of Piper meeting her mom despite the amount of times she had happily played the scenario over in her head.
Feeling the brunette's apprehension, Piper furrows her brow before lifting her head from the pillow to get a better view of her girlfriends face. "Hey, what's wrong, Alex?" Piper asks concerned when her favourite emerald eyes dart away, not wanting to return her gaze.
Alex takes a deep breath in to calm her nerves, not really knowing what to expect the blonde's reaction to be to her question, hoping that it had at least some promise behind her response. "My mom is coming down to visit me later today," Alex murmurs, still not wanting to meet the blonde gaze, "and she was kinda hoping she could meet you," Alex continues, finally shifting her eyes to meet Piper's, her heart sinking slightly at the blonde's reaction.
Piper's eyes widen in shock, the concept of meeting Alex's mother having been the furthest thing from her mind when she saw her fidgeting girlfriend. It wasn't that Piper hadn't allowed the thought to cross her mind, but, she had tried her best to avoid the subject, vowing to herself years earlier that she never wanted to do the whole motherly meeting after her mother's own horrible reaction when she herself had brought her best friend around their home when she was younger.
A few moments pass in uncomfortable silence, the only thing that could be heard throughout the room was Piper's ragged breathing. Piper opens and shuts her mouth a few times attempting to respond, finding that she was struggling to come up with any form of response. "Oh," Piper finally chokes out, her heart sinking as she watches the brunette's face drop at her phrasing. Before Piper has a chance to explain further, Alex begins to pull away from her embrace, shifting herself so that she is now seated on the bed, her legs swung over the side of the mattress.
"It's too soon isn't it?" Alex mumbles awkwardly, lifting her glasses to rest on top of her head as she rubs her face in slight exasperation. "Just forget I said anything."
"Alex, wait," Piper chokes out as she watches her girlfriend push herself up off the bed and make her way quickly to her doorway, avoiding Piper's gaze with every step.
"Don't worry about it Pipes," Alex says as she stops at the doorway, finally turning her body to face Piper, who is now seated upright in her bed, looking at her with slight desperation as she attempts to fumble some kind of response, her heart hurting at the impact her unattended rejection had on Alex. "It's all good babe, I'm going to make breakfast," Alex says, giving Piper a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes before swiftly shuffling from the room, leaving Piper alone with her own thoughts.
"Fuck," Piper mutters as she throws herself back onto her back, bringing her arm to rest over her forehead as if it might provide some form of solace after the uncomfortable moment that had just transpired. It wasn't that Piper didn't want to meet Alex's mom, she was in fact very curious to finally know the person behind Alex's smile as she talked excitedly on the phone. But, after her own experience with her own mother, being around any form of maternal figure made Piper extremely uncomfortable, the blonde avoiding it at all costs.
Piper lays there in silence, the only sounds that filled the apartment were those of the brunette in the kitchen, the sound of the frying pan banging against the counter top as she prepares for what Piper can only presume is pancakes. Piper huffs loudly, her heart constricting as she pictured Alex's dejected face at her short and unexplained response. Piper knew she was being incredibly selfish, Alex having been so incredibly patient and understanding with her over the course of the last few months, never once attempting to push her into anything she didn't want to do. Piper felt horrible, knowing just how important Alex's mom was to her and being able to guess just how shit she had made Alex feel by not jumping at the opportunity to meet her.
Piper knew she had serious 'mommy issues', the recently deceased woman having of had, what Piper thought to be, an unchangeable scarring of her perception of the mother figure. Laying in the comfort of her girlfriend's slowly chilling bed, Piper allows her mind to wander back to the moment that ruined her faith in the introduction of someone's mother to another.
"Mom?" Piper calls out as she opens the front door of her house, stepping over the threshold confidently for one of the first time in her life as she was aware that her father was not home, having been asked to travel out of the state on a 3 day long business trip for a job that he would later be fired from because of his excessive drinking and attending work functions drunk.
She calls out for her mother again, hearing no reply for the second time. Stepping into the hallway, Piper turns to face her best friend who had timidly followed behind her through the door, never once having entered into Piper's home throughout the last 4 years of their friendship, Piper having found every excuse to avoid her coming over.
"You can just leave your jacket there," Piper says, shrugging off her own jacket and placing it upon one of the hooks on the wall by the front door.
Nicky begins to take her own jacket off and follows Piper's lead, placing it on the hook next to Piper's. "You sure your dad isn't home?" Nicky whispers, knowing that her best friend had told her he was going to be away, but still somewhat fearful that the large man had returned home early. Whilst Nicky had never physically met the man in the flesh, he still terrified her, the bruises that would often litter Piper's body enough for her to learn that she wanted to stay away from him. Although Nicky never believed any harm would come to her, she always feared for Piper and her brother's safety, being made aware that Piper's father had a terrible jealous streak in him when he witnessed his children enjoying the company of others. Nicky had figured this out about a year prior, putting the clues together that Piper would always be beaten right after she had had the opportunity to play with her friends.
Piper was all too aware of her father's feelings of possession over not only his children, but his wife as well, the large man getting somewhat irate whenever they would communicate with anyone else from the outside world, internally fearing that they would disclose his disgusting actions to someone. Over the years, Piper had learnt how to hang out with her friends and avoid the man's vicious tirade's, expertly learning the ability to sneak in and out of the house, attempting to time her enter and exit's when he was asleep from a drunken haze.
Nicky had been somewhat surprised when Piper had invited her over, the blonde never once attempting to allow Nicky entrance into her home. But Piper felt assured that today would be okay, that her mother would be on her best behaviour as there was an outsider present in her home, the woman never wanting to make a bad impression to the outside world, keeping the horrors of their home a secret through the use of variety of fake smiles. It will be today that Piper learns just how wrong her perception of her mother could be, the woman going on to gradually become more and more heinous in her behaviours.
Piper begins to step forward and makes her way towards the kitchen, Nicky trailing closely behind her as she takes in Piper's 'house of horrors', for the very first time. Spotting her mother, Piper shuffles in the kitchen, Carol turning around as she hears the scrapes of Piper's shoes against the floorboards.
"Who the fuck is she?" Piper's mother spits at her, not even bothering to greet the girl's with any form of a welcome.
Piper immediately stops in place, feeling Nicky instantaneously hide behind her at her mother's cold tone, her face draining of all its colour. "This is Nicky, mom. Remember, you said yesterday that it was okay if she came over today," Piper says, hoping that the gentle reminder would make her mom suddenly snap out of her mood and fake nice whilst her best friend was around.
Her mother gives her an incredulous look, stepping to the side slightly to get a better look at the stranger that occupied her home. Carol gives her the once over, her face forming into a look of distaste as she takes in the sight of Piper's friend. "I don't like her," Piper's mother states bluntly, causing her daughter's cheeks to instantly redden in pure embarrassment. Piper knew her mother was incredibly judgemental, however, the older woman usually waited until they were alone to voice her opinions.
Piper feels Nicky shift awkwardly behind her, her best friend having heard enough about Piper's mother to know that this behaviour was common. "Nicky is really nice mom, she had been my best friend for years," Piper adds, hoping in vain that her words could help turn her mother's unfiltered thoughts away, knowing full well though that once Carol Chapman made a judgement of someone she was rarely swayed.
Carol shakes her head in disgust, putting her hands on her hips as she stares at the ever growing nervous Piper. "What about that nice girl Sarah H? She would be a good friend for you," her mother suggests, completely disregarding Nicky's presence.
Piper can feel tears beginning to brim behind her eyes at her mother's reactions, Piper never once being able to find the courage to bring a friend home to meet her mother before that moment, constantly worried about the judgemental mutterings her mother could potentially bring. Piper doesn't reply, simply turning to a wide eyed Nicky. "Let's just go," Piper mutters as she gently pushes Nicky in the direction they had just come, not wanting her mother to see the tears that were beginning to stain her cheeks. It was at that moment, Piper decided that she would never allow herself to ever be put in that situation again, refusing to allow anyone to meet her own mother or consent to meeting anyone else's, regardless of who they were, the painful reminder of her own mother's reaction affecting her too much.
Piper shakes her head as she snaps from the distressful memory, finding she had never once questioned her decision to avoid motherly figures until now, feeling terrible that her past was now affecting hers and Alex's future. Over the last few months, Alex has sacrificed so much for her, being her rock and never once wanting to step away during the resurfacing of Piper's past, despite Piper giving her countless opportunities to do so.
Piper's love for Alex grew deeper every day, it now imprinted in her bones, making Piper feel that the brunette's presence in her life was something she would always want to remember, hoping that it would in fact mean that Alex would become something that would remain constant in her life, that Alex would be hers forever. Piper felt things for Alex she never ever throughout possible, the brunette proving to her everyday, why it had been the best decision to finally let someone in, allow someone to get close to her even after the events that had transpired in the past. By god Piper loved Alex and she knew it was her time to prove it to her.
Slipping determinedly from under the sheets, Piper pads her way out of Alex's bedroom and towards the kitchen, stopping for a moment to take in the beautiful sight of the brunette as she stands at the hot plate, her back facing Piper. Stepping forward, Piper wraps her arms around her girlfriend, her chin resting on her shoulder, hands clasped together at her waist. Kissing the back of Alex's neck, Piper hugs her a little closer to calm herself as she willingly murmurs the word that would push her out of her comfort zone for the first time in a long while. "Okay."
Piper feels Alex stiffen slightly under her response, her body clearly shocked. Alex turns in Piper's arms so that she was now facing the blonde, her arms resting on her girlfriend's hips. "Okay?" she asks, her voice filled with a mixture of emotions as her lips try to fight a smile.
Piper nods her head and smiles warmly at Alex, desperately attempting to hide the uncertainty she was feeling from the brunette, not wanting to the further dampen the mood. "Okay."
Piper feels her heart skip a beat as Alex smiles at her, the smile lighting up the dimly lit room, Piper knowing she would do anything to see that smile again in the future. Alex pulls her flush against her body, hugging Piper with all that she had. After a few silent moments, Alex pulls back from the embrace, crashing her lips to Piper's, kissing her with so much passion that it felt like she would combust under the heat. Piper wraps her arms around Alex's neck, feeling her girlfriend smiling into their every growing passionate kiss. In that moment, she had made the right decision, knowing that for whatever discomfort it would cause her it was worth the sacrifice just to see Alex this happy.
…..
"Piper," John calls from across the gym, breaking Piper's concentration on the punching back in front of her.
John smiles as he walks towards her, clipboard in hand, his eyes glinting playfully. Piper smiles at him in response, hoping he was coming to bear the good news that he had booked her in to fight, having been craving another fight since her return from her trip.
"Hey," he says as he comes to stand next to her. "Wow, you are really going hard today," he comments, noticing the sweat that was cascading off Piper's body.
Piper had really put everything into this training session, hoping to work off the anxieties that still plagued her after Alex had told her that her mother would be arriving later that afternoon and that she should come around her apartment prepared to have her ear talked off with her mother's stories. Piper was incredibly nervous to meet Diane Vause, knowing she needed to make a good impression on the woman who played such a huge part in Alex's life. Alex had told her not to worry, that her mom already loved Piper just by what she had told her during their phone calls.
"Piper," John calls out to her again, trying to regain Piper's wandering attention.
"Sorry," Piper apologises with a small embarrassed smile. "I am a bit distracted today," she explains, her mind running rampant all day at the meeting that would take place in only a few hours.
John nods his head in understanding, having watched the blonde from his office throughout the afternoon, knowing that something was plaguing her mind. "Well, hopefully this helps get your head in the game a bit. I was thinking that because you haven't had a fight in a while that you might enjoy a nice sparring session," John explains, smiling as he watches Piper face light up at the idea to get in the ring, even if it was only for a practice session where the punches weren't as serious as those of a real match.
"Fuck yes," Piper exclaims excitedly, suddenly giddy at the opportunity to get a few practice punches in, feeling like it might ease her current tension. Boxing had always acted as Piper's emotional outlet, allowing her to pool her feelings behind every punch she threw, her emotional pain and worries dissipating with each strike. Piper loved what boxing offered her and knew she would be truly lost without, forced to have to actually face her inner demons, fearing she would struggle under its weight.
"You'll be paired with Watson," John explains, pointing over towards an already prepared Janae, who smiled back at Piper, clearly as eager as she was. Janae had the body of a track star, yet, she could throw a powerful punch and was an incredibly talented fighter, someone Piper greatly admired at the gym.
Piper quickly removes her training gloves before grabbing her sparring gear from her gym bag. Reaching into her bag, Piper pulls out her head guard, mouthguard and special gloves that were made for practice fights, the material being far more padded as to not do as much damage to your opponent. Hastily putting on her gear, Piper eagerly steps into the ring, giving her best mouthguard filled smile at the equally excited Janae.
They set a steady pace, both having agreed it would be best to focus on their quick jabs, Piper feeling that her lack of fighting had somewhat reduced the speed and intensity at which she could lash out. They continue to jab at one another, Piper finding it difficult to focus as the thoughts of tonight's meeting plays in her mind, the nervousness and fear still pooling in the pit of her stomach.
Over the course of the day, Piper had grown increasingly concerned with the potential image that Alex had portrayed to her mother, knowing full well that there was an unspoken agreement that she was to not discuss anything Piper had told her with anyone. Whilst Piper had informed Alex of some significant details that involved her past, she still chose to remain closed off to the outside world, never truly feeling comfortable enough to tell anyone apart from Alex. Piper knew that Alex's mom had heard the half-truth, that she had come from a troubled upbringing, Piper knowing that Alex had had a serious talk with Diane after their sudden trip back to her childhood home, knowing that the older woman had needed some explanation. Before Alex, Piper had never really been concerned with people perceiving her as troubled, knowing full well that the persona she projected screamed dark and tormented past. Yet, knowing that Alex's mother knew she was troubled before she even met Piper made the blonde very nervous, fearing the woman would be like her own mother and pass judgement within seconds of meeting someone.
"FUCK!" Piper screams, her voice muffled by her mouthguard as her heads snaps back from the power behind Janae's punch, Piper's thoughts allowing her to be distracted enough for her fellow fighter to land a solid punch to the right side of her face, the faceless head guard doing nothing to stop her from receiving the full blow.
Piper stumbles back slightly, feeling the blood instantly dripping from her nose. She quickly removes her gloves and mouthguard, before pinching the bridge of her nose, hoping to stop the bleeding.
"Shit, sorry Piper," Janae says sheepishly, never wanting to actually physically hurt her opponent, the woman just happy she had someone talented to spar with.
Piper shakes her head slightly at the woman's apology, knowing that it was her own fault this had happened, the thoughts of tonight's meeting just weighing too heavily down upon her. "No, don't be sorry Janae, it was my fault. You shouldn't spar when you are distracted, guess I had to learn that the hard way," Piper jokes, attempting to ease the other woman's concerns.
Piper slips herself under the ropes of the ring and walks towards the locker room to survey the damage. Entering the room, Piper quickly grabs a handful of tissues from the box on the counter by the door and walks in the bathroom to look in the mirror, instantly recoiling as she stares at the large bruise that was forming around her right eye.
"Oh fuck," Piper mutters to herself, groaning at the thought that she now not only had to meet her girlfriend's mother, but also meet her sporting a sizable black eye that was in no way attractive at all. Way to make a first impression Piper, she thinks to herself as she looks in the mirror, the tissues soaking up the blood still trickling from her nose.
Piper sits against one of the benches in the locker room as she continues to wait for the bleeding to stop, hoping that the swelling would go down enough to not be noticeable at all. Removing the tissues and walking back towards the mirror, Piper says an internal thanks, the bleeding now having ceased. Glancing up at the clock on the wall, Piper's heart jumps at the realisation that she had to be at Alex's in 30 minutes, not wanting to add being late to the ever growing list of why Diane Vause should not approve of her.
Knowing she didn't even have enough time to ice her eye in an attempt to reduce the swelling, Piper quickly grabs her gym bag and leaps into the shower, showering in what she feels was record time. Exiting the shower, Piper throws on a pair of black skinny jeans, white tank top and her favourite blue hooded jumper, internally cursing herself for allowing Alex to talk her into dressing so casually.
Knowing she had no time to dry her hair, Piper pulls it up into a messy pony tail, adding her state of dress and appearance to her mental list of just how much she had fucked up tonight before slipping on a pair of old converse and rushing for the door of the gym, ignoring everyone's confused stares.
Piper practically runs from the gym to Alex's apartment, only stopping to rest just before the front door, hoping to at least gain some breath back and control her heaving chest. Standing, Piper takes a few deep breaths to calm herself, straightening out her clothes as best she could before knocking on the door, not expecting the unfamiliar face that would greet her from the other side, thinking it would have been her smiling girlfriend's.
The older woman's resemblance to Alex is uncanny, the two women sharing the same eyebrows, facial structure and long dark hair, Dianne's smile just as warm and inviting as her daughters. Piper sighs slightly as she takes in Dianne's clothing, her girlfriend's mother dressed just as casually as Piper in a pair of blue jeans and warm green zip up jacket. Diane's eyes light up at the girl in front of her, the corners of her mouth pulling up into a wide smile.
"You must be Piper."
…..
A/N I had every intention of having Diane properly appear in this chapter, but as I wrote it, I wanted to add more detail in (such as the flashback) to explain Piper's apprehension in meeting Alex's mother. I really do feel it helped explain a lot- so hopefully you all feel the same. Next chapter will feature the whole Piper/Diane/Alex interactions and I have a strong feeling you will love what I have planned :P
I felt the need to add in the whole black eye thing because I thought it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up- like what could be worse than rocking up to meet your girlfriend's/boyfriend's mother for the first time with a black eye- it'll make for a good conversation starter that's for sure lol.
As always thanks so much for all the reviews/favs/follows- you all keep me motivated to keep going with this. Let me know what you thought about this chapter- hopefully you all liked the way I led the girls into the meeting and seeing Piper finally be the one to make a sacrifice for Alex. Also, small snippet into Alex's childhood- more to come next chapter.
Mrosse38