A/N: I know I took basically the whole scene from the show, but I felt like it really fit in well as a flashback to how Alex got involved. Hopefully, we see a little bit more of this in the new season. Thank you for your continued support through this story! It's really giving me a boost to write.
"ALEX!" A scream came from the back of the nightclub as Alex craned her head around from the bar to see who was calling out. She immediately spotted Jay running towards her. Jay was a muscular 35 year old with platinum blonde hair and a love of show tunes; currently pulling his latest boy-toy, a dark haired Latino boy who couldn't be older than 18, if that.
"Doll, it's been so long!" Jay exclaimed happily. He leaned forward to kiss both of Alex's cheeks.
"Jay, how are you? I see you've got a new friend." Alex nodded her head towards the boy at Jay's side.
"This is Marco. Marco, this is the woman who taught me everything." Jay smiled at Alex.
"Nice to meet you, Marc. Enjoying everything?"
Marco just nodded his head and gave a weak smile. Alex surmised that he probably didn't speak much English.
"Alex, come over to the table. Say hello to everyone."
As Alex followed Jay and Marco through the crowded club, Jay asked her over his shoulder, "Where's that pretty little blonde you've been dragging all over?"
Alex clenched her jaw, took a sip from her beer and tried to expunge the image of Piper from her mind at the moment. She had to keep all her emotions under control around these people.
"Started to get too much of a hassle. It's over with." Immediately feeling guilty, Alex silently apologized to Piper after the words left her mouth.
"Shame. She could have done really well if she worked."
'I never would have let it come to that. Not Piper. She's different; better than this. Fucking asshole.'
The three of them finally made it through the crowd and over to a large section of couches and tables, where a group of associates were parked.
A redheaded woman, wearing a loud animal print and freckles, was in deep conversation with a moderately attractive brunette, raised her glass to Alex.
"Maya." Alex said and lifted her beer bottle up. Maya was another of Alex's recruits. She too had had a major meltdown like Piper had in Brussels. However, Maya was determined not to disappoint Alex. At the time, Alex had manipulated her with sex and drink and money. When Alex moved on to somebody else, Maya had become just as effective at picking women out to turn them into efficient mules. Before Piper, the two women with their attitudes and stunning beauty, had worked together to round up more girls than they could count into the ring. Alex felt a bit of pride that Maya had done well for herself.
Looking around the rest of the group, Alex noted that her last recruit, Fox, was missing. Fox was a Southern, tanned, All-American boy Florida that would make the girls swoon with his drawl. Alex spotted Fahri off to the side, looking down at his phone. 'Now, Alex.'
Alex walked over to the bald man that had become a friend and tutor to her. Fahri lifted his head when he glanced her walking towards him and smiled.
"Alex. Another job well done. As usual."
"Hey Fahri. Thanks."
"Is everything set up for the next two drops?"
"Yeah. Everything's solid. Maya might have to pick up one of two more girls, but from the looks of it, she's already doing it." Alex said, cutting her eyes back to Maya who had her arm over the girl next to her.
"You taught her well."
Alex took another sip of her beer. She was going to need a lot more of these to calm her nerves.
"Kubra wants to up the output."
"Fahri, I – "
"Alex, don't be ridiculous. You can do this."
"It's not a question of whether I can or can't. I don't want this anymore."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm done Fahri. I want out."
"Is this because of the blonde bitch you've kept around? Alex, this is not something you just walk away from because you're tired. Or over it. You're involved. If you like it or not, not my problem, you've been involved in this."
Alex felt her heart twist with the implication of this being Piper's fault. Restraining herself from attacking, she cursed him under her breath. "It's not about her. I've done my share. You've got Maya and Jay who are just as good as I am. And Fox, wherever he is. The three of them can replace me."
"Fox is dead."
Alex's jaw just hit the floor. "What."
"Dead. OD. Asshole started doing the drugs."
"Fuck. 'Fox. Fuck. Kid was sweet. Too nice, at first, for this game. But the money always brought people around.'
"You don't just walk away, Alex. There are rules. Punishments. You remember Yang."
Alex cringed at the mention of Yang. "I'm a much better earner than anyone you've ever had. The last 10 years of my life, I've done everything and more. I've never asked for more and I've never done less than. This is my only request."
"Alex, Alex." Fahri put a hand on her shoulder. "Do me a favor and never bring this up again."
Fahri started to walk away from Alex, when she reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Fahri. I'll do the last two runs. Then I'm done. Whoever you need to talk to or whatever you need to fucking do -" Alex glared at him, "You go ahead and you do it. But I'm done."
Fahri looked from Alex's eyes down to her hand on his. "Be in touch." Alex released her grip on his arm. She watched him walk towards the table, wave a goodbye and then seamlessly glide through the crowd.
'Motherfucker. Way to go, shithead. Threaten the prize pony of the cartel. I'm fucking dead. I'm dead.' Alex quickly made her way to the bathroom of the club as a past memory crept up on her.
Alex was adjusting her makeup in the mirror of the dingy, stickered bathroom of this shithole club. She had wished that this moment had been so different. 'My dad is a total asshole. I'm just fucking going home. This wasn't even worth it.' Alex did a last check over herself and focused on making her face as neutral as she could manage. This was about showing no emotion except for disgust as she would walk out of the basement of this alleged club and see her father for the last time.
Alex opened the door and a gasp left her throat. She was face to face with an olive-skinned man who definitely looked out of place with these fucking dregs.
"Jesus, fuck. You scared me."
"You okay?"
Alex just nodded and sniffled. "I'm fine."
"He's not what you thought, huh?" The man glanced over his shoulder to the aging rock group, currently doing lines off the table. "Been imagining this moment your whole life?"
"I had this white fringe pleather jacket I always thought I would wear when I met him."
"Nice, pleather." The man laughed. "What happened?"
"You're right." Alex looked down at her clothes. "Maybe that would have made the difference."
"Most people are better in the abstract. It's Alex, right?"
"Yeah."
"Fahri." The man holds out a small bottle and the side of his hand. "You want a bump?"
"No, thanks."
"Smart girl."
"So what are you doing here with these losers?" Alex nods her head in the direction of her father and the rest of his band and groupies.
"They are my clients."
"Clients? What do you do?"
"I work for an international drug cartel." Fahri looks at Alex and starts to laugh. Alex joins him.
"Right." Alex's eyebrows raised.
"I'm serious." Fahri takes a large breath in, "Alex, what else do I need to know about you?"
"Um, nothing? I just met you, and I'm not interested if you're hitting on me. So, sorry."
"I'm not hitting on you. Do you like to travel?"
"I haven't really been out of the metro area. But, it would be fucking great to be able to travel."
"Looking for a job?"
"Selling drugs?" Alex laughs heartily. "No, thanks. I don't need that shit."
"Not selling. Importing. Dropping money off. Nothing big; unless you're good at it."
Alex was unsure about this. The furthest she had traveled was Florida. Once, for Disney. She didn't even get to go with her mom, who was still working 3 jobs at the time; her aunt had paid for her as a gift. She looked back at her father. 'What the fuck is keeping me in this shithole.'
"Fuck it. Sure, at the very least I'll be seeing some part of the world that's gotta be better than here."
Fahri smiled and took Alex's number. "Be in touch."
The memory was unwelcome by Alex as she stared in the mirror. "Fuck that asshole.'
She washed her hands and headed back to the bar. A young blonde girl waved at her from across the way. Alex cut her eyes back to the bartender and ordered a whiskey. She saw the girl start to make her way around the bar. 'Please, Christ, don't come over here.'
"Hi there!" The girl's tinny voice was barely heard above the pounding of the bass in the club. It forced Alex to turn around to face the girl, who was as high as her chest.
"Hello."
"I'm Tina. I couldn't help but notice you from across the bar." Tina giggled.
"Thanks, Tina." Alex let the name roll off her tongue. 'Appropriate name for the voice.'
Alex tilted her head back and let the shot slide down her throat.
"Can I buy you a drink…?" Tina let the end of that question open for Alex to tell her a name.
"It's Alex. And I'll buy you a drink."
"Ok, Alex."
Alex waved the bartender over and ordered two more shots of whiskey. They clinked glasses and took their shots. Alex watched Tina scrunch her face up and immediately her heart longed for Piper. Piper, who couldn't handle her liquor either and would be doing tequila shots, not whiskey. Piper, who would be dragging her onto the dance floor and pulling Alex closer to her so they could move together to the music. Piper, who by now would be begging Alex to make her come again and again. Piper, who would plead for Alex to stay with her, and forget about work. Piper, that Alex fucking sent away.
'Piper, you have no idea how much I fucking miss you.'
"Wanna dance?" Tina said, slightly wobbly on her feet.
"No." Alex said coldly.
Tina looked crushed. Alex felt guilty.
"Listen, it's not you. I have a girlfriend." Alex sighed as she saw the disappointment on Tina's face. "But, if you like redheads, there's my friend Maya who is in the back on the couch. Tell her I sent you over."
Tina looked up at Alex. 'She really is a pretty girl. Why did I just send her to the snake pit? Hope you survive, girl.'
"Nice meeting you, Alex. Hope it works out with your girlfriend." Tina turned and headed through the club toward the back with Maya.
Alex ordered another drink. Painfully alone, she decided to head back to the hotel room.
The door to the hotel room closed and Alex leaned her back against it. The haze from the drinks helped her to dull the pain of Piper not being in this bed when she would crawl in it.
Alex pulled out her phone and checked the time it was 1am in Jakarta, so it should be okay to call Piper now. She tapped the contact in her phone and let it ring.
"Alex?"
"Pipes!" Alex fell back on the bed. "How was the flight?"
Alex let Piper talk about the flight, the guy that fell asleep on her in the seat next to her, the turbulence and everything else. She felt the pit in her gut lessen with every word that Piper spoke.
"I miss you, kid. Like, a fuck-ton."
"Me too Al. Did you see him?"
"I did. Told him that these were my last two runs. Fox is gone."
"Gone? He got out?"
"No, gone like dead."
"Oh, God."
"OD. Stupid."
"How did the rest of the conversation go?"
"Not well. I sort of threatened him."
"You WHAT?!" Piper yelled into the phone.
"Ow. Loud? I did say: 'sort of.' I can't actually do anything. I wanted him to know I was serious. I didn't say I was going to kill him."
"Fuck, Alex."
"Look, I just really needed to hear your voice right now. I need you. Please, Pipes. I miss you like fucking crazy. Some girl tried to hit on me, and it made me miss you more."
"What girl?" Piper's voice had raised by about an octave by the end of the question.
'Fuck.' "Some girl at the club. Nothing happened. I sent her Maya's way. I felt like I pushed somebody into the viper pit."
"You did. So what did this girl look like?"
"Ooh kid, don't get all jealous. She didn't touch me. She actually had the balls to offer to buy me a drink. It was adorably pathetic. I'm sure Maya ate her up."
Piper was silent for a minute. Internally, she was fuming that she wasn't there with Alex. Both because she was longing for her love, and the fact that some flooze had gotten that close to Alex without their face connecting with Piper's fist. For as lighthearted and waspy as Piper was, she watched every interaction that anybody had with Alex, and was prepared to attack during each one of them. Quite a few times, Alex had to distract Piper with kisses, or touches to be able to drag her away from a scene or altercation that was soon to be had.
"Alex, can you do me a favor?"
"Anything, Pipes."
"Don't send other people into the ring. Because you're getting out, don't let 10 more people potentially lose their lives to this. You know what it does."
"I can't do that. Piper, if bringing in people helps me get out, I will bring in as many as necessary. I'm not going to apologize for that. These are all adults, making their own decisions."
Piper sighed into the phone. She wasn't exactly happy with this scenario, but Alex had a point. These people had to make their own mistakes in life too.
"Piper? You still there?" Alex whispered into the phone.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm still here."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Okay, I'm heading to bed. Fuck. This sucks that you're not here. I miss my little spoon."
"Tell me you're not sleeping naked."
Alex laughed. "Mmm. Maybe I am."
"Fuck you, Alex. Don't." Piper started to whine.
Alex started to take off her shoes and dress. "So what are you wearing?"
"Alex!" Piper blushed. "It's 2 in the afternoon!"
"Pipes, c'mon. Since when has that mattered? Live a little. Break a few more rules with me, before we go all vanilla." Alex got into the bed and leaned her back against the headboard.
Piper gave an exasperated sigh into the phone. "Alright. Let's see. A lacy bra and a black thong."
"Fuck." Was Alex's only reply.
There was no way she was going to sleep anytime soon.