Chapter 11

Piper was lying on her bed, the back of her right hand over her forehead. She had been staring at the ceiling for hours on end. She had tried to fall asleep, but every time she was at the edge of slumber, images of Alex with Jessica kept pulling her back. It was tormenting enough to have to witness it with her own eyes, and the fact that Alex had kissed her back that night in the infirmary had probably meant nothing. She knew that she had been acting distant with Alex, cold even, and that it was unfair to expect anything more from Alex. But a part of her couldn't help but wonder if Alex had easily moved on (just like last night) after their breakup four years ago. Even though Piper had been the one to leave, she had been a wreck, and had only hidden her heartbreak through various rebounds.

Piper tore her gaze from the white plane, and looked out the window. Soft pool of morning light permeated into the room through the gap between the curtains. She stared, trying to find solace in the brightness outside. She let out a tired sigh, trying to make amends with her battered mind. She was exhausted. She felt like she had been at the end of a long, resentful road for quite some time now, and Litchfield had presented itself as the new path for her. Perhaps she should stop mulling over the past and look to the future now.

"Haven't slept?"

Piper flinched, and turned to her roommate. "Hey..."

Polly yawned, but with a smile on her face. "I heard you left last night. But you returned quickly. Didn't look too pleased."

Piper's eyes widened. "Wow, you saw a lot in the dark."

Polly got up to lean back down on her elbows, her brown head messy. "They say love blinds you, but the others can see clearly."

Piper had to smile back at her roommate. "I think I can see pretty clearly now."

Lying on her side, Piper watched Alex moan a little in her sleep. Blue gaze trailed along the sleeping woman's full lips down to her neck, to the alabaster skin of her bare shoulder and chest. It was their usual morning with Piper waking up first, watching the taller woman sleep.

Smiling, Piper softly brushed Alex's hair off the woman's face. They had been together for almost a year now, but she never got tired of looking at Alex. Of course, Alex oozed raw sexuality and excitement. She thrilled Piper. The sex was amazing, filled with passion. The trips, parties and dinners were extravagant. But it had become something more than superficial interests for Piper. Stripped away the carnal desires and adventures abroad, Piper would no less cherish the quiet, mundane moments in the apartment with Alex, in their old, comfy clothes, their hair messy, their faces without makeup. She would get up first and get their breakfasts. Alex would later clean up, tidying their place. Piper would play games, and Alex would catch up on her books. Like how they both knew that it was 2 sugars for Alex, 3 for Piper. How Alex would know which pieces of Piper's clothes to wash first and on what occasions her blonde girlfriend would like to wear them. Alex might have a wild, mysterious impression, but she had always surprised Piper with her attention to details. She always made Piper feel loved and cared for. It all felt so natural to Piper somehow as if it was meant to be. The fact that she could feel such contentment with the simplest things, being able to completely share her life with someone else did startle her. It simply scared her; Piper knew then that she had fallen so deeply in love like she never had before.

Alex was stirred, groaning as she turned to the other side. Piper knew that it was time to get up and get breakfast for them both. She kicked the blanket and shot out of bed. She went for a quick shower, put on her clothes and pulled her hair up into a loose bun. She made a short trip to 'Queens Comfort' six blocks away to get their brunches.

"Hey, Piper!" Leanne, the pimply-faced waitress, greeted her. "The usual?"

"Yes, please." Piper stood by the counter, smiling widely. Her blue eyes deep and vibrant. Her smile as bright as the sun.

Leanne shouted out the orders at the back door, and came out to the counter again. She eyed Piper up and down. "You and Vause seem pretty serious. It's been months."

"Almost a year now." Piper tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. She blushed that someone had taken notice. But then she wasn't so sure about the hint at Alex's previous relationships. She had asked, but never gotten full details out of her girlfriend. From what she had gathered, Alex had never been committed before her.

"A year!? You really are something! She's definitely into you! What's your secrets?" Leanne giggled. "Other girls never lasted more than a month or two. You know how Vause is."

Piper paused. "Umm, no, I don't. She rarely mentioned it."

"Vause has dated tons of girls! But why not, right? Look at her." Leanne then bent over across the counter, whispering, "But sometimes people say that it's part of her job."

Piper raised a brow. "Her job?"

"Yeah, that mysterious, dusky gentleman is supposed to be her boss or something, right? What's his name again? They say that he tells her who to go with. Nobody knows what for, or why. Are you one of those girls?" Leanne giggled again. "I guess not. It's been a year, so you must have been the real thing!"

Fahri.

Piper felt her body go cold. What the hell was that about? Was it some sort of business? A scheme? As crazy as it sounded, Piper had noticed a bizarre relationship between Alex and Fahri. There was just something Piper could never put a finger on it. Perhaps it was Alex's unquestioned trust in him; how he had absolute control over her. It was unsettling to see 'Alex Vause' in such a vulnerable position, but Piper wasn't sure if Alex realized how defenseless she truly was. The other girls...? Piper's heart grew heavy as grim thoughts roamed through her mind.

After twenty-five minutes wait, the meals were packed in white paper bags, ready. Piper paid in cash, took the foods and left. Her walk back to the apartment felt like hours, her ankles feeling like cuffed with lead. She knew that she shouldn't believe a mere stranger's words over her girlfriend's, but all things concerning Fahri had begun to outweigh Alex's 'I love you'. Alex would leave at ungodly hours as soon as Fahri called, and never bothered explaining why, expecting Piper to just be understanding and forget about it. Alex had begun to leave on trips without taking Piper with her, and never bothered explaining. Piper had been told that it was just 'part of the job'. Piper had complied so far, because she loved Alex, fearing that her incessant inquisitions would bore her lover. But now that a stranger like Leanne had remarked about her true status with Alex Vause, the doubts she had had started to flood her mind.

"I'm back," Piper announced as she opened the door to their apartment. She walked in, closed the door and kicked off her shoes. She made her way to the kitchen counter and put the food bags on it. Leaning over the counter, she could see Alex moving across the bed, naked, pushing the blanket off her. The phone in her hand, Alex hadn't acknowledged Piper's presence, but talked for a bit longer and then hung up. Alex punched in a few buttons and carelessly tossed the phone onto the bed before walking into the bathroom.

When Piper heard the shower running, she made her way to the bed, and picked up Alex's phone. She logged in and checked the call log, but halted at the empty screen. Slowly, she put the phone back on the bed, and turned to watch the shadowy figure in the shower behind the tinted glass door. Endless questions began to overwhelm her. After a year together, there was still no telling just how real Alex was to her-how real they were to each other.

Alex groaned as her heavy eyelids slid open. Bright pool of light streamed through the gap between the curtains. She squinted as she fumbled for her glasses on the desk next to the bed. Naked, she pulled the blanket up from her waist to her chest. It was quite cold in the morning.

"Ow..." Alex grumbled at the scratches Jessica had left last night. The blonde's thirst was insatiable, although it had more than made up for Alex's few months of sexual frustrations. She was sore all over, her wounds still somewhat tender, and Jessica hadn't been gentle at all. She just hoped that they hadn't made too much noises to disturb the rooms adjacent to hers.

"Vause! Wake up...! Vause, it's almost nine!"

Alex frowned at the knocks on the door. It was Nicky. "Yeah... yeah, I'm up!" She put on her crumpled shirt from last night, and sighed. Fortunately Jessica had already left, presumably in the early morning hour.

After finishing her morning business, Alex left the South with Nicky. They both were in training jumpsuits, heading out to the Study. They were supposed to have a small birthday party for Tricia. Stalking across the yard together, they looked at the group of residents playing soccer.

"So how was last night?" Nicky nudged Alex with her elbow.

Alex shrugged. "It sucks to eat alone."

"Oh, come on. Morello dropped by your room before going to bed, and she said that she heard noises. Wedge or Chapman?"

"Lorna checked up on me? You guys think I'm six years old or something?" Alex rolled her eyes.

"Some other chick? Sister Ingall?"

Alex chortled. "Shut up."

"We check on you, because you've just moved back. A lot of current residents don't know who you are. And you've just got into troubles. Serious ones, too. You brought in an enemy from the outside. I wouldn't be surprised at all if some would try anything to get you out of Litchfield, dead or alive."

Alex nodded. "I'm aware of the possibility."

"So who was it? Wedge, right?" Nicky grinned. "I can't believe that bitch—ouch!" She yelped in pain, pressing her palm to her left cheek, where it had been hit by the soccer ball. A soccer player shouted out an apology as he ran to retrieve the ball.

"Oh, not this fucker." Nicky cursed as she teleported herself to the ball, and kicked it hard before the tall man could grasp it. The ball volleyed, and the man looked up, frowning in confusion. Arms across her chest, Nicky raised her brows mockingly as if to challenge him.

"I already said, 'sorry'. That wasn't necessary," Christopher said through his gritted teeth.

"Nicky," Alex called out for her friend, her gaze weary. She didn't like where this was going.

Nicky glowered at Christopher. "Apology not accepted."

Alex watched in horror as Nicky used her powers to deliver surprise attacks at Christopher, who seemed powerless to evade the punches. His friends started yelling and ran towards them. From the look on those people's faces, surely they were not coming to stop the fight, but joining.

"Nicky! Let's go!" Alex looked left and right as her feisty friend whooshed from one spot to another. "Nicky, they're coming—ah!" Suddenly Alex swayed, and dropped to her knees, tightly clutching her arms. Sharp, nasty chills ran down her spine, and pain began to bite every inch of her skin. She trembled uncontrollably, her quivering lips turning purple. It felt as though her life energy had been depleted at an alarming rate. She could barely move a muscle now.

Nicky had stopped teleporting, simply disappeared. Christopher now took a moment to breathe, glaring down at Alex. Seeing the anger in his eyes, Alex knew that it was him who emanated the deadly air, effectively crippling her. It must have meant for Nicky, but it would have affected anyone within his proximity.

Curled up on the ground, Alex watched as his friends approached. Fuck. I'm so fucked.

Snarling, they grabbed and pulled Alex up by the collar. A knuckle landed at her right cheek, sending her glasses off. She could hear the cracks as one of the guys must have stepped on them in the chaos. Rough, angry hands kept pulling her, while a hand snaked up to her neck and strangled her. She couldn't see who was doing what now, but it didn't really matter. She would be expelled if she used her powers outside of trainings, but there was no stopping. They were going to seriously harm her, or worse, kill her. Out of panic, electric blue currents flashed a few times at her fingertips. The men instantly shouted out warnings to one another. Some had quickly stepping away from Alex, but a few others were still relentless, kicking at her. Before she could stop herself, bolts of lightning shot out of her hands. However, the men were forcibly swept off their feet. They rolled onto the ground like useless logs before the lightning bolts could strike them. Confused, Alex looked up and saw a blonde-haired figure running towards her. Her vision was blurry, but she could tell who it was by a mile away.

"Alex!" Piper ran across the yard and came to kneel by Alex's side. "Alex, are you all right!? What's going on here—ah…! What the—" Piper suddenly stalled as her breath was caught in her throat. Shivering, she rubbed one hand over her arm, her nails digging into her skin.

Sitting up, Alex turned to look at Christopher, noting that he had already gotten up from the ground. Rage erupted within her, realizing what he was doing. Fiery heat grew on her fists, blue licking up her arms. The bolt of lightning blasted down at Christopher, but missed when he was yet again propelled to the side, the lightning strike leaving deep trenches in the ground where he had just been.

Alex turned to snarl at Piper. "What are you doing!? He hurt you!"

"… can't... let you do that. Red… won't let you get away with it. They'll… put you back... in the SHU…" Piper hugged herself. Her face was drained of all colors, her lips pale and her eyes bloodshot.

From the corner of her eyes, Alex could tell that several of the men were already up to their feet, stampeding towards Piper and her. It was going to get nasty, and all she could think of was to get up. She pushed herself up and threw herself over Piper, using her body to shield the woman from the incoming attacks. She shut her eyes tightly, her jaws clamped. She expected a lot of pain, but instead felt a strong breeze around her. She held on tightly to the body next to her, her mind temporarily failing to register what was going on. For a moment that felt like a rushed, tiring dream, she opened her eyes again to find herself in the deep woods. Everything around her was green, thick and wet. Everything but the body beneath her. Quickly she rolled off Piper, giving the blonde some room to breathe.

"Nicky?" Alex groggily say sat up. Her friend must have been the only answer as to why they ended up in the woods, when they were still in the yard just a moment ago.

Nicky appeared next to Alex, offering the taller woman the broken pair of glasses. "Here. God, you look like shit. Can't you take care of yourself for just one minute without me?"

Alex snatched the glasses from Nicky, and put them on. Its left leg was crooked. Cracks and scratches marred the left lens. She would need a new pair of glasses ASAP. "Fuck you, Nicky. You almost got me killed! What were you thinking? That guy already said, 'sorry'."

Nicky spat. "He hasn't... to Morello."

"Jesus, Lorna's love life is her concern. We all know that she's gonna go back to him again by the end of the week. And it's not entirely his fault that this keeps happening."

"Don't be such an ass, Vause. It's my concern too! Whether we're dating or not, Morello is my friend. I have to look out for her! Just like Chapman here. She intervened before they kicked your butt." Nicky scoffed. "Well, actually, they did."

"Fuck you," Alex grunted, wincing as she lightly touched her right cheek.

"Will... you two... stop already?" Piper slowly sat up, a hand clutching at her chest. She was out of breath. Clearly she had never been subjected to Nicky's nauseous teleporting skills. "I think… this…"

"Don't worry, blondie. You'll feel better in a bit. Just take a deep breath. Everything's gonna be fine." Arms across her chest, Nicky had a smug smile on her face.

Alex got up, but inwardly winced. Great. The pains were back, hammering against her ribs threefold. Just when she thought that she was getting better. Unfortunately, for Alex Vause, not a day went by in Litchfield that was uneventful. But Alex ignored the pain and extended a hand to Piper. The blonde glanced up, and after a moment of silence, she took Alex's hand and let Alex pull her up.

Piper felt bile rising up her throat, her breakfast in the mix. Her legs wobbled, and she fell against Alex's taller frame for support. Alex's long arms wrapped around her in an instant to prevent her from falling.

"Are you ok, Pipes?" Alex watched Piper with worry, and then turned to Nicky. "Take her to the infirmary. This looks serious."

"It must have been the combination of my motion sickness-induced powers and Christopher's dead air shit. Can you believe anyone want to be near him?" Nicky made a face. "Like when he panicked, he could hurt you just like that. I wonder if he ever slipped during fucking. That must have been horrible for his partners."

Alex rolled her eyes. "You can ask Lorna about it later. Now help Piper to the infirmary."

Nicky smirked. "Nah, I got a party to go to," she said, turning away.

"Yeah, Tricia's birthday lunch. Take us back now." Alex tightened her grips on Piper's slender arms as she felt Piper's legs caving in again. "Pipes, are you ok? You wanna sit down?"

Alex heard Nicky chuckling, but when she looked up, the small woman was already gone. "Nicky... Nicky, come on... Nicky…?" Alex gulped when there was no response. Piper's head was resting against her neck as Alex now needed to hold the blonde with both arms to keep her unconscious form on her feet. "Fuck."

Piper opened her eyes again to see the tall, layered roofs of thick green leaves. Lying flat on her back, she could feel the dampness from the soil seeping through the back of her gray, hooded sweatshirt. Comfortable in her pose, she sleepily smiled up at the bright, blue sky. She only realized where she was when she felt her 'pillow' moving. She glanced up and saw Alex smiling down at her.

"Feeling better?"

It was that husky whisper again that rendered Piper helpless, mesmerized under the piercing green gaze. It took Piper a moment to realize that she was resting her head on Alex's lap. It took her a second to remember what had happened earlier today—what happened last night. At the last thought, she instantly sat up, looking away. "Where did Nicky go?"

"Tricia's birthday lunch. I was supposed to be there too."

Piper kept her gaze anywhere but Alex. She stood up, hands on her hips. She must have passed out somehow. "Are you blaming me for missing the party?"

Alex stopped for a second. "No, I didn't mean for it to sound—"

"How long was I out?"

"Almost four hours. It 1 pm. already."

"Four hours!?" Piper's eyes widened. But then again she shouldn't be so shocked since she had absolutely no sleep last night.

Alex shrugged. "It happens. It depends on the person's mental and bodily strength."

"Are you saying that I'm weak?" The younger woman glared.

"Whoa, Pipes, why are you so defensive all of a sudden?" Alex frowned, lifting her glasses up to rest on top of her head.

Piper paused at the clearer view of the vibrant green eyes. A simple stare from Alex could easily render her speechless.

"I guess it was your first time encountering a wicked power like that. It helps when you get to fight them more often."

Piper recalled the short moment Christopher's powers had affected on Alex. "You fought one before? How did you deal with them?"

"Kill them." Piper halted, and Alex just laughed. She got up, brushing the dirt off her jumpsuit. She limped a little as she began to walk off. "You seem fine now. Let's head back, shall we?"

Piper followed the brunette, noting Alex's awkward gait. It seemed that her legs weren't fully willing. Alex must have been sitting in the same position for hours to let Piper's head rest. She watched Alex's back, wanting to say something, but decided against it.

For what seemed like twenty minutes of silence, they both trekked along the narrow path, pushing away the large leaves as they passed. Soon, they reached the wider, graveled road.

"Thanks... for saving me today." Alex was the first to break the silence. "But next time, don't interfere. You could have gotten seriously hurt."

"Shut up, Al. They were going to kill you." Piper put her fists in her hoodie's pockets. Still looking away, she picked up her pace a bit to walk alongside Alex. She didn't like when Alex sounded vulnerable. It just sounded so wrong. "Are you hurt?" Piper regretted as soon as the stupid question slipped through her lips. Of course, it hurt. It hurt just to witness it. The people of Litchfield were wild, unpredictable and violent. It seemed as though their powers were ready to explode—to be spent at any given moment. Sometimes Piper couldn't help but feel that it was for the better that the 'gifted' people should remain on this island. They would be feared and despised out there.

Alex didn't respond, but just stared ahead. Her face was neutral, making it impossible for Piper to read. In the very least her walk had become normal now. Her back was a little straighter when she walked.

"Do you think they'll try to ambush us when we get back?" Piper was worried not for her own safety; she was able to defend herself pretty much without getting into trouble. But she feared for Alex since Red was looking for any excuse to incarcerate her.

"I wouldn't worry about me, but you should watch out for yourself. Those guys live in the North. They'll seek some sort of retribution."

"I'm not afraid. I'm very capable of kicking their asses," Piper said, perking her chin up.

Alex looked grim, biting her bottom lip. "I don't think your roommate will be much help to you. She's a Parkslope wuss. I'll ask Jess. She's friend with Christopher. I'm sure she can—"

"'Jess' as in 'Jessica Wedge', your girlfriend?" Piper grew cold, her body stiffened.

Alex paused for a second before a smirk crept up her face. "Who told you that? Nicky...? No, we're old friends—"

"I certainly don't need her help. I can take care of myself." Piper walked faster, leaving Alex a few feet behind as if the further away she was from Alex, the memories of last night would become more distant. But in truth it was nothing like she had hoped. She could still see clearly how Jessica pressed in against Alex, both pulling and pushing the other down to bed. Piper couldn't see beyond the window frame, but it was more than enough to leave her troubled and painfully sleepless last night.

Alex rushed to Piper's side. "You need an ally in the North. Holly isn't going to cut it."

"It's 'Polly'. Talk to me again when you care to remember people's names. You and Nicky are unbelievable," Piper said, rolling her eyes. She tried her best to keep a straight face, but she wouldn't know for how long. She picked up her speed again, needing to get away. She didn't think that she could stand one more second looking at Alex. It was intoxicating just to be around this woman. Sometimes Piper still couldn't believe how she was able to leave Alex that night four years ago. Sometimes she missed 'them' so much, and a lot of times she just despised all that they once had.

But Alex heatedly grabbed Piper's cast arm, pulling her back. Piper winced, and Alex immediately let go off her. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry! I didn't see—"

"Forget it." Piper just turned away.

Alex followed suit. "Look, it's for your own safety."

"I said, 'forget it'!" Piper spoke a little too loudly for her own liking, and it frustrated her that she couldn't keep her emotions in check.

Alex grabbed Piper's shoulder and pulled them both to a halt. "Are you even listening at all!? No one can survive in Litchfield alone. You need friends who could protect you, or fight with you. You might have Howard as a—a family, which is great, but he's not here very often. A lot of times horrible things in Litchfield just got buried, forgotten like they never happened. We're like one, big, fucked up family here, Pipes. Rules can only do so much when you deal with superpowers. It's nothing like the world out there, and Howard isn't going to be there every time you need him. I… I can't..." Alex began to stutter, seemingly disconcerted by heavy thoughts. "I just don't wanna think that if… if something happens to you..."

Piper cursed herself as she gazed up and studied the intense green eyes, wanting so much to whisper calm words to reassure the taller woman that everything was going to be all right. Alex sounded desperate in her worries, and it hurt Piper even more that it seemed to be all she could get from Alex now. They were so close, yet so far away. "I want you to think. Think of it whenever you can. Every fucking moment, I want you to never forget. I don't want a day gone by that you wouldn't think of me."

Alex froze, staring at Piper. She looked utterly stunned by what was said. Piper, too, was surprised by what had just slipped out of her mouth.

After a few moments, Alex took a deep breath in. "God, Pipes, I'm getting whiplash here."

Piper adamantly nodded, feeling guilty herself for bringing it up. "Never mind. Forget what I said." She found her voice shaken, so she decided to shut up.

"All right. But can we get back to convincing you that Jess, while she might not be very friendly, she's harmless, I'm sure. She's powerful enough to keep you safe. She can talk to them to leave you alone. I won't be able to sleep at night if you—"

"We'd be even then, just like how I couldn't sleep last night after seeing you with her."

For a few moments, Alex looked dumbfounded. "What...? You saw us?"

"Fuck. It doesn't matter. What am I saying? We don't matter." Piper momentarily put her right hand over her forehead, sighing. What a day it had been. Every fucking word that had come out of her mouth was regrettable. She just took every wrong turn whenever she was with Alex, yet somehow she couldn't walk away.

Alex groaned in disbelief. "Pipes, you kissed me, and then avoided me like plague the next day. Look, I tried to understand where you were coming from. You were lonely, and you slipped. We're history, I get it. But you don't get to make me feel guilty for seeing someone else. You don't get to break my heart twice."

"I broke your heart? I fucking broke your heart!?" Piper felt blood shooting to her head. She pushed Alex's chest with both hands. "You used me, Alex! All through the time we were together, I was just another recruit to you. You were so full of shit! Everything you did or said was one lie after another! You followed their orders and put my life in danger. Yeah, I broke your fucking heart." Piper scoffed.

Alex took a step back, looking down. "Not everything was a lie," she mumbled. "Yes, you were on their list, and that was how I first approached you. But I never lied when I said—"

"I love you? Don't bother. That gets old after a while—" Piper stopped herself. Her heart grew heavy, and just when she thought she was so over it, it still fucking hurt. "God, I don't even know why we're having this conversation. Fuck. Let's just... let's go back now. I don't want to miss the trainings."

Alex looked heartbroken, and Piper didn't know why. She just couldn't bear to see it. Even though Alex had always been the dominant one in their relationship, it had always been Piper who had made the most difficult decisions for them.

"I'm asking Howard for a day off, so I can leave to get married. I'm just waiting for his permission. He's been busy, but I'm sure he'll come around and settle this matter soon." Piper lied. She hadn't approached Howard about the matter, leaving it to Larry to take care of it. And Larry hadn't answered her calls for two days in a row now. Piper kept staring at the ground, while Alex had remained silent. "The best I can do is... is to be your friend. I think I can do that."

A long moment passed before Alex spoke again. This time she sounded steady, the calm returning to her deep voice. "Sure. Friends are good. That's quite generous of you when I think about what I did. I'll take what I can."

Piper looked up at Alex. It somehow left a hollow feeling in her chest at how easily Alex resigned. Just how many times they had to go through the push and pull, the wants and the hates—the fulfillments and regrets.

"So you'll let me talk to Jess about this? At least, let me do this. I can't let those guys hurt you."

"Al." Piper briefly closed her eyes. It was eating her up inside, and she had to get it out. "Can you please not care this much? It makes it even harder for me. You... Seeing you again after all these years is probably the hardest thing for me in Litchfield. Please, don't do this."

Alex lightly scoffed. "Why? Are you saying that it's because you still love me...? You left me." Alex sounded jaded as she reminded Piper. By this point, she had lost that fire in her voice. She tiredly ran her hand through her hair. "I don't wanna go through it again either. You left me to die, and then you went and started a new, wonderful life. You have someone waiting for you out there now. Hey, that's great. Good for you. But, for years, I've just felt dead, Pipes. I lost you, and then I lost everything I'd ever believed in, even myself. You have no idea how much it destroyed me. So, yeah, I wouldn't care so much just to make it easier for both of us, if I can help it."

Alex sharply turned and made her way down the hill. There it was, the answer Piper had been asking throughout those tormented years, but she could only watch Alex walk away now. She lied in bed this morning, thinking that she had seen things clearly for the first time in years, but now found herself even more confused. Lost along this long road in the middle of nowhere, her mind wondered endlessly of what could have been different if they had met in other circumstances—if they still had the chance to make it 'real'.