Piper pushed open the door to the reception area and was greeted immediately by the breeze from the open windows that cooled off the interior from the muggy, heated, storm outside. The small, gray-stained, office and the sight of the manicured blonde woman sitting at her desk were a less than agreeable greeting otherwise. Whether she wanted to talk to her or not, Piper forged ahead towards the gatekeeper of the city offices.
"I'm here to see the Mayor, Geneva." She didn't bother with the pleasantries; the Mayor's secretary was a bitch to her no matter what she said. Even after saving her from the synth Mayor McDonough, Geneva was an upper stands resident and Piper wasn't. Plain and clear. Geneva left nothing uncertain, including how she saw Piper as beneath her. The woman acted like she was too good for common folk, and it got on every last one of Piper's nerves.
"Sorry, Piper," Geneva cracked her gum, "Mayor said no press or visitors today. This is a private meeting between the city and the Minutemen." She cracked her gum three times in rapid succession like she was trying to get under Piper's skin. It was working if that was her goal and Piper figured it was.
Piper smirked, grumpily looking at Preston, "You, hear that? That's Geneva covering for yet another dirty Mayor." For a second or two, Piper thought back on McDonough, and how his months of campaigning before the Institute fell through.
The blonde glared at Piper, cracking her gum.
Piper stood there, silent. She knew it was childish, but she didn't give a shit. Geneva plucked her nerves and she wanted to make her life Hell for the few gracious seconds she could. She refused to stop staring at the woman, nor would she back down. The longer the two stared at each other, the more Piper thought back on everything with McDonough.
Danny had heard shouting and went in, finding the Mayor and a Synth arguing. The Mayor had shot Danny twice for his efforts in trying to rescue McDonough. He'd nearly fallen on Alex and Ruby when he tumbled from the elevator to the ground. Piper went right up, but Ruby ran for Doctor Sun, Alex had stayed with him, giving him first aid and a stimpak until the doctor got there.
When they had caught up with McDonough, he was holding Geneva hostage in his waiting room. He'd heard Piper was on her way up from the city guards and he needed a way out of Diamond City. Piper watched Alex negotiate for Geneva's life. The Mayor tried to coerce his way out of town, but Alex had flat refused. Piper was proud of her for standing up for principles, telling him he would stand trial for his crimes against Diamond City residents.
But McDonough had refused to submit when Alex demanded he lay down his gun. He also made the mistake of turning his gun toward Piper first. He'd underestimated how quickly the women accompanying her would respond. Alex had pushed her into cover; Cait and Savannah unloaded their shotguns into him, and Alex put a bullet in his head when he went down. Piper never had a chance to fire a shot.
It wasn't the ending Piper wanted; it was the ending she had to write.
After the destruction of the Institute, Dez had a team spend months combing through the Institute data, finding, and tracking down every imbedded synth that had replaced a human. She had shared with Piper the exclusive look into everything McDonough and the Institute were doing in Diamond City, later in the Commonwealth. In trade, Piper had promised to run an article on imbedded synthetics and their difference from escaped synths, helping to easy worry and paranoia. She'd also written articles about the ghouls and how McDonough and the Institute had used them as their scapegoats.
For their help in rooting out McDonough, and ending the Institute's terror, Piper had run articles about the Minutemen and the Railroad's work around the Commonwealth, independently. The papers sold out faster than any other editions she'd ever run.
After everything with McDonough, the city council took over running Diamond City for almost a year. They changed the laws to create oversight for the Mayor's office during that time. They had also changed the functions of the Mayor's position stripping it of much of its power to work without council approval.
In the last year, Roy Thomas was elected Mayor. The transformation of Diamond City had been amazing. Everything McDonough had ignored as the Mayor was given attention. Mayor Thomas had started a massive overhaul in the city's systems. It included garbage and public systems like water, sewer, wall upkeep, and real sidewalks. He'd also started construction around Diamond City for new homes to be put in the upper stands. So far, he had done everything he promised. Except lately, his behavior and actions had been off, and Piper had noticed. Piper thought it was ironic she was standing in front of Geneva, arguing about yet another Mayor in light of everything that had happened.
The blonde made an exasperated noise, glaring crossly at Piper, and rolling her hips in her chair, finally giving Piper the win. "Doing what the Mayor asks is part of my job. Not like I want to be sitting out here with you at my desk and in my face all day. I'm busy and have more important things to do."
"Oh, like what? Your nails?" Piper tapped her foot impatiently, "Cut the crap, Geneva. The Mayor is up to something, and I want to talk to him." Piper smacked both palms down on her desk as she leaned closer to the woman, "The last one you covered for was a synth replacement that tried to kill you." Piper could feel the cross look she was giving her, "The people deserve to know the truth!"
"What truth, Piper? Why do you always see some big conspiracy?" Geneva crossed her arms, glaring at Piper, "And how do you figure I'm covering for him if I'm doing my job?"
"Because he's trying to get the woman that saved your life thrown out of Diamond City! Maybe you remember her?"
"What?" Her glare melted to a worried look as she pinched her delicate eyebrows together, "You mean Alex?" Geneva sat up straight in her chair, dropping her arms. She looked from Piper to Preston, then back to Piper, "Why? I haven't heard that…"
"Oh, so you do remember her?" Piper narrowed her eyes at her. "It's not some conspiracy, Geneva." She mumbled the last bit more for her benefit than anyone else's.
Geneva pursed her lips at Piper, regarding her coolly. She started chewing her gum again, giving it a couple of good cracks before saying anything else. "Do you expect me to forget that gorgeous, six-foot-tall, blonde who happened to save my life?" She returned Piper's glare, "Who could forget her?" She said flatly, cracking her gum one more time for good measure.
"That long, cool, drink of water can come by anytime," Geneva made sure to accentuate every word for Piper as she pushed the button next to her knee. Behind her, the doors leading to the city council offices and the Mayor's office opened. Pushing herself away from her desk, she stood, "Not really sure why she's shacking up with… you of all people…" Geneva smugly smirked at Piper's surprised face, "But for her sake, I'm going on a break. And oops, so careless of me, I left the door to the Mayor's waiting room open." She patted Preston's cheek walking by, "General Garvey, so nice to see you again. You know if you had said hello in the first place, I'd have let you right in, handsome. The Mayor is expecting you."
Preston took off his hat and held it close to his chest. He gave her a warm smile as Geneva ignored Piper. "Hello again, Miss Geneva. I'm sorry I didn't address you proper. I would have, but Ms. Wright is a bit faster than I am with her, um, her greetings."
Geneva got a little closer to Preston, "Like I said, Mister Lieutenant General, the door is always open for you."
Watching the woman get on the elevator, Piper stiffened. Geneva waved to Piper as the elevator lowered, it was clear she was enjoying Piper's ire. Piper's nostrils flared; she ran her tongue over the front of her teeth. Geneva's comments bit at her as the woman disappeared. She wanted to knock that smug look from Geneva's face with the back of her hand.
"Floozie." Piper breathed the word out in her irritation. She pushed passed the others in the group and went to the door leading to the Mayor's office and threw open the door. It slammed against the wall, but Piper didn't care. She was still steaming from Geneva's comment knowing the woman hit on anything with legs every chance she got, including Alex. It made her want to strangle the lady with her own perfect hair. She banged on the doors leading to the inner offices of the Mayor and city council fueled by her rage.
"You fellas stay out here in case of trouble," Preston walked to the doors, his hat in his hand still. "And you, try and keep a level head," Preston whispered to Piper.
She gave him a filthy look, "You know that… woman… makes me crazy." Preston's smile was threatening to get him killed. "Don't you dare smile at me, Preston Garvey. I am not in the mood."
Preston lost his battle with his amusement; her anger made him snicker. "Sorry, Piper, but she made you turn seven shades of jealous without even trying." He giggled harder the redder Piper got.
"If we weren't friends, I'd shoot you in the pinky toe." Piper banged on the door to the joint offices ignoring the snickers from the other Minutemen. "Mister Mayor, is it true you're trying to kick the Minutemen out of Diamond City?" She yelled loudly enough to be heard in Hangman's Ally. "I have it on good authority that you're wanting to throw residents out for acts of violence they are not responsible for. Does that mean you'll be removing anyone that frequents the market or say the Dugout Inn?"
She banged on the door with her fist again. "Is Diamond City holding any other residence responsible for the recent violence? Or just the General of the Minutemen?" Piper kicked the door with her boot. "Are Diamond City residents going to start getting evicted for trying to stop violence in the City?" She kicked the door again, this time with her other foot, "Can Diamond City expect more violence in the coming days?" Piper switched feet and kicked the door, "Oh, what this? The Minutemen are here?"
Preston struggled to control his giggling fit.
"Mister Mayor, I'm out here with Lieutenant General Preston Garvey and he's going to give me an exclusive on the Minutemen's takedown of the Gunners in Diamond City. Would you or any member of the city council care to comment?" From the other side of the door, Piper heard voices and heavy footfalls.
Preston quickly smiled at Piper, "Nice job," he whispered. He adjusted his hat and laser rifle just as the doors cracked open.
The short, older, Hispanic woman who peered through the door smiled affectionately at Piper and Preston. "Ah, Ms. Wright, hello. This was supposed to be a closed working meeting for another purpose, but since both you and the Lieutenant General are here, we can change the format." Councilwoman Perez opened the door the entire way. She patted Piper's arm, stepping aside to let her through, "Please, come in. We have cold drinks and space enough for everyone inside. Plus, it's nice and cool." She looked at the faces in the waiting room, holding out her hand to Preston, "Is General Sterling with you?"
Preston took her hand, giving her a friendly smile. "I'm here on her behalf, ma'am. She's still under doctors' orders to remain at home."
Councilwoman Perez patted his hand softly as they walked into the larger office, "Well you tell Alex for me that I'm thinking about her, will you? We're all grateful for the Minutemen being here. She and the others stopped those Gunners from doing who knows what in the marketplace. Oh, and I'll be sending Jorge over with some tamales tomorrow. Would you like them delivered to Publick, Piper?"
"No, to the warehouse please, Councilwoman Perez. We've moved… are moving… our residence. Publick Occurrences is going to be a dedicated workspace with our expanding paper."
"That's great to hear, Piper." She winked at Piper and Piper gave her nod in thanks. Councilwoman Yariel Perez led them into the large meeting room, "Folks, we have guests, as you heard."
"Yariel, I really don't agree with this. It's supposed to be a closed meeting… Oh. Ms. Wright. That was quick, Yariel." Councilman Charlie Archer stared directly at Piper. He quickly shuffled some papers together and flipped them over.
Yariel Perez rolled her eyes in disgust. "Charlie, you watched me walk to the door, don't act surprised."
Piper smirked at him where he sat on the couch. "Members of the Council, I have it on good authority that the city council and the Mayor want to throw the Minutemen out of the city after the recent attack in the market," She clicked her pen in the air for effect. "Care to comment?"
"Now, now, Piper. Let's not put the cart before the brahmin." The councilman on her left gave a nervous laugh from his wingback chair. "No one on the council has asked for the removal of the Minutemen." Piper set her pen to her notepad, jotting down notes as Councilman Julien Brown spoke. "Quite the contrary, we're thankful that Alex and the Minutemen responded so quickly."
"Well, that's a relief," Preston answered. "We'd heard otherwise, sir."
Piper turned already knowing who the shaky, nervous voice belonged to, "Councilman Brown, can I quote you on that? Because according to my sources, the Minutemen and General Sterling are on their way out the door. The good people of Diamond City…"
"Ms. Wright, the good people of Diamond City want to be safe and secure in their persons and effects," Mayor Roy Thomas stood and walked from his armchair over to Piper, swirling his drink the entire way. "They don't want Gunners or raiders walking through the front door and tearing up the place. And your newspaper… should reflect that message."
Preston took a step forward, before Piper could say anything else. "If you'll excuse me, Mr. Mayor. I'd like to make it clear here, in front of the entire council, that General Sterling and I agree with you. This is why we created a comprehensive strategy to expand Diamond City. That strategy, Mayor Thomas includes how we plan to help Diamond City guards work more efficiently within the Wall and the Minutemen working the outer park parameter, streets, and Hangman's Ally. I personally delivered our proposal, in detail, to your hands a couple of days ago. Have you had a chance to review it yet, sir?"
Piper watched the Mayor take a long drink from his glass. His shifting stance, the way he looked over the glass at Preston, it was as if he was sizing him up. She'd written several articles based on some of the information she'd gleaned from some of the meetings Dez and Alex had sat in on. There was restricted information she wasn't allowed to publish, and she was fine with it. In trade, Piper went through the copious notes Alex or Dez had given her for other topics. It included information on settlements, new trade routes, and even how they rooted out the Enclave in the Commonwealth.
She had plenty to work with for months, which had gotten her through the time that Alex had been in a coma. Preston had also sent updates about the Minutemen and their securing of trade routes from the North and West. Along with the doctor reports on Alex, he'd sent current information on settlement expansion and the Minutemen operations. It'd been enough to take up all of Piper's time. With it, she'd been able to stay home with Nat and not go completely insane over Alex.
Piper watched the Mayor set the glass on the bar they were standing at and open a cigar box that resided there. "I've been reviewing it, yes." He pulled the cigar under his nose, enjoying the scent. "General, would you care for one?"
"Hold on, Roy. Are you saying you have a working expansion plan from the Minutemen, and it hasn't been sent to us for review?" Piper looked over to the couch where Councilman Campbell Moore sat.
He held a cigar out for Preston, but Preston politely waved him off. "I haven't finished my review or comments. I don't want to waste the Council's time with ineffective plans," he looked directly at Piper, "or ones I feel may be inadequate for the city." He clipped the end of his cigar off onto the floor, then lit it with a match.
As he walked, he puffed on his cigar. Piper scrutinized him cautiously, waiting for the direction he was going. Alex, Dez, Curie, Isy, and a team of others had taken time to put the plan together. "Would you mind telling providing insight on what was in the Minuteman plan?" She already knew the gist of it, but now in the meeting, she could write about it. Otherwise, the Mayor's behavior was striking and completely opposite of how he acted in the past. Had the Institute still been around, she would have investigated him for being a synth replacement. This was something else. Every sense she had was on alert.
The Mayor turned from the window where he stood, to scrutinize Piper this time. His beady eyes fixed on hers, then he smiled as if knowing something she didn't. "No, not at the moment. As I said…"
"I'd be happy to provide that information, Ms. Wright." Preston smiled at Piper, giving her the slightest head tilt in the Council's direction. "And before you ask… Yes, you may quote anything I say."
The Mayor instantly went red, stomping back from the window toward Preston. "Now wait just a moment, General." He wagged his finger in the air at Preston, "I just said that I hadn't finished my review."
Preston smiled innocently at him, "Yes, sir, you did. However, I'm here and I'll happily provide details to both the press and city council. We're not in the business of keeping secrets from either."
"So, you're just planning to tell the press the more sensitive aspects of the plan?" Mayor Thomas threw back at him. "What would Alex have to say about that?"
"I have no intention of divulging information that would place Diamond City in jeopardy. Nor, do I think Ms. Wright would knowingly ask questions that would do so. She simply asked for what the plan outlined." Preston turned to Piper, "Correct, Ms. Wright? I don't want to speak for you."
"That's correct." Piper kept her answer simple. Mayor Thomas was leading them down a path and Piper wanted to see where he was going.
Preston beamed at her, "I think General Sterling would be just fine with me answering any broad-spectrum questions she'd have."
"Oh, do you now?" Mayor Thomas chomped on the cigar, giving it another puff. "And where is the good General? I still haven't gotten a straight answer from your people. Maybe you'll be kind enough to provide one, hmmm?"
Preston's smile faltered, "She's at home, recuperating under her doctor's care. However, Ms. Wright would be the better person to ask, sir, since she's her spouse. And she is standing right here. Like I said, I won't speak for her."
"Roy." The storm outside seemed to be stealing light from the room. Piper looked to the darker corner of the room and noticed the young, Irish woman seated there. Her dark shirt and pants helped her hide away in the dimness. "We all know Alex is recovering. It's not some big mysterious secret." Her brogue was more flowery than Cait's. It was airy too, riding on the huskiness of her voice. She tossed her light brown hair from her shoulder, smiling at Piper. "There's no need to go spinning up her missus. Just leave the woman be." Piper always liked Councilwoman Evelyn Kelly, to the point of catching up with her for beers. She was funny and tough as nails, and in those two important ways, she and Cait were alike, but Piper would never make the comparison out loud. Mostly because Evelyn and Cait did not get along. Not even a little bit. This also meant Alex and Piper had a bet on how long it would take for Cait to sleep with her.
The Mayor spun on his heel to look at the woman, "Evelyn, my intention isn't to 'spin' anyone up. I'm simply curious why the good General hasn't seen fit to come and talk with us."
The woman stepped into the area where the bright, white, overhead lights lit everyone up grotesquely. "Right, so did ya forget that they recovered a lead pipe and screwdriver where they were fighting? The Gunner they arrested still had blood-covered brass knuckles taped to his hands. Obviously, the woman's lucky to be alive. So just stop and think for a wee moment before ya say anything else to her wife, you bloated, insensitive, arse." Piper knew, Danny had told her, Nat, and Curie. She figured Cait already knew. Hearing about it a second time from a member of the city council didn't make it easier. In fact, she felt sick.
For a moment, the Mayor fumbled with his cigar. "Yes, well… I can see your point. I apologize, General Garvey."
Evelyn looked between the Mayor and Piper, "Maybe you should apologize to Piper for being a right cunt. She's her spouse, for fuck sakes."
The nervous councilman fumbled before speaking, "I dare say, Councilwoman Kelly, perhaps we should tone down our aggressive language."
"Bugger off, Julien. He knows what he's doing to Piper. He's making all of us out to look bad and we don't need that shite in this office." Evelyn stared the Mayor down, "So, Roy, you need to sort yourself out and apologize to her." She turned to Preston, "As for you, General Garvey, it'd be lovely if you told us all what this plan of yours is about."
"I want to hear this as well," Yariel sat forward in her chair.
"Same here," Councilman Tony Scalini finally spoke. It surprised Piper because he usually just listened to the others.
Preston tossed a look at the Mayor and then to Piper. "Absolutely, I'd be more than happy to fill everyone in after the Mayor apologizes to Ms. Wright."
The look that crossed Mayor Thomas' face was murderous. Preston walked to the bar where the Mayor stood, and Piper realized he was placing himself between Piper and the Mayor. She wrinkled her nose with her understanding, Preston knew he was up to something. Five of the city council members sat on the two couches in the room and faced Preston, Piper, and the Mayor. Yariel brought Preston some cold water and then took a spot on the couch with the others.
Evelyn put her hands on her hips, standing under the garish light. "Well, Roy?"
If he could have killed with a look, Evelyn would be dead. "Ms. Wright… Piper, I apologize." His splotchy red face did not convey his apology. In fact, Piper no longer felt comfortable as he looked at her. Something about him made her odd. The way his eyes moved over her, his look wasn't just filled with bitterness, it was something else. It was the first time he'd ever made her feel that way, but she brushed it off. Piper adjusted her hat a little lower and gave him an awkward nod, "Uh, thanks. Means a lot." She glanced at Preston who'd picked up on the Mayor's strange behavior.
They shared a brief glance before Preston continued, wearily. "Well, now that that settled…" Preston took a drink before he spoke, still watching the Mayor. "We developed a plan that will allow Diamond City to essentially grow all the way to Hangman's Alley."
"Grow?" Yariel looked confused, "You mean passed the wall?" She shifted on the couch, "The wall is what protects us. Growth passed it… well… I just don't know."
Preston gave her a reassuring smile as he leaned against the bar. "Yes, ma'am, we mean passed the wall. I understand your hesitation, but I'd like to discuss it if I could."
The city council members all leaned in except Evelyn, "How do you plan to set this up?" The genuine curiosity of her question made Piper grin.
"Our plan has four key parts to establish a larger city. Think of it as stages of growth," Preston answered.
Julien shifted in his seat excitedly, pulling back from the group, "Can you explain the key parts? You don't have to go into too much detail. Just what they encompass, General."
"I sure can," Preston took his hat off and set it on the bar. "Our first step is to create a health center in some of the apartments in Hangman's Alley. This would free up space in the city proper to allow for more commercial trade. More specifically, we can provide Doctor Sun and other doctors a large place to treat patients and allow them to recover without tying up space in the city for traders."
Preston waited while Piper finished writing her notes, "Second, we've been busy clearing out and fortifying the apartments on the way to Diamond City from Hangman's Alley. Our construction battalion, led by Lieutenant John Callahan has been working round the clock to reconstruct and fortify the area. Colonel Isabel Cruz is our senior officer onsite overseeing operations. I know some of you have met her already with General Sterling in the past when she and her team upgraded Diamond City's communications. She's outlined an extensive plan for technology upgrades through the city, which would encompass a series of updates and take technology from Hangman's Alley to the city, eventually." He paused again waiting on Piper.
Piper looked around the room at the astonished faces, "General Garvey, are you saying the Minutemen have already started working on this?"
"Thank you for your question, Ms. Wright. Yes, we have. Whether or not Diamond City wishes to expand its operations alongside the Minutemen, General Sterling ordered the construction to commence four months ago. Colonel Cruz has already completed the perimeter control final checks. She would have completed it sooner, but the raider attacks have slowed things down considerably." Preston paused and Piper could hear the council members whispering. "We now have a surplus of clean, potable water recovered from the Charles River. We've tied into existing infrastructure and fortified it. And we are about… one week out… from an operational medical center with fully furnished apartments for doctors and patients."
"A fully furnished medical center… Amazing," The Mayor made a grandiose gesture toward Preston. "And the doctors? Are they already there?"
Piper gave her head a single shake, but Preston missed it. "Not all of them, they'll be arriving within a couple of days. One of our senior physicians, Doctor Garrett, will be there to get them situated when they arrive."
Piper exhaled, then scratched furiously on the paper. The whispering from the council members also increased. Preston paused as the Mayor paced around the room. Piper looked up from her notepad to watch him. The Mayor strolled around the room, inspecting it. It was like he was sizing everyone up and it started to nag at her. As the seconds ticked by the Mayor mumbled to himself outside of the glaring light that burned over the central seating area.
Piper readied her notepad, "General, does that potable water have the ability to extend to Diamond City?"
"Eventually, that might be possible. That's more a construction question and I'd have to get back to you on that. For now, we're working directly on power, water, and sewer issues in the route between apartment buildings."
Piper tapped her pen on her notepad waiting for the city council to say something, when no one spoke, Piper shook her head. "Does that mean it's finished or are you still working on it?" Piper looked at Preston and gave a tiny head bob in the council's direction.
"We have five independent power plants that are fully operational. Water and sewer are up and running in four of the apartment buildings. As I said, we've run into delays because of raiders."
The Mayor stopped pacing and looked across the room at Preston, "And what about security? Hm. Is that in place too? How do you plan to keep these raiders from killing doctors or patients?"
Piper clicked her pen and let her hand holding her notebook drop to her side.
"It's addressed in part four of the plan. We have," Preston looked at Piper's notebook by her side, then back to the Mayor, "People in place to defend the alley. More will be arriving with the doctors. Other than that, all I can say is the Minutemen can defend the Commonwealth at a moment's notice, Mayor. That includes Hangman's Alley and the route to Diamond City."
Piper read the room. So far, the city council seemed impressed and interested. They each were keenly listening to everything Preston had laid out. As she looked around the small seating area, she noticed the Mayor had stepped away from the light. Smoking his cigar, near the window, watching all of them. Rain beat against the glass, tapping out its summer message.
When no one said anything, Preston continued. "For the third portion of the plan, I've already mentioned the apartments. These apartment buildings are kept separated, with the apartments closer to the main entrance of Diamond City being reserved for traders, and the middle apartment sections reserved for travelers." He paused and Piper could see the smile building on his face. "We recognize that Diamond City during the end of month market is becoming overcrowded. The outer park area just outside of the main gates would be a safe extension for the city and we'd work to fortify it for food cart vendors. This would leave more space for other vendors inside the city." Piper watched as the council members whispered to each other in hushed tones.
"As I said a moment ago, the fourth area the plan covers expanding outside security considerably, with coverage provided by the Minutemen. We'd be responsible for ensuring that the areas I've just discussed remain safe. This would free up city guards to focus on the interior of the Wall, to focus solely on protecting the citizens."
The Mayor scoffed, "As a reminder, the Minutemen couldn't even stop three Gunners inside the city."
Piper looked over her notepad at him with a venomous glare. "Are you kidding me?"
"That's untrue, Mayor Thomas, and you know it. General Sterling was the only Minuteman inside the city at the time of the attack and she was already seriously injured from defending Hangman's Alley a couple of days before. She took on all three of the Gunners until additional help arrived. It nearly cost her life which is why she's recovering. She's been kept sedated due to her injuries. It was the Minutemen that killed two of the Gunners. The traders stopped the last one and held him for the city guard." Preston snapped at him.
Piper watched the Mayor's face change expressions before he realized she was watching him. "I have a different story from the city guards." The Mayor snarled back at him, ignoring Piper.
"Your guards let them in!" Preston took a step toward the older man, "What game are you playing here?"
"Gents, that's enough." Yariel admonished them. "The Minutemen do not patrol the city, Roy. Nor do they have anything to do with security around the city."
The Mayor stomped angrily across the room to his bag, "Well, Yariel, I happen to know why those Gunners were in the city."
This time, Piper beat Preston to the question. "Why is that?"
He pulled the message from his bag and stomped back across the room to where all the council members sat. He threw the note down in front of them. "Because there's a five hundred cap bounty on the head of that girlie of yours, Ms. Wright. She's a danger to Diamond City every minute she spends here."
Councilman Moore won the pickup game they were playing with the note. He read it quickly, then looked up at the Mayor. "It's not exactly what I would call a smoking gun." He passed it to Councilman Scalini next.
"Roy, this doesn't mean anything." He passed the note to Councilman Charlie Archer who read the note with Councilman Julien Brown. "Um, yeah, I could have written this," Julien looked over the other man's shoulder to address him.
The Mayor bounced in place with how steamed he'd become, "That woman is a menace to the city! We need to get her out before more Gunners show up here and cause real damage. Five hundred caps are more than enough for them to go on a shooting spree here."
Piper could feel herself changing colors with her rage.
Evelyn held up the note with two fingers as if she were disgusted to touch it. "This isn't a bloody reason to be chucking out tax-paying residents. Especially ones that have already done more than any of us in protecting this city." She wadded it up and threw it at him. "I can't believe what I'm hearing right now, Roy. You sat on this proposal from the Minutemen over that bollocks of a note? I hear the caps Diamond City residents will be making! I want a copy of the holotape on my desk first thing in the morning."
"Gunners don't give a fucking shit about city guards, Evelyn. So yes, I sat on it."
"That's not how this works, Roy," Campbell's aggravation was instant. "We work together as a group, it's not just up to you to decide what we get to be a part of. This is the third or fourth time this week alone we've had to remind you that we're a team. Diamond City isn't your personal business, we don't keep secrets here."
"He's right, Roy. We keep saying the same things, over and over, for the last couple of weeks." Tony added from across the coffee table. "We need to focus on working together, not chasing down what you're doing."
"So, the Mayor is working secretively against the city council?" Piper hastily scribbled down their disagreement on her notepad.
Julien held up his hands, shaking his head, "Now let's not be hasty here, Miss Piper. We just have different expectations…"
Piper stopped talking long enough to light a cigarette, inhaling deeply. She handed it to Alex and exhaled, "You looked like you could use it."
Alex smiled at her while Joanna moved an ultrasound wand over her stomach. "Thanks, doll." She took a hit from it, thinking. "It wouldn't surprise me if the Gunners did try to come after me. The Minutemen did trash a couple of their places now." Alex took a long, slow drag from the cigarette. "Just… Gunners in the market… They called Nat by Piper's name." Alex took another drag not noticing Piper and Cait sharing a long look. "Some things aren't making sense. One big one is why would the Mayor want me out of the city. The second is those Gunners being here for…" She started to sit up, but Curie stopped her.
Shaking her head in frustration, Curie pushed her back down. "I'll be finished in a few minutes, General." Joanna distracted Alex from her train of thought before she could say anything.
"Jo, please call me Alex when we're in a private place like my home. Ok?"
"Yes, Alex," Joanna looked around the monitor at her. "I just need to get a few more minutes of images. We're building a three-dimensional model of your body and Doctor Garrett would like me to get as much imagery as possible."
"Give us one," Cait held out her hand.
Alex smiled at the young doctor, handing her cigarette to Nat, "No worries. Take your time and do what you need to do."
"None of you should be smoking. It's very bad for your health," Curie gave them her signature look of disapproval.
Piper lit another ignoring Curie, this time handing it to Cait. "Ta muchly," Cait took a drag. Piper lit a third cigarette for herself.
"Does anyone else get a weird feeling with everything Piper's told us so far?" Alex looked at Curie and Cait first.
Curie nodded, still looking unhappy with all of them smoking. "I do. There is something not right about this man. I have never liked him."
"Course, I do. That bellend should never have been elected." Cait looked over at Piper, "And you shouldn't have been so sure about him."
Piper rolled her eyes, "I can say nice things about people, for Christ's sake." Piper took a drag from her cigarette, "Besides, he wasn't like this before the elections or even after. He was doing all the right things." She blew the smoke at Curie with a smirk. "They said it was recent… the last couple of weeks."
Curie just shook her head, "Tisk, tisk." She took a breath and watched Piper, "You remember me telling you to be careful, ma cheri? I did not like him then, and I do not trust him now. You must promise me you will be careful."
Nat sat next to Joanna, watching her work with Alex on the ultrasound. Her hand rested against Joanna's leg. "Have you been outside? I think we have more to worry about than smoking." Joanna let the corner of her lips curl up with Nat's touch, giving her a sideways glance, her fingers tracing Nat's hand. Nat leaned closer, her hand moving over, covering what they were doing.
Alex flashed Nat a grin, catching her attention. "Can I get that back or should I get my own?"
Nat stuck her tongue out at her. "Piper, give her yours."
"You little shit! I'm over here stuck in bed… wounded..." Alex held out her hand to Piper, receiving a cigarette and lighter in return. "Here, Blue."
"Mate, you're surrounded by women, waitin' on you hand and foot. Stop yer moanin'." Cait laughed with a cough, choking on the smoke.
Alex laughed trying to light her cigarette, jostling the wand in Joanna's hand. Curie picked up a pillow and smacked Cait with it. "We must complete the images. Stop being funny." Cait fell off the bed laughing with the blow.
"She can't help how she looks." Nat piped up causing Alex and Curie to laugh harder.
"Nat, I've told you not to pick on Cait." Piper blew smoke out as a ring, "Find someone who can actually defend themselves."
"Oi! You twat." She tossed the pillow at Piper, who caught it with a smirk.
"There's that rapier-sharp wit we all love," Piper stifled a giggle.
Joanna lifted the wand, giggling and waiting for Alex to stop laughing. "Are you all always like this?"
"We are good friends, so yes, of course. You will become used to our banter," Curie clapped her hands together lightly, her amusement colored her cheeks brightly.
"Or become a target of it," Nat chimed in sharing a look with Joanna as her hand moved over Joanna's thigh. Cait smirked at Nat, noticing what the teen was doing.
"She means we're all slightly fucked up while still sober. But yeah, we're always like this. It makes the days more tolerable when we're working." Alex wiped her eyes. "At least my ribs and jaw don't hurt as bad as they did a few minutes ago. That stim you gave me is helping with the pain. It works better than the last ones you made. You've been busy improving them again, huh?"
Cait smirked at her, "Yeah, 'cause some genius keeps gettin' mangled." She laughed, taking a hit on her smoke, "You should charge her double for makin' you work so much, Curie."
Curie stopped laughing almost immediately, "I have tailored the serum for you." She glanced over at Piper, "Please continue with your story. We must hear the conclusion."
Piper pushed the ashtray toward Alex and Cait climbed back onto the bed, getting comfortable.
"No, we don't, he's been doing his own thing for a while now." Charlie stood up and walked to the refrigerator for a drink, "We're not going to sugarcoat this."
Piper took notes, glancing between the council members. "And why are you working against the council, Mayor Thomas?"
"Oh, Piper, stop it. I'm not working against them. My hands are tied on a number of issues, and I am trying to work with what I've got. I've spent six months turning our market into a massive success. I've also been working with that little pest, Sheng to clean up the water. Again!"
"You hired guards without properly vetting them or bringing in Captain Sullivan," Tony shook his head, sitting back into the red cushions. "I don't even know why you did that."
"This city is woefully understaffed. I paid for them out of my own pocket so that the city would be safer for the end-of-month market. It's been a huge success!" Roy walked behind the bar, pulling out the Vodka bottle and a jar of brine. "If we had a larger staff, things would move forward much faster…"
Tony slammed the pillow he was holding into the seat that Charlie had left. "You aren't in charge of hiring city staff! All new hires are vetted through Nick Valentine. We on purposely contracted him to have a third party after the last Mayor tried to sell us all out to the Institute."
"I'm not answering to a fucking synth with a broken plastic face!" Mayor Thomas was nearly shouting back at him.
"Roy, your position has clear rules for a reason. You've been doing whatever you like and…" Loud banging on the exterior office door interrupted Tony's tirade.
"You might as well invite the entire city up!" This time Roy was shouting as he made his dirty martini.
"I've got it," Evelyn stood, walking to the door, "Don't get your knickers in a twist, Roy." The moment she opened the door, Danny Sullivan and three other guards rushed through the door.
"Sorry, ma'am" Danny pushed into the room, "We've concluded our investigation and I've brought everything requested."
"Captain Sullivan, your ears must be burning," Evelyn smirked at him.
"Ah, no… ma'am?"
It was obvious he didn't get the joke. She shook her head, "Come in, Danny, and show us what you've found."
Danny walked in purposefully to the center of the room. Pulling off his wet helmet, he tucked it under his arm. "We've gathered evidence from our investigation…"
Roy slammed his hand on the bar top, "Let's hear it, boy. Just cut to the facts."
"The Gunners were in town for a bounty of a thousand caps on the Mayor." He looked over at the Mayor apologetically, "I'm sorry, sir." Danny pulled a small leather bag from under his body armor, "It's all right here." He handed it over to Yariel.
For a solid minute, the Mayor just stood slack-jawed while Yariel opened the satchel and looked inside. Pulling holotapes, written notes, and drawn maps of Diamond City from the contents. "Your team found all of this?"
"Yes, ma'am. We found some notes and a holotape in an alcove in the abandoned district. The other items were tracked down based on the traders that they traveled with that Mister Valentine interviewed. We found an apartment to the south they were holed up in. Mister Valentine gave us all the information they had on the market, the Mayor, and guards' turnover times. They knew exactly what they were doing when they got here. They even had the layout of the tunnels!"
"This is preposterous!" Roy shouted finally. "He's clearly lying. I had my own people…"
Danny turned and glared at him, "No, sir, I'm not. There were multiple people involved with this investigation, that will vouch for everything. Mister Valentine was a big part of this investigation as well."
Piper looked over at Preston and he motioned for her to wait.
"Ah ha! You see, there it is. That synth was involved and I'm not buying anything it says."
Piper took a deep breath, trying to release herself from the stupidity she was hearing. She wrote everything down in her notebook. Including how the Mayor was talking about Nick. She glanced at the other guards and noticed Deacon standing against the wall.
"Mister Valentine is downstairs waiting." Danny gestured to the door with his thumb, "He said he'd answer any questions the council might have right now."
Evelyn turned to one of the guards. "Would you mind running down and fetching Nick up here for us, mate?"
Piper watched as Deacon smiled, then disappeared through the doorway. "Mayor Thomas, you were saying something about your own investigation?"
He regarded her for a moment, "Yes, yes. I hired some people out of my own pocket to find out why Gunners would be in town. They informed me of the five hundred cap bounty on General Sterling."
"That's it?" Charlie looked incredulous, "That's not convincing at all."
"I don't give a good goddamn what you think, Charlie. My people are the best. They went to the source for information."
"Hold on, he said that?" Alex put her hand over Piper's. "He said they went to the source? Those were his exact words?"
Nat huffed and crossed her arms, "That's garbage what he said about Mister Valentine."
Piper laced their fingers together, somewhat irritated her sister and Joanna had to listen to that part of the story. She didn't want either of them to hear negative remarks about synths. Curie wasn't as sensitive to it as other synths were and she felt the need to protect the two younger girls. "That's exactly what he said. Which is why I thought it was odd." She popped her chin up toward Nat, "It was, which is why we treat Nicky and others better than that."
Alex looked at Cait, "You ever heard of Gunners telling people on the outside how much a bounty is worth?"
Cait shook her head slowly, "Not voluntarily. It's got to get beat out of them." Cait glanced at Piper then looked away, covering her knuckles. Piper understood how Danny had found out about the bounty. Danny had beat it out of the last Gunner and Cait had helped him. She stared at Cait trying to glean from her the answer, but she refused to meet Piper's eyes. Piper made a silent vow to corner Cait later. She hated the idea of Cait climbing into a tiny space with a Gunner because of them.
"They wanted…" Alex turned sharply looking at Piper. "You." She glanced at Cait. "God dammit. It wasn't just a death threat, it a god damned bounty on us."
Curie glared at Alex, "You must wait for this discussion." She smacked Cait's arm, "And you are not helping. I told you she must not be stressed right now. And here you are, telling her things."
"I didn't! She guessed!" Cait scowled at Alex. "Told you; you'd get me in trouble."
Alex glowered back at her just as much as Curie. "Well maybe if you were…"
"I said, no!" Curie smacked Alex on the leg lightly. "No more! You must wait one day." She looked to Piper for help. "You can shout at each other like children tomorrow."
Piper responded to that visual request. "Come on, Blue… you promised."
"Yeah, you did. And I'm going to bust my foot off in your ass if you don't lay back down," Nat growled at her. She pointed at Cait, "And I'll bust my fist off in your throat if you don't stop."
Cait crossed her arms angrily.
Alex huffed and laid against her pillow, thinking. She traced her thumb over Piper's thumb absentmindedly. Lifting her head to look at Cait again, Alex gave her a questioning look, "Where are RJ and Tex right now?"
Cait shrugged, still not looking at Piper. "I'd have to ask Preston. Last thing I sent them to do was scout out that local raider camp that's been hittin' the Alley." Her tone told the room she was still pissed.
Piper looked over at Curie, "What's next, doc?"
Curie stood from the bed, "Next, I must remove Alec's catheter, check her bladder, then x-rays."
"Hold on a second. I'll need to set up an escort." Cait got up from the foot of the bed, "And all of you are goin' armed. We're not takin' any chances."
Alex nodded, sitting up with a small wince, "Agreed. And more importantly… What's for dinner? I'm starving."
Piper chuckled, "What do you want?"
"A vegetarian pizza with extra cheese and olives, but I know that isn't going to happen." Alex thought for a moment, "Noodles…? Not like I finished mine last time."
"Figures that be what you asked for," Cait laughed. "I'll go to Doc Sun's and get everythin' ready for you. Then I'll find out where Tex and RJ scampered off to. While yer gettin' your picture taken, I'll grab us tea." Cait walked to the stairs, "Anythin' else before I scurry off?"
"Have any of you been out at all?" Alex asked Curie, "Have the crews arrived yet?"
"They are at Hangman's Alley with Isy setting up. I could not leave you for long. So, I haven't been there yet. Edna has gone instead. He sent for Max and the others yesterday because we are worried about these attacks."
Sitting up, Alex pushed Curie's hand and the rag away from her, "How bad are these raider attacks if he's getting Max's team here?"
Cait crossed her arms irritated, "This is not important, love. You just worry about gettin' better."
"I am, Cait. I can still ask questions about what's going on," Alex growled at her.
"Yes, but we can refuse to answer. For at least one night, you will listen to me." Curie pushed her back down onto the bed. She took the rag from Joanna and worked to finish cleaning Alex up. "Please, Joanna, take the ultrasound downstairs and back up the data." She looked at Nat and smiled, "Go with her and she will show you the model we are building."
Nat looked to Piper and Piper nodded. Joanna quickly packaged up the terminal and went down the stairs. Nat gave Alex one last look before slipping past Cait and going down the stairs behind the doctor. She'd have a word with Nat later. Poor kid probably thought she was in trouble again.
Alex pulled gently on Piper's hand, "Did anything else happen, or was that it?"
Cait walked to the bed and sat down next to Alex. Piper thought about where she'd left off, "Nicky came up and answered their questions about his interviews. We spent a solid twenty minutes listening to him give his report about interviewing the trader caravan and the Gunners. After that, Danny talked about how they went to the apartments they were talking about South of the Fens and searched them."
"What about the Mayor, love? He's the important bit. What's he say about all this?"
"He kept insisting Danny was lying. Kept saying that he knew what was really going on. Finally, he just stormed out of the office yelling about how no one would listen to him." Piper let go of Alex's hand so that she could sit up. She helped her adjust the pillows behind her back. "Not too long after, Sal came up and told Preston you were awake. He told me and I excused myself out of there to come home." She took Alex's hand again, "On my way out, I passed the Mayor and… I could have sworn I heard him say something under his breath. I'm just not sure what because Sal kept pushing me out the door."
Alex ran her hand through her hair. "Cait, while you're out can you ask Preston and Nick to swing by?"
"No." Curie turned to Cait, throwing the rag at Alex, "Alec, must have one night of rest. This is very important. They can come tomorrow, not tonight."
Cait didn't bat an eyelash at the doctor's request, "Can do. Tellin' 'em to swing by tomorrow then. Anything else?"
"Fine, god damn." Alex looked at Curie, "It can wait until tomorrow, but then I get my life back." Curie smiled at her and took the rag out of Alex's hand. Alex sighed, "Well, what are you thinking? I can see it on your face."
Curie stood up from the bed and pulled the blankets up over Alex. "I think perhaps we should take care here and… the other places they are attacking. I do not think this will be the only attack by the Gunners." Brushing her hands on her black pants, she tucked the rag into her pocket. "I believe we should expect them to try to gain entry to Diamond City again."
"And the settlements are still being hit by raiders almost every day," Cait added. "Oddly, it's always around the same time."
Alex tapped her lip deep in thought, "Are the heavy crews still protecting the three-mile?" Piper grinned; the 'three-mile' was a term she coined for one of her previous articles about the route from Hangman's Alley to Diamond City.
"Yeah, Preston stepped up the body count." Cait ran her finger through her hair, watching Alex. "He's got a bunch in power armor walking the surrounding area. It's a waste if you ask me. Should be sendin' them out to cut those raiders off at the knees."
"Maybe. I don't know what's going on enough to say," Alex drummed her fingers on the bed. "What do we know about this bounty?"
"That can wait for tomorrow." Curie pushed Cait from the side of the bed. "I must remove your catheter."
Cait smirked at Curie, "Well, that's me cue to leave. I'm off."
Alex sighed, disgruntled. The three of them watched Cait run down the stairs. Curie pulled the covers back far enough to get at Alex's catheter and remove it. Pulling the covers back over Alex, she stood looking at the pair. "This will not take long, maybe fifteen minutes, maybe thirty minutes at most." Curie coiled the tube and stuffed it into the rag. "Be ready, we shall return soon."
Piper tossed Curie her key. "Have Percy make you a copy." Curie held the chain in her hand and nodded. Piper and Alex watched until she was gone downstairs.
Alex turned and for a moment smiled at Piper, then her smile fell. "I should probably get dressed, huh?" Piper smiled back, wondering why Alex suddenly looked sad. She fiddled with her fingers, "I don't know where my clothes are."
"Oh!" Piper got up quickly and went to the dresser. "I put yours in the top drawer." She pulled out a pair of jeans and turned back to Alex on the bed. "Mine are in the second." Walking back to the bed, she held them out for Alex, only realizing Alex was still looking at her hands. "What's wrong?"
For a second or two, Alex didn't answer. Piper sat on the bed next to her. "Tell me," She kept her voice quiet, trying to figure out what could be wrong.
"I owe you an apology," Alex answered just as quietly in return.
"For?"
Alex stared at her fingers for another long moment, "I overstepped with Bug. I'm not her parent and I shouldn't have said anything to her without talking to you first. I let my emotions drive me and I know better than that. I wanted to apologize that night, but…" Alex flipped her hands over and pressed them into the blanket. "Anyway, I'm sorry I spoke out of turn. It won't happen again." Alex didn't look up at her. Instead, she ground her hands further into the blanket.
Piper realized she was tapping the folded jeans nervously against her leg and set them on the bed. She scooted closer to Alex, but Alex didn't look up from the spot on the bed she was staring at. "You don't owe me an apology. You didn't overstep." Piper put her hand on Alex's waiting for her. "We were all a little emotional. It happens." Alex looked up at her and opened her mouth, but Piper placed her finger over Alex's lips. "Do you honestly think you're not her parent? That you haven't been there right alongside me to raise her?" She lifted her finger from Alex's lips, watching the emotions on her face change.
"Um… no?" Alex's hesitation was concerning. "An influence, sure. But I'm not her parent, you are."
Piper lifted Alex's hand from the bed and pulled it into her lap, placing it between both of her palms. "Blue…" She watched Alex thread her eyebrows together and worry shaded her eyes. "You've been parenting her with me this entire time." The look that crossed Alex's face made Piper realize she didn't believe her. "O-ok. Listen, think of all the times you helped her with her homework." Alex pressed her lips together and shook her head. "And all the times you've…" Piper watched Alex look away. She knew needed to give her something solid when she heard Alex sigh and watched her shoulders drop.
"Piper, I don't need you to try and cheer me up or somehow make things into something else just to placate me. I should have known better than to try and somehow correct her like that. I made an already upsetting situation worse for both of you. Then I left you to deal with the fallout," Alex looked back at her. "Almost permanently," She added quietly.
When Alex's chin dropped to her chest, Piper realized how deeply Alex was affected by it. The hurt Alex felt was tangible. When Alex didn't look back up at her, Piper tried to pull the threads together from their night together. Things that Alex said were finally starting to make sense in her mind.
"I told Nat we were a family, but I don't know what we are." Alex's voice was so low that Piper almost didn't hear her speak. "I mean you and I. She asked and I couldn't answer her. I just told her we didn't put a word to it." Alex exhaled harshly, "I don't want to say anything that will upset her… or you for that matter." Alex looked in her direction, but didn't lift her eyes, "What do you call us? I don't know what's… appropriate."
Piper took a deep breath. She knew eventually this conversation would happen, just not this quickly. Watching Alex stare at the blanket she wondered if there was a way to put the conversation on hold. Not like she hadn't thought about it every single night lying next to Alex, unable to drift off to sleep. But there were so many other things to think about that still needed to be discussed, this one felt like it should be filed away for later.
Alex nodded in the silence that hung heavily between them. Pulling her hand free from Piper, she took the jeans and flipped them out. "It's not a big deal." Piper could see the red staining her cheeks. "We can talk about it some other time." Alex pushed the covers back quickly slipping the jeans on and walked to the dresser.
Piper hated the fact she sucked at talking about things like this. "Wait. You deserve an answer."
Alex looked over at her from the dresser, she gave Piper a smile that didn't reach her eyes and faded as quickly as it came. "Really, it's ok. We don't need a label. I just thought… You know what? Forget I asked." Alex gave another small sigh looking down at the dresser.
Piper watched her knowing that was exactly what she was looking for. Alex was the type of person who had a nifty label for everything. Neat, organized, and everything needed to fit into a box. Boxes with clear labels. Piper's entire home was a testament to that. So was this home. Alex was meticulous with her organization and her boxes. It made Piper feel worse not answering her because Alex did deserve it. Not just because she'd had saved her life and her sister's, but because she had asked. The problem was Piper didn't want to say what she was thinking, afraid she'd offend her with the only word that sounded right in her mind.
Alex dropped her gaze to the drawer as she pulled it open. For a minute she was silent, rummaging through the contents before shutting the drawer and opening the second one. Piper studied her as she looked through Piper's clothes. "You brought all our things here?"
Piper cleared her throat feeling the blush in her cheeks, "No, Curie did. I'll be damned before I let Cait touch my underclothes."
Alex laughed, "That's why I don't wear any."
"Because of Cait?" Piper couldn't resist. She wanted to see her smile again.
Alex's laughter deepened as she rubbed her sides, "Yes. I don't wear underwear because of the slag." Alex chuckled, "No, I've never liked them. To me, they've ever had one purpose and that was strictly in the bedroom as eye candy."
Piper's face felt impossibly hot. "I'd like to come back to that as a whole conversation later tonight." Her breath caught in her chest as Alex smiled at her through her hair. She turned all the way to face Alex with that thought in her head, "Nat and I talked about it…"
"About Cait fondling your unmentionables? Or me wearing sexy underwear to bed for you?" Alex shook her head with her laugh, tickled by her own questions.
Piper chucked, while her blush spread to her ears and neck, "No, you dork. Though, I am very okay with you wearing underclothes to bed." Piper stopped for a second still thinking about Nat, then she busted up laughing, "Can you imagine me trying to have either of those conversations with Nat? I think we'd both die of embarrassment."
"No, I can't. As for the eye candy, I'll have to find some." Alex closed the drawer still chuckling and reopening her drawer. She pulled out some socks and walked back over to the bed, sitting down next to Piper. She set the socks down.
"I was actually talking about being here, together, as a family," She hooked Alex's long hair over her ear. "We're going to need the space at Publick to expand our office and the shop. While…" She couldn't help but smile at Alex, "We live here, with you." The smile that claimed Alex's face made Piper smile just as brightly. "We are a family, Blue. And you're just as much of a parent as I am." She bit her lip seeing the apprehension on Alex's face, "You were there through every tear and every smile for almost the last four years. You have no idea how much that kid loves you and looks up to you." She watched the happiness slowly build in Alex's face. "You've taught her so much… so many things I never could have. You've been there for her in ways no one else has, including our own mom. So don't tell me you're not her parent when she gets all her sass from you."
Alex laughed, "Oh, no way. Have you heard you? Like ever?" She hugged Piper tightly. "I'll only accept half the responsibility for that kid's mouth."
Piper laughed, "Ok, that's kind of fair, I guess." She pushed back to look at Alex and ran her fingers through Alex's hair. "You might not be related by blood, but you sure as hell are her parent. And I can't imagine anyone I rather have helping me raise her."
Alex bit her upper lip, closed her eyes, and nodded slowly. Her pink cheeks and small smile told Piper she'd accepted her explanation this time.
"I know that you're looking for what to call this," Piper cupped her hand on the back of Alex's neck. She pulled her close until their foreheads touched. "In the last two hours, you've been called my spouse and missus a few times. And I know that means something different to you than it does to other people. So, I won't call you that." She felt Alex's fingers under her chin and tipped her chin up letting Alex kiss her.
Alex ran her fingers over Piper's damp hair pulling the soft, warmth of her lips from Piper's. "What am I to you?"
The longer Piper looked into her blue-gray eyes, the more she felt like she was falling into them. She wasn't even conscious of the fact her thumb was tracing the outline of Alex's bottom lip, "You're my forever and always person."
Alex's hand tightened in her hair as she leaned closer, "What are we? What do you call us?" Alex put her lips to Piper's ear, "Please tell me because I need to know." Her free hand moved roughly over Piper's cold, wet, t-shirt. She pulled back far enough to look at Piper. The blue in her eyes sparkled in a dizzying way, while the heat of Alex's body carried her light floral fragrance to Piper's nose. Piper's temperature was rising, and her nerves were on fire. She could hardly think as her entire being screamed for her to claim Alex's lips again. "We're…" She knew what she wanted to say. A single word that said everything in her heart, "Partners." Instead, she gave a watered-down answer. A single word that left out every bit of meaning Piper cherished because she didn't think Alex would accept it. She caught Alex's cheek gently with her hand, weaving her other hand into Alex's hair.
She tried to kiss Alex, but Alex pushed back against her. "Partners…?" Alex searched her face, making Piper wonder if she'd notice her hesitation. "Is that what people now say?"
"Y-yes?" Piper realized if she was going to sell it, she needed to own it. "Yes, we do. Of course. Why?" Piper wondered how her eyes could go from blue-gray to that shade of gray that was like steel but sparkled like clean glass. It made her heart flutter every time. She watched Alex's eyes drift lower to her mouth.
Alex blinked looking back into her eyes. "Because I didn't know. I don't want to say the wrong thing." Alex's hand moved over Piper's chest. When Alex blinked again, her breathing became more ragged. Piper couldn't take it any longer. She crashed her lips against Alex's, capturing them like she craved, while being careful not to push Alex farther back and hurt her. Alex's heated hands pulled her closer, while they roamed freely over her arms to her back. She ran her tongue over Alex's lower lip and Alex pulled her into her lap. Piper moaned into their kiss, twisting her hands into Alex's hair. She was straddling Alex, her fingers tracing Alex's ears and neck. The heat between them made Piper's body ache.
"Al?" Cait called up from the bottom of the stairs. "Al, you up there still?"
"Fucking. Mucker." Alex breathed heatedly into their kiss making Piper giggle. "No, go away!" She yelled over Piper's shoulder.
Downstairs, they heard Cait laugh. "We're ready for you. Stop snoggin' Piper and let's go."
Piper watched Alex's eyes go wide then narrow deviously. Alex smirked at Piper, "Give us… like two minutes." She started kissing Piper's ear, following the line along her jaw.
Piper laughed harder hearing Cait scoff and open the fridge. "I'm drinkin' your ale for makin' me wait."
"Oh, that bitch," Alex breathed into Piper's neck as she trailed more kisses over her throat.
"Half-way done! Then I'm comin' up to watch." Piper could hear the tease in Cait's voice.
"God damn her," Alex murmured as Piper slipped off her lap.
Piper smiled at her, "She will too."
"I don't care if she watches. Come back."
She held out her hands to Alex, "Come on, Blue, we'll continue this after dinner. Without interruptions."
"That fucking interloper." Alex gave her a questioning look as she grabbed her socks, "Are you coming with us?"
Piper took her hand and tugged her closer, "Do you think I'm letting you out of my sight for even a second?"
Alex's lips curled up deviously, "I hope not."
Piper closed the gap between them, looking up at her, "We have plans after dinner and you aren't missing them tonight."
The smile that consumed Alex's face made Piper's heart soar.