Vauseman: Forever and Always

Fear

(Alex's POV)

It was now 2 weeks since we had left Hawaii. Piper and I were in pure married bliss on Vauseman Island.

Piper was at the beach and I was in the kitchen making myself lunch. My laptop was on the island counter open and the screen lit up with a FaceTime call. I was cutting up a pepper when it happened so put the knife down to answer it. Now that I was a business partner with Pipes and Polly I always answered my calls with "This is Alex Vause" so I did and went back to cutting. A familiar voice that I never wanted to hear again or have anywhere near Piper again spoke. Kubra.
"Oh I know it is." He said menacingly, "It's been a long time Alex. You look good for being dead. Don't bother asking how I know you're alive. I saw the video of you getting your arm broken. I also hear a congratulations is in order MRS Vause."
"How do you know about my marriage?" I growled at him wanting him as far from Piper as possible.
"I have lots of friends remember?"
"Kubra if you hurt her I swear I'll-"
"You'll what?!" He growled back knowing I was terrified of him.
He continued. "Now, why don't you call her to say hello."
"No."
"No?"
"You heard me. Piper is going no where near you"
"Is that right?" He put the camera on Nicky, Polly and Cal.
"Either get Piper or these 3 die." I glared at him with the coldest glare. I really didn't want to put Piper in Kubra's sights again and have him use her like a dangling carrot with me but I had no choice if I wanted to save my friend and Piper's brother and best friend. I started to stammer, reluctant to bring her in to this call.
"P-P-Piper baby!"
"What's up baby?" She came in wearing her bikini with a towel drying her hair. It took everything in my power not to cry. Kubra spoke.
"Aah Piper! It's been a while." Her face fell, she thought I was in the drug business again.
"Alex! How could you?!"
Kubra spoke again, "Don't worry dear Piper. She doesn't work for me and will never again, although, I find myself asking the same question."
Piper was braver than I was in this situation. "Kubra, you leave her alone." She growled at him.
"Oh I will, right after I trade you both for these 3."
"Pol?! Cal?! Nicky?!" Piper screamed.
"You both have 24 hours. Alex, you know where we are. If you don't show, they die." He ended the call and I broke down.
"Baby... he wants... you there... too. It's... both of us... or... they die... he's going to kill...one of us... I hope... it's... me... I can't live... without you... Piper!" I said between sobs.
"And you think I could live without you?!" She asked me. "Al, we have no choice. It's us or my brother, Polly and Nicky." She said trying to contain her fear and tears.

We didn't bother packing our things. We might not need them anyway. Piper got changed into jeans and a sweater and we got into the boat and headed back to Hawaii. Once back to Hawaii we got a taxi to the airport and boarded the jet Piper had bought. The jet took off for New York and we were airborne, leaving our happiness together behind. I chose a chair right beside Piper and gripped her hand tightly. My mind started going.
I knew Kubra was either going to kill me himself due to Aydin's failure or kill Piper in my place knowing the pain would torture me for the rest of my life. I tried really hard not to think about the second option.
We landed back in the city and took a cab to Queens. Kubra knew I would know where to go because for situations like this he always used an abandoned house in Queens.
"You sure this is the right address?" The cab driver said.
"Oh I'm sure." I told him getting out of the car with Piper in tow. I saw Kubra's large black SUV sitting in the drive.
I opened the door quickly in anger and grabbed Piper's hand. "I want you to know Piper, whatever happens, I love you and I always will." I told her trying to hold back tears.
"I will always love you too Alex." Piper said sadly. We kissed like it was our last because it might well be our last.
We walked to the basement because I knew that's exactly where they would all be. Kubra was standing in the middle. Gun in his hand. He wasn't facing us. Nicky, Polly and Cal were being held by some henchmen leaning against the far wall. His henchmen were everywhere.
"Ok Kubra! You have me and my wife! Now what do you want?!" I shouted, slamming the door behind us.
He turned around with an evil grin on his face.
"Alex and the new Mrs Piper Vause." Was all he said before I spoke again.
"Let them go Kubra. Including Piper. I know all you want is me." I growled.
"That's where you're wrong Alex." A henchman had come up behind Piper and grabbed her, yanking her hand from mine and dragged her to Kubra and made her kneel.
My heart completely broke there and then.
"No! No! Kubra please!" I begged him.
He turned Piper around to face me. She mouthed "I love you" to me and I couldn't hold back my tears. He stooped down to her, took some of her hair in his hand and sniffed it. She closed her eyes in fear and disgust and swallowed hard and I glared at my old boss.
"You know Piper. I've always liked you, in more ways than one." He then took his free hand and cupped her boob. I started forward in anger, my lip curled like it had done with Larry on our wedding night but another henchman grabbed me and restrained me. Kubra looked up at me, his evil grin still on his face and continued talking to Piper.
"Shame Alex here met you first, you could've been my second in command. I hear you have a booming business with the red head over there and Alex. Then when you lied to save me. That Piper, was good work and what I expected of Alex here."
"It was her idea." She spat.
"I'm sorry?" Kubra asked.
"It was Alex! She told me to lie. I told her I would tell the truth to put your sorry ass behind bars where it belongs." No Piper no. She was trying to save me. I couldn't live without her.
"Ah, love is pain. Isn't that what your tattoo says Alex?" He smirked at me.
He turned back to Piper, "That may be so but she still betrayed me Piper, you see, I can't let that go." He cocked his gun (he pulled back the safety catch and it clicked. He was loading it full of the bullets). He grabbed a fistful of Piper's hair and pulled her head back. She screamed in pain. He pointed the gun to her head. No. No. No. I struggled against the henchman holding me, desperate to save her.
"Kubra, I'll do anything please just don't hurt her." I beg.
"Oh Alex. Don't worry, she's still alive isn't she?" Kubra goaded me.
"I can't live without her." I continue.
"Ok, have her then." He said and threw Piper to my feet. "Let her go Ricardo, let her see her wife. They are just married after all." He told the henchman holding me so he let go of me and I immediately bent down to Piper.
"Baby! Are you ok?"
"I'm fine Al" she reassures me.
"Get up Alex! I don't recall allowing you to bend down to her. I said you could see her, not touch her." He growled. I stayed where I was not wanting to leave Piper.
"I said get up!" He yelled so I did glaring at him and he continued, his tone softer but threatening.
"You see Alex, I don't trust you anymore and for that you will pay." He pointed the gun at me. "Say goodbye to your wife. No, actually on second thoughts." I exhaled in relief but it was short-lived.
"You can't live without Piper here? Is that right?" I didn't answer him but he didn't want an answer. "I know this because it's obvious but I also know this because an employee of mine has recently seen you two together. Piper. The Chapman to your Vause I believe? Well, that'll save me the bother of having to kill you." He pointed the gun to Piper and shot her. She fell limp.
"PIPER! NO!" I yelled, tears streaming down my face.
"Aaah." She winced in pain. She was alive! I was so relieved but she was losing a lot of blood.
"Oh well I guess you can go to her now Alex. She won't be alive for much longer anyway." Kubra said evilly.
I immediately ran to her and clutched her in my arms. I put pressure on her wound to stop the bleeding, covering my hand and clothes in her blood but I didn't care. "Baby, hold on! Please! I love you so much!" I cried to her.

(Nicky's POV)

I had a Swiss Army knife in the back pocket of my jeans. Alex's asshole of an ex boss had shot Piper, knowing losing her would kill Alex. Luckily she wasn't dead and was hit in the shoulder but she was losing a lot of blood and the pain on her and Alex's face was immense. Alex was clutching her in her arms, crying hard and applying pressure to the gun shot to try and stop the bleeding. The idiots holding us had put our arms behind our backs without bothering to search us. I knew I had to do something. I subtly reached into the pocket with the knife and flicked it open. I brought it out and stabbed the henchman holding me in the leg. Good thing the other two were standing close so I ran and stabbed them too, killing them. It didn't matter to me, I was wanted anyway because I didn't return from furlough so what's a little added time if it saved our lives? I quickly jumped on the Kubra guy's back and in his surprise, he dropped the gun that he had shot Piper with and it slid over to Alex who was now crying uncontrollably.
"Vause! Pass me the gun!" I shout at her, she looks up at me, her tear stained makeup had formed two black lines running down her cheeks and her face was red from crying. She grabbed the gun and pointed it at Kubra, wanting to do it herself all while clutching a bleeding Piper with her other hand.
"Alex! I'm going down for not returning from furlough thanks to these assholes, I've already killed two and injured one! Piper is still alive! Don't throw away your marriage for revenge! Give me the gun!" I shout from Kubra's back. He was trying to get me off of him but I had an arm around his neck and was tightening it, choking him, his face was going purple from lack of air. Alex threw me the gun and I caught it and put it to Kubra's temple and pulled the trigger, he fell to the ground with me still on his back. The henchman I had stabbed in the leg was slowly losing blood like Piper but none of us cared about him, the one who had been restraining Alex ran out as fast as he could before I could reload the gun again. There was a revving of a motorcycle and he was gone. Now that Polly and Piper's brother were free, all 3 of us ran to Alex who was desperately pleading with Piper to hold on and that we were going to get her help. Piper's colour had completely drained.

(Piper's POV)

The pain was immense, my shoulder was burning. I heard Nicky shout to Alex to give her the gun but Alex held on to it. She kept pressure on the bullet wound on my shoulder with one hand and pointed the gun at Kubra with the other. Hatred, anger, loss and desperation on her face and in her eyes. I was fading. Nicky shouted again,
"Alex! I'm going down for not returning from furlough thanks to these assholes, I've already killed two and injured one! Piper is still alive! Don't throw away your marriage for revenge! Give me the gun!" She was right. I was still alive and I didn't want to lose Alex. I croaked breathlessly,
"Alex... give her.... the gun.... I'm not losing you." My words made her snap into action, she threw the gun to Nicky and went back to keeping pressure on my wound with both hands. My head was resting on her legs as she cradled me. She said while sobbing,
"You're not losing me! I'm losing you! Hold on Pipes! Please! I love you!"
BANG
Nicky had shot Kubra in the head. The henchman who had been holding Alex had run out and revved away on his motorcycle.
"Piper baby please hold on! Please!" Alex was desperately urging me. I was trying believe me but I was losing so much blood and it was hard to keep my eyes open. Nicky, Polly and Cal came running over to a now very desperate Alex and me quickly losing consciousness.
"Guys please! Help me get her to the SUV! We need to take her to ER NOW!" Alex screamed. They all helped me up.
"AAAH" I screamed in pain as they carried me out of the basement and into the back of the SUV.
"I know baby, I'm so sorry." Alex tried to reassure me, her tone full of desperation. She let go of me while she got into the back seat, Cal and Polly were holding me up and loaded me in to the back to rest my head on Alex's lap as painlessly as they could make it for me and Nicky got in the driver's seat. Cal got in the front beside Nicky and Polly sat beside Alex holding my legs.
"Everyone but Piper buckled up?" Nicky asked.
Alex screamed at her, "Nichols! There's no time for that bullshit! Just drive!" Nicky sped off to the hospital, burning the rubber of the tyres.