The Reign Of Vause

In your arms

(Piper's POV)

When we were pretty much finished our cocktail, Alex turned to me, rubbing my hand with her thumb,
"Pipes I've been thinking. What if we turned this franchise into a casino too? Like, a club meets casino sort've thing? When I was in Vegas I won $500,000 since I played poker a lot to pass the time. When we were in Vegas 9 years ago, you won fucking $7 million. Imagine the prospects!" She finishes excitedly.
I smiled at her,
"If it's what you want to do then by all means baby. Just promise me you won't get reckless with the poker playing." I tell her happily yet sternly. Seeing Alex so happy and living her legal dream was such a beautiful thing to see.
She smiled, kissed me and got up. I began to follow.
"No. Wait here." She commands me smiling and disappears into the crowd on the dancefloor. I looked at Nicky for clues but she simply shrugged, as confused as I was.
Kylie Minogue's 'All The Lovers' started to play and right on cue, Alex re-emerged and grabbed me by the hand into the middle of the dance floor.
She put her hands on either side of my waist and said,
"You're the best thing that has ever happened to me you know that?" She smiled.
"The feeling's mutual." I smiled back.
Her grin widened and she moved a hand up to cup my face and kissed me deeply.

"Dance, it's all I wanna do, so won't you dance?
I'm standing here with you; why won't you move?
I'll get inside your groove 'cause I'm on fire, fire, fire, fire
It hurts when you get too close, but, baby, it hurts
If love is really good, you just want more
Even if it throws you to the fire, fire, fire, fire
All the lovers that have gone before
They don't compare
To you
Don't be frightened
Just give me a little bit more
They don't compare
All the lovers."

Alex moved behind me and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me close to her. She buried her face in my neck and started trailing kisses along it. Our fingers intertwined as we both swayed simultaneously to the music.

"Feel, can't you see there's so much here to feel?
Deep inside in your heart you know I'm real
Can't you see that this is really higher, higher, higher, higher?
Breathe--I know you find it hard, but, baby, breathe
You'll be next to me; it's all you need
And I'll take you there; I'll take you higher, higher, higher, higher
All the lovers that have gone before
They don't compare
To you
Don't be frightened
Just give me a little bit more
They don't compare
All the lovers."

"No more leaving." I sighed.
"Hmm?" She hums into my neck through kisses.
"No more leaving. I mean it Al. I love you. So much. I am never EVER letting you go again. Fuck Wyner, fuck business dinners. She's just going to have to deal with Polly in the future. When you need to leave and you want and need me with you. I'm coming with you. Fuck Larry and anyone else who tried to come between us. Fuck bullets trying to kill me. Right here, in your arms, this is where I belong." I tell her as she stays behind me. At my words, her kisses gradually slowed then eventually stopped. She spun me around to face her and snaked an arm around my waist and placed her hand on the small of my back. She looked taken aback but in a good way, as if she was about to cry and implode with happiness, the corners of her mouth were quivering up and down as if she didn't know whether to smile or cry.
"Pipes." She sighed. "Ugh, just, come here you." She grinned as a single tear fell from her right eye. Her hand was cupping my face as she used the other hand on my back to pull me into her kiss which was long, deep, passionate and full of love. It lasted the whole way through the rest of the song. We kept swaying to it as we kissed.

"Dance, it's all I wanna do, so won't you dance?
I'm standing here with you; why won't you move?
Even if it throws you to the fire, fire, fire
All the lovers that have gone before
They don't compare
To you
Don't be frightened
Just give me a little bit more
They don't compare
All the lovers."

"Okay. Let's go home. I'm tired and I've missed you. I want to be in our home, alone with you." She said breaking the kiss.
"I couldn't agree more." I said as she draped an arm around my neck and walked me out of the club, saying goodnight to Nicky as we passed her.
"Al, do you mind if we walk home? Our apartment isn't far anyway and I like the fresh air." I ask her, trying to hide my shivers because I knew Alex would be all 'I told you so' if she knew I was cold.
"Sure babe. And here." She said taking off her jacket and draping it around my shoulders, draping her arm back around my neck once more. Okay, so she'd noticed my shivering.
"Oh, and I told you so." She winked at me. Aaand there it was.
We both softly laughed and giggled to each other, our foreheads touching as we walked. Basically looking like one of those couples completely in love and completely happy. Which we were. That's when I looked up and saw her. I stopped dead in my tracks, making Alex stop too.
"It's... her." I mumbled just audible enough for Alex to hear.
Larry and his friends were walking towards us with her, Vanessa, my high school bully. Larry was now engaged to HER?! I didn't care, I had the love of my life married to me but seriously?! First he goes for my best friend and now he goes for my childhood bully. Wow Larry.
"It's who babe?" Alex asks, intertwining our fingers as I reached a hand up to meet her's as a form of safety and reassurance.
"Larry's fiancé, I know her. She used to torture me in high school for being the dork who always had her nose in a book. Alex, I need to get out of here, she can't see me." I said in a panic.
"Babe, your love of books is mutual to me. It's one of the reasons I gravitated to you in the first place." She said softly to me but glaring at Vanessa. Alex had first hand experience with bullies and knew what it was like to be tortured by them. She couldn't stand them.
"What did I say back in prison? Our first family rule is to go towards the problem." Alex says soothingly to me but firmly drags me along to meet them.
"But Alex." I whined, desperate to get out of here and back home with her.
She ignored me and plastered on a very fake smile, squeezing my hand, still with our fingers intwined. This was her way of telling me 'Relax babe. She can't hurt you anymore. Especially when I'm here but stop being such a chicken and stand up to her now. You've been in prison for God's sake.'