The Reign Of Vause

Packing for Connecticut

(Piper's POV)

I stayed in the shower longer than usual. I was letting myself and Alex simmer down after our little dispute. I had a feeling it would take Alex longer since I had left her to deal with Polly and Nicky who had literally caught us in the act. For Alex this was probably in the top 3 of cardinal sins. Larry learned that lesson the hard way on our wedding night. I was also hiding in case Nicky and Polly were still out there, I was so embarrassed. Alex didn't embarrass easily. After about half an hour in the shower, I sighed, turned the water off and stepped out, grabbing a towel and wrapped myself in it. My robe was in the bedroom so I slowly and cautiously opened the ensuite door. It was Christmas Eve, I really didn't want to fight with Alex. I had assumed by now Polly and Nicky would be gone so I picked up my robe, put it on and went out to the main area of our apartment where I found Alex also in her robe with wet hair, cooking breakfast. Polly and Nicky were indeed gone.
I crept up behind her cautiously and apologetically, starting a fight with her about Polly and Nicky was unfair, they were the ones that should've been apologising not Alex but I stood by giving Polly a key.
When I got to her, I wrapped my arms around her and put my chin on her shoulder, her now cold, wet hair chilling my cheek. She didn't look at me or acknowledge me, she just sighed.
"You could've joined me in the shower babe." I said guiltily and apologetically.
She sighed again,
"I had a shower in the master bathroom, I figured you didn't want me near you."
I kissed her neck and she closed her eyes, even when she was mad at me, she couldn't resist me.
"Al, I'm sorry, Nicky and Polly took me by surprise." I apologised.
She relaxed and opened her eyes, turning in my arms to look at me, wrapping her arms around me in return to pull me closer to her. A smile grew on her face.
"Ugh Pipes, I'm sorry too." She sighed and planted a soft kiss on my lips. We both smiled and let go of each other so she could finish making breakfast.
"So how did your conversation with snoops 1 & 2 go?" I asked her.
"I quickly and somewhat angrily told them what needed to be done in our absence and that we did the hard jobs so their jobs would be easier." She growls.
"I thought they already knew that." I say confused.
"Yeah babe, so did I." Alex sighs.
I shrugged, "I guess they just want everything to go right while we're away and that there'll be no fuck ups."
"Yeah that's what they told me." She confirms.
"Al?" I start.
"Hmm?" She asks as she flips our bacon.
"Did you guys talk about... well.. I guess... the elephant in the room?" I cautiously ask her.
She stiffens and glances at me sideways,
"Yeah. Nicky and I had a little conversation, Polly stayed silent on the couch. I'll give her one thing Pipes, she's smart enough to realise when to keep her mouth shut." She tells me and serves breakfast.
We brought our plates into our bedroom and ate at the table at the window. When we were finished, we brought out our smaller suitcases and put them on our bed to pack what we'd need. We packed a fresh pair of our winter pyjamas and about 6 winter outfits, I saw Alex sneak in sexy lingerie while I was packing my own underwear. I pushed my excitement and smile down since Alex clearly wanted it to be a surprise although not such a big one since I caught her smirking at me.
Without Alex noticing, I snuck her Christmas present into my suitcase since it was Christmas Day tomorrow.
I was packed before Alex but noticed quite a large, purple, circular mark on my neck when I went to our ensuite. Alex had given me a hickey. Oh good, the one morning I have to see my parents is the morning she decides to do this.
"Alex!" I laughed out to her in surprise.
She came running in as if I'd been shot again,
"What?! What?! Who?! What?!" She asked in a panic but laughed when she saw me checking out her not so little present.
"Well, thanks to you it looks like I'm going to have to wear a turtle neck today." I sighed.
She giggled,
"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it. Because I KNOW you did." She smirked.
She went to lift her eyeliner to apply it so I took advantage of her back being turned.
"You know what I'd enjoy?" I asked edging towards the smaller shower head that was mounted on the wall above the bath, next to the actual shower.
"Hmm?" She asks, starting to apply her wings.
I turned the shower head on to cold with a smirk and aimed it at her bare back.
"That." I giggled and turned it off again once I was satisfied I'd soaked her.
"Aaah! Jesus Piper! What the fuck?!" She squealed and laughed at the same time. In her surprise, her eyeliner went awry.
I couldn't stop laughing but held onto the shower head in self defence, just in case.
"Oh great. I look like a drag queen. Your parents are going to think I'm a stereotype now." She chuckled and turned to face me, smirking.
"Want some help washing it off there?" I chuckled, holding up the shower head as an offering.
She laughed, "No I do not! Now go put a turtle neck or concealer on, we'll be late otherwise!"
I grinned and put the shower head back to go change, she was watching me in the mirror but I didn't realise. As I was heading back out to our bedroom, she grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me into a kiss. When she broke it, she smirked,
"Now I'm not the only one who's wet." I smiled and went out to change as she slapped me on the butt and fixed her eyeliner.
I changed into tight navy jeans and a beige turtle neck with black heeled boots. While I waited for her to change, I grabbed our plates and glasses and put them back in the cabinets they belonged in. I then took the empty wine bottle and Chinese takeout boxes to put in the garbage shoot which was just beside the elevator outside our apartment. When I came back into our apartment, Alex was changed and sitting on one of our couches, our cases beside her, waiting for me. I grabbed the keys to her Porsche sitting on the counter beside me and put on my beige winter coat with a navy scarf.
"Ready to go babe?" I asked her.
She turned around to answer me and stood up. She was wearing her white winter coat with a red scarf.
"Yeah babe, let's go. Where are my keys?" She asks.
I dangled them and smirked. She began to walk towards me but stopped to fold her arms and cock her head to the side.
"Pipes, you drive like a grandma." She sighs and raises an eyebrow.
"Well, we can either drive like a maniac and get lost or drive normally and get there since I'm the only one of the two of us who knows where my parents live, your choice Al." I say triumphantly at her snide yet loving insult.
She kept her arms folded and smirked lovingly at me, knowing she wasn't winning.
"Ugh, fine. Let's go." She sighs, wheeling my case to me to take from her as we leave the apartment.
"Oh, wait! Gloves!" I remember.
"It's fine babe, I have them at the top of our cases if we ever need them." Alex smiled and reassured me, continuing,
"Now let's go, it's a long drive to Connecticut." She says shooing me out of our apartment as she locks the door behind her.

When we were out of the building, I stopped and smiled at my surroundings. New York was like a winter wonderland. I heard Alex's cell phone camera go off as I stared in awe at the snow covered city. She'd taken a picture of me. Being in prison for a year definitely made you forget the small things in life like how beautiful snow made everything look.
I flashed Alex a 'really?' look.
"Hey, I just want to remember our first Christmas together as a married couple." She says defensively raising her hands in surrender.
We put our suitcases in the trunk of Alex's Porsche and got in.
"Okay, this is wrong. I should be driving, this car is-" Alex starts but I cut her off.
"I know, your other baby. But tough shit Al, unless you know how to get to my parents' house, sit there and enjoy the view." I laughed at my grumpy looking wife as I started the ignition and she leaned on her hand, elbow propped up against the door. She gave me the side eye, again.
When I started the car, I noticed her keyring. It was simple but it meant everything. She had written "Pipes <3 Mrs Vause" on a small piece of lined file paper and gotten it surrounded by a keyring. She saw me staring at it and smiled at me, taking my hand since I had it on the gearstick. I smiled back and leaned in to kiss her.
I broke it and said,
"Ok, let's go, we have a 2 hour drive ahead of us and my mom is a nightmare when she's kept waiting." And sped off.
Alex chuckled.