Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 12:11:21 -0700 (PDT)
From: AMANDA PLOGGER <love4fun4life@yahoo.com>
Subject: upside_umop_insideout-18

Okay This story contains sexual acts between two females if this offends
you then don't read it. If you are not 18 or whatever the age maybe where
your from, don't read it. If you just don't like the idea of love between
two ladies, go somewhere else. Don't read it. The characters are not
real. Any similarities are just that.

  I still have a quiet a few more chapters to go. Let me know what you
think so far. Good or bad. Thank you so much to everyone who has written me
giving me much needed encouragement to keep writing. I have made many
friends and hope to find even more. It is amazing who you meet on here.
*smiles* I love to write so check back in soon and you are sure to find
more.

  As always, enjoy.
  Amanda

  upside_umop_insideout


  Chapter 18
    Fly

"So we heading to Rachel's?"

"Yeah, she called me this morning to tell me she had found some stuff."
Piper said solemnly, she wouldn't say if it was good or bad but she didn't
sound too excited."

Brant nodded thoughtfully. They drove in silence till they reached Rachel's
house. Neither of them moved as they looked up at the house.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" Brant looked over at his
sister.

"No." Piper told him honestly. "I just know that mom has hurt for too long
and so has Lexie."

"You know what I don't get?" Brant looked back up at the house.

"What's that?"

"We heard all about what happened with mom's family but we only heard a
tiny bit of Lexie's history before mom. I mean, I know she went through a
lot, but why are we only looking for mom's family. I am sure there has to
be someone in Alexis' family who would want to see her or hear from her
after all these years."

"I don't know. I could tell it hurt her to talk about it when they were
telling us everything."

"Yeah." Brant said nonchalantly. "Ready?" Brant asked distantly.

Piper took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "As ready as I'm going
to be. This is the easy part. I'm not looking forward to the rest."

Brant nodded and opened his door.

******************************************************************************************

"Wow, I don't remember having that much fun. Sora, I don't get how you know
so much about animals." Emily laughed as they walked through the door that
night with their arms full of stuffed animals of all kinds. Everything from
tree frogs to lions and zebras.

"I take it that you guys had fun." Piper said as she stirred something on
the stove..

"It was great. How was your day?" Emily said as she hugged Piper from
behind.

"It was pretty good." Piper said softly, bringing Alexis eyes to her
own. Alexis saw the sadness and excitement that mixed in her eyes.

"What are you cooking up there?" Emily asked peering over Piper's shoulder
as she still  hugged her middle.

"Just one of your recipes. Why don't you go get comfortable? Aunt Lexie can
bring you some wine and you can relax till supper is ready." Piper looked
over her shoulder at her mom and smiled at her.

"Well, if you want. I was going to ask if you needed a hand, but if you
insist." Emily said with a laugh as she let her daughter go.

"Oh, yeah, I really had to twist your arm there." Piper laughed as her mom
turned and stuck her tongue out and walked from the room. "It looks like
she had a really good time today."

"I think she did." Alexis said as she pulled the wine from the fridge. "She
needed a little break and you know how Sora can be."

"Oh, you mean the fact you can't help but smile when you are around him."
Alex nodded in response. "That's good. She's looked so tired lately. At
least tonight she looks relaxed."

"I think she is." Alex said as she poured two glasses of wine. Piper could
feel her second mom staring at her back as she cooked.

"So?" Alexis prodded gently.

"So what?" Piper asked.

"Tell me what that look meant."

"That look meant that Brant and I are going to need you to cover for us for
a few days." Piper shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"Cover for you for a few days?" Lexie said as she took a sip of her
wine. "What exactly does that mean."

Piper looked over her shoulder at the door, checking to see if they were
still alone. "It means we will be taking a plane to Chicago and be gone a
few days." Piper said in hushed tones never taking her eyes off the food
she was cooking.

Alexis grabbed her chest as she sputtered and choked on her wine.  "You
want to repeat that for me ONE more time." Alexis said as she put her wine
glass down.

"It's nothing." Piper said with a shrug.

"What's nothing? And where is my wine." Emily said with a smile as she
kissed Alexis on the check.

"I asked what Piper was cooking up over there that smelled so good." Alexis
said as she wrapped her arms around Emily's tiny waist.

Piper looked over her shoulder at them and smiled. "Awww, aren't you two
just so cute." Emily blushed and hid her face in Alexis' neck. "Mom, don't
hide it. I think it's... I dunno... nice? You two still look at each other
like that."

"So you guys are really okay with this?" Emily said as she turned in Alex's
arms and leaned into her.

"Mom, we've been okay with it for a long time. I think its cute. It will
take some getting used to actually seeing it but yeah. At least we don't
get teased at school any more." Piper said with a shrug. "Supper is
almost..."

"Wait." Emily said, stepping out of Alexis' arms. "You've been teased?"

"It's been a long time ago." Piper dismissed it as no big deal.

"No big deal?!?" Emily said, grabbing Piper by her shoulders and turning
here to face them.

"Yes, mom, it was no big deal. One bloody nose was all it took to shut
people up." Piper's mouth curled into a small smile at the memory.

Emily gasped. "Someone gave you a bloody nose?"

Piper shook her head and tried not to laugh as Alexis shot her a
look. "Mom, you actually think someone could get close enough to do that to
me? You remember when I got suspended for a few days for fighting and I
refused to tell you what it was about?"

Emily nodded as she remembered. "Yeah, and I wore your ass out for it to."

"Someone was talking shit." Piper watched her mother grimace at the 'harsh'
language but continued on. "Making fun of my 'mothers' and all in my face
about what a sin it is. Blah, blah, blah. Whatever. I had heard it all
before. That didn't faze me or Brant. Till this little click of these
plastic, cookie cutter, bitches came up to me in the middle of lunch. One
of them had the nerve to call you a cunt. If it wasn't for Rachel, I would
have beaten the hell out of her. She did walk off with a fat lip and bloody
nose though." Piper said proudly.

"Piper, I don't ever want you to fight over us again. I can't believe you
did that." Emily chided her daughter.

"Damn it!" Piper yelled as she noticed the smell of burning food. "Mom!
Look at what you made me do!" Piper griped as tried scraping the burnt
vegetables off the pan.

"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry." Emily watched as Piper glared over her shoulder
at her.

"So?" Piper said dropping the pan on the stove she turned around and
crossed her arms over her chest angrily. "What are we doing for supper?"

Emily looked from Piper to the pan of clearly ruined food. "Let me make it
up to you. Let's go out to dinner."

Alexis laughed as she saw the twinkle in their girl's eyes and the edges of
her mouth begin to curl up into a smile.

"Don't laugh. It's not funny. I feel horrible." Emily said in horror as she
looked back at Alexis.

"But look at her face." Alexis said as she doubled over laughing. "She just
played you like a fiddle." Emily looked back over at Piper who couldn't
help but smile.

"You're not mad?" Emily gasped at her daughter.

"No, but it's so nice getting my way." Piper said with a laugh as her
mother chased her out of the kitchen.


**************************************************************************************************

"Okay, so you are going to tell me what's going on and you are going to
tell me now." Alexis said as soon as she slammed the door of the car. She
had convinced Emily to ride with Brant in his car knowing that Sora would
tag along just because he loved riding in his brother's Jeep.

"Maybe, if you calm down." Piper said with an attitude.

"Piper, all of this is stressful enough on me without having to deal with
your attitude. So please, just stop."

"What and you think that this is easy on me? Watching my mom cry, knowing
what little I know and not being able to say something. Oh, yeah, this is
just a walk in the park for me." Piper said harshly as she sat back in her
seat and threw her arms over her chest.

"Okay, I will give you that." Alexis sighed. "Will you give something
though? I need to know what's going on." Alexis drove on in silence for a
while, waiting on waiting on an answer. "Piper, please, we will be at the
restaurant in just a few minutes."

"I just... I really don't know much right now. Nothing for certain. That's
why Brant and I need to make this trip. Rachel... she found out some
stuff. And she found Sarah. Before I even knew what she was doing she had
been in contact with her and Sarah insisted on seeing Brant and I, talking
to us in person. We have two tickets waiting for us at the airport. She
even insisted on paying." Piper said quickly.

"She... Rachel... your girlfriend, she..." Alexis looked over at
Piper. "She talked to Sarah."

"Yes. On the phone. She had to be sure that she had the right person."

"I don't know, sweetie. This, this is big." Alexis said as they pulled up
to the restaurant.

Piper swiveled in her seat. "Lex, please. You have to let me do this. I
need to know the truth just as much as you do."

"Just," Alexis hesitated as she looked out at her love that was climbing
out of the seat in the car next to them. "Give me a few days to think it
over. In the mean time, you think of something to tell your mother. You
know that I don't agree with lying but I don't think your mother needs to
know the truth right now."

"Fair enough." Piper said as she opened her door.

********************************************************************************************

It was three nights later when Emily woke up again covered in sweat,
screaming.

"Baby, your fine." Alexis cooed, drawing small circles on Emily's back as
Emily sobbed into her chest. Over and over Alexis told her that everything
was okay, her voice going softer and softer until Emily's tears where
replaced by the soft sounds off her snores. Alexis gently scooted out from
under her once she was sure she was asleep and crept out of their room.

"Piper, can I come in?" Alexis asked softly as she knocked on the door. She
had done her duty of knocking before entering. "Piper, baby?" Alexis called
out to her in her sleep as she sat on the edge of the bed. "Piper."

Piper rubbed her eyes and looked at Alexis like she had lost her
mind. "What time is it?" Piper asked as she leaned up on here elbows.

"Late but I need to talk to you."

Piper nodded and sat up, switching on her bedside lamp. She squinted in the
light until her eyes adjusted. "Okay, so what's up?"

"When can you leave?"

"What are you talking about?" Piper asked shaking her head, trying to clear
the sleep from her brain.

"She had another nightmare. It's time. It's time that this is all over
with. So. When can you leave?"

"I can be packed in two hours. I'm not sure about Brant." Piper said. "And
I don't know when the next flight out is. I say by the latest we can get
out tonight."

"Get up and get on it. I will take care of your mom. I don't..."

"I already have that taken care of. All I needed was a date and now that I
have that all I have to do is make the phone call and then we will be ok."

"What do you mean you have to 'make the call?'" Alexis asked.

"God, don't make it sound like I am going to go have someone murdered. I
have a friend that's in the printing business. I will have an obituary in
two hours."

"Do I want to know?" Alexis asked with a small smile.

"Actually the less you know the better." Piper said seriously. "Go back to
bed. We will wake you in a while. You might as well sleep until then."

Alex shook her head. "I love you baby. Do you guys need any money?"

Piper put her hand on her arm. "Later. Go sleep now. I want you to know
everything at the same time as mom so that way your reaction will be
genuine." Alexis nodded her understand and stood, not before giving Piper a
kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you in a few hours."

Alexis nodded, feeling completely drained. She stood up and walked to door,
where she hesitated. "No matter what happens, I will never be able to repay
you for this. I just... I wish I had the courage you do to do this for
her." Alexis said to the door before she pulled it open and walked
out. Piper stared at the door. She had never thought of Alexis as anything
but strong and courageous, yet looking at her now she too seemed so
fragile. Piper swore to herself she would do whatever it took to take care
of both of her mothers.

***********************************************************************************

"Mom, mom?" Emily felt Alexis' arms wrapped around her tightly yet another
set of hands shaking her from her sleep. She vaguely remembered tossing and
turning through out the night, once again plagued by dreams. "Mom, I need
you to wake up."

"What time is it Piper?" Emily asked, rubbing her eyes the same way her
daughter had hours ago.

"Mom, it's really early but I just got a call." Piper said with tears in
her voice.

"What's wrong baby?" Emily said instantly awake. Alexis slowly sat up to
hear what was going on. Leaning against the head board, Alex listened to
Piper spin a story of a friend of hers that had moved from the area a few
months back that had met an untimely death. Alexis shook her head as she
watched Piper's tears begin to fall. She had to hand it to the tike, she
was good. In just a few minutes she had her mother tied around her finger,
asking what all she needed to do.

"So would now be a good time to ask if you need any money?" Alexis prodded.

Piper nodded. "I hate to ask but..."

"Don't sweetie. We will do what we can. Would you rather Lex or me go with
you?" Emily asked as she pushed a piece of hair behind Piper's ear.

"She was a friend of Brant's too. I know you guys can't leave the shop like
that. He can go with me. I know he'll want to." Emily nodded at the logic.

"Well, it would be easier. Are you sure he would want to go?" Emily asked
softly.

"He is already packing mom."

"This must be big if you got your brother out of bed before the sun."
Alexis said, her words holding more meaning than Emily understood. Piper
looked over at her and nodded.

"More than you know."

Alexis stood at the gate as she watched the two young adults she considered
her own children as they passed through the security check point and
wondered for the thousandth time that day if she was doing the right
thing. Piper turned and looked at her, letting all the worry and fear show
in her eyes for just a brief moment. Piper squared her shoulders, took a
deep breath, raised her head and nodded. In her minds eye, Alexis saw
Emily, ten years younger, with the same courage and resolve and she knew
that everything would be fine. Alexis let a lone tear roll down her face as
she watched her kids walk from sight.

"If there really is a god out there, please, keep my babies safe." Alex
whispered silently.

Piper looked out the window and sighed heavily. Brant was sound asleep in
his chair, head phones blaring his new favorite band. She looked at her
brother and wished she could be as are free as he was. Even with all that
was happening, he still was just as relaxed and calm as he always
was. Always the one to calm her down, calm her fears and anxieties. Piper
looked at the folder in her lap. Would she even know her aunt when she saw
her? Would she know what to say? What was it that kept her away all these
years?

Piper opened her eyes as they started their descent. Piper had never flown
into a city at night or anywhere else for that matter. She silently kicked
her self for sitting next to the window. Her stomach dropped as she watched
the city lights come into view then disappear as she stared into the night
sky. "Brant, look at this." She said in awe as the lights came back into
view. It was beautiful, the way the lights shimmered and shined. It almost
looked as if each light were a little ant and the lights as a whole a
colony on the move. Each street a trail of them, curving this way and that.

As the city came closer and closer the butterflies became worse in Piper's
stomach. By the time the wheels touched the ground, Piper felt the bile
rising in her throat. "Brant, grab the stuff." Piper flew from her seat as
soon as the seat belt sign went off and ran for the restroom.

"Baby sis, you okay?" Brant asked twenty minutes later as Piper shakily
stood up.

"Nerves." Piper explained as she opened the lavatory door.

"You going to make it?" Brant said, passing over Piper's bag. Piper took a
deep breath, her heart was racing, her palms sweating. She knew she was on
edge but she had came this far and wasn't about to turn back now. Yet
again, Piper squared her shoulders and nodded.

"She knows we are coming in today?" Brant asked as they made their way into
the terminal.

"From what Rachel told me, yes. I have a picture." Piper dug through her
messenger bag and came out with a glossy photo of a smiling couple.

"Have you... looked at this?" Brant said as they made their way through the
busy airport.

Piper shrugged as she man-handled her bag as it tried to flip over.
"Not... really." Piper grunted. "It was in the packet of stuff that Rachel
gave me. I saw it was there but that was about it." Piper looked over at
Brant who stared back wide eyed.

"Damn it kid, watch where you are going!" A gentleman in a business suit
yelled at him as he rammed into him. Brant looked around trying to figure
out who he'd run into but with the multitude of people that filed around
them, there was no telling which one it was.

"Piper?" A woman's voice called from right behind them.


Authors Note:

Sorry the chapters lately have been shorter and farther apart. I am in the
middle of a big move so please stick with me. I promise I will get more out
as soon as I can. In the mean time, drop me a line, let me know what you
think. You guys are what keeps me writing and I love hearing from my
readers... if you've read (and maybe even enjoyed) up to this point, drop
me a line and let me know.

Thanks and have a good one.
Until next time,
Amanda