Chapter 1

Chapman sat across from Healy fighting the urge to punch him in the face. Not only would that get her thrown back into Shu (otherwise known as solitary) but it wouldn't inflict the amount of damage she wanted. She needed him to feel the pain she had felt when he had left her outside in the cold, knowing full well that she might not return. She needed something sharp.

"So, Chapman..." Caputo said as he looked at her over Healy's chair. He was standing behind Healy; the only thing between Chapman severely beating Healy to a pulp. The thing that hurt her most is that Caputo could actually do something about it if he'd believe her.

"Seems like you've gotten yourself into yet another situation doesn't it?" Caputo asked as he looked at a file in his hands. She didn't answer but just stared right into Healy's face. Mentally preparing herself for her return to Shu – which was the inevitable – and mapping out how many ways she could kill Healy and get away with it. She'd have to have something to think about other than...no she couldn't think her name. That was part of the whole reason she was in this mess. She'd fucked up. Badly. And there didn't seem to be a way for her to fix it.

"You're saying this was self defence?" Caputo asked and Chapman just nodded, her gaze still fixed on Healy who smiled back at her. He actually smiled. She felt sick. Turning away she looked out the window to the office door to distract herself. That's when she walked past. Vause felt someone watching her and looked into Healy's office to see Chapman looking back at her, and she looked like shit. Good. Vause turned away and walked towards her block where Nichols was waiting for her.

"Hey Vause, you hear what happened to Chapman?" Vause shook her head.

"She beat the shit out of Pennsatucky. Apparently she was trying to kill Chapman and didn't realise what she was getting herself in for."

"Bull shit. Pennsatucky wouldn't try and kill her after she put her ass on the line to get her out of psych." Vause scoffed.

"No way white girl, it's true." Taystee told her.

"I went into the shower yesterday and she was all fucked up. Shaking and scared. Pennsatucky took a blade to her and covered her in blood. I told her she better get her ass into check and make sure she fight back." All three of them stared at the door to Healy's office.

"I guess she listened. Damn Chapman, didn't know you had it in you." Nichols said to herself. Vause felt a pang of guilt...she had seen her yesterday after her and Nicholls had...well yeah, that. She'd looked terrified but Vause had told her to leave her alone.

"Holy shit." Vause mumbled to herself as the door opened and Chapman was escorted out. All her hands were bruised and one of them had a bandage around. Her expression was just empty; like she didn't even care what the consequences were. Chapman was escorted to Caputo's office and he watched her and Healy for a second, both glaring at eachother like there was an interesting TV show or book imprinted on each other's faces.

"Healy, why don't you go back to work? I'll take care of Chapman from here on out." Healy looked disgruntled but did as he was told. Caputo let Chapman in and sat her down.

"Why don't you tell me what happened?"

"Doggit was trying to kill me. So I defended myself. I had to make sure she couldn't get up and try it again." Nodding slowly Caputo produced a hand carved cross with the bottom end pointed.

"Is this what she tried to kill you with?" Chapman nodded. Caputo produced the screwdriver.

"Where did this come from?" Chapman gulped.

"Another inmate gave it to me for self defence. She cut my hand and knocked it away though."

"Who gave it to you?" Chapman didn't answer. Caputo gave her a long look then just sighed heavily.

"Listen, I'm not going to lie. This isn't good. But there are some things that rule in your favour here. For starters, Doggit has a history of mental illness. And the fact that you got her out of the psych ward might've been because she had people...blackmailing you with death threats if you didn't?" As he said it he nodded slowly and Chapman frowned. He was trying to...help her? He definitely was giving her a useful story. Rolling his eyes he moved closer to her.

"Look, your fiancé's lawyers are still up my ass about you going into Shu last time without official reasoning. We can't throw you in there again, well we can but I don't need that shit. I'm levelling with you here. I've looked over your file and you made a mistake when you were young and stupid and it's biting you in the ass. You're not some malicious person. Let me help you?" Chapman nodded. She wasn't going to mention how Larry was no longer her fiancé. Not when luck was finally going her way for a change.

"So you helped Doggit get out of psych because she had her friends threaten you. When she's out she continues to threaten you. You snapped, you were scared for your life." Chapman nodded and Caputo signed something and shut her folder.

"And that is the job done." Chapman blinked.

"Ex...excuse me?" Caputo smiled.

"I remember you coming into this prison, crying in that chair because you couldn't call your husband. You were scared and heartbroken. Now you're just..." He gave her a once over.

"You're just here. You don't even look like you're listening to me."

"I am, sir. I am." He smiled softly.

"I know, it just looks like the lights are on but no one is home, you know? You don't get to make phone calls, receive mail, send mail or receive visitors until I tell you otherwise. And you are to continue your extra janitorial duties. If any of those bible bashers decide to take revenge ...I wouldn't expect the guards to jump to your rescue. Understood?" Chapman nodded and sat there, in disbelief. Caputo waved his hand toward the door.

"Well go on, go and get some sleep or something." Chapman slowly got up and walked out of his office and down the hallway. Healy came out of his office and looked her in the face.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Without waiting for answer he moved past her to go and yell at Caputo. What Chapman didn't know is that Caputo was going to yell back, telling Healy he had to stop compromising his job to make room for his 'lesbian which hunts' as he liked to call them. But Chapman was just happy to not be in Shu. As she turned the corner she saw Taystee, Vause and Nicholls all watching where she appeared. For a second she stood there and just turned for her own bunk. As Vause watched her leave she felt her heart break.

"I should go and say something to her." She mumbled and Nicholls turned to her.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me Vause. After what she did to you? She dumped you for her husband." Vause shook her head.

"No, she went for security over freefalling. If you knew her you'd understand."

"But you're not pissed at her?" Vause laughed.

"Of course I am, I'm so mad at her. I want to slap her and hate her. But I can't help that I love her too." Nicholls rolled her eyes.

"Go on then not lesbians, go and continue your morning staggered arrivals and your chapel sex. See what I care."

"Well I don't know anymore Nicholls, do you care? Because you've got a hard way of fucking showing it. You cared about Morello and you just said some mean things and made her a bad joke as a secret Santa. Is this you showing me you care?" They both stood in silence for a second before Vause got her boots on.

"Vause, I like you okay. We're good friends right?"

"Yeah we are, but if that's what you're saying then don't go asking for any more Christmas presents." With that she got up and stalked after Chapman. Taystee let out a breath of air and turned to Nicholls.

"Jesus...you white girls be crazy." Patting Nicholls on the shoulder she turned and left. Luckily for Vause, Chapman was in her bunk, exactly where she had expected her to be. She was sitting on her bed staring at the opposite wall. There were shreds of paper on the floor next to her.

"Piper." She said as she got in the block.

"Are you okay?" Piper didn't speak but just shrugged. Alex took this as a sign that she wasn't going to get beaten up like Pennsatucky. Slowly she took Pipers hand and inspected the cuts and bruises.

"What the fuck Pipes? I've never seen you like this." Piper pulled her hand back.

"You don't know me as well as you think you do, obviously." Alex swallowed.

"About yesterday-"

"Sorry I tried to come to you. I'll leave you alone." Piper lay down on the bunk and Alex crouched next to her.

"I was...mad that you chose Larry. You can imagine but I'm not leaving you like this." Piper rolled over so she wasn't facing Alex and ignored her. Alex picked up the ripped shreds of papers to see it was an old photo of Larry and Piper. With one last look at Piper she turned and left the block. Getting into her own block again Crazy Eyes approached her.

"How's Dandelion doing?" Vause looked at her for a second, remembering the pie incident.

"She's fine." Crazy Eyes nodded and followed Vause to her own block.

"You know if she'd told me she was in trouble I could've helped." Vause smiled.

"That's very nice Cra- I mean Suzanne. That's very nice of you but she'll be fine."

"Why didn't you help her? I mean I thought you two were friends?" Vause turned on Crazy Eyes. But her intentions weren't malicious. Her face was just confused, she didn't understand. It was a legitimate question and Vause felt her heart getting crushed again.

"Because I was an idiot." Crazy Eyes nodded.

"Why don't you read her some Shakespeare? She loves it when I do it." Vause frowned.

"Where the hell did you get Shakespeare from?" Crazy Eyes shrugged.

"It's just something I know. The guards cannot take what lies in my brain." She wiggled her fingers mystically around her skull as she reversed out of the block. Vause watched after her with a confused look.

"So she would be her wife and wouldn't even talk to me. Wow." Vause had just gotten comfortable when Nicholls appeared.

"Oh Jesus not now, okay? I can't deal with all of this right now." She told Nicholls.

"I'm not here to fight. You were right, I shouldn't have asked for that as a Christmas present. It just confused things between us. I like you as a friend; I ain't got many in here. And the way your exes turn out. Geesh." Vause laughed and threw something at her.

"So how is the karate kid?"

"She's fucked up. I've never ever seen her this way. She just looked so empty and broken inside. I'm truthfully not even that mad anymore because it just kills me to see her like this." Nicholls sat next to her.

"I know, and I'm sorry. She'll come around; I mean she did something pretty fucking badass. Gonna take her a while to deal." Vause frowned and turned.

"See? You do care."

"Fuck off." And then they argued about Morello for a while before it was lights out. Vause lay in her bunk wondering about Chapman and whether she really would pull through it. She kicked herself for still giving a shit as well; just for good measure. Her last thought before sleep though was how glad she was that Pennsatucky had gotten hers; because her back was so messed up without her fucking mattress.