Okay, so this idea was offered by an anon on tumblr who so kindly gave me the prompt and I've just decided to run with it. However, the idea's floating in my brain are far, far, far too much to put into one chapter so here we have it. I'm not sure how many chapters that there will be, but it could get long... Don't hate me for that. As always, I do not own these characters nor the original story, I just adore them and their lives. I haven't written anything for OITNB in AGES, but I used to write a lot back in the day - just nothing got published. Hopefully I do it some kinda justice.
Enjoy!
The ground slipped away, spinning into nothing as the darkness swept in; enveloping them, throwing them into oblivion. A thunder roared as the wind picked up; spinning them, thrashing them through the air; the world as they know it shattering around them.
With a thud the ground was back, winding them as their bodies slammed onto the cold concrete. The darkness began to fade into a soft grey and then brightness took over, flooding their sight as both opened their eyes slowly, trying to make sense of what just happened. For a moment everything was calm. The air, although difficult to breath was still and the only sound that could be heard was the passing of cars outside their window.
"What the hell?" Alex questioned, pushing herself up to a sitting position using both of her hands. "What just happened?"
Piper was already making her way onto her feet, her body shaking as she reached for Alex with an outstretched hand in order to help her up. "I don't know," she whispered, her voice shaking as she blew out a breath. "Did we get attacked?"
The dark haired woman glanced to Piper, one hand reaching to push the glasses upon her face back into position. Breaking from the spot she was standing, Alex moved over towards the window, glancing outside; expecting to see some devastation and crumbled buildings. Instead, she saw sunlight and people playing happily in the streets below.
"I don't think so," she answered Piper's question while still searching for something to justify what they'd experienced outside the window. "I mean, if we'd been attacked you'd expect to see smoke and shit, right? Some people running and some screaming, or something."
Piper wandered over, standing beside her girlfriend at the window while reaching for the latch to pull it open.
"No, don't do that!" Alex grabbed her hand. "What if it was some kind of gas bomb?"
The blonde haired woman's head tilted to the side as her hand fell back down, a gentle laugh falling from her lips, her head shaking. "Al, if we'd just been bombed, I don't think all those kids would be playing ring-a-round-the-roses down there, do you?" Her brow rose in question and Alex shook her head.
"I don't know…I suppose not." Alex answered, still searching for her answer outside the window. "Did we get caught in some kind of mental weather thing?"
"Mental weather thing?" Piper repeated. "Like some kind of inside windstorm?" Piper scoffed, as she spun on her feet, scanning the room around them. "An inside hurricane that only affects one tiny little room?"
"There's no need to be snarky, Piper." Alex huffed as she turned to Piper, adjusting the glasses upon her face once more, this time giving up and shoving them on top of her head. "I was just trying to work out what happened."
Piper moved back towards the sun-filled window, a puzzled look crossing her features. "Wasn't it pouring down with rain a minute ago?" Reaching for the latch once more, she undone the lock and pulled the window open. The sounds of the kids playing in the street filled the room and the birds singing in the trees echoed off the walls. "Like, flooding the streets pouring?"
They each peered back out the window, staring at the dry ground with no sign that it had been raining. Piper glanced towards Alex whose hair was soaked as if she'd just stepped out of the shower. Her clothes were dripping wet; a white tank top clinging to her body allowing a sneak peak of the black bra beneath and her jeans a darker than normal black kind of look to them.
"Something's up," Piper whispered as she tried to think of what they were doing before the darkness took over. "It was raining, we were out getting coffee…" She glanced to the side table where two coffees sat, the steam rising from them made it evident that they were fresh.
Alex watched as Piper tried to make sense of the moment, sitting down on the windowsill, a cool breeze from the window hitting her back.
"Come on, tell me," The blonde almost begged, pulling her coffee cup to her lips, the warm liquid passing onto her tongue, warming her from the inside.
"Sorry, I can't do that. If I did, I'd have to kill you," Alex chuckled, her brows rising suggestively.
"So, you can't tell me where we're going, but you can show me when we get there?"
They were walking along the street, hand in hand and each holding onto a coffee with the other. Above them, the clouds were rolling in, a typical early winters morning in New York City. They'd arrived back a few days previous, booked into a hotel and spent their days wandering around to kill some time before Alex's next job arose - which did so this morning. They'd be leaving the city once more and traveling somewhere new, but Piper had no clue where. All she wanted was somewhere warm before the winter fully set in.
"Exactly," Alex grinned, tugging the blonde along the street in the direction of their hotel. "You'll like it, though. I promise."
Piper sighed, taking another sip of her coffee, careful not to spill as they wandered along, dodging crowds of people on the street, Piper couldn't help but lean into Alex who in turn wrapped an arm around Piper's waist, holding her close. Piper loved afternoons like this where Alex didn't have anything to do workwise and they could spend the entire day doing whatever they wanted rather that having to answer to the Cartel that pretty much ruled Alex's life. Of course, that was coming to an end, but Piper could enjoy today at least.
Peering at Alex through thick eyelashes, Piper smiled and whispered "You really can't tell me? Is it at least somewhere we've never been together, yet?" She sucked her lip between her teeth, batted those thick eyelashes and flashed the sweetest smile she could muster up. Alex just looked towards her, shook her head and then pressed one lingering kiss against Piper's forehead.
"Top Secret, kid," Alex smirked, holding the blonde close as they walked.
"You're evil, Vause,' Piper jested, settling into the movement as they neared the hotel.
When the sign with the name emblazoned on it was just in view, the clouds opened. One drop landed upon Piper's forehead and then as if the sky was falling they were drenched. It all happened in a split second but they both laughed and their walk broke out into a run as they made their way towards the lobby, the doorman holding the front door open for them.
Both women thanked the gentleman before making their way towards the elevator. Alex hit the button to take them up and Piper stood back, her eyes musing at Alex in her drenched clothes.
"My god, that wet t-shirt suits you, Al," she smiled, stepping onto the elevator before Alex and turning to face her.
"You think?" Alex asked as she stepped on next, turning to hit the floor number.
The doors to the elevator closed just before anyone else could step on and within a second Alex had turned to face Piper and pushed her up against the cold mirror on the back wall, their lips moving together in a playful yet hungry dance as each attempted to hold onto their coffees without spilling.
Eventually, the door pinged open, however, too consumed with the kiss, Piper had to be the one who pointed out the open door to Alex with a gentle laugh.
"Alex," she moaned into the kiss, considering the people standing in the hallway. "Alex, that's us here."
One old lady coughed as they stepped off the elevator. giving them a stare and both women just laughed before making their way towards the room. Once inside, each placed their coffee on the side table and Alex noticed a small coin lying on the floor. She bent to pick it up and before they knew it, the darkness had taken over.
They both went over the story twice more as they paced the small room. Everything looked the same, except the weather outside, but the small coin was nowhere to be seen.
"Maybe it gave you some kind of shock that made us both fall and feel like that?" Piper offered as an explanation, not really believing it herself. "I'm sure I touched you as you picked it up."
Alex shrugged off the offer, crossing the room towards the bed and fell flat onto the mattress, her face sinking into feather filled duvet.
"Maybe we're going crazy and both just need more sleep. You kept me up all night last night with your moaning."
"Hey, you're the one who caused the moaning, Alex. Don't blame that on me." Piper laughed as she wandered over to her girlfriend, the back of her hand smacking off Alex's behind before she sat down on the bed.
"I can't help it if I'm just that good." Alex rolled onto her side, her eyes glancing to the side table as she did so.
"What the fuck?" Alex coughed and suddenly she was on her feet, reaching over towards the table.
Startled by Alex's movements, Piper followed, standing beside her, her eyes following Alex's every movement.
"Alex, what's wrong?"
The dark-haired woman had reached for the clock by their bed, the time reading as she'd thought it would be but there was something wrong with the date.
"Someone's been in here and messed with this clock." She turned it around, showing Piper.
"June 2014?"
The women simply stared at each other, the clock still held high between them as they both tried to come up with an answer to who would mess with them, and who would do so by changing a date. What possibly could they do with changing a date?
After a moment, Piper spun around on her heels, running to the desk by the door and grabbed the newspaper that was sitting there. In the corner, the date read exactly as the date on the clock. Tossing the newspaper towards Alex, Piper cocked her brow.
"Alex, I don't think we're in 2003 anymore…"
Hopefully, that makes sense, and if it doesn't, let me know. I'll answer any questions. There is tons to come, with lots of twists and turns but I'll try to make it as exciting as I can.
As always, please let me know if you enjoy it, and leave some feedback.
Thanks for reading,
K