ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK

WE'VE GOT TIME: PART III

SUMMARY: It's almost been five months after the events of We've Got Time Part I and Frieda is having trouble adjusting to life without Zoe. Meanwhile, Zoe is about to be released from prison, can Frieda win her back before she leaves or is it too little, too late?

Author's Note: Takes place sometime during season 6 and beyond. It's recommended you read Part I and II.

Disclaimer: The OITB characters belong to the creator Jenji Kohan, etc. They don't belong to me. With the exception of original characters such as Zoe McKenzie.

PROLOGUE

SEVERAL MONTHS LATER

Frieda Berlin glanced down at the woman who was lying beneath her. Zoe McKenzie-the most wonderful woman she'd ever known-had actually taken her back. The past five months had been terrible-full of physical and emotional pain. But those days were over and now she can concentrate on getting her marriage back on track. Zoe smiled up at her, her brown eyes full of love.

It's been five months since they had last made love but Frieda found herself hesitating as she slid a hand between Zoe's thighs. Frieda captured Zoe McKenzie's lips with her own as Zoe stroked Frieda's breasts. Zoe held Frieda closer to her but Frieda took her hand away.

" I'm sorry," Frieda whispered, " I just can't do it. I don't want to hurt you."

" You won't hurt me," Zoe whispered back, " I'm ready this time, can't you feel that I'm ready?" she took Frieda's hand and guided it back between her legs,

" See? I'm definitely ready for you this time." She tried to kiss Frieda, but Frieda pulled away, an anguished expression on her face.

" You might be ready…but I'm not. I'm sorry." Frieda said again, " I thought I was ready but-"

" You don't have to explain," Zoe assured her as she pulled her in for a tight hug " It might take a while for things to get back to normal for us." Her relationship with Frieda had always been very sexual-it was just the way things were between them, but ever since that terrible day, things were different now.

Will things ever be the same between us again? Frieda thought to herself as she sobbed in Zoe's arms. Will I ever forgive myself for raping my wife five months ago?

FIVE MONTHS AGO

Suzanne Warren sat near Frieda Berlin's cell and finished her vanilla pudding. She grabbed her orange and was about to start on that when her friend Tiffany Doggett walked over.

" Hey Suzanne, you're going to join us for outside time?" Doggett asked her cheerfully.

Suzanne paused and continued peeling her orange, " I don't think so. Not today." She said glumly and ate a slice.

Doggett frowned in concern and sat down across from Suzanne. " Suzanne, you've skipped it every day now. You used to love it. You always used to complain it was never long enough."

Doggett had been worried about Suzanne for a while. Since the marriage breakdown of Frieda Berlin and her wife Zoe McKenzie. Frieda hadn't been the same since her marriage was torn apart. She was now cold and hard, certainly not the same Frieda Berlin Doggett once knew and admired. The old Frieda had been tough, no-nonsense, practical and kind.

Frieda and Zoe met in prison ten years ago and fallen in love and had been together for nearly ten years. Doggett had never seen two women so deeply in love before and it was clear that they had adored each other.

Then Zoe found out Frieda had slept with another woman in the prison while she had been in solitary and after a terrible fight, Zoe ended their marriage, moved in with Doggett and hadn't spoken to Frieda since.

Doggett didn't know the whole story but according to Suzanne, something really bad happened between them but Zoe refused to talk about it.

Frieda had been taking her permanent bad mood out on her cellmate Suzanne and it was taking its toll on her. Suzanne seemed to be keeping to herself more and spending more and more time inside.

" Suzanne, it's been three weeks and-

" Exactly. It's been three weeks and she's not back from psych yet," Suzanne interrupted, " It's been way too long. She's not coming back!"

" How do you know?" Doggett demanded.

" Because this isn't the first time Frieda Berlin tried to kill herself," Suzanne reminded her.

Three Weeks Ago

After telling Doggett that things wouldn't be the same again, she walked sadly back to her cell, wondering if Frieda was back yet. She looked inside and her heart nearly stopped. She couldn't believe what she saw. It was even worse than last time.

The guards came running when Suzanne started screaming. Doggett ran over to Frieda's cell and gasped. She'd never seen anything like it.

" Suzanne, what happened?" Doggett exclaimed.

" Frieda tried to kill herself again," Suzanne whispered, " Oh God, look at the blood. There's so much blood…"

One of the guards knelt down next to the still body of Frieda and checked her pulse and requested for medical.

" Someone has to tell Zoe," Doggett said as they watched Frieda being loaded onto a stretcher and was taken away.

" I don't think she'll care," Suzanne snapped and backed away from her cell, " There is no way I'm staying here tonight."

" Don't worry, someone will come and clean up all the blood," Doggett assured her. Suzanne just shook her head and ran off.

Doggett sighed and saw Zoe returning from outside time. She glanced over at Frieda's cell and the guards walking out of it. " What's going on?" she asked.

" Frieda tried to kill herself," Doggett informed her.

" Oh, is that all?" Zoe snorted dismissively and headed for their cell.

Doggett grabbed her arm, " Is that all you can say? Your wife tried to kill herself and all you can is say is 'oh'? What kind of person are you?"

" Back off Doggett," Zoe snarled but Doggett pulled her towards Frieda's cell.

" Whatever happened between the two of you must have been really bad. Look." She shoved Zoe inside and Zoe froze. Blood was everywhere. On the floor, on the walls and even on the bed.

" Look, I really don't care what Frieda does okay? Whatever is going on with her, it's her problem." Zoe said finally before leaving the cell.

Tiffany Doggett bit her lip. Suzanne was right. Things around here will never be the same again. Things will only get worse, before they got better.