Summary: Red's relationship with Zoe McKenzie starts to change when an old flame comes back into Zoe's life-Frieda Berlin.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The characters from Orange Is The New Black isn't mine. This is basically an AU.

CHAPTER ONE

2013
LITCHFIELD PENITENTIARY

" McKenzie!" Pornstache barked and inmate Zoe McKenzie looked up from the worn Stephen King book she was reading. CO Pornstache stood just outside her cube and next to him was a blonde-haired white girl in a khaki uniform. She appeared to be in her late 20s or early 30s. The girl looked nervous and her face was ashen. " This is your new bunkmate Chapman. Chapman-this is McKenzie." Pornstache walked off and Piper Chapman hesitated before walking towards the empty bed.

" Hi, I'm Piper Chapman," Chapman said, dumping her pillows and blankets onto the bed. Her new bunkmate looked to be in her late forties maybe even early fifties.

McKenzie just nodded and went back to her book.

" Can I use this um-I don't know your name, " Piper gestured to the empty locker next to the bed.

" My name is McKenzie. Didn't you hear Pornstache the first time?" McKenzie replied. There was no need for Chapman to know her first name. Just because Chapman was knew doesn't mean she wasn't going to be easy on her. After all, ten years ago, nobody made things easy for her did they?

" Yeah I heard you but-"

" You can use that locker." Zoe added sitting up and closing her book. " And those are your hooks," she pointed to the two empty hooks " and don't go putting your stuff anywhere near my bed okay?"

" Okay," Chapman nodded quickly, obviously eager to please. Zoe slid her feet into her flip flops and left the cube, heading towards the kitchen.

Galina "Red" Reznikov was barking orders at her kitchen assistants when Zoe walked in.

" Hi Red," Zoe greeted her and nodded to Norma who just smiled back and went back to cooking.

" You are out of bounds," Red told her mildly as she stood back to supervise her assistants, " and I am working,"

" I know that, I just wanted to tell you-"

" Tell me after work ok?" Red interrupted, " I'm very busy right now. Today's been one of our busier days."

" But-"

" Tell me later," Red snapped, frowning at her. McKenzie stared back at the older woman before leaving the kitchen. Zoe wandered around. She couldn't face going back to her bunk and to her brand new bunk mate.

Piper looked around at the group of women she was sitting with at dinner time. They looked nice enough and she caught sight of her bunkmate sitting down with a few older women.

" What's McKenzie like?" Piper asked them.

" Zoe? She's all right- a bit quiet but she's a good lady." Nicky replied, digging into her soup, " Why? She giving you trouble?" Nicky Nichols was serving a five year sentence.

" No, not really. How long has she been here?"

" Ten years. She's got just a few weeks to go." Erica "Yoga" Jones replied as Piper took a bite of waffle and grimaced. She wanted to ask why McKenzie was in here but knew better not to ask.

" Look, McKenzie really is okay, just don't get on her bad side," Nicky replied.

Zoe left the cafeteria and headed for her bunk, knowing that Chapman had left to go somewhere with Nichols. She took out a piece of paper that she had found underneath her pudding cup. Come and see me at 7 the note read. It was 6.50 and she went to the bathroom to freshen up.

Red relaxed on her bed after a long day. Her feet and back ached and she was irritable. But also felt guilty for snapping at Zoe earlier. Usually she didn't mind when Zoe came to see her but she just caught Red at a bad time.

Only two years to go, Red reminded herself. She reminded herself of this each time she finished her shift in the kitchen. She had just two years to go from a 12 year sentence. The light above her was hurting her eyes so she closed them.

She heard footsteps and a soft voice, " Red?"

Red looked up, " Hi Zoe," she said and started to sit up.

" No, don't sit up," Zoe said quickly and sat down at the end of her bed.

Red sat up anyway and tried to get comfortable, " I'm sorry for snapping at you before," Red apologised, running a hand through her red hair.

" I figured I just caught you at a bad time," Zoe replied. She looked around at Red's cube. She was the only one in the Suburbs that didn't have a bunkmate and that came in handy. " but thanks for giving me an extra pudding cup though."

Red smiled at her and cupped Zoe's face in her hand, " So you forgive me?"

Zoe sighed but she was smiling back at her, " Of course, don't I always?" Red then leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips.

" Red-"

" There's no one around, " Red assured her, " the Suburbs is quiet tonight,"

" Not for long," Zoe pointed out. She and Red had been together for two years. " We better make use of the time we have then," Red said and leaned over to kiss her again. She drew Zoe closer to her and her mouth captured Zoe's lips in a deep and satisfying kiss. They heard footsteps and Red quickly drew away and Zoe stood up.

" You guys coming to movie night?" it was Nicky and she watched with amusement as Red straightened her shirt. She knew she had nearly caught Red in a clinch with Zoe. Nicky still remembered the time she had caught them kissing in the greenhouse two years ago.

A year ago

The work shift had finished for the day and Zoe put away her rake. She took off her gardening gloves and rubbed her arms. She had a pounding headache from being in the sun all day. She packed everything up except for the bad of potting mix nearby when the door opened and Red came in. Still in her chef's uniform.

" Hi, " Red greeted her, " Are you finished?"

" Yeah, everybody's left," Zoe replied. Red put her arms around her and hugged her close.

" I missed you. I barely got to see you today," Red murmured into Zoe's long brown hair.

" We have hard jobs that keep us busy. We have free time before dinner."

" Or you do, I still have to supervise dinner being served," Red reminded her. Her lips met Zoe's for a searing kiss. Zoe deepened the kiss and Red slowly slid her hand under Zoe's shirt.

Nicky Nichols stared through the window in shock. There was Red and Zoe in a passionate clinch in the greenhouse. She watched as Red kissed Zoe-right on the lips. Nicky was so startled that she lost her balance and tripped, slamming into the greenhouse with a loud clang.

" Shit," Nicky swore loudly and took off, before Red and Zoe caught her.

Present Day

Red told Nicky that they weren't going to movie night. Movie night was one of the few times she really got to be alone with Zoe. Movie night was nearly two hours and the dorm would be quiet. It wasn't mandatory to go but most of them did.

Red pulled Zoe in for a hug and bent her head to kiss her. Zoe returned the kiss and they laid down onto the bed together.

" We need to talk about something," Red said as she pulled her quilt over the two of them.

" What?" Zoe asked warily. Her head still ached and she felt achy all over.

" We never really talked about it before, but I think I'm ready for it. I know you've been with a woman before but I haven't and you always said I didn't have to do anything I didn't want to do." Red had always wondered who the other woman had been. Zoe said the woman was still in this prison.

" Are you sure you're ready?" Zoe asked. What Red was saying was true-she's always told Red she didn't have to do anything she didn't want to do.

" Yes, more than ready. Just be gentle-you've got more experience than me."

" just with the one woman," Zoe reminded her and Red again wondered who the other woman had been. Zoe had once told her the break up didn't end well and she never liked to talk about it.

Red bent her head and kissed her and slipped her hand under Zoe's shirt. It was the first time she did this ever since the greenhouse a year ago but then got nervous and stopped. She'd been too afraid to try again.

Red kissed her feverishly and Zoe returned the kiss with equal fire as Red stroked her belly then her hand continued upwards towards her breasts but her stroking stopped, " You are hot," Red frowned.

" Was that meant to be a compliment?" Zoe teased and Red noticed that her forehead was bathed in sweat. Red placed a hand on her forehead.

" I mean you have a temperature," Red said and threw the quilt off them.

" My body does feel achy," Zoe admitted, " and my head is splitting. But I had too much sun that's all. Maybe I got a heatstroke."

" I'll get you some water," Red decided, " You should take off your long-sleeved shirt and wear your singlet. You must be boiling in that." Red stood up and Zoe sat up. Her stomach felt queasy as she took off her shirt. Red gasped as she stared at her arms.

" What?" Zoe asked looking at them. She had a rash on both arms. Red leaned over and pulled her singlet up. It was spreading to her stomach.

" You are not well," Red said, " We better get you to medical,"

" No, its fine, it's just a sunburn." Zoe insisted standing up. But her stomach lurched and she clutched it, " Oh, I feel sick." She groaned.

" You must have picked up something. Let's get you to the bathroom" Red put her arm around her waist and lead her to the bathroom and she knew then their precious time alone was over.

After throwing up in the bathroom twice, Red took her to medical. She wasn't allowed to stay the doctor sent her away. Red went back to her back and the other inmates were coming back from movie night. She paced the floor of her cube, worrying.

It's probably just the flu, Red assured herself.

Red didn't sleep much that night and early the next morning she decided to go to medical and see what was happening. The girls in the kitchen said they'd cover for her while she went.

" I need to know what happened," Red said to the doctor who tried to send her away. She tried to look past him into the room but couldn't see much. He was blocking her way.

The doctor realised this woman would not go away unless she knew what happened. " She got a severe allergic reaction to the potting mix the garden crew use."

" An allergic reaction? So it wasn't the flu?"

" No, she's on antibiotics and it should clear up in another day or two."

" When is coming back to the dorm?"

" Not for another couple of days." The doctor said, " In case she has a relapse. Meanwhile I will recommend to Mr Caputo that she be reassigned."

Inmates in medical were not allowed visitors from other inmates and Red knew she'd be in trouble if she was caught now. Two days without seeing Zoe? That was the longest they've ever been apart.

The doctor finally managed to tell the red-haired woman to leave and he began examining Zoe. He listened to her heart and frowned. He instructed her to take some deep breaths. " How long have you had the heart murmur?" he asked her as he consulted her medical records.

Zoe winced, " Ever since I was a kid. It never stopped me from doing hard work though."

" Have you had any problems with your heart?" the doctor asked.

" Sometimes I get palpations and dizziness but doesn't everybody when they do hard work?" she had other symptoms but wasn't about to tell the doctor that.

" Maybe but you are different. I was going to recommend to Caputo that you be reassigned, but I think it's best if you don't have a job. Any hard work will cause strain on your heart and could lead to long term problems."

" But…" she trailed off, " It's never bothered me before. I never told anyone because I didn't think it will get in the way. Plus I don't want any special treatment. I've done just fine on the garden crew-til the allergic reaction anyway. Can't you ask Mr Caputo to assign me to an easier job like the kitchen?" That way I can work with Red. I get to spend more time with her. Zoe thought.

" The kitchen is out of the question. I was thinking more of the library or even electrical."

" Please consider the kitchen. I can just do easy stuff like chop up food or serve." She paused, " Just don't make me stop working. I won't be able to earn money for my commissary account.."

Dr. Kelley consulted his notes and gave her a half-smile, " All right, I'll ask him, but it's not up to me where you'll be reassigned. But I will insist that you be reassigned to a less harder job. Does this sound fair?"

She nodded quickly, " Thanks Dr."

" Also, I'd like to keep you here for an extra day."

" But you said only two days!" Zoe protested.

" It's just for precaution."

" Did the heart murmur cause this reaction?"

" No, both are two separate issues. It's better to be safe than sorry."

" Well…can I have a visitor then?"

" You know the rules." The doctor reminded her standing up, " I'll get you some water."

" If I have to stay here an extra day then I can have a visitor. " Zoe insisted, " otherwise I'll just go back to the dorm and you can't stop me." Zoe was right and they both knew it.

The doctor looked down at the patient. " Okay, you can have a visitor. Just one and the visit must be short. I'll ask Mr Caputo."