A/N: Okay so this is a Nicky Nichols centered fic. She is honestly my favorite character and there just aren't enough stories about her. So in order to rectify this, I decided to write one. This is also a Nicky/Lorna fic, with a side of mama Red and best friend Luschek. I hope you guys enjoy this! Please let me know what you think!

Chapter 1: Everything is Always Piper's Fault

Nicky blames Piper. Everything that goes wrong in Litchfield can somehow be traced back to that good intentioned blonde who can't help but try and fix the broken system, that of which is called the "Perpetual Incarceration Machine."

It would be one thing if her little half brain ideas actually fixed what was wrong, but instead Nicky would compare Piper's attempts to using duct tape to fix one out of the fifty holes on a sinking ship. Sure, it stops the water from getting in from that hole, but the water was still going to come in through the others and eventually the ship was going to sink.

She was just delaying the inevitable.

Nicky scoffed at the idea, who was she kidding? Ever since she got back from Max and found out Lorna was married, her own personal proverbial ship had sunk. Now she was stuck in the bowels watching the water rise all around her with nothing to do, nowhere to go, and no escape. She would die in here.

Lorna and Red had been the only thing holding her ship together for years and she knew Red couldn't keep her afloat alone, and she was right. The drugs had taken their hold once more, and now she was at the bottom of the ocean watching Lorna happily talk about her husband and her future, while Red helplessly fought the rising water with no avail.

Lorna was gone.

I mean she was still here, in prison, but she was gone in every other essence of the word. Maybe she should have worded her thoughts as – her Lorna was gone.

Her Lorna was gone.

Every smile at the mention of her husband, every sad look she gives Nicky, the way she seems to be uncomfortable to be even around Nicky these days, all of it seemed to push the water up higher and higher and all Nicky could do was stand there and wait for it to go over her head.

Eventually she had to push Red away too, she wouldn't let the closest thing to a mother she ever had die trying to save her. Red was as passionate as the fiery red hair on her head. The woman loved fiercely and even though Red said otherwise, Nicky knew that the woman loved her unconditionally. Despite the warning about drugs, Nicky knew Red would always be there to help her back from the new hole she dug herself in.

This is why she had to let her go. Red finding her drugged out in the shower, crying over her and telling Nicky she failed her had been the last straw. Red would fight until her last breath to save Nicky. Nicky knew it but she wouldn't allow it. She couldn't let Red drown with her.

So she pushed. She pushed and pushed, until she saw Red finally let her go. The disappointment and sadness that shined in Red's eyes when she saw Nicky slipping away broke Nicky's heart but it needed to be done.

She wouldn't drag anyone down with her. No one deserved to carry the burden that was Nicky Nichols.

She was alone now.

No Lorna.

No Red.

No one.

The only thing she could at least take comfort in was that she would go in peace and quiet, and most importantly high out of her mind. The new guards were dicks, but at least nothing too crazy happened anymore. She followed the rules, kept her head down and they left her alone. It was comfortable, well at least as comfortable as prison could get.

But then Chapman had to go and fuck it all up.

Speaking of Chapman, the woman rounded the corner in front of her and Nicky couldn't help but call out to her.

"Really Chapman!"

Piper stopped at the end of the hallway, eye brow raised in surprise at Nicky's outburst.

Nicky gave her a dark mocking chuckle and leaned against the wall before speaking once more.

"Do you really think putting on a talent show will fix anything here?"

Piper's eyebrows furrowed for a second, before giving Nicky an exasperated look.

"Caputo thought it was a good idea. The manual labor is taking its toll on all of us. We need to let loose and have some fun or someone is going to snap."

"But a talent show!" exclaimed Nicky. "Come on Chapman, the only real talents any of us have are breaking the law, doing drugs, and sticking contraband in our asses and vaginas. So if Angie gets up on that stage and starts shoving crack baggies up her ass, then count me out! It's like eating a steak Chapman. I can't eat it if I see the cow being slaughtered. I mean I know that a cow was slaughtered in order for me to have the steak, but I really, really love steak Chapman, and I can't eat it if I see where it comes from, you get what I am saying here?"

Piper was looking at Nicky in confusion before nodding to herself, clearly over playing Nicky's words in her head.

"So…" started Piper, clearly trying to make sense of the situation. "In your analogy, Angie ass is the cow and the steak is cocaine, right?"

"Yes!" exclaimed Nicky, nodding happily at Chapman ability to follow her thought process.

Piper smiled, before it turned into a sigh. Moving forward she leaned up against the wall and brought herself closer to Nicky.

"I know you have been down Nichols," said Piper quietly, ignoring the heated glare that immediately followed her words and continued. "But the talent show might actually make you feel better. I mean I am sure Caputo won't approve of Angie sticking cocaine up her ass as her talent, but I am sure she and the other meth head will try to do a dance number or sing. Come on just think about those two up there," encouraged Piper, smiling openly.

"I know you will enjoy watching them fail miserably," cooed Piper, placing a hand on Nicky's shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

Nicky's glare seemed to lessen, slightly before she shrugged off Piper's hand and eyed her wearily. She let the uncomfortable silence echo between the two, enjoying the way Piper seemed to be fidgeting under her glare before finally granting her amnesty.

"Fine," growled out Nicky, pushing herself off the wall and beginning to walk down the hallway, but not without adding over her shoulder.

"This better be the most fucked up thing I have ever seen Chapman or I am going to be pissed!"