Guys, to whoever is reading Intervention: I'm so, so, sorry! I haven't forgotten about it and I plan to update it very soon. In the meantime, here's a quick one shot, that I hope might tide you over :)

I, of course, have no rights whatsoever to OITNB. Enjoy :)

Old friends

Nicky hasn't been home for a long time. She has left this city right after graduation, traveling the world, burning through her mother's money.

Now she's back. It's her 5 year high school reunion and she has figured, why not – her mother has finally cut her off and there are only so many places to go when you have no money.

She exits the gate at the airport, looking around for her best friend. The one person she's been looking forward to seeing again. The person she has left behind because she was one year younger and therefore didn't graduate high school at the same time Nicky did. The person for whom she couldn't wait, because Nicky's mother was driving her crazy and she had to get out of this town that very second. The person who was always supposed to follow her to Europe one year later, but who never made it due to her mother getting sick, forcing her to take on even more jobs to contribute to the family income:

Alex Vause - in all her freakin' tallness. Looking even hotter then Nicky remembers. Time has been good to her. Her stance has gotten more confident, she is leaning against the wall sporting black ripped skinny jeans and a tight grey t-shirt, combat boots in spite of the currently hot temperatures and a belt with a motorcycle on the buckle. She has gotten a couple of new tattoos, too, and even in this simple get up that girl is looking more smokin' hot then most other girls going out for the night. Not that Nicky would act on that. That girl is like family to her and Nicky is not into incest. Nevertheless she can appreciate the sight that she sees...

Alex hasn't noticed her yet, too focused on typing out a seemingly endless text on her phone, and so, never one to shy away from an opportunity to make a scene, Nicky puts her fingers into her mouth to let out an appreciative whistle before shouting out: „Hey hot girl! Lookin' for someone special?"

Alex's head shoots up. She sees Nicky and grins. Raising one eyebrow in her signature look she simply raises one hand and with her index finger beckons Nicky to come. Two can play that game. Laughing Nicky walks up to her and quickly pulls Alex into a big bear hug. She can't help but seize the opportunity of being close to Alex's ear though: "Now how did you know it was you I was talking about?" The brunette laughs. „Well, good to know you're still the same asshole, Nic. I've missed you, too."

They are both hungry, so they decide to stop at a bar, Alex suggests, first. The ride in Alex's car is easy, it's like no time has passed as the two friends naturally fall back into old habits. Nicky is telling story upon story about her endless travel adventures and Alex is laughing and having a blast picturing Nicky in all those odd situations only the wild haired woman sitting next to her could get herself into.

At the bar they grab a table and whilst they're in the middle of scanning the menus, to Nicky's utter bewilderment, one of the waitresses runs up to their table, leans over Alex's shoulder, gently grabs Alex's chin and unceremoniously plants a quick but passionate kiss on the brunettes mouth. Only after that she speaks: "Sorry Sweety, it's really busy today, I'll catch up with you two later!" She quickly nods in Nicky's direction before running off again. Flabbergasted as Nicky was, in that one second she has seen her face fully, Nicky has noticed two things: A: The blonde girl is freaking gorgeous with her big blue eyes and perfect body, and B: Nicky knows that girl. It's a realization that leaves her momentarily speechless. Alex is looking at her like she's silently bracing herself for the bomb that is about to explode.

"What... " Nicky has found her voice again, and the explosion starts: "WHY. ON. EARTH. Did. PIPER. I'm so much better then you- Chapman just KISS you?...On the mouth I might add?" Nicky gestures towards Alex's face. She wrinkles up her face in disgust.

"I..I.. mean that was Piper Chapman right? The same Piper Chapman that was friends with us for years until in High School she decided she was suddenly above us?... Teaming up with the high school bully? Always hanging out with her and her little circle of other cheerleading minions?" Nicky is gesturing wildly now. „The girl who has a stick so far up her ass she would break if she tried to bend down to speak to the lower class? The girl who was destined to marry the captain of the football team? Whatever his name was. Straight A fuckin' Chapman?"

Alex chuckles"Ha, that was what we called her, huh?" Nicky just gives her a look that says: duh, give me an explanation, missy! „I guess it turns out she's not so straight after all.." Alex looks over to were Piper is currently serving wine to a couple. She suddenly smirks and it's annoying to Nicky because it seems like she isn't in on a secret that concerns the very person she has always thought to be her best friend.

"Ha, bloody ha,Vause. I am glad this is amusing to you. Now can you please give me an explanation? Like, what the fuck is going on? And why do I not know about this? I mean,this is recent, right? I mean it has to be, surely you wouldn't have just kept it a secret from me otherwise! Am I right, Stretch?!" Nicky's tone is intentionally accusing, she has a gut feeling there is more to this, what with Alex suspiciously trying to dodge direct eye contact and all...

Finally Alex speaks, her tone soft, nostalgic: "We made a pact remember? The two of us, in middle school. To always hate Piper "fucking" Chapman, to despise her with all our hearts, yada, yada... And than you were gone and I mean you were barely ever reachable while you traveled. Always moving places? It was hard enough to keep up with were you were on the map! And when you called there were always so many other things to talk about ….," Alex is shaking her head, she's looking up at Nicky and her eyes are shining with vulnerable honesty:" ...I just didn't know how you would react, when I told you that our joined arch-nemesis was my girlfriend now over the phone. I guess I was a bit of a coward. …."

"Wait, wait, wait. Dial back there, buddy. Your GIRLFRIEND? When exactly did she get that title?! I mean, "Fuck Buddies" I guess I could somehow understand. I mean, she's hot and all, and don't even get me started on the quality of hate sex, but... your freaking girlfriend? Really? Shit, what happened here while I was gone?!" Alex's answer has left Nicky even more confused.

The brunette sighs, then she pushes her glasses up into her hair and looks off into the direction of the bar. When it seems she has braced herself enough she looks back at Nicky: "What happened? I'll tell you what happened! High school SUCKED after you were gone, Nicky. It sucked and the only person who didn't suck was Piper! ….You know, Piper wasn't always that prissy little princess she pretended to be in high school... Yeah, I say pretended, because I know the real Piper Chapman" she pushes her index finger down on the table surface to accentuate her point, then raíses both eyebrows," ...And you know what? So do you by the way!" She lets out a somewhat hollow chuckle:" You two were friends once, too, remember? Remember how fiercely loyal Piper could be? That time you and I snatched Danny's bike for a joyride without asking the Chapmans? You were sitting on the handles and you were making that dumb joke about being Kate Winslet in Titanic and I was laughing so hard I drove us straight into the lake? We managed to get out, but the bike was too heavy for us and the lake was too deep. Remember how Piper took the blame for that? Her brother gave her such an awful beating and her parents grounded her for a week! Nevertheless she never snitched on us." Alex again has found Piper's form in the distance at the other side of the restaurant and she has such a look of astounded adoration on her face, that Nicky can't help but think that maybe there really is a spark there between those two.

That, and she is remembering that day, too, She laughs,"Shit you're still holding on to that, huh? Jesus, Alex, I remember you had such a huge crush on her back then! You were such a love-sick puppy! It was always Piper this, Piper that... uh! SO annoying!" Nicky still feels slightly exasperated just thinking about it.

„Yeah," Alex shakes her head remembering," but then came junior high..."

"Yes! Exactly! Then came Junior High and suddenly cool Piper was replaced by ice princess Piper who didn't speak to you, ….or me, for that matter. Fuck Alex, she turned into such a bitch! Remember when fucking Jessica would run around handing out pamphlets about how it was a sin to be gay? I think her dad was a priest or something, so whatever nonsense he preached must have been God's will right? Remember how all her little cheerleaders always followed her around. Nodding their heads to that bullshit? PIPER, was one of those cows!" Nicky is looking at Alex, eyes wide open, her hands frozen in midair. She is looking at Alex, non verbally communicating a „wake up!".

Alex chuckles, she is looking at her hands, absentmindedly playing with a small silver bracelet, Nicky just now notices is there. „She finally stood up to them Nicky. Just like that she stood up to all of them...!"

FLASHBACK

Jessica is towering over Alex again. Alex had been sitting on the ground, minding her own business, listening to music, when Jessica had came up to her, sauntering over like a lioness hunting her pray - her little henchmen not far behind. Alex's right eyebrow shoots up. Normally they would leave her alone these days. Alex has gotten tall and, starting to feel more comfortable with who she is, has gotten more confident. Jessica has seemingly caught on to that and has moved on to people more insecure people who are much easier to bully. People who do not just shrug and ignore her like Alex does.

In her hand she is holding the school paper with Alex's poem at the front page. It's about love and how love hurts. Alex's English teacher had forced her into publishing it for extra credit. It was supposed to be anonymous. Apparently it wasn't. No doubt one of Jessica's minions, working for the school paper, has made the connection. Alex rises to her feet. It's easier to brush off Jessica's abuse when you're towering above her in height.

Jessica however seems unperturbed, the new dirt she has gotten on Alex giving her momentum: "Love hurts. " She cites. "I mean that's accurate, I guess, seeing that in your case your whole life hurts, right? You're working like what, 4 jobs now? I mean you might wear your leather jacket to school, striding around all proud and stuff, ….when the rest of the day you're forced to wear whatever kind of ridiculous uniform your employer deems suitable for you. That. Must. Be. So. Humiliating. For. You." She punctuates. "But I digress. What was I talking about? Oh, yes! This little gem of poetry!" She is waiving the paper around now. "Heartbreaking!" She is pursing her lips in mock sympathy, placing her hand over her heart. "Tragic really. You must know nothing but heartbreak, huh? I mean look at what your life has become. Always working for other people, always having to degrade yourself and still not being able to afford even the necessities! Surely nobody will ever want to be with a loser like you. You know what? I bet there isn't even a person alive who would be willing to kiss you just to see if you might turn into a prince." She singsongs then laughs at her own little joke, before her face and tone turn truly vicious: "Seriously, Vause, what person in their right mind would want to kiss a filthy lesbian like you?"

Silence, ...then a voice sounds calmly from the back: "I would." The group parts. Piper Chapman sporting an all too familiar look of determination on her face is stepping forward. Shaking off the hands of her so-called friends trying to keep her from making the "mistake" of her life she steps in front of Alex, then carefully gauging Alex reaction for any sign of resistance Piper leans in - with the whole school watching. There are catcalls and gasps from the other students and sounds of disgust from Jessica's group of friends and the only people who don't mind any of it are Piper and Alex. Locked in their own little world: Both where they secretly wanted to be for so long. When they finally stop, Piper holds on to Alex's face, looks her deep into the eyes and whispers honestly: "I think your poem's beautiful, Alex."

END FLASHBACK

That's the day I fell back in love with her Nicky. To see that old Piper shining through again and to realize that she wanted me just as badly as I guess I never really stopped wanting her..."she shakes her head." She didn't have to out herself, she knew I would be fine without her rescue, but she did it anyway... We've been together ever since..." Alex gives a little smile, signaling a "there you have it".

„...Huh, will you look at that." Nicky is pushing her tongue against her teeth, this time it's her gaze that's searching out Piper's form in the crowd, pondering.

„Blondie found her balls again, after all." After a short pause she makes up her mind and finally grins: "Well, good for her!" Rising, she slams her hands down on the table. „I need a drink! What do you want, Vause? I'm buying!" Having received Alex's order of a beer she starts to walk away, before walking backwards a few steps and slowly turning around to Alex:

„So THAT's why she suddenly stopped talking to us, huh? She was gay for your tall ass all along!"

The last part she almost shouts, too excited to have come to this big realization. Too late she notices Piper with her mouth slightly open in offense standing next to her. Alex laughs out loud. Nicky quickly ducks away, „Would you look at that, I almost forgot to get the drinks." She quickly hurries away, muttering „Fucking soulmate lesbian drama." under her breath as she goes...

It's even later in the evening now. They are still at the bar and Piper, having finished her shift, has joined Nicky and Alex at the table. After a while Polly, Piper's best friend since they apparently were roommates in college, and her boyfriend, a tall friendly Australian, named Pete have made the circle complete. Nicky has to admit Piper is actually fun to hang out with, even if she still hasn't gotten used to the sight of Alex and Piper making lovey dovey eyes at each other every time they think no-one is looking. Right now those two clowns are out on the dance floor, dancing or, in a description more fitting, grinding together as if their lifes depended on it.

Polly follows Nicky's gaze and nods sympathetically. „Yup, that's pretty much how they get after a few drinks. Any minute now and they're gonna disappear towards the restroom, ah yup,there they go. Talk about predictable." Polly smiles tight lipped and shakes her head. „ So anyway, tell me more about your travels! Europe? That seems so exciting! Pete and I have been planning to go for years! Any recommendations?"

For the next 20 minutes Polly is hanging on to every word of wisdom Nicky has to share and Nicky has to admit she enjoys having a captive audience, but then Pete next to Polly, having had a few beers to many, almost falls of his chair dozing of and Polly puts a steadying hand on his shoulder. „Easy there, babe!"

„Nichols, I'm sorry I have to go, time to get this big oaf into bed" She humorously rolls her eyes. „It was nice to meet you, though! I hope we'll see each other again this week." Nicky smiles and nods, raising her bottle of beer she is about to say goodbye to Polly and Pete, when she notices a giggling Piper and Alex emerging the restroom. Alex is whispering something into Piper's ear who then starts to giggle even more, gently slapping Alex's tattooed arm.

Polly nods in their direction: „Are you gonna stay at their place for the whole week?"

"Their place? I was gonna stay at Alex's..." Polly raises an eyebrow, a smirk plastered on her face. Nicky is trailing off, realization setting in "Unless of course they're living together now. Of course they do... Shit, I'm still getting used to that!" Nicky shakes her head.

Polly pulls a sympathetic face before she leans in and conspiratorially whispers: „I suggest earplugs." She pats Nicky on the back, then picks up her bag and saunters out of the bar, gently pushing a sleepy Pete along as she goes.

Nicky's head hits the table.

„Oh. Fuck. me"