It had been two days since Diane had passed away. The doctor had prescribed Alex sedatives to help her relax and Nicky couldn't get her out of bed. She was refusing to eat, as much as Lorna tried to make her decent meals, they always remained untouched.

"Alex?" Nicky reached out and gently touched Alex's back. She didn't move. Her eyes were open though, staring into space like they had been for the past two days.

"Alex, I need you to get up today so we can arrange the funeral. The hospital said they will release her today so you need to step it up. For Diane, Alex. You need to do this for her."

Alex knew she couldn't leave her mom's funeral up to anyone else. She needed to do one last thing for Diane so she got out of bed and padded to the bathroom. Nicky's eyes widened at the sight of her friend as she walked back out of sight. Her green eyes had lost their sparkle and looked grey and hollow, her face pale and blotchy.

Nicky ran out to prepare Lorna.

"Babe, I think she's getting up. Could you make her some toast? She really looks like she should eat. God, I don't know what to do. I've never seen her like this. I keep wanting to ask Diane what I should do."

"Nicky, Alex needs time, it's been a big shock for everyone. Diane wasn't just her mother, she was her best friend."

Nicky hugged Lorna and they both jumped when Alex's voice resonated in the room.

"Where do I start?"

Nicky looked over at a defeated looking Alex and immediately rushed to her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I don't know, sister, I don't know. We're here for you. Lorna is going to make Tacos tonight and we are going to take it one step at a time."

The funeral came around quickly and Nicky was stressed, hoping they hadn't left anything out. Alex had plunged herself into the day's arrangements, she just ran herself down all day, not stopping to think about anything then getting into bed and falling into a dreamless sleep on a night. She wanted everything to be perfect for her mom.

The crematorium was adorned with daffodils – Diane's favourite flower. Alex had gone a bit overboard. The place was packed out with people, coming to pay their respects and Alex's broken heart swelled with pride at the turn out.

"Diane's daughter would now like to say a few words." The officiator directed everyone's attention to Alex, who hesitated before walking up to the front and taking her place in front of Diane's coffin. She made eye contact with Nicky who gave her a small nod of encouragement.

"T-Thanks for all turning up. Diane would have been proud. I can almost hear her in my head." "I fuckin told you, kid, I was popular!" She chuckled an apology to the officiator and then her face crumpled with grief. Nicky rushed to her side and held onto her hand. Alex gave her hand a squeeze and turned to the coffin.

"Mom, I love you. I don't know why you had to leave but I don't know what I'm going to do without you. This wasn't part of the plan. I remember you telling me you would always be there for me." Alex started to sob. "But now how will you keep your promise? How, Mom? I need you so much. I wish I hadn't gone out that night, I might have been able to change this. Now I'm left alone with no one to come home to, no one to eat thai food with and laugh with after a long day at work. I can't get through it without you. I can't do this… I can't do- this. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Suddenly she was running, running away from the crematorium, running away from the life she had built. Alex didn't plan on going back to the house. She just needed to be free.

'We are all tied together in a garment of mutual destiny.' Dr King.

Piper Chapman lived a content life. She had received a privileged upbringing, her parents had eventually paid for her education and she had eventually graduated as a financial advisor.

3 Years on, she had bought herself a quaint house and converted the back of it into her own financial advisory business so she could work from home. Business was going good and she was popular in her small home town. She was particularly close to her grandmother, Celeste, who she called in to visit every Friday after work to take her shopping for groceries and have a catch up. She was tired of her mother pushing her to marry a man and have children. Her best friend, Polly, was the one who was trying desperately to become pregnant. She and her husband, Pete had told Piper at their wedding, 3 months ago, that they were going to start trying to conceive and Piper had been delighted. She offered to babysit whenever she could but was secretly pleased she could have some time with a baby and then hand it back to go back to her normal life.

It was a Monday and Piper had two morning appointments before she had to meet Polly for lunch. She decided she was going to drive as the weather was forecast to be stormy. She pulled up outside the coffee shop and trudged inside where she found Polly sitting with both hands around a steaming cup of coffee. Piper slid into the chair opposite her and smiled at her.

"Pol, It's been so long! This is well overdue! How have you been? How's Pete? How's the baby making going?" Piper finished her little rant with a wink to Polly who grinned back at her.

"Well, I've been great, Pipes, Pete's great too and so is this little one…" She patted her belly animatedly and Piper's eyes widened in shock as she processed it for a second before jumping up and squealing, making a few people in the coffee shop jump and look at her.

"OH MY GOD! POLLY! NO WAY? REALLY?" Piper was practically shrieking with excitement.

"ok, ok, calm down Piper, people are staring!" Polly ushered Piper to sit back down but had a small smile playing on her face.

"How far along are you? I want all the gory details!" Piper gushed.

"About 2 months, according to the doctor! Pete's talking about going to Alaska to drink off the shock." She half laughed.

"Well shit, Pol, I can't believe you have a human growing inside you!"

"I know, It actually feels fucking awful. I feel like puking every time I move. Honestly, it's just a weird, horrible feeling so far. I'm hoping it improves."

Polly and Piper spoke for an hour and a half about all things baby and barely anything else before Polly had to go for an appointment and Piper decided to head home. She got into her car and noticed it was starting to rain. She expected this from the weather report this morning so she decided her best plan, since she had no more appointments today would be to go home, pull her favourite chocolates out of the fridge and sit and binge watch movies in her big king size bed she loved to sprawl out in.

She started the car and headed along her normal route but by the time she got to the road she could barely see a hand in front of her. She slowed the SUV down to walking speed and crept along, leaning forward to the steering wheel and squinting her eyes to try to see better.

As she crept along she could make out a figure on the side of the road. "what the f-"

She didn't know what someone was doing out in this rain. Everyone in the town knew it was going to be stormy, so why someone would be out walking was beyond Piper.

She pulled along side them and shouted over the pelting sound of the rain. "HEY, IT'S RAINING PRETTY HARD, DO YOU NEED A LIFT?" The person turned to look at her and pulled their hood back a little. Piper's breathing stopped for a second as she realized it was a woman she was talking to. A woman who had the most beautiful face Piper had ever seen.

The shock must have been evident on Piper's face when the woman replied in the sexiest raspy voice Piper had ever heard. "I'M FINE THANKS, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET SOMEWHERE DRY UNTIL IT STOPS RAINING."

Piper paused for a moment. She wouldn't usually invite a perfect (in more ways than one) stranger into her home but something about this mysterious woman intrigued her.

"HEY, I'M HEADING HOME, YOU COULD COME AND WAIT THERE UNTIL THE RAIN HAS GONE? HAVE A HOT DRINK?"

The woman hesitated but then smiled and climbed into the car. When she was seated beside Piper she pulled the hood of her anorak all the way down, giving Piper an unrestricted look at her features. Long black hair fell around her pale white face which was adorned with thick black framed glasses. Her beautiful plump lips were turned up into a smile, showing an amazingly white set of teeth. Piper inhaled sharply at the sight. It took her off guard and for a minute she forgot she was supposed to be driving.

"Thank you for saving me from that! To say I was getting wet would be an understatement."

Piper tried to pull her mind out of the gutter. "Uh, Yeah, it's no problem. I'm Piper, by the way."

"Alex."

"And what brings you here, Alex?"

"Oh I'm just passing through the town."

Piper pulled the car into the garage so they wouldn't have to get out of the car into the rain.

"Nice house, Piper." Alex stated as she walked into the kitchen.

Piper pulled off her jacket and hung it on the hook on the wall and gestured for Alex to do the same.

"Thanks, it was pretty run down when I bought it but I'm gradually making it my own. Do you want a hot drink, Alex?"

"Yes. Please."

Piper kept stealing glances at Alex from the corner of her eye as she made the drinks. She was sitting on a bar stool with her legs crossed, her damp hair hung down past her shoulders and she had on a black sweater and black slacks.

Piper handed Alex a steaming mug of hot chocolate with whipped cream on top.

"Wow, this looks awesome, thanks."

Piper invited Alex to sit in the lounge with her, the rain was still lashing and it had grown dark outside. The only light in the room was coming from the fireplace where a fire was softly crackling.

"So, what brings you to town, Alex? Where are you planning on staying?"

Piper was secretly hoping she wasn't planning on staying too far away.

"Oh, um, just visiting a friend, I'm going to stay with her." Alex lied.

Since Diane's funeral 3 months ago, Alex had been staying in motel rooms, slowly distancing herself from her pain. The further away she got from her house, the better she felt. She was running away from her feelings but the money she had in her main account had dwindled and she had found herself unable to get home with what little money she had left and had been sleeping rough for the past week, not caring about the savings in her other account she currently had no intentions of accessing or anything she needed to sort out at home. She hadn't contacted Nicky since she left and she knew she would be beside herself with worry by now. She just couldn't bring herself to go home and face the pain of Diane not being there.

"Well, Alex, It's pretty late now and your clothes are pretty wet. You're quite welcome to stay here for the night if you want? I live here by myself, so the company would be nice, plus, I could have your clothes washed and dried by the morning."

Alex deliberated over it for a moment. Piper was absolutely stunning. She had known she was in trouble from the moment she saw the blonde through the car window. Her heart had stopped beating when she got into Piper's car and her perfume had invaded her nose. The truth is, she didn't want to leave. She also didn't want to out stay her welcome but she decided one night wouldn't hurt and truthfully, the prospect of a hot shower and hot food was seeming more and more appealing as time went on.

"That would be great, Pipes. Thanks. I could do with a shower, if you don't mind?"

Piper paused, taken aback by the way the nickname came out of the brunette's mouth with ease. She liked the way it sounded, her raspy voice exiting those beautiful plump lips.

"Piper?"

Piper jumped out of her little daydream. "Yep, Sorry, shower." She managed to direct Alex into the shower, handing her a warm fluffy towel and heading towards her own bedroom.

Alex waited for Piper to retreat out of the bathroom before she turned on the water and stepped under it, letting out a deep sigh as she felt the water run over her scalp and body. She had almost forgotten how good it felt. She stood there rubbing soap suds all over her body and letting them wash off for what seemed like an eternity before she stepped out, wrapping the towel around her body as she realised she had no spare clothes, everything she had was ruined as her backpack had gotten drenched through in the storm. She padded down the hall looking for Piper and came to a halt when she caught a glimpse of movement through the crack in a slightly open door. Her breathing hitched and she stood there unable to move at the sight before her. Piper was standing wearing nothing more than a black lace bra and matching boy shorts. She was clearly getting changed and Alex watched intently before Piper started striding over to the door, sliding an oversized t shirt over her head as she walked. Alex panicked and retreated back down the hall, stopping at the top and beginning to walk back where she just came from, looking like she had just exited the bathroom.

"Nice shower?" Piper queried as she caught sight of Alex coming down the hallway towards her. She couldn't help that her eyes wandered down to take in the long pale legs pouring out from underneath the towel Alex was awkwardly holding around herself.

"Yeah, it was great, thanks, but I don't have any clothes to change into, unfortunately. The rain kinda wet all of mine."

"Oh, gosh, go into my room and look for something to wear, I'm sure there will be something comfortable that will fit you."

Piper smiled warmly at Alex and they locked eyes for a few seconds before Piper breathed in and turned to walk to the kitchen.

Alex padded into Piper's bedroom and began searching for something to wear. She opened a drawer and shut it quickly upon realising it was her underwear drawer. She didn't want to pry. She grabbed a large T shirt and some slack shorts and walked back into the kitchen to find Piper busying herself with some dish washing.

"I'm gonna hit the hay now. Thanks again for letting me stay, I appreciate it."

"It's really no problem, Alex. Sleep tight."

"Good night, Piper."

Alex sank into the spare bed wondering what she had gotten herself into. When she had awoken under a bridge this morning, her head pounding and the pain from losing Diane flooding her broken heart, she had never expected the day to pan out like this. Piper Chapman had put a smile on her face and it terrified Alex. She was already filled with a weird sense of dread at having to leave the blonde in the morning. What she didn't know was that Piper had gone to bed feeling the same sense of dread at Alex having to leave in the morning.