Do not own Orange Is The New Black or any of the characters.

Thanks so much for the reviews and follows the last chapter got. I hope you all continue to support this story after this chapter. I have decided to make this a longer series then just two parts. It will probably be about five chapters now.

I made up the first name of Piper's father in this chapter. Also Smith is a creation of my own.

Enjoy.


Piper was the first in line for the phones. She desperately needed to talk to someone on the outside. She reached for the receiver of the payphone and pressed it against her ear and shoulder, at the same time as she dialled the first phone number she ever memorized as a kid.

The phone rang three times before someone on the other end picked up.

"Piper."

"Daddy."

Piper could feel the tears stinging at the back of her eyes, threatening to fall as she heard her father's voice for the first time in months. Her father had yet to visit her at prison. Her mother always said that it hurt him to much knowing that she was locked up in prison and didn't want to see her like this. Piper who had always had a better relationship with her father then her mother, had been hurt to hear this. But like father like daughter, both were good at leaving when things got a little too rough for their liking.

"I miss you," she whispered into the phone. Her voice was low and soft like a child spending the night away from home for the first time. Her heart all the sudden filled with loneliness. She wished suddenly, longingly to be back at her parent's house in Connecticut. To be back in her childhood room with its bubble-gum pink walls and horse riding medals.

"I miss you too, Pippi," replied back Richard Chapman to his daughter.

Piper chewed down on the inside of her cheek at being called her childhood nickname. She was determined to get through this phone call without breaking down. Not only for her own sake but for her father's as well. She knew this phone call was just as hard for him as it was for hers.


Her movements were slow and zombie like as she walked towards her bunk. She was lost in her own world. Ever since hanging up with her father, she had been feeling home sick. Not for her apartment, she had shared with Larry for three years but for the home that no matter where she went in the world, would always be her true home. Her childhood home. She had lived there until she was 18 before going off to Smith. At the time, she had been more then ready to leave the three story Tudor house. But after a week into classes, she had been over come with homesickness. Just like she was now.

Piper threw herself onto her bed and buried her face into the pillow. Ignoring the looks that her bunkmate was giving her at her strange behaviour.

"I wouldn't get too comfortable, Chapman if I were you," spoke Smith, Piper's bunkmate. She was a young woman in her early twenties with long red hair. "Count is soon."

Piper lifted her head off of her pillow and glared at Smith. When Piper had first been assigned to share a bunk with Smith, she had thought that they would get along with one another. But she was quickly finding out that wasn't the case. Smith like Piper had gone to college and fallen in love with a drug importer. They had shared a similar story to why they were in prison. However, that's were the similarities ended.

Piper didn't say anything as she sat up in the bed and proceeded to untie the laces of her boots. She could hear murmurs of conversation through out the dorm but she tried not to listen to carefully.

Smith just continued to look on at her for a second longer before shrugging her shoulders and going back to her book.

And just like her bunkmate had pointed out, the red light soon turned on. Indicating that count was about to begin. Piper ignored the smug look on Smith's face as she closed her book with satisfaction as she scooted off of her bed and went to go stand by the entrance of the bunk. Piper, who wasn't so eager, slowly rose to her feet and made her way out of the bunk. It was times like these, she wished she had Miss. Claudette back as her bunkmate. The two of them had started off on rough footing but by the end, they had come to a understanding of sorts. Smith had been her roommate for over three months now and they still didn't understand one another. Piper didn't think they would ever.

Piper folded her arms over her chest and leaned against the white brick half wall of the bunk as they waited for the CO to come by. Her eyes drifted slightly towards where Alex's and Taylor's bunk was. Luckily, Alex did not notice her gaze.

After hearing about her mother, she couldn't seem to get Alex out of her head. Not in a romantic way but how she had left Alex all those years ago. Abandoning her, when she probably needed her the most. Back then, she couldn't really understand Alex's pain. But now, she could for she was going through her own pain now. She still felt guilty about how she'd ended things so abruptly with Alex, all those years ago now. Piper had never seen Alex so vulnerable, so lost then she had been on that day when she'd stormed out of their Paris apartment.

She desperately felt like talking to Alex about losing her mother. She desperately wanted to ask her, how one got over this kind of pain she was feeling? But no matter how much she wanted to, she knew that she wouldn't. Alex had told her to never come to her again. And she had stayed true to that so far by not talking or going to the raven hair beauty for anything.

She did hope that one day, Alex would forgive her and that they could start being friends again. But she didn't see that happening anytime soon.

Piper quickly dropped her gaze onto the floor when she noticed the familiar green eyes appearing back at her from across the dorm. She could feel herself blushing slightly at being caught. She didn't dare to look in Alex's direction again for the rest of the count. As soon as the CO had given the clear. Piper once again return back to her bed. She quickly stripped herself down to her bra and granny panties without modesty and reached for the gray cotton nightgown that hung like a potato sack off of her thin frame. She then folded her uniform and lay it neatly on the little end table at the end of the bed before crawling onto the mattress. Just like she had been taught when she had first arrived in Litchfield.

Pulling the blanket up and over her head, she turned her back to Smith and faced the wall. She closed her eyes and hoped that sleep would come to her.


It was Saturday.

Piper decided to eat her breakfast alone that morning.

She hadn't gotten very much sleep from the previous night. She had been up most of the night, after having dreamt about her mother. The dream had started like most of her dreams started off now since Christmas. She is standing outside in the snow, trying to calm herself down, when Pennsatucky appears. It would play out the same way, with her claiming to be an angel of God and such. But it wasn't until Piper threw the first punch, and attacked her that things went different. It wouldn't be Pennsatucky she was attacking but someone she was close to. It use to be Alex. But last night she had dreamt it was her mother face she was pounding into the snow. After seeing her mother bleeding in the snow like that, she had woken up in a cold sweat, tears streaming down her face. The image had been so vivid.

It had taken Piper a moment after awaking to realise she hadn't been the one to kill her mother. Some drunk driver had.

She nibbled at her food on her tray but wasn't feeling that hungry. Thoughts were swirling in her mind that she couldn't shake. She kept on thinking about how her mother's was visiting that day. How her mother was going to make a fuss about her appearance. How she would suggest that she sleep with a cold washcloth on her face to reduce the dark circle underneath her eyes. How she should really eat more, she was looking a little thin.

These thoughts went on for a bit longer before reality once again set in. No, her mother wasn't visiting today because she was dead. No, her mother wouldn't make a fuss on what she looked like because she was dead. Tear brimmed her eyes as these thoughts continued to play out in her mind.

She would never see her mother again.

Carol Chapman would never grace Litchfield with her appearance again on Saturdays.

Dropping her head, she cried into her eggs.


The last time she had seen her mother had been last Saturday. Her mother had come with Polly to visit. Piper had barely talked to her mother. Her mother had been more interested in hearing about Baby Finn, then Piper's life in prison.

Piper now wished she could go back in time and tell her mother how much she loved her. And to maybe attempt to have an actual conversation with the woman who had birthed her, instead of barely listening to her as she went onto talk about her brother, Cal's wedding plans. And how she had been trying to convince that hippie of a fiancé of his to get married at the country club, instead of in the woods.

Like everything in Piper's life, she was having regrets.

"What no visitors for you today, Chapman?" asked Nicky as she came to stand beside Piper, who was glaring through the window that looked into the visitation room.

Piper turned her attention to Nicky at this and just shrugged. She didn't want to get into it, especially with Nicky. She knew that Nicky didn't get alone with her mother and had always held it against Piper that she took her mother's weekly visits for granted when other weren't so lucky.

"What did you and Mummy Dear get into a fight or something?" asked Nicky, teasing her slightly. There was a smirk on the other woman face as she looked up at Piper, waiting for her sly remark. However, Piper disappointed her.

The blonde just stared at Nicky for a second, sudden tears filling her eyes before she looked quickly away and into the visitation room again. "Just fuck off, Nicky!" spat Piper, trying to mask the sudden emotion she could feel rising up her throat. She then turned on her heel and abruptly began to walk down the hallway. Leaving Nicky standing there dumbfound over what had just happened.

"What the fuck?" murmured Nicky to herself as she continued to watch Piper walked down the hallway before disappearing down a corner and out of sight.


Piper leaned back against the fence of the prison yard. She had her tea and book in hand. It was Sunday now.

Two days since her mother had passed away. She was feeling a little better. Or as better as someone could feel after losing their mother.

But Piper was done with the Piper Pity Party. She was done crying like a baby in her bunk. She just needed to get back to life, or prison life for that matter. And that was what she was doing or trying to at least. There were only a handful of people that knew what she was going through. Taystee, Poussey, Black Cindy and Suzanne begin amongst them.

No one else knew about her mother's death. The others just thought she was going through her TOM or something. Some others, who didn't know she'd already broken off her engagement with Larry a while ago, thought that the loser had finally come to his senses and had dumped her ass. There were a few other rumours swirling around the prison mill but no one knew the truth.

Which she liked. She hated when there was a death in the family or someone fell ill that people started to suddenly care about you and your well being. She hated fake condolences. She rather have her space and be allowed to grief on her own. And that's why she had decided to sit as far away from the prison doors as she could. She took a sip from her weak lukewarm tea and watched as Watson ran passed her on the track. Twice a week, Piper would join her. But not on Sundays.

Crossing her legs, she turned her attention to the book in her other hand. It was Pippi Longstocking. A book she had grown up with as a little girl. This was a newer copy of her beloved childhood book but it still brought a smile on her face seeing it now. Opening up to the first page, she couldn't help but smile at the small description that was written in the familiar cursive handwriting of her mother -Piper, your father wanted you to have this. -Mom

It was short and simple and to the point. Just like most of her mother's notes were.

Tears immediately filled her eyes, that she did not attempt to wipe away as she continued to stare at the looped handwriting. Penmanship had always been some thing of importance to her mother.

As tears continued to stream down her face, she began to read from the first page. Growing up, her nanny had read to her from it. And ever since then, she had demanded to wear her hair in braids and be called Pippi. She had wanted to be Pippi Longstocking. She had wanted to have Pippi's strength. She had wanted to have adventure's like Pippi.

Her mother hadn't liked it. But her father had allowed her to play out of fantasy. He had called her Pippi. And since then it had been his nickname for her.

And it was there she stayed for the rest of the morning, once again getting lost in Pippi's adventures like she was seven again, until the bell for lunch sounded.


"I heard about you mom," spoke Sophia softly, as she met Piper's eye in the mirror. "I'm so sorry."

Piper locked eyes with the other woman and gave her a sad smile, "Thanks." She whispered in reply. She didn't know how Sophia had found out but she was pretty sure that almost everyone in the ghetto knew. Especially since Taystee and Poussey wheren't known to keep their mouths shut.

Sophia placed a comforting hand on Piper's shoulder, giving it a compassionate squeeze before letting it go. Piper then watched her from the mirror as she moved around the small room that was a make-shift hair salon. She had her back to the blonde for a second as she reached for a folded gown before placing it around her shoulders and doing it up at the neck.

"Come to the sinks, Sweetie and let me work some magic," Sophia voice was soft and gentle as she motioned for Piper to take a seat at the near by sink. Piper didn't say anything as she stood up and walked the short distance to the sink. Taking a seat on the plushed chair, she leaned back and rested her hair against the edge of the sink. This was always her favourite thing about getting her hair done. She loved to get it washed. She loved the feeling of someone else massaging her scalp and washing her hair. It was always a relaxing experience for her. And she had been looking forward to it all week. And now with her mother's passing, it was exactly what she needed.

"Just relax and try to enjoy," spoke Sophia as her face hovered over Piper's for a brief second before Piper felt the sensation of hot water on the back of her head. A feeling of warmth spread over her suddenly as she closed her eyes and let out a breath, she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

As she felt Sophia run her long fingers through the tangles of her wet hair and gently gather the hair together before letting it fall at her neck, tears streamed down Piper's face. This wasn't the first time she had let her self cry in Sophia's chair. The woman's touch just brought something out of her that she couldn't describe. There was so much care and compassion in Sophia's hands. Piper could really tell that she loved to do this. She took pride in her work.

As Sophia continued to wash her hair, Piper thought of her mother. The Chapman Family wasn't good with expressing their feelings to one another. And weren't close to being a touchy family. Only giving hugs and cold kisses on cheeks on most major holidays and birthdays. However, Piper could remember her mother caring touch on her head when she did her hair, just like Sophia had been doing now. Every night before Piper went to bed as a little girl, her mother would sit on her bed and brush out her hair. Piper had made a big fuss about it at the time, complaining her mother was hurting her as she brushed out a knot or two. But she had secretly loved it.

And before she knew it, Piper was babbling about her mother to Sophia. She didn't know if it had to do with the woman's motherly touch on her or that she hadn't really spoken out loud about her mother to anyone. But for some reason or another, Piper found herself spilling out her secrets.

"I'd never really been close with my mother. I can't say that I ever really felt abandoned by her as a child. But we didn't have a deep bond with each other either. We existed together, I guess you could say," spoke Piper out loud. She was now back in the barber chair, facing the mirror as Sophia parted her hair in the centre. Sophia nodded her head in understanding as she listen to Piper talk about her mother.

"There were moments that I hated her and moments that I loved her to death... She was my mom," she sobbed, sudden emotion filling her voice as she brushed a few tears away from her eyes. "She wasn't the most caring mother to have growing up. But she did what she thought was best for us. She raised me and my brothers with a firm hand. Just like she had been raised. There were great exceptions to be filled. Certain things that I was responsible for. My mother only ever wanted for her children to succeed in life..." Piper's voice trailed off slightly as she met Sophia's eye in the mirror and blushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I'm babbling. You could careless about my childhood."

"It's fine hun," replied Sophia as she reached for a comb on the little table against the wall and began to gently comb out Piper's wet hair, "I understand. When you lose a parent, it makes you think about every little thing they did and how it affected you. The good and the bad. But when it comes down to it, they were still your parent. And you can't change that."

A comforting silence then fell onto the two women as Sophia began to cut at Piper's dead ends. A few good moments passed before Piper broke the silence. "Can I ask you something?" she once again met Sophia's eye in the mirror. Piper was shyly biting down on her bottom lip.

"Shoot," replied Sophia.

"Have you ever lost a parent?" Piper didn't want to be rude but she was curious to know. She desperately wanted to know how one got over the grief and pain that she was feeling presently in her. People, she loved had died before but this was a new type of pain, she wasn't equipped to deal with. In away, it was even worse then when she had lost Alex. And she had thought that had been rough to handle. With Alex, yes she wasn't a part of her daily life. But she still saw her now and then and knew she was around. She just couldn't have her. But with her mother, it was different. Piper knew she would never see her again. Would never be able to call her up out of the blue to ask for something? Would never be on the other end of one of her mother's judgmental looks. Would never be able to feel her mother's arms around herself and pretend for a second she was five again before pulling away. Would never be able to smell her mother's perfume on her cloths, hours after she visited.

Sophia didn't meet Piper's eyes off the bat at this question. The older woman just licked her lips and focused on cutting Piper's hair before answering after a moment, "Yes, both of them."

"How did you get through it? Because, I surely don't know how to deal with this sort of pain?" Piper voice was small and childlike as she suddenly turned her head and locked eyes with Sophia. Her face was a mixture of emotion as she continued to stare at Sophia with desperation. She needed to know how one got passed this. How one moved on.

"There is no real secret I can share," whispered Sophia, sadly. Her heart went out to Piper. She knew exactly what the girl was feeling at that moment. And she wished there was something she could tell Piper to do to numb the pain and loss that came with losing a loved one. But there wasn't. Everyone dealt with grief and death differently. Some would mourn for a day and then move on like that, pretending nothing happened. Some would wallow for months on end, years even. The pain never really went away. You just kinda got use to it and got good at ignoring the hole in your heart. "You just have to deal with it in your own way and hope things get better."

This was not the answer that Piper had wanted and it was written all over her face but she didn't say anything else on the matter. She nodded her head in reply to Sophia before turning her attention back onto her reflection in the mirror.

"I remember when I lost my mom. I had cried like a little girl on end for days. And back then, I had been a man still, so it had been a lot," Sophia chuckled slightly at her little joke. "Michael had just been born. I remember going through these roller coasters of emotions. I would be extremely sad one second, to extremely pissed off and anger towards my mom, the next. I had been mad at her for leaving so soon. For leaving not only me behind but her grandson. She had always wanted one. And now that she had one, she had just had the nerve to die. Like she had been given some sort of chose to leave or to die? Like she had chosen to have a heart attack in her sleep! I had blamed her. I had been anger that she had left me. I had needed her more then ever at that moment and she had left. But then I would feel guilty and the sadness would return once again."

The room was silent after this except for the snipping of scissors as Sophia continued to cut away at Piper's ends.

Just as Sophia was finishing up on layering Piper's hair, there was a knock on the salon door before a tall figured appeared into the room. It was her next appointment. Sophia looked up at this and motioned for the woman to come in. "Take a seat," she spoke warmly, gesturing towards the empty barber chair beside Piper's. "I'm almost done with Chapman here."

Piper looked up at this and stared at the figure in the mirror. Her heart seemed to skip a beat like it always did when she was in Alex's presence.

Alex, too seemed to be a little taken back by seeing Piper there. The older woman had one eyebrow raised as she locked eyes briefly with Piper in the mirror. Alex then suddenly bit down on her lower lip as she quickly glanced over her shoulder and towards the hallway. She was debating whether to stay or not. She was in desperate need of a cut and wash by Sophia. But her body and heart were screaming for her to run away. Taking a deep breath, she hovered in the threshold of the room for a moment longer before finally deciding to stick it out.

No one seemed to say a word as Alex slowly walked to the empty station and took a seat in the barber chair. She didn't dare to look at Piper.

Sophia, knew something had gone down between Vause and Chapman and that they weren't together anymore. She didn't know the details though and didn't really care. It wasn't her business what had gone on between two fellow intimates. She could tell that whatever it had been though, it had been something. Not just the usual lesbian hook up that happened in women prison. But something deeper. Something real.

The hairdresser also knew that Piper was going through a rough patch in her life and could use a friend. She could also tell that no matter what Vause said, she still cared deeply for the blonde. And would want to know what Piper was going through and maybe be there for her too. Testing this theory of hers, Sophia casually let the cat out of the bag.

"Me and Chapman were talking about the death's of parents," spoke Sophia, causally glancing between the two woman, who were looking anywhere but each other. "Have you ever lost a parent, Vause?" She asked, looking directly over at Alex now as she brushed out Piper's now dry clean hair.

Alex was silent for a moment as she looked passed Sophia and quickly over at Piper through the corner of her eye, before dropping her gaze into her lap, "Yeah, My mom." Alex's voice was firm but low as she spoke. She was suddenly overcome with sadness like she always was when she thought about her mother. She missed her terribly.

A wave of guilt washed over Piper as she listen to Alex speak of her own mother's passing. Piper could feel the tears sting her eyes suddenly at this. She didn't dare to look over at Alex, for she would surely lose it. She bit down on her lower lip, thinking hard for a moment before she was up on her feet and stepping away from Sophia at the same time as she undid the clasp of the gown. "Thank you, Sophia for...everything but.. I..I..got to go.." she whispered quickly as she pushed the black gown into Sophia's hands before running out of the room.

Both Alex and Sophia were shocked by her sudden departure.

"PIPER!" called out Alex towards her ex. She hadn't meant for her to get upset and leave. She had just been answering Sophia's question. She hadn't wanted to upset the blonde. She'd was just being honest.

However, her cries did not use. Piper wasn't coming back. Letting out a sigh, Alex slumped herself back into her seat and nervously adjust her glasses on the bride of her nose. Her green eyes stared intensely at her refection in the mirror. Nice going, Vause she thought bitterly to herself.

"Poor thing," whispered Sophia as she turned her attention now onto Alex and took the gown that Piper had just been wearing and draped it over Alex's shoulders. "It's been a rough couple of days for her. Her mom just passed away."

Alex, locked eyes with Sophia's in the mirror at this. A shocked expression appeared on her face at this news. This was the first time she was hearing that Piper's mother had passed away.

Sophia couldn't help but smirk slightly at Alex's reaction. It only further confirmed her theory on the two ex lovers.


More to come soon! Please review letting me know how I did. Thanks for reading.

Julie