A.N Thank you to everyone who has followed/favourited this story and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

6 weeks earlier

Piper groaned and shuffled uncomfortably in her bunk no matter what she did, or which way she shifted and turned, she could not get comfortable on the worn paper thin mattress. Grumbling she lent her head back against the wall and tried to ignore the familiar feelings of a headache beginning to creep it's way through her temples. The noise around her caused her to wince and she suddenly desperately wished for silence. Of all the things she missed from home silence was the one thing that she craved and what almost seemed the most elusive.

"Yo Chapman you ratted out any more lost lovers recently?"

Nicky's jibe was filled with thinly veiled contempt, her usual joking tone was absent and Piper found she was rather fed up with it all. It had been two weeks since Alex had been returned to Litchfield and two weeks since she had effectively become public enemy number one. Once Nicky had found out the real reason Alex was back in Litchfield she had not hesitated in spreading the news and it had become hot gossip amongst the inmates. Now when she walked through the prison halls she was greeted with looks of contempt, nobody sat anywhere near her in the cafeteria unless they absolutely had to and even then she was ignored. Not even the girls in the Ghetto, who at one point had offered her fleeting friendship, would give her the time of day. Black Cindy had sent her away when she had tried to sit with them in the rec room telling her only to return when she had learnt the meaning of loyalty. That comment had stung but what had hurt even more was the look Alex gave her as she slowly backed away from the room. There had been no love in Alex's eyes only hate and anger and it was that look that finally made Piper stop trying.

"Fuck off Nicky"

"Nice Chapman real nice I hope your apology to Vause is more eloquent"

Piper had no intention of apologising to Alex she would not apologise for something she did not feel she had done wrong. On the run Piper knew Alex wouldn't have stood a chance. Kubra was not known for his forgiving nature and the fact that Alex had publicly named and betrayed him would be an insult that he would not let lie. Alex had always tried to hide the not so pleasant parts of her job from Piper when they had been together but Piper had been curious one day when Alex had been surprisingly reluctant to leave for a meeting. She had followed her lover and witnessed the brutal beating given to a young drug mule who had decided to dabble in the company's product herself. Seeing the scared, bloodied woman scream for mercy had terrified Piper and the look of horror across Alex's face as one of Kubra's men lashed out over and over again was something she would not easily forget. That night when Alex had returned to their hotel room, after Piper had already snuck away unseen, she made love to Alex all night trying to erase the images of the darkened room from both of their minds with gentle touches and fiery kisses. That night was a turning point for Piper it was the moment she realised the whole sordid truth of exactly what Alex was involved with. No that was a fate that she would not allow for Alex so she done the only thing she could while stuck inside these prison walls and she would not apologise for keeping Alex safe, keeping Alex alive.

"What do you want Nicky?"

"Was just letting you know the newbies have arrived thought you could do with some new friends" Nicky turned and walked away and Piper groaned. She hoped the newbies were quiet and unassuming she did not want someone trying to be her new best friend like Soso especially as she was the only person in the suburbs who had a free bed next to her. Piper didn't think she could cope with someone who would latch on desperate for attention and protection, although yes, she admitted that she could use a friend, she didn't want to be someone's security blanket for the entirety of their sentence. A CO appeared in the doorway and she held her breath as he made his way towards her "This is you"

Bennett turned and gestured and a woman who looked around Pipers age nodded in thanks and sat down hesitantly at the edge of her new bed. Piper studied the new inmate carefully she was attractive, tall, slender with deep red hair the woman had an air on confidence about her that was unusual for somebody who had just arrived at Litchfield. Tattoos covered both her arms but they were nice, suited her even. one a rose design similar to the one that adorned Alex's bicep, and an intricate skull and tribal design that wouldn't have looked out of place on a trucker. Noticing she too was also being watched Piper raised her head confidently and nodded in greeting.

"I'm Chapman" the woman's eyebrows raised and Piper knew instantly from the look on the women's face that the prison gossip had already spread.

"Rigsby"

"I don't have many rules just keep it tidy and your shit to yourself and we'll get along just fine" Rigsby smiled and Piper was inwardly pleased although she didn't show it first impressions meant everything she wasn't allowing this woman to think she was weak.

"That's ok with me the last place I was in I shared a cell with woman who didn't shower and left rubbish everywhere it was like bunking with a tramp"

"You've been inside before?"

"Chicago but I've been moved as I'm not really a serious threat I'm in on drugs charges you see whereas Chicago's for more hardened criminals. That coupled with the fact I haven't got much time left on my sentence is what has sent me here. What about you, what you in for?"

"Same" Piper watched indifferently as Rigsby's eyebrow raised. "You don't look like the drug pushing type" Piper laughed.

"No I'm in for smuggling drug money. Ex girlfriends job got a little too close to our domestic life"

Rigsby chuckled "Bitch".

Piper quelled the anger that rose within her at that comment from a woman she had only just met, she could bitch and moan about Alex but that's because she was hers -not anymore- her brain kindly reminded her and Piper felt the anger disappear replaced with disappointment.

"Is she the woman who apparently you've betrayed in the worst way imaginable by getting her returned to hell for parole violation?" Piper scowled and glared around the room silently impressed when some of the women shied away under her stare what had happened with Pensatucky still prayed on some of the inmates minds.

"Yes but I had my reasons not that I'm going to explain myself to anybody other than her so back off"

Rigsby held her hands up and smiled hesitantly "Ok, ok I meant no harm Chapman just curious that's all"

"Yeah well curiosity killed the cat" Piper could feel the anger consuming her and she wanted nothing more than to slam her fist into the nearest object. She knew her infamous temper was beginning to show itself more frequently but here in this godforsaken prison she struggled to care snorting as she thought about how her mother would be so terribly disappointed. Trying not to terrify her new bunk mate so early into their new life together Piper clenched her eyes tight and took a few deep breathes keeping her thoughts as far away as possible from Alex and the bloody phone call.

"So anyway I'm going to need someone to show me the ropes you up for it Chapman?"

"Listen I don't need a friend and trust me you'll fair better here if you're not hanging around me I don't know if you've noticed but I'm hardly miss popular"

Rigsby just chuckled "Who said anything about friends? Look I'm only here for a few weeks like I give a damn, you seem alright to me"

Piper opened her eyes and smiled a genuine smile maybe this was the distraction she needed "Yeah if your sure?" Rigsby nodded returning her grin "Alright come on I'll take you on the guided tour"

Present day

It was a weird sensation almost like she was being held deep underwater surrounded by inky darkness there was no light only sound which was distorted muffled like she had something held over her ears. She could faintly hear what sounded like someone shouting they were angry, upset maybe, it seemed to echo and reverberate but she couldn't properly hear the words. The voice was familiar Nicky maybe? Yes Nicky sounded about right but what she was shouting about she did not know nor in that moment did she really care. A deep throbbing pain seemed to be the main focus point and she felt herself trying to squirm pull away from the source but no matter how hard she tried she could not feel or move her body. Piper felt trapped within the darkness of her mind and she willed herself not to panic. Footsteps echoed around her distracting her and the shouting got louder this time another voice was thrown into the mix. This was a voice that needed no introduction and Piper felt calm wash over her as she heard Alex's familiar husky tone.

Gentle hands seemed to pull at her body and she felt herself being lifted but still she could not open her eyes could not make her body respond. The shouting had stopped now and the only noise that could be heard was gentle sobbing. Sobbing? But who was crying? Piper tried to make sense of the noise still surrounded by haze and distortion. The darkness made it difficult but she fought the unease and haziness that covered her thoughts and concentrated hard the sobs became clearer, more pronounced and Piper felt a rush of anguish as she realised the woman sobbing was Alex. It startled her, made her heart clench, her lover had always been so strong the only time Piper had ever seen her cry was the day she left, the day Alex's beloved mother died. Even then Alex had cried with quiet disbelieving tears of shock at no longer having her mother, then cried with anger at Piper leaving. Now it seemed more desperate as if an unknown anguish was tearing them from her body unwillingly. Straining herself and beginning to feel nauseous Piper tried to stay concentrated on the sound. She wished she could hold Alex take away all the hurt and tell her everything would be ok but she couldn't. No matter how hard she tried she could not seem to open her eyes or move her limbs.

"Pipes open your eyes... please for me?"

Her brain screamed yes, yes of course anything for Alex but her body would not respond and she was trapped listening to Alex cry and weep.

"You don't get to do this not now. I mean it kid, keep breathing. Come on Piper stay with me, you're going to be fine, just fine"

Piper was trying to remember how she had ended up in this predicament but she couldn't remember clearly the only fact that shone brightly in her mind was that she had done it all to keep Alex safe and as she remembered she completely relaxed. Movement distracted Piper a hand touched her cheek reverently and the small touch jolted her senses awake. She now became aware of the biting pain once more it coiled itself all around her and the darkness that she had become quite indifferent to now didn't seem quite as unassuming. The pain was taking it's toll and she wanted to scream, cry anything to lessen what felt like flames consuming her body.

"Pipes don't do this, please don't do this... I'm losing it here Piper" she began to feel constrained like thick long iron chains where wrapping around her squeezing tightly in their never ending grip, she was choking, drowning and the voice of Alex was fading and becoming difficult to hear once again.

"Nicky?! Nicky... Thank God I think I'm losing her. Piper breathe God damn it! Breathe!" choking and gagging in the suffocating presence Piper heard the combined sound of more voices, footsteps although it was faint and she felt as if her body was being tugged and pulled. There was an uncomfortable pressure on her chest once, twice, three times and she could still faintly hear Alex's distraught voice pleading, begging for her to come back to her.

"Don't you fucking leave me!"

Piper didn't want to, not again, but she couldn't fight anymore she was just too exhausted. Letting herself succumb to the pain around her the inky blackness rose up to envelop what was left of her conscious mind then she was pulled hard, tumbling down and down until there was only silence and she thought no more.