CHAPTER 4

"What did you say?" whispers Alex, her heart skips rapidly in her chest. She still hasn't moved from where Piper passed her. Her body is completely frozen to the spot. Nicky quickly reacts and reaches for Alex's arm, "Leave it Vause! She doesn't know what she's saying, just come over here for a sec," But Alex pulls her arm violently away from Nicky, her eyes glued straight on Pipers. Alex doesn't know how to respond, there are so many things she wants to say but there aren't any words that seem right. A weird smile etches its way across Alex's lips, "Is this a fucking joke? What game are you trying to play?" she says half laughing. Piper stares back looking increasingly nervous with every passing minute. She looks to Sylvie for help but before she can say anything Alex has perked up again, "Why are you looking at her? Don't you recognise who she is?" but Piper simply frowns back, as she looks around she's suddenly aware of how everyone has stopped eating to watch her interaction with Alex. "I'm sorry I don't understand what you want."

Nicky tugs at Alex's shirt, "This isn't helping Vause." Alex finally looks back at Nicky and gives her a firm and sarcastic 'What the fuck are you talking about' look. She glares back at Sylvie now and points, "Did she fucking put you up to this? What… are you still mad at me? It's not what you think Piper!"

"Huh? What does she have to do with this?" Piper scowls, "Please leave her out of this,"

"You're fucking kidding me right? Is this how you want to get me back? That's Sylvie, have you lost your fucking mind or something?"

Piper opens her mouth to say something but stops, this clearly seems to have hurt her and Alex is taken back by her sudden change in face.

"Yes… I have" responds Piper a moment later, her voice is quiet and she is looking down at the floor. "Yes, I have lost my mind and I'm sorry if you can't understand that!" And now Piper stands and raises her voice so everyone in the cafeteria can hear. "I can't remember anything ok, I have no idea who anyone is right now! I can't remember you or you or you," while pointing from Demarco, to Morello, to Nicky, and now looks directly at Alex and in a very firm tone says, "And I certainly can't remember you either! So you're all going to have to suck it up and deal with that while I fucking figure this all out again okay? Yes, I was shot and yes it hurt… it still hurts and I don't want to be anybody's prison wife so please just …just leave me alone!" and she turns her back to Alex and sits next to Sylvie again.

Alex stares blankly back at Piper, she can't believe what she's just heard. Her entire body feels empty and numb. Piper didn't remember her… she didn't want her, she wanted her to leave her alone because to her, Alex was a stranger and nothing more. Larry had lied, he had tricked Alex into believing everything was alright, and not once had he ever mentioned amnesia. All those phone calls, all containing the same shit about how she couldn't talk to Piper and fake hellos… it was all made up to cover up the fact that Piper didn't remember Alex at all. Everything they'd shared, everything they felt, every adventure, fight, hug, and kiss had been erased from Piper's memory. Alex meant nothing to her… she'd had never felt so broken in her entire life, not since the day her mother had died and Piper had left in her in Paris all alone. The whole cafeteria seemed to stop and stare directly at Alex now and even the guards seemed extremely caught up in their drama. She slowly took her first steps towards Piper, "Pipes…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. She swallows hard and walks around the table so Piper can see her directly now but Piper refuses to look up and stays glued to her bowl of lettuce. "Piper…" Alex's voice is weak and she's struggling big time to hold herself together in front of everyone. "Please look at me,"


Somewhere inside Piper she finds the woman with long black hair and thick frames voice to be oddly familiar but she can't understand why. It's not like how she met Morello or Larry, this seemed too different. Finally, she slowly lifts her head and meets the green eyes that seem utterly destroyed that she cannot remember them. A woman with blazing red hair has moved forward and gently takes the black haired woman's arm, "Vause… we need to go now," but the lady referred to as Vause doesn't move. She's glued to the spot and looks like she's not going anywhere until she gets her answer from Piper.

"It's me… Alex…don't you remember?" she finally says.

The words hit Piper in a way she didn't expect. While looking into Alex's green eyes she can't help but feel incredible sadness. Saying she doesn't remember Alex feels strange but when she searches for her in her memory there's nothing there. There's something about her voice that causes Piper to feel nervous, "No, I don't" Piper's voice stayed strong as she held Alex's gaze.

This clearly isn't enough for Alex though. Something seemed to change and the woman stepped forward a few more inches towards Piper. "After everything that's happened… you can honestly say that you don't remember me?" Piper searches, oh how she searches but all she can find is a single sentence that makes her suddenly fearful. 'No, I want to be your prison wife' repeats the husky voice in her head and Piper's eyes pop with realisation. Alex started to smile, thinking that Piper's reaction is a good thing but Piper immediately stood and backed away from her.

"What is it?" Alex instantly became concerned.

"Don't come near me," threatens Piper, "I know exactly who you are! You're the one Larry told me about, the one who picks on pretty girls to be their prison wife!"

"Prison wife?"

"No stay away from me!" Piper's hands fly up, "I'm not interested okay! I'm engaged and going to be married, I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression before but..."

"Pipes…" and Alex reaches out to touch her arm but that was the worst thing she could have possibly done. Piper sees and flinches away as if Alex is offering her a dead rat. "Don't touch me!"


Alex is shocked, she doesn't know if she could cry or slap Piper. Sylvie stands and steps in between her and Piper, "You heard the lady, I think you need to back the fuck off if you know what's good for you". If the saying goes 'don't poke the angry bear', Sylvie was holding several sticks and shoving them right up in the wrong place. Alex glares, she's holding everything back not to cause any more of a scene. It takes every muscle, every ounce of self-control to take that first step away. She watches painfully as Sylvie turns, places a gentle hand over Piper's back and leads the frightened girl away and out of the cafeteria. As they're about to leave Alex's sight Sylvie turns her head ever so slightly and smirks at Alex. This causes Alex's whole body to lurch, it wasn't right, this couldn't be happening? How could Piper be so scared of her? But it wasn't her Piper… her Piper was long gone and a new one was replaced. One that not only didn't know her but was terrified of her… Alex can't take it anymore and she quickly leaves.

She runs…

She runs and runs until she's in the very place she feels safeness and solitude in… the library.

Alex breathlessly finds the back of the library and sits with her back again the last bookshelf. She draws her knees up and holds her head in her hands and is struggling to hold back the tears but she can't. She can't stand how things have turned out. Everything suddenly has caught up with her and she can't swallow. After being kidnapped, giving up her freedom for Piper, and saving her life - having her not remember who she was just too much for Alex to handle. Larry had lied, she was stuck in this dreadful place, completely embarrassed in front of the whole prison, and left feeling torn and heartbroken all over again. She couldn't take it anymore. Alex wept silently.


~Flashback~

One shot, two shots, three shots, four… Tequila, salt, lime… Sylvie Tenner had never been happier. She turns to her raven haired girlfriend and slips her arms behind the small of her back, their eyes meet and they kiss. "Mmmm, you taste like tequila, I could get drunk off those lips" she laughs and leans in for one more taste. "Yip, definitely feeling more drunker,"

"Is that even a word!" teased Alex Vause as she reached and slammed another shot down. She scrunches her eyes and shakes her tongue as the liquor burns her throat.

"Only when I'm with you it is!" Smirks Sylvie and she leans in for another kiss, this time a little more lingering. She simply couldn't get enough when it came to kissing Alex. Despite their ups and downs, Sylvie was willing to let it all go just to be on peaceful terms with her.

"I'll be back in a second, nature calls," and Alex hopped up to leave.

As Sylvie watched her leave she couldn't help but smile to herself, she was in love. Everything about Alex screamed no and yes all at once. Alex was toxic but in all the right ways for Sylvie. She was hopelessly in love with her that she almost hated the hold Alex had over her. She knew what Alex was like, the woman was terrified of commitment, always jumping from girl to girl that it had even shocked her when she'd managed to convince her into a semi relationship. They weren't perfect but which relationships are? Sylvie tried not to think about the woman she'd found in their bed a week ago. The thought still pulled at her chest and irritated her. Alex was hers and no one else's. Sylvie was extremely possessive and her only regret was not punching the blonde once more.

Sylvie orders another round of drinks while she waits for Alex to return, hoping to forget about the image of the blonde woman in their bed. It was just them tonight, a date to make up for their recent fighting. Alex had a friend preforming in a burlesque show and the two decided to attempt to rekindle their flame or so Sylvie thought.

Sylvie was determined to move past Alex's deceitfulness. She was willing to allow her mistake, her lapse in judgement, and convinced herself that everything would be fine. There was no way that their relationship was a broken wreckage dangling on thin strands upon sharp coastal rocks. She was in love with Alex and was fixated in making it work between them. Sylvie could and would not accept that Alex was a complicated character, she knew the woman was not interested in a relationships but she had agreed to give it a try anyway.

The lights dimmed indicating that the show was about to start. Sylvie turned and scanned the bar for Alex but she was nowhere to be seen. It was in that moment when she realised just how long in fact Alex had been gone for. She stood as tall as she could on her bar stool and scanned the area to see where she was. She spotted the tall raven haired beauty walk out from behind the corner. Sylvie cupped her hands to call out when she was suddenly frozen in her spot. Alex had stopped and turned towards someone… a blonde someone, the same blonde someone whom Sylvie had found in her bed last week. They embraced and shared a passionate kiss. A ping struck Sylvie's core as she watched helplessly from afar. She couldn't believe it. Slowly she sat down as Alex finally made her way back to their seats.

"Sorry, massive line," she smiled, not making eye contact with Sylvie. "Looks like I just made it too" and right after she said that the music started and show began. The whole time however Sylvie could see Alex in the corner of her eye, she was distracted and barely watching the show. She kept her arms crossed, touching her lips and scanning the room. Every now and then her eyes would linger on a particular blonde who sat only tables away. The two played eye tag for the rest of the show. With each look Sylvie grew angrier and more hurt. She knew what was going on, Sylvie wasn't stupid. With every glance they shared a red hot burning would swell inside her, Alex was hers, nobody else's. What nerve the blonde had to tease and pursue. She knew Alex was taken and yet here she was with her serpent eyes tricking Alex into cheating again.

Sylvie followed Alex's gaze and met eyes with the blonde. Instantly, like lightening, the blonde turned away from Sylvie looking horrified. She knew she was caught and quickly left the bar. Sylvie was unsure if Alex was aware at first but once the woman was gone there seemed to be a noticeable shift in Alex's mood.

"I don't think she's coming back" Sylvie finally commented bluntly, arms crossed and not making eye contact with Alex.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb with me. You two have been ogling each other all night, I'm not stupid Alex!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw you!" and she turned to face Alex now, "I saw you fucking kissing her!" And before Alex could open her mouth Sylvie rose and left the pub. It didn't take long for Sylvie to get back home; their apartment (formally Alex's) was only around the corner. Alex wasn't far behind her though but waited for the final act to finish. Sylvie was now shoving clothes as fast and forceful as possibly into her bag. "What are you doing?" Alex asked although it was fairly clear what Sylvie was doing.

"What do you think?!" she growled back, "I can't take this anymore!"

"Sylvie, come on. Just think about this for a second,"

"Think about what? How you fucking kissed that girl and then proceeded to eye-fuck her all night at the bar? Damn it, for all I know you guys were fucking in the bathroom!"

Alex went quiet and Sylvie realised what she was sarcastically saying was in actuality the truth. "Are you serious? In the bathroom Alex?! Fuck!"

"Come on Sylvie, you know what I'm like... I'm still new to this whole relationship thing, I told you it wasn't a good idea! I don't know all the rules"

"Bullshit and you know it! How about Rule one: Don't fuck other girls when you've promised to only fuck one?!"

"What do you want from me? I'm trying ok, I just … I couldn't help it alright. She was there and …. Look, I didn't mean for this to happen… she found me and one thing led to another..."

"I don't want to know! I can't take this anymore Alex!"

"I know... I know…" and Alex's voice suddenly changed, "And that's why I think we need to break up."

Sylvie spins on her toes to face Alex, her mouth half open in shock. 'No' thought Sylvie, she couldn't break up with her, she was going to break up with Alex, not the other way around. Dumbstruck Sylvie wanted to turn it back on her, she wanted to manipulate this and make Alex say sorry before breaking up with Alex officially. "You're kidding right?"

"Sylvie… look I don't think this is working, clearly it's not. I shouldn't be doing this to you. You deserve better. This is just way too complicated and I have work to think about as well! "

"So all of a sudden you don't want to be with me anymore?" Alex looks to the floor and avoids Sylvie's eyes, "Look at me!" demands Sylvie.

Solemnly Alex meets her brown eyes and nods, "Yes…I'm sorry, I don't think we should be together anymore." There's silence as Sylvie watches Alex take a moment to look at her before turning her back and walking away, "I'll give you space to move your stuff out, good bye Sylvie…"

And that was the last time she ever saw Alex Vause again.


"Are you ok?"

Sylvie and Piper had made their way back to their bunks. Thankfully no one followed, which gave Piper a chance to calm down a little. "Yeah… I'm fine… I'm just…." Piper paused as she stopped pacing for a moment and stared into nothingness "I'm just …just… I don't know" and she began to pace again.

"Do you need some water or something?"

"No I'm fine"

A pause, " So... that woman, the one with black hair and glasses who seemed pretty pissed that you didn't remember her… do you really not remember her at all or were you trying to get out of something? It's probably none of my business but you seemed to have a weird moment with her," Sylvie probes, she sits on the top bunk watching Piper walk back and forth looking both nervous and angry.

"Yes," – Sylvie stiffens, "I mean no… I don't, but her voice…I don't know what it is but I remember this one line. Larry warned me that there was a dangerous woman in here wanting to be my prison wife and I remember hearing HER voice in my head… the memory is faint but the way she reacted to me not remembering her.. I don't understand what the big deal is… I mean she MUST be that woman he was telling me about right?"

Sylvie shrugs and bits her lips, "Yeah she did freak out a little, maybe she was. She's tall and kinda big plus she doesn't take shit from anyone. I wouldn't be surprised if she had plans to make you her prison wife."

Piper stopped and turned to face Sylvie with a puzzled expression, "Hang on, what do you mean she doesn't take shit from anyone? Do you know her? Like know know her? Cos she did seem upset that I was talking to you!?"

Sylvie paused, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before replying, "We kinda dated once. I broke it off with her and she's been bitter ever since" she admitted almost a little too easily. "She probably can't stand seeing us being friends… Alex has always been so possessive. I don't think she liked seeing an ex talking to you, her 'soon to be' wife."

Piper thinks of what Sylvie just said and decides to believe it. "Well that would make sense I guess. She's just going to have to accept that the new me is not interested in being her wife, not that I can see myself ever agreeing to it in the first place…I'm engaged!"

"Chapman!" interrupts a stern voice from behind. The two women turned to see a C.O standing in the door way, "You've been assigned a bunk already, come this way"

"Already?" And looking rather perplexed she follows the C.O leaving Sylvie alone to mull over their conversation.


Alex wasn't sure how long she'd spent in the library, ten minutes, half an hour, maybe more, it didn't matter and she didn't care. Alex needed time to gather her thoughts although the more she thought about what happened, the more it hurt. The pain in her chest was slowly residing but it didn't mend her heart, it ached for Piper to remember her but hopelessness couldn't help but linger. The whole situation absolutely broke her heart; it was the worst possible outcome that she honestly never pictured occurring. She allowed herself a moment of weakness for now, she let the tears to run and for panic to take over and consume her, but as time went on Alex slowly calmed herself and began to rethink her predicament.

Alex was a pragmatist, solely focused and goal driven. Ever since she met Piper all Alex wanted was her. She drew her in, she pursued her and won her over; and now she had to do it all over again. Alex wasn't going to give up; she loved Piper with every ounce of her being. She needed to remind her how strong their love is. The fact that Sylvie was involved only made Alex panic more as she couldn't shake the odd overwhelming feeling that this was more than a coincidence. The fact that Sylvie was being friendly to Piper was extremely alarming. 'What was she up to?' Something didn't sit right with Alex and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Alex slowly rose from her spot at the back of the library and put her glasses back on. She kept her eyes low to hide the fact she'd been crying as she gradually made her way back to her bunk. She was so lost in thought that it took a moment for her to realise Nicky had fallen into step with her. "You ok Vause?"

"Not really, she's lost her memory Nichols… she can't even remember me?! I just can't believe out of everything she fucking forgets me… completely… it's just fucked."

Nicky sighed and placed her hands in her pockets. "I'm not gonna sugar coat it," she began as they walked down the hall and past the cafeteria, "It's gonna take some time. Chapman's clearly not herself."

Alex gave her a look but chose not to reply.

"And to make not remembering you worse, she's now scared and terrified of you…"

"You're point?"

"Well it can't get any worse than this right?"

"Well… that woman she was talking to, the one who walked her out, that's my ex Sylvie. The one I left so I could be with Piper. That's pretty fucked if I can say so myself."

"You're kidding? The tiny mousie one? Jeez Vause, just when I thought your life couldn't get anymore 'Days of Our Lives' you pull that one on me. Hang on a sec… if she's your ex, why the hell is she talking to Chapman? Wouldn't she hate her or something for stealing you away?"

"Exactly, that's why this doesn't make sense… its not right, especially with Sylvie's personality"

"Damn... things just get better by the minute!" Nicky mused as the two entered the B dorm block and toward Alex's cubical. However, they both stopped mid-step as they came to a stone cold halt at the appearance of two people, an inmate in orange with a C.O, standing at the front of the cubical. "Chapman, you'll be bunking with Vause, two of you play nice now" said the C.O who promptly left leaving all three inmates to stare at each other. Piper and Alex's eyes met and a lump quickly formed in Vause's throat.

"oh fuck me…." swore Alex under her breath. 'So much for giving her space so that I can get her to re-fall in love with me' thought Alex, 'Just my fucking luck…'

Piper stood frozen as she continued to stare at who she was being bunked with.

Nicky couldn't help but laugh, "And just when it couldn't get any worse…there's always room for more..."