Chapter Four-Actions and Consequences

"Let me go you Neanderthal fuckers!" Nicky hated to be held down by anyone, even Alex's personal guard.

"You want to try that one on me Nichols?"

Nicky didn't need to see her to know it was Poussey talking. "Yeah, tell your goons to release me."

Poussey had risen up the ranks and was a Lieutenant and the Officer in Charge of the Guard that shift. Nicky didn't hear a verbal command, but there must have been a signal to the men holding her. They stood her up and lightened their hold, but kept her within a loose grasp. Now she could see the serious expression on the uniformed woman's face. "Why should I do that Nicky? You going to behave yourself now and stop acting like an ass before Lady Vause gets here?"

Nicky had been ready to lash out again until Poussey brought Alex into the discussion. She knew most of those who lived inside the walls would only hear one side of the story, that she was high and got into a fight with a regular customer at the bordello. She knew most everyone thought Alex tolerated her behavior because they both liked the ladies and she didn't want to embarrass Alex any more than she already had for tonight, especially with everything else going on.

"Yeah, I'm done." Nicky sighed and let her head drop forward in submission. "But Poussey, that guy Christopher is crazy, he was yelling at Lorna and he was getting rough and . . ."

Poussey held up a hand, palm towards Nicky. "Stop. First off, that's Lieutenant Washington to you right now. Second, did Christopher throw the first punch, or did you?"

"I'd like to hear the answer to that question as well."

Oh great, Alex had arrived. "I was just explaining to Pou. . . I mean the Lieutenant, that Christopher was acting inappropriately with one of the ladies at the bordello and I took exception."

Nicky could see Alex's jaw clench across the room even using only the one eye that wasn't swollen shut. "Let me guess. This is Christopher MacLaren who works in shipping? And the lady in question is one Lorna Morello?"

Nicky had never seen Alex angrier at her. She would have taken a step back if the guards hadn't still been crowded in at her sides. She had seen the fear Lady Vause could instill in others with that look, but she had never been on the receiving end before. For a moment she was afraid that Alex was going to take her directly to the whipping post and personally administer several lashes. "Yes milady. I'm sorry."

The apology seemed to take some of the edge off Alex's fury and she turned to address Poussey. "Ms. Nichols is under house arrest at this time. Please arrange for a guard outside her quarters."

Nicky could handle house arrest without a babysitter. "You don't need to do that, really." The plea didn't even turn Alex's head. Nicky was still feeling the effects of the smack she had smoked a few hours earlier, but her fight with Christopher had offset the drug with adrenaline. She knew she was in for a big crash pretty soon, but she wanted to apologize to Alex first if at all possible.

"I will accompany Ms. Nichols back to her rooms. Please have the first guard in place in thirty minutes Lieutenant."

Poussey gave a quick salute and waved for her guards to follow, leaving Nicky alone with Alex for the moment.

It didn't take long for Alex to grab her by the arm and begin a fast paced walk across the courtyard towards the main building where she lived, two floors down from Alex. Nicky had trouble keeping up with Alex's long strides, but since her arm was in a vice grip, she stumbled and scurried as best she could. As they approached the main doors, a woman stepped out of the shadows and quickly curtsied.

"Lady Vause. I just wanted to apologize. It's my fault that Christopher got so angry. I was just trying to talk to him and Nicky saw us and misunderstood. Christopher is a good man, really."

"A good man! You've got to be fucking kidding me Lorna! He was about to shove you away!" Nicky was struggling to shake Alex loose, but the taller woman was having none of it. "Lorna, I love you. When Christopher looks at you he only sees a whore."

Alex stepped between the two women glowering. "That's enough, both of you! Nicky, wait for me by the stairs."

Nicky nodded and walked away. She couldn't think of anything else to say to the woman she couldn't seem to stop loving. They had talked over the situation a hundred times and nothing ever changed. Nicky loved Lorna and she thought it was reciprocated, but Lorna had this enduring fascination and belief that Christopher MacLaren was still going to sweep her off her feet, marry her and whisk her away to a little white cottage to live happily ever after. The reality as Nicky saw it was that Christopher would keep Lorna on the hook by playing along with her fantasy and screw Lorna at the bordello for free as his 'girlfriend.' The whole sad situation had been boiling for months, and when Nicky saw Lorna clutching at Christopher today and he looked at her with disgust as he pushed her away, Nicky just snapped.

Nicky watched Alex and Lorna talk for a few minutes. When they were done Lorna looked over at her, smiled a sad smile and walked away.

"Is she ok? She's not in trouble is she?" Nicky could handle whatever punishment Alex decided on, but she didn't want Lorna to be affected.

"She's fine Nicky and no, she's not in trouble." Alex took a deep breath and started to trudge up the stairs. "I really didn't need this right now Nichols. You are supposed to be helping me, remember?"

"Aw shit Alex, I'm sorry. It's just, Lorna has been all 'Christopher this and Christopher that' and I couldn't take it anymore. I know I'm not supposed to be using, but I needed to feel something!" Nicky kicked her toe at one of the steps.

Alex paused on the landing, rubbing one hand over the side of face as if to wipe away her troubles. "Because of your need to 'feel' tonight I had to let Mendoza take Piper to the slave quarters. She saw that Piper was recovered enough to get out of bed and I couldn't think of a valid reason to violate my own rules."

Now it was Nicky's turn to take Alex by the arm and continue up the remaining stairs. "Is that so bad? I know you think there is something special about this woman Alex, but she is a slave. Besides, it's not like you couldn't still have her come to your bedroom anytime you want."

They had arrived at Nicky's door. "Don't try to lighten the mood Nichols, I am pissed at you. Now I'm going to have to do your work on top of mine for the next fourteen days while you sit here in house arrest. Plus you were supposed to ask around and see what you could find out about Piper's background."

Nicky opened her door and stepped inside, waiting to see if Alex was going to follow. She didn't. "Again I will say I am truly sorry Alex. I know how much you cover for me, and I can't complain about my life here, I have it good."

Nicky could see the serious Lady Vause was back. "I hope you think about that Nicky. You need to get this thing with Lorna straightened out. You're not just important on the business side of things; I need my friend. Now I have to do without both for two weeks."

Alex could see the guard coming down the hall to begin his watch. "Your room will be searched for product, then you should get some sleep. I wouldn't count on much to eat for a while once I tell Red you're using again either."

"That's a low blow Vause, you know how upset she'll be!" Nicky hated the thought of disappointing the older woman. She had practically raised Nicky after her real mother had run away from the city with a traveling preacher.

Alex was halfway down the hall and moving away fast. "Actions have consequences Nichols, for us all. Pull this shit again and your punishment will be physical."

Ms. Mendoza was all business. She showed Piper her bunk, the top of a set, complete with pillow and one blanket. A cabinet was set at each end of the beds, one empty and one clearly in use. The other side of the room held an identical setup which meant four to a room.

"If you have any personal items you can put them in there." Mendoza pointed towards the empty cabinet. "Your roommates are probably at dinner, they will be back soon."

Piper nodded. "I don't have any belongings." It was strange for her to imagine, but she didn't have a single thing to call her own. Her home was gone, her family too, except for Cal, and who knew where in the world he was. She really could just disappear and try to start over, one she got out of her current situation.

"You will be provided clothing and necessaries. Do you have any questions?" Mendoza's face had softened as if she could sense Piper's exhaustion.

"What will I do tomorrow?" Piper wasn't sure how much strength she could muster; the short walk from Alex's rooms had left her weak. At the Bloom's slave quarters if you didn't work you were punished, and she definitely wasn't in any physical condition to handle a whipping.

Mendoza raised an eyebrow but gestured for Piper to sit on the edge of the bottom bunk. "Let's worry about that in the morning. You do still look tired and I know you are on medicine. Come see me after breakfast for the powder. I will put it in a tea to help you get better fast. Those healers don't know everything."

"Thank you." Piper suddenly felt nervous. She hadn't realized how secure she had been in Alex's bed, with Alex at her side, her quiet strength ever present. Now she was alone, living with three strangers, and faced with a completely uncertain future.

"Hold up your hair." Mendoza had the slave collar in her hand again. She waited for Piper to comply before quickly wrapping the metal around her neck. The lock made a barely audible click, but to Piper the sound crashed through her mind and she felt a suffocating panic. She gripped the edge of the bunk tightly as Mendoza turned to leave. She didn't want to show how much the collaring had affected her.

Once alone, Piper forced her body up into the top bunk and tried to even out her breathing. Her hand kept stroking and plucking at the new metal prison on her neck that announced her status as property to anyone she might meet, but she knew it wouldn't be so easily dislodged. The collar itself was certainly more comfortable than the heavy iron Larry had put on her the first time. He had enjoyed threading his fingers through the metal and forcing her movements or clipping on a leash and dragging her behind him; the bastard had been nothing if not sadistic.

Now Alex had collared her. The metal was lighter, but locked just the same. To think she had almost revealed herself without knowing what plans Alex had for her or what the true intentions of her new owner were. No, it was better to focus on getting as strong as she could, finding a way beyond the wall and riding or running as far as possible. Even if Lady Vause had innocently purchased her and nursed her away from death's door, the kindest repayment to the beautiful woman would be to disappear before her presence and identity were discovered by Larry. She didn't need to drag Alex into her fucked up life no matter how compelling the attraction was between them.

"Hi."

Piper had been so lost in thought she hadn't heard her roommates returning. The occupant of the lower bunk was a young woman. Long brown hair and a pleasant face. It certainly wouldn't hurt to make friends with these women. "Hi, I'm Piper."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Daya."

One of the maids had changed the sheets on the bed the day Piper left her bedroom. "A thorough cleaning is in order," the one named Doggett had insisted, after politely inquiring after Piper's health. The balcony doors had been opened to let in fresh air. All surfaces had been dusted. The reclining chair had been moved back into the outer room. Her bedroom was once again completely her own; the blonde out of her sight and the not even the slightest remnant of Piper's scent in the space.

So why couldn't she get the mysterious slave out of her mind.

She had duties and work, both her own and Nicky's; enough to keep her busy most of the hours of the day and night. Tasha (Alex couldn't bring herself to call her advisor by her nickname of Taystee) was livid with her recent preoccupations. Several long meetings had established the financial situation of the house was tenuous at best and lacking what Tasha termed, "long-term positive cash growth."

Alex busied herself working in the production barns during the day, work pants and rough shirt allowing her to haul, sort and package. Her evenings were spent evaluating balance sheets from the various establishments she owned trying to see patterns in the revenue decline until she couldn't keep her eyes open. Every night, the last thing she attended to was the daily report from Mendoza regarding Piper's status.

The woman in charge of the slaves had followed her instructions to the letter. Piper had received all the required medication and a final visit from the healer declaring her healthy for work. She had been given extra rations and light cleaning duty around the quarters. Piper seemed to be fitting in well enough with her roommates and never argued or complained. Her bunkmate, a kitchen worker named Daya, had shared with Mendoza that the blonde was troubled by frequent nightmares and had woken up screaming on several occasions. Alex wanted to cry when she read that report; then she wanted to take Piper in her arms and make sure she never cried out in the night again.

Nichols house arrest came to an end and she emerged grumpy but sober, hungry and contrite, her bruised face fading to a sallow yellow. Red had given her a solid scolding on her last day and threatened to put her on permanent bread and water if she didn't get her act together. Even with the addition of Nicky's efforts, the crop processing had everyone available working long hours, and Alex was secretly relieved at the exhaustion the hard labor provided.

It was late one evening when Alex left the barn with Nicky intending to have a quiet dinner and conversation with her friend before trying to get some sleep, an endeavor she had been less than successful at lately. The distractions of the day weren't there to occupy her thoughts at night and it seemed her mind snapped with laser like focus to all things Piper. For the remainder of the night she would be reduced to lying in bed in an attempt at restful repose while she pondered, deliberated, reflected and generally mulled over every last thing she knew and remembered about her time with the blonde.

Still, Alex had resisted her frequent impulse to seek out the slave. Now, in the shadows of the sunset Alex was confronted with her first vision of a healthy Piper and she knew it wouldn't help her sleep pattern one bit. Piper was running along the inner wall, apparently without destination. She was wearing a pair of patched pants, torn off above the knees and a loose shirt.

"What is she doing?" Nicky had seen Piper at the same time as Alex. Both women were standing in the courtyard, turning slightly to keep the woman's running form in their view.

Alex had seen soldiers running as endurance training, but she had never seen a slave in such a fashion alone. She couldn't deny it was sexy as hell. Piper's hair was streaming down her shoulders and her long legs were tone and displayed a pleasant muscularity. "I think she is exercising."

"Why the hell would she want to do that?" As if to make her point, Nicky stretched her arms above her head and worked her neck until it cracked. "Looks like she's feeling better though. That's good, right Alex?"

Alex could hear the subtle teasing and cracked a grin. "Yes. Real good, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh yeah. You'll probably want to encourage her to continue to exercise, don't you think?" Nicky enjoyed watching her oldest friend practically drooling.

They watched as Piper completed her circuit and headed back into the slave quarters, apparently unaware of being watched. When she was out of sight Alex let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. "Wow."

Nicky shook her head. "You're really not going to do anything about that?"

"No. You know how I feel on that subject. Besides, she was a Bloom pleasure slave and not by choice. I would never want her to think of me like those pigs." Alex could only stare at the ground.

"Fine. Then you won't mind if I inquire whether the lovely lady is interested in spending some quality time with me?" Nicky was on the move before Alex's hand could slap her.

"Don't you dare! I thought you were my friend. Besides, what about Lorna?" Alex yelled, chasing Nicky.

"Hey! I'm trying to stay out of trouble for once, and get you into some. You know you want her, so do something about it already!"

Alex let Nicky get away from her, knowing she was right. She needed to do something about Piper or she feared she would never get a decent night's sleep again.

"He's an archer in the guard. He used to be a swordsman, but he lost a leg in a campaign against the barbarians. They need more archers manning the walls here and the pay isn't the best, but with one leg he's lucky to have the position. His name is John Bennett. But don't tell, he doesn't have the money to buy out my contract yet and it will cost more with a baby."

Piper was sitting on Daya's bunk sharing an apple she had kept from dinner. "So what happens when Mendoza figures out you're pregnant? Will you get in trouble?"

"I won't, what's another born slave? But John might. The young guards are encouraged to go to the bordello ladies in order to keep from 'emotional distractions'." Daya frowned and pulled her legs up to her chest as best she could. "John's not like that; he didn't want just sex, he loves me."

Piper patted the younger woman on the knee. "He sounds wonderful Daya. I'm sure you two will find a way to be together as a family."

The women sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes when a thought came to Piper. When she wasn't thinking about Alex Vause's eyes and lips and how she would like to be close to them again, Piper had been racking her brain for ways to escape to no avail. Every option she had considered would most likely have resulted in her death or capture and punishment. But this might be just the opening she had been seeking.

"Daya, did you say John is an archer?"