This chapter is rated M for sexual situations. If you are underage or not permitted to read such material, please turn around and walk away.


Piper and Polly spent long hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, making soaps and lotions. They'd secured a second promise from Barney's, but Bart Thiel warned them this was their last chance. Their soaps were even more luxurious than the first batch they'd presented, and Mr. Thiel had high hopes for big sales, especially with the holidays approaching. Poppy would only be in a few New York stores to start, but depending on demand, they could fill the New England stores within six months.

Polly's father, a shrewd businessman, thought the women had a solid product worth investing in, so he gifted the first $10,000 to get the ball rolling. Without that seed money, Piper knew that it would have taken three times as long to get their business off the ground for a second time.

Polly's mother, a New York socialite, was eager to try the unusual scents such as ripe tomato vine and grapefruit & basil. As part of their marketing strategy, Piper and Polly made a batch of both scents to give to Polly's mother, who proudly distributed them to members of her Junior League chapter. By the end of the month, they had 50 individual orders.

Piper knew from the start that her friend could only promise 20 hours per week, which left her to handle the marketing, wrapping and packaging of the soaps and lotions. Cellophane and a pretty bow wasn't going to cut it for a Barney's display. She spent no fewer than 80 hours a week on the business, and Polly insisted that she take a bigger cut of the income once the money started rolling in.

The blonde had what Polly considered a genius idea to hold a contest for the design of their logo and promotional material, including the labels for the soaps and lotions. After phone calls to six local colleges, a business professor at Pace University allowed the women to pitch their product to a senior marketing class. The women would choose a winner, who would receive recognition on the label of every product as well as a $500 cash prize.

By the first of December, Poppy had 75 individual orders and another 200 to fill for Barneys. Polly couldn't keep up with the demand, so she talked Piper into hiring someone to help with the actual making of the soaps and lotions. Again, they turned to the university to hire interns who they'd pay a small stipend to do the work.

Polly's kitchen had turned into a factory, which was not suitable for a young child. For the sake of the business, Larry was actually the one who suggested that he and Polly move into his and Piper's old apartment and use their current flat as a factory, warehouse and office. Piper had no problem accepting Larry's offer. As time marched on, she became more comfortable seeing Larry and even exchanging good-natured remarks with him.

The benefit about concentrating on the business was that it kept Piper's thoughts about Alex under control. She thought about her girlfriend often, but it was easier now to snap back to the business, knowing (hoping) she was building a future for the two of them.

Traveling into the city twice a week by train was a nuisance, but she sucked it up and reminded herself that in three weeks, she'd have her own flat in the city. She didn't need to remind herself that Alex would be out in that amount of time as well.


On the tenth of December, Cal, Neri and Polly helped Piper move into her new studio apartment in Queens. The space resembled a much smaller version of Alex's old loft—it was bright and airy, but far smaller. Piper had bought a dresser, mirrors, rugs and a bed from local flea markets and garage sales. Cal and Neri purchased wine and rocks glasses as housewarming gifts. Polly gave her their old leather sofa, which had a few stains, but was in great shape for the most part. She'd taken a box of plates, bowls, platters and silverware from one of her grandmother's boxes in the basement, and her mother of all people, gave her a set of pots and pans. (It was her mother's old pots and pans; Carol had bought a new set for herself.) Mrs. Chapman knew that her daughter was moving in with another woman, but she didn't ask questions and seemingly didn't want answers. Piper wondered if her mother was just thankful to have her house back to herself.

Once the apartment was mostly furnished, she felt good about eventually sharing the space with Alex. She'd wanted desperately to spend the night in their new studio, but the bigger part of her heart told her to wait—wait until she could spend the first night with her lover. So she did. She spent several nights at the Poppy "office," which still had a futon in one of the bedrooms. After all, in less than a week, she'd have someone to rest her head next to, hopefully, for a very long time.


Snow and ice blanketed the roadways, but not even a blizzard would keep Piper Chapman from retrieving her lover from Litchfield. Instead of borrowing her father's car or taking the bus, the blonde asked Polly if she could use their Volkswagen for the day. She knew that her friend's response would be, "of course!" but she didn't want to risk Larry's adverse reaction when he learned where she was headed in their vehicle.

During the slower than typical drive, Piper reflected upon her last six months of freedom. Although she never got around to securing a part-time job, she'd organized her parent's basement, ensured that her bank account was liquid, established a cell phone plan, reconnected with her old friend, and resurrected the soap business. She also found a decent place to live and furnished it for half the cost of most New York flats. She was proud of all of it, and she knew Alex would be as well. Trouble was, she only had $400 left to her name. Piper knew that if she really needed it, she could ask her father for money, but that was the last thing she wanted. She figured they'd turn a handsome profit in January if the Barney's holiday sales went well.

She rounded the final curve before heading into the gates of Litchfield, wondering if Alex would like the vintage pieces she'd chosen for their apartment. (She'd presented it to Alex as 'vintage,' but to some, it might just be outdated furniture.) It was difficult for Piper to believe that this was really happening—that she was picking up Alex Vause to presumably begin a life together without any false pretense or dependence upon drug money.

Piper would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't worried about the future. Alex had made it very clear in all the years she'd known her that she wouldn't be satisfied with a cookie-cutter life. She was built for adventure and loved a good risk. While Piper admitted that was one of the attributes that attracted her to the dark haired woman in the first place, she herself had grown out of that phase; perhaps out of the realization that it wasn't sustainable. Piper was eager to begin a life with Alex by her side, but deep down, she knew that Alex would grow tired of ordinary.

After parking the car, careful to avoid the spot her father had chosen six months and four days earlier out of fear of bad luck, she nearly sprinted to the prison office. She announced her presence to Officer Fischer and waited for Alex to bust through the side door. And she waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

After 45 minutes, her nerves got the best of her, and she enquired about Alex's whereabouts.

"I see her final paperwork is in the system," Fischer said while looking at a computer screen. "Must be some last minute stuff."

"Right." Piper unbuttoned her coat, forgetting that she still had on gloves, a beanie and a thick wool coat. She was so eager to get on the road that she hadn't removed a stitch of outerwear when she got into the car in New York City or out of the car at Litchfield.

"Anybody here going to Manhattan? I could use a ride."

There was no mistaking that familiar, husky voice. Piper turned around and nearly knocked her lover over in the process of embracing her.

"Alex," she repeated over and over again in between kisses, as if her name was a prayer.

The tall one had already dropped the bag with her belongings inside as she held on to Piper just as tightly. She pulled away slightly, kissing Piper firmly on the lips. "Get me the fuck out of here."


On the icy drive from Litchfield to Queens, Piper might have been better served by keeping two hands on the wheel, but her right hand was occupied by that of her passenger.

"I can't believe this is real," Piper said more than once during the drive.

"Believe it, babe." She squeezed the blonde's hand.

Piper pulled Alex's hand to her mouth, peppering it with kisses. "I can't wait to get you home."

"Then let's not," Alex said in a low voice. "Pull over."

"What?" Piper creased her forehead.

"Let's not wait. Pull over." The brunette reached for the steering wheel.

"Alex, we're on a highway with a very narrow shoulder." She swatted her girlfriend's hand. "I can't just pull over."

Alex won the battle and turned the steering wheel slightly to the right. "You can, and you will."

More than a little frightened but exceedingly turned on by her lover's insistence and seeing that she would lose this fight, Piper drove another half mile before finding a suitable turnout to stop the car.

"What the hell?" the blonde asked with concern etched on her face.

Alex ambushed her, grabbing the lapels of her coat while kissing her aggressively. She began climbing from the passenger seat onto the driver before Piper broke the kiss.

"This is uncomfortable." She placed a kiss at the base of the dark haired woman's neck. "Back seat."

While Alex shimmied over the armrest, Piper got out of the car like a proper woman and met her lover in the back. "You climbed back here?"

"Piper, if we don't fuck in the next five minutes, I'm going to climb into that driver's seat and leave your ass on the side of the road."

That was all the encouragement the blonde needed before straddling Alex in the back seat. Of Larry's car. Not that she needed anything else to get her riled up, but the thought of fucking her girlfriend in her ex-fiancé's car was a decadent slice of revenge.

"I've wanted you for so fucking long," Alex breathed heavily as she lifted the blonde's sweater and began running her hands up and down her torso to her breasts. She plucked one breast with her fingers, then her mouth covered the already taut nipple.

All Piper could do was moan. She tried to form coherent sentences, but only Alex came out. The brunette unbuttoned Piper's jeans and wasted no time shoving her hand down her pants. Her fingers immediately found her center and drug a line from her opening to her clit over and over until Piper came, shouting her lover's name. In that moment, Piper didn't care who might have passed and saw them.

"That was…" the blonde couldn't find words through her panting.

"Good?" Alex offered with a Cheshire cat grin.

"Amazing," Piper said, planting soft kisses across her face. "My turn to do you."

"Wait." Alex ran her other hand down the blonde's head to her cheek. "Not here. Take me home, Piper."


The deal was that Polly would take the train to Queens to get her and Larry's car after Finn went to sleep around 8 o'clock. While Alex groped her from behind, Piper had the presence of mind to text her friend a photo of where the car was parked, thanking her for its use.

Once inside the third floor loft, Piper stepped aside to let her girlfriend observe the tiny apartment. "Well, here it is."

The dark haired woman walked around the space with a smile. She touched the sofa, the counter and the soft blanket on the back of a chair. "You did well, Pipes."

"Yeah?" She was still unsure of her ability to furnish an apartment on a severely limited budget.

"Yeah." Alex was beaming. She took Piper's hand and kissed her knuckles. "I'm impressed."

"Thanks." She blushed. "I wanted it to feel homey but also kind of like your old loft."

"Then you succeeded." She pulled her lover closer. "I remember you saying something about reciprocating the action in the car. Can that happen now?"

"Yes." Piper bit her lip and leaned closer. "Yes, it can."

Unlike in the car, this time was slow and deliberate as if they had all the time in the world. And that night, they did, and they took full advantage of it with kisses and licking and rubbing. They made love all night like a couple of horny teenagers. Each time wasn't necessarily better, it was just different. Piper made Alex come standing against the wall with her head between her legs, and then it was Alex's turn. She drug her lover to the sofa and buried her face between the blonde's legs and didn't quit until Piper reached two orgasms. The next time was in their new bed in the 69 position—one they hadn't done often even all of those years ago. They did it in the shower just before dawn, then back in the bed again as the sun rose.

On the one hand, Piper didn't want the night to end, but on the other, she was ready to make nights like this a regular part of their lives.

Although money was scarce, Piper intended to make Alex's homecoming a special experience. She awoke an hour before the brunette and walked three blocks to get fresh coffee and pastries. When she returned, her lover was still fast asleep. Piper removed her jeans and crawled back under the covers, tucking an arm under Alex's pillow.

"Why are you clothed?" the groggy woman asked, eyes still shut.

"My pants are off; I'm just wearing a sweater." She nuzzled closer and hooked a leg over Alex's hip.

"Weren't you naked like five minutes ago?" Alex asked, rubbing her eyes with one hand and Piper's thigh with the other.

"I went out for coffee and pastries." She smiled at the very naked Alex and brushed a hand over her breast. "Good morning."

Alex's smile was slower to form, but when it surfaced, it was from ear to ear. "Morning, babe."

The blonde kissed her on the cheek, and then on the mouth. "You taste good."

"I can't see how that could possibly be true. I'm pretty sure neither of us brushed our teeth last night. Do I even own a toothbrush?"

Despite Alex's logic, Piper deepened the kiss. "It just tastes like you."

Alex pulled away abruptly. "Did I hear you say coffee and pastries?"

The blonde nodded. "Lattes, a ginger scone and a nectarine Danish."

Alex stretched and forced herself out of bed. She found a pair of sweat pants on the dresser and put them on along with an oversized t-shirt. Once she was clothed, she reached for Piper's hand. The blonde grabbed it and padded the few short feet into the kitchen area, still wearing only her sweater that was now falling off her right shoulder. Alex took her first sip of coffee with her eyes closed, and Piper figured her reaction was probably the same six months earlier at The Daily Buzz.

"God, I never thought I'd miss real coffee this much." She blew on the liquid to cool it, and then took another long sip.

Piper tore off a piece of the scone and popped it into her partner's mouth.

Alex had a similar reaction when she tasted the thick, flavorful dough. She pulled Piper against her and after swallowing the pastry, kissed her bare shoulder. "Thank you, Pipes. For all of it."

"Alex!" Piper's eyes widened as if she'd just had an epiphany. "We're free women! No more communal showers, disgusting food or fucked up rules."

"Is this what freedom tastes like?" The brunette smiled, then planted a series of kisses behind the blonde's ear. "I fucking love it."

Much like the hours spent when they first got home, they made love all afternoon and into the evening. Piper's limbs were sore and her lips were swollen, but she cherished the feeling of Alex all around her.

The dark haired woman stroked Piper's back as she laid on top of Alex on the sofa. She'd pulled the thick blanket from a chair nearby to cover their naked, trembling bodies after what must have been her 20th orgasm in the past two days.

When Alex's hand stopped moving for a few seconds, Piper could sense that something was on her partner's mind. "What are you thinking?"

The brunette sighed. "I'm meeting Rachel at Vera's tomorrow."

Piper lifted her chin off of Alex's chest to look at her. "For a job interview?"

"I'm not sure people technically interview for a bartender position." Alex grinned and continued soothing her lover's naked back. "But I'm meeting Vera herself and hopefully proving that I can mix vodka and soda and pull a beer tap."

Piper smiled. "That sounds promising."

"From what Rachel told me, the job is mine, so I hope I don't fuck it up." The dark haired woman stretched, kissed Piper on the forehead, and then stood. "I'm getting hungry. Let's go out."

The blonde nodded, following her into the bathroom. They showered together, but after shampooing her hair, Alex got on her knees and bathed Piper's abdomen, legs and center with kisses. She made her lover come with the tip of her tongue on her clit and two fingers in her entrance. Standing with a wide grin on her face, Alex kissed the well-satiated woman on the mouth.

"Watching you come might be my favorite thing in the world," the brunette admitted.

"Coming in your mouth is mine," Piper retorted with a wicked grin.

When they'd used all of the hot water, they quickly jumped out of the shower, dried off and got dressed. Piper had taken the liberty of buying a few essential clothes for Alex—a pair of jeans, a black sweater and a green hoodie—until she had time to get the boxes of clothing and other items she had in storage at her cousin's house in Poughkeepsie.

It took several blocks before they reached the shop-lined streets of their Astoria neighborhood, but they did so hand in hand, and Piper glanced at Alex repeatedly to judge her mood. At one point, she thought the brunette was going to cry. She'd taken a deep breath and wrinkled her nose like she usually did before tears would fall, but this time, none fell. Piper squeezed her hand tightly, and they kept walking in silence. She concluded that Alex was simply absorbing her freedom, and that was a moment she proudly witnessed without interruption.

After about a ten minute walk where no words were exchanged, Alex broke the silence. "I want a huge fucking slice of pizza."

The blonde smiled, happy to oblige.

When it came time to pay, the dark haired woman anxiously reached into her pockets. "Fuck, I don't have any money."

The blonde put her hand on Alex's arm. "I've got it."

They sat down to eat their pizza slices and drink their extra-large soda, and Piper watched the brunette's reaction once again. She remembered how much Alex loved pizza; she'd once said at a café in Rome that nothing beat "a fucking slice" in New York City.

"I need to go to my cousin's house to get those boxes tomorrow before I go to Vera's," Alex began, wiping her mouth with a thin napkin. "I have $500 cash in a box if Jake hasn't found it yet."

The blonde took a sip of Coke that they shared out of a straw. "Do you want me to go with you?"

She shook her head. "No, I'll only be there for a little while."

Piper recalled that Alex did not have a strong relationship with her aunt, but she liked her younger cousin, Jake. He was the only family member who stepped up when her mother died, and for Alex, that meant the world.

They finished their meal and began the journey back home. Alex grabbed her lover's hand about halfway back and looked at their joined hands with what could only be described as affection.

When they reached the final block, Alex spoke quietly. "I never thought we'd be here. It really is against all fucking odds."

Piper looked up, into her eyes. "Are you glad we are?"

She stopped, tugging Piper's hand like a rubber band. When they were standing face to face, Alex laid her hands on her lover's cheeks and bent down to kiss her softly. "Yes," came out as a whisper.