A/N: Hey! I'm overwhelmed with the amount of views and all the comments =) It means so much to know that you're all enjoying the story so far. Just a little clarification; Nichols wasn't the one who got Piper raped, it was Sylvia's intention all along, just that she had Nicky's help with the actual event. So here's Chapter 9! I've been deliberating what to do for this chapter so I hope you like the path I chose to go down. Please feel free to leave comments and reviews, all are welcome! I'd also love to hear some idea's on where you would like to see this go. Enjoy! I do not own OITNB, I simply use the characters for my own demise ;)

PPOV

Chapter 9: When In Rome

*There comes a time in a person's life, when you start to wonder if you've made the right decisions. You sit and think about them, how they affected you and your life. There comes a time in a person's life, when you start to wonder about the future. You can see two paths in life and it's up to you, which one you will choose*

I laid on my bed with my pen in hand, staring across the bunk at my beautiful Alex, mirroring my own actions. "How many entries have you done now?" I was always curious as to what she had written so far in her journal.
"I've done 6 so far, this will be the seventh." I nodded at her response "How many you done kid?" I flicked through the book, counting the number of dates
"I've done 10 so far." She looked at me in disbelief
"How've you done that many?"
I winked at her and responded, "Never you mind your pretty little head how I've done it" she laughed and came to join me on my bed, wrapping herself around me, placing her head on my shoulder
"I love your smell. It's one of the things that I missed the most when you were gone" my heart skipped a beat and I had to agree with her. After I left her, I never told her that I'd packed one of her shirts, just so that I could smell her as I attempted to sleep on a night. The smell soon became subdued by my own though. I placed a kiss on her head and we sat there, relishing in our moment together. "I think that I'm ready to share my journal with you, if you are?" she looked up at me with her adorable puppy dog eyes that made my heart instantaneously melt at the sight.
"Of course I am babe. It means a lot that you're letting me in like this" I lifted her head and quickly placed a kiss on her lips. I didn't want any guards to notice any 'lesbian activity' and have us both in trouble. We swapped journals, and I began to read Alex's first entry.

* ,
Entry 1;

So this is my first entry into this journal. I actually don't know what to write...
Today has been an okay day. I haven't felt too bad and I got to spend some time with Pipes. It's strange how even when I write her name a smile automatically spreads across my face. She has been my rock over the last few months, well, for the last few years... 10 years to be exact. Even after we broke up and with everything that's happened since, she's always been the first thought in the morning and my last thoughts at night. It's because of her that I'm writing this right now. Without her support through this, I would have either have been in Max, psychiatric or dead by now.
It pains me to think of all the times that I've hurt her and let her down, but I vow to make a change to that. She doesn't know this yet, but I've been talking to a few of the Admin staff and we've agreed that if I keep my head down and stay out of trouble, do a few extra shifts here and there, my release date can be altered. I'll be getting out of Lichfield the same day as Piper.
Work was slow today, the time dragged dramatically, probably due to the fact that I was clock watching. I just wanted to get back to my bunk that I share with my amazing girlfriend. She really is the highlight of all of this shit, even if it was me who turned her into the police.
Speaking of, she's just arrived into our block, so this will be it for now.

Al.*

I looked up at Alex sat opposite me after I had finished reading the first entry. I quickly looked for any guards, luckily it was Bennett and Fischer and I dived onto her like an excited school girl.
"You're getting out on the same day as me" I tried to hide my excitement, miserably failing. Alex smiled and covered my mouth with her hand
"Yes. I made a few deals and I have to do some shitty stuff, but yes Piper. But you have to keep this to yourself." I nodded and gave her my word that I would. I was still jumping up and down on her bed. It felt like all my Christmases had come at once. We would both be free of Litchfield, together.
"I'm too excited to read any more! Can we go somewhere? Pppllleeeaaassseee!" I squealed. Alex laughed at me and nodded. I took her hand and lead her out of the bunks.
"Pipes... Where we going?" we both were practically running now
"To our spot" I said as we crashed through the Chapel doors in each others arms and made our way round to the back, removing each others clothes in the process. This time, I was taking the lead, crashing Alex into the wall at the back, pinning her arms up above her head as my free hand started to play with her. I moaned in her ear, "mhmmm baby, your so fucking wet" I slid a finger inside her, coating it in her juices and pulled it back out again, raising it up to my mouth and tasting my Al. She let out a moan and tried to break free from my lock on her hands. "Now, now. Let me concentrate on you" I winked at her as I released her hands and dropped to my knees, lifting her leg over my shoulder as my tongue started lapping at every inch of her. I loved how she felt on my tongue, I loved the taste of her. She was certainly my drug in any case, I just couldn't get enough. Her hand was fixed into the back of my head, nestled in my hair, holding me on her as her hips thrust against my face. My name was rolling off of her tongue as my love finally came and I continued to dine in every drop of her.
"Fuck... I... I don't think... that I'll ever, ever get enough of that, Pipes" she pulled me up as she was regaining her breath. I held her close to me, steadying her from her shaking legs. "I love you so much" I kissed her lips, letting her taste herself
"I love you too" We stayed like that for a moment before we headed back to our bunks ready for count and lights out.

Count happened without a hitch for once. I got into my bed and carried on reading Al's diary entries.

*Entry 2;

So me and Pipes just took a shower, separately unfortunately. This woman still to this day has me compelled to her. I've got a plan in my head which I'm not going to write down in here because I want it to be a surprise for her. I just hope that it all goes the way that I want to go and it all works out. I'm in such a happy place right now so I'm going to put my pen down and put my journal away as I'm needed to do my duties as 'big spoon' to my wife. I must be in heaven surely.
Al*

My eyes darted to Alex's, scanning her face to try and figure out what her surprise was. She lifted her glasses from her face, placing them at the top of her head and laughed
"Why are looking at me like that?"
"Like what?" I should have known that I can't hide anything very well
"Like you're trying to figure something out. What entry have you just read?"
"Number 2" I said shyly
"Nope Pipes. I stated it there that I want it to be a surprise and it will be. I let on to you about the release date just because I couldn't contain myself for any longer, but this I will take to my grave if I have to" she glared and eyeballed me whilst saying this. I held my hands up like I'd just been caught shoplifting, both of us laughing. She put her glasses back on and we both continued reading.

*Entry 3;

Today we were awoken by Bennett. He's actually one of the decent guards in here. He was letting us know that there were newbie's arriving. However, my day turned to pure fucking shit once I saw her face had arrived here. FUCKING SLYVIA! Of all people to be sent here to Litchfield! Obviously we had a problem, well I did. Fucking bitch she is. She actually makes my fucking skin crawl and I hate the fact that she hit Piper all them years ago. Which was, once again, my fucking fault. Then she had the fucking nerve to start because she found out that Piper was in here with me too. Like it would have mattered if Pipes wouldn't have been here, in this hell hole. Does she really think that I'd have been all hugs and kisses with her? She's a fucking nut job if she did. Ugh, she makes my blood boil. I've just broke the news to Pipes that she's now in here. She didn't take it that well. I think that she was frightened of her for some reason. I don't know why, especially after Piper had proved herself in certain aspects. I loved how her being in here had made her go back to her old temperaments a bit. I loved to see that old Piper attitude. She always was so sexy when she was mad. She would get this look in her eyes that just screamed out 'I'm about to rip your fucking head off' but she always managed to contain it somehow. She's just headed down to the showers, I haven't joined her as she said that she needed to be alone for a while, which I can understand and showers are what's best for her. I'm going to check on her soon though, she isn't usually this long and I have a worried feeling. Plus, I'm missing her.
Al*

"Pipes..." Alex came over and sat on my bed with me, putting her arm around me pulling me into her. I hadn't realised that I was crying. "Pipes, baby..." I looked up at her face, wiping my tears away
"Sorry, I was just reading... It just brought it back a bit... I wish I hadn't had pushed you away that day" she shushed me and just held me close to her
"You didn't push me away. You needed your space and I gave you it. It's just that obviously Nicky must have been on the look out to see where you was heading and noticed that you were alone. It wasn't your fault Kid. Please, don't ever blame yourself." I nodded at her, all though no matter what she said right now wouldn't and couldn't deny the fact that I pushed her away. "I think that's enough of the journal for tonight." She took it out of my hand and placed it back underneath her pillow. "How about I read to you?" I nodded up at her, thankful for her taking my mind away from it and allowing me to be lost in her voice telling a different story. "What do you fancy?"
I pursed my lips together, my usual books were love stories or classics like East of Eden, but I fancied something different today. "Dracula" Alex cocked her eyebrow up at me
"Dracula?" she questioned
"Yes, Dracula. What's wrong with Dracula?"
"Nothing, I... I just wasn't expecting Dracula" She imitated a thick Transylvanian accent and we both giggled. I playfully slapped her arse as she bent to grab the book. "Scoot over then kid"
I complied and moved as we both got comfy in each other and Alex began
"How these papers have been placed in sequence will be made clear in the reading of them. All needless matters have been eliminated, so that a history almost at variance with the possibilities of latter-day belief may stand forth as simple fact. There is throughout no statement of past events wherein memory may err, for all the records chosen are exactly contemporary, given from the standpoints and within the range of knowledge of those who made them." Alex had always been such a wonderful reader and story teller. I remembered all them nights when we travelled how she would always read to me before bed.
"What you reading?!" I heard Taystee and a few more shout over.
"Dracula. You wanna join?" Alex asked them, already knowing that they were listening anyway. She looked down at me and smiled, silently asking if it was okay that she had invited them too. I squeezed her arm letting her know that I didn't have a problem with it. I would share her story telling to the world if it was possible. They all surrounded our bunk, listening intriguingly as Alex started the story. We had gotten to page 5 when everyone let out a loud laugh as Alex put on her best posh English voice,
"The women looked pretty, except when you got near them, but they were very clumsy about the waist."
Our laughter had attracted the CO's attention. Fischer came across to us. "Ladies, keep it down please. You have 5 minutes until you all have to go back to your own beds." We nodded and apologised for the noise. Alex quickly finished off the first Chapter and we said that we would all continue tomorrow. The girls rose and headed for their bunks,
"Thanks for that you two. Alex, you're a great story teller" Alex said thank you in reply to Taystee's kind comment. I placed the book on the side as Alex went and got into bed, patting her hand down on the mattress, silently asking me to be her little spoon again
"Of course, I am the little spoon after all" I went and laid next to my love, our bodies curling into each other, both of us relishing in this moment.
"I love you so much Pipes. I don't think you understand how much." She placed a kiss onto the back of my neck and pulled me in tighter to her
"I do understand Al, I'm the exact same. I don't know why I left you the first time... Well that's a lie, I do know why I left, but I was just so scared at the time, our love for one another scared me. I didn't feel in control and I didn't know how to react to the hold that you have over me. I still get scared of our love, except now, I don't want to run. I never want to run again. I should have never have left you that day and now I've got a second chance with you, I'm not letting that go. I refuse to let that go. Nothing and no-one, not even that stupid bitch Sylvia can do anything to drive me away from you. I love you with all of my being Alex Vause. I always have and I always will." We both had tears in our eyes. This was the ultimate moment for us, knowing what we had both been through, especially recently, nothing could drive us away from each other. We kissed each other goodnight and fell into the blissfulness of sleep in each others arms.

That morning, we both awoke as fresh as daisies. Heading to the canteen for our breakfast, we stood in line with Taystee and Poussey.
"When's the next chapter of Dracula then Vause?" they both questioned Alex. I giggled to myself, knowing how addicting her voice is to listen to. I carried on moving in line, to my surprise I saw Red back behind the kitchen with Gloria and the rest of her crew. I smiled politely at them both as Daya gave me my tray.
"There's a note under your cup. Read and rip it" she stated quickly and called "NEXT" I nodded at her as Red's, Gloria's and Daya's eyes watched me walk to a table. I sat down and Alex sat opposite myself, looking and nodding at me, silently asking me what's wrong. I shook my head to tell her nothing, quickly scanning the canteen to notice if the guards were looking before I removed the note from the tray. I slid it into my pocket, quickly finishing my breakfast and stood up to head outside.
"You want me to come with you?" Alex asked. I looked around the room and spotted Sylvia sat with Nicky on a table. I leant and whispered to Alex,
"If you see either of them move" I motioned my eyes to where they were sat "you come outside to look for me. I'll be on the track" she nodded her head and watched as I walked out of the canteen. I started out a walk at a steady pace as I didn't want my breakfast to come back up. I looked around to find that I was alone and reached into my pocket to retrieve the note
'Chapel. 6pm. It's happening' I tore it up as soon as I had read it and headed back towards camp, passing a bin and throwing the collection of tiny pieces of paper into there. I managed to quickly catch Alex in our bunk before we headed to work.
"Hey kid, you alright?"
"Yeah baby. Shall we walk together?" she looked at me curiously but agreed as she could tell I needed her to know something. We walked down the corridor, passing many faces as we all were heading out to our places of work within these confinements.
"Chapel, 6pm. We need to be there" Alex nodded and we said our goodbye's as I headed down a different corridor to work.

I couldn't concentrate one bit at work. I had given myself 3 electric shocks within the space of an hour. I sat at the mercy of a lamp, yet again. I'd fixed many of these, but today just wasn't my day. I started complaining about the safety in the electric department when Luschek decided to let me sit and watch Health and Safety video's instead.
"That better Chapman?" I nodded
"Yes, thank you" Luschek had been an alright guard, pretty laid back. He was a drunk who just wanted an easy life. We understood each other.

Finally 5:55pm approached, myself and Alex both headed down to the Chapel to meet Red, Gloria and Daya. As we walked through the doors, we noticed Red stand up straight away.
"Girls, I need you both to go to the rec room. Everything is already set up, all you have to do is just sit there and play scrabble or cards. Act like you usually would if you was in there. Okay?" we both nodded.
"What's going to happen Red?" I was too nosey for my own good, all though I knew that Alex would have asked the question if I didn't.
"It's best that you don't know kid. Then you both can act like everyone else in here once the word gets out." We couldn't really argue with that. Since there was only us and Red in the Chapel, we made our way back to the rec room. Red headed to the kitchen and me and Alex began playing cards, creating small talk like we did on every other day that we was in here.
It had been 20 minutes before we heard the commotion and before we knew it, the alarm was going off for us to stay where we was and lay on the ground. Fischer was in the rec room with us as me and Alex laid on the ground with our hands on our heads.
"Fischer, keep count of who's in the rec room. We've got a situation" Bennett was on the radio to her
"What's happened?"
"The new inmate, Sylvia and Nichols, they were in the kitchen when the hot gravy and everything... Oh it's a mess. I'll explain later. These two need to go to a medical unit ASAP!"
They'd burnt them. Me and Alex both looked at each other and mouthed 'What the fuck'
"Vause, Chapman, you two can get up. There's only us in here and I know that you both aren't a threat and I've been here with you the whole time." We picked ourselves up off of the floor, dusting ourselves down.
"What happened?" Questioned Alex to Fischer. She looked around and made sure that we was in fact alone and that no-one could hear her on her radio
"Nichols and that new girl Sylvia, I haven't remembered her last name yet, well they were in the kitchen and they've been burnt. Pretty badly by the sounds of it"
"Oh my god. I hope their okay. Wait, they was in the kitchen? Isn't that out of bounds?" I piped up, making sure that she didn't forget to mention that little fact for when they started accusing whoever it was that burnt them for doing it maliciously.
"Yes they were out of bounds, but I don't really know what happened, only what Bennett's told me on the radio, that they've both been burnt." We both nodded and acted how we was supposed to act, all concerned and intrigued at the same time. This was how prison worked.
"Alright you two, alarm has stopped and everyone's got to go to their bunks. I'm on your block tonight again." We both nodded and headed out of the rec room. "Oh, and Vause..." Alex turned her head back around "You've got 30 minutes till I get there, if you and Chapman want some time" we knew instantly what she was referring to. We both said thank you and headed to our beds, to be alone.

A/N: Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed that Chapter! Nicky and Sylvia got there comeuppance! Haha Next chapter will be delving into Piper's journal entries. Don't forget to review and please leave any comment you would like! Idea's and such are always welcome! Thanks again!