Loosely based after the furlough episode. But in this reality, they went to the funeral right after Piper was released, not the wake. So all that crap with Larry never happened. If only I could make it so that Larry never happened at all. Not a fan

Thanks for the reviews last chapter! They mean a lot. As always, please R&R

Alex took a deep breath as the knocking continued. She hasn't been at this apartment long so she wasn't sure where to step without making noise. But she had become pretty light on her feet the past few weeks so she made it to the door without making a sound. She looked through the peep hole, but there was no one on the other side of the door. Quickly she undid the locks and opened the door to the same result. She looked up and down the hallway, but everything was as it normally was. There was no one there, no doors closing signifying someone had been in the hall. Nothing.

Alex's heart dropped. It was him. Well, not Kubra specifically, but someone else on his orders. Once inside she locked back up and went over to the window. She carefully peered around her curtain. "Fuck." The car was back. He knew where she was.

She could always find another apartment, even move to another city. But she knew he would just find her again. Right now he was just trying to scare her, but Alex knew it was only a matter of time until he tried something. She hated that there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. She had talked to her probation officer, but legally unless he was actually threatening her there was nothing that anyone could do. She didn't even have concrete proof it was him so her probation officer honestly didn't care. He probably wouldn't care even if she had concrete proof it was Kubra.

It didn't matter what she did to make a life for herself on the outside. She would never be able to get away. Not only had she fucked Piper over in Chicago, but she royally fucked herself over as well. This was worse than when she had been dealing because now someone wanted her dead. And he wouldn't stop until she was.

She grabbed her cell phone off the kitchen counter and dialed a familiar number. "Hey, I need a favor . . . I need a gun."

Piper was jolted out of her thoughts as the old car came to a sudden stop.

"Well, here we are." Cal said, turning off the engine.

Piper looked around, confusion written all over her face. "Where are we?"

Cal took a folded piece of paper out of his jacket and handed it to Piper. "This apartment," He nodded toward the building to their left. "That number. I'll see you in two days."

"Where the hell are we?" She asked again.

"Just go." He reached back into his jacket and pulled out another paper. "If you really don't want to be here call me. I'll come and get you. But I think you'll be just fine."

Why he gave Piper his cell number she didn't know. Before she went into prison she didn't know anyone's number. They were all in her cell so why memorize them? But, she had been calling him from prison the past few months so she knew the number. "Wait, you want me to stay here?" She turned to her brother in question. "My paperwork says I'm staying with Mom and Dad. And what about dinner? Mom said everyone would be there at 7."

"Fuck dinner. You don't want to be there anyway. Look, the funeral is done and over with. You have nothing more you have to do There. If the prison calls and asks for you," He, yet again, reached back into his jacket, this time pulling out a cell phone. "I'll say I'm going to get you, put them on hold, call you on that, three way you in and they won't even know."

Even in the bright light of the outside world Piper could see the building was a shit hole. "What the fuck Cal?"

"Just go. Trust me. Nothing is worse than missing an opportunity that could change your life, Pipes."

Piper reached in the back of the car and grabbed the bag of clothes she had packed quickly at Larry's when they stopped on the way to the funeral. Larry's, she thought. It wasn't her home anymore. She didn't have a home. Cautiously Piper stepped out of the rickety old car, straightening out her black dress as she did. Strangely, the dress felt heavy, tight and scratchy against her skin. It had previously been one of her favorite pieces of clothing, but after spending the past few months in, essentially, khaki colored scrubs, her once favorite dress made her feel uncomfortable. She nervously tucked her hair behind her ear as she made her way into the building. No buzzer system. Or, if there was it didn't work and the door to the building was unlocked.

Before her time in Litchfield, Piper wouldn't dare step foot in a building like this. It screamed trouble. The epitome of safety. But nowadays she had seen worse. Much, much worse. She unfolded the paper Cal had given her and headed to the stairs.

She climbed the stairs to the third floor and stopped outside the door designated by her brother, rechecking the paper in her hand. She took a deep breath and knocked four times. She looked around the hall as she waited for an answer. After a few moments she looked down at her watch and scrunched her face. "Maybe nobody's home?" She whispered to herself. Her mind was not very sharp at the moment or maybe she would have known what was going on. But her grandmother had just died and she was just thrust back into society after months in the isolation of prison. It was a lot to deal with in just a few short hours. Her brain hadn't had the time to process and catch up quite yet.

"Piper?"

Pipers head snapped up. It couldn't be. The locks turned quickly and the door flew open. "Alex?"

The brunette reached out and pulled Piper into her apartment, quickly re-locking all the locks. She turned around and wrapped her arms as tightly as she could around Piper.

"Alex!" Piper dropped her bag and held the taller woman. "God, I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too, kid." Alex smiled.

Piper pulled away, searching Alex's face for an answer. "How?"

"Cal called me." She shrugged.

"You know for having abandoned society to go live in the woods he is surprisingly connected."

Alex took Piper's hand and led them to the couch. "I called him when I got out and left my new number with him." She shrugged. They hadn't stayed up late over the years gabbing into the night or anything, but Alex had always kept in contact with Cal. He was the one family member who had known about Alex and Piper back when they were Alex and Piper.

"How do you have his number?"

Alex smirked. "I have a couple tricks up my sleeve, remember?"

Piper smiled and reached up to Alex's face, but halfway there she stopped and dropped her hand. As much as she has missed the woman before her she was still angry. They had cleared the air a days before when they spoke on the phone and Alex had explained everything, but Piper was still angry. Angry that Alex was free while she was still locked up. She carried one bag. One bag one time. And it was only a bag of money. She had never touched any of the drugs. Alex was in with heroin for years and she was free? It wasn't fair.

Alex noticed the change in Piper and disappeared into the kitchen. She came back with two glasses of Piper's favorite Pinot Grigio. She handed one to Piper and sat down with her own on the chair across from Piper, taking a large sip. "He's had the same number since we were together, Pipes. We kept in contact."

"When?"

"Since Paris. Not much maybe a call once or twice a year. I wanted to make sure you were safe." She elaborated at Piper's confused look. "Being the ex of a drug dealer comes with its own share of risks."

"Gee thanks."

"Shouldn't have left in the first place." Alex teased.

"I know." Piper admitted softly. She sighed and looked around.

"I'm sorry about Celeste, Pipes. I know how much she meant to you."

Piper smiled and nodded. She hadn't been there when Alex's mother died so she didn't feel worthy of any sympathy from the brunette. "This isn't the address you mailed your letters from."

"I moved." Alex said with a shrug. "A couple times."

Piper's nodded. She knew Alex was scared Kubra would get to her, but didn't want to tell her much about it. "Safer here?"

Alex smiled. "Yeah."

Piper noticed the smile didn't quite reach Alex's eyes, but didn't say anything. She knew that no matter where Alex was Kubra would find her. Her testifying against him put her life in the direct danger. Alex herself had once explained Kubra's business model "sick, deep revenge." Piper was glad she had lied. Even though it made her a perjurer at least it kept her safe. Alex had been true about that. By telling Piper to lie she had kept her safe. "So," Piper began, taking in all of her surroundings. "Now what?" She asked with a laugh.

Alex chuckled uncomfortably. Everything was so surreal. She hadn't been on the outside with Piper in over eight years. Back before Paris and Litchfield Alex had always been so sure of things with the blonde. How the other woman felt, what she wanted. Alex had always touched her and kissed her and stood close. But now she had no idea what to do. They reconnected on the inside. Their interactions had to be brief and guarded. But now, they were both in the same room with no one telling them what they could or couldn't do and neither could make the first move.

Alex got up and grabbed her laptop from her bedroom. "I wasn't going to say anything for a few more weeks until it's fully up and running, but..." She trailed off as she set the laptop in front of Piper. She pulled up a web page and smiled. "What do you think?"

Piper looked at the page. "Alex I can't go to a club. I'm not even supposed to be drinking." She said, holding her nearly empty wine glass up.

"No, no, no." Alex started. "That's my club. I bought it - with the money I had from selling my mom's house." She explained.

"Oh." Piper said.

"I can't find a job." Alex began. "A friend sent me this and wanted me to invest with him." She held a hand for Piper to let her finish. "I didn't. The only money he has is drug money. But, I saw the opportunity. So I put a down payment down on it with the money from my mom. Took a few weeks to get it up and running, but we're actually turning up a bit of a profit now. It's only open a few nights a week right now, but hopefully soon we'll be open every night." There was a lot more work to be done. At the moment they were only running with a little less than half the staff needed, but Alex wanted to be more conservative until she was sure the club would be profitable.

"Wow. Alex, this is amazing." Piper said with a genuine smile. She had been worried about what Alex would do for a job as she knew the brunette couldn't find any place that would hire her.

"I promised you I was going legit." She said with a proud smile.

Piper looked down to blink away the tears. It was one thing for Alex to make promises while they were in prison, but it was another for her to live up to them on the outside with everything against her. Piper's heart swelled with pride at the woman before her. She was trying to make something of herself. Legally. She was really showing Piper that she wanted them to have a life together. She was working so hard to make something she - no, something they, could be proud of. For the first time Piper had the overwhelming feeling that they were going to make it.

Then it hit her. Over half of all the deals Alex made, she made in clubs. Hidden among the dark lighting, flowing alcohol and bodies pressed up against one another Alex had made many a deal go through. Not even just that, but drug use was rampant in ever the best clubs. "This is great Al, but how many deals did you make in clubs just like this one? Do you know the kind of drug use in clubs these days?"

"I wasn't in prison for that long, Piper. I know what happens. I also know how to tell who is dealing and using and how to make sure it doesn't come near my club. Look Pipes," Alex began as she reached over and took Piper's hands in her own. "I will do everything I can to keep that shit out of the club. Will it happen? Oh, without a doubt. All I can do is try to keep as much of it out as possible. The bouncers have Kubra and Fahri's pictures as bell as about three dozen other people we used to travel with and know not to let them in and, although not very popular, we have pat downs and bag checks before you're allowed in to make sure no one is bringing anything illegal in."

Piper leaned up and cupped Alex's face gently. She leaned in and kissed Alex, pouring all her feelings into the kiss. "So what was the first thing you bought when you got out?" She asked when they eventually pulled apart.

"Honestly? Toilet paper." Alex said with a laugh. "Thick, cushioney toilet paper. And a really good vibrator."

Piper nearly spit out her wine. "Alexandra Vause!"

"What?" Alex shrugged. As if it was the most logical thing in the world. "You expect me to wait until you get out to satisfy my urges? I do not go without sex. And since you have a few months left I had to find something to pass the time."

"I just though-"

"Thought what, Pipes? That I'd find someone else?" Piper shrugged. That was exactly what she had thought, yes. "I meant it when I said I want this to work. I want to be with you. I want you to be my girlfriend. I know I don't have the best relationship track record, but I never cheated on you Pipes and I don't plan on starting now."

Pipers hand instinctively went to her cheek, the memory of Alex's girlfriend slocking her in the face coming to mind. "You only cheated to be with me then, huh?"

"Shh." Alex said with a chuckle. She took Piper's hands in her own and looked up at the blonde. "Do you trust me?"

Piper took a minute and looked deep into Alex's eyes. No. She didn't trust her. "I want to." She answered honestly.

Alex nodded and looked away. "That's fair. I can't expect you to after all the shit I've done. I know trust is earned and I will do everything I can to earn your trust back."

"It's not just you, Alex. I don't trust anyone right now. I was naive. Before prison I was naive. I trusted too easily, but now being behind bars with these people who are supposed to protect us and seeing what they really do, I don't know...I think my trust in the human race in general is a little shattered at the moment."

"I'm so sorry Piper. I'm sorry for all of it."

Piper waved Alex off. "Please, no more apologizing. I only have so long and honestly that's not enough time."

Alex faked a smile for the blonde. She knew Piper was attempting a joke, but it was true. She would never be able to make up for what she had taken from Piper. The best she could do was make a life for herself on the outside. Something she and Piper could be proud of.

Piper looked up at Alex with a new light in her eyes. "So," She began. "Are you going to show me the bedroom or do I have to ask?"

Alex smiled and held her hand out.