A.N 46 reviews, 61 follows and 23 favourites ahhhhhh you guys have made me so happy! Apologies for the delay but I am now back at work and so haven't had much spare time. I haven't even managed to watch the new episodes yet my next day off is to be devoted to season 3! Next chapter is almost complete so I will be updating as soon as I have a minute :) thanks for all your feedback so far!

Piper had fallen asleep the moment the morphine had been injected into her veins this time she hadn't put up a struggle knowing how much her body craved the sweet relief of blissful slumber so that it could rest undisturbed. Bennett hadn't uttered a word to her on the return journey and even with Caputo's aggravation ringing in her ears, something about creating chaos and she was lucky she was injured otherwise she would returning to SHU, nothing could wipe the smile from Pipers face. Not even the nurse, who on her arrival had greeted her with a face like thunder and berated her for pulling her stitches so that they had bled, had dampened her mood. After being cleaned up helped into a new set of clothes Piper had been ushered into bed with the strict instruction that she was to say there until told differently.

Now though Piper was restless again, looking around the darkened infirmary she could just make out the time from where she was sat and she groaned when the illuminated clock read quarter past three. Blinking slowly her eyes began to adjust to the darkness and the room began to appear in clearer detail she could now just about make out the shapes of the other beds in the room. Sitting up carefully mindful of her still tender stomach Piper placed her sock covered feet to the tiled floor and eased herself up slowly so that she was standing. Quietly she made her way over to the window and opened the blinds letting the thin beam of moonlight light up the room. Piper climbed up onto ledge and leant her head against the now uncovered window so that she could see outside in particular the stars in the sky.

The day had been so much more than she could ever had hoped for she had seen Alex, held her person in her arms and heard Alex say the words that she didn't realise how much she wanted to hear. Knowing Alex still loved her made everything else fall away to nothing she was now truly at peace with what she had endured knowing with absolute clarity that her love was reciprocated. Piper felt like she had been given a second chance at life and this time she wasn't letting go whatever was going to be thrown her way she would weather it determinedly as long as her brunette lover was by her side. There would be no running away when shit got real no abandoning the person that made life worth living Piper was fairly certain that she could never live a life that didn't involve Alex Vause ever again and she certainly wasn't about to try and find out.

This thought process led Piper to think about Larry and the life she had been so certain she was going to live before arriving at Litchfield. Larry and his sensible boring life, the one her parents always wanted for her, was exactly what she thought she wanted for the rest of her time. The wife of a writer, bringing up the children in her perfect white picket fenced house in the suburbs spending her weekends at farmers markets and her week days expanding Popi. Seeing Alex again had brought back her hunger for a life of adventure and the realisation that the love she had for Larry was more about what he stood for and the life he was willing to provide. Alex had shattered her illusions and now she didn't care what her life became be it travelling the world or living in a cardboard box. A life with Alex was all about adventure and the type of all consuming love that you only dreamt about or envied in books and movies. Alex was everything and Piper was actually grateful that she had been given a second chance to realise and embrace that fact and if Piper had never believed in a god before she must admit to having second thoughts now. She had definitely been blessed.

Alex sat up like a shot her mind a jumbled mess of thoughts and images all weaving into a blur, a loud bang sounded and she scowled when she realised that the noise must have been what had woken her. Blearily she reached for her glasses that had at some point fallen to the floor and she groped around getting steadily more irritated until finally she closed her hands around the worn black frames. Alex squinted, her brow heavily furrowed, willing her eyes to adjust to the harsh synthetic light that shone permanently in SHU. She hated this cell, was desperate to leave even though the CO's had been treating her as well as they could bringing her proper meals, not that she ate them, and thick blankets to make sleeping more comfortable. The thought of being stuck in here as a punishment made her shudder and she felt a new respect for Piper and how she had survived in SHU for weeks after the attack on Pennsatucky. It was amazing that she came out of her imprisonment from this concrete box with any semblance of sanity at all.

The rest of the prison was under the impression Alex was being locked away for observation the prison worried for her health after suffering her recent trauma. There were whispers that she would be moved to psyche but Alex knew this was not to be the case a fact she was incredibly relived about. It had been a possibility when Caputo first came to speak with her. The banging sounded once more and Alex's tired brain finally made sense of the metallic noise the cell doors were being opened and she struggled to try and work out what time it was. Usually she worked out the time by meals but today had been the first time she had eaten since Piper had left Litchfield in the ambulance and her starving stomach was so desperate for food now that the grief had lessened she couldn't actually remember what she had been given. A key turned in the lock of her own cell door and Alex sat up curiously and she was even more surprised when Caputo entered she had been under the impression that he wouldn't be gracing her presence for at least a couple of days after their quick chat once Piper had left the interrogation room.

"Vause"

"Sir"

Alex hadn't been particularly keen on Caputo when she arrived back at Litchfield finding him condescending about her return but from hearing the stories of how corrupt Fig had turned out to be she tried to look upon the current administration with a bit more respect. Now though she could barely stand to look at him he was the man who for a whole week had allowed her to drown in grief and despair thinking that Piper was dead and because of her. She had been pushed to the brink of her sanity beginning to feel like a life were Piper Chapman didn't exist wasn't a life worth living.

She was being brutally honest earlier when she said she wanted to return to the main prison and fuck anybody who tried to take her down. The last week had been a whirlwind of emotions rage, grief, devastation, guilt. She wasn't quite certain how she had managed to survive. She had always been a master at shutting her emotions away not allowing herself to be weakened by such trivial things as feelings but she couldn't hold back the tsunami of emotions that had tore through her body when she had read Kubra's malicious words and heard Caputo utter so trivially that Piper had died. Alex shook her head forcefully she didn't need to dwell on those thoughts any longer against all odds Piper had survived and fought to be returned to her and she focused on that fact and that fact alone as she fixed her attention back to the head warden.

"You're being moved get your shoes on" Alex scrambled up off the bed dragging on her heavy prison issued work boots quickly tying the laces.

"Back to the prison?"

Caputo shook his head "No now stay close and follow me and try to look miserable since we need to keep up the correct impression" Caputo's voice was irritable and Alex knew he was still aggravated at Pipers action of revealing herself. Alex followed silently making sure her face looked suitably upset it wasn't a difficult feat memories from the past few days easily caused her enough discomfort to easily convince the CO's she passed in the dark corridors that she was still distraught.

"Sir what time is it?"

"Quarter to four"

"In the morning?!" Alex was shocked the head warden was usually long gone by 8 o clock at the very latest.

"I have been on the phone to the FBI trying to sort out this sorry mess your girlfriend created. I hope you and Chapman are worth it" Alex bit back the scathing retort she so wanted to give instead letting the words die on her tongue. They came to a stop just before a set of double doors and Alex felt her heart beat quicker in her chest even though she had never visited this part of prison she knew exactly where she was.

"This is against my better judgement and if Healy ever hears about this I'll never here the end of it. The FBI have decided it's easier to keep you both separate from the rest of the world together so this is your new temporary home. Vause welcome to the infirmary"

Alex could have kissed him her previous ill feeling fading with his words she was going to be with Piper, stay with Piper and her whole body hummed with happiness. They entered silently and Caputo quietly unlocked the door to the ward a noise startled them and Alex almost laughed as a shadow leapt down of the window ledge and tried to sneak back into bed before being seen.

"Chapman you were under strict orders to stay in that bed!"

"I can't help it sir my legs are restless" at Pipers indignant response and Caputo's low grumble Alex, no matter how hard she tried, couldn't help the low chuckle that escaped her.

"Alex?"

Pipers voice was hopeful although cautious and Caputo sighed softly "Listen to me carefully Chapman Vause is here because it's easier to keep you both together and she will remain here until we deem you both to be safe" Caputo turned to the wall and flicked on the light bathing the room in a warm glow.

"Alex.."

Piper eyes lit up in happiness and Alex found herself grinning back "Hey Kid"

Piper tried to climb back out of the bed scowling when the action obviously caused her pain. Alex's brow creased in worry and Caputo brought a hand up to his face pinching his nose.

"Chapman for goodness sake stay there!" Caputo walked over to the bed and carefully sat down in the chair and Alex dutifully followed. With no second chair and her urge to wipe the pained grimace from Pipers face all consuming, Alex ignored the warning look on Caputo's face and climbed up into the bed pulling Piper close until her lovers head rested in the crook of her neck. She ran a careful hand over Pipers side rubbing soothing circles with her thumb over where she knew Pipers wound lay hidden under her t shirt.

"Easy there Kid. you need to be careful we don't want anymore injuries"

Piper rolled her eyes but her smile never flickered it still stretched fully across her face "I can't believe you're here! Thank you sir thank you so much!"

Even Caputo couldn't help but smile for a moment at Pipers joy but his expression soon became serious "There's to be no funny business do you here me? You are each to stay in your own bed I understand you are in a so called relationship but you must remember the prison rules. 2 minutes then your off that bed Vause"

Piper nodded dutifully but Alex tightened her grip around Pipers shoulders she wasn't leaving Pipers side without a fight.

"Vause I mean it you break the rules your back in SHU damn what anybody else thinks and damn the bloody consequences" Piper looked up at her worriedly and Alex smiled at her reassuringly pressing a soft kiss to her furrowed brow.

"God Healy would try and have my job for this" Caputo's mutterings where largely ignored but Piper tensed slightly which intrigued Alex but she didn't ask not under the watchful head warden. "Right now that I have done my duty I am going home. I don't want anymore trouble from you two ok?"

They both nodded eagerly and Caputo stood from his chair "2 minutes Vause then get into that bed there" he pointed to the bed next to Pipers and Alex battled her temper letting out a quiet "Thank you sir" if they couldn't be in the same bed then at least she was as close as physically possible. Caputo nodded to them one last time then exited the infirmary turning the light out as he left they heard him talking to the nurse in the office and then they were left in silence.

"Hey Alex" Piper's voice was teasing and Alex turned to look at her curiously.

"Yeah pipes?"

Piper grinned impishly and turned over "Come be my big spoon" Alex chuckled and happily obliged. The moment her body curled around Pipers Alex felt a sense of peace and nostalgia this is where she was meant to be, it felt like coming home.

"I've missed going to sleep like this"

"Don't get too comfy I gotta move let's not cause chaos the minute I've arrived. SHU ain't a holiday destination I have no desire to return" Alex smirked but Piper pulled Alex's arm around her more closely and threaded her fingers through her own tightly.

"I never meant for you to be sent there, none of this was my intention I just wanted to keep you safe Al"

Pipers voice was whispered, laden with guilt and Alex pressed a kiss to Pipers neck "I know kid, I know"

A light came on outside the ward and Alex sat up quickly "Listen get some sleep we'll talk in the morning I need to move" Alex swung her legs over the side of the bed and made to stand up but before she did Piper grasped her jaw gently and pulled her head downwards. A soft pair of lips pressed against her own and Alex closed her eyes at the love and tenderness that washed over her "I love you"

Alex smiled, feeling tears prick her eyes at Piper's words and she was suddenly grateful for the darkness.

"I love you too"

They looked at one another for a moment longer until Alex Piper yawned loudly "Now go to sleep"

Piper giggled "Yes boss" chuckling Alex made her way over to the bed and nearly sighed out loud at how much comfier this bed was compared to the concrete slab in SHU. Pulling the covers up under her chin Alex turned over so that she was facing Pipers bed instantly pleased when she noticed Piper had done the same. Alex wasn't stupid she knew they had things to talk about things that wouldn't be pleasant and would probably open a few old wounds but for now in this moment Alex was happy. She focused on Piper and the sound of her steady breathing as she let herself be lulled into the first dreamless sleep she had experienced in a long time.