A/N: Hey folks, this is sort of a filler and sort of not….maybe a wee bit self indulgent even, but I hope you like it all the same. It's set in the present.

Thoughts very welcome.

Happy New Year to you all.

Enjoy.

There's a walled garden, tucked behind two burnt out warehouses (Cal's discovery). He and his pal Frederick stumbled upon it last summer. They'd peeled away from a Hitlerjugend march one morning and gone exploring. But the warehouses had only held their attention for around half an hour. By which time (and following the discovery of a large stick) they had busted through any of the remaining windowpanes, at least those that hadn't already been ravaged by nature, by vandals, by life: the shattering sound giving them a strange sense of gravitas, so much so, that it quickly stops being fun.

So they waste another fifteen or so minutes fruitlessly kicking around some rubble and examining a rat corpse, poking at it's bloated stomach, inflated by the toxins of death, with a mix of disgust and morbid curiosity, before finally deciding they should toss their net a little wider, perhaps to a locale a little more exotic.

At first they'd assumed that the buildings were shielding nothing more than dense, thickets of forest (nothing they hadn't already seen before) but it's Cal that notices the top of a black, wrought iron gate poking out through the greenery and before they know it, the pair have broken into a light jog to investigate.

It takes them a short while to hack away the reeds that appear to have wrapped themselves around the gate, like a second skin and Frederick is first to complain that it's probably going to be a waste of time, but the rusty padlock makes Cal believe it's concealing something worthwhile, or at least something that somebody cared about….once.

Turns out-he's wasn't wrong.

…

Alex checks her watch for the third time in as many minutes. She knows she's early, but if she's being truthful, she always is, because ever since Piper told her about this garden, it's quickly become one of her favourite places.

She likes the very idea of it, the secret. And for once in her life, it's not a festering, poisonous untruth, scarred by a past she cannot escape; it's just a gentle lie, the edges soft and inviting.

The mossy, earthiness of the ground always seems to rise up to meet the day and it's a heady cocktail of something real and untainted. She takes large lungful's of it, as if it's medicinal, as if it can fix what's broken about her.

They've met here every Thursday since Piper told her about it two months ago. She's surprised they've not got caught, or at the very least, that not more people know about it. But Piper was right, it's as if the place has been frozen in time, some strange magical wonderland; a ghost of Christmas past.

She walks past some sprouting Winter Aconite, fingertips trailing the butter yellow of its delicate petals and she imagines what this place was like in the summer, when it was well tended, allowed to burgeon and flourish, but instead the frost tipped blades of grass make a satisfying crunch under foot.

'Hey'

Alex spins around on her heel and Piper is grinning, a childish lopsided smile and it makes Alex wish they could stay like this forever. But a fairytale is just that.

'Anyone ever told you it's rude to creep up on someone?' she says, re-adjusting her glasses.

'Says the woman breaking and entering'

'I was led astray'

'Oh really?' Piper replies, taking a few steps forward, pulling on the edges of the scarf that Alex has around her neck. 'Because I'm pretty sure, you were already in astray, I merely met you there'

'Well in that case' Alex says, 'welcome home'.

They kiss, because they can, no prying eyes, no judgment and it's the best kind, long and lingering, fingertips threading through each other's hair: breath hungry and rasping. And they're no longer bound by time, by circumstance, not here…

'We should be a little careful' Piper says eventually, murmuring against Alex's lips.

Alex's fingers trail the back of the blonde's neck, twirling a strand of golden hair around her forefinger, it glistens in the crisp winter sunshine like precious, silken thread.

'You've had your hand on my ass for the last five minutes, I think it may be a little late to be careful'

'I have not!' Piper says, pulling away, staring at her hand accusatorily.

Alex lets out a low chuckle, 'I was just kidding Pipes'

'Hilarious. Breakfast?' Piper says, tapping the satchel on her shoulder.

'Isn't that what this was?'

'No, I think we both need something with more sustenance'

'I dunno, I certainly feel revived'

'Pervert'

'You say it like it's a bad thing'

They both laugh.

'It really is beautiful here you know, Alex says after a few minutes, her eyes fixed on the small pond across the way, it's surface frozen, the serenity of which is occasionally disturbed by a jagged fracture.

'The overgrown grass? The weeds?'

'It's peaceful and kind of like lots of nice memories are captured here and maybe if you listen closely enough, you can hear laughter' she stops, catches Piper's eye, 'I know I know, I'm rambling like some crazy woman, just sometimes it feels like that….to me anyway…'. She tails off, eyes flitting to the ground beneath them, cheeks suddenly hot as if she's a child that's been caught doing something foolish.

Piper shakes her head, 'No, it's nice, I like that idea'. She takes Alex's hand, 'you want to stay a little longer? Maybe take a walk by the Birchwood trees?'

So they do and it could be the birdsong, or the strengthening rays of the sun, but for a short while at least, they can almost forget where they are, what they are, what they may become.

But not quite.

'Daddy asked me to invite you to dinner' Piper says as they take a seat on a damp wooden bench, overlooking a stone statue of a mermaid. At some point in time the end of her tale has snapped off and the stone of her eyes has worn away to nothing more than white, making her look demonic: possessed. Something about it causes goose bumps to erupt along Alex's flesh-it always does, so she averts her gaze back to Piper.

'Is that ok?' the blonde asks, removing a flask and a brown paper bag from her satchel.

'Is there a particular reason?'

Piper shrugs, handing Alex a steaming plastic mug of coffee, 'I think you know more about his business than I do….Lehbkuchen?' she says, proffering the bag of biscuits. Alex takes one, despite the fact her appetite has suddenly become muted.

'What do you mean?' she asks tentatively.

'Exactly what I said'. She pours a second cup for herself, takes a deep sip, her eyes failing to leave Alex's, almost as if she's testing her, the brunette thinks.

'There's no business' she finally says, but it comes out as more of a whisper than a statement, no certainty about it and now Alex wishes she had just changed the subject instead.

'You can trust me Alex, I hope you know that'

It's so frank that Alex isn't entirely sure what to do next. So she takes a large bite of the biscuit after all and it really is quite delicious.

'They're good' she says cramming the remainder into her mouth, as if doing so will stop any more words….revelations from spilling out.

'Thanks' Piper replies smiling, 'Polly made them'

'Did she know you were bringing them to me?'

'Why?' Piper laughs, 'worried she may have laced them with poison?'

'Something like that' Alex replies, only half joking.

'But what a way to go eh?'

'A cookie? That's the best way you can think to go?'

'Well….maybe I could think of better…..'

'Just give me another biscuit Chapman'

'If you're sure it's safe'

Alex rolls her eyes. 'You know' she says, after finishing the second biscuit, 'I'm pretty sure all Molly..'

'…Polly…'

'Polly needs is a little romance….might uncoil her a little'

'Are you offering?' Piper immediately chuckles at the look of horror that this suggestion elicits from Alex.

'Oh god NO!'

'You know what they say about protesting too much'

'It's a sign of disgust?'

'Denial'

'Pipes…'

'Yes…'

'Enough now huh?'

'But….'

'Enough'

'Does that apply to the cookies too?'

'I don't like her as a person, I never said I didn't enjoy her baking' Alex replies, snatching the paper bag up from the bench.

Piper laughs, it seems to melt into the air around them, lightening everything.

'Hey, it's Christmas day tomorrow'

'So?'

'So….you've got to make a Christmas wish'

'Do I?'

'Yes…it's tradition'

'Is it?'

'In my family'

'I'm not in your family'

'As good as'

'Hmmm'

'What does that mean'

'It means hmmm Pipes and also…I'm eating the last cookie' She grabs it from the bag and pops it into her mouth whole.

'You have to make a wish' the blonde insists and her eyes are so wide and earnest that Alex feels rotten for not playing along, even though she doesn't buy into this sort of bullshit. Because dreams and wishes are for people like Piper Chapman, not a bastard child like her.

She swallows down the final remnants of the treat with coffee, shuddering slightly as the beverage is now stone cold. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. 'Ok, fine' she sighs, 'I'll do it'

Piper immediately perks up, the blue of her eyes shimmering and resplendent.

'Close your eyes' the blonde says.

'Why?'

'Just do it ok'

'Fine' Alex replies,

'Now focus on what you want most, like really really hard ok, so you can actually visualize it'

There's the summerhouse with Diane and her aunt, gingerbread houses and Glüwein and laughter with her cousins, presents at midnight and drunken singing at dawn…Christmases long gone, a blurry hangover….

…and then she opens her eyes, looks straight at the blonde.

'Hey' she protests, 'you're not doing it properly'.

Alex smiles, it's soft and sad, makes the green of her eyes less vivid, diluted by memories. 'I don't think I need a wish Pipes' she takes her hand. 'Hope is all I've got'.

…

They've got a few hours before Frau Ziegler is back from visiting her sister in a neighbouring town and when Alex looks back on it, a little while later, she realises that it was Piper that led the way, her teeth tugging at Alex's bottom lip, the tenderness of her kisses, morphing into something raw, something urgent; a necessity.

The brunette tries to take back some control, ask her if she's ok, but before the words can form, can properly leave her lips, Piper's mouth is on hers, again and again, hot and urgent.

'Alex' she murmurs, over and over, as if she's speaking in tongues- as if it's a delicious new word she's just learnt.

And her fingers trace every inch of the brunette, as if they're telling their own tale, because sometimes, words are not always enough.

They drift in and out of shadows, in and out of focus; and the world juxtaposes around them, an old reality, a new reality, their reality.

And Alex Vause realises; this wasn't a wish.

But it comes pretty damn close.

…

It's early on Christmas morning, Piper meets her on the steps of the church, a large brown suitcase on the floor beside her. Her cheeks have the most inviting rosy glow and Alex has to control every fibre of being, dull down the ache she feels in her bones to hold her.

'Papa was pretty upset we both missed dinner last night' she says.

'Well imagine how he'd feel if he knew why' Alex says grinning, placing her own case on the steps. 'You ready for our trip?'

Piper doesn't reply, instead, she pulls out a small package from her coat pocket. It's wrapped in pale pink paper and finished with an extravagant bow. 'Merry Christmas' she whispers.

'We're doing gifts, now?' she says confused.

'I just really wanted you to have this….'

Alex furrows her brow.

'Just take it will you, before the SS come along and cart us both off!'

Alex laughs, 'ok ok' she says, tugging at the bow and tearing through the paper with ease. It reveals a small jewelry box. She flips it open, her heart hammering, although she's no idea why.

'Do you like it?' Piper asks, desperately trying to read the expression on the brunette's face.

Alex holds it up towards the sun. It's a silver pendant, in the shape of a wishbone.

'I know what you said…in the garden…..but sometimes…..well there's no harm in wishing, right?'

Alex smiles, looks up at the blonde, her heart swirling with a warmth she can't even begin to comprehend. But sometimes there are no answers to the questions you may have.

'No harm at all kid, no harm at all'.