Chapter 14

Moondance

A few days had passed since the whole shower incident thing with Alex, but Piper still couldn't get the thought of Alex wanting to have one last fling with her out of her head. Is that what she really wants? She's ready to move on and forget about what we have? These questions burned in her heart, but she really needed answers. She couldn't really blame Alex for wanting to move on. It seemed she had someone new and interesting in Steely.

Things had been awkward between Piper and Steely since that day in the shower. Steely was still wearing panties for Piper, so they had to communicate about that, but they said little else to one another in their bunks. Piper was meeting Cal for visitation today, so she hoped to hear good news from him about her latest profits from the website. She had more girls than ever now wearing panties for her and she was paying them less so she expected a nice return on her investment.

Just then, Red enters their cube and sits down on Steely's bunk across from Piper. "I miss having a bottom bunk. It's tough for an old lady like me to climb on top," she said while rubbing her back.

"You should ask the guards if you can switch with me or Steely. I don't mind sleeping on top," Piper suggested.

"Then that old bird up there will think I'm weak," Red said referring to Judy King who was above Piper sleeping with her pink eye mask on. "No thank you, I'll just keep on climbing."

Piper knew that Red and Judy King had not been getting along. Red had wanted her old job back in the kitchen. She talked to Healey about it, but he told her there was nothing he could do right now. Red thought Healey was star struck by Judy King. Piper would constantly have to listen to Red and King argue about the proper way to run a kitchen.

"How's your little panty business coming along? I'm glad to see you've donated to my commissary account very generously these past couple of weeks," Red said with a smirk. "I've noticed a lot of pink bikinis around here lately. Looks like you're getting yourself back on track."

"Things have been getting better. You know, it's really been great for me with all these new inmates in here. I've been able to triple the amount of girls I had and I'm actually paying less per pair, so I'm making a great profit. Which is also great for you too, right?" Piper said with a smile.

"I'm not complaining, Blondie. I do nothing—except give you advice every now and again—and I'm getting paid very well," Red said as she noticed Vause walk by their cube. "How are things with you and Vause? Is she still your partner in the panty business?"

Piper stared at Alex as she walked by their cube. She noticed Alex look her way, and for a moment they held each other's eyes. "No, she wanted out. She didn't want me to take things to the next level."

"So you two are no longer a couple either?" Red asked.

Piper looked down at her hands, "No, she said she wanted out of that too."

"That's too bad for you, Blondie. That one really cared for you, and you pissed it away for what? A roll in the hay with some young thing with an accent that ended up stealing all of your money. Vause would have never done that to you. For some reason, she seems to love you. She gave you forgiveness when you didn't deserve it."

"You know, she also got me in here in the first place, and then lied about naming me. I forgave her for that. I'm forgiving," Piper said trying to defend herself.

Piper and Red both saw Judy King sit up and take her eye mask off. "You mean, you're dating that Vause woman? I thought you were dating the little blond girl that bunks in here."

Piper rolled her eyes at Judy King's stupid observations, "No, I'm not dating either of them, nosy. I thought you were sleeping. Were you just pretending to sleep so you could eavesdrop on us?"

"No, I was awakened by all of your chitter-chatter. I just thought you and the girl in here… oh what's her name? Sealy, Steely… whatever. I see you two exchanging underwear all the time so I thought you were some weirdo panty sniffer or something. I thought she was your prison wife. Isn't that what you call it?"

Piper was still pissed. Too pissed to even bother with this woman anymore. "Enjoy your day, Red," she said and she grabbed her toothbrush and headed towards the bathroom.

Alex had noticed Piper talking to Red when she walked by their cube. She had almost stopped in front of Piper's cube and asked if she wanted to go for a walk, but she didn't. She was still having so many mixed emotions about Piper lately. She truly missed Piper—the old Piper. This new version of Piper was harder to deal with. The old Piper was sweet and caring and probably a bit naïve. This new Piper was none of those things. Still, sometimes, Alex would look at Piper and see a bit of the old Piper still in her. That's what was making moving on from her so hard. Alex was torn between wanting Piper back and wanting to move on. The smart thing would be to move on, but now Alex was wondering if that was even possible.

Nicky had joined her in the bathroom while she was brushing her hair. "So what's the deal with you and Steely?"

Alex looked at Nicky through the mirror's reflection, "What? What are you talking about?"

"Look, I've seen the way she looks at you. She's constantly giving you those bedroom eyes and you two are up each other asses like all the time. You know, I'm starting to get a little jealous here, Vause," Nicky said winking at Alex in the mirror.

"Jealous of me or jealous of Steely?" Alex smirked.

"Jealous of everyone," Nicky laughed. "But seriously, are you two banging?"

Alex laughed, "No, we're not banging. We're just friends."

"Yeah, okay. You keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better, but I'm telling you what I see, and I see a lovesick puppy. Are you just fucking around with her to make Piper jealous?"

Alex didn't answer at first. "You know, I ran into Piper the other day in the showers and I tried to have O.F.F. with her. I'm partly blaming you for that because you got that shit stuck in my head."

"What? What the fuck, Vause?" Nicky laughed. "What happened?"

"Nothing, we didn't do anything. She stopped it, but for a moment I was really ready to do it. You know, just have her one last time so that maybe I can finally move on," Alex said.

"But is that what you really want? Do you want to move on from Piper?" Nicky asked. "I mean, I really couldn't blame you if you did, she's done a lot of pretty fucked up shit to you."

"Yeah, but I've done some pretty fucked up shit to her too," Alex admitted.

"You didn't cheat on her," Nicky said while flossing her teeth. "Maybe the two of you just need to sit down and talk about all of your feelings and shit. Get it all out there."

"I don't know, Nichols. I'm so confused lately."

"You're not the only one, Vause," Nicky said while watching Morello enter the shower area.

"Right, how are things with you and Morello these days?" Alex asked.

Nicky lowered her voice so Morello would be sure not to overhear, "Well, we actually had a decent conversation the other day. She told me that when I got sent down to Max she thought she'd never see me again. Said she got really sad and lonely and that's when she started writing to all these guys, and that's how she met her… Ugh, I can hardly say the word, Vause—husband. You think you got problems? At least you're not in love with a married woman."

"Yep, you got me there, Nichols," Alex said with a smile.

"I've said it before, Vause, and I'll say it again. Straight girls. They'll fuck you up every time. See ya later, kid," Nicky said as she gathered her things and walked out of the bathroom.

Alex finished putting on her black eyeliner and was about to leave when Piper walked in. Alex looked at Piper standing there frozen, holding her toothbrush. She looked sweet and innocent, and for a moment she remembered that girl she met so long ago.

A couple of weeks had passed since Alex first met Piper at the bar. She had hoped that Piper would call but she also remembered Piper's condition that night. By this point, Alex figured she had lost her number and she'd probably never hear from her again. She had to admit that this bothered her a little more than it should have. She met girls all the time. It was her job to meet girls. She had met plenty of girls in her time working for Kubra, but she had never met anyone quite like Piper Chapman. Not only was she gorgeous, with her long blond hair and beautiful blue eyes, but this girl was special. She was the right amount of smart, clever, sexy, and genuine all rolled into one beautiful package. When Alex first walked up to Piper that night in the bar, she had planned on flirting with her and eventually—in the most sincere way possible—asking her to be a drug mule. But after spending just a few moments with her, Alex knew there was something different about Piper. She was so innocent and naïve, and the way she looked at Alex. She looked at Alex as if she had known her forever, like she could see into Alex's soul. She really was disappointed that Piper had not called, and more than that she was saddened at the thought of never seeing her again.

Alex was with several friends at the bar one night. They were all doing rounds of Jägermeister shots and Alex was starting to feel the effects of several shots. She was making her way to the restrooms when she saw her. There was a tall beautiful blond standing directly in front of her. Alex tried to play as cool as possible, "Oh, hi… Piper, right?" she asked, knowing full well she knew her name. She had been saying that name over and over in her head since they met a few weeks ago.

Piper was smiling. She was so happy to see this gorgeous raven haired women standing in front of her. The bar was crowded so they were standing very close to one another. Piper hadn't lost Alex's number, in fact, she had memorized it since she had dialed it several hundred times since they met that night, but was always too chicken to press the send button. Tonight, though, she had gotten up her courage and decided to just go to the bar and she had hoped Alex would be there again. And here she was. "Yes, Piper. Piper Chapman from Park Slope."

Alex just stood there taking her all in. What a heavenly sight, and they were standing so close that Alex could smell Piper's hair. The bar was loud, so Alex leaned in to whisper in Piper's ear, "Yes, Piper Chapman, a Smith Grad with excellent listening skills."

Alex could hear Piper take a shaky breath when she pulled away from her. Alex felt the same, but she was just a little better at hiding it. "So what are you doing here, kid?"

"Oh, I was just in the neighborhood so I thought I would stop in for a margarita. You know, since it's 20 degrees outside and all," Piper said with a sexy smile.

Alex laughed and smiled back at Piper, "Yeah, that sounds about right. Let me get that for you," she said as she placed her hand on the small of Piper's back and guided her towards the bar. She ordered a margarita for Piper and a Beck's Dark for herself.

"So, what have you been up to… Alex, right?" Piper joked.

"Um, yeah," Alex giggled. She didn't know if it was all the alcohol in her system right now, or if it was just being in Piper's presence, but she felt giddy. She watched Piper fidget nervously with her hands. She knew this girl liked her and she could probably ask her to do just about anything and she would do it. Alex considered again asking her to be a drug mule, but she kept pushing those thoughts out of her mind with every smile from Piper's lips. She just wanted to kiss those lips and never stop. She wanted to taste this girl and breathe in her scent. She wanted to take this sweet, innocent, gorgeous girl and ruin her.

Their drinks soon arrived, and they both took huge gulps. After a while, they both started to relax a little. The sexual tension between them was still thick, but it was so nice just to have a conversation with each other. They found they could talk about anything. Both were very well-read and educated. Alex told Piper that she never went to college, but she hung out on campus and had attended some film classes. Piper talked about her time at Smith College, and Alex wasn't surprised at all to find out that Piper had double majored in communication and comparative literature.

Alex was on her third Beck's Dark and she knew she was drunk. Piper was still on her first margarita and was barely tipsy. Alex kept thinking how the roles were definitely reversed tonight. She was now the one talking constantly about who knows what while Piper still had her senses about her. But by this point, she was too drunk to care. Sometimes she needed to let loose and be herself, and she felt she could do that with Piper. She hadn't known her long, but she felt like she had always known her. Alex suddenly had a bold idea.

"Dance with me," she said to Piper while pulling her away from the bar towards the dance floor.

"Wait, um, Alex, wait. I… um, I'm not a really good dancer. You probably don't want to embarrass yourself with me," Piper said.

"Come on, I'm not worried," Alex said as she continued dragging Piper to the center of the floor. The song playing was slow and sexy, so she pulled Piper close and put her arms around her waist. Piper put her long, slender arms around Alex's neck. Being this close to Alex was making Piper's whole body tremble. Alex's body felt wonderful against her. Piper was thankful that Alex was such a good dancer because it made her feel a bit more confident too. She relaxed more and just enjoyed the moment.

After a while they both became hot and decided to have a couple more drinks at the bar. Piper had one more margarita and Alex had a Jägerbomb. She knew she'd feel like shit in the morning anyway, so what was one more drink. She was feeling extremely bold by this point too, so she asked Piper, "Do you wanna get out of here?"

Piper could hardly contain her excitement, but she didn't show it. She answered coolly, "Yes, I'd love to."

Piper got them a taxi, and Alex gave the driver the address. She couldn't take Piper to her place. Not tonight. "We're going to my friend Rachel's. She's not there this weekend, so I'm watching her place for her. She has a cat." Alex wasn't sure why she said that. Rachel didn't have a cat.

The taxi arrived at Rachel's and Alex paid the driver and they both made their way up the stairs to Rachel's apartment. They were both stumbling a little up the stairs and for some reason this was the funniest thing ever to them. They couldn't stop laughing about it. They finally reached the door and Alex unlocked it and held the door open for Piper. Rachel's place was small, but neat. Piper immediately noticed a record player and hundreds of albums. She went over and started flipping through them while Alex lit some candles. She ran across Van Morrison's Moondance album and put that on.

"Mmm, good choice," Alex said. "One of my favorites."

Piper started to dance again. This time she didn't care because it was only Alex watching, and she was just fine with that. Alex joined her. She pulled her even closer now and buried her face in Piper's hair. Piper's head was resting on Alex's shoulder and she closed her eyes and relaxed in her arms. If she died right now, she could not have been happier. They stayed this way for a long time, holding each other close while gently swaying to Crazy Love in the background.

Being this close was slowly driving Piper insane. She could feel Alex's breath on her neck, and the way Alex was rubbing her hands up and down her body was almost too much to handle. By the time Into the Mystic started playing, Piper couldn't resist any longer. She lifted her head from Alex's shoulder, and grabbed Alex's face with both hands and kissed her. Their first official kiss. It was a slow and soft kiss, Alex's lips were so soft and she tasted like black licorice—from the Jäger, Piper assumed. She felt Alex's breath hitch, and she deepened the kiss. Piper wasn't usually one to initiate things, but she couldn't help herself. She didn't want to spend another second not knowing how it felt to kiss Alex Vause.

Alex was busy unbuttoning Piper's shirt when a cell phone started ringing. Fuck! She thought. She figured it was Fahri, and started looking around for her phone. However, she was surprised when she realized it wasn't her ringtone and she saw Piper grab her cell phone from her purse.

"Fuck, Polly!" was all Piper said as she answered the ringing phone.

Alex went into the kitchen to give Piper some privacy.

Five minutes later Piper came into the kitchen with a sad look on her face. "Alex, I'm sorry but I have to go. My stupid friend, Polly, is drunk and at a club downtown and doesn't have money for a taxi. I have to go help her."

Alex smiled at the sad faced girl standing before her. Her shirt half unbuttoned and her hair messy. There's no way she could ever be mad at this girl. "It's okay, Piper. I understand. We all have that one friend, you know?"

"Yeah, well I'm going to kill her," Piper said with a cute little smirk.

"Don't do that. I wouldn't want you getting into trouble and going away to some girl prison," Alex teased.

Piper looked at Alex for a moment. All Alex could see was innocence. She moved across the room and grabbed Piper's face and kissed her again. She kissed her like she may never see her again, because who knows? She might not… but she really hoped she would.

Standing before Alex now, Piper had that same look on her face. She found it almost impossible to resist, but she knew she had to. She didn't need to do something stupid again like in the showers a few days ago.

"Look, Piper, about the other day. I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking…" Alex trailed off.

"Did you really mean that, Alex?" Piper asked. "Do you really want me out of your system? Because I've thought about and I wondered if I could do that… and the truth is, I don't think I can. I don't want you out of my system, and it really scares me to think that you do. I mean, are you really done with me? Are we really over, Alex?"

"Pipes, I don't know," Alex said running her hands through her hair. "I don't know what I want right now, but I would like to talk to you. In private, somehow. I think there's a lot we've left unsaid for too long, and I think it would do us both good to get it out there."

Tears started streaming down Piper's face, and Alex was confused. "Jesus, what is it?" she asked Piper while stepping closer to her.

"You just called me 'Pipes'," Piper sniffed and wiped her face, "that's like the nicest thing you've said to me in weeks."

Alex smiled, "Yeah, well, it just feels natural. You'll always be my 'Pipes'."

Piper smiled back at Alex. For the first time in weeks, she felt hopeful.

"Can you make it over to the greenhouse tomorrow afternoon after your shift?" Alex asked. "I think I can arrange it so that we can have some privacy to talk for a while."

"Yeah, I think I can do that," Piper replied.

"Okay, see you then, Pipes."

A/N – I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Fanfiction's website has been messed up all week so I cannot see any stats. I guess you're still reading though because I'm still getting reviews. So, please review again that way I'll know you're reading. Hopefully they'll get the stats fixed soon. Have a great week - J