Do not own Orange Is the New Black or any of the characters.

So, this is the last chapter.

Thanks to everyone who supported not only this story, but Snowflakes and Rainstorms as well. I know it hasn't been a very easy ride with me, but it's where I like to go with my writing. For the longest time, I wasn't going to do this third part. But that little girl kept on coming back to me and so, Overcast was born.

It defiantly wasn't easy to write and I know some people weren't for it at the beginning, but it's what felt right for me to do and where the characters needed to go, I guess...

Anyways, enjoy!

Overcast

Chapter 20

Baby Girl Vause

May 2024

"You're doing great, Piper!" spoke the nurse between Piper's legs. "Just one more push..."

Piper squeezed her eyes shut and grunted through the pain as she pushed with all her might. Even though it had been almost seven years since she had last given birth, she remembered the pain well. This time seemed to be a little easier though, maybe because she was at the hospital this time and not stuck in the middle of a black out like she'd been with Issy.

Plus, she'd only been in labour for a few hours now. With Issy it had been much longer than that.

Everything had happened pretty quickly after she had arrived on the maturity ward with Polly and Nicky. Her water had broken just as she was stepping off the elevator. She was soon then admitted into a room and checked out by a nurse. The doctor had been called but the baby seemed to have her own agenda and wasn't waiting around.

Piper's cervix had been dilated already at 9cms when the nurse had first check her out and it hadn't taken long before it had reached 10. She'd now been pushing for over an hour now.

The baby was defiantly on her way.

Piper cried out slightly as she felt the baby crown and stretch her, suddenly.

"That's great Piper!" encouraged the nurse once again towards Piper. "I see her head...just one more push..."

Piper took a deep breath through her nose before leaning forward once again and pushing with all her energy and strength.

The room suddenly filled with the piercing sounds of the baby's cries as she came into the world, pushing sand from her lungs.

Piper collapsed against the pillow of the bed as exhaustion set in. She could hear the baby wailing loudly as the nurse picked her up and lay her suddenly on her chest.

"Congratulations, Pipes!" whispered Polly tearfully into her ear.

However, Piper paid no attention to her friend as her eyes opened and looked on at the little being on her. Tears filled her eyes as her hands immediately reach out for her little girl. She was in awe with this beautiful creature, who continued to cry against her.

She had so much hair, she noted as she reached out and gently stoked the matted black tuffs of curls that covered the baby's head.

"Hello beautiful," she whispered as she continued to look at her daughter in adoration. She loved her so much already, she thought. She couldn't wait for Alex to meet her. Luckily Nicky had been recording the whole birth on her phone so that when Alex woke up, she could see the birth of their daughter. She knew her wife would be pissed that she'd not been there for Piper, but it wasn't anyone's fault really that the baby had decided to come now of all times.

As mother and daughter continued to bond, Polly had gotten to cut the umbilical cord. Piper hadn't mind allowing her friend to do so. She was too absorbed in admiring her newborn daughter.

The blonde held the baby gently in her arms as the nurse clamped the stump of the cord after it had been snipped. The baby had settled down now and only a soft cooing noise could be heard coming from her mouth. Piper couldn't help, but be reminded of a baby bird at the sounds coming from her daughter.

"Be careful," whispered Piper as a nurse took the baby from her to be cleaned off.

The nurse gave Piper a reassuring smile that she would be extremely careful with her precious bundle.

Her arms ached immediatly for her daughter as soon as she was taken from her. She could hear her begin to wail yet again at the nurse began to clean her off and weigh her. She tried to keep an eye on the baby but the nurse was standing in the way. The blonde couldn't help but sigh in frustration at this. She wanted to see her little girl.

"Okay, Momma, I know you want your little girl but she's in good hands," stated the head nurse, who had helped deliver the baby. She touched Piper gently on the ankles, indicating for her to open her legs again.

"You can have her back in a moment. You need to push out the after birth still."

Piper nodded her head grimily at the nurse before once again beginning to push.

xxx

Alex was extremely groggy as her eyes slowly opened and stared up at the ceiling of the hospital room she was in.

At first she didn't know where she was as she tried to take in her surroundings. She tried to move but pain shot suddenly through her body in protest. She'd never remembered feeling so uncomfortable than she did at this very moment. Her eyes lids grew heavy again as she rested her head back against the pillow. There was an oxygen mask covering her nose and mouth.

As she was about to close her eyes again, she heard someone enter the room.

"You're awake," stated unfamiliar voice towards her.

Alex could barely see as a sudden face hovered over her own. It was one of the nurse coming to check up on her. The brunette was quiet as the nurse checked her vital signs and wrote something down in her chart.

"Are you in any pain or discomfort?" asked the nurse.

Alex blinked and tried to focus her eyes on the nurse as she asked this question. She shook her head slightly. Alex was in a little discomfort but it wasn't much.

The nurse frowned as she continued to study Alex's face for a moment. She needed to hear a proper answer from Alex, so she asked the question again.

"Are you in any discomfort?"

The brunette once again shook her head at this and murmured a slight no from the mask. She was however, very tired at the moment. She just wished to be left alone, she thought as the nurse continued to ask her questions about her pain levels. Alex had said she was about a six on the pain scale.

The nurse had then soon left and come back into the room with a bag of medication that she had then attached to the IV line in Alex's hand. It was a mild pain medication that would help ease her pain away.

Alex waited for the nurse to leave again before trying to close her eyes again. She was more aware now on where she was and why she was there. She wondered were Piper and the others were. She wondered if something had gone wrong suddenly with the surgery. But before she could worry any further, Red came into the recovery room.

The Russian woman smiled as she locked eyes with Alex.

"Welcome back, Vause!" stated Red warmly as she came to stand beside the bed and looked down at the brunette.

Alex stared up at Red in puzzlement. Where the hell was Piper? she thought. Her eyebrows were fussed together in confusion as she just stared at the older woman before reaching up with a shaky hand and removed the oxygen mask from her mouth.

"Where's Piper?" she asked as her eyes shifted slightly away from Red towards the door, in hopes that Piper would suddenly appear. "Is she on her way...?"

Red's face grew very serious as she continued to look at Alex for a moment. This wasn't going to be easy to tell Alex, she thought.

Noting the look on the Russian woman's face, panic began to set in on where her wife was. Had something happened with the baby? Had something happened to Issy? Question after question popped into Alex's mind on what was going on.

"What happened?" she asked as she suddenly sat up, ignoring the sudden protest of her body. She didn't care if she pulled her stitches from the surgery or anything. All that she cared about at the moment was her wife and step daughter.

"Take it easy," stated Red firmly as she placed a hand on Alex's shoulder and tried to get her to lie back down on the bed. "You just had major surgery and one of your organs removed."

"Where's Piper?!" asked Alex, her eyes blazing up into Red. She wanted answers and she wanted them now.

"She's here," explained Red slowly. "...at the hospital."

Alex continued to look at Red, waiting for her to explain more. Of course, Piper was here at the hospital, where else would she be? she thought. But that was not what Alex meant by where Piper was. She wanted to know why her wife wasn't here right now beside her bed like she had promised she would be after the surgery.

"After you went into surgery, she'd gone into labour."

"She's in fucking labour!?" cried out Alex in shock. This was not how it was suppose to go, she thought. She was suppose to be with Piper, couching her and shit. They had taken those Lamaze classes for that very reason. The baby wasn't due for another week or so. It was too early for this to happen, she thought.

"She already had the baby," whispered Red as she explained to Alex, how Piper had given birth to a healthy baby girl an half an hour ago now.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!"

Alex's green eyes suddenly filled with tears as reality set in for her. She had missed the birth of her daughter. Not only had she failed Piper by not being there for her but she had failed her daughter too. She pursed her lips as she turned her head against the pillow and looked away from Red. Her daughter was already a half-an-hour old and she was already abandoning her. This was not how she imaged her daughter's first few hours to go.

She was suppose to be there for both of them.

She was already a terrible mother, thought Alex bitterly to herself.

A small cry escaped from her lips as the tears began to fall down her cheeks. She hated herself for missing what was suppose to be the most important day of her life. She could feel Red stroking her hair but she did not acknowledge the older woman.

"Nicky recorded the birth..." whispered Red softly in her accent towards Alex. She knew that Alex was upset about missing the birth of her daughter, that was understandable. But she shouldn't kick herself too much...she had been doing something very important while her daughter had come into the world. She had been unselfishly giving her kidney to a little girl who desperately needed it. Piper, she was sure wasn't mad at her wife for missing the birth of their daughter for she'd been saving their other daughter in the process.

Alex roughly brushed away the tears from her eyes as she turned her head to see Red pull out a phone from her pocket.

A moment later she was handing her the phone, were a video began to play on the screen. Alex didn't say a word as she focused her eyes as best as she could on the screen. It was a little blurry as she wasn't wearing her glasses, but she could still make out what was going on.

She found herself holding her breath as she watched in amazement as Piper gave birth to their daughter. A whole new set of tears began to welled up in her green eyes as she heard the cries of the baby for the first time. She was at a lost for words as the picture came to focus on the baby as it lay on Piper's chest.

She was beautiful, thought Alex as the video stopped and the tiny face of the baby stayed frozen on the screen.

"Congratulations, Vause" spoke Red as she smiled down at Alex who had began to watch the video again. "You're a mother now."

xxx

After being checked out by the doctor and asking yet again another series of questions on her comfort levels, Alex finally got to meet her daughter.

Alex was sitting up comfortably in the hospital bed, the pain medication had finally kicked in and she wasn't feeling as groggy as she had been when she had first woken up. She was feeling almost like her normal self again, except for the catheter which had been inserted to her bladder during the surgery.

But that was the last thing on her mind as the door to the room opened and Piper was wheeled inside.

Alex, who was wearing her glasses again, immediatly locked eyes with her wife.

Piper smiled broadly back at her as Nicky wheeled her to the side of Alex's bed.

"Hey," whispered Piper towards her wife.

"Hey," whispered back Alex as a small smile spread across her features.

The couple continued to stare deeply at each other for a moment. They both didn't know really what to say to each other. The last time they'd seen each other had just been before Alex had been taken in for surgery. So much had happened since then in such a short amount of time. There was another member in their family.

Tears immediatly welled up in Alex's eyes as she stared at Piper. She was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. This woman was amazing she thought. She loved her more than ever as she continued to take in the beauty of her wife. Even after giving birth to a new life, she still managed to look beautiful.

"Hey," whispered Piper, so that only Alex could hear her. There was a slight wrinkle in her forehead as she looked on at her wife with concern. She had never seen Alex like this before, for a moment she thought that she was in pain of some sort. Piper,who held the baby in the crook of her arm, reached out with her free hand and cupped the side of Alex's face, caressing the skin with her finger tips.

The couple was quiet for a second longer before Piper stood up carefully from the wheelchair. She was suppose to be taking it easy for, less than an hour ago she had given birth. But she could manage, she thought.

"Meet your daughter," she whispered as she held the sleeping infant out towards Alex.

Alex's eyes immediatly shifted from Piper and down onto the bundle in her arms. She could once again feel the tears fill her eyes as she took in the sight of her daughter. She was even more beautiful in person than she had been in the video, she thought as she glazed down lovingly at the infant. The baby's eyes were closed shut and her lips slightly open as she slept. She was swaddled in a white blanket and had a pink hat on her head. There was a dark curl, peaking out from underneath it.

"Hi," whispered Alex shyly as she reached out and carefully ran a finger along the side of the baby's face. She couldn't believe how small and delicate her features were. She had never seen anything so precious in her life, she thought.

"Do you want to hold her?" asked Piper as she looked on at Alex.

Alex nodded her head in agreement at this. She would like very much to hold the baby, she thought. She was a little nervous to do so, though. She hadn't held a newborn since Luca had been born.

Piper smiled reassuringly at her wife as she carefully transported the infant from her arms to Alex's. Alex made sure to carefully support the baby head and neck, holding her kinda like a football.

"She's so fucking tiny," whispered Alex as she glanced down once again at the peaceful face of the baby.

"Alex, language," whispered Piper in warning to her wife. Not even a day old yet and she'd already heard her first swear word. Piper couldn't help, but smile slightly at this thought.

"She can't understand," whispered Alex as she looked up at Piper.

Piper just rolled her eyes at Alex. She tried to be mad but couldn't be. There were worse things that Alex could do at the moment. She was right, the baby couldn't understand what she'd just said and Alex had just given Issy her kidney. She could swear all she wanted, Piper thought as she looked on at her wife.

The couple was quiet for a moment as they both looked down with love towards the baby.

"Thank you," whispered Piper as she leaned forward and kissed Alex on the forehead. She hadn't gotten to tell her how thankful she was for what she had just done for Issy.

Alex looked up at Piper again. There was puzzlement in her eyes, "Why are you thanking me? I didn't do anything...I am the one who should be apologizing. I missed the birth of our daughter."

"It's okay..."whispered Piper as she reached out and caressed the side of her wife's face. "You were doing something...just as important..."

Alex frowned slightly at this. She knew she had been in the middle of surgery when the baby had been born, but she still couldn't help but feel guilty over it. "Why didn't you tell me you were in labour before the surgery...we could've postponed it until the baby came..."

"I thought it was Braxton's hicks," replied Piper as she continued to caress the side of Alex's face and it was the truth. She hadn't been expecting for the baby to come earlier and so fast. "Plus, Issy needed you."

Alex nodded her head slowly at Piper, leaning forward she kissed her briskly on the lips. "Well, next time...tell me."

"Next time!?" cried Piper in surprise. "There's going to be a next time?" That was news to her. She hadn't been aware that there was going to be another time.

Alex just smirked and winked playfully at her wife, "If you're lucky, kid..."

Piper couldn't help but laugh at what Alex was applying. The two women looked at each other for a second later before drifting their attention back onto the newest member of their family.

Alex could feel her heart swelling with love and happiness as she felt the warmth of the baby against her. She had never thought she could love anything so much than she did at that very moment. Tears fell slowly down her cheeks as she leaned down and kissed the back's crown before looking up at Piper.

Piper once again smiled at her wife. She knew how she felt, for she was feeling the exact same way.

"I love you," whispered a very emotional Alex.

"I love you," whispered back Piper as she reached out and cupped the side of Alex's face. The couple then shared a tender kiss before breaking apart and resting their foreheads together, staring deeply into one another eyes.

At that moment, it was just the two of them and the newest addition to their family. Nicky and Red had left long ago to give the couple privacy as they bonded over their baby girl.

xxx

"She needs a name," whispered Piper towards Alex.

The baby was fast asleep between them on the bed. They weren't really allowed to be like this but none of the nurses had the heart to tell them off. Everyone knew about their current situation as they waited for Issy to get out of surgery.

Alex was silent as she continued to look at her daughter. She knew it was too early to tell who she looked like but she couldn't help but think of how much she looked like her mom, already. The baby had been born with thick curly dark hair like her mom had and blue eyes. Piper had said that her eyes would probably chance over time. That all babies were born with blue eyes,but Alex couldn't help but think they would stay blue.

The couple hadn't talked much about baby names since January really but they needed a name for her. Alex, always had one name at the back of her mind, but she'd never shared it with Piper. However, as she continued to look down at the sleeping newborn, the name kept on coming up in her head.

"Tessa," she whispered.

"Tessa?"

"Tessa," whispered Alex as she looked up and met Piper's eye.

"Tessa." Echoed Piper as she tested the name out on her lips before glancing down at baby, "Tessa...Tess."

She liked it. It was not only sweet and simple sounding, but strong too. It had that vintage vibe she knew that Alex had been looking for.

The couple held each other's eyes for a second before Piper was leaning forward over the baby and kissing her crown,"Welcome to the world, Tessa Suzanne Vause."

They'd decided long ago to use Alex's mother name as the baby's middle name.

Alex smiled at her wife at this. Despite the soreness of her body from the surgery, she leaned forwarded, being careful not to crush the baby and kissed Piper tenderly on the lips.

"Tessa Suzanne Vause-Chapman," corrected Alex as she pulled away. Piper and her had kept their own last names when they tied the knot. However, this baby was a part of both of them, she thought. She should have both of their names.

xxx

"Can I hold her?" asked Issy who was propped up with pillows on the bed.

It was the next day and Issy was finally getting to meet her little sister. She was very excited, to say the least. She'd wanted to meet her yesterday, as soon as Mommy had her about Tess being born. But she'd not been allowed too. She had been in ICU then and they hadn't wanted to risk getting either her or the baby sick.

Issy was not only more alert today but was out of ICU and back in her hospital room from the previous night. The doctors had just finished doing a series of tests, checking her vitals and such. Everything was looking good so far. Alex's kidney already seemed to be working in Issy's body. She'd successfully made urine early that morning, which had thrilled the nurses for some reason. Issy didn't really understand why that was though. What was so exciting about pee?

She was still being closely monitored and would be for the next several days, but everything was going the way it should be.

"You've to be careful with her," whispered Piper as she lifted Tessa from the car seat and began to make her way over to Issy. The blonde had been released from the hospital early that morning. Both her and the baby were in good health.

"I will," replied Issy towards Piper before taking the baby in her arms. Issy held her baby sister like her Mommy showed her too, being careful of her neck and head.

Tessa squirmed and whimpered slightly in Issy's arms, but soon settled down after a moment.

Piper, who was still very much hormonal, felt her eyes fill with tears as her looked on at her two girls.

She couldn't believe that the day had finally come.

A grin spread across the blonde's features as she continued to stand by the bed, glazing down at Issy and Tessa. It was a beautiful sight, she thought. Tessa's eyes were open and looking up at Issy. She was too young to see anything but shadows. However, Piper couldn't help but think that Tessa knew who Issy was.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" asked Issy as she suddenly looked up at Piper in worry.

"She's just really happy," replied Alex. She was on the other side of the hospital bed in a wheel chair. She wasn't allowed to over exhaust herself and had been told stay off her feet as much as possible for the next couple of days. She wasn't going to be released from the hospital until tomorrow or so. The brunette reached out as best as she could and caressed the baby's cheek while she caught Piper's eye. She knew how her wife felt at the moment for she was feeling the same thing.

She was extremely happy to be seeing their two girls together.

"I'm really happy too," whispered Alex with a grin as she looked back on at Issy and Tess.

"Me too!" replied the little girl with a smile as she returned her attention back onto her little sister.

Thanks for reading.

Julie