Alex's P.O.V
"Vause!" I roll over on my bunk and see a CO standing at the door. Sitting up I see the CO move into the room. "Yes." I state looking at him. He motions towards the door where CO Marshall is standing, "Boss wants to see you Vause, must've done something to get to see him ahead of the meeting time." I roll my eyes, ever since Piper was here a less than a week ago, the CO's have been friendlier which makes me question their motives, I wasn't a top drug mule and then seller for nothing and my instincts got me everywhere. "Sure, now?" I question Marshall who nods and points in the direction of the exit of the cells. I strut my way over there noticing the time is now 11.00am and I know I need to be back within an hour to call Piper. I know that if I miss today's call it's not a big deal because she is coming for visitation tomorrow so no worries. Being led to see the Boss is scary because I don't know who to expect. I'm cuffed on both hands tightly and it will be interesting to see if they remove the cuffs, I doubt it but who knows.
CO Marshall lifts his hand and raps cleanly on the door, it's a solid door by the resonating sound that emulates from the door. "Enter," Marshall pushes open the door,
"Vause is here boss," there must be an exchange of nod or some form of sign because Marshall removes the cuffs from my hands and I quickly move them to regain feeling, "enter but let the boss talk." I nod and gulp, slightly nervous because Marshall is correct and it's way too early for the meeting to take place so I can ask how much more time I have. Taking a deep breath I step inside, Marshall closes the door behind me. Turning I am greeted by the 'boss' I have no idea who she is but she quickly moves towards me, making me step back out of both fear and concern for myself. "Miss Vause, I've been waiting to meet you…" I nod and take a step forward, sensing that she's not out to try to hurt me. "I would say it's nice to meet you but I have no idea who you are." She smirks a little and nods,
"Feisty, I like that about you. Who would've thought that you of all people would be feisty, although considering who your mother was I'm not shocked, she was always made of sterner stuff." My heckles are immediately up, 'how dare this bitch speak about my mother', I smile sweetly at her, "you knew my mom?" she nods and moves away from me to the chair behind her desk, "…of course I know Dianne Vause, no one could ever forget a woman like her. You look like her ya know?" I look at this woman, still not having any idea who she is.
"I've been told." I state standing still as she looks me up and down, that action makes me nervous as it feels like McCullough all over again, as far as my mind is concerned Piper is the only person who can look me up and down like that. "Oh please forgive me, I'm Carlotta…" I nod and look outside her window until her next words stop me dead in my place. "…Carlotta Burley, I guess I'm your aunt."
Carlotta's P.O.V
I've been at Ohio Maximum Prison for almost ten months, I remember being told at the interview when I applied for the job that women never last in this business but clearly they've never met a Burley. I remember telling them not to worry about me, I'll fit in just fine and I did. I was selective with who I conversed with, selective in deciding what to do with inmates and guards and finally I was selective in who became eligible for early parole. I only ever release those who have served their time and who deserve it, others serve out their full sentence. But that changed when I heard of the Litchfield prisoners being transferred to us, one name in particular caught my eye, 'Alexandra Vause'. I looked at her picture and saw little things that made me question whether it could really be the same little girl from all those years ago. So I watched her, I watched her interactions and her visitation logs, she kept to herself, constantly reading and I seriously started to doubt that it was her but then she changed, she became perky and intriguing. I watched her interact with old inmates, inmates here long before me but a quick look at their files told me they'd served with her in minimum security. She became happier, a letter arrived that changed everything. Her visitation log had someone down, Piper Chapman.
I watched her visitation from the camera that feeds straight to my computer, watching her mannerisms emerge I realise that I've seen those mannerisms before, in her mother in Dianne Vause. Summoning her to my office was spontaneous and not a decision I made lightly but she deserved to know that she still had family and family who cared about her. But now watching her as she processes my name I can't help but wonder if I made a mistake. "Burley, as in…" I nod,
"Sadly yes, as in your father." She visibly shudders at the mention of the word 'father' and why shouldn't she, he turned his back on her before she was even who she is now. "Wow, I may need to sit…" she stammers and I quickly bolt back round the desk and yank a chair in her direction, she glances at me but sits and shoves her head into her hands. Silence envelops us as we sit and occasionally she looks at me, the last time she does it almost thirty minutes has elapsed, "do you want to ask me anything?" I question not wanting to push her but also wanting to know so much about her. "What do you want?" her question is straight to the point and makes me smile a little, she's got some of the Burley genes in her clearly but looking at her she is all her mom. I shake my head at her, "nothing, I want nothing Alexandra,"
"Alex. My name is Alex, only my mom calls me Alexandra, or called." I nod remembering that her mother was deceased. "I'm sorry, Alex then. I suppose I saw your name, then watched you a little bit. I needed to be sure it was the same Vause from years ago, the same little girl who loved to eat nutella out of the jar with her fingers…" I watch recognition flicker over Alex's face. "Nutella?" she questions and I nod,
"You were a messy kid, spoilt rotten by love." I watch as a small smile dances across her face, a memory stirred within her. "I honestly don't want anything, I just wanted to see you again. It's been so long and you're so much older now. I just wanted one last chance to see you and meet you properly." She nods and looks me up and down as if trying to commit me to her memory, "I doubt you remember seeing me, you were so little. Your mom always did right by you though and I know that you were better off with your mom and her raising you the way she did than our family sticking our noses in." She looks at me as if confused, "…you're mom almost raised you near us but after your fat...Lee left she returned to New York and I assume that's where you were raised." I watch Alex nod and then she says,
"Raised by a solo-mom who worked three jobs to feed, clothe and put a roof over my head. I had more love than anything, and all while Lee toured the country with more money than we ever had. No help from him or his elusive family." Alex states standing tall and moving to the door but pausing as if remembering her manners, "I'd like to leave now." I nod and move towards the door, calling for CO Marshall down the hall. "Marshall, please take Vause back to the cells…" he nods and escorts Alex down the hallway, I look after her hoping she turns around and looks at me so I know that she's interested in learning about me a little more but she walks straight on. I smile knowing that she's all Diane Vause, all the time and secretly I'm glad.
Pivoting and walking to my desk I look over the files sitting on my desk. Moving to the pile of people I'm supposed to be meeting with in a few days to discuss their sentences I shuffle through the files that are placed in alphabetical order, pausing at V and like I thought 'Vause, Alexandra' sticks out at me. Taking her file for the first time I allow myself to pour over it. I see her charges, drug trafficking and my heart drops but then I see the time and I know that she named people to get her sentence down. Four years… 'shit that's a long time' I muse looking at her file, nothing sticks out at me. She was released a year in after testifying at a court case and getting her freedom, but she broke parole and ended up back inside. Now here in Ohio there have been no problems, she was an easy transfer from Litchfield and now here she has just over a year of her original sentence plus the extra year for breaking parole. So two more years, but looking at her clean record since being inside I grab my stamp and running it through the ink in front of me I press it down hard on her picture, pulling the stamp off the bright red wording of 'EARLY RELEASE' stretches out. I buzz for her file to be sent to processing and with a sigh I do it to five other random people happy to be able to at least give her, her freedom. The freedom she deserves.