Piper's P.O.V

'…iPad, check. Wallet, check. Phone, check. Keys, check.' I state mentally checking off my list of items I need to take today to go and see Alex at the prison. Visitation starts in less than ten minutes and I still need to drive there and check in but I've been busy, I haven't been able to look for any potential homes for Alex or I but know that her apartment in New York has sold because our account swelled again and we are now up to just over 13 million dollars. I've used the last few days since seeing the bank to have a look at potential wedding venues and honeymoon places but at the end of the day I have no idea what Alex will actually want so I gave up on that pretty quickly wanting to wait until she was out of prison to make a decision. At the end of the day I'm excited to see if once Alex is free she can locate those prison toppers for a wedding cake, she found them on her pinterest during a lockdown in Max. I loved the idea of us making fun of our time in prison, it does make me smile to think that we reconnected in the most awful way possible and we mucked up so many times to get to where we are but I'm glad that we are in this space, in this garden and hopefully soon the same pod.

Leaving for the prison I arrive just after visitation starts but when I arrive and sign myself in the CO tells me that I need to wait a little because Alex is in a meeting. I'm curious as to why she's in a meeting because she told me she met the 'boss' yesterday and assumed that was her meeting to discuss when she would get out. I sigh but don't complain as long as Alex isn't down in SHU then I really don't care what is holding her up.

Time ticks by as we wait and wait a little longer but as we approach visitation being up the CO's still haven't told me that Alex is ready for visitation. Glancing at my phone again I see the time is 12.58pm which means there is only two minutes left of visitation, refusing to give up on seeing Alex I march back to the CO who looks at me and says, "Piper Chapman I assume?" I nod all of my questions about where Alex is falls to the wayside, "…great, the boss wants to meet you." I'm taken back and a little shocked, why would the boss of Ohio Max want to speak to me. I agree though, hoping it will mean that I will be able to see a few minutes of Alex today. A CO Hogg takes me down a long corridor and ten doors down, pauses and then knocks. "Enter…" CO Hogg looks at me and opens the door motioning me inside. The moment I look at the walls I notice that this room is different to the prison walls in the corridor, it feels warmer and homey which as I know all too well is a stark contrast to what life in a maximum security prison is like. "Miss Chapman?" I turn to face the voice and say, "yes, I'm Piper Chapman. Who are you?" This 'boss' raises herself up from her chair and holds out a hand, Carlotta Burley, head of Ohio Max.

My hand reaches out to shake the hand of the 'boss', she seemed nice but I'm more than a little confused as to why I'm meeting with the boss. "So how can I help you Miss Burley? Is this about Alex?" I question as she resumes her position behind her desk but does offer me one of two leather chairs across from her. The woman, Carlotta folds her hands and looks at me, "yes this concerns Alex." I nod taking a deep breath as she continues, "Alex is going to be released, early release." My eyes shoot open and I stare at her, I know on some level my mouth will also be hanging open. "Out, like free out?" I question as Carlotta Burley nods,
"Yes, free as in out. But I'm more than a little concerned about her being released back into society, I see as part of her folder that she has you listed as an emergency contact," I nod knowing that's true. "Yes, well Alex is my fiancée so we are naturally both recorded down as each other's emergency contacts, why is this an issue?" I question looking at her. I'm more than a little concerned now, since when has Alex being with me been an issue of release? I wait patiently not wanting to offend the woman who no doubt Alex's release is in the hands of. "Well you see Alex has no mother or father listed in her file, just you. But with you being an ex-inmate too and you both being implicated to the same crime I'm more than concerned that you both or one of you will return to your previous life." She states looking at her nails and almost instantly my eyes bulge out of my eye and I look anywhere except this woman, because I know if I do I will say something that shouldn't come out of my mouth. "Wow, just wow…is it some type of law that prevents two women who happen to be engaged but are both ex-cons living together?" Carlotta Burley shakes her head to indicate no,
"Absolutely not but usually encourage those who are released early to live the first few months with family, to re-adjust. With Alex not having any listed it's harder for us to contact them to arrange this."

By this stage I'm more than a little confused, this didn't happen to me when I was released from Litchfield Max I just called Cal and had him pick me up. In fact I didn't see my parents for a solid three months after getting out and I never lived with them, I didn't want to do that. "Well Miss Carlotta, I personally believe that if Alex wanted to list her parents she would, and I know that it is not possible to dictate where inmates go after they are released. At the end of the day if Alex decides to return to a life of importing things then that's her choice, I can't tell her not to and neither can you." I state standing up and moving towards the same door I came in, before I get there I notice that Carlotta Burley has not said a single word to me so I turn and look at her and she smiles a little. "Alex is lucky to have you Piper, take care of her." I nod and turn to leave, CO Hogg returns and takes me back to the waiting area for visitation, I know by now that it's long over but I'm hoping that I might be able to speak to Alex soon, she is after all getting early release.

Being marched back up to visitation I'm shocked by what I see, Alex Vause standing in the middle of the room, she is facing me but looking down at her shoes. My breathing is hitched as I take in her appearance, glancing around I see that we are in the visitors area, not the prison inmate area where we were less than a week ago when I first saw her. "Alex…" I whisper softly but she looks up, the look of relaxation crosses her face as she crosses the room towards me, "Piper, baby…" I smirk at her endearment as she forces her face into my neck, "you smell so good baby…" she states pressing a small kiss into my neck before removing herself. I take her hand and lace our fingers together, "are you free my love?" I question looking her all over, noticing for the first time that although I haven't held her hand in so long it feels as if no time has passed. Looking at the CO's around us I notice that they are paying us absolutely no attention so I grab her hand and lace our fingers again, adjusting the grip so it's more comfortable. "Let's go home," I state to Alex who glances at me and smirks, "I hope you have a tonne of hot water, because I'm dying for a hot, hot shower, not a cold or lukewarm one." I grin at her and say,
"Thankfully the water is hot stuff, just like you Al." Alex can only smirk as I sign myself out of the prison and Alex grabs her bag of trinkets she's collected, I notice the small envelope of notes I wrote her immediately. In less than three minutes flat we are out the door and in the car I brought to Ohio with me.

As I glance at Alex as we drive home, our hands tangled together and as the sun hits the windscreen and filters in I immediately notice the smile on Alex's face, the relaxed and patient smile that she only ever releases when in pure bliss. That's when it hits me, she is in absolute bliss and that makes me grin because we are free, free to be us and free to start our lives together.

Alex's P.O.V

Being escorted back to my cell I'm mind blown, 'how does a prison boss know my mother? How does she relate to me, she claims to be my sperm donors sister but why have I never met her?' There are so many questions I want to ask my mom, but I can't. I missed my phone time with Piper too, but I'll talk to her tomorrow and tell her I've me the boss and had my meeting. I know I can't tell Piper how much longer I will be in the prison from that meeting because I didn't ask. Turning to face my prison family, they all are curious as to where I was, when I mention I was with the boss Big Boo immediately perks up and says, "damn you got to meet the hot boss, isn't she nice?" I nod and say,
"Sure she's nice, I wouldn't say she's hot though, might be a big awkward…" I state as Big Boo looks confused, "whys that Vause?"

"She's apparently my aunt." I deadpan as everyone's mouths open and then I say, "sperm donors sister and she knew my mom…" I continue and they all look shocked,
"Damn Vause, I had no idea…" Big Boo states as if apologising but I wave her off, it doesn't matter to me and it doesn't make any sense to continue to think about it. I have no ties to this woman and so it doesn't make sense to dwell.

Standing I remove myself from our hangout spot and move to my cell, lights out follow several hours later but my mind is completely blank. As night fades to light and dawn breaks I choose to restart and refresh myself through the showers, at least if I go early in the day to shower I can hope for hot lukewarm water which is guaranteed to be hotter than water at night. Grabbing my shower caddy I take my shampoo and soap, with a few deep breaths I'm off and by the time breakfast starts at 8am, I've been awake for hours. My time is well spent though, I write letters for Piper, letters that I send once a week after buying a stamp from commissary. This place is at least better at sending out letters, the CO's will speak to us like normal humans and not inmates. My day only gets better as I speak to Piper at lunch and she tells me that the apartment has sold and our account is very healthy, I laugh and tell her that we can buy a decent house now but at the same time I don't want to buy in Columbus, I want to move back to New York. I don't want us to live in New York but maybe an hour or two away, I'd love to own a beach house in the Hamptons too. So fingers crossed I get out soon so I can make mine and Pipers life as comfortable as possible.

Waking up the next day it hits me that today is visitation day, Piper will be coming. I notice that others are already up and moving about and so I'm shocked when CO Marshall knocks and enters, "Vause, you need to get your stuff…" I look at him shocked, grabbing my glasses I shove them on my face, "why?" I question as he looks at me and sarcastically states,

"We're going on a pony ride…Jesus Vause, your being released today." My mouth drops open and I smile at him, he motions to the door and I slip my feet into slides and grab the bag of stuff that I have everything in. "Quick huh Vause? Do you want to leave that bad?" CO Marshall questions as I laugh and nod, "yes for sure, not to put you down Marshall, but I really want to see my fiancée in the morning not your face or any other CO for that matter. He nod and gestures me to the checkout space, signing several papers and being given an envelope of my belongings that I had when I arrived, my suit from court and in it my cellphone, keys, watch and wallet. Opening it I see everything is still there including the two hundred dollars cash I have. Questioning whether or not I need to call Piper to get me has the checkout CO shaking her head, CO Jones states, "no Vause, your fiancée is in with the boss right now so you can wait in the main area." My eyes widen at that fact, so close to freedom I can taste it. "Seriously, I can just wait with all the normal people?" I question as Jones glances at me, "what trouble would you cause, it's maximum security prison, and besides visitation is over so don't even worry." I nod and move to the visitation area sensing that I'm already one step closer to freedom and one step closer to my dream with Piper.