"It's a period drama. Let's be realistic about this. I don't think my character is the type of woman to- to-" Piper Chapman was a riled up ball of angst, red cheeked and practically on the verge of tears. Her rising stardom was delicate at best, fragile enough to not warrant squaring off with the writers of her biggest hint at fame since the feature film she'd starred in a year ago. So, she'd been trending quite recently, but it was easy to be a hit in one movie and never surface again. Alex: she was the only one keeping that star aflame as of yet.

"To what?"

"To… fornicate, with other women."

So, Alex had put up with a lot of shit since Chapman joined the cast. But this- this had to take the cake.

Nichols scoffed beside her, a disbelieving laugh. "Fornicate? What are you method acting now?"

"What does that even mean, Piper?" Suzanne questioned, eyes wide. She was a bit of a nut, but Alex didn't regret hiring her to write on the show, that woman had a way of setting up scenes.

"I just…don't see her swinging that way." She was really grasping at straws here.

"We're the writers. I think we know what way she swings." Alex reminded, brow raised startlingly high.

"She's married."

"Look, blondie, you should've thought about that before accepting a role in a television show written by mostly lesbians. Come on- what did you expect to happen?" Nicky shrugged, holding back a laugh.

Alex shot a disapproving look her way, arms crossed as she considered Piper for a beat. She let out a heavy sigh, arms dropping to her sides with her script grasped in one hand. "This was not in my character description."

"Arcs change. We recognised your chemistry with Stella on screen and the audience's response. Look, Kid, there's not a huge amount of screen time between you and Stella. It'll be a quick shoot."

It's not like Alex expected anything less. Piper Chapman had the uppity look to her, and child actors always had a sense of superiority to them, even if all they starred in were a few failed television shows before disappearing until they reached adulthood and took another shot at fame. Granted, their ambitions were usually driven by their families, and in Piper's case, her manager was her mom. Like some fucked up Kardashian shit.

Piper was exactly what she'd expected, a quiet observer who looked down her nose at set runners and any job she deemed lower than her own, and still, she'd managed to surpass her expectations by outwardly disagreeing to having to kiss a woman.

Even if Alex disapproved of the actress, she was bringing a lot of attention to her show since being cast. Known for her skimpy magazine covers and being on the arm of a new guy every month, a period drama was a bit out of pocket for the actress. There was no denying, however, how perfect she was for the role. And the girl had talent.

"It's not– Jesus, I knew I should've brought my manager."

Alex held back from commenting on the parental link.

Piper glanced at them each once more, as if checking to see if they'd changed their minds, before storming right out of the room.

"What a cheerful woman," Suzanne said, taking a seat on the edge of a desk.

"She really does have a stick up her ass. She can't handle a kiss scene with another woman? How does she think she's going to get by in this industry without a little carpet munching?"

Alex sighed, placing this weeks script down beside her coffee. "Nicky, really?"

"What? She's practically a perverted man's dream. They love the small titted blondes who are naive enough to swing the other way. They hate gay people until the lesbians help them jack off into a sock. She's bound to be dragged into more explicit things onscreen than a kiss," Nichols rambled, making her way towards the door. "I know I'd pay to see it."'

"She's got a point." Warren shrugged as she followed Nicky out of the room, leaving Alex with a pounding head and an impending sense that Piper's mother could walk up to her at any moment.

Straight girls were the worst.

Period dramas were a new scene for Alex. After an indie short movie that had gotten her some recognition, a few sci-fi action movies that did okay, a drama about a drug cartel (one of her best works in her own opinion) and a comedy show she'd written with Nichols a couple years ago (smashing hit, surprisingly) the idea had come to her one morning in a vintage store. There, on one of the racks: a gorgeous corset. Clearly not an authentic, 19th century corset, but suddenly a flood of images came to her and she was writing down a rough synopsis of a television show in her notes.

Well, it had started as a movie idea; back to her roots, you know, but then Nicky had taken a look at it and insisted she help her flesh it out into a show.

She'd met Suzanne on her last sci-fi movie, she had written a few of the sex scenes and the complex world building Alex didn't have the scientific knowledge to make realistic. Warren had joined their writers room and they'd gotten it off the ground.

It was doing pretty well. The first season had been a bit of a hit and now that they were in their second season, the funding had increased drastically. Enter Piper Chapman, the demure wife of the local politician who has a lesbian awakening – a mixture of Nicky and Alex's character development. At first she was going to be a pretty low-key character, but her chemistry with Stella was off the charts and her first few episodes had garnered attention from the lesbian audience.

Despite their conversation, there was no denying that Piper was versatile. The next day she was ready to shoot, passive to Alex and dedicated to her scenes. There was only one scene with Stella on the itinerary for the day and luckily it didn't involve the kiss — only a tense moment in Mrs Kerman's (Piper's character) home. The chemistry was palpable, despite Chapman's previous reluctance she was immersed in the scene, all wide eyed and practically ready to be fucked on some regency desk.

Nichols was grumbling beside her about how they should just make them have sex onscreen to piss off Piper. With the legitimate glint in Stella's eyes even off camera she probably felt the same way.

These new actors always had to be initiated with a network party. The dull, formal ones, with basically everyone associated with the show invited. Not that everyone came to them, but some pretty important people usually did.

Alex decided to go solo to the party. It was either that or take Sylvie – and she really wasn't in the fucking mood to deal with a jealous party sponge who'd suck the joy out of anybody that happened to talk to Alex. And she'd have Nicky. Unless Nichols had convinced Lorna to come, which would mean she'd disappear halfway through the night and never come back, leaving Alex to flirt with higher ups to secure a little more favour from the network all by herself.

The dress she wore was a size too small and her hair took twenty minutes too long, but at least she looked hot.

Nicky was, thankfully, by herself – a shit-eating grin on her face when they saw Piper Chapman with her boring boyfriend looking as miserable as a cat meme. She'd gone straight to the champagne, and Alex had half a mind to do the same.

"He just looks so…average," Nicky spoke beside her, eyes focused on the relatively new couple – at least publicly new.

"He's a journalist, what did you except?"

"She's dating a journalist? That's gotta be some ironic bullshit. They're practically Romeo and Juliet."

"But less romantic," Alex offered, smirking.

"Just as tragic," Nichols fired back, still watching them as they began a conversation with one of the producers. "Oh, Lorna's outside by the way."

"For fucksake Nichols, you're gonna leave me aren't you?"

"A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. And in this case she's gotta do a pretty girl in a red dress." With her sights on Lorna, Nichols was off.

Fuck it – she may as well start drinking. As long as she didn't get drunk she could get through the evening and avoid embarrassing herself.

An hour later she was at the bar nursing her third whiskey, looking out over the crowd and deciding the best route for mingling. These things were important. Reznikov had passed by for a chat, but she'd mostly been alone so far. About a quarter way through her drink Chapman stumbled up to the bar without her date, practically desperate for the bartenders attention as she flapped her arms about like wings. She was already half drunk by the looks of it. Glassy eyed and a little unbalanced. "One margarita please." Of course Chapman drank margaritas.

As the bartender prepared her drink, she turned towards Alex with a reluctant smile. "Enjoying your evening?" She asked dutifully, tapping her nails against the bar. Alex supposed they were stick ons; they were filming in a few days and acrylics didn't really suit the 19th century aesthetic.

"These things are always a bit dull," She admitted.

"God, I thought I was the only one. I'm bored out of my mind." Rolling her eyes, Piper looked around the room with a wild look in her eyes. "Are there plans to go somewhere more lively afterwards?"

It was fitting – the rebellious act she had going on. The excessive drinking in tabloids and the sophisticated grace everywhere else. Alex didn't know what one to believe. Whether they were both PR moves or just Chapman acting out in some way.

"I'm sure a few actors have planned something," Alex supplied, watching as Piper accepted her drink and avoided the straw in favour of taking a huge sip.

"Not your scene?" Wiping her lower lip, she considered Alex's shrug. "Figures."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, you know, the professionalism. The cold, distant head writer who doesn't mingle with her actors." Piper held her straw between her teeth, leaning her hip against the bar.

"And that makes you the demanding actress who expects the writers not only to alter the plot for her, but to drink with her as well?" This really wasn't the place to bring it up, but Alex's blood boiled just thinking about it. Here the actress was, sipping at a margarita and chatting to her like she didn't beg not to have a lesbian character arc — to three lesbians no less.

Chapman considered her for a few solid seconds before smiling falsely, more of a baring of teeth. "I just thought maybe you'd be better at drinking than you are at character development."

Holding back her affronted scoff, Alex merely raised her eyebrows. Before she could retort – probably for the best – Piper's boyfriend was sidling up to her with an arm around her waist.

Alex pretended not to see the way Piper leant away from his touch, but instead held her eyes as he whispered something in her ear and began leading her towards a cluster of people.

So that's the way she wanted to play this?

If Alex could, this would be where she'd write Piper out of the show. Alas, the audiences ate her up and the network was practically up her ass. There's no way anyone would approve of that, not even Nichols. Maybe an extra lesbian scene would do the trick.

The next morning she woke with a pounding head and a ding from her phone. Nichols had sent her a screenshot of a TMZ article, Piper Chapman and her new beau: is it serious this time? She looked trashed, dress strap halfway down her shoulder and hair fluffed up, hanging off the arm of the journalist. Fuck. This was not the publicity the show needed.

For the most part, the show was being filmed in New York – convenient, being that she lived there. Alex wasn't always present for filming, she had directors for that, but she'd drop in more often than not to see how it was coming together.

Chapman avoided her mostly, sticking to the opposite side of the room during break and coming to the director with queries about her character rather than any of the writers. It's not like Alex was dying to speak to her, that's pretty much the opposite of what she wanted, but at least she could be professional. Piper on the other hand? About as unprofessional as they come.

For the next few weeks filming would take place in Massachusetts to get most of their outdoor shots. They'd arranged accommodation at a hotel nearby the set and Alex was planning on staying for the duration. Some of the crew would make the commute, but most were relocating.

She drove up with Nichols, made a short road trip out of it.

It was during one of the scenes in Massachusetts that Piper (Eressea Kerman) would have her first kiss with Stella (Ruby). Ruby was supposed to be a sort of understudy to Eressea's husband – only granted the role due to connections. She'd been critiqued for her refusal of gendered stereotypes and become a bit of an outcast. The husband was unhappy about it but had relented. It was here Ruby and Eressea's romance would blossom with small, charged moments, until their kiss in the stables.

It started with Eressea being reluctant to go riding due to her husbands disapproval, and Ruby convincing her.

The horse riding scenes took hours – they had to take into consideration the hazards of horse riding, but Piper had lamented that she'd riden horses a few times as a kid (unsurprising).

After helping Piper's character down from her horse, Ruby and Eressea would share a kiss.

It was quite a beautiful scene. Piper was wearing a simple gown, hair pinned back and covered with a hat. Stella on the other hand was decked out in traditional mens clothing. The cinematographers had done a brilliant job of getting some gorgeous shots at sunset, and the actors chemistry translated in the few kisses they had shot. It didn't take many, given how fantastic they both were (Alex was a little bitter admitting this about the blonde) and Piper hadn't fussed at all.

She seemed almost happy about the shoot. There was something more relaxed about her without her mom-ager on set.

As they were packing up for the day, Alex gestured Piper over. "You did well today, Piper." It was mostly appreciation that she hadn't made anymore fuss about the plot (bare minimum) but also praise for her performance.

She said her thanks, brusque, but didn't stick around long enough to chat.

The next time she really talked to Piper was at a bar, once again, that night. This time, Piper's heels were about three inches taller and her dress four inches shorter. They were at a club, half of the cast and crew. Alex had been dragged here by Nicky and one of the producers, Boo. Everybody wanted to see Massachusetts' night life.

Chapman was opposite her in their booth, sipping on a margarita and chatting to Gonzales. Bailey was on her right, trying and failing to get her attention. Meanwhile, Alex was trying to shake off one of the costume designer's – Brenda? Brook? – who couldn't, for the life of her, figure out how to stop talking.

"I'm gonna head to the bar." She kind of cut in mid sentence but that girl didn't take a breath.

"Oh, okay, I'll just-"

And she was gone. It was a bit of a maze trying to get through the crowd, she didn't know who'd chosen this place but even if the booth cost them all an arm it was still busy as fuck on a Saturday night. If there were any paps outside for the journey home she'd jump in front of a bus. Not that they'd be paying any particular attention to her. That attention was usually directed at the actors. Maybe an odd director. It's not often you see paparazzi chasing down Jenji Kohan or Michael Schur.

It was as she was ordering her beer that Piper appeared beside her, just like before, tapping her new set of stick ons against the bar. There was a vacant look in her eyes as she played with a strand of her hair and waited to be served. For some strange reason Alex asked for a margarita, ignoring the way Piper's head whipped around.

"What if I wanted a beer?" Piper asked as she handed it over, but still took the straw between her fingers and sipped at it.

Alex scoffed, narrowing her eyes.

"What, you don't think I drink beer?"

"Honestly, no," Alex said, lifting her glasses onto her head.

Chapman tracked the movement, margarita half gone. "I went to college, of course I drink beer."

"So you didn't hang out with your sorority sipping virgin cocktails in matching outfits?"

"If that's a fantasy of yours, I won't spoil it for you."

Cocking her head to the side, Alex tried to figure out whether Piper was riling her up purposefully or was that oblivious. "Not every lesbian fantasises about you just because they like women, Piper."

"But I didn't say every lesbian," She pointed out, innocent eyes (faux) blinking at her rapidly.

"So you're just a narcissist? Where have you gotten the idea I'm attracted to you?" Raising an eyebrow, Alex placed her beer on the bar and folded her arms across her chest.

"It was a joke, Jesus," Piper rolled her eyes, backing down a little. Perhaps Alex had offended her. She probably would've offended her even more if she'd said she was attracted to her.

Not wanting to wound her too much, because yeah she was kind of attractive despite her personality, she decided to cool it on the defensiveness. "Jesus? If you wanted to worship me you could've just asked."

With a coy smirk, Alex expected Piper to back down but she only leant closer. "Who's the narcissist now?"

"Yep, that's still you."

Pursing her lips, Piper finished off her margarita before waving over the bartender and ordering two beers.

"I still haven't finished mine," Alex mentioned as two bottles were placed in front of the blonde.

"Who said they were for you?" With a half smile, she turned and merged with the crowd, heading back to the booth.

Alex blinked rapidly, watching Piper retreat and wondering what she was trying to achieve. And why she always had to leave halfway through a conversation like she couldn't handle Alex's rebuttal.

Nicky came up from behind her with an arm around her shoulder. "What did blondie have to say to you?"

"Oh, nothing," She said absentmindedly, watching as Gonzales took the other beer from Chapman.

"Shots?"

"Why not."

For most of the night Alex kept meeting Piper's eyes. Across the booth, on the dance floor, one time in the toilet – which was a weird place to have charged eye contact. Piper had gotten progressively more drunk, and currently she was dancing in a cluster of people, eyes closed and body swaying. Her hair was stuck to her forehead, hips moving along to the rhythm. She was quite a good dancer, but the alcohol had made her sloppy. Alex felt almost pitiful.

"Yikes," Nicky spoke from the booth behind her.

"Yeah, yikes," Boo agreed, "That girl can drink."

"She can handle it better than you," Nicky goaded, jabbing Boo's side.

When she turned back, Piper was at the bar with Gonzales.

It was almost midnight when she decided some air would be good. With a cigarette between her lips, Alex allowed her shoulders to relax. She wasn't overly drunk, but the world was spinning just slightly when she looked up at the sky, and she couldn't locate any stars. Clubs were only fun when she was wasted or high. Otherwise they were stifling.

It took her three tries to light the tip, the breeze picking up slightly and causing her to shiver. She pulled her jacket tighter to her, glancing at the other people milling about outside.

There was a shuffle in the alley between the club and some convenience store that was still open. Expecting a drunk man pissing or a shady drug deal, Alex was surprised when she peered around the corner to see Piper Chapman sitting against the wall, head in her hands.

She was quietly sobbing, mascara smudged and shoulders shaking. To be honest, the woman had seemed pretty emotionless before now. Excluding her mildly homophobic outburst.

"Fuck, Piper."

Glancing up at the sound of her name, Piper looked at Alex for a few solid seconds, tracing the wisp of smoke from between her lips, before balling her fists back into her eyes.

Eyeing the floor, Alex decided it didn't look too awful, and so slid down beside her. "What's going on?" She'd never been particularly good at comforting crying people – raw displays of emotion usually made her uncomfortable – but she wasn't a heartless bitch. "Want a smoke?"

Blindly holding out her hand, Piper took a cigarette and placed it between her lips, gesturing for Alex to light it. Cupping her hands near her chin, she lit the tip, ignoring the emptiness behind Piper's eyes at this proximity.

When she leant back, Piper took a long drag, lazily expelling the smoke. The sobs had stopped, so maybe Alex was better at this than she realised.

"You gonna speak or?"

After a beat of silence, Piper said, "No."

"Okay."

Sitting in quiet, Alex could feel the bass from inside the club and Chapman's shoulder pushed against her own. Every so often she'd sniffle then breathe out heavily, a stream of smoke passing Alex's eyesight. A cycle.

Piper finished before her, flicking the cigarette butt across the floor and running her fingers under her eyes and through her hair. Constructing herself again.

When she'd finished her own, Piper stood up, looking down at her expectantly. "Are you gonna buy me a drink or just sit out here all night?"

Scoffing, Alex shook her head. "Are you sure you can even handle another drink?"

"Suit yourself."

Rolling her eyes, Alex stood and followed Piper's retreating form, almost losing her a few times on the way.

"I'm thinking vodka," Piper spoke into her ear, hand gripping her shoulder, and Alex was a fucking idiot for ordering two shots of vodka and drinking her own dutifully.

Where the fuck was Nicky when she needed her?

"Let's dance." So she was dancing with Piper fucking Chapman, who was way too handsy for a straight girl – a straight girl in a relationship – and way too drunk for Alex to even remotely enjoy the interaction.

"Look, let's get you home," Alex said, practically yelling over the music.

Piper tightened her grip on her arms, frowning, "Ugh, boring," She slurred, stumbling when somebody knocked into her.

"You're wasted." Piper ignored her in favour of dancing. "Piper."

The actress looked up at her with wide eyes, a smirk on her face. "Bossy."

"I'm serious," She waited until Piper stopped dancing, "We're leaving."

"Okay, ma'am." Piper mocked, but followed her back to their booth to gather their things.

"Nicky, I'm getting Piper back to the hotel." Nichols raised her eyebrows suggestively, a smirk on her face, "She's fucked."

"I hope not with the way she can barely stand," She remarked, pushing on Piper's shoulder to test her balance. Before she could fall, Alex wrapped a hand around her arm.

" Nicky . "

"Are you asking me to help, because I'm not leaving early for somebody who can't handle their alcohol," She said, watching the blonde warily. Piper looked like she was about to protest about her tolerance.

"Fine." Without bothering to say goodbye, Alex stormed out, leading Piper out of the club. She couldn't blame Nicky, but she still felt frustrated that she'd been burdened with the actress alone. Thankfully there were no paparazzi, probably because they were expecting her at close. Or perhaps nobody had tipped them off, which she highly doubted.

It was 12:15, early for anyones standards, but she could already feel a headache forming as the affects of the alcohol she'd drank began wearing off. Probably from dehydration too.

"Alex, you're going too fast," She whined, digging her heels into the pavement.

Slowing, she muttered a quiet apology and adjusted the arm that was holding her up.

"Do you usually help your actresses home?"

With a sigh, Alex shook her head. "I don't usually have to."

"Fuck you, I'm not a child."

"Okay." Alex let go of her to prove a point and rubbed at her temples as Piper nearly fell over, hastily grabbing onto her arm.

A palm slapped her shoulder, barely any weight behind it. "That was just petty."

The lack of cabs was stressing her out, and when Piper almost tripped again Alex felt her resolve slip. "How long are you going to keep doing this Piper?"

"Walking? Until we find a cab I gue-"

"Getting wasted and crying in club alleyways," She said, disapproval clear in her tone, "Getting plastered over every fucking tabloid you can think of."

Grumbling intelligibly, Piper tugged Alex across the road towards a taxi. "Why do you care?"

"Because it's my television show you're putting on the line."

"Are you kidding?" Suddenly Piper sounded very sober, voice tinged with disbelief.

She shook her head solemnly, stopping beside the car.

"Your show was nothing before you cast me." There was venom in her tone, a stark iciness to it.

Barking out a laugh, Alex realised Piper was deadly serious. "You are fucking delusional."

"You don't think these tabloids are bringing viewers flooding in? Your show would be irrelevant without me."

"I cant believe how fucking naïve you are."

"You think you would've been nominated for a People's Choice if it wasn't for me?"

"We won an Emmy before there was even any decision to cast you."

"You capitalise off my recklessness. If I weren't on the cover of every tabloid your viewers would be halved." There was barely any coherence to her words, only anger, and Alex recognised that it was the drink. Probably whatever the fuck had her crying earlier in the night too, but she wouldn't accept this bullshit. Piper had probably been spoon fed all her fucking life and had the ego to back it up.

"Listen, Kid, you think because you're some hot shot, current actress that you have the power, that you bring the viewers? Actors can be dropped like that," Piper flinched as Alex's fingers snapped directly in front of her face, backed up into the cab. "You are replaceable. You don't think there are tens of thousands of blonde, WASPy actresses ready for your roles? You don't think one fuck up can end your career forever? If the way you'd begged not to have a lesbian character arc had gotten out you would be cancelled like that. Any power you think you have is an illusion. The only reason you're still relevant is because you're in my fucking show."

Stepping back, Alex pointed towards the taxi door. "Now get in the fucking cab."