Thank you for all the reviews! It's unsurprising that the majority of people feel the same way about the Alex-Piper storyline in Season 7. I can only hope that this somewhat helps with the elements of disappointment...
I'd missed the interactions between both Alex and Piper with Nicky this season. I always enjoyed their dynamic, and, if anything, I would have liked an almost intervention-like phone call between Nicky and Piper - something to have grounded the crazy events that emotionally wrecked fans in a borderline unnecessary fashion - well, that's my opinion anyway.
Regardless, I hope you enjoy.
The sound of the humming fridge is the only thing preventing Piper from over-thinking. From where she's seated at the wooden kitchen table - waiting for Cal and Neri to return from her sister-in-law's parents' home, the blonde is unsure what to do with herself. The vast majority of her belongings - albeit limited - are packed away into a large suitcase and accompanying cardboard boxes, making the room in which she'd been occupying for the best part of a year as empty as it had been when she first stepped foot inside.
Her thoughts are soon disrupted by the sound of the ringing of her iPhone coming from her room, and as she hadn't heard from her wife since their visitation four days ago, Piper's reflexes instantly kick in. Dramatically getting up from the small, wooden chair she was seated on, the blonde rushes into her room - careful not to knock over any boxes as she enters - and picks up the device that was resting on the top of her bed.
"Hello," she says, despite having recognised the number calling and expecting an automated greeting.
"An inmate from Litchfield Federal Prison is attempting to contact you. Do you accept?"
"Accept, accept," the blonde responds. impatiently waiting for the phone call to transfer through.
"Alex?" Piper asks, craving the sound of her wife's deep, husky voice.
"I'm sorry to get your hopes up, blondie, but it's not your tall glass of water," a rough voice comes down the line, causing her eyes to widen.
"Nicky? Is that you?" she asks, running a hand through her hair yet leaving it positioned in a tight grip at the top of her head.
"I'm sorry it took me so long to call. Your letter came late and I've only just had the changes to my call list approved."
"How are you?" Piper asks, ignoring her friend's apology - already knowing that the punctuality of these sort of things are never in the hands of inmates, and that they're probably lacking in time to talk.
"Well, most of my friends are gone, I ran out of shampoo, and I think about going full out Shawshank about 3 times a day. What about you?" the wild-haired woman asks, the sarcasm in her response particularly evident.
"Things have been tough," she pauses, not particularly knowing how to explain without eating into a chunk of her friend's call time allowance.
"With Alex?"
"Yeah," she sighs, "with Alex."
"You guys really are a living soap opera," Nicky chuckles out. "You know, I always did root for you two… I'm sorry to hear about how it ended," she adds with a more sincere tone.
"There's no need to apologise. We talked some more and I think for the first time in a while we're finally on the same page."
"Of the same book?" Nicky asks, her tone of voice heightened.
"Even the same chapter," the blonde confirms, smiling as she hears her friend laughing lightly on the other side of the line.
"Fuck, blondie, you two are a different kind. So I'm guessing the whole separation didn't last very long?"
"I don't think we ever were fully separated… at least not in my eyes. Did she tell you that?"
"We may have… talked about your situation, but she didn't go into detail with her saying goodbye and all."
"So she told you about that as well," Piper comments, her heart dropping at the thought of Alex having to leave behind the one person who really was there throughout her time in prison, both while they were and weren't on good terms as a couple.
"The bus left yesterday," the wild-haired woman reveals down the line. "I didn't have the heart to tell her about your letter."
"That's okay," the blonde whispers down the line, unable to shake the thought of Alex being all alone in an unfamiliar environment. "It's not like it has any use now anyway."
She'd written a letter to Nicky just over 2 weeks ago. It explained she worried about Alex and wanted Nicky to keep an eye on her. It wasn't that she didn't trust her wife because she did; Piper wanted Alex to know that someone was there for her on the inside; she wanted someone to keep Alex company and be able to hear all about how her wife was doing. She'd attached her phone number at the bottom of her letter, indicating that she'd love to hear from the wild-haired woman, but in a period of time that's rocked her current state of being, Piper had forgotten about the letter entirely, only to be reminded by Nicky's call.
"What're you gonna do with yourself now, blondie?" the wild-haired woman asks, attempting to bring a lighter tone to their conversation.
"Well, I've been busy packing my things and the new apartment's ready in a few days, so there's that," she responds, momentarily forgetting her friend is in prison and is unaware as to what she's talking about.
"New apartment, hey! I guess your probation officer loves you."
"Oh, she far from loves me," Piper chuckles. "But my probation is over by the end of the week and then I'm free to move."
"Blondie - you can move apartments while you're on probation," Nicky laughs. "Moving around New York isn't exactly a continent change."
"You're right," Piper joins in with the laughter. "But I don't think they see moving states the same way," she adds, her mouth remaining in a smiling position at the pride she feels in telling someone other than her brother and sister-in-law about her up-and-coming move.
"Holy shit! You're moving states! Damn, blondie, I didn't think you had it in you. Although, from what I've learnt, you'd do anything to have a certain someone in you," she adds, clearly pleased with her own joke.
"I promised Alex I'd wait for her. There isn't anything here for me in New York anymore. It's the right thing to do."
"What about your family?" Nicky asks, knowing the blonde - like herself - has a string of questionable family relationships.
"Alex is my family now. My parents will get used to it, and I think my brother actually likes that I'm moving away. I seem to have the knack for waking Goodall at the wrong time."
"Who the fuck is Goodall?"
"My niece."
"Listen, Piper, I have to go," Nicky announces after a few seconds of silence. "I don't have much money left for calls."
"I understand. Once I'm settled in and working I can send you some money over."
"You don't have to do that."
"I know I don't, but I owe you for a lot Nicky. Hearing from you every now and again won't hurt," Piper comments, laughing at Nicky's scoff.
"You take care, blondie."
"You too, Nicky. Thanks for calling."
"Oh, and Piper," the wild-haired woman voices. "Don't fuck up with Alex because you know I'm a sucker for a happy ending."
"Wouldn't dream of it," she replies, smiling into her phone as the call line dies.
Placing her phone back onto the bed, Piper extends back so that the palms of her hands hold up the weight of her arms on the bed's surface. She looks over at the digital clock on the drawers opposite her and notes the time: 11am. She's meant to be meeting her parents at their home for dinner at roughly 6pm, and in knowing the weight of the conversation she's planning on having - and the opinions that her revelation is bound to bring up, the blonde lets out a heavy sigh. She ponders her thoughts for a few more minutes before convincing herself that she should start getting ready; the thoughts of having a warm shower suddenly proving to calm her apprehension.
It was the first time she'd driven her new car somewhere other than to work, and although it beat taking a variation of different buses, the rapid nature of the journey did nothing but add to her spiralling thoughts as to how this evening could possibly to pan out.
Carol and Bill Chapman's home proved to be as luxurious as it was before she had been in prison, yet the one thing the blonde noticed that proved to be a punch in the gut was the removal of several family and achievement-orientated pictures up from the walls and the fireplace mantelpiece. Piper notes that some images were still present throughout the house - just the ones featuring herself proved sparingly; her parents had even gone as far as moving the picture from her college graduation towards the back of a packed shelf of imaged, keeping it out of immediate eyeline. I guess having a daughter that landed herself in prison is nothing to be proud of, she thinks to herself, trying hard to not get too worked up over it; after today, she may be lucky if her family ever speak to her again.
The atmosphere at dinner proved to be somewhat hostile, and by the time the blonde finds herself eating dessert at the large dining room table with only her mother and father present, the mood of the room shifts.
"Have you noticed it's a lot less cluttered around the place, Piper?" her mother asks, causing the younger blonde to finish her mouthful of food and place her spoon up against the side of her plate.
"I did!" she says enthusiastically, biting back her tongue as to ask whether the images of herself around the place were categorised as clutter. "What brought that about?"
"I'd been reading Marie Kondo's new book. Who knew cleaning could be so fulfilling?" Carol says with an optimistic tone, causing Piper's eyebrows to rise - did her time in prison make her mother - the woman who prior never lifted a finger around the house - go mad?
"I guess you only should keep the things that spark joy," she responds, placing emphasis on the familiar working of her father, making a point to catch his eye while doing so.
"You should really try it sometime," her mother says, not noticing the underlying tension between her husband and daughter. "Why not ask Cal if you can fix up their place? It'll give you something to do."
"There's no need," Piper begins, shifting her eyes from her father - who's seated directly opposite her - over to her mother - who is seated to the right of her view of her father. "I'm moving out," she reveals, bracing herself for what she knows is yet to come.
"Oh," Carol begins, shifting in her seat. "Honey, is that even allowed. You know, with your-" the woman pauses, unsure how to address her daughter's situation.
"My probation. You can say it, you know. It's not like it's a crime," she adds, voicing her irony through a voice filled with sarcasm. " That finishes at the end of the week. Then I'm free to do whatever I want."
"How're you affording this?" Bill asks, speaking for the first time in what must have been at least 20 minutes.
"I'd been saving my wages and had some money in a savings account," she answers, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Look, I'm not asking for your permission or approval, but I'm moving away."
"Away as in…?" Carol prompts.
"As in a new setting. Ohio," Piper confirms, feeling her leg muscles tense under the table as she awaits a reaction from her parents.
"Piper - why are you doing this now? Just when you're back on your feet with a good job and a good network of people?" Bill asks, sounding irritated, leading Piper's eyes to widen in hearing his reference to her network of people - more like person, she thinks, knowing he's alluding to his preferences as to who she should keep in her private life.
"Alex is being transferred to Ohio and I'm moving there so we can be together when she gets out"
"Have you lost your mind?" her father asks, his voice increasing in volume.
"Bill-" Carol tries to intervene.
"When are you going to open your eyes and see that a life with her is no good for you, Piper. You're miserable all the time!"
"Guess why I'm miserable, dad!" the blonde begins, shouting back at her father. "My wife is in prison; I have to pay to pee in a cup; I can't even breathe without doing something wrong - the list is endless! Forgive me for not skipping around at work everyday and acting like everything's fine because it isn't!" she concludes, the vein in her neck bulging out. "I know you don't want me to be with Alex, but I married her because I love her. If this is how you're going to act around me, then maybe moving away is for the best."
"Don't be ridiculous, Piper," Carol begins.
"Am I being ridiculous though, Mom?" she asks in response, trying hard to not cry as she feels an oncoming watery sensation building up in her eyes. "Did removing all traces of me - your daughter - from your home spark joy?" she asks, using her fingers to mimic quotation marks.
"We just want you to be happy," her mother says, trying her best to diffuse the situation.
"Well, you sure do have an interesting way of showing it," the blonde laughs before pushing back her chair and walking away towards the front door.
"Oh yeah," her voice echoes down the hallway. "I almost forgot," she continues, appearing back in the dining room with a medium sized brown bag in her hand. "Here's your $50."
The blonde places the bag down in front of her father which is accompanied by a loud thud.
"I'm sorry it took me so long to give it back. My wages weren't all that and my boss is known to be an asshole," the young blonde says, sarcasm oozing from her voice.
She watches her father peer into the bag and clench his jaw.
"Oh, and I forgot to mention that I didn't have any notes available," she shrugs her shoulders with a fake form of sympathy. "I guess you'll have to deal with sorting out a few coins."
With that - not waiting for either of her parents to say a word, Piper leaves their home - a place where she once feared revealing who she really was - and feels a sense of satisfaction. For the first time in her life, she was taking life by the horns, and what that meant for the future relationship with her family, only time would tell.
Piper: I can't come to Northampton with you.
After arriving home and taking a bath, Piper finds herself lying on her bed - surprised Cal and Neri still aren't home, awaiting a response to the message she had sent a few minutes prior. She didn't want to lead her friend on - yes, they had slept together, but Piper wasn't willing to trade the love of her life for what had been a developing crush.
Zelda: You can't or you don't want to?
She begins typing out her next response - wanting to choose her words carefully, but before she manages to do so, the screen is filled by a dark page whereby green and red buttons indicate her options. Accepting the call, Piper lets out a composing breath, hoping the call doesn't add to the shittiness of her day.
"Hello."
"Piper, hi. I didn't know if I'd hear from you so soon."
"About that," the blonde begins, clearing her throat. "I can't go with you. I'm moving to Ohio."
"Okay…" Zelda responds, sounding confused as to how that's relevant.
"To be with Alex."
"You planning on robbing a bank to end up back in there with her or something?"
"No," Piper says, feeling slightly irritated at the smug tone of voice the other woman had just used. "She's being transferred. I need to at least be in the same state as her."
"I see."
"I'm sorry about everything that happened between us, but I'm married. I love Alex, and-"
"But you still slept with me?" the red-haired woman questions with a patronising tone.
"I'm not the only one whose made mistakes throughout my relationship… my marriage," the blonde begins, not wanting to address the actions her wife had carried out throughout the past few weeks. "But I can't be with anyone else other than her. It's just who I am and I can't change that."
The line is filled with silence, causing Piper to wonder if anyone is even on the other end.
"So I guess this is goodbye then."
"It is, yes," the blonde responds, not really knowing what to say.
"I hope she makes you happy because you deserve it."
"Thanks… she does make me happy," Piper chuckles lightly, feeling her cheeks flush just at the thought of her wife. "I should get going. I don't want to keep you."
"I appreciate your honestly," Zelda says. "Some things just aren't meant to be."
"You're right. There's someone out there waiting for you."
"There better be," the red-haired woman starts laughing loudly. "If I find someone who talks about me the same way you talk about Alex, I'll be lucky."
"I'm sure you will. Good luck with everything."
"And you. Goodbye, Piper."
Taking the phone away from her ear, Piper ends the call and for the first time since she'd left her parents' house, she allows herself to perform a genuine smile.
She'd feared how the conversation would go down - how exactly do you address your love for your incarcerated spouse with your friend whom you may have slept with after a night of disorientation? She's glad Zelda didn't really put up much of a fight - like she said: some things just aren't meant to be.