Aaaaand we're back.

Loving the feedback on this one. I've decided to continue with this fic a bit longer to see how its going. I was about to give up, but alas I have seen new light in some encouraging reviews. I hope to update soon :)

Can we get two shots of your cheapest shots?" Giggled Polly and Larry at the bar

"I/ don't/ work/ here" Nicky frowns. "At least not now" NIcky mutters under her breath.

"Oh, well then can you get the bartender for us?" Polly and Larry press on. They've moved from sitting in adjacent stools to leaning in to each other to the point where Nicky wonders why they havn't fallen off yet. Probably some gym rats or something she rationalizes.

"TAYSTEEEEEEEE" "POUSSEEYYYYYYYYYYY" Nicky bellows facing towards the back of the establishment. Two well-dressed in uniform charming people come over and say "Hello" with a flourish.

"Hey TAYSTY you got any TASTY drinks for us" Larry bursts into laughter over his own joke. Polly joins in (with laughter).

Luckily Taystee is in a good mood and she quips back "In fact Taystee here has the Tastiest drinks in all of Manhattan. I can get you a screwdriver. I make a mean screwdriver"

"Mmmm I love screwdrivers" Polly smiled

"I'll screw your driver" Larry guffaws. And Polly just bursts out laughing. You'd think they were already drunk by the way they were laughing at all these dumb jokes.

And then Nicky sees her.

Nicky sees HER.

The unassuming, doe-eyed super girly girl who was walking in shyly behind the obnoxious couple. Nicky tries her best not to react. At least not in an embarrassing way. She takes in deep breaths so not to raise her heartbeat and she hops off the bar stool smoothly to stand smack in the middle of the group of them. Nicky knows how to lift her eyebrows slightly and talk in a sweet steady tone.

"Hey if you like that do I have the joke for you!" Nicky pipes in. It's my mother's favourite:

"And she said, it's not an elephant he's retarded"!

Larry guffaws at the joke and almost spills his drink.

Polly stands there all offended like
"You shouldn't say things like that because persons with disabilities deserve respect and its ableist and privileged to be laughing at them because ... She drones on for a while while Nicky just tunes her out.

Nicky is immediately drawn to how this new girl in front of her is reacting. The redhead is giggling softly underneath her red curls. Her eyes light up genuinely. It feels warm and sweet. Nicky thinks she'd do many things just to hear that laugh again.

So Nicky reaches over and adjusts this girl's hair, putting a strand behind her ear, gently.

"Thank-you" she squeaks, looking up and meeting Nicky's eyes for a moment. They just sit there for what feels like eternity, searching.

Nicky wonders how vast this girl's eyes are. She's keen to find out.

"Morello" the girl breaks the silence. "Lorna Morello"

"Nicky Nichols" Nicky smiles sweetly. She's feeling a bit hazy inside and rather nervous. Curses she thinks, I'm supposed to be the cougar girl that can charm anyone. I don't freeze. Sure I'm not suave like Alex but I got my own relaxed humour.

Another giggle interrupts Nicky's thoughts and she wonders what she's done to elicit it-

"Nichols? Really? That's such a-"

Nicky feigns hurt, giving her a teasing look.

"Oh no I - I didn't mean to make fun - I' and Nicky laughs genuinely at Morello's stumbling. She wonders if this girl is straight. Probably. Hasn't stopped Nicky before though..

Meanwhile Polly and Larry have gone off to the other side of the bar to get some more drinks.

"TASTY" Larry yells out to the bartenders.

Nicky realizes Lorna hasn't had anything yet as she's just been listening to Morello laugh.

"Can I buy you a drink" Nicky states simply.

"Ah, " and Morello blushes just the slightest and turns her face to hide it.
"Thank" she replies gratefully. Just as Nicky's about to step in closer, two more giggling women shuffle through the door

***

Alex and Piper walk in holding hands, then they let go so not to raise suspicion.

Nicky sees all though, of course

"VAUSE" she exclaims,
"Get over here! ANd bring Blondie"

Alex looks at Piper and Piper looks at Alex with a knowing sort of look as they walk over to the lion-maned woman with smiles that go on for miles.

"How was the yuppie torture chamber" Nicky asks not even trying to be subtle.

Alex panics for a moment, realizing how she was supposed to hate her punishment for losing the bet but of course not wanting to offend Piper.

"Absolutely torturous" Alex smiles with the side of her mouth and winks sideways at Piper

Piper felt like she had been let in on a secret, of which she was intensely curious. She wondered again about what brought Alex to New Moon Studio that night.

"And how' bout you Blondie? You seem like the yuppie type yourself. Damn Vause got 'erself a rich bitch" Nicky teases. Only Nicky can get away with saying these sorts of things out loud.

"What can I say, business is prospering" Piper quips confidently.

Alex lets out an audible sigh of relief that Nicky has not scared Piper away.

Nicky turns back to Morello "Don't worry I didn't forget 'ya. Are you a white wine cooler gal?"

Lorna nods and Nicky grins from ear to ear. She's broke, but Nicky decides she'd spend every last penny on this beautiful girl in front of her. Wait what? Her head reels from the thought. Normally Nicky does not care for girls if she can't get in their pants within like ten minutes of talking to them. But for morello… she's willing to wait awhile longer.

"And nice shoes girl" Nicky adds to compliment Morello again.

"I got them off eBay" Lorna giggles.

"Better not auction me off tonight babe, I'd be sold out in a heartbeat' Nicky is just damn quick

Alex laughs in the background but Nicky fails to notice.

"How do you know I wouldn't bet on you" Lorna dares more confidently. She opens her eyes wide. Truthfully she's not so sure what's gotten into her. Here she is just dumped by a loser Christopher and now she's flirting with a woman. Lorna is straight. She's pretty sure of it. Maybe.

Nicky turns round so no one can see her blush slightly. She walks away with a jump in her step towards the bartenders but stumbles slightly on an errant chair.

"Smooth" Vause picks on her

"As butter, butterin' you up right now" Nicky chirps back.

Both Lorna and Piper look between Nicky and Alex then back and forth again and feel their cheeks get red as they simultaneously bite the inside of their cheeks in jealousy. Nicky's turned away but Alex sees the green-eyed monster in Piper and takes full advantage:

"Green doesn't look good in your eyes Kid, stick to blue" Alex raises an eyebrow at the blonde who's now shrinking back her shoulders curled. It's adorable but Alex doesn't let her off the hook too soon.

Piper steps up to the bar and asks Poussey this time "Can I get a margarita?"

"It's a bit cold out for a margarita don't you think" Alex raises an eyebrow questioningly.

"You'll just have to warm me up then" Piper plays coy again.

"Never have I ever…" Polly sets her sights on the first victims of the night. Polly, Piper, Alex, Nicky, Morello and Larry were all huddled in a circle now, their bar stools set up round a table. The bar was not packed, but not eerily quiet either and it provided the ideal atmosphere for the intense round of drinking games about to take hold. "Never have I ever masterbated at someone else's house"

Polly presses her lips together as she watches nervous grins and grimaces round the room. Slowly, Nicky brings her shot glass to her lips. As does Alex. And of course so does Larry. They give each other sheepish looks before throwing back their cactus jacks. "Whew" they exclaim. "This stuff is strong!"

"Never have I ever… fucked a guy" Nicky says easily. Piper obviously downs her shot. As does Polly. And Morello. Actually Larry does too which causes a few people to raise eyebrows at him. "I was young and stupid" he tries to explain. "We're not homophobic dude" Alex smirks at him. Just causes him to blush a bit more.

"Never have I ever… been a lesbian" Larry half says mostly shouts. "Coward" Alex yells at him. "I call bullshit - That doesn't even count". "Truth" Nicky speaks - "Just for that you gotta drink an extra". So they order him a very large strawberry daquiri with extra cherries "Because you're a pussy" they explain. Still upon command, Nicky, Alex down their shots like pros. Alex stares intently at Piper. She drinks it slowly as if hesitant causing Alex to frown. She furrows her brow Piper picks up the rest of the shot and knocks it back "Just kidding". This causes Polly to frown "I thought this was just an experimental phase".

"And the results are in - statistically significant data points out that I'm for the pussy" Piper adds and with that cheers erupted in the air.

"Never have I ever fucked someone within two hours of meeting them" Lorna chirps. Nicky takes her shot with pride. Polly and Larry don't take theirs which surprises Piper, but then she realizes that Polly must have interviewed Larry before he started on the job. Which leaves… Alex and Piper look at each other sheepishly before raising their glasses. Nicky gives a knowing look to Alex who rolls her eyes guiltily. Piper is too focused on the strength of the alcohol to see.

"Never have I ever … Piper chooses carefully. She considers. Decides what she desperately needs to know. "Never have I ever cheated on a lover".

All eyes look down at the floor or up at the ceiling. The only ones to move is Alex, as she drinks with a sad smile in her eyes. Piper looks disheartened.

Alex wants to explain this to Piper. She feels like she needs to explain everything, her whole life to her, how everything happened too fast. How she was in an abusive relationship and felt she had no choice. That she wasn't a shady person. That she didn't want Piper to judge her life because she had no idea. She wants to wipe away the sadness in Piper's eyes right now but that would be giving too much away. So she has to grin and bear it for the last rounds.

"Never have I ever trusted another person with all my life" Alex barely speaks above a whisper. Everyone can see the sincerity in her tone when they know what they mean and hang onto the words and roll them on their tongues. Trust. Person. Life. How basic fundamental and needed. And how Piper suddenly self loss when she realized the implication that Alex never had that sense of security in her life. Piper had it, even though her family was most definitely imperfect she always had her brothers when her parents were too insane. And Alex apparently had no one.

They all looked around with grim expressions as all the others took their shot.

And the last person left in the circle is Lorna Morello. She's looking sad and emotional. One of THOSE drunks Alex might have said if she wasn't feeling the effects too much herself. They leaned in when Morello started:

"Never have I ever really and truly with my whole heart fallen utterly and madly in love".

Polly drank. Larry drank. Piper drank. Alex a few weeks ago would not have. But this… this changed tonight. She felt something with Piper. She was different somehow. Different. In a good way. She wasn't so sure what that is right now. But she thinks its love.

Alex thinks its love when Piper blinks and Alex hopes Piper doesn't miss something important. Alex thinks its love when she sees Piper walk and she just wants to walk along with her even if its in the opposite direction to what she has planned. Alex thinks its love when Piper. Piper. Piper. And she just lets herself think. She dosn't want to overthink and let herself go dreaming again. And she tips the glass back and feels cool liquid on her skin.

And Nicky dosn't drink after. Alex gives a knowing smile. As much bravado Nicky Nichols has with the ladies she only really has the sex part down.

"Hey. Its ok" Nicky puts around Morello, who's almost in tears. "We'll figure this one out together ok" And Nicky swears to god its a spell that makes her whisper those words so tenderly into Lorna Morello's ear. But she swears that moment, that moment is the beginning of everything.

AN:

To the lovely Flawed-Fallacy who messages me every day with encouraging words: No this chapter does not have the challenge in it. That will be in the next one as length escapes me.

To everyone else:

Have a great weekend, I hope to post a more sexy scene soon soon for all you blood thirsty teenagers.

Let's let the fluff fest tide you over.

I'm ALWAYS all ears for suggestions by the way. I do take requests ;)

3

-Bobbiejelly