Author's Note: Thank you to, Musicianlover12 and vausesandspanishharlem, for the lovely reviews on the last story. I really appreciate that. This one-shot I had started writing in August but then ended up with a strong bout of writer's block and ended up abandoning it. However, I finally figured out what to do with it. It's something I wish would have happened, both with not getting a flashback (still) of how Lorna and Nicky met as well as not getting the satisfaction of Lorna confessing her true feelings to Nicky. Ugh. So, I wrote what I feel should have happened this season. But probably never will. Not sure what I think of it. Feel free to review and let me know your thoughts. I really do cherish each and every one of them. I like to know what people think of my writing/ideas. Thanks. Enjoy.

Vow to Love and Protect

That very first moment the new Italian inmate caught Nicky Nichols' eyes, she knew she was done. Sure, every so often, a new inmate would pique her interest but this one—oh, god, everything about her was worthy of lust. Everything about her made Nicky's heart pump harder. The doe-brown orbs had her insides melt when being looked so meekly over by them; her petite stature brought forth a protective instinct, and those frowning red lips—oh, did those tie it all together.

With her usual lopsided smirk, Nicky coolly leaned against the wall and let her big eyes scope over the freshly-brought-in inmate's body. "What's your name, kid?" The query easily slipped through her mouth, arms held over her chest while she closely observed the brunette woman's every move.

"Nobody."

That thick, high-pitched, Brooklynn mixed with Boston accent strengthened Nicky's desire towards her. The girl's answer, however, covered her face in puzzlement. She quirked an eyebrow, peering heavily across at her. "Nobody, yeah? That's an…hmm…interesting name. First or last? Cause we gotta go by last names in here," a light-hearted chuckle escaped.

The shorter inmate timidly moved her shoulders up and down, focusing her eyes on the floor beneath. Prison was the last place she ever expected to end up. And, from television programs she'd seen, she knew it wasn't a safe idea to associate with other women. She had no clue whether they were murderers or whatnot. "Don't matter."

"Aw, come on, can't ya tell me your name? A pretty girl like you has to have a better name than Nobody," Nicky smirked, nonchalantly placing a hand on the other's shoulder.

Immediately, the brunette pulled away and shook her head. Her siblings warned her about making friends in this place. These women didn't want to be her friend; they wanted to use her. She wasn't going to allow that to happen. "I don't want to be known, okay? Just leave me alone. I don't want no trouble. I'm just here to do my time and then I'm gonna back to my life," she muttered, keeping her eyes pointed downward.

"No trouble here, kid," the redhead nodded, giving her some distance but not letting her eyes leave her body. The smirk quickly vanished—rather morphing into a genuine smile. "Ya can't do your time without any friends…it'd get awfully lonely, ya know? How long ya got anyway?"

Swallowing thickly, the shorter inmate shifted uneasily in her spot. The question made her stomach twist and churn. She didn't want to dwell on the length of her prison sentence. Didn't want to be reminded of what she'd done to get herself in here. "This is prison—how can ya make friends here? How can ya trust anyone in here enough to be friends with them?"

Nicky nodded intuitively at hearing that. So, that's the issue, she quickly came to realize. "Aha, so, ya got trust issues—is that it, kid?" The meek nod in response was all that she needed; she walked a little closer to the short woman and gently placed a hand over her shoulder. "Allow me to show ya what a sincere friend is, will ya? I'm not fond of backstabbing bitches myself, doe-eyes."

"Doe-eyes?" An eyebrow arched quizzically.

Chuckling, Nicky shrugged and peered intensely down at the Italian. "It's better than referring to ya as Nobody, kid. Can't ya tell me your name? I wanna know who I'm gonna be protecting in here, yeah?"

"What do ya mean who you're gonna be protecting? I don't need protected. Why does everyone automatically assume I'm weak just because I'm short, huh? I took karate when I was ten…got a white belt, I could fend for myself."

Such a comment stifled another light-hearted laugh out of the wild-haired redhead. This woman already had her wrapped around her finger and she had yet to even know her name. "A white belt, huh? Ya do know that's what everyone starts off with…right, kid? I mean I love your enthusiasm over that but people in here could really do a number on you. I'm not saying that to be mean, it's just the truth. And I, personally, don't wanna see that pretty face a yours all beat-up."

The brunette let out a defeated sigh and peered curiously over at her. She folded her arms over chest, "So, what's your name? Tell me yours and I'll tell ya mine."

"Someone," the word easily slipped out of Nicky's mouth, a playful smirk on her face. Two could play at that game, she thought. "I thought ya said yours was Nobody—changing your mind, kid?"

A small laugh rumbled from her throat at such a response. A laugh that only continued to lure Nicky's interest in the young Italian woman. "Well, I mean—I guess ya seem nice. So, I don't see a problem telling ya my name. It's just my siblings told me to be weary of people in here; I don't wanna get in no trouble, ya know?"

Nicky tilted her head slightly with a chuckle and allowed her shoulders to bounce up into a shrug. "I can be both nice and aggressive," she honestly admitted; and it wasn't anything short of the truth. She certainly didn't shy away from her aggressive side when she needed to be. But to her family—or what grew to be her family in there—a newfound compassion shined through.

"However, I reserve my aggression for only the worst-case scenarios. You won't have to witness that." An eyebrow arched amusingly on her forehead, she peered strongly into the shorter woman's dark orbs. "Oh is that so? I take it they ain't ever been in prison either, yeah? Seriously, though, it's really not that bad in here, kid. Everyone's nice for the most part. Now, are ya gonna tell me your name or what?"

"Lorna…erm, I mean Morello."

Lorna Morello. The name easily rolled its way through Nicky's mind. A very suitable name for a clearly evident Italian woman, she had to admit. Pretty and petite just like the very woman who it belonged to. "Lorna Morello, huh? Pretty name for a pretty girl. I knew ya were Italian," a smirk took form on her face at the last comment.

A light laugh croaked from Lorna's throat. Her brown eyes glanced over at Nicky with a slight twinkle in them. A slight twinkle that made the redhead tingle on the inside. "Oh yeah? How could ya know I'm Italian?"

"Gee, I don't know—the dark hair and eyes mighta gave it away." Nicky said with a light-hearted smirk.

"A lotta people in here got dark hair and eyes—that mean everyone's Italian? Are you?"

Folding her arms over her chest, Nicky rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "I was just messin' with ya, kid. Don't needa get all worked up over it," she stated playfully, a smirk forming at the corners of her mouth. Without even a thought, she brushed a hand feathery through the thick waves that made up the young woman's brown hair. Her eyes never had the pleasure of looking at such a stunning being as who stood across from her.

Lorna moved her shoulders slightly but kept her mouth closed shut.

Nicky kept her stance and watched the brunette with a searing intensity. The very sound of a small sniffle instantly caught her off guard. She walked a little closer to investigate the new inmate's face deeply. A clear dampness was noted. She reached her thumb slowly across to wipe it away with. "It's gonna be okay," she gently whispered.

Shaking her head, Lorna tried her best to suck in her tears—to keep her emotions from expressing themselves but failed miserably. She was never good at hiding them anyway, she knew. Anyone could see through any façade she tried to put up. But the last thing she wanted was for other inmates to see how truly weak she was. It'd be like high school all over again…this time the prison edition.

"How's it gonna be okay? This is—this is prison. I-I'm in fucking prison. I don't wanna be here."

"Nobody wants to be here, kid," Nicky muttered with a chuckle. Her orbs continued to stare intently into misty ones. Such innocent eyes didn't deserve to have tears in them, she quietly thought. "Well, I've been in here a year and I'm still doing okay. I think you'll be just fine yourself. I promise. It's really not that bad here."

"A year? How much longer are ya here for?" Lorna slightly sniffled, gazing up with curiosity.

The inquiry had her pondering for a few seconds. She almost forgot how long her sentence was. Her eyes blinked. "Four more years," she answered with a bitter smile. At least with this new girl, she had a treasure to search…or try to search. "What about you, kid—how long ya got?" God did she hope it was four years. She crossed her fingers awaiting an answer.

"Three years."

Three years? Nicky could work with that. Maybe she'd get an early release, anyway, with good behavior. "That's not too long. You'll be outta here in no time." She easily took notice of how tense and stressed the shorter woman was becoming. "Hey," she said, "ya wanna go for a walk? I can show ya around and take ya to my favorite place in here. Somewhere away from all the chaos and shit."

The chapel was a naturally quiet place in the prison. A place where Nicky spent a lot of her free time. No one really came in unless it was Sunday. The only day of the week it was used for any private and restricted services. She deemed it the perfect place to fulfill her sexual desires with other willing candidates. Or a place to just get away from the everyday madness of living in a corrupted prison system.

She brought Lorna there in the hopes of easing her anxiety and terror of her new—temporary—home. They settled down on the ground behind the organ on the stage—a spot Nicky favored, one she knew would keep them hidden from anyone else who entered. She could already sense the other's extreme apprehension with the way her breathing sounded and sighed.

"Ya gotta relax there, kid. There's nothing to be afraid of here. No matter how many horror stories you heard of prison. I promise you you're fine here. I brought you here so ya can get away from all the hustle and bustle…so you can take a minute to just breathe. Why don't ya do that? Take a breath and let it out. You're okay."

Lorna sucked in a large breath and tried not to think about where she was at. Where her life will be spent for the next few years. Tried to keep her mind clear of all thoughts but found that not to be working. She couldn't get past the fact that she was now only an inmate locked up behind bars. An inmate who's life didn't matter here.

Nicky watched closely and became slightly frantic when the other turned a faint tinge of blue. "You have to exhale, kid," she gently reminded her, using a hand to soothingly pat against her back. "Inhale, exhale," her voice instructed.

"I can't." The words came through a strained voice. Lorna shook her head profusely and felt a slight wave of nausea begin to overpower her. Tears flung from her eyes. She couldn't survive this—being in prison. She was weak. And other inmates were going to see that and use that their advantage, she knew.

"You can. Come here," she softly whispered, holding her arms out for the fearful woman who quite blatantly needed them around her. Her eyes gazed gently down at her.

Lorna very cautiously inched herself closer but stopped short of crawling into the other's arms. Instead, she looked up at her with uncertainty. She pondered if Nicky was really just trying to comfort her or secretly plotting her death. She wasn't willing to take that risk.

"Oh, kid, don't tell me you're afraid of me now…are ya?"

The brunette shrugged. "How do I know ya didn't just bring me here to kill me? How can I tell you're not about to strangle me?"

Not giving a second though, Nicky wrapped her arms gently around the frantic woman's body and pulled her close. She shook her head and stared down at her with a warmth in her eyes. "Because I told ya why I brought ya here. To help you calm down. And, clearly, that attempt isn't working so far. You're questioning everything. Ya just gotta stop. Take a minute to breathe, would ya? You can breathe, you just have to clear your mind for a second. Everything's okay. No one is gonna kill ya."

"I can't stop thinking and it hurts to breathe. I feel like I'm gonna throw up."

Nicky tightened her hold and used her hands to rub soothing circles around the other's back. "It hurts to breathe because you're having a panic attack, kid. It's gonna be okay just close your eyes. I'll hold you until you're better, yeah? Shh, shh, don't talk just breathe in and out." Her hand continued to stroke around her back in a circular pattern. Such a sight brought back memories of her own arrival here only thirteen months ago. Although instead of a panic attack, she suffered through a drug withdrawal—something she wouldn't wish on anybody.

Closing her eyes didn't provide much relief, Lorna thought. The sensation only grew worse. She'd never felt so sick before. It was as if her stomach had been dipped in a tub of acid—almost unbearable the nausea she experienced. And all of that just made trying to catch her breath a huge chore.

"Feelin' any better?"

Lorna shook her head and shortly after regretted that choice. Once again only strengthening the nausea. "I just wanna go home," she tiredly whispered. There was no way she could make it through her three year sentence. She couldn't do it. She wasn't a criminal, she told herself—she didn't belong here.

Inhaling deeply, Nicky kept on with her comforting touch. "I know, kid. Believe me that's what we all want here," she informed her, her grip only tightening.

"You're not alone in here…just remember that. I'm your friend, now; I promise I'll protect you and look after you, yeah? It's not that bad here—three years will go by real fast, kid."

The first year flew by. But the second…not so much. It started off the same as the first, nothing too out of the ordinary. She and Nicky grew very close since that first day they met—now almost inseparable. Until all hell broke loose. It happened suddenly and without much warning. A full-on prison riot, something Lorna only witnessed in movies and whatnot. Never did she imagine she'd end up being a part of one. Hell, she never thought she'd ever find herself in a prison let alone a prison riot. The entire experience made her realize just how much she needed Nicky in her life. The one person who could her calm and collected in the midst of a hectic storm.

Being away from Nicky for an entire three days was absolute agony. Only continued to prove to her how much she loved and needed that woman in her life. It showed her that Nicky was who had the key to her heart. The one person who she longed for in times of fear and cheer. The one person who had the ability to make her heart flutter in such a way that she once only thought a man could do. It was a long, over-due, revelation.

Once reunited with her favorite redhead in max, Lorna vowed to finally return her feelings to her. To finally admit both to herself and Nicky just how much she loved her. How much she craved being with her and thought about a future with her outside of prison. She knew she couldn't wait any longer, not if she didn't want Nicky to find someone else. God…she knew she couldn't handle if something like that occurred.

The perfect opportunity seemed to work its way into the nearby future as she found herself being pulled into a scheme to help create a realistic wedding ceremony for Alex and Piper one afternoon in the rec-room that was shared by both C and D blocks. What better time to share with Nicky her love for her than right after marrying their own friends, she thought. A smile spread across her face. She couldn't wait to tell her.

The ceremony went by rather fast and, without surprise, had Lorna in tears by the end. Weddings were always her favorite to watch. To see two people, in love, make vows to be together forever—there was something magical about it to her. Something special and beautiful. And that only excited her more to go forth with confessing her undying love to the redhead who was in the midst of wrapping up the ceremony. Watching her made the tears in her eyes multiply. She couldn't help by dissect every feature that made up her entire face.

Once Nicky pronounced the couple wife and wife, Lorna pulled her aside and took a moment to just stare intensely over her. To take in ever centimeter of her face and body. A soft smile slowly took form on her face. She reached gently across to place a hand over a pale cheek; the tips of her fingers caressed lightly along it.

"That was beautiful, hon," her voice softly murmured, eyes gazing affectionately ahead into the other's. She brushed a loose strand of hair from her eyes and smiled brighter. "Almost as beautiful as you."

Tilting her head slightly, Nicky peered down at the small woman with an inquisitive eyebrow arched over her eye. The smile made her insides all but melt. No one but Lorna had the power to turn her into a pile of mush, she knew. Ever since their first meeting, she realized such a truth. "What's got ya being all sweet for, huh? Got the wedding bug, yeah?" A chuckle tumbled up through her vocal chords.

Lorna sighed and the expression on her face grew somber. "I needa talk to ya, Nicky. I've been doing a lotta thinking and there's something I needa confess."

A comment like that had Nicky's organs slowly twisting up inside. The deep love that she held for the petite brunette was something that, at times, cut her like a knife. Because she knew the chances of her returning such were slim to none. Even more so now with she's being pregnant with her husband's child. The mere thought felt like a brick sitting on top of her chest. It was nearly unbearable to ponder over.

She pushed her fears and worries aside and plastered a tender smile on her own face. "What's on your mind, doll?"

"These last few days have kinda made me see the light, Nicky," the brunette slowly began, hands framed delicately around the pale cheeks of her best friend. Eyes looked piercingly ahead into the big ones that seemed to be watching her every move. "You…you are who I wanna be with. Who I love more than anything—I can't handle being without ya, hon. The riot proved that to me. I didn't give a second thought about Vinny…all I worried about was if I'd ever see ya again after you told me to surrender. And that made not ever wanna risk being without you again, Nicky. I-I love you. I wanna spend my entire life with you." The emotion in her voice not hard to miss. Tears came barreling down her cheeks; she threw her arms desperately around the taller woman's neck and buried her face in its crook.

Nicky shook her head in disbelief. But quickly recovered and wrapped her arms protectively around the brunette's waist. She pulled her as close to her body as she could physically have her. Her forehead rested delicately over Lorna's, eyes gazed intensely into hers. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear ya say that, doll," she whispered, her lips a mere inch from brushing against the other's. "You already know how much I love you—I'd do anything for you; I'd walk on a burning fire for ya, kid."

"I know. Which only tells me how much better you are for me than anyone else. I-I plan to get an annulment from Vinny soon. He's not the person I really love. That's you. I don't ever wanna be without you, Nicky. I can't even imagine that kinda life."

A small smile covered the redhead's face; she stroked her lips warmly over Lorna's and used one of her hands to cup tenderly around a porcelain cheek. "Good, I'm glad to hear that. I know. I just—you had to be the one to admit that to yourself and you have no fucking clue how happy I am to hear you do that. To know that you love me back. It's the most amazing feeling in the world."

Caressing fingers softly along her the flesh of her cheeks, Nicky shook her head ecstatically. Still not able to believe it. "Don't worry, you'll never have to worry about that. We'll spend the rest of our lives together, kid."

Lorna gave a teary smile. "We will? You want that too?"

Slowly getting down on one knee, Nicky nodded and peered up at the Italian with a twinkle in her eye. "I love you so much. Of course I want to spend our lives together," she murmured, gently grabbing hold of Lorna's hand and bringing it up to her lips for a warm kiss. A few tears began to gather in her eyes. Yet, her lips curved into a loving grin. "Will ya marry me, baby?"

The proposal came as a shock to Lorna but she quickly responded with a profuse nod of her head. The tears grew heavier as she pulled Nicky up to her and smashed their lips together in a passion-filled kiss. "Hell yes, hon. I wanna be with you forever and let everyone else know it."

"I love the sound of that," Nicky beamed, reclaiming her hold on the petite woman's waist. She brushed another soft kiss over her delicate lips and pulled her close. Gently laying Lorna's head onto her chest. She rested her own head overtop of hers. "I promise I'll love you and protect your for as long as we live, baby. Even beyond that. I want nothing more than to one day call you my wife. My beautiful, angelic, wife."