Chapter Twelve
Piper was climbing the walls. She wasn't good with small spaces especially when she could see what the worry was doing to Alex. They were worried about Lolly and what she was saying in psyche. If they put together her ramblings with the missing guard, they were doomed. Piper began to pester the guards to speak to Caputo. It took two days of her asking every single guard that came to count or escorted them to meals before he came down to speak to her through the door.
She got straight to the point. "I have an arrangement with my lawyer. If I don't call her by noon on Friday, she will be up here demanding a visit...and she'll bring the political blogger, a former Smith grad and friend of mine, Andie Krucher. She will record the entire exchange and your company will find themselves on the receiving in of an expose. We need to talk to our families and you need to stop punishing us for your inability to keep us safe," she said in a thin hate filled voice. He didn't speak. All he did was shut the window and walk off. Piper was furious and kept walking back and forth in the small space.
Alex and Nicky kept playing cards and completely gave her space. It was for the best. Alex watched her pace for about an hour before she got up and took Piper in her arms. She was still fighting with her anger and didn't want Alex to look at her in the face. " Stop it Piper. I know how you are when you're pissed. I know...I understand. It scares me when you go toe to toe with people that hold our keys," Alex offered. Piper could tell it bothered Alex to kow tow to them as well. She remembered how upset she was when she returned and how she argued with the guards. She tried to relax and let go of her anger.
"Someone tried to kill you and we're being punished. I want to talk to our lawyer...I want you safe," Piper whispered. She pressed her forehead to Alex's forehead sweetly. They stood there for awhile and Piper slowly calmed down.
"What do you have planned?"
Piper smiled and kissed her. Nicky made a sound in her throat that sounded a bit like Red. It made Piper smile. She turned her attention to Nicky and asked to be dealt into the game. Alex sighed in a way that told Piper she knew that she'd avoided answering the question but she was willing to let it go. It wasn't like they were going anywhere. A few hours later, they were escorted to use the phones. Caputo lifted the restrictions finally and let them go first. Piper was so thankful a guy she barely knew was making a name for himself as a journalist online. Piper called her lawyer right away.
"Hey, yeah I know I haven't been in touch. I'm in Segregation because of a personnel issue here. They are calling it protective custody but this is the first time they've allowed me to use the phone. Needless to say it has to do with what we discussed when you visited last. The red envelop is what I need to use. Have you heard anything about my date?" she asked quietly. Piper had tried to prep for multiple outcomes. She knew that her shots and time in the SHU had ruined her 'good' time. She wasn't sure if more time was added or not. She wasn't sure if there was an investigation now because of Lolly. Her lawyer had heard nothing about it. She was set to get out December 3rd. It was exactly two months away. She had to make sure that Alex was covered. Piper finished setting things up and then called Cal.
"Where the fuck have you been Piper? I visited twice," he started. Piper shut him up and told him what happened. She said they had an issue with a guard and were put in SEG.
"I'm sorry I haven't been here for you though. How is mom and dad? Still angry with me because of my birthday?" It had been months since then and Piper hadn't heard from her parents. Her mom kept putting money in her account and even sent her some books from her Amazon list, but nothing had been communicated directly.
"Mom is worried. I told her I hadn't heard from you and she wants me to set up another visit. Um, you can forget Dad coming back. Look, I have some news," Cal began. Piper hoped nothing was wrong and got scared quickly.
"Is it Danny? The kids? Daddy is alright, right?" Piper asked quickly.
"Stop worrying, everything is fine. You inherited some of Grandmother's estate. She put it in a trust for you so you can access it when you are through with your legal issues...and if that isn't good news enough...Neri is going to have a baby!" Cal blurted out. Piper felt herself tear up. Her little brother was going to be a father.
"Oh Cal, that is fantastic. Are you excited?"
"Yeah, I told her to close down the website though, I can't take a chance she will be caught and our kid be born in prison," he joked. Piper had seen the devastation that visited Daya when her daughter was taken by DSS and she had to agree. Piper felt the pang that twisted at her stomach when she missed a moment in her life because of where she was. It didn't happen as much if she didn't talk to her family as much. She would get it often with Larry. But that life ended and it seemed farther away. She wasn't used to the feeling and it took her by surprise.
"How did you tell Mom and Dad? Was Danny there?" she asked him. Cal went into the story of how he invited them all out to dinner at this family pizza place that their mother hated immediately. Yes, Danny was actually there with the kids. His wife, the ever stuck up Evelyn was thankfully not there. Danny was trying to make up for missing the last family gather and seeing Piper while she was out on furlough. He was very absent from their family most of the time but he was their older brother. Cal never understood him but Piper could tell from the tone in his voice that it meant so much to him that Danny was there for the announcement of the pregnancy. She was just out of her first trimester and Cal laughed because Danny asked all these medical questions and Neri answered them like a champ.
"It was like watching Grey's Anatomy with my wife as one of the docs. I think he liked her," Cal reported. Piper listened to him until it was time to go. They were opening up the phones to the other inmates and her escort was waiting. She told Cal to start calling Caputo and requesting meetings. She told him to leave messages and have Neri do it as well under her maiden name. She was hoping to prey on his paranoia that her family was going to expose the underbelly of that prison. Alex had finished her call and was waiting with Nicky by the door. Piper saw Boo carrying a ladder through the hallway. She looked over at them and seemed surprised to see them out and about. They were ushered along but not before Morello came up behind Boo.
"Hey, Nichols!"
Nicky turned around at the sound of her voice and darted around Bell. "Get your ass over here Nichols before I put you down." She barked.
"Just a minute. How are you?" Nicky asked quickly. Lorna ran to the double barred doors that seperated them and reached towards Nicky though she knew they couldn't really touch. Piper could see her better and she seemed tired, with rings under her eyes and she wasn't wearing makeup.
"Well, maybe this will help...if she keeps up not sleeping she may end up in psyche," Bell muttered loud enough for Piper to hear. She tried to get Bell to talk more but she just made a motion for Piper to shut up. Alex came closer to her and pressed her body to Piper's. It was instantly comforting and Piper felt a flush of emotion.
"Oh Nicky, I...Lolly said you were targeted. I saw you fine that night but then she said you had been hurt and taken away. I saw you in the yard but then...you are okay though right?" Morello was babbling. Piper and Alex both looked at each other when she said Lolly's name.
Nicky reassured her. "No, hell, we're fine. They're just covering their asses so we don't sue them for a guard trying to hurt us. We aren't in the SHU up the hill so it is all good and temporary. Don't listen to that nutcase okay? You need to rest and take care of yourself, what woudl that new husband think seeing you looking like this?"
Lorna made a noise in her throat, " He came last week and when I told him I was worried about a friend...he just got...well, I didn't know he was possessive," Lorna's voice got that sickening sound that Piper heard her mother use when she would justify her father's infidelity.
"What happened? Did he hurt you?" Nicky asked again. Bell walked over then and jerked her away from the cells. Nicky started to fight but Piper grabbed her wrists.
"I got her. No he didn't hurt her, he was surrounded by guards. You're fine right Morello? She is fine, you are fine," Piper spoke up. Bell sighed an exasperated sigh.
"We threw his ass out. He accused her of loving Nichols here and she sat there like a deer in headlights. He blew up, threw a table and O'Neil took him down. He is banned from visiting her...you gotta sleep now Morello," Bell offered and then she ushered them all down the hall.
Nicky was stunned. She didn't say a word as they were brought back to the cell. Red was in there already. Her shift was over and she was taking a nap. Piper noted that she was tired more lately and more than a little down. Nicky said she was worried about her family and the isolation was bothering her. Red was a social person at heart. She got to see more people than they did but it was just her girls on the crew. They couldn't really talk to her and they hated their jobs even more because of it. She felt responsible though it had been Piper's plan to save Alex that got them all in SEG in the first place.
Nicky climbed up in her bunk and sat there with her legs crossed. The jostling woke up Red and she sat up slowly. " I used the phone in Healy's office so I assume that is where you all were. My boy is getting a divorce. He is hurting but like me he will move on and be strong. I hope everything is okay at home for you?" She offered once she got her bearings. Piper was walking back and forth. She stood in front of her and waited on Piper to answer
"My Aunt is fine and Rhonda was happy to hear from me," Alex offered. Piper's ears perked. Who is Rhonda? She didn't ask her though because she didn't want to seem like she didn't know the people in her girlfriend's life. Red looked at her and Piper shrugged.
"I talked to my lawyer...and missed a family dinner where my big brother actually showed up. My little brother announced he and his wife are having a baby," Piper shared.
"Wow, Aunt Piper," Alex said with true gladness in her tone. Piper smiled at the thought of another human being calling her that.
"I'm an Aunt three times over," she reminded her.
"Nah, you never see his kids. Danny is a brother in name only...been that way as long as I've known you. No, this kid will know you...you will hold him or her, change them and maybe even be on their school emergency call list. Congrats Piper, it's good news. I'm sorry you missed hearing about it with the rest of your family. I bet Cal would have told you first if you were there," Alex said to her as she walked up, stopped her pacing and took Piper in her arms.
"He said that," she replied. Red stood and stretched her sore back. She turned to look at Nicky.
"My cousin Amy wasn't home but I spoke to Reggie. And Lorna's husband thinks she loves me," Nicky said as if she hadn't heard that right.
Red snorted. "She has loved you for a long time, just too scared to choose a woman over her idea of a perfect life. When you went up the hill, we all thought finding a guy would save her...it did. He didn't stand a chance once you got back," Red said in a sure tone. Nicky looked at her like she had weeds growing out of her ears. She then looked up at Piper and Alex. They could only shrug and say they agreed.
"Well fuck," Nicky said.
***Hi my dear readers. Some have pointed out that I'm not as into this fic as others. I think my life has dictated that more than my liking this fic or not. I'm really overworked and over booked. I took a day off today though for Mabon, so happy Fall Equinox! Thank you for my reviews. I enjoyed reading that someone has read all of the fics and are now caught up...waiting is hard. I will try to post more as I get settled into the semester. Yay for Uzo Aduba winning again! I think more of the cast deserves recognition. I think maybe Laura should get nominated for this season. I didn't like how much of their story line was handled and the character development in the latter part of the season, but she gave a solid performance. Please take a moment to review! Fae***