Author's note: Thank you for taking the time and reading this! Your reviews made my day.

Here we go again.

Chapter 2: You Have to Pity a Woman without Shoes

Eventually Piper gave up on trying to get a cab. She started walking barefoot on the cold pavement, careful not to step on glass chips. She pulled her little jacket tighter around her slim figure. The lonely stiletto heel that had lost it's partner was swinging on the tips of her fingers as she continued her walkway, ignoring few judging stares that she got.

What time exactly was, that Piper was unable to tell because the battery of her phone had died. But one could easily deduce that the day was coming to an end from the dusk falling rapidly over the city. The air was chilly and especially her fingers and toes were freezing. So when she soon came across a bar, or more like a pub that also offered accommodation, she quietly started laughing of relief.

She opened a heavy glass door that led her inside. She immediately started rubbing her hands together to get her fingers warmed up. Looking around herself she noticed noticed that the place was almost empty, few customers here and there.

"Hey, I was wondering if you have any rooms available?" she enquired.

"No, I'm sorry, we're full," the bartender told her. Piper looked around herself again. She could have sworn she'd get a room for the night here since there wasn't almost any customers at the bar section of the place. She opened her mouth, but then immediately closed it without saying a word. She deciding against arguing, it just would have not been worth it. The cheery mood went away in a second. She rubbed her temples, her headache getting stronger. Tired of all the walking, and of the eventful day in general, she sat down on the tall leathery bar stool and asked: "Well can I have a margarita then?" She was in a desperate need of sleep, but a drink was a close second, and that was what she had to settle on for now.

"That I can do for you."

As she was waiting for her drink, her head of blonde hair in her hands, a figure sat next to her. Then that person spoke up with that now familiar husky voice.

"It's a little cold out for a margarita, don't you think?" she gave the bartender a hand sign, mouthing him to put the margarita Piper ordered on her tab. Piper's head shot up instantly as she recognized the dulcet tones. She was met by that mischievous grin and green eyes behind those black, thick framed secretary glasses. She suddenly became all too aware how she must look like herself. She had cried, her cheeks were probably tear-strained and eyes red and puffy. She didn't have shoes. Her hair was probably like a bird's nest. She quickly tried combing it with her fingers the best she could, but didn't answer her question.

The brunette with just-on-point, probably waterproof, eyeliner, picked up Piper's wallet from the counter and read from her driver's license, "Let's see this. So, Piper Chapman..." but couldn't get any further before Piper grabbed the wallet back from her hands. "Hey!" she exclaimed. "Hey!" Piper said too, "that is mine... And you are alive."

The woman whose identity was still a mystery to Piper, laughed, "I very much am. Glad to see you again, too." Piper just smiled shyly at her and then turned to her drink that was now placed in front of her.

"What else do I need to know about you?" the woman spoke again. Now that she wasn't wearing a leather jacket, but a tight t-shirt that fit in all the right places, Piper noticed she had tattoos.

Piper turned to her, narrowed her eyes and asked the question that had been on her mind all day. "Who are you?"

"My name is Alex." Piper couldn't help but once again steal a glance at those smiling, full red lips.

"And what do you do Alex? Besides make fun of strangers on planes?" Piper didn't look at her lips again. She didn't dare to break the eye contact that was now electrifying.

"I work as an international relations manager for this one company. You staying here?"

"No, the rooms are full," Piper told her with a shrug of her shoulders.

"So you have no place for the night? Why you don't come and stay with me, I got a room for two, but I'm alone there so..." Alex suggested subtly.

Piper glared at her, "I have a fiance."

Alex shot her hands up, "I know, I know. No funny business, I promise. Why Piper Chapman, what did you think I was on about?" she smirked and raised her other eyebrow that was perfectly plucked and drawn. But then she looked her up and down and added in a more serious tone: "And you can't walk around all night without shoes."

"Why are you doing this?" Piper was still a bit cautious.

Alex stopped her actions and looked a bit puzzled, like she wasn't even sure herself. "I don't know. You need a place to stay, I've got a spare bed. Or technically a spare side of a bed."

Piper frowned and tried to act like she wasn't really sure, even though she had already made up her mind. She didn't want to act too enthusiastic or worse, be a nuisance.

"I would be a total asshole if I didn't invite you," Alex continued.

"Great, out of pity."

"You have to pity a woman without shoes. Come on, I want you to stay," Alex pleaded and Piper smiled back at her. A huge weight was lifted from Piper's shoulders. That gorgeous brunette had just saved her day, if not her life.

Alex took Piper to her room, or technically it was now their room, and Piper threw her full backpack and shoe on a chair next to a window, and then jumped on to the double bed. Lying there on the white sheets, she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She was exhausted.

Alex observed the blonde on the bed. She looked much relaxed now than she'd been looking on the plane in the morning. Maybe she was a bit uptight person, but definitely very good looking. And it felt like there was a sort of a pull between the two of them, that wasn't just physical. Alex had never felt anything like it before, and if judged by Piper's actions, she felt it too. Or was it all just in Alex's head? She hoped not.

But in Piper's eyes there had been something missing and Alex wondered if Piper was truly happy. She would've liked to know everything about her, but didn't want to obtrude. Would she even see her ever again? She certainly wanted to, but New York was a big place.

Then Piper suddenly remembered something and opened her eyes, catching Alex looking at her. "Where is your outspoken friend?" she assumed the woman wasn't Alex's girlfriend, because Alex had been hitting on her. Or her friend had been hitting on her for Alex? Or had Alex even been hitting on her? She really wasn't sure.

"Nicky. She was here actually, but then some petite Italian chick came around and I guess they went over to her place." So Piper had been right, they most likely weren't together as a couple.

Piper laughed softly and propped herself up on her elbows looking around the room. It wasn't that bad actually. Pretty cozy, fairly clean and nicely decorated.

"Do you have a phone charger?" Piper asked Alex.

"Yeah, you wanna borrow it?" Alex offered, already stretching her hand towards Piper the charger in hand. Piper plugged her phone in and excused herself to go take a shower. Fortunately the room had towels and shampoo.

Alex heard the shower go on and at the same time her stomach grumbled and she realized she hadn't eaten in a long time and Piper probably hadn't either. Alex thought she had seen a Chinese place just across the street when she had arrived to the bar earlier that day.

She grabbed her leather jacket that was on a hook next to a mirror and went to knock on the bathroom door.

"Yeah?" She heard Piper shout over the sound of running water from the other side of the door.

"I'm gonna go pick up some food. Is Chinese okay?"

"Ohgod, yes, you read my thoughts. I was just thinking that I'd better eat something today," Piper answered her. So Alex had been right. She shouted "See you in a minute!" and headed out the door.

Piper let the warm water pour over her body while she stood there still. This was the longest shower she had had in a while, and after a day like this it felt so good. It was calming every nerve in her. She decided to stop wasting the water when she heard Alex re-enter the room and instead go eat something, whatever Alex had brought.

But when she stepped out of the small shower stall, she slipped and let a high-pitched "AAAAAYAAAH" scream out from the top of her lungs. She landed on the wet floor on her ass, but besides the scare, she didn't feel pain anywhere. Alex rushed to the locked door and started knocking, "Piper, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, I'm totally fine. I slipped." She murmured as she pushed the bathroom door open a white towel around her body, her previous clothes in her arms. Droplets were dripping from her hair on to the wooden floor. She had a completely straight face and she just looked directly into Alex's worried eyes, annoyed that on top of all the bad luck and bullshit she had had that day, she had slipped.

When Alex saw Piper was evidently not injured, she suddenly cracked up laughing. Piper was confused of why the older woman was so amused, but then Alex mimicked Piper's earlier scream, but much quieter. Then Piper snorted with laughter too, even if a little embarrassed.

Piper went past still laughing Alex to grab some spare clothes from her backpack. Now she was kind of glad she was an overpacker. In the backpack she had sweatpants, another pair of jeans, three pairs of socks, underwear and shirts plus one hoodie with her. She chose the sweatpants, a t-shirt and the hoodie. All the while choosing her clothes, she felt Alex's eyes on her body that was still covered in only a towel. She smiled at herself, and went back to the bathroom to change, with a small extra swing to her hips, though that gesture went unnoticed by Piper herself.

When she came back, Alex was already eating on the bed, watching TV, her long legs stretched out on the bed. The smell of food filled Piper's nostrils and her stomach grumbled. Alex patted the right side of the bed that was free, and Piper eagerly joined her.

"So you're a Smith grad, huh?" Alex said as she read Piper's hoodie.

"I am, yeah."

They ate their stomaches full while talking about their student years, current jobs and life in New York. They shared quite many laughs, but when Piper turned her phone that's battery was almost full, on, her smile dropped. She had 73 messages and 17 calls. Alex got a glimpse of her phone screen and commented with "Uh oh, well have fun explaining them that you're okay. I'm gonna go and take a shower myself."

"Don't slip," Piper grinned back at her, making fun of herself. Alex exited the room chuckling and Piper began reading the messages. Most of them were from Larry.

Larry Bloom: Ur mom called!

Larry Bloom: R U OK?

Larry Bloom: Answer me!

Larry Bloom: im worried pipes

Larry Bloom: Please tell honey me u r okay

Larry Bloom: Where r u?

...

One would never guess Larry was a writer if judged by his messages. Piper didn't even read them all. She went onto Polly's messages.

Polly Harper: I got your mom's call and saw the news. So you are okay?

Polly Harper: Call me when you are available x

Then there was one from her dad. And one from Cal.

Cal: For once in your life you did something exciting. Did it all, like, explode? You have to call me up!

She called her dad and Polly first, telling that yes, it was all okay, too tired for a longer conversation. She decided to ignore Cal for now and call Larry.

It took merely two seconds before Larry answered.

"Oh my God finally, you couldn't answer me?! I was worried to hell," were his first words on the line.

"My phone's battery died." Piper told him truthfully.

"You know I drove to JFK for nothing. I sat there for four hours," Larry said. Piper wasn't sure if she sensed a little annoyance in his voice.

"That is hardly my fault."'

She heard Larry's faint muttering on the other side of the line before he asked: "Where are you now? When will you come home?"

"I'm safe. I got a room," she didn't know why, but felt it was better to keep the fact that there was an Alex with her to herself. "I don't know when I will be able to come home."

Alex came out of the bathroom in an outfit similar to Piper's. She started drying her dark soaking strands of hair with a towel and saw that Piper was already under the covers, sound asleep. Alex quietly went and shut the lights off before getting into bed herself, putting her glasses on a nightstand next to her side of the double bed.

But before she could fall asleep, she heard Piper's quiet whisper, "What happens tomorrow?"

Alex opened her eyes, barely seeing Piper's facial features in the dark. "You don't know what can happen tomorrow. Life is like a novel, isn't it? You never know what's going to happen until you turn the next page," she answered in a low voice.

"Did you just quote Sidney Sheldon to me?" Piper asked sleepily.

Alex's quiet chuckle was loud in the silence of the room.