Chapter Four

Used Up Goodwill

Once back they got back into their routine. Both of them had therapy twice a week by themselves and twice a month together with Dr. Speer. Piper was a bit worried about seeing Becca but Alex had expressively avoided the Brooklyn store. Lorna said she was working hard and hadn't asked about Alex once. Piper knew they'd eventually have to interact but at the moment she was happy living in the bubble of newlywed bliss.

Their sex life was amazing. The second night after they returned from Cambodia, Alex put Piper on the sybian. She didn't use one of the dildo attachments; Piper lowered herself on the soft and knotted rubber piece. The vibrations were so intense she didn't last long. Alex knelt in front of her and leaned in to suck and tease at her nipples. It was insanity...completely intense. Alex watched her as she played with the remote, then after another intense orgasm that made Piper scream her name; she pulled her up and pushed her back on the bed. Piper had been thoroughly ravished. They talked afterwards and decided that like the dildo, they would use the sybian on occasion. Piper knew she could quickly become addicted to such pleasure.

They also started self defense classes. Their time was full but over the next three weeks, Piper never felt closer to Alex. They would talk as they walked to class. Piper was learning how to elbow and flip someone when her opponent, a nice young girl named Amy, kicked her in the face. Her nose started to bleed and she knew she was going to have a bruise on her cheek. Alex rushed over and took her wife's face in her hand.

"Sexy eh? I'm okay, baby. We both knew we'd get bruised a bit," Piper said as she Alex wiped the blood off her face.

"Be careful, we are here to learn how to defend ourselves, not get beat up," Alex said.

"It is okay, Al. We're both going to get bruised as we learn," Piper shoved her off and then turned to try the move again. They picked up take out after the lesson and carried it back home. Piper's trip to Litchfield was in a few days and she had a conference call with the Women's Prison Association to discuss the details at seven. Alex was going to listen in and learn some of the details. Piper got them to agree to add her to the group.

First thing she did was make Piper put some ice on her bruises. She relented but wouldn't be coddled. She couldn't help but remember much harsher bruising and having to cover it up for weeks. This was nothing. Piper got the speaker phone all set and they sat waiting on the call, eating their Chinese with chop sticks out of the take out boxes. Alex sipped some water and turned her head to the side looking at Piper. "What? Do I have rice on my chin?" she asked Alex.

"No...just seeing that bruise reminded me of the time I...you know," Alex murmured. Alex had been having nightmares about twice a week. Piper was able to wake up and move away from her swinging arms. Often she fell back to sleep but a few times Piper was able to quietly wake her up. She leaned forward and kissed her softly in reply.

"Are you going to share that sweet and sour chicken?" she asked as she snatched the box from her hand. Alex laughed and was interrupted by the phone ringing. Piper hit the button and put the food down.

"Hello there, Piper and Alex here," she started. Alex smiled and Piper got the feeling she kinda liked her speaking for her.

"Hello you two, this is Sarah" the intercom buzzed.

"Hi, Bradley here for Christoff as well, he had a birthday party for his son. I have your passes ready for the prison and we've sent word you are coming to do a reading." Piper had to smile. Bradley, never Brad, was always the first to get to business.

"Great, which reading did they approve?" Piper asked. She had visited three other federal facilities and two of them had requested she read the part about getting her radio.

Sarah responded, "They actually requested your reading be about the time before you came to Litchfield, the crime specifically." Piper raised her eyebrows and looked over to Alex.

Alex asked, " Why is that?"

Bradley was the one that answered, "I think perhaps they didn't want her to read about their own facility at all. We offered the bit about Mother's day but they asked for a different bit." Piper's cell dinged and she picked it up to see a text with all the page numbers.

"I got that, thanks Sarah. Are all of the visitors set? Do you think we will be able to get funding for the parenting classes? And is there a way to work in the moving of the women prisoners from Danbury?" Piper asked.

"Yes, there is the new Congress woman, Lacy and the CEO of Staplton Inc. has agreed. If we can get them to donate, it could possibly finish our funding through the next three year cycle. After your reading, three of our clients, women that are about to be released will meet with us to discuss the benefit of the parenting classes. Our lawyer will be with us as well. Ms. Vause has a visitor's pass and may watch the presentation from the wings. We were told that under no circumstances are you to directly engage conversation with the prisoners unless they are in the approved group provided," Sarah explained to them in her best business tone. Piper felt sorry for them. They were the suits and not used to dealing directly with convicted felons. Piper was on their board but she knew they didn't see her as a convict. The warnings issued by the warden must have been severe.

Piper shook herself out of her thoughts but before she could speak Alex chimed in, "I do not plan on talking to anyone there. If I wish to see an old friend, I would write and request to be put on their list. My concern centers around Piper. I don't want my wife touched by certain guards. I know we have to be patted down and go through a metal detector. I just want to make sure the guards patting her down are female." She said this in a tone that Piper had not heard from her in a long, long time. She brought her hand to her throat as she looked up at Alex. Her wife lifted her gaze and then reached out to take her hand.

Piper whispered, "Alex, it's -" but she was interrupted by Bradley.

"Yes Ms. Vause, I was very clear with the warden about which guards you did not want to be within twenty feet of your wife. I even suggested that they be given the day off for duty in a far corner of the campus. She wasn't happy with it but considering your history at that facility and the microscope this trip is under with the media, she relented." He answered. Alex frowned and looked up at Piper.

"Microscope?" She inquired.

Piper blushed, " Um well I may have been mentioning it on twitter and you know I have a few followers so it was forwarded to certain newspapers that think my returning to the prison of my incarceration is a good human interest story. Eva donates time with the WPA and she has been fielding the calls and arranging the coverage of the event. I didn't think they'd allow in reporters but I do think we may have a few at the gate," Piper explained. Alex reacted to one word in that sentence. Eva.

"I see. I didn't know this was going to be a media event when I said I'd go with you. Did you invite me with that in mind?" Alex asked in a low tone, but Piper was certain Bradley and Sarah had heard.

"No. I didn't Alex. I tweeted after we got back...look, it is a story. You uncovered corruption at the base level of that facility and now...now they are under a scrutiny that will allow us to insert more programs and help more people. I didn't say a word about you coming with me, so you could slip in undetected before-" Piper tried to assure her.

"No. I will be with you at all times," Alex said. She set her jaw in a manner that told Piper they were not done talking about this but she was not giving an inch about being beside Piper the entire time. Her doctor thought the visit would be very beneficial to Alex. Confrontational therapy of sorts, but Piper had her doubts.

"Actually, Ms. Vause, you will not be with her during the reading on stage. You will be sitting in the front row of the chapel with the rest of the guests at that time and standing to the side during the panel discussion in the rec room afterwards. They were very clear on that," Bradley reiterated.

Alex smiled. Piper knew she had no intention of standing to the side but she also knew her wife would get her way. Bradley and the warden be damned. "Of course, I look forward to seeing all the work the Women's Prison Association is doing at Litchfield, " was what Alex actually said.

Piper shook her head as her wife suddenly became just a little bit more irresistible. Piper had a few more details to work out and then it was all set for the day after tomorrow. They hung up and Alex cleaned up their dinner. Piper sent a few emails and then joined her in the kitchen for some tea. Alex sat on the stool and leaning back on the counter once she was finished. She placed the mug of tea before Piper and sat in silence just waiting for her to start to explain why she had failed to mention the media spectacle. Alex leaned back with her stool, teetering on a perfect edge like a middle school boy trying to be cool. Yet, Piper knew she'd catch herself if she fell. It was sexy so she slid off her own stool and pressed herself against her. She brought her arm underneath and pressed it to the small of her back. The stool could slide away and Piper would still have her solid against her form. Alex didn't smile but she did put down her tea and push up her glasses to look her wife in the eye.

"I know what you're doing," she said in a slightly amused tone. Piper started to kiss along her exposed collar bone. She nibbled, scraping her teeth along the muscle of her shoulder as she moved to her wife's sensitive neck.

"Want me to stop?" Piper asked when she reached her ear. Her reply was Alex bringing her hand up to Piper's hair and grabbing a handful of it from the base of her neck. She used this to pull Piper's head up and to her own mouth. They devoured each other like starving women. The stool clattered down and Alex wrapped her legs around Piper. She stiffened her body and lifted Alex up so she was sitting on the countertop.

"I find it...fucking sexy you saw an opportunity and manipulated it to be advantageous to your cause...just don't make the mistake of thinking you can't tell me," Alex said as she pulled Piper's shirt over her head. Piper growled in frustration as she tried to wiggle her wife's tight pants down.

"You want to discuss this now?" Piper asked as she succeeded and bent to kiss down her front to the soft pubic hair that was now clear of her pants.

"Fuck no, just...want you to know...I think the media is a good idea. Wish I'd thought of it," Alex replied in a husky, sex-thick voice. Piper yanked her pants off and knelt down to bury her face in the soaking center of her love. She sucked in her clit and reached up to take each breast in her hand. She thought to herself as she knelt there listening to her wife moan as she expertly flicked her swollen need with her tongue, that she worships at only one alter. The alter of Alex Vause with its fountain of need was her home. She teased Alex to the brink thrice before her pleading won her over. She wasn't sure she could hold her off again. Piper flicked and then sucked, humming as she did and sent her wife screaming into an orgasm. Alex jerked back and knocked a their tea mugs to the floor. Piper was oblivious to the crash; she swallowed and lapped at her wife with relish.

They were so lost she didn't hear the frantic knock and Poussey calling out if they were alright. She was still staying in the loft until Taystee finished her program. She was the perfect guest and worked hard with Taystee to keep Book 'Em running strong.

"Chapman, Vause you okay?" Poussey called out as she came around the corner from the laundry room. "Oh shit..oh shit I"m sorry, oh damn..Uh...I'll go this way" Poussey mumbled as Alex shot up so fast she banged her head on a hanging pot. Piper stood and tried to cover her wife's body with her own. She was sluggish as her own sex was throbbing as she was in that space she disappears to when lost in Alex. She was concerned for her head but Alex waved her hand away and clutched her tightly. Poussey had darted back in to the laundry room.

"It's okay...sorry..we um knocked over some mugs...um...can we help you?" Alex mumbled as she motioned for Piper to hand her some clothes. She blinked and then bent to hand her the discarded pants. She had no idea where her shirt and bra ended up. She darted around the isle and found her bra in the sink and her shirt dangling from the top of the refrigerator.

"Wow, nice way to toss the close, baby," Piper mumbled.

"Oh, shit I'm sorry. You guys are newlyweds and I shoulda guessed...I just heard the crash as I was coming in to the hall there," Poussey stammered. Piper could tell she was mortified. She would kid with the best of them but she was a very respectful person and didn't like the thought she had overstepped. Alex smiled at Piper and let her know she thought the same thing.

"It's okay...what can I say, my wife was hungry," Alex joked, Piper slapped her playfully on the ass. "Ow..come on in, what can we do for you?" Alex called out as she pulled her shirt back on, she left off her bra and panties, which really made Piper squirm. Alex just shoved her underwear down in a chair by the table and then moved out in to the living room area.

"Um the keypad is frozen or something. I can't get the door to open upstairs. I noticed a crack in it yesterday and meant to tell you. I think some moisture got in..um I was wondering if you have a key?" Poussey asked as she still stayed in the laundry room, looking at the floor or wall. Anywhere but at them...

"Poussey, you've seen me walk half naked from the shower, carted off to the hospital and felt up by gross, pigs. Don't let a little cunnilingus come between friends," Piper said with a smirk. It made her laugh and the tension broke.

"I do have a key, you'll have 20 seconds though to punch in the code on the inside keypad before it sets off the alarm. I'll call the company tomorrow. They assured me it would withstand a New York winter." Alex's tone made Piper look over to her. She saw her eyes dart to the outside door. She walked over and slipped her hand around her waist and pressed herself close to her.

"This is one tough ass winter. They are saying there will be a blizzard this weekend. I thought at one point I'd have to reschedule the Litchfield trip," Piper told her. She rubbed her hand up and down her wife's back and was rewarded with Alex relaxing. Something told her though, that Alex would not sleep well tonight.

"Yeah, I'm not quiet used to this type of weather but it is cozy up there. Thanks again for letting me stay here while Taystee gets straight. Morello thinks she found us a place in Bensonhurst we can afford...if she gets clear of all her probation," she explained. She came closer though and Piper took that as a good sign she was over the embarrasment.

"She will and it isn't long now. No worries though, you can stay there as long as you like. I did when I first moved here. I didn't actually live down here until I was living with Pipes," Alex answered. She left Piper and walked over to her desk, to get the key.

"I'm sorry Chapman, really. I didn't meant to interrupt your swag now. Um from the sounds of it she was um finished though, so that's good, right?" she said with a hopeful smile. Piper laughed and then Poussey continued, "You two be careful at Litchfield and if ya can tell Black Cindy hey for me. She still gots a few years on her sentence. She don't write much in her letters but I know she reads all mine." Piper nodded. She always liked Black Cindy...she scared the shit out of Piper but she always liked her. Poussey left and they cleaned up and went to bed. Alex teased Piper through the night and finally sent her screaming to her own happy place.

The next day flew by and they had dinner with Lorna and Nicky at their place that night. Alex brought the wine and Lorna made her amazing lasagna. Piper laughed so hard at one of Nicky's stories she nearly snorted wine out of her nose. Nicky was showing Alex her cell phone while she and Morello cleaned up. Piper noticed that Lorna liked to do all the housework by herself. She'd seen Nicky clean and she didn't blame her. Yet she felt it was more that Lorna was traditional and she wanted to keep house for her woman, just like she would have for her man. Piper didn't quiet get it, she and Alex shared the work, but she admired how they had fit in to these roles. She guess they did as well but it wasn't as clear with her own relationship.

"Hey, if you want to talk about the shiner, I'm here. Nicky told me that Alex sometimes has these dreams-" Lorna started.

Piper quickly interjected, "Oh no, Alex didn't do this, I got hurt at one of our self defense classes." Lorna looked at her a moment and Piper wasn't sure she believed her. She just smiled then and handed Piper a piece of pie. They sat eating lemon meringue, Piper's favorite pie, with some amazing coffee. She noticed they were all coffee snobs now they had three coffee shops in their stores. Inevitably, they started to talk about business. Piper listened as Alex talked about third quarter projections like she used to speak about new drug routes. It wasn't all that different, Piper decided.

Their apartment was plush and bright. Lorna had decorated the manhatten penthouse with amazing taste. Piper could see her touches in each store as well. Her tastes were bold and cutting edge. She pondered if Alex had consulted her when decorating their place.

There was a knock at the door as Piper rose to return her plate. "I'll get it," she called out behind her. Morello yelled her thanks saying she was expecting some paperwork from the Brooklyn store to show Alex. Piper opened the door and saw a woman standing with a folder in her hand. She hand long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was older than Piper and from Piper's first impression she was a person who had lived a hard life. She saw the woman's smile fade as she saw her.

"Hi, Morello's busy, are you here with the paperwork? I'm Piper, come on in...that is quiet a trip over to deliver papers in this cold weather," she said as she backed up. Her mind began to wonder, exactly who it was when she heard Lorna gasp behind her. She turned with the door wide open and saw Alex's face as she carried her plate in from the dining room. She was frozen in her spot and her eyes were glued on the woman in the hallway.

Piper knew in that moment that the woman in the hallway was Becca. She swallowed. "Oh I thought Tommy was-" Lorna started.

"His kid got sick. I have to go back but he said you needed these tonight for a dinner meeting..so he put me in a cab with them. Julie and Kevin have the store. I should be getting back. Here are your files," she said as she walked in to hand them to Lorna. She turned to leave and Piper closed the door in front of her. She wasn't sure what she was doing but she was raised to show courtesy.

"No, please take a moment to warm up Becca. Would you like a cup of cofffee?" Piper asked as she turned around and looked at her. She seemed to be trying to decide if Piper had any ulterior motives.

"No thank you Ma'am...like I said, my fellow employees are short tonight and I should get back," Becca insisted and started to walk towards the door.

"Nonsense, stay for some coffee Becca. It is about time you and Vause spoke. I'll make it for you, just sugar right?" Nicky said. Alex looked at her and Piper wasn't sure what passed between them. She had to fight the urge to walk over and put her arm possessively around her wife.

"I could use a cup myself, Nichols. Excuse me, it was nice to make your acquaintance Becca and um...thank you," Piper said softly.

"It was just an errand for work, Ms. Chapman or is it Vause?" She asked. Piper saw Alex push up her glasses and look down at the floor.

"It's Piper. I didn't thank you for that. I am thanking you for being there for my wife when I couldn't be there. Please excuse me," she answered and then she followed Nicky to the kitchen with Lorna on her heels. She had to take a deep breath and bend over once she was behind the swinging door.

"Wow, impressive Chapman. Vause always said you were super possessive but you managed to be polite and leave them alone in the same room without passing out or wrapping your arm around her like a strait jacket," Nicky amused.

Piper just held up her ring finger and then straightened up. "Amazing what a ring will do for you. You should try it," she said dryly. Lorna's eyes went wide and Nicky stopped laughing, suddenly becoming very interested in pouring the coffee.

Alex entered the kitchen right after and told Nicky not to bother. " She left," Alex said as she pulled Piper close to her. Piper frowned and looked towards the foyer. "She said thank you for your offer but she didn't want to hang out and drink coffee with her bosses. She also congratulated us on our recent nuptials. I take it you told her Lorna?" Alex asked in a tone that sounded irritated.

"Actually, I did. I told her you were married and happily on your honeymoon the first time she asked when she would see you. I told her you most likely would not see her anytime soon as you ran another of our stores and were so fucking in love you barely came up for air," Nicky answered. She turned and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm sure there were more sensitive ways to go about telling her," Alex began.

Piper however put her fingertip on Alex's lips and silenced her. She walked over ot Nicky and gave her a big hug. "Thank you for always being in our corner," Piper said. Nicky hugged her back and shrugged.

"Well, I can't say I've always thought the two of you would be great together but you've proved me wrong," she answered as she pushed Piper away and finished making her coffee. They spoke about Litchfield and they promised to wave to Red for Nicky. They laughed and finished up their dinner. On the way home in the cab, Alex was quiet.

"Is that all she said?" Piper asked. Alex hugged her close and ran her hand up and down her arm. Piper waited.

"She asked me if I was happy and trusted you wouldn't dump me for the next guy that came around," Alex answered.

Piper tensed. She didn't like her because she had slept with her Alex, now she didn't like her because she was prejudiced. Piper moved over some and looked out the cab window.

"Hey, I told her you chose me and we are happy," Alex said as she tried to soothe Piper.

"You know I don't really label myself but if I did I would be bisexual. I never understood how lesbians could be so closed minded about bisexuals. Even you threw it in my face whenever I hurt you," Piper said. Alex started to say something and she held up her hand. "We were polite and have to work with her. Just...remember I don't like to share you at all and she just used up all my goodwill." Alex nodded and held up her arm, Piper slid back over into her warmth.

The next morning they got dressed and left in relative silence. Alex made them a breakfast sandwich but Piper only took a few bites before they went down and got in the car. She had planned all of this but she was worried. She was worried it would be too much for her and Alex. She read over the itinerary again and tried to envision walking in the prison through the main complex. She admitted there were areas of the prison neither of them had ever visited. She had surrendered at the visitor's entrance but had never moved passed the waiting area. Piper didn't want to think about the time she visited only to discover Alex was gone.

During the ride, Alex told her about how she would dream about getting how and leaving through the doors the visitors entered and exited. Piper told her she had the same dreams that she thought all prisoners had that dream. She then talked to her about her trip from Danbury to Texas. She had flown Con Air part of the way and the rest was in the back of a prison van.

"I don't know which was worse, the airplane or the van. I felt I would die in both and the shackles were crazy tight," Alex shared. Piper listened an reached out and held her hand.

"I researched that process more. I hate how prisoners are moved like cattle. Actually, animals don't have guards that beat them," Piper said. She recalled Alex's telling her about the guy that stood up to say he had to go to the bathroom and was beat down. It disturbed her to imagine Alex in those shackles, being beaten on the plane. Piper laid her head on her shoulder and held her hand more tightly.

They arrived with two other cars in front of them. There were reports lined along the fence that lead in to the door. She swallowed and looked at Alex.

"You can call this off now and just wait out here if you want," Piper offered. Her wife's face was pale, even for her lovely ivory skinned gal. Alex pushed up her glasses and looked Piper in the eye.

"You can too you know," she offered.

"Nope, I'm the main attraction. All of these people are here because of me, I can't let them down. I can't let the women inside down," Piper said with surety. Alex leaned over and kissed her lips with such soft reverence that Piper actually shivered as the feelings washed over her. The reporters had gathered around the cars and Piper could see the flash of cameras.

"I love you Piper Chapman and I'm very proud of you. Let's do this," Alex said in a smokey voice that made Piper smile and feel confident. She nodded to her wife and opened the car door.

***thank you all for the reviews, please keep them coming! I loved the lyrics posted as well! Remember, I write better if I get reviews. I have another story under a different community and well it wasn't that popular :( so I don't update it! I seem to write better when I know the audience is reading so please keep it up. Enjoy! Peace, Fae****