Chapter Twenty

Piper froze for a moment and looked at the door. Alex was waiting downstairs and she knew she shouldn't answer the phone. Yet, her curiosity got the best of her. She remembered the helplessness she felt when she would call Larry or Polly and they would not pick up.

She pressed the button and accepted the call. " Hello."

"Blondie? Is this Chapman?" Piper heard the thick Russian accent and turned to look out the window.

"Yeah, Red it's me. Look, I hate to be short but I'm heading to see my new neice-" She started to get off the phone with her. She could see Alex's face when she found out she was talking to Red. They really shouldn't have contact with her considering the connection to the Feds and Nicky's recent stint as a snitch with a wire.

"I understand, really and I thank you for taking my call," Red countered. Piper frowned because she knew that Red did not say thank you often. "Look, I know you girls are close but Nicky sent me a message. I'm worried. Listen, please...I'm worried she will start using again. She doesn't understand something and I have to explain." Piper heard the desperation in her voice.

"I don't understand much about you Red. I never got your attempt to kill me when I first got to Litchfield. And I think Nicky finding out you were told to take care of her by some...people really hit her core. We're watching her and she had her family. Her real family...Lorna, Alex and me...so please stop calling. Nicky will either speak with you again or not. It is her choice." Piper grew more confident with each word. It was easy to stand up to Red now that she didn't have to look her in the eye.

She was going to hang up when she heard Red's voice speak in a lower more menacing tone. "Listen to me Blondie, I taught you some respect and you learned a valuable lesson about doing your time. We're past that now. I know what Nicky needs. I've known her much longer than you. She needs to know I'm there for her...that her Mommy cares, even if I'm locked away from her. Chapman, I might have been told to look out for her when she first got here, but please understand her parents thought she'd die from withdraw or get more time. I helped yes, but being her Mom...making her family, that was all me. Explain this, if she will not talk to me, explain for me," Red reasoned. Piper noted the lack of please.

"It isn't my place, Red. I really do have to go," Piper said as she grabbed her bag and walked towards the door.

"You owe me Piper. You and that tall wife of yours...do this for me and we will be even," Red stated in a low voice.

Piper stopped at the door. "No, Alex paid that debt when she got rid of Pornstache and that crew." Red was quiet. Piper knew she had her there.

"But I do owe you. I couldn't take care of her and you did. I'll talk to her when it is most appropriate."

"You will not be a chicken shit, ya Blondie? The longer we wait to settle this the closer Nicky gets to fallin' off the wagon," Red said in her succinct way. Piper nodded. She knew Alex and Lorna were both trying their best but no one had more influence with Nicky than Red.

She assured Red she'd wait just long enough to make sure Nicky would listen to her. "Is her Bitch of a birth mother on her case? Just try to keep Nicky from her. Every time she relapsed it had something to do with her," Red continued.

Piper felt alarms going off. She didn't want to tell Red anything about what was going on with Nicky. She knew that Nicky would not contact her.

"I have to go Red. I'll do my best but please don't call again. Bye," Piper concluded as she hung up her phone. She took a deep breath and went downstairs to see Alex. She smiled and tried not to meet her eyes until they were in the cab. She put her head on her shoulder as they took the ride to Brooklyn. She was quiet and Alex seemed not to mind. Once they were with her family it was all about the baby. Her mom served them food as they took turns holding her and taking pictures. Neri was beaming and Cal seemed tired. She said he took the night shifts. She was going back to welding in another month and Cal was going to stay home. Piper found that to be the most hilarious arrangement.

"Do you want to stay home with ours?" Alex asked after Piper teased Cal. She swallowed and looked over at Alex with bright eyes. Her mother nearly dropped her glass.

"Um...maybe at first...but nah, I think we'd need-" Piper said as casually as Alex said it.

"Help? Yeah, naturally but we gotta be careful. Nicky always bitches about the maids and nannies that raised her. It was just me and mom so I don't know how to be that type of mom," Alex observed.

"I thought you didn't want to be a breeder?" Cal stated. Piper kicked him in the shin. "What? Isn't that what you guys call Het people with babies?"

Alex laughed. "I admit, I used the term...like in fifteen years ago. I didn't want kids but I've changed...and I think it would be a shame to deny the world a part of Piper." Piper had tears instantly in her eyes. She blinked and swallowed back emotion.

"Is this something you are trying now girls?" her father asked. Piper looked over at Alex and she shook her head.

"I'm not ready yet. But maybe in the next year or two," Alex said tentatively looking at Piper. She kissed her wife and smiled nodding.

"Well, I'll be able to give you tons of advice...once I learn how to get her to go to sleep without driving her around in the dark," Cal said and he launched into a tale of driving his baby around at night. Her mother wasn't happy to hear about her Grandbaby on back country roads at night.

Later, her parents announced that her father's latest test results were great and they wanted to lease his mother's house.

"Pop, look...you can just stay there-" Piper started but Cal interupted.

"Hey wait a minute Shawshank, you may be rolling in dough from your book, stores and lotion business, but some of us have a little mouth to feed. I think that is a great idea. We'll cut out the agency though, and lower the rent to cover the taxes and a modest monthly income." He reasoned as if he'd already knew this was going to happen. Piper figured he actually did. She knew he was speaking to her parents more often since the baby. It was then she realized they were officially getting back together. Piper couldn't help but smile.

They hashed out some more details and by the early afternoon, it was all settled. On the way back to the store, Piper was happy to know they'd have her grandmother's place still occupied within the family. "I'll talk Cal down more once he gets over his fear of not being able to provide for his child." Alex nodded but Piper could tell she was barely listening.

"What's wrong?"

"Lorna left me a message. I checked it when we were waiting on the cab. She said Nicky had a bad night and she left from her store this morning. She wanted to know if she came over and we went to a meeting together," she replied quietly. Piper was instantly worried. Red's words were still running around in her mind. She was going to talk to Alex about it but now she just wanted to help her.

"What can we do?" she asked her wife. Alex leaned up and spoke to the cabby. She changed the address to a place that took Piper a few minutes to place. It wasn't the best area of Brooklyn.

"I'm going to go search at the Rec center where we had out last meeting. Nicky really liked that group. Lorna said she looked earlier but the meetings are at three and seven, so she may have missed her," Alex explained to Piper as she took her hand.

Piper kissed her neck and pulled her close, "She'll be okay-"

"You don't know that Piper. No one does. Every single day is another chance to fuck up your sobriety. Look out the window here," Alex pointed to the street and three men walking with what she would call Thug clothes on and a pack. They were obvious dealers, but they turned the corner and up a more affluent street as the Cabby cut through the area.

"Not so bad here. I see your point but Alex, do you think Nicky would throw it away?" Piper asked hr in a sofe voice.

"Oh please, Pipes, do you remember nothing I taught you? See that bar? It is closed at the moment but the bartenders and club management are setting up. I could go around back, chat up a bartender or shift manager and get some H within fifteen minutes. I know the owner of that club and he makes more money from that than he does alcohol some nights," Alex's voice was thin with aggitation and Piper was struggling not to get defensive with her explosive attitude.

"How do you know him?" Piper asked. Alex shrugged and turned away again, watching the street as they passed by, looking for Nicky she guessed.

"That isn't a fucking answer Alex. Is he someone you used to sell to? Of course he is...like that Pierre guy that owned the four clubs in mid-town. So it is easy for you to find and I'm guessing for Nicky as well. Don't assume she gave in-" Piper tried to control her anger but she wasn't going to let Alex berate her because she was worried. Piper had steered as far away from drugs as she could get when she returned from Europe. Sure, she'd smoked a joint or two when she got her job but it was social and she never brought anything home.

"I'd be stupid not to assume. She is a junky. Our friend is a junky, just like me. Don't argue it Pipes, there are no levels in addiction, either you are addicted or not. I was...I had to detox myself and clean up when I got sober and I'd be strung out in Prison, high as a kite right now if not for Becca. I almost...how did you put it...'gave in' at Danbury," Alex responded. Her voice was cold and Piper moved over away from her in the seat. Alex just sighed and leaned forward with and exasperated sound that told Piper she felt her talking offense was childish.

"I'm glad she was there for you and you are there for Nicky now...we all are!" Piper retorted.

"I wasn't there, I turned my phone off to spend time with your family and I shouldn't have," She said this with such feeling that it made Piper wince. She clenched her teeth and tried to calm her pulsing anger.

"You are not her sponsor. You are entitled to your own life and we are entitled to spend time with OUR family. I know it sounds cold, but you woke up and haven't done drugs today Alex. It is a win for us today. I'm sorry that pisses you off," Piper said through clenched teeth. The cab pulled over before Alex could reply and Piper got out fast. She left Alex to pay as she walked up on the sidewalk and looked up and down by the Rec Center's door. She saw people mulling their way inside but so far no sign of Nicky.

"I'll go inside and check, wait here," Alex said. Piper shrugged and turned away. She was pissed at her wife and didn't like being told what to do. Some part of Piper knew they were just fussing because they were worried about their friend. Still, it was a bit much to take after such a wonderful brunch.

There was no way she could tell Alex about Red right now. She was furious with Red for lying to Nicky. She had told Piper that before...then there was the whole situation with the Feds trying to use Nicky's Step Dad as informant on the Russian mob. It wouldn't look good on any of them if they were caught talking to a known associate. Piper stood on the sidewalk and watched people walk by her with guarded interest. She was looking for Nicky's face in all the homeless or desperate she could see on stoops and down alleyways.

After about fifteen minutes or so, Piper was about to go inside to find Alex when she saw the door open and Alex walk out. She was standing down the street near the corner. At first she thought that maybe she'd found Nicky. But no, Alex walked out being followed closely by Becca Kanem.

Piper thought, why does this bitch keep turning up? Alex didn't even look for her when she stepped out, she turned and put her hands on both of Becca's arms. Piper couldn't hear what she said but Becca nodded and replied.

Then they hugged. It was quick but it made Piper's stomach flip. First, Alex lied about talking to her on the phone and now she was close with Becca...sharing her feelings with this woman about Nicky, while she picked a fight with her. Piper felt the sickness in her stomach replaced with anger. She knew if she walked up to Alex, she'd knock the both of them the fuck out.

Instead, she stepped off the curb and hailed a cab. She saw through her side view that Alex looked to the right, then her left for Piper. She started to walk towards her when Piper opened the door and got in the cab. She patted the chair and told him to hurry. He did exactly what she said and pulled out into the street. She gave him Polly's address and leaned back. Her phone rang immediately afterwards.

Piper picked it up and said one thing into the receiver. "Catch a cab with Becca, there is no more reason for you to waste time with me or my family today." She didn't let Alex respond; she simply hung up and turned off her phone. Piper leaned back in the seat of cab and rubbed her eyes. She wouldn't cry.

***Freya, Nicky is mad at Red because she found out her mom and step dad used his mob connections to have Red look out for Nicky in prison. She felt that Red had adopted her because she saw something in her that made her special. It was a blow to everything Nicky thought about herself and this is why they are scared she will do drugs again. Please review. I need lots of reviews to write the parts coming up! Peace Fa****