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Lockdown
2.

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Waiting was torture. By ten in the evening, the snow still fell, and no news had been heard from the staff. No updates; nothing. Alex refused to stay in her cell. She wanted to be where the crowds were, in case anything important was said. Hours had passed since Alex spoke to Nicky and Piper over the phone, and the inmates had lost interest in the two stranded women. They now discussed the weather, the possibility that it wouldn't stop snowing anytime soon, that in different states, there had been hurricanes, constant downfalls of rain.

Nobody knew what was happening, though. One inmate asked a CO for some information, but was threatened to shut up or they would be given a shot. It was obvious the COs were tense. They knew what was happening out there, and weren't passing on any details to the inmates because it would cause panic and disruption. It couldn't be clearer to Alex that something was wrong. Very wrong. The COs were less interested in keeping the inmates in order; they let them stare out of the window, sit in the hallway, wait for any news. Instead, they were more concerned about other, pressing matters.

Inmates had now been refused the right to contact family, and, after a while, a CO appeared at the end of the hallway, blocking the exit. No one was allowed through. Alex realised they were herding the inmates all in one place like cattle. She was seated against the wall, in the corner of the hallway. Lowering her novel, she turned her head to the window. It was still snowing. A horrible discomfort shuddered through her. She had heard nothing on Piper and Nicky. Absolutely nothing. She didn't even know if they were all right, if they were still alive.

Piper was smart, though, and strong. She would be okay. The blonde always adjusted, she always knew how to handle dire situations, and Nicky was good company. The best sort. Alex had nothing to worry about. She shouldn't be worrying about Piper in the first place. Not after Piper had fucked her around. Alex trusted her, confided in her, said she was fleeing the city. And Piper abused this trust, this faith and loyalty in her. Piper named Alex, and had her parole officer come take her back to Litchfield prison. Initially, Alex just felt disappointed.

Disappointed in herself for telling Piper her plans to escape when she shouldn't have. Disappointed she trusted that woman so easily. But, then, after a while, Alex felt betrayal. She was betrayed, betrayed by the only person she cared about completely. Thrown back behind bars, and forced to wear these baggy, orange khakis, Alex didn't know how Piper would confront her. If she'd immediately explain her reasons, defend herself, or even apologise. To Alex's dismay, she did neither. Piper avoided her. Refused to look at her. Kept quiet, head down.

It angered Alex immensely. Piper ignoring her hurt more than the betrayal. But, Alex was a proud woman, and she wasn't going to approach Piper first. She would wait. Or, more accurately, she wouldn't try to make amends when it was Piper's fault this had happened. She wanted Piper to feel guilty, realise the error of her ways. Wanted Piper to come to her. Because she always did. Whatever happened, Piper always came crawling back.

Alex just wasn't expecting them to finally speak under these circumstances. With Piper trapped elsewhere, and having to talk over the phone with a corrupt line. Hearing her voice, after so long, was a sharp attack to Alex's heart. It shocked her. Even scared her a little. She couldn't see Piper's face, could only read the emotions in her voice. And it wasn't enough. Alex needed to see Piper, needed to make sure she was okay, needed to touch her, make sure her heart was still beating. It was frustrating how, after everything, Alex still cared. Cared too much.

Fuck. Piper did not get to die –– not now, and not like this.

Suddenly the lights flickered. Some of the inmates yelled in surprise and then, the lights went off completely. Alex was frozen in place, and waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Most inmates, though, decided this was the perfect opportunity to riot. There were screams, hurried footsteps, constant banging against the windows. It stirred panic and terror within the hallways, and Alex began to feel tense, annoyed, pissed off; she wanted the inmates to be quiet.

The electricity had gone out. There was no heating, no warm water, no lights –– nothing. They were trapped like this, and the inmates were having none of it. Alex nearly jumped in surprise she heard a loud bang. All the inmates fell into a shuddering silence, and looked over to the noise. Three COs carrying torches were at the rear of the hallway. Caputo was amongst them, carrying a large baseball bat he must have slammed against the wall to get the women's attention. Alex couldn't see him well in the torchlight, but it was obvious he was stressed and impatient.

'All of you can shut the fuck up, otherwise I'll have you all handcuffed to the walls!' His voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. Even if his threat had been a little unjustified, Alex was pleased someone had acclaimed order again. 'Yeah, the lights have gone out, so unless you're afraid of the dark, then you can quit with the screaming! All the electricity is out! We have no more hot water, the toilets aren't fucking flushing anymore! And it's a goddamn blizzard out there. That means you all have to do exactly as you're told! For now, you're all to wait in silence until we figure out what to do next.'

There were a series of murmurs, mostly murmurs of disapproval. None of the ladies were impressed with the lack of planning, but Caputo ignored them. He turned to one of his COs, said something, and then faced the crowd of women again.

'It's gonna get cold! Freezing cold. Dress warmly, use your bedsheets if you want! Cuddle up. Whatever. I don't give a shit. Just don't cause me hassle, otherwise I'll fucking kick you out there in the snow to die! In order to keep everyone in sight, we'll be transferring some of the inmates from SHU to over here. If a CO tells you to do something, you do it. If a CO tells you to not do something, then you don't fucking do it. If you want the toilet, then ask a CO and they'll escort you to the shower room. We'll be handing out bottles of water which you all must share! No sharing, then no water. Simple shit.'

A few inmates called out in protest. One shouted, 'Care to tell us what the fuck is happening out there?!'

Clearly Caputo wanted to avoid this question, but when more inmates repeated it, demanding to know, he had no choice. 'Fine! Fine!' The hallway fell into silence again. 'At the moment, we've just heard reports about severe weather warnings, but that's all. We were told several hours ago that the snow should stop falling soon, but it hasn't. This means we're taking more drastic action. If the weather doesn't cease, then you'll all be transferred elsewhere––'

'You expect us to stay in here?! Fuck that shit.'

'I'd let you out if I could. Heck, you'd die quicker that way. More room for everyone else, but, unfortunately, I'd get fired if I did that, so you're staying put!' Caputo retorted, his voice breaking slightly from the anger rushing through him. 'Anymore questions or can I go back to saving your ungrateful behinds?'

Alex waited, but everyone was quiet. Rolling her eyes, she stood to her feet, 'I have a question! What about the two inmates stuck in the boiler room? You just gonna leave them there or what?'

'Right now, there's not much any of us can do about that. As soon as we're advised that we can go outside, then we'll help them out.'

That wasn't good enough. Alex jarred her teeth and returned to sitting down on the floor. The inmates started chattering again, and Caputo turned and left. Some COs remained, offering torchlight. Alex hugged her knees, breathing heavily, angry. Nothing was making sense. She couldn't wait for the storm to pass. She couldn't wait. She couldn't do that. Alex flickered her gaze to one of the COs, then at some women in the corner, talking amongst themselves, tense, stressed.

It was torture. All of this. Alex exhaled shakily, rested her head against the wall. It was unlikely they would have permission to step outside for a long while. Even though it was not much warmer here than the boiler room, at least there was food and water. More clothes and blankets. Nicky and Piper wouldn't survive for very long, especially if they only had a bottle of water to share amongst themselves. She remembered Caputo saying the electricity was out. That meant the security cameras were busted, and the fences were offline. If there weren't COs guarding the exit to the hallways, they could all run free.

Alex dropped her book. Stood up. Approached a CO –– Healy. She knew Piper and Nicky weren't getting out anytime soon, and clearly she was the only idiot in this place who gave a shit about them. Plus, Alex couldn't sit around waiting. It was driving her crazy. She wasn't the waiting type. 'Sir,' she said, catching his attention. Healy glanced at her, then considered walking away. It was obvious he wasn't very fond of Alex, but Alex had little patient right now. 'Might I suggest we take more action? I don't think Nichols and Chapman can wait until the snow stops.'

It was the control. Alex realised the mistake she was making instantly. Outside of this dump, she was in charge of her own life, making her own orders, having lost puppies follow her around, obeying her every command. In here, Alex had no control. She was a grunt. An inmate. A prisoner. A woman with no rights. It was not only frustrating, but desperate. Especially in these circumstances, Alex couldn't sit around and let men tell her what to do, and to keep her mouth shut. She couldn't handle that; she wouldn't handle that.

But Healy hated her. That was no secret. And his hatred was going to cause difficulties for her. She could say what she liked, she could come out with the most reasonable, valid argument but he wouldn't listen. The last person he wanted to speak to was Alex Vause, a dangerous lesbian who liked to manipulate and deceive every woman around her. It was bullshit, of course, but his judgements were hard to escape. Healy turned on her, expression most unpleasant.

'Sit back down, Vause. You can keep your advice to yourself. I don't take suggestions from prisoners. Especially prisoners who continue to break the law even when on parole. You're the last person I'd take advice form, Vause. Leave this to those who know what to do. And who have a working brain, for starters.'

What did she expect? For Healy to agree to her every word? Alex rolled her eyes. 'Don't you realise that by the time people start looking for them––'

'They could be dead? Yes, I am aware of that.'

'So you're not going to do anything?'

'Vause, there is only so much I can do. I am not prepared to risk my life for two criminals––'

'They are people!' Alex nearly recoiled. She shouldn't do this, she shouldn't speak to her CO like this. She was not helping herself, or anyone else. But she was so fucking pissed off, so annoyed and frustrated and impatient by the lack of sense. 'Living, normal people and you're happy to let them freeze to death? The fuck is the matter with all of you?'

Healy's upper lip twitched into a sneer. 'Don't tell me who they are. Surprised you even recognise them as people, Vause, considering what you used to do for a living.'

'Sir––'

'You're causing a stir. Bennett, send her to my office. Lock her in there. Keep her out of the way.'

'What?' Alex glared. 'Are you fucking kidding me?' She struggled when Bennett grabbed her by the arm, but there was no use trying to break free. Really, Alex had been expecting this to happen, but, damn it, they weren't going to do anything? She exhaled, and reluctantly let Bennett take her to Healy office. Fuck. Fuck. Shit. 'You need to get them out of there,' she said to him as they entered the room. Bennett said nothing. 'Are you really just going to––?'

'Quiet,' Bennett snapped. 'You're making this worse for yourself. You know what's happening, and you also know very little can be done.'

'Sir––'

'Wait here. If you cause anymore problems, then no one will listen to you. Give it up, Vause.' Without waiting for a response, Bennett walked out of the office and closed the door behind him.

As soon as he was gone, Alex turned to the table and kicked it angrily. This place stunk with idiocy. Fuck Piper for bringing her back here, and fuck Piper for making her still care. Alex's heart was racing, and she had to calm down. That had been foolish, approaching Healy. He was the last person she should have spoken to. And, yes, maybe there was a good reason to not go outside yet. Maybe the snow would kill them before they reached the boiler room. That didn't stop Alex from dreading the worst, though.

The wind was vicious. Furious. Frightening.

Alex sat in the chair opposite Healy's desk. Removed her glasses and waited. Waited and hoped, hoped to whatever God was out there, that Piper and Nicky would be okay. The office was freezing, and Alex regretted not wearing a pullover. She rubbed her palms together, rested her feet on top of the table. Sighed heavily. The only sound was the howl of the blizzard, a constant reminder that she was in hell, and there was no way out.

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'Do you think they forgot about us?'

Piper stiffened. 'No.' She swallowed. Frowned. 'No, they wouldn't have. It's just too dangerous for them to rescue us. They'll come. Eventually.' Yet even Piper didn't feel convinced by her own words. It had been over five hours since she spoke to Alex, and she continued to cling onto a little hope that Alex hadn't forgotten about her. She would help. If the COs were too cowardly to help them, then maybe Alex would. Because Alex still cared, right? God. Didn't anybody care about them in that prison or were Nicky and her, indeed, surviving on their own?

In comparison, Nicky was a lot more calmer. Or, more bored. She had been pacing the boiler room for the past thirty minutes, muttering the odd thing to herself. It was no longer warm. It was cold. So chilly Piper's teeth were chattering. Walking around seemed like a good idea, but she was too worried to exercise. Why had no one contacted them on the phone yet? It honestly felt as if Nicky and her were the only two people who existed.

The snow was falling harder. Piper ran her hands through her hair.

'It'll be okay,' she whispered. 'It'll be okay.'

'Please don't do the chanting thing,' Nicky said. 'I'm this close to losing my shit.'

'Oh, God.'

Nicky took a step forward, and the floorboard creaked beneath her. She stopped, slammed her foot against it. It sounded hollow, empty. Piper watched as Nicky knelt on one knee, and smoothed her hand across the floorboard. 'Hey, man. Come help me.' Not at all sure what Nicky was trying to achieve, Piper came over and helped the inmate remove the piece of wood.

It was easy. Effortless. The floorboard wasn't attached, and once they had removed it, they saw a relatively small hole beneath. At first, Nicky thought there was nothing in there, until she spotted something shining in the dim light. Nicky reached out and retrieved whatever it was. A smile graced her lips, and she raised her brow at Piper. She revealed a bottle, half filled with Scotch.

Nicky laughed. 'Oh, man. Thank God for small mercies.' Although she wasn't too fond of Scotch, Piper did feel better to find a stronger drink than water. Nicky wasted no time in removing the cap and drinking a generous amount, before handing it to Piper. 'Feel better already.'

The alcohol felt like fire in her mouth, and scolded down her throat. But Piper had to admit she felt lighter on her feet, less worried. Wow. She took another swig. 'Mm, that's good.' She drank another mouthful, and Nicky snatched it from her.

'Oi, leave some for me!' After two big gulps of Scotch, Nicky sighed happily and both women leaned against the wall. They passed the bottle over every now and again. 'You know what?' Nicky shrugged. 'I don't care if we die, to be honest. I feel like I've done everything I needed to.'

'Glad you feel that way.' Personally, Piper was not ready to die. Unlike Nicky, she felt as if she had a lot to do still. 'Fuck, it's freezing.' Nicky turned to her, and then shuffled closer. It took Piper a moment to realise she was encouraging them to snuggle up. At first, it was a little awkward, but they managed to fit together quite nicely. One arm draped over each other's shoulders, legs intertwined, and Piper resting her head on Nicky's shoulder, they managed to ignore the strangeness of the situation. Because it worked. After a couple of minutes, Piper was warmer, and her teeth weren't chattering anymore. They sat in silence, holding each other, listening to the wild batter of snowflakes.

Neither said a word, and with Nicky pressed against her, Piper could feel and hear the quick rhythm of her heartbeat. It was enough to confirm to Piper that Nicky wasn't calm either; she was panicking. She was dreading the worst. They didn't want to die. They didn't want to be forgotten. They didn't want to be left behind. Their lives weren't ready to end yet.

Tears stung Piper's eyes, and she cleared her throat, blinking rapidly in order to hold them back. Nicky wasn't a fool, though. She smiled a little, tightened her embrace. 'You were right,' she said, 'It will be okay. Like you said, people get snowed in all the time.'

Piper sighed lightly, softened her expression. It was kind of Nicky to reassure her. 'You believe that bullshit?'

'No.' Nicky snorted. 'But pretending I do kinda helps.' A pause. 'I could really do for a fag, mate.'

'Oh. Sorry. Can't help you there.'

Another pause. Nicky exhaled heavily. 'If we die, then let's agree to meet at the gates to God's kingdom of fluffy clouds and heterosexual galore. I'm not getting kicked down to hell without you, man.'

Piper laughed, 'Right behind you.'

'This sucks.'

'Yeah.'

Resting her head against Piper's, Nicky was silent. She tried to ignore the fact Piper was still trembling, and she tried to ignore the fact she wasn't necessarily trembling due to the cold. Piper was scared. They were both scared. At first, it was doubtful they would end up stuck in here. But now the snow had got worse, and the phones were no longer usable, Nicky couldn't help but wonder if they ever would escape. Surely they would have been helped by now.

When the lights flickered out, and the two were left in pitch black, Nicky held her breath. She waited for the lights to come back on, but they never did. They were stuck like this.

Piper fidgeted, and Nicky held her tighter. But this time, for her own sake. Nicky's lower lip quivered. She wasn't sure if she was angry, upset or annoyed. Probably all three. 'You know,' she said, 'There are murderers in that prison. There are people in there who have destroyed lives, and we're the ones who suffer?' She laughed a little. 'The world is a shitty place, man.'

More than anything, Piper wanted to speak. She wanted to have a normal conversation, wanted to continue laughing, wanted to pretend nothing was wrong. But, the darkness had never been more terrifying. She didn't want to imagine how deep the snow was outside. She didn't want to imagine what was happening within the prison. She didn't want to imagine what was happening to her family, to Larry, and whether or not Alex had given them a second thought.

She didn't want to think.

Didn't want to let the fear win.

But mother nature was in nobody's control. Piper had no idea what was happening, whether the snow would pass, or if it would continue like this for days. Maybe weeks. Piper took the bottle of Scotch from Nicky and had a few mouthfuls. She gasped when placing it down. Then, finally, she came to her senses. The power was cut, they had no light, the snow was building up outside by the second. They weren't getting out. They would never get out.

That was probably the last time she would ever speak to Alex, and Piper hadn't even told her why she named her, why she wanted her back in Litchfield. Alex would go on hating her, and thinking her as nothing but a cold hearted bitch. Would Alex even care if Piper died? Would she care? Would she continue life as if everything were normal? Did Piper matter to anyone?

A hot tear trailed down her cheek and she roughly wiped it away. She wasn't crying about death. Heck, maybe she had embraced the opportunity of death a long time ago. Piper wasn't crying about her family, about the fact she was stuck here. She was crying about Alex. About them, what a fucking mess they were together, how happy and complete Alex made her feel, and how toxic she was. How she ruined Piper's life without having to try.

How, if Piper had the chance, she would go back to her.

If she had the chance.

'She hasn't forgotten about you,' Nicky said, 'You know that.'

And Piper felt her heart break. She straightened up, exhaled, and wiped her tear-stained face with her hands. Nicky didn't move, and waited until Piper was all right. Piper sniffed, stared into the darkness for a while, then chuckled. 'Yeah, I know.' She had been foolish –– Alex hadn't forgotten about her. About them. Even if no one else cared about the two inmates trapped in the boiler room, waiting to die, at least there was one person who was thinking about them.

Returning to Nicky's embrace, Piper listened to the wind. Waited.

She knew.

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The last time Bennett had witnessed Caputo this angry was when he confessed he had impregnated Diaz. The correctional officer wisely remained quiet while Caputo went over several ideas on how to keep all the women in order, what to do if the weather refused to settle, whether or not he should follow advice from outside or make his own suggestions. Soon, the women would grow impatient. They would demand information, and they were good at demanding information. They were good at mocking the staff's superiority.

Caputo thought he should get paid more for this crap. When the power went out last time due to flooding, everything had been chaotic and messy. But this was worse. Much worse. He had heard the weather was more severe in other places –– hurricanes in New York, the ocean current going ballistic further North. Nothing was making sense. 'I haven't even been boss for three weeks yet. Not even a month, and already I have two inmates dying on me.'

'Sir.'

'Do you think we should go out and get them?'

Widening his eyes slightly, Bennett said nothing, hoping Caputo wasn't expecting an answer. However, his boss waited, freakishly patient. He needed help. 'I think we should––' Bennett paused, '––do what we can to...' He remembered one of the inmates, Vause, who was now stuck in a pitch black room with nothing to do. She had been worried. Scared for the two inmates. 'Sir, I'd recommend we help them before it's too late.'

Caputo nodded. 'That's what I thought.' He groaned, running his hands down his face. 'Fine. But I'm only letting one CO out. Pick three inmates to help –– preferably the fittest ones you can find. If you can't get Chapman and Nichols out, though, don't wait around. That blizzard isn't going to stop anytime soon, and I don't need more deaths on my fucking hands. Fuck. Shit. Fucking Christ. I hate my job.' A long silence, and finally Caputo sighed, spoke. 'I'd rather have you out there. You up for the task?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Three inmates, Bennett.' Caputo leaned back in his seat. 'Just three. And good luck to you.' He shook his head, eyes trailing down to the torch balanced on his desk. 'You're going to need it.'

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An hour passed. Another hour. Three.

Four hours.

Too long. It had been too long. It had been far too long. Alex was now pacing the room. Angry. Impatient. Upset. Fucking done. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She shouldn't have spoken to Healy. Shouldn't have gone anywhere near him. Fuck, she shouldn't go near anyone. Especially Piper. She shouldn't be anywhere near Piper again –– if she ever gets out. Fuck. Oh, fuck. Alex approached the window. It was bright outside; the snow was glowing, and it was so deep; there was so much snow, it made her stomach tighten, made her feel sick.

Slamming her fist against the glass, she considered breaking out. But that would be foolish. She wasn't wearing enough clothes for the extreme weather, and she had no shovel or vehicle to help Nicky and Piper out. This was ridiculous. Fucking ridiculous. She was stuck here. Alex growled, tempted to make a tip of Healy's office, topple over his desk, throw around his paperwork, smash that fucking photograph of his wife. Back pressed against the wall, she slowly did down.

Fuck.

She remembered the last time she saw Piper, spoke to her properly, face-to-face. How she begged Alex not to leave her, how beaten and broken she looked. How she was close to giving up. How she had lost everyone important to her. And that, even if she hated Alex, hated her guts, she couldn't deny how she truly felt. How she loved her still, how they were so fucked and yet still loved each other. Alex scowled. What a mess. What a fucking mess.

Now, the possibility she might lose her –– permanently –– was a little too much to bare.

It wasn't supposed to end this way.

You can't leave me.

Cold. It was so cold. Alex wrapped her arms around herself, shuddered. She could hate Piper as much as she wanted. Could say what she wanted about her. Pretend she didn't care. Pretend she didn't want anything to do with her. But Alex was scared. For Piper, she was terrified. Damn it. It wasn't supposed to be this way. It wasn't, it wasn't. It wasn't supposed––

Piper didn't deserve to die. Piper didn't deserve to die alone. Piper didn't deserve any of this. Fuck, she wouldn't be here if Alex didn't name her in court. She wouldn't be here, stranded, if it weren't for Alex. If Alex never entered her life, if Alex never saw her at the bar, if Alex just stayed the fuck away from her, Piper would be okay. Piper would be okay.

Knowing this was enough to make Alex loathe her own existence.

The lock turned in the door.

Alex jumped to her feet, ready to face Healy, ready to be yelled at, scolded, punished, forced to feel like shit. But she was a little surprised when Bennett appeared, flushed, slightly out of breath. 'Come on. We're going to get them out.'

It was hard to not express her relief. Alex maintained her composure, though. She didn't want to do anything that would cause more trouble for herself. Quickly, she left the office and followed Bennett down the hallway. He was carrying a torch, but it was still difficult to see where they were going. Alex adjusted her glasses, pushing them further up the bridge of her nose, and realised the two were approaching one of the back doors. A CO –– Bell –– and two other inmates were waiting.

A thick jacket was thrown in Alex's direction, along with a hat, scarf and gloves. Bell had a funny look about her. Wisely, Alex ignored the woman, pulling on the extra clothes. 'Bet she's going to be really grateful when her knight in shining armour comes to her rescue.' One of the inmates snorted at Bell's comment. Alex felt her ears burn. 'Have a fun time.'

It was not going to be fun. Alex wrapped the scarf around her neck, and looked at the two inmates. One of them she didn't recognise. A relatively tall woman, tied back brown hair, oval face, giving her an odd, crooked smile. The other was Watson, who looked bored and impatient. Arms folded, she simply rolled her eyes at Bell's words, but remained quiet. She probably wasn't pleased to be here, but Alex had no sympathy to share.

A small bag around his shoulder, Bennett stepped past and pressed his weight against the heavy, metal doors. For a moment, Alex was worried he would reconsider and back out. It was dangerous what they were doing, after all, and common sense told them to stay indoors. Stay warm. Think about themselves. Forget about the two women trapped in the snow. They were long dead. They were gone.

However, Alex realised he wasn't reconsidering. He was just thinking. Thinking about what the weather had in store for them, whether they would make it. What they should do once they reached the boiler room. He turned when Bell picked up three shovels resting against the walls, and passed one to each inmate. Holding the heavy tool, Alex began to feel tense.

Oh, shit.

This was going to be hell.

'Whatever happens, you must follow me. If you lose me, then head back. Don't hang around. Or, you'll probably freeze to death.'

That was when Watson acknowledged Alex's presence and gave her a look of sheer distaste. 'Thanks for nothing, Maleficent.'

The heavy doors were pushed open, and the freeze instantly nipped at their flesh beneath the thick cotton of their jumpers and khakis. Alex swore. The blizzard was worse than she thought. She couldn't see the snow; it was all a white blur. A flurry of flakes. By the time she stepped out, her fingers already felt numb, and her toes began to ache from the chill. Shovel in hand, she tried to follow Bennett round the corner, past a couple of fences and towards the boiler room.

She didn't bother looking back to see if the other inmates were following. Alex was keen to not let Bennett out of her sight, and fortunately her long legs helped her keep up with him. Someone roughly barged past, and she realised it was Watson, enthusiastic to get to the boiler room so she could return to the safety of the prison. Alex raised her scarf to cover her cheeks, and her glasses were starting to annoy her. Snowflakes melted on the glass, making it hard to see, but even if she took them off, her sight wouldn't be improved. The snow was too violent.

A hand grabbed her by the sleeve and she was forced to the right. Alex yanked her arm away, and glared at her offender. Then, it occurred to her they had reached the boiler room. It was covered in snow, buried, and Alex was horrified at the sight. Watson pushed her, encouraging her to start digging. The other inmate was already getting to work. Heart in her mouth, Alex stabbed her shovel into the snow, and helped remove as much as possible so the door could be opened.

They dug for what felt like hours. Alex was distinctly aware of Watson throwing her a dirty look every time she had a small break. Heck, let her glare. Let her sneer. Let her hate Alex for putting her into this shit. Alex couldn't give less of a damn.

Even though they were working exhaustively, constantly, and even though digging away mountains of snow was enough to make anyone sweat, Alex was so cold she could barely breathe. The inmate she didn't know the name of had to stop at one point. Bennett appeared unfazed by the cold, and took the shovel from her, helping the remaining two women. By now, Alex could make out the door and her heart skipped a beat. Not much longer. They could do this.

Apparently Watson wasn't going to wait. Dropping the shovel, she attempted to kick down the door. It didn't budge. It was frozen in its hinges. Alex lowered her own shovel. Tapped Watson on the shoulder, and gestured they try and knock down the door together. Bennett stopped digging, and stepped away when the two women whammed themselves into the door. Fortunately, Watson was able to maintain her balance, but Alex was less graceful.

The door flung open and she crashed inside, slamming her forehead against the floorboard. She heard her glasses shatter under the impact. 'Urgh, fuck...'

Hurried footsteps. She felt someone help her up by the jacket, and nearly fell back. It took her a second to realise they had made it in. They were in the boiler room. Alex shoved her scarf down passed her mouth, squinted her eyes, and searched for Piper and Nicky. She could make out a faint outline of two women, huddled together, sitting on the floor, staring at their visitors in awe. Alex turned, watched as Bennett stepped over, and she couldn't hear what he was saying over the noise of the storm outside.

She didn't know what to say. Alex remained frozen in place when Watson shut the door to keep in as much heat as possible. They couldn't stay here for long, but Piper and Nicky needed to dress up warmer before heading outside. Fortunately, Bennett had two extra jumpers stuffed into his bag and passed them over. Piper was shaking, speechless. Nicky, on the other hand, was overjoyed. She pulled on the jumper and yanked a stunned Piper to her feet.

They were getting out.

'––need to stay close,' Bennett was saying.

Piper saw Alex. Her heart seemed to stop beating for a moment, and she lowered her gaze. They were going to be okay. With Nicky at her side, the two women followed Bennett to the door. He told them again to stay close, and Piper nodded, although she wasn't entirely sure what was going on. She had no idea how bad the weather was. Didn't know anything. She looked at Alex again, swallowed, and when Alex turned to face her, Piper quickly glanced away.

Right now, she couldn't meet her gaze. She couldn't.

Not yet.

Everything was such a blur.

'Oi, Chapman –– you were right!'

Nicky. Piper looked at her. Tried to smile. Tried to nod. But she couldn't think. She was in shock. They were getting out. They were going to be okay. Piper felt Nicky grab her wrist, and the blonde looked at Alex one more time –– saw the distance in her eyes, the regret, the cold, the unforgiving glare –– before running out into the white void of snow.

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author's note: Blimey, this chapter was a beast, and it strayed far from what I had planned (which is not unusual), but I do like how this came out. It's difficult writing Alex, Piper and co. in this scenario, and I'm a tad concerned they seem OOC. But the way I wrote them is the way I think they would behave in such a situation. As always, I really would like to know what you think. Your feedback means a heck of a lot to me, and this chapter was pretty difficult to write, so it's important you tell me your thoughts. Thank you so much to kira66, tayschillings, Maritexxam, cmc49abc, the two [ Guest ] reviewers, phantomframe, FangirlBitch, garganta, Hope6968, ToTheBarricades, Osage, shrub-skinz and Warkitty for reviewing the prior chapter! Updates will be more spread out from here. I do have two other stories to focus on, after all.