A/N: Hey guys. So I'm REALLY sorry that I haven't updated in forever, life has been so ridiculously hectic and I have been genuinely exhausted every single day. Also, I found this chapter so difficult to write, and I suppose it has essentially turned out as a filler chapter, (no one kill me please ahhhh). However, it was kind of necessary to put this in here, and afterwards there are much more exciting things planned for this story, so please do not panic and stick with it if you will!

Thanks for the ongoing reviews and follows and just general love, I always appreciate it. And remember, there are better things to come! xxx

ps. this chapter swaps POV after the first bit, before becoming basically Alex-centric. I'm sorry again, it probably doesn't flow very well, but it was honestly the easiest way and I hope it kinda works.

PIPER

Two days passed.

Piper did not call Alex, she just let thoughts of the raven-haired woman tirelessly eat away at her mind instead. There was not an hour that passed in which Piper did not descend further into the bleak depths of confusion and despair, and the longer she left this obviously imminent phonecall, the more she started to lack control of her actions. On numerous occasions, Piper had ended up with her thumb hovering nervously over the call button on her phone, having once again dialed Alex's number which, fuck,she now nearly knew off by heart.

And so it was on this dull Wednesday afternoon on which Piper decided that she could no longer sit at her desk and re-read documents and learn information that she already knew; it was time to see Alex again, and whilst Piper was well aware that she should be trying to extinguish the tiny flickering flame of feelings for the woman, she was currently finding it impossibly difficult to do so. Alex had seemingly brandished herself onto Piper's brain, and whilst Piper should have been epically panicked over this, strangely, she wasn't. She kinda liked it. She kinda liked Alex. Even though she should also hate Alex.

I do also hate her right? Yes. You're putting her in prison, remember? Uh huh, I remember now, yeah. I surely don't like her reeeeeally. Do I? Nope, shut up, and stop denying that you like her. And shit, there you go again. Thinking about her again. Getting distracted AGAIN. Shit shit shit!

Piper groaned before downing the remainder of her coffee, ew, too strong, she grimaced, and picked up her phone. Her fingers were now on autopilot as she dialed Alex's number, and before she even had time to contemplate what she was about to do, or even what she was going to say, Piper pressed call.

ALEX

Across the city, Alex forcefully slammed her laptop shut and lazily pushed her glasses back onto the top of her head before rubbing her tired eyes. Yes, she was now ready to admit that she was fucking tired. Tired of dealing with her demanding superiors, her demanding clients, and her demanding schedule. Recently, there had been such a peak in the need for drugs that business was going crazy, and whilst this endless rush was music to Kubra's ears, it certainly was not to Alex's, who was actually the brains behind the successful movement of these copious amounts of heroin, and so had to do all the hard graft. She was currently rushed off her feet, and she wasn't enjoying it, even if she was undoubtedly becoming even more super fucking rich for it, seeing as it wasn't as if she had a load of spare time to go out spending.

And even worse? Alex was rich with an empty bed. It had been that way since this manic rush for drugs across the world, and Alex now felt that she was missing something; not even just sex, but simply human contact. How fucking pathetic. Alex shook her head in disappointment with herself as she gracefully reclined over her obnoxiously large and notably lonely sofa with a glass of deep, velvety red wine; an activity which was becoming an all-too-frequent occurrence in her luxurious upper-east apartment, which, (despite warm, fluffy rugs and plenty of cushions to hug in times of high desperation), was nowadays, deathly silent and upsettingly unpopulated. In fact, during recent weeks, Alex had barely even had the energy to bring anyone home with her, which was a fucking joke considering that she now found herself craving the attention of another. But honestly, she was having increasingly earlier nights now, feeling exhausted all the time, and was, somewhat unwillingly, wholly invested in her work, not romance. But it was better this than getting on the wrong side of Kubra and his people, because that was truly something that she would wish upon no other; being on their good side was great, but being on their bad side was hell, or something even worse than hell; Alex had painfully witnessed enough people suffer at the unforgiving hands of Kubra and his men, and she had quickly decided that she never ever wanted to be even close to putting herself or another in that position.

Suddenly, Alex's thoughts switched back to the other night, and that Piper kid, at it was like a breath of fresh air filled her lungs, lingered, and caused Alex to smile a little. Jesus, Piper was something. Alex licked her lips at the vision of the cute blonde who she'd actually thought about a lot since two days ago. Piper had made a real impression on Alex, who did secretly want to see her again after deciding that she had probably acted a little too forward. Fuck you, alcohol, she thought; wishing that she hadn't had any vodka before she'd left her apartment.

There was something weird about Piper Chapman though, Alex also thought. How had she known her last name, for example? That was a little fucking suspicious... Alex noted that she'd have to ask about that, before smiling to herself as she felt some energy slowly seeping back into her system, some want, because, after all, Alex Vause did love a challenge.

And so, Piper Chapman was Alex's new project, albeit an easy one, because apart from the name-guessing mystery, Alex knew Piper's type; she was a little WASP. Easy for Alex to play; to entice, and Piper was even easier, because she already wanted Alex, the little blonde had made that quite clear the other night when she'd actually moaned at Alex's fingers as they dared to dance up her leg. It was going to take next to no convincing to persuade the petite blonde to keep Alex's bed warm for her; Alex had played girls like this literally countless times.

Alex stared nonchalantly at the sea of papers flooding her desk. How she would love to bend Piper over that desk and make the girl forget her own name, but then Alex faltered a bit, and sighed sadly, her bravado wavering. It was starting to become startlingly evident to Alex that she felt differently about Piper, and that the innocent college girl deserved more than that. But that's what you do. A sarcastic little voice in her head told her matter-of-factly. Fuck and forget, it was always fuck and forget, it yammered on, until this one. So, apparently this one's-

'Different.' Alex interjected her own inner dialogue, almost shocking herself at the revelation, and how uncomfortably deep her thoughts and feelings were becoming. Alex groaned, before reminding herself that she'd only met this girl once, and mentally scolded herself for being a sap.

Now, the only problem was that Alex was relying on Piper to phone her. Fuck. But just as Alex's thoughts began to branch out into bigger, nastier thoughts about how Piper didn't want to ever see her again, the phone rang, causing Alex's to heart jump as she picked up the phone, recognising the voice on the other end immediately as Piper's. Alex couldn't believe this amazing stroke of luck, this day was beginning to look up.

'I knew it. There is some weird voodoo shit going on here.' Alex laughed a low, raspy laugh down the phone and Piper incredulously asked her whatever she meant. 'Well, firstly, I was just thinking about you, and the next thing I know, you're calling me.' She explained casually.

'I wouldn't call that 'weird voodoo shit', Alex...' Alex could practically see Piper rolling her eyes and air quoting herself.

It was then that Alex decided to just get it over with. 'So then, explain how you knew my last name. That was some voodoo shit if I ever saw it.' Alex adjusted her glasses on her nose, she was a little nervous of the plethora of potential answers.

'A guy at the bar gave me your name.' Anti-climax, Alex thought, slumping lower on the sofa and unwittingly trusting Piper's thoughtfully constructed lie immediately. 'I was asking about the place and how it possibly made enough money to stay open, and he said that he felt it was basically thanks to the regulars, like himself, and he mentioned you, and some other people too, who's names I can't remember. But then, when I met you, I figured that you were the infamous Alex Vause that he was talking about. Which you were, so... I win.'

'You win what, exactly?' Alex sniggered, 'the biggest stalker contest?'

When Piper laughed down the phone, Alex never wanted to forget the sound, and then, when Piper shyly accepted Alex's offer to 'wine and dine' her, Alex found herself beaming like an idiot, and it was safe to say that no previous girl had ever had that effect on her before; it looked like this whole 'seriously liking someone' business was going to take some adjusting to.

'So... I guess I'll see you on Friday night?' Piper chirped up in the midst of a comfortable silence that had descended on the phone line.

'You will, lucky little you.' Alex chuckled, 'I'll pick you up at seven.'

'Okay. I'll see you then, Alex.'

'Wear something sexy.' Alex purred down the phone, she couldn't help but be even a little inappropriate around Piper, she'd realised, but really, the blonde brought it all upon herself, what with those eyes and that mouth and that general face. Alex rubbed her temple with her free hand in a pitiful attempt to relieve herself of this intoxication with Piper, because it was beginning to completely override all of her other thought processes, yet Alex was reluctant to admit that she wanted Piper to consume her brain. Hell, she wanted Piper to consume her... or vice versa, of course.

'Alex!' Piper exclaimed breathily, snapping Alex out of her daze and bringing her back to the here and now. She imagined that Piper had gone completely red in the face over her last comment, (she was right).

Kinda cute, let's wind her up a bit. Alex thought, already feeling much more like her old self again thanks to Piper and her innocence.

'It's a little early for you to be saying my name like that, Pipes, don't you think?' Alex toyed with Piper, even though the blonde couldn't see the evil smirk plastered across her face, before reigning herself in. 'Anyway, looking forward to Friday. I'll seeya then, kid.'

'Bye, Alex.'

Alex placed the receiver down and sighed. She wished the call had gone on for longer and she found herself wanting to talk to Piper again already, and already longing for this shitty Wednesday to miraculously transform into Friday night. She couldn't wait for Friday. But Alex paused then, deep in thought; what was one meant to do on a date? Are flowers compulsory? Is it a shit date if you don't bring flowers? What kind of flowers? Does Piper like Japanese food? Some people have their doubts about sushi... Maybe Piper does. Maybe raw fish freaks her out... Maybe instead we could-

'Shit, when did I get so fucking soppy?'Alex shook her head in pure disbelief at the ludicrous stream of concerns that had just played out in her head, before noticing the little demon that was her laptop sat over on her desk, containing all of her orders and emails and unfinished work and shit. Alex glared at it, practically able to see little red horns, a pointy tail and a pitchfork all stemming off of that damned thing that she hated so much, particularly at the present, because it was distracting her from planning how to make Friday perfect. 'I'm not sure how,' she growled angrily at the inanimate machine as she marched over to it, 'but somehow, it's your fucking fault, you piece of shit. I hate you.' She glared coldly at the keyboard as she jabbed the 'on' button, dreading to see who might have emailed her in the half an hour that she hadn't been slaving away in front of the bright screen.