CHAPTER EIGHT

The streets of New York were blanketed with snow and illuminated by colorful lights. Couples were strolling hand in hand and children were excitedly counting down the days. The city was full of holiday spirit, but Piper Chapman could not muster up any joy. Her heart feels like it has been clenched ever since her encounter with Alex. Whereas everyone was looking forward to Christmas, Piper was dreading it and hoping that time would stop but it is now the day before Christmas Eve, which means that Alex would be on the other side of the country and out of her life in three days. Three days. Piper feels like she can't even properly breathe imagining her life without Alex again. In attempts to stop the swirling of thoughts (regrets) in her head, Piper has been staying at PoPi every night for their extended holiday hours. She did not want to be at home and pretend that she was excited for her impending nuptials with Larry when Alex consumed all of her thoughts. It was almost midnight so Piper started the process of closing the store. She started counting the money from one register when a man came into the store.

"Can I help you, Sir?"

"I'm looking for a gift for my girlfriend. What's your most popular item?"

Piper stepped away from the register and headed towards the shelves with their most popular items. "The stress relieving bath bomb is one of our most popular selling items and scents." she said while reaching for it.
Her hands never made it to the popular item because she frantically grabbed at the hands that were around her neck. Piper started to scream but one of the man's hands prevented her cries of help from being heard while his other painfully squeezed her throat. Piper flailed her arms around wildly trying to grab onto something for support. Items came crashing onto the floor.

"Stop it, you bitch!" the man yelled as he slammed her face into one of the shelves causing it to come crashing down onto the ground. Pain coursed through her face and tears started to well up in her eyes. "I'm going to let go of you because you're going to walk to the registers and get all of the money. Don't even think about running because I have a gun." Piper gasped when he waved the gun around and then pressed it against her back to make it known that he wasn't messing around.

"I will get you all of the money. Just please don't hurt me." Piper begged.

"Hurry up and put all the money in a bag."

Piper ran over to the register grabbing all the money they had made that day with shaky hands.

"Here, that's everything." Piper said in fear.

"I'm not done with you yet. Let's go in the backroom to make sure you're not shorting me."

"I swear there's nothing in the back!" Piper cried.

"Take me back there!" the man screamed.

Piper walked on unsteady legs to the backroom with the gun pointed at her back.

"See, there isn't any more money back here. Just supplies."

"Fine, bitch. Give me your ring."

Piper took off her engagement ring immediately to give to the stranger.

"Now, give me that necklace."

"What? No, isn't the ring enough? Please, let me keep the necklace. It's not worth that much. My engagement ring is worth much much more."

The next thing Piper knew she was on the floor because the man had hit her across the face. He yanked the necklace from her neck while she cried.

"You've taken everything. Please just go. I won't call the cops."

Licking his lips, "You're a pretty little thing aren't you? I'm going to have some fun with you first."

"NO, no. Please. I will give you whatever you want. Do you want more money? I can go get more-"

"Take off your clothes."

"No, please" Piper sobbed.

It was past midnight so Alex decided to call it a night and let the other workers close the bar and headed for the door. Alex breathed in the fresh, cold air. She noticed that all of the lights were still on over at PoPi. Curiosity took over her since she knew that PoPi should be closed by now. A strange feeling washed over the brunette bringing her towards the front of PoPi. Her hand immediately went for her phone to dial 911 when she saw the cash register open and broken items on the floor.

Quietly setting foot in the store, worried green eyes quickly scanned the store. Her heart stopped before going into a wild rhythm when she heard Piper's muffled cries for help. Grabbing a wooden plank from the broken shelves, Alex ran into the backroom where she heard Piper.

The image of an unknown man trying to straddle Piper with one hand over her mouth while the other trying to rip her clothes off was an image that caused her green eyes to burn with fury. Alex charged at the intruder and swung the plank of wood that was in her hands at the asshole's head. The force of the blow knocked the man right off of Piper and onto the ground. Alex quickly helped a tear ridden and scared Piper to her feet while scanning the blonde's current state.

"Alex." Piper sobbed with relief.

"Did he-" Alex started to ask with fear in her voice.

"No, you saved me before anything like that happened." Piper cried shakily.

Alex choked out a sigh of relief while assessing the bruising that was starting to appear on the blonde's flawless skin.

A groan from the asshole reminded the two that they were not alone.

"You fucking bitch. You're both going to get it." The man started to stand up on unsteady legs while Alex quickly took the couple of steps away from Piper to reach for the wooden plank that had fallen on the ground after she used it to hit the intruder. He chuckled and waved his gun at them. Piper gasped and told him to just take the money and go.

Alex threateningly said. "Leave now before I break your legs. The cops are on their fucking way."

"You little blonde bitch. I didn't get to have my fun with you. I guess I will just have to inflict another type of fun on you." the man menacingly said raising his gun and aiming at Piper.

"Please don't," begged Piper.

"Too late, bitch."

Piper closed her tear filled eyes.

The next sound was the worst sound Piper has ever heard in her entire life. The ear piercing shot rang throughout the store before hitting flesh followed by a sickening thud. She felt her body hit the floor, but there was a weight on her. Piper's blue eyes shot open and long locks of dark hair were covering the blonde's eyes. Hair. Alex's hair. Alex was on top of her.

"Alex! Oh my god, Alex!"

The man was about to fire one more shot but the distant sound of sirens caused him to run.

Piper hurriedly got out from underneath Alex. Blue eyes quickly scanned the brunette. Blood. So much blood. Piper frantically searched for the source of the blood.

"Piper, are you hurt?" the brunette choked out.

The blonde frantically shook her head "no" with tears streaming down her face.

Piper noticed there was blood at the left side of Alex's head, but that wasn't where the majority of the blood was coming from. Piper lifted up Alex's blood soaked shirt and cried in horror when she saw blood seeping from Alex's chest.

"Oh my God, Alex! We need to get you an ambulance right now!" Piper cried while holding pressure between the brunette's breasts.

"Alex, I'm going to call an ambulance. Can you try to hold pressure right here? the blonde cried.

Alex's hands grasped onto Piper's hands that were on her chest, holding the blonde in place. "No. Don't you go. Don't you fucking leave me. The cops are coming. I called earlier. Please don't go."

Piper couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face at hearing such familiar words leaving the brunette's mouth. "Ok. I'm here." Piper cried in reassurance.

Alex's lips formed a small smile before coughing up blood.

Piper couldn't stop the fear from being written all over her face and eyes. She was panic-stricken. "Alex. Stay with me. There's so much I want to say to you. You can't leave me, Alex."

"Blue-" Alex's weakening voice choked out.

"Your bar? Don't worry about your bar right now!"

Alex's shaky hand found Piper's cheek. Cupping the blonde's cheek and weakly running her thumb across, Alex choked out, "No...your eyes...blue."

Piper's heart soared and shattered at the brunette's admission. She grasped Alex's hand and turned her tear stained face and kissed the brunette's hand. "Alex- I..." the younger woman didn't get to finish what she wanted to say because Alex's hand lost its hold on her cheek and emerald eyes lost a hue of green before fluttering closed.

"Alex! Open your eyes!" Piper screamed while applying more pressure on the gaping wound. "Stay with me- Alex, I love you. I LOVE you. PLEASE." Piper cried but the brunette's eyes remained closed.

Piper could not stop the heart wrenching cries from escaping from within her.

Please don't leave.

The policemen and paramedics came and had to pry Piper off of Alex.

"Ma'am, you have to let us do our job if you want her to survive."

"I can't leave her! I told her I wouldn't!" Piper cried hysterically.

"You're not leaving her. You are right here. You can come in the ambulance and wait at the hospital." the paramedic tried to reassure a shocked and hysterical Piper while the others worked on Alex.

"No pulse."

Piper Chapman now knew what it was like to lose the thing she loved most in the world.