We read a lot,
Letters are the only things that we have got.
Funny how the words are how we form a thought of us.
Alex sank slowly onto the floor, her hands clutching desperately at her hair as she tried frantically to order all of the thoughts that rushed through her head simultaneously at Piper's silent confirmation of her fears.
"Alex?" Piper chimed gently.
Alex ignored Piper and continued to tug at her hair, breathing slowly. When she felt Piper's hand on her arm she stood abruptly and shook it off, walking the short distance to her own cube where her disastrous bunkie was sitting on her bed. Alex stormed in and shoved Leanne against the wall, grateful that the COs were too preoccupied in the bubble to notice, she was satisfied at the 'oomph' noise that blew out of Leanne as a result of the hard shove.
"You tell me right now what he did to her or so help me god I will tear you limb from limb right here." She growled at the blonde, her words rushed but not losing their menacing charm.
Leanne stared up at her, shocked. Alex could see that she had already broken the meth head's defences. What a shame, she had barely even started.
"I...I don't know!" Leanne spluttered. "Alls he did was ask me and 'Tucky to tell him what I saw you two do whens you were together and that he would handle it from there!"
Alex laughed darkly, her eyes cold and yet still filled with an angry fire. She leaned down so she was eye level with the cowering blonde in front of her. "Uh huh, see that's funny 'cause I seem to remember you telling me that she deserved what she got.." Alex paused to slam Leanne against the wall again, "Therefore implying you know what happened." She finished.
"Alright fine!" She whimpered, trying to slide away from Alex's reach. "He told me he taught her a lesson and that she would know better than to be all lesbian with you again and that she'll probably be sore for a while."
Alex grabbed Leanne by the collar of her shirt and gripped it tightly, pulling her up towards her; finding new strength in the increasing rage that Leanne's admission had implied been done to Piper. "You say anything to Healy again regarding anything that isn't to do with how much you resemble a living piece of shit and you're fucking dead, you hear me?"
Leanne nodded quickly and Alex dropped her shirt, allowing the girl to slump back down into her bed. Her hands curled into fists and she stalked out of her cube and towards Nicky who'd been watching. "Nicky." She said firmly.
Nicky looked at Alex expectantly but also somewhat reluctant. "What?" She asked.
"Tell me everything she told you right now."
Nicky frowned and pulled Alex down onto her bunk. "I'm not sure that's a good idea..."
Alex sighed impatiently and flexed her hands, "Nichols, she's kept what he's done to her from me for this long and look where it's got her. Besides, if I don't find out everything right now I'm not sure I'll be able to stop myself from storming into Healy's office right now and beating him to a fucking pulp."
Nicky nodded then, understanding showing on her face. Alex imagined she realised she would feel the same had it been Lorna in Piper's position. "She wouldn't tell me much," She began after a moment. "Only that she was trying to figure who was ratting her out about whenever you two were together and were doing more than.. well, small talk." Nicky paused and looked around briefly, "I tried to get her to tell me about it but she just broke down into tears; wouldn't even let me touch her on the fuckin' arm." Nicky shrugged, sighing and then suddenly moved to the bunk opposite. Alex frowned and was about to ask why she had moved when Piper replaced Nicky on the bed next to her. Piper looked at Alex blankly.
"Don't do that." Alex snapped, looking away from her.
"Do what?" Piper asked, her voice as even and bland as her emotionless face.
"Look at me like that. Like you've already shut me out and you're ready to just up and leave." Alex grimaced, memories flooding back to her. "You pulled the same face that day in Paris so just fucking quit it, okay?" Alex saw Piper tense out of the corner of her eye at her words.
"Sorry." She mumbled, Alex knew she wasn't apologising for what she had just done.
"Whatever." Alex sighed and looked at Piper, her anger suddenly void as she saw the pained expression on her face and she drew Piper close towards her, rubbing her arm slowly. "Pipes, tell me what happened.. please."
She felt Piper shake her head against her. "Alex I can't. If I tell you... he'll hurt you.. an-" Piper began to cry, quickly escalating into hysterics and Alex looked at Nicky wide-eyed and helpless. Nicky just shrugged and then left.
"Piper. Stop it." Alex pulled Piper's head up and forced her to look at her. "I'll fix this, I know who was ratting you out to that pig and they won't be doing it anymore, okay?" Piper nodded slowly, doing her best to contain her cries. "Now I need you to tell me what he did to you because if you don't then I am going to bash down that motherfucker's door and demand answers from him instead." Alex was completely serious and she was sure her face showed it because Piper nodded again and seemed to compose herself a little.
"He dragged me into his office not long after we fixed things and told me to sit down. He stayed silent but he got up and shut his office door and then locked it and.. Oh Alex, I knew right then he was about to do something..." Piper began to cry slowly again, tears rolling silently down her face as she relived the memory in her mind, recanting it for Alex in quiet words that seemed louder than anything Alex had ever heard before.
Alex was furious. Really and truly furious and it had been all Nicky and Red could do to hold her down on her bunk as Piper was called into Healy's office once again. They didn't leave her once for the whole time Piper was in there. It had seemed like an eternity. Nicky was holding Alex's arms behind her back with all of her strength whilst Alex struggled against her, spouting profanities of every kind in every language she knew at Nicky, at Piper, at herself but most of all at Healy. Red vanished for a few minutes, leaving Nicky to struggle alone against Alex, but returned shortly with Lorna, Big Boo and Yoga Jones. They all entered the cube and either helped to restrain Alex or attempted to comfort her with words and when that didn't work, they tried sympathetic and worried looks. All Alex could think about was Piper and Healy. Alone in that office together, anything could happen to her. Alex knew she was going to kill Leanne and Pennsatucky, it didn't matter which one of them had ratted her out, they were both going to pay for all of the hurt they had cause Piper. Sooner or later, Alex's struggles began to wear her down and she ran out of energy. She felt Nicky's hands relax on her but noticed that she didn't let go; as if Alex would just up and run at any minute. She slouched down and let her head dip, a curtain forming from her own dark hair. Her anger had webbed away and branched into worry, fear and sadness. Why wasn't Piper back yet? Alex hand't noticed before but Lorna had left a while ago and she came running round the corner of Alex's cube, panting and out of breath. She looked shaken and she slumped down next to Red who looked at her concerned. Alex sat up a little, bracing herself for the worst.
"Piper's coming back now." Lorna panted, clearly trying to do her best to regain control of her breathing.
Everyone nodded but a different kind of silence fell upon the group now, one that was filled with anxious breaths and anticipation; for both good and the bad. Especially the bad. Piper rounded the corner into the dorms and they all watched her expectantly, waiting for her to head back over here. Some frowned when Piper walked straight past the cube, without even so much as a glance in their direction. Alex's heart sank down to her feet and she nodded to herself, as if confirming her worst fears. Everything Piper had told her about Healy's threats and his warnings that he would 'show her what a real man felt like' had seemed to come true. A plan was already forming in her head that would allow her to get away from everyone in her cube. One that would give her enough time to show Healy just how much she hated his fucked up, arrogant, bigoted, fat ass. She snatched her arms out of Nicky's frozen hands and lay down on her bed, turning to face the wall. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited, and waited, as one by one everyone slowly got up and left her alone. She was sure everyone had gone when she opened her eyes and sat up again ten minutes later so she was shocked to see Nicky and Red staring at her from the opposite side of her cube.
"Vause, don't do anything stupid." Nicky warned, getting ready to stand up as she saw the look of determination on Alex's face.
"Just try and fucking stop me." Alex spat, rushing up and nearly running towards the laundry room where she knew she would find the exact two people she was looking for. She heard them before she saw them and followed their voices towards the back of the room, ignoring the sound of feet coming after her.
"Well well well!" She exclaimed, making the two meth heads jump. "Leanne. I truly am very disappointed in you." Alex said, in the way a scolding parent would to a child. "I honestly thought, after our little chat earlier, that we had an understanding about what you were and were not meant to do."
Leanne looked at Alex and dropped the shirt she was holding, lifting her hands up defensively. "It wasn't me! I swear it!"
Alex shook her head at Leanne and stepped closer, slowly. "Doesn't matter, it was implied for the both of you. So, one of you fucks up and you both get it."
Pennsatucky slammed down the sheet she was folding onto the table. "Listen here, you stoopid lesbian." She started towards Alex, "I don't know why you think you can come in here and start threatenin' her like that but if you don't stop, I'll get real serious with you."
Alex laughed and stepped towards Pennsatucky so that she was in arms length. "You really wanna try that after what happened last time?" Alex asked simply, tilting her head.
Pennsatucky looked determined. "Bring it on, bitch."
Alex moved to grab Pennsatucky just ask a body flung into her from behind, knocking her onto the floor. She scrambled up and turned furiously to see Nicky also getting up and Red standing by the door. "Fuck off Nichols. This doesn't have anything to do with you."
Nicky laughed, "Well, seeing as I'm the one who always ends up in the middle as if I'm in some kind of Vause-Chapman fucking sandwich, I think it has just a little something to do with me."
Alex turned, ignoring Nicky and moved towards Leanne quickly, not knowing where Pennsatucky had vanished off too. She grabbed Leanne and threw her against the wall, fighting off the hands that were trying to pry her off of the meth head from behind. She was so fucking angry and if she couldn't take it out on Healy then she would take it out on the next best thing. "I thought I told you that if she was sent to Healy's office because of you that I would fucking kill you." Alex slammed Leanne against the wall again, sure that it would hurt in the morning. She pushed Nicky away from her with one hand. "See, I'm a little busy right now, but don't you worry; I will get you." Alex was about to slam her against the wall once again when she heard the worst possible sound.
"INMATES!" Mendez's voice was recognisable from anywhere and Alex dropped Leanne like a hot potato and turned to face the CO who was stomping towards them. Mendez grabbed Alex roughly and shoved her down on the ground, causing her to hit her chin on the way down. She grunted from the impact but knew better than to struggle against the cold steel that he was placing around her wrists. She cursed internally, feeling so stupid for risking going to SHU when Piper needed her. She stared up from her position on the floor and avoided Nicky's smug look of 'I told you so' and instead looked at Mendez who now seemed to be having an intense conversation with Red. She didn't know what Red said to him but the next moment he was walking back towards Alex and released her, pulling her up from the floor. Alex could taste the blood in her mouth where she had bitten on her tongue when she'd hit her chin but she stayed quiet and nodded obediently as Mendez warned her he wouldn't let her go next time. He took her out of the laundry room and led her to the dorms, Nicky and Red followed quickly and quietly. When Alex got back into the dorms she saw everyone's eyes on her, they all knew something was going on but nobody knew what it was exactly. Alex had no doubts a variety of rumours would be started from the sight of her escort. She rolled her eyes and waited for Mendez to let her go as she entered her cube, he stared at her for a moment before turning sharply and strolling out, hands in his belt.
"The fuck was that about?" Piper demanded, apparently finding her voice now.
Alex clenched her jaw and turned around just in time to see Red trying to usher Piper out of the cube. "Oh, so now you're talking to me, huh."
Red stopped and looked back at Alex before sighing and throwing her hands up, "I give up.." She muttered before walking slowly out.
Piper glanced at Red as she walked out and then looked at Alex for a long moment. "You don't get to be mad at me, Alex."
Alex shook her head, "Don't I? After all that stuff you told me about Healy and then you get sent to see him and you don't return for fucking ages and when you come back you don't even so much as glance my way? I'm just meant to be okay with that am I?"
Piper shrugged. "I'm dealing with it."
Alex wanted to laugh, really hardcore laugh because it all sounded to ridiculous to her. "How the fuck are you handling this Piper? Because those bruises all over you are not what I would call handling it."
Piper looked up at Alex again, anger flashing in her blue eyes. "I'm handling it a lot better than you clearly, what the hell do you think you're doing? Trying to beat down on Pennsatucky and Leanne as if that's going to help."
Alex didn't even flinch at Piper's accusations and instead sneered at her, folding her arms over her chest. "I'm dealing with it." She mimicked Piper's words.
"Jesus Christ." A voice mumbled from behind them, making the two of them jump. They had forgotten that Nicky was standing there. "You two are the worst kind of fucked up that I have ever seen." She laughed at them and then walked out, shaking her head.
Alex chuckled despite herself and when she looked back at Piper she saw she was smiling too. Alex took a step towards Piper and hugged her, burying her face in the golden hair that reminded her of days spent on beaches and in king sized beds with billowy white sheets between them. She sighed, "What are we doing Piper?" She asked quietly.
She felt Piper shrug. "We're doing what we always do; fuck up."
Alex chuckled again and nodded, planting a kiss on Piper's neck. She wanted nothing more than to stay here like this forever with her, she knew she had to find some way to keep Piper safe but she needed to be smart about it because there was no way she was going to be able to do that from the SHU. As Alex stood there with Piper safely nestled in her arms, the cogs of her brain began to whir and formulate a plan that would keep her golden haired beauty safe from the dirty clutches of people like Healy and Pennsatucky.
Authors Note:
Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a while but I have been busy with studying and binge watching the new season of OITNB. Have to say that I for sure had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this season and there was no where near enough Laura Prepon in this season to fill my craving for Vauseman but the Vauseman scenes that we got were pretty perf :D Starting to regret watching all of season 2 in two days because now I have to wait a whole year for season 3 D: Anyway, please let me know what you guys think of this chapter - trying to get back into this story without deviating from it too much based on what I've seen in season 2. As always, please review and thanks for reading!