Do not own Orange Is The New Black or any of the characters.

Not to happy with this chapter but here it is anyways. Let me know what you think in a review!

Enjoy!

Piper felt like a slobbery mess as she rubbed the back of her hand against her runny nose. After her complete break down in the grounds, she was returning to her bunk to retrieve her bathroom stuff. She was in need of a quick shower before dinner.

Piper just wanted to get clean and wash this Sunday off of her.

However, she wasn't very lucky. As Piper entered the suburbs' bathroom, she was caught off guard by the two figures in the room. Nicky and Alex were standing close together by the sinks. Just the sight of them brought an uneasy feeling over her but she quickly swallowed it down.

Piper closed her eyes and let out a deep breath before taking a step further into the room. Neither of the two woman had noticed her presence yet as they continued to laugh at the some private joke. Piper tried to walk pass them but found her path to the showers blocked. Not wanting to raise attention to herself, she tried to squeeze in between the small space between one of the bathroom stalls and Nicky.

However at that moment, Nicky took a step back, making contact with Piper. Nicky turned her head and glanced at her. "Chapman! what's up?" spoke the woman warmly to her.

Piper was startled at this. She clenched her clear bathroom bag and towel to her chest as she continued to look on at Nicky. She didn't dare to look over at Alex, who's eyes she could feel burning into her cheek. Her eyes searched for any information on Nicky's face to see if Alex had told her about what had happened at Sophia's and the chapel.

Nicky wasn't looking at her with pity though. She was wearing the expression she always wore on, a smug amused look as she continued to look on at Piper.

"Nothing, much," murmured Piper in response. She closed her eyes briefly, hoping that this encounter would end soon. Her eyes were moist as she reopened them and looked at Alex through the corner of her eye.

Alex was staring back at Piper with the same look she had in the chapel. She just wanted to help Piper through her difficulty. She still cared deeply for the her, despite what she had said months ago. "Pipes," she whispered reaching out and touching the crook of her arm. She didn't understand why Piper was fighting her so much on this. Piper clearly needed a friend. She wanted to be that friend.

Piper jumped back from Alex's touch. "Don't!" she whispered harshly towards her ex.

"Woah! what the fuck is going on here?" asked Nicky in confusion as she looked between the two woman. She hadn't known they had been talking again.

Both women ignored her though. Alex continued to stare at Piper with sympathy. She desperately wanted to take her in her arms and hold her. But she knew that was not what Piper wanted.

"Fuck off Nichols," spat Piper as she once again turned her attention onto Nicky. She was tired of everyone stepping into her business. She didn't understand why people couldn't just leave her alone for once. She then pushed pass both Nicky and Alex and headed towards the showers.

"What the hell is up with Chapman?" asked Nicky as she turned her attention to Alex, who eyes were still on Piper as she turned the corner of the bathroom.

"It's..." Alex opened her mouth to say something but decided against it, "Nothing. Just drop it, Nicky." Alex's green eyes continued to stare in the direction that Piper had gone in, before pushing her glasses up on top of her head and rubbing her eyes.

"Man, people are crabby today," observed Nicky as she continued to look on at Alex. "What did you and Chapman start your periods today or something?" A sly look appeared on Nicky's face at this. She didn't like the sudden tension between her and Vause.

Alex placed her glasses back on the bridge of her nose and glared at her friend for a second. "Fuck off," she tried to be pissed off at Nicky but she found her anger withering away. She smirked at Nicky, lightly pushing her in the arm.

"Ouch!" cried Nicky in a mock tune, pretending that Alex's punch had hurt as she rubbed at the spot on her arm.

Alex just rolled her eyes at Nicky's dramatics. "Come on, dinner will be starting soon," her voice was low as she motioned for Nicky to follow her out of the bathroom. She could hear the sound of running water from the shower but she chose to ignore. Piper clearly wasn't ready to talk to her yet.

Piper could feel the tension leave her body as she stood underneath the shower head and allowed the spray of the water to calm her. She had always loved showers and bathes. No matter the time of day. They always seemed to help clear her mind and settle her thoughts. She wished she could stay here forever.

But she knew that wouldn't be possible. She would eventually have to get out and face everyone else again, especially Alex at dinner. She was most dreading that. She didn't understand why Alex ,all the sudden thought she could be her friend or wanted to for that matter. Just because her mother died? Alex had never met Carol Chapman. So why would she care now about her passing? She hated fake condolences.

And Alex wasn't her binky. She could get through this on her own.

Piper, once again took her food tray from Red, giving the Russian a small smile before turning her back.

Her blue eyes briefly scanned across the room before settling onto the table, where Taystee and her old crew were at. She could feel a certain brunette's eyes on her but she ignored it. Just because her mother had died. It didn't change anything between her and Alex.

"Yo Girl!" cried Taystee in a warm greeting towards Piper as she took a seat across from her former bunkmate.

"Hi," greeted back Piper in a small voice. She gave Taystee a small smile as the woman continue to stare at her with concern.

Piper ate her dinner in silence. She nodded her head, here and there at the others' conversation at the table. But she didn't have the heart to join in.

"Did ya 'ear about the funeral yet?" asked Taystee, drawing Piper out of her thoughts.

Piper looked up and met Taystee's eye at this. She shook her head sadly from side to side. "Nope," she said in a low voice. There had been no word yet from Caputo if she would be able to get permission to attend her mother's funeral. She hoped that she would be able to. But deep down inside she had a feeling that she wouldn't.

Taystee didn't say anything as she continued to look at Piper with sympathy. Who would had thought that the nice white girl, who went to college and had everything going for her, would have every worse possible situation thrown at her while in prison? Piper had already been sent twice to the SHU. She had almost beaten an inmate to death. Had death threats thrown into her face. Got extra time added to her sentence. Had to deal with her ex almost everyday. And now, her mother had died. The world worked in a mess up way sometimes, thought Taystee to herself as she continued to gaze on at Piper. "Maybe somethin' will work out," spoke Taystee, trying to sound optimistic.

Piper just shrugged her shoulders at this, "Maybe," she replied.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on between you and Chapman?" asked Nicky in a low voice towards Alex. She was leaning forward slightly over the table, making sure the other's didn't hear her. She wasn't jealous or anything. Just curious. The two friend had had a short affair together after Christmas but it hadn't lasted for long. Alex was still deeply hung up over Piper and she with Lorna. They both had agreed to end their fucking before it got too messy.

Alex's head immediately snapped up at this and stared across the table at Nicky. She knew it wasn't any of Nicky's business. But a part of her wanted to confined in her friend. Alex pursed her lips and just shrugged her shoulders. "What's there to tell? Nothing is going on," she replied casually, choosing to keep Piper's secret to herself.

"You're shitting right?" replied Nicky, in disbelief. There was something totally going on between her and Chapman. There'd defiantly been a moment between the two in the bathrooms, earlier. "Your fucking going to sit there Vause and tell me, there wasn't a moment between you and Chapman back in the bathroom?"

Alex just glared coldly at Nicky before ignoring her all together. "There was no moment," she murmured before beginning to shove food into her mouth. Letting Nicky know that the topic of Piper was to be dropped.

Nicky just continued to stare at Alex for a second before rolling her eyes and beginning to eat her own dinner. She wasn't done with Vause yet. She knew what she saw. And she was going to get to the bottom of it.

Piper found herself in the library.

It was just after dinner now. She had gone to talk to Caputo after dinner, to see if he had gotten any news on whether or not she could go to her mother's funeral at the end of the week. However, Caputo was off duty for the day. He wouldn't be in until tomorrow sometime.

Ever since Taystee had brought up her mother's funeral. It was all Piper could think about now. She couldn't shake the idea that she'd a chance to escape from prison, just for a day and see her family again outside the visitation room. Even if it was for a funeral. It would at least be something.

She picked up a random book off of the shelf before going to take a seat in between the stacks. She wanted to hide from the other inmates for the rest of the night. Sunday nights at the library were usually quiet. Everyone usually gathered in the TV room for movie night.

She tired to concentrate on the words on the page but her brain had seemed to lost the ability to comprehend words into sentences. She kept on thinking about her early encounter with Alex in the chapel. At the time she had thought that Alex had just come to mock her and rub it in her face. But now she wasn't so sure. Alex had seemed genuine in her actions. That she had truly wanted to help her. Maybe she was trying to be there for her as a friend?

Piper felt like screaming at this. She didn't know what to think of anything, anymore.

A sudden feeling then overwhelmed her.

She wanted her mom.

And one by one, like that, the dame was broken and the tears began to fall. Her sobs violently shook her shoulder as she buried her face into her hands.

Just then someone came into the library. Piper immediately froze at this. She hoped who ever it was, would go away and quickly. She took a couple of deep breaths to study herself as she continued to listen to the person in the room.

Tears still streamed down her face but she was calmer now. Her body no longer shook. Bringing her knees up to her chest, she hid her face into the book, pretending to be reading as she heard the sound of footsteps approach her.

She knew it was Alex, even before she said a word. Piper could feel her heart rate pick up but she didn't dare to look up at the other woman, who was now standing over her. She prayed that Alex would once again, get the message and leave her alone.

However, Alex Vause did the opposite of that.

Alex didn't say anything as she sat herself down on the floor next to Piper. She'd a good feeling that she would be able to find her here. Neither spoke a word as Alex continued to look on at Piper, who was looking anywhere but Alex's face. They stayed like this for a good moment or two. Alex's green eyes bore into Piper's skin like laser beams. She desperately wanted to look into Piper's eyes. She wanted Piper to know that she was here for her, all bullshit a side. However, Piper continued to look away and onto the book.

Piper knew, she wouldn't be able to last very long like this. She could already feel a fresh set of tears stinging her eyes. She was finding it hard to keep her walls up. She was failing and she knew it. She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek, preventing the sob that was enclosed in her throat from escaping. She tried to focus her eyes on the words on the page but it all blurred as one. Piper squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep the tears from falling but it did no use. It only seemed to make them fall quicker and faster down her cheeks. The book dropped suddenly from her hands at this and to the floor. Her walls of restraint and composure crumbled like dust as she allowed for the emotion to flow freely through her.

She could no longer hold back.

"Kid," whispered Alex, tenderly into Piper's ear as she automatically wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her slightly towards her.

Piper stiffened slightly at Alex's sudden touch but she didn't fight her off. She allowed for Alex to pull her towards her.

It didn't take long before Piper was crying into Alex's shoulder, her tears falling onto Alex's neck. Her hands clenching at the material of Alex's uniform.

Alex held Piper even closer to her, wrapping both arms around her thin frame. She didn't mind Piper's snotty nose against her skin or the tugging at her shirt collar. All that matter was that Piper was letting her in.

She just wanted to be Piper's wall of support.

Next chapter will be the last. Thanks for reading and please leave a review!

Julie