Sorry for the delay, guys. That 24 hour turnover rate between the Epilogue and Chapter 1 was a little bit of a tease, eh? There's limited time between training, being on the course and dealing with golf scouts. But, hopefully, you'll find this chapter to be worth the wait. Cheers. :)
CHAPTER 2: Strangers with Memories
Alex had always taken pride in her extensive vocabulary, but 'fuck' was the only word that crossed her mind as she hastily tugged Piper down the hallway toward the Suburbs. "We're so fucked up the ass sideways," she grumbled, and despite the impending shit-storm that loomed over Litchfield, Piper let out a throaty laugh. It was so wildly inappropriate, so poorly timed, and it evoked an incredulous look from the raven haired woman. But, the statement was so very, well, Alex Vause, and Piper couldn't help but reflect on all the wonderful (and yet sometimes, infuriating) quirks her ex-girlfriend had. Piper had never encountered someone so intriguing, and at first, she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was that made Alex stand out.
And in the time that she began to rebuild her life with Larry and his white picket fence, she often found herself missing the constant rush of adrenaline and wishing that she were laying on a white sands beach in the Seychelles with Alex's long arms wrapped around her shoulders. She craved something that Larry could never give her, and it made her endlessly guilty to realize that she could never be completely, undeniably in love with him - that she could never fully give into him because part of her heart would always belong to Alex Vause.
Even with the frenzy that surrounded them - the yelling correctional officers, the inmates that brushed past them in a rush to get back to their assigned bunks, the irritatingly high pitched buzzer - Piper found comfort in the feeling of Alex's fingers entangled with her own. She smiled down at their hands, silently listing all the things that made Alex so dangerously irresistible.
One. Of course, the lifestyle of decadent leisure that Alex had given her.
"Let's go to Thailand," Alex suggested as she poured two glasses of very fine, very expensive 1961 Chateau Palmer Margaux. Piper let out a quiet moan as she sipped at the medium red wine. She noted a hint of currant and truffle, and was more than pleased with the powerful finish it left at the back of her throat.
"How much did this cost you, Al?" she inquired. Alex shrugged and mumbled something as she lifted her own glass to her lips. Piper's eyes widened. "Did you just say a little over two grand?"
Alex shrugged again, and Piper suddenly became irritated with her girlfriend's nonchalance. She glanced at the dark bottle that sat on the table and wondered how on earth liquified grapes could cost such an exorbitant amount of money. "Let's go to Thailand," Alex repeated, snapping the blonde out of her musings, "Chiang Rai or Phuket. Or if you want, let's explore Bangkok. Your choice, Pipes, I'll take you anywhere."
"We've never been to Chiang Rai," Piper observed simply. And in the morning, they were packing their bags for an escapade to Thailand. But, as they boarded later that same day, Piper found herself looking around the terminal for any of Alex's "co-workers". She had never known Alex to take an impromptu vacation, especially in her line of work. Her heart ached slightly with worry and when she mustered up the courage to voice her concern, Alex just squeezed her hand reassuringly and made an excuse about how the cartel didn't need any heroin moved at that moment. It didn't seem to do much to appease Piper's qualms simply because she knew that it simply wasn't true. What if Fahri thought Alex was going AWOL? Would he send his hitmen to hunt her down? What would they do to her? Questions tormented Piper for the duration of their non-stop flight, but as soon as they landed at Don Mueng Airport in Bangkok, all her apprehensions seemed to dissipate. Only an hour long charter flight to Chiang Rai separated her from paradise.
"Sawadee, welcome to the Anantara," a young woman dressed in a traditional Thai dress said as she presented each woman with a lotus flower. Piper recalled reading in her Lonely Planet travel guide (which Alex chastised her for having) that to Buddhists, the lotus flower represented longevity and good luck. She smiled pleasantly, and turned to admire the palatial lobby. The intricate teak carvings that adorned the walls captured her attention, and she couldn't help but let out a sound of complete awe. Alex placed a quick kiss to the blonde's temple before making her way to check in.
"Room for two?"
Alex nodded. "Any chance that we could upgraded to the Anantara 3 suite?" Alex asked, subtly pushing a thick wad of American cash across the teak bar. And when the concierge began to protest, she pushed her glasses to the top of her head and arched an eyebrow expectantly.
"Anything for you, Miss Vause," the man said as he pocketed the bribe, "Here's your room key. We'll send someone up with your bags shortly." Alex thanked him graciously, swept Piper into her arms and marched straight up to their room without stopping to admire the view of the Thai country side along the way.
"Oh my god, Al," Piper gasped as she flopped onto the king sized bed, "This is amazing." The coolness of the silky duvet was soothing under her skin, and she grinned wickedly at the thought of how it was going to feel when she was pinned naked underneath Alex that night. She kicked off her flip-flops and padded silently out to the balcony where her girlfriend was standing. Piper inhaled deeply, as a breeze rolled over the treetops below them. Soon, Alex's arms found their way around her lover's shoulders, pulling their bodies impossibly close to one another.
"Can we stay like this?" Alex asked as she pressed her lips to Piper's hair, relishing the warmth that Piper's body radiated. She had always hated getting emotional, and so when she could feel tears starting to form, she clamped her eyes shut. With Piper's heart beating against her chest, it was easy for Alex to become overwhelmed with elation and love.
"But, what about the elephant rides?" Piper asked timidly, unaware that her girlfriend was caught up in a whirlwind of emotions, "I've always wanted to be a mahout.
"A ma-what?
Alex came to find out over the next few days that the Anantara offered a mahout program, where guests could travel into the mountains and learn how to train elephants. Piper spent her mornings learning how to communicate with Noy, a young, rambunctious elephant whose name literally translated into 'small' and her afternoons trekking through the forest with the rest of the mahouts-in-training and their elephants. Alex found the simple joy in watching the blonde interact with the incredible, regal creatures. On the last day of the program, Piper insisted on taking Alex to the river for the final bathing ritual. Reluctantly, she climbed onto Noy's back and grabbed ahold of Piper's waist. She cursed under her breath as the herd began their march up to the river
"Jesus," Alex sighed as they slowly made their way back to the resort, hand in hand, "I don't think I've had that much fun in my life." The sun had begun to retreat back behind the treeline when they reached their room. Alex ran her fingers through her dark hair, which was still rather damp from when Noy took the liberty of pushing her into the river. "I hate that little bugger of yours for pushing me, but I'm glad that I got to share that experience with you.
"Oh, you're such a sap, Al," Piper replied, draping her arms over Alex's shoulders. Alex opened her mouth to argue, but lost her train of thought when she felt Piper's fingers kneading at her scalp and a pair of soft lips against her neck. "Would you just shut up and kiss me already?
That was the only cue she needed to sweep Piper off her feet and throw her onto the bed. Piper didn't even have a chance to get settled against the pillows because Alex had her arms already against the sheets. "If there's one I'd want for dinner on our last night in Thailand, it'd definitely be you," Alex murmured before her lips crashed into Piper's. There was no question who the dominant one was, but the petite blonde still managed to hold her own in the battle of teeth and tongue. Alex broke the feverish kiss, and took a moment to peel off Piper's damp clothes.
"Why are you still clothed?" Piper demanded, looking rather frustrated that Alex hadn't removed her own clothing, "Off. Now." Alex only chuckled before leaning back down to capture Piper's lower lip between her teeth. She sucked and pulled, causing the blonde to let out a soft moan. Instant gratification. Alex grinned. Soon, the thin, cloth barrier was removed and Alex pressed her body flush against Piper's. Thus came another sleepless night in Chiang Rai. Yet, there would be no complaints of sleep-deprivation in the morning as they packed their bags and returned to normalcy in the States.
Two. Her undeniable self-confidence.
"Well," Piper said, pausing to glance coyly over her shoulder at the dark haired beauty who had just called her Laura Ingalls Wilder, "Can I have a margarita then?"
The bartender nodded, and replied, "That I can do for you." It wasn't long before the mystery woman sidled up next to her, daring to break the barriers of Piper's personal space. She oozed sex appeal, and a sense of fearlessness that sparked the blonde's intrigue.
"It's a little cold out for a margarita, don't you think?" she asked, placing her beer on the bar and glancing down at the pathetic excuse of a resume Piper had thrown together not 15 minutes before walking into the pub, "Let's see this."
Piper gave the woman a once-over, her mouth hanging open in both disbelief and awe. She truly was a vision: alluring green eyes framed by a pair of horn-rimmed glasses, perfect, lush lips, and raven black hair that cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. It took a moment for Piper to realize that the ends of the woman's hair were dyed blue. So very punk rock. Piper's gaze wandered. To prevent herself from reaching out and running her fingers over the woman's intricate shoulder tattoo, she clasped her hands tightly in her lap.
"Steve's Greek Cuisine?" the stranger laughed, "Le Grand Fromage? Bullshit, bullshit. You need a lesson in fudging a resume."
"Do you work here?" Piper asked, eagerly leaning in. Maybe if she talked to another employee - or maybe the owner - she'd be hired. Piper was never the type of person to take 'no' for an answer so, the bartender's brutal honesty (or sheer laziness) had only deterred her efforts momentarily.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" the woman snorted.
Piper eyed her incredulously, yet couldn't suppress the slight grin that tugged at the corner of her mouth. Who was this irritatingly charming woman? And why was Piper so outrageously drawn to her? "Manager, Polly Harper. No one named Polly Harper gets put in charge. Who is that really?"
When Piper admitted with a shrug and a sheepish grin that Polly was her friend, the nameless woman laughed and concluded, "You've never waited a fuckin' table in your life, have you?"
Piper shook her head, casting her eyes down at the bar. She felt a laugh forming at the back of her throat as she peered back up at the enigmatic, gorgeous woman. Was she really allowing a stranger to mock her, to completely negate her ability to get a steady job?
"So, Piper Chapman, a Smith grad with excellent listening skills, passionate about making diners feel good." She grinned wickedly, added, "Hmm, that sounds kind of dirty" and then continued to read lazily, "Safe, clean and careful when handling food."
Piper snatched her resume out of the woman's hands, which provoked a fit of laughter that resonated in every fiber of Piper's body. Feeling the heat rise up her neck and into her cheeks, Piper shaded her eyes with chagrin. She hated how the attractive stranger could make her blush so easily, but there was something in the woman's charm that made it almost okay. "I like that in a woman. What else do I need to know about you?"
"Who are you?"
"My name is Alex."
And just like that, Piper was completely enamored. It didn't take much, really. Alex's incredible physique was the bait, and her undeniable poise was the hook at the end of a very short line. Piper took a breath. She couldn't help but stare at Alex's full, scarlet lips. Little did she know that she'd eventually grow accustomed to feeling those lips against her skin, and to hearing that sultry voice say her name. A little bit of self-assurance and a touch of courage, Piper discovered, went a long way.
Three. The way she made Piper feel so at ease, no matter what kind of shit they were knee-deep in.
"Oh, gosh," Piper moaned as she began to sort through the hand of cards she had just dealt. Alex sat across from her, her elbows propped up on the metal table between them. The dark haired woman lifted her own cards to her nose, sniffed and then grinned.
"Am I crazy, or do these cards smell faintly of urine?" she inquired, thrusting the cards toward Piper's face, "Smell them."
Piper yelped and swatted Alex's hand away, clearly disgusted by having such dirty, tattered pieces of card near her mouth.
"What? Is it bringing back memories?"
The blonde shot her a quizzical look, and Alex couldn't suppress the smile that graced her perfect lips. "Fifty shades of Crazy Eyes," she laughed, waving the cards near Piper's face again, "Smell 'em!"
Piper giggled, begging for Alex to stop. But, Alex kept waving them in the air. "Why you tryna look at my cards?" Alex asked with a mock accusatory tone. Piper batted away the incoming fistful of cards.
"Cut. it. out," the blonde whined.
"I know how you play. Don't look at my cards!"
Finally, Piper grabbed ahold of Alex's wrists and pinned them to the table. The laughter died down. Alex pressed her lips together in attempt to hide a smirk, but failed miserably as she stared lovingly at the woman in front of her. Piper gazed at their hands, and smiled at the feeling of total content that washed over her. Reluctantly, she let go of Alex's hands and sighed.
"It's weird how normal this feels."
"What?"
"I feel like I'm twenty-three and no time has passed." It was so easy to feel at peace when Alex was around. Piper was forever grateful for Alex's uncanny ability to block out all the troubles, all the doubts, all the bullshit of the world around them. It often felt like they were in their own private microcosm. Prison didn't feel like prison with Alex. Sure, they were confined by brick walls, limited to the goods that the commissary had in stock, and were forbidden from openly expressing their affection for one another. It was less than ideal. But, the fact that they had each other to lean on made life in prison all that more manageable.
After a long moment of blissful silence, Alex concluded, "Well, I think that" - she paused to take a deep breath - "when you have a connection with someone, it never really goes away. You know? You snap back to being important to each other because you still are." She shrugged casually, as if her revelation didn't really matter much. Piper opened her mouth. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she wanted to apologize for. But, when no words came out, she decided that this was not the time or place for it. All she wanted to do, in that moment, was enjoy the company of the raven haired beauty she once fell madly in love with. Or, rather, she was still madly in love with.
Four. The mind-blowing, scream inducing sex. Oh, god, how Piper missed feeling so blissfully spent after a night in bed with Alex.
Five. The way she fiddled with her horn-rimmed glasses when she was nervous.
Six. The way her eyebrows quirked when something sparked her interest.
Seven. Her insatiable thirst for knowledge, and all the books she had read.
Eight. Her irritatingly smug, yet breathtaking smile that made Piper's knees buckle.
Piper was shocked out of her reveries when she felt Alex's arms around her slim frame. "We're going to be okay, kid," she whispered, tucking a lock of blonde hair behind Piper's ear, "We'll get through it."
"Together?"
Alex's response came in the form of a nod and a kiss to the forehead.
"I love you too," Piper admitted, quietly, just as Alex turned to walk away. She wasn't afraid of those four simple words anymore, especially after Alex had so blatantly professed her undying love just minutes earlier. So, she didn't bother averting her eyes and instead stared after the gorgeous, dark haired woman who had just saved her ass for the umpteenth time in a row.
Alex looked over her shoulder, and with a small smile tugging at her lips, she replied simply, "I know, Pipes, I know."
I promise that I have a reason for not dealing with the Bennett/Diaz and Chapman/Doggett issues just yet. But, I think - I hope, I pray - that the Vauseman overload made up for it. Yes? Please say yes. Oh, and the flashback in Thailand? Yeah, the Anantara and the mahout training program are both real. I actually grew up in Thailand albeit with American parents, so I got to experience both the resort and the elephants first hand. If there's one thing that you should absolutely do before you die, it would be the mahout experience. Until next time!
