A/N And yet another chapter for you guys because you are all amazing. Sorry for any mistakes, I am practically half asleep at the time of posting this :P

Wow, so after posting the last chapter and having all you amazing people review it, I have come to the realisation that I can no longer answer every single review in the next chapter's author's note, as they are starting to get way too long. So, for those people who I can directly message I have sent you a response to your reviews through PM so check your inbox guys and feel free to respond with any questions you have. For those I can't message, your reviews are below.

Reviews:

Guest 1: Thanks so much. Don't worry I am a massive Vauseman fan so I would never pair them together. Piper and Alex will always be, in my mind, endgame.

Hammo69: Quick fist bump for my fellow Aussie. Yay, I love surprising people. I honestly have no idea where the idea came from. I had it just come to me one day and I just felt compelled to write it for you all. I just loved this idea of a Piper who could totally kick arse.

Guest 2: Yay, I'm glad you like it :D

I3VauseMan: Okay hopefully I haven't missed any of your reviews in this. AU are my favourite stories as well. I just love how you can take the characters in such a different direction than how they are on the show. I love ending my chapters with a bit off a cliff-hanger/wonder what is going to happen next, I feel like it keeps it interesting, so I'm glad you liked it. Exactly, the bad stuff only makes them stronger as a couple. I'm glad you liked the date, I had a hard time thinking of just where exactly I wanted it to happen and then that idea came to my head and I just thought it was perfect. OMG your description of Stella made me laugh. Don't worry, Stella won't be anything like she is on the show- let me assure you of that.

Guest (amazing): Can you feel that? That's me giving you a virtual hug :P God I wish I knew your name so I could thank you personally. Wow is all I can say. Thank you so much for that- you are just simply too kind. I'm loving writing my two stories, so whilst I'm not too busy, expect very regular updates. I like to thank all my reviewers personally because I feel like, that if all you can take the time out of your day to write one the least I can do is respond to you all. Seriously, I am so thankful for every single review I get. I also invite suggestions because 1) this story is as much about me as it is about you and 2) because sometimes a simple suggestion can spur a really good idea in my head. Okay let me just ask- can you seriously read my mind or something? I had something very similar planned for the chapter where Alex meets Piper at the gym before the date but I thought that it might have been a little too intimate too soon- so I decided to leave it and possibly write it at a later date. So in saying that, if you are interested in reading that I can sure as hell make it happen in a later chapter.

Guest 4: I have most main plot points planned out and I love the idea of them so I will be continuing no matter what :D

Mrosse38

Piper lays sprawled out of her king-size bed deep in sleep, her light snores filling the silent bedroom. After her confession about her past to Alex last night, they had continued to lay cuddled under the blanket, bodies pressed tightly together as they gazed at the stars until the early morning. Alex had then driven her home as the morning sun rose, placing a passionate kiss upon her lips before promising to return later that night for dinner and a movie on Piper's couch.

The door of her bedroom suddenly bursts open, causing Piper to startle awake from her sleep. Lifting her head from her pillow, she turns her head to find the source of the intrusion. Piper groans loudly, before flopping her face back into the pillow at the sight of a grinning Nicky. "Geez Nicky, do you ever knock?" Piper mumbles into her pillow.

"Nope," Nicky laughs as she uninvitingly plops herself down on the side of her bed and beams broadly in the direction of the back of Piper's head.

Feeling the new weight under the mattress, Piper rolls herself over so she is now lying on her back and glares up at Nicky. "Can I help you?" she asks, annoyed at the disruption to her much needed sleep.

Nicky continues to grin down at an exasperated Piper. "I noticed you got in late," she says, matter of factly, adding a playful wink to empathise where her thoughts had drifted to.

"Ugh," Piper groans and throws her hand dramatically over her face, hiding the embarrassment from Nicky's probing. It wasn't that she hadn't thought about sleeping with Alex, god she perhaps thought about it too much. Loving the idea of Alex's naked body pressed firmly against her own. But, for the first time in her life, Piper had decided to opt for taking things slow, not wanting to risk the special thing that clearly she and Alex shared. "You know Nicky, it is possible for two people to hang out without fucking each other," Piper mumbles, lifting her arm slightly from her face so she could see Nicky's response.

Nicky raises her eyebrows in surprise. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Piper Chapman?" she says with a laugh, knowing Piper's track record of sleeping with practically every single person she had ever 'hung out' with.

Piper laughs and sits up to throw her pillow at Nicky. "I'm serious Nick, we just talked."

Piper's face grows serious as she looks at her friend. "We, uh, talked about my family actually."

Nicky eyes go wide at Piper's confession and her expression becomes thoughtful. Through the whole time she and Piper had been friends, Piper had never once opened up to someone about her family life. Nicky herself had only known about the abuse from the snippets of information Piper had briefly shared with her and from the details she could gather from the bruises that use to litter Piper's body during their monthly sleepovers when they were younger. Piper had never once willingly or openly shared the information about what had gone on behind closed doors with anyone other than Nicky and even then, the details she shared were scarce. "Seriously Pipes? That's great. Sounds like you must really like and trust her?" Nicky says encouragingly, a heart-warming smile appearing on her lips.

Piper smiles back at her. "I really do," she states firmly and truthfully, no longer worried about hiding her feelings for the brunette from her closest friend.

Nicky beams as she sees the light that shines behind her friend's eyes as she talks about Alex. "So is she like your girlfriend now?" Nicky asks, hopeful that her friend had finally been willing to commit to someone. Loving the idea that, that someone, could be Alex.

Piper shakes her head. "No. I think she wants to be, but I'm scared Nick. What if it doesn't work out?"

Nicky leans forward and places a comforting hand on her Piper's outstretched leg. "Pipes, I know you are not used to this. But anyone can see Alex is crazy about you. You don't need to be scared. Vause is an amazing chick, I'd trust her with my life. Besides, she knows I'd kick her arse if she did anything to hurt you," Nicky says with a laugh, lifting her hand from Piper's leg to flex her arm at her in an attempt to show off her 'muscles.'

"Quit overthinking it kid and just do what feels right," Nicky says, slapping her leg before standing from the bed and making her way back out into the kitchen, leaving Piper alone with her thoughts.

Piper lays herself back down onto her pillow, shifting her hands so they lie behind her head and stares up at the ceiling. My girlfriend, Alex. Alex Vause Piper's girlfriend, she thinks to herself as she continues to gaze up at the roof, a small smile playing on her lips. I like the sound of that.

…..

The sound of Alex's phone ringing wakes her from her sleep. Groaning, she leans over to her bedside table and picks up the phone, opening one eye to look at the caller ID.

"Hello," she rasps out, her voice deep with sleep.

"Hello Alex, its Red," the woman on the other end says in a deep Russian accent.

"Red, what can I do for you?" Alex asks, regretting the fact that she had not made the effort to visit Red since her return from her disastrous move with Sylvie.

"I heard you were back and looking for a job?"

Alex smiles, knowing that she would need to thank Nicky profusely after mentioning to her the other night that she was interested in returning back to work at the bar. "I am."

"Good, you start tomorrow at 6. Don't be late," Red says before she cuts off the call knowing Alex would accept her offer.

Alex smiles as she pulls the phone away from her ear. She had loved her job at Red's and had actually been very sad when she made her thoughtless choice to leave. Red was a tough woman, tough but fair and she had understood that, at the time, Alex had felt compelled to leave with Sylvia as she was trying her best to make the relationship work. Red was almost a second mother to her, taking her under her wing from the moment Nicky had introduced Alex to her and even after she had left, Alex had spoken to her quite regularly on the phone, keeping her updated on her life.

Alex glances at the alarm clock that sits on her bedside table and her smiles becomes much wider, realising she only had a few hours until she had agreed to meet Piper back at her place. As difficult as it was to hear Piper tell her story last night, Alex had had one of the best nights of her life snuggled up on that lookout. Alex had dropped Piper at her apartment early in the morning, leaving with a feeling as though she was so much more connected to the blonde. Alex knew it would only be a matter of time before she falls hopelessly in love with her, currently feeling as though the pieces of her currently disjointed life were finally beginning to fit back together.

…..

Piper sits cross-legged on her leather couch, staring dazedly towards the television as she replays her earlier conversation with Nicky in her head. Piper had never been a relationship type of person, having never craved to have someone to call her own, normally opting for the withdrawn option of copious one night stands. Commitment wasn't something Piper knew, yet as she sat in her apartment, Piper couldn't help but think of what a future would look like with Alex Vause as her girlfriend. An inevitable smile plays on her lips at the thought of calling Alex her own, Piper wanting to find the courage to ask her that question tonight.

A light rap on the door startles Piper from her thoughts and she looks towards the clock on the wall. Oh shit she thinks to herself as she realises the time and leaps from the couch, racing towards her bedroom and quickly running to her dresser to find a change of shirt that didn't smell like she hadn't washed it in weeks. She hears another knock come from the door as she pulls her dirty T-shirt over her head. "Coming," Piper yells, as she pokes her head from her bedroom door and allows her voice to filter in the direction of the front door. Selecting a shirt from her dresser, Piper races towards the door, pulling the clean shirt over her head as she does. Quickly stopping to examine her reflection in the mirror that is by the door, Piper groans to herself at the sight of her hair. Using the spare elastic band, she wears around her wrist, Piper yanks her hair up into a messy bun, before taking a deep breath to steady herself and opening the door.

Piper watches as Alex eyes light up, a smirk forming on her lips as she takes in the sight of the slightly flustered blonde. "Hey," she purrs and steps forward to place a gentle kiss on Piper's lips.

Piper smiles into the kiss as she takes in the comforting smell that was Alex Vause, having missed it even though they had been together merely 12 hours before. Piper pulls back from the kiss. "Hey," she replies and steps to the side to allow Alex entrance into her apartment, shrugging off her black leather jacket as she enters.

"How was your day?" Alex asks casually as she walks towards the breakfast bar and takes a seat on one of the stools.

Piper smiles at the sight of just how comfortable Alex was in her home and walks towards the fridge. She grabs two beers, handing one to Alex before replying to her question as she leans on the kitchen counter opposite her. "Oh, you know, it was alright."

Alex cocks one eyebrow, gently places her beer on the counter top, pushes back from her chair and begins to walk towards Piper. Piper stands from her leaning position and faces Alex, who pushes her gently back against the counter, their fronts flushed together. Cupping Piper's face with her hands, Alex leans down and places a sloppy kiss on her lips, her tongue immediately tracing Piper's bottom lip pleading for entrance. Piper opens her mouth complying, as she tangles her hands in Alex's hair, pulling her face towards her own with such force she knew her lips would be bruised for days. Running her hands down Piper's back, Alex cups her arse and gives it a light squeeze before wrapping her long fingers around the sides of Piper's upper thighs and pulls her up so she is seated on the counter. Piper opens her legs wide, allowing Alex to wedge herself between them before she hooks her right leg around Alex's hip in an effort to entrap her. Piper can feel the heat building in her core as Alex's warm body presses firmly against her. Piper groans as she to wills herself to stop, knowing that if she didn't, the night would end very differently than to what she had planned.

Pulling away, her lips swollen, Piper rests her head against Alex's forehead. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" Piper asks, her breathing hiked as she smiles at the brunette.

"Well," Alex says as she pulls away from Piper to look her in the eyes, tucking a loose strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. "You said your day was just alright, I was hoping that that would make it better," she finishes with a cocky smirk playing on her lips.

Piper laughs and leans forward to gently kiss her one more time. "Trust me, it did. Now let's order some food before I fucking starve."

….

Piper lays snuggled into Alex on the couch, her favourite blanket draped over them as she plays absent-mindedly with Alex's fingers that rest on her stomach. A cheesy 80's rom com plays quietly in the background as Piper stares into nothing. Deep in thought, a small fear begins to resonate in her body at the thought of the question she wanted to ask Alex.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Alex whispers in her ear, as she notices the distraction on Piper's face.

Piper turns her head slightly to the left so she can face a smiling Alex.

"What you thinking about?" Alex asks as she raised her hand to stroke Piper's cheek with her thumb.

"Oh, just stuff" Piper replies coyly, worried about confessing to the brunette what her current train of thought was.

"Hey," Alex says, using her thumb and forefinger to tilt Piper's chin up so she can look her in the eyes. "You can tell me anything remember."

Piper takes a death breath before deciding to respond truthfully. "It's just something Nicky said."

"What did Nicky say?" Alex probes in an effort to get the blonde to talk about what was on her mind.

"Well, it's not really what she said, it's what she asked. She asked me what we were and I realised I didn't know how to answer that. I mean we have never really talked about it and it just got me thinking you know" Piper replies shyly, not wanting to say the word 'girlfriend' aloud, a sense of fear still surrounding the term. What if I thought wrong and Alex didn't want to be Piper thinks to herself as she nervously chews on her bottom lip.

Sensing Piper's worries, Alex smiles down at Piper and gently strokes the pad of her thumb across her bottom lip in an effort to calm the blonde. "Well, we can be whatever you want us to be. I told you I want to be with you. So it can be whatever you want to call it. Like I said babe, I don't want to rush you into anything you don't feel ready to do. Whether that's sex, going out on public dates together or even putting a label on whatever this is, we will do this all at your pace. I'm a very patient person Pipes and besides you are worth the wait anyway."

Piper smiles and leans her head up to place a soft kiss on Alex's lips, her stomach knotting as she wills herself to ask the question that has been playing on her lips since her discussion with Nicky this morning. Quit overthinking it kid and do what feels right she hears as Nicky's earlier words resonate in her head. Piper had yet to know the feelings she currently felt until she had met Alex and it both terrified and excited her.

Piper takes a deep breath in an effort to steady herself of her nerves. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You can ask me anything, babe" Alex says with an encouraging smile.

Piper briefly shuts her eyes and swallows to calm herself, feeling the nerves pooling in her stomach. "Um, would you be my girlfriend?"

Alex smiles a smile that warm Piper's heart and in that moment she knows she has made the right decision in letting Alex in. Alex's emerald eyes sparkle as they stare into her Piper's as she speaks the words Piper hadn't realised she had so longed to hear. "Yes, I will be your girlfriend," Alex responds before capturing her lips into a kiss so sweet Piper feared her lips would melt under the touch.

Tonight had been a good night.

A/N

Yay they are officially together. I hope we are all happy and don't feel like it was too soon. I really felt last chapter pushed them to this point so it was a natural move to make it official this chapter. I quickly put that small scene with Alex and Red because I just realised that I hadn't mentioned what Alex was doing for a job and clearly the girl needs some way to make money to be able to take Piper out. Some pretty important stuff will be happening in the next couple of chapters so look forward to that.

Okay, quick note on Stella guys- A fair few people have asked me this so I want to put all of your minds at ease. Stella will not be a love interest for anyone. She will be appearing for 1 maybe 2 chapters and she will serve only as a device to further a plot point that I have planned. We still have quite a few more chapters until she will be surfacing. Once she has appeared I will not be bringing her back at all after that. She will be serving a specific purpose and once she has- she will disappear into the night never too be seen again.

Quick thanks to the people who are reading this story and have been talking to me through PM. I love reading your messages and I am always happy to answer any questions you guys have so don't be afraid to send me one. Also, I am happy to read the suggestions/requests you guys have for certain events that you would like to see take place in the story. I am always more than happy to accommodate your wants and needs.

Next update should hopefully be very soon as the story is about to pick up pace and I am seriously way too excited for you guys to read what will happen next.

Mrosse38