Chapter 12:

"I Would Die For You"

It had been another month later and Piper and Alex still hadn't succeeded to go all the way. Piper was able to pleasure Alex without any problem, but every time Alex would touch her Piper freaked out. At least she wasn't running away from Alex like the first time. Whenever it happened, they talked about it or about something else completely. Alex continued to be über supportive like she had never been with anyone in her life. Piper knew this was something big and she felt grateful every single day to have her.

They decided to take a break from trying to see where things would lead them. Maybe all she needed was more time. The books available to them were only useful to a certain extent. It would have helped to have more meaningful resources like a shrink or support groups. There was a shrink available for the inmates, but he was a 68 years old man who crept everyone. Piper didn't want to go to him for anything. It wasn't like she could go to him and say "hey I need help so that I can have sex with my girlfriend again" when it's against the rules to do so in prison.

Even though Piper and Alex weren't having sex they acted like they were on their honeymoon phase. They would whisper to each other sweet nothing and giggle or hold hands amorously. Their friends nagged them for being so cheesy, but were happy for them nonetheless. After everything Alex and Piper had been through over the last few months- the fact that they were together and safe made them whole. They still had their issues; like the fact they had no idea how to fix the sex problem, the frequent nightmares on both parts and the fact that Alex still hadn't told Piper about the second assault. They had time to figure all that though, for one Piper and Alex had respectively 4 and 3 years left on their sentences, and there was the promise made that none of them would run away again. It was reassuring and stress-free, and that's all that mattered.

One day at breakfast Nichols and Morello had a different vibe coming from them. Not in a bad way-they were always acting a bit weird, but something felt odd. The girls all noticed, but Alex was the only one to speak up about it. "You guys are acting strange, you know that?" Alex observed.

"I agree," Piper seconded and the rest of the girls nodded and hummed in agreement.

Lorna grinned and Nikki put her trademark smile. "Wanna tell 'em babe?" Nikki asked her girlfriend as she put an arm around her waist.

Morello raised her hand and showed everybody that she was wearing a ring on her finger. "Nikki asked me to marry her!"

Everyone stayed silent for a beat, completely astonished by the news.

"Woah, this is something, umh congratulation!" Piper broke the silence first.

Alex took Lorna's hand and examined the ring. "Fuck is this made of like, wires? You did this Nichols?" Alex asked her. The ring was made of two electric wires from the electric shop; one was bent in a circle and the other was twisted around the top in a bundle to form a stone. Nikki nodded. "Shit that's impressive. Told ya you were crafty." Alex complimented. The last time she had seen her do something crafty was for Morello last Christmas, but Alex didn't think she would go that far. Alex didn't even think Nichols was the marrying type.

Piper thought the same as Alex because she asked them how all this had happened. Lorna told them with excitement how she proposed.

"It's a funny story actually. We were you know," Lorna signed two fingers going inside a vagina. "And as always it's like she wants to climb to womb and like nest there so we started talking about babies and baby names, we are gonna name ours Maria and Tony like the main characters in West Side Story, and anyways we talked about marriage and like unexpectedly, like I really really didn't expect it, she reached in her cleavage and pulls out this ring and she's like with her cute puppy face asking me to be her wife". Nikki smiled and kissed her cheek.

Piper and Alex exchanged a look and smiled at their friends. "So when's the big day?" Piper asked with a little too much enthusiasm and Alex giggled. She poked her with her elbow.

"Well we are going to have this big wedding once we are out, but before we want to have one with all you guys there since we all have different release dates so we are going to do a fake-ish wedding in the chapel" Lorna explained.

"Sister Ignalls agreed to be the minister. Believe it or not the lady is excited to practice her stuff on us." Nikki said and talked in a more relaxed manner then her partner.

"Oh there's one more thing, Alex you are gonna be Nikki's maid of honor," Lorna told her and Alex's eyes shot wide open. "And since we thought it would be cute that our maids of honor be a couple well Piper you are gonna be mine."

"Excuse me you are asking me what?" Alex said but Piper poked her in the ribs again.

"Absolutely! We'll do it." Piper exclaimed and smiled genuinely. She was glad for her friends and a wedding was probably the happiest you could get in a prison. Alex was glad as well, but the though of being a maid of honor to someone was overwhelming. She never had much girl friends growing or even in her twenties- they were either drug mules or her colleagues who she could never count on as friends.

Later in the day Alex talked to Nikki when she went to drop her laundry bag.

"So I don't think I told you but congrats on your engagement Nichols," Alex told her truthfully. There was a spark in Nikki's eyes. She couldn't tell Lorna meant the world and made her happy.

"Thanks man. I really love her you know. I haven't been this serious and dedicated to something since heroin." Nikki confessed and Alex knew this was big. Alex understood the analogy very well because she felt the same now with Piper; the blonde gave her as much and even more satisfaction as her old job. Unfortunately it took her a lot of time to realize that.

"Don't take this the wrong way but I never imagined you as the marrying type," Alex admitted. She never imagined herself as that either, but now she didn't know anymore. All her grand plans had failed and she had new perspectives on life.

"Me neither. But I love her man and I know it's her dream to have a wedding. I want to give her that. And I already know that I want to spend my life with her so I don't mind having a wedding to official it. Marriage isn't bad when you just see it as simple as it supposed to be- a promise to be together forever. It's the society that fucked its meaning with religion and bureaucrat and divorce and shits. There's no piece of paper that will ever be enough to prove my love to her, but what if we want to celebrate it, have every know and call each other wives for the rest of our life? That's all good with me." Nikki explained seriously. Alex never realized how smart she was until now. She had never thought of marriage that way. Her parents were divorced when she was three and she grew up hearing her mother talk about how horrible it was.

"That's wonderful Nichols. I'm glad to be a part of it." Alex said as she gave her back her laundry label.

"Thanks Vause. But you sure you want to be my maid of honor? I mean it was Lorna's idea and-"

"Absolutely," Alex cut her immediately. She wasn't sure at first but after what Nikki had just said she wouldn't miss this chance for the world.

"Alright, see you later" Nikki winked at her and left.

After work Alex went to find Piper on the tract. She watched her run for a few minutes before going to her. The blonde ran with so much grace and joy. It made Alex happy to see her like that.

"Hey beautiful, walk with me and cool off?" Alex asked her and grabbed her hand. Piper nodded. They walked on the tract hands in hands and talked.

"It's great that Nikki and Lorna are getting married," Piper mentioned. Alex smiled. "I have to admit I didn't expect that. When I first met her on my first day here she was all about her fiancée Christopher."

"And you were all about Larry," Alex reminded her, without the intention of being mean. Piper sighed. "Do you miss it?" Alex asked.

"It? You mean him? What?" Piper asked confused and looked at Alex with a worried look on her face.

Alex smiled softly. "I mean, do you miss the certainty and safety with him. You know, the engagement, the promise you made together. I don't want to know if you miss him to be honest."

"I really don't miss him. And to answer your question, I don't really miss it because I see things differently now. The certainty and the safety coming from the engagement weren't real. Putting a ring on my finger didn't protect me from him leaving me, or me cheating with you. It just makes you look more like an asshole when you do because you're engaged. Now I believe what establishes a true certainty are the challenges life throws at you. Like us for example; we've been through hell and look at us, we are stronger, better versions of ourselves and we are better than we were as a couple than 10 years ago." Piper explained and Alex smiled at her. Piper smiled back and continued, "You never left me. I'm pretty sure Larry would have never stayed with me if something like that would have happen with him. So I have never feel this certain and safe in my life with anyone but you. And we promised each other we wouldn't run, and I know you'll stick to that promise because I have seen you do it already." Alex knew Piper was talking about the fact that she stayed even without the sex. "I hope you feel the same way," Piper added.

They stopped walking and Alex pulled her in an embrace. "Absolutely," Alex said and buried her face on the soft spot between her shoulder and her neck. "I love you Piper Chapman, you know that right?" I would die for you. I mean it. And I'm glad I can provide you some certainty and safety while being completely screwed up, impetuously stupid and scared to death to plan anything." Alex's fear to plan anything goes back from since she was around 18. She had planned to go to college and do something smart so that she didn't end up like her parents, but her mom informed her she couldn't afford to pay for her to go. Then she had gotten over it and eventually joined the drug importing business and had made grand plans that failed to because 1) Piper had left her and 2) she was sent to prison. Alex had just gotten tired of always failing and ended up living a carefree life. Like Piper, recent events had changed her and she saw things differently now. She felt more confident to make plan and promises now, especially with Piper.

"You are not screwed up Alex," Piper told her and searched for eyes but Alex looked away. She pulled her chin gently so that was looking at her and repeated, 'You are not screwed up. You made mistakes like me and like everyone. You have grown so much Alex and I'm so proud of you. I always known you had the potential of being a good, caring human being if you stopped being scared and you let yourself be. I know life wasn't easy for you and your parents, they were real screwed ups. But Alex, look at yourself now, you are the most loving and caring person I know. I'm so glad to have you. I love you so much." Alex held her tight. Whenever Alex held Piper, it was like she was a precious jewelry locked safely in a chest, where no one could harm her or make her upset. The blonde felt safe with her like she had never been with anyone.

14 days later: The Wedding

Nikki and Lorna had their ceremony in the chapel. They arranged to have two inmates that were more acquaintances than friends to guard outside and make sure the wedding wouldn't be disturbed. The couple exchanged their vows in their own typical Nikki and Lorna way and made everyone laugh. Alex and Piper's job as maids of honor ended up was only to stand up next to them in front of everyone, which Alex hated deeply, but it was the meaning that counted. The whole thing was beautiful, sweet and funny and before the night arrived Sister Ignalls had declared them wife and wife.

Afterwards, Alex and Piper spent the little time they had left before the count, talking and kissing. The merriment of the day made it easier be separated for the night and they dove into deep slumber quickly without having any nightmares.

A/N: I really love Nikki and Lorna so made this chapter about them with Piper and Alex being the center as always. Hope you liked it. So sorry for the mistakes, no beta and im exhausted. I love reading your kind review please continue to write them. Love, -Shirley.