Chapter 25:

"How Far Would You Go For Love"

Love. It's a fucked up concept. People would do anything for someone else, things that they wouldn't even do for themselves, all that just to quench their thirst for that very special feeling that is considered like the sole purpose of life- the only thing that would bring happiness. Ultimately, no one is really selfless when it comes to love. But to choose to be selfish about one person in particular, in itself, might possibly be the most beautiful form of selflessness.

Piper knew right the second she went down that ladder that she was being selfish, inconsiderate—stupid. It was her Alex down there, her Alex that was sitting on a wooden chair, tied up with ropes from head to toes, and at that moment, Piper's brain had just stopped being able to picture a life without her. So she had thrown herself in danger, recklessly, purposely. For love.

It didn't even matter that she was about to suffer the same treatment as her lover; she had made it to Alex, and she would go through with it with Alex.

Piper laughed when she realized she was completely losing her mind. She wouldn't have done this for anyone, not even her mom, her dad, Cal, Larry, Polly. But Alex? She'd kill for her.

Piper was quickly snapped out of her delirium when two men grabbed each of her arms and dragged her on the cold cement. She was forcefully sat down on a chair and quickly tied down like her lover, and then pushed so that she could have a clear view of Alex. Her fiancée had a severe concussion on her forehead and the blood was sliding down the side of her face. Her face was white, her nose swollen and bleeding, probably from having hit in the face repetitively.

Sitting in between them also, though free of restraint and in a much more comfortable chair, was Kubra, completely relaxed in his seat with a smug grin on his face. "I have to be honest, I'm caught by surprise right now. I didn't think you had it in you Piper. But I'm glad you came. This will be so much more interesting now."

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD! I WILL KILL YOU, DO YOU HEAR ME? YOU TOUCH HER AGAIN AND I WILL—" Piper's yelling was interrupted when one of Kubra's men had put a cloth around her face, just like Alex. She continued to scream anyway.

"Man, I used to like you Piper!" Kubra exclaimed, almost amused by the blonde's protest. "You were always there, being pretty and lesbian with Alex. I liked that. I did." He stood up this time and walked to Alex. He ran a hand through the brunette's hair and it made Piper growl. When he spoke again, his voice flat and hard, his expression grim. "But you and your stupid cunt girlfriend decided to betray me." In one quick movement, he swung open a pocket knife and placed it on Alex's cheek.

Many times in her life Piper had seen fear in her fiancée's beautiful, green orbs, but never like this.

The drug lord trailed the blade on Alex's skin slowly, watching the girl tense as the metal tip traveled downward, and then he stopped at Alex's chest. He looked at Piper, and then at Alex. He tightened his grip on the knife and slowly, painfully, sliced the skin, just enough for it to bleed and be painful as hell, but not enough to be too damaging. His movement was frantic and calculated and he made sure to watch Piper's reaction.

Piper's cries came deep within her chest, almost as if she was the one with the knife piercing her skin, and she rocked on the chair back and forth violently. Even in prison she had not feel this powerless. She wanted to put a gun on his head and shoot him. She had a gun, in her purse, and nobody knew about it. If only she could reach it…

"You like that huh?" He pressed Alex's jaw between with thumb and forefinger as he look at Piper. "Seeing your miserable girlfriend suffer," he continued. "You're next."

Suddenly Kubra was interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing. One of Kubra's men answered his phone. "Yes? What's going on. Okay we'll be there." He hung up and turned to Kubra. "There's a problem upstairs. Some kind of cop was trying to bust us."

"Go, I'll be okay. The bitches are tied up anyway." Kubra said.

What he didn't know though, is that Piper hands weren't tied up anymore. Because of some miracle, or because Kubra's men were too stupid to tie her tightly enough, Piper had been able to free herself from the ropes. Her purse was approximately five foot away from were she sat, Kubra had a knife pressed on Alex's neck, and Piper's feet were still tied up. If she didn't act fast enough, Alex's throat would be slit in a matter of seconds. She had to create a distraction. "Mmmm!" she tried talking despite the cloth on her mouth. "Mmmm!"

"What? You've got something to say there blondie?" He walked to Piper and removed the cloth from her mouth. "Let's hear it I want to hear you beg."

"I don't want to beg, idiot!" Piper exclaimed. "This bitch is the reason I'm here! She sent me to prison and ruined my life. I want to see her suffer as much as you do believe me."

Kubra chuckled. "Right so that's why you basically ran in here to save her?"

"You're right. I came here because I wanted to save her. I'm not going to lie about that," Piper explained. "And look what it got me into? I don't want to go back to a life with her where I'm just going to get screwed over all over again." The words escaped Piper's mouth and she felt her heart tear apart, even if it was false.

Kubra's mouth lifted in a cynical smile at Piper's word. He didn't care if she was saying the truth or not; either way he was going to kill Alex. He turned around, holding the knife steadily in his hand, and then walked toward his battered victim, without even a hint of pity in his expression.

The next five seconds went as follow: Piper threw herself on the ground, Kubra swiveled midway to the brunette and finally Piper grabbed the gun and pointed it at him.

Check mate.

For first time, Piper looked at him and could see fear and regret in his eyes— fear that his was defeated, regret that he was being caught in his own game. He looked at her begging and pleading, lips quivering—he knew he was screwed.

Piper's hands were shaking as she held the gun; she had never held one before and definitely never pointed one at someone, threatening to end another person's life. She was staring at him blankly, and her eyes showed no mercy. She applied a slight pressure on the trigger, closing her eyes, and then it was over.

The cause of all their struggles for the past 10 years: dead.

There was no more illegal shit. No more prison. No more lies.

Just them.

And that was how far Piper was willing to go to protect Alex. Ending a man's life.

Piper dropped the gun, untied her feet and rushed to Alex. Kneeling in front of her fiancée, Piper removed the cloth on her mouth and proceeded to remove the restrains. "Piper I'm so sorry. Baby, please forgive me." Alex cried out, and when Piper had untied her hands and pulled her close, never wanting to let go of her. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry" she repeated in loop.

"Were safe now baby, we're safe. We have to get you to the hospital now," Piper said and she slipped her hand underneath Alex's arms and helped her stand up.

"Piper, listening to me. You've just killed a man…" Alex said. "You could back in prison."

"Not if I have a say," Jim said behind them. Both women turned. His jacket was gone, his white shirt stained with blood, and his knuckles were bleeding. "For all we know, I beat those guys upstairs in the bathroom that attacked me, and then I came down here and saved your life by shooting him because he was about to kill you."

"Who is this?" Alex asked, confused.

"This is Jim, he helped find you," Piper explained as she caressed Alex's hand. She would give her more details once they'd be home and safe. She mouthed a 'thank you' to Jim.

"This is officer Mills requesting an ambulance," Jim said in his radio. "One victim hurt and one suspect dead and three other suspects injured."

Piper held Alex's hand the whole ride to the hospital and she whispered words of love. Alex was badly injured, and although she wasn't in critical condition, it still broke Piper's heart to see her like this. "Think of the stories you'll have!" Piper's voice was cracked, weak. It was her way of being strong for Alex.

Alex gave her a soft smile and corrected her, "We'll have." No story was important anymore if they weren't shared with Piper. One of the paramedic announced their arrival at the hospital. Alex tightened her hold on Piper's hand. "Don't leave me."

Piper shook her head. "I won't, I promise."

Alex's wounds were taken care of in the emergency room and Piper held her hand the whole time. "You know I didn't mean what I said right earlier. That you ruined my life. It was just a distraction, I—"

"I know baby. I know." Alex sighed. "But I did put you in danger many times. And I'm never gonna be sorry enough for that."

"It's all over now, it's okay," Piper said softly. "But don't you ever fucking leave me like that again, asshole. You know I can't live without you."

The curse made Alex chuckle. "I won't."

Once Alex was all stitched up, a police inspector asked them a few questions. They told the story Jim told them to tell, and for the first time in her life, Piper didn't have to think twice about lying.

Larry and Polly came to the hospital later and offered them a ride home. Piper explained to Alex how they were related to the whole thing, and Alex never thought she'd ever feel so grateful for those two people she hated to death. Alex even gave a hug to Polly and a handshake to Larry as a thank you. Their past might have been behind them, but they would certainly keep those two around.

By two in the morning, Piper and Alex were holding each other in bed. Neither of them was the big or little spoon that night; they just lay, facing each other, limbs entangled in every way possible, and they talked softly words of encouragement and promises of future.

"I think I should continue my book," Alex said as they talked about their future.

"Your book?" Piper furrowed her brows. It was the first time she was hearing about it. "You wrote a book?"

"Not exactly. I just wrote down a bunch of stories that happened in my life. The crazy things that happened to us when we traveled, some stuff about prison." Alex explained with a shrug like it was no big deal. Piper on the other hand thought it was an amazing idea. "Maybe I could turn them into a memoir or something," Alex added. Hopefully she could convince her parole officer to stop the obligatory weekly job interview regulation if she'd provide him a new chapter every week or something.

"That's incredible!" Piper exclaimed cheerfully. Alex had always had a huge interest on literature and books and Piper knew she'd make an amazing job. "You could be the next Jeannette Walls," Piper laughed, referring to the author of the book Alex had read to her the last week before she left Litchfield. "I can already picture you, glasses on your nose, messy hair, writing late at night or early in the morning, being all sexy and focused on your work. Nerdy Alex Vause. Damn. I'm totally digging that."

Alex pulled the back of Piper's neck and kissed her hard, not caring her bruised lips hurt like fuck when she pressed their lips together. "Kid, I love you, but soon enough you are going to be complaining I work too much and that I don't give enough attention to those pretty lips of yours. Don't get excited too fast."

"I'm don't worry about that, you can't survive long without making me cum in your mouth often," Piper joked. Alex bit her lips. "Anyways I'll have to find what to do with my life now that my company is screwed. That will take some of my time."

"Do you have ideas?"

Piper hummed. "Nope." She thought for a moment. "But I want to do something that would help people, you know? Women especially."

"Sounds great kid." Alex smiled. "Take all the time you need. We're good with money. Even if we have to live in this shitty apartment." Alex hated the fact that she had all this money and couldn't even get them a proper apart. Not legally at least.

They stayed silent for a little while, dreaming about their life, until eventually the weight of their day was pulling them into sleep.

"Piper?" Alex whispered softly.

"Mhm?"

"I'm scared to close my eyes and see…" Kubra. The disgusting smile on his face when he attacked her. Piper being restrained in front of her. "Don't stop holding me please."

Piper didn't need to answer that. She pulled Alex closer and held her like her life depended on it, and it did in so many ways.

A/N: Woo what a ride! Fear not dear reader: I'm nowhere near being done with this story. Their past is behind them and their life finally beginning and it's going to be another hell of a ride! Maybe not as cruel as the other one, but with me, I can't promise that. I hope you enjoyed! Please tell me what you think! :D