I very much appreciate the reviews and follows. I don't write fanfiction often, it's been years in fact but I just can't get these two out of my head and what season 4 might have in store for us. I'm not entirely sure where this will go…so lets see!

As per usual I don't own Alex or Piper or any other of the OITNB characters, but I am using them for my own fun.

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Piper stumbles back into the shed. She has difficulty hearing much over the pounding of the blood rushing through her head. Her heart is beating erratically and she wonders for a second if she is having a heart attack. That's ridiculous right?

She's back at Alex's side cradling her face. She leans down and presses a kiss to her forehead before whispering to her.

"Don't you leave me Alex." Her voice drops lower. She kisses her cheeks before placing her lips over Alex's lips and giving two breaths. She struggles to get the breath in and tilts her head back. Still no movement, no gasping, and Piper panics for a moment as she thinks that she might already be gone.

"That's not fucking happening. Alex! Wake the fuck up!" Piper yells at her in a hoarse cracking voice, tears streaming down her face.

She tries to give a breath again and then proceeds to do heart compressions. She can't break down, if Alex isn't breathing then this is the only chance she has. On her first compression she feels Alex's ribs break as she was warned would happen so long ago. It made her feel sick to her stomach but she kept going.

After what felt like hours but in reality was only a few minutes, the infirmary staff enter the room. One of them feels for a pulse, shakes her head a little bit and stands up.

"I'm sorry, there is nothing we can do"

Piper looks up at her, her eyes wide with fear and desperation.

"What. The. Fuck. Are you talking about? She was breathing less than 5 minutes ago. You have to try to resuscitate her you can't just let her die!" Piper stands up trying to intimidate the smaller female with her size. The staff member holds her ground and laughs at Piper, a loud echoing, full throated laugh.

"This is all your fault Chapman. Don't blame us because you got your girlfriend killed. How many times did she come to you hoping you would watch her back? You broke her heart over and over and over" This statement was punctuated by the guard with a revolving hand motion. "cause why? You needed more excitement in your life? Or was it less excitement? "Life isn't a fucking roller coaster ride. Even if it were, the Alex Vause loading dock is no longer in service."

Suddenly the room is full of guards and inmates all laughing at Piper. She stands in the middle of the room, turning, recognizing the faces of so many people she knows, both here in prison and out. She hears Larry and Polly "Hope your happy now Pipes." Piper starts spinning feeling claustrophobic she starts gasping for breath.

"No no no no no" She holds her hands over her ears as everyone in the rooms is talking at once.

"I heard she left her the day her mother died and drove her into the arms of Heroine" Came Nicky's playful voice "Vause loved telling all their "poor Piper" stories"

Next was Stella "Blondies a good kisser, but I know first hand what it feels like to get done over by that manipulative cunt"

"CHAPMAN"

Piper sat bolt upright in bed with two hands on her shoulders.

"Yo white girl we be trying to sleep up in here" Taystee glares at her.

"You still having them night terrors about your tall dark and hot ex girl toy? Don't MAKE me start gagging you. I NEED my beauty sleep". Taystee scoffs at Piper and goes back to her bed.

"Of course, sorry, sorry" Piper lays back down and rolls to face the wall hoping she didn't wake her upper bunk mate who was a little less understanding than her much longer ground floor acquaintance.

Piper was wide awake now. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept through a night. The incident with Alex had been 3 weeks ago. With the prison having a mass exodus things had gotten hectic and it had taken a full day for her to get any news on Alex. That was the worst day of her entire existence. She thought she had been dealt a shit hand for the past year but that was nothing compared to not knowing if Alex Vause was alive or dead.

Alex was one of the strongest people Piper knew. She never imagined she would fall apart the way she had when she left her, turning to heroin after being abandoned by the only two people in the world she loved. How did Piper even justify that to herself? She had been selfish, but she had to get out didn't she? Alex had no time for her and wanted her to do illegal shit. She had never stopped loving Alex but why was it all on her to change her lifestyle to fit Alex's wildchild existence. Surely some of that should be on Alex?

When she finally got answers out of Caputo that Alex was alive but in critical condition, her windpipe had been crushed and she had extreme internal bleeding and soft tissue damage to her torso, Piper had sagged under the weight of it. Alex was alive. She had thanked Mr Caputo and asked when she could see her.

"When the rest of the inmates see her I imagine. She is not in the infirmary, she is in the hospital. We don't have the resources to deal with her level of injuries on site. You saved her life Chapman. She flat lined several times but once the breathing tube had been inserted she stabilized. She's lucky to be alive." With that he turned away. Piper thought about what he said and panic seized her.

"Wait!" Piper called after him running. "In the hospital sir does she have guards? This was an attempted hit from her old cartel, Alex needs protection Mr Caputo she can't be left.." He held up a hand to slower her down.

"She had a guard posted and they will be looking to take your statement about the incident in lieu of hers since she is obviously in no shape to do so. Based on the results, her security may be increased"

"Sir she isn't safe she needs more guards and.."

"Chapman as I can see you won't be dropping this I will try to arrange to have your statement taken as soon as possible. We have a lot to deal with around here. I'm sorry Chapman" and with that Joe Caputo walked away leaving her standing in the hallway in disbelief.

She had given her statement and they had increased Alex's security to 2 guards 24/7 but Piper was still nervous. Could Kubre know that Alex was still alive? She had tried to get Cal in to see her but as a prisoner under high security watch Alex was not permitted visitors.

Piper had no idea how long it would take for Alex to recover enough to return to Prison.

Laying in the dark letting her heart beat return to normal, listening to the sounds of the other inmates and the steady hum of the fans in the semi-dark room, Piper was wide awake. She hadn't slept through a full night since that day. She forcibly switched her thoughts to the panty business. Alex didn't approve. Being dumped had hurt more than Piper had cared to let on. She knew that she had deserved it. Kind of. Sure she had kissed Stella but it was just a couple of kisses. How many times had she watched Alex flirt with mules, play with their hair at some club, lean in and whisper in their ear. At the time Piper would get jealous and go out and dance with other girls. Alex would watch her most of the night and Piper could feel her body tingling when Alex laid eyes on her. Back then they just used sex to set the record straight. Alex would pour her into a cab and Alex's own jealousy would come out.

"Did you have fun kid?" Alex questioned in a cold level voice once in the cab.

"You know how I love dancing Alex." Alex turned to her and nibbled on her neck before she reached over and pushed up Pipers short skirt running her fingers up and down the length of her sex before dipping a finger into Piper. Alex pulled away. "Yea I can see that"

Piper reached over and thumbed Alex's bottom lip while staring at her with her eyelids half closed and dilated pupils. Piper smirked.

"Don't stop Al." She nibbled up to Alex's earlobe and whispered in her ear.

"All night all I wanted was your hands. Preferably all over me. Tell me Alex," Piper purred into her ear. "How is it that despite dancing for hours with some handsy girls, and guys for that matter, the only thing making my skin tingle was the look in your eyes and your stare. All I could think about was how to get you to come over and prove who my body belongs to." Piper thrust her tongue into Alex's ear and then dropped one hand to her breast, squeezing aggressively. Alex gave up on her steely resolve and grabbed Piper's head with both hands before pulling her face to her. Their teeth clashed and Alex's hand in her hair hurt almost too much but she had never seen this jealous side of Alex before. Possessive, sensual, demanding yes, but this closed off jealous woman was new. She'd have to remember not to push her so far in the future.

With the memory Piper had to admit that jealous had been part of her game plan. Alex had been so withdrawn, and rightfully so. Piper had been like a child demanding her attention and when she didn't her way, what does she do. She pushes back. Too far, too much.

"Grow the fuck up idiot" Piper whispers to herself in the dark.