Author's Note: Sorry for the delay on this. I wanted this to play out right. And thank all of you for your comments and follows. They really do mean a lot to me. If I haven't gotten directly back to you, I will. Promise.

'Okay, you can do this. fuckfuckfuck. Blink. Breathe Go.'

"Are you enjoying breakfast?" 'Nice opening, Vause.'

"It's good. I didn't think you would have gotten whole grain bread though." Piper said coolly.

"Well, I know you prefer it, so it was just easier to double the order. I just never would have thought they would have it here in Cambodia. Figured we'd be stuck with plain old white." Alex replied.

"It's just so much better for you. Less in sugar. Warding off that adult Diabetes, you know."

"And completely overpriced at Whole Foods." Alex added.

"Did we really just have a deep conversation about fucking bread? What the fuck is happening here? Get it under control. Start talking."

"Piper I have to te-" Alex started.

"Al, I know. You have to go on another job. I heard you pick up the phone. Where and how long?" Piper interrupted.

Alex wasn't prepared for Piper to have just leapt into this conversation. It left her speechless a minute, which was incredibly unusual and quite unsettling.

"I'd hoped I didn't wake you up. I'm sorry." Alex replied.

"I didn't hear the phone ring, just felt you leaving the bed. I went back to sleep, mostly." Piper wasn't really interested in her apology now. She wanted to hear the brunette say that she was leaving again because she was just waiting to explode.

"You didn't answer my questions. When are you leaving? And for how long this time?" Piper continued.

Alex cut her eyes down to the floor. 'This wasn't how this was supposed to go. Save this.' She sighed.

"Tomorrow. Could be up to three weeks. I don't have it all planned." Alex said adjusting her glasses. 'Well, hang on now Vause.'

"Three weeks!? Three!" Piper pushed her plate with most of her breakfast left halfway across the table. "That's the longest you've ever been gone! What the fuck am I supposed to do?"

"Piper, just listen-"

"Don't. Don't 'just listen, Piper' me. You've left me countless times before. A day or two, here and there. Now you tell me three weeks. What's is going to be next time 3 months? I'm not going to sit here in this hotel for three weeks waiting and worrying that you could have been arrested! Or fucking dead somewhere! Or better yet, at a party fucking some potential mule!" Piper could feel the angry tears brimming on the edges of her eyes.

"I wouldn't. And I haven't since we met. It's always been you." Alex met Piper's eyes and could see the tears start falling. "I would never."

Piper pushed her chair back from the small table they were sharing and swiped quickly under her eyes.

"Nothing's stopping you. I won't be there." Piper said narrowing her eyes.

"I don't want anyone else. I want you."

"You don't understand what I mean. I'm leaving."

Alex eyebrows shot up as her head shook back and forth trying to process Piper's last word.

Piper steeled herself for the moment. She needed to say this.

"I can't do this anymore, Alex. I can't be second to your job, to Fahri. I just can't anymore. I need to go back home."

Alex's heart just dropped. "What?"

"I'm going back to the States. I can't be your girlfriend anymore. I can't just stay alone in all these new places alone while you gallivant all over. I'm sorry. I love you. More than you'll ever know. But this isn't me anymore, it's not fun. I have to leave. It's over."

Piper stood up from the table and walked past Alex into the bedroom.

Alex was livid. She shot out of her chair and spun around. 'This. Is. Not. Happening.'

"Are you fucking kidding me with this?"

"Alex, don't-"

"No. You knew exactly what you getting into with me! I was honest about everything. Right from the beginning. You still chose it, and you fucking loved it! For years I've taken you around the world and given you everything you wanted and more. You weren't complaining when it was happening. Are you going to tell me you've secretly hated it all this time? And I've done nothing, nothing to explicitly put you in danger." Alex noticed she had raised her voice, not in anger but in distress.

"I never asked you for any of it! What about Brussels? That's not danger?! I couldn't sleep for days!" Piper shuddered with the memory of how long it took her to recoup from the experience.

"You wanted to! I asked you and then I changed my mind. But you pushed for it. Promised me that you could do it. It wasn't right. I know..." Alex fidgeted with her glasses before taking them off. "I know it was a mistake. I'm sorry! I'm so fucking sorry for that. I can't ever take that back. But you don't have to threaten to leave." She finished quietly.

"I just can't pretend to ignore this all. I'm never going to be comfortable with you doing this forever. You're never going to be comfortable settling down and staying in one place." Piper reached for her suitcase.

"Why the fuck do you think I'm doing this, Piper? Why I've been doing this for ten years?" Alex took a few steps into the room. She noticed Piper take another step sideways so the bed was in between them.

"Because you like it? You like the power, the rush and the money. I don't know!" Piper saw the opportunity for a dig and took her chance. "I don't know, Alex. You haven't always been very open in discussing your feelings." She opened the suitcase.

Alex felt that hit like a ton of bricks. She tried to keep her face even and neutral, but the tears were threatening.

"When I first started, yes. I loved the power. The rush is nice, but I could potentially get that in other activities." Alex took another step towards Piper.

"I do this for the money, yes. I do this so that I have enough to take care of my family. The one that I have now, and the one that I will hopefully have."

Piper turned around and went fumbling into a drawer. "So why don't you just quit this shit already! Get something stable. Some job that you won't constantly have to be looking over your shoulder; wondering when you'll be caught or worse!"

Alex sighed and sat on the corner of the bed. She looked directly at Piper. "I want to settle down one day, Piper. Of course I fucking do! And as much as you see me spend money, it just might fucking surprise you that I have been stashing money away so that I don't have to do this shit forever. And hopefully, my partner won't have to work either. So that we are safe and stable. I just always keep thinking there could be more."

Piper felt the tears rolling down her face. She couldn't bear to turn around and look at Alex. "Continue packing, Piper." She grabbed some clothes out of the drawer and turned to the suitcase.

"Piper. Is that what you want? You want me to quit and go back to the States with you? I don't even know how I fucking would. This is all I know how to do; all I'm good at." Alex ran her hands through her hair and pulled on it a little, hoping that the slight pain would bring her clarity. "Could you please just say something?!"

Piper ignored the streams of tears on her face and attempted to continue packing the suitcase in front of her without looking at Alex. She was desperately trying to forget that line about 'my partner,' and she used 'we', as in present company. Alex had just so casually dropped that line in.

'Just pack the suitcase and go. This is some other mess that she's going to rope you into. Further down this fucked-up rabbit hole. Focus on getting home, Piper.''

"Please, Piper. Please look at me." Alex was desperate now.

It was getting difficult for Piper to see what she was actually putting in the suitcase. At this point, she didn't care.

Alex got on her knees and moved to the edge of the bed closest to Piper. She reached up and cupped Piper's face in her hands. She was surprised that the blonde let her without flinching or backing away. Alex pulled Piper's forehead to hers and tried to calm the anger and hurt that was pounding through both of their bodies.

"Tell me." Piper's voice was almost a whisper. "Please."

'Well, this is already fucked. Now or never, Vause.' Alex exhaled.

"I love you, Piper Chapman." She finally let go and allowed herself to fall apart, gripping Piper's face. "I love you. I love you so much it hurts. With every fiber of my being I love you. So you absolutely. Cannot. Fucking. Leave me." She choked out between sobs.

Piper grabbed the side of the suitcase, shoved it onto the floor and climbed on the bed. She pulled Alex to her. She let the brunette let out these body shaking sobs and just held onto her.

"I have you, Alex. I love you. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving."

After a few minutes, Alex finally had a bit of control over her breathing enough to slightly pull away from Piper.

"Tell me what you want."

"You. I want a life with you. I want to settle down in one place and live together. I don't want to worry about one of us being arrested flying someplace. I don't want to have to worry about prison for either one of us. Because god knows, I wouldn't survive it. More than anything, I don't want to spend another night apart from you again."

Alex wiped her face. "I want that. Everything. All of it. I want everything with you, Piper. I'll quit the cartel. I don't know how, but I'll figure it the fuck out. We'll settle wherever you want. Just don't leave me, because I wouldn't survive that."

Piper looked at Alex. This was an Alex that she hadn't seen before; open, exposed.

It was that moment that she fell in love all over again with her Alex.