Chapter 5

"You're sure about this?" Alex put her hands in her jacket pockets.

"You can't be serious. It's my birthday. We need some booze." Nicky grinned mischievously.

It was their normal night out. Nicky, being a teleporter, often took Alex to mainland, where they liked to hang out. They were roommates in the South as their parents couldn't afford to pay for the North.

Alex was in a black jacket with a white t-shirt underneath, and a pair of tight, black jeans. She was in her usual attires, worn and old. Most of the time, she felt comfortable in them, but there were days when she felt down, and let the bullying of the past caught up with her. Her life hadn't been great from the start. Her father left her mother when she was just a baby, and they basically lived in poverty. Diane, Alex's mother, worked four jobs to keep things going for them. But it only got worse when Alex was 'diagnosed' as being one of the 'gifted' at the age of 13. She was sent to Litchfield for 'better' trainings. Alex didn't feel that way. She thought it was just the government trying to lock away the unwanted—the dangerous ones from society. But she didn't object the idea. Sometimes she liked being away from the harsh reality. At least, she had three meals a day without having to see the stressful look on Diane's face. It pained her every time.

Alex pulled her collar closer. The wind was cold. She just didn't feel right tonight. "But we just did it last week. What if they remember us?"

"What's wrong with you? It's my fucking birthday. Don't ruin it." Nicky lightly elbowed her friend's arm, looking at the liquor store across the street.

Alex looked away for a second. "I'm 19 now. I can't get caught anymore. You do know that they are allowed to shoot first, ask later under any suspicious circumstances, concerning 'gifted' people over 18."

"You're scared?" Nicky turned to Alex, blinking. "Holy shit, Vause. You've never been scared before. What the hell is going on?"

Alex sighed, running her hand through her hair again for the tenth time tonight. "Mom is sick."

"Diane." Nicky gasped. "Is it serious?"

"Kind of. She needs a back surgery. She doesn't have insurance, and she can't work like she used to. I can't get caught, Nicky. I have to work when she can't." Alex lightly groaned, looking away. "I think I'm gonna drop out. I… I'm leaving Litchfield. I need something real, not a fucking diploma for the 'gifted' that gets me nowhere. I need a job."

Nicky stared at her friend in disbelief. "Fuck. You can't fucking leave me. No. Fuck. No. Howard wouldn't let you leave."

"I have to. I can control my powers just fine now. I'll be fine."

"God, Vause, don't leave. We're family! You got me, and I got you. I'll ask mom if she can help."

"Don't be silly. It's a lot of money." Alex shook her head. "I'll ask my aunt. She's doing pretty well, I think. I'll just have to work and pay her back, but it's gonna take years though."

Nicky leaned back against the lamppost and let out a frustrated sigh, pulling her own fluffy hair with both hands to the back of her head. She looked saddened. "I'm going to miss you. A lot."

Alex smiled. Her green eyes sparkled in the dark. "Me too."

Nicky chuckled, and then gestured towards the liquor store. "Hey, one last time. Consider it a farewell gift to me."

"Serious?" Alex groaned.

"Serious."

"But you ran us to fucking Nevada last time we stole three bottles. I don't like that, Nicky. I got really sick when you do that." Alex made a disgusted face.

"Motion sickness is my powerful weapon," Nicky joked. "But, come on, I feel good tonight. I am so much in control! I promise I won't run off too far. Have some faith in me, pal."

Alex gazed out at the liquor store, hands in her pockets. "I don't know. Where will we land—" She cried out in surprise and pain at the same time as a set of mass hit her. Shoved to the ground, Alex was sprawled on her stomach, coughing for air. She couldn't even tell what had just hit her. What was it? A human, or a truck?

Lying on her back, Alex opened her eyes to see a bulky, young police officer looming above her, his eyes glowing dangerously.

"Freeze!" Bennett held a gun at Alex's face. "I've seen you two several times before, but you're not going anywhere this time!"

Alex stared at the barrel only an inch away from her face. To her dismay, Nicky was nowhere to be seen.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Alex groaned as her mind slowly came to. She opened her eyes to see three vibrant faces above hers, beaming at her.

"Vause! Good morning!" Bennett grinned.

"Hey." Nicky had the usual lopsided smile on her face.

"How are you feeling?" Lorna greeted Alex with a sweet smile.

Where am I? What day is it? What time is it? Alex took a moment to answer all the questions before glancing at her glasses on the bedside table. Piper was really here last night. The pains were still very apparent. She wasn't dreaming or imagining any of it. She grabbed the glasses and put them on.

"Morning," Alex said eventually, her voice coarse.

"Oh, you got your glasses back," Nicky remarked.

"Uh… Piper stopped by last night. I guess she found it," Alex mumbled, glancing away at the look on Nicky's face.

Nicky was smiling so widely that her cheeks hurt. "She came here last night? Maybe because I gave her an earful. But, pimp, really… what's with you two?"

Bennett turned to Nicky. "Piper? Piper Chapman, the new blonde girl? I think that I've seen her around."

"That's right, John. The one and only future Mrs. Bloom," Lorna said, putting the fresh flowers she had brought into the vase on Alex's bedside table.

"Yup, the bitch. I have no fucking clue what our friend here has got herself into," Nicky said, staring down at Alex.

"Ouch." Bennett whistled.

Alex tried to turn a deaf ear. She had learned from Lorna since the night she had arrived that Piper was engaged to Larry Bloom. Piper was now the talk of the town in Litchfield.

Alex and Piper broke up four years ago, and they both had moved on. Alex, however, never committed before or after Piper, so to see Piper having a serious relationship did rattle her. She realized that she was everything opposite to 'Larry Bloom'. He was rich, safe and had a respectable last name to go by. She was a poor woman with shady records. She was everything Piper didn't want. Even though she had never met Larry, but a simple mention of him could easily upset her.

Alex slowly sat up and leaned back against her pillows. Her head was messy, her skin colorless, and her eyes reddened. The pain started to twist inside her, and the headache was coming back fast. She'd need some painkillers soon. Somehow it upset her that she couldn't be up to Healy's challenge. She had certainly missed the janitorial duties he had assigned her on the first day.

He'll never let that go. Alex griped.

Healy was her counselor when she first moved to Litchfield. He had become her first father figure. He had been generous, and she had been the child he never had. They had fitted somehow. They had got along well until Alex had got her first girlfriend. He hadn't taken it well and shunned her out. Alex hadn't taken it well either. She hadn't fancied being rejected twice in her young life.

"Ouch—OUCH! S—slowly!" A yelp came through the doors, and everyone turned to look at the entrance.

Alex frowned when she saw Jessica Wedge coming through the doors, the blonde's arms hanging around her friends' shoulders.

"Easy! That hurts! Easy!" Jessica squealed as she was laid down on the bed opposite to Alex's. She was accompanied by her three friends.

One of the blondes looked around and saw Alex, and immediately made a face. "We're not alone, girls. The bum is here."

Alex couldn't believe it. These girls had hold her hostage since she was 13, ridiculing her every chance they get. Now that she's 29, they still wouldn't let it go.

Alex had a smirk on her face when Jessica looked up and caught the green gaze. "Slipped on your own ice?"

"Fuck you, Vause," the second blonde spat.

"Better than being broke and crawling back to Litchfield like a beggar. But this is nothing new, is it? Because you've always been one," another blonde chimed in. And the gang just laughed.

Nicky growled, already making a move towards the blondes, but both Lorna and Bennett pulled her back.

"Not a good idea, Nicky," Bennett warned.

"Let them talk," Lorna said. And only then Nicky seemed to cool down.

Smirking, Jessica quickly composed herself. She leaned back against the head bed as a nurse entered the infirmary.

The chubby nurse, Daya Diaz, walked up to Alex and handed her a cup containing two yellow pills. "Those are for the pain. Try not to move too much. Ms. Claudette already spoke with Mr. Healy about your conditions, so you don't have to go until your health is improved. You'll feel better in a month or two."

"Hi... g-good morning, Daya," Bennett said as he moved closer to the nurse.

"Morning, John." Daya's expression remained nonchalant as she moved to Jessica's bed and began to tend to her swollen ankle. "What happened?"

"I... fell down the stairs and sprained my ankle. It hurts like hell." Jessica looked away briefly, but her gaze soon fell back on Alex again.

Alex poured herself a cup of water, in which Lorna approached to help. "It's ok. I can do it." She quickly took the pills. She pushed the blanket away and slowly got up from the bed.

"Where are you going?" Nicky frowned.

Alex began to walk away. "I'm gonna get changed. I already feel a lot better today. Janitorial duties are really nothing. Easy. Don't worry," Alex lied. It already hurt just to move this much. The nasty bruises on her back and legs only made things more difficult. Times like this just made her wish for healing abilities instead. But Alex just couldn't stand the Fantastic Four; she would rather hurt herself than being in the same room with them.

"Whoa, I don't think that's a good idea, Vause," Nicky said, reaching for Alex. But she was just a second too late when Alex took a step forward and slipped on a thin plane of ice that had magically appeared there a moment prior.

The four blondes burst out laughing as Alex landed on her butt. The impact sent nasty waves of pain through her body, and for a moment it became really hard to breathe. But Alex just kept her face cool and not saying anything, not even a whimper, because she couldn't even find her voice then.

"Vause!" Bennett scurried to kneel next to Alex. "Are you all right!?"

Before Alex could even try to understand the situation she was in, as her mind was being largely clouded by pain, the blondes suddenly screamed in fright.

Nicky had teleported herself next to Jessica, catching the woman off-guard, grabbing her and throwing her off the bed. Jessica landed face first at the floor, much to her friends' horror.

The first blonde reacted fast, growing her arms long across the room, grabbing Nicky by the arms and throwing her at the wall. Nicky tried to lose the grip, but the constant thrust against the wall and the pain that followed kept her from teleporting away. Nicky was losing her concentration.

"Ladies! Stop!" Bennett shouted.

"Keep your gross hands off her!" Lorna barked. Her usually sweet smile turned into a fierce growl. Fire bolts shot from her hands and burned the blonde's elastic arms, causing her to release Nicky at once.

Nicky fell to the floor, coughing for air.

"Stop it! Everyone!" Daya yelled, but her voice was drowned out by a sonic boom from another blonde minion.

Alex was still sitting on the floor, numbed. Her hands on her knees, she watched the scene unfold as Bennett and Daya joined in, attempting to stop the four blondes, while Lorna kept shooting fire bolts everywhere to keep the attacks at bay.

Alex noted the burning curtains, a few frozen beds and chairs, and broken glasses on the floor. She sighed.

Great.

It was the first time in more than two weeks that Piper had felt uneasy during yoga class. Even the meditation session hadn't helped. The powers trainings had only made it worse. Piper had barely able to move a brick without hitting it at something. She had gone to bed last night wide-eyed with such excitement she hadn't felt for years. She had woken this morning, exhausted and scared.

Nicky had been absent all day today. The woman was probably still very angry with her, but Piper wasn't worried about that. She could try to reason with Nicky later. However, it had taken Piper all day to accept the fact that the source of her uneasiness did come from last night. It had always been a problem. 'Alex' had always been her problem. Ever since they parted, she never welcomed any thoughts or memories of that woman. But on her loneliest days or on the darkest nights, 'Alex' had always emerged. It had been four fucking years, but every time she'd feel powerless whenever she recalled the times they shared.

Piper believed that she visited Alex last night out of guilt, and guilt alone. Whatever that had happened between them was just an episode of angry tears and mistrust. She had grown up, and out of it. She had become someone new, and she was just being upset with Alex because the woman had reminded her of her old, stupid self. Nothing more. Not that Piper wanted an apology from Alex as it wouldn't have made any difference now.

I wonder if she's feeling better today—

"Piper... Piper, are you listening?"

Piper was snapped out of her thoughts. "Yeah, Cal. What?"

"Larry's been at my trailer park for the past couple of days. He's been asking me what foods and drinks to serve at the wedding, or which new tux he should wear. Sister, this is driving me crazy. How soon can you get out of Litchfield?"

"God." Piper huffed. "I told him that this isn't the best time. I just attacked another resident with my powers! There's no way they're letting me out soon. All this talk about the wedding is pointless, really."

"What happened?" Cal sounded more serious. He sounded genuinely concerned about his sister, and it touched her.

"It… it wasn't an accident like how it happened with… with you. I wanted to hurt her, and I did. It was fucking scary, Cal. I fucking hurt people, and I don't know how to stop."

A moment passed. "Why? What did she do to you?"

For a moment, Piper couldn't find her words. Her thoughts weren't exactly coherent either. The good times were so good. The bad times were hellish. There were many moments when Piper was convinced that anything that had happened between Alex and her was just a lie. But once in a while, a tiny, little fraction of hope would rise and tell her that it was real.

Piper held the phone close to her face. "She made me love her."

Piper could hear her brother sigh. "Do you love her?"

"I, no..."

Piper didn't say more, and Cal didn't ask any further. Piper had planned to visit Alex after dinner, but it seemed like a bad idea now.

"Did you hear about Nichols?" Polly muttered over her soup.

Piper looked up from her food. They were having dinner together in the cafeteria.

Polly cautiously pointed her spoon at the Fantastic Four's direction. The blondes were occupying two rows behind. Jessica, however, was missing. The three blondes looked beat, their face pale and their hair scruffy and dirty.

Piper stifled her laugh, and then whispered to Polly, "They looked like they'd just gone to World War I and back. Did something happen? And, no, I haven't seen Nicky all day."

"Nichols and her friends got into a huge fight with the Fantastic Four at the infirmary this morning. They went totally crazy! The female ward was destroyed! Oh, you should see it." Polly laughed.

Alex... Piper's hands fell on the table ever so subtly.

"Supercunt always got herself into some sort of trouble. Not surprised, considering the sort of friends she hangs out with. I was glad you got to kick her butt."

"Uh… well, it was a misunderstanding. But why do you call her 'Supercunt'? You seem to really dislike her."

"She's just crazy and rude. She's been a trouble maker ever since she got here. Years ago, her mother needed some sort of surgery, but they couldn't afford it. Eventually, Mr. Bloom paid for them, because he really cared for her family. But Vause just didn't seem to care. She left Litchfield two years later without an explanation. Mr. Bloom was disappointed, obviously, since he had high hopes in her."

"Why would he care? Were they that close?" Piper took in all the information. For an ex of Alex, she knew very little about her life. All Alex had shown her was the world of luxury and exciting adventures, but nothing about the hardship from the past. To an extent, Alex succeeded; she impressed Piper. However, there had been a few moments, as rare as they had, that Piper had caught glimpses of sadness and insecurities in those green eyes. It was these few moments that still convinced Piper that what they had was real, and not all glamorous and superficial to the eyes of outsiders.

Polly leaned over the table, whispering, "I'm not sure if I should tell you this. He's going to be your father-in-law soon."

"Not so soon. I don't even know when they'll let me go. I did really bad in powers trainings today. Red was unimpressed," Piper grumbled. Of course, that was to be expected since Piper accidentally hit the instructor with a brick. Luckily, it wasn't anything serious.

"Aww, don't push yourself too hard. You have all the time in the world."

"Nope. I have to get out ASAP. Larry is waiting for me. What about Mr. Bloom? You were saying?"

Polly shrugged, and lowered her voice even more. "They say that he was having an affair with Vause's mother. And that it was probably the reason Vause left so suddenly. Maybe she found out then."

"Oh... oh, wow..." Piper immediately thought of Larry's mother. She wasn't sure how to make her face next time she sees the Blooms.

"Hey, Chapman."

The voice came from behind, and Piper beamed. She turned around. "Nicky!" But her smile faded when she saw bruises and cuts on Nicky's face and arms. The woman's thick hair was wet, and she was already in her fresh clothes, suggesting that she already had a shower.

With a tray of food, Nicky sat down next to Piper. "Almost missed dinner! Oh, boy, what a day!"

Polly groaned. Their table had promptly attracted attention from the nearby tables, deadly glares from the three blondes.

Piper eagerly turned to Nicky. She was relieved that nothing serious seemed to have happened at the infirmary. "Where have you been? What happened?"

"We kicked their asses alright. Hey, it felt good to flex your muscles once in a while." Nicky winked. "So Healy punished Morello and me. We're doing Vause's janitorial duties for the next two months until she gets better. As for those dumb blondes right there? They have to pay for renovation of the ward since they started the fight."

"They did?" Polly raised a brow in disbelief.

"Can you not be a cunt for a day? Or that table is available." Nicky gestured at Jessica minions' table.

"What did they do?" Piper asked before Polly could retort. She wanted to ask about Alex, but didn't want to make it obvious in front of her roommate, not to mention that she wasn't sure if Nicky was in a better mood to talk about Alex than yesterday.

"Wedge, the fucking ice witch, sprained her ankle and was brought in this morning. But she couldn't help being a bitch. She cast the ice on the floor, and Vause slipped and hurt herself again. So I smacked the bitch real good, but then that fucking blonde right there with nasty, long arms just—"

Piper shot up from the chair. She grabbed the tray and put it on top of the garbage bin before sprinting out of the cafeteria. She didn't stop when Polly called out. She ran out the building and headed towards the infirmary. She didn't like it at all. She didn't like the feeling of not being in control. And to make matters worse, Alex was vulnerable in Litchfield, unable to protect herself from Healy and the likes of Jessica Wedge. There was nothing Piper could do about it, and she hated it. It was rage. A rage so familiar.

Alex shifted a little on her new bed, a book in her hands. The few patients from female ward had moved to a smaller room provided on the third floor. To her dismay, Jessica was assigned to the bed next to her.

Jessica was supposed to go back to her dorm after having her ankle treated. But the fight happened, and she had hit her head pretty hard, her nose broken and her face severely swollen. Ms. Claudette insisted that Jessica stayed for a night.

Sitting on her bed, Jessica put her tablet down on her lap. "This is boring—ahh—ouch—" She grunted as pain shot up the left side of her skull, her left cheek hurt from speaking.

Alex giggled, and Jessica turned to glare at her, tears in her eyes.

"My mother will speak to Mr. Bloom as soon as he—oh… oww..." Jessica stopped to take a breath in. "... as soon as he's back. You'll be expelled for good, Alex. You're not welcome here."

Alex smirked at the first name usage. She was just wondering when Jessica would drop the act. "I get it. You don't like me. But Litchfield isn't yours, Jess. And you can avoid me by not intentionally falling down the stairs."

Jessica's jaw would have dropped lower only if her swollen face would allow. "You think I was that desperate to see you? Oh, Alex, you are as delusional as ever. Who would love someone like you?" Jessica scoffed. "I'm seeing Richard, a man who can afford a fancy dinner without having to sell his mother's car. You've been gone for eight years, Alex. Nobody's waiting for you anymore." Then Jessica smiled. "Did I hear right about you and Chapman? It seems that she has wised up too. Everyone has moved on, and you're the only one stuck in the past."

Oh, God… Alex put her book down and sighed. If she had any money left, she'd have escaped with Fiona, her flying girlfriend. Litchfield would be her last option since it was full of exes and flings of the past. She knew it'd get messy, the extra hassles she didn't need. To make things even more complicated, Piper had just happened to move here too, the last person she wanted to see when she was at the all-time low in life.

Alex looked up at Jessica, adjusting her glasses. "Look, it was a one-night stand, all right? Like you said, it was eight years ago, and we were both drunk. I know that my low life disgusts you, but for God's sake, can you just drop it? I've never told anyone about this. Not even Nicky. After all these years, I can't believe that you're still holding it against me."

"You were drunk. I wasn't." The words came in a whisper.

Alex stopped. She could barely see Jessica's eyes under the bandages around the woman's head. The woman's face was so swollen that Alex couldn't make out her facial expression either. But silence had quickly hung over them, and Alex wasn't quite sure what to say next. She had never imagined herself as the little girl being picked on by a boy who was having a crush on her. Jessica being the boy was a disturbing thought, indeed.

Jessica put her hand up to her left cheek, barely touching.

"It hurts?"

Jessica just nodded. From the silence, Alex guessed that the pain must be rather unbearable for it to silence Jessica.

Alex put her book on the bed and got up. She carefully sat down on the edge of Jessica's bed. She raised a hand and softly touched Jessica's good cheek. She inwardly winced as she now was close enough to see how bad Jessica's face was. Under the bandages, the skin around her eyes and down her left cheek was all purple and black. It looked very painful.

Jessica bit her bottom lip and leaned forward. Alex gently pulled her closer, letting her rest her good cheek against her shoulder.

"Fuck you, Alex. It… fucking hurts," Jessica mumbled.

Alex chortled. "It's almost seven now. Daya will bring your meds soon." She could feel Jessica's wet tears on her shoulder, but made no move to push her away.

"Alex!" A voice echoed outside, followed by a few, rash knocks on the window.

Both Alex and Jessica turned to the window. They were on the third floor, but a red-haired woman was floating just outside the window. She forcefully pushed the window open, and leaped into the building. She was leggy, perhaps as tall as Alex, with wild, curly red tresses.

"Fiona? What are you doing here?" Alex found her voice dry. She didn't expect to see her girlfriend again so soon. They parted only two days ago. Fiona didn't promise to come back, and Alex didn't promise to wait. Fiona had been scared and wanted to escape as far as she could. Alex hadn't able to follow, and she had let her go.

"I… I don't want to leave without you. I can't! I'm back for you, baby. We'll go together. I don't care what I have to do." Fiona's voice was shaken. She rushed to Alex and pulled her away from Jessica's embrace.

Alex grunted at the pressure on her body, quivered in pain.

"Alex…" Fiona eventually pulled back, and was alarmed to see how pale her girlfriend looked. "Are you hurt? Why are you in a hospital gown…? Oh, God… Who fucking hurt you!? Alex—"

"Al!" Piper's voice came through as the door was pushed open. The slender blonde was out of breath as she skidded by the entrance. Her blue eyes were wide, and as vibrant with life as Alex had always remembered.

Alex took a deep breath in, trying to steady herself on her feet. She gradually straightened up, and lazily pushed her glasses up to rest atop her head. She was staring down at nothing in particular, very much aware of the three gazes fixing upon her.

Alex silently sighed.

Great.