Chapter 12
"I don't even know why I'm here. Last time we talked was four years ago. I told you that Alex was in trouble, and you said you'd call. Foolish as I had always been, I waited for you to come to us when we needed you, but you didn't. You never showed up."
In a quiet diner, Diane had made two domestic flights from her safe house to meet Lee Burley, her former lover. She knew that Lee only called when he needed something from her. She knew that he never loved her, but he was Alex's father. He was the love of her life; Diane could never say 'no' to him.
Hands clasped on her lap, Diane glanced around, her wide, blue eyes anxious. Her daughter had specifically told her not to leave the safe house, but the solitary life was starting to get the better of her.
"What is it that you want?" Diane's voice darkened as paranoia grew. She was careful when leaving home. No one had seemed to be following her at the airports. It was already 10 P.M., and there were only five customers left in this old diner. None of them looked suspicious. They appeared to be locals; two old men having meals together, and a young lady sitting in the corner, busy with her mobile phone and a cup of hot chocolate.
"I, eh, I'm a little low on cash. I know I've never been the guy you want me to be, but..." Lee scratched the back of his blond head. He was a tall, lean man with faded, tattooed eyeliners. He dressed in his sleeveless, black t-shirt and a pair of tight, black, leather pants. His long arms sported old and new tattoos. It was as if he had never changed from his young, rock 'n' roll days at all, or that he decided never to grow up. Sometimes Diane couldn't help but feel sorry for her daughter that she had fallen in love with the wrong person. How different it would have been? "Look, I'm kinda broke here. I need 92K in the next two weeks, or they'll confiscate my penthouse. You got some that I can borrow? Please, help me out, Diane. I don't know who else to turn to. My band mates are doing pretty bad themselves. My ex-wife hasn't returned any of my calls. Damn that bitch."
Diane growled, blood shooting up to her face. "You left me to raise Alex all by myself. When I went to you for help, you gave me two hundred bucks. Two fucking hundred bucks, Lee. While I worked four jobs to put food on the table, where were you? When I had to leave Alex at my neighbors, because no one was home to look after her, where were you?"
"I thought you'd find a new boyfriend. You were one very hot girl, Diane. Boys were all over you." Lee grinned stupidly. "And how is our girl? You told me that Alex is doing really well. Did she get a rich boyfriend? A generous papa? Our girl is pretty! She got it from you!" He sounded proud despite everything.
"Of course, she got all the good genes from me. She's beautiful. She's smart. She's nothing like you," Diane sneered.
"Then what kind of trouble she was in four years ago?" Lee suddenly looked stern, his grin vanished. "Was it about that weird thing, the good gene she got from your side of the family?"
Diane stared at him in disbelief. "Was that why you didn't come to see her? Because you hate 'gifted' people, your own daughter?"
Lee rubbed his face tiredly, looking away.
Diane clenched her fists, her face reddened. "Lee Burley, I swear—"
"You can't blame me. Our girl turned out to be a freak because of you. Didn't you tell me that your dad got it, too? That he accidentally fried your mother at the dining table? Holy shit, Diane, having creepy powers is one thing, but nobody accidentally kills someone like that. Your father was a murderer. And you raised our daughter into a gangster. You think I can't tell? She's made so much money without ever going to college. I don't have a degree either, but I play music for a living. What did she do? I bet she didn't tell you."
Diane wanted to scream at him, but couldn't find her voice. Yes, she had suspected her father all along, just like how she questioned Alex's career, which was never explained.
Lee sighed. "I might have sounded harsh. I'm sorry. But it scared me. Not the fatherhood, but the, uh, you know, the strange powers thing. I just never thought that my child would be like that. I didn't know that your family has it."
Diane blankly stared at him. It was the first time Lee had ever admitted his fears of his daughter's powers. She realized now that he would never have chosen to be with her if he had known beforehand that it ran in her family. Guilt rushed into her; she was the reason Alex had to grow up without a father. She was a wrong choice.
"I still love her. She's my child. My only child," Lee said.
Diane frowned. She recalled him having two sons with his model wife. "What happened to the others?"
Lee glanced down at the cup of coffee in front of him before taking a reluctant sip. "There was a ski accident two years ago, and... the other overdosed about four months ago." He shook his head. "I was a horrible father. I never took care of any of my children. Never helped them. Never asked how they were doing. And now? God, I have no one left. No, I mean, Alex is still alive, right?"
"She's fine," Diane said, her voice small. With all the secrecy around her daughter's behaviors for the past months, she had been worried sick, losing sleep over it. But there was nothing she could do but wait for Alex's calls.
Lee sighed again in frustration. "Look, this penthouse is all I've got left. My ex-wife took everything else. All right, I still got that 1961 California Spyder."
"I don't care what you have-"
"I'm leaving them to her. I just need that 130K to settle all debts! Please, just this once, and it'll all be settled. This is the last time."
"You said 92K!" Diane hissed.
Lee paused before shrugging. "130K is all I need. I've got no one left, Diane. Alex will have it all."
Diane leaned back into the leather seat. She didn't even know why she had bothered with this man all her life.
"The penthouse. The Ferrari. The girls would be all over Alex!" Lee grinned, leaning over the table.
Diane glowered at him. "Alex doesn't need your shit to impress girls."
Chuckling excitedly, Lee clasped his hands together. "She's her daddy's girl after all! My boys never did so well without the fancy cars. They didn't have the Burley thing."
"No, it's the Vause thing." Diane raised her chin up with confidence.
Lee chuckled, nodding. After a moment, he looked up at her, staring into her eyes like that night thirty years ago, the moment when they thought that nothing could come between them. "You're right. It's the Vause thing," he said.
Sipping her coffee, Diane quietly listened to him babbling more and more into the night. It amazed her how they could easily sum up their lives apart into just a few moments, and felt that they were enough to last a few more years of longing. Was love always like this? Was it the thing that always lived on even though the heart was tired?
It was almost midnight when they parted, and Diane promised to wire him the money tomorrow morning.
Once again, Piper was in a private training with Red. She had asked to join the large group, but Red had been silent to her request. Heading out to the backyard of the Gym, Red wanted to focus on her other abilities: telekinetic flight.
"No, I... I can't..." Blue eyes were wide in horror. Piper could feel her feet hanging in the air, her arms fanning out in panic. The cast on her arm had already been removed.
"Focus... Stop panicking! Bozhe moi, you're only a few inches off the ground! The lowest I've seen among telekinesis students I've had so far," Red growled. "What is wrong with you? What are you afraid of?"
Eyes squeezed shut, Piper tried not to delve into Red's questions. She didn't grow up with acrophobia. It had only developed from an incident four years ago, an occurrence involving a certain ex. Again. The more Piper thought back, the more she saw her future intertwine with Alex in ways that she had never imagined before. Alex was the reason she found her powers and landed in Litchfield years later. It looked like they weren't going anywhere anytime soon.
"Try to have positive thoughts. Think of something courageous. Set a goal, and take flight! Good. That's good. That's better."
At Red's remark, Piper opened her eyes and found herself about five meters above the ground. Horror struck, and she fell face first. "Ahhhhhhh—"
THUD!
"Ouch... ah, fuck," Piper groaned as she lifted her muddy face up.
Red shook her head disapprovingly. "I know it can get scary, but think of positive things. How your powers can save lives. How useful it can be to you and your loved ones. Make it a necessity, and soon you'll grow used to it. Soon you'll feel at ease with it, and it'll come naturally to you." Red waves her hands again as Piper shakily got up to her feet. "All right. Let's try again."
Piper closed her eyes, allowing her mind to wander to her family, and then Larry. She kept reminding herself that they needed her to get this right. They needed her to be in control, so that they would be safe from her dangerous powers. They needed her to hide it well. They needed her to not be this thing that she had become.
"Shit." Piper swore when she opened her eyes and still found her feet firmly on the ground.
The next three hours passed with some small success. She could levitate for a few meters high, but only for short moments. There was no urgency. There was no sense of need. She had come here to see her powers subdued, not to make them grow.
Out of breath, Piper wiped the sweat off her forehead with her sleeves. She watched her instructor pacing slowly around the yard, seemingly deep in thoughts. The trainings would be over any minute now. Today had been much more exhausting than she had expected.
"How is Vause? Anything new on that front?" Red eventually spoke.
Piper sighed. Sooner or later she would need to give Red something. "She calls her mother every day. They seem to have a loving mother and daughter relationship."
"Vause spent her teenage years here. We already knew about her tight relationship with her mother. As her former lover, I'm sure you knew that as well." Red then smirked. "Or had she never introduced you to Diane?"
"Of course, I met her before." Piper answered almost too defensively, and she regretted it immediately.
Red chuckled. "Tell me something I don't know already."
"She, uh... it seems that she had Diane put into a safe house somewhere. Very secretive. I haven't asked her directly." Piper mentally chastised herself. She had overheard this bit of information when Alex was on the phone with Diane while they were still in the infirmary. She just hoped that whatever information she had given, they would only help keeping Alex safe from the syndicate.
"A safe house?" Red paused, and then turned to stare at Piper. "Vause is in grave danger then."
"Yeah, well, the lizard man tried to kill her. We already knew that."
Red glared at Piper. "Kubra's syndicate is one of the most successful, anti-government, superheroes factions out there. It has almost 150 members. Can you imagine what they can do?" Red nodded to herself. "It means Vause has nowhere else to go. It means we have every advantage over her, that she'd do anything we ask of her."
Piper stiffened. "What are you planning to do to her?"
Red laughed, her tone mocking. "Oh, don't look so depressed! It just makes us more at ease, knowing that she's unlikely to betray us this time." Red smiled as she continued, "Diane is the key. She is Vause's key, so that was why she kept her mother hidden away. Remember what I told you about the most important thing to you, the thing that your enemies can use against you."
Piper slowly nodded, trying to comprehend the situation. "Yeah, well, what do I need to do?"
"Find Diane."
"Vause. Alex… Alex Vause. I'm here for Alex Vause," Piper panted. She had almost crashed into the counter as she rushed into the hospital at two in the morning. The emergency call came three hours ago, and Piper, while having no car, had to call up Cal to drive her. Her brother was considerate enough not to ask for details, seeing how uncomfortable she was, and waited out in the parking lot.
Clinging to the counter, Piper's heart was in her throat, her knees weak. "Please, tell me where—"
"V-A-U-S-E. Alex Vause! I need to see my daughter now! Please, doctor!"
A voice blared next to Piper, and she turned to see a dark-haired woman in her mid-forties. A very beautiful face with expressive, blue eyes. The woman had retained her good looks even with her age, her unkempt hair, and her worn, gray coat.
"I'm a nurse," the plum nurse droned. "Alex Vause. Room C25. 2nd floor."
"Thank you!"
"Diane Vause?" Piper called out, and the woman stopped. Then, with a mutual destination, they both began to walk towards the stairways, speeding up as they looked at each other.
"And you are?" Diane asked.
"I'm Piper. I'm Alex's—umm… uh..."
"Girlfriend. Aren't you a pretty, young lady? You seem like a nice girl!" Diane remarked as she led the way in long strides. "They called you?"
Piper nodded, following Diane down the corridor. She stalled a bit when Diane said, "Alex never put any of her girls on the emergency contact list. It'd always been only me. You're the first."
Diane smiled, and then pushed the door to room C25 open. "Alex!"
The nurse rushed to Diane at once, trying to calm the mother down. Piper stood by the doorway, trying to get a better glimpse at her girlfriend. Then, her heart dropped. Still unconscious, Alex looked sickly pale in the blue hospital gown, her raven hair dampened. There were still traces of blood along the side of her right cheek down to her neck. The right side of her face was a mess. Her right eye was black and swollen. A long cut drew a nasty line from her right brow down her cheek. Her right ear looked to have taken a nasty cut as well. Both her arms and her right leg were bandaged. A mountain of bloodied cotton balls pooled on the tray. There were tubes and wires connected to Alex's body, the busy webs Piper had no idea what they were doing, but she at least hoped that they were keeping Alex alive.
Very soon, Dr. William Madison approached Diane and Piper. He explained that Alex was out of danger. Minor head injuries. Several cuts and bruises along the body, all of which would heal. Alex was considered very lucky, considering how severe the car crash was. Piper had no idea why Alex was driving (they always took the trains or taxis), whose car it was, or what really happened. At the moment she just sighed in relief, clutching Diane's frail hands in reassurance. Diane had put up a tough façade so far, but Piper had only realized how shaken the woman truly was when she got to hold her hands.
Dr. Madison was young. Mid-thirties. Tall and dark. He wasn't exactly a model material, but definitely had a killer smile. Other than reassuring Diane and Piper that his patient was treated and would recover without complications, he didn't forget to emphasize his impressive smiles and winks at the blonde. Piper was anything but new to flirting games, but she was pretty sure how inappropriate it seemed at the moment. The doctor probably mistook her as a relative or a friend, not his patient's girlfriend.
The chart in his hands, the doctor sighed with a tired smile. Piper took it as a sign, ready to leave the conversation. She turned away to enter Alex's room.
"Hold on."
Piper paused mid-step, her face expressionless, her hand on the knob. It was really late. She was sleepy and exhausted. She wanted to see Alex so badly, and was absolutely in zero mood to even be cordial now if he would flirt any further.
"There was a lone passenger in the car. Died instantly at the crash site. The name was Piper Chapman. We couldn't find any contact on her list. Do you happen to know who she was?"
Piper froze. She didn't have to look to feel Diane's gaze upon her.
Sounds of waves crashing against the rocky shores rang endlessly in her ears. The wind was chilly and strong, but Alex had come equipped with a black jacket and a gray scarf. It was getting colder by day. Lying on her back, she scrutinized the vast plane above. The sky was blue. The bluest shade of blue she had ever seen. It felt so close, yet unreachable to her. If only she could reach out...
... and touch her again.
Alex's heart grew heavy at the thought. Their time had long been over. She screwed up. She lied to Piper from the start, and all the things that followed weren't any good indications that would make Piper reconsider their relationship now either. It destroyed her when Piper ended their affair, but she couldn't really blame the woman. Now Alex wasn't even sure if she deserved Piper's friendship. The blonde was right; Alex had literally taken her away from the safety net of her family, friends and lover-a safe future, and had thrown her into this mad world. Piper had every reason to hate her, yet all those little caring gestures from Piper (and the kisses) had frustrated her to no end. A part of her reasoned that Piper was just using her to fend off loneliness, while another cajoled her into believing that Piper still had feelings for her.
She was getting married before coming to Litchfield. Jesus, just drop it. Urgh!
Alex irritably sighed. She turned to lie on her side, staring at the grasses instead. She never had to second-guess herself. 'Alex Vause' never had to worry over any girl's affections, but her insecurity involuntarily grew whenever Piper was involved. Did she really want Piper back? How could she even entertain the idea after how Piper left her? What she had done was terrible, but Piper wasn't exactly all saint when things went to the breaking point between them. They were just toxic for each other, and Alex felt foolish that she still mulled over it after all these years. In fact, it aggravated her even more that Piper had Larry waiting for her out there, while she had no one.
But isn't it what I've prepared myself for? It's how it's meant to be. Before her thoughts would grow darker, a sharp, rustling sound from the distance caught her attention. Alex turned to look over her shoulder.
"Hey, Vause! Doing anything tonight?" Nicky descended the hill towards her.
Alex lied down flat on her back again. She had skipped trainings today, wanting to keep things quiet, needing a good rest. "Go away. I don't need your trouble today."
Nicky sank down on the grass next to her friend. "Beautiful day, huh!? I knew you'd be here. Your favorite spot."
"Not so favorite now, is it?" Alex remarked lazily.
Nicky chuckled as she tickled her friend a bit, earning a few slaps at her hands. "Oh, come on, I know you care! Wedge approached Chapman and me the other day, clearing things up between that dead-air shithead and us."
"Piper wasn't really a part of the mess. Keep her out of it," Alex warned. She couldn't have sounded more serious even if she tried.
Nicky put her hands on her raised knees, staring out at the sea view below. They were a few miles west of the South Mansion. "Chapman looked pissed though. She said she didn't need Wedge's help. Anyway, all your girls are so feisty. They almost got into a catfight right there. Ha! Jeez, how do you deal with them?"
Alex wouldn't answer. Her eyes remained close.
Nicky mischievously nudged her friend with a foot. "Who's better in bed?"
Alex rolled to the other side, turning her back to Nicky.
Nick tapped her friend's back harder. "My guess is Wedge. Am I right? I bet she's as hot as fire in bed despite her ice powers."
"They're fine. Stop talking about them, will you?"
"Fine?" Nicky echoed, grinning. "Morello told me that your girlfriend visits you every night. If she's just 'fine', I doubt you'd let her go back to you so often."
"God, you two seriously need to stop spying on me. And she's not my girlfriend. We just need some... release, that's all. Can we stop talking about it now?" Alex grumbled.
"All right. Hey, take a look at this." Nicky fished a cell phone out of her jacket pocket. "iPhone 6. Brand new."
Alex raised her head to look over her shoulder before sitting up. "Where did you get that?"
"Mom. I sneaked it in yesterday. Isn't this shit supposed to be waterproof or fireproof or some really cool shit?"
"That's Sony, dumbass." Alex took the phone from her friend, studying it a bit. "You'd get caught, Nicky. You'd be in serious shit for this."
"I'm amazed that you're afraid, Vause."
Alex shrugged. "Not for me. You're a teleporter, and they love to check up on your room for a reason. Well, if you don't mind moving to Brazil to be with your mom and her boyfriend."
Nicky snatched the phone back at the notion. "I don't have to move in with them. I'm 32 now. I can hold my own shit even if Litchfield kicks me out."
"Right. We all have seen it before. What can we do with the degrees we got from here? No employers would want to hire 'gifted' people. It's useless. The world out there isn't for people like us."
"That was why you ended up with Kubra," Nicky said, watching her friend carefully. "And now you're back, stuck here with the uncool kids. What happened to the badass chick I knew?"
Alex kicked the grasses a bit. "You don't want me back?"
Nicky slapped her knee. "I was kidding! Man, you have no idea how glad I was to hear that you were leaving those people. Those long years, you were gone."
Alex mustered up a smile for her friend. "Believe it or not, I liked it there. It was my home, the only thing that made me feel worthy of something... It'd have worked out fine, but, unfortunately, I've got other priorities."
"You're saying that you ruined your future or whatever you had with the creepy faction for something else?" Nicky's eyes widened. "What the fuck? Here I thought someone knocked some sense into you, and that's why you came back to us. Ugh. What the hell happened anyway? What made you leave them?"
"Long story."
Nicky raised her arms up. "I've got all day!"
Alex gestured at the phone again. "What's up with it? You know you can't keep it. The guards know that you're one of very few people on this island who are able to sneak in stuff."
Nicky raised the phone to Alex. "That's right, girl. I need you to keep it for me."
"I knew it." Alex groaned. "I'm pretty much homeless out there at the moment, Nicky. I really don't want to move to Brazil to live with your mom just in case they kicked me out. Healy is at it every day, stopping me by the South entrance, hoping to bust me with something."
"Hey, at least you got off his shot for being injured. Thanks to Mr. Bloom. I still have to clean shit every day for that fucking fight in the infirmary! That bastard."
Alex took the phone from her friend and stuffed it in her pocket. "For how long?"
"Two days at most. I can sell this for really good money!"
Alex sighed.
"I owe you one!" Nicky grinned.
"Oh, this is good!" Polly spoke with a mouthful, waving her fork around.
Sitting opposite to Polly, Piper just watched her roommate. It was amazing how Polly loved every dish at Litchfield, while Piper found them very bland and cold. The seasonings were never good, and the meats came packed frozen. Nothing was fresh. The vegetables always looked darkened, sometimes spoiled. She felt that her father's money should have bought her more edible meals. Then, her thought on the food vanished as soon as Nicky whizzed her way towards her table in the corner with Yoga Jones and Red. She would love to talk to Nicky, but she wasn't particularly thrilled by the idea of sitting with the redhead.
Red winked at her, and Piper looked away.
Another distraction came when Jessica sat down next to Polly, putting down the tray on the table. The two blondes glared at each other before Jessica broke the silence, picking up her fork and starting her meal.
"You should look a little grateful for what I've done for you. Chris and his friends were so ready to teach you some manners, if I hadn't interfered," Jessica said.
"Are you looking for a 'thank you'?" Piper droned.
"Guys, really, can we put this thing behind?" Polly butted in. "And, Jessica, we, the North people, don't gang up on our own. Piper wasn't trying to hurt Chris. It was all that bitch Nichols there." Polly glanced at Nicky, and then turned back to Jessica. "But, of course, she's friend with the instructors."
Jessica glanced at Red, and then looked down at her own plate again. "Have you heard?"
"About what?" Polly asked.
"Mendez. The verdict is out. They're going to execute him next week. First in over a decade."
Piper looked up at Jessica, her grip on her fork tightened.
Polly raised her brows. "For trespassing?"
"Jeez, no! For attempted murder."
"But Vause is still alive and fine now," Polly said. "Isn't this a little harsh?"
"I think this is exactly what he deserves. He could have gotten many of us killed. He's a very dangerous man. Besides, he's from the other faction. It's only right that we get rid of him as soon as possible."
"Yeah, but Vause is from the same faction, isn't she? I think Healy is trying to get her where Mendez is. Not gonna be long though. Vause is 'trouble' herself," Polly said, shrugging.
The brunette continued eating, but little did she know what thoughts were roaming through the two blondes' minds. It took Piper and Jessica only a glance at each other to know.
"You're not safe." Alex spoke, her lips bruised. The right side of her face was swollen, and her right eye could barely open. Lying on the hospital bed, she felt, and looked, like a mess with all the tubes and wires around her. They told her that she had been out for at last 28 hours straight, but it had taken her girlfriend 3 days to visit her. She had no idea where Piper had been. Her mother had tried to contact the blonde, but failed. However, Diane had told her that Piper did visit on the night of the accident, but had since disappeared.
Here, Piper stood by the foot of the bed. She had not greeted Alex with a kiss or a hug, but a cold stare. The distance between them said it all to Alex that Piper's disappearance was intentional. "Says the person who is currently lying in a hospital bed, having been in a suspicious, fatal car crash." Piper sucked in a breath through her gritted teeth. "Who are you, really, Alex Vause? Who the fuck are you!?" She threw a brown envelope onto the bed.
Alex didn't move to retrieve the envelope next to her legs. She recognized it by heart. She had kept it in the safe in the closet. How Piper got a hold of it was the last of her worry at the moment. "Listen—"
"There are many names in there. Profiles of people—of strangers... and I'm one of them." Piper clenched her fists. Tears welled up blue eyes. "What do you want from me?" Her voice cracked. She sounded so small and fragile, while trying to act strong. And the sight broke Alex's heart.
Alex would like very much to get up and hold Piper, to tell her that, despite how it looked, her feelings for her were real. What stopped her wasn't the pain that would come from moving, but her shame. No matter what she said now, she doubted that Piper would believe her. "I just... I just want you to be safe," Alex mumbled.
Piper hugged herself, looking away as tears bathed her beautiful face. "I feel anything but safe right now. I've been with you for a year, but it turned out that I don't even know who you are, or—or your agenda. Why? Why me? What are those files for? What happened to that girl who died in the crash? Why did she have my name? I looked at her ID card. She had my birthday too." She croaked now. "I'm scared, Alex. What the hell is this all about?"
Alex watched Piper with a heavy heart. She had never imagined that it would be this hard to have to explain it to Piper. She had never imagined that they would fall in love. "They know that you're special, that's why you're on the list. Those people are just like you. Gifted. You're one of them."
Piper gulped down her tears. "What are you talking about?"
"They recruit people with gifted abilities, like those who go to Litchfield Island. It's where—"
"I know what Litchfield is for. But recruiting gifted people like me? Me, Alex?" Piper grew exasperated. "This is insane! So you only came to me as some sort of an underground recruiter?"
"No, Pipes—"
"Then, the dead girl in your car. And, now, you're accusing me to being one of those freaks!" Piper slapped a hand at her forehead, pacing at the foot of the bed. "Who have I been fucking for the past year? I really have no fucking idea who you are, or what you want. Yeah, what do you want, really?"
For the first time, Alex heard the dangerous tone in Piper's voice, and she stalled.
"Did you kill that girl?"
Alex took a deep breath in. "It was a set up. She was dead for about half an hour before the crash. I stole the body. I needed someone to replace your identity. Now I will have the death certificate I need to show my boss. You just have to lay low for a while, and I'll distract them with other recruits. You're off the hook now. You won't have to work for them anymore."
Piper glared at Alex. "Work for them? Your boss? Who? Who are they to tell me what to do? What if I don't want to?"
Alex threw her head back against the pillows. "I was assigned to recruit you, but I had dragged the process to bring you in for almost a year now. They were getting suspicious. These people, Pipes, they don't take 'no' for an answer."
Piper blinked a few times, her mouth dry. "You want me to lay low as in staying away from you," she stated as a matter of fact, not a question. "When were you planning to tell me this?"
Alex sighed again. "Pipes, please, believe me. I don't know any other way—"
"We were planning a trip to Istanbul just this past weekend, a day before the car accident." Piper gasped. "Oh, my God, it's all a lie. Everything you've said and done. How could I be so stupid? I was so, so stupid."
"It's only for a little while. I've already arranged your new identity and a new address. Yes, in Istanbul—"
"Fuck you, Alex! This is my life you're talking about! You don't get to make the choices. I do! I'm not going to desert my family, my friends, my entire life here, and live like a fugitive under a false identity for no good reason! You can't do this to me! You have no rights!"
"They will hurt or kill your family if you refuse them," Alex said. Her voice was low, exhaustion weighing heavily. "If you don't move away like I had planned, the death certificate will only hold them back for a while. Sooner or later, they will find out, and we both will be in serious trouble."
Piper ran a hand through her hair. "I'll prove it then that they got a wrong person. I'm not gifted! I don't have any special abilities! Why can't you just believe me!? Alex, you've known me for a year now. You do know that I'm not one of them, right?" Piper panted. Her face reddened. When Alex didn't reply, she yelled, "Alex! Are you even listening!?"
Alex continued to remain silent. Only then Piper's gaze followed Alex's. She froze at the sight of broken pieces of vases on the floor. She had not heard when it happened. There were traces of water on the walls, painting where the vases had been smashed. On any other occasion, Piper would just disregard it as some sort of strange occurrence, but as she focused more on it, the more the strange energy she felt running along her hands and fingers. They felt sharp burns as though she had just grabbed something tightly, but without ever touching it.
God, no...
There were many obscured things about Alex Vause. There were betrayals and heartbreaks. Secrets and lies. But there were also genuine feelings that Piper had, for years, failed to forget. Warmed in a gray sweater, she hid herself behind the large tree in the back of the South Mansion, gazing up at Alex's room. The curtains were pulled to the sides, revealing the room's owner, Nicky and Lorna. They were chatting with one another. It looked like those three were having a chill night together.
Piper was tempted to interrupt, wanting to join in. She had to admit that it got a little lonely in the North. Polly had been a great company, but the girl usually wasn't there four days out of a week. Piper couldn't blame her roommate though. Anyone who could leave the island, while still could function in the real world, would do so in a heartbeat. Polly had already stayed in Litchfield for much longer than she needed to. Piper was even jealous of Polly's powers for being relatively harmless.
Piper heard Lorna's laughs from the window, and groaned as she turned away. She sank down on the ground, leaning back against the tree. Out of boredom, she tossed the gravel up, twirling it pointlessly and ceaselessly in midair. It looked like it was going to be a while before Alex would be left alone.
"Ouch!" Piper yelped as a small pebble was thrown at her shoulder. She poked her head out from behind the tree and looked around, squinting in the dark.
"Up here, dumbass."
Piper's head shot up and saw that Alex was bending, poking her head out of the window. Nicky and Lorna were grinning behind Alex.
"Peeping Tom, aren't you?" Nicky winked.
Piper felt blood shooting to her cheeks. She just hoped that the darkness had somewhat concealed her blush. She stepped out of the shadow, hoping, with some dignity. "I-uh-was just, you know, jogging-taking a walk-whoa!" All of a sudden, she felt a hand on her arm, and then the nasty whoosh that swept her off her feet. It took only a few seconds, and she opened her eyes again to find herself in Alex's room. Her head messy, she put her hands on her stomach, her eyes wide.
"Are you ok, Piper?" Lorna asked, her voice concerned. She led Piper to sit down on the bed.
Alex closed the window and turned to smile at Piper. The smile seemed so calm and relaxed that it puzzled her. It was as if their fight four days ago didn't happen. But then again, Alex was always forgiving, ready to forget whatever Piper had said or done to her. Alex was always there when she needed her. It had spoiled her in the past, and she must admit that she had missed it. "What were you doing out there? It's really cold out," Alex remarked casually as she slumped down onto the chair, sipping her beer.
Piper inwardly groaned, but muttered a thank you when Lorna opened a can of beer for her. Of all people, Alex should know best when a girl was standing outside her room, waiting! But, sometimes, Alex did come across as clueless as to how Piper really felt towards her. Perhaps, their nasty breakup had erased everything good that had ever happened between them. Piper's heart sank at the thought that maybe Alex never really felt their love to understand.
Nicky scooted next to Piper, hanging one arm over the blonde's shoulder. "Obviously Blondie was waiting for Lorna and me to leave." Nicky winked at Alex before turning to Piper. "How long were you going to stand out there, huh? What if it's not us, but her girlfriend? Would you wait all night for Wedge to leave? I repeat that it'd take all night."
Piper stiffened. Had she missed something? Had Alex and Jessica agreed to become something more? So soon? Was Alex in love with her?
"You were waiting for me? What is it?" Smirking, Alex took another sip of beer.
Piper bit her bottom lip, mentally growling at Nicky. She had to think of something fast, and she needed to sound serious. She cleared her throat and said, "I—I heard about Mendez."
Nicky's gaze met with Alex's before she turned to Piper again. "What about the guy?"
"They're going to execute him next week." Piper took a deep breath in. "He used to be in your faction, and I think that they don't trust you either. They might be on to something, Alex. Are you sure that you're safe here?"
"If Litchfield wants me dead, they could have it at their will," Alex said, shrugging. "Anyway, Mendez has it coming. I've known people like him, the bloodthirsty type. He killed to steal powers. There isn't much you can do to reason with him, but to stop him."
"How powerful is he?" Lorna questioned.
"He was among the top, powerful members of the faction. He'd been Kubra's right-hand man for years. As far as I know, he's killed at least twelve... including Fiona." Alex instantly looked down at the mention of her former lover. Her lips pressed into one sharp line.
Before Piper could stop herself, she shot up from the bed and knelt down next to Alex, clutching the pale hands on the woman's lap. Her action startled Alex a little, but she didn't back down. Instead, she tightened her grip. "It wasn't your fault. They're bad people, and they got her. It could have been you. Could have been me, or any of us here."
"It was my fault. I put her in danger," Alex said, her gaze fixing somewhere out in the dark outside the window.
"Everyone you care about is in danger because the bad guys want to get to you, but it doesn't mean that it's your fault if something terrible happens to them."
"You have no idea what I have or have not done. I should have done more for Fiona. I should have brought her here with me… but I was careless with her. I left her to take care of herself."
Piper stared at Alex, unsure how to feel. "Like how you were going to send me and leave me in Istanbul?" Her words stopped Alex, and their gazes met in uncertainty.
"I was planning to move there with you after I settled everything within the faction. Apparently, you didn't waste your time to wait. You had other things in mind. So there wasn't much I could do but to let you go."
Angry tears shot at Piper's eyes. "That's not fair. You never told me about the plan, and even then I had no reasons to believe you. You had been lying to me throughout our relationship. How did you suppose that I would hold onto your words after finding out what you'd been up to?"
Alex nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I was a fool. And it was a foolish plan. Look where it got us now. I guess I never learned."
A defeated smile appeared on Alex's face, and it somehow ached Piper's heart. She didn't even know why she should care. Her fingers involuntarily began to intertwine with the pale ones again. "It got us right here, together again after all those years. It's no Istanbul, but... not as bad as I thought. I'm still Piper Chapman, and you're still Alex. At least—"
At least, I have you back.
Piper paused at the thought. Why would she be glad to have Alex in her life again? What she had with Larry was peaceful, honest and loving. To have this thought now was absurd after all that she had left behind.
As silence grew, Alex reluctantly leaned over, slowly closing the gap between them. A breath caught in Piper's throat when she failed to command her body to move away. She looked up at the green eyes, and for the thousandth time, mesmerized, chained to her spot. Then her gaze traveled down and fixed upon those full lips that were inching closer to her own. Ever since they had kissed that night, not a night had passed without her heart and mind searching and yearning for the familiar warmth she had dearly missed all this time. With anticipation, Piper almost straightened up to receive the kiss as a second now felt like forever to her.
"Al," Piper breathed, her eyelids fluttering close. However, a whooshing sound abruptly put Alex to a halt, and the taller woman looked up, turning away. Piper almost choked, awkwardly tumbling forward at the sudden turn of event. Breathing shakily, she turned to look and found the bed empty; both Lorna and Nicky had disappeared.
Alex cleared her throat, and smiled. "Every time Nicky leaves us alone, we get into a fight. I really don't want it to become a habit. Can tonight be an exception? I don't want to see you mad at me."
Piper stood up, hoping that she wasn't blushing. "Sure. I don't want to stay mad either. I just hope that we could at least be friendly again, and not at each other's throat all the time. We could be powerful allies. I could watch your back, and you mine... Like—uh—like how it went with Christopher. Well, thanks for that. Those guys left me and Nicky alone."
"I'm glad you're safe. There's no need to thank me. It wasn't your mess from the start." Alex chuckled, comfortably leaning back in her chair. "By the way, you want to be my ally now? Piper Chapman, I can never figure you out. Is there a way to make you love me again?"
"Don't push your luck." Piper lightly kicked one of the chair's legs, and Alex laughed. "I better get going. I wouldn't want your girlfriend to walk in and see us like this," she said, turning towards the door. It took her a certain amount of energy not to puke as she worded 'girlfriend' aloud.
"Like what? We're doing nothing wrong." Amused, Alex stood up from her chair.
Piper raised her brows. "So you admit that she is your girlfriend."
"Come on, you agreed not to fight tonight. It's getting late. I'll walk you back to the North." Alex took the black coat from the hanger by the door, and put it on.
Piper shrugged. "Well, yeah. But as your ex, I feel like I'm entitled to feel a bit—well—jealous over it. Don't you agree?" She babbled almost to herself as she walked out the door.
Alex followed her down the corridor, smiling. "You're cute when you do that."
"Do what?" Piper walked down the stairs, Alex closely behind.
"Your little thing."
"What little thing?" Piper pushed the door to the entrance open. There were some South residents hanging around in the front yard. A few glanced their way, but most left them alone.
"The little thing you liked to do when you wanted to convince me that you cared," Alex said.
Piper kept walking along the graveled path, but briefly turned to glare over her shoulder at the brunette. "I hate it when you make it sound like I never really cared."
"Never mind me, Pipes. It's just a sort of defense mechanism I've learned since you left me." Alex gave the blonde a mocking grin, which earned her a light punch at her arm.
Consciously, Piper had slowed down, and now walked next to Alex as they headed towards the North Mansion. The sky was clear. The wind was mild, and the night was cold. Piper put her hands in her pockets, letting out foggy breaths. It was just a simple walk in the park, yet somehow this moment of serenity had proven to be what she had longed for the most ever since she arrived at this island.
"I didn't see you at trainings today. Where were you?"
"Were you spying on me?" Alex smirked.
The words stalled Piper. Guilt rose to her chest, and she quickly looked away to avoid any skeptical gaze. "I was just stating the obvious. You were absent."
"I needed a break. I can't do daily trainings like I used to. I've been lacking practices for a few years now. It's going to take some time to get fit again." Alex smiled. "And, to be fair, my trainings involved fighting a robot, not to test my powers at my own conveniences. Nothing like the princess treatment you get."
"I did not get any special treatment! Red thinks that I'm still too new for all this, and she wants me to be able to focus on my powers without harming others."
"Harming others? I'm pretty sure other residents could protect themselves from you just fine."
"I've put you in the infirmary recently. Have you already forgotten?" Piper crossed her arms across her chest.
"You're taking pride in beating me up, while knowing that I had no intention to fight back? Oh, Pipes." Alex rolled her eyes.
"I—I didn't mean to." Piper frowned in guilt. "Well, uh, it was just heat of the moment thing. Sorry, if I was a little rough."
"I'm still alive, aren't I?"
The taller woman smiled, and Piper had to look away again. It wasn't right. She didn't feel right when she already had Larry waiting. He hadn't received her calls for days, and for some reason, she knew that she should have been more restless and upset than she was now. But she just wasn't. It fucking killed her that her mind just couldn't function right whenever Alex was around. She knew that she had made the right decision to walk out of Alex's life four years ago, but somehow it looked as though she was being sucked back into the hellish cycle again.
"How did the trainings go, by the way? I hope Red didn't give you a hard time," Alex said.
"I had a levitation training today. I could fly for a bit. It's just not good enough."
"Give it time. There's always a first time for everything."
"Red wants me to focus on what I really need in order to fully control my powers, but…" Piper sighed in contempt. "I don't see why I should need my powers at all. I don't want it. I never wished for it."
Alex grimly nodded.
Piper only looked at her companion again when heavy silence grew between them. She glanced at Alex, wanting to catch a glimpse of those eyes behind the glasses. She had flown before, or at least, stopped herself in midair. She had done it once, but out of pure instinct. She had done it to save herself from what Alex did to her. It was such an irony that she was now walking alongside the very woman who had condemned her life to a living hell for the past four years, and still couldn't get enough of it.
Piper decided that maybe it was time to put it to test. Her powers needed a key, and perhaps, tonight could be the answer to everything. She halted in her tracks, and pulled Alex's arm back, successfully stopping the taller woman.
Alex looked puzzled as she stood, facing Piper. "What's wrong?"
Piper took a step closer. She grabbed Alex's hands and put them on her shoulders. She then put her hands on Alex's slim waist. "Are you ready?"
"Ready for what?" Alex blinked in confusion, and then yelped in fright.
Piper looked down, noting how their feet had begun to lift off the ground, although slightly wobbly. She had to stifle her laugh at the panic look on Alex's face. "I'm sure that you have flown with Fiona before."
"Yeah, but it was her natural ability. She didn't need channeling her powers on levitation like you do," Alex griped. They were only a few meters off the ground, but Alex was visibly uneasy. "Pipes, I love you, but do you think we could do this some other time? It's getting late."
Piper rolled her eyes. "I can make it feel natural. Do not take so lightly of my powers."
"I'm serious. I got a book I wanna catch up on." Alex's gaze never left the ground.
"Red said that I need some sense of urgency to effectively channel my powers. A real life threat might just do the trick."
"Very well. Then I think you should wait for Red. I do not wish to be your test subject—whoooa—"
Grinning, Piper lifted them both higher. She laughed against the wind, watching the alarming look on Alex's face. Strangely, with Alex next to her, her acrophobia seemed to have vanished almost completely. "Hey. Hey, it's going to be ok. Relax." She pulled Alex closer and cooed into her ear. "Just don't let go of me. We'll be ok."
After a moment of hesitation, Alex obediently nodded, and closed her eyes. She hadn't said another word, and Piper wasn't sure if she could still find her voice.
Then Piper shuddered when Alex nuzzled her neck, breathing against her skin. She held the taller woman even tighter, unsure if her grip was already hurting her. She lifted her gaze up. Higher and higher, they dove into the cosmic pool of stars.
Carefully, Alex pulled back a bit, and opened her eyes again. She gasped, but Piper wasn't sure if it was out of fear or awe.
They continued to ascend, and the air grew colder and fiercer. Piper took a deep breath in. She had wanted to look down to see how high they had been above the ground. But nothing—no one—could take her gaze away from the woman in front of her. Noting Alex's stiffened posture, she pulled Alex closer in reassurance. And Alex tightened her grips on Piper's shoulders in return. Slowly, Piper leaned in, their foreheads finally touching. Their warm breaths mingled, their skin burn with desires.
"Don't let go," a shaken, husky whisper came.
Piper had no idea where they were now. They were surrounded by countless stars, moonlight bathing their faces. But those green eyes outshone all other stars around her, so blindly bright that Piper could not see clearly anymore. She just knew that she wouldn't—that she couldn't let go.