Chapter 15

The incident at Queens Comfort happened a week ago, and Diane hadn't heard from her daughter since. It might have been just a coincidence, but knowing that there were 'gifted' people involved, Diane just knew that something was up. Her daughter had always been the trouble, or troubles just came to her.

Her worry for her daughter's safety was her priority, but there had been other 'worries' as well. She had promised to lend her former husband 130,000 dollars, but him being the smooth talker as he had always been, and her being the ever predictable idiot who never learned her lessons, she ended up wiring him a total of 345,000 dollars. Diane knew that, if given the chance, she would do it again. She knew it, and Lee knew it. But deep guilt was killing her. It was Alex's money, given to her for safety reasons, but here she was, wasting it on the man who had never cared about their daughter. There was enough savings left to guarantee Diane a safe, comfortable life, but she was rather certain that Alex would not want to waste a dime on this man.

Diane sighed as she set down the cup of coffee on the table in the living room. At this moment, the only positive thing she could think of was that 'Alex Vause' hadn't been on the list of injured or dead. She had expected at least a call from her daughter, considering how big and disastrous 'Queens Comfort' news was, but there had been no words.

"Dammit," Diane cursed when she slightly spilled her coffee. Dark rings under her eyes, her usually luminous blue eyes were now dull from exhaustion. She didn't want to fall asleep, fearing that she might miss a call from her daughter. It reminded her of the days and weeks in which Alex had been absent, the agonizing wait ended by a phone call from the hospital informing her that her daughter had been in a car accident. The accident happened four years ago, but it still shook Diane from time to time. Alex was all Diane had left.

Diane grumbled to herself. She had to do something. She had to think of something. She couldn't just wait for her daughter like this. Something must have happened to Alex. She grabbed her cell phone and dialed Lee's number.

"Diane?"

"I… I need your help," Diane said, choking on her own words.

"What happened? Are you all right? What's going on?"

"Alex is missing. She hasn't contacted me for a week now. I need you to help me find her. Last time she called me, she was still in Litchfield. Please, Lee, if you know someone who could help."

"Wait... Shit, Diane. Does this have something to do with what happened at Queens Comfort? I saw the news. That was one huge fuck-up mess! Was our kid in on it?"

Diane sighed heavily. "I don't know. I don't know anything. I don't even know if she's still alive—"

"Whoa, Diane, calm down! I'm sure she's fine. Our baby is a superhero! I'm sure that she can take care of herself. Where are you? If you're scared, you can come stay with me. We'll figure something out."

Diane paused. "No, I can't leave."

"Why not? Where are you...? Diane, you're worrying me… Diane…?"

Diane held the phone tightly to her ear, her heart racing in anguish and fears.

Pain. Enormous pain began to weigh down on her body, and Alex struggled to move, or even to breathe. Shivering, she could feel her back soaked in sweat. Slowly, and with difficulty, green eyes fluttered open. Her lips were parched, and her throat was burning. She winced at the cold air in her lungs, twisting on the hard bed.

The same set of fluorescent lights above. The same cold ceiling. Alex realized that she was in the SHU. Again.

Alex blinked a few times. She was dazed, her vision hazy. She couldn't quite remember what happened or why she was confined again. Was it a brawl with other residents? Did they find out about Nicky's iPhone hidden in her room? Were they— Alex froze. All of a sudden, the image of Nicky bleeding on the floor of Queens Comfort entered her mind. It came in flashes. Hot, dangerous flashes of blood, urgent screams and angry shouts. They were attacked at the diner. Kubra's men found her, and they shot Nicky.

Nicky!

At the thought of her friend, Alex tried to sit up, but instantly fell back down. Only then she took notice of the tubes and wires around her. She weakly clenched her fists, her breaths shallow. It tired her just to breathe—to keep her eyes open. Burying her face in the pillow, she whimpered as the pain from the wounds on her left shoulder and ribcage intensified. She then recalled crawling on the floor of the diner, dodging bullets left and right. She remembered too well of the poundings and beatings from the steely man. She grumbled as she tried to remember more of his features. It seemed that Kubra never ran out of dangerous thugs at his disposal.

"It's good to see you awake, Vause. Try not to move too much. We'll inform Mr. Bloom now."

Alex opened her eyes at Mr. Claudette's voice coming through the intercom. "Why... am I here?"

"It is for your own safety."

Alex chuckled at the answer, but her body rocked it out in a series of painful, dry coughs instead. She lied limply on the bed, exhausted just to try to catch her breath.

"You'd been unconscious for a week. Don't push yourself," Ms. Claudette continued, "We have—"

Then a shout interrupted, but the voice was too murky through the intercom that Alex couldn't tell who it was. Or perhaps her mind was still heavy. Her body ached so badly, her skin and bones felt like breaking. Her energy was completely depleted. She wanted to curl up but failed. Moving an arm had proven to be an arduous task already.

"Please... I... see her. Please..." A female voice continued distantly.

After a few moments, the door slid open. Without her glasses, Alex squinted. A slender figure in a gray hoodie was rushing through the door. The height. The blonde head. Alex immediately knew just who it was. Then the beaming face came to hover only a few inches above hers. Tears brimmed the bright, blue eyes. Piper smiled so widely, showing off her perfect teeth.

"Alex… oh, God, Alex," Piper murmured as she planted kisses on Alex's face, both hands roaming over her head.

Alex lied flat on the bed. Her groggy mind was trying to register what Piper was doing here. Was she dreaming? She was in the SHU, but Piper could still visit her. She had been out for a whole week? Was it that bad? She wondered if there would be any permanent damages to her health. She wondered many things, but her fears were gradually washed away as the warmth from Piper's hands began to burn into her skin. The shivers of her body started to subside at Piper's proximity. Piper's gaze was kind, yet intense, studying her for the longest moment, and Alex was lost in those eyes.

"You're… you're back. Thank God," Piper whispered. Her tone was needy. Urgent.

Alex had to stop and think, taking in the image before her. There was a look of pain, but also joy in Piper's eyes. Now that she had spent a few moments to study the younger woman, Piper looked exhausted, dark rings under her bloodshot eyes. Her face was gaunt, and her skin looked a little dull.

"You lost so much blood, and you went into shock... Awful. It was just awful. I… I really thought I lost you."

Alex blankly gazed up at the pair of the bluest eyes above her. She wasn't sure what she was hearing. But there was genuine concern in Piper's voice. The trembling touches of Piper's hands on her face. Love. She saw love in those teary eyes. Was it even possible? Piper spoke some more. She was unstoppable. It was as though she had been prohibited to talk for a while, and now it just poured out of a broken dam. Alex wasn't even sure if she was truly awake. This wasn't a dream, was it? But even if this was death, she would gladly take it. Before darkness claimed her, she was found again.

The pain was back, penetrating through the thick, cold walls that enclosed her. The walls crumbled, and Alex was stirred out of slumber by the intense headache. She woke with her head heavier this time. The stings on her wounds had worsened, and she bit her bottom lip to try to shut herself up.

"Ah!" She had tried, but she couldn't help wincing at the severe pounds in her head. Its nasty weight hung over her, squeezing her temples. Many disoriented shouts and strange noises blared in her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, screaming out now. It felt as though there had been people walking in and out of her head, literally tearing her apart.

"Alex! Alex!"

It was Piper's voice. Alex opened her eyes, desperate to find the blonde. However, all she saw was a burning ball of hot white glaring into her face that she had to close her eyes again. "Help... help me," she whimpered, her body rocking in pain.

"What's happening!? Why is she like this!? Red!?"

I need you to relax. Do not fight it, or you'd hurt yourself even more.

Amidst the voices shouting in her head, Red's words seeped into Alex's mind. They came easily, as calm as a gentle night wind. They came in warning. But Alex panicked, fully realizing now what was happening to her. She twisted on the bed, fighting to open her eyes, but couldn't. She knew how powerful Red was. The Russian telepath could keep Alex in her slumber at will, if she tried hard enough. Alex was hurt all over, mind and body. She was losing control of herself, and it terrified her. She kept screaming until she couldn't hear herself anymore.

"Stop, Red! Red! Stop it! RED!"

Rage. Alex didn't have to see. She could feel it burn through Piper's voice. The bed began to shake. Soon, the whole room trembled. The strain on her body eased away, and the headache lessened at once. Slowly, Alex opened her eyes again, tears bathed her face. Her body was soaked with sweat, her raven locks dampened to the sides of her face. She unclenched her fists, her palms bleeding from her own nails digging into her skin. She could feel her wounds torn up from her rapid movements, but even with the pain now, it still felt much better than being stuck in the storm of her memories.

Piper was standing next to her bed, one hand caressing the crown of Alex's head, while the other rested on her heaving chest as if to soothe her racing heart. Blue eyes dimmed with worries. "It's ok, Alex. It's ok now."

Alex slowly blinked. "Don't... leave..." The feeble whisper escaped her dry throat. On a normal occurrence, she would have been embarrassed by her own plea, but she was too drained and frightened to care now.

Piper leaned down closer, cupping her sweaty face with both hands. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Piper wiped the sweat off Alex's forehead with her sleeve. The pale woman offered her a weak smile before her eyes fluttered close again. The sight tore Piper's heart. All through their time together, she had never seen Alex so vulnerable like this. Even when the woman was hospitalized due to the car crash. Even when they fought during their nasty breakup, Alex had always been in control. Alex used to have plans, and she always came through. But, perhaps, these recent years had changed Alex into someone frailer. Seeing this new side of Alex did scare Piper. She wasn't even sure if it was Alex or her who needed an assurance that everything would be all right. There was nothing else she could do at the moment but pray that the woman would pull through.

When Piper was sure that Alex had slipped back into slumber once again, she straightened up and turned to glower at Red, who was standing by the end of the bed. "You said that it wouldn't affect her."

Red lifted her gaze from the sleeping Alex to Piper. "It shouldn't."

"She was in pain! You specifically said that your powers wouldn't hurt her—"

"I hope that you have already broken off your engagement. It's become too obvious, and I'm not sure that Howard would take it so kindly," Red droned, arms across her chest.

Blood shot up to her head. Piper was enraged now, knowing that Red must have read her mind or caught some bits of her memories regarding Larry. "What does it have anything to do with this? It doesn't matter what I've decided with Larry. The fact is that you lied to me, and I would have absolutely no idea what you would have done to Alex, if I didn't insist to come with you!"

Red shrugged. "It shouldn't hurt, if she didn't try to resist. She was fighting hard, that one. I was very surprised. She's very weak, but stubborn as ever." She adjusted her black suit, smiling as she headed towards the door. "But I will crack her. Of course, I will."

Piper's heart dropped at Red's self-assured statement. She followed her instructor out into the hallway. "What do you really want from her? You already knew that she worked for Kubra. But she's turned her back on them, and they're now after her. She's not a spy. Not a danger to us!"

"I want all the names she knew. Every single one of those twisted criminals with superpowers needs to be brought down, squashed and exterminated. You've seen the damages at Queens Comfort. We need to take actions now, or the government will. Let's settle this among us. We don't want ordinary humans involved, or it could get really ugly."

"Well, then, wait for her to wake up and ask! You said so yourself that reading mind while someone is sleeping doesn't work well."

Red turned to face the young blonde. "How naive can you be?" She growled.

Piper paused, taking a reluctant step back. "What—"

"Vause is a bad seed, and always will be. People like Vause and Mendez, they were born that way. It's time you pull your head out of the sand and see the truth. You are just as optimistic as Howard. You both never learned. He sent her to Kubra as a spy, and look at what she has become. She betrayed us once, and she will do it again. The fact that Howard is still sheltering her is inconceivable to me. The government is furious! Litchfield will face serious consequences if they found out that we're hiding her here. What are you going to do when the time comes?" Red scoffed and strutted away.

Piper's head reeled. But she quickened her pace to catch up with the older woman. "But it wasn't Alex's fault! She was attacked, for God's sake! If I hadn't found her, she would have been dead already—"

"You should have let it be that way. But you can't think beyond yourself and your needs. You brought troubles back to Litchfield. The government doesn't give a shit. They want all those involved in the incident captured. They hate us, can't you see? They're going to use this as an excuse to wipe us out."

"Nicky was also in the fight. Are you going to turn her in?" Piper waited for a response that never came, then a realization dawned upon her. She paused in her tracks, her sudden lack of motions stopping Red as well. Red turned to look at her, puzzled. "Oh, my God, it's because of Nicky, isn't it? You're blaming Alex for what happened to Nicky."

Red scowled. "If Nicky never wakes up again, I don't see why Vause should."

Horror struck Piper, but before she could react, a male voice interrupted.

"Ma'am, the car is ready."

Piper turned to see a tall, dark-haired man standing just a few feet away. He was in the blue uniform. At first glance, she would have taken him as a new guard. Litchfield did double their guards ever since the lizard man attack. But as she looked more closely, she realized that it was Mendez himself. He was now in his human form, clean-shaven and humbled. Piper immediately took a few steps away, preparing for an attack. How did he get out of the SHU? Why was he wearing a Litchfield uniform? Why wasn't Red doing anything—

"Tell Mr. Bloom that I'll be there in a minute," Red said, waving him away dismissively.

Mendez bowed and left.

"Why... why is he... Fuck, no." Piper stiffened as she stared at Red in disbelief. "You erased his memories."

A triumphant smile curved up Red's lips. "Things like this takes time. So much energy and expertise. But he's one of us now."

"You sound proud." Piper felt disgusted, and her voice showed. But then her eyes widened, her gaze filled with dread. "Were you trying to do the same thing to Alex? Tell me." She clenched her fists, her blood boiled. She began to feel the slight tremor on the ground beneath her feet. She needed to stop herself before she would do something rash and stupid, but she wasn't sure if she could. "Tell me," she spoke through her gritted teeth.

Red pushed at Piper's shoulder. "You're too easy. I don't even need my powers to read you. Look, sort out your priorities before it's too late. And, then, we might be able to negotiate. Now, I have an important meeting to attend. In the meantime, I will see that Howard would change his mind and kick Vause out of Litchfield. But if you're so determined to keep her here, you know that you have been warned. I always get what I want, one way or another." With that, Red scoffed and strode away.

Piper watched her instructor disappear down the corridor, chill running down her spine. Her mind raced to find solutions to all of this. Frankly, she would have stayed on good term with Larry if she knew that this would happen. She wasn't sure at all how long Howard would continue to extend his welcome for Alex. They were running out of favors, in or out of Litchfield.

Alex woke up again for what seemed like the tenth time that day. Or was it yesterday? Was it last week? Her mind was much clearer now, and she stared at the ceiling, trying to make sense of what was happening. She was wounded, and she was still in the SHU. According to Claudette, it was for her own safety, which Alex suspected that it was all bullshit.

Pipes was here... and Red... Fuck. That bitch tried to get inside my head. Alex grumbled at the thought. She sat up, although with some difficulty.

The door promptly slid open, and Howard walked in. His face looked grim as he stopped by the doorway and studied her for a moment. Then he waved at the glass window, and the door slid shut again. "How are you feeling? You had me worried."

Alex silently chuckled. "You were worried about me?" She muttered to herself as she stared at her own reflection on the window. (She knew that Claudette was probably watching from the other side of the glass). The messy, matted hair. The pink rings under her bloodshot eyes. Her dry, trembling lips. She looked an absolute mess, and she felt deeply humiliated that Howard had to see her this way.

"I've made... mistakes, but you know that I'm not that heartless. Of course, I was worried. You were in a coma for a week. I wouldn't know what to tell your mother if something should happen to you while you're under my care," Howard said, edging closer to the bed, albeit cautious of their distance. He knew that she was too weak to attack, and that she wasn't crazy enough to try anything while being incarcerated in the SHU.

Alex glowered at him. She had the urge to strangle him with her bare hands every time he mentioned Diane. "Even if I died, you wouldn't know where to find her and tell her anyway."

Howard rubbed his chin. "Are you so sure about that? You were very weak. Still are. Red could have—"

Alex cut him short with a bitter laugh. "That bitch didn't get much out of it. I've been trained to deal with powers like hers. She tried though. And, seriously, you wouldn't be here, talking to me, if you've already found out where Diane is."

Howard stared down at her, like a teacher to his student. It was a harsh look, but Alex remembered it well. She even felt nostalgic whenever she got the glare from him. It was just like the old days, when she was just a kid, and all she had to worry about were the three meals a day, the poker games, and which friends to hang out with after classes.

"You do know that Red will eventually crack you," Howard stated.

If Alex was being honest, she feared it, too. Red could, and she would. "You only want my mother, so that you could control me. You're no different from them no matter what you keep telling yourself. I can see through you."

"They found you, and they almost killed you. You alone cannot protect your mother. Don't be so stubborn. We may have our differences, but right now our priority is to keep Diane safe."

Alex shook her head, glaring up at him. "I don't trust any of you. Even if I died, she'd still be safe. Safe and far away from all of you."

Howard studied her for a long moment before letting out a heavy sigh. "The government is looking for you. They're looking for anyone to blame. That's why we had to keep you underground for the first few days of search. You and Nichols have very few options left."

Alex's gaze softened at the mention of her friend. "Is she all right?"

"She reached us too late. She's on life support at the moment. It's likely that she'll never wake up again. I'm so sorry, Alex."

Alex covered her mouth with her hand. Guilt hit her hard. It was all her fault! How did she let it happen!? "God, I fucked up... fucked up..."

Howard adjusted his glasses as he moved closer to Alex. "Do you still think that you can fight Kubra alone? That your mother is safe?" He cleared his throat and continued, "I've talked to Ms. Claudette, and she agrees that you may move back to your dorm tomorrow. For old time's sake, I give you the option of staying here, but never leave this island. I cannot risk the government using you as an excuse to destroy Litchfield. But if you leave, you may never come back again. I hope you know what you're doing, Alex."

After Howard left, Alex carefully lied down. Her breathing was a little shaky. She pulled the blanket up, her hands rickety. She wasn't exactly sure what to make of the choices she had been offered. Everything seemed so dire. She just couldn't see her future at all. Here or anywhere. With someone or alone.

"Slow down, or you're gonna hurt yourself," Piper warned. She had one arm snaking around Alex's waist, her other hand on Alex's right arm, supporting the woman as they moved down the corridor.

Alex had been released from the SHU, and she couldn't get herself out of the tiny, claustrophobic room fast enough. She was in a gray t-shirt and a pair of black jeans. Her hair tousled, she looked sickly pale. Piper offered to take her on a wheelchair, but she insisted that she would walk.

They reached the other room, where they had Nicky. Ms. Claudette had told Alex that they would move Nicky up to the infirmary tomorrow. They had tried to contact Nicky's mother, but the woman hadn't returned the calls.

With a heavy heart, Alex entered and walked up to her friend's bed. It took her a moment before she could gather her strength, reach out and take Nicky's hand. It was cold, and Alex almost dropped it out of fright. It'd been only a week, but Nicky already looked thinner and paler. She looked peaceful in her sleep, but lifeless.

"It's not your fault," Piper said, standing next to her.

Alex watched her friend for a long moment. She opened her mouth, trying to find her voice. "I know what you're trying to do. Don't."

"Al—"

"Of course, it's my fault!" Alex snapped. "Kubra was waiting for me to make a mistake, and I did. Too fucking easy. I should have known better. I should have been more careful. I put her in danger. I put her here. Stupid. Stupid. I was so stupid—"

"Shhh." Piper drew Alex into her arms and held her tightly. "It was Kubra. He tried to kill you, and you and Nicky got hurt. It isn't your fault." Alex fought to lose Piper's grip, but she tightened her embrace, one hand caressing the back of Alex's head, urging her to bow her head down. After a weak resistance, Alex eventually gave in and rested her head against Piper's slim shoulder. Alex's sob was quiet, but Piper could feel the quiver of her body. Piper closed her eyes as she continued to caress Alex's back, softly cooing in her ear.

"This is why I put my mom away. I knew this would happen. People I love will get hurt because of me. And, now, Nicky—"

Piper pulled back, cupped Alex's face with both hands and interrupted her with little kisses, trying to distract the taller woman. It did startle Alex, and she backed away a little. Green eyes blinked in confusion, tears sliding down her cheeks and onto the back of Piper's hands.

"What are you doing?"

"I... kissed you." Piper stared at those full lips, surprised by a thirst suddenly rising in her. Her chest tightened, a tingling feeling in her stomach.

For an awkward moment, they stood in silence, unsure what to do next.

Alex was the first to look away, wiping the tears from her cheeks with her fingers. "Well, thanks. That was a nice distraction."

"It wasn't. I meant it."

Alex pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head. "Oh, God, we've been through this, Pipes. I know that you're probably shaken by what happened to me. But I'm fine now. Let's not make this an issue again." She weakly turned away and headed out into the hallway.

Her fists clenched and unclenched. Piper bit her bottom lip and said, "I broke up with Larry."

Alex paused by the doorway. One hand resting on the wall, she looked over her shoulder and saw a reluctant look on Piper's face. "What?" This was bad news. Absolutely, a terrible news. She couldn't believe her ears. She didn't want to get her hopes up.

"It was the night of the attack. I broke up with him, and then I got back to Litchfield with Ms. Claudette. You were the first person I wanted to talk about it. I wanted to tell you… so many things." Piper looked down at the floor, blankly staring at her feet. "Imagine what went through my head when Daya told me that Nicky was badly injured, and that you were still out there. Nobody knew exactly where you were, who were after you, or if you were still alive or not."

Alex silently watched Piper. She hadn't the time or energy to really sit and think back about everything that happened. It was all so fast and terrifying.

Piper took slow steps towards Alex, almost as if she was afraid that the taller woman might vanish. She sucked a breath in. "I flew to Queens Comfort after I heard the news. I didn't know what to think when I saw the damages. The place was completely ruined. Our place... Then I saw a lightning bolt, and I just knew that it was you. I found you by the pier. You... you were..." Blue gaze drifted off into the distance, seemingly lost in thoughts.

Alex let out a subtle sigh. She leaned back against the doorframe as standing for a long moment easily tired her. She was careful in making it look casual. Piper hadn't noticed. "I remember now. You saved my life, Pipes. I cannot thank enough." She tried to smile, but her smile quickly faded when Piper didn't return her the gesture. Instead, Piper's gaze was stern. Only now that she had fully noticed how gaunt Piper's face looked. The blonde looked as beat as the comatose Nicky.

"I went on for another week without knowing if you'd be dead the next hour, or the next day. I barely ate, and I probably totaled about two hours of sleep each night. I—I couldn't stop thinking that you could be dead, locked away in the SHU, as I sat in the hallway, waiting for some news, any news at all about your condition. They let me see you through the window twice. Twice in a whole week. I just—"

Alex pushed herself off the wall, and moved closer to Piper. "C'mere." She couldn't help but wince as she wrapped her arms around the blonde. Piper immediately tried to push her away at the little noises she made, but Alex tightened her hold around the younger woman. "Don't make this so hard on me," Alex teased. She was smiling lightly, but she was in pain, and Piper could see it. "I'm ok, Pipes. Really."

Tears shot to her eyes at Alex's reassurance. Piper felt embarrassed as she should have been the one to be strong. She embraced Alex tightly, careless if she was hurting the woman now. She didn't want to let go. She couldn't. "I love you," she breathed.

Alex chuckled. "Of course, you do."

Piper blushed, burying her face at Alex's wide shoulder. "Shut up."

For a while, Alex let Piper hold her. They stood under the harsh neon lights, and the hallway was chilly. They hadn't left the SHU just yet, but Alex was surprised that she didn't mind all that much. She loved when Piper caressed her head and face. She loved when Piper touched her—felt her. It felt like she was home. Alex was finally home.