Chapter 17

First, the heat broke from the bones. Then it seeped through her flesh, crawling fast to the skin.

The girl was stirred from her slumber. It was half past one in the morning. It had been a relatively peaceful night in this rough neighborhood. Unbearable pain came in quick flashes. She lied still on the bed, confused and scared. Out of breath, she closed her eyes, hoping the pain would soon disappear. Then she fell asleep. It was perhaps an hour later that the heat erupted again. Stronger and deeper this time. The pain spread rapidly, and it hurt all over. Her limbs shaken, her heart hammering in her chest. It felt as if her body was going to explode. Her back was soaked with sweat. Icy blue glossed over her green eyes. Blue, electric currents licked along her entire body, streaming out of her eyes and mouth. Her skin sizzled, she curled up on the bed, screaming her lungs out.

The door to her tiny bedroom was kicked open, and she could hear her mother shouting her name, but she couldn't see her. She couldn't see anything but the hot, white light engulfing her. She had woken up to a nightmare that would never end. It was the first time Alex Vause realized her superpowers. She was thirteen. She was then transferred to Litchfield soon after.

"Alex… Alex, honey?"

"Yeah?" Sitting on the edge of the bed, Alex mumbled as she stuffed the pack of cigarettes into the chest pocket of her worn, jeans jacket. Her thick, shoulder-length hair was messy.

It was summer. Many Litchfield students went home for vacations. Alex returned home to spend time with Diane. It was fun being with her mother. They were best friends. But as years passed, something started to change. Diane grew a little older, while Alex grew much taller. Diane often said that she had gotten the height from her biological father. She often wondered about Lee Burley, dreaming what their first encounter would be like, but hadn't the courage to act on it yet.

It was the jacket that gave Alex some clues, and then it was the cry of her stomach. The shoulders were tight, and the edge of the sleeves were slightly more than an inch above her wrists. She was growing fast even without proper nutrition. The kids in the South did not get proper meals like the rich from the North. Being home didn't help either. They had bread and butter, often nothing else. Once in a blue moon, Diane would bring some meat home, the leftovers from the diners she worked at. Alex, on the other hand, found that smoking managed to appease her hunger, or maybe it just took her mind off things, even only temporarily.

"Help me up, please. My back hurts."

Green eyes looked up through the curtain of raven hair, staring into the hallway through the open door of her bedroom. She could hear her mother quietly sucking in a breath at the pain. Daine would never bother her daughter if it wasn't absolutely necessary. Alex knew, and it hurt her because her mother was hurting. They were in pain. They were in it together. They had to do something.

She had to do something.

"Sure, mom." Alex got up and walked out into the hallway.

When Howard Bloom offered to pay for her mother's back surgery, Alex accepted without second thought. She couldn't go on for a day longer, having to see her mother suffer. There were nights when Diane had to call out for Alex to help her to the bathroom. Or Diane just failed to get up from the chair. Simple tasks became arduous. It hurt them both, physically and mentally.

Alex wasn't sure how her problems reached Howard. He approached her and asked one thing in return. The price was to become a spy. It was the first time Alex heard the name, 'Kubra Balik', the name that would change her life forever.

Galina Reznikova trained Alex for six months before sending her off to infiltrate Kubra's faction.

The targeted headquarters was in Cairo. It was where she first met Fahri, her mentor. He became a close friend, and a father she never had. Being away from her mother and friends had turned things to the worst between Alex and Litchfield. In just a period of one year, she turned her back on Litchfield.

7:30 P.M.

They reached the nearest diner in the quiet town just two miles from Abilene, driven in his black Jeep. Piper knew that it was risky to go with the steel man, in his vehicle, but this time she trusted her instinct instead. After all, it was Danny. 'Danny Chapman'. She couldn't even begin to imagine her parents' faces if they knew Danny was still alive.

Piper took the table at the farthest corner. Hands clasped together, she stared straight into the pair of deep blue eyes. Danny was occupying the opposite side of the table, his gray jacket dusted along his wide shoulders. He looked at her with an amused, kind smile.

"How you have grown," Danny pondered aloud.

Piper took a sip of hot black coffee from her cup. "It's been twenty-five years. Where have you been? Why haven't you contacted us?"

"For many years, I thought that I was kidnapped." Danny cleared his throat a little. "But I found out later on that it was Bill, who left me at the orphanage, when my powers surfaced. I was found by Kubra's men when I was twelve. I grew up with them. They're my family now," he explained, his smile intact.

"What? How… He… he left you? How could he do that!? That was inconceivable!" Piper shook her head, her throat dried up. "I… I can't believe this. He was very understanding when I admitted to him about my powers."

Danny ran his hand through his hair. "Bill probably got over it the second time around. He couldn't keep throwing away his children, right? And you're his baby girl. You mean the world to him."

"That was so unfair, Danny, I—"

"It wasn't your fault. I'm actually grateful that it happened. I'm now where I'm truly belong. With my people."

"With Kubra? But it's an evil—um, I mean, an outlawed faction."

"Litchfield has been legitimized by the government, but there's only a thin line that separates us. While Kubra used his powers to serve his own benefits, Howard has secretly aided the government in supplying the gifted ones for experiments. More often than not, deadly experiments. Who's the bad guy here?"

Piper froze. She then sat back, her heart weighed down by the information. "How do I know that you're not lying?" She took a long look at his face, trying to find any trace that would tell her that it was an impostor, but couldn't.

"Maybe Vause could tell you more. I believe that she knows both worlds very well."

Piper blushed, shifting uncomfortably on her chair. "You know that I won't let you go near her, or harm her again. It doesn't matter who you are, or what we were. Do you understand?" she said with finality.

Danny paused at the seriousness in her voice. "Will you kill your own brother for her?"

"I will try my best to prevent that from happening." Piper stared back.

Danny leaned back, watching her. "Vause killed her own mentor and ran from the syndicate with her girlfriend, Fiona. Mendez caught the girl and killed her. He almost caught Vause, but failed in Litchfield. That was when Kubra called me from Rio to fill in the assignment. That's how I've learned about a certain 'Piper Elizabeth Chapman' from Vause's history of contacts. You will kill your brother for a murderer? She's a cold-blooded killer. One of the best Kubra had ever had. Kubra took it personally when she betrayed him." He narrowed his eyes, studying his sister. "Do you have any idea who 'Alex Vause' really is?"

Piper growled. "You're not—you're just a stranger to me now, so don't preach about what I know or not know, or what I should do." She bit her bottom lip, fiercely looking away. But it shook her. Deeply. The power of knowing and the vulnerability of not knowing. He was right; she knew very little about Alex's criminal deeds while under Kubra's command, and honestly, she was scared to find out. A murderer. Did Alex really kill Fahri? Why? What else had Alex done? Any regrets? Many questions stormed through Piper's mind, but she had no answers to it. She pulled her fidgety hands off the table and hid them under the table. Danny was studying her, and he wasn't hiding it.

"It's a crazy world out there. I know it. You know it. I'm so glad that I've found you, Piper. We have each other now."

Piper sighed. He seemed sincere enough, and it was somewhat true. She wasn't sure who the good guy was anymore. The only thing that mattered was the people next to you. She gazed out the window into the quiet road outside. They were in the middle of nowhere. The road was leading them nowhere. After a long moment, she turned her attention back to her brother. She stared into his eyes, and it was as if she was looking into the mirror, drowned in blue. "What do you want?" The question resonated in her head.

Danny straightened up in his seat. "I don't trust Bloom. I want you to join us. I want to keep you safe. Our parents, they don't understand what we've gone through. They will never understand what it's like to be us." His gaze softened as he asked, "What do you want?"

A moment passed before Piper breathed again. Her gaze steeled, colder and harder than Danny's skin. "I want Alex safe. It's the only condition I'll stand for. I won't lose her."

To her surprise, Danny let out a chuckle. His shoulders relaxed as he leaned back again. "You got me interested. I might have to look into Vause's files again to see how special she is, despite her criminal records."

"She came from a poor family. She didn't have much choice," Piper said, trying to steady her voice.

"I'm aware of the factors. But what puzzled me is your dedication. You were with her for only a year. Am I correct?"

Now, Danny sounded just like Red, and Piper rolled her eyes. "It's not for you or anyone to judge. I know what I'm doing," she grunted, visibly annoyed. Heat rose to her face again when she thought of her brother reading her records. Her life was a written report to strangers, not to mention dangerous criminals. Like Alex. Like Danny. How ironic it was that these people were no strangers after all.

"I wouldn't want to upset you. You're always my little sister. But you don't have much choice. We have Diane Vause."

"Clearly." Piper stared at him hard.

"She did put up one hell of a fight for an ordinary human. We tried to be as gentle as we could. At any rate, she's still alive and well."

Piper inwardly cursed at him, recalling the ugly mess that was Diane's house. It was anything but 'gentle'. "Doesn't matter. I'm not handing Alex back to Kubra. I'd chain her to her room if she tries to leave to save her mother. Diane isn't an option here. Something else you have in mind?"

Danny smiled. "That's cold."

Piper steeled her expression. She had to put up a brave front.

"You could work for Kubra, and ask him to spare Vause."

Piper grew uneasy. "Work… work for him? Like what?"

"Your powers are extremely useful. He's coveted you as his ally for years now. Vause hid you away, but her plan was eventually exposed. It's your choice now. What are you going to do with your powers? Stay with Litchfield and let Diane Vause die, or come with us and save them both."

"Alex risked her life to protect me from your kind of people. Look where it got her. Look where it got Diane and Fiona. You people are thugs," Piper simply pointed out. She found it hard to believe what her long-lost brother was asking of her. Years had passed, and things had changed. Piper Chapman, the blonde socialite, whose only worries in life was which parties to go to, and where to take vacations. Her family was always there to help. Her fiancé was always there to listen. But, now, she had no one. She was now fighting to understand who, or what she truly was. She was fighting for her sanity in Litchfield. At this moment, she was fighting for a bleak future that she saw no way out.

"My kind of people is your kind, Piper. We're the same. There's no use running away."

Piper looked at her brother. The diner was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. But she wasn't as afraid as she should be. Maybe he was right. Maybe there was no good guy or bad guy. The only thing that mattered was which side would win.

"You don't have to do anything right now. I have to report to Kubra first."

"And Alex? Will she be safe?"

"I'll inform Kubra of your demand. I presume that he'd be realistic enough."

Piper let out a defeated sigh. "What about Diane?"

Danny adjusted the collar of his jacket. "You do care after all."

"Alex cares."

Danny leaned slightly over the table. His coffee was left cold and untouched. He studied her beautiful, melancholic eyes. "Never let anyone know the key to your powers as they could use it against you."

Piper sat still. She understood what he meant. She remembered what Red had warned. She knew what was going on, but she just couldn't avoid it. The key. Alex was her key, just like Diane was Alex's, and Lee was Diane's.

Lee Burley.

Piper stopped. She had heard Alex mention Lee twice as someone very important to her mother shortly before they broke up four years ago. It took Alex a year to slightly open up about her biological father. A realization then dawned upon Piper. Lee must have been the link Kubra used to get to Diane.

Fuck. Piper ran her hand through her hair, a tired smile on her face. She didn't even know how to break this news to Alex, or if she should at all. "How did I get to this?" she mumbled to herself.

"My contact will approach you." Danny reached out for Piper's hand, but she didn't pull away. He took it as a good sign and smiled. "It's good seeing you again. Goodnight, Piper."

It was almost two o'clock in the morning when Piper got back to Litchfield. She forsook the warm bed in her own dorm room, and chose to fly to Alex instead. She knocked on the cold windowpane, her knuckles reddened by the harsh wind. A very short moment later, she heard a thud, and then the window was lifted, revealing a messy-headed Alex. The brunette shoved her glasses on her nose.

"Pipes!" Green eyes brightened at the sight of Piper. Alex backed up a little to let Piper in. "Hey, what took you so long? I was worried sick."

Climbing into the room, Piper smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I decided to visit my family for a bit, so..." she lied. She had remained at the diner for hours after Danny left, unsure if she had made the right decision, or if it was all worth it. She even dreamt of their perfect escape to an isolated island somewhere in the Pacific. Only if she could get Diane out of Kubra's hand. But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Alex quickly shut the window. She turned around and pulled Piper close, rubbing her arms feverishly. "C'mere. You must be freezing."

Piper couldn't help but smile, nesting her face into Alex's shoulder. "I'm better now. I really am."

Alex diligently helped Piper out of her thick coat and hung the garment by the door. She walked back to the blonde and urged her to lie down together. Squeezing against each other on the single bed, their arms and legs intertwined. Alex pulled the blanket up to cover them both.

"Where have you been?" Alex muttered, gently tucking the blonde locks behind Piper's ear.

Warmed in Alex's embrace, Piper nudged her forehead against Alex's chin. She could feel Alex's soft breaths on her hair. "Revisiting the past," she said.

"Hm?" Alex raised a brow.

I met my dead brother. Piper inwardly laughed at her own thought. "Nothing. By the way, your mom—" But she was interrupted by Alex's laugh.

"You know what, I tried calling mom again today. Surprise! She answered the phone! I couldn't believe it. It turned out that I was just being fucking paranoid. Fuck. I'm so, so sorry, Pipes. I shouldn't have made you go. It was very selfish of me."

Piper looked up, shaking her head. She cupped Alex's face with both hands. "It wasn't you. I volunteered, ok?"

"Yeah, but still, I shouldn't have let—"

"It was my decision."

"Yeah, but—" Alex continued, but Piper silenced her with a kiss. The taller woman immediately responded. She tightened her hold around Piper.

They moaned into each other's mouths. They hastily pulled each other closer, trying to speak coherently but fail. "Fuck… me…" Piper breathed.

Alex climbed over her, their kisses deepened with desires. Her lover was being a little rough, but Piper wasn't going to complain. She welcomed it. She welcomed anything that would take her mind off what had happened today, or worse, what might happen tomorrow.

Now, it was just Alex and her in this tiny room, holding onto each other, making love. It was just like old times when they cocooned on the bed in Alex's apartment, cherishing every moment together, wishing that it would last forever.

Piper moaned in protest when Alex pulled back. Alex undressed her in one smooth motion. Lying naked on her back, Piper didn't even feel the rush. It felt so natural as if her shell was being peeled off. It was her need, her desperation. She shuddered when Alex dove down and took her nipple between her lips. She moaned into the pillow as her back arched in response, her nails digging into Alex's back. Alex was claiming her, but at the same time, she wanted to claim all of Alex's touches. She would offer her blood—her soul.

Alex slid down to her sensitive center, her tongue working its miraculous way. Piper started to feel warm despite the chilly air, her body involuntarily rocking. She fisted the mane of raven hair as Alex began to pump her fingers into her. It might have hurt her lover, but she couldn't help it. Heated and wet, she writhed under Alex as she was pushed closer and closer to the edge. With each thrust, she was challenged—persuaded to surrender.

"Oh, God… god…! Alex…!" Piper shouted as she came hard. She continued to cry, but couldn't grasp what words or noises that came out of her. Her hips riding out the climax, she then collapsed back onto the bed, completely spent.

The room became quiet. The night was cold. Then came a simple whisper, "I love you, Piper."

Her ears were ringing, but Piper could hear those muttered words just fine. There was just something about Alex's low, husky voice, and the way she called Piper. It gripped her even in the dark. Slowly, she opened her eyes opened again, swallowing dryly. "Alex… Alex…" She sounded needy even to her own ears.

Alex was resting her head on Piper's tummy, eyes closed. "I'm here."

"Closer."

Alex mildly chortled when Piper's hands clumsily fumbled along her shoulders and arms, trying to pull her up. Obediently, she crawled up to lie on top of the blonde. They kissed again, long and hard. Piper found that her own juice tasted so sweet from Alex's lips. She couldn't stop herself. She hungered for more.

"I love you, too… Anything… anything for you, Alex…" Piper sighed between their frantic kisses as she pulled Alex's shirt off.

Her words echoed, and they hung in the dark, heavy and cold. They felt like an uninvited watcher in the room that she couldn't rid of. They were watching—waiting for her to fall.