Chapter 25
The island of dreams.
The dreams were endless. Sometimes they intertwined. Sometimes they managed to continue even after she woke in the middle of the night, refusing to go away. Most of the times they were bad, bad dreams.
Blood. Pain. Horror. Guilt.
For twenty-two months, Piper hadn't gone on a day without thinking about what happened at the headquarters raid. For that period of time, she hadn't gone on a day without thinking about the losses, or how she could have prevented them. She wasn't sure if she would ever forget. Those memories, however painful, had become a part of her, a deep scar that could never be erased.
Wind swept her blonde locks. Blue eyes stared out into the ocean, admiring the oceanic view before sunset. The sky was golden, and the sea was calm. Piper stood along the southern cliff of the island. White blouse. Black coat. Hands in her pockets.
"It's been a while. It's good to see you again, Piper Chapman."
Piper looked over her shoulder, and then smiled. "Good to see you, too, Red."
The fiery-haired woman grinned. She appeared to have gained weight slightly since last time Piper saw her. "You look great! You look healthy!"
"Thank you."
Red came to stand next to Piper, looking out at the sea. She breathed in the fresh air. "I saw the flowers at Nicky's gravestone. Same kind of bouquets at Jessica's and Christopher's, too, so I figured who's visiting."
Piper sighed. "Nothing escapes you."
"How is life treating you?"
Piper squinted at the golden sun behind the beautifully painted, pink clouds. Today was her first visit at Litchfield after the raid nearly two years ago. That early morning, she had been admitted into a local hospital to treat her gunshot wound, while others had been transferred to different hospitals around the city. The only patient from Litchfield that had been admitted to the same hospital as her was John Bennett. Seeing his half-burnt face and body reminded her of her own mistakes and failures to control her own powers. It only made her detest herself even more. To this day, she hadn't even met Christopher or Jessica's families. The first fifteen months had been the hardest time of her life.
"Better than I'd hoped," Piper replied, tucking her hair behind her ear. Soft wind was ringing in her ears, soothing her—remind her that it was all real. She was here, at last.
"Time will heal everything. It did for me." There was a hint of sadness in Red's eyes, but it was quickly overcame by the look of determination. "We all learn from our mistakes. At least, that's what I hope. It's the only way I know how."
Piper studied Red, a soft smile on her face. To hear Red admitting her defeat wasn't easy. To see Red showing regrets was hard.
"The sleeps are better?" Red asked.
Piper did miss Red's Russian accent, or how Red used to scold at her in the training room. "Yeah. Kind of."
"No pills?"
"I try not to take them."
"Ouch." Red made a face, but there were smiles on her wrinkles.
Piper began to like this version of Red. The woman seemed much more relaxed than Piper last remembered. Red had become a new kinda of leader at Litchfield. A tough, but caring, motherly kind. She was the softer person who could have been there for Nicky, but now for everyone. There were no more deals with the government in sending off disqualified residents for experiments. Funds were scarce, but residents were trained to depend on themselves. Everyone was looking for a way to start a new life. Everyone was trying to forget.
Last time Piper had met Larry was three weeks after the raid. Larry flew to see her in Turkey, demanding that his injured father be released from Litchfield. Piper found it ridiculous that Howard would need such a permission from anyone. After losing an eye, and much more, from the fight, Howard finally retired. He had known that his time was up. Larry had contacted Piper again just a few months ago, sending her pictures of Howard sailing out into the ocean, fishing, living through the storms, daring life and death until the last moment. The pictures showed Howard's laughs. The giant's laughs. Larry had wished her well, and Piper was grateful.
"Nobody blamed you. We fought. We lost and gained some," Red said. "Litchfield is still home for the gifted ones, because we fought to keep it alive. We won. We put the bad guys away. They're locked up, and they'll never be able to harm anyone again. You helped making that happen."
Piper understood every word, but it was still hard to forgive herself. Impossible to forget.
"At some point, we all have to move on. Litchfield needs more people like you."
"No, you don't. I wouldn't be able to train anyone." Piper sharply looked away.
"Oh, no, I'll never ask you to fight again. We're building new homes, new warehouses. We have tons of new projects, and we need more people than ever. We need brains. You'll be a good addition!"
The sun had set, and the golden light slowly slipped below the horizontal line. The waves crashed hard against the rocks below. Piper did feel good at Red's enthusiasm. "I'm sorry, Red. But I work for my dad's friend now. It pays well. Really well." She then cleared her throat, struggling with silence. Money wasn't her concern at all, and she knew that Red knew as well.
"I'll keep the position open. Come! We have a small dinner party tonight. Lorna will debut her soup that I taught her. They'll be glad to see you again!"
Piper shrugged, smiling. "All right. I'd love to see them, too."
Red patted Piper's shoulder, and together they began to walk down the path.
The plain reality.
Piper flew down from the dark sky and landed wobbly on her feet in an isolated area of the park. She had had quite a few glasses of wine over dinner, and her flight from the island had been rather adventurous and reckless. She had flown fast and close to the surface of the sea. There were still drops of sea water on her face. She could still smell the salt in her messy hair.
For the first time in a long while, Piper felt good using her powers, which she had adamantly avoided. She liked flying. She liked being high in the air, totally free from everything. Being back at Litchfield probably had done it for her. Being around the gifted ones, seeing her old friends again, must have brought her closer to her true self. It helped Piper to see how happy and busy Lorna was, being the hall director of the South Mansion, while Polly was the hall director of the North Mansion. Litchfield was now run by a committee, elected by all residents. The island was no longer one man's show, but everyone's responsibility. On top of all good news was Daya and John's wedding next month. Piper was invited, and she accepted it. She hadn't gone on a festive event in a long time, and she definitely needed a new dress.
Her face warm, Piper walked to her favorite bench near the lamppost. Thick, tall trees lined up behind the row of benches. She sat down on the bench, relaxed. She loved how quiet and calm the park was during the night.
"Hey, cylinder."
Piper looked up. It was the short-haired homeless woman she had been seeing around the park for about a month now. "Hi, Lolly. How are you this evening?" Piper didn't feel the need to correct her name.
Lolly stopped in front of Piper, pushing the old cart with her. There were rolled magazines and newspapers, torn hats, rusty, tin cans, broken lullabies, oval mirrors of several sizes, frisbees, golf clubs, pots and pans, and most importantly of all, a potato. Lolly once told Piper that the potato was her power source, and had it replaced with a new one every week. Piper just assumed that Lolly stole them from some supermarkets nearby.
"I see you here three times a week," Lolly said. "Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday."
Piper just nodded. Lolly tended to repeat a lot of stuff, and got them all mixed up.
"Who sent you?" Lolly squinted at her, pushing her glasses up a bit.
Piper chortled. The conversation repeated itself every time they saw each other. "No one sent me. I'm here to—"
"CIA?"
"No—"
"NSA?"
"No, Lolly—"
"UFO!"
Piper laughed. That was a new one. "Do I look like an alien?"
Lolly stared at Piper's face for a moment. "That's not what aliens look like. But I saw you fly like a superman. He's an alien, so you must be alien, too!"
Piper froze. It was dark enough, and she was careful in her landing. She was rather certain that no one had been around to witness it. "What are you talking about?" Her voice darkened.
Lolly made a whoosh sound, with excited hand gestures. "You flew down like Clark Kent! Not even a tremor. Spectacular landing! Who trained you? Oh, I know. I know. The government is very resourceful, and they have a lot of money. They have special trainings for humans and aliens—"
"What's going on here? Who's this?" A husky voice came from behind, and Piper instantly turned.
"Alex!" Piper smiled the first genuine smile of the day. The first, real smile in a long time. Seeing the brief look of astonishment on Alex's face, she could tell that Alex was surprised by it, too.
Alex was holding a thick textbook in one hand, a backpack slung over her shoulder. "Hey, you, leave her alone," Alex ordered, gestured at Lolly.
"It's ok, Alex. This is Lolly. I see her here very often while I wait for you. She's harmless," Piper explained. She walked up to the taller woman, linking their arms together.
Alex stared at Lolly, while the homeless woman took a step back, looking back at her in suspicion.
"Harmless," Lolly echoed.
Alex shook her head, and turned to Piper. "I'm sorry I'm late. My professor wanted to talk to me after class."
"What about?" Piper asked.
Piper was absolutely thrilled when Alex told her that she would give college a try. Alex was already starting her second year.
Alex shrugged. "Turned out that she just wanted a coffee date—ouch!" She yelped when Piper punched her arm. "How is that my fault? Reason?"
Piper tightened her grip on Alex's forearm. "If she tried to hit on you, I will smack a bitch down." She felt the rush of possessiveness, and she didn't like it. She knew how much Alex loved her, but she still went crazy jealous every time. For a moment, they just stared at each other, both a little astounded by their closeness. Piper couldn't help but blush.
"See you on Friday, Lolly," Piper said as she began to lead Alex, heading out of the park.
"Yes, sir, milady. Friday, it is." Lolly saluted.
Alex followed Piper's lead, but she turned to look over her shoulder at the strange woman.
"Friday," Lolly echoed, staring right at Alex.
Alex's frown deepened before she turned back to her direction.
The wall between us.
"Where's she from?" Alex was washing the dishes at the sink, her back facing Piper, who was sitting by the wooden dining table behind the kitchen island. Alex was in a white wife beater and a pair of black jogger pants.
Piper looked up from her cup of Belgian-chocolate ice-cream. "Who?" After the shower, she had changed into a comfy pair of creamy-colored, matching pajamas. Her hair was still wet.
"The woman at the park."
"Lolly? Oh, she's homeless. I've seen her around for a month now. She's a little, uh—"
"Mentally unstable?" Alex raised a brow, briefly glancing over her shoulder at the blonde.
"Kind of."
"Are you sure that she is?"
Piper frowned. "What do you mean?"
"She seems weird. Has she been following you around? Have you noticed if—"
"Are you saying that she might be a spy?" A glint of playfulness in her eyes, Piper licked her silver spoon, leaning back against the chair. "Seriously? For who? The CIA? NSA? FBI? Because that's exactly what she's been suspecting about everyone at the park. You sound just like her now."
"If making fun of me could lift up your mood like this, then, by all means, please, do. Everyday." Alex chuckled and turned her attention back to the dishes.
Piper stalled for a moment before taking the spoon out of her mouth. It wasn't totally unexpected to hear it, considering how their relationship had turned cold after the headquarters raid. The battle was over, but the scars remained.
Alex would be there to wake Piper from her nightmares and console her. And Piper would catch Alex yelling in her own bad dreams. There were times when Alex would forgo sleep altogether. There were times when Piper woke with sweat, panting from running the invisible miles in her sleep, only to see Alex up, standing out in the balcony, silently battling her own demons while awake.
Alex had rarely mentioned Diane since, and while Piper sought helps from a therapist, Alex shoved everything under the rug. They both tried to move on, but kept missing each other's pace, lost in the pain and fears between them.
"I'm so sorry. I should have been more considerate," Piper said.
Alex cleaned up the last dish and turned off the faucet. She walked up to Piper and kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry about it. I like seeing you smile."
Piper grabbed Alex's wrist before the woman could walk away. Like she always did. Like how it was between them now. They walked out of the ruins, alive, but lost each other out in the real world, battered and scared. Together, but alone.
"I went to Litchfield today," Piper said.
Alex stopped. There was a long moment of silence before she said, "Oh, cool. How did it go?"
Piper carefully studied her girlfriend's face. The visit was impromptu. She just felt it at the moment, and she just decided to get up and go. She had to, or else she would burst in guilt, drowned in nightmares. She had to see what was happening on the other side right now, so that she would know where she stood. "It went really well."
Alex looked surprised. Glad for Piper, but also a little scared. "Wow. That's… that's really great. Good for you, Pipes."
Piper bit her bottom lip as she stood up, cupping Alex's cheek with her left hand. "I didn't mean to keep it from you. It was on the spur of the moment thing. But it turned out great. Everyone, they just… everyone has moved on, Alex. Maybe. Just maybe we could, too. I would love it for us. I could take you with me next time—"
Alex quickly pulled away, heading towards the bedroom. "Yeah, sure, that's a great idea. I got an essay to work on tonight. Got an early class tomorrow, too. Let's talk about it some other times, all right?"
The door shut, and that was the only conversation they had tonight. Piper let Alex bury herself in her homework. She watched when Alex fell asleep at the desk, and then put a blanket over the woman's shoulders. Sometimes Alex didn't touch their bed for several days at a time, and Piper would wake up in the middle of the night, cold and lonely. She had forgotten that Alex, too, was left cold and lonely in her own corner.
Friday.
Piper was just waiting in the park as usual. Waiting to go home with Alex had been the most exciting, the most rewarding event of the day for her. Alex had a test tonight, and the woman was confident that she would ace it. Piper was really proud of her girlfriend, no matter the outcome. And, in truth, she anticipated the wait for Alex more than usual tonight, wanting to make sure that the instructor wouldn't try anything funny.
"Hey, cylinder."
Piper looked up from her cell phone. "Hey, Lolly." She casually greeted, and went back to her phone, skimming through news app.
"Look what I got today! Finally! Three, fresh potatoes! These! These are going to be my sources of power!"
Piper briefly glanced up at the homeless woman. "They look fresh," she remarked, smiling lightly, before returning her attention at the phone again.
"Yes, it's the key ingredient to a successful time travel! The more fresh potatoes I have, the better the chance is," Lolly explained.
Piper looked up again, her brows raised. "Really. You can travel through time?" She decided to entertain the woman.
Lolly pushed her black-rimmed glasses up her nose. "Yes!"
"Ok. Well, when were you born? Where are you from?"
"I came from many places, you see. Sometimes I got them all mixed up. But I used to work at your grandfather's publishing company in Bridgeport. Joseph P. Montgomery, wasn't it? Yes, Mr. Montgomery! I remember him very well. I started working for him since your mother was just a child."
Piper stopped at the personal information she had never given anyone, much less a homeless stranger she met in a park. "What did you say?" Her throat was dry. Had Alex been right about Lolly being a spy? After all, Lolly had witnessed her flying, and why would an ordinary human not be afraid of her.
Lolly waved her hands. "I know it's confusing. I traveled so much that it started to confuse me, too. But Mr. Montgomery stood out. We were good friends."
Piper stood up, glaring at the woman. "Who are you? Tell me now, or I will be forced to force you to answer."
Lolly took a step back at Piper's dangerous tone, hiding behind her cart full of garbage.
Piper halted, stunned by the surge of her own violent powers. It was so easy. After months of trying to bury it, her powers easily surfaced against her wish. At this point, she wondered if Alex had slept anywhere but their bed out of fears that her powers would surge in her sleep.
"I… I'm sorry. How did you know all of this? Who told you?" Piper lowered her voice, trying to calm herself down.
"I told you! I worked for your grandfather! It was long ago, though. I knew his secrets. His powers. Just like yours."
Piper's head was reeling now. Her grandfather was a telekinetic? Nobody had ever mentioned it. Or no one knew. He must have kept it secret all his life. Did grandma know? Anybody? Anyone at all.
Was he lonely?
The question rang deep within Piper, but the answer was already there. She knew because it was how she felt most of her life. Only Alex had understood. Even so, sometimes it was hard to reach and find the boundary of it all. Sometimes she was just lost in the bottomless pit of her powers.
"And he knew my powers. Mr. Montgomery would ask me to go to places to fix things for him." Lolly nodded, arms across her chest.
Piper's jaw dropped. Was this woman crazy? Or was Piper crazy to believe this crazy woman? Litchfield and Kubra's faction never once came across a time traveler, but Piper just ran into one in a random park. Was it even possible?
"I don't know what to say," Piper mumbled, a hand on her forehead.
Lolly began to look through stuff in her cart. "Don't worry. I get it. No one believed me anyway. No one but Mr. Montgomery."
"I need some kind of proofs." Piper bit her bottom lip.
"I can go back in time and get it for you, but it could take years for me to find you again." Bent over the cart, Lolly continued to plow through the garbage.
Piper ran her hand through her blonde locks, sighing. Right. She had been entertained enough for the evening. "Why would it take years, Lolly? Shouldn't it take just seconds to time travel?" She couldn't believe that she almost fell for the trap. This woman almost had her.
Lolly looked up from her cart. She gestured at her own head, shrugging. "Sometimes I could get it right. Sometimes, not. I was born with it. They say I'm crazy, and I know. But I can't fix it. Not if I go back in time and separate my parents. I tried… but the consequences were even worse. So I just fixed other people's problems instead. Like Mr. Montgomery´s problems. I considered him a really good friend. We shared secrets. Many secrets."
Piper began to pace around, trying to make sense of everything. "What kind of problems my grandfather had?"
Lolly's eyes widened. "Dark, shady problems. He was a very scary man. But he was my friend, so I helped him."
Piper looked at Lolly, suspicious. "Like what?"
"He asked me to get rid of some people by preventing them from being born." Lolly ticked her chin as she recalled. "And if they were born, he told me to steal the babies and put them away. It worked a few times, but most of the times, the babies ended up dead."
Piper froze at the revelations, unsure what to think. Joseph died when she was just four. She didn't remember much of him at all, but she just couldn't imagine her grandfather as a horrible man, who manipulated a vulnerable person to commit crimes for him.
"Like I said, the consequences could be worse. And my powers weren't always serviceable. I've been stuck here for years! I don't even know what year it is anymore! But I guess I got lucky running into you at last." Lolly grinned.
Piper was taken aback. "You were looking for me?" She had no idea what Lolly was capable of, no clue if the woman was just insane, or she was really a spy.
"Yes, your grandfather had a message for you. Uh... oh, man, it's been so long since I met him. He was really sick last time I saw him. He was also very sad in his last days. Uh, what... what did he tell me? Let me think. One moment." Lolly squeezed her eyes tightly, pacing back and forth. "Think. Think. Think. Lolly, think."
Piper took in a few deep breaths, still unwilling to believe the crazy woman. But hope had ignited in the shadow of her heart. What if Lolly was really a time traveler? What if Lolly could make it happen and there would be no losses? What if Lolly could bring her back in time and stop Nicky's death? What if Piper could save Diane? What if she could stop Kubra from killing her friends? What if she could go back in time and stop Kubra from existing? What if she could stop all the pain and fix what was broken between her and Alex?
Alex.
There was nothing Piper wouldn't do for Alex. The consequences could be worse, but she couldn't imagine anything worse than losing everyone she loved. If she could just trick the past. Just once. The opportunity was presenting itself right in front of her now. She had to take it. She couldn't pass it.
Once. Just once.
"Don't. No... don't—oh—oh, I remember! I remember! He said, 'don't look back'!" Lolly pumped her fist. "Yes, I got it!"
Piper stopped. Everything stopped.
All of Piper's fleeting dreams and hopes simply vanished. Her grandfather's words echoed distantly in her head. Piper's knees weakened all of a sudden, and she sank onto the bench. She bent forward and buried her face in her palms. She was so tired. She was simply exhausted. She was getting nowhere. There would be no fixing. Joseph had Lolly 'fix' things for him, but he only ended up with regrets—the deep, dark secrets he took to his deathbed. He must have known of Piper's powers since she was just a little child, and so he had sent Lolly to warn her of the wicked powers of changing time. It was too late now. Everything was simply too late. She could never bring back Diane and their Litchfield friends. She could never fix things between her and Alex. They would never be the same again.
"Pipes?"
Piper flinched. She lifted her head and found Alex standing next to her. "Al?"
"What are you doing? Are you ok?" Alex sat down next to Piper, feverishly caressing her face.
The touches were urgent. They were the most heated touches Alex had given her in a while. They felt real. They burned. Piper quickly grabbed Alex's hands on her cheeks, welcoming the warmth. "Yeah... yeah, I'm fine," she breathed. She knew that she would be all right as long as Alex was next to her.
Alex smiled in relief. "Let's go home."
"Yeah," Piper murmured. Alex grabbed her hand and got up, leading the way. Piper obediently followed. She looked over her shoulder once, and was astonished to see only the garbage cart. Lolly was nowhere to be seen.
Our home.
Piper sat on the bed, the iPad in her hand. She glanced up at Alex, who was sitting at the desk, busy with another essay. She watched Alex for a long time, contented at how 'at home' they felt tonight. For the first time in a while, she didn't feel like she was looking at a stranger. For the first time in a while, she saw the familiar gaze from the green eyes whenever Alex took a second from the computer screen to glance her way. Strangely, the silence between them became more bearable tonight.
Piper resumed her reading. It should feel like a regular night. It should feel slightly heartwarming when Alex felt so close to her now. It was Friday night. It just felt good. But something was missing. Something was still off.
The empty cart full of garbage in the park. Its owner had vanished.
Piper looked up again, gazing out the window. She tried to suppress her sigh, but didn't succeed much. Alex instantly glanced at her as the sigh escaped her lips. Alex seemed fidgety tonight, alert and alive. Piper wasn't complaining. Not at all. Tonight had been such a whirlwind of the unexpected.
Don't look back.
Leaning back against the headboard, Piper shut her eyes, chanting the mantra in her head.
Don't look back.
Behind the darkness of her closed eyes, Piper saw how her friends were slain a thousand times over, their bodies laid motionless among the debris. She wanted to fix them. She wanted to make it right again.
Don't look back.
Piper pushed the blanket off her and got out of bed. The calm night had proved to be unsatisfying.
"Pipes...? Where are you going?" Alex got up from her desk as well. She followed the blonde into the hallway. "Pipes, what's going on?"
Piper put her coat on, grabbed her keys, and hurried out the door.
Present.
Piper rushed through the huge park, heading towards her favorite bench. Alex was closely behind her, clueless of what going on. There it was, the cart of full garbage, still standing in front of the bench. Piper turned around, trying to find the time traveler. She needed to take that chance. She needed to make everything right again.
"She's not here. Where did she go? She's gone. She must have—" Piper was cut off by a harsh grip on her arm, swinging her around to face a worried face.
"Pipes—"
"Oh, God, no. No, she's already left—"
"Pipes! Tell me what's going on. What are we doing here?" Alex cupped the blonde's face with both hands, trying to pull Piper's attention back to her. "What's going on? Talk to me."
Piper tried to calm down, her gaze flickering. "But she's gone. She's gone, Alex. I have to find her. I have to. I just want to—"
"Who? What are you talking about?" Alex stared into Piper's eyes, giving her full attention.
Piper momentarily stalled. She felt as though she had been seen for the first time. "The time traveler."
Alex stopped for a second. "What?"
"She's a time traveler. That crazy, homeless woman."
At the answer, Alex briefly looked away.
"You have to believe me, Alex. I should have followed her. I was too slow, and now she's gone!" Piper frantically looked around again. She pushed the cart down to the ground, the garbage scattered. The three potatoes were gone now. "No. No. No. No!"
Alex looked alarmed, but still kept her voice calm. She pulled her girlfriend away from the cart. "What's going on? What's this all about?"
"She knew about my grandfather! She knew things that no stranger could have known. I believe her, Alex. This is it, you see? She showed up for a reason. She could make things right again. She could bring back—"
Alex pulled Piper close, embracing her tightly. "It's really ok, Pipes. It doesn't matter. It doesn't anymore. I will try harder. We're going to be ok, I promise," she softly sighed in Piper's ears.
"This is not ok!" Piper pushed her lover back, her face reddened. "You have to believe me. She really is a time traveler! She... she..." She paused when Alex finally let go of her. Alex just nodded, looking elsewhere. The pose was familiar. The warmth departed. The distance in those green eyes came back again. Alex simply resigned. Alex gave up on them. Like she should.
No.
Piper had feared the worst, and it was happening. Right now. There was no way to fix this unless she found the time traveler again. She had to go back and fix—
Alex pulled a ring out of the coat's pocket, and Piper's train of thoughts ceased.
"I've been meaning to—I—I just... fuck, I can't find words." Alex exhaled. "I've wanted to talk about it for some times now, but there never was the right time. Some stuff always happened. Some shit always got in the way. You were scared. I tried to be busy. We just—we just grew apart. It was just hard." Alex shrugged. "Or maybe not. Maybe we just make things more difficult that they already are. Maybe if we could just look ahead instead of looking back."
Hands clutched at her chest, Piper looked straight at the taller woman in front of her. The intensity in the green eyes had replaced the cold distance between them, chasing away those horrid, lonely nights. She could see the uncertainty and the pain. She could see everything now so clearly. What had prevented her before? What had come between them? How long had they suffered? How much longer?
"It's weird, right? All of this." Alex dryly chuckled.
"Yeah." Piper gulped. "Weird."
Alex ran a hand through her dark hair. "I'm the master of handling everything completely wrong."
Piper didn't move. She couldn't move. Her gaze was still fixed on Alex. "Aren't we all?"
Alex stared into the blue eyes, letting out a soft sigh. "I don't think we're ready. I don't know when and if we'd ever be ready, but I don't want to do it alone. I know that it'll be more suffering with me, but I can't make it without you. And I don't want to share my happiness with anyone else either."
Piper looked at the ring sitting in Alex's palm, and then looked up at her. She was still trying to make sense of it all. She didn't quite want to believe it. It could be just another dream, and she would wake to another nightmare. But, whatever it was, reality or dream, she wanted Alex to be there. She needed Alex to be near.
"Only you."
t was so effortless to lose herself in Alex's deep gaze. With simple words of reassurance, Alex had erased all Piper's doubts away. Alex had reached out to her again, and everything suddenly seemed possible now. She wasn't nearly as afraid and lonely anymore.
Alex gently held Piper's hand up and carefully put the ring on. A promise was made. Their eyes lit up, their smiles widened.
"Are you ready?" Piper whispered, her voice soft and low.
Alex looked puzzled as Piper pressed in closer and wrapped one arm around her waist. Then a realization dawned upon her. "Oh, no. No, Pipes—I—I don't think it's a good idea—whoa—slow down!"
Piper laughed heartily as they ascended into the sky.
"What a way to impress a lady, Chapman," Alex grumbled, her arms wrapping around Piper's neck tighter.
"I want to deliver the news to Litchfield. Good news can't wait."
"Right now? You gotta be kidding me." Alex looked up into the dark sky above, opting to ignore the view below.
"I can take a little detour, if you want," Piper said, a hint of playfulness in her voice.
They rose higher and higher, swimming through in the cosmic pool of brilliant stars. Then she slowed down, enjoying the cool, soothing wind. Smiles on their faces. Stars in their eyes.
One arm around Alex's waist, Piper touched Alex's cheek with her free hand. The touch brought Alex's gaze down from the sky and upon her blue eyes. Piper was then lost in those green pools that were brighter than any stars around them. It was the moment that she fully realized that their paths had forever joined.
"I can't do easy, Alex," Piper whispered. "We both know that it won't be easy for us. But I'll do my best to walk down every path you will go, every flight you will take, happy or painful. I will be there. With you."
A smile on her lips, Alex leaned in, and Piper offered all she had. Their bodies pressed harder against each other. They hadn't felt this warm—heated—ever since they walked out of the ruins that morning, alive but dead. They had been buried in the wreck, living through nightmares and regrets. But all through the pain they had endured, it took just a glimmer of hope to break free from the hellish cycle. In the dark, they had finally found each other.
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End
A/N: Wooooo! I haven't been able to finish a story in six years! This is very special to me. Thank you to all those who have given me kind words for this story. It meant so much to me. I really appreciate it. I got a new story starting. Check it out, if you're interested. See you around.