Alex hung up the phone with Piper after an hour-long conversation. She immediately dialed Nicky.

"Hey Vause, I'm two minutes away, I brought beer!" Her best friend picked up the phone and skipped the traditional greeting.

"Alright, see you soon Nichols." She hung up the phone, and forced herself to calm down. Thoughts of Piper swirled in her mind; blasting through every wall, she put up.

Nicky Nichols had been friends with Alex for several years. She had originally picked Nicky up as a mule; but the pair hit it off after the first five minutes. She was honest with Nicky and asked her to be a drug mule. Nicky was up for the challenge, not to mention all of the benefits. She wanted to travel, earn ridiculous amounts of cash and not have to find a real job. There was only so much heroin she could be around before she fell victim to its euphoric charm. Nicky struggled to stay clean for many years after her downfall. Alex never gave up or turned her back. Nicky fell off the wagon several times before she met Lorna Morello. The one good thing in her life; the only reason she wanted to be clean.

Alex held her head in her hands and focused on breathing.

Piper Chapman. The woman that left her eight years ago. The woman that abandoned her eight years ago. It took one look and Alex was putty in her hands. She fell back into her the blonde's arms without hesitation.

Piper Chapman. Undeniably the love of her life. The only woman, other than her mother, that she would lay her life out on the line for. She made the mistake of letting Piper go years ago and has regretted not chasing her ever since.

Flashback:

"Alex, you have been on the computer for hours. Why don't you turn that thing off; come to lunch with me and tell me how much you love me and how cute I am." The blonde smiled brightly at a very distracted Alex.

"Pipes, I would love nothing more than to do that, but I am so fucking stressed and I need to get this shit done" She didn't turn her attention away from the screen; Alex's fingers typed furiously as she struggled to balance her personal life with her illegal career.

The blonde-haired woman's smile fell, along with her pride.

"But you're always so fucking stressed. Alex; I know this is your job, but I am literally going insane. You never take the time to talk to me unless its 3 am and you just climbed in bed, hoping to get a piece before you return back to work." She grimaced, spilling the truth.

Alex's fingers paused slightly as she listened to the blonde's pleas.

"Piper, I'm sorry. What do you want me to say? I have responsibilities and Kubra is dragging me through a ton of shit. I'm late on these emails as it is and I just don't have time to play house with you okay?"

Her words slapped Piper in the face. Alex immediately regretted her words as she saw her girlfriends blue eye's fall to the floor and fill with tears.

Piper searched for the words to reply, but just shook her head. As she went to leave, Alex jumped out of her seat and caught her wrist.

"Hey, hey, look I'm really sorry, I didn't mean that. Look, let me just finish this email and we can go to lunch okay?"

Piper hesitated for a moment, wanting to curse Alex out and leave her in the hotel alone, for hours, wondering where Piper could have gone. She quickly realized that this was an opportunity to spend time with Alex and if she passed it up, there might not be another one for days or even weeks.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Finish your email, and we can go." Piper smiled slightly, still hurt by her previous words. Alex cupped Piper's cheek in her hand softly and looked into her sad blue eyes.

"I'll only be a minute alright?" Piper nodded and went to sit on the bed to wait.

"Pipes?" Alex called out after returning to her position in front of the laptop.

Piper stared silently, listening to Alex's nervous voice.

"Would you be up for a trip to Istanbul this weekend?"

Piper's face immediately lit up with excitement.

"YES!" She shouted brightly. Piper wanted nothing more than some time alone with Alex. She felt Alex drowning slowly under her workload.

"Oh, God, thank you Pipes, I swear, you'll only be there for a day, you can fly home the same night." Relief rolled off the brunette in strong waves.

Piper froze and reality hit her straight in the heart. 'You can fly home the same night. You, as in, not we.'

She set her jaw and felt a chuckle ripple through her chest. Alex stared at her with a confused expression.

"For a second, I was stupid enough to think that we would go on a vacation, you know like a normal couple." She rose off the bed and made her way for the door. She paused before reaching the open frame. "I thought I was clear when I said I would never do that again Alex." She turned to stare at the taller woman. Her glare made Alex shiver slightly.

"Piper! I'm fucking drowning here and you won't even consider helping me?"

"Fuck you Alex, I have been patient and I have tried to stay out of the way; but I told you I would never carry another bag of drug money for you again. Am I just another mule for you to fuck?" Piper screeched at her.

Alex felt her anger rising.

"No Piper! You were never a fucking mule, we are a team and I need you to help me!" She raised her tone to match Pipers.

"I'm done Alex. I'm fucking done." She turned back towards the door.

"Don't you fucking leave me Piper." Alex cried out; a hint of fear and anger spilled from her tone.

Piper froze once more. A long moment passed before she turned to brunette with a blank expression.

"Alex, you are a drug dealer and it is ruining everything good in your life." Her face displayed her pain perfectly. "I can't be a part of this anymore Alex. All I ever wanted was your time, but it's clear to me that you have other priorities. I would tell you to call me when you are ready to put me first, but I won't waste my breath." Before she could stop herself she let three words spill from her mouth that would forever change her life. "Good bye Alex." Without missing a beat, Piper turned from her position and left the apartment.

Alex sighed heavily. She allowed Piper to escape her life and didn't have the courage to chase her.

Her phone buzzed quietly, tearing her away from her mudded thoughts.

Piper: 'Wanna meet for coffee tomorrow? The café on Main Street, 9am?'

She smiled brightly at her phone. She quickly replied.

Alex: 'I'll be there, wear something sexy ;]'

She smirked, knowing the blonde would blush at her text. It only took a moment for the reply to come in.

Piper: 'Alex!'

Alex: 'What? I was kidding! I mean, but if you happen to wear something that exposes a lot of your skin, I wouldn't be upset…'

Piper: 'I'll see you tomorrow morning Al.'

Alex laughed loudly and as she went to reply, Nicky burst through the door with a six-pack in her hand.

She nodded at her best friend and motioned for the wild haired woman to join her on the couch.

Alex smiled down at her phone mindlessly.

Alex: 'Goodnight Piper, dream of me ;]'

"Why are you smiling at your phone like a dope?" Nicky passed her a bottle and plopped into the seat beside her.

"No reason." Alex's grin got wider. Nicky rolled her eyes and shifted her body to face Alex more.

"Spill it Vause; I haven't seen you this happy since… Shit I don't know, the time I puked all over that girl from the club?"

Alex let out another hearty laugh.

"Shit, that was fuckin' funny, but I don't know; I just ran into someone today and… I don't know…"

"Was this particular person a hot female?"

Alex nodded a little too quickly. Nicky raised her eyebrows and waited for more information.

Alex sighed, took a swig of her beer and decided to tell her.

"I might have seen… my ex… and ended up fucking her in the bathroom of the hardware store while Sylvie was picking out paint." Alex rushed the horrible truth quickly as she ran her hand through her black hair nervously.

Nicky choked on her beer and slammed it on the coffee table. "I'm sorry, you fuckin' what?!" Her grin reached ear to ear.

"I fucked Piper Chapman today Nichols, don't make me admit it again."

"Holy shit, I… I can't even believe this now. The devil herself? Chapman? The one who left you all those years ago and has prevented you from loving another human creature since?" Nicky leaned in for conformation.

Alex nodded and exhaled deeply.

"I am so fucked" She shook her head and closed her eyes.

"I am so fucked" Piper breathed out as she got ready for bed. Piper could feel herself falling for the brunette; hook, line and sinker. She knew nothing about the present Alex Vause. Was she still in a cartel? Are she and Sylvia back together? Of course, she said she had a girlfriend. Piper's mind ran wild as she thought about Alex. Would Alex want to get back together? Was it a onetime fling? Well she agreed to coffee, so obviously it meant slightly more than a quick fuck in the bathroom. Should she tell Larry? Would she be willing to leave Larry?

Piper was interrupted from her rapid questions as Larry approached her.

"Hey Pipes, ready for bed?" He kissed her fore head and motioned towards their bedroom.

She nodded slightly.

She loved Larry. He was sweet, dependable and always put her first. Larry was also slightly immature and not the best lover in bed, but he was stable and that was more than she could say for Alex Vause. At least, the Alex that she left behind all those years ago.

Piper slept beside her boyfriend of six years. Her mind filled with nothing other than Alex Vause.

Alex Vause was inevitable and Piper knew it was only a matter of time.