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Lockdown
1.

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'––Shit!'

Flinching back, Piper sucked her burnt thumb, and glared at the boiler. For the past twenty minutes, she had been stuck in this tiny, stuffy room trying to decipher why there was no hot water running. Being an electrician had its ups and downs. Actually, it just had its downs. Piper knew nothing about the technology used within the prison, as well as the plumbing. Why she and Nicky Nichols had been assigned to this task was a mystery to her. They weren't exactly the best in their field. Still, Caputo thought it reasonable to send them to the boiler room with Luschek assisting them.

Not that Luschek was any help. Spanner in hand, Piper decided to stay away from the overheated boiler for a while until her thumb had cooled down. Nicky was too busy searching in one of the cupboards for more tools, however as soon as Luschek saw Piper slacking off, he yelled at her, 'Oi, inmate! Better get your ass back in gear. If you don't get this done, then all of your lady friends will start whining and whining about how fucking cold their showers are. Don't know why you lot care anyway. It's not as if you wash yourselves.'

'Some of us do,' Piper replied, although she wasn't in the mood to get into a conversation with her CO. Hesitantly, she returned to the boiler, this time avoiding to touch it at all costs. Yet no matter how much she examined it, she wasn't going to get anywhere. As far as she was concerned, this stupid boiler needed a little break. Or, maybe it was just too old and they needed a new one. She doubted Caputo would be feeling generous enough to replace the boiler. Too much money.

There was a loud bang from nearby when Nicky bumped her head against the surface of the cupboard. 'Aw, fuck me!' She groaned, slowly retreating. 'I can't see shit in there.' She tossed back her hair as it was getting in her eyes. Glancing over at Piper, she rubbed her sore head, 'You know what, we should get paid for this crap. Fucking idiots who run this place can't be arsed to do shit, so we have to do it all.'

'Nice. Should have thought about that before you decided to snort all of that heroin up that cute nose of yours,' Luschek responded, leaning up against the wall. 'Not my job to make sure you're having the time of your life here. This isn't a spa. It's a fucking prison.'

'Really?' Nicky responded. 'I did not notice.'

'Get back to whatever the fuck it is you were doing. You too, Chapman. I have to wait here until you're both done playing around.'

'If you're so bored, then fucking give us a hand. I don't know shit about this stuff.' Nicky gestured towards the boiler. 'And that fucking thing stinks, plus it'll fry you if you so much as lay a finger on it. It's the fucking devil's ass crack in here.'

Piper slowly closed her eyes. What a wonderful visual. Luschek sighed, not at all phased. 'That's a great story. Thing is, I can't even pretend to care. Hurry the fuck up. Otherwise, I'll leave you two out here. My shift's nearly finished anyway.'

'Yeah, right. It's not as if you have anything better to do.'

'I have a hell of a lot nicer ways to spend my fucking life than wasting it with you stoners.'

'Uh, sir?' Piper spoke up, smiling as pleasantly as possible. 'I know nothing on boilers. Could you please lend a hand?'

'I don't know,' Luschek shrugged. 'Maybe you could do a little strip tease? It might burst into life then.'

'Are you trying to imply you don't know what to do either?' Nicky smirked. 'That's perfect. Really fucking perfect. We ain't going anywhere now. Why couldn't they hire an electrician who is actually an electrician?' Nicky asked, turning to Piper for backup. 'Mind, this place is full of shit anyway.' She looked back at Luschek. 'How much do they pay you? Like, three bucks an hour?'

'I don't have to tell you again, inmate,' Luschek frowned. 'Fucking get this sorted.'

With some reluctance, Piper returned to the boiler, opening the front in order to inspect some of the buttons and switches. It might as well all be in a different language. In fact, it was. Piper frowned at the German words written before her. Marvellous. Glancing over at Luschek, she saw he was now looking out of the window. The glass had mainly fogged up, but she could see it was snowing. Quite heavily as well. It had been snowing relentlessly all day, and already the ground was a few inches beneath a white blanket. Piper inwardly groaned.

Winter sucked.

Actually, it was Autumn. October. There shouldn't be any snow until, at least, the end of November. Fortunately, the boiler room was relatively warm, but outside it was cold. Their heavy jackets barely protected them from the chill. Plus, now that the boiler was refusing to work, the heating had gone off as well, which meant the prison itself was freezing too.

Piper had more of a reason to avoid the main area than the lack of heating, though. Only last week had her ex-girlfriend/mistress/life fuck-up been sent back to Litchfield after abusing her furlough. Piper could feel the tension and hatred bouncing off Alex, even when she wasn't anywhere near her. Alex knew Piper had named her, and brought her back in. Thankfully, the two had managed to avoid each other, but whenever they were forced together, Piper did whatever she could to avoid conversation.

Right now she couldn't face her. In her head, she had thought of countless ways into helping Alex understand why she did what she did. But whenever she so much as looked at her, Piper backed out. Alex was scary. Alex was fucking terrifying when she was angry, and Piper knew she would break her neck if she could. Alex hated prison more than Piper did. And even if she had been stashing a gun under her pillow every night, in fear Kubra's men may attack her, she would rather be in that shit than this shit. But hey, Alex was no angel herself. She had fucked Piper over more than once. As well as trying to protect her, Piper liked to think she also sent her back here out of sweet vengeance.

If anyone knew there was trouble between them, it was Nicky. Every time Alex so much as walked past their table during meal times, Nicky was grinning ear-to-ear. Piper didn't see what was so funny about their drama. However, Nicky didn't prod Piper about it. She tended to avoid the subject altogether and Piper had a feeling why. Although it was unrelated, Lorna being sent to SHU had shaken Nicky up slightly. After helping Rosa escape prison, Lorna's kindness backfired. As soon as it was discovered that she had been the real cause behind her escape, Caputo sent her straight to SHU without hesitation. Just seeing Lorna struggle and plead nearly had Nicky burst into tears.

And that would have been a shock. Piper hadn't witnessed Nicky cry before. Not really. She had been tearful over Vee attacking Red, but that was more anger than anything. Nicky crying out of sadness was such a bizarre sight, Piper was relieved she bottled most of her misery in. Neither women spoke about Alex or Lorna. They didn't want to. They understood that the very mention of those two ladies sent them into a spiral of fucked up confusion and pain. In a way, this had brought them closer. Polly had been crossed off Piper's "favourite people" list and, even if she denied it, Nicky had somehow earned her place at the top. She was Piper's opposite, but she was a good, loyal friend.

At the end of the day, that was all Piper needed. Wanted.

Someone to lean on when things got too much. Lately, they had been leaning on each other anyway, and it helped them get through. No matter how much one tried to hide their fragility, it came out sooner or later. Especially in prison. Even though Nicky came out with rather absurd advice, she managed to cheer Piper up whatever the case. Piper liked to think she provided the same comfort back. They hadn't heard anything about Lorna for the past three days, but Nicky was handling it well. Much better than Piper thought. Most of the time, it was as if Lorna never passed her mind.

'I'm going to have a word with Caputo. Tell him we're not progressing,' Luschek said, without looking at the two. 'Stay here. Don't do anything stupid.' Neither women said anything when he opened the door, and closed it behind him, stepping out into the wild snowstorm.

Nicky huffed. 'I love it here.'

Dropping the spanner, Piper sat down against the wall, raising her knees. She said nothing, partially due to the fact she was worried. The snow was getting increasingly worse out there, and she was dreading the possibility they might get trapped in this room. Nicky must have caught on. She softened her expression slightly and sat down beside her.

'Hey, man, we'll be outta here in no time.'

'I know,' Piper muttered. The wind howled outside, and the snow started to batter against the windows. 'I wish we got some word from outside. I mean, outside the prison grounds. This weather is crazy –– and since when does it ever snow in October?'

'Someone must have pissed off the G-Man.' Nicky scrambled to her feet and looked out of the window. She could barely see anything. 'Shit, it's fucking Antarctica out there.'

Piper sighed, grabbed the spanner and fiddled with it. 'Happy Holidays.'

'If this snow was actually cocaine, I'd die happy.'

'And instantly.'

'Best way to go.'

Piper smiled. Glancing down at her hands, she trailed her thumb over a dent in the tool. 'To be honest, I think the world would be a little less exciting without you in it.' There was a long pause, and Piper allowed that comment to sink in, despite how stupid she felt afterwards.

'You know what?' Nicky said, looking down at her. 'I think that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me.'

'Oh.' Piper met her gaze. 'I guess there's always a first.' Returning to examining her spanner again, Piper waited a little longer for Luschek to return. If he ever would. By now, the snow was harder, faster, and it didn't look as if it would settle anytime soon. She shuddered a little, and wrapped her arms around herself. Nicky seemed undeterred with the drop in temperature. 'By the way, I've been meaning to apologise.'

Frowning, Nicky said, 'What for?'

'For Red. What I said. You know, about...' Piper swallowed. 'I was selfish, and I didn't really acknowledge how you felt. Sort of just made the whole thing about me.' She waited again, but this time felt tense. She should have apologised a long time ago, but there was never an appropriate moment. Rarely did Nicky and Piper fall out –– in fact, they never had –– but that one time had caused an unwelcoming shift between them. 'So, I'm sorry.' A shrug. Uncertainty, shy, awkward.

To her relief, she heard Nicky chuckle. 'Don't give it another thought. I mean, things were pretty rough then –– we were both in a shitty place. Yeah, you were being a selfish asshole at the time, but I was acting like a fucking brat.' A pause. Nicky drummed her fingers against the windowsill. 'We both had our problems, kid. We always do.'

'And I'm sorry about Morello,' Piper instantly shut up. She couldn't believe she said that, but, heck, she was sorry. If there was one person in this dump who stuck beside Nicky, it was Lorna. To have a close friend taken away must be unbearable.

'Yeah,' Nicky wiped the foggy window with her sleeve. 'Me too.' They let the silence take over for a while. Sometimes, silence was necessary. A lot had been confessed in so few words, and Piper felt better now that she had apologised. And even if they refused to talk about Lorna, they still needed to at least once. Nicky could hide it as much as she liked, but it was obvious she was still unhappy without her. Maybe she always would be. 'Weird how they get to you.'

Piper raised a brow. 'Hm?'

'Women.'

'Oh. Yeah.'

'She's not even my type,' Nicky smiled crookedly, but it quickly fell. Propping herself on one elbow, she tried to distract her thoughts. 'You and Vause made nice yet?'

Exhaling heavily, Piper rolled back her shoulders. She was expecting her name to pop up. 'No. The last time I saw her was in the shower room, and she either didn't recognise me, or ignored me completely.'

'Silent treatment, eh? Oof. You must have pissed her off good.'

'Has she said anything to you?'

Nicky grinned. 'Apart from the fact you're a two-faced, bimbo asswipe?'

'She said that?'

'She also said you sweat a lot in bed.'

'I––' Piper gaped in horror. 'What?'

Nicky burst out laughing. 'Fuck me, Chapman! You're hysterical. Vause hasn't said shit about you,' Grinning, she looked over at her. 'Not about you squirting either––'

'Okay, can we not go down that road, please?'

'Why not? It's quite an achievement, Chapman. More for Vause, I guess, seeing as she––'

'Nicky.'

'Yeah, sorry.' Sighing, Nicky slumped her shoulders. 'How much fucking longer are we supposed to wait here? My ass is freezing. If I sat on the boiler, will it hurt?'

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Piper shrugged. 'Probably. I wouldn't try.' She groaned. 'If Luschek doesn't come back in ten minutes, I'm going.'

'Right behind you.' Just as Nicky said this, they heard a phone ring. Both women exchanged glances, and then turned to the source. Attached to the wall was, indeed, a white phone connected to several lines within the prison. Nicky went over, and answered, 'This is Nichols and Son electrical. How may I help you?' Piper smirked, and watched as Nicky's face fell. '...What?' She rolled her eyes, 'You mean we've been sitting here for no fucking reason?' A pause. 'All right, all right! We're going.' She hung up. 'That was Luschek. Apparently Caputo said we can go. Waste of my fucking time.'

'Thank God,' Piper muttered. Leaving her spanner behind, she went over to the door, and pushed it open. It didn't budge. Piper tried again. Nothing. 'Fuck.' Stepping back, she then whammed her side into the door, but to no avail. She looked over at Nicky. 'I think we're snowed in.'

Nicky blinked. 'I hope you're having a laugh.'

'Nope.' Piper pushed her weight against the door. 'I am not laughing.'

'Hold on. Give it here.'

Piper stepped back and watched as Nicky braced herself, before shooting out her foot and kicking the door. There was a loud thwump. Nothing. Nicky grimaced. 'Ow.' She sheepishly limped away. 'Ow. Fuck. Not doing that again.'

'We're stuck here.' Piper widened her eyes. 'We're stuck here!'

'Stay calm, kid. It's just snow. I'll give 'em a ring.' Nicky returned to the phone, and pressed the button labeled "central line". There were a couple of rings, until finally a CO answered. 'Hi, it's Nichols. I'm stuck in the boiler room with Chapman. We can't get out because of the snow, so could you, I dunno, come help us out or something?' She heard nothing but a fuzzy noise on the other end. 'Uh, hello?' Nicky's left eye twitched. 'I can't help but get the feeling we're starring in a horror film.'

'––Hello?'

Nicky jumped in surprise. 'Oh, God, life. Please tell me you have a shovel or a truck or a snowplough –– a fucking helicopter for all I care, because we're stuck in the boiler room.'

More fuzzy noise. Fortunately, the voice didn't disappear. 'Currently, we're not able to help you right now. We're stuck in ourselves, but once the snow has settled and we're able to move it out of the way, we'll come get you out.'

Nicky pulled a face. 'Oh, perfect. So what are me and Chapman supposed to do until then?'

'I don't know. Sit around. Wait. Play with each other?'

'Thanks, man. Really appreciating the comfort talk there. If we starve and die, try not to feel too guilty.'

'Oh, don't worry. I'll be fine. Stay warm. The snow is supposed to stop in a couple of hours.'

'Wonderful. Can't fucking wait.' Nicky hung up, and repeated to Piper what she had been informed. The blonde was less calm about the matter.

Groaning loudly, she ran her hands down her face. 'What if the snow doesn't stop until tomorrow morning?'

'That's basically what I said,' Nicky replied, folding her arms. 'Well, guess all we can do is wait.' Her lower lip quivered slightly. 'You know, I imagined many ways in which I would die, the first being from an overdose. I never thought I'd die with you.'

Piper slumped down onto the floor. 'Sorry to disappoint.'

'I could be with worse people.' They shared a little smile. 'You're not scared, are you, man?'

'No.' Piper narrowed her brows. 'No. This sort of stuff must happen all the time. We're snowed in, but if it's supposed to stop in a couple of hours, then we'll be out soon. So, no need to panic.' She nodded, more to herself than Nicky. 'I got snowed in once when I was younger. Skipped school for a week.'

'What a rebel.'

Piper looked at her. 'For me, that was a long time.'

Nicky snorted. 'You make me chortle, Blondie. It's why I like you so much.' She smiled. 'That's why your mistress likes you so much––'

'Maybe we will die, Nicky, and if we do, I don't want my last thoughts to be about... her.'

'If we do die,' the slighter older woman looked at Piper. Slowly raised a brow in curiosity. 'You sure you don't want me to–– y'know, send you to Heaven first myself?'

It took a moment for that to hit. Piper cocked back her chin. 'I am not having sex with you in a boiler room. Before I die. I–– no.'

'Why not? We're gonna die, anyway.'

'If we die. And, even if we were, I wouldn't––' Piper exhaled. '––We... I don't think we'd connect.'

Grinning crookedly, Nicky leaned against the wall. 'Oh yeah, Chapman? What bullshit. Hey, if me and Vause can connect, than surely you and I can.'

'Thank you for reminding me about you two getting a little frisky with one another.'

'Frisky? Ha, what an understatement. Vause couldn't keep her hands off me after what you did to her. She was a bruised, beaten little kitten. Heartbroken. I think she let your name slip once when we were together.' Piper looked at her sharply. 'Kind of cute actually.'

Cheeks reddening, Piper averted her gaze. 'Can we not talk about her, please?'

'Do me a favour, kid. If we survive this, will you just fucking marry her? The drama between you two was funny at first, but now it's driving my head in. Fuck, the woman of your dreams is here with you, right now. You got her. So don't fucking take that for granted. Take the opportunity, man.'

'She's not exactly the woman of my dreams––'

'She's Alex Vause, and your eyes go heart-shaped whenever you see her. You're both fucking lunatics.'

'And you and Lorna aren't?'

Nicky chewed on the inside of her lip. The smile was gone. She squinted her eyes, and turned to the window. 'If I hear about Christopher one more fucking time, I will rip out my hair and eat it.'

'Eurgh.'

'Fucking dick. Made her cry. No one makes my girl cry.'

'I'm the lunatic? Really?'

'Just making a statement, man. Plus, me and Morello aren't fucking each other over every few seconds. You and Vause are like revolving doors. All over each other one minute, the next you're trying to murder each other. Can't fucking keep up. Are you still pretending you hate each other, or are you back together now?'

'I get that we can be a little dramatic––'

'Wow.'

'––but you don't have to go ahead and be an ass about it.'

It was Piper's sharp tone which shut Nicky up. They fell into silence again. Neither should have discussed Lorna and Alex for this very reason –– it always created an uncomfortable tension. Piper craned her head to the side. She wasn't angry. Nor upset. Just talking about Alex made her feel so many things: guilt, regret, worry, fear and love. The latter being the strongest. She still loved Alex, and it was obvious Alex still loved her, but, fuck, that woman was impossible.

Sending her back to Litchfield had not been a mistake. However, she had deliberately avoided Alex for days now, and Piper wondered if it was already too late to make amends.

Well, what did it matter? As far as Nicky and Piper were concerned, she was going to die anyway. What a pathetic life.

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So engrossed in her novel, Alex didn't notice the majority of inmates crowding around the windows, until she finally looked up. Lowering her book, she walked over, able to see past most heads due to her height. Apparently, all the fuss was about the snow. It was nothing out of the ordinary. Sure, there was a lot of snow, but the women's awe made no sense. Alex was about to return to her cell when she spotted two COs talking quietly, their speech hurried, a little panicked.

It was then when she heard an inmate say, 'That Nichols and College girl are stuck in the boiler room somewhere. Snowed in and all.'

Alex liked to think she was only concerned about Nicky. As for the College girl –– Piper –– well, Alex didn't care. Heck, let her freeze to death, but Alex certainly didn't want her friend to follow the same fate. Snapping her novel shut, Alex approached the two COs and interrupted their conversation, 'What's this about two inmates being stuck in the boiler room?'

One of the COs was Bennett, the other Luschek. Both gave her a look, and it was Luschek who responded, 'Nothing for you to start biting your nails over.' He snorted. 'Oh, right. You worried about your sweet girlfriend?'

'No. Only curious. Just wondered why no one's helped them out yet.'

'That's enough, inmate,' Bennett cut in. 'If you must know, we're snowed in ourselves. We can't help Nichols and Chapman –– they'll have to wait until the snow settles.'

Their discussion had attracted a few more inmates over, two of them being Poussey and Watson. ''Till the snow settles? It's been crazy like this all day. By the time it's fucking settled, those two white girls will be ice cubes. Seen shit like this happen before,' Poussey said, 'If you ever picked up a newspaper, you'd know there's been a whole stir going around. Not just snow, but hurricanes too.'

'Couple of planes crashed down, as well,' Watson added. 'Good luck trying to get those girls out when the snow "settles". If they're still breathing.'

Alex hadn't picked up a newspaper lately, and she had no idea how these two women knew so much about what was happening outside the prison. Luschek laughed, 'You two are just rays of sunshine.' Bennett, on the other hand, didn't look amused. 'Careful. Don't want to scare Vause here. You look like you're shitting a brick.'

''Cos she doesn't want Rapunzel freezing up,' Watson muttered. 'Even though she dragged her ass back in here.'

'I don't care about Chapman,' Alex snapped, a little too harshly. She internally cursed. So much for subtlety. 'It's Nichols I'm worried about. I think we should do something. Not just wait it out.'

'Oh, yeah? Why?' Luschek challenged.

'When it stops snowing, it might be too late. I'm not going to take any risks. The snow's getting deeper by the minute. If we wait any longer, it's just going to get worse. And I don't think Nichols can wait. She doesn't have food or water. Or warmth.'

'She has Chapman to snuggle.'

Alex grimaced, tightened her grip on her novel. She didn't want to think about Nicky and Piper "snuggling". She didn't even want to think about them in the same room together. 'That––' She rolled her eyes, growing impatient. '––That won't be enough. We need to bring them back here.'

'Who put you in charge, then?' Luschek said.

They were both a similar height, but Alex straightened herself slightly so she was a little taller. Just to show she was willing to fight over this, she raised her glasses over her head and looked him in the eye. 'Maybe I should be in charge, considering you're too fucking stupid to know what's best.'

Poussey laughed. 'The fuck you trying to start?'

'I'm giving you a shot for that, inmate. Might even get you sweeping the floors with a toothbrush, and let the other inmates walk all over you. Like the rug you are.'

'You need to get Nichols out,' Alex said. She didn't care about the shot, or the extra punishment. She couldn't give less of a damn. She just wanted Nicky safe. She wanted Nicky and Piper safe. Damn it. Alex had been trying to avoid Piper as much as possible; wanted nothing to do with that stupid, pathetic, selfish bitch. She had been so close to getting away, this close. She was nearly able to live a life of her own, until Piper ruined it. Again. 'You need to get her out right now.'

'Settle down, inmate,' Bennett said.

'She's got a point,' Watson murmured. 'You can go search for them later, but the cold might have beaten you to it.'

Alex appreciated Watson backing her up, but the constant reminders that Nicky and Piper might die out there wasn't helping. The COs spoke to each other quietly again, possibly figuring out how to deal with Alex, Watson and Poussey or Nicky and Piper. Maybe all of them. Alex couldn't be sure. She didn't know what they were saying and that was pissing her off.

Why was no one doing anything?

'Go back to reading your fairytales,' Luschek said, turning to Alex. 'You'll be with your cuddle buddy in no time––'

'What the fuck is wrong with you!?' Alex yelled, catching the attention of most inmates within the hallway. 'Didn't you hear anything that was said to you? There's no time to sit around waiting.'

'Speak to me like that again, then I'll send you down to SHU.'

Before Alex could retort, Poussey grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back slightly. 'It ain't worth it.'

'Fuck it isn't,' Alex muttered, glaring at the CO. 'Shit.' She yanked her arm out of Poussey's grip. She wished she didn't care so much. She wished she wasn't shaking with anger; she wished her heart wasn't pounding against her ribcage. She wished she would stop thinking about Piper, stuck behind a wall of snow, dead. Lifeless. No longer breathing.

That wasn't fair. Piper didn't get to fuck her around and then die. Fuck. Fuck, no.

Alex turned to the two women. 'How did you know about the hurricanes?'

'The library's usually got a couple of newspaper strips lying around,' Poussey replied. 'Guess it's all right for us to read about the weather, but nothing else.' She shrugged. 'Dunno why they've kept it hidden from all yous, though. Probably think you'll start panicking like you did just now.'

Ignoring that comment, Alex peered over her shoulder to look at Luschek and Bennett. They had returned to speaking quietly amongst themselves. Then, Luschek turned on his heel and walked away. Bennett was about to follow, but he stopped and faced Alex. His expression had softened, 'Listen, we're doing everything we can. But we have been advised to stay indoors until the worst has passed. There's no point rushing out and adding more dead bodies to the pile.' He winced. 'That came out wrong.'

'You think?' Poussey scowled.

'I'm going to be contacting Nichols and Chapman soon. The telephone lines are acting up, and there isn't any knowing when they'll screw up completely. Vause, you can have a word with Chapman if that'll keep you calm. But, you need to keep your head down. I––' He shrugged. 'I know what it feels like when you're scared about a loved one.'

'Will you quit it with the sappy, hetero love crap?' Poussey responded.

Bennett stiffened a little, and wisely focussed his attention on Alex instead. The dark-haired woman rolled her eyes, 'I don't need to repeat myself: I'm not worried about Chapman. The freeze can have her. It's Nichols I want out.'

'You can wish one or the other out, Vause, but it won't speed things along. If you come with me, you can talk to Chapman. Or Nichols.' He stepped back. 'Or not.'

For Nicky's sake, Alex followed Bennett down the hallway, towards one of the CO offices. She felt rather dizzy, but maintained her composure. More and more started to crowd the windows, and the possibility of the weather getting worse continued to reach Alex's ears. She hated how prison stopped her from knowing what was happening out there. The weather was not normal. That much she could tell.
And of all people to be snowed in together. Alex was angry again and, bizarrely, she was angry at Piper. Why did it have to be Piper?

Stupid girl. Stupid, fucking idiot. Why Piper?

Why her?

Entering the office, Bennett picked up one of the phones and pressed a button. After a wait, he received an answer. 'Ah, hi. This is Bennett. We're still not able to help you out, but we've heard news the snow will cease within the next couple of hours. Are you both doing okay?' Alex stepped further inside, and listened out to who Bennett was speaking to. She heard nothing, though. 'If you check in one of the cupboards, there should be a water bottle. I remember leaving one there.' He sighed. 'Yes, Nichols, it's unused. Make sure you and Chapman ration it out. That's all you have, and I'm not certain on how much longer you both have to stay in there.'

Bennet glanced at Alex, and raised his chin.

'Wait, don't hang up yet. A friend wants to speak to you.' He passed the phone over.

Alex took it, and pressed it to her ear. 'Nichols?'

'Vause? Aw man, am I glad to hear your voice!'

'Are you all right?'

'Yeah. It's fucking freezing, though. Like, the temperature just dropped so fast in the last hour. It's fucking crazy, man. Wish you were here. Chapman isn't much of a conversationist when in survival mode.' Nicky laughed, probably at Piper's response. Alex's chest tightened. Nothing about this was funny. Knowing Piper was stuck in that room made her feel so uneasy. 'You wanna talk to her?'

Alex widened her eyes. 'Wh–– No, I––'

'Alex?'

Damn it. Alex really didn't want to speak to Piper. She turned away from Bennett. 'Uh. Hi.'

'Hi.' An awkward pause. 'Nicky wanted us to start talking again, and I thought seeing as I'm probably going to die in here––'

'Cut it with that crap, yeah?' Alex rolled her eyes. 'If it gets cold, you two need to share body heat.'

'I know that. We're doing okay at the moment. The boiler is still keep us warm.' A long wait, and then, 'Alex, what the fuck is going on out there?'

'A lot. You don't need to worry about that.'

Another pause. 'I need to talk to you about–– you being here.'

'Funny you'd wait until now.'

'I know... I hate it here; it's gross.' Piper laughed lightly, and Alex nearly smiled. 'I'm just really glad to hear you. I thought we wouldn't speak again, and I'd never have the chance to––'

'You're rambling, and you don't have time to ramble. I need to give the phone back soon. Just wait this one out, will you? I––' Alex stopped. 'Fuck you, Piper. Why did you have to go ahead and get snowed in like this?'

'It's not my fault. And fuck you for not talking to me until now.'

'I was only meant to talk to Nichols.'

'Oh.'

'Vause?' Bennett said from behind.

'I need to return the phone. Piper, you're probably going to be stuck in there for a while, but I'll make sure you get out one way or another. I need to––' Give you a good yelling, '––I just need you to stay alive for me, all right?'

'Alex, I'll be fine. And I have Nicky to keep me company. Don't worry.'

That wasn't what Alex wanted to hear. Clearly Piper was anything but fine, and she hated it when Piper told her not to worry. It only made her do the exact opposite. But it was good to hear her voice, at least. Good to talk to her, even after the shit that had happened. Because, fuck, maybe Piper would die out there. Maybe this was the last time they would speak. Alex offered the phone back, and Bennett hung up. She pressed her novel to her chest.

She was still angry at Piper. She still hated Piper. She still wanted to grab Piper by the neck and throttle her, but she was scared. No one knew what the weather was doing, and even if Nicky was good company, that didn't mean she knew how to survive in such severe conditions. Alex stepped out of the office, opened her book, and tried to focus on the words.

Anything to get her away from reality.

.

.

.

author's note: I've wanted to do this "ice age" scenario before I even watched OITNB. So, I thought I'd give it a go. As always, do not expect my work to be accurate. I only write this stuff for fun, after all. My other two Vauseman stories are getting pretty heavy on the angst, and I wanted something more refreshing, so went ahead with this idea. Thank you for reading, and please do share your thoughts. I feel a little insecure about my writing in this chapter, but hopefully I'm just being paranoid.