A/N: I know these are going on at a snails pace, but I'm planning a whole lot more chapters. Alex and Nichols coming up, I promise. I wanted to set establish a better Piper and Morello friendship before bringing in the great drama of their respective relationsips. It's slow at the moment, but when she's out of imediate danger, that's when it'll get more interesting. Thanks to everyone for staying with me :D Happy readings! -Z

Chapter 4: Trouble

"You haven't asked me yet?" Piper mumbled, as she prepared herself to step forward onto her injured leg again. Lorna glanced at the blonde woman, before shuffling her feet forward to counterbalance the other inmates weight.

They had made in half way to Chapman bunk, in surprisingly little time considering that the injured woman could hardly weight bare on her right leg. In that time, they had largely managed to avoid suspicion from the few other inmates they had encounter by hugging to the walls and separating whenever someone came past them. Even the CO that had stopped to ask Piper why she was not wearing her shoes, let them pass with a warning when Lorna explained that they had been soaked in the shower. Lorna had never felt so much trepidation in her life. She knew that if they were to be caught now, she would be held as an accomplice of whatever Chapman had done to Doggett, but she was past the point of no return. She had found her bleeding, she had given her her own clothes to wear and now, she was helping her to get away with it. And it was becoming increasingly risky to do so.

As they had first exited the shower block, a large inmate with short blond hair appeared around the corner, causing them both to freeze in sheer terror. Without so much as a glance, the woman stalked past them and into the shower. They had both let out a sigh of relief, and were just preparing to start off once more when a voice from behind caused them both to jump in alarm.

"You forget something?" the woman muttered in a deep voice, and held up a pair of size 10 boots. Lorna had glanced down at Chapmans feet with what must have been one of the strangest of looks, before thanking her with genuine relief. Grabbing the boots off the woman, they had both turned and headed off, huddled together in a slow march of solidarity. Behind them, the larger inmate shook her head and walked back into the showers, before muttering "Fucking lesbians".

For the most part, Chapman was silent. Not so much as a grunt of pain had escaped her mouth since the bathroom. Lorna could tell by the set of her jaw and the perspiration coating her face that the other inmate was in a world of pain. But the blond was determined, resolute in such a way that Lorna was slowly coming to respect her in a whole new way.

As she placed her injured leg down, and immediately followed in through with the left leg, Lorna remembered that Chapman had spoken to her.

"Asked you what?" She grunted back, avoiding eye contact with Wendy, a Golden Girl Lorna had met driving the van, as she shuffled past them. Wendy raised an eye brow at them and shook her head as she headed off towards her own bunk. They turned the corner and stopped, Lorna allowing time for Chapman to rest. She had not asked to do so once, but Lorna had noticed the way the other inmate had started to tremble bodily as the pain and blood loss started to creep up on her. She was certain that whatever adrenaline high the blond had been riding in the bathroom, had long ago abandoned her to the pain.

"How it happened."

"I know how it happened," Lorna replied with a snort, coming to lean on the wall next to her with her arms folded. She looked straight ahead, but she could feel that the blonds face was awash with surprise. She turned to look at her and smirked shrewdly.

"Oh, it ain't really no mystery. She got up in your face, you got back in hers, and she tried to get square. This is jail, doll, not 221 Bakers St," she said, giving her a withered look. Chapman blinked at her with a frown, before something caught her eye. Her eyes widened slightly and she looked past her, causing Lorna to follow her line of sight. She felt her heart catch in her throat, and could only stand and watch with growing fear.

Coming directly towards them in long, fast strides, was the new CO Wayne Griggs. As he made a beeline for the two frozen inmates, his dark eyes locked unwaveringly at Pipers. Unease washed over Lorna as his pace stared to slow, and the feeling only intensified as he reached for his baton. Griggs was a big man, tall muscular with a blond crew cut and goatee. Word from the rumour mill had it that he had been suspended from the men's Federal prison for bashing an inmate into a coma.

Resting his hand on his weapon he gave Lorna a quick once over, which caused her to drop her gaze in some archaic form of submission. With a small twitch of his lips, his eyes fell sharply onto Pipers once more. To her surprise, the blonde beside her did not even blink.

"Inmate, are you above regulation?" he asked, his voice loud and strident, and it instantly reminded Lorna of a drill sergeants.

"No sir," Piper replied clearly, a sudden strength to her voice that Lorna had not heard since she had found her in the shower stall. She frowned, but daren't to look up at the two. Although she was pleased to hear Piper sounding more like herself, she felt with a certain unease, that this was a time for extreme caution.

"Does this look like your allocated dorm, Inmate?" Griggs asked in his drill sergeants voice, and Lorna felt herself begin to fidget.

"No sir."

"Then why are your boot not on your feet, prisoner? You are in a prison, inmate! Loitering in the hallway with no shoes on will not be tolerated, do you understand me? It looks to me like you're just looking for trouble tonight, Chapman" he sneered, and Lornas heart began to sink. Piper stayed quiet this time, sensing that the CO would not be satisfied with any answer she gave him. A heavy silence fell over them all.

The big man stood in front of them, eyeing them both intently. Lorna had a bad feeling about this CO. He was taking too much time to chastise them, clearing enjoyed watching them squirm and the comment about trouble seemed to be too loaded to be coincidental. Could he possibly know? Her grip on the laundry bag tightened and she hazarded a glance at him. She was startled as she lifted her eyes, to find her gaze locked with his. There was something in his look, something akin to a predatory hunger that set Lorna's teeth on edge. Shuddering, she looked down and frowned.

Relief flooded her body, when suddenly she heard a crackle, and then a voice come through his walkie-talkie.

"Check in twenty-five, mess closed in five, over."

Griggs glanced around as more inmates started to appear, clearly returning back from the Christmas dinner and seemed to glower. Lorna knew with more witnesses, Griggs would say no more and had to fight to hold back a relieved sigh. With a scathing glare at the two, the big man stepped back away from them and squared his shoulders.

"Get to your dorms, both of you!" he growled, shooting them one last glare before he turned on his heel. Without so much as a glance behind him, he marched down the corridor and disappeared around the corner. The sound of laughter and talking filled the corridors as more inmates started to head back to their dorms for count.

Lorna let out a long shaky breath, and moved her hand up to cover her eyes.

"Well, that was close."

Lorna removed her hand and stared at Piper incredulously. They looked at one another for a moment, before erupting into a chorus of laughter.

Close didn't even come close.