Greetings Alex Vause,

How are you doing? I am sure you are curious as to who is writing you. To my friends, I am known as L.I.W. Most days I enjoy jogging, watching television, reading a good book, and staying busy with work. I must admit, occasionally I will swap my morning run in exchange for a few extra hours of sleep. I am getting better though!

Piper ran her hand through her long blonde hair. This was more challenging than she initially thought.

I found your name among others who had consented to be placed in a pen pal program. It is a great program and helps the time to pass while you are away. Personally, I am glad that you decided to participate because I get the opportunity to get to know you better.

She reread what she had written so far. The whole thing just screamed "fake" to her. Mr. Crowe, Alex's lawyer, had told Piper about the Pen Pal Program a few weeks back. He had been present as Alex signed the papers in the courthouse, among which the program's consent form appeared, though he got the impression the woman cared little about what she was signing. What they don't tell the prisoners is how long the waitlist for a pen pal actually is. The fact that an inmate would wait an entire year just to get a letter from a total stranger so she would have someone to write to was just depressing.

Without further ado, let's get to know each other a little better. I'll ask some simple questions and you can choose as few or as many as you feel comfortable answering.

How have you been?
What is your favorite color?
What type of music do you enjoy?
Do you have any hobbies?
What do you do for fun?
Cats or dogs?
Coffee or tea?
Do you read? If so, what genre do you prefer?
Do you have a favorite book?
What is your favorite movie?
Who is your favorite actress and actor?
Do you have a favorite food dish?

Thanks again for joining the program and giving me the opportunity to get to know you. I hope all is well on your end.

Sincerely,

L.I.W.
P.O. Box 54781
Brooklyn, New York 11203

Picking up the half empty bottle, Piper downed the rest of her Shock Top. The entire letter sounded stupid. It was a stupid idea. She was stupid. Especially because her Smith College bachelor's degree in creative writing apparently didn't help her come up with a more descriptive word besides simply "stupid."

With a sudden jolt, Piper grabbed the thin white envelope resting on the edge of the desk. She wasn't going to chicken out. Not now. A single letter could completely and irrevocably alter someone's future. It could unhinge the life you were accustomed to and rain down the fragments over your head. Wetting the adhesive, she couldn't help but remember that one thick off-white envelope. If she had tossed it away with the rest of the spam mail, where would she be now?

"Piper? I'm home!" Larry tossed his coat in the closet and met Piper in a hug.

"Did you have fun with Cal? Fill up his weekly quota for human contact?" Piper kissed her boyfriend on the cheek.

"Yeah. Man of few words, he is. Here," Larry chucked a stack of letters and magazines on the kitchen counter. "Grabbed the mail on the way up. Some of that might make good fire kindling actually. Think we should save it for your brother?"

The blonde lightly punched his shoulder. "I'm sure there's plenty of kindling in the forest. No need to cart our spam mail into the middle of nowhere just to burn it."

"Hmm, yeah." Larry pulled Piper in for a kiss. "I'm starving, want to order out?"

"Sure babe, how does Chinese sound?" Piper slid her arms around Larry's neck. The two remained lip-locked for a few moments. That is, until Larry's stomach let out a loud grumbling noise.

"I could practically eat a boiled shoe right now. Dining from Cal's organic garden is great but I feel like I'm eating rabbit food. And it is just about as filling." Larry broke away from Piper's embrace and went to retrieve the phone. "The Palace sound good?"

"Sure dear," Piper responded absently, shifting through the junk mail. Verizon bill, junk, junk, credit card bill, magazine, Crowe and Associates Law Firm? Random. Did they know someone that worked there or was the company just fishing for clients? Maybe she should just toss it. "Hey what is the name of the firm your dad works for again?"

"Saiber LLC, why?" Larry looked over from the kitchen. "Yes, large order of broccoli beef, cashew chicken, sticky rice..." He walked away, rattling off their usual order.

The envelope felt heavy in Piper's hands. She carefully opened the letter and read through the first few lines, half expecting it to be full of advertisements and coupons for discounted lawyer services. Instead, what she read shocked her enough to involuntarily relax her hold on the cream colored pages, allowing them to tumble to the floor.

Dear Ms. Piper Chapman,

I am writing to ask whether it would be possible for you to provide a letter of reference for my client, Ms. Alex Vause.

She is currently on trial at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York for narcotic smuggling and money laundering. If you, and others that know Ms. Vause, were able to attest to her character there is a chance...

The words were blurring together; Piper's hand was shaking so violently that the paper was giving off a crinkling noise as it batted the air.

"Hey Pipes, want to walk with me to pick up the food? I could use the leg stretch after that long car ride." Larry called from the kitchen. "We can take a cab on the way back so the food doesn't get cold."

Piper didn't respond. She stared at her hand like she had just sprouted a second thumb before her very eyes. Snapping from her reverie she grabbed the papers and shoved them in her purse before meeting Larry at the front door. One line kept repeating over and over in her head: my client, Alex Vause.

Alex.

Author's Note: Giving this a shot. Let me know if you want me to continue. Please review.