One Last Time [Vauseman Fanfic]

13: Drowning in You

I don't have a heart. I gave it to you long ago. 
I'm so in love with you, I just thought that you should know.

Alex counted down the days, seven months and five days. That was all the time she had left with Piper. Before Litchfield, that would have seemed like an eternity to Alex but stuck behind these same gray walls with the same view and the same people each day for company, Alex knew that those seven months and five days would fly by. She was terrified of losing Piper, it was a feeling she could never shake; it sat at the bottom of her stomach stirring each time she had a moment to herself. Alex couldn't hide her relief as well as she had wanted to when Piper's mom called her to say that they wouldn't be able to reduce Nicky's sentence as she was already serving the minimum time for her crimes. At least she wouldn't be alone, not for a while longer at least. She had a brief conversation with Nicky, repeating word for word what Alex herself had been told and Nicky only nodded and then left, probably to find Lorna. Alex felt bad for her friend but she was glad Nicky hadn't seem to cut up about it - she wouldn't have to be away from Lorna for long. There was still no progress as far as Alex's case was going which was infuriating, the constant sitting in the unknown was almost driving her mad if it hadn't been for the wonderful distraction that was Piper. Ever since their quiet moment on her bunk Piper always seemed to be there, determined to spend as much time with Alex as she could.

Alex was with Piper, they were talking quietly about their time on a beach on Spain when Nicky walked over towards them.

"Hey." Nicky said, blandly and lacking her usual humorous tone.

"Hey Nichols, you okay?" Alex asked, concerned for her friend. Maybe Nicky hadn't handled the news as well as she thought.

"Uh, yeah. I just wanted to talk about what was going to happen after we all get out of here, Lorna is gonna get here as soon as she parks her van up but we can talk later if it's a bad time"

"No, no. Nicky it's fine. Sit down." Piper said warmly, adjusting her position against Alex so that she faced the bunk opposite.

"What d'you wanna know?" Alex prompted gently.

"Well..." Nicky began, quickly interrupted by the arrival of Lorna. It was silent for a few moments whilst Lorna sat down next to Nicky. "I was wondering now that we know that I'm not getting out for a while what Lorna and Piper were gonna do when they were released?"

Piper shared a look with Lorna, Alex guessed the two had already discussed this between themselves.

"Well, the original plan that Alex thought of was that Lorna and I would go to London ahead of you two.." Piper said, her tone telling Alex that she thought it was a ridiculous plan. "But we discussed it the other day," Piper gestured to Lorna, "And we decided we would find a small apartment not too far from the prison so we can visit you two every week before you get out. After that we can do anything."

Nicky nodded slowly and looked from Alex to Piper to Lorna and then back again. "Right. Okay." The relief in her voice was evident, they all knew she cared for Lorna much more than she would dare to let on.

"I think that if my case goes in my favour then I have a chance of getting my time reduced by just over half, so I'll probably be out in a year or so after Nicky - if i stay out of trouble that is." Alex piped up, tightening her hold around Piper's shoulders.

The four of them talked for a while longer about their prominent futures before Nicky and Lorna left for the chapel to get some serious "Prayer time" in before final count. Alex and Piper had laughed and made a few raunchy jokes as the pair left but soon descended into silence.

"Maybe it won't be so bad.." Piper mumbled after a while.

"What won't be?" Alex asked, looking down at her girlfriend.