You are my life

See you in court

(Piper's POV)

Taking a deep breath and getting out of my car, I walk into the detention centre and meet the officer at reception with the clipboard.
"Hi, I'm the lawyer here to see Artesian McCullough." I tell him.
He scans down the clipboard with his pen.
"Name?" He asks.
"Mrs Vause." I tell him.
I intentionally leave out the 'Chapman' part to see where this goes.
"Thank God you're here Mrs Vause. She's been asking about a Vause non stop since she got here. Come with me." He tells me.
I literally throw up in my mouth at this but push it down and follow him to the room for lawyer visitation.
He sits me down and tells me,
"Wait here. I'll go get her for you now."
He leaves.
I could feel my nerves and anger mix together in my stomach and it made me feel sick.
I couldn't stop fidgeting.
I was crossing and uncrossing my legs.
I was shuffling and reshuffling the paperwork Alex had signed.
I was playing with my 'wedding' ring.
I was fixing my suit.
I couldn't sit still.
I really didn't want to see this particular ex CO again.
"Come on Piper. You're a fully fledged federal prosecutor now. Alex loves you not her. You can do this." I tell myself.

The door opened and the first thing McCullough said was,
"Alex, I'm so glad you decided to finally answer my letters. I'm sorry I sent you to- you're not Alex." She starts then interrupts herself when she sees me.

So Alex has been receiving letters from this woman? Nice to know she was still withholding information from me.
At least she wasn't answering the letters.
I guess that was something.

I sigh.
To be completely honest I was livid about the whole thing.
I ignore her statement with clenched teeth as she sits in front of me at the other side of the table with a confused, almost disappointed look.
I secretly hit record on my cell phone to let Alex hear how this went. My original plan had been to just let her suffer in the dark, it was the least she deserved but as my client let alone my wife, she deserved to hear what I had recorded.

I simply greet her with,
"Well, well, well McCullough how the tables have turned, you've racked up quite a list of charges here."
"What do you want Chapman?" She curtly asks.
It was safe to say neither of us liked each other.
At all.
"Now that I'm a federal prosecutor I just came by to warn you that after the stunt you pulled with Alex, I'll be prosecuting you for every last one of them to the full extent of the law. By Alex's request, I'll be using everything in my arsenal against you. No one manipulates and coerces my woman into something and gets away with it let alone try to steal her." I tell her with venom.
Ignoring everything but the part when I mentioned Alex's name she asks,
"She really said that?"
Obviously hurt.

I needed to get this done as soon as humanly possible. I couldn't stand to be in a room with this woman. I knew I had to question her but that would be in a courthouse in New York, not alone with her in a dark room in a detention centre.

At her hurt question, I couldn't help my smirk and nod.
"She did. I guess she's ever so slightly angry you moved her away from me, her friends and her home. In fact, that's a direct quote from her. Believe me, I know she can hold a grudge, I've known her for almost 12 years now. She's the reason I was in prison in the first place. Plus, I'm her lawyer oh and her wife."
Clearly trying to hold back tears, she goes on the attack.
"Alex was stupid for choosing you. You'll just throw her away again at some point. I wouldn't. I'd love her and cherish her. She deserves me not you."
I physically had to bite my tongue until I drew blood.
I needed a bucket to throw up in.
How fucking dare she?
Through gritted teeth, I reply,
"You don't know me. You may have seen a glimpse of me in prison but you don't know me. Nor do you truly know Alex. Look, I don't blame you, Alex is, ugh, she's Alex, but she is mine. She always has been, why do you think she left you? And I will NEVER leave her. I LOVE her and I'm currently fighting to get her out to be with me so we can live our lives together and officially get married. So, your little revenge plan transferring her to Ohio to attempt to break us up didn't work. Alex and I are soulmates and I am TIRED of everyone saying otherwise. Oh, and I go by Vause-Chapman now. I'll see you in court McCullough."
I tell her and get up to leave, turning my phone recording off.
Before the door closes behind me, I could hear her cry.
To be honest, good.
Cry her a fucking river.
Alex Vause belongs to Piper Chapman.

I got back to my blue Chevrolet sitting in the parking lot and flopped into the driver's seat.
I sigh and rub my eyes.
Clearing my own tears away.
I sniffle.
My phone starts to ring.
I recognise the number.
I slide to answer.

"An inmate from Ohio Maximum is attempting to contact you. To accept this call, please press 1."

I knew it was Alex.

I stay silent at my end of the phone.
I was mad about the letters she was receiving from her little fuck buddy that she failed to tell me about.

"Pipes? Are you there? I can hear you breathing." Alex asks.

"Yes I'm here." I tell her shortly.

"I just called to check you're okay. How did it go?" She asks in a concerned voice.

"Oh you know, I told her how I'll be prosecuting her to the full extent of the law because I love you. She told me she'd been sending you letters, well, she thought I was you and was overjoyed that you'd decided to answer her letters and forgive her. I guess she thought you were out on good behaviour or something." I tell her, not hiding my hurt and anger.

There was silence down the phone.

"Oh, so now you have nothing to say Alex? What a surprise!" I ask her, annoyed.

She sighs.

"Okay. So she's been sending me letters but I've been ignoring them babe! I promise! I guess I know how you felt when I kept sending you those letters. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." She admits, sounding defeated.

"We agreed we'd be honest with each other and AGAIN you failed to tell me something. Alex, I love you but-" I indignantly start but she cuts me off.

"No! No buts! I love you too Piper! So fucking much! I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to hurt anymore. I figured that this was a me problem. Definitely not a you problem. I'm sorry." She pleads desperately.

"Alex. You're my partner, my wife and/or my fiancé. We're a package deal. Anything that is a you problem is automatically a me problem too. It's an us problem." I tell her.

I could feel her smile through the phone.

"We're a package deal?" She asks almost giddily.

I smile,
"I'm afraid so."
An idea then comes to me.
"Al?"

"Yeah Pipes?" She asks.

"Could you do me, well, us, a favour?" I ask her.

"Anything Pipes." She says, clearly determined to get back in my good books.

"Could you send me those letters? I could use them in evidence." I ask her.

She took a minute to think my question through.

"I'll give you the letters as long as you promise not to look through them. There's one that I opened but when I opened it I thought it was from you because she signed it with a heart. I don't care about them but I do care about you so promise me that you'll use them for evidence only." She says.

"Fine." I assure her. I'm honestly not sure I even wanted to know what was in those letters anyway.

"Okay Pipes. I have to go. Phone time is up apparently. I can't wait to come back to New York! I can't wait to see you! Wait! Where're you staying?" She asks.

"Langham on 5th." I tell her.

"Okay. Good. You're staying in a good hotel. You better bring your A game, soon to be officially, Vause-Chapman. I have zero plans to return to Ohio." She banters.

"Oh don't worry, I have a slam dunk here, soon to be officially, Vause-Chapman. You'll be home to me in no time." I smile.

"Mmm good. Okay, I've gotta go. Bye Pipes, I love you and I'll see you tomorrow." She says with a kiss noise.

"Love you too, bye Al."