A/N: It has been several years since I have written any fanfiction. I'd love to hear any feedback/comments.

Chapter One

Summary -

It had been five years since Alex and Piper left Litchfield Correctional Facility. After finishing their sentence in prison, they each had a year of parole. Alex started going to college part time, while also working par time. Piper landed a job as a teacher a youth center. At first life was not the best, but they did everything they could to make it theirs. Together, they had to work from the bottom up.

Starting out, they had a one-bedroom apartment in Queens. Nothing huge, but enough for the two of them. Alex worked her butt off at her job and school, managing to receive a B.B.A. (Bachelor of Business Administration) in four years. Piper stuck with working at the youth center, along with tutor students on the side.

The days of being part of an international drug cartel were behind them.

Present Day -

It is five o'clock somewhere as Alex walks through door at 4:30 p.m. Due to the season of summer, her office gets out at 4 p.m. instead of 5 p.m. While half way through finishing her degree, she received an internship, which turned into a full time job after graduation. Working in Manhattan definitely had its benefits. They had moved out of Queens two years ago, and into the heart of the city. After Nicky Nichols left Litchfield, the three decided to get an apartment together. It was a match made in heaven.

Alex was typically the first one to arrive home. Piper usually did not get in until close to 6 p.m. As for Nicky, she was home all-day and worked nights. She found out that employees are paid a little extra for working the graveyard shift. She could use all the money she could get.

"Vause! How was work?" Nicky asked and Alex passed by the living room.

"Same old same old crap. There is so much drama I just try to stay out of it all." she replied, plopping down on the couch next to Nicky.

"Plus side about working overnight is you don't have to deal with too many people." she chuckled.

While working overnight, Nicky worked in the stock department, filling up shelves and making sure they were perfect for when the store reopens in the morning. Most of the time, she is working independently. She liked it that way.

"Unfortunately, I don't have that option." Alex did not mind working with her team, but they were very much still in the recent college graduate mindset and Alex was a lot older than all of them. She was mature.

The two women both started watching the television as the conversation died out. Nicky's days were spent sleeping usually until right about when Alex and Piper get home from work. When Alex gets home, she typically just relaxes until dinnertime. Most of the time, Alex or Nicky made dinner since Piper usually gets home a little later.

About half an hour past before, the two roommates spoke another word.

"I need to get some laundry done before Pipes gets home or she might kill me for not having clean clothes for work tomorrow." she laughed, before exiting the room.

Nicky stretched back out on the couch as she continued to watch a random talk show.

Their apartment was an odd shape, but lay out very nicely. You entered the apartment in the middle. To the right were the kitchen, laundry room, Alex and Pipers bedroom, plus a bathroom. To the left was a small dining area, living room, Nicky's bedroom, and the second bathroom. Off the living room was also a terrace that stretched the length of the apartment. Their apartment was perfect.

As Alex entered the bedroom, she began striping. She had nothing against business wear, however she definitely enjoyed coming home and getting into comfortable clothes such as yoga pants and a t-shirt.

Alex grabbed the tall laundry basket from the walk in closet and carried it a couple of feet away to their small laundry room. Before starting a load, she wandered around the bedroom and bathroom making sure there were not any loose articles of clothing around. You would think after working in the laundry room in Litchfield that Alex would be annoyed with laundry in general. When it came her own and Pipers, it was a completely different story.

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6:15 p.m. rolled around as Piper walked through the door of the apartment. Alex had moved on from laundry to cooking dinner in the kitchen with the help of Nicky.

"It smells delicious in here" Piper stated as she set her bag down in the hallway. "What are you two cooking?" she asked making her way toward the kitchen.

There was a half wall with a counter from the kitchen looking out to the living room. Three bar stools stood empty until Piper occupied one of them.

"Chicken Fajita Pizza. I have no idea where she comes up with these ideas." Nicky stated with a chuckle.

"I don't come up with them, I find them online." Alex clarified. She stopped what she was doing to lean over the counter, her lips met Pipers. The kiss was not a quick peck; it was a lingering, romantic kiss. The lovers had not seen each other since this morning where they went their separate ways.

"Enough is enough already. Go get a room." Nicky loved to pick on the two of them. She understood they were in love, although she had not found it for herself.

The couple broke the kiss as they looked at Nicky. "We will, after dinner." Piper stated, with a wink directed at Alex.

"I am so happy that my room is on the opposite side of the apartment." Nicky has been living with the couple for about two years now. Of course every now and then she has definitely heard them having sex. However, for the most part, the sounds do not make it across the apartment. She wants to keep it that way.

The dinning area was not huge; they had a semi small round table, with four chairs around it. It was enough for just the three of them. Before they sat down for dinner, Alex had to switch some laundry from washer to dryer and put another load in.

Dinners were not usually quiet in the Chapman-Nichols-Vause household. Alex and Piper were usually exhausted by the end of the day while Nicky was wide-awake as her workday starts at 10 at night. Nevertheless, the three were always still very talkative.

"This quietness is killing me." Nicky expressed after finishing a slice of pizza. "Are you guys sick or something?"

Both Alex and Piper just glance at one another. They both have been recently stressed with work.

Piper took a sip of the wine before her and then set it down, somewhat abruptly. "My mom called today…" She paused. There was no good sign of Carol Chapman calling. She had never approved of her relationship with Alex. "She invited us for brunch on Sunday." Piper reached out for Alex's hand. Piper could not remember the last time she saw her parents. She keeps in touch with her father and younger brother Cal but that is about it. "I told her I would have to see if we were free." Piper had no idea how Alex would react, or if she would even be up for it.

"Maybe she's coming around." Alex voiced. She very much doubted it, but maybe there was a small chance that Carol was becoming accepting of their relationship. "We should go."