Piper wasn't entirely sure what to wear for her first dance rehearsal. She'd seen the girls lounging around the bar and rehearsing their routines decked out in 'real' dancer'y clothes, but she didn't own anything like that. When she practiced at home, she just wore a tattered pair of leggings and a tank top – usually with a hole in it. Would that be okay? She was sure the girls wouldn't really mind but then again, she didn't want to stand out and look stupid…

Tutting to herself and shaking her head, Piper grabbed the leggings off the side and pulled them on, pushing down the nerves that were playing around the edge of her stomach. She didn't know why it was she felt so unsure of herself. She knew the girls and she knew the choreography. It would all work out okay. It had to. But there was still the thought in the back of her mind, poking and prodding, telling her she wouldn't be good enough. She could see Alex with her arms crossed, shaking her head. What if she finally got onto the stage and … couldn't do it?

To stop herself thinking, she grabbed her bag and left her apartment early, heading towards Litchfield. She'd walked down those stairs hundreds of times, but always as a waitress. Never as a –

"Ay, Dancer!" The mix of nerves and excitement churning in her stomach was whipped away from her as she saw Nicky smiling up from the bottom of the steps where Bennett usually stood each night collecting money.

"Looking forward to this?" Piper gave a shrug in response and Nicky smirked at her. "Here's hoping you don't fuck it up or Vause'll never let it go" she teased. Piper bit her lip nervously, an action she thought would go unnoticed but Nicky grinned and placed a hand on her shoulder in an uncharacteristically gentle way when she saw her joke hadn't quite landed the way she had intended it to.

"Eh, don't worry about it. You'll be fine. Can't be as bad as that fuckin' idiot we had in yesterday, anyway. Just don't piss me off and we'll get along splendidly." She winked and dropped her hand from Pipers shoulder to give her arse a firm slap before skipping off behind the stage curtain, no doubt in search of Lorna.

-x-

"And again" Nicky called and the girls shuffled to their starting positions. Piper sighed and dragged the back of her hand across her forehead, ever frustrated. They'd spent what seemed like forever on one routine with Nicky clearly losing patience and Lorna quietly whispering directions in her ear trying to help her learn the complicated sequence that she's apparently picked up wrong. Pipers confidence was plummeting and it didn't help that Alex was sat over at the bar watching without a word. She could feel her eyes on her every second and she was beginning to buckle under the constant stare. Her muscles burned and when Nicky called out that they would have a ten minute break, she was sure every single girl could hear her sigh of relief over the music. The others quickly dispersed, some heading over the bar and some going back stage to check their phones, and Boo simply left the music playing, something Piper found herself thankful for as she took a couple of deep breaths of air. She seemed to be the only one who had even broken a sweat and she could hear the others laughing amongst themselves, not a single one of them even the slightest bit short of breath. Damn them.

"Glass of water, Chapman?" Lorna asked and Piper nodded gratefully. She could feel her face was flushed and she was kicking herself about the sequences that she just couldn't get right, despite trying so goddamn hard. It was one thing putting the tracks on in her living room, but at home she wasn't surrounded by dancers who knew these routines like the back of their hands and she certainly didn't have Nicky rolling her eyes and telling her to sort her fucking feet out. Looking up for the wild haired ball of energy now, she could see her chatting away to Alex at the bar. Alex threw her head back at something Nicky had said, her eyes crinkled at the side and a piece of hair falling over her face. Brushing it back with her finger tips and looking back at Nicky, she shook her head, the amusement still scrawled across her features.

"Here you are" her staring was stopped by Lorna holding a glass of water out to her with a couple of ice cubes floating in it.

"Thanks" Piper said, taking it from her and throwing back a couple of mouthfuls, much to Lornas amusement. "God, I needed that". Lorna chuckled.

"You're doing well". Piper gave her a cynical look. Lorna was sweet, but it was clear she wasn't quite living up to the expectations of Alex and especially not Nicky.

"Lorna, I suck" she sighed.

"Nahhhh" the Italian drawled, shaking her head. "You're new. Don't beat yourself up about it" She leant in a little, a conspiratorial twinkle in her eye "besides, Nicky is a bitch to everyone. You should know that by now". Piper smiled but she couldn't help feeling the woman was just being kind and she'd never make it onto the stage. A movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned to see Nicky sliding off her stool and making her way over. Throwing a casual arm over Lorna's shoulder, she turned to Piper.

"Wanna go over Big Spender next, Chapman?" Nicky asked. Piper simply nodded and Nicky gave her a wink, dropped a kiss onto Lorna's cheek and headed back to Alex. For a moment, Lorna simply stared at Piper, a small smirk formed on her lips.

"What?" Piper eventually asked.

"Big Spender" she stated. Piper looked back at her with confusion. "You know it inside out don't you". Piper laughed.

She did.

It was one of her favourites and as soon as she heard those deep opening notes and that 'ding' of the triangle, she couldn't help it - the dance came out. She was pretty sure her neighbours were getting sick and tired of hearing Shirley Bassey.

"I may or may not know it quite well"

"Bullshit," Lorna laughed. "The relief is written all over your face"

"What can I say? There isn't a woman in the world who can resist dancing to that song"

"Well there's only me you and Nicky doing it so you'd better hope you've got it down".

-x-x-x-

All eyes were on the stage. It was one of the clubs favourite routines with its sexy moves and deep base. The audience always went wild for it and it was a hit with the girls as well. They all knew it perfectly but it was always Nicky and Lorna who performed it, the chemistry between them sizzling. It wasn't usually done as a three, but Alex had told Piper that she wanted to see every single routine and so there she was, sat on a chair in the centre of the stage with Nicky and Lorna, feeling the gaze of every single dancer burning through her. They were sat around the tables waiting to see what would happen and Piper only hoped they were hoping she would succeed, not preparing for a shit show. Looking to Sophia, she felt a rush of warmth for the woman as she gave her a huge grin, a thumbs up and a wink. Pushing back through the small crowd, her eyes landed on Alex whose expression as completely neutral, something that worried Piper no end. But there wasn't really any time to worry what her boss slash maybe girlfriend was thinking as the unmistakable track began to play. Her shoulder rolled. Her legs splayed open over her chair.

The minute you walked in the joint

Her hair was thrown around her face.

... Wouldn't you like to know what's going on in my mind…

A finger extended pointing to a member of the audience – Flaca, who whistled loudly – and enticingly brought back in and ran down her body.

… Spend a little time with me…

As the chorus ended, the girls cheered and wold whistled, making Piper sure there was no one in the audience who thought she was doing badly on this particular routine. It was the confidence boost that Piper needed and she felt a smile cross over her lips, her hips pop to the side with a little more force and her body swig with a little more…sex.

Looking to the side as she swung a leg over the back of her chair and ran her hands down her shin, she snuck a look at Nicky beside her who was still watching her like a hawk, making sure she was step perfect, but this time there was something like approval in her eyes. Giving Nicky a small smile, she was thrilled to see it returned. There were no interruptions, no shouts of "wrong way, Chapman" or "Jesus Christ, I'm going to throttle you". And as the song went on, Piper found herself looking more into the audience and directing her movements more towards the back towards a certain dark presence.

… I can show you a … good time….

Her hang swung up and round in a circle, coming down to slap her arse on the drum beat as her eyes met with Alex's.

… Let me show you a … good time…

Her hips thrust forwards and back and she saw a couple of the girls turn around to see who it was she was aiming her dance at. As they turned back, they exchanged raised eyebrows and laughs and a couple of whispered 'knew it's. Piper could see Alex shaking her head slightly, one eyebrow quirked in surprise at the blonde's audacity, but the corners of her lips were turned up and if Piper was correct, the slight blush over her cheeks wasn't caused by the lighting.

As the big finish came, Piper climbed onto her chair, hips swinging from side to side and her hands roaming down her body.

…Spend a little time with me.

As the song finished and the final drum beat slammed down, Piper dropped one hand to her hip, thrust one in the air and threw her head back. The girls cheered loudly and wolf whistled at the three women on stage. Looking over to Lorna who was in the same pose, she grinned.

Maybe she wasn't so bad after all.

-x-x-x-

As it was the girls night off, plans could be heard as they gathered their belongings. It seemed that they were all going out together and they were decided whose house they were going to meet at.

"Sophia, are you coming?" was called across the room. Sophia shook her head and turned away from the clothes rail she was fiddling with.

"Not tonight, ladies" there was as slight groan from the group. Sophia was known for being a fantastic addition to a night out, getting completely smashed and leading them all onto the dance floor. She was forever getting brought drinks from guys which she often handed out to whoever was with her and nobody could remember a time when Sophia wasn't the last one to leave a party. "I'm seeing Michael tonight". Maritza nodded in understanding.

"Tell him hi from us" she winked flirtatiously. She was always winding Sophia up about her son now that he was getting older. Sophia rolled her eyes and shook her head, a small smile on her painted lips.

"I don't think so"

"Worried he might not be able to handle us?" Flaca asked, throwing an arm around Maritza and joining in the gentle teasing.

"I've taught him well. I'm worried you might not be able to handle him." The pair dodged a sequinned G-string that was pinged their way.

Piper pulled her hair up into a ponytail as she listened to the easy banter passing between the girls. She was looking forward to the night out. She'd never been to a club with the dancers and she was sure that it was going to be a pretty wild night; a nice relief from the days hard work. As they gathered their bags they called out goodbyes to Alex, Nicky and Lorna who were sat in the bar, as usual.

Piper wasn't quite as ready as they were and hastened to stuff her dance things into her bag. As they all moved towards the door, they said goodbye to Sophia who threw them a wave and then – left.

As Piper turned to see the door closing behind them and heard their laughter dying away, her face dropped. There was a moment of confusion as she felt her heart skip a beat and her stomach flip.

Oh.

She could feel Sophia's eyes on her and quickly tried to mask the look of disappointment on her face but it was painfully obvious that she had not succeeded. Turning to try and 'casually' look in the mirror, she wished that Sophia would stop looking at her.

"You won't be the new girl forever, you know"

Piper took a breath and blinked the stupid tears that were building in her eyes despite her best efforts. It wasn't that she was even upset about it. She had just thought…

"I know" Piper shrugged.

"You alright, hon?" she asked, throwing a handful of costumes that needed repairing into her bag. The result was what looked like an explosion of glitter and tassels coming from her purse.

"Mhmm" Piper nodded a little over enthusiastically, giving her best smile which was fooling no one.

"Hmmm" Sophia set her bag on her shoulder and made her way towards the door, stopping to place a reassuring hand on the blondes shoulder. She paused. "You did well today. Go see your girl. There'll be plenty more nights out, believe me". Piper nodded.

"Thanks Sophia" she mumbled as the woman nodded, threw her a wave and ducked beneath the curtain, heading towards the door.

Piper stood by herself for a moment, wondering what to do. Her girl. She could hear her now, laughing with Nicky as Lorna protested loudly about something or other which was clearly amusing the two women. Music played quietly in the background, something or other Boo had left on for them, no doubt assuming the threesome would be there well into the night. Boo could also be heard on her way out, preaching the benefits of lesbianism to Pennsatucky. The pair had seemingly struck up an unlikely friendship over the last couple of days, bonding over the hatred for a regular sleazy customer that had got too drunk one night and staggered onto the stage during one of 'Tuckys routines.

"Close the door properly behind you, will you" Alex shouted.

"Will do, Boss" was called back, followed by a loud slamming of the door at the top of the stairs. That was everyone gone for the night. Just the four of them left.

Fuck it, Piper thought, dropping her bag to the floor and shoving the stages' curtain aside.

"Heyyy" Nicky drawled almost immediately. She was behind the bar, a bottle of vodka in her hand. Lorna and Alex turned to face her, their backs to the stage as they sat perched on bar stools. Smiles spread across both of their faces.

"I thought you were going out with the others?" Lorna asked. Piper shrugged her shoulders as nonchalantly as possible.

"I didn't really fancy it". Looking to Alex, the two women's eyes met for a moment. Piper wasn't sure exactly what to do or where she stood with her boss. They hadn't really spoken since Piper had woken up in her bed and so she wasn't entirely sure where they would go from here or how she should act around her. Plus there was the fact Alex had been particularly snappy with everyone since she had been ill and more than a couple of times Piper had been on the wrong end of her harsh words. Awkwardness sat in her chest as she fiddled with the seam of the jeans she had changed into.

"Come have a drink with us then, Chapman. We're planning on getting rid of this, at least. Burn away the last of the germs in this one's body" Nicky grinned, lifting the nearly full bottle of vodka and shaking it slightly at Alex. Alex snorted, twisting on her stool to look at the bottle.

"Yeah, right. Dream on, Nichols" she turned back to Piper and waved her over, holding one arm out to her. Walking over, Piper smiled as she wrapped on arm around Alex's shoulder and leant into her. The sly look that passed between Lorna and Nicky didn't go unnoticed.

"How're you feeling?" Piper asked her quietly. Alex shrugged a shoulder.

"Better, I guess"

"Thank fuck," Nicky piped in, "You've been a real pleasure to be around recently, Vause. Always that chirpy smile on your face. Dishing out the compliments". Alex didn't even look at Nicky, simply lifted one hand and gave her friend the middle finger.

As Nicky poured a couple double vodkas, Piper chewed her lip wondering if she should bring up the days rehearsals. She was dying to know how she was doing, but she was also dreading the answer. Instead, she opted for apologising.

"I'm really sorry about today. I was so thrown off by everyone being there and watching. I'm used to dancing by myself to YouTube videos. It was all just…" she sighed, "really fucking hard". She heard a snort of laughter from Nicky who handed her a drink.

"You've never danced before though, have you?" Piper shook her head. "You did good, kid." Pipers eyebrows raised in surprise.

"You were shouting at me all day"

"I shout at everyone all day. I told you before, I know jack about choreography or any of that shit. I was just calling what I saw. For someone whose never danced with another person," she shrugged, "you did well. Give it a couple days. You'll get the rest". Lifting her glass in a small salute to Piper, she threw back the liquid in her glass. Lorna did the same, coughing slightly at the burn of the vodka down her throat. Piper could feel excitement building inside her. Sure, she had nailed one or two of the numbers but for every one that she had done well on, there were two or three that she thought she had completely fucked up. Looking to Alex, she waited for the verdict from the woman who held the final word on the matter.

"I thought you were okay." Pipers smiled dropped and Alex burst out laughing, giving her waist a tug to turn her around so her back flush against her front and leant her chin on her shoulder. "I'm kidding, Jesus. You were really good, Pipes. A little work needed but you were definitely better than that pain in the arse I hired." Pipers face split into a grin.

"So… you should have listened to me in the first place and let me audition?" she prompted, a flirty smile on her face that she knew Alex couldn't see but was evident in her voice. The puff of laughter from Alex fell across Pipers cheek.

"I wouldn't say that, no. It took a moment of intense anger and madness to give you that job." Piper laughed and took a sip of her drink, shrugging in agreement. A low whisper came in her ear;

"Although I was pretty keen on Big Spender, I'll give you that". A hot kiss was pressed just below her cheek that sent a shiver down her spine. She could feel Alex's hand curled around her waist and the movement of her fingers as she fiddled with the belt loop of her jeans. Bringing her free hand down, she covered Alex's hand and threaded their fingers together, comfortably leaning on Alex's lap.

"So me and Nicky were thinking," Lorna started, looking to Nicky who nodded to continue, "we think you could do with just a bit of training so how about a couple of times a week we come and practice with you?"

Piper thought about it for a split second before nodding 'yes'.

"We'll sort out where you wanna do it and stuff, but it'll help you to just iron out the details" Nicky added.

"That would be amazing. Thank you do much, guys". Lorna lifted her hand and batted away her thanks.

"Oh, it's okay" she drawled in the accent that sent Nicky so wild.

"Am I hearing this right? You're offering to help, Nichols?" Alex frowned from over Pipers shoulder. Nicky rolled her eyes.

"Fuck you, Vause. I'm a gentle giant –"

"Midget"

"Fuck off. Fine, a gentle midget who is willing to help our friend Chapman, here. Obviously in return for the fantastic food and alcoholic beverages that will be provided." Piper laughed.

"Obviously"

"Then that's a deal. You're very welcome to ten minutes of my precious time every two weeks". Lorna shook her head at Nicky and rolled her eyes. Piper could feel the smile on Alexs face as she tipped back the rest of her vodka.

"Shut up, Nicky. We all know you have a heart of gold. It's a cracked out heart which definitely isn't going to last until a grand old age, but it's gold. Now keep these fucking drinks coming" Alex said, pushing her empty glass to Nicky who happily complied.

With Lorna telling a story about one of her nieces, Alex's hand in her own and the glasses efficiently being refilled by Nicky, Piper found she was kind of glad she wasn't invited out with the other dancers. Sure, it would be nice to be one of the girls but she was definitely one of these girls and that was definitely worth something. Like Sophia said, the time would come, she just needed to be patient.

And to have Alex's arms and the smell of her musky perfume wrapped around her was definitely a treat that she wouldn't have had had she gone out clubbing. To see Alex happy for a while was worth a thousand nights in a darkened club. Piper knew that she was stressed. No matter how many vodkas she had, Alex would still have the weight of Kubra on her mind. She knew that it was a problem that was yet to be solved and it was only a matter of time before an unwanted man once again turned up in the audience of the show, but for now none of that mattered. The four of them gradually working their way through a bottle was okay. All of the problems that they had were for another day.

x-x-x

Your reviews have been absolutely fantastic. I know there have been so may fantastic FFs uploaded since season 3 was released (let's not even talk about it) so I really appreciate every single one of you who takes the times to give Bound to You the time of day and am so happy that many of you seem to be enjoying it. Huge thanks, as always to BernieWhiskers, samb06, WB79, 67forever76, Nicole, g4gusgrisam, Swizzlesticks101, bgal24, Claire, Greek Universe, Kam724, ThatGayDork, geniaaa, patalano, bluepaintbox, never-ending-rimspringa, Vauseismylife, moanzs and the 4 guests who took the time to review. I love love love you.

MBRB'xoxo