The Reign Of Vause

The Vauses and the Blooms-to-be

(Alex's POV)

It didn't surprise me that Piper had been bullied as a child. When we were in prison together I always had to protect her or stand up for her. However, I was also tortured as a child and like Piper saw Jessica all those years ago, I now saw her bully, Vanessa, who was now engaged to her ex fiancé. That dude really knew how to fuck with Piper's head. Seeing the bully of the love of your life was an odd feeling, they'd done nothing to you but they'd hurt the person you loved the most, the person you would do anything for. This in turn, hurt me and angered me. I loathed bullies and everything they stood for. In my eyes, once a bully always a bully until you can REALLY prove yourself.
Piper seemed terrified of this girl. We were all adults now and I was here for her, she didn't need to be. It made me feel warm inside that she distinctively reached up to grab my hand that was draped around her neck as a form of protection and safety. I was her wife, her rock, like she was mine.
Squeezing her hand, I forced her to face her fears. If now wasn't a good time to gloat about your successful life to the person who used to make it a living hell then when was? Plus, I had another reason to hate Larry now. This was going to be fun since it looked as though they were headed towards our club.
I knew Piper was walking behind me since I felt the arm I had around her, bend backwards. She was hiding. Ok well, I guess it was time to be her rock.
I scanned Vanessa up and down, hiding my disgust at what I knew she was to Piper.
"Ooh Larry, is this your new fiancé?! I promise I won't steal her from you this time even though we both know she has always been my girl, this one is not my type at all."
I made an intentional jab at her with a falsely pleasant voice. I wasn't vindictive but I wanted her to pay for hurting Piper. I continued, "I got my girl. I'll let you keep this one." I then jabbed at a startled Larry.
Vanessa scanned me up and down in return as I had done to her and raised an eyebrow.
Larry answered me, spotting Piper peering from behind me. He took no notice and thought she was embarrassed from our encounter this morning,
"Oh hi again, you two." He mutters.
Piper slid behind me even more, "Baby it's ok." I whispered to her soothingly just audible enough for her to hear.
Vanessa spoke. Her voice was like a drill in my ear.
"Larry who is this, how does she know I'm your fiancé and what girl did she steal from you before?" She asks him with raised eyebrows and wide eyes. Clearly not knowing that that girl was cowering behind me listening to her shrill voice. Whatever she had done to Piper must have been awful.
Larry answered her,
"Vanessa, babe. This is Alex Vause, we have a bit of a history and that is-" Oh we had a bit of history alright. Dude almost married the love of my life and threatened me to stay away from her when it nearly killed me the first time I tried voluntarily when she broke my heart for the second time. Vanessa cuts him off just as he was about to introduce Piper. It was like she was determined to ignore Piper's existence even though she didn't seem to recognise her. Her shrill voice got even shriller when she recognised me from my interview. I had to grit my teeth to make it somewhat bearable.
"Oh my god! You're Alex Vause of course I saw you on TV! The owner of that really cool club franchise! We were just headed there now! Oh my gosh hi. I'm Vanessa."
'Oh I know who you are' I thought to myself. I also knew from my previous career that this girl was trying to suck up to me, probably to get into the VIP section of my club.
I heard Piper mutter underneath her breath from behind me,
"Yep, definitely the kiss ass I remember."
I had to bite my lip to stop my laugh but a small chuckle escaped along with a smirk.
"I'm sorry?" Vanessa asks, looking at Piper.
10 years ago, Piper had beautiful long blonde flowing hair so her now shorter shoulder length, still beautiful hair was obviously enough to make her unrecognisable to this self absorbed bitch.
I squeezed her hand again as a reminder that I was here for her and that I would help her stand up to Vanessa but all she could muster was to rest her other hand on my shoulder and flash the huge diamond encrusted engagement and wedding rings I'd bought for her. She came out from behind me and put her cheek on the same shoulder to face Vanessa. I've never before seen that look in her eyes, it was a mix of anger, fear and gloat. This was a nervously dangerous Piper. She looked Vanessa dead in the eye and also presented her with a very false smile.
Vanessa's eyes widened immediately. Recognition. She looked from her, then to me and back to Piper again. Mouth open.
What came out of her mouth angered me. I knew now how Piper felt when she heard Jessica call me 'Pigsty' outside that store 10 years ago. My expression towards her grew immensely darker.
"Piper Dorkman?!... I mean, Piper Chapman is that you?!"
I started forward, "What did you just fucking call my wife?!" I snarled.
Piper pushed me back with the hand she was resting on my shoulder, "Al, it's fine. Go towards the problem remember?" She whispered so I held back, proud of her.
Piper had taken a leaf out of my book. Almost 12 years of knowing me is bound to rub off at some point. Her voice was laced with venom but hidden behind politeness.
"Hi Vanessa, yes it's me and I'm Piper Vause now actually." She continued to falsely smile and wiggled her finger with her huge diamond wedding ring to prove her point then looked at me when she said 'Piper Vause' and her expression changed for a second, her smile became real. I smiled back at her after planting a chaste kiss on her lips and saying "Oh yes you are." Hearing her say 'Piper Vause' really was something. I loved it. We both turned back to Vanessa and my face returned to thunder at the cruel nickname she had bestowed on Piper, Piper's to false politeness as she showed Vanessa her rings to me. I glanced to Larry at this, marking my territory I guess.
"Wow, Piper, you turned out gay?!" She asked shocked.
"Well, let's see, I'm married, to the hottest woman on the planet, I'm also a woman. Yes I guess you could say that." Piper replied sarcastically and I smirked and squeezed her hand again as a 'well done'.
"Well ah, hey Piper, don't suppose you could get your Mrs here to let us into the VIP area for old times sake?" Vanessa asks nervously with a cheesy grin. Piper was the only one who she knew who knew what had happened between them so talking to her obviously wasn't easy. Oh dear God, I could feel my upper lip curl in disgust. Jessica Wedge was a piece of work but this bitch was intolerable, my poor Pipes. Larry and his friends came closer. Speaking of Larry, apart from Piper, he had awful taste in women.
"Vanessa honey I-I don't think that's a good idea." Larry stammers.
"Why not? Piper and I go way back." She tries him with the same grin, trying to hide from all of us who she was and what she was to Piper.
"I'd listen to your husband to be if I were you." I snarled at her.
Piper stopped me again,
"Alex babe, no, it's fine."
I glanced at Piper then back to Vanessa.
"Ok, sure babe. Just for you." I smiled at Piper and leaned to give her a kiss on the cheek.
"Larry and co, come on." I told them and tugged Piper gently back towards our club with our fingers still intertwined as they followed.
"Tristan, let Larry and his friends have a better booth than the one they had the last time before his idiotic friend tried to nab my wife and his ex fiancé." I instructed one of our bouncers, the one I trusted most while flashing the Fletcher guy a menacing glare which he caught and flashed me back a look that said 'message received'.
Vanessa interrupts me again, questioning Larry,
"SHE'S your ex fiancé?!" She shouts at him, pointing at Piper.
I swiftly spun on my heels to face her, letting go of Piper briefly,
"Is that a problem? Are you insulting my wife?" I quickly snarled at her.
"Ooh no not at all." She recoils and smiles. I gave her a lingering glare in return, linking hands with Pipes again.
"Anyway Tristan, let them in, escort them to their booth next to VIP." I continued but again she interrupted.
"Wait next to VIP?" She quickly asked, clearly desperate to get into our VIP.
I sighed and answered her,
"Yeah, next to. You don't think I'm going to allow my wife's ex fiancé who tried to steal her back from me 3 times into the VIP section do you? I mean, he did come to our penthouse earlier and asked to see something on her body." I sarcastically nod.
"Alex!" Piper snarls. I flashed her apologetic eyes and she gave me a quick sideways glare.
"Lar? Is this true?" Vanessa asks him.
"Yeah Vanessa it is, Piper was shot and I wanted to see if it was true. She's my ex fiancé." Larry admits.
I sighed again,
"Larry do you want into my club or not? An offer from me to you isn't going to happen all that often. Consider this a wedding present."
He quickly answered,
"Oh uh yeah sure, thanks Alex, come on guys." He says as he and his friends make their way into the club. Vanessa began to follow but I put the arm that wasn't holding Piper's hand out.
"Not you." I tell her and I saw Piper quickly smirk and darting 'thank you, you're forgiven' eyes at me.
Tristan puts the velvet rope to the entrance back on its hook at this.
"What?! Why?! I told you, Piper and I go way back." Vanessa exclaimed loudly, clearly shocked.
"Hmm yes I believe you do know my Pipes, just not in the way you're trying to make out." I start.
"What?" She frowns, realising her act was in the process of being uncovered.
"Please. Piper and I have been together a long time, don't you think we know everything about each other? She's my wife, if I remember correctly, secrets aren't healthy for a marriage. Oh, and I'm also not deaf. What was it you called her and tried to cover up? 'Dorkman'? How's that working out for you now?" I snarked.
She then tries Piper for help. Why she thought Piper would help her against me I had no idea but there you have it.
"Piper?! Can't we just-"
Piper replied with her tone full of sarcasm again,
"Oh, I'm sorry, I can't help, I only co-own the clubs, they're mainly Alex's. Even if my name is on the door. Yeah I'm listened to but, she's the boss. What she says, goes." She said smugly, grinning at me. I gave her a smutty look. I loved it when she called me the boss.
"How is your name on the door then?" Vanessa mocks her, confused. She was clearly stupid as well. She claims to have recognised me from my interview but obviously didn't read it or listen to it or even see it because I had mentioned how the club had been named.
"Oooh I see, this is why you called me Dorkman. Because I actually have a brain." Piper snarks sarcastically at her, getting a glare in return from Vanessa and a snide, proud chuckle from me.
She continued,
"'Viper' is my name. Piper Vause? Take the 'P' off and replace it with a 'V'. It's called a ship name sweetie. Alex named the clubs after me. She even said so in her interview, are you sure you saw her interview or were you just being your usual kiss-ass self?"
I laughed at this as we both stared at Vanessa, smirking at her.
Vanessa does nothing but glare at Piper.
I took this as a cue to speak again.
"Yeah so Tristan, make sure this one is never allowed in. Get the message to the other bouncers who work for me around the globe. I'm not a fan of bullies." I instruct him as I glare at her, walking Piper away from her and shoving past her. Piper turned to her again,
"Oh and Vanessa, might want to get Larry to change that ring, it's the one he proposed to me with." She told her pointedly and laughed as I laughed with her. Larry really was some catch. She turned back as we walked away, leaving her embarrassed on the street. Karma came in the form of a pissed off wife I guess you could say.