Note: This is a Cookie and Anika pairing. I got the idea at the end of season 2, but didn't get around to piecing it together until now. I know I'm late and now we all love Cookie and Lucious together, but Boo Boo Cookie will always have a special place in my heart.
Enjoy!
"Hey! How's my grandbaby?" Cookie's discussion with Lucious has been abruptly interrupted by Anika's presence, much to Anika's surprise. She wanted to talk to Lucious, but this time she didn't want to flaunt anything in anybody's face, especially Cookie's, this being the reason why she insistently asked that Lucious be alone when she was there to see him. Apparently nobody took that into consideration.
"He's a little stressed out right now to be honest. Do you have a moment where I can speak with you… privately?" She emphasized that last word looking over to Cookie, who turned around, as beautiful as ever and smiling sweetly at her trying to hide that trademark eye-roll that Anika so vigilantly caught. That's exactly what she was trying to avoid. She was so tired of her fights with Cookie. She wanted exactly the opposite of that, but she was fully aware that that was impossible. That was proven to her once more when she found Cookie in Lucious' office right then.
"Cookie and me ain't got no secrets." Lucious promptly shot back, smirking knowingly at Cookie who actually gestured for Anika to take a seat next to her, in her usual manner "Girl, sit down!". Anika obidiently obliged.
"I was picked up by a couple of federal agents the other day." That's when Cookie shortly interrupted her, unexpectedly with a somewhat concerned tone in her voice "Tariq! I told your ass!" Anika just continued her recalling, not wanting to make herself believe something that couldn't be. It was just impossible. "After they told me what they might've wanted from me, I absolutely demanded to be allowed to leave."
"Yeah, but now, of course, they're gonna try to subpoena her. Can't let that happen." Thirsty intervened, with his strange accent.
"You'll get 24 hours security around you." Lucious assured. That made Anika ease up a little and appreciate the help, although she knew it was just in Lucious' interest. She was only happy that she could keep her baby safe.
"But, girl, what did they say? What kind of questions did they ask you?" There was Cookie stepping in again, looking concerned once again, making it hard for Anika to just focus on solving her problem. But she was just imagining it, she was just wanting to believe that Cookie was geniunely interested in her faith, when really she was just worried about Lucious. It had to be that way. Anika was just being delusional. She brushed that feeling off and just answered the question blandly.
"They were asking me a lot. I didn't answer any of them."
"Girl, you remember something!" It was like Cookie was beggining to feel exasperated with Anika's attitude, like she was worrying about her. That's what the tone in her voice made Anika feel. "It's your mind again, Anika. Don't fall into that. You'll make a fool of yourself." Anika tried to compose herself again and went on, trying to concentrate on the real events.
"They said something about a guy named Shy Jhonson? Shyne?" She didn't know anything about that name and she didn't want anything to do with it. She just wanted to get out of there and away from Cookie as soon as possible. That woman was distracting.
Suddenly though, the office door opened and Anika didn't even have time to process the events. She just felt a pair of hands wrapping around her neck, the baby was beggining to frantically move inside her belly, it was getting harder for her to breathe and to focus on the yelling voices around her. She then felt a stinging pain in her nose, from what she later realised was Rhonda's angry fist. She was feeling herself losing conciousness, when all of a sudden the grip around her neck disappeared and she was being pulled into a pair of comforting, warm, safe arms. Cookie's arms.
She has been brought back to reality by Cookie's frightened, intent look that just sent shivers down Anika's spine. She didn't have time to say anything else, before feeling herself being pulled out of the room by Thirsty, who was trying to get her away from Rhonda's madnesss.
"Go clean her up, calm her down before she loose the baby!" Anika heard Cookie say before she and Thirsty left Lucious' office. That tone again. "You're really hearing things now. She could never feel this way about you."
She was lead into one of the rooms of Lucious' enormous house, that she knew all too well, so she asked Thirsty to give her some privacy so she could just calm down before she could leave and go to her place. She couldn't leave just yet, much to her annoyance, because that was the only thing she wanted to do. Go home, have a warm bath and get some sleep. She was exhausted. But she needed to get there safely, for the sake of her child. That baby was the best thing that happened to her in this miserable life, if she were to be honest with herself and she didn't plan on losing it. She just needed something good and pure to alleviate all the pain and hadrships she had endured.
She must have drifted off, because she woke up sometime later to the feeling of a soft hand gently shaking her forearm and to the sound of Cookie's voice slowly calling her name.
"Anika? Anika. Hey, I really don't wanna wake you, but I need to know if you- I mean my grandbaby, if my grandbaby's okay." That stutter made Anika smile for a brief moment and she didn't even try to hide it. She enjoyed seeing Cookie flushed with embarrassment, only because it happened so rarely. Especially knowing, well thinking, she caused it.
"Hey." Anika's voice sounded groggy. She got up in a sitting position and leaned against the headboard to get herself accustomed to the light and her surroundings, like she needed to do every morning before she got out of bed. "We're fine. The baby is okay. It was a little restless and I was tired and I just wanted to calm down a bit before I got in the car and drove to my house. I didn't even mean to be here this long. I didn't mean to fall asleep. I was just so tired. I'm sorry. I'm gonna leave now." She was rambling. In front of Cookie. She felt so stupid. She was just caught off-guard by the soft, almost sweet look on Cookie's face and that beautiful, genuine-looking smile as she was watching Anika, seemingly interested in what she actually had to say. That just couldn't be. "You're just imagining it, Anika. Just get up and leave!"
Anika started roaming the room for her belongings and was almost ready to leave when she felt a warm touch on her hand. The panic made her forget someone was still in the room with her, so this took her by surprise. She stopped dead in her tracks as she felt electricity running through her at the contact. She froze, unable to utter words. She was startled by Cookie's voice though, that made her turn around and face her.
"You don't have to leave, you know?" That came out like a mere whisper and the awkwardness of it made Cookie tear her eyes away from Anika's. She cleared her voice and continued talking like that was just a bothering phlegm in her throat. It seemed to work for Anika who was just too keen on believing that Cookie hated her deeply and was only doing all this for her grandbaby. "Like if you're still tired, you can stay here. I mean, I wouldn't want something bad happening to my grandbaby just because you were too stubborn to stay and rest." Anika just rolled her eyes.
"I'm fine, Cookie. I just need my bed. I'll see you around." Anika turned to leave, again, but she didn't even reach the door when she heard an irritated sigh from behind her and felt a firm grip pulling at her hand to turn her around. "I didn't wake you up to kick you out of the house. I just..." Anika was confused and was starting to get irritated. "Just let me go home. I'm not in the mood for y-" She didn't get to finish her sentence, because she was silenced with Cookie's full lips crashing on her own in a sweet, soft, magical kiss.
This was what Anika had dreamed of for a time now. She couldn't put a finger on the exact moment when she started to feel something for Cookie. She didn't even know exactly what it was that she felt. But the woman was making her blush and stutter and it was hard for her to think straight whenever she was around. It was definitely something, but she was also certain that it was impossible for Cookie to reciprocate. Even then, with Cookie's tongue exploring her mouth and hands hungrily feeling her body, she was sure that this was just a way of playing with her head just so that she and Lucious could have a source of amusement from then on. She tore herself away from the embrace, although every muscle in her body ached for Cookie's touch. She just couldn't let this woman hurt her this way. Was she heartless? She just finished talking about Anika hurting her grandbaby. Of course it's mother's pain would take it's toll on the baby. Why would she torment her like that?
"What's wrong with you? Just leave me alone, Cookie!" Anika's face was already flooded with tears and she could do nothing to stop them from falling. She just turned around and ran out of the room just before Cookie could catch her again.
"Anika, wait! Stop!" Cookie said something else too, but Anika couldn't distinguish the words as she was almost out of the house by then. She got in the car, turned on the engine and drove for what seemed to be miles but she was, in fact, just out of the Lyon property when she stopped the car because the tears were making it impossible for her to continue her ride.