For the next couple of days, Bette chose to simply keep her head down. She became somewhat withdrawn into herself, and though she was still spending time with the group of women, she was no longer a central part of conversations. However, Nikki and Shane both always made her feel welcome and made it clear that they had her back. Since she'd told Nikki about Fenner's assault, nothing more of the subject had been mentioned between the two women. But there was something about the look in Nikki's eyes that reassured Bette. As long as she had her on side, she believed that things would turn out ok.
As the women sat around for free association, Bette noticed Tina approaching them out of the corner of her eye. She tried her best to keep cool and act like she couldn't care less, but nothing could prevent the acceleration of her heartbeat as the blonde came closer.
"Shane" Tina said calmly.
Bette couldn't help but stare in awe at Tina's beauty as she spoke to Shane. It was as though she had nothing to lose, so had no problem with being caught staring.
"We're bringing Alice back on the wing today, and the Governor wants someone to keep an eye on her, so I suggested you. Is that ok?" Tina continued.
"Sure, Miss. Is she ok?"
"A bit rattled from being on her own. Other than that she seems to be her usual self" Tina said, rolling her eyes.
Shane smiled "I thought her time down the block was meant to get her to change her ways?"
"Hey, we're prison officers, not miracle workers"
"Well don't you worry Miss, I'll take care of her"
Tina just rolled her eyes again and walked away from the group.
"Miss Kennard?" Bette jumped up and went to go after her.
Tina hesitated for a second and then carried on walking. Bette had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying. No matter how many times she'd told herself that it was nothing, that Tina meant nothing to her, that she didn't care, she couldn't seem to shake her feelings for the blonde.
"Had a lovers tiff?" smirked Denny.
"Everything alright in fantasy land?" Shane asked, trying to keep it light hearted when really she could see the pain in Bette's eyes.
"Just leave it ok" Bette stormed back to her cell and slammed the door behind her.
The women decided to let Bette cool off for a while, and were pleasantly surprised when she emerged from her cell an hour later. The group had been joined by a cheeky looking blonde who Bette assumed to be Alice.
"Hey" Nikki smiled at her kindly.
"Hey" Bette returned the smile gratefully.
"Bette, there's someone I want you to meet. This is Alice. Al, this is Bette" Shane introduced the two women.
"Hi!" Alice threw her arms round Bette in an overenthusiastic hug, which forced a laugh from the brunette.
"I apologise for Al's excess energy, she's been cooped up for two long" Shane said, rolling her eyes.
"'Ere Al, you and Bette must've been like neighbours down on the block, innit?" piped up Denny.
"You've been down the block already?" Alice looked at Bette, clearly impressed.
"It was all a bit of a misunderstanding" Bette tried to wave it away.
"Fenner" the two Julies said in perfect synchronisation.
Alice just nodded knowingly.
"Actually Al, there's a favour I wanted to ask you" Nikki said, indicating for Alice to move to one side with her.
"What sort of favour?" Alice eyed Nikki in mock suspicion.
"I have this plan…"
"Ooooh a plan, I love plans!" Alice jumped up from her seat in excitement and followed Nikki down the hall.
"What do you reckon that's all about?" Julie J asked the group in general.
"No idea" Shane replied, as puzzled as the rest of them.
"Just a question, what exactly was Alice down the block for?" Bette asked.
The women all burst into fits of giggles and Bette looked at them like they were crazy.
"Well, let's see….where to start…" Shane folded her arms, pretending to be deep in thought.
"Let me explain a little about Al, love" Julie S put her arm round Bette "You see, she likes to have a laugh, you know, practical jokes and stuff"
"All harmless" Julie J added.
"Not exactly" Shane pointed out.
"What happened?" Bette asked.
"She thought it would be funny to slip some laxatives…" Shane fought back the laughter "Into the screws coffee"
Denny was doubled up in fits of giggles "It was so funny!"
"Dead funny" agreed the Julies in unison.
"Only they didn't think so" Shane explained.
"I tell you, she's gonna go to hell. Not all them screws are bad!" Crystal stood up indignantly and walked off.
"Don't mind her" Zandra told Bette "she's just got a stick up her arse"
"Basically, some screws got sick, they found out it was Al, and let's just say, they came down on her pretty hard" Shane informed Bette.
Bette couldn't help but laugh. When Nikki and Alice returned to the group they found all the women in fits of giggles.
"What's going on?" Nikki gave the women a weird look.
"Oh, we were just telling Bette about why Alice was down the block" Shane explained.
"Thank you, thank you very much" Alice proceeded to bow as though she was being applauded by an audience.
"I see" Nikki shook her head as she started to laugh.
"So what were you two off whispering about anyway?" Denny asked Nikki and Alice.
"You'll find out" Nikki replied.
"When?" asked the Julies.
"When the time comes"
"Would you two quit being so elusive?" Shane folded her arms.
Nikki shot her a warning glare and the women dropped the subject. Bette took a moment to look around the wing and saw Tina leant up against the gate observing the inmates. She decided to make use of the opportunity and walked over to her, knowing that she couldn't really walk away in full view of the prisoners.
"Officer Kennard, can I speak with you?" she asked politely.
"I think it's probably best if we stay away from each other" Tina said, her eyes fixed firmly infront of her.
"Tina…" Bette was on the verge of begging.
"It's Miss"
"Ok fine, MISS" Bette said "you can't ignore me forever"
"I'm not ignoring you, I'm doing my job"
"Well you could have fooled me"
"I'm warning you, don't speak to an officer like that" Tina folded her arms, clearly becoming uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry if I find it a little hard to talk to you so formally when you've had your tongue my throat…" Bette hissed.
"That's enough!" Tina turned to her, eyes blazing.
The two women glared at each other for a minute, neither one wanting to back down.
"Come on" Tina walked quickly towards Bette's cell with the brunette at her heels.
"What the hell is your problem?" Bette exploded as soon as they reached the privacy of her cell.
"What happened the other day, it was a mistake and can never happen again. Do you understand?"
"Fine!" Bette exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air "It never happened!"
"Fine"
"Will you start treating me like a human being?"
"I am treating you like a human being" Tina protested.
"Tina, look at me" Bette grabbed the blondes arms.
Their eyes met and immediately Tina's eyes began to soften. She bit her lip as she felt the brunette staring into her soul.
"Tina, there's something between us, you can't deny that" Bette said softly.
"No…" Tina said slowly "but I can fight it"
"Can you?"
Tina looked away and bit her lip harder.
"I've tried to fight it Tina, believe me I've tried, but I can't stop thinking about you"
"This can't happen Bette"
"Why?"
"Because it's against the rules!"
"Didn't you ever break a few rules?"
Tina didn't respond so Bette shook her lightly.
"Bette…I…"
Bette didn't give her a chance to respond fully, instead pulling the blonde to her to catch her lips in a seering kiss. Tina moaned quietly, hesitating for a moment before committing herself to the kiss. Bette's hands slid slowly up the blondes arms until she reached her shoulders, where she began to rub light circles with her thumbs. Until this point, Tina's arms had remained by her sides, but she lifted them slowly until her hands came to rest on Bette's waist. They stepped into one another so that their bodies met and their arms wrapped around one another. Their tongues danced together as their hands took in the curves of each others bodies.
All too soon in Bette's mind, Tina had broken the kiss. They rested their foreheads together while they both caught their breath.
"Bette…" Tina started.
"Don't say it" Bette pleaded.
"I'm so confused" the blonde admitted.
"Come here" Bette pulled her into an embrace.
"I'm not supposed to have feelings for you"
"But?"
"I think you know how I feel"
"Do I?"
"Please Bette don't make me say it?" Tina was begging.
"I don't know how you're feeling Tina because every time I get close to you you close up"
"I'm scared, Bette. I've never…I've never had feelings for an inmate before. It's against everything I stand for, everything I believe in"
"This is new for both of us. But we can't ignore this Tina"
"I…" Tina stepped back out of Bette's embrace "We're gonna have to"
They both gazed at each other with sadness in their eyes. Tina was a person of strong convictions, and she loved her job. So often she had seen other officers chastised for bending the rules and she had been one of the first to stand against them, now here she was, completely smashing the rule book in two. And it was too much for her to take.
"Please Tina, give us a chance" Bette clasped her hands together around one of Tina's, pleading.
"I can't" Tina whispered.
"Tell me you don't want me. If you do that, I'll leave you alone"
"You know that's not it, Bette. If we were anywhere else, any other time…"
"But we're not"
"I know. And that's why we both have to be adult about this. Can you do that?"
"I…I don't know" Bette felt a tear running down her cheek.
"Please don't cry" Tina said softly.
"I'll be fine" Bette said, tensing up.
"Don't get all defensive on me, please!"
"If you want me to fight this, it's the only way I can be" Bette said simply.
"Fine" Tina sighed.
"If you could leave my cell now please, I'd like to be on my own"
"Of course"
Tina turned and walked straight out of the cell. Not noticing the eyes of one inmate in particular on her, she headed straight for the toilets where she immediately burst into tears. At the same time, Bette leant against her cell wall and beat her fist on it in frustration. Again she'd come so close, but for now she could see no way of making the object of her desire realise that they were meant to be together.
