Liz and Boomer were escorted back to H1 by Mr. Jackson and the rest of Kaz's crew back to their unit by Ms. Miles. The walk back was in comfortable silence each lost in their own thoughts. Liz walked in first and sat at the dinning room table, Doreen and Sonia came out from their cells looking for the Bea, Allie and Maxine. "Is everything ok? Where are the others? Doreen asked as she took a seat next Sonia who was opposite Boomer. Who was very quiet. "They are in the slot." Liz answered.
"What? Why? Are they ok?" Doreen asked. "Yes, they are fine, but there was an incident in the kitchen and they have been slotted as well as Kaz." Liz answered looking despondent. "What happened?" Sonia asked. Liz recounting the situation as best as she could. She turned to Boomer and said "but what I don't understand is how you knew we needed you?" Boomer's face lit up, "well Smiles came and asked where Allie was, and shouldn't she be finished work detail by now. So naturally Bea went and Maxine and I just tagged along." "Oh I thought I saw a flash of blonde." Liz answered, it made sense that Ms. Miles would help them. Liz just wondered how much that was going to cost them. Surely more than her normal fee, but a price Liz was more than happy to pay ten times over.
"So Bea got 6 weeks, Kaz and Allie got 4 weeks and Maxine got 2 weeks?" Doreen asked in summary. "Yeah but what I don't get is Maxine didn't do anything; she didn't move a muscle at all. She was right next to me the whole time." Boomer answered she was nearly in tears. "Yes, Susan but like the Governor said she is not exactly innocent either." Sonia answered looking at Boomer sternly. "What? She didn't do anything!" Boomer yelled at Sonia. "SUSAN! Don't you dare take that tone with me…" Sonia glared at Boomer, silencing her immediately. "Today she did nothing, but she did you get pregnant recently. I would say that is not exactly innocent." Liz smirked, Doreen had sly smile on her face. "Oh yeah? I forgot about that." Boomer smiled, rubbing her stomach absentmindly. "Oh shit, do you think they know?" Boomer asked, "no love, how could they? Liz answered. "They are probably just assumed that with Bea at the heart of it again, that Maxine was somehow involved." Sonia said. "They like to punish without much proof." Sonia finished, the obvious double statement lost on Boomer but not on Liz.
"Are you sure?" Boomer asked uncertainly. "Definitely. If they knew, Boomer, you'd know. Trust me." Doreen answered firmly. "You're not even showing yet, love." Liz answered reaching forward and taking Boomers hand. Boomer just nodded and smiled "where are me Monte Carlos?" she asked, getting up from the table.
"Wait, if Kaz, Bea, Allie and Maxine are all slotted, who's Top Dog?" Doreen asked. Liz looked at her now empty hands. "Me." Liz replied rather sheepishly. Doreen laughed "better you than me!" Sonia raised an eyebrow "I'm sure you will do a fine job Elizabeth." "Yeah, the whole fucking prison will be knitting booties!" Boomer said, with her mouth full as she returned to the table. "Susan!" Sonia scolded. "Oh sorry, but pretty funny yeah?" Boomer asked. "Yes, very amusing." Sonia replied with a smirk.
It didn't take long for the news to spread through the whole prison, and everyone was surprisingly calm about the events. It was big news that Allie had taken Colleen out, but the prison widely agreed that maybe Colleen wasn't as tough as she let on. Nobody was surprised however that Bea had single handily taken out Leslie, and put her entire crew on the outer in one attempt. Once the prison become aware of the alliance Leslie's crew had with the Freak, they were every much in danger themselves. Liz seriously doubted they were aware of the deal they had made with the devil. And instantly put out that they were not to be touched at all.
There were a handful of whispers that eventually made themselves back to H1, that people were surprised that Bea didn't kill Leslie. It was something that Liz had thought about a lot about over the past few days, and was very glad that Bea didn't. 'She doesn't need anymore blood on her hands than she already has.' Liz thought. Boomer was loving her renewed popularity among the women and was eager to fill them in the strength of Bea and Allie. Liz was enjoying watching Boomer be happy, she had it tough for a while now.
"Have you worked out how Tina's bringing the drugs in?" Doreen asked Liz. "Well, I think it is through the cleaning products like Bea and Maxine thought. But now with Allie and Kaz away from the kitchen, I think she's bring some in through there as well." Liz answered honestly. She was tired and although the prison was quieter than normal with everyone digesting recently events, there were always petty squabbles that needed sorting out. Liz felt like a mother again. "Which food do you think?" Sonia asked. "I don't maybe…the canned tomato's or something like that. Something with a strong smell and some weight." Liz answered, she was looking forward to the others getting out so she wouldn't have to worry about this. "That makes sense." Doreen answered. She would never get tired of how cunning some of the women were.
"Hey, how do you reckon Bea and Allie are going not being near each other?" Boomer asked, trying to lift the mood in the room. "I'm sure Kaz and Maxine have been kept very amused by their antics, especially Allie's." Liz replied. "How often do you think Bea has been blushing?" Boomer asked, remembering Bea's obvious discomfort in anything sex related. Doreen and Liz laughed. Sonia smirked. "Allie might be too." Doreen replied with a smirk not that unlike the one Allie sometimes wears. "Allie blush, no way!" Boomer said. "Well, there's a fair chance that Bea will still be working out in the slot, and Allie will hear all the huffing and puffing. Fair chance Bea will be pretty ripped after 6 weeks." Doreen explained. Sonia raised her eyebrow at Doreen who looked down. Liz was giggling with the mental images Doreen just described. Boomer roared laughing, "oh I forgot about that. Poor Kaz and Maxine." Boomer said wiping away her tears. "Yeah, I never thought I'd say this. But I feel sorry for Kaz, two weeks in the slot with only Bea and Allie for company." Liz said laughing wholeheartedly for the first in weeks. "That's punishment enough!" Doreen answered through fits of laughter. "Yeah I bet neither of them will be able to walk when Bea finally gets released." Boomer said laughing, "I'm buying ear muffs." Doreen said, "me too, love" Liz replied laughing. Sonia smirking, knowingly.
The conversation followed easily that night, and when Sonia and Doreen went to bed. Liz took her opportunity to talk to Boomer alone. "How you going without Maxi, love?" Liz asked, as she sat down next to Boomer on the couch. Boomer was desperately waiting for Maxine's return, probably more than anyone else. She missed her friend dearly and couldn't wait to give her a big bear hug. "I can't wait for Maxi to get back." Boomer said sadly, "me too." Liz said. "You know when she first got here, I thought she was weird and different and all that. But now I know her she's pretty great yeah?" Boomer replied. "Yes, she's an amazing woman. I have come to love Maxine, and I think you do to?" Liz said, putting her hand on Boomers knee. "Yeah…Yeah... I do… but not in the vagertian way or anyfink like that." Boomer answered between her tears. "Of course not, love. But she's pretty special to you." "Yeah she is… but everyone leaves." Boomer answered. "She's not going anywhere soon love. She'll be back in a week." Liz answered, and thought maybe this had triggered memories for Boomer. "Yeah I know. I cant wait to see her."
"Are you missing Franky, Booms?" Liz asked, Boomer looked up surprised at Liz. "what, yeah I guess." Boomer replied sheepishly. "Maybe you could write to her?" Liz said. "Write, I'm no good at that." Boomer said, with obvious self-doubt in her voice. "Yeah you could, and I bet Franky loved to hear from you." Liz said encouraging. "Really? But there'd be heaps of mistakes and everything." Boomer said, slightly hopeful. "Franky wont care, she'd love it I bet." Liz said, knowing that Franky loved Boomer and would hate to see her like this. Boomer knew that Liz was right. "Okay, I'll try" "Good, love good." Liz replied warmly.
Liz and Boomer had their differences in the past but Boomer had grown attached to Liz, probably without realizing it. "Well, ummm can I tell you something Liz." Boomer asked, trying to put her words together like Maxine always seemed able to do. She seemed nervous but determined. "Of course love, you can tell me anything." Liz answered sitting up on the couch to look at Boomer properly. She knew this was important to Boomer. "Well, you know my family's like fucked, yeah?" Boomer asked. "Yes, fucked." Liz answered not really sure where Boomer was going with this.
"Well, I sort of thought that maybe the girls here are my new family. And when you lagged, it hurt more because you were like family." Boomer said evenly. Liz swallowed hard, and nodded but was tense. "I know why you did it, although I didn't at the time." Boomer finished "I'm sorry Boomer, I really am." Liz said, reaching for Boomer's hands. "But now we are good yeah?" Boomer asked, almost afraid of the answer. "Yeah we are good Booms." Liz answered with genuine love for Boomer. "But we are all going to leave this place." Boomer said sadly. "Boomer, we may leave this place, but it doesn't mean we going to leave each other." Liz said, searching Boomer's face for recognition. "You're like a mum to me." Boomer said through tears. Liz engulfed Boomer into a big hug, which was difficult given the obvious size difference. "I'd be proud to be you're mum, love."