Title: Hot Tempered Is Only The Beginning

Rating: T

Summary: Pretending to be a boy is only the half of what Lara Haven aka Jack has to put up with.

Mina-Nel: This update will answer your question :D

Mercurybard: I know the idea is a little far-fetched but there was a case were a young girl at the age of 18 did go spend some of her sentence in the male wing…except she didn't pretend to be a boy. Lol. Explanation for Lara pretending to be a boy is for her own protection type thing.

I see what you mean about the names, and to be honest I had never thought of that. Thanks for pointing it out! And I'm glad it's caught your attention. Thanks for the review :D

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My back lent against the cold hard wall, the one facing opposite the iron cell door. I was hunched over and for the trillionth time stared wonderingly at the chalky cement in my hand. I had figured it out now, having compared the clump of cement, which I had found outside, to the cement that I had scraped from the wall. I later ground down the chunk and found the two sets of grains to be relatively similar.

Also I felt quiet smart, like a scientist doing some sort of experiment.

'They're tearing something down, working away at something.' I thought, 'But still that doesn't make much sense! They work inside the shed. They can't be punching through the walls cause they'd just come out the other side…they're digging!' I paused for a moment, stared at the fine grains and then got excitedly to my feet, soon pacing back and forth in my cramped cell.

'They're smashing the floor and then distributing the little chunks everywhere. They're breaking out!'

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I sat down in the small chair in Pope's office, feeling rather nervous and excited. Maybe I was going to be transferred! Maybe someone had finally read into this lunacy that the 'Honourable' Judge Dart had lain over my shoulders!

I gave a small grin as Pope turned around to face me, hope shining in my gullible green eyes. At the look that I gave him, Pope twisted his hands, his face full of regret. At that moment I knew I wasn't going to be transferred.

Oh God…what if they had extended my sentence! What if…What if I was stuck here for another four years! I mean I my crime wasn't that great of a disturbance – car hijacking and petty theft…maybe I went a bit over board with the car thing but it was necessary! I needed a car to get to work. – But maybe…maybe the Judge Dart had some kind of pull in the government.

Part of me knew this was ridiculous, I mean look at me. I don't look like a threat of any kind, except the cons in the yard knew better now, but I was just some ruffian girl who happened to choose the wrong path in life. Nobody in the government would take a second glance at me.

Oh God…what if they had assassins!

"I'm sorry Lara…but your mother has passed away."

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She had been sick for a long time, heart problems and stuff. I had a sister who had been looking after her but…I wanted to see her. I loved my Mam. (She always wanted us to call her Mam on the account of her being Irish and missing her homeland) She was a strong woman – had been a strong woman. She came from Portadown in Northern Ireland, one of the troubled areas. She moved to America and then met my Father. He turned out to have a fancy with the long necked ladies and eventually my Mam left him. She looked after my sister and me all on her own.

She was a strong woman my Mam. I just wish I could have seen her before…

I just wish…I just wish I could see her funeral. Pope told me they weren't going to let me out for that. Judge Dart turned out to be an old acquaintance – a chump from high school who once rubbed me the wrong way. I'm paying by the ear for it now.

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Yard time came but I didn't join the bleachers; I was never one for repeating routine, and plus – while the guys looked out for me, and liked me a whole lot more since I took down that jackass Geraldi – I wasn't that keen on them.

'No this yard time is going to be different.' I thought, grinning inwardly as I walked over to where Fish sat, thankfully with no one around him. I took the seat across from him and Michael looked up with a cold stare.

"That seat is reserved." He told me so I quite contentedly moved to the one beside him. My bottle green eyes still danced with the same mischievous light, but I knew there was hardness under there. I had to get out. I had to see my Mam. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the remnants of the chalk from the shed, slowly letting the grains trickle from my hand to the table.

"Just hope whoever that seat is reserved for already knows what your planning." I said as the last of the sand fell. Fish looked from the glitch in his perfect plan, to the one small red head with the dancing green eyes who was now causing trouble.

"He's not coming." Michael said in a soft dangerous voice. "The appointment was cancelled." He then brushed off the dust, stood up and began to walk away. But if he thought he was going to be rid of me that easy then he didn't know how the meaning of stubborn. My Grandma used to compare me to a Jack Russell terrier; I wouldn't let go of anything even if I knew I was beaten. Then again Grandma used to compare my goldfish to her steak and kidney pie…I never quite figured out why.

"I just want in on P.I." I said catching up to Michael, practically having to trot to keep up with him. Damn him and his long legs; all I had were these twiggy little hooves!

"P.I.'s full." Fish replied.

"So will the SHU once I tell Bellick." I said, moving to the front of him and facing him, forcing him to stop just in front of me. Fish narrowed his eyes and gave me an icy stare, which I returned with hard green eyes.

"I could have you killed you know." He said softly, stepping up slightly closer. He must have been rich before he came here cause I could smell cologne on him and only the rich could afford that here. Sure enough it was cheap stuff, but prison can do things to a girl and I'll admit I felt like swooning right then.

"Ya but the way I see it is, you haven't killed anybody in your life. You're here for 'armed robbery'. Maybe you gave the word and others were killed; other victims, other people whose families are now without fathers, brothers, sons. Could you do it again Fish? Maybe you weren't the hand that drove in the knife, but you were the mouth that spoke the command and there is as much blood on you as the killer." I surprised even myself just a little when that small speech came out. I didn't know of Michael's…ailment. But I did know him to be unlike other cons here. From the way he acted I could tell that he was much more…sensitive.

There was a long silence that stretched out and Michael's eyes narrowed, if it was still possible, even more so as he stared down at me – I had to look up slightly to catch him in the eye -.

"What do you want?" He asked finally.

"I want out, same as everyone else."

'And I want to see my Mam.' I thought inwardly.

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P.S. the 'long necked ladies' is alcohol. Just in case someone didn't get that lol.