A/N: This story is not beta'd from this point on. I put my beta reader on an impossible schedule and told you guys it would be ready by the 1st. Oops! I fully accept responsibility for any and all errors.
--
"So what did the princess want?" Nikki asked when Olivia returned to the cell.
Instead of answering, Benson said, "You wanna go for a walk? Get some air?"
Nikki tossed her book on the bed. "Sure."
--
The two women had stepped outside and felt the warmth of the sun on their faces. On a good day, Nikki could lounge in the yard after an hour of working in the shed, her overalls off her shoulders and her arms bare to the sun. On a good day, she could pretend she was anywhere but here. Right now, however, she was thinking more of the woman who walked beside her.
"You okay?"
Benson came out of her reverie. "Hmm?" Realizing she had been out of it, she smiled apologetically. "Sorry."
"Shell Dockley?"
"No," she shook her head, "though I'm beginning to realize I can't trust her as far as I can spit. Which in and of itself wouldn't be a problem, but I've got other things to worry about besides her bitching."
"The case."
Benson smiled again. "You've got all those books and so little vocabulary."
Nikki bumped shoulders with her in jest. "Well, now that I know you're a cop and not a doctor, I'm worried you won't understand all the big words."
"Very funny." She rubbed her forehead and became serious once more. "This case, you know. Just too many things that can go wrong. Too many scenarios to play out in my head; too many columns and rows. If this happens, then this or this can happen. If that happens, we're left with that or that."
"And in all those scenarios, you're not in them." Benson raised her eyebrow at Nikki's remark. The lifer leaned closer. "Come on. You came 3000 miles to go undercover in a prison because you didn't trust anyone else to do it. Now you're here and it's all happening over there. That must be making you barmy."
"Remind me which one of us was pretending to be the shrink?" They walked up to a newly planted row of flowers and they stopped. "Geraniums?"
"Very good. Geranium endressi. I like them because they're not fussy about where they're planted." She gently touched one. "They're pretty, but they're a hardy lot."
"I don't know my plants from my weeds," Benson admitted, "I just guessed. But they seem like an appropriate flower for you." She also reached down and touched one. "These are lovely. Well done, Nikki."
"You'll have to help me plant the rest. Before you go."
The cop shouldn't have been surprised to discover Nikki had thought that far ahead –that despite never asking Benson, she knew her stay at Larkhall was to be a short-lived one. It was something Olivia herself had almost forgotten, having gotten so caught up in it all.
"Yeah, I will," Olivia softly agreed.
Nikki bent forward and touched the soil that always seemed to be a comfort to her. Standing up, she wiped her hands on her jeans and asked, "What's next?"
"I've got to win a phone card off Shaz, phone my partner, then… wait, I guess," Benson answered as they resumed walking.
"Poor Shaz. Though I secretly suspect she started losing on purpose just to get on your good side."
"Not a chance," Olivia scoffed.
Nikki laughed then reached into her back pocket. She handed her cellmate a plastic card. "Here."
Taking the offering, Olivia asked, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah," the lifer answered, "what do I need it for?"
Quietness passed between them. "Thanks," Olivia said at last.
"Go on," Nikki said, tilting her head in the direction of the door. "Don't be too long, though. I hear it's the Chef's Super Surprise tonight."
"Oh, I can't wait," she drawled. Before the lifer could respond with a further quip, Olivia leaned forward and kissed her full on the mouth. "Thanks," she said again, "for everything." She quickly turned and jogged towards the steps, and for the second time that day, she left Nikki stock-still and stunned.
--
"Detective Stabler, SVU."
Benson laughed. "How did you know it was me?"
"How do you know I haven't taken your advice?"
"Yeah, right."
"When you phone, there's a funny click just before the call's connected," he confessed. "I've gotten used to it."
"Are you saying I call too much?"
Now he laughed. "Nah, you know that's not what I meant."
She got down to business. "Any word?"
"Nothing yet."
"Nothing?" she echoed incredulously.
"Liv," he soothed, "you only talked to him yesterday. We're not talking about an ounce here. And there's more at stake for him than a kilo of drugs. I'm sure he's going over this with a fine tooth comb." When she didn't reply, he went on, "You admitted it yourself; you were surprised at how fast this is going. So maybe give it a bit of time."
She sighed. "You're right. I know it. I just… wanna get this over with, you know?"
"Everything okay there?"
She didn't bother getting into the whole business with Dockley. "Yeah, yeah, it's fine. That's not what I meant. I just want this case over with."
"You and me both, partner."
"So I guess I'll call you tomorrow?"
"Call me after dinner, your time," he suggested. "If he's gonna set anything up, I'm sure Weston'll probably want to make sure our guy can contact me at a half decent New York hour. Even if that's lunch for me, it won't be until after five your time."
"Okay."
He heard the restlessness in her voice. "Relax, Liv. There's nothing you or me or anybody else can do until Weston makes his move. You've done all you can. Now we just wait."
"Okay," she repeated, but with more certainty in her voice.
"Good. Why don't you hit the gym, work off that energy, give the girls something to talk about?"
She couldn't help but smile at how quickly he could lighten the load off her shoulders. "Been there, done that, El. Keep up, would you?"
"You never told me that!" The hurt in his voice was an obvious ruse. "We're gonna have a long talk when you get back."
"And a strong coffee," she added.
"And a strong coffee," he echoed.
"Your treat."
"You got it."
--
"I'd save that long face 'til you've tried the latest dish," Yvonne said to Benson when the American sate down at the table.
Nikki lifted her fork. "I've got a quid or a card that says it's supposed to be tuna casserole."
Atkins made a face then looked at Olivia. "You all right, love?"
"What? Oh, yeah, sorry. Just had a talk with my lawyer. Nothing yet." She glanced at Nikki, who picked up on the hidden meaning immediately.
"That's too bad," Barbara consoled. "Did he say anything at all?"
Benson shrugged. "He wants me to call him back tomorrow. Who knows?"
"Bastards don't know their arseholes from a hole in the ground," griped Yvonne.
Nikki was still examining her fork. "Sometimes it's just a matter of time."
Laughing, Atkins conceded the point. "Well, we got plenty of that, don't we, girls? And I'll see your bet, Miss Wade and venture that this is chicken."
Nikki waved over the two Julies who were wiping down tables. Holding up her fork, she asked the two kitchen workers, "Julies. Liv here would like to make a recipe book of all these wonderful Larkhall dishes to send back to America. This would be what, exactly?"
In unison, they replied, "Tuna casserole."
"Thank you, Julies," Nikki said. Winking at Olivia, she held her hand out towards Yvonne. "I'll take the phone card, please."
--
Although Olivia had initially assumed the opposite, Nikki had been right –the prison was never truly silent at any time, even when the women had turned in for lock-up. Darkness descended on Larkhall, but not silence. Out of the shadows, Jim Fenner crept silently towards the cell of Shell Dockley. A quick glance around assured him no one had seen him, and as stealthily as possible, he turned the key in the lock and slipped inside the cell.
As soon as she had heard the key, she knew who it was. "Mr. Fenner," she whispered seductively. "I've been waiting for you. You didn't pay me a visit last night."
He grinned lecherously at her pouting expression. "I'm here now, love." When she crooked her finger at him, he slid onto the bed and kissed her. "Happy to see me?"
"Oh, yes, sir," she answered and ran her hand down his chest to his pants. "The question is, are you happy to see me?" Feeling his evident bulge, she pretended to be surprised. "Oh, look what I found!"
"The question is, what are you going to do to keep me happy?"
The question so clearly echoed Benson's earlier statement that Shell couldn't have planned it better if she tried. Her face fell and she sighed heavily.
"What's the matter?" Fenner asked, poised on his palms.
"Nothing," she said, knowing her denial would only fuel his curiosity.
"Don't play coy, Shell, spit it out."
She sighed again, as if getting the words out was a chore. "It's just that American, right?" Looking up, she checked to see if she had his interest. Even in the dim light through the window, she could see his eyes narrow as he listened intently. Knowledge was power, and in Larkhall, Fenner ruled because of it. "I got to thinking about what you said. You know, that she was in for drugs and all. I figures, why not be mates, me and her?"
"That's your problem, Shell," he muttered, "you start doing stupid things like thinking."
She had to give him his due, she thought; he had nerve, considering his balls were in her hand. Pretending not to be offended, she carried on, "I thought me and her could team up, you know, do a bit of business together." His eyes became small slits of menace until she quickly added, "I would have told you, sir, I just wanted to find out first, right? Didn't want to waste your time; I know how busy you are." She stroked his crotch to soothe his suspicion.
"And what was the outcome of this master plan, then?"
"She told me to piss off!" Shell answered, her indigence carefully measured. "Told me she had bigger things to do than pair up with a little fish like me."
Fenner frowned. "What'd she mean by that?"
"I can't understand half of what she'd going on about with that accent, but," she whispered conspiratorially, "I heard through some mates of mine that she's got someone on the outside getting her kit in."
"You're wrong," Fenner replied, shaking his head. "She hasn't had a visitor since she got banged up."
"I'm just telling you what I've heard, Mr. Fenner. But she wasn't sniffing sugar when I caught her in the loo the other day, I'll tell you that much."
"Why didn't you report her?"
"She saw me! Told me she'd feed me my own tits if I grassed on her." She could almost see the wheels turning in his mind and decided she had done enough. The seed had been planted and she knew he couldn't let some American tart get the jump on him. If there was one thing she learned while in prison, it was to never try to get one past Jim Fenner. The bloody screw found out every damn thing eventually, and if it wasn't in his favour, he'd make sure it wasn't in yours, either. She knew one other thing –she didn't want to be Olivia Benson.
Pleased she had set the wheels in motion, she unzipped his pants and said, "Let's forget about her; I'm sorry I brought it up." Her hand slipped into his underwear and she winked, "Oooh! Looks like I brought something else up. What are we going to do about it, eh?"
--
Two floors down, there was another prisoner who wasn't getting much sleep, but it had nothing to do with any carnal activity, though Benson almost wished it had. Instead, the images of kids, with their broken bodies and vacant eyes prodded her subconscious from slipping into the blissful nothingness of sleep. When morning finally arrived, she knew she had barely slept more than an hour or two. And if she needed the confirmation, her cellmate was more than willing to give it to her.
"You look like shit," Nikki said by way of greeting.
"Good morning to you, too," Benson grumbled in return.
Nikki softened her expression. "The case?"
"Yeah."
Tossing a towel in Benson's direction, she said, "Come on. Have a shower, maybe you'll feel better. And if nothing else, the other women in the showers will thank you."
Benson couldn't help but laugh. "Before I know it, you'll be pimping me out."
"If I thought I could keep up with the demand…"
"Get moving," Benson ordered, though her smile betrayed her.
--
She had to admit, she did feel better after the shower, the hot water washing away the weight of the night, until prison regulations kicked in and turned the water cold. Even then, she steeled herself under the icy spray for another five minutes before she finally stepped out. Olivia wasn't surprised to find she was the last prisoner in the showers, and she quickly wrapped a robe around her body and caught up with the rest of the prisoners as they were shepherded back to their wing.
"I don't know how you stand it," Nikki commented, referring to Benson's cold shower routine.
Olivia shrugged. "Keeps me alert."
"Try getting more vitamin B."
"Thanks, Dr. Wade," she smiled.
"Well," Nikki said, leaning in, "two can play the doctor game."
That was an hour ago, and in the meantime, Nikki had gone outside and Olivia agreed to help her with the last batch of flowers that needed to be potted. She had just turned to join her when the dark figure of Jim Fenner blocked the doorway. There were times when not breaking cover was a bad thing. Seeing the look in his eyes, Benson knew this was going to be a very, very bad thing.
--
She tasted the warm metallic tinge of blood in her mouth and the cold concrete floor against her forehead, as she curled up in the fetal position and tried to protect herself from the kick she knew was coming. Sure enough, a large boot found its way between her arms and her knees, connecting soundly with her ribs.
"Now listen closely," whispered the menacing voice of Jim Fenner, low into her ear. "A little birdie told me you've been trying to run a little show behind my back. Now, you're new and I've taken that into consideration. So consider this a generous warning –nothing goes on in here without going through me first. Whatever business you think you're running is my business. Is that perfectly clear, my American beauty?"
Olivia could only nod her head weakly and breathe out an affirmative answer between clenched teeth.
"Good. Now clean yourself up and we'll start fresh, yeah?" He didn't even bother to wait for her answer.
As she lay there on the hard floor, the beat of her heart magnifying every bruise on her body, she wondered why she hadn't seen this coming.
--
She barely crawled her way to bed and rolled onto the lower bunk when she heard the voice of Nikki as she entered the cell.
"Did you get –" Wade stopped in her tracks when she saw Benson on the bed, her back to the door. "What's going on here, then?"
"Sorry, Nik," came the muffled response, "I just felt sick all of a sudden."
"Well don't deposit your stomach contents on my bed!" When her quip didn't get the amused response she had intended, she walked over to the bunk and sat on the edge. There was a meaning in Benson's curled body language and Nikki knew then that the woman was serious. "Is there anything I can do to help, Liv?"
Olivia shook her head and mumbled, "No. I'm fine." She paused, then changed her mind. "Oh, shit!" Scrambling to get up from the bed, she pushed Nikki away, who stood up quickly from the action.
In a crouch, Benson rushed to the open toilet. She hadn't lied when she told Nikki she felt sick –the pain in her ribs set off a nauseous chain that ended in the bottom of her stomach. Dropping to the floor, she cradled her ribs with her left arm and used her right hand to brace herself against the wall. The heaves that racked her body did nothing to help the pain, but her stomach ignored the pleas of her nerve endings. Nikki knelt beside her and said nothing, and instead chose to soothe the cop by rubbing her back and simply waiting for it to pass. When it looked like the worst was over, Nikki wet a face cloth with cool water and gingerly began wiping Olivia's face.
"Attractive, huh?" the American asked ruefully.
"Happens to the best of us," Nikki replied. "In fact, I believe we're now even." For the first time, she was able to get a good look at Olivia, and noticed the scrape above her right eye. "What's this, then?"
Benson unconsciously reached up and touched the broken skin where her forehead had grated across the concrete floor. "Nothing," she answered, and tried to stand up. Even with her arm protecting herself, the movement sent a jolt of pain to her ribs. She tried not to flinch and nearly ground her teeth to dust. The motion didn't go unnoticed by Nikki.
Tenderly touching Olivia's arm, she softly asked, "Let me see."
Reluctantly, Benson dropped her arm and let Nikki lift the hem of her t-shirt until it came up under her bust. She knew it would look worse later, but even now, if Nikki's expression was any indicator, the damage was ugly.
"Jesus Christ!" Nikki exclaimed when she saw the dark purple stain making its way across Benson's ribs and towards her abdomen. "Who did this?" she demanded. "Was it Shell Dockley?"
"No," Olivia winced.
Realizing the pain the other woman was in, Nikki walked her over to the bed and laid her down. Benson made a motion to reject the offer, but Nikki gently but firmly pressed her shoulder down. "Stay." When it looked like Olivia would agree, Wade asked again, "Who did this?"
"Just let it go, Nikki, please."
Nikki clenched her teeth, then nodded her head. "It was that bastard Fenner." The way she said it, it was a statement, not a question. Olivia looked away, only confirming the guess. "Bastard! I'll kill him."
Olivia quickly turned to look at Nikki. "No. You stay away from him." Nikki's jaw clenched and her eyes smouldered. "Nikki, look at me." Wade glanced down to Benson. "If you're serious about your appeal, you'll stay away from him. You cannot afford to get a reprimand on your record, do you understand?" Nikki looked away again and gave a half-hearted shrug. Olivia would not be deterred. Through clenched teeth, she wheezed, "Do you understand how important it is to keep your nose clean?" There was still no answer from the lifer. "Do you know how guilty I would feel if I was responsible in any way for fucking up your appeal?"
"Yeah," Nikki finally answered.
"Good. Besides, you're the only person I trust. If you got sent to the Block, I'd be on my own."
"Looks like you were on your own without me in the Block," Nikki sneered.
"I don't expect you to be my body guard, you know. And you can't protect me twenty-four hours a day anyway. If it wasn't this morning, it would have been some other time."
"Yeah, I suppose. Fucked up world when you can trust a cop killer but not one of your own." She touched the bruise above Benson's eye. "Right. I'm here now, aren't I? And the least I can do is get you some proper medical help."
"Nikki…"
"Don't worry," she said, "I'm not going to tell anyone. But that doesn't mean I can't improvise, either." She stood up and took Olivia's shoes off. "Stay here, get comfortable. If I come back and find you've been moving around, it will make me incredibly cross."
"Where are you going?"
A familiar grin tugged at the corner of Nikki's mouth. "I'm going to go play doctor."
--
"Jules!"
The tall blonde looked up from her mopping duty in the kitchen to see Nikki leaning in the doorway. "Hiya, Nikki."
Nikki waved her over to the door. "I need you to do me a favour," she whispered.
The secrecy of Wade's tone made the woman lean closer. "What is it?"
"No questions. I need a bag of frozen vegetables."
Julie pulled back in surprise. "You what? Frozen vegetables?"
"Shhhh," Nikki admonished. "Yes, frozen vegetables."
"What for?"
"Did you miss the bit about no questions?"
Julie made a face at the sarcasm. "Very funny. But I'd like to know why I'm nicking a bag of frozen veggies before I do the deed, you know. Just in case I'm pulled in front of Miss Betts and all."
Nikki thought fast on her feet and said, "Liv got a bit too aggressive in the gym; she sprained her wrist on the punching bag."
"Oh, I can see that!" Julie agreed. "You playing nurse, Nikki?"
"Jules…" the lifer warned.
The blonde would have none of it and laughed. "That's not really my cup of tea, as you know, but I could see why she'd float your boat if you were into that sort of thing."
"Jules…"
"Right. A bag of frozen vegetables. Can you give us about ten? Just so's we don't get caught."
"Sure thing," Nikki replied. "Thanks, Julie."
--
"Why've you got your head in the freezer?"
Julie jumped and turned to find her namesake standing behind her. "No time for explanations now, Jules. We're doing a favour for Nikki, who's doing a favour for Olivia."
The shorter Julie raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Do tell!"
"Come on, help me hide this and we'll go find out."
"Where the bloody hell you gonna put that?"
--
She re-entered the cell and made sure Benson hadn't moved.
"I haven't moved," the cop said, her eyes closed.
"You listened to orders? I bet that's a first."
Olivia lifted her lids enough to glare at the woman. "Your bedside manner could use some work, Florence."
"Good thing you're here for me to practice on, then," Nikki quipped.
A lazy grin touched her mouth. "Where did you go? I don't see anything I would consider medical or medicinal."
"They're on order."
As if on cue, the two Julies knocked on the door and poked their heads inside.
"Is it all right –"
" –for us to come in?"
"Sure thing, Julies."
The two women shuffled in, very nearly joined at the hip. Though it was common to see them attached this way, it also disguised a more covert reason. Reaching under her shirt between her body and her cellmate, Julie J pulled out a small package wrapped up in a towel. With their two bodies wedged together, the lump had been carefully obscured.
"Got something for that wrist, Liv."
Benson glanced at Nikki, who looked down at Olivia's left arm, which was still nestled gingerly across her stomach. Nikki reached over and took the towel from Julie before either of the two Js could get a closer look. She unravelled the package and smiled when she saw the small bag of frozen peas.
"You're the bee's knees, Jules."
The shorter Julie coughed and held out her closed hand. When Nikki raised her eyebrow questioningly, the woman smiled and uncurled her fingers. Resting on her palm were four small white tablets.
"Paracetamol," Julie crowed.
Nikki reached forward and lifted them between her finger tips. "Where in the world did you get these?"
"Do you know Angie –"
" –the girl who's in for setting fire to her bastard ex-husband's place?"
Flipping through her memory banks, the name and the offence rang a bell. "The one with the patch over her eye?" Nikki asked.
"That's the one," the two Julies said in tandem.
"I gave her some cigarettes the other day," Benson recalled.
"And you didn't make fun of that horrible patch," Julie S added.
Julie J nodded. "You've got a friend there, Liv."
"The paracetamol, girls?" Nikki asked, attempting to get them back on track.
"Oh, right. Angie works in the infirmary."
"We thought we'd give it a go, see? And sure enough, she was there."
"And happy to help her friend."
Nikki's eyes went back and forth between the two women as they explained how they came into possession of four pain killers that would normally only be given after pulling the teeth of the incompetent Doctor Nicholson.
There must have been something in Nikki's expression, because Julie J said, "It's not like you were going to get any out of Dr. No-No, was it?"
Benson, too, was trying to keep track of the conversation. "Dr. No-No?"
"So called because when you ask him if he knows what's wrong or tell him you need medicine, that's his answer," Nikki explained. "Here, put this on your wrist and I'll get you some water."
Olivia took the towel and rested it on her wrist. "Thanks you guys. I owe you."
The two Julies blushed and brushed away the compliment. "It was nothing, Liv."
"Nothing at all."
"Nikki would have done it for us –"
" –and has done more for us."
Again in unison, they said, "It was our pleasure."
Julie S looked over at Nikki. "If you need anything else, Nikki, just let us know."
After the women left, Nikki returned to the bed with a cup of water. "I think I need one of those for my headache."
"Be nice," Benson admonished, "they're good people."
Nikki smiled. "They are." She re-adjusted the towel gently across Olivia's side. "Julie J asked me what the vegetables were for; I told her you sprained your wrist in the gym."
"I figured it was something like that."
"Does it hurt to breathe?"
"Yes," she admitted, "but I don't think anything's broken, if that's what you're asking."
"Okay. Take two of these," Nikki ordered, as she held out two of the tablets.
"And call you in the morning?"
"If you could only get rid of me that easily. I'm going to be sitting right over there, doing some reading. You're going to be getting some sleep. I'll wake you up in plenty of time for tea."
"I'm not tired," she argued.
Nikki could barely contain her eye roll. "You were lucky if you got two hours sleep last night, isn't that true?" She didn't wait for the answer. "And you've just got the shit kicked out of you. Rest. Doctor's orders. Come on, roll over; I want you to take the weight off your side."
Olivia did as she was told, with a little help from Nikki who tugged the blanket from underneath her and covered Benson up to her shoulders. Though she'd never admit Nikki was right, Olivia fell asleep almost immediately.
--
