Author's Note: Thank you, both Unnamed Guests, vausesandspanishharlem, and Shirayuki55 for the very kind reviews on the last one-shot. I very highly appreciate them. This one has to do with the episode where Lorna and Nicky finally reunite...but of course I wrote differently to give them more time together. I also decided to write them as cell-mates, because why not? It does touch lightly on Nicky's childhood sexual abuse from her uncle. So keep that in mind when reading. Feel free to review, I always cherish those so much. Thanks. Enjoy.
The Blanket of Security
Following solemnly behind the guard, Nicky closes her eyes in defeat. How did this happen? How did she—her entire prison family—end up in this place, this situation? She grumbles out a sigh at the distasteful thought. Sickness sits in the pit of her stomach as she walks through the entrance of D-block—the very same cell-block she was in the last time. Unbelievable. Three days ruined a lot of lives. Three days left her back in the pitfall of hell that she just barely climbed out of.
"Nicky—Nicky?"
That accent Nicky can recognize anywhere. She opens her eyes to see that familiar Italian beauty standing a mere inches away from her. Her breath catches in her throat. It's almost a sight too comforting to ring true. "Lorna," she murmurs so softly she's not sure if she even spoke at all. It's not until she feels those soft—delicate—arms wrap around her body that she realizes this is reality. Lorna is really there.
Arms wrapped deathly-tight around the taller woman's waist, Lorna instinctively leans her head against her shoulder—shutting her eyes in content. A smile takes form on her face. The nagging fear of never seeing the rambunctious redhead finally vanishes. "Oh, God, Nicky…I missed you so much—had no idea if I'd ever see ya again," she whispers, nuzzling her head against the side of Nicky's face.
"No touching. Both of you get to work, now," coarsely yells one of the COs. She pushes a mop and broom into Nicky's arms and watches closely for the two to separate. After a minute of making sure the two really are doing their tasks, she quietly leaves to find a more interesting pair of inmates to oversee.
Watching Lorna take her time dipping the mop into the bucket full of soapy water, Nicky can't help but feel the tension slowly begin to simmer down. An effect the brunette always seems to have on her. The calm in the storm. A comfort she never knew she needed—or wanted. "Ya look good, kid," she gives a crooked smirk while following suit in mopping the tile-floor behind her.
"You look…beat down," Lorna points out after observing her face for an intent few moments. "What happened—after ya left, Nicky? Where did you go?"
Nicky sighs, biting the inside of her mouth. Dwelling on it isn't going to change things, she knows. It's not going to make the situation any better—make things the way they were just days earlier. But that look on Lorna's face—the one that always presses on her heart—forces the information out of her with ease. "Some real bad shit went down, kid. A reason I'm glad ya surrendered yourself. God—I fucked up majorly."
Soft eyes gazing up at her, the petite Italian reflexively reaches a hand across to place gently on Nicky's face. She caresses the palm of her hand lightly along it. "Tell me what happened, hon. It's okay," her voice hums out warmly.
"How about later? I don't wanna get us in trouble. Let's just get this shit done before the guards come back, yeah?"
That evening, after supper is finished, Lorna retreats to her cell with ease. She places a hand over her growing bump and lets out a groan. "You're a lotta work, ya know that kitten?" Shaking her head, she gives a gentle pat to it before climbing onto her bunk. It's not until she turns on her side that she notices Nicky's presence right beside her. Eyes widen in shock. "What the—Nicky, are you my new cell-mate?"
"Sure am, kid," the redhead chuckles, snaking her arms strongly around her petite waist. "Lucked out, didn't we? Now, I can hold my baby whenever I want…and not get a shot for it."
A fuzzy sensation courses through her body at that. Lorna immediately pops her eyes open to stare intently into the other's tender ones. "Your baby?" She arches an inquisitive eyebrow at her—intrigued by such a comment, a comment that makes her heart flip.
Stroking her lips hotly over blushing cheeks, Nicky tugs her closer and smirks. "Aren't you my baby, Lorna?"
"I-I—why do ya say that, Nicky?"
Lips rest directly over Lorna's flesh while big brown eyes gaze longingly down at her. The best thing that could ever happen in prison, she thinks, has happened to her. Even the sensation of being back in max—feeling trapped with no knowledge of when she'll get out—is not enough to dampen the mood now that she has her Lorna. Or, at least, is locked in a cell with her for eight hours each night. Multiply that by a year or two and that should give her just enough time to persuade the Italian beauty why she's the right person to spend the rest of her life with.
"Say what? That you're my baby? Hmm—maybe because you're cute and naïve just like an innocent baby. And holding you is the most peaceful thing in the world…ya know kinda like holding a sleeping baby? I mean not that I have experience with that but I'm sure you do, kid."
The tender words fill a void in Lorna's heart that she didn't even realize was there. A small smile spreads across her cheeks as she drapes her arms soothingly around Nicky's abdomen, resting her head in the crook of her neck. "Well, you better get some practice in if ya wanna hold my little kitten. Lucky, we got another five months until he comes," she whispers, breath softly trickling on the other's flesh.
"Interesting name for a baby, doll. Please tell me you're not seriously going to call the child kitten?" A playful chuckle escapes Nicky. She pulls the brunette closer, brushing a soft kiss atop her head of medium-length wavy hair.
"Just until he's outta the womb. It's just a nickname, hon. I don't have any real names picked out yet."
Nicky arches an eyebrow, "He? How are ya so sure the baby's a boy?"
Closing her eyes, relishing in the security of Nicky's strong arms, Lorna shrugs. A mother's intuition she claims—she just knows there's a little boy inside of her. A beautiful son who's already wrapped his away around her dainty finger. "The morning sickness and constant hunger tells me this has to be a boy. Franny has two sons of her own and ate like every hour. So, it's just gotta be a boy."
Patting her gently on the head, Nicky nods and smiles. "Sure thing, kid," she murmurs out before exhaling out a yawn. Her arms tighten around the younger woman's waist—the weight of her body against her own is a comfort to her; a fond reminder of the blanket she used to carry around as a preschooler. But much better than that blanket.
"Hmm," Lorna tiredly mumbles, nestling further into the warmth radiating from her friend's body. "This is nice. It's been so long since we've been this close, hon," she points out, her voice slowly trailing off with each word. It's not long before a much-awaited slumber falls over her.
The soft sound of Lorna's breathing—alerting her that she's asleep—washes Nicky with a tranquil sensation. She pulls the blanket up to cover around the two of them and strokes her lips lovingly against the shorter inmate's head. "Night, doll," she whispers while letting her eyes droop shut. Not before long is their cell filled with two peacefully sleeping women.
Darkness surrounds Lorna the minute her eyes pop open. But that's not what captures her attention. No, what startles her is the sound of soft whimpers from the sleeping form underneath her. Immediately, she turns herself so that she's looking down at Nicky—she takes in the sight of her and feels an ache lurking inside of her chest. The tears running down her cheeks, she brushes them away with her thumbs.
"Nicky, wake up," she murmurs softly, framing her hands delicately around her face. This is something she never witnessed before. Something foreign and heartbreaking. The whimpers gradually grow louder, pulling heavily on Lorna's heart to hear such. She brushes her lips soothingly against the flesh of Nicky's forehead, trailing feather fingers along in a circle. "Come on, sweetie, open your eyes. It's okay. I'm here, Nicky."
Eyes slowly peak out of their lids. A bout of relief pours through her to see that it's only Lorna beside her. She takes in a deep breath and feels the cries start to fade away. "Sorry for waking you, kid," she mutters, her voice drained of emotion. The last several days have done nothing but ware her down. Brought back memories she thought she'd never have to relive.
"No, don't be. I don't want you to cry alone, hon," the brunette tenderly assures, switching positions so that she's the one holding Nicky. She tangles a hand tenderly through her thick curls, twisting it softly around her finger. "What's the matter? Is this about what's happened? Please talk to me, Nicky. I wanna take care of ya."
A half chuckle squeaks its way from Nicky's windpipe. She easily moves herself closer to the other, lavishing in the comfort her arms bring her. "That's my job, baby…to take care of you."
"So, what? Sometimes even tough girls need a mother's hug. Ya don't gotta be the strong one all the damn time, Nicky. It's impossible," she soothes, her lips warm above Nicky's ear.
"A mother's hug? Hmm, I guess I won't be getting that any time soon…Red's in C-block. And who the fuck knows if she even cares about me anymore? I fucked up so badly, Lorna. I'm—"
Lorna shushes her with a soft kiss. She leans her forehead delicately against hers, holding a hand on each of her cheeks and caressing the palms of them against it. "Shh," she murmurs, looking adoringly into her deeply-pained irises. To see her this broken is the hardest thing. She never imagined such a scenario. For Nicky to finally have a breakdown in front of her. "I'm here, honey, let me hold you. I can take care of you just like you've always done for me. Let me help. What happened? How come you're so upset?"
"This whole fucking thing. I never—god, fuck, I never thought anything would trigger those memories. I never thought I'd have to relive that horrific night, kid. But," Nicky's voice slowly begins to crack, the pain building in her chest at the thought. She swallows a thick breath of air. Tears pour along her cheeks like waterfalls. "The riot…Ma and Blanca—they fucking lured Piscatella inside the prison and he kidnapped us. It was mortifying to say the least. I thought he was gonna kill ma. And…I don't know."
"That's not the worst part, is it sweetie? Something happened to ya when you were younger? And this-this brought it back to your mind?" Lorna softly questions, tugging Nicky closer to her. Wanting nothing more than to rock away all of her terror. She rubs a hand gently up and down her back, waiting patiently for an answer.
Nicky shakes her head, a sob tumbling up from her abdomen. "No, no it's not." She throws her arms tightly around Lorna's neck, burying her face in the crook of it and letting her tears form a pool around them. "My uncle—he touched me, Lorna, when I was in fucking middle school. He touched me and my fucking mother didn't do anything to help me. I thought I was over it until all this shit went down. Now, it feels like it's never gonna go away."
"Oh, Nicky…baby, I'm so sorry," Lorna murmurs, pressing a tender kiss to the side of her face. She tightens her hold on the quivering redhead and feels a heavy pang sit in the pit of her stomach. "I'm here, hon, if ya wanna talk about it. Whatever ya need…or want…I'm here. It'll be okay, sweetie. You don't have to keep that burden to yourself anymore. You're not alone," she assures, laying her head softly over top of Nicky's and tracing her fingers delicately around her teary cheeks.
"It hurts, kid, it hurts really fucking bad."
The sobs and sniffles that continue to plague her best friend—the woman she longs to be near forever—are almost unbearable for Lorna to listen to. It brings a bubbling rage to think that someone—the woman's own relative for God sake—had the nerve to violate Nicky in such a cruel and sick way. She shakes her head sadly and softly begins to rock the distressed woman in her arms. "I know, honey, I know it hurts. Just cry it out; you're safe now. I'm not gonna leave you, Nicky. I'll be right here, holding ya all night. Everything's gonna be okay now, baby; I've got you."
She continues to softly rock back and forth with a broken Nicky in her arms, brushing soft lips over and over against her head. "I love you," the words tumble out of her with ease. And she means them. Lorna vows to make things right between them. She can't let Nicky suffer without her anymore. Nicky needs her more than anyone and she makes a promise to never leave her again. "I love you, honey. We'll get through this. Together—I'll never leave you again, Nicky."