MEANT TO BE
Summary: What if Frieda met Zoe while she was in maximum security the first time around? Frieda was Carol's right-hand woman while Zoe was Barbara's. Are Frieda and Zoe meant to be together or will they become mortal enemies?
Author's Note: Please read my We've Got Time series part 1 and II for the background story on (older) Frieda's relationship with Zoe McKenzie. This is a what-if short story and AU.
Disclaimer: Frieda, Carol, Barbara and other Orange Is The New Black are the property of Jenji Kohan, etc. None belong to me except for the creation of original characters.
PROLOGUE
Thirty Years Earlier
Litchfield Maximum Security
Frieda Berlin followed Carol Denning outside to the yard for rec time. Other inmates from D block entered the yard and Frieda felt Carol bristle beside her as she saw her older sister Barb nearby.
" Who's that?" Frieda asked suddenly, noticing someone she hadn't seen before. The girl had walked up to Barb. The girl had shoulder-length brown hair and looked like she was around the same age as Carol-and a few years younger than Frieda.
" I don't know. I've never seen her before." Carol replied, " She must be new," she said, glancing over at Frieda. Carol raised her eyebrows. Frieda was staring at the new inmate with a dreamy look in her eye. She had never seen Frieda look at anyone like that in this prison before.
" Someone's got a crush," Carol said to Frieda in a soft sing-song voice.
" Huh?" Frieda glanced over at Carol.
" I've never seen you look at anyone the way you did just now," Carol glanced over at Zoe than back at Frieda, " I didn't even know you liked girls Frieda."
" I don't," Frieda said, " I mean, I don't know what you're talking about." But she felt her face grow warm. She had thought Zoe was pretty and wanted to get to know her-but that was impossible considering they were from rival blocks. She didn't know she liked girls either and she still doesn't-just one girl and that girl was Zoe.
" Cortez!" Carol called out to Laura Cortez, who was one of her followers.
" What's up?" the tall girl with long dark hair asked walking up to them. She'd been an inmate of the prison for three years-she was a lifer like Frieda was.
" I need you to do something for me," Carol said, " I want you to find out who that new girl is from D block."
" The one who is standing next to your sister?"
" Yeah," Carol nodded.
" How am I supposed to do that? We're not supposed to talk to anyone from D block,"
" I'm sure you'll think of a way," Carol said as the inmates started going back inside. Carol and Frieda passed Barb and the new girl on the way in and Frieda saw the new girl watching her with interest. Frieda ignored her and followed Carol and the rest of the C block inmates back to their block.
" Barb", Zoe whispered to her friend as they entered their block. It was nearly dinner time and they waited in line for their food.
" What?" replied the older sister of Carol Denning.
" Who was that girl with the long dark braids standing next to Carol?"
" That's Frieda Berlin. She's a lifer-why?"
" Oh, just curious," Zoe paused, " She was watching me and she kind of gave me the creeps." Actually that wasn't true. She had noticed the girl watching her and she had thought Frieda was kind of pretty with her pale complexion and long dark hair in braids. She wanted to know everything about her and that's when she realised she was in love-in love with someone she didn't even know. How was that possible?
They got their food and sat down, " You said she was a lifer-what did she do?"
" Rumour has it she killed three people in one year," Barb told her, " And she also cut off her husband's penis,"
Zoe's eyes went wide with shock, " No way," she said. " She's married?" she felt disappointed. So Frieda was married. Guess I can forget about her then. She thought with a frown.