I own nothing but Nicki.

Chapter 30

"Oh, when she is angry she is keen and shrewd."

Nicki and Fish were sitting at one of the tables, people watching as the crowd in the club began thinning.

"I swear," Nicki laughed. "I don't remember him."

"Sure you do babydoll," Fish cooed, leaning closer as if to whisper a secret. "Picture him without the nose…"

Nicki gasped and then broke into a trill of laughter which Fish immediately chimed in with as well, their faces turning in towards each other as they pressed their foreheads together.

Nicki had been doing her best to stay on Fish's good side. And everything was going according to plan. She and Oswald both seemed to be growing closer and closer to the woman over the past week and judging by the note written in lipstick on her dressing room mirror, Oswald was becoming very confident with the way things were going. Nicki took another drink of her wine, almost draining half the glass. Fish quirked an impressed eyebrow. "Well, well, well. Look at you," she cooed. "Drinking like a fish."

Nicki gave her a small smile, her eyes already starting to become misty from the wine. "You mean like you or an actual fish?" Even in her alcoholic buzz she was aware that it was a bold joke to make, so she was relieved when Fish chuckled at her.

"Clever, clever. I'm glad you picked up something from me." Nicki returned her smile. "It really is nice to have my girl back," Fish said next. Nicki was caught off guard. It wasn't like the woman to be sentimental. For a moment she hesitated.

"It's good to be around you too."

It sounded convincing. Nicki knew it did. Because she meant it. Get it together Nicholetta, she thought to herself.

Fish, clearly ready to move past the sentiments kept talking about the man's bad nose job but Nicki was lost in her own head. It really was nice to be with Fish again. Despite the betrayal, Fish had taught her so much. She had been the closest thing Nicki ever had to a mom. And Don Falcone had always been an upstanding man. Even if he was a rival, she and Maroni had always agreed that if someone was going to be in charge over him, Falcone was the man. Could she really go through with this with Oswald? Yes, she was hurt and angry, but maybe this was taking things too far.

"Nicki!" she snapped back to attention.

"Where is your mind at?"

Nicki blinked and jumped for the first thing to come to mind. "A spot on the glass," she murmured. "Just wondering if it was lipstick or a water mark." Fish frowned and snapped her fingers at Oswald who had been talking to Lazlo at the bar. She shifted her gaze to Nicki's glass. "What is that anyways?" She inquired breezily.

Nicki felt mild embarrassment as she realized she had no idea. Lazlo had told her when he poured it for her but she could not remember and was not familiar enough with these things to be able to make a decent guess at it either. "I'm not sure…"she said sheepishly.

Fish gave her an exaggerated look of disappointment which didn't bother Nicki nearly as much as what came next. "Figures. Salvatore Maroni probably never let you drink a drop did he? Not that he would know a Merlot from a Sweet Red-"

"Don Maroni specialized in wine at Belamontes. He just sells the booze," she retorted. Fish fixed her with a careful gaze.

"So you're quite the connoisseur then?" Fish challenged her with a smile that was more just bared teeth.

Nicki felt herself blush. "He…wouldn't let me be caught with a drink…" she admitted.

Fish gave her a smirk and with a small hmf she took the glass from her. As she watched Fish delicately sniff the drink and wrinkle her nose, she could feel her decision to undo her becoming easier and easier by the second. Her sentimental thoughts still lurked in the back of her mind but she was beginning to just blame those on the alcohol.

"Miss Mooney?"

Nicki hadn't even noticed Oswald's arrival at their table. But there he was, all smiles and servitude. "Take a look at this." Fish held the drink up to him and after a moment's hesitation, he took it gingerly, as if afraid it would bite him. Fish, however, was a vision of placidness, reclining back in her seat and draping an arm across the back. She was a leopard, eyeing her prey, and Nicki suddenly felt nervous for Oswald.

"Y-y-yes, M-m-miss Mooney." Apparently Oswald was nervous too. He examined the glass for only a moment before seeing the smudge. His eyes immediately widened and he began stammering an apology.

Nicki quickly tried to cut in that she wasn't positive the smudge wasn't her own lipstick anyways but Fish silenced her with a finger and a clicking tongue.

"Yes, it's disgraceful isn't it," Mooney purred. "And that's not even the tip of the ice berg. Do you know what's in that glass?"

Oswald was frozen for a moment, radiating nervousness. He gained his composure however, and swirled the remaining liquid in the glass, raising it to his pointed nose. It was such an elegant gesture and Nicki found herself momentarily distracted by it. For those few seconds, he wasn't the boy who served the wine, he was someone who belonged with the people drinking it. And then the stammering returned. "A m-m-m-erlot. 1998?"

He handed the glass back to Fish who's lips parted into a predatory grin. "That's right my dear little Penguin. Not only was our Nicholetta served wine in a dirty glass, but it's a cheap ass wine I wouldn't use to cook a dog's steak with." Her voice was a low pur but it dripped with menace.

Oswald gulped. "I'll be sure to pass on the message. I'll be back with a better selection in just a moment."

Fish leaned forward in her seat. "And it will be taken out of your salary for the night." She added matter-of-factly.

Oswald's eyes widened, "But Miss Mooney, I…With all due respect, Lazlo is the one who served this in the first place-ugh"

Without warning, Fish had thrown the remnants of the wine into his face. Nicki's jaw dropped as she stared at them in disbelief. Oswald stood frozen, his eyes squeezed shut. His face was burning red and his knuckles made white fists at his side. After a moment's recovery, he wiped the liquid from his eyes and opened them. The green orbs were full of shame and he would make no eye contact with anyone as he silently leaned over the table to collect their glasses. Fish caught him under the chin with one of her claws and turned his face towards her. "Don't ever argue with me little Penguin," she hissed in a patronizingly sweet voice. Oswald's mouth pressed into a thin line as he averted his eyes and nodded, but Mooney wasn't satisified and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look back at her. "Say, 'Yes Miss Mooney'."

Nicki felt embarrassed for him as he quietly answered back, "Yes Miss Mooney." Fish released his face and he straightened up, now with the glasses in hand. He snuck a glance at Nicki and quickly averted his gaze, radiating mortification. She felt every part of her being reach out to him, and felt helpless just sitting there and doing nothing. Without another word, he turned and marched to the kitchen as quickly as his legs would carry him. Nicki watched him go, saw him slap the glasses on the table in front of Lazlo, bark something at the other man, and grab a half empty bottle of whisky from behind the bar before disappearing into the back room. Lazlo rolled his eyes and set to work picking out another bottle of wine.

"Gotta keep those boys under your heel," Fish purred, winking at Nicki. When Nicki didn't respond, Fish reached across the table to brush a piece of hair from the younger girl's eyes. Nicki flinched away and Fish's eyes narrowed. "What's wrong baby girl?" Her tone was soft, coaxing, but her eyes were hard, daring her to speak up.

"Nothing," Nicki finally responded. Fish leaned back,a content smile on her face, which was quickly lost when Nicki added, "Don Maroni always treats his men with respect."

Fish remained placid but Nicki could feel the suppressed anger. "Well," Fish bit back, "I suppose that's the difference between what men have to do and what women have to do to keep up in this business."

"Yeah," Nicki agreed. "Or it's just the difference between an underboss trying to assert their authority and a boss not needing to."

A hard look flashed across Fish Mooney's face, but Nicki was already up and making her way towards the back room.

As always, thank you all for reading! The feedback warms my heart. I can't tell you how much I love writing this.

Also, PineappleGernade, OH MY GOSH THANK YOU SO MUCH! You're comment means so much and I am so glad that you like where this story and the way the characters are developing. Getting into their heads is the best part about doing this so I am so glad you think I am doing these wonderful characters justice. And that my OC doesn't suck…hahaha I know people are pretty against them so I'm glad Nicki is being received so well. Thank you so much!