Disclaimer: I don't own anything seen in Skins.

The wind went out of Cook like the calm before a storm. He was paralysed. He didn't know whether to stay or go but before he could decide, Effy had glided over and sat down opposite him at the table. She looked at him unsurely. There was a long silence. Cook had no idea what to say. He had spent every day since he'd been in gaol thinking about her and wondering what it would be like to see her next. He never imagined she would come to see him there. He had gone over dozens of scenarios (his favourite was where she professed her love for him then they shagged for twelve hours on pills) but he had never, not once, thought of this one.

'Effy.' He stared at her.

As if something cracked inside Effy, a smile began to form on her lips and before she could stop herself she was beaming genuinely at Cook, eyes shining.

'How's prison treating you?'

'It's a right laugh, innit? I'm always on me own and it's so fucking boring. But I don't need no one.' He lied. 'Heard you're back in the loony bin. How's that working out for you second time round?'

Effy would have been offended if anyone else had spoken about it to her like that, but not Cook. Under the layers of sarcasm and jokes she could hear the concern in his voice. She could see him looking concernedly at her withered body and pale skin. She liked that. 'I'm okay. I have a pretty nice doctor. She listens to me and she doesn't make me take lots of pills. Now I only have to take one a day instead of…' She paused to count on her fingers. 'Four pills three times a day.' Effy looked a little triumphant. Take that Foster, she thought. 'She's helping me talk about all the stuff with Freddie and everything that happened with Foster. It's a bit wanky, but you know, it works.'

Cook reached across the table and took her hands in his. 'Listen Eff…about Freddie- I'm sorry it ended up like this. I really miss him too, and I know we both fucking loved him. I wish I could've come to the memorial, but they only let you out for family. 'Cause apparantly Freds wasn't my family.' He looked genuinely offended by the memory of the warden's decision. 'So duty called.' He gestured around the room. Effy's smile saddened but she wasn't sure if it was because of what Cook said about Freddie being dead or him being locked up. 'And I'm sorry for everything that happened with Foster, he was a right prick. But you know Freddie went there trying to protect you. Foster told me before I fought him. Freddie went there to tell him to fuck off.'

Eff squeezed their clasped hands. 'Thanks, Cook. I know Freddie was trying to help me. The book you gave me said it all. But he never could.' Of course Freddie could never help Effy; he didn't understand her. He didn't know her. 'By the way, I'm sorry I never came to your trial. I'd just been readmitted to hospital, so I couldn't go anywhere.' Effy looked genuine. Why would she care? The last time she showed up to my trial she was with him, to be with him, Cook thought. His shook the idea from his mind.

'It's okay Eff, wouldn't have made any difference. All the same I ended up in this shit hole.'

Effy shrugged and looked at the clock. 'How long do you get for visits?'

'An hour. One hour every two fucking weeks. It's shit. Hardly get any news from the outside world.'

'Well we've still got fifty minutes left together. Why don't we take a walk outside? It's not raining right now.' Effy didn't wait for an answer, she stood and walked away, knowing Cook would follow the sway of her bony hips. Any boy would follow. It was Effy. Effy Stonem. Cook dashed to catch up with her and a prison guard overseeing their meeting followed, lurking a few metres behind.

They walked around the prison yard and across the damp lawns talking like it had only been a week since they'd seen each other and nothing horrible had ever happened to them, ever. They laughed like the oldest of friends and Cook felt life creeping into his body, like he might actually survive the monotony of that place. When he slung his arm around her shoulders and told her stupid jokes that weren't even funny, she laughed with all she had. She knew a spark was igniting in the pit of her stomach that couldn't be put out and that, one day, she might actually be happy again. She had him back, the Cook she knew and loved, the Cook who always made people smile.

Effy was sad when they only had a few minutes left together. They stood hugging for a long time and she didn't want to let go. Cook held her at arm's length and said 'Why did you come to see me?'

'It was Amy's idea. She thought we both might like it.'

'Right. I like this doctor of yours…But why did you come here?'

She ignored his question, looking away. After a brief silence she said 'I'll come visit you next visitors' day, yeah? It's been good catching up. Like old times. All we need now is a bottle of vodka and a club. Or a wardrobe to fuck in.' She smiled a little in reminiscence of when things between them were simple.

He looked at her in disbelief of her reply as she made to leave. 'Yeah,' was all he said. He sounded sullen. She heard the pain in his voice. It stopped her in her tracks.

Effy looked to the grey sky. It's gonna rain soon, she thought. She tapped her fingers on her opposite arm. 'Shit. Fuck.' She turned to face him once more, releasing the air she didn't know she was holding in and decided to cut her losses. 'I fucked everything up. You and Freddie. I had to see you. I had to know you're okay.'

'Effy, you haven't- you didn't do-'

'I've missed you, Cook.' She cut him off, resolutely staring him in the eyes. 'I've missed you so fucking much. And I needed you. And you're here. You're always here.'

Effy kissed Cook on the cheek and retreated across the prison yard, pausing at the visitor's entrance to give him one parting Effy Stonem look that he couldn't decipher. Cook was left standing there, laughing slightly, like an idiot, and completely dumbfounded. He was so deep in thought he didn't even realise that the nearby prison guard had ordered 'Time to go back to your cell.'

'What? Oh, right, man.'

As he trudged back along the grey halls, Cook mulled over Effy's words. What the hell was she on about? She fucking missed me? What did she mean when she said she fucked everything up? Me and Freds? Cook had no idea what she meant. Obviously the therapy hadn't made her any less cryptic. Every word Effy Stonem spoke was full of hidden meaning but he liked that about her. It was always a challenge to get in her head. As he pondered those words a new hope washed over him. He didn't know why, and he knew he probably shouldn't let the idea creep into his head. She loved Freddie, not him. Why would she ever love him? But Cook couldn't help himself. He was positively brimming with anticipation and he felt a bounce in his stride as he returned to his dreary, grey cell. He couldn't wait to see her at the next visitors' day, never mind that it was only for an hour at best. I think I can handle this place, Cook thought. Two weeks. It was only two more weeks until he saw his Effy again.

As Effy caught the train back to the hospital she thought about her meeting with Cook. He looked just like she thought he would: tired, bored, lonely, but still happy to see her. She remembered the last time she laughed that much. It was the last time she was in hospital and she had watched Panda running away from the hospital staff on the lawn. She smiled at the memory.

There were hundreds of thoughts bouncing around her head after seeing Cook for the first time in such a long time, yet her mind was remarkably clear. She still loved him. After all this time, she still loved him. She couldn't believe herself, sometimes.

She didn't visit him again after that day. Once again, Effy didn't see Cook for months.

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