Hello guys. Enjoying the summer? (:

My trainee-period is over for now and I just started my two weeks vacation, before I'm going back to school. Not sure if this means more or less time to write, so bear with me :P

Thank you so much for the reviews, the favs and the follows – means more to me, than you know.

And again: If you see any mistakes, please let me know (:

Chapter 6 – Can't you see he likes you?

August became September and the warm weather continued – as did the tension between Percy and Ellie. In two days, Brutus hadn't seem them speak a single word to each other, besides forced polite greetings.

Percy was walking around like a pouting baby and every time Brutus saw his sour face, he couldn't help but to feel all childishly smug himself.

Percy's attempt to what ever it had been, had crashed like a dead pigeon. Brutus had come to the conclusion, that it had been some kind of twisted seduction, based on the power Percy pretended he had. To bad it didn't work on Ellie…

Instead she ignored him and continued her chats with Del when she was allowed – and the other inmates as well. Whether it was a protest against Percy or not, none of the guards cared: The prisoners behaved like meek, little lambs when she was around, so they let her. They had so few rays of comfort in life as it was… and none of them would be alive long enough to see her return to the hospital anyway.

"Christ, she sure does have them in the palm of her hands, haven' she?" Paul said in a low voice, his tone a puzzled mixture between disbelief and amazement, as he joined Brutus at the front disk five days after her arrival. They were watching her read aloud from a newspaper outside Alice's cell. It was suppose to be for Mrs. Reardon and her old eyes' sake, but the three convicted men were listening just as intense, if not more.

Brutus nodded, smiling. Her voice was soft yet vivid – the sound of comfort and hope in this the darkest of places. He couldn't blame them for listening. Hell, he would have been right there on the front row with them, if it wasn't because he had work to do.

Someone poked his arm. "Brutal, did you hear me?"

"Hmm – what?" He turned his head and was greeted by the growing grin on Pauls face.

"Looks like the inmates ain't the only one she's been spellbound in here," his superior said casually.

Brutus cursed the heat he could feel rise from below his collar line. He cleared his throat.

"What'd ya say?" he asked, trying to sound like it was no big deal.

Paul waved the dossier, he had poke Brutus with, in the air between them.

"My office. News from above."

Brutus pushed himself free of the table and followed him through the door, closing it behind them.

"So what's the news about? D.O.E's?"

"Well…" Paul crossed his arms. "We have Bitterbuck's: 17th of September. But Flanders is being transferred to C Block next week."

"He's being reprieved? Well, I'll be damned…"

So killing your own father coldblooded wasn't enough to buy you a seat in Old Sparky, but taking another mans life, while you were drunk out of this world was? Hello justice…

"And that's not all," Paul continued. "We'll be getting a new inmate on Wednesday."

"The day after tomorrow?"

"Yearh…" A slight flinch crossed Pauls face, as though the thought pained him – or perhaps he was in pain.

Brutus frowned. "You okay?"

Paul hesitated. "I think I have caught myself a little bladder infection. But it's nothing, so don't worry."

"You sure?"

"Yup…" he said, perhaps a little bit too quickly. "Oh, and before I forget it: The movement of the infirmary has started and they need all the help they can get, so we'll all get our turns in the next couple of month."

Brutus groaned. "Can't we just sell 'em Percy and pray they'll keep him?"

Paul smiled. You know I can't do that…

"Speakin' of the Devil – where is the li'l worm now?" Brutus asked.

"Beats me. Haven't seen him in hours."

Brutus shook his head. "When he's finally done making our lives a living hell here, he should addition to be the new Harry Houdini. I swear, I've never met someone with such an impressive talent for disappearing, at every givin' chance."

Paul snorted and pulled the watch from his pocket. "Wouldn't surprise me, if his 'connections' could get him a job like that…. Christ, look at the time. Brutal, are you man enough to go tell them it's time to hit the showers?"

"You know they'll hate me forever, for telling them that Miss Brent's visit hour is over, right?" Brutus said, grinning.

Paul smirked. "Why do you think I'm not gonna do it myself."

oOo

"A'right, guys," Brutus called, when he and Paul returned to the Mile. "Bath time."

The men moaned in frustration.

"Aw, boss Howell!" Delacroix complained. "We ain't don' hea'ing bout mad'moiselle Rogers."

"Who?"

"Ginger Rogers," Flanders said and rose from his bunk, when Brutus slid his cell door open. "The actress, you know: Pretty girl with all the right proportions. There's a review about her new movie, 'Top Hat', in the paper."

"Oh, her. Hands, please."

"'Oh, her'," Flanders repeated, sounding offended, as Brutus handcuffed him. "That's all? Ain't much of a blond fan, are you?"

"No, actually," Brutus said gently, "I prefer 'em brown-haired."

Alice shot Ellie the same significant and hopeful look, as her mother use to do, when ever a young man as much a smiled in her directions. She pretended not to notice, as she pick up the newspapers she had finished.

"Don't worry, Alice," Paul said, as he unlocked Delacroix' cell. "We'll be back for you. And since your induction period has gone so well, you are allowed one hour in the yard this afternoon, what'd you say? You too, of course, Miss Brent."

"I say, I can't wait to feel the sun again," Alice responded, slightly relieved.

Ellie smiled thankfully at him. Not just because of the opportunity to get some fresh air, but because he hadn't used Alice's last name. She had just told them yesterday, how the old woman's husband's name still troubled her and she was happy, when they, without objection, had agreed to call her by her first name.

With the men gone, she went to Paul's office, to put the newspapers back in their file. It didn't take long to find the file, even though Paul had quite a collection: He used to gather for a week at a time, and then he took all the papers with him to E Block, for the prisoners to read.

There was just one problem: The entire collection had been placed on the top shell.

Even though she new it would be a pointless, she tried to reach for it, just to find out, that she was indeed several inches to short.

Dammit… Whoever said, it had its benefits to be a tiny woman, was a bloody arse…

"Need help?" said a deep, soft voice behind her.

She nearly dropped the papers. How on earth was such a big man capable of moving so silently?

"No, it's okay. I can just grab a chair…"

Without noticing her objections, Brutus stepped up behind her and reached for the file. His massive chest brushed over her right shoulder, as he grabbed it. Ellie's face turned hot.

"There ya go."

"Show-off." She smiled and took the file, without turning to face him, terrified he might see her blushed cheeks. "Thank you."

"Jus' call next time, a'right?" he said in a warm, teasingly tone "Don't wanna see you fall down from a chair and hurt yourself."

"I will. Call you, I mean… not fall down…" She bit her lip, mentally kicking herself. Smooth… very smooth…

Brutus laughed. "Well, I actually jus' came back to ask ya, if you could assistance Alice in the shower. We ain't technically allowed in there, when it's a woman…"

"Yes, of course. I will be ready, when you guys come back."

"Great." He smiled. "I… We'll see you in bit, then."

He went back to the shower room, leaving Ellie behind to place the newspaper in the file. He was long gone when she finally realised, that she was still smiling.

If she ever heard someone speak disrespectful about prison guards again, she would personally slap them in the face… well, at least mentally. Never had she met such sweet guys, as those here in Cold Mountain's E Block.

Not least Brutus Howell.

oOo

Two hours and a shower later, Alice could step outside for the first time, since her arrival. She looked quite pleased, Ellie noticed, even though the sun was shining as unmerciful, as it had done all month and the air was so heavy, it was like breathing inside an oven, that someone had turned on.

It was times like this, that she was grateful for her skirt and thin, white fabric. How the guards could stand to walk around in a black uniform with several layers and a tie was quite a mystery. Or perhaps they had just learned how to suffer in silence.

"You ladies enjoy the fresh air," Paul said, as he closed and secured the door behind them. "Brutus and I will just stay here in the shadows, if you need us."

He wiped the back of his neck with a handkerchief and Ellie suddenly realized, how peaked he looked – like he was coming down with something.

"Mr. Edgecombe," she said gently. "Are you feeling well? You look rather pale?"

"Oh, it's just this God damned weather," he said, brushing her concern aside. "It's wearing me out."

Brutus frowned slightly, as though he knew it wasn't the truth, but when Ellie caught his eyes, he shook his head almost unnoticeable.

"He'll be alright," he said quietly, as Paul walked to the bench in the shadows. "Go with Alice, I'll keep an eye on him."

"Thanks."

He smiled at her. "But don't stay to long in the sun. Don' want our only nurse to go down with'a sunstroke."

Ellie returned his smile. "I won't. Promise."

Alice was waiting just a few steps behind her. She took her arm and they walked along the fence, looking at the prisoners and the armed guards on horseback, who worked in the fields behind the prison.

Or Ellie was at least. Alice was giving her that slightly annoying look again – that 'you-foolish-girl-why-can't-you-see-it?-look.

"What?" Ellie asked when she couldn't ignore her anymore.

"He likes you," Alice emphasized in her usual tranquil way.

"He's just being nice," Ellie dismissed. "He's a sweet, caring man."

"Sweet?" Alice repeated. "The man could replace the sugar on your pancakes and you'll never be able to taste the different."

Ellie smiled and shook her head, which just made Alice continued without a blink of an eye: "I'll also bet he's absolutely dazzling underneath that uniform."

The blood flushed to Ellie's cheeks.

"Stop it!" she whispered, now half laughing, and shot Brutus a embarrassing glare over her shoulder, to make sure he hadn't heard anything. "Brutus Howell is technically my superior. You are making me uncomfortable."

It wasn't completely untrue, but she blushed of entirely different reasons, than Alice's bluntness. After the encounter in Paul's office, she had indeed tried to imagine what was hidden behind Brutus' broad shouldered jacket. And the image that had popped up wasn't unpleasant. Not at all! But how could she ever admit that to Alice?

Alice patted her hand.

"Oh, don't mind me, dear Eleanor," she said softly. "You are young and pretty and the men will line up, when you are ready again."

"You are a sweet liar, Alice."

"Am I?" The old woman smirked. "Then I dare you to look at him now."

Ellie hesitated, then turned her head.

Her eyes locked with Brutus' for just a split second, before he looked away and straightened himself with quite a bashful movement. Ellie wasn't sure whether it was the sun or perhaps her imagination, but his cheeks suddenly looked flushed.

Looking away too, she bit her lip to stop herself from smiling like a foolish teenage girl. She wasn't even aware, that blushing could be so contagious.