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unfinished business; Bad Girls / Judge John Deed trilogy
Topic Started: Jun 22 2008, 10:39 AM (19,809 Views)
richard
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Hi Emtsue and Andlif2laf, I’m very grateful and fascinated as always by your insights.

I think this time zone thing has something to answer for. :D I was nipping in and out of the fic to check out your reactions just before I was due to get some shuteye last night and finally, when I was in the land of nod, you were both posting very interesting questions. As always, they’ve started my mind racing. I sometimes take a bit of time to post as I want to think things clearly through.

You’re both totally right in saying that Karen wasn’t being very rational but there’s an ‘internal logic’ at work where Karen needs to kickstart herself into getting active again. Harking back to the comparable scene in Bad Girls where Helen is out late nights staking out Virginia O’Kane’s massage parlour, Helen had more logic on her side as she was working on the principle that if anything crucial needs doing, it needs doing by herself to be sure it doesn’t misfire- her only real confidante is Yvonne (not Thomas). As you say quite rightly, Karen had the option of delegating but she chose not to do so.

The other important thing is that Karen is seeing the light, in getting past all the months of shrinking intro a shell with far too much idle time, using alcohol to keep all the horrors in her mind at bay, not least because she saw all too clearly how everything stacked up against her. Helen and Nikki’s patient intervention and the legal help she’s been getting have finally succeeded in getting Karen to that ‘tipping point’, where she can believe in herself and thinks she has a fighting chance. You could say that she’s overcompensating but there’s understanding in Shirley’s mind that Karen will need all the confidence she can get with a trial in the offing and she’s made a gut instinct reaction to trust to Karen.

As you say quite rightly, Andlif2laf, Fenner’s state of mind bears a lot of investigation. He simply isn’t equipped with conscience or feelings of guilt but he has an awful lot of free floating paranoia which right now is very much accentuated. He’s also not in the safe cozy environment of Larkhall where his enemies are but his greatest enemies are in the outside world. This is the crunch.

I based the scene very much on Series 5, even down to Karen’s clothes, but the difference between my version and Shed’s was Fenner’s knowledge of Nikki’s intervention and that Karen has more allies.

When we get to Scene 29, I have extended the original scene quite a lot directly thanks to your very insightful feedback over the last number of scenes and I ought to go back and bulk this up as you have given me more ideas. I wouldn’t have done it without this invaluable contribution.

Hope this helps. Feel free to come back on this, or any other reader.
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richard
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This scene is a nicely complex one where Nikki and Helen face through Trisha’s questioning how their perspectives had changed and where John influences their thinking as much as they influence John’s. It also features that sensation of ‘racking their brains for a solution- should they take action over the break in and finally, their friendly treatment by the police force. The picture of the police car is an irresistible image. This should be plenty for you guys to get your teeth into. Enjoy. :D

....................................................................................................................


Scene Twenty-Seven


For the last week, Nikki and Helen had been wound up about what to do about the break in. Their dire need to get in touch with Ros and Jenny had raised this feeling to a crescendo over the last two days. Nothing existed outside their need to resolve this nagging question. On Thursday, they had talked to Trisha to check out the best way of contacting them and found out that they were Friday night regulars. Beneath the strained urgency of the occasion, both women couldn’t help but sense the irony of them seeking out two policewomen when, up till then, the police force was an organization that they would sooner not come across. It didn’t cross their minds that Sally Anne was an ex-policewoman as she had grown a new identity. They thought of her as a female friend, not of the uniform she’d once worn.

The week’s work had crawled by until finally on Friday evening, they received a couple of phone calls that were good omens, giving their spirits a much needed lift. Firstly, Karen had told them of Fenner’s reaction to being photographed. However much Fenner’s intangible presence had haunted them, it demonstrated that he must be doubly fearful and paranoid of them in return. Next, an apologetic Shirley Cheetham had explained how Kris Yates, provoked by Fenner, had blabbed off about them. It set Nikki’s mind at ease as she had worried how the rock solid Yvonne had somehow let word slip to Fenner about them. It wasn’t her style. As her old mate came into her mind, she noticed that Shirley talked the same way as Yvonne. She was relaxed about the one at the heart of the Atkins criminal empire and the other, the slightly disreputable agent of law and order.

They had a quick takeaway meal as they were on fire to get their glad rags on, get the show on the road and head off down to ‘Chix.’ The big difference was that this evening out wasn’t one of pure pleasure and enjoyment. Their peace of mind was at stake depending on what they found out. Both women went through the automatic motions of picking out their outfit for the night, showering and putting on their makeup but each mind was racing away as the moment of resolution came so close. They both conjured up a tightly defined, detailed description of the incident, of every word that was exchanged that evening and tried to imagine what the invisible policeman might say. They got to the point that their minds went round and round in circles and then they gave up. Finally, they were out of the house in record time and Helen screeched round the corners to land them at ‘Chix’ when the club was half deserted. As they emerged into the arena of flashing lights and soft music, they felt confused, disorientated. Sally Anne immediately came to greet them, shortly followed by Trisha.

“It’s lovely to see you both again,” Sally offered, hugging each woman affectionately,” we’d thought you’d given up going out for the pleasures of Friday night television or a quiet life.”
“Hi babes,” was Trisha’s shorter grinning greeting.
“Friday is the night that TV programmers think the audience have had a temporary lobotomy,” Nikki said caustically before switching.”As for a quiet night, I’m beginning to think that it’s not that we’re incapable of it. It’s just that sometimes we feel pursued.”
“You’re being very enigmatic, you two,” Trisha queried with raised eyebrows.
“Oh, it’s nothing much. Just that bastard Fenner broke in at two o clock in the morning. There we were, in our nighties and the first we knew was the light switched on and him mouthing off to scare the shit out of us,” Helen said tersely.
“Jesus Christ! That’s terrible,” Sally exclaimed, all sympathy.
“We’d put up John for that one night, you know John Deed, the judge. He was going through some emotional problems and he wanted us to talk him through them and put him up for the night. Anyway the disturbance woke him up and he did his ‘knight in shining armour’ routine and slung him out on the street.”
“That’s not like you, Nik, a card-carrying feminist to advocate male testosterone in action,” queried Trisha, trying to get his had round the situation.
“He stuck his neck out for us when he has his position to think of and put me right on that score,” Helen answered with scrupulous honesty.” I tell you he’s a really good friend in need. I’d certainly recommend as a bodyguard, a male judge like him who can land a good left hook.”

There was a chorus of gentle appreciative laughter at Helen’s retort. Immediately, the two women had a captive audience as they elaborated on their story. Trisha looked quizzically at them as an interesting perspective shaped itself of her friend. It was an irresistible paradox that begged to be voiced yet everything Nikki said made perfect sense to her.

“You don’t mind me reminding you how sarcastic you once were about the guy I hired to fix the shower unit, Nik. You said I should have hired a woman. You must have changed your views over time.”
“I can relate to that one, Trisha. What’s been really strange about the last few years is that while I am and always have been absolutely one hundred per cent lesbian, Helen and I have come across some really decent guys who make good friends,” came the amused yet thoughtful reply. Trisha was absolutely right, of course.
“More you than me, Nikki,” Helen teased,” There’s your boss Paul Williams, who’s your best buddy and there’s Tony.”
“Come off it, Helen,” Nikki laughed playfully as she pushed at her lover’s shoulder. “Paul was one of your drinking buddies at that conference or so he tells me.”

The light-hearted banter had had that magical effect of loosening up the two women, making them less one track minded as they sipped their drinks. Nevertheless, while the four women chatted away, Nikki spotted Ros and Jenny out of the corner of her eye. They made life simpler for them in smiling at them and coming straight over. They’d appreciated the friendliness of their reception that first night. Now was their chance, so Nikki’s overheated nervous system told her, to pop the question while she was psyched up enough to ask.


“I hate to bother you, Ros but I must pick your brains about something that’s happened to us.
“Bloody hell, I can’t believe it. I thought coming out as a copper in a lesbian club would cause everyone to run for their lives, land us up running a free consulting agency or attract the girls who are into uniforms,” Ros retorted loudly.
“We’re ever so sorry to bother you. This is definitely a ‘one off’ situation as Nikki and I don’t make a habit of falling foul of the law,” Helen added with her best winning smile.
“Okay kid. I can take flattery as well as the next woman. You tell us the story but make it quick, Jenny and I have been on long shifts this week and we want to relax.”
“Okay, Ros. This is as simple as I can make it. What are my chances of pressing charges against a guy who broke into our flat in the small hours of the morning, threatened us while we were in bed only for a guy who was stopping over to step in and after a fight, threw him out of our flat?” Helen asked with clicking precision.
“Were there any injuries or damage done?”
“Only to the burglar’s face when he was thrown down onto the steps outside.”
“Hmmn,” reflected Ros.”The charge wouldn’t be top of the league tables, the way policing is done these days, especially not with the CPS. The most that you might get out of it that one of us might go round, tell him not to be a naughty boy and caution him. I’d do it with pleasure and scare the shit out of him but are you likely to get payback? It depends on how much of a dangerous bastard he is,” replied Ros in reflective tones.” I’m telling you like it is and not giving you a load of bull. Best you know the truth.”
The two women’s heart sank as this basically kind-hearted woman told it like it was. They knew that she meant well by telling them the truth.
“You don’t need to worry about this any more,” broke in George’s distinctive assured tone of voice.” You can leave this problem to me and enjoy yourselves for the rest of the evening. I don’t mean any disrespect but this is complicated. There are wheels within wheels if you see what I mean.”
“If you’re taking a problem off our hands, that’s fine by me. Just what do you do for a living if you don’t mind me asking?” Ros asked in curious and respectful tones. She hadn’t come across a woman who was so classy and was such a stunner. Her girlfriend was suitably tall, dark and statuesque. Both policewomen looked at them in open admiration.
“I’m a barrister and I know very well how your profession has the habit of following you into your leisure time.”
“I’ve given evidence in court before but I haven’t seen a barrister as good looking as you. Anyway, I’m sure you’ll sort out this problem. We’re heading off to the bar.”

George wasted no time in cutting to the chase and Nikki and Helen were all attention.
“Alice and I are here to enjoy ourselves too so I’ll keep this brief. I’ve talked to Claire and she’s heard the very latest from Karen. If it’s all right with you, I’d sooner use this break-in to stitch up Fenner for good and all. He’s very conveniently tied in his break in on your house with your activity in defending Karen’s good name in a hit and run murder. The witness to this is none other than Karen who’ll be taking the stand anyway. What’s the point, after all, of having Al Capone jailed for tax evasion when I can have him sent down for multiple murder?”
George’s clear razor sharp exposition was readily absorbed by the other two women’s minds and it put the whole confusing disarranged sequence of events into perfect order. There was no need to brave the police bureaucracy as their place in the grand scheme of things was already arranged. Deep feelings of joy ran through their emotional cores just as their intellects were engaged. This had solved all their problems at a stroke and the way forward was clear. Impulsively, Helen flung her arms round George and hugged her followed by Nikki. In solving this problem, this talented barrister had taken such a weight off their shoulders
“I can see that both of you have been under pressure, not only your problems but in looking out for Karen as well,” George said softly and both women knew that they were right.” You both let your hair down. I’m ordering you to. This is the weekend after all.”

Suddenly, the two women became aware of the sinewy sounds of music all around them, filtering through their senses. Flickering lights played on the contours of the friendly faces that surrounded them. They both breathed in the air of freedom, that at least for the night, the evening was theirs. They’d come here on business and now they could enjoy themselves.

“Drinks, ladies? These are on the house or so Trisha told us,” a friendly voice called from behind them. Helen spun round as Jenny carried a trayful of drinks, still orange including double vodka and lemonade for them.
“You’re total stars,” Helen said gushingly. “That’s exactly what I want right now.”
“Me too,” agreed Nikki.”We’ve had a hell of a week. I don’t drink that much but I feel an exception coming on. By the way, is that straight orange you’re drinking?”
“We came straight off a late shift, got changed and came out in the police car. We have to set an example if you see what I mean. We’ve got used to it," Ros said.
They all sat and had a nice amiable chat before they’d finished their drinks and went out on the dance floor. The vodka went straight to Nikki's and Helen's heads and the two women felt as if they were floating and the music seemed to sweep over them in waves. Both of them were more physically affectionate with each other than normal and this was a super-Friday night out. They wrapped their arms round each other while the slower songs were playing. This was heaven. They felt that they were enveloped in a soft cocoon of snatches of musical phrases, of sung words, of the consciousness that they were among like-minded women and especially dear friends of theirs. Everything was safe and secure in their world.


From the sidelines, Trisha and Sally-Anne looked on fondly at the nighttime pleasures. Sally-Anne had slotted neatly into the space that Trisha had created for her and her biological clock had shifted round to her more nocturnal hours of work, which felt perfectly natural to her. The club, which was once a hitherto unknown playground of pleasures, was now her place of work and the admission charges and the drinks sales was her income, jointly with Trisha. However, it didn’t get in the way of enjoying herself, as she became part of the circle of friends with Trisha.

“Do you have any regrets that Nikki is now with Helen?” Sally-Anne suddenly asked.
The question left Trisha felt quite calm and collected as she was certain in her own mind and there wasn’t a trace of anxiety in the dark haired woman’s voice. The question was a perfectly natural one of simple curiosity.
“Not a chance, babes. I knew what I was doing when I deliberately pushed Nikki in Helen’s direction. I knew that we hadn’t a hope in hell of picking up the threads where
we’d left off when Nikki was imprisoned. When I met you, you became the love of my life. I have no unconscious feelings of jealousy towards Helen. They’re both best friends and that’s a fact. Everything has turned out for the best, babes.”
As the blond haired woman looked into her lover’s eyes, Sally leaned forwards and held Trisha in her arms and gave her a slow and lingering kiss. At moments like these, other women’s nighttime pleasures were quite capable of being their own.
“Want to dance, Trisha?”
“It’s our club so why not, babes?” came the reply, in Trisha’s best sultry tones. She couldn’t think of fancying anything more than the idea of dancing with her lover.



The time came when the party atmosphere started to wind down as everyone was tired out or feeling the worse for wear for drink. Nikki and Helen both suddenly realized that they were having extreme difficulty in getting their legs to hold them up and they slumped sideways onto two convenient chairs.
“Oh my God, we drove here in our car,” Nikki suddenly exclaimed.” We’re well over the limit and no way are we safe to drive.”
“I’ve got the answer for you, girls,” called a loud voice somewhere above and to the side of them.
Nikki screwed up her eyes to try and concentrate on who the mystery voice was. She could see a pair of sharply cut trousers and that was all. Helen was more successful in getting her eyes to concentrate of the face wavering in front of her.
“Of course, you’re Ros, aren’t you?” she said vaguely pointing a finger in their approximate direction.

“We’ve got the answer to your problems, girls. You’ve both had a skinful so I’ll drive you back in my car and drop you off at your flat while Jenny drives your car.”
Both women beamed at their saviours in a friendly fashion. They couldn’t think what else to say. At one time, Nikki would never have believed that guardian angels could also wear police uniforms having acquired a jaundiced view of uniforms in general.

They said their emotional farewells to George and Alice and Sally-Anne and Trisha even though it was more than likely that they would see each other soon enough. They staggered out of the club and propped each other up as they zigzagged their way. They concentrated hard in not letting Ros out of their sight. They were both secretly wondering how in hell they could give coherent directions back to their flat. As soon as they said their address, both policewomen nodded their heads. From years of driving round the back streets of London, they had an encyclopedic sense of the complicated grid map that represented London by car. Helen fumbled round in her handbag for her car keys and finally found them, relieved in not holding Ros and Jenny up.

It showed how times had changed that Nikki calmly viewed the white police car with aggressive orange and red stripes down the side and the blue light bolted to the top. They slid easily through the already opened back door into the wide seat. In her peaceful haze, Nikki was hardly conscious that the last time she sat in the back of a police car, she was handcuffed to a policeman as she and Trisha sat bolt upright, still spattered with DC Gossard’s blood. They were on their way to Larkhall Police Station, nerves wound tight as they still couldn’t believe the calamity that had taken place. In place of the aggressive hostility that radiated in waves at them from the police driver, Ros smiled indulgently through her rear view mirror at the two spread-eagled figures in the back of her car. This wasn’t some mobile prison taking them somewhere against their will but a friendly lift to get them back home while their car followed on behind them, driven by an equally friendly soul. They felt as safe as houses, even if the back of the police car rotated gently round them.

“Good night ladies, sleep tight,” called out Ros from the police car as Helen fumbled for their house keys.
“Thanks a million, you guys,” called out Nikki, waving uncertainly at them, polite and grateful to the last of her available faculties.

They stumbled through the front door, leaning against the wall and wondering if they could make it to their bed. It had been on hell of a week and now they were back home. Only a few feet further to go, they thought while the hallway seemed to lean in on them at perilous angles. They gripped each other tightly round the waist and tried to focus their way around.
“Think we can make it to bed?” questioned Nikki uncertainly.
“I’ll hold you up, darling. We’ll get there. One last push and we’ll be there,” Helen answered, trying to rally herself and then she pulled at the other woman and they lunged their way through the final distance that separated themselves from their beds.
This symbolized everything that had been between them, thought Nikki fondly as she dropped her handbag and held on tight. They hurtled through the bedroom door together and fell full length. The last thing they remembered was the tilted view upwards of the overhead lights as it swayed overhead at them but the most important sensation was the soft texture of their duvet and the feel of their arms round each other. They were safe.
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Andliv2laf
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Hey Richard...I am unable to read and respond tonight, I will try to take care of this tomorrow evening when I return...can't wait...and Emtsue should be around so you will have something to read I am sure! Have a great day! :girlygiggle
AND
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richard
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Hi Andlif2laf. Thanks for your post and your good wishes. Can't wait till I see what you and Emtsue and Axiegirl (or anyone else for that matter) have to say. :D
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emtsue
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"I'll hold you up,darling.We'll get there.One last push and we'll be there",Helen answered.

Hiya Richard,
It's the quote above, that jumped out at me in this scene.For me it's the crux of the whole storyline,because in the final analysis this has all been about Helen and Nikki's journey,from the time of Nikki and Helen's "incarceration" at Larkhall to the present.From the beginning ,they have been holding and pushing the other.Along the way, gaining more knowledge and love about themselves and each other.With this love and knowledge gained,they have graciously been able to pass it on to old and new friends alike.These two work in tandem,they work ok alone but together.......I once said they are like magnets,not only drawn to the other ,but others are, I believe by no choice of their own ,drawn to them.People like John Deed and George should have by all accounts, been a "one off" in their lives.Instead they find themselves, in the best way ,stuck to them,and they're all the more better for it.When Helen and Nikki became a couple ,old friendships like Trish , Karen,and even Claire, became new again.Each learning who these two women are together outside those prison walls.Although their underlying personalities were the same, after Larkhall,Helen and Nikki had changed...no doubt for the better.
So as not to be remiss the friends list also includes the likes of Shirley,Tony,Sallyanne,alice,Ros and Jenny(did I miss anybody?)Oh yeah,Yvonne(how could I forget Yvonne!),and maybe in the end even Kris.Who knows?
The only real questions left are those concerning Fenner and the trial.Which includes John as judge and how he will deal with the bretheren and Fenner.So it looks like we are coming to the end of this most interesting and so well written tale.But if I remember Richard ,you said something about another sequel!!As always you make me think and thats all for the better too.
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richard
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What a brilliantly lyrical piece of work which is also high grade literary criticism. I like the way you have focussed in on that line from the scene and, of course, you are perfectly correct. It captures the heart about what this series of fics is about. You have explained marvellously how old friendships are reshaped - as with Trisha and Claire as new friends are drawn into their orbit or is it the other way round? Your feedback is so rewarding as it shows that the way that the people you name remain interconnected in a way that feels natural to you and not in any way artificial.

The good news for you is that a full blown trial is coming up where I’d be interested for your feedback (as with others) on how trial drama works. This fic has a fair way to run as yet. Your recollection is perfectly correct as I have already written the sequel to this fic and I’d be delighted for you and other worthy readers to come along for the ride.

If I’ve made you think, that is a big compliment to me as your writing is so good.
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Axiegirl21
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Well finally got round to reading these updates, gotta say I loved the strength that Karen has reclaimed by confronting Fenner, he really is starting to lose it isn't he and it looks like he's gonna be taking Di Barker with him :) As for George's intervention with the break in situation I could literally feel the weight lifting off Nikki and Helen's shoulders, they certainly deserve to enjoy themselve for the night, getting a lift back in a police car though that was priceless. I just hope that Ros didn't recognise the car that Jenny was driving, I mean is Helen still driving the car that they pulled them over in that night and if she is will Ros remember it? :thought
Great update Richard and thanks for the pm, looking forward to the next update.
The past is history.
The future a mystery.
And now is a gift thats why we call the present.



Larkhall Lovelies Rule
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Andliv2laf
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Hiya Richard...sorry it took me so long...been kinda distracted! Ok...this is irony at its best...but I expect nothing less from you! So now these two have managed to attract two more very helpful friends into this powerful circle they have been so carefully subconciously forming! More irony is that for a while nothing was going right...and now all of a sudden things can't be more right! I think this could be the end of Fenner and Co! But, that's what I think...and I am not you! The strength of each woman and the stength of each relationship is so powerful...friendship at it's best! I firmly believe that we have people that come into our lives at specific times for specific reasons...and you are illustrating this very well in this story! Warms my heart and leaves a pleasant smile on my face as I think about my own life! Thanks again for the wonderful writing and again...you have left me with a smile Richard!! Thank you!! :girlygiggle


BTW, I didn't read any feedback before I posted...so glad to see in you response to Emt that I was on the right track! And I'll be here for the sequel...you can count on that!!!
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richard
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This analysis is really as good as anything there is and has nicely picked out some very distinct niches in the storyline.

To you, Axiegirl21, you certainly got the feel of the pressures being taken off Nikki and Helen with their perception that they ought to take action and being nervous about the prospects. Your feel for Karen wanting to ‘do it for herself’ is spot on as well as is your feel for the way the night at Chix worked out.

To you, Andlif2laf, you have most definitely latched onto the two themes of irony and friendship that lurk around in my writing and, yes, the way that accidental events shape our lives is something I’ve experienced. I’m pleased that the characters of Ros and Jenny have come over well enough

I’ll be especially delighted to se you all around for the sequel and, oh yes, thanks for the birthday wishes. I had a nice mellow time of it
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Andliv2laf
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Thanks for the feedback Richard! Sorry I missed you Birthday! Happy late wishes...glad it was a good one! :celebrate

:girlygiggle
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richard
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No problem, Andlif2laf :) . Anyway, This next scene is in segments, kicking off with an interesting perspective of past and present George with a nicely romantic view of her home life with Alice. When I wrote the second segment, the Paul McCartney song was buzzing round in my head and gave me this irresistible feel of travelling. This merges into a Nikki scene which challenges her to make the careful thought out decision, head over impulse in the most testing situation possible. Enjoy. :D

.......................................................................................................................


Scene Twenty-Eight

A/N Lyrics ‘Helen Wheels’ - Paul McCartney

Inner feelings of emptiness flowed through George in those moments of half wakefulness, half dream state, when she wasn’t sure who or where she was. It upset her that somehow, she would be forced to don that hateful mask again, to pretend to herself that she really liked sharing the company of those who left her cold inside. Most of all, she felt that the man she was stuck with was a million miles away from her. He was sharing their double bed but was the opposite of everything she really wanted. Why was she stuck in this situation? How did she get there? The worst of it all was that she had successfully persuaded those closest to her that the mask was her when all along, she was living a lie. Certainly, she said and did nothing to persuade them otherwise. She had worked so hard in persuading all and sundry that she loved the material things of life above all else. This was the one moment of honesty in her daily life and from that point in the day onwards, she knew she would do her best to suppress that voice of dissent. It was only in that state of semi wakefulness that all her defences were down.

It was only when her eyes opened wide that the blond haired woman realized that this was a Saturday morning and she saw her lover sleeping next to her. Waves of relief flowed through her, as she knew that she had only lived the residual nightmare of her past. In broad daylight, she knew that she had much to smile about. The best thing about it was waking up and being reminded how thankful that her life had changed. She looked at Alice’s soft features, her long flowing hair and the way her body curved against her. Everything was all right in her world and there was nothing to worry about.


******

The last two months had seen George and Alice’s relationship smoothly progress so that there were moments when, she wondered how she could have managed not to live this way. Everything before that magic turning point in her life had started to fade into the background as her life settled down to a comforting pattern where everything felt so natural.

The two women took their work home with them and were quite capable of silently working on their own with their files yet maintaining that companionable awareness of each other’s presence. George was bent over her working table, the papers for the Karen Betts trial spread out in front of her. She was immediately aware of Alice’s light footfall behind her. As her fingers touched the back of her neck and gently stroked it, she sighed deeply and leaned back in satisfaction. Those fingers were gradually easing the tenseness out of her neck muscles from the time spent in close concentration on the case in hand. She had worked through to a comfortable stopping point and was quite willing to give way to temptation. Alice had that delightful knack of timing the right moment in everything that related in their lives. That was one quality that made her special.

“How did you know that I really wanted your delightful brand of distraction?” George said, her tone of voice arching the syllables that started to arouse Alice’s own sense of pleasures.
“I just know, darling,” came Alice’s soft reply as her fingers slipped forward and slowly yet deftly started to unbutton George’s shirt.

The blond haired woman sighed blissfully in pleasure, her skin tingling all over and she reached behind her to caress her lover. It seemed an eternity for the last button to be undone and her bra to be unclipped until finally, at last, the taller women touched George’s hard nipples and her mind and body were thoroughly aroused. As George turned round and started removing her clothing, Alice dreamily reflected on the endearing way that George reveled unashamedly in the pleasure in her own sexuality and in Alice’s.

It was no surprise that as the front room had a white fluffy rug conceniently in front of the hearth, both women knew that it was simply not possible to wait until they had reached their bed. After all, this was the way they had started on their very first night together.



******

It was only now that Helen and Nikki realized how the intensity of the past month’s events had worn them down as they’d gradually committed themselves to shouldering some of the weight of Karen’s misfortunes and ended up confronting their worst enemy, one whom they had thought they had walked away from. The Saturday morning after they had staggered in from ‘Chix’, they had lain without moving with their crumpled duvet around them. They felt as if every bone in their body was weary and they needed to recuperate and withdraw from the world so they didn’t stir till late. Doing as little as possible felt the right thing to do that weekend and leaving the normal housework wasn’t an irretrievable sin. They made an unspoken common resolution to deny that Fenner could haunt their existence. Otherwise they would be conjuring up his spirit. They knew only too well that his reality was quite bad enough. They preserved every nuance of Karen’s story of how paranoid Fenner was of them and got on with their lives.

They stumbled back to work on the Monday and day after day went past. September had given way to the increasing chills and shortening days of October. The court case was now being left to trundle its way until the court case was listed. They had learned to grab a sense of temporary peace and value it for what it was.

******

One day when they were out in their car on Saturday morning, the impulse took hold of Nikki to drive them down to her parent’s house.

“Don’t your parents want notice of you coming down?” asked Helen anxiously.
“Relax, Helen,” urged Nikki in confident tones.” Things are cool between us these days. They’ll either be out, which is unlikely or else they’ll be around. They’re creatures of habit, trust me.”

Helen gave up disputing the point. She was eager to get out for the day and driving out of London to Nikki’s partent's comfortable house, a little distance out of Portsmouth seemed a good idea. They’d been to nikki's parents once before and everything had worked out surprisingly smoothly.

Nikki settled behind the wheel of the Peugeot and sang along with the car radio while the wind blew through the open driver’s window. As the sharp, fun rock and roll road song played through the car, Nikki joined in the chorus, which expressed her sense of heading off down the road with the woman she most loved alongside her. She grinned at the smaller woman as she hit the chorus line of that ‘on the road’ song and she smiled happily back in contentment.

“Said farewell to my last hotel, it was never much kind of abode
Glasgow town never brought me down when I was heading out on the road
Carlisle city never looked so pretty and the Kendal freeway's fast
Slow down driver, want to stay alive, I want to make this journey last.

Helen, hell on wheels, ain't nobody else gonna know the way she feels
Helen, hell on wheels, and they never gonna take her away.”

She looked the picture of purposeful activity, Helen reflected, while their car ate up the miles. In no time at all, their car pulled off the dual carriageway, wended round the countryside and finally swung confidently onto the gravel drive that fronted the house. Built at the end of the First World War, it had aspirations to minor mansion status in its backward looking mixture of imitations of both Gothic and Tudor architecture. Somehow, both women overlooked the gleaming BMW parked in the drive and Nikki led the way, knocking confidently on the front door.

The door opened and, to Nikki’s total shock and horror, her brother’s face greeted her. His face promptly turned stony with anger and turned round to talk to their parents.

‘It’s Nicola. She’s come with her female friend.”
Behind Nikki, Helen’s expressive face couldn’t help but slide into a smirk and her eyes glinted at the impossibly stilted, repressed description of her. She realized just how profound was her immersion in her lifestyle change to find these words ludicrous, as they were phrased.
“Ask them to come in.”
As the two women walked on the highly polished parquet flooring and looked around them, Nikki’s father was obviously ill at east. He coughed a couple of times before finally

“As I’ve told John before, you both have the same rights to come over here but this visit isn’t well timed.”
“No visit by Nicola is ever well timed, father. She’s always caused trouble for the family. My children are growing up. It’s getting harder to keep her existence a secret from them. Children do ask awkward questions, you know.”
“It takes two to have a quarrel, John. Besides, what’s wrong with having an inquisitive mind?” his sister asked in such an innocently reasonable tone of voice.

“Do you have to ask such an insane question?” John shouted, red in the face as Nikki’s droll tones set him off in a bad temper.” Thanks to your perverse desire to break the rules, you got thrown out of the expensive boarding school that our parents spent so much on. You’re the unmentionable one around this house, Nicola. Your face and name were plastered all over the tabloids for murdering that policeman and dragging our name through the mud. I even had thoughts once of changing my name by deed poll to escape the shame you brought on our family.”

Nikki’s eyes opened wide in shock and anger as echoes of past family rows were conjured up to reverberate throughout her nervous system. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“That’s enough of all this, children,” Nikki’s father stepped in with as much military command as he could summon up, glaring at his son. Even at a moment like this, Nikki couldn’t help but smile at the way her father took himself back down the years but she realistically perceived that this backdated description of her and John would serve his purpose as well as any other.
“Don’t rise to it, Nikki. That’s giving his very existence far too much validation.” Helen cut in quietly yet definitely. ”You can rise above it all.”

The sharp eyed woman saw a fleeting look of gratitude shine in Nikki’s father’s eyes for hitting the precise note. He cleared his throat and his presence commanded centre stage

“Nikki, I think you made a bit of a mistake in not phoning us first to say you were going to call. John’s visit was prearranged. You have every right to be here but so has John, no more, no less. The problem is that the two of you can’t be under the same roof at the same time. The obvious course of action is perfectly clear if you care to work it out. If you choose correctly, then you have our blessing.”

Nikki’s father stood solidly, looking his daughter in the eye. In turn, thoughts ran rapidly through his daughter’s mind. Blind anger flamed up in her that, once again, she was being driven out of the home where she had been excluded for so many years and tension ran through her clenched fists. It wasn’t fair, she thought. Then she looked at the mild expression on her father’s face and her mother’s worried expression. It dawned on her that they weren’t shouting at her but a silent appeal was being made to her sense of responsibility. It was her choice and she was invited to consider the whole picture. She exhaled the air that had been sucked up into her lungs and the tension was breathed out into the atmosphere. Blindly, she fumbled for a cigarette and lit up, to the astonishment of not a sign of protest except from her self-righteous prig of a brother who glared at her. All the anger drained out of her. Helen was right.

“Okay, dad. I hear what you’re saying. I think the right thing to do is for Helen and I to come back another day. We really want to have a pleasant family day with you but that’s not possible as things stand,” Nikki replied in a controlled, level tone of voice, looking her father in the eye and avoiding her brother.

Instantly feelings of relief brightened up the room except for an isolated pocket of anger creating storm clouds in the corner. Helen squeezed Nikki’s hand at her well-chosen words in this difficult decision. She knew that Nikki had been so sorely tempted not to surrender her physical position whereas, in acting wisely, she had won the battle. Nikki’s father stepped forward and shook her hand warmly and firmly and her mother kissed her on the cheek.
“Love you mum,” Nikki said. She had come to see, through Helen’s engagement with her, that her mother had a point of view on the world aside from her father’s.

The farewell greetings to Helen were similarly warm and affectionate while Nikki's brother fumed on the sidelines. He was outraged at how his parents took so well to these women and had quietly abandoned the staunch conservative values that they themselves had instilled in him. He had cynically expected his sister to kick up an almighty argument and be cast as the villain of the peace. He had always found her stroppy and difficult to deal with. This deft diplomatic touch was unsettlingly novel and it disarmed him without him able to do a thing about it.
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emtsue
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G3 Curtain and Duvet!
If I were to put a title to this chapter it might be something like:"The Healing Mind,Live your Best Life" That is how I saw this piece.


The subconscious and how dreams/nightmares effect(affect?HELP!) our conscious mind is an amazing thing,isn't Richard? They tell us our wants and fears,show us our past and present.On occasion,it even gives us a glimpse of our future.

I was completely taken aback to find out through George's nightmmare that she was NEVER the person everyone thought she was and how uncomfortable it made her feel.What was even more incredible was how she was able to convince herself to play the game 24/7 in real life for so long without deviating.

Alice and George have so naturally melded together in their love and home life.I cannot say that wish I it would have happened sooner,for I believe everything happens for a reason, in its own place and time.George has been healed with the love and support of someone named.....Alice.


Through this story it has been discussed how many lives have been affected positively by just two people,Nikki and Helen, without them even knowing it.The reverse has also been true; that one person can have the power to negatively infiltrate two peoples minds and lives even when not physically present.Helen and Nikki have gained so much strength and wisdom since leaving larkhall that they have been able to continue on with their lives,as well as their crusade against one Jim Fenner(and help Karen in the process),with a little help from their friends(Hey another Beatles tune!).As a result,perfectly understandable that they should now have an "emotional Hangover".


"Helen,hell on wheels,ain't nobody else gonna know the way she feels.Helen,hell on wheels,and they never gonna take her away".
I got nothin' to say here Richard,those two lines say it all! OH! Maybe one thing,those lines would still say it all if we chose to insert Nikki's name!

Nikki has come so far in healing her relationship with her parents.Not only has she forgiven them for casting her aside, ,but with that,regained some peace of mind.Still a work in progress to be sure,but well on their way.Unfortunately not so with brother John. His parents taught him too well,and he does not have the tools to heal his own mind and heart.Where as Nikki has learned how to use with expertise, those tools. From her time at Larkhall when her "classes' began, to the present and her life with Helen,Nikki is able to make a sane and rational decision when her father and mother suggested it was obviously not a good time for herself and Helen to have visited ,but were welcome to come back another day.With calmness and confidence, Nikki agreed.As the saying goes,"you've come along way,baby".

Helen and Nikki ,through hardship and love have healed each other,and will continue to do so as the trial comes ever closer.

Wonderful,wonderful chapter, Richard.







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richard
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To Emtsue, thank you so much for your gift of words in this piece of writing and I love your theme of healing your own heart and mind and someone else’s.

It’s interesting how you reacted to George’s self-revelation of the way she used to be is totally unexpected but convincing. When I wrote this scene, I had mentally cross referenced this with the George as depicted on TV where you only saw the glimpse of ‘this George’ in the moments when she discreetly came to John’s rescue. I’ve double checked back through my series and was glad that I’d depicted her in ‘Cleanup Time’ as she was also in the TV series. Right at the end, she had a verbal confrontation with Nikki that triggered the sustained train of thought that got her to start that incredibly important process of self-questioning, important to anyone sometime in their life. When she met Alice, she found precisely the warm hearted woman who she never knew that she was looking for and who draws out all those good qualities that she’d kept under wraps, even from herself as the ‘dream sequence’ shows. I can certainly relate to your very perceptive comments about dreams.

My depiction of Nikki on the verge of throwing a strop with her parents is another instance of her past reaching out to reclaim her when she made the deliberate and conscious decision not to let that happen, thanks to Helen’s influences on her life which you depict so well. Your depiction of John is so precisely right in terms of your central theme and isn’t it strange that thy are brother and sister? I love the way you picked up on the suggestion I hinted at of what lay behind Nikki’s total impatience to hare off to her parents as the emotional kickback of the struggle against Fenner and to support Karen.

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richard
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I found this next scene where the ‘narrator’ is Nikki’s brother, completely new to Larkhall, with none of Nikki’s understanding of life, and above all else, being completely suckered by Fenner, as he might appear through the eyes of someone who acts superior yet is so gullible.

I dedicate the final Fenner piece to Emtsue, Andlif2laf and Axiegirl21 which has been added onto the original scene following very fascinating discussions. It shows that Sir Ian and co have a rarefied ‘top down’ authoritarian attitude and won’t deign themselves to talk to ordinary humans. Likewise, Fenner hasn’t made the contacts in that world that Nikki and Helen have. He is a little fish in a big pool outside the protective world of Larkhall. It is one of life’s ironies who that chance came about to make these contacts in fighting to clear Nikki’s name through the courts. Enjoy :D

........................................................................................................................


Scene Twenty-Nine



Muttering under his breath, John Wade finally edged his immaculately maintained BMW into the only very tight space outside HMP Larkhall. The visitor’s parking place was whatever was left after the staff had parked their cars. He got out of his car, grasping hold of his shiny black briefcase, wondering about the variety of female lowlifes that he might encounter, the Mr. Plods that he would be reliant on and especially this Fenner character. He faced a ridiculously long walk past the clapped out cars, which were lined up outside this crumbling Victorian ruin. His first experience at the gate was not encouraging, especially being used to lording his professional authority over a grateful deferential client.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I must ask you to empty your briefcase, for security reasons.”
“I beg your pardon?” he answered in haughty, astonished tones, indicating that the last thing he intended was begging for anything, quite the reverse. “Do you know just who I am? In my time, I’ve represented wealthy industrialists and Her Majesty’s Government.”
“I apologise but rules is rules and I’ve got the governor to account to if I don’t follow them. It’s more than my job’s worth not to.”
”Do you think I’d let some jumped up little traffic warden type tell me what to do?”
“Have it your own way,” Ken finally replied, starting to lose his patience.” John Wade, eh? We once had a prisoner here called Nikki Wade. No relation, I suppose?”
“Of course not,” lied the man, flushing in anger and embarrassment while Ken looked at the guy with shrewder eyes than he was given credit for.” Look here, just to keep the peace, here’s my briefcase,” John Wade said, ungraciously thrusting the case into the man’s hands.
Ken studiously searched the briefcase, not hurrying the task too much and sensing the bottled up irritation. He phoned up and was thankful that Selena Geeson, one of the keen young prison officers, was to take him off his hands. This pompous idiot was now someone else’s problem.

He couldn’t help wincing at the oppressive sense of dinginess about the place and having to be let through the sequences of barred gates. Surely, the prisoners were supposed to be locked up, not visitors. He glanced at the women who approached him and flinched at the suggestive looks that the two skinny blond haired scrubbers, dressed in short skirts and skimpy tops. Worst of all, an older woman, dressed in leather trousers and jacket and hawk like face stared threateningly at him.

“So who’s this new talent on the block, eh?”
The man was staggered that the prison officer just smiled at this cheeky woman and didn’t slap down this impertinent woman.
“As it happens, I’m a solicitor and I’ll thank you to treat me with respect,” he said stiffly.
“Respect, eh?” she said, holding up her hands in an expression of peacemaking. “I don’t do respect unless it’s earned. If I come across a straight down the line guy, well that’s different,” said this woman with a playful smile, which he found unsettling. He wasn’t used to coming across forceful women like this.
“Yeah, you’re in the second oldest profession in the world. Rip people off something rotten, don’t you,” said the more forceful of the two other women.
“Just find this Jim Fenner for me. I’m an extremely busy man,” he said stiffly.
“Come on, Yvonne and Julies, let this visitor pass,” Selena said in crisp tones though inwardly, she was disgusted that this solicitor was helping out this slimeball. She could sense the women’s playfulness could turn abruptly to anger given half a chance, and she wanted to get him out of the way and fast.

“I shouldn’t be subjected to this sexual innuendo. I read in the Daily Mail that prisons are slapdash and this confirms my opinion.”
“You have to learn where to draw the line. I’ll call your client on my mobile phone and find you an interview room.”
Selena drew out her brick sized mobile phone, intoned her message and the various call signs and led the way to a green painted door. She declined to answer the criticism as it was obvious that this man didn’t have a clue about real life, however he might pride himself on being Superlawyer. The smart, attractive woman opened up the room to this unbelievably poky hole, with nothing but a hardwood chair that looked totally uncomfortable and a shabby wooden desk. These were totally primitive conditions and left him barely enough space to spread out his papers. He made a mental note to consider lodging a formal complaint as to his general treatment.

He was drumming his fingers on the tabletop, bored out of his skull when his client finally entered the room and they exchanged the usual pleasantries. This Jim Fenner had a reassuringly firm handshake, and was averagely presentable with a suggestion of a military bearing in his manner. He spoke with just the right note of deference to his status as a solicitor. John Wade was becoming reassured by this man’s modest demeanour and appearance of solid reliability. It came back to him how many years ago, his father had given him a guided tour of the ship that he had commanded and the memories had now resurfaced. In recognizing the same kind of military environment, it struck him that even if Jim Fenner wasn’t quite officer material he would go down very well in the seaman’s mess. He was very sure of the people he met in his daily life and could sum them up at a glance, even if he had never been told anything about them.

“Mind if I smoke? It’s an occupational habit. ”
“Go ahead,” the other man said. Necessity is the mother of invention, he thought sourly to himself. ”I assume you know why I wanted to see you.”
“Someone said something about Karen Betts going up on trial for knocking down that unfortunate pedestrian but I don’t see where I fit in.”
“In the statement Karen Betts made to the police statement, she claimed that right before she left Larkhall she had a pretty big row with you over some file she’d got on your malpractice and she was going to expose you.”
“Ah yes, I see what you’re driving at. You want evidence of her state of mind. Well, I could help out,” Fenner answered, a look of enlightenment in his eye.
“Were you in any way close to her?”
“What do you mean close?” Fenner said through narrowed eyes.
“I would have thought it was obvious,” the other man said, a touch of irritation in his voice.” Do you mean friendship or were you in a relationship with her?”
“Yeah, we were close once,” Fenner said in a lowered, apparently philosophical tone of voice.” We lived together for a while and planned on getting married but it didn’t work out. Working at this place, doing long hours, funny shifts doesn’t do relationships a lot of good.”
“Did she have any resentment towards you?”
This man reflected awhile, and John Wade gave him credit for not speaking straightaway. He knew from his own experience that exposing your feelings to a stranger was somehow indecent.
“It’s difficult to say. There’s bound to be unpleasantness. It’s only human nature. Working together twenty four seven doesn’t help.”

John prided himself in gradually wearing down the man’s obvious shyness and reticence so that, after a while, he started talking freely. It was his magic touch, he thought to himself, and he felt he had got to the bottom of the case. This woman had trumped up some sort of case against him, they had a falling out and she stormed off in a rage. He could picture it all so vividly. It was one of those thousand to one coincidences that he’d been captured on CCTV film just when that car had pulled in and had been dumped.


“You know that the finger of suspicion might be pointed at you. You know that the best form of defence is attack,” John Wade warned him.
“You get that sort of thing all the time. One of the cons, sorry I mean, inmates, got deranged and got the mad idea that I’d raped her. I go into her cell one night and she tricks me into getting closer than I like with women prisoners, gets out a broken bottle and stabs me in the stomach. I was lucky in having a good doctor on the premises or else I would have been a goner.”
“Good Lord, I wonder you came back to work here after that experience.” John Wade exclaimed in horrified tones. This story came far too close to home and his sympathies went out to this man. He was one of those unsung heroes you didn’t get to hear of that toiled in the background after the prisoner had been sent down in the full glare of publicity. He obviously didn’t want to parade his heroism for all to see but the quiet throwaway manner that he told his story was very revealing.
“I learned to cope and come through the other side. You learn to get through this sort of thing when you’ve been in the service as long as I have.”
“I must say, I take my hat off to you.”
The man hesitated as if he had a lot on his mind and had to think about just how to phrase it.
“…………About this court case, I’ll have to think this over, you understand.”
“I wouldn’t want to push you. The choice is yours but my opinion is that you’ll make a credible witness. By beating off the attack that would undoubtedly be made in your absence, it will make our case stick,” John Wade replied in confident tones.

“Have you been in court before, Jim?” he asked after a reflective pause.
“I’ve seen the inside of a courtroom before a number of times and occasionally given evidence. I know the drill.”
“That’s good as at least you’d be prepared if you do agree to be a witness. In that case, I’d run over the case with you in more detail.”

They shook hands on the semi deal and just when they left the cell, a thought crossed Fenner’s mind.

“I’m sorry but I didn’t quite catch your name earlier on.”
“My name’s John Wade,” the other man said while Yvonne and the Julies glared at him.

The response appeared to startle the other man. It was a funny coincidence. No, it couldn’t be possible, he thought, as he shook his head.

He went to escort the man to the gates himself to turn everything over in his mind. He knew that while he’d smoothtalked his way through this interview, court would be tougher. Even as he had spoken to the brief, he was inclining to go for it but needed the evening to make the final decision. He might blag his way through this one, the same way he had done in every tight corner he had found himself in. He also knew that his guarantee of safety was to make sure that if anyone went down, it wouldn’t be him but Betts. His cold sense of looking after number one dictated this.


********

Deep in his lair, Grayling sat alone in his office, holding his head in his hands as a headache clamped his head in a vice. He had been desperate to get rid of that thorn in his side, Karen Betts who perpetually disagreed with and blocked his favourite ideas. He had half suspected that she had worked discreetly behind the scenes when that ghastly sit in started off in the middle of his planned PR triumph in launching Lynford Securities which had ended up sinking his career plan. He had been so determined to be rid of her and, as part of the deal, he was stuck with the useless, ineffective and spiteful Di Barker. The only alternative had been Jim Fenner and his vision of the man in the job worked out very differently in practice as he found out how conniving the man was.

He’d been spooked by the visit by the very dangerously astute Ms Wade who’s parried his best ploys and her sure knowledge of the wing made him feel uncomfortably naked. His nerves had been on edge wondering what was going to drop through the post not knowing from what direction the blow might fall. The final straw was when his sensitive antenna told him that a solicitor had come to interview Jim Fenner. Logic told him that, if it was about the forthcoming Karen Betts trial, was there a possibility that he had something to do with the trial? He just hoped that the wretched file of Karen Betts had been put through the shredder as it was supposed to be. Surely the simplest action like this must have been carried out properly? The worst of it was that he wasn’t totally sure if he was backing the right horse. This was a concern that had dominated his entire life.

********

When Fenner finally got home that night, he made an excuse to go to the loo while he let the very cloying Di Barker cook a traditional roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for them both. She never knew when to shut up grumbling about everything but he didn’t want her trying to get inside his head either. He let no one do that to him, ever. Only on his own did he feel secure.

His thought had been churning away all afternoon beneath the lid of outward cold control and now, when he was on his own, they poured out in a stream of internal consciousness. What wound him up was that, up till a month ago, everything had been going smoothly in his life. He had finally packed off Betts safely on her way to the inside of a women’s nick, or so the police who had come to drag her off the wing had led him to expect. That had given him total control over the wing, as Di Barker was just a figurehead boss, not a real one. Even Atkins had kept her head down and Hedges had been safely under his thumb. It was Wade’s ‘inspection’ that started the rot in nosing around things that didn’t concern her and stirring everyone up. It kicked off a run of disturbing events, the most recent being beaten up by that old man who was kipping at Stewart and Wade’s flat. He’d given the lads at work the old flannel about falling down a flight of stairs but he wasn’t sure if they believed him. Finally Betts’s mad escapade of taking snapshots of him got him really worked up. She should have drowned herself in her favourite bottle of whisky but instead was acting far too cocky for his liking.

Suddenly, all his fears and paranoiacs burst to the surface in the visual form of his enemies, Wade, Stewart and Betts. All too easily, he could picture them all laughing at him and plotting to bring him down. He suddenly fumbled in his inside jacket pocket, brought out the pill bottle, flipped open the top and greedily took a couple of the tranquillizers. He knew full well that he was in danger of running out of his prescription but he knew that he could prevail on Malcolm Nicholson to prescribe him a ‘top up’ in emergency, the ‘all pals together’ routine. He needed them, there and then, to calm him down with the trial coming up. They worked better than beer. He started thinking ahead to the trial and tried to comfort himself with the thought that he’d been in court before, so he knew the drill, but this time it was personal and that worried him.

What scared him was that all the threats against him came from outside the comfort zone of Larkhall Prison, outside his normal turf. The irony of it was that he’d got rid of Stewart first and then Betts, while Wade slipped out of his grasp. They had now returned to dog his steps in the public arena where he didn’t pull the strings. He felt naked, alone. It was for this reason that he held back from his temptation to dish the dirt to the tabloids about Stewart and Wade. Who knows what might kick off if he got into that game? Besides, he also had known for a long time that he had to look clean and above board with the trial in the offing. He knew very well that Area Management would trace the story straight back to him and they wouldn’t thank him for blowing the gaff on them. While he’d given that toffee nosed solicitor the old flannel to perfection, it sharpened his sense that he had to be bloody careful. While he secretly despised the man, he was the meal ticket to Betts being sent down and him being finally secure.

He had got to tough it out, to play things cagey and above all, trust no one except himself.
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Axiegirl21
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So Nikki's brother has found a way to get back at her has he (even if he doesn't realise it yet). He really does seem to be from the Haughton school of dickheads doesn't he. Loved the way Helen was able to calm Nikki down with a few simple words and the way it really annoyed John when she didn't blow up.
He's used to dealing with the old Nikki and doesn't know how to get to the new one. Gives me a bit more confidence for Karen in her trial if he's the one involved with helping Fenner though.

I loved the little look into Alice and George's homelife, it showed how much Alice is there to support George in the upcoming trial.

As for Fenner his demons seem to be getting louder, his paranoia will get the better of him, I feel a little worried for Di, I think if when he strikes out, in his mental state, she could end up be caught in the blast, in fact I think when he finally snaps a lot of innocent people are gonna get caught in the blast (and I use the term innocent very loosely).

Once again Richard a great update and thanks for the dedication :)


The past is history.
The future a mystery.
And now is a gift thats why we call the present.



Larkhall Lovelies Rule
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