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| Revelations; A Helen and Nikki Fan Fic | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 2 2011, 09:28 PM (7,362 Views) | |
| Carissa | Apr 8 2013, 09:44 PM Post #46 |
Up to Basic
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Again, thanks to my amazing multi-tasking beta Julie. She makes what I write functionally literate and the mistakes here are dumb things I added after she last saw the chapter. Thanks again Jules. CHAPTER 21 The shades in Karen’s room weren’t terribly dark and Yvonne woke to find a sleeping Karen spooning her from behind. Yvonne decided she’d like to wake up like this every morning for the rest of her life. However, despite the momentary bliss, she was more worried about Karen than ever. The fact that Karen had questioned last night whether she could go back to Larkhall today, told Yvonne that Karen’s issues with Fenner were not behind her at all. The nightmares may have stopped for a while; but for them to come back with such ferocity, concerned Yvonne more than she had let on the previous night. She carefully slid out of Karen’s arms without waking her and then rolled on her side so she was facing her friend. Karen was sound asleep and her expression was more peaceful than Yvonne had ever seen. Karen really was a stunningly beautiful woman; both inside and out. Yvonne wished that Karen saw herself the same way. Yvonne could tell that Karen did indeed have feelings for her, but she wasn’t sure how deep they were. She had never felt this way about someone before. She had loved Charlie, but she had also been young and naive and then older, but still naive and stupid. When they had met he seemed like a good catch from behind her innocent rose-colored glasses. As life went on she learned to tolerate certain things because she felt she had no choice for the sake of her children. When she met Karen things were completely different. Yvonne was the big dog on G-Wing and often assisted the inmates with issues and Karen was the new screw in charge. Their initial terms of engagement were necessarily adversarial; determined by both circumstance and individual survival instincts. They both needed to have strong reputations among the inmates in order to keep their authority secure. This dynamic generated some very heated disputes—often over rather trivial matters. It took many months of butting heads before a grudging respect began to develop between the two. Not that either of them would let the other know it. The fact that both women had similar negotiation styles of putting themselves in the other’s shoes assisted them in understanding the motivation behind requests and demands that were made from both sides. It also gave them some insight into each other when they looked at things from the other’s perspective. Yvonne could remember many an occasion before a meeting with Karen when she would think, “If I were her, what would I put on the table here?” After accurately predicting Karen’s actions on several occasions Yvonne had the epiphany that Karen’s mind worked a lot like hers, and both of them seemed to think many of the same things were out of bounds which saved a lot of time and anguish. At some point Karen must have realized the same thing about Yvonne, because they basically just stopped wasting time posturing and negotiating, and would just cut to the chase of what was needed by either side. When they had become allies was rather fuzzy. How they wound up friends was even murkier. When Yvonne thought about it a while after it happened, she just chalked it up to the two of them having a bad day and discovering in that moment of weakness that they actually liked each other. As Yvonne lay watching Karen sleep; that seemed like a lifetime ago. Unconsciously Yvonne reached out her right index finger and caressed Karen’s cheek. ‘God she thought, ‘if her face is this soft with salty tears dried on it, I can only imagine how soft the rest of that remarkable body is. Yvonne continued to caress Karen’s cheek and forehead affectionately. About ten minutes later Karen’s eyes slowly fluttered open. When she finally focused and saw Yvonne lying next to her she smiled and said, “Hey.” “Hey to you too; how did you sleep?” “Like a rock; after the nocturnal horror film was over.” “It was pretty bad, huh.” “The worst one I can remember.” Sitting up, “I think you’re right; the Fenner shit must have brought it back.” Both women sat back and leaned against the headboard with their faces turned toward each other. Karen surprised Yvonne by saying, “This isn’t a bad way to wake up.” “I was thinking the same thing myself a few minutes ago when I was watching you sleep.” Embarrassed, “You were watching me sleep. Please, may I not have been drooling?” Yvonne laughed, “You were not drooling. You looked more beautiful than ever.” Karen broke eye contact as she blushed. “Christ Atkins. You must have it bad.” With great seriousness Yvonne replied quietly, “I’ve never had it so bad.” “They make pretty strong antibiotics these days. Maybe you’ll be able to get over it.” Yvonne reached over and turned Karen’s head so that they were eye to eye. “Honey, I don’t want to get over it. Is that what you want; for me to get over it?” “No, yes, I don’t know.” Karen leant forward and buried her face in her hands for a moment. Reaching over and rubbing the top of her friend’s back in reassurance, Yvonne said gently, “Hey, there’s no pressure.” Karen pulled her hands away from her face and looked at Yvonne, “I know that; that wouldn’t be you. The pressure is from me. I’m having feelings I never expected to have and if I were to be completely honest, I’d have to say they scare the hell out of me.” Feeling hopeful Yvonne said, “Thank God, I’m not the only one who’s scared.” “You’re scared too?” a surprised Karen responded. “Terrified.” Karen laughed, “We do make a pair.” “I’d say,” Yvonne responds with some resignation in her voice. “I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.” “Why is this beginning to feel like a teenage slumber party?” quips Karen. “Probably because I’m feeling as insecure now as I did back then,” Yvonne answered seriously. After a moment Karen replied, just as seriously, “That does sum it up well doesn’t it?” “Karen, I don’t want you to feel as though anything has to change because I slipped and opened my trap that night. I know you’ve got a lot on you mind and your plate right now and the last thing you need to worry about is me. I don’t want my feelings to screw up what we have.” Waving her finger toward the two of them, “This; us; is the best thing I’ve ever had in my life with another person besides my children and I am really afraid I’ve screwed it up.” Stopping Yvonne’s waving hand by taking it in hers Karen replied, “Yvonne you haven’t screwed anything up. Will you please trust me on that?” Hesitantly the ex-convict nodded her head, “Ok.” Karen continued, “I feel the same way about what we have; but I’ve never had a relationship that lasted any meaningful duration.” She became more animated as she spoke, “Hell I’ve never had one that even ended all that well! And I’ve never even thought about being with another woman before; and now I’m thinking about it all the time and I’m probably going to suck at that too!” Tears welled up in her eyes, “Yvonne, I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you from my life.” Relieved that her friend had more than just platonic feelings for her, Yvonne moved closer to Karen. “Come here,” she said, wrapping the other women in her arms. “You’re not going to lose me. Regardless of whether we ever have a sexual relationship; I’m not going anywhere. Please don’t let that thought push you into doing something that isn’t right for you. If it’s not right for you it couldn’t be right for me.” Moved by her friend’s sincerity, Karen can barely respond, “Ok.” “But Karen, you need to stop making current decisions based on past mistakes. Last night we talked about you seeing a therapist, were you serious?” “Yea. It’s pretty clear on many fronts that I need one.” “Would you do me a favor and talk to whoever it is about these feelings you have about you being the reason your relationships didn’t work out? You need to get a handle on this. Whether I’m lucky enough that it be me you chose or if someone else is lucky enough to get you, you deserve to be happy and you’re not going to get there by blaming yourself for other people’s shit.” In wonder Karen replied, “How can you be so patient and generous with me?” “Because I love you. It’s as simple as that.” Thinking for a moment she then continued, “Ok, maybe simple isn’t the right word.” Karen’s smile at the truth in the statement warmed Yvonne’s heart. ***** Karen and Yvonne decided together that Karen should not go back to Larkhall that day. Instead they agreed to consult with Helen on someone to shadow Karen and perhaps add an additional set of eyes to the case. While Karen showered that morning Yvonne made her crepes for breakfast, with fresh fruit and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. The table was set with the good china, and Yvonne had improvised a simple centerpiece utilizing a candle and some foliage from a tree in the yard. “Wow,” Karen said when she saw the table, “What’s the occasion?” “I felt like celebrating getting to wake up next to you this morning.” “If this is breakfast in the morning; we’ll have to do it more often.” Karen quipped. “I’m counting on it.” The second the words left Yvonne’s mouth she regretted them. She was only keeping up with the playful banter, but was afraid Karen would perceive it as pressure. Karen saw the look on Yvonne’s face change and instantly realized why. She reached out and touched her friend’s arm, “Hey, it’s ok. I started it. No harm, no foul.” An uncertain Yvonne questioned, “You sure?” “Yeah I’m sure. ‘Von’, let’s not make this weird; well weirder than it already is. If I start to feel any pressure, I’ll tell you. Ok?” With a sigh of relief Yvonne readily agreed. ***** The phone conversation with Helen went remarkably well. Helen suggested that perhaps the person she assigned to shadow Karen should pose be posing as a professional journalist instead of an intern and use the opportunity to talk to some of the inmates. Maybe an unrelated third-party could shake some information out of the tree for them. It was agreed that Helen would have a female officer posing as a writer briefed on the case, approved through home office and ready to meet Karen at home in the morning. They could say she was writing an exposé on the life of a prison officer and that way could justify the escort to and from Larkhall. If Karen felt unsafe with the operation at this point, Helen wanted to do whatever she could to alleviate that. ***** |
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| ccgxh | Apr 11 2013, 12:05 AM Post #47 |
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G2 landing
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Outstanding writing. Loved the update. Looking forward to more.
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| Carissa | Apr 11 2013, 02:41 AM Post #48 |
Up to Basic
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Thanks cc. The next chapter is with my beta and the one after that is in my head ready to put to paper. I am going to pick up the pace before I have to have these women all taking time out to go have the gray highlighted out of their hair. |
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| Carissa | Apr 21 2013, 11:11 PM Post #49 |
Up to Basic
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CHAPTER 22 The following morning Karen was picked up for work by Kate Spears, a Scotland Yard Officer turned freelance writer. Kate explained to Karen that she was put on this assignment because she had taken journalism at University and Helen thought she’d be a good fit with both the staff and inmates of Larkhall. Karen instantly took a liking to the officer and was relieved that for a while at least, she’d have someone to watch her back. Since Yvonne had left Larkhall she hadn’t had that, and given what they now knew about Fenner, she wasn’t comfortable without some support behind the walls. During their first morning together Karen had paperwork to complete that had piled up during the previous two days when she had been out. She suggested that Kate might want to read the files of a few inmates that she could pretend to interview seeking information for their investigation. Karen hoped that by reading the files Kate would be able to interact with the inmates in a way that gained their trust. Other than the inmate’s activities while behind bars, all of the contents of the files had been public information during their trials, so Karen didn’t feel the action was violating anyone’s privacy. Now that Karen knew Fenner was involved in the problems, she was more afraid for the wellbeing of the women of G Wing than ever before. Realizing that Karen might need a shadow for an extended period of time, she and Kate concocted a story in the car on the way to Larkhall that morning. They decided to go with Kate being a freelancer who was going to write the screenplay for an American-made movie. They hoped that the Hollywood angle might make the women on the wing more willing to talk, and the screenplay development would allow for Kate’s long-term presence if needed. Karen suggested that Kate begin with the two Julies, since they would spread word of the project throughout the wing by the end of the first meal they served after talking to Kate! That, and the fact that the two were tame as kittens and would be an easy way for Kate to get her feet wet on her first trip to the wing. ***** A while later, while Kate was out on the wing, a large bouquet loaded with roses and other exotic flowers arrived at Karen’s office. She was studiously working on a report regarding health issues among her inmate population and didn’t look up when her secretary Carla entered the office struggling to carry the very large vase full of exquisite flowers. When Karen finally looked up, her mouth dropped open in awe. “Wow! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a grander bouquet. Are you sure they’re for me?” “Oh yes!” said Carla, struggling to place them on the desk, on the spot Karen had just swept papers off. “The delivery note listed the sending address as HQ-HMS. I saw a card somewhere in here which would probably give you more information. They must really like the work you’re doing!” “Or hate it so much they want me to see a preview of the bouquet they will send to my funeral,” Karen said laughing. “I don’t think dead people get flowers this nice Karen,” said Carla firmly. Agreeing she replied, “It would be a waste wouldn’t it?” She then stood up and walked to the front of her desk to view the bouquet from a different angle and hopefully find the card. It only took a second for her to spot the small envelope in the middle of the opulent display. She reached for the small envelope and opened it. “Dear Karen, thank you for generously sharing yourself and your many assets to assist with our very important re-assimilation project. We are full of fondness and gratitude for your willingness to be open, caring and sensitive toward individual issues, which can never be expressed by mere words. Please accept this modest bouquet as a token of gratitude and fondness for a woman who deeply touches lives positively every day. You are one of a kind and we feel blessed to have you on our team. Fondly, your devoted task force.” Karen wished she had waited until her secretary had left the room before she opened the card, but perhaps letting Carla read the card would assure that her professional reputation gained a great push and would stop any speculation in the building regarding where the flowers had come from. Karen had to hand it to Yvonne; she really knew how to send a message. After reading the card Karen handed it to Carla. “I guess they appreciated my help the last two days.” Carla took the card from Karen, read it and said, “I would say so. Congratulations.” “Thanks. Now it will feel worth it as I continue to catch up on things I missed.” At that, Carla left Karen’s office closing the door behind her. Karen was stunned. She knew Yvonne had to have put a lot of thought into the beautiful arrangement and how to present it for outside eyes. Somehow she had managed to boost Karen’s professional profile in front of her staff, while at the same time touching her heart. It was the most beautiful floral arrangement Karen had ever seen and it was apparently sent ‘just because.’ Karen sniffed the fragrant blossoms for another moment before moving back to her chair to call Yvonne. When she sat down she couldn’t resist another gaze at the spectacular arrangement. This was the first time in her life that she could recall receiving flowers for no specific reason. When she had received them from men in the past it was usually just in a hopeful attempt to bed her! These seemed to be sent with far more thought than that and just because Yvonne wanted to do something nice for her. She was nearly overwhelmed with tenderness for the woman who had, in such a short time, taken up residence in her heart. She finally reached out picked up the phone and dialed her own number. That in itself was an odd experience! Yvonne answered the phone with a very simple, “Hello.” “Hello yourself,” said Karen softly. “I guess they got there,” answered the ex-convict. “Oh yes. And they are the most beautiful bouquet of flowers that I’ve ever seen, let alone received. “I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoy spending time with you.” “Yvonne...,” Karen trailed off. “Karen it’s just a token of gratitude for all you have done for me. By all rights I should still be at Larkhall.” “You should never have been at Larkhall Yvonne. Charlie was a shit!” “I would never argue with you about that my friend.” “And your note was just clever enough that my colleagues are thinking very highly of my professional competence. I’m also very touched by what I read between the lines. I want you to know that the time we spend together is precious to me as well.” Yvonne heart flipped. “I just wanted you to know how much you mean to me Karen, and that I’m thinking about you. I also want you to know how proud I am of you for getting help with your nightmares. I know it’s not easy having to relive all of that and I really admire your courage. You’re one hell of a woman Karen Betts.” Moved by her friend’s statement, Karen finally found her voice: “You give me courage to do things I wouldn’t be able to do on my own. I owe you Atkins.” “You owe me nothing. Just enjoy the flowers and the rest of your day. I’ll have a nice dinner waiting for you when you get home.” And the phone went dead. Karen had so much to process about the past few months. But the one thing that kept coming up the same, no matter how she looked at it, was the clear fact that she was falling in love with Yvonne. ***** |
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| ccgxh | Apr 27 2013, 11:07 PM Post #50 |
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G2 landing
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Very nice. A very unlikely couple, but it works. Keep it coming. |
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| getter | Jun 26 2013, 10:58 AM Post #51 |
Up to Basic
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finally caught up with your wonderful story! Thank you! I see there is more to come. I will not miss any updates any more
Edited by getter, Jun 26 2013, 10:58 AM.
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| magca | Jun 27 2013, 03:36 PM Post #52 |
Up to Basic
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| yankeelady | Aug 9 2013, 05:53 AM Post #53 |
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G3 Curtain and Duvet!
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I haven't been on the board for a long time, and I'm very glad I decided to login and browse the stories. The title intrigued me, so I gave your story a read; I am enjoying it and delighted the Karen/Yvonne pairing still has advocates. Nice work. |
| Nikki...Don't get jealous... | |
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8:47 AM Jul 11