NIKKI/NORA

Trouble Always Follows

Silk

Title: Trouble Always Follows

Fandom & Pairing: Nikki & Nora

Author: Silk

Email: katiepult@gmail.com

Disclaimers: Nikki & Nora are the property of Nancylee Myatt and Warner Bros. Television. No infringement intended.

Word Count: 4904

Comments: This is a short story based in the “Trouble” universe but occurs quite some time after “A Taste for Trouble”.

Trouble Always Follows

Silk

The day is a hot, humid mess, sapping the strength of civilian and police alike in the 9th precinct station house. Despite the huge ceiling fans stirring the air in the squad room, everyone was listless and drained and thanking God that the week was slow and not a single new high priority case was on the board.

Most of the uniformed officers were out on foot or car patrol in the district and the plain clothes detectives were the only ones stuck indoors, bored out of their collective minds.

I print up the last of the reports that I’ve been behind on and wonder what I’m going to do for the rest of the day. Maybe Nora and I can play hooky and go out to her boathouse for a bit of the cooler air thay comes off of the lake. Since we’ve become lovers her house hasn’t been used as much since my place is so much closer to work, but once in a while we spend the weekend out there, packing up the pets and bathing suits. Since it’s only Tuesday, we can’t get away with skipping out early for a three day weekend, but even a couple hours escape from this oppressive weather would be nice.

Speaking of Nora… Hmmm.

I look around the squad room but don’t spot her and haven’t seen her in a while, if I think about it.

When I hear the ringtone that identifies Nora, I smile to myself and answer, “So, where are you hiding?”

A loud sultry chuckle answers me and I smile even wider.

“Are you done with your paperwork?” she asks.

“Yeah. Unlike some people, I managed to type up my reports with more than one paragraph,” I quip back easily.

“What? ’We caught the guy.’ sums it up well enough for me,” Nora replies with laugh. We both know she makes up good reports. I just tend to take a bit more time with mine than she does.

“You didn’t answer my question, Detective. Where are you?” I ask her again, wondering where she’s gone off to.

“I can’t tell you.”

The answer has a teasing tone to it and makes me swing the chair around looking harder for my partner.

“Nora…”

I say her name in that low, husky Southern drawl, just loud enough for her to hear, that I always know sends a shiver of desire through her.

Play games with me will you?

“Nikki…”

Unfortunately, she’s got a tone of her own that does the same to me and I have to duck my head and let the dark strands of my hair cover my flushed face from any co–workers that might be looking.

The silence gives me away to her, of course and after a moment she chuckles naughtily and says, “I need you to go to the gray file cabinet and look up a case under the name “Zendar, Alias".

I raise an eyebrow high on my forehead at the obvious pseudonym, but before I can even open my mouth to ask her what this is all about, she hangs up.

Hangs up.

On me.

OK, Nora Delaney, what are you up to?

I calmly stand up and walk across the room to the old file cabinets that hold various open cases the SCU works on when there’s a new lead. Even with the NOPD finally in the electronic age and everything on the big servers, a bureaucracy loves it’s paper and still requires a lot of it. The Z drawer is at the far end of the line of cabinets, of course, and it only takes a moment to see what looks like a new file with the name I’m looking for on it.

What strikes me as very unusual is the small red heart sticker next to the name. Not your standard NOPD color code filing system.

I pull the file out and open it. It’s very thin, with only a fancy blue linen envelope with another heart on the front of it. I can’t help the soft smile on my lips at Nora’s little game. No one to deny that she’s a romantic at heart, but that woman can put me to shame sometimes.

It’s always been a struggle with me not to use my money to overwhelm her with outlandish gifts, but I want her to feel loved, not bought. But Nora… when she puts her mind to it, can be the most adorable and romantic person I have ever had the privilege of knowing and loving.

I close the file cabinet and walk back to my desk, taking a seat, before tossing the now empty file down and carefully opening the blue envelope. Inside there’s a thick sheet of matching blue vellum paper. Opening it, I catch the two tickets it held before they can fall onto the ground and take a closer look at them.

What can I say? Even as a child I read the card last and opened the presents first.

Wow. Tickets to the Nora Jones concert at the House of Blues. A night filled with jazz and two women that happen to have my favorite name. I am one lucky woman.

Opening the letter, I feel almost faint as I read it all the way through.

“I know you love her so I thought we’d make a night out on the town. Just you and me. I don’t care who we run into, I’m all yours. Well, I’m all yours anyway. I hope you know that.”

It’s not signed, but I would know that penmanship anywhere. Flipping open my cellphone I hit speed dial and wait patiently for Nora to answer.

“This is Nora. Please leave a message at the beep.”

She’s not answering her phone? OK. Now what?

I reread the letter carefully, but there’s nothing more there, however I do spot a red heart glued just inside the envelope with the words, “Follow me to the Big Man’s office.”

I look over through the glass windows surrounding Dan’s office and see that it’s empty. Looking around just to make sure no one is paying attention to me first, I walk confidently into Dan’s office. Not seeing anything blatantly screaming Nora’s name on it, however I already know what to look for.

A small red heart.

It takes a minute or two but I finally spot it on the credenza where Dan keeps all the personnel forms his people might need. Flipping to the vacation forms tab, where Nora put the small sticker, I spot a small but bulky pink envelope.

This time when I open it, I pluck out a silk bag and see the red heart glued on the inside of the envelope and a small note that reads, “Follow me to the coffee pot.”

Coffee pot?

“Detective Beaumont? Anything I can do for you?”

My head snaps over to the open doorway and Dan standing in the middle of it giving me a questioning look.

“Ummm… yeah, just grabbing a vacation form. I plan on taking a few days off soon,” I reply, reaching out and taking one of the forms and waving it before scooting past him to make my escape.

I walk back to my desk and take a peek to see if Dan is still looking at me and he unfortunately is. Giving him a little wave, I start to fill out the form, until he’s safely distracted doing work.

Feeling like a child who almost got her hand caught in the cookie jar, I surreptitiously open the silk bag and pour out the stream of silver chain into my palm.

It’s a St. Christopher’s medal, the same exact kind I gave Nora months ago when she lost hers to the waters of the Mississippi and we first started going out. Flipping it over, I’m not surprised to find an inscription identical to the one I had put on hers, “To N, Love N.”

I have to close my eyes to steam the tears that are threatening to well up. After a moment, I clear my throat and look at the chain more clearly. It’s not as long as the one I gave Nora and it’s thicker. A bracelet with a charm of love.

Smiling I undo the clasp and attach it around my left wrist, stroking a finger along it and thinking of Nora.

Speaking of the devil.

I flip open my cellphone for a second time and try to call her, but again I go straight to voicemail. Ahh… I forgot the coffee pot.

The squad room coffee pot. Bane of all those who actually have taste buds. I think this percolator has been around since the Civil War. Or it would if they made coffee like this back then.

Nothing under the coffee pot. Nada in it… or rather nothing suitable for mankind. I riffle through all the artificial sweeteners, creamers, and other unnatural additives people insist on using.

Nothing.

I finally find what I’m looking for in the back of the bottom cupboard, a very large white gift bag with a shiny red heart on the front. when had Nora been able to do all this, I wonder as I pull out the bag. Pushing aside the white tissue paper sticking up out of the bag, I spot a box and wiggle it out.

Oh my, Nora knows me so well. If there’s one thing I love more than a cafe au lait, it’s a real cup of tea. Bags are for shopping, not for putting tea in. I love loose leaf teas, but trying to make a good cup here at the office is nearly impossible. But the Capresso Glass Electric Kettle Nora has given me is going to get used right now, if I have anything to say about it. Along with the kettle is a very well wrapped tea cup and saucer. It’s an English tea cup but pure white with a red heart for adornment. So very Ladylike but modern as well. I absolutely adore it.

She’s even included a selection of some of my favorite Republic of Tea green leaf and Green Head, my favorite organic honey in a hand–corked jar. Oh yeah, I’m definately going make herself a nice cup of tea after I find Nora.

Woman, where are you hiding?

I pull out the tissue and spot another glued heart on the bottom of the bag. This scavenger hunt Nora is sending me on is getting a bit long, but it’s endearing. However, there’s only one thing I want right now, and she’s got beautiful green eyes and a dazzling smile.

“Follow me to your locker.”

OK. Locker room. I wonder what she’s hidden there?

Putting everything back in the bag, I try to not be too obvious that I’m carrying a present back to my desk. Tucking it into my big desk drawer, I glance around the room surprised that no one is really paying attention to what I’ve been doing.

Exiting the squad room, I walk down the hall and up the stairs to the exercise room. It’s dead quiet in here, with the weather sapping anyone’s will to break even more of a sweat. Going past the weight machines, boxing bags, and the center mat used for unarmed practice bouts, and straight for the women’s locker room.

Poking my head in, I don’t see anyone, let alone Nora, so I make my way to my locker. It’s locked, of course, but Nora knows my combination, just as I know hers.

Opening it takes seconds and I’m not surprised to find another gift bag just inside, along with all my exercise gear and my emergency bag with an extra set of clothes. Thankfully alone now, I let myself lean against the lockers and smile softly as I pluck several items out of the bag, each with a gift tag attached.

The first is my favorite lipstick, with a handwritten note saying, “For the lips I love to kiss.”

I run a finger over the note and then open the next note, attached to a bottle of the only body lotion I use. “For the body I love to hold.”

A body that is increasingly becoming needy for the woman that is making it flush with desire.

Taking a deep breath to try and calm my heartbeat, I unfold the last item, a plain piece of paper. Confused, I flip it over but there’s nothing. No heart.

“Look for something?”

Startled, I turn around to find Nora leaning against the wall, wearing only a towel and a sultry smile.

The warm rush through my body becomes a torrent as I look at her from the tips of her toes to her stunning eyes. “Oh, I think I found it, Sugah.”

“Oh? Is it this?” Nora pulls out a small red cut–out heart from behind her back and holds it up.

Remembering where we are, I clear my throat nervously and look around. The locker room is small really, so I know no one else is here, but anyone could walk in at any time. “Nora?”

Slinking towards me, she ignores my words and steps up closer to me. Holding up the heart to the smooth skin over her own. “I can’t give you something you already have…” Nora says softly. I could lean forward and kiss her, that’s how close she is. Looking up at me, she continues, “my heart.”

“Nora…”

She interrupts me again saying, “Georgia is on vacation and the only other women in the precinct on duty right now are uniformed officers on patrol. They won’t be back for hours.” Reaching out, she takes her hand in mine, with the paper heart in between and gently tugs me.

It only takes me a heartbeat to make my decision. There really is no decision when it comes to her. Turning around, I stick the gift bag back in my locker and lock it. Looking down at Nora I reply, “Does this mean I get to unwrap my final present?” The fingertips of my free hand play with the edge of her towel.

Gently pulling me along, she walks backwards towards the private showers, reaching up with her other hand to run a finger along the edge of my blouse and down to the first button.

Her nimble fingers have the button halfway through the hole when I take a deep breath, helping it along. Her smile at my obvious ploy to assist her in my own special way, sends a chill through my body. I love that particular smile. The one that tugs at the edge of one side of her mouth so that her dimples show. It says, I know what you’re doing.

I close the door behind me to the far shower Nora has lead me to, my shirt already half–undone, my black lacy bra showing.

“Do you know what I’m feeling right now?” I ask as I remove my hand from hers, taking the paper heart and putting in my pants pocket for safekeeping.

Nora steps forward into my arms, reaching up with both hands, pulling the tails out before continuing her quest to unbutton my blouse. “Warm? Hot maybe?” she replies cheekily.

“Well, yes,” I answer back, shrugging my blouse off. “But that wasn’t what I was going to say, smarty–pants.”

She seems to be enjoying the height advantage my heels and her bare feet are giving her because she reluctantly drags her eyes up from my cleavage to gaze into mine.

Reaching to push a strand of hair back from her face and then cupping her cheek, I say, “I’m feeling fortunate.” I give her a kiss on her forehead.

“I’m feeling loved,” I duck down a bit further and please a soft kiss on the tip of her cute little nose.

“I’m feeling… desired,” I reach her lips and with that simple touch the heat between us flares into a inferno.

She takes my lower lip between hers and gently bites it, before kissing away the sting away.

“Skin. Now,” she breaths into my lips before teasing them open with the tip of her tongue.

With a groan I take it into my mouth, sucking on it. Pushing off of the door, I reach back and unclasp my bra, enjoying the relief and then enjoying her hand on one. Dragging my lips away from hers, I step to the side and unzip my heeled boots and then unzip my pants.

“Let me,” she asks, removing my hands and replacing them with her own on my waistband. Nora slides her fingers underneath and tugs, taking my underwear along with my slacks, down slowly until she’s precariously squatting in front of me. Reaching down I tug at her towel, removing it easily and tossing it aside.

Such a lovely backside. Mmmm.

I step out of my slacks and underwear, letting Nora set them on the bench and then help remove my stockings. Impatient now, I pull her up into my arms, gasping at the feel of warm skin against skin, the only thing each of us are wearing is our silver St. Christopher medallions.

Nora pulls us back into the large shower stall, turning it on to lukewarm and then stepping back into the stream to wet her hair. Damn she’s gorgeous just standing there naked with the water running in rivulets down her body, it takes my breath away. Joining her under the water, I crush my lips to hers, devouring her mouth. Our tongues dance and explore each other hungrily, her hands gravitating to my hips and mine to thread through through her wet hair.

Pushing Nora up against the wall, I slide my thigh between hers and reach down to wrap one of her legs around my hip. She gasps into my mouth at the feel of my skin against her intimate flesh and automatically grinds down. Using her other leg she pushes herself back up and then down again. The feel of her wetness on my thigh makes me hum in pleasure and I tear myself away from her mouth long enough to look her in the eyes.

“You’re already so ready for me? You’ve been waiting hours for this haven’t you?” I whisper to her, a hand on her hip guiding her, the other cupping her right breast, my thumb flicking over the small hard nipple. Looking down between us, I’m entranced by her muscular stomach flexing and relaxing as she slowly moves her hips along my thigh.

My hand moves around from her hip to her buttock, my fingers digging in passionately as I push my thigh up more firmly against her folds.

“Yesss…” Nora answers throwing her head back, the soft thud of her skull against the wall not stopping her. I dip my head down and scrape my teeth along her jaw, then kissing and licking her exposed neck.

Her hips speed up and I can feel the blood flush to her throat as she gets closer to the edge.

“Nikki…” she pants and she pulls herself harder against me.

I knead her breast, pressing her nipple deep between my index and middle finger, squeezing it as I massage her. Trailing my lips back up to her ear, I comment, “You’re so wet. Do you know how much that turns me on, Baby?”

The difference between the coolish water and her moisture on my thigh is tantalizing. Hotter. Slicker. “I love you,” I whisper in her ear, urging her on with my hand and thigh, rocking into her.

With a small cry, she tumbles over the edge, thrusting against my leg almost frantically. I can feel her fluttering against my skin and a warm rush of fluid slickens it even more.

Smiling in delight and for the beauty of this moment, I place light kisses all over her face, removing my hand from her breast and holding her to me as her muscles begin to relax.

“So beautiful,” I tell her, pulling back to look at her face. She’s still bucking lightly against me and gasping for breath as her hands clutch me to her.

After a long moment, I pull my thigh away from her and kiss her lips gently. She hungrily returns my kiss, her passion still high, needy. Running the tip of my tongue along her cheek, drinking up the mixture of water and sweat, to her ear.

“There are so many things I love about you, Nora Delaney, but there’s only one thing about you that I’m thinking about right this instant,” I whisper softly, running my tongue around the outside edge.

“What would that be?” Nora asks hoarsely, her fingers clenching and unclenching like a cat, on my hips.

I smile knowing she can feel my lips upturning against her ear and say hotly, “How you taste.”

Kissing my way back down her neck to her collarbone, I take my time, running my hands along her arms to thread my fingers through hers for a moment. Squeezing gently once, I release them and trail them back up her arms and around to her back. Placing little kisses on her chest, I hum in anticipation and slowly make my way further down to the where her breasts begin. Rubbing my cheek against one, I blow against the other, pleased by Nora’s sharp inhale of breath. I spend quite a while going back and forth, from one breast to another. Tasting. Nipping. Suckling. Mouthing. On and on until she’s reeved up again, her hands in my hair urging me onward.

Running my hands up and down her ribs, brushing the underside of her breasts and then back down to her hips, I explore her stomach with my lips and hands. I love her stomach. So tight, muscular… and yet so soft under my mouth. Defined, yet delicious. I spend a few moments teasing her bellybutton, only moving on when her stomach convulses in a laugh. Smiling to myself I kneel down before her, my hands resting on her thighs. I look up her body to her eyes, which are gazing back with intense heat.

Nora brushes back my hair, the water still streaming down on us. Her face and chest are flushed, making her tanned skin look lightly sunburned.

Smiling wickedly I press my lips to the top of her right leg and then gently guiding her, I pull her left leg up onto my shoulder.

“Nikki, you’re going to drown,” Nora chuckles softly but I ignore the warning and lean in to place a soft kiss on her mons. Her fingers flex in her hair and unconsciously press me closer.

I brush my lips down along her lips, feeling the slick evidence of her arousal. Licking my lips I hum, enjoying the taste and slide my tongue back up.

Nora’s hips spasm pushing my tongue deeper to just touch her clit. She gasps and her hips spasm again.

My girl has no patience sometimes.

I take my time, despite the urging gentle pressure from my lover’s hands and explore first one and then the other inner lip with my tongue. Taking one of them between my own lips, I suck on it, then move to the other one and do the same.

Nora’s breath is coming harder and faster, bellowing in and out as her lungs try to keep up with the need for oxygen. I slip my tongue fully between her inner lips and fully taste her.

Nora is by far my favorite present to open and enjoy today.

I slide my left hand up her thigh, fingers spread out, enjoying each warm inch of her skin as I head up further. Over her taunt stomach, her muscles clenched and defined more than ever as she enjoys the ride. Over her ribs, which expand and contract under my fingertips. When I cup a breast, one of her hands releases my head and holds me to her, our fingers intertwined.

We’re still keeping eye contact and I can see the utter desire and love radiating out of her.

Trusting she’ll keep her balance I trail the fingers of my right hand lightly along the back of her leg then tease her soft wet outer lips with them, rubbing up and down but not going deeper yet. Back and forth, enjoying the frustrated groans from Nora, licking where I’m not touching her. Slowly, but even more agonizingly slow for my lover, I slip into her folds and then her inner lips. I ignore her clit, not having immediate plans to relieve Nora’s ache there. Instead, I press the tips of two of my fingers lower, twisting my way to her entrance.

Blowing a long slow breath on her lips at the same time I slip my fingers up inside her, Nora bucks violently at the dual sensation.

“Oh God!” she hisses outloud and holds me closer to her.

I flick my thumb over her nipple and grin to myself, blowing some more air onto her teased flesh and pushing slowly all the way into her until my fingers are enveloped by her hot wetness.

As I slowly pull out my fingers and then push them back in, I work my way over her outer lips and then her inner lips again. Tasting her. Teasing her. Loving her.

In and out, each stroke growing easier with the moisture flowing out of her. Each stroke getting impossibly deeper as her hips move with me, pushing herself all the way down to my knuckles.

“Nikki…” Nora’s voice is barely a whisper, her eyes barely open but still looking into mine. I give her a sly wink and finally add a third finger, and answering the physical cues of Nora’s increasing desire, I pick up the pace. Twisting. Thrusting.

Finally, after ignoring it this entire time, I take her clit between my lips and suck on it hard as I curl my fingers to just the right spot inside her.

Nora takes a very deep breath and I know it’s coming, no pun intended. I feel it next, as her body clenches around my fingers uncontrollably and a warm flood sweeps over my fingers and palm.

She screams my name, her entire body shuddering again and again until I have to reach up and hold onto her before she slides down to the floor. Stroking her body soothingly, I whisper my love to her until her strength returns and she’s standing on her own. Her face is buried in my hair, her lips pressed against my ear. When her frantic panting has evened out she whispers huskily in my ear, “Who knew Southern Ladies had such wicked skills?”

Laughing, I pull back to look her in the eye and reply, “Oh Sugah, behind closed doors Southern women have more skills that are never talked about in polite company.”

She places a soft kiss on my lips and says, “Thank goodness I was smart enough to fall in love with a Southern woman then.”

“Well, I always knew you were smart,” I reach up and cup her cheek for a second, and then pull my hand back and frown. “I’m all pruned.”

Nora places another, more sensual kiss on my lips and murmurs, “We’re not done yet…”

I return her kiss, deepening it until we’re both breathless, then pull away and reply, “Oh, I know that, Sugah… but we’ll continue later. At home. For hours.”

Turning off the shower, I step out and start to pick up my clothes, pausing only to toss a sexy smile over my shoulder at my pouting lover. “Get rinsed off and dressed, Detective. We still have the rest of the afternoon before we can continue this conversation. Besides, the patrol shift is almost over and I do NOT want anyone interrupting what I’m going to put you through.”

I’m pleased to see her face flush again with desire and smile at her knowingly.

I make it out to the desk first, taking time to clean out and use the new kettle to make a cup of tea. Nora is just sitting down when Dan comes out of his office, pauses by our desk, looking me in the eye and saying, “Don’t forget… you need to turn in that vacation form two weeks in advance or you have to wait for the next pay cycle, Nikki.”

Taking a sip of my tea first to hide a sudden blush on my face, I reply, “Will do, Dan. Thanks.”

When he continues past, Nora leans forward and whispers, “What vacation?”

I set my teacup down on it’s matching saucer and give her a sly smile before answering just loud enough for her to hear, “The vacation you are going to take me on because I got caught in Dan’s office and had to come up with some excuse of why I was in there.”

Nearly laughing out loud at Nora’s stunned expression I add, “And Nora? Make sure it’s somewhere nice.”

The End