DISCLAIMER: Nikki & Nora are the property of Nancylee Myatt and Warner Bros. Television. No infringement intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to Ann for the beta and the prompt.
CHALLENGE: Written for Passion & Perfection's Big 5000.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
On the Beat
By atfm
"Forget it. There's no way in hell we're doing this."
"I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter."
Five minutes earlier, Nikki and Nora had reluctantly taken their seats opposite Dan in his office and made themselves as comfortable as one possibly could when being called in to talk to her superior. In their case, however, it was seldom a good sign. Most of the time, it meant they were either in trouble for inappropriate investigative methods or had some thankless task dumped on them which often involved sleazy guys and shabby establishments. Today, they weren't entirely sure which of the two it was.
While Nora and Dan engaged in one of their famous silent staring matches, Nikki decided communication was a better option. "So, let me get this straight." At Nikki's words, Nora broke eye contact with Dan to give her partner a nervous glance, but Nikki ignored her and continued. "You're sending us back on the streets…in uniform?" Her facial expression epitomised the definition of exasperation perfectly.
"Only for a week," Dan was quick to assure her. "Then you can go back to being amazingly cool detectives."
"Not funny," Nora butted in. "Is this because we used abusive language with a suspect yesterday? That really was N—" A kick to her shin, unseen by Dan, had Nora wince with pain and reconsider her words. "N-not so bad."
Dan gave her an odd look. "I didn't even know about that. The suspect never said anything, but either way, that's not the reason. There's a state convention in Metairie with a number of important people in attendance, and since it's still considered a suburb of New Orleans, we're expected to provide support. NOPD dispatched several hundred police officers specifically to monitor the event. Unfortunately, we now have a bit of a shortage of uniformed officers to patrol the streets here."
After listening to Dan's words, Nikki seemed to ponder for a moment before she replied. "Okay. I think I missed the part where you explained satisfactorily why we send our own people somewhere else when it results in not having enough of them here."
"Yeah, about that…we're obviously facing a severe case of lack of organisation here. I admit that when he made the decision, it wasn't one of the police chief's brighter moments."
"Clearly, it wasn't," Nikki muttered.
Nora's chair creaked pitifully when she tried to take out her frustration on it without attracting attention. "And we get to take the rap for it. What else is new, really? You can't do this, Dan. We're not fucking rookies."
"I can, and I will because I have to. Like I said, there's no choice here. Sorry, ladies." His voice was firm, and there wasn't a doubt that he'd brook no dissent.
Nikki sighed in defeat. "We're getting our usual pay, right?"
"Goes without saying."
"Plus a 10% bonus for mental cruelty." Nora's green eyes threatened to pierce a hole in Dan's head.
"For fulfilling tasks that go beyond the scope of our usual work, she meant to say," Nikki added quickly.
Dan's lips twitched. "Always trying to strike a bargain, aren't you? Nice try, but you've been trained for patrolling the streets, too, so this is nothing out of the ordinary. And that's my last word on the subject. I'll see you tomorrow morning for further instructions. In uniform. You're dismissed."
The two detectives realised any further protest would be in vain, so they grudgingly rose from their chairs and stalked out of the office with Nora making it a point to slam the door shut behind her loud enough for the whole station to hear.
The next morning, Nikki stood in the bedroom, buttoning up her light blue tailored shirt. Looking down at herself, she frowned when her inspection ended at her feet. She didn't mind the dark trousers, and the shirt nicely accentuated her curves as she had noted with delight a few moments ago. She could even live with the necktie that would dangle across her chest. But the heavy boots she wore contradicted Nikki's highly pronounced fashion sense. She had to admit that they were comfortable, but in her eyes, that was really not the point of shoes.
Binding the tie around her neck and adjusting the collar of her shirt, Nikki checked her reflection in the mirror before turning to the closed door of the adjacent bathroom.
"Nora? You done yet?"
"I'm not going to work like this," came the muffled reply from inside.
"Yes, you are, honey. Come on, it can't be that bad."
"I swear I look like a big, bad butch in this uniform. I can't let people see me like that." Nora sounded mildly indignant.
"Don't be skittish. We need to go to work, and you need to come out."
The door was yanked open to reveal Nora scowling at Nikki for her comment.
"…of the bathroom." Nikki smiled innocently.
Nora stepped into the bedroom and stood before Nikki, nervously smoothing her hands over her shirt and trousers. She seemed uncharacteristically insecure and clearly uncomfortable.
"So, do I look very, you know…"
Nikki knew exactly what she'd meant but decided to play a little. "Blue? Short? Scary? Fat? Trust me; this uniform doesn't make you look fat at all."
"Gay."
Taking a step back, Nikki took in the sight before her appreciatively. The trousers and the neatly tucked in shirt fit Nora snugly and nicely showed off her well defined body. Her blonde hair, tightly pulled back into a ponytail, brought out her cheekbones and lent her an almost aristocratic air, though for some reason, her stance was that of a cowboy.
"Yes," Nikki confirmed with a determined nod.
Nora groaned. "That's not exactly the answer I was hoping for, you know."
Nikki shrugged. "But you do. And you also look very hot." She reached out to hook her middle finger into Nora's belt and drew her close. Nibbling on the blonde's lower lip, she breathed, "Very, very hot." Pulling away only seconds later, she said, "Time to go to work."
With that, she disappeared from the bedroom, picking up the car keys from the dresser on her way out. Nora blinked and stared dumbly at the spot where Nikki had just been standing.
"Tease," she mumbled as she hurried after Nikki.
When the two of them strode into the station half an hour later to meet Dan and receive their instructions, they encountered a uniformed Georgia in the corridor.
Nikki placed her hand on Georgia's shoulder in a dramatic gesture. "Oh no. He's got you, too. And I thought he'd only sacrificed us. You're about to cross over to the evil side with us. I'm sorry." She feigned a solemn expression.
Georgia chuckled. The fact that she'd had to exchange her usual attire for a uniform didn't seem to bother her a bit. "Chasing pickpockets through the French Quarter is not one of my fondest memories, but I never minded the uniform. I think they're kind of sexy. Gives people that confident walk, you know?"
Nora eyeballed her from head to toe. "It does look decent on you," she admitted. "But, personally, I can't find anything good about it. I feel like I'm in the academy again; I keep expecting an instructor to yell at me any minute now."
"I'm sure you and Nikki can find a way to make these uniforms fun. Just use your imagination." Georgia winked and continued her way down the corridor.
Nora gaped after her, turning the parting words over in her mind in every possible direction in a desperate attempt to come up with a meaning that didn't imply Georgia knew about Nikki and her. "Nikki, what is she talking about?" she eventually managed to ask in a thin voice.
"I think I have an idea." Nikki's face split into a broad smile. "And what a good idea it is."
Rolling her eyes, Nora sighed. "Just when exactly did a uniform stop being a simple, innocent outfit?"
"It never was. But it's cute that you believed that. Come on, Dan's waiting to assign us a location."
Their designated beat was in an area crowded with tourists who strolled down the streets in an agonisingly slow pace or sat in the countless cafés and restaurants all day long. Street vendors offered their goods in loud voices, and street musicians accompanied the goings on with cheery melodies and energetic beats.
In the midst of the noisy scene stood Nikki and Nora, observing the people around them, and at the same time, radiating authority. In spite of the tempting presence of unsuspecting tourists, there seemed to be little criminal energy hovering in the air. Nevertheless, being detectives who usually worked homicides, both of them – but especially Nora – were suspicious of any activity that was remotely illegal.
"Put that back!" Nora barked at a bratty-looking little girl who had snatched a pack of candy from one of the market stands with her grubby hands.
"She's just a kid, Nora, will you relax?" Nikki hurriedly dragged Nora in the other direction as the mother of the girl gave Nora a pointed look when she handed the vendor the money for the candy.
"I'm just doing my job," Nora huffed. "Didn't you see her? She's up to no good."
Nikki was amused. "Oh yeah, now that you mention it…I swear she was hiding a machine gun in those Mary Janes of hers."
"You don't take my detective's instinct seriously."
"Somehow I can't do that right now. You almost cuffed a ten-year-old when he took a sip of his dad's beer. You really need to lighten up a little."
Thinking back to the situation and how she had almost sacked the boy for underage drinking, Nora couldn't help but laugh. "That was pretty ridiculous, wasn't it?"
"You better believe it."
"You know, I think you're right. We should enjoy this week. No dead bodies and no unscrupulous murderers; it's a nice atmosphere here. Never mind the patter of tiny feet over my shiny boots or the ketchup potentially landing on my shirt."
Nikki bestowed a bright smile on Nora. "That's the spirit."
A horrified, high-pitched scream interrupted their conversation. Turning her head, Nikki searched the crowd for the source of the ear-piercing sound. Only a few feet away, she discovered an elderly woman surrounded by young kids who appeared to be her grandchildren. She was informing the entire street that her purse had been stolen and demanded to speak to the police.
"And now, you can prove you don't mind a horde of children at all." Nikki looked back at Nora, smirking.
They walked over to the alleged crime scene to question the woman. Even though she now had the attention of two police officers, she was still yelling, and Nikki had to resist the urge to cover her ears while Nora entertained thoughts of stuffing a napkin down the woman's throat to shut her up. Step by step, they tried to reconstruct what had happened.
The woman was hysterical. No, she hadn't seen the thief. Yes, she'd only just realised her purse was missing. No, she'd certainly not calm down! And what did Nikki and Nora mean they were afraid there wasn't much they could do, what kind of cops were they?
With no less than five toddlers clinging to her legs, Nora explained that since no one had actually seen the thief, there was virtually no chance of finding him. Seemingly immune to the continuous squawking all around her, she offered an apology in a very professional voice as Nikki admiringly noticed. She was sure she'd have strangled the woman by now.
Just when Nikki was certain the woman's beet red face would burst into pieces any moment now, a waiter from a nearby restaurant came running towards them, skilfully making his way through the gathering, and then handing the woman her purse which she had accidentally left on the table. She stared at it for a moment and finally decided that it was her purse indeed. She thanked the young man exuberantly.
Shoulder by shoulder, Nikki and Nora quietly tried to retreat from the scene, but, incited by the woman's clamour, even more people had surrounded them and accused the police of being utterly useless, completely disregarding the fact that no crime had actually taken place.
Nora glanced around nervously. "Uh-oh. We're caught in a mob."
Nikki was busy keeping people at bay with her hands. "Let me take care of this." She raised her hand to her mouth and began to fake a severe coughing fit, complete with the wheezy gasping for breath and nasty gargling noises. "Damn that tuberculosis!" she cursed loudly.
Men, women, and children fell silent, and Nora stifled a grin. Then, everyone slowly began to back off, grabbing their children's hands and shoving each other aside to get away.
"And that's my cue to take her to see a doctor," Nora announced. She grabbed hold of Nikki's wrist and led her away, parting the remaining crowd like the Red Sea.
Rounding the next corner, they came to a halt, Nikki wearing a smug expression. "Always works like a charm."
Nora attempted a disapproving look but failed. "Good one. I'll have to keep that in mind. I'm just glad we made it out of there unharmed."
"Yes, but check out your pants." Nikki pointed at Nora's legs.
Nora looked down on herself, finding part of her uniform soiled with various liquids and sticky substances that she didn't care to examine more closely. When she tilted her head, she swore she could discern a full, small handprint. "Huh."
"Kids – 1, Nora – 0."
"Yeah, but you got us out of there. Nikki – 1, idiots – 0. I vicariously won."
"Is that so?" Nikki smiled.
Nora nodded emphatically. "Yep; if you lose, I have nothing to do with it. If you win, I have everything to do with it."
"You have an interesting definition of justice."
"I grew up with a bunch of brothers."
"Shall we go and celebrate our victory by patrolling a different street, then?"
"Sounds like a good idea to me."
Two blocks away, they spent the rest of their shift without encountering any crimes, real or imagined. Towards the evening, the odd drunk tourist bantered with the detectives, but they were mostly harmless and not worth being given a verbal warning, though some of them became rather cheeky.
"Hey, blondie, can I cuff you to my bed tonight?" a guy leered in Nora's direction.
Grabbing the back of Nora's shirt to stop her from jumping in the man's face, Nikki smiled sweetly. "Sorry, buddy, I'm the only one who gets to cuff her to a bed," she quipped nonchalantly while Nora lowered her head to hide her pink cheeks.
"That your plan for tonight?" she murmured quietly so only Nikki could hear her.
"Cuffing you? No. Ravishing you? Definitely."
Pink turned into crimson when Nora looked around nervously to make sure no one was within earshot. She mumbled something unintelligible.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." Nora checked her watch. "Oh, look; six o'clock and nothing is stopping us from going home. The perks of being a uniformed police officer in this area."
"And off we go. Bye-bye, obnoxious tourists, see you tomorrow." Nikki waved at no one in particular, and Nora took a step to the side, wondering whether she could pretend she didn't know Nikki.
Back home, they kicked off their boots with a sigh of relief, and Nora went straight to the bathroom to get rid of her dirty pants and throw them in the washer. Stepping into the bedroom, she was stopped by Nikki, still in her uniform, blocking her way. Nora didn't miss the glint in the dark eyes.
Nikki lifted her hand to her mouth and chewed on her fingernails, putting on her most innocent face. "I've been a bad girl, officer. I think you need to lecture me."
"Okay, cut out the kinky crap. That's gross." Nora looked decidedly weirded out.
"Party-pooper."
"Hey, no pouting." Nora tugged on Nikki's tie. "Come on, you still get to play."
In an instant, Nora found herself being pushed down on the bed into a sitting position with Nikki straddling her and grinning. "Hello, gorgeous."
Nora reached up to curl her fingers around the back of Nikki's neck, pulling her in for a slow, tantalising kiss. Running her hands up and down Nora's sides, Nikki pressed closer and took control of the kiss easily. Eventually, Nora broke away and eyed Nikki curiously. "Someone's horny."
"What do you expect if I see you in that uniform all day long?" Nikki shrugged.
Her expression becoming seductive, Nora moved her hands to her shirt, loosening the tie and flinging it away carelessly. She popped the top button open. "That turns you on, huh?" A nod from Nikki and a second button was undone. "If you like seeing me in this uniform…" – the third and fourth button were taken care of – "…you must really love seeing me out of it." Number five, six and seven left the shirt hanging open and revealed an expanse of soft-looking skin. Nora slid the fabric off her shoulders and began fumbling with Nikki's tie until it came off. She then worked the buttons of Nikki's shirt, occasionally brushing a breast with the back of her hand. "And you," she whispered, "are still a little overdressed."
In mere seconds, Nikki was shirtless, too, and when she reached behind her back, Nora mirrored the movement. A moment later, two bras landed on the bedroom floor.
Smoothing her palms over Nikki's back, Nora leaned in and kissed a bare shoulder. From there, she let her mouth wander searchingly, exploringly over exposed flesh, until her lips found a rosy nipple craving attention. She suckled on it slowly, feeling it tighten in her mouth. Pleased with the low moan that rumbled in Nikki's chest and the hand combing through her hair, Nora moved to the other side to swirl her tongue around the second nipple and then blow on it, making Nikki whimper softly.
Strong hands pushed against her shoulders, and suddenly Nora was lying on her back, Nikki holding her in place with her weight as she stared down at Nora with a lusty gleam in her eyes.
"You just hate not being in control, don't you?" Nora playfully pinched Nikki's arm.
"You know it." Nikki flashed her lover a wicked smile before lowering her head and raking her teeth lightly over Nora's collarbone. A shiver ran through the blonde's body, and it seemed to turn into electricity when Nikki unexpectedly flicked her thumb across Nora's left nipple. Her mouth continued its way down to the other breast where she alternated between nibbling on the aroused nipple with her teeth and tickling it with the tip of her tongue. Nora squirmed and grasped Nikki's waist, grinding her lower body against it.
Nikki chuckled and lifted her head. "Impatient, are we?"
"Stop teasing and get on with it," Nora growled.
"So demanding." Nikki gave the hard nub a quick tweak, causing Nora to sharply inhale. With a satisfied grin, Nikki let her hands roam over warm skin freely, pushing down Nora's underwear with a practised movement and wiggling the remaining clothes off her own legs as well.
Nora pulled her close, wrapping her arms around her tightly, and Nikki sighed. Every single time, the feeling of being fully skin on skin was both new and familiar, and it wasn't any different today. She captured Nora's lips again, sensually, luxuriously, as she slid her hand between them. The muscles twitched anxiously beneath her fingers, and she smiled into the kiss. Stroking her way downward, she slipped her hand between Nora's thighs, touching, circling, teasing, and finally, dipping. A throaty groan made its way past Nora's lips, and she began rolling her hips in sync with Nikki's hand. Nikki kissed her harder and moved her hand faster, driving Nora closer and closer to the edge.
With her eyes closed, Nora sensed a wonderful energy flowing through her veins, elating and grounding her at the same time. She placed her fingers on Nikki's busy hand, feeling its every move. When Nikki's lips left Nora's mouth and focused their attention on her breast once more, she bit down on an erect nipple and simultaneously curled up her fingers. Nora bucked her hips violently and hissed.
"Fuck!"
Thrusting powerfully and clinging to Nikki, Nora finally gasped her release and loosened her grip. Chest heaving, her body gradually relaxed as Nikki continued a gentle stroking to ease her down slowly. She buried her face in Nora's hair, taking in its unique scent.
"Mmh," Nora hummed, still breathing heavily.
Amused, Nikki raised her head and propped herself up on her elbows. "Yes?"
Running her fingertips over Nikki's arms, Nora smiled lazily. "I like wearing a uniform. No, wait." She paused. "I like getting out of a uniform." Without warning, she flipped Nikki onto her back. "I like you without a uniform." She trailed her tongue over Nikki's pulse point.
"I knew you'd find a perk to this whole thing." Nikki's voice went husky as she leaned her head back to allow the teasing tongue better access.
Nora slowly slid down Nikki's body and placed small kisses over the heated skin, making sure not to neglect a single spot. Her fingers outlined Nikki's ribcage carefully before she cupped her breasts, feeling the nipples harden against the firm pressure of her palms. Nora responded with a gentle circling motion and pressed her hipbone to Nikki's core, causing her to push into the touch greedily. It only lasted for a moment, though, and when Nora shifted into a different position, Nikki let out a sound of frustration at the loss of contact. She stopped complaining, however, when Nora, after drawing patterns on Nikki's abdomen with her lips and fingers, settled comfortably between her legs. She let her tongue flutter along the insides of Nikki's thighs and perceived the lightest of needy quivers.
"Stop teasing and get on with it..."
"Look who's talking." Nora grinned, and then bent her head, making Nikki jump with a sharp nip of her teeth. In response, Nikki rested a hand on the back of Nora's head as if to make sure that her mouth would remain where it was and finish what it had started. Dragging her tongue over moist flesh, Nora licked around the small nub, darting in and out repeatedly. Soon, she had Nikki writhing in the sheets and emitting small whimpers of approval. She reached up to caress the soft breasts once more, catching the nipples between her thumb and forefinger, and then rubbing vigorously.
Close to her climax, Nikki arched into Nora's hands and mouth, and Nora sent her over the edge with a well-placed flick of her tongue. With a soft moan, Nikki submitted to the waves of pleasure rolling through her body, her entire focus on Nora's mouth as she came. Panting, she slowly descended from her high and sank back into the mattress, completely spent.
After one last lingering kiss, Nora climbed up Nikki's body and rested her chin on one hand as she tucked a dark strand of hair behind Nikki's ear with the other. Nikki smiled impishly. "Still hate the uniform?"
"Filthy-handed kids? Fantasy crimes? 'Victims' from hell? Brash tourists? And all of that in boots that could squash an elephant and a tie? I love it if it leads to this."
Nikki caught Nora's hand and kissed its palm. "Can I tell Dan that?"
"Do you want to see the light of another day?" Nora's face hovered threateningly close to Nikki's.
"Okay, no telling Dan, gotcha." Nikki placed two fingers on Nora's forehead and pushed her back gently. "You're making me cross-eyed."
Nora squinted. "Sorry. I won't let Dan know that I think this job isn't so bad. I want to rub it in on every possible occasion that he owes us for this. It could come in handy at some point."
"Sneaky woman. Are you going to reproach him with this for a long time?"
"Does a bear shit in the woods?"
"That's really none of my business."
Nora laughed, withdrawing her hand from Nikki's grasp and running her fingertips over a still flushed cheek. "Smartass."
Revelling in the light caress, Nikki smirked teasingly. "You've got very gentle hands for a big, bad butch."
Nora quirked an eyebrow. "Do I now?"
"Oh yes. I think there may be a very sensitive woman behind that tough cop exterior."
"Interesting theory."
"You still look very gay in the uniform."
Unperturbed, Nora looked down on Nikki with an amused expression on her face. "Yeah, well, it appears that I am very gay."
The End