A/N LETS ALL APPRECIATE THIS OFFICER PEGGY FAN ART FROM mademoiselle_arlette <3 I love seeing your work guys and writing this book has been so fun ur all so supportive aw sorry for torturing u xxx

Eliza took another sip of her vanilla frappe, leaning back in her chair with a delighted sigh.
"It tastes just like soft serve ice cream," She hummed. Angelica, Peggy and Dolley giggled and turned back to their own drinks.
"Is Eliza the only one here who didn't get caffeine?" Dolley smirked, shaking her Starbucks cup in her hand. The girls shared around a few glances and laughed when they realised it was true.

"God I need this caffeine though, having to keep a collected facade while those prisoners bull-shit their way through my sessions," Angelica groaned. "I don't know how you deal with them AND Jefferson, Pegs," She said, shaking her head and lifting her cup to her lips once more.
"I don't deal with it." Peggy muttered, keeping her eyes downcast. "I blew up at John Laurens, the inmate, yesterday,"

"It's okay Pegs, you're not alone, Jefferson is screwing with everyone's minds in that hell-hole." Dolley muttered, raising her eye brows. "Marquis de Lafayette, the one with a week in solitary, he won't eat, he doesn't sleep, all he does is cry and mutter to himself. I had a shift on solitary before Eaker yesterday and he was a mess." She explained, using her hands to express her words better.
"Did you say a week?" Angelica asked worriedly, placing her cup down. Dolley nodded 'yes' and Angelica swallowed hard. "I counselled Lafayette before he went in, I only advised one day of solitary since he was going through so much grief over that incident with Mr Mulligan, he needed to be around other people." She spoke with hints of fear in her voice. "What kinds of things has he been saying?"

"Uh, it's all things like blaming himself for Mulligan getting stabbed, he's always mumbling about 'this is all my fault' and 'I can't do this anymore'." She stated with her eyebrows furrowed worriedly, her fists clenched in her lap. Angelica gasped and hummed worriedly, pressing her lips into a thin line. The girls glanced at each other worriedly before Angelica finally spoke up.
"Peggy you need to get Lafayette released," She muttered quickly, her eyes darting to meet Peggy's.
"Why? Jefferson won't listen to me," Peggy sighed in response, a shiver shooting up her spine at the mention of his name, like poison on her lips.
"Peggy, he's showing suicidal behaviour, you need to get him released." Angelica exclaimed, Eliza covering her mouth with her hand and Dolley gasping softly.

Peggy jigged her leg in a nervous tick as she dug her nails into her palms, her whole body tensing when she remembered Jefferson's hands wrapping around her waist again, his hot breath against her neck making her skin crawl.
Be the leader Washington wanted, Jefferson fails to be and that this prison needs.
She needed to stay strong for the prisoners. She was done being Jefferson's toy. What had happened to the kick-ass cop who marched into King's Correctional Facility ready to whoop Jefferson's ass in line?
"Alright, I'm getting Lafayette out of there,"

---

Peggy marched into Jefferson's office and slammed Angelica's psych report on Lafayette on his desk aggressively. Leaning over the desk and glaring at him.
"One day. Lafayette was meant to be in solitary for one day and you've got him there for a week? The man is on the verge of suicide and you're keeping him locked up? What kind of sick fuck are you?" Peggy roared, her voice wavering as Jefferson squinted at her menacingly. He slowly stood up from his seat, towering over her as he leaned forward on the desk. She squeaked when his hands slammed against the desk but quickly fixed her posture, rocking up onto the balls of her feet to stand a little taller.
"Everything I do is for the benefit of the prisoner's wellbeing." He spoke sternly, leaning forward further as he spoke.
"Ah yes you are benefiting his wellbeing by locking him in a confined space with 8 30 minute intervals for 168 hours?" She hissed, crossing her arms. Jefferson didn't respond, he simply continued to glare at her. "I'm going to let him out, you can go have a hissy fit in the corner like the childish asshole you are," She spat, spinning around on her heel, but Jefferson reached across the desk and grabbed her arm, pulling her forward aggressively and slamming her into the desk.

"Get the fuck off of me!" She yelled as he pulled her up against the desk. She thrashed in his grip, finally getting out but slipping in her heels, falling to the floor in front of the desk. Jefferson walked around the desk to stand in front of it, and glared down at her. Her breathing grew ragged and uneven as he lowered himself to kneel in front of her painfully slowly.
"Fine. You can let him out, Hamilton was released while you were out, but this is the last time you ever cross me Schuyler," He growled menacingly. "Understand?" He added, grabbing her thigh and digging his nails into the smooth fabric of her uniform.

Peggy clenched her teeth and drew in a deep breath.
"You don't... control me," She hissed through her teeth, struggling to get it all out as his grip tightened, pain shooting through her thigh. She slapped his arm away and stumbled to her feet, brushing her hair out of her face and shooting him one last glare before speed-walking out of the office.

---

Lafayette slowly shuffled down the hall behind Peggy, too weak physically to make any more of an effort. His whole body ached and he was starting to regret skipping another breakfast, until a voice he had been dying to hear met his ears, sending pulses of energy through his body and making his heart explode.

"LAF!" Hercules yelled, launching himself down the hallway. Lafayette's eyes widened and he screamed, sprinting towards Hercules. Their feet pounded the linoleum floor desperately until they threw themselves into a tight embrace, warmth spreading through both their bodies. Tears spilled down both men's cheeks and they slowly crumpled to the floor, their legs too weak to hold themselves up with the immense joy coursing through their veins. The hall was silent with the exception of Lafayette's sobs.

"I thought you were dead," He cried into Hercules' shoulder. Hercules pulled him into his chest and rubbed his back soothingly.
"Dead?" He exclaimed, looking down at Lafayette with eyes brimming with concern. "God no Laf I'm fine, but, I missed you," he sighed, letting his eyes flutter closed.
"I missed you too," Lafayette mumbled into Hercules' shirt, soaking it with his tears. The hallway was silent until two other sets of shoes began slamming into the ground behind them.

Lafayette tried to look up but his head was knocked back down when John and Alex dove onto him, joining in on the hug.
"Thank god you're back," John laughed half-heartedly, quickly sitting up. Alex sat up too and they smiled at each other before John noticed Peggy still standing at the end of the hall, a soft smile dancing on her lips as she stood at ease, watching the reunion.

John stood up and jogged over to her, going in for a hug before realising they weren't alone and other officers could see. He picked up her hand and shook it smartly, his bright smile unmoving.
"Thank you," He sighed, his hand lingering for a moment before he pulled it back. Peggy nodded and her smile grew when she watched John return to his friends. The boys were finally reunited, but how long would this last?

---

Seabury lay in Lee's arms, his back to him with Lee's body curled around his own and his arms slung around him. They lay in comfortable silence, every now and then Lee would leave a gentle kiss on the back of Seabury's neck, causing him to convulse and giggle softly.

"So about, last night... did you mean what you said? About escaping?" Lee muttered against Seabury's skin. "'Cos the conversation kind of just... stopped, and I don't know if you were kidding or what-" Lee began to expand on his point but Seabury cut in over him.
"I- I don't know. It seemed like a good idea while we were making out in the middle of the night," He laughed softly, earning a weak chuckle from Lee. "I guess, by escape, I meant that I just wanted to be with you without having to worry about getting stabbed, or shot, or r-raped..." He continued sheepishly, his voice fading out gradually. Lee cringed at his words and images flashed in his mind of all of the above happening to Sam, and he couldn't take it. He needed to protect him. He had spent so long mindlessly following orders, not realising how much his actions were affecting the others, like John and Alex, or Hercules and Lafayette. Now he had a reason to fight back, think for himself, because now he had Sam.

"We could do it you know," Lee whispered. Seabury froze and his hands flew up to grip Lee's arms that were wrapped around him.
"We- You would? Where would we go?" Seabury responded, a bit taken aback at being taken seriously.
"Somewhere without Jefferson, or Levi, or Conway," Lee chuckled softly, listing anyone who posed a threat to his boyfriend's safety.
"I like the sound of that," Seabury grinned. "But when, when would we do it?"
Lee paused in thought, sucking in a sharp breath before responding.

"Tomorrow night." Lee spoke quickly.
"Tomo- really?" Seabury questioned, rolling over in Lee's arms to face him.
"The sooner the better," Lee chuckled, gazing into Seabury's eyes. Seabury pressed his lips into a thin line deep in thought while Lee watched on nervously. "Sam, your idea has sparked something and I don't want to hang around any longer knowing that any moment you could be, gone. Now I know Jefferson and the crew are plotting something, we need to get out of here now if at all, to you this might've been a crazy mid-make out idea, but I'm beginning to take this seriously." Lee explained. Seabury stared at him with wide eyes as he poured out all his thoughts, the cell falling into a fairly awkward silence until Seabury decided he needed to break it.

"Since when were you the sentimental overprotective one?" Seabury mumbled teasingly. Lee sighed with a weak laugh.
"Since I found a man worth fighting for," He grinned, squeezing Seabury in his grip. "So, are we doing this?"
"Tomorrow night?" Seabury reissued.
"Tomorrow night, we escape."