Some Things Only A Woman Can Do...

[Michael Scofield]

Michael stood over by the side of the fence, watching as his brother was taken back to his cell. He hated that Lincoln's yard time didn't always match with his own, and even worse that Linc had less of it. But Michael had promised him that soon he wouldn't have to worry about it. They'd be free, and Lincoln could see the sun anytime he wanted. Everything would fall into place...it had to.

The digging in his cell had only just began but with the time lost due to his stint with Haywire as a cellie, Michael was behind schedule, something that he knew he couldn't allow to continue. He knew he'd need Sucre to come into the tunnels with him at some point to help out and with two hands meant he'd need extra tools . Something small, and metal, but that wouldn't really be missed. Michael's gaze shifted over to the tool shed, guarded by a CO. Michael had been in there before for PI, but they were always searched afterwards and checked carefully to make sure that they didn't take anything. As tricky as it would be to get in now, it would be easier to get something back to his cell from the yard than any other time.

Michael was not about to have T-Bag or Abruzzi beat up the guard. He couldn't trust them with creating a diversion that wouldn't be potentially dangerous to the CO (who Michael really didn't want to hurt). He just needed a distraction, not a full on attack. His gaze continued over to a group of female inmates. Mama and her girls. Michael knew Mama's reputation and knew he'd have to be careful with this one, but it also seemed the best way to get what he needed accomplished. He just needed to get Mama on his side.

[Mama]

Mama was lounging on her bleachers as per usual, sitting on the bench just below Jazz. Her eyes were closed and her head hung forward slightly as the young blonde massaged the knots out of the Southern gang leader’s neck and shoulders. Mama had to hand it to herself as she sat feeling the tension abate with every gentle, kneading touch, she was damn lucky to be where she was today. A small smirk touched her lips at the thought. Who was she kidding? It wasn’t luck really, it was skill. Mama had worked her way up to top dog with her ruthless cunning and quick, silver tongue. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that she’d earned her status as Fox River’s well sought after madame.

“Mmm Jazz Kitten, anybody evah tell you you got magic fingers?” Mama groaned lowly, smirking as she heard Jazz’s excited, high pitched giggle. She knew about the girl’s obsession of course, and like any tyrant, she used to bind the poor creature close to her. There wasn’t a thing that young Jazz wouldn’t do for her Mama, and that suited the Southern woman just fine.

Mama’s system of reciprocity was well known throughout Fox River; indeed it was a practice that was prevalent amongst the vast majority of inmates. Nothing was ever for free, and if someone was selling without an asking price you could be sure there was something else, something far worse, going on in the works.

[Michael Scofield]

Michael was well aware that making a deal with Mama would come at a price. Everything in Fox River came at a price. Unfortunately he didn't think gaining Mama's aid would be as easy as getting Pugnac from C-Note, he didn't see money as being what the woman would seek, but he hadn't known of her long enough to analyze what she may want ahead of time.

He saw her relaxing on one of the sets of bleachers, all of them in the yard seemed to be claimed by a different group within these walls. Michael confidently strolled over to the bleachers, knowing fear would be sensed immediately and wasn't something he could afford to have.

"My name's Michael Scofield...I've heard a lot about you" He told her with a smile. "I think it might be good for the two of us to get acquainted" He said, knowing he couldn't just jump into the favor that he needed but also knowing she'd probably suspect he had a reason for coming over here today.

[Mama]

“Someone’s comin’ Mama,” Jazz’s warm breath stirred her hair gently as the blonde woman bent to whisper in her ear.

“A customer?” The Southern woman asked without opening her eyes; though she frowned slightly at the negative reply she received.

“Nah, Mama, he walked right past The Girls –didn’t even give Velma a second look.” Jazz’s hands were frozen on her shoulders and Mama felt a small twinge of irritation at the interruption. She lifted her head with a sigh, flicking her hair back over her shoulders. Now who would be bold enough forsake Mama’s lovely ladies for a meeting with the madame herself?

Her dark eyes flickered up in time to see the man stop in front of her bleachers, a smile on his lips as he introduced himself. Her gaze swept over his figure and searched his pretty face – and wasn’t it a pretty face indeed. He said he’d heard of her, well Mama wasn’t surprised at that, but most cons knew that if they wanted some company they approached one of the Girls not Mama herself. Either this little honey was needing some protection and looking to join the family, or he had that something special that made him worthy of Mama’s attentive care. Her tongue worked its way along her lower lip slowly before she offered him a smile in return.

“Is that so?” She purred, her dark gaze hooded, “and just what did ya have in mind?”

[Michael Scofield]

Michael could feel the eyes of the women on the bleachers sizing him up as he approached. He also saw their shocked expressions out of the corner of his eye as he passed by the other girls and headed for their madame. He was sure he was going against their usual protocol for encounters with the male inmates, but he wasnt exactly there for typical reasons.

As Mama's eyes opened to look up at him he could see the interest that they held in him. Curiosity if nothing else, but he had achieved his first goal and caught her attention, even if it was merely for a brief moment. Now he had to hold onto it long enough to see what he could get accomplished.

"Why don't we start with a chat" Michael suggested as she asked him what he had in mind. "Mind if I sit?" He asked, wanting to level the ground between them, meet her on an equal level both physically and mentally.

[Mama]

He was confident. Not arrogant, but simply sure of himself and so far courteous. Mama was intrigued and she raised her eyebrows when he asked for a seat. So this was to be a longer transaction was it? Clearly not just the proposition of sex right off the bat, well good – Mama would have sent him packing if that had been the case. Still, she was curious to know who this Michael Scofield thought he was to warrant a seat beside Mama. The Southern woman had a very high opinion of herself.

“Oh now, where are mah manners - of course you may darlin’,” she murmured, the corners of her lips twitching into a slow smile. While Mama’s accented voice was demure, there was the gentle suggestion of authority in her sweet words that Michael could only sit because the Southern woman allowed it. For all intents and purposes these grimy bleachers with their peeling paint and rusted bolts were Mama’s territory; her kingdom; her throne, and Michael was simply a guest.

Mama, still smiling, waved her hand to indicate a spot just below and to the left of her own position. She felt she had a good running knowledge of the inmates of Fox River – her Girls, Jazz and Meg especially, had a talent for gossip and scandal, and passed along the information that Mama deemed profitable to her business. While Mama was sure she’d heard the name Michael Scofield before, it had been nothing more than a lusty susurration passed from lip to lip. For that reason Michael got the lower seat, and if he proved himself to be more than a simple object of desire then maybe he’d get to move up.

“So, Michael, what brings you to my little neck of the woods?”

Of course if he bored her she’d simply tell him to shove off.

[Michael Scofield]

Michael smiled in response to Mama's own as she agreed to letting him have a seat on her bleachers. Already this was going better than his previous encounters of territorial bleachers with T-Bag, who would have only let him sit if he had agreed to join his little crew, not something Michael was about to do for anything. As Michael looked at the beautiful woman he could tell she was interested in why he was here and knew that it was a good thing to keep her that way. If she was bored of him he had no chance of getting a favor.

"Thank you" He told her with a nod as he sat down on the bleachers, one row down and to the left, knowing he was getting stares from her girls and some of the inmates standing further away in the yard, but also knowing it would draw less attention to sit and talk then to stand in front of her and make a deal. There was such a sweetness to Mama's voice, but he also knew of the power she held and he wouldn't be foolish enough to think she'd be easy to persuade.

"I haven't been in here too long but I've been here long enough to know the powerful players around here" Michael told her, though most of his research on that had been done before his incarceration. He had already made progress with Abruzzi, now he found himself needing a woman's touch. "You're definitely one of them..someone who would be useful to be on the same side as"

[Mama]

Mama’s brothel ran on a completely different operating system from T-Bag’s ‘little crew’. Acquiring as much tail as possible was about the only similarity the two families shared, as Mama had taken her crew one step further: servicing the general population of Fox River. So if she were to demand that Michael sign himself over to her simply for a temporary seat on her bleachers without first knowing his purpose would be incredibly short sighted on her part. Hypothetically speaking, if Michael had only wanted to request some company for the night, in all likelihood he would have been insulted by Mama’s demands and stormed off, and the Southern woman would have just lost herself a potential business opportunity.

No, Mama was quite sure that for whatever reason she had something Michael wanted, which meant he would have to indebt himself to her – and that was always a favourable outcome for the Southern madame.

Mama’s gaze flickered to her Girls who were staring as Michael climbed up the bleachers and settled himself in the assigned spot. She caught the eye of her second, Slash, and raised a brow. Taking the hint, Slash turned to face front again and the working Girls smartly followed her lead.

Mama turned her attention to Michael, settling back in her ‘throne’ and cocking her head slightly to the side to listen. Her lips curled into a small smirk as he spoke about the prominent figures of Fox River. That had certainly been the right thing to say.

“You flatter me,” she murmured with a throaty chuckle. Her tongue slid across her lower lip, drawing in the pink flesh between her teeth as she watched him from the corner of her eyes. “Somethin’ tells me this ain’t just a lonely hearts call.” Mama said after a pause, and she turned her hooded gaze directly on Michael, viewing him through long lashes. “So why’s a sweet boy like you lookin’ to side with little ol’ me – I presume you do know what it is I do.” Mama tilted her head gently, letting her coal hair slip over her shoulder. Her dark eyes flickered over Michael’s face and body, and then out across the yard. She pointedly looked across at T-Bag’s bleachers; at Avocado in the corner of the yard, and the many other figures dotted around the yard who sought after exactly what Michael had in spades.

“You findin’ you’re maybe a fish outta water, dahlin’?”

[Michael Scofield]

Michael gave a light smirk as she told him that he flattered her. That was good. At least his attempt to do so had been clear enough. He didn't want to go into overkill and end up sounding insincere, but he knew that much of the prison system was about respect, and based on her reputation alone, he knew that Mama deserved some, and if he was to get anywhere with her, he'd need to give it.
"You're very intuitive" Michael said with a nod as she guessed that he wasn't here for a night with one of her girls. "I do know what it is you do...but I tend to think that a woman in your position is capable of far more than just the obvious" He told her.

Michael shook his head as she asked if he felt like a fish out of water. "Not at all...I think I've managed to make quite a few good connections since arriving. John Abruzzi and I have..an understanding..that's gained me a spot on PI...Linc the Sink's got my back...C-Note's willing to help for a price..." Michael said, name dropping not to brag, but rather in hopes of conveying that he could both be trusted and that he also had the ability to make things happen, and hopefully get her something that she'd want in the future. "I could use a favor from you, but I'm aware nothing's free..but I think you'll see that we could find a way that I could be useful to you as well"

[Mama]

It was Mama’s turn to give a light smirk as Michael suggested that a woman such as herself was capable of much more than what was simply broadcasted. He was absolutely right. Beneath the seedy dealings and whorish appeal, Mama was a woman of cunning and ruthlessness. She kept herself separate from the riff raff of Fox River that she allowed her Girls to service, instead working at the bigger players and earning herself the better connections. She was a woman devoted to the physical sensations and instant gratification of the wealthy and powerful within the penitentiary, manipulating them with her many faces. The lust of one rich con could not be sated by the same means of the lonely night guard who desired love making and a warm body to curl up with during his long shift. The madam kept herself a step ahead by intimately knowing every detail of the men and women that she dealt with, and she was beginning to wish she knew more of the particular man sitting just below her.

Michael had succeeded in capturing the Southern belle’s attention, though how desirable this truly was remained to be seen. Mama listened as he name dropped left right and center and she had to admit that she was impressed. Abruzzi was a man she had had few dealings with, but an area in which she wouldn’t mind extending her ‘business’. The man was possibly the most powerful figure in Fox River, and someone she wouldn’t mind having on her side. If she couldn’t convince him herself by her own means, she would at least be satisfied to set up an arrangement between his flunkies and her Girls.

Linc the Sink, another prominent name, though Mama had no interest in him herself. If he wasn’t accessible for her Girls then she had no reason to deal with him. C-Note; the go to guy for just about anything you need; now that was very interesting. Mama certainly wouldn’t mind getting in on that deal either.

She had remained still as Michael had spoken, letting those three names hang in the air between them. It was a tangible name drop; it spoke of serious connections and Michael’s ability to work the dangerous environment. Well, too have profitable arrangements with men such as those that said a lot for the handsome man before her. Mama wouldn’t go so far as to trust him, but rather she could trust in his ambition and ability turn a profit from arguably some of the most dangerous inmates in the pen. She would be careful to watch her step from here on out and see what benefits she could glean from the silver tongued individual.

“I’m beginning to undehstand why you’re such a hot topic ‘round these parts: ya certainly a man who keeps himself…busy.” The word slipped from her tongue as if she were savoring it. She tapped a long finger against her full lips and narrowed her eyes slightly in a final assessment of the well-spoken con. If there was one thing that she liked in an individual it was charm. Her hand dropped as her mouth curved into an attractive smile and Mama settled back in her seat.

“Alright Mistah Scofield, you got mah attention. So what’s this really about?”

[Michael Scofield]

Not having a plan going into a situation was not something that Michael was used to doing very often, but luckily, he usually was able to improvise after a little bit of thought. Had Michael known before recently that he'd need Mama's help he would have done his research, just as he had done on the other cons. But she was a wild card. Like his cellie, she was someone he couldn't have predicted before getting in here. His research would have been helpful in determining ahead of time what it was that she would want most, so that he could have it ahead of time and be prepared for a swap. But he knew he was putting himself in dangerous territory by leaving her end of the agreement negotiable. He was at the definite disadvantage here, but he still hoped he could favorably work the angle.

Michael hoped that one of his name drops would provide a connection that Mama would want. Abruzzi would be his strongest chance. The man could accomplish most anything within these walls, and was someone who was definitely on board with the escape and doing whatever necessary to get out of here. If Michael told him this was part of the plan, then John Abruzzi would have to listen, and cooperate.

Michael gave a light chuckle as Mama said he was a man who kept himself busy. "I like to be...active." He said sure that the double entendre wouldn't go unnoticed by the want and would be one she could identify with.

She was ready to hear his proposition. He had at least earned her attention. It was a start. "I need to get some...items, from over there" Michael said looking in the direction where the tools for PI were kept. A C.O. stood outside the door, unmoving.

"I can get in there with PI, but at the end of the day, we're searched carefully to make sure we didnt do exactly what I'm planning to" Michael told her, looking back at her now. "All I need is a little distraction to get in and out unnoticed"

[Mama]

Her lips quirked into a smirk as she caught Michael’s double entendre, and she gave a small hum. She was beginning to like this boy more and more, and starting to think that he’d be onto keep around once the job was finished. She could certainly think of a few ways he could repay her…and none of them involved Abruzzi.

Mama’s eyes lifted to the shed in question as Michael gave the details of his need favor. Her dark eyes flickered from the small building to the guard in front. The Southern woman had pulled jobs similar to this before, and knew them to be fairly easy so long as your partner had half a brain to get in and get out as quick as possible. Michael, so far, seemed to have proven himself capable of such a task.

“Hmmm,” Mama stalled for a moment, tapping a longer finger against her lips. “I think we could work somethin’ out. I neveh could say no to a handsome face.” Mama’s gaze slid back to him and a smirk touched lightly at her lips.

“When you wantin’ this lil’ distraction to happen?”

[Michael Scofield]

Michael gave a grin as Mama told him she could never say no to a handsome face. He would use any aspect he could to get ahead. And while he was sure that his looks had helped with Mama, he could also tell that she was smart enough that looks alone would never have gotten him even this long of a conversation with the woman.

He was pleased that she didn't seem to think that his request would prove problematic for her and her girls. Really it wasn't that complicated of a task he needed done, but still it was a quite vital one.

"Tomorrow, during yard time" Michael told her, as she asked for the specifics. Michael needed to get in there as soon as possible to get the digging back in his cell speeded up. Today would be too rushed, they would be more likely to make a mistake if they tried to hurry something together before yard time was over, but this would give Mama time to think and communicate with her girls.

"What about you..." Michael asked raising his eyebrows with a slight curiosity. "Any thoughts about what you may want in return?"