The One That Stayed

When they pulled back for air this time Franky cupped Bridget's cheeks and looked deep into the blonde's eyes. There were times she would struggle to explain or voice the emotions she felt but this moment was not one of them. In these moments when she felt relaxed and open she swore to herself she would always take advantage of them so Bridget knew without a shadow of a doubt exactly how she felt about her.

"Bridget Westfall" she gushed, "I really fucking love you."

The older woman responded with a megawatt smile and she wrapped her arms around Franky, drawing her into a tight hug.

"I love you too Franky" she husked against the brunettes ear.

It didn't matter that they were slumped on the floor in the kitchen against a counter. For Franky this was a rare perfect moment…only with Bridget in her life she was sure these moments would become a lot more frequent.

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

Chapter 8

"Okay that really was the best lasagne I have ever tasted" Franky declared as she placed her knife and fork down onto the empty plate in front of her.

Bridget sat across the small dining table looking ravenously beautiful in the candle light. The older woman had put the dining room lights on dim and there were three candles on the table providing most of the illumination. The orange glow the candles emitted only complimented the blonde's facial features further and Franky had found it hard to concentrate on the meal no matter how delicious it was.

"I'd love to lay claim to it but it was my grandma's recipe" Bridget confessed. "My parents were always pretty busy as I was growing up so I spent a lot of time with her. She has an amazing stew recipe too that I will make you one of these days."

Franky loved hearing these little snippets of information about the blonde. As they had sat down for dinner Bridget had pointed at one of the abstract paintings on the wall and explained that her mother had given it to her after her father's death. Apparently he and Bridget had loved it but her mother couldn't stand it. The painting was colourful and portrayed tulips in a field but using bursts of block colour. Franky couldn't claim to understand much about art but it seemed pleasant enough to her.

"Should we take the wine into the living room?" the blonde asked. The younger woman nodded in response. It was the one room in the house Franky hadn't seen yet and she was curious to discover a little bit more about Bridget Westfall.

The brunette rose to her feet and picked up both the empty wine glasses whilst Bridget picked up the half full bottle of red wine. The older woman led the way out of the dining room and across the hall into the living room. She put the lights on dim again as they entered the room and headed straight to the sofa, placing the wine bottle down on the walnut coffee table that stood just before a comfortable looking brown leather three seater. The room was spacious again and had a couple of beautiful Aboriginal themed prints hanging on the walls as well as a huge wide screen television.

"I love the décor" Franky praised her girlfriends taste as the older woman removed the glasses from her hands.

The blond smiled in response and began to pour more wine into the empty glasses, handing Franky hers after the brunette had taken a seat at one end of the sofa. The former inmate crossed her legs and relaxed back into the seat, admiring the blonde's form as she poured herself more wine. The black shirt was loose fitting but her jeans clung to her curves and Franky had to drag her eyes away from her girlfriend when she started speaking again.

"So who taught you how to cook?" Bridget asked as she took a seat next to the brunette on the sofa.

Franky inwardly cringed but tried to outwardly remain impassive at the question. They were wandering onto shaky ground when talking about her past. Franky knew Bridget was aware it had been shitty, the psychologist had read all about it in her stupid prison file. She supposed that was why therapist patient relationships were ill advised but she trusted Bridget's ability to separate the psychologist from the girlfriend.

"I had to teach myself" Franky admitted. "One of my foster families wanted a housemaid not a child."

Bridget paled slightly at the brunette's response and reached out, covering one Franky's right hand with her own.

"I'm sorry…" the blond began to talk but Franky stopped her.

"Don't" the younger woman cut in. She didn't need pity about her past. It was what it was and it was over. She had never seen much point in looking back.

"Anyway without that experience I wouldn't have ended up on that stupid show or in Wentworth. Without Wentworth I wouldn't have ended up here."

Franky truly meant it. Prison life had been shit but it had helped her grow as a person, given her the opportunity to study law, introduced her to people she would always adore like Boomer and led her to the person she was sure would be her happy ending.

"Are you telling me I was worth a prison sentence?" that happy ending quirked an eyebrow at her.

Franky rose from her end of the sofa and stepped towards Bridget, depositing herself in her girlfriends lap so she was straddling her. The older woman's eyebrow shot up even higher and she grasped her own lower lip between her teeth as she gazed up at the brunette.

"Was I worth losing your job over?" the younger woman countered as she pressed forward into the blonde.

"Yes" Bridget replied without hesitation.

The blonde's hands crept under the dressing gown and grazed Franky's bare thighs. The younger woman moaned at the contact before dipping forward and kissing Bridget. The blonde eagerly responded, sucking Franky's tongue into her mouth and deepening the kiss. The younger woman fell into the kiss, allowing Bridget to control the pace even though she was the one physically on top.

Bridget's nails dug into the bare skin just below the material of Franky's underwear and pulled the brunette hard against her lap. The button of the older woman's jeans pressed against Franky through the thin lacy fabric and she moaned into the blonde's mouth, breaking out of the kiss as she ground down against Bridget again.

"Oh fuck" Franky gasped out.

One of Bridget's hands shot up from the younger woman's hip and grasped brunette hair, pulling her roughly back into the kiss so that teeth clattered against each other. The desperation in Bridget's movements only made Franky more aroused and she grabbed onto the blonde's shoulders, fingernails sinking in to the muscles there through the sheer fabric of the blonde's shirt.

The psychologists hand at her hip slid inwards and began to toy with the edge of the fabric of the crotch of Franky's underwear. The brunette was so turned on by the way that Bridget was dominating her yet again that she very nearly just gave in and let the older woman slip her hand inside and pleasure her. The former inmate may never have been dominated by anyone before but she trusted Bridget more than anyone and really quite enjoyed handing over control to the older woman. However she had noticed that Bridget hadn't handed over the same level of control to her at any point. Yes Franky had made love to the blonde but it had been on Bridget's terms. She worried it was still a small amount of hangover from the patient therapist relationship they had previously had and she was determined to break it.

It took all the control Franky had left over her own body to break the kiss and reach down and grasp the blonde's hand and pull it away from its pleasurable destination. Bridget looked surprised and a little worried that she had done something wrong so Franky acted quickly to reassure the older woman.

"You love being in charge don't you Gidget" Franky whispered into the blonde's ear as she simultaneously grasped Bridget's other hand and pressed them against the top of the sofa's headrest. "Why don't you let me take control for a bit?"

The blonde gasped out the younger woman's name in response and tried to lean in for a kiss again. Franky leant back just out of reach. Bridget looked disappointed not to be lip locked but not unduly worried by her new role as thee submissive. If anything she looked turned on and a little curious. Despite the older woman's calm exterior though Franky could feel some tension in Bridget's body and she was sure the idea was making the blonde a little nervous. She leant forward, keeping hold of Bridget's wrists, and peppering soft kisses down the column of her neck. The blonde moaned and writhed beneath her but the tension still remained.

Franky found herself whispering soothing words between kisses. Things like "Relax and let me make love to you," "I won't let anything happen to you" and "I'm so fucking in with love you."

These words seemed to release most of the tension so Franky braved releasing the brunette's hands so she could begin to unbutton her shirt. She was still lavishing the blonde's neck with attention with her mouth as her hands worked on removing the shirt. Bridget kept her hands resting back against the sofa until she had to move them to allow the shirt to be slipped off. As soon as Franky had removed the shirt and bra the blonde's hands began to roam over the dressing gown Franky was wearing so the younger woman grasped Bridget's wrists again and placed them back on the head rest.

"Trust me" she whispered into the older woman's ear. Franky slid of Bridget's lap as she spoke and lowered herself to her knees in front of the blonde. Bridget observed her, mouth agape and pupils shot, as Franky slowly unbuttoned and unzipped the blonde's jeans and began to draw them down her legs.

"I do trust you" Bridget choked out as the black denim was discarded somewhere to the left of them.

The blonde's pupils were wide, her arousal written all over her face. The pronounced rise and fall of Bridget's chest was just as large a give-away of her arousal as her blackened eyes. Franky allowed herself a moment to just sit back on her heels and enjoy the view of her nearly entirely naked girlfriend sprawled out in front of her, arms still raised behind her head. The seconds ticked by as she stared into Bridget's eyes, aware of her own painful levels or arousal but not quite ready to break the longing look passing between them. It was sweet torture. It was the older woman who cracked first.

"Franky please" the blonde begged as she shifted her legs invitingly further apart; "I need you."

The younger woman hands were upon her instantly, dragging the final cotton underwear barrier down and out of the way and drawing her thighs over the brunette's shoulders.

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

The soft leather of the sofa was sticking to Franky's naked back but she was willing to overlook that mild bit of discomfort to stay on the moment. In her arms she had an equally naked Bridget Westfall, half lying on her and half on the sofa. The throw from the sofa was pulled over them but only to the level of the blonde's lower back; leaving their upper bodies exposed to the warm evening air.

They had made love a handful of times on the sofa but now they were both tired, sated and happily cuddled up together. The older woman's head was rested on Franky's chest and the psychologists fingers slowly traced the pattern made by the scars and tattoo on the younger woman's abdomen.

Franky was enjoying the intimacy of the moment despite it being all very new to her. She was sure Bridget wanted to ask her questions about the scars but was keeping quiet, perhaps afraid to ruin the moment. The former inmate no longer wanted any barriers between them. If she wanted to know all about Bridget and her life then she had to be willing to open up and do the same.

"Are you okay?" Franky finally broke the comfortable silence. She hoped it would give the older woman a nudge to voice whatever it was that she was thinking. When Bridget didn't immediately answer Franky thought it hadn't worked but then the blond took a deep breath and began to speak.

"What made you chose this particular tattoo?" she asked, her head briefly tilting up to look at Franky before immediately shifting her focus back to the marked skin. In the brief moment the brunette had seen the apprehension in Bridget's eyes. The older woman was scared she was going to clam up at the mention of something relating to her past.

"In Buddhism the Cherry Blossom tree is a reminder that we are here but only for a short time" Franky explained calmly. "It symbolizes that you have to make the most of life. Not that I have…I sort of fucked that idea up when I lost my rag on that dick head."

The young brunette couldn't hold back the self-depreciating snort that accompanied her final words. Everything that her younger self had thought made her appear strong…the anger….the distancing of herself from others…it was what had made her weak. If Bridget heard the snort she didn't react to it, just continued to follow the lines of the branches with her forefinger.

"It's no surprise you have carried that much anger honey" the blonde simply replied.

Franky was momentarily transported back into Bridget's office in Wentworth. She was sat opposite the blonde on those horrible vomit green chairs whilst the psychologist had a real concerted attempt to break through her walls. It was the session in which Franky had admitted to accidently killing Meg but it was a moment earlier in the session that had leapt to mind. Bridget had been talking about how carrying emotional baggage weighed people down. It was cliché and Franky had resisted and snapped back at the time.

"Are you going to tell me I need to unpack my baggage again?" the brunette asked as she shook away the memory and focused on the present. Bridget's hand stilled in response and she finally glanced up at the younger woman for a prolonged period.

"I'm not your therapist any more Franky" she half stated and half reassured her.

"No but you are my girlfriend" the brunette immediately replied.

Franky's hands had been resting on Bridget's lower back but now she slid them up the blonde's back as she spoke and cupped the older woman's cheeks. She caressed the soft skin covering Bridget's impressive jaw line with her thumbs. The blonde's eyes flickered shut at the intimate contact but there was a soft smile on her lips. The younger woman reached forward and pressed a delicate kiss on Bridget's inviting lips, causing the blonde's smile to intensify further.

In the oppressive atmosphere of Wentworth it had felt almost impossible to truly open to Gidget despite the growing trust between them. The very fact the blonde was there on a professional basis despite their obvious personal connection had left a barrier between them but that barrier was now gone. It wasn't that Franky was suddenly keen to discuss her past but that the idea of talking about it to the person she loved didn't seem so unappealing.

"The burns and the breaks hurt but sometimes that pain was almost cathartic" the brunette tried to explain. "It was always the things she said that caused the most injury."

As a teenager Franky had always thought she was weird or broken because she welcomed the physical pain. It wasn't until she began to read more that she realised many other people reacted in the same way. That's when she had stopped hiding the scars and turned them into something of a feature with the help of a bit of body art.

"You know your mum was fucking cracked right?" Bridget declared, breaking Franky from her thoughts. "Your dad leaving, her drinking…nothing was your fault, she was placing her own blame and guilt on to you."

"Cracked?!" Franky found herself laughing despite the serious nature of the topic. "What page is that on in the DSM?"

The psychologist grinned in response and ducked her head down to kiss Franky's chest between the swell of her breasts. It was soft and affectionate and the younger woman suspected it was to hide the blonde's blush at the use of such an inappropriate term.

"It's in the Bridget Westfall Special Edition" the older woman replied between kisses. "It's a very technical term I'll have you know!"

Bridget hovered over the brunette, leaning on her elbows for support. The older woman's hair was loose and messy from their earlier activities and Franky thought it made her look even more delectable than ever.

"Come here you" the brunette instructed, tugging Bridget down towards her as she spoke.

The psychologist seemed content to sink down and rest her cheek against Franky's chest again. The younger woman wrapped her arms around the blonde's naked back and closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of their body heat mingling. She could feel Bridget's warm, slow, calm breath's caressing the top of her right breast. Franky couldn't remember ever feeling more content or relaxed than she did in this moment.

"I like this…just lying here listening to your heart beat" Bridget proclaimed.

The blonde had voiced Franky's own thoughts and it was comforting to know they were on the same page. They still knew so little about each other despite several conversations over the course of the day but that didn't prevent them connecting on a visceral and powerful emotional level. Franky felt more raw emotion than she had done in years…not since she was a little girl. This time though the emotions were all positive. Or at least they were mostly positive; she still had an underlying fear that she would wake up and it would all be a dream.

"There were times in Wentworth that I'd have given anything just to be able to reach out and touch you or hold you" Bridget continued. "I know in many ways we barely know each other Franky but I really feel like this was meant to be. You were like a magnet to me and I was powerless to resist you. All I know is I want to share my life with you because you make me ridiculously happy. Happier than I have even been."

The blonde pushed up onto her elbows as she spoke and Franky gazed up at her, holding eye contact. The former inmate felt her heart beat a little more rapidly in her chest with every bit of sentiment that spilled from Bridget's mouth. Despite saying 'I love you' they hadn't had a conversation about dating or commitment until now. It made Franky beyond happy, ecstatic in fact, that this amazing woman wanted her for the long haul. For a moment the older woman's words left her breathless and therefore silent. Bridget worried at her lower lip with her teeth and lowered her gaze at the lack of response.

"Sorry if that was a little deep, I…" the blonde began to backtrack, clearly scared she had said too much.

It made Franky's heart leap into her mouth as the last thing she had meant to do was make Bridget panic that she had pushed her too far. The younger woman did the only thing she could think of to show the blonde that everything was okay. Better than okay even.

Franky cupped both of Bridget's cheeks in her hands and guided the blonde's pretty blue eyes back to her own. Bridget looked surprisingly vulnerable but full of hope as she gazed back at the former inmate. It made Franky's heart swell all the more. She drew the blonde's mouth down to her own in a slow, intimate opened mouth kiss. She kept her hands against Bridget's cheeks, using the pad of her thumbs to caress her girlfriends well defined cheek bones. Bridget's remained propped on her right elbow as they languidly kissed but her left hand rested against Franky's right temple and fingers lightly combed through brunette hair and gently raked across her scalp.

The slow intimacy of the kiss made it just as moving as its context and Franky was sure her strong positive feelings about Bridget's words had been thoroughly expressed through that intimacy. Sure enough when they pulled apart again and Bridget hovered over her there was a smile on the older woman's lips which easily reached her twinkling blue eyes. It would be easy for Franky to leave the conversation there, content that Bridget was reassured that her words had been taken well. They had not just been taken well though…they meant everything to Franky and she wanted to ty and express that.

"I want that too…to share my life with you" she admitted, her voice hoarse with emotion.

It was only when Bridget reached out and swiped her thumb across Franky's cheek that the younger woman realised she was crying a little bit. Crying tears of joy certainly wasn't something the former inmate was accustomed to.

"I'm sorry I…" she tried to apologise but Bridget cut her off by pressing her thumb to Franky's lips.

"Don't be sorry" the older woman assured her, "please don't ever be sorry for your emotions Franky."

Bridget leant down and kissed the tear dampened cheeks one by one with a tenderness that made Franky melt.

"Have I mentioned that I love you?" the brunette asked playfully when the older woman lifted her head to gaze at her again.

"Yes" Bridget replied steadily. "But I'd gladly hear it again and again and again so don't let that stop you!"

The blonde's playful smile gave Franky yet more of the now familiar butterfly feelings in her chest and she brushed her lips against the older woman's, before returning the smile with one of her own. Franky Doyle was the master of playful.

"I love you" she said softly as she shifted her weight enough to roll Bridget to the side. Franky quickly shuffled around so it was now Bridget flat on her back with the younger woman leaning over her.

"Uh-huh" Bridget responded as her back hit the sofa, her smiles intensity increasing to match the brunette's own.

The younger woman instantly began to pepper kisses against the blonde's jawline, chin and cheeks. Franky could tell by the cheeky sparkle in the psychologist's eye that she was enjoying the attention.

"I love you" she repeated between kisses.

"Mmmhmmm" Bridget moaned. The younger woman finished her plethora of little kisses with one on the tip of the blonde's nose which instantly drew a low chuckling laugh from the other woman.

"I love you" Franky said one final time before nuzzling into the crook of the blonde's neck. She could feel the vibrations from Bridget's laughter against her nose and mouth and she broke out into yet another huge smile. She truly had never been happier and she was glad and honestly relieved that she made Bridget feel that way too.

If this was the trajectory her life was now taking then it would be a good life. Franky was determined to let go of all her demons and really live it.

Llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

That's all folks!

I'm going to tackle another Fridget fic soon….this time one with an actual plot other than just Fridget bliss!

Thanks for reading and reviewing etc. Love y'all xxxx