The One That Stayed

TV Show: Wentworth

'Ship: Fridget (Franky and Bridget)

Rating: M (Mature)

"All clear" Miss Miles voice rang out across the strip search room.

Franky stood upright again and cracked her neck to release some of the tension that had been building whilst bent over naked. Miles had been especially thorough considering Franky was on her way out of Wentworth and not on the way in. What an earth could she possibly want to smuggle out from this shit hole? Anyway, Frankie wasn't going to let the female officer know she felt uncomfortable so she turned and faced her and strutted a step forward.

The blonde prison guard just rolled her eyes and gestured to the pile of clothing folded neatly on the table and stepped away to give Franky some space to dress herself. It was the outfit she had entered the prison in, the one she had went to court in. She's been such an ass back then. Who went in front of a judge in skinny jeans and a leather jacket and expected leniency.

Franky dragged her jeans up her legs and fastened the buttons. She had muscled up during her time in Wentworth so they felt a little tighter than they had previous to her incarceration. Or perhaps she had just become accustomed to the prison issue teal blue baggy sweatpants. She slipped the white vest top on over her favourite lime green bra and grabbed her short leather jacket and bag, tossing them both haphazardly over her right shoulder. On cue there was a swift hard knock on the door before it instantly opened.

"Ready Doyle?" Vera Bennett, the temporary governor, popped her head around the door and enquired.

Franky nodded in assent. She had been waiting for this day ever since the parole hearing. There had been moments when she thought it would never happen. Ferguson had done her damn hardest to sabotage it by planting drugs in her cell and threatening to leak the tape of her counselling session. Somehow Franky had ridden the storm especially as Miss Bennett had suddenly seen the light and began to twist the knife into her former mentor. Franky hoped outside assistance had been at play because if that was the case then it meant that Bridget Westfall cared enough about her to stick around and fight for her. Nobody had ever stuck around before but Franky had hope that this time it would be different.

The beautiful psychiatrist had been at her parole hearing but with Ferguson also in attendance there had been no chances to communicate other than a few smiles or glances when other people's attention was drawn elsewhere. The last proper conversation between the two had been in the library the day when Bridget had been sacked. Ferguson had said she had resigned but Franky knew she had been threatened and pushed. The 'Gidget' Franky knew was tough and wouldn't just resign unless there was no other option. She was sure Ferguson had used her in some way to force the blonde out.

"Franky" Miss Bennett's voice cut into her thoughts and brought them back to the present. Franky nodded again to show she was actually listening.

When the Governor seemed sure of her attention she turned and began to walk away. It was an easy pace and Franky strolled behind her in a sort of daze. It felt so surreal to be walking down the corridors for the last time. It was almost as surreal as the first time when she had entered. There was the same uncertainty about what would be waiting for her and about what her future held except this time there was an edge of hope rather than despair. There was an address and some directions crumpled in the pocket of her coat that she had been given. It was probably some half way house but it was in Coburg which was a surprisingly good area. The next time she went to bed it would be at that address not Wentworth Women's Correctional Facility.

If any inmates spoke to her whilst inside the prison she didn't notice. It was only when they got outside and she was walking down the mesh fenced corridor that she became aware a group of the women waiting for her on the other side of the fence. It was Boomer, Bea, Maxine, Liz, Sophie and Doreen with her baby cradled in her arms.

"Good look Franky" Bea called out as she approached.

She stopped alongside them and leant against the mesh fence. Her relationship with these people had been like a rollercoaster. It had been high, it had been low, it had been fast and furious and at times totally upside down. They were the people who had shaped her time at Wentworth and in their own way each and every one mattered. Even Kim who had tried to cause so much trouble at the end and was sulking across the exercise yard had been important and shaped her growth.

"Am gonna miss you" Boomer admitted as she pressed her hand against Franky's through the fencing.

"You are not gonna miss me you big oath!" Franky responded with a smirk. "If you let me I'll come visit ya!"

"I'd like that" Boomer admitted.

Franky stood back from the fencing and began to walk again but she stopped after taking a few steps. She turned back to the group of women and focussed on Bea. They had been neither friend nor enemy but some sort of weird mix of the two that you could only get whilst locked up. Unlikely allies and bitter rivals. There was mutual respect though and that is what mattered most to Franky now.

"Look after them" Franky instructed the red head. "Ferguson may be down and out but that doesn't mean another shit storm ain't brewing."

Bea smiled and responded silently with a simple military salute. It left Franky with nothing else to say so she turned again and followed a surprisingly patient Miss Bennett towards the first security gate. Franky followed silently, her apprehension levels suddenly sky rocketing as she realised she was seconds away from being plummeted out into the real world again.

One door opened and she stepped through. There was a turn to the left and then the final gate. She focused on just taking deep breaths and closed her eyes to try and centre her emotions. It was a technique Erica had shown her a long time before. Erica Davidson. There was another prison memory that would stay with her. For a long time she had dreamed that in this moment she would open her eyes and find Erica waiting for her. Those dreams had long gone though. They had faded away and reality had hit home that Erica had cared more about her reputation and career than her. Now Erica's wasn't the face she longed to see waiting for her but she hadn't dare dream this time. She was too afraid that this reality would be just as harsh.

"Looks like your ride is already here" Miss Bennett said as the distinctive sound of the front gate sliding open sounded out.

"Huh?" Franky mumbled as she opened her eyes to look at the temporary Governor. She was surprised to find a warm smile on the brunette's face.

"People believe in you Franky so don't fuck up…don't come back" Miss Bennett instructed before pointing to the car park.

Franky's eyes followed the uniformed woman's gesturing hand and landed on a car parked directly ahead of her with a familiar figure stood leaning against the bonnet. Her breath caught in her throat and she let out an audible gasp. Bridget Westfall was there waiting for her in all her fashionable glory. The feeling was better than any dream she could have possible imagined.

She found herself stumbling forwards in what felt like slow motion towards the car leaving Wentworth and Vera Bennett behind her without a second look. She vaguely recognised the sound of the sliding gate shutting behind her but every one of her senses was taken up by the woman in front of her who remained perfectly still.

"Gidget" Franky greeted her former physiatrist when she got within a few feet of her. Her voice was more emotional than she had intended and lacked any of the flirtatiousness she usually pushed to the forefront.

Bridget smiled and ran both her hands across the bonnet of the car she was leant against. It was a silver Toyota Corolla. Nothing exciting, but practical…and it did look rather fine with Bridget Westfall strewn across the front of it wearing tight blue jeans and the same cute little grey jacket she had worn when paying Franky that visit in the kitchen.

"It's not exactly the hot car you were envisioning" Bridget admitted. "However it does have a habit of overheating so you'll just have to make do with that."

The blonde finished her quip with a flirtatious wink. The conversation about Franky's ideal scenario had been weeks ago but was hardly surprising that that Bridget would remember it. What had she said at the time? That it was Franky all over, anger and hope. At the time it had seemed like a fantasy as she was expecting to be removed from the correctional facility in a coffin.

"Well one wing of Wentworth burnt down and there is a hot woman here to pick me up so two out of three ain't bad" she quipped back.

It was easy to joke about these things now but a matter of days ago women had died and Franky had nearly been one of them. The Freak's final act of madness before her world came caving in on her.

"Really?" Bridget replied, keeping the tone light. "Tell her to fuck off 'cos I'm picking you up instead."

The blonde took a predatory step in Franky's direction and flashed her a brilliant smile. The smiles in prison had been restrained and tight which had been fitting of their surroundings. This was a totally relaxed Bridget Westfall and one that despite her joke to the contrary knew exactly what effect she had on Franky.

The younger woman mirrored her stance and she took a step forward too. This positioned her only a hairs breath away from the woman who had been invading her every thought for weeks. This was as close as they had been in the library where they had to restrain themselves from kissing before. Bridget had said four simple words that had made her head spin… 'Not here, not now'. Franky remembered how soft Bridget's skin was under her touch and lifted her right hand to the blonde's face. She mapped out the same pattern as last time, drawing her thumb across the older woman's lip and enticing the same sexy gasp. Bridget's eyes flickered close and Franky watched in amazement at the way the smaller woman's chest rose and fell at an accelerated pace. It was amazing to think that this intelligent and sophisticated woman wanted her.

"Am I allowed to kiss you yet?" the brunette asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

She was waiting for a verbal response before moving forward with her intentions but instead hands looped into the straps of her vest top and pulled her in. The distance between them closed completely and soft lips were against her own. Franky could taste the lipstick she had been admiring during their sessions as she instantly responded, both surprised and pleased by the desperation in the usually calm psychiatrists kiss. Hands had tangled in Franky's hair, pulling her even closer against Bridget's slender body.

The brunette felt on fire, she had never been kissed like this before, like she really mattered. All her senses were being invaded by the older woman and when Bridget stroked her tongue against Franky's all the brunette could do to keep up was grasp the back of her jacket and cling on for dear life.

When they finally broke apart for air they remained clinging to the other, cheek to cheek. Franky still had two handfuls of the blonde's jacket and Bridget's left hand was still buried in the brunette's hair. Bridget's right hand trailed down from Franky's hair and began to lightly caress the side of her face.

Franky nuzzled her cheek against the smaller woman and then began to press open mouthed kisses against her neck. She started just under the ear and worked her way down, enjoying the way Bridget tipped her head back to allow her better access. At the point where the blonde's neck and shoulder met Franky located a sensitive spot which made Bridget gasp in pleasure so Franky lingered there. She circled her tongue against the patch of skin before grasping it between her teeth and pulling lightly. It was enough to cause pleasurable pain but not enough to mark the beautiful woman who ground her hips against her in an automatic response.

"Fucking hell Franky" Bridget moaned. "Let's just get the hell out of here and go back to my place."

"And where is that?" Franky enquired. She hoped it wasn't across the other side of town from where she was staying because she had heard about these places and knew she would have a curfew. She didn't want to rush her first chance to make love to the woman in front of her.

"Francis Street, Coburg" Bridget replied, a small smirk gracing her features.

It was the address Governor Bennett had given her. It wasn't some half way house or boarding home. The address given for her parole was that of Bridget Westfall and that meant no curfew to curtail their time together. If Franky hadn't felt completely in love with this woman already then this would have sealed the deal.

The only response she could formulate was a wide smile…a smile which Bridget Westfall mirrored.