A/N: This chapter mentions sexual assault/harassment.
"Good morning, Lana," Bridget greeted the young woman. She wasn't sure what to make of the inmate's request for a session first thing Monday morning. It either meant she'd had a rough weekend and was struggling, or that maybe she'd had some time to think, and was ready to talk. The blonde hoped it was the latter. "How are you today?"
"Still shit," Lana said as she flopped down in the chair.
"Would you like to talk about it?" Bridget sat a cup of tea, and a granola bar for each of them on the coffee table before she sat down.
"Why do you do that?" She tipped her head towards the items on the table.
"Do what?" the blonde asked as she leaned back in the chair, and crossed her legs.
"Give me tea and food every time I come here. Is it some kind of test to see how much I trust you? Like if I take them then I think you're okay?" She studied the psychologist.
"No, I just like to take the formality out of the situation sometimes. I thought it might be something that would put you at ease. I know I like a good cup of tea on a rough day." Bridget gave her a small smile. She was impressed at how much insight the young woman had.
The truth was that it had started out for the reason that the blonde had said. Vera had been concerned about the inmate, and so Bridget had thought that the offer of tea and biscuits might help to make her feel a bit more relaxed. However, after Lana questioned what she had to do to get them, the blonde had started to use it as a way to gauge whether or not she was earning the young woman's trust. If Lana believed her that she expected nothing in return, then she'd accept the food, in turn showing Bridget that she was making some progress with her.
"Let's talk about why you asked for this session this morning. Is something on your mind?" The blonde thought that maybe she could get her to open up if she tried another approach.
"Nah." Lana shook her head, and looked out the window.
They sat in silence for a moment.
"You said if I came here it would look good if I got a chance at parole." The young woman made eye contact with the blonde for the first time that day.
"Yes, I did, and it will." Bridget leaned forward, resting her arms on her thighs. "It's more than you just showing up, and sitting here, though."
"I don't want to talk about anything." Lana simply shook her head. She could feel the tears building up in her eyes.
"Lana." The blonde waited until the inmate made eye contact with her. "I know it's hard, and I accept that it will take some time for you to trust me. I want to help you, but I can't if all we do is sit in silence."
"So I have to talk, or else?" She wiped her face with her sleeve.
"I'd like for us to talk, yes. It doesn't have to be anything deep right away. I'd like to know how you're settling in, how your interactions with the other woman have been so far. Are you sleeping well? Eating?" Bridget knew that these two basic needs were often the first to be disrupted when the women arrived at the prison.
"I'm fine." Lana crossed her arms over her stomach.
"How about you tell me about your weekend?" The blonde would take small talk over two word answers, or silence.
"Nothing to tell." The young woman shrugged.
"Nothing?" A small frown of discouragement played on Bridget's lips.
"Let's make a deal. You tell me about your weekend, and I'll tell you about mine." Lana raised an eyebrow.
"You know I can't do that." Even with a regular client, the blonde knew it was a bad idea to bring her own personal life into the mix. It was an even worse idea when the client was also an inmate. The staff at the prison all kept their personal lives closely guarded. There was always the possibility that an inmate would contact someone on the outside to take revenge against an officer's family.
The inmate scoffed. "This is all bullshit."
A gentle knock sounded at the door.
"Come in." Bridget sighed. It was probably the worst possible timing for an interruption.
"Sorry, I know I'm a couple minutes early, but I have to be down at intake and we're short staffed today." Will gave her an apologetic look.
"Fine by me." Lana was already up, and halfway to the door.
"Um, Lana, wait." The blonde didn't want it to end like this. "Can I schedule you in for some more time this week?" She had almost asked about the next day, but thought that might be pushing it given the young woman's current mood.
"Just fuck off." Lana continued out the door.
Bridget saw that Will was about to say something to the inmate, and held up her hand to signal to him to let it pass. The blonde knew there was nothing to be gained by having Lana reprimanded for her comment.
"The floor looks great!" Franky had just come out of the kitchen where she'd be finalizing the plans for how she wanted it to be laid out. The appliances were being delivered in just a couple of days, and she wanted it to be perfect.
"Thanks! You picked out a great woodgrain." Shayne stood up and admired his work with her. He looked around. "Have you decided what type of food you'll serve? Like are you going with a theme, or..?"
The brunette heard her phone, that was sitting on the counter, vibrate. "Hold that thought." She quickly covered the few steps, and picked up her mobile. "Hello?"
"Ms. Westfall?" the voice on the other end of the line asked. "This is Lisa Johns from Emily's school."
"Uh, yeah, speaking. Is Em okay?" Franky's first thought was that the young girl might be sick, or have gotten hurt.
"She's okay, yes, but we need you to come pick her up. She's been suspended for two days, effective immediately." She never liked telling parents that their kids were in trouble. Especially the parents of the kids who were normally well-behaved.
"Wait, what? What did she do?" The brunette looked up to see Shayne looking at her, waiting to hear what had caused her question.
"She was involved in a physical altercation with another student, but we can talk about the details when you get here." Ms. Johns had found that these situations were handled better in person.
"Okay," Franky sighed. "I'm on my way." She hit the end button, and slid her phone into her back pocket. "You're in charge until I get back," she said to the young man, as she swiped her car keys off the counter on her way out the door.
It took Franky fifteen minutes to reach Emily's school. The whole time she'd been driving there, she'd been thinking about how the events could have possibly unfolded. She and Bridget had always taught the young girl that violence was never okay, but she also knew from her time on the streets that sometimes instinct kicked in, and you protected yourself without even thinking. Either way, she wasn't looking forward to this.
She walked through the main doors, and made her way straight to the principal's office.
"Emily is just in the office with Ms. Johns. She said to send you in as soon as you got here." The receptionist recognized Franky, and gestured towards the office door as she spoke.
"Thanks." The brunette had barely registered what the woman had said. She was more interested in finding out what was going on.
"Ah, Ms. Westfall." The principal stood to greet Franky. "Take a seat if you'd like."
The brunette spotted Emily perched on the edge of the couch that sat against the far wall. The young girl had tears in her eyes.
"What happened?" Franky asked the other woman, without accepting her invitation to sit down.
"As I said on the phone, Emily was involved in a physical altercation with another student." Ms. Johns paused for a moment before she continued. "She said that an older boy tried to hug her, and she punched him in the stomach."
It took the brunette a second before she realized what the principal was actually saying. She studied the woman's face, then turned her attention to the young girl.
"Is that what happened?" she asked, crouching down in front of Emily.
"Yeah," the young girl said quietly. "He tried to hug me when we were on the playground and I told him to stop, and I got away, but then he kept trying and wouldn't leave me alone, so I hit him. He started crying and told the teacher on me."
"Okay," Franky said softly as she reached up, and brushed away Emily's tears with the back of her fingers. "Can you wait out in the chairs by the receptionist's desk? I want to talk to Ms. Johns for a minute."
"Am I in trouble?" Emily asked as she stood from the couch.
"We'll talk later, okay?" The brunette wanted to tell her that she absolutely was not in trouble, and that she'd done the right thing by saying 'no', and protecting herself, but that was a conversation for them to have later at home, and right now she needed to talk to the principal.
Both women watched as the young girl took a seat in the waiting area.
"I realize this is a sensitive, complicated situation," Ms. Johns said, as she closed the door.
"I don't think it's complicated at all." Franky crossed her arms over her chest.
"There was no staff member who actually witnessed the altercation." The principal sighed. "So-"
"So it's her word against his. Is that what you're saying?" The brunette raised her eyebrow, and waited for an answer.
"Well, yes-" Ms. Johns stopped, not knowing really where to go from there.
"What's his punishment?" Franky already knew that she wasn't going to like the answer.
"Well, he said that he did try to hug her, but that it was only once. He obviously upset her however, so he has detention after school for the next two days." She hoped that this was enough to make the brunette happy.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Franky couldn't help but scoff, and shake her head. "She's defending herself and she's the one who gets the worse punishment?"
"We have a zero tolerance policy for physical violence, and she admitted that she hit him." The principal was having a hard time looking the brunette in the eye.
"And what's your policy on sexual assault?" Franky was going to stay calm, but she was also going to make her point.
"I don't think that's the case here. I-" She was cut off by the brunette.
"Because today, it's a hug. What if down the road he tries to kiss her, or put his hands under her clothes?" Franky paused to let that sink in. "What you've taught her today, is that she'll be punished for defending herself, while the other person gets off relatively free."
"I-" The principal was having a hard time finding an argument.
"You're what? Following policy?" Franky shook her head again. "You do what you have to do, and I'll take her home, but I will not tell her that she was wrong for defending herself."
The brunette exited the office without waiting for a response. She crouched down once again in front of Emily, who was waiting to know her fate.
"You ready to go, bub?" Franky wiped the tears from the young girl's cheeks again.
"Am I in trouble?" Emily asked quietly.
"No, but we'll talk more later." The brunette took her hand as they walked out to her car. "I was at the restaurant with Shayne. Do you want to go back there with us?" Franky really needed to get work done there, but if the young girl needed some time to settle down, then she'd take her home for a bit instead.
"Can I help with stuff?" Emily looked up at her.
"Yeah, we'll find you something to do." The brunette wasn't sure yet exactly what that would be, but she'd never discourage anyone from wanting to help out.
"I want to go there, then," the young girl said as they walked to the car.
"We need to talk for a minute." Franky had followed Bridget to the bedroom as soon as the blonde had gotten home from work.
"Okay." She glanced behind her as the brunette closed the bedroom door. "What happened?" She could tell that the younger woman was a bit upset.
"Em got suspended from school this morning." Franky didn't know any way to sugarcoat it, and she wanted to get to the point as quickly as possible so that she could explain what had actually happened to lead up to it.
"What?!" Bridget did her best not to raise her voice too much, but she'd been caught off guard. "Why didn't you call me?"
"It's kind of complicated, but at the same time, not really." The brunette knew she was being vague. "A boy at school tried repeatedly to hug her. When she said no, he kept trying, so she hit him. They have a no violence policy so they suspended her, but I don't think it's right to punish her for defending herself."
"No." The blonde thought for a moment. "Is she okay?"
"She was upset when I got there, but I'm not sure if it was because of what happened, or because she thought I'd be mad that she got in trouble, or both." Franky sighed. "I haven't talked to her yet. I thought maybe that's something we should do together tonight."
"Yeah, okay." Bridget was already trying to think how the conversation was going to go later on. "We'll do it after supper." She tossed her clothes into the laundry hamper. "Is Shayne not home?"
"No, he caught a bus from the restaurant. Said he had plans with a friend for the evening." The brunette shrugged. She hadn't questioned him any further. As long as he stayed out of trouble, she didn't care where he went.
"Come sit with us, love. We want to talk about what happened today in school." Bridget patted the spot between her and Franky on the couch.
"She told you." Emily looked at her aunt, then the brunette, and lowered her head.
"Yeah, bub, I told you we'd talk about it." Franky didn't want the young girl to think that she'd simply tattled on her.
Emily reluctantly went over, and sat between the two women.
"Franky told me what you said happened. Are you alright?" Her niece's well-being was Bridget's first priority.
"Yeah. I just don't like hugs except from you, or Franky." The young girl was quiet for a moment. "Or maybe Vera, or Liz."
"Yeah, I understand." The blonde reached out and rubbed Emily's back. "And you're allowed to make that decision for yourself."
"But I got in trouble." The tears started to form in the young girl's eyes again.
"Sometimes there are rules that aren't right, but that doesn't mean that you were wrong to break them." Franky knew she was being vague, but she wasn't sure how to explain it to a child.
Emily gave her a confused look.
"Basically, what Franky is trying to say is that it's not okay to hit people, but sometimes there is an exception, like if you are protecting yourself like you were today." Bridget wasn't sure if she was really being any clearer than the brunette had been. "So you're not in trouble with us, okay? And Franky talked to Ms. Johns. You have to miss school for a couple of days though, and go with Franky instead to the restaurant."
"Okay. Will Shayne be there too?" Emily looked at Franky.
"Uh, yeah probably." The brunette was worried that maybe what happened that day would cause a setback for the young girl in terms of her shyness, and not wanting to be around less familiar people. "Is that okay?"
"Yeah, he's nice." She gave Franky a small smile.
"Yeah, he is." The brunette was glad that Emily liked the young man. She had worried that bringing him into the house would upset their daily routines, but so far it had gone well. "Do you have any questions, or anything you want to talk about?"
"No, as long as you guys aren't mad at me." She wiped her eyes.
"We're not mad," Franky reassured her.
"Go have a shower, and put your pyjamas on, then we'll play a game or something before bed if you want." Bridget patted her on the back. She waited until she heard the bathroom door close before she turned to the brunette. "How about you? Are you okay?" She knew how protective the younger woman was when it came to Emily.
"I was so mad, Gidge. You know the other kid only got detention?" The brunette could feel her anger returning.
"Let me guess, because he was the one who got hit, and no one saw what he did to Em?" Bridget knew how it worked all too well.
"Exactly." Franky sighed. "I just made sure she knew I wasn't mad at her, then left the rest to talk about tonight."
"You did good, baby. She was fairly calm about it. Hey." She waited until the brunette looked at her. "Now we know she understood what we told her about not letting people touch her. That's a really good thing."
"It is, yeah." Franky gave her a small smile. At least something good had come from this.
The brunette stood at the small sink in the bathroom, looking at the bottle in her hand. She turned it over in her hand, and heard the pills rattle against the plastic. Take one tablet each day, as directed. She'd read the label many times over the past few days. Her period had started a couple of days earlier than expected. Normally she wouldn't have given it any thought, but this month, it seemed to hold a greater significance. It was the start of her and Bridget growing their family together.
She took a pill with a mouthful of water, and sat the bottle back in the cabinet. The blonde was already waiting for her in bed, and she was excited to tell her the news.
She closed the bedroom door softly behind her, and slipped in under the covers behind the older woman.
"Hey, babe," Franky said as she wrapped her arms around Bridget, and pulled her close, making herself the big spoon.
"Hey." The blonde took one of the younger woman's hands in her own.
"I love you," the brunette whispered, as she placed a kiss on the nape of Bridget's neck. "And I have something to tell you."
"Mmm, what's that?" She could tell that Franky was in a playful mood, and was expecting a silly answer to make her laugh.
"I started my period. I just took the first pill." She placed another kiss on the back of Bridget's shoulder, and felt the other woman give her hand a gentle squeeze.
"That's great, baby." The smile was evident in her voice. "How are you feeling?"
"It's only been five minutes." The brunette let out a small chuckle, as she nipped at the skin on Bridget's shoulder.
"I meant emotionally." The blonde's breath hitched as she felt Franky's fingers work their way under her shirt, and brush against her stomach.
"I'm nervous, but excited to add to our family." The younger woman placed another kiss on Bridget's shoulder, as she trailed her fingers lower towards the waist of her pyjama pants.
"And horny." The older woman let out a small giggle.
Franky smiled against the blonde's skin. "I just like touching you." She felt the other woman start to turn over. "Stay like that, babe."
Bridget smiled as she felt the brunette's hand slide into her underwear. She closed her eyes as Franky's fingers dipped between her folds, gathering wetness, then coming back to glide expertly over her clit. The blonde felt the initial wave of relaxation, that always preceded the build up to her orgasm, run through her body.
"That feels really good." Bridget couldn't help but push her hips forward, moving more into the younger woman's touch.
The brunette worked her way slowly across the other woman's shoulder, and up the side of her neck, kissing, licking, and leaving gentle bites along the way. The whole time, she kept up the movements of her fingers, and gradually increased their pace.
Bridget was breathing harder now, and let out a small whimper as Franky applied a bit more pressure with the tip of one of her fingers. She reached up, and squeezed her own breast. The blonde could feel her hardened nipple through the thin fabric of her singlet.
The brunette smiled. She knew that Bridget's actions meant that her orgasm was drawing near. Franky sped up her fingers.
"I'm so close," the blonde said as she gripped the bedsheet beneath her with her free hand.
"Come on, babe." The brunette sped up a bit more, and felt Bridget's body tense against her.
The blonde felt a final nip on the back of her shoulder before her orgasm washed over her. Franky didn't let up until her body had completely stilled, and even then, she moved her fingers very slowly, and gently, over the sensitive bundle of nerves, causing small aftershocks to go through the older woman.
They laid in silence for a moment before Bridget turned over to face the brunette.
"Hey." Franky placed a soft kiss on the blonde's lips.
"Hey." Bridget raised her hand to let it rest against the younger woman's cheek. She could already feel the sleepiness coming over her.
"Come here." The brunette pulled her close, and Bridget buried her face against the younger woman's neck.
Franky had almost drifted off when she heard the front door open, then close.
"I had a good time, too. I have to go though, it looks like they're all asleep, and I don't want to wake them." A pause. "Yeah, for sure, we'll do something again on the weekend. Goodnight."
Shayne's voice was low, but in the complete silence of the house, it was enough that the brunette could just make out the conversation. She heard the guest room door close softly behind him.