"We should talk to Em about what she wants to do for her birthday," Bridget spoke softly to the brunette.

They were waiting for Emily to finish her appointment with the psychologist. Her behaviour had been good in the week since the kitchen incident, and she had taken the news well when they had told her she'd have to come in for a couple more sessions. Even though the young girl wasn't nervous like she was the first time, Franky had asked Bridget to make the appointment for Friday afternoon so she was able to be there with them.

"Yeah, that's coming up soon. What do you think she'd like? A party?" Franky knew parties were the go-to for kid's birthdays, but she wasn't sure if they had a different tradition in the Westfall family.

"Maybe." The blonde thought for a minute. She knew the young girl hadn't made a lot of friends since she'd lived there, so she wasn't sure what she'd want. "We'll have to see what she says."

The brunette nodded slowly. Bridget watched as the younger woman stared at her hands in her lap, and played with her silver ring.

"Baby?" The blonde waited, but got no response. She reached over and gently placed her hand over Franky's to get her attention. "What are you thinking about?" she asked when the brunette met her gaze.

"Nothing." Franky's shoulders slumped as soon as the word had left her mouth. It was a lie, and she knew Bridget would see right through it, but it was her go-to response when she either didn't know how or didn't want to talk about something. She'd promised herself she wouldn't do that with the blonde though. "It's not nothing." She felt Bridget's thumb stroke the back of her hand. "Can we talk about it later at home?"

"Sure." The blonde gave her a small smile, and laced their fingers together.

It was only a few more minutes before Brad came to find them.

"If you'd like to follow me, we'll have a quick chat." He gave them a warm smile, then led them into his office. He turned his monitor so they could see Emily playing in one of the other rooms. "So you had mentioned there'd been some behaviour problems that you thought might have been caused by her not knowing how to process some of the grief she was feeling over the holidays. Of course, I can't tell you what she's told me, but I can say that I think you were partially right. Some of it was that she was feeling overwhelmed, and some was just normal, regular misbehaving that all kids do sometimes. It's actually a good thing that you're seeing this from her, it means that she's fully settled in and comfortable. Other than that, I just wanted to tell you that in my professional opinion she's doing great, and she says she feels like she can talk about how she's feeling with either of you. If you'd like her to come back, I'm happy to see her whenever."

"I'd like her to come back for a couple more sessions." Bridget glanced at Franky, who gave a small nod. They hadn't talked about everything the show involved yet, but it was going to impact Emily in a big way and neither of them were looking forward to telling her.

"Sure, you can book her in before you leave today if you'd like." He closed the file on his desk. "If there's nothing else, I'll go get her and you can head home." They both shook their heads. He shook each of their hands on his way out, and went to get the young girl.

They had no sooner gotten back to the house when Bridget's phone sounded, indicating that she'd gotten a text message. She reached in her pocket and swiped her thumb across the screen to unlock it.

From: +61 3 9397 8202

Hi, it's Richard. Mia is asking if she can call and invite Em to stay the night at our place Thursday night after our class. I'm on vacation from work next week so it's fine with me if you guys are okay with it.

"Everything alright?" Franky asked as she dropped her shoes by the door.

"Yeah, it's just Richard saying that Mia wants to have Em over for Thursday night if we're okay with it. He said he's on vacation." The blonde looked at the younger woman and shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"Yeah, they seem to get along. Tell him he can either drop her at the Centre sometime in the morning, or I can pick her up on my way home at noon." The brunette had turned to walk away, then stopped. "Ask if they want to have supper with us before the class. We haven't really just chatted with him yet. Well, I haven't anyway." Franky gave a quick wink then disappeared around the corner, missing Bridget's playful glare.

To: Richard

It's fine with us! We should all have supper together before the class. I usually meet Franky and Em there and we eat outside.

A few seconds later her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Bridget, it's me. Mia wants to talk to Em, but she didn't want to make the call." He gave a small laugh.

"Oh, no problem. She's just in her room." The blonde started walking down the hallway. "Franky wanted me to tell you too that if you want, you can drop Em off at the Centre in the morning, or she can pick her up at your place. She's done work at noon on Fridays."

"Either one works for me. We can leave it up to the girls when the time comes."

"Okay, sounds good. I've got Em here if you're ready." Bridget heard him ask Mia if she was ready to talk. She put her phone on speaker. "Mia wants to talk to you, love."

"Hi, Em. It's Mia." Mia's voice sounded small on the other end of the line. "Do you want to come sleep at my place on Thursday night?"

Emily looked to Bridget, who gave her an encouraging smile. "Okay, it'll be fun."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye." The young girl went back to changing her clothes. It was a habit she had picked up from Franky, who always changed into something comfortable as soon as she was home for the day.

The blonde took the phone off speaker and put it back to her ear.

Richard was still laughing when he came back on the line. "No unnecessary conversation there, huh?"

"Kids get right to the point." Bridget let out a small laugh of her own. She wandered back out towards the kitchen.

"Hey, babe? What do you want for supper?" Franky called out. She mouthed a 'sorry' when she saw that the blonde was still on the phone.

"I'll let you go. See you on Thursday though."

"For sure." Bridget hung up the phone.

"Sorry, I didn't realize you were still on the phone." The brunette closed the fridge door and wrapped her arms around the older woman.

"It's fine. I think you scared him away though." Bridget gave her a lazy smile as she put her arms around Franky's neck.

The brunette scoffed. "He's not scared of me."

"No," Bridget said, placing a kiss on Franky's jaw. "He's not. And I don't care what we have for supper."

The younger woman sighed. "I'll probably just do something quick like Spag Bol. I'm not really in the mood to cook tonight."

"I can cook." The blonde had seen Franky's quick glance at the empty rack where Emily's knives used to hang. She knew that the brunette was missing having her helper in the kitchen. "Or we can order something."

Franky shook her head. "I don't mind making something."

The evening had passed by slowly. Bridget could tell there was still something on the brunette's mind, and she hadn't forgotten their conversation earlier in the waiting room. The week had been a bit busy for both of them, and most nights they'd gone to sleep not long after they'd put Emily to bed. The blonde had an idea for something nice to end off the week. They could spend some time together, just the two of them, unwind, and maybe Franky would feel like talking about whatever was bothering her.

The blonde had just finished reading to her niece, who was already almost asleep. She placed the book quietly back on the shelf, and shut the door gently behind her. She made her way to the bathroom, and turned on the water in the tub. While it was filling, she gathered a couple candles from around the house. She placed them around the bathroom, lit them, and turned off the lights. By this time the tub was full, so she turned off the water and made her way to the living room to get the brunette.

When she entered the room, she saw Franky scanning through movie titles on the TV fast enough that she wasn't even sure the brunette was reading them.

She walked over to the couch, and kneeled on the cushion beside the other woman. "Baby." She reached out and gently took the remote out of Franky's hand, setting it down on the coffee table. "Come with me." She took the brunette's hand and led her to the bathroom.

As Franky's eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, she saw what the blonde had in mind. "We've never taken a bath together before." A grin played at her lips. She closed and locked the door behind her.

"Neither of us take many baths, period. Showers are what we usually have time for. But tonight," She stretched up a bit to give the younger woman a slow kiss. "I just want to relax with you."

"Sounds good to me." Franky mumbled as she connected their lips again. The brunette felt Bridget's hands at the hem of her shirt, and lifted her arms, breaking their kiss for a split second to allow the older woman to remove the shirt.

Franky let her hands roam down the blonde's sides, and into her skin-tight yoga pants. "I love when you wear these, Gidge."

"I know." Bridget let out a small laugh at the surprised look on the brunette's face. "I can practically feel you undressing me with your eyes every time I put them on."

"You're playing dirty, then." Franky gave the older woman's lip a small bite, then proceeded to run her hands down the length of Bridget's legs until she was able to step out of the pants.

When they were both completely undressed, the brunette began to step into the tub. The older woman put out an arm to stop her.

"Wait a minute, baby." Bridget grabbed the bath bomb she had set out earlier, and dropped it into the water where it began foaming right away. She then stepped over the edge and settled herself against the back of the tub. "Alright, come in." She indicated for Franky to sit between her outstretched legs.

The brunette eased herself into the water, and leaned back against the blonde. She immediately felt Bridget's arms wrap around her, and her soft lips press against her shoulder while her fingers traced patterns across her stomach. She sighed as a shiver went through her body. After a few seconds, she closed her eyes and tried to let herself just be in the moment.

"That thing smells really good." Franky let out a small groan of content as she settled down further into the water.

"It's called 'lemon-lavender relaxation'. It's one of the ones Em gave me for Christmas," the blonde said, running her fingers up the middle of the younger woman's stomach, between her breasts, then back down again.

"We'll have to tell her how much we like them." Franky found one of Bridget's hands and held it in her own.

The blonde smiled to herself. "She already asked why we shower together. Do you want to explain why we were bathing together too?"

"Saves water." The brunette chuckled quietly. "You'll have to tell her how much you like them then."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it, baby." Bridget kissed her shoulder.

"I'm sorry I've been kind of off this week." Franky's voice was quiet now.

"It's okay, I know you've had some things on your mind." The blonde pulled the younger woman closer against her.

"I've, uh, I've…" She trailed off, and Bridget recognized from her voice that the brunette was fighting back tears. "I've been thinking about how things are going to change, and I don't know if I can do it."

"Shhh, baby." The blonde kissed Franky's temple.

The brunette shook her head. "I've been thinking about having to tell Em, and how much less time I'm going to be spending with her, with both of you. I mean, we'll go from spending hours together every day to me not being there with her after school, or in the evening. I won't get to have supper with you guys, or read her a bedtime story. I won't get to hold you at night."

Bridget reached for the washcloth she'd placed on the edge of the tub, and dried Franky's cheeks. "I know, baby. She's going to be with Liz though after school. She'll still get to cook, and she'll be with someone she knows. I've told you I understand why you'll be gone, and I can handle it. I wouldn't tell you I could if I couldn't. Remember, this is temporary. Filming is for a couple months, then things can go back how they are now, if you want."

"I don't want to give up my time with you guys, even for that long, and I love teaching. It's a lot to let go." The brunette wiped her eyes again.

"Ultimately the decision is yours, but you already told Jillian you'd do it. It wouldn't look good to change your mind now." She pushed a strand of damp hair behind Franky's ear. "When this is all over, I will still love you, Em will still love you, this will still be the place you get to come home to every night, and your teaching job will still be there. I won't lie and say it'll be easy, but we'll be okay." She heard the brunette take a deep breath and let it out slowly. "We'll talk to Em tomorrow, okay? Then maybe you'll feel better to have that out of the way."

Franky nodded. "Okay."

"Okay." The blonde gave her another kiss on the shoulder. "Let's warm up the water a bit and relax for a little while longer." She sat up slightly and reached for the hot water tap.

The brunette let out a hum of content as the warm water flooded through the bath. "This is another first I've done with you by the way."

"I love that." Bridget murmured against the younger woman's skin. She turned off the tap, and they leaned against the back of the tub again.

The blonde let her hand continue to move over the front of Franky's body, and every so often, she felt the brunette gently squeeze the other hand she was still holding. Bridget let her fingers slide over the top of Franky's thigh, and then brush the tender skin on the inside on their way back up to her hip.

"Mmm." The brunette made a small noise in the back of her throat, as Bridget ran her fingers along her hip bone. "Babe. Please." Her voice was little more than a whisper.

The blonde reached down, and brushed her fingers lightly over Franky's clit. "Is this what you want, baby?" Bridget asked, placing a kiss beside her ear.

"Yeah." Franky let out a shaky breath.

The older woman lightly drew patterns on the brunette's clit while her lips found any patch of skin they could. She worked her way up the side of Franky's neck and around the outside edge of her ear. She felt the younger woman shiver again, and saw the goosebumps on her skin. Bridget let her hand slip lower, and even surrounded by water, she could feel the other woman's slick wetness under her fingertips when she slipped them just inside her folds.

Franky's head fell back, eyes closed, against her shoulder, and the blonde now had a better view of her face. She continued her same, steady pace, letting her fingers slide slowly up and down over the brunette's clit, sometimes circling it a few times or applying a bit more pressure. She studied the younger woman's expressions. It occurred to her that it was something she'd rarely done with Franky, and while she'd always thought the brunette was beautiful, she felt like she was seeing another side of it now.

She watched as Franky's lips parted slightly, then pressed back together, and sometimes a hint of a smile would appear at the corner of her mouth. She watched as the brunette's eyebrows would knit together as if in concentration, then relax. She watched as she'd squeeze her eyes shut a bit more at the same time she'd grip Bridget's hand a bit tighter.

Franky turned her head, and her nose brushed against the blonde's cheek. She placed two small kisses along the older woman's jaw.

Bridget heard, and felt, the moan that escaped the brunette's lips. When Franky turned back, the blonde once again had a view of her. She watched as she bit at her bottom lip, and squeezed her eyes shut tighter. The younger woman took a deep breath, but this time, she held it. Bridget could feel the other woman's body tensing, and she knew that she was close. She applied a bit more pressure, and that was all it took for Franky to fall over the edge.

The brunette felt the pleasure, then the feeling of relaxation flowed through her body. Most of her orgasms, especially with Bridget were hard and intense, but this one was soft and slow.

"I love you." The blonde placed a kiss on Franky's shoulder while she caught her breath.

"I love you, too." The brunette took a deep breath. "That was different. It was…." She trailed off, not really knowing which word she wanted to use.

"Relaxing?" Bridget asked, placing another kiss next to the brunette's ear.

"Mmm, yeah." Franky smiled. "I feel like I don't even want to move."

The blonde laughed. "You have to at least get to the bed."

"Do I?" The younger woman chuckled.

"Yes." Bridget tried to sit up but Franky made no move to get off her. "Come on." She laughed.

"Carry me." A picture of that scenario popped into the brunette's mind and she couldn't help but laugh, causing Bridget to do the same.

"Get up." The blonde playfully slapped her arm, and Franky stood and got out of the tub. Bridget followed and reached down to pull the plug so the water would drain.

They dried off, hung up their towels, and decided they'd take their chances walking the few feet between the bathroom and their bedroom with no robes since they'd only have them on for a few seconds anyway. Franky made it to their room first, and Bridget quietly closed the door behind them. When she turned, the brunette was already laying in bed.

"No pyjamas tonight?" She took in the sight of Franky laying completely naked in her bed, the sheets in a bunch by her feet. She was stretched out on her stomach as if she'd just fallen there, and looked totally relaxed and comfortable. Bridget saw her shake her head.

"Just come and sleep with me." Franky patted the space beside her on the bed.

The blonde smiled, thinking that was an offer she'd never refuse as she reached behind her and locked the door. She reached down and pulled the sheet over them as she settled in beside the brunette. Franky wrapped her arms around her, and it wasn't long before Bridget could hear her slow, steady breathing indicating that the younger woman was already asleep.

"You ready?" Bridget asked, as she rubbed the brunette's arm.

Franky sighed. "Yeah, lets get it over with."

They had just finished cleaning up from breakfast, and they had decided that it was time to tell Emily about Franky's decision to do the show. They both knew she wasn't going to be happy. The blonde had prepared herself for the fact that she'd probably have two people to comfort for the rest of the day. She didn't mind, but she hated seeing either of them upset.

"Can I give you a piece of advice before we start?" Bridget studied the brunette's face, and got a small nod. "I know you're upset about this, but try as best you can not to show it too much right now. She's sensitive to how we're feeling, and seeing you upset will make her feel more anxious about it too. The calmer she is in the end, I think the better you'll feel too."

The brunette nodded again. "Makes sense. I'll try." She took a deep breath. She couldn't go in there worked up right from the start.

"Okay." The blonde gave her a quick kiss.

They had intended to talk to Emily in her bedroom where she was playing, but the young girl was making her way to the living room with some of her art supplies and colouring books. She began setting out her things on the coffee table, and it looked like she was settling in for the afternoon.

Bridget sat down on the couch, and Franky sat on the floor beside Emily.

"Hey, bub. Can I colour a picture?" The young girl nodded, and the brunette chose one of the colouring books from the table. Franky worked on her picture for a moment before she spoke again. "Em, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"Am I getting my knives back? I've been good." She looked at the brunette expectantly.

"You'll be allowed to use them again, yes. They're not going back out on the rack though. We're going to keep them somewhere safe and you can use them when one of us is there." This wasn't the conversation Franky wanted to have.

"But you said they had to stay on the rack." Emily looked concerned.

The brunette had to admit that the young girl did take good care of them, and followed all the directions she was given in that respect. "Don't worry, I'll make sure they're okay. That's not what I wanted to talk to you about though."

Emily looked from Franky to her aunt. She had put down her marker.

"Do you remember when I told you that I had to go talk to a counsellor when I was angry? And how I had a chance to do something, but my anger ruined it?" The brunette waited while the young girl thought, then finally nodded. "I have a second chance to try again."

"That's good!" Emily had a smile on her face, but it faded when she realized that Franky wasn't as excited as she was. "Isn't it?"

"It is. It could be really good for us." The brunette glanced at Bridget. "The thing is though, it means we have to make some changes."

"What kind of changes?"

Franky could tell that the young girl was starting to get upset. "Here, come help me colour this while we talk." She patted the space beside her on the floor, and Emily moved closer. "Some people have asked me to be on a TV show."

"You're going to be on TV?!" The girl's smile had returned, and Franky had her full attention.

"Yeah." The brunette realized how uncomfortable any attention was going to make her feel. "But that means I won't be able to do my regular job for awhile. Liz was really nice though and said she'd teach my classes while I'm away. So you can still go there after school, but you'll be with Liz instead of me."

"We can't cook together anymore?" Emily's emotions were bouncing all over the place.

"We can, but just not at the Centre. Not for a little while anyway." Franky couldn't imagine not being able to share that activity with the young girl. It was one of the things she'd missed the most when she'd been in Wentworth.

"We can make supper together when you get home?"

"Uh." The brunette looked at Bridget, who gave her an encouraging nod. "Part of being on the show is that I have to live there. So I wo-"

"But you live here!" Emily's voice got louder as she spoke.

"I do, yeah, of course I do, but while I'm working on the show, I have to live there." Franky saw the tears in Emily's eyes.

"You said you wouldn't leave! You promised!" The young girl was close to a full on cry now..

"Shh, come here, bub." The brunette reached out towards Emily.

"You promised!" She leaned back out of Franky's reach.

It took the younger woman by surprise. It was the first time Emily had refused to let Franky comfort her.

"I know," The brunette sighed. "I know. But hey, I talked to the person in charge of the show, and she said that I might get to come visit a couple times." She didn't want to mention anything specific in case she wasn't able to win any rewards. "It's only temporary, then things will be back to normal."

"How long will you be gone?" Emily's initial anger was starting to dissipate. She climbed onto Franky's lap and buried her face against her shoulder. The brunette could feel the wetness of her tears through the fabric of her t-shirt.

"Probably five or six weeks." The brunette knew this was only if she made it to the end. It could be a lot sooner than that if she got eliminated early. She heard Emily let out a small whimper. "Hey, you're my brave girl, right?" She felt the young girl nod. "And you'll have Auntie here with you."

"I'll pick you up from the Centre as soon as I'm done work, and I'll be with you in the evenings." Bridget reached down and rubbed the girl's back.

"Good thing I taught her how to cook a bit, hey?" Franky thought she heard a small giggle from Emily. "And you'll get to cook with Liz, and Bea is still going to be there, so maybe we can ask her if you can hang out with her once in a while too."

"I like her, too." Emily sounded like she wasn't crying as hard now.

"Yeah, she's pretty cool." The brunette hugged her a bit tighter. "I'm going to call you every night while I'm away too. So you can still talk to me every day."

"Will you still read me the books?" Emily looked up at Franky.

One day while the brunette had been out, she'd wandered into a used book store, and found the children's section. She hadn't gotten to read many books growing up, but she knew what some of the more popular ones had been because she'd heard the other kids talk about them. She'd picked out a few that she thought Emily would enjoy as bedtime stories.

"Yeah, we can read a bit whenever I'm here, or we can save them for when everything is done and I'm back. Either way, we'll still read them." The brunette wiped the tears from Emily's cheeks.

"Okay." The young girl still looked very much upset, but she was definitely calmer than before.

Franky kissed the top of the girl's head. "I love you, bub."

"I love you, too." Emily leaned back against the brunette again.

"There's something else too, love, but it's a good thing." Bridget spoke softly. She wasn't sure if it was a good time or not to bring up her niece's birthday, but she thought maybe it would help cheer her up, and it was something that Franky would be able to be a part of. "Have you thought about what you'd like to do for your birthday?"

The young girl shook her head. "I just want to spend it with you."

"You don't want to have a party? I'll make a special cake and some fun food. Or have a couple friends for a sleepover?" Franky felt her shake her head again. "Not even Mia? If you guys have fun on Thursday, maybe you'd like to have her over here?"

"Maybe." Emily played with the brunette's kite necklace.

"What about Charlotte? I've seen you talk to her at our class, and you go to school with her too, right?" When her niece didn't answer, Bridget sighed. "Alright, we'll talk about it again later when you're feeling more up to it."

"Can we sleep outside?" The young girl picked her head up.

"Outside?" Franky asked.

"Sometimes me and Mom and Dad would all sleep in a tent in the backyard for fun." The brunette could see some of the light coming back into the girl's eyes. "We had a fire too."

The younger woman glanced over at Bridget.

"We can do that if you want, love." She caught Franky's questioning look, and gave her a wink.

"Alright, a campout birthday it is then!" The brunette gave her a tight hug and Emily squealed with laughter.

Later on that evening, after Emily had gone to bed, Franky found Bridget in the garage looking through some things she'd stored away there.

"What are you looking for, Gidge?" The brunette reached out and caught a long board that was about to fall over.

"This." The older woman turned and handed Franky a box.

"Six-man tent," the younger woman read. "Why do you have this?" She let out a small laugh.

"I used to go camping quite a bit. When I was single, if I didn't go visit Tim, I'd take off and leave the city when I had vacation. Spend a week or two just in the peace and quiet." The blonde smiled at the memories.

"I didn't know you liked to camp." Franky looked down at the box again. "And why a tent for six people if it was just you?"

"It's got two rooms. I'd set up one as a bedroom, and the other I'd use to store my gear and food. If it rained I'd set up a chair in there and relax with a book." Bridget studied the brunette's face. "You didn't think of me as the outdoors type?"

"It's not that I thought you weren't, I just didn't think you were. If that makes sense." Franky sat the box down on the floor. "You don't happen to also have a fire pit hiding somewhere in here too, do you?"

"No, but I've been thinking lately anyway that we should get one," the blonde said as she wrapped her arms around the younger woman's shoulders.

"Is that so?" Franky pulled her close.

"Yeah, I think it would be nice." She gave the brunette a soft kiss. "And romantic. We could spend a quiet evening out there. You know, in the winter we could come home from work after a long day and cuddle up in a blanket, have a warm drink by the fire. In the summer we could sit out with a cold beer and roast marshmallows."

Franky gave a small laugh. "Alright, I'm sold." She lowered her head and kissed Bridget softly and slowly.

There was a Mexican takeout restaurant just across the road from the Centre. Franky had tried it many times since she'd worked there, and absolutely loved the food, but this would be Bridget's first. The couple had come to get everyone's food while Emily waited back at their usual picnic table by the playground with Mia and Richard.

"You're going to love it, lots of flavour, just the right amount of heat. Mm." The brunette shook her head and smiled.

"Sounds amazing, baby" Bridget stretched up, and gave Franky a kiss on the cheek.

"Number seventy two!" The man sat a bag on the counter.

"That's us." The younger woman grabbed their bag of food, and they made their way back across the street.

"Thanks for inviting us to eat with you." Richard was helping Mia unpack her food.

"Oh no problem, it's nice to have company," Bridget said as she sat down on the bench beside Franky. Emily sat with Mia and her dad on the other side.

"She's bored of me already." Franky laughed.

"Not true." Bridget playfully nudged the brunette's arm.

When they had finished their meals, Emily and Mia went off to play for a few minutes before the class started. The adults sat and chatted at the table.

"So you two met here?" Richard asked as he sipped his coffee.

"Yeah. Tim had gone away on business and I was looking after Em. I saw the poster for Franky's class here one day and figured it would give her something to do while she was here. Maybe she'd make some very first day, I get stuck at work, and she ends up having to look after Em for like two extra hours until I could get here." The blonde looked at Franky and smiled. "When I did finally get here, they'd made dinner for me."

The brunette put her hand on Bridget's lower back, and slowly moved her thumb back and forth. "Em helped me test out one of my new recipes."

"I can't believe your work made you stay when you had a young kid to go pick up." He shook his head. "Awful."

"Well, I work at the prison. It was on lockdown because of a fight, so even though I begged to leave, the governor kept me there until they'd contained all the prisoners. It was the right decision, I just wasn't thinking that way at the time." The blonde caught Richard's look of surprise, and gave a small laugh. "What?"

"Are you a prison guard?"

"Officer. And no. I'm a psychologist. I counsel the women, run some programs, help them work towards getting parole. Things like that." Bridget was doing her best to focus on the conversation, but Franky's thumb had found a patch of bare skin on her lower back between the hem of her shirt and the waist of her pants, and her touch was making it hard to concentrate.

"Sounds like rewarding work." He waved to the girls as they chased each other around one of the play structures.

"It is. It's always nice to see a success story walk out through the gates." She felt a muscle twitch in her back, and caught the hint of a smirk on the brunette's face. "What do you do?"

"Oh, I do IT security for one of the banks here. Nothing overly exciting. It offers some flexibility and options for working from home sometimes, which is nice for looking after Mia. I'm able to stay home with her if she's sick or something."

"I've been lucky that Franky's schedule is the way it is. She looks after Em everyday after school." The blonde nudged Franky softly with her shoulder.

"You make it sound like work, Gidge. I love it. I don't know what I did before I had her there with me." The brunette watched Emily playing. "She's a really good cook for her age and she learns fast."

"Do you think she'll be a chef?" Richard finished his coffee, and placed the empty cup in the trash bag on the table.

"Maybe. She's mentioned it before but she's also talked about being an artist, a doctor, and an astronaut, so we'll see." Franky gave a shrug and the three of them laughed.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened to her parents?" He was prepared for them to not give him an answer, but he was curious.

"Her mom had cancer. She was diagnosed when Em was three. She fought it, but it was pretty aggressive, and she passed away about a year after that. Her dad, my brother, was killed in a car accident a few months ago." Bridget sighed.

"I'm sorry, that's a lot for someone her age. Mia's mother lives in Perth. Her job took her there after we split. We gave Mia the choice of who she wanted to live with and she chose me. Her mom is great, but she's more career oriented. I think kids can sense that kind of stuff. She comes to visit a few times a year."

"It's obvious you care about her a lot," Franky said as she checked her watch. "I have to go inside and get some things ready. I'll see you guys in a bit." She gave Bridget a quick kiss then headed inside.

The last of the students had left, and Emily had gone with Mia. Bridget had made sure Richard had both hers and Franky's numbers just in case. She thought the young girl would be fine, but she wouldn't be surprised if she got a phone call to say goodnight.

"Well, I'd say brownie night was a success." Bridget took a bite out of one that Franky had made. She'd opted to add some mint flavouring. "Mmm, these are really good."

"Of course they are." The brunette gave her a wink as she walked by each station checking to make sure the ovens were all off, and lowering the blinds. As she passed by the door, she quietly closed it, and turned the lock. The blonde was oblivious, still enjoying her brownie, and checking something on her phone.

Franky wrapped her arms around Bridget from behind, and placed a kiss on the side of her neck, then another one a bit lower.

The blonde felt her body relax as her eyes fluttered closed. She let out a small hum of content as she focused on the feeling of the younger woman's lips on her skin. After a few seconds, she turned in Franky's arms so they were face to face. Bridget couldn't help but let her eyes flick down to the brunette's lips for a split second.

"You've been cheeky ever since I got here tonight," she said as she let her fingers caress the back of Franky's neck.

"I don't know what you're talking about." The brunette lowered her head and gave the blonde a small kiss.

"You were touching my back when we were talking to Richard after supper." Bridget watched the younger woman's smirk grow.

"Mhm." Franky's lips were next to her ear. "And you thought about it all evening, didn't you?"

"Yes." The blonde let her head fall to the side, giving the younger woman more access.

"Do you remember what you told me you wanted?" The brunette nipped at the skin on Bridget's collarbone. The only response she got was a quiet moan. "Because I do." Franky turned them around, and backed the blonde towards the counter. "I remember one night, when you had your hand down my pants, and your fingers inside me, you told me that you wanted me to fuck you right here." She emphasized the last words by pushing her hips against the other woman, pinning her against the counter.

Bridget took in a sharp breath. "Fuck."

Franky reached down and put a hand behind each of the blonde's thighs, lifting her up onto the counter. She felt Bridget's legs wrap around her hips. The blonde pulled the snaps open on Franky's jacket to find that she was only wearing her bra underneath.

The brunette gave her a smile. "It's a warm night."

Franky went to shrug the jacket off her shoulders when Bridget reached out to stop her. "Leave it on," she mumbled against the younger woman's lips.

"Kinky." Franky nipped at her bottom lip. She kissed the blonde hard and deep as her fingers found the button on the older woman's pants.

Bridget wiggled her hips, allowing the brunette to remove her pants and underwear. She felt Franky's hands slide down the length of her legs, and heard the clunks as her shoes hit the floor along with her clothes. She pulled the other woman close again, and closed her eyes, letting their first kiss replay in her mind as Franky reconnected their lips. If she hadn't stopped it, this is most likely where they would have ended up that night. The blonde dug her fingers into the brunette's hips as she felt the younger woman's fingers brush over her clit.

"Baby, please." In all of the times she'd let this fantasy play out, she'd never pictured it as something slow and sweet. It was always fast, noisy, and full of lust, with a sense of urgency. She pushed her hips forward against the brunette again, and Franky knew what she was asking for. The blonde groaned against the other woman's lips as she felt two fingers sink deep inside her and curl, hitting that perfect spot.

Franky loved taking her time with Bridget. There were nights where they gladly spent hours tangled in bed, learning each other's bodies. Every once in a while though, this was what they both needed. She set a steady pace, pushing her fingers in a bit harder than usual, but judging by the sounds the blonde was making, she was doing something right. The brunette felt Bridget unbutton her pants, and fingertips slide down her lower stomach and into her underwear.

The blonde ran her fingers over Franky's clit a couple times, then, feeling the wetness coating the brunette's folds, she easily slid her fingers inside.

"Fuck, Gidge." Franky broke their kiss for just a second as the blonde's fingers entered her. There was a moment where she felt her leg muscles quiver, and she reached out with her free hand to brace herself against the counter. As she connected their lips once more, she felt Bridget's arm tighten around her, and her nails dig into her skin.

The blonde found the spot inside her fiancée that made the muscles in her back tighten when she pushed her fingers against it. Once she found it, she stayed there, and let her palm rub against Franky's clit.

"Babe, I'm close. That feels so good." The brunette was breathing hard as she did her best to keep up the movement of her fingers inside of Bridget, as her own orgasm was fast approaching.

"Me too." The blonde nipped at Franky's neck and felt a flutter around her fingers. She knew it wouldn't take long for either of them. Her own orgasm had been steadily building, and hearing and feeling the brunette's reactions to her movements was speeding everything up.

She lingered on Franky's neck. She was a little more aggressive than usual, and she could feel the brunette tightening around her fingers. Bridget pressed a bit harder inside the brunette, and it only took a couple more seconds before the younger woman's orgasm hit her and she let out a loud moan.

Franky knew she was seconds away, and she wanted the blonde to finish with her. Bridget knew all her weak spots and she was hitting them at the same time, making it hard for her to concentrate. The brunette felt more pressure inside her and knew she couldn't hold on any longer. She held onto the blonde tightly, and couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips as Bridget's fingers curled inside her once more, pushing her over the edge.

The blonde felt Franky's body shake, and it only took a couple seconds for Bridget to follow her.

The brunette was the first to come down from her orgasmic high. Her legs felt like jelly, but she'd managed to stay standing. She held onto the older woman, rubbing her back, and listening to her body calm down. Franky placed a few kisses on Bridget's neck, then on her lips, as the blonde let out a contented sigh.

Bridget slowly removed her fingers from inside the brunette, and felt Franky do the same. As she pulled her hand out of the younger woman's pants, she left a trail of wetness behind. Franky felt the coolness on her skin as the air hit the damp area, and gave a small laugh.

"Sorry, baby." The blonde gave her an apologetic smile.

"Don't be silly." The younger woman reached into a drawer beside them and handed Bridget a clean towel to wipe her hand. When she was finished, Franky took it and wiped her own hand and stomach, then threw it into the laundry bag at the end of the counter. "Besides, now we have an excuse to take a shower together when we get home." She gave the blonde another kiss, and Bridget giggled against her lips.

The brunette gathered the older woman's clothes for her, and once they were both dressed again, they gathered their things. They were just leaving the classroom when Liz walked by.

"You two enjoy the rest of your evening." She gave Franky a knowing smile as she continued down the hall, and turned towards the exit.

"I thought you said yours was the last class of the day." Bridget turned to the brunette.

"Yeah in this section it is. She never stays here and works late. She takes it home and does it while she watches TV in the evening." Franky was still looking to the end of the corridor where Liz had disappeared around the corner.

"Where's her office?" The blonde looked behind her.

"Next door down on the opposite side." The brunette reached back inside the door, and turned off the lights.

"And we were not quiet." Bridget had a guilty smile on her face.

Franky just shook her head, and let out a small laugh. "Let's go home, babe."

The brunette arrived a bit early to work the next morning. Richard had texted Bridget the night before and said he'd drop off Emily at the Centre once the girls had eaten breakfast. She wasn't sure exactly what time that would be, but she was hoping to get some extra work done before that, so they could go home early. The days of her being able to spend extra time with the young girl were coming to an end soon, and she wanted to make the most of what they had left.

It wasn't long before she noticed Liz standing in the door of her office. "Hey, look, I'm sorry about last night. I thought everyone else had gone home."

Liz shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I'm not upset, but that is why I'm here to talk to you." She walked over and sat on the couch.

Franky was glad she wasn't upset, but she'd known Liz long enough to know when she was about to say something serious. This was definitely one of those times. She turned her chair around so she could give the other woman her full attention.

"I'm glad that you're happy, and in love, and still…passionate… about each other, but you have to be careful, especially now. There are some people who'll look for anything to dig up some dirt or scandal about you once that show airs, and I would hate to see them twist something around and make you look bad." Liz reached out and took the brunette's hand. "Don't try something like sneaking her on set for some fun or anything, even if you think no one's there."

"Liz, I'm no-"

"I know you're a smart girl, love. I know you are. But people don't always think straight in the heat of the moment. That's all I'm saying. I love you, and I don't want a split second misjudgement to ruin this chance for you." She held Franky's stare until the brunette nodded.

"Okay. You're right." The brunette knew Liz only had her best interest in mind.

She stood, and gave Franky's shoulder a squeeze on her way out.

It was about mid-morning when Richard dropped Emily off.

"Franky!" The young girl came rushing into the classroom followed by Mia and her dad. She wrapped her arms around Franky's waist.

"Hey, bub, did you have a good night?" Franky asked as she reached out and took Emily's bag from Richard.

"Yeah! Their couch turns into a bed and me and Mia got to sleep on it and watch movies until we fell asleep!"

"That sounds like fun! Why don't you put your things in my office?" She handed the young girl the bag she was holding. "Everything was okay? No problems?" Franky asked after Emily was out of earshot.

"Yeah, no, all good. They seemed to have a good time, so I'm sure they'll want to do it again." He gave the brunette a smile. "She talked about you and Bridget a lot. She adores you two."

Franky didn't know what to say, so she simply nodded.

"We should be going and let you get back to your work." He shook the brunette's hand, and the two young girls said their goodbyes.

"I'm almost done for the day, so what do you say we take off early, and we can make a special dessert to have after supper tonight?" Franky watched as Emily's eyes lit up. "Okay, you look through this book and pick out whatever you want, and we'll take the recipe home and make it."

She placed a large binder of recipes she'd collected over the years on the table. Every so often as she was finishing her last bit of work, the brunette looked over and watched as Emily flipped through the pages and carefully considered what she wanted to make. She was definitely going to miss this.