A/N - Apologies for the lack of updates last week, I found myself extremely busy for the whole week and didn't get a chance to update this, however I did get a chance to post a one shot called 'Release' (Unashamedly plugging myself) which was a quick little thing I worked on whilst I couldn't concentrate on the intricate web that is being woven with 'The Aftermath'. I have the next 5 or 6 chapters to go, and about 10 chapters after that to proof read too. i think i'm just past chapter 30! so still plenty more to come.
Welcome back to the world of The Aftermath, I do hope you enjoy your stay! All feedback is welcome and very much appreciated!
AL xxx
"Boomer, its unusual for you to fill one of my open slots" Bridget grinned as Will Jackson escorted the inmate into the room and left with a smile.
"Jesus, don't phrase it like that to Frankie, she will fucking kill me" Boomer grinned cheekily, loving that she could have a bit of banter with Frankie's love interest. Bridget just smirked in response and motioned to a chair, which Boomer happily accepted.
"What can I do for you today?" Bridget asked as she perched on the chair, worried for Frankie's oldest friend, she had only counselled Boomer during group session, the tall women not being interested in solo sessions.
"Well... see the thing is, I have something I need to tell you, and I know your going to have to report it, and that's kind of why I came to you first. I know there is going to be a shit storm from this... but I cant hide it anymore, so its time to fess up" Boomer announced, watching Bridget for any trace of recognition to see if Frankie had told her partner of her news yet.
"Ok, this sounds big, what's going on Boomer?" Bridget asked.
"I'm pregnant... about seven weeks" Boomer announced, unsure of how to ease into confession and so deciding to just put it out there, she watched as Bridget frowned and eased back into her chair.
"And your positive?"
"Oh yeah... I got a test smuggled in and everything... shit I shouldn't have told you that" Boomer frowned.
"Yes you probably shouldn't... perhaps next time your asked that question, it would be wiser to feign ignorance and just say that you suspect its that long because of your period" Bridget advised warily.
"Sure thing Bridget" Boomer nodded and waited for the shrink to continue.
"I guess my next question is... who is the father?" Bridget asked, her mind reeling from the hundreds of questions swimming through her head.
"Oh that's an easy one, Maxi is" Boomer stated.
"Maxi... wait how... shit... do I want to know?" Bridget asked, feeling a slight headache forming.
"Oh not that way, she doesn't have the tackle anymore... she got some sperm frozen before her op... and a while ago we decided we would have a kid, and so she got someone to bring it in, and I stuck it up there and now I'm pregnant" Boomer grinned proudly.
"Ok Booms, you know that there is going to be some repercussions from this right, I mean to begin with your telling me that Maxi brought in illegal contraband, and you were a party to it, you know the governor is going to flip about this right?" Bridget warned.
"Yeah... but you know what, its worth it, this little bub that's growing in here, its worth anything the gov can throw at us, Maxi agrees" Boomer confided, comforting Bridget that they had at least discussed this afterwards.
"So are you and Maxi... together?" Bridget finally managed to ask, willing away the mental images trying to assault her brain.
"God no, its not like that, I mean we love each other, but as like best friends... but this is something we wanted to do... and were being smart about it, I mean I got Frankie in and she wrote up this contract for us and everything" Boomer confessed, then wondered if she had just dropped her friend in the shit, looking at the frown on Bridget's face she had.
"So I have a question, a few weeks ago, Frankie mentioned something to me about being a consent guardian for a friends baby..." Bridget left the question hanging.
"Oh yeah, that's for little rug rat. See Maxi and I agreed that if anything was to happen to both of us, we would want someone who would be able to look after him or her on the outside, and I reckon Frankie would make an amazing mother... after her child hood she would do anything for a kid to protect them, and I mean she has a great job now and soon she will be a proper lawyer, and I mean there's you too and we would want our kid to grow up in a loving home with loving 'parents' and so we asked Frankie... I mean we couldn't ask you too without it looking really suspicions on the paperwork" Boomer babbled.
"And anyways, when you and Frankie have your boy and girl, little rug rat will have cousins to play with, and Frankie said there would probably only be a year or two age difference, so It would be kind of perfect... if something happened I mean" Boomer grinned.
"Wait... boy and girl?" Bridged asked with amusement.
"Yeah, you know she wants the boy first so he can look after and protect his little sister, and your going to try first and carry the first one, then she will carry the second one a few years later, and once I'm out of here we will catch up all the time and take the kiddos to the park and out camping and stuff and they will grow up like they are blood cousins" Boomer stated matter of factly.
"And Frankie told you this, did she?" Bridget asked with a smirk.
"Shit... I thought you and Frankie had talked about this... she said you talked about it!" Boomer stated, jumping to her feet and pacing in frustration at herself.
"Boomer, sit down... we have spoken about kids... briefly... but I didn't know about this whole family plan she has, she never really told me how many she wanted, just that she was thinking about it and wanted to look into it once her parole was out of the way" Bridget confessed as she patted Boomers hand affectionately, showing the other woman that she wasn't in trouble.
"So our kids are going to be cousins hey?" Bridget asked with a slight smirk after a few minutes silence, she couldn't believe that Frankie had put so much thought into their future and their family.
"Yep" Boomer said proudly with a nod.
"In that case, I had better make sure your well looked after then hadn't I. I'm going to organise a proper pregnancy test, then once that's confirmed I will bring you back here and call the governor down and we can break the news to her together, hopefully if I am here, I will be able to talk some sense into her before she throw's you in the slot for the rest of your sentence" Bridget mused, as she rose from her seat to guide Boomer towards the medical wing.
"Thanks Aunty Gidge, we really appreciate it" Boomer grinned sheepishly.
"Let me get this right... you and Conway smuggled sperm illegally into this prison and used it to impregnate yourself" Vera screeched as she rubbed her temples and paced around Bridget's office."And you knew about this?" She added accusingly.
"I just found out today, I took her for a pregnancy test and once I had confirmation, I brought her straight back here and called you" Bridget promised, happy to at least see Vera nod her acceptance of Bridget's part to play.
"What the hell did you think you were playing at Boomer?" Vera asked as she stomped in front of the larger inmate intimidatingly.
"Trying to get pregnant Miss Bennett" Boomer responded, Bridget had coached her on the best way to proceed, and so she was trying not to grin and goad the governor, instead trying her hardest to look contrite and apologetic.
"and where are you going to raise this child hey, with you and Conway both locked up" Vera began her pacing again.
"In here with us, with good behaviour both of us could be out within 5 years" Boomer pleaded her case
"Good behaviour, you think smuggling sperm inside a prison classes as good behaviour, I ought to lock you both in solitary and throw away the damn key" Vera fumed as she glared at Boomer who went back to looking at her hands which were fidgeting nervously on her lap.
"and say for example both you and Conway end up in the slot... what's going to happen to the baby Boomer, did you think about that?" Vera shouted before gaining her composure, this was going to cause a shit storm with her bosses.
"The baby would be handed over to her legal guardian until either Maxi or myself were able to look after him or her again" Boomer stated, trying to display that she wasn't completely stupid.
"Legal guardian?" Vera quizzed.
"Yeah Franky is the bubs legal guardian, just in case anything happens to Maxi or me" Boomer stated, not realising how deep she was putting her foot in her mouth. Vera whipped around to glare at Bridget.
"Before you start, I only found out today... apparently Franky found out a few weeks ago when Boomer asked her to draw up a contract" Bridget held her hands out defensively.
"Oh fantastic... so what your telling me is, I have a pregnant inmate, the father is another female inmate at the same prison, and the babies legal guardian is the lover of the prison psychologist... are you fucking kidding me?" Vera wheeled.
"Careful Vera" Bridget warned. "and I prefer the term partner, not lover. Frankie isn't just a random fuck, she Is the love of my life and the most important person in my life, and I wont have you, or anyone for that matter, diminish her or our relationship" Bridget glared, for the first time losing her temper. Vera stared at her with her mouth open in shock.
"Shit, your right, sorry Bridget, I didn't mean it like that... I'm just, my head is spinning on this" Vera apologised much to Boomers amusement. Bridget just nodded her acceptance of Vera's apology, they could discuss it further in private if needed.
Vera spun around to Boomer. "Wipe that smirk off of your face Jenkins!" Vera demanded, and had to bite back a laugh when Boomers face dropped and she quickly looked apologetic again, it was almost like chiding an infant.
"I'm going to have to go to the board about this, but I want your assurance that if I do rally for them not to tear you and Conway apart from each other, that there will be no more idiocy. if you ever want to get out of this place, then you have to stop this crap and start using your head" Vera softened, she watched as Boomer nodded. Motioning for her to leave, she waited until it was just the two women alone before she dropped on the chair and frowned.
"Sorry Bridget, I really didn't mean to offend you, my mouth just ran away with itself, you know that I have no issues with you and Frankie, I actually quite like the new Frankie" Vera admitted after a few moments.
"Forget about it, we all say things in the heat of the moment... what are we going to do about Boomer?" Bridget leant against her desk as she watched her friend stressing.
"Fuck knows... but I do know that I'm going to get my arse handed to me for this" Vera groaned.
"They wouldn't really split them up would they?... you know they are both really happy and excited about this, you should have heard Booms when she told me earlier... she actually called me Aunty Gidge... can you believe that?" Bridget breathed out.
"I doubt so very much, I just wanted to scare her a little bit and give her something to think about for a while, they are going to be bloody pissed though, and if the media catch wind of this... Jesus its going to be a damn circus" Vera sat forward rubbing her head before laughing softly. "Aunty Gidge hey... this is so fucked up"
Bridget could only nod to hide the proud smile teasing her lips.
After three and a half long hours of driving, Frankie finally pulled into a long dirt road that led up to a homestead, she jumped out of the car, opened the gate and swung the car inside the property before returning to secure the gate. She took a few seconds to look around her, whistling at how impressive Fletch's property was, she could see nothing but fields and hill for miles around. She jumped in her car and drove slowly towards the house, it was a little after two in the afternoon and the heat was still powerful. She turned off her ignition and looked around, seeing the entrance to the property, she got out of the car, took a deep breath and made for the entrance.
She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard several barks and the sound of feet rushing through dirt, with a glance in the direction the barks had come from, she saw six dogs, all Australian cattle dogs, rushing towards her, and they didn't look too happy at their uninvited guest. Without thinking, Franky sped for the car, jumping in and slamming the door just in time to see an angry jaw hit the glass and leave a long trail of saliva.
She eased back in the chair and tried to get her breathing under control, she clenched her eyes shut and forced a few deep breaths.
"Who are you, and what the hell are you doing on my property?" Franky started as she heard the female voice, she opened her eyes to find a woman sitting on a horse with a rifle pointed directly at her. With her heart in her mouth she raised both hands slowly, not wanted to spook the woman and have the gun go off accidently.
"I'm here looking for an old friend, my names Franky. I'm a paralegal in Melbourne" Franky offered, deciding honesty was the best policy.
"You must have to wrong property, and I think its time you were leaving" the woman spat angrily.
"You're Claire right?" Frankie asked, watching the shock register on the woman's face before her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Who the hell are you, and what do you want?" Claire yelled losing her patience.
"Look, I just want to talk to Fletch, you know who that is. I'm a friend from his past and I'm here to ask for his help so that he doesn't need to keep hiding to be safe" Frankie admitted.
"I don't know any Fletch" Claire stated adamantly, Franky could see it was pointless arguing.
"Ok, ok. Listen I'm going to do as you say and leave ok. I'm going to pull into the next town and stay in a hotel, I think its called the Warrenga Arms, please tell your boyfriend that Frankie Doyle is here and she just wants to talk about helping each other, its about the freak, and ill be waiting there for him, if he doesn't show up by tomorrow night I will take it that he isn't interested and leave, and no one will ever know I was here or why, ok, tell him he doesn't need to worry about me telling anyone where he is, please!" Frankie watched as the woman listened to her, nodded her head so slightly that if Frankie had blinked she would have missed it, then she turned her car on and turned it around before driving off towards town.
Claire watched as the strange brunette pulled away, and with a sigh she pulled a satellite phone from her pocket and dialled the number she had etched on her memory.
"Alex, its me... can you come by the house, we need to talk"