"Holy shit Gidge, have you read this, it's better than I could have hoped for" Frankie grinned as she showed Bridget the article on Bea, it stretched over four pages, excluding the front cover. There were photos along side the article, and Frankie couldn't help but grin at the photo Sophia had taken of Frankie's H1 family at her visit with the journalist herself, she had taken a selfie with herself and Bea in the centre, the other women gathering in around them, it showed anyone who couldn't be bothered to read the actual article that her family were safe and good people, grinning with a complete stranger who felt safe enough to get amongst them for a selfie.
"I have honey, Sofia did a great job... anyone who reads this will surely see that Bea isn't the violent monster that the press have previously made her out to be" Bridget grinned as Frankie pecked her lips happily.
"You know Gidge, This is the first time, for real, I actually feel really positive about this case, everything is pulling together, we almost have the complete puzzle, and now with things like this... shit, we could actually get Bea the opportunity at a future that isn't in Wentworth"
"You, not we, you have done all the work here babe, Bea is really lucky that she has you as a friend you know" Bridget grinned as she watched her partner practically dance around the room in happiness and excitement.
Their conversation was interrupted by Frankie's cell phone ringing. Glancing at the screen she didn't recognise the number, she answered it, kissing Bridget on the temple as she sang happily into the phone and made her way to her home office in case she needed to make any notes,
"Am I speaking to Frankie Doyle?" The caller asked.
"Speaking, may I ask who is calling?" Frankie couldn't keep the happiness from her voice.
"Miss Doyle, I have been informed that you are Bea Smith's attorney" The man paused awaiting for confirmation before proceeding. "My name is Mitch Hancock, and I'm calling you from 9 News. We read the article in this morning's paper about your client, and wanted to discuss with you the opportunity to interview with Miss Smith live on air regarding her experiences she detailed with Sophia Livingstone"
"Ok, and why do you want to interview her?" Frankie asked, feeling the excitement rising in herself at how the PR plan was so quickly coming together.
"We don't just want to interview Miss Smith, we would actually like to interview the other women in her unit, which we have been informed are all your clients as well. We want to do a follow up on Miss Livingstone's interview and expose the reality of living in a correctional centre. We were moved with the stories that were documented in the article, and want to raise awareness to the importance of the general public helping offenders find their feet on the outside, and how we can help them from reoffending, we think that if we were to do an interview with these women, the public would see a different side to inmates, and be more receptive to giving them a chance. I understand that you yourself are an ex inmate who has achieved a lot since her release, and we would like to include you in our segment"
"Right I see, well I will speak to my clients, and discuss with them how we would proceed with this. Of course I would need to liaise with the Governor of Wentworth to gain permission, if the women wanted to go ahead with this opportunity, the decision wouldn't be hers however, she would need to take the proposition to the board who would then make a decision, but foreseeing that, I know that they would want to see an itinerary and would want to sign off on which questions you will be asking the women, and they would want to know a lot more details, like if it was a live interview or pre-recorded, where you would want to hold the interview, they would most likely want a criminal check of anyone who would be involved in it, and so you're aware, everyone involved would need to agree to the possibility of submitting to a strip search... they like to make sure that there is no way that drugs or weapons can be passed along" Frankie grinned, hoping that if she could put him off, it would be at this early stage.
"Of course, of course. I have been working on a proposal since the idea was submitted to me, I can have it sent over to you by lunchtime for you to check over, and you can get back to me with any amendments you think need making before it is submitted to the board at Wentworth. We are really excited about where this may lead, we think this is a great opportunity for the public to get a real view at what reformed women are like" Mitch answered kindly.
They exchanged details, Mitch promising to have the proposal sent over as soon as it was complete and signed off by his boss, and Frankie promising to speak with the clients he had requested, as well as the Governor on his behalf.
"Hey Gidge, you're never going to believe this" Frankie grinned as she skipped back to the kitchen to find Bridget pouring some coffee into her travel cup to drink on the way to the prison.
"What's happened babe?" Bridget grinned at Frankie's antics, loving seeing this excited childlike part of her.
"Oh you know, that was Mitch from 9 news, requesting that I set up an interview for myself and the girls to discuss reform and the correctional system so that we can educate the public on the importance of the part they have to play in helping reformed inmates get their lives back together and abstain from reoffending" Frankie grinned as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriends waist.
"Holy shit babe, that's amazing, do you realise how big an opportunity this is to reshape the stereotypes of former offenders... this is just amazing, Vera is going to be so excited... you should ring her now on your way to the office and tell her" Bridget grinned, she had worked hard on the inside building up the women's confidence and helping them deal with their demons so that when they got on the outside they felt able to manage their new freedoms, and she couldn't be prouder that without even trying her partner was taking things to the next level and was shaping the future for inmates across the country, possibly the world.
"Hey aren't you the Frankie Doyle that's going to be on 9 news this week?" Jane asked excitedly when Frankie got to work an hour later, after speaking to Vera, Frankie had phoned her boss to fill her in on the news.
"With a bit of luck, Vera is talking to the board right now about it, trying to get them on board, do you even realise what this could do for the women in prison... I can't believe this is happening" Frankie grinned.
"I can, love. I knew when I interviewed you and saw your passion for criminal law that you were going to do big things, I'm really proud of you. and we have a meeting with Phil later, he has heard the news and I think he wants to give you a huge pat on the back himself" Jane grinned, laughing softly as she saw Frankie's smile falter, she knew the woman was always nervous when being called upon by her superiors, the deep rooted fears from her prison days always making her assume that she had done something wrong and she would be messing up her future, but Frankie had nothing to worry about, Jane knew exactly what Phil wanted to discuss with the both of them, and she couldn't be more excited for her friend.
Three hours passed slowly as Frankie tried to work on her case, knowing that her discussion with Phil was upcoming. Phil was a partner at the firm, actually the first partner, and it was him who had guided the firm into being more about helping clients than their paycheques. She admired him for the work that he did, and the ethics that he forced into his company and his employees, but the thought that he would be pissed with her for her side cases, frankly he scared the crap out of her. She couldn't help but feel like the cycle of her life was about to turn full circle again, every time she got her life in a good place, she fucked up somehow and ended up in the dirt, and the thought of going home to Bridget and having to tell her that she had been thrown out of the office, scared the crap out of her, she didn't want to disappoint her partner, but most of all she didn't want to disappoint herself. And it was with those thoughts running around her head, trying to work out how she would tell Bridget that she had failed again, that she entered the large office with her boss, Jane.
"Frankie... it's good to see you, take a seat. Jane, thanks for coming" Phil smiled warmly, his tone confusing Frankie, he was too chipper for someone that was about to kick her out on the street and fire her arse.
"I'm sure your wondering why I have called you in here" Phil smiled as he poured both women and himself a glass of water before sitting in his leather desk chair. He watched as the usually confident woman sat before him a bag of nerves, nodding her head as she struggled to find the ability to talk, he decided enough was enough and he needed to put her out of her misery.
"I was having my monthly review with Jane yesterday, every month she catches me up on how everyone is going, especially the newer people, raises any concerns, that kind of thing. And she happened to mention your little pet project, and all that you have achieved with it" Phil started, taking a sip of the water as he watched Frankie look nervously at Jane who just smiled at her.
'Here it is' Frankie thought. 'come on just spit it out so I can get out of here and work out how the hell I'm going to tell Gidge about my fuck up'
"Well, I spent the night liaising with the other partners about an idea that had formed after you started, and the more Jane updated me on your progress the more the idea seemed to fit, but after finding out about your pet project, and waking up this morning to the whirlwind that you have started...I have an offer I, and the other partners, would like to extend to you. How would you feel about heading up your own department?" Phil grinned.
"Wait what... you're not firing me?" Frankie asked without thinking, glaring at Jane who found her outburst hilarious.
"Firing you... Jesus no! First of all, we have the only person in Australia on staff that has received a 99.9% in the bars, you're pretty much hot property, and between us I have heard plenty of rumours about offers that will be coming your way... I'm impressed with what you have been doing, not only have you kept up with your workload, you have been working on a case that most lawyers would die to get their hands on but would never have the balls to go out looking for... so let me ask you again, how would you feel about heading your own department?"
"Erm, I don't know what to say, I mean thankyou Phil, it means a lot to me to have my efforts recognised, but you've kind of thrown me off guard a bit" Frankie admitted, throwing another glare at Jane who sat giggling at her friends lack of compose.
"I understand that, and I would like for you to go home tonight and think about it, there is no rush for an answer, but I would request that you have one before the end of the week. So this department that I want you to head... I want you to open up a new department, both Jane and I will help to assist you in any way we can. But we want you to be the face of our inmate reform department. You will be in charge, of a small staff at first, you will hand pick the cases your department takes. You will liaise with the prisons around Melbourne, finding out which inmates are applicable for parole, or that you think their cases could be attested based on the original trial, and you will guide these inmates through the process, and help them get back on their feet afterwards, you will have a catalogue of contacts at your disposal in a bid to get the women the homing and work needed, essentially you will be taking charge of a parole officers position, ensuring that they are doing their jobs right, and helping to remove any who are abusing the system so that the reformed inmates have a better, and safer opportunity, to get their lives back on track and stay on track... what do you think?"
"Honestly, I cant think at the moment, I'm in too much shock, today has been massive... but I really appreciate the offer, it is definitely something that I am interested in, and am so honoured that you think I would be able to handle this, but I need to discuss it with my fiancée, I cant make a decision this big without at least discussing it with her" Frankie admitted, her face still pale from the shock.
"Of course, well you get yourself home for the day, and speak to Bridget, and let me know your thoughts... of course the offer is a promotion, which will likely require a few more hours a week, however considering that your already working two full time jobs by working the Smith case in your own time, you will probably be saving yourself hours of work, and will have a team of three at your disposal, another entry level lawyer, and two paralegals, as well as an assistant for the team. You will have your own office area, and I'm pretty sure if none of this can sway your mind, the pay rise will, its all in the contract I have had written up for you to take home and read over, it details what you will be responsible for and what duties you will need to undertake, as well as what the perks of this promotion will be... take a look over it and let me know if you have any questions" Phil slid a brown envelope across the desk and watched as Frankie picked it up nervously, nodding her head that she had heard his request.
"Now get out of here and we will see you in the morning, and thankyou Frankie, for everything you have done for our firm so far. Jane picked very wisely when she selected you for the position. We are very proud of everything you have brought to the firm, and if you decide to decline the offer, there will still be a pay rise coming your way, we are happy to reward those that work as hard as you have been... now go, I don't want to see you until the morning" Phil grinned, this was the part of his job he loved the most.
"Hey baby" Bridget grinned as her phone vibrated on her desk and she saw Frankie's beautiful face flash on the screen.
"Uh hey... do you have a few minutes for me to run something by you?" Bridget's heart dropped at the seriousness in Frankie's voice.
"Babe, where are you?" Bridget asked realising there wasn't the usual background noise of the office on the line.
"Uh Phil gave me the afternoon off... he made me an offer today, I'm still not really sure if it just happened, or whether I'm dreaming of something" Frankie stated, trailing off before realising that Bridget was waiting for her to continue. "I've just been offered a huge promotion, like stepping up four levels in the career ladder... he wants me to head my own department, for reformed criminals, to help get women out and stay out, if they deserve to be out of course, it means extra hours and a lot more responsibility... but I'm really considering about it" Frankie admitted shyly.
"Oh baby, that's fantastic" Bridget beamed. "What's holding you back babe?"
"I wanted to talk it over with you first, see what you thought... do you think I'm ready for such a big step? I don't want to put too much pressure on myself and end up crashing and burning. What if this leads to me losing it all, losing you... what if it pushes me into doing something stupid and landing back inside" Bridget couldn't help her heart breaking at the lost and broken voice of her partner.
"First of all, I doubt Phil would offer you such a position if he didn't think you were capable of it, secondly, you've worked hard for this babe, you deserve to be given this opportunity, even if you turn it down, and lastly... Babe your not going to fuck up, you need to stop expecting the worst from yourself and start believing in yourself... this is who you are now, a high flying, high achieving lawyer, who is kicking ass at every turn. If this is something you want, then we will make it work, together, I will help out in anyway I can, but the choice has to be yours... just know, I'm proud of you whatever you decide" Bridget smiled into the phone, wishing that she was with Frankie so she could give her a hug.
"I think I'm going to take it" Frankie said after a few moments. "I think I need to take it for myself, and I think I need to take it for all the women that I could help, this is why I wanted to be a lawyer, this is the dream, I think I'm just in complete shock that its actually just been handed to me in a brown envelope" Frankie admitted.
"I'm not in shock babe, you have worked so hard for this, you have earned this, this isn't just something you were lucky with, like winning the lottery, this is something you fought for, you sweat for, you bled for, and you deserve this opportunity so much"
"You're right... I'm going to say yes, are you sure its ok if I say yes?" Frankie asked shyly.
"If you say yes, then it means we get to celebrate tonight, just the two of us, with champagne, and strawberries, and absolutely no clothing" Bridget grinned as she heard Frankie's breath hitch.
"Well if I hadn't made my mind up before, I have now. I'm going to call Phil and tell him yes... god this is the best day ever... AND I have just been promised sex tonight, how can it get any better?" Frankie grinned, her voice lifting for the first time.
"I'm proud of you baby" Bridget grinned before hanging up to let Frankie call her boss and make the commitment to her future.
Vera frowned in frustration as she left another meeting with the board, she was excited about the prospect of making a public display about corrections, it would do amazing things for the women involved, for Frankie's career, for Wentworth, even for her career, but all the board could see was all the things that could go wrong. They had issued her with a list of demands following up from reading the proposal to the interview, and if she was honest, she knew that if she was on the other side of the proposal and demands, she would be telling the board where to stick it.
But she had been tasked with the job of liaising with all the parties to iron out the kinks, and she was determined to do everything she could to make this interview happen, if at the very least because she knew it would massively help Bea's case.
Picking up her cell, she called Frankie to update her on the demands the board was issuing, hearing the other woman not reply with as much frustration and annoyance as she felt.
"What the hell has gotten into you?" Vera asked as she reached her office, kicked off her shoes and dumped herself in the couch in the corner of the room.
"Oh I just got offered a huge promotion to run my own department helping offenders who deserve release getting out... and with it comes a cushy office, a company car, and a huge pay rise... on top of that we are ironing out a deal with 9 news that will help Bea's case massively, as well as helping all the people I love in someway, on top of that I'm engaged to the most beautiful woman in the world oh and unlike you, I'm not sat in Wentworth right now, what the hell is there not to be chipper about" Frankie grinned when she heard Vera congratulate her, her excitement clear in her voice.
"Look don't stress about the demands ok, when I spoke to Mitch this morning, I threw him a bit of a test, tried to put the shit's up him about every single person having to go through with a strip search for drugs before they would be allowed access to the girls, he took it in his stride, I think he genuinely wants to do this and not just for his ratings... I'm sure whatever the demands are, he will find a way to work with them. just send them over to me, I will take a quick read of them, and then give him a ring and see what I can work out"
Vera relaxed into her chair at hearing Frankie's offer to take this problem off her hands. "You're amazing you know, I owe you big time" Vera grinned.
"I do know, for some reason everyone has decided that today is the day to tell me, not that I'm complaining, as you were saying... I'm amazing..." Frankie trailed off causing Vera to laugh.
"You're an idiot Doyle, I'm sending the demands through now, call me when you've got confirmation... and congrats again, let me know when you two love birds have finished celebrating alone and we will organise dinner at mine to celebrate, I promise no tequila"