Chapter Six-
After a few hours, Franky and Boomer were returned to H2, the screws saying very little as they opened the gate and ushered the pair in. They locked the gate and left, and everyone surrounded Boomer and Franky.
"What happened?" Asked Doreen.
"Who was that?" Butted in Bea.
"What did you do?" Questioned Nikki.
"Slow down! First of all, Simmo tried to top herself. Don't know why, but she isn't dead. Booms and I were taken to the slot for a little while until they worked out that we didn't do anything," said Franky. She took a seat on the couch, and Nikki sat next to her.
"I was worried you'd done something stupid," said Nikki softly. Franky pulled her close, wrapping an arm and her shoulders.
"I didn't do anything stupid, but thanks for worrying about me." Franky pressed her lips to the top of Nikki's head and kissed her gently.
"Shove up, Bold and the Beautiful is coming on!" Exclaimed Boomer. She pushed Nikki and Franky closer together, while Liz switched on the TV, Bea grabbed some snacks out of her cell and Doreen put on the kettle. Nikki glanced around at the women in the unit, and smiled a little to herself.
They might not be family in the traditional sense, but they were her family.
People that would look out for her, make sure she was safe.
And someone to love her...
Nikki woke up then extra morning with Franky cuddled up behind her, and smiled to herself.
"You're awake early," said Franky, her voice thick with sleep.
"So are you," replied Nikki warmly.
"Am I forgiven?" Asked Franky sleepily. Nikki rolled over to face Franky, and brushed her hair out of her face.
"Of course you are Franky. Would I be here if you weren't?" Replied Nikki softly. Franky shook her head, then tightened her arms around Nikki.
"Don't leave. Not yet," said Franky drowsily.
"We have to get dressed; I'm hungry, and we have a meeting with the Governor today after we've finished in the laundry," said Nikki gently. Franky sat up.
"You'll come back to laundry with us?" Asked Franky incredulously. Nikki nodded.
"I'll come back. For you, I'll come back," said Nikki, smiling. Franky laughed, and tickled Nikki.
"That's great. Hurry up and get dressed, and we can go get some breakfast," said Franky. Nikki escaped Franky's clutches and returned to her own cell to put her uniform on. Franky dressed herself quickly, and waited for Nikki at the table.
"You two are in a better mood today," commented Bea, sipping her morning coffee.
"We talked last night," said Franky noncommittally.
"And everything's okay?" Replied Bea. Franky nodded.
"Everything's great," replied Franky, grinning. Nikki's cell door opened up, and Nikki sashayed out, looking fabulous in her white shirt and viridian blue pants. Her shirt was two sizes two big, and slipped down one shoulder to reveal a bright pink bra strap.
"You're looking so good it's criminal," said Franky, embracing Nikki.
"And you're full of extra lame jokes this morning, we better get you some breakfast before your brain turns to mush," said Nikki, giggling a little. Franky smiled and nodded.
"You coming with us Red?" Asked Franky.
"Nah, you two go ahead. I'll wait for Liz and Dor," said Bea.
"Make sure you wake up Booms," called Franky as she waltzed out the door. Their infectious laughter could be heard as they walked up the hallway, and Bea shook her head, before returning to her coffee and magazine.
"What was that about?" Asked Doreen, yawning. She headed straight for the kettle, making a cup of tea.
"They're happy," replied Bea simply.
"That's fine, they just need to keep it down!" Exclaimed Doreen. She took a sip of her tea, and revelled in the warm liquid.
"Better head off for breakfast, I'm starving," said Boomer.
"Franky and Nik already gone?" Asked Liz, turning the trio of women into a quartet.
"Yeah. They were in a really good mood too," commented Bea.
"Great. Can we have brekky now please? I'm starving!" Exclaimed Boomer. Bea laughed, and motioned for the door.
"Come on, let's get Booms some food."
"She tried to top herself."
"What do you mean 'she tried to top herself'?" Hissed Vinnie.
"Just that. She was blathering on about Aunty Jac and Brayden, then next thing we know she's taken something and tried to top herself," said Emily.
"And you! What the fuck happened to your face?" Asked Vinnie.
"Run in with another inmate," replied Charlie.
"You've got to watch her. When you think she's got it under control, she's usually pretty close to losing it. She'll stick with whoever's the strongest," said Vinnie.
"She shouldn't have done it in the first place," said Emily, frustrated.
"It's putting all eyes on us. We can't play poker with that kind of attention," said Charlie.
"Don't worry about that. I'll get the attention well and truly off you and onto someone else. You just need to keep your noses clean for a few weeks, and stay low," said Vinnie vehemently.
"How's Brayden?" Asked Emily, changing the subject.
"Seeing a therapist. Ever since he topped that Debbie chick, he's never been the same," said Vinnie sadly.
"He still dealing?" Asked Charlie.
"Little bit, why?" Asked Vinnie, interested. Charlie and Emily glanced at each other and grinned.
"Got something that might perk him up."
"We should go out for drinks again. Just the girls," suggested Vera.
"You thinking we should invite Manning's wife Beth too?" Asked Linda. Vera shrugged her shoulders.
"She is a guard. I know she's on mothers wing, but Ferguson was talking about transferring her to general population with us; the women have been getting too friendly with her, and the governor isn't happy about it," replied Vera, giving Linda the inside news.
"What's she like? I've never really met with any of the other guards from the other blocks," said Linda, intrigued.
"She's nice, and she's funny as well. Think I should ask?" Said Vera, a little nervous.
"Go for it! I bet she'd love to come, and hey, there's be another female guard on our rotation," said Linda, a little excited.
"She's done a rotation with us once as a relief guard. It was around the same time Bea was bashed in her unit," said Vera.
"Ah, the day I was off sick," said Linda.
"Probably. I'll ask and see if she wants to come,"said Vera, still a little uncertain.
"Come on, it'll be fun. You're welcome to crash at my place again if you don't want to deal with your mother," offered Linda.
"Alright, let's do it!"
Later in the evening, Franky and Nikki were sitting together in Nikki's cell, decorating a little.
"Liz said she would teach me how to knit," said Nikki, tacking a picture on the wall.
"She's pretty good at it," replied Franky, handing Nikki another picture.
"I like to write," said Nikki. She put another poster on the wall, one that had the Eiffel Tower on it.
"You ever been to Paris?" Asked Franky.
"No. When I was as fifteen, I started planning for a trip for after my HSC. I had it all worked out, and then everything happened. It changed everything," said Nikki quietly. She hung another poster, this time one of Barcelona.
"You don't have any of your family," said Franky.
"Nor do you," countered Nikki.
"You didn't answer my question," said Franky softly. Nikki sighed, and sat back down on the bed again.
"Mum and Dad split up soon after I was sent to Reiby. Mum believed that I brought on the rape myself, that I asked for it. Dad felt differently, and he continued to visit me until I as transferred to Dyllwynia. He died soon after that, and the officer that told me that there were suspicious circumstances involved. I never did find out what they were, but he was sad that the justice system couldn't do anything to help. My two older brothers were on Mum's side, agreeing with everything. She had no idea what they were doing with girls half their age, and if she had known, she would have said she believed me. But she didn't, and since then none of y family really talk to me. My cousin Abby sometimes writes a letter, but I'm cut off from everyone else," said Nikki. She refused to look at Franky, and started to straighten her Eiffel Tower poster.
"I only have my father, and even then, he's not my dad. He walked out of my life fifteen years ago, and left me with my psychotic mother. She was always high on something, or smashed on booze. My dad, he tried to apologise. I yelled at him, told him he was a useless man, that he needed to leave because he wasn't really my father, because my father would have come back and saved me from the hell I was in with my mother," said Franky softly.
"Franky, if you didn't tell him, how would he have known? If he's trying to reconnect know,maybe it's because he can see how wrong he was about how he left. He's trying to mend bridges Franky, and you're burning them faster than he can build," said Nikki gently.
"What about you and the rest of your family? Isn't this the same?" Asked Franky.
"My mother and two brothers don't want to see me, and I can't make them. Your dad wants to see you, and for him, he's trying to make things right, and you're not making it easy," said Nikki. She brushed Franky's hair aside.
"You can ask for a box visit to see him, and take it slow. Little visits," suggested Nikki.
"I said a lot of horrible things to him Niks. How can he come back to me after that?" Asked Franky.
"Because he loves you. Just like I do." Nikki pressed a kiss to Franky's cheek, then resumed straightening her poster. Franky stood up, and embraced Nikki from behind.
"I love you too," she whispered.
I love you too Erica...
If there's one thing you learn in prison, it's that what goes up, must come down...
Nikki and Franky hadn't seen anything yet...
I managed to finish another episode! Yay! After some consultation with a fan fiction writing colleague, I have now planned out the rest of this ten episode season, and I just have to write it!
Secrets will be revealed...
The past will come back to haunt...
One inmate will stand on the brink of death...
Another will come out victorious...
And one inmate holds the key to everything.
Stay tuned!
MissShawnaAlice xx