Work Text:
Come With Me (The Time is Right)
“C’mon Franky! Hurry!” Tess tugged at Franky’s hand, nearly dragging her older sister along the sidewalk. Tess’ confidence, tempered only by her childlike enthusiasm, was proof positive that she was forged in a stable environment, her childhood every bit the ideal one that Franky never got. If Franky was being honest, it was the very reason that she loved going on adventures with Tess - it was a little reclamation of the childhood that could have been.
“I’m coming, Tess. Will getting there one minute sooner really make a difference?” She huffed as she looked at her cellphone. Kim was giving her a hard time about not being readily available at her beck and call, a major factor in why Franky had refused to date her seriously. Tess and her job at Legal Aid were the only priorities that Franky willingly committed to these days and she was perfectly content with her decision.
“Kaiya said that there’s a Poké Nest here and I really want to catch an Eeveeeeeee.” Usually Tess’ whining of her beloved fox-dog character’s name was adorable to Franky but Tess had said it nearly two dozen times already and Franky’s patience was beginning to wear thin.
“Fuckin’ Kaiya” Franky muttered under her breath and picked up her pace, following closely behind Tess. She glanced at the poorly drawn map Kaiya had apparently made for Tess during Mr. Jackson’s homeroom. “This way, Tess.” She pointed over Tess’ left shoulder, steering the ball of energy that was her younger half-sister in the right direction.
“That’s it, right over there!” Tess screeched and Franky winced and covered her ears. Without any warning, the tiny brunette took off running, leaving Franky trailing behind.
“Tess Madison Doyle! Slow down!” At hearing her full name, Tess knew she had let her boundless energy get ahead of her. She looked back to see where she had lost Franky in the moderate throng of people out running errands on a Sunday afternoon. Despite looking back, she hadn’t lost momentum and her body continued hurtling through the crowd at warp speed.
“Tess! Watch where you’re goi-” Franky shouted and watched in horror as Tess collided with someone, knocking them to the ground. Franky sprinted over, pulling Tess to her side. She didn’t want whomever Tess had bowled over to think that she hadn’t been keeping a careful enough watch over her sister.
“A-are you okay?” Franky asked, offering a helpful hand to Tess' victim, a slight blonde woman who Franky noted was objectively stunning and only slightly frazzled for someone who had just been taken down by a nine year old.
The blonde took hold of Franky’s hand and was hoisted back onto her feet with little effort. Checking herself over and finding herself no worse for wear, she nodded. “Yes, I’m okay.”
“Auntie Bridgey, what happened?!” A young boy, about Tess’ age, suddenly appeared by her side.
“Just a little traffic collision, Charlie. I think everyone’s alright. Right?” Bridget looked at Tess to confirm. Tess nodded, too embarrassed to speak. Franky, who had been expecting to get chewed out, instead found herself pleasantly surprised that the beautiful stranger in front of her was primarily concerned about her tiny attacker’s well-being.
“Tess, don’t you have something you’d like to say to… Auntie Bridgey?” Franky’s voice trailed off, her question hanging between them.
“Bridget.” The blond corrected, smiling at Tess.
“To Bridget.” Franky repeated sternly.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going.” Tess apologized sincerely, looking between Bridget and Franky, unsure of who she was directing her apology to most.
“Thank you, but I promise I’m perfectly alright.” Bridget didn’t want the young girl to feel any worse than she already did.
“You sure? She came at you pretty hard.”
“All good.” Bridget brushed off a little dirt that had stuck to the leg of her pants. “Still in one piece as far as I can tell.” Bridget winked at Tess.
The two women and children stood awkwardly, unsure of what to say or do next.
Franky cleared her throat. “Well, I guess we should let you get on. We’ve interrupted your day enough as it is. Glad you’re okay.”
“Auntie Bridgey, we gotta get going. The nest is going to start spawning and I don’t want to miss it.” Charlie tugged on Bridget’s blazer.
“The Eevee Poké Nest in the park!?” Tess called out suddenly, “that’s where we’re going!”
Franky looked over at Bridget and offered a helpless shrug.
“I hear the kids over there are brutal in Poké battles,” Franky whispered conspiratorially.
“So… safety in numbers?” Bridget laughed. Charlie and Tess both nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Absolutely! Plus, they haven’t met the likes of Tess yet,” Franky responded, “she’s clearly perfected her takedown.”
As the group turned and waited to cross the road which separated them from their target, Franky quickly held out her hand.
“I’m Franky by the way,” she introduced herself, having suddenly realised that they had managed an entire interaction including an accidental knockdown without her giving out her name, “I’m Tess’ older sister- half-sister, that is,” she clarified.
Bridget took her hand and Franky felt warmth spread through her at the contact. Bridget’s handshake was firm, confident, and Franky liked that.
“It’s nice to meet you, Franky,” Bridget said and Franky could see the sincerity in her sapphire eyes, “and I’m especially glad you’re here because I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“It’s simple really. Stick with us, Gidget, and you’ll be a pokémon master in no time,” Franky grinned.
“It’s Bridget,” the blonde reminded her, though she suspected that it was a losing game.
“I prefer Gidget.”
Unrepentant, Franky led the charge across the road.
***
“I’m pretty sure Dead Sugar Gum Tree Hollow is this way.” Franky jutted her thumb in the direction of the largest path in the park. They needed to walk past the tennis courts, by the caretaker’s house, and the tree would be located on their left hand side according to Kaiya’s crudely drawn map. Franky couldn’t believe she was letting a 3rd grader be her guide but Bridget seemed to be blindly following her Google Maps app and it wasn’t particularly helpful.
The newly formed crew started down the path. Tess and Charlie started racing one another, their competitive streaks were well-matched and both of the women called out after them warning them not to bulldoze anyone else down.
“I sense a newfound friendship,” Bridget mused as they meandered aimlessly behind Tess and Charlie.
“Yeah, kids are good like that,” Franky replied with a casual shrug. They watched in quiet amusement as the pair played, “so… what do you do for a living, Gidget?”
“I’m a forensic psychologist in a women’s prison.”
Franky came to a halt and turned to Bridget, eyebrows raised. She whistled.
“That’s a fancy title,” she said before she started grinning, “so go on then, doc, spill the beans. Who’s the craziest inmate in there? What happens when a woman drops the soap? Is that a thing?” At Bridget’s passive look, Franky clarified, “I want dirt.”
Bridget paused for only a brief moment and then started the slow walk again, Franky matching her pace.
“I can’t give you dirt,” Bridget said outright, though her tone was understanding. She knew that her job often brought questions and interest from others and Franky was no exception, “there’s a whole host of reasons why. If you were the prison psych you’d be damn careful about what you told anyone.”
““I get it,” Franky nodded in understanding, “so it’s your job to be just a wall they talk at?”
“In a sense.”
“Must be difficult,” Franky glanced over at Bridget, “It’s exhausting enough trying to figure out who wants to fuck me or fight me out here, I can’t even imagine what that might be like in prison.”
Bridget smiled at that, her eyes glittering.
“That sounds confusing rather than tiring.”
“I suppose.” Franky smirked, earning a slight chuckle from Bridget.
“So what do you do for a living?” Bridget asked. She didn’t know what to make of Franky. Her caring nature and soft spot for Tess, combined with her vibrant tattoos and edgy style, made her very difficult to read. Bridget could see her comfortable in any environment, making it almost impossible to guess at her profession.
“I’m a chef…” Franky trailed off. “Was a chef, I guess?” She considered how much to share with Bridget, who she suddenly found herself wanting to impress. “I just started a new gig at Legal Aid this week. Trying something new.”
“Oh?”
“The head chef had it in for me since day one. I wasn’t formally trained or anything and he didn’t like that I had skill… a natural talent for it, y’know? Anyway, it came to a head a couple weeks ago. I took one look at the hot oil in the skillet I was holding and thought better of it. Decided to chuck a salt shaker at his head instead. Reckon I might have ended up in your office with some court-ordered anger management if I had chosen otherwise. Long story short, I was fired. I’ve been watching Tess for my dad and step-mum since… while I try to figure out my next move.”
Bridget remained silent as she processed the information. She felt that a small piece of the jigsaw that was Franky had clicked into place, and she was more confident in her assessment of the new pair who had, quite literally, barrelled into her life.
“Auntie Bridgey!” Charlie suddenly shouted.
Franky and Bridget looked over to where Charlie had called out from. They were horrified to find Tess shoving a lanky teenager, his two friends standing further back and laughing as Tess windmilled her arms at their buddy’s stomach.
Franky instantly took off sprinting, Bridget several paces behind her.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Franky snapped as she shoved the teenager half a meter backwards, placing herself between him and Tess.
The boy’s friends took off running as soon as they spotted both the tattoos on Franky’s arm and the furious look in her green eyes. Bridget, finally catching up to the standoff, wasn’t sure what to do.
“I…” The remaining boy started, looking to Bridget desperately for salvation.
“I don’t want to fucking hear it.” Franky growled. “Get the fuck out of here. This is a family park and there are kids around. What the fuck is wrong with you?” Tess stepped out to her right side and mimicked Franky’s stance, arms crossed over her chest.
“She ran into-” The boy tried once again.
“I said get out of here.” Franky took a step closer, unfolding her arms and clenching her fists as she did.
With his eyes glued to Franky’s hands, the boy took a few steps back, muttering to himself, before he took off running in the direction his friends had headed.
“Tess! What was that about?” Franky demanded of her mini-me.
“He.. He… he said he was going to take all the Eevees and that we’d be stuck with Metapods!” Tess stomped her foot.
Bridget turned to Franky and mouthed “metapods?”, confusion evident in her expression. Franky merely shook her head, and they turned back to Tess, who was getting more worked up. Both Bridget and Franky fought back smiles at the adorable sight. Tess was on the verge of tears as she relayed how the teenage boy and his friends had encroached on her and Charlie’s hunt for Eevee.
Knowing that the situation was precarious and that there was a split-second to save Tess from crying and Charlie from following suit, Bridget made a point to look at her watch.
“Oh!” she said loudly, catching their attention, “look at the time! It won’t be long until…” she looked to Franky for reassurance that she wasn’t going to screw the name up, “Eevee spawns.”
“Yeah,” Franky nodded in agreement, “you two better make sure you’re in the right spot!”
Tess and Charlie ran off, leaving Bridget and Franky behind.
“Want to grab a seat by the picnic tables over there?” Franky pointed. “That way we can keep an eye on them?”
“Sure thing.”
“Sorry about that, by the way. I’m pretty protective of Tess.” Franky glimpsed at Bridget from the corner of her eye. She hoped that by bringing it up, acknowledging the elephant in the room, they could quickly move on.
“I can’t say I’m surprised,” was all Bridget said as she watched the two kids hovering by the large tree, their eyes glued to their phones.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Franky countered quickly.
“Well, from what I know about you, your only form of defense seems to be attack so you did pretty much what I’d expect of you.” The words were out of Bridget’s mouth before she could stop them.
“I’ve known you for all of 5 fucking minutes, so don’t make assumptions about me.” Franky snapped back. Things had taken a surprising turn and neither woman knew what to say next. They sat in silence.
Suddenly, Tess and Charlie jumped up in the distance, shouting gleefully as they high-fived each other. Both Franky and Bridget smiled at the scene before them, knowing that their missions to make the children happy had been accomplished. Charlie ran over, skidding to a halt in front of Bridget with a big grin on his face.
“We caught Eevee!” he crowed, “we did it!”
“Well, isn’t that great news,” Bridget said enthusiastically. She moved to stand up, “are you ready to go?”
“Can we play some more, Auntie?” he begged, “please? Tess has so many pokémon I don’t have! I need to catch a Bulbasaur and Squirtle. She said she’d show me how to get them!”
Bridget looked over to Franky, silently seeking her approval to extend the adventure a little longer.
“That’s fine by me,” Franky said with a reassuring smile at Charlie, “just stay in sight at all times, okay?”
“Thank you!” Charlie raced off, screaming the good news to Tess.
After a beat of silence, both women still uncomfortable with how they’d left off, Bridget let out an audible sigh.
“You know… we’ve been here twenty minutes now and I still have no clue what is going on,” Bridget admitted self-consciously, “he has spoken non-stop about this game for weeks and now he wants a- what was it- Bulbazard? A Squirrely? I don’t know-”
“Squirtle,” Franky corrected her. At Bridget’s raised eyebrow, she shrugged, “you start to pick things up eventually.”
“Noted,” Bridget grinned a bit, a silent signal to Franky that the tension had been broken.
The pair sat quietly side by side, both watching on as Charlie and Tess played.
“So, you think you know all about me. Why don’t you tell me about yourself.” Franky winked, letting Bridget know that she was intentionally goading her.
“What would you like to know?”
“When was your first time with a woman?” Franky ran her tongue over her top lip, suggestively. “I know you’re a dyke.”
Bridget let out a huff of laughter. She didn’t expect Franky to delve quite that deep so fast, but then again she shouldn’t have been surprised. If she knew anything of Franky it was that the tattooed brunette wasn’t shy.
“What gave that away?” Bridget said, mindful of keeping the conversation light.
“I mean…” Franky waved her hand in a dramatic fashion at Bridget, and with anyone else Bridget would have felt self-conscious, but with Franky she was more amused than anything, “pretty obvious, Gidget.”
“Point taken. University,” Bridget responded dryly, “I dated men up until my 2nd year.”
‘Experimenting while away studying? You cheeky minx, I like it.”
Was she flirting? Bridget couldn’t confirm, but she felt pretty confident that she was being hit on by her new friend. She actually found that she didn’t mind it if that was the case. Franky was certainly interesting.
The pair continued to chat about TV shows they were watching - Franky was into cooking shows, Bridget into crime dramas - and books they loved - Franky was on her ninth re-read of A Streetcar Named Desire and Bridget was reading Malcolm Gladwell’s latest release - and how they each had gotten roped into the pokémon adventure that day. Their conversation was lighthearted and easy but there was always an undercurrent of sexual tension.
Bridget found herself mentally tracing the trail as Franky ran her tongue over her top lip. Girls like Franky weren’t typically Bridget’s type but there was something about Franky’s natural confidence, her love of Tess, the bad-ass tattoos, and endless charm that drew Bridget in in a way that she had never been drawn in before.
A frisbee whizzed by, drawing her attention. Bridget looked at her watch and was startled at the time. It had been nearly two hours since she and Charlie first bumped into Franky and Tess, and Bridget was all too aware of the time crunch she was on.
“Sorry,” she frowned as she said it, disappointed that they had to part ways so soon, “but I have to get Charlie back soon.”
“That’s okay,” Franky lied with a casual shrug. Unbeknownst to Bridget, she was feeling the exact same way, “we should be getting home too.”
“Charlie!”
“Tess!”
Both women watched as their respective charges came running.
“You beat me this time!” Tess said imperiously to Charlie as they came to a halt in front of Franky and Bridget, “but next time my Blastoise will get you good!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Charlie taunted back, “next time my Raichu will take you out again!”
“Will not!”
“Will too!”
“Next time?” Franky raised her eyebrow as she interrupted what she suspected would have been a very repetitive back-and-forth between the two.
“Yeah!” Tess turned her eyes to her sister and Franky watched in amusement as what could only be described as The Doyle Look started to appear. Big soulful eyes, brimming with tears, beseeching.
Damn, she’s good, Franky thought. She was impressed.
“Please, Franky?” Tess asked, “please can we do this again?”
“Yeah, pplleeaassee Auntie Bridget!” Charlie carried it on, looking at Bridget with doe eyes, “can we!?”
Bridget looked over at Franky. Franky hadn’t known Bridget for long, but she suspected that the silent question in her eyes meant that it was down to Franky to put herself out there and voice the singular thought that had been going through her head practically since they met. Her own eyes met Bridget, silently asking permission. A small nod was what she got in return.
Go for it.
“I think we can do this again, sure,” Franky finally said, her tone still hesitant so Bridget had time to cut in and refuse, “but I think we’ll need a way to talk to each other so we can arrange it. How about it, Gidge?”
Bridget smiled.
“I think I can make that happen.”
Franky pulled out her phone quickly, eager for the blonde to type in her digits. She wondered if Bridget liked to text a lot or if she was more about long phone conversations into the night. Franky couldn’t deny that she was excited to find out.
Bridget took the phone and typed in her phone number before she handed it back. Their hands grazed as she did so and Franky smiled wolfishly at the contact. She stretched the moment, making her own finger run slowly along Bridget’s skin and she watched victoriously as a shiver went through Bridget.
“Thanks,” Franky said slyly as they broke contact.
“Hopefully it won’t be long before we see each other again,” Bridget replied. They both stood silently as the two kids said their hurried goodbyes, promises of defeating each other soon passing between them.
“You know…” Franky started, and Bridget watched her carefully. She didn’t want to get her hopes up about what was going to come next, “we could meet up sooner.”
“Oh yeah?” Bridget’s heart was thrumming at the possibilities.
“Tess is going on holiday with dad for the next two weeks,” Franky explained, “but I was thinking maybe we could see each other without the pretense of pokémon?”
She left the question hanging and waited nervously for Bridget’s response. She had just put herself out on the line again and questioned why she was doing it. She’d never been so hesitant with someone before. Usually Franky exuded nothing but confidence.
“I’d like that, Franky,” Bridget smiled brightly, “just give me a call anytime.”
“Will do, Gidget," Franky smiled sheepishly and twirled her car keys on her finger. “Will do.”