Kindred Spirits

Epilogue

Vera sat alone in her cell most of the time. She hated the conditions of the prison worse than when she'd been in charge. It was animalistic to put all these different personalities together. It was just asking for trouble. She realized that from being a prisoner now. She realized what Joan had went through now. She was isolated in Wentworth. The prisoners didn't trust her, and some outright hated her. Marie and Lou for one. She'd made her life a complete and utter mess. Joan Ferguson was free to live, and Vera was stuck behind these walls without Grace. She had lost everything, and she'd come to hate herself. She'd never hold her baby again. Jake's parents refused to bring Grace to even visit.

Vera dropped her head into her hands and cried for the millionth time. She'd become too obsessed with Joan. She now realized that she had, at one time, loved the woman. Joan had been her mentor. Joan had been the first person to encourage her in anything. It had been ridiculously easy to fall in love with Joan. Vera had been naive and lonely, and when she'd felt betrayed she had lashed out time and time again. She had even known what was going to happen with Bea Smith, but in a sick and twisted way it was how she'd kept Joan from leaving her. She wasn't well in the head. Her love or rather her obsession with Joan, as Dr. Miller had called it, was extremely unhealthy. In trying to 'protect' herself and Grace, she'd just lashed out in anger and almost killed Joan out of jealousy. Now Joan was out living the life Vera had wanted with Stevie. Vera just hadn't known how to get that with Joan. Joan had been so cold and calculated as Governor, and then Joan had turned on her as a prisoner.
What could have been a true love story had turned into a dreadful nightmare. Vera realized now she wasn't any better than Joan. She'd done some terrible things, and she'd lost everything.

She had just laid down on her cot when suddenly she felt this shaking. Then there was nothing but blackness.

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"Have you seen the news, babe?" Stevie asked as she rushed into their shared bedroom. Her body was changing, her little belly growing everyday as the baby grew inside of her. She was doing well with the pregnancy since she'd been released from Wentworth, and especially since Joan had come home. The last couple of weeks had been filled with doctor's appointments and therapy for both of them, but Joan was recovering and they had settled into lovely domesticity. That dreadful limp was still there for Joan, but it was getting better.

"No, what's going on?" Joan asked calmly, as she sat down the book of wedding planning she'd been reading.

"You're not going to believe this!" Stevie said excitedly as she turned on the TV. Live video of Wentworth shown and there was an alert on the screen that spoke of a bombing. The prison laid in heaps of smoking rock as police and firefighters and prisoners all rushed around.

"Someone blew the place up! Isn't that crazy?" Stevie asked as she sat down between Joan's legs and leaned back. Joan's ribs had finally healed and she loved holding the young woman close like this. It was calming for both of them.

"It's interesting." Joan replied as she wrapped her arms around Stevie and placed her hands on her belly.
"I wonder how Marie and Tesia and Lou and Reb are. There have to be dead prisoners and staff."

"I hope they are alright." Stevie fretted.
"Along with Will Jackson. He was so nice."

"Indeed. He redeemed himself in the end." Joan said as she stroked Stevie's belly. She even wondered about Vera. Yes, she'd tried to kill her, but Joan still couldn't help wondering. Vera was as much apart of her life history as every other ghost of her past that had helped to shape her in one way or another.

Stevie glanced at what Joan had been reading and she smiled as she picked it up.

"Wedding planning, Joan?" She asked.
"I thought we were going to just go to the courthouse."