Chapter Text
Joan observed Vera put on a warm coat as she carried her suitcase into her car. They were going away for a conference. Usually Joan attended these alone, but this time she thought it would be good to take her loyal and trusted Deputy with her. After all, she was her mentor. It would give her more experience, get her away from her vile mother, and give them some nice... bonding time.
As much as Joan tried to remain professional with Vera, they had started developing a close working relationship, a friendship if one would like to call it. Joan didn't have many friends, and she felt that Vera understood her. She definitely wanted to please her which Joan always used to her advantage. There was nothing wrong with that since she got something out of it just as much as Vera did.
If only the younger woman wasn't such a sensitive little mouse. She'd have to do something about that soon or Vera wouldn't be able to survive, and the plans that Joan had wouldn't come to fruition.
Then there was also the part of her that knew she was becoming attracted to Vera, and normally she wasn't her type. At least, not since Jianna. Doreen often reminded her of Jianna and she was attracted to her right away, but Vera had snuck up on her.
Vera's hair softly framed her face, and Joan couldn't help but see how beautiful Vera was. She already thought she was attractive while in uniform, but it wasn't very often that they were together outside of the prison.
I'll have to invite her for dinner more often...
“Vera, you're not used to snow. You need more than that,” Joan said slightly irritated.
It was rare for it to snow in Australia, and Victoria was one of those places that had snow if the temperature dropped low enough. Joan didn't mind the cold and snow for she grew up with it during the winters of Russia from a young age, but she knew Vera was going to have a difficult time with it. She smirked as the smaller woman came up to her with incorrect boots for wear.
“You'll get frostbite with those. I don't have all day, so let me go and find you something suitable.”
“Yes, Governor,” she mumbled, blushing as she allowed Joan to sift through her belongings for their trip.
Satisfied with what she found, Joan ushered Vera into the car. It was quiet and she turned on the radio, listening to the news as she drove.
“Do you mind if we listen to music?” Vera asked after an hour.
“What would you like to listen to?” She asked curiously.
Vera shrugged. “I don't know. I'm just tired of listening to the news.”
Joan nodded, smiling slightly. As she reached to change the radio station, she hesitated when she overheard a recent update.
“...Law enforcement reports the suspect is armed and extremely dangerous. Four people have been killed and one is seriously injured. Police are still trying to determine if this is a possible serial killer case, and highly advise locking your doors and not being out alone. Suspect was last seen at... ”
The radio's reception started to cut out as she heard a faint static and Joan tried to hear more of the information, but it kept breaking up.
Vera's eyes were wide and she swallowed nervously, leaning over to lock their doors. Joan gripped the steering wheel, watching her from the corner of her eye.
“Nothing to worry about, Vera,” Joan said confidently, but truthfully she was disturbed to hear such a thing.
“I'm sure you're right, Governor. And we work with criminals every day. Many of them are killers, so there's no reason for us to be afraid,” Vera said, but Joan could hear the slight tremor in her voice.
“I'm not afraid, but that doesn't mean we can't be cautious. The odds aren't likely, and we'll be there at the hotel in just a few more hours. And Vera, remember what I said?”
Vera looked at her quizzically, furrowing her eyebrows. “I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you're referring to.”
“You can call me Joan. In fact, I'd prefer it since we're not at Wentworth right now.”
“O-oh... yes. Thank you, Joan,” Vera said and smiled.
She gave a small smile back, paying attention to the road as she turned on some classical music by Johann Johannsson. He was one of her favorite composers and she was calmed by the musical notes that played.
“This is beautiful music. Have you always listened to this?”
“Yes, it was something my father loved,” she said softly, feeling uncomfortable discussing her father. “You should sleep, Vera.”
“Oh, I'm not very tired right now.”
“We have a long drive ahead of us, so I insist. Unless you're afraid to fall asleep in front of me?”
“N-no, I'm not. I just wanted to make sure that I'd be able to take over driving if you needed me to.”
“I'm fine. You should get some rest while you can.”
Joan was soothed as she listened to the music playing, and the soft sound of Vera's breathing. She wasn't one for much conversation while driving and didn't want to make small talk for this long. She would prefer that Vera be asleep for this reason, and she couldn't help but find the sight rather endearing whenever she looked at her. She lifted a blanket and slowly placed it over Vera's chest to keep her warm.
The snow was coming down even more, and it was becoming harder for her to see. The conditions of the road weren't easy either, and she was getting a little hungry. It would be time to pull over to have something to eat, but Joan wanted to drive just a little bit longer if she could get as close to their destination as possible.
They weren't even quite halfway through yet, and she had to squint her eyes to see better. It was extremely dark and as she tried to remember where to turn on her brights, she gasped as she saw a figure in the road. She slowed down, wondering what was going on. It was a man and he stared at them, tilting his head.
What is this nonsense?
She was going to ask what he was doing, turning towards her door handle and opening it slightly. She gasped and slammed her door shut as he began to run towards them. He was running so fast, his eyes widening with a crazed look on his face. Joan slammed on the brakes, the car skidding over what she hoped wasn't black ice. She was able to gain control of the car, careful as Vera was startled awake.
“What happened?” She asked anxiously.
“I saw someone in the road.”
“What? Out here? We're in the middle of nowhere...”
“I know, and he ran towards the car. He looked deranged...”
Her heart was beating faster, but she told herself to calm down so she could deal with this. The man was nowhere to be seen. She pressed forward on the gas pedal, feeling the car making a jerking movement onto the road. Quickly stopping the car, she opened the door as she stepped out. She inspected the road and her tires, and Joan didn't often feel dread but she did then when she saw several nails on the road. Her tires were flat, and she wasn't sure if all four were affected, but definitely one was. She walked over to the other front wheel and saw one nail inside it too.
These were left deliberately... it's a trap.
Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she quickly went to the back of her car and grabbed a first aid kit, some food, and flashlights. She opened the passenger side and Vera stared up at her wide eyed.
“Joan, what are you doing?”
“Someone put nails in the road. I sense foul play and I have a feeling if we stay out in the middle of the road for too long, we may end up dead.”
Vera breathed faster, wheezing as she tried to catch her breath. Joan recognized a panic attack coming and grabbed the smaller woman's shoulders.
“Vera, you're with me and we'll be okay. But you're going to have to listen to everything I tell you, do you understand?”
Vera touched her chest, trying to breathe and Joan cupped her cheek, staring into her eyes. “Slow breaths. I will keep you safe, do you hear me?”
Vera's breathing was still labored, but it was starting to slow as she blinked and nodded at Joan. “What do we have to do?”
“We can't stay here, Vera. Going on foot would be best right now, and we need to find some shelter.”
“But it's freezing and it's so dark! Even you have to be afraid that we'll be killed by the elements out here!”
Joan had went through very many stressful situations in her life, and she always tried to be prepared for them no matter how she felt. She couldn't let fear paralyze Vera... or her.
“I won't let us die out here. You're going to have to trust me,” Joan said seriously. She handed Vera a flashlight and grabbed a map. The woman looked scared and unsure of herself, looking back at Joan and the car.
“Are you sure we shouldn't stay here?”
Joan's nostrils flared as she felt her impatience growing; gritting her teeth while she counted to ten. Grabbing Vera's gloved hand, she felt an odd warmth as the woman looked up at her. It was the first time she'd ever held her hand. She pulled Vera into the woods, turning on her flashlight as they began to walk. It had finally stopped snowing, but it was at least two feet of snow. Glancing down at Vera, the smaller woman was trying not to panic again and Joan squeezed her hand.
As they moved in the woods, Joan thought she heard a strange sound and stopped, pulling Vera close to her. She had the distinct, uneasy feeling they were being watched.
It was going to be a very long night.