Later tonight

Every inmate was already gathered in its own ward for extra good night sleep as the common room is closed until the next morning, due to Jude's order.

Jude was desolated in her dim light office as almost every late evening as she was praying, holding her rosary beads up, bowing her head. A prayer before to strip her habit off her body and to release her mane of golden curls from the wool, tiresome wimple, hence, hop up in her bed.

The night, itself, was beyond serene and mystic. Some inmates' wails could be heard, coming from whether the women or men's wing wards, in fact, experiencing pain and sorrow, or rather the common insomnia. The insomnia was such an infectious epidemya, diffusing inside the madhouse like plague especially amidst inmates, guards and some nuns as well.

"God, come to my assistance.Lord make haste to help me.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son," She inhaled before the prayer as the blonde commenced reciting fluently as her voice sounded like a whisper. "and the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,
world without end." All of a sudden a door tap interrupted her as she opened her eyes, tilting her head, still grasping the rosary beads, evoking plainly. "Yes?"

In the meantime, the door opened as Frank stepped up in her office, shutting the door.

"Sistah Jude, what a tough day!" The former cop stood against her desk as abided in serious pose as their eyes met, locking up her hazel orbs.

"Yeah, Frank! Even overwhelming for some of us." Jude uttered, gesturing with a hand to the security guard to have a seat.

"It depends in which case you mean overwhelming, Sister." He furthered pragmatically as he sat on the chair, following his favorite sister's instructions.

"Well, Frank, just call me Jude or Judy, okay?" She enquired as the nun, herself, was fed up of being addressed formally. Let's not forget her friendship with Frank was not only stable and potent, but also they were getting along pretty well as friends as much as her fondness with Timothy.

Meanwhile the former cop just nodded, agreeing to call her with her usual name instead of formally.

"Good! Frank, I need to tell ya something which I have determined since today," The former promiscuous nightclub singer exhaled sharply, clearing her throat, placing her petite hands on her hardwood, lacquered desk, adorned with a couple of sorted patients' files in alphabet order with her pair of regular eyeglasses. "You promise to not spread the word all over Briarcliff even telling Mary Eunice and the others about it, okay?" In this moment, Frank nodded enthusiastically. "Alright! After you left with Stanley, the Monsignor and I discussed something exceedingly conclusive. We have decided from tomorrow to sign off the church and move in Pennsylvania, living somewhere in the countryside due to our own reason." She carried on, explaining her motive to flee the church and Briarcliff from tomorrow.

"Oh!" He cried astounded as his mouth was mildly agape. It hit him like an unpredictable storm, shaking off with its lighting bolts the ground. Furthermore, the security guard, himself, didn't like Timothy at all, perceiving him as a possessive man, hankering for power and glory. Nonetheless, Frank forbear to disparage about the juvenile, aspiring priest since he kept his wits about him and Jude, acknowledging how much she loved Timothy and had potent, accursed feelings for him. "It's so abrupt, Jude! Why do you plan to leave the church even this place?"

"It's complicated. I mean...the thrill chimed us to take our lives in much different directions and achieve happiness instead of becoming a Mother Superior with Pope by her side in Rome." She paused as the holy woman inhaled in fatigued manner. "If you know what do I actually mean."

"Of course, I do!" A coy, sympathetic smile honed in the corner of his lips. "It's up to both of ya whether to leave or not, nevertheless, I am surprised, Jude!" The security guard declared as the bombshell bashed him straight away, trapped in the spiderwebs of unaccountable content for his friend, whereas on other hand, he was heartbroken because he should say farewell to her within hours or probably now before the morning after.

Frank, himself, liked and felt inexplicable thrill for the stern nun as more than a friend and boss. He appreciated her as he was her employer and friend, on whose should she can cry on anytime just like Timothy too though it was oblivious for the former cop she wasn't feeling the same adrenaline rush as much as his at all. Jude has never had any redolent of romance feelings for him, even more Frank playing a protagonist in her sexual evening dreams and envisaging his caresses, and touches circulating from her upper body to her lower one and vice versa. In addition to her erotica dreams, she would never imaging the electroshock of his touches and caresses to pleasure her as much as Timothy's ones.

"I know how abrupt it's, Frank! However, I am going to have a fresh start in the life." She proceed with the details, placing her sweaty hands which caressed old, rusty keys for wards and variety of rooms even a couple of varnished, wooden canes for whipping insubordinate patients, coated in dew of perspiring coat, coating them in liquid glint. The rosary beads rested on the hardwood desk. Untouched. "At least, some things in my life will be improved and I will be really happy woman once I move on."

"At least, I am content by the way you think about the fresh start that awaits you in a matter of hours, while," He paused as he coughed instinctively, reluctantly in the same time. "On the contrary, I am going to miss you very much, Jude! It's such a pity it might be our final minutes together before to leave for Pennsylvania." Frank wasn't keen fan of prying in somebody's business, nonetheless, since his friendship with his boss was exceedingly puissant and sterling, he wanted to figure out what were her exact intentions behind her steep, strange decision. "Jude?"

"Yes, Frank?"

"What are these intentions of fleeing in Pennsylvania with the Monsignor after resigning from the church?" The middle-aged man posed the question seriously as a sapient replication was impending to be heard. He smelled something between the nun and the priest which was uncommon phenomenon, besides he couldn't help, anyhow supporting them as a fond bond anytime. He kept his wits about them as he was aware how Jude was enamored of Timothy. Déjà vu was for him.

"Oh, Frank!" The middle-aged woman sighed, opting to sort her mind what she should reply, in account for the words which might imprint in Frank's mind for the rest of his days when he sees the both pious, indisputably devoted members of the clergy no longer roaming around the nuthouse for criminally insane. Furthermore, she might feel guilty conscience once if she intersperse the incorrect words for this arduous question. Her hazel orbs frequently blinking in jittery manner. "I don't want to betray Timothy but we will live peacefully in his owned cottage in Pennsylvania, besides you should guess what!" Suddenly Frank's sapphire irises widened in awe, hardly realizing what his friend was being awaited by her for the rest of her life.

"What is it?" The security guard asked though little did he know he will epicly fail in sampling to guess. In the meantime, he removed his cap to scratch his head, his fingertips tipping his grayish, mildly shaggy hair.

"He not only asked me to come with him in Pennsylvania, but also," Her eyelids were waterlogged, almost joyous tears to stream down her face of sheer happiness. Rare tears which she has almost never weeped ever in her life. Jude sniffled, unable to control her overwhelming emotions and feelings which she experienced today. They were a little too much for her. "He proposed me to become his wife." Frank was pleasantly staggered by the nun's words which melted his heart. On one hand, he was tremendously content for her to flee Briarcliff and spend a harmonic life with Timothy, whereas, at any rate, Frank was concerned for her and endured the commotions of fierce zealousy, cooking inside him. All he's capable of to advise Jude and not intervene in her life as an intruder. He loved her as a friend, of course! He wanted to protect her from the godawful hunches and prejudices that might affect her life, leading her towards the inexorable darkness, where she doesn't belong as well.

Jude's hushing sniffles sailed up in her office as Frank got from the chair and hared up at her right side, wiping her tears as he took one of her petite, creamy hands into his larger, secure, astoundingly smooth one, ensuring her comfort, platonic affection. He leant down as he was sitting on her desk, shushing to the sister of the church:

"Jude, you shouldn't be desperate! I am rather so happy for both of you will escape the misery there." He paused as Jude looked up at his face as their eyes met, locked up her gaze. "But take my piece of advice, in case, if one day something atrocious happens."

"I am not desperate. I am blissful about that." She whispered through swarm of shed tears, sliding down her pale, tear stained complexion. "I am listening!" She insisted to hear Frank's advice, refraining to argue with him blandly.

"Do not allow your impulse to reign your hopes, Judy!"

***

Later on

As the en-suite bedroom sank in ebony overspreading in the room as the gleaming moonlight dispersed through the tiny wall window, was the sole light source, partly illuminating the shadows that cloaked everywhere, the almost ex-nun struggled with slumbering as the paranoid thoughts of the day after which awaited her were irrepressible not only for her, moreover for her mind. No man had the courage to propose her and flabbergast her as if she was a schoolgirl unlike Timothy.

On one hand, the former nightclub singer was happy she's going to have a fresh start with the man she has longed for to flee the church together a couple of years ago without turning their backs anymore as they were destined to be along. On other hand, little did she know what she'd expect in the future if they marry from now on and be together for years as a couple. She would expect "pink", merry years with the man of the cloth for ethereal eternity, overlooking Frank's piece of advice he gave her earlier tonight since he wasn't fond of the Monsignor at all. Years which are going to compensate of the morbid heartbreaks, loneliness, sorrow and lacking love and warmness. Years she would wish to last for eternity as a candle of light, completely illuminating the darkness where she was trapped and disoriented. Judy didn't think about her friend's advice about her impulse to accept Timothy's proposal and flee together in Pennsylvania, because one day it might turn he will be right and the almost former sister of the Roman Catholic church will profoundly, remorsely regret her decision when it's too late and recall years prior when she earned the security guard's wise counsil.

***

The next morning

The blonde woke up in the wee hours of the morning, relishing the final moments of listening the chirping birds, jingling hallowed hymns in her ears behind Briarcliff's monotonous, gray walls by storing her belongings and stuff just an hour before fleeing for better life with the love of her life in another state, far away from Boston, where she collected whether wonderful or otherwise horrible memories.

On one hand, one of her best memories she might keep of this small city for the rest of her life is actually her first phenomenal encounter with the younger priest, collaborating along and sharing a remarkable, private Friday coq-au-vin dinners. On other hand, the haunting memories she has already collected from Boston were of her Stygian past. A past of heartbreaks, limbo, darkness, melancholy. Ghosts of the past, roaming circa Massachusetts where she might no longer reside there for good.

She got dressed up swiftly in her clerical attires which she's going to be clothed in for final time before resigning formally of the church with her boss. Her agitation resembled an ordinary schoolgirl's one as she could no longer be patient to descend the mental institution's massive stone stairs with her baggage and Timothy by her side. Her heart elatedly hammered in chest frail ribs, incarnating her indisputable exhilaration as well.

As she was in the middle of packing her garments and paraphernalia, she hummed an eloquent, melodious tune for herself, remembering one of her favorite songs which she used to sing once back in her youth. It was so contagious so that she discreetly relished it, hearing her own muffled hum, diffusing in her en-suite bedroom.

When she concluded with storing her luggage in her suitcase, she tied a headscarf on her head so that to prevent a trouble by being spotted by some of the nuns, who were already awake.

Hence, she fled her old office by pacing up in the abysmal, almost endless hallways of the building until she descended the "Stairway to Heaven", imposing them with such ease by holding her sufficiently cram-full suitcase, her heels frequently clicking and overlooking the hysterically wailing patients, who were secured by the orderlies.

After she stepped on the first floor, the blonde passed through the double front doors of the madhouse, descended the massive stairs, ambling up to the waiting cab of Timothy as he waited for her outside for five minutes. He was uniformed in his clerical attires as it was his last time to wear them before resigning officially from the church by paying a visit to Father Malachi, his tutor.

"Good morning, Timothy!" Jude stepped beside Timothy as he took her elvish, white like vanilla hand, lifting it up to his mouth as he pecked a gentle kiss on her hand as her other hand was occupied with holding a suitcase. The middle-aged woman's face flushed, acquiring sanguine tingles that airbrushed it in brighter shades, due to her demureness and modesty.

"Good morning, Judy!" Afterwards he held her hand, fitting perfectly in his larger, smooth one, ensuring her comfort, fondness and warmness which she hankered to receive it during her years in the limbo. Genial smile flourished on his fresh, youthful face as he locked up her ethereal, brutally honest honey brown orbs. She gave him a coy smile, honed in the corner of her naturally rosy-coloured lips, illustrating her unarguable shyness, flowing from her. No man has treated her as an equal woman by treating her nicely unlike Timothy and her friend and former employer Frank.

Suddenly silence arched between the both pious members of the clergy as the younger man sensed something fishy in this moment. He didn't underestimate the moment to inquire his future wife:

"Is there anything wrong, rare bird?" His smile lingered In the corner of his lips, unable to fade away.

"Well, it's overwhelming. I didn't expect this bombshell at all."

"It's alright." In the meanwhile, their faces approached as he captured her mellow lips in a light, uxorious kiss as it lasted for seconds, shutting their eyes like blinds, relishing the remarkable moment until they broke off the kiss, withdrawing their faces with a couple of millimeters, admiring one another's facial features in awe. "Because it wasn't such an easy decision but since I am madly in love with you," He paused as their foreheads rested against each other, cupping her face in the palms of his mammoth hands after releasing her hand from his grip. The young holy man couldn't suppress the motion of rapidly growing smile upon his face as he untied her headscarf, holding it as he still cupped her cheeks. Admiring her unique grace. Once he removed the headscarf she wore for disguise, her mane of long old Hollywood golden curls descended down her upper back as its flower aroma reached his tender nostrils, toying with them as he couldn't resist inhaling its tempting fragrance. "I am more than determined to do anything so that to be with you, Judy! We should have fled this snake pit a long time ago."

"Better now rather than never, Timothy!" She whispered in velvety, feminine voice, ringing angelic anthems in his ears, soothing him. Swarm of butterflies invaded the sister of the church's stomach not only due to the first kiss, further, she fell even more in love with Timothy after the kiss and hearing his words after the kiss.

"You are right! I am more than ready to resign from the church with you and move on in the life."

They just smiled broadly, radiantly to each other, a temporary silence encompassed them as they couldn't contain merry chuckles, escaping their damp lips.

Jude was beyond flattered by Timothy's final decision of leaving the church so that to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loved from the bottom of his heart and more than anything, although the rough years of abstinence and celibacy.

All of a sudden, the broken ice loomed on the horizon.

"Ugh, guess what awaits us before our ultimate freedom!" The almost ex-priest sighed when he thought of his tutor Father Malachi since the elder priest wasn't fond of Timothy's favorite nun.

"I know." The middle-aged lady whispered very softly, blinking a couple of times as the thought of Father Malachi abruptly popped up in her head, anxiety resurfaced in her mind, flooded with abundance of prejudicial thoughts about the veteran member of the clergy who's going to consulate with her and Timothy for leaving outrightly the church. Spending their lives out of the church. Out of the devotional icons. Out of the chastity. Out of the ecclesiastical, rigid robes. Out of the vows which they once solemnly took them, without breaking them in contumacious manner. "At least, he will listen to our motives and we will be finally free, Timothy! I promise."

***

After driving a few hours up to Father Malachi, Timothy parked his cab in the free parking lot, located next to the other church, where it was encircled by a several of walking nuns and hardly priests.

Once they arrived in front of their target spot, they got from the car as they rambled up to the church's grandiose, tall polished hardwood doors as Jude panted uneasily, exceedingly eager to be no longer sister of the Roman Catholic church, while on other hand, she was tremendously agitated, flummoxed what might await her like a schoolgirl within a handful of minutes when she passes through the ginormous double doors and speaks in person with the veteran holy man.

Her pale complexion became promptly ruddy with each step they proceed to the hallowed façade. Pulsating heavily heart in her chest as its frequent heart beats escalated her self-consciousness.

Just before entering inside the church, they stopped as Timothy inspected his right hand's face, eyeing her concerned as his instincts and mind kept his wits about her current condition. The afflicting perturbation conquered each cell of hers which she possessed and functioned adequately.

Timothy's colossal, creamy hand reached up for hers, taking it into his as his thumb kneaded the back of her hand, looking up straightly into her magnetic, sapient hazel eyes.

"Are you alright, my Jude?"

"I think so." She replied plainly, sensing her heating cheeks as she evaded peeping right behind her how the surrounding nuns looked at the not far from former pious faces of the church.

"Everything's going to be alright. All you need is to relax and hopefully Father Malachi comprehends us." The younger man opted to reassure Jude, emboldening her spiritually and in general, without hesitancy.

A half an hour Jude and Timothy were inside the elder priest's office, negotiating about their final decision as they are formally no longer Sister Jude and Monsignor Timothy Howard, wearing their clerical, sacred titles which they used to.

Initially, Father Malachi was uninviting towards the blonde, due to the fact he knew about her dismal past. Nonetheless, once he heard the both sides why they pleased to flee the church's responsibilities and take their lives in different direction, subsequently he completely understood them as he put himself in their shoes, imagining if one day he fell in love during his priesthood and found his ideal soulmate, he found his urgent, vexing questions lastly answered.

What would he do if he was insanely in love with his colleague though the abstinence and the celibacy halted on their way for these years? What would be his decision when he craved for spending the rest of his life with his ideal partner? Is he going to leave the church for better and a fresh start?

First and foremost, Jude and Timothy were eventually regular citizens with their own rights and the entire freedom which the church restricted them from, besides with a couple of things along.

As soon as they jubilantly left the church, in spite of they were still dressed in their conservative, rigid church clothes, they were beyond euphoric for accomplishing liberty. Liberty from the vows. Liberty from celibacy.

Timothy had wrapped his arm around Jude's shoulder, his fingers faintly tipping the fabric of her wool habit, whilst he had his other arm under her thighs, holding her in a bridal lift as her arms were dangled around his neck, keeping her balance. Sparkling smiles flashed on their faces, due to excitement and the immense adventure that anticipated them.

Nuns still wandered around the church's territory as they unintentionally recognized Timothy, perceived him as a monsignor yet and found for undeniably odd how he held Jude, who didn't resemble a nun a lot as her wimple was missing on her head.

"I am so happy he listened to us and most of all," Jude chuckled raspily, gleefully, earning Timothy's gape as she locked up his chocolate eyes into her honey brown. "We are finally free. No more a sister and a Monsignor!" She furthered with her glorious utterance.

"I couldn't be happier he understood what's to take your life in much different direction." The former priest nuzzled against her nose as they giggled altogether.

"And now what are we going to do?"

"A lot of adventures await us, my future beautiful bride!" When he complimented her directly, she couldn't help but blush and chuckle bashfully, accepting his gracious words from the bottom of her fragile heart.

***

After Timothy drove off to a cafeteria to share his first real date with the love of his life, he parked in a free parking lot his pale blue cab, opening the back car's door for Jude, letting her to get from the car and he locked the car as they held their hands like a couple.

Once they arrived in the cafeteria as they seated outside, the sunrays dropping below, saturating their faces and figures by brightly framing their angelic, light-colored complexions, contrasting the dark garments they had still on themselves though they were no longer pious, devoted members of the clergy.

As soon as they took seats against each other and ordered for themselves ganache slices of cakes, followed by glasses of authentic red wine and potato salad, their orders didn't arrive earlier than a quarter an hour as they drowned themselves in profound, logical discussions in getting to know one another better. They had diversity of plans for today. Not only their first date in the cafeteria was a phenomenal idea, but also to hike around Boston, just moments before leaving for Pennsylvania and dwell in Timothy's owned cottage, located in the countryside.

They spoke, ate and drank, relishing the moment of being together as they weren't that close since their once a week Friday coq-au-vin dinners as they were crucially discussing about Briarcliff, their business and somewhat personal stuff unlike now as they possessed the freedom of talking about whatever they want.

"Timothy, you have no clue how bloody happy woman are you making now." She confessed sincerely, sipping from her glass of wine, savoring its mouth-watering sip, gushing down inside her body as she thrummed pleasantly after savoring its weak alcohol beverage's taste years after giving up the alcoholism and combating it until she found God and she forbade herself to touch even drink an alcoholic even the vaguest one ever again unless she isn't a nun anymore.

"Better think about the fantastic moments that await us!" He inhaled serenely, seconds before putting in his mouth a handful of potatoes from the potato salad, munching them. "You are going to even much happier than you think, Judy!" He carried on confidently as she bit her bottom lip.

"As you say," She stammered when she peeped down at his dexterous hand that delved in his slacks' pocket until he grabbed something in velvety red box as she couldn't take her eyes off it as soon as she witnessed the miracle, hopefully not dreaming and sinking in the reverie's world. "I guarantee you, Timothy, you are going to be one of the happiest men in this world."

"Since I have thought about this so much," Her hazel eyes escorted his hand that held the miniature red velvet box, containing something cryptic until it's opened and discovered by the person itself. All of a sudden, he left with his other hand his fork in his plate as it opened the compact box, leaking a brilliant, small diamond ring. "Judy Martin, I know how much do you mean to me as a person and woman who cared for me, loved me and makes me smile every time whenever I am with you, and you are filling my heart with nothing but unconditional love and warmness," Jude lost herself in the sight of the proposal ring that glistened past her flabbergasted hazel eyes, her mouth abided agape as her mind froze instantly. Bittersweet, howsoever, heavenly beatific tears betrayed to stream down her face of happiness as she finally waited for this moment to be a circumstance.

"Timothy, are you really," The former holy man cut her off as she was incapable of resuming her sentence, nonplussed gaped at the ring. At first, she thought he was mocking her for proposing her until he was beyond serious about it.

"Judy, do you want to marry me?"

"Of course, I do! More than anything I want to marry you." Then she stretched hand as the ring slipped on her fine, long finger, fitting ideally and suiting with her feminine, brittle nature she possessed. The blonde's joyous crystal tears tumbled down her cheeks. Her heart raced during the proposal's monologue. Consequently, he closed the velvet box as he put it back in his trousers' pocket, enjoying the sight of his content future wife's face and reaction. In the interim, she scrutinized the diamond ring, lowering down her eyes, gasping ecstatically. It was neither big, nor small. It was just perfect. "It's so beautiful, Timothy! I couldn't be more grateful for being part of your life and vice versa."

"It's not as beautiful as you, my rare bird!"

Then she emitted a mere chuckle as the younger man joined her, taking her hand with the ring on her finger and planting a gentle, loving kiss on her knuckles as she closed her eyes for a while, feeling like a Goddess as her heart molted. Jude's initial reaction for the proposal ring was a genuine paradise for Timothy himself. All he wanted was Judy to be fully satisfied as nothing else in this world mattered to him than his rare bird.