Unchained

Part Seven

The end of the line… both Hank and Kara get what they deserve…

A/N: Thanks for hanging in there with me, Folks!

It was two weeks after Henshaw's little stunt, and he was being held under charges of drug dealing, assault and attempted murder. Alex and Kara couldn't have been happier, especially now that Lena had let them know that she'd managed to get a quick court date for Kara by pulling some strings through a judge who owed her a favor.

Alex and Kara were sitting together on the couch in Alex's office, talking quietly, when JJ tapped on the door and stepped inside. "Miss Luthor to see you, Warden," she said.

Kara's eyes widened as a woman with striking green eyes, dark hair and a pale, beautiful face strode into the office, briefcase in hand.

Alex got up and crossed the room to meet her friend, hugging her hard and then kissing her cheek. "I missed you, Luthor."

Lena beamed back at her. "I missed you too, Sweetheart." Then she looked over at Kara and moved closer, offering her hand.

Alex grinned at her girlfriend. "Kara, this is Lena. She and I served together in Iraq and we've been close friends ever since."

The prisoner eased her way up from the couch and shook the lawyer's hand with a smile. "Wow, Danvers," Lena chuckled. "You weren't kidding. She's gorgeous." Kara's eyebrows shot up and she blushed a little. "Sorry, Kara," the lawyer grinned. "I'm just thrilled that my friend here is finally in love with someone other than me," she joked making Alex blush and roll her eyes. "It's an absolutely pleasure to meet you."

"You too," the blonde replied. "I can't thank you enough for taking my case."

"Darling, your being in here is bullshit," Lena replied succinctly. "If I can get your sentence overturned, I'm going to file for damages for you too."

"What do you think my chances are?" Alex came over to them and indicated the couch. Kara and Lena sat down next to each other.

"I don't like to predict the outcome of any case," Lena said slowly. "But, let me just say that I'd be more than a little surprised if it wasn't overturned. Especially since I've already found Siobhan Smythe and served her with a subpoena. She WILL testify to what she knows."

Kara sucked in a breath and nodded, wrapping her arms around herself as hurt etched her face. She slowly got up and went to the window, looking out over the exercise yard and watching her friends playing basketball.

Lena looked at Alex and indicated Kara with her eyes. Alex nodded and got up to move behind the blonde and wrap her arms gently around her waist. "I know she hurt you in unimaginable ways but... do you still love her?" she asked quietly.

Kara sighed and looked down as she searched inside herself for an honest answer. "A tiniest part of me... maybe," she finally replied. She turned then in Alex's arms, pressing her hands against the warden's hips and looking into her eyes. "The whole rest of me loves you."

Lena smiled and looked down as Alex's fingertips stroked down Kara's neck over her tattoo. Then she kissed her forehead. "Good," she murmured. "And you won't have to face her alone. I'll be right in that court room with you."

Lena opened her briefcase then and held up a picture. "Kara, do you recognize this guy?"

The prisoner moved back to the couch and sat down to take the picture and examine it. Her brow creased into a little frown. "Yeah, I do," she said. "He's Siobhan's older brother, Killian. I only met him once or twice, but he looks a lot like her."

"He has a record," the lawyer went on. "He did a few years for robbery back in twenty-thirteen and I suspect he went right back to his thieving ways after he got out."

"I had no idea," Kara said angrily as she waved the picture. "So, the logical train of thought is to suspect that Siobhan got the ring from him. Which means she HAD to have known that the goddamn thing was stolen!"

Alex's hands fisted in her lap, but she didn't say anything.

Lena nodded unhappily. "I'm not sure what her intentions were, and I won't know that 'til I interview her. Maybe it just never occurred to her that the jeweler might call the cops."

The blonde sighed. "I get that," she said. "But she left me to take the blame and I can never forgive her for that." She leaned back into Alex, resting her hand on the warden's thigh and needing the comfort of her touch.

The lawyer sighed and got up. "Ok, Ladies, trial date is set for two weeks from now. I'll have everything tied up with a neat bow by then, don't you worry."

Alex got up and hugged her friend again. "See you soon," she said. "Be safe, Lee."

"You too... both of you," Lena replied and then quickly made her way out the door.

Alex watched her go, startling a little as Kara's arms came around her waist. "Does a tiniest part of you still love her?"

The warden nodded. "But the whole rest of me loves you."

Xx

Kara had missed four weeks of exercise due to her injuries but still, her grey pantsuit and white shirt were too loose when she put them on her trim body, the final day of the retrial. Lena had done an incredible job of meticulously placing the evidence in front of the judge and Kara had made it through Siobhan's testimony by concentrating on Alex's presence behind her. She'd sat with her head held high as her ex-fiancée floundered through the lawyer's questions, unable to meet Kara's eyes at all.

The blonde looked in the mirror, almost not recognizing herself out of her prison blues. Sue, Andrea and Megan were watching her silently as the other Hornets waited outside the shower room. Kara pushed her long hair back behind her ears and took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders and trying to settle her nerves. Then she turned around and held her arms out from her sides.

"How do I look?"

"Beautiful," Megan replied with a smile as she willed back tears.

"Delicious," Sue chuckled. "And terrified."

"Kara," the older woman added. "If everything goes your way, this could be the last time we see you."

"No," the blonde replied, reaching up to wipe tears from her face. Then she drew her three best friends into her arms for a group hug. "Even if I do get out, I'll miss you and I'll come visit, I promise." She chuckled then. "Otherwise, I'll see you at dinner." She saw Officer Jones come to the door then, waddling slightly.

"Ready to go, Miss Zorel?"

"Yes, I'm ready." With another deep breath, Kara left her friends and walked out into the corridor. The Hornets hugged her and wished her well as she slowly moved down the hallway.

"If I don't come back," Kara said. "You all listen to Sue and Megan. They'll be in charge."

At the end of the corridor, next to the security door, Alex was waiting to see her off. Kara would be transported in a prison van and she'd meet her at the courthouse like she had the last couple of days. The prisoner paused as she met the warden's eyes. Then she raised her voice a little as she held out her hand. "Warden Danvers, in case I don't see you again, thank you for the kindness you've shown me and all the other women here. It's been a pleasure and my honor to work with you."

"Thank you, Miss Zorel, you too," the warden replied a smile. "Now get going. You don't want to be late."

"Yes, Ma'am," the blonde agreed, and she allowed herself to be cuffed and led to the van as she felt Alex's eyes following her. The door slid shut and Officer Benedict helped her with her seatbelt, smiling at her.

"You're getting out, Kara," he said quietly. "I just know it."

"Thanks, Mr. Benedict," she replied with a smile. "But I'm not getting my hopes up until I hear the judge say it."

The drive to the courthouse took just under an hour and Kara just watched the scenery go by. At least, if she wasn't freed, she'd have this to remember, to get her through the rest of her sentence. Lena was waiting for her at intake and, as Benedict took her cuffs off, she smiled widely.

"Today's the day, Kara," she said. "How do you feel?"

"Scared shitless," the blonde replied shakily.

The lawyer laughed softly. "That's exactly what Alex said. She's in the gallery, waiting for us." Lena squeezed Kara's shoulder as the bailiff opened the door and escorted them up the stairs to the courtroom.

Alex stood as they entered, and Kara squeezed her hand as she passed and then took her chair as a door across the room opened and the judge entered. "All rise," the bailiff said. "Court is in session. The Honorable Judge Catherine Grant presiding." Everyone stood and waited until Judge Grant had seated herself and indicated for everyone to take their seats with an impatient wave of her hand.

"Well," she began. "Nice to see you out of those prison overalls, Miss Zorel," she said with a smile as she opened a file in front of her. "Since this is a bench trial, I feel obliged to tell you that, if I had tried this case in the first place, I would have had a hard time coming to a decision other than guilty based on the original evidence."

Kara looked down, twisting her fingers together anxiously as she began to fear the worst.

"However," Judge Grant went on. "The disgraceful lack of evidence back then and the astonishing new evidence this time around are polar opposites. I've been through everything and I wanted to provide a quick verdict because, quite frankly, Miss Zorel, your conviction fourteen months ago was a staggering miscarriage of justice."

Kara held her breath and she heard Alex suck in a breath too as they bailiff asked the courtroom's occupants to rise. Kara's legs were shaking so hard that she wasn't sure they'd hold her up.

"So, Miss Zorel, without making you wait any longer, I hereby vacate all charges against you. You are free to go with deepest apologies from the State of California. AND, in addition, I hereby issue a bench warrant for Siobhan and Killian Smythe. They will answer for what they did to you, Miss Zorel, I can promise you that." Judge Grant slammed her gavel down. "Next case!"

"Thank you, Your Honor," Kara said and then laughed as Lena grabbed her into a hug, returning it with as much fervor. Then she turned to Alex, smiling gently as she saw tears spilling down her cheeks. The warden slowly stood and reached out her arms across the low barrier and Kara hopped over it to crush her in a hug that stole the breath from both of them. Then they exchanged a lingering kiss and pressed their foreheads together, just reveling in the moment of Kara's freedom.

"Oh My God," the blonde whispered. "I'm… I'm free."

"Yes, My Love, you are," Alex replied on a laugh. "Free forever."

Then Lena was putting her hand on Alex's back. "Let's go, Guys. We need to vacate the courtroom."

Hand in hand, Alex and Kara headed down the aisle ahead of her and stepped out into the hallway. Kara rubbed distractedly at her wrist and Alex chuckled. "No more handcuffs."

"Right," Lena agreed. Then she faced them with a smile. "So, what happens now?" she asked.

"We go home," Alex replied, bringing Kara's hand to her lips. "Together… if that's ok? I mean… I get it if you want to stay at a hotel or something…"

"Alex," Kara chuckled. "While I didn't want to assume anything and hell, we should have talked about this beforehand… but I was really hoping I could stay with you."

"Me too," the warden replied. Then she looked at her friend. "Lena, I can't thank you enough for what you've done for us."

"It was my pleasure," the lawyer replied. "Right now, I have to go finish the paperwork to legally make you a free woman. Hey, let's get together and have dinner during the week ok?"

"Ok," Kara grinned. "I can't wait."

"Take care, You Two," Lena added over her shoulder as she headed off down the corridor.

Xx

"It's not huge, but it's home," Alex said as she led Kara by the hand through the front door of her loft. The blonde was carrying some bags of new clothes, underwear and other basics that Alex had bought for her. It would take a few days for Kara's possessions to be returned and her bank account unfrozen.

"It's the most beautiful place I've been in over a year," Kara chuckled as she looked around the large open space that was so intrinsically Alex. "And there are no bars."

To the right was the kitchen with a high-top table and chairs. To the left was the living room area, with a comfortable looking oversized couch and a TV. Further down to the right was a door that Kara assumed was a bathroom and at the end was a set of double doors that were standing open to reveal a bedroom complete with king-sized bed.

"So, um… you can take the bed and I… I can take the couch if you want. I know… I know this is a lot and…" But Alex's words were abruptly cut off when Kara fisted her hand in the front of her shirt and pushed her backwards, her eyes full of something the warden had only seen brief flashes of before. Then they were in the bedroom and Kara's tongue was in her mouth and she groaned deep in her chest, forgetting the couch in an instant.

"Did you really think I'd want you to sleep apart from me?" the blonde asked roughly. Then she frowned and took a half-step back. "Wait… Do… do YOU actually want to sleep… I mean… look… I get it if…"

"Kara, shut up," Alex growled as she captured her girlfriend's lips in a searing kiss, threading her fingers into her blonde hair and groaning into her mouth as Kara's hands landed on her ass and she slotted her thigh between the brunette's. The warden's lips traced a path along the blonde's jawline and up to her ear. "I feel like I might explode if I don't touch you right now."

Kara groaned as Alex pushed her jacket off her shoulders onto the floor and then lifted her shirt off over her head to fling it aside. The blonde's skin was already on fire and she threaded her fingers into the warden's hair as Alex placed open mouthed kisses down her neck, only to pause and suck gently at her pulse point. Gentle fingertips grazed reverently down Kara's spine to the small of her back and Alex pressed them impossibly closer as she fitted their thighs together again and rocked against her.

Kara was utterly lost in sensation she hadn't felt in way too long, her breathing coming harder as she fisted her hands in Alex's shirt again and guided her back to her mouth, sweeping her tongue inside and licking at its roof. The brunette groaned and her hips jerked forward as Kara's hands flattened on her chest and moved lower to palm her breasts. "Take this off," she whispered as she grasped the hem of the shirt and lifted it off over Alex's head, immediately going back to her lips as her hands moved back to her bra-covered chest. She smiled as her own bra catch suddenly popped open and the material was swept down her arms and away onto the floor somewhere.

Alex gasped at the beauty of her lover's body and her hands ran down Kara's sides over her rib cage, mindful of her still healing bruises as she leaned down and captured the blonde' breast in her mouth. She swirled her tongue around the swelling bud of flesh at its center and Kara shuddered, groaning as the sensation sent lightning bolts right to her core and the insistent throbbing between her thighs made her back up toward the bed, drawing Alex with her.

The brunette whimpered at the momentary loss of contact, but Kara soothed her as she relieved her of her bra and pressed their bodies together skin to skin. She grinned then as she tumbled them onto the bed and lay of top of Alex, going back to her lips to kiss her senseless as she pushed her thigh down hard against her sex.

"Oh God," Alex groaned as Kara eased the brunette's left hand over her head and laced their fingers together, using it for balance as she pushed her thigh down hard into her lover again. "Kara..." This time, the brunette's hips rolled up on the blonde's down thrust and Kara gasped as her own center responded happily. She shifted slightly and Alex's leg hooked around hers as their lips met and they increased their pace, pushing hard into each other and groaning at the delicious friction. Alex's face and chest were flushed with arousal and her brown eyes shimmered with emotion as Kara looked down at her tenderly. "Please don't stop," she whispered and the blonde nodded hard, reaffirming her grip on her lover's hand and kissing her again.

Probing fingers skittered down Kara's back, making her gasp into Alex's mouth and she redoubled her efforts, speeding their rhythm as it became impossible to maintain any further control, and her breath came in sharp, ragged pants. But when Alex leaned up and nipped sharply at her pulse point, Kara cried out and her hips stuttered hard, her grip tightening to almost painful on her lover's hand as she came hard.

The look of ecstasy on Kara's face and the hard pressing down of her thigh in just the right spot sent Alex over the edge right after her and her free hand gripped hard onto Kara's shoulder as she shuddered beneath her. They stayed there for a long moment, letting the waves of pleasure and aftershocks wash over them until Kara finally let herself relax onto her lover's chest, kissing Alex's throat softly as the brunette's arms and legs wrapped tightly around her.

"Is... is this ok?" the blonde asked shakily. "I'm not too heavy, am I?"

But Alex just hugged her harder. "Don't move," she said softly, needing Kara's weight to ground her. Otherwise, she felt she might float away on a haze of afterglow.

"You're so beautiful, Alex," the blonde murmured into the quiet stillness of the room. "And so strong and amazing. I was lying to myself thinking that I could have stayed away from you in that place. You're the woman of my dreams."

The warden chuckled softly as she unwrapped her legs from Kara's waist and eased them over on their sides facing each other. "Me too," she replied softly, running her fingertip slowly down the blonde's nose. "I couldn't stop thinking about you. Watching you playing basketball or lifting weights made me weak at the knees."

"Oh yeah?" the blonde said with a sexy grin as she traced her fingertips down Alex's chest and over her stomach to the button of her pants. She eased the brunette onto her back and captured her own bottom lip between her teeth, eyes widening in playful surprise as she popped the button open. Alex's breath caught at the sight of those blue, blue eyes full of need gazing back at her. "I had this fantasy of coming to your office and… bending you over your desk." Kara said as she slowly pulled down the zipper and let her fingertips slip under the waistband of Alex's underwear. "And when I put my hand on you, you were always so ready for me." She slid her fingers lower, easing through soft down until they slipped into silken wetness that made her close her eyes and swallow hard. "Just like you are now."

"Fuck, Kara," Alex gasped out as the blonde's middle finger dipped between her folds and barely grazed her swollen flesh.

"Mmmmmmm..." Kara agreed happily. "That's exactly what I was thinking." She helped Alex to shimmy out of her pants and underwear and kick them off the bed. "I was also thinking that I have no curfew…" She let her fingers explore a little more and Alex's hips arched up, seeking more contact. "No nighttime count…" She slowly pushed two fingers inside her lover, and the brunette moaned loudly. "No lockdown." Kara leaned over to tease Alex's lips with the tip of her tongue. "Do you know what that means?" she asked as she pulled back and then thrusted deeper inside her, sucking her lover's earlobe into her mouth and nibbling softly.

Alex just shook her head, words and pretty much thought in general stolen from her as faster thrusts sent liquid fire through her body.

"It means…" Kara went on slowly as she circled the brunette's clit with her thumb. "I can go." She thrusted harder, finding that ridge inside Alex and curling her fingers to caress it. "ALL…" She pushed deep again swirling her thumb faster around and around the swollen bundle of nerves and smiling as Alex's hand clamped down on her arm as she whimpered loudly. "NIGHT." One last thrust and press of her thumb and Alex flew over the precipice with a joyous cry of pleasure, her grip leaving fingermarks on the blonde's arm as she quaked beneath her. Kara slowly caressed the brunette's face as she watched her soar… and then slowly come back to earth to start breathing again. "I love you," she whispered. "So much."

She rested her head on Alex's chest, listening as her thundering heartbeat began to slow and her breathing eased into a more regular rhythm.

"I love you too," the brunette's whispered, caressing Kara's hair as she felt tears run from the corners of her own eyes into the soft hair at her temples.

Xx

It was close to three in the morning when Alex woke, pleasantly sated from their hours of lovemaking, but she frowned when she realized she was alone in bed and sat up, looking sleepily around the room. "Kara?" she called out.

"In the living room," the blonde called back.

Alex slipped into t-shirt and shorts and moved out into the open space to find her lover sitting in the padded window seat, arms wrapped around her upraised knees and chin resting on them as she gazed out the window at the city skyline. She was dressed in one of Alex's oversized t-shirts and it made the brunette smile as she moved to her and caressed her back gently. "Feeling ok?" she asked.

"Yeah," Kara replied with a smile as she looked at her. "Just trouble getting to sleep. Too quiet." She shrugged and let her gaze fall back out over the city. "I got used to sleeping through constant noise."

"Are you tired, Sweetheart? Do you want to sleep?"

Kara nodded. "Yeah," she replied on a soft exhalation.

Alex smiled and held out her hand. "I think I know something that might help."

"Ok." Kara nodded as she took the brunette's hand willingly and she smiled as Alex led her to the couch. She lay down and then pulled the blonde down on top of her and they squirmed around a little 'til they settled on their sides, comfortably pressed together. Alex grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, setting the volume low and then she pulled a blanket down from the back of the couch to cover them against the chill of the air conditioning.

She felt her lover exhale and relax against her, hand fisted in Alex's shirt as her breath ghosted across her chest and slowly evened out. "Thank you, Alex," Kara murmured. "Thank you for understanding."

The brunette stroked her girlfriend's hair gently and whispered to her. "Sleep well, Honey. I love you."

She felt the brush of lips against the hollow of her throat.

"I love you too."

The End.