A.N: I haven't written Feenris in literal years, but I wanted to give them some love again, even if it's been a while. My writing's improved a lot since then, too. Please enjoy this first chapter!

Chapter One: Free (But Alone)

"It's time to go, Hawthorne."

Iris gave a somber nod, exiting her cell with a pained look in her eyes. Her black eyes were empty, holding back the tears. She could see the exit, but she couldn't forget the pain.

"Ha! Looks like the princess bitch is getting out! Seems like it pays off to lick boots!"

"I woulda sucked more dicks if I'd known it would get me out faster!"

"You're lucky I ain't gonna be here to kick your ass some more, you little cunt!"

Laughs were heard around the prison halls, and while Iris tried not to let them get to her, every bruise on her body, every cigarette mark on her skin, ached like hell.

"Shut it. If you ever wanna get out of here, I suggest the lot of you act more like she did," the prison guard told the laughing inmates. He turned towards Iris and gave her a disapproving stare. "Hurry it up, Hawthorne. I haven't got all day, either."

Spending four years in prison had been the worst thing that had ever happened in her life, bar none. At first, she had lots of visits, making it bearable. More importantly, she had friends there to protect her. But ever since Diego Armando's execution and Lana Skye's release, she had been effectively alone inside those dark walls.

Make-up was her only way to hide the marks on her body. The last thing she wanted was for her visiting friends to worry about her and ask too many questions. She figured she had caused them enough trouble already.

She should have been happy that this was all over, of course, but she wasn't. In the last four years, there had only been a couple of times she had been able to smile genuinely. Every time she tried to smile, the trauma of being beaten seeped into her mind to curse her.

Even now, she could feel her every bone being kicked ruthlessly. And what for? Because she was too good a prisoner for the bunch of good-for-nothing idiots the other inmates were.

She could feel the guards' sympathy, but there was nothing they had really done to stop all of this from happening. As a result, Iris grimaced and took the hits, hoping for dear life that she would be spared the next day.

The rumors about her didn't inflict even a tenth of the pain of being the prison ward's punching bag.

"There. I doubt you'll ever come back here, but I suggest you don't, Hawthorne," the guard told her as they reached the exit. "Well, goodbye. Shame none all of these assholes are like you."

Without another word, the guard turned around and closed the door behind her. This left the young woman with nothing but a small suitcase containing her clothes and personal belongings. Not that this accounted for much, mind you.

The smallest of smiles appeared on her lips. At least, somebody was waiting for her. There hadn't been a day during her stay in prison when she had not thought about that man.

Iris knew it was wishful thinking, but she hoped he would welcome her with a hug in his arms. She knew there wouldn't be a medicine more effective than that for her.

She rolled her suitcase out of the penitentiary, looking up to the clear sky with a neutral expression. This was freedom. For the first time in too many years, Iris was finally free. There weren't any loose ends to tie up anymore.

There weren't any plots to stop, no murders to prevent, no trials to go through.

At last, this was an opportunity for a new beginning.

But she was alone.

There was no one to greet her. There wasn't anyone here, waiting for her with open arms, whispering reassuring words in her ear.

Her eyes filled with sadness as she realized that she may have been free, but she was also all alone.

She had told only one person of her release date, not wanting to bother more people than necessary. His voice was still clear as day in her mind: "I'll be there! Things have been tough recently, but I'll be there for sure."

As it turns out, there was no one for her. Iris knew her friends weren't just waiting around a corner with "SURPRISE!" banners and confetti, either.

And perhaps even more than when she was incarcerated, she felt lonely. There wasn't anyone by her side in this whole wide world. Even her savior had abandoned her, which, in her mind, was something he should have done long ago.

She wasn't worth the trouble, and Iris realized he had finally realized that himself. It hurt, of course, but she took a couple of steps and didn't let it bother her.

But tears filled her eyes, and she realized it hurt way more than she tried to convince herself. It wasn't the physical kind of pain anymore; it wasn't her fellow inmates beating her.

It was a much more wicked pain: that of the emotional kind.

The skies suddenly darkened, and rain began to fall, ruining her already messy face and hair as she stood there helplessly. For the first time in forever, she wished she could have this umbrella, even if it wasn't really hers.

For the first time in forever, Iris wished for the world to give her a break. Perhaps she didn't deserve it, but she definitely needed it.

After all, she was free, but what did that mean… when you are all alone?

To be continued…

A.N: I dunno how long this'll be, as it's only a side project of mine, but it had been too long since I had last written them. Please note that this story will have some pretty dark moments. My first few AA stories were all fun and games, but I want to expand on that and write something different now. Well, anyway, I hope you liked this first chapter. Please leave a review, and I hope you all have a nice day.