Disclaimer: You know the drill, I don`t own them ;)
Summary: Evidence, objection and a whole new ball-game.
A/N: Hi everyone! Help, lol, I have the feeling this turned out as long as the story so far. Again my greatest thanks to Pia, you know why my friend! (Everyone, check out the footnote after reading ;) and you`ll know too). I`m sorry it took me longer than expected, but here it finally is. Would love to find out what you think!
Week 5: THE FINALE
27th of May (Monday)
Courtney`s eyes twinkled at the sight of Alicia`s red cheeks. She had just caught sight of the gaze the lawyer was casting in a certain direction, and followed it. The slightly parted lips and rhythmic falling and raising of Alicia`s chest might have already been a clue, but there were 3 other things that really gave away the thoughts –and feelings- her boss must be having. First there were the eyes, fierce and wide, slightly glazed over, with an intensity in them that one would never suspect. Then there were the hands, one of them grasped, firmly, the armrest of her chair, while the other`s palm was frequently dried against the grey fabric of the skirt. And finally, there were the legs, tightly crossed, with the thighs clenching causing an unmistakable friction.
The object of Alicia`s obvious desire was pacing in her office, her conversation on the phone obviously a heated one as she gestured passionately. When the investigator dropped something and bend over, Courtney could practically hear Alicia moan as she saw the woman, tormented, close her eyes -just a second- before giving into the temptation to take in the view Kalinda, unknowingly, offered her.
Courtney may or may not have entered the office silently, strangely drawn to Alicia`s obvious physical reaction. She even may or may not have made a slight sound herself, which may or may not have caused an involuntary movement in Alicia, who had not realized her presence. This may or may not have caused an opened bottle of water to topple over or Courtney to lunge forward.
Courtney shook her head as she caught sight of herself in the mirror, her soaked blouse sticking, but refreshing against her heated skin.
She should have known.
Being subtle, sure was a wet job sometimes.
29th of May (Wednesday):
Courtney felt her sweaty fingers slide off the keyboard while she worked. Time was passing her by and she was starting to get very anxious. Sometimes it felt like she was making progress, but she knew she was kidding herself. Actually, if she was completely honest, maybe she had always known it would come down to this. That didn`t mean however that she wasn`t scared to death.
Her heart pounded in her chest and her nerves showed in the fact that every time she heard a pair of heels approach she acted as if her chair had the jump-option pilots sometimes had in planes. She would recognize the clicking of Kalinda`s boots anywhere, but still, Diane, Alicia and several other female employees of the floor evoked the childlike reaction with the simple sound of their walking.
She had to wait until the end of the day to finally hear the anticipated boots appear. Her hands trembling now with pent up anxiety she almost forgot to wait until her boss was within hearing distance to blurt out the words.
'Kalinda, would you go out with me sometime?`
2 gazes shot in her direction, and Courtney had to force herself to focus only on Kalinda`s. The dark, gorgeous eyes looked at her in surprise and one corner of her mouth was pulled slightly up in an amused, flirtatious way. Courtney almost moaned when the careful smile turned into a full one when the assistant didn`t look down.
It was obvious Kalinda had never looked at her in that way, and it surprised Courtney slightly that that didn`t even sting a little. Quite the contrary, it made her feel proud. Proud of the epic strength of the love she was trying to make visible. The investigator could have read her mind, because suddenly she glanced in Alicia`s direction –allowing Courtney to catch a glimpse of the lawyers astounded expression herself- before her eyes found the assistant`s once again.
Kalinda swallowed, her pain so visible Courtney could physically feel it, and she was glad her back was turned to her boss so she could encouragingly smile. There must have had been something in her eyes, Courtney thought later, because suddenly something in Kalinda`s demeanor had changed. Her eyes had narrowed, and, for a moment, Courtney had been afraid that she would be turned down. Not that she couldn`t work with that, she could if she would have to… But still… But then she saw Kalinda`s face relax and the look of resignation that flashed in those eloquent eyes, before the Indian woman smiled at her brightly, almost broke Courtney`s heart.
'Sure, I`d like that.'
As they walked towards Kalinda`s office to write down the address of the bar where they would meet, the assistant felt Alicia`s eyes burn holes in the back of her head.
Well, at least it had gotten her attention.
Courtney may or may not have steered clear of her boss the rest of the day, and may or may not have been followed by a persistent stare. She also may or may not have sported a ridiculously broad grin all day.
She should have known.
Being subtle sure was daring work sometimes.
31st of May (Friday):
`You should be careful with her, you know, she doesn`t care about anything, that one.`
The stinging words were spoken with a desperate exasperation… Or maybe with an exasperated desperation, Courtney wasn`t sure. She inhaled, trying to find the calm in her step as she walked to her desk, her boss following closely. The firm was deserted, even though it usually wasn`t at 7 pm. Courtney may or may not have had to pull some strings to make that happen.
She had ignored the tiny hints Alicia was dropping ever since she had witnessed her asking Kalinda out. And Alicia didn`t care to be ignored. She didn`t care for it at all. And now, in the light of the starting weekend, her boss had clearly chosen to speak up.
The assistant wondered if the lawyer knew how possessively jealous she was behaving. But she shook her head while she retrieved one of the boxes from under her desk and turned around, almost bumping into Alicia in the process.
Without missing a step, however, Courtney made her way into Alicia`s office. It was time to let go of subtlety. It was time to take out the big hammer, and hit someone over the head with it.
Carefully placing the box on the desk and, herself, leaning against it, she indicated for the lawyer to sit in her usual chair. The casuality of Courtney`s movement must have taken Alicia by surprise, because the woman did not object while she took her seat, her eyes darting from the box to her assistant. For a moment, a silence –Cutting… Deafening- surrounded them, before the ebony-skinned woman spoke.
'I have tried this a certain way. But I have to face that it simply doesn`t work… So, then, this is it. The ballgame is starting, so it`s time to pay attention.'
She had managed to speak the words much calmer than she had thought possible. The sadness that constricted her throat had made her voice hoarse, and she swallowed, when she took the first item out of the box.
`Let`s ease into this, shall we? Let me show you, the help.`
She handed Alicia a bundle of about 10 post-it`s, the handwriting on them clearly Kalinda`s. Courtney saw Alicia`s frown grow deeper as she read. The assistant may or may not have organized the pieces of paper in a special way.
The messages varied from 'Get this to A. ASAP, please point out page 5.' to the name and number of a witness who had, last minute, won Alicia a big case. From the number of the great place where she had had her car fixed to 'Dissolve 2 in water.'. When Alicia read the last, her eyebrows rose in the confusion Courtney may or may not have already been expecting. She handed her boss the bottle of aspirin out of the box, and saw Alicia remember the especially rough bout of headache that had almost caused her to vomit before Courtney had brought her 2 of the little white pills, dissolved in water.
Alicia closed her eyes shortly in realization it had not been Courtney but Kalinda who had seen her pain and helped her battle it, when the assistant reached in the box again. But when she opened them again, they grew wide, the dozen small notes in her hand were nothing compared to the ones Courtney was holding and placed aside. The casual motion had its effect, the assistant saw. The impressive pile of sticky notes were a representation of the times Kalinda Sharma had helped Alicia Florrick, without asking anything in return.
That was one.
`The protection.`
The assistant had mumbled the words, but suddenly noticed how focused her boss really was when she saw her reaction. The lawyer's hands stilled, for a moment, before continuing their nervous stroke of the creased piece of paper Courtney had handed her while preparing her next move. The paper, which the assistant may or may not have found in Kalinda`s trash, was filled with names of clients who had, at the last moment and quite unexpectedly, joined Alicia`s side in a class action battle with another firm. She saw how the tip of Alicia`s finger followed the curve of Kalinda`s handwriting, and Courtney stifled a smile.
She grasped the USB around her neck as if it was an amulet. The cold feel of the small metal case gave her comfort in a way, and she grimaced as she thought she may or may not indeed see this device as a talisman. As she plugged it and found the file she was looking for, she felt her heart rate pick up.
Kalinda`s figure may not have filled the screen, the camera had been quite far away from her, but her fierce demeanor made up for that.
'You didn`t tell me it was for *that*, I didn`t know…'
The words were clearly audible -albeit from afar- and it was obvious Kalinda was upset, but she quickly recovered.
'Listen, I am not going to work for your campaign. If it`s for the firm, for any other client, fine, you pay, I do. But I do NOT work for Peter Florrick, do you understand me?'
The leather boots made their characteristic sound as Kalinda strode of, leaving the Eli on screen quite as stunned as the Alicia in front of it.
The scene changed, the same office was shown, but it was obviously another day and Eli was working, his hands seemed shaky while he searched, frustrated, between the papers on his desk. The sound of heels clicking made the crisis-manager look up.
`Kalinda?`
He spoke the name dismissive, almost cold, but with a hint of curiosity. It was obvious he didn't expect any help from her.
The red file landed on his desk with a thud, but when he reached out his hand to open it, she interrupted him.
`Why didn`t you come to me?`
He hesitated, but then he opened the file. The tone in his voice a tad too casual to be believable. His eyes lit up by the sight of the information Kalinda had brought him.
`I thought you said you wouldn't work for me, if it was for him.'
The investigator, her hand already on the doorknob, turned around. When she spoke her voice had a barely audible tremor.
'This was not for him, it was for her.'
Alicia swallowed, and Courtney saw her remember the situation in which Eli had told her it was possible her affair with Will would be exposed. She also saw her remember the day the campaign-manager, with celebration in his eyes, had waved a red folder in her face and told her all their worries were over. Yes, Courtney saw Alicia think, but it was the man in the video who spoke the words that fitted the situation.
'Well, I`ll be damned…'
Alicia swallowed, and looked like she was about to speak, but Courtney put up her hand to indicate her to wait. This was going to be a long ride, and the longer she could keep Alicia from protesting, the better it would be.
As she showed the woman the file that held the times and hours the Lockhart/Gardner employees had come and gone, she saw how the lawyer momentarily closed her eyes at the sight of Kalinda`s name, always, always, on the list below her. The in-house investigator had never left before Alicia, and, judging from the time (or lack thereof) between the lawyer`s sign-out and Kalinda`s , had most likely made sure she had come home safe.
The next paper that wordlessly exchanged hands was an email conversation with a flirty tone. The security-guy who had had a hand in arresting the vindictive ex-client was obviously not a man of many words, but he had managed to answer Kalinda`s plea in exchange for `Drinks`. The favor he had agreed to in return was an easy one, which was visible in the last sentence he had typed.
`Right, I`ll keep an eye on Alicia Florrick.`
Alicia fidgeted with the corner of the paper, her eyes softer then Courtney had seen them in a long time, but there was also a reluctance in her demeanor. A reluctance Courtney could understand –although she resented it- and hoped to take away before the box was empty . She hoped the next item, already loosely in her hand, would be a start, but she thought she knew where would be the breaking point. She inhaled deeply as she handed Alicia the document. Hoping she had chosen the correct evidence, hoping she was showing it in the correct order, hoping Alicia wouldn`t overrule this longwinded objection.
The official document was may not have been the hardest to obtain from all the objects in the box, but it sure had not been easy. She had been just in time to catch a copy of the warrant for Kalinda`s recent arrest, and the statement of the ex-client, who had accused her of setting him up – there also were certain mentions of threats, and an incident with a baseball bat-. She knew, thanks to interference of a certain FBI agent, the official, original documents had `disappeared`. The man had been locked up for an earlier crime for which just had happened to appear anonymously sent evidence… Courtney would have bet a whole lot of money on the guess that evidence had arrived in a red folder.
Would Alicia see what Kalinda had done for her? Which risks she had, personally and professionally, taken for her? Would Alicia finally see through which lengths Kalinda Sharma would go in order to protect her?
Courtney observed her boss from the corner of her eyes, and saw the swallow that indicated her questions could be answered with `Yes`. A more important question, however, -she knew it as soon as she caught Alicia`s eye- would NOT have an affirmative answer yet.
That question was: `Is it enough?`
'And care.'
Alicia was squirming, uncomfortably, in her seat, but Courtney wasn`t even close to being done. She had chosen to do this, and she wanted to do it right, even if that meant losing her job. She may or may not have hesitated shortly now, her hand hovering over the items in the box. Was this really the right thing to do? Wouldn`t Kalinda… No, refrase, Kalinda WOULD kill her if she knew what she was doing, but, then again, that had always been the case.
Her hesitation cost Courtney, for a short moment, the upper hand, and she pulled back her hand as she heard Alicia`s trembling voice.
' Courtney, I think I see what you are trying to do here...`
The assistant turned, and before Alicia had the chance to finish her sentence, she had taken over, and she knew she didn't show a shred of the doubt she had just been feeling.
'Then let me finish.'
The certainty that sounded through her voice was what won her back Alicia`s attention, and Courtney was surprised at herself, for not having sounded harsh. There had almost been a hint of a plea, weaved through the words. Whatever it was that made Alicia sit back and swallow her protests, Courtney was happy she did so. She knew she wouldn't be able to ward of the inevitable interruption forever, but the longer she could, the better.
She wondered if she would need to remind Alicia of the conversation that had taken place between Kalinda and Lana in front of the coffee machine, but she saw the recognition light up in the eyes she had gotten to know quite well. Finally able to follow the conversation she had earlier just been able to guess at, Alicia clearly forgot her earlier attempt to protest and leaned closer to take in every word. Words that hit home, the assistant noticed. The acknowledgement that it had been Lana who Kalinda had called to get her out of the trouble she had gotten herself into for Alicia`s sake, was obviously Kalinda promise that she would call Lana later made the lawyer wince and turn pale, a response that wasn`t lost on Courtney and which made her smile, knowing what was coming.
`I am sure you will. If you`re not too busy `saving` *her*, that is.`
Courtney sensed Alicia didn't need her meaningful look to come to the right conclusion, but offered it anyway, and some of the color in Alicia`s cheeks returned.
A color that immediately shot through the roof at the sight of the next item.
`How did you get THAT? I can`t even…`
Alicia`s voice sounded high pitched and almost panicked, but her hand nonetheless reached out to the little orange notebook. Courtney kept it from her though, and with a simple glare, prevented Alicia from any further action. She opened the notebook at the place she had indicated, and a bookmark slid out. As Alicia automatically reached for the piece of paper, Courtney bit the inside of her cheek in order not to smile. The note Alicia had once written, -a simple 'Drinks?' with a smiley face on a slip of paper after winning a case- was creased up, but obviously, tenderly, smoothed out again.
Small stains were splashed over the page Courtney had opened, and had made it hard to decipher the words. They were made by what could only be interpreted as tears.
This liquid, this
Fluid lights up.
Words I swallow for you.
They choke and scratch.
Sting as they chase
Periods and ellipses.
The nails of comma's
Claw at my throat.
Burn…
The poem was clearly left unfinished, but the raw emotion that radiated from it had touched Courtney to the core. She saw now it had a quite similar -if not stronger- effect on Alicia Florrick, whose lips were slightly parted, following the words as her eyes caught them.
Alicia sat, motionless, after she had read what Kalinda so carefully had hidden in the small, orange notebook. She stroked the cover of it, absentmindedly, and Courtney could see the turmoil in her eyes.
The assistant winced at the thought of what she was about to do now. Not only because it would add to the emotions so clearly visible in Alicia, also because it felt, slightly, as betrayal.
She had always known it would be needed, although she also had always hoped it would not be. It was a secret she had stumbled upon. It's so easy, people always forget the help is there, and for assistants, it wasn't much different. Yet it was a secret she had never been willing to use in any, especially not a negative, way. She had tried to avoid doing so now, but then again, Alicia already knew most of this. There were just crucial parts of her information missing. Parts that would, hopefully, make her understand. It was time to play defense, and hope the lawyer would join her ranks.
As she gave Alicia the box of the burn-cream Kalinda had left on her desk earlier that month, she saw how Alicia's hand trembled. She was weakening, and she knew it, and this knowledge made the lawyer reluctant. There was a good reason why she held up her walls, a good reason to be hurt by what Kalinda -or Leela- -or both- had done. Courtney could only hope her attack on Alicia's defenses had worked so well that now, when she would do some defending herself, the lawyer would be willing to listen, and to open up, even if it was just a little.
' Courtney… You… You don't know, what she did. You don't know… It's not that I don't care, it's just that you don't…'
The heartfelt, hurt, plea was interrupted when Courtney held out another box, very similar to the one Alicia still held in her hands. The same cream, the same brand, the same amount. But a different name adorned the prescription label.
'Leela Tahiri.'
Alicia's eyes grew wide and her pupils narrowed and dilated with dizzying speed. These eyes now shot to and focused on Courtney, who smiled weakly. The assistant's eyes were dark, sorrowful, sad, she sensed it herself, but she couldn't help it. When she placed the medical record on the desk, the lump in her throat almost became too much for her too bear, and she cleared it, avoiding Alicia's astonished stare.
The lawyer should not be so surprised her assistant knew Kalinda once had been Leela. Blake had made very sure that someone would pick up on his constant refrain. But maybe Alicia's surprise was not so much THAT she knew, but WHAT ELSE she knew. She had given the lawyer the information at a crucial point, trying to show her that she DID know what Kalinda -Leela- had done. And maybe, just maybe, this time Alicia had picked up on that subtlety.
With her still trembling hands, Alicia opened the file that lay before her. Courtney saw the eyes move. She saw them fill with shock, she saw them fill with unshed tears. She saw them take in the burns, the scars. The bruises, the fractures, the collapsed lung. She saw them take in the different dates of these events, of these injuries. She saw them read the unlikely excuses that had been made. She saw them, as well, be closed as their owner realized she was not only reading about Leela's death, but about what had caused her to die. To need to die.
That was the moment Courtney chose, she had only a split second to take the decision. To act. She felt like she was in a freefall, and could imagine Alicia felt the same. The assistant held her breath as she placed the official document in front of her boss, and watched her as the woman opened her eyes once more.
When Alicia's gaze fell on the piece of paper, the lawyer physically pushed herself away from the table. Courtney almost straightened up, almost felt like she would have to prevent the other woman to leave the room, but the document beckoned, and Alicia, finally, responded. Taking the piece of paper, grasping it, holding onto it as if it was a life raft in an ocean of nothingness, she brought it closer to her.
Courtney knew she had instantly recognized her husband's signature in the right lower corner. The signature that had authorized the identity-change that had been requested.
And Alicia finally had the answer to the question `Why?`.
It seemed to take a moment for the information to sink in. For a long time Alicia just sat and stared at the signatures. Her finger followed once again the ink, but it was Leela`s handwriting she traced. Leela`s handwriting, that was so different from Kalinda`s. So raw. So uncontrolled. Only one letter had remained the same. The sway of it, the way it was, almost, like a drawing of sorts… When Alicia reached the A, something changed in her. Something broke. SHE broke.
The sound the lawyer uttered was one of agony. Maybe it didn`t qualify as a scream in decibels, but the emotion in it made it just that. As raw and uncontrolled as Leela`s handwriting it cut through Courtney`s heart like a knife. The sobs did as well, but the assistant`s lingering hand was shaken off with determination. The reaction, the assistant may or may not have anticipated. The strength, the depth of it, she certainly had not.
As she watched Alicia ease away from her offered comfort, before with a sudden movement, actually bolting, she sat for a moment, stunned. What she had seen in the lawyer's eyes, the unadulterated pain, the shock, the shame. But also, Courtney realized, something else, she had simply not been aware of. Something she had, even, been wrong about. Because what she had seen in the lawyer's eyes was knowledge. A knowledge Courtney would have contradicted if anyone had told her just hours ago.
But now, she was sure.
Alicia Florrick knew, -and may or may not have known for quite a while already- exactly, what she felt for Kalinda Sharma.
Of all the things Courtney had figured once she had started bombarding the lawyer with evidence, this wasn`t one. She stared at her hands and shook her head. Yes, she had seen Alicia`s feelings, she had, even, counted on them. But, she had not considered them truly. It was not the pain of the cheating, or the lying about it that had made Alicia stay stubborn. It was the pain of being betrayed by the one you care the most about in the world.
And something Courtney had not seen, was how much Alicia herself had realized this. The woman, who had returned and now sat, pale and quiet, in her designated seat. The woman, who had hated Kalinda with all that was within her, but not just because of what she had done, or for deceiving her, but just for that… Because where one could argue there was no darkness without light, also there was no hatred without love.
Courtney swallowed, the lump in her throat constricting her airway, when Alicia looked up at her and so much spoke from those eloquent eyes. So many words were said, by the careful smile she sported. The insecurity in both, heartbreaking.
`So, you really think she…`
Alicia seemed to hesitate as to how to finish the sentence she had so carefully started. And suddenly, for Courtney, this month, her project, became entirely different. Every speck of annoyance she had felt towards the lawyer, who had protected her heart with so much gusto, and now, obviously, was thinking about giving up, melted away at that instant. She heard her voice turn softer, and saw in Alicia that she noticed as well as the assistant finished the sentence for her.
`Cares?`
Alicia closed her eyes shortly and nodded. The tone in which Courtney had said the word left nothing to the imagination. They were talking about the same thing. With a gesture to the computer, the assistant asked, without words, permission to show her, to reveal yet another piece of evidence.
The sound-file may or may not have been recorded in a slightly illegal way.
`Sharma`
Alicia smiled surprised hearing the matter-of-fact way Kalinda picked up the phone, and Courtney saw how she glanced at her own mobile. She knew when the investigator took Alicia`s call, she had never sounded like that.
`Kali! Wow, so professional.`
'Sophia, what can I do for you?'
Recognition made Alicia`s eyes light up at the sound of the name. A light, however, that also held a hint of jealousy. The distant tone in Kalinda`s voice however seemed to hold the green monster at bay. Sophia must have heard the coldness as well, judging from her answer.
'Auch K.! What am I, your cousin twice removed? The last time I saw you, you seemed to finally have loosened up a little. What`s wrong?'
Kalinda sounded amused as well as irritated when she answered.
'You are the one calling me, and now I am the one with the problem?'
Sophia sported a throaty laugh.
' You tell me, Kali, you tell me…'
The tone of Sophia`s voice had changed to flirtatious and Alicia swallowed hard, her teeth grinding.
'Is your husband home yet?'
Kalinda`s icy answer made Alicia`s eyes shoot wide open. The sarcasm and even a hint of pain was clearly audible in the Indian woman`s voice. For a moment Sophia seemed, unlike before, to be unaware of this as she,happily, sniggered but her words proofed quite the opposite.
`You really HAVE changed, haven`t you? Why don`t you just tell me?`
`Tell you what, Sophia?`
Kalinda now was clearly annoyed, it was amazing how many emotions the woman could show with just a simple bend in her voice.
`Who the lucky lady is?`
The silence stretched on, heavy, poignant, and for a moment Alicia seemed to think the conversation had ended. When she opened her mouth to speak, however, the assistant raised her hand at the same moment Sophia`s voice broke the silence.
`It`s Alicia, isn't it?`
Sophia`s voice, before so filled with humor, now sounded tender and understanding. And deadly serious.
Courtney saw Alicia hold her breath and lean in, slightly, for the answer, just as she had done when she had recorded the conversation. The assistant, already knowing what would follow, smiled. But the smile was bittersweet.
Kalinda`s sob made Alicia as well as Sophia gasp, the sound which seemed uncontrollable by its owner, heartbreaking to everyone who heard it.
Sophia put in words what Courtney had been feeling, and what she knew Alicia was feeling now.
`Stay there, I`m on my way.'
They sat there, silent, for the longest time, each with her own thoughts, each with her own reasons. Courtney had one piece of evidence left. She had collected more, but she had worked long enough in the legal business to know there could be such a thing as `too much`. Maybe she had already overdone it, now, but it seriously had felt as if Alicia had needed the metaphorical hammer to hit her over the head with it. Did she really need this last one? Courtney may or may not have been a scolding woman before this endeavor, but she sure was one now.
`Oh, what the hell.`
She mumbled the words and looked for the file. She needed to get Alicia out of stupor and into action, and this, this first piece of evidence she had collected, had done just that to Courtney herself. It had gotten her to do this, to risk her job. Would it make Alicia risk her heart?
When the screen filled with the image of Kalinda, making her way to the elevator, Courtney saw Alicia immediately recognize the scene. The lawyer knew what had just happened, how she had just broken up the friendship they had so carefully built. They watched Kalinda reach the elevator, trembling but trying hard to regain composure. Then, as the doors closed, she was momentarily out of view. Alicia looked at Courtney, her eyebrows raised at the screen that remained black.
`If you ever doubted how she felt about you, here it is. This is it, Alicia, it`s all I have left. It`s the ninth inning, the home stretch, and the rest up to you.`
She placed the piece of paper, that held the name and place of her date with Kalinda, in front of the lawyer and stood, her last action was to push the little triangular button that would make the video finish. She heard Kalinda`s breakdown in the elevator and Alicia`s responding gasp behind her, but she did not turn around. Getting to the elevator herself, she got in and turned. Just before the doors closed she caught the teary eyes of the woman she had come used to work for and, silently, saluted.
She saw it in those eyes. The love she had seen so clearly in Kalinda`s actions, in Alicia`s demeanor, had finally extended to those eyes.
And she knew.
Her work here was done.
.
.
.
A/N: PS. So I know I said this was supposed to be the finale, but i feel like I owe you guys an epilogue... So I won`t put the words `THE END` just yet.
Recognition: I am not a poet, but I am so lucky my good friend Pia is. The poem Kalinda wrote in her notebook is of her hand, and I thank her so much for it!