Well this is it! Hope you've all enjoyed it, thank you for the kind reviews and to everyone who read.
I have a lot of uni work on at the moment, but I am working on the next story so it should be up before Christmas :)

I'll leave it to your imaginations to decide how this story will end for them :)

x x x x

I step out, feeling the chill of the early February air seep into my skin. The metallic crashing of the gates closing makes me jump and I shiver involuntarily at the sound.

I thought I would feel liberated once I left, but the reality is that to an ex-con the free world is just another cage.

The prison is in a pretty remote place and as I stand out here looking lost, it dawns on me that I have no idea where I am. I am all alone, with no money and nowhere in the world to go.

My stomach turns and I place a hand over it, swallowing hard. Alright, I'm not quite alone.

As scared tears begin to fill my eyes, I hear a distinctly familiar voice call my name.

I turn, a hopeful smile dancing on my lips as I squint against the high noon sun.

Sara is leaning against a cab several feet away, a bright grin on her face.

For a whole minute I just stare at her.

"Well, don't I get a hug?" She asks coyly, strolling towards me. All thoughts of nausea forgotten, I run as fast as my legs will allow and throw my arms around her neck. She feels so good in my embrace. She smells like cherry blossom and her hands feel so soft as she slides them under my shirt and dances her fingertips across the small of my back.

Before I even know what I'm doing, I pull back just far enough to press a firm kiss to her lips.

She seems slightly shocked by it, but smiles brightly as we finally pull apart.

"What are you doing here?" I manage to ask at last. "How did you know I was coming out?"

Even as the words are forming in my mouth, I realise who is behind this whole thing. I blink, wide-eyed, as she smirks knowingly at me.

"Well, I couldn't just leave you in there to rot now, could I?" She asks rhetorically, reaching over to extract the bag from my hand.

Still staring at her in dumb shock, I allow her to guide me into the back of the waiting cab. I can't help wondering how long she's had the meter running while anticipating my imminent release.

Inside, she stares at me for a long moment before I realise that she's still waiting for something now.

"It's your first day on the outside, Catherine." She points out softly, taking my hand in her own. "Where do you want to go?"

X x x

It's been so long since I was free, I can barely remember the names of any of my old hangouts, so I pick a little café that Eddie and I used to frequent.

We have already ordered when it hits me that I don't have any money; but while I am bashfully searching for a way to apologise, Sara has already paid.

I look at her suspiciously, eyeing the cash peeking out of her purse.

"What have you been doing with yourself these last few weeks?" I ask as casually as I can.

She laughs light-heartedly, not buying my act for a second.

"Not that, if that's what you're worried about." She assures me and I must admit my heart settles a little to know that she isn't still working the streets. "I got a job – a real job, as a waitress." She smiles. "It's at Chucky Cheese – hardly exciting I know, but it pays the bills. Barely."

I hum in agreement, reaching across the table to stroke the back of her hand where it rests around her coffee cup.

"I'm proud of you." I say genuinely. "I know it can't have been easy."

She offers a shy shrug, tracing a fingertip around the rim of her mug. I stare at her hands, the memories of how they felt on my body flooding back to mind and making my skin flush. They're ink-stained, as always.

Suddenly remembering something, I fumble in my back pocket for the piece of paper I stashed away earlier. She frowns at my actions until recognition crosses her features and she smiles at the familiar doodling.

"You found it." She beams happily.

"Yeah, well hidden." I chuckle softly, tracing the image delicately. I have spent that many countless hours caressing it, the black ink has faded to a dull grey. "How did you do it?"

She cocks her head at my question, confusion written across her face.

"Get me out." I elaborate, meeting her gaze. "It must have taken some work."

"Well, yeah." She agrees, straightening up. "After what you told me…" she gestures weakly to my stomach and I instinctively cover it with my hand. "I couldn't let you stay in there any longer."

"But how?" I press, leaning closer. "I know how that place works; they don't care what goes on in the cells as long as they don't come under fire."

"No," she smiles coyly. "But I met the media would be real curious to know how an inmate got pregnant after being incarcerated for a year."

My jaw drops open and I stutter at her for a minute while I search for a suitable response.

"You didn't?" I challenge nervously. To my surprise, she laughs and reaches across the table to grip my hand tightly.

"Of course I didn't. I wouldn't do that to you." She assures me. "It wasn't easy getting their attention at first, but I enlisted some help. I met a journalism student at college and they made a few well-informed empty threats. That was pretty effective."

I narrow my eyes, scrutinising her closely. I can barely even recognise the scared, timid little girl that was thrown into my cell all those months ago anymore. Sitting before me now is a happy, bright young woman. She has a job, a flat ... a life.

X x x

Sara's POV

Chuckling softly at the memory of my friend's eagerness to help, I release her hand and go to take a mouthful of my coffee, but pause when she continues to stare at me with a curious look.

"College?" She repeats, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Yeah," I clear my throat, realising that I hadn't mentioned that yet. "It's just an entry course – physics and applied science. But I've applied for Harvard." I smile.

"That's great." She beams, leaning around the table to wrap me in a hug. I inhale deeply, breathing in the familiar scent of her hair.

I have missed her so much, I can barely put it into words. I don't ever want to let go of her; but she winces and pulls back, wrapping an arm around her stomach.

"You okay?" I ask, reaching out to steady her.

"Yeah." She gasps, turning slightly green. "I just … could we get some fresh air?"

"Yeah, of course." I'm out of my seat in a heartbeat, one arm looped around her back as I guide her to the door. I'm not familiar with the afflictions of pregnancy but whatever's the matter I'm not letting go of her, just in case.

We walk in silence for a few minutes, until her breathing returns to normal and a more natural colour returns to her cheeks.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" I ask at last. It's not a conversation I've been looking forward to, but ever since she whispered it to me over the battered prison table I knew we were going to have to face it sooner or later.

"I don't know. Get rid of it I guess." She breathes, her hands falling protectively over her stomach.

"You don't have to you know." I say softly, reaching out tentatively to graze the side of her slim stomach.

"How am I supposed to raise a child?" She asks helplessly, tears beginning to form in her eyes. I imagine this is a question she has been asking herself for several weeks.

I still our movements, turning her body to face me and placing both hands on her waist.

"With me."

X x x

Cath's POV

I don't know how far we walked before we ended up in the park. We must have been laid here for hours just staring at the sky, my head tucked beneath her chin and her arms around my middle, but I don't have it in me to move.

I don't know what's going to happen now, or how we're going to cope, but right now this moment is so perfect I don't want it to end.

"I bet it'll be a girl." Sara declares at last.

I look up, searching her face.

"I'd like a girl." I smile, rolling over until I am practically lying on top of her. "Do you really think we can do this?"

She pretends to think about it for a minute before smiling.

"Yeah." She reaches up, running a hand through my hair. "We'll find a way."

I grin, kissing her lips tenderly.

"It's going to be hard." I point out, quirking an eyebrow at her. "Not just the baby, but dealing with the rest of the world too."

"Harder than prison?" She counters playfully, rolling me back over and pushing herself to her feet. She brushes the dust and grass off her skin-tight jeans and reaches down to pull me up as well.

I hadn't realised how late it had gotten; the sky is starting to change colour.

"Come on," she breathes, wrapping her thick winter coat around my shoulders. "I'm taking you home. Then we can work out what to do about ... well, everything."

She takes my hand and starts to walk away, but I tug her back. She turns to me curiously, cocking an eyebrow at my lack of forward movement.

"I've been in a stone cage for twelve months." I point out with an impish grin. "I don't want to go inside just yet."

"Okay." She frowns. "So, where do you want to go?"

I smile, moving until I'm so close I could kiss her.

"The rest of the world can wait until tomorrow." I whisper against her lips. "Tonight, I want to see the sunset."

~Fin~