"Together forever, never apart. Maybe in distance but never in heart."

She'd fallen asleep in Maggie's arms, but she'd woken up and wandered out into the kitchen. At first she'd told herself that she just needed a drink, water...not alcohol… It was four in the morning and she'd been thankful that she'd managed to crawl out of bed, untangling herself from her girlfriend's arms without waking her. Maggie deserved the sleep. Alex grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, removed the cap, and took a long drink of it. She was awake, fully, she realized in that moment as she stared out towards the window. Her thoughts were singular in that moment.

Kara.

Things were so different now, but at the same time...they weren't. She had Maggie and Kara had-well, Alex wasn't exactly where Kara was in any relationship for sure. But she knew that her sister had been worried about things changing. They couldn't. Not ever. At four in the morning, though, Alex felt like heading over to her sister's apartment to talk… They needed to do that. It would probably lead to crying and hugging and ice cream, but Alex felt like it was necessary for both of them in that moment.

Her cell phone was there on the kitchen counter and she pressed the button so that the screen lit up. Kara had texted her several times and she felt guilty for not bringing it with her. It was also likely on silent. Holding the phone between her hands and leaning against the counter with her back, she scrolled through the texts...they were all Kara hoping that she was okay and asking her to call in the morning...but then Alex realized that one of the time stamps was from half an hour before. So, Alex texted back, hoping that her sister was up. Alex asked if Kara was awake and if she could come over. Then she just waited, staring at the screen...and hoping.

Suddenly there was a new message and Alex swore that it felt like it was almost an instant later that there was a light knock at her door. She immediately smiled at the text that Kara was on her way over. Moving to the door, she sucked in a breath and hoped that things were okay between them. Her relationship with Kara was the one in the whole world that she couldn't lose or damage or...ruin. Unlocking it, she pulled the door open. Kara was standing there in pajamas under a coat and a bag slung over her shoulder.

"Kara, I'm-"

But Alex didn't have the chance to finish that sentence in that moment. Kara enveloped her in a hug, one that almost felt too tight. It had been awhile since her sister had hugged her that tightly, but at the same time...Alex felt like she needed it. She clung to Kara and tried not to cry, but it came out just the same. She nudged the door shut with her foot and was so glad that they could have this time…whatever it brought.

"Are you okay?" Kara asked as she pulled back, her arms still around Alex though. There was so much concern in her sister's voice. Kara had given her space after, actually...everyone had given her space. She didn't know if that had been the best choice or not. All she knew was that it was too hard when it had all first happened, her heart had felt like it was broken.

It wasn't.

"Yeah, but we have to talk," Alex told her as she pushed tears away. "I said things-"

"It was Jeremiah, Alex-"

"That doesn't forgive anything," Alex argued, feeling so guilty, thinking about everything she'd said to Kara.

"It does," her sister insisted.

Alex hugged her sister this time, holding on for a good minute. She was so thankful for Kara, it was so difficult to think about how her life could have ever been any different. "I love you," she whispered, her sister echoed her words immediately, before pulling back and turning to lock the door. It wasn't as if anyone would get far if they opened it, it was more habit more than anything. In silence, she and her sister settled and moved towards the couch.

"Is Maggie sleeping?" Kara asked.

"Yes," Alex said, realizing that her sister could likely hear another heartbeat and breathing in the apartment.

"I'm glad that you have her."

"That doesn't mean that we're any less," Alex put out there as they sat down. She pulled a blanket from the back of the couch and made herself comfortable. "You and I-"

"I know," Kara said with a smile.

They were both quiet for a long while.

It was just nice having Kara there. To know that things were good between them. "He's still out there, Kara," she finally spoke up. "I could have stopped him...but I didn't."

Kara seemed unchanged by her confession. "He's our dad, Alex," she whispered. "I don't think I would have either to be honest…"

"They were all right about him…"

"I wish they weren't," Kara told her. "I keep thinking that there has to be something else going on. He wouldn't save me months ago only to turn against us...it doesn't make sense."

"He said something to me out there in the woods," Alex told her. "I told J'onn, but he didn't seem to really say anything."

"J'onn doesn't always say things."

"I know, but it didn't make me feel any better about it."

Kara took her hand, their eyes meeting. "What did he say?"

"He said that he did it for me." That hadn't been everything that he'd said, but that had been what had stuck with her. "What if this is Dad, but that he's still playing some long game within Cadmus?"

Kara was quiet then.

Alex didn't miss the concern and upset that passed over her sister's face. "What is it?"

"Do you know what he took from the DEO mainframe?"

"No."

"Winn called hours ago," Kara said, waving it off. "Dad took the National Alien Registry for Cadmus."

"What?"

"J'onn told me not to come in until they had more or at least until tomorrow, but there was no way I was sleeping after everything that had happened…"

Her mind was racing. Alex was trying to put together pieces and figure out exactly what Cadmus was up to. "They hate aliens… Cadmus. Dad's never been like that-"

"If he's playing some long game, Alex, I'm worried…"

"And if he's not, I'm still worried," Alex told her sister honestly. "I'm worried that I'm going to be out there...or you are and it's going to be up to us to put him down…" She tried not to think about him, but it was difficult when they were talking about him. "We've waited over a decade for this...for him to come home...and in all those fantasies I had as a girl of him coming home...it was never like this...he loved us...all of us...and Mom…"

"I don't even know how Mom's coping… I offered for her to stay with me, but she seemed to need space."

Alex understood that. "He's betrayed us all, no matter what side he ends up being on in the end."

"Right now, we just have to do what we can do...and remember that we can't trust him, as hard as that is," Kara whispered. She took both of Alex's hands and held them tightly within hers and it was obvious that Kara was trying to brighten herself and the mood. "We have each other. Mom is safe. J'onn's going to be okay. That's what counts right now. No matter what comes tomorrow, Alex, we're together...we're always stronger together…"

"El may-arah?"

Kara immediately brightened at Alex's words, a half giggle escaping her lips. "Yes. El may-arah. The Danvers sisters are always stronger together...and nothing...nothing can rip us apart...not Cadmus...not anyone."

Alex pulled her sister into another hug, wrapping the blanket better around her sister and couldn't help but feel some joy in that moment. "I'm glad you came over."

"I'm glad you texted."

"I needed this."

"Me too."

The End.