A few weeks after Maggie came over to Alex's apartment with pizza and beer, admitting her feelings for the agent and kissing her, they get into a fight and Alex thinks that she's screwed it up with the one person she wants to be happy with, the person she's meant to be with. Supergirl went missing and was essentially stranded on another planet without her powers since the planet was powered by a red sun. Alex had been doing research for a hours, trying to work out how to get her sister back, getting more and more frustrated when her plans weren't perfect enough. Unbeknownst to her, Maggie had been trying to get in contact but Alex was so busy in her own mind that she didn't look at her phone at all. Worried, Maggie came over to the DEO and Alex finally snapped under the pressure and took it out on her girlfriend, calling their relationship a mistake and that she couldn't do it anymore. The moment Maggie walked away, Alex instantly knew she messed up but she couldn't dwell on it when a DEO strike team was about to cross the space barrier to save Supergirl.
Once Alex arrived back on Earth after successfully completing the mission, she immediately set out to make things right with Maggie, calling and texting the Science Division Detective to ask for a second chance. After anxiously waiting for a reply, Maggie finally agreed and would be at Alex's place in half an hour. Nervous, Alex began pacing back and forth and kept fidgeting with her hands until she heard a knock at the door. Steeling herself, Alex pulled the door open and let Maggie in. It was clear that both of them had been hurt over what happened at the DEO.
Maggie wouldn't just accept it when Alex said the universe didn't want her to find happiness so Alex made the decision to lay it all out there and put her heart on the line since Maggie was worth the risk. How she could never measure up to her sister, how she's never been enough for her mother who blamed and criticised her for anything she or Kara did, how she's not good enough for anyone really. How every time she's tried to be happy it ultimately ends badly. How after losing the one person who understood her the most (her dad) in the "plane crash", she started building up walls around her heart so she wouldn't get hurt like that ever again, and when someone was getting too close, Alex's defenses kicked in and it caused her to drive the person out of her life when she pushed them out. Years of fortifying the barricade had led to where she was today, most people couldn't even scratch the nearly impenetrable surface of the wall but Maggie was different. The detective didn't scratch the wall, no. She left a huge crack that only increased in size each time she and Alex were around each other until the first defense finally crumbled.
When Alex reached the part about keeping Supergirl safe, Maggie jumped in and revealed that she knew Supergirl was Alex's sister, Kara. Alex half-heartedly tried to play it off but knew it wouldn't work. Per Maggie's words, she was a detective and she detected. Keeping secrets wasn't good for any relationship, especially one so huge as that so it was actually a massive relief that Alex wouldn't have to keep Supergirl's identity from Maggie and some weight was lifted off of her shoulders.
After admitting most of her insecurities, Alex took a breath and looked into Maggie's eyes, suddenly feeling exposed with no walls or armor to hide behind when all she saw reflected back was understanding and compassion. Alex could count on one hand the number of people she could completely open up with and now Maggie was one of them. The question now was what Maggie going to do now that Alex was at her most vulnerable. Would she accept all of her insecurities and flaws or would she run away because there were too many obstacles to get through on the path to Alex's heart? After a few heartbeats of neither of them speaking, Maggie finally broke the silence and gave Alex one more shot at their relationship, sealing the resolution with a hug.
When the next Game Night weekend rolled around, Kara invited Maggie over to her apartment to join their group that consisted of Winn, James, Mon-El, the Danvers sisters, and formerly Lucy. Alex and Maggie had arrived with potstickers and drinks and James would be bring the pizza later. Winn had set up a Karaoke Machine and they would all be singing a song that meant a lot to them or that they could relate to. After Alex's heartfelt apology, she seemed to follow up with it by choosing Dark Side from Kelly Clarkson as her song, as if she were reminding Maggie what she was getting herself into because she didn't want to fall hard for the detective only to have her leave when things became too difficult, shattering Alex's heart in the process and leaving a trail of destruction behind .
When the music began, hazel eyes locked onto brown ones and it was as if she and Maggie were the only ones in the room. Maggie had heard from Vasquez that Alex could sing but she wasn't expecting this, it was even better than how they described it. Alex's voice was clear and smooth and Maggie could tell that Alex was doing her best to make it perfect like everything else in her life, using the lyrics to express her emotions.
There's a place that I know
It's not pretty there and few have ever gone
If I show it to you now, will it make you run away?
Or will you stay, even if it hurts?
Even if I try to push you out will you return?
And remind me who I really am
Please remind me who I really am
Maggie flashed back to a little over week ago when Alex pushed her away because Kara/Supergirl had vanished and Alex was stressed out, frantically trying to find her sister. Hours later, Alex had called and texted Maggie, asking her to please come over and to hear her out. Against some of her better judgement, Maggie chose to return to Alex's apartment and listen. It wouldn't be fair not to and Alex was new to this whole relationship thing. Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Maggie shifted her attention back to her girlfriend, who was pouring her heart and soul into the song.
Everybody's got a dark side
Do you love me?
Can you love mine?
Nobody's a picture perfect, but we're worth it
You know that we're worth it
Will you love me, even with my dark side?
Like a diamond from black dust
It's hard to know what can become if you give up
So don't give up on me
Please remind me who I really am
Maggie never gave up on Alex, she just put some distance between them while trying to sort her own feelings. Her reaction to the kiss at the dive bar put a huge wedge between whatever friendship they were building but instead of giving up, Maggie had fought to keep Alex in her life and it was the best decision she's ever made.
Everybody's got a dark side
Do you love me?
Can you love mine?
Nobody's a picture perfect
But we're worth it
You know that we're worth it
Will you love me?
Even with my dark side?
Don't run away
Don't run away
Just tell me that you will stay
Promise me you will stay
Don't run away, don't run away
Just promise me you will stay
Promise me you will stay
That verse resonated with Maggie and she felt a pang of guilt because she did run from Alex that time in the Alien dive bar. Alex had just come out to Kara and then, acting on her feelings for Maggie, suddenly kissed the detective. Maggie wanted to surrender herself to the kiss but her mind had other ideas and reminded her why being with Alex would be a bad idea. So instead she pushed Alex away, except she pushed too hard because Alex disappeared and Agent Danvers took her place, not wanting to be in the friend zone and keeping things between them strictly professional.
Will you love me?
Everybody's got a dark side.
Do you love me?
Can you love mine?
Nobody's a picture perfect but we're worth it
You know that we're worth it
Will you love me even with my dark side?
Don't run away, don't run away
Don't run away, promise you'll stay.
The music faded out and all of Alex's friends started to clap and let her know that she did an awesome job. Alex blushed from the complements and settled back down next to Maggie on the couch, receiving a side hug and quick kiss on the cheek, while Kara set up her song choice, Adele's Chasing Pavements. Two rounds of solo singing and a duet later (Alex and Maggie singing The Story from Grey's Anatomy and taking turns singing the verses with Alex starting the song and Maggie closing it), everyone went their separate ways since it was getting late.
Later that night when they returned to Alex's apartment after a night of fun, Maggie would answer the questions from the song Alex sang. Alex had warned Maggie that she could be difficult to love since she had a hard time letting someone in, but what Alex didn't say, that Maggie already figured out, was that once she entered the agent's heart, she would be protected by its barriers too. Maggie couldn't make a promise, but yes, she would stay because Alex Danvers was worth it and Maggie would remind her girlfriend of that every day.
A/N: This was inspired by a Tumblr post about how "The sturdiest walls will guard the softest hearts".