"Listen to yourself, Kate. You're too damn proud."
She hears Maggie; she hears the tiny bit of anger in her voice that she never gives away entirely. They had gone through so much together; meeting, falling in love, the fear toxin, the secret that Kate was Batwoman, their engagement.
"You just got the D.E.O. off your back. You didn't even tell us about them until it was almost too late. I know you wanted to protect us," Maggie pauses, watching Kate take in her words, "but I also know you were too proud to admit you needed help."
Kate wanted to stay quiet and just let Maggie finish talking, to practice the self-control she was never great at. But she doesn't. She starts speaking before she can stop herself, her voice at the edge of anger, and she knows that she's going to keep going.
"What was I supposed to do? If I told you guys and we made one wrong move – just one – they could've ruined my dad's life. They could've messed with Bette. They threatened my sister." The next part came almost as a whisper. "And they could've hurt you."
Maggie pointed a finger at Kate while keeping her face stern. "I know that," she began, "but we know how to take care of ourselves and you know that! I can take care of myself!"
"Of course I know that!" Kate hesitates for a moment before continuing. "That's part of why I fell in love with you."
"And I love that you are so proud of who you are," Maggie says, "but sometimes it gets the better of you." She moved towards Kate and reaches to hold her hands between the two of them. "All of us just want you to relax," she said, with her voice softer than before. "We don't want you worrying about us so much that you end up hurting yourself."
Their hands separated and Kate felt a smile forming on her face as she saw the determination and pride in Maggie's eyes.
"You're a goddamn soldier, Kate Kane," her fiancée tells her, "and soldiers trust their partners." She raises her arm in a salute, waiting as Kate returns it.
"I'm a goddamn soldier!"
It's been a really long time since I've written any kind of fic, but I've been reading a lot of Batwoman and it has me really motivated. Feedback is greatly appreciated!