Alex grabs Ruby's backpack off the counter as she hears heavy footfalls rushing towards the kitchen.
"Lena is here already, where did I leave my-." Ruby stops mid-sentence when she sees what Alex is holding in her hands. "Oh, I thought I had it in my room last night," she laughs as Alex helps her arms through the straps.
"Now hurry up before Lena gets mad you made her late again," Alex laughs as she ushers Ruby towards the door.
"You know Aunt Lena is never really mad," Ruby answers before giving Alex a tight hug. "Don't forget we are visiting my mom today," she shouts as she races out the door towards the awaiting vehicle.
Alex hasn't forgotten. She never forgets that Fridays are the most painful days of the week.
It's been five months since the final showdown between Reign and Supergirl. By the time the battle had happened, Reign had gained full control over Sam's mind and the team had realized too late that they had been the same all along.
"How could I have been so stupid? How could I have missed this? She confided in me. She told me every instance of memory loss and I'm the idiot who couldn't realize most of those dates lined up with an attack by Reign." Alex is pacing around the DEO command center, chiding herself.
"You can't blame yourself for this," Kara responds, attempting to console her sister. "Hindsight is 20/20, there's no way you could have known."
"We almost saved Purity from turning and we didn't even know her, Kara!" Alex nearly shouts as her pacing stops and she turns to face Kara. "Sam has Ruby and- and us. We could have helped her fight Reign from taking over her mind."
Kara has never seen her sister so rueful in her life. Usually Kara is the one weighted down by undue guilt. She never thought Sam and Alex were particularly close, but Alex's reactions seem like there could be more there.
"Maybe we still can," Kara whispers. "Maybe that love for Ruby and Lena and you and I will be enough? Maybe we can get her to fight her way back to the surface." She sees Alex's resolve fall even more.
"Ruby has been through so much Kara. She will do anything for her mom. But I couldn't risk her life for all the maybes in the world. I've already failed her and Sam once. I refuse to do so again," Alex sulks.
Kara sighs and realizes exactly why this hurts Alex so much. She feels a connection with Ruby and she feels as if she's failed her and Sam by not realizing sooner. She walks over to Alex and puts both hands on her shoulders. She looks her in the eyes while she says intently "we will find a way to stop Reign without killing Sam."
Alex somehow trusts and believes her in that moment.
It's been five months and Sam has been in a coma ever since that fateful day that Supergirl and Reign finally faced off. Genetic tests reveal she still has Kryptonian DNA, so they have been trying to heal her using the same techniques they use on Kara. They've kept her under sun lamps 24/7, monitored her life signs, kept her on a ventilator. Two rooms down, lied Kara in a similar state.
Two months passed and progress was great. Kara and Sam improved enough for their bodies to function on their own. They were taken off ventilation and Ruby, Lena and Alex waited on baited breath as their loved ones held on.
And then, their progress diverged. Sam plateaued as Kara continued to improve. A twitch of an eyelid or a finger here and there, increased brain activity revealed Kara would awaken soon. And she did. But Sam laid still, her mind silent.
It hasn't been easy for Kara, and the grief hasn't gotten better for Alex. She thought Kara waking up would have her feeling overjoyed, but with Kara awake, she realized she was grieving for Sam as well. For the friend she was becoming to Alex, for Ruby's mother.
Alex walks into the DEO and sees Kara grinning while talking to Winn. She still doesn't have her powers back, but they seem to be resurfacing.
"Hey, shouldn't you be at CatCo," Alex asks once she's within 5 feet of the pair.
"I took the morning off," she says with that small smirk she often smiles. "Winn and I are going to work on a new injection he thinks might increase my rate of recovery. Plus, I figured we could get some training in while we can still spar without needing the green room."
"Kara what did I tell you about experimenting on yourself to speed up your healing. If you spent half as much time under the sun lamps you'd have full powers back by now," Alex groans. She points a stern finger at Winn, "don't kill my sister with your weird concoctions, we both know chemistry is not your strong suit."
Winn holds up his hands in surrender, while Kara chuckles and bumps him with her shoulder. "I promise I am having Lena check all of his work. So, what do you say about sparring?"
"Sure," Alex agrees. "But, I want to run some tests and check on Sam first."
Kara nods her head and Alex heads towards the medical bay. Kara gives Winn a smug look that has him shaking his head. "I am not getting in on this bet. You were pissed when you found out about James and I's bet on you and Lena. No way am I going down that road again. Alex scares me more."
"Don't be such a baby," Kara chuckles. "Let's call Lena and see if she has our results!"
Alex heads towards the unit where they have Sam quarantined. She's locked away in a cell similar to Purity's. There's a mic. system set up so when people visit they can speak to Sam without breaching the security locking her away. Alex was hesitant to treat Sam this way, especially if Ruby was going to be visiting.
Lena and J'onn convinced her this was the only way. They had no way of knowing if Reign was still active without being able to monitor some brain activity and they couldn't take the risk of Sam awakening as Reign. And, with her DNA still indicating she is Kryptonian, Alex fears to think that the transformation is complete and they will never have Sam back. She refuses to let herself think that way.
Protocol for entry into the room required a lot of paperwork and several security checks and balances. Under no circumstances was anyone allowed to enter Sam's containment chamber alone or without the concentrated kryptonite weapons developed to stun her.
But five months of being left dormant and surveillance of Sam's chamber had lapsed. Many agents believed Sam would never wake up.
Alex wishes to say today is the only time she's broken protocol to see Sam, but she did so for the first time two weeks ago. It was brief, she thought she saw movement and needed a closer look. Nothing happened, she held Sam's hand for a few moments, saw what she thought was eye movement below her eyelids. Her cellphone rang and startled her out of her trance and she quickly left the room.
Nothing had changed in Sam's progress but Alex was beginning to think that maybe touch may help. She knows she's read that somewhere. Maybe her touch would be strong enough to ignite something in Sam. So, she walked intently to her unit and disabled the alarms.
She opened the holding doors and walked over to Sam's limp body. She took her pulse and a blood sample. She checked her readings. Nothing seems different.
Now she sits next to Sam with their hands enveloped. She stares intently at her calm, and strikingly beautiful countenance. Alex would be lying if she didn't admit that Sam was gorgeous. She clearly has a thing for brunettes with big, beautiful, brown eyes. And on top of it all, Sam was kind, so very intelligent and one of the emotionally strongest people Alex has ever met in her life. She was nothing like Reign.
Alex loves Kara, but she hates Zor-El with a passion for what he did to Sam. Alex's grip grows tighter on Sam's hand as her anger spikes for a moment while thinking of that man.
She doesn't know why she's so attached to Sam. She felt that they could be good friends just from the moment they met eyes. And meeting Ruby and seeing the fruitions of becoming a mother sparked something in her. It led to her making the hardest decision of her life. She broke her own heart knowing she'd like to have her own Ruby one day. She can only thank Sam for that.
And now, she's ended up with Ruby and it's in no way what she thought she'd been asking for. She's been caring for Ruby since a few weeks after the incident. Lena tried to care for her at first, but seeing her best friend in a coma as well as her girlfriend weighed too heavily on her, on top of having to keep L Corp and Catco afloat in their absences.
Alex eventually moved into Sam's house to look after Ruby since her apartment was too small and harbored too many memories of Maggie.
As much as she loves Ruby and is happy to take care of her, every time she looks into her eyes she sees Sam and it hurts. She has no idea why, but it opens up a saturating feeling of longing, deep in her gut. It hurts sometimes almost as much as when she had to say goodbye to Maggie.
She assumes it is sadness for Ruby, for she sees the grief and longing in those eyes too. She knows Ruby is barely holding it together.
Alex strokes Sam's hair once, pushing it to one side. She stares intently at her eyes, then the EEG monitor, then at her eyes again.
Alex sighs. "Sam," she whispers to the sleeping form. "It's been five months since I've seen you smile. I look into Ruby's eyes and they remind me of yours and I realize I miss them."
"Whatever is going on in there, I need you to fight it. Please fight it!" Alex is begging and she never begs. "I love Ruby so much, but she misses you. I can't take seeing her hurt anymore. You need to wake up."
Alex sniffs, she refuses to cry but damn does she feel like she is close to it. She looks at the monitor and notes again that nothing has changed. She begins stroking her thumb against Sam's hand as she speaks.
"Ruby is so amazing and strong like you. She's holding it together, but it gets harder every day. I can tell that she's hurting. She's been visiting you every Friday. I hope you are hearing her when she talks to you."
Alex pauses, palms her face and rubs at her eyes willing the tears back.
"Sam, she's so smart and I don't want you to miss too much. She graduates middle school in a couple of months and she has one of the highest GPAs in her class. She's nervous even now to start high school. I told her that's months away but she worries as much as you do," Alex laughs out bitterly.
"She's going to visit today. It's been five months too long, Sam. It's time for you to wake up. I don't how much longer we can all go on missing you." Alex checks the monitors several times throughout her conversation but still nothing changes.
She sighs and checks her watch. She realizes she should probably go find Kara to spar before she comes looking for her and finds her in here exposed to Reign.
Alex stands and steps towards the head of Sam's bed. She leans over and plants a peck to Sam's forehead similar to how she wishes Ruby goodnight every evening. "Please wake up soon," she whispers near Sam's ear and heads towards to door. She doesn't notice the single peak that dances across the EEG as she steps out.
She spars harder than she ever has with a powerless Kara. They are panting in opposite ends of the sparring room, Kara gripping her abdomen.
"I think I'm gonna pass out," Kara huffs. "You didn't hold back."
"You need to be prepared to protect yourself, even without your powers. I won't go easy on you just because you're powerless. That is always when you need to be your strongest, Kara," Alex barks at her.
"You only get like this when something is bothering you," Kara points out. "What has you so worried? Is there something wrong with Ruby?"
"Something wrong with Ruby?" Alex mocks bitterly. "Her mother is in a coma, Kara. She may be completely gone for good, lost in her own mind. And in the off chance that she isn't, she could wake up as a worldkiller and destroy everything."
"Alex, we just need to remain hopeful," Kara pleads.
"I'm beginning to lose hope," She sighs. "Every day she remains asleep, her odds diminish." She hangs her head in sorrow and leaves Kara behind. She cools down by sparring with the punching bag for an hour. Kara knows not to bother her when she gets like this, and gives her sister her space.
Alex focuses all of her anger onto the bag and attempts to clear her thoughts. She doesn't know why she's so frustrated. Why does she care so much about Sam? Why does this have her so wound up?
She thinks of Ruby. She's just worried about Ruby. She's a teenager and she needs her mother.
"Maybe Sam needs her as well," Alex thinks. In that moment, she decides to let Ruby past the barriers keeping her from her mother.
An hour later, when Lena arrives with Ruby, Alex leads her straight to the medical bay. Usually they will do homework before visiting Sam, but Alex wants to go through with her plan. Thankfully Lena and Kara are too wrapped up in each other to notice the unusual behavior Alex has been exhibiting. Ruby, on the other hand is much more observant.
"Why are you so jumpy," Ruby inquires.
"You are going to get to see your mother," Alex exclaims.
"Yeah, I get to every Friday?" Ruby remarks.
Alex smirks and shakes her head. "I'm going to sneak you past the security measures."
Ruby stops mid stride and Alex grabs her hand. "We have to do this quickly, Ruby we don't have much time," she pleads as she tries to pull her along.
"Alex, what if we get caught," Ruby asks.
"I will get in trouble," Alex admits. "But Ruby, your mom has been asleep a long time. The longer she sleeps, the less her odds become. This needs to happen."
Ruby looks down and ponders it for a moment. She raises her head with resolve and looks Alex in the eyes. She sees desperation in them, and feels the same urge within. She nods confidently and continues towards her mom's containment room, Alex right behind her.
When Alex disables all of the security measures and opens the second chamber door, Ruby's resolve weakens momentarily. Alex grabs her hand and ushers her along.
"If anything happens, I will keep you safe," Alex assures her. "If I tell you to run, Ruby you need to run. Don't wait for me, don't look back, just get out and close the doors."
"But-" Ruby begins.
"Do as I say," Alex demands and Ruby reluctantly nods.
She creeps in slowly behind Alex. It's haunting to Alex how afraid Ruby is of her own mother. But Reign did terrible things and she barely recognized her the last time she had encountered her mother's alter ego.
"I won't let anything bad happen," Alex promises.
Ruby steps next to her mother's bed. She looks at her for several moments then looks to Alex for direction.
"I read that coma patients are more likely to respond to audible and physical stimulus," Alex explains, stepping closer to Ruby. "I think you should talk to her, like normal. Maybe hold her hand as well?"
Ruby nods and takes Sam's hand. "Hi mom," She starts awkwardly. "Alex let me in to see you. She's been taking really good care of me," she notes, looking toward Alex. "But, I miss you. It's been months since I've had one of your famous hugs to cheer me up, or a surprise ice skating session."
Alex takes a seat at the foot of Sam's bed while Ruby continues to chatter on about how the last week has gone. Once she's finally got her mother caught up she stops to realize she never thought she'd be able to touch her mother again.
She looks down at Sam for a few moments before deciding to hug her as best as she can. She leans in and wraps her arms around Sam's prone body. "Please wake up," Ruby pleads.
She continues to observe her mother but becomes frustrated that nothing is happening. Alex walks over to her and puts a hand on her shoulder. "I didn't say it would be immediate, Ruby. But, we can keep trying," She promises. "For now, we have to go. Lena will be coming by to help with your science homework any minute."
Ruby nods sadly and begins heading towards the door. Alex begins to follow when she notices movement on the EEG. She steps closer to Sam as she thinks she notices her fingers twitch. She can't believe it, thinks she's going crazy.
She only has a few seconds to ponder until alarms begin to blare and Sam sits straight up with an intense and powerful gasp.
"Ruby, get out," Alex shouts as Sam or Reign continues to gasp for air. Alex demands Ruby listen with one look and Ruby is quick to exit the room and shut the doors behind her.
In that moment she is aware that several people have entered the room and she has been caught in the containment chamber, but that is the least of her worries. She may currently be locked in a room with Reign.
She takes time to observe. The brunette is starting to become aware of her surroundings and Alex knows it will only be a few seconds more before her fate is decided. She notices though, that her hands are still restrained, Reign could easily have ripped loose. But, maybe she hasn't fully awakened yet. Or maybe, she is powerless just like Kara. Either way, she may be harmless.
She hears tons of commotion outside and knows she only has a few moments to help decide the woman's fate. They will shoot before Sam has a chance to prove herself in order to protect Alex. She needs to show them the woman before her is Sam before they move in.
She hears Lena shout, "get Ruby out of here." Sam's eyes grow wide at that and finally Alex knows. She knows it must be Sam in front of her. She rushes forward and begins unbuckling Sam's hands. Once free they instantly grab hold of Alex in a vice grip.
The DEO team moves in, but Alex blocks their shot at Sam.
She remains in that position on purpose and brings her hands up to Sam's face, cradling it in her hands. "Sam, I need you to let me go and put your hands up in the air, ok? They think you're Reign. I know it's you!" She is desperately pleading with the woman. "Put your hands up."
Sam registers what Alex says and begins to sob as she lifts her hands in the air. Alex tries to wipe away her tears but they come too quickly for her to contain. "Stand down," She shouts behind her, her eyes never leaving Sam's. She hears no movement behind her to indicate anyone has listened to her orders. She gets lost in teary eyed pools of brown and tries to convey that she won't let anything happen to her.
"J'onn," she pleads, turning her head towards the three people standing outside the chamber. "Tell them to stand down. It's Sam, I promise it's Sam. Tell them to stand down."
"We can't know for sure, Alex," he replies firmly. "You know how Reign can play tricks. You know she could be deceiving us right now."
"It's Sam, J'onn. Please just trust me," she begs, almost in tears now. She looks to Kara and silently pleads with her to get him to agree.
"J'onn, if Alex says it's her, we need to trust her." Kara isn't so sure also, but she trusts her sister. She also knows Alex would risk her own life to save Sam and she's not willing to let that happen.
J'onn sighs. It takes him several seconds before he gives the order and the agents lower their weapons.
Sam gasps into a gut-wrenching sob before she wraps her arms around Alex in a tight and desperate embrace. Alex holds onto her and tries to console her, whispering reassurances into her hair.
She sobs for an uncountable length of time. The entire team has filtered out to give them space as Alex keeps her in their embrace for as long as Sam needs. Each sob is heart-shattering. Alex hasn't seen anyone in this level of pain since Kara had been released from the clutches of Red K. She wishes she could alleviate that pain, but knows it's not that simple. How do you heal someone's soul?
Finally, Sam pulls back, her sobs weakening. "I did such terrible things," she rasps out, her voice nearly gone due to disuse and over-exertion from crying.
"That wasn't you, Sam," Alex replies, brushing her hair out of her face.
Sam does not relent. She yanks her head back as if she's been scalded. "I'm a monster. How can you even be in the same room as me?" She is disgusted and guilt-ridden and Alex refuses to let her doubt herself.
"Because you are kind, strong, smart and incapable of ever doing the things Reign did. A monster is the person who coded Reign into your genetics. You are not a monster, Sam." Alex looks her in the eyes and begs her to listen to her. "It wasn't you. We all know it wasn't you."
"I hurt you," Sam sobs. "And Ruby, oh God, Ruby." Sam lifts her hand to hold back another gasping cry. "I remember it all. I was the one doing all of it."
"Sam, look at me," Alex demands pulling the CFO's chin to get her to raise her head back to eye level. "Everyone knows it wasn't you. Ruby, she forgives you. I forgive you. You need to forgive yourself."
"If I had just come to the DEO sooner. If I had realized. She had total control and I had no idea," Sam rambles on.
"And if I had realized your blackouts coincided with Reign's attacks," Alex adds. "Hindsight is twenty, twenty. Sam, I beat myself up for it for weeks. It's useless. We need to move forward."
"How can I move forward knowing all the pain I've caused?" Sam pleads, shaking her head as more tears begin to fall.
Alex brings her hands to cup Sam's cheeks and uses her thumbs to brush away her tears. "You are such an amazing and caring and kind woman, Sam. You have done and can continue to do so much good. You fought Reign. You are the one who defeated her. Not us, you. I know it wasn't easy, Sam. I know it took an unbelievable amount of strength. And it's because you knew what Reign was doing was wrong. You couldn't let that parasite continue to use you to wreak so much havoc. You are a hero, Sam." Alex thinks she may have gotten through to her until Sam's head falls in shame.
"I don't think I've defeated her," Sam admits.
"What do you mean?" Alex asks.
"She's still in here," Sam says pointing to her head. "We fought, the entire time I was asleep. I pushed her deeper and deeper into my psych. Unfortunately, I ended up getting lost as well. I heard you this morning, talking to me. I followed your voice for a while but then it stopped. And then I heard Ruby," Sam smiles through tears at that. "I heard her and I just followed and followed and here I am."
"Sam, that's amazing. It worked," Alex admits excitedly until Sam grips her wrist a little too tightly.
"Alex, don't you see?" Sam nearly shouts. "If I found my way out, so could she."
Alex shakes her head, ignoring the slight pain in her wrist. "No, Sam. We won't let that happen again. We can teach you how to control her. Lena can continue to try to find a way to purge the coding. We will be able to stop her this time."
"And what if you can't?" Sam asks. "What if I hurt you again? What if I kill Kara next time? What if I hurt Ruby?"
"You would never, Sam." Alex gasps. "Ruby is what kept you strong. What made you fight. What kept Reign from establishing full control for so long. You know you would never hurt her."
"I can't be sure," Sam sighs.
"What if we brought her back in, so you could see-"
"No," Sam says sternly, cutting her off. "I can't be around her until I'm sure I won't hurt her."
"Sam-"
"Alex, promise me you will keep me contained until we are sure," Sam begs.
Alex looks at her wearily for a moment, but finally nods reluctantly. "We will keep you here in the containment chamber. I'll bring Lena back in and we will start with some tests okay?" Alex asks and Sam nods. "Let me just go talk to Ruby."
She turns to walk away but Sam grabs her wrist again, stopping her. "Tell her it's for her protection, that I love her."
"Of course, Sam," Alex agrees. She leaves the chamber, reinstating all of the security mechanisms as she goes. She finds Ruby, Lena and Kara at the end of the hallway waiting for her.
"How is she?"
"Is she okay?"
"Can I see my mom again?"
All three voices speak over each other attempting to learn Sam's fate.
Alex chooses to answer Ruby first. She walks up to the teenager and puts a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Ruby, your mother loves and misses you. She told me she woke up because she heard you speaking to her today."
"There's a but coming isn't there," Ruby perceives.
Alex pinches her lips together and nods sadly. "Honey, Sam is worried that Reign could still take over. She fought and pushed her very deep into her mind until they both got lost. But she's worried that if she was able to find her way out, so may Reign. And she's worried most of all, that she could hurt you."
"Can I still talk to her from the observation room?" Ruby asks hopefully.
"Of course, Ruby," Alex assures. "And I will do everything I can to get her cleared soon."
It's a promise she will assuredly keep. If she is not at home babysitting one Arias, she plans to be here monitoring the other.
"Wait, so she says she went into her deep psych?" Lena ponders. "That explains why her body continued to function but there was no brain activity. Her conscious was too deep in the brain to be monitored."
"Do you believe Reign could reemerge?" Kara asks her girlfriend.
"it's possible," Lena says sadly. "But, Sam has controlled her before. I have no doubt that now, she may be able to fully contain Reign within her mind. We just need to train her mentally and physically. I can try to invent a monitor to reach Sam's deeper thoughts. We can monitor them if there is any odd movement, we will know it could be Reign awakening. Then we can go from there, be prepared."
"And what do we do if Reign does emerge," Alex asks. She is slightly unimpressed with Lena's plan and a bit angry that she admitted the risk of Reign resurfacing in front of Ruby.
"We help Sam fight her off," Kara replies as if it is the easiest thing in the world.
Alex wants to argue but knows now is not the time, especially with Ruby right there. It is best to keep the hopes high.
"Ruby, Lena and I are going to run some tests on your mom. We will make sure she has everything she needs and is comfortable while she remains here and heals. After, I will come get you so you can say goodbye, okay?"
Ruby nods sadly and replies with an "okay."
Alex nods to Lena and they begin heading back towards Sam's room.
It's a short walk to the end of the med bay where Sam's room is, and yet somehow, it still manages to be silent and awkward. Lena and Alex have never had the best relationship. Even with them both worrying about Kara and Sam, and being jointly responsible for Ruby, they didn't get particularly close. They encouraged each other, but never talked about how they felt.
Lena doesn't know how to talk to Alex about anything that has happened with Sam. Because, she knows Sam means something to Alex. Something that would toe the line of talking about feelings, and Lena doesn't know how to touch on that with Alex. Admitting that her and Kara were dating was difficult enough.
Alex clears her throat and opens the door to Sam's observation room, letting Lena file in before her. "Sam, we are going to need to come back in, is this okay?"
Sam nods and shudders out a "yes," as Alex begins eliminating all security measures except for the cameras.
They draw blood, test her pulse and check her scans. They do everything they can to study Sam's condition using the medical equipment available in the containment room.
"We need to bring you to radiology and have another CT scan done," Alex tells Sam, who instantly begins shaking her head.
"I don't want to be unsecured, in case-"
"Sam, that isn't going to happen," Lena interrupts her. "But I can't assure you until we try to study the rest of your brain."
"I need you to figure out a way to move me where we are sure I can't hurt anyone," Sam pleads.
"Okay," Alex promises, taking Sam's hand. "Okay," she assures again.
"We need to see if you can stand, Sam," Lena moves on. "By all accounts, your body has been healed a long time, but five months of disuse can lead to atrophy and weakness in the legs."
Lena and Alex work towards removing the straps on Sam's ankles and Sam immediately turns and dangles her free legs over the edge of the bed.
She lowers one leg and puts weight on it while leaning against the bed and holding on to the railing attached to the side of the bed. She feels steady enough to lower the second leg and remain holding onto the railing. When she feels balanced, she puts the full weight of her body onto both her legs.
She doesn't predict her knees giving out on her and as she tumbles to the ground she hears a deafening creaking and groaning sound.
Alex and Lena watch before them as Sam falls to her knees, contorting and bending the metal bed railing on her way down. Lena looks astonished as Alex runs towards Sam's side.
Sam has enough time before Alex arrives next to her to realize what she's done. "Stay back, Alex," Sam demands, stopping the redhead in her tracks.
"Sam-"
"No, I might hurt you," She interrupts.
"How does she have her powers back," Lena wonders.
"She's been under the sun lamps this whole time," Alex answers before looking smugly at Lena. "Which means your girlfriend should probably listen to me and be under the sunlamps instead of looking for easier ways to heal."
"Noted," Lena relents.
"Sam," Alex tries again, stepping closer to the brunette. "You're half Kryptonian. In implanting Reign in you, they also implanted Krytonian genes into you. You have powers, but we can teach you to control them."
"I can't be sure I won't hurt you," Sam shakes her head.
"Take my hand, you haven't hurt me yet and we've touched several times. Think about threading a needle, or holding a small creature in the palm of your hands if that helps. Imagine gently taking my hand and then take it," Alex guides her.
Sam is hesitant at first, but finally her hand falls into Alex's. "I promise you won't hurt any of us, Sam. But if you're ever worried, just think about your strength and the level you intend to use before you do anything. Think of it like a dial. It worked for Kara and it will work for you, I promise."
Sam nods at Alex, who then pulls her up. She is scared she is gripping Alex's hand too tightly and attempts to let her go, but Alex keeps a grip on her hand.
"You aren't hurting me Sam, hold on to me as you need so we can assess if we need PT to get you walking," Alex instructs.
Alex helps Sam take multiple steps around the room, her steps getting more assured with every foot traveled. Eventually Alex lets her go and Sam is able to travel around the room a few more times alone before she decides to sit back down.
"Looks like you're completely recovered," Lena remarks.
"I'd really like to move you to a more comfortable chamber, Sam. Out of the medical bay, into a more private room. Kara and I can take turns training you to control your powers, and the rest of us can monitor you more closely if you're not stuck in the med bay," Alex muses.
"If you can figure out a way to transport me safely, I will go where you need me to go. So long as you make sure I am not a threat," Sam agrees.
"Kryptonite, it's the weakness of all Kryptonians. Reign was only slightly susceptible to it. But you should only have at most half of her strength," Lena explains.
"The kryptonite needles work on her, so we know she's weakened by it. We just need to figure out how much," Alex agrees.
"I want to make sure it works before we leave," Sam tells them.
"We will test it in here before we let you out, okay?" Alex assures her.
Sam nods.
"We are going to arrange with J'onn to have food and whatever you want delivered to you. We will have a DEO agent monitoring you at all times," Alex informs her, her agent persona shining through until her features fall soft again. "Will you be okay?" Alex wonders.
Sam looks at her and her features soften as well as she nods. "Yeah, I'll be okay."
"Ruby wants to say goodbye from the observation room. Can I let her come see you?" Alex asks.
"Yeah, I'd like that," Sam smiles.
Lena tries to ignore the tension in the room between the two of them. She says her goodbyes to Sam and leads Alex out of the containment room. Once everything is secured again, Alex collects Ruby while Lena begins to tell Kara what happened.
"Is my mom going to have to stay locked up," Ruby asks as she walks along Alex's side to her mom's room.
"She wants to remain that way until she knows she is safe," Alex admits.
"My mom would never hurt me," Ruby argues.
"Ruby, I know. But, she wants to make sure that she protects you. Sam loves you," Alex assures her. "You go ahead in and say goodbye, I'll wait out here."
Ruby nods and walks through the door into the observation room alone. Sam sits on the bed with her head down, until she hears the door shut. Her head shoots up in response, and when she sees her daughter her face alights with a smile. She rushes toward the glass wall of her holding cell, "Ruby, I- I've missed you so much," Sam says softly, tears forming in her eyes. She remembers trying to conjure the image of her daughter in her brain and failing over and over again. "I'm so, so sorry, for everything I've done. All the harm I've done. I'm sure you're terrified of me, but-"
"What, no, Mom?" Ruby stutters, interrupting Sam's rambling. "I hate Reign for what she did, all the pain she caused, but that wasn't you. You would never do those things. I know you would never hurt me, Mom," Ruby asserts.
"I would never hurt you, baby. But-"
"Then come home," Ruby demands.
"I would never hurt you, but Reign might," Sam replies, shaking her head as a few tears fall. "I need to be sure she is gone. Alex and the DEO will help me ensure that and then I can come home."
"I understand," Ruby admits reluctantly.
Sam smiles at her daughter. "My brave girl," she says. "How are you doing in school, how is living with Alex?" Sam wonders. This was supposed to be a quick goodbye, but she needs to know Ruby is doing okay.
"Alex is amazing," Ruby nearly shouts. "She has been helping me with my homework so I'm doing even better in school and we have movie nights and she's been teaching me self-defense," Ruby rattles off. "But I miss you, Mom. I can't wait 'til you're home with us."
Us, Sam wonders in her head. Would Alex continue to live with them if she returned home?
"I love you," Sam tells her.
"I love you too, Mom," Ruby replies.
Sam smiles at her and nods. She is so very proud of her daughter. "You should grab Alex so I can talk to her before you head out. I know we've already taken up too much time."
Ruby frowns and begins to head towards the door. When she gets to it she turns back around to her mom one last time. "I love you," she repeats. "Please do everything you can to come back home," Ruby pleads.
"I promise, I will," Sam assures her.
Ruby goes outside and a few moments later Alex walks in. She walks slowly and awkwardly towards the glass, stopping at least three feet away. She's not sure why this feels weird, it just does after everything that has happened today.
Sam remains up to the glass as close as she can. She notices the space between them and wonders why Alex feels the need to be so far.
"Thank you, for taking care of Ruby. I want to make sure you know how grateful I am for everything," Sam says softly to her.
Alex looks down and crosses her legs as she nods. She looks the most vulnerable that Sam has ever seen her and she wonders if that's what's keeping her from coming closer.
"You have to know I love watching Ruby, but she needs her mom," Alex admits.
"She said she can't wait 'til I come home to you guys," Sam laughs. She doesn't know why she says it. "She might be a little less likely to wish for my speedy recovery when she realizes her favorite babysitter will likely go back to her own life," Sam says, realizing she's being self-deprecating.
"If I stuck around, would you be willing to come home now?" Alex asks abruptly, stepping closer toward the glass. "I could monitor you, you wouldn't have to be locked up and-"
"Alex," Sam stops her. "I have superhuman abilities I'm not able to control. Regardless of Reign, we need to make sure I'm not a walking wrecking ball. I'm sure when Kara first got here, there were adjustments."
"You're right," Alex laughs, remembering some of Kara's early mishaps. "I'm just really happy you're awake," she smiles.
"I'm really happy you helped me find my way out," she smiles back. They hold the gentle gaze between them for a few content moments before Sam breaks it. "What's the plan for making sure Reign can't do the same?" Sam asks seriously.
Alex nods at the shift towards the elephant in the room. "Tomorrow morning we are going to test kryptonite on you. Lena has the device we used on you when you were Reign, we can dial it down so it doesn't kill you. If Reign emerges, Lena can easily dial it back up and we can get you two contained again."
"Are you sure it works?" Sam asks.
"Of course, Lena has improved upon it, just in case," Alex admits sadly. "I assure you, I will have you out of here as soon as possible," Alex promises.
"Alex, you can't be so sure-"
"No, I am sure. Sam, you are stronger than Reign. Tomorrow, if everything goes to plan, Supergirl wants to have her first training session with you to help you control your powers. We make sure Reign is contained, get your powers under control and then you're coming home," Alex informs her.
Sam is thankful for all of Alex's high hopes, but she's worried she won't meet her expectation. How do you admit that you're terrified of yourself, of your own mind?
She nods regardless and agrees for now. She knows she should remain positive, but that technique has never gone her way. "When can I see Ruby again?" She asks.
"How about Sunday?" Alex suggests. "Maybe even face to face with the kryptonite-"
"Don't push it, Danvers," Sam retorts.
Alex shakes her head and laughs. "I'll see you tomorrow," she promises as she heads to the door.
"Alex," Sam stops her right before she leaves, and the redhead turns back towards her. "I can't thank you enough for taking care of Ruby."
"I love taking care of her, but thank me by working on getting better, Sam. We will call it even then," she says, smiling across the room at the brunette.
Sam nods and says "deal," before Alex finally exits. She sits back down onto the bed and sighs deeply. Us, she thinks again. She's beginning to wonder if that's something she wants.
Her contemplations are interrupted by someone clearing her throat. She smiles when she looks up to find Lena standing in front of the glass.
"How are you feeling?" Lena wonders.
"Amazing for someone who has been in a coma for the last five months," Sam laughs as Lena grimaces at her attempt at humor.
"Is there anything I can get you to make sure you're comfortable?" She asks her friend.
"I am really not sure," she replies sadly.
"If you could have food from any restaurant right now, what would you get?" Lena questions.
Sam thinks about it and smiles. "Oh my gosh, pad thai from the Thai Palace for sure," she practically moans out.
Lena types in her phone for a few moments before putting it away. "Done," she smiles before taking a seat cross-legged on the floor.
"What are you doing," Sam wonders.
"We haven't had a girls' night in over five months," She explains. "Sit, we are having a mini girls' night right now."
"But what about Kara?" Sam wonders.
"What about her?" Lena asks.
"I heard Alex call her your girlfriend earlier. She's still injured from what I did to her. You should be with her, helping her heal," Sam explains.
"Sam, you didn't do anything to Kara, Reign did. And besides, her sister has sentenced her to a night under the sun lamps and you know how Alex can be," Lena chuckles.
"Yeah," Sam intones softly, a small smile developing on her face. Lena doesn't miss a second of it.
"It seems I'm not the only one that has a thing for a Danvers," Lena jokes.
"What? I do not!" Sam practically shouts.
"Oh, come on. Sam, you were practically drooling just now," Lena laughs.
"I was not," Sam defends.
"Was too," Lena shoots back, giggling. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Alex is a catch and Ruby basically worships the ground she walks on."
"She deserves better than an emotional mess and a terroristic mass murderer," Sam bemoans.
"Sam, you are nothing of the sort. I promise, I won't let Reign take over again," Lena whispers.
"A lot of you are making promises that can't be kept," Sam notes.
"We love you, Sam. We will do whatever we can to make sure you are okay. I want my best friend back. Alex has been unbelievably lost and different since you've been gone. Ruby misses you so much sometimes, you can tell she's aching. She acts strong, Sam, but she's still a kid. All of this matters. You are so important and loved by us, and that is what makes you strong. That is what you have that Reign doesn't have, and because of that, I know you will always defeat her," Lena states seriously before her phone buzzes.
Sam looks up at her intently and nods lightly. She almost believes it.
"That's the food, Winn is bringing it. Let's eat and talk about lighter stuff. Ask me anything you want to know about what you've missed. Let's just not bring up Reign," Lena suggests.
Sam nods and moves toward the slot to retrieve the food from Lena.
They eat, and talk for a couple of hours. About Ruby's soccer matches. The one game that Alex coached where a few single moms hit on her. Lena makes sure to note the angry blush that peppers Sam's cheeks during that story.
Lena talks about how her and Kara finally admitted their feelings for each other and have been together since a few days before the fight between Reign and Supergirl.
She tells Sam how she ultimately cared for Ruby as her godmother. But with Kara out, Alex was working less on missions and more on healing her sister. Lena knew Alex would never leave the DEO if she didn't have a reason. And, with her CFO out, Lena now had to go back to managing L Corp., while continuing to help James steer CatCo. Plus, it was a good decision for the both of them. Ruby and Alex both needed each other.
Sam is thankful for how much care Lena has for her and her daughter, and even Alex. She knows Alex isn't Lena's biggest fan. But, Alex has no idea how much Lena cares for her. She has no doubt that as soon as the redhead begins to trust Lena, they will be the best of friends.
When they are all talked out, Lena wishes her a good night and promises to see her tomorrow.
When Sam is alone, she can't help but mourn everyone she has killed, again. Getting lost in all the memories she has gained since absorbing Reign, she cries herself to sleep.
Note: Hello. I haven't written a story in ages but finally this one kept nagging me and I got on it. I haven't uploaded on here or read a story on here in quite a while so I hope this is up to par. I figured if I didn't upload this now I may never do it. Next chapter should be up shortly.