Parachute

by Cheeyathebard

Kara Zorel is an army psychiatrist and she meets a patient who changes her life. For Alex Danvers, therapy open possibilities to her that she's never imagined.

So, this is another story that I've been working on for ages. It sat in my Bits folder until I suddenly got inspiration on how to finish it. It may not be the best thing I've ever written but I'm putting it out there. Please be warned that there are some brief scenes of memories of torture, some references to rape and a suicide attempt. I tried to not be too graphic. Sorry for any typos or inconsistencies.

---

Chapter 1

Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Tick Tock.

Silence. Patience.

"Captain Danvers."

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"Alex."

Brown eyes lifted. "Y…Yes."

"It's ok to talk about this."

"Maybe tomorrow"

Chapter 2

She strolled along the river's walled banks, tendrils of blonde hair moving with the cool breeze. She was glad the summer was coming to an end. Her uniform was particularly uncomfortable during the hottest months of the year but, like everything else that made Captain Zorel uncomfortable, she had learned a long time previously to just deal with it. Yes, she was an army officer but Captain Zorel preferred her other title. Doctor Zorel. That role was what fulfilled her.

Her boots were quiet on the path and she just let the peace of the moment wash over her. Apart from a few joggers, she hadn't really seen a whole lot of people around and that was a rarity for this part of National City.

Zorel stopped at a bench and took a seat, taking out her iPhone and looking through her appointments but her eyes lingered over one – her last one in fact – of the day.

Captain Alex Danvers.

Zorel had been seeing her daily for about a week now and every session had been agonizing. Each one consisted of Danvers staring at a single spot on the table in front of her and saying nothing for the hour while obviously agonizing over wanting to say SOMETHING. And every time, Zorel's eyes met the brunette's, she could see the depth of her grief. Captain Danvers had lost seventeen of her team in Afghanistan in a terrorist ambush, but she had survived her horrific ordeal… the only one who had survived in fact.

Doctor Zorel felt differently about this woman than she did her other patients. Maybe it was because she herself had lost someone in combat. She felt like she understood what the brunette was going through.

The doctor stood and twitched her uniform jacket straight. Time to start another day.

"Captain Danvers?"

"Major Kent, Sir." The dark-haired woman snapped to attention, eyes front and center.

"As you were, Captain."

Danvers relaxed and picked up her coffee cup. "What news, Joe?"

"Nothing yet. Alex. At the moment they're getting nowhere. I just really want to kick someone's ass."

"I dare you to try," the captain chuckled. "They'll have you clapped in irons in no time."

"I'm about a click past giving a shit. Alex, I want to know what the hell happened over there. It was supposed to have been a safe zone."

Danvers straightened and locked eyes with her commanding officer. "I know, Sir. And I want to know just as much as you do… but, Joe, I can't lose you too. Be careful with them. There's something fishy going on. I just wish I could remember more."

"I know." Kent nodded. "I will." He poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned against the wall. "How's the counselling going?"

This time, Danvers stiffened. "It's not really," she replied. "I get in there and just… I don't know what to say. Hell, I don't even know how to start! Everything seems so foggy."

The older man nodded. "I've been through this a few times, Alex. My advice to you is to start small. Name, rank and why you're there. The counselor will ask the tough questions. Doctor Zorel is good at her job."

"Thanks, Joe," the captain nodded thoughtfully. "I guess it's as good a place to start as anywhere else."

"What's on the agenda for today?"

Danvers grinned. "I'm teaching a room full of week two recruits how to read maps."

"Ah," Kent chuckled. "Good luck with that."

The captain picked up her cap and tucked it under her arm. "Speaking of which, I'd better get going. See you later, Sir."

"Have a good day, Alex."

But a good day was not in the cards for Captain Danvers. By the time she'd finished her day, she'd had elephants stomping around inside her brain. And she still had her counselling session to go to.

Her commander's advice still echoed in her mind. Name, rank and why you're there. Alex decided to give it a go.

Which was why she was now standing outside Doctor Zorel's office. She raised her hand to knock but a gentle voice sounded from behind her. "Go on in."

Danvers whirled in surprise to be greeted by smiling blue eyes and a beautiful face framed by tiny wisps of blonde hair. "You scared me," she chuckled.

"Sorry," Zorel grinned. "I seem to be having that effect on people today."

Danvers laughed softly. "Well, I'll watch out then."

Doctor Zorel grinned and pushed the door open, inviting her patient to enter ahead of her. She took off her cap and jacket and took a seat in her padded leather chair. Danvers took her usual seat on the sofa on the opposite side of the coffee table. "So…" Zorel picked up her notepad and smiled. "Ready to begin?"

For a long moment, the captain just studied her counselor. Zorel was tall, slim, muscular and very attractive. She had an air of confidence about her and didn't even move a muscle under Danvers' scrutiny, despite the long-growing silence. Finally, the older woman nodded. "I'm ready."

"Good," Zorel replied. "How was your day today?"

Danvers leaned back and crossed her legs. "It was long. I'm part of the team running basic training at the moment. I spent almost all-day training cadets in how to read maps."

"Ahhh," Zorel chuckled knowingly. "And now you have a headache."

Captain Danvers frowned. "How did you know I have a headache?"

The doctor balanced her notepad on her thigh as she pointed to the area between Danvers' eyes. "You're squinting and your forehead is creased. It normally indicates a headache."

The captain nodded. "You're a medical doctor as well as a psychologist?"

"I'm actually a psychiatrist so I have a medical doctorate." Zorel replied. "But I don't have to be a doctor to figure out you're tired." She nibbled the end of her pen. "I have some Advil if you'd like?"

Captain Danvers nodded. "I'd appreciate that. I had a particularly bad whiner in the class today. He's a skinny, nasal kid who doesn't want to be here. It was this or juvie for him though."

The counselor got up and leaned over her desk to get to her drawer and pull out the small Advil bottle. Danvers clinically added a great ass to a list of the doctor's qualities. Zorel tossed the bottle to her and then went to her cooler to get her some water.

The captain accepted the paper cup gratefully. "Thank you so much, Ma'am."

"Ah ah," Zorel teased. "No Ma'ams in here. You can call me Kara or Zorel if you want."

"Alex," Danvers replied with a smile.

"No, that's your name," The doctor continued with a wink, making Danvers laugh despite the corniness of the joke. "So, why are we here, Alex?"

For a long moment, the captain stared at the coffee table again and Kara's heart sank but then brown eyes lifted and met blue. "I'm here because… bec… because…" Suddenly the words just tumbled out. "IlostseventeenofmymenandalmostmyownlifewhenwewereambushedinAfghanistan."

Alex sucked in a deep breath. She almost couldn't believe she'd managed to get it out. She didn't even realize that her cheeks were red, and Kara didn't comment on that. Instead, the counselor smiled and nodded. "Thank you for sharing that with me." She leaned back again and made a note on her notepad before chewing on the end of her pen. "Tell me what happened to you. Just you for now."

Alex closed her eyes, instantly transported back to the incident. "The memories are all so hazy but… I was riding in the middle Humvee of a three-vehicle convoy. We were transporting medical supplies to one of the temporary camps and we were travelling through an area that was supposed to be safe." The captain looked up at Kara, her eyes full of tears. "I heard it coming. The rocket. It has a distinctive sound. Sorry, you probably know that."

"I've been in combat," the counselor gently replied. "I remember."

"It completely flipped the vehicle. Sweeney died instantly. Luckily, I was sitting on the other side of the Humvee. I came to and everything was hurting. My ears were ringing but I could hear gunfire. The vehicle was sitting on its roof and I managed to cr… crawl ou… out…"

Kara watched as Alex's breaths began to come in sharp pants. She was beginning to have a panic reaction to the memories. "Alex," the counselor interrupted softly. Brown eyes snapped to hers. "I need you to pause a moment and breathe. Just take deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Control the breaths."

The captain nodded and just let herself breathe for a few moments. She could hear Kara scribbling on her notepad but just tried to relax. Finally, she felt able to continue.

"I managed to crawl out," she began again. "It was loud and I could smell smoke and burning. Then I realized the other two Humvees had been completely destroyed and my men's bodies were burning inside them. I think I almost threw up, but I managed to hold it together and grab my weapon from my holster. I could hear gunshots and barely see people running around but the smoke was so thick…" Tears ran down her cheeks and dripped onto her jacket. Kara wordlessly handed her a box of tissues and she wiped her eyes. "Two of my men had made it out of our vehicle too but they were almost immediately taken down. We couldn't even see where the shots were coming from. It was chaos. I could hear voices speaking in Dari and suddenly, something hit my head and I fell. I rolled onto my back, but my eyes were burning from the smoke and my head was spinning. I remember a bearded face looking down at me and then pain. So much pain. I remember more gunshots and screaming. I think it was my own screams I could hear. And then I must have passed out."

Kara got up and moved to the couch to sit next to the captain. She had Alex's medical chart with her list of injuries and she read them in a low, even voice, "Skull fracture, gunshot wounds to both shoulders, both hands, both thighs and both feet. Cigarette burns to the abdomen and chest. Cuts, bruises…" She paused, her eyes lingering on the final words.

Alex cleared her throat and took the file from the counselor, closing it and dropping it on the low coffee table with a finality Kara found interesting. The captain got up and went to the window. "And multiple rapes. I woke up in a military hospital three weeks later with barely sketchy memories of the time I was there and the torture they inflicted on me. Apparently, I'd been rescued and brought back to the US. I spent six months in hospital and after I was discharged, I went home to an empty house. My husband couldn't handle what had happened. He left me and took full custody of our son. He told the judge that he had told me he wanted me to retire from the army and I had refused."

Kara followed Alex to the window, her chest aching for her, but maintaining a professional distance. "Alex, how do you feel about yourself right now?"

Without turning from the window, the captain sighed. "Broken. Unfixable."

The counselor placed a gentle hand on Alex's arm. "I don't believe in the word unfixable. It'll take time, Alex, but we can work through this if you want?"

Now the captain did turn and she nodded. "Kara, I want. I really want. I want to see my son. I want to be in his life, but Max won't let me until I've stopped waking up screaming in the middle of the night."

Kara felt another pang of pain for this beautiful, dark woman. "Alex, I'm not going to lie. You have PTSD and it's going to take time to work through it, but I promise I'll help you. You took a huge step today and we'll build on that in our upcoming sessions." Just then, Kara's iPhone buzzed and she picked it up, surprised at how quickly the hour had gone. "Same time tomorrow?" she smiled.

Alex smiled back. "Same time tomorrow."

Chapter 3

3.18am. Alex stood under the shower nozzle and let the water cascade down over her naked body. She smoothed her dark hair back, tucking it behind her ears as she let the tension drain from her body. The water also washed away the tear stains left by the violent nightmare that had woken her.

Sleep was a pretty elusive thing these days, but she was surprised that she had actually felt better after talking to Kara Zorel that day. Saying the words she'd NEEDED to say had really helped. Even when she talked about it with her superior, they never actually said the words.

Alex picked up her shower gel and squirted some into her palm, getting her hands good and lathered before starting with her neck – she didn't even notice her dog tags anymore - and washing down her body. Washing her chest and stomach was the most difficult because she could feel the scars under her fingers. The healed cigarette burns and box-cutter slices crisscrossed her skin, leaving bumps and dips behind that she couldn't ignore despite the fact that she avoided looking at them in the mirror.

Max had been shocked and disgusted and it had broken Alex's heart when he'd stood in front of her and told her calmly that he could never touch her again knowing that she'd been touched by another man.

"Max! I was raped! I was raped over and over again! Do you think I asked for it? That I wanted it?"

And he had looked at her like she was garbage and just walked out of the room, pulling his suitcase behind him. Two days later, she'd been served divorce papers and had her son taken away.

Alex wrapped her arms around her stomach and sobbed under the hot water. She missed Josh so much it was a physical ache in her heart. She almost wished she had died in Afghanistan because THAT would have been a far less cruel fate than this.

Finally, she washed her hair and rinsed off after which, she grabbed a rough towel and wrapped it around her slim body. She tucked the end between her breasts and organized her shower caddy before padding quietly back to her room. It was very quiet. She could hear the soft sounds of snoring and deep breathing as she walked and when she got back to her room and closed the door, she just lay back down on the bed and sighed.

There was one thing that surprised her a little as she lay there thinking, bathed in moonlight. She was actually looking forward to seeing Kara Zorel again and talking to her. She fell asleep shortly afterwards and managed a restful couple of hours before reveille sounded and it was time to start another day.

"Kara, you haven't been home to visit in a long time."

"I know, Mom." Doctor Zorel sighed and rotated her neck. "You know I don't have a lot of time to take leave. My patients need me."

The huff of air from the other end of the line informed Kara that she'd said entirely the wrong thing. "Your patients will survive without you for a week, Kara. Besides, I need you too."

The doctor pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Mom. Let me see what I can do. I'll call you soon."

That seemed to placate her mother, at least for the time being. "Ok, Sweetheart. Please come see me. I miss you. So does your Dad."

"Tell the General I said hi and I love him." Kara chuckled. "I'm surprised he hasn't called me himself."

"He wanted to," Martha Kent replied, "I beat him to it. I'd better go, Honey. The bridge club will be here shortly."

"Ok, Mom. Talk soon. Bye."

"Bye, Baby."

Kara hung up the phone and sighed but she looked up as a soft chuckle sounded near the door. Alex Danvers was leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed. "Sorry, it was open."

The doctor stood quickly. "Oh no problem. Come on in, Alex. It's good to see you."

The captain strolled across the room and sat on the sofa while her counselor gathered her notepad and pen and headed for her normal seat.

"So, Doctor Captain Kara Zorel. How was your day?"

Kara chuckled and crossed her legs, delighted by the bright smile on her patient's face. "My day was good," she replied with a grin. "And my my… aren't we in a good mood today?"

Alex blushed a little and glanced away. "I got some good news," she replied before turning to face the doctor. "Max is allowing me to Skype with Josh tonight."

"Wow!" Kara's smile widened. "That's really great, Alex. You must be so excited and thrilled."

The captain nodded. "I really am. I've barely been able to think about anything else all day! You know, last night, I woke up from a nightmare and just wished I was dead, but I feel better today."

A pang of concern crossed Kara's mind and she leaned forward, gazing at her patient. "Why did you wish you were dead?"

Alex found that spot on the coffee table again and just stared as she gathered her thoughts. Kara waited patiently.

"Since I've been back," the captain began. "I've been feeling like everyone blames me for the death of my men. I feel like they think I should have done more to protect them and that I'm a liability because I'm a woman. If I'd been a man, I could have done more." She paused and swallowed. "And Max made me… MAKES me feel the same way. He makes me feel like it's my fault I was tortured and raped. He blames me for letting it happen." She looked up then, her eyes filled with pain and self-loathing and tears. "And maybe he's right. Maybe I SHOULD have retired instead of going over there. Maybe I should have listened to him and gone to work for my father's firm. But I didn't want to just be a lawyer, Kara. I wanted to be more. I wanted to help people. I wanted to serve my country. I thought I had plenty of time to do this AND retire from the Army to my Dad's or my own firm."

She got up and wandered to the window, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Alex…" Kara began but the captain shook her head.

"Broken. Unfixable. Remember?"

The doctor once again joined her at the window. "Alex, none of this is your fault. NONE of it. You've done nothing wrong."

"Tell that to the seventeen men whose bodies came back from Afghanistan in caskets draped with American flags," Captain Danvers replied bitterly.

Kara placed a gentle hand on her patient's shoulder. "They'd probably tell me that they made the choice to be there and they don't blame you for what happened. Alex, I've been in combat. I've seen situations get entirely out of control and descend into chaos and it's no one's fault. We all do our best in each situation with what we have from an information and planning perspective. No one knew that those insurgents had infiltrated the area. It was supposed to be a safe zone. NO ONE had that intel."

"Have you ever looked into the eyes of a soldier who's dying and looking back at you like you're his savior but there's nothing you can do?"

The counselor tucked some loose wisps of blonde hair behind her ears and pursed her lips. Then she nodded slowly, and her blue eyes found Alex's brown again. "Yes, I have," she replied. "My husband died in my arms in Iraq and there was nothing I could do to save him."

"I'm sorry," the captain replied, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry."

With a small smile, Kara went back to her chair to sit down. "We're here to talk about you," she said, picking up her notepad and pen again. "I just wanted you to know that I understand what you're feeling and what you're going through."

And truthfully, Kara had no idea why she'd told her patient at all. She scribbled on the notepad for a moment and then realized Alex was staring at her. "Are you ok?" the captain asked.

"I'm fine," The doctor replied. "Now, tell me more about Josh and this Skype session tonight."

Alex's smile reappeared instantly, and Kara relaxed, taking a breath to calm her own mind as she listened to her patient talk about her son. "Well, he's six years old, almost seven actually. He has dark hair and the deepest brownest eyes you'll ever see."

"Like yours," Kara commented quietly. She didn't see those eyes snap up to look at her since she was still scribbling on her notepad. Alex suddenly realized that the counselor was doodling and chuckled a little as a pirate ship complete with pirate and Jolly Roger flag formed on the page in black ink.

"You have talent," she murmured, and it was Kara's turn to chuckle. She closed the notepad and focused on her patient. "Anyway," Alex continued. "He's very smart. Max said he was asking for me. Asking him where I am. So, he decided to let us Skype at 7 tonight before Josh goes to bed."

Just then, Kara's iPhone alarm sounded, and she frowned unhappily. Why was it that time with Alex Danvers seemed to just disappear when time with other patients seemed to drag on for forever? "Well, I'm so happy for you, Alex. And I'm looking forward to hearing all about it tomorrow!"

The captain got up and straightened her uniform with a sharp tug. "I can't wait. Thanks, Kara. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Alex." The counselor walked Captain Danvers to the door and waved her down the corridor. "Have fun!"

Kara crossed her feet at her ankles and tucked her blanket closer around her chilled body. It was getting time to start wearing long pajamas rather than the boxer shorts and tank tops she favored as sleep wear during the summer. Her eyes went back to her sketch book and she continued the pencil portrait she had started shortly after finishing dinner. At first, she hadn't thought about it much. She normally just let her mind loose and waited for her hand to make the pencil strokes which formed her latest piece of art. Frankly, she had been surprised when she suddenly realized that it was a portrait of Alex Danvers that was being etched onto the pristine white paper.

The dark lead formed the beautiful face, soulful eyes and full lips of the older woman. It even added the small scar on the captain's upper lip, no doubt left by one of the beatings she'd suffered in Afghanistan. Kara was lost in thought about Alex's suffering and about her own husband's death when her cell phone suddenly rang, scaring her half to death. She grabbed for it, but she knocked it off the bed instead and almost tumbled onto the floor herself trying to retrieve it.

"Kara… Captain… DOCTOR Zorel," she finally managed to stammer into the annoying device.

"Doctor Zorel, this is Doctor Montgomery over at the base hospital. I have a patient here who's asking for you."

"Thanks for calling, Doctor. Which patient?"

There was a pause and Kara could hear the shuffling of paper as the Doctor looked at the chart. "Danvers. Alex Danvers," he replied.

Kara almost swallowed her tongue. "Alex Danvers? What happened? Why is she there?"

A deep sigh echoed down the line. "She took a lot of pills. We think she tried to commit suicide."

The counselor was speechless for a long moment as her stomach turned over and tears sprang into her eyes. "I'll be right there," she finally managed to get out and hung up without waiting for a reply. Ten minutes later, she was getting into her car and driving the few minutes to the base. She showed her ID at the gate and went straight to the hospital where Montgomery was waiting for her.

"Doctor Zorel?" he enquired politely, holding out a hand. Kara shook it firmly and swallowed as he flipped through the pages of the chart he was holding. "Captain Danvers has given permission for me to tell you what happened. She's a very lucky woman," he said. "When she passed out, she knocked over her bedside table. Someone heard it and went to check on her. When she arrived, we were able to induce vomiting and clear her stomach. She's sedated and resting comfortably now and I think she's going to be fine. She has a bump on the head so I want to keep her in a couple of days." He paused then and tilted his head. "I'm curious. Why did she ask for you?"

And Kara thought she knew why. Captain Alex Danvers didn't have anyone else.

Alex slowly opened her eyes and blinked groggily. She didn't recognize her surroundings but a glance to her right revealed a blonde headed woman sleeping peacefully in a very uncomfortable looking position in a chair next to the bed. She also realized that the doctor woman was holding her hand.

Kara Zorel. She squeezed the hand holding hers and the doctor immediately woke up. "You came. Thank you."

For a long moment, Kara just looked at the captain. Then she got up and rolled her shoulders before moving to sit on the edge of the bed. She held a glass of water to Alex's lips to let her drink and didn't stop herself from reaching out and smoothing the dark, disheveled hair back from her patient's forehead. "You scared me half to death," she murmured softly as she set the glass back down on the bedside table.

"I'm sorry," Alex replied. Tears immediately sprang into her eyes and spilled over. "I'm not supposed to be here." The tears turned into devastated sobs and Kara wrapped her arms around her patient, holding her close and stroking her back. Alarm bells sounded in her mind, reminding her that a professional distance should be maintained but she shushed them with barely a thought and just hugged Alex closer. Weak hands clutched at her shirt and the counselor rocked the captain slowly.

Kara closed her eyes and just existed in the moment. She knew exactly how Alex Danvers was feeling. "I've got you," she murmured into dark hair that tickled her cheek. "I've got you. You're not alone."

After long minutes, the sobs subsided and Kara pulled back a little, ducking her head to look into red-rimmed brown eyes. "What happened, Alex?" She suspected that she knew what had happened, but she needed to hear it from the captain.

Though Alex's speech was a little slurred, she seemed coherent enough when she lay back and began to speak. "Max called me at six fifty-five and told me that Josh was tired and wanted to go to bed. When I asked what was going on, he said it was nothing but when I pressed him, he told me that Josh didn't remember who I was and that he didn't want to talk to me. He said that Josh didn't care about me and just wanted to watch TV and go to bed. But I heard him, Kara. I heard him ask if it was me and I heard Max muffle the phone and tell him no." She rubbed her eyes where fresh tears had appeared. "I pressed more, and Max told me that it was done. That I'd never get to see Josh again. He said he'd do everything in his power to make sure he never saw his slutbag whore of a mother again."

Kara sprang to her feet, her body shaking with fury and her jaw clenched but Alex held out a hand to her. "Kara…"

"I… I'm here," she blonde replied, forcing a smile and taking the proffered hand. "Alex, you know Max is just being an asshole," she replied, her professionalism deserting her in her anger. "Josh can't have forgotten you. You're his Mom. He loves you."

"I… I… drank a lot… and took some pills," the captain whispered in an agonized tone. "I just wanted the pain to stop."

Before Kara could stop herself, she was moving closer and cupping the captain's cheek in her palm, gently stroking her thumb along her cheekbone. "I know. But you can't leave, Alex," she replied. "Josh needs his Mom."

With a deep sigh, the captain relaxed and closed her eyes. Moments later she was asleep again. Kara slowly walked to the window and pressed her forehead against the cool glass. There was a roiling inferno of anger eating her up inside and she employed some tricks of the trade to try to calm down, but she couldn't stop the emotion inside her. How could Max have done that to Alex? How could he have been so cruel? How could he blame her after all the pain and suffering she'd gone through?

Over her years as a psychiatrist, she'd seen many traumatized families and they mostly pulled together to get through things, not apart. Kara wondered if some of this was an excuse for Max to be able to exit a marriage in which he was already unhappy. Either way it was a dick move, in her professional opinion.

"Kara…" Alex's voice sounded groggily from across the room.

"Yes?" The doctor replied.

A tiny smile appeared on pale lips. "You're muttering."

Kara chuckled as she crossed the room and took her seat. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't. I was just thinking about something."

The counselor's eyebrows lifted. "Oh? What were you thinking about?"

"You," the older woman murmured. "And why I feel so close to you… like you're my friend."

The doctor nodded, tears escaping and running down her cheeks as the full horror of what had happened tonight suddenly hit her. "I AM your friend," she replied earnestly. "I want to be. I'll find you another counselor."

But Alex gave a tiny shake of her head. "I don't want another counselor," she replied. "I just want you."

Kara's chest suddenly hurt but in a good way and her smile grew. "You have me."

Chapter 4

When Doctor Zorel got back to her room, it was almost sunrise and she got a couple of hours sleep filled with fitful dreams before she had to get up and start her day. She'd promised Alex she'd be back that afternoon to visit and the doctor had told her that the captain would be ok to go home the day after. Now, Kara had the task of having to speak to Alex's commanding officer. She, of course, had received the older woman's permission beforehand. She didn't want to violate Alex's trust by speaking of her personal business without her knowledge.

In fact, Major Joe Kent's office was her first stop. She brought him a cup of coffee and tapped on the door, waiting for his command to enter.

"Good morning, Kara," he greeted as she slipped into his office.

"Good morning, Sir," she replied, depositing his coffee cup by his right hand and then taking the seat opposite him. She blew into her cup and swirled it thoughtfully.

"Not that I'm unhappy to see you but I take it there's a reason you're here?" he chuckled.

Kara nodded unhappily. "Yes, Sir, there is."

"Uh oh," he responded, recognizing her look. She looked just like her father, his older brother, when she did that.

"Sir, I'm sorry to tell you this but… Captain Danvers attempted suicide last night."

Major Kent's mouth dropped open and he shook his head. "Oh my God. Is she alright? What the hell happened?"

"She's alive but I wouldn't say she's alright. Joe, her ex-husband pulled the cruelest stunt I've ever seen. He promised her Skype with her kid and then at the last minute told her the kid didn't remember her, didn't want her and that she'd never see him again."

Kent's hand slowly curled into a fist and he suddenly slammed it down onto his desk, making both his coffee cup, and Kara, jump. "Son of a bitch!" he snarled.

"I know. I had the same reaction at the hospital last night. I was there all night with her, Sir. She's completely exhausted and devastated."

"What are you going to do?" Kent asked. "Whatever you need, just ask."

"Well…" Kara had in fact given this a lot of thought during the night while Alex was sleeping, clinging to her new friend's hand. "I have some leave coming and I was going to go visit Mom and Dad. I want to take Alex with me."

Salt and pepper eyebrows shot up. "Really? You want to take her to meet Mr. and Mrs. General?"

Kara chuckled at the use of his affectionate nickname for her parents, but she quickly turned serious again. "There's something else, Sir," she added. "I… I've become… attached to her in a way that makes it difficult to maintain a professional distance. We've become friends in a very short period of time. I identify with her situation and feelings. I can't be her psychiatrist anymore." She looked up but all she saw was understanding in her uncle's eyes. "I discussed it with her and she doesn't want another counselor. We're just going to work through this together as friends."

Kent nodded his understanding. "Ok, Kara. How much leave do you want?"

"A month please, Sir."

"A month? Mrs. General will be thrilled." He grinned. "Ok, you've got it and Kara?"

"Yes?"

"Take care of her, ok? She's been through a lot. As much as you have."

Doctor Zorel smiled sadly. "More."

"Midvale, California?"

"Yep,"

"You're from California?"

"Last time I looked."

"Like West Coast, California?"

"So the map says."

"Smart ass."

Kara chuckled and tossed a French fry at her friend. She'd smuggled in some MacDonald's at Alex's request. Apparently, the hospital was starving her. Kara thought that Alex actually believed that on some level.

Her smile widened though when a low, satisfied moan issued from the captain's throat. "God, this is good." Alex licked Big Mac sauce off her lips, her eyes closed.

"That's not good for you," The doctor laughed.

Without thinking, Alex lifted her pajama top a little, showing off her flat, muscular stomach. "I think I'm ok."

Kara pretended not to notice the crisscross of scars and just shook her head. "Ok, I'll give you that."

"So, Midvale, California. Are you sure your parents won't mind my coming?"

The doctor shook her head. "I think my mother is more excited to meet you than to see me," she solemnly advised but her blue eyes twinkled. "And the General will probably insist you bake him cake or something. You can bake, right?"

Alex grinned. "I'm widely known for my delicious apple pie. Josh always…" Her face fell and she frowned. "He always said they were his favorite and the bestest ones he'd ever tasted. He wouldn't just forget that, would he, Kara?"

"Of course he wouldn't," the counselor replied. "Stay focused on the fact that it's Max trying to keep you two apart, not Josh."

"Right." Alex slurped her milkshake and offered a fry to her friend. "What's it like in Midvale?"

"It's pretty small," Kara replied as she munched. "A few thousand people. She shrugged. "Small town America. My mother was a school teacher. She met and married my father in the space of six months while he was on leave from the army and they settled down there. They've been married for almost forty years now. I guess it was true love."

"Do you have any siblings?" Alex asked, lifting an elegant eyebrow.

"I have a younger brother, Clark. He was a later in life surprise, I guess. He majored in finance at Harvard and now works for a major hedge fund accounting firm." She chuckled. "He can be a dick, but I love him. How about you?"

"Only child." Alex licked salt off her fingers and then wiped her hands on a napkin. "My mother is a scientist. My father was a lawyer in Manhattan and kept my mother in the manner to which she has become accustomed."

Kara chuckled. "You're rich?" she guessed.

"My family is rich," Alex corrected. "I'm just a soldier."

"But you studied law?" The doctor questioned.

"Yeah, I did. But I really only did that because my mother wanted me to. I wanted to be a bioengineer. Don't get me wrong, I like the law but it's not my first passion."

Kara was surprised. "Because your MOTHER wanted you to? Your father didn't want you to be a lawyer like him?"

The captain's face softened as she thought of her father. "My Dad was a really great guy. He just wanted me to be happy. My mother, on the other hand, wanted me to study law and become the District Attorney like an episode of Law & Order or something. She didn't speak to me for months when I joined the army. She still barely tolerates it. Unfortunately, my Dad passed away when I was fourteen."

"Wow, I'm so sorry." Kara murmured. "I guess it's different for me. My father's a general, my uncle's a major and I'm a captain. It's kinda in the family. I knew I wanted to join up when I finished medical school."

"Your uncle's a major? Do I know him?"

The doctor nodded and grinned. "You sure do. He's the reason you're getting leave with me to come to Midvale."

The captain's mouth dropped open. "Major Kent is your uncle?"

"Yep. He's my Dad's baby brother."

"Well, that's just cool."

The two women laughed and Kara grabbed the trash, balling it up and taking shots at the trash basket. She made all but one and casually shrugged one shoulder. "Can't be perfect, I guess."

Her eyes met Alex's and they smiled at each other. Right, the older woman's mind supplied. But you're pretty damn close.

"This is your car?" Captain Danvers asked, standing in front of the vehicle with her hands on her jeans-clad hips. Her duffle was sitting on the ground at her feet.

"Yes, Ma'am," Kara teased in response. "You don't like it?"

"No, it's… great," the captain replied unconvincingly.

They stowed their bags in the front trunk and got into the red Volkswagen Beetle. Kara started the engine, revving it noisily. "I know I should get a new car but Bug and I have been through a lot."

"So I see," Alex chuckled. She looked at her friend affectionately. "The more I get to know you, Kara, the more adorable I think you are."

For a long moment, their eyes met and finally Kara just nodded. "Ditto."

It was a four-hour drive to Midvale, but they passed the time getting to know each other better. Alex learned that Kara loved to play the guitar and to draw and was a little overwhelmed when the doctor gifted her with a beautiful pencil drawing of her at one of their stops for food and bathroom breaks.

Kara learned that Alex was a wiz with computers and had been New York All State Debating Champion two years running… although, when she thought about it, that last piece of information didn't surprise her at all. The older woman was very eloquent when she spoke and Kara rarely won any of the playful arguments they had. A lawyer and debater was apparently a lethal combination in one person.

The one thing that they truly found amazing though was that the conversation never ran out or became awkward and Kara was almost surprised when they finally saw the sign she had been looking for. "Welcome to Midvale," she murmured.

"How long has it been since you were last here?" Alex asked.

"Oh, it's been a while," The doctor replied with a sigh.

"How long is a while?"

"Almost four years."

"Hmmm… " the captain nodded as they slowly drove along the main street. It was fairly deserted. "Not exactly a hub of excitement," she commented.

"Right," Kara chuckled. "Especially now that I'm not living here anymore."

Alex's eyebrows hiked. "Were you the town hellion?"

The counselor laughed. "Let's just say the sheriff was busier back then." She hit the brakes then. "Hey, let's get some coffee. We need some fortification before we get to my parents' house."

The older woman backhanded her playfully. "You make them seem so unbearable."

"Dude, you haven't met them yet." Kara parked the bug outside a diner called Hank's and led her friend inside.

All eyes turned to look at them as they entered and it made Alex uncomfortable but Kara didn't even seem to notice as she strode confidently to the counter to stand in front of the gorgeous, brunette waitress. "Slutface," she stated. The woman's eyes jerked up and she laughed and ran around the counter to hug Kara hard, lifting her off the ground. "Bitchslap!" she exclaimed. "Holy shit, Kara! What are you doing back here? I thought you'd finally got free of this hell hole!"

The doctor laughed and reached out her hand to Alex. The captain took it and allowed herself to be pulled closer to her friend. "I'm on leave so I'm here to visit with the folks. Megan, I'd like you to meet my friend, Captain Alex Danvers. She's spending leave with me here."

Alex stuck out her hand, but Megan grabbed her and hugged her. "Any friend of Kara's…" she exclaimed, squeezing the captain tightly. "It's great to meet you. How long have you been together?"

"Oh… um…" Kara scratched the back of her neck awkwardly and blushed, making Alex chuckle. "We're not… together… like that," she told her old friend.

"I see," Megan replied seriously. "Don't ask, don't tell and all."

Alex frowned. "Stupid policy. I'm glad they repealed it."

Both of Kara's eyebrows shot up into her hairline in surprise. "You are?"

"Of course, aren't you?" the older woman replied. "Hell, it's ok to die for your country but for God's sake don't be gay!" Her tone dripped sarcasm.

The doctor gaped at Alex, making Megan laugh. "Ok, you're not together. I get it." She moved back behind the counter and poured two cups of coffee. "You doing ok, Kar?"

Their eyes locked and Kara nodded. "Yeah, I'm doing ok. It took a while but I'm able to look forward now. Mike wouldn't want me to be miserable and alone."

Megan looked from Kara to Alex and back. The captain's eyes were locked on her friend's face and it made her smile. "You're right. He wouldn't. He'd want you to find happiness."

Just then a new voice joined in. "Well, well, well." It was a leering tone that made Alex's skin crawl. "Kara Kent. You've certainly grown up… and into quite the hottie too."

The counselor didn't even look in the bearded man's direction. He was small and stank of booze. "Fuck off, Leroy."

"And still quite the charmer, I see." He moved closer. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"Aren't you going to continue so I'll have an excuse to break your arm?" Kara retorted coldly. "I said fuck off, Leroy."

He held up his hands in surrender and sauntered back to his equally skeezy friends. Alex was just dumbfounded. "Kara…"

"Sorry about that," The doctor explained. "He's the town drunk and pervert. I've seen his penis more times that I'd like to remember."

"He sure does like to get it out," Megan added as she refreshed their coffee. "Can I get you gals something to eat?"

"No, thanks. Mom will have dinner for us when we get there," Kara sighed regretfully. "But maybe we can drop by for breakfast tomorrow morning?" She looked at Alex questioningly. "That ok with you?"

"Of course," The captain grinned. "I'll look forward to it."

Megan was delighted. "I'll hold your favorite booth, Kar." They shared another round of hugs and the two captains headed back to the bug.

"Megan's really great," Alex chuckled. "She's so refreshing."

"She's been my best friend all my life here," Kara replied. "She was there for me when Mike died, and I came back here for a few months."

The older woman smiled. "I'm really glad you had someone, Kara. Going through stuff alone is not all it's cracked up to be."

Somehow their hands found each other's, and their fingers entwined. "You'll never be alone as long as I'm around," the counselor replied, giving a little squeeze. "Now, we'd better get going before my mother starts calling."

Chapter 5

As Kara pulled the red Bug into the driveway of her parents' house, the front door was flung open and a man and woman barreled towards them. "Uh oh," Kara muttered as she turned off the engine and opened the door. She stepped out of the car and was immediately engulfed into a hug from both parents simultaneously. "Can't… breathe…" she teased. "Zorel… sandwich…"

Alex got out of the car, laughing at the scene in front of her. Kara's parents were adorable. There were now planting little kisses all over her face, which she endured good-naturedly. When they were done, she motioned towards Alex.

"Mom and Dad, this is Captain Alex Danvers. Alex, Jonathan and Martha Kent."

Alex shook Jonathan's hand. "Sir, it's a pleasure."

"Please," he replied. "It's just Jon."

"Alex," The captain offered. Then Kara's mother hugged her.

"Welcome, Sweetheart. It's so nice to meet a friend of Kara's"

"Thank you so much for allowing me to visit," Alex added. "I really appreciate it."

"You're more than welcome, Alex," Jon smiled, putting an arm around her shoulders and leading her toward the house, leaving Martha and Kara to trail along behind.

"Wow," Martha murmured as they walked. "She's gorgeous."

The counselor nodded, smiling happily as Alex looked back at her and grinned. "She really is and has no clue."

"I'm not going to pry, Honey, but whatever it is you and Alex have... it looks good on you."

"It's not…" Kara replied. "She's just a good friend."

They stepped into the house. Jon and Alex had disappeared into his study together. Kara sighed and leaned against her mother. "He's showing her his medals. I bet she won't even tell him that she has a Medal of Honor."

Martha sucked in a breath. "She's been to hell and back."

"Yes, she has. But she's still going."

Dinner was a raucous affair full of teasing and laughter. Martha had made spaghetti and meatballs, which was Kara's favorite, in honor of her coming home. The small woman, with the grey-peppered hair, was completely enamored with Alex and so, it seemed, was Kara's father.

"And so, I came out to find furious little Kara, stark naked, trying to stuff the dog back into the box before it could run away!"

Alex collapsed into laughter, almost spitting her dinner out her ears as she saw her friend's face turn crimson. "Oh my God! Poor Kara!"

"Yeah, yeah," The doctor replied irritably, rubbing at her face and feeling the heat there. "Trust my father to tell the most embarrassing story he knows about me. She's never going to stick around if she thinks I'm a complete idiot, Dad!"

Jon just laughed harder, but Alex reached out and took Kara's hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing gently. Brown eyes met blue. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere," The captain said with a smile. "Besides, I already know you're a complete idiot."

"Oh, you do, do you?" the counselor retorted indignantly. She poked Alex's side causing the older woman to squirm. "It's not fair to make judgments based on the actions of a six-year-old child you know!"

"So sayeth the psychiatrist!"

Jon and his wife exchanged knowing looks as the two captains just grinned at each other. Then the general leaned closer. "So, Alex, do you bake?"

Kara groaned and rolled her eyes. Alex's smile grew. "In fact, I do, Sir. Do you like apple pie? I taught myself a few dishes when I was at university"

Glancing at Kara and then his wife, Jon chuckled. "I love apple pie."

"Then I'll bake one for you very soon. Let me just get the ingredients together."

Kara gazed affectionately at her friend. This was actually better than she had imagined. Alex seemed to be genuinely enjoying the company and that made Kara happy in turn.

After dinner, Alex had insisted on doing the dishes and had enlisted Kara's help while Martha and Jonathan moved into the living room, each with a glass of wine in hand. They sat together on the couch, Martha leaning her head against her husband's shoulder.

"Your parents are wonderful," The captain murmured quietly. "They love you so much."

Kara nodded as she accepted a wet plate and started to dry it. "They're the best example of loving parents anyone could ever have; especially someone like me who started out as an orphan. They adopted me when I was three years old." Alex was surprised that Kara hadn't told her that sooner but didn't say anything. She just waited for the doctor to go on, regularly handing her dishes to dry. "You asked if I was a hellion earlier. I wasn't really but I sure did things to test their patience. I guess part of me was trying to get the 'they'll finally send me away' thing over with as soon as possible so it wouldn't hurt as much when I was more attached to them. Luckily for me, they never did because I loved them probably from the first day I knew them. It was a pretty big shock when Mom got pregnant with Clark a couple years later since they were told they couldn't have children. But they wanted us both."

Alex turned, leaning back against the counter as she wiped her hands dry on a towel decorated with penguins. "I don't think I'll ever be what my mother wants me to be. I seem to be a constant disappointment to her. The great Doctor Eliza Danvers."

Kara shook her head. "You shouldn't try to be what she wants you to be. You can only be yourself, Alex."

The captain nodded. "So sayeth the psychiatrist," she said, repeating her earlier sentiment and making Kara smile.

"I know it's easy for me to say this, Alex. But I see it every day. You'd be surprised at the number of people, both male and female, who enlist just to get away from their life and families."

The older woman nodded thoughtfully as she picked up the dishes and let Kara show her the correct cabinets in which to place them. "Why did YOU join the army? You could have just had your own private practice."

The doctor smiled. "I joined for pretty much the same reasons you did. I wanted to help people and serve my country."

"Any regrets?" Alex softly asked.

"Just one," Kara replied. "Losing Mike was bad enough. It devastated me because he was my closest friend." She paused then and sighed. "What's worse is knowing that I never really loved him romantically, while he had worshipped the ground I walked on. Even when he was dying in my arms, he was looking up at me with such love in his eyes. That's what haunts me the most and I regret ever agreeing to marry him when I knew I could never fully give myself to him."

Tears spilled from Kara's eyes and she wiped at them impatiently but then she was surrounded by warmth as Alex wrapped her arms around her and held her close. "Why did you marry him, Kara?" came the gentle question.

"Because you couldn't be a lesbian in the army back then."

And there it was. It was out in the open. But Kara didn't feel any stiffening of her friend's body or any signs that Alex was going to pull away. Instead, she felt lips whisper lightly against her hair. "You were protecting yourself. No one can blame you for that."

And Kara had to let herself believe that those sentiments were true. And it helped.

Chapter 6

"Come on, Soldier!" said a heavily accented male voice.

Alex squeezed her eyes shut and just ignored everything around her. Her head was pounding, her vision was swimming and she didn't even see the next blow coming. It snapped her head back and she groaned as fresh blood pooled in her mouth.

The next blow was to her abdomen and she doubled over, falling off the chair onto the dirty floor. Next was a kick to her back and she cried out as pain shot all the way down into her legs.

"This will stop if you tell us what we want to know," another man's voice yelled.

The captain groaned as she curled into the fetal position, her zip-tied hands in front of her face. "Alex Danvers. Captain. Six eight two dash five five dash five four three five."

The man slapped her face and rolled her onto her back. Straddling her waist, he ripped open her shirt and exposed her sports bra. For a long moment, he ran his hands over her damp skin and fondled her breasts and she squirmed under him, trying to buck him off but she suddenly froze when he took out a box cutter and made a long, shallow incision across the Captain's chest.

All she could do was scream. Blood streamed down her chest and she screamed again as he bisected the long cut with a series of smaller ones. It seemed like it would never stop. The pain was overwhelming and her voice grew hoarse. And still she screamed.

"ALEX!"

The captain's eyes flew open and she struggled against the hands that were holding her down. She whimpered and fought but she suddenly realized that she recognized the voice near her ear.

"It's me. It's Kara. Don't fight me." The doctor's words were calm and soothing and when Alex finally remembered where she was, she stopped struggling and started to cry. Martha and Jonathan were standing in the doorway and Kara just nodded to them. "It was a nightmare. She's ok."

They nodded back and headed back to their bedroom.

"I'm sorry I woke you all up," the older woman sniffed as she began to calm down.

The counselor just smiled. "Hey, this scaring me thing is getting to be a habit.' She sobered then. "Do you want to talk about the nightmare?"

"Not right now. It's too… raw," Alex replied.

"Ok," Kara replied. "I'll let you get back to sleep then." But she was reluctant to leave this room for her own. She gently pushed Alex's dark hair back from her eyes. She was sweating profusely. "Alex, you're soaking. Let's get you some dry pajamas."

"In my bag," The captain replied in a trembling voice.

Kara turned the small reading lamp on next to the bed and went to Alex's duffle. She rummaged for a moment and then pulled out fresh boxers and a white tank top. She quickly returned to the bed and handed them to her friend before turning away to give her some privacy to change.

"Kara, thank you."

The doctor merely sat on the edge of the bed, her back still to her friend. "You don't have to thank me. I care about you."

"Stay with me?" came the whispered plea and without a second thought, Kara climbed into the bed behind Alex and with her back to the wall. Then, she wrapped her arms around the captain and pulled her back against her chest.

Alex sighed and immediately relaxed. "Goodnight, Kara."

"Goodnight, Alex," came the whispered reply.

"So, what's good here?" Captain Danvers asked as she picked up a menu and started to browse.

Kara grinned and ran a hand through her blonde hair. "Pretty much everything." She picked up the reserved sign and played with it nervously as Megan watched them from the counter. "I normally have the pancake special." She dropped the tent sign and then picked it back up again. She was twirling it when a gentle hand rested on top of hers.

"Kara, what's going on? You've been like a jackrabbit with ants in his pants since we got here."

The doctor sighed. "It's Megan. She's staring at us and it's making me nervous."

"Ah," Alex leaned back, releasing Kara's hand as she did so. "She still thinks we're together."

"Yeah," the counselor agreed. "And if she thinks that, then pretty much the whole town will think that too within the day. I love her to death but damn she's a gossip."

Brown eyes lowered and Alex shrugged. "Would it be so bad?" she asked quietly.

"Huh?"

"Would it be so bad if people thought that I was your girlfriend?"

Suddenly a clue flew in the window and smacked Kara upside the head. "Oh… God, no, Alex, that's not what I… I don't care what people say and I'd be so proud if you were my girlfriend. It's… I don't want… I mean…" Uncharacteristically flustered, the doctor stopped and took a breath. "I don't want people gossiping about YOU. You're much too important to me."

A little smile twisted Alex's lips. "You make me feel important. I don't care about gossip, Kara." She reached out and clasped her hand around her friend's again. "Let them think whatever the hell they want."

"Hottie Kent and Hottie Kent's hottie friend." The interruption was accompanied by a loud belch from an already inebriated Leroy.

"Dude," Kara replied. "It's only ten am. Are you seriously already drunk? Wait, you know what? I don't even care. Get the hell away from me, Leroy."

It was then that the man made his fatal mistake. He clasped a hand on Kara's shoulder and tried to turn her around. But before either he or the doctor realized what was happening, Alex was up and had his arm twisted painfully behind his back and the edge of her palm pressed against his windpipe, making him squeal in a completely unmanly way.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," she purred into his ear. "You can apologize to Doctor Zorel and never touch or even speak to her again…" She paused and gave his arm a sudden painful jerk. "Or I can break both your arms to the point where you'll never be able to touch anything again." She leaned over and looked down at his crotch, the move making him double over in pain and look too. "ESPECIALLY not Leroy Junior down there." Leroy just whimpered. "That's what I thought." She straightened and turned him to face her friend. Kara's face was a mixture of shock, amusement and pride. "Now, Mr. Leroy. I believe you have something to say to Doctor Zorel?"

"I'm sorry, Doctor Zorel," he said breathlessly. "I promise to never touch or even speak to you ever again."

Alex let his arm go but grabbed him by the jacket lapels and turned him to face her. She leaned in close and glared at him but then she patted his bearded cheek and smiled coldly. "Good boy. Now run along."

When Leroy had run out the door, Alex took her seat again and pulled a little bottle of hand sanitizer out of her pocket. She thoroughly cleaned her hands and then tucked the bottle away. "Asshole," she muttered.

Kara couldn't help it. She suddenly collapsed into laughter, making Alex grin. "What?"

"Captain Danvers, did you just defend my honor?"

The older woman's cheeks colored a little and she shrugged. "I guess I did."

From her spot at the counter, Megan just smiled. "Not together my ass." She grabbed two mugs and brought them their coffee. "You ladies ready to order now that the trash has been taken care of?"

Kara inclined her head, graciously inviting Alex to order first. "I'd like the pancake special please, Megan."

"Scrambled eggs? Whipped cream for the pancakes? Bacon crispy?" Megan asked.

"Sounds good," The captain replied.

The waitress tossed her hair out of her eyes and nodded. "Awesome, two Kara specials coming right up."

Kara pouted playfully. "Am I really that predictable?" she asked.

Megan just chuckled and tipped her finger against her oldest friend's nose before caressing her cheek. "Oh darling, you're anything but predictable… except when it comes to breakfast."

Then it was Alex's turn to catch a clue as Megan headed towards the kitchen, her ass swaying seductively inside her mini-skirt. "Oh…" she said before she could stop herself. She looked from Kara to Megan and back to Kara.

"Yeeeeaaahhhhh…" The doctor replied sheepishly. "A long time ago."

Alex nodded and there was silence between them as they sipped their coffee. "I guess… we have a lot to learn about each other still," she finally murmured.

Kara inclined her head in agreement. "Yes, we do. And I'd like to start by asking you about your nightmare last night."

The older woman's eyes dropped but Kara didn't sense any resistance. "It's almost always the same," Alex began. "I don't remember a lot of what happened to me in Afghanistan, but I know they took me on purpose because they thought I'd be easier to break."

Blue eyes met hers. "They were wrong, weren't they?" Kara stated.

"The torture lasted five days, Joe Kent told me. When they found me in that warehouse, I was apparently still chanting my name, rank and serial number. He told me it was all I said, even for the first few days I was awake back stateside, until the swelling in my brain had started to go down."

"And the nightmare last night?" The doctor prompted.

"I'm sitting on a chair with my hands zip-tied in front of me. They beat me... hitting me… and kicking me when I finally fall off the chair. Then he climbs onto me and cuts me over and over with the box cutter. That's when I normally wake up screaming."

Alex wiped her eyes and leaned back as Megan brought their plates and refilled their coffee. "You ok?" she asked, realizing that the captain was upset.

"I'm fine, thanks. Just reliving some old shit," the older woman replied as if it was nothing.

When Megan was gone, Kara added some tomato ketchup to her eggs. "Who is 'He'?"

The captain looked confused. "I don't understand the question."

"You said 'he climbs onto me'. Who is 'he'?"

For a long moment, Alex just blinked at her. "I'm not sure," she finally replied. "I just assumed that he was the leader of the insurgents or their torture specialist."

"Is he also the guy who raped you?"

The older woman's face hardened quickly. "They took turns doing that." She picked up her fork and started to eat, stabbing her eggs violently.

"Do you remember it?" Kara asked quietly.

"Sometimes I remember pieces of it. I remember pain mostly and it all blurs together sometimes." Alex wasn't stabbing her eggs anymore. "I'm scared though," she whispered.

"Scared of what?"

Brown eyes full of pain and embarrassment lowered. "I'm scared that I won't be able to enjoy sex again." Alex shook her head. "I'm so scarred and damaged. What if… what if other people are repulsed…"

The doctor reached out and cupped her friend's chin, lifting it so she could make eye contact. "Alex Danvers, you're beautiful both inside and out. Those people would be idiots."

"You're biased because I'm your friend," The captain chuckled but Kara shook her head adamantly.

"That doesn't mean I'm wrong."

"I never imagined that Midvale would be so beautiful." Alex zipped her jacket up, the fall air a little chillier here than down in National City. Unsurprisingly, warm arms encircled her, immediately chasing the chill away. Kara was very thoughtful that way.

"Yeah, the forest is nice this time of year." The wind at the top of the hill lifted Kara's blonde hair and tickled Alex's nose, making them chuckle. "Sorry," Kara grinned, and she tied her hair back before resuming her grip on her friend.

"Mmm… better" The captain hummed. She leaned back into her friend, letting her head lay against the doctor's shoulder. Kara was tall enough for them to somehow fit together comfortably. Alex thought that maybe it was because she trusted her friend so much. This all just felt really natural. And to both of them, it seemed.

The captain let her mind wander in the peace of the surrounding nature. She was quiet for a long time, but her thoughts were not. Then Kara's voice sounded quietly in her ear. "Penny for them."

"They're worth a lot more than a penny, Kar," the other woman grinned. "I was thinking about you."

"Awwwwww, that's sweet." Reluctantly, Kara let go of her friend. "We have to get going," she said regretfully. "It'll be dark in a couple of hours and we have to make it back to the car."

"You don't enjoy hiking at night?" Alex teased, her eyes twinkling.

"Not when I don't have my night vision gear." Kara made a show of patting her pockets. "Damn, I must have left them in my other shirt!"

The captain laughed. "You were obviously never a girl scout. You should always be prepared." She poked the doctor a couple of times, making Kara grab her hand.

"Hey, no poking!" Of course, Alex went right on trying to poke and before she had a chance to counter, Kara spun her around and pressed her up against a tree. "Gotcha!"

She pinned the older woman gently, their eyes locked and their noses almost touching, and Alex suddenly realized that she was holding her breath. Then she realized that Kara was too.

It would just take the tiniest of movements to close the gap between their lips. And right then, Alex wanted that more than anything but before she could move, Kara eased back with a smile. "C'mon, the temperature is dropping." She turned and started the walk, leaving a breathless and confused Alex behind. With a quiet groan, the captain pushed off the trunk and followed.

It was dark when they finally got back to Kara's childhood home. Martha and Jonathan were snuggled up on the couch together watching a movie, so the two captains sat side by side on the loveseat. It didn't take long for Alex to lean against Kara. "How is it that you're always so warm?" she murmured. "You're like an electric blanket."

As the captain had begun to expect, Kara's arms surrounded her. "Internal heat source of some kind, I guess," the doctor replied.

"You don't mind this do you?"

"Snuggling with you? Hell no."

They settled down to watch the movie and it wasn't long before Kara realized that Alex had fallen asleep. The older woman was obviously exhausted from her nightmares and it made Kara feel good to know that her friend trusted her enough to doze off.

As the final credits rolled, the counselor stroked Alex's hair gently to wake her. "Time for bed, Sleepy Head," she smiled as her friend sat up.

"Sorry I fell asleep on you," Alex chuckled. "You make a very comfortable pillow." They said goodnight to Martha and Jon and headed to their rooms but when they reached Alex's, they lingered at the door. "I had fun today, Kara, thank you."

"Me too. Goodnight, Alex."

And taking a chance, Alex leaned in and gently kissed the doctor on the cheek. "Good night." She turned and entered her room, closing the door behind her and completely missing the grin that lit her friend's face.

"Heh," Kara exclaimed. Her fingers went to her cheek and there was a new bounce to her step as she headed for her own room.

Later that night, Kara found herself again rushing into Alex's room to wake her from a nightmare. Unfortunately, the captain's flailing fists caught the right side of her Kara's jaw, almost knocking her senseless but she grabbed them and held on until Alex stopped struggling.

Without asking for permission, the counselor climbed into bed with her friend, wrapping her up tightly in her arms but this time, Alex turned to face her, gripping her shirt hard and burying her face in the crook of Kara's neck.

"I'm sweaty. I'm sorry," she whispered.

"I don't care," Kara replied softly. She stroked soft, dark hair. "Are you ok?"

"Will this ever get any easier, Kar?"

"Yeah, it will, I promise."

"Ok."

"Oh my God, your face! Kara! What happened?" Alex quickly walked to her friend who was holding an icepack to the large bruise on her chin. "Let me see."

Martha chuckled as she poured her daughter some coffee and added an extra sugar to it. "Beating up my kid, Alex?"

"Of course not, Mom," Kara scoffed. "It was an accident."

"I did that?" The captain suddenly put her aching hand and the bruise on Kara's jaw together and looked sufficiently mortified.

"Well ok, as long as she kisses it better." Kara and Alex stared at each other until Martha realized the silence was growing and turned around to find both women blushing. "Uh huh," she added and just walked away.

"Um…" Alex moved closer and she gently took the ice pack away from Kara's face. "Let me see?"

"It's nothing. Don't worry." The doctor grinned. "I've had worse from training exercises."

Alex's fingers moved slowly along her jaw, sending tingles down Kara's spine. "Does it hurt?"

"I barely feel it."

"Maybe you should rest today. I can go to the diner and get some take out?" Alex suggested worriedly.

Kara captured the captain's probing hand and shook her head. "I'm fine, Alex, really. Now let me get ready so we can go eat. I'm starving."

Twenty minutes later, they were seated in their regular booth studying their menus. Alex wasn't sure why she was even bothering. She knew that she'd end up with another Kara special.

Megan poured the coffee. "Do I even want to know why you look like you went a couple of rounds with Tyson? I haven't seen you bruised like that since you got back from Iraq."

Kara rolled her eyes and Alex looked guilty. "Just an accident. No big deal."

Just then the door opened and Leroy slunk in. He moved quickly past their table, completely avoiding eye contact and Alex puffed out her chest. "I believe a thank you is in order, Doctor Zorel?"

"Thank you for taking care of the town bully, Captain Danvers," was Kara's teasing response.

Alex chuckled and sipped her coffee. "Two Kara specials please, Megan."

"You got it," the waitress replied, heading for the kitchen.

"So, what will we do today?" The captain asked.

"I want to take you somewhere special to me," Kara replied. "But it's a surprise."

Dark eyebrows lifted. "I see. Do I need to do anything special for your special place?"

The doctor shook her head. "Nope. You're perfect as you are."

Brown eyes twinkled. "Ok."

"So not even a hint?"

"Jesus, Woman, impatient much?" Kara laughed as Alex scowled engagingly. "Relax, we're almost there."

Ten minutes later, Kara was parking outside of a roadside bar diner. There were motorcycles, trucks and cars in various states of disrepair parked alongside them.

She got out of the car and beckoned to her friend to follow but instead of going inside, she crossed the road and walked into the forest. A slightly bewildered Alex followed close behind until Kara finally stopped.

"I know this must seem weird," she said, pushing her long blonde hair behind her ears. "But I wanted to share this with you."

The captain nodded. "What is it?" she asked quietly.

"This…" Kara indicated the clearing with her arms. "…is where Kara Kent was born."

Alex tilted her head in question. "I don't understand."

"Thirty-six years ago, a month-old baby was found in a basket in this clearing. All she had was a blanket embroidered with the word 'Kara'. It was me, Alex, and I'm damn lucky to have survived. A hunter found me inside some sort of weird crib and brought me across the road to the bar we parked. I went into the foster system until Martha and Jonathan Kent adopted me."

"Wow," Alex sighed. "You were extremely lucky to have survived."

"I've been trying to figure out why my birth parents left me there, but I have so little to go on it's been almost impossible. I've even had my DNA checked against the various databases to see if there's a match there. But nothing."

Kara walked to a nearby fallen tree trunk and sat down. Her friend joined her, and they sat in companionable silence for a while. "Is it important to you to know why?" Alex suddenly asked.

"Yeah," The doctor murmured. "I want to know where I come from… and why I wasn't good enough to keep."

"Oh Kara," The captain breathed. "Why would you think it was anything about you that made your parents leave you? You were only a tiny baby."

"So sayeth the psychiatrist," Kara grinned. "Rationally, I know that. But the tiny baby part of me is still hurt." She got up then, rubbing her gloved hands together. "Anyway, I just wanted to share that with you."

And with that, Alex stepped close and hugged her. "Thank you. That means a lot to me."

The doctor sighed and hugged her back. "Cool. Now, how about something hot at the bar. I'm freezing."

"Agreed!"

Chapter 8

It was almost halfway through the last week of their leave. Kara had learned to stay clear of Alex's flailing fists and when she climbed into bed beside her friend, they didn't even say a word to each other. Alex simply curled into her and exhaled against her collarbone as she entwined her fingers in Kara's shirt. They'd grown close… closer than Kara had ever felt to another human being. Even Megan. Their touches and looks had grown steadily more comfortable and Kara knew that they were going to have to have a talk soon.

What the doctor didn't expect was her friend's bravery as her free hand found Kara's skin where her tank top had ridden up a little and was stroking little designs with her fingertips over the bumps and ridges of the doctor's abs.

Kara sucked in a breath as a wave of arousal coursed through her. "Alex…" she said, capturing the hand gently. "That's probably not a good idea."

"Why? Does it not feel good?" the captain asked.

Kara's eyes squeezed shut. "It feels too good," she replied in a strangled whisper.

Alex moved slowly against her to look into her eyes and cup her cheek, stroking gently. "Kara, whatever this is that's happening between us... I think you feel it too."

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," the doctor truthfully replied. "But I don't want to take advantage of you."

"How can you take advantage of me when this is what I want too?"

A smile lit Kara's face, even in the dim light. "Alex, if you want us to try this, that would make me really happy, but we have to take it slowly, ok? We've both been through a lot."

"Ok," Alex replied happily. She placed a kiss on Kara's cheek and snuggled closer to her, this time entwining their fingers and legs. "Night, Kar."

"Night, Alex."

"You're even beautiful with bed head," Kara teased as she smoothed her friend's dark locks into a semblance of order.

Alex chuckled. "Thanks. It's so nice to wake up with you still here."

The doctor stretched out like a cat, arching her back and groaning as her spine popped. "Where else would I be?"

The captain didn't answer. She was too busy staring at the breasts and nipples that were straining against Kara's tank top. She swallowed and fell back onto the bed with a groan. "God, you're hot."

The counselor chuckled and got up. "I'm going to take a shower. Maybe we could go to Portland and see a movie or something."

"Sounds good," Alex smiled and shooed her out of the room with a playful swat to her butt.

It was Kara who reached the kitchen first and she greeted her mother with a grin and a kiss on the cheek.

"Morning, Mom."

Martha didn't stand on ceremony. "Ok, now I KNOW there's something going on with you and Alex. I heard you come out of her room this morning to use your shower."

The counselor nodded. "I'm not going to lie to you. There's something happening between us but it's brand new, Mom. We weren't together when we got here. It's been developing probably since the first moment she opened up to me as a patient. But it's new for both of us. Last night, we finally talked about it and decided we both wanted to give whatever it is a try."

Martha hugged her daughter tightly. "I'm so pleased, Honey. Both your father and I LOVE Alex."

"Well, that's a relief," same a gentle voice from the doorway and the Kent women turned to find Alex there, smiling. She was dressed in figure-hugging jeans and an elegant sweater and Kara didn't bother to hide her appreciation of the choice.

Instead she stepped closer and held out her hand. "You look gorgeous."

Alex smiled shyly and accepted her hand. "You clean up pretty good yourself."

Jon joined them; a piece of Alex's apple pie clasped in his large hand. "Morning, Family."

"Morning, Honey."

"Morning, Dad."

"Morning, Jon."

Alex chuckled. It was almost nauseatingly sweet, but her heart swelled with the knowledge that she'd been accepted into Kara's family. The truth of her feelings washed over her, and she exhaled slowly and sweetly as her mind supplied the words she'd been almost avoiding till this point. I'm in love with Kara Zorel.

Kara and Alex sat together on the porch swing, Kara's slightly longer legs pushing them idly back and forth. It was cool, being the end of October, but as usual, Kara's internal heat source was keeping them toasty.

"I've never been with a woman before," Alex began softly. She turned her head and looked into Kara's eyes. "Does that worry you?"

The doctor shook her head. "Not really," she answered. "At least not on my side. I just want to make sure that you're comfortable with it."

For a long moment, Alex's eyes dropped and Kara recognized that the captain was trying to organize her thoughts before speaking. As she always did, she waited patiently. "Kara, when I look at you, I feel peace and warmth and safety. But I also feel this…" She pressed a hand against her stomach. "… burning inside… deep down in my guts. It's an ache but it's sweet at the same time."

The counselor nodded shyly. "I know how you feel."

Alex turned more to look at Kara and gently tucked her blonde hair behind her ears. Then she trailed her fingertips over the younger woman's face, learning every inch of it before resting them on her jawline. "I'm feeling it right now."

Kara merely nodded and waited, letting her friend set her own pace but her heart was pounding so hard in her chest that she was surprised Alex couldn't hear it.

The captain leaned in closer as her thumb slowly moved across Kara's lips and her words were a bare whisper of air as their eyes locked and held. "May I kiss you?"

"Yes," Kara immediately replied and then the older woman's hands were entwining in her hair and she was kissing her. It was not a soft or hard kiss. It was simply full of meaning and passion and emotion and it was all Alex.

And Kara kissed her back, her breathing turning ragged as their tongues stroked and explored. Her hands were grasping at Alex's jacket lapels, but she slid her arms around the captain's neck pressing them closer together and pulling a soft moan from her.

They poured everything into their first kiss and, as Kara slowly eased back for some much-needed air, she realized that Alex was crying. It made a lump form in her own throat. "What is it?" she asked gently, erasing the captain's tears with her thumbs as she cupped her cheeks.

"I just… I'm feeling so much right now, it's a little overwhelming," Alex smiled. "But I most definitely have this sense of something I haven't felt for a long time."

"And what's that?"

"Happiness."

And Kara just kissed her again.

Martha Kent stepped away from the window, fanning herself as she moved to sit beside her husband. "Oh boy," she laughed. "I only caught a couple of seconds of that but our kid sure can kiss. Alex looked like a puddle of melted chocolate."

"I almost wish we didn't have to go back. I wish we could stay here," Alex sighed as she packed her duffle. They were packing to go back to National City the next morning and she was finding herself extremely reluctant to do so.

Kara, who was sitting on the edge of Alex's bed, knew how she felt but there was something else they also needed to discuss. "Alex, we should probably talk about how we want to handle this when we get back."

"Yeah," The captain slipped her right sneaker into her bag and zipped it up. "I've got used to sleeping with you and I have to go back to living on base now."

"In the same bed anyway," Kara replied, waggling her eyebrows. "Wait till you've had all of me."

Alex laughed and wrapped her arms around the counselor's waist tugging her close and kissing her nose. "Is that a boast, Doctor Zorel?"

"It's a promise," Kara replied. "But only when you're ready. No pressure."

"Every time you kiss me, I feel like I'm ready but… I'm still scared, Kara," The captain admitted.

"It's ok, Alex. I completely understand," the counselor hugged her friend close. "As for when we get back… there's no need for us to keep everything secret but I think we're both pretty private people so maybe low-key is the way to go? I don't care about myself, but I really want you to be comfortable with this."

Alex felt a surge of emotion at Kara's words. The younger woman had nothing but respect and thoughtfulness for her feelings and it meant the world to her so, without barely thinking about it, she spoke her heart's words.

"Kara, I love you. I'm so completely and honestly in love with you."

The captain felt a whoosh of air leave Kara's body and a huge grin lit up her beautiful face. "Oh, thank God. I love you too, Alex. I feel like I've loved you forever."

That night, Kara didn't even wait to see if Alex had a nightmare. At bedtime, she simply went to Alex's room and climbed into bed beside her.

"Well well, Doctor Zorel," The captain teased. "Aren't we being forward?" But at Kara's chuckle, she just moved into her usual spot snuggled against the doctor with her head tucked into the crook of her shoulder.

Kara reached back and turned off the bedside lamp. The room was barely lit with moonlight, but it didn't take long for their lips to find each other. Their kisses were long and slow and deep, and Kara moaned softly when the captain's teeth gently nipped her bottom lip as her passion and arousal grew.

It felt so good, Alex's mind hazily supplied, and she wanted more so she just let her hands do what they wanted to and that was to feel more of Kara Zorel's skin. She gently pushed the doctor onto her back and smiled. "May I?"

The counselor just nodded; her blue eyes dark with arousal. Alex had never seen anything so beautiful and it just sent her own passion soaring. She slowly slid Kara's tank top up, revealing muscles that she found really hot. She traced them with her fingertips and then with her tongue, feeling them contract as she paid them attention. Gentle fingers wound into her dark hair as the doctor moaned breathlessly and it spurred her on. Trailing kisses and touches higher, Alex lifted the tank up further, revealing Kara's breasts with already hardened pink nipples. "God, you're gorgeous," she whispered reverently.

"Alex…" Kara groaned. She was trying to be patient and let the captain take her time, but her body was aching for her lover's touch and even if they didn't go all the way tonight, she needed to feel Alex's passion for her.

Slowly, the older woman's mouth closed on her breast and gentle teeth nibbled her right nipple, ripping a gasp from her. She arched her back, pushing her breasts higher and Alex's hand fondled her left one making sure it got attention. Then the captain switched sides, pulling breathless moans from her blonde lover and smiling against her skin.

Alex had never touched a woman before, but she let her own likes guide her and as she continued to feast on Kara's chest and shoulders and neck and lips, she let her hand move lower to rest on the apex of Kara's thighs on top of her boxer shorts. The material was soaked and she chuckled as she let her fingertips slowly slide back and forward. "You're wet," she purred, as she nibbled the doctor's earlobe and licked the shell of her ear.

Kara whimpered and her hips lifted without her permission, seeking more contact with Alex's hand. The captain teased her for a moment more and then slid the boxers down, waiting for Kara to lift her hips so she could take them all the way off.

Then, to the doctor's complete surprise, Alex took off her own tank top and boxers, tossing them along with Kara's onto the floor. Both naked, Kara immediately let her hands roam over her lover's body, but Alex chuckled. "Patience my love."

She went back to kissing and licking every inch of Kara's upper body while she slowly parted the younger woman's thighs and dipped her fingers into her soaking folds.

Oh God! Kara's mind screamed. This is really happening!

Alex let her fingers explore as she learned her lover's body. It wasn't difficult to find Kara's clitoris, and she stroked it slowly and gently letting the sounds floating down to her guide her. More pressure, less pressure, fast, slower. She tried it all, driving Kara wild with need but when she slid two fingers inside her, the doctor's whole body arched up and she groaned so loudly that Alex covered her mouth with kisses so Martha and Jon wouldn't hear.

She thrust her fingers harder and faster now until Kara's breathing was just a mess of ragged pants and constant moans. And finally, when she felt Kara's inner walls starting to clench around her fingers, she rubbed her thumb over the younger woman's clitoris and sent her spiraling over the edge into a powerful orgasm. She swallowed Kara's cries of pleasure and then placed small, gentle kisses on her face as she wound down her movements and then slowly retrieved her fingers.

The counselor's chest was heaving, and her eyes were glassy as she weakly lifted her arms and wrapped them around Alex's shoulders, holding her close. The older woman tangled their legs together and relaxed, grinning to herself. That had been even more incredible than she'd expected. "Alex… I want to… do you want…?" Kara began softly.

"Not tonight, my love," came the tired reply and Kara nodded her understanding.

"I love you, Alex."

"I love you too."

There were no nightmares that night.

"I'm really going to miss you guys," Megan sighed as she hugged her oldest and newest friend in turn.

"Love really suits you," she whispered in Kara's ear, making her blush.

The counselor laughed and took Alex's hand, lacing their fingers together. "You were right, Meg. You were just a bit ahead of the game."

"We'll miss you too," Alex added. "But we'll try to get back soon."

"Speak for yourself," Kara teased but she really did want to come back as much as her lover did.

Next came Kara's parents. Martha started to cry as she hugged her girls. "Take care of each other, ok? And remember, relationships are hard and you have to work at them." She gently patted their cheeks and indicated her husband with her eyes. "Trust me."

"Yeah," Jon nodded. "And thanks for giving us your apple pie recipe," he added.

"You're welcome," Alex grinned as Kara tried not to laugh.

"Come on, Captain Danvers. We have to get going."

"Yes, Ma'am, Captain Doctor Zorel," The captain replied playfully as they headed for the door and Kara's bug.

Just as they were leaving though, Leroy came in the door and almost bumped into them. He looked terrified for a moment but then drew himself up and spoke respectfully. "Doctor Zorel, Captain Danvers, have a safe journey back to National City." Then he doffed his hat and carried on.

Kara stared at Alex for a moment, but the captain merely shrugged. "He's apparently teachable."

They went outside and climbed into the bug. Their friends and family all came outside Hank's Diner to wave them off and, as they drove away. Kara and Alex both felt a pang of pain.

Midvale had come to mean a lot more to both of them than they could ever have imagined. It was a place of beginnings. A beginning of a good life for a three-year-old orphan. And then the beginning of the rest of her life. Or so she hoped.

Chapter 9

"STANDUPSTRAIGHTWITHTHOSESHOULDERSBACKCADETORIWILLKICKYOURLILLYWHITEASS!"

Major Danvers, all five feet six inches of her, looked up into the face of the six feet five-inch-tall Cadet Stone and watched him cringe.

"KEEP THOSE EYES STRAIGHT AHEAD AND OPEN WIDE. I AM NOT YOUR MAMMA AND I AM NOT HERE TO REPEAT MYSELF MULTIPLE TIMES. AM I CADET?!"

"MA'AM, NO, MA'AM!"

"THAT'S RIGHT. COMPANY BACK TO BARRACKS AND GET SOME CHOW. PT IS UP NEXT. FALL OUT!"

Alex watched as the soldiers headed out and then smiled as she noticed a familiar blonde figure standing nearby. She walked to Doctor Zorel and they exchanged salutes as the doctor stood at attention. "Ma'am."

"As you were, Doctor," Alex replied. They'd done this a hundred times at this point and Alex really hated that Kara now had to salute her. It had been a shock for them both when they had returned to base to find out that Major Kent had been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and Battalion commander while Alex had been promoted to take his place as Major and Brigade commander.

"How's your day been?" Kara asked as they began to walk towards the administration building.

"Busy," Alex admitted. "But I've still been calling Max on the hour every hour. He's going to answer my goddamn phone call if I have to go over there and feed his phone to him and make him talk out his ass while he's taking a shit!" she growled. "How about yours?" she then added sweetly.

The counselor smiled. "Busy too but I have a new patient that I really think could make a breakthrough if he just let his guard down a little. I'm enjoying working with him. He has a wicked sense of humor actually."

As usual, Alex's hand ached to hold Kara's and while it wasn't a secret that they were seeing each other, it was technically against regulations now that they weren't at the same rank anymore. Lieutenant Colonel Kent didn't care, however and would never allow anything to come between them but they didn't want to push it by being obvious either.

After a few weeks of trying to make dual accommodations work, Alex had finally given up her quarters and moved in with Kara. A week after that, they'd realized that Kara's place was really too small for them both, so they were actively looking for somewhere new to live. The doctor had suggested that they get a two bedroomed apartment so that Josh could stay with them and it spurred Alex into the battle she was now fighting to get dual, if not sole, custody of her son back.

But despite all that, Alex had still not let Kara touch her intimately. They had made love many times and Kara had been spectacularly satisfied every one of them but the major just wasn't ready to go there yet.

"That's good," Alex replied. "I'm really glad you feel fulfilled in your job. Sometimes I wonder if I'm in the right one anymore."

"Really?" Kara asked, surprised.

The major shook her head. "I don't know. I'm really starting to feel like I'd like to retire and go practice law in Midvale with my partner and son."

"You wouldn't want to go to Manhattan and be a big shot attorney like your Dad?"

"Nah," Alex responded. "Midvale is more my speed."

"Speaking of…" Kara suddenly interjected. "When am I going to meet YOUR mother?"

"Oh boy," the major chuckled. "That's the question of the century. I'm not sure I want to inflict my mother's baggage on you."

The counselor laughed as they reached Alex's office and went inside, closing the door behind them. "I think I can handle her. Why don't you call and we can do a dinner or something soon?"

The major leaned in and kissed her lover gently. "Ok, I will."

"Sooooo… I need to talk to you about something and I need some advice," Kara stated as she sat next to Alex on the couch, handing her a glass of wine.

"Ok," Alex agreed amiably.

"Remember the patient I told you about a few weeks ago? The guy with the wicked sense of humor?"

The major sipped from her glass. "Uh huh."

"Well, I've encountered a problem and I'm not sure how to deal with it."

"Ok" Alex prompted.

"So… it seems like he's developed a crush on me and he… um… well, he asked me out."

For a long moment, the major said nothing. Then she nodded. "I see."

"I told him no of course. It wouldn't be appropriate, even if I wasn't head-over-heels in love with you, because he's my patient.

That made Alex smile and she nodded again. "You're wondering if you shouldn't see him anymore."

"Yeah. I'm not sure that his feelings for me will allow him to openly discuss his challenges going forward. His pride might stand in the way."

The major gave that some thought. "Has he made any inappropriate moves on you?"

"No, not at all. In fact, he's really sweet but I'm not sure if I should tell him that I'm in a relationship. My personal life is my own."

"Why don't you do this," The major advised. "Keep seeing him until you can solidly say his feelings for you are becoming a problem. Then make the decision."

Kara kissed her lover gently on the lips. "That's what I was thinking too. Thank you."

For a long moment, Alex looked at her and then she sighed and looked down. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I think I'm jealous."

"Of what?" The doctor asked, surprised.

"A big part of me understands what that guy is feeling because it happened that way for me as well. But the petulant child in me is jealous that someone else feels that way about you."

"You know I'd never… I mean… he's a guy after all…"

Alex chuckled and placed her fingers over Kara's lips. "Of course I know. I trust you with my life. It's him I don't trust and wow… I am REALLY fucking jealous."

"Awwww…" Kara consoled. "It's ok. I am one hundred percent yours and yours only."

"And I…" Alex responded in kind. "am one hundred percent yours."

Kara smiled happily but, at that moment, something changed within Alex. Something unlocked inside her and she doubled over and dropped to her knees next to the couch as a flood of memories washed over her. "Oh God," she groaned. She could suddenly remember more of what happened to her in Afghanistan and the memories, while painful, infuriated her.

The counselor knelt next to her, supporting her with an arm around her shoulders. "Talk to me," she prompted calmly.

"It's all a lie," The major ground out. "I wasn't held for five days by insurgents. They weren't the ones that tortured me. It's coming back to me. There were needles and drugs and… Jesus, Kara, I think it was black ops guys."

A voice with an American accent suddenly echoed in her head and she repeated the words. "I heard a guy… an American guy… say 'You are one hundred percent mine. You will do what I say and give me the information I want.'"

"Oh my God," the counselor replied. "I've heard of this. Memory altering drugs that allow black ops guys to complete a mission and not remember they did it. It's for plausible deniability. Is it possible that you were one of those operatives?"

Alex slowly stood, her fists clenched. "I don't know," she replied. "But I'm going to try to find out and I will destroy whoever did this to me!"

"C'mon in." Lieutenant Colonel Kent looked up and smiled as his niece and her partner entered his office and stood at attention. "As you were. How are my two favorite ladies?"

"Pretty pissed off actually, Sir," Kara responded before Alex could even speak.

"What she said," the major added.

"Ok, Kara, you've got that look again. What's going on?"

Alex leaned forward in her chair. "Last night, Joe, I started to remember some of what happened in Afghanistan AFTER I was rescued from the insurgents."

For a long moment Kent said nothing. Then he sighed and looked down, tapping his fingertips together in front of his face. "Well shit."

Kara moved to the edge of her chair. "Wait, what?"

"Alex wasn't supposed to remember what happened, Kara. It was one of her conditions, but I guess we failed her."

The major was shocked. "I knew about this beforehand?"

"You were brought in for a black ops mission. The details are classified right now but you were caught and tortured, Alex, for the information you had. When we got you back, you asked that we remove your memories and just let you go. I was told that you would never remember anything but flashes, if even that."

"So, what I've been remembering… the American accents, the drugs and needles…"

Kent nodded. "It sounds like your memories are jumbled. The ones from your capture are mixing with the ones from the hospital during your treatment."

"I know the torture happened, I have the scars to prove that," the major asked quietly. "What about the rapes?"

"I'm afraid that's real, Alex. We couldn't get to you in time to stop it but please believe me… we caught the bastards and they didn't get away with it."

"What was the mission?" Kara interrupted.

"Kara, you know I can't…"

But the counselor slammed her hand down on the desk. "What was so fucking important that it was necessary to destroy someone's memories and happiness, Joe?!"

"STAND DOWN, CAPTAIN!" Kent was on his feet now, pointing angrily in his niece's face. Kara snorted her disgust and sat back down and he also took his seat. "Alex volunteered for the mission because she believed in what it would achieve."

The major slowly stood and turned her back to them, giving herself some space to think. "The bad thing for you, Joe, is that I remember what the mission was, and I know that you're not telling me the truth. You ordered me to do it. You ordered me to go to that tiny town that you picked from random on a map. You ordered me to release that experimental nerve toxin that would subdue people so that our military could come in and take them out without suffering any casualties."

"Alex…" Kent swallowed.

"And when I refused the order, you had someone kidnap and torture me to make it look like I was taken by the Afghanis. Then you had them erase my memory so I wouldn't be able to pin it on you."

"I was under orders," the colonel stated. "We're at war, Danvers. Everything we do, we do for our country."

Alex turned to look at him, her face cold and angry. "Fuck you, Sir." She opened her jacket and pulled out a radio transmitter. Then she threw it at him as the door opened and some military police officers entered followed closely by Colonel Stark, Kent's commanding officer.

"Take Colonel Kent into custody," he ordered. Kara just glared at her uncle as he was taken away. He didn't even put up a struggle. Stark touched Alex lightly on the arm. "Are you ok, Major?"

"I don't even know, Sir," Alex replied, her voice hitching. "I don't even trust what's real or not in my own mind. But I do know one thing. I don't want to serve a country that would allow something like this to happen. I'd like to take my retirement and move on with my life."

Kara got up then too and moved to stand next to her partner. "I respectfully request the same, Sir."

Stark looked surprised. "Why, Captain Zorel?"

"Because my partner and I have somewhere in mind to go and begin our new life together so she can take the time to heal."

"I see. I'll arrange it for the end of the month, ok?"

"Thank you, Sir," the two women replied simultaneously and saluted him as he left the room.

Alex dropped onto the sofa then and held her head in her hands, leaning her elbows on her knees as the tears spilled over. Kara sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She didn't say anything. There wasn't really anything to say right then. Words would come later. But it was over.

"I don't even know what to tell my parents. They're going to be devastated," Kara murmured, as she held Alex and stroked her hair. They were snuggled together, still naked after their showers, in the center of their bed but the captain hadn't really said much since they'd arrived home. "What will you tell your Mom?"

"Probably nothing," Alex murmured. "She knows what she needs to know. No sense in making it worse. You know, she only visited me once in the hospital when I got back from Afghanistan and all she could comment on was how lucky I was that I only ended up with one scar on my beautiful face." She sucked in a breath. "I think it was that moment that I realized that she had never really cared about me." She lifted her head and looked into Kara's blue eyes which were swimming with tears. "You are the only person I've ever known who loves me unconditionally and without expecting anything in return."

The doctor smiled and sniffed quietly. "I do love you," she whispered.

They found each other in the dim light and kissed desperately, their lips and tongues crashing together. Kara gently pinned her lover down and began an exploration of her body with teasing touches, nips and licks. She lovingly traced and kissed each scar, worshipping the major's body and trying to ease all of her insecurities and doubts.

Alex groaned and silenced the voices in her head which fueled her fear and when she tangled her fingers in thick, blonde hair and held Kara's head against her breast, she finally felt ready to share her most intimate self. She trusted the doctor unconditionally, loved her unconditionally and wanted them to share everything unconditionally.

"Kara?"

Passion-darkened blue eyes lifted and widened as Kara felt Alex take her hand and guide it to between her legs. "Please… touch me…"

The doctor kissed her lover deeply as her fingers moved through soft hair to slowly stretch slippery folds. Alex opened her thighs more and gasped as Kara's middle finger grazed over her clit and then made firmer contact. "Oh god," she groaned as the doctor feasted on her neck and breasts while stroking steadily through her wetness. "Kara… inside… please…"

Tears rose in Kara's eyes and she deliberately made eye contact with her lover, loving the passion in the dark pools. "I love you so much, Alex," she whispered and slowly slid two fingers inside her. The major's back arched off the bed and she groaned again as the strong fingers moved inside her. Kara was firm but gentle and continuously reassured her lover with soft words and teasing kisses.

And when Alex finally came undone, it was just that. She came apart with white hot lights behind her eyes and a scream of pleasure that she didn't even know she was capable of. Kara coaxed more and more from her until she finally collapsed back onto the bed, chest heaving and body covered in a sheen of sweat.

Then suddenly she was laughing or maybe crying - she wasn't all that sure - and Kara was holding her close and kissing her forehead. "Wow," The doctor murmured in amazement, a tiny grin on her lips.

"Wow doesn't even begin to cover that. You did warn me though," Alex chuckled. "You told me to just wait until I had all of you. You were right to boast, Doctor Zorel."

"God, that sounds sexy when you say it," Kara replied, taking Alex's hand and kissing her pulse point.

"What?" Alex asked. "Doctor Zorel you mean?"

"Yeah."

The major kissed her lover gently on the lips. "I love you."

Chapter 10

"I never thought I'd say this after almost twenty years in the army… but I'm glad it's all over now," Kara said looking over the Honorable Discharge certificates she and Alex had received.

"I have mixed feelings," The major replied with a shrug. "It all got soured near the end."

"Of course, we would never have met if we hadn't joined the army," The doctor pointed out. "A lawyer and a psychiatrist wouldn't necessarily ever meet."

"Unless it was on the stand," Alex chuckled. She finished packing her bag and zipped it up. "Almost ready?"

Kara grinned and hefted her own suitcase. "Sure am. I don't even care about the drive. I'm just looking forward to getting there."

"Me too," Alex sighed. "It's only been a year but damn, I miss Midvale. Oh, did the real estate agent call you back?"

Kara pulled a sheet of paper out of her back pocket and handed it to her partner. "Even better. She emailed me a list of properties that match our criteria. One of them is right on Main Street."

The captain scanned the list until she found the one Kara was referring to. "Hmmm… promising. I like it." She tucked the page away then and perched her hands on her hips. "What should we call our new business?"

Kara thought about that for a long moment, turning to gaze out of the window. "Danvers and Zorel Consulting?"

"How about Zorel Hyphen Danvers Consulting?" the major suggested.

"I think only married couples can use…" The doctor turned to find Alex on one knee holding her hand out. In the center of her palm was a small velvet box. Inside the box was a diamond ring that glittered in the sunlight filtering in through the window.

"Doctor Zorel, will you marry me?" Kara's breath whooshed from her body and her hand moved to her mouth in shock. Alex chuckled. "Speechless. I think that's a first." She moved closer and the doctor's hand moved to rest over her lover's heart. Alex looked down and covered Kara's hand with her own. "Kara, I love you so much. Will you?" After another long moment of silence, Alex was suddenly uncertain but then the doctor's face suddenly lit up in a huge smile.

"Yes," she shouted. "God yes!"

The captain took the ring out of the box and slid it onto Kara's left hand before kissing it and Kara's fingers in turn. Then the doctor threw herself at her lover, wrapping her arms and legs around her and kissing her soundly.

But Alex lost her balance and they tumbled back onto the floor, laughing happily and still locked in their embrace. Finally, Kara looked deep into Alex's eyes and tried to communicate everything she was feeling with that gentle gaze. "I love you too, Alex."

The End