Chapter 2: Secrets

It wasn't just this particular case in searching for the rogue alien that had Maggie rattled. Alex had seen that she was on edge for the past couple of weeks so it didn't surprise her when she found Maggie at the bar with a couple of shots on the counter.

"Sorry about before," Maggie said when Alex sat across from her, "That guy just got under my skin."

"I think we know it was more than that."

Alex reached across the table and held her girlfriend's hand. "Talk to me, Maggie, what's going on?"

Maggie sighed, debating on whether to down the shot in front of her. She did; a little liquid courage.

"My ex is in town. He wants to meet." Maggie met Alex's eyes and knew what she was seeing; the fact that she had said 'he' instead of 'she'. "You're not the only one with a straight past, Danvers."

"No I wasn't thinking that at all. I was thinking about you. Is that what you want, to see him?"

Maggie shook her head, "I don't know. Things between Jim and I are… complicated." Maggie looked around, wondering who, if anyone might be listening. "I'll tell you everything. Just… just not here okay?"

"Wherever you want."

Alex sat on the couch in her apartment next to Maggie. They had a fire going and two bottles of unopened beers sat on the table in front of them.

Alex studied the picture that Maggie had handed her. The girl in it had Maggie's eyes and smile right down to the same dimples. There was no doubt in Alex's mind as to what she was looking at.

"She's beautiful," said Alex.

"Her name is Jamie. She just turned six. I haven't seen her since she was a year old.

Alex waited patiently the way Maggie had done so many times with her before.

"Her father James and I met on the job when I was in Star City. We were married for a year when I got pregnant. I meant what I said about being able to connect to our alien neighbors. Where I grew up being gay wasn't exactly smiled on. I thought it was just easier on everyone else around me if I was straight so that's who I tried to be.

It wasn't long after Jamie was born, in between that too I guess, that I had fallen for my nurse. She's felt the same and expressed as much whenever Jim wasn't around. We kept things simple, remained friends but after a year that wasn't enough for either of us. I knew I wasn't being fair to Jim so I told him the truth. Becka and I didn't have an affair but sometimes it felt like it.

Jim was bothered by all if it even asking me why we got married in the first place. He filed for divorce and got full custody of Jamie. I didn't contest any of it. I figured she would be better off without me."

"But now Jim is here."

Maggie took a deep breath, "Yeah. I don't know why. It's not like I have anything left to give."

"And your nurse, Becka, were you two ever together?"

"It lasted for a few months but I was the one who couldn't deal so when a job opened up in Star City I took it. I eventually moved around a lot: Metropolis, Gotham. Some were job promotions, others were because I struggled to deal with my reality until finally the job in the science division opened up so here I am."

"So do you plan on leaving town any time soon?"

"No reason to, at least I hope there isn't."

"Good because if you go I'll go with you."

Maggie only smiled but both girls stayed silent as they let Maggie's words sink in. It felt like hours had passed but only minutes had instead.

"I know it's a lot."

"It's okay."

Maggie stood up angrily, "It's not okay! Alex, I just told you I left my husband for a woman and that I have a kid that I don't even see. It's not okay for anyone. I was going along fine with my life. I never told anyone about Jamie. And my parents…" she said shaking her head, "I can't tell you how angry they were at what I did and how much it pains them that they can't see their grand kid unless Jim allows it which I'm pretty sure is never."

"Babe," Alex said standing up to match her, "listen to me."

But Maggie wasn't. She was lost in her own head that it was hard to focus on anything else, focused on James and Jamie and the life she'd left, the guilty of not fighting for her kid coming back to haunt her as it sometimes did.

"And now he's here and it's messed up everything. If I were you I'd be freaking out about now. Why aren't you?" Maggie shook her head before Alex could get in a word, "I'm gonna go."

Alex extended her hand, "Maggie-," but she was all ready grabbing her leather jacket and leaving Alex's apartment.