After the Red Daughter's attack, Lena struggles with her feelings for one Danvers sister while confronting another. Will her realization come too late? And what does Eliza have to say about the Luthor who seems to have captured both her daughter's hearts?


The stiff plastic chair creaked as Lena shifted forward anxiously. She'd thought she'd detected movement; a twitch of a hand, a grimace on eerily smooth features. But the longer she watched, the more she was convinced she had imagined it, her subconscious longing for some signs of life. Anything would be better than the incessant beeps that filled the sterile DEO hospital room and the quiet hissing of artificial breath given and drawn back.

Lena fought ever-present tears as she laced her warm fingers with cold, limp ones once more. It had been 48 hours since she'd nearly lost it all. Barely two days since she held Alex's bloody body against her own and begged for a miracle. Two agonizing days since Lena had stared into those expressive brown eyes, since Alex had taken a breath on her own.

Since Lena had followed Alex's gurney through the halls of the DEO, viscerally offended when she was eventually barred from going further. Once she had been allowed back at Alex's side, she had hastily showered to rid herself of the majority of the gore and offered no complaint when she was handed drab DEO sweats in lieu of her normal couture. Lena would have sat there stark naked, unabashed, if it kept her near Alex.

She gently stroked the older woman's face, mindful of the bruises still stained faintly against her pale skin, of the tube so cruelly forced down her throat. The Harun-El she had used was an earlier batch, tossed aside and nearly forgotten, until it was the only thing standing between Lena and unimaginable loss.

The effect had still been miraculous.

Alex's internal injuries had ceased to bleed, her broken bones instantly mended. But the entire process had taken a toll on the woman's system. Lena had been unable to stop the bile that clawed its way up her throat when Alex's body had shut down. If the sound of the Director's bones breaking was etched into her mind, the sound of Alex's flat line was scoured onto her heart.

She shuddered at the memory, forcing herself to focus on the woman lain before her. Alex was still here, still fighting and she needed Lena to fight with her. To fight for her. Every fiber of Lena's being was itching to say those few words that promised a lifetime, the words she'd been holding back for months, fearful that Alex wouldn't feel the same.

Lena had never felt so much, so fast, in her young life and it had definitely never felt so right.

Alexandra Danvers was it for her.

Even though she'd failed to say the words. Even though their first kiss had been mingled with salt and blood, Alex barely conscious enough to participate. Even though the object of her affections lay prone before her.

Lena would take Alex in whatever manner she was available. And she would happily tell the Director all this if she would just stop being so stubborn and open her damn eyes!

"You promised..." Lena whispered tearfully, tenderly pressing a kiss to each of the other woman's knuckles.

"She hears you, sweetie," a soft voice from the doorway assured her. "She just needs time."

Lena was startled to find Eliza Danvers standing just inside the threshold with a soft smile on her face. The young Luthor could feel her cheeks flush with embarrassment at having been caught in such a vulnerable state. Part of her wanted to drop Alex's hand and feign platonic support but the thought of losing contact with her love made her physically ill. Eliza seemed to sense her conflict and gently patted the pairs intertwined hands before taking a seat.

"How long?" She inquired, the maternal quality of her voice never wavering.

"I'm sorry. I don't know wha-" her sputtering rebuttal was cut off by the elder woman rolling her eyes with a soft smile.

"It's alright." The mother assured her again. "My Alex...she's not as good at hiding things as she thinks. I've suspected for awhile."

Lena gaped at the explanation both relieved and surprised that Alex had been unable to hide their growing attraction. She barely had a moment to bask in the idea when another, less pleasurable, thought struck her!

"Does Kara know?"

Eliza shook her head, chuckling lightly. "She's not as observant as I am. You'll probably have to tell her explicitly...that is if you both want that."

Lena turned her attention back to Alex, wondering if that would be something the other woman wanted. Just one more thing to discuss when she woke up. Before she could answer her, Eliza stood and pressed a tender kiss against her forehead.

"Thank you for saving my Alex...and for loving both mygirls."

The mother was gone a mere moment later, leaving behind a bewildered Lena and a slumbering Alex. Lena shifted close to the bed again; ever worried any distance might impact her love's recovery. She laid her head on the bed and watched Alex's chest rise and fall, quickly lulled to sleep by the reassuring rhythm.


A presence looming over her called Lena back to wakefulness some time later, her hand instinctively tightening in Alex's. She opened her eyes cautiously, mentally prepared to fight for the other woman to her last breath. That same breath rushed out of her when the intruder came fully into view.

"Supergirl," she exhaled quietly as she moved to sit up, running a hand through her tangled hair.

"Ms. Luthor." The hero greeted cautiously, arms crossed tightly over her chest. "How is she?'

Lena sighed loudly, too tired and too emotionally raw for this interaction. "She's stable and breathing over the tube, so Doctor Hamilton is planning on removing it soon," Lena paused before cutting to the chase. "But you already know that. You were just here a few hours ago, Kara."

The super's eyes grew wide at the accusation, glancing around the room worriedly, unable to hide her surprise. Lena immediately knew what she was looking for and set the hero's mind at ease.

"They can't hear us." She offered simply. "I had Brainy block all the audio equipment in this room and the hallway outside. Just because I work with the government, doesn't mean I trust them."

Lena knew why the other woman would be worried, they were still at the DEO, a place that the super was no longer freely welcomed, her identity standing in the way of collaboration. Kara nodded quickly, relieved by the news.

"How, um...how long have you known?" She finally asked, clearing her throat and squaring her shoulders.

"Since you showed up at my office as Superman's plus one." Lena offered simply. "I had my suspicions before but that confirmed it."

Kara nodded again at the admission, unsure and not at all prepared to have this conversation now.

"Does she know?" Lena asked, tilting her head toward Alex's bed, trying desperately to contain the panic that seized her at the premise of the elder Danvers having lied to her.

"No. Not in the last few months." Kara admitted sheepishly, unable to meet the other woman's eyes, piquing Lena's interest. "But she did..."

"Did?"

Kara sighed, shoulders slumping as she explained. "Alex knew all along but when the DEO got taken over and the president demanded my identity, she thought it might slip out, put me in danger. So..." Kara paused looking guiltier by the moment. "She had her memories altered."

Throughout the entire explanation, Lena's eyebrows had shot higher and higher, rising with her anger until she exploded!

"Bloody hell!"

Kara recoiled from the outburst but noted quickly that Lena's anger wasn't directed at her. The young CEO had shot from her seat, glaring down at her sister's unconscious form.

Of course, Alex had put Kara's need above her own! That was who the Director was at heart and yet the idea sent Lena's blood boiling because she could never be as cavalier about Alex's safety as she seemed to be.

"You're a damned fool, you know that?" She screeched at the unconscious woman. "You put everyone, everyone before yourself! Like you don't matter! But you know what? You matter to me, dammit! And this whole speech would be far more effective if you were awake..." Lena trailed off before slumping back into her chair defeated.

Kara watched the whole scene unfold with barely contained amusement. She reached a tentative hand out to Lena, and when the other woman nodded sullenly, embraced her in a warm hug.

"You can tell her again when she wakes up." Kara assured and, as Lena gave her a questioning look added, "I'm not as oblivious as Eliza thinks."

"I suppose you aren't." Lena agreed, feeling quite sheepish. "But you're comfortable with this? With...with us?"

She wouldn't put a name on their situation without Alex's input. She just knew it was something, and everything and nothing she could ever imagine giving up.

Kara paused before answering, a sad smile crossing her face. On the one hand, she was thrilled her sister had finally found her second chance at love. Yet, there was a lingering sadness that her dishonesty had pushed Lena into the arms of another. The sting didn't lessen simply because those arms belonged to Alex. The super swallowed hard, choosing her words carefully.

"Alex deserves the world and so do you Lena." She explained truthfully. "You two look out for each other and that's all I've ever wanted for either of you, someone to watch your backs."

Kara released her from the hug and felt her smile widen when Lena's hand instinctively found it's way back into Alex's. As each woman contemplated what the other had said, the super cocked her head, listening to something in the distance.

"Can we talk more later? I have to..." Kara jerked a thumb over her shoulder, indicating she needed to leave. She quickly made her way to the bed, pressing a soft kiss to her sister's bruised temple. "I love you, Lexie. I'll be back soon. You're in good hands."

With a wink in Lena's direction, Kara was gone, leaving only a gust of wind in her wake. The young Luthor sat there startled, wishing now more than ever that Alex would wake up and save her from this seemingly never ending familial support. She'd never had such a thing previously and frankly wasn't sure what to do with it.

"So this is what family feels like?" She mused out loud, thumb still drawing gentle circles over Alex's knuckles. "I do believe I could get used to it darling..."


Lena awoke the next morning, far too early for most peoples liking, with hopes that the day she was currently facing would be far less eventful than her last. At Eliza's urging, she had begrudgingly returned to her penthouse for a few hours, relishing in the feel of a warm shower and her own clothes but feeling guilty nonetheless for having left Alex for even a moment.

She bustled back into the DEO at a quarter to seven, laptop and files in tow, fully intending to review every bit of data they had on the Harun-El in an effort to figure out why Alex had yet to awaken. Upon entering the Director's hospital room, she was pleased to find Hamilton had followed through with removing Alex's breathing tube.

Lena took a few moments to regard the miracle before her; to process the overwhelming relief she felt at finally being able to see Alex's face again after so many days hidden behind a mask and tube. The Director's bed had been tilted upward to ease her breathing and she had more color in her cheeks than Lena had seen in days.

All signs pointed to the former agent's recovery and yet, when Lena entered, there was no response to her greeting.

"It's alright, darling..." she sighed, making sure there was no one around, before she leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to the other woman's forehead. "Whenever you're ready, I'll be here."

She promptly resumed her post in the stiff plastic chair before plugging in her laptop and diving headfirst into her research. She made sure that as soon as she was settled, her hand was once more securely clasped with Alex's. Overnight she had feared the worst, horrified that Alex would think she had abandoned her and would give up, decide waking was no longer a goal worth fighting for.

Thankfully, Eliza, Brainy, J'onn and even Kara (another can of worms in need of a serious unpack) had all taken to sending her updates throughout the night. She was mildly surprised Eliza hadn't been with Alex when she arrived but remembered the time of day and assumed the mother was most likely trying to catch what little sleep she could. Lena had no doubt that Eliza would toss and turn as she had, beset with worry. She sent the woman a quick text informing her that she had returned and to take all the time she needed.

With countless hours of waiting ahead of her, she powered up her laptop and dove in.


"Leeeeee...Leee...naaaaaa.."

The woman in question had fallen asleep rather ungracefully; head leaned back against the wall, mouth open. Were such an image of the normally prim and pristine Lena Luthor ever to get out, there was no doubt Lillian's wrath would be sure to follow. The pitiful sound repeated itself and Lena instantly snapped to wakefulness!

"ALEX!" She was on her feet faster than she had ever thought herself capable, leaning over the woman in bed with tears in her eyes. "Thank god you're awake!"

"Lena?" Alex whispered, throat sore and unnaturally dry from the tube, eyes still squeezed shut. "Wha' happ'n? Did you...did you use the stuff?"

Lena let out a half-sob as she remembered the events of the past few days. "You were hurt, darling and yes, I used the stuff!" She added with a wet laugh.

Alex's brow furrowed in the patented 'Danvers Crinkle' at the explanation. "I don' feel super..." she whined as she finally opened her eyes.

This time Lena's giggle turned into a full-blown guffaw and she couldn't stop herself from taking Alex's face in her hands and kissing her soundly! There was simply no better feeling than Alex's slightly chapped lips pressing firmly against hers. When she pulled back she was relieved to find the redhead wearing a sleepy smile.

"Tha was much bett'r than the firs' one..." Alex informed her, still slurring through the drugs in her system.

"Well if you promise to never scare me like that again, I can assure you it won't be your last." Lena responded with a sad smile.

"Issa deal!" Alex exclaimed as her eyes slipped closed once more. Lena thought for a moment she had fallen back asleep until she called her name. "Lena?"

"Yes, darling?"

Alex cracked those hazy brown eyes open again. It took her a few moments finally focus on the younger woman's face and when she did, a furrow appeared on her brow. "You look tired."

"Such a charmer, Director..." Lena scoffed with a soft smile that made Alex shake her head drunkenly.

"No, thas not wha' I meant," She tried to explain, the furrow in her brow deepening as she searched for the right words.

"I know, dear." Lena assured her, bringing their intertwined hands to her lips for a gentle kiss. "Just rest now, okay?"

"You too." Alex grunted stubbornly as she tried to shift enough to make room for Lena.

"Alex, no. Anyone could walk in here..." She declined half-heartedly, even though she was aching to do what the injured woman asked.

"Don' care. M'the Director!" Alex replied, sounding more stubborn by the minute. Lena was certain if this went on, with the other woman continually shifting in bed, that Alex would only make her condition worse.

With a resigned sigh, Lena helped Alex scoot inward and kicked off her shoes before climbing onto the bed herself. "Alright, I'm here. Would you please rest now? No more moving about, okay?"

"Kay." Alex agreed with another dopey smile as she laid her head against Lena's chest. The young CEO's arms immediately came up to hold her close, not at all surprised by how natural it felt.

Alex was snoring happily before long and even though she had misgivings about their new relationship being discovered, Lena found she couldn't bear to pull away, couldn't bear another moment without Alex's comforting weight in her arms.

There was still a myriad of things to puzzle out, secret identities to discuss and tests to be run but in that moment, none of it mattered. All Lena needed to focus on now was making Alex Danvers feel as loved as possible. With that thought in mind, she wiggled deeper into the tiny mattress, tucked the covers securely around them and promptly fell asleep.