Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the follows and favorites! This chapter is where the 'Highlander' part of the crossover officially starts to come into play. Enjoy!


The next day was a bit weird for Alex. She rarely took time off, so the enforced vacation – even if it was just 24 hours – left her with no idea what to do with herself. Kara took her computer to Noonan's to work on her assignment, so Alex wound up just lounging around the loft, binge-watching West Wing on Netflix for the hundredth time while waiting for her sister to return with the car and motorcycle keys she'd confiscated. She did have a rather interesting conversation with Maggie, but had to reject the detective's offer to 'spring' her because she was pretty sure Kara would have a fit (and perhaps even go so far as to call Eliza) if her supposedly-concussed sister slipped off midday to hang out at an alien bar in the most dangerous part of town. Though Alex did promise to make it up to Maggie later. She didn't quite know exactly how to describe her relationship with Detective Sawyer, but there was definitely something there.

Luckily, by the time the younger Danvers came back to get ready for her big date, things were starting to look up. Late afternoon, Alex had gotten a call from Lucy, inviting her to join her co-Deputy Director and Agent Vasquez in checking out a new bar that had just opened up downtown. Kara had been a bit concerned when she'd mentioned it – and Alex couldn't blame her little sister, given what she'd been like a few years prior – but a quick call back to Lucy had apparently reassured her enough to not spend her date worrying. Alex briefly contemplated inviting Maggie along, but decided that it was too soon for those worlds to collide. No one at the DEO even knew she spent time with the detective outside of case work, and at the moment she wanted to keep it that way. The elder Danvers helped Kara get ready, then grabbed a pair of dress slacks and her nicest shirt from the clothes she'd taken to keeping at the loft to wear for her own evening out. Of course, the younger Danvers still held her keys hostage, claiming concern over her supposedly-concussed state, so she had to wait for Lucy and Vasquez to pick her up. They arrived just as Kara was leaving for her date (whom she was meeting elsewhere – most likely to avoid having Mr. Grayson scared off by the 'big sister' routine), and Alex soon found herself being ushered inside a tiny, hole-in-the-wall establishment called 'Joe's Blues Bar.'

Walking in, Alex suddenly felt overdressed. She'd been expecting some sort of ritzy nightclub-type thing. Instead, what she found was a dimly-lit, almost rustic-looking place that reminded her of a couple of bars she'd visited the year she and Kara had gone to New Orleans for spring break. There was a small stage in one corner, where a bearded, grey-haired man sat playing the guitar and singing. Alex wasn't really a fan of the blues, but the guy definitely had talent.

Lucy went over to the bar to grab drinks for everyone, so Alex claimed a table in the back corner, almost instinctively placing herself against the wall so she'd have a view of the door. The chances of being attacked in a place like this were probably slim, but there was something in the back of her mind telling her to be cautious anyway. Vasquez slid in next to her, and a few moments later Lucy joined them, handing them each a beer while keeping one for herself and sitting across from Alex. As the co-Deputy Director settled in, a news report came across the TV behind the bar about Supergirl and Nightwing stopping an armed robbery. "Looks like the date's going well," Alex muttered, taking a swig of her beer. Still wasn't doing much for her, so the previous evening hadn't been a fluke. She'd have to ask Dr. Hamilton about it later.

"Call me crazy," Lucy shrugged, "but maybe Kara's better off with someone who can actually be out there with her instead of stuck on the sidelines."

Alex's eyebrow shot up. "And here I thought you were rooting for her and James."

"I was until he decided to act like a jerk and jump to conclusions without even bothering to get the facts." Lucy sighed. "I've never known James to act like that before. Do you think something might be wrong with him?"

"You mean besides being an idiot who doesn't fucking deserve her friendship?" She shook her head, taking another drink. "Honestly, I don't know him all that well. If you think something's off, Luce, then by all means check it out. Just don't go trying to invent some otherworldly explanation for what's probably just simple human behavior. I don't want to get Kara's hopes up."

Lucy nodded, nursing her own drink. "Don't worry...Kara won't hear a thing from me until I know for sure."

"We've got company," Vasquez interrupted. Alex and Lucy followed her gaze to see the singer making his way to their table. Based on the way he was walking, the elder Danvers figured one or both of his legs were likely prosthetic.

As he approached, Lucy's face lit up in the biggest grin Alex had ever seen on the typically-serious ex-Major. "Uncle Joe!" she shouted, leaping from her seat and throwing her arms around him. Clearly, she had an ulterior motive for visiting this particular bar, seeing as her uncle was presumably the Joe whose name was above the door.

"Glad you could make it," he smiled, briefly returning the embrace before settling himself into the empty seat next to Lucy's and leaning his cane against the table. "Care to introduce me to your friends?"

She nodded. "Uncle Joe, meet Sue Vasquez and Alex Danvers. Guys, this is Joe Dawson. Grandma Lane's baby brother."

"Nice to meet you, Sir," Vasquez grinned, reaching out to shake his hand. Alex did the same, catching sight of a now-familiar circular tattoo just beneath his watchband.

"Please," he insisted, "just call me Joe."

"Interesting tattoo, Joe," Alex commented, sitting back and taking another sip of her beer. "Where'd you get it?"

Joe shrugged. "Had it done when I came back from Vietnam. Why?"

"No reason. Just not the first one like it I've—" Pain shot through her head, worse than anything she'd felt before. Biting back a scream, Alex pressed the heels of her hands into her forehead, as though it would actually help.

"Are you okay?" she heard Lucy ask, clearly concerned.

Alex shook her head. "I need some air."

"There's an alley out back if you'd like some privacy," Joe offered. "Door's just past the restrooms."

Nodding, she left the table and somehow managed to stumble her way through the door he mentioned and into the alley. The fresh air helped, but not by much. Alex leaned against the brick wall, trying her best not to vomit. What the hell was wrong with her?

Footsteps sounded nearby, and Alex lifted her head to see a tall, dark-skinned woman approach, wearing a trench coat despite the weather being unusually warm for the middle of fall. "I'm Josephine Trudeau, from New Orleans," she said, her accent distinct enough that the agent would have pegged her place of origin even without the odd introduction.

Alex shook her head. "Good for you. Now leave me the fuck alone." Her headache had faded a bit when she met the stranger's eyes, but that didn't mean she was in the mood for a conversation.

"Come on…you know how this goes."

"Know how what goes?"

"Don't play games with me, child," the woman growled.

Alex sighed, pushing away from the wall. "Listen, lady…." She turned to face Josephine and found some kind of old military sword being pointed in her face. "What the fuck...?" Backing up a pace, Alex pulled her gun from the holster at the small of her back. "Drop it, now!"

Frowning, Josephine lowered the blade slightly. "Have you no honor?"

"I'm not the one threatening strangers with a fucking sword! Drop it or I drop you!"

"Have it your way," the woman muttered. "There can be only one!" Josephine charged forward, blade raised, but before Alex could even get her finger on the trigger a shot rang out. The woman collapsed, and the agent looked past the body to see Vasquez approach, gun in hand.

"Are you okay, Ma'am?"

Alex nodded, lowering her own weapon. "I'm fine. No idea what the fuck that was about, but I'm not hurt or anything. What about you?"

"Just doing my job," Vasquez shrugged, holstering her gun as Alex did the same. "I came out to check on you, saw you were in trouble, and…well…."

"Thanks." Shaking her head – which was no longer hurting – the elder Danvers went over to the body and searched the woman's clothes until she found a wallet. In it she discovered several IDs, all with different variations on the name she'd given and for different states. The kind of thing you usually see with spies, only there was nothing else on her to indicate that she was in that line of work. "Whoever you were, you were clearly into something. Just wish I knew what."

"What should we do, Ma'am?" the junior agent asked.

Alex thought for a moment. "Far as I'm concerned, it was a good shoot. She's not an alien, so I say we take advantage of our fake FBI credentials and let the authorities deal with it."

"I don't know. The sword might be hard to explain."

"Crazy doesn't mean extra-normal." She would have said more, but was interrupted by a loud gasp from the dead woman, who sat up. Her headache chose that moment to return as well.

"Fuck," Josephine grumbled. "That was my favorite coat, too." As she spoke, Alex and Vasquez both whipped their guns back out and trained them on her.

"What the fuck are you?" Alex demanded. She'd seen some weird shit in her time at the DEO, but coming back from the dead was on a whole different level.

The woman stared at her for a moment, then started to laugh. "Shit…I can't believe I fucking did that. My bad. Should've realized you were a newbie when you pulled that gun." As she spoke, Josephine stood up, brushed herself off, then picked up her sword and tucked it somewhere inside the trench coat. She started towards Alex, who instinctively backed away, more confused than ever.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

Josephine raised her hands. "Can we put the guns away and talk like civilized people?"

"Depends," Alex shot back, lowering her weapon slightly. "You planning to attack me with a sword again?"

"Nope. No more sword."

Alex nodded, slowly lowering her gun the rest of the way as Vasquez did the same. "Mind explaining how the fuck you're still breathing?"

"Sure, but this could take a while. I've got a place at the harbor. Why don't we move this conversation there?"

"And what makes you think I'd go anywhere with you?"

Josephine shrugged, crossing her arms. "Because you want answers, and I seriously doubt you're any more interested in spending all night in this alley than I am. And I've got the best rum this side of New Orleans," she added with a wink.

"When you put it like that…." Shaking her head, Alex holstered her weapon. She still had serious reservations about trusting this woman, but at the same time it was hard to deny that something was going on with her own body that she couldn't quite explain. If Josephine had answers, she'd be a fool not to take advantage of the opportunity. "So how do we get there?"

"My car's just around the corner."

"Lead the way." She and Vasquez both started forward, only for their new 'friend' to hold up a hand.

"No offense," she told the junior agent, "but this is a private conversation."

Alex frowned. "She already saw you come back from the dead. And weird is pretty much par for the course where we work. I'm pretty sure she can handle whatever it is you have to say."

"Fine," Josephine huffed. "Can she keep a secret?"

Vasquez nodded. "Secrets are also part of the job, Ma'am."

TBC (And for the record, when I see Josephine in my head I imagine the actress who played Tara on True Blood, complete with the accent. The next chapter is going to be pretty heavy on the exposition, but after that things will really start to pick up. Feel free to leave a review and/or PM me...let me know how I'm doing so far. See you Tuesday!)