[Thank you all SO much for the lovely reviews, I so appreciate them all.]
Maggie was starting to worry. She had texted Alex three times in the past two hours, and there was no reply. Alex's answers while at Midvale had been almost instantaneous. She pulled out her phone and contemplated texting Kara, and decided that she was overreacting. Alex had a life of her own. She didn't need to be texting Maggie all the time.
There was a rap at her door. She looked at her watch; 9.37pm. Who would be calling at this time? She peered through the peephole, and flung the door open in delight. She grabbed Alex and pulled her into a hug. "Danvers!"
The hug continued for a couple of minutes, both women reveling in the closeness, and both experiencing an overwhelming feeling of relief. They could relax now.
Maggie pulled back. "You're not due until tomorrow evening?"
Alex pulled her wheeled bag in from the corridor. "Couldn't take any more. Kara's coming back tomorrow. I had to get away."
"Was she awful?"
Alex slumped onto the couch. "No. She wasn't that bad. I just … I just didn't want to be there. Just seeing her, I turn back into a teenager. I drink too much. I get antsy. I don't like who I am when I'm with her," she admitted, with shame.
Maggie sat next to her. "Well I like who you are. AND I have the day off tomorrow. Wanna do something?"
"Anything," Alex smiled, and relaxed into the soft leather.
'Wanna do me?' was the next question Maggie wanted to ask, but she knew she couldn't. She just looked at Alex, watching her as her eyes closed.
"Did you sleep at all in Midvale?" Maggie asked, concern clenching at her heart when she saw the lines of exhaustion on Alex's face.
Alex's eyes opened. "Not so much," she admitted after a moment. "I'm sorry," she yawned, involuntarily. "I should go."
"Not so fast, Agent. C'mere," she held out a hand, which Alex took, tentatively.
Maggie led her to the bedroom. She opened a drawer and pulled out a long t-shirt that a previous girlfriend had left in her closet, and which she thought would be big enough for Alex. "You need to sleep. I'll crash on the couch later. You look like you could sleep for a week."
Alex sat on the bed, her body language defeated. She blinked, and swept a hand over her eyes. She nodded. "Got any Aspirin?" she asked.
Maggie knew she must be feeling dreadful if she was admitting to a headache. She nodded, returning a few moments later with the pills and a bottle of water. "I'll be back in a few. Get comfortable. Use anything you want. I've put a spare toothbrush in the bathroom. It's pink, just for you."
Alex didn't even smile at their running joke with the pink.
Maggie gave her fifteen minutes, and then tapped gently on the doorframe as she slipped into the room. Alex was lying down, her eyes closed. Maggie sat on the edge of the bed, and ran a soft hand down Alex's back. "No couch," Alex slurred. "Stay. Lots of room."
Maggie knew that she shouldn't. But she did. She got ready for bed in her pajamas, and slid into bed next to her friend. Alex murmured approval, and flung an arm over Maggie's waist. Maggie smiled when she saw the watch on her wrist. She fingered the necklace around her neck, with her aunt's engagement ring. If only … tears threatened when she allowed herself to dream. If only.
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When Maggie awoke, Alex was snuggled into her front, and was breathing deeply. She was relaxed and peaceful.
Maggie reluctantly slid out from underneath her; she desperately needed to pee, and she also knew that Alex would be mortified to be cuddled up so close to her. For once, Maggie would not tease her. She was just relieved to see the relaxed expression on Alex's face. She had slept well, and she would be fine.
After a fun day in the city, including a trip to the art gallery, followed by the funfair at Maggie's insistence, it was time to pick Kara up from the airport. They deliberately didn't eat before Kara arrived, as they both knew that she would be starving, whether or not she had eaten on the aircraft.
Kara came sprinting toward Alex, and lifted her off the ground as she hugged her. She held on tight for several minutes. When she eventually pulled back, she looked at Alex. "I love you so much," Kara said. "Maggie!" she finally saw Maggie standing just behind Alex. She hugged her too. "Merry Christmas, Maggie. We missed you."
"Missed you too, Little Danvers. Where shall we eat?"
"Let's order takeout," Kara suggested. "Then we can relax. Can we go to my place? I want to unpack."
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"Geneva?" Kara's voice was plaintive. "But I've only just got you back."
"We were apart for less than 24 hours, Kar," Alex reminded her mildly. "And I'm only going for four days."
"Four days is too long. Right Maggie?" Kara complained, as she stuffed a potsticker into her mouth.
"You won't get any arguments from me on that one," Maggie agreed.
"You'll barely know I'm gone. You'll still come for game night, right Maggie?" Alex didn't want Kara to feel completely abandoned.
"You try and stop me," Maggie agreed. She loved the affection, and concern, between these two. She knew there was no blood connection, but she couldn't imagine that their bond could be any closer.
"It won't be the same without you," Kara's voice bordered on sulky.
"I'll phone. And text," Alex promised.
"And Skype?" Kara started to cheer up.
"Whenever I can. I promise," Alex said.
That was good enough for Kara. Alex's promise was her bond. Her face fell. "But I have that assignment tomorrow evening, for my school final test. I can't take you to the airport."
"I can take her, Little Danvers," Maggie was reassuring. "I'll make sure she gets on the plane."
Kara brightened. She didn't want Alex to be in the airport on her own. She knew how Alex had a tendency to close into herself, and she wanted to remind her at every moment that she was part of a family. A network.
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"I'll check on Little Danvers all the time," Maggie smiled as she hugged Alex goodbye. "And the B Twins," she grinned. "Though I have to tell you, Danvers, Barney has never looked so good. It must be all the attention he gets from you. I told you talking to them would be good for them. Good for you, too," she teased.
"I'll miss you," Alex admitted, picking up her bag. She didn't want to leave. Geneva was too far away. Part of her was relieved that Maggie hadn't saved up enough to buy her bike yet; at least that was one thing she wouldn't have to worry about. But she was a cop, and every day was different. She just had to trust that Maggie wouldn't do anything dumb, or rush in and try to be a hero. She was too important for that.
"Yeah?" Maggie tilted her head to one side, a move Alex found unbearably cute.
"Yeah," Alex touched her arm, shouldered her bag and strode for the security gate.
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Maggie sat on her couch, and turned on the tv. She was getting used to having her own tv, after so long without one, and she liked it. She felt less alone. Especially when she was alone. She flicked through the news channels. Then her blood ran cold.
"If you're just joining us," said the newscaster, "shortly after take-off, National City Airlines, Flight 237 bound for Geneva, is experiencing some loss of altitude. The pilot seems to be circling the city after apparent engine failure."
Maggie thought she might be sick. She looked around for her jacket. She didn't know where to go. What she could do to help. And then she saw the images on the screen, and heard the newscaster speak again. "The passengers of Flight 237 appear to have a guardian angel. What many report to be a female flying form."
Maggie's eyes were fixed on the screen. She watched as the plane tilted, and the figure in black – blue? – appeared to guide it through the struts of the bridge. She held her breath as the plane was gently lowered on to the water. Then she caught a glimpse of the rescuer. Her face was so familiar. Then it hit her. She knew exactly who it was. And she knew exactly why she had put herself at such risk to rescue the plane.
Maggie grabbed her keys and her phone, and ran down the four flights of stairs to the street. She drove fast and, eight minutes later, she was at the cordoned-off area by the waterside. She held out her police badge, and was relieved when she was ushered in to the security tent.
Streams of passengers – many weeping – were filing through, each being quickly checked over before being bussed to the hospital for a more thorough check. There was no sign of Alex.
"That FBI agent," one passenger gulped, "she's amazing. She dived in, pulled him out," she was clutching her drenched and wailing toddler son to her chest.
Maggie approached her. She put a gentle hand on her arm. "The agent," she said softly, pulling up a picture on her phone. "Is this her?"
The woman nodded. "That's her. She saved him. She saved him," she started to sob.
Maggie led her to a waiting ambulance. "She's in shock," she told the EMT.
The woman looked up. "You know her? I want to thank her."
"She's a friend," Maggie admitted. "Did she come in with you?"
The woman shook her head. "She's still out there. She's helping. She's okay," she smiled weakly at Maggie. "I mean, she's going to be real cold. The water, it's freezing. But she's not hurt, as far as I could see."
Maggie smiled gratefully. "What's your name?"
"Joanne. Jo. And this is Stevie. Greyson. Our surname's Greyson."
"I'll tell her how grateful you are," Maggie promised. She just wanted to find Alex.
The woman wrote hurriedly on a piece of paper. "Could you text me? When you're sure she's okay? I owe everything to her."
Maggie took the piece of paper, and nodded. She gave a small smile. She was not in the least surprised that Alex had put herself last. As usual.
It was nearly two hours later when Maggie saw an exhausted and limping Alex enter the emergency tent. She had a cut above her eye. Maggie knew that she had never looked more beautiful. She ran over to her, hesitating when she got close. She didn't want to hurt her.
Alex's face crumpled. She pulled Maggie into a fierce hug.
Maggie could feel her shaking – the cold and the shock had started to replace the adrenaline coursing through Alex's system. "Everybody's safe," Maggie told her. "Every single person," she knew that was what Alex would care about most. "Nobody is seriously injured. I should take you to the hospital."
Alex shook her head.
"The DEO, then," Maggie said, in a soft voice.
Alex looked astounded.
"I know. It's the only thing that makes sense. It's okay, Alex. I'm not going to tell anyone. I won't tell Kara, even. But I need to make sure you'll be okay. You need to be seen. You can give me directions?"
Alex slumped. She nodded. She pulled Maggie back into her arms.
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Alex hated being in the infirmary, but she was cold and she felt like hell. She was acutely nauseous from ingesting so much seawater, and her head felt like it was housing a jackhammer. She wanted all the noise to stop. She wanted the lights shining in her eyes to stop. She wanted it all to stop.
"Just look over here for me, Agent Danvers," Dr Hamilton said, as she lowered her penlight and held up a finger.
"If you shine that light in my face again, I will most definitely vomit," Alex warned her.
Hamilton nodded. "No more penlight. I swear," she nodded to the nurse, who dimmed the lights. Alex relaxed marginally.
Alex had never been so cold. She didn't protest as she was changed into a dry robe, and wrapped in warm blankets. And she moaned with pleasure when a warming blanket was draped over her.
Maggie had kept a tactful distance, not wanting Alex to be embarrassed. But now she was fully covered, Maggie stood at her bedside. She took her hand, and Alex's eyes opened, groggily.
"Sleep, Danvers," Maggie said. "The doctor's given you a sedative."
"So cold, Mags," Alex's voice shook.
"I know, honey. It was real cold out there. But your temp's rising, right?" she looked over at Hamilton, who nodded and smiled. "It's going to take a while. Soon this'll be just a bad memory."
"The kid okay?" Alex tried to sit up. She had remembered the terror on the boy's face, which had prompted her to dive off the wing.
"He's great. I spoke with his mother. He's safe. Everybody got out safe, Danvers. Somebody," she pushed her gently back down on the bed, "somebody kept everyone calm."
Alex nodded. "They let you in here?"
"I had their best agent in my car. They were very happy to see you. And we have a security guard," smilingly, she gestured to Agent Susan Vasquez, who stood sentry at the door.
Alex turned and looked. She held out a hand to her colleague — and friend. "Vaz," she said softly.
Vasquez stepped forward shyly and took Alex's proffered hand, "Doin' okay, boss?"
Alex nodded. Maggie smiled, and watched as Vasquez brushed the hair from Alex's face and dropped a quick kiss on her brow.
"Sleep, Danvers," Vasquez said.
Maggie sat by Alex's bedside and watched as she drifted off, still shivering. She wondered how Kara was. She wondered if Kara knew Alex's secret. How much more was there to discover about these two?
She remembered her promise to Joanne Greyson, the mother of the boy Alex had rescued. She typed out a quick text to let her know Alex was safe. The response was almost immediate. "Thank God. Please tell her I owe her everything." Maggie smiled. Her Danvers was a hero, and she wasn't even slightly surprised.
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Maggie had never seen so many pieces of paper. She knew all about non-disclosure agreements, but this was off the scale. Her hand ached when she had finished signing. Alex's boss Hank Henshaw smiled at her. "Thank you, Officer Sawyer. Your co-operation is greatly appreciated. I'm sorry, but we also need you to sign these," he hefted a similar sized pile of paper onto the desk.
"For what?" Maggie had virtually promised to give away her first-born child if she told anyone about the DEO.
"Alex's sister. I gather you have some insights into her."
"Not many. I just saw who was standing on the wing of that plane. I have no idea how she was able to do that."
"Alex did want to tell you," Henshaw said. "She has asked me several times if I would give approval for you to know. But she's a good agent, so she kept quiet. But now … once you sign all of these, I will give Alex permission to tell you everything she wants."
Maggie flexed her fingers. "Kara's okay, right?"
Henshaw nodded. "Kara is fine. You don't have to worry."
"And how long does Alex have to stay?"
"Until Hamilton is sure she's okay. That water is filthy, Hamilton expects some repercussions. She's put her on strong antibiotics. She'll be fine, officer. It may just take a couple of days."
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Alex was so relieved to that the car was pulling up outside her own building. Maggie was trying not to mollycoddle her, but she just wanted her own space. And she wanted to be alone. Completely alone. Maggie had been amazing. But Alex needed some solitary time. And then she saw Kara at her door, and she smiled.
Kara hugged her, more gently than she ever had. "I've stocked up your kitchen. And there's a whole stack of food in the freezer, I'm guessing that's you, Maggie?"
Maggie grinned. "Your sister can't cook for shit."
"So you're all set," Kara pulled a comforter over Alex on the couch. "So we'll go now, and leave you in peace. But we're gonna check on you all the time. I'm coming in tomorrow morning, Maggie's coming over in the evening. And if we don't get regular texts from you, we'll be knocking down your door."
Alex blinked back tears. How did they both know her so well?
"Barbara and Barney will be watching you," Maggie leant down to hug her gently. "So no funny business, Danvers."
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For the next week, Alex was banned from returning from work, and even though she was feeling fine, she still had daily visits from both her babysitters, as well as a daily visit from Vasquez after her shift had ended. When the next Monday came around, she was relieved to set off for work. It was a little odd not to have her daily visitors, but she felt good and was glad to be back in harness at the DEO.
Henshaw made sure that Alex took it fairly easy at work, but she was still tired when she got home. She changed into her pajamas, and decided she deserved a treat. She poured herself a slug of single malt.
When the knock at the door came, Alex was irritated. She was just about to go to bed. She grabbed her gun, just in case. Her nerves were still on edge, and she wasn't in the mood to take any risks. She smiled when she saw Maggie through the peephole. Maggie was clutching a large pizza and a six pack of beer.
"Hey," Maggie said. "Hungry?"
Alex nodded agreement, and guided her in. Maggie looked a little uncomfortable, which was rare for the self-assured cop.
"It's late," Alex said. "You got a case or something? Oh God, I could really use a good old fashioned murder right now."
Maggie hesitated. Alex was really starting to worry.
Maggie took a deep breath. "You know, I didn't come here for work. I just – I really needed to see you and talk to you."
"Is everything okay?" Alex asked.
Maggie shifted on one foot. Alex couldn't quite discern the expression on her face.
"Well, here's the thing. You ... you almost died. I could have lost you. And it got me thinking that I… I was so stupid. I- I thought that… I mean, you deserve the best Alex, you truly do. You deserve more than a fuck-up like me. But we ... we just fit together, and life is too short. And we should be who we are. And we should kiss the girls that we want to kiss. And I really just, I… I want to kiss you."
Alex's heart was beating so fast. Could this truly be happening? She had been in love with Maggie for so long, but she had convinced herself that Maggie didn't see her that way. And now... now this. She gave a shy smile. "So, you're saying you like me. That's … That's what I got."
Maggie grinned back, some of her customary cockiness returning. "Of course. You're not gonna go crazy on me, are you?"
"Probably," Alex admitted.
When they came together in that first kiss, Maggie could not believe she had waited so long. Alex was perfect. Her lips were so soft. She had dreamed of this moment so many times, but now it was finally here, it was a thousand times better than she had ever imagined. "Danvers," she murmured. "Oh Danvers."
