It was Ellie's third night with Maggie and Alex; they had all just gone to bed when she heard a knock at her door. Maggie's anxious face peered around the corner. "Alex and I have been called in. One of the aliens has escaped from custody. I know it's not fair to ask, but..."
Ellie smiled. "I'll babysit. Go."
"She has bad nights sometimes," Maggie hesitated.
"I'll call you if we need you. I swear."
Maggie smiled, gratefully. "We shouldn't be long."
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"It's okay," Alex sounded pissed, batting away Maggie's hand. She winced as she placed the ice pack over her eye. "Damned Venonians."
"You're gonna have a real shiner there, Danvers," Maggie tried to hide her anxiety as Alex flexed her jaw.
"Will I look rakish?" Alex tried to laugh. The incident was annoying, but between them and Kara, it was all wrapped up in a few minutes. Alex had just been unfortunate to catch a flying chair with her face.
"You'll look beautiful. As always," Maggie always got mushy when she was worried.
"Let's go see if we can catch some sleep, then," Alex put her hand in Maggie's.
It was nearly 3am when they got home, so they were surprised to see a low light on in the living room. On the couch sat Ellie, with a tear-stained Addie, wrapped in a blanket on her lap. "Nightmare," Ellie whispered. She put the back of her hand to Addie's brow. "And she feels a little warm. But I think maybe that's just 'cos she got so upset."
Addie grunted, and opened one eye. When she saw Maggie, she held out her arms wordlessly. Maggie scooped her up, and felt Addie's little arms encircle her neck. "Thank you," she said to Ellie.
Ellie smiled.
Addie shuddered, trying not to cry again.
"You can cry if you want, baby," Maggie whispered, sitting on the couch and holding her tight. Alex sat next to her, trying to hide the bruised side of her face.
Ellie gave a small gasp. "I'll get ice," she said quietly. Alex nodded, gratefully. She reached out and stroked Addie's hair. She felt her forehead, and frowned.
Ellie returned with an ice pack, and the thermometer.
Alex put the thermometer in Addie's ear until it beeped. "It's 100. That's okay, Bug," she used her thumb to wipe away the tears.
"I gave her some Calpol," Ellie said. She looked at her watch. "About 20 minutes ago. And she drank some water."
Alex gave her a grateful look. "You've done all the right things. She'll be fine by the morning, won't you, baby girl?"
Addie nodded, miserably.
"Wanna sleep with us?" Maggie asked.
Addie nodded again.
Maggie rose from the couch, Addie still in her arms. Soon, all three were settled in bed, Maggie holding Addie, and Alex holding the ice pack to her face. "It's Saturday tomorrow," Maggie yawned. "We can all get some sleep."
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Maggie emerged from the bedroom just after 9am, leaving a sleeping Alex and Addie. She had felt Addie's face, and it was cool, and Maggie realized that it was just sleep she needed.
She stumbled into the kitchen, grateful to see a freshly brewed pot of coffee. She helped herself, and went into the living room to find a seat. Ellie was already there, looking at the laptop.
"Morning, sis," Ellie smiled. "I hope this is okay? My laptop … it was upstairs, and ..."
Maggie put a hand on her arm. "She wouldn't let you have it. I know. It's fine. We can go out later and get you a new one."
Ellie shook her head. "No, it's okay, I don't really need..."
"Everyone needs a computer," Maggie would not listen to any arguments. "Anyways, Alex will love it. She's such a geek, we'll never get her out of the store." She smiled affectionately.
"Is she okay?" Ellie gestured to her own cheek.
"Yeah, she's fine. She'll look badass for a while, but it's only bruising. She just needs to learn to duck." Maggie sounded dismissive, but Ellie could see the worry underlining her nonchalance. In just the few days that she had been with them, she could see the love they had for each other shining through everything that they did. She hoped one day she would find somebody to love her the way Maggie and Alex loved each other.
"I've been thinking," Ellie said. "And it's not just because you are a cop. Or maybe it is. I don't know. But I've been thinking of becoming a cop for a few years. And I know you have to be 18 in National City to go the Police Academy, but the college does a Public Service course," she angled the laptop to show Maggie. "It lasts a year. All sorts of physical fitness stuff, lots of legal. Climbing ladders, using handcuffs. That kinda thing. And the college is real close. But," she swallowed. "I'd have to pay tuition. But I was thinking, if I could get a job in the evenings and on the weekends, then I could..."
Maggie shook her head. "No," she sounded sharper than she meant to. Ellie's face fell. Maggie's expression softened, and she reached out to take her sister's hand. "I didn't mean no. I just meant no to the job. We'll pay your tuition. And you can get a job on Saturday if you want. But not during the week. You need to study then, and you also need to have some time to yourself. To have fun," Maggie smiled at Ellie. She was so proud of her sister. Instead of being completely devastated by her parents' rejection, here she was, looking to the future, making plans, working to find a good solution.
"I think it's a great idea, Ellie," Maggie said. "You'd make a great cop. If you're sure that's what you want."
Ellie nodded.
"Do the course. You don't have to decide about the Academy now. I'm so proud of you, Eleanor."
"Are you sure that's okay? Will Alex be okay with it?"
"Alex thinks it's a great idea too," Alex called from the doorway, a sleepy Addie in her arms. "We'll do everything we can to make it work. Hey, we gotta keep our in-house babysitter happy!" she teased. "Talking of which, somebody here woke up and wanted to see you," she lowered Addie into Ellie's arms.
Ellie hugged her tight, and kissed her on the top of her head. "Hey, Short Stuff," she smiled as Addie giggled.
Addie looked up adoringly at Ellie. "Did you see Mama's black eye? Mommy says it's because she forgot to duck."
Maggie grinned. They didn't want Addie to be traumatized by Alex's injury, so they agreed to play it down.
"Mommy's lucky," Alex pretended to be affronted. "She's so tiny she didn't have to duck when the chair came flying past!"
Maggie pretended not to hear her. "So who wants to come with me and Ellie to the Apple Store? We have to get Ellie a laptop."
Alex's face lit up with excitement. "We'll come, won't we Bug?"
Addie nodded. She loved playing with all the computers in the store.
"And after that, we have some surprise shopping to do, right Alex?" Maggie grinned.
"Oh yeah. We've all got to go along for that."
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Ellie stashed her new laptop in the trunk, hidden under a blanket. Addie was beside herself with excitement when Alex explained all about the puppies they were going to visit at the pound.
"They're real little, Bug," Alex told her. "They're nine weeks old, so they're just old enough to leave their mom. We'd really like it if you could help us choose one of them to come home with us."
Addie fell instantly in love with all six squirming puppies when she saw them. But her attention was drawn particularly to the smallest of the bunch, who seemed more tentative. She also had one ear that seemed to remain folded over.
"She's the runt," the man at the pound explained.
"But she's okay?" Alex wanted to know.
He smiled at her. "She's great. She's very healthy. She's my favorite," he admitted. "She's got a very sweet personality. She's a little shy until she gets to know you."
"Can we take her, Mama?" Addie's eyes filled with emotion. "Please, Mommy?"
Alex looked at Maggie, who smiled and nodded happily.
"You're going to be the one to name her," Maggie said to Addie. "Your Mama comes up with terrible names for dogs. You're in charge. Once you get to know her a bit, you'll come up with just the right name."
Addie was overwhelmed. "Can we really take her home today?"
The man nodded. "She's a very lucky puppy. We came to look at your house and your yard, and it's perfect for a puppy. And I just know you're going to take real good care of her."
Addie nodded, vehemently. She sat with the puppy in her arms as Alex and Maggie picked out a dog bed, a harness, bowls, toys, blankets and more for the new family member. Ellie toted it all to the car while Alex paid for it all, and gave a generous donation to the pound. It was so gratifying to take an unwanted dog, and they both knew how good it would be for Addie.
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"Sergeant Kate!" Addie was so excited when Maggie handed her the phone. "Is Auntie Kara with you?"
Kate turned over in bed, and looked at a very naked Kara. "She's here, Doodlebug. Do you want to talk to her?"
"No, not really. I want you and Auntie Kara to come round to the house. We got something to show you!"
"Is it a good something?" Kate asked.
"It's amazing. It's the best thing ever!" Addie squealed.
"We'll be there real soon," Kate promised, and hung up the phone. She turned to Kara. "Your niece has something she says we have to come see."
Kara smiled, and pulled the sheet away from Kate's body. "I already like what I'm seeing," she teased.
Kate grinned, and got out of bed, heading toward the shower. "If you're very good, I'll let you see more of it later."
"I'll hold you to that, Sergeant."
"Want to help me soap down?" Kate asked, temptingly.
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It was nearly an hour later that Kate and Kara arrived at the house. "You took for ever to get here!" Addie declared.
Kate demurred. "Ah, uh, yeah. The traffic was real busy."
Alex looked out of the window pointedly at the empty street. Kate had the grace to blush, while Kara just grinned widely.
"Come on," Addie took Kate's hand and dragged her into the living room. "You've gotta be real quiet, she's still shy," she made Kate sit on the couch. She picked up the puppy from her basket and lowered her gently into Kate's hands.
Kate's face melted. "Hey, little one," she stroked her gently. "You are just too cute. Does she have a name?"
"Not yet. Mommy says I've got to get to know her for a day or two, and then I can pick the name that suits here."
"That's a real good idea."
Kara and Alex entered the living room, giggling. Kate tried not to meet either of their gazes. "Oh Rao," Kara exclaimed. "That puppy is adorable. Is she yours, Addie?"
"She's all of ours," Addie declared. "When she grows big, she is going to protect us all."
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"I'm fine, Maria," Ellie spoke to her aunt. "Truly. They've made me so welcome. I'm going to start college next month, and then when I'm eighteen, I'll become a cop."
Maria smiled. "Just like your big sister."
"If I could be half as good a cop … and a person … as Maggie, that would be great," Ellie smiled.
Maggie looked up from her book. She couldn't hear Maria's side of the conversation, but she got the gist. When Ellie finished on the phone, Maggie went over to her and enveloped her in an enormous hug, holding her tight. "You need to know that you are already ten times better than I'll ever be. You're perfect, Ellie," Maggie pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.
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"How is your day going, babe?" Alex asked, when she finally caught up with Maggie in her small office at the DEO. "Did you hear from Ellie?"
"Busy," Maggie leaned back and threw her pen on the desk. "I did. She's doing good. She found a job in a bookshop on Saturdays, one of those old-fashioned ones, where you can get coffee and browse. So that'll top up her allowance," they had already decided to give Ellie a monthly allowance, and had refused to listen to Ellie's objections.
"That's great, babe. You think she's doing okay?"
"Most of the time, yeah. It'll take time."
Alex nodded. She knew that Ellie would not find it easy to leave her whole life behind her, after seventeen years in Blue Springs. But she was trying so hard to settle, and she was so kind and loving toward them – Addie in particular – that she deserved to be happy.
"Oh yeah," Maggie added. "She says she has a surprise for us."
"What?"
"She won't tell me. She says it's nothing to worry about. She says she's adjusting her image. She wants to reflect who she really is."
"We just have to hope that who she really is doesn't have a tattoo on her face," Alex teased.
Maggie paled at the thought.
Alex laughed. "She's a good kid. She's sensible. Don't worry babe."
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Addie came running when she heard the door opening. "Mommy! Mama! Come see Ellie. She looks amazing!"
Maggie looked around the door to the kitchen. She could just see Ellie's butt and feet as she bent to feed the puppy, the rest of her obscured by the counter. "Hey," Maggie called.
Ellie stood up and turned to face her sister.
Maggie's face was split with a wide grin, her dimples deeper than ever. "You look … wow. You look so good," Maggie stepped forward and took both of Ellie's hands. She looked to see Ellie's new haircut. She had had the pony tail removed, and was left with a very short style, closely cropped to her head. She was wearing a tight, white t-shirt and a plaid overshirt. And there was a small, but classy, stud in her nose. "Seriously, Ellie. You look great."
Ellie smiled in relief. "I feel more like … like me now."
"Well you look wonderful," Alex stepped into the room. She hugged her sister-in-law. "You look kinda hot, too."
"Danvers!" Maggie sounded appalled.
"Just objectively," Alex said with a smile. "But she does. You do, Ellie. You'll have the girls falling at your feet."
Ellie blushed. "Addie came up with a name for the puppy," she changed the subject.
"Oh thank God," Maggie said. "I thought we'd end up calling it one of those terrible names Alex keeps coming up with. C'mon, Addie, what did you decide?"
Addie looked at Alex, and smiled conspiratorially. "I want to call her Gertrude," she announced. "And Ellie stopped at the mall on the way home and we got her a name tag with it on. So we have to call her that now."
Alex exploded with laughter. She swept Addie into her arms.
"Did I do good, Mama?" Addie was laughing.
"You did great, Bug. Really great," Alex kissed her on the cheek and put her back down on the floor.
"She knows it's her name already. Watch, Mommy. C'mon Gertrude, come and see me," Addie cooed. The dog pricked up her ears. Addie patted the floor. Gertrude ambled over, and enjoyed being petted by the small child.
Maggie should have been pissed. She had vetoed the name when Alex suggested it, but seeing their daughter look so happy, and the look on Alex's face, and she realized she couldn't be happier about it. "You played me Danvers," she laughed.
Alex smiled happily. "Yeah," she agreed. "I did, didn't I?"