Violet spent a few days in her own head before pulling herself out of her funk. She'd been trying to talk herself through how she felt about her less that encouraging conversation with Kara. She had hoped that Kara would be a little more open to the idea of fixing something, making a positive change, but instead she'd shut her down.
Which sucked. Because Violet was really starting to question her place and her purpose here.
On the one hand, getting to really know Maggie made it abundantly clear to her that her childhood had been missing something. For the most part, she could look back on that childhood with nostalgia and happiness. Hell, she couldn't even remember Maggie's funeral. But regardless of everything that happened, Alex had always hidden her own sadness and put Violet first. It was just something that she was used to; them against the world. She'd had her mom, she'd had her aunt. Growing up that way from such a young age… it seemed like that was all she needed.
However, the idea that she was in 2017 and actually had the ability to alter certain events? Could she really look her mother in the face, whether she made it back or not, and tell her she could have saved Maggie… but didn't? How would she ever forgive her? At what point was doing the wrong thing for the right reason… right? Violet understood that Kara was worried about the ripple effects, but maybe if she knew…
Violet shook her head, dismissing this train of thought.
Flashpoint fucked up everything.
Flashpoint occurred because someone had tried to go back and fix something.
Save someone.
She couldn't risk making that kind of mistake, risk falling into the same situation.
Even if everything was already going to be different anyway.
Maybe now that things had changed, now that she was there, maybe that would be enough to shift the chain of events that led to losing Maggie. Maybe she would survive, be safe. And Violet wouldn't even have to get involved… fuck this sucked.
"Hey Vi, guess what?" Alex peeked in through the door and interrupted Violet's internal debate. She lifted her head and looked at Alex suspiciously.
"I get to leave?" Please let the answer be yes, she begged silently. There was only so long she could stare at the same four walls without going absolutely insane.
Alex grinned. "You get to leave. Tomorrow."
Violet sighed with relief and grinned back, "FINALLY."
She was coming up on four weeks at the D.E.O. (granted she had literally been comatose for the first one), and had been giving the doctors a hard time about leaving since she could sit up without flinching in pain. Which was about a week and a half ago. Now at least she was at the point where she could mask the discomfort.
Alex sauntered in, pleased that not only did she have good news to share, but that Violet was reacting appropriately. She had been quiet and distant since her conversation with Kara, and it was killing Alex to see her like that and know she couldn't push her to talk it through. "Tomorrow they'll do some final x-rays, remove that cast, and spring you. Anything you want waiting for you at hom—at my place?" Alex caught herself; she wasn't sure what was up with Violet, but knew that the idea of 'home' was already a somewhat touchy subject and didn't want to add to Violet's mood.
Violet thought it over for a second. "Just my bed. And stuff for a bubble bath."
"Deal," Alex smiled, fully focused on Violet's phrasing; MY bed. Alex bit her tongue and mentally told herself to remember to text Maggie and see if she could grab a bunch of "Welcome Home" paraphernalia on her way home from work.
Alex and Maggie spent the bulk of the evening getting the apartment ready for Violet to come home. Kara had practically threatened to pick her up and fly her back to her apartment herself, and after attempting to fight that (losing) battle Alex finally agreed to let Kara spend Violet's last night with her while she went home.
"Al, I'm rearranging some of the furniture in the living room to make it easier for her to get around," Maggie called in to Alex, who was busy getting Violet's room ready.
"As long as you're prepared for me to trip over things in the middle of the night," she shot back, throwing the blinds open so she could clean. They hadn't touched her room since Violet had been gone, but a month of settling had left the room with a musty, vacant smell. Clean sheets, a lot of dusting and polishing and air freshening, and a really thorough vacuum job made the room a lot more welcoming. While Violet hadn't done much to make the place truly hers, Alex was determined to at least return it to warm and inviting.
"Please, you'd trip anyway. You haven't spent the night here in a month either. It's practically unfamiliar to you the way it is now."
Alex paused for a moment, and then nodded to herself. Maggie was right, this would be her first night in the apartment since Violet had been injured, and as nice as it was to be back in her own home, she knew she would spend the night worrying about Violet. In fact, now that she was thinking about it…
"Do you think we should call them? Check in?" Alex peered innocently around the doorframe into the living room where Maggie was shoving the coffee table against a wall.
"No I do not. You and I both know that if anything was up Kara would call you immediately. You promised that you would call to say goodnight and that was all." Maggie moved on to an arm chair, pulling it out to create more walking space throughout the room.
"I know, I just… this is her first night without me since..."
"Yes. It is. But she's an adult and has spent countless nights without you in her life. Have you seen anything in the last week that makes you think her night will be anything other than smooth and uneventful?" Maggie dropped into the newly positioned armchair and raised an eyebrow at Alex, who was now leaning her forehead against the door and pitifully refusing to make eye contact.
"Nooooo," she sighed and slowly stepped into the living room.
"That's right. SO why don't you let her and Kara have their little sleepover and you and I can have our little sleepover before she comes home and you want to sleep in her room instead of mine."
Maggie was only about half joking. Alex had threatened Violet with constant supervision more than once over the last few days. She'd been antsy and moody and had taken it upon herself to start leaving her room for "short walks to regain strength." The first time Alex had walked in and Violet's bed had been empty Maggie thought she was going to have a coronary. Violet had returned less than a minute later, moving slowly but purposefully as she enjoyed the little bit of freedom that she'd stolen, but the damage was done. Alex threatened her with a 24/7 posted guard, handcuffing her to her bed, handcuffing her to herself, and even taking her clothes so she would be forced to run around in a hospital gown if she tried to leave again. Violet was unimpressed, but did promise not to take off without at least telling someone where she was going.
Alex dismissed Maggie's comment with squinting eyes and an indignant laugh. Obviously she wasn't planning on staying in Violet's bedroom tomorrow night… though she had quietly googled baby monitors on her way home to see if she could find a way to more… 'subtly'… keep tabs on Violet for her first few days home. Ultimately, she decided Maggie wouldn't go for it.
"You know," Maggie murmured quietly as she slowly stood and made her way across the room to Alex, "sleep isn't the only thing you've been missing out on in that bedroom for the last month. There are a few other ways I can think of to take advantage of an empty apartment."
Alex felt her pulse quicken as Maggie flashed her a grin, and all thoughts of Violet vanished from her mind. Maggie slipped past her, eyeing her mischievously as she headed into the bedroom. Alex stood rooted in place for the briefest of moments before taking off after her, careful not to trip over anything on her way.
Kara's feet were casually propped up on Violet's bed as they finished watching the chick flick that she had picked out. Usually they let Violet have her way when it came to choosing movies; partially because she was the one holed up and stuck in a bed, and partially because she had threatened to spoil the last two Star Wars movies the last time Kara had tried to make her watch something sappy. But they were running out of movie choices and Violet was a little distracted, so when Kara had started gushing about a movie she wanted to see Violet gave in without much fight. It was a newer movie, but Kara wasn't big into dark, loud, crowded movie theaters, and Violet claimed it was "before her time", so neither one had seen it.
"Wait. You're telling me that the guy gets the girl in the end?" Violet quipped. "Totally groundbreaking."
Kara rolled her eyes and grinned as the credits started. "Ok smart ass, your pick."
"Eh, would it be weird if I said I was all movie'd out? Can't focus on them tonight I guess." Violet shrugged. Kara turned the TV off and shook her head.
"Not weird at all. Too busy thinking about getting out of here?"
"Yes," Violet responded, enthusiastic to say the least. As nice as it had been to have people waiting on her hand and foot, the novelty had worn off somewhere between the seventh time she'd been woken up for vitals, and the fifth time someone had told her she couldn't lock the door when she went to the bathroom because she was a 'fall risk'. "Tomorrow this damn cast comes off and I'm going to go home and take a hot bath and then go somewhere without an escort. Anywhere. Down the hall, I don't even care."
Kara watched Violet fantasize about the comforts of home and smiled. Home. Violet feels at home. She knew that they still needed to do everything in their power to get her back where she belonged, but the fact that Violet was no longer feeling quite so out of place definitely made the uncertainty of it all a lot more bearable.