Alex gets back from the grocery store to find Sam pacing in the kitchen. She unloads the stuff in her hands and then takes the brunette's hands into her own.
"I leave for an hour and this is what I return to. What's wrong?" Alex asks softly, urging Sam's worried eyes to fall upon her own.
"Ruby is coming home, what if I made this decision too soon? What if I'm not ready? What if I hurt her?" Sam rambles off.
"Hey," Alex shushes. "Hey, hey," she whispers willing Sam's mind to stop. She pulls Sam into an embrace and holds her tightly. "You haven't hurt me, Sam. We've been together for 3 days. I've awoken you from nightmares. You haven't hurt me and you won't hurt Ruby."
"The counter," Sam reminds her, looking towards the broken marble. "That could have been you."
"I don't think so, Sam. When you hold me, or Ruby or any one you care about, you focus. You're doing it now and you don't even realize it. You're holding back," Alex says.
Sam finally relaxes into Alex's embrace and embraces her tightly in return.
"See? I trust you, Sam," Alex breathes into Sam ear.
Sam sighs and nods her head, continuing to hold onto Alex, letting her ease her.
Alex finally pulls back and holds on only to Sam's hands. "It's going to be like old times, okay? You and Ruby both home. You can go back to work any time. Anything you want to do; you can do it without needing to be afraid."
"I don't want it to be like old times, Alex," Sam replies. "Old times didn't have you in it."
Alex tightens her hold on Sam's hand. "I'll stay as long as you need me," she promises.
Sam smiles at her. She doesn't know how to tell Alex that may be forever, but knowing Alex will stay for the time being is all Sam needs for now.
"Let's start on dinner," Alex says nodding towards the kitchen.
Kara, Lena and Ruby arrive a few hours later. Ruby is the last through the door and as soon as Sam's eyes land on her, they light up the brightest Alex has ever seen.
Ruby rushes in and is enveloped in Sam's arms immediately. Alex hears the two of them exchanged multiple exclamations of affection and admissions of missing each other.
She can't help but let a tear fall as she sees the joy and relief on Sam's face after finally holding her daughter for the first time in almost a year.
Eventually, Alex finds herself invited into the hug. Then, Lena, then Kara, until all five of them are squished in an affectionate and celebratory embrace.
Dinner goes normally. Lena, Kara and Ruby recount the soccer match Ruby had this weekend where they tied at zero.
Lena reveals the research they put forth to improve upon a brain monitor to study Sam's mind has been implemented in medical research. She tells them that they may be able to find a treatment for certain amnesias, Alzheimer's and possibly dementia. Kara looks at her with a pride in her eye that Alex has only ever seen aimed at her.
She realizes what Kara sees in the woman for the first time.
After dinner, they decide to watch a movie. They land on The Incredibles, and bundle up on the couches. Ruby snuggles into her mother, while Lena sits on the love seat awaiting Kara.
"We are just going to sneak out for a chat," Kara says to Lena, kissing her cheek. She starts the movie then follows Alex out onto the patio.
"It's been a while since we talked," Kara sighs. "Really talked."
"Yeah," Alex breathes. "I guess with Ruby occupying so much of my time outside of work, I've been a little distant."
"And Sam waking up," Kara adds. "You've been very involved in her recovery. When did you guys get so close?"
"I don't know," Alex admits. "She came to me, before we found out she was Reign. Told me about her blackouts. I don't know why she decided to trust me first, I think maybe she felt the same pull I feel towards her."
"Pull?" Kara wonders. "You mean attraction," she supplies.
"No," Alex shakes her head. "This connection, it was like an instant trust. This feeling of belonging. Like I had met her just at the right time."
"Alex," Kara sighs.
"She must feel it too," Alex argues. "Lena has boundless resources and has been her best friend since college. Why me?"
"Love," Kara replies easily.
"No," Alex denies. "Sam isn't gay."
"Alex," Kara laughs, not understanding how the two of them are so oblivious. "Forget how Sam feels, her sexuality aside as well. How do you feel?"
"Kara, I don't know," Alex groans, placing her head in her hands.
"You're a liar," Kara tells her.
Alex stares at her a moment and tries to fight Kara's call on her bluff. She finally sighs exasperatedly and throws her hands up for a moment in surrender. "I think I love her," she admits. "Despite everything, all the baggage and struggle, I feel something strongly for her."
"Stronger than Maggie?" Kara asks.
"So much," Alex whispers back immediately. "I fell for Maggie so quickly. It felt new and exciting, but we never had the time to see each other's bad sides, to learn each other. Sam has been so gradual and painstakingly slow until it was too late Kara. How do you stop yourself from falling when you don't know you're falling until it's too late?"
"Why would you want to?" Kara wonders.
"I can't tell her," Alex answers. "I can't put this on her."
"That makes no sense, Alex," Kara argues.
"She's recovering. She's got so much on her plate as it is. It would be selfish of me to add this to it," Alex explains. "I will approach the issue when Sam is ready for it."
"When Sam is ready, or you are?" Kara asks. "It sounds like you're just making excuses."
"Kara, I'm not going to budge on this. Ruby is involved as well, so it is much more delicate than just what I want or even what Sam wants," Alex argues.
"I get it," Kara sighs. "I just want to see you happy."
"I am happy," Alex disagrees.
"Truly?" Kara wonders.
"Kara, I am," Alex promises. "I've got family and friends who love me, a great job and a great life so far. I've realized I've got plenty of time to add to it."
"Yeah," Kara agrees.
"What about you and Lena?" Alex wonders. "How's that going?"
Kara beams instantly, thinking about the CEO. "It's amazing, Alex. I had no idea I had felt this way about her until I realized how much she hated Supergirl. It was like a gut punch," Kara breathes. "I realized I had lied to her and because of it she now hated half of who I was. It hurt worse than Kryptonite."
"I remember," Alex nods.
"I'm so beyond lucky she forgave me, Alex," Kara sighs in relief.
"She thought you were gonna die," Alex admits.
"So are you saying if Sam is about to leave on a potentially life threatening mission, or if she was about to die, you'd admit your feelings for her?" Kara wonders.
"Don't get any ideas, Kara," Alex laughs.
"Anyways," Kara continues through chuckles. "We are really good," Kara smiles. "I can't begin to tell you how lucky I am."
"That's great, Kara," Alex tells her, a smile not fully reaching her cheeks.
"Is it?" Kara asks.
"What do you mean?" Alex wonders.
"You clearly don't like her," Kara replies, crossing her arms.
"Kara, I don't dislike her," Alex argues.
"Alex, come on. You obviously don't approve of her in some fashion," Kara argues.
"Fine," Alex huffs. "She's cold and hard to read, and you're you. I just have a hard time trusting her," she admits.
"Remember that trust you feel with Sam? I have that with Lena. I trust her with my whole heart," Kara explains passionately. "Alex, she was raised a Luthor. Of course she's distant, but she isn't like that with me, or Sam, or Ruby. You need to give her a chance and let her open up. Stop treating her like an enemy," Kara demands of her.
"Okay," Alex relents, knowing she needs to give the woman her sister so clearly loves a chance. "I will try harder with Lena."
"Good, because I'm going to marry her one day," Kara tells her resolutely, a proud smile adorning her face.
Alex walks over to her sister and pulls her into a lengthy hug. "I'm proud of you, Kara," she tells her as she releases her. They head towards the door, both of their backs significantly lightened.
When they make their way inside, Ruby is out like a light. Lena is not far along, and Sam is stuck underneath her daughter watching the movie which isn't even halfway over.
"I thought you'd never come in to rescue me," Sam says to the women once they enter the room.
"How is she asleep already?" Alex chuckles.
"She hasn't slept much at our house," Kara admits. "Lena stayed with her the last few nights. They watched movies and napped when Ruby could bring herself to sleep."
Sam feels so much shame and guilt for putting Ruby through that. She kisses her daughter's forehead and shakes her head. "Alex will you help me put her to bed?"
Alex nods, heading over to the brunette to pull her daughter off of her. If she hadn't spent several nights with Sam she'd wonder where the younger Arias got her koala like abilities.
"I am going to get Lena out of here before I have to carry her as well," Kara chuckles, pulling Lena up and helping her towards the door.
"Drive safe," Alex calls to Kara as she cradles Ruby. Sam gets up and pulls her sleeping daughter from Alex's arms. She smiles when she realizes how light the girl is with her powers.
"I guess this is one use for these powers," she jokes to Alex.
Alex grins and pushes Sam towards Ruby's room. "Put her to bed and go ahead and lay down. I'll clean up in here and join you."
Sam nods at her and does as she's told. She tucks Ruby into bed and kisses her forehead. "I love you, Ruby," she whispers to her girl. She looks over her daughter's sleeping form for a few minutes, thankful that she finally has this back. She is so happy that everything is getting back to normal.
She gets ready for bed and lies down for only twenty minutes before Alex joins her.
They lie there quietly for a few moments before Sam speaks. "Thank you," she says. "For cooking, and taking care of Ruby and I, and for making sure I keep progressing. I wouldn't be this far without you Alex."
Alex takes Sam's hand and squeezes it. "Don't mention it, Sam. I promised you I'd get you home."
Sam falls asleep wondering if Alex is doing all of this just because of a promise or if she feels anything towards her.
When she wakes up for the third morning in a row to an empty bed, she allows herself to think the agent is only fulfilling a duty.
Two days later, Alex returns to work.
Sam wanted to go with and continue training with Kara, but Alex encouraged her to stay home and hang out with Ruby after school.
Sam does everything she can to occupy her time, until she spends her first time alone with her daughter since Reign. She meditates the nerves away and does some of the focused training techniques Kara showed her.
Finally, she hears her daughter's eager footsteps hurrying through the front entryway.
"Mom, you gotta see this," she exclaims, rushing through the door. "Alex sent me a video of this new planet Kara got to explore today. Alex said it could potentially house human life, but it's beyond human reach."
Sam can't get over how nerdy her daughter is and how perfect Alex is at capturing that interest.
She watches the video on Ruby's phone and finds the planet unbelievably beautiful. She can't believe other planets like that exist and then she remembers she's actually an alien from a planet like that. She makes note to ask Kara to tell her about Krypton one day.
"So," Sam says once Ruby has put away her phone. "How about we have a snack and work on some homework."
"I only have math today," Ruby exclaims happily. "Algebra" she adds.
"Oh thank God, numbers are my middle name," Sam laughs.
Sam grins at her and tousles her hair. "No it's not, it's Marie," Ruby chuckles, pulling out her books and paper.
"Alright, you get started and I will make us some PB&J's," Sam tells her.
It doesn't take very long before Ruby and Sam work through the math homework. They decide on chocolate ice cream for celebration. They're sitting across from each other at the bar, devouring the pint Alex just brought home.
"So, does Alex live with us now?" Ruby wonders.
"For now, yeah," Sam replies.
"For now? Like unless you guys break up?" Ruby asks.
Sam nearly chokes on the ice cream in her mouth. She takes a second to compose herself and shakes her head. "Ruby, Alex and I aren't together like that," she explains softly.
"But I saw her sneaking out of your room," Ruby replies.
"She stays with me to help me deal with nightmares," Sam sighs, opting to tell her daughter the truth. "I'm sorry if you got your hopes up, Rube. But Alex and I are just friends."
"But you want to be more," Ruby adds.
"That's not really up for discussion, Ruby," Sam tells her.
"You should tell her," Ruby continues to push.
"Ruby," Sam says seriously.
"Fine," Ruby relents shaking her head, but doing as she's told.
The two of them make themselves busy having a mini soccer tournament in the living room before landing on playing the Switch.
Alex arrives home later and joins in on their MarioKart tournament. The living room is full of giggles and taunting well past Ruby's bed time.
Each of them think about how much it feels like family, but neither of them say a word.