okay, so i lied. this is the last chapter. i really don't think there's anyplace else to move their story forward. they have resolved their issues. they are together. they're not married yet, but we know that they will be someday - in this fic.

lena and kara, the frontliners. i love them. i'm gonna miss them. it's been a journey. and you guys, my god, you guys have all be so awesome. i don't know who you are, but i need you to know that i love you, and i am so thankful for all the support.

now, read, ponder, and enjoy!

It had been a week since Kara called off work to take care of Lena. To look at Lena more. To make sure that this wasn't all just some sweet nightmare in the aftermath of watching the love of her life being shot in the abdomen and hearing from her own mother that the woman had flatlined twice on the table.

A week was what she was promised, and Kara lapped it up. Kissing Lena with every opportunity she had and holding her hand as she slept. Those things felt solid. Real. Realer than pinching her arm every morning to remind herself that it was, indeed, real.

And a week later, she was back at Station 15, to the joy of her colleagues and the relief of her captain, who had claimed to have been swarmed with paperwork without her lieutenant's trusty assistance. Barely five minutes into her shift, they were called out to a scene, and it put the phrase 'calm before the storm' into perspective.

"Where's the fire?" Kara had to ask, because the storage facility looked…okay.

"In one of the units. It's spread via the vents. Can't see anything in there," one of the cops on the scene replied. "Manager told us there's a guy inside. Homeless. She's been housing him in one of the empty units."

"Empty unit's on fire?"

"No. Those punks –" the cop pointed at three dudes sitting at the aid car, breathing into oxygen masks "– were having band practice. One of them had a cigarette." Well, nothing more had to be said after that.

From there, Sam delegated them to their tasks, separated into three teams. One to look for the homeless guy. One to ventilate the roof. One to put out the fire. Kara was in Team A, because she had always had a knack of looking for people. It was kind of like a superpower.

It all seemed pretty routine in the beginning. Ventilate. Put out. Search and rescue. First aid to anyone who needed it. But the universe seemed to be playing a trick on Kara in this case, because as it turned out, the roof was too unstable, and if they sawed through it, the guys would most likely fall through and they would lose more people than they needed.

"For the love of god, when we said don't put propane tanks, we fucking meant it," James grunted through the walkie-talkie.

The flashlight wasn't much help, because the cops were right. They could hardly see anything in here but smoke and smoke and more smoke. There was definitely something wrong with the building structure and the owner would definitely go under inquiry for not following protocol, but that wasn't the issue here.

The issue here was that they found the homeless guy, thankfully, but they couldn't find their way out. And the smoke was getting heavier. And last Kara checked, her oxygen tank was at a new low. This was not good.

"No pressure or anything, but we could really use the ventilation," Kara urged, keeping the homeless guy under her arm and forcing an oxygen mask on his face as she tried to find her way through this fucking maze.

"Working on it, Danvers," Felicity's voice sounded over the walkie-talkie.

"Work faster," James groaned.

"Is it me, or is this place a maze?" Kara tried to joke, turning a left corner and hoping to all gods that she didn't believe in that this was the right way.

"Should have gotten a map," Nia quipped.

Kara was about to say something back when she ran into something solid. She blinked a few times and drew back, only to have to resist a strained yell when she saw what was in front of her. A solid wall. Dead end. She took the wrong way.

There was a reason she wasn't religious. One of them being that prayers never seemed to work, no matter how hard she tried.

At that moment, her oxygen sensor started beeping frantically. As she looked down at it, she found herself wishing that she hadn't come back into work today, because there it was, she was out of oxygen. Literally. And if she removed the mask, she would be inhaling smoke, which wasn't any better.

No, no, this couldn't be how she went out, she thought as she placed the homeless guy on the floor and holding the mask to his face still. There was no point in moving, because moving would require air, and that was something she was running out of supply of.

No, this was not it. She just got Lena back, who was waiting for her back at the hospital. Her life was starting to look like it was piecing itself back together. She just got Lena back. She refused to go out like this. Not like this, not without kissing Lena and making love with Lena and doing all the things she never got to do with Lena.

"Captain," she murmured into her walkie-talkie, already feeling the wooziness set in.

"Danvers."

"I'm – I'm out," she offered, shaking her head as if it would do anything to take away the dizziness. "I'm lost. I'm out. I can't see anything in here."

"Smoak, what's the status?" Sam yelled through the walkie-talkie.

"Working on it!" Felicity yelled back, her own desperation heard through the coarse communication.

Kara closed her eyes, wanting to fall asleep so bad, but what if she fell asleep and she never woke up again? What if she never saw Lena again? This couldn't be it. She couldn't sleep.

"We're almost through! Just hang in there!" Barry bellowed.

Kara sat next to the guy she had rescued alone and patted his thigh. Not sure what for, maybe as a form of reassurance. She couldn't see anything.

"Danvers, do you copy?" Sam questioned.

Though they were separated by walls, Kara could imagine the look on her sister-in-law's face. Frantic and concerned. Not just because Kara was family, but because she was also a teammate. Station 15 for years. They were as close as firefighters could get.

"I'm gonna go back to Lena, right?" she asked, insecurity and fear staining her voice.

"Yes. Yes, you are, Kara."

"Okay."

Maybe Lena's concern all those years ago was not without merit. Being a firefighter meant risking her life every day. It wasn't a warzone, sure, but their job was war with fire. They fought fire and do the impossible on a daily basis. On any day, they could get cleared out. She could get cleared out, and she would leave a lot of people behind.

But this was her job. And by god, did she love her job.

She loved the gratification that came after saving people and coming out unharmed. The kids that waved at her and told her that she was a hero. The care packages from the people she saved. The camaraderie in the firehouse, a family in and of its own. There was nothing like it. Nothing could compare to it.

Except…Lena. Well, the raven-haired woman had always been an outlier in her path of life, knocking Kara off course every chance she could. And Kara wouldn't regret taking this job even if she died here, other than the fact that she wasted so much time with her ex-wife. God, she should have fought for Lena before they lost so much time.

"Did you know I have a letter in my locker for Lena?" she said, knowing that her life was not in her hands anymore, but her teammates.

"Really?"

"I've had it in my locker for years, even though we weren't together anymore." She wrote it before they got divorced, and logic dictated that she should have burned it once they separated, but she couldn't bring herself to. "Can you make sure she gets it?"

"Kara, you're talking nonsense."

"Sam," she pronounced with a mirthless chuckle, "I'm fighting here. I really am. But just – please, if I really don't make it, make sure she gets it."

The captain was quiet for a long moment, and then she said, "Stop making me do all the hard work, Danvers."

Well, that was as good as a promise, Kara supposed. "She's so beautiful," she lamented.

"It's kind of mean, how beautiful she is."

Kara chuckled, which transitioned into an array of coughs. "It really is," she forced out.

"Stop talking, Kara," Sam instructed gently.

"Okay."

She stopped talking. And waited. And thought about Lena. And saw Lena's face getting blurrier with every second that went by. But she kept thinking about Lena, because if she were to die, she wanted to go with Lena's face in her mind. The most ethereal being on the face of the planet

In her head, Lena's face was blur, but her voice was crystal clear. All her laughs. All her moans. All her giggles. Her words interposed, creating a mirage of music so beautiful that Kara really felt like she was in heaven. A good way to go.

And then the smoke cleared.

"Come here."

Without hesitation, Kara rushed over and knelt by the couch, allowing Lena to hold her face in her hands. Her face had been cleaned of soot and she had spent the last hour simply appreciating clean air in her lungs. Alex had been determined to keep her warded for the rest of the day, but the blonde was having none of it.

She may have only been trapped in that damn storage facility for two hours, but it had felt like forever. An eternity without Lena chastising her for being so damn heroic. And she felt fine. She would be better if she got to see Lena, so she got herself discharged against her sister's wishes and her captain's orders and absconded with Sam's car to see Lena again.

At this rate, she might as well buy the car of the other woman's hands and use it as her must-see-Lena-immediately vehicle.

"Can you quit?"

Kara shook her head and kissed the heel of Lena's palm. "No," she replied assertively.

"I figured," Lena murmured and leaned forward to press her lips against Kara's cheek. "I wouldn't forgive you anyway."

"You're not mad?"

"As you've said, we're older now," Lena whispered with a tender smile and pulled Kara into an embrace.

It was an awkward position, what with Kara kneeling on the carpeted floor and Lena lounging on the couch. Her family seemed to have made themselves discreet in the presence of this display of affection, no doubt having heard of the ordeal Kara had gone through earlier today.

Yes, they were older now, meaning that Lena had finally understood the importance their jobs respectively. Going beyond healing and saving people. It meant taking care of their charges and not giving up, regardless of whatever they were risking. Different professions, but they were both too brave for their own good, and yet, Kara wouldn't give it up for anything else.

Never again.

She heaved a relieved sigh and enclosed her arms around Lena's waist, careful to not jostle her wound. Right now, looking at Lena wasn't enough. She needed to feel her. To inhale her scent. Feel her heart beating against her own chest. Concrete and solid feelings.

"We need a vacation," Lena said into her ear.

Kara chuckled. "I think we'll get fired if we take any more days off."

"It's okay. I have a trust fund."

Fuck, Kara loved Lena so much. Probably more than life itself. And she had never been so glad that she didn't choke on smoke and miss out on the chance of this.

To love and be loved by Lena Luthor in return. It would be an understatement to call it a fortune. It was more than that. Kara thought of it as a blessing. Or maybe a privilege.

She was simply grateful that she ever met Lena at all. Thankful that she got the chance to do this again.

She had wanted to go home after tucking Lena into bed, thinking it unwise to intrude on the Luthors anymore than she already had. But Lionel had shaken his head in obvious disapproval and Lillian had pretty much pushed her back into Lena's bedroom, a glare on her face that could well rival her daughter's.

So here she was, back in Lena's bed. It was well past midnight, and Kara should be more exhausted than she had ever been after everything that had gone down earlier. However, sleep eluded her like Lena had for the past three years. She couldn't close her eyes, because she couldn't stop looking at her ex-wife, who looked peaceful and dreamless in her slumber.

Sam was right. It was almost downright mean, how beautiful Lena was and how unaware she was of her effects on people. And Kara was the luckiest woman in the world to be able to enjoy this beauty so intimately.

"You're being creepy," Lena murmured, burying her head deeper into the pillow.

Kara blinked, not having realized that Lena had awakened. She shifted closer to the woman and draped an arm over her hip. "I'm in love," she justified weakly. "There's this woman. Dark hair. Green and blue eyes. So attractive."

Lena hummed, still not opening her eyes, but there was no mistaking the small smile tugging at her lips. "Sounds like any other woman."

"That's where you're wrong," Kara replied, unable to help the determination in her voice. "More than just any other woman, she is."

"Now you sound like Yoda."

"She's the most captivating woman I've ever met," Kara pushed on, ignoring Lena's jab. "We were so in love once. But I was stupid, you know. I didn't know how to appreciate her as she deserved, and she slipped through my fingers before I could hold onto her." Lena's eyes slowly drifted open. "I convinced myself that I didn't love her anymore. For three years, I drifted, pushing this woman to the back of my mind and telling myself that she's gone. I'll have to be alone for the rest of my life."

"Kara –"

"Then she came back into my life, so resentful and angry at me. She was right."

"I wasn't resentful," Lena protested weakly, holding onto Kara's hand on her hip. "I just had a lot to tell you. Things I never got the chance to before you moved away."

"But she still captivated me, beautiful even in her anger." Kara turned her hand upside down to tangle their fingers together. "And then you know, the most magical thing happened. She forgave me and was willing to give me another chance. And I realized I never fell out of love with her in the first place."

At this point, any traces of sleep were gone as Lena stared at her wide-eyed, reflecting adoration in her eyes. Lena let go of Kara's hand and reached up to cup her cheek, stroking stray blonde hairs with her thumb. Kara would move heaven and earth to feel this touch for the rest of her life.

"You know, I don't think I ever fell out of love with you either," Lena whispered, quiet in the night, other occupants deeply asleep in the other rooms. "I'm pretty sure this is entrapment."

Kara groaned in complaint and turned her head to bury her face in Lena's comfy pillow. "Why do you always ruin the romantic moments?" she grumbled, her voice muffled by the furniture. Lena giggled and pulled her in so they could embrace on the bed. "You're so mean." Despite saying that, Kara still tucked her head under Lena's chin and nuzzled her neck.

"I need to keep you on your toes."

"Yeah, well, just be careful, because I'm never letting you go again."

"Even if I still can't say the words back?" Lena asked, and Kara could hear the insecurity back in her voice, rumbling prominently in her throat.

Well, this would not do. Hence, Kara made a sacrifice and pulled away from Lena's neck, promptly pushing the raven-haired woman on her back, carefully and gently, because the woman still had an injury and had recently only been discharged with a gunshot wound. Kara made a vow to always be gentle with her, refusing to repeat the mistakes she did three years ago.

Kara looked down at Lena, illuminated by barely-there moonlight and nothing else. The last time they had been in the dark like this, Kara had proposed. She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about shopping for a ring again, but they were taking things slow, and the blonde didn't want to rush into things they weren't ready for yet.

But she knew though. She knew that, one day, maybe in the near future or maybe years later, she would be popping out a ring and propose to the same woman again. A do-over, except this time, no more letting her go. No more abandoning Lena alone late into the night without any explanation. No more running away from arguments just because she didn't feel like it. None of that nonsense.

"I can wait," she promised.

Lena raised a brow. "You are, patently, the most impatient person I know."

"Okay, well, that's just not true," Kara protested with a frown.

"How many times have you burned your tongue because you couldn't wait for potstickers to cool down?"

"They're potstickers! One does not wait for potstickers."

"You're infuriating."

"But you're gonna keep me?"

Lena sighed and nodded. "Entrapment," she reminded.

"Fine, I'm a criminal. So be it." She reached up, one arm supporting her by propping next to Lena's head. "I'm gonna sex you up so bad when you recover."

Lena chuckled. "It's such a waste that you didn't follow the journalism path."

"I'm a criminal and a romantic." Kara exhaled slowly and watched the way Lena's brows fluttered at feeling the air against her skin. "I mean it, by the way. I can wait. We have the rest of our lives."

"So confident."

"I'm a criminal and a romantic."

"Wouldn't have you any other way," Lena promised.

"I have a letter, you know."

"Huh?"

"A letter for you, if something ever happens to me on the job."

They were in the park, taking a walk, returning to their habit. It had been a couple of months since Lena's discharge, and she had returned to work, though there were times when she would still the need the clutches if the injury flared up. The gunshot wound would always be a reminder of how Kara had almost lost Lena.

On the first day Lena had returned to her duties, Kara had shown up at the hospital after her shift was over and Lena's was coincidentally over too. And without saying much else, the blonde had invited her girlfriend – god, Lena was her girlfriend now – to a walk in the park, to which Lena had been startled for a moment before agreeing with an easy smile.

Since then, they walked in the park every day, no matter what time it was. The two of them would talk about their day and the most mundane things. Occasionally, Kara would go back to Lena's place and order takeout, sleeping over only if Lena invited her.

Things were good, but they were only months into the rekindling of their relationship. Kara didn't wanna risk it by being too fast again. She couldn't bear it if anything went downhill.

"Oh," Lena breathed.

"I wrote it four years ago, when I finally passed the test and was officially a firefighter."

Lena halted in her tracks, taking her hands out of her coat pockets and staring at her girlfriend with her mouth opened. "And you kept it?"

Kara shrugged, worrying her lower lip. "I guess I was always hoping that we'd find our way back to each other."

"Oh, darling." Lena approached Kara and placed her hands on the blonde's shoulders. "You're such a romantic," she complained, eyes tearing up. "But I hope I never have to read that letter."

"So do I," Kara whispered.

They had come such a long way in their relationship. And Kara wanted more. More dates. More kisses. More everything. She wanted the whole package.

And last week, against her own instincts, she had dragged Sam to Lena's favorite jewelry store at the nearby mall. She wouldn't propose so fast, of course, but she wanted to be prepared for the moment she felt that they were both ready for the next step. So right now, there was a velvet box hidden under her bed, along with their old wedding album, just waiting to be taken out at the right moment.

And here in this moment, she wanted Lena to know that she was keeping to her promise. She would catch Lena. Maybe starting with the letter wasn't the best idea, but it was the only way she could think of to make sure Lena understood the depth of her love.

"I love you."

Kara blinked. And blinked again. "Say that again?" she whispered, hopeful.

Lena's hands drifted to her face, brushing gently under her eyes. "I love you, Kara Danvers."

The blonde made a noise, like she had been holding it in for eons, just waiting. Look, she knew she promised Lena that she would wait, but this was – god, it was gratifying and made everything so much easier. She made that noise again and leaned forward to rest their foreheads together.

"I love you too," she declared. "God, I've missed you so much."

Lena wrapped her arms around Kara's shoulders. "It's okay. We're here now. We're finally here."

If Kara said anything else, she would break down crying, and that would be weird to do in public. Kara would like to keep her dignity still, thank you very much. So she just pulled Lena in and buried her face in the woman's coat.

Yeah, they were finally here.

Dear Lena,

If you're reading this letter, then that means I'm gone.

And I hope – to the best of my ability – that you'll never have to read it.

Did you know my mother and father never loved one another? She loved our butler, and I used to think it was the purest thing in the world, even though it was adultery and they could never be public. They never got the chance, I suppose.

I used to think it was the purest thing in the world, until I met you. You came to me at the bus stop, and I thought…you're the most ethereal being in the world. My hero, who saved me from the rain and gave me so much more.

That's what she used to tell me, you know. That I'd know who's the one for me when I think they're the 'most ethereal being in the world'.

And I'm sure that when you're reading this letter, we would have so many arguments. But I'm also sure that we're going to be still madly in love with each other. Or at least, I will be. I don't know what I'd do if you don't love me anymore, but that's a story for another day.

I have this favorite thing. My favorite thing is to watch you in the kitchen, singing to the latest Taylor Swift jam. Off-key. And dancing. Kind of clumsily. Because no one get to see that. You, in all your messy and clumsy glory. The real Lena Luthor.

You are my favorite thing in the world. My saving grace. Best of women, best of wives.

This letter is a mess. But my love for you is messy anyway, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I am sorry that I can't be with you like I promised. But no matter what, I want you to know this: I love you.

I love you so much, Lena Luthor.

Forever yours,
Kara

i might write an epilogue, but for now, this will be the end of the road for this version of lena and kara.

once again, thank you. see you next time! don't die.