"You didn't have enough work to do, you had to butt into mine?" Maggie slammed the door of the unmarked sedan with enough force to shake the entire car.
Alex closed her door more gently. "You got a problem spending time with me, Sawyer?" she teased. "That wasn't what you said when you showed up at my door with pizza and beer over the weekend." Even thinking about Maggie's dimpled grin and her waggling eyebrows sent heat rippling through Alex. A heat that ended in her cheeks.
Wrestling with her reaction to Maggie (and the residual embarrassment, too), Alex avoided glancing at her fiancé. She scanned the run-down neighborhood instead. American-made cars lined the road or huddled in cracked and weed-infested driveways. Most of the yards held more dirt or rock than grass, and the houses could all have used a coat or five of paint.
Her skin crawled and the hair at the nape of her neck rose. "Stop staring at me," Alex whined.
"Aw, but you're so cute when you're in Agent Mode." The frustrated edge was missing from Maggie's voice now. "Even more when you're avoiding my question, Danvers. Why the hell are you here?"
Alex finally looked over the top of the car at Maggie. "Kara knows the victim's family."
Her comment lightened Maggie's intensity, earning a belly laugh and a mocking, "You never could resist Little Danvers' pout."
Well used to being dragged into things by her sister's bleeding heart, Alex shrugged. "It's been a while since we worked a case together." Or worked anything together, really, including the details of their rapidly approaching wedding. "It used to be our thing."
"You asking me on some kind of date?" Maggie tilted her head as she watched Alex.
Stuffing her hands in her jeans pockets, Alex decided to take the unexpected opening. "Yeah. Yeah, I am." She smirked. "Show me what it means to be a 'real cop.' You've been bashing my badge since the day your tried to muscle your way onto my crime scene."
Maggie answered her smirk with one of her own. "Get ready to watch and learn, rookie." She spun on a booted heel and strode across the street.
Alex enjoyed the view (she'd never threaten to throw out those old jeans again).
"Stop staring at my ass, Danvers. We've got work to do!"
Heaving a put-upon sigh, Alex trotted after her fiancé. "You're a slave driver. No wonder Anderson retired. I can't believe he put up with you for so long." Her longer legs got Alex across the street and only a half-step behind Maggie as she climbed the uneven porch steps of the victim's home.
Maggie's knock rang out, harsh and shockingly loud.
The sound pulled Alex back to duty. She might be Maggie's "rookie" for the day, but she wasn't going to forget the reason they were in this neighborhood. Her right hand brushed back the front of her jacket to rest on the butt of her holstered weapon.
They stood like that for a long moment before Alex heard movement inside the house. The curtains covering the window on the far side of the front door twitched. "Somebody's home," Alex murmured.
"You think?" Maggie's voice was equally soft. Then she called out. "Cherry? It's Maggie. I'm here with a friend. We just want to check on you."
Senses on high, Alex fought her heartbeat under control and unsnapped the flap over her weapon.
As prepared as she was to protect Maggie, she was not ready for Maggie to snarl, "I swear to God, if you don't get your damned hand off your gun, I'll take mine out and shoot you!" Maggie's gaze was furious as she peered over her shoulder at Alex. "Haven't you learned anything since we met?"
Straightening her posture, Alex snapped the flap closed and let her jacket fall into place.
"We're here to talk to the victim!" Maggie's skin had darkened with the heat of her anger, and Alex had no trouble reading her disappointment. "This was a bad idea."
Translation: Alex was an idiot, and Maggie wanted to send her home in disgrace.
The curtain moved again. "Be cool, Mags. We've got eyes on us." Alex kept her body loose and her expression pleasant. Maggie had made her point. "Want to try the door again? Maybe leave the Cop Knock at the curb?" She wasn't the only one who needed to pull back on the aggression.
She saw Maggie roll her eyes, and a dimple popped out. "Don't get cocky, rookie." The next rap on the door was far gentler. "Please, Cherry. We don't even have to talk about what happened."
The deadbolt on the door snicked, and the door slid open a crack. "Chewweez takin' a nap." A tiny face peered at them.
Glad she'd followed Maggie's request to put away her gun, Alex crept around her fiancé. "A nap sounds good." She faked a yawn, dramatically patting her mouth, and went to one knee. "I bet Cherry told you not to let in any strangers, huh?"
The little head nodded, making the white beads at the end of her chin-length cornrow braids rattle together.
"Hmmm." Alex pretended to think while the little girl stared at her. "What if…" She slowly took out her fake credentials, thumbing the surface three times. "What if I showed you my picture and my name?" She offered the leather wallet-style ID with her right hand. "I'm Alex. And that," she waggled the credentials so that her photo was visible, "says so, too."
Rather than peer at the picture, the girl snatched Alex's credentials – and immediately shoved the wallet into the front of her overalls.
"Does that mean we can come in?"
The door opened a few inches more as the little girl wandered off.
"J'onn's not going to be happy you lost your creds, rookie." Maggie pushed Alex into the home and closed the door behind them.
The small living room was spotless. A slip-covered couch and recliner created a cozy conversation area, with a small television on a low table at the far end of the room. The new owner of Alex's credentials had already forgotten about them and was ensconced in a collection of dolls, Lego pieces, and stuffed animals near the couch.
Barely taking the time to scope out the room, Maggie strode away. "I'll check on Cherry."
Alex rolled her eyes. "Me and the kid'll stay here." A waving hand acknowledged her words. With a sigh, Alex walked over to the play area. "Can I play, too?"
A little hand held a doll in Alex's direction.
"Thanks." She took the offering and sat cross-legged on the floor. "My mom told me not to play with strangers, too. Maybe you should tell me your name, so I know we're friends."
Big, serious, brown eyes regarded Alex closely for a minute while Alex tried hard not to squirm. "Di-mond."
"A pretty name for my pretty friend." Sorting through the other dolls and toys on the floor, Alex located a small, pink plastic comb and ran it through her doll's hair. It was rough going. "My sister's hair was like this after we went fly…after we went to the beach. She liked when I helped brush it out."
She worked in companionable silence with Diamond, who'd put her doll down in favor of stacking Lego blocks. When Alex finally had the doll's hair smoothed out, she separated it into three tiny bundles.
Braiding was not as easy as she remembered it. Her hands were too big. They fumbled with the tiny strands of hair.
A giggle interrupted her. Diamond watched, one hand over her mouth.
"Everyone's a critic," Alex bitched with a wink. "I was trying to get her hair to look like yours. It's so pretty!"
"I like your hair," Diamond said. "Short." She stood and moved closer. "Soft?" Her hand rose but didn't quite touch Alex's undercut.
Tilting her head into that tiny hand, Alex let Diamond stroke her hair. "What do you think?"
Diamond's smile rivaled Kara's for its quota of sunshine. "Sof' like Misser Fluffy." She pointed to one of the stuffed animals. Mister Fluffy was well-loved. His "sof'" exterior was flattened on one side, and both his eyes were missing.
"Jeez, rookie. I bring you on a training op and you ditch me for a pretty face." Maggie and a taller version of Diamond stood watching them play. Her dimples flashed before she sobered, Detective Sawyer taking over. "Cherry, this is my fiancé and Kara's sister, Alex Danvers."
Alex rolled to her feet. She held out her hand, noting the dull expression in Cherry's eyes and the ashy tint to her complexion. "Kara talks about you all the time," Cherry said.
Caught between denying anything Kara might have told Cherry and a pleased grin, Alex dragged a hand through the drape of her hair. "Um…Kara might have exaggerated." Something tugged at her shirt.
Diamond held up both arms when Alex looked down, and Alex automatically picked her up, settling her on a hip. "Kara wanted to visit, too, but she got tied up at work." Alex hadn't asked what lame article Snapper had assigned Kara this time.
"As long as it's about food, Little Danvers won't mind." Maggie glanced at Cherry. "Sorry to wake you up. We just wanted to check in and see if you and the kid needed anything."
Cherry shrugged. "We're fine, Detective. I told you that before."
Bouncing Cherry in her arms, Alex snorted. "One thing you'll learn about Mags and my sister is that they never believe the words 'I'm fine.' Trust me."
Maggie caught Alex's gaze, a slight nod indicating her approval for the verbal backup. "If you didn't throw yourself in front of bullets, knives, and fists all the time. Then I wouldn't need to worry that 'fine' was a lie so you could go back to work too soon."
"Next time it happens, let me know. It looks like Diamond and her toys could keep your Danvers occupied."
Alex caught the flare of surprise on Maggie's face and the way shoulders tightened. "I didn't even know she could relax enough to play, let alone that she's a Kid Whisperer."
On alert, Alex didn't respond immediately. She carried Diamond and followed Cherry into the kitchen. She took a seat at the table, admiring the tablecloth and centerpiece as Diamond curled against her chest. "You ever need a 'sitter, I'll leave my number."
She wanted to take the words back as soon as she said them because Maggie's posture grew even stiffer. Maggie even avoided her gaze when she tried to see what was wrong.
Cherry puttered around the kitchen, pouring tea into glasses and juice into a tall, plastic sippy cup. "You might regret that," she finally said as she placed the drinks on the table and took a seat.
Only Maggie remained standing. Alex expected her to pace the small space as she sipped the highly sugared tea. "Danvers is a woman of her word. She promised me the gayest wedding in National City, and we're only a few months away now."
Maggie was smiling. Her dimples and her beautiful eyes were not. Alex put her glass on the table, the sweetness coating her throat and turning her stomach. Maggie…Maggie wanted the wedding, didn't she?
"Planning a wedding sounds like too much work." Cherry shook her head. "Not that I'll have the chance."
"Hey!" Maggie was all cop as she pointed a finger at Cherry. "What did I tell you about thinking like that?" Then she softened. "I thought the same thing until Danvers tried to pull rank. That swagger and glower's all part of her charm."
Her wink lightened the mood; although, Alex's mind was still stuck on Maggie's wedding comment. Alex ignored the sudden swirl of doubt and put a hand over Cherry's where it sat on the table. "You know Kara. I never wanted a sister," she admitted. "Why share my parents' attention, right? And then bam! My kid sister sort of fell out of the sky." She heard Maggie hide a laugh with a cough. "Now I can't imagine not having Sister Night and someone to talk out all my problems.
"And a fiancé?" Alex pointed at Maggie. "Until that one flashed her badge and those dimples, I thought I was going to turn into the Crochety Cat Lady. Give it time," she said softly. "You'll find your 'person,' just like I did."
Cherry's hand trembled under hers then firmed. "You're right." Her smile was shaky but visible. "Thank you. Both." She finished her tea and stood. "Let me put Diamond down for a nap."
"We'll get out of your hair. I'm sure the kid would like her big sister as a nap buddy." Maggie picked up the glasses from the table. "Danvers and I'll wash up and see ourselves out."
Alex scrambled to her feet. "I'm gonna need my creds, Di-mond." She saw the quiver in Diamond's lower lip. "Give me a few days, and I'll bring you one. Agent Di-mond." That was better. She got a watery smile and a hug before handing Diamond to Cherry. She fished one of her "FBI" cards from her a pocket in her credential wallet and set it on the table. "Call this number anytime. They'll forward the call to my cell. And I meant it. If you need someone to watch Diamond…"
"I will." A little spark of life showed in Cherry's quicksilver smile. "Come on, baby girl. I'm tired, and you're the best cuddled buddy I know."
The kitchen was eerily quiet when Cherry left with Diamond. Only the sounds of Maggie washing the glasses filled the room.
Questions pressed against Alex's lips. Questions she didn't dare ask inside this home. She managed to keep everything locked inside until the door closed behind them. "You don't want a big wedding, do you?"
Hands stuffed in her jacket pockets, Maggie strode toward the street.
Alex sprinted after her. "Come on, Sawyer. Talk to me!" The irony of that statement was not lost on her. She'd never been one to choose communication over emotional avoidance.
"What do you want me to say, Alex?" Maggie said once they'd crossed the street. Pressing her back against the front quarter panel of the sedan, she stared at a spot over Alex's shoulder. "I didn't lie in there. I never expected to find someone who'd love me."
"I do!" Alex broke in hotly. "More than anything."
She never expected Maggie's smile to ever appear so strained. "I know, Alex. I know you do. But every day, I ask myself: How much are you willing to give up for me? Because I saw you with Diamond. Jesus, you looked like you'd died and gone to heaven when she asked you to pick her up."
Not understanding Maggie's point, Alex floundered. "Yeah? She's cute. One day, I want a mini-Maggie to do that."
"I don't."
The words pulled Alex up short. "You don't…what? You don't want a mini-Maggie?" Actually carrying a child hadn't fit into her worldview before. Alex couldn't visualize living with the changes birthing a baby would require of her body. "We can always adopt. There are tons of kids without parents, and we aren't bigots. We could have a mini-Kara – just maybe without the flying. It drove Mom and Dad crazy when she sleep-floated around the house."
Maggie seemed to get smaller, hunching her shoulders and pulling as far away from Alex as her position against the call allowed. "No, Danvers. No kids. Period."
Alex opened her mouth. Closed it. "Why?" she asked plaintively. She'd never dreamed of having a family - with two moms, a dog, and kids – until Maggie said "yes." Now, it was near the top of her list, right after seeing Maggie walk down the aisle.
"With my track record?" Maggie shook her head. "No way. I'm never screwing up a kid's life the way my parents did to mine. Not everyone lives the American Dream the way you did."
It took effort not to lash out at that last jibe. Fostering an alien teenager and losing her father to a secret anti-alien government agency wasn't any part of normal Americana. She moved in close, bracketing Maggie between the car and her body.
She didn't speak. Instead, Alex carefully examined everything Maggie had said, now and during their short, tumultuous courtship. She remembered Maggie's actions with humans and aliens, perps and victims, other cops and agents, and every kid and adult they'd met in the last months.
Maggie got people, in ways that mystified Alex. She was unfailingly accepting of everyone, even Alex when she got caught up in her "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality. Yet right now, staring down at Maggie, Alex recognized Maggie's body language.
It was the same rigid stance and thousand-yard stare she'd encountered over their first Valentine's Day. The first of many times Alex had bull-rushed through Maggie's experiences and fears.
"How much are you willing to give up for me?"
Alex thought about Maggie's question. "I love you, Maggie Sawyer," she said firmly, leaning her body into Maggie. "You. All of you." Dipping her head, she pressed a kiss to the corner of quivering lips. "Do I want kids? Yeah."
A tear tracked down Maggie's cheek, and Alex tasted salt and sweat as she kissed it away. "I want you more. If I need a kid fix, I can always visit Diamond or volunteer at a daycare or elementary school."
Some of the starch slipped from Maggie's stance. "They won't let you read the newest edition of Guns and Ammo, Danvers."
"I'll wait for Kara to figure out that adult 'best friends' don't hold hands and fall sleep curled together on the couch." Maggie vibrated with laughter now. "Being the coolest aunt means I get to wind the kid up and send it home."
"You're sure?" Maggie's eyes were huge, glassy, and so achingly vulnerable as she looked up at Alex.
Pouring every ounce of love and commitment in her heart and soul into her touch, Alex cupped Maggie's chin. "I love you," she repeated. "I promised that I'd always pick you. You said it earlier, Sawyer. I keep my promises." Her thumb brushed across Maggie's cheek. "Let's give Mom and Kara a call. I think, instead of the biggest, gayest wedding, I want to be the happiest, most useless lesbian who marries her girl with only their closet family and friends as witnesses."
She rocked back on her heels when Maggie jumped forward and wrapped her in a hug. "Keep it up, rookie, and I might decide to keep you."