"Thank you, Kenneth," Lena says with a bright smile as she rises elegantly from the back of her town car.

Kenneth returns Miss Luthor's warm smile and offers her the small overnight bag she had packed for her overnight stay with Miss Danvers.

Personally, the thought of Miss Luthor staying anywhere but her fortified penthouse made him a little nervous. On the other hand, staying with Miss Kara Danvers always makes Miss Luthor so happy, so Kenneth reassures himself that Miss Luthor's security team must be alright with this arrangement. Miss Luthor is friendly enough with Supergirl and Alex Danvers is some sort of Federal Agent so far as he remembers, so she should be safe enough for a game night here.

"You're welcome Miss Luthor. I will be back to pick you up at seven tomorrow morning," Kenneth states professionally as he closes the door.

Lena grips her overnight bag in front of herself and blushes slightly as she throws eager looks at the entrance to Kara's apartment building.

"Um,no…I was actually thinking of starting a little later tomorrow morning. Would you mind picking me up at 8:30?" Lena asks hesitantly with a deepening blush.

Kenneth's smile grows wider and his eyes glint impishly, "You're the boss Miss Luthor and I won't say no to an extra hour in bed."

Lena coughs slightly and turns to head towards the apartment building, "Yes, quite. Well have a nice evening Kenneth."

Kenneth rounds the vehicle and just before he jumps into the car he calls out, "Have a nice evening with Miss Danvers Miss Luthor. Try to get some sleep."

Lena whirls around, flushed in embarrassment at the obvious innuendo but her driver and car are already speeding off. She huffs good naturedly and mutters under her breath, "Just the mention of the name Luthor used to inspire fear, but you date just one ray of cuddly sunshine and you're ruined. Now everyone is a comedian."

Lena shakes her head with a rueful sigh but can't help the soft smile that curves her blood red lips. Having this friendly camaraderie with her employees is new and all down to Kara Danvers.

Her loyal secretary Jess, Kenneth her driver and even the usually stoic Mr Mullens who heads up her personal security has been won over by Kara. By some strange proximal effect their friendlier relationship and interactions with Kara have spread to Lena too, and Lena finds herself revelling in the newfound ease of personal interactions and small talk.

Lena punches in the security code on the weathered and rusty door lock of Kara's building before pushing the squeaky door open. The foyer is warm and her heals click on the mosaic tiles.

Deep growling, muttered curses and the sound of flesh hitting abused metal draws Lena's attention to the elevator on the far left of the foyer.

Alex Danvers carrying a plastic bag weighed down with what appears to be a bottle of scotch and numerous pints of ice cream is having a heated argument with the elevator.

"Useless, rusty piece of junk," Alex mutters as she jabs her finger at the brass call button repeatedly.

With each press the call button lights up briefly and then dims with a faint buzzing sound.

*-click-bzz-click-bzz-click-buzz-*

In frustration, Alex slaps the front of the call buttons casing, glances sharply at the floor display dial and curses again, "Come on, work damn it! This freaking ice-cream is melting! Stupid, ancient piece of crap!"

Alex loses all patience and swings a kick at the tarnished brass doors of the elevator. The loud clang of steel toed boots meeting brass doors rings out.

Lena can't hold it anymore, she guffaws loudly.

"Ha, ha, ha-ha-ha, Oh how the mighty Agent Danvers has fallen. Defeated by an elevator," Lena calls.

Alex whirls to face Lena. Her face flushed and angry, "Luthor. How long have you been standing there?"

Lena saunters forward smirking, "Long enough to realise that my brother used the completely wrong approach. The best of the DEO can be bested by an out of date elevator."

Alex cocks her brow and angles her hip with hands at her waist, "I would like to see you do better."

Lena huffs, and accepting the challenge without any further words, she marches to the elevator call panel. Dropping her overnight bag, she pulls a Leatherman tool from a side pocket. At Alex's questioning look Lena smirks and holds up three fingers on her right hand, "Girl scouts are always prepared."

Alex snorts and rolls her eyes, "If you were a girl scout as a kid, then I did ballet in a pretty pink tutu."

Lena flicks open a screwdriver from the tool and makes short work of the two screws holding the panel to the wall. "I would pay to see that," Lena jokes.

Alex smiles wickedly, "Wouldn't you just. My legs are kickass, but I am afraid these legs belong only to Maggie."

Lena rolls her eyes as she pries the panel from the wall, "Maggie is welcome to your legs, because no offence but Kara's are so much-"

"Eww, no! That is my sister Luthor! Keep your pervy thoughts to yourself!" Alex cries.

Lena wiggles her eyebrows dramatically and laughs. Her humour is short lived though and cuts off quickly as she gets her first clear look inside the control panel of the elevator.

"Holy shit," Lena swears as she looks at the Gordian knot of wires that are stuffed behind the innocuous panel.

Alex leans in close to see inside and she whistles in surprises, "Wow. That is ridiculous. Is that chewing gum and a Band-Aid holding those two wires together?"

Lena gawks and flinches back as though personally offended by the shoddy workmanship, "How is there this many wires in here, there is just one call button for crying out loud!"

Alex laughs, "Yeah, this building is like a hundred years old and the poor janitor looks like he has been making repairs here for like sixty of those. Go easy on him Luthor."

Lena throws Alex a disgusted look, "This is the third time this month this elevator has broken and this wiring can't be safe…or legal."

Alex shrugs, "Welcome to the rent-controlled side of down town."

Lena sighs and begins reaffixing the panel to hide the horror show of wires.

Lena rises with a mournful and pleading look at Alex, "Do you think your sister would believe it was a coincidence if a top of the line elevator was donated and installed into this building sometime this week?"

Alex snorts, "Have the delivery people throw in some nonsense about it being part of a neighbourhood regeneration grant and she won't look too closely at it."

Lena hums and tilts her head to skewer Alex through narrowed eyes, "And you wouldn't rat me out?"

Alex turns and drags herself towards the stairs, "Considering we have to climb ten flights of stairs and we will likely have to listen to Winn, James, Maggie and Lucy bitch about it too when they get here?- I ain't saying shit if a new elevator magically arrives and saves us having to do a repeat performance."

Lena nods happily and makes a mental note to see about the elevator tomorrow.

She walks over to join Alex at the stairs, but as Alex begins to ascend Lena hesitates.

Alex is almost to the top of the first flight before she notices that Lena hasn't joined her.

Gazing down at the young Luthor, Alex makes a sweeping gesture of invitation to her side, "Are you joining me Luthor or do you need a written invite?"

Lena narrows an angry, suspicious look at Alex, "I was just having an unfortunate flashback to the last time the elevator conveniently died and I had to use the stairs with you."

Alex flushes guiltily as the memory from a few months ago flashes into her mind, "Uh no, I had nothing to do with this. Scouts honour!" Alex swears as she mimics Lena's earlier gesture.

Lena examines Alex's face and body language trying to find any indication of deceit. Alex offers a sorrowful and innocent look that reminds Lena of Kara. With a defeated sigh Lena gives in and begins to climb the stairs, "Fine, but if you threaten to throw me down these stairs again I will take it personally this time."

Alex's face is deeply flushed and she rubs the back of her neck awkwardly, "Yeah, you only get one 'shovel speech' so you have filled your quota, and I really don't want Kara to give me the disappointed, sad look."

Lena laughs softly, "Oh I know that look. She pulls it out every time I threaten to eat the last potsticker. I feel safer already knowing the nuclear option is keeping you in line."

Alex nods with a small smile and the two women ascend another flight of stairs in silence. All the while Alex keeps casting calculating and hesitant looks at Lena from the corner of her eye.

As they reach the third floor Lena sighs, "Out with it Danvers. I can hear you thinking, and your giving me a migraine. Whatever you say can't be any worse than the last conversation we had on these stairs."

Alex flushes again and her lips purse before she throws her hands up, almost spilling the ice-cream from her shopping bag, "Do you hold it against me?"

Lena stalls on the first step of the fourth floor, "Hold what against you?"

Alex looks slightly angry now and she gestures frantically at the space between them, "The 'shovel speech!' Me, threatening you?"

Lena is surprised and, in her attempt to buy herself time to think of a response, she begins climbing the fourth flight of stairs before she answers, "Not really. I understand the sentiment behind it. If anything, it was reassuring"

Lena shrugs uncomfortably and keeps her eyes on the stairs before her.

Alex though, is undeterred, and if anything, is now intrigued, "You understand? Are reassured?"

Lena sighs and shoots Alex a dry sarcastic look, "My family knows something about unhealthy obsession Alex, and I lived in Ireland for a time. I understand the culture that makes people want to seek assurances that someone will be careful with their family. In a world where 50% of marriages end in divorce and 20% of marriages that survive, still suffer at least one incidence of adultery...I can understand the primal need of family to instigate a little fear as an added incentive to be careful with their loved ones."

Alex nods absently but now looks sheepish, "I hadn't actually thought about it as logically as that. I just needed you to know that you are important to Kara and that means you could hurt her in ways no one else could. I just…I always want to protect her, she has lost so much and been hurt so much already."

Lena nods in understanding, "Honestly, I was a little flattered. Afterwards, obviously, when I could think about it logically and wasn't terrified. You threatening me was a reassurance that I was important enough to Kara to warrant a genuine Alex Danvers 'shovel speech.' I was also a little pleased that there was someone equally as unhinged as me about Kara's safety. Every time someone new enters her life I have to push down the irrational urge to threaten them into being nice to her. The fact Snapper Carr still has a job, or even continues to be present amongst the living, is a testament to my control and the fact I am different to the rest of my family. I understood your sentiment."

Alex smiles in sympathy. "Hey, if you ever want to arrange an accident for Snapper, give me a call," Alex laughs.

Lena smiles and revels in this odd moment of companionship with Alex.

"I'll bear that in mind. Don't worry about the 'shovel speech' Alex. It was scary at the time, but in hindsight: a family member making a person promise not to breakup with or hurt someone they love seems less weird to me than getting them to promise the same before a mystical sky father or a stranger in a dress or fancy costume proclaiming themselves as some moral or spiritual community authority."

Alex freezes on the steps, "Did you just compare the promise my 'shovel speech' extracted from you to marriage?"

Lena blushes a brilliant red and her mouth gapes. Her eyes dart all over the stairwell and she tries to find the words to defuse this shitshow that she has walked into.

Lena has just revealed to Alex Danvers that she considers Kara her one and only, that she considers her oath to Alex to not hurt Kara and to love her in this stairwell as binding as marriage. Well fuck.

Alex watches the shock and realisation dawn on Lena's face, the conflict and then the sad resignation.

Alex can almost see Lena shutting down. Her low self-esteem preparing her for Alex to castigate her.

Alex smiles tenderly and gently bumps her shoulder against Lena, "Well, it's good to know you took my 'shovel speech' seriously."

Lena looks hesitantly at Alex through the curtain of her hair.

After a pregnant pause she takes a deep breath.

"It was hard not to take you seriously Alex. I was dangling off these very stairs after all," Lena deflects as she gestures towards the sixth flight of stairs they are ascending.

Lena's eyes get lost for a moment, "I have to admit being a bit envious actually. Lex never stood up for me like you do for Kara. He would think wanting to protect me like that was somehow enabling my own weakness or that I wasn't worth his time and effort unless there was something in it for him. You know, like threatening someone would mean I owed him something. And the people who actually care about me: Jess, Kenneth, Mr Mullen, they would never cross that line into my private life, which is probably a good thing since my human friends threatening Supergirl would be a bit redundant. And Sam doing it would be potentially trigger for both her and Kara."

Alex smiles sadly and pats Lena's shoulder reassuringly, "Oh I don't know, I think Jess is plenty capable of terrifying Kara."

Lena snorts a laugh, "Maybe. Knowing Kara, she would likely forget she is invulnerable if Jess gave her a 'shovel speech.' She would get so adorably flustered."

Lena's eyes become distant and affectionate as she thinks of Kara.

Alex's brow furrows in thought and she wraps her arm around Lena's shoulders as they reach the eighth flight of stairs, "You are worth a 'shovel speech' Lena, and you have people who care about you. You know that right?"

Lena shifts uncomfortably and self-consciously but doesn't throw off Alex's arm from around her shoulders.

"Sure," Lena mumbles unconvincingly.

Alex's eyes watch her worriedly.

The two women ascend the last two flights of stairs in silence. When they reach Kara's apartment door, Alex reluctantly removes her arm from the comforting embrace around Lena's shoulders to retrieve her spare key for the door.

The two women bustle into Kara's apartment and are immediately greeted by Kara, "Hi Alex, Lena!"

Kara finishes setting bowls of snacks on the coffee table in the sitting area and then rises to greet her sister and girlfriend.

Kara hugs Alex, "Oh, ice cream!" she cries as she peaks down at Alex's bag.

Alex rolls her eyes and detaches from her sister to put the ice cream in the freezer and pour herself a drink, "I see your priorities Kara. No ice cream until after dinner and at least one round of Pictionary!"

Kara pouts at Alex dramatically, but with her sister's back to her as she deposits ice cream in the freezer she is free to dart forward and give Lena a deep kiss of greeting.

Lena melts into Kara but there is tension in her shoulders. The niggling voice in Lena's head from the stairwell whispers to her, telling her that the friends she has are only there because of Kara. Telling her that she is unworthy of having anyone to stand for her, to give a 'shovel speech' for her. Hell, if Kara left her, Lena would surely lose all of these friends who were really Kara's friends.

"HI babe," Kara whispers barely an inch from Lena's lips.

A soft smile overtakes Lena's lips, "Hello love." Lena hikes her overnight bag, "I'll just drop my bag in your room."

"Sure," Kara nods and with a departing peck on the lips she lets Lena brush past her.

Kara watches Lena hurry off to her bedroom with stiff shoulders.

Kara's eyes narrow as she watches her girlfriend almost flee.

With narrowed eyes, Kara turns to her sister who is now pulling free her bottle of scotch and hoaking out a small tumbler.

Kara glides towards her sister and whispers lowly, "What's wrong with Lena? She seems…tense?"

Alex's eyes dart towards the corner around which Lena had disappeared and she affects a carless shrug, "Your elevator is broken again, and we had to climb like a bazillion stairs. That is enough to annoy anyone."

Kara groans, "Not again."

She leans against the breakfast bar and rubs her forehead, "I will have to speak with poor Mr. Janovich. He is getting too old to manage all the repairs alone. Maybe I could offer to help out?"

Alex smiles into her scotch as she sips leisurely before rolling her eyes indulgently at her sisters soft heartedness, "And what exactly do you know about elevator repairs? Or running the buffing machine on the hall tiles? And that is assuming you would have time between Catco and Supergirl duties?"

Kara's shoulder's slump. Alex decides she will lay the groundwork for Lena's scheme and she reaches across to place a reassuring hand on Kara's across the breakfast bar, "Hey, it'll be alright. I'll speak with Mr. Janovich and Maggie has a contact with a community group that has access to community and historic building restoration grants. This place is over a century old, I'm sure they can offer some help."

Kara's smile lights up and she looks at Alex with such trust and hope that for a moment Alex feels terrible about fibbing to her sister. Kara really is too trusting of Alex sometimes.

Before Alex can admit the truth, Kara's smile dims and she cocks her head to the side slightly in the direction of her bedroom.

"Lena is taking an awfully long time to put her stuff in my room." Kara drops her glasses and x-rays the kitchen wall to see Lena slowly, almost reluctantly unpacking her overnight bag, She folds a night shirt with precise, slow movements and places it beneath the pillow on her side of the bed. She lifts out her shampoo and bath gel from the bags side pockets and sets them on the dresser before returning to the bag to repeat the journey for her makeup bag. Kara frowns. It's like Lena is dragging out the small act of unpacking. Her face is the cold blankness that tells Kara that there are a whirl of thoughts moving beneath the surface. Usually not good ones.

Kara is pulled from her voyeuristic tendencies and deep thoughts by the white bones of her sister's hand waving in front of her eyes.

Kara shuts down her x-ray vision and snaps back to reality. She pushes her glasses up to look back at her sister who is frowning at her.

"How many times have we discussed the no peaking rule Kara? It's rude, voyeuristic and an invasion of privacy," Alex reprimands in a tone which implies this is an old argument and a well worn complaint.

Kara gives a guilty smile, like a child who has been caught with their hand in the cookie jar, before she straightens her shoulders and narrows her eyes on her sister,

"What did you and Lena discuss on the walk up all those stairs? She seems off. Alex if you said something to upset Lena.."

Alex's face flies open in innocence and her hands wave in front of herself defensively, spilling Scotch in her rapid movements. Alex can see Kara is building up to a level nine ramble in defence of Lena and she really doesn't want to argue with her sister.

"I didn't say anything. I promise…we were just discussing family and stuff. Or rather Lena was commenting on her lack of it."

Kara's aggressive demeanour drops as fast as it came and a downcast shadow eclipses her usual effervescent joy, "But Lena has family, we are…" Kara begins sadly.

Alex circles the breakfast bar to pull her sister into a warm and reassuring hug, "Shh Kara. Of course she has us. but I think, maybe sometimes she misses having family that was just hers. Family for her to share her happiness with. To share you with, and to share the milestones of her relationship with. Lena doesn't really have anyone to call and gossip to about you, to share childhood dreams with and how you measure up, or to introduce you to with those butterflies in her belly as she waits for approval."

Kara slumps into Alex, "My meeting the parents wasn't exactly traditional I admit but being kidnapped by Cadmus was a hell of a way to meet my future girlfriend's mother."

Alex huffs as she pulls back from the hug. A half grimace wrinkling her lips, "Yeah, I think Lena would have preferred something more traditional for you. Maybe just the meet and greet dinner that she and Eliza did, you know? Lena and I were discussing traditions and family acceptance. I think sometimes she is sad because she knows she will never get those moments with you. She doesn't have anyone to stand beside her and say how wonderful she is and pass judgement on you in that slightly scary but good-natured way family does."

Kara's eyes have a definite sheen of tears and she sniffles, "I can empathise a bit. When I lost Krypton I lost that too. But then I have Kal-El even if he doesn't always feel like family, and I have you and Eliza and J'onn. I wish there was something I could do. I hate seeing her so sad. She deserves to have all of those experiences and to have a family to share the joys of her life, her relationship with. Maybe I should call Sam?"

Alex grimaces slightly, "Maybe. I think Sam is still on her National City detox. Too many memories. While I am sure she would love to be there for Lena…it's complicated for her, especially since it's you."

Kara grimaces at the complexities and terrible memories that Reign still throws up between herself, Sam and Lena. Kara hates that the distance which has grown so wide between Sam and Lena is partially her fault. Sam still calls Lena routinely but the revelation that Kara is Supergirl was too much for Sam and set her recovery back a step as she dealt with PTSD flashbacks.

Kara's head slumps as she squeezes Alex's biceps, "I just wish there was something I could do. I hate seeing Lena sad."

Alex looks over Kara's shoulders and then with a determined whisper tells Kara, "Maybe there is. Just roll with it."

Kara's brows scrunch in confusion, "What?"

The clicking of Lena's heals precedes her entrance back into the kitchen and then she rounds the corner just in time to see Alex use a modified Brazilian Jujitsu Leg sweep to take Kara from a standing position to dangling a bare few inches from the floor.

Lena freezes in shock. The scene before her so unimaginably strange. Alex. Protective, caring Alex is holding Kara barely inches from the ground in an iron grip.

Alex's face is stone cold, her eyes narrowed and dark. A fierce, restrained rage glittering in their depths.

Kara looks genuinely afraid and, in her shock, seems to have forgotten that she is invulnerable and can fly as she dangles helplessly from Alex's grip, gazing up into her sisters alien expression.

Alex's voice is monotone and threatening when she speaks, her hot breath fanning Kara's face, "Let's get one thing straight Kara: I'm your sister, and because I love you, I can't ever cause you permanent harm. But, if you hurt or ever betray Lena, break her heart… in any way, I will beat the shit out of you. Where villains and aliens failed, I will succeed. Lena makes you happier than anyone ever has. She is smart, kind, loving, stupidly selfless and quickly becoming one of my favourite people alongside you and Maggie. So if you ever hurt her or treat her like anything but the fucking princess she is…you'll wake up one day with Kryptonite on your pillow and me with brass knuckles waiting to beat some sense into your alien ass. Do you understand me?"

Kara's mind struggles to process Alex's speech…she approves of Lena and her but she is threatening her? Kara's friends were right, her sister is a psycho. Kara struggles to put her sister's actions into some sort of context with their previous conversation.

Alex grunts and shakes Kara to regain her attention. A small part of Kara's mind can't help but be impressed by Alex's upper body strength as she holds Kara's body weight with no sign of strain. Kara's alien musculature and density means that is no mean feat.

"Do you understand?" Alex repeats aggressively.

Kara nods rapidly, "Yes!" she gasps in a terrified whisper.

"Good" Alex declares in that same cold, dead voice, before heaving Kara back to her feet.

Kara wobbles for a moment in a confused daze as she tries to make sense of what has just happened.

Alex calmly retrieves her Scotch, pours a second tumbler and walk towards Lena. The apartment is deathly silent and still.

Alex holds out the tumbler of Scotch to Lena which she accepts with numb fingers on auto pilot. Her emerald eyes are huge and staring at Alex like she has grown a second head.

Alex smiles cockily and raises her hand to gently close Lena's gaping mouth.

"You're one of ours now Luthor, so no-one gets to mess with you, not even my own sister. And that means I get to threaten anyone I want to treat you right. You're worth standing up for. Your worth protecting."

Kara is frozen like a statue. Lena's mouth gapes open and closed as she stares at Alex's mischievous smile, "You-you, you gave your sister the 'shovel talk!' For me?"

Lena's eyes glisten with tears as her self-control wavers.

Alex blushes slightly and gives a one shouldered shrug, "Someone had to. You're the best thing that ever happened to the idiot…well, since she got me as a sister of course. Come on, let's set up the Pictionary board."

Lena's control seems to break, and she staggers forward to wrap Alex in a hug. The two women stand stiff for a moment before Alex sighs in defeat and wraps her arms around Lena.

Alex mutters under her breath, "You all are ruining my reputation. Making me soft."

Kara seems to regain her wits as she sees her sister and girlfriend embracing. "Oh Alex, you gave me the shovel speech, for Lena…oh Alex...that's adorable!"

Kara speeds across the room and engulfs her sister and girlfriend in her arms. Alex grumbles, "Badass Kara. It was badass, not adorable."

Lena snorts a laugh, her heart feeling too full for words.

"Thank you Alex," Lena whispers.

Before Alex can respond Lucy bursts through the apartment door with James and Winn on her heels, all three looking flushed and out of breath, "Game night bitches! Jesus Kara, you need to get your elevator fixed, I thought I would have to carry these two the last two flights of stairs-" Lucy cuts herself off as she see the three women wrapped up in a warm embrace.

Her eyes narrow and Lucy licks her lips, her tone dropping down to flirtatious innuendo, "Oh, are we interrupting?"

Kara and Alex jump away with angry flushes. Alex screeching, "Eww Lucy! We're sisters!"

Lena merely laughs happily as she surveys the strange family that she has found herself a part of. Her chest feels warm and where there was once emptiness there now resides love and family.