Lena paced in front of Alex's apartment door. It was late on a Thursday afternoon and Kara had informed her at lunch that she would have to stay at CatCo until late tonight finishing up an article. Rather surreptitiously Lena was also aware that Alex had been off work taking care of a rather belligerent Maggie who had cracked three ribs while arresting a Martoth who had a few drinks too many at the alien bar.
"Taking care of" Maggie may be a euphemism for Alex sitting on her. Kara had told Lena that Maggie was ordered by her Doctor to stay at home and rest but had tried going back to work while still in agony. Alex had gone into full on overprotective mode and was currently holding Maggie hostage at home until the recommended seven days of mandatory medical leave were over. J'onn thought it was hilarious and considering Alex had never taken a personal day in her entire career, HR at the DEO were ecstatic that Alex was finally using up some of her accrued personal and vacation time.
The two fortuitous events offered Lena a unique and rare opportunity to talk with Alex without Kara around. Lena knows that the things she wants to discuss would embarrass Kara, and to discuss them with her sister would make it doubly awkward. Quite frankly, Lena had needed a double shot of 35 year old scotch just to get to the door of Alex's apartment. The thought of discussing these things with BAMF, dictionary definition of overprotective sister Alex, was intimidating beyond belief.
Lena sighed. She had to woman up. She had cut and run from LCorp early in order to speak with Alex and she may not get another opportunity like this. Lena needed to discuss these matters with Alex, and even more, it would settle Kara's worries.
Christ on a bicycle, why is Alex the only xenologist and doctor with in-depth knowledge of Kryptonian anatomy? Literally, anyone else on earth would make this conversation less awkward.
Lena blew out a breath, straightened her ponytail and pulled on her Luthor mask. She can do this. She had taken on alien Queens, WASPS…even her mother. She can have a damn conversation with Alex.
Lena knocked on the apartment door brusquely and with authority.
A grunt and grumbling steps approached the door before being thrown open to reveal Alex Danvers in sleep sweats and looking remarkably softer and more casual than Lena had ever seen her before.
Alex's brows scrunched when she saw Lena.
"You're not the pizza guy," Alex declares.
Lena laughed uncomfortably, "Obviously not."
"What are you doing here? Oh, shit, is Kara in trouble…" Alex began to ramble but Lena cut her off quickly.
"No, no! Kara is fine. I, um, just wanted to talk with you about some things actually. Pick your brain really."
Alex slumped in relief but then looked even more confused. Her mouth opened, but whatever she is about to say was cut off by Maggie shouting,
"Stop being a dick Danvers and invite the woman in, she's not a flippin' door to door preacher!"
Alex rolled her eyes in exasperation and with a sarcastic politeness stepped aside and swung the door open, "Please, Lena, why don't you come in."
Lena smiled faintly and stepped into the apartment, "Thank you."
Seeing Maggie lying across the sofa in a sports bra with tight wrapping around her ribs Lena offered her a greeting, "Hello Maggie, I hope you don't mind me dropping by. How are your ribs?"
Maggie rolled her eyes in a way that mimicked Alex and made Lena blink at the similarity, "I'm fine Lena. I would be at work if someone," here she glared at Alex, "would stop making a fuss!"
Alex sighed, lifted a throw blanket and marched over to sit on the end of the couch that Maggie was laid out on. "You cracked three ribs. Wince every time you try to bend or reach for anything. Drop the macho crap, or I'll stop nursing your cute butt."
Lena had the sense that she had walked into the middle of a long running argument and couldn't help but smile faintly at the soft care between the two women which she could detect beneath their sarcastic barbs.
Maggie sighed dramatically, plopped her feet into Alex's lap who unthinkingly started rubbing them and replied, "I suppose if this is the only way I can get your cute butt to play nurse for me I will make do. So long as I get that sponge bath later?"
The look Maggie shot Alex is pure heat and the mischief in her eyes tells Lena that Maggie walked Alex right into that innuendo.
Alex blushed hard and for a moment Lena could see how people would mistake Kara and Alex for blood sisters. They both blush so beautifully and get embarrassed at the simplest of things. Perhaps not all of Kara's discomfort with discussing intimate topics was from her Kryptonian socialisation, but rather from being raised with the Danvers?
Alex recovered enough to throw Maggie a poisonous glare which succeeded only in causing her grin to amp up another notch. Alex deflates at last and turned back to Lena who is stuck hovering in the space between the sitting area and kitchenette.
"Take a seat Lena. What did you need to talk to me about? Is this DEO related?"
Lena starts a little in embarrassment at how she has frozen in the middle of the floor. Recovering quickly, she smiled politely and strode to the armchair perpendicular to the couch.
Lena dropped her handbag at her feet and sat ramrod straight on the edge of the seat as though ready to spring up and escape at any moment.
"Um no, it has nothing to do with the DEO, it's actually something a little more personal," Lena tries to explain.
Lena felt herself picking at her nails but she couldn't seem to control the nervous gesture. Her business mask was in place and her little boxes were working at full capacity to contain her conflicting feelings at being here: nervousness, awkwardness, embarrassment, worry and an undercurrent of determination.
Alex seemed even more confused by this as she leant forward, "Oooookay…so what is it that you want to talk about?" she asks, drawing out the word with a hastily thrown look of confusion to Maggie.
Lena tensed and couldn't help but glance at Maggie in discomfort before replying, "Perhaps this was a mistake, I see you're busy. Perhaps you could call in to see me at LCorp one day next week?"
Lena wanted to kick herself for the sudden retreat but at least on home turf she would feel more confident and she had not expected Maggie to be present for this conversation. She was on bed rest. She should be in bed! Lena can't think of how to politely ask Maggie to leave.
Alex frowned as she catches Lena's glance at Maggie. Her shoulders tensed and her jaw clenched in suppressed rage as she jumped to the right conclusion.
"Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of Maggie," Alex bit out.
Maggie's eyes narrowed on Lena.
Lena tensed in mid-motion of rising to leave and robotically dropped back into her seat, realising the offence she has inadvertently caused.
Immediately her eyes widened at how terribly wrong this was going. Alex had taken the longest time to warm up to her when Kara first introduced her into their group, then she had been wary when Lena began dating Kara, it was only recently that Alex had begun to truly accept Lena.
With sudden rambling that would be more befitting of Kara, Lena tried to undo this unravelling disaster.
"No, I...it's not that, It's nothing against Maggie. It's a doctor thing, I.." Lena trailed off, too tongue tied to continue. Lena was screaming inside her head. She can speak over a half dozen language, has talked Middle Eastern princes into going along with her business plans, crossed verbal swords with Cat Grant, outwitted Lois Lane and belittled the likes of Maxwell Lord with linguistic gymnastics that few others could fathom. And yet, faced with Alex Danvers, her girlfriend's sister, Lena turns into a bumbling idiot. Lena can almost hear her mothers sneering laughter in her head.
Alex pushed Maggie's feet from her lap and suddenly leant forward. Her face, that a moment ago was filled with anger, transformed to growing concern, her eyes softened and her left hand reached out to settle comfortingly on Lena's knee.
"A doctor thing? Lena, are you sick! What's wrong?" Alex asked rapidly.
Lena jumped to her feet and began pacing as her breath came more quickly. An embarrassed laugh bubbled from Lena, "No, I'm not sick, I need advice. It's not about me, but it is sort of…I would go to any other doctor but I can't, I need you…I tried Lex's notes but this isn't exactly what he…and Clark hates me still so…"
Alex watched Lena pace across the living area in growing confusion as she tried to comprehend what she was saying.
Maggie who had been listening and watching the increasingly unravelling Luthor with intense focus suddenly snorted and began to giggle.
Alex whipped round to stare at her girlfriend while Lena froze mid-step. Maggie is a detective and she has detected the truth of this situation, while Lena is offended at her sudden laughter and Alex looks enraged.
Lena was frozen and stands in front of the sofa with her patented power pose, red lips pursed and eyebrow cocked. In her mind she sighed a breath of relief, glad to have a distraction, she can deal with anger she can channel it. Her voice is as dry as the Sahara, offended deeply that Maggie would find her nervousness and rambling funny.
"And what do you find so funny Detective Sawyer?"
Maggie snorted again before she looked up at her girlfriend's narrowed look and Lena's angry one.
"I'm sorry Little Luthor it's just, this is hilarious. If this is the type of conversation I think it is then I think you deserve a whisky. The 'talk' with your future sister in law…can you say awkward?"
Maggie has broken out out into giggles again as Lena's Luthor mask was shattered and she blushed a red that would make Rao proud.
Alex spluttered, "What?"
Lena groaned and trudged defeated back to her seat, throwing herself down with a groan.
"How the hell did you know?" Lena asked, inadvertently confirming Maggie's supposition.
Maggie was trying desperately to control her grin and was comforting Alex by gently rubbing her right hand.
"It wasn't a great leap little Luthor. The only thing that I have ever seen fluster you is Kara. Multiple death threats, Alien invasion, pfft, no problem. Kara needs something and it throws you for a loop. Combine that with your obvious discomfort and saying you need Alex's doctor expertise, well it's not a leap. She is a very specific type of doctor. So, what weird alien sex questions are we addressing?"
Alex made a sound like she was choking on her own tongue while Lena sighed from her very soul and avoided all eye contact with her.
Lena decided to focus on Maggie while Alex reacquired her ability to speak, she addressed the smirking detective, "We? No. I have questions for Alex," Lena bit out.
Maggie made an absent waving gesture with her hand, "Oh please Little Luthor, Alex is almost as hopeless at talking about sex stuff as Kara is, and besides, she will tell me all about it afterwards because she will be so traumatised from this chat that I will need to talk her down so she can look Kara in the eye without blushing. Anyway, of the three of us here I bet I have the most experience with actual Alien inter-species sex so I get expert advisor status!"
If possible, Alex choked even more at this declaration, as she gasped, "What!?"
Maggie sighed as though the world was a very tiring place and holding Alex's hand she patted it patronisingly as though comforting a small child, "The Alien bar was my local, long before I met you Danvers. It gave me a unique dating pool in the past."
Alex's face seemed to morph between comprehension and shock, "Huh" she grunted.
Maggie smiled reassuringly at Alex before turning her attention back to Lena who was suddenly eyeing Maggie with much more interest.
"You have had sex with aliens?" Lena asks, morbidly curious.
"Yep," Maggie answers, popping the p for emphasis with a broad grin. The cat that caught the canary indeed.
"Aliens with enhanced strength and …appendages?" Lena asks hesitantly.
Maggie grins cockily, "We're lesbians Lena, its not abnormal for extra…appendages…to surface in our sex lives. However, now you have me super curious as to what Kara is packing under that little red skirt."
Lena frowned and Alex cut in, "No, no way. We are not discussing this. That is private Maggie and not open to your idle curiosity. If my sister wants you or Lena to know about that, then she will be the one to tell you..."
Lena cuts in curtly, "I already know all about it…in detail."
"Oh," Alex says, brought up short and shocked. In a moment her shocked expression turns to simmering anger, "You know…you...with my sister? You haven't even been dating that long! I swear if you pressured her, I'll…"
Again, Lena jumped in to cut Alex off. Lena can't believe how wrong this conversation had gone. It's like a car crash that she can't escape and is powerless to stop.
"No! We haven't. Not yet," Lena declared, but added the qualifier at the end to ensure Alex understood it is on the cards. Lena is a part of Kara's life now and Alex would need to get used to it.
Alex seemed to deflate slightly but before she can fully relax Maggie jumped in again.
"Madre de Dios Alex. You have got to drop this super protective stuff. Kara is a grown ass woman and a fine one at that, not to mention freaking Supergirl. If she wants to have sex she will. Hell, she already came to talk to me about it."
"What?!" Both Alex and Lena demanded at the same time.
Lena looked shocked while Alex looked hurt. Seeing her girlfriend upset Maggie scooted forward with a wince as her fractured ribs protested, "It's nothing personal against you Alex. It's just that, well, let's be honest: how uncomfortable would you really have been having an intimate conversation with Kara about sex?"
Alex huffs, blushes and grumbles under her breath.
Maggie bobbed her head in agreement as though that was answer enough. "Exactly. Both you Danvers ladies are a bit prudish," "Hey!" Alex cries. "In public," Maggie finishes with a smokingly sexy grin.
Lena cringed at the sexual innuendo while Alex too looked mortified and cast Lena a half pained, half embarrassed look.
Maggie continued on unperturbed, "Little Danvers was uncomfortable enough talking to me. She blushed and stammered but we got through it. She is my sister Alex, I may joke around a lot but I would never make light of something like this. Kara is too special to risk her worrying needlessly about something I could help with."
Lena is bewitched by this revelation. Kara who is so shy and modest, who because of her Kryptonian socialisation finds even the thought of her sexual desires deeply conflicting came and talked to Maggie about them. Why? Why not Lena herself? She thought they ahd been making progress.
Alex seems to feel the same and mulishly asked, "What could you tell her that I couldn't?"
Maggie smiled indulgently and her teasing air dropped despite their topic of conversation usually firing up her sarcastic and off colour wit.
"I told you I have experience with aliens and super strength. Kara had overheard someone at the bar joking that it had to be me who wrangled the infamously deadly Alex Danvers into bed, after all I had dated a Rashtor, a species with strength comparable to a Kryptonians."
Alex looked as though she may pass out f any more blood rushed to her cheeks.
Lena's ears perked up at this revelation, her whole being focused in on Maggie as though she alone held the answers to the universe.
Maggie shrugged self-consciously, a rare look on the small detective, "Kara wanted my advice. I'm not telling you everything we discussed. That is between me and her. Suffice it to say I gave her the idiots guide to safe sex when you are boning someone who is more fragile than you and your godlike strength. Loose grips, slow rolls and lots of communication."
Here Maggie skewered Lena with her gaze as though to drill those words home.
Lena cleared her throat. Her mind was abuzz. Touched deeply that Kara would care so much for her that she would take the step to discuss this issue with Maggie. An issue that Kara finds so intimate and hard to verbalize. Kara made herself uncomfortable to ensure Lena's safety and comfort. Suddenly, Lena is overwhelmed with love for Kara. No-one has ever cared for Lena in such an intimate and selfless manner. Lena felt her determination to see this conversation through rise exponentially.
Lena coughed, "Yes, communication is key. It is actually part of what brought me here."
Alex still looked a little upset but refocused on Lena, "What is it you need to talk about if my sister has already explained the…"she glanced at Maggie as she chooses her words, "…mechanics, of it all?"
Lena pulled all the self-control she had like a cloak around her. Straightening her spine and remembering why she was here she focused on Alex. She needed to sort this out, for her and Kara to proceed it was necessary.
"Kara and I have discussed a lot of the 'mechanics' as you say, and while we are not there yet, there are certain precautions I need to put in place, to be safe." Lena emphasises the word and immediately both Maggie and Alex's eyes went wide in shock.
"Holy shit, you're talking safe sex! And not some dental damn clingfilm licker either! Actual contraception!" Maggie cried.
Alex and Lena both glared at Maggie who was slack jawed in shock.
Alex seemed to shift gears to Dr Danvers, her tone professional and cold. "Kryptonian physiology is different to humans. They reproduced by machines for generations but before that they genetically engineered their race to be able to reproduce with almost any humanoid species or gender."
Lena notes the lack of detail in that answer and wonders if Alex is holding out in front of Maggie, or if she simply lacks the true scope of the historical, social and genetic factors which lead to the Kryptonian's universal reproductive system which Kara had told Lena.
A small part of Lena hoped that it was a lack of knowledge. Lena had grown greedy and protective of the intimacy and knowledge that Kara shared with her about her species and culture.
"Quite." Lena said in a dry tone.
"That brings me to the question at hand. As a doctor, which do you believe would be most effective, the depo shot or the pill?"
Alex cringed for a moment but pulled herself together. Her eyes flickered in thought before she sighed, "Neither actually. You need to stop ovulation completely to make this work and while in theory the shot and the pill may work they have downsides. Kara's race was all about control so contraception to them was irrelevant. They had bread out, by genetic manipulation or social pressures, the desire to have causal or non-procreative sex so their…release…from the male configuration has a hormone designed to make the receiving body receptive to fertilisation and implantation. When sex happened it was for procreation in the old days before the matrix so Kryptonians wanted it to work straight away and so this hormone effectively tries to override any contraceptives that the other party has taken or any natural biochemical deficiency in their partner that could prevent successful mating."
"Holy shit, if you knock boots I'm gonna be an auntie!" Maggie whispered.
Lena paled, "No that can't be, Lois and Clark..."
Alex held up her hand to stall Lena's protests. "The depo shot wouldn't last. The hormones from Kara would override it eventually as it lost potency over time. The pill would work better as fresh hormones are reintroduced on a daily basis but if you missed even one dose…" Lena and Alex cringed.
"With my lifestyle and unplanned kidnappings that is a distinct possibility," Lena admitted in defeat.
Alex offered a sympathetic grin, "Yeah. That is why I think the solution Lois uses is the one you should go with."
"How do you know what Lois uses?" Lena asked with a shrewd look.
"You said it yourself, I am a doctor in a very specific field. She discussed it with me."
Lena now looked slightly offended on Lois' behalf, "Then you are breaking patient confidentiality!"
Alex couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter, "No actually, I'm not. Clark had used the Kalex to come up with this solution years ago by running probability tests in the Fortress. Lois happened to have a chat with me one day about it. You can imagine my horror. Then at the end she tells me that I can discuss the matter with Kara and you when the time comes."
"When was this?" Lena asked with rising mortification and dread.
"Six months ago, at Kara's earth birthday. Needless to say I was in denial at the mere thought of you and Kara becoming an item. You were both still doing the friends dance then."
Lena groaned in defeat and humiliation. "Six months? I was that obvious?"
Maggie giggled softly, "Oh Luthor, a blind man could see it, even if two oblivious Danvers sisters couldn't. You were on a one way track to smittenville even then."
Lena groaned again, "Fuck. I used to be so much better at hiding things."
Maggie smiled softly now, "Yeah, damn those Danvers girls, making us go all soft."
Lena and Maggie shared a moment, a single lingering look of understanding which was only broken by Alex's cough, "So, yeah. The solution would be a modified implant. The Matchstick, you know? It's essentially a modified Nexplanon. There is a secondary artificial hormone that needs to be added to the mix but it will counter Kara's bodies hormones and with no ovulation you will be safe. There is also no risk of you forgetting to take a dose or its effect wearing out. It should be good for a year at least. I have the specs, I can e-mail them over to you. I assume that with the Luthor Hospital and your Labs…"Alex trails off.
Lena offered a decisive nod, "Yes, I imagine I will be able to make it myself. If I get stuck I will contact you. Thank you for your help Alex."
"Sure, sure," Alex says blushing again and rubbing her neck.
Maggie let out an exasperated sigh as she tried to cover a devious grin. Leaning back on the sofa she reflected, "I can't believe little Danvers is firing live rounds…hell, I dated that alien chick with squirting acid but that's nothing compared to…"
"WHAT!?" Alex and Lena cried again.
"Oh it was more of an irritant than a 'burn a hole in anything' type of acid but I always got up the next day with terribly stinging hands and my lips would swell up…" Maggie continued.
"That won't be a problem for us will it? Kryptonian's stuff…it's not?" Lena rambled with wide eyes to Alex. Lena hadn't even considered the properties of such fluids.
"NO!" Alex said resolutely. Blushing like a tomato and with a pained expression she continued, "All Kryptonian excretions of that nature are safe. Fertile but safe. They can be…consumed," Alex cringed at the word choice, "by the human body through any orifice without causing harm."
Both Lena and Alex looked deeply uncomfortable while Maggie was restraining her laughter.
"Oh man, you two are too easy, chick with acidic…ha ha ha."
Alex turned on her girlfriend, "Why you lying little…If it wasn't for your ribs Sawyer I would kick your ass!"
Maggie seemed unruffled by her girlfriends threats, "Oh, but it was funny. You two are way too serious. Besides, you love me."
"Gods help me," Alex mumbled.
"Uhm, right. Thank you both. Alex, I will expect that e-mail tomorrow, and I assume we can all agree that this conversation will be kept in the strictest of confidence," Lena declared as she rose to leave, or rather escape. She gave both women a piercing look. While she appreciated their help, she wanted it made clear that this was a private matter. Lena levelled both women with her most serious business mask of doom.
Alex and Maggie rather than quailing at the implied threat merely offered soft smiles.
"You and Kara are family Lena. We have your back," Maggie offered with sincerity.
Lena nodded resolutely and tuned on her heal to leave.
Just as she made it to the door Alex called out to her, "Lena." The softness in the voice stilling Lena with her hand on the door.
Looking over her shoulder Lena saw Alex's features scrunched in concern and her hands half outstretched in an aborted plea. Lena had never seen Alex look so fragile.
"Be good to her okay? This, this is new to her. What she feels for you, what she wants…just be careful okay?"
Lena allowed her mask to drop for a moment, let her feelings of unworthiness surface, her shock that Kara wants her, her love for Kara rose up and her eyes brimmed with unshed tears.
"I love her Alex. I want to do this with her, not to her. With her, or not at all. I would die before I hurt her."
Alex nods with her own eyes welling up.
Lena didn't wait for any more of a response. She pulled everything back into her boxes, behind her mask and fled the apartment.
Silence reigned between Maggie and Alex. Maggie propped her feet back into Alex's lap and painfully curled herself around her girlfriend in a sideways hug, rubbing her back.
Alex was trying to process the implications of this conversation but for the first time ever she began to think that maybe, just maybe she had seen someone who may be worthy of her sister.
After a few minutes of Maggie silently comforting her girlfriend she pulled back, "Hey, babe?"
"Mmm?" Alex replied as she resumes massaging Maggie's feet.
"Where the fuck is our pizza?" Maggie asked.
Alex's laughter rang out in the apartment.