After having breakfast with Mom and Charlie, I rolled into the DEO ready to be a neutral side in Lena's debriefing. I saw Lena outside the front entrance and walked up to her.
"Morning Lena," I greeted her.
"Rae, how are you?"
"I'm good, thanks. How's your arm?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Thank you though, for your help last night. I feel like I may need more of that coming up in this meeting."
"They just need as much information as they can get on these world killers. You're the closest anyone has got to study one of them. We're all on the same side," I said, trying to ease her nerves.
We walked inside together and saw everyone standing around the command desk. Supergirl was sporting a look that didn't really coincide with what I had just said.
"Ms. Luthor, we were able to recover most of your servers and have your research being transferred over to ours as we speak. We'll go ahead and debrief while that finishes," said J'onn, directing everyone to the conference room. Everyone began heading in that direction but J'onn stopped me.
"Rae, I want you to start looking through Ms. Luthor's research. If you can get a handle on what she was doing, we'll be able to verify most of what she's saying when we debrief her," he said, putting his hands on his hips. I know I hesitated before I answered, worried about some of the hostile feelings towards Lena, I wanted to be there to calm the waters.
"Is that a problem Agent Gand?" he asked.
"No Sir," I answered. "I'll get right on it."
He nodded and moved on to the conference room, where I saw Alex hanging back.
"Hey, everything okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, J'onn just wants me to start on the research. Don't shoot anyone while I'm gone, okay?"
"Of course," laughed Alex. "You're right, Lena is our friend and she wouldn't do anything to cause us harm," she answered. "I was also wondering if I could ask you a favour?"
"Yeah, anything."
"If I get a location of where Ruby is, will you come with me to get her? I know you've been away from Charlie for a couple days, so if you want to stay back, I totally understand, I just could use the backup and-"
"Yes, I'm in. My mom and Charlie will understand, I'm a mom who works. It's all about balance," I answered.
Alex nodded and turned to walk down the empty hallway, "plus, it might give me a chance to wake up next to you again."
Alex turned, grinning and bit her lip, playfully. When she entered the conference room, I headed back to Med Bay to start looking over Lena's research.
Winn was already there with an array of tablets and screens. "Hey Rae! Whataya say?"
"Hey Winn," I said, walking over to the servers. I picked one up that had been fried. "You were able to pull data off of this?"
"Because I'm a genius, yes," he said, with a smirk, handing me a tablet. "Well, not all of it, but a formidable chunk."
"Glad, you're being so modest about it," I smiled, taking the tablet. I started going over scans and comparing them to the tests we had taken off Sam weeks ago.
"Want a coffee or something? I have to keep this mind tip top," he said, twirling his screen on his desk.
"No, I'm good," I was already amazed at how far advanced Lena's scans had been compared to ours. "This is unbelievable. Lena's work starts at levels we took days to get to."
"Yes, well Lena does come from a long line of evil villains. Their minds tend to work quite differently than the average person."
"First off, you're talking about Alex, who isn't average by any means. And just because Lena's family was rotten doesn't mean she is. People aren't reflections of what others say of them," I argued, finding Lena's latest research.
"You seem to speak from experience," said Winn, pulling a stool up next to mine.
"When my Aunt Rhea found out I had been helping to save the wounded from either side, she put me on blast. She had people believing I did unimaginable acts, letting our people die while I watched. And I mean people I considered close to me, my friends, my family. Instead of confronting me and talking to me, they completely forgot about who I was and just saw a traitor. I don't want that to happen to Lena," I said, pulling up Reigns DNA. "Is this the last transfer you have?"
"So far," he said, typing something up. "We have this blown up server, but pulling anything off it has been a bust."
"She was right there. She knew how to suppress Reign and she knew how to trigger her. This is amazing; she's literally one step away from understanding what sparks Sam into Reign on a genetic and molecular level, "I said, scouring through Lena's work. I could hear Winn talking in the background but my mind was focused in on what I was seeing. Unpacking what Lena had found, expedited my understanding of not just the world killers DNA, but my own. The absorption of solar radiation and the contradictions of kryptonite were astounding. If I could spend some time with Lena, I think we could really get somewhere.
I left the meeting with Lena with an uneasy feeling. My questions still hadn't been answered and I still wasn't convinced that Ruby was secure. I headed up to Med Bay to find Rae. The second I saw her, poured over tablets and scrawling her chicken scratch notes onto her stack of papers, I felt better. I walked in and leaned my elbows on her desk beside her, knocking her pen in a streak across her paper.
"You're lucky you're cute," she said, finishing her thought before turning towards me. "How'd it go?"
"Well, it was going okay until Lena divulged that she used kryptonite to subdue Reign. Supergirl didn't appreciate that," I answered, looking over the information laid out.
"No, I can imagine that not going over well," said Rae. "What about information wise? Did we learn anything new?"
"Nothing that can help us track them," I sighed. I pulled on the zipper of my hoody Rae was still wearing. "Let's just run away together and pretend this isn't happening."
Rae moved closer to me and covered my hand with hers. "And miss all this fun?" she asked, looking out at all data. She leaned in and kissed me. My head floated and my body melted as I felt her fingers caress my neck. "I am looking forward to that date when everything settles though."
"Agent Danvers!" we heard shouted in our earpieces. "Supergirl just collapsed on the second floor."
The worst-case scenarios began flashing across my mind. Rae's hand dropped to her side and I felt my feet moving before I could tell them to. I rushed back to the conference room and felt Rae on my six. When we turned the corner, I saw Lena leaning over my sister, taking her vitals.
"What happened?" I asked, kneeling down beside them. Rae leaned in assessing Supergirl's neck and spine.
"One second we were talking and the next she was on the floor," explained Lena. We didn't have to wonder for long, as Supergirl came to. Rae supported her as she tried to sit up. "Hey, take it easy. Are you okay?"
Supergirl tried to focus, leaning against Rae. "I'm fine. I don't know what happened."
"Whatever is causing that eclipse is draining your powers. That's not a normal eclipse though. The earth and the moon turn on an axis and no amount of technology can change that," explained Lena, reaching out for Supergirl's hand to help her up.
"That's because this isn't technology," said Supergirl.
"Let's get you to med bay," I said, trying to direct them.
"I'm fine," said Supergirl. "Whatever is happening, it's happening because of magic."
"Really?" Lena rolled her eyes.
"Dark magic," she answered, walking on to the command centre. "Reign, Purity, Pestilence; they were all created by Kryptonian witches to do one thing - kill the world. Now that they're together, that's what they're going to do."
"How do you know that?" asked Lena.
"There's no apocalypse in the book of Roa, but I think I know what they're doing and I have a plan," answered Supergirl. "But we'll need Brainy."
"I'll go find him," offered Rae.
I watched Rae turn back to the Legion ship before focusing in on listening to the plan.
By the time I got back from the Legion ship with Brainy, everyone looked ready for a mission.
"How can I help?" asked Brainy.
As we listened to the plan for Brainy to use thirty first century technology, I realized that the plan put everyone at risk that was involved. With the encroaching eclipse, all of us would be weakened and without powers, but with Supergirl carrying the others into another dimension, she would be most significantly affected. Lena has zero field experience and, as far as I was aware, zero battle experience. That's where Alex came in. She was going in order to protect both of them. But having just come out of Med Bay and narrowly escaping a deadly virus, I was concerned for her well being.
After Brainy finished explaining how he could make the plan happen, everyone headed back to the Legion ship.
"Agent Danvers, can I have a word with you please?" I asked, holding her back.
"Hey, what's up?"
"With all due respect, in my medical opinion, I'm not sure you should be doing this," I said, trying not to sound like a delirious girlfriend. "Just hours ago, you were fighting to stay alive and now you're just going to jump into another dimension?"
"Rae, that's the nature of the job. Sometimes, it's one dangerous task after another, you should know that better than anyone," said Alex. "Plus, Winn is back to work. If he can handle it, I can definitely handle a simple dimension jump. I'm going to watch my sisters back, no matter what."
"Well, I'm watching your back now," I answered.
"I knew you wouldn't like it. But there isn't anyone else I'd rather have watching out for me. And, thanks to you, I feel fine," said Alex, reaching for my hand. "Besides, knowing I can rely on you out here makes going out there a thousand times easier."
I sighed, trying to think of something else to convince her to stay but at the same time, I knew she wouldn't let Supergirl go alone.
"Just be careful," I settled on instead.
"Always," she smiled and left for the ship.
I headed back to my desk to continue going over Lena's data. Hopefully, it would at least keep my mind off Alex. I couldn't help my feelings at this point. I had been trying to keep them low key for Alex, in order to respect her stance on moving slow. But seeing how quickly I could lose her made me want to be more open about how I felt about her. I've known I've wanted to explore a relationship with Alex outside of work, the chemistry we have is undeniable. The thought of being on this planet without her really put my feelings into perspective. I know Alex didn't want our relationship to grow out of that fear or that adrenalin, but it was like she said; our type of work will do that. Now, I just wanted to tell her how I really felt, except I couldn't because she was in another dimension. I picked up a tablet and tried to read over the research but my mind couldn't leave the Legion Ship. Knowing I would get nothing done here, I packed up my work and headed to the ship to oversee what was happening.
When I walked in and saw Alex, unconscious, my stomach and my heart sank, again.
"Fifty four minutes to totality," said Brainy, monitoring the eclipse. I walked over to the screens to check their vitals.
"Everyone looks okay," I said to Mon-el. He looked concerned. Supergirl stirred in her chair and Mon-el walked out. J'onn followed him down the corridor. Giving them space, I walked over to Alex and held her hand as she stirred a little. I gently squeezed her fingers, hoping to send her a signal that I was there with her. I sat by her side until Mon-el and J'onn returned and I figured I'd step back and try to get some work done.
It had been quiet for quite some time, with the exception of Brainy counting down to totality. Supergirl began to struggle.
"Ten minutes to totality," he declared, going over her vitals. "She can't take much more." Brainy hovered over Supergirl about to remove her receptor.
"Keep her in," declared Mon-el.
"She's only got minutes," Brainy announced. The disagreement caught my attention and my eyes flew to their vitals on the screens behind each woman.
"I said keep her in," repeated my cousin.
"Mon-el, her vitals are fluctuating like crazy. This could kill her," I argued, agreeing with Brainy.
"They have a mission to complete," Mon-el said coldly.
"A mission that could kill one, if not all of them," I said, getting annoyed with his stubbornness.
"We've been given orders, we'll follow them and do what we need to do," he answered. He moved closer to me so that no one else would hear what he had to say. "Supergirl asked me to keep her in until she completed the mission, do you think this is easy for me?"
I didn't agree with what he was doing, regardless of who had asked. I walked away and checked their vitals again. Lena and Alex were much more stable than Supergirl, whose alarms were beginning to sound.
"It worked, we've got a location," said Winn, looking over the computers.
"Pull them out now," ordered Mon-el, immediately.
All three women jolted back to life, as if awaking from a bad dream.
"It worked?" asked Supergirl, already climbing out of her chair.
"Like a charm," quipped Mon-el, his attitude a little lighter.
"Whoa, you guys should take it easy," J'onn suggested.
"When has that ever stopped us," asked Supergirl.
I briefly caught Alex's eyes before they started to move out. She gave me a smile that reassured me that she was okay. I watched her hesitate for a moment before Winn called her over. I found Lena who was rubbing her neck.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"She had her hand around my throat before we got pulled out. I couldn't breath," she said, looking relieved to have returned when they did.
"Let me have a look," I offered, pulling the collar of her shirt. "No physical marks."
"Yeah, guess that's the upside to fighting in different dimensions," said Lena, going over to help Brainy. "I hate the feeling of being helpless."
"I know what you mean,"I said.
"Hey! You ready?"
I turned at Alex's voice and was surprised to see her in a different uniform. "Wow, you clean up pretty nice Agent Danvers."
"I know a guy," she winked at Winn. "Let's go."
We joined the others at the launch bay and J'onn phased us all with him into the lair of the world killers. We outnumbered them, but once the fight started, you wouldn't have known. Supergirl and Reign immediately faced off, crashing through rock walls. I shot at Reign, who got up faster than Supergirl. It knocked her back a hundred yards. I looked at my new weapon in disbelief.
"Thanks," my sister smiled, before going after the world killer.
Smirking with delight at my new gun, I went to help the others. I saw Mon-el punch Pestilence through the ceiling and Rae jump through the air and bring her crashing back to the ground. J'onn was battling against Purity's sound frequencies and was struggling to take her down. They collided and she threw him against a wall. She was about to stand over him when I called to her. Taking a long shot, I used her human name, hoping to connect with her once again. She stared me down.
"Come on Julia," I said, my gun trained on her. "You've got to rise up!"
She didn't answer, instead belting at me with one of her screeches. I pulled the trigger and the collision of the two blew us both back and off our feet. It winded me and I couldn't move. I saw Supergirl hurdling through the air and landing hard with Reign on her again. I looked for my gun. Reign kicked Supergirl, sending her against the rocks. I finally called for my gun but when I swung my arm around to take aim, Reign was on me.
"Alex!" I heard Supergirl yell.
She picked me up by my neck and watched me squirm before heaving me out of her way. I skidded across the gravel. I tried picking myself up but it knocked the remaining air out of my lungs. I tried to look around only to feel Rae fall beside me, she had been weakened with the eclipse and left powerless. I pulled myself to her and felt for her pulse. Panic set in when I couldn't find it. Pestilence joined Reign, both looking strong despite the lack of yellow sun. Shielding Rae, I tried Julia again.
"Julia, please. Rise up!" I called, hearing Supergirl do the same. The next thing I knew, the world killers had turned on one another and were fighting to the death. Reign had been knocked to the side, while Pestilence and Purity went head to head. In seconds, both were on the ground, taking their last breaths.
"No!" yelled Supergirl, who finally had her powers back. She ran to Julia.
Rae stirred as the sun returned and I helped her to Julia's side. She knelt down, assessing the damage done.
"She's not going to make it," said Supergirl, already knowing the sacrifice Julia had made to help us.
"Let's get out of here," ordered J'onn, with the hideout crumbling all around us.
I found Rae and held onto her as she jumped out of the falling rock and back to the Legion ship.
The short trip back to the DEO was quiet, the team feeling the loss that was Julia and the fact that Reign was still out there. We met back up at the command centre with Supergirl returning from her fly over the hideout.
"The fortress is just gone. Like it wasn't even there," she stated.
"Hey! We defeated two out of the three world killers," chimed Winn, in his usual positive tone. "Like that's a win."
"And we'll find Sam," I added. "Somehow."
"I know," mumbled Supergirl. "Um, hey! Cool new suit!"
I grinned, remembering my gift. "Winn did me a solid!" I said, reaching out to fist pump him.
"Yes, upgrades," he agreed.
"Well, I've been asking the director for one for years, but I just kept getting denied," I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm, looking at J'onn. I heard Rae chuckle from beside me.
"Blame it on congress, I don't write our budgets," he smirked. "Besides, don't you miss your polo? It looked like it was sweat wicking?"
"I have a really cool new gun, don't think it won't work on you," I joked back.
Everyone started to head his or her own way and I looked to Rae. I nodded towards my office and we left in that direction. I opened my door and held it for her. Shutting it behind me, I felt Rae's hands on my waist. I turned myself in her arms and was face to face with her. She smiled and kissed my lips.
"I'm not sure if it's the new suit, or, fighting next to you, but I've been wanting to do this since we left," she said, pushing me against the door. I felt her tongue on my lips and let her in, pushing my fingers through her hair. I'm not sure how long we stood against the door but eventually we stopped to catch our breath.
"Well, if everyone came back from a mission to that," I said, between breaths. "I think they'd all be thoroughly motivated."
Rae laughed, lowering the zipper on her black jacket a touch. "How about regrouping at my place tonight?"
The thought of going home with Rae, to Charlie, seemed like the perfect ending to our day. "I'd love that."
"Good," she said, stealing one last kiss before going to change.
Not long after, Rae's arms were around my waist, tightly, as I drove us to her house. When we parked, Rae pulled her helmet off letting her blonde hair fall around her shoulders. She was perfect.
"What? Do I have crazy helmet hair?" she asked, running her fingers through.
"You look beautiful, " I said, walking closer and taking her hand. She smiled, holding my hand and leading me toward the door.
"Hello?" she called, once inside. "We brought dinner."
"Hi! Say hi Mama, " said Mrs. Gand, holding Charlie and greeting us at the door. "Agent Danvers, it's so nice to see you again."
"Hi Mrs. Gand, you too, " I answered. Rae stepped further in, taking a reaching Charlie into her arms and giving her mom a hug.
"How did it go today?" asked Mrs. Gand.
"Well, it was definitely a win, " answered Rae. "But unfortunately, one of them got away."
"That's a step in the right direction though, " she answered, helping me with some of the grocery bags.
"We're definitely getting closer, " I added, taking out the items we needed for dinner.
"Ay, Ay."
I looked over at Charlie who had her arms reached out to me. Rae smiled and passed her to me. "I think that means Alex, possibly in pirate."
"Could be worse, she could be calling me Lex, " I said, lifting Charlie on my hip. "Hi Charlie. I missed you."
Charlie squeezed my cheeks together and laughed. I made funny faces and tipped her upside down. It wasn't long before she was asking me to lift her on my shoulders so she could fly around. It warmed my heart that she remembered. I walked around the house making zoom noises and Charlie with her arms out. We came back into the kitchen to find Mrs. Gand telling Rae what they had been up to over a glass of wine, while Rae started dinner.
"Well, if you two have everything under control, I'm going to run downstairs and put away the last of my laundry, " said Mrs. Gand, with her hand on my arm as she passed by.
"Okay, dinner shouldn't be too long, " Rae called out after her.
Charlie started to wiggle and I lifted her down and steadied her. She wobbled over to a pile of toys and sat down next to them. "So your mom has the suite downstairs?"
"Wine?" offered Rae, holding a glass.
"Yes, thank you."
"Yeah, when Mon-el secured this property, he figured he'd be spending most of his time with Kara. So he offered for my mom to have her own space in the apartment and Charlie and I the space upstairs, with the extra room when he needed it. Which apparently has been a little more often lately."
I leaned against the counter and watched between Rae and Charlie while she spoke. I felt so at home and comfortable, like this had always been the way.
"What are you thinking?" asked Rae, cutting up vegetables. "Is this too much for one of our first dates? I will eventually take you out to a real restaurant."
I laughed, finding it funny that Rae was still counting our dates. "I was actually thinking the opposite, just how easy this feels." I stole a piece of carrot and popped it in my mouth.
"Really?" she asked, stopping what she was doing and covering my hand with hers. Rae pulled me to her side of the counter and hooked her fingers into the loop of my pants. She looked up into my eyes and bit her lip. "Are you sure easy, at home dates are what you're looking for?"
I looked over at Charlie who was playing with her dinosaurs before looking back into Rae's blue eyes. I ran my thumb along her jaw, "absolutely." I fit my body against hers and found those soft lips. "This is exactly what I want."
After dinner, my mom excused herself once again looking excited to get the night to herself. Alex and I were sitting in the living room with Charlie playing with her toys.
"I just want to check in with the DEO, I'll get us more wine while I'm in there, " smiled Alex, holding her hand out for my glass. I finished my last sip and handed it to her.
"Sounds good, I'm going to run upstairs and get Charlie ready for bed, " I stood, lifting Charlie up with me.
"Goodnight Charlie, " said Alex, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Sweet dreams."
"Night Ay, " mumbled Charlie, rubbing her eyes and leaning into my shoulder.
"I'll be down in a couple of minutes, " I started up the stairs and headed to Charlie's room. I got her dressed and ready for bed and sat down with her in the rocking chair. She leaned against me, cuddling into my arms.
"I love you, Sweet Girl, " I whispered.
"Love Mama, " whispered Charlie back to me. "Love Ay."
"You love Alex too?" I smiled. Charlie nodded, closing her eyes.
"Yeah, she's pretty awesome huh?" I answered. "I like her too."
It wasn't long before my little girl was asleep in my arms. I slowly moved her into her crib and watched her for a second. After everything I had been seeing at work lately, to come home to someone so pure and innocent reminded me of why this job was so important. I walked back downstairs to find Alex in the kitchen, leaning against the counter.
"Hey, any word on Reign?" I asked.
"Winn says radio silence, " answered Alex, passing me a wine glass. "Charlie go down okay?"
"Yeah, she fell asleep right away, " I watched, Alex's face and felt like something was up. "Are you okay?"
"I'm having a hard time with the idea of not knowing where Ruby is, " she said, taking a big sip of her drink. "I understand that it's for her own safety, the fewer people that know where she is, the better but-"
"But you know no one would fight for her as you would, " I answered, knowing I'd have the same feelings if it were Charlie.
"I just keep going back and forth with what's best and it's exhausting. I know my place is at the DEO but my heart is with Ruby."
"Well, I think you should sleep on it and see if there are any developments in the morning. Then, you'll have a clear head and more information and will be able to make a level-headed decision, " I suggested, drinking the last of my wine. Alex did the same, nodding in agreement. I moved closer to her, taking her hand and leading her upstairs.
"Everything you need should be in the bathroom; towels, toothpaste. I'm just going to take our glasses to the kitchen and clean up a bit." I leaned up slightly on my toes and kissed her, feeling her hands slip into my hair as she kissed me back. When I stepped back, it took everything in me to move away from her instead of pulling her to the bed. "Be right back."
"Yeah, " smiled Alex, pushing her hair back.
I headed downstairs to the kitchen and leaned over the sink, trying to gather my bearings. Alex stirred feelings in me that I was afraid I would never feel again. But I had to remind myself that Alex wanted to take things slow, which would make sharing a bed with her tonight, challenging. I started to put the glasses away and close up the wine bottle, when I heard the water start upstairs. Trying not picture Alex naked, I turned the lights off and headed upstairs. Walking past Charlie's room, I stepped in and looked over the side of the crib. She lay there asleep. Her mouth and hands twitching, making me wonder what she was dreaming about. I leaned over and kissed her head before heading back out to my room. I grabbed Alex some clothes to wear and knocked twice before opening the door and calling in.
"Hey, I just wanted to leave these here for you," I said, knowing the shower doors were frosted but wanting to be respectful.
"Oh, thanks, " I heard from the shower. I stepped into the bathroom and left the clothes on the counter. I heard the shower door open and turned around, seeing Alex peaking outside the door. Her hair was wet and water was dripping down her neck. She smiled, biting her lower lip.
"Can you pass me that towel?" she asked, I grabbed the towel she had left out and opened it. Taking the couple steps towards her, I reached out to hand it to her but instead, Alex grabbed my hand and pulled me towards her. I dropped the towel and met her wet lips with mine. Holding my hand against her heart, I could feel it beating against her chest. Her tongue slid across my lip before meeting mine and she pulled me inside the shower, reaching for my shirt and lifting it over my head. Her hands slid over my stomach to my pants and pushed them to the floor. Our bodies touched everywhere, my mouth trailed down her neck like the water droplets everywhere else. I kissed where my hand had been, hoping to slow the thundering beat and when I couldn't; I pulled her closer to me, holding her in my arms. Alex wrapped her leg around my waist, pulling us closer together. I slid my hand up her thigh. Our mouths met again, more hungry and wanting this time. Our bodies were moving together, as if they had a million times before. I slid my fingers between us and found her warm centre, a small moan escaped from Alex's throat, which I kissed in response.
"I've wanted this for so long, to be this close with you, to hold and touch you," I whispered in her ear. Alex pushed harder against me and I could hear her laboured breathing above the spray of water. She slid her hand between us, following my fingers and touched me.
"Me too, " gasped Alex, her fingers making quick work. I felt Alex's body tighten, every muscle seemed to feel the wave that washed over her and, again, let her moan escaped. I leaned against her as the water pounded over me and the same wave hit. Alex held on to me, our mouths finding one another, letting unspoken words be heard, before both of us melted into each other. We fought to catch our breath, the steam from the shower covering our bodies like a blanket. I rest my head against her shoulder and she moved my hair to the side. I turned around and reached for the tap, making the water hot again. Alex wrapped her arms around me and pulled me back against her. I covered her hands with mine and tangled our fingers while the water gently fell against us.
"I want more," whispered Alex against my neck. I smiled and reached up to meet her lips once more.
"Let's go to bed," I answered, turning the water off. I held Alex's hand as we stepped out of the shower and draped a towel around her before grabbing one for myself. We walked out into the bedroom and Alex sat on the edge of the bed. I went to her and stood between her legs, kissing her. She pulled me with her as she fell back onto the bed; our towels were forgotten on the floor and the sleep I thought I wanted was the furthest thing from my mind.
I woke up the next morning with sunshine streaming into my bedroom. I couldn't help the grin that appeared on my face as I reached for Alex behind me. But the smile quickly disappeared when I found that side of the bed empty. I sat up looking around the bedroom, Alex's clothes were gone and so was her phone. I checked to see if she left a message or if I had missed something from work; but there was nothing. I got up pulling on track pants and a t-shirt; my good morning feels were fading fast. My mind immediately began to wonder if Alex was having regrets over our night together. I was trying to think of a message to text while I walked to Charlie's room. I opened the door, staring at my phone.
"Good morning, " I heard from the rocking chair. My head snapped up and I saw Charlie sitting on Alex's lap with a book. "I heard her stirring this morning so I thought I'd let you sleep in a little more. Everything okay?" she asked, standing up and walking towards me with Charlie on her hip.
"Yeah," I answered, my smile instantly returning seeing them together. "Everything is great."
"You know, I had a dream like this once," said Alex, kissing my cheek and wrapping an arm around my waist.
"Oh really?"
"Except there was pancakes," she answered.
"I think we can arrange that," I grinned, holding her arm and giving Charlie a kiss good morning.
Despite the fact that Reign was still missing, our morning at the DEO was much lighter than recent. The Legion ship was getting ready to depart now that Pestilence had been defeated and Winn was showing me his future dirt from Brainy. I was trying to focus on what he was saying but Rae walked by and my mind wandered back to our night together. It had been perfect. It wasn't rushed or born out of adrenaline. Being together just came so naturally, spending time with Charlie and Mrs. Gand, it was as we had been together for years. I watched as Rae spoke to another medical attending, her demeanour and personality showed how kind and understanding she was. Everything about her attracted me to her and those lips.
"Hey, hello," said Winn, waving a hand in front of my face. He turned to see what I was staring at. "Oh, your girlfriend walks in and suddenly my interests are chopped liver?"
I chuckled, "sorry Winn, what were you saying about this dirt?"
"No. No, it's okay," he said, returning to his tablet. "I'm just the genius that made your wicked, awesome suit you know!"
"Winn, you know you're-" I was interrupted by a voice in my earpiece. My heart immediately began racing as an update on Reign came through. I saw everyone freeze and then take off running to his or her stations. I was right behind Rae as we ran down to the tactical garage.
"Why would she target Lena?" she asked, as we rounded the corner.
"Well, she did just finish weeks of testing and research on her," I answered, grabbing my vest and gear.
When we arrived at Lena's penthouse, Lena and James met us at the door. They led us into where Reign smashed through the window and we looked around at the chaos.
"Revenge isn't Reign's MO," I stated, looking around at the broken glass.
"She wasn't looking for me, she was looking for Ruby," explained Lena.
My stomach dropped and panic set in.
"Is she-" I heard Rae ask, while the pounding of blood in my ears settled down.
"She's safe, I'm sure of that," assured Lena.
"How do you know that?" I asked.
"Because where she is, only few people know of it."
"I want to go there now."
"The less people that know where she is, the safer she'll be," argued Lena.
I heard the words coming out of my mouth as I explained why I wanted to be with Ruby, but deeper down, my emotions were becoming harder to control. I felt scared for Ruby; she had the city's biggest threat looking for her and zero protection, my protection.
Finally, Lena turned over the location and I wanted to leave immediately. I was grabbing my helmet and packing up my gear when I heard my office door open.
"Hey, you ready?" I asked, seeing Rae walk in.
"I have orders to stay here and continue my work with Lena," she said, leaning against my desk. We held each other's gaze for a moment. "I, respectfully, disagree with you going without back up."
"What if it was Charlie?" I said, already knowing her answer. She walked towards me handing me my keys.
"Just be careful," she said, holding my hand. I nodded, knowing I couldn't promise anything. Rae touched my face and kissed me, a soft kiss. I grabbed my bag and left her standing in my office.
I walked into the lab trying to focus on the work at hand but I couldn't get my mind off Alex. We should've sent someone else; putting all our efforts into catching Reign at Patricia's, outside of the city, was risky.
"Hey," said Lena, walking in with coffee. "I figured a little caffeine wouldn't hurt before we dive in."
"Thanks," I answered, accepting the cup. I hadn't had many meetings with Lena alone but my gut always told me she was a good person.
"I know you're worried about Alex, but please trust me when I say, they're safe. As long as they stay within the confines, Reign will have no way of finding them."
"I appreciate your reassurance, thank you," I said, taking a sip of hot coffee. "So, you mentioned electricity was how you were able wake Reign up. Is that a pain response?"
"Yes, it is. I found that when Reign takes over, Sam is forced to a parallel dimension. While they're both suppressed, they're able to both exist. But listen, the other night I appreciated your loyalty, not turning your back on me," she said, leaning against the opposite side of the desk and changing the subject from research.
"Of course. We're friends, being new here, it's hard to know who you can trust and I've always been able to rely on you," I expressed, not sure what this had to do with Reign.
"Right, I bring this up because what I'm about to tell you will be controversial and I need the advice of someone who can be neutral," she said.
"Okay," I said, hesitantly.
"In our debriefing, I divulged that I used kryptonite as well, to subdue Reign."
"Yes, I heard that. But I also heard that what you used was the last of it."
"It was," stated Lena. "But I was able to study that as well and make more."
"You know how to make it?" I asked.
"Yes. I've told James and he thinks I should go to Supergirl, as an ally, because our common enemy has the same weakness," she explained.
"Which would work in our favour. However, Supergirl's reaction to someone knowing how to recreate the one substance that could kill her, isn't going to go over well," I said, staring at my coffee.
"Precisely," said Lena, looking unsure. "What would you do?"
"It's a horrible spot for you. On one hand, you hold the key to the enemy's weakness but on the other, you'll have to approach Supergirl with the only thing that threatens her life."
We looked at each other, both knowing what she would have to do but not wanting to say it.
"Glad it's you and not me," I laughed. Lena laughed for the first time.
"Right?" she smiled, holding up her coffee. "I'll need something stronger than this before I have that conversation."
"Rae! They need you on an incoming. It's Patricia," shouted Winn.
I glanced at Lena before we both took off towards Med Bay. Supergirl was landing as J'onn emerged carrying Mrs. Arias.
"What happened?" I asked, grabbing gloves and handing a pair to Lena.
"She was attacked by Reign. Stabbed in the midsection," stated Supergirl.
"Okay, we have severe lacerations to her abdomen. We need to stop this bleeding," I announced, holding out my hand for lap pads.
"We need to find the bleeders," suggested Lena, helping to stuff the wound. "More lap pads."
"I think I have it," I said, with my hands inside the wound.
It took longer than I expected to close Mrs. Arias up and I was thankful to have Lena's help. I walked outside Med Bay to update Supergirl and J'onn.
"She's stable for now but it's not good," I said, feeling horrible for not being able to do more. "She lost a lot of blood and while we were able to repair a lot of the damage, I feel as though we were too late."
Supergirl looked heartbroken as she nodded. "Thanks for your help. I'm going to go sit with her."
I called Alex to update her and to check in before heading back to Med Bay with Lena.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Just wish I could do more," I said, feeling better after hearing Alex's voice. "Okay, you too. Bye."
I walked back to the table where Lena had set us up so we could be close and monitor Patricia.
"Everything okay with Alex?" asked Lena.
"Yeah, they're good," I said, sitting down.
"Is she going to tell Ruby about her grandmother?"
"No, she said it's not her place. She's going to wait for Sam," I said, repeating what Alex had said on the phone.
"I couldn't imagine losing a parent. Even if they weren't the greatest, they're still yours. Then having to tell your daughter?" said Lena, thinking out loud. Then she looked at me, catching herself. "Sorry, it must've been so difficult when you found out your mother had died."
"My mom is fine," I assured her. "She's with Charlie right now."
"Sorry. I meant your biological mother, Rhea."
"Oh, Mon-el's mom, she was my aunt," I corrected, checking Patricia's monitors.
"My mistake," she apologized. "I'm sorry for assuming. It was just while we worked together, Rhea spoke of a daughter who sounded so similar to you. You must have been very close with Mon-el's sister because you two sound identical."
"Mon-el is an only child, he was the sole heir to Daxam," I said, taking a seat next to her. "Before our falling out, my aunt often treated and spoke of me like a daughter. We were close but the moment I betrayed Daxam, she saw me as an enemy and there was no going back from that. But much like any health care professional here, we had oaths. I could not stand by while people suffered regardless of where they were born."
Lena left it at that, seemingly wanting to say more but knowing when to stop. I wanted to protest and defend myself against what Rhea might have said about me but I felt like this might be a conversation for another day. Talking about Rhea never ended well and we had a lot of ground to cover.
When we got back to work, we worked like a well-oiled machine. We understood what the other was proposing before the entire theory was even put out in the universe. Then my earpiece alerted me to an attack and the next couple of hours were a blur. We geared up and Mon-el flew me to Lex Luthor's mansion, were it was said that Alex was alone with two civilians and our worst nightmare was coming true. Reign was attacking and we were her only back up.
The dust settled and I ran to Ruby. She was crunched in a corner, overcome by shock and fear.
"Ruby!" I called, trying to urge her out. "Ruby, I got you. You're safe." We could hear the other agents clearing the perimeter around us. I saw Rae and Mon-el standing guard in front of us, while Supergirl went to find Mrs. Queller and clear the rest of the house with J'onn. "Ruby, look at me. Are you hurt?" I crawled to her and put an arm around her. She was shaking uncontrollably.
"That was my mom," Ruby gasped. "I saw her face. That was my mom."
"No. Ruby, that wasn't what it looked like. I mean, I know it looked like your mom, but something has taken over her and we're doing everything in our power to get her back, I promise you," I said, pulling her into me. "Come on, let's get you out of here."
I brought Ruby back to my apartment. I tried explaining everything but considering everything I had told her for the past few weeks had been a lie, I could see why she was having a hard time believing me. Ruby excused herself, wanting to be by herself and went up to the bedroom. I sat at the kitchen island trying to give her space and eating the ice cream Lena had dropped off and Kara couldn't finish, when someone knocked on my door. When I opened the door and saw Rae, I felt the floodgates threatening to open and I had to stand there to gain some composure.
"Hey, I was just on my way home and thought I'd stop by and see how everyone was holding up?" Seeing my reaction, Rae stepped closer and reached for my hand. "Is everything okay?"
"I feel like I just keep messing everything up," I whispered, letting a tear escape.
Rae wiped my tear away and smiled, "welcome to parenting." She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me in. "You'll never know if what you're doing is right for the rest of time."
I laughed and leaned against her, letting me be drawn back to her good vibes. We made our way over to the kitchen and I tried to explain quietly where Ruby was at. Rae offered some helpful tips that she thought might help and then got serious.
"I was scared today. When we got word that Reign had found you, my mind was racing. And I know that's the job, but, I'm going to worry," she admitted.
"I'm okay with you worrying about me," I said, reaching across the island to hold her hand.
"Hey Rae?" we heard from the bedroom.
We both turned to see Ruby standing on the stair.
"Hey Rubes, how's it going?" asked Rae.
Ruby shrugged and waited a second before asking. "Do you think I could see Charlie tomorrow? She's always so happy and I think that could help right now."
"For sure," Rae smiled. "Charlie would love to see you. I'll set up a time with Alex before I go."
"Thanks, goodnight," said Ruby, putting her ear buds back in and getting back into bed.
"How did you get so good with kids?" I asked, walking around the island to be closer to her.
"Have you met Mon-el? He was the biggest kid for most of our lives," she joked. "Actually, Lena said something about them today that got me thinking."
I was waiting for Rae to go on with her thought, but she never did. It was as if she got lost in her own thinking.
"Did you want to talk about it? I know your Daxam family can be a bit of a hot topic," I offered.
"No, it's nothing. I should be going anyways, let you guys get settled in for the night," she said, standing.
I walked her to the door and kissed her goodnight. Our kiss lingered, both of us happy that we were able to come back to each other for another night.
"We'll see you guys tomorrow, goodnight," she smiled before turning and walking away.
"Goodnight."