A/N: Thanks as always for all the favorites, follows, reviews, and reads! I received a request from slexieotpforever for a second part to chapter 24, so here it is. I hope you enjoy it.

Let me know your thoughts!

Okay, warning, before I carry on in this author's note, things are going to get a little political in the following sentences. If that's not your thing feel free to carry on and jump to the chapter. If you're still reading, here it goes. I'm disappointed, disgusted, and devastated by the actions of my country, if you are any of the people feeling upset or unsafe or uncared for as a result of the recent election, I want you to know I'm sending my love and I am here if you need to talk. I know it's not much, but I'm doing everything I can-small and big. You are not alone. xx Quinn

Alex sent a quick text to her mom, fingers moving sleepily across the phone.—I'm fine. Kara's fine. Everyone's fine. It was just a small accident—because of course the blonde little alien had to send Eliza a text while Alex was in surgery. Alex rolled her eyes and removed her other hand from beneath the white hospital sheets of the DEO. She looked at her sister; Kara's head was on the mattress, face pressed against a blanket, blonde hair gathered and tumbling down her back.

Alex felt her lips pull down and she ran a gentle hand through Kara's hair, twirling the locks around her finger when the door to the room opened.

She looked up, expecting another medic with more questions and tests, but instead saw J'onn.

"Hey," she said softly, making an attempt to sit up, but her muscles ached and the pain burned and nothing seemed to be working so she eased herself back against the pillow and shot him a soft smile.

"Hi," J'onn said and took a seat beside the bed. "I heard surgery went well."

Alex nodded. "Couple of plates, some screws… you know, the usual," she teased, hoping to placate the guilt and worry etched across his facial features.

"I've heard that post-op medicine can make you feel like crap though."

"Can confirm." Alex answered and let her eyes drift down to Kara, where the blonde stirred slightly. "But don't tell Kara."

"How's she doing?" J'onn asked, tilting his head toward the younger Danvers.

"She's okay," Alex said, moving her hand to rub Kara's back. "She was worried, but she'll be fine."

J'onn nodded. "How about you?"

"Doctor said with good physical therapy I could be back in shape within a few months."

"I'm so sorry about this," J'onn said and ran a hand across his face. "Really, it's my fault I should have been more careful, I should have—"

"It was an accident…"

"No, I mean—yes, but it shouldn't have happened. It's my responsibility, it's what I promised your dad. And I—"

"J'onn," Alex interrupted and put her hand on top of his. "Do you know how many times Kara accidently hurt me when we were growing up? A lot. Broken bones, sprains, stitches… I've had 'em all, multiple times, and every night after these kinds of things happened I would hear Kara crying herself to sleep after my mom made her go to bed. So I'd sneak out of my room and hobble down the hall until I reached my sister and climbed onto her bed, and right now, I'm going to tell you the same thing I always told her, okay?"

J'onn nodded and kept his eyes adverted to the ground.

"It's worth it. You are worth it, both of you. I would take scrapes and cuts and bruises and any of this to keep you in my life."

J'onn looked up. "Thank you."

Alex gave a lazy shrug and sunk deeper into her pillow, retracting her hand and curling beneath the sheets. "It's true."

"I know I didn't know your dad for long, but he would have been proud of you. Your heart is just like his."

Soft blush rose across Alex's cheeks and a smile flittered across her tired lips. She missed her dad every day and as painful as talking about him could be sometimes, it also made her feel a little closer to him, like he wasn't so far away—like time hadn't stretched and faded the memories she clung to.

J'onn's walkie talkie crackled and he stood, the chair grating against the ground. "I have to go, you should get some rest," he said, taping her shoulder gently. "And again, I'm sorry."

"If I have to hear you apologize one more time, I'll kick your ass when I get out of here," Alex said, a sleepy grin raising her cheeks.

"Yeah, okay, Danvers. Good luck with that," J'onn said, returning her smile and disappearing from the room. The door swung slowly behind him, echoing softly through the area. She curled her hand back around Kara's, wanting to feel the softness and warmth now that she was alone.

Just as Alex let her eyes close and her surroundings began to fade she felt Kara's hand move, heard her sister murmur quietly and straighten up.

Alex opened her eyes, watched as Kara stretched and rubbed a loose fist across her face.

"Hey sleepyhead," the brunette said softly.

"Hey yourself," Kara said. "These beds suck."

"Yeah, well that's because you're half on the bed, half on that chair. Get up here," Alex motioned, sliding over as best she could.

Kara climbed onto the bed, carefully fitting herself against her big sister. "How are you feeling?"

"Absolutely wonderful… really strong painkillers they've got here."

"You should sleep," Kara said, flicking on her phone. "It's almost three in the morning."

"You should sleep, too."

"I will if you will."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Kara," she said quietly, unable to avoid the lure of fatigue softening her voice and pulling her eyes closed. "I don't want you to ever feel guilty because you accidently hurt me. I can't imagine how hard it must be to constantly hold back and concentrate on everything you do."

"It's not so bad," Kara said and let her eyes close, too. "You get used to it."

"I wish you didn't have to. I think it'd be difficult to be an alien and always have that kind of stuff on your mind."

The blonde shrugged, hair bunching between her shoulder and Alex's arm. "Most of the time I've got it down so I barely consider it, I only really have to think about it sometimes when I hug you or we're snuggled on the couch for movie nights and I'm so tired that I forget a little."

"Don't feel bad about it," Alex muttered. "You aliens get to mess up sometimes, too."

"When we mess up, bad things happen," Kara murmured, feeling guilty as she curled into Alex.

"Nothing we can't fix," Alex whispered as she fell asleep, hand tangled in Kara's hair with the blonde tucked against her shoulder. "I promise."