A/N: Thank you for all your kind reviews. I received a few requests for a sequel to the last chapter, so I went ahead and wrote one. This picks up right where the last one left off.
The poll will most likely be updated next time.
Maggie offers to drive home, they'll pick up her car tomorrow. Right now, the first thing on her and Alex's mind is keeping Kara with them. So, Alex tosses Maggie the keys and rides in the back seat with Kara.
The agent climbs into the seat behind Maggie, and Kara situates herself behind the passenger seat. It only takes a look from Alex and a soft "come here" for Kara to scamper over and lean against her sister. Alex runs her fingers through blonde hair and eases out of conversation when she notices Kara's eyes slip closed. Maggie and Alex communicate with a few looks in the rearview mirror and the rest of the car ride home is silent, save Kara's breathing and the soft hum of the radio.
"We're here, Kar," Alex says, gently urging her sister up. The blonde stirs, straightening with incoherent murmurs before she lets her head fall back against Alex's shoulder. Maggie laughs softly as she turns off the car and opens Alex's door, observing the scene.
"Kara," Alex singsongs and rubs the blonde's back. "Come on, wake up."
"Don't wanna."
"Too bad." Alex nudges her sister fondly, but Kara only slinks back against her.
"Kara."
She mumbles in response.
"Little Danvers?" Maggie tries.
"Hmm"
"Wake up."
Kara rubs her eyes, blinking slowly. " 'kay."
She sits up and Alex makes a face. "Are you kidding me, right now?"
"What?" Kara asks as she follows Alex out of the car, stumbling slightly on tired limbs and rubbing her eyes with a loose fist.
"You wake up when Maggie asks, but not when I do." She playfully bumps Kara's shoulder as they make their way into the apartment building. "That's rude."
Kara shrugs and Maggie smirks on Alex's other side, the agent sends an exaggerated glare her way. "Get that smirk off your face, Sawyer. Kara's snuggling with me tonight."
"Uh, I don't know about that one," Maggie says and looks over at Kara as she walks, blue blanket overflowing from her arms and trailing behind her. "What do you say, Little Danvers?"
"Kara in the middle," the blonde declares. "Problem solved."
Their teasing conversation carries them through the hall, up the elevator, and into Alex's apartment. For a few minutes they can almost pretend like everything is normal, like there isn't concern hiding under each laugh and joke.
But then they're in the apartment and Kara's seated at the island and Maggie and Alex are moving around the kitchen.
"Kara, you want some ice cream?" Alex asks. "Real deal this time."
Kara shakes her head, feels an ache spread behind her forehead. "No thanks."
"You sure?" Maggie asks and Kara nods. Alex doesn't push, because she's known Kara since she was barley a teenager, knows that when Kara's really, really upset the thought of eating makes her feel sick. It brings concern swelling back inside Alex, like a splash of ice cold water in the face.
"How about a movie?" Alex offers. "Rom coms are at your disposal."
"Really?" Kara perks up and it's more at the idea of being able to cuddle with Alex and Maggie, than anything else.
"Absolutely. Your choice."
Kara purses her lips, head tilting in thought.
"Alex?"
"Hmm?" the brunette hums, turning around and sliding a glass of water to Kara.
"Instead of a rom com, can we watch Harry Potter? The first one?"
Alex smiles. "Yeah, come on," she takes Kara's palm in one hand, the glass in the other and moves toward the couch.
"Maggie, get over here!" Alex yells as they settle beneath Kara's blanket. "We're about to start."
"Hold on," she calls back from the agent's bedroom.
Alex rubs Kara's back as she sets up the movie and the blonde sinks against her. "Let me know if you get hungry, or if you need anything at all, okay?"
Kara nods and already her eyes are dripping closed, her body fighting to stay awake.
"I love you," Alex whispers and her hand in Kara's hair strips away some of the pain hammering in Kara's head.
"I love you, too," Kara says and nestles into her sister's side as Maggie returns.
She holds a worn-out sweater in her hand, dark navy with white writing and the sight of it pulls a smile across Kara's face.
"You looked cold, Little Danvers, and I thought you might like to see this again," Maggie says, returning Kara's smile as she offers the blonde Alex's crew neck sweater from high school, Midvale athletics written across the front. It had been Kara's go-to for a while when she needed comfort, until she'd seen Maggie wearing it a few months ago and let her keep it. There was some gentle arguing that'd stretched for three days while they'd tried to give it to each other and Kara had eventually pressed until Maggie took it, but with the image of Kara in so much pain pressed into the detective's head she's desperate to do anything that might ease Kara's anguish.
"Thank you," Kara says, voice muffled by the sweater as she tugs it over her head. She looks up again, hair tousled, and pats the space beside her. "Sit with me?"
"Absolutely."
By the end of the opening theme, Kara's eyes have already fallen closed. She snuggles into Alex's side, while Maggie rubs her knee and Alex plays with blonde hair, and Kara feels the grasps of consciousness loosen around her pounding head.
/
Alex's eyes flicker from the TV screen to Kara, and back again. TV, Kara, TV, Kara. The time spent watching her sister grows longer with each interval, until Alex gives up on the movie and gives in to her worry, let's her gaze latch onto Kara's sleeping form. She watches the rise and fall of Kara's abdomen beneath the arm Alex had protectively wrapped around her, feels eternally grateful for the breath that is still there—the lungs that still work, the heart that still beats.
The corners of Alex's lips pull down.
Alex watches Kara's exhausted body squirm and reposition itself until she's closer to Alex and her sock clad feet are tucked beneath Maggie's legs.
Alex's bottom lip quivers. She bites it in a futile attempt to stop what she knows is coming.
She watches as Kara's hand curls around her sister's shirt in sleep.
Alex's eyes water, her nose tingles, a lump forms in her throat.
Maggie turns down the volume on the TV.
Alex keeps her eyes on Kara.
Maggie pauses the movie.
Alex blinks, and the tears start to fall.
"Al-" Maggie begins, stops when a sob emerges from Alex, cracks her chest and leaks into the dark emptiness of the apartment illuminated only by the soft, blue light of the television. And the stupid TV light reflects the tear tracks on Alex's cheeks, the torrents that spill forth, make Maggie feel like a million miles away.
"What are we going to do?" Alex says and her words are watery and thick between her cries. "How can we…how do we help her?"
"Shh." Maggie pulls Alex into her arms as best she can, with Kara still asleep between them. Alex curls into Maggie's shoulder, drenches her shirt sleeve with tears. "I don't know," Maggie whispers and her hand comes up to cradle Alex's head, grasps a bundle of her hair. "We just have to be there, Al. We just have to make sure she knows she's not alone."
"How did this happen?" Alex asks, tries to focus on the feeling of Maggie's back beneath her hands as she wills herself to calm down. She needs to be strong for Kara, she cannot afford to fall apart. "How did I not know? I- god, I hate myself." Her abdomen aches at the heaving of her diaphragm with each cry, tugging at the gashes and stitches she feels like she received a lifetime ago. "I hate myself," she repeats and Alex's hands curl into fists, pressing so hard her skin splits as her nails dig crest shapes.
"Hey, hey, hey." Maggie takes Alex's hands into her own, uncoils them and massages out the tension before pressing soft kisses onto her knuckles.
Alex whimpers.
Maggie cups her face. "Listen to me, this is not your fault."
Alex's frame shakes as she rubs her eyes. "I have to help her. We have to try everything we can." She pulls away and drops her gaze back down to Kara.
"We will," Maggie promises and moonlight has filtered in through the window, mingled with the TV's glow.
Alex presses a kiss to Kara's forehead and takes Maggie's hand.
Maggie squeezes lightly.
"You're not alone in this and neither is she."