Alex was leaving her apartment and was excited for the first time in a while. She typed out 5 solid chapters and got to a good stopping point in the middle of her 6th. She felt a new-found energy, and clarity. She went to work and said hello to Jonn and he gave her a raised eyebrow. She told him the truth, she was able to focus on some hobbies, and had some fun. He read her, and saw her truth, and he smiled. He was the only person, only because he kept catching her thinking of her stories when it was slow, that knew she had a knack for writing, he just didn't know what fanfiction was, so she was relatively safe. She went to the command center and propped her feet up on the counter next to his keyboard and smiled thinking of her hero, well more of a reluctant hero, and how the other main character where getting along.
"Ok," Winn dragged out the word and looked at her from the corner of her eye and then back to the screen, "You look happy today," then he crooked one of cute boyish smiled, "Did you…?" he asked impishly. Alex rolled her eyes but couldn't keep the smile off her face as she thought of her story, where it could go, what are the possibilities.
"Don't be a perv, Winn," Alex chided with a playful smack to his arm, "What have you found in regard to the Alien? Have we been able to track him? I know Kara wants a piece of him for putting her in the sun bed no that we had an antidote, and a way to fight him," Alex asked leaning back in the chair.
"Nothing yet but I am widening the search, or shall I say deepening," Winn said cryptically, and Alex nudged him, "We are looking for heat signatures that are distinctly NOT human below the city."
Alex took her feet from the counter and looked at his screen. Sewers, tunnels, pipelines, and then random … places.
"So, you think he is below us?" she asked as she focused.
"Yeah, he got away too fast for us to track, and thought about underground," Winn answered.
"Who is we?" Alex asked and then turned around as soon as she heard his voice.
"Me," James stood before her looking cocky. Alex looked back at the console, and then thanked Winn for his work.
"It was my idea," James spat out, but Alex saw Winn's eyes and posture shift when he sighed, and then heard the grumble that it was a team effort. Alex looked past James to Jonn and watched the Martian stand there with crossed arms. He was studying her, wanting to know how she would handle the situation, and then she looked back to James. She wasn't the boss yet, so she bypassed the… guest.
"I think we need to talk," Alex said to Jonn. Jonn nodded and follower her to the Martian's office. Once in the Spartan quarters she paced in front of his desk as he sat down.
"You read my thoughts and emotions every day, please tell me you have read his," Alex pointed to the command center towards the man standing there as if he belonged there. Jonn nodded and watched as Alex sat down waiting.
"He has shifted in his demeanor true, but so far his endgame is still protection of the city," Jonn watched as Alex glared at the man standing next to Winn.
"What do you think would happen if he had significant changes to his world, say as in his job at CatCo?' she asked as she remembered that Kara told her that Cat was back.
"I am not sure, is he stable, yes but he is slipping in his interactions," Jonn stood next to Alex and watched the same man and the brunette next to him, "Some people cannot handle power as gracefully as some."
"I am not one to talk but he is becoming less and less of a team player. At least when I went rogue I didn't treat the people around me like shit," Alex pointed out. She saw Jonn nod, then she turned from the people and looked at her Martian father and sighed, "I find him a liability, and as soon as I take command, if it hasn't been done already, I would revoke his privileges here at the DEO."
"There is no reason for him not to tell the world about us and where we are," Jonn stated carefully.
"We can make him disappear, or we can wipe his memory, or we can make it worth his while with a non-disclosure agreement. We could ruin him if he so much as uttered one single word about this facility, and the lives in it."
Jonn nodded and watched the man talk to Winn and then ordered the smaller man to do something and then walk off. Alex narrowed her eyes as soon as Jonn breathed out.
"Winn," she called as she opened the door, "Come here for a moment," she asked him, so she wouldn't be threatening. We got up for his console and walked to the office and then she made him sit down in the chair next to hers as Jonn took the one behind the desk. Winn looked at them and gulped.
"What did I do?" he asked, and Alex could swear he was looking for a way out of the office without dying a horrible death.
"What was that with James just now?" Jonn asked because Alex just glared at the young man.
"Oh that? Phft nothing, ya know old bro talk," Winn said but Alex saw the perspiration gathering on his upper lip. She stood and looked at Jonn and thought and nodded catching on.
"Do it," she said and Jonn slowly approached Winn as she closed the blinds.
"Do what?" she screeched putting his hands up. Then his head snapped back as Alex loudly snapped the lock on the door shoot and pulled out a self-defense baton. Jonn glared down at the computer enthusiast.
"Ok OK Ok, he ordered me to continue to watch the sewers and if I found something to let his know before you did," He stopped and Alex moved next to him and ran the baton up his arm to his shoulder making his swallow, "I wont do it! I swear!"
Alex and Jonn backed off as did Alex.
"Thank you, Winn," Alex said as she put her baton away, and then kneeled next to him. She made him look at her, into his eyes.
"I don't like doing things like that. It makes me feel cheap, and dirty, and not to mention unjust," Alex looked to Jonn, "We are concerned about James and how he has been with people. It's like …"
"Like he is a James version of Kara on Red-K… Yeah, I know," he scoffed and then Alex blinked.
"Is it possible for someone to reverse engineer Red-K to effect humans and not Kryptonians?" Alex asked both men. Jonn shook his head and Winn shrugged but his eyes were hopeful.
"I don't know but I want my old James back," Winn said and then sighed, "It's the suit, it's always the suit. It goes to everyone's head, but at least Kara was still nice about it."
"What do you mean?" Jonn said.
"Look at most villains in any story. They start out believing they are doing the world a service, a greater good, and then it just goes too far," Winn looked at Alex, "Kara has you to keep her in line, that and the fact that she is a goody two shoes that was transplanted in from the 1950's."
Alex laughed, and Winn relaxed. She reached out and touched his shoulder.
"I am worried too Winn," she turned to the window and opened the blinds, and then opened the door. "Let's get out of here and see if we can't see if your theory was sound."
"How did you know it was my idea?' Winn asked as he stood and followed her back.
"I saw the hurt look on your face when he took the credit," Alex said sitting next to the chair next to his looking at the screen, "That kind of hurt only says you were betrayed by his words. It was unfair. That's what I saw so show me Tech Boy," Alex smiled and pointed to the screen.
Behind her Jonn nodded and smiled. She will do well when the time comes.
"PONY TAIL! GET IN HERE!" Snapper Karr, well snapped into the fray of reporters. Kara had her story in her hands and an apology on her lips when she walked quickly into her boss's office.
"I have the…" the blonde stopped talking when she looked up and saw her boss, and her old boss. Kara was not ready for this, she saw her last night and the air left her lungs, and it was as if she never left. With Supergirl the older woman had always been more of an equal, and Kara knew that because of that one fact they would never work. It was simple. Cat Grant never thought of Kara Danvers as an equal, and never would. But then she was sitting right there in Snapper's office.
"Hi, I mean Hello, I mean," Kara rambled and saw the woman begin to smile at her. It was something she only saw rarely, but it was warm.
"Good God Cat. You sit right there in a chair, and you turn her into a blubbering mess. I just got her to submit decent articles and now she can't speak," Snapper rolled his eyes and then Cat stood and then held out her hand for the man to stop talking.
"She has done well working for you Snapper," Cat said softly and then turned to Snapper, "We will be out to lunch." She said to the man and he grunted.
"Come Kara, we have much to discuss," Cat ordered the blonde and then the blond starred at her boss asking but all he did was scribble something in the air. She nodded. She was on assignment and Cat was her story. Well that made this easy…ish.
"Miss Grant," Kara said as she walked quickly behind the blonde firecracker, "Miss Grant," Kara tried once more and then realized they were at her desk.
"Chop Chop Kara get your things," Car smiled to take the sting out of her tone, but Kara was not moving, "Do I really need to start calling Keira again just to get you moving?" Cat asked with a grin as she turned around, "Come on if you want your story, chop chop."
Kara's eyes flew open and her jaw dropped and then Cat was already halfway across the news room. She turned sharply and went to her old office and then stopped and looked around. Kara watched as the woman looked at her old domain, she ran her fingers over the back of the white couch, and then desktop, and then turned around. She looked past Kara and into the news room, at the flurry of people, and then bustle of news.
"Are you ok, Miss Grant?" Kara asked as she watched the woman take in her surroundings.
"Remember that conversation about diving?" the older woman asked and then looked right at Kara. Kara bobbed, and Cat nodded back.
"It turns out that I dove and dove deep. I discovered lands, and people and adventures," Cat paused as she sat down on the couch and motioned for Kara to sit on the other.
"It seems this old shark simply wanted to come home, and dive into waters I haven't thought of diving into before," Cat said with a small smile on her face looking at Kara. She looked relaxed sitting on that pristine white couch.
"I thought we were going to get lunch," Kara said as her stomach growled loudly wondering what happened to the prospect of food. Cat laughed at the sound and nodded her head and went to the bar, but instead of the bourbon neat she used to pour for herself, she took a bottle of water instead. Kara tilted her head. Kat looked at the expression on Kara's face and then to the bottle she just sipped from.
"That's right, you know me best in this world," Cat capped the bottle and leaned back relaxed and crossed her legs, "I am attempting to cut back on my drinking," Cat saw the smile on Kara's lips and then smiled back at her, "I have been, shall they say sober, for about 9 months. I didn't think I had a problem, but I gained weight when I went to Washington. Everyone drank… A LOT. All those empty calories. I still like the occasional glass of wine, but..." Cat smiled. Kara only nodded.
"I don't have that problem" Kara said not thinking then with wide eyes looked at Cat.
"No, you don't," Car practically purred and Kara blinked.
"Hello Cat," James said from the door with a smile on his lips, "I trust Kara has been keeping you entertained," he offered, but Kara saw those brown eyes narrow. The smile transformed in to that of a … shark. Kara swallowed.
"I need not be entertained, Olson," Cat replied coldly and then stood as James stopped stock still as he came into the room. "You might want to close that door, Olson," she pointed to the glass door. He turned around, closed the door and a small smile graced his plump lips.
"What's going on? You are also sitting in my chair," he said as he walked to the desk where Cat, quick as a panther sat in the chair behind the desk. Kara missed the sight of the Queen of All Media on her throne. She missed seeing Cat where Kara believed she truly belonged.
"This chair right here?" Cat asked coyly, and then a wicked smile slipped over her lips, "this chair is my chair, James Olson, or do you forget that you were simply keeping it warm for me to return," Cat then threw her feet up onto her desk and reclined daring the man to question her, continue the fight.
"No, now come on. I was named CEO of CatCo…"
"Until I returned, and I have," Cat watched the man's world fall apart, "You have done well, and kept the company afloat, but it's time for a professional to take back the reins don't you think?" Cat asked the question and Kara thought that there was no room for argument, but James came back.
"I will have the lawyers on this," he yelled, "You can't just fire me!"
"No one is firing you Mr. Olson, unless you want to quit, and I will accept your resignation promptly by the end of the work day," Cat never moved, she oozed poise, and power. Kara relished in the moment, in seeing her, in taking her in, "or you can continue to work for me," Cat offered.
"I'll go to Lena about this," he threatened, and Cat laughed at the man.
"My dear, I have controlling interest in CatCo…"
"But she still owns it," he countered smirking.
"With full autonomy," she let the words sink into his feeble little mind and Kara saw it. She saw the moment it happened. James was screwed.
"I have heard many things Jimmy, about your more aggressive displays of power, demanding attitude..."
"It is nothing on what you have done to terrorize your staff," he spat back.
"Ah yes, but my staff know me for the bitch that I was, am, and will always be," Cat still smirked with her feet on the desk. Then she moved. Motioned for Kara to get up and follow her as she walked past James, but she paused and looked up at the man.
"You have 5 days to figure out what you want. 5 days to call your lawyers, 5 days to find a place here at CatCo or 5 days to resign. You have 5 days to figure out your future," Cat spoke those words firmly, as they held a deadly meaning for James depending on his choices. "Come Kara, we have lunch, I assume Italian would satisfy your bottomless stomach?"
"Yes, of course," Kara squeaked out as she scuttled after the blonde.
Neither of them saw the fist that clenched at James's side.
Lena was tapping on her keyboard when there was a message that toned on her phone. She completed her thought and sighed. She had about an hour before her next appointment, and she just wanted this day to be over. Then another tone, different than the other toned. Then another one, and then another.
"What the hell?" she asked as she opened the phone.
Kara: Incoming Hurricane James!
James: You are a bitch for not telling me Cat Grant is coming back
James: I thought we were close
James: You have ruined me!
Kara: I will have back up there in about 15 minutes.
What in the hell was happening!? Lena felt her phone buzz in her hand and tone. James, James, James. She sighed and made his message silent, and not vibrating. He can rant and rave all he wants but she is technically his boss, and this was inappropriate, and if she had to, she would save these messages for just in case. Her phone went off once more and she was about to throw the damn thing across the room, but she saw the name. Alex.
Alex: Do you like ice cream?
Lean tilted her head. It was such an innocent question after the drama that had happened in the past few moments.
Lena: who doesn't like ice cream?
Alex: if you could have ice cream right now what would you order and from where? IN the city, please I'm not Kara. Haha
Lena looked at her phone and blinked. She bit her lip and swallowed. Alex Danvers was full of surprises. So she smiled.
Lena: Coffee ice cream, in a waffle cone topped with Caramel drizzle from the little ice cream parlor Sweet T's on Cordova and First.
Lena was waiting for a reply. She tapped her phone. She watched the screen for any indication that the other person was going to reply. All she saw was blip after blip of James's conversation notify her of another text. She sighed and tossed her phone down on the desk.
"Miss Grant your next appointment canceled, you now have the afternoon free," Jess's voice came through a small computer speaker.
Lena sighed thankful. She slipped out of her heels and tucked them under her on the seat and tried to finish her emails, and paperwork. The door opened, and Jess dropped another stack of papers on her desk. Lena didn't lift her head as she began to rub the tension out of her neck. Then a voice cleared. Lena looked up. Alex Danvers, in a pair of faded blue jeans, red sneakers, and a blue hoodie, stood before her with an ice cream cone in one hand and cup of coffee in the other.
"I ate mine already," she said as she sipped her coffee and handed Lena her cone. Lena's green eyes lit up like Christmas morning. Alex smiled at the woman, and Lena could not help but smile back at the warmth there in those brown eyes. She took her first lick and her eyes clamped shut and a small moan escaped her throat.
"You are a lifesaver, Agent Danvers," Lena smiled widely at the woman, and Alex waved her hand pushing the comment aside.
"Kara said you might need a break, but she was detained," Alex said, and Lena reached for the remote to turn on the news but Alex stopped her, "A different detained. She is working on a story with Cat Grant," Alex said watching the woman before her. She saw eyes narrow, and a hand shake as she held her ice cream cone, but it did not deter her from the sugary treat.
"Well at least I have my very own Agent in hoodie armor," Lena smiled and winked. Alex simply chuckled and stood up and walked to the coffee table and came back with a large object.
"We could have gone over to the sofa ya know," Lena chuckled as Alex began to set up the chess board.
"Of course, but knowing what I know about you, I think this might be a long game, and you can work and play at the same time," Alex chanced a glance up and caught green eyes, "I figure you for a multi-tasker."
Lena sat there and looked at the stacks of papers on her desk, the woman before her, and the chess board on her desk.
"I don't want to work anymore," Lena said honestly feeling comfortable in Alex's presence.
"Yes, but the more you get done today, the less you have to do tomorrow," Alex smiled as she gave Lena the side that moved first.
Lena looked at the Danvers sister and took her in. Brown deep eyes, seen many things, felt so many things. Soulful, and damaged. High cheekbones, and thin lips, with larger front teeth and pointed incisors that just lent to her charm. Slight build, almost waifish if she didn't know she could kill a man with her index finger. Auburn hair that fell into her eyes sometimes and made Lena want to tuck auburn lengths behind the Agents ear. She shook her head and sighed. Alex Danvers was… alluring in her own way. She looked into brown eyes once more and moved a pawn. The Agent smiled brightly, and a spot in Lena's chest twitched at the sight. She wanted to make her smile more often.
Hours later and all of her paperwork done for the day Lena smiled and stretched. She beat Alex 2 out of 5 games but in her defense, she was working at the same time. Alex took the losses in stride and was setting the board up again and again. Finally, Alex said she couldn't play any longer. Lena smiled as she saw the woman rub her forehead and pinch the bridge of her nose.
"When did you last sleep agent?" Lena asked as she saw circles begin to form over the afternoon.
"I slept last night, thank you very much," Alex scoffed and then it was caught.
"For how long?" Lena retaliated.
Alex was so excited about her chapters that she only got about 4 hours of sleep, and in the job she was in she need more.
"Touché, Miss Luthor," Alex smiled not wanting to fight over sleep.
"You do realize I have a bed here at the office," Lena said.
Alex looked at Lena, and her heart rate sped up faster than an Indy car, and her face reddened at the implications of such a statement. Lena watched Alex's reactions and replayed the statement in her head. She closed her eyes and bit her lip.
"A couch would do just fine Lena," Alex said and then Lena opened her eyes and watched the agent check her watch, "Besides it looked like I wasn't need this afternoon any ways." Alex said standing taking the chessboard back to the table by the sofa. Lena stood, cocked her head walked from behind the desk to the middle of the office and furrowed her brow.
"You were the back up?" Lena asked as she eyed Alex.
"Yup, I thought I mentioned that," Alex answered honestly taking some of the fight from Lena. But nonetheless the woman stood straight, shoulders back, and her chin level with the floor.
"You did not have to stay with me. I am sure you are needed elsewhere and have better things to do. Your mission is complete," Lena spat at the woman. Alex stood up straight and stared down the Luthor. She didn't flinch, she didn't cower, and she didn't backdown.
"I wanted to stay with you," Alex said watching the woman in front of her and then watched the array of emotions flit across her face.
"There was nothing better to do," Alex stated and watched some of the tension slip from Lena's shoulders, but she was still defensive and stiff…. On guard.
"I am not needed," Alex stopped and looked past Lena out the window, "Nor am I wanted," then she focused on Lena once more and saw her mask slowly slip away with each small confession.
"And you were not a mission," Alex stepped forward, closer to Lena. Lena watched as Alex stepped closer to her. She watched as a hand came into contact with her arm. She watched as Alex's body came closer to hers. She watched as arms came around her in a tender, unpracticed hug.
"You are worthy, Lena," Alex said. Lena gasped in the woman's ear as she was brought all those nights weeks ago. She questioned her self-worth. She was drunk and thought the world was against her, no one wanted her, loved her, thought her worthy. But then in that office Alex held her, gave her time to her, protected her even though the threat had not come, and gave her something so very important. She gave her a moment where she was comforted, gave her a moment where she felt like she was … human.
"And you are wanted," Lena replied in Alex's ear. She felt the woman stiffen, and her arms twitch. Alex pulled slightly from the executive.
"OH I see," came a voice from the door. Lena and Alex spun to intruder.
"James," Lena said coldly.
"You were not answering my texts," James leered at Lena, "Now I see why. I can't wait to tell Kara," he said laughing, "Remember Alex, she is a Luthor. She is more likely to eat your heart than take care of it," he threw over his shoulder as he walked away.
They were left there, alone in the middle of the room.
"Did he think?" Alex began, and Lena blinking replied.
"I believe so…" Lena then looked at Alex scrutinizing the woman.
"Well, that will be a funny conversation he has with Kara then," Alex said smirking.
"Why?" Lena asked. Something in her chest clenched.
"Because my sister is standing on the balcony," Alex said and then waved.
Lena turned around and then looked between the two sisters.
"How long has she been there?" she looked at Kara who smiled as she came into the office, "How long have you been out there?"
"Since you got mad at Alex about watching over you," Kara said grinning. Lena went to the blond and Alex watched the two women. She smiled on the outside, and yet her heart was beginning to crack.
Lena looked over at Alex and saw something shift in those brown eyes, but the smile was on her face. She saw a mask when she was faced with one. She watched as Alex waved to her sister and nodded to Lena and then walked from the office. She watched the strong back of a woman torn apart leave her office.
What was she conflicted about?
"How was hanging out with my sister?" Kara asked impishly.
"How was hanging out with Cat Grant?" Lena countered. She saw the blush stain the superhero's cheeks and neck. Lena inwardly sighed.
Who in the hell was NOT in love with this woman!?
Tap, tap, tap…
"I stay because, I think from the moment I first saw you, I sensed you needed to smile. It was as simple as that."
Alex stopped tapping on her laptop. She sensed the same thing in her interactions with Lena. The woman needed a true smile, she needed time with a person that was not shackled to the world and its never-ending problems. She needed… Alex sighed as her thoughts had turned decidedly dark, well not dark, just cumbersome. She saved the document and went to counter and poured a glass of water.
If she asked, she would stay. That thought alone is why Alex left that office. She looked at the laptop. At least she had her stories. She went to her room, looked at the clock and pulled back the blankets. She smiled as she snuggled down in the bed. Last thing she wanted was a Luthor scolding her about her lack of sleep.
Across a city a woman lay in a huge bed all alone. Thinking about a brunette instead of a blonde. She turned onto her side. She would not fight the emotions, but she wanted to be sure. What did Kara want? Who did she want?