DEO…

She glared at the man before her as she listened to the words coming out of his mouth. She specifically asked him, no she TOLD him not to tell her yet. His argument was she was not specific in her directions. Which 'Her' was she referring to. Now she sat in the medical bay of the DEO in a hospital gown and felt like she was swallowed and then thrown back up. The staff were not gentle in their handling of her. She found out later that they were trying to get her quickly stabilized. She was slipping into hypothermia as her body came out of the chamber. It was the drugs, the accelerated heart rate, and the destabilization into the cooler air out of the tank. That's what she will call it… The Tank.

She lay back as Jonn folded his arms and stood there with a self-satisfied look on his face. She took inventory of her body. 6 days passed, and she felt physically wonderful. Emotionally and mentally, she sighed.

"Jonn I think I need to talk to some one," Alex said weakly. Jonn quirked an eyebrow. He was constantly checking in on her thoughts but as soon as he entered them he tried to pull out of her mind as quickly as possible and block himself from her.

"I think you have needed that for a long time," he said and then smirked with a small huff that indicated his chuckle. Alex smiled, and then she looked back to the ceiling.

"I had nightmares. They were constant. It's as if it was a price to heal faster, I would have to relive every screwed up, hurtful, painful moment. From murder, to rejection. To losing Dad, and Maggie and then... It was a constant barrage of moments, images. Maybe they are repressed," Alex tried to reason allowed. She looked to Jonn as he sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand in his larger callused ones.

"I know. If you need time to talk, I will arrange time with you in the meditation room," Jonn offered. Alex felt the tear track down her temple into her hair then her eyes flicked to the door as she heard voices approaching. Jonn took a deep breath and centered himself. Sometimes Kara was too much even for his centered mind. The door burst open.

"Alex!" Kara cried happily and then zoomed to the bed and threw her hands over her and lay on her sister hugging her. Alex smiled and brought her hands up to Kara's back. She sighed. She was so warm.

"Where were you earlier? I could have used some of your warmth," Alex joked softly trying to dissipate the tension. Kara pulled away from her sister smiling but her brow was furrowed.

"What do you mean?" Kara sked as she zeroed in on Alex. Alex let her fret and worry. She didn't have the energy to placate to Kara. She smiled warmly and took Kara's hand. Kara blinked as she held Alex's hand.

"They are like ice," Kara pointed out. Alex nodded.

"I came out a day early. They were ready at a moment's notice, but we didn't think about transferring the patient out of the tank. You can adapt far quicker to the changes in the environment. When I came out I was going quickly through early stages of hypothermia," Alex saw Kara's eyes widen but she smiled and shook her hand, "I am fine."

"But that can be serious, Alex," Kara fussed. Alex tugged her sister down and let her hug her. She hated this much physical affection, but she knew Kara needed it. She felt moisture at her neck and a sniffle. Alex just continued to rub circles into her back. After a time, Kara pulled away and then looked down at Alex.

"You look so much better," Kara said and then looked up. Alex followed Kara's line of sight and her heart monitor jumped. Kara looked down at Alex and then to Lena. Alex calmed her heart and looked back to Kara. Kara tilted her head and blinked. Alex shook Kara's hand and smiled at her sister. Kara smiled down and winced at her cold hands.

"I am going to get you a cup of coffee to warm up those hands," Kara offered and then left the room. Alex watched as Lena stood from the bed as if rooted to the spot in the room. She wore a heavy navy-blue pea coat and a bright candy apple red scarf. She couldn't see anymore of her, but her hair was windblown.

"She flew you here?" Alex asked with a quirk to her lips as Lena nodded, "She sometimes forgets that we don't feel the cold like she does. Let me guess, freezing breakneck speed, and you haven't found your legs yet?"

Lena let herself watch the woman in the bed. She was, for the first time in a very long time, afraid to get close to Alex. Alex sensed her reluctance to come closer and turned her head and looked at the ceiling. Lena felt the loss of contact and something finally pushed her feet to move. Slow, step by slow step she approached the bed. She had a flash of her mother, her real mother, in a bed just like this. Laying in a bed just like this. Lena couldn't stop the images from flying through her mind. She teetered as her vision narrowed. She felt hands on her face. She was braced against the bed, but hands were on her face. Someone was talking to her. Words, like breathe, and me filtered in through her shadowed vision.

"Lena, breathe with me," softly made it through to her consciousness. She heard heavy breathing, in and out. Lena closed her eyes and focused of the voice, and the hands on her face. She fell forward slightly and against a body. Hands ran up and down her back and she began to breath with the person holding her. She slowly came too. The material under her chin was thin and the body was firm, yet soft. Lena wrapped her arms around her body holding her up and things came to her. The voice, the soothing feminine voice and the care in which the voice took care of her. Lena let her hands settle on her captors back. She opened her eyes and found the room, the smells, and then looked to side slightly into Auburn hair.

"You are cold," Lena said in Alex's ear. She was not expecting the laughter to come but it did, and it was beautiful. It was a soft husky laugh, quiet. Lena smiled and pulled back. She looked at Alex. The bruising on her face had gone away, her neck carried the yellow of healing flesh. Her eyes dragged over Alex's skin as she followed the path of yellow below her gown. Alex shifted, and the gown fell off her shoulder and there was still some green about the joint, but those looked good to. She noticed the way Alex moved.

"Still stiff?" Lena asked as she helped Alex back under the covers. She pulled the blanket up to her chin and Alex nodded.

"The tank helps the most with bruises and inflammation, even some ligament damage, but broken bones, nope. So, the ribs will take time, the ankle is loads better. Tender but good for what it was," Alex explained. Lena listened.

"Why did you do it? Why did you offer yourself to this project?" Lena asked softly as she slid fly away hair out of Alex's face and behind her ear. Alex simply shrugged. Lena knew that shrug. She had seen it on occasion. No information will be given… yet.

Kara came through the door with a warm cup in her hands and a smile. Alex pressed the button to elevate herself more than she was. She took the cup from Kara and closed her hands as warmth seeped into her skin.

"You are a lifesaver," Alex said. Lena watched as the woman sat eyes closed and then Kara slid two chairs over, so they could sit down and not disturb the patient.

"So, Cat said she was taking you to the Gala," Kara said tilting her head to the side. Alex opened her eyes, and pierced Kara with a look then looked to Lena. Lena looked away.

"She asked, and I accepted," Alex shrugged, "I have nothing better to do than be her escort," Alex said wiggling her fingers about the cup.

"Why did you accept?" Kara asked softly. Lena looked to Kara. She clenched her jaw. She sounded jealous of her sister, but Lena knew Alex didn't want Cat. Lena knew because … Lena pressed her fingertips to her lips and then to her forehead. Kara…

"Because she asked," Alex said plainly, no inflection to her voice, no emotion.

"What if Lena asked you?" Lena's head snapped up and to Kara. What in the hell?

"She didn't, besides she wouldn't," Alex replied and closed her eyes. Lena watched the woman in the bed and the way she closed her eyes, and then she saw a hand slowly clench. Lena reached out for Kara's shoulder. Kara's eyes flashed into Lena's and Lena pulled her hand away and nodded to the woman in the bed. Kara looked back and then sighed then sat down.

"I'm sorry Alex. I guess this is what Jonn meant by you were finding your heart again," Kara shook her head, "I just… It's weird," Kara said out loud.

Only Lena watched the woman in bed as her eyes snap open. She was the only one that watched as the woman in the bed found her, and only her in the room, and shook her head. Lena looked down to Kara then back to Alex only to find Alex with her eyes closed and her fist clenched. Lena walked around the bed and pried open the agent's fingers and slipped her palm against Alex's and clasped her hand. She waited for a while and found Alex clasp her hand back.

"Get some rest Alex," Lena said as she shook her friends hand. Kara still looked down into nothing and it was Lena who tugged on Kara's shoulder to get the woman to leave the brunette to rest. Kara stood, and kissed Alex's forehead. Then left the woman to her rest.

Lena asked if they could take a car, but Kara argued she would be home quicker. Lena argued back that she didn't care, it was the weekend. It was Jonn who walked up to them and told Kara that he would take her home. Kara looked to Lena. There was something there, an anger, a fire in Lena's eyes. Kara sighed.

"If I fly we can have our conversation all that much sooner," Kara reasoned. Lena shook her head, crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.

"I think we need sleep, and a new day to begin that conversation, Kara. I was out of line back there about Cat, but you were out of line in there," Lena pointed back towards Alex's room. Kara did something Jonn and Lena had never seen. She got angry and left the Luthor. Lena reached out as part of her chest pulled in the direction of Kara. Jonn reached out and took Lena's hand and pulled it into the crook of his arm.

"Let me take you home Miss Luthor," Jonn offered softly ushering her to the garage but Lena paused. She looked up into the Martian's brown eyes.

"Can you set me up with a bed next to Alex's? I don't think that was the meeting she wished to have with her sister," Lena asked of the man. Jonn nodded and began a slow walk back to the med bay. When Jonn approached the door, his hand paused before he pushed it open. Lena looked up and watched as the man's eyes grew somber, and his face fell and saddened. She lifted her hand but Jonn reached out and intercepted her hand.

"Let me get you some scrubs to change into Miss Luthor. Please follow me," Jonn offered. Lena stood still.

"She is hurting, isn't she?" She asked.

"They both are, and so are you," he said as he placed his hands on his hips. Lena squared her shoulders.

"Med bays have scrubs in the, Jonn," Lena stated and then looked at the door, "Besides, I am part of that pain. The least I can do is support my friend," Lena said as she pushed open the door and walked in.

She heard sniffling, and then soft crying in the dim lights. Lena looked to Jonn, and he pointed to the cabinet and she nodded. He left them alone. She changed into the scrubs behind a curtain and left her clothes in a neat pile over a chair. She walked over to Alex. She reached out to the woman. She didn't know what to expect but arms reaching up to pull her down onto her was not what she had anticipated. Lena shifted Alex, and then lay in the bed as Alex shifted and curled into Lena.

Lena shivered as the woman's still chilled skin seemed through her clothes. Lena looked around and reached for the heating pad next to the bed. She turned it on and put it over the blanket. Slowly she could feel the warmth seep through the covers. She rubbed Alex's arms and back vigorously trying to get the skin to warm up as the woman fell into her tears on her shoulder.

"I don't want Cat," cried Alex into Lena's chest. Lena knew that. Lena knew that Kara had no base for the claims she flung at Alex.

"I know," Lena whispered and shushed the shuddering woman in her arms. "Kara does though," Lena whispered. Alex sniffed and shifted. She looked up into Lena's eyes. She shook her head.

"She loves you back, Lena," Alex told the woman who had her arms wrapped around her. Alex leaned her head on Lena's shoulder and nodded, "She does, she is just an ass hat," Alex said as she wiped tears from her cheeks.

Lena felt it in her gut, and the it rumbled in her chest and up through her throat and out into the space of the room. Her laugh was full and hearty. Alex smiled but didn't look at the woman. She made that sound come from Lena. She made her laugh as if she had nothing to hold her back. Alex lifted her arm around Lena's waist and settled into the warmth of her body.

"Thank you," Alex said softly, "You didn't have to. I know you want to be elsewhere," Alex said as she pulled from the woman. Lena clenched her arms tighter about Alex and pulled her back. She kissed Alex's head and held her firm.

"There is no place I would rather be at this moment," Lena said as she stroked Alex's back. Alex reached over and hit the button and flattened the bed. They lay there. Alex pulled slowly away from Lena and lay on her side. Her ribs twanged but it was not as bad as the first night they went to bed together.

Alex looked at Lena, and Lena stared right back her in the dim lights of the medical bay. Lena saw the woman shiver and Lena shook her head. She lay on her back and scooted into to shaking woman. She situated the heating pad over Alex and the woman simply sighed.

"If nothing else you are a constant source of warmth," Alex said smirking. Lena felt her lips turn up slightly. She knew Alex was trying to put space between them. Space that was appreciated while she figured out what was going on with Kara, but she would be lying if she said she didn't want to taste Alex's lips once more.

"Why did you accept Cat's invitation?" Lena asked. Alex sighed and gripped Lena's scrubs at her waist. Lena knew it was not a question to ask and it sent her and Kara into an argument. But she was not Kara.

"I wanted to see something for myself," Alex said into Lena's chest. Lena nodded and hoped that she would continue. Seconds turned into minutes, and there was no further elaboration.

"I am anxious to see what it is you are wanting to see," Lena said hoping for more. Alex didn't speak. Her breathing leveled out and Lena thought the woman fell asleep.

"I wanted to see for myself how beautiful you would be that night," Alex muttered almost too quiet to be heard.

But Lena did.