Alex never liked waking up the morning after a fight, and never ever liked waking up after the painkillers. This morning was not any different except for the weight she felt on the bed next to her and she turned over, but as she began to pivot her hand flew to her ribs. Her head flew back into the pillow in a silent scream. She made it to her back and slowly turned her head, wincing from the pain in her jaw and throat. Damn James! Alex thought, and she brought her hand up to stroke her jaw. She remembered last light in all its glorious detail, but as she watched Cat Grant breathing, as if the world was not on her shoulders she had epiphany. She realized how important Cat going to her, Alex, and spilling her heart out, her secrets, and then how much she trusted sleeping with her, in this bed was. Alex smiled. She looked around 10 years younger when she was sleeping. No furrowed brow, no devilish smirk, or tricks playing in her mind behind her eyes. Alex sat up slowly and eased her stiff and aching body off the mattress. She looked quickly to the clock and almost laughed. If Cat knew it was just past 10 am she would freak. She stood and limped to the bathroom. She didn't know she bruised her right knee up again. When she walked out of the bedroom she saw the great Catherine Grant cuddled in the middle of the bed, hugging Alex's pillow to her like a little girl would a teddy bear. Alex slowly walked over to the bed and pulled the covers up to the woman's shoulders and left a tender touch to her shoulder.

She limped to the kitchen, and then set the coffee pot to brew. She opened her refrigerator and pulled out the cream cheese and then reached for the bread. Alex then rummaged through the apples on the counter and smiled. She was a sucker honeycrisp apples. She began slicing and setting the toast to brown and placed the cream cheese and a butter knife on the plate. She needed to wake up her guest, but she wanted to do it as gently as possible. Alex knew that Cat's heart, and her emotions were just as turbulent and crazed as her own. Hell, Alex was exhausted from simply feeling. She could not imagine how Cat kept going with everything she was feeling, and then manipulating, playing games with other people. Alex's brow furrowed. She had to talk to Cat about that. She hated being used, and she will not be a pawn any longer. The toast popped, and the coffee was ready.

Alex took the plate of toast and apples into the bedroom with a cup of black coffee. She had no idea how to fix Cat's coffee, and honestly if Cat wanted it tricked out she could walk her happy ass back into the kitchen and fix it herself. She wasn't Kara. Alex lay the plate on the bed and the coffee to Cat's right on the bedside table. She slowly sat down and shook Cat's shoulder. She heard the woman come to the land of the living. She leaned over and saw Cat see the clock and she flew up. Alex placed a hand on her shoulder. Cat looked over to Alex's hand and shoved it from her body breathing heavily, eyes darting around the room. Alex tilted her head, put her hands in the air and shushed the woman calmly giving her space, and then eased up,

"It's ok Cat, It's just me, Alex. I'll be in the living room, maybe the kitchen. It's easier to sit on the stools. When you are ready we need to talk," Alex said softly. Cat's hand moved to grasp Alex's hand. Brown eyes met light brown.

"I'm sorry," Cat began, her walls not up yet as she rubbed her thumb over Alex's arm, "I didn't know where I was yet. Stay, please," Cat said as she looked down to the food and smiled.

It was so sweet. Son of a bitch, Alex was quite a charmer. Alex shifted but Cat saw her wince. Cat shooed the agent off the bed, and stood with her, and grabbed the plate and mug. They walked to the island in the kitchen and Cat sat on a stool. She finally took a sip of her coffee and Alex went to pour herself a cup. Alex turned around and leaned against the counter watching Cat.

"You said we have to talk, so talk Agent. It has been almost a year since I had carbs and I will love every moment of this," Cat said as she ate a cream cheese smeared piece of toast and sipped her coffee.

"I have to inform you of one thing if this friendship will work," Alex said in her DEO tone and Cat nodded, her eyes wide and attentive, "I will not be manipulated by you, or used in your games. If you feel some insane need to do so, let me know first and or if you can't we will talk about it after the fact. You are far too impulsive to ask you to think before you do something so I will deal with the aftermath, but I will be treated like and equal in this little relationship we have," Alex looked down in her cup, "I am not Kara, and I will not be treated as such, Cat. I hate games."

Cat looked at Alex. She understood her very well, far too well in fact. Cat watched the Agent, and she noticed one very important fact that she should have noticed weeks ago. She was good. She was a right and good person. She didn't want to play games, she would work for everything she got. No short cuts, and no deceptions.

"Why in the hell are you my friend?" Cat asked quietly watching Alex. Alex's eyes flew up to Cat and then softened.

"I like you," Alex said and something in Cat's chest, as if it was just one more lock on a heavily guarded treasure chest clicked. Cat stared and then raised her mug and Alex refilled her cup.

"I like you too," Cat said honestly, "But you must understand. I am me, and I am not Lena. I am not trusting, I am manipulative, and I hurt people Alex. I hurt them badly without even wanting to especially the ones I care about. Actually, the ones I care about get hurt the worst, and you are becoming a person I care about. Could you still be in my life knowing that about me?" Cat said just as sternly as Alex had a few moments ago.

"I think knowing that makes me understand what I am getting into, and will take the chances," Alex said and then smiled over her coffee cup. Her soft smile made Cat smirk over her refreshed cup of coffee. There was a jiggle on the door knob, and the sound of a key sliding out of the lock. The door flew open and not one, but two people came through the entrance. Cat and Alex looked at one another as they witnessed their faces. One in disbelief, the other with a blush. Alex simply stood there, sipping coffee trying not to look into green eyes.

"Hello Dear, would you like some breakfast?" Cat said with a sly smirk on her face. Alex, rolled her eyes. She said no manipulations, but maybe there had to be a degree of manipulations for the woman. For example, she needed to tell Alex of her games instead of just out right not doing them. For Cat it was second nature, and Alex would be lying is she didn't say it was something she liked about the older woman.

"Miss Grant," Kara began, and Alex rolled her eyes once more, and then found Cat's eyes. Alex sighed and shook her head.

"Don't emotionally destroy someone while I'm gone," Alex said to Cat as she slowly shuffled to her room. She made it behind the door, but she didn't know she was followed. Lena walked through the entry looking at Alex from around the door.

"Kara asked me to come here to see if you might need medical attention," Lena said as she stepped into the room. Alex straightened her back and grit her teeth. Which was a mistake due to that freaking uppercut from James. Lena came because Kara asked. Pft, she had far more experience than Lena, hell she was on her way to being doctor once upon a time. Alex stood still. Lena stood far from her and both women simply looked at the other.

"I was going to have a shower. The hot water seems to loosen up the aches," Alex said as she shifted. She wanted out of these clothes and to feel the spray on her neck and shoulders, but Lena simply stood there.

"I'm not stopping you, the more I see the more I can assess," Lena said clinically, but Alex's eyes whipped to Lena's. They were dark. Alex cleared her throat.

"I'm afraid you may want to go back to the kitchen. Cat could be eating Kara alive," Alex said trying to get Lena to leave. Lena stepped forward with her hand out.

"Stop!" Alex said loudly shocking Lena. Alex saw the look on Lena's face. The hurt she caused, but just because of what happened last night doesn't mean she is going to roll over and bow to her. She wasn't ready yet, she couldn't, not yet. It was too… raw the wounds that began to form scabs over. Lena, last night, tore off the bandage that kept Alex from bleeding out. Know, the green-eyed beauty was the blade shoved into her heart that you could not pull out for fear of dying. No… not yet. Besides, what in the hell was it with these rich people?

"Alex," Lena began but she was stopped. Alex looked to the door knowing Kara could hear every word, and Lena did the same. Realization fell upon her.

"I will not have this conversation with an audience," Alex said then turned. She was done, though with this constant back and forth. She felt like a flag on a pole on a windy day. She saw Lena would not leave. Alex sighed turned around to the door on her way to the bathroom and then stripped off her shirt and threw it on the floor, and then lost her pajama pants. Let the Luthor look, let her see the beaten and battered body of the brokenhearted… Alex shook her head and placed her right hand on her left ribs. She finally heard a gasp.

"You are beautiful," she heard whispered behind her. Alex flew through the door as quickly as she could then slammed it behind her. She leaned against it trying to get her breathing back under control. She stepped to the shower, flipped on the water and melted from the scolding hot spray, letting the pain and aches, especially in her chest seep away.

In the Kitchen…

"Cat, why are you here?" Kara asked as she folded her hands on the counter top of the island watching Cat's eyes follow Lena to the bedroom after Alex. Cat turned back to the half-eaten toast and found she couldn't eat any more of the rich cream cheese, so she took one of the apple slices. There were good. She continued to eat the apples making Kara wait. She asked that question often since she arrived last night. Her reasons varied, but one was abundantly clear.

"I needed someone," Cat said trying not to lie, or manipulate or deceive. But lies sat on the tip of her tongue, begged to be spilled out. Cat stood and took the plate to the kitchen sink, but she turned around and offered the rest of the apples to Kara. Kara smiled and took the plate. Cat disposed of the bread she ate from. She filled up her cup once more and pulled down another mug for Kara and poured a cup for Kara. She turned around and saw the confused look on Kara's face.

"You never made me coffee before. Thank you, Miss…" Kara was stopped.

"If you call me Miss Grant I will fire you, or get Little Luthor to fire you," Cat gritted shutting Kara up. Cat rolled her eyes, "What else do I have to do to get you to see I am here, in this city, taking up my old mantel of CEO for you?" Cat asked straightly, no games, nothing more. Kara looked at her and then to the apples.

"If you needed someone why did you not come to me?" Kara asked as she stared at the slices.

"After out episode last night I feel like I am on Melrose Place! Jesus, are you kidding me?!" Cat yelled, and then they both stopped and looked to Alex's door when they heard her yell. Kara tilted her glasses down and watched for a few moments and blushed then pushed her glasses back on to her nose. Cat watched all of this and sighed.

"I may manipulate people Kara, but I do not spy on them," Cat chastised the woman making Kara blush crimson, "So what's going on in there?" Cat asked with a devilish smirk, Kara smiled softly but shook her head.

"Lena, is sometimes just as adept at telling people how she feels as Alex," Kara smirked at Cat's raised eye brow, "Which is not very well. It's not like they are unfeeling, but they are best at showing their feelings, not saying their feelings. Come to think of it, I think Alex has been showing her feelings to Lena for quite some time," Kara mused and then smiled sadly.

"No wonder the Luthor began to edge away from you," Cat said softly, "If Alex is even half as attentive to her needs as she was to mine last night, Lena has no chance in hell of not choosing her," Cat said as she looked to the bedroom where memories flooded her.

"I didn't realize you were that close," Kara gritted, "You kiss one sister then sleep with the other. How could you?" Kara argued. Cat tilted her head. Jealousy was never a good color for Kara. But Cat held her tongue and let the woman's mind wonder.

"You are impossible," Cat scoffed after a time of thick silence, "I'm leaving," Cat said as she walked back to the bedroom to retrieve her clothes. Kara's mouth slowly dropped as Cat walked into the room and pushed Lena into the living room and then shut the door in both their faces. Lena and Kara looked at one another.

"What is going on?" Lena asked Kara. Kara gritted her teeth and clenched her fist.

"Cat slept with Alex," Kara said, and her shoulders sagged. Lena's head snapped back to the door. She heard voices.

"Kara what are they saying?" Lena asked, and Kara tilted her head and lowered her glasses. She watched as Cat went into the door into the bathroom with a towel.

"I need help with the knee Cat. I'm sorry to bother you," Alex said bashfully as Cat gave her a towel around the shower curtain. Kara's brow furrowed. Why would she hand a towel around a shower curtain if she slept with Cat? Alex opened the curtain and reached out to Cat's shoulder and Cat helped the agent.

"Why didn't you call for Lena? She was sitting there on the bed waiting for you like a lost puppy?" Cat asked smiling softly. Alex was walked to the bedroom. Kara noticed the limp getting progressively more prominent.

"I needed a friend Cat," Alex said then ran a hand through her hair, "I needed someone neutral. Some one safe," Alex said, and Cat stood in front of the woman and smiled with her hands on her hips.

"I told Kara the same thing, well sort of, she thinks we slept together though," Cat winced.

"Well we did sleep together Cat," Alex laughed and then looked up into Cat's eyes and her smile dropped, "You didn't tell her it was sleeping and not sexual, did you?" Alex asked, and Cat lifted her arms and shrugged mischievously. Alex sighed and shook her head.

"Let me get dressed you Shark. I need to get to the DEO before this begins to hurt anymore," Alex said and then indicated to her knee. Cat nodded then went to the other side of the bed. She stole some of Alex's clothes, and Cat liked the way they fit, and felt.

"I like your style, maybe I'll invest in some jeans and leather jackets. It's nice," Cat spun around as Alex had her shirt and panties on, but her jeans were proving to be a hazard. "Let me help, I can see you will be just like Carter when he gets hurt," Cat grumbled as she slipped Alex's feet into the jeans and then ordered the woman to stand then pulled the pants up over her hips. Alex held Cat to her. Yup, she wasn't much of a hugger but with this new friend, it felt right. Cat Held her back, quickly both understanding they didn't really want to go back out there into the living room with their potential lovers sitting in wait.

"Thanks, you are turning into the greatest friend ever," Alex smiled and finished fastening her pants.

"I would love to make the children talk some more, that is if Kara was not watching and listening, shame on her if she was," Cat said looking to the door.

Kara pushed her glasses up on her nose, suddenly very guilty about what she had seen. Lena reached out and shook Kara's hand.

"They are friends," Kara said softly then looked to Lena, "Like becoming best friends."

"With benefits?" Lena asked swallowing down the bile she felt rising at the possibility of losing Alex.

"No, just really close. It's really sweet," Kara said and then pulled Lena over to the stools, "Very much like us but different." Kara said shaking Lena's hand and they both smiled.

"Kara, what's Alex's favorite color?" Lena asked and then Kara looked to Lena and noticed the dress Alex wore last night was the same shade of green as Lena's eyes.

"Green, like the color of your eyes," Kara smiled.

"What's her go to at Noonan's?" Lena asked looking into the distance.

"You guys have spent so much time together, how can you not know?" Kara asked.

"She always gave me mine, but I never inquired what she had," Lena let her head drop and her shoulders sag, "I'm a terrible friend."

"No, you just didn't know what Alex was doing," Kara said with a softly smile, "She was showing you how important you were to her," Kara then reached for Lena's hand, "She was showing you were special."

Lena's breath caught in her throat. She felt the tears gathering as she remembered text messages after text messages telling her of her importance, of her worth. Lena nodded and smiled.

"How do I get her to love me back?" she asked Kara.

"Oh Lena, she already does, but for the longest time she thought you and I… Alex is different. She hates 'stuff.' She likes random acts of kindness. She likes when she is surprised with the presence of the one she adores. But most of all, she likes to be proved she is worthy as well. Something happened when Maggie left. I think she wanted to feel like it wasn't her fault, like if her choice to have kids had never been known would she still be with Maggie. She wants to be put first, just as she puts the people she loves first. She wants to be shown she is worth their love and acceptance. She is not complicated, she just needs someone special to lover, completely," Kara smiled and stared into green eyes, "I believe you are that for her."

The door opened, and Lena and Kara turned toward Cat and Alex. Cat walked next to her as the woman limped putting weight on Cats shoulder.

"Kara, I guess you are my ride, if you don't mind," Alex said lightly and then her brow furrowed, "Besides, me in the medical bay at Deo will give us time to talk. I think we need one LONG chat. Don't you think?" Alex said as she stood there waiting for Kara to make a choice. Kara smiled and walked to Alex and lifted her bridal style. Alex slapped Kara's chest.

"I didn't mean to be carried you brat! You can get us a cab," Alex argued but Kara's smile grew.

"Nope, I'm gonna take you to the DEO as quickly as possible, luckily that's my super speed," Kara smiled wider when she saw Alex turn slightly green.

"I hate flying with you," Alex said softly but grabbed on. She knew Kara would not let go.

"Come Little Luthor, I'll take you to your next destination," Cat said as she reached for the key she took from its hiding spot. She looked to Alex and the Agent watched the blonde, and she nodded.

"Thanks Cat. I'll see you later," Alex said, and Cat simply smiled and placed a hand on Alex's shoulder then ran it down her arm.

"No problem dear, Come Lena Chop Chop," Cat demanded. Lena shook her head.

"I hate it when you boss me around like a minion. I'm your boss you know?" Lena retorted but followed.

"Yes, well, complete Autonomy dear, does mean I run my domain as I see fit. But if we are to be… friends," Cat said it with a sneer like she was tasting the word and found it bitter, then her head tilted as if she could tolerate it, "We will have to be cordial to one another."

"Of course, but I will not be treated like a dog, Cat," Lena grumbled as she continued into the hall behind Cat. When Kara and Alex walked behind them, Cat locked up placing the key in its hiding place, then Cat smiled at Alex. Alex narrowed her eyes, and then rolled her eyes. Cat's grin grew, life will be so much more fun to tease these people. Oh yes, so much more fun.