Alex woke to the feeling of cold sheets where there should be a warm body. She blinked sleep from her eyes, and then lifted her battered body up. She hissed as her ribs told her to stop moving but it wasn't as bad as it was yesterday. She moved her knee and winced slightly. It was much more mobile but hurt like hell. She looked around and hoped to hear Lena, hoped she would come through the doors of the med bay, but she didn't. Alex looked to the rolling tray that once held her Chai. She found a letter instead.
Dearest Alex,
I could not bring myself to wake you. You spent 13 hours in this bed, and I waged war with myself on waking you with a kiss goodbye, or writing this note, and pressing a kiss to your forehead. The later pleasure, while not as delightful, won out. You needed rest my dear. I had some things I had to take care of at L-Corp.
I know you understand, but I don't want you to think that I am putting my job ahead of you. I will leave you this promise. I swear everything I said, and every request I voiced last night stands. Alexandria Danvers, I love you.
I'll See You Soon,
Lena
Alex looked at the note and read it three times and let a smile touch her lips. She nodded. It was one of the sweetest things someone had done for her in a long time. Now, to repay the favor. She hit the call button. The nurse came into the room, as did Jonn.
"When can I get out of here, and when can I talk to Winn?" Alex demanded. Jonn almost smiled at his earth daughters irritated tone, but he read her, and nodded to the nurse to get the doctor. He sat in the chair next to her.
"I see a lot of things have happened, Alex," Jonn said waiting for Alex to tell him. Alex nodded.
"I would like 6 months, but no more than a year to shadow you, and to ease into leadership roles and command Ops. I am getting tired of being in this bed," Alex said as she indicated to her body.
"Does this have anything to do with Lena?' Jonn asked. Alex looked into the space above her feet and tilted her head.
"I believe she is a catalyst to speeding up this decision, yes. But we both know I would take over eventually," Alex answered as honestly as she could. Jonn nodded and accepted her request and her answer. He stood.
"I'll get Winn into interrogation. I'll be behind the glass so it's not as intimidating, but I have read him many times, Alex. He thought he was letting a trust friend, and DEO member, have access to tech that could help him in his crime fighting job," Jonn said as he put air quotes around the word Job. Alex nodded and then sat up when the doctor came into the door.
"Fix me up. I want to leave," Alex ordered. The doctor practically squeaked to a halt with his sneakers on the floor. He looked at Jonn. Jonn nodded.
"Alright Agent Danvers, but you will be on medical leave for a week, to let the knee heal up, and Desk duty until you can beat Jonn in the sparring room," the doctor said, and Alex glared at the man. Jonn and the doctor held their breaths.
"Done," then she looked at Jonn, "In one week, I am going to kick your ass," Alex smiled and Jonn shook his head and grinned.
"I'll get Winn ready," Jonn said and then dismissed himself.
Alex walked stiffly with a new knee brace, just one of those neoprene braces you can get anywhere to keep the joint semi stable, but the doctor and Alex talked about it and it would be good to use it, just not over use it. She slowly rounded the corner and found her knee beginning to hurt, and then out of nowhere came Jonn, with a cane. A Simple deep brown, lacquered wooden stick, with a rubber tip on the end, and rounded top. Alex looked at it, and then she tilted her head.
"This one looks cool. I like how it looks like a tree," Alex said as she began to walk and took the weight off her knee. She sighed as she felt the pressure ease.
"I thought you would want something more rustic, like a walking stick and not a walking cane. You have been injured so often. I made it for you," Jonn nodded as he looked forward. Alex looked once more to the cane. She smiled and looked to her Martian father. She only had to think her thanks and her affection. Jonn grinned and then opened the door for Alex.
Alex eased into the room and saw her friend, her buddy, her Pictionary partner on game night. Winn looked up from the table and shot to his feet to help Alex, but she held up her hand. She didn't dismiss him, she just needed to get to the chair. He took it out from the table and eased it to the table as she sat. She let him fret. She left him feel sorry. When he sat down she saw his red rimmed eyes, and the stubble on his face.
"Looking scruffy there, Winn," Alex smiled.
"Who's scruffy lookin?" Winn shot back. They laughed at the Han Solo one-liner and then Alex reached out to place a hand on her friends.
"Winn, I need to know what happened. I will not lie to you, you are being investigated, and Jonn is on the other side of the glass reading your mind," Winn pulled his hand from Alex's and looked at the mirrored glass. Then his head hung.
"He has changed so much since becoming the Guardian, and then when he went public it's like he was above the law, above everything," Winn began, and Alex listened to her friend talk. The way he spoke it sounded like he need to talk for a very long time.
"Recently though, since Lena broke up with him, he has been cruel, and demanding," Winn raised his eyes to Alex's, they shimmered, "He did this," Winn said and opened his shirt and Alex saw bruising around his rotator cuff, and shoulder. Alex took a breath.
"Winn, did he force you to gain access to confidential and top-secret equipment?" Alex watched as Winn looked down and then he nodded. "Winn, I need you to say it. What he got into, just because he was dumped, this is reckless, he could have killed someone," Alex said.
"He could have killed you!" Winn shot at her as if he was saying what she couldn't, "Don't spare my feelings Alex. You are beaten up again because I let him into the K-X prototype lab."
"Kara took a grappling hook laced with kryptonite to the shoulder," Alex said and then Winn's face crumpled.
"I didn't know that. I swear I didn't know that, and I didn't know he was going to do any of this. I just thought he wanted to fight crime, like Kara," Winn whispered.
"But he is not Kara, Winn," Alex slowly stood, using the walking stick as support and walked over to her downtrodden friend. She reached out and placed her hands on his shoulder. "Winn if it is forgiveness you need it is given, no questions asked, but you do know that you are in trouble, right?" Alex asked, and Winn nodded as he looked into her eyes. "Now tell me the truth. Did he make you give him access to the top-secret R&D lab?" Alex waited and then the man leaned his forehead to her abdomen. Alex breathed through a small tremor of pain as his head pushed on her ribs. Then he nodded.
"Yes," Winn confessed, "I am weak, and I would not fight him," Winn jabbered on, and Alex looked to the mirror and nodded. Jonn walked through the door and Winn pulled his head from Alex's stomach and looked at Jonn afraid for his life. Then Jonn stepped to the side and the doctor that looked over Alex went to Winn.
"Agent Schott, you are put on probation for three weeks. You will not have any computer or access to any type of device that could give you access to any online service," Jonn was interrupted.
"Even Netflix or Hulu?" Winn gasped. Alex smacked his good shoulder.
"Any way you can hack into anything. If we find out you have been in any mainframe, you will be released from your DEO contract and handed over to the authorities with ALL of the information we have collected on you for the past 5 years," Jonn looked into Winn's eyes, "You are not the best the DEO has, but you are a valued local asset. Make a wise choice," Jonn then walked from the room.
Win looked to Alex, "Probation for three weeks and I will be free and clear?" he asked.
"No, they will be monitoring every electronic device you have at home and here to see what you will be doing Winn," Alex clasped his shoulder, "Might want to clear your internet browser of your Klingon Porn," Alex joked and then followed Jonn, leaving Winn elated, and in the good of hands with the doctor.
"Hey Alex?" Winn called out and Alex stopped at the door, "Thank you, but if I can't touch a computer, you might as well keep me in here," Alex looked at him then nodded.
"I'll get you some of those awesome adult coloring books, sudoku, and whatever else you might want, if you are serious," Alex said narrowing her eyes. Winn straightened his shoulders, as best as he could.
"I committed a crime and could have gotten my teammates killed. I deserve this," Winn said jutting out his jaw. Alex nodded and then went in search of Jonn. When she found him, he was in the command center hands behind his back.
"I already know, and I will put him in a cell if he wishes. I might let him out early on good behavior," Jonn joked. Alex smiled and shook her head. Then she looked at Jonn. His gaze flashed to her and he shifted his posture.
"No," he gritted.
"Yes," Alex ground out and then Jonn walked away from her. She could not keep up and she took his arm. "Give me James," Alex demanded. Then her eyes softened, "You can be in there with me, so I don't get hurt, Martian father," Alex whispered.
"I hate when you use that against me," he said sighing and looking toward the ceiling and then he looked down at Alex.
"You will be in there and he will be chained to the table. If he even moves he will be considered volatile and treated as hostile. Understood?" Jonn said setting his stipulations. Alex gripped her new walking stick and grinned.
"Deal."
James sat in DEO issued prisoners coveralls. His face was scratched, and he had a black eye, but other than that he was no worse for wear than after one of his heavier guardian nights. Alex sat across from him and looked to his hands handcuffed to the table.
"You are nothing more than a pet bitch to Lena now too I see," James said toward Alex. Alex sat there, and her eyes narrowed.
"Yeah, I thought you had it bad for her, but let me tell you something about the high and mighty Lena Luthor. She will destroy you Alex. She will take your weak little heart and crush it in her hands. It's only a matter of time," James smirked as Alex glared at him. "I was the only one who could have put the Luthor in her place."
James sat there smug throwing insults at the woman he once had feelings for. Alex just sat there watching him. She could swear there was something off about James. She looked at his skin, searched his ears, his neck, any blemish that could be an implant. But there was none.
"So, have you always been a friend beating ass hole or is that new?" Alex said as if there wasn't a care in the world. She watched as James hands clenched together on the table. She saw his hand pulling on the chains. She knew he was trying to test the strength of the cuffs.
"Titanium Jimmy," Alex looked down to the cuffs, "Won't break, not that you, a human, plain ordinary human, could make them break," Alex smirked as she saw James's jaw clench.
"What is it with you and power Jimmy? Your best boyfriend Superman could do it without you, so you move. Your blonde girlfriend could go about her new life without you, she ditches you, leaves you on the side of the rode, then shacks up with an Alien. Oh Jimmy, poor poor Jimmy, I guess you weren't …. strong enough," Alex watched as James hands clenched tighter. Her hand around her cane loose but grasped to defend none the less.
"Oh man, and then teeny, tiny, human, little Lena Luthor. Oh yes, you seemed to have put her in her place alright, with high tech armor. What in the hell kind of MAN goes after a little weak human, with K-X armor?" Alex sighed bored, "I guess you weren't man enough, or..." Alex smirked, "Good enough."
That did it, finally he snapped. His hands slammed down on the table and he stood up as if to charge her. Jonn was behind him faster than lightning, but Alex wacked her walking stick down on the table cracking his hands. He yelped and struggled against Jonn, but the Martian held him easily. Alex looked at James with rage filled eyes and then placed her cane back on the floor tip first.
"You are nothing than a little boy, who was told no, and couldn't handle it. You need shit tons of therapy," Alex watched the look in his eyes, the out he foresaw, his get out of jail free card, "But I am going to stick you in a hole, where no one can find you," Alex said as she stood.
"You don't have the authority," James spat. Then Alex turned around with a glimmer of the devil in her brown eyes.
"Didn't anyone tell you? I am now Co-Director of the DEO," Alex looked at Jonn and he nodded. Jonn slammed the man in the chair as Alex wobbled out of the room. At the door she heard his voice, and it dripped with venom.
"I beat the shit out of you, didn't I?" James said as she turned around then Alex simply stood and cocked her head and smiled.
"You were beaten Jimmy, by a healing woman, with broken ribs, a sprained ankle, and healing shoulders, with no DEO armor. Oh yeah, who's in handcuffs?" Alex looked down at her hands then up to James, "Not me," The Alex walked away and then she turned to the agent near the door, and loudly ordered.
"Get him his new identity, his new credentials, and his new accommodations," The Agent nodded and walked barely down the hall then turned to look at Alex. Alex winked one last time to James.
"Like I said before, A hole, where no one will find you, because they won't even know it's you," Alex walked off, whistling Beethoven's Ode to Joy.
"Ma'am, are we really going to do that to James?" they asked, and Alex looked pointedly at the corporal.
"If I did how would you feel about it?" Alex asked.
"Honestly, I think he deserves it. He could have killed many people, especially with the explosion but," then the corporal looked into Alex's eyes, "It should be as James Olson, so the world would know he got his ass kicked by a chick in a dress when he had anti-alien tech on," he supplied. Alex chuckled and clasped the corporals shoulder.
"However much any of this will be fun, we are part of the government, and therefore we will uphold the laws set for everyone. Just because we are a black site government institution, we are not above the law. Besides, I can't let James go. He knows too much about too many things here, especially where we are, who we are, and who Kara is," Alex said and then patted the corporals shoulder and went to the command center and waited for Jonn.
"You did good in there Alex. He is evidently deranged, emotionally broken," Jonn said as he looked down to Alex sitting in a chair watching the comms and the monitors.
"I also heard what you said to the corporal. I don't think I could have said it any better, but you must know we do take orders from the president, and if she will deem it so, we will execute her orders," Jonn said. Lesson one. Directors took orders from only the president. Alex nodded as she absorbed her first lesson.
"Go home Alex, you need a vacation," Jonn said with a smirk and handed her the keys to one of the unmarked escalades, "It will be easier to get in and out of, especially parking garages of a certain CEO's building."
Alex smirked and took the keys. She patted herself down. Wallet, phone, and now keys. She looked at her watch. It was barely 1:15 in the afternoon. She took out her phone.
Alex: will you be at L-Corp for much longer?
Lena: I have a meeting with a Korean shareholder at 3. I'll be free right after that.
Alex: No worries
Lena: Thank you
Alex smiled down to her phone and then climbed into the SUV. She started it up and drove into the light of a new day.
L-Corp…
Lena pinched the bridge of her nose as she felt the migraine building right behind her eyes. She finally kicked out the long winded Korean shareholder. She could have sworn they were not as chatty the last time she had a meeting with them. She leaned back in her chair and simply breathed, trying to take the stress of her day with her with each exhale. She could not shake thoughts of Alex when she was bored in her meetings, and she was constantly rattled when she remembered Alex's lips and hers melded together.
She heard voices outside her door, and squeezed her eyes shut. No, please, no more today. She sat up straight, took up a pen in her hand, and put on her corporate CEO takes no prisoners mask. She heard a small thump, thump, thump, and then the door slowly opened.
"You cheat," she said as she smiled and got up from her desk and walked over to Alex. Alex held in her mouth a paper bag, in her left hand a tray of warm drinks, and in her right hand a wooden cane. Lena took the cargo from Alex, bag in one hand, drinks in the other and looked at Alex. Alex's eyes glimmered, smiling at her, and then the agent stepped tentatively into Lena's space, not touching, but Lena could feel the heat coming off Alex's Jeans and the chill from her leather jacket. Alex leaned forward. Her chest brushed Lena's as Alex's lips caressed her throat in a soft open-mouthed kiss and then she stepped back. Alex looked at Lena. The woman's lips where parted, and her breathing was a soft pant.
Lena had never been told hello quite like that before and she found her body loved it, she found she loved it even more when Alex leaned from her and licked her lips. Lena was overjoyed to find that the kiss to her throat, where Alex kissed her last night had affected them both.
"Hello," Lena said with a smile and then turned to sofa and the coffee table and put their treats down. She then turned around. Alex had not moved, she simply stared at Lena. Lena walked up to the woman and placed her hands on her cheeks and drew her in for a kiss. It was one of hello, and promise. When Lena felt Alex's hands slide around her waist and then pull her closer she deepened the kiss, the door opened.
"The investors from Arizona from that mining company have made a surprise visit in town," Jess looked up and saw Lena's hands on Alex's face," then looked back down, "How about I schedule them in the afternoon, and clear your morning?" Jess looked at her tablet.
"Jess it will not be necessary," Lena said and then looked to Alex, "Agent Danvers was simply saying hello," Lena smiled mischievously, "You don't need to shift anything." Lena looked to Alex, "We will work it out, together," Lena said but there were questions in her eyes. Alex nodded then kissed Lena on her cheek and then sat down. Surprising herself and Lena.
"The rest of your day is clear, Miss Luthor," Jess said and before she left she covertly winked at Alex. Alex smiled as she took her hot drink and sipped. Lena looked to her desk and then to Alex. Already the woman began setting up their chess board. Yes, Lena dubbed it 'their' chessboard.
"The more work you do now, the less you have to do later. I'll be right here, and we can play," Alex smiled. Lena blinked as she turned around, she wiped moisture from under her eye. Then returned with her files. But it was Alex's hand that squeezed hers.
"Just because we are… more than what we were, does not mean the little things have to change," Alex turned over Lena's hand and kissed Lena's palm, "The only thing that's different is that you know," Alex said and then met Lena's eyes, "You know I love you and have loved you for a while now."
Lena smiled and blinked. She would not cry, she spent so much time, crying she will not continue to do so now. She spent so much wondering, thinking, running scenarios in her head. Lena put the files on the table and reached out for Alex. Lena slid over on the sofa and pressed her body into Alex's as she claimed her lips. This was different, it was hungry and wanting. Alex melted into Lena as she began to tilt back on the sofa. Lena lifted herself over Alex's body, wary of her ribs, and took, tasted, and treasured the mouth that she could not keep her thoughts from. She was lost. Lena Luthor was a slave to the simple kiss of Alex Danvers.
After the heavy session of touching, kissing, connecting, the woman lay on the couch, cuddled together. Lena lay half on and half off Alex, trying not to hurt her, but no matter what, Alex was a walking pain minefield. So, Alex, not wanting to be apart, breathed through the pain until she was able to be comfortable with Lena on her as she was. Lena let the woman stroke the hair at her temple and lovingly massage her scalp. Lena was half conscious as she drew little circles on Alex's arm.
"Lena?" Alex said quietly, afraid to ruin the moment. Lena simply let out a small hum to let Alex know she was there.
"Can I love you?" Alex whispered. Lena's eyes focused as the words ran through her mind. She blinked but moisture fled from her eyes. She could not breathe, she could not speak, because speaking required you to be able to breathe, dummy. Her analytical brain teased with her.
"Can I please love you back?" Alex said as she trailed her fingertips up and down Lena's spine. All Lena could do was nod. Alex took her tighter into her arms.
"I love you," Alex whispered near her ear. The whisper ghosting across her ear lobe, and Lena shifted and held herself up and looked into Alex's eyes.
"Please don't hurt me, Alex," Lena begged as she stared into Alex's eyes. Alex's eyes softened, and she pulled her head to her and kissed the left side, then the right side of her mouth, then softly, yet ardently she took Lena's lips.
"Never," Alex whispered as she took a breath. Lena's forehead rest against Alex's.
"I guess we are a full circle pair, huh?" Lena smiled. Alex chuckled.
"No, we are equal," Alex kissed the woman in her arms once more before resuming their previous positions. The only difference was the racing of their hearts.