A/N: Is it even worth trying to justify all the additional chapters at this point? Starblaze Knight wanted a fourth chapter and that's all it took to get me writing again.
So, I would say this is definitely the end but I don't trust myself at this point.
Big thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing and being cool with me continuing to add stuff even when I say it's done. I'm so grateful.
I hope you enjoy this (supposed) last part.
"Listen to me, okay? You, Alex Danvers, have absolutely got this."
Alex bounces her leg, leans against the wall in the DEO hallway. A stammer of a breath pitters out of her lungs and echoes through her phone to Maggie. "What's to stop me from failing again? I've failed two of them now, Maggie."
"Third time's a charm," she teases and Alex can feel the smile on her girlfriend's lips; a little laugh replaces Alex's shaky exhale. "And even if you do fail, I'll be with you tonight with 'I'm sorry you failed' ice cream, and then you'll try again next week."
"Okay," Alex says and grips her cellphone, the knot in her stomach loosens just a bit. "No big deal."
"Exactly. No big deal," Maggie repeats.
"Plus, failing this one doesn't mean I have to stop physical activity, like last time." She drops her voice to a sultry octave and tugs a laugh from Maggie this time.
"See, Danvers? You've got all the important things covered at this point anyway."
Alex grins and her heart thunders even though her stomach hurts with nerves when she checks the time and realizes she has her cognitive test scheduled in five minutes. "I have to go. It's time."
"You're going to do great, babe. I know it, all right? No stress."
"Thanks, Maggie. I love you." Alex cracks her fingers and straightens up, smoothing her shirt as she loops an internal pep talk through her head. Every word sounds like Maggie's.
"I love you, too. I'm getting off work now, so I'll be there when you're done."
"You mean when I pass?" Alex adds, a cocky smirk on her lips. It's time for confident, collected Agent Danvers to take over.
Maggie grins. "That's my girl."
/
She knows it didn't go well the second her eyes land on Alex's hunched form, on the shoulders slumped and hands fidgeting in the empty hallway. Maggie quickens her steps and Alex is nearly in tears the moment Maggie reaches her.
"It's okay," Maggie says immediately and stops in front of Alex, the detective spills out words, desperate to strike something that will alleviate the pain she sees etched across Alex's features. "Don't worry about it. It doesn't mean anything important." She hates to see a test disintegrate Alex like this, tear her apart every week. But failing has always been especially hard for Alex, seems to unsettle something deep and ingrained inside her.
Alex doesn't say anything, just grabs Maggie's wrist and leads her into an empty interrogation room. The agent drops Maggie's arm when they enter, twists to lock the door. When she turns back around her tears have already begun spilling over.
"It means everything important," she cries and Maggie pulls her into a hug. Alex stands limp as Maggie strokes her hair and holds her.
"I know, I just meant that it's not permanent," Maggie says. "You'll get it next time, I can feel it-"
Alex shakes her head, a sob falling from her lips. "You said that last time."
"-And you still have me and Kara, no matter what. You still have your job, you can still do science, and I know it doesn't feel like it right now, but this isn't the end of everything. You only need the cognitive test for the field at this point. It's not the only important thing." Alex shakes her head and Maggie continues. "I know how much this means to you, Danvers, and I'm so sorry."
Alex sniffles. "It feels like I can't do anything right and you all have to baby me like I'm fr-fragile, like I'm going to break."
"No, Alex, you are so so strong. That's not even a question." Maggie interjects but Alex continues.
"And here I am crying and we were supposed to have—have fun tonight and you're wasting all your time with me because I can't get better. I can't. I'm worthless at this point."
"That's not true, Danvers. You are not a waste of my time and you are never worthless. Plus, you're already getting better, babe."
"Not fast enough!" Alex yells and pulls out of Maggie's embrace. "I was so close this time, Maggie! I was so damn close." Her eyes squeeze closed and her fist clenches tight and she kicks the leg of the table, foot smashing into the metal.
"Shit."
She hunches over, her head hitting the table. She freezes. Her face visibly pales as she looks up, anger simmering into fear.
"I'm so stupid. I am so stupid." A hand raises to grasp her head.
"No you aren't," Maggie whispers and pulls Alex toward her as the fight drains out of the agent's body. "You're just hurting. It's okay. It's understandable."
Alex looks up at her with big, water eyes and bottom lip quivering again. "I'm sorry," she breathes out. "I didn't mean to do it and I didn't mean to fail and I—" Her breath trembles. "I'm sorry."
Maggie shakes her head. "Don't be. Come on," she loops her arm around Alex's waist and presses a kiss to her pounding head. "Let's get you home and put some ice on that."
Maggie doesn't let go of Alex at all that night while they sleep. They don't talk after they climb into bed, they say everything they need through gentle touches and firm embraces and steadied breath and synchronized heartbeats.
/
"I need to pass this time, Maggie. It's been a month," Alex says into the phone. It's the same situation all over again. The same thing, the fourth time.
"You need to do the best you can do and we'll figure out the rest later, no matter what happens."
"Last time sucked," Alex says as she spins slowly in her office chair in the lab
"But you were so close."
"The third time is supposed to be the charm."
"Whoever says that is an idiot. It doesn't even mean anything."
"Maggie, you said that." Alex smirks a little, sticks out her foot to stop her spinning.
"Whatever."
Alex laughs and Maggie feels a smile tug across her lips at the sound.
"You're going to do great, babe."
"I'm pretty sure you said that last time, too. It's a curse. Take it back."
Maggie rules her eyes. "You're going to suck. Like that better, Danvers?"
"Absolutely not. You know what I like." She sticks out her tongue and wishes Maggie were there.
The detective snorts. "Okay."
She glances at the clock on her computer screen. "Shit, I have to go."
"Go get 'em, tiger."
Alex laughs and scrunches her nose as she drags a hand through her hair. "Stop being weird. Should I expect to see you when I finish?"
"I wish, but I'm about to get wrapped into a debriefing. I'll do my best to get there as fast as I can though, all right?"
"I guess," Alex says dramatically.
"Bye, softie."
"Bye."
"I love you. Good luck."
"Thanks, Maggie." Nervousness curls in Alex's stomach, she squeezes her eyes closed and takes a deep breath. "I love you, too."
/
It's an hour later when Alex leaves the exam room, test done and results processed. Her head is ducked, lips tugged down to suppress a small smile as she crosses through the crowded bullpen. She has to preserve some of her badass reputation here at the DEO. But then she hears her name and she knows it's Maggie before she even looks up and any semblance of stoicism is lost.
"I got out early," Maggie says, voice carrying across the room.
A grin splits across Alex's face, she's bright eyed and beaming.
And suddenly the distance between she and Maggie is far too large and closing far too slowly, so she picks up her pace and if she jogs (…runs) a little, no one says anything.
When Maggie's within arms' reach Alex tugs her forward, crashes their lips together. Maggie grins against Alex's own smiling mouth as they kiss, presses up on her toes and pulls Alex closer.
"Danvers, wow," Maggie says when they break apart, both a little breathless.
"I did it! I passed!" Alex is smiling so wide, radiating so much happiness and love that moisture gathers in the corners of her eyes.
"With a kiss like that, I figured," Maggie says with her own smile. "I'm so proud of you, Alex. I knew you could do it."
"I couldn't have done it without you. We did it." She doesn't know what she's ever done to deserve the woman in front of her.
"You're my ride or die, Danvers. I couldn't let you slip away."
"I'm so lucky you're my girlfriend, Maggie. I'm so damn lucky."
"Me too." Maggie smiles.
"No." Alex shakes her head. "Like, I'm so lucky. I can't ever thank you for staying with me through all of this. For always knowing what to say or what to do, for never getting frustrated. I'm so lucky," she says again. "and I'm so grateful."
"I think I know the feeling," Maggie says with shiny eyes and big dimples. "I'm so proud of you, Alex."
A beat passes with eyes locked and lips smiling, before Alex pulls Maggie into a tight hug and if the detective's feet lift off the floor… well, no one says anything about that either.