"She's stable."

He was looking at the medical report in his hands and he still wasn't sure. Sure, he wasn't DEO director anymore, but Lucy had ordered people to still treat him with the respect and courtesy of the position of director...especially when it came to Alex. Plus, there was the added consent that Alex had given which he knew was mainly because she'd rather the doctor tell him, Kara, and Eliza instead of her having to rehash everything after she was told something. "So, you're releasing her?"

"Yes," Doctor Hamilton told him. "I haven't told her yet, though."

"You don't have concerns?"

"Oh, I have a long list of them," Hamilton said quickly. "But the fact remains that keeping Agent Danvers here is just bringing down her morale and keeping her from being active in any way. She's going to do a lot better in a more comfortable environment and with a routine."

"And her ability to be in the field?"

"I told Director Lane that I think that that needs to be something discussed between her and Agent Danvers."

He nodded. None of his other officers had ever been pregnant while at the DEO. In fact, so far...only two of his officers had kids (well, technically three). "I know military regulations-"

"Right, but I think we can all agree that the DEO is a little more...intense...than normal military deployment," Hamilton said.

J'onn just stared down at the results.

"We've kept it all on paper, Sir," Hamilton said. "Nothing's electronic."

"You understand that my main concern is for Alex and the child, it's not my own-"

"I appreciate that, Sir, but you are also a concern to us," Hamilton said frankly. "I don't care what Colonel Harper said...they're wrong. They don't know you. They don't know Danvers...and what they did to her...to both of you at Cadmus…"

He could sense the anger in Hamilton and feel her forcing herself to calm down. "There's still a threat to them out there-"

"Which is something else I wanted to discuss with the director," Hamilton informed him. "Though many of the agents do not understand what has all gone on at Cadmus and what the situation with Danvers is, they have come to me with concern for her safety...and yours…" She paused for a moment. "In fact, Adler and Benanti have offered for Danvers and you to stay with them in the meantime if that would be helpful…"

"I wouldn't want to put them at risk-"

"Adler went on about how they wouldn't be at risk, but I think that Danvers still needs to be in an environment that is comfortable for her. Right now, that needs to be the priority. She needs to know that everything hasn't been taken from her, that she still has the ability to make choices...that she has that control over her own life."

And he couldn't agree more with her.

"Hi."

"Hi."

J'onn had waited to go see Alex until after she'd talked with Doctor Hamilton and Director Lane. He'd known that she wasn't alone, which brought him comfort, both Eliza and Kara had been with her. He'd also wanted to give her some time to take in what she'd been told and what had been discussed. He'd tried to keep from eavesdropping on the conversation, it was more that he'd just kept a sense out for Alex's emotions.

"Is it okay-"

"You were hiding," Alex accused and then pointed to the chair. "Sit."

He sat down and just smiled at her. She was cheery and there was something about her...something that had been missing since they'd returned...he was glad that she seemed more herself. It was likely partly because of the news of being released, Alex was never one that did well with being confined...especially to medical.

"You already know-"

"Yes-"

"I talked to Lucy and I'm going to take some time off and then figure out what I want to do over the next...however many months...workwise," Alex said. "There are a lot of options, but I really want to stay here in National City…"

"You should do whatever is best for you-"

"Yeah, well I haven't made a firm decision yet because there's the whole...danger thing...and you haven't exactly been exonerated yet…"

"You needn't worry about me-"

"I do need to-"

"Alex-"

"J'onn," she replied in the same tone and they just stared at each other for a long moment. They both seemed to give up the arguing after a moment of shared silence. "Okay, talking about other things…"

"What do you want to talk about?"

"The fact that you don't need to hide," Alex put out there. "Even before this...situation...before these feelings developing between us...we were family. I don't want that to change."

"Neither do I."

Alex stared at him for a long moment. "You said that you'd be in my life in any way that I wanted?"

J'onn gave her a nod. He already knew what she was going to say, what she was feeling. He knew that he shouldn't have his mind open to her, but it was a force of habit. It was also in part to the fear of being rejected in some way. Even though they were a family, all of them, and they knew his true form...there was always this sense of not belonging in the back of his head. There were doubts of being a part of their world and their lives-

"I want us to try this…" Alex said, almost embarrassed in a way. There was blush rising in her cheeks and she looked down for a moment as she motioned between the two of them. When their eyes met again, she was rambling. "It's not because of the baby… I mean, of course it would be better if we were together, but that's not necessary and-"

"How would we...try...this?" he asked with a small smile. As much as he might enjoy listening to her ramble on, it wasn't fair to her. She was already having a hard enough time with everything going on, he didn't want to add to it.

"Normal people have coffee-"

"Are you allowed to have coffee?"

Alex groaned in response to that and he just smiled wider at that. "Doctor Hamilton has obviously never had decaf or she would know that it's not real coffee…"

"Dinner and a movie?"

"I don't think you're supposed to technically leave the base…"

"I can look like anyone."

"That's true, but...that's not the same."

He was quiet for a moment and looked away, thinking about what she was saying.

"What?"

J'onn looked back at her, a sad smile on her face. "The truth is that I always have a disguise on...and I was just wondering which you prefer…"

Her hand was on his face and she was smiling. "I will admit that I am rather used to this one," she whispered. "But I love your face, J'onn J'onzz… No matter the color…" She leaned in and kissed him quickly. "I love you."

"Something's going on-"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do."

J'onn just stopped and stared at the woman that was currently harassing him. Though Lara Benanti was certainly a good agent and friend to all, she also possessed a keen sense of knowing when things were going wrong in people's lives. Though J'onn wouldn't normally say a pregnancy was something wrong, but it was certainly something unexpected. It had impacted lives and would change the course of some. This was the exact reason why Agent Benanti always made herself the unofficial morale officer for the DEO.

"What do you want me to tell you, Lara?"

"What's going on with Danvers," she said with concern. Lara waved a hand. "I mean, I already love the fact that you two are together, because honestly...I think you two were both on the train for the most pathetic obsessive alone workaholic award...but that's something else. I know there's something else going on…" She gave him a look that he knew all too well. "Director Lane knows...so why don't the rest of us? We've known Alex longer and we just want to help."

He allowed for that to sit between the two of them for a moment. She meant well. Benanti always meant well. "She's fine. They're going to release her."

"I told Hamilton that Alice and I would be more than happy to host her...actually, both of you-"

"I wouldn't want to put any of you in danger," he told her as politely as he could. "I don't want to put Charlie in danger."

"You know that we wouldn't have offered if we didn't know the possible danger-"

"If I were cleared, then perhaps...but I know Alex said that she's still thinking about it," J'onn told her. Which was true. Alex hadn't made any decisions just yet. So, he figured that telling Benanti that might give her some solace in knowing that it was being considered.

"Because we're family," she reminded firmly and he knew that she meant it. "All of us. It's little and broken, but still good."

"Are you quoting a movie?" he asked confused.

"Have you see 'Lilo & Stitch'?" Benanti asked quickly.

"No."

"Then no," she said before disappearing.

TBC…