She finally caught up to Winn as he was about to walk into his apartment complex. It was only a short distance away from the DEO, so he just walked there and back instead of using a car.

Much to Alex's luck, it would seem.

She yelled out Winn's name, and he whirled with such a ferocity that Alex felt fear. She usually wouldn't have, but considering the circumstances, it appeared that Winn's anger was more than justified.

"What the hell do you want?"

Alex knew she was in for it. But she couldn't be entirely angry with Winn for this treatment. She deserved it for everything she had said to her little sister.

"I'm sorry, Winn. I'm sorry for what I said to Kara, and I will apologize profusely as soon as I find her. I'm sorry for how my words affected yours and Kara's lives, and it's all so screwed up. But I need to find her, and I need your help. You read the note, Winn. You know how urgent it is that we find her."

Winn shook his head. "I hoped you would be able to get her back and knock some sanity into her head, but the more I thought about it, I don't believe that's a possibility anymore. What, considering you were the one that knocked the sanity out in the first place. How can I trust you with her heart anymore? How can I even look at you after what you did?"

Alex felt like her heart had just been ripped out. Everything was all just so... wrong. It was all so messed up. This should never have happened. She should never have gotten that drunk.

And in that moment, she vowed to herself never to look at a bottle again. Where had that gotten her? Here? Because right now, here was a pretty screwed up place to be.

"Winn, please. I'm begging. I need to make things right. I need to be the one to fix this. You have to help me. I understand you're royally pissed, and you seriously have every right to be. But take it out on me. By not helping, you're hurting Kara too. You have to tell me where she's been staying. I need to talk to her. I think I can help. Please."

Winn's eyes softened when he saw that there was absolutely no malicious intent there. He realized that Alex had just made a mistake.

A colossally ginormous one that should have never happened, but an unintentional mistake nonetheless.

"Kara's been staying with me. I gave her my room and bed and I took the couch. Some of her clothes and stuff should be in there, and she'll be back later today to clear it out. We can wait in there for her. We'll catch her together."

Alex felt overwhelmed with emotions. "Thank you for everything you've done, Winn. You took care of her when I threw her to the curb. I'm so glad you were there for her when I couldn't be. And thank you for agreeing to help."

Winn was still mad, but it was fading. "I just want to be able to wake up tomorrow and see her roaming the halls of the DEO, instead of not seeing her at all. Which is precisely what is going to happen if we let her go through with this."

With that, Alex nodded to him. Communicating through the gesture and her eyes, the emotions that words couldn't possibly convey.

They walked up to Winn's apartment together, and opened the door. And both knew immediately something was wrong.

There were boxes in the apartment, that hadn't been there that morning. That shouldn't have been there at all. Upon closer inspection, they found that it was addressed to charity. When they opened one of the boxes, they found some of Kara's clothes.

Alex felt like she couldn't breathe. She was slowly drowning, and dying, and no one could pull her out of the water. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she realized.

"We're too late."

Winn shook his head, determined. "No. It's not over yet. She doesn't know we know what she's planning. I think she was going to drop off that note right before she left, so she doesn't think we've seen it. Or more specifically that I've seen it."

Alex wasn't quite understanding. "Uh, okay... I don't see how that helps."

"I can text her, and pretend I want to meet up in an hour for a normal hangout. I don't think she'll want to arouse suspicion, so she'll probably say yes. We can just meet her at the arranged spot, and talk to her there."

Alex nodded her understanding. "It's the only shot we got. I say go for it."

Winn pulled out his phone and quickly shot off a text to Kara.

Winn: hey, meet up at the bar in an hour?

They held their breaths as they waited for Kara to respond. The tension only got worse when they saw that Kara was typing.

Kara: uh, ok sure. what's the occasion?

Winn: no reason. just haven't seen you today and thought we should talk about that thing from the other night. i'm really sorry about that, by the way.

Alex was reading these from over his shoulder. "What are you talking about, Winn? What happened the other night?"

He sadly shook his head. "You're not the only person who said stuff they didn't mean. Stuff they shouldn't have said. I made a mistake and I think I might have helped push her over the edge. When I talked to her the other night, I was a little more... forceful... than I maybe should have been."

Alex felt a mix of emotions, but mostly confusion. If this is partly his fault, then why is he so pissed at me? Is it because he just wants someone else to blame?

As if reading her thoughts, Winn replied. "I'm sorry I got so mad at you for something that was also my fault. I said some things I shouldn't have, in a tone I definitely shouldn't have used, and regret it deeply. The only difference is that I wasn't deathly drunk. I said all those things while I was coherent. I guess I'm just extra pissed because I know exactly how you feel."

Shaking his head, he chastised himself. "It's my fault. And I was just blaming you because I didn't want it to put the blame where it really belongs. Me."

Alex didn't know what to say, she was still confused on what exactly Winn had told Kara. Or what about it had been so wrong. But she knew one thing for sure. This was not Winn's fault.

"Alcohol isn't an excuse, Winn. I really messed up, and whether I was drunk or not, it doesn't matter. I should have never said those things. If I hadn't done it in the first place, you wouldn't have been put in a situation that would have caused you to say things you regret. It's not your fault."

She put a hand on his shoulder, and he nodded tearfully. "Thanks for saying that, Alex. But I think I'm still at least partially to blame here."

Alex was about to argue that point, always with the guilt complex, but then Winn's phone buzzed.

Kara had texted back.

Kara: it's fine Winn. i don't blame you. i'll see you at the bar in an hour and then we can talk about it.

Winn: thank you. i appreciate you saying that it's cool. even though it's not at all.

He decided to try his hand.

Winn: been feeling pretty stressed. could prob drink for hours. u up for it?

Kara: uh... can't tonight. i can talk to you, but i have somewhere to go after. sorry. maybe another night.

Alex shook her head, knowing full well there wouldn't be another night. "At least she agreed to meet with you. Just bring her here when you're ready and I'll be waiting."

Winn nodded.

And just like that, he was gone.

Meanwhile, Kara closed her phone and wondered why she had said yes. She was going to leave in three hours. Was it really the best idea to meet with Winn right before? Could it be possible that she'd change her mind?

Oh, who am I kidding? I need Winn to know that I'm good with him. He thinks that he hurt me with what he said, and I can't leave him feeling like he was the reason why I did this. It would destroy him. I'll make sure everything is good with him, and then I'll go. He needs to know how thankful I am for him, and everything he has done for me.

With that thought, Kara took off towards the bar. The one place that made her heart really ache.

Because all she could think about when she smelled the alcohol was Alex.

And how she wouldn't even get to say goodbye in person.