Author's note: Hey guys, here's the 3rd installment (posted just in time for my self-imposed deadline!). Thank you all as always for the reviews, keep them coming! :P I'll see you all again tomorrow :D
Alex spent the next week in the hospital regaining her strength. Each day involved a painful redressing of her burnt back to prevent infection, but, each day she also grew a little stronger and was eventually weaned off the morphine. By the end of the week she was discharged into Kara's care. She walked into Kara's apartment and sat gingerly on the sofa, making sure not to lean back. Kara followed, loaded up with all their bags but carrying them as if they weighed nothing, she dropped them on the floor and closed the door behind her.
"I'll get you set up in my room Alex, I'll take the sofa."
"Are you sure? It's your apartment; I don't want to kick you out of your bed as well." Alex said with a sad smile.
"It's OK! I'll be fine; you need the bed for your back. Anyway remember you're buying all the pot stickers whilst you're here!" Kara stuck her tongue out at her sister and Alex laughed, fully remembering the deal she had struck with the Kryptonian. She moved to get up from the couch and winced, freezing in place as her back spasmed.
"Alex!" Kara sped to her sister's side in a blur and steadied her.
"I'm OK Kara. You can't keep treating me like I'm made of glass; it's just a few burns."
"Alex, you have third degree burns across your whole back. You need to take care of yourself, it looks like you've torn something open, come on"
"OK, OK" Alex conceded as she let Kara guide her to the bedroom. She sat on the edge and gritted her teeth as Kara carefully redressed her wound, wishing for the day when she would be fully healed.
"Have you heard from Maggie?" Kara slipped the question in offhandedly as she slathered cream on Alex's back.
"She's messaged me a few times to check in, make sure I'm doing OK..." She turned her head around to face Kara. "I don't know what to do. I thought I could get over her, over the rejection… But as soon as I saw her again in that alleyway… Kara I care about her, I mean really care about her. But I can't take another rejection, and I don't know how to just be her friend… Maybe it would be better to just go our separate ways…"
"Alex…" Kara took a breath. "I think you should give her a chance. I know what she told you before but… I think she cares more than you think. She saved you that night Alex, you know she was ready to die to save you from that alien? And when I finally did arrive (I'm still so so sorry I was late!)" Kara pulled the saddest puppy dog eyed face at that point. "But when I did and told her to get you out of there she picked you up without any hesitation and ran."
"But she was just doing her job..?" Alex questioned, partly to herself as well as Kara
"I think it was more than that. But you have to decide for yourself. I'm here for you and I will love you no matter what, I'll even rub this ridiculously sticky cream all over you for as long as it takes you to heal." She said the last part with a smile as she tried fruitlessly to wipe the cream off her hands. "Really what is this stuff made of?!"
Alex turned back around and shrugged her loose t-shirt back on over the bandages. Maybe she should try to reconnect with Maggie, even if it was only to eventually reach a point where they could be friends again. Kara wandered off to find some food (that girl was constantly hungry) so Alex slipped her phone out of her pocket and stared at her contacts. After a minute she clicked on Maggie's number and began typing out a message.
Alex: Hey, I'm finally out of the hospital. Thanks for checking up on me. And thanks for saving my life that night, Kara told me what you did. Alex
She went to put her phone down but it immediately vibrated in her hand. She looked at the screen, it was Maggie.
Maggie: Hey yourself! I'm glad you're OK. And you're welcome; I couldn't let my favourite agent freeze to death now could I? I'm sorry about before, I know you need time but if you ever need me, for anything, please call? I'm here for you. Mags
Alex smiled as she made her way to the kitchen to see if there was any food left… Maybe there was hope yet…
It had been a week since Alex had moved in with her sister. It wasn't so bad, they got on well, and apart from having to make sure there was always enough food in the apartment for Alex as well as Kara's enormous alien appetite, things were going well.
Alex was however frustrated… She was on an enforced leave from work (J'onn had insisted she remain away from the DEO until she had fully healed) and it was true she wasn't up to her fighting strength yet, she thought as she tried and failed to open a pickle jar before sighing and setting it down, wincing as she felt the healing skin on her back stretch. But she was just so bored!
She picked up her phone and glanced at the screen, she and Maggie had been exchanging texts since Alex's first message to her. She had been putting the detective off however, whenever she suggested meeting up in person, and Maggie hadn't pushed her further, keeping her promise to give the agent whatever space she needed.
Alex stared at the screen for a few minutes. Kara had been gone all morning, working at Catco trying to fulfil her journalism dreams and the cold alien had disappeared for now so everything had gone back to a semblance of normality. There was nothing on TV and Alex was restless, all her friends were at work. She went back to her phone and quickly typed out a message to Maggie and hit send before she could change her mind.
Alex: Hey what are you up to today? Any interesting cases? Kara's at work and I'm so bored!
After no instant reply, Alex put the phone down and went to take a bath. She was very glad her skin, whilst still sore, was at least healed enough to bathe properly again. She poured in some sweet smelling bubble bath and watched as the steaming water filled the tub. Stepping in she leant back and sighed with contentment. She closed her eyes and let the steam and bubbles engulf her senses.
Thirty minutes later Alex was making her way out of the bath, slowly drying herself off with a towel, when there was a knock at the door.
"Hang on!" she yelled through, before quickly throwing on a pair of shorts and a grey tank top. She pulled her fingers quickly through her short damp curls and tucked a few errant strands behind an ear.
She padded to the door and opened it, wondering who would be coming over in the middle of the day…
It was Maggie.
"Hi." She said a little warily before smiling brightly and holding up a bag of takeout and an armful of files in front as if in a peace offering. "You said you were bored… and I bought Chinese food!"
