A/N: Ok, this is a short chapter, but when you get to the end of it you'll know why. Thank you to DaisyJane to the beta!

Uh-oh, we're in trouble,

Someone's come along and has burst our bubble,

Yeah yeah,

Uh-oh, we're in trouble,

Gotta get home,

Quick march on the double,

We been here all night,

And we haven't been home.

Trouble—Shampoo

Chapter Twenty-Six

Tom passed that day in a state of shock. There was a board meeting at Wayne Enterprises, and while he knew that and was on time, he couldn't pay attention to anything that was said. Disaster. This time Alexa's choice of lover was certainly headed toward absolute disaster. What was she thinking? She couldn't possibly- Irrelevant, she was. But Kal?

Was it really possible Superman could love his sister? Lexie had charms aplenty, but they tended to attract jerkoffs who only wanted either her money or her ass. Tom wasn't doing the angrily-possessive brother thing; Kal wasn't suddenly the devil just because he and Lexie were …

He briefly closed his eyes and repressed a shudder. Kal was Mom's and Dad's best friend and he was having an affair with their only daughter. Thomas knew Alexa enough to know she wouldn't give this up, and just because he'd got it out of her this morning didn't mean it had started recently. That tension the other week, for instance. He'd assumed she and Kal had argued about something—she'd been so prickly, and so carefully neutral if his name came up—but Tom had thought it was a League matter, a professional dispute. Now it looked like a lovers' quarrel and one that had definitely been swift to heal. Alexandra was in love, and love was making her rush in. She needed someone to make her slow down and consider what she was doing.

"Tom?"

"I agree with the board," he said automatically.

Terry sent him an extremely quizzical look, followed by exasperation as he realised that Tom had been not-at-all listening. "Well, that's the problem. The board is split."

"Right. Um, shall we take a break? Ten minutes should cool everyone down." And give me a chance to catch up, he thought.

When the room emptied, Terry approached him. "Alright, what's happened?"

"It's Alexa."

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah. But she's … Um … in a new relationship."

"Okay. And this is a problem?"

"I think it could be, yes. I think she hasn't taken time to consider it."

"Alright. When was the last time you stopped to consider one of your relationships, Tom?" his older brother asked, a glimmer of humour in his gaze.

"I take your point, but none of mine have the potential to go quite so far south as this one does." He sighed. "It's not that I disapprove of the guy," Even though I know Mom and Dad will, "I'm just concerned."

Terry's eyebrow quirked. "Who is the guy?"

"Not worth my life to tell you before Lexie does."

"Did she threaten to force feed you the Ferrari?"

"Verbatim."

Terry sighed. "She's serious then?"

"Very."

"What about Mom?"

"Again, telling her-"

"You don't have to tell her what the problem is, but chances are Alexa does have some concerns, or this new thing would have been in the papers weeks ago. She might just confess to Mom as soon as she sees her."

"You think?"

"Worth a try," Terry shrugged.

"Alright, I will. Now what was the dispute in the boardroom about?"

Thomas called his parents that night, having cancelled his dinner plans in order to work out a script that sounded convincing enough, and he thought he had one. Alexa was out, her com-link placing her at the Wayne penthouse. Tom somehow didn't think she'd be coming back to the manor tonight. Before instructing the computer to dial their parents, he glanced guiltily at her location. Forgive me, Lexie. I'm just worried about you.

"Call Mom and Dad."

"Dialling."

A long moment later, Diana picked up, her hair wet and wearing a robe. "Sorry, honey. I was in the pool."

"No problem."

"Is everything alright, glyio mou?"

"Sort of."

"Ah, I thought so. You rarely call just to say 'hello'."

Tom flushed. "Sorry. Um, hello."

Diana laughed. "That wasn't a criticism. More an observation that you are very like your father."

"How is Dad?"

"Busy gardening, would you believe?"

"Hmm, I think I'd have to see it," he grinned, before sobering. "Actually there is something I wanted to ask you."

"Anything."

"It's Lexie. She's fine physically, don't worry, but she's been … off lately." Not a lie. "I think some mother/daughter bonding might cheer her up."

"Why do you think she might be unhappy?"

"I don't know. She's been really snappy with me."

"That's unusual. Normally you two are the best of friends."

"Tell me about it."

"Alright, I'll see if I can cheer her up."

"Thanks, Mom. She's staying at the penthouse."

Diana raised her eyebrows. "Not at the manor? Athena's wisdom, Thomas, what have you done to your sister?"

"I have no idea," he replied emphatically.

"No?" Diana's eyes were knowing, and Tom inwardly cursed. His mother was one of the most intelligent women on the planet, but honestly he thought his problem would have been pulling the wool over his dad's eyes if he answered the phone. "No innocent young girl crying her eyes out over Thomas Wayne?"

"Not that I know of. In fact I- I have a girlfriend."

"A real one?"

"No, Mom, a fake one. It's amazing what you can get in stores these days."

"Thomas."

"Yes, a real one. Her name is Charisma Worthington, and we've been seeing each other for over a month. And I really like her. I think you would too; she really lives up to her namesake."

"Is that so? Well, then I hope I do get to meet her one day."

"Me too," he said honestly. "Thanks, Mom."

"For what?"

"Not being all sarcastic like you could've been."

Diana beamed. "When something means this much to you? Never."

"Still. I appreciate it."

"Anytime, honey. I'll see you tomorrow? The three of us can have dinner."

"Sounds great."

"Good. I love you."

"Love you too, Mom. Bye."

Thomas hung up, and then fervently prayed to the gods that Alexa would confess any misgivings she might have to their mother. Any at all.

It seemed like the time to admit it to herself. Alexa knew she was. She was, she was totally and completely, wholly and properly, utterly and head-over-heels in love. She grinned again and felt another wave of debilitating happiness as she gazed at her sleeping lover. In all their time together she had never seen Kal sleep, but he was sleeping now, and peacefully too. Apparently she'd finally worn him out. Temporarily, she hoped. This morning had woken her, not with a revelation, exactly, but a realisation. She'd known for months she was falling for him, but today she'd come into consciousness knowing she already had. It was as though she'd been swimming in an ocean, right down at the bottom, floating in the deep and coming up only then to realise she hadn't taken a breath. She loved him irrevocably; with such intensity it was a little startling. Unable to help herself, she leaned forwards and kissed him as softly as she could. It was still enough to wake him though; his arm curled around her waist, pulling her on top of him.

They were just getting started when there was a knock on the door. Deciding it was unimportant unless the building was on fire, she continued kissing Kal's neck.

"So not getting that then?" he asked throatily.

"Nope."

The knock came again, and Kal chuckled at the Amazonian growl that left her. "Fine, I'll get it. Don't move."

"I'm not going anywhere."

She put a robe on and left the bedroom, closing the door behind her. No need to give anyone else a treat with that sight. Even if it was such a treat- She opened the door to have her train of thought entirely cut off. "Mom!"

Smiling broadly, Diana came inside and hugged her daughter. "W-What are you doing here?" Alexa stammered.

"Well, I spoke to Thomas on the phone last night and he said you missed me. He suggested we might have a girls-only day."

Alexa clenched her fists inside the pockets of her robe. "Did he?"

"So, I thought I'd fly in and surprise you."

"Well, you've done that!" she smiled brightly. "Um, do you want to make a cup of coffee while I go get dressed?"

"Sure—need the bathroom first though."

She headed that way, locking the door behind her while Alexa 'busied' herself with making coffee. Once the bathroom door was shut, there was that familiar blurring sound, and then warm arms encircled her waist. "I am going to kill Tom."

"It was a little close," he whispered lowly, commencing in kissing her neck.

Alexa kept the moan trapped in her throat, but it still got out as she breathed hoarsely, "Kal, please..."

"Your place or mine tonight?"

She grinned – there was still some lingering soreness from last night. She wondered, not for the first time, just what kind of insatiable sex monster she'd let out of his cage that day; not that she was complaining, of course. Very far from it. "The manor," she told him. "I'll be done with patrol around 2."

"Alright."

With another kiss to her neck, he was gone. She waited three seconds before she whispered, "I love you, by the way."

Then she turned around, cup of coffee in hand, jumped, and dropped it. Kal caught it before it hit the tile. His expression could not have been more shocked. "You love me?"

"You weren't supposed to hear that."

"Why not?"

"Because I didn't know if you were ready to hear it, or if you felt the same-"

And then she was in his arms and he was kissing her and apparently he did feel the same way- Laughing with joy, Alexa flung her arms around him and kissed back. Neither of them noticed the sound of the toilet being flushed. After all, there simply wasn't anything else outside of the two of them. Until-

"Great Hera!"

A/N: Told ya... Review please!