"Danvers," Alex answered now balancing her phone against her shoulder as she kept a close watch on the simmering attempt, she was making for dinner that night. Brooks's first since the official move to National City. Kara had already both teased and praised Alex's efforts after hearing about her sister's wanting to make her new pet a more home-cooked meal before being called away for 'hero work'
"It's Sawyer."
Alex's now trembling hand immediately moves to turn the stove off, dinner be damned considering the voice coming from the other end of the line.
"I hope this is alright, me calling like this." Maggie goes on hesitant now.
"No, no, of course I mean it's fine." Alex hears herself answering already wanting to bang her head against the kitchen counter at how 'lovestruck teenager talking to her crush' her voice sounded at the moment. "Brooksie and I were just making up something for dinner." She waves off and then remembers Maggie wouldn't actually be able to see her movements given this was a phone call, not a video call.
Her rescue glances over at her yawning sleepily from one of the several dog beds Kara had gifted him since the trip back to National City from Gotham in her sister's own not-so-small attempts to make Alex's new dog feel at home. His so valiantly rescued plushy cat that Kara had taken to calling 'CJ' (Catra jr) nestled between his paws as the lounging dog apprised her. Not surprisingly CJ had become Brooks's favorite of his slowly growing collection of toys since being adopted into the Danvers family.
"I like your new look by the way." Maggie says after an approving hum over the open line.
"Kara sent you the video already?" Alex asked nervously now as she sinks onto the sofa closest to Brooks's chosen bed for the moment.
Maggie asked to be kept in the loop on how Brooks was settling in before truly allowing the dog to leave her care for his new placement Alex readily agreed much to her younger sister's amusement if the not-so-light teasing that had followed all the way back to the hotel had signaled.
"More like the string of pictures I'm guessing came after the video but yeah. She sent it to me." Maggie corrects her tone taking on a guilty melancholy to it before she brightens again as she adds "seems Brooks is proving himself a real super pup just like I've said he was all along." In praise.
"Yeah, he is." Alex smiles in agreement slowly reaching out to run her fingertips through the rescue's scruff as she spoke. Brooks who'd just started to doze off woke at once to nuzzle against her hand before closing his eyes once more now more or less attempting to use CJ as a pillow as he attempted a pre-dinner nap.
The video in question is a product of Alex's in hindsight rather impulsively deciding she wanted to have her hair cut before truly going back to work now she had Brooks by her side to start 'dipping her toe back in' as it were.
The salon they'd stopped at just inside National City limits, like most, had a rule about not allowing pets as they'd dubbed Brooks to be with only an ESA notice from entering.
Not wanting to cause a scene mostly because she could see Alex already getting upset about the restriction Kara had offered to sit outside with the equally upset pup so long as Alex was seated at one of the chairs within sight of the front window so she and Brooks could still keep an eye on the grumpy Alex while still obeying the asking of keeping the dog outside.
From what Alex had seen before her hair session was started was Kara sitting with her back against one of the light poles outside the place having pulled out her phone to presumably try and persuade the dog sitting unbudgingly facing both the window and Alex's newly designated seat to watch another 'She ra' episode with her.
The next second however Alex had been struggling to free herself from the salon cap snapped around her shoulders at the wet feeling of the stylist wetting her hair for the pre-hair cut washing she hadn't realized she'd agreed to whilst watching her sister and her dog exit the shop.
Brooks she would only notice later was already pawing at the door wanting entry at the sight of her distress.
The salon door jungles dully as Kara pulls it open with what seems to be extreme care despite her hurried steps and nervous manner regardless of being out of camera range as she films.
Brooks bolted ahead of her charging directly at Alex who was still seated and reclined in the salon chair struggling to free herself from the black cap that snapped at the back of her neck as the sounds of still running water pounded against her ears. Brooks making the jump up into Alex's lap quickly takes the edge of the thing between his teeth in his own attempt to help free her but Kara steps in to undo it herself whilst somehow still managing to catch every second on film.
The surprised chattering of the salon workers at the sudden flurry of actions lost in the background of Kara's off-camera whispers.
"He can't get to you Alex, your safe."
"Can you match my breathing, Alex?" when the seated woman's understandable mid-panic attack breathing picked up once more in worrying intensity. "Remember? Just like you would do for me during the thunderstorms after I came here..." Kara tries regardless of the fact none of the attempted words of comfort are working.
Brooks managed to wedge himself between Alex's trembling flaying hands his paws now resting against Alex's shoulder as he sits up on her lap until the two were more eye level. The pup let out several deliberate but gentle whimpered barks in his own attempts to gain Alex's haze-lost attention as a few more drops of water slid down her neck from her dampened hair.
The camera angle slides as Kara decides to set the still running thing against the edge of the salon station table to go attempt to explain the outburst to the two waiting and warry salon workers lingering in the video background when it looked like Brooks rather than herself had broken through the latest water-related attack on Alex's healing nerves.
Alex's arms closed as tight as she dared attempt around Brook's unbudging weight. Not that the dog seemed to mind the few times Alex's clearing mind deems she was holding him too tightly as her breathing evened out as she clings to him.
The video ended with Alex shyly apologizing for the outburst once she'd regained more of her rational mind than Kara's honest surprise to find the thing recording at all as she scooped her phone back up.
"but it was just a trim really, I shouldn't have…." Alex started to say only for Maggie to give an interrupting "Alex stop" that has the listening woman's voice, heck her very breath stalling in her throat as she curls up even tighter along the arm of the sofa closest to the pet bed Brooks had picked. The start of a few soft doggie snores fills the silence as Maggie gathers her thoughts.
"I'm not pretending I know what you dealt with, but I can say I know the stress of the job we do." Maggie begins "I can also guess you're trying to push yourself before you are truly ready for them."
Alex ducked her head bashfully at the spot on call out. "I have people who count on…"
"Those are the same people who care about you too Alex." Maggie interrupts "the same people who will understand that you need time to work out in your own time how to properly handle what happened to you."
The listening woman lets out a slow breath at this. "I know it's just…."
"Alex."
The soft sigh of her name has Alex's heart flipping in her chest to hear. "I know I've only known you a short time, but I think I'm safe to say this without you somehow reaching through the phone to punch me."
Alex giggles at that. "Maybe, depends on what your gonna say."
"You might be an insanely smart, beautiful, and somewhat intimidating badass." Maggie starts off making Alex blush to hear. "but you're also not Superwoman. You don't need to carry the weight of the world."
Alex physically bites the inside of her cheek to keep her from arguing "No I'm more than that, I'm Supergirl's big sister" To herself "I've felt like this since I was a teenager." Alex says instead. "Being the strong one, pushing down my feelings, it's natural for me."
Maggie sighs slowly on the other end of the line. "I get it, sort of, I was an only child growing up so I can't easily relate to being someone's big sister." The cop muses "but you are also human Alex, you're going to have bad days same as any of us."
A not-so-light jostling signals Brooks's move from his bed to the sofa. CJ nudged over the separating space the still sleepy dog left between them before Brooks circles and lays down once more with a tired yawn. "What's up?" Maggie probes at Alex's hiccupped pause as she watched this.
"Brooks." Alex answers.
"Well yeah, one he already adores you, so he's worried for you also he's most likely hungry, you did say I called in the middle of making his dinner." Maggie chuckles
"I don't mind and neither does he." Alex corrects reaching over slowly to card her fingers through her sleepy dog's fur.
Maggie gives a soft chuckle at that. "Go eat nerd." She instructs "I'll see you around Danvers." She adds lingering a little longer than she normally would.
"See you, Sawyer." Alex agrees somehow leaving off the 'soon I hope' wish before she lets the call end.