19. Dance Recital

“Alright, get your stuff and let’s go!  We’re gonna be late!” Alex announced to Kara and the kids.

Maggie watched a little helplessly as the Danvers women scrambled around the house getting ready to go to the twins' Christmas dance recital.  The girls looked both adorable and hilarious in their little reindeer antlers and spandex tights.  They even had little noses painted on.  Kara had done an amazing job with their make-up, and the girls looked more beautiful than Maggie had ever seen them, and that was saying something because these kids were just plain gorgeous.

This was not her thing.  She was not the kind of woman who went to kids’ dance recitals.  She was the barfly type, and she wished she’d thought of having a drink or two before they left, but it was too late now.  She wondered what kind of voodoo these kids wielded to make her agree to do this.  She sucked it up and smiled and followed the Danvers family out the door.

When they arrived at the auditorium, they were greeted by Winn and Lena who were chatting by the front door waiting for them.  

“Oh my God, you guys are so cute!” Winn gushed, giving them hugs.

“I agree,” Lena told them, hugging them too.  “You look completely adorable!”

The twins beamed.  “Thank you!”

The adults all exchanged hugs.  Maggie didn’t hug Winn.  She didn’t know him that well yet.  She let him high-five her, though.  He was such a nerd.

“Come on, girls, let’s get you backstage!” Kara insisted.  She and Alex herded the girls away, leaving Maggie with Lena and Winn.  

“Shall we find seats?” Lena suggested.

“Sounds good,” Maggie agreed.

They headed into the seating area and tried to find five seats all together.  A couple minutes later, Douglas and Mon-El wandered in, then James and Lucy followed, not a minute later.

“Hey, hey, the gang’s all here,” the detective muttered.  She was thankful she was sitting by Lena.  At least she was comfortable around her.  She remembered how good it felt to hold onto her.  She kind of wished she could hold her hand right now.  All these people made her a little nervous.  It’s not that she didn’t like them, she just didn’t know them all that well yet.  Suddenly an older blonde woman came to sit next to her, and she turned to tell her the seat was taken, but she stopped when she realized who she was, “Eliza!” she exclaimed with a polite smile.  “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“You didn’t think I’d miss my girls’ dance recital would you?” Eliza replied.

Maggie smiled for real.  “I’m glad you’re here.”

Eliza patted her hand affectionately.  

“Mom!”  Alex and Kara had made their way back out.  They hugged their mother and took their seats just in time for the lights to dim.

There were several different groups of children who were performing - youngest to oldest.  The Danvers twins’ group would be somewhere in the middle.  First up were the four and five-year-olds.  They were so little and uncoordinated, dressed in little Santa skirts.  Some of them had sudden stage fright, but all in all, Maggie thought it was pretty adorable.  She tried to imagine little four-year-old Jessie and Jamie dancing like this.  It was a pretty amusing thought.  She wondered if four-year-old Jessie could take direction, or if she was just all over the place, doing her own thing.  Maggie tried to be patient through all the groups that came before their kids, but it was so hard.  She wasn’t invested in these other kids.

“This brings back so many memories,” Lena commented to her.

Maggie tried to imagine a seven-year-old Lena.  She couldn’t do it.  All she could picture is a much shorter version of the woman beside her.  She’d seen Lena play Just Dance with the kids, so Maggie knew she was very graceful, and it was just so hard to imagine her being young and inelegant at any point in her life.  Plus, it felt a little weird to try to imagine the childhood version of someone she felt so sexually attracted to.  Honestly, who could look at Lena Luthor and not fall completely head over heels, just based on looks alone?  Then add her pleasant, charming, witty nature, and try to escape her thrall.  It just wasn’t possible.  She smiled at her friend.  “I can’t imagine you up there, doing that,” she whispered back.

Lena chuckled.  “My thing was ballet, not modern dance.”

“Ah," Maggie nodded.  "Now that I can see.”

“Did you dance or anything as a child?” Lena inquired.

“No, I liked to smoke cigarettes and watch horror movies," Maggie chuckled softly.

Lena shook with silent laughter.  “Wow, that’s some childhood.  How old were you when you smoked your first cigarette?”

Maggie thought for a second.  “I think I was like seven or eight.  My dad smoked Marlboros, and my best friend and I thought it would be cool to start sneaking them when he fell asleep in his recliner at night after work.  He never suspected me for a minute, but he could never figure out what happened to his smokes.”

Lena snickered.  “I never would have dared touch anything like that in my mother and father’s house.  Boarding school was a whole other story though.  We tried literally everything there.”

“I can only imagine,” Maggie answered, surprised that Lena would do those things.  She didn’t seem the type.  That wasn’t uncommon, though.  Sometimes the ones who didn’t seem the type were the ones who could get away with the most.  She hoped that didn’t bode ill for them in the future.  She really liked Lena.  It would really suck if she turned out to be evil.  If she was hiding more sinister plans, she was quite good at it because she had them all pretty convinced that she was genuinely good.  That, and she’d had more than ample time and opportunity to unleash hell on earth for Supergirl and the Danvers family, but she hadn’t.  She’d only poured love out on them, especially on the twins.  Maggie idly wondered if Lena had been supposed to hurt the Danvers, but bailed on her plans because she fell in love with them.  It wasn’t outside the realm of possibilities, she supposed.  “Did anything stick?” she asked without judgement.

“Nah,” Lena waved her off.  “Wine is my thing.  Makes me feel warm and happy and in love.  I like that feeling.”

“Who doesn’t?” Maggie grinned.  “What’s your favorite?”

“Cabernet Sauvignon usually.”

“I’ll remember that.  Though, I probably could never afford the brands you buy.”

Lena chuckled.  “You’d be surprised.  Just because a wine is expensive, doesn’t mean it’s good.  I don’t like to pay for pretentiousness.”  Yet another reason to like the youngest Luthor.  “I’m also not afraid to try new things, so don't be shy about experimenting.”

“Here they come!” Kara announced excitedly.  She and Eliza had their phones out, taking pictures before the music even started.

Alex had the camera out, ready to take a video.

Maggie didn’t bother getting her phone out.  She’d just get copies of the pics she liked from Kara later.  Jamie and Jessie were poised front and center of the group of dancers, and as soon as the music started, they were off like lightning - shimmying and shaking like Maggie had never seen them.  She had no idea they could move like that!  They were on point with every beat, never out of sync at any point.  They wore matching grins as they performed every trick in the book.  They could high-kick, piruet, cartwheel, roundoff, backflip, splits and more!  Maggie even forgot about the stupid Christmas music and actually really enjoyed the performance.  When the number ended on some cutesy little jazz-hands pose, she stood up, whooping and clapping her hands loudly.  When she sat down, she and Lena grinned at each other.

“Wow, I almost feel bad for the other kids that have to dance with our girls,” Lena chuckled.

“Right?” Maggie agreed.

Kara smirked.  Of course she was listening in.

“Look at that smug Mama over there,” she told Lena.

Lena and Kara shared one of their looks.

Maggie rolled her eyes.  She was beginning to resign herself to the fact that Lena would probably eventually become a part of their relationship.  It was really only a matter of time, she was certain.  Kara was smitten, and Maggie was not immune to the youngest Luthor’s charms either.  She wasn't one-hundred percent sure how Alex felt about the woman, but she knew she at least liked her as a person.  Plus, she never complained about Kara’s crush.  She just asked for more time to get to know her.  That's all Maggie asked too.

They had to sit and watch the rest of the groups, and honestly, Maggie didn’t think she was being biased when she thought that their girls were the best out of everyone.  Even the best of the older kids were boring compared to the twins.  When the lights finally went back on, Maggie stood with a sigh of relief.  Kara and Alex disappeared into the back to retrieve the kids, while the rest of the group filed out to the front hall.  As soon as the Danvers girls came back out, the whole group erupted into cheering.  They got hugs from everyone, and Maggie and Lena kissed them each on the head.  “I am so impressed,” she told them.  “I had no idea you were so good!”

They smiled proudly back at her.  “Thanks, Maggie!”

“Alright,” Alex got the group’s attention.  “Who’s going to dinner with us?  We should probably call ahead with so many people.”

Everyone raised their hands.

The agent counted heads and pulled out her phone.  “Yeah, hi, we’ve got a group of twelve coming in…”

The girls cuddled with their grandma while Alex was on the phone.  Eliza smiled happily down at them, and Maggie felt some warm fuzzies growing in her chest.  They were so cute together!  The elder Danvers caught her eye, and they shared a look of affection between them.  That made the warm fuzzies grow some more.  She was really afraid Eliza was going to mistreat her, but that hasn’t been the case at all, thank God.  In fact, it’s been quite the opposite.  The woman must have taken Alex’s words to heart because she’s been nothing but kind and welcoming, even after finding out about the Latina’s relationship with her daughters.

“OK, we’re all set,” Alex informed them, returning to the group.  She grinned at her daughters, “I’m so proud of  you girls.”

The kids rolled their eyes.  “You said that like fifteen times, now, Mom!” Jamie exclaimed.

The redhead smirked.  “And I’ll say it a million more times before I’m dead!  Make that a hundred-million!”

“That sounds like a pretty amazing deal to me,” Lena commented.

Maggie could sense Lena’s well-hidden sadness.  Her birth mother was dead, and her adopted mother was a homicidal maniac that never loved her.  Maggie could sympathize with her a little.  She hadn’t spoken to her own mother in over a decade, since her parents kicked her out.  She understood how deeply a cut like that from a parent could hurt and fester and never heal.  That’s probably why Alex and Kara’s deep love for their children was something that Maggie found so extremely attractive.  They would never disapprove of their children so much that they would abandon them emotionally or physically.  And why would they?  They had Eliza’s wonderful example to follow.  Alex and Kara did the unthinkable.  They fell in love as sisters and got pregnant with alien hybrid babies before they even graduated high school.  Yet Eliza not only let them stay in her house, she helped support them for years.  Even now, she spoiled all of her girls rotten.  Maggie’s heart ached at how much she wanted to stay a part of this family, and yes, bring Lena’s poor lonely heart along too.  Why not?  They all fit together so seamlessly, it just seemed like Fate itself was bringing them together in order to make up for the wrongs committed against them by their own parents.  And here was one parent who might - just might be willing to love them for who they are and what they want to be.  She prayed to God (just in case he was there) that she wouldn’t fuck this all up.

They milled about for a few minutes, letting the girls talk to their friends, and letting Alex and Kara mingle with the parents and teachers for a bit.  They knew it would take a while for their tables to be ready at Noonan’s.  It was a Saturday night in December, after all.

Maggie looked at Lena with a smirk.  “So, Luthor, did you drive here, or did you get dropped off in your stretch limo?”

Lena chuckled.  “I drove myself, thank you very much.”

“What did you drive?”  Maggie was very curious.

“I just drove my Cadillac.  I didn’t want to be too conspicuous.”

“Right,” the detective answered disbelievingly.  “Inconspicuous Cadillac.  I take it you have more than one car?”

“I do.  Maybe you’d like to come see them sometime?”  

Was Lena flirting with her?  “I’d love that,” she purred back.  “I love cars and motorcycles.”

“I have one of those too,” the CEO told her.

Maggie’s heart leapt.  “You’ve got a motorcycle?”

“I have a motorcycle.”

“What kind?”

“A Ducati.”

“And you know how to drive it?”

“And I know how to drive it.”  The CEO wiggled her eyebrows.

“Be still my heart!”  Maggie put her hands over her heart melodramatically.

Lena chuckled.

“So, can I ride with you in the Caddy?”  Maggie waggled her eyebrows back.

“I’d be honored for you to join me.”  How was this woman so smooth?

“Sweet!”

Eliza wandered over to the two of them.  “How are you ladies doing this evening?”

“Good, thanks,” Maggie answered.

“Lovely, thank you,” Lena said.  “How are you?  Did you drive straight here?”

“I’m well, thank you, and yes, I did drive straight here.  Traffic wasn’t too bad on the way in.  It was worse when I got into the city.”

“Yeah, everybody’s got the Christmas crazies,” Maggie lamented.

“You’re right about that,” Eliza agreed.

“How long does it take to drive here from Midvale?” Lena was curious.

Eliza pursed her lips while she recalled her driving time.  “Usually it takes me about two hours, but today it took two-and-a-half.  I was supposed to meet the girls at the house, but the city traffic was busy and slow.”

“You drove for two-and-a-half hours for your grandkids’ dance recital?”  Maggie could hear Lena’s unspoken words in her head, ‘No one ever bothered to do something like that for me.’

“Of course I did,” Eliza answered matter-of-factly.  “They’re the best part of my life.”

Lena gazed longingly at the twins.  “Me too, to be honest.”

Maggie smiled warmly.  Alex was the best part of her life, but she didn't want to contradict them, so she just said, “They’re the best kids I know.  That’s for sure.”  And that was the absolute truth.

The kids must have sensed that they were being watched because they turned around and looked at them.  “Lena!” one of them exclaimed.  It was impossible to tell them apart at the moment.  They dragged a beautiful young brunette over to the CEO, “Shana, this is Lena!  She used to dance ballet!”  The twins looked so proud of their friend.

The dance instructor looked terrified.  For a moment, Maggie couldn’t figure out why, but then she remembered that people were afraid of Luthors.  “Uh...  Oh!  H-hello, Lena,” the young woman stammered, reaching out for a handshake.

“Hello, Shana.  It’s nice to meet you,” Lena greeted the woman with a gentle smile, warm as always.  She shook the proffered hand like a real person and not at all like a princess like Maggie might have imagined.  Not that the CEO was prissy, but she was elegant and graceful and rich.  The detective chuckled to herself.  Lena was an expert at shattering expectations, that was for sure!

The twins continued their introductions, “And this is Maggie, and this is our grandma.”

Shana shook their hands as well.

“And that’s James, and that’s Lucy, and that’s Mon-El.”  The non-speaking twin (probably Jamie) hit the speaking one (probably Jessie).  “I mean Mike!  Mike.  That’s Mike.”

Lena raised her eyebrow at that, but she said nothing.  

Maggie noticed that they didn’t bother introducing Douglas.  He must have to watch them enough that he’s had to bring them to dance practice before.  Makes sense.  Aliens and criminals don’t tend to have daytime hours.

“Alright, people, let’s move out!” Alex ordered like she was speaking to her troops.  Unlike her troops, the Danvers clan moved a little slower and less organized, which probably annoyed the agent to no end.

“I’m riding with Lena,” Maggie informed her.

“Ummm, OK?” Alex replied.

“I wanna ride with Maggie and Lena!” the twins begged.

“Don’t you want to ride with your grandma?” Maggie asked them.

The girls looked at Eliza nervously.  Like, they didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but they still wanted to ride with Lena.

“Oh, go on,” Eliza brushed them off.  “We’re all going to the same place.”

“Let’s go!” the girls ran outside ahead of everyone.

“Hey!” Douglas called after them.  “Why are you running ahead of the troop?”

The girls sighed heavily, but stopped their feet to wait for the others.  Maggie tried to remember how many times Alex and Kara had told the girls not to run ahead last weekend at the aquarium, and they didn’t listen once.  Why would they listen to him, and not their own parents?

“Where’s your car, Lena?” one of the twins asked.

The CEO pointed her key fob at the parking lot across the street and pressed the button, flashing the lights of her car to show where it was.

“Stay together,” Douglas pointed at the twins and raised his eyebrow at them.  “Stay with Maggie and Lena, you hear me?”  He must take his job of protecting them very seriously, even with Kara and Alex around.

“OK!” the twins answered him exasperatedly.  This had to be a reoccurring conversation between them.

Everyone filed out to their respective cars, with Maggie and the twins following happily behind Lena.  When they climbed into the Cadillac, their eyes got big.  Everything was so shiny and new.  The car must have been pulled right off the lot last week, it smelled so new!  They all oohed and ahhed in fascination, and Lena even let Maggie play with all the bells and whistles in the dash.  

“Oh, man, I’m in love!” the Latina sighed reverently, stroking the leather seats.

Lena smirked at her.  “You just love me for my car.”

Completely missing the joke, one of the twins exclaimed from the back, “Nuh-uh!  Maggie loves you cause you’re awesome!”

“Yeah!” the other one said.

“You heard ‘em,” the detective winked.

Lena bit her lip, and between that and the sexy car, Maggie was starting to feel a little horny.  She hoped Kara didn’t get upset with her.

Lena pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the restaurant, while Maggie fiddled with the radio, trying to find a good song.  Meanwhile the twins whispered to each other in the back seat.  About half-way there, the Latina grew curious and asked them, “What are you girls back there whispering and giggling about?”

“Nothing!” they answered in their creepy twin-sync way.

“Riiight.”  She and Lena shared a look out of the corners of their eyes, and she wondered if she needed to be nervous.  They were good kids, but they were still just kids.  She didn’t know if they pranked people beyond just tricking them about which twin is which.  She hoped not.  She played with the radio again, until Lena started singing along to one of the songs.  She stopped, so she could listen to Lena.  The song was ‘Thousand Years’ by Christina Perri - not a song that Maggie usually enjoyed, but damn, Lena could sing, and she definitely enjoyed that.

“I like it when you sing, Lena!” one of the twins told her when the song was over.

“Me too!” said the other one.

“Why, thank you very much,” Lena answered.  “Can you girls sing?”

“Yeah, Mama , teaches us stuff all the time!” they confirmed.

Maggie turned off the radio.  “Would you be willing to sing us something?”

Without further ado, they started singing a song the detective didn’t recognize.  “B-b-better in stereo!”

“B-b-better in stereo!”

“I'm up with the sunshine. (let's go!)

I lace up my high-tops. (oh, no!)

Slam dunk, ready or not!

Yeah, show me what you got.”

“I'm under the spotlight. (holler)

I dare you come on and follow.

You dance to your own beat,

I'll sing the melody.”

“When you say, ‘Yeah,’ I say, ‘No.’”

“When you say, ‘Stop,’ all I wanna do is go, go, go!”

“You, you, the other half of me, me,

The half I'll never be,

The half that drives me crazy.”

“You, you the better half of me, me,

The half I'll always need, need”

“We both know

We're better in stereo.”

Maggie’s jaw drapped.  Damn, were these kids good at everything?  They could sing and dance like professionals, they could draw really well.  They kicked everyone’s ass at every video game they owned.  They skipped a grade, and would have skipped more, but Alex didn’t want them that far away from their peer group.  (If Kara had to go to school and blend in, then so did her kids!)  What else could they do?  She clapped when the girls stopped singing.  “Wow, you guys!  I had no idea!”

“That was quite impressive,” Lena praised with a smile.

“Thanks!” they both said cheerfully.

“You should be on TV or something with how talented you girls are,” Maggie commented.

“Mama says that would just call attention to us, and that we just need to appreciate being kids.”

“I agree,” Lena told them.  “Just because you’re smarter and more talented than other kids doesn’t mean you need to grow up any faster.  Enjoy it while you can.”

Maggie wondered if the CEO was speaking from experience on this one.  Was she one of those smarter, more talented kids that had to grow up too fast?  The detective wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case.  Lillian wasn’t exactly the warm, supportive type.  And how old was she when Lex started on his reign of terror?

She turned the radio back on and started flipping through stations again.  Sirius had maybe a little too many channels for a person like her to make a decision.  “What do you normally listen to?” she asked Lena.

The CEO shook her head.  “I don’t really, anymore.  I’m usually too busy, and if I’m driving, I listen to talk radio.  You can play whatever you like.  I’m not picky about music.  Perhaps no gangster rap, if you wouldn’t mind.”

Maggie chuckled.  “Not an issue.”  She finally found a Sheryl Crow song on a nineties alternative station, and left it there.  It was the closest thing to her ‘lesbian music’ (as Alex calls it) that she was going to get.  She idly thought about calling up Sirius and asking them to make a channel called ‘Lesbian Music.’  It would make things like this a whole lot easier.  The next song had barely begun playing when they pulled into the restaurant parking lot.

“Hi, Grandma!” the girls waved at Eliza out the window as their car passed her.  Maggie chuckled at them.  They were just too cute.  They still had all their performance clothes and makeup on, waving out the window, grinning like fools - two little crazy reindeer.  After Lena pulled into a spot and turned off the car, the twins ran across the parking lot to their grandma.

Douglas said something to them in French, and the twins stomped their feet and responded in French, seemingly very upset about what he said to them.  Fuck if Maggie had a clue what they were saying though.  She wasn’t even aware the kids could speak French in the first place.  She supposed that was just another testament to how much time the Cameroonian spent with the kids.  He sure knew how to keep them occupied, that’s for sure.  The man argued with the kids for a moment before their mother stepped in.

Alex raised her eyebrow at them, “Do we need to go home and go to bed?”

“No! Please!” the girls whined.

“When Douglas tells you to do something, you do it.  That doesn’t mean do something sideways of what he asked, it means do exactly what he asked.”  Apparently Alex knew what they were talking about?  Did Alex speak French too?  This was news to Maggie, though she shouldn’t be surprised.  Alex was plenty intelligent.  “If you girls can’t follow directions, we’ll all go home and eat Spaghettios.”

“No!  Eeww!” the twins panicked.  “Please, we’ll be good, we promise!”

“You’re at mine or Mama’s side at all times for the rest of the night, is that understood?” Alex was stern.  “You’ve lost your privileges of following anyone else.  Run away from the group again, and there will be consequences.  Is that understood?”

The twins looked properly chastised.  “Yes, Mom.”

She pointed to the ground beside her, and the kids stepped in line on either side, not saying another word.  Maggie didn’t blame the adults for being upset.  It was bad enough when human kids were abducted, but if two Kryptonian hybrids got kidnapped, Cadmus would have a fucking field day.  Eliza may love her granddaughters, but she has no chance at protecting them, unlike their special ops trained mother.

They met up with the others inside and had to wait a few more minutes for their tables.  When they were finally seated, Maggie had Eliza on one side, Lena across from her, and Mon-Hell on the other side.  Kitty-cornered to her were Kara and Winn on each side of Lena, and the others were at the other end of the table.  Right away, Winn started talking to Lena about something that Maggie couldn’t begin to comprehend.

Mon-El leaned over and whispered to her, “Am I supposed to know what they’re talking about?”

She thought about fucking with him for a minute, but then decided against it because she couldn’t even pretend to understand what the hell they were saying.  “Nah, she told him.  Just nerd babble.”

“Ah.  OK.”  He seemed greatly relieved.

She watched as everyone looked over the menus.  She didn’t bother.  She knew what she wanted.  Their bacon cheese burgers were to die for.  She couldn’t eat the whole thing, but the rest was always good for later.  She didn’t usually eat so unhealthily, but tonight she wanted the greasy, meaty goodness.  It was the holidays, after all - time for eating a little junk food.

“Are you eating?” Lena asked her.

“Yep.”  She told her about the burgers.

“Well, I was looking for something  a little lighter.”

“The salmon is great!” Kara offered.  “So is the chicken and rice.  Oh!  And the southwest salad is amazing too!”  Leave it to the Kryptonian to love everything on the menu.

“Thanks, Kara,” Lena smirked.

Maggie sat back and people watched for a while, but no one was doing anything particularly interesting.  Alex, Lucy and Douglas were discussing what brands of tactical gear they liked best.  Kara and James were trying to help the twins decide what to eat.  Lena and Winn were babbling away about God knows what.  Mon-El was scoping out the women in the room, as usual, and Eliza was peacefully looking over the menu like there wasn’t a dozen people’s worth of chaos around her.  

She really liked Eliza.  The woman seemed unflappable.  After all, she'd had to deal with Alex and Kara’s crazy teenage hormones, and the twins that resulted from those hormones.  Plus she literally helped raise an alien.  That was ballsy by anyone’s standards, right?  “Do you know what you're ordering?”  Maggie was curious about what kind of eating habits the woman had.

“The southwest salad sounds lovely,” Eliza answered.  “I might have ordered that cheeseburger, but I don't think it would be a good idea to eat something so heavy while I still have to drive back home.”

“You're not staying the night?” Maggie was relieved, but surprised.

“No,” Eliza told her, “I’m working tomorrow.  I was supposed to work all day today, but I wasn't going to miss the twins’ recital.”

“The girls are so lucky to have you as a grandma,” Lena interjected.

The detective smiled at her.  “Took the words right outta my mouth.”

Eliza smiled kindly at them both.  “I'm the lucky one, I think.  Isn’t it every grandmother’s dream to be able to say that their grandkids are the sweetest, smartest, most talented, most beautiful kids there are?”

Maggie and Lena shared a look of longing and adoration for this woman who loved her family so much.  Maybe she could adopt them too.  God knew they could use a decent parental figure between the two of them.  Not that they needed advice or anything, but a friendly ally was always welcome.

The rest of dinner was uneventful at best, and maybe even a little boring with Winn monopolizing Lena’s attention with geek speak.  Maggie made small talk with Eliza, and tried unsuccessfully to ignore the annoying Daxamite on the other side of her who kept asking her and Eliza stupid questions just to feel included.  How did she end up so far away from Alex, anyway?  The redhead and Lucy seemed to be having a field day at the other end of the table, but she couldn’t hear what they were saying well enough to know what they were talking about.  

When the waitress came by, Maggie whispered to her that she wanted to pay Eliza’s bill.  It was the very least she could do to show her appreciation for the world’s best mother/grandmother.  “If she knows I’m doing it, she won’t let me, so keep it a secret,” she told the server.

The girl smirked at her.  “You got it!”

When Eliza didn’t get her part of the check, the girl just winked and said, “It’s been taken care of.”

The eldest Danvers raised her eyebrow at Kara.

“Don’t look at me,” the younger blonde responded.  Then she looked accusingly at Lena.

“It wasn’t me,” the CEO responded.  “Although, I would have paid for the whole table, if you would let me.”

“Absolutely not!” Kara and Eliza responded together.  At least now they knew where Kara got it from.  Honestly, wasn’t it just prideful to refuse Lena’s kindness?  Surely the woman didn’t go around offering to pay for just anyone when they went out?  Lena was trying to show her affection in her own easy going way, and that way included paying for things, which the CEO could do without batting an eyelash.  They should let the woman show her friendship in whatever way she felt necessary or desirable.  It wasn’t about getting free shit.  It was about Lena’s connection to the group.  And Lena should definitely feel connected to the group.  She was adored by all.  If Maggie wasn’t so enamored herself, she might have been jealous.

“So who paid for me?" Eliza demanded.  "Maggie?”

“Nope,” the detective lied expertly.  There was a reason she was queen of office poker night.  She had a great poker face, and she could lie through her teeth.  Plus she could see a tell from a mile away, but that was beside the point.

“James?”

“Huh?”

“Did you pay for me?”

The big oaf chuckled awkwardly, “Was I supposed to?”

“No,” Eliza told him, “I was just wondering who did.  Who paid for me?” she asked the table.

“Maggie did it,” Mon-El pointed at her.  “I heard her whispering to Tara.”

“Who the fuck is Tara?” Maggie asked incredulously.

“The servant,” he pointed at the waitress.

Maggie smacked him right on the forehead.  “Serv-er, dumbass.”

“Maggie!” Kara chastised her.  “Why did you do that?”

“I’m sorry!  He’s been getting on my nerves all night!”

The Kryptonian shook her head.  “I mean pay for Eliza!”

“I like her!” Maggie defended.  “I wanted to do something nice for her.  I didn’t know it was going to turn into such a big fucking deal, Jesus Christ.”

Eliza softened.  “Thank you, dear.”  She patted the detective’s arm.  “I appreciate it.  Don’t do it again.”

“No promises,” Maggie smirked.

Lena sent her a look of approval.

Maggie winked at her.

“You guys,” Kara shook her head disapprovingly.

“Suck it up, Danvers.  People love you.  Get used to them wanting to pay for you," Maggie grumbled.

The Danvers women sighed heavily.

“You want to ride back to the apartment with me?” Lena enticed her.

“Hell yeah!” she answered.  “Wait, everyone’s not going back there, are they?”

Lena shook her head.  “No, just you, me, and Eliza.”

“OK, thank God.”  Maggie wasn’t sure how much more she could take of the Wonder Boy next to her, or the insane gobbledygook Winn and Lena had been spewing all night.  Winn was like the fucking King of Nerds, wooing Lena to be his queen.

They got up and put their jackets back on and headed out the door.  A few of the group exchanged hugs before heading out.  The twins tried to ride with Eliza, but Alex reminded them that they weren’t allowed to leave her or Kara’s side, so they begged Kara to ride with Eliza too.

“Guess that means it’s just you and me,” Alex snaked her arm around Maggie’s waist with a kiss.

“Uh,” Maggie mumbled.  “I kinda already told Lena I’d ride with her.”

“Oh,” Alex said, a little disappointed.  “Fine, then.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” the Latina told her with another kiss.

“You’d better.”

Lena lead the way back to the Cadillac, and they slid easily into their seats.  Now that they were sans children, she left the radio off, in hopes they could actually have a conversation.  She really wanted to hold Lena’s hand, but she resisted.

“Can I ask you something?” Lena spoke before Maggie had a chance to.

“Go for it,” the detective responded.

Lena took a deep breath in before asking, “What’s it like?  Being in a relationship with two women at the same time?  Isn’t it confusing?  How does no one get jealous?”

Maggie thought about how to answer.  “Well, I’m not sure how we don’t get jealous.  It’s just sexy and comfortable to be together.  No one begrudges the others for spending time together or bonding.  It’s encouraged.  Personally, I don’t find it all that confusing.  It’s not like I'm sneaking around trying to hide one from the other.  It’s all out in the open, and we try to keep good communication with each other.  Scheduling is the most complicated thing we deal with.  Between the kids and all our jobs, it gets pretty hectic, but Kara keeps a calendar written out in the kitchen, so we can always just look at it to see what’s going on.”

“But don’t you feel left out sometimes?” Lena wondered.

“Nah,” Maggie brushed off the notion.  “If anything, I have to tell them when I need time to myself.  They pretty much expect me around all the time, otherwise.  I need my space sometimes, especially after dealing with the kids when they’re hyper.  I love them, but I like the peace and quiet to help me think and relax.

“I’m right there with you,” Lena agreed.  “Do they get upset with you for asking for alone time?”

Maggie shook her head.  “Of course not.  They like their own alone time once in a while too.  It’s just human nature, I think.”

“Yeah,” Lena said almost inaudibly.  Maggie could almost see the gears spinning in Lena’s head.  Was she trying to get information about polyamory because she wanted in?

“It’s just like any kind of relationship.  There has to be open, respectful communication and lots and lots of love and kindness.  Kara and Alex are really thoughtful people.  They kinda make it easy, I think.”

Lena bit her lip.  “I’ve never known anyone to be polyamorous before.  I’ve only heard about Mormons actually going through with it in modern western society.  It’s not a very common thing.”

“No, it’s not.  Most people get too jealous, I think,” Maggie agreed.  “I don’t know why we don’t get jealous.  It just…  feels right.  It feels like we belong together.  Does that make sense?”

“I think so, yeah,” Lena answered thoughtfully.  “How…  How did you know you wanted to be together?  How did it come up?  It’s not a common conversation.”

Maggie smirked, remembering.  “I had broken up with my girlfriend not too long before, and Kara told me that I should stick with them, instead of going elsewhere.  At first I thought she was joking, but the more we talked about it, the more I realized she was serious.  It took me a while to think about it and make a decision.  Ultimately, I decided that we should kiss the girls we wanna kiss, and I…  I just really wanted to kiss them and never stop.”

“So you’ve never been polyamorous before?”

“Nope.”

“But they have?”

“No, I’m the first and only one they’ve added to their relationship so far.”

“Why now?”

Maggie shrugged.  “They feel the same way I do.  It just feels like we belong together.  I don’t know how else to explain it.”

Lena clenched her jaw and swallowed hard.

Maggie had to know.  Her curiosity was killing her.  “Are you thinking about becoming polyamorous?”

Lena looked at her out of the corner of her eye.  “I…  I don’t know.  I don’t know what I’m thinking.”

“It’s OK to ask questions,” Maggie tried to assure her.  “I’ll answer whatever you want to know.  You don’t have to be self-conscious about it.”

“Thanks,” Lena smiled gratefully.  “I appreciate it.”

“No problemo.  Now, can I ask you a question?”

“Absolutely.”

“When can I drive the Caddy?”

Lena chuckled and pulled over to the side of the road.  “How about now?”

Maggie lit up.  “Seriously?”

“Of course.  You’re an officer of the law, I assume you’re a safe driver?”

“I’m an excellent driver,” the detective smirked.

Lena rolled her eyes.  “OK, Rainman, let’s go.”  

They switched seats, and Maggie couldn’t stop grinning.  “This is so awesome!  It’s so smooth!  What a car!”

The CEO smiled.  “I’m glad you like it.”

“It means a lot to me that you trust me enough to let me drive.”

“Please, I have full-coverage insurance.  It’s no big deal.”

“Yeah, well, that’s besides the point.”  They smiled adoringly at one another for the half a second Maggie could look away from the road without crashing.

What was it about a sexy woman in a sexy car that got her so riled up?  She knew she was grinning like an idiot, but she couldn’t stop.  She liked this car.  She was having fun with Lena, as usual.  She really hoped Kara didn’t get too upset with her for being aroused when they got home.  Even if she was driving this car alone, she’d be getting turned on.  Fancy cars were just sexy, plain and simple.  

When they got to the parking garage, Maggie pressed the button and turned off the car, smiling at her friend.  The grin she received in return made her want to grab the woman and throw her in the back seat.  She could see herself ravishing Lena Luthor until she begged for mercy.   This woman was too irresistible.  As they walked to the apartment, Maggie again had to resist the urge hold her hand.  At least she knew she’d be ready, if/when they brought Lena into the relationship.  It was really up to Alex now, and she’d wait patiently until everyone was equally ready.

When they got into the apartment, Maggie greeted her girlfriends with kisses.  Thankfully, the girls were in their room changing, so they weren’t there to make faces.

“You’re happy,” Kara commented.

Maggie smirked.  She knew the Kryptonian would smell her.  “Lena let me drive her car.”

“And that makes you that happy?”  

“Oh yeah!  Did you see that car?  So sexy!”

Lena chuckled.  “I’m happy you’re happy.”  Clearly she didn’t realize that Kara was using the word ‘happy’ as a euphemism for ‘horny.’

“Who wants a drink?” Alex asked cheerfully.

“Me, please,” Maggie answered.

“Lena?”

“No, thanks, I’m driving today.”

“Oh, right.”  Alex got up and poured a couple of glasses of scotch.  “You want anything else?  Water?  Soda?”

“Not right now.  Thank you, though.  Where’s your mom?”

The redhead sat back down on the couch with their drinks, putting one arm around her girlfriend.  “She wanted to stop and get gas.  She saw a good price somewhere on the way out.  She’ll be back soon.”

“So, what are we doing?” Maggie wanted to know.

“We’re just going to hang out here for a little bit, so we can spend time with my Mom," Alex replied.

“Why did you invite me over, if you’re having family time?” Lena asked worriedly.

Alex smiled gently at her.  “Lena, you’re family now, whether you like it, or not.  The girls begged for us to invite you over, and Mom was fine with it.  She likes you.”

“She does?”  The brunette had a childlike hope in her eyes.

“Of course she does," Alex said with a warm smile.  "We all do.”

Lena bit her lip.  “Thank you,” she said softly.  “I’m glad.  I like you all too.”

Kara hugged her, since she was the one sitting on the loveseat next to her.

“You guys spoil me," Lena said meekly.

“Well, you deserve to be spoiled,” the blonde gushed.  “You deserve all the love in the world.”

Maggie and Alex nodded their agreement.

Lena looked like she might cry for a second, but the girls came rushing into the room, and she sucked it up real quick.  Maggie was impressed at how well she could pull herself together, like nothing was ever getting to her.  She’d probably make a great poker player.

“Where’s grandma?” Jamie asked.

“She’ll be here any minute,” Alex answered.  “Just sit down and relax for a while.”

The girls sat on each side of her and Maggie on the couch, snuggling in, as always.  They hadn’t washed their faces off yet, so they still had little brown reindeer noses painted on.  Maggie had to check their clothing colors to see which twin she had in her arms.  She’d tried to memorize the colors that each twin was allowed to wear, so she could tell them apart.  This one was wearing purple pants, so that meant Jessie.  Jamie was on the other side of Alex in pink.  She kissed Jessie on the head.  “You girls did so good tonight,” she told them with a squeeze.  “I’m so proud of you.”

The girls grinned and thanked her.

Not two seconds later, Eliza walked in with a big bag of gummy bears.

“Grandma!” the twins exclaimed, getting up and hugging her.  “Oh boy!” they said at the candy.

“You can have those tomorrow.  It’s a little late for candy tonight,” Eliza told them.

“Aww!” the girls pouted.

“I think you mean, ‘Thanks, Grandma.’”

“Thank you, Grandma,” the girls chanted and gave her another hug.

The eldest Danvers woman sat down on the couch next to her daughter, barely leaving room for one twin to squeeze in with them, so Jamie squished herself in between Kara and Lena on the love seat, while Jessie sat by her grandma.  

“God forbid you girls sit in a chair by yourselves,” Alex rolled her eyes.  “Little cuddle monsters!”

Jessie roared and pounced on her mother, pretending to bite her arm.

Alex tickled her in retaliation, making the girl screech.

Kara rubbed her ears with a grimace.  “OK, no screaming.”

“Sorry,” Alex apologized.

“Sorry, Mama.”  Jessie stayed sitting on her mom’s lap, and leaned back, melting into Alex’s arms.

“I love my little snuggle bug,” the redhead said, kissing her daughter on her cheek.

Jessie nuzzled exaggeratedly into her, making little mewling sounds.

Alex snickered.  “You’re so silly.”

“Can we watch a movie?” Jamie asked.

“No,” Alex answered, “We’re spending time with Grandma.  She’s only here for another hour.  That’s not time for a movie.”

“Can’t you stay longer, Grandma?” Jamie insisted.

“I’m sorry, honey, but I have to work tomorrow.  I told you that already.”

The twins pouted.

They spent the rest of the night making small talk and listening to Eliza and her daughters talk about people and places that Maggie had no idea about.  The twins kept playing their own random game of musical chairs, where they got up about every five minutes to change who they were sitting next to.  By the time Eliza left, with hugs all around, their drinks had done the job, and the Latina was relaxed and ready for bed.

After they were all curled up in bed, Kara turned to her and whispered, “You like Lena, don’t you?”

Maggie smiled at the thought of the CEO.  “Yeah.  Is that OK?”

“That’s great,” the blonde smiled back.

“Now we just have to get Alex to like her, and we’ll be all set,” the detective commented.

“I do like her,” Alex defended.  “I just need time to get to know her better, that’s all.  She’s great.  She’s beautiful and sweet, and she’s great with the kids.  Of course I like her.  I just don’t want to rush things.”

“Gotcha,” Maggie answered.  “Sorry.  I don’t want to rush things, either.  Slow is good.”

The redhead sighed.  “Thank you.”

They all exchanged ‘I love you’s, and went to sleep.