Chapter 10

Maggie talks to Lucy for a little longer, enjoying her friend's presence. Alex stays silent and she keeps watching her out of the corner of her eye. Other than the initial surprised expression she makes at Maggie, Alex is pretty emotionless. Polite, but emotionless. She's not sure whether she should be impressed or intimidated by her blank expression as she listens to Maggie and Lucy talk.

"So how is Kara doing?" Lucy asks Alex once she and Maggie have caught up enough. Since they're both pretty stoic military type women, it doesn't take long. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's okay." Alex is quick to assure her. "Kara's nervous and excited. Do you have any idea how the people will react?"

Lucy purses her lips and shakes her head. "No I don't. Sorry, Alex. The people I have heard talking about her have all been in awe and afraid of Kara. Not enough to be alarmed about, but enough to be noticeable."

Alex sighs and runs a hand through her hair. "Then that article is going to have to come out sooner rather than later. It's better for them to know the truth than to have a bunch of whispered theories. Hopefully her connection to Superman will reassure them."

Lucy nods thoughtfully. "I'm surprised he isn't here right now."

Alex scoffs quietly and rolls her eyes, assuming they wouldn't notice. After all, she is used to being the second favorite sister. But of course they do and Maggie speaks up about it.

"You don't like Superman?" She asks curiously.

It isn't in the tone she is used to when she accidentally lets slip that she doesn't like him or worship him as much as the public does. Maggie sounds genuinely interested in Alex's response.

Alex pauses and thinks of how to word it. "I respect what he does and why he does it. But as a person and as Kara's cousin, no I don't like him. He just dumped her here, abandoned her. He was her last living tie to Krypton and he left after a few days."

"Doesn't he visit?" Maggie asks.

"Sometimes, but not often. It sometimes feels like he only comes out of pity instead of actually wanting to see her. And..." She trails off for a moment, ready to let out the words she has been holding in since she was fourteen years old with a new alien sister. "He acts like she's this fragile thing. Like she needs to be protected from all the bad in the world by him."

"I forget how my brother-in-law is a terrible cousin sometimes." Lucy murmurs then speaks louder. "I don't understand why he acts like that, she's stronger than he is."

"Literally," Alex remarks.

Maggie blinks, taking in this new information. "Literally as in mentally or physically?"

"Both." Alex says confidently, smirking proudly at how impressed Maggie looks. "We've tested her strength against Superman's. She is stronger. Plus, she saw her entire planet die. Everything she knew and lived was ripped away from her yet she's..." Alex waves her hand vaguely, not sure how to word it.

"She's a puppy wrapped in a blanket of sunshine," Lucy provides.

Alex laughs at her friend's description.

"I don't know how she does it," Maggie says honestly, then squints up at the sky. "Hey, Danvers. Is that...?"

Alex looks up, following her new partner's line of vision. Her eyebrows raise as she recognizes the familiar sight of her sister flying around. She's doing it more freely than she used to. It is different seeing her like this than when she would have to fly in the dead of night so she would not be seen. Alex grins when she hears her sister whoop happily.

Kara turns towards them and sees them in the courtyard. Her face breaks out into a wide smile and she does some loops in the air. Being able to fly, to feel the wind in her hair, without having to worry about being seen is even more incredible than she used to fantasize about. Feeling the sun on her face as she flies is so much better than she expected.

The suit Winn made for her is holding up nicely and she loves how the cape snaps in the wind. She makes a mental note to gush over it to him later.

Kara does a few more tricks and loops in the air before she lands in front of her sister. The impact of her feet hitting the ground nearly makes the girls fall.

"Kara, you landed a bit hard." Alex remarks when she regains her balance.

"Oh!" Kara's eyes go wide. "Sorry! I'll work on that!"

"It's fine, Little Danvers." Maggie says.

Kara pouts at her for a moment because of the nickname then perks up when Lucy laughs. She squeals and rushes over, picking up Lucy and swinging her around happily.

"It's so good to see you again, Lucy! Or should I say Major Lane?" Kara asks, pride evident in her voice.

She sets down Lucy but stays close to her.

"Either's fine, Kara. Now, what's this I hear about you revealing yourself to the world?" Lucy raises an eyebrow, looking unimpressed but Alex can see a hint of a smirk.

"They could have killed Alex!" Kara retorts.

"I heard. I also heard you have the idiots that tried to kill you." There's a glint in Lucy's eyes that makes even Alex nervous. "Take me to them, I'll make them talk."

"Torture doesn't work," Alex reminds her.

"Who said anything about torture?" Lucy raises an eyebrow at her. "I'm pretty good at talking."

"Talking," Alex repeats. "Sure, Luce. If you really want to, talk to J'onn first."

"Fine. Kara, come on." Lucy takes Kara's hand and starts walking towards the DEO. "We have so much to talk about."

Maggie turns to Alex as they watch them walk away. "I'm impressed by how well they get along. You know, considering the while James situation."

Alex hums in acknowledgement. "Kara isn't the type to hate someone or to hold grudges, and they were good friends even when they both liked him."

"That is something I couldn't manage with any of my exes." Maggie remarks, mentally going over the depressingly short list in her mind. "Yeah, I would highly doubt that any of them would like to see me again." She shrugs, already used to the idea that she could die alone. Even if it horrifies her family. "What about you, Danvers?"

"Um, exes?" Alex's voice is slightly higher than normal and Maggie immediately starts paying more attention to her. "I really haven't dated anyone in a while."

Maggie wants to press, to find out why, to see if her crazy hope that maybe Alex is into girls is true. Though even if that were true, she might not be Alex's type. She snaps her mind out of that line of thinking, mentally scowling at herself. Alex seems uncomfortable at the subject of her dating life, so despite her curiosity, Maggie drops it. 

"I bet I can take you down next round." Maggie says instead in a teasing tone.

Alex sputters for a minute, eyes wide. "What?"

"I meant, I will beat you next time we spar."

She smirks at Alex, fully aware of what her dimples does to gay women (it's helped keep her bed warm on a few cold nights ). Alex blushes and looks at the sky, seeming flustered.

Maggie's smirk gets bigger. "Why, what did you think I meant?"

"I, uh." Alex trips over her own words. "Nothing." She clears her throat and steps back into the clearing. "There's no way you'll be able to beat me." Alex sounds cocky and Maggie can't decide whether she likes flustered Alex or confident Alex better. "You haven't yet."

"Oh yeah?" Maggie goes worth the taunt. "There's a first time for everything. Bring it on, Danvers."

They spar until the sun starts to set, then they head back inside the castle. Maggie carries Alex's shirt and gear out of chivalry despite her shaky, tired limbs. Alex doesn't even seem winded after all of their training and Maggie is impressed by her stamina. She wonders what Alex's stamina in- No. She cuts off that line of thought as well.

"You know I can carry my own stuff, Sawyer." Alex says as they walk towards Alex's room to drop her things off.

"It's your reward for managing to win a couple times." Maggie responds.

"A couple times?" Alex sounds amused. "Maggie, you were on the ground about as often as you were fighting me."

"That's because you cheat, Danvers." Maggie scoffs, bumping her partner with her hip.

"At hand to hand combat?" Alex asks incredulously, snorting out a laugh which makes Maggie start laughing too.

They calm down after a moment and drop Alex's stuff off in her room. Maggie can't say she is surprised by how orderly it is. Everything has it's own place.

"Do you think J'onn will let us go out tomorrow? At least to patrol?" Maggie asks as they head to the dining hall.

"I don't know," Alex shrugs. "It was a few months after I became a knight before he let me out into the field."

Maggie sighs. "Darn. No offense Danvers, but I don't really want to stay here and train every day."

"None taken. If I give him my version of Kara's puppy dog eyes he might cave and let us take down someone in the city."

"You have your own version of them?" Maggie questions.

Alex stops her from walking and trains the cutest pleading gaze in her Maggie has ever seen. She barely resists the urge to do something stupid like go "aww" or kiss her new partner.

To make Alex laugh and to distract herself from her thoughts, Maggie turns to her incredible sense of humor. "Are you sure you and Kara aren't related?"

This was a fluffier chapter featuring Maggie starting to realize her feelings for Alex! Thank you all for reading and for your lovely comments! Stay awesome!