Chapter Text
“Alex they said she was physically okay. Just some scrapes and bumps… but..”
“What?”
“The trauma of this might be hard to heal from. It’s going to be a long hard road.”
“Lena can make it through anything. She’s the strongest person I know.”
“I’m not doubting that… it’s just… Imra can feel her turmoil. Her pain. It’s all at the surface now. Not just this trauma but all of it. It’s like a wave.”
“She will be fine.”
***
Lena spends what feels like lifetimes, but is truly just a number of hours, unconscious. Between the trauma and exhaustion it didn’t take much for her to crash out pretty hard. The doctors gave her pain medications that helped her sleep as they fixed up the cuts and abrasions along her skin. Luckily nothing was too deep nor too serious. Mostly her body is running on fumes. Alex for her part hasn’t left her side once. Kara flanking Lena’s other side. Imra is doing what she can to help soothe Lena’s emotions as the trauma swirls in her unconscious mind. Visions of fire, blood, screaming fill Imra’s mind as she helps in anyway she can.
“She will be fine.” Alex isn’t sure who she’s speaking to. Who she’s attempting to convince. Maybe herself. She doesn’t feel the tears as they streak down her face. Kara crushes her in a hug, holding her sister together. Her sister who has always been the rock. Been the strongest person she knows.
“She is strong. She will be okay Alex.” Kara says as she pulls back. Alex looks up at her with watery eyes. “Rao himself can’t keep you two apart.”
-----
Earlier
“Alex? Alex you came for me.” Lena sobs out grasping at the woman who finally feels real beneath her fingertips. She feels Maggie shift her weight fully into Alex’s arms. Her body protesting any movement but she doesn’t care if it means she will be closer to Alex.
“I’ll always come for you. I love you Lena.” Alex’s hold is almost bruising on the other woman. The two just stay like that and sob together. Alex doing her best to keep Lena together like she’s a fragile doll and it’s her responsibility alone to hold the pieces together. She doesn’t let go even as the ambulance pulls up. The EMT attempts to pull them apart so they can examine Lena, but one glare sent their way has their hands raised in deference.
“Work around me.” Alex grits out. They do what they can with Alex’s body covering most of Lena. The woman slumps in her arms but doesn’t loosen the grip she has on her girlfriend. The only thing tethering her to the earth, to reality. They load her up quickly in the ambulance.
“Rest baby. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” Alex whispers as Lena collapses from exhaustion. Her hands going slack in Alex’s hold. Who for her part holds on tightly to anchor the woman to her.
-----
“Alex.” A hoarse croak comes from the young woman in the hospital bed. She blinks her eyes open at the harsh lights above her. Alex practically leaps from her seated position and puts a hand on her cheek.
“Lena.” Alex sobs out and gives her a bruising kiss. They stay holding each other for several long seconds. Lena gripping at her like a lifeline. Her body screams at her. Her arms feeling heavy and her head feeling as if it were attached to a crash test dummy.
“You came for me.” Lena says again like she can’t believe that’s true. Like she thought she’d wake alone. Alone in a way she’s all too familiar with. That she has someone who would risk their life for her. Risk everything to get her back.
“I will always come for you. We all will.” Alex motions up to Kara who is looking at her with tears running down her face. Her Supergirl suit on still and still covered in muck. Lena didn’t even notice that her hospital room was filled with her friends. Sam, Lucy, Susan, Ruby, Imra are all there. Friends. What a weird thought. Didn’t know Luthors could have them.
“Kara.” She croaks out and is enveloped in a super hug. She can feel her bones begging for mercy but doesn’t speak it. “What happened?” She asks when everyone has had their fill of hugging her to death. It was like a train of hugs by the end Lena’s body is sore in such a good way. A healing way.
“How much do you remember?” Alex asks as she sits on the bed with her. She clasps her hands around Lena’s smaller ones. Worry across her face. Lena sits and shakes her head a couple times to clear things out.
“I…I got your phone call.” Lena tries to think back. Her head feels like cotton. “I woke up in a room that filled with… with fire… it was so hot…” Lena chokes out around tears that have welled up. “Each room was worse…. Then you all were there.” She looks up at those around her. All those faces looking at her. The mirrors flash around them. The laughs. Maniacal. Painful.
“You all hated me. Wanted me dead.” The sobs barely held at bay burst forward then and she clutches onto Alex with all her strength. No one says a word. Let’s the emotions exist among them. All have tears running down their face at this point. The pain is felt within the air. It nearly chokes them all. Imra is doing what she can to help them all but the tole can easily be seen on the empath.
“Then…” Lena says after the tears subside for now. “Maggie? Maggie was there?” Lena looks confused and looks up to Alex’s face.
“Maggie figured out who took you… she called me when she found you.” Alex says. There is still so much between the two women, but to bring her back the love of her life. To save her. It is something Alex will never forget. No matter what else happened between them. Lena doesn’t respond but just holds onto Alex and nods her head. Everything is still so murky. Reality futile. She holds on tight until her exhaustion takes her under once again. Her hands loosen and settle in Alex’s grasp. Alex just watches her sleep for a long time. They all do. They sit in silence until broken by Alex singing softly to Lena.
Ooh, these feet carry me far
Ooh, my body oh so tired
Mouth is dry
Hardly speak
Holy Spirit rise in me
Oo, here I swear
Forever is just a minute to me
Kara looks up at Alex singing. She hasn’t heard her sing in such a long time. She doesn’t know the last time. Tears stream down her face. She remembers this song. She wrote it for her dad. After he was gone. Now she sings it for the woman who she hopes never leaves their lives. Everyone in the room is just dead silent watching Alex hold the love of her life. Sing to her heart. Her soul. Her being.
And I’ll take everything
Mmmm, mmm, mmm
In this life
I’ll join everyone
Oooo, when I die
Have my body
Have my mind
Have my coat
Take my tie
These are borrowed
Turn to dust
Fall apart
The words come out around tears that still stream down Alex’s face. She wishes she could take all of this pain that Lena is feeling and make it her own. Bare the weight of it.
Here I swear
Forever is just a minute to me
And I'll take everything
Mmm, mmm, mmm
In this life
I'll join everyone
Oh, and understand
'Cause all men die (all men die)
'Cause all men die
And I'll take everything
Mmm, mmm, mmm
In this life
I'll join everyone
Ooo, since I'm gonna die
And I'll take everything
Mmm, mmm, mmm
In this life
I'll join everyone
'Cause all men die
The silence is deafening from when Alex finishes. All of them just stand in silence for a number of moments until Sam breaks the silence.
“Lena is going to be so pissed she missed that.” Alex barks out a watery laugh as the rest of the friends chuckle.
“I’ll keep singing to her forever if she wants.” Alex says looking down at her. Stroking her cheek. She had already studied every cut and bruise. Looked over all the charts. She knows she’s going to be fine, but the healing journey will be long. They all sit in companionable silence until it’s broken by another Arias.
“So was no one going to tell me that Alex is American Psycho?” Alex whips her head around, completely forgetting that Ruby didn’t know. She stares like a deer in headlights for a moment, but then just busts out laughing and the others join in soon after. They laugh until their sides hurt. Until they can’t laugh anymore.
“Sorry kiddo. I was going to tell you.” Alex lifts her finger up. “Yes, I’ll still sign whatever you want.” Ruby tackles her in a hug. Levity right now is exactly what they needed. Alexs looks over at Kara who nods her head with a small smile as Ruby chatters on excitedly.
***
Lena is in the hospital for a week. It would have been longer but the woman in question threatened a coup if she wasn’t taken out of that hospital immediately. Her wounds aren’t serious and are bandaged to keep them clean and healing. Alex relents and is secretly thankful. One more night on that hospital recliner and her back would never be the same. She hovers around Lena as she moves to get into the car. The younger woman already exasperated by the hovering hens of Danvers sisters. Alex forgoes any of the fun cars and instead pulls up in her government issued SUV. As she says to Lena the safer the better.
“Alex, sweetheart, love of my life, please stop hovering around me like I’m a Faberge egg. I’m not humpty dumpty. I won’t break. I haven’t thus far have I?” Lena says after Alex gets her settled into the car like a toddler. Buckled her seat and everything.
“I know… I just…. I want to care for you…to make sure you’re okay…” Alex says with a hand rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.
“And I love that about you darling but stop.” Lena kisses Alex and pulls her own door shut before Alex has a chance to. Alex huffs and runs around the car to get in the other side. Their bags are already packed and ready in the car. The deal was Lena could leave the hospital ONLY if she took it easy and went to the beach house. There were no complaints from the woman in question.
“What time are the others set to arrive?” Lena asks as they begin their journey. Alex of course has prepared the all important pop rocks for the road. Lena giggled when she found them and looked over at her dork lovingly. This past week and even prior to have been so intense for the both of them. It’s a wonder she’s able to laugh at all. But when she sees Alex’s face, feels her near, she feels safe. The nightmares still plague her, some waking ones as well, but her physical injuries are beginning to heal. And in time the rest of her will follow.
“Kara said her and Imra are coming this evening. They should be there a few hours after we arrive. Kara had a deadline.” Alex says through a mouthful of pop rocks. “Sam, Ruby, and Lucy are coming tomorrow morning. Vasquez gives her best and says she’ll hold down the fort.”
“Do you think Kash is ready for this?” Lena muses with a laugh.
“For Kara, no. The others, yes.” Alex laughs out loud at the thought. She had called and let them both know that Lena was okay earlier in the week, as well as, called later to say that they were coming to stay with friends. Kash was so excited he nearly broke her ear drum with his whoop and holler. How easily will Kash figure out Kara’s secret? Probably one pancake stack inhaled.
“Alex…” Lena says pulling the woman’s focus from her pop rocks. Well and the road, but mostly the pop rocks. When she looks over she sees Lena looking at her with a soft look. “I never got to thank you… for saving me… and I don’t just mean from the madman.”
-----
Lena wakes up screaming and opens her eyes to see Alex’s worried ones. She bursts into tears and grips the woman tightly. She can hear her soothingly whisper words of love and safety into her hair.
“He… he… he…” Lena chokes out.
“I know baby. I know.” Alex holds her impossibly tighter. Lena’s body is shaking something fierce. The sobs wracking her body. Alex feels her heart crushing underneath it. She’s no stranger to pain. Has had her share and many other’s shares, but this pain feels all encompassing in a way it hasn’t before. This isn’t pain she can cover with sex, with alcohol, with self-loathing. This isn’t her pain. She can’t touch it, but it feels like it cuts just as deep.
Eventually Lena stops shaking. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry Alex.” She sobs out and pushes Alex away yet holds on tight.
“Shuuush shush baby. There is nothing to be sorry for.” Alex says pulling Lena’s face up to wipe the tears from her face. Lena grips onto her wrists. Feels the pulse drum beneath them.
“Alex…” The voice sounds so broken.
“I’m not going anywhere. Ever.” Lena holds onto her. Holds onto her words and lets them lull her back to a fitful sleep.
-----
“I’ll always save you Lena.” Alex says with a serious look. “You never need to thank me for saving my own heart.” Alex kisses the back of Lena’s hand. The one not covered in bandages. They spend the rest of the road trip in companionable silence and all too soon pull up to the beach house. It’s just as spectacular as it was the first time as Alex looks at it in awe. Alex helps Lena out and goes and gets the bags. As the two of them make their way down the stairs to the main house they are met with two familiar faces smiling at them from the base of the stairs.
“Lena!” Kash rushes over and barely contains himself from hoisting her into his huge arms. He does offer her a gentle hug which she gladly takes. He offers his arm and begins to fawn around her in an eerily similar fashion to Alex. John waits at the base of the stairs and offers his own hug. He checks over her cuts and bruises to make sure she is well. Alex had stated as such, but he needs to see for himself.
“Lena, my love. We were both so worried about you.” Kash says as he leads her into the house. She can hear a ruckus from the kitchen and tilts her head in question. “Ah, some of your friends have already arrived. Supergirl and Saturn Girl.” Kash says with a smirk as he hears the aforementioned woman squawk and come barreling out of the kitchen.
Alex drops the bags and tilts her head back with a groan. “Kara are you kidding me?? You’ve been here what 30 seconds??” The others just laugh at her as Kara pleads her case with her big sister. Kash has helped an even more exacerbated Lena to the couch as they watch on.
“It is not my fault! I didn’t say anything!” Kara defends as Alex has her arms crossed and pinches the bridge of her nose.
“You did tell them we flew here on a bus my love.” Imra pipes up and Kara looks at her betrayed as Lena busts out laughing.
“Why are you always flying on a bus hmmm…. I seem to remember you telling me something similar.” Lena says between laughs. She thinks back to early in their friendship and wonders how she never noticed.
“Kara you need to be more careful.” Alex says seriously to her pouting sister.
“Darling.” Lena says getting Alex’s stern attention. “Kash also figured out your secret nearly immediately.” Kara yells a ‘HA!’ at her big sister and feels triumphant. Alex looks at Lena with an eerily similar betrayed look to Kara’s just a moment ago.
“You two aren’t really great at this whole secret identity thing.” John pipes up from his place on the couch with Lena. They get matching pouts directed at them. Lena just smiles and makes to stand. She waves off John and Kash attempting to help and puts her hand around Alex’s waist. She gives her a chaste peck to the lips and nuzzles into her.
“I’m sorry darling but he is correct. How about you go put our bags up in the room and come down and we can all have some dinner hmm?” Alex doesn’t need to be told twice and rushes up the stairs to the room they shared all those many weeks ago. She finds it startling how much it feels the same. The softness. The expansive view. But so much has changed. She runs her hands along the bed. And just sits and stares out at the water for a long moment. She is startled out of her musing as she hears laughter filter from downstairs. Luckily some things haven’t changed. She makes her way down to see the kitchen has been vacated for the deck. A whirlwind mess has been left instead in a very Kara fashion. Lena is seated on the daybed and looks up when Alex walks out. She sends her a smile and reaches out a hand for her to take. Once she does Lena pulls her down and leans against her. Her body soft and safe against her. She will be okay.