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Alex strode into the tower with her eyes glued to her phone. She had a steady stream of tiktoks that she had to catch up on from Kara that were probably sent while she was patrolling the night before. Normally the tower was quiet for the first few hours of the morning, only she and Brainy were morning people. She froze as she stepped off the elevator and into the main room. There were significantly more people in the room than usual. 
 
Kara and Lena had clearly come quickly because they were not in their normal clothes. Kara was in gray sweatpants, a hoodie, and converse. Lena was wearing leggings, a NCU sweatshirt, and adidas sneakers. She was seated at her normal workstation while Kara stood behind her but was leaning over her shoulder. They were both engrossed in whatever was on the computer screen that Lena was scrolling through. 
 
Nia and Brainy were behind another workstation also on a computer. They had both clearly just been woken up as well and were wearing pajamas. Brainy’s fingers were flying across the keyboard almost as quickly as Lena’s were. 
 
The newest unexpected addition to the group was Sam, who was nervously pacing the length of the room. Alex slipped her phone into her pocket and cleared her throat. “Does anyone want to tell me why everyone is here before the sun is up? I know at least three of you like to sleep in on your days off.” 
 
Kara huffed as her crinkle deepened while Brainy spoke, “An unexpected law passed this morning that was not passed in the future. We must figure out how to make this right. The repercussions could be disastrous.” 
 
Alex put a hand on her hip as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “Ok, and it couldn’t wait? How serious is it?” 
 
Kara turned to face her, “It’s an anti-alien law. Any unmarried aliens are being deported.”
 
“Well that’s bullshit and xenophobic. But I don’t see the reason everyone is freaking out. You and Lena are engaged.” 
 
Lena’s eyes flickered from hers to where Sam was pacing. Alex felt her heart speed up but didn’t dare look at her sister who she knew was listening. Sam crossed her arms and looked down at her feet. “They’re trying to help me. I woke up to an alert in my email that said I had one week before Ruby and I are deported.” 
 
“Where the hell are they even sending you? Surely there’s not somewhere big enough. They can’t just send everyone random places and hope you can all acclimate.” 
 
Kara sighed and wrapped her arms around Lena’s middle. “They’re sending them to a sister planet of Argo called Eros. The council has been working on building up this planet for a few years apparently, in case something happened. They wanted to have a place to go. But then Lena helped stabilize Argo and now they have a whole planet to use that is uninhabited for the most part. Apparently the president made a deal with the council to get people there… in the worst way possible.” 
 
Alex frowned deeper at her sister’s words. “So, let me get this straight… the government made a law to force people off Earth to inhabit this planet that nobody except kryptonians are living on currently?” 
 
Brainy was the one to speak up this time, “Yes. That is exactly what is happening.” 
 
“Let me see this new law,” she said. In a rare instance, Kara walked over and handed her a piece of paper that someone had clearly printed. She quickly scanned the document to see that it checked out. It stated that anyone who was a registered alien and was unmarried, they would be ‘moved’ to this sister planet. “So what do we do first?” 
 
Lena spoke up, “We’re trying to find something that we can use to let people stay or at least choose if they want to go. Naturally there are some aliens that do not want to stay on Earth. They have already been portaled to this new planet. Apparently the council has spent time building housing, making sure there are food sources, and started building up industries for work there.” 
 
Kara’s hands moved to rest on her hips in her traditional Supergirl stance. “We’re not going to just let them deport people. It’s wrong.” 
 
Lena swiveled in her seat to grip Kara’s hips gently, “We will do whatever we can to stop them. But you need to not get involved yet.” 
 
“Why not!?” 
 
“Because I’m not willing to risk the government getting pissed off with you and making you leave too. Our engagement predates this law so it seems we have a bit of additional time, even if we’ll have to move the wedding up a few months. But no good will come from antagonizing them. So you’re going to release a statement that we craft, and that’ll be it.” 
 
Kara huffed, her arms crossing over her chest. “I don’t think it’s fair that I can't yell at people.” 
 
Sam’s voice came from behind them all, “Lena’s right. I don’t want anyone getting in trouble or deported trying to help me. Kara, you should just make the statement they come up with and let it be. The last thing I want is for something to happen to you as well. Worst case scenario, Ruby and I start over again. It’s not like we haven’t done it before. We could do it again.” 
 
Lena shook her head, “That’s not going to happen. I promise you. We will find a way to fix this. You guys are not going anywhere.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Ten hours later and they had gotten nowhere. The law was pretty tight about what constitutes grounds for deportation. Sam had left around 7am to take Ruby to school, leaving them to continue researching the situation. Nia and Kara had to leave around 8am for a staff meeting that neither could miss. That left Lena, Brainy, and herself to continue working on the situation. Alex found herself growing angrier each time she hit a roadblock. Sam had fought so hard to overcome Reign, they all had. It wasn’t fair that she was going to be deported when she finally had a family for the first time in her life. 
 
“Don’t stay too late guys. The situation will still be here for us to solve tomorrow,” she called out as she grabbed her keys. 
 
“You’re right Alex. Nia has been texting me for the last two hours about different ideas for our wedding. I should attend to those soon,” Brainy replied. 
 
Alex chuckled softly, “Maybe Lena can give you some ideas for wedding venues. I’ll see you guys later. Tell Kara she can come in late tomorrow. We could all use the sleep to think of a solution.” 
 
Lena gave her a nod as she rubbed her eyes, “Alright. If you think of anything let me know. We won’t be here long.” 
 
Alex gave a nod and headed out into the cool air. She placed a quick order for pizza and salad, before deciding to go see Sam and Ruby. Over the course of the day she’d progressively gotten more anxious at the thought of not being able to see them when she wanted. The duo had become some of her favorite people to hang out with. More often than not, she could be found on their couch watching a movie or helping Ruby with her homework. There was more to it than just that though. She’d always felt a pull toward Sam even before she knew about Reign. There was something magnetic about the business woman who was also part kryptonian. Part of her wondered if it was just growing up with a kryptonian that made her feel a kinship to Sam. But the longer she was around her, she knew it was more than that. Once Maggie had left, the answer had been staring her in the face. Alex was attracted to Sam in more ways than one. Of course she was beautiful and intelligent. She was independent but also knew when to ask for help. She was fiercely protective over her friends and family in a way that Alex could relate to. 
 
Ruby was at the door throwing it open by the second time her knuckles hit it. Arms wound around her waist as a head buried itself in her stomach. “You can’t let them send us away!” Alex’s hand dropped to the back of Ruby’s head as she met Sam’s sad brown eyes from across the room. 
 
“I’m not going to let them send you away Ruby, I promise.” Ruby looked up at her with unshed tears filling her eyes. Alex knew she’d do whatever it took to not lose them. She gave Ruby a squeeze and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Come on, let's go have dinner and we’ll talk about it later.” 
 
The pair shuffled inside and Alex locked the door behind herself. Sam had pulled out plates, silverware, and drinks for them. It wasn’t uncommon for them to have dinner more than a few times a week together. They had a little routine that Alex realized she loved possibly more than sister’s night. That realization hit her square in the chest and brought tears to her eyes. She set the pizza and salad down on the table for them to dig into but it was oddly quiet. 
 
“I mean it. I’m not going to let you two get sent anywhere. I promise we will find a way for you to stay.” 
 
The trio shared pizza and salad quietly. Their usual conversation was stilted by the stifling pressure of figuring out how to keep them on Earth. Alex could almost feel her heart breaking when she thought of not having the ability to just pop over and see two of her favorite people. Ruby was quick to leave the table after eating two pieces of pizza and some salad. It was indicative of her mood that she didn’t want to stay and hang out. She retreated to the living room to watch tv quietly while Sam and Alex moved to clean up. 
 
“We’re going to figure it out, Sam.” 
 
Sam was normally in an upbeat mood when Ruby was home but it became clear that wasn’t happening today. “I don’t see how unless you magically have a man hiding in your back pocket that will marry me.” 
 
Her first instinct was to laugh it off, even if the thought of Sam marrying someone else sent a pang of jealousy through her. She could only hope that it didn’t show on her face. Once she had time to think about it though, it was like a lightbulb went off in her head. It may not be exactly what Sam had in mind but she had the answer for the short term. “Marry… me.” 
 
Sam’s eyes opened wide and Ruby lit up in her peripheral vision. “What?” 
 
Alex knew how ridiculous it sounded. They were cleaning up dinner dishes. She had no plan and no ring. She couldn’t even find the courage to ask Sam on a date no matter how many times she tried. As soon as the words came out of her mouth though, she was at peace with her decision. She could still make this right. She could help them and they could stay.
 
“Marry me. You guys don’t have to leave then. There was nothing saying that the relationship had to be long-term. I’ve read the law backwards and forwards today. All you have to do is be married to and living with a human partner. It says nothing about the sex of that partner or the length of time you’ve been together. Ruby will be safe because she’s a minor. This buys us time without having to fight a legal battle. We get married and move in together, then you two are safe.” 
 
“Alex, I can’t ask that of you.” 
 
“You aren’t asking, Sam. I’m the one who is asking. Ruby, can you go upstairs for a little bit while we talk?” Ruby didn’t put up a fight and immediately hopped off the couch and headed to her room. 
 
Sam crossed her arms, “Alex, this is too much to ask of you. You want a family. You want a future. I don’t want to stop you from getting those things.” 
 
“And who says I would be stopped? The way I see it, I gain a wife and daughter. And if in a few years they change the law and you don’t want to be married anymore, we get a divorce.” 
 
Sam frowned, “What if you meet the love of your life while we’re married?” 
 
Alex gave a sad little smile, “I’ll be honest with you Sam. I’m not sure I want to meet the love of my life. The last time I thought I’d met my soulmate, she crushed my heart and soul. You’d be doing me a favor. I can’t imagine my life without you and Ruby in it. It makes me physically sick. So marry me, please.” 
 
Sam bit her lip as she looked away, “At least sleep on it?” 
 
Alex smiled, knowing that was as good as

yes.

“How about this, I’ll sleep on it tonight. If I still want to marry you tomorrow morning, I’ll pick you up for lunch and we’ll make plans.” 
 
Sam ran a hand through her hair. “Alright. Even though it sounds crazy. Nobody else has come up with a better plan.” 
 
The rest of the night passed in a blur as Alex said goodbye and made her way home. She knew that she wasn’t going to change her mind in the morning so she stayed up getting paperwork ready. Her plan was simple.

Pick Sam up for lunch and take her to the courthouse instead.

Get married.

Take her out for lunch.

Get all the paperwork finished.

Submit paperwork to the government.

Legally start the process to adopt Ruby.

Live happily ever after?

Alex gave a satisfied nod at her checklist. It didn’t make her stomach hurt to think about a future with Ruby and Sam the way it did when she normally thought about getting married in the past. Even with Maggie, she’d been nervous for what the future held. But with Sam… it all just seemed like a clear path from A to B. She turned off the light next to her bed as she pulled the covers up. Sleep finally pulled her under like the tide rushing in. 
 
~~~~~~~~~
 
So as to not tip off Sam what she was up to, she put on a white t-shirt, her leather jacket, and a pair of jeans. The stack of paperwork was in a folder that she tossed into the backseat. She didn’t want that to be the first thing Sam saw. With a deep breath and mustering up the courage Kara usually exuded, she headed to Lena’s foundation to get a wife. 
 
It only took a few minutes to weave through traffic before she was parking. The window was open to Lena’s office, a telltale sign that Kara was there. She stepped into the beautiful building that she frequented to hang out with her future sister-in-law and future-wife. Sam’s office was down the hall from Lena’s but was a perfect representation of her personality. It was professional but cozy in a way Lena’s wasn’t. There were touches of her life with Ruby all around. A blanket on the back of a couch, a picture of the two of them smiling on vacation, a plant that she knew Kara and Lena had given Sam for her birthday. 
 
Her knuckles rapped against the door frame as she took in the beautiful woman in front of her. Sam must have had a meeting with investors that morning because she was wearing a light pink blouse with a black blazer, and dress pants that made her legs look miles long. Her hair fell in soft waves around her face, highlighting her incredible bone structure. She looked up at the knock with a small smile. “Oh hey, I wasn’t sure I was going to see you today.” 
 
“Do you have time for lunch? You look busy.” 
 
Sam turned off her computer and pushed her chair back. “I could use a break.” 
 
“Awesome. Let’s go grab lunch. Kara’s been raving about some taco truck around the corner.” 
 
Sam laughed softly, “Oh I’ve heard all about it. It sounds good to me. Every time they go I can’t get away for lunch.” 
 
“Well I guess it’s good that I’m here to make sure you eat today.” They headed outside together but Alex veered off to her car. “Let’s drive there. We can bring them back food and I don’t want to carry it.” 
 
Sam shrugged, “True. Kara can probably eat like thirty tacos easily.” 
 
Alex laughed, “She can eat even more than that. I promise you.” 
 
They headed down the street without Sam expecting anything until they drove past the truck. “Uhm, I think you missed it?” 
 
“I know that was it. We have an appointment first. We’ll get tacos on the way back.” 
 
“What appointment?” Sam asked while Alex headed toward the courthouse. 
 
“You trust me?” 
 
“Well yea, but…” 
 
Alex reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. “You’ll see in a minute.” The drive was only a few minutes but Sam stayed relatively quiet, her hand staying in Alex’s. When they reached the courthouse Alex noticed a blush on her cheeks. She gave her hand another squeeze. “I still want to marry you. Let’s go make it official.” 
 
Sam’s mouth opened and closed a few times. 
 
Alex tugged her hand and joked, “You can always divorce me later if I’m that bad of a wife.” 
 
One thing Alex knew about Sam was that she had always been independent. She learned early that the only person she could rely on was herself. Alex also knew how hard it was to break a mindset like that. She was never the type to ask for help either, much preferring to figure things out on her own. Sometimes though, there was no other option. They were running out of time. Sam knew it. This is what they had to do.
 
Sam rolled her eyes with a huff, trying to keep the moment light. “We better get married fast, my boss hates when I take a long lunch.” 
 
Alex laughed, “Yea ok. I’m sure your boss is taking advantage of you not being within hearing range of her and my little sister.” She grabbed the folder out of the backseat and climbed out of the car with Sam doing the same. 
 
Sam gagged, “That’s most definitely true. Kara’s been lurking around the office all morning asking me if I had any meetings. It’s like they think I don’t know they’re having sex in the office. The least they could do is fly home.” 
 
Alex led her inside with a wink, “Well we can always return the favor and scar Kara.” 
 
Sam blushed and slapped her shoulder lightly, “You’re horrible.” 
 
“I’m about to be married to one of the most beautiful women in the galaxy, sue me.” 
 
“Eh, I don’t really like the idea of suing my wife. Seems like a lot of paperwork.” 
 
Alex laughed as they made their way to the clerk. She took out the paperwork that she’d filled out with both of their information. Sam filled out the last little bit that needed to be done and they were ushered into a room. The whole thing was a fast ordeal. Neither of them even had time to be nervous about it. Alex didn’t consider vows beforehand and Sam didn’t have enough warning to prepare any so made up their own on the spot. Alex promised to honor, love, and protect both her and Ruby for the rest of her life. Sam teared up, unable to keep genuine emotion out of it and vowed to honor, love, and cherish her in return. The officiant declared them married and Alex pressed a quick kiss to her lips before she could overthink it. They signed on the lines, had a witness sign, and it was official. 
 
Alex held her hand as they left the courthouse, “So, lunch?” 
 
Sam laughed and shook her head, a familiar flush on her cheeks. Alex never imagined getting married this way. She supposed Sam hadn’t either, but she couldn’t bring herself to regret it as she opened the passenger door for her wife. 
 
The duo quickly made their way to the taco truck headed back toward the foundation. Alex took pleasure in handing her card over to pay for their lunch. “Why don’t you go grab us a picnic table? I’ll bring the food over when it’s ready.” 
 
“Alright. Don’t forget extra sour cream and salsa.” 
 
Alex put a hand on her chest, “I would never!” Sam walked away to survey the available picnic tables that were spread out around the truck. Alex checked the notifications on her phone but didn’t see anything very noteworthy. A few high profile aliens had gotten married, seemingly for the same reason she and Sam had. The owner of the taco truck slid a tray laden with food across to her. “Thank you so much, it looks delicious. You come highly recommended by my sister.” 
 
“Oh, who is your sister?” 
 
“Kara Danvers.” 
 
“Oh we love Kara! I’ll make you a bag to take to her for later!” 
 
Alex laughed lightly, “Ok. She’ll love that, thank you.” Of course everyone loved her little sister. She fondly shook her head as she took the tray and turned to find Sam sitting a few tables away, mostly away from everyone else. It made her smile to think that Sam wanted some privacy for them. The food on the tray smelled heavenly, she knew exactly why Kara had recommended it. There was an assortment of various types of tacos, nachos to share, and adobo rice, plus two drinks. Alex weaved between the tables until she made it to Sam. “Sorry it’s not the immaculate reception that you deserve. But the food does come recommended by Supergirl. Close second?” 
 
Sam’s head fell back as she laughed. Alex found herself distracted watching the way her throat moved with the sound. Her hair fell in waves down her back and color flushed her cheeks. Alex sat across from her with a smile tugging up her lips, this woman was her wife. “Alright. Food time. What do you want to try first, wifey?” 
 
Sam blushed, “The nachos obviously. Who likes cold nachos?” 
 
“Good point. I knew I married you for a reason,” she teased. They each picked out a chip that was loaded up with all the toppings. Kara had recommended they get them loaded (shockingly with veggies included) so they took her advice and topped them with ground beef, refried beans, cheese, sour cream, onions, green peppers, olives and jalapenos. “To us.” 
 
“To us,” Sam agreed and their chips touched in a toast. Alex took a bite of the chip only to be immediately overwhelmed by the burst of flavor in her mouth. It was

incredible.

She wondered how often Kara came here for lunch or just a snack. This was definitely a place she could see her sister frequenting. 
 
“This is incredible,” Sam commented. “But um, I think there are a few other things we need to talk about now. Ruby and I are out of immediate danger but we do have a certain amount of time before we have to live together. There are other stipulations to the law, aren’t there?” 
 
Alex waved her off, “We just have to be living at the same address within a month of our marriage. It’s a little soon but it’s nothing impossible. Unfortunately I don’t think you two can move into my place, so I’ll have to move into yours.” 
 
Sam hummed, “You know you’re welcome with us. You’re doing a favor I can literally never repay.” 
 
“I don’t know about that, you’ve got those really comfy mattresses in your guest rooms downstairs,” she joked. 
 
“Alex, I won’t banish you to my basement. If you want your own space that’s absolutely fine. But I won’t force you to stay down there by yourself. You’re welcome to share my space.” 
 
Alex fought hard not to blush at the thought of sharing a bed with Sam. “I appreciate that. We’ll see how things go. I don’t want to push you into anything else sudden. Today was already a lot to spring on you. Not to mention we still have to tell Ruby, Kara, and Lena.” 
 
Sam ran a hand through her hair with a sigh. “Yea, we do. I think we should probably tell Ruby first. She’s going to be so excited. I’m pretty sure that you’re her favorite person.” 
 
Alex blushed, “Ruby’s a great kid. We can definitely tell her first. Then we can shock Kara and Lena later. Maybe at game night or dinner?” 
 
Sam took a bite of a taco and hummed in agreement. Alex followed suit and picked up a shrimp taco. The flavors burst in her mouth again. The shrimp tasted like it was marinated in garlic and some kind of chiles. There was cilantro, onions, and lime on it. It was perfect in every sense of the word. “Ya know, this isn’t half bad for wedding reception food.” 
 
Sam laughed, “You’re not wrong. On a scale of 1-10, how mad are Lena and Kara going to be that we got married and didn’t tell them?” 
 
Alex ran through all the possible reactions she could think of. “Probably an eleven until they realize why we got married. Then they’ll simmer down to like a 5. I was worried they would try to take their sweet time and find a legal solution to the situation. I couldn’t bear the thought of them taking too long and someone coming to take you and Ruby away.” 
 
Sam reached over to squeeze her hand, “Thank you for caring about us.” 
 
“I can’t imagine my life without you two. And honestly Sam, it’s not like you’re a downgrade from Maggie. You’re beautiful, intelligent, an incredible mother and friend. You were already part of our family before today. There was no way I was going to let some law tear our family apart.” 
 
Sam blushed and looked down at the taco in her hands, seemingly unable to meet her eyes. “We’ve never had more than just Lena before.” 
 
Alex sensed the depth that the conversation was taking but knew they did not have time to discuss it now when Sam was due back in her office soon. “Well you’re stuck with me now, Arias.” 
 
The next 24 hours were a whirlwind. Alex promptly took their marriage certificate to the agency that was threatening deportation to make sure it was filed so that Sam and Ruby were safe. She contacted her landlord about not renewing her lease and began to box things up at home. And in the midst of all that she’d kept it a secret from Kara and managed to have a conversation with Sam about telling Ruby. They’d agreed to tell Ruby before dinner even though they both knew she’d be happy. She was firmly on board with them getting married and had been asking Sam about it nonstop since Alex mentioned it only 48 hours before. They were having Kara and Lena over for dinner, which wasn’t uncommon. Alex originally thought she’d feel like an outsider joining them all for dinner months ago but was shocked to find out that wasn’t the case at all. The five of them got along like they’d been in each other’s lives forever. 
 
Alex arrived with four catering trays full of food and had to use her elbow to ring the doorbell. Ruby was quick to throw the door open, “You’re finally here!” 
 
Alex chuckled, “Here I am. Think you can take one of these containers for me Rubes? They’re kind of heavy.” 
 
“Uh huh!” She replied while grabbing the top container. Luckily that container just held garlic bread, extra cheese, and extra sauce. They’d found an Italian restaurant a few months ago that served portions their family needed. Between Kara and Sam there were never leftovers to go around. She followed Ruby into the house after kicking the door shut behind her. They set the trays down on the counter to wait for the other guests to arrive. Ruby’s arms wound around her middle as soon as their hands were free.
 
Alex’s hand fell to the back of her head, “Hey kiddo. Miss me?” 
 
“Yea. Mom said you guys want to talk to me. I don’t wanna go live on another planet.” Her sad brown eyes looked up at Alex. 
 
“None of that talk, I told you I wouldn’t let that happen. Come on, let's go find your mom so we can talk.” The pair ended up on the couch together in a familiar heap. 
 
As if on cue Sam came down the stairs and immediately took a seat across from Ruby, perched on the coffee table. Alex’s arm rested around Ruby’s shoulders. Sam cleared her throat, “Ruby, we want to talk to you about some things that are going to change. Alex and I got married yesterday at the courthouse. She’s going to move in with us next week. We want to make sure that we answer any questions you have.” 
 
Ruby’s entire face lit up into a beaming smile, “You got married!?” 
 
Alex gave her a squeeze, “Yep. You’re stuck with me for the foreseeable future, kiddo.” 
 
“Yes! We don’t have to leave! And now you get to hang out with us all the time!” 
 
Sam was trying and failing not to smile. “I know you’re excited. But this does mean things will change. We’ll be making big decisions together as a family. We’ll try to include you when we can but there may be times where we can’t. If you have any questions you can come to either of us.” 
 
Ruby looked up at Alex, “Can you pick me up from school from now on?” 
 
Sam scoffed, “What’s wrong with me picking you up?”
 
“Alex is cooler, mom, no offense.” 
 
Alex couldn’t help but bite her lip at the teen’s words to stop from laughing aloud. Sam rolled her eyes, “We can talk about who picks you up once we have a schedule. Alex still has a job to do. There are lots of nights where she will be working late. We’ll have to adjust all our schedules to find what works best for all of us. But Alex and I are committed to making sure your life stays as normal as possible. Do you have any questions for us?” 
 
Ruby tapped her chin and then smirked. Alex swallowed hard as she took in the mischievous look on the teen’s face. “Am I going to need noise canceling headphones soon?” 
 
Sam blushed hard, “Oh my god! We’re done with this conversation. If you have real questions for us we’ll answer them later. We are not talking about that with you.” 
 
Alex winked at Ruby, “She has a good point Sam. She might get super hearing one day. We have to be mindful of her ears.” 
 
“Do not feed into this. We are not having sex anytime soon. We aren’t even sure which room you’re staying in yet.” 
 
Ruby frowned, “Why wouldn’t she stay with you? You guys got married. Shouldn’t you sleep in the same room?” 
 
Alex kissed the top of her head, “It’s not that simple squirt. Yes, we got married. But we didn’t get married because we’ve been dating and are in love like Kara and Lena. We got married to make sure that nothing happens to you or your mom. That’s not to say we won’t fall in love in the future. But right now we just want to get into a routine that works for all of us and make sure everyone is safe.” 
 
Ruby frowned deeper, “Fine.” 
 
The trio moved to the kitchen where they started to open the containers. It took another five minutes before Kara and Lena were being let in by Ruby and everyone was filling their plates with food. Ruby had decided to eat her dinner in front of the television in the other room to leave the adults to talk. It wasn’t unusual for her to do so but it did feel intentional tonight. Everyone dug into their food and made small talk. 
 
“We secured another sponsor for the new alien wing of the clinic,” Lena mentioned. 
 
Kara was quick to add her own comment, “And the doctors are all super nice. I got to meet a few of them after lunch yesterday.” 
 
Sam hummed, “Was it Dr. Patel and Saunders?” 
 
Lena nodded, “And two others stopped by while you were out. Speaking of, you were gone quite a while. What did you get up to at lunch?” The pair were constantly trying to set Alex and Sam up since the failed engagement to Maggie. Anytime they went to lunch they were rewarded with 20 questions from the engaged couple when they got back. Alex had started dropping Sam at the door just to avoid the interrogation.  
 
Alex was the one to answer, “We got married and tried that taco truck that Kara always raves about.” 
 
Green and blue eyes flicked from her to Sam and back again. “I’m sorry, what? It sounded like you said you got married yesterday at lunch.” Came Lena’s reply. 
 
“We also got lunch. Food was incredible. Great recommendation.” 
 
Lena turned to glare at Sam who shrugged at her, “Don’t look at me. I thought we were going for tacos.” 
 
Lena put down her fork to cross her arms, “And when exactly did you two decide to just up and get married?” 
 
Alex took a pull from her wine glass, “I decided it the day the law came out. I refuse to watch people I care about be shipped off Earth. I asked Sam to marry me and she didn’t object.” 
 
Kara’s face had gone through several emotions in the last two minutes. Shock, surprise, excitement, disbelief, and finally ended in disappointment. Her mouth opened and closed quickly. Her signature crinkle appeared between her eyes, “You got married without telling me?” 
 
Alex felt a wave of guilt rush through her. “It wasn’t like we had a big wedding ceremony that I didn’t include you in. I wouldn’t do that to you. I knew you and Lena would insist that you could find a way to make sure they didn’t get deported, but I wasn’t willing to risk it. So legally we’re married, but we haven’t had a big celebration. We just… got married and had tacos.” 
 
Kara frowned, “Al, did you think this through?” She turned to Sam, “No offense Sam. You know we all love you. But Al… you called off your engagement for a reason.” 
 
Alex shrugged and decided she wasn’t going to let anyone ruin this for her, “I wanted a family. I’m pretty sure that was exactly what I have now. Who knows, maybe Sam and I will have another kid one day.” She winked over at Sam who choked on her wine. 
 
Lena ran a hand through her hair, “Alright. Well this solves the immediate threat of deportation. I’ll give you credit that you’re crafty Alex. So, when is the move in date?” 
 
Alex took a sip of her wine, “Next week. I’m letting my lease run out and I’ll move in here.” 
 
“And are you moving upstairs, or down?” Lena had a smirk as she glanced over at Sam. Kara’s arm shifted to rest over the back of Lena’s chair. 
 
Sam rolled her eyes even as her cheeks lit up, “We haven’t fully decided. Downstairs would give her more privacy. But I don’t want to shove her in the basement either. We haven’t exactly worked out all the details yet.” 
 
Lena shrugged, “I doubt you two would have any problem sharing a room.” 
 
Sam groaned, “Why is everyone implying we’re just going to have sex? First my kid, now my best friend.”

“Actually, in a few months I'll be your sister.” 
 
Sam couldn’t help but crack a smile at that. “Oh my god, you will be.” 
 
Alex started clearing away their plates when everyone seemed to be finished. Sam protested, “You don’t have to do that. I can take care of it.” 
 
Alex pressed a kiss to the top of her head, “I’ve got it,

babe.

Sit and talk with your best friend, I’m sure you have stuff you need to get off your chest.” She stacked the plates with Kara’s help and made her way into the kitchen. Honestly it was not the first time she’d cleaned up after a meal. She hated being the type of guest who expected the host to pick up after them. There were many times after dinner where she helped clear off the table or take out the trash. It was second nature to pack the few leftovers into containers and put them in the fridge. Lena and Sam retreated upstairs to the master bedroom while Kara led her downstairs where there was a fully finished living space.
 
Kara sat down on the couch and tugged Alex down with her. “So… you married Sam.” 
 
“I married Sam,” she agreed. 
 
“How much did you really think this through?” 
 
“What do you mean?” 
 
“Al… I know how you feel about Sam and Ruby. Don’t you think this could get messy?” 
 
Alex shrugged as she wrung her hands together, “All I really thought about was that I didn’t want them to get deported. I love them and I don’t want to be without them. I know it could get messy with feelings but… it’s worth it. They’re worth it.” 
 
Kara let out a sigh, “You have such a big heart. I just don’t want it to break again.” 
 
“If it was Lena… what would you do?” 
 
“You know I would do the same thing you did.” 
 
“Exactly. I know things might get difficult. But I’m willing to try and work through it. I’m not saying it’s forever but… it could be. The last few months have been so unexpected. I’m here at least a few times a week having dinner with them. It’s the only thing that has gotten me through the breakup. I feel whole when I’m with them in a way I didn’t when I was with Maggie.”
 
Kara’s arm wrapped around her shoulders, “I just want you to be happy.” 
 
“Who said I’m not?” 
 
~~~Meanwhile, upstairs~~~
 
The bedroom door shut behind them and Lena took a seat on the bed. Sam started pacing back and forth as she ran her hands through her hair. “Did I make a mistake? Tell me I didn’t make a mistake.”   
 
Lena was her level headed friend. She would tell her the truth and help her work through it. “The only person who can answer that is you. But honestly, you could do much worse than Alex. She’s kind, protective, and she adores the two of you. I think Alex is the one person on this planet who would marry you and ask nothing of you.” 
 
Sam plopped down onto the bed next to her, “But… what if I want more?” 
 
Lena reached over to tuck a curl behind Sam’s ear, “I can confidently say that Alex has always been drawn to you. Kara and I talked about how she called off her engagement and genuinely thought it had to do with you and Ruby. Kara said Alex has always wanted to be a mom, but spending so much time with Ruby made her realize it was something she wasn’t willing to compromise on.” 
 
Sam took a deep breath, “What if we aren’t enough? What if she realizes in a year that she wants something else? It’s not like we fell in love, Lena. She’s a friend who went through a huge breakup. She was engaged to be married for Rao’s sake!” 
 
“And don’t you think, as someone who was engaged to be married before, she would understand the gravity of getting married?” 
 
Sam groaned, “I know you’re right. Alex isn’t like other people. She’s… incredible. But… what if she breaks our hearts?” 
 
Lena pulled her into a hug, “We’ll figure it out together. So… what are you planning on doing about all those feelings you have for her?” 
 
Sam sighed knowing there was no point in avoiding it now. “I don’t know. I…I just… there’s so much more to lose now.” 
 
“We won’t let anything happen. I promise.” 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~
 
The next week passed in a flash. Kara and Lena helped her pack up her apartment as quickly as possible. Moving into Sam’s house only took a few hours and was pretty enjoyable. Ruby was ecstatic that she could just go down a flight of stairs to hang out with her now. The trio quickly fell into a routine that worked for them. Alex got up early to work out and when she got home Sam was making breakfast for all of them. They both got ready for work, Alex would pack Ruby’s lunch, and then Sam would take her to school on her way to work. 
 
They were currently on day 5 of living together. It was Alex’s day off so she’d had an extra long workout. Running was something she was trying to add in on a daily basis to keep her stamina up. She’d ended her workout with a 5 mile run that had her muscles aching by the time she got home. The hot shower she’d rewarded herself with was worth every painful step she’d pushed through. Sam and Ruby were leaving when she’d gotten into the shower so that meant she had the house to herself for the first time since moving in. 
 
Alex padded out of the bathroom in a towel and over to her room while humming whatever song Ruby had been obsessively playing on repeat. She snagged her favorite pair of joggers, a soft t-shirt, a bra, and a pair of boyshorts. Over the last few years her body had changed in many ways. Her workouts had changed since she was the director of the DEO to suit her new lifestyle. She pulled on her boyshorts and bra before standing in front of the full length mirror on the back of the door to examine her body. She flexed multiple different ways to see if her workouts were doing what she hoped. There was still quite a way to go but she wasn’t angry at the progress she was seeing. The muscles in her back had become much more defined as had her biceps. Her waist had shrunk as she’d added cardio back into her workouts too. Her legs were muscular but not overly. Her body looked softer than she’d felt in years despite being the strongest she’d ever been. Her eyes drifted lower toward the part of her body that she’d been neglecting. It felt wrong to even think about being aroused in the house with Sam and Ruby present. Her fingertips ghosted down her ab’s in the familiar way that made her body tingle. 
 
“Hey Al-- Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you weren’t dressed!” Sam exclaimed as her hands flew to cover her eyes. Alex could see the blush racing up her neck headed toward her cheeks. She slid her joggers up her legs and the t-shirt over her head. 
 
“It’s my fault, I was trying to see where I might need to change my workout to get better results. What’d you need?”
 
Sam refused to meet her eyes, “I was going to ask if you wanted to grab lunch together later. Lena had a last minute meeting and gave me the day off. I am so sorry, I should have knocked. We can definitely take a rain check. It’s your day off too.” 
 
Alex blushed harder at what she was implying, “No, no. Lunch sounds good. I should have closed the door. I was just going to take a nap for a little bit, come get me when you’re ready?” 
 
Sam nodded, “Yep. I can do that. I’ll knock this time, I swear.” 
 
Alex laughed, “We’re both adults. It’s ok. You weren’t trying to intrude.” 
 
As fate would have it, they were both meant to be embarrassed. Three hours later she’d had a nap but was surprised that Sam hadn’t woken her up. 11:34am flashed on the clock on her nightstand. With a stretch of her sore muscles she climbed out of bed. The house was quiet when she got upstairs to look for Sam. Her keys were still on the counter which meant she had to be somewhere around the house. She checked the kitchen and living room before heading up another flight of stairs. Alex found Ruby’s room and the office empty as well.

Maybe she also took a nap,

she thought to herself. She pushed the door open to the master bedroom and found it empty. A frown tugged at her lips.

Maybe she’s outside?

Alex decided she would help out and be a good ‘wife’ on her day off. She gathered up the various clothes that were scattered on the floor with the intention of tossing them into the hamper and starting a load of laundry. The lights were off in the closet and the bathroom so she didn’t think anything of it. She scooped up the clothes littering the floor of the closet and then headed to the bathroom. What she was not expecting to see was Sam… naked… in the bathtub, without bubbles. 
 
“Shit, I’m sorry!” Out of instinct her hands moved to cover her eyes. But her hands were full of clothes, Sam’s clothes. Clothes that included her bra and panties. She dropped them on the floor as she realized what she was bringing up to her face. Spinning to leave, she caught the door with her foot. “Ow! Shit!” She held onto her foot and hopped on one leg toward the bed as she heard Sam get out of the bath behind her. Alex fell face first into the mattress as she tried to massage her foot where it hit the door. There was movement behind her and a hand rested on her back lightly. 
 
“Is your foot ok?” Sam asked. 
 
Alex groaned, “I was just trying to be a good wife and do the laundry.” 
 
Sam burst out laughing and the bed dipped as she sat down, “We’re a mess.” Alex glanced over to see her wrapped in a robe that hit mid thigh. Her cheeks were burning as she tried not to let her brain picture Sam naked. She groaned and buried her head into the mattress. “Let me get dressed and we can go grab lunch.” 
 
There was a weird tension in the air as they ate lunch at a little restaurant not far from the house. Alex perused the menu to keep her mind and hands busy. “Should I go healthy with a salad today? Or should I get what I really want?” 
 
Sam chuckled across from her, “You only live once. Get what you want to eat.” 
 
Alex put down the menu having decided on her meal, “What are you going to get?” 
 
“My usual. The chef’s salad with extra pita on the side.” 
 
“I’ve always been curious how you consume way less than my sister. Has Lena ever figured out how many calories you burn everyday?” 
 
Sam shrugged, “Not an exact amount. Because the alien side wasn’t activated until later on in life, it’s not like Kara. My body doesn’t metabolize things as quickly. Only if I’m using that part of myself excessively.” 
 
The waitress came over to the table, “Hey ladies, what can I get you today?” 
 
“I’ll have the club sandwich with french fries. She wants the chef’s salad with extra pita on the side.” 
 
The young girl started writing on her notepad. “Ok, dressing with that?” 
 
“Ranch please, thank you,” Sam answered. They handed over their menus and watched as the girl disappeared behind the counter.
 
Alex crossed her arms on the table, “So what happens on those days?” 
 
“I generally just eat whatever I have on hand.” 
 
A frown tugged her lips as she took in Sam’s features, “What if you don’t have enough calories at home?” 
 
“I manage.” Her eyes fell to her hands where they were fidgeting just slightly. 
 
Her brain jumped to where it usually did when she talked to Sam. Noting little things that she wanted to do that might make Sam’s life a little easier. Except this time, she didn’t have to push them down. She could actually do something about this. Without making a big deal of it, she slipped her phone out of her pocket and placed a grocery delivery. Growing up with an alien sister had taught her a thing or two about how to consume calories quickly and efficiently. One thing she could do is take care of her family, especially since she had one of those now. An email notification popped up on her phone just after she’d placed her order. 
 
“Hey I just got an email requesting us for an examination since I filed our paperwork. It says we can just head on over anytime and should take about a half hour. Do you wanna do it on our way home? Just to get it done.” 
 
“Yea, that’s fine with me.” 
 
They finished lunch rather quickly, paid, and headed over to the clinic that was listed on the email. It was one that was reputable but run by the government. Alex was slightly on edge without knowing why they would want to see them. Her hand found Sam’s as they headed inside the building together. 
 
“Hi, I got an email about an examination that we need to do for our paperwork to be completed.” 
 
The lady behind the counter didn’t even look up from her computer as she slid two clipboards to them. They were quick to fill them out and pass them back. Alex led them over to the plastic chairs that she hated sitting in. Medical buildings made her anxious when she wasn’t the one in charge. She hated being the patient because it meant she wasn’t in control. Sam’s leg bounced next to her sharing in the anxiety. She gave her hand a little squeeze, “Hey, it’s ok. We’ll be done in no time.” 
 
Sam gave her a small smile, “I know we will. I hate doctors' offices.” 
 
“So do I. Hopefully it’s quick and in the future I can patch you up for anything you need.” 
 
“One of the reasons I married you,” she teased. 
 
Alex laughed lightly as a nurse appeared through a side door, “Danvers and Arias.” Alex tugged Sam up by her hand with slight resistance. The nurse led them down the hall to a series of doors. “How are you two doing today?” 
 
“We’re doing ok. It’s turned into a decently busy day off,” Alex answered, sensing Sam’s building anxiety. 
 
“Well hopefully we can get you two out of here quickly. It shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes. It’s just basically a physical and documenting that you two are both healthy adults. I’ll sign the paperwork at the end and you guys will be good to go.” 
 
“Sounds easy enough.” 
 
“Perfect, we’re going to do weight and height first.” 
 
Alex let go of Sam’s hand to step up on the scale. The nurse recorded the number and gestured for her to step over to the tape measure on the wall. She repeated the process with Sam and then led them over to check their eyesight. Alex read off as many letters as she could see (it was most of them, thank you very much) before Sam did the same. 
 
“Ok, let’s head into the private rooms now for your vitals.” Alex led Sam with a hand on the small of her back to a room where there was an exam table and chairs. She could practically feel the tension rolling off Sam in waves, but she wasn’t exactly sure why. The nurse was nice enough it seemed. 
 
She took a seat on the table to let Sam go second. The nurse put the blood pressure cuff around her arm and a stethoscope on the crease of her elbow. Again, she recorded the results on the form before moving on. A thermometer was placed under her tongue and a pulse ox slipped on her finger. Everything was pretty standard from what she could tell. She hopped off the table to let Sam take her spot and noticed immediately how stiff the other woman was. “Hey you’re doing great. It’s a few simple tests. And nothing you can’t pass,” she tried to joke. Sam gave her a tight smile in return as the nurse slipped the blood pressure cuff around her arm. 
 
The nurse hummed, “That answers who is the alien here. What species are you?”  
 
Alex felt her face flush as she fought down the anger starting to simmer under her skin. 
 
“Kryptonian.” 
 
The nurse's head snapped up, “That is… unexpected. Luckily we’re prepared for Supergirl so we can just use what we’d planned for her, on you.” 
 
Alex snorted, “Good luck with that. I’d pay to see how that appointment goes.” 
 
“Why is that?” 
 
“I’ve heard she doesn’t like the doctor, that’s all.” 
 
The nurse paled slightly, “I’ll be right back.” She quickly left the room and Alex immediately stepped between Sam’s legs. 
 
“Hey, it’s gonna be ok. We just gotta get through this and it’ll all be over.” 
 
Sam nodded, “I know. The doctor's office is one of my least favorite places to be now. The kryptonian biology wasn’t exactly a problem at check-ups when I was growing up. I’ve never had to deal with it the way your sister has.” 
 
Alex reached down to give her hands a squeeze and kissed her cheek, “We can leave if you’re ever uncomfortable. I promise.” 
 
“I’ll be ok. I just wish they’d hurry up.” 
 
There was a knock at the door before the nurse came back inside with a doctor tailing her. She put a different blood pressure cuff on Sam’s arm that was emitting a red light. The cuff was able to squeeze around her bicep the way Alex’s had with the regular cuff. 
 
The doctor was a young man who couldn’t have been more than their age. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you. I’m Dr. Scott and will be working with the both of you today. Sarah here was just telling me that we have another kryptonian in our office. It’s wonderful to meet you both.” 
 
Alex shook his hand, “We’re just hoping to finish up and get home. Being at the doctor’s office is not a favorite activity of ours.” 
 
Dr. Scott laughed, “I’m sure almost every other person here shares your sentiment, staff included. We’ll get you both finished up quickly. For the sake of time I’ll have Sarah finish up with you Ms. Danvers, and I’ll finish up Ms. Arias’ exam myself. That’ll cut the time in half.” 
 
“What else does this exam include?” 
 
The doctor had a smile that made her stomach feel queasy as if lunch was going to come back up. “Just your basic check up. We have different instruments that will work with kryptonian biology, Ms. Arias.” 
 
Sam gave her a small smile, “It’s alright Alex. I’ll be fine.” 
 
Alex could feel her alarm bells going off but brushed it off. For years she’d had to live on the edge to make sure Kara wasn’t found out. It felt so out of character to have medical professionals know that Sam wasn’t human. The part of her brain that was conditioned to protect her sister called out to her not to leave Sam. 
 
“Are you sure? I don’t mind staying and taking a little longer.” 
 
“No, don’t be silly. We’ll both be done quicker this way.” 
 
Alex pressed a kiss to her forehead, “Alright. I’ll see you in a few minutes.” 
 
Dr. Scott led Sam out of the room, closing it shut behind them. The nurse turned to Alex and set the clipboard on the counter. “Just your standard physical.” She hopped up onto the exam table and let the nurse listen to her heart, check in her mouth, ears, eyes, and nose. Sarah turned around with a little tray in her hands that held a needle, vial to collect blood in, a tourniquet and alcohol wipe. “Are you guys planning on taking Sam’s blood too?”
 
“I’m not sure what Dr. Scott will want to do. He and two other doctors work exclusively with the aliens. Sometimes their physicals vary compared to what is standard for humans. I only work with humans.” 
 
Alex lifted her arm slightly to let the tourniquet tighten around her bicep. The alcohol wipe was cool against her elbow before the needle was slipped in. Her blood swirled into the vial as it filled quickly. She was mentally cataloging how fast Lena could get an NDA to the doctors office to protect both Sam and Kara. It would probably be at least a half hour, maybe a little more. A cotton ball was pressed into her elbow and taped in place. “The only thing else I need is a urine sample. The bathroom is just down the hall on your right. Cups are inside a basket on the back of the toilet. You’re welcome to wait in the waiting room for your wife when you’re finished.” 
 
“Alright,” she replied. The trip to the bathroom was short and she made quick work of the urine sample. On her way to the lobby she texted Lena.

Alex: Hey, Sam and I had to go get physicals for this government alien shit. How fast can you whip up an NDA? They might try and take Sam’s blood for verification that she’s kryptonian. They’re apparently prepared to call both you and Kara in as well.

The reply was almost instant.

Lena: Give me ten minutes. That’s not going to go over well with Kara. How is Sam doing? She hasn’t been to the doctor since the whole Reign incident.

Those alarm bells rang louder in her head at Lena’s words. She jumped up out of her seat and approached the counter. “Which room is my wife in? Samantha Arias.” 
 
The receptionist refused to look up, “Is your wife with a doctor or nurse?” 
 
“She’s with Dr. Scott.” 
 
“Down the hall, Room six. It’ll have Dr. Scott’s name outside of it.” 
 
Alex could think of how unethical it was to send a patient down the hall to go into an exam room without checking who was inside of it first, but she was anxious to get to Sam. Her feet quickly led her down the hall and she spotted room six. A red glow was coming out from under the door. Alex didn’t hesitate to twist the handle but found it locked. She rapped her knuckles on the door, “Dr. Scott? Alex Danvers here. Please let me in.” 
 
There was silence before a quiet shuffling to the door. It opened just enough for the doctor’s face to show. “Most of our couples have their appointments separate.” 
 
“That’s great for them. I’d like to make sure my wife is ok.” 
 
“I assure you that she’s just fine.” 
 
Alex clenched her fists, she really didn’t want to deck anyone today. “All the same, I’d like to see for myself.” 
 
He cracked a smile that seemed as fake as Maxwell Lord, “Of course. Please come in.” He stepped aside to let Alex into the room. It was bathed in a red light that had her stomach IMMEDIATELY dropping to her knees. Sam was sitting on the exam table in a paper gown, her hands slightly shaking. She extended her arm out like a lifeline that Sam immediately latched onto. The doctor sat back on a stool and slid over in front of Sam. “We were just finishing up the physical portion of her exam.” 
 
“Interesting, I didn’t have a physical portion like this.” 
 
“That’s because you’re a human Ms. Danvers.” Dr. Scott reached for Sam’s gown and opened it. Sam refused to look anywhere near him but squeezed Alex’s hand. The only thing she had on under the gown was her bra and panties. Alex clocked the way his fingers slid over her skin. 
 
“What are you examining exactly?” 
 
“Some species of aliens have different reactions on the surface of their skin. I’m checking for any abnormalities or differences.”
 
His fingers palpated along her sides in a way that would not be considered as gentle as it should be. She could feel her anger rising as he moved down her stomach. “Is this part of the exam required?” 
 
Dr. Scott looked up at her with a fake smile, “Ms. Arias agreed to the physical examination to verify her biology.” 
 
“You’re going to take her blood, are you not?” 
 
The doctor’s jaw tightened as he realized he’d been caught. “Yes. We are.”
 
“Then I’ll ask you nicely to take your hands off my wife.” 
 
“She agr--” 
 
“And now we’re changing our minds. Please take your hands off my wife.” 
 
He turned back to Sam, “This is why we do not have couples in the exam room together during examinations.” 
 
Alex put a hand on her hip, “And what else do these physical exams include? Were you planning on stripping my wife down and doing a pelvic exam too?” 
 
The doctor turned back to her but didn’t fake a smile this time. “It is important to know what differences each species of alien has. Sometimes that includes a full body exam.” His hand landed on Sam’s bare knee and that was when Alex had enough. She dropped Sam’s hand to grip the doctor by the shoulders. In one swift move, the stool he was sitting on went flying back towards the wall, taking him with it. She stepped between him and Sam, feeling Sam’s knees press into her lower back. “We’re done here.” 
 
He scowled at her, “Ma’am. You are interrupting a patient’s exam. I’m going to

politely

ask you to leave. Ms. Arias already agreed to the examination.” 
 
“And she has the right to say stop at any point.” Alex turned to face Sam, “Do you want to continue this exam or would you like to get your blood taken and go home?” 
 
“I’d like to go home,” Sam said quietly. 
 
Alex turned back around, “It would be much appreciated if you would

politely leave

so my wife can get dressed. We can find our way down the hall to get her blood drawn.” 
 
The doctor was fuming, or at least that’s what the blood rushing to his head seemed to convey, as he stood and snapped the paper folder closed. 
 
Alex pulled a card out from her wallet and passed it to the doctor. “And turn off the red sun emitter. Our lawyer will be in contact about today. For your sake, I hope you have a good legal team on your side.” 
 
He stomped out of the room like a child, probably pissed at missing his chance to take advantage of a kryptonian. There was no way she was going to let some stupid human doctor poke and prod around Sam or Kara, hell… she wouldn’t let him poke around with Lena either. Part of her would love to see what Lena would say to the doctor if he tried to take advantage of Kara. The protective side of her didn’t want him near her loved ones. She reached out to help Sam off the exam table, their warm palms sliding together. 
 
“I’ll step out so you can get dressed.” 
 
Sam squeezed her hand tighter, “Don’t go. Please.” 
 
Alex reached out to cup her cheek in her freehand, “Alright. Whatever you need. I’ll still give you privacy though. I’m gonna let go of your hand so you can get dressed. Then we’ll get outta here.” 
 
Sam nodded but let go of her hand. Alex turned and took a half step forward to give her space to change. She could hear the crinkle of the paper as a body slid off of it. The quiet sound of jeans being tugged up bare legs sent a shiver down her spine.

Do not picture her naked! That creep was just touching her inappropriately!

A hand rested on her forearm a few seconds later as the quiet request came, “Can we go home?” 
 
Alex turned back to tangle their fingers together and found herself struggling to breathe at how small Sam looked. The woman usually exuded confidence and power, especially when standing next to Lena or Kara. But she seemed totally different right now. It was like all the light had been taken from her. She gave Sam’s hand a gentle squeeze and tugged her into motion. “Let’s get out of here.” 
 
The retreat back to their shared home was quiet. Sam’s hand had quickly sought out hers when they were back in the car as if she were the one thing tethering her to reality. Things did not change much once they’d made it inside. Sam was sticking close to her in a way that was unusual. A knock at the door had Sam jumping and reaching to grip her forearm. Alex rested a hand on top of hers, “Hey it’s ok. You’re safe with me. I’ll go get the door. Why don’t you go get some sun?” She pressed a kiss to the unsettled woman’s temple before heading to the door. 
 
A young kid carrying grocery bags waited on the other side. “Your grocery delivery ma’am.” 
 
“Thank you. Have a great day.” Alex took the bags from his hands easily (she was a pro at carrying all bags at once, thank you very much). 
 
“You too!” He bounded off the step, already tapping away at his phone to complete the online order and accept his tip. She stepped back inside and locked the door behind herself. The trip back to the kitchen only took a matter of seconds but Sam was still anxiously wringing her hands by the island, but standing in the beam of sunlight coming in through the window. 
 
“Hey it’s ok. It was just a grocery delivery. I’m sorry, I completely forgot I placed one earlier.” 
 
Sam breathed out a sigh of relief and her shoulders loosened slightly. “Sorry, I’m still on edge from the doctor's visit.” 
 
Alex dropped the bags on the island and moved to cup Sam’s cheeks in her hands. “You never have to apologize for your feelings. You are allowed to feel however you want. I wanted to deck that doctor but I figured that would cause more trouble than good. Getting arrested and having to leave you to go home all alone was not the best idea. So he’ll just have to deal with our lawyer for now.” 
 
Sam’s hands rested on her hips, “Our lawyer?” 
 
“I was serious back there in the office. You’re my wife in all aspects of the word. I intend to make sure that you’re protected any way that I can. If it ever gets to be too much, please let me know and I’ll back off. But what that doctor is doing is so wrong. It’s unethical how he is practicing and he deserves consequences.” 
 
Sam nodded and took a deep breath, seemingly steadying herself. “So, what was the refrigerator lacking that you had to order a delivery for?” Alex took note of the way she tried to tease and shake some of the tension the appointment earlier had caused. She kissed the tip of Sam’s nose and let her hands drop to start rifling through the bags. 
 
“Ingredients to make you protein and calorie dense shakes and bars. What kind of wife would I be if I wasn’t taking care of you?” 
 
“Alex, you don’t have to do that.” 
 
Alex bumped her hip against Sam’s while pulling out various ingredients from the bags. “I know I don’t have to. I know it’s been just you and Ruby for years. I would never try to change what works for you guys. But I do want to help where I can. This is something easy and simple that I can do. Make sure my wife is fed in case of an emergency. Simple enough. Think of it like packing a lunch in the morning.” She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. “It’s seriously not a big deal. I used to make them for Kara all the time too.” 
 
“Ah, so I rank at sister level?” Sam’s teasing voice cut through the stillness of the house. 
 
Alex turned and gave a wink to her, “If you feel like you’re at sister level then I better step up my game.” 
 
A blush colored her cheeks, “So what is going into these? I do eat healthier than your sister, just an FYI.” 
 
“I do know that. You can add whatever you want to the smoothies but I used to try avocados, nuts, peanut butter, protein powder, stuff like that. My mom makes Kara a special protein powder that I’m gonna have her send to us too. Kara’s pretty picky about what she likes in hers so generally it didn’t include anything green or healthy. But we can absolutely add those to yours. Plus we should really try and see how many calories you’re expending daily. I don’t want to offset the balance you have already.” 
 
Sam hopped up onto the counter and crossed her legs at the ankle. “If you wanna play doctor, all you have to do is ask nicely.” She finished it with a wink that had Alex’s cheeks heating. 
 
“I know this is going to be a learning curve for the both of us. But I want to make it clear that we can have any type of marriage you want. We can remain friends that never go further than that. Or we can explore a marriage that isn’t just convenient.”
 
 “Are you suggesting a real marriage with feelings?” There was still humor in her voice. 
 
“I am. I’d be lying if I said I’m not attracted to you. But I also respect that this might not be something you ever want to pursue. You were around when my engagement was called off. I wouldn’t blame you for not wanting anything to do with me after that.” 
 
Sam reached over and gave her arm a squeeze, “I would never fault you for being in love. Was I bummed when you were emotionally unavailable after? Of course. But,” she shrugged. “Now you’re my wife. So it looks like I won in the end anyway.” 
 
Alex couldn’t help but chuckle lightly at her comment. “You say that now before you’ve actually spent substantial time living with me. Now, what’s on the agenda for the rest of your day off?” 
 
Sam shrugged as she picked up various ingredients to read the back of the packages they came in. “I could potentially get ahead on some work.” 
 
“That sounds boring. Why don’t you relax for a little bit? It’s already been a long day.” 
 
A roll of her shoulders told Alex all she needed to know about how stressed Sam was. “I guess I could go hang out in the hot tub for a little while. You can join if you want.” 
 
That idea sparked visuals she should not be having. “While that sounds like a fantastic idea, I want to get some of these things prepared for you. You go enjoy some quiet before Ruby gets home in a few hours. I’ll take care of this and dinner tonight.” 
 
A nod was accompanied by long legs sliding down off the counter gracefully. “Ok. Thank you. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for us, truly.” Her hand rested on Alex’s forearm. All Alex could do was press a kiss to her cheek. 
 
“Best impulsive decision I’ve ever made. Now go relax and let your wife take care of you.” 
 
Sam’s head fell back in a laugh causing her dark waves to cascade down her back. Alex longed to let her lips travel the length of Sam’s throat and hear the different sounds she would make. Would she have a spot that gave her goosebumps? Would she have a spot that made her moan? These were all questions that she wasn’t sure she would ever get an answer to. Sam gave her arm a gentle squeeze before heading upstairs to presumably change.
 
~~~~~~~~~
 
The days passed quickly and before she knew it, she was a month into her new life. Alex still packed Ruby’s lunch but now she also packed something for Sam to take to work. Generally it was protein bars and a shake for the ride in. But sometimes she also packed her snacks just in case something happened and she got stuck at work. On the days when Sam had to work late Alex would swing by the school and pick Ruby up. Dinner was the highlight of her day because they always spent it together. 
 
Sam had texted that she was going to be later than usual due to a meeting running long. She was typing out a reply when Ruby sidled up next to her at the kitchen counter. “Hey kiddo, what do you want for dinner? Your mom is going to be late tonight.” 
 
“I don’t know. What do we have?” 
 
The refrigerator illuminated as she opened it to peruse the organized items inside. Sam meticulously made sure everything had a place on a shelf and sometimes even organized by meal. “It looks like we could do.. Tacos, fajitas, spaghetti and meatballs, stuffed peppers, or cajun chicken pasta.”  
 
Ruby leaned around her to look into the fridge, “You came up with all those meals just from looking at these ingredients?” 
 
“Mhm. I’m not a half bad cook. I learned a lot from my mom.” 
 
Tacos and fajitas would be the easiest things to prepare together. But they were also staples in the household. Both Arias women loved Mexican food so they had tacos at least once a week. 
 
“Can we try the stuffed peppers? I don’t think I’ve ever had them before.” 
 
Alex started handing ingredients to her, “Of course. We can put whatever you want in them but I usually do ground beef or turkey, rice, corn, onions, carrots and garlic.” 
 
“Can I put cheese and diced up potatoes in mine?” 
 
“Heck yea, that sounds really good.” 
 
The duo moved the ingredients to the island behind them as they started pulling out other things they would need. “Can you grab a mixing bowl and a big spoon?” She pulled out a pan that would fit the peppers in it to bake. 
 
“Mhm,” Ruby replied. Alex pulled out two cutting boards and knives. She placed them on the counter next to each other before going to wash the vegetables. She carefully pushed the stems of the peppers in and cleaned out the seeds. 
 
“How was school today?” 
 
“It was alright. I got a B on my math test.” 
 
Alex put the vegetables between the two cutting boards on the counter. A rainbow of colors waited to be sliced and diced. Ruby stepped up to the counter next to her wielding one of the knives. “Good job kiddo. If you need help studying let me know. I did go to med school so I know a thing or two about math.” 
 
Ruby shyly smiled, “Thanks Alex.” 
 
“Of course. Now let’s get to cooking.” 
 
The duo made six stuffed peppers with varying ingredients. Ruby had two that were loaded with cheese and diced potatoes. Alex made sure Sam’s were stuffed with lots of protein and cheese. Her own were heavy on the veggie filling. Once they were in the oven cooking she took the time to clean up. Ruby took a seat at the counter watching while she washed the cutting boards. 
 
“My friends keep asking who you are when you pick me up.” 
 
Alex stilled and looked up into shy brown eyes. She rinsed her hands, sensing the conversation was more serious and needed her full attention. Her hands rested on the edge of the sink, “What do you feel comfortable telling them?” 
 
Ruby shrugged as she moved a nonexistent crumb around the counter. “I just tell them you’re my moms friend that lives with us.” 
 
She sensed there was more to the story so she pressed on. “Is that ok with you?” 
 
Ruby shrugged again in a way that seemed to hold the weight of the world on those small shoulders. The teen refused to meet her eyes even as she sat down next to her. “We didn’t do a great job talking to you about how you feel with all of this. I know your world was turned upside down to some degree. We didn’t have much time to consider you. I’m really sorry for that.” 
 
Ruby fiddled with the hem of her shirt, “It’s alright. You were protecting mom and I. I’m glad it was you and not someone else. Or getting shipped off to another planet. It could be way worse.” 
 
Alex reached over and tucked a lone curl behind Ruby’s ear. “That’s true but you’re also allowed to feel frustrated or upset at the situation. I know your mom hasn’t really dated anyone before and it’s always just been the two of you. We know it’ll take time to adjust to the three of us because it’s always just been the two of you. I don’t ever want to overstep and make you upset or uncomfortable.” 
 
“I’m not upset or uncomfortable. I’m just… confused.”
 
Alex rested a hand on the back of Ruby’s chair as she turned to angle her body toward the teen. This was something she wished Sam was home for, but she certainly wasn’t going to turn away a conversation with her. “There are so many things that I’m sure are confusing, is there anything I can maybe give you some clarity on?” 
 
“I just… I don’t want you and mom to split up. She’s never had anyone before. You make us both feel safe when you’re here.” 
 
Alex pulled the teen into a hug while pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “We have no plans to split up. And even if we did, I would still be part of your life.” 
 
Ruby’s arms wrapped around her middle and squeezed. She could feel tears welling in her eyes at the display of affection. “I just wanna be normal,” she whispered.
 
Her arms tightened around the teen. “What do you mean kiddo?” 
 
“I’m already part alien with just a mom. I don’t have any family to really talk about. Mom works long hours so I don’t get to hang out with my friends like ever. And we have to be careful about who I’m with because we don’t know if they’ll try to hurt us.” 
 
Alex sighed, “I’m so sorry Ruby. I wish I could make everyone realize that all aliens aren’t going to hurt them. Is there anything I can do to help?”
 
Alex wished Kara was there. Hearing Ruby talk about feeling so isolated reminded her of a younger version of her sister. She knew it wasn’t the same, but she felt out of her depth and she wasn’t sure how to make things better. Having a family to care for was new to her too, but she still sensed that there was something Ruby wasn’t saying. The teen pulled back and looked down at her hands.
 
“I don’t want you to just be ‘mom’s friend.’ Or the person who kept us from getting deported. I just… I want you to be my mom too.” 
 
Alex felt a lump appear in her throat at the words leaving Ruby’s mouth. She always knew it was something she wanted to explore, but the way the teenager said it so directly solidified things for her. Suddenly, she could see her entire future in front of her. Family vacations with just the three of them, showing them around Midvale at Christmas, maybe even more kids. The future finally didn’t seem so bleak. 
 
Alex cleared her throat, wanting to be careful not to get too lost in the fantasy just yet. “We should definitely talk to your mom about it. I don’t want to overstep what she’s comfortable with. But you’ll always be like a daughter to me. It doesn’t matter if you call me mom or not.” 
 
Ruby nodded, seeming relieved. “If it’s ok with both of you… I’d like to call you mom too.” 
 
Alex reached over and squeezed her hand. “If that’s ok with your mom, it’s ok with me.” 
 
Ruby gave her a bleary smile and the world felt a little brighter. It seemed like things were finally shifting into place. The oven timer went off a moment later and they both subtly wiped their eyes as they allowed the moment to pass. 
 
Alex slipped on hot pads to get the pan out of the oven. The doorbell rang just as she opened the door. Ruby hopped off the stool and raced to get it, expecting it to be one of their friends. Alex set the pan on the stovetop carefully. They were almost done cooking but just needed toppings. She added some more salt and pepper to the tops while sticking a thermometer inside one. A handful of cheese went on top of all the peppers. Cheddar for Ruby, mozzarella for Sam, and pepperjack for herself. The hotpads went back on her hands and the pan back into the oven. Her phone chimed with a text from Sam.

Sam 7:38pm: I’m leaving work now, I’m sorry today ran so late :(

Her fingers flew over the keys as her lips curled up into a smile.

Alex 7:39pm: No problem wifey. Someone has to be the trophy wife ;)

Sam 7:41pm: You are a certifiable dork. I’ll be home in fifteen minutes.

Alex set the timer for ten minutes on the oven. It was then that she realized the house was eerily quiet. Ruby had yet to come back from answering the door and nobody had come into the house that she’d heard. 
 
“Ruby, who was at the door?” 
 
She rounded the corner to see the front door wide open but no Ruby in sight. Her training kicked in as she grabbed the closest object to fight with (an umbrella because her gun was locked up downstairs) and ran out of the front door. The neighborhood looked quiet. There were no cars on the street and a noticeable lack of people out. She looked side to side but couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Her heart rate elevated as she contemplated if Ruby would have left the front door open and went back inside. She stuck her head back inside the doorway and yelled, “Ruby!? Are you here?!”
 
Her ears strained but were met with the deafening silence of the house. Alex flipped open her watch and pushed the face to alert Kara she needed help while tossing the umbrella onto the floor. It was mere seconds before Supergirl was touching down in front of her. “Alex, what’s wrong?” 
 
“Ruby’s missing. Can you hear her heartbeat? Someone came to the door and she was literally only gone for like 5 minutes before I realized she didn’t come back inside.” Alex said, completely frantic.
 
Kara’s eyes widened and her head cocked to the side, “I’ll try, give me a second.” She lifted off the ground to hover about thirty feet in the air. Her cape billowed in the wind each time she turned to extend her hearing in different directions. After a few seconds she descended until her boots were back on the ground. “I don’t hear her. But that could mean more than one thing. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions but we need to call Sam and Lena.” 
 
Alex ran a hand through her hair, “Fuck, you’re right. God damn it.” Her phone received the brunt of her anger as she clicked through to Sam’s contact. 
 
It rang once in her ear before Sam’s voice came through, “Hey I’m almost home, what’s up?” 
 
“Sam, we can’t find Ruby.” 
 
“What do you mean you can’t find Ruby?” 
 
Kara made a flying motion with her hand and took off in the sky. 
 
Alex took the stairs two at a time down to her room in the basement. “Someone came to the door when I was taking dinner out of the oven and she went to get it. I was in the kitchen less than five minutes texting you and when I went to see who was there, the door was wide open and Ruby nowhere in sight.” 
 
She could practically hear Sam’s heart beating faster. “She has to be close. There’s no way she got far in under ten minutes. Did you call Kara?” 
 
“Yea, she listened for her and she can’t hear anything” 
 
“Shit, shit, shit!” 
 
Alex took a deep breath. She knew she needed to stay calm for Sam. “We’re going to find her. She can’t be far. With both you and Kara patrolling the skies we will find her.” 
 
“You’re right. We’re going to find her.” 
 
Sam’s car rounded the corner so Alex quickly hung up. She was out of the car in seconds and at Alex’s side. “Who would even do this? It’s not like I’m some big celebrity!” Alex ached to brush away the tears falling down her cheeks but kept her distance knowing this was partially her fault. 
 
“We will find her. I promise you.” 
 
Kara touched back down with Lena, who immediately embraced Sam in a hug. "We'll find Ruby, Sam. She can't have gone far," Lena reassured. "I'm sure someone is masking her heartbeat to throw us off guard. You and Kara should patrol in opposite directions - they couldn't have gotten far in just a few minutes. Look for anything out of the ordinary. Alex and I will access the security cameras to see if we catch sight of her."
 
Sam wiped her cheeks with a nod. “Alright. I can do that.” 
 
Kara reached out and gave her hand a squeeze, “We won’t let anything happen to her, Sam. You have my word.” 
 
Sam flipped open her watch to reveal a button. Pressing it enveloped her in a suit that resembled Kara's, but darker with slight variations. At Kara's request, it still bore the House of El's crest. The first time Alex saw Sam wear it, she was awestruck. Now was different—Sam wasn't showing off but suiting up for battle.
 
Fear enveloped her like fingers closing in a vice grip around her throat. It wasn’t the kind of fear she felt when Kara was fighting aliens or when Maggie would go out on a call. It felt like her heart was sitting about 8 inches above where it should be, lodged in the middle of her trachea. Lena gripped her forearm with a gentle tug, “Come on. Let’s get started on those cameras.” Alex nodded to her future sister-in-law as she led the way into the house. Glancing back unintentionally at her sister and wife, she caught a private moment - her sister embracing Sam in a heartfelt hug that seemed to convey more than any words could. 
 
Swallowing back the sob rising in her chest proved harder than she anticipated. She forced herself to turn back to the house and compartmentalize her feelings, knowing this was the only way to get through the situation. With a shake of her head to refocus, she returned to the task of reviewing the camera footage to find out what happened to Ruby.
 
Lena’s fingers flew over the keys at record speed while Alex linked up communications between Sam, Kara, Lena, and Brainy back at the Tower. 
 
“What can I assist you with, Alex?” Brainy’s voice came through her laptop. 
 
“Ruby is missing. Kara and Sam just took off to look for her. Kara couldn’t hear her heartbeat. She answered the door and was literally only out of my sight for five minutes. But she was gone when I went to see what was taking so long. Lena is pulling up the security system right now.” 
 
“Sprock! Searching for kryptonian DNA traces from our end right now.” 
 
Lena reached over to grip her forearm, “Alex… do you know these people?” 
 
Alex’s head snapped over to Lena’s screen. All the blood drained from her face in seconds as a familiar face passed on the screen. Sam’s voice came through the speaker, “Who is it Alex?!” 
 
“Sam, it’s… it’s the doctor from the clinic.” 
 
“WHAT?! I’M GOING TO KILL HIM!” 
 
In the distance there was a faint boom as someone broke the sound barrier followed by a second boom, presumably chasing the first. Alex’s stomach rolled as the footage kept playing. Ruby struggled against the men who abducted her. She thrashed in their hold as one held her by each arm and led her across the yard. The doctor stood off to the side, seeming amused by the fight in her. The look on his face was familiar. The same kind of sick fascination that Alex noticed back in the office. She didn’t want to watch anymore but she couldn’t tear her eyes away. A strange looking ship waited for them a few yards away and Ruby’s eyes went wide as she fought harder. Tired of her antics, the doctor moved forward to block her path, leaning down to whisper something to her. Alex couldn’t keep it together anymore. Somehow her feet carried her to the closest trash can to empty the contents of her stomach into it. She could faintly hear Kara’s voice through the speakers, “Lena, what’s going on?!” 
 
“You guys need to get back here, you aren’t going to find him tonight. We’ll look at the footage when you get here,” Lena instructed. 
 
Cool hands rubbed her back, “We’ll get her back Alex.” 
 
Tears streamed down her cheeks as nausea overtook her body again, forcing her into another round of retching. The last thing she saw before averting her eyes from the screen to vomit was Ruby's frightened face. It felt like her future was being torn away before she could even seize it. Two sets of boots thudded heavily on the ground outside. Her stomach lurched into her throat, knowing Sam was about to witness the same distressing scene.

Kara was the first to speak, “Lena! What did you mea-- Alex, are you ok?” Confusion clouded her features as her eyes darted back and forth between Alex and Lena. 
 
Again it was Lena who answered, “I don’t have all the answers but… it looks like she was taken off world.” 
 
Alex watched in horror as Sam collapsed to her knees, the hardwood floor splintering upon impact. Sam's face drained of color as their eyes locked, and Alex felt utterly powerless as one of the strongest people she knew crumpled before her. The deafening crack of the floorboards matched the sound of Alex's heart breaking. There was no doubt in her mind that they would find Ruby, even if it was the last thing she did. Her tears were wiped hastily away with the palm of her hands. She rushed to Sam’s side to grip her shoulders, “We’ll get her back. I promise you.” 
 
Sam seemed to be numb as she stared off into the distance with tears rolling down her cheeks. Alex’s thumbs brushed away the tears as quickly as possible. Clicking on the keyboard drew all their attention back to where Lena was working on the computer again. Brainy’s voice came through the speakers, “It’s nearing the top of the stratosphere as we speak. If Supergirl can get a tracker on it, we’ll be able to follow it as long as it holds.” 
 
Kara placed her hand on her chest, activating the anti-kryptonite suit that would allow her to breathe at high altitudes. The helmet sealed over her face, enveloping her in darkness. Lena's fingers flew over the keyboard, the suit schematics displayed before her. "I'm reconfiguring some nanobots into a tracker. It won't affect the suit, but slow down on descent. You need to fly

fast

!" Kara nodded sharply, then launched skyward with a sonic boom, moving at top speed. 
 
All they could do was watch helplessly as the newly created tracker beeped on Lena’s screen. It was moving so quickly it would disappear for seconds and then reappear thousands of feet higher. Kara hadn’t moved this fast in so long. “You’re almost there, darling. Just a little more. You can do it,” Lena encouraged. Alex helped Sam to her feet and embraced her tightly, determined to be the strong one this time. Every muscle was tensed and ready to snap at a moment's notice. 
 
“I can see it. I’ve almost got it. Can’t I just grab it and stop it?” 
 
Lena seemed to debate it, “We don’t know if they’re anticipating you coming after them. It’s better not to just yank it out of the sky. Plus they know Sam is kryptonian. I don’t know what they have as defenses on board. I know your suit is anti kryptonite but I had to reprogram some of the systems to create the tracker.” 
 
“Alright. Tracker placed. I can hear Ruby’s heartbeat on board. She’s alright.” 
 
Sam visibly breathed a sigh of relief in Alex’s arms, sinking into the embrace finally. The tracker blinked on the screen as it moved out of the stratosphere into space. “Come back slowly Kar. I don’t know the extent of what the suit can take after reconfiguring the nanobots.” 
 
“I’ll be careful babe, I promise,” came her reassuring reply. 
 
Brainy and Lena continued to monitor the ship as it moved steadily toward Eros. “What do we do now?” Alex asked. 
 
Lena cleared her throat, “We get our ship ready. Call in reinforcements if we need to. Make a phone call to Alura and Zor-El too. I can’t believe they’d allow this to happen. And if they do… we’re going to have a lot of problems.” 
 
“We should have Kara call Alura and Zor-El as soon as she returns. We do not want to start a conflict with more than one entity unless we need to,” came Brainy’s reply. 
 
Lena hummed, “I’ll have her contact them when she gets back.” 
 
Heavy footfalls alerted them to Kara’s reappearance as she came into view brushing the soot off her suit, much too quickly to have listened to Lena’s warning to take it slowly. Nanobots skated around her skin attempting to patch holes that had been created as she descended too rapidly despite Lena’s warning. Lena sighed at the sight of her beloved. “Kara Zor-El. Didn’t I tell you to take it easy on reentry?” Lena’s hands rested on her hips in Kara’s signature pose.
 
The hero shrunk under her gaze guiltily, “I slowed down. Just not slow enough probably. I’m fine, really.” 
 
Lena pinched her nose between her index finger and thumb as her eyes closed in irritation. “You and Sam both need to get under the sun lamps before we even think about leaving Earth.” 
 
Sam’s mouth opened to object but Lena shot her a look, “I know, Sam. But we all need to be at 100%. We won’t be any help to Ruby otherwise.”
 
Sam’s head gave a sharp nod, her mouth snapping shut at the realization Lena was right. The group scattered as they all prepared for the impending departure. Lena turned back to Kara, “You need to call your parents and see if they knew things like this were happening, while you’re resting. Please take Sam with you.” 
 
Kara gave a sheepish nod but held out a hand to lead Sam away. Alex pressed a kiss to her forehead, “We’re going to get her back, I promise.” 
 
~~~~~~~~~
 
It took six hours to fully prepare for their trip to Eros. Alura and Zor-El had been appalled that this was happening. It was without a second thought that they would make a trip to Eros to assist with returning Ruby as well as investigate what was happening on the newly inhabited planet. Sam and Kara had spent most of the six hours under the sun lamps. They would be powerless on Eros but their bodies still needed time to heal before departure. 
 
Alex suited up in her traditional black gear, gun at her hip and sun grenades locked and ready. She was prepared to rescue Ruby. The two Kryptonians cut ominous figures in their House of El emblazoned suits. Lena wore a similar all-black outfit to Alex's, her hair pulled back in a French braid. Brainy and Nia stood by the ship door in their own suits. "Let's go bring Ruby home," Brainy said, gesturing grandly toward the ship. Kara and Lena boarded first, followed by Nia and Brainy. Alex reached out to lace her fingers with Sam's, giving a supportive squeeze. "Let's go get our girl," she said. Sam nodded resolutely and tugged Alex onto the ship after her. 
 
The passengers hurried to their assigned seats. Brainy's fingers deftly pressed the control panel's buttons as the ship prepared for liftoff. Alex grasped Sam's hand, bracing for takeoff. The ship gently rose from the ground as coordinates appeared on the main screen. In an instant, they were soaring through the sky. The brief hour-long flight kept them buckled into their seats, anxious to reach their destination swiftly. A hushed silence filled the ship's interior. Not even Kara was talking. Alex kept a tight grip on Sam’s hand for the duration of the flight. 
 
It felt like they would simultaneously never make it to Eros and like no time had passed by the time the ship was landing. Alex looked out the window to see colossal mountain peaks covered in thick glaciers and fresh snow. There weren’t any buildings visible in the snowy biome. Miles away there seemed to be dense, lush jungles teeming with exotic plants. In the far off distance volcanoes were erupting, spewing red-hot lava in fiery rivers along the landscape. Smoke billowed up into the sky in patterns resembling a cyclone. The ship passed each section of terrain carefully avoiding the dangerous parts until a flatter segment of land came into view. Tall buildings sprawled across the landscape, marking where the city was. Alex felt her heart in her throat. Ruby was out there somewhere all alone and scared. 
 
The hand in hers tightened, Sam likely thinking the same thing. Kara and Lena seemed to tense next to them as well. Brainy navigated them to an opening where he set down the ship. Another ship landed close by, most likely holding Alura and Zor-El. Kara was the first out the door to meet up with her parents. Alex got up with Sam in tow, tugging her toward the exit. Lena fell in step with them, “Our plan is for Kara and Alex to go in first. The rest of us will back up accordingly.” 
 
Sam immediately objected, coming to a stop. “Lena, I’m going in to get Ruby.” 
 
Lena put her hand on Sam’s forearm, “We know you want to be right there in the action. But at the moment, you won’t be as level headed as Kara will. We don’t want you to do something you’ll regret later. We also don’t want to send in both of our kryptonians at the start. Alex and Kara can handle subduing these captors. We might need you to go in and get Ruby while they do the dirty work.” 
 
Sam was about to object again when Alex gave her hand a squeeze and turned to Lena, “If we need help, nobody stops her from coming when we call.” 
 
Lena nodded, “I can agree to that. I’m not trying to be a monster here. We just want the smoothest and safest rescue for everyone.” 
 
Kara reappeared, followed by Alura and Zor-El. A frown tugged at the corners of his mouth.  “We are very saddened and frustrated to hear what has happened to Ruby. We will be addressing it appropriately.” 
 
Alura stepped forward, her hands resting on Sam’s shoulders lightly, “We will punish those who took Ruby. I promise you.” 
 
Sam nodded, tears welling in her eyes. Alex dropped her hand in favor of slipping an arm around her shoulders. Brainy and Lena dove into explaining their plan for rescue. Kara and Alex would go in first, locate and extract Ruby, and then move to arresting the kidnappers.  Alex was itching to go by the time they’d explained the plan. Alex stroked Sam’s cheek, “I’m gonna get her back. If we need back up I will call for you, I promise.” Her lips gently pressed to Sam’s forehead. 
 
“Get our daughter back,” came the whispered reply. 
 
Alex vowed at that moment that she would get Ruby back no matter what. 
 
Twenty minutes later she was zipping through the air with Kara holding her in a bridal carry. “Supergirl, the target is up ahead. It looks to be in an underground room. The tall building with the sun on it, that one. The basic thermal scan shows twenty six bodies inside on various floors.” came Brainy’s instructions. 
 
“Got it,” Kara replied. “How are we getting inside?” 
 
Lena’s voice came through this time, “Carefully. We don’t have an exact blueprint or layout of the building. What can you see with your x-ray vision?” 
 
Kara touched down behind the building, “Ten floors. At least one person on each. I can hear Ruby’s heartbeat on the 3rd.  We’re going to have to work our way there from either the ground floor or the roof.” 
 
Alex gave Kara’s shoulder a pat, “You should take one and I'll take the other.” 
 
“Absolutely not,” Lena and Sam said at the same time. 
 
That got a chuckle out of Alex and eye roll from Kara. “Kar, did you ever think our wives would be so bossy?”

Kara laughed in response, “If you’d asked me years ago, I would not have agreed because I didn’t think we’d have wives. But knowing who our wives are, it absolutely makes sense that they’re this bossy.”
 
Alex pointed at the ground to which Kara nodded in reply.  Silently they communicated what their wives would not be happy about. Kara zipped back up to the roof while Alex clicked her comms back on. Brainy’s voice came through, “I do not think your wives will approve of this plan.” 
 
Lena was the next to speak, “Kara Zor-El, do you have a problem listening today?” 
 
“Lena, this is the best chance to get Ruby. And the yellow sun packs in these suits only last for an hour. I’ll be powerless again after that and then we’ll only have Sam. We need to work as fast as we can.” 
 
“You’re both going to be in more danger if you’re alone,” came Lena’s irritated voice.
 
Alex cut in, “Well then I guess it’s a good thing Sam’s waiting to be called in if we need help. Ready Kar?” 
 
“Ready Al.” 
 
“I’ll see you on the 3rd floor, sis. Don’t take too long.” 
 
“You got it. Heading in now,” came Kara’s reply. 
 
Brainy’s voice came through their comms, “Two on the first floor Alex. Far end of the room to your left."
 
Alex quietly opened the back door, her head peeking into the room but she didn’t see anyone. She quickly found a stack of boxes across the room that would provide sufficient cover. With another quick look around, she silently stepped inside and made sure the door closed behind her. She quietly padded across the gap to crouch behind the boxes, heart racing. Kara’s voice came through her ear piece. “Made it inside. Taking down the few up here.” 
 
Alex watched the two people moving around the far side of the room. It looked like she was in a back storage room of some kind. Honestly, weird for a first floor, but who was she to judge? Her eyes tracked the two people moving back and forth around the room. The first individual, a woman with dark hair and blue skin, was seemingly filing a stack of paperwork into drawers. The other individual was a man with green scales covering his body. He seemed to be moving things out of a box and into a glass cabinet. The pair was on opposite sides of the room from each other luckily, their backs facing each other. 
 
Combat boots quietly moved across the tile floor toward the female. Without a second thought one arm wrapped tightly around the woman's neck while the other covered her mouth. Hands flew up to pull at her arm but she held tight. The seconds seemed to pass slower as the woman struggled in her hold. It only took a few seconds until the body went limp in her arms. She quickly glanced over to see the male individual was still busily humming to himself. Somehow she managed to drag the dead weight behind another stack of boxes and lay the woman down carefully. Head peeking out, she observed the man still sorting things and completely oblivious to what had happened. Alex quietly crossed the room again and repeated the same action with the man, endlessly happy when he dropped to the ground unconscious. 
 
“First floor clear,” she called out into her comms. “Heading upstairs.” 
 
It didn’t take long to locate the stairwell at all. Alex quietly opened the door making sure it didn’t alert anyone on upper floors she was slipping inside. Luckily she found the stairwell empty and began the climb to the next floor. Ten steps up, turn to the right, ten more steps and she was landing in front of a heavy door with a small window. She looked through and only saw one person. Brainy’s voice crackled in her earpiece, “Only one there Alex.” 
 
“Copy that,” she replied. 
 
Kara’s voice came through her comms again, “I’m on the 6th floor now. I’ll be down in a minute Alex.” 
 
Knowing that her sister would be moving quickly, she stepped inside silently. The door closed behind her with not as much as a click. The individual was in a white lab coat facing away from her, looking at some type of technology panel. They had short hair, shaved on the sides and fluffy on top, their skin had a slight purple tint to it. Unfortunately the room was mostly bare in terms of cover. Multiple scenarios played out in her mind while she tried to find the safest. She put one foot in front of the other and froze as the individual's head tilted to the side as if they heard something. A soft voice came through some type of speaker, “We have intruders in the building. One alien, one human. Capture them alive. Secure the child.” 
 
Alex inwardly sighed as her hand slipped to the weapon on her hip. She drew it with both hands as she quietly crept forward. The individual's hand moved to their ear, “Copy that. Engaging protocol Stargazer.” Their hand flipped a switch on the panel in front of them before they froze. Alex realized they must have seen her reflection. 
 
“I don’t want any trouble,” she tried to reason with them. Out of nowhere they brandished a weapon and she could do nothing but react. A bang went off but she wasn’t sure if it was hers or theirs. The ache in her shoulder made her think that they must be quicker than she anticipated. 
 
“Alex, are you ok?!” Came Kara’s panicked voice in her ear. 
 
“Little busy, sis,” she replied while firing at the seemingly male individual’s hand. The intention was not to hurt anyone but she needed to disarm them. Her training kicked in without needing to think about it at all. She raced across the room in a zigzag pattern, firing as she went. Shocked yellow eyes stared back at her when she knocked the weapon out of their hands. Her own weapon came down on their temple and the result was immediate. She caught them under the arms as they sagged and sank to the floor. The pain in her shoulder became much more apparent as she let them drop somewhat hard to the ground. 
 
“I’m going up to get Ruby.” 
 
“Are you ok? I heard shots fired,” came Kara’s immediate reply. 
 
Sam’s voice came through comms, “Did you get hit Alex? Do you need help?” 
 
“I’m fine, I’m going up to get Ruby. Supergirl, if you could move your ass, that would be great.” 
 
Pain was radiating down her arm, making her fingers tingle with any movement. The hand not currently throbbing moved to her shoulder and came away wet with blood. She sighed, nobody was going to be happy about that. She quickly tugged the door to the stairwell open and reloaded her weapon. A roll of the shoulder tore a groan from her lips. 
 
“Alex,” Lena’s stern voice cut through her comms. “What the hell happened?” 
 
“I’m fi--” 
 
“Do not say you are fine if you aren’t, Alex,” Sam cut in. 
 
Alex took a breath to steady herself as she climbed the stairs, “I will need medical assistance when I get back to the ship. I’m alright for the time being. Supergirl will be down here to help me shortly I’m sure.” 
 
“I’ll be there in two minutes. I swear,” Kara’s voice chimed in. 
 
“See, just need two minutes. Going in now.” 
 
“Son of a bi--” Sam’s voice was cut off as she clicked her comms off. Weapon at the ready she pushed the door open to a sight that had her blood running cold. Ruby was strapped to a table in the center of the room, one ominous light shining on her. Her normal hoodie and jeans had been removed and in their place were some sort of shorts and tank top. A syringe was pressed to the crease of her elbow and the asshole doctor was holding it. 
 
“Dr. Scott, funny to find you here. I’d love to know what you’re doing with my daughter.” Alex’s voice was eerily calm, but her hands were shaking. Ruby’s head turned at the sound of her voice, brown eyes wide and brimming with tears.
 
“You and your wife were very unhelpful with our research.” He said simply, unfazed by her sudden appearance. He had clearly been expecting them.
 
“So, instead of asking nicely for participation with consent, you thought it would be a fantastic idea to kidnap a kid?” Alex asked, moving further into the room.
 
“She went willingly.” 
 
Alex pointed the gun at his chest as she approached fully, “I know that is not the case. I’m only going to say this once. Let her go.” 
 
“I can’t do that.” 
 
“Yes you can. Let her go and tell me what you’re working on if you want to walk out of here.” 
 
The doctor’s finger hovered over the plunger of the syringe, “Put the gun down and she doesn’t get this sedative that is supercharged with a very fun cocktail of things.” 
 
She glanced over at Ruby. Despite the obvious relief at being rescued, the teenager was still clearly terrified and Alex hated the thought of exposing her to this kind of violence. Striking a deal of any kind with him wasn’t something that she had in mind but if she could subdue him quietly, maybe that would be enough. Alura and Zor-El were already eager to put him through trial.
 
“If I put it down, will you do as I asked?”
 
The doctor laughed maniacally, “Not likely. We just want to see what happens to hybrid kryptonians when injected with a sedative and kryptonite.” The liquid in the syringe glowed a faint green. Her blood ran cold as images of Kara thrashing in pain raced through her mind. She wouldn’t let that happen to Ruby. There was no way.
 
“Put the gun down.” He repeated, eyes narrowed.
 
“I’m not saying it again.” 
 
“Fine, have it your way.” His thumb pressed the plunger and Alex screamed as she pulled the trigger.

Sam POV

Her hearing was tuned into Alex’s conversation. Her heart stopped when she heard the word kryptonite. Would it hurt Ruby? Would her human side cancel it out? Would Kara be able to help? How much was in that room? Was his intention to kill Ruby? Her heart raced as she heard Alex scream. Lena gripped her arm, “Don’t even think about it. Trust Alex and Kara. They’ll call for backup if they need us.” 
 
“Lena, they have kryptonite.” 
 
“What?” 
 
“I heard him tell Alex he has kryptonite. How close is Kara?” Sam asked. 
 
Lena’s fingers flew over the keyboard as she tracked both Alex and Kara. “Darling, how close are you to Alex?” 
 
Kara’s voice cut in through the comms with a grunt, “Almost there. Making my way down now.” 
 
“He has kryptonite. Please be careful.” 
 
There looked to be a scuffle as the heat signatures overlapped. Sam’s heart felt like it had taken up residence in her throat. Out of nowhere ten more heat signatures materialized around Kara and Alex. Lena reached out to grip her forearm. “Sam…” 
 
“Lena, let me go.” 
 
“Get Ruby and get out. Let Alex and Kara handle everyone else, got it?” 
 
Sam nodded quickly before jetting off toward the building full speed. Images of Ruby with green veins filled her mind. Her eyes closed as the wind whipped around her and she drew in a deep breath. When she opened them again, she was completely focused. The building drew closer but she didn’t slow. Her fist made impact with the window, shattering it into a thousand pieces as she landed in a crouch. The first thing she noticed was the absence of the heartbeat that she’d listened to since the day she knew it existed. Her head whipped back and forth trying to locate her daughter. She was met with the sight of Alex cradling Ruby in her arms. Alex gave her a nod towards Kara where green veins were starting to crawl up her neck. “Lena, open a portal for Alex and Ruby. I’m staying to help Supergirl.”
 
Almost instantly a portal opened directly in front of Alex and the two disappeared through it. Sam took a steadying breath as her attention focused solely on the aliens surrounding Kara. The kryptonian wasn’t struggling per say, but she was more clumsy than usual. Sam sped to her side and held out a hand. Kara’s hand grasped her forearm while hers did the same. With one motion she swung Kara around her body, knocking over a majority of the aliens around them. “Thanks for the help.” 
 
“No problem, it looked like you could use a hand.” 
 
Sam caught an alien around the neck, her knee slamming into their chest as she dropped them to the ground. The commotion with the doctor seemed to have gotten the attention of the remaining occupants in the building and despite the fact that the two kryptonians were taking them on easily, they continued to rush them from all sides. The two worked seamlessly together and cleared the threat in just a few short minutes. When the last of them dropped, Kara’s head snapped toward the corner of the room.  The doctor she remembered was cowering in the corner holding his hand to his chest. Sam sped to him, catching him by the collar of his coat. “You’re going to pay for taking my daughter.” Her eyes burned as she felt the heat vision building. 
 
Kara’s hand rested on her forearm, “Go to Ruby and Alex. Let me deal with him.” 
 
She knew that Kara was only trying to save her from herself, but it was a mother's instinct to protect her child. It was Sam's instinct to ensure that this monster could never harm anyone again. Kara looked to her in understanding, blue eyes filled with compassion. They were on the same team and as much as Sam wanted to make him pay, she also wanted to be with her daughter.
 
Sam took a breath to steady herself, the heat dying out behind her eyes. She handed him over to Kara as a portal opened behind them. Three long strides had her crossing back into the ship where Alex was attaching different things to Ruby’s chest and checking something on a tablet. She was by her daughter’s side in seconds. Her fingers brushed against soft skin, “Are you ok, honey?” 
 
Ruby nodded, trying to tug the oxygen mask down her face to talk but Alex’s hand stopped her. “Keep it on, Rubes. I want to make sure we’ve flushed everything from your system.” 
 
Sam quickly looked up to Alex, “Is she ok? Did he inject her?”
 
Alex shook her head, “I shot him first. But we’re not sure about the atmosphere or anything she encountered on the way there.” 
 
Sam couldn’t help herself. Her hands moved to cup Alex’s cheeks as she brought their mouths together. The tablet in Alex’s hands clattered to the floor while her hands landed somewhere on Sam’s hips. Their noses brushed as their heads tilted in opposite directions,mouths sliding against each other in a dance that felt like coming home. Alex’s hands slipped to her lower back, Sam moved easily with the soft tug that drew her in. Her arms naturally slipped around Alex’s neck, mindful of her injured shoulder as she sunk into her warm embrace.
 
It was like everything slotted perfectly into place. The world slowed to a pace that felt under her control. Everything that had pushed her into a tailspin in the last five years quieted. Alex’s arms were strong around her creating a feeling of safety that she had never felt before. “I’m pretty sure you’re it for me, Danvers,” she said.  
 
Alex chuckled, “I guess it’s a good thing you’re my wife then.” She reached over to give Ruby’s hand a squeeze. “It’s the three of us against the world now.”
 
Ruby tugged the oxygen mask off her face, “Now that you guys realize you love each other, can we go home, please?” 
 
Sam and Alex both chuckled before Alex answered, “Yea kiddo, let’s go home.”