Alright my Loves. This story has come to a close. I just could not go back to work on Monday and not give you all regular updates. I hope you all have enjoyed the ride that this story took us on. You all have been phenomenal support to make this story flow at the speed in which it had finished. Thank you all for your words of encouragement. You are the true rockstars here for it you dont read, share thoughts, and care about these characters, why do we have fanfiction?

Healing…

Alex smiled down at the woman next to her. With all the might and fervor of a war goddess, Lena tried desperately to make good on her voiced desires, but as soon as the hot water hit her shoulders, and Alex's hands coaxed forth a cloud of relaxed contentment, Lena didn't last. Alex washed them up, doctored, cuts, and rope burns, and inspected bruises. By the time they made their way to bed, bodies fitted together, Lena's eyes barely stayed open. Alex loved her valiant effort to take what she wanted, but she knew that kind of exhaustion. She knew that type of emotional strain. It sucks your strength from you. It plummets you into a world of blissful black, only to wake up with a pain in your guts, and an ache in your bones. Pain from betrayal, pain from having to take or do something you don't want. The ache in your bones is self-explanatory after the night they had. Alex, trained to endure this strain, was a little more lucid when they slipped under the sheets. Lena was out like a light before Alex could kiss her good night.

Morning came with a mist that shrouded the city. Alex didn't sleep, she hardly ever did on nights like the last, but she stayed in bed with Lena for as long as she could. Her fingers yearned to touch the woman next to her or type out their frustration on a keyboard. Alex couldn't stay in this room though. She was mildly claustrophobic in this place, with the events of last night, and the unfamiliar setting. She wanted to take Lena away from this building, away from the actions on the roof. So, with a smile and limp she headed back to Lena and picked up her phone.

"Hey," she spoke, and then held the phone from her ear, "Yes, yes, I'm fine, and she is fine too. Can you do me a favor?" Alex asked and before she asked what that favor was Kara was already on Lena's balcony. Alex shook her head and smiled, then motioned for her sister to give her just a moment.

Alex did not know how Lena could sleep through all the manhandling as she got her into a pair of pajamas, covered up against the world. Alex was willing to admit that she didn't want to share this part of Lena with anyone. When she was finished she called in Kara. When the blonde walked in and looked at Lena her eyes softened.

"Dear Rao, Alex. You broke her," then Kara lifted up a hand, "I don't want to know."

"No, I didn't you dingbat. She fell asleep right after a shower, not that it's any of your business," Alex slapped Kara's arm playfully. Alex motioned for Kara to go to the bed, and Alex watched her sister with her best friend. So gentle the woman was with the woman in bed Alex's breath caught. When Kara scooped the woman up into her arms wrapped in a blanket, Kara nodded ready to go. Alex grabbed her cane and hobbled out to the elevator. Kara and Alex stood there silently. Lena was dead weight in Kara's arms, but there was a small mewing nose from the woman as the elevator opened and the cold air hit them in a blast. Alex hobbles quickly as she could, hit the SUV keypad, and then opened the back door. Kara looked at the door and cocked her head.

"Get in and hold her Kara," Alex said softly, "I know you don't want to let her go after last night," Alex let her sister have her wish and the smile on Kara's face lit the parking garage like a 1000-watt lightbulb.

"Where is Cat?" Alex asked as she eased the SUV onto the slick road from the weather. She flicked on the windshield wipers.

"She is already at your apartment. She heard Jonn and the doctor taking about you, and you are not allowed to set foot in the DEO for at least 2 weeks," Kara smiled.

"Why my apartment?" Alex asked eyebrow raising as she looked in her rearview mirror to look at Kara.

"She wanted you stocked and with no reason to leave, unless it's to go and see Lena," Kara smiled. Alex sighed, smiled, and shook her head.

"Damned shark," Alex mumbled.

"Yeah, but that shark loves you," Kara tilted her head, "How did you two get so close?" Kara asked with a small smile on her lips.

"I treated her like I wish to be treated," Alex lifted her eyes to the mirror again and found Kara's, "Like a human, flesh and blood emotional human," Alex said and then to Kara, "Look Kara I care a lot about Cat. She is brittle, and she needs to get stronger. I think you can help her do that. I want you to help her," Alex said, and Kara nodded as if it was the easiest request to say yes to.

Finally, they arrived at Alex's apartment and Kara hoisted her precious cargo up in her arms as if she weighted that of a simple loaf of bread, and not an adult woman. Alex unlocked her door, and it was then that Lena's eyes fluttered half open, glanced around and then smiled at Alex. Then her head rolled onto Kara's shoulder, back to sleep. Kara laughed as Alex chuckled when Kara lay her down in Alex's bed. Immediately Lena curled into the middle of the bed grabbing one of Alex's pillows and latched onto it like a teddy bear. Alex and Kara walked from the bedroom and into the living area. Alex sat on the stool as Kara told her to sit, and Alex allowed her sister to fret.

"The caught the mole," Kara said as she set coffee to brew then she turned around and looked at Alex. "It was some guy in prisoner detail. James promised him the world just as Lillian Luthor promised James. The guy was perfect because was never around Jonn for Jonn to read his mind. His job never did bring him to command center, and they seriously never saw each other. Jonn was having a hard time trying to place the guys face when we caught him talking to James. Idiots," Kara said. The coffee pot finished brewing and Kara poured a mug for Alex. She watched Alex with keen eyes.

"What?" Alex asked as she put the mug down as she took her sip. Kara opened her mouth to speak but the door opened.

"You are lucky you little shit, I love you so much," Cat said as she placed bags of groceries on the counter, and then went to hold Alex to her. Cat's embrace was hard, and tight, and it lasted for a long time. Alex looked over to Kara and saw Kara's face fall. Alex reached out for her sister's hand and then motioned her around the island counter, and as soon as Kara wrapped her arms around Alex, Kara sighed.

"Better?" Alex asked in Kara's neck. Kara nodded.

"Sometimes I don't know when to embrace you. I don't know when you will fight me on it or accept it," Kara took a breath, "I love you Alex, and this was too many times you have been hurt, way too many times to get hurt. I am scared for you." Kara finally told her sister her feelings. Alex squeezed her sister then let her go. She looked toward the bedroom and then back to Kara.

"I have a reason now Kara," Alex said as she swept a blonde lock of hair from Kara's reddening eyes, "I had one in you too, but I have a reason to choose me," Alex whispered and then felt Cat's hand on her shoulder. Alex grasped that hand. "I have more reasons to stay here, with you than I ever had," Alex leaned forward and kissed Kara's cheek.

"Talk to us from now on, Alex. Don't go down that road alone again," Kara chastised her sister, but all Alex could do was smile crookedly and nod, promising to try.

The blondes look in on Lena, who still was dead to the world, and left. Cat promised she would let her assistant at L-Corp know what had happened, and Kara smiled as she hugged Alex once more. She had two stories to write. One was the Alien food story. Turned out the alien she saved that kicked Alex's ass was a really nice guy when he began to trust you. Then James's story was going to be front page. It was a good day for Kara if she could meet her deadline. Cat leered at Kara lecherously as she said homework first, play after. Kara seemed to have had a fire lit under her ass at that promise. Alex walked back to the bedroom. She leaned down, placed a kiss on Lean's forehead and pulled up the covers to her chin. She went to the kitchen table and booted up her laptop. Then pulled the charge cable from the laptop bag and went to the bedroom. She would keep her promise if she could. Lena would wake up and she would be there.

Tap… Tap… Tap…

Layla threw her arms around Sora. Nobody could have known that vow, no one but Sora. Layla turned with Sora and slowly made their back to the cottage. Her wounds were not healed, but nothing could keep her away. Sora stepped into the space she knew so well and turned to find Layla still standing hesitant. Sora raised her arms and slowly turned in a circle.

"I am here Layla. I'm here to stay as long as you want me here. I'll never leave you again," said Sora. Layla moved but did not come closer. The open fear that spread across her face told Sora volumes. Then Sora held her head down and looked at her hand as she had so many months ago.

"I will not drop you. I will catch you, and you will never fall as long as you are flying into my arms," Sora whispered. Layla finally breathed and crashed into Sora.

Alex let her fingers fly and looked at the clock. It was going on 15 hours, and yet the woman still snored softly next to her, curled into her body. A few more sentences and she would be done with this story. Alex smiled, the parallels where uncanny, but it was her story. Art imitates life and all that jazz. When Alex hit save she stood from the bed and placed the laptop on the bed where she sat hobbling to the bathroom.

She heard the tapping, but her eyes would not open. Truth be told she didn't want her eyes to open. She was content and warm, and she knew the warmth in the bed radiated from Alex. She knew it just as easily as if she knew she were breathing. Then the warmth was lost, the taping was gone. Finally, her eyes cracked open. Her face was puffy and sore. She raised her hand to her forehead as pain shot through it. Then she breathed through the pain as she felt the cut on her forehead, she moved and winced, body aching from … Lena sighed as flashes of last night zoomed through her mind like a DVD on fast forward. She sighed and looked to the side where the warmth was. She reached out and felt the bed, still warm. Then saw the laptop. She spun the computer to her. The window wasn't minimized. She read the ending of the story she was secretly following, and her breath caught. Her eyes flew up as Alex walked through the door and paused. Lena inched away from the computer afraid Alex might be angry with her. The woman, pain in her knee forgotten, flew over the space and shoved the laptop to the side and dove down onto Lena's lips. Lena, ever the pragmatist, closed the laptop and lowered it to the floor as she shifted to her back and Alex slid over her. Lena and Alex's kiss came to a slow burn when she opened her eyes and brushed the back of her fingers over Alex's cheek.

"How did you get me here?" Lena asked

"Kara," Alex said as she kissed Lena's jaw and then grinned, "You must be an enchantress," Alex said as she lifted and kissed Lena's lips.

"Oh, and why is that?" Lena asked lifting her hands to pull Alex closer to her to deepen the kiss.

"You have been out for just over 15 hours and you don't even have dragon breath," Alex answered.

Lena's head flew back as she full blown belly laughed as Alex smirked and kissed her throat.

"Love is blind Alex, maybe that statement doesn't just pertain to your eye sight," Lena joked and then pushed Alex back slightly and then shifted off the bed, "15 hours, Love, I have to use the restroom," Lena told the woman fearing she would find it a rejection but she only saw Alex Danvers smiling up as her as if she were the sun lounging in the bed watching her. Lena flew to the restroom as quickly as she could.

When she came back from the bathroom her breath caught.

"Alex," she breathed when she saw the woman in the bed.

She sat there nude, curled up with her head on her knees, and Lena drank in the curve of Alex's back, the smooth skin of her arms, and sides, the look in her eyes. Lena slowly unbuttoned her pajama shirt and winced as her bicep caught the fabric. She looked down and found the rope burn and bruises. She hooked her fingers in her pajamas, and slowly let them drop. She watched as Alex's already dark brown eyes seemed to darken even more. She walked to the bed and slipped between the sheets and lay down facing Alex. They looked to the other, but it was Lena who spoke.

"Are we really about to do this?" she asked as if this were a dream and Alex would fade away at any moment. Then Alex smiled and reached out slid her fingers behind Lena's ear tucking back stray strands of hair all the while looking at her lover.

"Do you want…" Alex was cut off as lips shut her up.

Lena's tongue darted out and played an aggressive game of dominance with Alex. But it was Alex who took the lead. She pulled Lena closer then lay her on her back slowly gently. Lena was caught up in the moment, the delicate way Alex treated her. Then Alex's whole frame settled onto hers. Both women winced as bruises where found and pain made a small appearance, but they shoved it aside. Lena sighed as she felt the strong body over hers and closed her eyes as Alex shifted and slipped her leg between Lena's as she kissed the woman beneath her.

Breaths mingled as they both lifted thighs, found wetness, and want. Shifting sliding, as they both ground into the other as they took and gave with their mouths. Lena's hips began to lift higher, and harder and Alex smiled against her lips. Lena opened her eyes and took Alex's cheeks with her hands as Alex slowly blazed a path with the back of her fingers down Lena's sides, then over her abdomen, and then finally her hand smoothed out over her lower abdomen. All the while Lena's green eyes never left Alex's dark brown. Alex paused as if asking for permission and Lena nodded only slightly, and then Alex slipped into Lena. Lena's back came off the mattress as her head rolled back and her mouth dropped open with a moan. Alex kissed the offered flesh of Lena's chest, then trailed lower with each thrust of her fingers until she was able to latch onto a pert nipple. Lena's moans hit Alex's ears and she relished in the music coming from Lena.

"More please," Lena begged, and Alex could do nothing more than to please the woman writhing beneath her and as soon as she did, Alex's hips ground down on her hand helping with the leverage, also hitting her clit in the process. Moving, grinding and thrusting together, both reached ecstasy together. Alex brought Lena down slowly as she milked her orgasm as long as she could and then Lena's arms came around her shoulders pulling Alex's weight onto her chest.

"I love you," Lena said in Alex's ear as soon and she caught her breath. Alex slipped her hands under Lena's body and held the woman to her for long moments of peace.

"I love you too," Alex kissed Lena's shoulder, then her clavicle, and the she looked up into Lena's eyes and she began a hot wet trail lower, lower, lower…

All Lena could think as soon as her hips shot off the bed once more as Alex's mouth feasted upon her was Alex was a drug she would never grow tiered of.

Epilogue…

Alex and Lena spent the last two weeks exploring the other, learning the others likes and dislikes, falling in love every day. Each morning the other woman made it a point to see if they could make the other woman fall in love with her all over again, as if the night washed the day before clean. Each day, devoted to worshiping the woman in their arms, each day was there simply for Alex and Lena to discover what love really meant to them. Not a fairytale love. Not a love of the ages. But their love, passion, devotion, sharing, taking, and giving. Arguments over the smallest of things ended up in fits of laughter as they shared feelings, and why it was frustrating. Alex and Lena talked, they were equal on every footing, and their found their chess matches became an accidental foreplay. Both found the mind sexy, and thoughts an aphrodisiac. Yes, they discovered their way to love, and no one else's.

When Alex walked into the DEO without her cane two weeks later, and a spring to her step, Jonn smiled as widely as he could. He raised his voice.

"Director on deck," he called, and everyone turned and saluted her. She looked around in awe of the moment, her rise to her position was nothing more than three simple words.

"At lease," Alex said and with those two words, she finally accepted.

Her days ran together, wake up, Lena, eat (sometimes Lena, sometimes food), DEO, Lena, repeat.

It took two years before the women realized they practically lived with the other since the James episode, and found it more economical if Alex moved into Lena's high rise on one condition. They find a home together.

It took only 6 months after living together they found a nice townhouse downtown, easily accessible to CatCo, L-Corp, and the DEO. Kara and Cat moved in together rather quickly with Kara taking up residence at Cat's. The roof access was much better than Kara's apartment.

It was three years and Alex had dinner with Lena in an Italian restaurant. The food divine, the company heavenly, they took a walk. It was a brisk autumn night when Alex took Lena's chilled hand with her own and stuffed it in her jacket pocket. Lena smiled at the familiar gesture and then her brow furrowed when she felt something in the pocket. Alex stopped them and then held her hands up in surrender as Lena pulled the item out of her pocket. It was in a velvet pouch. When Alex nodded Lena's right eyebrow arched, then she loosened the bag and then poured the contents into her palm.

Alex would never forget the day she was made the happiest woman on the planet when Lena said yes. Later Lena would give her a gift in return. A beautiful brunette green-eyed son.

Dreams do come true, as everyone in the universe willing to take their happiness, their own destiny can find their truth, find their own love. Especially Alex and Lena for they are like planets orbiting their own stars.