"Love doesn't discriminate
Between the sinners
And the saints
It takes and it takes and it takes
And we keep loving anyway
We laugh and we cry
And we break
And we make our mistakes
And if there's a reason I'm by her side
When so many have tried
Then I'm willing to wait for it
I'm willing to wait for it"

~ Wait for It from "Hamilton"

The day started off all wrong and it didn't seem to get any better. She caught J'onn's look as she walked past with a folder, it said that he was concerned and that he wanted to talk. Sighing, she followed him without either of them exchanging words. "I'm having an off day…"

"Oh, I know…"

"Please don't send me home," Alex requested. That was worse than having a bad day. Her alarm hadn't gone off at all that morning, she'd gotten no coffee or food into her before getting to the DEO, and then she'd already been thrown around by a freaked out Ambler in close quarters. That wasn't counting the fact that she'd somehow tripped a wire and knocked the entire base's power into back up. She hadn't even told him that she'd somehow knocked her shin when they were in the garage, but she was fairly sure that he knew that just the same.

"I'm thinking that it might be better that I have you locked into a padded room for the remainder of the day."

She'd actually pondered that.

"I don't know what-"

"I'm not sending you home yet, Alex, but I do have a specialized mission," J'onn explained. "One that I'm not sure you're going to like…"

"Why?"

It wasn't like J'onn to try to sugar coat things. Normally it was like 'here's the mission' and 'go get it done' and she'd do it. It was as simple as that. He knew that she could handle herself and that she could complete her missions. Alex just hoped that it wasn't something that made the day worse. People said that bad things happened in threes and she was already well past that, so she was due for some good in her day.

"Senator Crane has requested that you patrol the charity gala tonight," he dropped on her.

Crap.

It just got worse.

"Benan-"

"She asked for you, Alex," J'onn said gently. "Specifically."

The last thing she wanted to do was for her work day to extend until the end of the night with her babysitting a senator, which also required her to dress up and wear heels. None of it sounded like a good plan to her...especially with how her day had been going. Alex was half worried that she'd somehow end up with the senator hurt with how things had gone.

"I can go, if-"

"No," she said quickly with a sigh. "We need as many people on our side as we can get." And that was the truth. This was just a sacrifice that Alex would have to make. It likely wouldn't be so bad. "Do you have a guest list?"

"I do," J'onn said as he grabbed it off of his desk and handed it to her. "Cat Grant is on the list...so Kara will be there at least?"

He'd found the silver lining.

Alex stared down at the piece of paper and then sighed. She knew that she shouldn't be surprised. It was a charity gala. All of the most important people in National City and the surrounding area would be there of course. She just hadn't thought about the fact that she'd have to see him...not yet. Alex still wasn't sure if she could do it.

"Is that going to be a problem?"

"No," Alex said with a tilt of her head. "I think the world is wide enough for Maxwell Lord and I."

"What about National City?"

Alex sighed at that. "Do you mind if I take two dresses?"

"Kara?"

She smiled now. "Kara."

"Of course."

"You're the best."

"You'll let me know if there's a problem?"

"There won't be any."

"Stop fussing with it," Kara hissed as they entered the ballroom.

Alex couldn't help it, Benanti had switched out the dresses that she'd originally selected for herself and Kara (she was just thankful that the woman had switched them with the correct sizes). "I'm supposed to blend...be invisible," Alex whispered to her sister. "Nothing about this dress says that…"

"I told you, this is what happens when you have a limited wardrobe," her sister pointed out in amusement.

"Easy for you to say, you get to wear mostly black," Alex pointed out. Her sister was wearing a strapless black dress that at the knees changed into purples and pinks and then white as it hit the floor. It was gorgeous, though Alex wasn't sure how she'd do with how flowy it was, since she was having a hard enough time with her own dress. Before she could complain anymore, though, her sister pointed out a very sparkly Cat Grant and hurried off to her side. Alex sighed, this was not going to be a fun night.

Originally she'd picked out a green dress for Kara and a red one for herself, she hadn't cared if they were Christmas colors. Apparently when she was talking to J'onn (or some other time before she'd left the DEO), Benanti had likely been the culprit who had swapped the dresses. She'd kept telling Alex to choose a different one, but Alex didn't like to stand out...especially not when she was there as glorified security detail.

Once she spotted the senator, she started over to her, trying to remember not to stomp or march, especially since that didn't work so well in the heels she was wearing. Alex was just glad that there were so many more people that seemed to be wearing sparklier and larger dresses than hers. "Senator Crane," Alex greeted. "As requested."

"Oh look at how lovely you look," the senator almost gushed. "I told him that I wasn't sure you'd show up dressed appropriately...and yet...here you are...looking like Cinderella."

Alex blinked, trying to grasp what the senator was saying. "Who?"

"I owed Maxwell Lord a favor...and I'm afraid, my dear, you're here under false pretenses," Crane told her. "I'm sorry for it, but I didn't think it would be such a lie, after all, I'll be here...and I wouldn't mind an eye kept on me."

Covering her face, Alex sighed.

"It's really not anything to get so upset over-"

"It's not that, it's...nevermind," she said after she dropped her hands from her face. "Of course, Senator...I'll be here...keeping an eye on things."

"Don't be so cross with Max," the senator told her. "He pulled quite a few strings in order for me to even consider doing this...so he must be quite fond of you."

Perhaps too fond.

Pressing a smile forward, Alex just gave her a nod, all the while thinking of the words she was going to say once she saw him. She waited until the senator moved away before she started to scan the room. Desperately she wanted to seek out her sister and vent about what she'd just found out, but when she finally saw Kara it was obvious that she was busy with her boss. Sighing, Alex started to look for Max.

He would show himself, she was certain, especially after going to so much trouble to get her there. She'd moved around the room and had finally settled in a position where she could see both Kara and Senator Crane. Her sister had already seen her standing there, so it would be easy for Kara to come join her if she had the opportunity.

"Where are we? Have we done-"

Before Max could say anymore, Alex had him pressed against the wall. She'd done it in the most...nonviolent way she could think to do it. He'd been behind her, whispering in her ear, Alex hadn't needed to see his face to know it was him. Their bodies were close and he just seemed amused before Alex looked from left to right to see if anyone had noticed or if it had caused alarm. Didn't look like it.

Max cleared his throat and continued. "Have we done Italy?"

Glaring at him, she wondered if he really thought that somehow this whole thing wouldn't piss her off. "If you wanted to talk to me...you didn't have to go to such great lengths…"

"It was worth it," Max insisted. "That color on your...is spectacular...I mean, I feel like you'd look absolutely breathtaking in anything, but Alex...you look like a queen."

And for a moment, she'd forgotten the gold embroidered dress that she was wearing. Sighing, she let him go and turned away. She was still furious, but this really wasn't the place for that and he'd likely had expected that. "Why did you do this, Max?"

"Because it's been too long since I saw you…"

"I have-"

"You told me that I couldn't contact you in pretty much any way," he pointed out. "And I'm pretty sure that if I'd phoned your boss that he wouldn't have relayed the messages."

She looked over at him, her arms crossing over her chest. That was very true. That didn't mean that this was better or right for him to do. "I needed space."

"And I needed to see you."

There was no way that she could ignore Max forever, she knew that...but she'd been doing a pretty good job thus far. "I just...haven't been ready."

"What are you waiting for? The end of the world?"

"Let's be serious...that could be tomorrow…"

"Exactly."

Alex couldn't help but smile at that response.

"Dance with me?"

"No," she said, a smile still on her face.

"Come on, Alex...live a little," Max told her as he held his hand out to her. "The world could end tonight for all we know…"

She was blushing now. Why was it that no matter how much Max seemed to piss her off, that that never kept her from smiling or blushing later on? He was a charmer, but Alex tended to see right through it. "I'm more concerned about killing myself trying to dance in this thing," Alex said as she held the skirt out with both hands. It really did feel like she was dressed as Cinderella.

"I won't let you fall," he insisted as he kept his hand extended.

"Are you trying to make this some kind of princess moment?"

Max just grinned at that and she swore now he was blushing. "I already told you, Alex...if anything you are a queen…" They just stared at each other for a long moment before he finally took a step forward and took her hand, holding it up between the two of them. "Now, trust me?"

She knew that she couldn't trust him.

She hated that she couldn't trust him.

This was just dancing, though, not her life. Well, not really. She was fairly sure that even if she started to lose her balance, that she could recover quickly especially with Max right there. So she squeezed his hand and gave him a nod. "Just this once…"

"Hopefully I'll change your mind," he told her, a bright smile spreading across his face as he led her towards the area where a few people were dancing. As they got to the point where they were more in the public eye, though, Alex grew a bit nervous. He pulled her close and her hands moved to where they should be situated as he started to guide her through the dance.

Alex drew in a breath as she took in the people around them. She knew most of them, important people...people whose pictures had been all over the media for years...and then there she was...this unimportant woman dancing with Maxwell Lord. This was his world that she'd stepped into.

"What are you looking at?"

"People are watching us," she told him quietly as her head snapped back to look at him as they continued to dance.

Max just smiled at her comment. "Of course they are...they're watching you."

"Max-"

"Just dance with me, Alex," Max whispered as they continued. "Forget that the world around us exists for the remainder of the song...that would be enough."

And for the remainder of the song, she did that...she pushed out the thought of the eyes on them. She focused on his eyes and tried not to worry about her shoes catching on her own dress. As much as she didn't like the help, Max had kept his word and kept her from falling over her own dress and feet.

The night was passing and everything was going well, even between her and Max. She'd checked in with J'onn and let him know what had happened, but that she was still sticking around...just in case. Alex left out the part where she was actually having a surprisingly good time and that she was almost happy about the lie that had gotten her there in the first place. Kara had even seemed happy, apparently James had come to the gala and her sister had been off with him since Cat Grant had come and gone. Apparently she'd made an appearance and made the rounds and that was good enough. Alex was certain that Max would have normally gone that route if she hadn't been there.

"How's your dad?"

Alex just stared at him for a moment and then shook her head. This was a running theme with Max. He knew that she was on the phone with J'onn, but he still thought it was weird about how protective J'onn was of her. "Are you jealous?" she teased with a tilt of her head and a smile on her lips, determined not to let his comment ruin their evening.

They weren't in the actual ballroom because she'd needed to make the phone call, but she could see inside. Her eyes immediately searched for Kara and then Senator Crane. Both seemed happy and were fine. Alex's attention turned back to Max, a smile on her face. Maybe there had been enough time and space between the two of them.

Taking her hand, he brought it up to his mouth to place a kiss atop it, his eyes never leaving hers. "No."

"I am...having a good time," Alex whispered sincerely.

Still holding onto her hand, he just beamed and then twirled her. She allowed it, mainly because she felt less self conscious away from everyone. They were all alone and it was nice not to be surrounded by everyone, even if it was just for a few minutes. "May I have this dance?"

"Yes."

"Do you trust me?"

Alex shook her head a bit and blushed, not looking at him for a moment. As much as Maxwell Lord infuriated her, she loved this side of him. The side that made her feel like Cinderella and like she was an equal in a world that liked to remind her that because she was a woman...she wasn't. "I'm beginning to…"

"I'll take that," he whispered and pulled her back into his arms. They danced slowly, their eyes on each other the entire time. Alex realized that she'd missed this, the physical contact. It wasn't much, it was a simple thing, but she still missed it.

The world faded around them and Alex couldn't even hear the music anymore. She leaned in, intent on kissing him, their lips just an inch apart-

Crashing, followed by a thunderous sound pulled Alex out of the nearly perfect moment. Both of their heads snapped back to the ballroom as it erupted in noise. Her eyes searched for Crane and Kara. Both still okay. Whatever was going on, though, she couldn't quite see. Taking a couple of steps forward as she hiked up the skirt of her dress to pull her gun from the holster on her leg, Alex was quickly shown who had crashed the party as everyone seemed to back towards the longer walls on the left and right.

Non.

Kryptonians.

In the middle of the ballroom, Non and his people were holding a device that seemed to be made of glowing brightly colored crystals. She hadn't brought Kryptonite bullets, so her gun would do little but to escalate the situation...and possibly get people killed. She needed backup. There was still time. Her hands fumbled as she went for her phone, shoving her tiny sparkly gold purse into Max's hands. She scrolled until she got to the correct number and pressed to call it, but as she put it up to her ear, but then Non started to speak.

"Leaders of National City...thank you for making this first strike easy," Non said. "Enjoy the effects of Myriad." His speech wasn't anything grand, but it did give a sense of foreboding.

"Alex? Are you okay?" she heard J'onn say through her phone. She wanted to answer, but she was waiting to see what was going on, to be able to properly relay the answers to his questions, but what happened next hit them all fast. "Alex?!"

Everything that happened next felt like it did so in slow motion, but on fast forward at the same time. Alex watched as Non slammed the device into the ground, shattering the crystal all over the place, and a yellow-orange gas appearing and spreading out. "What the hell is Myriad?" Max questioned. A breath later, the people closest to Non and his people started to pass out. "Contagion," she heard Max mutter.

Alex was yanked back so hard that she dropped her phone and her heels were left behind on the floor where she'd been standing. She blinked and then saw that Kara was gone from sight, but it was only moments before Max shoved her into a closet nearby. He slammed the door behind them and started to stuff his jacket in at the bottom space between the base of the door and the smooth floor. Her gun dropped to the floor with a clatter and as she sucked in a breath, she realized that whatever Myriad was...whatever had affected everyone else in the ballroom...it had spread and she was also affected.

"Max," she whispered weakly as she felt her skin tingling and then burning. Alex was having trouble breathing and keeping herself awake. He looked back at her and she could see that he was feeling it as well. Her eyes kept slipping closed, but she kept fighting to open them again. "What's happening?"

Myriad.

Non had said Myriad.

Max had said contagion.

They were going to die.

Max moved to her, pulling her into his lap and cradling her in his arms. Alex watched as his skin seemed to pale and opaque plum splotches appeared. All she could think about was the future that they had thought that they were living...how Non and Myriad had wiped nearly every human from Earth. Was there some truth to that? Had the White Martian known about this?

"We're going to be okay," he whispered. "Stay with me, Alex." She stared up at him and wanted to believe him. "Just keep looking at me…"

"I called the DEO…"

"They're going to be here," Max told her and she could tell that he was feeling the effects more and more with each passing moment. "And Supergirl...she's going to save us…"

"We're in a closet," she reminded and realized that that was going to be the most ridiculous to find two people.

"They'll search beyond the ballroom," he told her. "They're going to find us."

Though it could have only been minutes, the time felt like it had stretched on to hours. No one had come for them yet. J'onn knew they were there, she realized, and he would have heard the words that Max had said before she dropped the phone. Kara had seen what had happened and Alex had to assume that her sister had saved James and hopefully the senator from Myriad, but Kara hadn't found them yet either (Alex was certain that her sister was looking for her).

"We're going to die," she whispered. That's how she felt. She felt like she was going to die and that whatever they'd believed before in that old DEO facility wasn't true, they weren't immune or something. She'd watched all of those other people just drop in the ballroom.

"No," Max told her firmly in his weakened state. "There has to be a vaccine or some-something to combat it… We're going to be okay. You're going to be okay. Just stay with me, Alex."

There was quiet that stretched out between them and Alex started to let the blackness win.

"Doctor Danvers, you've got that face on again…"

It was weird hearing him call her Doctor Danvers and that caused Alex to open her eyes again and crinkle up her face in response. "What face?"

"The hot when he's clever face."

Alex huffed out a laugh. "This is my normal face."

"Yes, it is."

A grin spread across her face as she realized what he was doing and responded in the only way she knew how to. Alex played along. "Oh, shut up…"

If the world was going to end, if they were going to die there in that closet, at least...they wouldn't be alone.

"Not a chance."

TBC…