The Detective

Alex watched, the smile on her face fading as Maggie walked away, hand in hand with her... whatever she was. Girlfriend, the agent supposed. She sighed as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and started walking, hitting one of her favorite contacts as she moved.

"Hey!" A cheerful voice picked up and Alex sighed again.

"Hey… got a minute?"

Kara switched her phone to her other ear as she grabbed a bottle of water out of her refrigerator, frowning at her sister's tone. "Sure. Are you ok?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Agent Danvers replied, her face a picture of wonderment. "I-I think I might be attracted to Maggie."

Kara just smiled to herself as she strolled to her couch and dropped onto it. "Hmmm… and I wonder why? She's only gorgeous and completely badass."

"Kara." Alex sounded exasperated and her sister laughed.

"I'm serious, Alex. If you were ever going to be attracted to a woman, it would be her. She's just like you. So…" she cleared her throat. "Are you going to ask her out?"

"She's seeing someone. Besides, I need some time to think about this, Kara." Alex reached her SVU and got in, settling into the comfortable leather. "I've never really thought about being in a relationship with a woman. I'm not gay."

"Gay, straight… what does it matter if you like her, Alex?" Kara sucked down some water and then laughed. "Besides, it's pretty obvious that she thinks you're hot."

Alex chuckled. "Yeah, she's not backward about making that pretty obvious." She sighed again. "I don't know, Kara. What should I do? I mean, she's seeing someone."

"I guess you just have to bide your time and try to let her know subtly that you're interested." Kara grinned then. "And, by the way, thanks, Alex."

"For what?"

"Trying to find love."

Alex leaned her head back against the headrest and smiled. "I'm not sure I'd go that far," she replied, her voice gentle. "But what you said that day did make me think about things. I can be your sister, best friend and protector and still have a life myself."

Far across National City, Kara's joyful smile matched her sister's. "That's what I want for you. I don't want to not see you on a daily basis and I still want weekly TV night but you need someone to share your life with, Alex, who's not your sister."

Agent Danvers nodded to herself. "I love you, Kara. Night."

"I love you too. Be careful getting home."

..

Alex flopped onto her bed, reaching down to open her boots and kick them off. She wondered what Maggie was doing. Then she tried very hard to stop wondering when an image of the detective in bed with that blonde woman flashed before her eyes. "Oh God," she groaned, covering her eyes with her arm as she lay back onto the soft surface. "Get a grip, Danvers."

Glancing at the clock and finding it was close to ten, she got up and went into the living room to flop into the couch instead and turn on the TV. Maybe something science-y on the Discovery channel could distract her from her thoughts. She found a documentary on NASA's current space program and tried to concentrate on it.

::KNOCK KNOCK::

Alex jerked awake and muted the tv. She looked at the clock and frowned when she saw it was almost midnight. Who would be knocking on her door at midnight? "Must be Kara," she muttered as she got up and sleepily walked to the door to pull it open. "What happened to using the window…" she began but stopped abruptly when she realized that it wasn't her sister standing there.

Maggie reached up a hand and leaned against the door frame, a smug smile on her face. "The window, huh? I can't fly like some other people."

"Right, sorry." She chuckled. "Supergirl's a friend. She sometimes drops by on the way home at night." The agent stepped back to let the detective in and Maggie sauntered inside, her hands shoved into her jeans pockets as she glanced around the apartment.

"Nice place."

Alex smiled. "Thanks. Coffee? Beer?"

"A beer would be good," Maggie replied, moving to the kitchen high top and leaning on it as she watched her friend crouch at the refrigerator to pull out two bottles. "Sorry about just dropping by so late."

"It's ok. I was up," Alex replied, returning to the table and opening the two bottles. She set one in front of Maggie and took a swallow of hers. "So, I thought you had other plans for tonight."

"I did," Maggie replied, somewhat absently after taking a swallow of her own beer. "It didn't work out."

"Why?" Alex asked gently.

The detective straightened and shrugged. "She's nice but she wasn't…" She paused thoughtfully.

"Your type?" the agent supplied questioningly.

"No," Maggie replied. "She wasn't you."

For a long moment, Alex just stood there, blinking. "Um… me?"

"Yeah." Maggie strolled to the couch and took a seat. Involuntarily, Alex's feet carried her to the detective and she slowly took a seat on the coffee table, facing the smiling woman. "Surely you're not oblivious to the fact that I think you're attractive?"

"No," Alex admitted with a little chuckle. "I'm not completely oblivious." She took another swallow of beer. "You know I'm not gay, right?"

Maggie grinned. "We can't all be perfect." Then she scooted forward, sitting on the edge of the couch. "I know you're not gay, Alex, but somehow my brain still drove me here when I left Shelly."

Alex looked down for a long moment, taking a breath. "I had a talk with my sister earlier," she began. "She gave me some valuable advice."

"Oh yeah?" Maggie replied. Two pairs of brown eyes met and held. "What did she say?"

"She said… Gay, straight, what does it matter if you like her, Alex… And sitting here with you now, I know that she's right."

"She is?" Maggie said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Slowly, Alex put her bottle down on the table next to her and reached out, grasping the lapels of the detective's jacket and gently pulling her closer as she ducked her head. "Definitely." She kissed Maggie very softly, their lips barely brushing as their eyes fluttered closed. It only lasted a brief moment but the detective was completely charmed by the tentative affection. She slowly slid off the couch onto her knees and moved closer to the agent, stroking the back of her knuckles down Alex's cheek.

"Is this ok?" she whispered, smiling broadly as the taller woman nodded and joined her on her knees, pressing their bodies together. And then Alex was kissing her again and the agent's hands were cupping her cheeks and stroking her hair back from her face. Maggie groaned softly as gentle fingertips brushed the soft skin of her neck and she grasped Alex's hips, tugging her impossibly closer as the kiss deepened and rendered them both breathless. It was a while before they finally eased apart but they were both smiling and their foreheads remained pressed together.

"Thank you, Kara," Maggie murmured, making Alex laugh.

From outside the window, Supergirl just smiled and continued on her way.