So, I was originally going to wait to post this, but oh well, here it is now. Hope you enjoy.

This picks up about 18 months after 'Always' ended.

Alex shivered as she sunk her hands further into her coat pockets. It was a chilly February evening in National City. Alex had just finished her work and she'd called Maggie to tell her she was going to pop into Kara's for a little bit before coming home. It was a short walk from where she'd parked her car to enter Kara's building, but it was enough to turn Alex's nose red, Alex feeling the cold against her cheeks. She walked into the building and got into the elevator, going up to the 4th floor. She rubbed her hands together, then knocked on the door as she let herself in. "Kara?" Alex questioned. Kara didn't turn up at work. Martian Manhunter and the power from some DEO agents were thankfully enough to take down an alien who was targeting people downtown. Kara had called in sick. She could get away with that at Catco but at the DEO, she knew she couldn't, but she needed a day. She still had bad ones. "Hey," Alex took her coat off and hung it up on the hanger by the door. She pulled her beanie from her head, patting her hair down as she hung the beanie up on another hook. "Missed you at work today," Alex rubbed her hands together again, still feeling the cold. "J'onn had to break out Martian Manhunter," Alex told her as she walked over to the couch. Kara was sitting with her legs up, a red blanket keeping her warm as she ate ice-cream from the tub. "Did alright though. We got the perp." Alex gave her sister a smile as she rested her hand on Kara's knee.

"See, you do just fine without me," Kara murmured, offering the ice-cream out to Alex. Alex curled her nose up as she shook her head. Kara got herself another spoonful since Alex refused the offer. "You look cold. You want a hot chocolate?" Kara questioned, leaning forward and putting the ice-cream tub and spoon down on the coffee table.

"No, I'm okay." Alex pulled her sister back as she was about to get up from the couch, Alex seeing she was wearing a navy Metropolis University hoodie that belonged to James.

"You know, I'm okay Alex," Kara told her. Alex titled her head to the side, giving her sister a knowing look. "I just needed a day. Is that alright?" Kara sniffed back, feeling herself welling up.

"Of course it is," Alex spoke softly. It hadn't been that long. Not really. 5 months had passed since the accident. He'd died on impact. Kara had flown him to the nearest hospital, but there was nothing they could do. He was already dead. They'd been going away for a long weekend. Just a little break together. "But it may be a good idea to spend that day with someone," Alex told her. "Me or Maggie. Or Winn or Lena," Alex said. "We're all here for you."

"I know you are," Kara answered. "I just wanted to be alone." Kara looked downwards, playing with her hands.

Alex pursed her lips, giving a little nod. "You want me to go?" Alex questioned. She didn't really want to leave her just yet, but if Kara didn't want her there, then she didn't want to stay. She couldn't push at Kara.

Kara shook her head a little. "You can stay," Kara said. "But, I don't want to talk about it." Kara had talked. She's grieved. She was doing okay for the most part, but she was always going to have bad days.

"We don't have too." Alex told her, Kara giving her a weak smile. It was then that Alex noticed the invitation on the table. She pursed her lips, Kara seeing she'd seen it.

"An art event I was supposed to be going to with Lena," Kara mumbled. "I'm not going to go."

"When it is?" Alex questioned.

"Tomorrow night," Kara answered. "But I just…" Kara shook her head, exhaling sadly. "I don't really feel like it anymore." Kara gave a little shrug, pulling at a loose thread on the blanket.

"Well," Alex rubbed the back of her head. "You've still got time to change your mind," Alex said, giving her a little smile. She wasn't going to force Kara into going out and she usually did, it wasn't often she'd cancel plans. "So, Maggie and I are taking Emmi to the aquarium tomorrow if you wanted to come along." Alex smiled softly. She knew Maggie wouldn't mind her inviting Kara on their family day out.

Kara smiled as she nodded her head. "Yeah, I'll come." Kara's smile grew larger. Emmi had been a wonderful help for Kara.

"Great. Emmi will be stoked," Alex said, Kara smiling before she exhaled lightly, staring silently at Alex for a moment. "You need a hug?" Alex questioned, and Kara nodded as Alex opened her arms out, Kara leaning down and snuggling comfily against her sister, Alex wrapping her arm around her, holding her in the embrace.

Alex walked into the house, taking her beanie off and hanging it up on one of the hooks by the door, before putting her coat onto it. She walked up the stairs and stopped outside of Emmi's room. The door was slightly ajar, but Alex pushed on it a little more, it opening to allow her to see inside the room. Emmi still used a night light, and it was shining brightly, Alex looking at the pink starfish for a moment before glancing at the bed. Emmi was laying on her front, her head facing the door, her mouth slightly open as her arm was draped over the side of the bed. She watched her for a moment, a smile on her face. She closed the door a little, making sure to leave it ajar. This was how Emmi liked it. She walked across to her bedroom, kicking off her shoes and leaving them on the floor by the ottoman. "Babe?" Alex questioned as she made her way over to the en-suite, opening the door, seeing Maggie was relaxing in the bath, her head resting against the end of the tub as her eyes were closed.

"Oh hey," Maggie opened her eyes. "How was Kara?"

"Uhm…not that bad," Alex answered, because in reality she wasn't. She'd gone through a much worse stage after James' death, rightly so. "She is going to come to the aquarium with us tomorrow." Alex told her.

"Cool," Maggie answered. "She still sleeping?" Maggie questioned. She knew Alex would have checked on her. Alex always checked on Emmi when she arrived home from work and Emmi was in bed.

"She is." Alex nodded, smiling down at her wife.

"You wanna join me in here?" Maggie questioned, her eyebrows raising.

"Mmm, tempting." Alex teased.

"C'mon, I'll wash your back." Maggie told her.

Alex chucked as she got undressed. "You sure that's all you want to do?" Alex questioned. She was pretty sure she'd know exactly what would happen as soon as she got into the bath.

Maggie just smiled at her as she got in, Maggie parting her legs as Alex sat between them, leaning herself back so her back was against Maggie's front, her head resting against Maggie's shoulder. Right enough, just like Alex had suspected, Maggie's hands found their way onto her stomach, rubbing her barely there bump. "How is the little Jellybean?" Jellybean was a nickname that Emmi had given the baby and it wasn't long before everyone was referring to the baby as Jellybean. She'd come up with it because she'd said it looked like a jellybean in the first scan picture. It took Alex three tries before she got pregnant, but now that she was, they were very excited at becoming parents again.

"Fine." Alex answered.

"Mmm that's good," Maggie smiled, rubbing her stomach gently. "And how are you feeling?" Maggie questioned. Alex was pretty sick in her first trimester but now she was into the second, things seemed to have settled. "You are 15 weeks and 3 days, right, so you should be easing up on the sickness." Maggie said.

Alex gave a little chuckle at Maggie saying how far along she was, exactly to the day. "Yeah I feel great." Alex put her hands on top of Maggie's.

"Good," Maggie softly kissed Alex's neck. "I hated it when you were sick."

"Well it was no picnic for me either," Alex told her. "But the worst seems to be over," Alex was thankful for that. She still couldn't go near ice-cream, but apart from that she was fine with eating. "We are going to have a nice family day out tomorrow," Alex smiled. Emmi loved the aquarium and it had been a while since she'd got to go, so she was super excited already. Alex couldn't wait to tell her that Auntie Kara was coming too, it would make the day even better for her. "And," Alex put her hands on the side of the tub, pulling herself up as she turned her head to look at Maggie. "I'm feeling uhm….up to…." Alex raised her eyebrows.

"Oh," Maggie felt a grin forming as she displayed those dimples. "Is that so?"

"Mmm," Alex nodded, giving her wife a smile. She'd been a bit on and off with feeling up to being intimate lately. "If you wanted too."

"Yeah, I uh, I suppose….if I had too." Maggie joked before they shared a kiss.

"But not here." Alex said, pulling back from the kiss.

"No," Maggie agreed. "But, later. I'm quite enjoying this right now." Maggie gestured for Alex to lay back again. Alex did as was requested, laying back on her wife, Maggie's hands immediately finding her stomach again as they lay together in the bath.

Alex, Maggie and Emmi were waiting outside the aquarium for Kara. "Is she really coming?" Emmi wondered, looking around to Alex as she was looking at her watch.

"Yes. She probably just got held up." Alex told her. Emmi frowned.

"I want to go see the fish," Emmi folded her arms across her chest rather impatiently. "And the stingrays and manatees and penguins." Emmi sighed.

"They're not going anywhere." Maggie told her.

"I know but its been ages since we've been here," Emmi frowned as Maggie rubbed the top of her head. "Like it was last year." Emmi widened her eyes.

"Well its only February, darling." Alex said.

Emmi was about to reply to Alex, but then she spotted Kara. "Auntie K." Emmi grinned Kara approached them. She ran over to her, giving her a hug.

"Hey kid," Kara returned the hug, Emmi then taking Kara's hand as they walked back over to Alex and Maggie. "Sorry I'm a little late."

"That's okay," Maggie answered. "This one was getting a little impatient though."

"I'm sorry, Emmi." Kara told her.

"That's okay," Emmi looked up to her. "We are here now and there's still time before the penguin parade." Emmi said, pulling Kara into the aquarium, Alex and Maggie walking in behind them. Alex and Maggie walked over to the ticket counter as Emmi dragged Kara over to the tropical fish tank. Alex watched them for a moment, smiling as Kara was laughing at something Emmi was saying.

"She doesn't even realise how much she is helping her." Maggie said, also looking to the scene between auntie and niece. Emmi was just being herself. She didn't even need to try, but Maggie could see Kara's eyes lightening up whenever she was around Emmi.

"Nope. She doesn't." Alex answered.

"And I think this one is also something good for Kara," Maggie put her hand onto Alex's stomach, over her winter coat. "Something for her to look forward too. To focus on."

"Yeah," Alex pursed her lips. "She keeps buying loads of stuff."

"Seriously?" Maggie questioned. "We've hardly bought anything yet." Maggie noted. They wanted to make a start, but Alex usually didn't feel up to it, but now she was better and back to feeling herself, they could probably make a start.

"Well we probably wont need to get much at the rate Kara has been buying," Alex told her wife, chuckling lightly. "And I can guarantee my Mum would be the same."

"Oh well, spoilt little Jellybean and you're not even here yet." Maggie spoke softly as she once again rubbed Alex's stomach.

"Hmm not spoilt," Alex shook her head. "Just lucky." Alex smiled, and Maggie gave a little nod as they stepped forward to buy the tickets, so they could go into the aquarium.

She was cold. It wasn't as cold as it was where she'd come from, but she was still cold. She hugged her arms around herself as she walked into the petrol station. She'd been walking for a while. She was starving, she was parched, and her feet were aching. She glanced around the shop and reached her hand into her pocket. She had $5 dollars left. She'd spend most of her money on a bus, getting her as close as she could get, but it wasn't enough. She grabbed a mountain dew from the fridge, a bag of Cheetos, peanut butter M&M's and a chicken salad sandwich. She knew she didn't have near enough money to pay for everything. She looked around again, sighing lightly. She took her backpack off and put the items into it, then she put her hood up on her hoodie, making her way towards the door. "Hey, excuse me." She picked up her pace, running out of the door as she heard the cashier yelling at her. She ran as fast as she could, the years she'd spend running track at school paying off, because she quickly put a great distance between her and the cashier, running along the road. She ran, and she ran, and she ran, until she got a stitch. She looked behind her before she stopped, her hand going onto her stomach as she regulated her breathing. She walked a little further into the grassy patch at the side of the road, making sure to stay away from traffic. She threw her bag down and took a seat, the grass was wet, but she was beyond caring. She opened up her bag, and took out the mountain dew, taking a long drink. She took the sandwich out next and started eating, making a note of how often the cars and trucks went passed. She'd need to hitchhike again. She sighed lightly as she looked to the side. She could see a sign in the distance. She squinted and could just make out what it said.

National City 145

She exhaled lightly before talking out loud to herself. "You are getting close."

Hope you like the opener.

Thoughts? :)