Chapter 66: 66. Circle of Friends
June 21, 2017
Amy and Tara were getting ready to head to the doctor’s office to finally get Amy’s casts off, when Tara plopped down on the couch and put her head in her hands.
“Tara?” Amy worried, scooting closer to her. “Are you OK?”
Tara sniffled in answer.
Amy put her hand on Tara’s back. “Tara,” she said softly, “Talk to me.”
"I don't want you to leave," Tara whimpered.
Amy's heart beat double-time. She'd been trying to avoid this conversation, but here it was. "Tara, it's not like we're never going to see each other again."
"I know, but the restaurant is trashed, and you're going to be busy, and who knows when you're going to reopen, and in the meantime I don't have a job, and I've gotten so used to having you around, I'm going to miss you so much!"
Amy pulled Tara into her arms. "You've been bottling this up, huh?"
Tara's answer was just a sob.
"Yeah." Amy stroked Tara’s thick blonde hair. "You don't need to be afraid to talk to me, you know."
"I know, but it's really hard for me to open up to anyone," Tara explained.
"Be brave for me," Amy urged. "You've done so much for me, the least I can do is listen to what you have to say."
Tara’s lip trembled as she tried to get the words out. “I… I’ve never…” She shook her head in frustration.
“Never what?” Amy asked patiently.
“I’ve never felt this way about anyone before,” Tara whimpered. “I’ve been in love with you for a long time.”
Amy’s heart skipped a beat. Other people had told her about this, but she hadn’t believed them. Truth be told, she hadn’t wanted to believe it. Her last breakup had left her pretty desolate, and she didn’t know if she could handle getting into a relationship again. The fear of the end was a hard thing to get past.
“I’ve never been in a relationship before,” Tara continued before Amy could respond. “And I don’t know if I’d be any good at it, but it would mean everything to me, if you gave me a chance. I don’t want to lose you.”
Amy closed her eyes and tried to breathe through her anxiety, but then Tara was kissing her, and all her anxiety melted away. It was just a gentle touch of lips, nothing more, but it soothed her in a way that surprised her. She had been prepared to try to let Tara down easy, but now she couldn’t bring herself to do that. Tara was so sweet and kind and thoughtful. It would be so easy to fall in love with her. She stroked Tara’s cheek and leaned in to kiss her again. This one was slightly more urgent, but still rather chaste. When she pulled away, Tara was smiling brighter than ever, and Amy had to remind herself that they had somewhere to be. “We should get going, but I promise, we’ll talk more when we get back, OK?”
“OK,” Tara agreed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make us late.”
“It’ll be fine, don’t worry,” Amy assured her. “I’d hold your hand, but…” she waved her cast and her cane. Obviously, it wasn’t possible at the moment.
“Later,” Tara smiled.
“Later,” Amy mirrored her smile.
They left Tara’s apartment and headed for the doctor’s office.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
“Hey, there, handsome.”
Mon-El turned around to see his girlfriend standing at the bar. He grinned, “Hey yourself, beautiful lady.” He leaned over the bar to give her a kiss. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”
Eve shrugged and sat down on a stool. “Nothing special. I just like being able to come visit you when you’re not locked away.”
“Aww, you’re so sweet,” he gave her another kiss. “Oh, hey, James wants Winn and I to come over tonight and play video games. You want to come and hang out with the girls?”
“Maybe I can get them to go out?” she mused. “I’m gonna text them.” She pulled out her phone and texted Lyra and Lucy. “Are you guys going to play Call of Duty?”
“Probably,” Mon-El confirmed.
She chuckled. “You guys and your zombies.”
He shrugged. “It’s fun! What are you thinking about doing?”
“Maybe going to see a movie or a band? I’ll see what they’re up for.” Her phone pinged, and she checked her friends’ answers. “Sweet! They’re in!”
“Good,” Mon-El smiled. “I don’t want you to be bored tonight.”
“I appreciate that,” she said sincerely. “So, how about some lunch? I’m hungry.”
“The usual?” he checked.
“Yep,” she nodded.
Mon-El retreated to the kitchen to put Eve’s order in. When he returned, she was doing something on her phone.
“Looks like there’s a couple of good bands playing at Vincenzio’s,” she thought aloud.
“Cool. Just promise me you guys will take a cab,” he worried.
“You got it, babe.”
“Tomorrow night, it’s just you and me, though, OK? I get paid, and I want to take you out to dinner.”
Eve grinned. “Sounds great. Where are we going?”
“Anywhere you want,” he answered.
“Ooh, OK, I’ll have to think about where to go. Thanks, sweetie.”
XXXXXXXXXXXX
“Hey, guys,” Winn greeted Lyra and the kids in the mess hall at the DEO. He kissed his girlfriend and sat next to them.
“Hi, Winn!” the twins answered.
“Hello, darling,” Lyra smiled.
“What have you ladies been up to today?” he asked.
“Working out and doing baby homework,” Jessie sighed. “I wish we could go out. I’m bored doing the same thing everyday.”
“Hey, just be glad you’re safe,” Winn reminded them. “You could be locked away with someone doing experiments on you.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Jessie grumbled.
“Guess what,” Winn whispered conspiratorially.
“What?” the three females whispered back interestedly.
“I’ve been making some suits,” he told them softly, wiggling his eyebrows.
“For who?” Jamie wanted to know.
“After lunch, we’ll go see them, how about that?” he winked.
“Oh, please tell me you made one for me!” Lyra squeaked, trying to stay quiet.
“I told you I would,” he grinned.
She clapped her hands excitedly. “I can’t wait!”
They all quickly finished their lunch, and Winn took them upstairs to his lab. Before he opened the door, he made them close their eyes. “Ready?” He opened the door. “Aaaand, open your eyes.”
The girls all opened their eyes and gasped. There were six suits. One was obviously for Kara. Two of them looked just like Kara’s, only smaller, and the colors were flip flopped. It was obvious who those were for as well. The other three were all different. “Which one’s mine?” Lyra wanted to know.
Beaming, Winn pointed to a maroon outfit with gold accents. It looked like one of Alex’s leather motorcycle outfits. He rattled off a bunch of words she didn’t understand to describe the designs, but she wasn’t really listening. She was in awe of the beauty of her new crime fighting suit. “You wanna try it on?” he asked.
She grinned. “Yeah!”
Winn pulled the suit off the dummy and handed it over. “We’ll just step out and let you change.” He opened the lab door, and he and the twins stepped out. It didn’t take Lyra long to change. When she came out, she was grinning from ear to ear.
“Wow!” the twins gasped. “You look so cool!”
“Totally badass,” Winn said, drooling a little.
“Stop looking at me like that in front of the children,” Lyra smirked.
Winn snapped out of it and ran back into the lab. “I have one last piece,” he told them. He revealed a maroon cowl of sorts that would fit over her face and head. When she put it on, it completed the look, and he grinned proudly.
“Wow, it all feels like silk,” she said, running her hands over the arms of her jacket. “Is it bullet proof?”
“Yep,” Winn answered, popping the P.
“I love it so much,” Lyra said, kissing him. “Thank you, Winn.”
“Can we try ours on?” Jessie begged.
“Go ahead.”
The twins ran into the lab and shut the door, appearing a few seconds later in their suits. “Awesome!” they exclaimed.
“You like them?” he checked.
“They’re so cool!” Jessie affirmed. “Thank you so much!” The girls both hugged their uncle.
“Who are the other suits for?” Jamie wanted to know.
“The dark grey and green one is for Mon-El, and the light grey and white one is for Amy,” he explained.
The twins clapped. “Ooh, they’re gonna love them!”
“OK, hurry up and change back into your regular clothes before your mom sees,” Winn urged.
“Before your mom sees what?” Eliza asked, coming around the corner. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the twins dressed in Winn’s suits. “Oh, dear.”
“Grandma!” Jessie exclaimed.
“Oh, your mother is definitely not going to like this,” Eliza tisked.
“Crap,” Winn huffed under his breath.
“I’m not going to like what?” Alex’s voice came around the corner. As soon as she appeared, she saw her daughters in their suits. “No!” she pointed at them. “No, no, no, no, hell no, and more no. There is no way in hell you’re going out dressed like that. No.”
“We weren’t going out, we were just trying them on!” Jessie insisted.
“Take them off, and if I see them again, I’m going to burn them.”
Winn chuckled. “You can’t burn them. They’re…” Alex turned her glare on him. “Never mind.”
“Why would you do this?” Alex hissed at him. “They’re twelve years old, for christ sake! They have no business fighting out in the real world.”
Winn stammered fearfully, “I- I just thought it would be cool, but I can see now that it’s not, so I’m really sorry.”
“You’re gonna be sorry, if I see those suits again.” She turned her glare back on her daughters, “Go change.”
The twins super sped into the lab and changed back into their regular clothes as fast as they could. They returned to the hallway and approached their mother. “Sorry, Mom,” they said plaintively, wrapping their arms around her. “We didn’t mean to scare you.”
Alex breathed her children’s scent in and tried to calm down. The thought of her daughters out fighting in the streets made her heart clench in terror, whether they were Supers or not. “I’m sorry for yelling. I love you girls so much, I can’t stand the thought of anything happening to you.”
“We know, Mom,” Jessie soothed. “We love you too.”
“We promise we won’t go out,” Jamie swore. “We want to keep everyone safe, not just us.”
Alex nodded, feeling proud of her girls for finally seeing a bit of sense. “Good. I’m glad to hear it.” She finally looked at the figure holding hands with Winn. “Lyra, you look amazing,” she smiled.
“Thanks, Alex,” Lyra grinned.
“You do look incredible,” Eliza agreed.
“We were just headed to lunch, if you guys want to join us,” Alex invited.
“We just came from lunch,” Jessie explained. “But we’ll come with you and hang out with you for a little while.”
“OK, come on, I’m hungry,” the agent urged.
XXXXXXXXXX
Amy and Tara stopped for lunch after they got out of the doctor’s office. They sat in a corner booth away from other people, so they could talk. After the server brought them their drinks, Amy asked her first question, “So, what do you mean when you say you’ve never been in a relationship before?”
Tara played with her straw nervously. “I just… I’ve never felt this way before, so I just… haven’t.”
“That’s it? That’s all there is to it?” Amy asked in disbelief.
“Well…” Tara refused to look at her, and when she finally spoke again, Amy had to strain her ears to hear. “My brother was really abusive to me when I lived at home.”
Amy scowled. “Please tell me that doesn’t mean what I think it means.”
Tara was quiet in answer.
Amy closed her eyes and tried to keep the rage that was washing over her in check. She didn’t want it to leak out and freak Tara out, but it was nearly overpowering. She clenched her hands together to keep from breaking anything. The last time she’d been this enraged, she’d gone to jail.
“Amy?” Tara spoke meekly.
“I’m sorry, I’m trying to calm down,” Amy spoke softly. “I just can’t stand the thought that anyone would hurt you in any way.”
Tara put her hands on top of Amy’s. “Hey, look at me.”
Amy opened her eyes and looked at Tara. She knew the rage was still showing in her gaze, but she couldn’t help it. Tara’s touch, helped though. She loosened her fingers and took Tara’s hands in her own.
“I’ve been away from him for over ten years, OK?” Tara tried to soothe her. “I’m OK now, and that’s largely because of you. You took me in when I was just out of college and lost about what to do with my life. You’ve been a friend to everyone you’ve ever met, and you treat your employees like family. How could I not fall in love with you? I don’t even think about my family anymore. You and the others we work with - That’s my family. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Amy melted at Tara’s words. It caught her off guard. She hadn’t realized that she’d had such an effect on the girl. Sure, she’d considered her staff her family, but she didn’t realize they felt the same way. The way Tara was stroking the backs of her hands with her thumbs had Amy’s rage lulling to a dull roar. There was so much more that they needed to talk about, but she took this opportunity to let Tara help her calm down. The wave of emotions were dying to get out, though, and she felt tears pricking at her eyes.
Their server interrupted them by coming and asking for their orders. They told her what they wanted, and the girl disappeared again.
“You know what happened to me last winter,” Amy sighed. “If we do this, between your trauma and mine, we need to start slow.”
“I agree,” Tara nodded. “I, uh…” She sighed heavily and shook her head, leaning forward and speaking quietly, “I’ve only had consensual sex a few times in college. It’s been a really long time, and I really don’t have that much experience.”
“We’ll work that out when we’re ready to go there, OK?” Amy tried to ease her fears.
Tara gave her a small, bashful smile. “OK. Thanks.”
XXXXXXXXXXXX
“I can’t believe you talked me into that,” Kara shook her head, but the grin on her face did nothing to convey annoyance. She adjusted her suit, and then disappeared into Lena’s office bathroom to wash up, while Lena lounged on the couch blissfully sated and unwilling to move yet.
“It hardly took convincing,” Lena smirked.
Kara took a warm, damp cloth to Lena and let her wipe herself down. “Yeah, well, you know what it does to me when you mess with my ears.”
"Yes, I do," Lena smiled devilishly.
"Vixen," Kara accused.
“Is Jess back yet?” Lena asked, looking at the door of her office over the arm of the couch. Not that she could see through it, but to indicate that Kara should.
“Nope,” Kara answered, leaning down and kissing her again.
Lena opened her arms. “Good. Come cuddle me.”
Still grinning, Kara scooped her wife up into her arms and sat down away from the wet spot on the couch cushion. She fixed the CEO’s clothes a bit, just enough to cover her up, and kissed her forehead.
Lena’s stomach growled, and they both giggled.
“Are you hungry, my love?” Kara teased.
“Yes, but I’m not done cuddling.” Lena laid her head down on Kara’s shoulder and almost immediately fell asleep.
Kara resigned herself to being stuck there for a while. When Jess poked her head in about fifteen minutes later, Kara held her finger to her lips to let her wife sleep a bit longer. She kept herself entertained by watching the babies move around. She wondered when their mother would be able to feel them. Alex swore she started feeling the beginning flutterings of movement in her belly already a couple days ago, but Lena and Maggie had yet to experience it.
A few minutes later, Lena woke with a start.
“It’s OK, sweetheart,” Kara soothed her, holding her close and rocking her. “I’ve got you. You’re OK.”
When Lena realized where she was, she calmed down, not really sure what had frightened her in the first place. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, remembering what they had just done and smiling gleefully. She kissed Kara deeply. “I love you so much, Kara.”
“I love you too, Lena,” she beamed back, kissing her wife’s head. “Are you ready for me to go get us some food?”
“Yes, please. I’m very hungry,” Lena replied. The morning sickness had died down in all three mothers-to-be, and lately they’d been giving Kara’s appetite a run for its money.
“Alright, let me up, and I’ll get going.” The Kryptonian let her wife kiss her a few more times before she got up, and then she zipped out the balcony door in search of food.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
“Danvers, what’s up?” Chief Williams greeted Maggie as she entered his office.
She closed the door and fell into one of the chairs across from him with a heavy sigh. “I needed to get away from my desk and get a little human interaction.”
The Chief gave her a look of compassion. “I’m sorry, I know you hate being taken out of the field. You’re a top notch detective, and I hate it as much as you do. It’s difficult to manage without you, and I know you’re going stir crazy. Is there anything I can do for you? You want a few days off?”
“No, I think sitting at home would make me even more stir crazy, Sir, but thanks anyway.”
“Are you regretting your decision to keep the baby?” he asked, rounding his desk and sitting next to her.
Maggie answered hastily, “No! No, no, nothing like that. I mean, I can’t drink, or smoke, I can’t do my job, my pants are too tight, and I feel like I can’t possibly eat enough right now, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that I’m completely in awe of the fact that there’s a little person growing inside of me.” She stroked her lower belly with a blissful look on her face. “And what’s better is that it’s not just any little person. It’s Kara’s child. He or she is going to be the sweetest thing on God’s green earth, and after she’s lost an entire planet, I feel honored to be able to give her another child. I’m over the initial insult of getting pregnant. Now, I just feel happy and excited.”
The Chief beamed, and tears pricked at his eyes at how happy he was to hear that. “Good. I’m glad,” he told her. “I’ve been kind of worried about that.”
“Yeah, you’re not the only one.”
“We love you, Maggie,” Chief Williams said, putting his hand on her arm. “We want you to be happy.”
“Thanks,” Maggie smiled at him. “I love you guys too.”
“So, how is the family?” he asked.
“Well, the girls are a little depressed that they never get to go out anywhere, but we’re keeping them busy with baby homework and working on their powers and their gentleness.”
“Sounds like a good idea,” he nodded.
“Alex and Lena and I have been doing some shopping for maternity clothes because all of our clothes are getting too tight. I’m not happy that I’m going to get fat.”
Chief Williams gave her A Look, “Pregnant is not fat. Come on, now.”
Maggie returned the Look. “You say that when you have a baby.”
He chuckled. “I think expectant mothers are quite beautiful, and I have a feeling Kara does too.”
“Yeah, Kara is definitely into it,” Maggie smirked.
“Your morning sickness must be gone, if you’re hungry all the time,” he observed.
“Yeah, I don’t know what’s worse, the morning sickness or the hunger,” she shook her head.
“Well, it is half Kryptonian. Those guys can eat!” he laughed.
“No kidding,” she chuckled.
“And you’re all getting along OK?” he checked.
She nodded, smiling serenely. “Yeah. Every time I think I can’t love them any more, they go and do something so sweet that they prove me wrong. I love them so much it hurts.”
“I’m so glad,” he said, squeezing her hand.
She took a deep breath and sighed. “Alright, I should get back to work. Thanks for letting me bug you.”
“My pleasure. Can I hug you?”
“You bet,” she let him envelop her in his huge arms, and smiled as she headed back to her desk.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Mon-El hopped on his motorcycle and headed to the DEO. Winn had requested that he come and meet him there when his shift was over. He texted Eve where he was going and sped out of the parking lot. When he arrived, Winn was sitting at his desk looking at some sort of schematics that Mon-El didn’t even pretend to understand. “Hey, buddy!” he greeted, clapping the tech on the back.
“Oh, hey! Mon-El!” Winn jumped up out of his chair and grinned. “I have something for you. Are you ready for this?”
“Oh, I love presents!” the Daxamite, rubbed his hands together gleefully.
“Follow me.” Winn led him downstairs to his lab, and just like the others, he made the man close his eyes. “Ready?”
“Totally,” Mon-El grinned.
Winn opened the door to his lab, “And, open!”
Mon-El gasped at all the suits he saw. “Wow, cool!”
“This one,” Winn pointed to a dark silver suit with dark green accents, "Is yours."
Mon-El ran his hands over the material. “Ooh! This is so cool!”
Winn rattled off a lengthy spiel of scientific words that went over the Daxamite’s head, but he did manage to distinguish the words ‘bullet proof,’ and that was good enough for him. Winn pulled out a silver motorcycle helmet that would cover his identity with the bonus of making him look pretty badass.
“Wow! I can’t believe this is for me!” The Daxamite hugged his friend so tightly, the tech squeeked. “Thank you so much!”
“You wanna try it on?” Winn offered.
“Yes!”
“Alrighty, just unzip the sides here and here, and it should slide right on. Open the door when you’re ready.” Winn stepped out of the lab and let Mon-El change.
When he was ready, Mon-El stepped out, arms outstretched to the sides, “Dude! This is amazing!” He turned in a circle and let Winn get a good look at his work.
“Oh, yeah!” Winn whistled. “That’s great. Look at you!”
“Take a picture of me, so I can show Eve!” Mon-El demanded, handing over his phone.
Winn snapped a few pics from different angles, and gave the Daxamite his phone back.
“I can’t believe it!” Mon-El gushed. “Thank you so much, Winn!” He gave a few kicks and punches in the air to get a feel for the maneuverability of the suit, feeling satisfied at it’s give. “This is so cool! I gotta go show Alex!” He ran down the hall to Alex’s lab and banged on the door.
“Can I help… you?” Alex raised her brow.
“Alex, check it out!” Mon-El spun in a circle to let her see the whole suit. “Isn’t it amazing?”
“Wow, look at you!” she responded. “You look pretty cool. Good job, Winn.”
“Thanks!” Winn beamed.
“What are we looking at?” Eliza poked her head out of the lab to see what was going on. “Oh, I see! How dashing!”
“Is that good?” Mon-El worried.
“Yes, it means handsome,” Alex informed him.
“Oh, thank you, Dr. Danvers!” he grinned again.
“You’re quite welcome, young man.”
“I can’t wait to go out tonight. Eve is going out for drinks with the girls, so she’s probably going to pass out on me when she gets home. She won’t even miss me.”
“Count Lyra in. She got a new suit too,” Winn informed him.
“Sweet! I love working with her, it’s fun!” Mon-El cheered.
Alex grinned at him. She was genuinely happy for him, and thankful that Kara had help watching over the streets of National City. As obnoxious as the man had been when they’d first met him, he seemed to have genuinely realized the error of his Daxamite ways, and had proven faithful to all of them over and over the last several months. Hell, Alex had lost track of how many months he and Eve had been together, but it was quite a few, and he genuinely seemed to love the young woman, and she seemed to love him. Alex herself had grown pretty attached to him, and so she felt proud to see him getting a proper suit. “I hope you catch lots of thugs, and scare the living daylights out of them.”
“Thanks!” he grinned. “OK, I have some errands to run before we play tonight. I’ll see you guys later.” Mon-El went back and changed into his regular clothes, and headed out on his bike. He had to go to the grocery store, and he wanted to stop at the flower shop and get something for Eve. Nothing too fancy, but definitely something happy. He was stoked about his new suit, and he wanted to share the love.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
That afternoon, Sam picked Ruby up from Mrs. Queller’s and headed home to make dinner. Ruby was quiet the whole ride home. Sam tried to talk to her, but she just kept getting monosyllabic answers. “Is everything OK with you, Rubes?” she finally asked.
“Yeah,” Ruby sighed.
“You sure? You’re awfully quiet,” Sam pressed.
Ruby sighed again. “I just miss my friends. Can Jessie and Jamie come over and spend the night?”
“Sure, if it’s OK with Alex, it’s OK with me,” Sam answered.
Ruby immediately perked up and called Jessie.
“Ruby!” Jessie cheered into the phone.
“Hi, Jessie!” Ruby greeted, her heart pounding. “My mom said it was OK if I asked you guys to spend the night. Will you ask your mom, if it’s OK?”
“Yeah!” Ruby could hear Jessie begging permission from her mother. “Ruby? She said yes!”
“Woohoo!” Ruby cheered. “OK, we’re on our way home now.”
“OK, Mom wants us to eat dinner before we come over,” Jessie informed her.
“OK,” Ruby conceded. “See you soon.” She hung up the phone and beamed. “Thanks, Mom!” She was quiet again on the rest of the ride home.
Back at their apartment, as she made dinner, Sam watched as her daughter changed clothes ten times, did her hair up fancy, and put on her tinted lip gloss that Sam had given her for her birthday. “And you’re getting all dolled up for what reason exactly?” she quizzed.
Ruby tried to look casual. “I just don’t want them to see me looking all frumpy,” she shrugged.
Sam wasn’t buying it. Ruby never looked frumpy, but for some reason she seemed to be going the extra mile to impress tonight. It was suspicious to say the least. She’d never really talked to her daughter about sexuality beyond the initial birds and the bees speech she’d given the girl when she’d started her period last year. She didn’t know how her daughter felt about other girls in that regard. Before now, Ruby hadn’t really ever shown an interest in romance, but she was getting older, and the Danvers girls were very beautiful. She couldn’t really blame her daughter, if that’s what this was. “Hey, sit down,” she requested. She waited until Ruby obeyed. Leaning over the island counter, she placed her hand over Ruby’s. “Honey, I don’t want you to be afraid to talk to me, OK? Are you starting to have feelings for a certain blonde-haired, doe-eyed Super?”
Ruby looked shocked and a little guilty. “I-” She lowered her eyes to the counter and refused to look at her mother.
“Ruby, it’s OK, if you are,” Sam soothed. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”
“I didn’t tell you because I wasn’t sure how you felt about… girls liking girls,” Ruby admitted.
“Are you kidding? Look at our friends. Did you really think that might bother me?”
“I didn’t know, so I was afraid,” Ruby explained.
Sam walked around the island counter and enveloped her daughter in her arms. “Ruby, I love you so much. I don’t care who you love, as long as you respect yourself and your partner respects you. Don’t ever be with someone who pushes you around or puts you down. You’re worth so much more than that.”
Ruby found herself a little teary eyed. “Thanks, Mom. Jessie is so sweet and funny and smart and beautiful. I can’t help it.”
“I know how it can be,” Sam said, rocking her daughter in her arms. “Just go slow, OK? You’re very young, and you’ve got all the time in the world to experience new things. Take it slow, and don’t rush into anything.”
“That’s if she even likes me back,” Ruby grumbled.
“She’d be a fool not to,” Sam encouraged. “Now, if you liked Jamie, I might think you were barking up the wrong tree, but I think you might actually have a chance with Jessie.”
Ruby beamed. “I like Jamie too, but not like that. Besides, I think Carter likes her.”
Sam’s phone dinged with a text message, so she let go of her daughter to check it. “They’re on their way.”
“Do I look OK?” Ruby checked.
Sam nodded. “You look beautiful. Jessie’s not going to know what hit her.” She kissed her daughter on the forehead. “Why don’t you help me finish up dinner while we’re waiting?”
“I don’t want to mess up my clothes!” Ruby whined.
Sam grabbed an apron out of the cupboard. “Here, wear this over them.”
Ruby accepted the apron and put it on, joining her mother in preparing their dinner. When the doorbell rang, the preteen dropped what she was doing, ripped off her apron, and ran for the door. She flung it open, and the walls echoed with three preteen girls squealing in excitement.
Alex and Sam covered their ears, but they were happy that the kids were happy.
The Danvers twins and their mother came in and they all greeted one another with hugs.
“Don’t take them outside,” Alex requested. “They get followed.”
“Got it,” Sam agreed.
Alex handed her a couple of twenties. “Here’s some money for pizza, so they don’t eat you out of house and home.”
“I thought you guys just ate dinner?” Ruby queried.
Alex chuckled. “Have you met my daughters?”
Sam accepted the money with a grin. “I gotcha.”
Alex stayed and chatted for a few minutes before she took off. “Have fun, you guys!” She hugged and kissed her daughters and headed out.
“OK, who wants to make cookies?” Sam invited.
The girls all cheered. “Yeah!”
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Tara had a few days worth of clothes and things packed. She was going to stay in the extra bedroom at Amy’s place, so they didn’t have to be completely separated. She wasn’t ready to sleep in the same bed yet - Amy had been sleeping on the couch at her place - so this was the next best thing. Now that Amy could maneuver the stairs at her apartment, they’d both be more comfortable there. They had gone grocery shopping, so they’d have food, and they agreed to take turns cooking instead of Tara having to do everything like she had been the last few weeks.
“Are you all set?” Amy asked.
Tara looked around and mentally reviewed the things she’d grabbed. “I think so, yeah.”
“Are you sure you’re gonna be OK at my place?” Amy double-checked.
Tara smiled. “I’ll be better than OK. I’ll be with you.”
“Aww,” Amy took hold of her hands and kissed her softly. “You’re the sweetest girl I ever met.”
Tara blushed, but she was still smiling.
“I wish you would have told me you were into me before I started dating Demetria. It would have saved me a lot of trouble,” Amy quipped.
“I was afraid of being rejected,” Tara explained. “And I didn’t want to ruin the good relationship we already had. I’m sorry I’m a chicken.”
Amy chuckled. “Well, live and learn.”
Tara nodded and folded herself into Amy’s arms. “Are you sure about letting me come stay with you?”
“Yeah, honey, like I said, I want you to help me with the redecorating and stuff in the restaurant. You’re my right hand. I need you by my side. We’ll make sure to keep the rent paid up on your apartment for a while, just in case you change your mind, but otherwise, I want you with me.”
“This feels like a dream,” Tara mused.
“Yeah, a little,” Amy agreed, stroking her back. “A really good one that I don’t want to wake up from.”
“Yeah,” Tara sighed happily.
“Shall we?” Amy kissed Tara’s forehead and let go of her to start grabbing bags.
“I can get some of that,” Tara protested.
“Move it before I throw you over my shoulder too,” Amy threatened playfully.
Tara chuckled. “Alright, alright.”
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Lucy was putting the finishing touches on her makeup when Lyra and Eve texted her that they were on their way. She made sure she had everything in place before she headed outside to wait for them. It was nice and warm that night, and the sky was clear, so she enjoyed the fresh air until the girls arrived. Normally, this was something she’d do with Alex, but ever since the redhead had gotten pregnant, she’d been reluctant to go out anywhere there was drinking involved. It was OK, though. She talked to Alex all the time while they were at the DEO, so she didn’t feel slighted. Plus, she loved Lyra and Eve. They were fun too.
The cab pulled up to the curb where she stood, and she climbed in the back with the other two. “Hey, ladies! You ready to have some fun tonight?”
“Hell yeah!” Eve cheered.
“Definitely,” Lyra replied enthusiastically.
“Let’s go!” Lucy grinned.
The bar was pretty crowded when they arrived, but they managed to find a table where the three of them could fit comfortably. They ordered a round of shots and a round of beers to start off with, then put in for a basket of fries. The band hadn’t started yet, so Lyra gushed about her new suit from Winn. She wanted to kick herself for not thinking to take any pictures. She agreed that the Daxamite looked amazing as well. She was so proud of her partner for doing such an amazing job making them.
“We have some pretty great guys,” Eve commented, raising her glass.
“Cheers,” Lucy and Lyra raised their glasses in toast.
Finally, the band started playing, and the room became too loud for much conversation.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
“Get ‘em, get ‘em, get ‘em!” Winn shouted at Mon-El.
“I’m trying!” Mon-El shouted back. He maneuvered his man around to shoot the zombies coming right at him, but he missed, and the horde devoured him. “Shoot!”
“My turn,” James put his beer down and swiped the controller from Mon-El.
“Man,” the Daxamite huffed. “Go get ‘em, James.”
James and Winn started a new round on their game, and Mon-El picked up his phone and texted his girlfriend, asking if they were having fun. When she didn’t answer, he assumed they were, and he picked up his beer and downed the last of it. “You guys want another round?” he asked, standing up and heading for James’ fridge.
“I’ll take one,” James answered distractedly.
“I’m good for a few,” Winn replied.
Mon-El grabbed two beers and headed back to the couch. He groaned as he plopped down in his seat and popped the cap off his beer. “Man, my feet got soft when I was locked up. I’m still not used to being on my feet all day again.”
“Please, Daxamite,” James waved him off, blowing the heads off a few zombies.
“Hey, you guys get to sit down all day at your jobs,” Mon-El complained.
“Only sometimes,” Winn insisted.
Mon-El picked up one of Winn’s tech magazines off the coffee table and started reading through it. He’d grown to like reading and learning new things, and lately, he’d had an insatiable appetite for new information. Eve had suggested that maybe he start going to college, and he was inclined to agree. Working at the bar was fun, but he didn’t feel like he was making a difference in the world like his friends were. Sure, he had his nighttime crime fighting, but he felt like he could do more. He hadn’t really talked to anyone else about it yet, though. “Hey, what do you guys think about me going to school?”
“Dude, do it,” James replied.
“Yeah,” Winn agreed. “Like, what are you thinking about studying?”
Mon-El shrugged. “I don’t know. I find a lot of things interesting these days. I might just go until I figure it out. Eve thinks it’s a good idea.”
“Yeah, I mean, if you don’t want to work at the bar for the rest of your life, I think that’s a great idea,” James mused.
“You could go for cooking,” Winn suggested. “You seem to have quite the talent for it”
“Maybe,” Mon-El nodded. “But I was thinking about something more… science-y. Like you and Alex and Lena.”
“That would be cool,” James agreed.
“You really think so?” Mon-El checked.
“Yeah, dude, totally,” Winn encouraged. “I’ll even help you get enrolled, if you want. The community college in Waverly Hills is pretty good. You can start there and explore your options for cheaper than at NCU. I think they start at the end of August.”
Mon-El grinned. “That settles it, I’m doing it.”
James paused their game and gave Mon-El a high five, with Winn following suit.
“Thanks, guys,” the Daxamite said. “I was kinda nervous when Eve suggested it, but if you guys think I can do it, I’ll do it.”
“We know you can do it,” James answered. “You’re a smart guy.”
“Yeah,” Winn added.
“Cheers!” Mon-El raised his beer, and the other two did the same, clinking their beers together and drinking.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
As Ruby, Jessie, and Jamie watched a movie, Sam excused herself from them by claiming that she had work to do. In reality, she had just gotten a text from Douglas asking how she was, and she didn’t want the kids to see the stupid smile that stuck on her face whenever she talked to him. They would ask questions, for certain. She shut the door to her bedroom and texted him back.
Sam: Hey, I’m good. I’m on sleepover patrol right now. The twins are spending the night with Ruby.
Douglas: Oh, that’s good. Are they behaving themselves?
Sam: They’re a little hyper, but I can handle it.
Douglas: Good mom.
Sam’s heart skipped a beat before she texted back a simple thanks.
Douglas: I love the way you are with Ruby. It’s so adorable.
Sam: I like how you are with the kids too. They really seem to love you.
Douglas: I love them too. I’ve been watching over the Danvers girls for over two years now. It’s probably one of the best assignments I’ve ever been given.
Sam: Really?
Douglas: Oh, yeah. The Danvers crew is great. And they have great taste in friends. (winking emoji)
Sam blushed and grinned. She knew this was his way of flirting with her, and it made her a little giddy. He was so smart and funny, and he was built like a tank, and that definitely made her feel warm inside.
Sam: (blushing emoji) Yes, they do! (winking emoji)
Douglas: When can I call you?
Sam: You can call me right now. The kids are watching a movie in the other room.
Her phone rang almost immediately, and she answered like a blushing school girl. “Hello,” she purred.
“Hey, I wanted to hear your voice,” he admitted.
She grinned like a fool, glad he couldn’t see her at the moment. “Oh, yeah?” she said, trying to play it cool. “Anything specific you’d like to hear me say?”
He chuckled, “Actually, there is one thing.”
“What is it?” she asked nervously.
“Say that you’ll finally go out on a date with me,” he requested.
Her heart pounded. She told him when they’d first started talking that she wanted to take it slow, but they’d been talking for a few weeks now, and he’d been very patient. She admitted to herself that it was probably time for her to take the plunge and say yes. She was nervous, though. She had basically avoided guys altogether after she’d gotten pregnant with Ruby and the father had told her he’d rather die than have a baby with her and that she should get an abortion. Here she was, at 28 years old, with all the experience of a newborn puppy, and it made her shiver with nerves. “OK, but nothing too fancy, alright? I’m not like Lena, I’m not big on fancy restaurants and high society.”
“Deal,” he agreed. “Honestly, that takes a bit of pressure off me.”
“That’s good,” she replied softly.
“What’s your favorite kind of food?” he asked.
“I like a little bit of everything,” she answered. “I’m not too picky. Surprise me.”
“This weekend?” he requested hopefully.
“I’ll see if Ruby can spend the night with the twins or something,” she said, begging the universe for them to say yes. She really wanted this.
“Sounds good.” Sam could hear the smile in his voice. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
They talked for a while longer, until Sam noticed how late it was and excused herself to send the kids to bed. She didn’t say anything to them about her conversation with Douglas. That was going to be a secret until she knew for sure that things were going to work out between them. Ruby liked Douglas, but she had never had to contend with anyone for her mother’s attention before. It might come as a bit of a shock to the girl to find out that Sam was dating someone.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Lucy, Lyra, and Eve were currently three sheets to the wind. The second band was playing, and they were having a blast dancing with the crowd. When they needed a break, they sat back down at their table and ordered one more round of beers.
“OK, so, where’s the most public place you guys have had sex with your current man?” Lucy asked with a wicked grin.
Eve giggled and loudly whispered. “In the copy room at Catco.”
Lyra looked around to make sure no one was listening. “In the alley behind the alien bar.”
“On the balcony outside Jame’s office at Catco,” Lucy admitted.
They all started laughing.
“Did you guys get caught?” Lucy inquired. “We didn’t.”
“Nope,” Lyra smirked.
Eve put her face in her hands, then answered, “Yes, by Kara!”
“Ohhhh!” Lyra and Lucy booed.
They all dissolved into laughter again.
“How long can your man go?” Lucy quizzed.
“On average, or the longest time?” Eve clarified.
“Both!” Lucy insisted.
“Well, the longest time was a couple of weeks ago, when he got out of quarantine. I’m not sure how many hours it was exactly, but we went all night. On average, about two or three hours.”
“Nice!” Lucy said. “We’ve had a couple all-nighters ourselves,” Lucy admitted. “Not lately, though. Our average is about forty-five minutes to an hour.”
“Winn’s longest time was probably a few hours. He can only come a couple of times, but he’s amazing at oral. On average, we last about an hour too.”
“Oh, score him on a scale of one to ten,” Lucy insisted.
“Oh, I’d definitely give him an eight,” Lyra replied.
“Wow, I never would have guessed that!” Lucy chuckled. “Eve?”
“For oral? I’d give Mikey about a six or seven on a good day.”
“That’s about what I’d score James too.”
A random group of guys wandered over and greeted them a bit drunkenly. “Hey, ladies, would you like some company?”
The girls laughed and shook their heads.
“No, thanks, guys, we’re having a girl’s night,” Lucy tried to let them down easy. “We’re all taken.”
“Aw, come on, at least dance with us!” another man insisted.
“No, thank you,” Eve declined.
The guys grumbled and went back to their seats.
“Thank God, I thought we were about to get in a bar brawl,” Lyra laughed, shaking her head.
The other two giggled.
“They wouldn’t know what hit ‘em, if they tried,” Lucy huffed. “One more round?”
“Yeah,” Lyra and Eve agreed.
They ordered another round of beers, and told each other a few more funny stories. When the band was done playing, they called for a cab and headed back to James and Lucy’s place to meet up with the guys.
They headed upstairs on the elevator, leaning on one another to hold themselves up. They giggled the whole way down the hall, so much so that James opened the door to look out before they were even halfway there.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” he chuckled.
“Hey, good lookin’,” Lucy drawled.
“Hey yourself,” he replied with a smirk. “You guys had fun, it seems.”
“Yep!” Lucy nodded exaggeratedly, and wrapped her arms around him.
He hugged her. “You guys are a little later than I thought you’d be. Did everything go alright?”
“Yeah, we just had to wait a while for the cab to show up,” Eve explained.
James walked them back into the apartment where Winn and Mon-El were waiting for them. The girls fell into their guys’ arms and kissed them in greeting.
“Are you going to be able to go out on patrol tonight, Lyra?” Mon-El asked.
“Oh, yeah, I’ll be fine. Just give me a twenty minute nap when I get home, and I’ll be golden,” she insisted.
“Cool,” Mon-El grinned. “Shall we head home?” he asked Eve.
“Yeah,” Eve nodded. “I’m ready.”
“I’m ready too,” Winn agreed.
“OK, well, thanks for hanging out,” James told them.
“Yeah, it was fun,” Lucy agreed. “We’ll see you guys later.”
They all exchanged goodbyes, and James and Lucy were left alone in their apartment.
“You wanna watch The Walking Dead before we go to sleep?” James asked.
“Oh, yeah!” They cuddled up on the couch and turned on the DVR to watch their show before they went to bed.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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