Kapitel 81: 81. The Baby Shower (Part 1)
October 14, 2017 (pregnancy week 32)
Saturday morning, Maggie woke up with Alex cuddled into her back. It felt really nice, but her bladder was screaming, so she grudgingly extricated herself from Alex’s warm embrace and headed for the bathroom. When she returned, she checked the time on her phone. It was already nearly 8am, so she figured she might as well get up. Kara and Lena were already missing from the bed, but that was normal. Maggie sat down on the bed and stroked Alex’s cheek. “Alex, my love. It’s almost eight o’clock. We should probably get up.”
Alex took a deep breath and trapped Maggie’s hand on her cheek, nuzzling her palm. It took a few moments, but she finally opened her eyes and peered sleepily up at her wife.
“Good morning,” Maggie smiled at her.
Alex grinned sleepily back. “Morning,” she mumbled.
“How are you feeling today?” Maggie asked.
“Not too bad,” Alex replied. “My hips hurt a little.”
“Yeah, same here,” Maggie agreed.
Alex hoisted herself into a sitting position. “Oh, man, I gotta pee so bad.”
Maggie chuckled and moved out of the way so Alex could get up, and the agent waddled across the room as fast as she could, shutting the bathroom door behind her. The detective sat back on the bed and waited for her wife to return, and when she did, they spent a few moments just kissing one another before going downstairs to join the others.
“Good morning!” Kara and the twins greeted them cheerfully.
“Good morning,” Lena’s greeting was a little sleepy still.
"Good morning." Maggie and Alex kissed them all hello and sat at the kitchen island with Lena while Kara and the kids made pancakes and sausages for breakfast. “God, that smells good!” Maggie said, feeling her stomach rumble.
“Give us five more minutes, and then we can start feeding you, OK?” Kara chirped.
“How are you feeling, Maggie?” Lena asked. “I know you’re nervous about your family coming.”
Maggie’s heart clenched. “Yeah,” she admitted. “I’m more nervous than ever about it. I want them to accept me.”
“We want that too, sweetheart,” Lena said softly. “Your parents would be foolish not to be so very proud of you. I know I am.”
Maggie grinned appreciatively. “Thank you, Lena.”
“Do you think they’ll like us?” Jamie asked nervously.
“I think they’ll love you,” Maggie soothed her. “How could they not?”
“I’m still mad at them for what they did to you,” Jessie huffed. “I don’t think I’m going to like them.”
“Let’s just see how things play out,” Maggie told her. “Please, don’t be rude to them.”
“I won’t,” Jessie promised. “As long as they’re nice to you, I’ll be nice to them. If they’re mean to you, though, all bets are off.”
Maggie chuckled at Jessie’s protectiveness. It was cute and endearing. “Alright, honey. Just remember that one of them is my aunt that took me in when my parents kicked me out. You be nice to her, no matter what.”
“OK,” Jessie agreed easily. “What’s her name?”
“Rose Sawyer,” Maggie replied. “I call her Tía Rose. Tía means aunt in Spanish.”
“What’s your mom and dad’s name?” Jessie quizzed.
“Oscar and Miriani Rodas.”
Jessie got that little crinkle between her brow - the same one that Kara had - before blurting out, “So you took your aunt’s name, like Mama took Grandma and Mom’s name?”
“Yep,” Maggie confirmed. “Pretty much.”
Jessie grinned. “We’ll be extra nice to her!”
Kara presented the mothers-to-be a pancake and a couple of sausages each to get them started. She knew they would eat more, but she didn’t want them going too hungry, so she wanted to get them eating right away. She knew how much the babies ate, and she worried about them all getting enough vitamins and calories. Lena especially needed to eat almost as much as Kara did now, just like Alex had with the girls all those years ago.
The twins presented a plethora of pancake topping options to them all. Maggie and Lena chose the berries and whipped topping, while Alex decided on just regular butter and maple syrup. The moms-to-be devoured their food so quickly that Kara just barely had time to make them each another pancake.
“Good thing we got the big griddle!” Jessie chuckled.
“No kidding!” Jamie agreed.
Kara continued to make pancakes until there were enough to stuff all six of them to the brim.
“Thank you guys for making breakfast,” Alex said, kissing her daughters on the head.
“You’re welcome, Mom,” the girls replied.
“Anytime,” Kara smiled.
“What time is Grandma coming over?” Jamie wanted to know.
Alex looked at her phone to see if her mother had texted her yet. She didn’t have any messages. “I’m not sure, but probably before lunch time.”
The twins clapped their hands. “I’m so glad Grandma moved down here to be with us,” Jessie beamed. “Now we get to see her all the time.”
“Are Grandma Maureen and Grandpa Dan coming?” Jamie inquired.
“They said they were,” Alex confirmed. “Along with all the kids and grandkids too.”
The twins lit up and cheered. “There’s going to be so many people here today!” Jessie exclaimed.
“Yes, well, at least it’s all going to be people we love,” Kara sighed.
“The security team should get here around noon,” Lena told them. “No one is getting in here without a personal invitation.”
“I hope we didn’t forget anyone,” Kara fretted. “I’ll double-check the list when they get here.”
“Can I see if Ruby can come over early?” Jessie requested.
“You can ask,” Alex permitted.
“And Carter too?” Jamie begged.
“Same answer,” Alex shrugged. “Just wait until after nine before you start calling and waking people up.”
“Ruby’s already up,” Jessie replied. “We always text each other good morning when we wake up.”
"Aww," Maggie grinned. Jessie and Ruby were so cute. She knew the odds of them being together forever were kind of slim, but she hoped for it anyway. Same for Jamie and Carter. She didn’t want to think about the twins getting their first heartbreak. Thankfully, that didn’t seem to be an issue for the time being. Both young couples were very much in love, and as far as Maggie knew, they hadn’t even fought yet. She hoped when they did, it wouldn’t be too bad.
When the family was all finished eating, Kara and the twins cleaned up and washed the dishes while the moms-to-be all went to take a shower. Jessie announced that Ruby and Sam were coming over, and Sam insisted on buying the gang pizza for lunch later. Cat was a little harder to convince, but Kara got involved and persuaded her that it was OK to come over early. It wasn’t an inconvenience to them at all, and they really wanted to spend time with her.
When that was taken care of, Jamie and Jessie announced that they had a surprise for Maggie and Lena, and they demanded that the family meet them in the living room. The twins used their superspeed to zip off and come back, each with a wrapped gift in their hands. Jessie handed hers to Maggie, and Jamie handed hers to Lena. “We were gonna give these to you at the baby shower, but we couldn’t wait,” Jessie explained.
Maggie and Lena shared a look of curiosity between them and then opened their presents. Inside the wrapping paper was a gold photo frame with a “Certificate of Adoption” that the girls had clearly cooked up on their computers because there were little flowers and butterflies on the border. The papers said, “This document certifies that Jamie Danvers and Jessie Danvers have adopted Lena Danvers/Maggie Danvers as legal guardian and parent.”
“Aww!” Maggie cooed, blinking back tears. “Thank you girls very much.”
“Yes, thank you,” Lena agreed, biting her lip. “I feel like I should say more, but I’m at a loss for words. This means a lot to me, though.”
Jamie fidgeted for a moment before saying bashfully, “We thought maybe we could make it official. Like, we could call you Mama Maggie and Mama Lena or something? We couldn’t really think of anything better than that to call you.”
Tears finally escaped Maggie and Lena’s eyes. “I’d really like that,” Lena said, lip trembling.
“Me too,” Maggie sniffled.
The twins beamed and gave them both big hugs.
Kara and Alex smiled proudly at their daughters. “That was really nice of you girls,” Alex told them. “And the certificates were a great touch.”
“Thanks, Mom,” the twins echoed. “We just want Maggie and Lena to know how much we love them, and how much we’re going to love our brothers and sisters.”
“And they’re going to love you so much too,” Lena grinned.
“They already do,” Maggie amended. “And we love you girls so much.”
“We love you too,” the girls replied.
“Maybe we could set up a legal adoption,” Lena suggested. “I think it’s possible for four people to share legal custody. Would you like that?”
The twins nodded their heads, too choked up to talk. When tears welled up in their eyes, Maggie and Lena hugged them close and whispered their love to them.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
By 10:30, Eliza, Cat, Carter, Sam and Ruby had all arrived. The group sat around talking about their week and catching up on the Worldkillers and The Legion while the kids played pool. Kara promised that everyone would get to meet The Legion later, but they were going to work on the ship as much as they could today, so they might be a little late.
When the doorbell rang, everyone was confused, but Jessie ran to the door to answer it. When she came back, she was grinning. Following behind her was Douglas. “Surprise!” Jessie exclaimed. “I texted him earlier.”
Sam beamed and got up to hug him. “Hey, handsome.”
“Hello, gorgeous,” he replied with a kiss. “Jessie wanted me to surprise you. That’s why I didn’t tell you I was coming.”
“Ah,” Sam chuckled. “Thanks, Jess. That was nice of you.” She snuggled with Douglas a moment longer before sitting back down with him by her side.
“I’m really looking forward to our date tonight,” he whispered. “I miss you.”
Sam kissed him. “I’ve missed you too. I’m sorry we haven’t been able to spend time together this week. Things have been crazy.”
“It’s OK,” he said, kissing her head. “I’m a patient man.”
“I very much appreciate it,” she sighed. “You have no idea.”
“I like being with a powerful woman,” he winked.
Sam smirked. “Oh, your secret comes out.”
“I just thought you should know,” he said with an easy smile.
“I hope that’s not all you like about me,” she teased.
“Oh, no, definitely not,” he assured her. “You are an incredible woman, Sam, and so beautiful. I’m so proud to be with you.”
Sam blushed. “OK, you have to stop talking like that now.”
“OK, but I have more where that came from,” Douglas chuckled. “I’ll save it for tonight.”
Sam lowered her voice, forgetting the people in the room with super hearing. “You’re already getting laid tonight, you don’t have to suck up to me.”
Douglas laughed. “I’m not sucking up! You just can’t take a compliment without getting all awkward.”
“I don’t do that!” Sam pursed her lips. “Do I really do that? I do. I know I do,” she sighed and put her hand over her face. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s OK,” he assured her, taking her hand down. “I’ll help you get used to it.”
Sam smiled wryly, “I don’t know if I should get used to it. What if you get sick of me?”
“I don’t see that happening,” Douglas replied. “You’re no ordinary girl.”
“Stop it!” she blushed again.
“Never,” he laughed. “It’s cute when you blush.”
XXX
“So, Eliza, how was your first week at the DEO?” Maggie asked.
“Pretty good,” Eliza replied. “I’m dealing with a lot more actual people than I have in a long time. That’s going to take some getting used to, but I’m enjoying it. Dr. Hamilton wants me to meet her brother. She thinks we’d really hit it off.”
Alex raised her brow. “Are you going to do it?” She cringed at how that sounded. “Are you going to meet him, I mean?”
“I’m thinking about it,” Eliza shrugged. “Even if we don’t ‘hit it off,’ I still wouldn’t mind meeting some new people. I really should have at least a few friends of my own.”
“That seems healthy,” Maggie chimed in.
“I agree,” Lena nodded. “I know you’re going to miss your friends in Midvale.”
“True,” Eliza admitted, “But it’s not too far to drive back once in a while. It should be OK.”
“I know Maureen misses you like crazy,” Alex told her.
“Yeah, it’s hard to be away from her,” Eliza acknowledged, “But we’ll manage. We’re family.”
“That’s a good way to think,” Maggie encouraged. “I hope you get to spend some good time together today.”
“Yes, well, they’re staying at my place until tomorrow night, so it should be fun,” Eliza smiled.
“Oh, cool!” Jessie exclaimed. “Does that mean we can come over to your place tomorrow?”
“Of course, my darlings,” Eliza chuckled. “Do you think I wouldn’t let you?”
The twins squealed with delight.
“Jesus,” Maggie grumbled, rubbing her ears.
“What time is your family getting in, Maggie?” Eliza wondered.
“Around 1:30,” Maggie replied, heart racing. “I’m going to pick them up at the airport after lunch and then take them to the Baldwin to check in, so we should be back on time for the party.”
“Are you ready for this?” Eliza checked.
Maggie pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. “My mind is racing with so many different what-if scenarios, I feel like I’m going crazy, to be honest.”
Eliza got up and gave Maggie a big hug and then looked her firmly in the eyes. “No matter what happens with them, you will always have me.”
The detective squeezed her mother-in-law like her life depended on it. “Thank you, Eliza.”
“You have all of us,” Cat amended.
There was a chorus of agreement from everyone around them, and Maggie felt a few tears escape down her cheeks.
“Thanks, Ms. Grant. Thanks everyone,” Maggie sniffled. “I really appreciate it.”
“I think it’s time you all just called me Cat,” Ms. Grant sighed. “I’m nobody’s boss anymore, and I feel more like family than anything now.”
“Thanks, Cat,” Maggie grinned. “You’re definitely family.”
The four kids gathered around Maggie and gave her big hugs and kisses on the cheek.
Maggie frowned in confusion. “Are you girls taller?” she asked the twins.
“Yeah, look at my pants!” Jessie exclaimed.
Sure enough, Maggie looked down and saw that her step-daughter’s pants were clearly too short. “Oh, wow.” How had they not noticed this?
Kara groaned. “I knew this was going to happen. I guess we’re going shopping this week.”
“I’m sorry!” Jessie squeaked.
“It’s OK, baby,” Kara soothed. “It’s not like you can help it. Why didn’t you say anything?”
Jessie shrugged. “You’ve been busy, I didn’t want to bother you.”
“Honey, I don’t want you to think like that,” Kara chided her. “You’re my daughter, and that makes you my top priority. If you need something, speak up.”
“OK, Mama,” Jessie replied. “I need some new pants.”
“We have time. We can go get you a couple of pairs of jeans or something until we have a chance to get more,” Kara offered.
“Yes, please,” Jessie bounced happily. “Ruby can come, right?”
“Of course,” Kara answered. “Jamie, do you want to come too?”
Her daughter shrugged. “Nah. I mostly just wear skirts anyway, so I can wait.”
“OK, let’s get moving, then,” Kara urged. “We should be able to make it back in time for lunch.”
XXX
Alex and Lena tried to talk Sam out of buying all the pizzas when there were so many of them, but the CFO insisted, no matter what they said. Sam wanted to treat them for a change, and she could be just as stubborn as them. It was one of the things Lena liked best about her, and she knew it. Eventually, she got tired of arguing about it and huffed, “Just shut up and tell me what you want on your damn pizzas!”
Douglas tried, but he couldn’t hold in his laughter.
“I’ve created a monster,” Lena groaned. “Alright, alright. I give in.”
They all wrote down their orders, and Sam called it in right away. She knew it would take a while to make everything they wanted, and she wanted them to have plenty of time. When she hung up the phone, she asked, “Are we going to be putting up decorations?”
“Yes, after lunch,” Eliza replied. “I have everything in my car, and the balloons should be delivered around 1:30.”
“Are they on the delivery list?” Lena checked.
“Should be,” Alex checked her phone. “Yep. We’ll have to add the pizza guy, though. The security team will be here at noon, and the piazzas won’t be here till 12:30.”
“I’m so glad the wall is finally finished,” Cat commented. “I think you should put an electric fence in on top of it.”
Lana smirked. “Who said I didn’t?”
Cat chuckled. “Excuse me, I forgot who I was talking to.”
“Yes, anyone brave enough to climb that thing has a death wish,” Maggie laughed darkly.
“Anyone trying to climb a 15-foot wall to Supergirl's house already has a death wish,” Alex agreed. “Kara may be a pushover, but the rest of us will gladly put a bullet in anyone trying to break in.”
“Amen, sister,” Douglas concurred.
“I dare someone to try to come in here and cause trouble,” Jamie threatened. “Especially if they want to hurt my brothers and sisters. They won’t know what hit ‘em!”
“That’s right,” Alex said proudly.
“Oh, I almost forgot!” Lena exclaimed suddenly, “I’ll be right back.” She disappeared off into the house somewhere.
“Ow!” Maggie hissed, putting her arm around her ribs. “Take it easy, kid! I don’t know what she has against my ribs, but she likes to kick them.”
“Aww, poor thing!” Sam responded. “Is there anything that might help?”
“Could you help me push her down a little bit?” Maggie requested.
“You got it.” Sam and Maggie massaged her belly until the baby moved down out of her ribcage a bit. “Hopefully that helps.”
“Thanks,” Maggie sighed.
Lena returned to the room a little out of breath, but she pulled herself together and handed everyone their own shield device. They had made a ton of them for both the DEO members and the Superfriends. They didn’t know who was on people’s radar as Kara’s allies and loved ones, so they wanted to cover all their bases. She had a box full of them to give out during the baby shower. No one would leave without one, if she could help it. Nearly everyone they knew was coming today, so she wanted to be prepared.
Everyone thanked her profusely. They had all heard about what Lena had done as a demonstration at the DEO, so they were excited to get a shield of their own. They admitted that it made them feel a lot safer. Sam was especially excited to get one for Ruby. She knew she was a worry wart, but since Ruby was Jessie’s significant other, she worried even more about her daughter getting hurt because of her relationship with the Danvers. Ruby was not even remotely secretive about the fact that her girlfriend was Supergirl’s daughter. So far, it had been OK, but it was only a matter of time before it got her into trouble.
“Does it work for punching?” Jamie was curious.
“It should,” Lena replied.
Jamie grinned at her boyfriend.
“Do it!” Carter encouraged her, opening his arms wide to present his chest as a target.
Jamie took off her red sun band, hauled back and aimed right for his sternum. Her punch bounced off of him like rubber. “Cool!” they both said at the same time.
“OK, I don’t like this game,” Cat announced. “Stop that.”
“But Mom, that was fun!” Carter complained.
“Not for me,” Cat replied. “I’m sorry, I’m a mother. I can’t help it.”
“Sorry, Mom.”
“Sorry, Ms. Grant… I mean Cat,” Jamie put her red sun band back on, and she and Carter returned to playing pool.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Before they knew it, twelve o’clock was nearly upon them, and the security team was ringing the doorbell. Jessie and Carter hoisted Lena up to her feet and followed her to the front door.
“Hello, Mrs. Danvers,” the head of security greeted her. “I hope we’re not too early. I’m Jim Woods. My team and I are at your disposal.”
Lena shook the man’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Woods. Welcome. Come in.”
There were eight giant men all together, and they spoke with Lena in the foyer about the plan for the day as the kids stood sentinel beside her.
“You guys aren’t going to panic at the sight of a few aliens, are you?” Jamie worried.
“No, ma’m, we’ve been briefed of the situation,” Jim replied with a smile. “Your friends will be safe here.”
“Good,” Jamie breathed a sigh of relief.
“You probably won’t even notice most of them,” Lena shrugged. “Only Lyra, Brainy and Reep look a little unusual.”
“And Erika and Marcus,” Jamie added. “Sort of.”
“We’re expecting a pizza delivery too,” Carter reminded them.
“Oh, yes, thank you, Carter,” Lena patted his shoulder. “And Kara and the other kids should be home soon. Make sure they get in without issue. It’s possible that she’ll want to talk to you too.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Woods nodded. “It would be an honor.”
“It’s an honor to meet you too, Mrs. Danvers,” one of the other men spoke up.
“It is?” Lena asked in surprise.
“Yes, ma’am,” Jim agreed. “We’re pretty big fans of how you saved the world from those Daxamites.”
Lena bit her lip. She still had a hard time accepting people’s praise. Jamie elbowed her, and Lena shook off her uncertainty to say, “Thank you.”
“Don’t mind her,” Jamie giggled. “She has a hard time with compliments.”
“My wife’s the same way,” another man chuckled.
“I’m working on it,” Lena shrugged.
Jim smiled sweetly at her. They could tell he wanted to dote on her some more, but his training kept him from speaking up. That was something Lena appreciated about the men from this company. They knew when to shut up and mind their own business. That, and they did their jobs well. Lena frequently hired their company for L-Corp events and galas. She recognized a couple of the men from before, but not all of them. In fact, she remembered Woods from a couple of events, but not in a leadership capacity. She figured that he must have recently received a promotion.
“Anyway, there are a few people already here, if you want to check them off your list,” Lena told them. “Otherwise, I think we’re all set.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Woods nodded. He took out his tablet and pulled up the guest list, checking people off as Lena rattled off the names of everyone there.
“We’re home!” Jessie announced as she, Ruby, and Kara came in the front door. “Whoa!” she said, seeing the eight giant men in the foyer with Lena. “I guess the security team is here.”
“Oh, good, I wanted to talk to you guys,” Kara replied. She turned to Jessie, “Go change into your new pants, so you’re not walking around looking like a hobo.”
Jessie giggled. “OK! Come on, Ruby!”
“I don’t think so,” Kara stopped her. “Ruby will be here when you get back.”
Jessie pouted. She wanted to sneak some kisses in while no one was looking. “Fine,” she said, trudging up the stairs.
Kara talked to the security team about the game plan, and when she was satisfied, she let them go to do their jobs. There would be three men at the main gate, two men at the end gate, two walking the perimeter, and one man at the front door to let people in and to communicate with the Danvers, if there were any problems.
Lena, Kara, and the kids returned to the pool room to wait for the pizzas to arrive. It didn’t take long. Sam signed off on the delivery, and the kids helped her carry everything into the dining room. Kara brought out the paper plates, claiming she didn’t want to have to do anymore dishes today, and they all dug in to their hearts’ content.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Maggie trembled nervously. It was time to go pick up her family from the airport. Andy was waiting for her outside, but she wanted to stall for as long as possible. The kids had offered to go with her, but she didn’t think she should bring all four of them, so she just said no, even though it would be a nice buffer between her and her parents. Hopefully, her aunt would be enough, but Maggie knew her father and his sister didn’t always see eye to eye, so it was going to be a delicate walk on eggshells at first. Finally, she knew if she didn’t get moving, she would just be making it worse on herself, so she grudgingly headed out. It took 45 minutes to get to the airport, and her leg bounced anxiously the whole ride there.
When they arrived at the pickup terminal, Maggie went inside to find her family. It seemed like there were miles of conveyor belts circling around with baggage waiting to be claimed. She had to walk an uncomfortable amount to find the right aisle. When she spotted her relatives, she waved to them and headed that way.
“Margarita, are you OK?” her aunt asked, a little panicked at Maggie’s breathlessness.
“I’m fine, Tía Rose,” Maggie waved her off, going in for a hug. “I’m seven-and-a-half months pregnant, and I just had to walk a bunch. I’ll live. It’s so good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you too, mija,” Rose replied gently patting her cheek.
Her father still looked concerned. “Are you sure you’re OK?” he asked, looking her over. “You didn’t have to come pick us up, we could have taken the bus.”
Maggie snorted. “I wouldn’t have wanted you to do that. We have plenty of comfortable modes of transportation.” She tentatively reached out to her father to see if she could hug him. When he allowed it, her adrenaline spiked. She wasn’t sure if it was a good feeling, or a bad one, but it was quite overwhelming. Luckily, she didn’t cry. “Is mom…?” she trailed off, looking around.
“No, your mother isn't coming,” her dad replied. “She doesn't like to fly.”
“Oh, you don't have to explain,” Maggie told him. She didn’t want to hear a bunch of fake excuses about why her mother didn’t want to show up. It was a blow, but Maggie didn't let it show on her face. “Do you have all your luggage?” she checked.
“Yes,” they answered.
“OK, the car is this way,” she pointed them in the right direction, and they all walked towards the car.
Andy was standing there waiting for them, and when he spotted them, he hurried to open the trunk and load the luggage. “Here you are, Mrs. Danvers.”
“A limo?” Rose exclaimed.
“Well, I can’t really drive myself right now,” Maggie explained sheepishly. “I’m way too pregnant to get behind the wheel. This is my only option for the time being. This is Andy, our driver. Andy, this is my dad Oscar, and my aunt Rose.”
The three of them exchanged greetings.
“How can you afford a limo on a detective’s salary?” Oscar was curious.
“Lena owns the limo, and she pays Andy a salary,” Maggie explained.
“Lena?” Rose repeated. “The girl you broke up with to marry this Danvers girl?”
“That’s not exactly what happened,” Maggie hedged. “I’ll explain when we get back to the house.”
“I’ve never been in a limousine before,” Oscar said a little timidly. It was almost like he thought the car might bite him.
Maggie chuckled. “I ride in it every day lately. Come on, it’s fun.” She nudged her dad into the car, and her aunt followed, then Andy helped Maggie lower herself into the seat. “Are you hungry?” she asked them “We could grab a bite.” She wasn’t hungry, but she figured she’d offer, in case they were.
“The party of yours is soon, no?” her dad asked.
“In a couple of hours, but we have time,” Maggie insisted.
“We can wait,” Rose waved her off. “We should probably check in at the hotel.”
“Okay.”
“So… You're a homicide detective?” Oscar asked.
“Yeah,” Maggie swallowed the lump in her throat. “Among other things.” Wife, step-mom, LGBTQ+ rights activist, alien right activist, biker chick, and soon, a mom.
“That cold case you cracked sounded very interesting,” he continued. “The Marshall murder.”
“You know about that?” Maggie squeaked in surprise.
“Well, I'm an old man, but I know how to Google. I follow all your cases. Tell me something. For 18 years they didn't have a single lead. How did you solve that?”
Maggie tried not to be too excited that he was so invested in her work. “I went back to the scene of the crime, studied the ordinary details everyone dismissed. Like you taught me. You used to say, ‘The key to most mysteries is in the mundane.’”
“You remember that?” her father’s eyes widened.
“I remember everything you taught me,” Maggie smiled.
Oscar smiled back proudly.
“See?” Rose said, “Like father, like daughter.”
They talked some more about Maggie’s work as a detective, and before they knew it, they were at the Baldwin where Maggie had rented them each a room. Her father and aunt gawked wildly at everything around them, commenting on how fancy everything was. She got them all checked in and helped them bring their luggage up to their rooms. She gave them a few minutes to settle in, and then they headed for the house.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Set up for the party was well under way. The balloons had arrived on time, and the house was full of them. Kara and the twins had hung all the streamers, and the rest of the gang helped with the other decorations. Earlier in the week, Eliza and Eve had put together a bunch of thank you gift bags and other gifts for game winners and such, so they set them all out on half of a big table in the living room, with the other side reserved for the gifts for the moms-to-be. With all the extra help, the decorations were done quickly, and by the time they were done, the house looked quite festive. The catering party should be there soon, so they could be fully set up for the party before everyone arrived. They hadn’t asked Amy Noonan or Robert Williams to cater because they wanted their friends to be free to mingle. They’d even hired a bartender, so no one got stuck behind the bar serving drinks.
The mothers-to-be had mostly requested things like clothes, blankets, bibs, and teething toys. They didn’t want people to have to spend much money on them when they could so easily afford things themselves. Cat and Carter had already brought in a few enormous boxes that were clearly not clothes. That being said, they did have a few friends with money, so it was possible some of them would go a little over the top, but there wasn’t much they could do about that.
The Kavanaughs arrived a little early, making the twins go nuts. They gushed about how big the youngsters were getting, then stole the little ones away and went to play outside in the yard. Eliza and Maureen were ecstatic to see each other again. They hadn’t been able to visit much in the last few months, since Eliza had been back and forth between Midvale and National City, so there was a lot to catch up on. Dan and their sons and daughters-in-law left the two to gossip together and instead, hung out in the living room with Kara and the others.
Before they knew it, the caterers had arrived, and they began setting things up in the dining room. All the dining room chairs had been moved to the living room, so there was room for everyone to get to the food. It was mostly just finger foods so no one would make too much of a mess, especially with all the kids running around. Lena and Kara would have a fit if things got too dirty, or if their brand new furniture got ruined.
After that, it was a blur of people showing up. Kara couldn’t figure out how they knew so many people, but it reminded her just how many people truly care about her and her family, so it made her a little warm and fuzzy inside. She greeted everyone with hugs and smiles all around, and by the time everyone was there, the house felt packed. She went around trying to introduce people who hadn’t met yet. That was fun, and she felt lucky that most of her friends were social enough to be OK with meeting new people. Everyone was overjoyed to meet the members of the Legion, plus there had to be over 50 people there. She couldn’t stop grinning!
XXXXXXXXXXXX
When Maggie and her family got to the house, the driveway was full of cars already. Security waved them through, and they pulled up to the walkway.
“This is your house?” her father exclaimed, climbing out of the limo.
“Yeah,” Maggie confirmed, letting him hoist her up.
“How many people live here?” Rose asked as she joined them.
Maggie ticked off on her fingers, “Me, Alex, Kara, Lena, and my step-daughters Jamie and Jessie.”
“Jesus,” Oscar whistled. “You could fit ten of our houses inside yours. I assume Lena owns this house, as well as the limo?”
“Actually, the house is under all four of our names, so if anything happens to her, we can still stay here,” Maggie explained. “She set up a trust for us.”
“Why would she do that?” her father didn’t understand.
“Well, because we’re a family,” Maggie hedged. She was trying to avoid admitting that she was in a polyamorous relationship, but they were asking so many questions, it was getting more and more difficult to dance around it.
“How are you and Lena family?” Rose asked directly, ruining any chance that Maggie had to avoid the subject.
“Well… I didn’t want you guys to freak out about this, but… well… Alex, Lena, Kara, and I are in a polyamorous relationship.”
Her father frowned in more confusion. “I don’t know what that means.”
“Me either,” Rose shook her head.
“Do me a favor and don’t Google it until you get back to the hotel,” Maggie requested. “But you might figure it out on your own before you leave here today.”
“OK,” Rose and Oscar replied warily.
“Come on in and get something to eat. I’m sure you guys are starving by now,” Maggie waved them to follow her inside.
“Actually, yes,” her dad admitted.
“A little,” Rose nodded.
As soon as Maggie crossed the threshold, everyone that was in the foyer cheered in greeting. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she couldn’t help the big smile on her face. “Hi, guys!” She called back. “This is my dad, and My aunt.”
The group waved and said hello, and Oscar and Rose waved and said hello back.
Kara appeared from the other room, “Maggie! You’re home!” She threw her arms around the detective and squeezed delicately. “Hi, honey bunny,” she whispered in Maggie’s ear.
“Hi, Kara,” Maggie replied cheerfully, squeezing Kara with all her might. “Kara, this is my dad Oscar, and my Tía Rose. Papa, Tía, this is Kara.”
Kara grinned at them and stuck her hand out. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Oscar and Rose replied, shaking hands with her.
“So you’re the famous Supergirl, right?” Rose double-checked.
Kara adjusted her glasses nervously. “Yep. That’s me.”
“My niece speaks very highly of you,” Rose informed her.
Kara smiled adoringly at Maggie. “Aww, she does?”
“Mm-hmm,” Rose nodded.
Kara couldn’t resist giving Maggie another hug. She seemed to be being careful not to kiss Maggie in front of her father, which Maggie appreciated. She didn’t want him to have a heart attack already. He only knew that she was married to Alex, and he hadn’t even met her yet. If Kara kissed her, she’d be busted for sure.
Oscar noticed a poster board off to the side with a bunch of baby pictures on it. “What’s this?” he asked.
“Oh, we told everyone to bring in a baby picture of themselves,” Kara explained.
Oscar studied the board for a moment. “Pero Margarita, there's no picture of you up here.”
“No,” Maggie replied simply.
“Here.” Oscar opened up his wallet and took out an old photo of Maggie when she was young. Not baby young, maybe about 6-years-old, but it was something. He kissed the photo and pinned it on the board.
“Thank you, Papa,” Maggie grinned.
“Yeah,” Oscar nodded.
“You guys ready to eat?” Maggie asked. “I’m gonna take them in to get some food,” she told Kara. She led them into the dining room and encouraged them to grab whatever they wanted. She grabbed a few things for a snack for herself, as well. Not only was she a little hungry again, but some of the food looked really yummy, and she wanted to try it. Again, she was greeted with enthusiasm, this time by the folks in the dining room, and she introduced her family to them as well. When they’d filled their plates, they went to look for a place to sit down. In the living room, people called her name like it was ‘Cheers.’ “Hey, everyone!” she called back. “This is my dad and my aunt.”
“Hi!” they all replied.
James and Lucy vacated a couple of seats to allow Maggie and her family to sit together.
“Hi, I’m James Olsen, and this is my wife Lucy,” he introduced himself to Maggie’s relatives.
“Oscar,” her dad replied, shaking James’ hand.
“And I’m Rose,” her aunt stated, shaking Lucy’s hand.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Lucy chirped. “Where did you guys come in from?”
“Nebraska,” Oscar answered.
James pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. “Maggie, you’re from Nebraska?”
“Not a word, Olsen,” Maggie threatened.
“Hey!” James put his hands in the air, “It’s just something we didn’t know about you.”
Maggie was about to make a smart ass comment, but the twins came running in calling her name.
“Mama Maggie! You’re home!” they exclaimed, giving her hugs and kisses.
“Yep,” she said, hugging and kissing them back. “Girls, this is my dad Oscar, and my Tía Rose,” she introduced them. “Papa, Tía Rose, this is Jessie and Jamie, my step-daughters.”
“My goodness you girls are beautiful!” Rose exclaimed. “How old are you?”
“We’re twelve,” they answered with a blush.
“And so tall!” Oscar commented.
“Yeah, I just had to get new pants because we just went through a growth spurt,” Jessie explained. “Mama is 5’ 9”, and she thinks we’re gonna be just as tall as her.”
“Who’s that?” Rose inquired.
“Kara,” Maggie explained. “Mama is the Kryptonian word for Mom.”
Oscar blinked. “I thought you were married to Alex.”
“I am,” Maggie bit back a groan, “Alex is their birth mother. Kara is… well… for lack of a better word, I guess technically she’s their father.”
“How does that work?” Rose wanted to know.
Maggie grimaced. “I’d rather not say.”
“So is it true, then?” Oscar said softly. “Are you pregnant because of her?”
Maggie took a deep breath in and let it out before answering. “Yes. It’s true. I mean, it was an accident, but… yeah…”
“An accident?” Rose asked skeptically. “Like in a lab or…?”
“Please don’t ask anymore questions,” Maggie begged. “People like to tell all of Kara’s secrets to the world, and I’d like her to be able to keep as much privacy as she can. If she wants to tell you, that’s fine, but I’m keeping my mouth shut on that.”
Rose gave her a look of compassion. “OK, Margarita.”
Oscar still looked a little discombobulated, but he said nothing.
“So, Oscar, how do you feel about being a grandpa?” Rose teased.
Oscar looked at Maggie and smiled. “I’m glad. My new granddaughter is going to be so beautiful.”
Maggie and the twins grinned.
“What are you going to name her?” Rose asked.
“We’re not telling people the names until they’re born,” she said, rubbing her belly. “I’ll make sure someone tells you when that is, I promise.”
“So, do we call you guys Oscar and Rose, or what?” Jessie asked, a little confused about how to address them.
Oscar titled his head to the side to try to figure out what they meant, and when it clicked, he smiled again. “You can call me abuelo.”
Maggie and Rose grinned at him, but the twins looked confused. Maggie hadn’t taught them any Spanish.
“Abuelo means grandpa,” Oscar explained.
“Oh!” The girls beamed at him.
“And you can call me Tía Rose,” Rose offered. “We’re family now, right?”
Maggie could tell that the girls couldn’t be happier at that statement. “I sense some hugging coming on,” she giggled.
Of course, the twins flung their arms out in invitation, and Oscar and Rose hugged both of them.
“Such sweeties,” Rose commented.
“We don’t mean to be rude, but we have a lot of friends here today, so we should go back outside,” Jamie told them.
“OK, girls, be good,” Maggie said, giving them hugs before they ran off.
The girls hugged her and kissed her cheeks and then ran back outside to play with the other kids. From the looks of it, there were a good dozen kids out there, including Shayla and Marcus who Maggie knew the twins had been dying to see. And of course, Mon-El and Lyra were out there playing with them too, along with a small handful of other adults.
“I wonder where Lena and Alex are,” Maggie thought out loud.
“I think they’re in the pool room with Cat and a few others,” James informed her. “At least, that’s where I saw them last.”
Lucy nodded in agreement.
“OK, we’ll go find them when we’re done eating,” she shrugged.
They made small talk with James and Lucy and a few of the others in the living room Like Winn and Eve until Lena appeared from the other room. “Maggie!” she said cheerfully. “I thought you would come find us when you got here.”
“We were gonna make our way in there in a minute,” Maggie explained. “Lena, this is my dad Oscar, and my aunt Rose.”
Lena offered her hand to them. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you both!”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too,” Rose replied. “I forgot you were expecting a baby too.”
“Two of them, actually,” Lena smiled, rubbing her belly. “Boys.”
Oscar raised his brow. “Wow, that’s going to be a lot of babies to take care of.”
“No kidding!” Rose agreed. “How are you going to manage three babies?”
“Three?” Lena repeated. “No, there are four. Alex and Maggie are each having one and I’m having two.”
Oscar and Rose just stared at her. “Wait, what?” Oscar frowned in confusion.
“Alex is pregnant too?” Rose balked.
Lena looked like a deer caught in the headlights. “You didn’t know that?”
“No,” Oscar replied. “We haven’t met Alex yet.”
“It was on the news,” Maggie pointed out in frustration.
“I guess we missed that part,” Rose admitted. “Were all of your pregnancies an accident?”
“Yeah, most definitely,” Maggie responded. “We weren’t planning on having any more kids than Jamie and Jessie.”
“Were they ‘accidents’ too?” Oscar wanted to know.
“Yeah, big time,” Maggie nodded. “Kara and Alex had them when they were teenagers.”
“Wow, this is a lot to take in,” Rose told them. “I think I’m starting to understand what polyamorous means now.”
“Tell me,” Oscar demanded. “I still don’t understand.”
Rose shook her head. “Maybe it’s better if you don’t.”
“OK, well, I was on my way to get something to eat, so excuse me for a moment,” Lena said, disappearing into the other room.
“Are you ready to meet Alex?” Maggie asked her family.
“I am,” Rose said.
Her dad just nodded with a serious look on his face.
Maggie’s heart pounded. She really hoped they liked Alex. Her wives were everything. She led her family into the pool room and everyone cheered again at the sight of her. After she said hello, she spotted Alex sitting with Amy and Tara in the corner and called out to her.
Alex turned around and grinned when she saw her wife. “Hey, babe!” She hoisted herself up out of her chair and walked toward them. “Is this your family?”
“Yep,” Maggie nodded. “Alex, this is my dad Oscar, and my aunt Rose. Guys, this is Alex. My wife.” She bit her lip, waiting for the explosion, but it didn’t come. The three of them shook hands pleasantly.
“You guys should come have a drink,” Alex pointed them to the bar. “We’ve got everything. Go nuts.”
“Oh, thank you.” Rose ordered a merlot, and Oscar ordered a simple whiskey on the rocks.
Alex smirked. “That’s one of Maggie’s favorites too. She loves scotch and whiskey. Oh! Not while she’s pregnant, though. We’ve been very good about that. It’s been hard, but it’ll be worth it in the end to have healthy babies.”
“You’re rambling,” Maggie whispered to Alex.
Alex stopped talking and pressed her lips together into what she hoped was a friendly smile.
“Papa, Alex is a federal agent. We met on the job,” Maggie explained. “She’s way smarter than us, but somehow she still loves me.”
“Whatever, you’re a genius, don’t be modest,” Alex nudged her. “I’d be dead, if it weren’t for you, so don’t cut yourself short.”
Maggie smiled adoringly at Alex and laced their fingers together. Oscar’s smile faltered, but Maggie ignored it. Rose was still grinning genuinely at them.
“What happened that almost killed you?” Rose was curious.
Maggie and Alex told them about the time Alex was kidnapped last spring. Oscar and Rose listened with rapt attention, and when the story was over, their mouths were hanging open.
“...And that’s why no one was ever supposed to find out about Kara’s powers or her children,” Maggie finished. “We had to hide out for months until Lena built this house with all of it’s seemingly over-the-top security. We never know who might come after us.” They kept quiet about Alex’s baby having powers. They wanted to keep that under wraps, if they could help it.
“But what about when you’re not here?” her dad objected. “Someone could just shoot you on the street.”
“We’ve got that covered too,” Maggie assured them. “A friend of ours got together with Lena and made these fancy shield things.” She took hers out of her pocket and showed them.
“It doesn’t look like much,” Oscar commented.
“I assure you, it works,” Alex promised. “Lena has some for everyone here. Make sure you get one before you leave.”
“I don’t think anyone will bother us in Nebraska,” Oscar tried to wave them off.
“You’d be amazed at the lengths some folks will go to in order to get to Supergirl,” Alex warned. “Please, make sure you both get one.”
“And take one home for Mom too,” Maggie insisted. “Please.”
“Alright,” Rose agreed. “We’ll get them before we leave.”
“Good,” Maggie sighed with relief.
Lena returned with her food, and sat down next to Cat, who was in the corner talking to Eliza and Maureen. Maggie led her family over to them and introduced everyone. “Papa, Tía, Eliza is Alex’s mom.”
“It’s such a pleasure to meet you,” Eliza schmoozed. “I’m so glad you were able to make it. I hope you have a good time. Maggie has been really looking forward to having you here.”
“Thank you,” Oscar smiled at both Eliza and Maggie. “We’ve been looking forward to this as well.”
“I know, I haven’t seen my sobrina in years!” Rose lamented. “She’s so grown up and beautiful, isn’t she, Oscar?”
Oscar nodded. “So beautiful.”
Maggie blushed. “Thanks, guys. I don’t feel very beautiful right now. I feel like a beached whale.”
“Please, you’re half the size of me,” Alex groused. “And don’t let Kara hear you talking like that. You’ll never hear the end of it.”
Speaking of the devil, Kara popped in with her super speed and wrapped her arms around the detective. “Alex is right, you know. But I’ll save it for later.”
Maggie leaned into Kara’s embrace, breathing in that unique Kryptonian scent that always soothed her. She had to use all of her willpower not to kiss Kara just then. Maggie was happy, and it was making her feel like cuddling.
“Just so you know, you’re a goddess,” Kara whispered in her ear.
The detective grinned. “I thought that was you,” she whispered back with a wink.
Kara just shook her head with a grin. Normally they would banter it out, but everyone was on their best behavior today. As Kara said, they could save it for later.
“Have you both gotten enough to eat and drink?” Eliza asked Maggie’s family.
“Yes, thank you,” they replied, raising their glasses at her. “This is a lovely party. Everyone is so nice here,” Rose commented. “And your family is lovely.”
Eliza grinned. “Thank you so much. I tend to agree, but I know I might be biased.”
“Those granddaughters of yours are going to be beating boys off with a stick,” Rose chuckled.
“Actually, they got bullied a lot in school,” Alex informed them. “Lena suggested we take them out and get them private tutors, so that’s what we’ve been doing this school year. They seem to be a lot happier now. Plus, they’re both spoken for.”
“Really? Already?” Rose’s eyes widened.
Alex sighed. “Yeah. They’ve both been ‘dating’ for several months now. It’s hard, but they’re good kids, and we don’t let them be alone together yet. The best we give them is five minutes alone in the kitchen.”
Oscar chuckled. “I don’t envy you. You’re going to have your hands full with all these kids. I’m tired just thinking about it.”
“Yeah, but we’ll have help, so it won’t be too bad,” Maggie said hopefully. “The girls are going to help, plus we have Alex’s mom, and a few others that are going to be around.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Rose smiled. “I wish I could stay and help too, but I have to work.”
“I know, Tía Rose, it’s OK,” Maggie kissed her cheek. “I’ll make sure you guys get pictures and stuff.”
“Thank you, mija,” Rose said happily.
“I think it’s almost time for me to start the games,” Eliza said, looking at her watch. “I’m going to go start rounding people up.”
“OK,” Alex acknowledged. “I hope we can fit everyone in the living room.”
“I think we can,” Eliza nodded. “Some people will have to stand or sit on the floor, but they’ll be fine, plus some things we’ll be playing outside.”
“Oh, good,” Alex sighed in relief.
“I’m probably going to have to cut out a few games because there’s so many people,” Eliza commented. “I don’t want to exhaust you girls. Meet us in the living room?”
“OK,” Alex agreed for them all. “Shall we?”
To be continued...
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein