Chapter Text
Girls night was well underway at the Danvers/Vasquez home. Food, drinks, and laughter flowed freely between the three couples in attendance - Alex and Vasquez, Kara and Lena, and Maggie and Lucy - until Kara froze as she reached for another potsticker.
“What’s up, Kar?” Alex asks.
Kara looks over her glasses at the door. “It’s the third time the same person has paced past the door in twenty minutes.”
Vasquez moves from the couch to the gun safe.
“Do you recognize them?” Lucy asks.
“No.”
Vasquez returns and hands Maggie and Lucy their guns before quickly checking their own.
“Seriously?” Alex questions.
“You’re not getting into a gunfight, Alex,” Vasquez says.
“You don’t even know if there’ll be one yet,” Alex grumbles as she stands from the couch, a hand over her small pregnant belly.
“If there is, Lena’ll get you out of here.”
“Right. The other unarmed one,” Alex complains.
“Not with a gun, at least,” Lena smirks.
“I’ll open the door,” Kara suggests. “I can diffuse a situation faster.”
“Fine by me,” Vasquez agrees. “Everyone else be ready as backup.”
“Might all this be overkill?” Alex questions. "Supergirl's already answering the door."
“Nope. Operation: Protect Alex and the bean is always in full effect.” Maggie says.
"Yeah, Alex,” Lucy adds.
“Jeez, if I knew this was how it was gonna be, I would have laid all the ground rules before getting pregnant.”
“Ready?” Kara asks everyone present.
Lena moves closer to Alex.
Kara pulls the door open swiftly. The person on the other side jumps away from the door.
“Can I help you?” Kara questions in her most menacing voice.
“Oh, uh, yeah, I’m sorry. I’m looking for -,”
“Marcos?” Vasquez calls out . “What are you doing here?”
“Susan,” the brunette breathes out. “Hi.”
Susan hands their gun to Lucy, who is closest to them. They stalk over to the door and move past Kara to place their hand on the man’s chest, pushing him further into the hallway.
“I’ll be back in a minute, “ Vasquez says over their shoulder. They close the door behind them with their free hand.
The man gives Susan a small smile and drums his fingers on his legs. Susan glares at him with crossed arms.
“Can I hug you?” He asks.
Susan gives a nod and is immediately engulfed into his body that is a good six inches taller than themselves. Susan untangles their arms that were pinned between them and returns the hug. They don’t squeeze as fiercely as the man, but they do breathe in his scent from where their head is on his chest.
Susan pulls away. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s… it’s about Mamí,” he says as he rubs his hands together nervously.
Susan cuts him off by raising their hand. “I don’t want to hear it.” The DEO agent turns to go back into the apartment.
Marcos grabs their arm. “Wait, please, Susie. Hear me out.”
“No. I’m not getting pulled into whatever’s -,”
“Suze, she’s dying.”
“What?” The agent takes a step back from their brother, only to bump into the door.
“I just thought you’d want to know. Maybe see her?“
“Did she ask for me?” The agent questions as they fold their arms across their chest.
The man’s silence tells Vasquez all they need to know. They tighten their arms around their chest.
“How’s Dad taking it?”
Marcos shrugs. “There’s history there, of course, not all good. But he moved closer once she started treatment.”
“Treatment? How long has she been sick?”
“The last couple years.”
“Right.” The agent turns to go back into the apartment.
“Wait.” The tall brunette grabs their wrist. “Are you gonna come see her?”
Vasquez spins back around quickly, pulling their wrist from his grip. “Why would I do that, Marcos?”
“Come on, Suze. It’s our mother.”
“Who hasn’t wanted a single thing to do with me in longer than I can remember."
“Susan-,” he tries.
“You didn’t have to come all this way, but thanks for letting me know.” Vasquez goes back into their apartment - closing the door harder than necessary behind them as Marcos still stands at the door.
All the eyes in the living room whip to the door at its slam.
“Babe. You okay?” Alex asks cautiously from the couch.
“Just give me a minute,” Vasquez answers as they go past the living room and straight to the bedroom. They snatch a pillow from the bed, go into their walk in closet, and close the door.
The DEO agent fills their lungs, and then screams into the pillow until there’s absolutely no more oxygen in their lungs. After 2 more cycles, they stop to take a few slow, deep breaths.
They leave the closet and replace the pillow on the bed. They fluff and smooth the pillows and bedding until there’s no trace of its disturbance.
“Alright,” Vasquez starts as they get back to the living room. “Where were we?” They reach for their glass of lemon seltzer on the coffee table.
“Vas,” Lucy breaks through the silence. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, fine. Let’s just get back to our night.”
“Susan, are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?” Kara asks from her place on the loveseat with Lena, concern in her eyes and crinkle visible on her forehead—and Susan knows she’s heard at part, if not all, of the conversation with their brother and possibly their struggle in the closet.
Vasquez’s glass lands on the coffee table with a thud. “Damn it, Kara, is nothing private!” They glare at the blonde.
“Hey!” Lena and Maggie defend at the same time as Lucy and Alex call out, “Vas!”
Lena grabs Kara’s hand and runs her thumb over the back of the superhero’s hand in an attempt to soothe the stricken expression that’s come over her girlfriend.
“Hey, calm down,” Alex says with a squeeze to the other agent’s thigh.
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Kara pleads.
“It’s okay, Kara,” Alex says.
“No, it’s not okay. I should be able to have a private conversation,” Vasquez argues as their leg bounces in agitation.
“Okay.” Lena pulls Kara up from the loveseat. “I think we should go.”
“Yeah, us too,” Maggie agrees.
“Yeah.” Alex follows her guests to the door.
Alex apologizes to Maggie and Lucy as she hugs them goodbye, each woman whispering their support. The pregnant woman pulls Lena in first when she and Kara are left.
“I’m sorry,” Alex says.
“It’s okay. Their not themselves right now, but when things settle down, we’ll definitely be talking,” Lena says before she pulls away.
“Lena, no, it’s okay,” Kara dismisses.
“I’m not gonna let someone yell at you for caring about them.”
“It’s really okay,” Kara rebuts.
“No, Lena’s right, Kar,” Alex adds.
“I just don’t want to make things harder.”
Alex pulls her sister into a hug. “They didn’t mean it.”
Kara shrugs in her sister’s arms.
“Take care of her, will you?” Alex asks Lena.
“Always. You take care of Susan and the bean, alright?”
“Of course. Bye, you too.” Alex watches them until they disappear onto the elevator. She takes a breath as she closes and locks the door.
She stands with her back against the door and considers her partner. They are still on the couch with their leg bouncing with pent up energy.
“Vas,” Alex calls.
That seems to snap her partner out of their head because they are suddenly moving to clean up the living room — grabbing glasses and plates to put in the sink, closing takeout boxes to put in the fridge, and gathering coasters to put in their rightful place at the bar.
“Vas, we need to talk about what just happened.”
“I’m sorry. I’m fine.” Vasquez starts loading the dishwasher.
Alex makes her way into their kitchen next to Vasquez. “You’re not fine, so stop lying to me. You just yelled at Kara for something she has no control over.”
“She has plenty of control. She just decided not to use it.” Vasquez challenges as they continue to load the dishwasher with their back to Alex.
“Susan.” Alex rubs her forehead in frustration.
“Alex.”
Alex turns Vasquez to face her. Alex runs her hands up and down her partner’s arms. “It’s pretty clear that whatever he said affected you. You don’t have to tell me right now, but I’m always here when you want to talk. I love you, okay?”
Susan’s rigid posture wilts. “I know. I love you, too.”
“I’m gonna get ready for bed.” Alex runs her hand down Vasquez’s arm and squeezes their hand before walking away.
Vasquez continues to clean up the living room and kitchen.
Later
The couple lay in bed together in the darkened room. Vasquez traces the shadows on the wall with their eyes as they spoon Alex and gently caresses the place where their baby is growing.
“My mother is dying,” Vasquez says into the darkness.
Alex immediately turns in her partner’s arms to face them.
“That was my brother. He wants me to go back home. I told him no.” Vasquez pulls Alex close. “She doesn’t even want me there.”
“I’m sure that’s not true, Babe.”
“Marcos pretty much confirmed she didn’t. Plus, my father knew and didn’t bother to tell me.”
Alex stays silent, knowing Susan has more to say.
“Do you think I should go?”
Alex caresses Susan’s cheek and takes her time answering, “I think only you can decide what you can live with.”
“I don’t want to go, but I don’t want to regret not going either,” Vasquez whispers, “I don’t want to be pulled back into that space. I don’t want to be stuck there.”
“You won’t be. You can come back at any time; you have a billionaire with a private jet for a friend, you know,” Alex jokes. “And if that’s not fast enough, the Supergirl Express is at your service.” Alex gives her partner a peck on the lips.
”I don’t remember a time when my relationship with her was okay. We’ve always been at odds. I don’t know if I can take knowing that she doesn’t regret any of it.”
“What if she does regret not being a part of your life?”
“Why wouldn’t she reach out then? Why wouldn’t any of them? I never hid. I’ve been right here.”
“I think…this may be your last chance to get any answers from her. For your dad and brother, maybe this will change your dynamic for the better.”
“Is it bad I don’t want to go back because Marcos wants me to?”
Alex shrugs one shoulder and whispers into the darkness, “Well, I don’t know if you know this, Susan, but you’re a little stubborn.”
“Alex Danvers, you’re not allowed to call anyone else stubborn,” Vasquez teases.
“Doesn’t mean you’re not.”
“Maybe,” Vasquez mumbles before dropping a kiss to Alex’s temple.
The Next Day
Vasquez pulls open their apartment door to leave and runs straight into Marcos.
“Jeez, what is it now?” Vasquez locks the door.
“I thought I’d try to talk to you again. I really think you should see her. ” He follows them down the hall.
“Why do you care if I do or not?”
“You’re her daughter.”
The agent jabs the elevator call button.
“Who she disowned,” Vasquez retorts.
“She didn’t disown you.”
Vasquez growls under their breath. They push the stairway’s door open and takes the stairs down quickly. Unfortunately, they hear Marcos following.
Vasquez stops on a landing, turns and glares at him. “What are you doing here? She clearly didn’t ask you to come.”
“We’re all she has,” Marcos defends. “And some time soon, the two of us will be all that’s left of her in this world.”
Vasquez exhales sharply and runs their hand through their hair. "How long do the doctors say?"
"A few months."
“Give me your phone.” Marcos complies. They type their number into his phone. “I'll be there day after tomorrow.” They hand the phone back to him. “When do you go back?”
Marcos looks at the time on his phone. “My flight leaves in 4 hours.”
“Have you eaten?”
“No.”
“Let’s go. We’ll get something to eat and then I’ll drop you at the airport.”