Of Knights and Aliens

Chapter 44

Maggie isn't surprised when Lena is the first to excuse herself, citing exhaustion from the long trip. But Maggie, she has trained herself to see things that others don't. So she notices her shaking hands as she stands up and the smile that she gives everyone as she bids them goodbye that doesn't quite reach her eyes. Even if she didn't see that, Kara's poorly concealed worried expression would give away that Lena isn't quite as put together as she seems.

The staring James has been doing all throughout dinner certainly haven't helped. Maggie doesn't blame him for being wary, he has first hand experience when it comes to what happened between Superman and Lex. She makes a mental note to talk to him about this.

Maggie may not be the best with emotions, but she has been (forced, usually) to go to enough psychologists that she's gotten rather good at listening. Her experience with dating (admittedly terrible) women has helped her listening skills, if nothing else. Not to mention that part of what makes her such a good knight is that she can get into an enemy's head and foresee what they could be planning.

To most others' surprise, Kara is the next to excuse herself. Maggie watches her practically rush out the door. Kara had been bouncing her knee and eyeing the door since Lena left a few minutes ago.

Maggie notices Alex shift in her seat like she's about to get up, looking at where Kara walked out. Maggie tightens her hand over Alex's, drawing her girlfriend's attention. She subtly shakes her head. Alex gives her an inquisitive look but stops moving, though she still looks like she wants to bolt after her sister.

After Kara and Lena are gone, everyone else drifts out pretty quickly. Cat walks away, grinning like... Well, like a cat that's gotten the canary. Maggie assumes she's planning the next cover of her newspaper as 'the Danvers sisters and their girlfriends' or 'a Luthor and a Super' or something like that.

Alex sits rigidly in her chair, a sign that she wants to squirm impatiently but isn't letting herself. Maggie squeezes her hand again and Alex gets up quickly, murmuring out an excuse and practically dragging Maggie out of the room. They stop in Alex's room.

"So why didn't you let me go after Kara? She looked upset." Alex inquires.

"She was concerned about her girlfriend. I think Lena may have gotten overwhelmed by everything, which is why she left so early. She's certainly had a busy day. Lena and Kara need alone time to help her calm down."

Alex scrunches up her nose. "I really don't want to think about my sister and Lena having 'alone time.' "

Maggie stares at her for a second before bursting into laughter. Alex immediately grins at the sight of her girlfriend's dimples and at the sound of her girlfriend's beautiful laugh.

"That's not what I meant, Danvers. But it's nice to know that your mind immediately goes to the gutter."

Alex's face gets red. "What was I supposed to think you meant?"

"I don't know." Maggie shrugs, smiling. "But what I meant is, Lena needs Kara to cuddle with and maybe talk to, help her work through what got her overwhelmed. Like when I helped you when you-"

Alex puts her finger over Maggie's lip, effectively silencing her. "Shh."

Maggie's grin widens and it has the unintended but not unwelcome side effect of making her girlfriend melt into a puddle of gay goo. Alex smiles dopily at her and drops her finger, looping it in Maggie's belt to pull her closer. Maggie takes this opportunity to finish her sentence.