636. Chapter 636

She hisses as the Green Arrow stitches her up.

“Sorry,” the Arrow pauses, and the Black Canary shakes her head.

“No, it’s fine, I’m fine. You don’t have to stop.”

A soft chuckle floods both their lair and Black Canary’s bloodstream.

“I’ve heard you say that before.”

She scoffs, partially in response to the innuendo, and partially to hide another hiss of pain. “In quite a different context, Danvers.”

The Arrow winks through the black makeup that still circles her eyes. “It was a great context,” she shrugs, and though the Black Canary can detect the joy in her voice, it doesn’t show on her face.

Not much has shown on Alex Danvers’ face since she got back from Lian Yu.

Except when she’s making love to the woman called the Black Canary, who was once a girl named Maggie Sawyer.

Once.

Before her first girlfriend was declared dead, along with her father and everyone else on that damned boat with her.

Once.

And now?

Now, they stitch each other up and send each other back into battle, because that’s what their lives in Starling City have become: a battle.

Except when they’re in each other’s arms.

The only place that feels real for Maggie anymore.

Safe in the arms of the woman that should have died. The arms of a woman whose body is painted with more scars than she’d ever talk about, a woman who wakes up from nightmares she swears she doesn’t have.

A slam at the top of the stairs makes Maggie jump. Alex doesn’t flinch, but her eyes shift up keenly.

“Speedy – “ she tries, her mollifying voice fully in place, but Kara Danvers isn’t having any of it.

“A routine mission, you said! You said, you promised, Alex, that this one was routine! And you’re back here giving Maggie stitches? And James said you almost got shot? What – “

“And who told you all this?” Alex’s voice is measured and calm; she’s still working through Maggie’s stitches, even as her attention has swiveled to her little sister.

“It uh… it most certainly wasn’t me,” Winn emerges from behind James, who’s behind Kara.

Maggie snorts. Alex almost cracks a smile.

Almost.

“Are you alright, Maggie?” Kara asks, sucking in a sharp breath as she shifts to see the long, thin cut on Maggie’s upper chest, near her shoulder.

“Your playgirl sister turns out to be quite the surgeon these days,” Maggie reaches for Kara’s hand and swipes it with her thumb lovingly. “I’m fine, Speedy,” she promises. “And so’s Alex.”

James and Winn exchange a glance behind Kara’s back; she’s still new to their team, to finding out that the Green Arrow, formerly the Vigilante, is her older sister.

She still gets that steely but wide-eyed look at the sight of her torso when she walks in on Alex changing into her suit.

All those scars.

“We’re all alright, Kara. I promise,” James reaches for her free hand, and Kara nods.

“I want to help,” Kara says, accepting James’s hand, but her voice is stern when she looks to her older sister like she’s actually the younger.

Maggie averts her eyes and Alex nearly groans. “Speedy, we’ve been through this; I won’t be able to focus in the field if there is any part of me that thinks you’re not safe – “

“And you think I’ll be safer not knowing how to defend myself?” Kara accuses.

“She’s… she’s got a good point – “ Alex shoots Winn a death glare, and he nearly squeaks. “You know what, I’m… I’m just gonna monitor the surveillance feeds on this Deadshot guy, that’s… that’s what I’m gonna do. Yep. Over here. Far away from this conversation and from Alex’s lightsaber arrows.”

“I didn’t think she had lightsaber arrows, Mr. Schott, but I’m sure if she did, they would have been developed by you and me,” a new voice fills the lair, and Kara’s heart leaps.

“Lena,” she runs to her girlfriend, and Alex’s lips quirk up into a small smile. Maggie squeezes her hand, and Alex squeezes back.

“You got anything on the man who killed my father, Lena?”James asks, and Lena nods slowly.

“I think I have a lead Winn and I can follow, but I’m actually here to bring Alex a gift.”

“For your sister-in-law? Aw, Lena, you’re too kind,” Maggie grins as both Danvers girls blush in unison.

At least Lian Yu didn’t change certain things.

Lena holds out a thin, black, synthetic figure eight. “A mask. I’ve been working on it with Mr. Ramon in Central City; it’ll conform to fit your face and it’ll be much easier – and more concealing – than that ridiculous eyeshadow,” Lena grins, and Alex’s eyes glisten as she gazes at her gift.

“Thank you, Lena,” she croaks, and Kara beams at her girlfriend and her sister.

Winn’s phone chirps, and they all – except Alex – jump slightly at the sudden interruption.

“Detective J’onzz, hi. Did you – uh huh – yeah. Yes. Okay. Okay, yes, we’re on it.”

“Okay, team, there’s a hostage situation developing downtown. Maggie, are you okay to go into the fie – “

“No, she’s not,” James and Alex answer simultaneously.

“Yes, she is,” Maggie counters, slipping off their workbench and surgical table with barely a wince.

Lena and Kara exchange glances but agree to stay out of it.

Alex and Maggie hold each other’s gazes long and hard and intense, and Kara’s heart wavers when she thinks of how many years – how many different forms of torture – tried to kill them both, to tear them both apart. And how all of it only served to bring them back together.

“Alright, fine. But you do the negotiating, not the fighting, you hear me?”

Maggie grins. “I don’t moonlight as an attorney for nothing, Danvers.”

They kiss and Winn barely resists snapping a picture with his phone.

Alex helps Maggie on with her suit jacket and grabs her bow and quiver.

James tugs his helmet back on.

They nod in unison.

“Let’s go,” Alex says, her voice modifier on, and Maggie has to resist kissing her again.

There will be plenty of time for that after they save the city.

Again.