Alex closed the door gingerly behind her, she'd been out for a few hours, she hadn't known how long she should give (Y/n) and her father.
Her gaze drifted towards the bed half expecting her to be still there, when she didn't find her there fear clawed its way to her heart, with a horrified gasp she looked around the room her eyes frantic with worry, all the demons of the last few months coming back to her again.
"(Y/n)!" She called out yet she got nothing back.
Frantic with worry deja vu of that awful night coming back to haunt her she rushed through the apartment again, retracing the very steps she took that night.
"Not again please not again." She whispered out a plea.
The sound of water caught her attention standing by the bathroom door the sound of the shower put her at ease, but still, she was anxious if she could just see her, then she would feel better.
Slowly she edged open the door, casting her head around it and seeing the back of her lover, she gasped at the angry claw marks that stood out so clearly and painfully on her shoulders.
How had she not noticed that, how was it possible that she could not have seen them, it looked like she had been attacked by some crazed wild animal?
The wounds were closed but already she could see where the scaring would remain.
Unable to stand and watch any longer she closed the door behind her, moving further into the steamy bathroom until She stood behind her, a closer look at the wounds made her want to cry.
Lifting her hand slowly she trailed her finger lightly over the broken and puckered skin, (Y/n) tensed at the touch.
"Don't touch it."
" Does it hurt? " Alex asked on a whisper.
"Not anymore, just please its gross I hate it, please don't touch it."
Alex frowned. "What happened?" Her hand still moving over the uneven skin, her palm massaging it lovingly as she moved closer to her.
(Y/n) sighed, she didn't want her to know the horrible grizzly details, but the idea of lying to her didn't sit well with her. "The whole place is like some dystopian nightmare Alex, I had to learn really quick how to survive, the combats where you found me are like their football or baseball tournaments only much worse, Zod offered me a deal I had no choice but to take, it was my only way home."
" Oh, baby. " Alex wrapped her arms around her waist and held her tight.
"There were these lion-like creatures sent in as a test, but not as you would think, we weren't told, it was a battle as usual against other warriors, then as I had one cornered and I was facing away the creature was let in and it just pounced on me from behind, it's claws tearing through my skin as though it was sugar paper."
Alex was by now accustomed to the feeling of her heart tearing into a thousand pieces, how could a mother watch as her daughter went through such a horrible thing? "You're safe now (Y/n)."
"That was how I got my name, everyone else in that pit was mauled to death, I well I had to kill those things otherwise I wouldn't be alive."
"Oh, (Y/n)."
" Are they.....are they very ugly? " The chef asked softly a little afraid of the answer she would get.
Alex took a moment to think, yes they weren't pretty but how did she tell her this without also letting her know that it made no difference. "They aren't going to win any beauty competitions baby, but do you know what I've heard?"
" What? "
"I heard that chicks totally dig scares." Alex smiled, placing soft kisses on the scaring on her shoulders . "Especially this chick."
(Y/n) chuckled. "I guess I lucked out then, does that mean I can get any girl I want now?"
Alex suddenly grasped her arms around her possessively. "No, your all mine!"
" Hmm, that sounds like good news, because...wait here. " Suddenly she turned around and rushed from the bathroom leaving Alex just watching her leave.
"Hey you know your half-naked right running through the apartment, you're basically acting out my dream and I have to stay here," Alex called after her, her eyes drawn to the bare bottom. Damn, I've missed that butt.
As quickly as she left (Y/n) returned a shy smile cautious on her face. "I missed the super speed."
" I bet, what's in your hands? " Alex motioned to her hands closed around something she couldn't get a glimpse of.
(Y/n)'s cheeks turned red. "My Dad gave me something." She opened her hands to reveal the box, opening it up Alex saw the elegant beautiful ring. "It was my grandmother's, my Grandfather was kinda poor when he met her, it took him two years to even ask her out."
" Two years? "
(Y/n) nodded. "Yep, he wanted to be worthy of her, she met another guy and they were engaged."
" What happened? "
The chef smiled remembering the story her Grandmother had told her when she was a little girl. "My Grandmother gave up on him, she'd spent so long hoping he'd ask her, she gave up, moved on, her family was kinda well off, so she was young, beautiful and very popular."
" Sounds familiar. " Alex whispered under her breath.
(Y/n) rolled her eyes, "Well, a week before the wedding my Grandfather had a nightmare, one where he had to watch the woman he loved live a life with another man, he was leaving town my Grandmother told me, and my Grandmother was really pissed off, confronted him and well, they eloped that night."
" What? " Suddenly (Y/n)'s belief about a person being available even if they were dating someone made so much sense, she'd had this real-life story from her Grandparents, suddenly things didn't seem so very certain, was there someone lurking waiting to take (Y/n)?
"Quit the morose thoughts Alex they won't come true." (Y/n) warned. "He still didn't have the money to buy her a ring, so he worked and he worked like three jobs until he had enough and presented her with this, my Dad said my Grandmother wanted me to have it, and well...she would have liked you, I know it so...."
" How do you know when I start to have those thoughts? " Alex asked she had to know.
(Y/n) smiled moving closer lifting her hand up and slowly easing the ring onto her finger. "Maybe I am psychic, or maybe it is the look of doom that crosses your face."
Alex looked down at her hand, held in (Y/n)'s soft warm hand, she smiled. "I love it, but there is something missing."
" What? " (Y/n) asked concerned.
In reply Alex reached around the chef's head and pulled the ring she had around her neck into her hands, untying the ring despite the complexity. "You need to wear yours too."
" Oh, Alex I'm so sorry I had to take it off or risk it being damaged and I just forgot to replace it back onto my finger, I put it there so it was close to my heart and every time the negative thoughts came or Kharys and Aethyr started their mind games I could feel it there and I could feel you,"
Alex flashed it in the air. "Do you still want to marry me?"
" Quit teasing sexy pants, you know the answer even if I already hadn't just given you my ring. " (Y/n) challenged.
Alex laughed. "Yeah, I know." She returned the favor placing the ring back on ( Y/n)'s hand taking a moment to admire the way both hands looked together, their promises for a life together sat side by side, a slight tear escaped down her cheek.
"Your crying." (Y/n) said quietly, wiping away the wetness from her cheek.
"Yes, but for the first time in months these are happy tears." The agent moved in closer closing the distance between them, placing her hands on her bare hips. "You know we have the whole place to ourselves, we should totally take advantage of that." Her eyes sparkled with promise.
(Y/n) pulled away slightly. "You know I'm so hungry, my whole appetite has come back with epic proportions."
"Oh, yeah sure if you're hungry, you should eat," Alex said watching her pick up the towel and turn away, trying very hard not to let the rejection hold her hostage, but it was hard, (Y/n) never ever did that.
Taking a deep breath, it had only been a matter of hours since she had returned and they had, had that wild crazy savagery before they returned home, she looked down at her ring a small smile forming, and she had the ring physical proof that (Y/n) loved her.
"So, what is Kara gonna do about, you know?" (Y/n) asked wrapping the towel around herself finally dry.
"Yeah, she doesn't know yet, but she is not happy and totally confused."
"Yeah sure that is only natural, and she really had no idea at all? what was she doing? This is why you don't start dating random aliens you know nothing about, they could be anyone." (Y/n) said knowingly, the whole situation had been so bizarre but kinda made a little sense, she'd, unfortunately, met Mon-el and yes, he was the biggest douche bag she had ever met in her entire life, and that was pretty much saying everything.
Alex rolled her eyes. "I just went with the theory never trust a guy wearing a bow tie, (Y/n) no one touched you while you were there did they, I mean forced you...." Her words trailed off as (Y/n) met her gaze.
"Alex no, whether I was willing or unwilling no one touched me, not that way, I would have cut their hands off!"
"I didn't mean it to sound like I was asking if you'd cheated, I was just worried," Alex said shyly.
(Y/n) picked up her hand in her own. "I know I just wanted you to know for sure, every day that I was in that hell, Alex it was you who made me fight, even when hope left me and my mother's words pierced through my poor battered soul, in the end, she had me believing you had forgotten about me and already moved on, that I was stuck there and you...well you, of course, would move on..."
"Never listen to the words of a spiteful selfish piece of crap (Y/n)." Alex lifted her chin up, their eyes locking for a long moment. "If it had taken twenty years, thirty even or so long that I found you on the very day I took my last breath, I would have waited for you, I was here with Kara and Lena every day they told me we'd bring you back but even I in my dark moments feared the worst, luckily my Mom was here, she wants to see you by the way."
(Y/n) fell easily into Alex's body, strong arms capturing her tightly. "Oh, Alex I didn't even know how much you were burned into my heart and soul until I didn't have you anymore, I love you so very much please don't tell me this is all a dream and I'm really asleep on that awful hard bed in that hell."
"No dream, you reassured me of that sweetheart, this is real."
"Alex."
"Hmm." Alex run her hands through (Y/n) long wet hair.
"You know how I wanted a really long engagement."
"Yeah."
"Well, I've been thinking maybe I don't want a long one anymore, maybe it would be romantic to have a Christmas wedding."