Two weeks of training and practice have gone into this moment. That sounds like a lot until you consider they're about to break into a museum and waltz out with a $50 million diamond. Though professionals in their own right, they're mostly a ragtag group of amateurs when it comes to grand larceny. Alex remembers when they told a nervous Ruby that the feeling in her stomach was just butterflies and perfectly normal before you go on stage to perform in front of all of the parents. However, right now, Alex feels like they've eaten Mothra.
They pull out their cell phone, checking the time. A whole minute has passed since Alex last checked. It's like watching a pot on the stove. It never seems to boil.
"Why are you so nervous?" Maggie leans against the side of her police car, her phone in her hand as she finishes up a game of sudoku.
"Why aren't you more nervous?" Alex snaps back, instantly regretting their response. "Sorry, I've been working on my temper."
"Why, I think it's working fine. Maybe you need to switch to decaf or give up nicotine."
"I don't smoke. You know I don't smoke."
"Then maybe you should start." Maggie grins, and Alex immediately relaxes. Their ex has always been easy going, the laid back accessory to their own Type A personality. It's why they worked so well together... well, that and the sex.
"Humans, museum security says their last guest is headed toward the exit. Sixty seconds to go time."
Maggie pockets her phone and taps at her earpiece. "Roger that."
"It's Winn, not Roger."
Alex can feel their temper rising at the stupidity of the comment, at the unprofessionalism, at the— But Maggie is laughing. It's a sound they've missed. So they smile too and shake their head, remembering something Maggie always says. 'You can have fun while being serious. They're not opposites.'
"Roger, Roger," Alex says. "Give us a countdown at five seconds."
"You got it, boss."
"You are working on your temper," Maggie says. "I thought you'd snap at Schott for that little joke."
"Me? Nah. I'm not that tense. You remember what you need to do when we get in there?"
"Sure, wave my badge around and flex my authority even when I don't have any. Don't worry. They teach us that in the academy." She's probably only half kidding. "I'm more worried about the main attraction. If they get caught—"
"You mean Edge?"
"Right, Edge." That moment hangs in the air between them, the unspoken truth of what's about to happen and who's about to do it. "Anyway, if Edge gets caught before I catch him, this all falls apart."
"I know, but I think Edge has enough experience to pull this off."
"What about Edge's friend?"
It's like Maggie's reading Alex's mind. Lena is an old hand at this, but Kara has spent her career on the other side of security. Will she be able to make the transition, even for a good cause, to the dark side? And now Alex is annoyed that a stupid Star Wars reference came to mind. They really need to make some new friends.
"The friend will do fine." She'd better. "Are you sure they'll call the station after I alert them? If the museum doesn't—"
"Alex, chill. We went over the timetable like a dozen times. Standard protocol is to make a non-emergency call to the station if there's a non-confirmed threat. Dispatch will alert all units, and I'll respond because I'm right across the street. None of the plain clothes want to spend the afternoon doing a walk through. It will be fine."
Alex tugs at their hair before smoothing it back down. "Right. Fine."
"Hey," Maggie takes Alex's hand in her own and stops those nervous fingers. "You've got her back, and I've got yours."
And she does. Alex is sure of that. A lack of trust isn't what ended them. "Thank you. I'm glad that you're here. I've missed you."
"Same. I just needed some time after... You know."
"I know and I'm sorry. I wish—"
"If you get a second chance with Sam, don't blow it." It's not anything Alex doesn't know, but hearing it from one of the wisest people they know definitely helps.
"Ten seconds, people."
As Winn begins the countdown, Alex and Maggie go to their respective vehicles. At zero, Maggie throws Alex a little salute and drives off. It's showtime.
The Broad, with its dramatic white, concave, rounded-diamond shaped exterior, is as much a piece of art as the exhibits it houses. Architect Liz Diller describes the design concept as "porous and absorptive, channeling light into its public spaces and galleries." Though anytime a new museum opens in LA, it's a big deal, this museum's distinctive design, big-ticket collection, and free admission have proven to be monumental. Over 2,000 post-war works from the private collection of Eli and Edythe Broad are on display here, though only about 250 at a time, along with exciting new work from contemporary artists and the occasional piece on loan. It's one of those pieces, a red diamond with a price tag that makes most people blanch, that is the star attraction today.
Though the diamond in question won't be available for public view for another two weeks, that's where the vault part of the museum's 'veil and vault design' comes into play. The 120,000-square feet museum has a structural exoskeleton that houses public gallery spaces bathed in natural light and surrounds a private, light-controlled art archive. That archive, known as the vault, is a contained and localized collection storage differing from the secondary storage practice most museums prefer. In short, everything not on display is housed within a second area in the museum, outside the public eye. It makes for a convenient, one-stop shopping setup for your enterprising thief.
A kindly older woman by the name of Berniece, a local volunteer, holds the door open and wishes the young family who leaves the best. Alex doesn't break stride as they walk past the woman, ignoring her protests. They march straight to the front desk, ignoring the shocked look of the blonde woman there named Cindy. She's forty-two years old, lactose intolerant, has two cats, and she's a Scorpio. Lena's files were damn complete.
"Ma'am, we're closed. You can come back tomorrow at 9 AM."
"I need to talk to your head of security, ASAP." They slide their business card across the desk to the confused woman.
"I don't know if—"
Alex taps at their business card until the woman looks down and actually reads the name of the company. "This is related to a series of recent thefts. He wants to talk to me."
Though Alex doubted this would work, the head of security (Juan, fifty-seven, wife is named Mary Beth, daughter is Anya, he's a Mets fan, no pets) shows up within a few minutes and right on schedule. He's more soft spoken than Alex had assumed based on the picture of him in their file. He has the build that screams cushy security job, and he barely glances at Alex's card, not even asking for an ID. Maybe this is going to work.
"Miss Danvers, it's nice to meet you. Maybe we could go discuss whatever this is in my office."
"You don't have time. You need to get to your security hub. You're about to be breached if you haven't been already."
Lena's sheet on him had predicted his reaction would be one of shock. She isn't off. "My team would have alerted me if something was wrong."
"That's what the people at the Asian Museum thought, and the director at Human Haus, and the curator of the Junípero Serra Museum for that matter. Do you know what they all have in common?"
"I..." Juan nods his head.
"Do you want to add your name to the list? Do you want that going down on your watch?"
"Follow me." Alex does as he heads to a door that says, 'Staff Only' on it. Based on the blueprints Alex has seen, this will lead down to the security observation room. "This fucking sucks. Even if there's nothing going on, I need to report this. I hate paperwork."
"Hey, I'm no happier than you are. If I get stuck here and miss the Mets game, someone here owes me a beer."
"You're a Mets fan?" Juan asks, one hand on the doorknob and his badge in the other hand, but he doesn't unlock it.
"Sure, I like two teams. The Mets," Alex grins, "and whoever is playing the Yankees."
With an answering smile, Juan unlocks the door, pulls it open, and says, "After you, Miss Danvers."
And just like that, Alex is in, and their appreciation for Lena, and Lena's files, has grown.
<><>
Lena stands on the southwest corner of the roof of The Broad, her gaze steady toward the ocean that's about ten miles away. It's a hell of a view, but Kara remains closer to the center, and the view she's taking in is even better. Lena looks like something out of a movie in her black bodysuit with the harness criss-crossing her torso. Kara is wearing a matching outfit (about which Lena was highly complementary and slightly inappropriate), but she doesn't feel like she does it justice the way Lena's curves do.
As a security expert, Kara has watched her share of heist movies. She and Alex critique the security, complain about unrealistic situations, and talk about how to plug holes to stop future thefts. The idea of crossing the line and taking part in the acquisition part of the theft has never crossed her mind before. Lena Luthor crosses a lot of lines, and Kara wonders how many more she'll hop across to continue this dance.
When Lena walks across the roof ledge like she's out for a Sunday stroll, Kara tenses, and her stomach drops. "Will you get down from there?"
"Me?" Lena glances back at Kara. "Is something wrong?"
"Yeah, you're gonna fall." Kara waves Lena back toward her. "Please?"
With a roll of her eyes, Lena turns back toward the street, flexes her knees, and springs backwards. She does a backflip and lands safely on the roof, but Kara is already rushing forward.
"Lena!" Kara grabs Lena by the shoulders, spinning her. "What the fuck was that!?"
"What? I'm having some fun." Head tilted to the side, Lena smiles up at Kara. "Aren't you having fun?"
"Watching you nearly kill yourself before I commit grand larceny? No." She walks away, shaking out her arms, but the stress refuses to follow. "You have a fucked up idea of fun."
"Hey, hey." Lena hurries across the roof to cut Kara off. "What's going on? Are you scared?"
"Yeah, because this is scary."
Green eyes narrow, and Kara can feel herself being evaluated. "Are you scared of heights?"
"No, no. Okay, yeah. I thought I would feel better after practicing on the wire in your apartment, but I never got higher than the second story railing. If my harness slips or the line breaks, this could kill me."
"Oh, hey, come here."
Cradled in Lena's arms feels better than Kara wants to admit. There's been a lot of this lately, a lot of casual touches and stolen glances. Though Kara has tried to focus on the business, their shared attraction is undeniable. She's sure the only reason she hasn't fallen into bed with the other woman is Alex's steady clam-jamming presence.
"Any better?"
Kara nods into Lena's shoulder, enveloped by the smell of shampoo and a beautiful woman. "I'm okay now." So she steps away, away from temptation, but the scent lingers. "Sorry about that."
"You should have said something sooner. You and Alex could have switched... unless you wanted to be here with me."
"Lena—"
"Alex is in, and Maggie has intercepted the call for a unit from the cops and is on her way. It's all going according to schedule."
"Winn says—" But Lena taps at her earpiece. "Right, you heard. Are you sure the weight of that vent can hold us both?"
"I'm a trained structural engineer, and I went over the blueprints three times. We'll be fine." She pulls the air vent grate off and grins. "Unless they used shoddy material and didn't follow specs. Then we're fucked."
Before Kara can respond, Lena grabs the top of the vent and swings forward, sliding feet first inside and down, like a slide, into the darkness below.
"Not funny," Kara mutters. "Winn, let me know when—"
"Lena is ten feet along the vent line. You're clear."
Kara flips on her head lamp, mutters a quick prayer, and slides down into the unknown. Only sucking in air in a quick gasp keeps Kara from screaming. The vent quickly turns, so instead of sliding at an angle, she's dropping straight down about fifteen feet. Remembering her training, she braces her feet and gloved hands on the walls of the vent to slow but not stop her descent. She still lands solidly on the horizontal vent below, but an extra thick air mattress the width of the vent cushions her fall.
"You okay back there?"
"Yeah, terrified but unharmed. The inflatable did the job." Kara adjusts her head lamp and scans her new surroundings. She's been dumped out at a T-junction, just like on the blueprints. Left and right will take her around the edge of the building, but she wants to travel forward toward the center and their prize. "Hey, we're wearing harnesses. We couldn't have lowered ourselves down here on a wire?
"I mean, we could have, but where's the fun in that?"
"Lena, your definition of fun—" About a foot from Kara's face, her head lamp lights up Lena's ass. Maybe this job isn't all bad.
"Kara?"
"Fine, I'm fine. Let's go."
"Right. Let's make like a baby and head out." With that horrible pun, Lena slides onto her abdomen and begins to pull herself forward by her arms, her feet pushing off the side of the vent to help propel her forward.
Kara follows suit, belly-crawling after Lena. She has to admit, they're making better time than she expected, and by not kneeling, they're keeping the sound down. They crawl for maybe five minutes, though Kara would swear it's closer to fifteen. This process is a lot sweatier than Kara had expected, a lot warmer than their practice crawls through vents set up in Lena's hallway. Still, when Lena pulls to a stop ahead of her and announces, "We're here," Kara is a bit surprised. This is all getting so real.
Lena lies on her side and presses her back to one side of the vent leaving Kara enough room to crawl forward and mirror Lena. There's about two inches between them, but Kara is more concerned about the space under their heads. It's a one storey drop to the roof of the vault below, and the surface looks unforgiving. There's no plush mattress and pile of pillows to cushion their fall if anything goes wrong.
"Are you sure that's just one storey? That looks further than one storey. Do we even have enough cable?"
"Hey, relax." Lena reaches out, brushing stray hairs behind Kara's ear. "It's only one storey. You've done this."
"Over a mattress."
"And you never fell. I won't let you fall." Lena pushes off the wall of the vent, and the few inches between them disappear. Heat radiates off their bodies as they press close together, only the thin covering of their bodysuits separating them. "This is like a magic trick, Kara. Let me tell you a secret." When Lena bites down on her lower lip, Kara's gaze is drawn to the motion. Those full lips, so very kissable, call to her. She remembers their last kiss and how good Lena's body felt under her touch. She can't help but lean forward. Then Lena's hand pulls from behind Kara's ear, and she holds out a quarter between them. She presses it into Kara's hand and smiles. "Magic is a lie in which we choose to believe. It's all about distraction."
"Maggie's about to enter the security room with Alex. Standby for the signal, ladies."
"Abracadabra."
<><>
Alex has to admit that the security setup for The Broad is impressive. They have two security systems, each on a separate network. One controls the action of the museum that's open to the public, and the other controls the vault. The latter has no Wi-Fi access, no way to hack into it from the outside, or so Lena and Winn say. All Alex knows is that the dongle in their pocket (and Alex thought Winn made that word up for shits and giggles until they looked it up) is the key to gaining access to the vault. All they need is to get the security officer who is sitting nearly directly in front of the system to slide about three feet to his left. What they need is a distraction.
Alex hears the distraction before they see her. For a small woman, Maggie's voice carries. Luckily, she isn't much of a yeller, but as Alex's neighbors know, she is a screamer.
When the door opens, the security guard who's been sent to escort the police responder down to the security room is laughing at something Maggie's said. She looks around the room, her gaze settling on Alex. "You the one that made me leave my coffee in the car?"
"Alex Danvers, DEO. I alerted them of the impending break in, yes," Alex replies. "Sorry about the coffee."
Maggie shrugs, stepping around Alex and heading to stand on their other side. There's a full array of security monitors there, showing every crevice of the museum. Only this is a video from last night, the time stamp matching up but the date changed by Lena and Winn. Only the video from inside the vault is a live feed, and Alex means to change that.
"Tell me why I'm here. I don't hear any alarms." Maggie steps by Alex and between two sitting guards, leaning on the backs of their chairs. "I don't see anything. What am I supposed to be seeing?"
"As I told Miss Danvers," Juan says, "our systems are all checking out. None of the guards have seen anything out of the ordinary. I think this is a false alarm. I'm sorry to have wasted your time, Detective."
"You pay taxes. My time is your time." Maggie says. "You have any other thoughts on this, Danvers?"
"Not at the moment."
When Maggie looks back, they flash the dongle in their hand at her. The detective nods and says, "Your shoe's untied." Then she steps further away and points at the far monitor. "Hey, did you see that? I think I saw someone."
While everyone's attention is elsewhere, Alex crouches down to 'tie their shoe' and inserts the dongle into the tower on the floor. There's no telltale light, but that's by design. It's supposed to blend not stand out.
"Never mind. I think it was one of your guards." Maggie glances back and makes eyes contact as Alex rises. "I respect DEO's reputation, but I think you're wrong about this one."
"I hope I'm wrong. I need to get home in time to feed my cat," Alex says.
"Ooh, that's my cue." Several seconds of silence follow before Winn says, "Okay, I have access to the vault monitors. I can't shut off the floor sensors remotely, but they won't see anything in here that we don't want them to see. We control the horizontal. We control the vertical. Want me to do anything special with their monitors? I could play a different episode of She-Ra on each one."
"Stick with the damn plan," Alex mutters.
"What was that, Miss Danvers?" Juan asks.
"Just talking out loud to myself. I wonder exactly what this thief is planning."
"You think it's the same gang that's been hitting museums and galleries across Southern Cali?" Maggie asks.
"Yup."
"Damn. Those guys are good, like really good. The FBI stepped in on that case. It seems they're—" Maggie's cut off when all of the monitors go black. "Well, that can't be good."
"Get those back online!" Juan's easy going attitude is gone in the face of a visible threat.
As quickly as the monitors went off, they're back online. A red light flashes on one, alerting of a breach in one of the rooms.
"Where is that?" Juan asks.
"Infinity Mirrored Room, sir," a guard responds. The alarms aren't sounding, but we're picking up motion. It looks like the light show is on. Maybe it's a glitch?"
When Juan looks over at them, Alex shakes their head. "That's no glitch. You have an intruder."
"Well, let's go." Maggie doesn't wait for an answer, just rushes around the guards and heads for the exit. "Danvers, are you coming?"
"Sure, I'd hate to miss all of the fun."
Two of the guards lead the way while Juan and two others lag behind. Roughly in the middle, and with some distance between themselves and the others, Alex and Maggie talk among themselves in harsh whispers.
"You have any idea what we're about to walk in on?" Maggie asks.
"None. I just know there's a distraction on the far side of the museum. I was told the less I knew the more realistic my reaction would be."
"It better not be dogs," Maggie says. "I have a scar on my ass from my aunt's damn chihuahua, TB."
"Taco Bell. Yeah, I remember." Alex grins down at Maggie. "To be fair to TB, your ass is very nibbleable."
Maggie smiles back. "Jeez, the kinks you find out about only after you've broken up with a person."
The group pulls up outside of a small room, visible on all sides. Shifting lights glow from under the door, showing it is very much active. Maggie steps past the guards and grabs the door handle. "I've got this. Danvers?"
"Right behind you."
Maggie pulls the door open, and they're immediately blinded by flashing LED lights. Countless mirrored reflections are set against NYC's skyline at night. There's a small platform in the middle of the room with two people lying on it. Their bodies grind together, illuminated over and over again in the infinite reflections of their make out session. It definitely isn't a chihuahua.
"What the fuck?" Maggie asks, and Alex has to agree. Kara is the one who arranged for this little distraction, and it will be discussed in length when this is all over.
At the sound of a voice, Nia and Querl stop their frantic heavy petting and seemingly first notice their audience.
"Did you invite someone to join us?" Nia asks.
"No, I thought you knew them," Querl responds as he stands and helps Nia to her feet. "Ladies."
"Uh..." Alex picks up Nia's shirt from the floor and tosses it at her. "Get dressed. We all need to talk."
<><>
Kara's hands are a clammy mess as she slowly descends on a strong but terrifyingly thin looking rope. If she wasn't wearing gloves, she wouldn't be able to get any kind of grip. The trip from the vent to the roof of the vault was bad enough, but at least that was only one story. She's now two stories over the alarmed floor below and moving toward the glass case below.
Lena already hovers from her line like a spider, smiling up at Kara. It only made sense for the professional to go down first. She made it look easy, far easier than the reality is.
Kara's mind races with everything that can go wrong. No amount of practice and planning prepared her for the reality of a possible crippling fall to the floor below or being discovered by security. Her only solace is that if she gets arrested, she's sure she won't have a problem getting a girlfriend in prison.
"How nice of you to join me," Lena says when Kara's trembling form finally reaches her. "How are you doing?"
"Awful. This feels awful. I don't like crime, Lena. I don't think I'll even be able to jaywalk after this."
"Aww, my poor darling. Remember we're not actually stealing. We're borrowing to stop someone else from stealing." She shrugs, somehow looking as at home dangling from a line as she does in a tight dress with a whiskey in her hand. "We're actually doing a good deed."
"Uh-huh. I haven't forgotten that we only have to do this 'good deed' because of your crimes."
"And Edge's."
Now is not the time to argue. Kara is beginning to spin a bit from moving around. She can add motion sickness to her fear of heights. "Can we just get done with this so we can get out of here?"
"And here I thought you were a bigger fan of foreplay." Before Kara can answer, Lena says, "Mr. Schott says the alarm on the case is off. Lift it for me, please?"
"Mr. Schott better be right." Ever so carefully, Kara reaches out and touches the case under which the Kazanjian red diamond is housed. It's smaller than Kara expected. It's still huge for a diamond, and it's as red as a ruby, but something about the pricetag made Kara think it wouldn't fit in her pocket. Her hands tremble until she grabs the case, steadying herself. When no alarms blair and guards rush in, Kara breathes a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God."
"Ye of little faith."
"Sorry, Winn." The case actually lifts off fairly easily, though it's not light. Kara holds her breath until Lena lifts the diamond.
She turns it over in her hand, smiling at Kara. "Not bad for a day's work."
"Just put it in your pouch so we can get out of here."
Lena does, but when Kara tries to put the case back, she says. "Not yet. You forgot... this."
Kara stares at the object Lena is holding. "Seriously? You're ridiculous."
"Edge has a reputation to keep up. Matching this MO will link it more easily to the other crimes."
That makes sense, but Kara could still do without Lena's sense of the dramatic.
"You two need to get moving. Alex just dropped their line to let me know they're about to march Nia and Querl out. They'll go right by your ropes in a few minutes."
"We're done here. Ready?"
"Let's go." Together they press the buttons, and their motors wind the rope back in, pulling them up. They're about halfway up when Lena stops.
"What's wrong?" Kara asks, stopping also.
"I think I have a kink in my line." She grabs the line in both hands and pulls herself up. "Keep going. I'm right behind you once I fix this."
Though Kara doesn't like it, Lena is the expert here. So she continues up, actually clearing the entrance back to the roof of the vault. She turns just in time to see Lena going from hanging a floor above ground to Lena's rope suddenly releasing as she free falls down.
"Lena!"
Her rope doesn't disconnect though, and she stops several feet short of the actual floor. The rope bungees her a bit, and she bounces a few feet back up before falling with a moan.
"Lena?" The woman hangs limply for a moment, and Kara is about to head back down, her fear of heights forgotten, when Lena reaches up to grab her rope. "Lena, can you hear me? Are you okay?" Lena waves back at her, and Kara clutches at her pounding heart.
"Yeah, yeah," she says, but there's a tightness to her voice that let's Kara know she's in pain. "I just have the mother of all wedgies. I don't think I'm going to be wearing thong underwear for a bit."
"That's a shame," Kara mutters to herself. "What happened?"
"The motor gave out on my harness." She twists and turns, grabbing the rope with her other hand and pulling herself to a vertical position. "I can climb up. It's just going to take me a few minutes."
"We don't have a few minutes." So Kara wraps Lena's rope around her forearm and pulls. Hand over hand, she hauls an astounded looking Lena closer and closer. Her shoulders ache, and she's grateful for both the gloves and every hour she's spent at the gym. When Lena finally reaches up through the hole and pulls herself to shoulder height, Kara grabs and pulls her the rest of the way up.
Still clinging to Kara, Lena says, "Oh, my God. That was the hottest thing I've ever seen."
"I don't know about that but—" Then Lena's lips crash into hers, and all thoughts of what she was about to say disappear.
Kneeling on the roof of the vault, they kiss with all of the passion they've been denying themselves for the last month. Their hands roam as they get lost in each other.
"Guys, you need to get moving. What's the hold up?"
"Winn." Kara pulls back her head, painfully aware of her environment and her audience. "Right, sorry. We just... motor issue. We're on our way." Then Kara unbelts her motor and hands it to Lena. "I can climb."
Lena moans even as she belts the motor into place. "Tell me, Kara, have you ever thrown a woman over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes?"
Kara grins and pulls herself up to hang by one arm. "I'll see you at the top."
"I'm taking that as a yes."
They make it back to the shaft, and Lena uses a folding grappling hook in what looks like a gun to launch their escape rope up. It unfurls when the end of the rope tugs against her belt, and she pulls it back, making sure it's solidly in place before ascending. Kara follows up a few minutes later.
As the fresh air hits her, Kara takes a deep breath and smiles. Now that the actual danger is over, there is a bit of fun to all of this, the excitement of what they just did. Lena's smiling face tells Kara that she feels the same.
"Okay, I'm not saying I want to quit my day job, but that was kind of fun."
"You were excellent." Lena steps close, running her hands over Kara's biceps. "I never thought I could work with a partner, but that was one hell of an interview. You're hired. When can you start?"
Kara laughs, but when Lena doesn't it becomes clear to Kara that she's the only one joking. "Lena, no. This was a one time deal to save your friend and put Edge away, I'm not ready to quit my day job."
"Why not?" She runs her hands over Kara's shoulders, threading them behind the blonde's neck. "We make a hell of a team, you and I. We could travel the world, see beautiful works of art... steal them. It would be fun."
"Not for me. I'm a California girl and a security expert." When Lena tries to pull away, Kara holds on tight. "You could go straight."
Lena snorts. "That I definitely can't do."
"You know what I mean. Does an honest life, maybe with someone special, really sound so bad?"
"Honestly?" Kara holds her breath as she waits for this answer, until Lena says, "No, it doesn't. Somehow you make working for a living sound like a good idea. I just don't know if it's for me."
"I get that. I do." And Kara does. She's seen Lena at her happiest, hanging from a wire as she tucks a $50 million diamond into a pouch. As much as Kara wants them to be together, as much as Kara believes stealing is wrong, you can't be the person that takes your partner's happiness away. Kara also can't change who she is. "But the life of crime isn't for me. I'm not a thief."
Lena nods. The look in her eyes says she expected as much, but she is an optimist. She presses a kiss to Kara's cheek, far less impassioned but no less intimate than what they just shared and says, "My heart says otherwise."
<><>
It's taken a bit of convincing to get into the vault, but with a detective by her side, and after pointing out the lines hanging over the vault, Juan has no choice but to have the motion sensor shut down so they can enter. They call it 'the vault' for a reason. Works of art are housed throughout in a room that's sealed up tight... mostly.
"What's the most expensive thing you have in here?" Alex asks as they look around at artwork after artwork.
"The most expensive?" Juan asks. "That would be the Kazanjian red. It's a big diamond, worth more than anyone like us will make in their lifetimes."
"Show us," Maggie says.
So he leads them down an aisle and around a corner to where a glass display case sits out. Even from a distance, the red object inside is visible, and Juan breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank God. We would have been screwed if that was gone."
As they get closer, Alex squints, examining the gem in the case. It's only with great willpower that they don't chuckle while telling the head of security, "Buddy, I have some bad news for you. That's a cherry Ring Pop."
<><>
"I should go in with you."
"Kara, Morgan is expecting me. I can't bring a plus one to this event." She pulls Kara's hand to her lips. "You're the sweetest person I've ever met. Thank you for helping me and giving me this chance to save Jess. I'll never forget you."
Kara holds firm when Lena tries to take her hand back. "That sounds a lot like goodbye. I don't think I'm ready to say that."
"Even though I just convinced you to commit a felony?"
"This is date number three. When you promised me something unseemly, you weren't kidding."
And Lena laughs, loose and free the way she lives her life. Far quicker than she ever thought could be possible, Kara Danvers has wormed her way into Lena's heart. It's unexpected but not unwelcome. "Oh, I meant something else, but honestly, this is the best date I've ever had. I don't think any other woman can top this." This time when they kiss, it's soft. The longing is pushed to the side, and they make a connection of a different sort, but it can't last. "Now get out of my car, so I can go meet a very bad man about a very hot rock."
Though she could doubtless make excuses forever, Kara nods and steps out. She closes the door but leans by the passenger window. "Maybe we could do a real date number three tonight?"
"Sure, you pick the museum. I'll meet you there." Then she speeds away, watching Kara disappear in her rearview mirror. Only the knowledge that Jess needs her keeps Lena driving away.
Lena has turned down invitations to Edge's home before. It's an ostentatious piece of new construction set on the top of a hill. He's like a medieval lord looking down on his peasants. Perhaps that's a bit of a hypocritical comparison coming from a billionaire who lives in a penthouse, but Lena still thinks it's fair.
An older woman who looks like her face froze while sucking on a lemon, and vaguely reminds her of her mother, ushers Lena inside to wait in the library. It's filled with first editions, and Lena would bet a considerable portion of her fortune that he doesn't read them or even like them. Edge is the kind of person who doesn't collect. He possesses. She's met the likes of him before, and she's always taken great pleasure in stealing from them.
"Miss Luthor." Sam has gotten further and further into Edge's good graces in the past two weeks. There's something about a very pretty face and falsified documents that make her look needy that he really likes in a woman. "Morgan will see you now."
Lena follows along, passing by expensive but tacky works of art as they go. Most of it she wouldn't even bother stealing. "This place is ghastly. Mr. Edge is ghastly. How can you work for him?"
"Well, some people's trash is another person's treasure," Sam replies noncommittally.
"Yes, but sometimes you just need to take out the trash."
Speaking of trash, Morgan waits for Lena in his den. His black, silk button-up shirt is open far enough to show off some chest hairs and a gold chain. He sits in his high-back leather chair, twisting his pinky ring like a dime store godfather. "Miss Luthor, and here I thought you were going to stand me up."
"Well, that is the proper protocol for a woman forced to be in your presence, but unfortunately for me, I have more pressing concerns than your halitosis, so here I am. I'd rather not be though, so can we just get this over with?"
"I heard the police were en route to The Grand. I was worried you got yourself caught on purpose so you didn't have to complete our deal."
Lena snorts. "Nonsense. My ego won't let me get caught. Also, you're such a prick, I'm sure you'd frame Jessica just to hurt me for it."
"Maybe they'd let you two share a cell." Edge heads over to the bar and pours himself some whiskey. "You know, our relationship doesn't have to be unpleasant, Lena. Just look at Samantha. She and I have gotten very close in the past few weeks. Doesn't she look happy?"
"What does he have on you?" Lena asks Sam.
"It's about money," Sam replies. "I need it, and Morgan has a lot of it. I'm in debt up to my eyeballs. It was a huge problem." She smiles over at Edge. "Past tense."
"Ugh, money is the root of all evil."
"Says someone whose car costs more than my house."
"I know just how much damage money can do." Lena steps up close to Sam, though she's hardly intimidating with the other woman looming over her. "Trust me, I'd trade all of my money for a real connection with the right person."
Sam snorts. "That's easy to say when you've never been poor. I've been a homeless, pregnant teenager, thrown out by my own mother. I'll take the money."
"Ladies, ladies, this is no time to fight. After our little transaction is done, if you two want to go a few rounds, I'll get you a pool of pudding to wrestle in." Edge's smile is oily, and Lena assumes there's more than a little bit of truth to his comment.
"Maybe we should just finish up our business so Miss Luthor can go home to her castle," Sam says.
"Fine." Edge waves a hand around. "Do you have it?"
"I do, but you're not touching it until we come to an agreement," Lena replies.
"It needs to be authenticated," Sam says. She holds out a hand to Lena.
"You're kidding, right? I'm supposed to trust you?"
"What choice do you have? It's me or him?"
Lena hesitates, but she reaches into an inner pocket on her coat and pulls out a small cloth, handing it over to Sam. Unfurling it reveals the red gem in question.
Sam heads over to a table where jeweler's tools sit. "This will take a few minutes."
"I need a drink." Without asking, Lena heads over to Edge's bar and pours herself a generous glass of whiskey. "You know it doesn't serve my interests to cheat you, Edge. I just want to get this done and never see you again."
"Oh, come on, Lena. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship."
"I'd sooner french kiss a Metropolis street rat than keep company with you, Edge. At least it would have a certain... pedigree."
Edge grabs Lena by the hair, pulling her closer. "You should learn to watch your tongue. If you want to keep your little friend out of jail, you work for me from now on."
"That's bullshit. You said I only had to do one job. I did it and—"
"Lena," he releases his grip on her hair to stroke it softly, "as soon as you said yes, you chose your friend's freedom over your own. I collect rare and beautiful treasures. Welcome to the collection."
"Fuck you, Edge!"
He chuckles and steps away. "That's optional."
"It's authentic," Sam says, interrupting the verbal sparring session. "5.05 carats with four extra facets above the normal cut. It's the Kazanjian red."
"Well, little Lena Luthor does not disappoint."
"No!" Lena storms across the room and snatches the diamond out of the cloth in Sam's hand. "We had a deal. There is no way in hell I'm working for you."
"Fine," Edge says, "Then you can visit Jessica in jail. I'm sure she'll understand."
"You're disgusting." Lena drops the gem into her whiskey and puts the glass on the table. "This won't be forever, Edge. I'm going to figure a way out of this."
When her phone chimes, Sam frowns down at it. Then she leans in close to Edge, one hand on his shoulder, and whispers something.
He frowns in return. "Go see what they want."
As Sam leaves, Lena asks, "Problem?"
"For you, maybe. The police are here. If you led them to my door—"
"Please, mistakes are for amateurs. If the police are here, they're here for you, not me."
They continue to take turns glaring and throwing barbs at each other for a few minutes until Edge's phone chimes. This time he smiles and texts something back. "I guess you got sloppier than you thought, Lena."
"What does that mean?" When he doesn't answer, she repeats, "What does that mean?"
The answer comes in the way of Detective Maggie Sawyer. Fresh from the museum, she holds a lot of authority in her small frame. "Mr. Edge, thank you for letting me in. Understand that I'm not here executing a search warrant. I'm following up on a lead about a robbery from earlier this evening. Your assistant, Miss Arias, let me in. She said she had your permission."
"She does. I have nothing to hide, Detective. So, tell me, why are you here?"
"The Kazanjian red diamond was stolen from The Grand tonight. I received a tip telling me that I'd find the gem and the thief here."
"Lena, is there anything you'd like to say to the detective?" When Lena opens her mouth, he adds, "and any message for Jessica?"
"Yes." Lena nods first at Edge's smug face and then at Maggie. "I was that tip, Detective. Mr. Edge brought me here to try and sell me a stolen diamond. I thought it was my duty, as a concerned citizen, to call the police. Our mutual friend, Kara Danvers, told me you were trustworthy and gave me your number."
"You called the police." Edge laughs, but when Lena and Maggie don't say anything else, just watch him carefully, he seems to understand things are not as they seem. "This is ridiculous. You aren't falling for this, are you, Detective?"
"She did call me," Maggie says. "She gave me this address and told me you had offered to sell her the diamond for $25 million."
"That's insane. The diamond is in her glass. Her fingerprints are all over it."
As Edge points out the glass, Maggie crosses the room, looks inside the glass, and then pours the contents out onto the table. When whiskey splashes but no gem comes out, even once the glass is completely upside down, Edge blanches.
"That's... impossible. I saw her put it in there. Samantha," he calls out to Sam who hovers in the doorway, "tell the detective where you saw the diamond."
"Of course, Mr. Edge." Sam crosses into the middle of the room, and then points directly at Edge. "I saw him put it in his coat pocket."
"That's a fucking lie!"
"Empty your pockets," Maggie says.
"Fine, but you're not going to find—" he pauses as he digs around in his jacket pockets and then slowly pulls a red gem out of it. "This is impossible. How?" He looks up at Lena. "How?"
Lena shrugs. "Oh, Edge, don't you know that crime doesn't pay?"
"Morgan Edge, you're under arrest for—"
He's on the move before Maggie can get her cuffs out. Edge grabs Sam and pulls her close even as he snatches a dangerously pointy looking tool from the table and pushes it to her throat. He turns Sam so her back is to him and takes a sliding step toward the door.
"You're not even going to make it out of the house, Edge," Maggie says, her pistol aimed at him though Sam is largely in the way. "Just give up."
"Why? I have homes in countries without extradition, private planes, and more passports than you'll ever find. I'm going to disappear, and she," Edge pushes the tool against Sam's throat, dimpling her flesh, "is my insurance policy."
"Morgan, you don't want to do this," Lena says. "Once you start running, you never stop."
"Don't worry, Lena." He inches back closer and closer toward the doorway as he speaks. "You'll see me again. Now I owe you, and I always repay my debts."
He reaches the doorway but gets no farther. A vase comes crashing down onto the back of his head, courtesy of Alex Danvers. He stumbles away, giving the space to grab Sam by the hand and pulls her close. Edge isn't down though. He's stumbling, disoriented, but he still has fight left in him. That all changes when Kara runs in and spear-tackles him. She finishes him off with a fist to the jaw that leaves him unconscious and makes her shake the pain out of her hand.
Pieces of vase cling to Edge's hair and suit, and larger chunks are scattered across the floor. Edge lays unmoving save for the slight shift from his steady breaths. His scalp is bleeding freely, a small pool starting to collect around the crown of his head.
"You... Alex..."
"Are you okay?" Alex touches Sam carefully, moving from her hands, up her arms, and across the woman's face. It's not intimacy; it's concern. "Did he hurt you?"
"Did he hurt me?" Sam says, and Edge moans as if to emphasize her point. "You smashed him over the head. That was... amazing!"
At Sam's stunning smile, the one she hasn't graced Alex with in weeks, they smile back. "Maggie told us to wait in the car, but neither Kara nor I are good at following orders. Then I saw him grab you and I just... God, I was so scared, Sam. Were you scared?"
Sam doesn't respond, just kneels down and recovers one of the larger chunks of vase. As she turns it over in her hand, her eyes widen. "Oh, my God. This was a Ming vase. Alex, you smashed a Ming vase." She holds the piece up toward Alex. "This was priceless!"
Alex steps closer, pulling the chunk from Sam's hand and tossing it over their shoulder. They don't react when it strikes something hard, and the sound of breaking vase repeats itself. Alex's hands cradle Sam's face, and with all the sincerity in their heart they say, "No, Sam, it was just a piece of pottery. You're priceless."
"Are you okay?" Lena asks as Kara cradles her hand.
"Oh, sure." Kara winces when Lena takes her hand and gently probes the knuckles. "You should see the other guy."
"The other guy is under arrest." Maggie closes the second cuff over his wrist. "I've got to wait until he wakes up to read him his rights. I did appreciate the evil villain dialogue as to why he'll jump bail if a judge allows it. That will come in handy."
"Detective?" Sam is still staring into Alex's eyes as she speaks. "Mr. Edge has a safe in his office. He was talking about the recent theft of the Seated Buddha, and then he went to his safe. I don't know if he put it in there but..." She finally manages to break eye contact with Alex. "You should probably get a warrant."
"Way ahead of you." Maggie walks to the side, talking to the station as she leans against the wall. This will be a colossal bust, and they haven't even looked at any of Edge's files yet.
"I have one question for you about what just happened," Kara says.
"Just one? I expect the police will have dozens," Lena replies. "Go on."
"What happened to the diamond? How did it end up in Edge's pocket, and how did you make it look like you put it into your drink? Winn was giving us updates, and he's swearing you're a wizard."
"Maybe in bed." Lena smiles, satisfied when a little whimper slips out of Kara. "It wasn't magic, not in that sense. It was slight of hand. I'd tell you, but a good magician doesn't reveal their tricks."
Kara pouts, her full on, manipulative expression which is only more powerful when your hand is swelling due to your heroic deeds.
"Good Lord, Alex was right. That pout is powerful. Fine, I'll tell you since you were my assistant today, but you have to keep it a secret."
With a motion of zippering, locking, and throwing away the key to her lips, Kara nods.
"Sam switched the real diamond with the fake, and cleaned the real one to remove my fingerprints, while she was supposedly evaluating it. Then she handed me back the fake, which was just crystalized sugar, and I dropped it into the whiskey where it dissolved."
"But how did—"
"Edge get the real one?" Lena gestures over toward where Alex and Sam are deep within their private moment. "Sam did that. She dropped it in his pocket when she leaned in to tell him Maggie was here. Men like Edge underestimate women, especially attractive ones, and their own ego doesn't let them think it's anything but desire when one touches him."
"So Sam planted the real one on Edge?" Kara whistles, one solid note stretching out. "You are such a bad influence, Miss—" Then Lena touches what must be a particularly tender spot, and Kara hisses in breath.
"We should probably get your hand x-rayed. It could be broken," Lena says.
"No, it's—" Kara tries to bend her fingers and yelps. "Yeah, you could be right."
"That's what you get for punching stupid, pig-headed men. What were you thinking?"
"Uh, I was thinking he could hurt Sam... or you."
Lena has had a lifetime of disappointment when it comes to other people. She barely remembers her birth mother, her adoptive mother is the least maternal person on the planet, her father was an unscrupulous businessman who drank himself to an early grave, and her brother seems to be following in his legacy. When she finally trusted enough to let herself fall in love, her faith was met with betrayal. She's always felt that Jessica is the exception to the rule, the one truly trustworthy person in life, but maybe she just needs to learn some new rules.
"You're amazing, you know." Lena kisses each of Kara's bruised and swelling knuckles in turn. "I've never met anyone like you."
"Like me? You convinced me to break into a museum and dangle from the ceiling, and as frightening as it and everything else was today, I kind of had fun. Lena, I don't think there is anyone like you to meet."
"I'll choose to take that as a compliment. So, where do we go from here? I've never considered a life where I didn't have the rush of the job."
"And my job is to stop you. If you look at it that way, we make better enemies than—"
"Lovers?" When Kara's eyes widen at the word choice, Lena knows they're on the same page. "How do you think your sibling would feel about you dating a criminal?"
But Alex and Sam are lost in their own world. A world of whispers and gentle kisses, one that doesn't include anyone else in the world but them.
"Yeah, I don't think Alex will be a problem for a little while," Kara says.
"Then how do we work this out? How do we not give up each other or who we truly are?" That really is the crux of the situation. Is there a way for them not to lose themselves now that they've found each other?
"I have an idea if you're game."
"Darling, I'm always game. Try me."
Kara puts her other arm around Lena's waist and pulls her in close. "Oh, I intend to." Their kiss is soft and loving, full of the promise of many more to come, a lifetime more to come. They're as lost, as much in their own world, as Sam and Alex. In the way of cases, this was certainly the most successful of the Danvers sibling's career. They both have found love, and all Kara needed to find her happily ever after was to catch a thief.