"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Kara's voice announces her presence seconds before her body breezes into their apartment.

The chicken speared at the end of Maggie's fork falls to her plate as the duo freeze. Alex struggles to finish her bite fast enough to catch up to the thoughts and concern mounting within her.

"What's going on, Kara?" Maggie intervenes, leaving her plate behind in a move toward Kara's side. "You look like you're having a stroke…Can she have a stroke?" Maggie throws the comment to Alex as Kara's wild eyes and apologies bounce throughout the room.

"Kara." Alex's voice is steady and calm as she makes it Kara's side, arms grasping her shoulders to ground her.

"I lied."

The mocking breaths that leave the duo's lungs carries away the worries of before. Releasing her sister, Alex steps back to the table with an eye roll. Grasping her water, she works to clear her throat of the scratch created by the quickly swallowed food.

Waving her hand in invitation to continue, she readies herself for the cause of her sister's concern.

"I lied." Looking over her glass Alex waits for Kara to continue. "I lied and Maggie has to marry me."

Alex was not ready.

Not ready.

Definitely not ready to hear that.

Kara was not ready.

Not ready.

Definitely not ready for the near shower she received.

Maggie was not ready.

Not ready.

Definitely not ready or her phone would've been recording.

The dripping of water and chuckle from Maggie are the soundtrack to Alex's subtle but sure step between the two.

"You- you know we're already doing that right? Like- she was- we are- Maggie?"

"Kara," Maggie addresses, passing her a napkin, as her own arm slides seamlessly around Alex's waist. "Explain before your sister has a heart attack."

"I lied."

"Kara!" Alex finds her voice

"I lied to Snapper. I needed an excuse to leave work a few times for you know. He kept nagging and raving and nagging, like way more naggy than Alex." The last comment is directed at Maggie as Kara finishes ridding her face of water

"Shocking."

Maggie's wink is lost in Kara's vigorous nods.

"See!" A wild gesture. "So, I may have told him I have a kid who tends to get sick…a lot. Snapper hates germs so, win-win, right?"

Alex attempts to follow –if her almost painfully raised eyebrow has anything to say about it. "Why does this mean you have to marry Maggie?"

"We're having Family Fun Day at work! With blow up castles and carnival games, I'm even trying to get James to get pot stickers catered. He keeps saying I'll blow my cover which I wouldn't! I can be civil around-"

"You almost laser-glared Winn when he forgot them last game night." Maggie remarks as she leaves Alex's tense side heading toward the kitchen

"The point is I didn't."

Her steadying ground now gone, Alex pinches the bridge of her nose and breathes out a steadying breath.

"Can we focus on the important question here?"

"Exactly." Kara's eyes light up at the food Maggie's offered plate promises. "What's our kid's name?"

"Maggie!"

"Bentley. But we call him our little Picasso!"

Finding her seat once again Maggie can't help but smile at Kara's excitement. "That's adorable. Our kid would definitely be artistic."

"Your-"

"Right? The macaroni art he makes is amazing."

"You didn't?" Kara's innocent smile has Maggie re-skewering her chicken with a soft laugh. "I can tell you're proud of them, Kar. You better have brought pictures."

If Maggie had known anything other than pot stickers could cause Kara's beaming smile, she would definitely have saved quite a few dollars those first few months when attempting to win her over.

Within seconds Kara has filled her plate and claimed the seat beside Maggie.

"What just-" Alex's slowed hands gesture between the now vacant air in front of her and the duo hunched over Kara's phone at the table. "What's happening?"

"Well, babe, looks like I'm marrying your sister."

Maggie wants a ring.

It might not make sense, it might be weird. But Maggie wants a ring. A ring that isn't her own, a ring that isn't for real, a ring that won't feel like a speck of rust on her promise to Alex. She wants a ring that can join the burnt remains of her fiancee's Sunday cooking attempts in the trash can. A ring that is here today, gone tomorrow.

"Kara, I'm your wife! I'm at least worth a twenty-five cent ring."

"So demanding! Wives, am I right?" The nudge Kara sends Alex jostles her but her tension holds steady.

Maggie wants a ring.

Kara wants ice cream.

And Alex?

Alex would rather be anywhere but here. Anywhere but the entry way of a grocery store with Kara clicking quarters as she studies the cardboard displaying potential ring outcomes.

"Which one are you hoping for?"

"Isn't it your job to pick for me?" Maggie can't help but tease, "It's like you don't know me at all!"

Kara's determination would usually be cute to Alex. The moment would have reminded her of the times they would rush to the machines seconds after their begs for quarters were successful.

She would remember that, all of it, if Kara's attention wasn't focused on getting Maggie a ring. A plastic ring. A fake ring. A fake marriage. A fake few hours. A fake-

"Which one do you think she'll want?"

"I'm so not helping you pick a ring out for my fiancée."

"I helped you!" A huff and her eyes return to the board. "I'm telling you, Maggie. Three full weeks of: 'Do you think she'll like this?', 'oh god what if she says no?', 'are you sure about the princess cut?', 'oh god what about-'. I can feel your glare, Alex."

"Good."

"Okay, fine. Fingers crossed it's the blue one!"

It's not.

Alex is happy.

Kara pouts.

Maggie can't help but smile at the display her family makes.

Still kneeling to retrieve her prize, an idea forms in Kara's mind. The spark in her eye having Alex instantly on edge.

"Should I- You know-" Her goofy smile shines through as a movement far too close to finger guns is brought into play.

"No." Steel voice. Tense form.

Instantly, Maggie is being pulled closer to Alex's side and into a swift walk leaving their sister caught between an awkward laugh and embarrassed blush –the pitying look a wrinkled woman sends her has her cheeks heating even further.

"C'mon, Kar. Ice cream's on me."

"I knew I was marrying you for a reason!"

They've talked about it. God, have they talked about it.

And maybe it bothers her a little. And maybe it bothers her a lot. And maybe she doesn't want to see Maggie married to someone else, no matter how fake it may be. And maybe she doesn't want to see her pick Kara, no matter how wrong that is. And maybe she doesn't want to watch Maggie slip off their ring to put on another's, no matter how plastic it is.

And maybe it hurts, and maybe it does. And maybe…

Deep breaths help.

Deep breaths and memories.

Deep breaths and hands clasped tight.

But those hands, they can't always be clasped.

And they're not clasped. Not now. Not while Alex hugs the wall, arm ridged around her stomach, drink clutched in hand.

Not clasped as Kara and Maggie stand too close too far away.

"This is all your fault." James follows her gaze as the warning dripping from her words coats the air

"I knew you and Kara were close but not share-a-wife close."

His smirk is met with a glare, a glare that causes the Guardian to swiftly take a step back, swiftly out of swing range, swiftly missing a dangerous elbow jab.

An hour –two shoulder touches, far too many well-rehearsed excuses for the birthday party Little Picasso was at, one hand around waist, two 'have you met my wifes', and four re-tellings of how they met- later, sees Alex seconds from pulling Maggie out of the mission.

Yes.

Mission.

Missions are okay. Missions aren't real. Missions have reason, have goals, have purpose, just the same.

"Don't.

The word slows Winn's approach. With raised powdered doughnut covered hands, he continues.

"What's got you all mopey?" The glare he receives has him treading the edge between 'nerdy little brother' and 'complete and utter annoyance'.

"Oh. That." The hand scratching nervously at the back of his neck belies his uneasy understanding. "I thought you'd be happy."

"Happy?"

A sharp breath.

A step back.

A glare forward.

An internal scream of fear.

Half of which characteristic of the man thoroughly regretting ever learning to speak.

"You know, Maggie and Kara."

Wagging eyebrows is nowhere near a good decision.

"I just mean- Not like-" A few steps back are definitely welcome, "Just that they're getting along. This shows it."

"And?"

"And Kara thought of her, you know? When this whole thing went down."

A raised eyebrow, "She thought of her to be her fake wife, Schott."

"She thought of her to have her back. Kara trusts her, maybe as much as she trusts you."

As he turns and walks away -arguably the safest move he's made today- he leaves a thoughtful Alex.

Her eyes soften in their gaze across the lawn. Her hand loosens in its grip around her waist. Her lips curve, a small smile forming.