Homecoming (Complete)

Chapter Thirty

"Alex? Are you here?" Dinah called as she let herself into Alex's apartment. "Whoops!" She came to a quick stop—Alex and Diana were standing by the open balcony doors locked in a deep kiss. "Sorry."

"It's just a kiss, Dinah," Diana said over Alex's shoulder as she pulled her hands out from inside Alex's robe, pulled the front closed, and did up the ties. "You're not interrupting anything." She smirked. "Now, if you'd come by last night..."

"Diana!" Alex blushed and Diana chuckled.

"I'll see you later," Diana kissed Alex again, pulling away reluctantly. "Will you be here?"

"Yes," Alex said. "I think I will be. I'm feeling the most...in control," she grinned, "I have since coming back."

"Good," Diana smiled and touched Alex's cheek. "I'll talk to you later, Dinah," Diana called as she flew from the balcony.

"That was...awkward...," Dinah said. "Sorry. I didn't mean to... I mean, mostly you're never here...or don't answer even if you are. I shouldn't have just walked in," Dinah rambled in embarrassment. "Is this a secret? I'm sorry. Wait. When did you two have time to...? Never mind... none of my business..."

"Dinah," Alex laughed. "It's okay. Really. It's not a secret. It honestly just happened."

"Wait, did you just laugh?" Dinah looked at her. "What did she do to you?" Dinah blushed. "Shit. Don't answer that. I didn't mean that." Alex was giggling.

"I forgot how much you ramble when you're flustered," Alex said. She put her arm around Dinah's shoulders. "What's up, Dee? Why are you here?"

"I just came to see if you'd come home yet," Dinah said. "You and Diana? Really?"

"Is that okay, Dee?" Alex asked hesitantly.

"What?" Dinah asked, surprised. "Why wouldn't it be okay? And why would you ask me?"

"Diana's been your friend for years," Alex said.

"And you're my best friend," Dinah said. "I'm happy for you. Why wouldn't I be happy for you?" Dinah laughed. "You're weird sometimes, Alex. You worry so much about everyone else that you forget to be selfish once in a while. You forget that it's okay to be selfish once in a while." She elbowed Alex and leered at her. "Does she make you 'happy'?"

"Dinah...," Alex blushed.

"Oh!" Dinah howled. "She does! You never used to blush this easily. Imma gonna have fun with this."

"Dinah!" Alex said again, then started to laugh. "Stop it, already. We just... Diana and I just...," she blushed some more as Dinah giggled at her. "Stop it! It's new. I don't know what it is yet. Will you stop giggling at me?"

"I'm sorry, Alex," Dinah said, not looking the least bit sorry. "At this exact moment—right here, right now—you are the most 'you' I've seen since I've been back in town," she said more seriously. "I'm liking it. A lot. I'm sorry if I'm pushing hard to keep the moment going. Whatever the two of you are up to, I like the change I see in you," she smiled.

"It's...I don't know," Alex said slowly as she thought. "Diana touched something inside me—stop it!" Alex said as Dinah chewed on her bottom lip and tried not to burst out laughing. "I'm trying to say she connected with—stop it!" Tears were starting to roll down Dinah's cheeks as her body shook with silent laughter. "Dammit! I'm trying to be serious here, Dee."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Dinah wheezed. "I'm under control. It's all good now." She snorted a giggle. "Really." She folded in half and hiccupped as she tried to catch her breath. "Nope, not okay yet. Give me a sec. Bwah ha ha ha!" Alex stood and stared at her while she laughed and laughed. At one point Dinah seemed to get herself under control and stood up but as soon as she saw the look on Alex's face she was off again.

"I'm going to go sit on the couch," Alex said grumpily. "You can join me when you're done over here and ready to listen."

"I'm sorry, Alex," Dinah said between giggles as she went and sat down with her. "Really. Forgive me?" She fluttered her eyelashes at Alex. Alex punched her lightly on the shoulder and grinned at her.

"You're an ass, you know that right?" Alex pulled a face at her. "Can I talk now without you turning every word into sexual innuendo?"

"Isn't that the best kind of innuendo?" Dinah grinned. "Go ahead. I don't make any promises. You're making it too easy for me."

"I've been trying to say that I feel the most connected I've felt since I've been home," Alex said. "Kate started the ball rolling—she broke down my walls in a way that only she could have. She pretty much beat me over the head with raw emotion until I couldn't hold it back any more. I was still in love with her and...I think she may have been the only person able to get through." She looked at Dinah. "But it was only the start. I still haven't been able to shake the island, the oddities of the island—things like how I even got there in the first place, and why I was, and mostly still am, obsessed with chasing someone. When I slip out of touch I run and run and run. I'm chasing this impossible person, the person that can't possibly exist. Two nights ago, Diana came to see if I was home, and I was in the tail end of one of my...episodes. Nothing has ever been able to snap me out of it before. When I'm starting to come back I have moments where I see the world around me, but they're kind of blurry and out of focus. Somehow Diana...found me." Alex blushed. "I don't know why I just blushed," she whispered and Dinah laughed.

"Diana was able to talk me back. Just being here, talking to me...I don't know what happened or how it happened but...," Alex smiled sweetly. "I woke up in the morning and she had tucked me into bed and had just held me all night. I woke up feeling the most rested and the most...me...I've felt in a very long time. Probably for at least as long as I was lost on that island." She took a deep breath. "Diana came back to visit last night and...things just...happened." She blushed. "I know why I blushed that time," she whispered and Dinah howled with laughter.

"So something about Diana is helping you to...? Stay connected?" Dinah asked still giggling.

"Yes," Alex said. "I don't know how or why but this is the first time I've not had to fight to stay present. I'm not compelled to go wander the streets searching for...whatever it is I've been searching for." She looked a Dinah with tears in her eyes. "Do you have any idea what that feels like, Dee?" she whispered. "The compulsion, at least for this exact moment, is gone. For a few minutes, I'm free and I feel...normal."

"Oh Alex," Dinah said as she pulled her in for a hug. "Whatever it is about Diana, whatever it is you two have been up to," Dinah grinned and waggled her eyebrow at Alex, "I hope it keeps helping. I like this you. I like having you back. I've missed you like you can't believe."