An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Summary: With all the flights out of National City cancelled after Livewire’s latest attack, Maggie finds herself with a voucher for two free nights at the airport hotel. What’s setting up to be yet another disappointing Christmas gets turned around when Alex and Lucy find her and offer to help her make the most of it. After all, everyone needs a little help navigating the real landmine that is a mediocre continental breakfast.
Alex groans as yet another flight out of National City is announced as cancelled. Of course Livewire couldn’t have chosen a better weekend to attack the entire city’s power grids.
“What do you think the odds are that our flight makes it?” Lucy asks, dropping her head to Alex’s shoulder.
“Considering we’re already at a 7-hour delay, I’d give us a…1 in 200 shot of making it off the ground.”
Lucy looks delighted. “Well, at least I can tell my dad I tried to make it home for Christmas.”
“You know this is just gonna end up as more fodder in his anti-alien rant, right?”
“Ah, but Livewire is human. And a human he already couldn’t stand.” Lucy lowers her voice to an attempt at a gruff baritone. “So crass. There is no reason for a young lady to speak like that. You’d know better than that, wouldn’t you, Lucy?” She shakes her head. “Probably thinks she did it to derail Christmas for all the proper young ladies in the city.”
“You think we count?” Alex asks, wiggling her eyebrows.
Still, they stick around taking inane Buzzfeed quizzes on Lucy’s phone until they hear the formal announcement: “Flight 217 to Metropolis has been cancelled.” It’s followed by cancellation announcements for three more flights, and they watch as the last stragglers still waiting and hoping in the airport begin to disperse.
“Head back to my place? We can order in from Mr. Chen’s and watch Die Hard for a true Danvers sisters Christmas experience. Minus Kara, which is weird. When did she get mature enough to go and do a whole meet the partner’s family thing for the holidays anyway?”
“James’ mom makes really amazing mashed potatoes. You should be jealous.”
“Sorry. Is it weird to talk about them?”
Lucy shrugs. “Not really. It’s been months, and honestly, it was a long time coming even before that.” A smirk pulls up the corner of her mouth. “I bet we could make it weird by telling them about the time we got drunk and made out after game night and—” The rest of the sentence is muffled by Alex’s hand as she presses it against Lucy’s mouth, only to tug it back with a grimace when Lucy nips at her palm.
“Do you want Mr. Chen’s, or do you want me to leave you in the airport all night?”
With a loud huff, Lucy loops her arm in Alex’s and drags her toward the exit. “You drive a hard bargain.”
On the walk they wander past the customer service desk, its line stretching all the way around the corner. “God, I’d hate to be them right now,” Lucy says with a shudder, eying the crowds of people whose moods seem to range from irritated to furious. Half of them are hissing angrily into their phones, presumably yelling at hapless customer service representatives who are just as they are by the confused by the freak attack that had left the airlines out of communication with National City for nearly a full day. “Hey, wait, don’t you know her?” Lucy pivots Alex around and gestures with her head toward one of the women talking to an older man working at the desk. “It looks like—”
“Maggie,” Alex says in unison with Lucy.
