The bell of the bakery rang in her ears, and she tried to ignore the chatters of excitement rising up from the full tables, American flag printed bunting everywhere she looked.

She rolled her eyes, standing in line with her arms crossed, trying to ignore the dirty looks people sent her way. She was almost near the counter, getting ready to order when a man in a business suit cut in front of her, placing his order.

"Excuse me?" She asked, but no one seemed to hear her. When she asked again, all it led to was a nasty look thrown her way from the woman behind her.

Alex bit her cheek, anger growling in her stomach at the behavior of the people in the shop.

She stepped up to the counter, bills in hand and began to place her order.

"Hi" She plastered a fake smile on her face, "I'd like--"

"I'm sorry," The teenager behind the register began, "But we can't serve you."

An involuntary laugh slipped past her lips, "I'm sorry?" Alex asked, unable to keep the surprise off her face. "Why not? I have money."

The teenager shrugged, his greased back hair shining under the fluorescent lights, "It's company policy."

Alex inhaled sharply.

She knew what he meant by that and gracefully stepped out of line.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed past the rest of the people in line and strode to her car, slamming the door shut and screaming out all of her frustration.

She was sick of it.

Her hands slammed against the wheel.

Sick of this city. Sick of being stuck.  Sick of this time period.

Sick of being treated like she was a lesser human being because of her gender and the color of her skin.

She was so sick of it!

She wished more than anything that the Waverider would appear right then and there and beam her up, but she knew that was as likely as Sara coming back.

So instead she turned the car on and headed home, empty-handed.

She was almost to the apartment when she caught sight of the street that led to Sal's store. Deciding that he might have some form of cake she could consume, she turned the car, following the bumpy road to the giant parking lot, stuffing her keys in her pocket as she reached the door.

"Hola, Sal!" She greeted, elbows pressing against the counter where he worked.

"Chiquita!" He bellowed, leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek, "Feliz cumpleaños!"

She smiled at his response, "Muchas Gracias," Alex thanked him and took a look around the store, turning back to ask him, " ¿tienes pastelitos ?" Her hands formed a circle, letting him know the size she was looking for as well.

A thoughtful expression passed over Sal's face before he left the counter, moving toward the back before he came out with a small purple box in his hands, "Francesa made one too many for her friends" He responded in English, "They're red velvet, your favorite."

Alex's stomach leaped at the gesture. He remembered. At least someone did.

"Thank you, Sal," She pressed a kiss to his cheek, "How much?"

The owner shook his head, "Consider it a gift for one of my favorite customers." His eyes twinkled and she moved in for a hug, letting him know that his gift was much appreciated.

"Tell Francesca thanks," Alex responded, "I can't wait to eat it."

Sal chuckled and patted her shoulder, disappearing behind the register once again.

Unsure of what else to do, Alex stepped outside, her eyes still on the box even as she slid behind the wheel again.

She couldn't stop the smile that was forming on her face.

***

Alex blew out a sigh as she stepped out of the car to the apartment. As she passed the Fourth of July posters surrounding her, she resisted the urge to tear them down.

She never liked the holiday. It was just an excuse for the country to pat itself on the back when it didn't deserve it

There was only one reason to celebrate it at all, and apparently she was the only one to remember it. Well, the fireworks weren't bad either.

The sound of noisemakers and yells greeted her as she entered the apartment, almost causing her to drop the box she held in her hand.

"Happy Birthday!!" Kendra and Ray cried in unison gesturing to the streamers and balloons they had strewn around the apartment, a soft sound of a kazoo coming from the kitchen.

"We didn't know which one you preferred," Ray began to talk, "Kendra said streamers, I said balloons, so we got both of them!"

Alex couldn't stop her lips from perking up at the thoughtful gesture. They remembered.

Warmth filled her chest and stomach at the thought.

They had remembered her birthday.

"We didn't know what kind of cake you wanted," Kendra spoke up from the kitchen, "But Ray swears he heard you say red velvet one time, so that's what we got."

"Well Ray's right," Alex chuckled, her smile growing wider as she moved toward the kitchen, catching two rectangular packages wrapped in deconstructed paper bags. One slightly smaller than the other.

Ray pulled out the chair for her, "Your throne Princess Alexandra," He spoke in an overly formal voice, calling back to their conversation after the gulag.

She'd never heard her full name out of his mouth before.

She liked it.

Alex took her place at the head of the table while Kendra and Ray flanked either side of her, Ray's smile never wavering as he eagerly handed her the presents.

"The smaller one is from me," Kendra began, gesturing to the packages, "I, uh, I hope you like it."

Alex nodded, "I'm sure I will." She smiled at the other woman, feeling something other than contempt stirring in her stomach. She reached for the smaller package, gently slipping her fingers through the tape so she wouldn't rip the paper bag.

A tiny box fell into her lap, the silvery sheen glowing in the daylight. She cracked it open, eyes meeting a circular pendant, the letter A carefully engraved into the necklace.

"Oh wow," Alex gulped, in awe of the gift Kendra had gotten her, "This is beautiful Kendra, thank you."

She lifted the pendant from the box, sunlight illuminating every angle.

"If you turn it over," Kendra continued hesitantly, "You, uh, you'll see that I had it...well you'll see."

Alex nodded, flipping the pendant over to catch the glittering outline of Greece, and for a moment she felt pressure build behind her eyes.

She missed Themyscira.

She missed the endless horse races and training sessions with her mother.

She missed the infinite sea that stretched for miles.

The cliffs she would dive off when she was feeling cooped up.

She didn't even realize she was crying until the taste of saltwater passed her lips.

She missed home.

"I'm sorry," She spoke, her voice tight, trying to keep her responses short. "This is wonderful Kendra, thank you." Alex pressed herself upward, moving around to give the woman a tight hug before wiping the remaining tears from her eyes. Kendra stroked her arm in comfort and Ray gave her a sympathetic smile.

Gently placing the necklace back into its box, Alex forced a short breath through her nostrils, calming herself down as she grabbed the next present with shaking hands.

"This one's mine," Ray exclaimed, his demeanor like an excited puppy, eagerly leaning over the table to watch her open his gift,

She chuckled at the sight and slipped her fingers underneath the tape, her nails were longer and broke through the folds easily. She slipped the present out, a bright white box landing on the table with a heavy thud.

"A box?" She laughed at her own joke, "You shouldn't have."

Ray chuckled along with her.

Alex continued to search the white package for the best place to open it, her nail breaking through the tape and she lifted the lid.

Her hands wiped themselves over the matte cover, feeling the weight in her arms as she opened the book, pieces of archaic vases and romantic portraits staring up at her, begging her to dissect every bit of them. To interpret them in new ways and share those with others.

This birthday, she decided, was the best birthday she had had in a long time.

She gulped down the tightness in her throat, her heart thumping against her chest as she looked over the gift Ray had given her. It was perfect. Everything about this was perfect.

"Thank you," Was all she could choke out, carefully placing the book back in its packaging as she moved to give the taller inventor a hug, relishing in the feeling of his arms around her, the act alone calming her down from the agitated state she had been in before.

The hug lasted longer than either of them expected, and when they pulled away, Alex's stomach sank. She felt colder, somehow. Like the air conditioning had been turned up by a thousand.

"This has been amazing," She looked between the couple, "I'm serious guys, thank you so much."

"Anything for our favorite demigoddess." Ray responded. And Alex chuckled, drawing her attention back to the book. "Besides, how often do you turn 97?" He joked, easing the tension that had been building.

Her chuckle turned into a laugh, echoing through the kitchen as Kendra stood up to join them.

"Cake?" She asked, gesturing to the homemade treat in the middle of the table.

Ray and Alex looked at each other before meeting Kendra's gaze, "Hell yes," Alex responded, the smile on her face genuine, reaching her eyes, causing the corners of them to crinkle.

Kendra grabbed a kitchen knife, pulling the circular pastry closer to her, the white cream cheese frosting curling over on itself, the slightest bit of red peeking through.

The piece Kendra handed her was the size of her palm, a thin white line divided the two layers, a blue H, A, and P on the top of her slice, indicating that Kendra had in fact, given her the biggest piece.

Alex moved to the silverware tray, trading her fork for a spoon before sitting back down, confused by the stares Ray and Kendra were both giving her.

"What?" She asked, hoping she didn't have to get into this debate with her two friends.

Kendra, thankfully, said nothing and went back to eating her piece of cake. Ray, however, couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"I don't-- you know what, I'm just not gonna say anything,"

Alex maneuvered her body so she was facing the scientist. She raised her brow as if challenging the man before her, "You got something to say about my eating choices Palmer?"

It felt good to tease someone else again.

It felt good to joke around with someone again.

Ray lifted both of his hands in surrender, swallowing his piece of cake before continuing with his argument, "I've just never seen someone use a spoon to eat cake before is all."

Alex rolled her eyes, "It's not that unusual," She spoke through a restrained smile, a giggle escaping her mouth at the sight of Ray's skeptical expression.

She'd never seen that look on his face before.

"All I'm saying is that there are certain ways of doing things," Ray continued, "And while I don't want to say yours is wrong..." He bobbed his head back and forth, clearly letting her know his stance on things.

Alex shook her head, unable to stop the smile from forming on her face and stuffed more cake in her mouth, relishing in the sweet taste that passed her lips.

"But it tastes just as good," She joked back, waving the spoon in front of him.

***

She leaned against the back of the couch, tearing off pieces of the pita bread bit by bit, the tzatziki sauce dripping onto her thumb, where she eventually licked it up. The window was open, the soft summer wind blowing her hair in front of her face.

The view was perfectly positioned, she could see right above the clock tower in the center of downtown. Where they would eventually light up the fireworks she used to mark the end of her birthday with.

It was almost midnight.

They would be going off soon. She stuffed the rest of her gyro in her mouth, reaching for her napkin to clean off her hands.

She was getting ready to dig into her cupcake from Sal's when a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"You up to watch the fireworks too?" Ray asked, stuffing his hands in his pajama pant pockets as he meandered over to the couch. Alex shrugged.

"They're my favorite part of the holiday," She admitted, staring up into the inky sky, "It's not a birthday without fireworks."

The weight of the couch shifted as Ray joined her, the familiar scent of sandalwood and vanilla clogging her nose as he moved closer to her.

He caught sight of the napkin on the coffee table and the crumbs that accompanied it. Ray's face curled into a faux expression of betrayal, "Did you make gyros? Without me?"

A soft laugh slipped past Alex's lips, "It was my birthday," she shrugged, like that was enough of a justification, "And I was really hungry."

Ray rolled his eyes, but she caught the smile hanging on his lips, clearly letting her know that it didn't bother him.

"But..." She began, reaching in the box and pulling out the red velvet cupcake, "If you're that broken up about it, I guess we can share this."

Ray's expression immediately shifted to a more serious one, and she could hear the protest before he opened his mouth, "Oh no, I was joking before--"

"I know," Alex cut him off, offering the cupcake his way, "I still wanna share it with you."

Her chest bubbled at her words and she gulped down her nerves.

Ray hesitated, staring at the woman before him before standing up, causing Alex's stomach to drop.

Did she go too far? Pressure him into doing something he didn't want to?

Oh fuck. She messed up again, didn't she?

She failed, didn't she? And now she was going to spend her birthday alone again. Just like she had been expecting this whole time.

"You at least deserve one wish," Ray explained, coming back from the kitchen with a knife in one hand and a candle in the other. He plucked the cupcake from her hand and placed it on the counter, sticking the candle directly in the middle of it and lighting it with a match he stole from the matchbox in the kitchen.

"There you go," He gestured toward the convenience store cupcake, like it was a gourmet pastry ready to be judged, "Make a wish."

Alex checked her watch, just a few more seconds before the fireworks were set to go off. She really didn't wanna miss the opening ones because of a wish.

But the idea was endearing. It called to her.

And Ray really wanted her to.

Once she saw that dopey look on his face, she knew she couldn't say no. Taking a deep breath, she scooted closer to the coffee table, closing her eyes and sending her wish up to the stars.

Bring me home. Bring me back to the Waverider. Please.

Her breath collided with the flame, sending it dissipating into the air just as crackling was heard behind her, explosions filling the sky as she watched the colors spread out before her. Her laugh flew through the window, conjoined with the sounds of the fireworks painting a picture in the sky.

Beside her, Ray whispered, "Happy Birthday, Alex."