Hi guys :)
It took me ages to write it, life's been unbelievable busy, but after my little trip to New York I managed to complete it due to the many hours of flight back to Brazil. This is a sequel of "Valhalla" from TowandaBRA, you don't need to read it to understand but it'd be wonderful if you checked on that amazing story, you'll not be disappointed. For the ones who didn't read anyway, you can read this as a little piece of Christmas fluff, you just need to know that in "Valhalla" Kara sacrificed herself to stop a building from collapsing on top of people and was seriously injured, so after some time on the DEO med bay, Alex finally brought her home to have the Danvers-and-friends Christmas party.
I hope you all enjoy! Just to clarify, this characters belong to DC Comics and to the CW and not to me.
One month after the events of Valhalla...
"Wake up sleepyhead! It's Christmas morning! We have to get things ready before everyone arrives!" Alex called cheerfully.
"It's February 3rd, not Christmas, you demoniac marshmallow." Kara groaned into the pillow. She didn't want to wake up, her whole body hurt and even if her concussion was almost healed, there was a dull ache in her head that wasn't pleasant at all.
"Come on, sis. People will be here soon, you don't want James to see you in your PJ's, do you?" Alex teased poking Kara's less injured side.
At this Kara lifted her head wide eyed and threw a glare worth of heat vision at her sister. "Okay, you have a fair point, let's get things ready."
The brunette silently helped her sister into a seated position and brought Kara's breakfast, she knew the alien would do nothing with an empty stomach.
As Alex watched the blonde's vigorously eating she couldn't help but remember the nightmare they have been through. It meant a lot to her seeing her sister alive and recovering.
After the building collapsed the agent was helpless because she was sure her sister was dead, but nothing compared to the agony of seeing her sister bloodied and crushed under a ton of debris. Kara was barely breathing when they found her, a particularly massive piece of the ceiling compressing her chest, her right arm all bent in awkward angles, her left leg under a pile of debris and several pieces of contorted steel piercing her body.
Alex remembered every second of the torment that was hearing her unconscious sister gasp for air when her lung collapsed and the continuous beep of the machine the three times the hero flatlined on the rescue helicopter. She remembered how devastating was to watch Dr. Hamilton and her team trying desperately to stabilize Kara's vitals and to see a tube being forced into the blonde's throat to keep her breathing, also remembered the sad look in Hank's face when he told her that her beloved little sister was in a coma.
Thanks to Rao and Kara's alien DNA, she was recovering faster than expected. What should be a 8-9 months recovery process for any normal human was estimated to be 3 months long for her kryptonian sister. Alex couldn't be more relieved, she was having a hard time taking care of the injured girl. She wasn't bothered at all by having to help Kara and nurse her wounds, but the blonde was otherworldly stubborn and keeping her quiet in bed was difficult even when the she was sure the kryptonian was tired and in pain. The agent made a mental note to be more obedient the next time she wounded herself in the field, now she knew how much stress not following the orders brought to her loved ones.
After food, Kara was back to her usually bubbly self, her voice dissipating Alex's thoughts. "Alex, I'm done here. Let's get things prepared. I can't wait to know who got my name on Secret Santa!"
"Are you serious, sis? You have more cereal in your clothes than inside of you for sure." Alex teased brushing a strand of hair out of Kara's eyes taking extra care to not disturb the soon to be gone stitches on her forehead.
"Oh, try eating with your non dominant arm and see if you don't make a mess too!" The blonde had a technologic cast on her right arm that went all the way from her clavicle to her hand immobilizing the limb since they surgically aligned her bones. Kara faked to be offended but soon giggled happily causing her broken ribs to hurt.
Alex quickly noted the pain in her sister's features. "Okay, time for pain meds for you and then bath."
The brunette handed her sister a cup of water and some pills. After she was done, she helped Kara up and then to the bathroom, the kryptonian leaning heavily on Alex for a support that her broken ankle couldn't give her.
After the agent changed her bandages for waterproof ones, Kara was all set in the bathtub, happy that the 3D printed casts were water friendly. Bath was a problematic subject with that many injuries, so Alex did her best to let her sister try to do what she already could and help the girl when needed. The blonde's stubbornness have ripped a few stitches on her first bath back home when she tried to do things she didn't manage yet, so Alex had to be extra attentive to Kara's limits.
A few pained whines from Kara and muffled curses from Alex later, the superhero was clean, dressed and sitting on a comfy chair near Alex on the kitchen.
"So, Eliza is going to bring chocolate pecan pie, Hank will probably buy some candy, James is responsible for the drinks, Lucy, for the gingerbread, Winn will bring the turkey and Vasquez her delicious homemade cookies... That leaves us to do the Christmas ham and I'll surprise mom with a pumpkin pie. I found these easy recipes in the internet and all you have to do is tell me what to do." The brunette informed giving her sister two sheets of paper with several ingredients and procedures.
"Chocolate pecan pie is the best..." Kara begins distractedly examining the recipes.
"...dessert on the whole galaxy. I know, I know. Did you even heard the other things I said or your kryptonian brain just froze at the thought of pie?" Alex teased starting to check the fridge pulling out the ingredients they needed.
"I heard you. Christmas ham. Pumpkin pie. Recipe. Read. Got this!" Kara rambled.
"National City's hero is so eloquent." Alex rolled her eyes at her sister who blushed. "First, the ham."
"So, 'Place the raw ham on a large bowl, add enough water to cover and soak overnight.' Oh Rao, Alex! It'll never be ready on time! Our Christmas party is ruined..." Kara started getting desperate only to be interrupted by her sister.
"Hey Kara, don't get so worked up. It's not the first time I see a Christmas ham recipe, I helped mom with it several times when I was younger. I put it on water yesterday, it's okay, our Christmas party will be perfect." Alex soothed showing Kara the bowl with the ham and water.
"Thank Rao! You saved the party. Okay, it says 'Heat oven to 180C, place the ham in a large roasting tin, cover tightly with foil and bake for 3 hours.'" Kara coached as the brunette did the procedures.
"Okay, I think we are done with the ham for now." Alex said putting the roasting tin on the oven. "Pumpkin pie it is now."
"Nice. You first have to do a pumpkin purée." Kara informed cheerfully her mouth watering at the thought of food. "I love pumpkin purée! This pie will be delicious!"
"Oh, Rao! Before you eat the sheets of paper..." The agent brought a spoon full of pumpkin purée to her sister's lips. The kryptonian quickly opened her mouth and hummed happily at the taste. "I could swear I've fed you not even an hour ago, haven't I?" Alex teased laughing at her sister's constant appetite.
"When did you make all these food, Alex? I thought you would cook just today." Kara asked as her sister brought another spoon to her lips.
"A certain someone is a heavy sleeper. I used the time from your afternoon nap yesterday to prepare it." Alex teased as she continued to prepare the pie, she knew how to make it since she was 10 years old, it was Eliza's favorite dessert she just asked for Kara's help because she wanted the girl to feel useful.
"No fair! I'm still on the first step and you're already putting the dough in the oven..." The alien complained pouting as she watched Alex mixing the ingredients gracefully and pouring the result on a pie shell.
"You're even more adorable when you pout." The agent laughed at her sister's kicked puppy face. "I'll take a bath while the food is in the oven. Do you want to stay here or go lay on the sofa?"
"Here. I've laid enough on the past month. Kinda bored of it." Kara replied grumpily.
"Okay, if you need anything just call me. I'll be right back." Alex kissed her sister's forehead and left.
After 20 minutes the brunette came back to the sight of her kryptonian snoring lightly, the blonde's hair hiding her face from the sun shining through the big windows of the apartment. They were adjusting the dose of painkillers now that Kara was recovering, but the girl still seemed to sleep every free time she had. Alex as a doctor knew that this was her body telling it needs rest to heal so she just let the alien be and went to finish the pie and give some final touches on the house.
Not even half an hour later Alex heard a light knock on the apartment's door. "This is odd. People are not supposed to arrive until 4 on the afternoon." She muttered to herself and went to answer whoever it was.
The agent was surprised but not so much by The Queen of All Media, of all people, standing on the other side. Alex had definitely grown to admire the woman on the last month, Cat's constant worry for her sister showed that the media mogul was not the cold hearted witch she thought. The CEO confrontation with Winn to know about Kara's condition earned the older blonde the chance to visit the kryptonian at the DEO and since then she made a lot of medical decisions regarding the girl when Alex was too worked up to think rationally. The brunette surprisingly trusted the other woman's sense of judgment.
"Come on in, Ms. Grant. How can I help you?" Alex opened the door wider for the CEO to enter, seeing Cat's driver behind her with a big gift box and a rather big sustainable bag.
"Good morning, Alex. Can I talk to Kara for a minute? I want to give her something." The woman motioned to the box. "Richard, please put it inside and wait for me in the car, will you?"
Alex mentally rolled her eyes at CEO for not calling her driver for the right name. She had met the kind man when Kara was still in coma, Cat had let her driver at the brunette's disposal if she needed to go anywhere. "Thank you Robert."
"So, where's our little alien?" The blonde asked more comfortable without her driver there to see the Queen of All Media being so soft with someone. This was just reserved at her sons and Kara.
"Oh, she's having her mid-morning nap as you can see." Alex's smile widened while pointing to the sleeping kryptonian. "I'll wake her up and say you're here."
"No, let her be. I'll wait." Cat smiled at the sight of the blonde alien snoring lightly. "Her body needs the rest."
"I know, she tries to stay awake but her body tells otherwise, that's why I'm letting her nap all she wants. Yesterday, above the mid-morning nap she had the after-lunch nap, the afternoon nap and the mid-evening nap before actually sleeping and waking up quite late." Alex said taking a seat and motioning Cat to sit across from her. "I really want to thank you Ms. Grant, you helped us beyond you can imagine."
"All I did was nothing compared to what she does for me everyday. This silly alien drooling in her sleep right there deserves much more than I can ever do to help. She saved me and my sons more than I can count. And more than that, she sees me, I mean, the real me, not just a dictatorial media mogul who shouts at her for nothing, she sees beyond that and cares for how I really feel." Cat averted her gaze from Alex, she didn't want the agent to see the tears of gratefulness she refuses to let fall.
The brunette just took in what was being said. She now understood why Kara cared so much about Cat even when the woman treated her worse than trash. Her sister always saw what nobody could in people, and that for sure had nothing to do with X-ray vision.
"I care for her as if she was my own, Alex, and I think it includes you in the package too, she wouldn't want you to spread yourself too thin. How are you? Are you taking care of yourself? Because if you are as stubborn as I heard from her, you have a tendency of neglecting your own life to take care of her. I know she's your sister but sometimes a hurt alien can be a handful." The CEO sincerely cared for the Danvers sisters. Kara was like a daughter she never had and she knew the most important thing on the world for the alien was Alex. "Oh, and you can call me Cat."
Alex was kind of dumbfounded by Cat worrying about her when suddenly a strange noise came from the box bringing her back from her thoughts. "Please, don't say there's a living being inside that box."
"Sorry?" Cat suggested shrugging her shoulders, she knew Alex would be mad about it but also knew Kara would be radiant and she couldn't shake the idea of giving Puppy Danvers a real puppy. "She'll be so happy, you know that..."
"Cat, Kara is a puppy. I don't think she has much attributes to take care of one. I don't even think she would be still alive if she didn't had her powers. Like, really, she was without them for half a week and managed to get awfully sick and break her arm." The agent was serious, she knew that would make her sister beyond happy but she feared for the poor dog's life. "I don't think it's a good idea."
"Consider it a responsibility test, parents always do this with their children, let her take care of him for a while, if everything is alright she can keep it, if she messes up, we'll find a new home for him." Cat reasoned.
"So it's a him?" Alex asked curiously. She always wanted a dog when she was a kid, but her parents gave her an alien instead. "Okay... We'll see where this will go."
"Carter was amazed by it, he was the one who choose him. The puppy was all adorkable like Puppy Danvers there." Cat laughed.
As if on cue, Kara started stirring, seeming suddenly annoyed by the sunlight in her face. The girl lazily opened her eyes, still heavy and unfocused from sleep. "Alex..."
"Hello, sleeping beauty." Greeted Cat crouching in front of the younger blonde. "How are you? I have something for you..."
"Ms. Grant! Hi! I'm fine, thanks. How are you? How are the boys? Everything alright in the office?" Kara rambled incessantly with surprise. "Actually, thanks for the 3D printed casts, I know you were the one who arranged it. They're sooooo cool!
Alex brought the big box to rest in her sister's lap. And Kara looked even more hyped up. "You didn't have to bring a gift, Ms. Grant! It's not even really Christmas." The alien exclaimed as she tore the wrappings off without even noticing the holes made to help the puppy breath inside the box.
"Oh, I know it's not Christmas but you deserve it." Cat smiled even wider at the girl's excitement.
When the box was finally open the kryptonian's face lightened up a thousand watts. Sitting on the box was a little golden retriever puppy with big doggy eyes and wiggling its tail at her.
"For the love of Rao! It's a puppy!" Kara was so happy she practically shouted. If she had a tail it would probably be wiggling with excitement too when the dog started licking her hand that was petting his little head. "I always wanted a puppy! Thank you so very super much, Ms. Grant! Oh Rao, it's so absurdly cute!"
Alex couldn't contain her laugh at her sister's adorableness, the girl was wide eyed at the animal and so very happy that the agent was sure she would be literally levitating if her powers were stable enough. The blonde had made it before, Kara's first Christmas had the kryptonian so excited that she levitated when they finished to decorate the house and while waiting for the white-bearded man with the reindeers to show up with her gifts. The older Danvers sister had so much fun that year. For the alien, everything was new and magic so it was like having a little kid to teach everything about the holidays. To be true to herself, Alex knew that Kara deep down inside still believed in Santa Claus since that day and was kind of afraid of him because he had super speed more powerful than hers to deliver all those presents in one night, that made the hero even cuter. One look at Cat and the agent knew she was also enjoying herself watching Kara's happiness, she had the widest smile she ever saw in the woman's face.
"I'm really glad you liked, dear!" Cat replied still smiling. "It is a 1-month-old Golden Retriever, Carter himself choose him."
"Oh Rao! So it's a him?" Kara's smile widened more than humanly possible. "He is so wonderful! I already love him!" She said holding the puppy with her good arm while he deliberately licked her face, the box long forgotten.
"I bet you do." Alex chuckled petting him as well. "So, this little buddy here needs a name. What will it be?"
"Can we name him Potsticker?" Kara asked hopefully.
"Oh God! Please don't do this with the poor animal." Cat chuckled at the girl's love for food and joked. "Now I'm afraid you'll eat him, better find him a owner who doesn't practice cannibalism."
"Can we name him Chopepie?" Kara tried again, kind of terrified just at hearing the word cannibalism.
Alex couldn't contain her laughter. "Are you serious, Kar? You just put some syllables of chocolate pecan pie together. I really have to stop buying you that special icing doughnuts, I think that's something in them that make you addicted to food." She teased knowing that those ones always made Kara even hungrier.
"Alex, you're a genius! I'll call him Doug as in doughnuts! It's a perfect dog name." Kara exclaimed bringing the puppy to rest on her chest like a baby. "I love you, Doug. We'll have so much fun together."
Alex and Cat simultaneously rolled her eyes at the girl, Kara was really out of this world and they both shared this deep connection with the alien and extreme protectiveness for the girl.
"Alex, I think we might have a problem..." Kara pointed suddenly frowning and trying to lift Doug with one arm without letting him fall.
The brunette quickly put the dog inside the box again and sighted at the yellow stain on her sister's shirt right were the dog was cuddled. "Oh Rao... Now we have to clean you up again. I can't believe I'll have to take care of two puppies now." Alex was really angry at the animal for making such a mess so soon. "Please contain the beast while I take care of this, Cat."
"I'm sorry for this, he was not old enough to be trained but as soon as he is I'll fetch someone to take him to classes." Cat knew she was responsible for adding this new charge on Alex's already busy life so she would do whatever was within her power to help. "I'll keep him in the box while you are away but I'm not touching this bundle of germs."
Alex helped Kara to the bathroom to clean herself and went to grab a fresh shirt for her. In the meantime, Cat was glaring daggers at the puppy who had already made a mess in the few minutes he arrived. "Bad puppy! Bad, bad puppy! You're more undisciplined than my incompetent employees. How did you dare embarrassing me so fast?" The golden retriever just looked at her with those sad puppy eyes who remembered her a lot of Kara. Once certified that Doug wasn't going anywhere, Cat started to check her emails until the sisters got back.
"He is so his owners dog." Alex said trying to hold back the laughter while setting Kara on the couch.
At the sudden comment Cat looked up to the sight of a half eaten gift box and a happy puppy chewing on cardboard. She couldn't contain her smile at the comparison with Kara's appetite. "Girls, I'm sorry but I have to get going, there was a problem on the layouts for the next magazine so I have to go and fire some incompetents." The smile was still there.
"Thank you, Ms. Grant. For everything." Kara said getting up to properly show her gratitude towards the CEO, after a bit of wobbling and a steading hand from Alex.
Cat looked lovingly at the girls and after hugging Alex, a kryptonian all but fell in her embrace. The CEO was extra cautious with Kara's injuries and run her hand through blonde alien hair, whispering to Kara without breaking the hug. "If you need anything, anything at all, dear, feel free to contact me. You've been through a lot in the past month, sometimes things like that are difficult to cope with. Know that I'm here for you if needed."
When they broke apart Kara had some unshed tears in her eyes. "I'll never forget how much you supported me and my family in this."
"It's nothing dear, you deserved that and a lot more." Cat was interrupted by Kara's puppy barking. "I think Doug wants to say bye too." She joked and they shared their goodbyes before the CEO left.
"Oh Rao! What I'm going to do with this monster now?" Alex sighted when the dog stopped playing with the box and laid down on the far side of the box to take a nap.
"Well, at least he's asleep while we have lunch, so he won't attack our food." Kara giggled.
Alex looked at the clock to the realization that was already lunch time. Cat had brought the basic things to take care of a dog in the sustainable bag so the agent put Doug's food and water in a corner before she went to prepare her and Kara's meal.
Gladly, Doug slept through lunch time and just woke up after they were done. The golden retriever jumped out of the box and devoured the whole bowl of his food. He and Kara played intensely for about one hour until both of them, kryptonian and dog, fell asleep on the sofa.
Alex contemplated the scene in front of her with happiness. Doug was asleep on top of Kara's chest, his little head right above the girl's heart. The agent remembered how many nights the blonde spent in this same place, with her head in the agent's chest, listening to the brunette's heartbeat to soothe her from nightmares about Krypton or power overloads. After a few minutes of watching her sister breath reassuringly after all they've been through, the older Danvers drift off to a dreamless slumber herself.
Alex woke up at the sound of barking and Kara's doorbell. Doug was seated in front of the door being really loud for a small being and Kara was starting to stir awake. The agent was quick on her feet to open the door for a confused Eliza before her sister did woke up. "Alex, since when you girls have a dog?"
The brunette sleepily checked her clock. "Since five hours ago." Sensing that her explanation left her mother even more confused she developed. "Cat gave him to Kara, it's her Christmas gift."
"So it's a him?" The older blonde beamed. "You and your sister always wanted one! That's so nice of her! He is so like Kara!" Eliza caressed the puppy who got all excited and started to lick her hand, it's tail wiggling faster than super speed.
"You say that because you're not the one who gets to take care of two puppies. He already peed on Kara, ate almost a entire cardboard box and our kryptonian puppy clearly strained her injuries playing with him." Alex said pointing to the sleeping alien.
"That's exactly why I didn't give you one when you asked me for it. It's a lot of work for someone who already have kids." The older blonde explained chuckling and still playing with the ball of fur. "Well, now I would love to have a dog, I'm really thinking about getting one. If I half raised one puppy so well, I should do it again. What's this buddy's name? Wait, let me guess! Your sister named him Potsticker, didn't she?"
Alex couldn't help but laugh. "Actually not, Cat didn't allowed. She named him Doug after doughnuts."
Eliza joined her older daughter in laughter. That was so Kara to name the poor dog after food. "You have to stop feeding your sister those special crullers. Someday she'll end up trying to bite someone when she's hungry."
"She already did it. Last year she had a Batman phase. She slept floating upside down near the ceiling, did this strange things with her cape and when she was hungry she would bite me until I gave her food. Thank Rao she gave up on it when I said that hematophagic bats didn't like the sun. And, oh Rao, kryptonian's teeth are really sharp." Alex said seriously remembering those dark days when she had to explain that those bite marks all over her arms were just her sister being a giant superhero baby.
"Oh gosh, she didn't do that?" Eliza said trying not to laugh at her adopted daughter behavior. "I thought she had overcome those phases after the Spiderman one she had when she was 17. I remember she would float to look like she was climbing the walls and beg me to design web shooters for her."
"Don't you believe it? I even bought her a Batman themed pajamas." Alex said showing a photo she took while the girl was asleep. At the visual proof that the kryptonian was sleeping upside down dressed in a Batman shorts and t-shirt smaller than her, Eliza couldn't hold back her laugher anymore. "It didn't have muscular alien size so it was too small but she insisted in using it anyway."
Mother and daughter were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. "People are arriving, can you open for them? I'll wake up sleepyhead there and help her get ready. Don't let the little beast kill our guests please."
"Poor Doug, he could only kill them with cuteness." Eliza joked. "I'll handle the guests, take your time to get yourself and your sister ready."
Half a hour later when Kara and Alex got back to the living room, everyone had already arrived. Eliza and Hank were lightly chatting on the couch while Lucy was trying to steal some food and Winn, James and Vasquez were running around the apartment playing with Doug. They had a beautiful family. Kind of weird and specially diversified but it was theirs.
The evening went out smoothly. They all were having a lot of fun, even Doug was exploding with happiness with all attention he was getting. Alex showed the Batman phase photo to everyone and Kara got angry for about thirty seconds before she went back to the little ball of happiness mode she was always in. They had an amazing dinner in which the kryptonian devoured alone the Christmas ham and the chocolate pecan pie and they all were currently losing to Hank on poker.
"No fair, you can read everyone's mind! You know exactly when someone is lying." Kara pouted angrily after lashing out at Hank.
"Consider that a payback for all the times you looked through my cards to know if my hand was good, little one." Hank replied giving the final blow and getting a little more rich from everyone's bets.
"Still not fair, you hellish potato! You can't get your revenge on me while I'm all malfunctioning." Kara was getting more and more whiny at each minute.
"Okay, you two grumpy aliens stop. Secret Santa begins now!" Alex knew that Kara's crankiness was due lack of her evening nap and also that the gifts would cheer the kryptonian up enough for the party to finish without an alien fight. "Well, the first person tries to make us discover who they got and we go on like that."
"Yay! Finally I get to find out what's inside of the boxes." Kara cheered while Doug barked happily. It was being really annoying for her to wait, she had the bad habit of spying with x-ray vision before the time came. That was the reason why Alex's presents were always on lead lined boxes.
"I go first." Lucy said happily. "The person I got is elegant, kind and does the most wonderful dessert in the entire galaxy."
"Chocolate pecan pie is the best dessert in the entire galaxy." Kara said beaming, she herself had picked Lucy's name and couldn't wait to give the major her present. "You got Eliza!" The girl practically yelled.
"One of them is for you to always remember Kara when she's away." Lucy informed handing the scientist two gift bags.
She gave Eliza a set of recipe books and an E.T. nightshirt which caused the older woman to laugh and Kara to send a death glare her way for the joke. Alex made Kara watch the Steven Spielberg movie when she first arrived on Earth and although the kryptonian didn't relate to the way Hollywood portrayed alien culture, she was pretty upset her fingers didn't glow like in the movie. Since then Alex sometimes called her with that strange E.T. voice, especially when she was going home or using the phone and somehow this joke spread through the DEO.
"Thank you, dear. I'll always wear it when she's in Midvale." Eliza teased knowing well the joke between the sisters.
The Secret Santa was being a complete success, everyone exchanging wonderful and funny gifts, but by the time Jonn received a new black polo shirt from Eliza and gave Alex a new pistol and a mug with "I love my spacial dad" written in it, Kara was starting to get impatient to know who got her name. When Alex gave Winn a Toys R'Us gift card and Superman underwear and the IT guy gave James a box of bow ties, Kara was disappointed because neither her sister nor her crush have picked the little paper with her name.
James gave Vasquez a new gun holster and Kara knew the agent had got her name because only herself and Lucy didn't received their gifts yet.
"The person I got is the most adorkable person in the whole galaxy. She has a super appetite and you can't really let anything that might be mistaken for food near her..." Vasquez began.
"Me! Me! Me! It's me! It's me!" Kara interrupted excited. The agent didn't have to finish her sentence for everyone to know she was referring to an incident in which the alien ate a bunch of highly technologic devices because it looked like chocolate. The kryptonian remembered her sister scolding her "Did you even chew it before swallowing? If you did, you would know that it was made of metal and not of saturated fats. What kind of alien eats surveillance equipment thinking it is m&ms?". After that nobody in the DEO let anything that could bring remembrance of the shape or color of any existing food in any galaxy near her.
"Yep, it's you, Cookie Monster. A freshly baked giant portion of my best cookies and a gift card from the supermarket near your building in which you spend all of your monthly payment." Vasquez explained ruffling Kara's hair while she tried to one handed open the box.
"Oh, come on, sis! You can eat it later, you already stuffed your face enough." Alex scolded earning a kicked puppy face from her little sister.
"Okay, my turn!" Kara said happily although everyone already knew that Lucy was the only one left. "The person I got is really bad ass, the greatest demoniac marshmallow of all times and now she's my best friend." The kryptonian told causing James and Winn to look jealousy at the major.
"Me, of course... I'm your favorite marshmallow." Lucy teased picking up the guys distress while Alex handed her an object not so neatly wrapped on a Frozen gift paper. "Trouble with wrapping a simple present, Agent Danvers?"
"That's Kara's department, not mine. Actually, she was the one who choose the paper." Alex replied sitting back on the couch and being surprised by her sister immediately cuddling into her. "Careful Kar, you could tear a stitch with such intensity. Cuddling is a dangerous activity to you nowadays. I'm not a potsticker, okay?" She said playfully caressing the younger girl's blonde hair and placing a kiss on the top of her head to dissipate the pout that appeared after the reprimand. Doug kind of picked up the clue and run to Kara's lap. Maybe the alien was really a golden retriever puppy after all, now that they had one she couldn't stop finding the similarities.
Eliza couldn't stop laughing at the cuteness of the three of them cuddled on the couch. She definitely
made a good job in raising this wonderful and adorable people.
"Kara, this is so beautiful!" Lucy was in wonder by the kryptonian's present.
"I knew that you would like it. It's your favorite one." Kara beamed. She had planned to give the major that painting before the earthquake but after all they've been through it made the canvas even more special. It was a picture them all together at the park on a Sunday morning. The blonde remembered that day with such happiness that she had to paint it. She still remembered exactly how Lucy, James, Winn and Vasquez were playing with a frisbee while Eliza and Alex talked and Jonn read a book by a tree. Kara remembers the way the sun was shining in her face and how she could feel her cells being charged with the powerful energy while she laid on the grass observing her family.
"That's the best present ever, thank you so much." Lucy said carefully hugging Kara then returning her to Alex and Doug's hold. The major remembered arriving at the blonde's apartment on the game night after the day in the park and seeing the new painting. She instantly fell in love with it and was amazed at how her friend managed to represent the moment with such accuracy and depth. Lucy remembered Kara playfully explaining "Alien's brain. It needs more food but eventually it's more lucrative than resources consuming." The petit brunette knew that there was more to it than just kryptonian physiology, that canvas was made out of the girl's talent and love for her Earth family.
"No problem. We're here for this." Kara said with a smile. "Sorry for Alex's lack of skills in wrapping." The alien joked earning a furious glare from her big sister.
After about 30 minutes of light conversation with her friends and mother, Alex couldn't contain her kryptonian sister anymore so the blonde all but dived into the cookies Vasquez brought her. The baked goods vanished within minutes and Kara almost fought with Doug when he tried to steal one. When the clock hit 9 p.m. Jonn excused himself and Vasquez saying they had to wake up early on the next day for an important mission and left. He was working twice as hard to try and compensate Kara and Alex's absence, he really missed his favorite superhero and best field agent at the DEO.
Eliza had left a little bit after the agents because her flight was early and she had yet to pack everything.
When the clock hit 10 p.m. Kara was sleeping soundly against her sister while the agent played board games with her friends. At midnight Lucy, James and Winn said goodbye to Alex, Doug and to a very sleepy kryptonian.
"Kar, time to go to bed." She shook her sister awake carefully only to have the girl cuddling even more into her and mumbling nonsense. "Did you liked our Christmas party?" She tried again in hope that if Kara talked to her she would eventually fully wake up.
"Best party ever!" The alien replied between yawns. "Just a pity Santa can't show up in February. He's scary but always leaves a cool gift behind." Kara said rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"Look I know I'm no Santa but I have a little present for you." Alex said picking up a neatly wrapped box in an Olaf themed gift-wrap and a pink ribbon. "Before you ask, I had someone wrap it for me."
"Alex, you didn't need to do this. You are the best present I ever received. Your protectiveness and loyalty is more than I could ever ask for. You renounced part of your life to take care of me, even if it was not really your responsibility. And... what you've been doing for me since last month... I can never thank you enough." Kara's eyes welled up with tears. Words were not enough to express her gratefulness and love towards her big sister. "Rao, Alex! You all but moved in to take care of me, every second of the day you're here tending to my every need. How will I ever deserve all of this love? And still you're here giving me one more gift that you even had someone wrap it in my favorite movie's wrapping, and I know how much you hate to ask people to help you with things."
"Shhh... Hey, look at me... Kar, you deserve all the love from this galaxy and beyond. All I do for you, it's... it's nothing, you've blessed me with your radiating presence everyday and that makes everything worthy." The brunette soothed the kryptonian hugging her close and gently stroking her blonde hair until the girl calmed down a bit. "I can't even imagine how my life would be without my bubbly alien following me around. When I thought you were dead I was completely devastated because of myself, it was selfish, because not having you to protect was hell on Earth, it was like a hole in my chest, like someone tore a part from my heart, but I still had some peace in thinking you reunited with your family in the light of Rao, that you were in peace." This time Alex herself couldn't hold back her tears. It was really hard to remember being so close to lose her sister. "But when they found you all broken and in so much pain, they didn't even know if you were going to make it, you almost didn't... That was ten times worse... To see you suffering that much and not being able to help was one of the worst things in my entire life. It remembered me a lot of your little self back when you arrived on Earth, this little girl who lost everything and was completely terrified and there was nothing I could do to actually help besides being there for you, to try and bring some sense of comfort hoping that it could break through your agony. How could you ever think I would be able to leave my little sister all alone to take care of herself after all that?"
Kara had a sudden memory of Alex yelling at Jonn at her apartment but she assumed her traumatized brain made it up. She couldn't really answer her sister, her heart was in pieces for knowing how much pain she caused the agent, so she just cried and cried buried on Alex's neck while her sister held her, placing soft kisses on the top of her head and whispering calming words until she got herself back together.
The brunette tried to adjust Kara, knowing that the angle the girl was seated was extremely painful for her healing ribs by the little whimpers every time she inhaled but the kryptonian just held a little bit tighter so Alex let her be for a while. It took some minutes to calm Kara down but eventually the agent managed to do it. "How about some pain meds and a nice cozy bed? You can open that present later."
"I'm sorry, Lex. I don't want you to think that you did all of this in vain. I had the best day in what looks like ages. Our family is amazing and I had lots of fun..." Kara began explaining, trying to fidget with glasses she was not wearing.
"But it needed to be discussed." Alex interrupted. "You've been through a lot, and it's still hard. Please, don't hesitate to talk to me when you need."
"I love you, big sister!" Kara beamed hugging her favorite hero. "No need to worry, I'll be okay. I won't be an even greater burden, you already did too much."
"You know what they say, some people are worth melting for." Alex said with a smile. "You will never be a burden to me. I love you so much, lil sis!"
"Can't believe Alex bad ass Danvers just quoted Frozen." The kryptonian's smile grew more than alienly possible.
"Everything to cheer you up, Anna." The agent teased her sister. She always bugged Kara about her personality similarities with the character. "It's not like I don't know it by heart after you making me watch it a thousand times."
"Wait, if I am Anna... And you are Elsa, because you totally are... Does it make Doug Olaf?" The blonde thought out loud really hyped up about the idea.
"Maybe." Alex looked at the sleeping dog. "What about those meds now that you are feeling better?"
Kara nodded shyly, she didn't want to agree with her sister, the medication made her sleepy and slow but, Rao, those broken bones really hurt. The girl took the moment when her sister went to pick her pain pills to open Alex's gift.
"Damn, I'm so stupid! Do you believe I searched the whole apartment for the meds that were right there in the counter?" Alex said jokingly coming back to the living room.
The agent stopped when met by the sight of her sister smiling in her sleep, hugged to the special present she gave. Alex had retrieved the rock Kara had been holding so dearly when they found her body in the rubble and got someone design a pedestal and a glass dome for it. She thought that if that thing was so important to her little alien, Kara had to keep it as a remembrance of what they went through and how they had overcame it all. That odd rock brought something in the kryptonian that the older Danvers couldn't exactly place but she was sure it was a positive reaction.
The brunette simply stopped thinking about waking her sister and scoped the girl up carefully to not disturb her injuries. Once in the bedroom she put the pills and water on the nightstand in hope Kara would swallow than if she woke up at night. "Sweet dreams, baby Danvers." Alex laid a tender kiss on her sister's forehead and tucked her in bed. She couldn't know what the future held for them, but she was pretty sure that the Danvers sisters could get through anything together.
So, this is it! I hope you all have enjoyed and I'm glad to announce that my partnership with TowandaBRA didn't stop here… She wrote an amazing piece that complements these stories and will post soon. She is an amazing author and I'm really proud of being able to help and be part in all of this. We're planning to do a cooperative work about episode 1x20 so, stay tuned! As always, thanks for reading and reviewing, I love you all :)