"I know this sounds weird … different. Didn't you ever dress up or pretend you were something or someone else on Krypton?" Alex asked racking her brains to find a way of explaining the American Halloween tradition of Trick or Treating to her alien foster sister. Without waiting for a reply, she forged on, "It'll be fun, really. You like candy … we've established that much. All you have to do is dress up in a costume and run from house to house and say 'trick or treat'. The people will open the door and give you candy. Come on, it'll be fun!"

Alex looked over at Kara whose interest was definitely peaked when the word candy was mentioned. I'll focus in on that. I want to go out for my last trick or treat this year and Mom insisted I take her with me.

"You can get lots of candy … enough to make you sick if you try and eat it all at once," Alex saw Kara's brow furrow. "Well you're not supposed to try and eat it all at once. I'm just saying, you can get a lot of candy – all different kinds, too! Chocolate, licorice, Smarties, hard candy, gummy worms, Cracker Jacks, Sweet Tarts, suckers …"

Alex watched as Kara's eyes glazed over. I don't know if she's bored or I put her into a diabetic coma mentioning all that candy.

"Alex. What are Smarties, Cracker Jacks, Sweet Tarts and gummy worms?" Kara carefully pronounced the unfamiliar names.

"Oh – they're just different types of candy. I promise, you'll like them if you try them and if you don't you can give them to me," Alex deliberately left out the giving Kara some of her candy in return. She'll probably like all of her candy anyway.

"Okay," Kara fiddled with her new glasses.

"Now all we have to do is decide on a costume for you. The list is almost endless …" Alex trailed off then looked at Kara's blank face. I guess I'd better give her some examples. "Kids dress up like witches, monsters, aliens –"

"I can be an alien? Okay." Kara nodded, "I am in with it then."

Alex fought and lost the battle to not roll her eyes at Kara's attempt to use a colloquialism. I had to say alien, didn't I? Mom and Dad will freak. "Well, you are an alien already so why don't you chose something else?"

Kara frowned and readjusted her new glasses, "I could go as a human?"

Okay, she's clearly not getting this. Alex, who planned to go as Buffy since, like, forever, secretly hoped to ask Rick to go with her as Spike. That was before her life was turned upside down. I have an idea for her costume. That's it! I'll chose her costume this year. Then she won't pick something stupid that the other kids will see. She doesn't need anyone picking on her at school after all. Alex firmly told herself it had nothing to do with the fact she didn't want her friends seeing her next to whatever lame costume Kara picked out. This way she could still wear her costume. The stitches on her right forearm would only add to the coolness factor.

"Oh," Alex slapped her forehead with her hand as though she just remembered something. "You know? I totally forgot. It's Halloween tradition that the older sister picks out the costume for her younger sister. I guess that means you'll have to trust me to pick you out a great costume, okay?"

Kara nodded gravely.

Nice save, Alex.

"I'm going as Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Alex announced. Geez, I wish she'd stop looking like she doesn't know who Buffy is. "You know, Buffy? You've watched it on television with me a couple of times."

Alex saw the realization dawn on Kara's face and the alien nodded happily.

Thank goodness. Something she understands. Now we're getting someplace.

"You can be Dawn – she's Buffy's younger sister. She's kind of a member of the Scooby Gang – uh, Buffy's friends, the ones who help her slay the vampires," Alex added. This will work. I can pick out her clothes so she looks cool and she can carry around a fake axe. Maybe we'll put some fake blood on her like she was in a fight and Buffy saved her. I wonder if I can get Dad to let her ditch the glasses.

"My name is Kara," the alien frowned.

Crap! Okay, she doesn't understand.

"I know your name is Kara. Like my name is Alex, not Buffy. We are going to pretend our names are Buffy and Dawn. Pretend I am a vampire slayer and you are my younger sister. I –"

"I am your younger sister," Kara interrupted then shyly added, "even you said so."

She got you there, Alex. I guess I haven't actually said she was my younger sister before.

"You're right. Do you remember what happened in the television show? You know, how Dawn got into trouble and Buffy had to save her?" Alex waited for Kara to nod before continuing, "It'll be like that."

"I'm supposed to get into trouble?"

"No!" Alex said with a little too much force causing Kara to shrink back. Frustrated, Alex closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. Think! She takes everything too literal how can I – oh, that might work!

"You know you're my little sister now, right?" Alex waited for the nod, "and it's my job to protect you … to keep you out of trouble, right?"

Another nod from Kara.

"Okay. That's what Buffy does for her little sister, Dawn, too. I'll tell you what to wear and all you have to do is follow me and say 'trick or treat' when I do. Don't worry, you won't get into trouble because I will be there to protect you." Alex successfully controlled her eye roll as Kara beamed at the last statement. "Now, when we go out, I am going to say my name is Buffy the Vampire Slayer and you say your name is Dawn – even though I know it's not," Alex hurriedly added when she saw Kara open her mouth to protest.

"Like what Kal-El does," Kara cocked her head, "Like a disguise?"

"Yes! Yes! That's it. Like a disguise. We're going to be in disguise so no one knows it's the Danvers sisters, okay?"

"And people will give us candy if we are in disguise?"

"Yes they will," Alex answered.

"Can we do it tonight too?"

Supergirl belongs to Warner Bros. and DC Comics. I'm borrowing some of the characters for Halloween