"-she's waking up again. Cat? Can you hear me?"
Cat squinted her eyes open, wincing at the bright white ceiling, "Where am I?" She forced herself to look around, noting that she had an IV drip plugged into her hand – why her hand, she didn't know, they should have put it in her arm – and that Carter was sleeping in the lap of a strange woman with short, dark red-brown hair, sprawled across her chest, snoring softly and creasing the dark blue suit he wore. Immediately she tensed, wondering what had happened – the last thing she remembered was…Cat looked around, confused, not able to remember what had happened.
Then movement drew her to a beautiful blonde woman, who wore a dark blue evening gown with a sweetheart neckline and a neatly tucked waistline that showed what Cat identified as the beginnings of a pregnancy bump. Her hair looked to have been pinned up, but now it was mussed, falling around her shoulders, tangling with the diamond collar around her throat, her makeup smudged but still photo-worthy.
"Cat, you were in an accident – a prisoner from Fort Rozz crashed the gala, and you hit your head pretty hard. You woke up an hour ago, briefly, but you didn't know who I- who we were. You only recognised Carter, before you fell unconscious again." She bit her lip, "Cat?"
"Who are you? What's your name?" Cat asked after a pause. The blonde swallowed, giving a brief smile before holding out her hand slowly.
"May I?" Cat waited a second, before nodding slowly, letting the woman take her hand. It was warm, and so familiar… "My name's Kara – Kara Grant. I'm your wife." Cat's eyes widened, astonished. Oh my god – and she's so young.
"Well, I certainly hit the jackpot, then," a snort came from the woman Carter was sleeping on top of, while Kara flushed. Cat looked over to them. "And who are you?"
"Sister-in-law, otherwise known as the best aunt in the known universe," the woman flashed a smile, "My name's Alex, Alex Danvers. I'm Kara's foster-sister. And I have to warn you – in a couple of minutes my partners are going to arrive with our kids to see their Aunty Cat." Aunty Cat. The Media Queen floundered slightly, before Kara squeezed her hand.
"It might be a bit much to take in, but-"
"It's fine," Cat interrupted, squeezing back, smiling slightly, "It's nice to wake up surrounded by people who obviously care more about my welfare than my career." At that, Kara became impossibly sad, and words escaped her before she could stop it, "Stop making that face, Keira, or I'll start giving into your childish whims." Kara's face twisted, budding hope entering her eyes as Cat blinked, analysing what she'd just said. "I call you…Keira. Keira, my assistant…" her head started to hurt, and she squeezed her eyes shut, before the door to her room opened.
"Mrs Grant, Mrs Grant, Mrs Danvers, you have a group of visitors," a nurse smiled, before moving out of the way for three short figures, who tumbled over each other to get in, falling. Cat watched as an auburn-haired woman stepped through the doorway, picking up the one on top – a rosy-faced girl with dark brown hair pulled back into a tight braid, maybe five years old, six at the most.
"Ma!" She whined, before the other two got up – one male, the other female, the latter older than the one within the adult woman's grip, while the former was clearly still a toddler. Cat eyed them, noting the similar features of the girls to the woman, noting how the boy seemed the least alike, only the dark crop of hair on his head letting him resemble who she assumed were his sisters. A different father?
From behind the woman then came a dark-skinned man, who looked over at her, eyeing her carefully. Cat felt a slight pressure in her head, and narrowed her eyes as suspicion and what felt like annoyance filtered through her. She didn't know why, but she knew it was because of him. A second later, his lip twitched, before the pressure abated and he slipped past the woman, who was setting the trio of children to rights, going over to Carter and Alex, sharing a short kiss before standing straight again.
"Cat, how are you doing?" He asked cordially.
"Apparently, I'm amnesiac," she said blithely, still eyeing him, until she felt a body beside her feet. Eyes turned forwards, she raised an eyebrow at the sight of the young boy getting himself comfortable around her feet, the woman sitting in a chair beside her bed with the older girl on her lap, while the younger girl with the braid climbed up onto the bed beside her.
"Hello Aunty Cat," she said carefully, fully enunciating her words. "Is your head okay now? Aunty Kara was real- really, worried."
"Things are a little scrambled," Cat answered, before slowly sitting up, nodding in thanks to Kara – Keira – as she helped, getting the bed controls. "How about you? How are you?"
The girl scrunched up her nose, shaking her head, causing the tail-end of her braid to flap a bit, "I want you to be okay, but I'm all healed up. A big ice man-"
"Ice sculpture," the red-haired woman corrected, sounding displeased.
"-ice sculpture, fell on me, but my head got better straight away. It didn't even hurt much when it fell on me!" Cat stored this information away, curious. "But my nice dress got ripped, and the necklace you gave me broked- got broken. I'm really sorry."
"It's okay…"
"Mickey," Kara gave, quietly.
"Mickey. It's okay Mickey. As long as you're okay, one broken necklace doesn't matter." And the funny thing was, it didn't. She could see it in her mind's eyes – a simple chain, with a small line of emeralds, with a matching bracelet and anklet.
Suddenly the hospital room flashed before her eyes, and she was in her apartment – all the people around her were there dressed up. Kara was in the same blue evening gown, with her hair done up perfectly, tear-drop earrings sparkling in the light as she grinned, leaning into kiss her. Her lips tasted like peaches. The kiss cut off though as dual ews came from Katie and Mickey, who were in matching white lace and green-skirted sleeveless dresses that went just above their knees, long hair out and hanging around both their shoulders. Beside them, Astra was in a deep emerald halter-necked evening gown, red curls pinned up as she batted Jeremiah's little hands away from his tie, which she skilfully pinned to his shirt a second later.
"Max is coming," J'onn announced as he picked up Mickey, who squealed, before Katie giggled as Alex swung her up onto her hip, straining the sparkling black fabric of her dress, thin black straps clear against her pale shoulders.
"Why's Uncle Max here?" Katie questioned, "Isn't he supposed to be at the DEO?"
"Yes, but Uncle Max gets to leave the DEO to make public appearances now that he's doing good things for us," Kara replied, before Carter, dressed in a suit that matched both J'onn and Jeremiah's, went over to the door, opening it in time to let in Maxwell Lord, who wore the same suit too. They'd coordinated, Cat remembered distantly, before Carter hugged him. She grimaced. Because Max is his real father. How did I forget? She could feel her mouth opening to bark an order for everyone to leave, but then it all faded out, and she was in the hospital room again.
"What happened to Max?" She asked belatedly. Kara shrugged, looking to J'onn, who answered.
"He was retrieved by Agent Vasquez and Gamma Squad. He would have been here too, but a lot of hospitals banned him after the Bizarro stuff came to light, so he might have had trouble getting in, anyway." Cat nodded slightly, before just…taking them all in.
"You are all special to me?" She murmured, just about everyone nodding. Swallowing, Cat wondered how long it would take for all her memories to return – because she didn't want to forget this, forget all the special times they'd clearly shared, like any other normal family.
Idiotic brain, supressing memories without asking permission-