Author's note: Just a quick little story that came to mind after watching the preview for the next new episode. I really love Lena's character and hope she sticks around in a friendly and good capacity. Hope you all like it and let me know if I should add more because while I think this works as a one shot, I think there might be enough here to expand into at least one or two more chapters.

Please enjoy...

Lena Luthor was sitting in her office, spending a rare moment looking out of the window at her view of the city. A glass of red wine was in her hand. Her cell phone in the other. The downtown area was packed full of people who had made their way in for the New Year's celebration being put on the by the city. She could see from her high-rise the area that had been cordoned off and streets closed to house the festivities. She counted the three stages that had been set up for live concerts. There was also an area for what looked like carnival rides.

National City doesn't hold back when it comes to ringing in the New Year, she thought as she took a drink of her wine.

As she looked out over the National City skyline, then down to the gathered crowds, she felt a huge sense of maudlin come over her. This would be the third straight holiday in this city she spent alone she realized. She took another pull at her wine and thought back. Thanksgiving dinner was spent at this very desk. Solitary as it was, it was fine until her mother showed up and they had that trip down memory lane where Lena was reminded of that no matter what happened, no matter what accomplishments she made; her mother always viewed her as the other child in the house. To her mother, she was never a Luthor, and therefore, never worth being loved.

Christmas was spent here as well. Her mother had refused to see her while she was in police custody. Then again, Lena thought, it's not like I'd have made the effort. Her mother had made it quite clear that only her family was allowed to see her. And that meant only Lex and their father.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Mom," Lena toasted that night as she sat at her desk.

And now tonight, she was once again alone. No family. No friends. Just her and the building since all of the employees had gone home. Well, she contemplated, I'm not entirely without friends. She looked over her shoulder to her phone on her desk. It brought back a recollection of a few days ago.

"Ms. Luthor, Kara Danvers is here to see you," her assistant told her.

"Send her in please," she instructed. Moments later, Kara was seated across from her, Lena actually happy to see a friendly, smiling face. "So to what do I owe this visit?" Lena asked with a smile.

"New Year's is coming up, and, well…" Kara said, stammering at the end, not sure how to say what she wanted. Lena watched Kara nervously fix her glasses and almost felt like telling her to calm down before she had a panic attack.

"Kara, I won't bite if it's bad news," Lena told her with a small smile.

Kara giggled and straightened her glasses again. "That…that's good to know," she said clearing her throat. "What I'm here to say is that I remember how you spent Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and well, you shouldn't have to spend New Year's alone."

"I didn't have to spend them alone, Kara," Lena said gently, "I chose to because I had a lot of work to get done. And I have a lot of work to get done that night as well."

"But I'm sure it won't hurt the bottom line of the CEO takes one night off," Kara told her.

"Probably not, but –"

"Then you should have some fun," Kara interrupted her. "I'm having a few friends over at my apartment to watch the fireworks at midnight and I'd like you to be there."

Lena smiled, pleasantly surprised at the sound of the invitation. It was the first invitation for any of the holidays she gotten this year. In years past she 'd always had a few from friends back in Metropolis, and some friends who lived in other areas, but after what happened with Lex, and then her mother, well, it appeared as though those friends had decided it was best to distance themselves from her. She wagered that they probably felt that it wouldn't be best to be seen with a Luthor at the moment.

"Thank you for invitation," Lena said, genuinely happy at the consideration on Kara's part.

"But you're going to be here aren't you?" Kara asked, sounding a little defeated.

"If I can find a way to make it I will, I'll at least promise that," Lena replied politely.

Kara looked at Lena with saddened eyes. It almost made Lena want to go over and comfort her since they made Kara look like a wounded puppy. "Well, I hope that you decide to come over," Kara told her, "you know the address, so please, consider coming by, this office is nowhere anyone should be on a holiday when they have somewhere they can go."

That was three days ago, and now Lena found herself like she said she would be, working – or rather trying to force herself to work. It needs to get done, she reasoned in her head. But then a small voice kept creeping in, telling her that she was running. Before she took over her brother's company, she was just as busy, yet she always found time to celebrate the holidays. Of course it was made easier when half her family wasn't in prison. Some of those times were awkward, but they were still better memories than the ones she had now. Alone in a high rise, nothing but the view of people actually celebrating to keep her company.

She turned back to her desk, grabbed her phone and activated it to see the time.

What she found was another text from Kara.

Kara: Are u coming?

She checked the time stamp on the text, 10:05.

She looked at the current time.

10:24 p.m.

If I take the back entrance I'll avoid the crowd outside, she thought. Traffic shouldn't be too bad, after all, people are trying to get into downtown, not out, so getting to Kara's should be relatively easy, she mused further. Making up her mind, she called down and instructed her driver to meet her at the back entrance. Five minutes later she was in the back of her car, the driver making his way toward Kara's building.

"What are you waiting for?" Alex asked her sister as she watched Kara check her phone for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"I'm checking for any messages from Lena," Kara answered her matter-of-factly.

"Kara, I know you want her to open up to being your friend a little more, but it's almost eleven, if she's not here by now, she probably decided to just stay in her office," Alex told her honestly.

She watched as Kara got this look of sadness on her face and almost pulled her in for a hug when she saw her shoulders slump. "I know, but just hate thinking about her alone in that office. It can't be healthy spending that much time in your office alone when I'm sure if she showed up here, she'd make another friend or two."

Alex was about to tell her that maybe that might be true, but then they both heard a knock at the door and Kara practically bolted to answer it. "I'm so glad you could –" she started to say excitedly as she threw open the door. Then her mood dropped as she saw that it was Mon-El. "Oh…it's you," she said, doing a bad job of hiding her emotions.

"Hello to you, too" Mon-El said slowly. Kara moved aside to let him in. He gave Kara a quick hug and then went further into the apartment. "You know, I'm still partly confused by Earth customs, but is rejection like that common when you invite someone over?" he asked Winn as he joined the newest DEO agent on the couch.

"No, but she's stressing out over the fact that someone she invited isn't here yet," he informed.

"I still don't think she's coming," James said from the chair adjacent to the couch.

"You know Kara probably heard that?" Alex said as she came over and sat on the arm of the chair.

"Yes, she did," Kara said as she joined the rest of her friends after getting Mon-El a drink. She was about to sit between Winn and Mon-El when there was another knock on the door. She rushed over and this time told herself to calm down and actually see who it was. Her eyes lit up at the sight and she opened the door as fast as she could without tearing it off its hinges.

"Lena!" she said happily as she saw her friend standing on the other side.

"Is the invitation still available?" she asked, in one of the rarest feelings of her life, a little unsure of herself.

"Of course," Kara said reaching out and pulling Lena in. "Guys, say hi to Lena," she said as she led Lena over to where everyone else was seated.

"Its nice to see all of you again," Lena said as she realized she actually had met everyone here at some point. James was an acquaintance from Metropolis. With him and Superman being so close, it was almost a given that they'd met considering the less than acrimonious relationship between Superman and her brother. She remembered Alex from L-Corp's grand unveiling and a meeting a few weeks later. She remembered Mike from when she visited Kara at Catco. And most surprising of all…

"Especially you, we never got to have our little tech talk after the party," she said to Winn as she fondly remembered him helping her stop those criminals she'd set a trap for.

"Sorry about that, time got away from me," Winn blushed as everyone turned to look at him, James and Alex giving him some sly glances.

A little later, as everyone was having fun, and midnight was closing in, Kara was in the kitchen, refilling a few drinks, Alex came up to her. "Well, you were right, she showed."

"I told you she would. A person can only be alone for so long," she told her sister as she looked over to where Lena was, standing a little off from everyone else, with Winn of all people. "Is it me or are those two…"

"Really hitting it off," Alex finished. "Seems she did make another friend – well maybe a little more than a friend," she added as she watched Lena start laughing, then lightly run her hand along Winn's arm.

"I guess we know who'll be kissing who at midnight," Kara smiled.