Children. The fire had taken lives of children. Children too young to walk, too young to talk; to tell their parents they loved them for the first time. And now they would never get that chance. Those grieving parents would never hear their child's laugh, marvel at their first steps and words or place any of their art on the fridge because those beautiful babies were gone. Because Kara hadn't been able to save them all in time.

Everyone kept telling her it wasn't her fault. She had been right there with the firefighters, hell she had put the fire out the minute she got on the scene and the firemen hadn't been there long enough to even set up the hoses. But those babies, their lungs were small, Kara had no idea if that contributed to the fact that most of them died from smoke inhalation not, but that's what killed them. Not the fire but the smoke.

It wasn't fair. Alex had tried to comfort her. But what can you say to make it better. Kara was alive and well and all those babies were gone. Why was she the impervious one? She should have been faster, better…she knew where ever they were those firemen were thinking the same thing. Faster….Better….it should have been me.

But knowing it wasn't her fault, that it wasn't their fault either did nothing to ease her guilt. She felt so numb, so hollow and broken. She wanted comfort. She wanted to curl up and cry and even when Alex had offered it wasn't what she wanted, rather who she wanted.

So for once in her life Kara allowed herself to be human. To give in to the desire for human compassion and understanding. To not be as big as the 'S' on her suit and just be Kara after a really shitty day.

She flew to the pent house apartment she knew as well as the back of her hand. The apartment she had never been to as Supergirl, and she knocked on the glass doors that led from the balcony to Lena's bedroom.

It didn't take long for the dark haired woman to open the door. She was wrapping a long comfortable robe around her short nightgown when the hero fell into her surprised embrace.

Kara didn't cry in huge sobs. Somehow the hurt was beyond that. It was deep, soul wrenching pain that couldn't be conveyed or fixed by the headache and hiccups sobbing brought. Only hot salty tears fell silently from her blue eyes, they fell onto the exposed flesh of Lena's neck as the hero clutched her with barely restrained desperation.

"What? Are you alright? What happened?" Lena's arms wrapped around Kara instantly. She held her as tight as she could and tried to rub soothing gestures on the woman's back, hoping she would say something. Give some kind of explanation as to why she was standing on her balcony in her pajamas comforting a crying Girl of Steel.

No answer was forthcoming. Any time Kara thought she could speak she was hit by another wave of bone-breaking guilt and her throat would close up and the tears would resume in force.

Kara was leaning heavily on Lena before long and the woman could barely keep her feet under the weight. She was going to have to do something fast if she wanted to keep her knees intact.

She pushed at the blonde until she got the message and then took both her hands and walked backward through the open glass door. "Come on. Let's lay down okay. You don't have to say anything."

Kara followed her because she was too emotionally drained to do otherwise. She stood like a statue as Lena unfastened her cape before gently pushing her down so she could removed the boots. The C.E.O wasn't sure if the suit itself was going to be comfortable to lay in but she didn't figure the superhero was going to willingly remove if all and put on Lena's old clothes. The would probably be too short for the girl anyways.

She had to push the girls chest until the hero got the hint and rested back against the many pillows. Lena was only going to get a glass of water when a lithe hand shot out and grasped her wrist with gentle strength. "Please, Lena."

It was the way she pleaded Lena would decide later. The way she breathed her name as if she was all that could stand between the impenetrable girl and a complete nervous break down. It convinced her to give up any idea of water, or basic bathroom care, in favor of climbing into her bed and pulling the woman's head against her chest until they were cuddled together in the best attempt Lena could make at comfort.

"Don't make me leave." Kara pleaded. "Don't leave me."

Lena sighed into familiar blonde locks and breathed in her own shampoo. Shampoo Kara had used hours earlier during one of their impromptu movie nights. The one Kara had been forced to leave early for an Alex emergency. She also smelled faint traces of smoke. Likely the flight had helped remove most of the stench but it had a way of penetrating everything it touched with its smoggy smell.

Whatever had happened between the time Kara had left and Supergirl showing up on her balcony couldn't have been a normal night for the heroine. And Lena couldn't find a shred of anger in her about Kara keeping her identity secret. Not when the woman had come to her when she needed someone. When she felt broken like Kara obviously was. How could you be angry at someone for something when they obviously trusted you that much. Trusted you not to hurt them when they were their most vulnerable.

No, if Kara was keeping her secret from Lena if wasn't because she didn't trust her.

She tightened her grip on the blonde and felt tears in her own eyes. She closed them and counted. Unwilling to worry the blonde when she was distraught enough already.

"I'm not going anywhere, love. I'll be right here until you don't need me."

Kara took a deep breath and relaxed a little. Lena reached over herself and rubbed soothing motions on Kara's arm, Kara in turn brought an arm over the brunettes stomach and held on as if she were still afraid the woman would disappear. Lena moved the other arm, the one supporting what part of Kara wasn't resting on her chest, up to the girl's hair, where she threaded her fingers into the locks until the blonde relaxed and her breath evened out.

She knew Kara had fallen asleep. Her eyes were shut and her breath was deep and rhythmical. It was both a blessing and possibly a curse. Kara's grip on her hadn't loosened any in her slumber and Lena had wanted to know what had happened to upset the girl so much. She closed her eyes on a resigned sigh. Whatever had happened she was going to have to wait to find out. Until then she was going to hold Kara Danvers until the girl wouldn't let her anymore.

A/N; Rather abrupt stop…but there just doesn't seem to be any more to write. Someone told me a news story about kids being stabbed in a daycare. Babies….i guess that sparked this a little bit. I don't have words for tragedies like that. Anger doesn't cover it. Grief, guilt….nothing comes close. Right now I haven't heard if any of the children had passed away, or the workers that had been hurt. I am not religious but if you are perhaps say a prayer for those children and their families. And maybe for the family of the person that committed the act because often as not they are feeling so guilty and blaming themselves even if they had nothing to do with it. I know I'll be praying to ' any God that will listen' for a little bit of peace for those families.