Women of Steel Series
Sequel to The Rescue
Disclaimer: TV/Comics/Books characters do not belong to me. I write for fun and the only thing I get from this is lots of more fun. There might be some TV/Comics/Books Canon, but it's mostly for background's sake. There might also be characters that are not TV/Comics/Books related – those are mine.
Chapter One
This was Kara's third time on Earth 1 since she'd met Barry, and she already felt like she was part of the gang, so having to say goodbye again was not getting any easier. The hardest one was always Barry. They'd become such good and fast friends, that Alex liked to joke that they were twins separated at birth.
She was about to hug him goodbye, her eyes already moist with unshed tears, when a low rumble sounded from behind her.
"I can't believe you would leave again without even saying hello."
Kara turned around abruptly, her face splitting into a huge smile.
"Diana!" she almost squealed in surprise.
Diana Prince chuckled low in her throat, her eyes full of mirth and something else Kara couldn't quite decipher.
"Don't I get a hug?"
Kara laughed softly and hugged the tall Amazon princess as tight as she could, because, well, with her she could.
"Of course, you do! I didn't know you were around. I tried to call you, but your phone kept going to voicemail and then Barry told me you were somewhere in Asia fighting off some monster, and I couldn't get a hold of you and—"
Diana's amused, raspy laughter interrupted her rambling and she pulled away from her friend's strong arms with a bashful smile and a blush, her eyes down and steady on her red boots.
"I'm rambling again, I know. Sorry."
"Kara, that's fine. You can ramble all you want. We've spoken so often lately that if you don't ramble at least once, I'll think something's wrong."
Kara's blush worsened at her friend's words and she scratched behind an ear, embarrassed. She just couldn't help herself, she had always tended to ramble whenever she was nervous or excited. As Supergirl, she had to keep it tightly under wraps, but it was so hard sometimes.
"Diana, hey!" Barry greeted his friend with a hug before Diana could reply and Kara suspected he was coming to her rescue. He was such a sweet guy. "Glad to see you're back in one piece."
Diana grinned at him and returned the hug.
"Hi, Barry. Thanks for keeping her here for a while longer."
Kara gave him a questioning look and he just winked at her.
"Let me go check in with Cisco to make sure everything is in order." He smiled at them and left the room quietly.
"So, you almost got away without saying goodbye, again." Diana crossed her arms over her chest, raising a disapproving eyebrow at the Kryptonian, her button up, dark blue shirt pulling tightly against her well-defined arms.
Kara's hand reached up to fidget with the glasses that weren't there, instead awkwardly pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. What was it about being in the presence of Diana that always left her so out of sorts?
"Last time it wasn't my fault, and neither was this time. You were out on a mission and I had no idea Barry was going to send for me."
Diana slowly moved closer, that insufferable, knowing smile playing on her lips.
"When are you coming to visit me, like you promised you would? Or do I have to travel back to your Earth again?" she asked, her voice dropping to low rumble.
"Soon, I promise." Kara refused to look away, no matter how badly her shyness was yelling at her.
Diana stopped mere inches from the beautiful blonde, her eyes softening as her finger gently traced the soft skin under her eye.
"There's a weariness in your eyes, Kara, that hasn't left since I met you," Diana said softly. "Why is that?"
Kara's eyes widened slightly, and she started to stammer a reply when Barry's prompt interruption saved her from answering.
"All set!" he exclaimed, cheerfully.
Kara sent him a grateful smile, pretending Diana's warm, gentle finger wasn't just touching her face and her heart wasn't just skipping a beat because of that.
"Saved by the bell," Diana whispered, knowing Kara would hear her perfectly well, her dark eyes never leaving Kara's. "You can talk to me about anything, whenever you feel like. You know that, right?"
Kara nodded almost imperceptibly, forcing herself to keep a neutral expression. How did she do that? How did she always know?
"It was great to see you again, Kara, if only for less than five minutes," Diana said in her normal tone, and pulled her into a warm hug. "You owe me."
Kara chuckled, enjoying the feel of Diana's arms around her.
"And who's fault is that?"
"That would be Barry's, for not letting me know in advance," Diana said, still holding her close in her arms, her voice sarcastic.
"Hey, how was I supposed to know I would need her help!" Barry quickly defended himself, not offended at all.
Diana chuckled and leaned in slightly to kiss Kara's cheek, on the same spot she had kissed her on her last visit, lingering just a little longer than she was supposed to.
"Have a safe crossover, Kara," she whispered, gently touching her face with the tips of her fingers.
Kara just barely refrained herself from touching the said spot, watching as Diana left the room after patting Barry in the arm, a slight swagger to her walk.
Barry quirked a curious eyebrow at Kara.
"Is there something going on with you two?"
Kara blushed and spluttered, not expecting the question.
"What?! No! No, of course not, Barry. We're friends; just friends."
Before he could ask any more questions, the portal opened behind Kara and she rushed to hug him.
"Stay safe, Barry, and keep in touch."
"You too, Kara."
Kara gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and hurried to the portal.
Just as it was closing behind her, she heard Barry's mumbled words.
"Could've fooled me…"
Kara frowned, waiting in place for the portal to open on the other side.
There was nothing going on between them, they were just friends. Just friends.
The portal quickly opened in front of her to reveal the DEO's control room and Alex's smiling face.
They were just friends!
##
Back in her apartment, Kara had been pacing back and forth for a while now, a hand on her forehead forcibly massaging the crinkle she knew was there.
So much had happened in the last year - too much. Earth was invaded by the Daxamites because of Lena's invention and her need for motherly validation. Then, out of the blue, Mon-el came back after she spent months mourning for him, but as it turned out, was happily married in the future.
And then, as if it wasn't enough, Reign happened and almost had her killed. Well, technically, she did kill her. Alex's timely intervention had kept her alive, but her mind refused to leave coma for days, and when she finally woke up, she found out her best friend had kryptonite stashed away and knew Reign's real identity, but kept quiet about it because she didn't trust Supergirl.
To make things worse, Winn was gone to the future with Mon-el and James was still stubbornly playing Guardian; Alex and Maggie ended their relationship and now Alex was spending most of her free time at the DEO, and Lena… Rao! Lena knew she was Supergirl all along and that had been a nasty can of worms all by itself.
Now Lena was dating James and that made no sense at all! James was always so vocal about the destructive nature of Luthors and now he was dating Lena? Sometimes, it seemed like he didn't even like Lena at all, so why was he even dating her?
It didn't help that Lena was away on business for the past two weeks and they hadn't really talked much lately. Their relationship was still a bit strained, but it was slowly returning to normal, and Kara was confident that their friendship would come out of it stronger than before.
She had to believe that. She couldn't lose Lena.
Everything was changing too fast, too soon and she needed to get her act together, because it felt like she was about to fall apart.
Stopping in front of her laptop, Kara summoned her courage and opened her email, quickly drafting a text. She hit send before she could talk herself out of it and resumed her pacing.
A sound in the distance caught her attention and she quickly changed into her suit, welcoming the distraction from her somber thoughts.
When she returned home, about an hour later, her email icon was blinking on her phone. Her heart started hammering in her chest when she checked the email, a real smile coming to her lips for the first time that day.
##
A few days later,
"Are you sure about this?" Alex asked again, a frown on her face.
It wasn't the first time that Kara traveled to Earth 1, but never for such a prolonged period, and never to a place they couldn't keep in touch often. Frankly, it worried her; they had never been apart for so long without keeping in touch. Well, except for the time when Kara decided to return to Argo City, but then she was returning to her people, to her mother, not to an island no one could locate.
"Yes. I—" Kara stopped in the middle of packing a shirt and glanced at her older sister.
She knew she was worried. To be honest, she was a little concerned herself. Not that she didn't trust Diana, she did, but she was going to spend three weeks on an island full of women, with no access to technology or modern comforts. It worried her that she would be away from home for so long, even if J'onn and Kal-el would be around, to help with emergencies.
"I need to be away from National City for a while, Alex. I feel unbalanced and uncertain, and…" she threw her hands up, carelessly dropping the shirt in the bag. "I need time for myself. Everything's changing, again, and we both know how well I handle changes in my life."
Alex pursed her lips, unsure of what was really going on with her sister. A lot had happened in the past year, yes, but something was off with Kara for some time now. Maybe she really just needed time alone to reconnect with herself. Hell, she was considering taking time off to reconnect with herself too. Maybe she should go with her.
"All right, but what if we need to talk to you?"
"Alex, I already gave you Diana's quantum contact. If there's an emergency, just email her. Brainy already did his thing on your laptop as well. She checks it daily, but—" Kara forgot all about her bag and moved closer to her sister, grasping her hands, gentle pleading in her eyes. "—I need time alone. I need to hear myself think clearly again, not this constant noisy chaos in my head."
Alex nodded, clearly unhappy, but squeezed her hand in silent support. She understood, she really did. She just worried about her sister. It was her prerogative and duty as the older sister to do so.
"We'll hold the fort for you, don't worry, but it won't be the same without you."
Kara grinned and pulled her into a tight hug.
"I'm going to miss you like crazy."
Alex snorted and returned the hug, resting her head on her sister's shoulder.
"On an island full of Amazons? You won't even remember I exist."
Kara chuckled.
"Ah, I see what this is all about. You're jealous because I'm going to spend three weeks on an island full of beautiful women and you're not."
Alex huffed, seemingly annoyed.
"That's so not fair. You don't even like women!" Alex shifted, peering curiously at her. "Right?"
Kara gave her a mischievous smile, quickly hiding her surprise at the question.
"Maybe I do." She pulled away, trying not to laugh out loud at the shock on her sister's face. "There was no gender discrimination in Krypton, only racial, so it wasn't all bad."
Alex stared at her, choosing to overlook the self-inflicted barb, while trying to get her brain to wrap around what Kara was insinuating.
"Did you… Did something happened between you and Diana when she visited?"
Kara went back to her packing and shrugged, trying not to remember when Diana almost kissed her, and she almost let her.
"Kara…" Alex moved closer, sensing Kara was hiding something from her.
She had tried to pry something, anything out of Kara the days after Diana left, knowing that something had happened between them, but not even alien alcohol had done the trick, and then Reign happened and Kara…
It became irrelevant and she completely forgot about it.
"You can tell me, Kara," Alex said, gently touching her arm. "We tell each other everything."
Kara sighed and continued packing.
"We… almost kissed," she finally admitted, not daring to look at her sister.
Only Alex's long years as a DEO agent stopped her from gaping. Damn Maggie and damn her gaydar!
"Ok… how did that make you feel? Did you wanted to kiss her?" she asked, tugging at Kara's hand, wanting her to sit on the bed, by her side.
Kara felt the blush creeping up her neck and cheeks and shrugged shyly, still not looking at her sister.
"Kara, there's nothing wrong with that," Alex said, soothingly, "and Diana is hot. Hell, I wanted to kiss her, and I was engaged!"
Kara chuckled at that.
"She is beautiful."
Alex nodded.
"And strong and smart, not to mention, royalty." Alex sighed, realizing she would have to pry it out of her if she wanted to know more, which she did. "Did it happen just once?"
Kara shook her head.
"We…" she cleared her throat. "It happened again last time I went to Earth 1."
Alex frowned. Why was her sister suddenly keeping secrets from her?
"You didn't tell me you spent time with her."
"We didn't. I was about to leave when she returned from a mission and we talked for like, five minutes." Kara caught the hurt in her sister's voice and hurried to clarify. "And then we said goodbye and she… Well, Barry was there, so… I—"
Alex circled the broad shoulders with her arm and pulled her closer.
"She didn't kiss you then?"
Kara swallowed.
"No," she said, dejectedly.
Alex mentally winced. It seemed Kara had a healthy crush on the goddess and Diana was not oblivious to it, nor shy of doing something about it.
"Well, you'll have about three weeks to get her to kiss you, which I believe won't be that hard, because it seems to me that she wants it just as badly." Alex smiled at her sister. "And I want to hear all about it, except of course, when you two, you know… then you can skip the details."
Kara blushed furiously and stuttered, "W—what? Alex! No! No, we're just friends and this is just a silly curiosity or whatever." Kara jumped out of bed, needing to keep busy. "That won't ever happen. We're just friends."
Alex gave her a knowing smirk.
"Whatever you say, Kar, but I still want to know all about it."
Kara gave her a sideway glance.
"Was Diana the only woman you ever wanted to kiss?" Alex had to ask, because her bet with Maggie was still on and now very much present in her mind.
Kara sighed, regretting this conversation already.
"Can we talk about something else, please?" she said softly, knowing she'd made a terrible mistake when she noticed that Alex kept smirking at her, arms crossed over her chest.
"Who is she?"
"Alex…" Kara begged again, closing her eyes in frustration.
"Fine, don't tell me." Alex raised both hands, in mock surrender. "Keep more secrets from your sister."
"Aleeexxxx," Kara whined.
Why? Why did she always fall for this trap? Why?
Alex chuckled wickedly and shifted closer to her frustrated and blushing sister.
"I bet she has green eyes and wears red lipstick like—"
"Out!" Kara interrupted her suddenly by covering up her mouth with one hand, while pushing her out of her apartment with the other.
Alex mumbled against the palm of her hand, a smug look on her face and her eyes full of mirth.
"Nope! We're done talking!" Kara opened the door of her apartment and pushed her smug looking sister out. "I'll meet you later at the DEO."
Kara closed the door behind her before Alex could reply, but it didn't save her from hearing the mischievous laughter or her mumbled words.
"Guess I lost the bet. Damn it."
Kara closed her eyes and groaned, frustrated. She and Diana where just friends! And she did not want to kiss Lena! She did not! Lena was her best friend and was dating James, and…
She huffed audibly.
She did not want to kiss Lena Luthor!
Besides, she preferred Lena's lips when they weren't tinged in the deep red of her favorite lipstick. Lena wore her lipstick like some sort of battle armor, and she was never her true self when she was in CEO mode. Her lips were so much more enticing with softer colors or no lipstick at all.
Kara's eyes widened comically.
"Oh, my sweet Rao!" Kara slapped herself on the head. "I can't believe I just thought that! What's wrong with me?"
Spying her phone next to her laptop, Kara made a quick decision and opened her WhatsApp.
Kara Danvers 16h35: Hey bestie! Are you too busy now? Can I call you?
Sighing, she went back to packing, carrying her phone with her. After a few minutes of blissful silence, Kara's phone rang, Lena's photo filling up her screen.
Kara bit her lip, smiling unconsciously at the smiling face on her screen.
"Hey!"
"Hey you." Came Lena's smooth voice.
"Am I bothering you?"
"No, you just gave me the perfect excuse to force a break on a very long and stressful meeting," Lena said, chuckling. "My hero, always coming to my rescue. Please, tell me there's an emergency at L-Corp and you need me back at once."
Kara laughed softly. She missed this, missed their easy banter, their gentle teasing, and their long talks. After Lena confronted her with her identity, things between them had been awkward for so long, and sometimes it still felt like they were still miles away from what they used to be, but she was confident that they would get there soon.
"Well, I'm always glad to be of assistance, Miss Luthor, but L-Corp is doing just fine."
"CatCo?"
"Nope!"
"You're no fun," Lena grumbled good naturedly. "Is everything ok?"
"Yes, I—" Kara paused. She could be having this conversation with her, in person. She wanted to, but a part of her was not sure if Lena would want that, and it left her feeling insecure. Again. "James probably told you that I requested some vacation time from CatCo, and hum… I just wanted to say goodbye, because I'm leaving today."
"Oh," Lena was silent for a few seconds. "He didn't tell me that."
"I'm sure he forgot," Kara said quickly, regretting mentioning James. She didn't want to cause him trouble.
"I'm sure he did."
There was something in Lena's voice that made her sound unconvinced.
"Are you going abroad?"
"Yes, you could say that." Kara cleared her throat. "I'm going to Earth 1."
"Oh!" Lena had heard the stories about the multiverse and Kara's frequent travels to aid her new friends. "That's hum… far."
Kara chuckled a little.
"Yeah, it is, but if you need to talk to me just ask Alex, she knows how to reach me."
"I will. How long are you staying?"
"About three weeks."
Kara paused, unsure of how much she should share with Lena. She hated that she still had to consider how much of her life she could share with Lena, even after her secret was out. She just wanted them to go back to what they used to be. She missed her best friend - dearly.
"I need some time away from National City."
"I understand, Kara," Lena said sincerely. There was a pause and Kara could hear her deep breathing. "I'm coming back day after tomorrow and I was hoping we could have a bestie's night. I sorely miss having our girly talks and just relaxing with you. It feels like it was ages ago since the last time we spent any time together, just the two of us."
Kara smiled softly, feeling a little better at Lena's admission.
"I miss you too, Lena, and I promise we'll have our bestie's night as soon as I return."
"I'll hold you to that, Miss Danvers."
Kara chuckled.
"I know you will." She cleared her throat, unwilling to let the emotion she was feeling well up in her chest show in her voice. "I have to go now. The portal will open in half an hour and I still need to finish packing. I—" just wanted to hear your voice and make sure that we're still good. "—just wanted to say goodbye before I left."
"Thank you for letting me know. Have a safe trip, or whatever it is you call it."
Kara laughed easily.
"It's called a crossover. Be good Lena, don't go getting in trouble and make me come rescue you."
Lena laughed.
"I'll be good, I promise, but just because you're asking nicely. Have fun, Kara. Take care."
"You too, Lena."
A small smile still played her lips after she hung up. If she was to be honest with herself, she would acknowledge that there was something between them, something greater, more meaningful than friendship, but she wasn't in the mood to be honest with herself – not yet. She just wasn't yet ready for that.
##
DEO's desert base,
"Ok, this is it."
Kara rolled her eyes at her sister's overly dramatic farewell.
"Alex, I'll be back in three weeks," Kara feigned exasperation. "Do you miss me that much already?"
"Of course, I do. Who will I rant to when I need to get stuff out of my system?"
"You can always talk to Brainy. He'll give you logical answers, with accurate statistics."
Alex slapped the back of her head, her eyes narrowed.
"Ouch!"
Alex rolled her eyes at her sister's mock complaint.
"The portal will only hold open for forty more seconds," Brainy quipped in Alex's ear.
"You have to go now, or it will close." Alex pulled her sister into a tight hug. "I'm so jealous right now."
Kara laughed and hugged her back.
"Stay safe, Alex, please. I need you."
"You too, Kara." Alex gave her a final squeeze and gently pushed her towards the portal. "Go!"
"So pushy…" Kara mumbled teasingly.
"Kara…" Alex grumbled warningly.
Kara's laughter was the last thing she heard before the portal closed with a faint buzz.
"Be safe…"
##
Themyscira,
Paradise Islands
Kara looked behind her as the portal swirled closed and swallowed nervously. She was finally in Themyscira, queendom of Amazons, on Earth 1, on an island protected by a magic veil and untraceable.
What was she thinking?
She looked around at the large and mostly bare room, tall, white stone walls devoid of decoration, only an intricate circular metal piece in its center.
"The most powerful sword ever forged used to rest here, until I took it to the World of Man."
The raspy, accented voice came out of nowhere and sounded too loud in the almost empty room. Kara turned around at the sound of the familiar voice and watched carefully as a shadow moved from behind the golden structure.
"It was called the God Killer, but Ares, the last surviving god, destroyed it," Diana went on with her explanation, finally emerging from the shadows, into the light. "It turns out, I was the God Killer, not the sword."
"What happened?" Kara asked softly, trying to keep her eyes off the scantily leather attire the dark-haired woman was wearing, as Diana kept slowly sauntering towards her, her arms crossed over her chest, an intent glint in her dark eyes.
Her long, dark hair was pulled back in an intricate braid, making her look almost like a teenager.
Diana stopped inches from Kara and quirked an eyebrow.
"I killed him," she answered softly.
Kara frowned, not sure why Diana was telling her this.
"Well, if he was up to no good, then I'm sure you did what you had to, to keep the world safe."
Diana gave her a slow, mysterious smile.
"This is one of the things that I like the most about you, Kara Danvers, your undying faith in justice."
Kara blushed furiously, even more so when she felt the warm arms wrap around her body in a hug.
"Welcome to Themyscira," Diana whispered in Kara's ear, pulling her close to her body.
"Thank you for inviting me," Kara said with a smile and closed her eyes, just enjoying the feel of the strong arms around her. It wasn't something she could often experience.
Diana pulled away with a smile and slowly reached for Kara's glasses, gently taking them off, her eyes never wavering from the bright blues of the Kryptonian.
Kara swallowed, her heart thundering in her chest. Was Diana going to kiss her? Now? Was she…?
Folding the glasses, Diana's smile transformed into a smirk.
"You won't be needing these here." Diana gave her the glasses back.
Kara swallowed convulsively, feeling herself blush again.
"Of course." Kara cleared her throat, clutching the glasses a little too tightly in her hand. "Force of habit."
Diana grinned and finally relented. She enjoyed tweaking Kara. Bending slightly, she picked up Kara's bag from the floor and started walking out of the room.
"Come, let me show you to your room."
"I can take that." Kara tried to take her bag back, but Diana stopped her.
"I know you can, but my mother will have my head if she sees you carrying that bag." Diana kept smiling at her. "I hope you remembered to pack light. It can be hot during the day."
Kara sighed but relented.
"You know, I can't really feel heat or cold, so its all the same to me."
"I know, you told me before, but Themyscira is protected by magic and Kryptonians are vulnerable to magic."
Kara frowned.
"How do you know that?"
Diana gave her a sideway glance.
"You seem to forget that this Earth had a version of Superman and that we worked together on occasion."
Kara nodded, remembering that Diana had in fact mentioned this before.
"Should I be worried?"
"Of course not, Kara. I would never invite you here if it was dangerous for you," Diana said, touching her arm reassuringly.
"I know that." Kara gave her a shy smile.
Diana just smiled.
"It's a short walk from here to the palace."
They passed through a myriad of long, well-lit corridors, decorated with weapons, Greek statues and tapestries of past battles and day to day scenes, until they finally left the building.
It was a beautiful, starry night and they walked side by side in amiable silence, that is, until Kara started to feel goosebumps.
"I guess you were right," she mumbled, rubbing her now chilly arms. She wasn't used to being cold. "It's a bit cold." Kara gave her a look. "Aren't you cold in that outfit?"
And even as the words left her mouth, she blushed, because Diana looked anything but cold in that skimpy outfit.
Diana chuckled and wrapped an arm around the Kryptonian's shoulders, pulling her closer. Kara was slightly shorter than she was, but just rightly so.
"How's that?" she asked, feeling Kara lean in closer. "You'll get used to it after a few days. It is a bit colder than usual today, though, but we're used to it."
"Much better, thank you," Kara answered softly, not looking at her. "Does everyone here dress like that?"
Diana smiled, mischievously.
"Not everyone and not all the time. This suit is for training. When we're doing other chores or working on our chosen craft, we use clothes that are more adequate for that."
"That makes sense. What is your chosen craft?"
Diana chuckled a little at that. Of course, Kara would ask.
"I'm the heir to the throne of Themyscira, Kara, I had no choice in a craft. I had to learn how to be an efficient warrior and a capable leader. One day, I might have to take that throne, and I will have to lead my people and my army. Becoming the Queen and the protector my people need me to be is my craft."
Kara nodded in understanding. She too was expected to abide to rules and duties as the eldest of the House of El, even if she would never be the head of her House.
"In Krypton, we had no royalty, but we had Houses that were organized in guilds - sort of like casts. I am from the House of El, the most prestigious and one of the oldest houses of Krypton," Kara said, her voice carrying a twinge of nostalgia. "I guess my House would be the equivalent of royalty. I was the oldest born child to my House, not Kal-el, yet, it was not my privilege to rule it, it was his."
She paused to gather her thoughts, allowing herself a very private moment to acknowledge that she no longer felt comfortable with what she was taught as child, about Houses and Guilds. On Earth, her new home, by modern standards, she was first born and the right to rule her House was hers.
"If Krypton still existed, I would have to choose my Guild when I turned fourteen, and I remember that I was still so undecided about it. I wanted to be a judicator, like my mother, but at the same time, I wanted to be a scientist like my father, and I also wanted to protect my home, like my aunt."
"What would happen if you could not decide?" Diana asked, keeping her thoughts about Kryptonian's society to herself.
She knew a little about it, from her long talks with Kal-el. She liked him. He was nice and sweet and had a sense of justice that was akin to her own. However, she wasn't sure she would like him much if he had grown up in Krypton. Maybe she wouldn't even like Kara much either, though she seriously doubted that. There was something very natural and genuine about Kara's sweet personality that just enchanted her.
"One would be chosen for me." Kara gave her a tight smile. "It was far from a perfect society, I know that now, but it was home." And I miss it so much.
Diana squeezed her shoulder lightly, in silent comfort, unsure of what to say to make her feel better. Fortunately, the darkened outline of the palace came into view and she could safely stir the conversation back to a lighter theme. They would have time to talk about this again, if Kara chose to, and she would listen; she would listen to anything she had to say.
"Ah, here we are," Diana gave her a little smile, quietly acknowledging the sentries with a nod when they went past the gates.
The warriors at the gates took their duties too seriously to even move a muscle when in their sentry duties, but they were Amazons and women, and she knew that word would get out soon about her strolling inside the palace with an arm wrapped around an unknown woman, with strange clothing.
She smirked to herself. Yup, if they had a newspaper, that would be on tomorrow's front page.
They made it quickly to the royal family's private quarters floor, and Diana opened the double doors to a large room, inviting her guest inside, with a flourish of her free hand and a slight bow.
"This is your room. As you can see, we already have a fire going to keep you warm." Diana smiled at her and pointed at the two carved niches on the rock, where large fire pots burned a slow fire.
"Wow! This is really nice!"
Kara looked around what would be her room for the duration of her staying in Themyscira: the room was shaped like a half-moon and built around the surrounding rock. Aside from the niches that held the fire pots, there was a central niche also carved into the hard rock, a large bed in its center, covered with dark skins.
The floor was decorated with two bronze metal steps, that led to the bed, also shaped as a half-moon; a large desk was set against the rock, close to the door, and a wooden closet, intricately carved, was set on the opposite side. Off to the far end, a delicate blue curtain hid what appeared to be a large terrace.
Diana gave her a proud smile.
"Thank you. This room mirrors my own, which is just across from yours."
Kara nodded, absentmindedly walking towards the bed to sit on it, and test its softness.
"Oh, my Rao, it's so soft!" she exclaimed, surprised. "And its huge!"
Diana chuckled, amused.
"Only the best for you." Diana winked at her and Kara gave her a bright smile. "Over there, there's a basin if you want to freshen up before dinner. You'll find everything you need in the cabinet below. I'll come back in a quarter candle mark, all right?"
Kara frowned.
"A quarter what?"
Diana laughed out loud, amused.
"Quarter candle mark. Approximately fifteen minutes."
"Oh!" Kara blushed sheepishly. "Sorry."
"No need to apologize, Kara. When I first traveled to the World of Man, I also had to learn and adjust. Don't worry about it. You'll catch on quickly," Diana said gently.
Kara nodded, a thankful smile gracing her lips as she watched her leave. Letting out the breath she didn't know she was holding, Kara stared at the travel bag left in the center of the room.
What was she thinking?
##
A knock sounded from the heavy wooden doors and Kara rushed to open it, her breath catching in her throat at the sight in front of her. Diana had switched her training attire for a flowing, knee high, white tunic, and flat brown sandals that wrapped around her long calves, her dark hair loose and wavy, and for her only adornments, her ever present bracelets and a simple golden neckless.
Kara opened her mouth to speak, to say something, but only incoherent words came out. The woman in front of her was stunning and she felt a familiar pang in her stomach, one only one other person made her feel.
Diana smiled slowly, pleased with her reaction. Ah, Kara…
"Ready?" she asked, her voice husky.
"I'm not sure," Kara finally found her voice. "I think I'm underdressed and you're… You look really nice."
Diana's smile grew, delighted with Kara's obvious frustration at the sight of her. She made a show of looking her up and down, taking in the brown, flat ankle boots, soft skinny blue jeans and lose V-neck t-shirt. Kara was adorable and she was sure she would turn many heads tonight.
"You look perfect." Diana said, appraisingly. "Come," she grasped her hand, "let me introduce you to my mother first."
"Y-your mother?" Kara squeaked, her eyes growing round with apprehension. "Your mother, the queen?"
Diana smirked.
"I only have one mother, Kara, and yes, she is the Queen of Amazons."
"B-but Diana, I've never met a queen before. What's the protocol? What do I do? I'm not even dressed properly f—"
"Kara!" Diana stopped her panicking rambling with a hand over her mouth. "Please, relax. Here is not like your world. There is no protocol and you look just fine, don't worry about it, please."
When Kara finally nodded, Diana removed her hand from her mouth, letting it drop slowly to her chest, in a soothing gesture, careful not to touch her exposed skin. She wasn't sure that would be good for either of them.
"Let me explain a few things, all right?" she asked keeping her voice low.
This was her fault. She should have guessed Kara would worry about this and should have shared more information with her. Kara was in a completely different world, one she hardly knew anything about, and she would have to guide her, but for some reason, the thought of having Kara over and all to herself, clouded her better judgement.
"I'm sorry, I just…" Kara tried to adjust the glasses that weren't there, a nervous quirk she couldn't seem to shake off. She didn't want Diana to think that she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, she just… "When I first landed on Earth, I knew nothing of it and the only person who could've walked me through the process of learning and adapting, left me with a strange family, who couldn't even understand what I was saying. I had to stay home for an entire year to learn the language and the culture, and when I was finally able to venture outside, it was still hard and new, and different, and I— I felt so out of place all the time. Sometimes, I still do."
"Kara, it's my fault. I should've thought of it before," Diana admitted, feeling the still slightly erratic heartbeat under her fingertips. Kara had told her about this before. She knew better. "We are simple people, Kara. Here, you will see nothing of the fancy stuff you see with modern royalty, all right?"
Kara nodded, trusting the woman in front of her would not let her make a fool of herself.
"First, we don't shake hands in greeting or kiss on the cheek. We clasp our arms, like this." Diana proceeded to demonstrate, by removing her hand from Kara's chest and wrapping her fingers around the steely forearm.
"Like in epic movies, then."
Diana scrunched her forehead. She hardly ever watched television when she was in the world of Man, it was just not entertaining enough for her, but she remembered watching a few movies about ancient Greece and warriors of old, and how they usually greeted each other.
"Yes, like that." Diana slipped an arm around the blonde woman's broad shoulders and started walking.
"Should I greet your mother like that?"
"Yes, just follow her lead and you can't go wrong. You know, we don't even hug in greeting," she added with a smirk, knowing how much Kara loved hugging.
"No hugs?!" Kara exclaimed, seemingly heartbroken at this. "But hugs are so important for emotional health and it feels so good!" Kara gave her a suspicious look. "If Amazons don't hug, why are you hugging me now?"
"I'm not, I'm just keeping you warm," Diana said with a blithe smile.
Kara huffed, unimpressed.
"I'll have you know I'm a world leading expert in hugs and I can tell you this is a hug, so don't try to deny it."
Diana laughed easily.
"I don't usually do it, Kara, and certainly not with just anyone," she admitted, almost timidly. "Maybe I just like hugging you. Like you said, you are a world leading expert and you do give the best hugs."
Kara beamed at that, biting her lip shyly.
"Ok, what else should I know?" feeling reassured.
"I can tell you more tomorrow. There really is no need to worry, Kara. Please, I want you to feel comfortable here, not under pressure. That's what you're trying to get away from, remember?"
"Yeah, I know," Kara agreed, unconsciously slipping her arm around Diana's waist, and shifting closer to her. "I just can't help but worry I'll do something stupid, sorry."
Diana's breath caught imperceptibly at the feeling of the strong arm wrapping around her waist. She sent a silent prayer to the gods for helping her keep her stoic façade.
"I see I'll have to tell you about my first experience in the World of Man."
"Was it bad?" Kara peered up at the face so close to hers.
Diana grinned rakishly.
"It was disastrous, but I'll tell you all about it over dinner. My mother sure loves hearing that one."
Kara grinned happily at her. Well, maybe she wouldn't make a fool out of herself. She had Diana's guidance. She couldn't go wrong with that, right?
##
A tall, imposing blonde woman waited patiently outside the communal room, wearing an attire similar to Diana's, with similar, simple jewelry. The only difference was the golden tiara on her head, very similar to the one Diana wore when donning her Wonder Woman suit. Two guards fully armed stood to attention at both sides of the door, their faces hard and impassive.
Diana reassuringly squeezed the hand she was now holding, spotting her mother's raised eyebrow, and knowing little smile.
"Mother," Diana greeted her mother with a smile, ignoring the amused glint in her eyes.
"Daughter," Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons and ruler of Paradise Islands smirked at her only child, her blue eyes shifting to the beautiful blonde woman standing so close to her. "Is this your friend from afar?"
Diana nodded.
"Kara Danvers, this is my mother, Queen Hippolyta."
Kara forced herself not to swallow convulsively out of nervousness and waited for the older woman to greet her.
Hippolyta graced her a genuine smile, bringing her forearm up, waiting. Kara wrapped her fingers around the strong arm, returning the greeting, pleasantly surprised at the strength of the woman's grip on her arm.
"Your majesty, thank you for welcoming me into your home," Kara said, returning the smile.
Diana had not told her how to address her mother, so she went with what felt natural, but apparently, she did it right, because Hippolyta was now giving her a pleased smile.
"You are most welcome, Kara Danvers. Come, lets eat. You will seat with us and I hope you can tell me a little about your world. It's been a long time since we had outside visitors."
"Of course!" Kara gave her a bright smile, half turning to look at Diana, barely holding her excitement at the prospect of dinner, the delicious smell of perfectly roasted meat reaching her sensitive nose and awakening the hunger beast.
Diana chuckled and motioned with her arm, so Kara would follow behind her.
The communal room was a large, spacious room, built from the same rock of the room Kara's portal opened; it was full of long tables, tasty looking food, and chatty women. The noise inside was almost deafening and Kara winced a little, touching her ear in an attempt to stop the noise from affecting her too much. Following closely behind Diana, Kara only realized the sudden silence when she stepped into view.
Feeling self-conscious, Kara kept her head down, following Diana's lead. She hated to be the center of attention. As Supergirl, she had no choice, and mostly, it was as if she was playing a part, but as Kara Danvers, the shy and introverted reporter, this was nerve wrecking.
"Funny, they never keep quiet for me."
Kara heard Hippolyta grumble under her breath as she took her seat at the center of the table, not noticing, however, the queen's appraising eyes when she walked by, a small sultry smile on the older woman's lips.
"Mother…" Diana grumbled warningly, her expression hardening.
Hippolyta shrugged, unfazed. Not her fault her daughter's friend was such a beautiful woman.
"Better introduce her, Diana, before they all die of curiosity and I have Hades banging on my door, demanding to know why the Underworld is suddenly full of chatty Amazons."
Diana closed her eyes at her mother's dry humor, forcing down a chuckle, and waited for Kara to stand next to her.
"Sisters," her voice projected loud and clear over the large, silent room, "please, welcome my very dear friend, Kara Danvers. She comes from far and will be staying with us for some time." Diana focused her attention on a very pink looking Kara. "Kara, meet my Sisters."
Kara gave the room a small wave and a shy smile and was rewarded with several awkward waves in return.
"Let's eat!" Diana sat down, pulling Kara down with her. "Breathe." She instructed softly, so that only Kara could hear.
"They're all staring at me," Kara whispered, forcing herself to smile as she looked surreptitiously around. "It's unnerving."
"I know, but it will all go away in a day or so. Once you start mingling, they will treat you as one of us." Diana patted her knee reassuringly, under the table.
"I hope so…" Kara murmured, her eyes widening in awe as servants started bringing in large trays of food to the table.
"You are hungry, right?" Diana grinned at her.
"Yesss…" Kara breathed the word out, her mouth watering at the sight and the delicious smell of the feast before her. "I—hum… I might need a doggie bag for later." Kara gave her friend an embarrassed smile. "Think you can dish something up in the kitchen? Because I eat a lot, like, really a lot."
"Then you came to the right place - so do we." Diana gave her a wink.
"So, Kara," Hippolyta called out to her guest. "I believe you promised us tales of your world."
Kara smiled at the queen, watching out of the corner of her eye as Diana filled up her plate with an obnoxious amount of fresh fruit, bread and an assortment of meats and cheeses. She could get used to this.
"Yes, ma'am. What would you like to know?"
Diana chuckled under her breath at Kara's politeness. It was adorable.
"Careful with the ale," Diana said before her mother could answer, watching as a servant placed a large pitcher of the cold beverage in front of them. "It's cold and sweet and it goes up to your head in no time."
"Human alcohol doesn't affect me, you know this." Kara said, taking the cup from Diana's hands, and sipping the said beverage, surprised at the sweet, smooth taste. It tasted kinda like beer, but so much sweeter and lighter. "Ooo… I like this."
"I thought you might…" Diana mumbled and smirked. "Just remember, this is not like your world. Many things here are… enhanced."
"I'll be careful, I promise." Kara promised. And she would. She didn't want to make a fool of herself, especially not on her first day here. She would sip it slowly to see how well it settled and if it affected her at all.
"How are the women treated in your world? Are they subdued to men?" Hippolyta asked.
Kara almost choked.
"You certainly don't beat around the bush, do you?"
She heard Diana snicker next to her but was happy to answer the queen's questions. Many others followed, some even from the other people sitting at the table, to whom she was introduced to during dinner. Somehow, she found herself to be the center of attention again, but this time, it didn't really bother her at all, Diana's close presence acting like some sort of security blanket. It was a comforting feeling.
##
"I won't ask you if you enjoyed dinner, because I can tell that you did." Diana said, stopping in front of Kara's room. "I believe you even enjoyed talking to us."
Kara laughed quietly at that and pushed a stray of blonde hair behind an ear, slightly embarrassed.
"I did. It's not that I haven't met independent women before, and Rao knows I'm constantly surrounded by them, but it's refreshing to be allowed to experience what a society full of strong, confident women is like." Kara smiled at her. "Thank you for allowing me to experience that."
"You're welcome here anytime you feel like, Kara."
"Oh, and the food was great too, by the way."
Diana playfully rolled her eyes. Kara wasn't kidding when she said she ate a lot. She had a feeling she even ate more than Nesba. That would be an interesting event to watch.
"You know, I think I might even write an article about this."
"I can get you something to write if you want to take notes."
Kara looked around, to make sure no one was watching them, and leaned in closer to the tall princess.
"I'm a reporter. I never leave home without a pen and my notepad," she whispered conspiratorially in her ear.
Diana gave her an indulgent smile. Kara was so much more relaxed now and it made her feel better.
"Good to know but do let me know if you need anything."
"I will. So, at what time do you usually wake up?"
Diana gave her an evil grin.
"First light."
Kara frowned. First li— oh!
Her face scrunched in barely disguised appall.
"Dawn?"
Diana nodded, amused.
"But don't worry about it, you're on vacation. You can wake up whenever you feel like."
"No, no, I'm here for the full experience. Wake me up when you do," Kara said, finding her resolve. She would not laze around in bed – much.
"Kara—"
"Please?" Kara started to pout.
Diana sighed and shook her head, trying not to smile at the adorable pout. Somehow, she had a feeling that pout was one of Kara Danvers' best and most effective weapons, and she was sure she wouldn't be immune to it for long.
"If that's your wish, then I will wake you up tomorrow."
"When you wake up, Diana." Kara pointed a long finger at her, warning flashing in her blue eyes. "I have a cunning older sister. I had to learn how to pay attention to what she wasn't saying."
Diana barked out a laugh at that.
"Point taken." Shifting closer, Diana pulled her into a hug, telling herself that she was only indulging in Kara's need for touch.
"Hey, it's another hug!" Kara exclaimed, teasingly, hugging her back.
"Just because I know you like them. I'm a good host."
Diana pulled away just slightly, and kissed her on the cheek, on the same spot as always.
"Sleep tight, Kara," she whispered softly, still holding her in her arms. "I'm very glad that you decided to come here."
"Me too," Kara whispered back.
Diana pulled away and quickly vanished behind the closed doors of her bedroom, before she gave into her cravings and kissed the beautiful Kryptonian right there. She was dying to kiss her, their short encounter from two months before only making it worse, but she would make no move unless she was sure Kara was ready. Though, for a moment, she thought she saw Kara lean into her, just before she pulled away.
She ran her fingers through her dark hair, shaking her head with a self-deprecating smile on her face.
What in Hades name was she doing?
##
Kara slumped heavily against the soft mattress of her gigantic bed, both hands covering her face in embarrassment. She had almost, almost kissed Diana.
A frustrated groan escaped her lips. She wanted it, she was now sure of it. She wanted to kiss her and find out what she tasted like.
"Sweet Rao…"
Forcing herself up, she quickly changed into her pajamas and snuggled under clean, floral smelling sheets and warm furs. She wasn't sure she would be able to sleep, with all the foreign sounds around her and her erratic thoughts assaulting her overtired mind, but she decided to focus on the faint sound of waves gently breaking nearby, and found herself relaxing further and further, until she felt herself drift, thoughts of Diana's warm breath against her skin blurring in her mind.
What was she thinking?
###
Note: This is my new series, but I have to admit, I'm really enjoying writing Kara and Diana.
So, what do you think? Ask me questions, share your insights, your ideas. I want to hear from you :)