Passing Notes in Our Dreams
A General Danvers (Supergirl) fanfic
Astra In-Ze felt she knew all there was to know about growing up as a human on Earth. At least, she knew all there was to know about growing up as a human in California. In a small town.
Still.
The point was, she'd watched every night as her soulmate grew up on Earth. Watched as they succeeded in science festivals - as behind in technology as humans were. Watched them grow up under the shadow of their renown parents. Watched as other kids their age didn't appreciate their brilliance.
She knew her soulmate also saw things from her own life. Knew from conversations with others that - since Astra was older - her soulmate would see a mix of Astra growing up and her current daily routine.
She prayed to Rao her soulmate saw primarily her time before Fort Rozz.
Yet when her fears were confirmed and her soulmate went to their parents with questions about how their mate appeared to be in a prison full of aliens she knew she needed to act. Do something to get a message to her mate.
So, she wrote a note.
It was cliche.
It was silly.
It was the only thing she could think of doing.
First thing every morning and last thing before bed - situation permitting as Fort Rozz was not always the safest place to do something of this nature - Astra reread a note written in a language she learned by watching her soulmate grow up.
Brave One,
I am sorry I cannot be there to answer your questions. It may be a long while yet till I can be. Your life will be long as I am indeed an alien. How much longer I cannot say at this time. Worry not for me, as I am relatively safe where I am - though it is unpleasant.
Stay strong,
Astra In-Ze
She knew it was foolish to place hope in anything changing with her letter. So, when after nearly a week she got confirmation her mate had seen the letter... Astra was torn over how to feel.
Relief certainly.
But also worry.
Her soulmate knew now, or rather, knew at least some of her current situation and the effect it would have on their own life. But that also meant her soulmate had more information than before, and as a young scientist her soulmate was ever eager to do experiments.
The first came but a few days after her letter made it through.
Dear Astra,
The fact that I think this will work means you still have to answer my questions. You're in jail, aren't you? An alien jail. That explains the language you speak in the memories from your childhood. Even though you look human - you're not. I wonder how soulmates are chosen. How they decide which aliens are compatible with others. Or if they chose based on probability of the two meeting. What is your people are called? Where are they from? I've been picking up the language but still find speaking it hard.
Your soulmate,
And so it continued. Astra answering questions about Krypton and learning about her soulmate from more than an observer's perspective. It was refreshing. It was terrifying.
It made her want out of this cage even more.
Then the impossible happened.
Her niece was alive. Kara, alive. With her mate.
Astra watched her soulmate interact with Kara that first day and she couldn't be prouder of how her mate handled it. Oh, Astra could feel her mate's jealousy and frustration and longing for something else - someone else, so she comforted them as best she could in her next letter.
Reminding them of the existing age difference and laws against them meeting until her mate was older only seemed to frustrate them more. Astra knew it would, but her mate needed to accept it. Just as Astra needed to accept that she would have to watch her niece grieve the death of their planet with no way to comfort her.
Although her soulmate seemed to be making a valiant attempt to comfort Kara on her behalf when they weren't overwhelmed by the changes Kara's presence had wrought on their life.
The messages passing between them reduced with Kara's presence. Sometimes Astra would send suggestions and advice and encouragement without prompting based on what she saw happened the night or two before. Sometimes her mate would ask explicit questions about why certain things were the way they were.
Neither addressed the fact that Kara was still in the dark about their being soulmates.
At first Astra had been relieved when her mate proved strategic enough to keep that fact hidden from her niece. But as she watched Kara grieve for all she'd ever know - including her Aunt Astra - she couldn't help but debate the merit of keeping it quiet. Yet, as long as she was in Fort Rozz it wouldn't make a difference anyways.
She was as good as dead for all the help she could bring them from here.
Which is why when Fort Rozz began to move, when word that they were finally out of the Phantom Zone and approaching a planet reached her, Astra froze. Hundreds of plans and possibilities ran through her mind. But it wasn't until she learned the name of the planet they were approaching that she knew she must act.
Utilizing all the influence she had gained over the years imprisoned there Astra acted. She organized. She plotted. She waged a battle for control.
And she won.
With her soulmates sudden in-flux of notes filled with panic and worry and encouragement Astra fought to secure the giant prison station so that when it crashed its prisoners would not immediately destroy the planet upon which they landed.
She had to make concessions. Agreements she was not proud of and would gladly go back on should she find a safe way to do so. But she kept knowledge of her soulmate hidden. She kept knowledge of Kara hidden. And that was her priority over everything else.
When the crash happened she took those truly loyal to her and they set out looking for a place to settle, to start over. They established a small settlement. And as their powers grew in they moved the settlement to a location near impossible for humans to get to on their own.
With a sanctum established they worked to integrate into the human world. Learned the languages, how the economy works and the government, learned about the current path towards self-destruction.
It was only her soulmate in her dreams keeping her from running off and trying to repeat her earlier mistakes. Her soulmate the-budding-scientist telling her to do research before she jumped to conclusions. To develop theories and contingencies and not just assume that Earth was like Krypton and required extreme actions.
And Astra listened.
Because her soulmate was right. There was time. There were multiple courses of action she could take to implement change long before Myriad would be needed. Or even usable on humans for that matter.
One thing Astra refuses to listen to was her soulmates pleas for them to meet. They were adamant about it, but Astra held her ground.
Not until they were older.
Not until Kara was able to function mostly on her own.
As if to spite her, her soulmate grew even closer to Kara, until their relationship closely resembled what Astra had once had with her own sister.
And then the DEO found their first settlement. And suddenly everything changed again. They retreated to the sanctum and planned. Something would need to be done about the DEO.
Creatures always fear what they do not understand. Capturing and imprisoning criminals was one thing. But as they dug deeper into the shadow organizations surrounding the DEO they found the real nightmare.
CADMUS.
So, Astra's focus changed from saving the planet to saving the aliens who sought refuge on it from the likes of CADMUS. Because she had seen her mate's father sacrifice himself on Kara's behalf, to keep Kara safe. The least she could do was honor his sacrifice.
Time passed.
Her soulmate went to college.
Astra became absorbed in establishing a system of authority for aliens on the planet. A self-policing authority to help keep them hidden and safe from CADMUS and the like.
That was how she met J'onn J'onzz.
With his support and guidance, her previously unstable system was now able to hold its own weight, becoming a sister branch to the reformed DEO. Looking back Astra tells herself it was because she'd been so busy with the work establishing a government required that she missed the signs.
It was a half-truth.
Astra noticed the signs of her soulmate spiraling. She just hadn't realized how bad it was. She'd forgotten that her mate was human, for all that they were brilliant. And that ignorance nearly cost her everything.
Later, after she'd thanked J'onn profusely for stepping in when he did, she would wonder how it came to be this way. How she became so wrapped up in her work establishing stability for others like her that she'd neglected the one thing that mattered most (outside of Kara).
Her soulmate.
And so, Astra did what she did best - she made plans. Changing some of the existing plans was easy with the support J'onn and the DEO were providing. Others not so much. But as she sat next to the still unconscious form of her soulmate - physically in her presence for the first time in either of their lives - she couldn't help the feeling that it was past time she'd done so.
Then she noticed it.
Her wonderful, stubborn, brilliant soulmate had gotten a tattoo.
Of the crest for the House of Ze.
Exactly where one would put it should they be brought into the house rather than born to it.
How could she have missed something like that occurring?
Frozen in her shock as she was, she failed to notice the changes in breathing and heart rate. Failed to notice the slight twitching of muscles as their owner stirred. She simply stared in shock at the tattoo, wondering how she had missed it. Wondering if her niece had seen it and if she hadn't how exactly her mate managed to pull that off.
Then a pair of eyelids blinked open and nothing else mattered.
Astra nearly forgot to breathe.
She wasn't ready. This wasn't how she'd planned it. She'd meant to be gone, a note left in her place. But none of those plans mattered as she made eye contact with her mate for the first time. Her mate wearing the mark of her house on proud display.
"Astra."
One word and her reasoning was gone. Every plan that involved leaving flew out of her brain as everything focused in on that one person slowly sitting up in front of her. She was finally here. They could figure out the rest later.
"Alexandra."
-fin-