DISCLAIMER: Characters in this story remain the property of DC Comics, Inc. Movie copyrights and trademarks are owned by Alexander & Ilya Salkind, Warner Bros. Pictures, and TriStar Pictures. The story contained herein is meant only for personal enjoyment and no money is being made from the story. No infringement is intended. I offer this fan fiction as a tribute to the creative teams involved in the actual production of both the movie and comic. However, I reserve the right to any original characters I create for the purpose of fan fiction story telling.

Changes

Midvale had changed a lot over the last four years. Where it was formerly a small town populated by people who seemed to know each other by their first names, it now held a large number of city folks who had relocated to the area. The old timers in the town believed that the increase in the town's population was brought about by the public knowledge that Supergirl had taken the residents under her protective wing. Something that everyone had seen happen to Metropolis when it became known that Superman was often seen in the area. The existence of the two super beings seemed to give the 2 places a higher sense of security and safety. The safety confidence of the public in Midvale was such that the small town saw its population double in size over the past 3 years.

The economy of the town was also booming because of the new residents. Just like with any town that had a real estate boom, there was a high demand for excellent landscapers, and Ethan was one of the best in town. His business had now tripled and he found himself employing other landscapers under his company. He was a big boss now who still dressed in simple jeans and t-shirts. Gone was his old beat up Chevy pick up. He now had 5 Ford F-150 trucks registered to his company along with the 4 extra men who were now working for him. But being the boss never changed the way he did business. He still had a special roster of original clients whose horticulture needs he personally attended to. The Midvale School For Girls was still a regular client of his. The school held special meaning for him and he would tend to their gardens for free if they asked him to.

One of the things that irritated him about the Midvale Boom, as the local newspapers called it, was that traffic went from non-existent to nightmarish almost overnight. As he sat in his air conditioned truck waiting for traffic to move so that he could ease his way onto 42nd street where his new office was located, he could not help but envy how his wife of 3 years never had to deal with traffic. All she had to do was fly.

How he wished that he could do the same as Linda, in her alter ego form did. He looked anxiously at his watch, panic started to fill his eyes. He was going to be late getting home at this rate and she would definitely be furious with him if he showed up late today. He lowered his window and shouted at the ineffective traffic cop who stood in the middle of the road pretending to direct traffic. Traffic in Midvale streets usually flowed a lot smoother when the likes of him weren't trying to direct the vehicles on the road.

"C'mon buddy! Move the elephant!" he hollered impatiently at the officer who glared at him.

It took a good 10 minutes before he was able to get himself off the traffic ridden road and parked into the last available slot in his office compound. The other four trucks were already in for the day as well. He hurried into the office and picked up the only avaialable phone at the front desk.

"You're late. Why on earth did you choose today to work on the Bloom project." Vicki, the warm chestnut haired receptionist who was about the same age as Ethan warned him.

"I won't be late. I have time." he sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than the receptionist.

A look of relief spread over his face as the answering machine at the house picked up the phone.

"Morrison residence. Tell us why you called and we will call you back when we can." said the giggling voice of Linda over the line. She wasn't home yet. He just might make it home before her.

"Linda, I got stuck in a monster traffic jam. No worries, I am on my way home. I won't be late." He replaced the reciever and hurried to his private office.

He only had enough time to chuck his equipment into his locker before he raced out the door. Throwing the key to the front door at Vicki.

"Lock up after the others. I'll see you all at the house. " he instructed her as he rushed out the door.

****

The tall brunette woman was walking briskly out of the College of Arts and Sciences building of Midvale Community College. Having her classes finally end for the day did not make her feel any more confident that she would get home on time. She always seemed to have to make a few stops along the way that usually cost her valuable travel time, even though she could fly. Actually, flying was the main reason she often ran late getting home.

"Now remember Linda, go straight home. Mom is probably already there helping the caterers set up. Try not to stop for any reason. " the hazelnut haired woman walking with her instructed as they headed for the school parking lot.

"I'll try Lucy. But, you know I cannot ignore anybody who needs my help." Linda explained as they reached Lucy's Peacock Blue Mitsubishi Lancer.

"Supergirl has to learn to chuck it once in a while my dear friend. You can't be late for your own event." she responded before getting into the car. "I will go pick up the cake before heading to your place."

"Okay. And Jimmy will be there at what time?"

"He took the day off from work today to make sure he would have enough time to set up at your house. He could be there by now."

Linda closed the driver's door as Lucy started the engine. "I'll see you there. In case Ethan gets home ahead of me, tell him we left at the same time and I should be there soon."

She watched as her best friend drove off.

"I should ask Ethan to teach me how to drive one of these days. Lucy makes it look like so much fun and it seems that I am the only one on campus without a car. Not that I need one..." she thought to herself before turning around and heading off to a deserted part of the campus where she could take flight without any notice.

****

Kara was very happy that Kal-El had finally decided that he had trained her enough in the way of saving humans from the often dangerous and precarious situations that they always managed to get themselves into. There was a time during her training when she could only go on rescue missions with Kal-El, limiting her rescue immersion activities to Metropolis and, during the times when he was in Midvale as Clark Kent, a few non consequential rescues by Supergirl under the direct supervision of Superman.

Midvale was more peaceful than Metropolis so during Kara's reconnaissance flights, she had time to just enjoy the flight and indulge in one of her favorite activities, the flying ballet. Usually her missions involved helping put out fires in the forest during the summer, or, once in a while, stopping a robbery in progress. The police department even gave her a plaque of appreciation a few years ago thanking her for her efforts in keeping Midvale residents always protected and safe.

She was flying westward on her way home when the voices of children in trouble reached her ears. The conglomeration of voices seemed to be coming from the southern part of Midvale. The children were in a panic and crying as far as she could hear. Their collective voices reached her super senses. Causing Kara to lean into her flight. Going faster before it was too late.

"Help! Supergirl! We're going to fall!" she heard the collective cries of children being carried through the air.

The party would have to wait. Ethan would understand. He always did. He knew that just like Kal-El, she would sacrifice her personal happiness and safety for the good of those under her care.

She saw the bus hanging dangerously on the edge of the bridge barrier. It would have fallen straight into the raging waters of the river below had the back tires not gotten caught on the wreckage of the steel barrier that the impact had destroyed. Using her x-ray vision, she surveyed the interior of the school bus. The police and rescue teams were already in place to save the kids but the position of the bus tied their hands. If they tried to open the back door of the bus, it would tilt even further and crash into the river for sure. There would not be enough time to get all of the children out of the bus safely before the inevitable happened. But that was the human way.

Everyone applauded the sight of Supergirl appearing within the skies above the bus. The police got on their megaphones and asked the crowd to make way in case Supergirl needed the manouvering space. Her first instinct was to fly by the windows so the children inside would know that she was there. She noticed that whenever she or Kal-El were present at an incident, people involved calmed down a lot faster. The children who were crying began wiping away their tears and smiling at her with hope in their eyes. They knew she would save them. She smiled back and held her thumb up to let them know all would be well. Flying to the front of the bus which was hanging off the bridge, she took a strong hold on the stainless steel bumper before she hoisted the vehicle overhead and placed it safely on the pavement of the bridge. The children exited as fast as they could into the anxious arms of their parents.

Kara checked on the bus driver whom she noticed did not move during her inspection. He was slumped over the steering wheel and had turned ashen in color. The paramedics came over and extricated him from the driver's seat. they tried to restart his heart on site but were unable to do so. They would take him to the hospital and try to revive him further there.

"It will take you 15 minutes to get to Midvale will be faster if I flew him in. His condition cannot wait." she told them as she slipped her arms under the fifty something man's body.

****

They had moved into the new house on Arbor Street two years after they got married. Since the rent on their previous home was being raised, and Ethan's business was starting to pick up, it made more sense for them to put down a payment on their first home. It was the typical American family's home, complete with the white picket fence and step up porch. The color of the house was creamy yellow on the outside and off white on the inside. The roof tiles were basic blue with a few solar panels alongsidethe gutter to make the house energy efficient.

Linda was very excited when they first moved in. It was a moderately sized compact house that easily housed the pair for they did not have own much in terms of material things. Just the bare neccessities as it were. The house had 4 bedrooms and two and a half baths. Too big for only two people but Ethan had insisted that he needed to have an office at home and Linda needed to have a seperate study room as well.

He parked the Honda Accord in the driveway and made his way into the main house. The voice of Mrs. Lane instructing the rented staff boomed across the hall from the main door.

"Now make sure there is enough champagne in the chiller. We do not want to make a toast with warm , show him where to place the other boxes" she instructed her husband who was trailing the delivery men who lugged in the cases of wine. He wanted to make sure they did not ruin the carpet that he had gifted Linda and Ethan with during their housewarming.

"Hi Mrs. Lane, Mr. Lane" Ethan smiled at the woman who was like a mother to him. Time had aged her and her husband very gracefully. Aside from a few white hairs on both their heads, nobody would be able to tell that they had a successful journalist daugher and another one in her junior year in college.

"Ethan, Linda isn't home yet." he was told as he hung up his jacket in the hall closet.

"She probably had to make a few stops on the way home." he reasoned. "And probably saved a few lives along the way." he silently thought.

It took Ethan a good thirty minutes before he was finally ready to go downstairs and await the guests. He wondered what could be keeping Linda.

"Don't look at me. You know there is only one thing that could delay Linda." Lucy told him when he asked her why Linda wasn't home yet. He knew that they started off for home together everyday. The two steadfast friends always shared the same class schedules so that they always had their "sister time" on a daily basis.

****

The man Kara had flown to the hospital was finally revived. The doctors said he had suffered a major heart attack while at the wheel of the bus. He was lucky that Supergirl had been there to fly him in otherwise, it would have been too late. He was admitted into the hospital for observation. Since everything seemed alright, Kara was about ready to leave and head home. She was already an hour late for the party.

"He wants to speak with you before you go." The female doctor in charge of the man told her when she mentioned she was leaving.

The man, whose chart said his name was Alfred, had his eyes closed when Kara came in. He stirred only slightly and opened his eyes. He was attached to all sorts of monitoring devices that Kara was afraid to come near him for fear of accidentally disconnecting something.

"Thank you." he told her in a weake voice. "I owe you my life."

"You don't owe me anything." Kara replied softly. "Now close your eyes. Rest, and you will feel better tomorrow."

"Please Supergirl, stay with me till I fall asleep? Make sure that I will wake up? " he requested her. How could she say no?

"His next of kin card says he has children. We already contacted them but they will have to drive down from Metropolis" the nurse who was adjusting his IV drip informed her.

Without even thinking about how Ethan would feel about her very delayed arrival, or if she would even make the party at all at this point, she pulled up a chair that was leaning against the wall near the door and sat down.

"I am not going anywhere. I will make sure that you wake up and that I am here with your children when you open your eyes. "

Supergirl had to kill time with his son and daughter for 2 of the 3 hours he slept before he finally opened his eyes.

****

The party was well underway after seven p.m. and Linda was still nowhere to be found. What was keeping her? Ethan was visibly upset because her absence meant that he had to deal with all the guests alone. By seven p.m. he had had enough and pulled Clark aside to speak to.

"Can you go find Kara and bring her home? This is her party too and she is missing it. " he asked.

"No need Ethan. I hear her already." Clark pointed upward and they saw Kara flying into the master's bedroom window which they always left open for her inconspicious arrivals.

"It's about time!" Ethan declared before taking a big gulp of red wine.

She came down to the party wearing a simple straight cut white dress. Mingling with the visitors who were composed of her classmates and his business associates, Ethan and Linda portrayed the image of a young couple very inlove with each other and starting out in life. What they did not see however, was that underneath the veneer of love, Ethan was slowly starting to resent his wife's dual identity. The secret identity that only a few people knew about. Who was loved by all but now irritating him.

Normally, he did not mind having to share Linda with the rest of the nation whenever Supergirl was needed. But tonight was special for them. It was their 3rd wedding anniversary and the party was almost over when she arrived. Who could blame him for not even kissing her back when she greeted him after getting home?

"Ethan, you can smile better than that. It's your wedding anniversary" Jimmy prodded him after the party was over and the immediate family, including the Lanes, posed for souvenier pictures. Jimmy, who had just begun hiring himself out as a party photographer to earn extra income, was their offical megman.

"Give him some loving Linda! Lucy teased while Clark and Lois smiled as they watched nearby.

****

"Why couldn't you have let the emergency services handle the situation?" he asked her as they prepared to go to bed after the party. She was in the bathroom getting ready for bed and he was seated on the lazy boy as he flipped channels.

"They could not have done it without me Ethan. You know that there are some things only Kal-El and I can do. This was one of those things." her muffled voice came through the closed bathroom door.

"I know that Linda. But does it always have to be at my expense?" he asked her as he finally settled on the basketball game on the tube.

"What are you talking about Ethan? You know you are number one with me." she opened the door and stuck her head out.

"I am number one with Linda. With Kara... I am not so sure." he sounded like a little boy throwing a tantrum.

"I am Linda. I am Kara. Regardless of what I am wearing and what color my hair is, I am still only one woman, the one you married. Your wife." she explained to him as she got into the sleeping outfit that she had bought earlier in the day. That was going to be her anniversary present to him.

She came out of the bathroom and stood in front of the tv screen in her light blue silk robe.

"I'm watching the game." Ethan complained as he signaled her to step aside.

"You would rather watch the game than celebrate our anniversary?" she asked him as she slowly undid the silk ribbon that held her robe closed.

"Party's over. I did not enjoy it." he complained trying to focus on the screen.

"So I take it you won't enjoy this?" she dropped the robe in front of him to reveal a skimpy white negligee that covered very little of her body underneath.

He swallowed hard at the sight of his wife clad skimpily infront of him. Linda was not usually one to make the first move.

"Nah." he pretended not to look at her.

She took the remote control out of his hand and set is aside before floating only inches away from his lap. "Then I guess you don't want your anniversary gift."

His eyes registered a look of bewilderment. This was something new. A different side of Linda, or was it Kara? That he had never seen before.

Tracing his lips in that sensous manner that only Kara could do, the kiss that followed made him completely forget why he was mad at her in the first place. He began devouring her lips and getting what was left of her coverings out of the way.

"Karalinda." he moaned as his manly urges made him hold her closer and tighter to his still clothed body. He could not remember how he unded up only in his briefs. Superspeed perhaps?

"I knew you couldn't resist." she teased him as he carried her to their bed.