Cat takes a slow drink of her scotch as she looks out over National City, taking a moment to savor her success once more. She's worked for centuries to get to this point, has gone through more personas than she can remember to gradually work her way to the top. She's had to wait for society to evolve, sat through seemingly endless mind numbing years of patriarchal bullshit where her gender counted against her more than her nature until the world was ready for a woman to succeed. It's still not easy, but that's never mattered to Cat. If she was after easy, she would have died when the mob stormed her manor, given up without a fight when charged with crimes she could not control. Her birth had been an accident of fate, but her rebirth had been by her own choosing. And from that moment on, her choices had been her own, her successes and failures by her own hand.
No more would her life be ruled by the whim of fate or chance, Catherine de Beauchamp is in control of her own destiny.
That name has faded into obscurity by now of course, but Cat will never forget where she'd come from, the frustration of watching her country head towards collapse while being unable to act, barred from making a difference on either side due to the accident of her birth. As a noble, however minor, she could not side with the citizenry and their complaints. She was the sheltered enemy, and knew of no way to bridge the gap between them. And as a woman, her voice held no sway with her family or those truly in power. She was meant to be purely ornamental, with no original thought in her head. She'd been condemned to death by her father's actions towards those he ruled, and been saved by a single moment, a single accepted offer to take control of her life.
Between a death she had no control over, and an opportunity for one she does, Cat hadn't hesitated to choose control. She'd willingly chosen eternity as a vampire, and all that decision entailed. Just as her country had undergone its own Revolution, Cat had remade herself.
It's a choice she's had no reason to regret in the years since then, though some of her actions bring remorse if she dwells on them too long. She's taken control of her own life now, left behind the reasons for her actions during the first half century or so, and in the intervening years has done everything in her considerable power to make up for those mistakes. Being young and foolish had been no excuse, so being older and wise will have to make up for those choices. She knows better now, had known better back then if she's being honest with herself and no inherently cold nature can change that, and it's her responsibility to both make up for those times and do everything in her power to keep them from happening again.
It had been the reason she'd left behind the rule of the woman who'd changed her, though the tie is one she can't deny no matter how hard she tries. The woman is the closest thing she has to a mother after all this time, and still likes to claim that title any chance she gets. It's a convenient cover, one that Cat tolerates to avoid questions she can't answer without revealing more about her nature than she'd like. At least mutual disdain is a common enough condition between parent and child, so their antagonistic relationship raises no concerns. The woman is frustrating enough without being responsible for revealing Cat's nature to the world.
Still, in the years since Cat left her side, she's built up both an empire and a following of her own, one that puts anything the other woman has accomplished to shame. She carefully selects those she turns, always making sure of their deeper nature before offering the choice. She'd blindly killed when she'd first turned, led astray by thinking that there was no way to fight the darkness of a vampire's heart. Since those darks years she's learned otherwise, learned to be ashamed of the weakness she'd allowed herself for far too many years. There are other ways, better ways, and she wants no one on her side that can't understand that simple truth.
One an incarnation, Cat had decided early on after changing her methods, one trusted employee she's spent years mentoring and guiding, getting to know their true self in a way only a vampire can. She won't turn anyone loose onto the world she wouldn't trust with her own life. So far it's worked well, between those she'd changed before setting her limit and those she's mentored since she has members of her coven in influential positions across the country, each personally indebted to her for their success and very existence, each carefully instructed on what she expects from them. Their pursuit of money, power, or fame doesn't bother her; every vampire wants those things, even her. Power isn't a vice, nor is wealth, but there should be more to their lives than the blind lust of acquisition. They have the ability to shape society, to guide the future based on their knowledge of the past, and Cat had long ago decided she had a responsibility to make the most of that power. Not for their own gain, though that makes a nice perk, but for the betterment of the world. Cat had watched one country fall into chaos and death; she won't watch another if there's any way to avoid it.
She thinks she has the perfect candidate in mind this go around, had spent long years searching for someone with the qualities she'd learned to look for. It's gotten harder over the years to find someone selfless enough to withstand the lure of darkness that hides in every vampire's heart, society growing darker every year and poisoning humanity along with it. But finally, finally Cat thinks she's made the right choice. Kara Danvers is as pure as they come, honestly good in a way that Cat hasn't seen before. She's smart, capable, and caring enough to put Cat to shame. She could be the greatest vampire Cat has ever met, could easily surpass her mentor within half a century with the proper motivation.
Now Cat just has to properly court her.
It's always hard to find the right angle to convince someone to seek power without opening them up to be corrupted, and Kara is proving no exception to that rule. Except this time, Cat's target seems to actively avoid power. She can't find an angle that works to push the young woman into the first step, the one absolutely necessary for the rest to follow. For some reason, Kara is content to remain an ignored assistant, making no real mark on the world. She doesn't push, she doesn't demand attention, and no matter what Cat throws at her she doesn't retaliate. It's infuriating, and it captures Cat's attention the way nothing else could.
One way or another, Kara Danvers will be her next protégée. Cat refuses to consider otherwise.
X
Even after two and a half centuries of careful planning and focus on the long run Cat struggles with patience at times. She's never been good at staying in one place, that's how she'd gotten from France to National City, from nothing when her family's wealth was seized to the empire she's built from the ground up. Cat pushes for what she wants, finds the path she'll need to take and follows it without hesitation. It's her greatest strength, the driving force behind her continued success.
Kara Danvers requires every bit of Cat's patience, and more she hadn't realized she possessed. The woman is intensely frustrating, hiding a strength of will, one that Cat can sense without even trying, behind ridiculous cardigans and a thoroughly millennial attitude. Cat's been around long enough to realize that every generation has its failings, but something about Kara's generation makes her feel old in a way that nothing else has managed. Even though Kara is an example of the best today's world has to offer, with none of the all too common arrogance of her peers, the generational differences are proving harder to bridge than ever before.
Kara refuses to sell out her friends to get ahead, a major factor in Cat's list of required values, but she also doesn't insist on credit for her own successes that will bring focus to her achievements. She willingly stays late and helps with extra tasks, but doesn't insist on receiving a reward for doing so. She thrives on validation, but doesn't sulk if it isn't delivered. She seems to reject every negative stereotype about her generation, and yet she somehow embodies the very spirit of that same idea. And it's so far outside of anything Cat has experienced she has no idea how to proceed.
She wants Kara to earn a promotion, to stand up for herself and take the position she deserves. In her interview she'd mentioned wanting to be useful, wanting to prove herself, and Cat wants the same thing. She wants the young woman to grow, to change, to make of herself what she wants to be. Cat wants Kara to take the same steps she'd taken so long ago, to claim her own future and what she wanted from it. She knows Kara has the potential; she just needs to make her see.
So she starts to push. Little things at first, slowly requiring Kara to accomplish more to earn approval. It's frustrating in a way nothing else has been in Cat's life, because she can see what she wants so very clearly but can never seem to bring it within reach. She has to lure her prize closer, inch by inch, when everything in her wants nothing more than to leap, to conquer, to claim her victory.
It takes months longer than Cat had anticipated, but finally Kara begins to blossom under the pressure. She visibly takes pride in her work, doesn't hesitate to point out her contributions when the situation calls for it, and even occasionally finds the courage to challenge Cat.
The challenges are never confrontational, never disrespectful, and they're the sign Cat has been waiting for. If Kara has found that level of confidence in her opinions, the confidence to not only voice but defend them, she's ready for Cat to make her offer.
X
"Keira, follow me," Cat demands one Friday near the end of the business day, ready to finally set the main point of her plan in motion. She's carefully determined that Kara has no plans for the weekend, so she'll have time to deal with the overwhelming sensations of the change in private without raising concerns. All that's left is to present the offer, carefully edited to avoid revealing any details of Cat's true nature should a refusal be given, and wait for Kara to decide. Cat doesn't expect that it will take long.
"Yes, Miss Grant?" Kara asks as Cat closes the door to an empty conference room behind them, looking puzzled but not nervous as she locks the door. The nerves appear when Cat steps closer, just inside of an appropriate distance. But she doesn't step back, and Cat counts that as another point in her favor.
"Two years you've worked for me, Kara. That's one year and seven months longer than any other assistant has lasted. One year and two months longer than any candidate I've found. You've managed to gain confidence, started to make that difference you talked about in your interview. Would you agree?" The use of her actual name has obviously thrown Kara off, which is exactly what Cat had been going for. She needs to see how Kara reacts under a different kind of pressure, whether her emotions will get the better of her or whether she'll keep her control and confidence intact.
"It would be hard to do otherwise, following your example Miss Grant," Kara answers without hesitation, and Cat doesn't try to hide the smile that stretches across her face. That's exactly the level of confidence she'd been looking for, with a healthy measure of respect to balance. The fact that her voice had wavered, just slightly, doesn't matter. Cat wants her that little bit off balance, wants honest responses rather than carefully considered ones.
"I've been looking for someone with a very particular set of characteristics and strengths for a very long time, Kara. Someone I can trust with a level of responsibility most would fall beneath. Are you interested?" Normally Cat would drop hints of the power her candidate stood to gain, but that's not the angle that will convince Kara. The girl lives to please, to prove herself, and Cat needs to offer her that chance.
"What exactly are you asking of me?" Kara asks, a slight hesitation crossing her features, losing some of the confidence she'd had a moment ago. Cat wants to sigh at that, but refuses to give in. She knows Kara can do this, and if she accepts then the confidence will come back and then some.
"I want to make you my protégée, teach you everything I know about CatCo and so much more. I want to show you how much potential you have, and how to use it to accomplish more than you'd think possible." Every word Cat speaks is the truth; she will never lie to a potential convert even if she won't tell them the whole story until they accept the offer. In Kara's case she's hiding more than usual, won't mention her plans to leave her in charge of the company when Cat retires this identity even if she does accept. That will come in time.
"Me?" Kara asks incredulously, shock clear on her face as Cat's words sink in. "I've only just earned the right to be called by my actual name, and you want to make me your protégée? I'd love to make a difference, I'd love to learn from you, but why me?"
"You care," Cat answers simply, finally stepping back to give Kara space to think. "You work towards what you want, and you've started to let yourself want more lately. Your grasp on morality means I can trust you with the responsibility without worrying it will go to your head. Your people skills mean you'll be highly effective in whatever you put your mind to, and your loyalty and belief in me means I can trust you to follow my guidance. As I said, it's quite a list of qualifications, but I believe you meet them all."
"That's a lot of faith to put in me," Kara says with a small laugh, obviously shaking off her nerves. "But I'd be a fool to turn down that kind of offer, and you don't tolerate fools in your company."
"Excellent, then sit so we can talk," Cat says with a wide grin, pleased that Kara has accepted the initial offer. Now to explain a bit more, make her understand that a final acceptance will bring about changes she can't imagine. Without specifics, Cat makes sure anyone she turns is as aware of the repercussions as possible before she acts. The transformation cannot be completed without willingness on the part of the one being bitten once they realize what is happening, and should they refuse then the power of the bite will erase any memory of that moment, but Cat will not allow that choice to be made without full knowledge of what they're getting into. "Now, before you accept completely, this opportunity does come with expectations. I asked you once if you were willing to offer complete devotion as my assistant, has your answer changed?" As she talks, Cat walks slowly around the room as if she's simply unable to keep still, slowly making her way behind Kara so she won't see when the illusion over her features drops, won't see the fangs until after they've sunk into her neck
"Of course not, I'll do whatever you ask of me," Kara answers immediately, awkwardly turning to follow Cat's movements before facing forward, staring at the wall in front of her rather than continue to twist in her seat.
"This position will require even more from you, but will also reward you in ways you can't imagine yet. The demands will be high, but never more than you can handle. The very nature of the offer makes sure of that. It's a gift, one that will change your life completely. It's not something you can just walk away from; you have to be entirely certain you're willing to go through with it. Once accepted, you cannot change your mind." That's the point that Cat has lost people in the past, no one who has accepted the permanence of the responsibility has backed down once they realize just what that permanence entails.
"I won't change my mind, I can handle whatever you throw at me," Kara says bravely, and Cat knows that it's time.
With a quick breath she drops her illusion, stepping close behind the younger woman and leaning down, careful to stay just out of sight, carefully drawing blonde hair away from one side of Kara's neck. She hears the soft gasp clearly, can feel Kara trembling, but she doesn't pull away. Despite the trembling she relaxes into the touch, and Cat knows she has the younger woman's complete trust. The rush of that thought is almost intoxicating, and before it can affect her too much, Cat leans down to let her fangs sink into soft skin.
Except they don't sink in, and before Cat can register that fact Kara is on the other side of the table looking at her in shock. There's no way she could have moved that fast, faster than even Cat's superior senses could track, but there she is.
"What just happened?" Kara asks, still staring at her in disbelief. "You have fangs, and you look my age, and you just bit my neck. What the hell going on?"
Cat spares a moment to be glad Kara at least isn't running in fear, because that could only end badly for her. "I would think that's fairly obvious at this point," she says wryly, hoping to defuse the situation before it gets out of hand. "While the truth about my kind is a closely held secret, it's not as if we've managed to go completely unnoticed. But I swear, I meant no harm to you."
"Oh god, you're a vampire. Vampires are real. My boss is a vampire and just tried to bite me." Kara is obviously in shock, and Cat starts to feel concerned. This isn't a reaction she had anticipated, even beyond the fact that her fangs couldn't pierce Kara's skin. Acceptance or memory loss, those were the only two outcomes she'd thought possible.
"Kara, breathe," she tries, wishing she could step closer to calm the woman, but not knowing if it would make things worse. "I promise I will explain everything, but you need to breathe before you hyperventilate. Would it be easier if I go back to looking like I did before?"
"I don't think there's a way to make this easy," Kara says, but she's at least breathing now, obviously counting her breaths to keep them steady. "Of all the people I could work for, I manage to be hired by a vampire. Alex is not going to believe this."
"Kara, you cannot reveal my existence to anyone," Cat says instantly, desperately trying not to panic. She's born into the nobility, has built an empire that she rules as Queen, and nobility does not panic. Not even when faced with the potential ruin of years of effort and secrecy.
"Alex is pretty good at keeping secrets, don't worry Miss Grant. She's kept mine for twelve years now." Kara is visibly calming, presumably at Cat's display of human emotion despite her otherworldly appearance, and with that worry off the table, she suddenly remembers the very important fact that she couldn't bite the woman. Her eyes narrow in suspicion, and her pointed look is enough to get Kara talking. "I'll trust you with my secret, so you know I have just as much to lose here as you do."
"I highly doubt that," Cat says immediately, thinking of her network of followers, her careful manipulations of political climate and growing reach within governing halls, years of work and effort that could go up in smoke in an instant. Literal centuries worth of success are on the line, and she doesn't see how anything Kara could lose would compare to that.
"Material losses mean nothing, we both know everything I own could never measure up to even a week of your purchases. But I have lost essentially everyone, and I do mean everyone, I cared about in a single instant once before, and I could lose everyone I care about now just as easily. I couldn't handle that loss again. So yes Miss Grant, I have as much to lose as you do." Kara's voice is steely, utterly emotionless in a way that Cat recognizes as a coping mechanism to hide a depth of grief that could destroy a person.
And oh how it makes Cat wish her bite had taken, because this is the version of Kara she had wanted to reveal, the confident and powerful woman she'd known hid beneath the surface. Kara knows what she wants and deserves, has clearly measured and accepted the risks, and now demands that Cat recognize and respect her offer. She would have made the perfect partner once she'd learned everything Cat had to teach her, and the loss of that possibility stings more than Cat would have imagined.
"I'm not from Earth," Kara says once Cat has nodded her acknowledgement of her point's validity. And that news is enough to shock Cat into speechlessness, not that she'd intended to interrupt any time soon. "My planet died along with my people, and I was sent away to protect myself and my cousin. I'm just as far from human as you are, and if that gets out then my life as Kara Danvers will be over as surely as your life as Cat Grant would be if I were to tell."
"You're worried about the fact you work for a vampire when I nearly bit Superman's cousin?" is all Cat can think of to say, still struggling to wrap her mind around everything that has been revealed in the past few minutes.
"Of course I am! I've spent years learning how to fit in, wishing I could do what my cousin does but knowing I couldn't. I was too young, too inexperienced, I've already failed at the task I was sent here to perform. It seemed easier to be Kara Danvers and not Kara Zor-El. Working for someone as different as I am obviously puts that in jeopardy." With the truce they've reached Kara obviously has no qualms about sharing her secrets, and Cat decides the younger woman deserves a return on that trust.
"Youth and inexperience pass, take it from me. And of the many things you are, a failure is not one of them. If you don't want to be a hero like your cousin then so be it, I've always preferred to do my real work behind the scenes anyway. Being too visible just puts a target on your back, but a careful word here and there can work wonders." Even if she can't turn Kara, can't give the young alien a place at her side for centuries to come, she can still nurture the spark of confidence and pure light that exists at her core.
"Is that why you wanted to bite me? Would that have turned me into a vampire like you, if I was human?" Cat can't help but be impressed by how quickly Kara's brain works out what she'd been planning, though she shouldn't be surprised at this point.
"Yes, that was the goal," Cat admits readily, returning Kara's honesty with her own. "I work behind the scenes far more than I do in front of them, and to be effective I need people I can trust, people who have been with me long enough to understand what we're working towards and why. People I can trust to do the right thing, to resist the temptations they face, no matter how strong they may be."
"How many others are there?" Kara asks softly, sounding hurt.
"Not enough," Cat hedges, not willing to risk their safety. "I'll answer any questions you have about me, Kara, but their identities or anything that could lead you to them is off the table. I'm responsible for them, and I won't put anyone in danger."
"No, of course you shouldn't," Kara says immediately with a flush, looking down at her hands for a moment. "It just made me realize I wasn't the first, which was silly of me. It's not like it matters anyway." And suddenly Cat understands the hurt from a moment ago, realizes that despite Kara's tendency to avoid praise or notoriety the young woman wants to be seen as someone special.
"Kara, I was offering you immortality and a chance to shape the future of the world. I do not offer that lightly, and while I have shared the opportunity with others in the past, do not discount what it means." Cat won't tell her about how she'd intended to ultimately share power with Kara, that she would have been the first Cat had turned with that goal in mind, because that is what doesn't matter now.
"I've got immortality covered, thanks," Kara says with a sigh and pained look, earning a puzzled look from Cat when no details follow. "Based on my cousin's experience since I arrived late, we don't seem to age past 25 or so. Our cells regenerate too quickly for aging to set in thanks to our powers, so barring a fight we can't win we get to stick around. It always seemed like a lonely future to me."
"It can be," Cat admits, thinking back to her own losses over the years. Her children, adopted as newborns and cared for with pure devotion, her love for them providing the link to humanity needed to keep her from darkness. The pain of their loss is always with her, anchoring her to a sense of empathy and compassion. She wouldn't trade a moment of her time with them, but that doesn't soften the hurt. "The trick is to keep looking forward, to use the losses of the past for strength and find something to work for in the future."
After the slightly depressing shift in conversation the two stand in silence for a moment, recognizing the losses the other has suffered and wordlessly offering the comfort of shared pain. It's not until Kara shifts and breaks the moment that Cat realizes what the latest revelation means.
"Kara, my offer still stands," she says, trying for nonchalance despite the surge of hope rising in her chest. This conversation has proven just how well Kara fits what Cat has been looking for, even without being turned. And perhaps it's even better this way, because Kara will never have to fight the cold nature of a vampire, will never know the struggle to build and maintain the warm connection that keeps them almost human. She can simply be herself, no split focus, no eternal struggle.
"I need time to think about it," Kara says after a long moment. "And I want to discuss it with Alex. Nothing that can compromise your safety, but I trust her judgement and want an unbiased opinion."
"I'll answer any questions she has as well," Cat concedes, quickly judging the potential gain to be more than worth the risk. "If you trust her, then I trust her as well. I'm serious about this offer, Kara. You could change so much, and I want to help you do that. I want you to help me do that."
"I'll let you know what she says," Kara says, meeting Cat's eyes without hesitation before turning and walking out of the room. Cat just hopes the answers are what she wants to hear.
X
"So, vampires are real huh?" Alex says as she perches carefully on one of Cat's overpriced couches, and Cat regrets for a moment deciding to have this conversation at her apartment rather than somewhere less intimidating. But this is where Carter is, and important conversation or no Cat refuses to be away from him on the weekends. "Aliens I've gotten used to, but vampires are a surprise."
"Alex, you promised you'd be nice," Kara whispers, gently nudging her sister, and Cat smiles at the level of comfort between them. She'd wanted a sister as a child, and even all these years later still feels a small jab of envy at the relationship between them.
"Kara, it's fine. We're all adults here, and I've heard far worse reactions over the years." It's the truth, even if remembering where and when she'd heard the words still brings a pang of regret for decades of poor choices. She isn't that person any more.
"What exactly are your goals? What do you need my sister for?" Alex asks after a moment of silent communication with Kara. "I know you won't provide details about whoever you have in whatever positions you have them in, but what are you hoping to accomplish? I won't tell Kara she should help with a plan for world domination, even if she would make a great dictator."
"I would never take away the rights of the people that way," Cat says, taking mild offense to the idea she would even consider doing so. "My goal is to influence politics from the inside, based on centuries of experience and wisdom. I've seen what happens when you take away choice from an entire nation, nothing I do will ever risk that happening again. My goal is, in the broadest sense, to give every citizen a voice and the safety they need to use it."
"So you're like the vampire Illuminati," Alex smirks, clearly amused with the comparison. "And you still didn't answer what you want from my sister."
"Is it that hard to figure out? Kara, for all her naïveté, has the strongest sense of moral responsibility I've ever encountered. If my goal is to guide the country and eventually the world into a society that cares for every member, who better to set the course than her?" Despite being very aware of Kara's presence, somehow this feels like a private conversation between Alex and herself, and Cat finds she wants to make a good impression. Alex might be the key to convincing Kara, and if so then Cat has to first convince Alex.
"Do you kill?" Alex asks carefully, ignoring Kara's glare and pointed shove to maintain eye contact with Cat. "I've seen too many people justify their crimes by claiming they're doing the right thing for the world, too many pretty speeches that hide horrible actions."
"I've done horrible things in the past," Cat admits, shifting to make eye contact with Kara for this part of the conversation, wanting her to understand. "When I was first turned, I didn't know how to fight the darkness the change brought out in me, how to hold to the spark of humanity I had left. I regret those years more than I can say, but they are long past."
"How do you keep yourself so human?" Kara asks, looking troubled but thoughtful.
"Carter," Cat answers simply, gesturing to the pictures on the walls around them. "And before him, Adam. Before Adam was Emily. And before Emily was Jonathan. Loving them gives me something to hold on to, a reason to fight the darkness. My children have been and always will be the most important thing in my life, and everything I do is to give them the best world they can live in."
"Does it have to be a child?" Alex asks, and Cat wonders where she's going with this line of questioning.
"It has to be someone you care about enough to put their safety and wellbeing before your own," she answers cautiously, keeping her promise to be completely truthful, but wary of the direction this might turn.
"Then I have quite a few questions for you," Alex says, and the look of determination in her eyes is Cat's first clue. And she does have questions upon questions, taking apart Cat's motivations and building them back up, examining each piece with minute care. The woman is a master interrogator, that much is obvious early on, but so is Cat. And for every question Alex asks, Cat responds with one of her own, learning as much about Alex as Alex learns about her.
"Are you satisfied?" Cat asks when Alex finally stops questioning her, hoping she's managed to convince the woman of her sincerity. She'd seen acceptance on Kara's face twenty minutes into the conversation, but whatever reaction Alex has will likely play a large part in her final decision.
"I am. You have good reasons for what you're doing, a solid plan to get where you want, and more than enough resources to accomplish your goals. You make valid points and have support for them no matter how small. I can see where you want Kara to fit in, and if it's where I think it is then I think it would be good for her." Alex speaks without hesitation, laying out her reasoning, and Cat feels herself relax slightly with each point in her favor.
"Kara, I don't just want you as a part of my network," Cat says, easily reading Alex's request for full transparency for what it is. "With your skills and the things that make you who you are, I want you to help me lead. Equal partners, once you've learned everything I have to teach you."
Her words clearly shock Kara, and Cat has to fight back a laugh at the look of surprise on her face. Alex doesn't even try, snorting inelegantly as she leans into her side for a quick shove. "Come on, Kara, you had to have seen that coming. Words like 'moral responsibility' being thrown around tend to mean something."
"I-I don't know what to say," Kara says when she finds her voice, and Cat grins smugly, seeing victory within her grasp. "Alex, you honestly think this is a good idea?"
"Well, I do have one caveat," Alex says, turning to fix Cat with a focused look. Cat for her part is more interested in what Kara's reaction will be to what she knows comes next, but she tries to pretend she's focusing on Alex. "I won't let my sister do this on her own. I know I can't stop her, but if she's going to do this then I want to be a part of it."
"Alex, what are you talking about?" Kara asks immediately, looking between the two of them as if hoping someone will tell her she's not understanding correctly. "I've cost you so much already, you can't give up your life for me this way. You deserve to find happiness, to live a normal life."
"My sister is an alien from another planet who works for a vampire, a normal life is a bit out of reach," Alex says lightly, not looking away from Cat. "And you've lost so many already, if I can keep you from losing one more then I will."
"Your decisions have to be your own, Kara. Alex has made hers, I won't argue with it. All that's left is for you to make yours." Cat might be breaking her rule of only turning those she's known for years, but in this she doesn't need that much time. She knows Kara, trusts her instincts, and the intense conversation of the past hours had given her enough insight into Alex's nature that if Kara accepts the offer Cat is happy to get Alex as part of the deal.
Kara is silent for a long moment as she looks between the two of them, and Cat lets her think. She won't try to influence the decision, she's made her points and has to let them stand on their own. And when Kara nods slowly, Cat just smiles. She's always loved getting what she wants.
X
"You know, when you locked the door to that conference room, I thought you were going to make an entirely different move than you did," Kara admits later, once Alex is sleeping off the stress of her transformation.
"So that's why you let me get so close," Cat says, aiming for dismissive. She can't deny Kara is an attractive woman, even more so thanks to her alien superpowers, but common sense is yelling at her to ignore that fact and keep things between them on a safe level. "Though I'm surprised you let yourself get so distracted by a woman you thought was twice your age."
"Well, I'm a 50 year old who looks 25, age differences aren't that big a deal to me," Kara says with a laugh, and Cat makes a note to ask where the extra years come from later, after she's gotten out of this conversation. It could get very dangerous, very quickly.
"I'm 247 and look 25, and believe me when I say they matter. Try your argument with someone else," Cat says, hoping that's enough to make her point.
"Does it really matter that much?" Kara asks softly, and suddenly the conversation is as dangerous as Cat had feared.
"It does," Cat says gently, again finding herself needing Kara to understand. "50 or 25, you're a child compared to me. It wouldn't be equal match. And I'm going to be mentoring you, pushing you to succeed and learn. We have to remain objective for that."
"I'll look forward to graduation then," Kara says, shooting Cat one last look before heading to the guest room Cat had offered. And as she watches the younger woman walk away, Cat knows that this round goes to Kara.
X
"Kyle just called, apparently he's managed to convince the Senator to change his mind on the clean water bill they've been debating all month. That might be enough to swing the vote our way, if he brings a few of his supporters with him." Kara doesn't even bother looking up from what she's working on as Cat enters the room, just lets her know the latest updates while she waits for the older woman to reinforce the illusion over her features the way she does every morning. In order to preserve Kara's identity they'd had to find a way for Cat's ability to cover her as well, and since then they've met every morning for the required contact to keep the disguise intact.
"Good, if they'd stalled any longer the state would have had a serious problem on their hands. Hopefully this is enough to get the situation under control quickly. How's Alex coming with her target?" Cat barely registers the physical contact any more, had learned to ignore the flutter in her stomach every time years ago. It's been 113 years since Kara had accepted her offer, and still Cat's traitorous emotions won't let her forget her attraction.
"He's being difficult, but Alex is patient. She'll get into his research eventually, if he does have the data we need it shouldn't take long after that." Cat nods in response, running through her list of followers for any other pressing concerns and coming up blank.
"Good, we could use a few months of quiet after the last few years. Who knew so many problems could crop up in so little time?" From water to health care to alien rights, things have been hectic for longer than Cat cares to remember. Her network had been stretched to the limit trying to keep up with the issues, and Cat had been more than grateful to have Kara by her side through all of it. Without the two of them working together, they wouldn't have been able to accomplish even half of what they had.
"Some quiet would be nice," Kara agrees, smiling up at Cat in a way that seems different from the countless other times she's earned a smile. "So after the mess that was really the past entire decade, have I graduated yet?"
It takes Cat a long minute to realize what Kara means, to remember back to that early conversation years and years ago. And once she does, it gets a lot harder to ignore that flutter in her stomach.
"No," Cat answers despite wanting desperately to say yes, because if Kara is going to be her equal in this network then this is something she cannot give her. Kara has to decide she's ready on her own, Cat has known she is for years. Now Kara has to realize that, has to step forward and show that she's ready for that final step. "These challenges weren't your final."
That's enough of a hint, and Cat sees the realization dawn in Kara's eyes. After a century working together they can both read the other easily, and Kara knows how she thinks. "Good, because they were easy. I want something that will test me."
They're dancing around it now, both fully aware of what's about to happen, but Cat doesn't mind. She relishes the anticipation, the way she has to fight to breathe evenly, to keep herself under control. "And what kind of test did you have in mind?"
"Cat, drop our illusions," Kara says instead of answering, and that's what Cat had been waiting for. She doesn't ask, she demands. She takes charge, steps up and claims what she wants.
So Cat obeys, just this once, because Kara has earned it. She drops the illusions, and they stand before each other looking the same as they had 113 years ago, as if no time has passed at all.
"Does the age difference still matter?" Kara teases gently as she steps closer. "You are still 200 years older than I am after all."
"If you don't quit acting like a child, it might," Cat tosses out, standing still and letting Kara come to her.
"No children here today," Kara says as she takes the last step into Cat's personal space before leaning down to kiss her, and Cat lets herself melt into it, allows herself to feel a century's worth of buried emotions.
Cat had made a choice long ago to take control of her own destiny, and after more than 300 years, she finally feels like she's done just that.