Vegas Part 2
The three of them remained in that room for hours, talking about what had happened and discussing their options, but there was one thing that seemed to resonate through both Kara and Lena, in spite of how they may have gotten here neither of them wanted to give this up. They had been dancing around each other for almost a year and that something like this would happen was not unforeseen if you asked Alex.
In a way Kara was relieved that they had had it out like this, she can still remember the discussion she had with her mother back on Krypton. Back then marriage between the social elite was arranged at birth, the cortex determining who would best be suited to the other, and they would be betrothed until they were 18 at which age they would meet for the first time and move in together as Partners. That she got to know Lena beforehand, that she actually liked Lena like she always dreamed she would love her partner made it all so much easier. She didn't want to dissolve this Union for better or worse; a Kryptonian bond was for life, and she had willingly chosen Lena the moment they had met, even if she hadn't realised that is what she was doing.
Already she could see the subtle changes in Lena, the minor imperfections slowly vanishing as they sit in the morning sun, the scar from when she was 12 and had 'fallen down the stairs' slowly vanishing as did all her other small scars. When Lena herself notices this several hours into the discussion it takes Alex half a second to realise what this means, even now she remembers the stories Kara had told her when they were children, about a Kryptonian gaining their partners abilities, merging as one to become stronger, the very definition of compact evolution.
She is both surprised and fascinated to see it working so fast and so she quickly moves to her jacket she had brought with her and removed a small green rock from within. Just as she expected as she gets closer and closer to Kara, the rock has little to no effect even when she pokes Kara with it nothing happens bar for the rock splintering and breaking. Kara has become immune to Kryptonite
Lena herself was having trouble coming to terms with all these changes, ever since she was a little girl she had dreamed of a family, at first she had thought she had found one in the Luthors only to have that dream stripped away from her at Lionel's death. When Lionel had died the family she had found had imploded, Lex slowly more and more becoming like his mother, Lillian becoming more and more hateful towards aliens and all they stood for. When she had helped Kara throw Lillian into prison, she had thought that was it, that it was the end for her hopes of ever having a family, after all who could love a Luthor. But now, now she sits here, Kara in her arms, her brilliant ray of light warming her once frozen and shattered heart melting the ice and slowly rebuilding Lena piece by piece, even offering unto Lena a part of her own heart to fill the once empty space. And to hear and see the depths of Kara's commitment even knowing this had been an accident, she can't help but hold onto this with both hands
POV Shift Lena: Later that day
She should have seen this coming, after everything that had happened, after the perfect day she has had so far, learning that Kara wanted to give them a shot, that she might finally get the family she has always dreamed of it stands to reason something had to go horribly wrong.
And so it is when she sees her phone ringing, the number that of the board chairman her blood runs cold
"Hello, Greg, I am surprised it took you this long to call."
"Ahh Miss Luthor…" comes the voice of the slimy chairman
"Mrs Luthor" Lena corrects him
"Yes, Mrs Luthor, well I suppose you know why I am calling you," he says sounding like a puffed up self-important dolt
"I imagine it has something to do with this morning's headlines," Lena says rolling her eyes
"Yes, the board feels that for the good of the company it would be best for you to stand down."
"Say what you really mean Greg, come on we've known each other long enough, don't sugar coat it now," Lena says growing immediately tired of the political babble
"Fine, this business, marrying a reporter, and a woman no less, Luthor Corp can't afford the scandal," he says venom lacing his tone
"The scandal!" Lena asks incredulously "you mean to tell me that Lex kills dozens and you don't dare make a move, but I get married, and suddenly it's better for L-Corp if I step down."
"now Mrs Luthor I …"
He is interrupted as from next to her Kara takes the phone quickly cutting in "I assume you're Greg Daniels, L-Corp's board chairman."
"Who is this, what do you think you're doing" comes Daniels grinding tone
"My name is Kara Luthor, the woman you were just trying to use to take my wife's company away," Kara says annoyance permeating her tone
The poor fool thinks he has the upper hand, the smirk evident in his voice as he says "Now listen here, young lady…"
"Shut it, Greg. You listen to me. I take it you know I used to work for Cat Grant?" Kara says voice like ice
"Yes, but I hardly…"
"Good, then you know that I have the ear of everyone in National City, from Judges to talk show hosts, so let me make something abundantly clear. You have until we arrive back in National City, so approximately 10 hours, to resign your position and leave never to be heard from again, if you do not you will see exactly what I learned from Miss Grant about how to bury someone."
Lena feels a shiver of arousal hearing Kara speak so authoritatively and she swears she can hear the stammering idiot on the other end of the line gulp as Kara gives her ultimatum. Then before she realises it, Kara says "10 hours Mr Daniels, or I swear the only job you will ever find again will be picking up trash on the side of a highway." Before she clicks off the call.
When she turns back to Lena, Lena is stunned by seeing the immediate transformation, Gone is the angry and authoritative Kara and in her place is a almost shy, unsure Kara who screams harmless and Lena can't overcome the urge to cuddle her tightly assuring her she isn't mad for the way Kara had defended them. So she doesn't, she pulls Kara in tightly hugging her as she buries her head in her blonde tresses
National City: Monday
As it turns out, Mr Daniels wasn't as smart as he thought he was. He assumed Kara was only an assistant. He forgot the difference between an assistant and Cat Grant's assistant. It was like the difference between a rain drop and a maelstrom. As soon as they had returned to National City Kara had Winn check to see if he had retired, he had not. And so she started doing something most people could never imagine her doing.
Those who had known Kara over the years had known the mild-mannered PA or the happy ray of sunshine that bounced into your life and made everything better. They had never seen what Kara was willing to do for her family. Kara believed in an old Kryptonian adage about a house divided shall fall, where one United will triumph. And so she begins calling in favours, using markers she has earned over her years at CatCo. It takes her no more than six calls before she has Daniels by the balls, and the final call she makes to the executive producer of CatCo's nightly news is the final nail in the coffin.
It takes barely an hour before it is all over the Internet, radio, and TV as Greg Daniels is crucified in the media. A small recording taken from Lena's phone's memory by Winn, discussing how Lena being married to a woman was more of a scandal than multiple homicides is soon playing across every station. It takes only minutes before it is trending all over Twitter, L-Corp stocks miraculously stay stable. However, stocks in all of Mr Daniels other investments and projects drop like a rock.
Lena watches on awestruck as in a little over three hours Kara completely annihilates Mr Daniels. She looks at the woman who has become her wife, and she is amazed. She always knew there was more to Kara and she has seen how fiercely loyal and protective she can be of her friends but this, this is beyond even that, this is the extent that Lena has only ever seen her protect Alex, and then it hits her, like Alex she is Kara's family, for better or worse, in richer or in poorer.
By the time they arrive at Lena's apartment, she is already receiving pleading calls from the board members begging her to return, and perhaps, more importantly, to ask Kara to call off the attack. She ignores them, choosing to instead walk hand in hand past the paparazzi with Kara pressed solidly into her side just enjoying being with her wife.
As she enters the apartment she watches as the mask Kara had apparently been wearing, one of cool confidence and self-assuredness falls away leaving the bumbling, rambling woman she loves. Not that she doesn't love Kara's strong dominant side, make no mistake she has no doubt that there will be some days she will want nothing more than to just spend hours with the strong, and confident Kara, but this Kara, this is the person very few ever get to see, and Lena is in love with the way Kara looks at her, in the way she seems so very sure, yet unsure at the same time, in the way her eyes twinkle as Lena kisses her. She is in love with all Of Kara Danvers, but this, this is the part she loves the most.
As she sits there, she asks the question that is most on her mind "Kara, darling?" When she has Kara's attention, she continues "where did you learn to do all that?"
Kara looks a little puzzled then she realises what Lena is asking "some of it I learned from Miss Grant, the rest my mother taught me back on Krypton."
"On Krypton?" Lena asks puzzled remembering the stories Superman had told over the years
"Sorry, we never got to have that discussion." She pauses as if reliving a painful memory and Lena imagines she is and places her hand over Kara's rubbing soothing circles as she waits for her to continue.
"First off the stories aren't all exactly true, yes Krypton died, and Kal-El was sent to Earth, but he was only a babe, he has no memory of our race. He needed protection. And so I was sent with him, my mother was the head of the judiciary guild, my father the science guild, my aunt our military."
"Then why didn't you arrive when he did?"
"Krypton's death knocked my ship of course, and for years I was stuck in a place where time did not pass, by the time I arrived here Kal-El had already grown up. He remembers nothing of Krypton; I was supposed to protect him, protect their memory. Instead, I failed. Kal-El may be one of my blood, but I am truly the last Kryptonian."
Seeing the weight on Kara's soul is one thing, hearing the truth of it another, Lena truly doesn't know what to say, so she doesn't, she just stays there holding Kara as she slowly works her way through the pain
"My mother would have loved you," Kara says
"Hmm…" Lena murmurs
"She always told me life was more than just surviving, despite everything she hoped one day I would meet someone I could love, before I left, she made sure when this day came no matter who I would come to love that I could always help and protect them." A watery smile works its way onto her face "being here with you. I know that this is what she meant, this may have happened by accident, but nothing makes me happier than being here with you."
This time it's Lena's turn to shed a tear although if asked later she will staunchly deny it but so moved by Kara's words and the emotion behind them she can't help the small tear of joy at finding this ray of sunshine, a true light in her life
National City Monday Evening
As she lays there Kara snuggled tightly into her arms Lena comes to a realisation, for months she and Kara had danced around each other, sharing lunches and interviews, practically any excuse to see each other, until that fateful night just a few days ago where fuelled by alcohol and overwhelming feelings they had acted upon it in the most complete of ways. Lena has never felt like she does when she holds Kara in her arms, it is like a piece of her that had been missing all these years has finally found its way back to her. Smitten doesn't even begin to cover how she feels for Kara, had she not grown up a Luthor she would happily proclaim it love, but she had, and this equal parts terrifies and thrills her. Kara may be the strongest being on earth, but Lena knows the truth, it is not Kara's body that needs to be protected, it is her heart, her beautiful, caring, loving soul so unblemished by hate or rage, her pure heart is what Lena needs to protect the most.
As Kara sleeps beside her Lena takes up her tablet, and she does something she never imagined she ever would, she uses a fail-safe that she had never dreamed of using, not even when she was at the end of an assassin's sights did she imagine the need to use it, not even when her mother had proposed the death of millions had Lena considered what she was about to do.
With a final keystroke, it is done. One command issued and sent across the country and the world. In an instant millions of lines of code are built, working their way into systems all over the globe, millions of computers leading all to 2 destinations.
In the depths of a government black site Lilian and Lex Luthor sit side by side in anointing cells, already they plot their revenge on Lena, the news had reached them this morning, news that Lena had a weakness, one they could exploit and target. As they sit there planning alarms start to sound through the entire facility as airtight doors seal, the klaxons sounding as room after room is sealed off. Then in Lillian and Lex's cells, the air is being pulled out of the vents a whistling sound the only indication of what is to come. Lillian and Alex slowly asphyxiate as the air is drawn from their cells and back in National City a solitary tear falls from Lena's eye as she closes her tablet aware of what she will do to protect Kara, to protect their love.
When Kara awakens she looks up at Lena, she lays there a few moments, safe and secure in Lena's arms before she realises what feels wrong, Lena appears as if etched in stone and for the first time Kara can not see past her mask. She lets one hand rise until it is cupping Lena's jaw and pulls her down until she meets her Kryptonite eyes. She looks at the pain, and she knows the truth, Lena has done something she fears will mar her soul forever, that she feels will cause Kara to turn away. So she does that which feels natural, she levitates until she can switch their positions simultaneously moving them from the couch to the bed, and begins to softly stroke through Lena's hair as she waits for her to speak
"I've done something terrible Kara… I've killed them."
"Killed who Lena?"
"Lex and Lillian, I killed them, Kara, I didn't even give them a chance."
Kara realises why Lena has done it, and her heart breaks for the woman "it's ok Lena, I know it hurts, but I know you had no choice."
"No I…I could of… I could…"
"Lena, Lex and Lillian tried to kill you, tried to kill us, you did what you thought was right, what was necessary, I will always love you, no matter what."
And so they sit late into the day Kara reassuring Lena that everything is ok, that this doesn't change anything, that she did the right thing even if it doesn't feel like it