Kara closed her eyes as she pushed herself to go faster. She had finally made it out of city limits allowing her to relax at the sound of wind pushing past her.
She loved National City. She truly did. It held her family and the people she vowed to protect.
But sometimes it was so loud.
The cars. The music. The voices.
Her years here on Earth had taught her how to silence them. They were still there but not as deafening as they were in the beginning.
Kara slowed a fraction of her speed as she ran into a landing. The landscape around her a blur of grass and sand.
The field was expansive, but at least Kara knew she was alone.
Her thoughts faltered to the apartment building, the fire heating her face, the yelling.
"Supergirl, where have you been?" The fire chief yelled over the roaring fire, running up to her, "There's a family and a single occupant on the top floor. You don't have much time, the fire's critical."
"Don't worry," Kara said, giving the frazzled official a smile, "I've got this."
As pushed herself into the air, she x-rayed the building. Seeing the family first she quickly maneuvered through the columns and rooms. When she reached them, she grabbed the kids before coming back to rescue the parents. Kara was back in the air as firefighters pushed them back behind the barrier. She did not stop to see the happy reunion.
The hero smiled to herself; one more. Then she could go home.
And that's when she heard it. The slight groan of the wood and stilts. The tale tells sign of a building collapsing.
"She's coming down!" Someone yelled from the ground.
Kara re-doubled her efforts, ignoring the burning of her lungs as she broke through a window to the correct apartment. But the man wasn't there anymore.
A low growl escaped her lips, as she x-rayed through flames again. The fire's temperature climbing to an all-time high.
She heard the coughing first, as she zoned in on the sound she caught a glimpse of the man attempting to run down the stairwell. He was at least three floors down. The building wasn't stable enough for her to crash through the floor. And even if she managed to put out all the flames the building wouldn't hold up against the force of them.
She was out of options.
And Supergirl froze as the building around her crumbled.
Kara eyes clouded, the memory of the collapsing building ringing in her ears.
She failed today.
And she knew that it wasn't her fault. That she couldn't save everyone.
But none of that mattered to her.
Her duty was to protect; save lives. From day one, she held herself to that standard, and she wasn't going to stop now.
So as cool winds clouded her senses she allowed the guilt to tear through her.
Lena paced in front of her TV knowing that Alex and Maggie's worried gaze followed her every step.
They had arrived at the ten-minute mark like Alex said. The trio had tried to be casual about the fact that Kara wasn't there with them, but they weren't fooling each other. There was an obvious space, and gloominess that the blonde's bubbly self normally chased away. For a while they were able to keep the conversation off of the hero, but as topics ran out, they were all becoming very aware how long Kara had been gone.
It had just reached the two-hour mark, and Lena's worry was only increasing as she continued her pattern.
"Lena," Maggie's calm voice, sounded through the eerily quiet apartment, "Come sit."
"Can't." She mumbled back, her fingers playing with the necklace Kara had given her.
Alex pushed herself up from the couch, positioning herself so she blocked Lena's path. The youngest of the three stopped a foot in front of Alex, glancing up at her briefly before changing directions, continuing her pacing.
Alex rolled her eyes, of course all it did was shorten the length of Lena's path.
"Okay, Lena." Alex said, grabbing her friend by the shoulders, "That's enough of that."
Maggie smiled, a little laugh escaping her lips, as she headed towards the kitchen. When she came back she was carrying a small glass.
"Drink this." Maggie said handing the drink Lena.
Lena eyed it wearily, "Not until you tell me what it is."
"Lena, just drink the damn drink." Maggie said, grabbing Lena's hand and wrapping her fingers around the glass.
Alex widened her eyes, when Lena grumbled something under her breath before drinking it in one go. The Luthor coughed as the liquor burned down her throat.
"God, that's strong."
"Come on, hot shot." Alex joked, running a hand up and down Lena's back as she led them over to the couch.
Over the last year, Alex and Lena had become closer. It took a while for Alex to trust her and it wasn't just because she was a Luthor.
The agent had always been fiercely protective over her little sister, especially when it came to her relationships. Kara had just been through so much that Alex didn't want her to have to go through anymore heartbreak.
But a couple months into their relationship, Lena had proved her loyalty to Kara. And Alex couldn't deny the way her sister's eyes lit up every time the green-eyed beauty walked into the room anymore.
"Look, I know my sister," Alex started, "She always comes back. She just needs time."
Lena let out a long breath before turning towards Alex, "This was different, I've never seen her… She's never - "
"Never what?" Alex questioned, her hand reach back towards Maggie who immediately took it between her own.
The more Lena replayed that kiss in her mind, the more she realized how much this event had affected Kara. The gentle kiss in the beginning was her way of being careful with Lena. But then she pushed harder, taking control of the situation. She just wanted control.
Lena let out a humorless laugh, all the pieces clicking together in her mind, "She was trying to feel something."
"Feel… Lena, I don't…"
"She told me that I was the reason that she didn't get there soon enough."
"She didn't mean it like that. She blames herself…" Maggie whispered.
"I know," Lena shook her head, "But she's always taken her job as Supergirl seriously, it's a part of who she is, so when it's threatened by a mistake - ."
"She feels like she's loosing apart of herself." Alex finished, "Oh, Kara."
"So she overcompensates with me." Lena continued, rubbing a hand over her face, "How did I miss it? It's one of my signature moves. I knew something was wrong, I just couldn't put it together fast enough."
Alex stared at the ground a moment, before whispering, "I know where she is."
"What?"
"Stay here." Alex said, as she walked over to the door, pulling on her jacket.
"Where are you going?" Lena asked as she stood.
"I'm bringing my sister home."
With one last glance behind her, Alex was out the door before Lena or Maggie could protest.
When Alex drove past the mile marker she was looking for, she threw her SUV in reverse before coming to a screeching halt. Killing the engine, she quickly stepped out of the black vehicle, and grabbed her bag out of the passenger side.
After making a stop at her apartment, Alex had weaved through the city, before merging onto an access road that would allow her within walking distance of Kara's destination. The mile markers were far and in between but luckily there was one that lead straight to the middle of the expansive field. All Alex had to do was head north.
Throwing the bag over the fence, Alex slide herself through strings of barbwire, cursing as one grazed her back, but not slowing her movements.
She was worried.
Based on Lena's assessment and her own experiences with her sister, Alex knew Kara was in a bad shape. The guilt was probably eating her to the bone, and Alex was going to do everything in her power to make the pain disappear.
Alex grabbed the backpack off the ground, and pulled it onto her shoulder. It contained basic Kara necessities including a load of snacks and a clean pair of clothes. Alex had every intention on taking her sister home herself, she didn't want her in the clouds for the rest of the day.
The sun was currently being hidden behind clouds, allowing Alex a light reprieve from the heat. Looking back behind her, she couldn't see her government issued SUV anymore. She was close.
And that's when she saw her.
Kara was leaning up against a large rock, her legs out in front of her. She was currently playing with her fingers, as she stared blankly at the landscape in front of her.
When Alex reached her destination, she let out a shaky breath, not saying a word she sat down beside her sister.
She could feel Kara's eyes on her as she opened the bag, she grabbed a couple snacks before zipping it back up. Alex dropped one into her sister's lap opening her own. She relished the taste of the sugary goodness that was scooby doo gummies. It had always been a running joke that Alex could eat her weight in the snack.
Kara played with the package, crinkling the paper as she looked down, "How'd you find me?"
"I have my ways." Alex said, not missing the relieved look on her sisters face.
Alex's phone buzzed in her back pocket, lifting her hips up she pulled out the device, looking at the list of missed calls.
Alex hummed a smile, before handing the phone to Kara, "Our girlfriends are blowing up my phone."
Kara reluctantly took the phone, her eyes focusing on the six missed calls from Lena, "Is she okay?"
"Maggie? Yeah, she's great. Did I tell you what she did the other day - "
"Alex." Kara said letting out a sad laugh, knowing her sister was just trying to make her feel better.
"She's worried about you, Kara. We all are, and I don't know what happened this morning but she's really, really concerned."
"I kissed her."
"O-okay…" Alex drawled, not sure why that would be a problem.
"No, I mean kiss her, kiss her. It's not like we haven't, you know," Kara said, raising her eyebrows suggestively, "But I've never just walked up to her and… I just needed to know she was there."
"Hey, looked at me." Alex prompted, taking her sister's hand between her own. "She's okay."
Kara nodded her head, as she stood up letting her gaze drift back to the field ahead of her, "Sometimes I wish I wasn't her." Kara whispered, silent tears running down her cheeks.
Kara heard the intake of Alex's breath as she stood beside her.
It terrified her to say the words out loud. She had thought them many times before but had never admitted out loud, much less to anyone else. Supergirl had cost her so much. Family, friends, people who she and Alex loved.
"Don't say that." Alex argued, her chest tightening at the thought of Kara not being the hero that she strived so long to be.
"But it's the truth." Kara stated, walls slowly snapping into place, protecting her broken heart. It was taking everything within her to keep standing, "She's cost you so much, me so much."
"No, you haven't." Alex said, grabbing her sister's shoulder so they were facing each other, "Kara, Supergirl is a part of who you are. I know your life has been filled with unimaginable loss. But that is a part of life, it's what makes us who we are." Alex fired, "And it's what makes you a hero."
"Really?" Kara incredulously, losing her patience, "And what kind of hero let's someone die in a burning building."
"You didn't let anyone do anything!" Alex yelled, "He was three floors below you and the building was going down, you did everything you could!"
"Then why wasn't it enough!" Kara screamed, her voice cracking under her emotions.
Alex was silenced by the pain that echoed through Kara's voice, with a quick step she pulled her sister into a hug. Closing her eyes, as her sister's body crumbled under the weight of her sobs.
"I love you." Alex whispered in Kara's ear, "You're my sister, my hero, and I'll love you no matter how many mistakes you convince yourself you've made. You are not alone."
"Thank you." Kara mumbled, "I want to go home."
Alex pulled back, a small smile playing on her lips, "Then we'll go home."
A/N: Thank you all so much for the response to this story! I was so excited to see every follow, favorite, and review! Next chapter, I promise more Lena and Kara! Let me know what you think!
Thanks again for reading!
~Iza~
I do not own Supergirl or any of the characters.