-Three weeks later….
"You okay?" Alex asked Kara.
"Fine, why?"
"You seem a little grumpy." Alex pointed out.
"Have you tried looking in the mirror?" Kara asked, her tone snappy. Seeing Alex's raised eyebrow she apologised. "Sorry, just tired."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Okay, well do you want to catch a movie tonight?"
"No." Kara said quickly before adding. "I have to work. Snapper is on my case."
"Even journalists are allowed a night off." Alex reminded her.
"Not until I've met the deadline." Kara countered.
"Kara, you are pushing yourself too hard. I'm worried about you."
"I'm fine."
"I know how easy it is to throw yourself into your work to help forget your problems, but it's not a longterm solution."
"I'm not throwing myself into my work." Kara said dismissing Alex's concern.
"Do you really want me to pull up the Supergirl stories?" Alex said.
"There weren't any last night were there? Or three nights ago."
"True." Alex conceded.
"We both know Supergirl duties aren't steady, but I can cope with the workload."
"What about the reporting?" Alex asked.
"I'm working on a story." Kara shrugged.
"It's feeling like you are cutting me out of your life." Alex confessed.
"I'm not. I'm just busy. But even if I was, wouldn't that be a good thing? You have your own life to lead." Kara said.
"It would never be a good thing. You will always be my sister. I miss you. I can't even remember the last time we had a sisters' night."
"When this story is finished we'll have one." Kara promised. "But I really have to go now."
"Okay, but call if you change your mind about tonight."
"Sure." Kara said walking off.
"Problem?" J'onn asked approaching Alex.
"I don't know. Kara is a little grumpy and she is cutting herself off again. And I get she has reason to, but it's still unlike her. Especially as she seemed so much better a few weeks ago. I knew that was too good to be true. But she kept telling me she was okay. I shouldn't have listened to her."
"Her behaviour has been erratic recently, especially over the last week or so." J'onn agreed. "I tried talking to her, but I think I made it worse."
"She mentioned you were on her back." Alex said.
"That wasn't my intention."
"I know."
"Perhaps the pair of you would benefit from taking time off, maybe visit your mother. But for now go home and get some rest. Tomorrow we'll talk to Kara, together."
-00-
"You're looking tired." Cat said walking out onto the balcony where Supergirl was standing looking at the city.
"I'm feeling tired." Supergirl confessed.
"I assumed from your increased activity and lack of presence on my balcony you were doing better."
"I was. I found a solution that worked, but maybe it's not as good as I thought it was."
"Why do you believe that?" Cat asked coming to stand alongside Supergirl.
"People who know me are questioning me and my behaviour. But I don't understand how they want me to behave. I mean how exactly am I mean to act around them? If I hide my feelings they say they're concerned that I'm not dealing with my problems. If I let them see even glimpses of what I'm feeling they tell me I shouldn't be out there." Her voice revealing not only her frustration but also anger.
"But being out there helps?"
"I know it's selfish, but helping people makes me feel better."
"Nothing selfish in helping people." Cat said. "But the solution you talked about isn't just helping people is it?"
"No."
"And you're starting to doubt if it is affecting you, in a negative way?"
"Maybe."
"But you persist with it?"
"What else can I do? I lose everyone important to me. I have to learn to survive without them. This allows me to do that."
"You inspire people and bring hope. It is for that reason you will never be alone." Cat reminded her.
"It doesn't feel that way." Supergirl said sadly.
"Would it help to talk about this magical solution you have come up with?"
"Not really. I'm pretty sure you'd talk me out of it."
"Doesn't that imply it is the wrong solution?"
"Maybe. But it works."
"At what cost?" Cat asked.
"Anything is better than the way I was feeling." Supergirl said. "I have to go." With that she disappeared.
-00-
"When I said tomorrow I didn't mean three in the morning." J'onn said as Alex re-entered the DEO a few hours later.
"Well I couldn't sleep and after Brosnon called to see if Kara was with me I was never going to get to sleep, so there didn't seem any point just lying there. Has Kara turned up?"
"Not yet." J'onn said. "And she still isn't answering her phone. It looks like she has turned location off."
"Maggie went to the Dive Bar. She said she'll call if she finds her."
"Ma'am, Sir. There's a visitor." Agent Taylor said approaching the two of them.
"Who?"
"Maxwell Lord. He says it's urgent."
TBC...
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.
