Kara hadn't slept at all over the past two nights. It had been five days since the incident at the museum, and she had spent that time sleeping as little as possible, just giving herself enough rest to continue to function without her lack of sleep becoming too apparent. The nightmares, which, in recent years had reduced in frequency, normally occurring only once every couple of weeks, had returned in full force, haunting her each and every time she closed her eyes.
She would have to sleep tonight, however, and she was not looking forward to it.
"Kiera!"
Despite her exhaustion, Kara couldn't help but perk up at the sound of her name, even the wrong name, especially the wrong name when it was said by that woman.
After their evening together Kara had spent the night with her head on Cat's chest, not sleeping herself, but enjoying the way Cat's arms felt around her body, the way one of Cat's hands eventually found its way into her hair, the tight grip keeping Kara in place. Not that she couldn't have pulled away if she had wanted to, but she didn't want to.
She had almost drifted off by mistake at one point, it was hard to stay awake when she felt so comfortable, so completely relaxed in Cat's arms. But Cat had saved her by shifting, not much, but enough that her free hand, the one not tangled in Kara's hair, had brushed over a scar on her lower back. The sensation had sent a shiver through her body, and, while not nearly as overpowering as when Cat had been awake, had been doing that deliberately, it was still enough to remind Kara why she needed to stay awake. She didn't want her first night with Cat to end with a nightmare.
And Cat had been… well, Cat have been everything. Kara had seen Cat's anger over her scars, the reason for them, despite the other woman's efforts to keep that part of her reaction hidden. But Kara knew Cat too well, knew every facial tick, every expression that would have been unreadable to someone else. And Kara had seen the moment in Cat's eyes when the older woman decided that she wasn't going to hold back.
Most people, when learning about a story like hers, would match their anger with pity, would draw back to avoid hurting her any more. But Cat had seen her, truly seen her. She had accepted Kara's challenge and conquered it.
And that was even before Cat had touched her, claimed her.
"How did you get this scar?"
"You, Cat, I got it from you."
It couldn't keep the nightmares at bay, couldn't actually change anything that had happened to her, but Kara knew that she would never see her body the same way again. The shame that had been with her for so many years, while not gone, had shifted slightly. Now, along with that feeling, there was the spark of a new emotion, pride. Pride that Cat Grant, beautiful, brilliant, unbelievable Cat Grant wanted her, wanted Kara with such overwhelming passion that she wanted to mark the younger woman, ensure that Kara would be eternally hers.
And Kara was.
They hadn't had a night together since then, Carter had come home and Kara had left before he arrived, but, while she longed to be back in Cat's arms, she didn't need it to feel safe.
The little touches that had become so normal in their relationship over the past two years had increased in frequency and changed slightly because now, when Cat reached for her, there was a small smirk on the older woman's face. A smirk placed there because the woman knew what was under those cardigans, what she had seen that no one else here was allowed too.
Cat had also stopped touching her primarily for the benefit of other people, touching her so that other people knew to stay away. No, Cat didn't need to do that anymore. Not that it stopped her completely, but now when she wrapped a hand possessively around Kara's arm she wasn't glaring at a third party, but rather, she was looking as her assistant. The outsider still got the message all right, but Cat wasn't focused on them because they didn't matter anymore, they weren't a threat.
Kara knew that Cat trusted her completely, and her possessive shows, while undoubtedly rooted in Cat's own desire for the girl, were also aimed at making Kara feel at ease when a new human got just a little too close, a little too pushy. They were for Cat and Kara alone. Cat didn't give a damn about the other person.
"Yes, Miss Grant?" Kara hurried into Cat's office in response to the summons, surprised to see her boss standing, not behind her desk, but off to the side.
"Sit," a command.
Kara moved towards the couch but Cat shook her head, indicating that Kara should take her desk chair, her expression completely personifying the Queen of All Media.
Kara shifted directions after only a slight hesitation, and Cat's professional mask slipped slightly. A small smirk gracing her face at the nervousness of her assistant, even as she allowed her hand to lightly brush along Kara's back as the girl made her way past get to her directed place.
Kara seated herself on the edge of the chair, ready to jump up as soon as Cat gave her the opportunity to escape, her hands twisting together, unable to hold still.
Cat walked around, moving from the side of the desk to stand in front of it, hands resting on the smooth surface, staring down at Kara imposingly. So this was going to be an inquisition.
"So, Kiera," Cat paused, taking a moment to appreciate the way the girl in question was squirming under her gaze.
"She's enjoying herself," Kara realized. She tried, and failed, to feel annoyed because truthfully, it wasn't like she wasn't enjoying being on the receiving end of such rapt attention herself.
"It has come to my attention that every time there is some emergency, something that requires the intervention of Supergirl, you and that hobbit you call a friend rush off somewhere together. Now clearly he isn't joining you on your excursions, so would you mind telling me what, exactly, he is doing following you around?"
Oh right, the secret base. The secret base in CatCo, the base that made use of redistributed, not stolen mind you, but redistributed CatCo materials. The base that her boss had no idea about because Kara had forgotten to mention it.
Kara knew she was blushing, and, if the widening, predatory, smile that Cat was shooting her way was any indication, it was the reaction Cat had been hoping for.
Struggling to look anywhere but at Cat, Kara suddenly found that the mug full of M&Ms on Cat's desk was incredibly interesting. She had never really taken the time to contemplate the candies before, but now that she did…
"Kiera," Cat's eyes were gleaming, demanding.
"Well you see, Miss Grant," Kara cast around for the right words, "I needed a place to change into my costume and some way to monitor things, so we sort of commandeered an unused office, and some computer equipment, and, well," Kara was floundering again. How had she never noticed the orange M&Ms before? What a strange color choice for a candy.
A short tap, the sound of Cat's nail hitting the desk impatiently, brought Kara back to the present, but it also gave her an idea.
"And, well, you did say that Supergirl was yours, and that she, I, would forever be linked to CatCo, to you, so I figured that I was justified in borrowing some unused CatCo property for my secret headquarters," now she did look up at the Cat, a smug look on her face at the way she had turned the confession around. Cat couldn't argue with that logic.
Cat hummed appreciatively at the response, drawing back slightly and giving Kara a triumphant look.
"Oh…"
"You already knew, didn't you?"
"Of course, Witt isn't especially hard to follow, and your setup is clearly lacking in the security department, but I just wanted to hear you say it. Although I have to admit, I wasn't expecting you to phrase your defense quite that way," the way Cat was looking at her now, Kara really needed a cold shower.
"Now I may be willing to approve a security upgrade for your little operation, if," ok, so not a cold shower, a nice hot shower, a nice hot shower with Cat...
"If," the woman continued, "you can think of some way to make it up to me."
Kara's throat was dry, her eyes unable to look away from the sight of Cat Grant staring her down, the sight of Cat Grant so clearly wanting her.
"Anything, Miss Grant," she knew her voice was breathy, her face flushed.
And then Cat pulled away, slipping instantly from predator to professional and leaving Kara floundering, unable to regain her composure nearly as quickly as her boss. Only the smallest sign, a miniscule upturn of Cat's lips, a slight flash in her eyes, gave away Cat's obvious pleasure with how this situation had turned out.
Cat allowed Kara a few moments to collect herself before speaking again, "come to dinner tonight at my place, I'll even cook," Cat's smile was softer now, and a whole different kind of wonderful.
"What about Carter..." Kara trailed off.
"I talked to Carter on Monday and told him that we had started dating," Kara smiled brightly, a pleasant, warm sensation spreading through her body at Cat's words, at the fact that Cat was willing to bring Kara into Carter's life as more than just an employee. Her smile started to fade, however, as Cat continued.
"Actually, he was incredibly confused by the news," seeing Kara's look, Cat held up her hand to stop the younger woman from interrupting, her calming smile letting Kara know it was nothing to worry about.
"It turns out, Carter was under the impression that we had started dating months ago. He's been wondering why you haven't come over to dinner before. He's very excited," Kara loved the fond look on Cat's face as she talked about her son, "so, will you come?"
Not 'can you come,' Kara noticed, but 'will you come.' It was just one of those many ways Cat was letting her know that she could set the pace, not that she wanted anything to slow down, but she appreciated the thought.
Standing up, Kara made her way around the desk.
"Of course, Cat." She didn't miss the look of relief that flashed, visible just for a moment, across Cat's face.
Cat smirked again, adding, "my bedroom has excellent soundproofing, so bring a change of clothes to wear for work tomorrow."
"I can't," Kara blurted out the words before she had even realized she was going to speak, her reaction instinctive.
"I can't stay the night, not tonight, I'm so tired, I'll fall asleep, and then…"
Cat was clearly taken aback by Kara's response, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion. Before Kara could explain, however, Cat was already moving them towards the balcony doors, clearly anticipating that this was a conversation they might not want other employees to see.
As soon as they were out of eyesight Cat reached for Kara, running her hand over the younger woman's face, tucking a stray strand of hair back into place, letting Kara know she wasn't upset, just confused.
"Kara, what's wrong?"
Kara fought the urge to look away, "I need to sleep tonight, I'm sorry Cat, but I can't spend the night."
"Well of course you need to sleep, Kara, I'm not planning on keeping you up all night," the words were teasing, but the inflection was just off enough that Kara knew Cat was worried.
"I don't need the same amount of sleep as humans, but I haven't slept in a few days, I'm at my limit as to how long I can stay awake. I'm going to need to sleep tonight, and I don't want you to be there for that," Kara held Cat's gaze, imploring her to understand.
Cat frowned slightly, "the nightmares?" seeing Kara's surprised look Cat continued, "your sister warned me. It's ok Kara, you've already spent the night once…" Cat trailed off as a look of realization came across her face.
"You didn't sleep, did you?"
Kara shook her head.
"Kara," Cat stepped closer, one hand landing protectively on Kara's upper arm, the other tracing her cheek bone, "if you're getting nightmares, you shouldn't be alone."
Kara closed her eyes, taking a moment to enjoy the sensation of Cat' s hands on her body, a moment of peace, but it didn't last. She couldn't, not yet.
"Alex may have warned you but," opening her eyes she shook her head, "I can't. Not yet. I don't want to hurt you."
"Kara-"
"No, please Cat, please don't ask me to do this, please," she would, if Cat asked, if Cat pushed, and they both knew it.
Cat clearly didn't like it, but she could accept it, at least for now.
"Alright, but dinner?"
"Dinner sounds wonderful," Kara knew her voice was full of relief. As much as she wanted to spend another night in Cat's arms, she couldn't expose Cat to her dreams, not yet.
/
It was a month before Kara fell asleep in Cat's bed. After that first dinner Cat had made sure to plan ahead, ensuring that Kara would be able to sleep the night before, so she could stay over without facing her nightmares. She didn't like the idea that Kara was lying awake all night at her side, but it was better than having Kara pull away after they were done. Better than seeing the young woman get up to leave and sleep somewhere else, because she knew that if Kara tried to leave, Cat would instinctually reach out for her, try to hold her in place. And Kara would beg her to let her go.
And then, one month after that first dinner, Kara had come over for another evening, it was a regular occurrence by now. Cat herself had been sleeping soundly, she always did when Kara was at her side, when a sudden noise awoke her.
Reaching automatically for the light Cat frowned when she realized the familiar weight of Kara's body was gone, and flipping the switch a moment later, she saw why.
Kara had fallen asleep by mistake.
The younger woman had pulled away, huddling into herself on the corner of the bed, her face contorted into one of intense pain. The noise that had awoken Cat had been a sharp whimper, and Cat shuddered as another such sound escaped Kara's mouth, so different from the usual noises Cat was used to hearing from the girl when she was in Cat's bed.
"Kara," she breathed, reaching for the girl, but halting her movement as Kara's body flinched away, as if sensing the impending contact. It was a small movement, Kara's limbs themselves were perfectly still, almost as if she had lost the use of them, but, knowing Kara's body so well by now, knowing all the little ways she reacted to Cat's touch, the slight movement was still so obvious to the older woman.
As Cat continued to hesitate she realized that she was scared. Seeing Kara pull away like that, even unconsciously, even with the previous warnings, it hurt. But, as Kara let out another pained sound, Cat knew she couldn't hold back. Her Kara needed her.
Cat still didn't touch the younger woman, until Kara recognized her, her touch would only make things worse. Instead, she pulled the blankets around the girl, attempting to give her some sort of protection, a shield, in a vain hope that it would provide some comfort. And then Cat called Kara's name.
She didn't realize that she had started crying until Kara was suddenly at her side, apologizing over and over again. Cat knew her hands were shaking, knew she should say something, knew that this was all backwards, but she couldn't.
Cat had called for her and Kara's eyes had flown open, her body rigid, and whereas before, when Kara's fear had been immersed in, mitigated even, by anger, what Cat faced now was complete and utter terror. Of her.
It only lasted a few seconds but it seemed like so much longer. Alex had tried to tell her, so had Kara, but it wasn't enough. Nothing could ever have been enough to prepare her for that look, for her Kara to look at her that way.
And now Kara was trying frantically to brush away Cat's tears, trying to calm Cat down when Cat should be the one comforting Kara. And she wouldn't stop apologizing, as if she had done something wrong, as if the fact that she had nightmares was her fault.
Cat tried to speak but her thoughts weren't clear enough to form words, all she knew was that she needed her Kara to be safe. That she needed to see that Kara wasn't afraid of her, needed to erase that image from her mind, replace those pained whimpers with something else.
And so she acted on instinct, catching Kara by surprise as her hands, which had stopped shaking the moment she had committed to the movement, wrapped around the younger woman. As Cat lunged forward, crashing their lips together, she tasted blood and knew she had cut her own lip on her teeth, but she didn't care, didn't stop.
The momentum of the kiss carried them over, toppling Kara onto her back with Cat on top, breaking the kiss only to begin biting her way down the girl's neck.
Kara was saying something, and, despite Cat's need, she found herself automatically shifting her focus, attention snapping to Kara's words, needing to make sure Kara wasn't asking her to stop.
"Cat, let me touch you, please," Kara's eyes met her own, and Cat saw her own desire, her own desperation, reflected back just as strongly.
Taking Kara's hand she guided it to her breast, a low moan escaping her as Kara's fingers touched her skin, a moan that was swallowed up in another kiss. Kara's second hand came to join the first, not focusing on anywhere in particular, but moving across Cat's body in an almost panicked desire, touching every inch of Cat she could reach, needing to feel the woman above her, to know that she was there. Cat knew Kara was using too much force, knew she would have bruises on her body tomorrow, and she was glad. Kara wanted her, Kara wasn't afraid of her, Kara couldn't hold herself back, the bruises would prove that.
Cat's hand snaked down in between their bodies, and, feeling instantly how wet Kara was, hearing the low, pleading sounds escaping from the girl's throat, she wasted no time. Cat thrust three fingers into her Kara and reveled in the way the younger woman arched into her in response.
Her administrations were harsh, matching in time to her own desperate movements as she ground herself down onto Kara's leg. Cat pulled her head away, not wanting to stop tasting the girl's skin, but needing to see Kara as she came.
"Kara," the word left her lips, the same word that had awoken Kara from her nightmare, that had forced Cat to confront what that really meant.
"Kara," she said again, louder, "Kara, Kara, Kara," she needed to hear the name, to see it cause a different reaction.
"Kara," she said one more time, and the woman under her pulled her hands away, moving them swiftly up to grip the wooden headboard even as she cried out, her blue eyes open and staring into Cat's own.
Watching Kara come gave Cat everything she needed, and with one final push, one final thrust against Kara's leg, Cat followed her over the edge, her mind barely registering the loud crack the echoed around the bedchamber.
Breathing heavily, Cat collapsed on top of Kara, covering the girl with her body, her arms moving to hold Kara closer.
It was several minutes before either of them spoke, but finally, Kara's voice brought an end to the silence.
"I broke the bed," and it was suddenly all too funny, because of course Kara had broken the bed. Cat started chuckling, and then her body dissolved into shaking laughter, the intense emotional extremes of the last few minutes rolling over her, releasing her.
Kara wasn't laughing, but, when Cat was finally back in control of herself, at least enough to pull away and look down at the other woman, she saw that Kara was smiling tentatively.
Cat shook her head, the last of her laughter fading away as she started to feel at peace again.
"Cat," Kara's small smile was gone, concern on her face as she reached up with her left hand to cup Cat's face. "Cat, I'm sor-"
"No," Cat pressed her finger over Kara's lips, silencing her.
"No, Kara, don't apologize, never apologize for this."
"But-"
"No," Cat gave Kara a look that let the younger woman know that Cat was completely serious, "no apologizing."
Kara sighed. Cat could tell that the girl didn't agree with her, but she nodded once all the same, giving in to Cat's demand, at least on this first issue.
"For the bed then."
"And definitely not for the bed either," she said. Seeing Kara's questioning look, Cat elaborated, "I made Supergirl break the bed, I think I should take it as a compliment," she grinned gently, glad to see Kara's smile, still small, but at least present, return in response.
Cat rolled off Kara, holding out her arm so Kara could shift into her customary place, her body tucked into Cat's side.
"I don't want you to try and stay awake anymore when you're over here, Kara. Actually, I think you should start spending more nights here, I know you've been trying to sleep as little as possible, but it's not healthy for you, I've seen how tired you get by the third day."
Kara started to protest, but Cat shifted her body slightly, moving to the side and using her hand to draw Kara's face up, holding eye contact.
"No, Kara. I'm not running away from this. Let me be there for you," Kara was wavering, Cat could see it, could see how much the girl wanted to give in.
"Please, Kara," she said it softly, "you asked me to believe in you, believe that you are strong, and you are, but let me show you that I'm strong too. You promised me you wouldn't break, now it's my turn. You won't break me, Kara, so please, let me hold you, let me protect you."
Kara closed her eyes, her entire body tense, considering. Cat waited, not moving, hardly daring to breath, waiting until…
"Ok," it was so soft that Cat was barely sure she had heard it, but Kara opened her eyes and Cat could see the decision in them.
"Ok, Cat," Kara said again, and Cat smiled.
She was under no illusions that this would be easy, and she knew it was going to hurt, but she was Cat Grant and her Kara needed her. And one more monster had just been defeated.
/
Kara could feel the sun hitting her, telling her it was morning but she refused to get up, opting instead to snuggle closer into Cat's side. It had been a little over a month and a half since Kara's first nightmare at Cat's place, and she now slept here almost every night. At first her nightmares had continued to come regularly, but after the fourth consecutive night, she had managed her first night of peaceful sleep in over a month. Things had improved drastically since then, the days between nightmares slowly lengthening, and it had now been almost two weeks since the last attack. Cat's presence was a large part of that, and Kara smiled as she listened to the steady beat of the woman's heart.
"It's too early to be smiling like that," a slightly grumpy, but not unhappy voice broke through her thoughts.
Kara's smile widened, "I can't help it, I'm listening to your heartbeat." She didn't have to look up to see the single arched eyebrow that she knew would be Cat's only response to the remark.
"The normal resting heart rate of a human is slightly faster than the resting heart rate of a Kryptonian," she explained, "with us, there's just enough time in between each beat that it almost makes you wonder whether or not the next beat will come. But with humans, with you, I never have to worry about it. There is no hesitation from one beat to the next. I like listening to your heart, it lets me know that you're safe."
Cat shifted, rolling them over and pushing Kara down, before maneuvering her own body so she could press her head to Kara's chest, a look of concentration on her face. After a moment she looked up, "It doesn't sound like that at all, like the next beat might not come. It's more… relaxed, peaceful. I like the way your heart sounds," her hand traced over Kara's breast bone lazily, her sincere expression shifting into a grin as she heard the effect of her touch, "except now, when I do this," her hand continued its exploration, "now your heart sounds like mine."
"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that, Miss Grant," Kara matched her smile, "yours just sped up quite a bit."
Cat glared at her, but Kara could see the smile in her eyes, "well, Kiera-" her words dissolved into a very undignified yelp as Kara shot up, taking Cat by surprise as she was forced to move along with the younger, much stronger, woman.
Kara's eyes were wide as she heard the private elevator for Cat's apartment begin to ascend, her vision showing her just who was inside.
"Kara, what the hell?"
"Your mother's here," Kara scrambled from the bed, haphazardly trying to locate her clothes, seeing Cat's own face freeze in comprehension.
"I have to get out of here," she thrust her arms through the sleeves of her shirt, glad she didn't rip it in her haste, before almost falling over as she wrestled with her pants, "if your mother sees me here…" she didn't have to continue, they both knew that Katherine Grant would not approve of Cat dating her assistant.
A hand on her arm stopped her, "Kara, breathe, slow down," Cat seemed to have adjusted to the news, "you are not going anywhere."
"But your mother-"
"My mother does not control my life, I could give a damn about her approval of you. And I am most certainly not shoving you out the door, or window," she added as an afterthought, "just because she has decided to show up unannounced and interfere once again." Cat pulled Kara towards her and stopped the girl's next protest with a kiss.
"But you can finish getting dressed. While you are clearly capable of facing any number of alien threats, I think the prospect of my mother walking in on us here, sans-clothes, might just give you a heart attack," Cat began buttoning up Kara's shirt, smoothing it out in the process, "and, Kara, dear, I've decided that I'm rather fond of your heart."
Kara's face turned bright red at those words and Cat chuckled darkly, clearly very amused with her young assistant's response.
A minute later a slightly disheveled Kara, and a somehow impeccable Cat, made their way out to the living room, arriving just as the elevator dinged, signaling its arrival.
"Maybe I can pretend that I'm just here to drop something off," Kara thought, but then Cat placed her hand on Kara's shoulder, her fingers wrapping themselves around Kara in just that way that always made it impossible to mistake her intent, "or not."
/
Kara sighed to herself, sitting at her desk typing up a summary of the financial outlook report to give to Cat when her boss got back from her current meeting.
The morning could have gone better, although, she supposed, it could also have gone much, much worse. Katherine Grant had taken one look at the two of them, stopping short at Cat's 'hello, mother,' her eyes taking in the obvious state of their relationship, before spinning on her heels and walking out. Cat had looked rather pleased with herself, but Kara was worried about what would follow. Cat's mother was not one to sit back and let something like this stand.
Thinking of Cat, Kara realized that Cat's scent was getting stronger, but that couldn't be right, Cat wasn't due back for another few minutes. Focusing on the smell, Kara spun around, nearly falling out of her chair as she realized her mistake. Just as Carter smelled like Cat, Cat's mother also had a note of familiarity, and Kara was so attuned to that specific scent by now, that she had picked up the minor notes of Cat, nowhere near as strong in Katherine as they were in Carter, but still present enough to draw her attention before the full, different scent became apparent.
And now Kara was face to face with Katherine Grant herself.
"So am I to take it by that ridiculous show this morning that you are sleeping with my daughter?"
Kara was taken aback, not expecting Cat's mother to be quite so direct. She glanced around the office, glad that most of the personal were on their lunch breaks, and the only people that remained were too far away to hear.
"Well?" Katherine continued, pressing her advantage, "clearly my daughter didn't pick you for your brains."
"Don't react, it's what she wants," Kara took a slow calming breath.
"Your daughter is in a meeting right now, I can let her know you dropped by, and schedule a meeting if you'd like," she could do this, she could remain civil.
"What could a young thing like you even see in my daughter to begin with? Don't you realize how incredibly ridiculous it is for someone her age to walk around with someone like you?"
Kara fought to keep her fists from clenching, "how long will you be in town? I'm sure I can fit you into Miss Grant's schedule, even if you're only here for a short stay."
Katherine frowned at her, taking a step closer, "but I guess she's not really walking around with you is she? You must be quite skilled between the sheets, I'm sure that's how you got this far to begin with. Oh wait, you're still just an assistant, aren't you?" Kara could feel her face burning, "I guess you're not really qualified for anything else, but even idiots can have dreams. And who knows? A little more time working under my daughter may eventually put you in contact with someone else with power and authority that you can try to flatter into a better job."
"Don't react!" Kara knew that she shouldn't, but she felt her anger rising at the insinuation that she was only with Cat for a better job, that she didn't see all the wonderful qualities that made Cat such an exceptional woman.
"As your daughter is not available right now, would you like me to call you a car?"
Good, she was holding things together.
Katherine's eyes snapped together, angry at being denied the reaction she was looking for, "fine, if you're going to be that way, I'll get right to the point. How much?"
"Excuse me," Kara wasn't sure she had heard that right.
"You're obviously just trying to use my daughter, and normally I would say to go ahead, Kitty is free to make her own mistakes, but I have a new book coming out soon, and I can't have that bogged down in some scandal. So how much do you want to go away?"
That was crossing the line.
"How dare you," no one was allowed to talk about Cat that way, like Cat was just a prop, like Cat didn't matter. "As if there is any amount of money that could ever even begin to compare to being with your daughter, as if there was any material good even half, no a hundredth, a thousandth, as amazing as she is."
Kara's voice shook slightly, her anger clearly evident in her tone, her stance, her expression.
"Do you even care that she's happy with me? All you care about is your little book. But let me tell you something, your book will only sell a handful of copies, and, of the people who do buy it, only a fraction will actually read the thing. People just want to be able to pull it out so that they can pretend that they are reading it, but in reality, as soon as whatever company they have over is gone, they'll toss it on some shelf and forget about it. So no, I am not going to go away, because if your daughter, who is much more important and influential than you are, if your daughter wants me, that is far superior to anything a small person like you could ever-"
The slap caught her by surprise. It shouldn't have, but there was absolutely no getting around the fact that this woman, in some very small way, smelled just a bit like Cat, like someone completely safe. And Cat would never hit her, not in anger, not to try and hurt her. So, even though her reflexes were exceptional, and even considering the way this conversation had been going, subconsciously the part of her that was always on alert had relaxed.
That was why when Katherine slapped her she reacted just a little too slowly, waited just a little too long before moving her face into the blow. And so when Katherine's hand connected, it had all the effect of slapping a concrete wall. It wasn't Kara who felt pain, but rather, it was the older woman who let out a sharp cry, pulling back and cradling her hand to her chest. Her eyes wide in accusation.
"You broke my hand!" Kara very much doubted that, she didn't think Katherine could put enough force into the blow to have that effect. "You-"
And then Cat descended on them.
Kara had seen Cat angry before, but never with such quiet, brewing rage.
"Get out," her voice was low and dangerous as she forcefully imposed herself in between Kara and her mother
"Kitty, dear, this girl is a menace! You should have heard what she said to me, and my hand-"
"Get out," Cat said again, taking a step forward, forcing her mother to back away.
"You're being an idiot, that girl is just using you!"
Cat took another step, bring her face close to the other woman, her teeth bared, "if you ever touch her again, if you ever so much as look at her the wrong way…" the threat was clear, and Kara watched, wide eyed, as Katherine backed up another step.
"Kitty!"
"Out!"
This time Katherine complied.
The moment the elevator doors closed Cat was reaching for Kara, grabbing her by the hand and dragging her along. Only when they reached the relative privacy of the balcony did Cat soften, her hands griping Kara's face, checking for signs of injury, however ridiculous that was.
"Cat, I'm fine, your mother's the one who got hurt."
Cat wasn't listening.
"Cat really, it was my fault, I was too relaxed and I reacted too slowly," that got Cat's attention, but for the wrong reason as Kara realized her slip too late.
"You were relaxed? You're only ever that relaxed around me or Alex, or Carter… Carter."
Kara winced as a look of realization came into Cat's eyes and the older woman backed away, yanking her hands away from Kara's face, "Carter's not the only one who smells like me, she does too, doesn't she?"
Kara could only nod, hating the way Cat's jaw clenched in response.
"Kara, I wouldn't, I would never…"
"I know, Cat, and you don't have to worry. She only smells a bit like you, not nearly as much as Carter does, just enough to slow my reaction time down by a hair. Not enough that I could ever, ever think that you would hurt me, that I would ever associate your smell with that action."
"Kara," Cat looked so unsure.
"It's ok, Cat," Kara moved forward. Cat didn't back up, but neither did she reach out for Kara as she usually did when they were this close.
"I'm not afraid of you, I promise," Kara grasped Cat's hands, pulling them towards her until she could place them on her body, "it's ok, Cat," she smiled, letting the older woman see how completely relaxed she was, how comfortable she was with Cat's hands on her.
"I'm yours, Cat, nothing can change that," finally, seeing Kara's open smile, the worry began to fade from Cat's face. Kara closed her eyes as the pressure from Cat's hands increased and began moving over her body of their own accord, no longer needing to be held in place by the younger woman. It wasn't sexual, not explicitly so, it was just reassuring, just… them.
They stayed that way for a few moments, and when Cat finally pulled away, Kara saw a look of resolve in her eyes as if she had come to some major decision.
"Kiera, I need to go to Metropolis on Friday, schedule my jet for an early morning flight and cancel whatever else I have going on that day."
"Of course, Miss Grant."
/
Cat Grant normally walked into a building only to instantly commandeer the attention of each and every single person in the vicinity. But people often forgot that Cat Grant was also a media queen, and sometimes the best way to get a story, was to go completely unnoticed. It was a skill she had cultivated over many years, a skill that she was now putting to good use to get into the office building of the Daily Planet.
"Hello, Clark," the surprise on his face as she stepped into his office had more to do with the fact that she instantly closed and locked the door, then her sudden appearance. She doubted anyone was ever truly able to sneak up on Superman.
"Cat," he stood politely, gesturing to an open chair, "what brings you to Metropolis?"
"Officially, as far as anyone else is concerned, especially Kara, I'm here to meet with the head of CatCo's Metropolis branch, a meeting that was a complete waste of time, by the way. But unofficially, I'm here for you," she enjoyed the way his face twitched at her words. Good, her guess had been right.
"Don't give me that look, and no, Kara didn't tell me," she gave him her most condescending smile, the one that told people that she had them at her mercy, "Kara has this idiotic notion that a pair of glasses can provide an adequate disguise, and, while I have to admit, they are more effective than I would have predicted, she's smart enough to think of something better. The fact that she didn't could only mean that she learned it from someone else. After coming to that conclusion, your identity was obvious."
"And unfortunate, I can't believe I'm going to be related to Lois Lane some day. Superman just had to go and marry the wretched woman, didn't he?"
Clark sighed and Cat got the distinct impression that people always mocked him about the glasses whenever they found out.
"I'm not confirming anything, Cat. Now, if you would please leave…"
"Oh for the love of-" Cat reached into her purse, pulling out her cell phone, and dramatically turning it off, before placing it on the desk between them.
"There, now I can't record you. You can use that special vision of yours to look for other devices, or you can just take my word for it," she could see he was considering his options, "I have to warn you, however, your big cousin might not take to kindly to you checking me out."
Clark gave her a long stare, before finally, slowly, removing his glasses. Cat grinned, she loved to win.
"What do you want, Cat?" his posture straightened, his voice becoming stronger, more annoyingly, heroic.
Cat fought to keep her superior smile on her face, but she knew it wouldn't last for long. Not because of who was clearly sitting across from her, no, she could stare down Superman any day. Rather, her sudden loss of confidence had everything to do with what she was here to ask. She did not like having to ask for help, especially in regards to personal matters.
"You speak Kryptonian, don't you?" she was gratified at the surprise on his face, he hadn't been expecting that.
"I do," but Cat could hear a slight hesitation. She gave him a pointed look, waiting for him to continue.
"I didn't start to learn until I gained access to information about my home planet, when I was already an adult, and even then I only ever had a hologram to practice with. Until Kara arrived that is," he shifted, clearly embarrassed at his language shortcomings, Clark was showing though.
"I'm passable, but my accent is terrible and I'm nowhere near fluent."
"But you do know the basics, the important things?" Cat knew her voice had softened. She had know this was coming, the moment when she would have to let down her barriers to get what she wanted, but it still made her uncomfortable.
"Yes, Cat. What do you want to learn?"
"You know what I want!" She couldn't keep herself from snapping, an automatic response, a defensive tactic.
"I think I do, but I want to hear you ask."
Cat closed her eyes picturing Kara's face, seeing her smile so beautifully out on that balcony, hearing her tell Cat that she was hers. She could do this.
Opening her eyes Cat gazed evenly at Clark, at Superman, "I need to tell Kara something, something I haven't told her yet."
Clark was smiling, waiting. Cat Grant hated Clark Kent.
/
It was late afternoon by the time Cat left, the language lesson had taken longer than she had expected, the words sounding strange on her tongue. But eventually Clark had nodded his head in acceptance.
She turned her phone back on as her car sped towards the airport, and, noticing a missed call from Kara, typed in her code to play the message.
"You have one voicemail. First message, received today: 'Cat, I-, just, thank you, I-'" the message trailed off into static.
"Press one to save this message, press two to delete this message… Thank you, you have chosen to save this message, it will continue to be stored on the cloud."
Cat frowned slightly, hitting the callback button, only to have her call go unanswered. She felt a slight unease that she couldn't explain, but brushed it aside.
"She's probably picking Carter up," Cat thought, noticing the time, Kara had a tendency to get distracted by Cat's son. This wouldn't be the first time Kara had missed a call because she and Carter were having too much fun, or were too immersed in a conversation to notice anyone else.
Cat smiled fondly at the thought before tucking her phone back into her purse. She would be home in a few hours anyway. Whatever Kara's call had been about, it hadn't been important enough for the girl to call back. It could wait.
"I love you, Kara Zor-El," and this time, as she whispered the words, the alien language didn't sound quite so strange.
/
"Status report, Sergeant Howards?"
"We have Supergirl in custody, General Lane, sir."
"Excellent," no more waiting. The future was here.