Hellooooooo my lovelies!
Thank you for the beautiful notes and well wishes - I have indeed survived finals! Yay! Now it's just gluten free food, cuddling with my labs, and presents from here on out. And sleeping. Lots of sleeping. And some skiing :)
Also, FanFiction was being stupid and I didn't get to see a lot of your reviews on the last chapter until today. It was sad. I thought you all hated me but then you didn't and it was amazing! Yay!
I'm not going to write any notes about this chapter - I'll just let you all read it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Supergirl. And it's sad. And I will not be owning Supergirl in the future (barring any miraculous events) and that is also sad.
"Oh Rao, what is this?"
Alex laughed at Kara's look of amazement as she chewed the pastry they had picked up from a corner bakery.
"It's called a sticky bun, and it's all over your face, goof." Alex handed Kara a stack of napkins.
"I could eat these every morning," Kara marveled, shoving the rest of the bun into her mouth. "What next?" she mumbled around her mouthful of food, hopping off the bench and looking around excitedly.
"Slow down," Alex smiled, grabbing her coffee. "We've got all day."
It had taken about a mountain of paperwork and a good deal of arguing for Alex to get permission to take Kara out to the city. The security concerns were of course the main issue, but seeing Kara look so happy, Alex knew it was worth it. Not all threats, she reflected, were enemy attacks. Some of the most dangerous adversaries were built up loneliness and isolation. And sometimes keeping someone safe meant taking risks.
"I wish Winn could have come," Kara's face fell slightly. "He said his dad wouldn't let him, he's making him work on some project."
"Hopefully next time," Alex suggested, guiding them down the street towards the art museum.
"Yes!" Kara almost jumped up and down at the idea. "I can't believe I'm going to be going to an earth school."
"Better believe it," Alex chuckled. "You'll do great. Your tutor says you're catching up super quickly on all the earth topics."
Kara's blue eyes crinkled with pleasure, before suddenly widening with fear.
"Alex, what's that?!" the girl was suddenly clinging to the agent's hand, positioned slightly behind her. Quickly Alex scanned the area, her eyes drawn to a neon green sign that was blinking.
"It's a neon sign, it's okay," Alex reassured Kara, squeezing her hand gently. "Stores use them to advertise what they're selling."
"Oh." Kara relaxed but didn't drop Alex's hand.
Inwardly, Alex burned with anger at the people who had taken Kara. The girl had such an incredibly strong fear response to the color green that they almost had to pull over at the first green light Kara had seen.
"You're super brave, you know that?" Alex looked at Kara as they waited for the light to change so they could cross.
Kara glanced at her, brow furrowed.
"I don't think I'm very brave," she shook her head. "I think you are really brave, being an agent and going on all those missions…"
They had had a very in-depth conversation about Alex's job the night before, leaving the Kryptonian very impressed.
"Those were a piece of cake compared to coming to a whole new planet," Alex swung Kara's hand, stepping out into the crosswalk as the lights changed.
"It is pretty different here," Kara conceded. "I wish I could show you Krypton." Her face fell suddenly, blue eyes misting over.
"I wish I could see it," Alex gave half a smile, pulling Kara into a hug, which the girl fiercely returned. "Kara…" Alex groaned at the girl's crushing strength, causing Kara to quickly drop her embrace.
"Whoops!" Kara blushed. "Sorry Alex."
"Nuh-uh," Alex pulled Kara back. "I still want a hug, maybe just a little less bone crushing."
Kara giggled, and gave her a gentle hug before becoming distracted.
"Oh, what's that?!" Kara's blue eyes lit up and Alex followed her gaze to see that the Kryptonian was staring at a pretzel stand.
"We should find out, shouldn't we?" Alex smiled, already pulling out her wallet. She was quickly discovering the young alien's love of food and was more than happy to indulge her. In just a few minutes, the girl had her mouth full of the warm salty bread
"Oh!" Kara shrieked, jumping back, as a pigeon suddenly fluttered to the ground next to her. "Alex?!"
"That's a pigeon, Kara," Alex fought the urge to laugh as the girl of steel backed away from a pigeon. "It won't hurt you. It just wants your food."
Kara squatted down and carefully looked at the bird.
"Whoa." She stumbled back as the pigeon took a step towards her, cocking its head and examining her with a beady eye. "Hey, I think it likes me," Kara grinned up at Alex.
"I think it likes your pretzel," Alex commented bemusedly.
"You want some?" Kara turned to the pigeon and tossed it a piece of pretzel.
"Kara if you feed it…" Alex's warning came too late as another pigeon fluttered to the ground, and then another, nearby birds strutting over as fast as their stick legs could allow them.
"Alex…" Kara slowly backed away from the army of pigeons that was amassing in front of her. "Alex!" Kara's blue eyes were wide and this time Alex couldn't hold back her laughter.
"Watch this," Alex took a step back then ran at the crowd of feathered creatures. Kara screamed as the birds took off, flapping wings creating a cloud of grey.
"That was awesome!" A beautiful noise filled the air and Alex realized that she was hearing Kara laugh for the first time.
Turning around, she stopped for a moment in awe. Kara had her head thrown back, blue eyes crinkled as she laughed, blond hair blowing around her face.
She's happy. The girl for once looked like the 13-year-old that she was, the 13-year-old she probably had been before being sent away from her home and locked away in a lab.
Alex wished she could freeze the moment forever, let Kara Zor-El feel nothing but that joy that was clear on her face. She wished that she could take away the pain that would creep back in, the sorrow, the fear, the nightmares…
If only Alex could protect her from everything.
Because, if Alex was being honest, she wanted to keep Kara safe from everything, to somehow make up for what had happened to her. She needed to. She couldn't describe the feeling, but the moment she had opened that metal pod in the lab and locked eyes with the girl inside, she had felt it.
Alex really had found a little sister.
"I really like pigeons," Kara laughed, pulling Alex out of her thoughts.
"Yeah? Well you would be one of the few," Alex wrapped her arm around Kara, smiling as the blond leaned against her. "By the way, where did you learn the word 'awesome'?"
"Winn." Kara grinned. "He says it like all the time."
"Hmm. You sound just like a teenage earth girl," Alex tugged on a strand of Kara's hair teasingly.
"That's good, right?" Kara glanced at her, beaming.
"I don't care what you sound like, as long as you're happy," Alex told her honestly.
Later, as they sat by a fountain, watching the water splash and families stroll by, Kara turned to Alex.
"Thank you. For everything." Her blue eyes were solemn. "When I… When I first got here, the scientists took me before I could even see earth. I thought the lab – where… where they kept me… I thought that was all there was to this planet." Kara's hand crept into Alex's. "I remember thinking that this was the worst planet in the entire galaxy." Kara shook her head. "Because, then, for me, it was. But now…" Kara looked back at Alex, biting her lip slightly. "Maybe earth isn't too bad."
They were driving home when the alarm on Alex's phone went off.
"What's that?" Kara pulled the book on birds that she had picked out at the earth bookstore closer to herself.
"I don't know." Alex pulled them into a parking lot, peering at her phone in the dim light of the setting earth sun.
Kara studied the older woman's face, her heart rate increasing as alarm crept into Alex's face.
"What is it? Alex?" Kara tugged against the safety strap Alex made her put on in the transportation unit, pushing the button that she knew would release her.
"Someone broke into the DEO headquarters," Alex said finally, her dark eyes flitting towards Kara.
Cold fear crawled down Kara's spine. According to Alex, the DEO were the good guys, and if Alex worked with them, Kara would grant them a tiny bit of trust. Which didn't mean good things if they were attacked.
What if the scientists were coming after her?
"What does that mean?" Kara hated how small her voice sounded.
Alex was already furiously pushing buttons on her phone.
"I'm taking you to a safe house, just in case." Alex's face was tight. "Put your seatbelt back on, Kara."
Kara took one look at the worry in Alex's face and scrambled to put on the earth safety strap. The car roared forward.
Suddenly the car jolted.
Kara couldn't help but scream as she was thrown forward, the seatbelt clicking and catching her as metal groaned all around. She couldn't stop the random thought that flitted through her mind; so that's why Alex makes me wear this thing…
And then it was silent.
"Alex!" Kara shook her head, gathering her bearings. She tore off the seatbelt, panic rushing through her as she saw that Alex bent forward limply in the front seat, a white pillow hissing around her, staining with red. "Alex?!" Kara sobbed, scrambling forward when something grabbed her and yanked her back.
Kara didn't hesitate before she started fighting back, scratching and clawing at whoever was holding her. She couldn't be scared right now. She had to get to Alex.
However, the grip that held her was stronger even than hers. In the chaos of darkness, yelling, and flashing limbs, Kara heard a whisper in her ear.
"Don't fight little one, it's me."
Kara froze, her heart skipping a beat.
It couldn't be.
And then suddenly she was soaring through the air in the arms of her aunt.
OMG MY FIRST CLIFFY!
I feel like cliffys are so much more fun for writers than they are for readers...
Morals included in this chapter: wear your seatbelt and don't text and drive. Be like Alex.
Also, aren't Kara and Alex cute? I hope I'm not advancing their relationship too fast, I just really want them to be close now.
ALSO: I'll exchange reviews for Alex's safety *evil cackle*
Just kidding. But if you want to let me know what you think, or just what's up, I always read and love reviews and getting to know you.
Question of the day: are you a dog or cat person? (this is important. after you answer this question, I will know everything I need to about you)
Until next time...*taps fingers together maniacally*
~silverlining