"Kiera, there you are," Cat strolled over to her assistant's desk with a folder in hand. "You're an hour and a half late from lunch."
Kara cleared her throat and tried for normal. "I'm sorry, Ms. Grant. I had an unexpected errand come up, and h…it had to be immediately handled. It… uh… it wasn't something I could ask my sister to take care of," she added with a mumble, glancing away as a pained expression crossed her face. "It won't happen again."
Her boss watched her for a second before motioning with the file. "Up and in my office, now."
With a heavy sigh, Kara followed directions, grabbing her notepad and planner on the way. She knew she looked worse-for-wear. She knew her eyes were red rimmed from crying, and she knew how Cat Grant felt about crying. She wasn't sure, however, if she could handle whatever the older woman was about to throw at her.
Cat motioned for her office door to be closed and turned to the screens behind her. Kara's eyes skipped from screen-to-screen, and she internally sobbed as she saw the face of the young man she couldn't save and the video of his final moments being replayed over and over again.
"I want us to have a story up by tomorrow morning about this," Cat said with a motion of her hand toward the screens. "The people of this city want to know what happened, and I think it's our duty to tell them." She turned to her assistant. "Obviously, we have it on film, but what we don't have is Supergirl's take on it."
"What?" Kara's voice came out strangled.
"Her take on it, Kiera. Did I stutter? Look," Cat tossed the file in her hand onto her coffee table and took a seat on one end of her sofa, settling in as she looked up at her assistant. "People want to know details when something tragic happens. Half of it is because people are a little morbid, but the other half is because they can find reassurance in the details. The details soothe them; it allows them to think it can't happen to them."
"But it could happen to them," the younger woman blurted out, anger and hurt echoing in her words. "Supergirl couldn't save that man. She wasn't strong enough to take that thing out, and she wasn't quick enough to save that man who didn't deserve to die, especially that way. I," Kara wince, quickly changing her pronouns, "she wasn't good enough, Ms. Grant, which means that it could happen again. Someone else, some other innocent person, could die again because Supergirl couldn't save them, and I don't see how those kinds of details are going to reassure anyone."
Cat leveled Kara with a hard look. "Are you suggesting Supergirl isn't a hero?"
"I'm just saying that," Kara began to fumble, realizing she was pushing her luck. "Supergirl isn't always that super. Sometimes, bad things happen no matter how hard she tries to stop it, and… and… I don't see how that is comforting." She pulled her planner and notepad closer to her chest, looking down to the carpet as she finished out in a desperate, agonized voice, "At least, it isn't comforting to me."
Silence filled the office as Kara waited to see what verbal punishment her boss was going to inflict on her for suggesting her golden child wasn't so golden. Instead, she head rustling and then a bottle of water appeared in her line of sight. With a shaky hand, Kara took it as she glanced up to find Cat well within her personal bubble. "I try every single day to do what's right for my company, for this city, and for my family. Sometimes, it works out, and great things come of it. Sometimes, it doesn't work out despite how hard I fight for it, and, even though it may be… inconvenient at the time, I've learned that, even in defeat, good things can happen. You learn and grow, and growth can be painful but it is never a bad thing."
Turning on her heels, Cat walked back to her desk to look up at the file footage of the day's events. "This episode today was a growing pain for Supergirl. She learned in the worst way possible that she can't save everyone, no matter how hard she tries, and I can't even being to image how that feels, but," she turned back to Kara, "that's why she needs to talk about it before Maxwell Lord or Bill O'Reilly or some other anti-alien nut job who doesn't understand all the good Supergirl has done and will do gets their claws into this and turns it into a reason to fear her, or, worse, hate her. She needs to speak out and explain her growing pain to the city so that they have that growth, too. It's the only way, Kiera." Cat pointed at the folder on the coffee table. "Supergirl has to force us to grow with her so that we can grow together and not apart, so that we are stronger together." Kara inhaled sharply at the use of her family's motto. Cat seemed to miss it. "The questions I want to ask her are in that folder. Take a look at it and do whatever edits or additions you think would work, and then get with James. Tell him to do whatever it is he does to get Sueprgirl's attention."
Cat walked to her desk to take a seat. "I want Supergirl in here before the end of the day."
Kara picked the folder up and tried not to look as overwhelmed as she felt. "Yes, Ms. Grant. I'm sure James will try his best, but…"
"I don't care what excuse you're about to give me." The older woman waved her hand dismissively. "Supergirl. My Office. End of the Day. Chop! Chop!"
Kara nodded and spun to make a beeline for James' office while wondering how much worse this day could get.
"So, are you going to talk to her or no?" James leaned against his desk as he watched Kara pace across his small office.
"I don't know." She threw her hands up in frustration. "What she's saying makes sense, but I don't know if I'm mentally there to deal with her today." She groaned. "I just wanted to come back to work today and hide in plain sight and pretend to be normal for a little while because I know that, when I close my eyes tonight…" She stopped moving as her throat closed up and her eyes threatened to well up again.
"Then don't." He reached out and gave her arm a gentle squeeze. "I'll tell her that Supergirl isn't ready to talk just yet and let her know that you asked for us to give you some space while you mourn."
"She won't accept that," Kara replied dejectedly. "You know how Cat is."
He hummed in agreement. "Well, I think Cat makes some valid points, and I also think that you need to talk about what happened a bit more. If I were you," he said thoughtfully, a hand running across his lower chin, "I think I'd go talk to Cat, but make it off the record until you figured out what you were okay with the rest of the world outside of Cat knowing."
Kara scowled at him. "You make it sound like I'm going to see my therapist or girlfriend or something."
"I'm not saying any of that, but, look, you respect her, don't you?" At her nod yes, he continued. "And you respect her advice, right?" She nodded again. "Do you trust her?" She nodded emphatically yes. "Would talking to her freely about what happened today make you feel better?" She sighed but nodded yes again. "Then I think you have your answer."
Closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath, Kara nodded once more. "Yeah," she breathed out before turning to leave. She called out a weak thanks as she left the office to head to the elevators.