AN/ I know everyone is wanting me to move along and get them together, and find out what the brands are it is coming but I am a slow burn writer. I enjoy the build up, I hope you can all bare with me and enjoy the story unfolding. If you have read my other story you will know I don't make anything run smooth.

Kara and Alex were both at the DEO, there wasn't an emergency just lots of tests for Mon-El, although Kara was trying to be more cordial to him, the fact he was a Daxamite was difficult. When she realised that he was also a palace guard for the prince of Daxam that was somehow worse. "frat boy of the universe" Kara said with disdain. The mood was a little awkward and it was broken by J'onn saying he was off to do something personal. Looking at Alex both girls were confused, before they had much time to discuss it, Maggie was calling Alex with a opportunity to see a dead body. The smile on Alex lips and the offset gaze in her eye was new to Kara. Alex left to go see Maggie and Supergirl decided she would make an entrance too.

Maggie was talking to Alex as Kara landed, the woman didn't seem pleased to see her at all, following the discussions Kara went to CatCo with the possible story. Alex returned to the DEO, once Winn gave her the information that she needed Alex decided that this was a good excuse to meet with Maggie. As they were walking to the Aliens address Alex noticed that aching in her back again and although it wasn't pleasant exactly it was easing off. "You alright Danvers, you seem to be a little stiff there, too much sparing with Supergirl?" Alex stretched and winced a little, "Don't go soft on me Sawyer it's just a little back ache I've had worse, let's go, I think that's him" Maggie eyes the agent briefly and wondered, but Alex was straight right she knew that, but the way her back had been tingling around the agent it was a little off putting. Although Maggie knew that there was no females out there with the same brand as her so she didn't know why it was acting up around her new straight friend/colleague/acquaintance Maggie wasn't sure yet. She looked up and they both moved towards the alien.

Alex felt terrible, they were only going to talk to the alien, she had not expected the black van and she definitely hadn't see the assault on Maggie coming. She was leaning over the detective protectively, and the Alien was taken away more concerned with the injuries on Maggie than looking for their lead, who was crying out "don't let them take me" as he was being pushed into the van before it sped away. Maggies eyes fluttered open and Alex sighed a breath of relief, her back she noted was now more like pressure like an invisible hand was pushing her towards Maggie. "Sawyer you good?" Maggie smiled up displaying a double set of dimples and quipped "you going soft on me now Danvers? This is just a Tuesday, I am good". They parted company and Alex headed back to the DEO, she was wondering if her soul brand was a platonic one, she knew it was possible and as she hated intimacy it would at least make sense, or maybe it was because she was supposed to protect Maggie after all that's what her brand said.

Later that evening, after Maggie was all clear Alex met Kara and J'onn at the DEO, there was something wrong with him, they moved into a briefing room and J'onn told them about Meghan. Kara couldn't believe what she was hearing there was another, J'onn had another Martian to talk to, the merging they do went far beyond normal connection, and she had never understood before how alone J'onn must have felt, a telepath in a world were communication was verbal. "Talk to her" Alex had said, J'onn looked at Alex, of course he knew Alex's heart and that the woman who stood so strong and had such a commanding presence was really so loving and caring, but it always made him smile when she allowed that part of her to show freely. His adoptive earth daughter brought him so much joy, and now with Kara too he had so much in his life but to have another, a Martian, a soul mate, J'onn could barely think the words. Kara suggested apologising and although Alex had left Kara was still there.

"J'onn not being alone anymore must feel like you have been given a precious gift, when I saw Astra again it felt as though part of my heart was healed and although that could have gone better, even after my heart broke when she died it was not as much as before. I know there is no replacing what is lost and Meghan is not M'yri'ah, but don't push her away because she is not ready, let her heal you." Kara was speaking softly, eyes imploring J'onn to lower his defences and allow Meghan to be present how she needed to help him. J'onn listened to Kara, this was a new side to her that he had never seen, not the broken Zor-El not the heroic Supergirl not the stuttering Kara but something new, something that showed her wise beyond her years. J'onn smiled at the reversal; here stood the last daughter of Krypton, the philosophical side to her race showing, being his guide. Jo'nn smiled "Thank you Kara, it is true she will never replace M'yri'ah but finally the soul brand makes sense, I thought for hundreds of years it was a cruel joke, but now there is another maybe it is not. Whatever our connection will be I will accept her limitations" J'onn registered the shock on Kara's face as he spoke, but was unclear as to what it was from, at times like these he wished he could hear the Kryptonians thoughts, especially as she stuttered her goodbye and left in a hurry. He knew she would come to him when she was ready.

Maggie called Alex and told her to dress nice and come to meet her. Maggie was breath taking, who knew under all that leather and jeans and attitude there was such a beautiful woman. Alex back was pushing her again and she wasn't sure what was going on, this didn't look like a place to dress up to go to and wasn't this work. "This is though right? I mean what are we doing here?" Maggie took hold of Alex, was she wrong about her was she gay, no she was just asking about what they were doing there. Maggie led Alex in and it was a Alien fight club, things were going south quick and Maggie wished they had back up. With that Supergirl crashed through the ceiling and was pummelled. Maggie gasped as Alex acted quick to stop the fight, Maggie watched as Alex ran to Supergirl, Maybe Alex was gay and was with Supergirl she had never seen that soft a look on Alex's face. There was definitely something between them, Maggie's soul brand was still tingling, plutonic soul mate, she needed to talk to Alex about this at some point.

Alex took Supergirl out Smiling at Maggie as she exited with the hurt Hero. Back at the DEO Alex and Kara were informing J'onn about what had happened with Meghan and the fight club. J'onn Left as soon as he had the news, Alex and Kara were left in the meds bay. "Kara what did you mean when you said that she isn't who J'onn thinks she is?" Kara tried to look away but the crinkle was firmly in place on her forehead. "what are you not telling me Kara?" Kara sighed "J'onn has a soul brand, he thinks his soul mate is Meghan, but she is hurting people for money J'onn would never, he, she, oh Rao, he had so much hope, and I ruined it." Alex crossed her arms over her chest, and looked at Kara, there was more to this than her sister was saying and she knew it. "What else Kara?" a single tear fell from Kara's eye as she looked at Alex, instinctively Alex pulled Kara in tight, "come on Kar, the crinkle and tears what is it?" Kara was crying, she hated what she was thinking and how she was so jealous and how today just showed her again that she didn't belong. "he is the last, I am the last, I didn't know he had a soul brand, that any aliens did, really, and now, well he isn't the last, and I don't have one, Alex I shouldn't be here, I shouldn't have survived, it's a mistake"

Alex wasn't sure what to do with this information, Kara not having a soul brand was not new information, but an alien having one was, and Kara feeling so devastated by this, she was so sunny, so amazing, so easy to love, how could there not be someone for her, and how could she feel like a mistake. "I got you Kar, it's ok, you are my favourite person, I wouldn't know what to do without you, I need you the world needs you, you belong here." Alex was slowly drawing circles on Kara's back comforting her; Kara's small sobs were drawing to a close. "Talk to J'onn or Kal about the soul brands, maybe it works different for Aliens? You have more love in you than anyone I know Kar there is no way that the earth doesn't have someone who deserves that much love". J'onn had given Kara the name of the person responsible for the fight club and Supergirl played her a little visit. It didn't go as well as she would have liked, back at the DEO she was busy reprimanding herself and going over the discussion with Roulette. When J'onn came into the command centre, he was angry, after a few moments it was clear that the discussion with Meghan didn't go well, Kara had an epiphany about Mon-El and was about to leave to speak to him, she wanted to talk to J'onn but decided that it could wait.

Before she left the DEO Kara found J'onn in his office, she was pacing and hovering outside the door. After about 5 minutes J'onn was losing patience, get in here Supergirl, Kara popped her head around the door, "um did you need something J'onn?" J'onn motioned to the chair and Kara slumped into it. "Kara, I am not in the mood to drag this out of you speak" J'onn looked weary and tired. Kara asked about Mon-El and having him released and after some discussion it was decided that this would be fine under her protection. Sensing that this was not all J'onn looked at Kara and using the pen he was writing with to point to her forehead said "and the other thing?" Kara's hand instinctively rose to smooth out the crinkle. "I um, J'onn you said you had a soul brand, um, I, I didn't know Alien's had them, um I don't you see, and well I know that I am the last, um, I am the only female kryptonian and the only male is my cousin, and well ew but thats not even the point, oh Rao why did I think that, I just well being the last, I thought I didn't have one because, there were no more of my people, and then the Kryptonians attacked and there were more, although they are all gone and well, that wouldn't have worked out, but I don't have one, and I was thinking that no aliens did so it wasn't strange, but now I know you do, and well I was feeling like I didn't belong here, like I wasn't supposed to be here, and well I just wanted to ask about you having a brand, did you have it on Mars was this a solar system thing, or is it just earth or..." J'onn was pinching his nose and cut Kara off "Kara, your rambling, the brand is a earth thing, I didn't have one on Mars, and it didn't appear straight away, I can't remember how long exactly but it was about 12 years after I had arrived here, I remember it arriving. New aliens don't have them, but Aliens that have been on earth for a while seem too"

Once the conversation was finished J'onn left the DEO, he wanted to see Meghan, soon after it was noted that he was missing, and that he was taken by Roulette, Supergirl was called to the DEO and informed on finding the club empty Kara knew that she needed help and there was one person that would be able to help. Lena was in her office at LCorp, she was sitting behind her desk, she was searching the dark web for information on the words on her back, her interest had been sparked again by the feelings she had been having around Kara, and then also there was the pain when she saw Supergirl, she hadn't seen her since but there were questions. There was nothing on the web still but Lena decided that she would float the word on an alien message board. She was just finished setting up an alert for reply's to go directly to her phone after being re-routed through a significant amount of dark web pages and overseas IP addresses when she heard the commotion. Almost as if guided up Lena was standing at her desk when Kara entered, "make a note downstairs that Kara Danvers is to be shown in immediately wherever possible" Why did she say that, Lena knew that she liked the woman but unrestricted access to a member of the press, had she lost her mind? Maybe but Lena couldn't find it in herself to be sorry for the unbridled act of trust. She listened intently to the issue, and flirted a little on reply before writing the address and handing it to Kara as she rounded the desk.

"I owe you one" Kara said as she took the note, "not at all miss Danvers, I know you will be there for me when I need you" Kara, was a little concerned at the remark but mostly puzzled by the look on Lena's face as she was hurrying to leave. Standing in her office alone again, Lena was beginning to wonder if Kara may just be the Key, was there ever an incident of someone being the guide to your soul mate. Kara was human but appeared to know Supergirl, who Lena still thought could be a potential match although there hadn't been any further meetings, and other aliens in National City, maybe she knew the person that was Lena's soul mate. Lena decided that she would continue to see Kara as much as possible to encourage visits; maybe she would lead her to her soul mate. Lena went back to work and continued late into the night.

Kara was finished at the DEO J'onn was safe and she was flying home, she flew past LCorp the light was still on in Lena's office. Kara decided to see if this access was real, she stopped in the alley and headed into the building, "Kara Danvers to see Miss Luthor" Kara said with confidence and she was shown through. Lena was still at her desk when she heard the elevator ping, and then a tentative knock on the door. "Come in" Lena wasn't expecting anyone but the only people with access this time of night were security. She was somewhat shocked to see Kara walking into the office. "Why Miss Danvers twice in one day, well barely. Tell me to what do I owe this pleasure?" Lena's tone was low and flirtatious, Kara flushed, "I um, well, I just, you helped me save my friend, or Supergirl save him, and I got a article and all in all its been a good day, and I can't help but think that, well it has a lot to do with you, so I wanted to share my good news and thank you" Kara stuttered through, looking at the floor. She hadn't even realised Lena had approached her until she looked up, "so thanks" Kara smiled and hugged Lena, it was a quick hug, Lena froze and hadn't fully recovered before the hug was gone, and Kara was dashing out of the door. Kara headed away from the office realising how stupid she had been, visiting Lena at nearly midnight, struggling with rambling and then hugging her, she wasn't sure why but being around Lena always tipped her off balance. Lena merely stood in her office rooted to the spot, she could still feel the warmth from the hug as if Kara were still there, where Kara's hand had grazed over the soul brand it tingled she was completely caught off guard and now, all she wanted was a second chance to hold her. This is going to be complicated Lena thought.