Chapter 9: What Is This Feeling

"Are you sure you're going to be okay alone?" Kara asked Lena in concern. Kara had taken a few days off, wanting to help Lena get comfortable with Ali, but Snapper's patience had reached an end, and he was demanding her presence at Catco.

"Kara, I'll be fine," Lena assured her, taking a sip of her coffee. "I know I was freaked out at first, but I really have calmed down quite a bit since then." Lena smiled at her warmly. "You have been incredibly helpful, but I know you have obligations. Go to work, I'll be fine. In fact, I'm almost a little bit jealous." Kara didn't doubt it. She was pretty sure Lena hadn't taken more than two days away from the office since taking over at L-Corp.

Kara nodded. Lena really had made leaps and bounds with Ali. She had been a little tentative with the baby at first, but in only a few days, she was handling her like a pro. Kara was both proud of Lena, and a feeling a little bit useless. If Lena was fine taking care of Ali, she wasn't going to need Kara to stick around for much longer. Which wasn't something that Kara wanted to bring up, because she really liked spending time with Lena and her daughter.

Not that Kara called her that. She had made that mistake already, and the way Lena had shut down upon hearing it told Kara it was a topic better left untouched. Lena may be comfortable caring for the baby, but she wasn't yet ready to claim her as her own.

"Are you sure you don't want to hand her over?" Lena asked.

Kara shook her head. "No, no, I'm good," Kara insisted. She had Ali against her shoulder, holding the baby in place with one arm, as she shoveled pancakes into her mouth with the other. One of the things Kara liked best about living with Lena was the other woman's desire to cook for her. Lena insisted it was her way of saying thank you for Kara's help with Ali. Kara didn't really think that thanks were necessary, but she wasn't going to say no to food.

"I want to get my fill before I have to go to work," Kara continued with a pout. It was going to be her first extended absence from the baby since Ali arrived, and Kara was finding it surprisingly difficult.

"If you're sure," Lena said dubiously, watching as Kara moved her head sharply to one side, trying to evade the baby's grasping hands. Ali had developed an almost pathological need to pull Kara's glasses off and try to shove them in her mouth. Luckily they were made from a substance made to withstand the rigors of ownership by a sometimes careless Kryptonian.

With her attention divided between making sure she didn't drop her precious cargo, either precious cargo, Kara's evasion attempt was unsuccessful, and Ali managed to grab onto the glasses with a happy laugh. Kara let out a long suffering sigh, placed her fork on her plate, and retrieved the glasses.

She put them back on, only to remove them almost as quickly. Their brief time in Ali's grasp had left them smudged and covered in baby drool.

Lena laughed and took the glasses. "Finish your breakfast," Lena ordered with a nod at Kara's half empty plate. Well, technically, it was a serving platter that Lena had dug out from the back of one of her kitchen cabinets.

Kara happily resumed eating, Ali now trying to grab the fork out of Kara's mouth since her favorite toy had been removed. Lena turned on the faucet and ran the glasses under the stream.

"You know, you don't have to wear these at home. Until Ali grows out of her grabby stage, it would probably be easier."

Kara paused her eating, absentmindedly moving the fork out of the baby's range. She was sure Lena hadn't meant anything by it, it was probably just a slip of the tongue, but she still felt her heart swoop in her chest. "Oh. I didn't really think about it." Kara finally said, shaking off the slightly dazed feeling. Kara shrugged. "It's just habit to wear them." Kara shifted in her seat, not sure if she should even bring this next part up. "I, um, I also wasn't sure if it would be easier."

Glasses clean, Lena turned, a frown on her face. "Easier?"

"To try not to blur the lines between Supergirl and Kara. We haven't ever really talked about...you know," Kara said vaguely. The fact that she was Supergirl, often felt like the elephant in the room to Kara. Lena had taken the news with surprisingly little reaction, and the two of them had never really talked about what it meant.

Kara had waited for Lena to inundate her with questions. She had even prepared responses to all of the questions that she thought Lena would ask. The answers had been lacking in Kara's opinion, but nonetheless she had them ready. After all how could she ever truly justify lying to someone she considered one of her closest friends? Kara didn't know, but she had wanted to be as prepared as possible when Lena finally confronted her.

Only the confrontation had never come. Lena had absorbed the news with a quiet look of surprise, what Kara was pretty sure was a brief flash of hurt, and then she had squared her jaw, set her shoulders, and asked whether Kara was planning to attend the Mayor's fundraiser the following week.

On the surface Lena had appeared to take the news in stride. She didn't get angry. Didn't kick Kara out of her office. At least not directly. Kara still couldn't help but wonder if the distance that had developed between them wasn't tied to her telling Lena who she really was. Kara had found it almost impossible to get Lena to spend any time with her alone since the revelation.

The reveal had come right on the heels of the invasion. Kara hadn't wanted to risk Lillian telling Lena before she could. She was also simply tired of lying to a person she cared deeply about. Life was too short, and too precarious, to keep lying to the people you loved.

Oh, Lena always had a ready excuse. Work was crazy. The board was anxious and was demanding more and more of Lena's time and attention to keep them placated. The work of helping to rebuild National City was consuming almost all of her free time. Kara always assured Lena that she understood, after all, she was almost as busy herself. But deep down, Kara couldn't help but wonder if maybe Lena just needed time away from her.

On the rare occasions they were able to see each other, it was almost always in public. Hardly the time or the place to have the kind of conversation that was required to clear the air between them. Since Ali arrived they had barely had the time to catch their breath, let alone sit down and have a real conversation. At first she had thought this would provide the perfect opportunity to finally have that conversation, but now she was wondering if Lena even wanted that.

"Kara, I think that particular ship has sailed," Lena said with a laugh. "Or are you forgetting that you literally arrived by landing on my balcony after using your super hearing and deciding I needed to be rescued?"

"That was Supergirl me," Kara insisted.

"On the day you moved in you bent a steel rod back into place with your bare hands, and welded it into place," Lena said wryly.

Kara flushed, embarrassed. She didn't even remember doing that. She was usually so careful to try to keep her powers in check when she wasn't in her uniform or at home. Her relief at having Lena finally knew the truth must have made her careless.

"I'm sorry," she apologized instinctively. "I just- you never really say much about me, being, well, her. I wasn't sure if it made you uncomfortable."

Lena tipped her head to the side, looking at Kara searchingly. "It doesn't," Lena assured her with quiet certainty. "Have I done something to make you think it did?"

Kara shrugged, not having the time, or the desire, to get into all of this now. She wished she had never brought it up. "People just usually have questions. A lot of questions. You don't. Have any. At all. It's not the reaction I'm used to after telling someone." Okay, so she had technically only told two people, but Kara still thought the lack of interest on Lena's part was odd.

"Given my family history, I didn't want you to take it the wrong way," Lena answered ruefully. When Kara continued to look at her doubtfully, Lena sighed. "I'm a scientist Kara, I have almost nothing but questions. I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable. Which was really my whole point in mentioning the glasses in the first place. I want you to feel comfortable while you're living here. You don't have to keep wearing them on my account."

"Thanks," Kara said with a small smile. "And you won't. Make me uncomfortable," Kara clarified. After keeping the secret for so long, she wanted to be able to talk to Lena about anything and everything. "Ask me anything. I'm an open data crystal," Kara teased. She smiled knowingly when she saw the spark of interest flair in Lena's eyes. They way to Lena Luthor's heart was definitely through her R&D department.

"You may come to regret that offer," Lena said seriously. "I wasn't joking about scientists and questions."

"I know," Kara responded. "I was born science guild. If I hadn't left Krypton, I would have trained to be a scientist. Like my father before me." Kara suppressed a smile when she saw the spark of interest in Lena's eyes ignite into a small flame. It was almost too easy. " I often think that innate curiosity is why being a reporter comes so naturally." The mention of her job reminded Kara she actually had somewhere to be today. Checking the clock, she let out a startled yelp, and sprung out of her seat.

"Oh, shoot. I really need to go. If I'm late, Snapper will never let me hear the end of it." Kara pushed Ali into Lena's hands, and looked around for a few seconds before spotting her bag. Grabbing it she was almost out the door before she stopped, and rushed back over. Bending down she planted a loud, wet kiss on Ali's cheek, making the baby giggle.

"I love you. I'll miss you. Be good for Lena, and don't break anything I wouldn't break."


Lena leaned against the arm of the couch, legs stretched out in front of her, a stack of reports resting on her lap. A massive warehouse fire had called Kara away shortly after Ali had gone down for her nap, so Lena was taking full advantage. Free of interruptions, she had managed to get through a good portion of the material. Even still, she was still hopelessly behind.

A muffled thump drew her attention, and she turned her head to see Kara landing on the balcony. It was still a little surreal to Lena that Supergirl was her roommate. Lena frowned when she saw Kara's uniform was scorched, and covered in soot. A large tear in the fabric of her suit exposed a sliver of skin across her midsection. Lena did her best not to stare.

Lena hurriedly stood up, dropping the reports in a disordered heap on the table with barely a second thought. Kara was impervious to harm, or near enough when facing most earthly threats, but Lena still couldn't prevent the tendril of worry.

"Another rough one?" Lena asked, walking over to greet Kara.

Since their conversation a few days prior, Kara had been much more at ease being herself. Both sides of herself. Lena hadn't even been aware of the tension Kara was holding onto in her presence until it was no longer there.

Lena had chastised herself for letting her own hang ups affect Kara. She had never meant for Kara to think that she was uncomfortable, or upset, about her friend being Supergirl, and she realized that she had failed.

Kara shrugged, seemingly indifferent to her state. "Not too bad. They weren't sure if everyone had made it out, so I was doing another sweep of the interior when the roof caved in." Kara poked a finger through the hole in her suit. "I just got this suit. Winn is going to be so annoyed."

"I'm sure he'll just be glad you're okay," Lena tried to reassure Kara.

"I don't know. Last time, when I snagged it flying too close to a building, he was pretty upset." Kara shook herself slightly, a small cascade of debris falling to the floor at her feet. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I'll clean that up. I hate fires," Kara grumbled. "It takes forever to get the smoke smell out of my cape."

"Don't worry about the mess," Lena said dismissively. "In fact you have a little…" Lena reached for Kara, and hesitated briefly, before brushing her hand through the hair around Kara's shoulders. "...building stuck in your hair," Lena finished, dislodging a large chunk of plaster from the still golden curls. Even as covered in dirt and random bits of construction material, Lena couldn't help but note how soft it felt to the touch.

"Ugh," Kara moaned. "I'm going to have to take like...ten showers to get all of this out." Kara turned her back to Lena, and glanced at her over her shoulder. "Is there anymore in there? Can you get it?"

Lena paused, before nodding, to herself since Kara's back was turned, and ran her fingers carefully through Kara's hair. It wasn't that Lena never touched Kara, but she did her best to limit casual, physical contact. Biting her bottom lip, she did her best to concentrate on the task at hand, and not get distracted by the feel of the silky strands running through her fingers.

She was doing a pretty good job, until Kara let out a soft sigh. "That feels really nice," Kara murmured appreciatively.

Lena dropped her hands abruptly. "All done," Lena announced, proud of the fact that she managed to keep her voice even.

"Thanks," Kara said, turning to smile at Lena. "In hindsight, I really should have had Supergirl be the one that wears the ponytail, and let Kara run around with her hair down."

"I'm not sure your Girl of Steel pose would carry quite the same gravitas with a ponytail," Lena teased.

Kara huffed. "Maybe not, but it sure would make my life a lot easier. Plus, it really limits my hair options," Kara pouted.

"Oh, the sacrifices you make when you dedicate your life to saving the world," Lena said with mock solemnity.

"I know, right!" Kara cried, shaking her head. "The things they didn't tell you in the super hero handbook."

"Well, if it's any consolation, you look wonderful with your hair up," Lena said sincerely. A faint blush spread across Kara's cheeks, and she dropped her gaze.

"It is," Kara responded shyly.

It never ceased to amaze Lena that a woman who had the world quite literally at her feet, could be undone by a simple compliment. From the beginning, Kara had gotten flustered whenever Lena had offered her praise. At the time, Lena had hoped that Kara would realize she was trying to flirt with her, and respond in kind, but it had quickly become clear to Lena that Kara didn't have a clue. Lena hadn't let that stop her from offering future flattery.

Just because Kara wasn't interested in a relationship, didn't mean that Lena was going to stop telling Kara how amazing she thought she was. Because she truly was amazing. Even before she knew that Kara possessed superpowers, she had been a marvel to Lena. Never before had she met someone so unfailingly kind and genuine. Lena's life was full of vipers, and she had managed to have a unicorn land in her lap.

Knowing that Kara possessed the power to do literally anything she wanted, and yet still chose to devote her life to serving and protecting others, only increased Lena's admiration for her friend. Most people, given the type of gifts Kara possessed, would not be able to remain as humble. She was a marvel, and Lena thought she deserved to know it.

Even if it still made her blush.

The baby monitor that Lena had placed on the coffee table crackled to life, and Ali's cry filled the room.

"I guess nap time is over," Lena said, stating the obvious.

"I'll get her!" Kara offered eagerly, already striding past Lena on her way to the nursery.

"I don't think so," Lena said, snagging the tail end of Kara's cape, and getting dragged along for a few steps until Kara realized she had an anchor in tow, and stopping.

Kara turned to look at Lena over her shoulder. "Why not?"

Lena released Kara's cape, and held out her hands for Kara's inspection. "Because you are filthy, smell like a charcoal briquette, and are covered in only god knows how many chemicals. There is no way I am letting you get within ten feet of that baby until you shower and change."

If Lena sounded exactly like a mom, she chose not to notice.

"But, I just wanted to-"

"Not within ten feet."

"Maybe if I just peek my head in?"

Lena shook her head, pointing her arm towards Kara's room. "Shower."

"Fine," Kara huffed on a sigh.


Lena was pretty sure if anyone could see her now, they would fall over and die from shock. She was the one actually living it, and it was still a close call. Her typically spotless kitchen had been converted into a veritable baby spa. The bathing tub, because Lena had read in one of her books that tub baths weren't recommended until the baby was closer to six months, sat across the sink. The temperature gauge registered a comfortable 103 degrees plus or minus 1 degree. She would have to remember to ask Kara if Daxamites had the same fire resistant qualities, but until then, Lena wasn't taking any chances.

After monitoring the flow for another five minutes to ensure a stable variance, Lena acknowledged she was probably just stalling. This was Lena's first solo bath time, and she was more than a little nervous. She had grown much more comfortable, and confident, around Ali over the last several days, but Kara had always been around to act as a safety net if needed. Kara had planned to be back in time for dinner, and Ali's pre-bedtime routine, but Supergirl's assistance had been required, and Lena had no idea when to expect Kara back.

A fretful cry from Ali drew Lena's attention, and she quickly crossed to the living room to retrieve her from her baby swing. "You really don't like being left alone do you?" Lena chided the baby gently as she lifted her out. A happy babble, and what Lena was pretty sure could pass for a smile was her only response.

"Okay, enough dilly dallying, time to get you washed and changed for bed." Lena shook her head. If she wasn't careful, Kara's more...quaint expressions were going to work themselves into her vocabulary. Her reputation would never recover. Almost enabling the takeover of the planet by hostile aliens was one thing, but using dilly dallying in a boardroom was another.

Lena laid Ali onto the couch to more easily remove her clothing. Easily, of course, being a relative term. Wrestling a squirming, unusually strong infant was definitely easier with two people. Bonus if one of the two also had super strength. But Lena was nothing if not determined, and with no small amount of effort, and one close call that probably would have ended with a black eye, she had the baby stripped and ready for her bath.

Lena confirmed that the temperature was still holding steady at 103 degrees, before slowly lowering Ali into the water. Luckily, Ali loved bath time, and as soon as she made contact she gave a happy sigh, and relaxed back into the warm water. Lena soaped up a washcloth and started running it gently over the baby, not wanting the parts of her skin exposed to air to become chilled.

Ali conveyed her approval by kicking her feet happily. Lena was too slow to react, and ended up thoroughly drenched as a result of her poor reflexes. If Lena hadn't been on the receiving end of the mini tidal wave, she may have been able to appreciate the impressive amount of water displaced. As it was, she spluttered, and tried in vain to blink the water out of her eyes.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say you were laughing at me," Lena accused the baby. Ali smiled, and splashed her hands down into the water. Lena wasn't sure if she was agreeing, or expressing her displeasure that her bath had been interrupted.

Keeping a wary eye on Ali, Lena picked up the washcloth and resumed Ali's bath. With the exception of her displeasure at having her hair washed, the rest of the bath went off without further incident. Ali was not happy to be plucked from the water, but settled down when Lena quickly wrapped her in a fluffy baby towel, complete with hood.

Lena grabbed the bottle she had put on the warmer, and headed to Ali's room to complete the rest of her bedtime ritual. Lena laid Ali on her changing table, rubbing the towel lightly to make sure Ali was dry. Once she was satisfied, she pulled back the edges of the towel and dispensed lotion from a warmer onto her palm. Rubbing her hands together to evenly distribute the lotion, she started to massage it evenly onto Ali's skin.

"Even though you inherited your father's impervious skin, I figure better safe than sorry," Lena confided softly to the drowsy baby. The baby's skin was as fair as Lena's own. "Plus, I think you rather like the attention," Lena teased, watching as Ali's eyes started to droop closed. "I can't say I blame you. If I had someone offering to feed, bathe, and massage me on a daily basis, I don't think I would be telling them no." Though Lena's imaginings of such an offer were far from maternal.

Lotion phase complete, Lena took advantage of Ali's lassitude to quickly get a diaper and onesie in place. Lena gave a silent praise of thanks to whoever had invented snap on clothing. If wrestling a baby out of clothing was hard, putting one back in was twice as much so.

Scooping up Ali and the bottle, Lena settled herself into the rocking chair. Ali had roused slightly at the move, but quickly settled when she latched onto the nipple. When Ali let out a contented gurgle, Lena couldn't help but once again draw the comparison to Kara at mealtime.

Rocking the chair back and forth, Lena ghosted a finger lightly over the baby's cheek. For skin that was tougher than steel, it was also impossibly soft. Looking down at the baby, Lena couldn't help but think that for all her physical resilience, she still seemed impossibly vulnerable. Lena knew all too well that the most lasting damage often wasn't physical.

Not for the first time, Lena felt her mind drifting back to the conversation she had with Kara the day she moved in. She was so accustomed to making backhanded barbs about her family, that she hardly even noticed it anymore. The sarcastic barbs had become her way of deflecting; of showing that no matter how much other people reviled her family, she hated them more.

Looking down at Ali, all sleepy innocence, Lena realized that she was going to have to find another coping strategy if Ali was going to stay with her. She remembered all too well how Lillian's pointed jabs about her parentage had affected her growing up. Lena had spent so much time trying to earn Lillian's approval, but had always fallen short. The woman had never missed an opportunity to remind her that she could hardly be helped for her shortcomings, after all, she wasn't really a Luthor.

Of course, Lena now knew it had nothing to do with not being a Luthor at all. Lillian's rejection of her had been because she was a Luthor. She had wasted years trying to live up to a family name that had always been hers by birthright. A name she would now rather have nothing to do with. All to try to earn the love of a woman who had probably hated her on sight. The irony was not lost on her.

Ali would learn soon enough that the Luthor name came with its own set of burdens and privileges. However, Lena was determined that one of those burdens would not be the same sense of self-loathing that so often plagued her thoughts. Ali had done nothing to deserve that weight being placed on her shoulders, however unintentionally.

Lena had agreed to take the child because she was afraid that others would not be able to treat her fairly if they found out her true heritage. Lena realized that other people were only part of the equation.


Kara landed gently on the balcony, not wanting to risk disturbing Lena or the baby. She hated it when being Supergirl got in the way of bedtime. She cherished being able to tuck Ali in and sing her a lullabye or two each night. Being able to sing Ali the songs that her mother had sung to her, and tell Ali the bedtime stories she had grown up with, provided her a much needed link to her past, and her people. In some small way, she was able to keep the memory of Krypton alive.

There was only one lamp on in the living room, casting the room in dim shadows. Even still, Kara was able to make out Lena's slumbering form on the couch, a tablet lying face down on her chest. Kara felt a twinge of guilt, knowing that Lena must be exhausted after having to handle Ali by herself all night in addition to getting all of her L-Corp work finished.

However, Kara was pleased to see that Lena had at least changed into comfortable lounge clothes. During the first week of her stay Kara had started to wonder if Lena ever relaxed, since every time Kara saw her, she was dressed as though she were still going into the office every day. It was only after a few teasing comments, that Lena had blushed, and admitted that felt weird dressing informally in front of other people. Another Luthor family habit that was hard to break.

Kara had immediately nixed that, and insisted that they were friends, practically family now, and that Lena had no need to stand on formality. It had taken a little time, but Lena had eventually dropped some of her formal attire. On the day day she had finally worn jeans, Kara had declared partial victory. It looked like it had taken almost total exhaustion to break the final barrier. Lena Luthor in sweat pants; Kara didn't think she would ever live to see the day. Even in sweat pants, Lena was one of the prettiest people Kara had ever seen.

Taking in the sight of a totally relaxed Lena Luthor caused a warm glow to spark in Kara's chest. It was a familiar feeling when in Lena's presence. The first few times she had felt it the sensation had confused Kara. It wasn't a feeling she was overly familiar with, and she'd had a hard time identifying its origin. Eventually, she had decided it was just a deep feeling of friendship.

Growing up she had kept herself partly isolated from her people. At first she had just been that odd new girl, and it would have been social suicide for anyone that tried to befriend her. By the time she had learned how to present herself in a more human fashion, she was also old enough to realize it wasn't truly safe to let anyone outside of her family get too close. So she hadn't. Plus, if she had ever forgotten the danger, Alex was always there to remind her.

She had friends of course, but none she would call close. She regarded them with a distant sort of affection. People it was nice to spend time with, but that she didn't find herself missing when they were absent. It wasn't until she had embraced her powers, and been able to finally be herself, and let her guard down with a select few like Winn and James, that Kara truly started to understand what friendship truly was. Though the deepening of those friendships had come with their own set of complications.

Out of all of the difference between her world and Earth, Kara though the hardest to adapt to had been the concept of interpersonal relationships, and distinguishing between the different types. Work associates, acquaintances, friends, good friends, friends that were practically family, romantic partners. On Krypton it had been so easy. The matrix determined your ideal match. There was no need to date, no confusion over whether someone was a friend, or could maybe be more. No awkward moment where you had to explain that you just didn't feel "that way" about them. Having to determining what "that way" even was in the first place.

Kara had been so sure that what she felt for James had been the ephemeral "it" that people had always referred to when they said you would just know it when you felt it. She adored James, and would feel a similar happy glow when she saw him, had been jealous of the time he spent with Lucy. Finally, all of the pieces were in place. Or so she had thought.

It had only taken a few aborted date attempts, and a vague sense that something wasn't quite right, for her to realize that her feelings for James hadn't been romantic after all.

Then there had been Lena who inspired such similar feelings. Coming so soon after the failed attempt with James, it had been only natural for Kara to classify the relationship the same way. If she had maybe started to wonder, those feelings had been lost in the onslaught of Mon-El's attentions.

Surely this time, with this man who, if not one of her people, was the next best thing, would be different. While Daxam and Krypton had been very different at the end, they had once shared a common past. So she had tried to make it work. Tried even when at times she wanted to quit. Finally her perseverance had paid off. If Mon-El wasn't the perfect match she had been promised as a young girl on Krypton, he was surely as close as she was likely to get on this foreign planet.

Then Rhea arrived, and any hope Kara had of finally making a romantic relationship work had been dashed. The answer to establishing a lasting match, still elusive. Kara felt like she was back at square one. Just as lost and confused about the nuances of human interactions as the day she arrived.

So Kara acknowledged the warm glow, tucked it away, and tried not to read too much into it. Even if the possibility of more with Lena teased the edges of her mind from time to time, she didn't want to risk making the relationship awkward like she had with James. She had just gotten Lena back, and she didn't want to do anything that risked losing her again.

Moving toward the sleeping figure, Kara tried to work out how she could get Lena to her bed without waking her. The actual lifting would pose no problem, but Kara had come to learn that Lena was a surprisingly light sleeper. Kara wasn't sure if she had always been this way, or if it was Ali's arrival that had precipitated the change.

The decision was taken out of her hands when Lena stirred, and blinked groggily awake.

"Rough night?" Kara asked softly, only just resisting the urge to sweep Lena's sleep mussed hair into place.

"Not too bad," Lena answered through a yawn. Lena swung her legs off the couch and sat upright, running her fingers through her hair and trying to restore some sense of order. "She actually went down without too much trouble. I guess I must have fallen asleep while reading the quarterly prospectus."

"I can't imagine why. That sounds like a riveting read," Kara teased gently, sitting beside the sleep rumpled CEO.

"It is actually," Lena insisted with a haughty sniff. She was only able to hold the air of superiority for a moment before the facade cracked, and she smiled at Kara. "What about you?" Lena asked, gesturing to Kara's smudged and dirty uniform.

"Pretty routine," Kara answered with a shrug. "A small gang of Mygorgs thought one of the alien refugee camps would make a good target for their special brand of intimidation and extortion. Then there was an attempted bank robbery. Oh, and a 12 car pile up on the freeway involving a tanker carrying Chlorine triflouride."

"Oh is that all?" Lena joked.

"It all gets to be a bit routine after a while," Kara confessed. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. A routine, boring, night means that things are relatively peaceful. And National City could certainly use a little peace and quiet."

Lena nodded her head in agreement. "I wasn't sure what time you would be back, so I put your dinner in the fridge. If you want I can heat it up for you while you get showered and changed."

Kara was tempted to accept the offer. Even though she was getting to spend more time with Lena lately than she had in months it wasn't quite the same. Selfishly, she would enjoy a few moments, just the two of them, like it used to be. However, her more noble side won out.

"Thanks, but you don't have to do that. Go on to bed. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? I don't mind." Lena looked genuinely torn, but Kara shook her head.

"I'm positive. Go. Rest. You need your sleep."

"If you insist," Lena conceded, rising from the couch. Kara rose with her, and the pair walked down the hallway to their respective rooms. Lena hesitated briefly once they arrived at Kara's room, looking like she wanted to say something more. Whatever it was, she changed her mind with a small shake of her head. "Goodnight, Kara. I'll see you in the morning."

Kara watched Lena go with a pang of regret.


AN: Big thanks to my beta for reminding me that humans (and humanesque aliens) have emotions, and it may be helpful to show that from time to time. I am not a comics purist (or even a reader), so I have taken some liberties with Kryptonian marriage customs.

Also, since chapter 10 is almost totally done, that should go up soonish, but after that, it will probably be back to longer gaps between chapters.