A few hours later, Cat had still refused to leave Kara's side. Alex traveled back and forth between her lab and Kara's bedside, analyzing the effects of Max's Kryptonite on Kara's body. Lucy also stopped in periodically to check on the women. On one of those trips, she stopped to hand Cat a coffee, smiling apologetically. "It's disgusting, but it's all I can offer you." Cat accepted the cup gratefully, and tried not to wince as she sipped at what was, indeed, terrible coffee. Alex and Lucy both grinned.

Lucy looked at Cat intently. "Don't you need to check in with CatCo?" At that comment, Alex looked up in alarm, realizing that she hadn't even thought about it.

Cat sighed. "Probably. I don't have my phone with me, and I just didn't care enough to worry about it."

Alex could have kicked herself for being so thoughtless. "Cat, I'm sorry. You can use my phone, or actually, maybe Kara's would be better. We can bring you a computer, if you need to send some emails or whatever. Despite our awful décor, we have some pretty good technology here."

Cat shrugged. "I suppose I should. It's just hard to care too much about any of that right now."

"You know Kara would be furious if you fell behind, though." Lucy smiled, and went to grab Kara's phone and a laptop. Pulling a rolling table over from the wall, she set the laptop on it. Cat nodded gratefully and went to work.

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As the clock approached 8 p.m., Kara was still sleeping peacefully, and Cat still hadn't moved. When Alex and Lucy stopped in to check on Kara's progress, Alex decided it was time to intervene. "Cat, you need to eat something. And where is Carter?"

"Carter is with his nanny for the night. He knows that Kara was hurt in an accident, and I'm staying with her while she recovers. And I'm not particularly hungry." Even as she said that, Cat's stomach growled angrily.

Alex smirked. "Very convincing. Come on, let's get some take-out. We can be back here in half an hour if I speed." She held up her phone. "I'll monitor her while we're gone, and let you know if anything changes. I'll even buy you a latte." Cat sighed and nodded, smiling weakly at the latte reference.

While the three drove toward a sub shop, Lucy and Alex took the opportunity to find out from Cat how Kara's therapy had been going. "She really likes Lizzie," Cat commented. "They've talked three times now, and you can just tell it's lifting a weight off of her shoulders. She seems better. The sadness is still there, but it's not as pronounced. And she's agreed to stay with me for a few weeks, at least, so she won't have to be alone."

"A few weeks?" Lucy said in surprise. "Cat, are you sure you're okay with that?"

Cat smiled. "I'm thrilled about it. I really like having her there, and so does Carter. I hope she never leaves." Alex lifted her eyebrow at Lucy. "I saw that," Cat scolded. "And we are not talking about my feelings. Don't even try."

Cat changed the subject quickly, updating the two women on the latest Supergirl news. "There's an online petition, asking Supergirl to come back to National City. It's already been signed by over a million people. There are also unconfirmed reports that Supergirl was spotted somewhere near Lord Industries, carrying someone in her arms. I don't suppose you know anything about that?" She smiled at Alex. "It has people very excited at the thought that she might be back."

"Well, she's going to be out of action for a little while, at least," Alex answered. "But maybe it'll give us a chance to show her how much the city loves her. Maybe she'll start to realize how important she is."

"I hope so, Alex. Kara needs Supergirl. I'd be more than happy to write an article on how Supergirl is back in action, but was injured saving the life of a certain media member. But I can't do that unless she really wants to come back."

Alex nodded. "Let's put that idea on hold for now, until we see how she feels."

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It was nearly 10 p.m. before Kara woke up. When the hero stirred and opened her eyes, Cat was instantly on her feet, standing next to Kara. "Cat?" Kara said weakly.

"I'm right here, Kara," Cat responded, grasping the young woman's hand.

"I… Are you okay?" Kara asked, concern evident in her eyes. "Is Alex okay?"

Cat nodded, barely holding back tears. "Kara, we're fine. I'm so glad you're here. I thought we had lost you."

Kara closed her eyes in embarrassment, remembering what she had said to Cat right before the blast hit. 'I love you.' Now Cat knew exactly how she felt. She wondered why the older woman was even here right now. She didn't need to deal with Kara's emotions. Maybe she felt guilty at abandoning her employee, especially knowing how strong Kara's feelings were.

Kara was saved from further reflection by a pair of soft lips touching her own. "I mean it, Kara," Cat murmured softly. "I'm so glad you're here. I couldn't stand to lose you."

Kara opened her eyes in surprise, and saw the tender look on Cat's face. She squeezed Kara's hand, and sat back down by her side. She kissed me, Kara thought dreamily. She kissed me? Did that really happen?

Alex came rushing in. "Kara, thank God you're awake. I was beginning to think Cat would have to move in." At Kara's questioning look, she explained, "She hasn't left your side all day." Kara glanced at Cat, who nodded and smiled.

Kara looked at her, worried. "Don't you need to be running a company right now?"

Cat shook her head. "Alex set me up here with a computer. I've been Skyping and emailing. Oh, and I borrowed your phone. I hope that's okay." She smiled.

Touched, Kara squeezed her hand, and smiled back. "Of course it's okay. Cat… I'm glad you're here."

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By the next morning, Kara insisted on leaving the DEO. "That sun bed is so awful. How would you feel if I made you lie on a table for 24 hours? I need a real bed, with pillows and blankets and stuffed animals." Alex smiled, and went to wake up Cat. She had finally managed to convince the woman to get a couple of hours of sleep in the barracks, by dragging her chair away from the table after Cat had fallen asleep on top of the computer. She was sure Cat would be relieved to hear that Kara was ready to leave. The barracks were not particularly accommodating.

When Kara rose unsteadily to her feet, Cat and Alex were there to catch her, and they helped the struggling superhero to make her way toward the entrance. They loaded her into the back of an SUV, and arranged her with pillows so that she could sleep on the way back to Cat's house. They needn't have bothered, however; she was out as soon as the vehicle started moving.

Upon arriving at Cat's apartment, she brought the still-sleepy hero inside and guided her toward the guest room. Alex quickly changed Kara into pajamas and tucked her into the bed. She suspected that the hero would not stir for hours.

Before leaving, Alex reminded Cat, "Make sure she eats a lot. And she needs to get some sun today. The sun lamps are good, but nothing compares with real sunlight. She needs as much as possible."

Cat nodded, and opened all of the shades in the guest room, letting in quite a bit of light. "That'll have to do for now," she responded. "I'll get her up later."

Alex turned to leave. "Is it okay if I come back tonight?" she asked hesitantly, somewhat embarrassed. "I hate leaving her like this."

Cat smiled warmly at Alex. "You're welcome anytime, Alex. Carter and I both like having you here."

"Thanks, Cat," Alex said gratefully. "I'll be back later."

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By early afternoon, the hero still hadn't stirred, and Cat decided that she needed to take action. Kara hadn't eaten anything in over a day, and she needed to get a few hours of sunlight before the evening came. She walked into the guest room, and tried not to stare at the gorgeous woman who lay asleep in front of her.

She sat down on the side of the bed, and began to rub Kara's shoulder and speak to her softly. "Kara, wake up. I'm sorry to wake you, but you need to eat, and we need to get you some sunlight." The young woman stirred, and mumbled something incoherent. "Kara, wake up," she insisted, and got a more convincing response. A moment later, Kara opened her eyes. Cat's eyes softened at the exhaustion in Kara's eyes, and she ran her hand lightly through Kara's hair.

Kara smiled. "Hey," she said softly, happy to see Cat sitting there next to her. Cat. Who had kissed her. Hadn't she? Or was that just a beautiful dream?

Cat asked, "How are you feeling?" She couldn't seem to stop herself from staring at Kara.

Instead of answering, Kara slowly reached her arms out toward Cat. She slipped them behind Cat's neck, and pulled the older woman's head down, meeting Cat's lips with her own. She kissed Cat gently, wrapping one arm around the woman's shoulders and pulling her even closer.

After a moment, Kara panicked, sure she had made a mistake. She slowly pulled away and released Cat from her arms. With a terrified look on her face, Kara began to apologize. "Cat, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean–"

Cat surged forward and cut off Kara's words with her lips. She pulled herself toward the superhero, wrapping her arms around Kara's back. Two pairs of lips were fused together as Cat fell onto the bed and tumbled on top of Kara. The two rolled over until both women were lying on their sides, never breaking the kiss. They pulled each other closer, and Cat opened her mouth slightly in invitation. Kara's mouth eagerly matched her own, and Cat ran her tongue lightly into Kara's waiting mouth. Tongues pressed against each other lightly, but their motions quickly became more deliberate. Kara wrapped an arm around the back of Cat's neck and yanked her forward as her tongue invaded Cat's space. Cat moaned, feverish with desire, as Kara's tongue began a motion that Cat desperately hoped would be repeated on other parts of her body.

Lost in her haze of desire, Cat almost forgot that anything existed outside of the feel of Kara's lips and hands. But she vaguely recalled coming in here for a reason that didn't involve sex, and forced herself to pull away. Kara looked at her, and Cat felt a flash of need at the raw desire in her eyes. She quickly sat up. "Kara, as much as I want to continue what we just started, now is really not the time. You need to eat and get some rest." She smiled. "Once you're feeling better, we can revisit this conversation."

Kara smiled weakly. "I'd like that," she said softly.

"Well, let's get you some food. Then maybe you can sleep in the sun for a couple of hours." Cat tried, in vain, to slow her speeding heart. If only her brain would start working again. "Come on," she said, extending her hand toward the younger woman. "I made you lunch. You can eat on the balcony." Kara grasped her hand, and followed her unsteadily.

Once on the balcony, Kara ate five grilled cheese sandwiches and three bowls of soup, and then settled into a recliner and instantly fell asleep. Cat smiled, kissed the woman's forehead, and left her there to rest.

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At dinnertime, Alex came out to wake up a sleeping Kara. "Hey, sleepyhead. How are you feeling?"

"Mmmnf," Kara responded, without opening her eyes. "So tired."

"I know, Kara. But Cat says dinner's ready, and we want you to eat again before we put you to bed."

"Okay," Kara said, opening her eyes slowly. Alex held out her hand and pulled Kara out of the recliner. She led the hero inside.

When they reached the dining room, Kara's eyes opened wide. Did she smell… pizza?

Alex laughed at Kara's excitement. "Yes, Kara, it's homemade pizza. Even better than takeout. Cat is way too good to you."

Alex and Carter laughed as Cat brought out one pizza after another. There were five in all. Kara opened her eyes wide. "Cat, I'm not sure even I can eat this much."

Cat smiled and said, "Well, leftover pizza is a good snack."

Kara had silently scoffed at the notion that anything could be better than takeout pizza. But once she tasted this pizza, she had to agree with Alex. It was the best pizza she'd ever had in her entire life, maybe the best ANYTHING she'd ever had. She helped herself to one piece after another, quickly finishing one pie, and then a second. She finally slowed to a halt halfway through her third pizza, and then looked around in embarrassment at the three people staring at her. "What? I was hungry. And it was really good."

"Apparently," Carter said drily, sounding so much like Cat that Kara had to smile.

After they (well, mostly Kara) had finished eating, Alex led her to the bedroom to get her ready for bed. Alex helped Kara to get washed and changed, and then brought in a stuffed bear as Kara was climbing into bed. "You mentioned stuffed animals, so I thought I'd bring you one. This is Lucky."

Kara hugged the bear tightly, and then hugged Alex just as tightly. "Alex, I love you so much."

"I love you too, Kara. Sleep well." Alex kissed Kara's forehead, and then tucked her in and left the room.

Cat came in next. "Kara, I wanted to… is that a stuffed animal?" She meant for her question to sound disdainful, but the softness in her voice gave her away. She relented. "It's adorable."

Kara smiled sleepily. "This is Lucky. Alex brought him here for me."

Cat smiled. "Well, I'm glad you have company, but I was hoping maybe I could stay here with you for a little while. Is it okay if I take his spot for now?"

Kara nodded happily. Cat lay down next to her on the bed, and put her arms around the superhero. She kissed Kara's cheek, and held her tightly. She lay there long after Kara had fallen asleep, smiling and holding the hero close. She never planned on letting Kara go.