Cat ran into the DEO facility, pulling Carter along beside her. She spotted Lucy at the entrance. "Where is she?"

Lucy smiled. "Good to see you too, Cat." Taking in the woman's red-rimmed eyes and pale features, Lucy took pity on her. "Follow me." She led the visitors to the treatment area. Through the windows, they could see a sleeping Kara, attached to a wide range of machines that were monitoring everything from heart rate to brain activity. Cat took a shaky breath, and Carter squeezed her hand tightly.

Alex was in the room, adjusting some of Kara's sensors, but when she spotted Cat and Carter, she came out to greet them. Before saying a word, Alex grabbed Cat in a tight hug. In a shaky voice, Alex said, "Cat, I was so scared."

Cat hugged Alex back just as fiercely. "I know, Alex. I know. She's safe now."

Lucy watched, fascinated. When had these two become so close? She turned and saw Carter, his face pressed up to the glass, surveying the equipment in the room, and muttering to himself quietly. "Cool. That machine is mapping her brain activity. And this one has a 3-D rendering of her heart. There's blood pressure, and pulse rate, and oxygen level. I wonder what that one does. It looks like a seismograph."

Lucy smiled. "Carter, do you want to see Supergirl's spaceship?" At his awed look, she beckoned him forward, and led him down the hallway. "Do you know how far she traveled to get here?" she asked, and as they turned the corner he was trying to estimate the answer to her question.

Cat's eyes softened as she watched the exchange. Lucy had appointed herself as babysitter, and would keep Carter occupied for a while. She turned to Alex. "Can I go in there?" Alex nodded.

Cat sank into a chair next to Kara. Placing her hands on the hero's arm, she opened her mouth to say something, and then just lowered her head onto Kara's lap and sobbed. After a few minutes, she felt Alex's hand on her back. Alex pulled up a chair next to her, and began talking quietly. "Cat, she's so brave. I hate it sometimes, but that's just who she is. She sees a situation, and she needs to help. That leaves her so vulnerable." Alex sighed. "I wish I could keep her out of danger. For a long time, we had convinced her not to use her powers, and it kept her safe. But then, once she came out as Supergirl, and realized how much she could help people, there was no hope of changing her mind."

Cat turned to Alex. "What made her come out? Why did she save that plane?"

Alex responded, "I was on it."

Cat smiled weakly. "Of course." Nothing more needed to be said. Both women understood that Kara wouldn't have had a choice. The two women fell into a comfortable silence, watching Kara sleep.

Eventually Cat said quietly, "Alex? What am I doing?"

Alex looked at her. "You're in love," she said simply. She hesitated, knowing that her friend needed reassurance. "Cat," she asked, "what do YOU want?"

Cat just shook her head. "I love her with all my heart. I want her to be happy. And I think that means not being with me."

Alex responded, "Okay, but imagine the situation was reversed. You were desperately in love with someone, but they refused to be with you because they were convinced they were going to hurt you. Wouldn't you feel like it was unfair of them to make that choice for you? Wouldn't you want to decide that for yourself?"

She leaned forward, looking at Cat. "Cat, she knows you better than you know yourself. Don't you think she knows how scared you are? Don't you think she understands how much the two of you could hurt each other? Kara has thought about all of that. She's not as naïve as you think. And she's decided that whatever the risks are, they're worth it. She's decided that YOU'RE worth it, and she's not going to give up on you. And I think you owe it to her to respect her decision."

Alex paused, and then said softly, "Cat, if you're ever going to trust anyone with your heart… it should be Kara."

Cat sat in silence, thinking about what Alex had said. Alex was right: she had been trying to take the decision away from Kara. And that wasn't fair to the younger woman. She needed to have faith in the woman she loved. It wouldn't be easy, but Cat would need to trust Kara.

Eventually, Cat spoke. "You know, Alex, this isn't exactly the big sister talk you're supposed to give."

Alex smiled. "Well, she's not exactly a typical sister. And you're not a typical girlfriend." She looked at Cat seriously. "I really want things to work out for the two of you. I think you're exactly right for each other. And I think you both deserve to be happy." After a moment, she laughed. "But if you ever hurt her, I reserve the right to come kill you in your sleep."

Cat smiled. "That's fair."

Just then, the superhero stirred. Alex stood up to look over the patient. Kara's eyes flickered open, and she spotted her sister. "Alex?"

"I'm right here, Kara. You're safe. We've got you."

"I'm sorry, Alex. They had kryptonite. It was one of Max Lord's guys. They tied me in chains and threw me over. I couldn't get out."

Cat paled. Alex stood stock still, but Cat could see her body tense. "Kara, it's okay," Alex insisted. "You're okay now. You just need to rest."

"Alex… Could I… could you get me my phone so I can talk to Cat? If she's not too busy with Carter? I just don't want her to see something on the news and get worried. And I'd really like to hear her voice," Kara said in a small voice.

Alex turned to Cat, smiling, and said, "I guess that's your cue." She left the room to deal with the Max Lord information.

Cat stood over the superhero, and Kara immediately tried to sit up. Cat said, "Shh. Stay still." She climbed up next to Kara on the bed, moving carefully to avoid any wires. She lay down next to Kara and wrapped her arms around the girl, then kissed her forehead. "I'm right here. You couldn't possibly keep me away right now. I'm just going to stay here with you for a while, okay?" Kara smiled, and sank into the embrace, closing her eyes.

When Lucy and Carter returned, the two women were still entwined on the bed. Lucy's heart melted at the adorable sight, and Carter's face shone with happiness.