Part XI: The Final Gatekeeper

Four knocks. And then another four. She wasn't answering. Lena stood skittishly outside of Kara's small apartment, in the hallway. She checked her phone again. It was a reasonable hour. 1:17am was reasonable, right? RIGHT? Lena shook her head, clearing her panicky thoughts. She wasn't ready to confront Kara. She never would be, really. But that's what she was here to do. Confront Kara, and get her to listen to an epic apology.

Her phone chimed, she looked at it, but it was just a reminder of the event she had set when she was drunk.

SAY SORRY TO KARA- 10PM.

Sober Lena had to admit that Drunk Lena had some guts, and forward thinking that lacked the general cowardice that governed much of her personal social interactions. She started to pace back and forth across the hall in front of Kara's door. Standing still was doing nothing for her. In motion, she felt a little more comfortable. After a few minutes, she knocked again. Nothing.

Across town, another young woman was pacing up and down in front of Lena's hallway. Enough of this, I've saved the world, I can apologize to a girl I lov-like…right? Kara's own thoughts betrayed her. She checked her pocket for her phone. 1:23am. Lena would still be working, right? With a deep breath and determined exhale, she turned the corner and approached Jess' desk.

Lena Luthor's assistant was neck-deep in some fanfic a pen pal of hers from the Ikebukuro district in Tokyo had recommended. Work for the day, and the next two, was done, as long as Lena didn't have another abduction or something similar happens.

The world of Remnant with it's shattered moon dissolved before here mind's eye. Instead, she was now looking at an anxious Kara Danvers.

"Is um, is Lena still in?" the reporter ventured as she fiddled with the glasses adorning her crinkled brow.

Jess took a full few seconds to gently and primly close her laptop and adjust her own pair of glasses. "Lena is out." Kara's expression did a weird dance between relieved and disappointed and sad and hopeful and–"Enough with that, Ms. Danvers." Jess said, cutting off Kara's continuously morphing expression. "You're here to see her about something important I presume?"

Kara managed a nod. "I am. But if she's not here, can you tell her I was by?"

Jess considered for a moment before she decided she gave zero fucks, "You know, I'd have expected you to stop by in your finest blue and red at this time of night."

Kara made some kind of chirping squeak at this new revelation. Jess just looked at her with bemusement. "Did she tell you?"

Jess' expression turned colder, "Do you think Ms. Luthor would betray you like Ms. Danvers? Do you take her friendship so lightly?"

Kara was a little taken aback by this turn of events, "No, I–,"

"Then why would you ask such a damning question of me? Of course she didn't tell me. Seriously? I knew your secret when you sped by me faster than my eyes could track. You literally became a blur. Like Cat Grant's other coined hero,The Streak from last year. I'm not blind where you're involved like my boss is. I owe you no such emotional attachment." Jess's voice didn't raise in volume, but she was spitting fire all the same.

Kara took a few breaths and calmed down. "You're right, it was wrong of me to question Lena's integrity like that. But I really want to talk to her, I have so much to apologize for." Kara suppressed her inner guffaws regarding Barry Allen's super awkward CatCo. approved hero name on this earth.

Jess' expression warmed instantly, she actually chuckled. "You really do. She's been despondent recently."

"Why are you laughing at me?" Kara asked, just slightly confused at Jess' abrupt turn from dangerous to genial.

"Like ships in the night." Jess muttered, drawing out her prototype smartphone.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kara inquired with a cocked eyebrow. She had seriously underestimated Lena's assistant.

Jess fixed Kara with a searching look, but before she could answer the young Kryptonian in front of her, the assistant's phone vibrated. Jess smirked when she saw the caller I.D.

"Yes, Ms. Luthor?" Jess asked levelly. Kara's eyes were almost bugging out of her head. Caught between wanting to sprint out of there, and wanting to talk to Lena herself. "Yes, I understand. It makes sense she wouldn't be in her apartment. After all, she's standing in front of me right now." Jess looked at Kara one last time, looking for something Kara couldn't discern. Jess the gatekeeper made her decision. "It would seem by happy coincidence, both you and Ms. Danvers had the same idea. Yes. She's right here actually."

Jess pressed a button and Lena's office doors opened. Jess gestured for Kara to have a little privacy as she handed over her phone.

Kara mouthed a heartfelt 'Thank you!' and made a beeline for Lena's balcony.

"Are you there?" Lena breathed into Kara's ear.

"I am, Lena. I'm here. I'm on your balcony, actually. Jess let me have a little privacy." Kara rambled. The Kryptonian took this opportunity to utilize her supervision; indeed, Lena was standing with her back against Kara's apartment door.

"Do you…" Lena paused. "Do you think we can have this conversation in person?" Lena asked quietly. Kara nodded, even though nobody could see her.

"Yes, I've very much like that!" Kara breathed out a big sigh of relief. "Um, do you want to do it now?"

"Yes I do." Lena replied assuredly.

"Okay, would you like to meet at…Noonan's or something?" Kara supplied off the top of her head.

Lena's breathing filled the other line for a moment before the CEO said, "Actually, Maggie Sawyer took me to a new place that I've been wanting to try again. And yes, they're open 24 hours. I'll text you the address."

"Awesome! I'll meet you there?" Kara finished.

"Absolutely," Lena replied with a smile. "See you soon, Kara"