"You want to watch Homeland?" Alex asked as she sat down on the couch.

"No."

"No? Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine." Kara said avoiding eye contact.

"Really, because the only time you have ever turned down Homeland was because Supergirl was needed."

"I'm fine." Kara repeated as she glanced at a clock.

"Do I need to remind you that you are terrible at lying?" Alex asked.

"I really am fine." Kara repeated. "I just don't feel like watching TV right now."

"You don't?"

"No."

"Sit down." Alex ordered. "And tell me what's bothering you."

"Nothing is bothering me." Kara said keeping some distance between her and the couch.

"Then sit down." Alex instructed. Sighing Kara sat next to Alex and waited for her sister to speak. However, Alex sat silently waiting for Kara to own up to what was bothering her. It was Alex who won the waiting game and Kara eventually said.

"So."

"So what?" Alex prompted when Kara seemed to stop talking.

"Eliza rang yesterday."

"Is she okay?" Alex asked worried.

"She's fine."

"Then why are you acting all weird?"

"Because you are about to freak out."

"Why am I going to freak out?" Alex asked, wondering what Kara had done.

"She mentioned that you two had a huge fight and hadn't spoken since." Kara went on.

"We did." Alex said. "She mention it was my fault?"

"Actually she shouldered the blame."

"That makes me feel guilty, not about to freak out." Alex said.

"I haven't got to the freak out part." Kara replied.

"What have you done?"

"I suggested you two should talk and clear the air. She explained you won't answer calls or emails so I invited her to stay."

"Kara-" Alex started only for her sister to say.

"Still not at the freak out part." She then glanced at the door before saying. "Now."

"Now what?" Alex questioned as there was a knock on the door.

"She's visiting now." Kara said avoiding all eye contact with Alex as she went to the door.

"Kara" Eliza exclaimed as she entered the apartment.

"Eliza." Kara grinned as she hugged her foster mother. "It is so good to see you."

"I was so worried about you." Eliza said clinging to Kara before noticing Alex hovering.

Releasing Kara Eliza held her arms out to Alex who moved to her mother and said.

"I'm sorry."

Pulling back from Alex Eliza said. "I'm sorry too. How are you?"

"I'm good."

"Please don't lie." Eliza said wearily.

Knowing she was a third wheel Kara said.

"I'm going to grab the take out. I'll be back soon."

"She is still as subtle as sledge hammer." Eliza commented as she watched Kara disappear before tuning back to Alex as an awkward silence descended. Eventually Alex sighed and spoke.

"I'm sorry I cut you off. I just couldn't handle your grief and disappointment in me on top of everything else." Alex said moving over to the couch.

"Alex I was not disappointed in you. I was worried about you. You had been kidnapped and tortured and escaped to find out your sister had died. That is too much for anyone to handle, even you. I just wanted to be there for you."

"I know and I shouldn't have said what I said. I didn't mean it."

"I know that."

"I wish I had listened to you." Alex said sadly.

"What happened?" Eliza asked sitting next to her daughter.

"After I saw you last I quit the DEO."

"You did? Why?"

"I felt so guilty over what had happened. And I knew if I went back I would be reminded of Kara. Then someone suggested that I took some time out. Cut myself of from my memories of Kara and get through my pain by focusing on work."

"Did that work?"

"Kind of. I became so focused on creating something to hurt the people who I thought had killed Kara I didn't have much time to wallow in self pity."

"Mourning a sister is not wallowing in self pity." Eliza interrupted. "Who looked after you during all of this?"

"The same person who persuaded me to cut myself off from everyone. The same person who convinced me that you hated me for what happened. The same person who guided me and helped me focus on my research. The same guy who had kidnapped and was torturing, using my research, Kara." Alex said as a tear ran down her cheek. "Everything that happened to her was my fault, because I was too blind to see what was in front of me."

"You are a good person Alex. You always put others first and you always look after Kara. People will try to exploit that." Eliza said hugging her daughter. "And when you have lost someone that matters to you it is as if you can't think straight any more. Common sense goes out the window and you consider doing things that you would never normally do, and that is without outside influence."

"That doesn't excuse what I did."

"Everyone makes mistakes. The thing that separates good people from bad people is how they correct those mistakes and move on. You found a cure for Kara and you've gone back to the DEO so you can protect her, even though you wanted to walk away."

"How did you know that?" Alex asked looking up at her mother.

"Because that is what you always do when something bad happens or when you think you have made a mistake, you shut yourself off from the world, like when your hamster died, when your father died and when you thought Kara died, when you failed your French exam, when you broke the car."

"I didn't break the car. I made it more efficient" Alex said cutting off her mother's list.

"That may have been your plan, but that's not what happened. I still remember going to the garage and seeing half the engine on the floor."

"It was not half the engine, it was just a few pieces, which wouldn't go back."

"Pretty important pieces from what I remember." Eliza said. "After Kara found you, you refused to go anywhere near a mechanic for two years as it reminded you of your mistake."

"It wasn't two years." Alex protested.

"It was." Eliza stated. "But my point was you like to avoid reminders of things that hurt you and mistakes that you've made. I am not saying that is bad, but it is you. So I imagine that going back to the DEO everyday forces you to remember turning your back on them. But you do it anyway so you can protect your sister. I'm proud of you."

"But?" Alex asked sensing her mother wanted to say more.

"I think it is time you got out more."

"Are you telling me to get a life?"

"Kind of." Eliza admitted. "If you had a close group of friends here do you think you would have followed the same path? You deserve a life outside of work."

"You sound like Kara." Alex pointed out.

"We can't both be wrong." Eliza smiled. "Speaking of your sister, how is she doing?"

"She needs help."

-00-

"Hey." James smiled as he and Lucy approached Kara at the counter.

"Oh, hi."

"What are you doing here?" James asked. "I thought your foster mother was coming tonight."

"She is. She and Alex needed space so I left them to it."

"We were just going to get something to eat." Lucy said. "You want to join us?"

"Oh, um, thank you, but no. They think I am getting take out and not even I could manage two meals."

"Well how long are you hiding out for?" Lucy asked.

"Another thirty minutes, maybe an hour."

"Great, then join us for drinks."

"I really don't want to intrude."

"You won't be." Lucy said as James smiled and said.

"It has been ages since we caught up properly. You two get a table, I grab the drinks."

"So how are you doing with everything?" Lucy asked as she and Kara sat down.

"Okay, I think. It was weird at first, but I think that has passed."

"You know if you ever need someone to talk to I'm here. I mean I know we are not exactly close friends, but I hope by now you see me as a friend."

"I do." Kara smiled as James returned carrying some drinks.

-00-

"So pie?" Kara asked hopefully after they finished their main course later that evening.

"Not yet." Eliza said.

"Why?" Kara questioned unable to hide her disappointment.

"First I think we all need to talk."

"About?"

"You."

"Me?" Kara questioned confused. "What about me?"

"You need to talk about what happened to you." Eliza said.

"No, I don't. I'm fine." Kara said looking to Alex for support, in response though Alex said.

"No you're not."

"Kara, you can't keep everything bottled up." Eliza said. "So you talk to us, you talk to Alex or you talk to me, either way you are telling at least one of us what happened."

"Apart from losing my powers nothing happened to me." Kara said. "It was Alex who was tortured not me." She added trying to deflect attention back onto her sister.

"Whilst you may not have been physically tortured, you were mentally tortured." Eliza said.

"Kara, you can deny it all you want, but I know you. It wasn't what happened physically, it was how you felt." Alex said. "Being there, trapped in that room, no powers, it scared you, it still scares you.

"Being there in that room, by myself, brought back memories of being put into that pod and sent out into space. But that wasn't what scared me." Kara said quietly. "It was losing you."

"You haven't lost me." Alex said.

Kara looked at Alex and said. "When I woke up there I thought you might be dead. But when I found out you were alive I was told what was happening to you and I wanted so badly to escape, but I couldn't. I was too weak. I couldn't get to you. I couldn't protect you. Max told me what he was doing to you, how he was destroying you and I couldn't do anything. He kept reminding me how much you had sacrificed for me. But when it really counted I could do nothing for you. I failed you, just like I failed my mother and just like I failed Kal-El." She explained as a tear ran down her cheek. "Whenever it really matters I fail."

"You haven't failed anyone." Alex said hugging her sister as she glanced at her mother.

"Kara, being powerless because of what someone else has done does not make you weak or a failure. You survived. You kept going and you got out. Sometimes the best thing you can do is survive." Eliza stated as she she wrapped her arms around her two daughters. "Your mother sent you here so you would survive, she wanted you to live. I know she would be proud of you." With that the three Danvers women held each other, drawing strength from each other.

TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. Final chapter up tomorrow.