A/N: Thanks for the comments.

Guest (1) - The press will be involved but no plans for the mob at the moment.

Guest (2) - Happy ever afters aren't normally popular so I wouldn't hold my breath.

Guest (3) - If he had been in the background for the last couple of seasons I'd agree, but to have him suddenly appear this season makes it feel very rushed. My other issue is Barker does not seem any where near as intelligent as the last President or Cat Grant, both of whom were working with him and should have picked up that he was up to something. I'm not from the US and my political knowledge is very much based on the West Wing, but I thought that VPs were idiots, albeit voteable idiots, whereas it is the President with the political clout. Finally Baker does not seem anywhere near as intelligent as John Sheriden in B5, which can't be an acting issue so comes down to script or intent.

As Kara sat on the beach watching the waves a shadow fell over her.

"Lena?" Kara asked, her voice hinting at fear and sadness.

"Kara. Should you be up?"

"I'm okay. Thanks to you. Eliza said you built the lamps."

"I didn't do much." Lena said. "I just followed Alex's design." She paused and said. "I'm sorry I left you. I should have forced you not to do the trade."

"You did what I asked. Alex is safe because of you." Kara reminded her. "Thank you for looking after her and staying. You didn't have to stay at all...I'm kind of surprised you are still here after finding out I'd lied."

"Well your cousin was right. They only had Kryptonite because I figured out how to make it so I was to blame for what happened. But more importantly you came to me when Alex needed help." Lena said. "You love Alex too much to risk her life with someone you don't trust. I don't understand why you didn't trust me with who you were, but it was your secret to keep. But you trusted me with Alex so you clearly still trusted me."

"I do trust you." Kara said. "Supergirl is meant to be brave and strong and fearless. Where as Kara is just Kara. You allowed me to be Kara."

"You think I wouldn't have done if you told me you were Supergirl?"

"Maybe not deliberately, but everyone treats me differently when they know."

"I'll will do my best to treat you the same as I always have." Lena assured her.

"I don't deserve that. I mean I used you."

"Used me?"

"Your friendship gave me strength and release. I needed our friendship."

"So did I. That's not using me." Lena pointed out.

"I wanted to tell you, but then you told me, Supergirl me, you weren't friends. And I know I betrayed you and I caused you to say that, but once you said that how could I tell you? I was so scared of losing you."

"Neither of us are blameless with what happened over that incident." Lena said. "But that is because we are not that different. We do what we need to do to protect those we love. Even if that does backfire."

"What now?"

"Well as good as the lamps are, they are not perfect. So seeing how the sun is out you lounge on the beach and recharge, that will also keep you away from Alex's next lecture."

"I meant with us." Kara said.

"I know." Lena said. "We'll be fine. But you need to recharge. Everything else we can figure out later."

-00-

"Alex? Why aren't you in bed?" Eliza asked dismayed as she walked upstairs and caught Alex limping out of her bedroom.

"Kara wasn't there, I was worried."

"She's sitting in the sun." Eliza explained. "She's with Lena."

"They okay?" She asked.

"They're talking." Eliza replied.

"You knew didn't you?"

"Knew what?" Eliza asked fearing Alex's reply.

"That Kara was being tortured." Alex said.

"Not straight away, but yes."

"The day you dropped the dish, that's when you found out?" Alex guessed.

"Yes."

"You kept it from me. You lied to me. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you would have ignored common sense and tried to go back to National City to save her. If you had done that I'm not sure you would have even survived the journey. J'onn and the others were searching for her, there was nothing you could do. I thought she was going to die, I couldn't lose you as well." Eliza confessed as her tears started to flow.

"You are not losing either of us." Alex said hugging her before apologising. "I'm sorry. It was my fault she was there. My fault she was being tortured."

"No it wasn't."

"She traded herself for me." Alex reminded her.

"As she would have done for anyone and as you would have done for her." Eliza countered. "The only people to blame for what happened are those involved in the Children of Liberty."

"I'm meant to protect her." Alex said.

"And you do, you did. You told her not to come for you." Eliza said. "Kara is responsible for her own decisions, just like you. If you could protect someone forever I would never have let either of you move out."

"Not sure that would have kept anyone safe." Alex said recalling the arguments.

"Maybe." Eliza replied smiling sadly. "I know I put a lot of pressure on you. Too much pressure on you. But you both need to realise neither of you are responsible. Kara is blaming herself, you are blaming yourself. It's not right or healthy."

"And you are blaming yourself?" Alex guessed.

"That comes with the mom thing." Eliza said.

"Seeing Kara like that, seeing me, I can't begin to imagine how hard that was for you."

"This is definitely a month I'd be happy to forget." Eliza said. "I'm just happy you are both here and both safe. But in order to keep you both that way you need to rest."

"And I will." Alex said.

"You both need time to recover, but to truly move on you need to stop blaming yourselves and focus on helping each other. You are better at getting through to Kara than anyone, but you can't help her until you have helped yourself. That includes forgiving yourself for something you weren't responsible for."

"If anyone is to blame it is me." J'onn said joining them. "If I hadn't run away maybe none of this would have happened."

"You didn't run away, you searched for a new path." Alex reminded him. "Besides, you were the one who rescued Kara."

"I was there, but it wasn't really me. If the people of National City hadn't taken a stand I don't think we would have had the same result."

-TBC...

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.