The next morning, Cat was still refusing to let Kara come back to work. "You couldn't even stay awake for the PlayStation battle last night," she pointed out. "One more day, Kara. Sleep, and you'll be rested for Wednesday."

Alex cut off Kara's arguments with a suggestion. "Kara, I know what you can do instead. Come with me to the DEO, and spend some time with Astra. We can bring her some pictures, and the two of you can look at them together."

Kara's face lit up, and Cat glanced warily at Alex. She hoped the agent knew what she was doing. But Alex nodded confidently at Cat. She had spent enough time talking with Astra to see the depth of the woman's love for Kara, and she knew this would be good for both of them. They would need to bring Astra out of her cell – Alex was not willing to expose Kara to that much Kryptonite right now – but that could be arranged.

Cat had complete faith in Alex's judgment. If Alex felt this was the right thing to do, then she would accept that. But she couldn't resist a few words of caution. "Remember, Kara, you're still recovering. Half a day at most, and then you need to sleep."

Alex smiled at Cat. "Don't worry. If she's there too long, I'll make her take a nap in the sun bed. She hates that thing."

"Perfect," Cat said, smiling.

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When they arrived at the DEO, Alex made Kara wait while she arranged for security. She outfitted Astra with two Kryptonite ankle bracelets, not very strong, but enough to bring her close to human levels. They would meet in the conference room, and Alex would station herself at the door with a Kryptonite gun. Hopefully, Kara would be unaffected by the Kryptonite on Astra's body, but she was cautioned to keep a little distance between them, just in case. Kara frowned but nodded in understanding. She knew it was non-negotiable.

When Kara entered the conference room, she beamed at the sight of her aunt, and Astra smiled warmly in return. "Aunt Astra, I'm so glad you're here," Kara said. "Are you comfortable? Is everyone treating you okay?"

"I am fine, Little One. Alex has been very kind to me. You are very lucky to have met her."

"I know," responded Kara, smiling at her older sister. "She's amazing." She pointed to the photo albums and iPad that she'd brought with her. "I brought some pictures. I want to show you some of the most important moments in my life."

Astra said softly, "I would like that very much." She squeezed Kara's hand, and continued, "I wish I had been there, but I am glad you found such a wonderful family."

"Well, you're my family too, Aunt Astra." She shook her head. "I can't even believe you're here."

"I am here now, Little One. Now tell me about your past."

The two of them spent a couple of hours looking at photos and talking about the events of Kara's life, and conversing in a mixture of English and Kryptonese. Kara chattered happily, thrilled that she had the chance to share these moments with her Kryptonian family. But it was the look on Astra's face that made Alex tear up a little bit – the older woman's love for Kara was so clearly displayed, and she hung on to every word that Kara said. Alex had no doubt that Astra would do anything for her niece – in fact, she had given up everything just for the chance to be with Kara.

Around noon, Alex made a couple of calls, and a short while later, Agent Vasquez arrived with four pizzas. When Kara spotted the pizzas, her eyes lit up, and Astra looked curiously at whatever had captivated her niece. Alex explained, "Astra, you've never had pizza, so we brought a few varieties for you to try."

"Aunt Astra, just wait until you taste this. There was nothing even remotely like it on Krypton." Vasquez handed them some plates and napkins, and Kara opened the boxes to survey the options. "Alex, you got all my favorites!" she said happily.

Alex grinned. "Astra, try a slice of each. You're going to like them all."

Astra watched Kara curiously as she grabbed a triangular slice, and then took a huge bite. "You eat this with your hands? It looks messy."

Alex laughed. "You can use a fork and knife if you'd like, but it's easier just to pick it up. We have napkins to wipe the grease off your fingers."

"You are eating grease?" Astra asked, horrified.

At Astra's reaction, Alex laughed even harder. "Just try it. You'll see."

Astra picked up a slice of pepperoni and sausage pizza, and took a bite. Her face showed surprise, and then ecstasy. She closed her eyes and moaned. "This is amazing," she whispered.

Kara laughed. "It's one of my favorite foods. I have a lot of favorites, though. Come on, Astra, dig in."

"What are we digging?" the woman asked. "Can I eat the pizza first?"

Alex and Kara shared a smile. "Just eat, Astra," Alex said

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After lunch, Alex declared that it was time to take Kara home. She argued vehemently, of course, but she was silenced by Astra. "You need to heal, Little One. Listen to your sister." Alex smiled gratefully at Astra as she led Kara out of the room. Agent Vasquez was assigned the task of taking Astra to her new accommodations.

As Alex and Kara headed for the exit, Kara spotted Winn in conversation with other agents, and smiled happily. She waved to Winn, and then stopped short, a look of disgust on her face. "Maxwell Lord is here?"

Alex sighed. She didn't like the idea of working with Max any more than Kara did, but they needed every advantage they could get right now. "Kara, I don't like him either, but it's his technology that's been hacked, and he has one of the best technological minds of our generation. He and Winn have come up with an idea to stop Myriad, and they're just fine-tuning the details. Actually, Astra has been a big help as well."

Kara nodded reluctantly. "I guess we need everyone's help."

Alex put her arm around Kara. "Come on, Little One, let's take you home." Kara smiled.

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When Vasquez opened the door to Astra's new accommodations, the Kryptonian looked at her in confusion. "This is not my cell."

Agent Vasquez smiled and said, "It is now. You've been upgraded," she said, grinning. "Agent Danvers insisted that you needed something more comfortable."

Astra looked around the room in surprise. It contained a bed, a dresser, a recliner, a set of shelves loaded with books, a small refrigerator, and a television screen on the wall. She pulled out one of the dresser drawers, and found neatly-folded shirts. Another one contained pants, and a third one provided her with undergarments. Vasquez shrugged and said, "We can't expect you to wear the same outfit all the time. Alex brought in some clothes that she thought would fit you. We weren't sure whether you'd prefer books or TV, so you got both. The bathroom is behind that door." She pointed to a door in the corner of the room. "And there are snacks in the fridge, in case you get hungry or thirsty between meals. If there's anything you want, just name it. You can reach us by pressing the button on the wall here." She tapped a button that was next to the light switch.

Astra was speechless. They were treating her like a guest, rather than a prisoner. The only clue that she wasn't a guest of honor was the green tinge on the door, indicating the presence of Kryptonite. She knew that the improved treatment was Alex's doing, and she gained even more appreciation for the woman who had clearly fought for her. "Please, tell Alex that I am grateful for her kindness."

Agent Vasquez nodded and said, "I'll pass on the message." She smiled, and left.

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After dropping Kara off at home, Alex had returned to the DEO to work with Winn, Max, and the other agents on their plan for Myriad. The Kryptonians planned to use Max's equipment to broadcast a signal, and the group was hoping that they had found a way to disrupt that signal, by planting their own noise-cancelling bug. It was a solid plan, but they really had no idea if it would work.

Max had also brought a box full of strange-looking headphones, telling the group that these devices would block Myriad's signal from entering a person's brain. He explained that they were very costly and time-consuming to make, so he'd only managed to create a few of them. Astra believed that the timing of Myriad would be sometime around the end fo the week, but Max suggested that the DEO have at least one person wearing these at all times, and be ready to put them on the other agents if the signal was broadcast earlier than expected. After analyzing the headphones (because this was still Max Lord, and they didn't entirely trust him), they found that he'd been telling the truth about their purpose. The group quickly formed a rotation, and two agents immediately put the headphones on. It was a smart precaution to take.

Alex was confident that they'd done everything they could, although she had no idea whether it would be enough. Before leaving for the day, she stopped to say good night to Astra. Although she could enter Astra's cell at any time, she knocked politely on the door, and waited for Astra to say, "Enter."

When Alex opened the door, she saw Astra sitting in the recliner, reading David Copperfield. Astra smiled, and said, "This writer is an excellent storyteller. I am intrigued."

Alex laughed, and said, "Yeah, Charles Dickens did all right for himself. I can bring you more of his novels, if you'd like."

Astra shook her head. "Right now, I am enjoying the variety. You have made excellent selections."

Alex had picked these books from her own shelves, trying to identify classics that Astra might enjoy. She smiled at the knowledge that Astra had appreciated her efforts. "I hope you're feeling more comfortable here," she offered. "I'm sorry that we have to keep you locked up at all. It's very obvious that you aren't an enemy."

Astra shook her head. "It is better that I am here. Otherwise, Non and his followers would find me. I will never be safe as long as they are alive."

"Isn't Non your husband?" Alex asked, trying to understand this relationship. "Doesn't he love you?"

"Love?" repeated Astra. "No, we did not marry for love. On Krypton, marriages were arranged. Non was a suitable companion, but we have since grown apart."

Alex was shaking her head in confusion. "So what did you do if you fell in love with someone? Or were attracted to someone? Did you date? How did you have babies? I mean… Oh God, I'm babbling like Kara. You don't need to answer any of those questions. Please just stop me."

Astra laughed. "Feelings were not as strong on Krypton as they are here. And since I am already married, I do not like to entertain those thoughts."

"But surely you've felt something – been attracted to someone, right?" Alex covered her face with her hands. "I'm sorry; this is none of my business. You just fascinate me." She blushed slightly at the revelation.

"Until very recently," Astra said softly, "I had never felt attracted to anyone."

Alex looked at her for a moment. "What changed?"

Astra smiled sadly. "It does not matter. May I ask you a personal question, Alex?"

Alex nodded reluctantly. "Of course." She tried not to tense at the thought of answering anything personal, but it was not in her nature.

"Are you married?"

Alex looked up in surprise. That was an easy one. "No," she said, smiling. "Not even dating."

"Why not? Is it not customary for a woman your age to seek out a suitable partner?"

Alex laughed. "You're beginning to sound like my mother. The truth is, I'm married to my job, and I don't really have time to date."

Astra shook her head. "Alex, you need to try. A woman as beautiful and intelligent as you should never be alone. It is a shame."

Alex raised her eyebrow. "Maybe I just need to find someone who is worth the effort." Was Astra flirting with her? Is this how Kryptonians expressed interest? Wait, was Alex interested? The answer, unfortunately, was a resounding yes. This woman fascinated her, and Astra's long, lean body and silky-smooth voice had been occupying far too much of her thoughts lately. She shook her head. Get a hold of yourself, Danvers, she instructed herself silently. This is your sister's aunt. She's your mother's age. "Good night, Astra," she said abruptly.

Astra looked at her with a warm smile. "Good night, Alex."