"Have I said how amazing you look tonight?" Adam asked as he sipped his drink at the CatCo party.
"You have mentioned it a few times." Kara smiled.
"Well it is the thing keeping me sane. I don't know how much more small talk with these business types I can take. Remind me why I am here again."
"Because your mom asked you to come and according to Alex, when she showed you my dress you were overtaken by jealously and wanted to keep an eye on everyone else at the party." Kara said.
"That's not entirely accurate." Adam replied before asking. "You want to go get some fresh air?"
"I should stay out here in case your mother needs me. Technically I am working."
"She's not going to notice if you disappear for a few minutes." Adam said. "Let's go to the balcony and watch the city for a bit."
Seeing Cat was engaged in a deep conversation Kara said, "Okay," and let Adam lead her away from the party.
Seeing they were heading for the elevators Kara asked confused. "I thought we were going to the balcony?"
"We are, just up on your office floor. The view is better and it'll be quiet." He explained as he pulled her into the elevator and pressed the correct button.
"You really do look great." He said again as the elevator doors opened and they walked over to the balconies.
"It really is beautiful up here." Kara said. "I love looking out."
"I know." Adam said as he stood behind her and wrapped his arms round her waist. "That's why we're up here."
"I thought you wanted to escape the party?" Kara asked as she turned round to face him.
"That is an added benefit as is this." He said leaning down and kissing her.
Hearing Cat clearing her throat Kara sprung away from Adam and avoided all eye contact with her boss.
"Hey." Adam smiled at his mother. "What are you doing up here?"
"Technically it is my building." She reminded him. "But I needed something from my office. Out of curiosity do you plan on continuing to act like a couple of hormonal teenagers or are you going to rejoin the party?"
"There's a choice?" Adam asked as Kara stood cringing behind him. Seeing his mother's glare he added. "By which I mean rejoin the party."
"In which case you can help carry something down for me." Cat said walking back to her office followed by Adam and Kara who continued to refuse to look Cat in the eye.
"You can take that." Cat said pointing to a small statue.
"What is it? It's hideous." Adam commented.
"It's a gift to my least favourite lawyer." Cat replied.
"Why are you giving your least favourite lawyer a gift?" Adam asked.
"Because it is his birthday and I had to do something with that." Cat said pointing at the statue.
"Anything else I can carry for you?" Adam offered.
"That's it." Cat said loud bangs were heard from overhead. "Now what is wrong with the ventilation system?"
"I will get maintenance to look at it first thing." Kara offered, still avoiding eye contact.
"See that you do." Cat said walking out of her office and back over to the elevators. As she was about to reach the bank of high wall mounted TV screens there was a loud crack moments before one of the ducts broke though the ceiling and fell towards her, bringing down several TV screens with it.
Without thinking Kara moved between Cat and the falling screens acting as a shield whilst catching the duct before it could make contact with Cat. As she shielded Cat she looked down and saw the realisation in Cat's face. Realisation that was quickly replaced by anger.
Carefully Kara manoeuvred the duct away from Cat and placed it on the ground as Adam rushed over and asked his mother.
"Are you okay?"
"You knew?" Cat said in response.
"Um, yes." Adam confessed.
"I have to get back to the party." Cat said walking off.
"What do we do?" Kara asked. "We need to talk to her. You need to talk to her. We should go down there."
"Might not be the best idea. Your dress is kind of ruined." Adam said pointing to the back of it that been torn by shards of glass from the screens. "I'll go down and find her and get her to come back up here and then we can all talk, calmly, I hope."
-00-
When the elevator dinged a few minutes later Kara started to panic. That panic increased when she saw Cat was alone.
"Um, Ms Grant, can we talk?" Kara asked.
"Why are you still here?" Cat demanded.
"So we could talk. I wanted to explain and-" Kara started only to be cut off by Cat.
"You out right lied to me." Cat said unable to contain her anger. "Not telling me is one thing, but you actively lied. You told me you weren't Supergirl and then you organised that whole charade."
"Ms Grant, I know you are mad right now-"
"Oh I'm not mad, yet. I make it a rule never to fly off the handle. I hold it in, process it, so when I come to acting on my rage it is done in a controlled and devastating way." Cat said her icy glare sending chills through Kara.
"I had my reasons." Kara tried to explain only for Cat to jump in.
"What you thought I'd tell the world? Place my own son in danger?"
"No, not deep down. But I couldn't risk it. I hated keeping secrets-"
"I hid the identity of my son for twenty four years so don't talk to me about keeping secrets." Cat snarled. "The biggest betrayal though is you go on about how important family is, yet you have driven a wedge straight through mine. You have had my own son lying to me."
"That was never my intention." Kara said. "You can hate me all you want, but please don't take this out on Adam. I swore him to secrecy. He wanted to tell you, but didn't because I asked him not to."
"I don't care. Go."
"Ms Grant?"
"Go. I don't want to see you again."
-00-
"You're here? Have you seen Kara?" Adam asked when he entered Cat's office.
"She's gone."
"Where?"
"Don't know, don't care." Cat said.
"Then how do you know she's gone?"
"I told her to go and that I never wanted to see her again."
"What? Why?"
"She lied to me."
"Can you blame her? Last time you found out you were going to fire her." Adam pointed out. "She needs this job."
"I am sure there is a shady government organisation that will pay her rent." Cat shot back.
"She doesn't need the job for money, well she does, but that is not the important reason." Adam said, seeing Cat's blank look he said. "You really don't get it do you? This isn't just a job for Kara and you are not just her boss. She sees you as her mentor. She learns from you. Hell, she worships you."
"Yet she lied to me and made my son lie to me. How long?"
"Sorry?"
"How long have you known?"
"Since the accident at solar energy plant, just after we started dating."
"You have lied to me for that long?"
"It was not my secret to share." Adam said calmly.
"I'm your mother."
"When I found out I didn't know you." Adam said frustrated and angry. "All I knew about you was you sent money and cards. I only knew what you looked like because you were always in the papers and on TV. We may share the same blood, but that doesn't mean I knew anything about you. Kara explained why she kept her identity hidden from everyone and those reasons made, and still do make, sense. At the time I didn't know you well enough to tell you."
"And now?"
"It never came up again."
-00-
As Alex entered her apartment she immediately sensed something wasn't right. Quietly she pulled out her gun and started to look around. As she entered the bedroom she saw a lump on the bed hidden by the duvet with blond hair spilling out of one end.
"Kara?" She called. Hearing a muffled sound from under the duvet she put her gun away and sat on the bed and asked. "What's wrong? Are you ill?"
"No."
"Have you lost your powers?"
"No."
"Have you and Adam had a fight?" Alex guessed, running out of ideas of what could be upsetting Kara.
"I don't know."
"How can you not know?" Alex asked confused.
"Because we have not spoken since it happened."
"Since what happened?" Alex asked pulling the duvet off Kara.
"There was an accident at the CatCo party. A ceiling duct and some TVs fell. They were going to hit Cat. It would have killed her. So I stopped it."
"And now she knows?" Alex guessed.
"And she knows Adam knew. She hates me and Adam probably hates me."
"Why would Adam hate you?" Alex asked confused.
"Because I made him lie to Cat and now she is mad at him."
"I'm sure Adam doesn't hate you." Alex said.
"He's not responded to any of my messages." Kara said sadly. In response Alex picked up Kara's phone and commented.
"Probably because your phone is dead."
"It felt like my life was finally in a good, balanced place and now it is destroyed."
"Kara, I know it may seem bad now, but it will work itself out." She said as she lay next to Kara and hugged her.
-00-
"Is Kara here?" Adam asked as soon as Alex opened her door the next morning.
"That depends." Alex said.
"On what?"
"On why you're here."
"To make sure she is okay. Did she tell you what happened?"
"Yeah."
"She disappeared, didn't respond to my messages. I can't blame her after what my mother said to her, but I can't control my mother."
"So you're not angry with her?" Alex clarified.
"Of course I'm angry. She was rude and acted like a petulant child especially as Kara had just saved her life."
"You're talking about Cat?"
"Of course I am. Wait you thought I'd be mad at Kara? Why?"
"She thought you were angry at her as she made you lie to Cat and then you didn't call her."
"I tried." Adam protested.
"I know, her phone was dead." Alex shrugged before saying. "She's in the bedroom."
"Thanks."
"You've got this?" Alex asked.
"Yeah."
"Good, then I'll see your mother."
-00-
"Kara?" Adam asked entering the bedroom. "You okay?"
"Adam?" She asked peering out from under the duvet. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Your mom being mad at you."
"She'll get over it." Adam said. "How are you doing?"
"Seeing I have destroyed your family, great."
"You haven't destroyed my family."
"Is Cat talking to you?"
"Kind of." Adam shrugged. "She just needs time to calm down. We will be fine."
"I lied to her. She won't forgive that. You lied to her, for me. She won't forgive me for that. She thinks I have been making fun of her, she won't forgive that."
-00-
Seeing Alex storm into her office Cat was about to call for Kara when she remembered she wasn't at work.
"Kira senior, what do you want?" Cat said. In response Alex shut the doors and marched up to the desk.
"What do you think I want?"
"To ensure my silence. But rest assured I won't publish anything." Cat said.
"I know. You wouldn't put Adam at risk." Alex said.
"Then I assume you are here to defend your sister for lying to me and involving Adam."
"She tried to keep Adam out of this. She broke up with him remember? A decision you made her life hell over. When he found out who she was she tried breaking up again. But he wouldn't listen. He insisted they kept dating accepting that he could not tell anyone Kara's secret."
"I'm his mother."
"You make a living out of publishing people's secrets." Alex pointed out before taking a calming breath and adding. "All she wants to do is help and protect people and she is at home right now telling Adam not to blame you for sacking her. She is more concerned about the damage that has been done to your family than she is about her own life and what you may or may not share with the masses. If you want my opinion you are not angry that Adam lied to you or that Kara lied to you. You are angry at yourself for not seeing what was right in front of you." Alex then stared at Cat in silence.
"Hypothetically, say you were right, what would you have me do? Take her back? Pretend like nothing has changed?" Cat eventually sasked.
"Yes."
"What about all the people she can't save because she is fetching my tea?"
"It doesn't matter how powerful she is she will never be able to save everyone. At the end of the day she is just one person and she needs help. Whether or not you know it you help her."
-00-
"What's going on?" James asked walking up to Winn's desk and seeing Alex in Cat's office.
"Not sure. Alex stormed in there and based on body language they have been having a go at each other since then."
"And still no Kara?" James asked.
"No."
"You think Cat knows?"
"I don't know." James said.
"We should stop talking and act normal." Winn said.
"Why?"
"Because if Cat does know and she finds out we knew, we will be in the firing line."
-00-
As Adam sat and waited for Kara to return he pulled out his phone and debated contacting Cat. Realising he had no idea what to say he put his phone down again just as there was a knock on the door. Assuming it was Alex he strode to the door and opened it only to find his mother on the other side.
"Mom?"
"Is Kira here?" Cat asked.
"Um, no. She had to go out."
"Can I come in?" Cat asked. Seeing Adam's hesitation she said. "I am not here to get photos for an exclusive."
"I didn't think you were." Adam said standing to one side and letting Cat in. "It's just she has a tendency not to use the door, but seeing you know I guess it doesn't make much difference."
"So where is she?"
"Pile up on the interstate."
"Ahh." Cat responded before guessing. "You're angry with me."
"Of course I am. Kara is miserable because of you."
"She lied to me. She made you lie to me."
"She didn't make me lie, I chose to and this is bigger than you and me. The thing that matters to Kara more than anything else is family. Seeing she has already lost one she'll do anything to protect her family." Adam said. "If you had found out and published who she was it would have placed her family in danger. She couldn't take that risk."
"I know. I just thought we had a better relationship than that." Cat said as Adam's phone buzzed. Hoping it was Kara he immediately picked it up.
Carter: Have you and Kara sloped? Mom is really mad.
Adam:?
Carter: Meant eloped...predictive text.
As Adam read the second message he couldn't help but laugh.
"What is so funny?" Cat demanded.
"Carter thinks the reason you are mad is because Kara and I eloped."
"I take it you haven't and that you are not hiding it from me as well?" Cat asked poignantly.
"We have not eloped." He assured her. After a moment Cat asked.
"Are you okay with it?"
"With what? Not eloping?" Adam asked confused.
"Your girlfriend being an alien who risks her life to save others."
"I am." Adam said, but as Cat continued to stare at him he added. "It can be hard sometimes, watching her get beaten and blown up, but it is who she is."
A second later a blur passed from the window to the bedroom causing a breeze.
"You okay?" Adam called walking over to the bedroom.
"He died?"
"Who?" Adam asked as he reached her.
"The father. I Couldn't save him and now that kid is going to grow up alone."
"It's not your fault." Adam said hugging her. "You did all you could." After a minute Kara pulled away.
"Sorry, you don't need my problems right now. Have you spoken to your mom? Has she forgiven you?"
"Yeah, about that," He started glancing over his shoulder.
"What's wrong? You are freaking me out and I'm already freaked out." Kara said.
"Sorry, my mom is here."
"Here?" Kara asked, her eyes clouding with panic.
"Out there." Adam clarified.
"Why?" She whispered.
"To see you. I think you should go out there." He said directing her back to the lounge area.
"Kira, or should I say Supergirl?" Cat greeted as Kara emerged dressed as Supergirl.
"Ms Grant. Um what are you doing here?"
"I came to see you. I thought we should talk."
"Um, okay."
"Either act like Supergirl or change out of the costume." Cat said finding it disconcerting to see the normally confident Supergirl acting so unsure of herself.
A few seconds later Kara was standing next to Adam in her normal clothes, minus her glasses.
"Adam could you leave us please?" Cat asked. Seeing him hesitate she added. "I am not going to do anything to her."
"I'm getting a bit hungry." Kara said to Adam. "Perhaps you could grab some take out."
"Call if you need anything." Adam said reluctantly leaving the women alone.
When the door shut Kara was expecting Cat to speak but instead an awkward silence hung in the air.
"I have had a really bad day and if you want to yell at me, fine, but please can you just do it." Kara finally said unable to cope with the silence anymore.
"You think I am here to yell at you?" Cat asked.
"Um, yeah. I mean I lied to you and made Adam lie to you, so yes I think you are here to yell at me. Either that or take out your rage in a controlled and devastating way." Kara said repeating Cat's words from their previous showdown.
"I am not here to exact revenge." Cat assured her.
"Then why are you here?"
"Because I'm confused and I don't know what to do. It is not often that happens." Cat confessed. "On the one hand you have come to my rescue multiple times and having you around is clearly beneficial to me. On the other hand you are wasting your potential working for me." Cat said. "You lied and you got my son to lie to me. But had I been a better mother to Adam, in fact if I had been a mother to Adam I would like to think he would have told me. And if it weren't for you Adam probably wouldn't be in my life." Cat said. Not sure what to say Kara remained silent. Moments later Cat looked directly at Kara and said, her tone harsh and accusatory.
"You made me believe you were bleeding to death on my office floor."
"I was, I'd lost my powers, temporarily." Kara explained. "So I was kind of human that day."
"Then why did you stand in front of a gun?"
"To protect Carter."
"But you were defenceless."
"So was Carter. Wanting to help people is something I need to do and although having powers helps me do that they are not completely linked." Kara explained.
"And the body double?"
"Long story, but I had a friend help me out."
"Why do you waste your talents working for me?" Cat asked. "You could achieve so much more if you were only Supergirl."
"As Supergirl I am still learning. Working at CatCo, working for you, it keeps me grounded. It keeps me human. There have been times when I have almost done things there would be no coming back from. If I didn't have my job at CatCo, if it weren't for my friends and your advice I would have done those things and regretted it for the rest of my life."
"You threw me off a balcony. That implies you are not entirely happy with my role in your life."
"You have no idea how sorry I am over that. But It wasn't to do with you. My brain had been altered and-" Kara tried to explain only for Cat to cut her off.
"We have been through the explanations already." She then paused and looked at Kara. "You really believe that Supergirl will be better by you keeping your job as my assistant?" Cat asked.
"I do."
"Very well. You can have your job back."
"Really?" Kara grinned.
"But I want exclusives."
"Exclusives?" Kara asked confused.
"Interviews, photos, the normal."
"Ms Grant if Supergirl is seen having friends or favourites it will endanger them. I refuse to put you in danger over a few interviews." Kara sighed.
"One then. One interview."
"I gave you an interview, you told the world that Superman was my cousin."
"I will not apologise for your naivety." Cat shrugged. "I can't help it if you hadn't learnt anything from me."
-00-
"Adam." Alex greeted as she walked up to him.
"Hey."
"What are you doing here? Where's Kara?"
"At home, with my mother."
"Why aren't you there?"
"They threw me out." Adam said.
"And you let them?" Alex asked.
"You really think I'm going to take them both on?" Adam asked. "Speaking of which what happened between you and my mom?"
"We talked. Well I talked. I think she listened. We'll see. But just in case your mother didn't take it so well I am heading over to your place."
"Give me five minutes for the order to be ready and I'll come with you."
-00-
"Everything okay?" Adam asked confused when he and Alex returned home and only saw Cat sitting in the apartment.
"Of course."
"Then where's Kara?" Alex asked.
"Industrial blaze." Cat shrugged causing both Alex and Adam to pull out their phones. Seeing them Cat shook her head and pointed out. "It is on TV."
"So did you fire her again?" Alex asked. "Shout at her some more?"
"I didn't shout at her." Cat said before pausing and adding. "I may have demanded a few answers."
"I bet you did." Alex said.
"Why are you treating me as the villain in this? It was your sister who lied."
"Because you give her nothing but grief."
"Apparently she likes my management style." Cat retorted before noticing her son standing awkwardly in the corner, causing her to ask him.
"Adam, I'm curious, are you just going to watch from the sidelines?"
"Opposed to what? Getting involved? Yeah I'm sitting it out. You two are the most formidable women, no people, I know. You are more than capable at surviving whatever argument is happening."
"I think you forgot your girlfriend on the list of most formidable people." Cat said bemused.
"No. As powerful as she is she still needs help from you two." He said before glancing at Alex and saying. "You're her hero." He then turned to Cat and added. "And you're her mentor."
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.