Sorry for the delay. I had to make another unexpected trip out of state. Thanks to everyone who has read and/or commented. Really appreciate the feedback.

Susan Vasquez nodded 'thanks' to Winn as she sat back down at the console after her break. Normally she, like any other DEO agent, spent her break in the cafeteria. Today was different. Winn told her Supergirl was awake and seemingly aware. Susan went to see for herself. She sat in the observation room, desperately racking her brains to come up with a reason to enter the room below where Cat Grant, super media mogul, sat across the table from a blind Supergirl. She wanted to let Supergirl know everyone was pulling for her and 'Welcome Home.' Two empty pizza boxes and a littering of empty water bottles on the table gave her an excuse.

"Excuse me, ma'am's," Susan said as she stood in the doorway. "I'm Supergirl's escort to the, um, facilities."

"Oh, thanks Vasquez," Kara looked in the direction of the familiar voice. "I'd appreciate that."

Kara remained seated as Vasquez approached, both women unsure of the actual logistics of what to do. Cat Grant read the body language and took charge.

"Supergirl, remain still until this agent takes your left arm then slowly rise. Let her guide you. Remember, slow careful movements." Cat then pinned Vasquez with a stare, "And you, be very careful. Make sure you talk and explain everything. Stay on her left side."

Susan felt the weight of the stare, the power of the command, and unconsciously stood straighter. "Yes, ma'am."

Cat watched the two leave the room, Vasquez leading Kara as if she was made of glass and could break. I guess that's good. She's going to need a lot of help and support. Glad someone in the place understands that. I'd like to get my hands on that sister of hers. Why the hell hasn't she made an appearance?

/

"She knows."

Alex stopped scribbling indecipherable numbers on a paper. She couldn't look up at Hank, see the sadness mirrored in his face the way she heard it in his voice.

"What happened?" Alex's voice was devoid of emotion.

"Apparently you were right in your initial assessment. She did think it was some kind of dream because she couldn't see. Evidently, two extra-large, double cheese, double peperoni pizzas convinced her otherwise."

"Oh. Okay."

Hank was surprised at Alex's behavior. The Alex Danvers he knew? She would have run him over as she left her lab for the observation room. The woman in front of him didn't even look up from her notepad. The silence stretched on until it became awkward.

"She's sleeping now," Hank offered. "You may want to wait until later to see her."

Alex nodded, her fingers tightly gripping the pencil. "Yeah, later is a good idea. Mom should be up then too. Maybe we'll go together."

Hank stood in the doorway, watching Alex a few seconds longer, then turned and walked toward his office.

/

Lucy knocked once then entered Alex's lab without waiting for permission.

"Hey, I heard Kara's doing better."

"Define 'better'," Alex's voice was acid. "Like – I'm not destroying everything accidentally better? ... or Max Lord didn't totally fuck my brain up better? She's blind, Lucy."

Lucy took a step back at the vehemence in Alex's voice. Hank did tell her Alex wasn't handling the situation well. She didn't expect this.

"Look, Alex, Kara's going to need our help –"

"No, you're wrong, Lucy. Kara needed our help and we failed. I failed. Right now the best help I can give her is to figure out what the hell Max put in that bomb. I owe her that, at least. I'm busy. You know the way out." Alex resumed peering into the microscope.

Lucy opened her mouth to speak then closed it abruptly. Okay, Alex, I'll let you stew. Maybe your mom can talk some sense into you.

/

Kara awoke from her dreamless sleep and listened. Cat's still here. Heartbeat slow and steady … still asleep. I can't believe how nice she's been to me after what happened to Carter…. maybe she doesn't know it was my fault that Max hurt him so many times. I need to tell her. She deserves to know the truth from me not Alex or – hey, where's Alex? Why isn't she here? I thought I heard her say stuff earlier. Everything's kind of fuzzy. Maybe she's working in her lab or sleeping. I don't even know what time it is. Rao, I can't see! What am I going to do? Okay, calm down, deep breaths. Just because I can't see right now doesn't mean I'm helpless. I know where her lab is. Slow and precise movements like Cat said. Piece of cake.

Kara rose from her bed as quietly as possible. Okay, Cat is sleeping over there so I'll go this way until I reach a wall. Nice and easy. Good. See I can do it. Now follow the wall around until I get to a door. Simple. Damn! Why does my skin feel like it wants to burn off? Have to let Alex know, she'll figure out why. Maybe that's what she's doing right now. She's trying to help me. Yeah, bet that's it. Well, I'll tell her where it burns and stuff. It might help her. Oh - here's a door. I'll just quietly head –

"Just what in the hell do you think you're doing?" Cat's voice cut through the blackness.

Kara stopped in her tracks. Crap, she sounds tired and mad. "Um, going to find Alex?"

"Don't take one step out that door," Cat ordered looking at the small flight of stairs leading to the observation room ready to ambush an unseeing Kara.

"Really, I can do this."

"Not. One. Step."

Kara knew that tone and decided not to test Cat's patience. Guess I'm not going anywhere now. Might as well get this talk over with now. Apologize for what Carter went through.

"Sorry for waking you. I tried to be quiet." Kara began looking in the general direction of Cat's voice. "As long as we're both up, could you tell me what happened? I remember there was a bomb by a bunch of children. I was supposed to save the kids – shield them from the bomb. Did anyone get hurt?"

The room was quiet.

"Cat?"

"From what I understand, everyone was uninjured except you. You managed to save them all."

"Good. I'm glad." Kara nodded then forged ahead. "When I first woke up here I was confused. I heard someone say something about kryptonite darts and thought Max Lord was going to punish me for failing the children – and I thought …. I thought maybe he had already killed Carter."

Cat sat stunned, "Why would he kill my son? Did he say he was going to kill him?"

"He said he would hurt him if I didn't follow his directions and he would kill him with some kind of virus if I refused to remain under his control or tried to stop him. I thought he killed Carter because I didn't save the children. That I was too late."

"Carter is fine –"

"I'm sorry he had to suffer so many times for my mistakes," Kara hung her head. "I did try – sometimes it wasn't enough – I couldn't do enough. I'm so sorry."

"You're sorry?" Cat asked then firmly said, "If anyone should be sorry it's that son of a bitch who decided to use my son as a pawn. As a matter of fact, he will be very sorry. You, on the other hand have nothing to apologize for. He will – wait, what do you mean 'suffer so many times?"

"When I made mistakes. He hurt Carter. It was horrible listening to Carter screaming. That was my punishment, my reminder, to do exactly what Max Lord wanted me to do."

"Are we talking about the first day? When you accompanied me to Lord Tech?"

"Well then, too. That's when it started. He had me watch. I couldn't think of a way of saving Carter, stopping his pain. Max said it was a special virus he controlled and it could kill Carter. After that I had to face the wall and listen to Carter scream. That was worse."

"But you're talking about days, weeks or months afterwards, correct?" Cat needed to nail down specifics.

"Yes."

"Kara, I want you to listen to me very carefully."

Kara nodded her head.

"Carter was sick, I thought he was dying when we got there. Thank you, by the way, for calling Dr. Grey. I'm sure she saved Carter from that hack doctor of Max's but I digress. After that first day, Carter never had any more problems. He was totally fine. We wouldn't have even known about the … thing implanted in his head if James hadn't asked you this week about Carter."

"That was this week? It seems like forever ago."

"Don't interrupt, Kara. I'm trying to tell you; Carter wasn't hurt after that first day. I don't know what Max did, what you were listening to, but it wasn't my son!"

"But I heard –"

"Kara, it wasn't Carter."

"It sounded –"

"It wasn't!"

Cat let the silence stretch on giving both women time to assimilate the others words. So Max kept her in line by what? Having someone scream in pain? No, she's sure it was Carter – that bastard probably recorded Carter from that first day. That son of a bitch!

"Kara? Do you think it's possible what you heard was a recording?"

"I guess it's possible. I hadn't thought –"

"It was a recording," Hank's voice proceeded him into the room. "One of many re-engineered to keep Supergirl in line, to punish her."

Kara turned toward the voice coming out of the blackness, "Director Henshaw?"

"Yes, and now that you're awake, rested, we need to debrief. Major Lane is waiting in the interview room. I'll take you there as soon as you're fully clothed." Hank took Kara's arm and guided her hand to a jumpsuit. "I can help you on with it or –"

"I've got it," Kara said. I can still dress myself. Oh, all one piece. Okay, legs, arms, buttons. This side is the front. One leg in now the other, nice and slow, pull up arms in, good, button up and done!

"Here," Hank said putting a pair of shoes in Kara's hand.

"Thanks." Feel the edges – right foot now left foot. Cool. "Okay, boss, where to now?" Kara felt her swag coming back.

"I'll take your arm and guide you there, Supergirl," Hank's voice was full of amusement.

"Give me a minute to look presentable," Cat said.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Grant, this is Supergirl's debrief. Only Major Lane and myself will be present. Hank sighed, "Yes, I know you've signed all the non-disclosure forms Lucy could find but this debrief is classified."

"Will Alex be there?"

The hope in Kara's voice was unmistakable.

"No. She's busy in her lab. It'll just be Lucy and I."

"Oh, okay."

"In the meantime, Director Henshaw is it? Am I free to go? My company won't run by itself."

"Yes, Ms. Grant, you're free to go as long as you keep yourself available for Major Lane. I'm sure she'll have follow up questions. I'll have an agent drive you back to National City," Hank said.

"Is the hood strictly necessary? I've already signed-"

"Yes, Ms. Grant, the hood is necessary. It's for your own protection. The less you know about this facility the less of a target you will be," Hank offered as explanation. "I would, however, like to thank you for your assistance with this investigation. I'm happy your son is okay."

Cat, still not happy about wearing the hood, gave a noncommittal, "Mmmph."

Hank gently grasped Kara's arm to lead her out.

"Wait!" Kara faced in the direction of Cat's voice. "I want to thank you, Cat, for everything. You ... you taught me so much, pushed me to be better, and you brought me out of a nightmare. I'm so glad Carter is okay."

"Yes, well, my son and I owe you a great deal of thanks also, Supergirl … Kara. Let me know when you are ready to come back to Catco. Your office will still be there waiting for you."

"But I can't –"

"Yes, you can. I have faith in you. Now run along and give Baby Lane my regards. Chop. Chop."

Kara smiled and it was like the sun burst through the clouds. Cat smiled back even knowing Kara couldn't see her. She missed that smile.

"Come on, Supergirl, we've got some work to do," Hank's voice was a little rough as he gently led Kara out of the room.

/

"You're saying this sample is Kara's skin? How did you harvest the cells?" Eliza asked as she peered into the electron microscope.

"I used an extremely small amount of synthetic kryptonite and took the sample from her right thigh while she was still unconscious. The other sample is also hers but from the part of her leg that wasn't discolored. I don't know what Max put into that bomb – nothing I know has the power to discolor her skin like that. I don't – whoa!" Alex jumped back from the experiment she was working on.

A small whiff of burned flesh reached Eliza who turned toward a horrified Alex, "Honey, are you alright?"

"Shit! This is so not good," Alex replied. "Hand me that sample S4."

Eliza handed the slide to Alex while taking in the equipment set up on the lab bench. "What are you testing –"

A small flash and the smell of burned flesh again permeated the air.

"Is that –"

"Yeah, mom, it is. I don't know how Max did it – what he used – but if Kara is exposed to sunlight, the infected skin cells will burn," Alex stated as she rechecked her data.

"Why?" Eliza asked as she looked over through Alex's notes. "He seemed to have her doing whatever he wanted. Why would he want to hurt or cripple her? Could this be an unintended side effect of the bomb? Could –"

"This was no side effect, Mom. He deliberately designed the bomb to do this. It was meant to be as painful as possible without actually killing her," Alex felt sick.

"I met Max Lord. He didn't strike me as the kind of man who would do something without a purpose," Eliza was puzzled. "What possible reason could he have for doing this to Kara?"

"Me, Mom, he wanted to get to me."