Kara flew through the air having just helped the fire department put out a fire. Worried about being late Kara flew faster towards CatCo. But as she flew she started to feel light headed and was immediately worried there may be Kryptonite around. Landing on the roof she surveyed her surroundings then scanned the nearby buildings with her X-ray vision, all the while feeling strange. Shaking off the feeling she changed back into her Kara clothes and went to the stairwell before jogging down the steps towards the office.
As she reached the door she tried opening it and was confused when it wouldn't budge. Pulling it harder she heard it rattle slightly, but still it wouldn't open.
"Stand back." A familiar voice said from the other side. Obediently Kara stepped back and watched the door shake slightly before finally swinging open.
"Hey Kara." Gary smiled as he pushed the door open. "That one is a real sticker. Maintenance were meant to fix it weeks ago, but I guess they forgot. It is a good thing Ms Grant never uses the stairs." He chuckled. "You have a good day now."
Confused and worried Kara stepped into the main office area and went towards her desk. As she did so she tried to use her super hearing. When she could not pick out a distant conversation she tried concentrating harder. Focused so much on hearing and not walking she never saw the desk until she walked into it, the edge painfully jabbing into her thigh.
"Whoa, easy there." James said, but when he saw Kara was wincing in pain he quietly asked. "Have you lost them?"
"I think so." Kara said rubbing her thigh.
"Should you be here? Wouldn't home be safer?"
"I'll be fine." Kara assured him limping to her desk.
-00-
Hearing a knock at her office door Cat looked up and saw Adam. Silently she pointed to the balcony. Confused Adam walked over to the door and stepped outside where he saw Kara sitting looking dejected.
"Hey." He said. "You okay?"
"What are you doing here?" Kara asked looking up.
"My mom told me to come down."
"She did? When? Wait she's here?" She asked looking at her watch. "I can't believe how long I've been out here. I'm so fired." She said standing.
"Slow down." Adam said placing his hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay?"
"No."
"What's wrong?" He asked pushing her back down and sitting next to her.
"I've lost my powers." Kara said.
"I'm sorry." He said drawing her into a hug. "You sitting out here to absorb the sun?" He asked.
"No. To avoid the news. People are getting hurt and there is nothing I can do."
"The city can survive without Supergirl for a few days. Right now just focus on staying safe." Adam said.
"I feel so useless." Kara said, a bitterness in her voice.
"Hey, even you deserve a day off." Adam said.
"No I don't. I'm meant to protect people and now I can't."
"Kara, you have to stop blaming yourself for everything."
-00-
Looking up from her tablet Cat saw Alex hovering by Kara's desk. Sighing she picked up her phone and dialled Winn.
"Tell Kira's sister to come into my office." She said before abruptly hanging up and watching as Winn scampered across the office to Alex who then approached Cat.
"Where's Kara?" Alex asked.
"Balcony." Cat said pointing at the door. "Go through, apparently it is her office this morning."
Confused Alex stepped out onto the balcony and walked towards Kara who was being held by Adam.
"What's happened?" Alex asked.
"Solar flare." Adam explained as Kara muttered.
"I hate that name."
"Damn it Kara, I told you you were pushing yourself too hard." Alex said as she started to pace.
"You can't afford to lose your powers."
"You think I don't know that? People are dying because I blew out my powers." Kara said bitterly.
"You think I'm angry at you because you can't be Supergirl?"
"Why else would you be mad?"
"Because you have risked getting hurt. Why did you even leave the apartment this morning? You know you get into too much trouble when you don't have powers. And you." She said looking at Adam. "You are meant to have her back. Why did you let her come to work?"
"Calm down Alex." Adam said. "Firstly, I have only just found out and secondly, Kara is an adult she is quite capable of functioning in the world without powers."
"Not without getting hurt." Alex replied as distant sirens could be heard from the street below causing guilt to was over Kara's face.
"We need to get you to the DEO." Alex said. "We can get you under the lamps."
"No, I am not going to the DEO." Kara said. "I am getting real sunlight here. There is nothing they can do to help."
"Kara, we can protect you at the DEO." Alex said more gently.
"I'm safe here. And I will be safe at home."
"How are you going to get home?" Alex asked. "A germ filled bus again?"
"I'll worry about that later." Kara said.
"Putting off the thinking part is what got you into this mess." Alex said more harshly than she had meant to.
"Kara didn't go out intending to lose her powers." Adam reminded Alex.
"True, but we all warned her what would happen and here we are. And last time she was without powers she nearly died." Alex said before pausing and kneeling in front of Kara. "Let me take you to the DEO, you'll be safe there. We can protect you."
"No." Kara said shaking her head. "I don't want to be trapped there. I am fine here."
"Kara-" Alex started to argue only for Kara to cut her off.
"I said no. I'm not going."
"You two, off my balcony now." Cat ordered as she stepped out of her office onto the balcony.
Seeing Kara was starting to stand she added. "You stay." Noticing Adam and Alex were unmoving she added. "Chop chop. Shut the door behind you."
When Adam and Alex had cleared the balcony Cat sat opposite Kara and said.
"From the raised voices I gather your sister seems to be under the impression you are responsible for losing your powers. Based on the amount of time you have been on the news networks I tend to agree. The question is, is your behaviour based on a sudden ego complex and desperation to become a celebrity or the need to make amends for some perceived failure by you."
"I don't want fame." Kara said.
"So what do you believe you have you failed at?"
"Carter got hurt."
"That was weeks ago and you can't be held responsible for poor human nature. So what else?"
"Alex got hurt."
"She seems okay." Cat said.
"It was years ago. In college. She hid it from me. I never knew." Kara said before asking. "What is the point in powers if I can't use them to protect those I care about?"
"Having powers does not make you a god." Cat pointed out. "There will always be things that can not be done. Kara, you can't save everyone. With everything else in life you need to prioritise. You wear your heart on your sleeve, you want to help people and that is what inspires the people of this city. In some ways it is your biggest strength. In other ways it is your biggest weakness. It makes you over stretch and feel guilty for things you have no control over." Cat stated before briefly turning and looking at the sky.
"You told me your mother sent you here to protect your cousin." Cat said seemingly changing subjects. When Kara nodded Cat said. "It seems to me that you have filled the void left by him not needing your help and protection with a greater burden. You act as if you owe this city, this planet, something. But you don't and you need to remember that. You are surrounded by people who love you and would be lost without you. It is them that you have a responsibility towards. And it is them you need to trust. You need to listen to them and let them help keep you grounded. If they tell you you are pushing yourself too hard, listen to them." She paused and looked at Kara to make sure she was listening.
"You seem to believe that the only reason your mother sent you here was too babysit. But that isn't why she did it. That was a line she gave you to give you purpose, something to focus on other than the destruction of your world. The reason your mother sent you here was to live." Sensing Kara was about to argue, Cat held up her hand to silence her before saying. "I don't know what your mother was like, but she must have been a good person, because you are a good person. Trust me when I say your mother would want nothing more than you to be safe and happy. I know, because I am a mother."
"Do you remember what you said when I found out who you were?" Cat asked, not giving Kara time to answer she went on. "You said my advice makes Supergirl better. Do you still believe that?"
"Yes."
"Then do as I tell you now. Go home and get some rest. Come back when your powers have returned and we will discuss your workload."
-00-
"Oh great." Kara said as she sneezed as they entered the apartment.
"Feels like you have a temperature." Adam said as he put his hand against her forehead.
"I hate human germs." Kara grumbled as she sat down on the couch.
"Well, unfortunately for you, they seem to like you." Adam said. "You sure you don't want to go the DEO?"
"To get a lecture from Hank?"
"I meant to stay under the sunlamps."
"No. I don't want to see anyone." Kara said before sneezing."I'll just stay in bed until my powers come back or I feel better." She added before standing and slightly unsteadily walk to the bedroom.
-00-
"How is she?" Alex asked as she entered the apartment a few hours later.
"Not great, but a better patient than you."
"She has only been sick a few hours." Alex pointed out as she went over to the bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Hey you." She said gently. "How are you feeling?"
Her only answer was a grunt from somewhere under the sheets.
"You want something to eat?"
"Not hungry." Kara said.
"You're always hungry." Alex argued pulling the blanket down so she could see Kara.
"Not when I don't have powers. That is how sick I am." Kara said pulling the blanket back over her head.
"How about something to drink?" Alex offered.
"No."
"You need to drink something." Adam said as he approached the pair.
"Throat hurts." Kara complained.
"Which is why you need to drink." Adam pressed.
"Don't want to."
"Then suck on this." Adam said handing Kara an ice chip.
"Sucks being human." Kara grumbled as she finished the chip.
"You know what sick humans do?" Adam asked.
"What?"
"Lie in front of the TV and watch movies." Adam said.
"Like Frozen?" Kara asked hopefully.
"Like Frozen." Adam agreed as he bent down and scooped Kara up, carrying her over to the couch.
-00-
"Morning." Alex smiled as she stroked some damp hair away from Kara's sweaty forehead.
"Morning." Kara croaked as she hugged Alex.
"How are you feeling?"
"Worse than Argo Fever."
"Don't know what that is, but I'll assume not good." Alex said as she extracted herself from Kara and handed her a drink.
"Hurts." Kara complained.
"I know, but it will hurt for longer if you don't drink." Alex said as she helped Kara take a few sips. "Do you think you can manage something to eat?"
"No. Feel sick." Kara said sadly as she coughed. "Where's Adam?"
"Gone to work. You are stuck with me today." Alex said. "But I am thinking I should take you to the DEO."
"No. I want to stay here." Kara said pulling the blanket over her head like she was trying to hide from Alex.
"You know I can still see you?" Alex asked.
"Don't want to go to the DEO." Kara complained.
"The lamps are there. They may help get your powers back quicker." Alex said.
"I can just sit in the sun." Kara said rolling off the couch and crawling across the room to where the sun was shining through the window.
"You're not sitting on the floor." Alex said, staring at the blanketed heap on the ground.
"You could move the couch." Kara suggested. "Or we can camp here, like when we were kids." Peering put from under the blanket Kara wore her best puppy face and pleaded. "Please, no DEO."
"Fine, for now you can stay here, if you eat and take some medicine." Alex conceded. "But you need to take this." Alex said pouring a cough syrup onto a spoon. "It will help."
"Tastes ick." Kara complained, pulling a face as she swallowed.
"Which it means it is good for you." Alex pointed out.
"Medicine on Krypton never tasted this bad."
-00-
"How are you feeling?" Adam asked when he returned home. "And what's going on?" He asked noticing Kara lying on a pile of sheets on the middle floor.
"Camping in the sunlight." Kara said peering out from under a sheet.
"She refused to go to the DEO." Alex explained. "This way she got some sunlight."
"How are you feeling?"
"Ick." Kara said retreating under the sheet again.
"Has she eaten anything?" Adam asked.
"A little soup. But not much." Alex said yawning.
"I've got this if you want to go get some sleep." Adam said,
"You sure?" Alex asked.
"Yeah. Besides if she is still powerless tomorrow it could be a long day."
"If she is still powerless tomorrow I'm taking her to the DEO." Alex said as grumbling was heard from under the sheet. "If anything changes, call me."
"I will." Adam said as he watched Alex depart the apartment before walking over to Kara.
"Come on." Adam said lifting Kara up. "Now the sun has gone lets put you to bed. Maybe via the shower."
-00-
Adam had just put the coffee on the following morning when he heard Kara scream. Hurrying to the bedroom he saw Kara thrash in her sleep, gripped by a nightmare. Moving to the bed he held her shoulders and gently shook her trying to wake her.
"Adam?" She asked breathlessly as her eyes flew open.
"Right here. You okay?"
"Uh-huh, just a nightmare."
"About?"
"The normal, Krypton being destroyed, you and Alex getting hurt." Kara listed. "Me not being able to help."
"We're fine." Adam said drawing her into his chest.
"I know." Kara said drawing comfort from the embrace.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better." Kara said distractedly, still thinking about the nightmare.
"Ready to eat something then?"
"Can I have a longer hug first?" Kara asked still leaning into Adam's chest.
"Of course." Adam said kissing the top of her head, holding her until he heard her stomach growl. "I think that's my cue." He smiled. "I'll be right back."
He had just made it to the kitchen when there was a huge commotion from the bedroom moments before Kara came charging out.
"They're back!" Kara exclaimed happily as she hugged Adam too tightly. Hearing a strange cracking sound she released Adam and apologised.
"It's okay." Adam said wincing before pulling Kara towards him for a gentler hug. "I'm happy they're back. Just try to remember some of us are merely human."
"Which really sucks." Kara empathised. "I have a new found appreciation for your mother's germ phobia."
"Being human is not that bad." Adam said. "So does this mean your appetite has returned?"
"Yeah, I'm starving."
"Pancakes?" Adam offered.
"You're the best." Kara said hugging him again.
-00-
"So, are you going to talk about it?" Adam asked as he cleared away the dishes.
"Talk about what?"
"What caused you to lose your powers." Adam pressed.
"I can't control losing them." Kara pointed out.
"I get that there may be times when you take on an entire alien army to protect the Earth that depletes your cells and causes you to lose your powers. And as long as you make it out okay I understand. But this time wasn't that. It was you stretching yourself too thin. It wasn't a blow out it was a burn out."
"You know I had this lecture from your mom?" Kara asked.
"Did you listen?"
"I always listen to your mom." Kara pointed out.
"I'm being serious." Adam said.
"So am I. Your mother is a great mentor for me."
"What exactly did she say?" Adam asked.
"That I need to pace myself and let myself be grounded by those around me."
"It's good advice." Adam agreed. "But it is not just the over stretching yourself, it's the reasons behind it. I know you hate feeling helpless and I know you were upset about what happened to Alex, but you can't always deal with things by saving the world. Sometimes you just have to accept your limitations and talk through your problems. You need to talk to me or Alex or Winn or James or my mum. We may not have super powers and we may only be human, but we may be able to help."
"I'm trying." Kara said leaning into Adam's chest.
"So, she told you to listen to me?" Adam clarified.
"Hmm?" Kara asked confused.
"My mother told you to listen to me?"
"And Alex and well everyone."
"But more importantly me?" Adam asked.
"Yes you? Why?"
"You're right, my mother hands out excellent advice." He grinned as there was a knock on the door.
"It's Alex." Kara said as Adam started to stand.
"Why do you not look happy?" Adam asked confused.
"Because I sense another lecture."
"That is because she loves you and she is worried about you."
"You didn't feel the need to lecture me."
"Because I knew Alex would do it for me." Adam smiled opening the door.
"Everything okay?" Alex asked.
"It's fine." Adam replied.
"You sure? You are moving weirdly." Alex pointed out.
"I may have crushed him with a hug." Kara said sheepishly.
"You did? That's great!" Alex smiled before looking apologetically at Adam and adding. "Not for you obviously, but it is great she has her powers back."
"Yes it is. So all you need to do now is stop her losing them again." Adam replied. "I'm going to grab a shower and leave you two alone."
As Alex sat next to Kara she asked. "So what brought them back?"
"Nightmare." Kara explained. "Fear induced adrenaline seems to be the best remedy."
"Well if you avoid losing your powers again hopefully you won't need any more fear induced adrenaline." Alex said before noticing Kara was not as happy as she was expecting. "What else is wrong? I thought you would be happier about the powers coming back. Was the nightmare that bad?"
"No different to normal." Kara shrugged.
"So what's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm just waiting for the lecture."
"What lecture?"
"The one where you go on about irresponsibility."
"I'm not going to lecture you." Alex said.
"You're not?" Kara asked confused. "I thought you were mad at me."
"I am." Alex agreed. "But lecturing you isn't going to fix this."
"By 'this' you mean me?"
"I mean the whatever it is that is driving you so hard." Alex corrected. "Kara, all I want is for you to be safe and happy. So talk to me. I can't begin to understand what it was like growing up with so much potential that you were encouraged to hide from the world. But I do know how guilty you felt every time someone got hurt and you didn't help. Maybe what you are doing now is my fault because back then I just let you hide frustrations and guilt. I should have made you talk about it and we could have figured it out together."
"I think that is Eliza talking." Kara interrupted. "You are not responsible for my screw ups."
"I'm your big sister. You are my responsibility." Alex reminded her. "But I'm not making that mistake again. You don't need to take on the world alone and I'm not going to let you. So talk. Tell me what's going on in there." She said tapping Kara's head.
"I hate feeling helpless." Kara said. "My whole planet was destroyed and I couldn't do anything."
"You were twelve and didn't have any powers. There was absolutely nothing you could have done." Alex reminded her.
"Apart from do as my mother asked." Kara said. "I mean I know that wouldn't have helped Krypton but when she put me in that pod I felt that maybe by carrying out her wishes it would make the loss less bad. I know it's stupid, but I kind of felt that by fulfilling her request some part of her would live on."
"She will always live on in there." Alex said poking Kara's chest. "Part of her will always be with you."
"I know, but when I let her down, deep down I feel like part of her or at least my connection to her dies."
"You have never let her down." Alex reminded her.
"Really, because I was sent here to look after Kal-El, but he never needed me."
"You were not responsible for getting stuck in the Phantom Zone. And just because Kal-El hasn't needed you so far, I am sure that you will come to his rescue at some point."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, he's a man, he's bound to run into trouble." Alex replied before adding. "I get that you must have felt lost and I know I don't exactly know what you must feel having the need to protect Kal-El
when you know currently he doesn't need your help."
"Yes you do." Kara interrupted leaning into Alex. "You have always, mistakenly, believed that because of my powers I didn't need you, but I have always needed you."
"Then let me help you know." Alex said. For a moment Kara didn't respond, then suddenly she stood and walked to the window.
"When I became Supergirl I finally felt a sense of purpose to my life. I felt like I was making a difference, that I was helping people."
"And you have." Alex reminded her.
"But it also reminded me of all the people I didn't help when I was growing up. And now whenever I don't help someone, especially when it is someone I care about it just feels like I have let them down and I'm letting my mother down and I have let you down."
"You have never let me down." Alex said moving behind Kara and hugging her.
"Yes I have. You dealt with Finn all by yourself. I should have been there for you."
"That was my choice." Alex reminded her. "Kara, you can't save everyone. Even if you teamed up with your cousin people would still get hurt. Some people, like me, are too stubborn to ask for help and if people aren't willing to accept help you can't help them."
"I know, but I still feel responsible."
"Kara, you always see the good in everything, except what you do. Focus on the people you have saved."
"That's what I was doing. I just felt the need to save more people."
"What would have happened if there was a homicidal alien on the lose yesterday?" Alex asked. "What would you have done if I had been hurt?" She pressed, knowing it was a low blow, but hoping it would help Kara see sense. "Kara, I need you. We're a team. That doesn't work if you burn out. So next time I screw up and make you feel guilty please talk to me or Adam and let us help." She added before noticing Kara wearing a confused expression. "What's wrong?"
"Is there some script I don't know about?" Kara asked.
"Sorry?"
"You, Cat and Adam all seem to be speaking from the same script."
"Well, take that as a sign that we are right." Alex stated. "So are you going to listen to us and come to us for help in future and listen when we tell you to slow down?"
"I'll try." Kara said.
-TBC...
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.