Memory.

The Aftermath

I think y'all share how shaken up I am after "Suspicious Minds". So I wrote this little bit.


Kara stood outside J'Onn's new business office, her face buried in her hands as she sobbed her heart out. Everything was falling apart and the one person in the world who would understand what she was going through, could no longer do so.

Righteously indignant. That was how Kara was feeling. How dare those military types ask her to compromise her identity?! How dare they push to the point where J'Onn needed to wipe people's minds just to keep Kara Danvers safe! She felt horribly discriminated against but she wiped her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm down as her logical brain tried to kick in.

Just then Alex exited the building, her face somber but, when she saw Kara, it lit up. "Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked, offering a hug to her sister.

"I... uh..." Kara suddenly realized that she shouldn't know who J'Onn is. "I heard about a new PI in town and thought I'd pop down for a face to face."

"Huh," Alex replied. "That's cool. I've known John Jones for a while. I was just popping in to say congratulations to him on opening his new business."

Kara heart was aching. The first words out of hers and Alex's mouths were lies and she felt like screaming. It was as if her life over the past fifteen years had been erased in the space of two minutes. Which really it hadn't but Alex not remembering a huge part of it made it feel suddenly worthless.

"Kara?"

"Hmmm? Oh sorry. What did you say?"

Alex smiled. "I asked if you wanted to get some coffee. I know a great little place near here that Supergirl introduced me to. Perks of being FBI. She knows all the best places to eat in the city."

"I can't," the hero replied, almost choking on the words. "I've got to get going. Places to be, things to report on and all that."

"You're acting weird," Alex chuckled. "But I guess that's not unusual," she teased as she leaned in and kissed her sister's forehead. "Catch you later, Nerd. I love you."

"I love you too. Bye, Alex," Kara replied as she watched Alex walk away and her rock crumble before her eyes.

Xx

It was like she was a stranger in a room full of her friends. While the agents at the DEO were as friendly and respectful as ever, none of the agents, who had previously known her real identity, were the same. And Colonel Haley's hostility toward her made her just stay on the balcony outside the automatic doors.

"Supergirl," Alex said as she stepped through the doors and crossed the space to stand next to her friend, leaning on the balcony wall.

"Director," Kara replied with a small smile. "How are you?"

"Tired," Alex chuckled. "It's been a long-ass day and with the whole mind wipe thing... I'm feeling a little off."

"You know about that?" Kara asked, surprised.

"Yeah," the director nodded as she straightened and faced her friend. "I know that it happened and it worked because I have no clue who your secret identity is. I guess it really is super-secret now."

Kara knew that Alex would never have been so ok about the whole thing if she'd known that Supergirl was really her sister, but still, it stung to the point where she felt tears rising in her eyes. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that," she said.

"This is not your fault, Supergirl," the director said firmly. "If Haley and the President hadn't pushed so hard, this wouldn't have been necessary." She paused a moment. "You have other people outside the DEO who know your identity though, right?"

"A small number," Kara replied. "But I have to admit, it's feeling kinda lonely over here right now."

Without a moment's hesitation, Alex pulled her into a tight hug. "It's going to be ok. This will blow over when they realize that no one is going to give your identity up."

"I don't know, Alex," Kara replied. "What if they never give up?"

J'Onn will wipe the whole world's minds before he lets anything happen to you," the director replied.

"I know," Kara nodded, her voice small. "But I don't want him to be in a position where he has to do that again. I know it hurts him."

"It does but... he'll do almost anything for you. And I'll always be here for you. No matter what." Alex held the hero's hand for a long moment, squeezing gently. "And when this is all resolved, things will go back to normal."

"From your lips to Rao's ears," Supergirl murmured softly. "I just want this to be over."

"Worst case scenario, Supergirl... takes a break for a while." Alex shook her head. "These assholes don't deserve you."

Kara smiled gently. "But the people out there in National City do. I'm not going to leave them alone."

Alex nodded. "That's because you're a much better person than anyone here deserves."

"No," the hero replied. "I come in second."