The Pulitzer
Just a little bit. I just thought it'd be cool if Kara won one *shrug*
The auditorium grew quiet.
"And I'm pleased to announce that the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting goes to…" Cat Grant, Press Secretary to POTUS and former CEO of CatCo Worldwide Media, paused to slide the envelope open, a smile spreading across her face as she read the name and then looked up at the audience. "CatCo Magazine's senior reporter, Kara Danvers, for her breakthrough series entitled Alien Discrimination at the Hands of the Government."
For a moment, Kara thought she had misheard. Surely, she hadn't… They hadn't… But then Alex was pulling her to her feet and hugging her hard as the room erupted into applause and cheers around her. "Kara, get up there! You won!"
"I… Oh… Wow…" The reporter reached up to adjust her glasses, her cheeks tinged with pink as she freed herself from her sister's clutches and pushed her chair back, only to be grabbed by her best friend, Lena Luthor, and hugged within an inch of her life. She smiled at the proud faces of the rest of her family at her table and then her eyes met Cat's across the room, and she was drawn toward them. Making sure that her feet were indeed on the ground as she walked, she made her way past many tables to the steps up to the stage.
She lifted her long black dress slightly as she carefully climbed the steps to the stage. It wouldn't do for Kara Danvers to pull a JLaw at this point. If she did trip, she couldn't let her powers save her. Lucky, none of the steps tried to sabotage her and she made it to the podium, a huge smile on her face as Cat pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her cheek. "You look stunning," her old friend whispered. "Congratulations, Kiera."
Kara allowed a little laugh to bubble to the surface as she returned the embrace. "I've missed you so much, Miss Grant," she replied, letting her admiration for the Press Secretary touch her eyes. "It's been too long."
"It has." Cat nodded her agreement and then picked up the award to hand it to her friend. Kara thanked her and turned to face the audience as Cat gestured to the microphone. She cleared her throat a little and then leaned in.
"Hi," she grinned. "You know, when I was standing in front of this woman…" She reached over and took Cat's hand, tugging her a little closer to the microphone. "Almost six years ago and telling her that I wanted to be a reporter, I don't think either of us even dreamed that Miss Grant would be presenting me with a Pulitzer one day."
Cat leaned into the microphone. "Not true and I'm always right," she said haughtily, making the audience laugh.
"I started at CatCo as Miss Grant's assistant and I learned more than I can ever say from her. She mentored me, guided me, told me some home truths when I needed them and was constantly dismayed by my strip mall wardrobe." Cat laughed out loud at that. "But she was also my biggest cheerleader and when she offered me an opportunity to choose what I wanted to do with my life, I realized that I wanted to be just like her. She told me to dive and that's what I did." She squeezed Cat's hand and the older woman returned the squeeze immediately. "Then Miss Grant moved on to other things herself, and I struggled to learn and grow under Snapper Carr, who called me Pony Tail and wouldn't give me a chair in the reporter's bullpen until I had earned it but also taught me a whole lot about journalistic integrity. But the people I've chosen at CatCo to be part of my family: James Olsen, Nia Nal and my best friend Lena Luthor, have also pushed me to this day and I'll be eternally grateful to them. Lastly, I have to give a shout out to Supergirl, without whom, I might not even be standing here today. Supergirl along with Miss Luthor was instrumental in helping me to gather the evidence to support this series of articles." A round of applause and cheers went around the room again. "Lastly, I'd like to thank those who decided I was good enough to receive this award. I love what I do, and this is the icing on the cake. Thank you! Goodnight!"
Kara waved and then let an attendant lead herself and Cat off-stage to the winding down of applause and screamed cheers.
Cat took Kara's hand and led her to a quiet area away from the bustle of the team behind the stage. For a moment, she just gazed at her protégé. "I told you years ago to go out there and make me proud. You've done just that. I'm prouder of you than I have words to explain, Kara," she said softly as she tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind the reporter's ear and then patted her gently on the cheek. "I'm proud of every role you play in the protection of National City. With or without the cape."
Kara blinked and took a breath to present Cat with the usual denials, but the older woman just smiled and kissed her cheek. "See you soon, Girl of Steel. Take care of Nia. I have a feeling that you may be presenting her with a Pulitzer, some day."
And with a familiar sway of her hips, the Queen of All Media sashayed away.
