"Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone's life. Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life its deepest significance."
Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
It was the fourth night of her flying lessons and Sam was exhausted. Early mornings, meetings during the day and no time with Ruby or Kara were taking their toll on the woman. 'Even a Kryptonian gets tired, right?' she thought to herself and she attempted to land again for the twenty-seventh time tonight, she was digging a trench where she had touched down so many times.
"Sorry Sam, I'm not sure how Kara lands and takes off this way," Clark tried to explain, "I can hover once I am airborne, but I haven't been able to master the way she floats for taking off and softens her landings."
"It's okay Clark, thanks for everything else," Sam responded, more than a little aggravated with herself and with her teacher. 'Maybe you just suck at teaching.' Sam thought from behind the smile on her face.
Her first night had been laughable, he had decided on high speed runs through a canyon in the mountains of Colorado. Sam had missed the first turn and now someone was going to be surprised when they discovered the twelve-foot deep cave she had created when she plowed into the damn cliff wall at Mach 2.
The next morning, a very grumpy Samantha Arias had been stuck in meetings until well after lunch. Then Lena departed early for the day and left Sam locked into engineering meetings the rest of the day and finally, she was stuck with a few contract details that had kept her busy until well into the night.
Twenty minutes before her scheduled bedtime, Ruby came bouncing into the house, "Hi, mom, are you done with work finally?"
"I just finished, did you eat at Eliza's?" Sam asked, "Sorry, honey, Lena left early today and I got stuck with the last few meetings, then had some contracts I couldn't put off 'till tomorrow."
"Yes, ma'am, I ate. Eliza made roast and potatoes." Ruby stepped over and kissed her mother on the cheek, "I'm headed to bed, make sure you dress in dark clothes, Superman will be here shortly."
"What are you talking about, Rubes?" Sam couldn't even face Ruby as she asked.
"Mom," Ruby responded, "I heard you land last night, you're lucky Ozi didn't wake up you hit so hard."
"Did Kara say anything?" Sam worried.
"No, mom, she probably didn't notice." Ruby smiled, then frowned as she continued, "She is freaking out a bit about Auntie A and Kelly leaving tomorrow. However, Nia is coming before lunch tomorrow to spend the weekend, so that should make her feel a little bit better."
"Nia's coming?" Sam asked, surprised, "why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Last minute decision," Ruby answered with a smile, "I think she needs a little Kara time."
"I'm sure she needs some time with you too, Rubes," Sam smiled.
"Maybe her and Kara can give me some flying lessons since you are taking some." Ruby teased as she headed towards her room for bed.
As she heard Ruby's door close, Sam closed her eyes, rubbed the bridge of her nose and frowned, 'I could use some Kara time too, dammit.'
Meanwhile in National City
Earlier in the day, Lena and Andrea had met with the breeder and after meeting Morgana and being accepted, they took the dog home. After a quick stop at the pet store for everything Lena would need, including a collar, leash, brush, bed, bowls, food, and treats, they walked out with their hoard.
Andrea excused herself almost immediately after getting Lena home and headed back to her own condo. Lena headed upstairs and set everything up, making sure Morgana was collared and brushed. Then she headed into the kitchen to make herself dinner, a chicken salad with Kale for herself and two cups of kibble, according to the back of the bag, for Morgana. Lena stood at the bar while the dog finished her meal. Morgana finished eating and looked up at Lena as if to say, "I'm done."
Lena looked into her bowl, there was a single piece of chicken in the bottom, Andrea had told her not to, but she didn't think one piece of chicken could hurt, so she picked it up and tossed it over the bar towards Morgana. The dog caught the flying piece of meat, chewed once and swallowed, then sat, smiling at her new owner. Lena gasped at the speed, "Maybe you are part Kryptonian," she laughed. "You certainly eat like one."
Heading into the living room, she sat down on her sofa, and Morgana jumped up beside, once again staring at her. Tentatively Lena reached out and watched as the dog sniffed her hand curiously. Then Morgana looked up as if to say "you're approved." Lena reached and scratched the dog behind the ear, feeling herself relax.
"So missy, what do I call you?" Lena asked nervously as if the dog would suddenly start talking to her.
Morgana tilted her head to the left, then to the right, staring at Lena.
"You don't talk, do you?" Lena laughed
Lena continued to laugh at herself and Morgana barked her delight and walked over to the door.
"Do you need to go out?" Lena asked, rolling her eyes at herself. 'It's not like she's going to answer you, Lena,' she thought to herself. Morgana barked, and after a moment it dawned on Lena that it sounded almost as if the dog had just said yes.
"Come on girl, let's go downstairs," Lena spoke as she headed towards the elevator, the dog walking directly beside her. She finally made it down and entered the small park adjacent to her building and watched as Morgana started looking for just the right spot. Lena sat on a small bench beside an elderly woman whose poodle was also in the park.
"Is she yours?" The elderly woman asked, "She's beautiful."
"Yes, she is, isn't she?" Lena smiled.
Time passed without thought as Lena got to know her neighbor, Noel. And Lena found herself smiling at the older woman's stories and watched as Morgana played with the little poodle, Muffin. Finally, the older woman stood up and announced she was headed back to her condo. Lena copied her as she picked up behind the dogs and got rid of the little bags in their designated area. They rode up together, and the older woman got off on the tenth floor and Lena waved goodbye and promised to see her again. Then she proceeded back to her condo. She noticed her phone flashing on the end table and lifted it up, she had missed several messages from Andrea.
L: 'Sorry, forgot my phone, I took Morgana out.'
A: 'Don't forget her cookie.'
L: 'Cookie?'
Lena could hear Andrea's eyes roll, as she responded, 'Not chocolate chip, a dog treat.'
'Oh,' Lena thought, 'Thank you, Andi.'
A: 'Goodnight Lena.'
L: 'Goodnight Andi.'
After giving Morgana her treat, Lena retreated into the bathroom to change into her pajamas. When she emerged she saw Morgana had made herself quite comfortable on her bed, "That's my side, and your bed's over there, Missy." Lena said as she pointed to the dog bed on the other side of the room. Morgana looked up, snorted and moved to the other side of the bed.
"Fine, but this is just for tonight," Lena smirked as she crawled into bed. She slid on her readers and opened her book and started reading, not noticing as her hand rested on the dog's side, gently stroking her fur.
The next morning as the sun rose and a new day started, Lena Luthor woke up from the best night's sleep she'd had in a long time. No alcohol, no fear and for the first time since Kara had come back from the Fortress, no nightmares.
"I guess we will go on a night by night basis, Missy," Lena smiled as Morgana licked her hand.
Back in Midvale, Sam stepped out on her porch, taking a break from sitting in front of her computer and noticed Kara, Alex, and Kelly returning from Ozma's daily walk. She smiled as Kara looked her way and waved, wondering again how much longer she could last before she decided she couldn't hide her feelings anymore. 'Kara time' she thought with a bit of frustration, then she smiled and waved back just as Alex and Kelly noticed her and started waving. She found her attention pulled away when her hearing picked up an unusual sound and she looked down their road, spotting a rider on a motorcycle heading their way at a relatively slow speed. Focusing her hearing she concentrated on the heartbeat of the rider, 'ah, it's just…'
"Nia!" Ruby squealed as she flew out the door, giving her mother a slight heart attack as the piercing scream went straight to her brain. Sam shook her head to clear the ringing in her ears and smiled as she watched Nia park the bike and dismount.
Ruby almost tackled Nia as she engulfed the older woman in a bone-crushing hug. The smile on Nia's face was so large, Sam couldn't help but smile herself. Then she turned with a sigh to head back to work.
"You're going to take me for a ride, aren't you?" Sam overheard Ruby begging Nia.
"Only if your mom says yes." Nia smiled.
'Thank you, Nia,' Sam smiled as she headed back to her study.
Alex and Kelly were loading the last of their things into Kelly's car, not that they had brought much, to begin with, and would be returning Friday before lunch. Alex stepped over to look at Nia's new bike, painted in a very DEO looking matte black.
Kelly headed back in and found Kara sitting in the living room, playing with her hair and staring out the window. Kelly knocked on the door frame, "Kar, you okay honey?"
"Hmm, just thinking, sorry," Kara responded, her fingers twisting nervously.
Kelly moved to take a seat in the chair across from Kara, "Honey, what's wrong?"
"I'm just nervous. I know who's here and I know you will be back Friday, but still, part of me, it's like having an evil little voice inside my head that keeps telling me you aren't coming back."
Kelly reached across the table and held her hands out, which Kara grasped. "Take a deep breath honey, breath in and out. This is just a quick trip so Alex can get her paperwork out of the way and I can talk to Andrea."
"I know," Kara said between breaths. "I'm sorry, I don't want to come between you and Alex."
Alex, who was standing in the doorway, picked that moment to speak, "Kar, you are not coming between us," she paused to smile at Kelly. "If anything you are turning us into the best versions of ourselves we can be."
"She's right Kara, and we have to listen to her because of the whole older sister complex that she has going on." Kelly smiled.
Kara laughed at her sister and Kelly, then smiled as Alex sat down beside her and wrapped her arm around her shoulder, "we will be back Friday. We both love you, baby sister."
Kara allowed herself to relax as she heard the door open and Ozi bolted into the room hopping up on Kara's other side, taking her position as protector seriously.
They all smiled at the little puppy and then Kelly and Alex stood to leave.
Nia and Ruby were standing in the kitchen when the three older women stepped out of the living room. Hugs were exchanged all around and Ruby and Nia promised to watch over Kara while Kelly and Alex were gone.
"Auntie A and Auntie K, we've got this," Ruby smiled.
Alex's mouth broke into another beautiful smile and Kelly's just dropped, feeling so much warmth at being named one of Ruby's unofficial Aunts.
"We'll text you when we get back to the city, and we will text throughout the day while we are gone," Alex reassured Kara.
With a final hug to Kara, Alex and Kelly climbed into Kelly's car and with their hands in one another's, they drove back to National City.
No one noticed that Kara didn't watch as the car disappeared.
Several hours later, Kara, Nia, and Ruby were standing in the kitchen making raviolis from scratch while Kara's sauce cooked on the stovetop.
"Alex said Kara didn't know how to cook?" Nia asked, confused.
"Mom's been teaching her for like two years now. Kar is a fast learner, so she mastered the easy stuff quickly. Now she just tries new stuff from time to time." Ruby bragged in a whisper to Nia.
"So Alex doesn't know?" Nia confirmed.
"And we aren't telling her," Eliza said as she entered the kitchen still in her work clothes. "Ms. Ozma, you are missing your guard dog duties."
Ozi looked up at Eliza, then went back to guarding the pot of sauce on the stovetop.
"Well, at least you have your priorities straight," she smiled as she kissed each girl on the cheek, "Do I have time for a shower before dinner?"
"Yes, mom, no problem, it should be ready in about thirty minutes," Kara answered. Then she turned and looked at Ruby, "How come I'm not Auntie K, and when did I become Kar?"
Ruby's eyes popped open, she had whispered that to Nia, "it's because you are 'Super' special Kara."
Kara eyed her doubtfully, but smiled and turned back to her bread, "twenty-five minutes, mom."
Kara put the girls to work setting the table, then pulled down Eliza's serving dishes and got everything just right. She set candles on the table and looked at Ruby, then at the candles and raised her eyebrows.
Ruby bit her top lip and took a deep breath. She heard Kara whisper, "focus on the wicks Rubes, you can do this. I know you can."
Ruby focused on the first candle and felt the heat build-up behind her eyes and released just enough to see the wax melt on the wick and the flame erupt into being.
"Yes!" Nia and Kara exclaimed at the same time.
She followed the process three more times and lit each candle easily. "Remember that Rubes, it's all about control, not power." Then she put her arm around the younger woman's shoulder and squeezed.
Ruby looked to Nia with a tear in her eye.
"That's why she's a supergirl, she inspires everybody. I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for her." Nia smiled.
Sam walked in and saw everyone gathered around Ruby, "what's going on?"
Kara smiled and explained what Ruby had accomplished, just like a proud teacher.
After dinner, the younger girls volunteered to clean up the kitchen and the older women excused themselves out onto the porch, Sam and Kara took the swing and Eliza sat in her usual spot. Ozi waited for her mistress' permission, then bolted into the yard to run around and play.
"How are you doing baby?" Eliza asked.
"I'm doing okay, it was a little rough before they left," Kara smiled. "Having everyone around including Ozi helps."
The rest of the week passed in relative ease, Sam stayed busy with work, Kara and Nia coaching Ruby on the use of her powers and Eliza working.
National City
Alex reported for her last training class of the week, mumbling under her breath that these rookies needed a good ass-kicking before they were ready for the field. Lucy arrived to watch firearms training and was thoroughly impressed at the marksmanship she was seeing. Hand to hand went smoothly and the team assaults were right on point.
"Alex, how did you get them to this point so fast?" Lucy asked.
"I told them if they didn't impress you, they would all be fired," Alex responded with a straight face.
Across town at CatCo Kelly was meeting with Andrea.
"Andrea, I know I'm under contract for another six months, but I've been thinking about starting my own practice, and I want to know if…"
Andrea smiled knowingly, she had been incredibly lucky to snag Kelly Olson, even luckier to have her work on her VR lenses. "I accept your resignation, Kelly. I was actually surprised you accepted the position in the first place."
Kelly had been expecting a much more difficult argument, "really, you're okay with this?"
Andrea weighed her option carefully, considering what she knew about Kelly's current patient. "Kelly, look, the VR project is ahead of schedule, thanks to your work and dedication. I know you have had family issues the last few weeks, and I understand the pull of family when making a decision like this." Andrea smiled, "if possible, would you agree to work out your contract as a consultant, so if I need any assistance I could call you."
Kelly grinned, "Of course, Andrea, I would be honored."
"Thank you, Kelly." Andrea stood and shook the woman's hand. "Have you chosen a spot for your practice?"
"No, ma'am, I wanted to make sure everything was okay before I started looking," Kelly answered.
"Here's the number for my real estate agent, give him a call, he can help you find something I'm sure." Andrea wrote the number on a pad and tore it off, handing it to the young doctor.
"Thanks again, Andrea." Kelly took the number and tucked it into her purse.
"Keep in touch," Andrea called out as Kelly left, closing the door. "Make sure Supergirl gets better."
Friday, after being introduced to Morgana, who had become a regular fixture in Lena's office and being pushed off her computer so Ruby could catch up with Aunt Lena and meet the dog, Sam gave up on accomplishing anymore work, besides Alex and Kelly would be back in a few hours.
"Lena, I'll see you Monday, I'm done in for the week." Sam smiled tiredly.
"Bye, Sam, thank you," Lena said from the screen, then went back to talking to Ruby.
"Aunt Lena, I can float like Kara, it is so cool." Sam overheard Ruby tell Lena.
"Ugh!" Sam snarled as she headed across to Eliza's. 'What good does it do to ask Superman, I still can't fly, he can't teach me how to float…' she thought to herself, then smiled as Eliza opened the door.
Six hours later everyone, including Alex and Kelly were gathered on the back porch, eating pizza and potstickers and talking, laughing and carrying on.
After cleaning up, they all returned to their respective spots on the porch, Alex was explaining how soft her new students were.
They heard Ruby call them all into the yard. Kara smiled as they all looked around, she pointed to the porch roof, where Ruby was standing.
"Watch this, mom," she smiled excitedly as she stepped off the roof and floated, no change in her height as if she was still walking.
Sam was speechless, "What, how-how do you do that?"
Kara smiled shyly, as a slight blush came to her cheeks, "when I was younger I had to sneak out, and in order to not make a ton of noise, Alex helped me learn how to float. Now, when I get relaxed or really happy, it comes naturally."
"You know, Kara, you say that like I didn't know you were sneaking out," Eliza laughed.
Kara blushed and so did Alex, everyone else laughed at them.
"Now it's your turn, Sami," Kara smiled as she tugged Sam's hand and led her into the middle of the yard. Then she turned Sam away from the water and stood right in front of her.
Sam looked up at the porch and noticed everyone staring. She sighed and watched Alex and Kelly bite their lips to keep from laughing, Nia and Eliza were politely covering their mouths so their smiles wouldn't show. Ruby was now sitting cross-legged, several inches off the ground.
"Showoff," Sam huffed. 'Why is everyone staring, what is going on? Oh, Rao, she smells so good,' Sam was thinking as Kara pulled her across the yard. What she didn't realize was how big the smile was on her face as she looked back at the group on the porch. Then she heard Kara say something. "Sami," Kara said.
Sam frowned at the situation, wondering what she had missed, and Kara looked at her, "relax, Sami."
'You make that sound so much easier than it is right now,' Sam thought. "Okay."
Kara looked into Sam's eyes and once again Sam was entranced, but for some reason, right now, she didn't feel trapped, she felt comfortable, relaxed.
"Now, Sami, focus." Then Kara giggled, "think happy thoughts."
Sam smiled and opened her eyes sighing, "thanks, Tinkerbelle."
"Hush, Peter, focus," Kara giggled.
Sam smiled and closed her eyes again, taking a breath and focusing on Kara's heartbeat.
Thump, Thump.
Her breathing slowed, as her body relaxed, all the tension from the last few weeks seemed to flow out her in Kara's presence. Then she let the pleasant sound replace all the distractions around her.
Thump, Thump.
Kara let go of her hands, and she felt her own slowly lower to her sides. She never stopped her breathing, and focused harder on that hypnotic rhythm.
Thump, Thump...Thump, Thump.
Thump, Thump...Thump, Thump.
Kara watched as Sam's heels lifted slowly off the ground, followed by her toes.
Thump, Thump...Thump, Thump.
Sam was six inches off the ground when she heard Kara whisper, "open your eyes, Sami."
Slowly, Sam opened her eyes, and Kara shuddered as she saw the flashes of gold that indicated her Sami was happy and relaxed. Sam also heard Kara's heart rate speed up just a little bit, and watched a slow smile spread out on the face of her friend.
Sam looked down and gasped, "Now what?"
Ruby smiled at her mom, "This, momma." And as the words left her mouth she rocketed straight up, blowing down the grass under her.
"How?" Sam asked, astonished.
"Just like taking off," Kara whispered.
Sam smiled down at Kara once more, their eyes locking for an extra moment, then she looked up and she soundlessly took off, trying to catch up with Ruby.
Kara stood watching, as her Ruby and Sami shot towards the star-filled sky, a single tear flowing down her cheek as she missed her own ability to soar among the clouds. She saw them headed back, and wiped the tear away with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.
Ruby smiled as she settled to a slow halt, floating a few inches above the ground, then landing, her feet barely rustling the grass. Sam landed a little harder, but at least she didn't slam two foot sized holes into the ground.
She stood a little taller and wrapped her arms around Kara, hugging her tightly. Then she felt Kara's arms wrap around her neck, and felt her breath in her ear as she whispered, "you did it, Sami."
Suddenly she realized how close she was standing to Kara and how much she wanted to kiss the amazing little blonde and when she looked into Kara's lovely blue eyes, she saw something, a spark, maybe? And then there was Kara's intoxicating smell, that combination of vanilla and cinnamon. Of course, Kara's thumping heart and her shuddering breathing weren't helping. 'Oh Rao, what is going on?' Sam kept thinking to herself, over and over again. Then she separated herself quickly from the hug, maybe a lot too quickly.
"Sami, is something wrong?" Kara asked, biting her lip as her breath shuddered and she swallowed a small lump in her throat. Sam watched Kara's neck as she swallowed, entranced by the sound of Kara's heartbeat, pounding in her chest. "Sami, are you okay?"
"What?" Sam answered, startled out of her thoughts, causing her to blush, "No, everything's fine, I-I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't want to forget how strong I am."
Taking Sam's hands in her own, Kara smiled, wondering what caused the blush, "I'm fine, Sami, no bruises or anything." Then her smile got even brighter, "You two are really good students."
Kara turned to walk back to the porch when Sam whispered, "I think it's the teacher."
No one noticed Kara's blush as she heard Sami's words. Sam, however, noticed the increase in her breathing and her heart rate, and she saw how much straighter her Kara was standing. Kara's smile grew as she walked towards the porch.
The rest of the weekend and Monday passed quickly enough, with friendly dinners, an impromptu game night and a few sessions of therapy with Kelly. Alex was her sister and her best friend, Sami was amazing, but Kelly had become a sounding board, someone who listened, no matter what she had to say. No matter the problem, Kelly never offered to solve them for her or make them go away, she just offered paths, and it was up to Kara, which one she followed.
As they returned from their regular walk, Kara reached over and tucked her arm into Kelly's elbow. "Thank you, Kelly, this has been so wonderful."
"Kar, you make this easy, you're a model patient. One day we need to sit down and you can tell me about Krypton."
Kara nodded and smiled, that book.
Then, Tuesday arrived. Lena was coming and Kara's nerves were frazzled and her emotions were on a roller coaster. Ozi was whining, pawing at everyone to check on Kara constantly.
"We know, girl," Alex said. "Mama's a wreck today."
Across the street, Sam could barely concentrate on her work as she listened to Kara's heart race. Finally, she gave up and pushed the keyboard back and decided she was done for the day. She rolled back her chair, slid her feet into her shoes and headed out the door.
Sam walked in through the front door and headed directly to the living room, where Kara was sitting, her fingers twisting in her hair. Her heartbeat was so loud in Sam's ears, it was keeping her from concentrating on anything else.
As Sam entered, Kara's eyes lit up, and she immediately stood and crossed the room and wrapped her arms around the dark-haired woman, relaxing into the heat cascading off the woman's body and trying to control her breathing.
Sam's reaction was shock and surprise, then she relaxed as the familiar smell of Kara's vanilla shampoo filled her nose, and the adorable blonde's heart rate started to slow. 'By Rao, this woman will be the death of me,' Sam thought to herself, a wry grin forming on her face as she whispered, "Hey, sweetheart. It's going to be okay, we are all here."
With her face buried in Sam's shoulder, everyone heard a muffled, "thank you." Then she heard Kara whisper, "You smell good, Sami."
Closing her eyes at the compliment, Sam felt her heart skip a beat.
Still buried in her shoulder, the blonde smiled at the sound of Sam's heart.
The moment was interrupted by the sound of Nia and Ruby hollering, "they're here!"
Kara turned away from the doorway for a moment and lifted her hands to her face. When she turned back to face her family, she was wearing her glasses for the first time in weeks and Sam's heart jumped at the sight of Kara, her breath stopped and she gaped for a moment. Kara was dressed in a baggy button-down shirt and long wrap-around skirt with her red boots hidden underneath. Gone were the bags under her eyes, and her cheeks weren't nearly as hollow as they had been when Sam had seen her almost three weeks ago. 'By Rao, woman, you are beautiful' Sam thought to herself, and her eyes must have conveyed a little of that message because her adorable blonde blushed slightly at the attention.
They all turned towards the door at the sound of Lena's car pulling into the driveway. They'd agreed the day before that Kara and Kelly, patient and doctor should greet Lena and Dr. Quinn. Kelly stepped forward and took Kara's good hand and they headed towards the front door. "You okay, Kar?" Kelly whispered.
All Kara could do was nod, too nervous to speak.
"It'll be okay, we are all right here." Kelly smiled, but even though she was trying to be calm for Kara, her own nerves were frazzled, this was new territory for all of them, and revealing Kara's identity was not on anyone's to-do list right now.
Alex looked out the window, a low growl emanating from her throat at the sight of Lena stepping out of her car. Ruby gripped her hand, and Alex allowed herself to calm down, taking a deep breath and letting Ruby's warmth comfort her.
On the front porch, Kara and Kelly stood politely, Ozi standing on the opposite side, away from Kelly.
Lena and Harley stepped out of the car, Lena looking a little nervous in her jeans and sweater, while Harley was in her usual red and black. Then, before Lena could stop her, Morgana shot out of the car and darted towards the front porch, only to be greeted by a small white puppy, growling, and standing, her hackle up, in front of her mistress.
"Morgana, sit!", Lena cried out.
Obeying instantly, Morgana sat down in front of Kara, Kelly, and Ozi. Ozi looked up at Kara as if to say, "look what I did, mama."
Kara smiled down, "good girl, Ozi. She's allowed."
Lena and Harley approached, "I'm so sorry, she is normally well behaved, I didn't expect her to…"
"Lena, enough," Kara said, a little harsher than she meant. "Sorry," Kara said as she tried to get her nerves under control. "It's okay, really." Then she smiled and the two doctors saw the dynamic that existed between the two women. These two were trying, trying very hard to repair a friendship they both believed themselves responsible for destroying.
"Dr. Quinn, I'm Kara Danvers. This is my," she paused a moment, "this is my sister's girlfriend, and my doctor, Kelly Olson."
Harley held out her hand, "Ms. Danvers, it's a pleasure, your writing is amazing, I'm a huge fan. And Dr. Olson, your works on trauma and its effects on our patients are excellent, I'm so glad you have decided to forgo the corporate world and put your gifts to work for the benefit of our patients."
Kelly was shocked and it showed on her face. "Thank you, Dr. Quinn. Your work is legendary. I've read all your articles."
Now it was Harley's turn to smile, "Thank you, and please, call me Harley. Dr. Quinn sounds like I should have my own TV show."
"I'm Kara then, not Ms. Danvers," Kara smiled, relaxing just a bit.
"And I'm just Kelly," Kelly laughed.
Kelly and Kara led the two women into the house. Lena noticed immediately how homey and relaxed Eliza's home was, but she was very wary to be so close to Alex, wherever she was. Rubbing her side where Alex had gotten those shots in a few weeks before. "How's your arm, Kara? Have you spoken to Astra?"
"My arm's better, Alex said the cast could be off by next week, and Aunt Astra is coming next weekend, Lucy has her working in Europe on something right now," Kara answered, trying to mask her nerves.
Sam, Alex, Ruby, and Nia were standing in a semi-circle when they entered the living room. Everyone greeted Dr. Quinn, Alex acting a tad bit starstruck around the good doctor. Sam and Nia greeted Lena and made a point to introduce themselves to Morgana, then Sam went and stood with Kara, putting her hand on the blonde's shoulder and whispering in her ear, earning herself a sparkling smile. Alex talked to Harley for a few moments before excusing herself to go upstairs and get Eliza. Harley noted the cold demeanor that Alex had towards Lena, no words had been exchanged between the two women.
As soon as Alex left the room, Ruby latched onto Lena and started asking about Morgana. She convinced her to head outside to the backyard and Ruby looked to Kara and then to Ozi.
"Of course, take her outside." Kara smiled, "she's as much your dog as mine."
Ruby smiled and called Ozi to follow her as she headed out the back door. Lena shrugged and called to Morgana, "Come on, Missy, you need to make a friend." Then together they made their way out the back door and into the yard.
Alex returned with a sleepy-looking Eliza in tow.
Harley did a double-take, "Dr. Eliza Danvers?"
"Guilty as charged," Eliza answered. "Student?"
"Yes, ma'am. Your lectures on brain and memory mapping were amazing," Harley gushed.
"A pleasure to meet a former student, Dr. Quinn," Eliza said as she shook the woman's hand.
"Harley, please?" Harley said, hero-worship in her eyes.
Kara and Alex looked at each other and stifled a giggle at Eliza's discomfort.
After a few more minutes of conversation, Kara gripped Sam's hand and nodded. Sam spoke up, "I think we should take this to the back porch."
Everyone made their way to the back and after Harley seated herself, Kara started her rehearsed speech. "Harley, the reason that I had Lena bring you here today," Kara stated, "I have a secret, one that I haven't shared with many people, one that Lena couldn't share with you." Then Kara turned her back on the doctor and removed her glasses, folding them and handing them to Alex. Then she looked to each person in turn, watching Lena as she played with the dogs in the yard. Sam looked over and then looked back to Kara, whose eyes met hers as she smiled, and Sam's heart melted once again at the sight of those blue eyes.
Then Kara unbuttoned her shirt and untied the front of her skirt. "You see, Harley, my secret is…"
She turned around, pulling her ponytail out, and allowing the skirt and shirt to pool behind her.
Harley's mouth was wide, her eyes shocked.
"I'm Supergirl."