24: Current variables

"Come on, Lena, I don't have all night." Maggie says, tapping her foot lightly.

"Hell, Mags." You breathe out. "Maybe you shouldn't have made it so tight then."

"Yeah, 'cause your brother's goons are going to be taking it easy on you." She shoots back.

"He showed up today." You tell her, still working on the restraints. Maggie's got you tied up in a chair trying to teach you how to free yourself and give you a fighting chance for when your brother inevitably comes for you. Of course you had reminded her that the last time he'd simply pumped you full with methohexithal and asked if she's got anything for that. She'd simply glared at you in response and had proceeded to further tighten the ropes.

After her talk with Kara regarding the inconsistencies in her memories, J'onn had paid her a visit and restored them soon after Thanksgiving. You're not certain what went on behind that decision but you're so ridiculously fried from just everything going on that you're just going to be glad that she knows and that everything's out in the open. Well, everything about reality anyway because you're still banned from meddling into hers and Alex's affairs, not that you'd even know to begin meddling in that. You're actually quite sure you don't want to and sincerely pray there's no need for it. They're both your friends and so is Kelly. You don't want to risk losing any of them.

"Did he threaten you?" She asks, the tapping of her foot stopping. Her eyes are angry, brows furrowed. "Lena, did he threaten you?" She asks again when you don't respond quickly enough.

You shake your head. "He threatened the world..."

"What did he say exactly?" She presses, squatting in front of you, her eyes heavy and serious.

"Maggie..."

"Jesus, Luthor, what did he say?" She snaps.

"He offered me the company back. Said he'd stay out of running it as long as I kept the weapons contracts with the government. He said I was a Luthor." You say.

"Well, no shit, you are."

You roll your eyes at her. "You know Kara doesn't appreciate all the swearing."

"Am I rubbing off on you, Little Luthor?" She smirks. "What else did he say?"

"She doesn't love me. They'll betray me again."

"Predictable." Maggie says with a small nod. "All up to par with expectations so far. What do you mean he threatened the world? Did he mention Kara?"

You try to shrug but the restraints are still too tight. "He said she was nothing, that all she'd be is a footnote. But it wasn't so much what he said, but the look in his eyes, you know?" You remember how lost he had been in his imaginings, how his eyes had danced as he had taunted both you and Kara with his crazy idea of a future you will make sure never comes to pass. "I thought Kara was literally going to crush him."

"Kara was there?"

"Yeah..." You breathe out. "She just showed up halfway through it... Maggie, seriously, it's too tight. It's already chafing."

She ignores your complaints. "Did he speak to her? What did he say?"

"He said... He'd open my eyes and make me see her for what she is. Like I would take her down. Then he said I looked unwell and left."

"Jesus H. Christ, Lena." Maggie spits out, shaking her head. "Have you got no self-preservation instincts?"

"Wha-"

"What the hell are you doing here with me?"

"What?" Your head is spinning. What is she talking about?

"Little Danvers must be going out of her mind." She mumbles. "What're you doing here?"

"You said you'd make me run an extra three miles next week if I didn't show up today!"

"I think your brother showing up and going off on one of his psychotic rants counts as extenuating circumstances unlike your three-day sexcapade with Kara."

"It was not..." But you trail off. Whatever. You're an adult woman and what you do and do not do in the privacy of your own home with the woman you love is no one's business but yours and hers.

"He's gone insane again, Maggie. Sometimes he's just so normal, so put together, just another ruthless businessman, that it's easy to not think about how he's actually insane all the time underneath all that."

Damn it, picking the lock of a pair of handcuffs the previous week is proving to be much easier than trying to free yourself from the rope Maggie's used tonight.

You continue, grunting and groaning at the effort. You're not kidding, it's chafing and your skin's always had a terrible habit of bruising. "He was raving about ruling the world, being worshipped. Like he's going off the deep end. Again."

"Who hasn't wanted to rule the world at one time or another?" Maggie says almost casually, taking out her Ka-Bar and cutting you lose.

"What?" You say, as you rub at the tender skin gingerly.

"You've never wondered what it would be like to rule the world?" Maggie asks incredulously. "Think of how much time and resources you'd save if you could enact policies to have companies just cut back on their waste generation by even just 30%, have them so heavily fined that they stop being profitable. You can re-allocate budgets to fund the science sector and green initiatives, focus on equity instead of equality, reduce poverty, have zero tolerance for abuse. And that's just to start."

"You want Lex's number, Mags?"

"Nah, you're the only Luthor in my life, Little Luthor. Let's keep it that way until I'm slapping cuffs on your brother and shoving him into the deepest darkest cell on this planet. Now, go home."

-
You do go home, and it's dark and hot inside the apartment. Kara isn't back yet so you do a sweep and make sure no unwanted devices have been installed in your absence as you do every single night you come home before Kara, and you don't realize how relieved you actually are that everything is as it was, your home still safe and untouched.

You open the windows to let the cool air filter in, turning down the heater considerably. You strip down to your underwear and only pull on one of Kara's old oversized sleepshirts only long enough to reach partway through your highs. You check your phone for a message from her, but there's nothing save two work emails that you refuse to open tonight.

You throw together a quick salad, Maggie has reminded you that she's not putting you through the gauntlet to make you lose weight but to get you fighting fit for the next end of the world catastrophe, and well, you are finally hungry. You'd lost all appetite for lunch and dinner with Lex's visit, and you hate letting him get to you.

But you weren't lying or pretending when you said you were fine. You are. You're fine. Healthy doses of fear are fine. Being reminded of your brother's crazy is fine. You need to stay on your toes anyway.

You check your phone again. Still nothing from Kara. You check the news, scanning for Supergirl updates, robberies, fires, muggings, car crashes, even lost pets, trying to see what has Kara out late. You find nothing and are just about to call her when a hesitant knock at the door gets your attention.

You're stupefied by the sight that greets you. Brainy is barely managing to hold up an obviously intoxicated Kara, looking highly uncomfortable and mildly rattled. The first thing he says to you is, "I've disengaged all recording devices outside on the streets and inside the building for fifteen minutes, we have five left, it's safer for your brother to not know about Supergirl's current state."

You gape at him for a moment before Kara stumbles and you surge forward to catch her. You pull her through the doorway as Brainy shifts his feet, still uncomfortable. "Lena, I have not had a chance to thank you for what you've been doing for Nia." He begins.

Your arms tighten around Kara, mildly confused. Is this really the time for this?

"I am truly grateful." He presses on. "I sincerely hope that one day, she can forgive me for what I've done. But you don't have to do the same. A pretense of not caring for Kara is no longer a mitigating factor in foiling Lex Luthor's plans. Even when it was, there was only a sixty-five percent chance of success. It may not seem like it, but with the current variables at play, this is the best chance we have of successfully undermining his machinations."

"I..." You admit, you're mildly bewildered. Kara is slumped against you, rubbing her face against your neck and despite the undoubtedly important information Brainy has finally decided to share with you, you also just want him to leave so you can take care of Kara. "That's... great? Why have you and Kara been drinking?"

"I have not partaken of the harder libations as your wife has. I myself prefer the fruity-"

"Brainy!" You're frozen, mouth agape, heart hammering.

"Oh? No? No, no, no. Not yet. Certainly not yet." He says blinking back what looks to you like confusion. "My apologies. As I was saying, there is no need for you to push Kara away. This world's best chance for survival and life is contingent on everyone being true to themselves."

You stare at Brainy as Kara shifts in your arms. "I have no intention of pushing Kara away, Brainy. Not now, not ever again."

That seems to mollify him and he gives a ridiculous mock salute as he turns on his heel and finally leaves without another word.

You push the door closed with your foot and drag Kara to the bedroom. You sit her on the bed and proceed to take her clothes off.

"Can't let Lex get to you, darling." You say to her as you're tugging her shoes and socks off.

"Lena, Lena, Lena." She says, eyes hazy.

"Yes, darling, I'm here." You tell her.

"I was scared you wouldn't be." She says, grabbing for you and you lose your balance and fall on her. She giggles, eyes unfocused, grip tight.

"Well, that's silly." You tell her lightly. "I'm never going to be anywhere but with you."

"Not today, you told me to leave." She says, petulantly.

She's really quite lucid and you wonder what she's been drinking.

"I had work, darling. No need to let Lex ruin the day."

"I didn't. He can't ruin anything for me as long as I have you." Kara protests.

"That's good then," You pry yourself away from her, unbuttoning her pants and relieving her of them. "Because you'll always have me. I'm yours remember?"

"You should tell him that." She says, delightedly. You roll your eyes at the sheer elation and mischief on her face.

"I think that'll bring on the next catastrophe just a wee bit faster, love."

"Let's get it over with." She responds. "I'm ready. Let's get him out of our lives. Everyone thinks he's so smart, but he's really not. So stupid. So so stupid..."

"Hmm," you hum noncommittally as you finish unbuttoning her blouse.

"You're not peaky. You're gorgeous. I take care of you. I do, don't I?"

"You do." You agree, your tone hard, firm, with absolutely no room for doubt. "You take amazing care of me."

"And you take care of me." She says nuzzling into your stomach.

"Come on, let's get you washed. You'll feel better." You say, tugging her up.

"I don't feel bad." She insists, pulling you into her arms once again and you sigh as you acquiesce, choosing to sink into the moment and drown in her, wrapping your arms around her neck, straddling her. "I feel pretty awesome. I have you. The world hasn't imploded. You make the best waffles in the galaxy. And you're so so hot and perfect. And mine. Did I say that yet? Rao, Lena, you're mine."

"Yes, Kara." You say, kissing her lightly. "I am."

"He's so stupid." She says again. You laugh, nuzzling her nose with yours. "Can't he see this is forever?"

And she's right. It is. You and her, you're forever.