"There is no correct path in life. You will lose your way many times. What's important is that you find your way back to the brave girl you always were. Be wise, be strong, and always be true to yourself."
Alura Zor-El
"Kara? Cooking?" Alex asked, "she doesn't cook."
"As a matter of fact, she does," Eliza responded.
"I've seen Kara attempt to cook, it's not pretty," Alex responded. "I'm not sure it was even edible."
"I guess you'll have to see." Ruby smiled.
"I'll bring extra money for takeout." Alex sneered.
Sam sat beside Ruby and stared into space, remembering the first time Kara had cooked all alone for her and her daughter.
Sam's Condo, Metropolis
"Oh wow, what is that smell?" Ruby asked as she walked in the door of the apartment.
"I'm cooking chicken and chorizo fajitas!" Kara called from the kitchen.
Sam smiled as she padded towards the kitchen. When she and Ruby had left, Kara had been asleep on the couch, dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, and as she leaned against the doorframe, she couldn't help but admire the view of Kara Danvers from behind. "I thought you were exhausted."
"I recharged faster than I thought, and since you and Ruby went out to let me sleep, it's the least I could do, Sami," Kara said, turning with a smile.
"It smells delicious. You've been practicing?" Sam asked.
"A little, I memorized some of your recipes and have been working on them, trying things, as you said, a different spice here or there," Kara's crinkle showed as she held a sample from the pan up. "Want a taste?"
Sam closed her eyes as Kara brought the fork to her mouth, chewing slowly, she smiled, "Oh my god, Kara, this is amazing."
"Really?" Kara responded, blue eyes shining with happiness.
"Alex, I bet you... bike lessons for Kara if you like her food," Sam smirked, standing and holding out her hand.
Alex looked warily at the hand in front of her, "She already knows how to ride, well how to stay balanced." She hesitated another moment then shook Sam's hand, "if I die from food poison it's a moot point anyway."
Ruby smiled, "You are so going to lose, Auntie A."
Sam coughed to cover a laugh, "Don't rub it in…," she paused and looked at the red-head. "Yet!"
"Uhm, Alex, honey, you might want to rethink that bet," Kelly suggested.
"Kara has never been able to cook, ever, I'll be fine," she smiled confidently at Kelly.
Kelly looked doubtful as she stood up beside Alex, "Let's help your mom with the table and head up to bed, we have to get an early start in the morning so we can look at the townhouse."
"I've already told you, I like the townhouse," Alex whined.
"We need to go together and look, please?" Kelly paused, "this is an important step for us, honey."
Ruby, Nia, and Sam jumped in to help as well, sending the older three women out of the room and onto the porch while they cleaned the kitchen. As they finished, Sam let Ruby know that they had an early morning as well, meeting Lena at L-Corp.
"And before you ask, yes, Nia can sleepover, but it's your fault if you don't get enough sleep," Sam spoke looking at the two youngest members of their family.
The girls quickly made their way out to the porch to say their goodnights and then headed for Ruby and Sam's house. Sam was a little slower about things, "We have to be at L Corp in the morning, so I'm going to head home. Remind Kara that I will be home by 11:30 for our lunch meeting, please?"
"Of course, dear," Eliza said, standing and wrapping her arms around Sam.
Sam leaned into the hug and smiled as she felt the woman squeeze tightly. Astra approached next and to Sam's surprise, she was embraced by the older woman. "Thank you, Samantha, what you did for my Little One tonight, just thank you."
"My pleasure, General," Sam smiled.
"Samantha, you may call me Astra, it would be an honor," Astra smiled back.
"Thank you, Astra. Any messages for Lena?" Sam asked.
"No, I will be seeing her while I patrol," Astra responded.
Astra stepped back and Alura approached. Sam tensed up just a little, willing herself to relax, she held out her hand which Alura took in both of hers. "Samantha, I apologize for my outburst earlier."
"Ambassador, as a mother, I understand your feelings, were someone to hurt my Ruby…" Sam stopped leaving the message hanging. "But as her family, you must understand Kara is the heart of our group, and we will all stand behind her decisions, even if we don't always agree with her."
Releasing Sam's hand, Alura smiled, "like my sister, it seems you have much to teach me as well."
Sam smiled back, "it is truly a matter of faith and love, Alura."
The next morning, Kara was the first up, making coffee and sitting outside on the porch while Ozi ran around the yard. She smiled as she heard everyone stirring in the house, sipping the oversweet coffee she listened as Alex made her way downstairs for her first cup of the day. "I'm out here, Alex," she called out.
Alex made her way to the porch, plopping down on the swing beside her sister, "I hear you got your invulnerability back last night."
"Yeah, weird huh, it's like my body automatically tuned into the heat of the water and adjusted my defenses," Kara said, looking out over the water, her crinkle showing. "I think my strength is coming back a little too, but I don't want to break something, finding out."
"Hold on," Alex said as she stood and ran into the living room. She came back moments later carrying one of Ozi's tennis balls. Tossing it to Kara, "Squeeze."
Kara looked down at the yellow object in her left hand, thought about for a second, and squeezed. The smile on her face as the ball was crushed was enough to make Alex forget any of their recent issues for a little while. Holding the destroyed item in her hand, "guess it's coming back."
Ozi came up on the porch and looked at her toy and whined up at her owner. Looking at Kara as if to say, 'that was mine.'
"Sorry baby, I'll get you a new one in town later today," Kara promised.
"All that's left is flight, but it's going to take you time to get back into practice," Alex reminded her sister.
"I know, and to be honest Ali, this is kind of nice," Kara admitted.
The surprise on Alex's face was obvious, not just the childhood nickname, but the admission. "Kar, are you okay?"
"Ali, do you remember me telling you one time, that you can sneak up on me?" Kara asked.
"Yeah, you said something about that. It's because we are family, and I'm not a threat," Alex laughed.
"It's why Lena got away with what she got away with." Kara admitted, her eyes falling, "She's still family Alex, but-but part of me will always see her as a threat now."
Unknown to the two women, Kelly and Sam were standing inside the door, accidentally eavesdropping.
"Kar, it's okay, I know how much she meant to you, but something held you back with her, some feeling," Alex reached out, taking Kara's hand in hers.
Kara looked down at their hands, smiling she looked up, "I didn't hesitate with Sam."
"Sam and Ruby were a safe haven for you. Sam let you in didn't she?" Alex looked at her sister's eyes.
Kara could only nod, "she tried so hard to push me away when I first started going to their home. Her dreams were horrible, she was hurting so bad about what Reign did, even though she had no control," Kara looked over the porch rail, her thoughts turning to Metropolis…
It had been a long night, and Sam was in the kitchen chopping onions for breakfast omelets when Kara walked in. "Hey, you doing okay?"
Sam's hand stopped its movement and she looked up at Kara, "I think you should leave, stay away from me. After what I did to you."
"Sam, it wasn't…," Kara was shocked, caught completely off-guard as she tried to talk to Sam.
"Just stop Kara, she was, is a part of me. Even Lena isn't sure if she is gone. And you, if she comes out again, what if we can't stop her!" Sam snapped. "So just go back to National City, forget about me and Ruby."
"Sam, I know you had a long night, but where is this coming from?" Kara asked, trying to stay calm.
"The nightmares have been getting worse. I don't want to be Kryptonian, I don't want powers and I don't want to be Reign again. So please, just go." Sam snarled.
"Is that what you really want, for me to go away?" Kara asked, almost whining, "Is it?" She snapped.
Sam turned away, standing over the sink, washing the blade of the knife.
"Is it?" Kara whispered, a hint of anxiety in her voice causing it to crack. She waited for a heartbeat and turned, storming out of the kitchen and slamming the condo door as she left.
Kara walked around for an hour, stopping at a small diner to get something to eat. The chocolate chip pancakes sat on her plate, as she thought about what Sam had said. 'Losing control,' she thought, 'I know how that feels.'
She started to eat, and finally calmed down. She paid her bill and headed back to the condo.
Knocking on the door, she waited. She was about to knock again when Ruby answered the door. "Hey, Aunt Kara," the girl spoke quietly. "Mom's on the balcony."
Kara hugged Ruby, "Sorry for earlier."
"You aren't really going to stop coming are you?" Ruby asked, her voice tinted with fear, and her eyes red from unshed tears.
"Not if I can help it," Kara smiled.
Kara silently made her way out to the balcony, where Sam sat staring over the city. "Sam, we need to talk."
"About what, Kara? I told you, I'm not safe to be around," Sam said, without turning to face her friend.
Kara didn't give up, she took a seat across from Sam and started talking, "You know, I know how it feels to lose control, to give in to my anger and hurt someone I care about."
Sam's head turned, just a bit at that statement, "What are you talking about?"
"When I first became Supergirl, one of National City's businessmen decided I was a threat. He created an imperfect version of Kryptonite that caused me to act out my darkest thoughts." Kara sighed as the memories of what she had done darkened her thoughts. "I hurt a lot of people, including Alex and Cat, but through it all, they stood by me."
"You didn't almost kill one of your closest friends, Kara!" Sam snapped.
"I dropped Cat Grant off the side of a building and I broke Alex's arm, and I remember it like it was yesterday, Sam," Kara spoke nonchalantly, having come to terms with what she had done, then she whispered, "I can't ever forget it, but I didn't push away the people that supported me, it wouldn't be fair to them, or to myself."
"I didn't know, Kara." Sam's hand reached across the table and rested on top of Kara's, "I-I don't really want you to go, I need your help, I need to get past this."
"I'm not going anywhere, not as long as you need me. We never get past the bad things we do, we use them to make us better, Sami," Kara stated, rolling her hand and squeezing Sam's fingers gently. "Now you need a nap, we are both tired and cranky."
"But the dreams, Kara, I'm so tired of the dreams," Sam spoke, defeated.
Squeezing her friend's hand, Kara led Sam into the living room and they stretched out on the couch, just as Kara and Alex had done so many times and Kara smiled as Sam finally gave in and surrendered to sleep.
"I'll keep the bad dreams away, Sami," Kara whispered in Kryptonese.
Kara shook her head, realizing she was lost in thought, "It was like when Maxwell Lord's Red Kryptonite brought all my bad thoughts to the surface, she just couldn't let it go."
Alex shivered, remembering the feel of her sister breaking her arm, "hmm, sounds familiar. That wasn't your fault Kar."
"Oh, I know that Alex, but it doesn't stop the guilt. It doesn't stop the fear of it happening again from keeping me up some nights," Kara admitted.
Inside the door, Samantha Arias was listening, as tears welled in her eyes. Kelly was in shock, she felt guilty listening and was about to suggest they step away when a wet nose and two black eyes looked around the door at her and a pink tongue started to wag.
"You two can come out now," Kara closed her eyes as she blushed. "How much did you hear?"
Sam came through the door and Kara stood to meet her. They embraced and once again, Kara was amazed by the feeling of calm that overwhelmed her mind and body when she was held by her champion. "I'm so glad you never stopped coming, sweetheart. Thank you for never giving up on me."
Kara whispered into Sam's ear, "Always, I promise I will always be here for you. For you and for Rubes."
"I know that now, Zhao, I know and I understand," Sam whispered into Kara's ear, kissing her cheek and stepping back. "I have to go, but I promise, I will be back by 11:30 for lunch."
Kara nodded, shocked by Sam's use of the Kryptonese word for love.
Sam stepped down into the yard, and smiled wickedly at Kara, then launched herself over the house and called out for Ruby.
"I'm ready, mom," Ruby growled, her red eyes showing her lack of sleep.
"I warned you to get some sleep, maybe the flight will wake you up," Sam couldn't stop smiling.
On the back porch, Kara turned to Alex and Kelly, still in shock, "Alex, can you help me, I have to pick out something to wear to lunch?"
Alex and Kelly looked at Kara then at each other and started laughing. Then together they grabbed Kara's hands and led her upstairs to pick out an outfit. Ozi trotted behind them, carrying the remains of her tennis ball in her mouth.
After helping Kara pick out an outfit, Kelly and Alex climbed into Kelly's car and headed towards National City. Kara watched them drive away and smiled as Nia made her way over from Sam's house.
"Hey, Kara, ready for your big date later today?" Nia smiled as she walked through the door, headed for the coffee maker.
Kara's eyes widened at the thought, then she smiled, nodded and hummed as she followed Nia into the kitchen.
L Corp, Lena's Office
Sam and Ruby landed gently on Lena's balcony and were met by the raucous barking of Morgana. A smiling Lena Luthor called her back as she stood and walked towards the door. She looked directly at Ruby, "Good morning, Ambassador Arias, it is a great honor to have you here this morning."
"Oh, Rao, Aunt Lena, you are such a dork," Ruby smiled and she wrapped her arms around Lena. "It's so good to see you again."
As Lena relished the hug, as Sam moved into the office.
"Sam, is it okay if Andrea joins us for breakfast?" Lena asked, her voice low.
"Of course, Lena, when is she coming?" Sam asked seriously.
"Around nine, I thought we would be done by then, and I was thinking, an outdoor cafe so that the lack of a car isn't obvious. We will need to walk Morgana, so you and Ruby get a head start and an easy exit." Lena answered with a smile.
Sam's serious demeanor relaxed a bit, and she finally smiled, "Thank you, Lena. Sorry, it's been a long few days, even for a Kryptonian."
"Everything okay? Is Kara doing okay?" Lena asked, concern obvious in her voice and eyes.
"Kara's fine, more than fine really, her powers are returning faster than we thought, she created a Kryptonian colony here on Earth in order to make her family feel better about her protection vow," Sam explained. "Everything is going really well for her, for us, all of us," Sam genuinely smiled, as her thoughts turned to the look on Kara's face this morning.
"I'm still confused, Kara created a colony here on Earth, with a governing body?" Lena asked.
Sam turned, "Kara's family found out from Alura exactly what could happen to Kara because of the vow."
"She will be held responsible for any crime I commit, and if I die for any reason other than naturally, her life is forfeit," Lena recited, whispering almost word for word what Astra had said.
"Needless to say, we weren't very happy with that, so Kara used some little known Kryptonian law to form a council from the three families here on Earth. Since her family is the highest in standing, she is now Earth's Adjudicator," Sam paused. "Per her instructions, you have been pardoned for all crimes against Kryptonian citizens, and going forward, should you commit any crime against a Kryptonian on Earth, you will answer to the investigations of Earth's council."
"So, you are telling me that Kara released me from her vow, but now I am basically under the protection of all Kryptonians on Earth, and the three council members will determine my guilt?" Lena clarified, "Who are the council members?"
"Kara and Astra, the House of El and the House of In-Ze," Sam responded, "and the House of Zod."
Lena's eyes shot open, "You are a member of the council?"
"I am Kryptonian by birth, Lena," Sam responded, standing a little taller, "I am the Champion of the House of El, and head of my family here on Earth. According to Kara and Astra, Zod is one of the six highborn houses of Krypton, so I sit on the council by right of birth, Lena."
"I-didn't mean it that way, Sam. I won't even pretend to understand Kryptonian politics but this doesn't seem like something either one of you would be comfortable with." Lena stepped back, defending herself.
"My Zhao-Kara asked." Sam blushed and turned her head, "I couldn't deny her."
"Zhao? Is that Kryptonian?" Lena asked, confused.
"It means loved," Ruby smiled. "Momma finally let Kara know how she feels."
"Oh!" Lena was surprised, "You told her how you feel?"
"Not exactly," Sam smirked. 'But I think she got the hint,' the hazel-eyed Kryptonian thought. "So what about you and Andrea?"
"What? How? What do you mean?" Lena stuttered.
"Aunt Lena, your heart beats so hard when you talk about Andrea, I could write a song to the beat." Ruby laughed, "Lena and Andrea, sitting in a tree…"
After getting her laughter under control, Sam looked at Lena, "now what is going on that I had to come in today?"
"The office in Metropolis is not doing as well as we thought, I need you to look over some reports," Lena answered, pulling a stack of papers off the desk and moving towards the couches.
Taking the reports in her hand, Sam flipped through them quickly, glancing at numbers and projects. She looked up at Lena giving her a look that indicated there was no way they would get this fixed in a single morning.
Lena's face fell and she mouthed a silent apology to her friend.
Kara and Nia were sitting by the lake enjoying the breeze and watching Ozi run around. "How are you doing, Nia?"
"I'm doing okay," Nia answered, looking away from her mentor and friend.
"Nia, you lie as badly as I do, what's wrong?" Kara asked as she scooted closer to her friend.
"I feel lost." Nia answered, "without you, I don't know if I am doing anything right. You were always there for me, as a reporter, a superhero, and as my friend." She paused, taking a breath and hanging her head, "I miss you."
Kara smiled sadly, putting her arm around Nia's shoulders, "I'm so sorry, Nia. I never meant to abandon you."
"I-I know, I ju-just got so used to-to you being there," Nia cried. The tears flowed for several minutes as Kara comforted her friend. The tears finally stopped and Nia took a moment to catch her breath, "you are more than a friend to me Kara, you are more like a sister."
Kara smiled, and she lifted Nia's chin so that their eyes met, "I like the idea of having a little sister. I'm sorry, Nia, sorry you had to carry my load and yours, sorry I wasn't there for you while things were going on with Lena. I'll work hard to make it up to you."
Nia smiled, really smiled, "You would have done the same thing for me. I don't want you to feel guilty." She paused for just a moment, "Would you mind if Ruby and I tag along this afternoon? I mean I would understand if you want to be alone with Sam."
Kara blushed, "I don't mind, and I am sure Sam won't either." Then her smile brightened and she leaned towards Nia, whispering excitedly, "She called me Zhao this morning."
Nia perked up, her smile almost as bright as Kara's, "Shut-up!"
Kara bit her lower lip, "Don't tell anyone, but I almost kissed her yesterday before she took me flying."
"Well, why didn't you?" Nia leaned in, watching Kara closely.
Kara blushed and turned her head, whispering so low that Nia could barely make out her words, "I was scared she wouldn't kiss me back."
Nia sputtered then broke out in laughter. "By the great blue sun of Naltor, Kara, you sound like Brainy."
"What is so funny?" Kara asked, not the least bit amused as her crinkle started to show.
"I'm sorry, Kara," Nia coughed, getting control of her laughter. "If you don't kiss her soon, your Sami is going to spontaneously combust."
"She's not my Sami," Kara covered her mouth as the nickname escaped.
"Kara," Nia sounded exasperated, "your Sami, she moved to Midvale. Do you think she did that for the wonderful nightlife and amazing shopping experiences?"
"Oh!" Kara gasped, as her thoughts tumbled through the last few years, and Sam's eyes were there in every single memory.
"She's been here every day since you came home, Kara," Nia whispered. "Think about that."
Kara looked out over the lake, her fingers twisting her hair as her thoughts turned to the last few weeks. She had gone from being Kara to being sweetheart, and this morning, Sam's tone, the look in her eyes, the wicked grin as she flew away, and then that word. "She's not my Sami, I'm her Kara," she whispered to herself.
National City, Kelly and Alex's future brownstone
Kelly's car came to a halt in front of the brownstone, and Alex nearly jumped out to kiss the ground, "Honey, I drive fast, but oh my god, the house wasn't going anywhere."
"Oh, hush! I didn't drive that fast," Kelly smiled as she stepped up on the curb. She approached her girlfriend and kissed her, then whispered, "you're here and you're alive aren't you?"
Under her breath, Alex whispered, "barely."
"I heard that, Alexandra," Kelly said, looking back over her shoulder and winking.
Their future landlord met them at the door with the key, "You ladies have a look around and let me know what you think, I'm going down to the coffee shop on the corner."
Kelly unlocked the door, and the two women walked in. The stairway to the left led up, towards the living space, while the office space was more than adequate for Kelly's new practice. As they headed upstairs, Kelly asked, "Are you going to be okay, if Kara doesn't come back to National City?"
Alex stopped, "You don't think she will move back either?"
"It's peaceful there, Alex, she has dealt with so much chaos, so much pain." Kelly paused to let that sink in, "you know, we could move there if you wanted."
Alex laughed, "You and me, in a small town like Midvale? Nope, that is not going to happen."
"Why is that funny?" Kelly huffed.
"We both like the city, the noise, the hustle. This is who we are. We would miss this." Alex smiled as she moved down the steps and nudged her girlfriend towards the door.
Kelly stepped in and turned, "But…"
She was met with a kiss, and when they separated, Alex spoke, "But nothing honey, this is where we want to be, where we want to raise our children."
Kelly smiled brightly as she turned and walked into the living room. "Wow!"
The two women moved from room to room, then headed to the top floor. The downstairs had surprised them, but what was waiting for them upstairs was like a sign from the heavens. A small hallway led to two bedrooms, not one. "I thought it was a two-bedroom?" Alex questioned.
"That's what the landlord said," Kelly answered, confused.
"Someone was off," Alex smiled, as she opened the first door. The room was set up for a child, still filled with furniture and toys. Across the hall, there was a nursery. "Someone is trying to tell us something."
L Corp, Lena's Office
Sam looked up from the reports, aggravated, "By Rao, Lena, this is a mess, I'll need at least a week to sort this out."
"Really?" Lena perked up, "Would you be able?"
"I have to talk to Kara first. Maybe she and Ruby can deal with the movers tomorrow. If she agrees, I can be back later tonight and work until a week from Saturday," Sam suggested, slightly irked. "If we finish early, I get to go home."
"Agreed," Lena smiled.
"Can we go to breakfast now?" Ruby asked.
"Yes," Lena and Sam answered at the same time.
Back at the Brownstone
Alex and Kelly made their way down the steps to the sidewalk and headed towards the coffee shop to meet their future landlord.
As they entered the door, Alex headed to the counter, and the landlord, Stanley Roper stood and waved Kelly over, "Hello, Ms. Olsen, so what did you think?"
"The place is amazing," Kelly answered. "However, you said two bedrooms over the phone and there were three."
"What? That's not right," the grey-haired man said rifling through his files, "253 Curt Swan Avenue."
Alex walked up, kissing Kelly on the cheek and handing her a cup of coffee, "we saw 252 Curt Swan," Alex said, trying not the laugh.
"252...252...Ah, right here. Sorry about that," the man apologized. "My secretary handles the filing and she has been out sick, the rent is…" he paused as he turned the page, "less than the two-bedroom. Hmm, that's odd, let's see…"
"Lower rent sounds better," Kelly smiled at Alex.
"Here's why the rent is lower because the building is for sale. You ladies wouldn't be interested in buying, would you?" He laughed without looking up from his papers.
Kelly and Alex turned and looked at each other, "Yes!" they both answered, smiling.
Home, Eliza's Kitchen
Kara was standing in front of the stove cracking eggs and singing to herself as Nia made coffee and toast when Eliza, Alura, and Astra came down the stairs. "Hey, baby, what ya making?" Eliza asked as she hip bumped her youngest daughter and headed towards the coffee maker.
"Hey, mom," Kara responded, her eyes popping open as she looked towards Alura, looking for any sign of disapproval. "Mother, I meant to ask if you would be okay with me calling Eliza, mom?"
"Daughter, there is nothing wrong with you calling her mom, she brought you up, and you don't have to ask permission," Alura answered, smiling.
"You're sure?" Kara questioned, looking to Astra, who shrugged. "That was incredibly easy from Alura Zor-El."
"Kara, I have made mistakes, but telling you that you cannot refer to the woman who took care of you here on Earth as mom, is not going to be one of them," Alura answered, smiling.
Kara smiled, which slowly infected the whole room. "Are omelets okay with everyone?"
Everyone agreed and as Kara cooked, the group settled at the table, talking amongst themselves.
National City, Breakfast
Andrea was waiting as they entered the restaurant. Taking their seats, Sam smiled as Andrea stood and greeted Lena with a hug and a kiss on the forehead. "Sam, it's good to see you. This must be Ruby?"
"Andrea, it's good to see you, how's our friend really doing?" Sam asked, looking towards Lena.
"Ms. Rojas," Ruby held her hand out. Realizing she was still holding Morgana's leash, she quickly changed hands and they shook.
"She's doing fine, Sam, eating regularly, maintaining semi-normal work hours and she has a visit with Harley on Friday in Gotham," Andrea answered, smiling at Lena.
"Wait, I have to work, and you are flying to Gotham?" Sam asked, peeking over her menu.
"It's just for the day, and I will be on call the whole time," Lena suddenly went on the defensive.
"Good grief, Lena, relax, I'm joking. I'm glad you are continuing your therapy sessions," Sam laughed.
"Aunt Lena, can I get pancakes and a big breakfast?" Ruby asked.
With that, everyone settled down and breakfast was ordered.
The Coffee Shop, National City
"Alex?" Kelly looked up at her girlfriend.
"What, we can afford it, I think. Let's make an offer, and see where it goes from there," Alex grinned.
"You're sure?" Kelly's head was spinning, they'd gone from living apart to considering renting and now buying a place.
"Yes, honey, I'm sure, let's try, the most they can say is no," Alex placed her hands on Kelly's shoulders. "What do you think?"
Kelly turned her eyes to Mr. Roper, "Let's do this."
Sam was finishing her breakfast when Alex's text came across her phone, pictures of the townhouse filled her screen, with the words, 'We're buying!'
Ruby looked up at her mom as the same message came up on her phone.
Nia and Kara's phones vibrated at the same time, images of the house on each. Nia smiled, but Kara saw the images and excused herself from the table, heading outside with Ozi. Astra looked to Alura and then Eliza, "I'm going to speak to her."
Both women shook their heads, "Give her a little time, Astra," Eliza spoke softly. "Let her work this one out."
Astra paused, looked at the door, and reluctantly sat back down.
Kara stomped down to the lake, her thoughts jumbled. She looked down at Ozi, "Everything is changing, ever since Lena found out about Supergirl, everything has been so-so different."
She plopped down at the lakeside table, staring at the water, her chin rested on her hands. 'Everything changes, it's not the end of the world, it's the beginning of a new adventure,' she thought to herself. Then she whispered to herself, with a voice full of sadness, "Or is it? Everyone is leaving, everyone is going away and I'll be alone, again."
Ozi jumped on the bench, nudging Kara's arm with her head. Absentmindedly, Kara started to scratch her behind the ear. The motion seemed to calm her and she started to breathe in and out, centering her thoughts. She looked down and smiled at Ozi, who climbed into her lap and licked her face.
The puppy's act seemed to help as Kara giggled. She gathered her thoughts and started talking in low tones, "Alex and Kelly aren't leaving me, they are making their own way in the world. They can be here in a few hours, and I can be there in less than twenty minutes at hi-speed." She paused and smiled brightly, "No one's leaving me, I have Aunt Astra back. I have my friends, J'onn, Brainy, Cat, and Lucy. My family is here for me, Mom, Nia, Mother."
She lifted the puppy up to her face, receiving kisses on her nose, and whispered, "More than anything else, and you can't tell a soul, I have Ruby and Sami." Ozi continued to lick her face and Kara thought to herself, 'the sun still rises and sets…"
With that thought, a memory of Krypton came to mind.
The El Home, Krypton
"I hate it, Aunt Astra," Kara whined. "What was wrong with our old home."
Astra seated herself on Kara's bed, allowing the small girl to climb on her lap, "Little One, your mother has a new position, this apartment, it matches her status."
"But my friends…" Kara sniffled, "my teachers, even the Science Guild is further away."
Pressing a remote on the table, the window's tint slowly faded, allowing the setting of Rao's star to be seen from Kara's window. Astra smiled as the child's attention was pulled towards the view, "the sun still rises and sets Little One. Change is not always a bad thing. Sacrifices must be made for family, but your friends can still visit, and you live closer to me now."
"Will you take me to the Science Guild?" Kara asked, looking into the face of her hero.
"Every day, Little One," Astra answered, resting her head on Kara's as they looked at the sunset together. Whispering, she smiled, "every day."
A small smile formed on Kara's face as she was pulled back from the memory by the sound of approaching footsteps, "Hello, Aunt Astra."
"Are you okay, Little One?" Astra asked, concern obvious in her tone.
Kara stood from the table, her back straight and her eyes bright, "I am now, Auntie." She wrapped her arms around Astra and squeezed, "The sun still rises and sets…"
A single tear rolled down Astra's face as the memory of those words touched her to her very soul.
National City, Breakfast
Sam checked her watch for the fifth time in the last ten minutes, causing Lena to roll her eyes and smirk. Looking at Andrea, "darling, Sam, and Ruby have to head back to Midvale, Sam has a meeting with a contractor later this afternoon. Do you mind if we walk Morgana and let them skip out on us?"
Andrea smiled at Lena, "You mean I get you to myself for a little while?"
Lena blushed and Sam and Ruby stood to leave, "We can take the long way back to L Corp," Lena grinned.
Sam and Ruby said their goodbyes and headed for the door. As soon as they were out of sight of the restaurant, they moved into an alley and shot into the sky. At Ruby's insistence, they hovered above the cafe until Lena and Andrea exited, holding hands and laughing as they walked down the sidewalk, Morgana walking on Lena's left side.
"Satisfied?" Sam smiled.
"Sorry, I take after my mother and worry about everybody," Ruby laughed. "Race you."
Sam watched as her daughter sped up and headed towards Midvale. 'I could get used to this flying thing,' she thought to herself.
Kara was upstairs finishing getting dressed when she heard two familiar heartbeats getting closer to the house. She looked into the full-length mirror on the back of her door, satisfied with what she saw. Her bones were no longer prominent and her eyes weren't red-rimmed from the constant tears and lack of sleep. She looked at her ears, remembering when she'd first arrived with the Danvers and Eliza had helped her pierce her ears with the help of a red sun lamp and a very sharp needle. Walking across the room, she opened a small box that had been among the things Alex and Kelly brought her from National City. Opening it, her eyes lit up, even more, two perfect blue sapphires mounted in gold sat against the black velvet. The note was still there as well…
'To my baby sister,
These reminded us of you.
All things get better with time.
Love, A & K'
Kara inserted the post into her ears and slid the gold backs into place, just as Sam and Ruby landed across the street, "Missed you," she whispered, watching as Sam's head turned towards her window.
"I missed you too, Zhao, be ready in a few minutes," Sam whispered back, and she closed her eyes as the words washed over her.
Kara and Ozi came down the stairs as Nia entered the back door. Alura and Eliza were in the front room talking when Kara stuck her head in, "Do you two mind watching Ozi while we are out?"
"Of course not," Alura answered. "Come here, Ozi." The puppy responded by bounding onto the couch next to Eliza. "Traitor," Alura smiled at the large ball of fur.
"Thanks, we will see you in a little while," Kara waved and headed out the door behind Nia.
Ruby came out the front door as Sam backed her SUV out of the garage, Nia and Ruby climbed into the back as Kara took her place in the passenger seat. Looking into the back, "I told Nia they could tag along, is that okay?"
"It's fine with me," Sam answered, seeming distracted.
"Sami? Everything okay?" Kara asked, laying her hand on top of the brunettes.
"I have to go back tonight if you and Ruby think you can handle the movers tomorrow?" Sam blurted out, "If you don't want to, I'll understand."
"Is Lena okay?" Kara's grip tightened.
"She's fine, sweetheart. Metropolis is a mess and I know that office better than she does," Sam turned her hand in Kara's, wrapping her fingers around the blondes.
"Hmph!" Kara pouted. "It's only for a week? You will be back next Sunday for dinner?"
Sam's heart swelled as she heard the sound of possession in Kara's voice, "only a week, earlier if I can figure out what they did wrong."
"Fine, but she better make sure you are taken care of," Kara smiled at the bright hazel eyes and her hand tightened on Sam's. She turned her head and looked out the window as they drove towards town, frowning and thinking selfish thoughts.
"Don't forget, Kara, we have to stop and get Ozi a new ball," Nia called from the back seat.
Kara turned and Sam caught sight of the frown on her beautiful face. "Kara?"
"Sorry, my mind was wandering," Kara lied. "Can we stop and walk a bit?"
Sam pulled the SUV into an empty spot just a few blocks from the ice-cream shop and everyone jumped out. Kara stepped up on the sidewalk as Sam rounded the front of the truck, and Sam noticed the frown again, "Kara, what's wrong?"
"I'm being selfish, that's all," the blonde answered, holding her head down, slightly ashamed of herself...
"Selfish?" Sam questioned, annoyed that she was forced to have this conversation, "I can call Lena and tell her I can't come.".
"Would you ask me to stop being a reporter or Supergirl?" Kara asked.
"No, of course not," Sam answered, her face scrunched in thought. "Why?"
Kara looked directly into Sam's eyes, "then how could I ask you not to do something you love, something you are good at."
Sam smiled, "I'm coming back, Kara, I'll come back every night if you want."
Kara stepped closer wrapping her arms around the slightly taller woman's back, "I know, that's why I wouldn't ask. You are going to be tired. I know how you and Lena get when you are working. All I ask is that we text or talk every night, please?"
Sam leaned in, relishing Kara's scent, and whispered, "of course Zhao, as you wish."
Kissing Sam on the cheek, Kara stepped back, "Did you really just quote 'the Princess Bride' at me?"
Sam smiled and took her hand and they headed down the sidewalk, as they walked, they moved shoulder to shoulder and their fingers slowly entwined.
National City, Alex's Apartment
Alex paced back and forth, while Kelly sat on the couch staring at the blank TV. Her phone rang and she answered. "Hello, Dr. Kelly Olsen."
"Dr. Olsen, this is Stanley, I have good news. The family accepted your offer and they would like a quick closing, you and Ms. Danvers will be able to take possession within the next month."
"Thank you, we will come by tomorrow," Kelly responded in shock as she disconnected the call.
"Well?" Alex asked, stopping her pacing.
Kelly's face brightened as her smile grew, "They accepted the offer!"
Alex stepped forward and pulled Kelly from the couch wrapping her arms and around her and repeating the words as she pulled her girlfriend into a passionate embrace.
Kara's earlier bad mood seemed to disperse as she and Sam walked hand and hand down the main street of Midvale. Sam could feel her mood lighten as well as they moved from storefront to storefront taking in the sights and window shopping. As they passed the pet store, Kara peeked in the window and looked to Sam, "I owe Ozi a new ball, do you mind?"
Sam called to Nia and Ruby and pointed, then smiled as they entered the shop, a small bell announcing their presence. Kara stepped towards the puppy toys and was met by the store owner.
"Kara Danvers, is that you?" The older woman asked.
"Mrs. Elmore?" Kara grinned, "What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't teach English forever dear, how is Midvale's resident Pulitzer winner doing?" The older woman asked, peeking over at Sam, "and who's your friend?"
Sam walked up and introduced herself, and watched as Kara snuck off, looking at puppy toys, leaving her trapped.
"Kara was always one of my best students, always worked hard. I knew if she ever became a reporter as she wanted, she would be one of the best." Ms. Elmore spoke as she slid her arm through Sam's elbow effectively trapping her in conversation.
Sam heard Kara's giggle and stuck her tongue out at the blonde and then looked sweetly at the retired teacher, "She's just wonderful isn't she, you should ask her about her newest project. I hear she's working on her first book."
Kara looked up quickly and frowned at her Sami, trying to look angry but failing miserably. Sam turned her back and headed towards the front of the store where Ruby and Nia were playing with some kittens, laughing as she heard the conversation start.
"Kara, sweetheart, why didn't you say something, I have some experience with writing novels, maybe you need some pointers." Ms. Elmore spoke loudly as she moved towards her old student.
Twenty minutes later Kara finally picked out a few toys for her puppy and escaped the store. Nia and Ruby were waiting outside as she exited, "Mom headed down the street, some sign caught her eye."
"Uh-huh," Kara smirked, looking down towards the brunette, who was standing in front of the Midvale paper talking on her phone. She turned and walked towards her, her blues eyes flashing orange momentarily, making certain that Sam knew she was coming.
Sam coughed to cover her laugh as Kara tried to act angry, waiting for her to get close. "Before you cook me, look…" Sam smiled, stepping to the side, a For Sale sign coming into Kara's view.
"And?" Kara asked, her brain not quite catching up with her body. Suddenly a look of absolute excitement overcame the Kryptonian, "Sami, the paper is for sale. The paper needs a new owner. I'm a reporter. I-I could…"
"Kara, slow down, sweetheart. Breathe." Sam whispered quietly and placed her hands on Kara's shoulders, "relax…"
Kara took a deep breath, her brain working overtime as she started remembering all the lessons she had learned watching Cat, Lena, and Sam work. "I can't do this, Sami, I wouldn't know where to start. I've never run a business."
Sam pulled her phone from behind her back, "You were right, Cat, word for word. I owe you dinner."
"Ms. Grant…" Kara sputtered.
"Kara Danvers, you were the best assistant I ever had, you are one of the best writers and reporters on the planet." Cat paused, then whispered, "you are Supergirl for God's sake. If anyone can do this, you can."
"Yes ma'am." Kara stuttered, "what do I do?"
"You ask for help, and you accept advice, just like I did when I got started. I'm coming for dinner next week. How about I come in a day or two early and we will create a business plan?" Cat asked.
"That would be wonderful, thank you, Ms. Grant." Kara gushed.
"We are family and possibly business partners, call me Cat. Okay, Kara?" Cat said, her smile coming over the speaker.
"Thank you, Cat." Kara smiled as Sam disconnected the call.
"That was painless wasn't it?" Sam asked.
"You are still going to pay for leaving me with Mrs. Elmore," Kara grinned wickedly.
"Oh really, what are you going to do?" Sam asked, as Kara stood on her tiptoes and swept her lips across the brunettes.
"Get your attention, Sami," Kara said over her shoulder as she walked off, caught up with the girls, and headed to the Ice-Cream shop.
Sam stood and stared as Kara and the girls disappeared through the door, her mouth hanging open. The ability to move came back slowly as she licked her lips and tasted Kara's lip gloss then took several shaky steps towards the door where her Zhao had disappeared.
Sam came through the door and couldn't help but stare as Kara, Nia and Ruby were sitting in the booth, concentrating on the menu. 'My family,' she thought as she moved to her seat.
Kara set down the menu and looked at Sam, her eyes shining with mirth. Then after watching Sam squirm for a moment, Kara's face turned serious. "Sami," Kara paused, biting her lip, "I need your advice."
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Sam acknowledged.
"Nothing is really wrong." Kara started, "What do I do about my old job?"
"Huh?" Sam responded, then thought a moment, "Oh, that's right. Well, you were under contract and terminated illegally, since you were unable to respond or contact your employer, due to your situation."
"I could use the money, but Andrea and Lena?" Kara looked down at the table.
Taking Kara's hands in hers, Sam thought for a moment, "Kara." Then she whispered, "Zhao, we can fix that, it's easy, we just ask. Okay?"
Kara nodded, then took a deep, shaky breath, "Now for the hard part. Andrea knows the truth, Sami." The second part of the sentence was said so low, that if Sam's hearing hadn't been so acute she would have missed it.
Sam's mouth fell open, "She knows what Lena did to you?" She paused for a moment as the thought sunk in, then her eyes flashed blue, "Lena told her everything?"
"No, Lena-Lena said Andrea figured it out at the-my speech," Kara spoke quietly, ashamed that she had forgotten to tell Sam.
"Kara, I'm not angry, but are you sure?" She asked as she squeezed Kara's hands tighter.
Kara seemed to shrink a bit. Then she whispered, "No, there are too many lies between the two of us." Then Kara sat up a bit straighter, grasping Sam's hand in hers, "it doesn't matter now, Andrea knows, and you know what?"
"What, Kara Danvers?" Sam asked, a grin growing on her face.
"We are not going to let it affect our lives. I'm tired of being scared and not living my life," then she paused. "Our life."
Ruby's eyes shot up at that comment and she smiled as she leaned into the blonde Kryptonian, hugging her tightly, "You and Nia are going to stay at my house while mom is gone?"
"Yes, Ambassador," Kara answered as she leaned in and kissed the top of Ruby's head.
The waitress came over and took their order and conversation hovered around the paper and the set up of furniture. Kara's last question before they dug in was directed at Nia, "So, Nia? You want to come to work for me if I get the paper?"
You couldn't tell who smiled brighter, Nia, or Ruby as the dark-haired Naltorian nodded her head speechless.
After finishing their ice-cream and paying the bill the four women headed out. Kara looked to the girls, "I need to get a computer. Do we have a few minutes?"
Sam nodded as she frowned, "Yeah, go ahead, I'll catch up, I need to call Lena real quick, let her know I'll be back tonight."
Kara frowned as well, as the girls pulled her towards the computer store, she understood why Sami had to go, but she didn't have to be happy about it.
As the girls disappeared into the shop, Sam dialed Lena's phone.
"Lena's phone, this is Andrea Rojas speaking," Andrea answered professionally.
Surprised, Sam hesitated before speaking, "Andrea, this is Samantha Arias, may I speak with Lena?"
"Hello, Samantha, it's going to be a moment, she's confirming some things with Harley's receptionist." Andrea answered, "is there anything I can help with?"
"I was just calling to let her know I would be back tonight." Then she paused, "Kara agreed to take care of the movers for me."
"How is Kara doing?" Andrea asked, unease apparent in her voice.
"She's doing really well," Sam smiled at her opportunity. "However, she has some concerns about back pay with CatCo magazine."
"It was a legal release, Samantha. She failed to turn in any stories or contact HR for over seven days," Andrea responded, moving from friend to CEO in one sentence.
Andrea's tone raised the hairs on the back of Sam's neck, and she instantly reverted to her role as former CFO of L Corp. Sam snapped back, "we both know you have intimate knowledge of what happened, Ms. Rojas."
Andrea's eyes widened, "what are you insinuating, Ms. Arias?"
"If Ms. Danvers wished to pursue this situation, Lena could be implicated," Sam had no interest in getting Lena or Kara into a courtroom, but Kara was in the right and deserved her pay. 'I'm sorry, Lena, but this is for Kara,' Sam thought to herself.
"You wouldn't dare?" Andrea gasped from the other end.
"Andrea, both of these women mean a great deal to me, but Kara did not deserve termination and her contract should have been reactivated immediately upon the conclusion you reached the day of the speech," Sam spoke with authority, her voice even but her tone indicating that she was not a woman to be trifled with. "Let me be perfectly clear, Kara deserves her pay and compensation for wrongful termination."
Andrea huffed, and failed to notice Lena taking the phone out of her hand, "Sam, what is going on?"
"Andrea and I were having a conversation about Kara's position with CatCo. She is entitled to lost wages and compensation for being let go due to circumstances beyond her control," Sam responded, not the least bit fazed that she was speaking to her employer. "I'm not sorry, Lena, this is for Kara."
"I'll speak to Andrea," Lena whispered. "Sam, you-you're not angry with me, are you?"
"No, Lena. Kara brought this up because the paper here in Midvale is for sale and she is considering buying," Sam explained.
"Oh, how much?" Lena inquired.
Sam rolled her eyes, picturing Lena pulling out her checkbook, "Lena, she needs to do this herself. I could probably afford to write the check myself, but Kara needs her confidence back, and doing something like this will help her heal."
"I understand," Lena responded, dejectedly, "I'm overcompensating for what happened, aren't I?"
"You're trying to help a friend, Lena," Sam countered. "Anyway, right now, she is buying a computer with the girls, so I am going to save her and head home. I'll be back in National City around seven or eight, can I have one of the condos?"
"Already set up, you are on the tenth floor, number seven." Lena smiled, "I'll see you tonight for dinner?"
"Thanks, Lena. I'll see you in a few hours, that way we can get started tonight." She paused, taking a breath, "about Andrea, tell her it wasn't personal."
"Bye, Sam," Lena said softly.
"Bye," Sam disconnected the call and headed towards the shop. She walked in and saw Kara paying for two laptops and a printer.
Kara turned towards the door and smiled, and once again, Sam found herself trapped in those gorgeous blue orbs. "Hey, Sami, I got Rubes a new laptop and a printer and computer for me, okay?"
"It's fine, but why did Ruby need a new laptop?" Sam asked, dreading the answer.
"Well if I'm going to work with her on computer science and programming, she needs a machine that will keep up, and I could actually afford a good one for her," the blonde answered, an innocent look on her face.
"So you can teach her how to hack and build apps, in other words," Sam laughed.
"Pretty much, yep," Kara grinned and grabbed Sam's hand, heading out the door.
As they approached the car, Sam leaned over and whispered in Kara's ear, "don't spoil her too much, please?"
"Just a little bit, she's good for me," Kara smiled as Ruby climbed into the SUV.
"You're good for her too, Zhao," Sam said, squeezing Kara's hand and smiling, causing the blonde to blush.
National City, Lena's Condo
Andrea was sitting on Lena's couch, red-faced and scowling. "Andrea, calm down."
"Calm down? That woman!" Andrea hissed, "she threatened court action if I don't pay Kara Danvers for wrongful termination."
"Is she wrong?" Lena asked, trying to defuse Andrea's anger.
"Whose side are you on?" Andrea snapped. "I can't just pay her, I terminated her contract before I found out what happened before I discovered who she was."
"And if it was someone else, and you discovered you'd made a mistake, what would you do?" Lena asked calmly.
"I'd try to fix it, of course," Andrea rubbed her face, still angry. "This is different, Kara can't sue without telling the world who she really is, but that woman didn't hesitate to threaten to implicate you and me."
Lena turned and covered her mouth, trying to block the laughter that was rising, "Now-now I understand what's wrong."
"Excuse me?" Andrea stood, "What do you understand, and what is so damn funny?"
"You're not angry about paying Kara, you're upset because Sam beat you at your own game," Lena laughed. "What do you expect, she learned from me."
"Lena, she threatened us, you, with court," Andrea stammered.
"And you reacted exactly like she knew you would, you got angry and stopped thinking." Lena walked over and sat down beside Andrea, "Andi, Sam played you, and you lost. Pay Kara what you owe her, please? For me?"
"I have to explain to the legal department why we are cutting a check for a terminated employee, especially a check that size." Andrea smiled, knowing she had lost.
"We can work that out, I'm sure with our resources, you and I can make sure that CatCo doesn't get any bad press," Lena laughed again.
Andrea rolled her eyes, "Really, Lee, bad press? For a magazine?"
Lena leaned over and brushed her lips on Andrea's cheek, "it made you laugh, didn't it, darling?"
"She's coming tonight, and will be here all week?" Andrea grumbled.
"Play nice, she beat you fair and square, Checkmate!" Lena smiled once again, then leaned her head on Andrea's shoulder, "She'll be here in time for dinner, what would you like?"
'Dessert,' Andrea thought to herself, as she leaned her head towards Lena's, closing her eyes and relaxing.
Sam and Kara were quiet during the drive home, holding hands and watching the road. As they pulled into the driveway and parked, the girls hopped out of the back, grabbing the bags and heading into the house. Kara pulled the handle to open the door when Sam's hand tightened. "Can we just sit a minute?"
"Is everything okay, Sami?" Kara smiled as she asked, listening to the staccato beat of Sam's hammering heart.
"Everything is perfect right now, I just know, that when I get out of the car, the afternoon ends and I have to head back to National City, and…," she paused.
"Sami, I wish you didn't have to go, but I do understand why you have to. When you get back, I'll be here, I'm not going anywhere, I'm waiting for you…," Kara paused, "As I said before, I'll always be here for you."
Sam turned and looked at Kara, taking her breath away, then in a low whisper, "I know, Zhao."
Kara released a shaky breath as Sam lifted her hand and brushed her lips over the blonde's knuckles. Kara's eyes closed and her breathing quickened.
"Have I got your attention, Ms. Danvers?" Sam smirked as she opened her door and stepped out of the car.
Kara huffed as she stepped out of the car, her legs feeling a little weak as the feel of Sam's lips on her knuckles played over and over again in her mind. "Th-That was mean."
"You started it, Zhao," Sam smiled as she checked her watch, "Oh, damn, Kara, sweetheart, I have to go, I'm going to be late."
"You haven't packed, what about clothes?" Kara asked, trying desperately to come up with an excuse for Sam not to leave.
"I keep an emergency bag at Lena's office, sweetheart, I'm sorry, time got away from me," Sam frowned as she stepped around the car. "I'll text you as soon as I get to the condo, I promise."
Kara pouted, her blue eyes catching Sam's, "you'd better." She lunged into Sam's arms, hugging her tightly, "I'll miss you, my zrhueiao zygai."
Kissing Kara lightly on the forehead, "I'll miss you as well, Zhao." Then she slowly took off, the words Kara had spoken rolling through her mind.
"Fly safe, my zygai," Kara whispered as she waved. 'Come back to me soon, Zhao,' she thought to herself.
Kara was sitting on Sam's back patio playing chess with Nia waiting for her phone to buzz or ring.
"Check," Nia said, watching closely, looking for the signs, searching for the tells that would warn her that Kara was falling. "Kara, hey, sis!"
"Hmm, oh sorry, my mind wandered," Kara shook her head. "Where were we? Check? How did you do that?"
While Kara studied the board, Nia took a deep breath, "Are you okay?"
Kara moved a piece on the board, "Check!" Blue eyes lifted from the board, "I'm okay, Nia. Letting any of you go, it's hard but I'm slowly getting used to it. We all have lives to lead."
"Kara, she's coming home, just like Alex and Kelly, she will be back," Nia placed her hand on Kara's fingers while studying the board, "we are here for you, just like you have always been here for us."
"I know, Nia," Kara patted the Naltorian's hand. "Part of the reason I'm so off-balanced is my feelings for Sami are, oh Rao…," she trailed off.
"She makes your heart soar?" Nia asked, "I know the feeling."
Kara looked up, her eyes shining, "Brainy?"
Nia nodded and the game was forgotten while the two friends caught up on something else Kara had missed…
In the skies above National City, Solaria was finishing her patrol when she heard a familiar heartbeat heading towards her niece's city. Turning, Astra sped towards the incoming person, meeting them just as they crossed the imaginary line that formed the city's airspace.
Sam slowed to a halt, hovering about a mile over the city, smiling as she listened to the approaching Kryptonian, "Hello, Astra."
"Hello, Samantha," Astra said as she came to a stop. "You are running behind schedule. Lena said you would be there between seven and eight o'clock?"
"I was with Kara and I lost track of time," Sam's smile grew larger.
"I assumed as much," Astra spoke, completely unsurprised. "How is my niece?"
"She is well, a bit speechless when I left," Sam blushed. "And, she did use a phrase I didn't understand, zrhueiao zygai."
Astra snorted, "her beautiful champion." Sam's blush grew even deeper, causing Astra to laugh harder, "if you glow any brighter champion, you will rival Rao himself."
"I-I need to get to Lena's," Sam stammered, "I will see you more this week, General?"
"You will, zygai, perhaps we can have lunch during the week? Discuss your intentions towards my niece?" Astra was still laughing as she flew off.
Twenty minutes later, after finally finding a safe place to land, Sam entered the office, got her key, and headed up to the condo. She unlocked the door and turned on the light, looking around, there was a note on the bar, which she picked up and read…
Sam,
I stocked the fridge and brought your clothes from L Corp. We can get started in the morning, Andrea is spending the night, and after your conversation, she probably needs a day or two to calm down.
Corporate account is attached to your room, order food, and talk to Kara, we can get started around eight in the morning.
Thank you,
Lena
Sam glared at the note, then with a short burst of her heat vision, she ignited it and watched as it burned in her hand, thinking to herself, 'Andrea needs to learn not to be such a sore loser.'
She called and ordered food; pizza and potstickers in honor of Kara, and then dialed Kara's number.
Nia and Ruby had stepped over to Eliza's for dinner leaving Kara and Ozi on Sam's patio when Kara's phone rang, she tapped the button before the first tone finished, "Hey, Sami."
"Hey, sweetheart, you okay?" Sam asked with concern.
Kara took a deep breath, to get her panic under control, "Sorry, still getting used to this whole letting people go thing."
"I can fly back," Sam offered, sitting up and grabbing her shoes.
"No, then you just have to leave again in the morning, I have to learn to adjust." Kara smiled into the phone, "how was the flight?"
"It was good, I ran into Astra on the way in, she should be back by now," Sam relaxed a bit. "Do you really think I'm beautiful?"
"Uh, oh, hmm…," Kara stammered, as she blushed from her neck to her ears. "Astra told you what it meant?"
"She did, and you didn't answer my question." Sam's voice dropped into a husky whisper, "Do you think I'm beautiful, Zhao?"
Kara's eyes fluttered closed at the sound of Sam's whisper, but instead of answering the question, Kara stuttered, "Is-Is there anything else I need to know about tomorrow?"
On the other end of the phone, Sam smiled and rolled with the question, "Nothing I can think of, I gave you the list of where the furniture goes, and we can hang pictures when I get back."
The two women continued to talk until Kara's phone threatened to die. Sam heard the warning beep from her side, "You need to get some rest, I'll text in the morning before breakfast, and don't forget the movers will be there around ten or eleven."
"I already set the alarm on my phone, thank you, Sami, thanks for trusting me to do this for you," Kara yawned into the phone.
"I trust you completely, Zhao. Sweet dreams, Kara." Sam smiled, "If you need me, call sweetheart."
"I will, zygai. Night Sami," Kara grinned into the phone as she disconnected.
Kara got up from the patio and walked into the house, finding Nia and Ruby playing chess on the floor in the living room. "We're going to sleep in here tonight, Kara," Ruby volunteered, not even looking up from the board. "You can have mom's room, she has an air mattress."
"Night ladies, movers will be here between ten and eleven," Kara said as she headed into Sam's room. As she lay back on the bed, she could feel the panic rise. She took a deep calming breath and rolled over to plug in her phone, then sat up and opened her laptop, it was going to be a long night.
National City, Sam's Condo
Sam's food had arrived and she was sitting on the couch going over the files in her lap. She popped a potsticker into her mouth, and looked over the same page for the fourth time, trying to find any errors. 'It's going to be a long night,' she thought to herself and went back to staring at the paper.
Kara watched the sky begin to lighten as her eyes finally started to get heavy when she heard the 'ding' of an incoming message. Rolling over she smiled as she saw a selfie of Sam grinning at her from her messages.
K: 'Who's that pretty lady?'
S: 'Aww, you think I'm pretty first thing in the morning?'
K: 'I was talking to the pizza box behind you.' She giggled as she pressed send.
S: 'Brat! Although the potstickers were to die for. How did you sleep?'
K: 'Not so good, probably just first night nerves, didn't want to miss my alarm.' She lied, not wanting to worry Sam. "You had potstickers, without me, by Rao, that's a crime."
S: 'Haha, I'll bring you some when I head back. Are you sure you are okay?'
K: 'I'm okay, Sami, really. I have to adjust.'
S: 'Okay, gotta go, Lena is in the hall, will call tonight. Have fun with the movers, don't laugh at them too hard, Zhao.'
K: 'Ok? Why would I laugh at the movers?'
S: 'Watch them move my bedroom stuff, you'll see, hugs.'
K: 'Ohh! Now I'm going to laugh, zygai. Kisses.'
Kara got up from the bed and headed to the bathroom. She looked into the mirror and her eyes didn't look too bad, 'a few hours in the sun,' she thought to herself.
The movers arrived about two hours later and the girls gathered to watch them unload. Kara was guiding them through the house to the right rooms as Ruby and Alura giggled as the 'big, strong men' moving the furniture.
Home, the Saturday before dinner.
Kara sat in the swing with Ozi, on Eliza's porch, going over the events of the past week as she rubbed her red-rimmed eyes and yawned. She'd completed two chapters of her book and emailed them to the editor to proof so she could get some notes. She almost completely unpacked Sam's house, sending pictures and videos whenever she hung pictures or put anything away. Thursday, she and Cat had ridden into Midvale and talked to the realtor and the bank. 'We didn't even need the business plan that Cat and I had spent all of Wednesday night working on,' she thought to herself. The lack of sleep was showing to everyone, especially Alex who had tried everything to get her to nap Thursday.
Kara answered the front door and was met by hugs from Kelly and Alex. "You're early, I didn't expect you back til tomorrow?"
"We got all the paperwork done, and today was graduation for my class, so we thought we would come back early," Kelly volunteered, frowning at the obviously exhausted blonde.
"Kara? Have you gotten any sleep this week?" Alex asked, concern evident in her voice.
"A few hours here and there," Kara responded with a yawn. "Every time I close my eyes…"
Kelly took Kara by the hand and led her back to the patio, "Sit."
Kara sat down, her fingers pulling at her hair. She even attempted to fix her non-existent glasses. "I'm so tired, Kelly, but-but I keep thinking she isn't going to come back."
"Oh baby, she will be back in a few days, just like me and Alex," Kelly cooed, wrapping her arms around the worn-out woman. "Did you try all the exercises I taught you?"
"I tried everything, I would be okay until I closed my eyes, then, it was so dark," Kara whispered into Kelly's shoulder.
"Did you talk or text her every night, I know Alex checked on you throughout the day but did you and Sam stay in contact?" Kelly questioned.
Kara nodded, yawned, and answered, "Every morning and every night."
Kelly waved her hand at the door and Alex stepped onto the patio, "Why don't you sit out here with her for a bit, see if it helps, okay, love?"
Alex nodded as she made her way to the hammock on the other side of the patio, the one Sam had set up on the balcony in Metropolis for Kara's visits and waved her sister over.
Kara made her way across the porch and crawled in next to her sister and Alex started singing Astra's lullaby...
That two-hour nap had been the best sleep she'd gotten this week, but it wasn't enough to fix the overwhelming feeling of exhaustion that was threatening her.
Sam was almost to Midvale after finally finding the problem and getting everything straightened out in the Metropolis branch. She had gone to lunch with Astra the day before and after talking about Reign, raising Ruby and Kara, she'd told Astra about the problems with work. "Sometimes looking for something so hard, is more of a problem than the problem itself," Astra had smiled.
Sam returned to the condo and pulled up the spreadsheets on her laptop and spent less than twenty minutes finding and fixing the formulation errors that had set her on this wild goose chase. Lena had fallen asleep on the couch while she fixed the last two. Her last act before flying to Midvale had been letting Andrea know that Kara's back pay hadn't been a personal attack, just business. She'd been rewarded with a handshake and a check for Kara.
She landed gently in the front yard and made her way to Eliza's door, she was almost to the door when Ruby pushed it open and wrapped her arms around her mother. "Hey, baby girl, I missed you."
"Hey, momma, I missed you too." Ruby smiled into her mother's shoulder, "Kara missed you more though. She hasn't been sleeping."
"I know, baby, but I couldn't force her to let me come home. I had to let her try." Sam frowned at herself as she answered.
"She's on the porch, in your spot," Ruby smiled as she pulled back.
Sam made her way through the house, hugging everyone and making her way slowly to the back porch. She opened the door and peeked towards the corner and saw Kara, sitting, staring blankly at the water, with her arms wrapped around her knees. "Kara? Zhao?" Sam whispered. She felt as if she'd been punched in the gut when Kara turned towards her, eyes red-rimmed, with dark bags below them.
Kara attempted to stand, but Sam was at her side too quickly. "Sami, you came home?" her words slightly slurred from being so tired.
Sam, who hadn't slept much better while she'd been gone, wrapped her arms around her Kara and pulled her close, allowing the blonde head to rest on her shoulder, "I missed you, Zhao."
Kara's eyes closed as Sam's heartbeat washed over her frazzled senses. She could feel her body relax as she was crushed to Sam's chest, "I missed you too. I should have given in and let you come home a few nights. Sorry."
"Shh, sweetheart, let's just sit right here and watch the sunset," Sam whispered. "Let me get us comfortable." Sam turned their bodies so that Kara's back was leaning against her, and she slid down until they were both comfortable.
Kara snuggled and pulled Sam's hands into her own, drawing soft circles with her thumbs as she smiled sleepily and watched the sky turn to pinks, reds, and oranges. Then ever so slowly, she felt her eyes drift close and finally let sleep overwhelm her.
As Kara's breathing evened out, Sam found herself drifting off as well, she kissed the top of the blonde's head and fell asleep soundly with her arms wrapped protectively around her Zhao.
Ruby found them asleep a few minutes later and found Eliza in the kitchen, "Momma and Kara are asleep on the porch?"
"You and Nia can sleep here tonight, sweetpea. Is that okay?" Eliza asked looking down at Ruby.
"Yes, ma'am, thank you," the girl answered as she made her way back to the living room.
Alura tiptoed through the back door having just returned from Argo and looked to Eliza. Smiling, she nodded out to the porch. Eliza smiled back and made her way quietly upstairs, returning minutes later with Kara's cape, and stepped out on the porch to wrap them in the warm fabric.
Alex and Kelly returned from walking Ozi and watched as the little dog took her place in her mistress' arms. Kelly sneaked into the house and returned with her phone, snapping a quick picture of the sleeping couple. As she and Alex entered the kitchen she whispered, "How about a puppy along with the new house?"
Her girlfriend simply smiled and nodded.
Kara's eyes opened slowly and she smiled sleepily at the arms wrapped around her. She slowly worked her way out of Sam's embrace and kissed the woman lightly on the cheek, her smile growing as she noticed a slight grin on the woman's face. She made her way quietly to the kitchen and made coffee, looking at the sleeping people in the living room. Then her head turned as she heard Alex's familiar footsteps coming down the steps. "Want to help me walk Ozi?"
Alex nodded and poured herself a cup of coffee, "let me get some shoes and a jacket."
They walked down the road in the front of the house, watching the puppy run ahead. They were both quiet as they held hands like it was Kara's first day of school, then on the return trip, Alex asked, "you feel better?"
"Much, I needed a good night's sleep. I feel lighter with everyone here," Kara responded, staring at the ground and twisting her hair with her free hand.
"Kara, Kelly said we could live here in Midvale?" Alex volunteered.
"Alex," Kara smiled slightly as she raised her head. "You would feel trapped here, you crave that chaos, that noise. My body is better suited to the quiet. I understand why Kal keeps the farm in Smallville. You two are happy there, and more than anything, I want my big sister happy."
Alex's tension at moving away from Kara was lifted and she pulled her sister into a tight hug as Ozi ran behind the house. Kara felt something as well, almost like a snap as her body relaxed for the first time in weeks.
She smiled into her sister's shoulder as she thought about her family, her friends, her Ruby and Sam. Slowly she felt her ankles rise and then her toes as she tightened her grip on her sister, her rock, her best friend.
Alex felt the grip tightened and opened her eyes, looking down she saw they were floating, just inches off the ground. "Kara?" She whispered.
"You were there the first time I flew, don't you want to be the one to see it return?" Kara asked with a huge smile on her face.
"Slow takeoff, Kara?" Alex grimaced.
"Not today, big sister," Kara grinned wickedly, then shot into the sky with Alex in her arms.
"Karaaaaa!" Alex screamed.
Kara landed in the backyard, into the midst of her family. Each of the non-fliers wanted a turn until only Eliza was left. "Mom?"
Eliza thought for a moment, looking into the soft blue eyes of her youngest daughter, "gently, please?"
Lifting Eliza and nodding to Ruby, the three women slowly took flight, making a soft loop around the lake until they returned and landed softly. "That was amazing, really amazing."
Kara then looked at her Kryptonian family, "now I need you to all help me, I need a challenge."
"What did you have in mind, daughter?" Alura asked.
"A race, I need to know if I'm all the way back," Kara smiled.
Everyone braced for an argument, but none came. "Where to, Little One?" Astra challenged.
Kara turned and pointed towards a lone hill, about 10 miles away across the lake, "there, up high to the hill, low return over the water."
Everyone tensed at the challenge, "are you sure Kara?" Kelly asked, voicing everyone's concern.
"I have to try," Kara said, placing her hands on her hips.
"My money's on Kara!" Alex shouted.
Lucy came through the back door carrying the baby as Lois and Kal stepped through behind her. "What's the challenge?" Kal asked.
"To the hill and back, high out, low in," Kelly answered. "My money is on Sam."
"Oh, I have Astra." Lucy and Lois said at the same time.
Kara looked at everyone and rolled her eyes, "My money is on Ruby."
Ruby looked up at Kara with a questioning look, "Me?"
Kara looked proudly at her, "Rubes, don't hold back."
All six Kryptonians took to the sky, with Kara, Sam, and Ruby gently floating up while the other three jumped into the sky. They agreed to a starting point and hovered in place waiting for the starting signal.
At Alex's whistle, all six shot forward with Kal taking an early lead. Alura was struggling and both Sam and Kara hung back for a moment.
"I'm out of practice, you two go get him, I'll catch up!" Alura whispered on the wind.
"Let's go get him, Kara!" Sam screamed as the two women shot forward.
Astra and Ruby were running even, and Astra was pushing herself to unpracticed limits, "Get him, Little Warrior."
"Yes, General," Ruby smiled as she shot forward, pouring on a small extra burst of speed. She started to close on the Man of Steel just as Sam and Kara zoomed past Astra.
Kal was making the turn and diving towards the surface of the lake when Ruby blew by him, leaving a wake in her trail. Kal tried to push harder but felt himself slowing as Sam and Kara caught him and pulled past.
Kara began to pull ahead of Sam and started to catch up with Ruby. She judged the distance and noticed Ruby's wake dropping just a bit. "Don't hold back!" Supergirl screamed, smiling as she saw the youngster flatten herself against the wind and laughed as she got a face full of water.
Kara felt an extra burst of energy and tried to catch Ruby but knew it was pointless and watched as the girl set down moments before she did. Sam landed a minute later and they watched together as Kal and Astra raced head to head. They all turned and laughed as they heard Lois whisper, "C'mon, Astra."
Kara and Sam were holding hands and Ruby and Nia were improvising a cheer as Astra pulled ahead and landed less than a second before Kal. Alura lowered herself to the ground a few minutes later, winded, but proud of herself nonetheless.
Kara collected her money and everyone poured into the house.
The rest of the day was spent catching up with friends and family. Kara smiled as she watched Nia and Brainy hugging on the front porch, laughed as Kelly and Alex walked J'onn through the race with Ruby standing between them. Astra and Cat were talking with Alura and Eliza and she sighed as she felt the love of her family fill the house. She glanced out to the porch and saw a set of hazel eyes staring at her. She felt the pull and stepped out and walked into Sam's embrace.
Sam breathed in Kara's scent as she engulfed her in a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Hey sweetheart, how are you feeling?"
"This is amazing, Sami, everyone came. Part of me feels like I should have invited Lena, but it would have upset mother and Alex." Kara leaned into the hug, "would you laugh at me if I ordered food to be delivered to her?"
"You are amazing, Kara," Sam whispered as she kissed her head again. "Order for her, Zhao, I'm sure she will appreciate it. Now you better start dinner."
Kara kissed Sam on the cheek and turned to head into the kitchen while ordering food for Lena and Andrea.
Everyone gathered around the bar and watched in amazement as Kara began to prep and cook supper. As she finished, she called Alex over and picked a small piece of chicken out of the pan with a fork and handed it to the red-head.
"What, why me?" Alex tried to push the fork back.
"You bet against me, motorcycle lessons?" Kara smiled, a gleam in her eye that reminded everyone in the room she had super hearing and had apparently heard the discussion that night.
"Oh shit," Alex growled, blowing on the food and popping the fork in her mouth. At the first taste, she slowed her chewing and closed her eyes, "Oh, my god, Kara." Then her eyes popped open, remembering the leftovers from that night, "You cook, you cooked, those were yours."
Kara smiled, "I can teach you."
Dinner was finally over and while everyone cleaned the kitchen, Kara walked outside with Ozi and headed down to the lake. Her phone buzzed and she looked down and saw a plate of food sitting between Andrea and Lena with a smiley face and the words thank you underneath.
K: 'It's what friends do.'
L: 'To friendship and repairing broken bridges.'
K: 'Surahth zrhythrevium'
L: '?'
K: 'Aspire to family, Lena.'
In National City Lena leaned across the table and kissed Andrea lightly on the lips, repeating the words she had just read.
Samantha Arias made her way down the steps, heading towards the table by the water where Kara was standing, looking out over the lake. She stopped, just for a moment to take in the picture of the woman she loved, looking so peaceful, so full of life and in that moment she saw her past, her present and her future. She moved forward again and was stopped a second time as Kara turned and stared, her blue eyes bright with happiness and surprise at Sam's appearance.
Kara looked into Sam's eyes and saw the gold flecks that meant her zygai was happy and relaxed. Looking deeper she saw a yearning in those hazel eyes and her breathing quickened as Sam walked another step closer.
There were no words between them as they stepped into one another's space, Kara's arms snaked around Sam's neck and she felt Sam's arms wrap around her waist and back pulling her close. She was about to speak when Sam gently placed her lips against her own and pulled her tighter. Kara moaned at the sensation and her own arms tightened pulling Sam's head down closer. Sam felt the closeness and at the sound of Kara's moan, her tongue flicked forward, searching for permission and tasting vanilla lip gloss. Kara's mouth opened and the two women pulled even closer as they searched for boundaries that no longer existed. Minutes later they pulled apart and breathlessly looked into one another's eyes. A second kiss followed and as they separated, Kara turned and leaned into Sam's body. They stood together looking over the lake.
"What are you thinking about, Zhao?" Sam asked pensively.
"That I'm finally home…"
Sam's mouth opened and closed silently as she pulled Kara closer and placed a light kiss on the blonde's cheek. Kara pulled Sam's arms tighter around and her head turned linking their lips again. As they ended their third kiss, they both sighed and stared out over the lake, a look of contentment on Kara's face and a smile of joy on Sam's.
The Supergirl Diaries
An excerpt
By Kara Danvers
When she was a child, her planet Krypton was dying. She was sent to Earth to protect her cousin, but her pod was knocked off course. By the time she got here her cousin had already grown up and become Superman. So she hid her powers until an accident forced her to reveal herself to the world. Now she works to protect her city and the world from alien life and anyone else who would do them harm.
SHE IS SUPERGIRL