Something Just Like This 10
Break Up
Chapter 2
I OWN NOTHING!
Someone You Loved – Lewis Capaldi
Listen to Your Heart - D.H.T.
Hallelujah - Rufus Wainwright
The Bones - Maren Morris
Kara was out patrolling. She had already carefully checked on Lena, witnessing the woman sitting in her dining room working on paperwork. Unable to watch, she had gone to the other side of the city.
She still kept an ear out. She always did. Lex might not be sending out assassins anymore but there were others who would still like to see Lena gone.
She had promised to keep Lena safe. Just because the other woman didn't want her too didn't negate that promise. No matter what, Kara would do her best.
Even at her worst, Lena was no villain. Not really.
A fight between two rival gangs (both a mix of aliens and humans), drew her attention and she went to defuse the situation. All was fine until someone pulled out a weapon and started firing on both gangs. After that, it was a mix of Supergirl, DEO agents, and NCPD officers trying to corral the violence.
Focused as she was on the current excitement, she almost missed the scream.
Kara froze, the scream registering in her ears. A microsecond later, she had shoved two gang members into the hands of whichever agent or officer was closest and she was in the air speeding towards Lena's apartment. She ignored the confused shouts from Alex over the comms.
There wasn't time. Lena was screaming and not using the watch.
Lena was falling.
The sight was unpleasantly familiar.
She slowed just enough to safely catch the falling woman. Lena's eyes were wide and unfocused.
"Lex, nanites, scotch," the words made little sense, but Kara took them to mean that Lena's apartment was unsafe.
"I've got you." She said, already turning towards the DEO as Lena began to convulse.
Thank Rao for Alex because her big sister didn't hesitate when Kara brought the CEO in. She had a gurney brought up and Lena rushed to the Medbay. Fluids to flush out her system and anti-seizure medication was administered.
Brainy, of all people, recognized the signs of the alien alcohol overdose and knew how to treat it. The green tint that had been spreading over Lena's skin slowly faded as the alcohol was flushed from her system and her stomach pumped.
An MRI, done after Lena's heartrate had stabilized, showed the presence of dead nanites right before it died as well. That, one of the doctors explained, was from the opposing wavelengths between the two machines. He had seen it happen before, although most nanite tech had worked out that flaw in the design.
Lex's plan, although full of missing details, became clear the next day when he announced Lena dead from overwork causing her to take a fatal fall. Kara punched a hole in a concrete slab when she heard it. Alex took advantage of that and hid Lena away in Kara's apartment since Lex still maintained access to the DEO.
It was there that Lena woke up.
"I'm dead," she croaked, staring up at a familiar ceiling she hadn't seen in months. She was warm and safe, two things she hadn't felt in forever.
"Over-dramatic much?" Alex leaned over her. "You're not dead, but you almost were." She held up three fingers. "How many?"
"Three, how?" She winched at the little penlight Alex used to check her pupil dilation.
"You screamed, Kara heard you and went to the rescue. You managed to say Lex, nanites, and scotch before passing out. We're hiding you here because he's still in and out of the DEO." Alex did several more things before helping Lena sit up and giving her some water. "He's declared you dead even without a body as proof. Brainy managed to use what you said to work out some of what's been going on at LuthorCorp."
Lena winched at the disproving look on Alex's face.
"Mind-control Lena, really? You still continued that even after what happened before Crisis?" She shook her head.
"Yes," Lena admitted, "I know it was wrong, but in my pain, I didn't care." The only reason she wasn't crying right now was due to the fact that she didn't have enough fluid in her body to produce tears.
Alex sighed. "Yea, we all could have handled that mess better." She retook her chair. "So," she crossed her arms, "do you want the bad news or the good news?"
"There's good news?"
"Bad news first then," Alex decreed. "Your stomach is a mess, as is your liver, esophagus, and throat from the Garticilite."
"Is that what that was?" Lena mused, sipping at the water.
"Yes, and it was only the fact that you had water in your stomach that prevented it from completely eating you from the inside out. Something about the regular human scotch you drank on top of that helped as well, but we can only assume that the reason your brother isn't torn up about there not being a body is that he didn't expect there to be one. Garticilite is a lot like lye, works on the human body pretty much the same way."
Lena's stomach rolled. She remembered the burning sensation before blacking out. How had she even… "The failsafe." She chuckled.
"Failsafe?"
"The reason Non-Nocere will never work is that," she would laugh if she had the energy, "human self-preservation. I don't remember screaming or anything after my body began drinking from the second bottle, but I wouldn't, would I? It was all animal instinct at that point."
"You got lucky, the MRI machine killed the nanites before it died in the backlash," Alex informed her. "I take it the nanites was your brother's idea?"
"Yes. Why the MRI?"
"Because we needed a closer look at your health." Alex's gaze turned stern again, but this was less angry and more concerned. "Lena, even with the tech we had on hand, you're in for a long recovery. No more alcohol, a really bland diet for the next few weeks until we know the full extent of the damage. Some of it will be permanent. You're on house arrest until further notice, with Kara as your keeper and I'll be in and out. So will the others. We're ready to talk whenever you are."
"You're ready to forgive me, just like that? You?" Lena slumped back into the pillows. "I must be dead."
"No, but I'm also not going to continue this. For whatever reason, my sister loves you. She wants you around as part of our lives. Therefore, you get a single second chance with me. Blow it, and I find a hole not even Supergirl will be able to get you out of. Understood?"
Lena nodded. "Understood. Was that the good news?"
"A little," Alex admitted with a shrug. "For now, you're legally dead. That means that while you can't go anywhere or really have access to anything, we've got a workstation set up for you. You get to help us take down Lex and Leviathan."
"It would be my pleasure."
They exchanged wicked smiles. "Excellent, Kara, you can come in now."
"Lena!"
Lena found herself with an armful of Kryptonian puppy. Lack of fluid or not, tears stung her eyes. Kara's hold was gentle, the blonde's tears dampening her neck.
"I'm sorry," Lena said softly, barely registering Alex's departure. "I'm so sorry Kara, for everything."
"I am too, for so much." Kara pulled back to look at her. "We nearly lost you."
"How long was I unconscious?"
"Eight days, you woke up a little bit earlier and that's when Alex removed some of the stuff," Kara explained. "Us, Nia, Mom when she was here for…" Kara's eyes filled with tears that she tried to fight back. She swallowed hard before continuing. "For your memorial service. We've been taking care of you."
Lena felt her face heat. "After all that I've done…how? Why?"
"Because I always have and always will care about you Lena Luthor," Kara said firmly, gently squeezing the other woman's hand. "None of that was faked." She shook her head. "We can talk about that later. Would you like a real bath?"
"Yes, please." She needed the time to get herself under control. Kara was right. This was not the time to hash out their argument and subsequent feelings of betrayal. "A bath would be good, a shower even better."
"I think we can manage that." Kara smiled a little, beyond happy to see her friend alive.
They did manage a shower, even if Lena had to use the bathing chair someone had thought to get while she was unconscious. While she cleaned herself up and dressed in what had to be the fluffiest pair of pajamas ever created, Kara changed the sheets on the bed.
Someone, probably Alex, had come back and removed the rest of the machines. Kara had obtained more pillows from somewhere, several that she knew from her own bedroom.
"Where did all of this come from?" Lena stroked down the slick silk of the pillowcase. It was the same shade of blue as Kara's eyes. The whole reason she had purchased the set.
"Alex and Vas broke into your apartment," Kara admitted. "Mostly to look for clues and any information that might have been left there before it could be cleared out. They took whatever they thought wouldn't be missed or that you might actually want."
Lena chuckled. "I see." She felt tears well up again. Apparently, she could do some good if she managed not to completely burn all the bridges.
"Hey," Kara touched her shoulder, "everyone does things they wouldn't normally do when angry. It's not your fault Lex took advantage of that."
"If I had just listened to your reasons, it might not have gotten that far."
"If I had let you have space instead of just assuming we were alright, maybe you would have." Kara countered. "We can go around and around with that, but it won't solve anything. You just need to focus on getting better."
"Have you been talking to Kelly?" Lena tried to tease gently. It certainly sounded like something the woman would say.
"No, Talia. She's the person I've been seeing." Kara admitted. "After…" she swallowed. "After Crisis and a visit from Myx, who I really should tell you about, I told Alex and J'onn that I needed help. She found us in the end, but she's really good and kind."
Lena nodded. "Maybe…maybe after this is over, I should find someone as well."
Kara beamed at her. "If you want to, we can make that happen. Now," she clapped her hands. "I have a whole bunch of jello flavors. Which would you like first?"