Conversations on a Balcony
74
A/N: Rao, this was hard to write!
Cat hung up when she heard the thud of boots on the living room balcony and running footsteps. Then strong arms were around her as she collapsed into them.
"She's gone, Kara!" she cried. "Abby's gone."
Kara froze, her muscles tightening so much that Cat couldn't move in her arms. "Oh my God... when... what happened?"
"I only took my eyes off her for two minutes while I was getting changed. I saw she was gone, I searched for her, the front door was open... and I can't find her, Kara. I CAN'T FIND HER. I have to call the security desk." Cat struggled out of Kara's arms. "LET ME GO!"
Kara quickly released her wife, and they ran to the hallway to dial the front desk. "Mike, Cat Grant. Our daughter is missing. Did you see anyone leave with her?"
There was shocked silence for a moment, then the security guard cleared his throat. "No, I didn't see Miss Abby... but a woman went by with a stroller just a couple of minutes ago."
"Describe her," Kara said quickly.
"Blonde, sunglasses, dressed in green cargo pants and a white t-shirt... looked kinda like Miss Kara actually. I didn't see where she came from though. I just saw her walking across the lobby."
"Green cargo pants... you're sure about that?" the hero asked, almost throwing her heart up.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Thanks, Mike. We're calling the police. Be ready to let them up."
They hung up and Cat looked at Kara. "Chloe is a brunette but..."
"Wig... bleach blonde... maybe that's what she's been doing since this morning," Kara added. "FUCK, now it makes sense why she was buying baby stuff. FUCK, Cat!"
"How the hell did she get in here?" Cat asked, slightly calmer now that her mind had something to focus on.
Kara's mouth dropped open. "Oh my God. I was on the phone with Carter a while ago and he said he thought he'd lost his keys. What if she took them AND his keycard for the elevator? The security guys downstairs might not have even noticed."
Cat blinked. And then blinked again, her jaw clenching. "I'm going to fucking KILL her."
Kara's eyes glowed involuntarily. "Not if I get to her first." But she grabbed Cat's hand as she reached for her cheek. "Don't touch, Honey. I'm having a problem maintaining control right now and it'll burn you. Call the police. I'm going out to look for our child. I'll call Alex and tell her what's going on."
Cat pressed herself against her wife's chest, collapsing into tears. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have taken my eyes off her, Kara."
But the hero shook her head as her eyes cooled and her own tears spilled down her cheeks. "This is no one's fault but Chloe's. You didn't do anything wrong, Cat." She gently tilted Cat's face to look into her eyes. "This is NOT your fault. I love you so much and we're going to get our daughter back."
Xx
"WHAT?!" Alex sat forward in her chair. "Oh my God, when, Kara?"
"About fifteen minutes ago. Cat is calling the police and I'm out looking for them right now..." Kara's breath hitched. "I can't hear her heartbeat, Alex. What if..." She couldn't finish the sentence.
"Kara," the director said softly, cradling her phone the way she wanted desperately to hold her sister. "Chloe taking Abby just to hurt her makes no sense. Think about it. Chloe wants to be with YOU. She wants to have a family with you. What better way to lure you out? She has no idea you're Supergirl. She just wants Kara Danvers." She paused a moment. "And if she really wanted to hurt someone, she could have hurt Cat and have hours to get away."
"You're right," Kara replied, hovering as she scanned the city below her with her x-ray vision. She was looking for a woman with a stroller and she could see hundreds. "I've gotta go. I'll keep you updated."
"Kara, I'm going to the penthouse to be with Cat."
"Thank you," the hero replied. "It killed me to leave her, but I have to search."
"I know. I'm here for you both. Anything you need. Bye, Kara."
The hero hung up and started checking each stroller she could see, at super speed.
Xx
Abby woke slowly, rubbing her eyes, disoriented. Things were moving. It was weird. She didn't know where she was.
"Mom?" She tried to sit forward but she was strapped in. She hated being strapped in. "/:ieiu/?"
No one came. Where was Mom? Where was /:ieiu/? Oh /:ieiu/ was at work. Mom said.
STRANGER
"Hi, Abby, remember me?"
Oh Chloe. Weird hair.
"Clo."
Chloe pulled the weird hair off. Better.
"That's right, Abby. You're such a good and sweet girl."
Abby's bottom lip quivered. "Mom."
"I'm your Mom now, Abigail."
NO. NOT MOM. "NO!"
"Ssshhhh, Sweetie, everything's ok."
Abby didn't like that and started to wail. Everything was NOT ok. "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! /:IIIIEEEEIIIIIUUUUUU/!"
Abby's eyes started to glow. Chloe took a step back, eyes wide with shock. And then she screamed.
Xx
Kara froze in midair, hovering vertically as she strained to hear it again.
Xx
Cat was sitting on the couch with Alex's arms tightly around her. NCPD Detective Graff had been questioning her for a while and the older blonde was telling her everything that had happened with Chloe.
"Ms. Danvers-Grant, we're going to do everything we can to find your daughter. We'll issue an amber alert..."
Cat held up her hand. "With all due respect, Detective, while I appreciate that everything will be done, Supergirl is looking for her as we speak. She's with Kara and they'll find her."
The detective nodded and closed the cover of her notebook. "You're very lucky to have Supergirl as a friend."
"She's my best friend," the blonde replied softly. "And she'll get our daughter back, if it's the last thing she ever does."
Xx
Cat was pacing back and forth on the living room balcony. The detective had left to push the investigation forward and Alex was coordinating a DEO search from her cell phone with Brainy's help. Kara was out searching, and Cat had called Carter to let him know what was going on. He was very upset, and it took all of Cat's considerable skill to persuade him to wait instead of getting the next flight home. The last thing she had to do was to call Sheila Maines.
She dialed the contact Kara had shared with her.
"Hello?" Sheila said, not recognizing the number.
"Sheila, Cat Danvers-Grant. Listen to me very carefully. Your daughter is in a LOT of trouble."
The woman sucked in a deep breath. "How? What's happened, Cat?"
"She stole my son's keys and keycard, broke into our home and kidnapped my daughter. I had no choice but to call the police. Kara and Supergirl are out looking for them right now."
"Are you sure it was her?" Sheila asked, obviously in shock.
"We're sure," Cat replied. "And, Sheila, you'd better get to National City because I don't think this is going to end well for your daughter."
"I can't come," the woman said in a small voice. "I can't afford the plane ticket."
Cat took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I'll have my assistant, Eve, contact you. She'll arrange a flight for you... and a hotel for as long as you need it."
"Thank you," Sheila whispered. "I'm so sorry, Cat."
"You love your child just like I love mine," Cat replied and then hung up. Then she sent a text to Eve to contact Sheila.
"I can't believe you did that," Alex said softly. "I'm not sure I would have."
The blonde looked down. "At the end of the day, Alex, Chloe is mentally ill. When she's found, the chips will fall where they fall but, for now, we all have to have a little humanity."
Xx
Kara Zor-El felt all humanity leave her as she hit the ground, cratering the pavement under her boots with the force of her arrival. She could hear her child crying, heartbeat thudding fast out of fear and Kara strode into the darkness of the tunnel with the intention of happily murdering the woman who had stolen and upset her offspring.
Her eyes started to glow, lighting the interior of the space like flashlights as she walked and a moment later, she saw the stroller, moving under the struggles of its wailing occupant. She super sped to it and crouched. There was a blonde wig on the ground, and she shook her head in disgust. "Abby, are you ok, Baby Girl?" she asked softly, quickly checking her daughter for injuries.
"/:ieiu/," Abby hiccupped. "Clo."
"I know, My Love. Where is she?"
Abby pointed further down the tunnel and Kara saw a figure, huddled against the wall with arms covering head. "Chloe Maines," she said loudly. "Surrender now."
"No! I'm not going near her! She'll kill me!" the young woman responded.
Kara looked at her child and then back at Chloe. "If you don't surrender now, I'LL kill you," she growled. "And don't doubt for a moment that I will. Kara and Cat Danvers-Grant are my best friends, and I would do ANYTHING for them. NOW GET UP."
"NO!"
Chloe stayed where she was, and Kara lost her temper. She sped to the young woman and picked her up by the front of her shirt to slam her into the tunnel wall, eyes glowing brighter as she fought to keep her heat vision in check. She gazed emotionlessly into the brunette's eyes, making her wince and bring her hand up to shade her face. "You took my child," Kara said very softly. "You broke into my home and took my child. How could you do that, you piece of shit."
"K-Kara?"
"Oh yes," the Kryptonian replied. "You chose the wrong person to fuck over and, now that you know who I really am, I have no choice but to kill you."
"P-please..." Chloe whispered. "I love you and I'm sorry. But I had to get your attention somehow." Kara leaned closer. Chloe could smell the smoke coming from the Kryptonian's eyes now and feel the heat radiating from her. "I'd rather die than live without you."
Kara's free hand curled into a fist and she drew it back, intending to smash it right through the brunette's head and into the concrete behind her. "You're fucking delusional."
"/:ieiu/" Abby suddenly shouted, using her powers to push the stroller closer to her mother. "No."
Kara's head turned slowly, and she gazed at her daughter. "Abby," she whispered.
The toddler smiled. "No. Wuv you, /:ieiu/."
Kara's eyes slowly cooled, and she shook her head. "Oh my God," she whispered. "What am I..." She lowered Chloe back onto her feet and let her go, stepping back with her hands raised. Then she turned and knelt int front of her child to unstrap her from the stroller and take her into her arms. "I love you too, Abigal. So so much."
Abby patted her face gently. "Good."
Kara burst into tears and hugged her daughter close, nuzzling her cheek and inhaling her scent. "Yeah, we should only do good, Abby. Thank you for reminding me of that."
Chloe was sitting on the ground with her arms wrapped around her knees. "I love you, Kara. I love you. I love you. I love you." she said as she rocked back and forth.
The Kryptonian nodded. "We'll get you the help you need, Chloe." Then she reached into her boot and pulled out her phone. She dialed Cat and the line was picked up immediately.
"Kara? Please..."
"I have her, Sweetheart. She's safe. Can you send the police to the tunnel right under exit nine on the one-oh-eight so they can arrest Chloe? She going to need a psych eval immediately."
"Oh thank God," Cat whispered. "I KNEW you'd find her. Are... are you ok, Baby?"
Kara swallowed. "No," she said. "No..." She swallowed again. "I almost killed her, Cat."
"Is she hurt?" the older woman asked.
"No, she's fine. Abby brought me back from the edge."
"Alex and I are on our way. Try to hold it together, My Love."
"I will."
"Kara?"
"Yeah."
"Thank you for finding our daughter."
