"Kara, Alex. Come in, sit down." Landon said. He watched as Alex unenthusiastically sat down before looking at Kara. As he did so he immediately felt unnerved at how eager she was looking.
"What would you like to discuss today?" He started.
"A better question is what would you like us to discuss." Kara said.
"No, this is about you, not me. So what would you like to discuss?" Landon countered.
"You are the trained professional. As you pointed out I don't have any certificates. So how would you like to proceed?" Kara asked.
"I would like you and Alex to pick a topic and discuss it, openly and honestly."
"Openly and honestly?" Kara mirrored.
"Yes, openly and honestly not your normal avoidance and deflection." He said.
"It sounds like you think we try to obstruct you from doing you job." Kara said.
"That would be one way to describe it." He agreed.
"So what would you like us to do?"
"Actively engage."
"What does that mean?" Kara pressed. "What is active engagement?"
"It's doing something. In this case taking these sessions seriously and trying to improve yourselves."
"And what about me do you want me to improve?"
"That's not for me to decide. That is for you to decide."
"And how should I decide?" Kara asked.
"Like I have told you before, through critical reflection."
"Critical reflection?" Kara asked.
"The process of identifying, questioning, and assessing your deeply-held assumptions so you can understand and challenge your beliefs, feelings, and actions."
"And how should I do that?"
"Are you trying to stall?" Landon asked.
"I'm trying to have a dialogue." Kara replied. "You said you felt that we try to obstruct you and don't discuss things openly and honestly."
"I did."
"So I am trying to understand how you want us to demonstrate that we aren't obstructing."
"Well the key to critical reflection is doing. So why don't you pick an event and reflect on it?" Landon said.
"What type of event would you like us to discuss?"
"It can be anything."
"Anything?" Kara mirrored.
"Yes, anything that could offer an insight."
"Insight?"
"Yes into how you behave, so we can get to the why."
"The why?"
"Yes, the why. Why do you make the decisions that you do?"
"You are sounding a little frustrated." Kara said. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine."
"Fine?" Kara mirrored once more.
"Yes fine."
"But you do sound stressed. If you were in a therapy session how would you want your therapist to sound?"
"Well, calm and understanding."
"And how would you feel if your shrink was sounding stressed, frustrated and angry?"
"I'm not angry." Landon said.
"It's just hypothetical." Kara said. "So how would you feel if your shrink was sounding stressed, frustrated and angry?"
"Well people mirror behaviours."
"So a therapist sounding stressed, frustrated and angry would have a negative impact on the session."
"That's right." He said causing Kara to give a mental fist pump at getting him to say 'that's right.'
"So how do you think you should be sounding now?" Kara pressed.
"Calm."
"But you still sound frustrated. So how do you think that is making Alex feel?"
"Knowing Alex probably quite happy."
"I'm not doing anything." Alex said holding her hands up defensively.
"So how can you sound calmer?" Kara asked.
"You could try participating."
"So you are saying that you feel that we are responsible for your stress and frustration?" Kara went on.
"I am saying that if you actually took this sessions seriously it would go a lot smoother."
"That sounds like you believe in a blame culture."
-00-
"Here you go." Alex said handing Kara some doughnuts an hour later.
"Thanks. Why?"
"For dealing with Landon."
"I didn't do anything or get anything out of him."
"You kept him busy and allowed me time to think about our latest case."
"Didn't get anything from him though."
"Pretty sure you gave him nothing, so still a win." Alex said. "Plus you seemed to frustrate him, so it was a double win."
"Hey, you've been trained in negotiation right?" Kara asked.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Why don't you use it on Landon?"
"Because he'd be expecting it."
"That's true." Kara agreed. "You think my plan will work?"
"Only one way to find out." Alex said. "So what movie do you want to watch tonight?"
"Movie?"
"Yeah, you are coming over."
"Maybe that isn't a good idea."
"Why?"
"Maggie still seems a little annoyed with me. And this time it is me, not Supergirl me, that she is annoyed with."
-00-
"How was therapy?" Maggie asked as she got home.
"Kara annoyed Landon to it was pretty good."
"Of course she did." Maggie said.
"Sounds like she really picked up a lot in negotiation class."
"I think you are both completely missing the point." Maggie said before noticing the expression Alex was wearing and asking.
"What?"
"When are you going to give Kara a break?" Alex asked Maggie.
"What?" Maggie questioned.
"I remember when we were sitting at that table." Alex said pointing. "And you complained about the fact she ruined your negotiation then called her a vigilante and accused her of disrespecting cops. So she, without your help, got on a negotiating course. And when she was good at it you still criticised. I have tried to stay out of this." Alex said. "But you are being a little mean."
"To who?"
"Kara. You are criticising her for being herself."
"No, I'm not."
"Yeah, you are." Alex said. "Criticising Supergirl is one thing, but Kara? That's low."
"When did I criticise Kara? I was criticising Supergirl. I mean it was Supergirl on the training course."
"Yeah, but you are criticising her for being, well nice. And that is a Kara thing." Alex said. "I'm going to have dinner with Kara, just please think about what I said."
-00-
"Alex? What are you doing here?" Kara asked when her sister entered her apartment.
"Saving you from cheese. Were you planning on eating all of it?" Alex asked pointing to the huge pizza on the table.
"Um, yes. Do you want some? It's real cheese not vegan cheese." Kara said as Alex sat next to her. "Not that I don't want to see you, but why are you here?"
"Sisters' night."
"What about Maggie?"
"Today is sisters' night." Alex said before seeing Simon to one side and adding. "Plus Simon."
"But Maggie?"
"Can survive a night without me. But you know my life would be a lot less stressful if you stopped winding her up."
"What did I do?"
"I don't know, I wasn't in the training. But you obviously wound her up."
"All I did was what Cruz asked." Kara said. "It was Maggie who started to fine me for talking. Even Cruz thought that was wrong. I don't see what I have done to upset her."
"How do you feel when people say Supergirl isn't needed? How do you feel every time your cousin swoops in, saves the day and steels the credit? Perhaps Maggie feels the same at crime scenes." Alex said hoping for peace.
Maybe, but that doesn't justify the fines. But I will try not to help Maggie so much."
-00-
"That's all I need." Maggie said when she realised Landon was a stool over in the bar.
"Sawyer?" He asked turning, before looking a worried and asking. "Is Alex here?"
"No."
"Good. That would be awkward."
"Why are you here?" Maggie asked.
"Drinking. You?"
"Drinking."
"Good." Landon said sipping his beer.
"Good." Maggie confirmed.
"The sisters?" He guessed.
"What?"
"The slightly frustrated and confused look you are sporting, does it have something to do with the sisters?"
"Kara." Maggie said. "Just don't understand her. I mean, is she doing it deliberately or is it accidental?"
"What?"
"Setting me up to fail and she is so passive aggressive. Why doesn't she just say what she means and why does she have to not say it so publicly. You know, our trainer, whose hobby is shooting a dummy named after his ex-wife, thought I needed therapy."
"Perhaps you should hang upside down from the ceiling, maybe the sudden rush of blood will cause an epiphany." Landon suggested. "Is it Kara or Supergirl at this course?"
"Supergirl. Does it matter?"
"Have you considered the fact that as Supergirl she has to look perfect and in control at all times. Including the training sessions. If she looked anything less than one hundred percent and one of the cops in the training went to the media, people would lose faith in her. She needs that faith. She needs to be untouchable." He said pulling out his phone. After a few failed attempts to unlock it, he loaded up a browser before searching for something. Eventually he handed the phone to Maggie and asked. "Do you remember this story?"
Looking at the picture she saw Supergirl looking like she was talking down some armed robber.
"It was three or so years ago. There was an Earthquake in National City. Lot's of damage. But no Supergirl. She was MIA. Until this robbery. Rumour has it she had solar flared, that's why she was MIA. If true she faced down those robbers with no powers. She talked them round because they believed she was untouchable. Anything that makes that not seem true puts her, and ultimately everyone else, in danger." He said ordering another drink. Having a sip he then added. "Alternatively this may say more about you than Kara. Maybe you are jealous."
"Of Kara?"
"Of Kara being better at it than you?"
"At what? Being nice? No one has ever doubted that."
"Yet you are sitting here implying she is tormenting you. But I actually meant that you were feeling uncomfortable that Kara is better at this course than you are." He said having another drink. "Or, there is another possibility. Let me ask you something, how did Kara treat Alex in High School?" He asked.
"Apparently they were insanely competitive."
"So Kara is treating you like a big sister, because that is what she sees you as. Yet you are rejecting her."
"So I'm the bad guy?" Maggie asked.
"Who can say what is good or bad. You know what I think? And I'd like to remind you that I am really drunk and you should probably ignore me. But I think you should watch Alien."
"Are you comparing Kara to an alien whose sole goals are procreation and elimination of lifeforms that may pose a threat to their existence?" Maggie asked. "Are you saying Kara is trying to get rid of me?"
"No of course not. Man you are starting to sound like Alex, and not in a good way." Landon said. "What I meant was those aliens have acid blood. That isn't good for your insides so they will have evolved. But there is only so much evolution that is practical. So the biggest threat to them isn't Ripley, it's stress. If they get stressed and get an ulcer, that acid blood will kill them. So they are the masters of dealing with stress. They could teach you a thing or two."
"Are you high?" Maggie asked.
"No, but I am really drunk."