COPYRIGHT: The following is a work of 'fan-fiction' and no copyright infringement is intended against those who own the rights to Supergirl and all related characters. All original Characters are the possession and copyright of The Rainbow Writers.
Please note that while we are big fans of the TV Show, we are not up on every nuanced bit of history and lore, so if we get something horribly wrong... we're sorry in advance.
TW/Suicide: In future chapters there will be discussion between characters of suicidal/self harm thoughts and the statistical rate of suicide. While there may be passing reference to past suicidal thoughts, there is no plot points in this fan-fiction to suicide, no character death but we wanted to be upfront so that no reader is caught unaware and have to endure undue mental heath pain. We urge anyone who is experiencing thoughts of self harm or suicide to please reach out to anyone in their life they trust or to a mental health hot-line.
Pairing: Supercorp, Alex & Maggie Set: Season Two Episode Six 'Changing', Branch from Canon from this point out.
Note: Hi, for any of our long time readers who happen to catch this- Hi. It's been quite a long time and as anyone can imagine we have our reasons for being silent but hopefully some good will come out the continued Pandemic as we've found motivation to create again. For those interested we have applied to cross post at Archive but are waiting for approval. This may not be the continuation of any of our historical stories, but we hope you give it a go and enjoy it none the less. Long live powerful women everywhere! The Rainbow Writers (Kath and Beth)
Broken
Episode One: Pizza Night
By: The Rainbow Writers
The sleek frosted door to L-Corp's CEO's penthouse office suite was pushed open with barely a hush of air from the internal door pneumatic by a slim professional dressed woman after she had given a soft two knock code that she was entering.
"Miss. Luthor, your four o'clock is here." The polite and friendly tones of Lena Luthor's personal assistant Jess made the bright introduction as she held the door in her hand but blocked the entrance-way with her slight body.
"Show her in Jess please." Lena looked up for a brief moment from the lap top in front of her before bringing green eyes back to it to quickly type a finishing line within the open document to finish her thought. She then turned her monitor to a neutral position and with a keystroke sent it into a secure wait mode. She turned herself by swiveling her plush office chair to look fully at the door with a bright welcoming smile as Kara Danvers finally walked through the door, her assistant giving the CEO a small nod as she backed out, closing it as she went.
"Kara." Lena's perfectly red painted lips held her bright smile as she pushed up off her chair. Instantly smoothing down the plum A-Line skirt she was wearing. It was paired with a pure white silk top, which had cut outs to leave both of her shoulders bare.
"Good afternoon Lena." Kara didn't even notice the way her smile lit up her face with extra sunshine as she took in the ever confident CEO in all of her mid-day business executive glory. It momentarily reminded her of an episode of Rupal's Drag Race that she'd binged watched with her sister recently in which the participants had literally been trying to 'recreate' what Lena did every day flawlessly and what seemed like no effort. She noted as always that even if money was suddenly no object for her, she would never be able to create the looks that Lena seemed capable of, like the brunette was a designer herself.
"Well that's a step in the right direction, I didn't have to gently correct you to use my first name." Lena slipped from behind her desk, pausing to lean on it as she nodded to the large couch against the wall on the opposite side of the open office. "Shall we sit?"
"Well..." Kara gave an instant nod as she clutched the front strap of the cross body leather bag she had with her. Her box collared navy dress, that reached just to her knee and cinched around her tiny waist with a slim silver belt was one of her favourite outfits but she couldn't help but feel 'dowdy' in front of the CEO. "I made the leap that with only the two of us in the room the worst I could do was embarrass myself, but there was no risk of embarrassing you." She revealed the thought process she'd gone over in her head on the flight over. She slipped the bag off her body as she moved carefully down to sit on the edge of a couch cushion, suddenly not sure what to do with her hands. "How is your day going? I can't imagine having to juggle a schedule like yours, Jess let it slip that you've had a busy day."
Lena arched her dark eyebrows and gave a slow head shake.
"I do it to myself." She admitted as she made the walk over to the comfortable looking white leather piece of furniture. "Why try and develop, perfect and franchise one project when you can do three?" Her tone was lightly self mocking. "I guess the pressure to be better than my name would suggest is just one of those things I will always have to live with." She had reached the couch by this time and elegantly lowered herself to sit on the cushion to the far right. She held her always perfect posture but rested her elbow on the back of the leather and lightly touched her fingertips to her head. "Thank you for coming by the way." She went on, turning her focus now to Kara. "I have no doubt you had 'better' things to do."
"No!" The word came out with far too much instant emphasis to hide the fact that she had jumped at the invitation when she'd gotten the call from Lena's secretary a few hours before. "Of course not." She tried to calm the intensity of her voice as she reached to fiddle with her glasses out of nervous habit. "It's important to make time for people who..." She suddenly found herself stuck on a continuation when the instant thought settled on attributes about Lena that she shouldn't be focusing on. "Are important to me." She finally finished with an almost shy smile.
"And here I thought the word people used today was 'friends', your reporter is showing Kara, using fifteen words where one is applicable is a sign of an overactive mind." Lena smiled again, running her hand over perfect black hair, letting it trail down her ponytail.
"I guess to be honest I'm still a little surprised that someone, who is you..." Kara made a soft hand motion towards the brunette. "Even wants to be friends with someone like me, I'm not exactly anyone important, ask my editor." She rolled her eyes thinking of the brusk man who was her new boss.
"Not yet maybe." Lena kept an almost smug smile on her lips. "I think given just a short time and the appropriate freedom, your 'boss' may find his job in danger." She didn't seemed to change her idea even though Kara tittered almost manically at the very idea. "Is that what you want to do Kara?" Lena's look shifted to a more questioning one. "Forge a path through the levels of Catco... to be the next Cat Grant?"
"Honestly, I don't think even if I tried to mold myself, and push myself that I could ever be the next Cat Grant." Kara gave a soft head shake of disagreement and the instant soft pull at the corners of Lena's eyes of dare she say disappointment at how Kara viewed herself made her continue. "Not because I don't think maybe one day I could do the things she's done, I just... I couldn't ever do them the way she's done them. Not that she did anything wrong... just... I guess right now at least, I'm more interested in helping bring the truth to light. Trying to give people the right information so that they can make the right decisions and in the end make this world a better place for everyone." She expanded with a soft smile. "Like your plans to change L-Corp into a company that helps people, helps correct the environmental damage we're blinding doing, helps charities and the do gooders of the world do more good." She finished with a bigger smile. "I guess if I dare say we're the same in that we both want to make the world better every day."
"That's very noble of you Kara." Lena said with a thoughtful nod. "I can see why Supergirl likes you, your goals are very similar. Mine..." She paused just momentarily. "You seem to want to reach your goal with the purest of intentions..." She approached the comment from a different angle. "I just want to prove that a person can be more than a name, more than an inherited legacy." She offered a tight smile to the blonde. "A far more selfish intention than yours." She barely let a pause before continuing. "Not that I'm ashamed to admit that, motivations like so many things are individual."
"I think a part of your motivation might be proving that you're not what everyone expects you to be because your last name is Luthor but..." Kara let herself relax back into the couch a little looking intently at the brunette next to her. "I think a bigger part of your motivation is the same as mine, pure in its intention and noble at its core."
Lena's perfect eyebrows arched again and then were leveled again accompanied by a soft shrug of bare shoulders, the white silk shirt's open cut outs from her collar bone to her mid arm exaggerated the movement.
"Like I say I think we all try to be the best versions of ourselves, well no, I hope most people do that my relatives not withstanding."
"So, someone mentioned to me that your time is worth more per minute then my weekly salary..." Kara prompted softly. "And I don't think you asked me to meet you in order to discuss how important I don't think I am." She gave another soft titter of a laugh. "Another gala? The pot sticker horderves you had at the last one, were... I've had dreams about them." She admitted with another laugh.
"No." Lena shook her head. "I think I've had my fill of explosive public gatherings for quite a while." She gave a laugh of her own. "Honestly..." The brunette pushed off the couch and took slow steps away from it before stopping and turning back to look at Kara. "I wanted to ask you if you would let me take you out for dinner." Like everything the brunette did and said there wasn't a trace of hesitation or fear in her tone.
Automatically Kara's hand went up to her chest, almost in the same surprise a proper southern lady would show in an old movie.
"You want to take me to dinner?" She repeated the fact almost still not believing she had heard Lena correctly.
"Well I invited you to the gala so that you could get out and enjoy yourself and let's be honest we both know that that wasn't quite what happened, unless facing mortal danger and hiding behind an expensive art piece is your idea of fun." Lena chuckled softly.
"Honestly, not my idea of fun." Kara nodded to her description. "Though from that position it was easy to see just how brave you were, in fact if it hadn't have been for your thinking ahead and having that contraption ready..." She smiled softly. "I know Supergirl was very thankful you were on her side, and so was I." She added quickly. "And wait, saying it in too many words, yes." She continued to smile.
"It's funny you should mention Supergirl actually because I got the distinct impression she thought I was..." She paused briefly obviously re-running their interaction in her head. "Reckless and dangerous, perhaps foolish too."
"Noooooo." Kara objected immediately. "She would never call you foolish, that's not her... way." She tried to emphasis this feeling as if she might break out into a hot blush at the third person conversation she was having. "You just have to understand that Supergirl sees it as her responsibility to be the one in danger, to be the one risking herself because unlike you... she is kinda well indestructible." She offered up with a soft lift of her eyebrows. "And if you'd been hurt, it would... nothing hurts her more than seeing people hurt when she feels it is her that should be taking the lumps so to speak."
Lena wrapped her arm very lightly around her waist, crossing her legs to change her stance slightly.
"Maybe but I do know that no matter how good it may have felt to have a Luthor and a Super working together on something, it's not going to be something that occurs often." She shook her head.
"Don't be so sure." Kara couldn't help but push up to stand with the way that Lena seemed to fold unsure into herself. "I know that you face a lot of people making judgments about you just because of your last name, but Supergirl isn't one of those people. She's an alien and she knows it's been easier for humans to judge her based on that then let her be well Supergirl. Not Superman, not an invader but an ally to her adopted world." She hoped she could back up that she'd once had a conversation like this with the Supergirl herself, at least without giving away it was nothing more than internal monologue. "And I know I for one will be pushing her to work with you again if she needs help, we all need friends Lena, even Supergirl and what I've learned is that once she sees you as one, you can rely on her, or..." She gave a slow tilt of her head from one shoulder to the other. "Or at least that's what I've experienced in the time I've known her."
Lena gave a soft hum of thoughtful agreement before she let her arms drop, her stance opening again.
"Well I suppose only time will tell on that one but..." Green eyes looked into blue. "My invitation to dinner was for you, not her." She summed up, a confident smile taking hold of her face as she moved to her desk to pick up a tablet. "So all I need to know is when are you free?" She opened her daily planner.
"Um..." Kara thought for a moment. "Friday? It's the start of the weekend after all so work should be left at work by then."
"Friday." The brunette nodded. "Perhaps I could push you into meeting me here at say... 7?" Lena offered taping the 'dinner' into her schedule immediately. "Oh and if you want to bring your friend... Mike wasn't it, with you feel free, I can see the two of you are very close."
"Mike? No, well I mean we're not not close, well no we're not really close we just... I'm sure he's busy anyway." Kara shook her head immediately. "And he's really horrible at small talk." She added in a lower voice moving over to the front of the desk trying to dissuade the idea before she stopped. "Unless you want me to bring Mike?" She put a lilt on the question.
Lena shook her head slowly a smile having come to her lips during Kara's words.
"No, I totally understand that he might be too busy to have dinner with one of the most powerful and rich women in the city." She shook her head casually with a light laugh at Kara's excuse for him.
"Wait, I didn't mean it that way. I just... I mean I can give him your number if you want him to call you." Kara did blush finally realizing she had misread the situation. "Though..." She swallowed not able to help herself. "I have to warn you... he is a bit of an overgrown frat boy at times, his heart's in the right place but he... yeah, you can imagine. Unless you like that thing." She tried to not dig herself too big a hole.
"Kara, my brother is the eternal frat boy and he doesn't have a heart made of anything actually I don't think." She shook her head. "I certainly don't want Mike's number, I was making sure it wouldn't be more comfortable for you if he were there." She made her point clear.
"No, I'm comfortable with girls night." Kara actually grinned again.
"Do you like pizza?" Lena looked at the blonde quizzically.
"Do I like pizza?" Kara let out an exuberant noise from the back of her throat. "Does the earth revolve around the sun at 37,000 miles an hour?" She grinned more.
"Recent calculations suggest it's more like 36,790 but..." Rich red lips curled into a smirk. "Close enough." The CEO pressed her tablet back onto her desk, her eyes still on Kara. "I know someone who owns the greatest pizza place you'll ever go to, that at least settles where we're going." Once again the brunette moved to sit the very edge of her backside on the desk, her arms coming to fold across her chest. "Oh and before I forget.. Thank you for coming to the gala, it may not have been the spectacle you were expecting but it was nice that you took the chance on me."
"Lena, you really don't have to be so surprised that someone would want to hang out with you." Kara smiled at her softly. "And just to make sure, this pizza parlour... causal dress or is this a pizza place disguised as a five star restaurant?" She asked with a smirk.
"I'll be wearing jeans and a casual top of some sort if that helps answer your question." Lena replied as she walked around to behind her desk, passing Kara on the way and lightly running her hand down the blonde's arm as she moved. Settling again in her CEO chair, she putting her hands together on the desk. "Do you need a car arranged to take you back to the office?" She blinked warm green eyes at the other woman.
"No, it's a gorgeous day out, I'll probably go via the park." Kara smiled honestly. "And jeans and a top just described most of my wardrobe." She added wanting Lena to feel comfortable about the choice, even if she guessed it was being done more for her comfort than the CEO's which in turn made her feel well... special, because why would the brunette be worried about something so small in relation to her unless... she felt her internal monologue end in a soft sigh. "Till Friday, I'll let you get back to work." She began to walk back towards the door. "Though... out of curiosity... do you like animal videos?"
"I can't say I've ever over indulged in them but there's absolutely nothing to dislike about cute little fury things being adorable." Lena replied honestly. "Why?"
"I just found an adorable one of a beluga vibing to a mariachi band this morning and I usually forward them to all my friends to make them smile so... check your texts." Kara grinned wide for a minute and then moved to press out.
"Kara!" Lena called before she could depart, seeing the blonde stop and turn to her again. "Feel free to be as casual as you like... It's not a work date."
-x-
The lights of National City came brightly through the large windows in Kara's loft, with only a light on in the kitchen and the warm glow of the large flat screen in the living room.
"Alex, why are you looking at me like that? She invited me out for pizza, if it's good I'll bring you home some in a doggie bag." Kara moved from the couch to the microwave in record time to pull out the popcorn bag and move it into a bowl as the opening credits on their show started to roll on the screen across from her sister.
"What does she want?" Kara's older sister sat up a little on the couch to give Kara a little attention while still looking mostly at the screen. She pulled the long floppy sides of the thin worn blue cardigan around her body more as she got comfortable. "Big fish like Lena Luthor don't socialize with people like us unless they want something." She went on. "Do you think it's got something to do with Catco, or the fact you're a journalist? She wants a friendly spin on something?"
"I think it's because she's new in town and doesn't know many people and just maybe she's a little lonely." Kara answered honestly. "Which I can completely understand, and that's without adding to the fact of who she is and how much money she has." She summed up all the things that made it hard for Lena. "And seriously Alex, if she wanted me to write a friendly spin on something she'd just ask, she's not the type to beat around the bush you know?"
"I don't know no." The older sibling shook her head. "And honestly Kara neither do you." She continued the soft motion. "All I really know about her is that so far she's put on two major publicity events and both of them have culminated with people being in danger and thousands of dollars of damage." She summed up. "And if I really examine the latter case I'd suggest she wanted you there... and by you I mean Supergirl, to show her that she – Lena was in control of things and didn't need other worldly intervention." She highlighted a possible subversive directive under Lena's invitation to the Girl of Steel.
"From what Winn told me, all she was trying to control was setting a trap that would mean those bad guys were in the same place as Supergirl, and that Lena wanted to use her smarts to help take away their high powered toys to make it easier for Supergirl." Kara slid into place next to her sister and moved the blanket they always shared over her lap before she stuck the popcorn between them. "Next you'll try to suggest that Lena is part of Cadmus? I mean the first attack she was the one that was in the most danger, Lex was trying to have her killed for overstepping him. What says 'I'm a good guy not a bad guy' more then the worst guy trying to murder you in public?"
"Or fake it." Alex countered. "I mean it was you who told me the second time you went to see her she wanted to show you her alien detection device..."
"Which the DEO would be the first in line to buy if it worked." Kara shot back with a stern face.
"Which it clearly didn't because you and any alien trying to live here secretly, would just fry it and cheat." Alex came back at her baby sister.
"You just don't like her because her last name is Luthor." Kara summed up in soft accusation. "If it was Smith or Jefferson you wouldn't be saying all this to me, you'd be warning me not to eat like a Kryptonian on Earth or she'll notice." She pouted slightly. "Alex, is it so bad that someone wants to be my friend, just Kara the reporter? Whenever Supergirl comes up in conversation she doesn't even try to push it, like everyone else does if they know that I 'know' her." She made air quotes.
Alex opened her mouth to quickly reply but then stalled and let out a long breath.
"I just don't want you to get caught up in anything." She shook her head, her tone warm and concerned. "You're a good person, a kind one and you believe that everyone has good in them.. But they don't, not everyone and I don't want you hurt by someone who just wants to use you." She ran her hand over her brow. "Just be careful, and take your own advice and don't eat like Supergirl would."
"See, was that so hard?" Kara grinned at her and watched her sister give a hard groan that it was. "Anyway, I am being careful... because if somehow you are right, even though I do not think you are. At least when it all comes crashing down I'll know my enemy right?" She didn't believe a word she was saying but she hoped that it would appease her sister, make her believe she was assessing the possible danger as Alex would herself, always with a dozen different angles.
"I'm not sure that knowing she likes chicken and not pepperoni on her pizza is going to give us an edge." Alex countered with another groan. "Maybe I should come along?" She shifted a little and looked at her sister with blinking eyes.
"No!" Kara leaned to bump her shoulder lightly into her sister's. "You are not coming, do not hide in the kitchen, don't stake out the pizzeria, don't have an assault team on standby, none of it. The plan is I'm meeting her at her office for 7 and we're going from there, I'll text you when I'm on my way home."
"Don't take her home with you." Alex instantly came back with the words.
Kara leaned back and looked at her with a highly quirked eyebrow for a minute.
"Why not? Maybe we want coffee?" She screwed up her nose in confusion. "She knows where I live Alex, you were here when she came before remember?"
"I remember." Alex nodded. "But have coffee at the restaurant if you want coffee, keep it friendly but not... that friendly."
"You're a weirdo!" Kara bumped into her shoulder again and then turned to the screen. "Oh other topic, doesn't that actress look a little like Maggie?" She pointed to the screen as she began to stuff popcorn in her mouth with the other hand.
"Maggie?" The name snapped out the Detective's mouth focusing on the screen for a moment before turning away and over exuberantly shaking her head. "No, she looks nothing like her." She scoffed. "Her hair is nic... different."
"I think she looks like her." Kara managed the words as she stuffed down more popcorn. "I bet she's evil!" She exclaimed with a giggle thinking about the set up on the show from the last episode.
"Maggie is not evil." Alex bit back quickly. "She's just gay Kara.
"Um something I didn't know but cool, and I'm saying that the character is evil Alex, not that Maggie is. I know she's one of the good guys or you wouldn't be working with her so much." Kara looked at her sister a little confused as to why she'd even thought that Kara had made such an assumption about the National City Detective. "Do you have a problem with her being gay?" She tilted her head, catching a piece of popcorn that feel out of her grip before it could hit the blanket to toss it back into her mouth.
"You say that like you have any idea about how huge something like being gay is." Alex shook her head, frowning herself now but not because of anything Kara had said, more because of the thoughts that had literally been swirling around her head for days now.
"Honestly I don't get what the big deal is about it here on earth, if two individuals feel love for each other, then their genitalia shouldn't define whether that love is acceptable or not. I mean on Krypton, no one even had a word like gay because there was no difference that would need a word. I mean I get that it gets complicated down here because not everyone uses artificial methods to have a baby, but Kryptonian doctors figured out ages ago it was safer and more controllable to use genetic matrix's instead of natural methods."
"It's not complicated here because of fertility or babies, it's complicated here because people don't like things that aren't the 'norm', like aliens and people who prefer to have sexual interactions with someone of the same sex. I mean it's not as bad as it once was but it's not like you tell your mom and she has a 'I'm so happy you're gay' party." Alex shook her head and sighed hard.
"Eliza would." Kara looked at her slightly confused.
"She wouldn't." Alex shook her head. "With you... probably, but only because you're not from here. I... I am supposed to be the perfect Danver's child, do my job, find a man, have a baby, excel in everything..." She ended with a sigh.
"I'd throw you a party." Kara said off the cuff stuffing more popcorn in her mouth. "Especially if it meant you'd finally met someone who you loved, because that's all that really matters." She smiled a beaming smile at her sister. "And I'd get Winn to build you both a genetic matrix, then the only box you didn't check was 'man' and well Mom would get over it when she saw the baby growing."
"Oh Kara..." Alex smiled at her adopted sister and shook her head. "I've not so much shared a pot sticker with anyone who isn't 'family' for the last two years, you don't have to be worried."
"I'm not, I believe that when you finally meet the right person..." She grinned at her sister. "Even you won't be able to talk yourself out of it." She stuffed more popcorn in her mouth.
Alex slowly put some popcorn in her own mouth and look at Kara intently for a moment, the Kryptonian's words making her head turn even more.
"What about you?" She asked taking more popcorn. "Do you think like your cousin you'll find someone here who is the 'right' one?"
"I hope so." Kara said the words almost wistfully and leaned her head on her sister's shoulder. "My mother used to always say that souls aren't meant to be alone, that the journey of a life is meant to be shared with another, who walks a similar path to yours. I just really hope my someone wasn't blown up with Krypton." Her voice shadowed a little.
Wanting to clear the darker thoughts from her sister's mind Alex leaned her own head to rest on Kara's.
"Well it's not like it's impossible that somewhere out there there isn't another lost Kryptonian just looking for their home." She offered wistfully. "Or you know... there's always Mon El... you could be the one to literally bring the legacies of Krypton and Daxam together after years of fighting."
"Ewwwwww Alex!" Kara whined her dislike immediately. "I caught him... you know... in a photocopy room with Tessa. I couldn't eat for nearly two hours I was so disgusted."
Alex laughed brightly.
"Two whole hours eh?" She chuckled. "Exactly how much of him did you see?" She went on to tease.
-x-
It was 4:15 on Friday while chatting with a friend next to his desk in Catco, Kara keened her sight up a little to Snapper's office where the older man was engaged in an obviously disagreeable discussion with whoever it was on the other end of the phone he was holding. Seeing him happening to glance up out of his office door at just that moment, the blonde quickly fixed her glasses and looked down at the floor, trying to ignore the sounds of him slamming down his phone and pushing up from his desk. She was just about to continued her conversation with her friend when from the edge of his room came the sound of his gruff yell.
"Pony Tail!"
With a quick look of apology to her co-worker, Kara made a beeline into the angry man's office space and moved right up in front of his desk.
"You called?" She tilted her head a little to answer him seeing the way the prominent vein on his forehead was nearly throbbing, something she had observed meant bad news for her as the focus of his call.
"I need you to collect your jacket and whatever else girls like you need and go down to the port." He looked at her. "Some kind of internal argument is going down with dock workers and the management. Nothing big enough for a real reporter, but that's why I'm sending you."
"Labour dispute down at the docks, aye aye captain." Kara made a quick salute and then seeing the way he glared a hole into her she sighed. "On my way." She turned and began to head to retrieve her jacket from her 'real' office, knowing Snapper didn't know about it.
"Good, you might want to pick yourself up some food, these things go on for hours." He called loudly after her. "And don't be a princess about the things they call you." He watched her rush off and gave a hard shake of his head. "They are going to eat you alive." He grumbled again and moved to his whiteboard.
-x-
Less than a half an hour later, Kara found herself hiding behind a concrete part of a parking structure, just to stay out of the view of any of the striking dock workers that were walking their 'wildcat' strike line keeping any trucks from entering the warehouses served by the docs and fundamentally shutting down the movement of goods into the city from the location. Needing to refocus herself she dialed her sister's number and waited for her to pick up.
"No Kara I will not tell you which shirt to wear on your dinner date, it's a pizza place, just don't show up naked." There was a heavy sarcastic tone to her big sister's voice, it was clear that Alex had been expecting the 'fashion emergency' call sometime that day.
"I'm not calling about that... exactly." Kara suddenly remembered that in a few short hours she was due to have pizza girl's night with Lena Luthor and she heard a nervousness enter her voice. Looking around the pillar at the milling group of dock workers she swallowed and refocused herself. "Snapper sent me down to the docks because there is a wildcat strike going on and so far I have heard so many words that I didn't even know existed to degrade and dehumanize women."
"I thought it was about the fact that someone from upper management brought their 'support puppy' into work and it's bitten three of them in the last 24 hours?" Alex sounded a little confused by her sister's predicament, not exactly sure why she would be down at the docks at all.
"Really? How do you know that? Does the DEO have people planted at the docks?" Kara was shocked to hear such a succinct run down of something she was sure her sister wouldn't know anything about.
"No, not exactly, it may just happen to be that the upper management 'man' is an alien and his 'puppy' is actually his daughter, she's very young, only early into her shape-shifting and non aggressive training." Alex clarified further.
"Ahhhh, so what I need to do is fly in there and talk to this 'management man' and explain to him that he has to find a babysitter for her because taking her to work isn't working." Kara seemed to nod with herself as the impediment to her evening started to seem 'fixable'.
"Do not offer my services, or that of the DEO." Alex warned with a slight growl of seriousness. "His wife who usually looks after her has a virus, we have her here."
"But Alex then it makes perfect sense for you guys to look after her too." Kara stated matter of factly. "And just think of the fact that you can do that study thing you do without causing any alien any undue harm."
"She BITES Kara!" Alex stressed instantly. "And I'm not talking friendly nip here." The older sibling gave a sigh. "The best solution would be for him to take some time off but his bosses have threatened him with termination if he does that. So here we are."
"Mmmmm this is a puzzle." Kara tapped her finger on her chin. "Well I'm going to go poke around and talk to some people, even with some of the somewhat rude dock workers and see if I can't find a solution that helps all of us."
"Kara... What are you wearing?" The brunette inquired suddenly.
"My black and white striped dress with the kitty prints in velvet." Kara looked down at herself. "And a white cardigan."
"I thought she said jeans and a top... oh wait, you're talking about right now aren't you... they're going to eat you." She could almost be heard wincing on the other end of the call. "Go as Supergirl."
"You are encouraging me to go as Supergirl?" The shock in Kara's voice was evident.
"No, I'm telling you to go as Supergirl, if you go in like you described any reference being made, and there will be a hundred comments, talking about your cute pussy, will not be about your dress." The older Danver's voice dropped to a low tone.
"I only got about twenty foot from the strike line and I already heard the first variation of that." Kara gave a soft unpleasant shiver that translated into her voice. "Okay, I'll go in as Supergirl and see if we can't get this whole situation to calm down so that I can have pizza without worrying about the docks exploding or Snapper chewing me out for not getting a story."
"I could just call Ms. Luthor and cancel your appointment, one less thing to worry about." Alex offered the option a little too quickly.
"No, I am going for pizza." Kara said resolutely and hung up. "Okay rude boys, let's see how you talk to Supergirl."
-x-
"That was a very rude thing to say to a women who shoots lasers out of her eyes Mister." Supergirl held the mouthy member of the group that had come toe to toe with her up by the front of his high visibility coat a few inches off the ground. "I suggest you apologize and think about how your Mother would expect you to talk to a lady."
"Ahh put him down Supergirl, it's not his fault you're 'SUPER HOT' now is it." Someone from the crowd called out to a round of guffaws.
"Well the truth is the only reason I came down to the docks was that I heard that our loyal and hard working dock workers were being mistreated by management and I wanted to see if I could help negotiate a resolution." Supergirl put him down with a curt smile and took a step back. "But if none of you want my help against your enemies up there..." She pointed to the administration building. "It's supposed to rain later, have fun walking your picket line."
"Supergirl Wait!" To Kara's surprise a female voice called from somewhere in the middle of the throng. Pushing herself forward a little, the owner of the voice turned out to be a middle aged woman. She pulled off a hard hat to free long red hair. "The boy's don't mean any harm... right?" She looked along the line of them, causing shifts in stance and straightening of collars. "But we can't work with a vicious animal running around, we're not paid enough to have a big medical bill dropped on us, not to mention the down time." She shook her head.
"See that seems like a legitimate reason that we have a problem here." Supergirl smiled at her, thankful for the help finally. "Does anyone object if I go speak with the Boss and try to get him to understand what you just told me? Everyone deserves to work in the safest environment that they can, and no one should have to drain their savings either."
The young woman glanced around at her gathered companions, whispers ensued with a few naysayers but it was apparent that the overall feeling was that Supergirl could feel free to see if she could make any difference.
-x-
Supergirl straightened out her cape before she reached up and politely knocked the door that was marked 'Shift Foreman' and quirked an eyebrow when she immediately heard a growl come from behind it.
"Sasha no!" An angered hiss came from within and then the sounds of things being moved around in the small room beyond. She didn't need super hearing to know it wasn't just little things, items that obviously took power to move were being quickly manhandled behind the thin barrier.
Moments later the door eased open just a little for someone to see out of, the majority of a head becoming visible as the door moved more. Behind the sliver of space the tall man had created was literally a wall made out of books shelves, filing cabinets and even an up turned desk. "Supergirl!?" The surprised squeak came from the man. "Wh.. what are you doing here?" He tried to ask the question as if there was no reason on earth he could think that she would be here. Like many aliens in National City there was no immediate apparent 'tell' that he was not from earth, but Kara had long learned not to use outward visual signs as proof of someone's species.
"Well the entire port of National City has ground to a halt with a wild cat strike, and it has come to my attention that the reason for that is because your wife is sick and due to that you had to bring your daughter to work?" She winked at him, knowing there was no one close enough to hear her anyway, but she'd wanted to put him at ease immediately if she could.
For a moment the man didn't see Kara's wink and a sweat broke out on his forehead.
"Daughter!... no no it's my..." He began to try and object.
"Sir, I'm not here to reveal anything to anyone who has no right to know it but I'm also here to try and find a solution to all of those boats backing up in the harbour." Kara pursed her lips a little. "Can I come in so we can talk in private?"
"Yes, yes of course." The individual backed up a little and straightened himself up, running a slightly shaking hand over his smoothed down hair. "She doesn't mean it..." He offered when the blonde had slipped the door closed after stepping inside, the growl that had started when she'd knocked on the door was now constant. He walked to the edge of the over turned desk and leaned in to look at the 'dog' that was corralled there. "She's just so young..." He looked back at Supergirl and motioned for her to come closer, the soft parental smile of fatherly love spreading on his features.
Supergirl moved as he indicated and looked over to see the child in question. Curled up in the space between the bookshelves and the wall was a creature about the size of a small dog. In fact she could instantly see why the Foreman had tried to pass his daughter off as a dog to the unknowing human workers, her white fur was just long enough to curl as it hung off all of her body. Though her scared yellow eyes looked at Supergirl warily as the continuous growl came out of the back of her throat. Around her was tore up papers and books, appearing as if either she or her father had attempted to make a nest for her to settle down into.
"Awww she's adorable." Supergirl said honestly smiling at him. "Wait, you're both Taconata aren't you?" She remembered a teaching from long ago on Krypton and felt the beginning of a plan starting to form in her head.
"Yes." The man quickly confirmed, relief spreading over his features at the fact she knew their species. "She's barely three months old, she shouldn't be out of the den."
"Exactly!" Supergirl nodded to him again. "I have an idea, that might just let us take care of your daughter, keep your job and get all those dock workers back safely to theirs." She smiled more at him.
-x-
"Supergirl to Alex, can someone on com get me a link to Alex please." Supergirl used her communicator as she soared over the city, seeing from the large clock tower on City Hall that she had mere minutes before seven.
"What's the problem?" Alex's voice cut in milliseconds later. "They didn't use any cat jokes on you did they?"
"Some of them were rude to even Supergirl but we found a common ground." Kara said happily as she swooped into her apartment and began to super speed herself a new outfit to change into once she'd flown over to L-Corp. "The Taconata baby was so cute, she so shouldn't have been out of her den, so I managed to create an alternative for her in the back of her father's van, so now the dock workers are back to work, he can keep his job and his daughter is in a safer environment while he has to look after her. The poor thing was just overloaded with all the stuff going on in such a big space."
"Well that's great." Alex reasoned obviously thinking about all her sister had just told her. "Wait, you bought a dog crate didn't you?" She groaned slightly at the idea.
"I bought an alternative den, in pink, with extra fluffy pillows and a new toy. She even has a baby monitor so Daddy knows if she needs checking in on during the day." Kara enthused as she took off again out the window. "Now unless the world is legit ending I'm on my way to meet Lena for pizza."
"Okay, have a great night, I'll be at your place when you get back." Her older sister said with an air of smugness.
"Eat food at your own place." Kara laughed at her.
"Oh no, I didn't have years of the protect Kara talk to not be waiting for you to get in, ensuring it's a reasonable time." Alex rattled off her 'reason'. "And alone."
"Alex, I'm having pizza with a friend, why are you acting so weird?" Kara asked as she slowly descended down to a place at the edge of the enormous building, she knew there was an alcove that she could use for her quick change into real clothes.
"Because you're naive and she's... not." Alex assessed back without missing a beat. "Be home before 10."
"Sorry can't hear you lots of wind." Kara spoke quickly and then shut off the connection as she changed in lighting fast time into a pair of dark jeans and a smart baby blue button down shirt that was just baggy enough to still be casual. Feeling the nervous ball in her stomach start to bounce around, she moved around to the front of the building and wasn't surprised when Security immediately escorted her to the executive elevator and sent her up towards Lena's office.
What did surprise her at first was that Lena's secretary wasn't at her post, and no one else seemed to be on the usually busy floor. With a hint of worry in her steps she quickly moved to Lena's office and stuck her head through the half open door.
"Oh hey, you are in here. This place is a ghost town, I've never seen it like this." Kara tried to cover her quick approach as she hovered in the doorway.
"Oh, yes. Hello." Lena gave a quick glance around and then pushed up from where she was sitting at her desk. The brunette was in rich black jeans and a navy blue shimmering tank top. Her make up as always perfect, though her lips were painted a slightly lighter red than normal. "I have to apologize..." She began as she stepped around her desk the furthest side away from Kara. "Because my 'friend' who has a 'Pizza place'" She continued seeming a bit nervous as she moved. "Was a little bit of a fib." She moved to the large double glass doors on the south facing wall of her office, pressing them open with just one push to let the smell of burning wood, soft jazz music and the sparkle of hundreds of fairy lights press into the office. "I hope you don't mind your pizza's home made in an authentic oven." Soft billows of light grey smoke puffed from the stone chimney of said oven into the softly darkening sky.
"Wow, Miss. Luthor... you didn't tell me we were going to the most exclusive pizzeria in town." Kara grinned back at her, already mesmerized by the soft lights and the carefully planned set up of the area. She couldn't help but notice the enormous buffet type table of toppings and options, along with a number of pizza bases ready to be assembled. "I've only had pizza from a stone oven once, and it was amazing." She stepped closer slowly across the wide office to the now open doors to the south patio.
"Well I can't guarantee amazing but at least it might be fun." Lena stepped out fully onto the massive patio, crossing to an ornate glass table off away from anything 'cooking' related, set up with candles, a perfect arrangement of flowers and two place setting. "I wasn't sure you would want to be out at a restaurant with someone like me, it's not like I can go incognito in this town and..." She looked across into blue eyes. "I didn't really want to share you." She made the final admittance.
"Lena..." Kara said her name in a soft tender way. "You could have just ordered the 2-4-1 special from Pizza Town down the street and I would have thought great, all of this... is amazing." She continued to smile, suddenly feeling like the most important person in the world, not because she was Supergirl for once but just because she was Kara. "And for the record I already agreed to go out in public with you as I don't see the issue that you do so, next time, I'll pick the restaurant." She felt her stomach do an usual flip flop inside of herself as she suggested they would do this again, realizing in that instant she did want to spend more time with Lena even as they were actually together at that moment.
"Well this is all here now and I gave the entire floor the night off so..." Lena smiled more as she moved to a L-Corp branded cooler near the table. "Wine? Beer? Soda?" She asked cracking the cooler open to show a myriad of choices inside all nestled in tiny cubes of ice. It seemed she had literally thought of everything.
"I'll have what you're having." Kara's smile stayed plastered on her face as she moved over and unable to stop herself stole a slice of cut mushroom from the pile and popped it into her mouth. "Sorry, I should have asked." She immediately chided herself as she heard her mother and Alex warning her about manners in her head at the same time.
"Oh no please peruse and make some informed choices about what toppings you want, I stand by the try before you buy rule." Lena pulled two beers from the cooler and placing them on the table. She strolled casual towards Kara and then for the first time since the blonde had arrived there the ghost of a frown pulled on her face, stalling her in her advance as she looked at Kara. Lena's frown deepened as ever so slightly she raised the back of her hand to the side of her nose. "You... have you been near the docks recently?" She tried not to grimace as she asked nor make the question sound loaded.
"Oh no, I mean yes! Snapper sent me down there late this afternoon to look into a labour strike, I only just got some copy together for him in time to head over here to meet you. I tried to work it all out so that I could get here to you on time.." Her words stalled as she held her own hand up to her face and breathed in, an instant frown pulling at her mouth. "And I smell don't I and I became nose blind to it and now you think..." She started to babble as she panicked. "Wow, horrible things like I don't know what a shower is." She instantly went a deep shade of red, the colour even prickling down to her neck and into the collar of her shirt.
Lena chuckled for a moment her laughter bright and happy.
"Don't worry." She shook her head. "I'm just used to you smelling a certain way and..." She drew her finger in a little circle. "That isn't it." She let her hand drop to her side. "Really Kara I'm touched you wanted to get here on time but always remember there is the possibility you can ask for a half hour extension, anytime." The brunette continued to chuckle.
"Really I am so sorry. I honestly just didn't think about that issue and I should have and how about I race home get showered and then come back?" Kara offered up the option immediately. "You clearly have a delicate sense of smell and I understand the idea of something being overwhelming and even if you don't want it to be. That and we're supposed to be eating." A hard grimace came onto her face.
"Kara, really it's fine." Lena shook her head again. "If I've now horribly embarrassed you and you're going to worry about it all night there is a shower in the suite connected to my office..." She pointed inside. "Feel free to freshen up if you want to."
"Shower?" Kara's eyes lit up a little. "I will be literally like seven minutes." She began to inch towards the open doorway. "I've got it down to an art form so I can sleep in before work." She tried to explain the reason for the very particular number.
"I'll toss a base while you're busy." Lena moved to stand next to the prep table with a small pile of dough balls on it.
"That you know how to do that is so impressive." Kara admitted easily so concentrated on her faux pau, that she didn't realize how toned the compliment was. "I bet there is a lot about you I'm going to find impressive and you'll just enjoy knowing I will remember to shower in the future. We're beginning to remind me of Lady and the Tramp."
"That was spaghetti not pizza if I remember correctly and though I may be referred to a lot as a bitch, it's not usually a Lady either." She chuckled happily. "Try the orchid and hibiscus oil body wash, that 'is' impressive. The door is just left of the filing cabinet."
-x-
Seven minutes later, just as she'd promised Kara reappeared at the doorway. Though this time her hair was braided loosely to keep control of it being still wet. She silently prayed that she'd managed to erase the smell of the docks, and had in fact had a moment in the shower when she'd used the body wash that Lena had suggested because it smelled so good.
"So how do you toss a base then?" Kara started as a reintroduction of her return hoping to remove any thoughts of her blunder. She could only imagine the ribbing Alex would give her later. "I hope it's not hard because I am notoriously clumsy."
"Oh don't let that stop you from trying." Lena looked over towards the blonde, an ever growing circle of dough being turned around her hands and up in the air as she spoke. "It's just about teasing the dough around to draw it out into a bigger circle." She tossed the one she was working high for a moment catching it with ease while it was still in rotation. "When we've eaten and have leftover dough you are going to try."
"I was just going to say if I have too..." Kara tried to imitate the way that Lena was moving the dough between her hands with her own empty ones. "And then try to not only throw it up... but then catch it." She made the up motion and then dashed back and forth as if her throw had been off the mark. "And then our dinner is in the nice water feature on the ground down there."
"Venus with a dough fanscinator." Lena nodded slowly smiling brighter still. "You could always call your friend Supergirl and have her watch the building for wayward pieces of uncooked pizza dough, though I expect she's rather busy on Friday nights."
"Usually but I think if she got pizza out of it in the end she might just play along if it was a slow enough night." Kara grinned at the ridiculous idea as it played out in her mind. Her somehow darting back and forth from losing the dough to saving the dough, all it needed was Lena knowing the truth or her somehow doing it all without being noticed that she couldn't be in two places at once.
"Well like I said at the beginning of our evening, I didn't really want to share you so just call her when you leave." Lena brought the dough back to the large round lightly flour covered board on the table and beckoned Kara closer. "Stuffed crust?" She asked looking at blue eyes.
"I am always a yes when cheese is involved." Kara jumped at the option immediately. "What are your favourite toppings?"
"C'mere." Lena continued smiling her brightest smile as red lipstick pulled to reveal white sparkling teeth. "You can help with this." She waited until Kara came up to the table. "Okay all you do is take this long strip of cheese and put it around the edge of the dough about an inch from the actual edge." She instructed pointed to the long almost tube shaped strips of cheese. "And I like mushrooms, pepperoni and bacon on my pizza, with three types of cheese, a little black pepper a garlic tomato base offset with some spinach."
"That sounds like a mouthwatering pizza, let's make that one first." Kara put forward the idea immediately, captivated by the cadence of Lena's voice as she described her choices almost like she was reading literature aloud. She continued to carefully place the cheese as she had been instructed, knowing that there had to be a little more nuance then this to what she was doing but she could tell Lena was trying to make it foolproof for her.
"Okay now when you're finished with the cheese, take this fresh pressed garlic oil and brush it over the top side of the cheese." Lena reached to pick up a small glass bowl that contained the mixture and lay a short handled basting brush over it as she sat it down near to Kara's hands.
"I'm guessing don't drown it Kara is a good guide." Kara moved to pick up the brush and dipped it in, pulling it out and letting it drip off for a moment before she began to bast the cheese with the oil.
"I knew that wouldn't be necessary, you might not know how to cook but I know enough about you to know that you are very careful when focusing on something." The brunette complimented as she leaned over slightly and picked up a small spoon, holding it to her chest while she watched Kara finish. "So now.." She shifted a little to nudge Kara away from the dough slightly with her hip. "With a spoon in one hand you ease the dough we left extra on the edge and cover the cheese, bringing the edge of it all the way down to meet the base, when it's there we use the spoon to carefully marry the two dough's together, but do that lightly, but firm enough to create a slight seal, but not so hard that it perforates the dough." Lena did a few folds with careful ease and surprising speed before inching out of the way again and motioning for her to try instead.
"I promise to eat the parts where the stuff crust leaks." Kara smirked at her as she attempted to recreate what Lena had just demonstrated. The first attempt at a fold not holding firm enough, so that it actually took two times before it did. But by the fourth one Kara had sort of figured out the sweet spot of pressure that Lena had been referring too and started to work her way quite successfully around.
"You were born to do it." Lena encouraged with a full smile, having to press a little onto tip toes to reach over the large table and pick up another bowl, this with a thick red sauce in it. Taking a spoon she began to drop spoonfuls of the sauce onto the open pan dough, making sure to stay out of Kara's way, finishing ahead of the blonde she leaned back put the bowl down but retained the spoon. "Now we spread the sauce evenly." She handed Kara the spoon as soon as a blonde head came up from her concentrated work.
"I think I know how to do this, you use the back of the spoon?" Kara offered up hoping she was right, she remembered seeing it on a cooking competition program.
"Exactly, if I didn't put enough on, just add a spoonful or two." She explained brightly as she began moving things on the table, obviously moving the dish of pepperoni, mushrooms, and grated cheese mix closer. The spinach was too far away to just reach for it so she lightly put her hands on Kara's waist to slip behind her to moved to the other side of the table to get it.
Kara had been concentrating on the second task of evening out the sauce, so much so that the moment Lena's hands came to rest on her sides and then there was a slight brush of the brunette passing by in the close quarters with the other table, nothing even about her powers could have made her react quickly enough to keep the soft intake of air she made, nor could she stop the slight hum that came at the same time. There was just something so familiar about Lena, even though she knew they didn't really even know each other. It was just the way that the usual formal CEO was acting so... Kara hated that the word 'normal' as it came into her mind but she also knew she meant it as the unobtainable goal that it was for her as an alien.
Lena paused on the other side of the prep table, the pepper grinder in her hand as she looked at Kara, a softer smile coming to her lips than the bright amused one of earlier.
"Want anything else? Bacon.." She was immediately answered by an eager nod from the blonde. "Green peppers?" The brunette's hand hovering over the bowl as she already had the bacon plate in the hand with the grinder received a soft crinkle of a nose and a single shake of head. "Italian sausage?" Lena couldn't help but laugh as there came another enthusiastic nod. "Ham?" She didn't even check for confirmation, merely adding it to the small pile she was creating. Carefully the brunette made her way back behind Kara and moved everything enough to fit the new additions. "Okay so now we just put as many of these things on as we like."
"Are you toppings heavy or toppings light?" Kara questioned as she put the spoon back in the sauce and moved the pan with the base on it over to the table with their chosen ingredients.
"A pizza is all about what's on it." Lena replied taking several slices of pepperoni from the bowl, laying them carefully onto the side of the pizza closest to her. "As long as you leave enough gaps for the dough to actually cook from the top and bottom."
-x-
"Seriously you don't want this last piece? I can split it for us." Kara questioned Lena whose chair was pulled around the round table to be closer to her, the other side of the table was filled with bowls and the nearly empty pan from their third pizza.
"No, no." Lena shook her head and placed her hand briefly on her stomach. "I'm going to have work out harder this week to work this off." She laughed brightly. "Oh to be young and have a high metabolism like you." She leaned to pick up her glass of wine, her choice of beverage having changed when the pizzas had finished cooking.
"I happen to know you are only one year older then me..." Kara laughed at the comment and briefly stuck her tongue out at Lena before picking up the last piece and immediately beginning to eat it. "And... you are tiny. I bet you've skipped meals all week so you deserve every goodly pizza calorie that we've eaten."
"I can't answer that." Lena shook her head, leaning back a little in her seat. "Do you want me to pack everything up for you to take home and experiment? You can cook them in an ordinary oven, I'll even let you take the pizza paddle you fell so in love with." The brunette joked about the specialized long handled tool they had used to slide the pizza's into the oven with.
"If I take the paddle how will you ever make me pizza again?" Kara batted her eyelashes teasingly. "And I'm not sure all these things would fit in my fridge. You've been to my place, you know how tiny it is."
"It looked a fairly average size to me and I can replace the paddle." Lena laughed brightly. "I have these long lidded trays that I can fit everything left into just one of them." She continued to shake her head as she smiled at the blonde. "Even if you don't experiment with pizza, some of them would be nice in salads or wraps." She continued to press. "I'm not going to eat them."
"Sure, if it's going to go to waste." Kara nodded, more of her just smiling at how thoughtfully generous Lena was being. "So... we've been so busy making pizza we haven't really had a chance to talk." She offered up a soft shrug. "How was the busy week of an important CEO?"
"Oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to stifle our evening by keeping you busy with cooking..." Lena frowned slightly.
"No, I didn't mean it like that." Kara shook her head instantly. "I really enjoyed making pizza, almost as much as I enjoyed eating it but I didn't want the whole night to go by without finding out how your doing, how your week was, all the important Lena headlines." Her smile took over her whole face as the brunette had 100% of her undivided attention.
"Well..." The brunette sipped her wine again. "It has been a busy week, trying too on occasion. We had an armed assailant on Wednesday, things like that never really let a week go smoothly." She sighed.
"Wait..." Kara managed to cough on her own spit for a moment. "An armed assailant?" Her face went from smiling to shock and worry, her hand reaching out to settle onto Lena's forearm in their close position. "Are you okay? Did they apprehend him in the lobby? How could I not have heard about this?"
"Well for one this kind of thing happens quite a lot, well at least to me, I don't make a public thing about it if it just sorts itself out. Someone just wanted to vent at me for my brother's indiscretions and just happened to be armed." She eased her shoulders into a shrug. "I try to go down and personally talk to people like that, offer my sympathies, pray they don't shoot me." She rolled her eyes. "Security handled him after we'd had a talk."
"No, Lena that is not how that is supposed to go. Your security are supposed to do their jobs and make sure that you're safe, not let you walk into an impromptu meeting with a crazy armed guy." Kara shook her head immediately. "Please, you need to think more about your safety and less about salvaging your reputation to someone who is already clearly unstable."
"Kara..." Lena softened her smile and reached to lightly touch her hand to the blonde's arm. "My family have hurt a lot of people and I don't blame them for wanting their say, to have their moment confronting the only Luthor they can." She shook her head. "And so far, I've never actually been hit when that kind of a discussion goes wrong." She shook her head again and then smiled. "I did have to refurnish my brand new meeting room, but I'm not sure I liked the grey / green combo in it anyway."
"I can't understand how I'm the first person to tell you this but..." Kara turned her chair and moved so that they were softly holding on to each others arms now. "I don't want you to risk anything going wrong, if it goes wrong then horrible things happen and that I couldn't take the idea that anything bad happened to you." She spelled out with a firm instant honesty. "Are you going to promise to be safer or do I have to use up a big favour with a certain Super to keep an ear on your security channel and intervene in these unexpected meetings?"
"Oh I certainly don't want Supergirl involved." The brunette shook her head firmly. "If she even so much as broke a nail coming to the assist of a Luthor I would never be safe." The brunette frowned. "Does she even break her nails? Tear her cape maybe? It's not so much of what happens to her, just if it was bad then MORE people would hate me and that hate would be directed at this Luthor. The reason they usually burn out after a time is because I'm not the right one in the first place." She summed up the truthful fact that she was a stand in for their rage and revenge. "Jess wants me to start wearing a safety jacket."
A thought suddenly went through Kara's head, remembering how her sister had once told her a dress she'd loaned her from the DEO was bulletproof. She knew Lena would never want a bulky flak jacket under her clothes but she might go for a slim lined under layer, just maybe. She made a mental note to find out from Winn how she could secure such a thing.
"I'm glad Jess has some sense." Kara answered honestly her voice going softer. "Lena, I don't care how righteous these people feel in their anger towards your brother, that anger is your brother's to own and them just using you as a substitute, well it says a lot about them if you ask me more then it does about you. You have never started a war with a Super, you've never tried to end the world, you're only working day in and day out to try and make it a better place for everyone." She knew somehow already that Lena would deflect her words but she just couldn't not try one more time to make her understand. "So please, no more talks with crazy callers, for my sake? I don't do well when friends get shot, I mean..." She nervously giggled. "Never had it happen before but I just know, I will be a wreck, and I'll be so annoying when you're in the hospital. There will be bears and flowers and crossword books..."
A smile came to Lena's lips to replace the more serious visage.
"Do you like flowers Kara?"
"I do." Kara's smile was naturally back. "The fact that there are so many different ones." She had to edit her natural slip to almost say 'here on earth'. "And they smell so good."
"Well in that case let me arrange some for your desk Monday, as a thank you for tonight." Lena's smile was brighter as she moved away from thoughts of her most recent attacker.
"I'm going to say okay, and you're going to think how have I won this one but what you don't know is that I will just send you some back the next week." Kara grinned. "Because I have noticed that you love flowers don't you? You always have different fresh ones all over the building, not just in your office."
"I do." Lena nodded. "There is just something so pure and beautiful about them, serene and delicate." She listed off other traits. "And I don't know, hope I suppose." She assessed. "Even after the most terrible disasters, raging bush fires, the first thing to come back to life is a flower. I won't totally geek out and tell you it's Latin name or go on about it but... just that fact makes them so miraculous."
"Actually you can tell me all their names, just the fact that you know so much is fascinating." Kara watched her, seeing the way in the fairy lights that Lena's face lit up as she talked about something she loved. It was almost the same as when she'd been explaining a project she was working on personally to Kara at the Gala briefly before things went bad. She had just lit up and talked, without worries about her name or her brother, just unfettered Lena happiness and excitement.
"I'm sure you know just as much as I do, about different things perhaps but still, it's obvious that you are a very smart woman Kara Danvers." Lena took a soft breath. "I'm sure I wouldn't know the first thing about how to be a journalist, or how anyone could actually work, for years, under Cat Grant." She grinned again. "Yes I am sure there is a how slough of knowledge behind those glasses."
"Working for Cat was easy, anticipate what she wanted for lunch, manage her schedule and never ever tell her if her outfit was ugly." Kara scrunched up her nose as she told the soft truth.
The other woman laughed again.
"That would be my problem." She summed up. "Keeping my mouth shut isn't my... style." She offered the slight pun on words.
"Because you are used to being the boss, not the assistant." Kara appraised with a soft understanding shrug. "Though I bet there are times in big meetings when you just want to cut everyone off at the knees as Cat would say but you hold back just to let someone tie their own noose tighter."
"I try not to be cutting, I'm aware that everyone, even those who are the heads of my various departments, have an ego and an id, it's very hard to rule from the top down if you are just a bitch." Lena offered the insight with a gentle pause. "So other than a desire for a world filled with truth and balanced information, why become a writer?" She let her eyes turn up to study the stars in the night sky.
"I think it's because every time I talk to someone I remember they have their own story, they are the star in their own life's movie." Kara didn't turn her eyes upwards but kept looking at Lena. "We all forget sometimes that as we struggle through life, everyone around us is going through the same things, everyone has fears and things that always pop into their minds that rob them of their bravery, but they also have things they love and adore, things that are their guilty pleasures and ways that they shut out the world when it is just too hard to handle." She outlined her constant awareness of this even as she looked up, surprised by the fact that how high they were up in the huge skyscraper actually helped dim some of the light noise from the city. "See that little kinda diamond shaped star there..." She immediately saw where Lena's eye line was.
Lena made a soft uh-huh noise with a soft smile.
"That star was just discovered to be nearly 80,000 light years away from earth, but there it still is burning so bright you can even see it in the city." Kara's voice took on a wistful quality. "For all we know, that star is a world of happy people who surround themselves with flowers and butterflies and no one ever argues over dessert." She leaned in a little closer as they both looked up. "And sometimes they look up at the sky and see the faintness of our Earth and wonder what it's like here, because deep down we're all the same, we're all trying to make sense of our world and enjoy the beauty of the things we don't understand."
"I love the stars." Lena's voice filled with warmth and softness. "When I was adopted, I used to think maybe I came from one, somewhere up there." She revealed the personal secret tenderly. "I dreamed that maybe my parents would come and get me, stop the loneliness, the fears that I had and just take me home."
"I know that feeling." Kara confirmed in just as soft a whisper, though no one was anywhere near them to hear a word passing between them, the words were meant for just the two of them. "When I was fourteen, there was a fire... I lost both my Mom and Dad." Her words came out as pained as they always did.
"Oh Kara..." Green eyes turned away from the heavens and looked at the blonde a soft pain filling the light pools. "I'm so sorry... I had no idea about the..." She paused. "Winn let it slip that Alex is your adopted sister but I had no idea that you were orphaned so tragically."
"It's okay, I don't tell everyone." Kara made the gentle admission to show how much Lena disarmed her. "I was lucky though, my adopted family, they did everything they could to make my new family just as loving and important." She offered up the appraisal. "Most of the time Alex is my white knight, always there to help me, mentor me through life."
"I used to feel that way about Lex..." A hard line crumpled the perfect skin between Lena's eyes. "He was always so... eager to include me, wanting me involved in all he was doing." She turned away and shook her head. "I'm glad Alex was the right kind of big sister."
"I think the thing you need to allow yourself is that before he went sideways, Lex was all the things to you that he was." Kara smiled softly at her. "And I know what he did recently mars things, sometimes it's okay to admit that with you he was different. My mother was a twin and my Aunt, well they started out close but then their lives diverted and my Aunt got into trouble, but I know the hardest thing for her was trying to reconcile the sister she loved, with the woman who had done such hurtful things. It's okay to love him for the past but hate him for what he did."
"We truly are a flawed race aren't we." Lena flicked her eyebrows lightly. "Sometimes I truly wonder why people like the Supers... other aliens that I'm not foolish enough to think aren't here, why they bother with us? Why help a race who's only true talents are the ability to lie, hurt and murder each other?"
"I hope it's because they also see how much love humans can create, how loyal they can be when a bond is formed." Kara leaned on her arm on the table and let her head rest low to look wistfully at Lena. "I hope it's because they realize how unique we are in the universe."
"I wish more people I knew were like you Kara, so ready to believe there is love and goodness out there." She reached out and cupped Kara's shoulder. "It's why I value what we have so much, I'm only used to greed, one upmanship and lies." She shook her head. "Coming here, meeting you..." She smiled again genuinely as she squeezed Kara's arm a second time. "It was what I needed."
"Maybe you can see it as the sign it's meant to be, you belong in National City and you don't have to live in your brother's shadow forever." Kara smiled back at her warmly.
To be Continued in Episode Two...