"Okay, but George Lockwood?" Alex repeated skeptically, pouring herself another glass of red wine.
"People can change, honey," Kelly said gently, touching her girlfriend's arm. "I know George screwed up - went a long way past screwing up - but he's clearly trying to change. Maybe you're the right person to give him that second chance that he needs."
"Kelly's right," Kara chimed in. "You weren't at that press conference, Alex. You didn't see how guilty he looked, how much he knew he was wrong. I was so proud of him for trying to make amends. If you want to foster George, this is a great opportunity for both of you."
Alex put ran a hand through her choppy red hair. "But I would be putting Ben Lockwood's son in such close proximity to an alien who happens to be one of the most important people in my life. I can't risk your safety like that, Kara! What if he finds out your secret? Not to mention Brainy, J'onn, Nia, Clark when we see him again...It's too much."
"Don't worry about me," Kara said with a small smile, remembering the period during Alex's induced amnesia, when she'd referred to Kara as a piece of her heart that was up and walking around out in the world where she couldn't protect it. "I can take care of myself. You deserve to be a mom, and you're going to be a great one."
"And if anything does happen, if George shows any signs of hostility toward aliens...foster placements aren't the same as adoption," Kelly reminded her. "But until then, the best you can do is instill values of tolerance and friendship in him, and make it clear that anti-alien hate will not be tolerated in your house. But, realistically, even with Kara's article, a lot of humans out there still hold underlying hate and resentment toward aliens. It's better that he end up with you, an adult human who can be a good influence on him, than end up with a set of foster parents who could be even worse than his biological father. Besides, George might be serious about this peace and unity crusade of his. He might not want to be defined by his father's hate."
"And, Alex, right now he's just a kid who needs a mom to tell him he's not alone," Kara added. "You have a home, a family, so much love to give. Maybe George just needs someone to show him how good family can be after the trainwreck he was taken from. We don't know for sure that Ben wasn't violent toward him too."
Alex couldn't ignore the possibility of a hurt child in need of a mother. "Okay, fine. Tomorrow I'll pick George up from the care home. George Lockwood, the son of Ben Lockwood."
"George Lockwood, an orphaned kid who needs a family as much as I did," Kara told her sister, squeezing her hand. "And, Alex, as much as you're a brilliant scientist and director of the DEO, the one most notable thing I've seen you accomplish, the thing you've always been best at, is giving lost, scared, hopeless people love, home, and a family."