Regardless of how the series ended, I want to keep writing this fic, truthful to the original idea I had. So I hope you keep on joining me as we move through the timeline to accomplish the three words that were never uttered in the show from one character to the other. The title of the fic itself.
Enjoy!
...
Throughout the past timelines, Alex makes small changes to her relationship with Lena.
Middle Kara tries to amend parts of her past through more truthful actions and young Kara feels out of place but begins to connect to the people around her, especially with Lena.
-Year 2020-
Lena Luthor worked on her project with the same diligence that always characterized her. She was going to erase all the violence from human's conduct so they couldn't harm each other. So no one could ever inflict the same pain that had always loomed over her head, on every memory from her childhood and then from every single one that followed. Her motivation was honest, not pure. Just honest. She wouldn't delude herself into thinking this would be salvation to all, just amends. Harm came in many ways, but that also meant it could be stopped through different methods. And this was hers.
"You can't come in!" the voice of her head of security called, "You don't have the authorization, Miss Danvers."
Lena felt her blood boil in a mix of anger at her appearance and...nervousness all the same. Kara unnerved her. Not as before, not in the same way. Not since she flew into her balcony and gazed at her like she was a stranger in a memory she rather forget. As if looking over her shoulder at a bad dream she couldn't wake up from. And although Lena promised herself Kara wouldn't have any power over her, nor she would care about the Kryptonian's opinion...it still haunted her to see that look on her face when gazing into her eyes.
But Kara's eyes were not the ones to greet her, instead, brown templated marvels locked gazes with her, "Alex," she had to double-take the image in front of her. The woman hastily pulled her arm from the grasp of the security detail.
"Lena," she answered with the same amount of uncertainty, it seemed like Alex herself didn't know what had processed her to appear at the brunette's door.
"I'm sorry Miss Luthor, I'll escort her out of the premises," the guard assured.
"You'll make sure she never trespasses again," Lena warned steadily, "But for now, let go of her and give us the room."
Alex felt the shock wear off as the guard fixed his attire taking his leave. The moment that followed felt like the quietest minute in Earth's history.
And Lena was the one to break the spell, "What do you want, Alex?" she asked, raising her chin, "Did Kara ask you to come? So both our older siblings could step into the arena?"
"No, Kara doesn't know I'm here, and honestly, I'd rather have it stay that way," Alex replied. Her eyes were unwavering but her hands were shaking.
Lena was caught off guard because she could clearly see that Alex was being sincere.
"What do you want?" Lena repeated her demand, averting her gaze.
"To come to see you," she answered, "as I should have done so long ago," she admitted, "I...never checked on you."
Lena scoffed, "It's a bit late for pleasantries and amends, don't you agree?"
"I'm not sure. But...I rather have done this and regret it than regret not having tried at all," she replied, folding her arms, looking down, "I know you are mad-"
"Mad?" Lena repeated with sarcasm as a humorless laugh echoed in the room, "No Alex, I'm not mad. Mad was when Lilian locked me in my room to keep visitors from seeing the disgrace I was to the Luthor's legacy at dinner parties. I was mad when I had to move from Metropolis to escape actions that weren't even my own when Lex went to trial. Mad was having to sleep with the burning question of when the next gun barrel would be aimed at me while I could do nothing about it. So, no, Alex. I know mad and I know rage and this is well beyond that." Lena could taste the venom dripping from her own words.
"Fine," Alex took a step forward, "Betrayed. That word fits better?" She challenged back, "I know we all kept this truth from you, Brainy, Nia, me, but our reasons-"
"Spare me." Lena looked away, "Don't act as if we were ever really friends. You were all always Kara's. I was just an appendix of circumstances. Easier to be cut off."
The realization struck Alex without warning or apology. To Lena, it wasn't even an option to reach out to any of them. She naturally assumed all of the team would undoubtedly side with the Kryptonian. And not a single one of them proved her wrong. They all knew Kara's secret when Lena didn't, so when the Luthor claimed to have been betrayed, it was not by one person alone, but by all of those who claimed to be her support, her safe haven.
When Lena lost Kara, she lost everyone else as well. They all left her alone.
Was it really such a surprise then that Lena decided to partner up with her brother? The one person that protected her during her childhood? Someone that promised to always be by her side without judgment?... The one refuge she could turn to now that no one else was there for her? It must have provided a small comfort for the youngest Luthor. A little bit of familiarity after having learned that the one person she trusted the most had deceived her all along. At least with Lex, she could expect to be betrayed. But she never thought Kara would do the same.
"You acted as though you stood by me when we were tracking Eve, remember that?" Lena forced her voice to keep from quivering, "As if you would defend me from Supergirl," she chuckled dryly.
"That...wasn't pretend." Alex finally admitted, bracing for what she had to say next, "At the time my memories about Supergirl's identity had been...blocked. So, yeah. I thought you were in the right and I disagreed with my sister, even if unknowingly." She took a deep breath, "And I don't say this so I can win your sympathy," she clarified, "I say it first so I can also admit my share of the blame on your fallout." Alex said resolvedly, "I'm the one that told Kara not to entrust her secret to you."
Hurt. That's the only clear emotion that dawned into emerald eyes. It seemed fitting it was the one feeling Lena could so easily identify within herself.
"At the beginning, I was the one who judge you harshly and unfairly, while Kara always stood by you. Against what the world deemed you to be, against what I told her. She opposed to me, to defend you. And when I lost my memories, I truly got to see why." Alex said softly, "If Supergirl hadn't been my little sister; I would have given you a clean slate. But your last name was Luthor and hers was the same as Superman's and that was reason enough for me to see you as a threat." Her shoulders slumped, and the knot on her throat tightened, "I'm not proud of what I did or the way I reasoned. But unlike me, when Kara was with you she never thought of you as your last name and she didn't perceive herself as Supergirl for those instants." Alex thought of all the times her sister talked about their lunch dates, their spontaneous visits, their little talks...Alex couldn't help the genuine smile that spread through her lips. "When Kara was with you she... she smiled, and laughed, and she felt human. She allowed herself to make mistakes, to be vulnerable, to be free."
Lena couldn't help but remember those days that seemed so far away now, so foreign. She couldn't help but wonder if the happiest of times were already in the past for her.
"It was only in your presence that she gave herself permission to be someone she could never be with anyone else." Alex continued, "You didn't see her in boots and cape, and still, you made her feel like a hero." The Danvers grinned softly at the memories, "You saw her broken and didn't think of her as weak. She could never let her guard down with any other of her friends. Not James, not Winn, sometimes...not even me." That admission pained her the most, "Because we all knew she was Supergirl. So of course she wanted you for herself. Her real self." Alex chuckled breathlessly, seeing now how it was so obvious that Kara loved Lena, but also, how hidden those emotions were, even from Kara herself, "She wants you. It's always been you," Alex mumbled with the faintest of voices, realizing now that the future came as no surprise. Kara would always fight for Lena, even if that meant fighting against the woman herself.
Lena's hands tightened into fists as her heart hammered her chest, if it was out of ire or emotion was hard to tell.
"So be it," Alex stated firmly, feeling something within shift as she finally gazed up, "I know nothing I've said will change anything." The future was already set, and she highly doubted in the original timeline she had helped to fix this. But after holding a heartbroken older Kara, she truly understood how much all of this - how much Lena- really meant to her sister. And that made it important for Alex as well. "And even if it means nothing coming from me, I will say this," she looked into her eyes, "you deserve better." And as abruptly as she had shown up, she turned around to reach for the door, "I know how to find the exit, and don't worry; I won't be doing this again."
"That's it?" Lena called after her, "You'll say all this and leave? Do you expect me to believe in the honesty of your words after you've admitted you've mistrusted me from the moment you heard my full name?"
Alex looked over her shoulder, "Is there really anything left for me to do to make this right?" Alex smiled sadly.
Lena's silence was the loudest answer she could have given.
Alex nodded, exhaling silently "Know this. If you do hurt my sister beyond what she can forgive, then that's the point of no return for me, Lena." She said steadily. It wasn't a threat, it was the truth. From that point, to whatever the future might hold.
Her foot was out the door when one word echoed through the place.
"Supergirl," The Luthor shot the name into the dark like a flair in the middle of the night sky, "Who is she?" the question itself felt like a trap for both, "Because that's not the Kara Danvers I know,"
Alex couldn't help the smirk that tugged her lips, "Give it time and you will."
-Year 2016-
"I invited Lena to our Thanksgiving dinner," Kara announced, after fixing her skirt to do her hero pose while standing in the old DEO base of operations.
Every one of her friends gazed at her, while the engines on their heads stared turning to fully understand what was happening. Alex seemed positively agitated, James was unarguably apprehensive and Winn was painfully slowly connecting the dots together. "Lena...Luthor?"
Kara nodded back, smiling, "Yeah." It was so bizarre to be back with the original team dynamic, but at the same time, she had missed it dearly. These were her beginnings.
"Why?" James frowned, folding his arms defensively.
"Why not?" Kara countered.
Alex arched a brow, mockingly dignifying a response to such an obvious question, "Let me repeat that, Lena Luthor."
Kara grimaced, "That's not fair." She muttered under her breath. The girl of steel wanted to say that Lena wouldn't be like her family, but they weren't currently on speaking terms back into her time. But here? Here that pain seemed to fade. As if that had been a dream – a nightmare- she had finally waked up from, "I don't want her to spend the Holiday on her own."
"I'm sure she has plans," James intervened, "of world domination."
An agent on the back chuckled and Kara did her best not to turn and use her heat vision on him, "I've already invited her and she said yes. I'm just letting you know."
"Why would you invite the sister of Clark's greatest enemy to your house? She's a Luthor, they can't be trusted. You are making a huge mistake by letting her in,"
This time, Kara's eyes were actually close to blasting some rays through them. She didn't even notice the heat building up in the back of her irises; she just heard the humming sound before her pupils would actually change color. Before it was too late. If not for Alex's heartbeat quickening, Kara wouldn't have realized how much of a close call it had been. So the Kryptonian breathed in to steady herself and offered an exaggerated smile, "Come on, James. Let your Guard down," she stressed the word. She already knew his big announcement for the evening. He gulped, chuckling awkwardly.
"What guard? I'm-I'm not guard-" Winn elbowed him in the ribs, "keeping my guard up," he corrected.
Kara smiled, all things considered, she had missed their antiques, "Great, then this shouldn't be an issue," she turned to Alex, "She's only coming for dinner, the morning is still all ours," she knew what was weighing on her sister's chest. Eliza was coming, which meant Alex was coming out.
The oldest Danvers nodded, avoiding their gazes, hating to be the center of attention of the other three.
"So any Super talk will have to be before she arrives, okay?" Kara turned to the guys behind Guardian's creation.
"Isn't it a bit risky?" Winn asked. He knew better than to judge someone based on their family ties, he was the offspring of someone with a criminal history after all, "What if we accidentally say something that could give away who we are, who you are."
Kara's shoulders...dropped. Her facade slipped, even if just for a second, showing the tiniest crack of how fractured she really was. Of how much the future had actually broken her, "I...need this," the words left her mouth without resistance, "One evening of normality. One night of not having to answer the call. Just a selfish moment and that's it." She said as if bargaining with fate itself for that one request.
The honesty and vulnerability in her tone caught everyone off guard. All their protests and objections were quickly set aside in favor of their friend.
"Are you okay, Kara?" Winn asked. Winn who hadn't been around in so long. Winn who had been the first friend Kara had shared her secret with. Winn who looked at her like she was the stars in the night sky.
"Yeah," she mumbled back, sniffing discreetly, "Yeah, I'm just...tired." she conjured a timid smirk, seeing the worry in Winn's eyes, "I just want to hang the cape for a second."
He nodded sympathetically, finding his resolve now more than ever to see Guardian rise. Because he didn't want to see her be the one carrying the weight of the world on her shoulder, "Then we enjoy the evening," he said gently, with his kind smile that never failed to cheer her up.
"Thanks," Kara said genuinely, "Thank you guys. Thank you for..." for being there, for being her first support system, her original Superfriends. She wanted to thank them for always being there to help her stand after she stumbled and for all their sacrifices. The ones they've already made and the ones that were to come. All the shred tears and lost battles, all the times they toasted together and grew stronger in each other's company. She wanted to thank them all for that and for so much more, but it was not the time yet, "for everything." She finally said those two words instead. But in her eyes, a million more phrases of appreciation were kept quiet, "I promise I'll be more eloquent when we toast on Thanksgiving," she chuckled to herself, feeling suddenly hollow, "We'll have a lot of things to celebrate."
"But until then," Alex intervened, "Let's get back to work." The redhead said, ushering the guys away with a single stare. She knew how to ask for the room with some pretty scary tactics.
Once alone, Alex folded her arms tilting her head to the side, eyeing the Kryptonian intensely.
"I'm fine, Alex," Kara answered the unspoken question. Alex didn't look convinced at all, so it was Kara's turn to deflect the attention, "How are you feeling?" She asked earnestly. Even if she knew how the future would unfold, that didn't mean Alex feeling right now were any less real.
"Fine," she answered curtly. Clearly unnerved.
"I'm...sorry I cut your time short by inviting Lena," she added. None of her friends knew that their gather would be interrupted by a blue orb from another dimension, keeping all of them from sharing their own news. But this time around, Kara was ready to insist on staying and fix beforehand everything that would go wrong so they didn't have to cancel their celebration. Kara wasn't particularly worried about changing these events. They had won in the end. She was just going to take that victory a little earlier than anticipated. And if it changed too much, she could ask Mxy to snap his fingers and set the record back on track.
Alex stood silent, she didn't look mad or particularly annoyed, but there was something unfamiliar roaming through the eyes, "Why did you invite her?"
Kara couldn't decipher if that was a complaint of genuine curiosity, but it was a fair question all the same, "Because she's my friend." She answered steadily.
"You barely even know her,"
Now it was Kara's turn to tilt her head and wait for her sister to catch up to the events.
"Future you, right." Alex exhaled, perhaps a little resistant to the idea of her sister being close with the Luthor.
"You have to give her a chance. The two of you share a lot of common interests, I'll have you know."
Alex huffed, "I know you are from the future and I still have a hard time believing what you are saying."
Kara deflated, she had escaped her own reality so she wouldn't have to fight against Lena anymore, the last thing she needed was circling back to all the mistrust that started this mess in the first place, "Please. Just for Thanksgiving. After that, you won't have to even be in the same room as her." Except for a few unfortunate instances in which Lena would be entangled in Cadmus' exploits, becoming a person of interest on the DEO's agenda.
Alex sighed, defeated by the puppy eyes her sister was making, "Fine. One evening. And I'm not promising my best behavior, I have a lot on my mind as it is."
Kara smiled supportively at her, "I know. And I really appreciate this." She said in all honesty and Alex decided that Kara's candid gratitude was payment enough for her endeavors. For now. She would claim the last potsticker as retribution later.
Thanksgiving always came unannounced on Lena's calendar. It was simply another Thursday to cross out from her schedule. It was the same routine year after year, work and a meal behind her desk, that never changed, and Lillian Luthor made sure to remind her of that as she walked into her office, albeit uninvited this time around.
"What a sight," the older woman said, "celebrating Thanksgiving on your own."
"Mother," Lena answered, unbothered, swirling on her chair to face her better, "To what do I owe the pleasure of this most definitely unrequested visit?" She arched a perfect brow, "Do tell me you didn't scare Jess into resigning to get here."
"Does a mother need permission to see her daughter?"
"Adopted daughter, you never let me forget that," Lena said sharply, not letting Lillian slip through the cracks of her heart to get inside of it.
"Well, it's the Holidays; I thought it would be a good time to make amends after what happened when you testified at Lex's trial."
"Amends?" Lena repeated sardonically, "If Lex had succeeded we would have needed a second Earth to fix his maniac spree. Talking amends among us pales in comparison."
"I still hope we can see eye to eye, Lena," Lillian said gravely. It sounded far more like a threat than a conciliation offer.
"Why?" Lena asked coldly. There was always an angle in the Luthor's household. She had grown used to it. Not only that, she had become prominent at it too.
"Because I love you," the words struck a nerve. Lena's stoic face was caught with emotion, if only for a mere instant. And Lillian saw the opening, ready to exploit it, "We are the only Luthors left standing, Lena. We can be stronger together. You don't have to brave all of this alone." She walked closer, eyeing the half-eaten plate and the glass of wine, "You can have your seat at the table," The innocent phrase was heavy with meaning. It was an invitation to take her place in her family's real business. To be actually a part of what happened under wraps. To be a Luthor.
"She has a seat at the table," a third voice interrupted and both Luthor women turned to see the reporter at the door, "We are celebrating Thanksgiving at my home." Kara Danvers said with innocence as if she hadn't overheard everything else. As if she didn't know what Lillian was implying.
"And you are?" Lillian glared daggers at her.
"Kara Danvers," the Kryptonian took one confident step closer, stretching her hand towards the older woman, making sure to angle herself in a way Lena couldn't see her over Lillian's tall figure as she pushed her glasses slightly down to properly face Lillian, letting her see through the facade... letting her see Supergirl. "A friend." It was as much of a warning as it was a threat. In her timeline, Lillian had learned her secret, but it was Kara's turn to take control over the narrative. The woman's eyes widened aghast, recognizing not only her face but also the answer the super had stated a few days back when she had kidnapped her.
And without missing a beat, Kara pushed her glasses back up and turned to Lena, smiling openly and cheerfully at the raven-haired woman, "Hey! I hope I'm not interrupting anything,"
The youngest Luthor couldn't help the smirk that overtook her features, she wasn't sure how, but Kara Danvers had managed to render Lillian speechless for a whole minute, which was a huge feat on its own, "Not at all. Kara, this is my mother, Lillian Luthor."
"A pleasure," Kara played naive, "You must be here for the Holidays," she pressed, "I can't think of any other reason to leave Metropolis when it's such lovely weather over there right now."
"I only came to see Lena," the matriarch replied dryly.
"You are lucky you found her at her office in L-Corp," Kara stressed the words subtly enough, looking intensely at Lillian when she did, she knew her real motives and what she was looking for "a few hours later and you would have missed her."
Lillian squirted her eyes, "Well, now that I know she has plans, I think I'll take my leave."
"Please, not on my behalf," the Kryptonian kept her sarcasm disguised, "You could join us if you'd like. My whole family will be there. I'm sure they would be thrilled to meet you." A room full of people that wanted to shut down Cadmus and drag her along with it? It sure would be a feast.
"No," Lillian answered sharply, taking a moment to steady herself and smile through fake politeness, "I wouldn't want to intrude," The person with the most information in the room was always the one with complete power. And Lillian knew that wasn't her anymore.
She could, however, level the field to her advantage. The idea of revealing Kara's identity right then and there crossed Lillian's mind but the Kryptonian's eyes sparked with a dangerous flair in them as if reading her thoughts. And instead of shaking her head no, Kara raised an eyebrow, challenging the oldest Luthor to even dare mention her name. Both had a secret to keep and plenty of cards on the table to play. But this once, Kara wasn't going to be the one to fold.
"I better go if I want to make my reservation," Lillian fixed the purse under her arm, taking a step back, not turning her back on them until she was out the door. And the hidden battle was over. Kara smiled triumphantly. It had been a long while since she last had a victory like this one. And it tasted all the better when she heard Lena chuckle behind her.
"I don't think I've ever seen her so dumbfounded," Lena commented, unashamedly pleased.
"Occupational hazards of being a reporter, influential people tend to watch what they are saying," Kara turned to face her, hiding her boastful smile to keep appearances, "Sorry I dropped in unannounced, should I go back to knocking?"
"Not at all," Lena's smile settled into a more genuine one, "My door is always open for you."
Those words alone alleviated a pain Kara didn't know she had been feeling, "Thank you." She said with far more meaning than what could be explained. So she cleared her throat, "So, about Thanksgiving-"
"Don't worry, Kara. I won't hold you to your word. You already saved me from a complicated talk with my mother, I assure you, that's going to be the highlight of the things I'll be grateful for today."
"What?" Kara asked aback, frowning confused as Lena went back to her seat.
"I understand your other guests might not be comfortable with a Luthor seated at the table, no hard feelings. You offered, that's more than enough."
"No, no, Lena," Kara urged, sitting in the chair in front of hers, "That's not what I was going to say." Seeing the confusion in Lena's eyes made her realize how little Lena thought of herself, as no more than the sum of her family's sins. This past Lena couldn't understand why it saddened Kara so badly to hear her say she wouldn't be joining, because she still didn't know how important it was for Kara, how important she was to Kara, "We are pushing dinner an hour later," she explained, not getting into detail as of why.
Alex had talked to Eliza that morning, opening up about several things that she needed to unpack, so both had taken a walk outside, leaving preparations on hold, since Eliza was unarguably the designated chef. So Kara insisted on waiting because Alex had earned her moment to be the center of attention.
"I was already nearby; I thought to come to tell you in person," Kara explained, fumbling with her hands.
"Oh, I'm...I'm sorry," Lena stuttered through the words.
"I understand if you do have other plans or rather not come at all. I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable," Kara offered. Maybe she was pushing this friendship to be how it used to be on a far too early stage. Lena didn't know her and she hadn't given her a motive why to trust her.
And that was another reason why she had shown up. She needed to tell Lena something to clue her in to what was going to happen. She had done it as Supergirl the first time, and Lena had shown her the exit almost immediately. Kara knew that part of Lena's resentment towards the Kryptonian after her identity reveal had been because of the way Kara kept the two identities radically different. Kara Danvers entered through the door offering friendship and smiles while Supergirl walked through the balcony with stern remarks and judgmental opinions on the Luthors. How was Lena supposed to know which was the real her?
"And um...there's another reason I came," she fumbled with her hands, "as a reporter." She added. This she had to do in all honesty. No pretenses, no half-truths, "A source informed me that there's a toxin that can target solely aliens," she handed her a piece of paper with the formula written on it, "the ones responsible for it want to spread it worldwide."
Lena's eyebrows knitted in concern at the information, "Why are you telling me all of this?", she asked while opening the paper, finding her answer there. Her jaw clenched, "Do you think I'm behind this?"
"Of course not!" she said with unmovable resolve, "I'm worried about what the people behind it could do to you to get to it." She pointed at the paper.
Lena froze for a moment before a dry chuckle ringed with painful self-depreciation behind it, "Of course, that's why she would say I love you," she mumbled to herself, unaware of the broken look Kara was giving her. The reporter knew perfectly well what she was talking about, but said nothing about it. Lena swallowed and folded the piece of paper, "Does your source have a clue as to who is pulling the strings?"
"An anti-alien association, they haven't claimed credit for it yet, though. So nothing I could put down on paper."
"And your source...told you I have the final ingredient?" Lena's eyes inspected her, with that defensiveness that showed just how used she was to being misjudged.
"They shared with me that the only place with the isotope to complete it on a grand scale turned out to be your company. I wanted to be the one to tell you all of this. I needed you to hear it from me." From Kara and not from a Super interrogating a Luthor. Not this time.
Lena tapped the piece of paper with her fingers, unsure of what to do next. Her always determined gaze was out of focus, "I...will have to let my security detail know that we might be a target. This will put a dent into their evening plans," she chuckled humorlessly and out of breath, "I...better go make sure to set it in motion." She gazed up at the reporter with a distant stare.
Kara smirked sadly, knowing that was her cue to leave, "Right." She nodded, going to the exit with the woman trailing behind to bid her farewell, "If...this doesn't put a dent to your evening plans, the offer is still standing." She said honestly. It wasn't a plea and it wasn't a bargaining chip. If the Luthor wanted to, then her door would be open as well.
Lena offered a small apologetic and polite smile, the kind one gives when trying not to be rude when declining an offer, when they don't want to say no to their faces.
Kara knew that smile. It had been the one she herself had offered the Luthor in numeral occasions, each time she had to call a raincheck on one of their lunch dates because her job as Supergirl was always first. And now she was in the receiving end of it, feeling it stab her square in the chest.
The house was vibrating with excitement, somehow even more so than the first time Kara lived through this day. Nothing had cut their plans short. They didn't have to rush to the DEO and leave behind their celebration. Instead, all of them were there, James and Winn confabulating at the end of the room, Eliza talking to and Mon-el in the kitchen while Alex sneakily snatched a couple of beers past their mother to give one to Kara while they sat on the fire escape, gazing at the unusual peace and quiet that took over the city as the sun came down, painting the sky in autumn shades of oranges.
"Here, chug it down before mom notices."
Kara laughed taking the bottle, "Well, someone is in a good mood."
It was true. Alex seemed so much more...relaxed and happy? Something had shifted and all the nervousness and hesitation she had shown in the original timeline had dissipated. She was enjoying herself in a way Kara had only seen in the last year or so, completely comfortable in her own skin.
"I...had a good talk with mom," she provided, smiling shyly, "Thanks for making that happen, sis."
"I'm always on your corner," the Kryptonian raised her drink, "I'm glad you two were able to talk."
"Long overdue," Alex mumbled to herself.
"So? Are you telling everyone else tonight?" Kara asked in a low voice so no one could overhear them.
"Actually..." the redhead sucked in a mouthful of air, "I invited Maggie to join us...and she'll arrive later."
Kara's astonishment must have shown on her face way more than she expected, because her sister shrugged laughing awkwardly, "By your reaction, I imagine that's not something I did before?"
Kara had to put aside her own resentment towards the FBI agent, because this Maggie Sawyers hadn't broken her sister's heart, and although she would definitely do so in the future, the fact that Alex had been brave enough to ask Maggie to join them was a feat so incredible on its own that Kara couldn't help but to hug her, "No! I mean you didn't, but it's not bad, it's- it's actually great to hear you say this," she embraced her strongly, "I'm glad you feel safe enough to do this."
Although Alex was confused by the riddling answer, she could tell her sister's support was genuine and that's all that mattered, "Thanks, sis." She patted her back before they pulled apart, "So, where's Lena?" Alex asked what everyone else had been wondering.
Kara shrugged helplessly, "I guess she's not coming," she admitted, "I...had to tell her something to keep the future on track, but I wanted to make something right and by doing so, she's now annoyed with Kara Danvers and not Supergirl." And there it was again, that hollow look on Kara's eyes. That fracture in her always sunny smiles.
"Hey," she tapped the cold of her bottle against her arm, "What's going on, Kar?"
"What do you mean?" she took a drink, avoiding her gaze.
"Since you've arrived, there's something that has been bothering you. Something you haven't told me."
"I'm fine," she smiled with empty promises.
"It was Lena, wasn't it?"
"What?" Kara turned, frowning.
"The friendship you broke?" she clarified, "The one you were trying to fix and why you got stuck here in the first place?" she reminded her of the explanation Kara had given her after arriving to the past.
Kara's smile dropped altogether and her eyes drove away from the sunset to the half-empty bottle, "You wouldn't understand it," she mumbled, "not yet, anyway."
"I understand enough right now to know that you are in pain," she said firmly, "The way you reacted the other day when James made that comment...you were mad. That was real anger."
Kara huffed, pressing the condensation of the crystal against her forehead "Would you believe me if I said that James dated Lena?"
The way Alex spitted out her drink was answer enough, "Are you serious?!" she wiped the drops from her chin.
"Yeah, so even he will come around," she rubbed the back of her neck, pursing her lips to the side grimacing "that's one of the reasons all of this bothers me so much. James spoke so poorly of her, judge her harshly and unfairly, and then as if nothing really happened, he became Lena's boyfriend."
"If...it bothered you that much, why didn't you say something?" Alex asked carefully.
"Because technically I encouraged Lena to date him, well, J'onn did, disguised as me," she waved a hand, "It's messy to explain." She sighed, "The thing is that when our friendship broke, all those nasty comments others used to make about her came back, similar to the ones I'm hearing in this timeline and... I'm tired of them. She's a good person, she's just been hurt and betrayed and used by the people she trusted and I... I am one of those people, Alex." She finally admitted, "As Supergirl and as Kara Danvers and now she wants nothing to do with either of them. Nothing to do with me."
Alex's arm found its way around Kara's shoulders to wrap her in a half-hug. Kara leaned in without resistance and exhaled loudly in the comfort of her company, "I'm sorry, Kar."
Kara hid against her shoulder, feeling the last bit of the sun's rays hit her face before darkness took over, letting the night sulk in.
"Time for dinner everybody!" They heard Eliza's voice calling them together.
"Come on," Alex gave her a gentle tug, "we can think of what to do tomorrow. Besides, the world always looks darker on an empty stomach, so let's eat so you can feel a bit better," she said cooingly, bribing her with food as she used to when they were younger.
Kara snickered halfheartedly and nodded, "Yeah, okay. Tonight we have a lot to celebrate."
They walked back into the apartment finding everyone gathered around the TV, where the 7. P.M. news was broadcasting how an attempt to launch a biochemical weapon to target aliens had been frustrated and the labors of the police to apprehend Lillian Luthor as the one who orchestrated the failed attempt.
"A weapon that could kill only aliens," Winn covered his mouth in pure shock and disgust, unable to imagine all the deaths that could have cost; one of his best friends among them.
"Kara, did you know about this?" Alex mumbled, horrified as well by the news.
"It...Wasn't supposed to happen yet," she whispered back chocked. The guilt knotted her stomach at the idea that taunting Lillian that morning could have been the trigger to quicken the event. Her chest tightened making it hard to breathe, even though Kara knew how the future would play, she had been unprepared and unbothered to answer the call.
And when Lena's name appeared on the headline, Kara's heart stopped, not waiting to read any further she grabbed her coat, ready to bolt into the police station in case someone had the grand idea of pressing charges against her.
"Kara? Where are you going?" Eliza called after her, noticing how she was already dashing to the exit.
"I have to make sure she's alright," she explained over her shoulder. It was not until she was at the door that she heard the news anchor add how the youngest Luthor had been the one to foil the launch. They were...praising her. She looked over her shoulder to see it for herself, finding the footage of Lena Luthor leaving the scene after successfully tricking Lillian into believing she was on her side.
Now Kara was more determined than before to open the door and go find Lena. To hug her even if the raven-haired woman didn't expect it and to tell her she was proud, even if it would mean nothing coming from her. She just had to see her.
So Kara barely kept herself from tearing the door from its hinges as she opened it, ready to bolt to the roof to fly away when she had to stop abruptly before colliding with the figure standing there, about to knock, "Lena!"
The CEO barely manage to lean back before they would bump into each other, leaving the reporter to do some gymnastics to regain her balance, "Hi," Lena said rather awkwardly, seeing over Kara's shoulder the other guests, "I hope I'm not too late for dinner if I do still have my seat at the table?" She asked hesitantly, showing in her eyes something that was rarely there. Maybe this year, Lena didn't want the date to be just another box on her calendar for her to cross out. Now that Lillian was being apprehended, Lena found herself alone...but for the first time, she had the chance to not feel so lonely.
"Of course you do!" she propelled into her arms, hugging her wholeheartedly, "I'm so glad you are here with us," she mumbled into her hair, meaning every word far more than Lena would ever know, "Come on in!" she opened the door completely, letting her in into her life. She wanted to be an open book and maybe this was a good start, "Um, everyone, this is my friend Lena."
Mon-el gazed from the TV back to her, "As in the one that just...?"
Eliza jumped in, "Welcome, dear!" she walked toward her, mumbling over her shoulder for literally anyone to turn off the TV, "We are so happy you could make it. My name is Eliza, I'm Alex and Kara's mom."
"A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Danvers"
"Oh please, Eliza will do."
Lena nodded in compliance, taking the opportunity to pull out a bottle of wine, "I brought this," she extended it for Kara, but Alex's quick hands got to it first.
"I'll be taking this,"
"Alex!" Kara complained as she left the Luthor empty-handed.
"Behave," Eliza called after her, "Come on in, join us, dear." Eliza invited her to the table.
Kara laced her arm around Lena's as she made the proper introductions, although pretty much everyone had already met her, and drove her to her seat on the table, right next to hers.
And somehow, Lena Luthor found herself having a proper Thanksgiving dinner in a house full of people she barely knew. And still, that felt far more welcoming and familiar than any other celebration she had ever attended at the Luthor's household.
That didn't make it feel any less awkward, she kept on gazing around, seeing them all talk among one another and share laughs and stories she knew nothing about. It was only when Kara whispered to clue her in that she felt like part of the conversation.
It was later when another woman came in that the balance tipped a bit, as an FBI agent walked inside, looking just as nervous.
"Maggie!" Alex Danvers rushed to the door to greet her as the others turned to look, a bit surprised to see the agent, but more so when Alex grabbed her hand to walk her in, "Everyone, you remember Maggie?"
"Yes,"
"Hi!"
The greetings echoed through the room.
"Hello," Sawyers waved back, "Sorry I'm late, paperwork," she connected gazed with Lena, looking utterly impressed, "the woman of the hour." She sat down, next to Alex and across from the Luthor, probably wondering why was she there, "Nicely done." Maggie added, nodding in acknowledgment of the raven-haired woman's endeavor.
Lena offered a small smile, nodding back. Somehow, having Maggie there evened the ground, because she too looked a bit out of place around the other faces. But Maggie found a place of comfort when Alex Danvers wrapped an arm around her shoulders, behind the chair, leaning in to whisper something into her ear, making the agent chuckle.
They were a couple, Lena realized belatedly, but apparently, others at the table were coming to the same conclusion just then.
"Hey," Kara called softly for Lena's attention, noticing how quiet she had been, "Are you alright? You know, with everything that happened..."
Lena smiled softly, "I am, thank you. Actually, thanks to you. If you hadn't warned me...things could have ended up so badly."
"You saved a lot of lives today," Kara said proudly.
"You made that possible," Lena corresponded, "Thanks for trusting me with that information; for trusting me."
"Always," Kara smiled in a way Alex hadn't seen in a while.
The oldest Danvers saw how comfortable and relaxed her sister was around the other woman. How her posture wasn't stiff and the hero persona was nowhere to be found. This was the most human her sister had ever looked. No indestructibility or bulletproof skin, just a tender smile and eager eyes gazing at her guest.
So Alex took a moment to actually see Lena Luthor. Luthor. Sister of the criminally renowned Lex Luthor; the man who almost killed Superman. Alex had hoped that the businesswoman would remind her of said brother, but instead, Alex found out that she reminded her of her own sister. The CEO looked hesitant and small in her surroundings, unsure of how to act or what to say in something as simple as a family dinner. It brought back memories of all the times Kara struggled to fit in, to find her place in a world that wasn't her own and in their home.
Lena had that same look in her eyes, a bit lost and a bit hopeful. And the thought that the always centered and stoic CEO was intimidated by the idea of sharing a meal on Thanksgiving, twisted something inside Alex's guts. It tasted like guilt in her mouth.
So she reached for the bottle of wine and opened it, pouring Lena's glass first. When the CEO noticed this, her eyebrow arched up questioningly. Alex simply served herself as well and held the glass up, locking eyes with her.
"Thank you for joining us tonight."
-Year 2028-
When days became a week, Kara had to wonder what was normality anymore? What was her future self doing in her timeline? What events was she living for a second first time, while she poorly took over this older Kara's life? Always confined to the same routine, with Alex keeping a watchful eye over her while they all worked in hopes of finding answers to get her home, but each lead turned to be a dead-end, and each time that happened, a little bit of hope diminished with it.
She had been there long enough to recognize the hero names everyone at base identified with, she had seen many of them leave and arrive at the same time, some even holding hands and the feeling of yearning made itself present. Kara wanted to regain a sense of self. Especially after seeing the news, and the implacable force of nature this Kara Danvers was. Fearless and adamant, wise and experienced. They had the same eyes, the same name, the same symbol on their chest but when Kara saw herself in the mirror...well, she didn't see the same person that appeared on the TV.
"Are you ready to leave, darling?" Lena asked, picking her belongings as Kara sat on the couch, the place where both of them ended up sharing multiple dinners by now, accompanied by the only moments of the day when the cape and the glasses were equally forgotten and Kara got to be herself without pretenses. Those were the rare instants when uncertainty became meaningless.
"Yeah," she hastily turned the screen off.
Lena frowned, processing the event, "Were you watching the news? I thought I told Halo to keep external events from reaching your ears,"
Kara shrugged shyly, "I asked her nicely?"
Lena couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her. Of course, Halo would obey Kara's instructions too, its interface was a mix of Kelex technology and Hope's. And this IA hadn't done a biometrical scan on Kara for it to realize it wasn't going to match the age of its data, the data of its actual owner.
"I'm sorry, I just...I guess I needed some answers." Kara deflated in her seat.
"It's fair, I suppose. After all, we haven't exactly been candid with you," Lena said weakly.
Kara shifted in her place, "Can you...can you answer me something honestly?"
"...To the best of my capabilities, I'll try," Lena sat next to her.
"Do you...do you think we will fix this?"
"We will," she said without hesitation, realizing now that in Kara's eyes, the answer wasn't as clear, "Do you fear we might not?"
"I...I don't know. I mean, we always fight against the odds but...what if...it takes us longer than we expect? What if it's not a month, but a year, or more? Can I really go back home to that? To take over whatever situation future me is doing and just... have memories inserted and pretend like nothing ever happened?"
"I'm...I'm not sure, Kara," she whispered, "I guess...I was so focused on getting our version of you back that I didn't stop to consider those implications," she confessed guiltily, "I know it's been already far more days than what you are comfortable with, but I promise, we won't stop working to get you home. And I won't let that take us much longer. I swear."
Kara found herself smiling at that, comforted by her drive, "Thanks,"
Lena nodded, standing up, "For now, let's stay out of trouble."
Trouble happened. It was an unavoidable instance after all, especially in a place like National City. The alarms went off inside the Tower and everyone sprinted into action, giving Kara Danvers from the year 2016, a chance to see what these Superfriends were really capable of.
The one called Dreamer jumped into a blue portal next to Guardian. J'onn took the green man, Brainy with him while Alex stayed on base with her daughter and Lena.
And all Kara could do was gaze at the screens helplessly as an alien ship of monumental proportions hoovered over the city firing lasers and dropping rough mercenaries throughout the downtown area for a violent takeover.
"You have to let me help!" the Kryptonian insisted –no- demanded. She couldn't be asked to stay on the sidelines while something this critical was happening.
"No." Alex and Lena said in unison.
"This isn't your timeline, Kar. We can't risk you going out there, you'd be way over your head." Alex said over her shoulder.
"This might not be my time, but it's still my city!" Kara refuted avidly, "I have to do something!"
"You are going to get yourself killed!" Alex snapped sharply, "You are staying here, Kara. That's final."
"Alpha team, we have a visual," J'onn's voice echoed through the com, "I recognize from which planet this ship comes from. They are extremely hostile, although not well-versed in fighting, they rely on their weaponry, which is, I'm afraid far too advanced. I don't think a frontal attack is a viable option."
Kara's heart accelerated, building up her concern, "You won't have a chance if I don't help."
"Kara," Alex warned, glaring at her.
"Brainy, do you think you could hack into their server and shut them down from the inside? Prevent them from calling re-enforcements?" Lena interrupted.
"That is a viable idea," he answered, "But I don't know how I can get past their defenses."
"J'onn, if you had to roughly translate the function of their ship to our technology, would you say it's mechanical or electrical?" Lena asked.
"Electrical, of a sort," he answered, "similar to the weapons we seized a couple of weeks ago at the docks."
"That's all I needed to hear, hold them up for a couple of minutes," she turned to Alex, "We need to come up with our own version-"
"Of an electromagnetic pulse, to disable their ship and armament," the redhead finished, "That's genius, Lee."
Lena smirked back, teasingly, "I'll grab the guns, and you prep the lab?"
"Meet you there," both parted ways to come together at their common playground; science.
They worked side by side with uncanny coordination, barely even needing to talk among themselves to know what the other needed. Without having to ask for it, tools were being handed, ideas and corrections were being discussed and in just mere minutes, a whole device had been created for the team to use. It was so bizarre for Kara to see her sister share a lab with anyone at all, especially with Lena. But both seemed to be so in tune, it was like a perfectly executed orchestra.
"I know, it's like they speak a language of their own," the teen –no. Her niece Esme- said, walking next to her.
"Hey," Kara greeted, smiling softly, unable to help herself from wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders in a half-hug. To her utter relief, the teen cuddled into her side, hugging her as well. It was strange since Kara knew absolutely nothing about Esme, she hadn't even been born in her timeline, but still, she already felt a special connection to her, especially since the girl spent every moment available close to Kara. The Kryptonian wanted to inquire about how their relationship was, but couldn't make many questions; so instead, she savored the company to make more bearable the idea of being grounded. All while gazing back at the dynamic duo working on the lab.
"Don't worry," Esme said, smiling tenderly, "They've got this, everything will be alright."
Kara smiled sweetly at her, "Shouldn't I be the one reassuring you?"
"You are here, that's reassuring enough," Esme held on tighter, holding the truth close to her chest and sealed behind her lips. She was the reason this younger Kara was here while the one that was her aunt was missing somewhere in the past.
"Do they often partner up like that?" Kara inquired, tilting her head towards the control room where Alex and Lena were coordinating the plan.
"More than you know," she chuckled, "It's really quite something to see them work together," Esme smiled, "Everyone here saves the world in their own way," the teen smiled proudly, "I hope I can be like my moms one day."
Kara focused all her attention on Esme, as the words settled into the room. Were both her parents were part of the team? Could she had already met Alex's wife even if unknowingly?
"Okay, beta team, I'm going there to make the drop," Alex spoke up, securing the device, "Once the pulse is activated, everything will go offline, so Brainy, you have a small window of opportunity to steer the ship away from the city. Once it hits the ground, we'll apprehend and seize all their weapons. After that, we'll have the advantage in hand-in-hand combat."
"Copy that" Dreamer answered, already engaging in a fight on the streets.
"I'll start evacuating the zone in case the ship lands in the populated area," Guardian said.
"Good idea," Alex replied, "Brainy, do try to make it a smooth landing."
"I will as soon as you give me an opening,"
"Right," Alex turned around, "Ready, Lena."
The Luthor opened another one of those blue gateways, "I'll send you to the top of the ship. Just secure the pulse into position and walk back into the portal."
"How long before the wave expands?"
"Ten seconds, it should be enough for you to come back safely,"
"Understood," she marched into the orb, noticing that her daughter and Kara shared that same concerned expression on their faces. This was one part of the job she could never get used to. So she took the final step, appearing several dozens of feet up in the air, over a gigantic spacecraft that was terrorizing National City. In the distance she could see J'onn flying around the lasers, trying to neutralize them and she assumed that the turmoil happening in the park was caused by Kelly and Nia fighting the invaders off. Everyone was doing their part, so she rushed to accomplish hers, kneeling on the base of the roof and activating the countdown.
She stood up just to be knocked down by a right hook that connected straight to her jaw. She held the side of her face, making sure it wasn't unhinged, immediately looking up to evaluate the threat. Five aliens surrounded her, all with weapons at the ready.
She clicked her tongue with a smug smile, "Too easy," she kicked the knee of the closest alien bending it backward, knocking him before sweeping under two more, bringing them down as well. She jumped up taking one of the remaining foes to use his body as cover while his partner took the shot, hitting him instead. And just as the others recovered from the ground, ready to pull the trigger, the electromagnetic pulse exploded and all their devices became useless. Alex smirked self-satisfied, knowing that now that there were no gadgets, the fight would be far more interesting.
"Alex, come in!" Lena called from the Tower, seeing from the feed of the video how the ship was starting to lose altitude, "Alex, what's your twenty?"
"I'm here," she finally answered, "Sorry; I had to take care of a little situation."
"What happened to the portal?"
"Gone," Alex exhaled, "It was the same frequency as their technology. It got deactivated as well,"
Kara rushed to the controllers after hearing that, "Alex, are you still at the top of the ship?!"
"I am, but-"
"I'm going to get you out of there!"
"You don't have to, we'll think of another way."
"J'onn, are you in the proximity?" Lena chimed in, "Can you get to her?"
"I'm afraid I won't be fast enough,"
"I will!" the Super said determinedly.
"Don't!" Alex said gravely, "Kara, don't you dare step outside of the Tower. No one can see you like this."
"Do you seriously rather crash from the air than risk someone seeing me?! Again?!" Kara's outrage was an unusual sight, but she had a bleak tolerance for caution when it came to the people she loved, especially the stubborn kind that would pretty much die before getting her involved, "I'm going to your location now." That wasn't up for debate anymore. Kara couldn't simply stand down while her sister's life was on the line. Not when she could do something about it.
Kara was already removing the elastic from her hair to fly off the balcony wearing her version of the suit when she felt a hand grab her own.
"Kara, wait!" Lena Luthor urged, keeping her frozen in place.
"I have to save my sister!"
"I know, darling. I do." She said sympathetically, holding the back of her head to be face to face, gazing into her clear-blue eyes, "we will bring her home, I promise. But it can't be you," she explained softly, "Kara if something happens to this version of you then there will be no one left to save. None of us would be here without you. You are the core – the heart- of who we are. We can't risk that." she pressed her cheek in a soft caress, "Staying safe is how you can save Alex and everyone else. I have a plan, but I can't help if I have to worry about you. I need you to trust me." Her deep emeralds stared at her intensely and for a moment Kara had to wonder if they were made of kryptonite because she felt all her strength fade at the sight.
"Bring her home," was all the Super could muster.
Lena exhaled relieved, turning back to the screen and typing in, "Brainy, I need you to calculate a trajectory. I'll open a portal for Alex, the only trick it's that she'll keep her current speed as she is teleported, so I need you to tell J'onn where to intercept her and I need those calculations to be precise to the millesimal number." She remarked emphatically.
"I've received your data, I'm on it," he waited a whole second before answering, "J'onn, you'll have to position yourself exactly a 147° latitude and 85° longitude. Lena, you'll have to open your portal within the next eight seconds before we lose more altitude."
"Understood," she walked to the middle of the room, closing her eyes to focus, staying perfectly still. Kara was about to urge her to do something seeing that all her inventions were set to the side untouched, while they lost valuable seconds Kara could be using to fly away. But before she could even utter a syllable, Lena chanted foreign words and a burst of light exploded in the room blinding her.
"Now, Alex!" Lena instructed.
Kara didn't know what happened next. Nothing made much sense, not until she heard all the cheering through the coms and saw how Alex was safely cuddled under J'onn's arms and the others were containing the rebel aliens, claiming the victory.
Esme quickly reached Lena's side, helping her regain her balance as the woman recovered from the exhausting spell.
"I'm fine, sweetie," she assured, accepting her help to reach a chair.
There was a lot Kara didn't understand, but she knew one thing; Lena had kept her word and Alex was safe and sound.
It was odd but also comforting to know that in the future, even if it wasn't Supergirl the one who saved the day, others would rise to the occasion.
It was until a few hours later, after massive clean-up endeavors and a systematical confiscation of alien guns that the whole team returned to the Tower feeling in equal parts thrilled and exhausted. They were all talking among one another, celebrating the success of the other teams and sharing a few laughs. It was strange, but their friendliness reminded Kara of the spirit of how family reunions at the Danvers' house used to feel. It was warm and welcoming and absolutely everyone was a part of it.
Esme immediately rushed to Alex's side, hugging her, "Are you okay?"
"I am, kiddo," she answered softly, looking up to see her sister gaze at her from across the room, keeping her distance, although it was clear in her eyes there was nothing she wanted to do more than hurry to her side.
Alex sighed, pressing a kiss on top of Esme's head, "I'll be back in a moment okay?" she said soothingly before walking in Kara's direction, "Hey,"
Kara shrugged, ducking her chin to her chest, "Hey," she mumbled back.
"Can we talk?"
There was really no choice, even if Kara would have wanted to avoid it, she couldn't go anywhere, as others had made a point to tell her. So they moved to the lab to talk privately.
"Look," Alex exhaled heavily, "I'm sorry I snapped at you today-"
"That's not it," Kara interrupted; she had seen Alex snap at J'onn once, that was not personal.
Alex sighed, "You being here changes everything, Kar. I can't let you get hurt."
"Today I felt more powerless than the last time I lost my strength," she folded her arms, "we are always there for each other Alex, me being from another time doesn't change that. You were willing to plummet from the sky instead of letting me fly you back to base."
"Nothing was going to happen to me," Kara was at the ready with a retort, "because I trust our team," she added earnestly, "I knew someone would have my back, and in the rare case no one could, then yes, I would have asked you to come."
"As your last resort?"
Alex sighed in a mix of guilt and frustration, "I was scared, okay?" she finally said, "you are...so young! I haven't seen you as that much of my little sister in a while and I freaked out because I couldn't bear the idea of losing you." She admitted, running a hand down her hair, "Future you is...very different," she tried to explain tactfully, "it's still you, of course, she's every bit of the sweet, considerate, and brave Supergirl as you are, but when she goes out there to fight next to me, I never hesitate because for over a decade I've seen you fall and rise and be so gravely injured that I feared you might die in my arms and... and the idea that it could happen all over again terrified me out of my mind."
Kara felt her chest tightening at her sister's admission. A lot of emotions swirled through her, but she was unable to untangle them all, "I... do understand you, Alex." She said slowly, "but...you have never made me feel incapable of anything in my life." Until today.
"I didn't mean to," Alex squished her arms tightly, "I'm sorry, sis. I do trust you, with my life. But not my life at the expense of your own."
It was the truth. It didn't have to be comforting, just real.
"I know this situation isn't ideal, but please Kara, for all our sakes, you can't be at risk."
Kara understood, she did, she didn't have to like it, but she could see the logic behind their actions. No one could know that a barely experienced Supergirl was here instead of the implacable hero this timeline knew. Hearing Alex talk so grandly about her future self was even a bit intimidating. How was she supposed to become such a legend? Someone that her sister looked up to?
Kara sighed, nodding in compliance, "Okay," Alex exhaled relieved.
"Thank you, sis."
A silence swept by them as the Kryptonian gazed around the lab, "You and Lena did an incredible job here," she commented, shrugging her shoulders with a bit of a timid smile.
Alex chuckled, relaxing her posture, "Yeah, it's always a treat to work with Lee."
"You two seem close," she mentioned, unsure of how to put down in words what was roaming through her head, "back in my time you were not...that friendly."
Alex smiled sadly at those words, "I know, but things changed. For the better, I might add."
Kara swallowed the knot in her throat, finally looking up, "Are you married to Lena?"
Alex choked on thin air, coughing violently, "What?"
"The two of you get along so well, and you work together with such...chemistry today and I've seen Esme around Lena so much, I just assumed-" she gestured around unsure, "...you aren't exactly saying no."
"No! No, Kara-" she grabbed her shoulders looking into her eyes, "I love Lee, dearly, but she's not my wife" she's yours. But that was something she couldn't say, "And of course Esme adores her, she's her Godmother, she's- she's family." She offered truthfully.
Kara allowed this new information to settle in, unsure of why that comforted her, "Oh, I'm sorry? I thought..." she traced back.
"Lee and I are incredible friends, but nothing more." She assured. Maybe this Kara didn't know it yet, but she would fall in love so hard it was going to break her at some point, but when Lena and Kara finally grew stronger past that fallout, they would become one of the greatest couples Alex had ever seen.
"Mom!" Esme's voice echoed through the room.
"In here, sweetie!" she called back, seeing the teen walk in, "What's up?"
"Uncle Jimmy just called; he's leaving Metropolis right now to help us with the political backlash from the aliens that tried to invade. He thinks this issue can help us push the reform for an intergalactic peace treaty."
"With his contacts at the Capitol, maybe."
"Uncle Jimmy?" Kara repeated, "James is coming?"
"Yeah, big family reunion again," Esme smiled.
"Family reunion?" Kara repeated.
Alex took a deep breath; she guessed this was as good of a time as any to tell her the full truth. Especially now that she had mistakenly assumed that Lena was the woman she married, "Yeah. James is... my brother-in-law, Kara."
The Kryptonian froze in place, her face blank and unreadable while she kept on repeating those words in her head, finally gathering the courage to ask, "Did...did I marry James?"
"What?!" Alex was positively about to explode due to Kara's obtuseness, "No! I married Kelly!"
Kelly. Kelly Olsen. James' sister!
"She's Guardian," Alex added and the pieces finally fell into place. Everything started to make more sense and at least one part of the future became crystal clear and the feeling of doubt subsided. Such a tiny detail and still, it made all the difference for the Kryptonian.
Kara's face was overwhelmed with joy, "That's amazing!" she hugged her strongly, turning to look at Esme, "Both your moms are incredible,"
"I know," Esme smiled proudly, joining the embrace.
The nighttime snuck up on them without a warning. A silence took over the city, luring everyone at the base to go back home, to their loved ones, to their own safe havens where they could take the masks off and be no more than people living one day at a time.
When Kara walked back into the control room, she found Dreamer talking to Lena, while Brainy stood there in silence, offering a comforting presence.
"I've been trying to dream every single day, but it all keeps looping back to that night at the warehouse," Nia mumbled, giving Lena a sympathetic look, "I won't stop looking. You have my word, we'll solve this."
A weak smile tugged at the Luthor's lips, "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do if..."
Brainy gently placed a hand over her shoulder, uttering no words, but saying so much more through that earnest action alone that it almost broke her down.
The sight of the raven-haired woman about to collapse frightened Supergirl. She had only been there for a short amount of time, but Lena had always shown to be strong-willed and unstoppable. Just that day she had proven how resourceful she was and how well she could handle herself under pressure. So what was tearing her apart so violently that she ought to hide it?
"Lena?" the name slipped her lips without her knowing as the three of them turned to look at her, all trying to pretend that nothing was transpiring between them.
Lena did an effort to pull herself together, conjuring a smile through her disguised sniff, "Hey, darling."
Kara knitted her brows, even if the Luthor's voice was stable and kind, she could tell the sadness was still present, the ache, although well-hidden, was perceptible, even if Kara couldn't exactly tell how she knew that.
"We better go," Brainy said monotone, "we'll see you tomorrow. Let us know if you need anything."
Lena nodded, "Thank you," the couple left the Tower hand in hand and now it was only the two of them. Lena fixed her purse under her arm and turned to her, "Let's go home, darling."
The door opened after the bio-signature scan and the apartment came into view. Lena left her things over the table as Kara reached the couch, sitting in front of the sunflowers that hung their heads low at the lack of sun, despite Kara's efforts to cheer them up through gentle caresses and soft mumbles.
Lena gazed at the younger Kara with softness, seeing that the Kryptonian herself was one of those sunflowers, kept from the sun, the outdoors, kept from their very own open fields with clear blue skies. Even if unwillingly, they had all turned the displaced girl into a prisoner of sorts, unable to leave unsupervised or go anywhere that wasn't the Tower or their apartment. No, not their apartment. Not yet. It was still Lena's in the Kryptonian's eyes. A house arrest, no doubt.
"Hey," Lena called gently, "Come with me for a moment," she asked, going back to the door, taking a small bracelet from the entrance.
"Where to?" Kara asked.
"To get some fresh air,"
They reached the top of the building, where the best view of the city was. The night breeze blew softly and the stars shone brightly on the black sea of space.
"It's beautiful," Kara breathed out.
"Beautiful indeed," Lena mumbled back, seeing solely that look on Kara's face. This was the Kara she first met, the one that inadvertently would steal her heart through the years to come. But if Lena was being honest, in the privacy of her thoughts, she fell for those hopeful eyes since the first time she saw them.
"Do you come up here often?" Kara asked over her shoulder.
"Sometimes," she admitted, "but we are not here to stargaze,"
Kara turned to look at her confused, "We are not?"
Lena shook her head to the sides, "Give me your hand for a second," she stretched her own, waiting for Kara to do the same. Hesitantly so, she did and Lena was able to put the bracelet around her wrist, pressing a button.
"Cloaking device, activated," Halo's voice echoed.
"Wh-what's this?"
"This is insurance that you won't be detected by any instrumentation while you fly," Lena explained, opening her own coat to carefully remove the lily-of-the-valley and gently place it over Kara's chest, securing it with a pin. It was a bittersweet feeling to be handing Kara back the flower she had given her. The last little gesture that her wife did for her, was now going to be used to keep her younger self safe, "and this will make sure you are protected and invisible to any eyes but my own," Lena placed her palm over Kara's heart, mumbling softly for a white aura to emanate, enveloping the blonde in magic, "There," she mumbled, removing her hand from Kara's heartbeat and taking a step back, "Now you can go beyond the atmosphere and get a well-deserved sun charge." She finally explained with a gentle smile.
"Are- are you serious?" Kara asked, her eyes shining with excitement.
"As long as you don't take any detours, then yes." She nodded, "I'll be waiting right here for you," she handed her a com, "Call me if there's any situation, otherwise, enjoy it for as long as you need,"
Kara launched into her arms hugging her, "Thank you!" she let go, propelling into the sky the next moment, barely keeping herself from breaking the sound barrier and subsequently all the glass windows from the nearby buildings. When she finally reached the edge of the night and merged with it, she found the sun waiting on the other side, greeting her with a warm embrace that fueled her up. The comforting idea that the rays felt exactly the same soothed her, and if she closed her eyes, it was as if nothing had really changed at all.
She stayed there, floating freely as she would on water, letting her skin be sunkissed for a moment, or maybe an hour, she couldn't tell. But when she opened her eyes again, she notice that the position of the Earth had changed, and decided to gently descend back, finding her way to National City, tuning in to find her sister's voice among the turmoil of noises. She was talking to Kelly, her wife. Both shared some loving words that Kara decided to leave private, focusing on other sounds instead, finding a steady rhythm that anchored her to the ground, like the call of a siren or a soothing lullaby.
She softly touched down, feeling renewed.
"How was it?" Lena asked, startling her.
"I-I thought you would have gone to sleep," she admitted, "You didn't have to stay, you should have rested" but Lena shook her head no.
"I wanted to wait for you," the Luthor replied from where she sat, dangling her legs on the edge of the building, holding into the rail.
Kara reached her side, sitting next to her, "Thank you for today."
"It's okay, you weren't gone for that long,"
"No, I mean...for Alex. You brought my sister home. Just like you said you would," she smiled sweetly. "You saved her when I couldn't."
Lena softened her features, "You are always the one saving us," she averted her eyes, "I know we've been unfair to you-"
"I understand," Kara cut in, "What you said before actually made a lot of sense. If something happens to me here then...who knows what could happen with my timeline and your future, right?" She had regained faith about their mission to send her back. She had learned that day that Lena's determination and sheer willpower were worthy of praise. So having her word on the matter meant it would be a fact, not an empty promise, "If I don't go back to my time, then your Kara can't come back."
The pain that impaled Lena's chest robbed her of a choked gasp, while she quickly covered her mouth, keeping herself from sobbing.
"Lena?" Kara turned to her alarmed, her hand tentatively over her back, debating whether to touch her, "Are you...?
"I'm sorry, darling," she sniffed, "I'm sorry," she repeated.
"You don't have to apologize," Kara cooed.
"I do," she exhaled unevenly, "I can't bear the idea of something bad happening to you, but I also miss so much my..." her lips quivered and her gaze dropped unable to face those innocent eyes, "This all must be so confusing for you. And to top it all, you are staying with me when you don't even know me," she pressed her hands into fists, "I'm sorry." for being selfish. For wanting you next to me even when you have no idea why.
But warm hands wrapped around her cold ones, forcing her to gaze up to see Kara looking at her with such appreciation that it hurt a little, "It's okay," she mumbled, "It is confusing and it is frightening and somedays I do have to wonder how will I get back to my time but...but then we come here and...nothing feels as strange anymore," she admitted, "Isn't it weird?" she chuckled dryly, "I've never been to your house in my present, but when we are here I feel...I feel the most at home." She couldn't help the tears that rolled down her cheeks, "And that makes it better. The world doesn't seem so big and so different when we are together," she tilted her head down swallowing the knot on her throat, "So, I'm actually the one that's sorry to be here when you should be with someone else," she thought back to that first night in which the dinner table had been set, "but I couldn't bring myself to give up this comfort."
Lena's hand found its way to cup Kara's cheek, wiping the tears away with her thumb, smiling lovingly at her, "I'm really happy you feel that way here, Kara" because it was her home. And time displacement wouldn't change that. That place had both their essences in it, and even if unknowingly, this young version of her wife had recognized it as well.
But for Kara it wasn't only about the physical space, it was the feeling of seeing those green eyes gaze at her as if she were the sun...And then Kara realized what was that soothing rhythm that had driven her back to the ground before. That siren's call, that lullaby...that was Lena's heartbeat. She had memorized it and singled it out among the noise of change. And its steady melody? Kara could hear her own home planet in it.