AUTHOR NOTE: For me, there is no way in Hell that it makes sense for Lena to have just called Kara rather than at least dropping by her place to let her know she's going away. She's shown that she really values her friendship at the very least (and I definitely feel like there's more there). It's also not really clear how much time has passed since Kara returned. Is this literally the day after she gets home? I don't know… maybe she took at least a day off before going back to work. Maybe she spent it at least in part with her best friend. Lena says she just got off the phone with Kara, she doesn't say that she just got done with telling Kara she was leaving. I think that definitely happened in person and maybe even a little earlier. If you enjoy this interpretation of some 6x08 deleted scenes, leave a comment below.

Thanks for looking after my place while I was gone.

Lena smiles at Kara's text then taps back a quick response. How did you know it was me?

Lena holds her breath as she waits for the three bobbing dots to become a reply. She leans against the white leather of her sofa in the apartment she hasn't set foot in since she quit Luther Corp. Lena owns this place, but it's never been home. It's just the place her things are kept and where she puts her head at night. Except it hasn't even been that for her lately.

A photo comes through with Kara's reply. I know these don't belong to Alex and they definitely aren't J'onn's.

Lena's lips pull up at the sight of the image. The image is a little grainy but the satin pajama shorts and button up top are undeniably hers. They're a deep maroon color that she's taken to wearing more and more often since she met Supergirl. Since the red of Supergirl's cape became a beacon of hope for her.

Busted, she types back.

You can keep them here if you like. Then you can crash after movie night without having to wear my sweats.

Lena's stomach does a little flip flop. It's only happened once or twice and she hasn't been to movie night or game night since her reunion with Kara. All the air whooshes from her lungs and the only response she can make is an emoji in the shape of a heart the same color as her pajamas.

I'm glad you're okay, she adds when she can type again.

The blue heart that Kara sends her is preceded by a question. Play hooky with me tomorrow?

Lena doesn't hesitate. Okay.

The two exchange a few more texts, but Lena doesn't want to interrupt. She knows Kara has Alex over and she has her dad to spend time with too. Lena doesn't want to intrude. Kara needs time with her family.

When she slips between the cool 2000 thread count sheets that are nothing like the worn Target sheets on Kara's bed, Lena can't sleep. Images of the kelpie fill her mind and mix with the phantoms and images of Kara as Supergirl lying broken in a pile of rubble long before she ever knew Kara and Supergirl were the same person.

Kara is at Lena's door at seven. Lena is still getting ready, a satin robe tied at her waist and her hair wet around her shoulders.

Lena smiles at her and Kara smiles back, entering as she often does, via the balcony rather than the door.

"I brought coffee," she hands Lena one of the to-go cups, their fingers brushing for just a second.

"What's the plan for today?" Lena asks, taking a sip from the coffee that is still hot despite being picked up across town.

Kara grins and it's infectious. "Well, I'm in serious need of bestie hangs, yellow sun rays, and potstickers. The takeaway options in the Phantom Zone leave a lot to be desired."

Lena's lips quirk up at Kara's joke and a tiny giggle erupts from her. "I'll bet," she replies.

Lena doesn't miss the touch of pain in Kara's eyes or the way Kara hovers close to Lena, not touching but not moving too far away either.

"How sunny are we talking?" Lena asks, letting Kara trail her into her bedroom. "I don't know if my pale skin can handle the beach." Nor could her libido handle the sight of Kara in a swimsuit.

"Well, if you're okay with me flying you, I had thought we could spend the day on a beach somewhere, but how do you feel about Paris? We can get baguettes and have an Eiffel Tower picnic on the grass like real tourists."

Paris was not somewhere you took your friends, Lena was aware of that and she didn't care. "That sounds delightful. But how about you let me do all the ordering," Lena suggested. "I've heard your French and that accent needs some work."

The banter between them is easy and Kara sinks onto what Lena has started to think of as Kara's side of the bed. The spot she always chooses when they're in Lena's bedroom.

Lena considers her clothing options, a dress isn't very practical for a cross continental Supergirl flight, or for picnicking. Her pantsuits have largely been abandoned to the depths of her closet since she left Luthor Corp, so she tugs a pair of blue jeans from her closet and a casual white t-shirt that is about as far from CEO Lena Luthor as she can manage.

Unabashedly, Lena sheds her robe leaving her in just her underwear. Kara's sharp intake of breath from the bed has her turning on her heels to glance at her friend.

"Sorry, I can get dressed in the bathroom. I just… is this not okay?"

Kara shakes her head. "No, no, it's fine."

Lena is suddenly aware of just how exposed she is. Of just how little the basic cotton underwear covers. Lena tugs her jeans on quickly and her t-shirt, padding around the bedroom in her socks as she finishes getting ready.

"I still can't believe this is your apartment sometimes," Kara says as Lena puts on her makeup. Their conversation is easy and they don't stray to any of the difficult topics Lena knows they need to discuss.

"Maybe not for much longer," Lena says, shrugging. "I'm putting it on the market. I need somewhere smaller, closer to the tower now that I'm not a CEO."

"There's a place in my building for sale. Then we could do breakfast every day." Neither mentions that this is yet another change since Kara's disappearance.

"Thanks. That would be perfect."

Though Lena would prefer a few more walls in her apartment than Kara's loft includes, she is already imagining their late nights spent watching a movie and early morning coffee dates.

Lena went skydiving once in her youth but flying with Supergirl is far more terrifying, but also way more fun. Kara wraps her arms around Lena's stomach and they take off so fast that National City is a blur before Lena realizes they're even off the ground. Cold wind whips her face and she's glad she chose to put her hair in a ponytail and didn't bother with straightening it. Far below them, the oceans stretches on for miles and Lena breathes in the ocean air.

"You really are something special, Kara," she says when they land in an empty alley in Paris less than an hour later.

Kara beams at the praise.

It's already early afternoon in Paris and people are enjoying lunches at the various cafes along the river front.

"You know, I haven't been to Paris since I was eighteen," Lena admits. "Thank you for bringing me, this was a great idea."

Kara laughs, her joy infectious. "You're a millionaire, you could come here whenever you like."

Lena shrugs. "I'm always too busy. I can't remember the last time I took time off."

Kara grabs her hand and squeezes as they walk along the Seine. When Kara doesn't let go, Lena smiles.

"You should take a break. Let your hair down a little. You deserve it."

And for the first time, Lena really believes she does.

"What would I do?"

Kara shrugs. "Anything you want."

Lena's smile falters for a moment as the image of the kelpie turned into her mother comes to the forefront of her mind. Her mother. Her real mother.

"Oh, I nearly forgot," Kara says, oblivious to Lena's inner battle.

Kara pauses and steers them towards the edge of the water. "I got you a gift."

"Kara, you didn't need to get me anything."

Kara smiles. "I know, but I wanted to say thank you. Alex told me what you did. That you wanted to save me first and I know that sun bomb had Lena Luthor written all over it."

She pulls a little pouch from her pocket and places it in Lena's palm. "It's nothing big, but I know things have been weird between us and I'm just so glad to have you back."

"When did you even have time to get this, you've only been home 12 hours."

Kara shrugs, a darkness clouding her eyes for a moment. "Couldn't sleep so I did a little flying. Ended up in Australia. And with the time difference everything was still open, so I did a little shopping."

And Lena laughs because in this moment, things are perfect.

When she opens the pouch, a gorgeous silver bracelet slides into her hand. The chain is delicate and there's a single stone in the centre. Some kind of jade if she had to guess. Blue in the same shade as Kara's eyes.

"I have one too," Kara says proudly, holding up her wrist where the same bracelet but with a black piece of jade rests. "I know it's corny, but I guess they're kind of like adult friendship bracelets."

Lena throws her arms around Kara. "I love it. Nobody has ever given me a friendship bracelet before," she whispers into Kara's shoulder. She knows Kara can hear her, but the blonde woman just squeezes her tighter.

Once the bracelet is secure around Lena's wrist, Kara's hand seems to find hers again. "Let's grab some food, there's a lot we need to catch up on," Kara says finally.

Lena nods, a lump forming in her throat. Can't they just stay like this a little longer? In a world where it's just the two of them?

"I could get used to this," Lena admits as the pair settles onto the grass with the Eiffel Tower behind them and more food than the two of them can possibly eat in one sitting. Though, she has seen Kara eat and perhaps they should've gotten more.

The Luthor part of Lena argues that she should be dining in a fancy restaurant not sitting on the grass and if she must sit on the grass, she could at least make sure she's on a picnic blanket so her jeans don't get wet. The part of Lena that she's just getting to know doesn't give a shit if her pants get wet so long as she gets to enjoy this lovely day with Kara.

"I'm so proud of you," Kara says.

She's leaning back, her elbows propping her up, basking in the spring sunshine.

"Why?" Lena asks, a little confused. All she did was her job in bringing Kara back from the Phantom Zone. Her lip quirks up at the compliment and she shifts so she's a little closer to Kara.

"For standing up to Lex. I know things are complicated between you guys. He's still your brother and stepping away from a company that you built the reputation of after being kicked out of the CEO position and… I'm just really proud of you, Lena."

Lena blushes, though she tells herself it's definitely the sun heating her cheeks.

"Thank you. In the end it was the easiest thing I've ever done. Luther Corp isn't my company. L Corp is. L Corp is gone and frankly, with everything that's happened, I just realized there are more important things than money and success. I lost myself for awhile there, but I remembered why I got into science to begin with. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to save lives."

Kara beams. "I'm so glad I get to see this side of you. For awhile there, I wasn't sure you were ever going to come back to me."

"And now we're in picnicking in Paris."

"And now we're picnicking in Paris," Kara agrees.

Lena watches as Kara shifts a little closer.

They sit in silence for a while both enjoying the sun and basking in the calm of being away from National City and the constant threats on their lives.

It's Kara who finally breaks the silence, rolling until she's on her stomach, resting on her elbows only a few inches from Lena's knee.

"I really can't ever thank you enough for getting me out. I—" Kara falters. "It was… so dark and so cold. And the phantoms made everything seem real. Everything."

Kara shudders, and Lena presses a gentle hand to Kara's cheek. "We had our own taste of it. I can't imagine how awful it must have been to be stuck there for so long."

Lena sweeps a tear from Kara's cheek.

"Alex told me about her nightmare. It sounds awful."

Lena chokes out a strangled sob and Kara is up on her knees with her hand resting on Lena's thighs in an instant.

"Hey, it's okay. We're okay."

Lena nods. "I know. It's just… God, I feel like such an asshole sitting here and worrying about my tiny nightmare when you were in there for weeks."

Kara shakes her head. "No. Don't do that to yourself. Your pain is just as valid as mine. Always."

Lena takes a deep shuddering breath. "Thank you."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kara asks, searching for Lena's gaze.

Lena is quiet for a long time, taking comfort in Kara's hands still resting softly on her jean clad thighs. "Have I ever told you about my mom?" She pauses. "Not Lillian. My real mom."

"Only that she died when you were little."

Lena nods. "I was four. We were at a lake or perhaps a beach. I don't remember. I wasn't born here. In America. I'm a dual citizen. Irish and American. I only found out when my father died. He'd been keeping a second passport for me all those years, and my original birth certificate. My Irish birth certificate, listing my real name. He changed it. I never even knew. Of course I knew I must have had another surname but he'd never told me what it was. Caitrin Connolly. According to my birth certificate. My mother's name was Grace."

Cara squeezes Lena's leg, waiting for her to go on.

"My mom, I watched her drown. I didn't do anything to save her. I just… watched her drown. I stayed on the shore for hours until someone found me. I don't even know who it was. If I was at her funeral I don't remember it. And then I was on a place with just my one little backpack of things. And after that I was a Luthor. No one ever spoke about my mother. If I have grandparents in Ireland, nobody told me about them and they've never sought me out."

Lena sighs, wiping tears from her cheeks. "My nightmare… there was a kelpie. Do you know what this is?"

Kara nods. "Some kind of mythical water creature."

"Yeah. And when I finally vanquished it, it turned into my mom."

"Oh Lena, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was a long time ago. It's just… it's gotten me thinking about her. About how much I don't know. Luthor is only a part of who I am but I've always let it be everything I am. Kara, I don't even know who I am anymore."

Kara scoots closer, scooping Lena into her arms, letting her head rest against Lena's shoulder.

"Then you need to find out."

Whatever Lena was expecting, it wasn't this.

"What?"

"Lena, you and me, we've both lived the adoption story, so I know you know that your birth family doesn't just disappear from you, they'll always be a part of you. I've been lucky enough to find both of my parents again and I'm really lucky that I always knew where I came from. You deserve to have whatever version of that you can find."

"But… you just got back. I can't leave."

Kara smiles. "Lena, I'm so glad to have you in my life, but if this is something you want, I'll support you. Besides, I can be there in ten minutes. Less actually."

"Are you sure?"

Kara squeezes Lena a little tighter. "What kind of best friend would I be if I didn't support you in this? This is what friends are for."

Friends. There's that dreaded word again. Friends. Lena doesn't know how to explain that she wants more. That spending time with Kara is the highlight of her day.

"I don't want to ruin things between us again," Lena admits in a voice barely above a whisper.

"You won't. How about this, while you're gone, we can talk every day. And text. And if you want to hang out, you let me know. For me, Ireland is no harder than your apartment. Okay?"

Lena nods. "It won't be for long." She doesn't know if she's telling herself or telling Kara.

"You take as long as you need."

Lena's resolve to leave shifts hourly as she books her flights, packs up her apartment, and helps with the trash monster set on the earth by Kara's dad. She wants to go. She doesn't. For the first time in her life, things are really great. She has friends, not just Kara but Nia too, and Alex. J'onn. Brainy. Even Kelly. Leaving feels like she's throwing all that away. Except, she has to do it. She has to know.

She's heading for the airport when Kara calls.

"You sure you don't want me to fly you?" Kara asks.

Lena laughs. "Bit hard to explain why I didn't stop at the border to get my passport stamped."

Kara laughs and Lena smiles at the noise. "Just, be careful. And please, call me if you need anything, even if it's just a chat."

"I won't be gone long," Lena promises again. "Are we still on for our movie day on Saturday?"

"Of course. You want me to bring Big Belly Burger?"

"Obviously," Lena replies easily. "I'll grab some drinks and snacks too, we'll make a day of it."

"Can't wait."

Lena almost misses the whispered, "I'll miss you," from Kara. The line goes dead and Lena decides to make one final call.

Nia answers on the first ring. "Hey Lena, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's actually good. I just got off the phone with Kara, but I wanted to call you. I know what the kelpie means."

Going home is the scariest thing she's ever done, but knowing Kara will be there for her makes it possible.