From that moment on, Lena was relentless in her training. Every waking minute was spent honing her abilities and sharpening her skills.

"I'm going to be the most powerful Jedi to ever live," Lena blurted with a grin, after her first time using a lightsaber.

Unlike her other endeavors, this one had not ended in failure. In fact, Lena had showed incredible, natural skill that had startled even her own wise Jedi master.

"I am glad that you have learned to trust your abilities," her teacher told her, "but I would caution you to be realistic with your expectations."

"Who is the most powerful Jedi anyway, Master?" Lena mused aloud, sitting down at the table to begin their meal.

"Lena. Did you hear me?"

"Yes. Of course. Temper my expectations. But didn't you also tell me to believe in myself and trust the Force?"

"Yes, but—"

"Then don't be a buzzkill, Kara," Lena laughed.

Their relationship had grown a great deal closer over the past few months of training, and Lena was now comfortable joking with her master. Kara wouldn't have allowed her to call them 'friends' – it wouldn't have been appropriate, given Kara's role as her teacher, and Lena's status as a padawan – but Lena felt the closeness between them and trusted her master completely.

"I'm being serious now, Lena," Kara told her student. "Too much confidence makes one cocky and unfocused. It disrupts the balance in the Force."

With a defiant shrug, Lena mumbled, "Anything is possible."

"True," the Jedi conceded, feeling a wave of concern swell within her.

Lena was strong in the Force, almost beyond reason, and with her confidence growing, Kara could see – despite wanting to ignore it – her pull to power and potentially, to the Dark Side. It worried her, increasingly so, especially after seeing Lena wield a weapon for the first time. The raw, unbridled ability was stunning, and although Kara was quite proud of her pupil for beginning to learn to harness the Force, it did scare her somewhat to see the growing passion in her eyes. She was reminded of one of their first days of training, when Lena had broken the cup out of anger. Kara could see the potential for both Light and Dark battling within her, but the Jedi was determined to guide the padawan on the path to peace.

Kara spent the majority of the meal sitting quietly as her pupil jabbered on excitedly about her first experience with a lightsaber, until the trainee startled her by asking, seemingly out of nowhere, "Do you think Sam still loves me?"

After a long, startled pause, the Jedi attempted, "I…" but found herself trailing off, completely unsure of what to say.

"Do you think we could ever get back together?" Lena pressed, her eyes suddenly glossing over, lip quivering.

The pain in Lena's eyes made Kara's heart ache, but it wasn't just her empathetic Jedi heart leading her to this emotion. It was something deeper. Kara knew she cared for Lena, perhaps more than she should have, but had no way to turn it off. Yes, she could control her emotions and make peace with them, but turning them off completely? That was an ability she did not have, even as an experienced – though young – Jedi master.

"I am a Jedi," Kara finally answered, tone low and steady, "not a mind reader. But as you said… anything is possible, I suppose…"

"So you think she could love me again?!" Lena asked excitedly.

"Lena… Do not dwell on the past. Live in the present."

"But, Master—"

"The belonging you seek is not behind you, but ahead," Kara said, unexpectedly finding the exact words she wanted to say.

She wasn't exactly sure what she meant by this, but she felt through the Force that these words were the right ones in the moment.

Lena looked puzzled.

"I don't understand," she confessed.

Reflecting on the automatic response she'd given and the words that had formed, seemingly all on their own, the Jedi looked into Lena's eyes and found herself remembering all too well the feeling of Lena's arms around her after her first successful use of the Force. The moment they'd shared had been undeniably personal, even somewhat intimate. The validation Kara had provided her student with had been immensely impactful, but perhaps forgotten. Kara couldn't help but wonder if Lena remembered too.

In Kara's mind, the words, 'You belong here,' formed, but hearing them in her head, the Jedi Master knew those were decidedly not the words for the moment. The belonging Lena sought would need be found through her own trust in the Force.

Lena frowned when her teacher did not reply as she asked, "Master?"

Leading Lena to the conclusion of acceptance was not a lesson that would have stuck through her guidance. It would only take root through Lena's own discovery. Despite a deep longing to ease her student's suffering, Kara knew she would not be the one to teach this to her Padawan. No… Life would teach her. Experience would teach her. Pain would teach her.

"You will one day," was all the Jedi could say.

Frustrated by this response, Lena shoved her plate forward, away from her, and threw her chair back as she stood up, allowing it to fall backwards, crashing on the floor.

"You treat me like a child! I'm hardly younger than you are," Lena seethed. "You tell me to believe in myself, but you don't believe in me. You don't trust me to tell me—"

"Lena," the Jedi protested interrupting the start of the padawan's monologue. "That's not true."

"You might be a wise Jedi Master, Kara," Lena hissed, "but you're not better than me. I'll show you my power. I'll make you believe."

"Lena," Kara asserted, her tone a warning. "Plan for the future, but don't ignore the present. Who you will be tomorrow depends on the choices you make today."

Rolling her eyes, Lena stormed out of the room.