Sometimes it's wise to surprise her

The second day

It was three in the afternoon when the new Director made her daily round of all the DEO HQ duty stations to keep current on what was going on. All was routine until she asked Brainiac if he had anything of interest to report.

"Nothing really, except the Secret Service wanted to confirm the security status of one of our consultants."

"Oh, which consultant?"

"It was your mother, Dr. Eliza."

"Did they say why?"

"No, they didn't. But they were happy when I confirmed her TS/SCI clearance. But there's something about her clearance I hadn't seen before – there was no listing of authorized compartments on her file."

As she listened, a chill ran-down Alex's spine. She knew her mother's occasional consulting for the DEO gave her Top Secret and Sensitive Compartment Information clearance. But such clearance was usually narrowly restricted to particular subjects and projects (called compartments) and a list of compartments the holder was authorized to enter was inevitably present in the holder's file. In her mother's case, there had been a slip-up.

"When did they call?" Alex asked, "And do you have the name and number of the agent who called you?"

"They called around 10:30 this morning," Brainy replied, "And the agent's name is Alison McGuigan. Here's her number," he handed her a slip of paper, "And she said she was with the detail. Is that a research group?"

Alex looked daggers at him. "Sometimes, I forget that you are this incredible combination of knowledge and ignorance. No, the Detail isn't a research group, it's Presidential Security Detail which guards the President, and you should have told me about this earlier. But at least you've told me now." She turned and went to her office. She had a file to search and a call to make.

00000000000

When Eliza's phone rang, the Ride of the Valkyries theme told her who the caller was. But when she answered it, she was surprised to hear the secure line protocol which her daughter never used with her. After she pressed the key combination that secured the call, she spoke, "Hello Alex," she said, "What's going on?"

"Are you in National City, Mom?"

"Yes, Kara brought me back last night."

"I'm not surprised. Why did my boss's minders ask us to clear you for a meeting with him?"

"We'd best talk about that in person. Maybe we can have dinner together. I can be at your place at 5:30. I've baked a blueberry pie for you."

"You're trying to bribe me, aren't you?" her daughter asked.

"You always were a smart girl," Eliza replied.

"And you're dodging the question. That's something you never let either of us get away with."

"Of course not; it's rude. But I'm not dodging the question. I answered it as best I can right now."

For a moment, Alex was silent. Then she said, "I see. I'll be home at 5:30."

"Just as I said, you always were a smart girl."

0000000000

Alex made sure she left the DEO with ample time to meet her deadline. And she brought a colleague with her. As she opened her apartment door, the delicious smells of an Eliza Danvers cooked turkey dinner, and blueberry pie wafted into her nostrils.

"Hello, Mom," she called.

"Hello, Alex," Eliza replied as she gave her daughter a full hug. Then she noticed the man standing in the doorway, "Come in Brainiac, I'm sorry I didn't see you."

"Don't worry, Dr. Danvers; I'm not staying. The Director wanted me to make sure that there are no bugs in the place. And there aren't. And there won't be." He placed a small box on the table by the door and flicked a switch. "Goodnight ladies," With that, he turned away and let the door close.

"That was quick." Eliza commented, "In that case, dinner is ready, Alex. We'll talk after we eat."

Alexandra Danvers was a double Ph.D., a brilliant researcher, a fiendishly clever interrogator, a highly commended DEO leader and agent, and adept at dealing out precisely targeted violence whenever it was necessary. But she had never been able to force her mother to do anything her mother didn't want to do. So, she bowed to the inevitable.

"I'm hungry," she said.

"I thought you might be," Eliza grinned.

0000000000

As the two women finished dinner, Alex asked her question, "Mom, why are you meeting with my big boss?"

"Kara told me what happened yesterday," Eliza replied, "So I went to see Cat Grant and found out that she already knew, and that she was resigning from her position and she has returned to her role as CEO of CatCo as of this morning."

"Yes, I know," Alex commented. "Kara called me last night to tell me. But, sorry, go on."

"So I told Cat about how Max Lord and I had been involved with the last phase of the Myriad operation – which I have discovered is still an unclassified event – and I asked her to set up a meeting between your boss, Mr. Lord and myself. This way, Mr. Lord, who has already agreed, can tell the story of the second part of Myriad and why Supergirl working with the government was essential to the outcome. In other words, he'll show your boss that it's not a good idea to keep Supergirl from volunteering with law enforcement. And I'll be confirmation."

Alex thought through what her mother had said. Then she said, "Is Kara OK with what you're doing?"

"Yes, when I told her she said, 'You're right. I wish you weren't, but you are.' But what do you think?"

"I think it might work. But you do realize that Cat Grant could also put a spotlight on you, Mom? Not to mention one on me, and a huge one on Kara."

"Do you think that will leave us any worse off than we are now because of the President's decision?"

Alex opened her mouth to say "Yes," but her mind wouldn't let her. Instead, she realized the full danger of the situation her family had been placed in. Inevitably, and sooner rather than later, something would happen, and the lack of Supergirl/government cooperation would be noticed. Questions would be asked. And those questions would be answered. Oh, the President wouldn't need to answer them on the record. No, it was far more likely that one of the White House staffers would be tasked to leak the fact that Supergirl was not trusted because she hid her identity. And that leak would trigger a countrywide quest to uncover Supergirl's other identity by the media and others. And that search would put not only Kara at risk but also her mother and herself.

"I see your point," Alex replied, "If we don't do something like your proposed meeting, Kara will be outed within three months. And we'll be outed with her."

"Exactly," Eliza replied, "So what I'm doing is a necessary risk."

"True enough. But there's something else you haven't told me," Alex continued.

"Oh, what's that?"

"When the Secret Service called Brainy today, he confirmed your safe status, but he noticed that you don't have a compartment list on your TS/SCI authorization."

"And why is that significant?" Eliza asked.

"Unlimited TS/SCI status is the highest security clearance in the entire US government." Alex replied, "Its' holders have access to everything in the government's classified files. Normally, this status is only held by the President, the congressional Gang of Eight, and the Director of National Intelligence, all of whom oversee the work of the intelligence agencies. Within operational intelligence, not even the CIA and FBI Directors hold it: the only OpIntel person with unlimited TS/SCI status heads the government's single cross-functional intelligence/operations agency, the DEO: in other words. And you are not the President, you're not in oversight, nor are you the head of the DEO. And it's no accident that you hold this clearance. I've checked your file. You've had it for over a decade. And since you became a DEO consultant you've used it: you've checked every single compartment the DEO or Kara has ever been involved in. And last night you went to the DEO, and you copied all of them, except for administrative or operational trivia or secondary Containment details. And I'm not just your daughter, Mom, . . ."

Eliza raised her hand, and Alex stopped. "Alex, have I ever lied to you?"

"Not once."

"Then please don't go where you were about to go. There are valid and authorized reasons why I hold that clearance and why I have used it as I have. I promise you that I won't misuse that information in any way that is outside those parameters, nor will I do anything that will hurt the country any more than your boss has already hurt it. Also, what I've planned may minimize the short-term dangers we face. And I promise you that I'll explain soon. Will you trust me on this?"

"Soon? How soon is soon?" Alex asked.

"Please give me forty-eight hours."

"Deal," Alex replied.

"And on that note," Eliza continued, "You'd better get back to your office. Julia is waiting to see you."

"Why does Dr. Hamilton want to see me?" Alex asked.

"Because she's about to put you on medical leave for the next eight weeks. You haven't taken a vacation in the last four years, and your efficiency ratings are taking a hit."

"Did you put her up to this, Mom?"

"I did point out that you were in violation of policy, and I asked her how long she'd be prepared to let you risk your health, and maybe put a team at risk."

"But I've got too much to do."

"Nonsense. Colonel Lane at Desert Containment can cover for you easily enough. She's done it before."

Alex thought about her just-promoted friend who had run the DEO so smoothly during Myriad, "You win. Now I just have to figure out what to do for eight weeks."

"No, you don't," her mother replied as she handed her daughter a sealed envelope.

"What's this?" Alex asked.

"We're going on a vacation. Open that at exactly 8 pm tonight, no earlier and not one second later, and it will give you all the details."

"Why not earlier?"

"Because I think you'll appreciate the surprise."

"You're being cryptic again. But since you had a good reason the last time, I'll trust you for this one too. But if I take your hint correctly, we're leaving almost immediately?"

Her mother nodded.

"Then you'll have to pack for me, if I have to go see Dr. Hamilton."

"I'll do that. Off you go."

The two women hugged, and then Alex left.

After the door closed, Eliza walked slowly to a side table and picked up the family photo that they'd taken soon after Kara had come to them. Of the four faces in the picture, she looked longest at her husband. Finally, she muttered, "I've tried, Jeremiah, and I'm sorry for Alex's job but, as you said, it's not on the free list for the US government to mess with this family for a second time."

0000000000

"Gee thanks Mom, I do appreciate this surprise." Alex Danvers thought as she read the letter in her hand. It was short and to the point.

Dear Alex,

You will need to sit in on the meeting with the President that I mentioned this afternoon, so turn on your office TV to WCAT channel 9 for their "This Evening" Program right now. Cat tells me that you'll be getting a call from Senator Crane who, as one of the Gang of Eight and Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has the right to ask for your files on all the subjects we will be talking about, so you should collect those files as you listen. In case Senator Crane does not ask for them, you should also include the following items in that package: my complete file and access records, the footage of you shooting Kara during the red K incident, Jonn's chest camera recording and the return of the pod to the DEO with you and Kara the day Kara threw Fort Rozz was thrown into space. Also, after the program ends, email the files to Senator Crane with a copy to the President according to standard DEO procedures.

As for our vacation destination; it's Argo: we will leave from the "Superfriend's" office on the accounting floor of CatCo as soon after 9 PM as you can get here.

Love

Mom

PS: I hope you won't be too mad at me for not telling you everything. And yes, Kara knew the whole plan beforehand, but I told her not to tell you. I didn't want you to face a conflict of interest. Keep this letter safe.

"I don't know how mad I'll be until I know what you've done. And who's 'us'?" Alex muttered. She managed to turn on her TV and bring up her computer before her secure phone rang. It was Senator Crane, with the order that her mother had predicted.

0000000000

A few moments before the broadcast finished, a bald man seated in what was supposed to be the most secure cell of the most secure prison in the United States saw Eliza Danvers vanish into the blue-white circle thanks to a TV that had been custom installed for him. Shaking his head, he muttered: "Not a bad gambit for a new player. Congratulations, Dr. Danvers, you have just done my job for me."

0000000000

As the broadcast finished, a rigidly controlled Alex Danvers sent the required files to Senator Crane over the secure government email link (with the President cc'd), walked out to the main hall, ran through the five minute ceremony that turned over command to Lucy Lane, signed out of the DEO on medical leave, hopped on her Ducati and roared off to CatCo to give her mother a piece of her mind.