Once Upon National City
A/N: What a way to end Season 3, am I right? I had originally planned to write another drabble before this one, but after watching the Season 3 finale of Supergirl, I just couldn't get this idea out of my head.
Just a heads up, this drabble is a bit rough around the edges. I was fighting with some writer's block while writing this. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.
Disclaimer: The characters and the worlds I write in do not belong to me. The stories that I write are intended for entertainment purposes. I do not make any money from them.
Summary: That had always been her biggest fear since first meeting the Zor-El matriarch yesterday. What would Alura think of her when she realized it was Alex who killed her twin? Alex & Kara, Alura Zor-El. Family/Hurt/Comfort.
*** ~ Daughters of El ~ ***
Alex jerked awake at the feeling of something wrapping around her. Immediately reaching for her weapon, as was her habit when feeling threatened, she quickly froze when she met a sheepish, forest green gaze.
"My apologies," Alura Zor-El said, the Kryptonian's hands pulling back from the blanket tucked around Alex's shoulders. Alura took a few steps backwards to put a respectable distance between them. "I didn't mean to wake you."
The tension bleeding from her shoulders now that she realized she wasn't being attacked, Alex's right hand rose up to rub the sleep from her eyes. The blanket pooled around her stomach.
"It's fine," she said, stifling back a yawn. "I didn't mean to fall asleep here."
Alura smiled, her eyes soft.
"It's quire alright," the Zor-El matriarch said, glancing at Alex's left for a moment. "It's been a long day for everyone. No one would fault you for needing time to catch up on some rest."
Alex chuckled at that statement.
"Talk about understatement of the year," she said, Alex rubbing her eyes again. "I think after today, we all could use like a six month vacation, somewhere very far away from here."
A pause.
"Somewhere hot," Alex added as an afterthought. "Or at least not freezing."
Alura smiled.
"Well," the Kryptonian said. "I'm told Argo City is quite lovely this time of the year. If you're ever in the area, you are most welcome to visit."
Blinking in surprise, Alex stared at Alura flabbergasted.
"Really?" Alex asked, honestly stunned by that offer.
"Kara spoke of you often when she was there," Alura explained, her gaze warm. "My daughter kept saying how she wished she could show you so many things of her home world, like you showed her yours."
Feeling her eyes burn with a mix of emotions swirling in her chest, Alex swallowed thickly, giving Alura a small smile.
"I would like that," she said. "Very much. Someday."
"I would as well," Alura said, echoing the sentiment.
Clearing her throat before she got caught up with thoughts of Kara leaving again, most likely for good now that the threat of Reign and the World Killers had finally ended (for real this time!), Alex swallowed down the lump in her throat before speaking again.
"Speaking of Kara," she said, Alex extremely proud of herself when her voice didn't crack as she said that. "Where is she? Given that you're here, I would have thought she wouldn't be that far-"
A mumble next to her ear had Alex turning her head to the left, her eyes widening.
"-behind," Alex finished lamely. "What the… When did she…?"
How Alex never noticed Supergirl, especially given that Kara's fingers were intertwined with hers under the blanket, Alex's left arm hugged to her adopted sister's chest, with Kara's head nestled against Alex's shoulder, was a mystery to her. Then again, maybe it wasn't. Out of everyone Alex knew, Kara was the only person who could sneak into her bed in the middle of the night without waking Alex, super speed or not. Had anyone else tried the same thing, they would have had a space gun aimed at their forehead even before they got within fifteen feet of Alex's bed, even if she was dead asleep.
"It seems," Alura said, her eyes twinkling in amusement. "My daughter felt you were taking too long in whatever you disappeared to do, and came in search of you."
"What I disappeared to do…?" Alex repeated dumbly, still gaping at the sound asleep superhero latched onto her arm.
"Something about needing to freshen up?" Alura provided, though it was clear the older Kryptonian didn't quite understand the idiom.
Alex blinked.
Freshen up? Right.
After hugging Winn goodbye and getting caught up in the whirlwind of emotions after the group hug, Alex quietly excused herself, saying she needed to use the little girl's room. Or maybe she said the board room. Alex honestly didn't remember what she said back then. All she knew was she had to get out of that place fast, Alex making a beeline out of there for the first quiet spot she could think of just to… process. Apparently that place was her personal lab on the other side of the DEO, three floors down.
And now they were here.
"How long was I gone for?" Alex asked, having a hard time rectifying the time in between leaving the party to now.
She had only meant to take a moment for herself, away from all the voices, all of the cheering and goodbyes. Taking up residence on her lab couch, a well loved and comfy lab couch that she and Kara often lazed on during breaks in action, Alex shut her eyes for but a moment, with all intents and purposes of catching her breath. Instead it seems she had fallen asleep here, the day's exertions finally catching up to her.
"I'm uncertain how long ago you left," Alura answered, the Kryptonian now leaning back against the edge of Alex's desk as she gazed at her sleeping daughter. "Just that it was long enough for Kara to feel the need to search for you, and I her, when she didn't come back."
Alex looked back at Kara.
It was too much.
All of it was too much.
Kara nearly dying. Sam's blackouts. Meeting J'onn's father. The Legion's appearance. Discovering Sam was Reign. Learning Lena knew how to make synthetic Kryptonite. Taking care of Ruby. Helping J'onn through M'yrnn's declining health. Ruby learning her mother was Reign. Separating Reign from Sam. Kara leaving for Argo City. Reign coming back to destroy the world. Meeting Kara's mother in the flesh. M'yrnn sacrificing himself to save the Earth. Defeating Reign once and for all. And finally, Winn and J'onn leaving.
It was all too much.
"You two remind me so much of myself and Astra when we were younger," Alura said, snapping Alex out of her spiraling thoughts. "The bond that the two of you have…"
Unconsciously squeezing Kara's hand in hers a bit tighter, a memory of long past chose this unfortunate moment to flood Alex's thoughts, making her look away from Alura guiltily.
"Twins were rare on Krypton," Astra said, looking down at Alex on the floor as she clutched at her bleeding leg. "When we were children, Alura and I took great pleasure in confusing our parents."
"What was she like?" Alex asked, struggling to get the words out. "Astra, I mean. You know, when you two were younger?"
Alura looked at Alex in surprise.
"Before she…" Alex sucked in a heavy, almost choking breath, her eyes burning as she forced herself to meet Alura's inquiring gaze. "I-"
A touch on her free hand made her flinch, Alex startled when the older Kryptonian stooped down in front of her, holding her hand.
"Kara has told me what happened to my sister," Alura said, the gentle tone in her voice making Alex tremble.
"A-Alura, I-"
"Do not apologize for what happened to Astra," Alura continued, squeezing Alex's hand comfortingly. "The circumstances which led to death were set into motion long before your time. It was just unfortunate that you were the one left with the consequences. And for that, I am truly sorry."
"But-" Alex protested.
Alura shook her head.
Alex was left speechless.
Was this really happening?
Was it not SHE who chose to carry a Kryptonite sword with her that day? Was it not SHE who drove the same sword through Astra's back to save J'onn? And was it not SHE who killed Astra in the end?
To hear Alura, Astra's twin, absolve her from any and all responsibility in her sibling's death, Alex couldn't, wouldn't leave this be. She was not going to sit idly by and watch as the blame was deflected. Again. Not again. Not after what happened the first time. Not when she almost lost Kara the first time.
"Alura-" Alex started, her throat tight, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. But like before, the other woman wouldn't let her finish.
"I do not blame you for her death, Alexandra," Alura said, her voice oh so tender, her eyes so full of compassion. Leaning closer to Alex, cradling Alex's hand between both of hers, Alura's eyes softened even more if that was possible, the Kryptonian smiling at her.
"Do you not think it's finally time you stop blaming yourself for it as well?"
Alex whimpered as the dam broke, the first of many sobs escaping her lips as she collapsed into Alura's arms, the older woman pulling her in for a much needed hug.
That had always been her biggest fear since first meeting the Zor-El matriarch yesterday. What would Alura think of her when she realized it was Alex who killed her twin? Kara had long forgiven Alex for her aunt's death, years ago in fact. Yet as much as Alex wanted to think she was forgiven, it didn't change the fact that it was Alex who killed Astra in the end, that awful feeling of running the Kryptonian through still haunting her in her dreams, even today.
"Alex…?" murmured a groggy voice next to her.
Her face buried in Alura's shoulder as she continued to sob, Alex cried harder when she felt a comforting hand rub circles on her back just between her shoulder blades.
"Mom?" Kara said, now sounding wide awake. "What happened? What's wrong?"
Alex heard it more than she saw it, the smile in Alura's voice as she spoke.
"Do not fret my daughter," the older Kryptonian said. "Everything is just fine."
But Kara was having none of that.
"What do you mean everything is just fine?" Kara retorted.
Alex, through her tears, marveled at the protective edge creeping into her adopted sister's voice.
"This doesn't look like just fine to me! What did you do?!"
"What did I do?" Alura echoed, clearly surprised by her daughter's reaction. "What do you mean Kara?"
"Clearly you must have done something to upset her," Kara said, anger creeping into her voice now. "Because she certainly wasn't crying when I found her earlier."
"Kara-" Alura started, in defense of herself.
Before she even realized what she was doing, Alex was laughing, a relief filled, weight-off-of-her-shoulders kind of laugh. Pulling back from Alura's shoulder to compose herself once more, for the first time in a long time, Alex finally felt like she could move on from what happened with Kara's aunt.
"Alex?" the superhero said immediately, her attention honing in on Alex like a laser. Kara reached up to brush away Alex's tears with her thumbs.
"I'm fine, Kara," Alex said as she halfheartedly swatted away the blonde's hands to wipe her face on her sleeves. She did have a bad ass reputation to maintain after all.
"Everything's fine."
"But..." Kara said, hesitant. She glanced at her mother. "You were crying."
"I was," Alex nodded, sending a quick, thankful glance to Alura. "But I'm better now."
Reaching over, Kara tucked a loose strand of hair around Alex's ear before pulling her in for a side hug.
"What happened?" the younger Kryptonian asked, tenderly.
"El Mayarah."
Both Kara and Alex looked up at Alura in surprise, the elder Zor-El now standing in front of them with only a foot or two of space between them.
"Mom?" Kara queried.
"You two may have been born of different houses," Alura stated, her smile wistful. "But that is no less true."
Alex turned to her sister, Kara sporting an equally confused expression, before she turned back to the other Kryptonian with them.
"What do you mean?" Alex said. "Not as in what do you mean by El Mayarah? I know what that means."
At Alex's ramblings, Alura just smiled.
"Stronger together," Alura said. "Our house creed. Weeks ago, when Kara returned to us in Argo City, as happy as I was to have her with us again, there was no mistaking the longing in my daughter's eyes, nor the heavy weight of uncertainty on her shoulders."
"Mom, I-" Kara began, only to be silenced by the raise of Alura's hand.
"At first," Alura continued. "I simply thought she just needed some time to adjust to life in Argo City again. That in time, my daughter would find her place once more when she was ready, after all that she had lost the first time."
Crossing her arms over her chest, Alura turned her gaze to Alex's desk, her eyes falling upon something on the opposite side of it. Following the other woman's gaze, Alex found one of the many picture frames she kept in her lab, this particular one holding a picture of herself and Kara, the two of them in their teens, all smiles and full of laughter.
"I was wrong," Alura said after a few seconds of silence.
Alex's eyebrows rose slightly at this confession, in her peripherals, Kara frowning next to her.
"After all that I have witnessed in these past hours," Alura said, turning back to them. "I realize now that the look in her eyes was not for all that she lost, but simply for what she was missing right at that moment. She missed Earth. More specifically, she missed her family. She missed you."
Alex froze when Alura's gaze landed on her again, the Kryptonian's look so understanding yet so sorrowful at the same time.
"Mom…" Kara's voice trembled, her adopted sister clutching to Alex's arm tightly. "I-"
"Do not apologize, Kara," Alura said, shaking her head. "You have nothing to apologize for."
"But-"
"I have missed so much of your life growing up, my daughter," the older Zor-El said, moving to stoop down in front of Kara this time. "And that will always be one of my greatest regrets."
"Alura-" Alex started, frowning. But again, like her sister, she would not be given the chance to finish.
"If I had the chance to do everything over again," Alura said, looking between the both of them. "I would not change a single thing."
Alex and Kara blinked at the Alura in surprise.
"Because if I did," Kara's mother continued. "Kara would not have met you, Alexandra. And she would not have grown into the strong, beautiful woman she is today. One I am so, so proud of."
Next to Alex, Kara sniffled audibly, Alex smiling proudly at her sister.
"That is your influence," Alura said, drawing Alex's attention back to her in surprise. "That I am sure of."
"Oh, well," Alex said bashfully, her cheeks suddenly feeling hot. Shyly looking down at her lap, her smile widened as Kara joined their hands together, squeezing gently. "I wouldn't say it was all me, though I probably had something to do with it."
Kara laughed next to her, hugging Alex to her tightly.
"What are you talking about, Alex?" the superhero exclaimed, absolutely beaming. "You had everything to do with it!"
At the feeling of another hand on her shoulder, Alex looked up to meet Alura's gaze again.
"You may not have been born of our house," Alura said, her hands on both hers and Kara's shoulders now. "But that makes you no less than a true daughter of El."
Suddenly feeling all teary-eyed again, Alex sniffled quietly, rubbing at her eyes.
"Thank you," she said a bit choked up. "That means a lot coming from you."
"Mom!" Kara chided as she laughed. Supergirl rubbed Alex's shoulders comfortingly. "Stop it! If you continue to make Alex cry, I'm going to have to punch you!"
"Punch me?" Alura said, her eyebrows rising in surprise.
Kara pouted before cuddling Alex more.
"Well, not really," the superhero mumbled, making Alex laugh. "I just don't like seeing my sister cry."
Nodding in understand, Alura rose to her feet and smiled.
"Of course," the older Kryptonian said. "My apologies."
"It's fine," Alex said, sniffling. She wiped away her unshed tears. "Ignore Kara. She's just being overly dramatic right now. She gets that way whenever she's hungry."
Kara pulled away from Alex.
"I do not get overly dramatic when I'm hungry!" Supergirl huffed.
"Uh huh," Alex said, giving her sister a look.
Kara buried her face in Alex's shoulder and whined.
"Alex…" the blonde drawled out pitifully. "It's not my fault I need to eat so much on a daily basis!"
Chuckling at that response, Alex all too familiar with her alien sister's unfortunate but necessary eating habits, she patted Kara on the head earning her another huff. At the sound of soft laughter, Alex's gaze went back to Kara's mother, the older woman also amused by her daughter's theatrics.
"Well then," the Zor-El matriarch said, smiling. "It is fortunate I came to find you both when I did. The servers just brought out more food for everyone, including something called potstickers I believe?"
A head of blonde hair popped up from Alex's shoulder in an instant. And just like that, Kara went from pouting to completely in awe of her mother.
"You came to tell me they brought out more potstickers!?" Kara gasped.
Rolling her eyes, Alex bit back another laugh. Leave it to her sister to perk up at the mention of food. Potstickers no less.
"Of course, my daughter," Alura said as a matter of fact, though Alex noticed a sparkle of something in her eyes. "Saving the Earth is truly hard work. It would not do to have lives lost because their superhero wastes away in hunger."
Alex's mouth dropped open in surprise.
"Mom!" Kara shrieked, absolutely horrified, her cheeks coloring in embarrassment.
Unable to help herself, Alex burst into a fit of giggles, the only thing stopping her from falling off of the couch at the moment being her sister's grip on her arm.
"Shut up!" Kara exclaimed, giving Alex a nudge.
She nearly toppled off of the couch from that shove, but Alex laughed on, Kara grumbling to herself as her mother joined in the laughter.
"Meanie," Kara pouted, making Alex laugh even harder. "You see what I have to put up with on a daily basis?"
Her stomach now hurting for laughing so much in such a short period of time, Alex threw an arm around Supergirl's shoulder, leaning her head against Kara's.
"You're so easy to tease, you know that?"
"Meanie," Kara repeated, though she cuddled against Alex anyhow.
"I know I said this before," Alura said after the giggles died down, drawing their gazes back to her. "But I am truly in your debt, Alexandra."
"Please," Alex said, feeling all shy again. "Call me Alex."
"Alex," Alura nodded, before continuing on. "If it wasn't for you and your family, who knows what would have happened Kara. Thank you for giving us the chance to find each other again."
Glancing down for a moment, Alex looked up at her adopted sister, getting a beaming smile as she did so.
"I think I should be the one thanking you," Alex said, turning back to Alura, feeling truly humbled. "Thank you for raising such a wonderful daughter. And for giving me a sister too."
"Awww Alex," Kara said almost squealing. She smothered Alex in another hug. "I love you too."
Reaching up to squeeze her sister's arm, Alex smiled at the younger Kryptonian.
"Love you too, Sis."
A loud gurgle.
Kara's hand slapped on top of her stomach, her cheeks pink.
"And on that note," Alex smiled, biting back laughter at that sound. Her poor sister had been embarrassed enough for the day after all. "I think it's time to get back to the party. Or rather the food."
Alura chuckled, smiling at them both.
"It seems so," the older Kryptonian said.
Alex smiled back. Moving to rise from the couch, she only stopped when Kara put a hand on her arm, holding her back.
"Hey Mom," her adopted sister said. "Can you give us a minute? We'll catch up soon."
Looking between them, Alura nodded. "Of course."
And with that, the elder Zor-El left, Alex having all of two seconds to stare at the door after Alura's exit before Kara nearly tackled her off of the couch in a hug.
"I told you she'd love you!" her sister squeed, absolutely bursting with happiness.
Half wrestling, half struggling to remain on the couch with Kara practically on top of her, Alex laughed as she attempted to find purchase on her couch.
"Kara!" she exclaimed, squirming. "Kara! You're going to make us fall!"
"Nope!" the superhero chirped. "You'll never fall! Not when I'm around!"
Taking a few more seconds to wriggle about, they eventually settled with Alex on her back across the length of the couch, Kara nestled on her chest, with her head on Alex's shoulder.
"She called you a daughter of El," the super murmured, causing Alex to look down at her.
"Is that a good thing?"
"That's an amazing thing!" Kara exclaimed, pushing up on her elbows to face Alex. "You're literally part of the House of El now, and you didn't even have to bond with anyone to do it!"
Alex chuckled at her sister's exuberance. "And if I were to bond with someone, who would that be? Clark?"
"Alex!" Kara squawked, laughing. "Ew! No! Don't get me wrong, I love Kal-El, but just, no."
Laughing, the two of them got up from lying down on the couch to sitting side by side again.
"I'll tell him you said that," Alex said with a grin.
Kara just laughed again.
"Go ahead," the blonde said. "He already knows."
Smiling at each other, the two of them fell silent for a moment, Alex squinting after a few seconds when she realized Kara was still staring at her.
"What?" she asked, raising an eye brow at the superhero.
Kara shook her head, a soft smile stretched across her lips.
"It's just that…" Kara started, looking away briefly before meeting Alex's gaze again. "I'm so lucky to have you as my sister. Of all the people Kal-El could have left me with, I'm glad he left me with you."
"Me too," Alex said quietly, feeling that lump in her throat return. She tucked a lock of hair around Kara's ear. "I'm really going to miss you."
"Miss me?" Kara echoed, frowning. "Are you going somewhere?"
"Me?" Alex said in confusion. "You're the one who's leaving."
"I am?" Supergirl said in absolute bewilderment. "Where am I going?"
"Back to Argo City," Alex stated, looking at her sister frowning. "With your Mom in a few hours."
Kara blinked at Alex.
Frowning even more, Alex tilted her head to the side, watching her sister.
"Aren't you?"
Turning her whole body towards Alex, Kara looked at Alex dead in the eye.
"Is that why you were so upset earlier?"
Alex pursed her lips, blinking back tears.
"Kara, I-" she began.
"I'm not going back, Alex," her adopted sister cut her off.
It took less than a second for Alex to process those words, her jaw hanging open in shock.
"What?" Alex croaked, after she got her wits about her. "What do you mean you're not going back?"
"It's like I said," Kara replied, her brows furling.
"But that's your home, Kara!" Alex protested. "It was where you born."
"Do you want me to go back?" Kara asked, an eyebrow raised.
Alex immediately opened her mouth to vehemently refute that but instead bit her lip and swallowed down her answer.
"That's not my decision to make," she stated. "It's yours."
"Alex," Supergirl chided, shaking her head. Kara tucked a lock of hair around Alex's ear.
"That's not what I asked you," the Kryptonian said. "What I asked was, do you want me to go back to Argo City?"
Looking down at her lap, Alex intertwined her fingers together tightly.
She had been waiting for this question. Since the discovery of Argo City not even weeks ago, Alex had been waiting for this topic to come up.
It was selfish, she knew, wanting Kara to remain on Earth. Despite not starting her life off with the Kryptonian in it, Alex couldn't deny how important Kara was to her now. The time Kara spent back at Argo City, leaving Alex and the rest of them here, as much as Alex was happy for her sister, finding her mother again, learning that her home survived, Alex could not deny the emptiness which came with her sister gone.
"No," Alex eventually said, Kara silent the entire time.
Clenching her jaw for even voicing such a thing, Alex kept her gaze on her hands, not wanting to see the disappointment in Kara's eyes over her admission. Feeling the superhero shift next to her, Alex tensed, sucking in a breath when a hand covered her own.
"Then I won't go," Kara said simply.
And all Alex could do was gawk.
"Kara, no," she said when she found her words again, Alex feeling even more guilty now. "You can't-"
"I can," Kara interrupted her, smiling at Alex lovingly.
"But-"
"You heard what my mother said earlier," Kara said, squeezing Alex's hand. "Earth is home now. You are my home now. And there's no other place I'd rather be."
"But Argo City-" Alex tried again.
"Was my home a long time ago," Kara said, resting a hand on Alex's shoulder. "Not anymore. And my mother understands."
Allowing herself to be pulled into a tight hug, Alex blinked back her tears.
"I'm sorry," she said, squeezing her sister tightly.
"Don't be," Supergirl said, rubbing Alex's back before releasing her. "It's not like I will never see my mother again. All I have to do is ask J'onn and borrow his ship, and I can visit her anytime."
"I know," Alex said, giving her sister a sympathetic look. "But I know it's also not the same."
Reaching out, Kara intertwined her fingers with Alex's.
"What's not the same is not having you with me."
A smile.
"Don't get me wrong," her adopted sister said. "It was great seeing Mom again, seeing Argo City again, but without you there with me, by my side, it just felt-"
"Hollow," Alex finished for her.
Kara nodded. "Yeah."
Her eyes shining brightly, Kara leaned and kissed Alex on the forehead.
"But it's not hollow anymore," the superhero said.
"No," Alex shook her head. "Not anymore."
"Good."
This time, it was Alex who pulled Kara in for a hug, the reality of her situation finally sinking in.
"Now that that's settled," Kara said after a few seconds, pulling back and grinning. "You know what's still hollow right now?"
Alex raised an eyebrow, looking at her sister questioningly.
"My stomach," Kara said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Alex rolled her eyes.
"Of course," she said, accepting the super's hand after Kara popped off of her lab couch and held out her hand. "How could I forget? Your stomach is like a black hole."
"Hey!" Kara protested. "I'm a growing Kryptonian here! I can't help it when I'm hungry!"
"You're always hungry."
"Details," Kara shrugged off, slowly walking backwards towards the door to Alex's lab.
"C'mon Alex!" the superhero pleaded. "They have potstickers! You're not going to deny me those after what happened today, are you?"
Looking at Alex with her famed puppy dog eyes, Kara's lip trembled, the Kryptonian watching Alex imploringly all the while. Sighing in defeat, Alex hung her head.
"Fine! Fine!" she said, practically shooing her adopted sister out of her lab. "Let's get you those potstickers! And then you owe me ice cream and a full explanation of what happened when you went to visit your mother!"
Kara squealed.
"Deal!"
A/N: As ecstatic as I was to have Alura finally meet Alex, sadly, the show wasn't able to fully capitalize on that moment, and so I wrote this to help fill in the blanks. Anyone else wondered what Alura would think when she learned Alex was the one who killed Astra? I mean surely, even though they were facing the end of the world, they must have had some time to chat in between before she went back to Argo City. XD
So, funny story while working on this drabble. I went to look up Erica Durance's eye colour, as I wasn't sure what it was, and got mixed results. Some sites say she has green eyes and others say she has light brown eyes. Seeing as how Laura Benanti first played Supergirl's Mom in season 1, I looked up her eye colour too and got equally mixed results. Some sites say she has grey eyes, others say she has green eyes, and yet others say she has light brown eyes. Throwing my hands up in frustration at this point, I decided to go with green eyes, given that was common to both actresses. It's probably wrong, but at this point, I really don't care. :P
Yes, I know in the show Kara specifically asked Mon-El to come with her to Argo City rather than Alex (which in my opinion would have made more sense given how close they are) for whatever the reason(s), for the purposes of this drabble, let's just say Alex wasn't able to actually go to Argo City with Kara for some reason, and hence why Mon-El went with her instead.
Regarding Kara's reaction to Alex crying when she woke up, for those of you confused why she got all protective over her sister against her mother, it's simple really. Even though Kara was excited and so happy to learn and be reunited with her mother after all this time, things change, people change. And hence Kara's admittance in the show at the end of season 3 that Earth was her home, that she was no longer Kara Zor-El but Kara Danvers and Supergirl. Because of the time apart, she's not close to her mother anymore, doesn't know her so well anymore, and hence why she got all defensive when she found Alex crying. Like Alura said, the bond between Alex and Kara is so strong and beautiful.