When Kara and Lena return to the house, they find Eliza in the kitchen. Eliza notices at once how reinvigorated both girls look. Their eyes are bright and their cheeks aglow.
"Did you go outside?", she asks.
"We went for a walk," Kara quickly responds.
Realizing the mention of flying is probably a no-go, Lena simply adds, "It's beautiful around here."
Eliza nods and gives her a smile.
The three women have a late lunch. After lunch Lena announces she needs to do some work. Eliza offers her the use of the landline in the living room for any calls she may need to make. Kara decides to use this time to check up on a few leads for a story she's working on. As Kara heads upstairs to her bedroom, she overhears Lena on the phone ordering her plane to be flown to the airport closest to Midvale as soon as possible.
Knowing their time away would have to end eventually, Kara can't help but feel disappointed and concerned. When they left National City, their friendship had seemed in tatters. For weeks, Lena had been processing Lex's devastating revelation on her own. From what Kara can piece together, Lena took the betrayal exactly the way Kara had expected and feared she would. Kara had known that if Lena ever were to find out that Kara had kept this secret from her, she would understand it as confirmation of the two things she had come to fear and believe in equal measure: that ultimately no one was to be trusted and that deep down she was bad.
Lena had told Kara that if it weren't for her friendship and integrity, Lena wouldn't be able to trust anyone ever again. Finding out Kara had lied to her now left Lena with no one.
Kara also knows Lena would see the betrayal as proof that Kara didn't trust her and never had. Despite what she might say, Kara had ultimately considered it too dangerous to let a Luthor in on the secret that she was Supergirl.
Kara knows how much Lena had struggled with wanting to be good, trying to believe she was good. Deep down, Lena feared the Luthor evil also resided in her. She had wanted to be different from her mother and brother, but deep down she wasn't entirely convinced she was.
Kara thinks back to the time Morgan Edge had poisoned the water in National City's swimming pools. He had blamed Lena for making the city's children sick. To Kara it had seemed so clear there was more to the story. She had still been investigating it, fighting to uncover the truth, when she realized Lena had already given up. She had simply accepted that she was at fault, that she had made the children sick. Faced with the possibility that she might be responsible for poisoning children, she had put up her hands and simply believed it. There was the confirmation of what she had suspected all along: she was bad, not matter how hard she tried to be good.
Being here in Midvale together had given Kara a chance to challenge the dark narrative Lena had constructed in her mind. It had allowed Lena to hear Kara say unequivocally that keeping the secret had nothing to do with her not trusting Lena, that Kara believed Lena to be good. The tears in Lena's eyes had shown Kara that at least in that moment Lena had believed her. Being here had also allowed Kara to show Lena how sorry she was and to let Lena know she had deserved better.
Kara worries that once they're back in National City, the dark voices in Lena's head will grow louder again, drowning out the memories of the things she had heard Kara say here in Midvale. Kara worries that Lena will lose herself in her work, cutting herself off from the people who care about her. Kara worries that without her there to remind Lena that she is good, that Kara does trust her and that she can trust Kara, Lena will grow less and less sure of all of these things.
When Kara returns downstairs several hours later, she finds Eliza and Lena in the kitchen together, laying a first hand at dinner. Kara grabs a cutting board and, trying to sound light-hearted, asks Lena, "What time are you leaving?"
"After dinner. I asked them to send my plane. It's just landed."
Kara nods.
"What are we making?", she asks.
Eliza points at a cookbook on the table. Kara walks over to have a look. As Kara leans over to read the recipe, Eliza catches Lena watching her. As they continue to prepare dinner, Eliza notices that any time Kara isn't looking in Lena's direction, Lena is observing her, like a scientist studying a test subject. Lena watches the way Kara moves around the kitchen, the way she asks Eliza a question, the way she frowns as she rereads the recipe. Lena's eyes follow her as she washes the radishes, cuts an onion, opens the fridge, uncorks a bottle of wine. Eliza wonders what it is. Is Lena trying to see whether she can discern the kryptonian in Kara? Is she trying to see whether the truth about Kara's secret identity was hiding in plain sight the whole time?
During dinner, Lena asks Eliza about her research. Eliza gives a short description of the project she's currently working on. When Lena seems genuinely interested, however, she allows herself to be drawn into a more lengthy discussion of her most recent work. When she discovers Lena is very much able to follow along with the more intricate and complex parts of her research, she even ventures into some of the obstacles and problems she and her collaborators have run into over the course of the past few weeks. Lena asks some great questions, allowing Eliza to think of at least one way out of a specific problem they've been having. Feeling all excited about returning to her research the next day, Eliza casts a quick glance at Kara to make sure they're not boring her with their science talk. But Kara doesn't seem to mind at all. She's leaning back in her chair, slowly sipping her wine, apparently quite happy to watch Eliza and Lena bond over their shared love of science.
When it's time for dessert, Eliza takes a carton of ice cream from the freezer while Kara grabs some bowls and spoons. Once again Eliza catches Lena watching Kara. When the two women return to the table, Lena casts a quick glance at Kara and then turns her attention to Eliza. "Could I ask you something?", she says.
"Of course," Eliza answers, wondering what's to come.
"What was it like when Kara first came to earth? When she came to live with you?"
Eliza quickly looks at Kara to see whether it's okay for her to talk about this. When she sees no objection on her face, she thinks for a moment and then says, "To be honest it wasn't easy. Kara was only 13 and desperately missed her family back home on Krypton. Everything was so new on this planet. And Alex found it really difficult when she came to live with us."
Lena looks surprised. "Really?"
Kara laughs. "Oh yes, she hated it."
"I remember worrying about her a lot," Eliza continues. "She seemed so lonely those first years. She found it difficult to fit in."
Kara can feel Lena's eyes on her.
Giving Kara a look full of maternal love, Eliza adds, "But from the very beginning she was also the most extraordinary person. So brave and kind-hearted and open to this new planet and this new life."
Kara looks at Lena. Discovering a great deal of sympathy and tenderness in her eyes, she thinks, Perhaps we'll be alright.
After dinner, Eliza announces she's tired and will go to bed early. She says goodbye to Lena, giving her a big hug and telling her to come to Midvale any time she feels in need of a break.
Lena asks Kara to call her a taxi, so she can make her way to the airport.
"They'll be here in 15 minutes," Kara says when she hangs up a few minutes later.
"Thanks. I'll send back these shoes in the next few days."
"There's no rush; take your time," Kara says.
Realizing their time here is running out, Kara wishes she could say something that will make sure Lena doesn't start doubting Kara or their friendship once she's back in National City. She takes a few steps closer to Lena. Desperately trying to find the right words, she suddenly hears Lena say, "Kara?"
"Yes."
Lena hesitates for a moment and then says, "At the end of your conversation with Eliza this morning …."
Kara's heart starts to race. She did not expect this.
"I know I shouldn't have been listening, but …," Lena continues.
Kara interrupts her. "Can we just not talk about it," she says quickly, pleadingly, hoping Lena will simply accept that. The last thing they need with everything that's been going on is more complications.
Lena looks at her intently for a moment.
"Did you mean ….," she says.
Kara starts to panic; Lena clearly isn't about to drop the subject.
"Listen," she says as she interrupts Lena again. "It really isn't something we have to talk about. It's not something you have to worry about. I don't even really know what it is. It's probably nothing. I try not to think about it …."
Kara frowns. She can't tell whether she just made things better or worse.
She gives Lena a look that says, Please let's not turn this into a big deal.
Then all of a sudden, and as unexpectedly as when Lena let herself fall off the L Corp building, Lena moves forward and presses her lips against Kara's. Kara closes her eyes in a state of shock. Before she even has a chance to respond or realize what's going on, Lena has pulled away again. Kara stares at her, eyes wide open. She scans Lena's face, looking for clues to tell her what on earth just happened. Lena seems calm, unperturbed. Her eyes are dark.
Kara casts a quick glance at Lena's lips, the lips that just kissed her. When she looks up again, Lena looks into her eyes. Lena slowly puts a hand to the side of Kara's face, leans in and kisses her again. Kara's heart starts to beat faster. This time Lena leaves her lips there for what seems to Kara a heavenly eternity. When Lena finally draws back, Kara immediately seeks out her lips again. Feeling she may lose her balance, Kara grabs hold of Lena's arm. The next time their lips touch, Kara feels Lena's tongue move softly against her upper lip. A shiver runs down her spine. Kara opens her mouth. The tip of Lena's tongue gently touches hers. Kara feels her knees go weak. She holds on to Lena's arm more firmly. She opens her mouth further, seeking out Lena's tongue with her own. Their kisses are long and soft and deep. Kara feels Lena put a hand behind her head; their kisses become even deeper. Kara hears a moan escape Lena's lips. She puts her hands on Lena's lower back and draws Lena's body against her own. Their kisses become more and more passionate; Kara feels herself getting wet.
Suddenly Kara hears a car honk in the distance. As in a daze she pulls away. Both of them are slightly out of breath.
"The taxi," Kara says breathlessly.
It seems to take Lena a second to figure out what Kara is talking about.
"Oh, right."
Lena looks around her and, realizing she didn't bring anything, says, "Okay. I'll see you in National City then."
Kara grabs hold of Lena's hand. Surely they can't just leave it like this. "Wait," she says.
Lena looks at her. Kara doesn't know what to say. Slowly Lena withdraws her hand from Kara's. She gently kisses her one last time, opens the door and leaves the house.
