The following morning Lena woke up before Kara did, and after seeing that Charlie was still asleep, she used her free time to shower and get dressed. Once done with that she left the door open enough that she could hear Charlie, but she knew Kara would pick the child up long before she had time to come upstairs. Once she was downstairs, she realized she could smell food cooking and while she knew she was hungry, whatever Eliza was cooking, Lena realized quickly that her baby did not like it. Once got to the bottom of the steps she mumbled good morning and quickly made her way outside to sit down on one of the deck chairs. Once she got a few deep breaths in, she felt much better and decided to return to the house, where Eliza had covered the pan with a lid and switched the stove fan on to clear the smell.

"Honey I am so sorry. I totally forgot how sensitive pregnant women can be to certain smells. I can toss this if it's too much." Lena waved her off, "none of us will know what makes me nauseous until it is too late, so no need to be sorry."

Eliza placed some tea in front of Lena and smiled, "still, I remember that part of being pregnant with Alex all too well. So, if something is off putting just tell me ok. Can't have my grandbaby causing his mother distress before he is even born."

"I see Kara has convinced at least one other person that it's a boy." Lena smiled into her tea and Eliza shrugged. "I win either way Lena. Boy or girl, I get someone to spoil." Lena knew that much was true: her children were far more likely to be spoiled rotten by Alex, Kelly and Eliza than they were to be by the wealth she has from her family name. She was pulled by these musings with Alex coming back in the house with Eliza in her arms, having clearly taken the dog outside to let her go potty before putting her back in the crate they had set up for her to sleep in.

"Thanks for taking her out Alex. Kara would've come down and done it and I would've done it, but I would've had three people yell at me for lifting her."

"Damn right. You are carrying precious cargo kid so just leave picking up our four-legged hero for now." Alex got the dog settled and went over to Lena and handed the CEO her cell. "Not to throw this shit at you first thing, but my people have name alerts out there so that news stories with your or Kara's name immediately get sent to me so we can see if there are any new threats coming down. I guess the media got a whiff of Edge dying." Lena scrolled through the stories on Alex's phone, and she wished she was surprised, but after all these years she knew better. Her name always pulls a story and this…well this was a story.

"My law team is already halfway up everyone's ass Alex, what happened, what had to happened, was self-defense and no judge on this planet would think of saying differently. Besides, I know Edge's widow personally and let's just say that she hung in there because she had to, she won't be looking for a handout or a person to punish. Hell, she might throw you a parade. Morgan Edge treated his horses and dogs better than he did his wife. This will die down and no court would dare touch it."

"What about the court of public opinion?" Lena handed Alex her phone and shrugged, "what about it? Alex, you forget, I grew up with Lex's breakdown and fall from grace being front page news. I have zero faith in the court of public opinion because to them trouble always finds a Luthor. Kara on the other hand will not take kindly to this." No sooner had Lena said Kara's name, than the hero was walking down the stairs, Charlie half asleep in her arms, but fully dressed in a business suit. The look on Kara's face told both Lena and Alex that Kara had indeed seen the new articles this morning and she was less than pleased with their tone. Kara handed Charlie over to Lena, kissed the toddler on her head gently only to then quickly kiss Lena hard on the lips.

"I love you." Kara pulled away from Lena and headed for the door and Alex snapped out of her daze caused by the whirlwind of movement fast enough to stop her sister.

"Where are you going?"

"You know where I'm going."

"Kara, how do you plan on getting anywhere without your suit on. Besides whatever you are pulling can't be done in the suit, so how is Kara Danvers going to get to National City?" Kara heard her answer and pointed outside and down the road where there was a large clearly: a field that held no real purpose outside of being a Christmas tree lot in the winter. Alex looked past her sister's fingers just in time to see a CatCo helicopter land.

"I'm not pulling anything. And to answer your question: I called in a favor." Kara didn't wait for a response from Alex and was out the front door before her sister could truly process what she was even looking at. Alex looked back to Lena who seemed weirdly calm and not even remotely phased by Kara's behavior.

Lena shrugged her shoulders as she got Charlie settled in her highchair, "she called in a favor." Alex had so many question, not the least of which was what the hell was her sister planning on doing, but she realized if Lena wasn't scared, it meant she trusted Kara to handle this, which of course meant that Alex needed to have that same faith in her sister.

Back in National City, the helicopter Kara was on touched down on CatCo's roof about 30 minutes after it left her childhood home. Kara had to remind herself not to tear the door off its metal frame as she opened it, because the ride did nothing to calm her anger at the situation. Kara thanked the pilot and all but ran down the roof access stairs, making a mad dash for the elevator. When she hit the ground floor and began to head toward the doors, through which she could already see the press gather. She was only stopped when she heard a familiar voice.

"I trust the flight was to your liking." Cat stood off to the side, near one of the security desks, wearing a knowing smirk. Kara nodded.

"Thank you for sending it. Now if you'll excuse me." Cat stood there shocked to say the least: Kara never, in her whole career with Cat was ever that short with her when in her right mind. And in that moment, Cat Grant realized exactly how screwed the members of National City's media were now that they dared to question how Lena Luthor managed to not die at the hands of her enemies. Cat managed to catch up with Kara just about the time she neared the podium that Cat had ordered to be set up for this impromptu press conference. Cat stood behind Kara a few feet and she watched her former assistant step up to the podium looking angrier than she had ever seen her and for once in her life, Cat Grant had no idea what she had agreed to when she took Kara's phone call, but she was very glad to have ring side seats.

Back at home, Alex pulled up the news because her people caught wind of it before anyone else did. Alex, for the life of her, could not understand why Lena was still so calm when Kara had quite literally stormed out of the house to apparently start a fight with the press of NC.

"Aren't you worried about whatever she is about to do?" Lena smiled as she finished cleaning up Charlie's highchair and letting the toddler go play outside in her sandbox that Eliza bought on an impulsive grandma shopping trip.

"Why would I be worried? Because she is mad? I'm mad, but I can't show that level of anger because it is too much stress and bad for the baby. But you know what Alex, I am mad. I am madder than I ever remember being in my life because he came after me and when he didn't get what he wanted, he went after my kid and I couldn't do anything Alex. Not a god damn thing. My dog saved Charlie and you saved me and by extension, this baby. I'm pissed, but I can't go raising hell because I am a Luthor. You know who can raise hell and get away with it? Kara. So, I am not worried at all. I don't know what she is going to say, but if I am honest: her running downstairs in a suit and speeding off to tell the press to fuck off is so insanely attractive to me. She isn't going to say anything unkind Alex, but someone came after her family and for the first time, they almost got away with taking everyone away from her, so if anything, this is the healthiest way for her to handle this." Alex settled a little, because Lena was right and it was best for everyone to just sit back and watch whatever was about to happen unfold.

As Alex turned the volume up, Kara had gotten settled at the podium and was met with a sea of voices yelling questions and all Kara did was hold her hand up swiftly and all the noise stopped.

"Thank you for coming out here this morning, but let me start by making something very clear to you all. This is not a Q&A, this is a press conference where you all will be silent and listen to me, because I have had to listen to you all for the last 24 years and now it's my turn: the difference being that I have the truth and you all have something very different from the truth. By now you have no doubt all heard about Mr. Edge's death. You all seem to think that my wife planned this or that she made sure that the situation ended in blood shed. Let me fix that narrative for you all: Mr. Edge chose violence, not my wife. Mr. Edge illegally gained access to my wife's office: the office in which our daughter was with her. He had many opportunities to leave alive and unharmed: he chose violence. In the video you all have edited to death, Lena offers to give him what he wants, technology of her own, so long as he leaves our daughter alone. Here again, Mr. Edge chose violence. This man, if you can call him that raised a gun at my toddler. HE CHOSE VIOLENCE! The fact that my daughter and my wife are alive today is a testament to how protective my dog is and how deadly of a shot my sister is and if that does not bother you all then you have bigger problems than breaking news." Kara took a breath to try and calm herself and it didn't really work, but it was a good faith effort.

"I did not call you all here to defend my wife or my sister, because neither need it. My sister did her duty as a federal agent and my wife did the bravest thing a mother can do: she protected her child, our child, even when it meant that she faced a most certain death. No, I came here today to issue a warning to everyone standing here, everyone streaming this at home and honestly anyone else who will listen. I will say this once and you all would do well to listen. If you come for my family, in the press, in real life, any of it, I will make certain that every moment of your life afterwards is miserable. If you come for my family, you will not know peace. I don't say this as a threat of violence because there has been enough. But I will make sure that if you come for my family, you will find out if Kara Danvers really does have a dark side. I assure you all, I have one. I have one because I have lost so much. I lost my whole world when my parents died and I swore that never again would my family suffer so long as I could stop it. This is me stopping it. This is me encouraging all of you to consider exactly what your choices are. You can do as I have said and leave my family alone and life goes on as it is now, nothing needs to change except maybe, we all treat each other with more kindness. Or you can keep painting my wife as a villain, trying to kidnap and murder her, all these things would be ill advised because unlike when my parents died, I am not a child anymore. I am all grown up and I am so sick of being afraid for my family. I won't do it anymore."

"My wife is more than capable of defending herself, but my daughter is not. So let's start there shall we: if you come after my child, you will learn quickly that the real monster you don't want knocking at your door is me. So, write articles about me, Lena, our work and feel free to use you free speech to criticize us. I could care less, and it is your right to do so. But remember freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequence. My family life is not for public consumption. Lena and I signed up for public life: our child, our family didn't so you would do well to remember that. If you want a story that badly, call our offices. If you want an interview, call CatCo and set it up. If, however, you want a fight, just know that the person you will be battling is me and I will show no mercy toward anyone else who threatens my family. So write this however it needs to be written, but so help me God if you misquote me: the war between the Luthors' and Supers is over so Lena Luthor and her children are off fucking limits."

Kara was somehow not breaking the podium in front of her with her anger as she gripped the sides, but everyone in front of her could see that the normally soft and sunny reporter was dead serious and there was no room for misunderstanding. Kara composed herself and straightened her suit, fully intending to turn on her heel and leave and quickly as she came when one very stupid reporter decided the no questions rule didn't apply to him.

"What about you Ms. Danvers? Are you also off limits?" At home Lena and Alex both assumed they were about to watch Kara murder the reporter and if Kara was pressed to comment on that moment, they likely were not wrong. However, Kara was pulled back from the mic, Cat never letting the grip she had on Kara's blazer go and the media mogul fired back, "fuck around and find out Mr. Turner. Conference over, now get off my property before I have you all fined." Cat gave Kara no time to recover her voice or her footing and instead, walked the hero back into the building: the whole time never letting go of her blazer, knowing full well that it was her only true grip on the hero since any attempt to physically best Kara would not end well for a human. Once inside the elevator Cat finally let go of Kara's blazer and let the other woman move away from her.

"I could have handled him myself."

"Not and still been the good guy in this story Kara. That speech, while slightly out of character for you made sense as a wife and mother who is protecting their family. If you had gone after Turner you become the bad guy. And then how would you live with yourself huh? How could you be the hero of National City and when you go home at night you are the good reporter gone bad?"

"I would have figured it out."

"Yeah, well now you don't have to. So go home and know that you did exactly the right thing. Sticking up for your family doesn't make you a bad person Kara. Wanting to throw hands with those people bad mouthing Lena doesn't either. It means you love her, and I imagine on every planet people fight for the people they love." Kara nodded, but still seemed stuck in her anger and Cat had precious little to offer her to soothe that.

"Kara. Go home. Spend time with you family and try to put this behind you."

"I can't. He came after my family! My wife, MY KIDS and people still want to stand around and wonder if her being a Luthor is why Edge is dead. How am I supposed to put this behind me when he was willing to take them all away from me for a piece of technology?" Cat let Kara storm off the elevator when the doors opened and she followed her at a distance, not entirely sure how to support the younger woman whom she had never seen this worked up before.

"Kara I didn't mean to suggest that you should forget this happened, but the whole media thing is something that Lena had dealt with her whole life and it will take time for that to die down, but I promise that literally no one who is a real journalist cares about this story. It will go away and after that little speech I don't think many people in media will try to tango with you or Lena." Kara started to realize all the things she had said and she wanted to feel guilty, but she didn't and even Cat could see that internal struggle.

"Kara. You aren't a bad person or a monster or whatever you are thinking. You protected what is yours and that's ok. If someone came for my kids I would murder them with my bare hands so you showed incredible restraint. I know this has happened before, but you know what's different this time? It isn't just you and Lena against the world anymore. You are a mother now Kara and that changes people. For what it is worth: to the rest of the world, your response is very normal for a mom. Someone threatened your toddler, and I am guessing from your behavior your pregnant wife, and you want people to leave them alone. Any good parent out there wants the same for their kids Kara. You putting your foot down may have felt foreign to you, but you nailed it." Kara looked up at Cat and even with all her anger at the situation, even she couldn't hide that she was still over the moon about the new baby.

"You gotta keep that last bit off the record until Lena announces it." Cat rolled her eyes and waved Kara's comment off. "Oh please, I knew it would happen soon after I stopped by your penthouse and saw the prenatal vitamins remember. So, spare me the secret keeping when you still use glasses and a ponytail." Kara smiled for the first time all morning and followed Cat back to the part of the roof where the same team that got her to NC was waiting to take her back home. The team began getting the helicopter ready while Cat and Kara said goodbye.

"Thank you. For stopping me from doing something I would regret when that one guy asked me if I am off limits." Cat shrugged her shoulders, "I simply answered his question: you are off limits, because I said so. Now please go home and tell your wife to take you shopping for a suit that actually fits you. Offer her my congratulations about the baby if you wish and for the love of God, try not to name it after me." Kara smiled as she nodded her head, knowing that this was how Cat showed love without being too vulnerable. The flight back home was less anxiety fueled for Kara and she felt slightly calmer. By the time she was walking up the driveway of Eliza's house she felt more like her usual self which made her feel better about going inside to be greeted by her family. When she walked through the door, she saw Lena sitting on the couch reading, Elsa's head in her lap, but no Charlie.

"She fell asleep, so your sister took her upstairs for a nap and is laying down with her on our bed. Eliza went to the store not long ago to get things for dinner." Kara nodded as she slid her blazer off her shoulder and just let it fall on the floor. She took her seat next to Lena and let her hand grip Lena's leg gently.

"So…you called in a favor. A Cat Grant favor no less. Want to talk about it?"

"Not really. I just…I couldn't stand by this time I watch things die down. I meant what I said Lena: you and I are adults, and we are able to handle whatever comes our way, but our kids deserve to be kids. I don't want them to ever feel like you where your childhood is documented in the newspapers and I sure as hell don't want them to have my childhood either because never feeling like you belonged anywhere sucked." Lena nodded and put her hand over Kara's.

"Kara, I love how much you love our family and I will never get over how much you love me. But darling, even you, cannot protect our kids from everything. Their hearts will get broken, they will have bad days, sometimes they may even get hurt. This was different and you handled it better than I would have for sure. But Kara, you have to believe me on this: our kids will never know the pain you and I felt growing up. Ever. They will know pain and there is nothing we can do to stop that. Pain is a part of life, part of being human, or of living in human worlds. That being said, they won't ever, ever suffer the way we did. That we can protect them from." Kara nodded and leaned her head back against the couch and sighed, this time in a way that Lena could sense some deeper level of calm.

"Also, for what it is worth: all of this worked. Alex and I have been tracking the stories since you finished the conference, and the tide of public opinion has shifted, and a startling amount of mommy blogs have written op-eds about this whole things as a result. So, congratulations, you just became the patron saint of mama bears all over the country. And Cat's parting shot certainly spoke volumes about how much she cares for you and that did not go un-noticed either. She say anything before she sent you home?"

Kara laughed, tilting her head towards Lena, "she said, and I quote 'please go home and tell your wife to take you shopping for a suit that actually fits you. Offer her my congratulations about the baby if you wish and for the love of God, try not to name it after me.'. She guessed about the baby cuz I was yelling about it in the elevator, sorry." Lena waved it off.

"She likely would have learned about it soon enough; she is Cat Grant after all. Now before your mother gets home I am going to go check on Charlie, and maybe take a nap cuz your child is sucking all my energy from my body." Kara stood up and pulled Lena closer to her, supporting