Listen, I am fully aware that the scene between Kara and Sam is ninety-five percent inaccurate. Forgive me.
There's a bit of a time jump though. Like a week.
"I take it this is why you and I had to change the decorations at two o'clock in the morning?"
Kara smiled sheepishly at Sam and said, "I decided to wear another suit instead of the one I got with Jack. That suit I'll be wearing at the LGBTQ+ gala Lena is throwing next week. I figured that one was better for the general masses."
"And this is the one you plan on killing your wife with?" Sam drawled. "Because Lena is going to be unbearable at the ceremony when she sees you."
"That's my plan," Kara said, winking.
"Gross. That's still my best friend, and my child will be in attendance."
"Ruby will be too busy flirting with Raven and Jinx to care about Lena and me," Kara teased.
Sam groaned and said, "So I'm not the only one who noticed. Rao, this is – she's too young to date."
"Rao?"
"Shut up, it won't happen again. I've just spent entirely too much time with you this weekend."
Kara grinned and brushed the remaining lint off her sleeves. "Whatever. I thought you'd be more upset about the idea of her wanting two girlfriends instead of one," she said.
"What? No, I don't care about that. As long as she's happy, I'm happy. But this is too soon."
"She's not a baby, Sam."
"Yes, she is."
"At some point, you're going to have to let her date."
"Blasphemy."
"Come on, you can't tell me that this hasn't been in the works for weeks. The drama just overshadowed it a bit."
Sam leaned against the wall and sighed.
"I mean, yes, I picked up on it whenever I would come here and sit with them for a little. I asked her how she felt about them, and she stammered her way through an excuse before running away."
"That's not too surprising. It's one thing to realize you have a crush on one person, but two?" Kara whistled and put on her cufflinks. "That's overwhelming. You have to give her time to figure it out. For all we know, this is a passing attraction."
"Maybe. But when I think about it, it could be worse."
"Raven and Jinx are best-case scenarios when you think about it."
"I don't want to think about it."
Kara inclined her head and looked at herself in the mirror. Going back to her original choice of a blue suit with gold and red accents at the last minute was either going to blow up in her face or be the best decision she made and thankfully, Jack was there again to point her in the right direction. It was similar to the initial one but less gaudy. At least, from the ankles up that was the case. Her shoes were gold, and that was something Jack insisted on when they were out shopping. But she kept thinking about how this wedding was the start of something new with her and Lena. Their fifth year was the beginning of their forever without Lex or Lillian, even Clark, making their lives hell.
They were free.
Kara wanted the wedding to represent that. So she called Sam while her suit was being altered and had the entire house redecorated in a beach core aesthetic. Or whatever Sam said when Kara explained what she wanted. The house looked incredible, and Kara knew she made the right choice when she saw it that morning. Little lanterns paved the way toward the beach for the ceremony, and the weather was perfect. Kara didn't want to jinx it, but it was looking like everything was going to plan. She was marrying the love of her life in front of their entire family and friends. Kara didn't know her hands were shaking until Sam grabbed them, and Kara released a shuddering breath.
"Nervous?" Sam asked.
"I think so."
"Why? You've done this before."
"Yes, but this is different."
"That's true. Last time, we didn't have Lena nagging everyone about the location of the wedding until Lucifer of all people distracted her with a chance to see Lex in Hell."
A small part of Kara wanted to ask if Sam was joking but knowing how close Lena and Lucifer had gotten over the last week, she knew there was a strong possibility Lucifer did that. She would've been concerned about her soon-to-be-wife again making friends with the actual Devil, but Lena grew up with Lex, Lillian, and Lionel as influences. Being BFFs with Satan seemed like the next step anyway. Kara shook her head as that thought settled in her mind, and she smiled when Sam started smoothing out the invisible wrinkles and making sure Kara looked more put together than she felt.
"It feels like I'm marrying Lena for the first time," Kara said softly. "Is that weird?"
"No, I don't think so. The first wedding was kind of small, private. You two were missing a lot of pieces to make the wedding truly special. But now, you have a lot of people coming out here to celebrate you. And you have no Lillian or Lex coming to stop it."
"Gosh, I – Sam, I love her so much. I would marry her every day for the rest of my life if I could."
"Were you this sappy the first time?"
"You weren't in my room the first time," Kara said, smiling. "You were helping Jack hide the whisky from Lena, remember?"
"I have never seen a human being drink so much in so little time," Sam said, shivering.
"Yeah, I should be worried about her drinking habits, but for some strange reason, her liver is practically perfect."
"Oh, she hasn't told you?"
"Told me what?"
Sam snorted and said, "Your wife mixes water with her liquor. Half of the bottle goes down the drain, and the rest is water. You never notice because she does it as soon as she leaves the store."
"When did she start doing that?"
"The day after you proposed. She told me her life had more meaning." Sam came up behind Kara and placed her hands on her shoulders. Sam's all-black suit made her seem foreboding in comparison to Kara. It matched their dynamic. "Listen, I know Lena came first by technicality. But you are my sister. I would not be here without you, and to see how much you love my best friend is incredible. If you married her every day for the rest of your life, I would gladly stand by your side every time."
Kara's eyes watered, and she turned and kissed the side of Sam's head.
"I love you, Sam. I…" Kara chewed on her lip and stepped away from Sam, going to her dresser. "I was planning on doing this later, but I think I want to do it now. You have always been a Child of Juru, and that comes with so much baggage. And I – you are my family. You mean so much to me and my journey as not only a Kryptonian but as a person. So I asked Winn for a little favor. He owed me after what happened with Clark and James."
Kara removed a box from her dresser, the outside made of lead so Sam couldn't see inside, and she opened it. Sam walked over to her side and glanced over her shoulder to see a gift-wrapped package.
"What is that?" she asked.
Kara took out the package and handed it to Sam, a nervous grin on her face.
"Open it."
Sam arched an eyebrow and placed the package on the bed. She was methodical in her unwrapping, something Lena and Jack teased her about relentlessly, and her hands faltered when she saw what was inside.
"K-Kara, what –
"Look, hear me out. I'm not doing this because of what happened with Clark. This was always in the works. I just couldn't figure out the best time to bring it up, and then everything else happened, so my plans got pushed to the side. But I figured before I went on the honeymoon with Lena, I should do this. I was going to do it after the ceremony, but that's weird, right? So I'm going to do it now." Kara cleared her throat to stop her rambling from getting worse and reached back inside of the lead-lined box. She removed a second item, and Sam's eyes widened. "I, um, I had Winn make this for you as well. You are not like me, but I want – I want you to be in my family's House so that you and Ruby can have that legacy, even long after we're gone. I know Reign is part of you, but I know her past follows and weighs on you. And since today is a day of freedom, of new starts, I figured you should have one as well."
Kara handed Sam the cape, a much darker red than Kara's but a massive change from the deep purple Sam usually wore, and she clasped her hands in front of her.
"Samantha Arias, with Rao's blessing, I formally invite you into the House of El with no stipulations, no ulterior motive, and no requirements. You have more than shown you are worthy to wear this crest, this symbol, and I can think of no one better than to share this legacy with. Do you accept this invitation?"
Sam nodded quickly, tears streaming down her cheeks, and Kara smiled.
"You have to give me a verbal confirmation," she said.
"O-oh. Um, yes, I accept," Sam choked out, wiping at her face.
"Then it is an honor to welcome you, Samantha Kar-El."
Sam put down the cape and crashed into Kara, hugging her with her full strength. Kara grunted a little but hugged her back equally as tight. Sam's body shook with silent sobs, and Kara knew then that she made the right choice. Sam pulled back and took the new suit out of the package. While the suit was still black, no longer did Sam have the Children of Juru in the middle. The House of El crest rested proudly in the center in bold, red stitching, and Sam held it close.
"Can I – can I put this on under my suit so I can show everyone later?" she asked.
"Duh, I have mine on too," Kara said, laughing. "I was thinking we could show them off together."
"You have a new suit?"
"Technically, it's the same one. I just added a little something extra."
"Is it going to make Lena cry?"
"Absolutely."
"Fucking fantastic. Wow, I can't – this is insane!"
"Was it weird?"
"No, I knew what it represented. What it meant."
"You and Ruby are my family now. Officially, and all that I have is yours."
"It sounds like you're marrying me now."
Kara rolled her eyes and grabbed her jacket.
"I can't help that the vows sound so similar," she said.
Sam motioned for Kara to turn around, and Kara did so. There was the sound of rustling clothes before Sam tapped Kara on the shoulder. Kara turned back around, and Sam was redoing her shirt with the suit underneath.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you that Raven formally resigned from the Teen Titans yesterday," she said.
"Good. That will help move things along at the DEO with J'onn."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Of course. Raven still wants to help people, and Jinx is too good to be sitting at home. And I think Lena will feel a lot better with them being in National City instead of Jump."
"When did Lena adopt Raven and Jinx?"
"I don't know. I don't even think she knows."
"Figures." Sam finished getting redressed and cleared her throat. "Did Bruce tell you that the Justice League accepted Clark's decision to leave?" she asked.
"What Clark does is no longer my business," Kara said sharply. She picked up the box with Lena's new bracelet and added, "And no, before you ask, I have not spoken to him, Lois, or James. I'm afraid that if I do, I'm going to want to finish the job."
"Meaning?"
"I let Clark off easily," Kara said, her voice turning cold. "I had every right to break his bones and remove his spine from his body for what he did."
Sam blinked at her and said, "And you say I have anger issues."
"You do," Kara scoffed.
"Whatever. Are you ready to fly over again before Lena gets here?"
"Yes, please. I need everything perfect, and I don't trust Jack, Lucifer, and Alex around the bar."
"Considering Alex was eyeing that very expensive bottle of scotch locked in the cabinet, I think maybe that ship has already sailed."
Kara groaned and left the room with Sam right behind her.
Lena munched on apple slices while Diana braided her hair. She was still at her penthouse, and she still had no idea where they were going. Everyone else knew where the wedding was except her, and Lena was trying not to be a brat about it. The main reason Lena didn't pitch a bigger fit was because of the context. She was getting married to the woman of her dreams. Even though they were technically already married, this one felt special. She was doing it as Lena Wayne, not Lena Luthor, and it would be an even greater experience to have Bruce walk her down the aisle as her actual father. Lena tilted her head at Diana's gentle prodding, and she looked into the mirror. Raven, Ruby, and Jinx sat on the couch behind her, talking in hushed whispers, and Lena couldn't help but smile at her niece and unofficial daughters. They all wore red dresses, and for once, Raven had her hair up and out of her face. Jinx's ponytails were gone, revealing her long hair that rested almost mid-back, and Ruby choose a half-up, half-down style that Lena adored. They looked so cute, and she was proud to have them as her bridesmaids.
Getting married the second time felt a lot like getting married for the first time. She and Kara hadn't seen each other in almost three days, and Lena took full advantage. She changed her dress at the very last minute, taking a quick trip to Miami to see a designer that could make what she wanted in less than twenty-four hours. She also got a very large, very impulsive tattoo, blaming the entire thing on Jack, and it covered the entire top half of her back. She admittedly used some of Lex's research, some of Kara's past stories, and a secret trip to Kara's childhood bedroom to make it happen, but it came out perfect. To top it off, Lena may or may not have spent nearly ten hours in a private lab working on Kara's new bracelet that doubled as a spare suit in case she solar-flared in battle. It would protect her long enough for Alex or J'onn, or anyone for that matter, to get her out of harm's way. Lena was exhausted mentally and physically, but her heart was soaring. Diana finished with a flourish, sliding a plumeria into Lena's top braid, and she held up her finger to keep Lena from moving. Diana went over to her bag and removed a box. She came back over and opened the box, taking out –
"Diana –
"Hush, child." Diana put the gold band around her throat, a blueish-green gem in the middle. "Several decades ago, I went to Madagascar to help rescue miners from unsafe working conditions. While I was there, one of them blessed me with this. It's called grandidierite, and it is extremely rare to find. I created the necklace to wear on days I needed immutable strength. But over the last four years, there has been no truer show of strength than what you have shown. You, Lena Wayne, are the strongest woman that I know. And you are as rare as this gem and as beautiful, and I swear to you this day that no matter what happens in the future, I will always be by your side. You have me in your corner always, Lena, and this is necklace is my promise to you on this day of new beginnings."
Lena's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, and Raven made a face in the background.
"I'm very glad we didn't do her makeup yet."
"Why?" Ruby asked.
Lena suddenly burst into tears, and Ruby grimaced.
"Never mind," she added.
Diana bent down and wrapped her arms around Lena as she cried, and Raven sighed.
"This is going to be a long, long ceremony."