An Elephant Appetite

It's finally time for the world to meet…

"Lyra-El Luthor-Danvers"

Lena says out loud the name of the baby girl she has in her arms and she has never looked so proud in her life. Over the years, she has introduced to the world wonderful creations, but none of them can compare with her best well-done work: her baby girl. Lyra is the personification of perfection in front of Lena's eyes. Maybe that's why it took them so long to choose the adequate name for her, nothing seemed to be worthy of her.

Lyra. A name chosen after a constellation and the ancient Greek mythology of Orpheus that Lena finds very fascinating. Both mothers fell in love with the name when they were looking for names inspired by the Intergalactic heritage that runs through her veins. Names like Estella, Leo, Alula were in the race, but they settled in with Lyra at the end.

A name with a musical connection, you could expect a future rock star on their hands but, the little girl is more of a kicker from day one. Lena still remembers like it was yesterday when little Lyra literally kicked her way into the world and fell into her arms. So, she's not surprised to see how her baby girl kicks everyone who tries to rip her away from Lena's arms.

"She's too attached to you…"

The CEO chuckles when Alex points out that at this pace, the little girl will never leave the nest. And, if Lena must be truly honest, she doesn't hate the idea of having her little angel under her wing till the end of times. But, Lena must always put Lyra's well-being first and as cozy as it's to have the baby for herself, she must let Lyra interact with the rest of the world. That's why, at last, they are formally introducing their baby girl to the entire family and close friends they've. All reunited to celebrate Lyra's 2nd month.

Wrapped up in their baby bubble, the new moms couldn't organize anything sooner. It's all too easy to forget the rest of the world when they've eyes only for little Lyra. But, as wonderful as it's to keep the baby girl only for themselves, they've to share their bliss with the rest of the family, especially with the eager grandmas who cannot wait another second to hold the baby girl for the first time. So eager that they're ready to fight for it, if they must.

"Get in line, Lilian! I was the first to arrive, so I can get to hold her before anyone else!"

"Dr. Eliza Danvers, I'll be the first one to hold the future keeper of the Luthor's legacy, as my last name comes before yours!"

"Oh, if that's how it works here on Earth, then me, Alura Zor-El should hold the baby first, since the 'El' of my family is attached to her name and comes before any last name"

"Mom, Mrs. Don't you see that she only wants to be in Lena's arms?"

"SHUT UP, ALEX!"

The three old women are getting into a heated argument that no one dares to stop, especially Alex, after getting shut up. Grandmas can be scary and little Lyra seems apprehensive to get closer to them. It's the first time for baby Lyra to meet so many people at once. Unable to really understand what is happening, Lyra hides her face and curls closer to Lena who wastes no time to reassure the baby that she shouldn't be afraid.

"Look, you're scaring the baby"

"SHUT UP, ALEX!"

Alex rolls her eyes and walks towards the bar, she's out of this conversation for good. And while all the attention is over the grandmothers, Lyra's attention is only towards the dear mother she adores. Lena's voice is a source of reassurance for Lyra, who can recognize her mother's voice from before she was even born. The baby Luthor hasn't yet mastered her super senses, but it's always Lena's presence the landmark when everything else gets very overwhelming. It's the same for Kara.

As the pregnancy progresses, Kara gets overwhelmed very easily. She's hyper-sensitive the big part of the time and the only thing that calms her, it's Lena. Lena's heartbeat, Lena's aroma, all turns around Lena in this house and some guests like Superman don't get the hang of it. How can he? When Clark has made no effort in knowing the person Kara has chosen as her soulmate. He should try to know Lena better, but Clark doesn't get it, how a Super & a Luthor ended together, linking their families forever like this.

He might never understand this liaison, but at least he has to let it be. After all, he has never seen Kara so happy, so in love. And, if there's someone who deserves all the happiness the world can offer, that's Kara. She waited a long time for this moment. For the day when she wouldn't feel alone anymore. For the day when she would feel happy, truly happy because she finally found her home, her place in this world. Lena and Lyra are her home, Kara knows that now, and her little belly that's getting bigger as time goes by, it just means her home is getting bigger. So wonderful her world has become and all is thanks to Lena. Just Lena makes everything better and that's why Kara decides to hug Lena too.

"Darling, are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, I just wanted to feel you closer. Lyra is not the only one who adores being in your arms, you know?"

Lena chuckles and blushes. She's still not used to all this affection, but it's very welcome. She wonders if the future baby will be the same. She might need to get an extra arm by then. Anyway, with one arm around Kara and the other holding their baby, Lena has her hands full and she doesn't complain. She's close enough to comfort her two Kryptonians. Lyra looks at her moms and she doesn't feel afraid anymore, she feels ready to face anything, starting with the imposing cake grandma Lillian brought for her.

"Mother, was it really necessary to bring a multi-layered cake?"

Lena looks at the pretentious cake. Looking a little scared that it might be too much for the occasion. Lena wanted to keep it simple, but of course, Lillian had to impose her will and make this reunion look fancy with all the exquisite food and expensive gifts she brought for the little girl. The cake was just the cherry on the top and Lena wanted to say no to the cake from the beginning but someone looked extremely happy about it: a pregnant Kara.

Her pregnancy hormones have increased her appetite to a level never seen before. She could eat an Elephant! So, this cake is not a real challenge for her, in a bit, she could finish it on her own and that's why she says…

"Lena, shh! This cake is perfect! Thank you, Lillian!"

Kara wastes no time and hugs Lillian. Everyone looks shocked, especially the old Luthor, who is not used to being hugged, especially for the alien she has tried to kill more than once. But, that's in the past now, at least for Kara, who looks so happy hugging Lillian. The baby observes the interaction and little Lyra dares to mirror Kara's actions when she opens her tiny arms towards a very stiff Lillian Luthor.

"It's not fair! I got here first!"

Eliza pouts while Lillian smirks, she won, she's going to be the 1st on holding little Lyra. She loves to win, but now she has no idea of what to do. She's not used to showing affection, especially in front of people. And yet, her stiff body, her cold heart melt the moment those tiny arms get open for her. Lillian grabs the baby close to her and she strongly believes that her heart is beating for the first time in her life.

Lyra watches her closely, her tiny fingers roam around the deep fold wrinkles in Lillian's face and by magic, her tender touch makes them soft again. Even a tiny smile starts to form on the rigid face of Lillian Luthor, maybe this baby is magic too. In any case, the baby is a Super and Lyra's incredible hearing isn't her only superpower she has at this young age. With her little hand outstretched, pressed above Lillian's heart. Lyra can feel the vibration of that heart that's starting to work for the first time in a long, very long time. The thump-thump sounds so low and powerful that it makes Lyra giggle. And, everyone gushes about it. They have never heard her giggle before.

"Awww, she's giggling. You made her giggle, Lillian! Alex, get it on video! Get it on video!"

"Okay, okay but, please stop hitting my arm like a crazy person!"

Alex cannot hold it against Eliza, Lyra is her first grandchild and like any new grandparent, the old Danvers is extremely excited about anything that's linked with the baby girl who's finally opening one of the gifts Lillian brought.

"Really, mother. Prada? You do know she cannot make the difference between designer clothes and departmental clothes, right?"

"Oh, please Lena. She's a Luthor. Of course she can tell the difference. Isn't that right, princess?"

The girl tilts her head to the side, she has no idea what they're talking about, but she chuckles since she's liking to be called princess and all the attention she's having towards her.

"And, I was worried, my mother was going to be the doting grandparent…"

Kara whispers into Lena's ear and the young Luthor chuckles. She really never thought Lillian could show any real affection towards her kid, but she couldn't be more wrong. The old Luthor is surprisingly tender with baby Lyra, a rare sight that might become something common for the years to come. It makes Lena happy, she would love to see more of this but…

"Okay, Lillian that's enough! It's my turn!"

Eliza calls time out, it's her turn to get the baby in her arms and what better way to catch Lyra's attention than shaking a bottle of formula in front of her eyes. Lyra dives straight in, almost flying her way into Eliza's arms as the bottle of milk was more than enough to whet her appetite. The baby wasted no time to suckle and get a taste of her first mouthful of milk for the day.

"Why I'm not surprised that the first thing in her mind is food?"

Alex mumbles to herself and when she turns around, looking for her baby sister, she laughs when she finds Kara, diving into the cake already. Really, mother and daughter couldn't be more alike.

"How much can she eat?"

Eliza asks in shock as she watches one bottle getting empty after another.

"More than two gallons per day! Like a baby elephant!"

Kara says, very proud and with her mouth full with cake she starts rambling once again about another NatGeo documentary she watched. Elephants are as big as their appetite, they're capable of eating just as much as a Kryptonian, it's what Kara says. Clark nods, confirming it and everyone's eyes get bigger of shock while Lillian and Lena exchange looks without saying a word.

"Excuse me, I need to make some calls"

Lillian walks away from the living room and uses Lena's home office to make some calls. She needs to accelerate the acquisition of the best dairy company in the world. Ensuring the nourishment of the little heir becomes her top priority. And, while grandma Lillian is looking out for Lyra's supply of milk. It's time for baby Lyra to get to know the rest of the family.

She starts to discover so many things like: Grandma Alura is a font of knowledge just like Grandpa J'onn while Aunty Alex is good at kicking ass. Lyra likes to kick too, maybe they've something in common already? Just time will tell. Anyway, Uncle Barry is very fast, he promises to teach her how to run faster than light one day, to which Lena automatically replies…

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!"

The flash gulps hard, he doesn't feel fast enough to run away from a scary Lena Luthor.

Lena can be scary and Lyra loves it! She giggles and shakes her arms in excitement. Already wanting to scare people with nothing more than a look, just like her mother and that's why she tries to copy Lena's intimidating face but, her puffed cheeks doesn't make her look scary, it makes her look cute.

"Alex!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, take it on video…"

You know what else Lyra has learnt today? She has quite the entourage to protect her. Mothers, grandmas, aunties… they are all there for her. A wall of people shielding her from the dangers outside. Starting with the two people who created her. Just a fool with a death wish would do something against the kid of a Luthor & a Super. Lena is really a mama-bear, just like Kara predicted and the Kryptonian, she has a real feisty attitude when it's about her family. And, let's not start with her Aunt Alex, who would definitely kick the ass of everyone who'd dare to even consider hurting this baby.

Like any pack the oldests protect the new members. Even Superman promises to keep an eye on the baby girl. Lyra has quite the team of babysitters. Kind and doting. They'll always have her back and that makes Lena smile. She always feared that any kid of hers would be hated, rejected. And, she couldn't have been more wrong. Everyone has just nice things to say about her child, starting with her beautiful physical features.

"Look at those cute little round eyes!"

"Are they blue?"

"No, green!"

"It's too soon to say…"

A big discussion started about the still undefined color of eyes. Adults can go for hours, talking, Lyra finds it fascinating. Her little brain takes all in. Such a complex mind takes time to develop and right now, she's absorbing all the knowledge she can, even if she doesn't understand a word of what everyone is saying. Words are just noises without meaning, but she doesn't need to understand words to make sense of human's reactions like the one her blonde mother is going to have when her mother Alura asks…

"Where are your bracelets?"

"Ahmmm…"

"What bracelets?"

Lena frowns, she has no idea what she's talking about and that's because Kara hasn't been able to ask the question, officially. Yes, they're together. Yes, they love each other, they're happy and yet, the big elephant in the room is still there. Is marriage on the way or not? An official union, blessed by the light of Rao, is very important in Kara's culture. Lena is not really a religious person but, would she agree to do the ceremony and raise their kids under Kara's beliefs? It's a big question, the blonde hasn't dared to ask. That's why the bracelets Alura made for the couple in Argo City with the most exquisite metals & rocks in the Universe are still hidden in Kara's apartment.

Yeah, she still has her loft. Another topic the couple hasn't addressed. She's all the time in Lena's penthouse, they've already a little toddler, they're expecting more and yet, these two are incapable of defining their family status? How is that possible? Well, no one knows and someone who already had too many glasses of Lena's expensive whiskey is going to ask the question for them…

"So, Luthor. Are you gonna marry my little sister or what?"

"ALEX!"

Kara tries to scold her sister for throwing the question just like that, but she's more curious to know what Lena will reply.

"Well… I… we…. we haven't talked about it"

Oh… that's not the answer Kara wanted to hear.

"And, what about living together?"

"ALEX!"

Again Kara tries to scold her sister, but she wants more to understand why Lena looks confused about the question.

"I don't understand. What are you talking about? Kara is here, all the time…"

"Yeah, but she pays rent for a loft she barely uses. You might be a millionaire, Luthor. But, my sister is not, so… discuss…"

Alex leaves them alone, joining the group of people who're taking selfies with the baby. Like the rest of the guests, they've been so absorbed by the baby that they might have missed to clarify other subjects like…

"You still have your loft?"

"Yeap… I'm never there. I just go for clothes from time to time…"

Lena nods and Kara has no clue what the other woman is thinking till the CEO says…

"Well. Lyra is here and you're here with her and me all the time. That's not gonna change any time soon, so the most practical thing to do would be to bring all your things here. What do you think?"

"You want me to move in because it's practical?"

"Well… yes? It will save you money and it's the rational solution. I mean, in terms of logistics, my place is closer to Catco and…. Kara?"

Kara pouts and walks away. Deciding to fill her mouth with more cake since she's not gonna make a scene during Lyra's celebration. Lena frowns, she has no idea what she did wrong till someone points it out in terms she will understand.

"You don't ask someone to move in because it's practical. Even I know that…"

"Brainy…"

Her friend from the future has finally arrived at the party. Not alone, to Lena's surprise, he's actually the plus one of Kara's apprentice, Nia. Brainy, just like Lena, he hasn't mastered how human connections work, but he knows this…

"Supergirl always follows her heart. She doesn't do what she does because it's practical. It's because she wants to. My calculations indicate that she expects the same from you…"

"I want her to move in!"

"Then why didn't you tell her that?"

She messed up, she realizes it now and while she finds a way to fix it, everyone else continues to have a good time. The night is still young, but the youngest member of the herd tires easily. With her appetite quenched after the 9th bottle of formula, the baby girl wants to take a nap. Her baby eyes are slowly closing. And, Kara is the first one to notice. She grabs the baby and leaves the living room. Lena's eyes follow them and the raven-haired woman hesitates to go after them and redress her rational proposal, but she hesitates as she's not sure what is the right thing to say.

Does she want to get married? She doesn't know. She loves Kara with all her heart, but let's face it. They went from dating for a few weeks to becoming parents in a wink of an eye. It's too soon, they're just fine the way they are, so why change it? Marriage is always associated with divorce. Luthors don't have happy marriages. And Lena doesn't want that for them. She doesn't want to think of the day, Kara might get tired of her and leave. So, how can she address this topic without showing her own insecurities? Lena doesn't know and as the minutes pass, she might not find the answer tonight, but she needs to talk about it with the person she loves.

"Excuse me. I'll be right back"

She leaves the guests alone and walks towards the nursery room, the room is empty. No trace of Lyra. Her mind goes to a dark place, fearing for the worst till she steps into the bedroom and she finally finds the two Kryptonians that were going MIA.

"Well, it seems someone else got sleepy after eating so much cake…"

Lena chuckles, finding adorable how Kara and the baby are sleeping together now that their tummies are full. Even under their sleep, food is the one thing that stays constant in their mind as Kara rambles about how good it was to devour that cake and little Lyra holds Kara's hand and starts to suck on it. It's very probable this baby is dreaming about emptying another bottle of formula. Compared with these two sleeping beauties, Lena has barely eaten and yet, she feels full… full of happiness. At last, Lena feels truly happy and that feeling is all Lena needed to make up her mind.

For now, Lyra gets to nap in the constant security of her mother. Kara is very warm and cozy to snuggle up with. Till the elephant appetite appears again. A whiny Lyra wakes up, Her tiny chest gets up and down. Her tiny fists squeeze the air around, from time to time as the baby girl is cranky the moment she opens her eyes. She doesn't need to make a noise, Lena knows what she wants and that's why she's bringing the very well anticipated bottle of formula.

For baby Lyra. The timing couldn't be better. She's ravenous. No matter how much she eats. She can't seem to satisfy her appetite. It's a feeling her sleeping mother knows too well. After all, it's Kara's stomach also the reason why the blonde hero wakes up from her nap.

"Hi, sleepyhead. Did you sleep well?"

"Are you talking to the baby or me?"

Lena chuckles and clarifies the question was for Kara. The blonde nods, stretching a little just like the baby who's already in Lena's arms, getting fed.

"Everyone left already?"

"Yes, darling. Sorry if I didn't wake you up to say goodbye to them"

"It's okay…"

A sleepy Kara, rubbing her eyes, finally pops out of the room, walking like a zombie towards the fridge. A big smile appears on her face when she opens the door of the fridge and finds a piece of cake with her name on it.

"Yupi! There's still cake! And it has my name on it!"

The post-it is ripped off and to the shock of Lena, in one bite, Kara devours the cake.

"OMG! Kara! NO! WAIT!"

"I'm sorry. Did you want a bite?"!

Kara mumbles with the mouth full. If Lena was saving it for her then why did she put a post-it on it with Kara's name? Well, that's because she had the cheesy, great idea of hiding a diamond ring inside the cake. A path of post-its towards the cake with the ring in it, it was part of Lena's plan to propose, but she got distracted by the elephant appetite of their child and couldn't finish the preparations and now it's too late to do something about it, especially because…

"OMG! Did you swallow the ring?!"

"Ring? What ring?!"

Kara speaks with the mouth empty. No trace of cake nor ring. Lena wasps in shock. She worries so much for the blonde's health that she rushes them to the med-bay in the DEO where Alex was already waiting for them since Lena sent an SOS text.

"Alex, can you stop laughing?"

"I'm sorry, I can't, Kara. Only you're capable of swallowing your own engagement ring without even noticing it. How many times, mom has told you: do not swallow your food like a duck, you must…"

"Chew not swallow… I know, I know…"

The blonde rolls her eyes, she doesn't find it funny and to be honest, neither does Lena. The CEO asks for X-Ray, all kinds of tests to make sure the ring will not cause any damage to the blonde or the baby.

"Luthor, relax. She's the girl of steel. Kara will be fine. Now, about the ring,.."

"I don't care about the ring. I just want to make sure she and the baby will be okay. It was a stupid idea! What I was thinking?! I…"

Kara holds Lena's hand, the last thing she wanted was to cause more distress to the dear Luthor. And, the ring might not cause any internal damage since Kara's anatomy is stronger than any human, but Lena will not feel at ease till the ring gets out of her system so…

"Alex, call Felicity…"

"Why?"

"Because we will need The Atom's help and Felicity might be the only one who can make him agree to do this"

It takes Alex a few seconds to figure out why Kara's plan involves the only hero who can change its size and, when she gets it, the only thing Alex has to say is…

"Ewww…"

A few hours later, Lena is walking in circles with a sleeping baby in her arms. Waiting outside of the med-bay till a very pale Ray Palmer draped in disgusting substance, comes out of the room and puts a ring in Lena's hand. Lena tries her best to be polite and say nothing about the smell. After all, she has the ring back.

"OMG! Thank you so much, I…"

"I don't want to talk about this. This never happened. I saw things I didn't want to see…"

Ray Palmer is a scientist. He's no stranger to pathological anatomy and yet, going through Kara's digestive tract to get back the ring has traumatized him in ways no one will ever understand. The Atom leaves, he needs to take a lot, lots of showers. Alex takes the ring to clean it too, leaving the couple alone for the time being.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Lena. Really… I'm just… I'm sorry"

"For what?"

"For always causing you problems. Me and my elephant appetite, we just cause you problems"

"Oh, darling…"

Kara is not blind. She has seen the bills. She knows she has always enjoyed being pampered by Lena. Since the beginning of their friendship, she never saw it wrong to let Lena always pay almost every time they hung out, but now that she eats what probably 20 elephants can eat, she feels like she's taking advantage of Lena's kindness. She should stop, but Lena doesn't want her to stop leaning on her.

"Lena, me & my genes, we're gonna drain your bank account at this rate"

Kara sadly pouts and Lena softly caresses her cheek as she says…

"Nonsense. I'm finally finding a good use for all the money I've…"

"But, Lee…"

"Listen to me, Kara. You once called me a lioness. And, a lioness provides for her pack, for her family. So, let me do that…"

"I can help too…"

"You can help me, in other ways…"

"Like with what?"

"Like this…"

Lena leans for a tender kiss, provoking a big smile on their faces.

"Help me make it through the night when I cannot sleep, by hugging me and making me feel safe in your arms. Help me by loving me even when I don't know how to love myself. Help me by moving in with me. Not because it's practical, but because I want to… because you want to"

"I would love to move in, with you, Lee"

"Then, it's settled. We're officially living together"

Both women smile. Lena had never really committed in a relationship, not even when she was with Jack. She didn't see the point. With Kara, committing to getting the big family she never dreamed of, but she can't wait to have, with this blonde. That seems to be the entire point of her existence.

Kara giggles, she blushes and she gets more red when Lena ties up in her wrist, the medical wristband that Alex loosely left, alongside. It's not exactly a bracelet, but it's very close to one. At least, for Kara, it's, especially when the CEO says…

"Marry me, Kara"

At last, Kara is no longer single. She waited a long time for this moment. And, it couldn't be sweeter.