Kara was standing in front of Lena before Lena had a chance to blink. She used her x-ray to see who was on the other side of the door. She sighed in relief. She should have known.
"Kara, Lena, open up," Alex said pounding on the door. "I swear, if you two are having sex in there…"
"Alex," Sam hissed. Kara heard Sam smack her arm.
Kara opened the door. "About time," Alex said studying her sister. "You okay?"
"Yeah, fine. Come on in," Kara said stepping aside so Alex, Sam and Ruby could come inside. Kara hated this feeling. She was so tense she didn't realize it was her sister outside the door.
Ruby hugged Kara as soon as she walked through the door. "I can't believe my aunt is Supergirl," Ruby muttered.
Kara glanced at her sister. "Sam already knew. Figured Ruby should know too," Alex said with a shrug. "I think she was more excited to learn you're Supergirl then finding out I was dating her mom."
"I'm happy about that too," Ruby promised. She pulled away from Kara. "But Aunt Kara is way cooler."
Alex sighed. "I give up," she said throwing her hands up. She looked at Lena. "Good to see you, Lena. Do you have alcohol?"
Lena laughed. "Beer is in the fridge," she told Alex. "I got something special for Ruby."
She walked over to the fridge and pulled out two beers, one for Alex and one for Sam. Then she pulled out what looked to be a bottle of wine. Upon closer inspection it was revealed to be a bottle of sparkling cider. It looked like wine, so Ruby could act like an adult, but there was no alcohol in it.
"Thanks Lena," Sam said seeing the bottle.
"So, we have a bunch of bags in the car," Alex said after opening the beer. She took a sip. "Rubes and I can go get them."
Ruby nodded and followed Alex out of the apartment. "She's been looking forward to tonight," Sam said. "She's worried about both of you."
Kara frowned. "She shouldn't worry about me. I'm fine. It's Lena she should be worrying about."
Lena glared at her but didn't say anything. "You're her sister Kara. She'll always worry about you. Besides, from what I gather Cadmus wants you just as much as they want Lena," Sam said.
"We can talk about this later," Lena said. "Tonight, is about having fun. Cadmus can wait, especially with Ruby here."
Sam nodded in agreement. "I agree. I don't want Ruby getting mixed up in all of this."
"Ruby will be fine," Kara promised. "Cadmus is focused on Lena and I. They shouldn't go after Ruby. But I can always patrol near your apartment, just in case."
"No need," Sam said with a small smile. "Alex is getting DEO agents to keep an eye on Ruby. I don't need the protection since I'm mostly at L-Corp and there's already DEO agents there."
Kara frowned. She looked at the bracelet on Lena's wrist. The bracelet that would alert her if something happened. James had a watch given to him by Kal. She needed to get something similar for Sam and Ruby. She pulled out her phone and sent a text to Kal.
Kal, you know the watch you gave James and the bracelet you gave Lena? Can you make two more? It's for Alex's girlfriend and her girlfriend's daughter.
Kara put her phone away. It was important but with Sam and Ruby at the penthouse it could wait a little longer.
"Everything okay?" Lena asked Kara, nodding toward the phone she just put away.
"Yeah," Kara answered. "I texted Kal about something similar to your bracelet."
Lena understood. More protection for Sam and Ruby. She couldn't argue with that. She knew how guilty Kara would feel for putting Sam and Ruby in danger. She would need to spend more time in her lab.
Alex and Ruby returned with their arms full of bags. "Is there more?" Kara questioned, ready to super speed to the car and pick up whatever was left.
"No, this is it," Alex told her. "Put it on the counter," she muttered to Ruby. Together the two of them dumped the bags on the kitchen counter.
"So, what are you making?" Lena asked curious.
"Fajitas," Alex replied. "Shrimp, chicken and steak, with Mexican rice, beans and chips and salsa and guacamole." Sam was originally going to only do chicken but with Kara they had to add more food.
"Who is making fajitas Alex?" Sam asked raising an eyebrow at her girlfriend.
"Sam is making fajitas," Alex corrected. Kara laughed. Alex was as hopeless as she was in the kitchen.
Alex started taking things out of the bags. She tossed a bag of tortilla chips to Kara so Kara didn't try to eat while Sam was cooking. While Alex unpacked the bags, Lena got some bowls from the cabinets. She opened a bag of chips and dumped them into the bowls. Smaller bowls were placed on the table for the guacamole and salsa.
Lena looked up from the bowl of chips. She saw Ruby and Kara quietly talking and munching on the bag Alex gave Kara. "Ruby, the Switch is still connected if you want to play?" Lena told her. "Kara can join you."
Ruby looked back and forth between her mom, Lena and Kara. "Go ahead," Sam urged, knowing Ruby would be bored while the adults talked.
Ruby hopped off the stool and made her way to the living room. "Kara?" she called when the blonde didn't move.
"I'll be there in a minute," Kara promised. "Why don't you get some practice in?"
"Aren't you the one that needs the practice Aunt Kara?" Ruby asked with a cheeky grin. Alex busted up laughing.
"She's got a point Kar," Alex said.
Kara glared at her older sister. She grabbed her bag of chips and marched over to the couch with Ruby. "Are you mad Aunt Kara?" Ruby asked concerned.
Kara held out the chips as a peace offering. "I'm not mad," Kara told her. She glanced at Ruby and the younger girl didn't look convinced. "I'm very competitive, especially with Alex. I don't like being reminded that I'm terrible at Mario Kart."
"It's okay Aunt Kara. I'll go easy on you," Ruby promised.
Kara set up the Switch with help of her super speed. "Just play," Kara said handing her the second controller.
"That is so cool," Ruby said, her eyes still wide from seeing Kara's powers in action. "Can you take me flying sometime?"
Kara glanced at the kitchen. Sam was cooking with help from Lena while Alex was prepping the guacamole. It was one of the few things Alex could make without issue. "It's up to your mom Ruby," Kara told her. "I'm happy to take you flying but I won't if your mom says no."
Ruby nodded in understanding. She studied the character options, trying to decide which one was the best. Finally, she settled on Toad. It was her favorite so far. He was fast but a little challenging to control since he was so small.
Kara was quick to choose her own character: Yoshi. She'd played the same character since she was first introduced to Mario Kart, back before Wii's were even a thing.
They picked the map and watched the countdown.
Sam stopped working on the fajitas when she overheard Kara and Ruby's conversation. "Do you think it would be safe?" Sam asked the two that knew Kara best.
"What?" Alex asked confused.
Lena glanced at her girlfriend, who was busy losing at Mario Kart. While Kara wasn't watching the three of them, Lena knew she was listening. She was always listening unless specifically asked not to. "There's nowhere safer for Ruby to be," Lena said honestly. She dropped the knife she was holding and turned to Sam. "You know how much I hate flying?" Sam nodded. "With Kara it was different. I was closer to everything, no protection of a plane, but I felt safer. I knew Kara would never drop me, or let me get hurt."
Sam watched her daughter and Kara play video games for a minute. She sighed. "Alright Kara, she can go flying with you," she muttered.
Kara paused the game to tell Ruby what Sam said. Ruby jumped up and ran to her mother. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," she said hugging her mother.
Sam laughed and wrapped her arms around Ruby. "You're welcome. But you need to do exactly what Kara says, do you understand?"
"Yes Mom. I promise," Ruby said. She squeezed Sam tight before running back to the living room. "When can we go Aunt Kara?"
Kara looked at the others. "We can go for a quick fly around the city right now," Kara said slowly. She wanted to give the others time to say no. "And then we can wherever you want some other time."
"Yes," Ruby exclaimed. "Mom, Lena, can we fly now?"
Sam and Lena looked at Kara. Kara grinned at them, obviously she wanted to go flying too. "Twenty minutes max," Sam said firmly.
"Yes," Ruby cheered.
Before she could say anything to Kara, Lena wiped her hands on a towel and stepped toward. "Come on Ruby," she said taking the girl's hand and leading her away from the kitchen. "Let's see if we can find you a jacket to wear."
"How good is your hearing?" Sam asked when Ruby was out of the room.
"I can hear everything in the city," Kara told her. "I have to concentrate to pick out individual voices or sounds but I can hear everything. It's easier to hear people I know. I can hear Lena and Alex's voice no matter what. I don't even have to concentrate. If they call for me, I hear it."
"Okay," Sam said after a minute. "I'll have Lena call for you when dinners ready."
Kara frowned. "You said twenty minutes though."
Sam shrugged. "It'll be a little over twenty minutes when dinner's ready." Sam turned to face Kara. "I want Ruby to be safe. It's all I've ever wanted. And the thought of her flying with you… it's nothing against you," Sam added quickly, "I know you wouldn't let her get hurt. It's just… I'm being overprotective and I know that." Alex moved over to Sam's side and hugged her girlfriend.
"I understand," Kara said. She may not be a mother but she understood the desire to protect those closest to her, and that included Sam and Ruby. "There's nothing I wouldn't do to protect those that I love and that includes you and Ruby." Sam's eyes widened in surprise. "I will keep Ruby safe, no matter what."
They didn't have a chance to say anything more as Lena and Ruby returned from Lena's room. Ruby was wearing Lena's National City University sweater. It was a little big but not too bad. The sleeves had to be rolled back only twice for it to fit properly.
"I'm ready," Ruby announced.
Kara nodded and disappeared. Before Ruby could say anything, Kara returned in her Supergirl costume. "I can't go out flying as Kara Danvers," Kara explained with a shrug. "Nobody will bat an eye if Supergirl is seen flying with someone."
Kara held out her arms and Ruby moved closer. Kara lifted her up so Ruby was standing on her boots. She wrapped one arm securely around Ruby's waist. She nodded to the others before superspeeding out to the balcony. "Are you ready?" Kara asked Ruby, not wanting to startle her.
"Yeah," Ruby said. She was a little nervous but mostly excited.
Kara launched them into the air with no warning. Ruby screamed and squeezed her eyes shut. Her arms tightening around Kara's neck. If she were human, she wouldn't be able to breathe. "Open your eyes Ruby," Kara muttered in her ear.
Ruby reluctantly opened her eyes and gasped at the sight. They were flying over the ocean, close enough that if Ruby had the courage to stick her hand out, she could touch the water. Kara flew up again and back toward the city. The city was beautiful.
"Is this what you see every day?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah, pretty much," Kara said. "Some day I'll take you somewhere else. There's a whole to see."
"Are you gonna take Lena around the world?" Ruby asked with a cheeky grin.
Kara shrugged. "Maybe, if that's what she wants. She's not a fan of flying so I'm not sure if I could convince her to go."
"You can fly anywhere, right?" Ruby asked even though she already knew the answer. "So, that means you could fly to Disneyworld?"
Kara laughed. "Yes, I can fly to Disneyworld. Although I would most likely have to go as Supergirl."
"Can we go sometime?" Ruby questioned. "Even if you have to go as Supergirl. It would be so much fun."
"Probably not for a while," Kara said carefully. "But someday, yes, we can go."
"Is it because of the people that attacked L-Corp?" Ruby asked curious.
Kara landed on the top of CatCo and carefully put Ruby down. "You know about that?"
Ruby shrugged. "I've overheard Mom and Alex talking about Cadmus. I don't know who or what it is but Alex is worried about you."
"Alex is always worried about me," Kara joked. She sat down on the edge of the building.
"Why did we stop up here?" Ruby asked curious. She moved to sit down beside Kara. She was scared but she knew if she fell then Kara could catch her. "I mean the view is amazing… but why CatCo?"
"I work here," Kara replied. "I… it's always been my safe place. Even before I became Supergirl. If I was ever stressed out or overwhelmed, I would come up here at night and watch the city. It's always had a calming effect on me."
"You can still hear everything though, right?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah, I can always hear everything," Kara replied. "If I concentrate, I can block out the sounds but it's still always there."
"Kara," Lena called from the penthouse. "Dinner is almost ready love."
Kara cocked her head to the side. "We have to go back. Lena is calling."
"You can hear her that far?" Ruby asked impressed.
"I focus a lot on Lena," Kara admitted with a blush. "I can pick out her heartbeat from a crowd. Same with Alex. The people I'm closest to… it's easier, easier to protect the people I love if I can find them no matter what."
"Is there a limit on the range?" Ruby asked curious.
Kara stood up and pulled Ruby with her. "Honestly, I don't know. I imagine a few hundred miles. I've never tested the distance. It's also possible there is no limit. Right now, with everything going on, I don't want to be far away from Lena or Alex to test it."
Kara pulled Ruby into her arms and flew off. "How are you with Alex dating your mom?" Kara asked.
"It's great. I've never seen my mom so happy," Ruby started. "And Alex is super awesome too. She actually cares about me and my feelings."
"But," Kara pried.
"But I'm scared," Ruby admitted.
"Scared of what?" Kara asked.
Ruby sighed. "Scared that Mom is going to get hurt," Ruby whispered. "It's not you. It's the fact that she runs L-Corp right now and L-Corp is being targeted."
Kara touched down on the balcony. She sat Ruby down and knelt down in front of her. "Ruby, I promise you, nothing bad will happen to your mom. I will do everything I can to keep her and you safe. Okay?"
A few tears fell down her cheeks. "Okay," Ruby agreed, throwing her arms around Kara.
"Come on. I smell food," Kara said pulling Ruby back into the penthouse.
Ruby laughed and together they made their way to the kitchen. The table was set and ready for them. Lena's face lit up at the sight of Kara. She walked over to Kara's side and threw her arms around the superhero.
"How was your flight?" Lena asked curious.
"It was good," Kara replied. "We talked a little. Ruby had a lot of questions about my powers. She wants to go to Disneyworld."
Lena pulled away to look at Kara's face. "Disneyworld," Lena repeated thoughtfully. "I suppose that could be arranged…after Cadmus and Lex are dealt with."
Kara nodded. "Lex and Cadmus have to be dealt with first," she agreed. "It's not safe to be out of National City."
Lena kissed Kara's cheek. "It'll be okay Kara," Lena muttered. "It'll all work out in the end."
Kara shook her head. The one thing she prided herself in is thinking positive, believing in herself and others. But right now, with Lena's life in danger, she couldn't muster that kind of hope. And it terrified her.
