a/n: young Lena is played by Abby Ryder Fortson — the girl in Ant-Man and the Wasp (hehe ) This was a request from a user on Ao3

Much needed TLC

Part 1

"Le- Miss Luthor," Supergirl called. Lena looked up and saw Kara float down onto her balcony. She knew that Kara was Supergirl, it was kind of hard not to. The glasses don't really help. She didn't tell Kara out of respect, the reporter will surely come to her when she is ready. Antically, Lena was upset. She wasn't angry but just upset, because she had been telling Lara all of these deep things about her that she hadn't even told Lex and in return Kara kept the biggest secret of all from her.

"Supergirl? What can I do for you?" Lena asked surprised.

Super walked through the balcony door, "Have you had any contact with your mother recently?" she asked. Lena didn't know how she did it. Kara and Supergirl, while the same person, where two very different people. Kara was warm and bubberly, her voice was light and airy. Supergirl was neither hot nor cold. She had a smile on her face but she wasn't bubberly, per say and her voice was put together and serious.

Lena raised her eyebrow and stared at the girl of steal with a questioning look. "Have I seen my mother? No, why? What's she done this time?" Lena asked exasperated.

Supergirl licked her lips and looked at the floor, "Well, we have reason to believe she is coming here to hurt you." she explained. Lena scoffed and sat at her chair.

"My mother is many things. A heartless bitch, yeah. A sociopathic xenophobe, yup. But she wouldn't intentionally hurt me like that," Lena denied. Right? She hurt Lena emotionally and verbally, what's stopping her from turning it up a notch and hurting her physically?

Supergirl shook her head and put her hands on her hips, "Miss Luthor, I really think you should think about this. Lillian will do anything to get what she wants,"

"Listen Supergirl, I have been dealing with Lillian for 20 years. I think I can handle a little visit where you can show up as soon as I cry 'help'. You weren't around 20 years ago," Lena said, an air of authority on her as she looked at Supergirl with an expressionless face. She and the alien had a stare off to which the superhero relented.

"Okay. I won't be far," she then walked onto the balcony and flew off.

"I know you won't Kara. You're always there for me," Lena muttered, looking at where the hero was. She could have sworn she saw the hero stop in her movements of flying to look at the CEO.

Lena clicked out of the website and was about to log off when there was commotion coming from outside her office. She frowned and reached under her desk for the taser she put there a few months ago. The door swung open and Lillian Luthor came sauntering in.

"Hello daughter," she greeted with a fake smile.

"Mother," Lena said in a tight voice. Lena still kept her hand lingering under her desk as the older woman walked forward. "Why are you here?"

"Can't I visit my daughter every once in a while?" she asked, placing her bag on the chair.

Lena scoffed, "Apparently, only when you want something. Oh, wait, am I the second choice? Has Lex finally got bored of your presence?" Lillian glared at Lena.

"You know Lena, you're very disrespectful!" Lillian accused.

"Me? Disrespectful? Mother, you once yelled at a maid because they helped me with my homework." Lena snapped.

"Too right as well, Lena. A Luthor needs no help from the likes of that maid. Did you see the way she was looking at your babysitter," Lillian questioned. Lena scoffed again and stared at her mother in disbelief.

"Wow. Very mature," she muttered. The door slammed open and in came the NCPD; Maggie in the lead.

"Miss Luthor, put your hands where we can see them!" Maggie yelled. She touched the ear piece in her ear and nodded. The door suddenly opened and in came Supergirl.

"Finally!" Lillian said. "Lena, love, I never really came to see you. Supergirl, didn't you question how my 'plan' was leaked? Hmm? I knew you would warn Lena and then come rushing to her aid, quite pathetic really. A super bending backwards to save a Luthor. Almost as if you know her," she insinuated.

"Miss Luthor, I advise you heed to Detective Sawyer's warning and raise your hands. This doesn't have to end in a fight," Supergirl advised, holding her hands out.

Lillian rolled her eyes and went to raise her hands when she grabbed something out of her pocket and pointed it at Supergirl. "Maybe with Supergirl gone, all them Alien parasites will go crawling home!" she yelled. Lena's eyes widened and it all seemed to go in slow motion. She quickly pushed Supergirl out the way with a small cry of 'Kara!'. Kara crashed to the floor and Lena was blown backwards onto the balcony.

Everyone watched helplessly as a bright light engulfed Lena Luthor…

…everything came back and Maggie took this opportunity to tackle Lillian to the ground. She handcuffed her and read her her rights before rushing to Supergirl. "Kar? You okay?" she asked quietly.

"Lena!" the blond hero gasped. Maggie was slightly pushed out the way as Kara scrambled outside to where Lena lay. What she saw caused her eyes to widen. "What in the name of Rao?" she questioned.

"What?" Maggie asked. She walked over and saw a girl laying on the floor. Kara and Maggie shared a look. "Uuuh, take her to the DEO. I'll meet you there," Kara nodded and picked her up before flying away.

Kara got there and Alex and J'onn came running over. "Who's that?" Alex asked.

"…Lena," Kara replied. Alex and J'onn looked at each other before showing Kara to a medical room. She placed Lena on the bed and Alex hooked her up to various machines.

"She is fine," Alex said. "There are no abnormalities. Her BP is normal. Oxygen and saturation are fine,"

"Then why does she look like a pre-teen?" Kara asked. She was getting really worried and she paced the small space in front of the bed. Alex brought her in for a hug.

"I don't know Kar. I don't know,"

Lena groaned as she woke up, where was she? When her eyes focused, Lena saw the clock.

8:46am

What! Lillian was gonna kill her if she didn't get out of bed! When Lena went to pull her covers back, she saw that she was wearing a hospital gown and in a weird bed. This wasn't her bedroom. "Mom?" she called, as loud as she dared. "Lex?" Lena started to get scared. What if Lillian dropped her off at an orphanage? What if she finally got rid of her? Daddy was dead so who was there to care about her. "I'm sorry if I was bad about Mommy! Please come back!" she cried.

She saw someone out the corner of her eye and yelled out in fear. There was a man and two women. There was a crest on the blond woman's chest. "Are you like Superman?" she asked curiously, bringing her knees up to her chest. She looked surprised at the question. "Sorry," Lena apologised, looking at the floor.

"No, no. It's okay. I'm Superman's cousin," she replied. Lena nodded and looked a little fearful of her.

"Where's my mom?" she asked in a small voice.

"I don't know darling. What's your name?" Alex asked. She saw how Lena seemed a little scared of Kara and she made a mental note to ask her about it. She also wanted to know why she looked so thin.

"Lena," she replied in a quiet voice.

"What was that?" Alex asked. She wanted Lena to get more confident.

It seemed it only made you worse.

Her eyes widened and she couldn't seem to get her words out quick enough. "Lena Luthor, ma'am! Sorry for stumbling," she amended.

"It's okay sweetie. I just wanted you to get more confident when speaking to us," Alex said calmly, walking closer to her. Lena nodded and scooted back a little more. "How old are you?"

"Twelve," she replied in a louder voice.

"Woah, that's big! I'm in my twenties," Alex said with enthusiasm.

"What about… her?" Lena asked, pointing in Kara's direction.

"Supergirl, how old are you?" Alex asked.

"Me? Ooh, I'm 25. Although that's without my years in the phantom zone," Kara replied. She saw the light in Lena's eyes at the mention of the PZ.

"W-what's that?" she asked curiously, slowly moving onto her knees. The gown she was wearing flowed past her knees so she looked like she was drowning in it.

Kara was a little hesitant at explaining because of how much she went through in it. "Basically, it's like a region in space where time doesn't exist. I was thirteen when I went in there and, biologically, I was still thirteen 24 years later." Lena looked amazed at that.

"Woah!" she grinned. Kara nodded and that's when Alex sat on the bed next to Lena. Lena flinched a little but sucked her lips as she determined whether she should trust the woman next to her.

"Supergirl, Alex—" J'onn walked in but he was still in his original form. Lena screamed and jumped in Alex's lap. Her body was shivering and shuddering as she clung onto the older woman. J'onn looked worried as he turned back into Hank and Kara felt tears well up as she watched her best friend scared at the sight of an alien.

"Hey, sssh. It's okay Lena," Alex comforted, rubbing her back.

"No! He's going to take me and- and experiment on me and eat me!" she wailed, her head finding it's way into the crook of Alex's neck. Alex could feel the tears ok her neck.

"Ssh. It's okay Lena, he's gone now. It's okay," Alex soothed. Lena still hiccuped as she tried to stop crying. Her body was shivering a little so Alex motioned for Kara to come over. "Can you grab my jacket? It's in my locker,"

Kara walked off.

After that fiasco, Lena ended up falling asleep in Alex's arms. Every time she went to put her down, Lena would cling onto her so she laid down on the bed and let Lena snuggle in the side of her.

That's how Maggie found them when she came to the DEO after her shift. "Aww," she couldn't help but say. Maggie saw Kara looking at them from across the bridge and she looked sad. Maggie walked over and stood next to her soon-to-be-alien-sister-in-law. "What's up Little Danvers?" she asked.

Kara sighed and rested her her head on her arms. "Lena is scared of J'onn and I think she is scared of me," she answered tiredly. "Who knows what lies Lillian had been telling her all her life," Maggie rubbed her back.

"Well we haven't gotten anywhere with Lillian at the precinct so god knows how long Lena will be stuck as a 12-year-old with trust and-lots-of-other issues," Maggie said with a huff.

Kara narrowed her eyes at the detective. "You have trust issues too because of your dad,"

"No need for that Little Danvers. I was merely saying that Lena has a lot going on for her right now. Not a good thing when she is twelve years into the future where aliens are, more or less, walking the streets." Maggie said with a sad smile.

"Sorry. I just want to be there for her but I can't,"

"But you can. It's Supergirl she has issues with. Not bubbly Kara Danvers," Maggie smiled at her before leaving her with her thoughts to be with her fiancée and Little Luthor.

"Hi Alex,"

"Maggie, hi. I- I didn't know when you'd be back," Alex seemed startled. Like, you know when you just come back from school and you end up falling asleep on your bed, then you're woken up for dinner and you shoot awake like 'what? I haven't been sleeping'… that's how she looked.

"It's fine. I clocked off earlier. I was genuinely worried about Luthor," she answered. Alex yawned and glanced at the girl at her side. "How is she?"

"She very nearly had a heart attack at the sight of J'onn. She seemed scared of Supergirl and scared of messing up in general," Alex answered softly. "Makes me hate all the things I used to think about my Mom when Kara came along. Yeah she might have been overbearing, but she loved me and cared for me. Lena is going to need help while she is stuck like this,"

"Then it's a good thing she's taken a liken to you," Maggie said.

Alex nodded again and looked at Lena once more. They were take care of her while she was stuck like this.

"You're just staying here until your mom comes back," Alex assured her.

"Mother wouldn't put me in the care of anyone with association to an alien," Lena seemed really upper class with the way she spoke and moved as she got awhere of her surroundings. When she woke up from her little sleep yesterday, she immediately distanced herself from Alex and spoke with bigger words than a 12 year old should care to put in a sentence and her back was so straight she could be a lamp post.

"Well it wasn't your mothers choice," Maggie said as she hung the keys up. Lena accepted the answer.

"What do you want me to do? I had a strict schedule at home and that's all messed up," she asked. She seemed to catch herself and change her sentence. "Not that it's your fault! I- I don't really know what's going on— not that I need to know I- I—"

"Lena. Calm down," Alex said softly. She placed her hands on Lena's shoulders and told her to breath. "That's it. Just calm down. We know the past 48 hours have been stressful so we just want you settled in, okay. Don't get yourself in a frenzy. If you really want to do something then you can…"

"I can wash up," Lena suggested. "When mother would go on business tips then I would help the maids around the house. I used to help Helen with the washing up and in return she would teach me Dutch," Alex looked at Maggie who shrugged.

"Okay then. In return you can watch tv," Lena grinned and set off. She rolled her sleeves up ( Kara went out with Maggie to buy some clothes for her. Right now she was in a long sleeved navy t-shirt and a pair of denim jeans ) before turning the water on.

Maggie joined Alex on their bed and they watched her carefully. How she seemed extra careful when placing them on on the drain. How she made sure no water splashed on her clothes. Maggie had seen this so many times when she visisted kids she had scared from abused families. Even those never physically hit had their scars. Lena thought she had to be this perfect girl years older than she was.

She'd seen it when Lena was her normal age as well. How she held herself to strangers and how she acted at game night. She never swore. She never spoke with food in her mouth — not even a pea. Whenever she did the dishes, the water would never even be on the drain.

"Agent Danvers. I- I'm sorry but I think I got water on- on the floor," she said quietly, stubbing her toe on the floor.

"It's okay darling," Alex said gently. "It's just a little bit of water. Just grab a tee-towel and wipe it down,"

She shook her head. "N-oh! That's not- that's not okay! It has to be spotless!" she ended up shouting.

"Lena, Lena! Really. It's okay. Calm down," Maggie interjected. Her hands seemed to be shaking as she tried to get rid of the water. Alex walked over and pulled her in for a hug. Lena tensed and tried to worm her way out of it but Alex held her tighter. She started swaying them left and right until Lena relaxed into her hold. "You okay now?"

"Yes thanks," Lena mumbled. Alex let her go and kissed her forehead.

"Go on, go watch tv. I'll start dinner soon," Lena hesitated before nodding and walking off.

Lena turned the tv on but wasn't really paying attention. Who were these people? Why weren't they punishing her for all the things she did?

She mumbled.

She stammered.

She kept talking.

She spilt water.

Lena hadn't even practiced her piano yet! She was so screwed if her mother found out. If her mother found out then she would be grounded for years. If her mother found out the she would he screamed at so much, she would flinch for days at the slightest loud noise. Why wasn't she being punished? Maybe these would be worse. Maybe they would let the two aliens deal with her!

Hand her to a Supergirl and the green man for them to punish her; experiment on her until she couldn't walk or talk or see.

Lena's chest tightened and she sent a subtle look at the two older woman who were speaking quietly in the corner near the kitchen. Lena could see they were looking at her every now and again and that made her panic even more. Were they talking about her? Maybe discussing what they would allow the aliens to do with her.

No. She had to be good; had to be perfect even.

"Lena, do you have any preferences for dinner?" Maggie asked. Lena snapped her attention to them, chest still tighter and eyes still showing fear.

"N- no *clears throat* it's okay Miss. I'm fine with whatever you chose," Lena answered with a small smile. Maggie hesitantly smiled back and nodded before walking to the fridge.

"So, Lena, what do you like to do?" Alex asked. She moved over and sat at the floor — it was a purpose act so that Lena wasn't being looked down on; to make her more comfortable.

Lena fiddled with her hands. "I- I do enjoy playing the piano. And I love science!"

"Really? Me too," Alex said with a grin. Lena seemed to perk up.

"Aw damn. I have a houseful of nerds," Maggie said in faux-disappointment. Alex laughed.

"Babe, you literally lead the science division. You can say anything," Lena laughed at their banter. She wished she could live with them forever! They were so caring and nice, they weren't strict either.

"Oh hush. Don't ruin my rep,"

"You know I'm two years above my grade?" Lena asked, giving Alex her full attention.

"Oh yeah. You must be very smart then,"

"Uh-huh. Mother says that I shouldn't accept help with my homework and school work, says a Luthor woman shouldn't need help. That's why I've always had to do everything myself — she even forbid me to ask Lex!" Alex gave her a sad smile.

"If you ever need help, you can always ask me. Always," she promised. Lena nodded shyly.

"Lena, Alex, dinner. Careful though because it's hot," Maggie called. She put the spaghetti on three plates and then spooned the source and meatballs on. Maggie then went to a smaller pan and spooned the contents on the plate. Maggie saw Lena's questioning gaze. "I have vegan dishes," she made an 'ooh' look.

They walked over to the counter and Alex grabbed hers before sitting on the sofa. Maggie walked around and handed Lena her plate before sitting next to Alex. Lena bit her lip before sitting on the floor in front of the bed. After a few minutes, Sanvers realised that Lena wasn't there. They looked around and saw her legs sticking out past the bathroom.

"Lena, what are you doing?" asked Alex. Lena carefully placed the plate on the floor and gracefully stood up.

"Ma'am?" had she done something wrong? Lena quickly checked her clothes, making sure she hadn't spilled anything.

"Why are you over there?" Maggie asked.

"B- because I'm not good enough to eat with you," she mumbled, ashamedly. Lillian was always telling her she didn't deserve to sit at the table. She always ate her dinner on a small kiddie table in the corner.

"Bullshit!" snapped Alex.

"Alex!" Maggie hissed when she saw Lena flinch.

"I'm sorry Lena," Alex said, walking over to her. Lena flinched and took a massive step backwards causing Alex to freeze and look shocked. Maggie tried to calm the situation down.

"Okay, okay. Everyone take a breath. Alex, go finish your food. I'll sit with Lena seeing as she isn't comfortable sitting on the sofa," Alex looked a little crestfallen so when Maggie went to grab her food, she gave Alex a little kiss on the cheek. Lena's cheeks flushed red and she sat back on the floor timidly before moving her spaghetti and meatballs around. Maggie quickly joined her.

"Do you like it?" Maggie asked. Lena jumped a little but nodded hastily and started twirling the spaghetti on her fork. Maggie watched her out the corner of her eye. How she had small bites. Ate 1 of 8 meatballs. Ate a quarter of it as a whole.

"Finished," she said quietly. Maggie stood up and took her plate ( she finished a while ago ) then went to grab Alex's plate too.

"I wanna kill Lillian," Alex muttered as soon as Maggie got in whispering distance.

"Me too babe," Maggie agreed. They both turned and saw Lena looking at her lap; Alex swore she saw tears drop into Lena's lap but she couldn't be sure.

They were going to look after her. They were going to do everything they could do for Lena until she was turned back to normal, and then some.

TBC in pt2