Kara was crying so hard she knew she couldn't speak on the phone, she wasn't flying as fast as she could, her blurry, teary vision made it impossible.
She knew she couldn't text and fly, even when she wasn't this distraught. She could still hear her sister scolding at her after she had been seen diving down as fast as she could to catch her phone after she had let it go, she wasn't looking and had hit a bird. Not one of Supergirl's best days.
Part of her wanted to be alone, but her mind kept on going back to Alex. How safe she made her felt. She needed her big sister to be there and comfort her.
She flew back into her apartment. The first thing she did was remove the cape, she really didn't feel heroic and it was annoying at that time to wear it, but her fingers were still trembling, tears in her eyes, this menial task became problematic. She ended up throwing the red thing away angrily after she finally managed to remove it.
She went to her freezer, grabbed the biggest ice cream container she had, not really looking at the label, a spoon and made her way to her couch. She turned on the tv so she would not be left alone with this heavy silence she had on herself. Well, not complete silence, she was still crying, sobbing, taking deep breath from time to time, usually before another big spoon.
A good half hour after coming back home she let out a big sigh, her freezer was empty. She wasn't crying as hard, but didn't think she could go out and face the world like that, even to buy more food. She finally texted her sister.
_ Something happened. Could you come over?
_ With ice cream? Please.
_ How much ice cream?
_ How much can you carry?
_ Be there asap.
Alex was still in the DEO when she got her sister's text, she frowned as soon as she read it. She got up from her chair, paperwork would have to wait. Something was very wrong if her baby sister was asking her to bring ice cream.
It took more time for her to fetch the ice cream once she was close enough to Kara's place than it did getting there on her bike. Not the best way of transportation when you had groceries. She didn't want to expose her beautiful bike to that risk.
She wasn't sure what to expect as she made her way in Kara's apartment, pushing the door with her foot, bags filled with food in her hands.
"Kara?" She called out as soon as she pretty much slammed the door shut with her foot.
She didn't get a response but moved closer to the living room, she could hear the tv among other things. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the blonde. She was wearing her supergirl blue suit but had wrapped her bed comforter around herself. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot.
"Oh my…"Alex cleared her throat, forcing herself to keep her voice down, as calm as she could. "What happened?"
Kara opened her mouth, moved her lips but only a strange croak got out. She moved her head to the side as she turned around, signaling Alex that she should follow her.
The red head followed, baffled, thinking she should probably put some ice cream in the freeze before it would melt. Or not. Kara slumped down on the sofa before twisting to face her sister. On the coffee table there was an empty containers' pile, mainly ice cream, but there were wrappers too. This was bad.
She put down her bags by the table for lack of space, she'd throw it all away later. She grabbed Kara's color striped pouf, moved it close to the couch, next to her sister's head.
Without getting up Kara grabbed a grocery bad, pulling out one container, two, then a bottle. Alex took it. "That one is for me, when you said you'd need ice cream I was pretty sure I could use this" She put the scotch down one of the few empty spots left on the coffee table.
"Do you want to tell me what happened?"
Kara paused with the spoon in her mouth, giving a strange look at her sister. She took out the utensil, staring down at the tracks she was making through the ice cream with her spoon. She tentatively looked up after a short moment. "Lena found out I'm Supergirl"
Alex raised her index before grabbing the bottle she had brought, taking the cap off and taking a swig. "I knew I'd need that. Sorry. So you told Lena?"
"That's the thing. I didn't. I… It's kind of complicated" She looked back at her slowly melting ice cream.
"You know I'm always here to listen to you, if you are willing to share. Though you should know we'll probably have to draft an NDA"
Kara swallowed another mouth full of ice cream, she let out a sigh before looking up at her sister. "I'll have to explain from the beginning"
Alex nodded letting her sister do the talking in between spoons.
"I was flying by Lena's" The like I always do part she omitted. "And I saw her. She was on a couch, being very…close to another woman"
Alex's eyebrows shot up. Not that it came as a shock to her that the young Luthor was entertaining a woman, even she had seen some signs. She was more surprised to see how her sister seemed to be reacting. Maybe she was projecting but, did Kara seem…jealous?
"I was surprised, so I stopped. It's then I saw who that was. It was I!"
Alex took another swig, this was going to be long. "What do you mean it was you?"
"It looked just like me! I got worried and flew there, to warn Lena. We talked and once I realized that woman was actually the Nazi general Overgirl I…."
"Wait wait wait" Alex shifted, grabbing the booze bottle and holding on tight. "I thought you said she died by exploding or something" These were the words Kara had actually used.
"I thought she did! But no. I don't know how she got here, she just is. She solar flared though"
"Did you arrest her?"
"What for? Lena pointed out that I couldn't just grab her and disappear. Even if I tried, I dislocated her shoulder, you should have seen Lena's face" Kara was crying a little harder at that thought, the look her friend had directed at her. This time she put as much ice cream as she could on her spoon.
Alex wasn't sure how to phrase it. "Does this mean Lena has an evil you living with her?"
"According to her she is not evil, nor is she dangerous"
Alex scoffed at that. "We know better. I take it you tried to reason with Lena and it didn't go… well?"
"It was a disaster. She thought she was Kara, she knew about the multiverse but she thought Overgirl was just another version of her best friend and Supergirl barged in. She hurt the person who looked just like her best friend. Of course Supergirl couldn't explain that…Kara was as strong as her…"
Alex drank once more wondering if in the end this whole Supergirl thing could turn Kara into a schizophrenic, she seemed to make a difference between Supergirl and Kara.
"Long story short, Lena understood that Kara Danvers is Supergirl during this surreal interaction. Now she hates me"
Alex put down her bottle. "Kara that can't be true, she is your best friend. You were just doing the best you could. You were trying to protect her from this part of your life"
"I lied to her all this time, I had so many opportunities to tell her…You should have seen the way she was looking at Supergirl, then it got worse because she was actually looking at me!" She let out a sob as she opened the next box.
"It a lot to take in. Give her some time" What else could Alex say.
Overgirl's shoulder was set after she declined any kind of pain meds. She layed on her bed until sleep took her. She wasn't sure what time it was when she opened her eyes again, but she could see light. She wanted to respect the Luthor as much as possible. Could she get out?
She stayed in bed for a while, pondering, until her bladder chose to make itself known. She got up, arm in a sling. Lowering her pants with one hand when she was still out of it, not an easy task. Once she was done she stepped out in the corridor and listened. It was very quiet.
She could see Lena's bedroom's door was ajar, the bed perfectly made. She was probably up then, was she being lazy again?
She tiptoed to the kitchen, no one in sight. When she reached the living room, she found her. The raven-haired woman was asleep on the couch, in what seemed to be a very uncomfortable position. Kara made her way toward the body, Lena looked so peaceful.
Overgirl looked at the papers around her, spread all around the room, laptop on the coffee table. She didn't understand everything but she knew the one she was reading was about artificial hearts. Lena hadn't given up on her. She suddenly felt better, not as gloomy as she had when she got up. There was hope.
She made her way back to the kitchen, she'd make breakfast.
Everything was ready but Lena was still asleep. Kara grabbed a plate, filled it with food, bacon, eggs and a waffle with syrup before going to the living room. She moved it around close to Lena's head, hoping that would wake her up. She had no idea how to nicely wake someone. She wasn't about to touch her without her consent, nor call her name after what happened the previous night. She didn't want Lena waking up thinking about her doppelganger.
Lena groaned then turned the other way around.
Kara sighed but didn't give up.
She came back once more from the kitchen but this time with a steamy coffee mug, she was carefully making her way towards the raven-haired woman, not wanting to spill, she was still a few feet away when Lena tuned. Her eyes were still closed but it was obvious that she was taking quick breaths through her nose. "Coffee?"
Her voice was so hoarse and raspy Overgirl nearly dropped the mug at the unexpected sound.
"Just how you like it"
"Hmm Kara" Slipped out Lena's lips as they slowly stretched into a smile before quickly dropping into a frown. She rolled to the side as to not be looking directly at the blonde as she opened her eyes, staring into nothingness. She hated that moment, facing reality after these few second during which she was content, not completely awake.
Overgirl kneeled to be closer to the heiress. "Lena?" She didn't get an immediate response, she felt an unfamiliar sensation, she was hurting for the human. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Is your name even Kara?"
"What?"
"Is Kara you real name or are you using it in this world because of…" Lena trailed off, not feeling like saying it out loud, it was painful enough.
"No. My name is Kara Zor-el"
Lena nodded before her eyes focused, she looked at the other woman's face. "I can't believe I could be thinking about what it means that the multiverse is a reality and the science around it. Yet I'm thinking about one more person who betrayed me. I should be used to it by now"
"I don't ever want you to get used to it, that would mean you've grown really cold. You wouldn't be you anymore, and I like this person. Which means a lot, I never like anyone"
They looked into each other eyes for a second before Lena's gaze slipped away bed comfort until she sat up.
Unsure about what she should do, Kara handed her the cup of coffee.
"Thank you" Ever so polite Lena told her as she looked down into the dark liquid.
There was a silent pause without either of them moving.
Overgirl spoke again "I made breakfast too"
"I'm not hungry"
Kara had no idea what to do, she got up and sat next to the Luthor, fidgeting with her fingers, waiting. They stayed like this, Lena wasn't drinking her coffee and Kara was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. That is until her stomach let out a loud growl, Overgirl couldn't remember the last time she felt embarrassed like this, as she blushed. "Sorry"
"Didn't you say you made breakfast?"
"I was waiting, to eat it with you" Admitted the blonde as she looked down at her hands. Lena sighed. Kara couldn't help but think that it was because of her. She jumped as she felt a hand on top of hers. She was still not used to spontaneous physical contact of this nature, comfort. She looked up but could only see Lena's back as she was standing up, pulling the blonde behind her. She led her to the kitchen, everything was set.
Lena pulled back a chair, giving a small smile at the blonde, then she went to her usual seat.
Overgirl just looked at Lena. The raven-haired woman put her cup of coffee down after taking a long sip. " Go ahead darling" It had slipped out, the young Luthor berated herself with a wince.
Kara felt hurt as she saw that expression flash on Lena's face. It must have been obvious because instantly she heard "I'm sorry. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable now that you don't have to act anymore"
"I wasn't acting"
"Really?" Lena's tone was scarily even, cold.
"I was…more myself than I have been in a very long time" Overgirl couldn't say that she couldn't help but love it when Lena used that kind of words with her, she'd like to think it meant the other woman cared.
"I'm sorry" Lena deflated a little in her seat. "It's just all so much. Aren't you going to eat?"
"I'm not sure I'll be able to swallow anything" There was another pause before she spoke again. "Do you want me to leave? I'd understand. I mean…"
Lena could see the signs of a rambling Kara, not sure if she could take it, she cut it short. "I don't want you to leave. I said I'd help you, and I will"
"I saw you were working on different kinds of artificial hearts"
"K…Kara I know you need to eat, so please eat. We can still talk, or afterwards if you'd prefer"
Overgirl looked at the food and understood she had to eat, to please the young Luthor, maybe she even had to if she wanted answers. She pilled up food into her plate and started slowly. She couldn't help but feel a small happiness spark appear once more as Lena gave her a real smile.
"Is the coffee okay? I wasn't completely certain how you'd like it"
"It's perfect, don't worry"
"Are you sure you don't want anything? Who doesn't like waffles?" She didn't know it but she was pouting as she asked. On either version of Kara, Lena couldn't resist. She grabbed a waffle, tore a piece off before dipping it into her coffee. Overgirl smiled over her own plate.
There was another moment of silence while they ate, lost in their own minds, but this time it wasn't heavy, it felt kind of homey and right.
As she refilled her plate Kara asked again. "So, about these artificial hearts?"
"I'm looking for a viable solution. The fact that you are Kryptonian changes everything. Obviously, we can't hope for a donor"
Overgirl merely nodded, no comment.
"What about your powers anyway? What happened? Do you have any idea about when they might come back?"
"I'm not sure. I know if I use too much energy, I can become pretty much human. My cells store solar energy, as you might know, I probably ran out, or maybe it has to do with the drugs they were giving me or…I don't know. I wasn't supposed to get to this universe"
Lena nodded "Okay, so you'll need to avoid sunlight, operating on you would be so much more complicated if you had your powers"
"If it was necessary I have the designs for a red sun lamp, it pretty much turns me into a human too. The yellow sun has that effect on me, not the red sun I first grew up under"
"Good to know. I was looking at what kind of technologies I could use. I'm not sure what your body would reject, a human heart that's for sure, but I wonder if your own body would crush a traditional artificial heart, you know metal, plastic, silicone"
Overgirl frowned. "I couldn't say"
"Even if your body didn't damage it, you'd never be able to do anything too strenuous. I'm not even sure you could fly too fast without taking the risk of damaging it"
Kara poked her bacon, she didn't like what she was hearing.
"It all leads to one thing I keep thinking about. Nanotechnology"
"You have this knowledge on this earth?" Overgirl couldn't hide her surprise.
"Not exactly. I worked on it with a friend before. It didn't go well. The particles overtook his body and he died"
"It was used on Krypton, maybe I could help"
"Do you have any scientific knowledge?"
"I was raised to be part of the science guild on Krypton, I was young when they sent me away but I remember many things" They were numerous fond memories with her father.
Lena felt a pang, she couldn't help but wonder if it had been the same for her…no, for the Kara from this universe. Did she understand what she was talking about all this time and was just playing her? Had she been such a big fool? She swallowed it all down. "We don't have anything to lose by looking at it together"
Overgirl nodded as she was wiping the last bit of maple and chocolate syrup mixed together on her plate. "I'll give you the design for the red sunlamps, just in case" Whatever happened, even if it wasn't for her, Overgirl would know Lena would have something against her doppelganger in case she'd ever need it.
Kara Danvers was awakened by a very loud banging, her eyes started to open but she shut them immediately, the sun, it was too bright. The world shouldn't be this bright when she felt like it was crumbling around her. She was very thankful she was still technically on vacation and didn't have to show up to work.
The banging wasn't stopping, she rolled over on her couch, she had slept there refusing to go to bed no matter how many times Alex told her to. She pulled her bed comforter over her head. She didn't want to face the world. Not today.
Still the banging wasn't stopping and there was a familiar voice with it. What the f…frack was Sam doing?
Alex emerged from her sister's bedroom, she had slept in a real bed. She was wearing shorts and a tank top, her short hair tousled, she was passing her hand through it as she asked. "What's going on? Where is my gun?"
Kara either moaned again or her voice was too muffled by the couch her face was pressing down on.
Alex recognized Sam's voice too, she seemed angry as she ordered Kara to open her door.
Alex knew it fell onto her to do it. She opened the door, a little cranky "What?!"
Sam took a step back, surprised to be facing a barefoot, pyjama clad Alex. It didn't last long "I need to see your sister"
"I never would have guessed" Sarcastically commented the agent before being a little nice as she asked. "What's the rush? What's going on?"
"I told her not to hurt Lena after I walked in on them"
Alex frowned. "Walked in on them?" It was too early, she had spent the night taking care of her broken-hearted sister and then this. She couldn't catch a break.
"Oh she didn't tell you did she? She was very much naked and Lena was…"
Alex cut her off. "What?!" She had gone pale.
At the same moment they heard a loud thud coming from inside the apartment.
"Was that your sister?" Sam moved to get in but Alex wouldn't let her pass. She was always protecting her sister, even more so when she was still wearing her Supergirl outfit while being surround by empty ice cream containers piles.
"Alex let me through"
"No. Not when you are like this and now is really not a good time for Kara"
"I want to know what happened. Lena is missing work once more. I called and she didn't want to talk, she seemed very off when I asked about Kara and pretty much hanged up on me. I went to see her at her place, where I was told Miss Luthor wasn't seeing anyone. She isn't picking up her phone anymore. Which mean she is very upset. What did your sister do?"
"They... they had a fight. It's complicated. Kara is very upset too. I don't want you to add to it"
Sam calmed down a little as she heard that. "Fine. But at some point, someone'd better tell me what's going on"
"Okay" Responded Alex. "Just not now. I really have to get back to my sister"
"I just hope this won't come in and mess with our relationship, I know Ruby is really looking forward to that trip to the arcade you promised her"
"Don't worry. I'll be there"
Sam nodded. "Then I guess I'd better go"
Alex nodded to. "I'll call you and Ruby later. I promise"
"Later then" Sam tried to smile as she turned around and walked down the corridor.
Alex closed the door and leaned on it. Closed her eyes, took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes she jumped, she didn't expect Kara to be standing this close to her, looking furious.
"She slept with Lena!"
Alex raised her hands in front of her as she saw her sister's eyes start to glow. "Take a deep breath, you need to calm down"
Kara clenched her eyes shut as she turned away.
All the DEO agent thought she could say was stuck in her throat, they were both processing the implications of what they had just learned.
It was painful to look at her sister like that, she was obviously hurting, this last news seemed to have added a layer to Kara's griefs. The blonde turned back to her, eyes back to her normal blue but they were teary, she raised a hand and passed it through her golden locks.
Kara felt overwhelmed, so many feelings were crashing down on her. After feeling rejected the previous night by her best friend she was learning that Lena had slept with her alter ego. She didn't understand why that thought hurt so much. She had that ached in the middle of her chest. And int the background there was that voice, it was so trivial but…
"I can't believe…Lena likes women…"
Alex couldn't keep it in and let out a strange laugh.
"it's not funny Alex!"
"I'm sorry, you're right" Alex rubbed her hand on her shorts, cleared her throat "This is…" She wasn't sure what this was. She was a little surprised the Kryptonian's was more focused on Lena's sexuality than anything else. She didn't have to came up with something to say.
"I can't believe Lena would have sex with m…her! She looks just like me, but she is not! How am I supposed to take it?! Oh Rao! Lena saw me naked!"
"Kara you need to slow down" Tried Alex.
"Do you think she knew the general wasn't me when she slept with her?" This was pretty much when she lost her. Kara walked away, she paced, talking so fast her sister couldn't understand her. She watched her go on like that for a few minutes before she stepped in front of the blonde. "Kara, stop. I know this is going to be very difficult but you have to try and not overthink it. Take a deep breath. Good. Now, what do we know?"
"The general didn't die and reappeared in our universe"
"Which means she'd been there for just a few days" Added Alex as she nodded.
"And it seems she is staying with Lena "
"Lena had to think the general was you at some point to let her get this close so fast"
"So how did they go from an encounter to pretty much living together?"
Alex gave her sister a look, while she couldn't help but think about U-hauls.
"No" Was Kara's firm deny. "Lena obviously doesn't take it well when someone isn't completely honest with her. Had she found out the general wasn't who she thought she was after…" She couldn't say it. "The general wouldn't still be living with her"
"Good, then you know Lena didn't think she was having sex with you"
Supergirl clenched her jaw as she breathed out though her nose.
Carefully Alex approached the subject. "Did you want Lena to think she was having sex with you?"
"No!"
"It doesn't seem that way" Stated the red head.
"I don't…" Kara wasn't even sure what she was exactly feeling, let alone formulate it. "It's going to sound strange, but with the relationship we have, I don't want her to have sex with anyone else that looks like me" Her voice got higher as she finished.
There was a short pause before Alex asked slowly and quietly. "Anyone else?"
"I…I mean…She is my best friend, yet she never pursued me and when she gets the change, she has sex with an exact copy of me" She opened her mouth to add something but couldn't voice. What is wrong with me?
" I've seen the texts, listened to you talk about your interactions, seen you two together. She flirts with you a lot"
"No she doesn't!" Was Kara instantaneous come back.
"Kara. She does. Sometimes I could have sworn you were too, I was never sur but I guess I was wrong"
The blonde opened and closed her mouth a few times, replaying the time she spent with Lena, the crinkle appeared. She could see it, some of it did seem like flirting. "I'm always like that"
"True, most of the time you are, but how is Lena with other people?" While Kara was thinking about it Alex kept on going. "The first time we met, in your apartment she had this reaction, very cold, until she realized I was your sister"
Kara groaned and walked away. " Where are you going?!" Alex didn't have to wait. She followed her sister as she went back to her couch, laid back down on her stomach and covered herself with her bed comforter again, hiding her face. "And we're back to square one" Remarked the Deo agent.