"Happy birthday!" Kara exclaimed the exact moment she got out of her room, a huge smile on her face as she run to hug her cousin. "You're six, How are you feeling?" her cousin asked picking her up.
"Good" she smiled making Kara laugh.
"Have you grown up?" Kara questioned to what she shook her head. "Are you sure? You look a little bigger" her cousin tickled her. "Okay, just as you requested, you have a special breakfast... Ice cream!" the older kryptonian exclaimed.
"Yay!" she giggled while Kara sat her on a stool a bowl of chocolate and vanilla ice cream in front of her, so she didn't waste any time and started eating it.
She couldn't avoid smiling excitedly while her cousin explained her everything they would be doing that day, noticing that Kara was trying to distract herself with her birthday, like if it was an excuse to forget everything that had happened two weeks ago.
When they were ready, they left to the park with her bicycle because they would spend the day there, only the two of them as she had asked her cousin a few days ago.
Kara had been pushing herself to be Supergirl, everyone's hero, to save all the people of National City, but she kind of had the feeling that her cousin had forgotten about her, about the person who looked up to be like her.
While riding her bike she couldn't avoid all those times they had been there with Mon-El, which brought tears to her eyes, having to blink in an attempt for them not to get out of her eyes, forcing herself to smile when she heard her cousin cheering her.
They both had a picnic, Kara just wanting to make her smile by all means, so that's why her cousin ended up tickling her as she lay on the blanket laughing out loud, trying to stay away from her cousin's hands.
"Halley, sweetie, we have to go back home" she heard her cousin yelling at her, so she turn, not wanting to leave, she was having fun with the other kids in the playground.
"Already?" she asked approaching her cousin, who nodded. "Okay" she sighed grabbing Kara's hand.
"Did you have fun?" her cousin asked while they were walking back home.
"Yeah, I made so many friends" she smiled proudly.
She tighten the grip in her cousin's hand when they open the door and everyone screamed "happy birthday", scaring her as she couldn't avoid to turn towards Kara, hugging her legs to stay behind her. However, that fact only made her cousin to laugh while picking her up, her face hiding in Kara's neck.
"It's okay" her cousin tried to calm her down.
"Happy birthday, kiddo" Alex whispered brushing her hair, making her to smile a little.
"Do you like it?" Kara asked as she observed the living room, it was a dragon's theme party, so she couldn't avoid nodding with tears in her eyes, she would have like to have Mon-El there with them.
She greeted everyone there, sitting next to Winn on the couch observing how her cousin was bringing a cake to her, everyone singing before Kara asked her to blow the candles. After eating cake she started opening some presents, but leaving one of them to the end just as Kara had told her.
"This is from... Winn" her cousin said giving her a box.
She started opening with curiosity, the symbol of the House of El was the first thing that she saw, pulling out a suit similar to her cousin's.
"Oh, wow, you're own suit" Kara exclaimed.
"Thank you" she hugged Winn with the suit still in her hands.
"You're so much welcome, kiddo" Winn embraced her before ruffling her hair.
"Can I try it on?" she asked seeing her cousin nod, so they went to the bathroom to change.
Once she was changed, they went back to the living room, Kara joking about her being "Superkid", but they had to be cautious because Lena was there and that was the reason why her cousin was keeping a present for when they would be alone.
"Okay, this is from... Mon-El" Kara said as everyone stop talking, taking it from her cousin's hands kind of insecure.
She opened it slowly, her fingers gently caressing the book's cover, a dragon was drawn on it, but she couldn't avoid tears from falling down her cheeks when she read what Mon-El had written at the first page.
"Happy birthday, kiddo,
This was my first book about dragons and I loved reading every single thing about them, but now I want you to have it, so we can read it together and you can enjoy it as well.
Love you,
Mon-El"
"Oh, Halley, baby" Kara wrapped her arms around her, letting her hide her face in her shoulder as she continued to sob. "It's about dragons, huh?" her cousin tried to distract her, but she couldn't stop crying.
She stayed like that for a few more minutes until she was calmed enough, observing the book, a wide smile on her face as she saw every single drawing and picture in it, her eyes widening when a picture slide out of the book, in which appeared a blue and golden dragon. It was Saffire and she could tell that the young boy that was standing next to the dragon was Mon-El.
An hour later they were alone at the apartment, moment in which her cousin gave her the last present, a kryptonian amulet. However, she closed her eyes after watching the design of the necklace, tears fighting to get out of her eyes.
"Mommy had a necklace like this one" she whispered taking it in her hands, remembering how she felt when Indigo broke it. "Thanks" she looked at her cousin before hugging at her.
"Don't thank, little one" Kara whispered embracing her tightly.
Her cousin's chin was above her head as she remained with her eyes closed listening to Kara's heartbeat, remembering that her cousin had asked her to make a wish while blowing the candles, but the only thing she whised was for never lose her cousin, for never be alone.
"Wake up, baby, it's your first day of school" her cousin brushed her brown her away from her face as she frown, not really wanting to get up. "You're gonna have so much fun" Kara tried to convince her, but she shook her head.
"I don't want to go" she whispered still with her eyes close.
"Why not?" Kara asked.
"What if they don't like me?" she asked opening her eyes to look at her cousin.
"What? That's stupid, kiddo, they're gonna like you, you'll make so many friends just like you do at the park" her cousin answered.
"It's not the same, I've never been with so many kids before" she pointed out making Kara sighed.
"Hey, Halley, listen to me, I know you're scared, but you're the bravest child I've ever met and you'll go there and be just as you are, it's going to be okay" her cousin reassured her, making her nod. "Do you want to bring Saffire?" Kara asked.
"No, he could get lost" she answered shaking her head. "Can I pick any other toy?" she asked seeing her cousin nod.
With that she got up from the bed and grabbed one of the figures, putting it in the backpack that was hanging at the doorknob before following her cousin to the kitchen.
"What would you like for breakfast?" Kara asked.
"Cereal" she answered as her cousin frown, but the truth was that she wasn't hungry at all.
Kara had been preparing her for that day for weeks, trying to explain her everything that would happen so she wouldn't be nervous, but she was as well as afraid of not fitting in with the rest of kids.
After finishing her breakfast she changed into her clothes, letting Kara make two messy buns at the top of her head, leaving a few strands free from the bangs.
She held her cousin's hand tightly while walking to the main entrance, her heart beats increasing with every second that passed, not ready to let go from Kara's hand.
"Hi, you must be Halley, right?" a Woman smiled at her while questioning, just as she tried to hide behind her cousin.
"She's a little shy" Kara commented with a smile while looking at her.
"Oh, there's no need to be shy, kiddo" the woman said. "I'm going to be your teacher, I'm miss Taylor" the teacher introduced herself, shaking her hand. "We should be starting the lesson" miss Taylor commented.
"Could I talked to her first?" her cousin asked seeing the woman nodded, so Kara kneeled in front of her, grabbing her face in her hands. "It will be okay, baby" Kara whispered.
"Don't leave me" she begged observing how her cousin closed her eyes, it was being difficult for both of them.
"I'll come back, I promise, I'll be here for lunch time, kiddo" her cousin promised. "I love you, little one" Kara kissed her forehead before standing up.
"Okay, you're ready to go?" the teacher asked, but she didn't answer anything, she just looked towards her cousin. "Don't worry, she'll be fine" miss Taylor said making Kara nod. "Say goodbye, kiddo"
She didn't want to look one last time to her cousin, because she knew that she would run to Kara and never let her go.
Kara looked back to her baby cousin one last time feeling bad for leaving the six year old there when she knew that the child wasn't good with it.
She flew to CatCo already being late, preparing a excuse to tell Lena, still getting used to have her best friend as her boss.
"Kara, you're okay?" Lena asked approaching her desk.
"I... I don't know" she held her head. "I feel so bad having to leave Halley at school" she answered sincerely.
"How was she?" Lena questioned.
"Scared" she whispered with a lump in her throat. "She thinks I'm going to leave her there and never pick her up, she's scared of being alone" she explained. "I feel so horrible, seeing her little face while begging me not to leave her there, it broke my heart" she admitted.
"It will get better for both of you, she will get use to it" Lena tried to reassure her. "She's so curious, she's gonna love it" her friend told her, to what she nodded.
Halley was always asking about everything, so it was true that she would love to learn about different things and having answers to some of her questions.
By lunch time she went back to the school ready to pick her cousin up, being surprised when she saw Halley playing with some others kids, but smiling widely at her when she saw her.
"Kara!" the six year old exclaimed while waving at her.
"How was it?" she asked the teacher as her cousin picked her backpack.
"At first she was a little shy, but she seems to get along with the rest of the kids, specially with Levi" miss Taylor told her making her smile kind of relief to know that it hadn't been at worse as she had expected. "See you tomorrow, Halley" the teacher smiled.
"Bye!" Halley waved surprising her, the child wasn't as shy as that morning. "I'm coming tomorrow, right?" her cousin asked.
"You liked it, huh?" she smiled because of her question.
"It was fun and I learnt a lot of things" the child answered excitedly. "I've made a lot of friends, but I already have a best friend, Levi, he likes dragons, too" the six year old smiled.
"That's great, kiddo" she picked her up.
Halley rested her head over her shoulder still telling her about everything she had done during that day at school.
A nightmare woke her up, tears falling down her cheeks as she tried to yell her cousin's name, but nothing came out of her mouth, so she got up to look for Kara.
However, she stop walking when she heard her cousin crying and talking with Alex, so she advanced a little bit more only to watch both sisters embracing each other.
"I'm sorry about what I said the other day, you're right, I've been pushing myself to be Supergirl" Kara apologized. "I... I miss him and Kara Danvers feels broken right now, Supergirl is capable of saving others and that's what I need" her cousin explained while crying.
"I know, but you need to know that there are so many people that believe in you and not as Supergirl" Alex told her little sister. "Halley look up to be like you, she believes in you" the agent said.
She remembered the argument Kara and Alex had had a few days ago, the one in which Kara admitted to be broken because of what had happened six months ago.
She missed Mon-El too, but in those six months she had managed to move on little by little even if it was still hurtful to remember it.
"Kara" she called her cousin in just a whisper.
"Hey, I thought you were sleeping" Kara said wiping her tears.
"I have a nightmare" she told her sitting between both sisters. "Can I stay with you?" she asked.
"Sure, kiddo" Kara smiled.
Alex covered the three of them with a blanket before both sisters embrace her, a smile in her face, she was happy to be able to call them family.
Hi!
I wrote another chapter in just one day, which is a record for me.
Let me know what you think, thanks so much for reading,
Ayrin