It took four days for Kara to wake up. Alex noticed how all of the new people overwhelmed Kara, so she told J'onn to give her time to adjust. Emma recovered faster than anyone expected. Less than seventy-two hours passed before she was up and moving around. Though that might've had more to do with her stubbornness than the whole 'magic born' thing Regina kept mentioning. Alex wanted to ask more questions, but she sensed some kind of tension brewing. She couldn't figure it out, but it seemed as if they were teetering on the edge of collapse. Emotions were running high, and it felt as if something was bound to break. Emmett and Rosalie were away from the bunker more, spending time on the main floor with J'onn to get things back in order. Emma locked herself in physical therapy, bonding with Winn and barely speaking unless spoken to. Regina and Kelly were almost always together, huddled together and speaking in whispers. Alex wasn't jealous. She knew why Kelly was monopolizing Regina's time.

As Emma and Kara came to consciousness, Kieran coded twice. It scared everyone, including J'onn, who joined Alex in stabilizing the former princess. Whatever Lex injected her with had reacted negatively in her body, and Kieran couldn't fight it without help. But the worst part was over, and Kieran woke up shortly before Kara. She didn't let anyone but J'onn or Alex in, and like Emma, she didn't say a damn thing until someone asked her a direct question. Alex knew, though, that it wasn't out of spite or anger. Kieran was guilty, and she wasn't ready to face her family. J'onn's words, not Alex's assumptions, but it made sense. When Kieran coded the second time, it was no secret they thought that was it. Bella was the one who took over the CPR, absentmindedly mentioning having to do it when she lived in London, and she refused to let Kieran go. Not that it mattered, seeing as everyone else was focused on Emmett and Regina. Rosalie worked hard to keep Emmett at bay, and J'onn had to bring Regina back from the edge. Losing a child was never easy, and he was the only one who could calm her down. Alex worked with Bella to bring Kieran back. She knew all too well that there was no reasonable reaction to losing your sister. It took far too long, way longer than Alex knew was medically possible, but Kieran opened her eyes. Exhaustion won out with Bella, and she collapsed next to her sister. Alex saw the orange and red magic swirling between Bella's hands and the space over Kieran's heart, and she realized there was nothing scientific about Kieran's resurrection. Magic had stepped in where science failed.

The dynamic changed from then on. Kara never knew what happened to Kieran. Alex begged everyone not to say anything until she got the chance to tell her, and her sister went to the part of the DEO roof that wasn't destroyed. She laid under the sun with Alex under the shade, gun in hand. After another two days, Nia and Brainy were able to move around and help Emmett and J'onn with the main floor as best they could. Emma and Winn came out of their self-imposed isolation and started interacting with everyone. Emma walked with a slight limp, but that was the only indication she'd gotten shot. Winn adjusted to his wheelchair with little fanfare and routinely lifted everyone's spirits by making pirate jokes because of his eye patch. In the short time that they'd known one another, the makeshift and dysfunctional family forged bonds that would last a lifetime no matter what part of the multiverse they lived in. But that tension was there. Alex bonded with Bella in the meantime, and she was aware something was off with the brunette. There were flashes of orange in her eyes, flickering on and off like a broken light switch, and fire sparked from her fingertips randomly as she walked through the bunker.

Bella was bound to break at some point, and it made sense that the cause of her undoing was also her redemption.

Kieran sighed as the ice around her door melted, and she finished putting on the DEO shirt J'onn snagged from her. She ignored the burn marks over her heart and the person standing behind her. The heat in the room skyrocketed, and Kieran didn't flinch when a too-hot hand landed on her shoulder. She stared at her sister, knowing that the lack of physical contact did nothing to hide the fear she was feeling, and Bella's face was expertly neutral. Not even her eyes gave her away, and Kieran knew she was in trouble. It was one thing to piss off their mother, but Kieran always hated disappointing her sister.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," she said.

And physically, she was. Bella hummed and released her shoulder, eyes going to something behind her. Several emotions passed over Bella's face in the meantime, and the silence ate at Kieran's nerves. She would have to be the one to start the conversation.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked.

"Mad does not begin to cover the way I am feeling." Bella blinked, and orange connected with green. A cold smile crossed Bella's features that told Kieran she was more than in trouble. She'd pushed Bella too far, and whatever would happen next would hurt more than anything Lex could've done. "But you knew that, didn't you? Because you took my name off the visiting list, which is a bold testament to how far you were willing to go to avoid me."

"Emmett's name wasn't on the list either," she argued weakly.

"And neither was Mom's, but she's nice enough to let it slide for now. I'm not." Bella cocked her head and frowned. "You know, you almost fooled me. You almost made me believe that the person who came to Storybrooke hadn't changed, but it's my fault for falling for it. I should've known that being a Luthor went beyond sharing the same blood. It was a learned behavior, and you are a Luthor through and through."

That stung, and she made the first worst mistake of the morning. She started to cry, and Bella smelled blood.

"Did that offend you?" Bella mocked. "Do you want me to apologize? Because from where I'm standing, Lena Mills would not have left without telling anyone. She would have made a plan, then she would have made a plan for the first plan, and she would not have allowed herself to be drugged by her brother. And yes, I said her brother. Because at the end of the day, Lex was family, right? You Luthors sure know how to stick together." Bella stepped forward, backing Kieran until she was against the wall. "Are you that confident in your abilities that you could have fought off an alien tranquilizer to save Kara in time? Because if so, then I lost my sister the day she fell through that portal. My sister would have spoken to someone before making a reckless decision because she's not the reckless one. My sister would not have been a fucking idiot and run and face off against the source of her trauma without backup! So tell me, why shouldn't I take my family back to Storybrooke and leave you here to pretend a little longer? You do have a funeral to prepare for. Then again, who the fuck's coming to see the little bastard, Lena Luthor cry over two people who would have rather seen her dead than show her an ounce of love! She was nothing more than the freak who fell from the sky-

The second mistake was more of an impulsive response, but that didn't make it any better. Bella's head snapped back from the punch, and Kieran paled.

"Shit," she whispered.

Kieran didn't give Bella a chance to recover. She jumped on the bed, scrambling to the door and just being out of reach for Bella's outstretched hands. Kieran ran out of the bunker to the DEO. She ducked on instinct, missing the fireball aimed for her head, and she sprinted down the tunnel. Kieran swept her arm in a circle and half-heartedly sent random items to slow Bella down. She seriously needed to get above ground because Bella could bring the whole damn DEO down if she wanted. Kieran burst into the street, stopping briefly to get her bearings, and she ran to the side entrance. Kieran broke the lock just as Bella emerged, and if the flames pouring from her hands wasn't a sign, the solid orange eyes were a fucking warning. Kieran entered the building, side-stepped another fireball, and she caught Emmett's eyes.

"Move!" she shouted.

Emmett grabbed Rosalie and J'onn just as the door exploded behind her. Kieran dropped and slid on her knees, bending back as the door passed over her head. It crashed into the wall, and Kieran twisted around as she came to a stop.

"What the hell did you do?!" Emmett shouted.

"She started it!" Kieran shouted back.

"Then end it before Mom gets here!"

"No shit," Kieran huffed.

"Did I hurt your feelings, little Luthor?" Bella taunted.

"Isabella, I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving," she exclaimed.

Bella paused at that, and her eyes cleared.

"You think this is because you left?" she asked.

"Isn't it?" she asked weakly.

Bella twitched, and Kieran held up her hands, forming an ice shield. She kept it up but did not block her face. She wanted to calm Bella down, not antagonize her into a full-fledged fight.

"You died. Twice," Bella gritted out.

"I know," Kieran said. "I felt you pull me back."

"And then you shut me out."

"I," Kieran paused and slowly stood up, "I was scared, okay? I knew you'd be mad at me, and I didn't know how to handle it."

"So you lock me out? And let everyone else in but me?"

Kieran wanted to point out that technically no one was allowed to see her but J'onn and Alex, but she bit her tongue and got rid of the shield.

"I can handle Mom being angry and Emmett being upset, but I couldn't… I can't handle disappointing you or making you angry with me."

"Really?" Bella deadpanned. Kieran pouted a little, and Bella huffed, extinguishing the fire. "When are you going to get it through your thick skull that you and I are a package deal? You do not run into the fire without me, just as I would not brace a blizzard without you."

"Then stop treating me like some damsel in distress. You make me feel like I can't do things without you hovering."

Bella lifted her head and closed her eyes, putting her hands on her hips. "Kieran, I've never believed you couldn't do it without me. I know you can. I've watched you accomplish things that no one else ever will because you're made of something so damned special that is only found in you. You are so focused on proving that you can do something without help, and if you can't, someone has to pick up the pieces. And that's almost always me. Not Mom, not Emmett, and no one else but me. I'm ripping people apart because you wanted to explore the castle alone even though Mama told us to stay out of sight. I'm strangling grown men with my bare hands because you want to go to a tavern and prove you can drink a full pint, and they see an innocent little girl ripe for the plucking. I'm burning someone alive because he was going to kill you once he got what he wanted from you."

"But I didn't ask you to do that!"

"Then who else is going to protect you?" Bella huffed.

"Izzy, I can protect myself." Kieran held up her hand. "And if I can't, and if I get hurt, I want my big sister there to make me feel better. But that's all I've wanted. I," she paused and took a step forward, "All I've ever wanted was to show you that I'm good enough to be your sister. All I want is to make you proud of me. You're so strong and brave, and you make me feel safe. I just want to be that for you. I can be strong too. I can do it myself, but it felt like you never needed my help. That you still don't need… me the way I need you."

Bella deflated, and she crossed the small space between them. She cupped Kieran's face and said, "Who do you think I'm being strong for, huh? Kieran, you've always been my source of strength. Everything that I am is because of you. I am who I am because you are who you are. I have been proud of you since the day you were born, and that has never changed. Ever. I'm so, so sorry for what I said. You're more than a Luthor. Hell, you might be a better Mills than I can ever hope to be. I was way out of line, and it wasn't fair for me to say any of that. Mom warned me not to see you yet, but I thought… I thought I had a better handle on my emotions, but I didn't. I've only been scared twice in my life. The first time was when I fell through the portal. The second time was when your heart stopped beating. I would have sacrificed everything to switch places with you because this world, any world, would be lost without you in it."

Kieran reached up and squeezed Bella's hands.

"You idiot," she murmured. "I'd bring you back to life with some immoral resurrection spell."

"Even if I was a zombie?"

"I could have the trifecta," Kieran joked. "A vampire brother, a zombie sister, and a witch for a Mom."

"You forgot alien girlfriend."

"She's not – fuck you."

Bella chuckled and kissed her on the forehead.

"I promise to be a better sister. I promise to communicate and listen, and I promise to trust you. And I promise to be there, no matter what."

"Don't get me wrong. I love how protective you are of me, but let me try first before you come blazing in," Kieran said, looking up at her. "And I already knew about all the people you hurt. I've always known, but I never wanted you to feel guilty, so I didn't say anything. You're a hothead, literally, so I know you're going to have these crazy outbursts. So, you're forgiven."

"Can I ask who taught you how to punch? Because it was not me," Bella asked wryly.

"Yeah, I had to learn when I got here. And I'm not sorry for it." Kieran shrugged and looked down. "You called me a bastard, and that hurt," she said.

"I wanted it to," Bella admitted.

"Mission achieved." Kieran puffed out her cheeks and closed her eyes, laying her head on Bella's shoulder. "Can we just be sisters? No more fighting like this. I want you to steal my ice cream when you think I'm not looking and change my ringtones to something obnoxious. I want to have sleepovers in front of the tv and watch scary movies even though I hate them. But you love them, and you never make fun of me when I scream or hide under the covers. You just hold me and tell me when it's safe again. I want to have flour wars while we make muffins and climb trees even though you cheat all the time. I can't do this again. I can't want to hurt you as much as you want to hurt me."

"We might need therapy."

"Archie is a cricket."

Bella burst into laughter and knocked her head against Kieran's gently.

"Don't be mean. Archie's doing his best."

"Whatever. You're an asshole."

"I know."

"And I'm telling Mom what you said."

"Yeah, she knows. She's been glaring at me the last five minutes."

Kieran lifted her head and looked to the side, seeing Regina in the corner with her arms folded.

"Oooh, you're in trouble," she teased.

"Think I can make a run for it?" she fake-whispered.

"Not a chance."

"Hm."

Kieran sighed and stepped back.

"I'm sorry I died," she said.

"Yeah, don't do that again, okay? Mom almost killed J'onn, and Rosalie got a broken arm for her troubles with your vampire brother."

"It was an accident!" Emmett exclaimed.

Kieran snorted and looked around, seeing they'd gathered quite the audience. Nia was crying, which made sense, and Emma seemed…guilty? Kieran made a mental note to talk to her when they got back. The only people missing were Alex and Kara.

"Your girlfriend is fine," Bella said. "She's under something called the sun lamps, eating twice her body weight in dumplings."

"They're called potstickers here," Kieran corrected. "And she's not my girlfriend!"

"Say that to your face. You're the color of a fire truck."

"Fuck off, and in case the punch wasn't cluing enough, fuck you."

"Love you too, little one. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go do something important in another dimension."

Bella ran in the opposite direction of Regina, and Kieran laughed when their mother disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"You think she's going to kill her?" Emmett asked, appearing at her side.

"Doubt it, but she's so grounded."

Alex sat on the bench and watched Kara perform push-ups using a Jeep. She sliced up an orange, wary about the amount of strength Kara was exerting, and she wondered how long before J'onn noticed Kara wasn't under the sun lamps anymore.

"I can hear that you are worrying," Kara grunted, glancing over her shoulder. "I'm fine."

"Oh, no. I'm not worried about you. I'm worried for you when J'onn finds out you're working out when you should be resting."

"I couldn't lie there any longer, Alex."

"Why? All you were doing was avoiding the group of strangers who are connected to your girlfriend."

Kara fumbled and nearly dropped the car, but she saved it and threw it back in the junk pile. It made a loud, screeching noise that had them both covering their ears. Kara jumped up and sped over to the bench, stealing the rest of Alex's orange. She made a whining sound in the back of her throat, and Kara stuck out her tongue.

"That's what you get for being a meanie."

"Okay, one, how was I being mean? Two, you don't even like oranges!"

"I wasn't going to eat it."

"Then what- Kara! Give me back my orange!"

"Nope. Apologize."

"For what, you psychopath?"

"Now, that's rude." Alex twitched, and Kara held out the orange. "Kieran's not my girlfriend," she said.

"Please. You're already packed and ready to follow Kieran to Storybrooke tomorrow." Kara froze, and Alex gave her a knowing smile. "I figured this whole near-death experience would change your mind. Plus, Eliza texted me and said I should be prepared to say goodbye. It wasn't hard to put two and two together after that."

"Alex…"

"No, it's okay. I made my peace with it before all of this happened, and when Brainy secretly admitted that he made multiple watches in the safety of his private, private lab. More than enough for me to pop in on you for a few weeks. Did you know time works differently there? He said they've been here for close to six days, yet it's only been five hours in their world? That means I can annoy you for a year, and it'd be the equivalent of my vacation time at the DEO."

"First, it's unhealthy to work as much as you do. Second, I don't even know if Kieran'll say yes. And I have to ask her Mom."

"Regina might give you a hard time, but Kieran will say yes."

"How do you know?"

"Because only an idiot will say no to you, and Kieran's proven time and time again that she's not an idiot. Except recently, but I'll chalk that up to desperation."

"What if I don't have my powers in this new universe?"

"It's the same sun, Kara," Alex snorted. "You could be the Kryptonian Knight. Lady KK."

"And this is why Cat should be in charge of all superhero naming."

"I almost called you Kara the Kryptonian Knight, but I felt like you walking around with a massive KKK on your chest will send the wrong message."

"That is a massive understatement."

Alex grinned and held out a slice of her orange. Kara scrunched her nose and pushed it away.

"You do know you're going to have to eat more fruits and veggies if you want to grow big and strong."

"My body's ninety percent sticky buns, ten percent potstickers. If I eat anything healthy, it might upset my natural balance."

"Your math is off."

"How so?"

"You're not ninety percent sticky buns. You're one-hundred-percent full of bullshit."

"Shouldn't you be nicer to me?"

"This is me being nice," Alex said pointedly.

Kara grinned and nudged her shoulder. The sisters sat in silence before Alex slumped forward.

"What am I going to do without you?" she whispered.

"The same thing you were doing with me. Living," Kara said.

"Are you sure she's worth it?"

Kara squinted at the ceiling and said, "I think she is, but who knows? I may come back broken-hearted and cursing ever thinking someone like her could love someone like me. I could stay there, marry her, and adopt kids before coming back and introducing them to their crazy Aunt Alex. Or I can come back, knowing that I gave it a shot and it didn't work out. But in all of those scenarios, I come back. I always come back."

"You almost didn't this time," Alex sighed.

"I had faith you'd find me. You're my big sis." Alex grunted and turned away, glaring at the door. Kara didn't take it personally. She leaned over and laid her head on her shoulder, grabbing the hand that didn't have the orange in it. She squeezed it, knowing her sister wouldn't want anything else, and added, "One thing I've always known is that at the end of the day, you're there. No matter what. We don't share the same blood, but there is no one else meant to be my sister."

"Shut up," Alex scoffed, wiping at her eyes. "We're not having a moment."

"Are you going to put a sappy letter in my bag?" Kara asked.

"There's already one in there," she muttered.

Kara laughed and kissed Alex on the cheek.

"I do think Kieran and I are meant for something special."

"You said the same thing about Ginny from calculus."

"Okay, that's not fair! She made me cookies!"

"Right, the steppingstones to a lifelong relationship," she deadpanned.

"They were good cookies," Kara pouted.

Alex grinned and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Kara."

"Gross."

Alex pushed Kara off the bench. She knew Kara let her do it, but the sight more than made up for it. Then, J'onn cleared his throat. Kara and Alex looked to the side and pointed at one another.

"You two are unbelievable," he sighed.

Regina threw a pen at her daughter's head as she left the room. They didn't argue, per se, but Regina did agree they needed therapy.

"We're having family counseling and private sessions when we get back."

"Archie's a cricket!"

"We'll be meeting with Pocahontas," Regina deadpanned.

"Rose will kill me if I'm near her."

"An added benefit."

"Ouch, Mom."

Regina rolled her eyes and dismissed her.

"Oh, and you're grounded for a month."

Isabella groaned loudly and stomped off. Regina rubbed her temples and made her way down the hall. She had reservations about allowing Isabella to go in alone, but her daughter needed a release. The last couple of days had been emotionally charged, and having Kieran flatline was the tipping point. Isabella was a walking timebomb, and Kieran was the only person who could balance her again. Regina just didn't count on Isabella saying what she said or Kieran punching Isabella. But it worked out, and Regina counted it as a win. Regina's steps led her to Emma, and she stopped to watch the blonde get her exercise in for the day. Science in National City was far greater than Storybrooke, but magic was still magic. Emma was almost back to her old self, which was great because they needed to get home, and Red would have a fit if Emma showed up in less than perfect condition.

"You're staring."

Regina blinked to find Emma right in front of her, and she glanced down at Emma's waist. The scar was barely noticeable, but Regina could still see it as she ran her fingers over it. Emma grabbed her wrist and pulled her close.

"I don't know what I'm doing," she confessed.

"And makes you think I do? You turn me into a teenage boy every time I see you," she said.

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Yes."

Regina rolled her eyes and adjusted their position, dropping her arms on Emma's shoulders. She never appreciated their slight height difference until that moment.

"Are you wearing high tops?" Emma asked, glancing down.

"It was either this or combat boots."

"The boots might've been hot on you."

"Oh, please. You know everything looks hot on me."

Emma made a show of looking her up and down. She bit her bottom lip and said, "I bet –

"If you say what I think you're about to say, I will stab you in the stomach."

"Promise?"

Regina put her hand against Emma's face and pushed her away. Emma laughed and pulled her back, nuzzling her nose against Regina's neck. She placed soft kisses against whatever skin she found, and Regina giggled. Emma's head snapped up, and Regina blushed.

"Did you just giggle?" Emma asked, shocked.

"No."

"You did! You just-

"I have every right not to let your lips touch me ever again," Regina said pointedly. Emma's mouth snapped shut, and Regina patted her on the cheek. "Finish your exercise. I need to go check and make sure my daughters haven't reunited to cause chaos," she said.

"I don't think I've said this, but your kids are good people," Emma said, stepping back. "I'm – I'm happy I'm getting to know them."

"You say that now," Regina teased.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Regina winked and walked away.

"Hey!"

Kara bounced on her toes outside the room, chewing on her thumb. She raised her fist to knock, then dropped it. She did it again, but the second time, the door opened, and she looked up. Bella's smile spelled trouble, and Kara's nerves skyrocketed for a different reason.

"Hey, Kieran, your girlfriend's here," she called out, never taking her eyes off of Kara.

There was a yelp, a slap, and Bella hissed as she rubbed the back of her head. Kieran opened the door wider and smiled shyly at Kara.

"Hi, you can come in. My sister was just leaving."

"I was?"

"Yes."

"Okay. But you should know that if you hurt my sister in any way, I'll weaponize Kryptonite and burn you alive."

Kara blinked, and she said, "You know, out of all the threats I've heard, that one was the scariest."

"Good because I meant every word."

"Out!" Kieran huffed, pushing Bella from the room.

"I'm going to find Mom and tell her you're about to have hot sex with an alien."

Kieran's eyes turned red, and Bella ran down the hall, laughing and dodging icicles. Kara scratched at her cheek, and Kieran blushed.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't be. I'm pretty sure if Alex could do that, I'd be getting pelted with snow all the time."

Kieran gestured for Kara to come in, and she did. Kieran closed the door behind her, and they sat on the couch in the room. Kara had an entire speech planned, but as soon as she looked into Kieran's eyes, she forgot all of them except eight words.

"I want to come with you to Storybrooke," she blurted.