The sun was hot that day, and the speech Kara's mother gave when they made it to the gravesite was long-winded (though sincere and touching). By the time it was over, pretty much everyone was sweating. For that reason, and due to the fact that the situation was incredibly uncomfortable and depressing, Kara wanted nothing more than for this day to end. But it dragged on and on and on as everyone placed roses on the casket that was slowly lowered into the ground before them. When it was finally Kara's turn to place her rose - her mother had placed the first, her sister the second, and Kara had elected to be last - she found herself unable to step forward. Lena took her hand and squeezed it, gently nudging Kara forward. People had left slowly after dropping their flowers onto the casket, leaving Lena, Kara, Alex, and their mother alone at the gravesite.

"I can't," Kara sobbed, gripping the rose tightly in her fist.

"Easy, hun. It's alright," Lena whispered in her ear, gently prying her fist open.

But it was too late. The thorns had already drawn blood from Kara's palm.

After shocking the three others by immediately tearing a piece from the bottom of her long, black dress, Lena wrapped the fabric around Kara's bleeding palm. Carefully, she then walked Kara up to the hole in the ground where her father was being buried.

"It's okay. Take your time. Just breathe," the brunette told her. "I'm right here. We're all here. We've got you."

Kara wanted to nod her understanding, but all she could do was cry, so Lena moved her hand to rub the girl's back.

Alex and the mourning widow watched apprehensively as the stranger comforted a grieving Kara, somewhat taken aback by the girl's tenderness and care, but also somewhat suspicious of her motives. What would someone like Lena - rich, famous, powerful - want from Kara? It wasn't that they didn't think Kara deserved a friend, or that she was 'less than,' it was just hard to believe that Lena would take the time away from her lifestyle of fame and fortune to hang around with someone of such a different socioeconomic status.

Exchanging looks, Alex and Eliza wondered in unison how this would play out, and neither approved of the budding friendship. And besides, what kind of friend keeps a high schooler out until early hours of the morning? In their minds, Lena was a bad influence.

But Kara felt the opposite. In fact, even at her father's funeral, she felt more alive than she ever had before. Every morning with Lena was fulfilling and invigorating in ways she couldn't explain. Maybe she was just lonely and needed a friend. Then again, maybe Lena was just the perfect person to lift her spirits. Maybe it wasn't about having just anyone. Maybe it was about having the perfect someone.

"Come on, Kara," Eliza urged her. "It's time. We need to go."

Feeling her heart shatter, not wanting to let go of the rose - a symbol that this was real and that her father was gone - Kara sobbed harder, falling to her knees and dropping the rose on the ground in front of her, at the edge of the deep hole.

Alex was crying too, but the longer Kara kept them waiting and hanging around the grave, the less patience she had for her sister's meltdown.

"Kara. Let's go. He's gone."

Biting her lip, surprised and saddened by the family's lack of empathy for Kara's pain, Lena crouched down next to Kara and took her hand.

Picking up the rose with her own free hand, the brunette leaned in and whispered so only Kara could hear, "Do you want me to stay with you? They can leave, and I'll bring you home."

Sniffling, Kara looked up at her remaining family members and said sharply, "Leave me alone. Just go. Lena will bring me home."

Looking up at Alex and Eliza, Lena nodded her head politely to confirm Kara's claim, earning a scowl from Alex and a look of concern from the girls' mother.

When she moved to stand up to address the two and express her condolences, Kara grabbed her wrist and kept her from moving.

"Don't go," Kara whimpered.

Rolling her eyes, Alex nudged her mother, saying, "Let's go."

When the two finally left, leaving only Kara, Lena, and the grounds' caretaker, the blonde looked up at Lena, tears in her eyes, and asked, "Why are you so nice to me?"

"Because you are amazing. And you've been nothing but kind to me since we met," Lena told her. "Plus, you're funny, and I like picking on you."

Wiping her eyes, the blonde gave her friend a small, involuntary smile.

"There ya go," the older girl encouraged her, matching her expression as she touched Kara's cheek. "What a pretty smile." Kara shaking her head roughly caused Lena to drop her hand to her side, but Lena didn't move away. Instead, she moved her hand to Kara's shoulder, saying, "It's okay, Kar. I got you."

Falling into Lena's arms, Kara cried and cried for another solid ten minutes, with her friend rubbing her back. As she finally moved away, taking slow, still shaky breaths, Lena handed her the rose.

"You can do this," she promised. "It's alright to break down, but you're going to be okay. And I'll be right here."

With a short nod, Kara finally rose her feet and peered down at the hole, noting the cheap casket in front of her. After one last breath, her shaking hand dropped the rose where it belonged. Another wave of tears commenced as the grounds' keeper began to fill in the hole, but Lena wrapped her arms around her again and squeezed gently.

"Got you," the brunette told her, not letting go. When Kara finally pulled away again, just a little calmer than before, Lena offered, "Let's get you home."

"I don't want to," Kara whined. "I don't want to even look at them. They're assholes."

"They love you, Kar. They just… don't know how to show it very well…"

"Yeah, okay," the blonde huffed. "Whatever. Let's go."

"Hey," Lena said firmly. "Don't be like that. I'm just trying to balance your anger with another perspective. The way they dismissed your grief was not okay. I'm not saying it was. I'm just saying… maybe they don't know how to show you the love and support you need?"

"Alex is an asshole," Kara grumbled, taking Lena's hand as they walked back to the car.

"Yeah, kinda," the brunette chuckled. "But hey… family is family. They're gonna do them and nothing you say or do is gonna change that."

"True."

With that, Lena drove the girl home. This time, they sat in silence. A stray tear would occasionally fall from Kara's eyes, but for the most part, she was 'cried out' and didn't have it in her to speak or even think. After saying a very reluctant goodbye to her friend, Kara made her way into the house with her head hanging and her spirits crushed, wanting to avoid her family more than anything but knowing full well she'd have to deal with them anyway.

"Took you long enough," Alex snapped sarcastically, giving her sister a stern look.

"Shut up, Alex. You're not Mom. Quit trying to parent me!" Kara shouted back.

"Girls," Eliza cut in. "I told you to stop fighting!"

Rolling her eyes, Kara plopped herself down in a seat at the table and hung her head in her hands.

"What's up with Lena anyway?" Alex asked, her tone mildly accusatory, which her sister picked up on instantly.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"What the hell is she doing spending time with you?"

"WOW," Kara exclaimed. "You're a dick, you know that?"

"I'm just saying."

"I share your sister's concerns, Kara," Eliza told her daughter. "She's a bad influence on you, and I don't like you hanging around her."

"What do you mean 'a bad influence?'" Kara barked defensively. "She's the only one who actually cares about me!"

"Your family—" her mother tried to counter, but the blonde cut her off abruptly.

"No, you don't! You don't give a shit about me. You just want me to fit your perfect mold and never make waves!"

"I just don't want you staying out late and partying and getting into drugs!" Eliza shouted. "She's—"

"You don't even know her!"

"Neither do you," Alex pointed out sharply.

"Fuck this," Kara cursed. "I'm going upstairs."

"Kara Danvers!" Eliza cried. "Don't you dare walk away from me!"

"What are you gonna do? Ground me? You already hate my only friend. What else can you take away from me?" the blonde challenged, her tone switching to one of sorrow and disappointment.

Saying nothing else, she pushed the chair back, ignoring her mother's expression of shock, and made her way up the stairs to her room.

Upstairs, she immediately pulled out her phone to text Lena.

KaraTheCareBear: Save me.

Lena replied almost instantly:

OfficialLenaLuthor: Any time, kiddo. Let me know if you want me to pick you up.

KaraTheCareBear: I can't leave.

OfficialLenaLuthor: Sneak out?

Kara had to consider this option carefully, as she knew if she got caught, she'd be in deep shit. Then, realizing she didn't care - it didn't matter anyway - she replied:

KaraTheCareBear: Come get me tonight at 11 if you're awake.

OfficialLenaLuthor: Oh, I'll be awake ;)

KaraTheCareBear: Good. I miss you already.

Lena smiled at this, feeling her heart swell as she noticed her own feelings of longing as well. It felt wrong to be alone somehow, like a piece of her was missing. A piece her new friend seemed to fill perfectly. Just when Kara was about to back track, feeling silly for her openness and what she'd said, Lena replied, easing her concerns and doubts.

OfficialLenaLuthor: Miss you, too, Goober. See you later.

The rest of Kara's evening was spent anxiously pacing the room while waiting for her family to go to sleep so she could duck out with her new friend. Nothing else seemed to matter.