Whoever visited Kara doesn't come back. Not the first night Alex spends there, dozing on and off with her gun tightly clutched in her hand, and not on any other night she sleeps there that week. Kara feels better with her sister here, and the part of her that feels guilty for taking her away from Kelly is easily silenced when they come home together after work and attempt to cook something edible to a mix of early 2000's pop and gritty punk-rock. It's almost like old times, when they briefly shared an apartment when Kara moved to National City, and it's nice, makes her feel just a little bit younger, and much more carefree. Almost, mostly, because when she wakes up early in the morning, she has to check that Alex didn't sleep with her gun's safety off. Almost, also, because her nightmares are now populated with faceless glowing blue figures, and more than once, she startles awake in the middle of the night, out of breath and afraid.

On Wednesday, when Lena has to work late, they have a Danvers movie night with Taylor during which they all eat their weight in unhealthy snacks and heavily criticise the last ten minutes of The Abyss (Taylor has very pointed opinions about that).

On Friday night, they host a game night and Kara tries, and fails, to make hummus from scratch. Alex laughs for fifteen minutes straight until Kara hurls her attempt at her and she has to take a second shower. Nevertheless, she's still picking chickpeas from her hair when Kelly shows up with her favourite bear and prepackaged dips from the grocery store. Kara slips away to let them make out in her kitchen ; she's a good sibling like that. Lena shows up much later than everyone dressed to the nines in a three piece midnight blue suit and killer heels that she immediately trades for one of Kara's sweater and a pair of bright pink fluffy socks. They spend the night sitting just a bit too close under Alex's watchful eyes, and Kara feels warm and content, like one does when sitting on the grass on a sunny afternoon when everything feels like it's right where it should be.

Eventually Lena falls asleep on her shoulder, completely flattened by her long week, and they call it a night. Kara carries her to her car and Taylor assures her that they'll make sure she makes it to bed in one piece. Back in her apartment, she finds Alex and Kelly cuddled on the couch and she reflexively blocks out the sweet nothing they whisper in each other's ears. She hesitates for a long minute before sending them both home with many great reassurances that she will be alright.

She spends the night in her supersuit, sitting against her headboard with her eyes wide open, her heart ready to beat out of her chest because something is wrong, she's sure of it. Against her will, she does succumb to slumber and when she opens her eyes in the dead of the night, the figure is back, heavy on her chest.

The DEO is in shamble. There is no better way to describe the state of the organisation when Lena steps in it on Saturday morning to pick up Ghim. There are bleary eyed agents hunched over monitors, empty coffee cupts littering the floor, files and stray slips of paper flying through the air. In a corner, Lena spies a tactical team asleep on its feet and on the balcony stands Alex, hands gripping the railing with a strength that rivals Kara's. Even from afar, she can see her eye twitching nervously. Lena rushes up the stairs two steps at a time, giving herself a mental pat on the back for wearing sensible flat shoes today.

"What's happening ?" she asks, her momentum causing her to almost collide with Alex. She skids to a halt half a foot away from her, catching herself on the railing and probably dislocating her shoulder.

"Get back to work !" Alex barks in her face. Her breath distinctly smells of black coffee and lack of sleep and Lena would have rather not be confronted to that. "Oh," she mumbles a second later, blinking heavily, "it's you."

"Who else would it be ?" Lena mumbles to herself. She sticks out like a sore thumb here, probably being the only one who slept at all and values basic hygiene. "What's happening ?" she asks again, louder.

Alex sighs ; Lena has a feeling she's going to regret asking this question. "They returned. Kara's nightly visitor. They returned."

Lena sags against the railing ; it's a wonder she manages to stay mostly upright. Suddenly, she regrets the breakfast she's had this morning, her half digested eggs and toast trying to make a reappearance through her mouth. She swallows, trying to get her bearing as the room swims around her and Alex gets blurry. "Where is," she starts, shaking her head violently. "Where is she ?"

"In the med bay. I gave her something for sleep."

Lena breathes in deeply. Kara is here. She's safe. Mostly safe. "What are we going to do ?" she asks.

"I have no fucking idea..."

"Maybe we can," Lena trails, surveying the chaos below. "Maybe you can call out this whole thing ? I'm sure I saw at least three separated people about to cry when I came in. How long has this been going on ?"

"Kara called me at three," Alex says, rubbing the heel of her hands against her eyes.

Lena glances at her watch. It's a little past ten now, and the night shift should have been relieved two hours ago. "Listen," she says, "I don't want to encroach on your job but maybe you should send them home. Come up with a real plan before everyone work themselves to death." She worries her lips between her teeth for a second, waiting for Alex to say something, anything, be it to agree with her or to brutally push back. "Kara can stay with me," she ends up adding even if half of herself rebels violently against this idea. "I have state of the art security and if anything happens, she won't be alone."

"Okay," Alex says, the word almost violent in its simplicity.

"Okay to what ?"

"Okay to everything," Alex sighs. "You're right, and you're smart."

"Thanks," Lena replies, "it's the one family trait I don't hate."

Alex eyes her for a moment, she blinks, but Lena isn't sure if it's in confusion, trying to assess if this is a joke or not, or if she's just tired. They part quickly, Alex to go dismiss her agents and authorise the shift change, and presumably to apologise ; and Lena to go find Kara in the med bay. Unfortunately, it means Ghim will have to wait. Lena doesn't feel particularly good about breaking her promise to be here at ten on the dot ; but if rushing to Kara's side when she is hurt is a habit she didn't manage to break when they weren't talking, it certainly isn't about to change now.

Kara is stirring awake by the time Lena gets to her. She looks strange, almost small in a way Lena isn't exactly used to seeing her ; even when hurt, Kara exudes a graceful strength that is now completely absent from her figure. She's bundled up under the thin sheet, knees drawn to her chest, but the arm that's peeking out is clad in standard DEO grey sweats and Lena wonders what state she was in when she arrived there last night. Probably not a good one.

She fears that Kara is starting to break.

More than that, she fears the role she's played in that.

And she doesn't like it. Sure, she isn't proud of the things she said, of the way she behaved, but she won't backtrack on what happened. She pushed Kara away for a reason, she was hurt, she tried to protect herself, she might not have went at it the right way, but things aren't so black and white, and if she can acknowledge that she caused Kara pain, it doesn't mean everything is her fault. Still, seeing Kara like that, seemingly so fragile, doesn't sit right with her, and if the rational part of herself is fighting tooth and nail against the weight of guilt, she can't help but feel partially responsible for weakening her.

She shakes her head slowly, finding her reasoning almost risible ; their fight may have taken its toll on Kara, but she isn't the one who's actively trying to kill her.

Like she always seems to do, Kara picks up on her presence as soon as Lena sits next to her. When she was lazily blinking a moment ago, she now forces her eyes fully open, and unfurls her body so she can sit up against her pillow.

"How are you feeling ?" Lena asks, rather dumbly she'll admit.

Kara smacks her lips against one another, pondering over her answer for a second. "Like death," she finally settles on, rubbing at her chin like its existence bothers her.

"Sleeping pills will do that to you."

There's a carafe of water on the bedside table and Lena busies herself with that ; liquid spills on the bed when her fingers brush against Kara's as she passes her the glass. Kara drains it methodically and Lena refills it without prompting. She may never be able to fully understand what's going on in Kara's head, probably won't ever completely grasp the intricacies of her past, but feeling thirsty after a nightmare is something she understands, it's something she can fix.

After this brief interaction, they fall into silence. It's not uncomfortable, but it's not exactly light either. Lena doesn't know how to bring up her idea. "I was thinking," she starts, slotting her hands under her thighs to resist the urge to fidget.

"Have you seen my glasses ?" Kara cuts inadvertently.

"I." Lena looks around, wondering if it's the kind of things a panicked Kara would remember to carry around with her. It seems like it is, and she finds them resting on top of a battered science journal, partially hidden by the now half empty carafe. "You know you don't need to wear them around me, right ?" she says even as she passes them along.

"It's not just an identity thing," Kara mumbles, forcefully slamming the frame on her face. "They help with the world. Dampen things."

"Oh," Lena breathes. "I didn't know that."

Kara shrugs. "I never told you."

"I was thinking you could come home with me," Lena says in a rush. "Sleep there until things settle a little."

Kara blinks, then frowns, her face twisting almost angrily. "No," she says with no place for discussion.

"No ?" Lena echoes anyway. "Kara..."

"It's one thing if Alex takes care of me, but I won't be a burden to you too."

A spark of flurry flutters at the back of Lena's mind. She wants to point out how ridiculous Kara is being but it's probably not the right thing to do. "Listen," she says instead, "if I'm offering it's because I don't mind. And if it doesn't work, for whatever reason, then we'll figure something out. Clearly something is going on and it's not safe for you to be alone. I. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you." The last part is said in a rush, almost inaudibly. It's far from being the most open she's been with Kara lately but it still feels like a raw and precarious confession, or like the secret weapon to her undoing.

"Okay," Kara says, echoing her sister's earlier words.

"Okay ?"

"I'll come with you. But you have to promise me that you'll tell me if it's too much for you. No hard feelings. I don't, I don't really want to be alone right now, you're right, but it's your apartment, and if you want me to go, I'll go."

"I promise," Lena says. Somehow, she has a feeling Kara knows she's lying.

Kara knows there's something she's forgetting ; a tiny, but important detail. It's not life threatening, at least she doesn't think it is, but it keeps on nagging her at the back of her mind as she rides home in Lena's slick town car and then as she shoves in her overnight bag more than can actually fit in it.

Lena watches over her carefully as she packs her things. She's leaning against the kitchen counter, looking impossibly soft in week-end clothing. She's devastating, and Kara tries not to look at her. Taylor is a whirlwind of movements, picking up stuff seemingly at random before laying them carefully in a cardboard box that they found Rao knows where. Kara catches a quick sight of her colouring pencils, books she's been meaning to read, and her favourite throw blanket. She's so out of it that it takes her a full minute to remember why Taylor would know exactly what will bring her comfort away from home.

As for Ghim, she's waiting outside, of her own accord, and Kara is so very grateful that she didn't have to find the words to explain why she didn't want her to come in. She feels shaky and out of sort and the idea of the former Red Daughter being in her home makes her want to throw up. She doesn't know what prompted Ghim not to come in, in Kara's mind, it's because she reeks of fear, but the part of her that's clinging to rationality and kindness insist that Ghim is just being considerate. Maybe it's something else entirely, and any other day, Kara would ask, but not today.

With Taylor's help, packing is a quick affair and soon enough they're all stacked in the car again. Lena takes the front seat and Kara finds herself in the back, squished against a window to give the other two Kryptonians as much room as she can. Taylor and Ghim spends the entire ride chatting in Russian and Kara wonders what their relationship is like, in the future, for her child to be so fluent in this language. Halfway through their journey, Lena sticks her hand through the gap between her seat and the car door and Kara latches onto it, refusing to give herself enough time to be embarrassed by her eagerness. Lena's hand is grounding, and for a short blissful moment, Kara forgets about everything that's gone wrong lately.

Kara drops her bag and her box in the lobby, removes her shoes and makes a beeline for the couch on which she drops head first with a groan. Lena doesn't know if she's allowed to find this cute, or if Kara's current situation is too alarming to leave space for anything else. As she watches Kara burrow further into the cushions she gets the nagging feeling that she's forgetting about something. Not something life threatening, at least it doesn't seem so, but something important. It's unsettling, but no matter how deep she digs into her brain, she can't quite put her finger on it.

Instead of dwelling on it, she shows Ghim to her newly furnished bedroom. She's done her best to make it textbook homely, with a little bit of help from Jess. There are fairy lights, throw pillows, a thick knitted blanket, and the small bookshelf has been stacked with Russian classics, most of them first editions because Lena rarely does anything halfway.

Ghim makes her way into the room slowly, keeping her head slightly turned to compensate for her loss of vision. She stumbles on the plushy carpet, rights herself immediately ; from the back, she's almost indistinguishable from Kara. She sits down on the edge of the bed with infinite carefulness and Lena wonders if Kara was ever like that, openly raw and constantly calculating her every move ; probably. Ghim presses down in the mattress with a frown, staring at her hands in deep concentration.

"This is for me ?" she checks, lifting her head so she can look at Lena. There's awe in her gaze and it makes Lena feel just a little bit uncomfortable.

"It is."

"For how long ?" Ghim asks sharply before biting down on her lip like she's trying to physically restrain her words.

"For as long as you need," Lena says, keeping her tone light and her features kind even if her brain is working overtime to find a way to revive Lex so she can kill him again, more painfully.

Ghim looks doubtful, but she doesn't complain. Instead, she reaches out for a teddy bear that rests on the pillows, runs her fingers in its soft fur and buries her nose in it. She stays like that for a long while, breathing in what Lena knows is her laundry detergent, before she straightens up sharply, her eye drilling into Lena's. "I will be useful to you," she says.

"You don't have to," Lena replies immediately, barely reigning in her instincts to make her feel welcomed, safe, accepted. But Ghim suddenly looks frightened and it occurs to Lena that she has no purpose anymore, nothing to do, nowhere to go when she wakes up, and for someone who was brought up by a genocidal maniac in a military complex it must be terrifying. "All you need to do is rest, and focus on recovery. But you can help if you want to, on your own terms."

"May I," Ghim starts, testing the mattress by wiggling on it. "May I rest then ?"

"You can do anything you want."

"May I take over America and burn it to the ground ?"

There's a beat, and then a wide grin stretches on Ghim's face and a sharp laugh tumbles past her lips, twisting the scar that cuts them in two.

"Oh, that was a joke," Lena whispers, a wave of relief washing over her even though she will forever deny ever doubting that Ghim was only having fun.

Ghim grins widens, a twinkle of mischievousness shining in her eye. "I will sleep now," she says, giving Lena the strange impression that she's being dismissed.

"I'll call you for dinner. If you want to help."

Ghim mumbles an answer, but she's already buried under the blanket and Lena isn't sure of what she's heard. Quietly as she can, she exits the room, silently closing the door behind her. As she pads her way dow the corridor, she mentally takes stock of the rooms she passes and when she reaches the living room where Kara is still laying on the couch, she finally recalls the teeny tiny detail that was previously escaping her ; she doesn't have another guest room, and the places where Kara can sleep are very, very limited.

Lena's heart is beating fast, too fast, and without her consent Kara's own matches its rhythm, threatening to skyrocket out of her chest. The thing is, apart from her wild heart rate, Lena doesn't look like there's anything wrong and Kara doesn't know what she's supposed to be afraid of. Not that she minds being frightened simply on principle. Taylor eyes the both of them curiously, and Kara gets the distinct feeling that they know what's going on ; but when she tries to question them, they dismiss her with a shrug before fixing themself a second lunch.

Kara watches them move around the kitchen curious of the way they've integrated themself to this strange era. She's not particularly hungry herself. The medication Alex gave her makes her stomach feel swoopy and her head fuzzy and after throwing up one time too many in the past few weeks, she isn't too keen on adding food to the mix. Instead, she watches as Taylor grumbles at the military grade "antique" stove and marvels at the way Lena makes preparing tea look like an art form. One of the cups Lena is making is apparently for her ; something light and citrusy instead of the dark, and probably cursed, breakfast tea Lena herself enjoys. Sometime between the warm liquid soothing her stomach and Lena laying a heavy blanket on top of her, she drifts asleep, feeling uncannily safe.

She sleeps for most of the afternoon and wakes up well rested to the sound of laughter drifting from the open kitchen. From what she's gathering from the incessant chatter, Ghim is trying to cook and Lena is attempting to wrap her tongue around complex Russian words. She rises, sneaking a peek from behind the edge of the couch even though she's unsure of why she's hiding. The sight of Ghim leaning into Lena's space and Lena laughing with crinkly eyes makes her feel sick, like she's swallowed a tall glass of acid jealousy. She stomps the feeling down quickly before joining them ; she does not own Lena.

The rest of the evening is nice and quiet. There's enough overcooked pasta to feed three Kryptonians and a human and the sauce that comes with it is good, if slightly attached to the pan it was made in. When all food has been consumed and the plates have been scraped clean, Taylor decides it's time to start Ghim's cinematographic education which devolves into a debate on which order they should watch Star Wars that leaves her unsurprisingly stranded as she has absolutely no opinion on that. She frowns when Taylor thrusts Lena's box DVD set under her nose and Kara almost touches her own forehead when she notices the deep crinkle between her eyes. Looking at Ghim is like looking at herself in a distorted mirror.

Ghim ends up deferring to Lena's judgement with a bright trusting smile that has Kara furiously squashing the tendrils of inappropriate ownership that curls around her heart. No matter what she does though, she still feels like she's won when Ghim takes one look at Lena and her and settles on an armchair to leave them the couch. Taylor settles on the other chair and Kara's heart aches a little when she notices how they subconsciously leave enough space for another body to settle next to theirs. Lena yawns and curls up to her, almost nuzzling her in her search for warmth, and Kara feels very silly for thinking for one second that there's any sort of competition going on here.

Nestled in Kara's warmth, Lena falls asleep. It's been an emotional day, she's clearly bitten more than she can chew, and she's exhausted. Plus, she thinks as slumber tugs her farther and farther away from consciousness, if she falls asleep, she won't have to deal with the sleeping arrangements. Kara is both solid and pliable against her and Lena is grateful to her past self for working over all the yelling and the lies to get them to this point where even though Lena never returned the confession, Kara feels confident enough to wrap a perfect muscular arm around her.

Unfortunately, she doesn't get to avoid the bed problem by staying asleep through the morning.

She awakes several feet above the ground, in Kara's arms, and by the look of it, she's just been lifted straight off the couch like she weighs nothing more than a feather. Which she supposes is the case for Kara but still, the display of strength is nice. Around them, Taylor is cleaning up remains of snacks and Ghim is rearranging the throw pillows like she's practising a new art form ; but all of this recedes to the background when Kara glances down at her and Lena's sleepy eyes lock onto hers. Bloody hell, she's so in love.

"Hey sleepy head," Kara crooks like she's somehow allowed to have a voice like that. "I hope you don't mind me carrying you, I was just about to drop you off to bed."

"As long as you're staying with me," she finds herself mumbling, an alarm in a distant part of her brain informing her that this is not at all what she meant to say.

"Sure," Kara replies, "I'll stay until you fall asleep if you want."

"Where are you going to sleep ?" Lena goes on, distantly wondering why she's digging her own grave like that.

"On the couch of course," Kara shrugs. "That was the plan all along, right ? I mean unless I miscounted your spare rooms but I'm pretty smart so I don't think I did."

Kara is much much too casual about this and a spark of suspicion arises in Lena, tugging her fully away from sleep.

"You can't sleep on the couch. That's bad for your back."

"My back is virtually indestructible," Kara fires back. "And where would I sleep anyway ?"

"With me." That's it, Lena's signed her own death warrant.

"What ?" Kara sputters. "No ! I could never... I don't want to bother you."

Out of the corner of her eye, Lena sees Taylor hastily dragging Ghim out of the room in a flail of limbs.

"If I'm offering it's because I don't mind."

Lena minds very much. She knows she won't be able to sleep with Kara so close to her.

"I can't," Kara mumbles, her demeanour shifting entirely like she's just sunk into herself. "It's not that I don't want to. Believe me. But. But what if."

"What if what ?"

"What if that thing comes back when you're here ?" Kara sighs. "The first two times I was paralysed," she continues, her voice rising with panic, "I wouldn't be able to protect you."

"I can," Lena says. "Protect you I mean. You'd be safe with me."

"You don't know that," Kara fires back immediately. "And I'm not exposing you to that. I'm sleeping on the couch and that's final."

Kara's arms disappear from under her and with a start, Lena realises they're now in her bedroom. Before she has the time to react, Kara is already at the door.

"I'm sorry," she sighs, "that was very rude of me. Thank you for letting me stay in your home."

Confused by a spike of anger and sadness, Lena doesn't dignify her with an answer.

"Goodnight Lena," Kara whispers before disappearing into the hallway, leaving the door half open behind her.

Kara tosses and turns, huffs and puffs, tosses again. It's not that the couch is that uncomfortable, it's no more uncomfortable than any ultra luxurious white leather couch that was definitely not made with sleep in mind. She just can't stop thinking about Lena, and how she would be sleeping next to her right now if she could just get a grip on herself.

She doesn't really think she'll be visited by her nighttime invader again ; she feels strangely safe here. But sleeping next to Lena feels like taking everything a step too far. What if she takes too much space in her bed ? What if she turns into a koala and smothers her during the night ? Worse, maybe, what if they end up getting too comfortable and cross boundaries they're not ready to cross ?

She shifts again, overly aware of every sound her body produces against the crisp leather ; there's no way she isn't bothering everyone right now.

"Stop being a bloody idiot," Lena mumbles from her bedroom, "and come here."

Kara freezes. It's too late to pretend she's asleep but who knows, it could work.

"I know you can hear me," Lena adds.

Kara stays frozen for a good minute, hoping that Lena might fall asleep in the meantime. But she's fooling herself and she knows it, and the more she stays there on the couch, pretending to be asleep, the more ridiculous it is. The blanket pools at her feet when she gets up and she takes the time to fold it correctly before making her way to Lena's room, her heart trying to beat its way out of her chest.

The room is plunged into darkness but it doesn't stop Kara from zeroing in on Lena immediately. She's curled up on her side, eyes trailed on the silhouette Kara cuts in the door, a tired and delicate smile dancing on her lips. She's changed into sleepwear, and Kara is suddenly overwhelmed by the urge to trail her fingers over the cotton clad shoulder that peeks from under the covers.

She doesn't, at least not right away. First, she makes her way to the bed, slowly, and sits on its edge. Lena attempts to roll her eyes, but through her tiredness her expression isn't that discernible and she mostly looks cute and grumpy as she pats the spot next to her on the bed. Kara feels dizzy, and idly, she wonders if she's going to pass out from lack of air as it seems she's forgotten how to breathe. Can she really be blamed though, when Lena just looks like that ? She breathes in sharply, spares a thought for her poor heart that seems to be rushing towards an early death, and slips under the covers as far from Lena as the bed allows.

She stays like that, curled on her side and staring at Lena until shuffling closer to her doesn't seem too insurmountable. She doesn't think she was that afraid when she lifted Fort Rozz into space. Her heart is about to take off out of her chest but she presses on, lifting her arm and pushing it until she reaches Lena ; the shirt is just as soft as she imagined, and the skin underneath is even softer.

Lena inhales sharply, frowns as her whole body seems to stutter and Kara withdraws her hand, a thousand apologies on the tip of her tongue ; but Lena grabs her hand and sets it back on her shoulder, just on the edge of where the garment gives way to skin.

"We've never done this before," Kara finds the courage to whisper as she lets her fingers trail up Lena's neck and back to her shoulder again.

"What ?"

"Sleepovers," Kara says, low, like it's a forbidden word and saying it any louder will bring about the apocalypse. "I wonder why," she adds softly, brushing a strand of hair away from Lena's face.

"I wanted to," Lena confesses, averting her eyes to stare right in the middle of Kara's chest.

"Then why ?"

"You know why," Lena chuckles, not quite sadly but almost. "Don't make me say it."

"Can I say it then ?" Kara asks, a strange wave of calm washing over her.

There's a beat, a second of silence that stretches on and on then, "please," Lena whispers.

"I love you."

"I know."

They reach out for each other at the exact same moment and Kara is convinced she's never been that in synch with another being. Lena's hands slide on her shoulder to tangle behind her neck and her owns come grab at her waist like its the only thing anchoring her down to Earth.

It takes a minute to adjust, not just to make the position comfortable enough to sleep but because Lena's body moulding itself to hers is so overwhelming Kara isn't quite sure how to cope. The whole world narrows down to Lena and the feeling of her skin against her own and the way she breathes in deep and slow in her neck, clinging to her just a bit tighter when Kara dares to let the tip of her fingers rest in the place where her shirt rides up.

For the first time in a week, she's out like a light.