For the first time in a while, I have chapter two all ready for you! I can't thank you all enough for your support and responses to the first chapter hopefully you all enjoy it!
Lena Luthor had always been a stunningly powerful and beautiful woman. She was strong willed, to the point of stubborn. She ran a nationwide company virtually alone. She prided herself on being two steps ahead of everyone except Lex. Considering he was a homicidal megalomaniac, she concluded that it was acceptable to not be ahead of him. She was a genius in her own right. But nothing. Nothing would have prepared her for finding two very prominent silver rings on her finger that morning. Lena had shouted for Kara without thinking and she wished the moment the two syllable name left her lips she hadn't. Kara had simply shaken her head at her question,
"I don't know any more than you," Kara had said simply. Lena wanted to tell herself she hadn't seen Kara glance down at her still sheet covered body but she knew she would be lying to herself. She watched the Kryptonian pinch her nose with a sigh,
"Let's get dressed and see if we can work out what's going on," Kara instructed.
"Fine" Lena snapped, not impressed with the minimal answer. She should feel bad that Kara didn't have all the answers, that Kara was oblivious as she was but it was Kara that had gotten them into this mess so Kara could get them out.
As soon as Lena left the closet for a shower, Kara let out a shaky breath. She had to find out what was going on, this was not helping them repair any friendship. They couldn't even be civil to each other let alone be friends. Alex had said to start thinking with her head rather than her heart but this wasn't a situation that she could solve without cooperating with Lena.
Kara turned finally to the issue of clothing, deciding to wait until they could talk to someone that could help. She looked over the large closet, of course, Lena would have a walk-in closet with soft light wood and everything hanging in pristine condition. She found her clothes, some she didn't recognise, but after successfully finding the comfy sweatpants and hoodie she loved. It wasn't until she was hunting for her fluffy socks did she see it. A pristine dark wooden box with symbols that were definitely Kryptonian. Swallowing nervously she unclasped the box gently prying it open. Lying within only cemented her fears. A simple silver twisted bangle lay there, small intricate details that only a Kryptonian would notice. She shut the box at the first prick of tears. This wasn't real. This was some stupid joke. So instead she went in search of another shower.
They sat on the large couch in the centre of the apartment, shower and dressed. Lena had found her entire wardrobe and more in the new closet. She was dressed in something Kara could only consider as casual. A simple button down blouse with blue jeans. Kara fidgeted in her fluffy socks as Lena digested what she had been told.
"So let me get this straight, Lex was brought back from the dead to be a paragon?" Kara nodded in confirmation.
"And only the paragons know what happened to the multiverse?" Kara nodded again,
"and he helped you find all the other paragons to stop the Anti-monitor, who was trying to erase the worlds, which didn't work but Oliver McQueen went back to the origins of the universe to restart the cosmological event of the Big Bang so we would all survive as an alternative universe but you and I can remember?"
Kara nodded again chewing her nail as her leg bounced nervously,
"That doesn't explain me waking up naked in bed with you" Lena stated as she inhaled the smell of the coffee.
"That's where I'm lost too" Kara admitted.
"Great" Lena sighed rubbing her temples. "So in this reality, we're what?"
"I um, well, I think" Kara stammered, "Ithinkwe'remarried" she rushed out. Lena slowly looked up from glaring at the coffee, to study Kara for a moment.
"What?" Lena asked with a frown, Kara took a deep breath,
"I think we might be married" She repeated slowly.
"That's ridiculous" Lena denied immediately. Kara shrugged before lifting her left hand. Lena's eyes widened before looking down at her own.
"That doesn't prove anything" Lena shrugged, "I wear rings on that finger all the time"
"Silver wedding rings?" She prompted but Lena shook her head,
"No, that's not a confirmation"
Kara sighed, as much as Lena was a logical genius, she was very good a denying the obvious.
"I'm going to see if I can find something for breakfast" Kara announced as she moved into the chef's kitchen.
Lena, on the other hand, moved around the small living room. She looked over every photo that lay on the walls, on units, around the room. She looked over the photo of the two of them on the unknown beach Kara had seen earlier. She sighed as she recognised it, it was the beach at one of her houses she had there. It was her escape. Lena inhaled a shaky breath as she tried to calm her increasing heart rate. Either this was some sick joke, or it had happened. She frowned deeply, it was a sick joke.
She hated Kara for what she had done, the manipulation, the betrayal, all of it. She glanced up at the blonde's back and felt her face soften. There were so many questions. L-corp, Sam and Ruby, Andrea, her mother. Lena paled, her mother better still be in prison, she thought bitterly. Setting the frame in its respected place on the shelf she turned to see Kara who was plating an obscene amount of pancakes.
"How do we fix whatever it is that's happened here?" Lena asked as she sat at the counter opposite Kara.
"Well, I think we should go to the DEO first, see John, maybe get more theories, maybe others like Alex will remember"
Lena seemed to pause in hesitation at agreeing to work with the DEO again but nodded. After they ate and were washing up a firm knock came from the door. Lena frowned at Kara.
"Stay here" Kara ordered before walking to the door, her glasses gone. Opening the door they were not prepared for what lay on the other side.
"There you are, you were supposed to be at the DEO an hour ago" Alex ranted as she walked deeper into the apartment. Kara's eyes widened at the sight of her sister,
"What? Did I get foam on my face again?" Alex asked obliviously,
"You- You're-"
"Alex, you're pregnant" Lena stated rather unceremoniously. Alex Danvers raised an unimpressed eyebrow,
"Well, yeah for seven months now, I'm glad you're just noticing Lena" Alex stated her tone laced with sarcasm.
Alex looked exactly the same, her hair short and her familiar loose black jumper graced her figure, the difference was, however, was that her stomach protruded slightly from her body. Lena immediately prickled at the tone of the Older Danvers, but Kara frowned deeply,
"So ugh, what was happening at the DEO again?" Kara asked carefully stepping beside Lena who glared at her.
"Ugh for Godsake Kara, did that White Martian hit you on the head last night?" Alex ranted rubbing her swollen stomach. When Kara didn't answer her sister continued, "We were going to get Lena to tweak that new subsonic frequency dampener for you, Winn said he was almost there but it just needs Lena to check that the Q-waves and other radiation can't affect you"
"Right" Kara nodded wide eyed as Alex picked at a leftover pancake.
"Why are you both looking at me like I'm crazy?" Alex asked her voice rising. Kara shook her head before sighing,
"Um well-" Kara glanced at Lena,
"I'm going to look around, I'll give you some space" Lena quickly excused she did not want to witness this.
"This is a bit weird but do you remember anything about the Anti-Monitor?" Kara tested, Alex responded with a blank look,
"I really hope you and Barry haven't been making up villain names again" Alex sighed,
"Barry? As in Barry Allen?" Kara asked quickly.
"Yeah, Kara, you're friend Barry, my god" Alex was suddenly in her space, checking her forehead. "You look pale, what happened last night? You said you were fine"
"I was, am. I'm fine, I think I have some form of concussion or something" Kara lied,
"You don't get concussions" Alex stated with a deep frown, "I think we should go to the DEO I can run some tests-"
"Well, actually I was hoping J'onn could be there to check and maybe look around"
"Of course J'onn'll be there, he's working today" Alex dismissed,
"Right, of course," Kara failed to make it believable since the look Alex gave her made her look like she had three heads.
"Lena, is she ok too?" Alex asked quickly,
"Lena has the same problem" Kara nodded along.
"Kara if this is some weird sex thing again-" Alex warned,
"What? No" Kara squeaked, a furious blush rising in her cheeks,
"Ok, let's go to the DEO" Alex nodded seriously.
"I'll just get her" Kara nodded quickly
Kara found the CEO in one of the downstairs rooms she was stood in an open bright room. It was a studio, Kara realised as she recognised her paintings.
"What did Alex say?" Lena asked as soon as Kara stepped into the room.
"She doesn't remember anything, we're going to the DEO to find J'onn and hopefully get him to reinstate her memories. I think you should come to" Kara explained. Lena nodded, "I'm going to get changed I'll be as quick as I can"
Once Kara had changed into her less scruffy clothes and into jeans and a shirt, they were in the elevator going down to the parking basement.
"You know I could have just flown us there" Kara commented to the silent elevator.
"Sam's against it and you know it" Alex stated without thought.
Kara and Lena turned to the older Danvers,
"Sam?" Lena asked, "My friend Sam?" Lena asked carefully,
"Oh right, ugh concussion" Alex muttered, "Yeah we ugh are married and then this happened" Alex summarised quickly, glancing over her should watching their reactions. Kara and Lena shared a look of surprise behind the agent as the ding announced their arrival. A large SUV sat in a parking space not far from the elevator. If it wasn't for the blacked-out windows and clear bulletproofing it would have looked like a mom car.
"This is what you drive now?" Kara asked,
"Well I can't exactly drive a motorbike, can I?" Alex snapped gesturing to her protruding stomach. Kara flinched clearly that was a sore topic. As they moved to get in the car, Kara pulled Lena to a stop,
"We have to assume we're the only ones other than J'onn that remember,"
"What happens if he doesn't remember?" Lena countered,
"I don't know, I haven't thought that far ahead, can you please just play along" Kara pleaded.
"I'm not playing the concerned housewife Kara" Lena deadpanned,
"No, but just be nice. They don't know any better" Kara warned. Lena wanted to argue that she was always nice but she knew the way she had treated Alex and their friends since finding out about Kara's identity Lena hadn't been nice in the slightest recalling almost making Nia Nal cry when she appeared to interview on giving Kara the Pulitzer award. She simply nodded and slid into the backseat of the SUV. The drive to the DEO was quick, abnormally quick. Both Lena and Kara tried not to think about how close their new building was to the DEO and how their other-selves likely picked the location. Fifteen minutes later they were walking into the DEO.
"Jonn" Kara immediately breathed at the sight of the tall Martian.
"Hey, Kara" He grinned as he embraced her tightly. There was an unspoken appreciation that passed through them as they held each other. Pulling apart, a movement behind him made her frown,
"Winn" Kara laughed as she hugged him tightly. Winn chuckled deeply.
"Ok, hello to you" He grinned obliviously at them, "Do I get a hug to Lena?" He teased,
"Not in your wildest dreams" Lena sneered. Kara gently elbowed her,
"We should talk in the conference room" Kara suggested to J'onn. The martian nodded before looking to the rest of the team,
"I'm going to get a handle on the level of concussion, I'll be back soon" J'onn led them into the conference room.
"Lena remembers" Kara quickly verified as she sat across from J'onn. He frowned at the CEO clearly not expecting that information.
"I know you both must be very confused" He began sympathetically,
"Confusion doesn't even begin to cover it" Lena snapped unintentionally. She just wanted her life back. J'onn gave a small smile and gestured to the seat across from him. Lena took it begrudgingly.
"So, what happened when you woke up?" J'onn asked carefully. Lena glared at Kara beside her as the Kryptonian recalled their morning. Lena blushed as soon as Kara mentioned they're nudity but if J'onn cared he didn't show.
"And then I tested Alex on the Anti-Monitor and she didn't have a clue" Kara concluded.
Lena wanted to feel sympathetic for Kara, Alex was everything to her and she was alone if she didn't know this Alex. She wanted to she really did but the small voice at the back of her head told her that she shouldn't that Kara deserved this pain just as she had the pain of Lex.
"I think you're right, no one seems to remember other than the Paragons and oddly Lena" J'onn agreed,
"So, do you think you could reinstate Alex's memory?" Kara asked and Lena narrowed her eyes, realisation dawning on her.
"You can't" Lena protested and Kara turned with a deep frown,
"And why not?"
"Because of the relationships that Alex has" J'onn intervened and Lena was oddly happy he agreed with her,
"I don't know what you mean" Kara frowned at the two of them,
"Alex can't remember you because her life isn't the same as the one that is gone" J'onn admitted,
"Before the wave, she was with Kelly and in this universe, she's with Sam" Lena added, "It would create mass confusion for multiple people"
"So, can't you just revert everyone?" Kara asked J'onn carefully but J'onn simply shook his head,
"No, because of the emotional interrelationships of humans on earth to unwind all of them would be catastrophic and result in mass subdermal haemorrhaging"
"Everyone's brains would implode" Lena added helpfully, Kara glared,
"I know what subdermal haemorrhaging means"
"Well, you didn't know what quantum entanglement was so I wasn't sure" Lena teased,
"I know what that-"
"The point is" J'onn intervened before their argument escalated. "That anything you do here can affect everything. If you change the timeline too much, ask too many questions or anything about this. You could cause a shift in the space time continuum. More commonly known as the ripple effect"
"What happens here could affect everywhere" Lena summarised. J'onn gave a small nod, as they glanced at Kara. Kara deflated before asking,
"Do you think we could go back? Find our earth?" Kara requested quietly,
"Perhaps, but it could take months to filter through the multiverse, we don't even know how many there are now" J'onn admitted, "Or if there are any"
"We can't keep playing amnesic or concussed or whatever we're doing, while we wait to find our earth" Lena argued,
"No, which is why I think until, and if, we find Earth-38 you should both lay low, we can't upset the multiverse any further by having you two out of place" J'onn ordered,
"What do you mean 'if'?" Lena asked before Kara,
"When the multiverse collapsed, Oliver went back and restarted the universe, this may be it" J'onn warned,
"That wasn't what you said this morning" Lena stated at Kara who shrugged,
"I didn't know where I was let alone if we had succeeded in saving the universe"
"No, you were to busy making pancakes" Lena hissed, Kara shook it off before looking at J'onn who was watching the interaction with humour in his eyes.
"So, if we can't change everyone's memory, who can help us?" Kara asked,
"I'm still Director at the DEO so I think we can safely say that by explaining to our closest friends what has happened then they can help. They might not believe it, Kara, I have to warn you of that" J'onn admitted and Kara nodded,
"If it means Alex can help then anything" Kara agreed.
Lena watched the DEO mull under her as she stared from the conference room. Behind her J'onn and Kara explained what had happened in their universe, omitting that there was a collapse of the multiverse and the restart of the universe.
"So, Kara and Lena are from a different universe?" Winn asked curiously,
"That's right" J'onn confirmed,
"But this is the multiverse theory?"
"Correct" J'onn nodded,
"So in you're universe I'm not pregnant?" Alex asked Kara who nodded,
"You're not with Sam either" Kara added reluctantly and Lena glanced over to see Alex floored temporarily.
"The important thing is is that we focus our efforts on finding Earth 38, or a universe similar" J'onn ordered,
"Why can't they just stay here?" Nia asked curiously,
"Because our world is very different from the one here, our J'onn doesn't work at the DEO and Winn is in the future" Kara muttered and Lena glowered,
"Ripple effect Kara" Lena warned and Kara huffed,
"If I can't explain then how are we going to get back" Kara snapped her patience growing thin,
"Minimally" Lena growled.
"Lena's right Kara, you shouldn't say more than necessary for us to get you home" J'onn stated with a small sympathetic smile when no one was looking. Kara hated this, she hated lying to her family.
"This could take months if not longer to create an interdimensional window" Winn warned,
"Extrapolator" Kara correct.
"Kara" Lena warned once more, as much as Kara preached to know the ripple effect she was terrible at following it.
"Sorry" She muttered.
"Right," Winn looked oddly between them, "And if it does take months we'll have to test it and see if it's reliable"
"Then it takes moths" Kara nodded,
"So, what happened to our Kara and Lena?" Brainy asked studying them.
"Um well, they-" Kara babbled,
"Got switched" J'onn intervened, "They are potentially on another earth if Earth-38 Kara and Lena are here" He lied smoothly. Kara was thankful when they all relaxed believing the lie. In reality, they had no idea if there were another Kara and Lena, Lena concluded unlikely from the tale.
"Alright we'll get to the bottom of this" Alex concluded pushing off from the table carefully and waddled off as the rest of them followed,
"Alex, could you hang back a second?" Kara asked, the pregnant woman. Alex turned with a soft smile shutting the door as Nia stepped out. J'onn glanced at Kara as Alex frowned between the silent question passing between them. Kara gave the slightest of nods,
"Alex, J'onn can restore part of your memories from our universe to help with getting us back" Kara explained sitting, "I was wondering if you would be willing?"
"What about the ripple effect?" Alex asked with a frown,
"It wouldn't in theory" J'onn intervened, "I'd only be providing enough that you could assist, nothing that would alter your memories of the people around you"
"And nothings going to happen to the baby" Kara added hastily at Alex's reluctance.
"Alright" Alex agreed with a nod, "Let's do it"
J'onn nodded before pressing his forefinger to the side of her temple. Five minutes later, Alex blinked back at them,
"Oh this is weird" Alex blinked at all three of them, "I can remember the anti monitor and you two weren't married and Lena hated- Oh no"
"Do you feel ok?" Kara asked carefully, Alex nodded,
"Yeah, I'll go down to the lab and get a full workup. But, we're going to help you Kara I promise" Alex reassured before pushing up and waddling from the room. As soon as the door shut, Kara let out a sigh of relief.
"Now what?" Lena asked quietly,
"Until we even know if there is another Earth-38 you two best try and fit in. We might be here for a while" J'onn advised. Kara nodded while Lena rolled her eyes, of course, she had to play happy families.
"I don't even know anything about our life here" Kara whined,
"I'm afraid you're going to have to work that one out for yourself, if we ask too much of our friends it could cause problems elsewhere" J'onn stated. They both nodded sullenly,
"The only other pressing issue is how Ms Luthor retained her memories" Jonn queried, "and I have a feeling I know exactly who was behind it"
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Until next time!