Heyyyyyyy! Long time no see!
I'm low key trying to pass the time until US election results come in, so finally getting around to posting here! I figured others might need a distraction as we all wait (idk about other Americans, but my anxiety levels are sky high).
Anyways! This is a distraction! But I do also have an IMPORTANT QUESTION: I'll be posting a poll about my next Supergirl fanfic which will feature young Alex and Kara in the foster care system. The question is... should Kara be Kryptonian or human? So make sure you leave your opinion in the poll or review or message me! I keep going back and forth so I need some help here.
As for this story, there will be ONE last chapter after this one!
Juggling keys and enough groceries to feed an elephant, Alex finally managed to get through her apartment door and was immediately greeted by the smell of something absolutely delicious.
"Kara?"
She paused to lock the door behind her, tossing the keys in the bowl and readjusting her grip on the numerous bags of food that would probably only last a couple days.
Walking through the living room toward the kitchen, she finally found the source of the tantalizing smell; a small army of take-out containers occupied the dining table. Beside them, grinning, stood one very pleased looking Kryptonian.
"What's all this?" Alex smiled at Kara's clear excitement, setting down the bags on the counter, beginning to put them away.
"Let me help," Kara insisted, form blurring and a mini-tornado of wind whirling through the kitchen as she put away all the groceries in the span of a few seconds. "There!" She slowed to normal speed, folding the bags carefully.
"I'll never get used to that," Alex laughed, shaking her head and trying to pat her windswept hair down to its normal state. "Seriously though, what's up?"
"Well, you said you liked Italian food, so I dropped by a place," Kara's bright blue eyes shifted to the table, smile playing on her lips.
"This smells so good." Alex's mouth watered. "Right out of the containers?" She grabbed two forks, raising them up.
"Always," Kara agreed, pulling up a chair. "One question though... Why does Earth have different currencies? It seems rather inefficient."
Alex's jaw dropped, understanding dawning. "This place you dropped by... It wasn't in Italy, was it?"
Kara gave her a guilty smile. "I was careful," the Kryptonian hastened to assure her, already anticipating her response. "Nobody saw anything."
"I know, I just worry, Kara." Alex was torn. On one hand, she knew Kara desperately needed the autonomy and freedom to go where she wanted. She wanted nothing more than for Kara to fully enjoy a life beyond laboratory walls and pain without a care in the world. On the other hand, she couldn't help but be gripped with fear at the idea of Kara unknowingly being flagged on a military satellite and tracked down and imprisoned... It was a conversation they continued to have and Alex didn't feel like jumping back into it so she just handed Kara a fork. "This looks amazing, Kara. What's the occasion?"
"Occasions," Kara corrected her, opening a steaming container of lasagna. "The first occasion is that it's been one month since I came to stay here."
Alex blinked at that, pausing to spear a meatball. "Wow, really?"
Part of Alex felt like she had met Kara just the day before, had just woken up in the cell next door to find the lanky blue-eyed alien on the other side of the bars, a sense of needing to protect and car rising in her being. Another part of her felt as though she had known Kara forever and ever and that her presence was as natural as the air she breathed. Both parts left her knowing that she always wanted Kara in her life.
"What's the second occasion?"
Kara paused slightly longer, a brief flash of emotion crossing her face before she displayed her normal cheerful grin. "Your first mission back in the field, of course!"
Ah.
Alex knew Kara was really nervous about Alex leaving, although the younger girl would never say so. She really didn't have to though, Alex could read her like a book.
"That's sweet Kara. It's really not a mission though, just a standard inventory procedure."
"Yeah, in an abandoned enemy base two states over," Kara raised her eyebrows. "You never know what could happen."
"Whatever happens, we'll be ready. And it really will just be checking out an abandoned building."
"If you need help..." Kara looked at her meaningfully.
"Kara, no, we talked about that." Alex put down her fork. "You can't come to the rescue. I'll be fine. The world doesn't care about me but if they find out about you... they will never stop hunting you down."
"They already are," Kara shrugged nonchalantly but Alex could see the shadow of fear that darkened her expression ever so slightly. "Lillian Luthor got away."
"CADMUS and their information has been locked down and if Lillian does anything, we'll be on top of her. In the meantime, there's no need to alert the rest of the terrorist operations around the world to the presence of another Kryptonian." Alex swallowed hard. "Kara, are you listening..."
"Okay, yeah," Kara gave in, looking down at the table and biting her lip slightly. "I hear you."
"I just want to protect you," Alex grabbed her hand. "You're my little sister. I would do anything to keep you safe."
Kara gripped her hand. "You've already done more for me than I can ever repay you for. I only want to do the same for you..."
"Look at me Kara."
Blue orbs rose to meet her gaze and Alex held the eye contact with intentional intensity. "You have nothing to repay me for, Kara," she said softly. "Everything that I have done for you, you have done for me. I would have never gotten out of that lab without you. It was you who saved us."
Kara opened her mouth to protest but Alex cut her off. "No arguing. Not on this. And about the mission, it's really not dangerous and J'onn's going to be there. I will be totally fine," Alex promised, hoping it was true for both their sakes. She had a feeling that if something went wrong, absolutely nothing was going to keep Kara away.
"I told you, I'm fine. I'm on my way home. And don't apologize for breaking it, that's why we got extras," Alex smiled as she cradled the phone to her ear. Beside her, a younger boy with spiky black hair was flipping through the Sky Magazine. "Wait, you started watching what? Really? No Kara. No, I really don't think Keeping Up with the Kardasians is a good way to learn about American culture. In fact that sounds like the worst source of information you could possibly choose... Seriously. I can't have my sister watching that..."
"Excuse me, all electronics must be turned off as we get ready for take-off," a flight attendant appeared in the aisle, interrupting Alex's laugh with impatiently fluttering hands.
"Kara, I gotta go," Alex nodded at the flight attendant. "They need me to turn off my phone while we're flying but I'll be there soon and I'll call you then. Okay. Love you."
She ended the call, turning her phone on airplane mode and tucking it into her bag.
"Were you talking to your sister?" the boy beside her glanced up.
"Yeah," Alex settled back in the uncomfortable airplane chair.
"Let me guess, you're the older sister?" the boy asked then sighed as Alex gave him a questioning look. "You sound like my sister," he grimaced.
Alex relaxed. "Are you younger?"
"Yeah." He grimaced. "Older sisters are so protective. I bet mine won't let me do anything cool while I'm in National City."
"Yep. We are protective," Alex grinned. "But I bet she'll let you do lots of cool stuff if it's safe.. Are you on your way to visit her?"
"Yeah." The boy looked more intently at the magazine. "Actually I'm going to stay with her for awhile."
He didn't say why but based on the way his knee was suddenly bouncing nervously, Alex suspected that whatever it was that was sending him across the country to move in with his sister, it wasn't good.
"Yeah, my sister lives with me too," Alex shared lightly. "She was in a bad situation so I had her move in with me."
The boy looked up at that, dark eyes suddenly fixed on her. "Really?"
"Yeah totally. There's nowhere I'd rather she be. I want her to be there, especially if it means she's safe."
"That's what my sister said too," the boy rubbed his arm slightly before turning back to the magazine. "So did you mean it?" he asked, not looking up. "What you said."
Alex had to stop herself from smiling slightly at the way the boy was so desperately trying to appear uninterested and tough while clearly needing reassurance.
"I did. Absolutely, completely, one hundred percent. And I know your sister means it too."
The boy's eyes narrowed. "You don't know that."
"Yeah I do. It's like you said. Older sisters are protective. And that means we care and would do anything to help our siblings out. It sounds like that's how your sister is."
"Yeah she is." His leg slowed in its bouncing, shoulders relaxing from their hunched position. "She's always looked out for me."
"She sounds awesome."
"She is." A small smile spread across his face.
Their conversation lapsed and Alex let herself drift into a semi-conscious state of drowsiness. The sooner this flight was over, the sooner she would be back home with Kara.
Lightly dozing must have deepened into actual sleep because suddenly Alex was jolted from oblivion to full awareness as the plane shuddered around her.
Turbulence. Alex closed her eyes again but a moment later was thrown forward in her seat as a loud whining screamed through the air and the lights of the plane began flickering.
That was when Alex felt the cabin tilt.
The plane was going down.
People screamed and oxygen masks fell from the ceiling. Next to her, the boy was leaning forward, face drained of color as he looked past her out the window to the flaming engine. And for a second, all Alex could do was close her eyes and swallow hard as she fought to keep her composure. She would not panic.
"It's going to be okay," she grabbed the boy's hand. A complete lie but nobody should have to spend their last moments alone and afraid.
"We're gonna crash!" The boy choked out. "We're gonna die! I don't want to die!" His dark eyes were wide and wild with panic.
"You are not going to die." Another lie but the only thing she had to offer him was a little peace. "Listen to me." She grabbed the boy's shoulders as he hyperventilated. "Hey, listen to me. Take some deep breaths. Listen to me. In and out. You with me? You with me?"
Eyes tightly closed, the boy nodded as he took gasping breaths that were incrementally slower.
"Okay, I want you to close your eyes and think about your favorite place in the world. I want you to pretend you're there, okay?" Alex instructed him.
"I can't!"
"You can. Keep your eyes closed and tell me about it. What place did you pick? What does it look like? Tell me all about it, every detail, and don't stop."
As the boy squeezed his eyes shut and began telling Alex about a park where his sister used to take him to play, Alex risked a glance out the plane window. They were going down too fast, too far...
"I'm so sorry, Kara," Alex murmured, closing her eyes again for a moment.
The plane shuddered, the wing on their side suddenly rising to right itself and when Alex opened her eyes to see what was happening, she found a familiar form braced against the fiery wing.
Kara.
The Kryptonian's head rose and they locked gazes.
Then Kara was gone, ducking out of sight under the plane and soon their descent was slowing.
When the boy beside her cried out again, Alex grabbed his hand and told him again that it was going to be okay and they weren't going to die. This time, her eyes glued to the window for a glimpse of her little sister, Alex knew it wasn't a lie.
Little sisters, it turned out, were protective as well.
Make sure to leave your opinion on the next story in the poll, review, or a message! (question is in the AN about if you missed it)
And of course let me know what you think of this chapter! :)
Stay safe and healthy, friends!