Kara finished her pot stickers and stood up. Alex was right. If the world was different, feelings wouldn't necessarily be different. The simulation, the alternate universe had shown her a world where people have met people earlier or later than they have in hers. Just like Alex had obviously met Aeneas before she met Maggie or Kelly in the alternate universe. She remembered alternate-universe-Lena's words "an alternative to your universe where facts are switched and mixed up". So the circumstances were different, but that didn't mean the facts were made up or imagined - they were mixed up and mashed up! Just like Lena really had a business meeting in Valencia.
That meant, that Alex could have loved this cop somehow.
"Why are you standing Kara?" Alex asked.
"You could have married that guy" Kara simply said and walked over to Alex' kitchen to put the used plates in the dishwasher. Alex was obviously confused as she followed the Kryptonian.
"What are you saying? Are you sure you're OK, Kara?" Alex asked concerned.
"I'm good Alex" Kara said. She was totally lost in her thoughts.
'So facts were mixed up in the alternate universe - but what about feelings?' Kara asked herself coming back to her theory. Kara came to realize she truly loved Lena also in this reality, Alex said she was really attracted to the Greek cop, so...'No that can't be true.' Kara stopped herself from finishing the thought. If Lena loved her in this reality as the alternate-Lena had suggested, Kara would have known. Lena barely liked her anymore. Kara sighed. She didn't dare to even hope that this was a possibility. Overwhelmed by the new thoughts, Kara excused herself to the restroom and sat down on Alex' bathroom floor. She decided to rest her mind while visiting the safe haven.
"...thank you, David" Kara said as her and Lena's neighbor helped her carry the groceries into their apartment. David just smiled nicely as he left the apartment. Lena entered soon after with the last bag. Kara smiled as she watched her fiancée place the bag on the kitchen counter. Lena turned her head and approached Kara smirking. She took both of her hands and tugged her in for a kiss. Kara felt Lena's lips and tasted the fruity taste of her organic lipstick. Kara licked her lips right after the short kiss. However Lena didn't think of letting her fiancée turn away so soon so she gently cupped her chin and pulled Kara in for another longer kiss. Kara didn't mind and as she...
"Kara are you OK in there?" Alex asked concerned.
"For the last time: I am good Alex" Kara answered angrily because she was torn out of this place where she was happy. She soon felt guilty, though, because none of this was Alex' fault. She exited the bathroom and apologized quickly. Alex wasn't mad, she was worried.
Lena had finished two meetings that day already as she stepped out of the building. One of her contributors turned out to be connected to dubious companies who have been publicly called out for using child labor. It was a disaster - Lena tried everything to do good and to maintain a good reputation with L-Corp and now she had to fear being criticized by the public for mistakes she couldn't have known about. She sighed into the fresh air of Valencia as she started to wonder why Kara had been to Valencia. Or known about the hotel she was staying in. She massaged her temples with her fingers and decided to change her heels into trainers and her firm clothes into jogging clothes so that she could go for a run. She remembered going spinning with Kara - how she faked exhaustion. The liar. Lena didn't want to waste too much energy on her ex best friend and started to run along the beach. The city was beautiful and the sun regenerated her nerves. As she felt the warm breeze on her skin she felt alive. It was as if she was finally awake and she appreciated her privilege to live. After about 5 miles (~8km) she decided to rest on a bench with a nice view of the beach. She hadn't used her wireless headphones for music yet because she wanted to enjoy the city sounds, but now she connected them to her phone. Lena listened to music that was very uncommon and unknown in National City. On one of her business trips in Belgrade last year she went to a popular bar and out of coincidence she happened to go to "Senidah"'s live performance there. She didn't understand the language (Serbian) but she really enjoyed her whole album Bez Tebe (=without you). As she started the album she remembered the evening very well...
Lena slowly approached a table in the back of the bar with her beverage. The light was dimmed and she needed a moment for her eyes to adjust. She could see a stage that was set up and a lot of flyers with a woman's face on a blue background. Lena tried to find out more about it as she watched a poster closely. The information was in Cyrillic but she could read 'SENIDAH'.
"Are you a fan?" someone suddenly asked her. She turned around clearly startled by the sudden question.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to scare you. I heard you ordering your drink in English and was curious" the man who asked her apologized. He was tall, had brown hair, a slavic accent and a bright smile.
"Don't worry" she said "I don't know what or who I'm supposed to be a fan of, though."
The man pointed at the poster. "Senidah"
"Oh, I have to admit that I have never heard of her before" Lena admitted.
The man, who she thought was handsome, grinned. "You will be a fan after tonight" he promised and looked at her table with the glass of Rakija .
"Are you drinking alone? Because I am here with friends and you can join if you want" he offered.
Lena glanced down at her table and then back to the man. 'Why not?' she thought to herself.
Lena followed the man to a group of five people, within two women and three men.
"Hey guys, this is..."
"Lena. Pleasure to meet you" Lena finished the introduction and smiled. The group smiled at her and showed her a free seat next to the man she was talking to first.
"Lena, this is Slađana, Marija, Stefan, Marko and Zoran. And I am Kris" Kris introduced the group to Lena. He shook her hand as he managed to keep eye contact. When Senidah came, the crowd was wild. She was a good English speaker and parts of her opening speech were in English - which Lena enjoyed. She began with a few songs with a rather fast beat like 'Mišići' but as the evening passed by she slowed down the beat and gave a full experience of her alternative trap/RnB album Bez Tebe and Lena was really into it.
"You know...lyrically these songs are about searching for love" Kris explained her. He was happy to see Lena, an American, enjoy the music so much. Lena turned to him and smiled.
"I wish I would understand." Lena had drunk already the second glass of Rakija and she felt so happy and relaxed. She knew she would never forget this night in Belgrade.
The next day Supergirl helped a family out of a car that had crashed into the sea. She earned a lot of gratitude and praise...but she couldn't feel as happy because of it as usual. Her thoughts orbited around Lena as Earth orbited the sun. She decided to call it quits for the day and went to Al's Dive Bar. Kara knew the only ways to get Lena out of her head was either talking to her or simply make her thoughts stop for a while - at least until she figured out how much the simulation displayed real life relations...if Lena loved Kara, too or at least if she had before. But since Kara couldn't just talk to her because Lena didn't want to see her, Kara chose to drink a lot. She knew that this was a lame excuse for being a coward but she wasn't prepared to deal with the new information yet. So when she walked through the entrance she approached the bar counter directly. The bar was crowded - a lot of aliens but also humans were having a good time. "They're here to celebrate, I'm here to knock myself out" Kara muffled to herself. She sighed and rested her arms on the bar top. She realized how exciting the past days had started: she was getting closer to Lena than ever before in the alternate universe - just to return to the distance that was between her and the beautiful Luthor. Kara ordered "Aldebaran Rum" knowing well how much she would feel the effect. She downed the first in one and ordered the second right after. She felt her phone vibrate and pulled it out while waiting for the second round. Alex.
"Alex" she said.
"Kara, I wanted to check on you" Alex told her.
"Please stop worrying, OK? I'm good I will need some time to figure some things out, though."
"I understand. Where are you?"
"Al's. You feel like getting like reeally drunk?" Kara offered her sister.
"I .. uhm... can I bring Kelly?" Alex asked. Kara knew she would only come so Kara wasn't alone.
"Alex. If you're with Kelly enjoy it and don't come over just so you can watch over me."
"But-"
"I'm indestructible...what could possibly happen?"
"It's not that I am afraid of something happening to you. I don't want you to drink alone, Kara" Alex admitted.
"That's what sad people do" she added.
"Whoa no need to get offensive" Kara joked.
"I don't mind being alone here but I won't tell you what to do" she then said seriously.
"Alright. Kelly and I are joining you. Maybe we should go out more often anyway" Alex laughed before hanging up.
When Alex and Kelly finally entered the bar, Kara had finished her third drink. And it was noticeable. She was smiling and slurring a little.
"KELLY! ALEX!" she welcomed the two excitedly. She tugged both of them into a tight hug which was, thanks to her powers, quite uncomfortable for them.
"What are you having?" the bartender asked them after they had found a table to sit down at. Alex ordered beer and Kelly took a gin-tonic.
It took them four rounds to get really drunk. Like reeally drunk. They shouted when talking and laughed all the time. They started "very serious and wise conversations" that made absolutely no sense - but they agreed to that Kara should buy a dog. Or maybe three dogs so they would always be able to decide to a common activity fast and they weren't alone. Kara feared that two dogs would always team up against the other, though and Alex started crying because she had sympathy for the imaginary underdog.
"Kelly have you ever flyd with me?" Kara asked suddenly.
"It's flown" Alex corrected her sister slurring.
"I didn't frown, Alex" Kara countered.
"I di- I didn't - ehm I didn't say frown. I - I didn't, no wait, I mean I did say fLown."
"To hell with grammar. There are so more important things to focus on: Like Kara asking about flying with me" Kelly interrupted excitedly. "I want to fly with you, reeally" she explained. Kelly's cheeks were reddish because of the alcohol.
"You know what? Let's fly" Kara proposed then. Kelly's face brightened and she raised an arm in a triumphal way. Alex shook her head.
"No, n-no flying. You, no we are drunk. Flying is dange-dangerr-dangerous."
"C'mon Alex, don't be a killjoy!" Kelly complained.
"It's basically FUI" Kara laughed.
Kelly laughed so hard she almost crashed the glass on the table.
"FLYING UNDER INFLUENCE" Kelly said happily.
After Lena began her way back to the hotel she dived back into the memory...
"So, what brings you to the beautiful Beograd?" Kris asked her as they left the bar. Senidah's performance was amazing. Lena had - as Kris predicted - become a fan. She couldn't wait to show the music to Kara.
"I had a business meeting here. One of my contributor's head office is in Belgrade...or Beograd" Lena explained smiling. It was already dark outside and the street lights shone in a yellowish shade.
"Business...contributors...you sound like a real boss" Kris admitted. Lena blushed.
"Well...I came for work...but I stayed because I like it here" she changed the topic. Kris smiled. Lena observed him: His chiseled features and the prominent big eyes and lips, his dark hair short and brushed to his back. Kris smiled again.
"I come from a rather small town in Serbia, so I know both sides: big city life and small town life" he told her.
"Which do you like better?"
"It is not easy to say. I enjoy life here really, but sometimes I get overwhelmed. Then I just imagine being back in the small town and everything is alright. Of course it doesn't make sense - everything wouldn't really be alright if I just went back, but it's nice to have the illusion" Kris opened up to her. Lena admired his honesty. Honesty was so important to her.
"Like a safe haven?" Lena suggested. Kris turned his head as they walked side by side so that he could lock eyes with the youngest Luthor.
"Yes, that is a good comparison."
"A small town in Serbia where everything is alright...that sounds good" she agreed.
Soo I hope you still enjoy this story ! Chapter 9 will follow soon and I know the last chapters didn't include much Kara and Lena interaction but that will change ;)
Have a good week!
By the way: the music and the singer are real and really good!