It had been a month since Kara was kidnapped by CADMUS. Everybody feared the worst, except Alex, who refused to believe that her little sister was dead.
Supergirl wasn't even supposed to be there when CADMUS attacked the DEO. She shouldn't have been there. The attack was a trap so CADMUS could knock her out with kryptonite and take her hostage.
-00-
Kara didn't know how much time had gone by since CADMUS took her to whatever secret base they're hiding in. She was weak, cold, and afraid. She had bruises all over her body and blood all over her super suit. One thought had been running through her head the entire time she'd been there. Alex. I have to get back to Alex. I have to protect her from CADMUS. Kara had to think about Alex. It kept her from constantly thinking about how she was going to die here and leave Alex alone.
The door opened and although Kara's vision was blurry, she could make out the voice who spoke the same words she's been hearing everyday since her kidnapping: "Hello Supergirl." It was Lillian Luthor, no doubt with Hank Henshaw at her side.
"Are we ready for today's fun tests and activities?" Lillian asked in that sick, giddy voice of hers.
Kara could barely move let alone speak. She pressed her shivering body farther into the corner she was huddled in. "W-what do y-you….want w-with me? If y-you're gonna…" she swallowed hard, "If you're gonna k-kill me just do it al-already."
"Oh no, Supergirl. Killing you now would be merciful. I would much rather watch you suffer." Lillian sneered back at her.
It was at that moment Henshaw walked up to where Kara was curled into a ball, fitted with a syringe of liquid kryptonite, a kryptonite knife, and kryptonite brass knuckles. Oh, and let's not forget super strength.
There was no talking for a while after that. Only the sounds of Kara's screams of agony filled the room for hours.
Once they were done with the day's hours of torture, Lillian grabbed Supergirl by the wrists. "Get up," she fired at Kara, "I've got something special planned for you today."
-00-
"Any luck finding Kara?" Alex asked as she paced around the DEO lab, where her, Winn, J'onn, Maggie, and James were working tirelessly for the last month to find Kara. They would've gone to Lena, but she'd been away on business for a few months now. Even if the rest of them thought Kara was dead, there was no way Alex was giving into that belief, so the rest of them tried to piggyback off of her optimism in hopes that Kara may still be alive somewhere.
Just as Alex was about to ask them to try something they've probably already tried, the screens went black and static noise filled the room. After a few seconds of waiting, the team witnessed as Lillian Luthor's face filled the screen. If Alex had less self control, she would've punched the screen right then and there, her hands already balling into fists.
"Well hello to my favorite DEO and friends team! As you know, my name is Lillian, and-"
"What have you done with my sister?" Alex cut her off.
"Well if you would be a little patient, I was just getting to the good part. Now, I know all of y-, most of you believe that Supergirl is dead, but I am here to tell you that she's alive. Sort of."
It was at this moment that Lillian stepped to the side to reveal Kara, restrained to a chair. She was bleeding, bruised, pale, and barely holding up her own head. Even through the camera, Alex could see Kara's veins bulging and glowing bright green. Her breathing came in uneven, heavy gasps for air.
Everyone's eyes widened at the sight of Kara, who was usually the ray of sunshine to fill the room, looking so lifeless. Tears pooled in Alex's eyes at the sight of her little sister on the brink of death. The fists her hands made became so tight that her fingernails dug crescent shapes into her palms. A sob lurched in her throat, and the tears started to spill. She felt sick, rage and worry and sadness all tumbling around in her head. She could feel her knees wobbling under her. She was overwhelmed with emotion, and a fresh desire to kill Lillian Luthor. The small trance she was in was broken when Lillian's voice played through the video again.
"I know this may be heartbreaking for some of you, especially you, Agent Danvers, but this is what the Kryptonian and the rest of her alien kind deserve. And soon, she will die, a long, painful death."
Maggie looked over at Alex and could practically see the steam coming out of her ears. She knew what Alex was thinking, and they were all thinking it too. Lillian's voice was still playing in the background, going on and on about how aliens, especially kryptonians, have infected Earth with their presence. Then Maggie suddenly had an idea. She looked over at Winn, and in the quietest voice possible, she said, "Winn, if this is a livestream, can you track where it's coming from?"
"Absolutely I can,'' he said, a little disappointed he didn't think of the idea himself. With as little movement as possible, he grabbed his tablet and began working his magic to find Kara. It took Winn 47 seconds to find Kara's location, 47 seconds of the rest of the team listening to Lillian talk about her hatred for kryptonians, 47 more seconds of watching Kara's limp, barely conscious body sag in the chair. Just as Winn says he has the location, Lillian says something that catches everyone's attention: "I would like to give you a little taste of the punishment I've been giving the filthy Kryptonian for invading our Earth."
"What are you talking about?" James shoots back at her.
"Well I was going to tell you, but how about I show you instead." Lillian signals to Hank Henshaw, who stands over Kara but makes sure that the team at the DEO can still see her. Without hesitation he takes his Kryptonite brass knuckles and with full force punches Kara in the gut. Kara's eyes shoot open as she lets out a shriek of pain and spits up blood. He punches her again, and again, and keeps punching her, sometimes aiming for the face. Kara's body writhes in agony, pulling against the restraints that she is too weak to break free from, and the sound of her screams fills the ears of her family. Henshaw finally gives her a rest, along with new bruises and cuts all over her face and a puddle of the blood that forced its way out of Kara's mouth onto the floor below her. She falls limp in the chair once more, coughing and gasping for air. Her wheezing breath can barely be heard on the video, which promptly shuts off.
James is furious.
Winn is worried.
J'onn is already assembling a strike team.
Maggie is crying.
Alex is all of them in one. Tears roll down her cheeks as her hands form fists so tight that her palms begin to bleed against her fingernails.
"We're ready to move out, Alex." J'onn says. The rest of you stay here and monitor the team. I don't want anyone who is not an official agent of the DEO on this mission. Understood?" All but Alex, who is trying to pull it together as she gears up, nod their heads in agreement.
"Are you sure you're up for this?" J'onn says to Alex as the team is getting ready to roll.
"Oh I'm sure." She says, practically growling in rage at this point. "Let's go get my sister back."
-00-
"Ms. Luthor, they're here." Henshaw says as he walks into the room where they're keeping Kara. "Good," Lillian says, "let's let them think they have the win for now and get going to our other location." She turns to Kara, still limp and unconscious in the chair, "Well Supergirl, looks like our time together has come to an end. For now. But before I forget, a little parting gift." Lillian pulls some sort of device out of her pocket and even Henshaw, her most trusted henchman, doesn't know what it's for. "What's that?" He asks as she places the device on Kara's arm and it digs its way into her bloody skin under the ripped fabric of her super suit. It doesn't even leave a scar. "It's what's going to kill Supergirl. It's a kryptonite bug that is going to make its way into her immune system and kill her, painfully. It should work, the only flaw being it's big enough to remove from her system, but by the time they find it she will be dead." Lillian laughs maniacally as she taps her earpiece, "I want casualties, but leave the martian and Agent Davners alive." And with that, they threw Kara out of the chair and left, leaving lifeless Kara on the floor, alone.
-00-
The doors to the building are blown open as DEO agents run in and start firing at the CADMUS recruits. Both sides take heavy fire, but after 20 minutes of fighting, the DEO agents have bested the CADMUS team. "We have to find Kara," Alex says as she takes off her helmet and reloads her weapons. J'onn answers from the other side of the room by ordering all the agents to fan out and look for Supergirl. Alex and J'onn stick together as they look through every single room, crack, and hole in the building. Even after an hour of searching, they still couldn't find Kara. Alex refused to give up on her sister. "She has to be here somewhere. She has to be here." "Everything ok?" Alex heard Maggie through her earpiece. "We can't find Kara. After a month this is the first lead we have on her and we can't find her." Her voice started to break in that last sentence. Tears pooled in Alex's eyes, but Maggie was there to comfort her. "Hey, hey, it'ok. Just keep looking. I'm sure she's there somewhere and when you find her, you can bring her home. Ok?" "Ok. Let's keep looking." Alex pulled herself together and continued to kick down doors to rooms, hoping to find Kara in one of them.
It was after 3 hours of searching through every room in the building that they finally reached the last door. Alex took a deep breath and kicked the door down. What she saw next brought back the tears. Her eyes widened and she felt her stomach drop. Alex saw Kara's crumpled up form on the floor, bloody, bruised, and deathly pale. One thought ran through her mind. She's dead. I'm too late and now she's dead. "Kara." Alex sprinted over to Kara, she couldn't run fast enough. After what seemed like miles and miles of running, Alex dropped to her knees in front of Kara and cradled the beaten alien in her lap. Tears streamed down Alex's cheeks as she held Kara close. Alex let out a shaky sigh of relief when she heard that although labored and uneven, Kara was breathing. She felt that Kara's skin was still warm and felt a pulse on her neck. It's ok. She's just unconscious. She's alive. Alex stroked Kara's bruised cheek with one hand while using the other arm to hold Kara as close to her body as possible. "Kara? Kara sweetheart can you hear me?" No response. "Kara?" Alex said again in a voice full of worry, running her fingers through Kara's hair and cupping her cheek. "She's just unconscious for now, Agent Danvers. Let's get her back to the DEO," J'onn said as he scooped Kara into his arms. As they walked out of the room, Alex's eyes never left Kara's still form.
-00-
"They just took her, Ms. Luthor."
"Good. We can let them think it's over for a short while. Let them think they've won. My plan is just beginning."
-00-
Winn, James, and Maggie all watched as J'onn came into the DEO carrying Kara's lifeless body and Alex walked next to him, gaze focused on Kara and cheeks stained with streams of tears. Maggie was the first to break her shock and run over to Kara. "Is she…?" "No, just unconscious for now." J'onn said, knowing he needed to be the brave one for Alex and Maggie.
Alex stood there with a dazed look on her face as J'onn took Kara into the med bay and the doctors were all screaming over each other, trying to stabilize Kara and assess her injuries. Maggie wrapped her girlfriend in a tight hug and said "Come on, let's get you showered and changed so you can be ready when Kara wakes up."
Hours went by until J'onn finally emerged from the med bay to find Alex. He found her sitting in the corner of a sparring room, curled into Maggie sitting beside her, rubbing her shoulders. Alex looks up at J'onn with watery eyes. "She's stable for now, but she's still unconscious. You can go see her if you'd like." With that sentence Alex slowly stood up with Maggie at her side to help stabilize her. She gave a small nod, and followed J'onn to the med bay.
Even after all the crying she had already done, the sight of Kara, unconscious and bruised in the med bay bed, caused more tears to form in the corners of her eyes. But these tears were blinked away as she walked up to Kara's still form and took Kara's unsplinted hand in her own. Alex used her thumb to softly rub the bruised skin on Kara's knuckles, something she always did when Kara needed comforting. Maggie pulled up a chair so Alex could sit and as Alex sat down she stroked Kara's hair and still never let go of her hand.
Maggie pulled up a chair for herself and sat down on the other side of Kara, stroking her hair and praying to whatever God was out there that Kara would wake up soon.
-00-
It had been 2 weeks since Kara's rescue and she was still in a coma. The bruises had started to fade but they were still there. Kara's left wrist was in a splint. Alex was always in the chair next to Kara, holding her non-splinted hand and running her fingers through her wavy blonde hair. Alex hasn't slept. She barely eats. She sits with Kara all day and all night, making sure she's still breathing. She watches the steady rise and fall of Kara's abdomen and listens to the rhythm of her heartbeat on the monitor. Maggie has to tear her away from Kara's bedside long enough for Alex to take care of herself.
It was 1:37 in the morning on the 15th day when Kara's eyelids finally started to flutter. Alex felt Kara's fingers twitch and heard the soft moan Kara let out and immediately shot up, eyes trained on Kara. Kara slowly opened her eyes and quickly shut them. Her breathing became quicker as she felt nervous about what Lillian was going to do to her next. But then she felt a familiar hand on her own and heard the heartbeat of her sister, a heartbeat she's known for years. "Kara can you hear me?" Alex. Alex. Alex. "Can you open your eyes for me? Come on baby you can do it. I know you can." Kara slowly opened her eyes and looked over to see the face of her sister, cheeks stained with tears. Only these tears were tears of joy. "Alex?" Kara mumbled softly. "Yeah, it's me." Alex said with a warm smile. Kara was still staring at her with big, watery eyes. Kara reached a small arm out to her sister as she whimpered, pleading for the comfort Alex always brought her. Alex looked into the big, wet eyes of her sister. She knew that look all too well. Kara was scared, she was terrified out of her mind, and she had every right to be. As she climbed into the bed with Kara, Alex sat in an upright position that allowed Kara to rest her head on Alex's stomach and chest. She was wrapped in a hug so tight she could feel Kara's body shaking as she sobbed so hard. Alex's own tears dripped into Kara's hair. But Alex willed herself to pull it together, to be strong for Kara. Alex cared only about comforting Kara as she buried her face deeper into Alex's side. She could hear Kara mumbling through the sobs, "I love you I love you I love you I love you…" All Alex wanted to do was hug Kara tight enough for all of her pain and suffering to go away. She immediately reciprocated Kara's hug and rubbed circles around her back to make her feel better. "Shh, it's ok. You're ok. I love you too. I'm here. I've got you now."
They stayed like that until Kara's sobs eventually became hiccups and whimpers and she fell asleep from the exhaustion, nestled against Alex with her head buried in Alex's side. Alex kept her arms wrapped around Kara as tight as she could, never wanting to let her go, and fell asleep with Kara in her arms.
Alex woke up the next morning to find Kara still asleep against her and a soft smile formed across her face as she ran her fingers through Kara's hair. Alex looked up to see Maggie on the side of the bed. Maggie couldn' help but smile at the sight of Kara, who had become like a little sister to her, snuggled up close to Alex. Alex smiled at Maggie and with as little movement as possible she pressed a soft kiss against Maggie's lips with a quiet, "Good morning." "Morning? It's 2:14 P.M. sleepyhead," Maggie teased. "When's the last time you actually got a good night's sleep?" Alex thought for a moment and looked at the sleeping alien against her, an action mirrored by Maggie. It was moments like these that Kara didn't look like Supergirl, the Girl of Steel. In these moments she looked more like Alex's fragile little sister, the scared little girl who had just lost her entire planet. She looked so small, so peaceful, and Maggie's heart swelled with affection when she looked at Kara. "When did Kara go missing?" Alex said and they both shared some quiet laughter so as not to wake up Kara.
Their efforts proved futile as Kara stirred, opening her eyes. "Alex?" was the first groggy word that came out of her mouth. Alex looked at her and smiled. She held her close so Kara could feel the comforting pressure of Alex's body against her own. "Hey pretty girl. You sleep ok?"
"Mhm." Kara responded as she lowered her head back into Alex's warmth. "Is that Maggie?" she mumbled. Kara could already feel her eyelids becoming heavy again and succumbed to Alex's warmth and the soothing circles she rubbed on Kara's back.
"Right here Little Danvers." Maggie said and gently squeezed Kara's shoulder before telling Alex "I'll give you guys some space. I'm glad Kara's ok" She gave Alex another soft kiss, smiled at Kara, and walked out of the room, pulling the door shut softly behind her.
Alex looked down at her sweet baby sister asleep up close to her and watched the steady rise and fall of Kara's chest as she breathed softly in her sleep. She let out a sigh of content as she continued to rub Kara's back and play with her hair. She was happy to stay like that with Kara all day. There was no place she'd rather be.
-00-
"The Kryptonian is out of the coma, Ms. Luthor. Shall we begin the next phase of the plan?"
"Patience, Henshaw. As I said, let's let Supergirl recover enough to make Agent Danvers think she has the win. Not to worry, the next phase of the plan will soon be set into place and Supergirl will die a long, excruciating death. And for fun, Agent Danvers will have to watch as I kill her so-called sister."
-00-
"Please Alex I've been recovering for a week. I can go home. I'll feel so much more comfortable in my own bed. You'll stay with me and make sure I'm ok and if anything happens then we can come back here. I promise."
"Alright, Kara, we can go home." A big, bright smile shot across Kara's face. "But only because I've checked your scans and talked with Dr. Hamilton and she says it's ok." "Can Maggie come too, please Alex?" "Ok. I'll call Maggie." With that, Alex helped Kara out of the DEO bed and into the car.
Kara walked slowly as she supported herself between the two women at her sides. With Alex on one side of Kara and Maggie on the other, they both couldn't help but wince in sympathy for Kara as she took slow, wheezy breaths. "It's ok, Kara. Just walk slow. I'm right here with you." All Alex wanted to do was make Kara's pain go away and she didn't know how. It made her feel so helpless. But she knew she had to be strong. She had to be strong for Kara. Kara needs me. That's all that matters.
After what felt like hours they finally reached the door to Kara's apartment and Alex helped her lay comfortably on the couch as Maggie shut the door softly behind them. It didn't matter how tired Kara was. She refused to go to sleep without Alex beside her.
"Do you want to at least try to eat something, Kara?" Alex asked while setting her bags down in the kitchen and Maggie sat down beside Kara, one hand on her shoulder. All she got in response was a head shake from Kara. But it was more than that. Kara looked void and confused. Between the DEO and the medical tests and the doctors, Kara never really had the time to process what had happened while CADMUS had her. Alex looked at Maggie and then at Kara and her brows furrowed in concern. "Kara? You ok?"
"I'm fine. Just tired."
"Well then we should get you to bed. Come on." Maggie helped Kara get up off the couch while Alex grabbed her a set of pajamas, and they both helped her get comfy underneath the covers. The mattress dipped as Alex got into bed beside Kara, who instinctively gravitated towards Alex and wrapped her arms around her midsection. Alex received Kara and pulled her into a hug, tucking loose strands of blonde hair behind her ears.
Maggie sat on Alex's other side and wrapped her arms around Alex as she pulled her in for a kiss. They both looked at Kara, already asleep against Alex, and that's when the tears began to pool in Alex's eyes. She looked at Maggie with a frown tugging on the corners of her lips and tears rolling down her cheeks. In the wake of everything that had happened in the last 3 weeks, Alex hadn't really had time to process what happened to Kara either. She was now finally realizing how close they'd actually been to losing Kara.
"Hey," Maggie said. "Al, what's wrong? You know you can talk to me."
Alex's voice was like a whisper. "I...I'm s-supposed to protect her." Alex swallowed hard. "I'm supposed to be th-the one to stop c-CADMUS from kidnapping her and t-torturing her. You saw w-what they did to her. They could've k-killed her. Th-They would've killed h-her. A-and it would...it would've been my f-fault. I would've l-lost Kara and it would've b-been my fault." The tears didn't stop.
"Alex," Maggie said as she wrapped Alex in the best hug she could without disturbing Kara. Her shoulder became wet with Alex's tears. "You can't blame yourself for this. Things happen and it's not your fault. Kara's here and she's ok, alright. She's alive and her injuries will heal. For now we just have to be there for her and take care of her. Ok?" She pulled back just enough to look Alex in the eyes and used her thumb to wipe the tears off of Alex's cheeks. Maggie gave Alex a warm smile.
"Ok. I'm ok. Thank you." Alex takes a deep breath and one last look at Kara before drifting to sleep.
-00-
No no no no no no no no. This can't be happening. I can't be back here. I can't be back at CADMUS. Kara began to breathe faster and felt beads of sweat on her hairline. She backed into a corner. She felt like she couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. She started to hyperventilate. Just when she thought she was beginning to panic, she saw Lillian and Henshaw walk into the room. Henshaw was holding syringes filled with liquid green kryptonite as well as the kryptonite knife. Now she was really panicking. Sweat dripped down her face and she felt her lungs burn as she tried to suck in huge breaths of air. Henshaw lunged at Kara and just as he was about to grab her, Kara's eyes opened faster than the speed of sound.
Kara shot up screaming and drenched in sweat. Kara looked around and saw Maggie next to the lightswitch and Alex still in bed right next to her, both with concern etched across their features. Kara looked to her side and immediately lunged into Alex, hugging her as tight as she could. Tears soaked the fabric of Alex's T-shirt as she soothed Kara. "Shh. Just breathe with me. I'm right here. It's ok. You're ok. Just take slow, deep breaths." Alex said as she rubbed her back and stroked her hair while Kara got her breathing back under control. "Ok. Good girl. You've got it. One breath at a time," Alex continued to whisper reassuring words in Kara's ear while she cried it out. Maggie sat down on the other side of Kara, massaging her shoulders and rubbing the parts of her back Alex couldn't reach. They stayed like that for a while, Kara sobbing into Alex's shoulder while she and Maggie did their best to comfort her.
Kara finally looked up at Alex with big, watery eyes. Alex gave her a soft smile. "There she is. You ok? Did you have a bad dream?" Alex immediately entered protective big sister mode, her arms never leaving the position of being wrapped around Kara. Maggie continued to squeeze Kara's shoulders and rub her thigh.
Kara was hesitant to speak at first but realized that she needed to talk to someone if it was ever going to get better. "It was like...it was like I was b-back there. At….at CADMUS. There w-was so much green k-kryptonite and I thought I was going to d-die, and..." More tears formed in Kara's eyes, threatening to spill over.
"Oh Kara. Shh." Alex said as Kara once again buried her head in the warmth of Alex's stomach. Alex held Kara close to her and Maggie continued to massage her lower back, both wanting the younger woman to feel comforted and know she wasn't alone. "It's ok, Little Danvers," Maggie chimed in. "We're not letting you go back there. Ever. Ok?" Kara gave a small nod and a soft "uh huh" as acknowledgement that she understood what Maggie had said.
"Just try and go back to sleep ok? You're clearly exhausted from everything that's happened lately. I'm right here, and I love you." Alex wanted to make sure Kara heard that last part, and it was confirmed when Alex heard a soft "I love you too" before Kara fell back asleep.
-00-
"Oh that poor, poor girl. We gave her nightmares. I just feel so awful." Lillian said sarcastically as she went back to her game of chess. "It's been what, a week since she got home and started recovering? You didn't think I forgot about our little farewell present for Supergirl, did you? I think it's time Supergirl finally met her maker." With that last sentence, Lillian held up a remote and pressed the one button. She watched her computer screen as the signal bars lit up.
Lillian knew that meant the Kryptonite bug was online and activated and gave a giddy smile. The only sound heard from her and Henshaw's hideout for the rest of the night was the sickening sound of Lillian and Henshaw's maniacal laughter.
-00-
Kara woke up the next morning with a bit of a headache and a stomach ache, but didn't really think much of it. She walked out of her room to find Maggie sitting by the counter while Alex was in the kitchen cooking breakfast.
"Morning Little Danvers." Maggie said as she shot Kara a smile.
"Morning Kara. You sleep ok the rest of the night?" Alex asked as she put another pancake on a plate already overflowing with a stack of them.
Kara gave a groan in response as she dramatically fell forward onto the couch, giving a thumbs up so Maggie and Alex knew she was fine and just being dramatic. Kara's mind told her she needed to eat but her stomach churning at the smell of breakfast clearly disagreed.
"You hungry, Little Danvers? Alex here only made enough food to feed an army," Maggie teased and Alex stuck her tongue out at her.
Kara sat up, her head started pounding and her stomach felt tighter than before. Her knees wobbled as she stood, and both Maggie and Alex watched, looking concerned. "Are you ok, Kara?" Alex asked as she slowly made her way towards her sister.
"I'm fine. Just a little dizzy and not really hungry." Kara slowly made her way to where Maggie was sitting and Maggie rubbed her back as she sat down. Kara sat there for a minute before she said, "I think I'll feel better after I shower." Kara said, slowly getting up and making her way towards the bathroom. When Alex heard the door shut, she turned to Maggie. "I'm worried about her, Mags. Something doesn't seem right."
"She's probably still a little shaken up with everything that happened last night. I'm sure she's fine. If she wasn't she would tell you, right?"
"I guess you're right. I'm just overprotective after what happened with CADMUS." I'm sure she's fine."
Kara really let the warmth of the shower water sink in, hoping it would make her feel better. It didn't. The pounding in her head got harder, her stomach hurt like hell, and her vision was becoming blurrier by the minute. After 15 minutes she finally switched off the shower and shakily put on her clothes. Something was wrong with her. She needed to get to Alex.
Kara slowly opened the bathroom door and walked out to find Alex and Maggie on the couch watching TV.
"Hey Kara. Feel any better?" Alex asked, her tone changing slightly when she saw the look on Kara's face and the sweat on her forehead, also noticing Kara looked paler than usual. "Kara, what's going on?"
"Alex...Alex I don't...I don't feel good." Kara said right before she doubled over in pain, spitting up blood and collapsing on the floor.
Alex's stomach dropped and her chest tightened. Maggie was at Kara's side in an instant, scanning her for any injuries. While Maggie tried to turn Kara over, Alex called J'onn telling him she needed an emergency medevac in Kara's apartment. "Alex!" Alex felt her heart skip a beat. Maggie had turned Kara over to reveal her gasping for air, her chest heaving with every attempt to suck in oxygen. Alex immediately entered Dr. Danvers mode and ran to her DEO supply bag to grab the emergency oxygen mask she had brought just in case. Maggie had training for this in the police academy. She knew Kara needed to sit up, but she just couldn't do anything. She was in shock. Dammit Maggie pull yourself together! You're a detective! Kara needs you! Snap out of it! Maggie helped Kara sit up as Alex ran over with the oxygen mask. She kneeled down to place the plastic over Kara's face. "Breathe Kara. Deep Breaths. J'onn will be here soon and then we're gonna help you ok?" Alex said as she cupped Kara's face in between her hands, frantic blue eyes finding her own. Kara's fingers curled tightly around the fabric of Alex's shirt as she struggled to breathe, taking long deep breaths. The burning in her lungs was excruciating and her eyes were wet with tears. She looked up at Alex before her eyes closed and her body fell limp into Alex's lap from the lack of oxygen.
-00-
"The bug is successful so far, Ms. Luthor. Supergirl is dying and Agent Danvers and the other idiots at the DEO have no idea why."
"Fantastic. Of course we can't kill her just yet, it would be too easy. I think we need to let her suffer a little bit first."
-00-
Alex ran throughout the halls of the DEO, refusing to stop until she reached the med bay and found Kara. She regretted that decision as soon as she found who she was looking for. Tears dripped out of her eyes and a sob tried to force its way out of her throat when she saw her poor little sister. Kara was lying in the med bay bed unconscious and wearing an oxygen mask because she could barely breathe on her own. She was so pale and her pulse was so weak that it barely registered on the machines. "Oh Kara" she whispered in a voice so low that she barely heard herself speak. Alex felt sick and became just about as pale as Kara. Her legs felt like jelly underneath her and threatened to give out. But then there was a presence, warm and familiar. She felt Maggie's hands on her shoulders, steadying her and providing as much comfort as she could take right now.
"Come on. Let's get you in a chair or something before you pass out."
"I want to sit with Kara. I need to be with her, please."
Maggie nodded and helped Alex walk into the room with Kara's bed while J'onn came in and pulled up a chair for her to sit in. Maggie helped Alex sit in the chair slowly while Alex grabbed Kara's hand. Alex's eyes widened at the feel of Kara's skin. It was radiating with heat, but it was so clammy. It was so different from the normal feeling of Kara's soft, warm skin.
Maggie could see the pain in Alex's eyes and just wanted to comfort her. She continued to squeeze Alex's shoulders to remind her that she's not alone. Even if Maggie wanted to break down and cry herself because Kara was like her little sister, she had to be there for Alex.
"Why don't you lay closer to her in the bed, Al." Maggie helped Alex stand up and climb in the bed beside Kara, taking Kara's body against her own and wrapping Kara in her arms while tears poured out of her eyes. Alex tried to fall asleep but could barely keep her composure at the sound of the painful, labored breaths that Kara struggled to take in. Maggie heard her quiet sobbing and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I know it hurts, babe. But Kara's a fighter, and she's been through worse than this. She'll come through, you just have to believe in her." Maggie saw Alex's soft nod and left the sisters to rest.
-00-
Maggie and J'onn watched outside Kara's room as one sister fought for her life and the other one tried to keep it together.
"I'm worried about her, J'onn. She would never come back from Kara's death, it would break her in ways that can't be fixed. I know she's trying to be tough but I can see it all over her face just how worried she is for her baby sister."
J'onn knew what Maggie said. He held a special place in his heart for Supergirl and Agent Danvers, who had become like his adopted Earth daughters. "I know what you mean, Maggie. We all care about Kara, but Alex would take her death the hardest. I don't want to have to see her go through that type of pain."
"Do we even have any idea of what's making her sick? I mean I know her powers were blown out at CADMUS but that was almost 2 months ago and she had 3 full weeks of recovery. What could be making her sick like this?"
"I wish I knew. I've got every DEO doctor scientist I can get running tests and Kara. I've got a bad feeling it has something to do with Kryptonite and Lillian Luthor. But for now it's a waiting game."
Maggie nodded as she gazed into Kara's room once more, her heart breaking at the sight of tear stains on her sleeping girlfriend's cheeks.
-00-
Alex woke up the next morning with a high-pitched ringing in her ears. She took a second to gain her bearings, looked over at Kara and her monitors, and realized it wasn't ringing in her ears. It was a flatline. Kara's chest was not moving up and down. Kara did not have a heartbeat. Kara was not breathing. Kara was going to die. "Help!" she yelled, panicking and crying while trying to rally the doctors into Kara's room and removed Kara's oxygen mask. She got on her knees beside Kara in the bed and started giving her CPR and rescue breaths. "Come on Kara! You can't go now! Breathe! Stay with me!" Alex was sobbing now. She was sobbing her way through CPR as more and more time passed without her sister having a heartbeat. Her arms were burning and her entire body was shaking but Alex Danvers was no quitter. Especially when it came to Kara. "Don't leave me Kara! Please! You have to breathe! You have to hold on!" And with those words Kara's chest rocked and she gasped loudly for air, coughing and sputtering, though her eyes remained closed and she remained unconscious. The doctors ran into the room just as Kara took in that first breath. They watched as Alex looked at Kara in shock through her watery eyes and enveloped Kara in a hug, sobbing into her chest. One doctor slowly made her way over to the bed just to put the oxygen mask back on and ushered the rest of the doctors back out the door so Alex could have a moment with her sister. The door shut quietly as Alex continued to sob, pressing her face into the crook of Kara's neck and wrapping her arms around Kara's back, never wanting to let go. She sobbed to the steady beep beep beep of Kara's now restored heartbeat.
J'onn and Maggie came running into Kara's room after they heard what had happened. They stopped in their tracks to find Alex in the same position the doctors had left her in, sobbing and hugging Kara, who was paler than she was the previous night. Maggie's eyes watered as she slowly made her way up to Kara's bed and placed a hand on Alex's back, rubbing up and down to soothe her.
"It's ok. Just let it all out. Kara's ok for now." Maggie didn't know who she was trying to convince at this point.
J'onn watched as Maggie tried to calm Alex down as she was refusing to let go of her grasp on Kara. He watched his two daughters with despair, one of them dying and the other one broken to pieces because of it. He watched as Alex eventually stopped crying and placed Kara's unconscious form back against the bed. He watched as Alex laid down with her head on Kara's chest and he knew she layed that way so she could feel it rise up and down. He watched as she fought to stay awake but eventually fell asleep due to the exhaustion of sobbing so hard all this time. He watched as Maggie stroked Alex's hair and walked out of the room with watery eyes, probably unable to watch the two women she cared most for in so much pain. He watched Alex as she slept and watched Kara as she laid there unconscious. He watched his two daughters.
-00-
"What did I tell you about not killing her yet?!" Lillian practically roared at Henshaw when she saw what happened and found him with the remote. "I told you I wanted to see Supergirl suffer and you go and try to kill her instantly! What is the matter with you!?" She yelled as she became increasingly fed up with her bolts-for-brains cyborg henchman.
Hank Henshaw was part CADMUS-enhanced cyborg now. He had increased strength, speed, and was practically just as indestructible as Supergirl. And let's not forget the laser eye. But Lillian Luthor, a human, she scared him to the bone. "I….I'm s-sorry Ms. Luthor." He let out a nervous chuckle. "I-I must have gotten….carried away, y-you know, in the excitement of finally ridding the w-world of Supergirl."
"Hmm. Well alright. I can't be upset over an eagerness to end Supergirl now can I?" Lillian let out a snarky laugh. "Just give me the remote and promise it won't happen again, water under the bridge already."
Henshaw moved faster than he ever had in his life to hand the remote to Lillian, who cranked back the dial just a little bit. "See, much better. Thank you, Henshaw. Now, back to work." With that, Henshaw walked back to his workstation with his tail between his legs and sat down, avoiding eye contact with Lillian.
"Cyborgs. Am I right?" she said jokingly to herself before walking back to her computer, where she intended to watch Supergirl die. Just not yet.
-00-
Back at the DEO, James, Winn, Maggie, and J'onn took turns watching over Kara. It was the only way they could get Alex to leave her side and take care of herself. It was Winn's turn to watch over Kara when he suddenly felt movement in Kara's hand. He looked up at Kara and saw that she was trying to open her eyes. Alex. Where is Alex? "Alex! Get over here quick!" As if on cue Alex ran into the room faster than humanly possible, Maggie following seconds later.
"Winn? What is it? Is it Kara? Is she ok?"
"I think she's trying to open her eyes."
Alex was at Kara's bedside in an instant, with Maggie standing behind her, and saw what Winn was talking about. She saw movement in Kara's eyelids. She took Kara's hand in her own and felt tears leak out of her eyes when she felt Kara's hand squeeze softly.
Slowly, Kara's eyes opened and squinted at the harsh light. She looked around and was able to make out 3 blurry figures. "Alex?" she whispered through the oxygen mask, her voice hoarse from not being used in so long.
"Yeah Kara. I'm here. It's me." Alex's cheeks were wet with tears as she squeezed Kara's hand. Maggie gave Kara a warm smile and Winn squeezed Kara's free hand.
"Will you come lay with me?" How could Alex say no? She could barely say no to regular Kara, let alone sick and barely awake Kara. "You know I will," Alex responded as she climbed in the bed carefully next to Kara, allowing her to practically lay on Alex's lap and bury her head in Alex's shoulder.
Kara felt her eyelids already becoming heavy with exhaustion and fell back asleep, still snuggled against Alex. Alex couldn't help but give a teary smile at the sight of her sleeping sister as she ran her fingers through blonde hair. If she ignored the oxygen mask, the beeping of the machines, and the IV lines in Kara's arm, she could almost pretend her sister was just sleeping. Almost.
Winn gave Kara a soft smile before leaving the room to notify J'onn and James that she had woken up. Maggie gave Alex a soft kiss on the lips and started to make her way towards the door when Alex grabbed her arm and looked at her with big, wet puppy eyes.
"Stay?" she pleaded.
Maggie smiled and nodded. She pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and rested her head on Alex's shoulder.
"What could make her sick like this Mags? She has her powers back and her injuries from CADMUS have almost fully healed."
"I was talking to J'onn and he thinks it has something to do with Kryptonite and Lillian Luthor."
Alex looked at her sister and then back at Maggie. Tears started making their way down her cheeks and her voice became shaky, "I just wish I knew how to help her."
"Hey. Hey, look at me. Little Danvers does not go down without a fight. We will figure this out, and we will save Kara." Maggie pressed her forehead against Alex's. "All we can do right now is be there for her, and be there for each other." Alex looked up at Maggie, with red, puffy eyes.
"Ok," she said in a voice like a whisper, now resting her head on Kara's and pressing a kiss to Kara's hair. Alex watched Kara for a while. Watched her breathe and listened for the beat of her heart on the monitor. She looked and listened for a while before falling asleep, her chin resting on the top of Kara's head.
-00-
Maggie gently shook Alex awake the next morning. "Maggie?" mumbled Alex softly.
"Yeah, babe. Sorry to wake you."
"It's ok." Alex's voice became more clear as she started to fully wake up and gain her bearings. She looked at Kara, still sleeping against her, but something was wrong. Kara was paler and her breathing was more labored and wheezy than before. Alex knew what it meant. It meant Kara was running out of time.
"I….I had to wake you so we could run the tests on Kara and move her under the sunlamps."
Alex's gaze never left Kara. A frown formed on her face and tears pooled in her eyes at the sight of Kara, fighting for her life, and losing. Alex didn't want to leave Kara, but she knew she had to if they stood any chance of figuring out what was wrong with her.
"Come on," Maggie said as she took Alex's body in her arms, keeping her in a tight embrace while Alex softly cried into Maggie's shoulder. Maggie wanted to be strong for Alex, but dammit she cared about Kara too. The Kryptonian had become like a baby sister to her. But that didn't matter right now. What mattered was being there for Alex, so Maggie blinked back her own tears and helped Alex through the crying, struggling to catch her breath.
"It's ok, Alex. I'm here for you. We're gonna do the tests and figure out what's wrong with Kara and before you know it she'll be back to her sweet, bubbly, potsticker eating self," Maggie said softly into Alex's ear while continuing to rub her back and stroke her hair. She led Alex out of the room so the doctors could take over and run their tests. She hoped, for Alex's sake more than Kara's at this point, that they found something.
Hours had gone by. Hours of tears. Hours of Alex constantly feeling like she was going to throw up. Hours of just wanting to hold Kara, to see her, even if it was just for a second. Hours spent in the waiting room before Dr. Hamilton finally approached Alex and Maggie with Kara's file.
Maggie was quick to look up at Dr. Hamilton while Alex slowly raised her head, her eyes red and puffy from crying. Neither of them said anything but the look in Maggie's eyes gave Dr. Hamilton the signal to continue. "We ran many tests on Kara, a majority of them coming up inconclusive, until the last test shown on her chart finally gave us some answers." Alex perked up at those last words, snatching the chart from Dr. Hamilton's grasp.
"There's kryptonite everywhere. It's in her bloodstream, her organs, her whole immune system has been compromised. How can we use this to help Kara?"
Dr. Hamilton met Alex's eyes. "If you'll read further you'll find that the Kryptonite seems to be spreading from a central point in her bicep, the same point where the concentration of Kryptonite detected is the highest in her entire body." Alex's eyes gave Dr. Hamilton a questioning look, leading her to continue. "We believe that while Kara was with CADMUS, Lillian Luthor implanted a 'kryptonite bug' of sorts into Kara meant to target her immune system and kill her. If we're correct on that theory, we also believe that it's remotely controlled and the day your sister flatlined was the result of someone pushing the settings far enough to kill her. Assuming this information is all correct, we're running out of time to figure out how to remove the bug from Kara's system before it kills her."
"Ok so we remove it surgically. It's big enough to be registered in Kara's arm so that means it can be taken out with a simple procedure, right?" Alex's voice became filled with hope and she looked at Maggie with bright eyes. Maggie sensed there was a catch. And she was right.
"It's not that simple Alex," Dr. Hamilton said, unable to meet Alex's gaze. "In the current state Kara's in right now, the surgery would be too much strain on her body. She wouldn't survive the procedure. I'm sorry."
A new emotion washed over Alex like a tsunami. But it wasn't sadness. Oh no. It was anger. "So you're gonna come in here, tell me what and who is killing my sister, tell me she's probably going to die soon, and then tell me you can't do anything to save her. No. There has to be another way, there has to be something we can do, anything-"
"Alex," Maggie said, placing her hand on Alex's shoulder. Maggie could feel tears of her own burn the corners of her eyes. She made eye contact with Alex long enough to give her a look to tell her it was over. That there was nothing more she could do.
"No, Mags. I'm not just gonna wait around for Kara to die. There has to be something I can do, and I'm gonna save her, with or without your help," Alex snapped, her eyes like fireballs aimed for Dr. Hamilton's soul. As Alex stormed out of the room, she stopped in her tracks as a news headline caught her attention: "….CEO of L-Corp Lena Luthor has returned from 6 month long research outing in Metropolis…"
Maggie knew what Alex planned to do. She also knew there was no stopping her, not when it came to Kara. She could only watch as Alex dropped the file and ran towards the exit of the DEO so fast she'd be giving The Flash a run for his money. And she knew exactly where Alex was going.
-00-
"I should've known they'd prey on my Lena. Vultures," Lillian said in disgust as she gathered her things.
"Where are we heading to, Ms. Luthor?" Henshaw asked as he cracked his neck in preparation for a fight.
"Well first, I am going to see my daughter. And when I get back, we are going to pay a little visit to Supergirl and the DEO."
-00-
Lena was walking into L-Corp when she saw a most grotesque figure in her path. "What do you want?" she spat at the older woman in her tracks.
"Well is that any way to greet your mother, dear? I simply came to see you and tell you that working with Supergirl in any way is a bad idea. She is manipulating you. You do know that, right?"
"Yes, mother. I have learned from the nature of your distant visits that Supergirl is the enemy, blah blah. And by the way, if you're here to tell me that Kara is manipulating me because she's Supergirl, newsflash, I already know. And I have no resentment towards Kara for keeping it from me. It's her secret to tell when she's ready. Are we done here? Because I have a company to run and you have your criminal undertaking to get back to." Lena walked straight past her mother without even making eye contact.
Lillian watched as her daughter walked into L-Corp, and felt truly impressed by her. She didn't really need Lena on her side, but it would've been a nice bonus. "My criminal undertakings can wait. I have an alien to visit."
-00-
Alex burst through the doors of Lena's office, being chased by 20 security guards and one very angry receptionist. "Lena! Lena!" she called out, hoping Lena might hear her before the security stopped her.
"Alex Danvers? What are you doing here?" Lena questioned as she waved for her security to leave them alone.
"It's Supergirl," Alex said between gasps for air. "She's in trouble. I need your help to save her." Alex began to hyperventilate at the thought of Kara dying, all of her emotions starting to bubble towards the surface. Lena led her slowly over to the couch where she helped Alex calm down enough to explain to Lena what was really going on.
"Easy, Alex. Take it nice and slow. Tell me what happened."
Alex went on and on about how Supergirl was kidnapped for a month and they rescued her and they thought she was fine but it turns out there's a kryptonite device inside her and it's going to kill her in the next few hours if Lena can't help them remove it. Alex purposefully left out the part about CADMUS and Lillian.
"Alex, I know Kara is Supergirl, and I know my mother is behind this."
Alex looked at Lena in shock.
"Oh please, I am a genius, you know. And besides, the glasses don't really help and neither does the fact that Kara once told me she flew to my office on a bus."
Alex let out a small chuckle. "You hate her for it, don't you."
"Not remotely. It's Kara's secret to tell and I expect her to open up to me when she's ready. But enough about that. Tell me how I can help you to save her."
"Ok." Alex took a second to regain her composure. She took a deep breath. "The kryptonite device is embedded in Kara's right arm, but her body's too weak to undergo surgery. So how do we remove it without doing surgery?"
Lena though for a moment before her face lit up with an idea. "Nanobots! Tiny little robots that can be piloted from the outside. We can inject them into her bloodstream and have them work together to destroy the device. Once the task is completed, they're designed to dissolve in the blood. It's completely harmless. I designed them for more intricate surgeries, like removing a brain tumor, so they should be able to get the device easily."
Alex's face glimmered with hope. She wrapped her arms around Lena, who seemed a little tense at first but eventually hugged back. "Thank you, Lena," Alex said while crying into Lena's shoulder.
"There there. We can hug later. Right now we have to get the nanobots out of my lab. And while we're at it, we'll grab a little something I've been working on to stop that little cyborg pet of hers."
The 2 women were in and out of Lena's lab as fast as they could possibly go. They rushed back to Alex's car and floored it.
-00-
It took Alex 10 minutes to drive back to the DEO, ignoring traffic signs and running red lights, doing anything that would help her get back to Kara faster. Lena and Alex sped through the halls of the DEO, stopping in their tracks at the sigh of Lillian, surrounded by unconscious agents, including J'onn. Lillian stood in front of them, arms crossed on her chest and a small grin on her face.
Alex immediately pulled her gun on Lillian.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Agent Danvers." Lillian looked behind the 2 women, motioning at where Henshaw was standing on the balcony, dangling Kara by her throat. Kara could barely lift her arms in her weak attempts to swat Henshaw's arm off of her neck. Tears welled in Alex's eyes and rage seethed within her. Lena felt rage of her own rise inside of her.
"Make a move and I'll snap her neck." Henshaw tightened his grip around Kara, whose skin was deathly pale and whose body was becoming more lifeless by the second. Her wheezy gasps for air were barely audible where Alex and Lena stood five feet below her.
"Let her go, Lillian," Lena snarled as she shakily pointed her own gun at her mother's chest.
"Oh, Lena. We both know you won't shoot me. You don't have the guts."
Alex's eyes never left Kara, but she looked away for a second to see that J'onn was awake and waiting to make a move. He put a finger up to his lips to tell her to be quiet. She understood and put her eyes back on Kara, who had stopped moving at all. But Alex could still hear her breathing. Barely.
Alex knew she had to distract Lillian long enough for J'onn to make his move. "Why are you doing this, Lillian? What do you get out of killing Supergirl?" Alex spoke to Lillian but continued to watch Kara.
"Agent Danvers. Must I explain my every action to you? You know what Superman did to my beautiful boy. And now his cousin has corrupted my Lena. The Kryptonians need to pay."
"The only corrupt one here is you, Mother." Lena sneered.
Just as Lena finished that sentence, J'onn flew straight for Henshaw, knocking him off balance and causing him to drop Kara. Lena fired a bullet straight into Lillian's chest, killing her on the spot. What Lena didn't see was the small remote that fell out of Lillian's hand with the dial turned all the way up.
Alex reached her arms out to catch Kara, breaking her fall and significantly decreasing the damage that would've been done to Kara's body. Alex held Kara in her lap, stroking hair away from her pale face. There was blood trickling out of her nose and mouth and her eyes were closed. Alex put her ear to Kara's mouth to listen for any breathing. She heard small wheezes. They were barely there.
"Lena! We have to get the nanobots into Kara now!" Alex's vision started to blur with tears. She stroked Kara's cheek with one hand and spoke to her hoping Kara could hear: "Hang on Kara. Just hang on a little bit longer."
Alex felt relieved for a moment when she saw Lena running over with the nanobots but that relief was short-lived when Kara's body started violently convulsing and more blood came out of her nose and mouth. Her breathing became strained gasps for air and Alex had to hold her tightly against her torso to keep Kara from falling out of her lap. "Kara? Kara it's ok. I'm right here, sweet girl. Stay with me. Just a little bit longer, you hear me, and then you're going to feel better, ok. I promise. Just stay with me."
"Alex! The nanobots!" Alex grabbed the case out of the air as Lena threw it with all her might. Without a second thought Alex held Kara's arm still long enough to inject her with the nanobots and activate the remote program Lena had installed in them. Lena came running over just as J'onn threw Hank Henshaw into a containment cell and flew to where Alex was holding Kara in her lap.
"The nanobots are working. The bug is destroyed," Lena said as she looked at Alex who never looked away from Kara.
Through her tear-blurred vision, Alex could see as Kara's body stopped convulsing and her skin became just a little bit less pale, and her breathing began to even out. The nanobots had worked. Kara was going to be ok.
J'onn and Lena watched as Alex held Kara's body up close, Kara's head resting on Alex's shoulder. They watched for a while as Alex continued to cry into Kara's shoulder and rock the 2 of them back and forth, whispering into Kara's ear, "It's ok. You're ok now."
J'onn used his superstrength to carry them both to a bed in the medbay, where Alex continued to hold Kara as close as she could. J'onn walked out of the medbay to see the rest of the agents starting to stir and Lena helping them to clean up the wreckage. And her mother's body. He turned his gaze back to Alex and Kara, walking into the room to set up the sunlamps. As soon as he finished with the sunlamps he left them alone, knowing Alex needed time with her sister. He walked back towards Lena when Maggie came running in his direction.
"J'onn. Where's Alex? And Kara?"
"Maggie," he said, softly grabbing her arm so she wouldn't run past him. "They're both ok. Kara's going to be ok. They're in the medbay, resting. I think Alex could use some time alone with her sister, but I'll take you to see them." They walked to the medbay and stood outside the room, watching over the two women they both came to care so much for in their own special ways. Maggie was overcome with happiness and sadness at the same time. She hated seeing Alex so distraught and torn to pieces. Maggie knew how much Alex cared about Kara, and seeing her like this must have had Alex heartbroken. But at the same time, Maggie was glad to see that Kara was ok and let out a sigh of content at the sight of Alex holding her close.
Alex didn't even notice Maggie and J'onn outside the window. She cried into Kara's shoulder for a while before the warmth of the sunlamps and the exhaustion of the recent events finally took over. She slowly laid back but still sat in an upright position against the bed, bringing Kara's head to her shoulder and still holding Kara's body tight in her lap. She closed her eyes, keeping her arms tightly wrapped around Kara as if to protect her from the world. She pressed a kiss into Kara's hair and rested the side of her own head against Kara's forehead. "I love you, my baby girl," Alex whispered before she fell asleep, making sure she could feel Kara's breath against her neck.
-00-
Alex's eyes slowly opened the next morning as she woke up. She looked down to find Kara still asleep, her head still resting against Alex's shoulder and her body still snuggled against Alex's. Alex smiled softly and let out a sigh of relief. She ran her fingers through Kara's hair, still keeping her other arm protectively wrapped around Kara's body and holding it tightly against her own.
Alex stayed in bed with Kara all day, taking visits from Maggie, J'onn, Lena, Winn, and James to check on Kara. It was while she was talking to Maggie that Alex felt a slight movement in her lap. She looked down to see that Kara was starting to wake up and felt like she could finally breathe for the first time since Kara was taken by CADMUS.
"Kara? Kara can you hear me? It's me. It's Alex." She pushed some stray hair behind Kara's ear and saw that her eyelids were starting to flutter. Alex smiled so big her cheeks hurt and Maggie smiled so wide her dimples showed.
Kara didn't need to be told who it was. She knew the voice. She knew the heartbeat. She knew the warmth of her sister's body. She slowly opened her eyes and saw her big sister's face, a wide smile across her lips and tears flowing down her cheeks.
Kara let out a soft groan and slowly stirred herself into awareness, still not leaving Alex's warmth. "Alex?" was once again the first word out of Kara's mouth.
"Yeah, honey. It's Alex. I'm right here, and so's Maggie." Alex dipped her head to meet Kara's sleepy, unfocused gaze, brushing some blonde hair out of her sister's eyes.
"Hey Little Danvers. Glad you're ok." Maggie reached out and squeezed Kara's upper arm to let her know she was there.
"Alex," Kara repeated, "I'm so tired."
"Go back to sleep, Kara. We'll be here when you wake up, ok?"
Kara nodded slowly as she turned her head to bury it back into Alex's shoulder, snuggling against Alex as close as possible.
"I love you, my sweet baby sister."
Alex and Maggie both smiled when they heard Kara mutter a sleepy "I love you too," before her breathing evened out and she was asleep once more. Alex looked at Maggie with content eyes. Maggie looked at Kara before shifting her gaze to meet Alex's eyes. Both women felt like they could relax for the first time in two months.
Alex threaded her fingers through wavy blonde hair and used her other hand to stroke Kara's cheek before moving it down to rub her back and hold her close in a hug. She closed her eyes and pressed a kiss into Kara's hair, resting her chin on top of Kara's head. Her sister was ok and her girlfriend was squeezing her shoulder. She stole one last look at Kara's face, sleeping soundly and skin of a normal color. She let out a sigh of relief and felt the pressure that had built up in her chest with all the recent events finally alleviated. And like Kara, she slept soundly, keeping the alien cuddled up close to her body and holding onto her tightly. Kara was ok. Everything was ok.