"Where's mom?" Elle asked when she entered the kitchen the next morning.
"She's gone for a walk with her mom."
"Without me?" Elle asked looking hurt.
"You were asleep." Adam pointed out as he poured Elle a juice.
"She could have woken me." Elle said sounding grumpy.
"You went to bed pretty late last night." Adam pointed out. "You needed to sleep."
"I'm fine. Didn't she want to spend time with me?"
"Of course she did. But she didn't want you to fall to sleep at school. There will be plenty of time after school."
"No there won't. Last night she said she was going to take her mom to a concert."
"You could go too." Adam suggested, earning a half hearted shrug from Elle. "Mom has been away for less than two weeks and you want to spend all your time with her right?" Adam asked. When Elle nodded Adam went on. "Imagine how you'd feel if it was years since you'd seen her." He paused. "That's how your mom feels about seeing her mom." He again waited for Elle to nod. "You are the most important thing in your mom's life." Adam assured her. "You always will be. But for the next few days you need to be a little patient so she can spend some time with her mom. Okay?"
"Okay." Elle agreed.
"Good girl." He said collecting the toast from the toaster and putting it in front of Elle.
-00-
"Morning." Alex said entering the house twenty minutes later.
"Hey." Adam replied handing Alex a mug of coffee.
"Where is everyone?" Alex asked.
"Kara is out showing her mom the city and Elle is getting dressed."
"How did it go last night?"
"After you ran out on me?"
"She's Kara's mom. I'm sure you could handle her. I mean you've spoken to her hologram plenty of times."
"That was the problem. I kept expecting unhelpful answers." Adam said. "And I may have told her that, right before I made her cry."
"What did you do?"
"Showed her a photo album."
"Could have been worse." Alex said.
"It is. Now Elle is upset that Kara went out without her."
"Sounds like you are going to have fun over the next few days." Alex said.
"That's one word to describe it." Adam said before saying. "Kara said she didn't know if her mom was staying or going back to Argo City."
"Yeah." Alex agreed. "Alura is kind of important back there. They weren't exactly happy she was leaving."
"If we weren't in the picture Kara would go back with her wouldn't she?" Adam asked.
"You are in the picture. She'll never leave you." Alex assured him.
"I know. But what if that is the wrong thing for her. Part of her will want to go and Alura will want her to go. I mean her people are alive. Her mother's alive." Adam said. "She's already lost so much and now she may have to lose it all again." He explained as the front door opened.
"Hey." Kara greeted entering the kitchen. "Where's Elle?"
"Getting ready for school. She should be down any minute." Adam said. "She-" He started only for Elle to appear in the doorway.
"Hey you." Kara said hugging her. Feeling how strong Elle was hugging her back, she asked. "Everything okay?"
Silently Elle nodded and continued to hug her.
"No hug for me?" Alex asked causing Elle to finally release her hold on her mother and go over and hug her.
"Ready for school?" Alex asked.
"You're taking me?" Elle asked before glancing at Kara.
"Well it is Friday." Alex said. "And it is kinda our thing to...you know."
"So we can-" Elle started.
"Yes." Alex said cutting her off and bringing a large smile to the child's face.
"Do I want to know?" Adam asked.
"No." Alex and Elle said in unison.
"Come on, let's go." Alex said.
"Bye mom." Elle said tightly hugging Kara again.
"Bye." Kara said kissing the top of her head. Finally releasing her mother Elle went to Adam and hugged him goodbye.
"Goodbye Elle." Alura said causing the girl to quietly, without looking at her grandmother, mumble.
"Bye." With that she walked out of the kitchen leaving the adults confused.
"I've got it." Alex assured Kara before walking after Elle.
-00-
"Why aren't you talking to your grandmother?" Alex asked as she handed Elle her Friday special from NooNan's.
"I don't know her."
"And you won't know her if you ignore her." Alex pointed out. "So what's the real problem?"
"Nothing." Elle said playing with the bun rather than eating it.
"Your lack of appetite suggests otherwise." Alex said. "Did something happen when we were away?"
"No."
"So, no new powers?" Alex whispered.
"No." Elle said before asking. "Was Argo like Krypton?"
"You'd need to ask your mom. But I guess. I mean it was part of Krypton originally and she recognised it pretty quickly." Alex said. "But as I said you'd have to ask your mom and I know Kara wants to talk about it with you."
"Really?" Elle asked.
"Really." Alex said. "Come on we need to get you to school before you're late."
-00-
"Did something happen when I was away?" Kara asked that night after Elle had gone to bed.
"No. Why?" Adam asked.
"Elle seems withdrawn."
"She missed you." Adam said.
"But I'm back now. I thought she'd be happier." Kara replied.
"She is happy." Adam said.
"I think she wants to spend more time with you." Alura said.
"We spent all afternoon with her and she barely spoke." Kara said.
"I think that's the problem." Alura said.
"What is?"
"We spent time with Elle. I think she wants time alone with you." Alura said causing Kara to turn to Adam who nodded.
"I'll go ta-" She started only for her phone to ring.
"What is is Winn?" She asked. "Now?...Fine, I'll be right there." She said before hanging up and looking at Adam and her mother. "I'm sorry. I have to go."
"Be careful." Adam said as she disappeared.
"Does this happen often?" Alura asked.
"Oh yeah." Adam said before offering. "Can I get you anything?"
"I think I might sit outside and observe the stars for awhile." Alura said.
"Sure." Adam smiled.
-00-
"Hello Elle." Alura smiled when the child stood before her on the patio. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"
"I'm not tired. We need to talk." Elle said, looking serious.
"About what?" Alura asked.
"Are you going to take mom away?" Elle asked, the question shocking Alura who asked.
"Of course not. Why would you ask that?"
"Dad and Alex think you want mom to go back with you to Argo."
"Kara would never leave you." Alura said.
"You left mom, well sent her away." Elle argued. The response once again taking Alura aback.
"Elle. What are you doing up?" Adam asked as he walked towards them.
"Talking to grandma Alura." Elle stated.
"You should be asleep."
"But it's not a school night and how am I meant to sleep when you think mom is leaving?"
"What are you talking about?" Adam asked as he knelt in front of his daughter.
"I heard you and Alex talking." Elle confessed.
"Elle, what have we said about using your hearing?" Adam asked wearily.
"I don't want mom to go." Elle said.
"Your mom will never leave you." Adam said hugging her before pulling away and saying. "Even if you disobey the no hearing rule and bedtime rule."
"Then why did you say she would?" Elle asked.
"We didn't." Adam replied. "I said that I thought deep down she may want to go to Argo City. That doesn't mean she'd go and she'd never go without you."
"What's going on?" Kara asked as she walked out onto the patio. Seeing how upset Elle was looking she hugged her and asked. "What's wrong?"
"I don't want you to go." Elle said.
"Go where?" Kara asked confused.
"Back to Argo City."
"I'm not going to Argo City." Kara said confused about where the paranoia had come from.
"But that's where you're from." Elle said.
"This is my home." Kara said hugging her. "I'm not leaving. Where did you get that idea?"
"Dad and Alex." Elle said dropping Adam in it.
"You really thought I would leave you?" Kara asked Adam.
"No." Adam said. "I thought that part of you would want to be on Argo City with your mom and that you may be happier on Argo City."
"Without you and Elle?"
"No, with us." Adam clarified.
"I couldn't ask you to leave your mom." Kara said.
"I know. I know you would never ask that. But what if I offered?"
"Your home is here. Out there you'd be..."
"An alien?" Adam suggested. "It would be no different for me there than it is for you here…..well apart from I wouldn't be special."
"You will always be special to me." Kara commented.
"Kara, you have lost so much, sacrificed so much. I don't want you to sacrifice anything else. Tell me what you want and I will do everything I can to make it happen." Adam said.
"None of you will be sacrificing anything." Alura said, finally joining in the conversation.
"Mom." Kara said turning to face her.
"I never wanted to cause you turmoil." Alura said. "I have lived alone for so long I forgot how extended family can be. Your home is here on Earth. You have lived here for so long, experienced so many things, even if you came to Argo City, it would not feel like home to you." She said. "But, if you would accept me, I could move here."
"But you're too important to Argo City." Kara said.
"There is a whole council there to run the city. Besides, it is time that fresh blood took on more responsibility."
"You'll stay?" Kara asked.
"If that is acceptable to you and of course to Elle." Alura said looking down at the child who finally released her grip on Kara and looked at her grandmother.
"You really won't take her away?" Elle asked.
"Nothing could take Kara away from you." Alura said causing Elle to step towards her grandmother and hug her.
-TBC...
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.