A/N: Thanks for the comments.
Jennifer Baratta - Thanks!
As Wil started crying again Adam did his best to settle him whilst feeling completely inadequate and that Wil wanted Kara or Elle.
"They'll be back soon." Adam assured his son who continued to cry. "Elle will be playing on the drums, waking you all the time and complaining about you non stop." When Wil continued to cry Adam tried a different tactic and carried Wil into Elle's bedroom and picked up Elle's well worn, much loved, alien plush toy and held it before Wil who immediately reached out for it.
Once Wil had it in his hands the baby settled and Adam started to feel relieved until and unexpected voice said from the doorway.
"Even I know Elle is going to lose it if she finds out you gave her alien to Wil."
"Carter? What are you doing here?" Adam asked confused as he turned to face his younger brother.
"Elle's birthday." Carter said before feeling guilty for bringing it up.
"If she makes it back in time she'll love seeing you." Adam replied.
"She'll be back. I mean no way is she going to miss presents." Carter said concerned with how defeated his brother looked.
"That's true." Adam conceded as he put Wil down. For a moment he watched as Wil happily played with the alien before Carter pulled him from his thoughts by asking.
"So what did you get her?"
"Get her?" Adam asked confused.
"For her birthday present." Carter clarified.
"Damn it. I forgot. I still haven't got anything." Adam said as more guilt washed over him.
"Do you want to go shopping?" Carter asked unused to seeing his brother looking so lost.
"Shopping?" Adam asked.
"For Elle's present." Carter said growing more concerned by Adam.
"Sure." Adam said trying to focus. "And this one needs to be special so I'll need your help."
"You've got it." Carter nodded, wondering if he should call for back up.
-00-
"What does this do?" Elle asked pointing at a console.
"Keeps Kate safe." Luke replied, his voice betraying his annoyance.
"What's this?" She asked pointing to a small metal can.
"It's shark repellent."
"Why do you have shark repellent? You are in Gotham." Elle asked before moving onto the next gadget. "What's this?"
"It's a taser."
"And this?"
"A grappling hook."
"What abou-"
"Will you please sit down and stop talking to me." Luke snapped causing Elle to hurry to the far side of the Bat Cave and sit in the corner.
"Go apologise." Kate mouthed to him.
"Why me?" He mouthed back.
"Because you upset her." Kate responded.
"She was annoying me."
"She's a kid who misses her mom. Go!" Kate mouthed. When Luke didn't move she went on. "Do you want to upset Supergirl?"
"Fine." Luke mouthed before awkwardly approaching Elle.
"I'm sorry." Luke said.
"It's okay." Elle said sounding miserable. When Kate signalled he should keep talking he asked.
"Can I get you anything?"
"I want my mom." Elle sobbed.
"That's a little beyond my skill set." Luke said.
"I know. It's my fault. Every time mom gets mad at me something bad happens to her." Elle said.
"Umm." Luke said unsure how to respond, desperately looking to Kate for help.
"Every time I swear I'll be better but then I make her mad again and she gets hurt. I guess that makes me a liar as well. Why am I such a bad person?"
"You may be really annoying, like super annoying, but I'm pretty sure you are not bad." Luke said.
"Then why is my mom hurt again?"
"Because she is a superhero who was fighting one of the worse creatures in the galaxy?" Luke guessed. "But what you are forgetting is even if your mom has got hurt before, she has always been okay. Hasn't she?"
"I guess." Elle said.
"There you go." Luke said silently pleading with Kate to come over and help.
"Speaking of your mom getting mad, what had you done?" Kate asked hoping to distract Elle.
"Dad found me in the backyard after I had solar flared."
"Solar flared?" Kate asked.
"Burnt out my powers." Elle explained. "He saw lots of burn marks and thought I had done it deliberately using my heat vision. He got really mad and left me at the DEO. Then Alex told mom what dad had told her and she got really mad too."
"But there's more to the story?" Kate guessed.
"My powers started playing up. I couldn't control them. Dad was really stressed looking after Wil and I didn't want him to worry. So I went to the back yard and thought out there if they came on and I lost control no one would get hurt."
"Did you tell anyone?"
"No. Mom said she'd help but-."
"But she was with us so couldn't." Kate surmised. When Elle nodded Kate said. "I know it is not exactly the same, but we all have something in us, something we don't want, that we can't control."
"Even you?"
"Especially me."
"What?"
"Anger and fear. And it may not cause me to burn holes in walls, but it does make me do stupid things and hurt people. The way I see it your emotions cause your laser eyes. Figure out how to control them and the problem goes away."
"How do you control your emotions?" Elle asked.
"I punch things." Kate said after a moment.
"Which I am not sure is the best parenting advice." Luke pointed out.
-00-
"What is that?" Cat asked as she entered the house.
"Elle's birthday present. Carter reminded me I still hadn't got one."
"And that's what you went with?" Cat asked.
"It was a joint decision."
"Joint with who?" Cat asked.
"Krypto and Wil. Carter was there too." Adam said as Cat looked at him like he had lost his mind. "Are you really telling me Elle won't love it."
"No, she'll love it." Cat agreed. "Yet you look miserable."
"What if we don't we get her back?" Adam said sounding inconsolable. "What if something terrible has happened at the DEO? What if the last thing I ever get to say to her was saying she should be locked up?"
"She'll be back." Cat assured him.
"You don't know that."
"But I know Kara and I know Elle." Cat argued. "They will both be back." She added as the door opened and Carter walked in.
"Sorry, should I go?" He offered.
"No." Adam said immediately.
"You can explain this lapse in judgement." Cat said pointing to Elle's present.
-00-
"What's that smell?" Kate asked as she led Elle into the apartment that evening.
"Yeah, that. I discovered some damage that Alice must have done when she broke in. Although I have no idea why she would burn holes in the ceiling. But then again she is a psycho." Mary said oblivious to the guilt on Elle's face. "Anyway, I patched it up. But there may be others we've missed. I mean we missed those for weeks."
"Good catch." Kate said unsure how else to respond.
"What's happened?" Mary asked noticing Elle looked upset.
"Nothing. I just miss my mom." Elle confessed.
"I know. But I'm sure she'll be here soon." Mary said trying to sound cheerful. "But seeing you are under our care tonight how about we go out and do something?" Mary suggested.
"Like what?" Elle asked.
"Arcade games? Bowling? Skating?" Mary suggested.
"I don't know? What if Alice does something?" Kate asked not wanting Elle to become a target.
"She could do something here just as easily." Mary said before realising she might be freaking Elle out. "But I'm sure she won't. I mean we are completely safe. Nothing to worry about here."
"So we can go out?" Elle asked.
"Absolutely." Mary agreed, ignoring Kate's silent protests.
-00-
"Anything?" Kara asked entering Alex's lab.
"Not yet. But we are working on it."
"What's taking so long?" Kara asked.
"An AI system that uses next gen quantum algorithms that has taken over the DEO." Winn explained. "Fortunately it doesn't view us as a threat. But if that changes we are so screwed. Which is why we have to be really careful about overriding the lock down. One wrong move could fry us all."
"Then be careful." Kara shot back. "But you should be making more progress."
"Kara, let's take a walk." Alex said guiding Kara out of the lab.
"I'm fine." Kara said.
"No you're not. And I get that. And I know you want to get to Elle, but Winn wasn't joking if we upset this AI we may never get out of here. But we are doing all we can."
"I know you are. But, I haven't seen Wil or Adam for days and it's Elle's birthday in less than two hours." Kara reminded her. "And she is out there by herself."
"She has Kate." Alex reminded her. "And Elle will know you are coming for her. So just hang in there. Okay?"
"Okay." Kara said. "Is there something I can do? Anything?"
"You need to rest. Stay under the lamps and the second we have something I will come and get you." Alex said before hugging Kara and saying. "We are going to get to her."
-TBC...
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.