"Hey, you want pancakes? Or cereal? Or coffee?" Kate asked the next morning when Elle emerged.
"No thank you." Elle said looking miserable.
"Good call. Coffee is not a good idea." Mary pointed out.
"Aren't you drinking coffee?" Elle asked.
"Yeah, but I'm an adult." Mary shrugged. "You should wait until after puberty before having coffee. But you should eat something."
"I'm not hungry." Elle said.
"That doesn't sound like someone related to Kara." Kate pointed out.
"Perhaps I should check your cut again." Mary said.
"No, it's fine. It doesn't even hurt any more." Elle said, impressing Kate with the speed of response. But wanting to keep Mary off the scent Kate looked at Mary and said.
"I think it's time."
"You sure?" Mary asked.
"Yes." Kate confirmed before looking at Elle and saying.
"Go get dressed, we're going out."
"Where?"
"My bar."
"It's breakfast time." Elle pointed out.
"So?" Kate asked. "Besides I own it so I can go whenever I want."
"And there is a surprise there." Mary added.
"Does that mean you are coming too?" Elle asked.
"Of course." Mary smiled.
"And Luke will meet us there." Kate said firing off a message.
-00-
"You want to talk?" J'onn asked as he came and sat next to Kara in one of the gyms.
"I spent so many years questioning why my mother put me in that pod. Why she sent me away. Part of me resented her for it. But I did exactly the same to Elle." Kara said miserably.
"It wasn't the same, you knew you'd get her back." J'onn said. "But you know being a parent changes your perspective on life."
"What if she didn't make it to Earth-1? And then there is Wil and Adam. What if they are in danger?" Kara asked.
"Your mother is out there. She'll be looking after them." J'onn said. "Just like Kate will be looking after Elle."
"I promised I'd be back for her birthday."
"Technically you were." J'onn said. "But Elle will know you are looking for her. You will be with her in no time." J'onn said pulling her in for a hug.
"I feel so useless. I can't do anything."
"I don't know, it looks like you have redecorated in here." J'onn said looking at the fist size holes in the wall.
"Sorry, I needed to let off steam." Kara apologised. The comment earning a wry smile from J'onn. "What?" Kara asked.
"Isn't that what got Elle into trouble?"
"She's good at picking up my bad habits." Kara conceded.
"She picks up your good ones as well, like hope." J'onn reminded her.
-00-
"I know this isn't the birthday you would have wanted, but happy birthday." Kate said leading Elle into the bar where Luke was waiting with presents and a cake.
"How did you know it was my birthday?" Elle asked confused.
"Because when your mom was here she kept going on about how she wanted to get back to you by today."
"She did?"
"She cared about that more than anything else." Kate assured her. "And I am sure she will do everything she can to get to you today. But in the mean time we can have a small party here."
"Thanks." Elle said.
"You're welcome." Kate smiled as Mary handed Elle a big box to open. As Elle set about opening the gift Kate mouthed her thanks to her sister who just smiled back as Elle unwrapped a toy.
"And if there is anything you would have preferred we can go shopping." Mary said enthusiastically.
"Please can you not turn her into a shopping addict?" Kate asked. "But I've got a meeting with one of the large land owners. Hopefully he is going to finally agree to sign it over to me." Kate explained. "So if you want to go with Mary then that would work."
"Can I come with you?" Elle asked Kate.
"You want to come to my meeting?" Kate asked confused.
"I go to Grandma Cat's meetings all the time and Lena's ones. I can help."
"You'll be bored."
"No I won't. Please." Elle begged.
"Okay." Kate agreed whilst looking at Elle strangely.
-00-
"Tell me you have fixed this." Kara said entering one of the labs where Winn, Barry and Alex were all gathered round a work bench.
"Not yet, but we're close." Barry said. "We were just about to run a test."
As Winn pressed a button on the device the DEO defences kicked in and Winn was saved from being vaporised by Barry's speed.
"I was not expecting that." Winn said looking shaken. "I'm going to work on deactivating those protocols. Alex I need your retinas again."
"We'll figure this out." Alex said squeezing Kara's arm as she walked past.
"I've tried using my speed to get through, but this place is impressive. There is actually a meta shield round the outside."
"There's an everything round the outside." Kara said miserably. "Nothing is getting out or in."
"Hey, we will figure this out."
"Today?" Kara asked.
"We are doing everything we can."
-00-
"Who is that?" The man asked as he was shown into the office by Luke and saw Elle who sat to the side of Kate's desk.
"A friend." Kate said. "So shall we?" She asked indicating he should sit.
"Coffee?" Luke offered.
"No, I'm fine." The man replied.
"Then let's start. We made the changes to the contract you wanted." Kate began.
"I appreciate that, but, I have some bad news." He started. "There is another buyer, one who is prepared to pay market value."
"I offered market value." Kate pointed out.
"The market has changed. They are offering a lot more."
"He's lying." Elle said.
"Excuse me?" The man asked angrily.
"He's lying about the price. And about having other buyers." Elle said.
"Perhaps we can conduct this meeting in private, as adults?" The man suggested.
"Or you can give be a decent price and stop lying." Kate suggested.
"You're not seriously listening to her?"
"Why wouldn't I? She can see through a lie better than anyone." Kate said. "So let's get back to the situation. You have a property that is a law suit waiting to happen. I offered to buy it at a good rate and you just tried to screw me on the price. So I'm thinking maybe I should take my offer and use it to help the current occupants with their legal fees when they sue you."
"No one is suing me." He said.
"That's a lie." Elle pointed out, angering him further.
"I seem to remember you saying there were no active legal cases." Kate said to him.
"There aren't." He said.
"Elle?" Kate asked.
"He's lying."
"There are two-" He started only for Elle to jump in.
"Lie."
"Five." He corrected. "Five people are making a claim. My lawyers will deal with it before the week is out."
"So you say and let's face it your reputation for telling the truth isn't good this morning. And those claims add a lot of risk. So we can take the price I offered last week and knock five percent off." Kate said. "Or would you prefer I fund thire legal battle?"
"Fine." He agreed glaring at Elle.
"I will send you the new contract by the end of the day." Kate smiled.
"I'll show you out." Luke added escorting the man from the office.
"That was pretty impressive." Kate said to Elle when they were alone.
"Not really." Elle said. "As soon as I hear their hearts it's easy."
"Your mom knows you do this?"
"Ummm, not really. Dad wouldn't be happy. But Grandma Cat and Lena both say it is a good life skill."
"I can't argue with that. But seeing you have just saved me a truck load of money, why don't we go out and celebrate?"
"Great plan, apart from the major robbery taking place." Luke said re-entering the office.
"I'll be back soon." Kate said to Elle. She then turned to Luke and said. "Look after her."
"Want to join me in the cave?" Luke asked Elle.
"Yes." She said happily.
-00-
"Okay, we can create a very temporary gap in the energy field that should allow you to jump Earths. Probably." Winn said.
"Let's do it." Kara replied immediately.
"Just in case you didn't pick up on the probably there, there is a good chance it will kill you." Winn clarified.
"But there is a chance it will work?" Kara pressed.
"Yeah, but a bigger chance it won't." Winn pressed.
"Even if it does you can't come back until one of us comes and gets you." Alex warned.
"That's fine." Kara said. "I just need to get to Elle."
"Okay then. I'll rig this up. We'll be good to go in five." Winn said walking off.
"You know you may not end up where you think?" Alex warned.
"I know. But I have to go." Kara repeated. "But, if something does go wrong look after Wil and Adam."
"I will. But it won't come to that." Alex said.
-00-
"If you put a camera in her mask you could see what she sees." Elle pointed out. "And warn her better."
"Not sure she'd appreciate the extra advice." Luke said as he hacked into the security cameras.
"She can hear you." Kate said quietly as she walked through the building.
"I rest my case." Luke said to Elle as Kate wished there was a way to silence the radio.
"But it's your job to help her." Elle argued. "Even if she doesn't want help."
"Well you can argue that point when she gets back." Luke said.
"If you two are finished, where are the robbers?" Kate asked.
"Can't see them on CCTV." Luke said. "But the alarm was triggered on the roof."
"On my way." Kate said.
"On reflection that seems a little strange as all the money is downstairs. There is no need to go to the roof. In fact it adds a huge amount of risk to enter at the roof." Luke commented.
"Trap?" Elle asked just as one of the monitors started flashing.
"Kate? Kate can you hear me?" Luke asked noticing Kate's heart rate was through the roof.
-00-
"Hello sister." Alice said as she walked up to Batwoman who was writhing in pain on the floor. Alice then nodded to two of her henchmen who slapped some chains on her.
"What did you do?" Kate ground out through the pain.
"Just a new toy." Alice said happily. "Don't worry it won't kill you. And if you were still alive in ten minutes the paralysis would have worn off. But you won't need to worry about that." She went on as other members of her gang set up some cameras.
"Before I publicly kill the Bat I do have one question. I can't help but wonder who your little friend is." Alice said as she walked in front of the bound Batwoman. When Kate didn't answer she went on. "Don't worry, I'll figure it out soon. Perhaps I'll adopt her. She could become the new me. But before then I will tell her how you left me in that house. Nothing to say? Okay then. Well on with the show." She said turning to her henchmen and nodding.
"Hello Gotham." Alice said into the cameras. "Today I have a special treat for all of you. Today I kill the bat. Now I know what you are thinking, you are looking forward to an elaborate theatrical display. But that just wouldn't do. It would be tacky. So instead, I will kill the Bat with one swift kick." She said turning to her henchman and nodding. In response the man pulled back his foot and kicked Kate so hard she rolled off the roof into a freezing river several floors below.
-TBC...
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.