A/N:This was so hard to type. I went into three different room, one was even the bathroom for a bath, and still no one would leave me alone. If not the kids then my girlfriend and they all wanted to talk. I hope it make sense.

Kara found herself sitting a top CatCo that night. She didn't know why she didn't feel comfortable in her own home, it had nothing to do with the loud obnoxious snoring coming from the two humans curled up together in her bed. Honestly it didn't, she always thought it was cute when they drunk so much they ended up snuggled together for what they called 'drunk comfort'. And they were close enough friends that there was no awkwardness in the morning, when Winn and James had done it there had been a hell of a lot of awkwardness. Mainly from them, Kara still didn't understand all the ins and outs of romance or why it was more women that had no problem showing each other their love, platonically or romantically. The tough guy act just confused her.

It hadn't been like that on Krypton. At least not with her friends or her father. He had showed his affection openly. Both for her and her mother and he often hugged his brother and told him he loved him. She wondered now if that was normal or if it was a child's adoration coloring her memories of him. She remembered openness, his joy at discovering anything and everything new. His devotion to every task and title he carried. Scientist, Father, Husband; he did his best at them all and as a child he had seemed perfect. He was Kara's real superhero. And he didn't even have powers.

She remembered he had been a scientist working for planetary defense, him and Kal's father. He had been gone a lot, both him and her mother, with duties. She smiled wistfully at the memories. When they came home it was always an affair. They went camping and explored all the red rocked landscapes and lakes they could find. He taught her so much about science, and not just the aerospace engineering they taught children her age in school. He taught her about their planet, and how it should be respected from the atmosphere to the core. She missed his excitement. She hadn't met any man on Earth her entire time here that could measure up to his passions for what he loved.

She leaned back and breathed out a heavy sigh. She had compromised a lot when she arrived. A partner was something she wasn't going to compromise on. She wanted someone that loved her like he had loved her mother. Only….human guys were a little behind in the maturity department and it was difficult to expect that kind of commitment when you couldn't be honest with them. It had left her lonely, it hurt to see Lucy with James, he was perhaps the closest she had ever come to finding someone she was attracted to, someone her father might approve of. He was just as passionate about photography as Zor had been about science. But James had Lucy and Kara's feelings for him were confusing to say the least. When she fell in love she wanted to know immediately, like her mother said her parents had.

She had gotten teased so much on Krypton, as a young child she had told anyone that would listen about her nightly bedtime story. No one had taken her seriously, none of the adults anyways and the children only made fun of her. Falling in love wasn't really how the houses did things. They were paired for alliances, love was unnecessary, sex was even less so. Birthing matrixes were the primary source of children in the houses.

But Alura had let it slip one night that Kara had not been a child of the matrix. She had only been six at the time and she had been sick with fever but she remembered her words clearly. She had though Kara would die and she had told the story to make her feel better, to encourage her to hope. Likely Alura had thought the fever would cloud her eidetic memory but Kara hadn't been delirious enough to forget…..

"Kara love you have to be strong and fight. Like your mother fought for your father. Like he fought for her." Alura's breath had tickled the golden locks on her head, and though her eyes were closed with illness Kara had been awake and listening. She loved the way her mother always turned the story into an epic tale, as if it hadn't only been her and Zor, as if it had been more than her father standing up for what he wanted and who he loved. It made it all the more romantic when Alura told her he had chosen her mother over a better alliance. She loved the story of how they met and how they overcame the obstacles the families put in their way. As Alura told it , it was like a knight riding into battle, fighting off suitors and winning her heart and Kara's grandfather's favor. The reality had been vastly different but to a small child it was like a real life fairy tale, something she could take pride in.

"It was so hard Kara," Alura continued, softer than Kara had ever heard. She didn't make the voices or embellish any of the usual fighting. It was almost as if she were lost in the memory of it. "No one understood love. It wasn't beneficial to the houses, it was looked down on and discouraged. But that didn't seem to matter, when you love someone like your father. He wouldn't give up, wouldn't allow the Houses to dictate his love, he listened to no one. Not even when Astra tried to- when she tried to speak to him... His love for you when he found out about you…" Alura had trailed off sadly. Kara remembered peeking out so she knew she wasn't asleep, so Alura would continue, she wanted to hear more about her father, more tales of his bravery. She wanted all the details, especially her favorites. Hearing how her father went to her grandfather and demanded he accept her parents love. How he single handedly best off every suitor and returned every bribe sent his way. How his conviction swayed her stubborn granddad and allowed them to wed. But her mother didn't notice her small gaze, she was crying softly and looking away out the window.

"Momma?" Kara coughed violently as she rasped the word out. Alura cried harder and leaned over her to rest her head against Kara's hair. Her hair tickled, but she had said nothing. Alura stroked her cheek gently and whispered soothing words until the spasm had stopped. "Its okay mommy, I'm going to get better." Kara had been proud she was able to say it strongly and without triggering another coughing fit. "I'll be strong and brave just like daddy."

Alura had taken a shuddering breath and the stroking had stopped. "You're just like your father was, Kara. And you have your mother's beautiful spirit." Kara had smiled, happy to hear how alike she was to her mother and father and despite wanting to hear more of the story her eyes were drooping. "He loved you so much, he was so surprised so excited when he discovered you were going to be born. Everything he did from then on out was for you, my love." Kara had been to tired to question but she didn't understand, both parents had to give permission for a child to be born. They had learned that in school, but it was common knowledge to House children. Her father couldn't have been surprised by her birth, he would have been there to watch her creation, he would have put in his D.N.A himself….

She had asked later, when her parents were both in her room and happy she was feeling better she had asked him about it. He had given Alura a strange look and they had explained how she was born like some of the Houseless. How she shouldn't tell anyone, not even her grandfather.

If anything it had added to the love she felt for her father. He could have abandoned her and her mother but he hadn't.

KARA stared up at the night sky and let her feet dangle over the side of the building, trying to shake off the memories of her parents. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go home, back to her apartment filled with snoring humans.

She was feeling increasingly homesick. All because of that song. She cursed herself for not looking, for automatically assuming it was a voice from her past. It was impossible that she be alive. Her mother's twin sister….it wasn't possible, only she and Kal had survived. Kara was sure if her Aunt Astra had survived she'd have found her, she'd have looked for her before Kara arrived on Earth. She wouldn't have spent so long off course in the Phantom Zone.

But she was sure….sure it had been her voice. Though Alura and Astra had always sounded similar….Alura couldn't sing. But Astra…..Astra used to sing her lullabies and tuck her into bed any night she was home. Which was surprisingly more than her own parents. As much as Kara had loved when her mother snuggled with her on the bed for a story she loved snuggling with Astra and listening to the songs more. She felt slightly guilty about it now that both women were gone. Somehow…Kara felt she missed Astra just a bit more when she'd arrived. It had been her she called for when fear set in and the sounds were alarmingly loud…..

Perhaps Astra had found a way to follow….just before the explosion. Hope made her chest flutter before she shoved it back down painfully hard.

Kara shook her head, blonde hair whipping around her in her disbelief, slightly damp in the night air. No it hadn't been her, if anyone would have come with them it would have been Kal's mother. Or her own. Astra was an important figure in the military she wouldn't have abandoned Krypton in it's greatest time of need. Not even for Kara.

She stood and shot off so hard she was sure she cracked the concrete. She would worry about that later right now she planned to fly around the city as fast as she could until her mind felt clearer and her body fatigued. Kal swore that was as good as any therapy.

Twenty six years ago, minutes before the destruction of Krypton:

"This isn't right." Zor gazed sadly at his sister-in-law. "They are just babies." She turned and buried her face in her husband's chest after Kara's pod fell out of their sight.

"Kara will keep him safe."

"Kara is just a child, Zor." Alura said quietly before she rushed over to the nearest console. He followed her quickly.

"Alura we swore we wouldn't abandon the people, we would share in their fate because we did nothing to stop it. Where is the justice if we go back on our word." She glared at him, she remembered her word she was a judge she would not break it, even if it meant her death. Which is was starting to look like it would.

The others had made their way to them now. Lara pulled away from her husband and placed a comforting hand on Alura. She made no move to stop her, only her eyes shared the hopeless sadness they both seemed to feel. Alura had a plan though, one she had decided on when they all agreed to smuggle their children off world. They would not be going alone.

"I'm not preparing a shuttle. Not for us. But I am sending them someone…." Zor leaned over and got a better look at the console. But so did Lara. She gasped. Jor moved her aside and stared down, he didn't interfere, he said nothing only looked to his brother for guidance.

"Alura those are criminals! You can't send them with our children." Lara protested trying to reach around the men.

"Not them…." She said angrily, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Not all of them were criminals. Some tried to save our world, they shouldn't share in our disgrace."

"There is no way to send Astra alone Alura. The damage the others could do…it would be irreparable."

"I am only unlocking her cell and sending the ship coordinates to send it to Earth. Only Astra will be free." She wouldn't let him stop her, her eyes told him as much, but she wanted him of all people to understand why she had to send Astra after Kara. Why she couldn't let her twin sister watch the destruction of their planet from a jail and believe Kara to be dead. "She can decide who to release from their fate." Zor said nothing, he wasn't sure he trusted Astra's judgement after everything she and Non had done but he also did not want Kara to be alone on a strange world with an infant to watch over.

"But…"

"Kara…Kal-El they don't….." Alura sighed unable to put her feelings and worries into words. "We can't just abandon them like we have the trillions of other Kryptonian children. Already we have been selfish, given an opportunity to send our children off with the prospect of a future. But they will embody an entire civilization. Don't make them do that alone. Don't make Kara do that alone."

They all stayed silent, unsure of her decision but unable to offer an alternative. "We can't just send anyone to watch over our children." Lara said weakly.

Alura turned the full force of her grim stare on her best friend. "I know. I'm not sending just anyone. Astra has a reason for wanting to look after Kara, I'll only ask her to add an infant to her duties. There is no one I'd trust more with Kara than Astra." She paid them little more attention as she worked to deactivate her sister's, and only her sister's, cell. She composed a short explanation and fed it to the ship, along with an apology and the news that both children left the atmosphere safely. Already the planet tremors were making it hard to stay on their feet. She knew she didn't have long to complete her task or the children would be alone.

"Except her mother." Jor said finally, sadly, as he looked to his wife. "I know we decided this was our penance. But we should have sent one of you."

Zor placed his hand on his brother's shoulder firmly. "Astra will look after Kara as if she were her own." He shared an unreadable look with his wife. "We will just have to trust her to protect them on Earth as she protected Kara on Krypton."

Present:

Astra sat at her bar idly listening to the TV. News about Superman, it was always news about him, she supposed their would be more about Kara now that she had come out as a Superhero herself. Her eyes caught the latest edition of CatCo magazine and she cursed.

She suddenly tossed the glass tumbler at the wall, taking grim satisfaction as it smashed into thousands of sharp little pieces.

She cursed her sister. Cursed her timing, her inability to act. She had saved Kara. Something Astra had given up hope believing. But she still couldn't forgive her. She had always thought if Kara had survived she could forgive Alura anything, everything. But she couldn't. She hated her sister for reasons Alura couldn't have helped. She hated Alura for the first steps, for the first words, sick days, homework projects….birthdays…she just hated her.

She pulled the glowing pad toward her on the bar. Dragging it's advanced technology against the beat up dusty black wood. She clicked on the ships log and opened up the incomplete message she had received when her cell had released and allowed her freedom.

'I should have corrupt...We…corrupt…but the destruction of…corrupt...is imminent. Corrupt …Kal-El …corrupt… sent to Earth. I'm releasing you and plotting Rozz ….corrupt.... Corrupt…safe. I'm sorry for everything.'

She threw the pad at the wall too. At the time she had known, in her bones in her very being that this was a message that Kara had escaped the destruction. The destruction she had seen from the windows of what had been her prison.

But when she arrived and couldn't find Kara….the corrupted message had taken on new meaning. Save the baby. Take care of the baby. As her resentment for his life grew she knew….she could not be the one to take care of the child. She was not a monster but when she looked at him she saw Kara's death. His life at the expensise of Kara's and she couldn't justify laying that blame on an innocent child. But she couldn't help her feelings either.

The Kent's had taken him in, she had left him with the intentions of returning for him when she had found Kara. But when she had given up the search, accepted Kara's death, she gave up little Kal-El. He was far better off with a human mother that loved him than with a Kryptonian surrogate that couldn't bare to look at him.

Early on in his life she had kept an eye on him, despite her resentment. Thankfully she had only been forced to interfere once in his life, but after she had left him be. He had grown into a young man, he had been eighteen the last time she had checked in on him.

She wished now she had kept better track of him. Supergirl's cousin CatCo had reported….he had known…somehow the infant that knew nothing of their world had found out about Kara's delayed landing and she had been left in the dark for the one thing she had been searching for her entire Earth life.

Astra picked up the alien alcohol bottle, a beautiful blue glass wear she had been saving for a special occasion. Strongest alcohol that had made it to Earth, and so rare. She upended the bottle and guzzled it down cleanly in seconds.

She hated alcohol….but when you fuck up like she had…well sometimes you just had to indulge until you forgot who you were…..until you forgot your past especially.

She threw the empty bottle against the wall to join the rest of the destruction, it didn't smash as prettily, the glass being stronger. She shrugged to herself and blew it up with her heat vision before finding another, this time a green bottle. She had no idea where it was from but it would get her just as drunk as the last bottle.

She tossed the remote at the button for the blinds and smiled sardonically at her precision. If she was going to get severely drunk the least she could do for herself is soak up the morning sun and keep the hangover away.

She stared at the CatCo paper again. Probably the only thing she hadn't thrown off the bar aside from the full bottles of alcohol that littered it. Kara was front page as Supergirl. She trashed the proud figure on the paper.

Kara….all grown up and still in the dark..

A/N: Okay so I don't think the secret is very hard to figure out but my girlfriend just can't seem to get it….she won't leave me alone about it. U guys gotta know where I'm going with this tho…. Right….