Non stared at the glowing green knife in his hand. Someone touched his shoulder and pressed against his back to whisper in his ear. "Are you going to do it?" The seductive voice sent ripples down his spine with ever word. "Don't you want to feel it slide through her like butter? You could do it so easily." A blue finger reached out and stroked the sharp edge, careful not to cut themselves. "You would finally be rid of her. After all these years."

He pulled away and turned sharply, his hand reached out and clamped down on the neck of the woman standing behind him. He pulled her close and kissed her harshly. She grinned into him even as he bit to draw blood in an attempt to assert his dominance.

Men were so easy. He was so easy to manipulate. His pent up hatred for a child and his desire to be worthy of his wife's affection.

Indigo had no such desire, she hated Astra, hated the way the woman was. They way she only committed crimes in the name of the greater good, how she refused to kill. Denied her followers that pleasure, the pleasure of seeing the life flow out of terrified eyes, how the last thing those eyes would see would be their killer's face. It was a rush like no other when they finally realized there would be no help, when no savoir was coming to save them, that they were going to die and the last thing they would see would be her face. Indigo got off on it and goody two shoes Astra had condemned her for it. Had turned her name in to her bitch of a twin because of her one little murderous proclivity. She hated the hypocritical woman. She wanted nothing more than to destroy her. She was going to start by taking her husband, then her people, and then….then she was going to take over Earth and be worshiped as she should have been on Krypton.

But first she had to get Non and get him to complete Myriad.

Sexually he had been hers from the minute they met. Astra could barely stand her husband's touch and he was starved for a little affection. His heart was impossible, for all her faults Astra seemed to have an unwanted hold on that part of his anatomy but that didn't bother the blue skinned woman. After all men didn't do the thinking with that particular organ. When she played her cards right he didn't do any thinking with his brain either.

Sex thought, that was easy. What she really needed was something to push the man over the edge. And that came to her wearing a red cape and flying through the air in a mini skirt. His hatred for the girl was palpable. She knew if she helped him be rid of Kara Zor-El he would forever be bound to her. She didn't need him to love her if she could kill the girl. She had his eternal gratitude. And the icing on the cake was it would likely destroy Astra in the process.

~K~

Kara was leaving work late. She shot Alex a text, letting her know she was a few minutes out and gathered up all her paperwork so she could go over a few things at home.

The office was rather dark. No one else was in the building, except for a few wayward security guards a few floors bellow but it wasn't unusual for Kara or Cat to be the last ones out of the office. Usually they left together, more for Cat's safety than her own, she was indestructible after all. Today, however, Cat had left early to spend time with Carter.

On the rare occasions it had happened Cat had always made sure someone was left behind to stay with Kara until she went home. Today that didn't happen. Likely because Cat now knew if anyone tried to Rob or assault her lovely secretary they were the ones likely to be put in the hospital and not her. She didn't mind.

It was peaceful actually. She closed her eyes on a soft sigh and listened. Without the hustle and bustle of people running about trying to meet deadlines she could enjoy the soft quietness the height brought. With little effort she could close off the city sounds and listen only to the rush of air moving through the air-conditioning or the gentle hum of the lights flickering above her.

With the sun set casting gentle gold and red shadows into corners and the silence of voices she could almost feel as if she were back on Krypton. With her eyes closed and the warmth from the sun and absence of people it reminded her of a special memory. Of the first time her father had taken her to a planetarium. She had been five, she had stood underneath the huge dome and stared up at the pitch expanse of sky and felt so alone, yet so apart of something, at the same time.

It wasn't really the same. The planetarium had been beautiful, the stars and the lights of the cosmos had fascinated her. The office building was just full of empty cubicles and papers scattered everywhere. It was in no way similar to the beautiful stars of the night sky. The sky that had somehow made a five year old feel both salient and insufficient at the same time. But somehow the size and emptiness of it sparked the memory, made her feel at peace with being so small and alone, while at the same time reminded her that she was part of something bigger than herself.

She opened her eyes on a sigh and ran her fingers over the wood grain of her desk. She enjoyed the random times when she could fondly remember her life before the destruction of her planet but even as it brought her joy it brought with also a terrible sadness. She had enjoyed a good day, she didn't want to ruin it with doleful memories of her past.

She was after all having a good day.

*K*

Kara's good day was going up in smoke. And it started the minute she walking into HQ. Alex had been pacing, that was her first clue something was wrong. And then she stuttered random stuff about security codes and encryptions and that they hadn't translated anything on Myriad yet and before she would even let Kara look for herself she was grasping her arm and staring at her with tearful determined eyes.

And then the real problem had started. The message Alura had sent along with Kara…..

"Alex. What did she mean she should have-" Kara turned her frightened blue eyes onto her sister. There was anguish behind the colors that made Alex's heart break. She had so been hoping she was wrong. That she heard wrong.

"Kara?"

The blonde wasn't listening. She didn't actually expect her sister to answer questions about something she had never witnessed, about people she had never actually met.

She took off with a burst of speed toward the A.I of her mother. Surely if she were going to find answers it would be with the A.I. the only link she had to her culture….to her family.

"Kara." The happy fabricated voice was not something she wanted to hear. But it was the way the program was tasked to respond to her.

"Are you my mother?" Her words came out forceful. As if she hoped the stronger she appeared the easier the answer would be, and she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

"I am an A.I-"

"That's not what I mean and you know it! Was Alura Zor-El my mother?!" She could barely make out the hologram because of the tears building up in her eyes. She took a breath and glanced up at the ceiling to try and alleviate the moisture.

The A.I had yet to speak. Alex had finally come in and stood behind her. She had ran throughout the halls and she desperately wanted to wrap her arms around her sister but she was afraid Kara would reject the affection.

"Kara.." The Krytponian let out a strangled breath. She knew what this was, another message. It was a will message, not the A.I. it was a message high officials made for families in case of their untimely deaths. It was supposed to bring closure. The fact that the trigger was her asking about her parentage was all the answer she needed to know.

"My daughter. My beautiful little girl, I'm sure you're a lovely woman now and I hope that my passing has not caused you too much grief.

I have made many mistakes in my life and I have many regrets. I could not rest peacefully in Rao's basking light if I did not at least alleviate this one. There are things about your birth that I never told you. I feared losing you, losing your trust and love. I was beyond selfish and I wish now that I could reverse time and correct everything that I did wrong. But if you never believe anything else please believe that out of all the mistakes and regrets I made you were never one of them.

I did everything I did to keep you safe, I protected you with my name, both me and your father did this willingly. We hid your natural birth from your grandfather and I had always thought once he passed away….I thought perhaps we could tell you the truth. But we were cowards…

I know that if your hearing this message you have already found out the truth… Somehow. I hope that you don't think the worse of us for keeping such an important thing from you.

You have to understand how much we loved you. How much you meant to us. It was….it was impossible to give you up. You are our daughter.

But we were wrong. I know that now and it's too late. Astra is imprisoned and if your seeing this your father and I are dead.

I will do everything I can to save you from the destruction of our planet. And if I can make amends with Astra somehow I will do everything in my power to see that she is safe with you. Never forget that we love you Kara. So much. And please don't ever be angry at Astra for giving you up. She had no choice. I hope she will be there to explain to you how you came to be my daughter. But if she isn't please just trust me, trust in my- in all our love for you.

We love you as our own. And I can promise you there isn't a day that has passed that Astra hasn't felt the same.

I love you my daughter. With all my heart."

The stoic A.I replaced the tearful face of her mother. The last recording that Alura had ever made to her daughter.

"Kara?" Alex reached out hesitantly and touch her sister's shoulder. Alura had spoken too fast for her to understand everything. But the way Kara stood, perfectly still as if even the smallest movement would shatter her didn't bode well for whatever the message had been about.

"Kar, are you okay?"

"No…" The sound was broken. Hollow. And in the next second the blonde was sobbing in her embrace. All Alex could do was hold her as she fell apart.

~A~

Alex had taken Kara home as soon as the girl willingly moved. Hank took one look at the hero and kept his mouth closed. He wasn't about to tell Alex she couldn't leave early, it would be a waste of his breath.

They were curled up on the couch under a blanket in PJs before Kara finally spoke.

"I don't understand any of this." She said softly. "I don't understand why they didn't tell me, why Astra gave me up. Why did they take me in?"

Alex stroked her hair. "I don't know." Her voice was soft, guilt colored it but Kara was too emotionally tired to tell her sister it wasn't her fault. She didn't blame her, not for telling her. How could she blame Alex for something the adults in her life had done long before she had ever met her.

"They sent Astra to the highest security prison. She looked just like mom…" she stuttered over the word. "She had to have known they would have….that the prisoners would have…." She trailed off as she sobbed, burying her head in Alex's shoulder, taking what little comfort she could. "They were rarely home. Always working. Do you think I was just some kind of obligation. Maybe they took me in because they didn't want some kind of political scandal."

Alex forced Kara to sit up. To meet her angry brown eyes. "Kara Zor-El Danvers, I will not sit hear and listen to this. I know it's a shock. I know it hurts and I'll support you. But don't say that you were just some kind of obligation. Your parents loved you. They chose to adopt you. Your mother told you so in her message." She stopped Kara from protesting. "She risked everything to send you here to us. And mom took you in, you weren't an obligation to her. We all love you. Your parents love you. Astra, Alura, Zor-El and your entire Earth family. Just because they made a mistake by not telling you the truth doesn't mean that they didn't love you like their own child." She trailed off….she hadn't meant to rant but she could not let Kara for one second believe that she wasn't loved. By anyone. It wasn't, couldn't be true. Nothing would ever make Alex believe anyone could see her sister as a burden.

Kara hugged her suddenly, tightly. Alex slapped at her arm and hissed out that she couldn't breath. "Sorry. I just think I needed to hear that. Your right. Mom and dad loved me. And Astra was around all the time so….maybe it was something else that….I just can't believe it. Maybe they did have their reasons but most of my life on Krypton was a lie and I don't understand why. All those stories mom used to tell me. She swore they were true."

"Maybe they were. Maybe they were about Astra."

"Maybe….I'm still angry." She stared at Alex, gnawing her bottom lip nervously.

"That understandable, Kar. They lied, and if you asked me they chose a cowardly way to tell you. But I can't help but give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe if you knew the truth you might have been in danger, or maybe they just loved you so much and were selfish. We won't know and there isn't anyway to find out….at least not now." She didn't tell Kara she suspected Astra was still alive. After everything she could not tell Kara that Astra may be the leader behind Non's actions.

"I love you, Alex."

The brunette smiled and shoved playfully at Kara's shoulder. "I love you to you goof. Now let's eat all the ice cream in the fridge and watch sad movies." Kara's laugh was light but it wasn't forced, it made Alex smile all the wider as she made her way to the fridge.

A/N; I need to gain more insight into how people feel when they find out they are adopted. This chapter has raised questions for me about whether I should tell my kids they are adopted when they are older.