A/N: Thanks for all the response to this story, it means a lot! The poll has been updated, so feel free to head over to my profile page and vote for the next prompt. You can also send in prompts, if there's something you'd like me to write. :)
A few quick things...
1. In regards to future prompts/chapters, is there anyone specific you guys ship Kara with? I didn't really ship Kara with anyone until I saw The Flash/Supergirl crossover and now I'm a huge shipper of the two...
2. Also, prompts can be Alex-centric, too, or even about Kara/Alex sister-ness when Kara first arrived. I'm totally willing to try that out.
Anyway, this chapter was inspired by a prompt from Anna: Kara gets injured badly during a Supergirl fight and Alex being the overprotective and caring older sister.
Thanks for the awesome prompt! I hope you enjoy!
"Are you sure you're okay, Kara?" Alex asked as they slowed to a stop at a red light.
Alex looked over at her sister, slumped in the passenger seat with her head pressed against the glass. Kara muttered out a yes, hissing slightly as she tried to readjust her position.
"Kara," Alex said sternly, reluctantly pulling her eyes off the blonde when the light turned green.
"I'm fine, Lexie. Please, can we just go home?" Kara tilted her head back, pressing it against her seat and breathing slowly.
"I really wish you would have let us check you out more thoroughly."
Kara tentatively shook her head, trying not to agitate the pounding that pulsated through her brain. "They're busy with the prisoners. All my vitals are okay."
Alex's knuckles were white against the steering wheel. "Yeah, but, Kara, you blew out your powers again, and this time it was in the middle of a fight. I know you say you're okay, but you're always saying you're okay, even when you're not and - "
"Alex, please," Kara pleaded, half groan, half wince – laced with enough desperation and pain that Alex had to fight the instinct urging her to turn back and drive straight to the DEO, but the rational part of her was loud enough to keep the car moving steadily toward Kara's apartment. After the last incident, Alex had worked to develop a drug that would hopefully restore Kara's powers quicker than the first time. Until it started affecting her system, they would just have to wait it out.
The medics had reassured Alex (at least five times) that none of Kara's injuries were life threatening. Sure, they were going to hurt like hell, but once Kara got her powers back the fractures and gashes and bruises would heal quickly. So Alex had been instructed to take care of Kara and contact the DEO if there were any drastic changes in her condition.
Alex reached out, taking Kara's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.
"We're almost home," the older sister promised and Kara nodded with closed eyes.
Alex opened her mouth to say something else but decided against it. Kara already knew that Alex wanted them to go back to the DEO, and one look at Kara's face told Alex that her sister didn't need to hear it. Nor, did it look like Kara would even register the words. Her bottom lip was pulled between her teeth and she bit down hard. Her head was cradled in her right hand, while her left hand, beneath a splint and series of bandages, was gingerly pressed against her stomach.
Alex's hand covered Kara's left one, gently brushing Kara's warm skin with her thumb, through the wrap. "Ready?" Alex asked as she pulled up to the entrance of Kara's apartment building.
"Need to park first," Kara mumbled sleepily.
"I know," Alex said. "I'll drop you off and you can wait in the lobby so you don't have to walk from the parking garage. I'll be back in less than five minutes."
Kara shook her head, sniffling slightly. "It's only a block away. I wanna stay with you."
"I know, but you're not really in the position to walk right now. It's only going to make things hurt more."
"I don't care," Kara said.
"Okay," Alex sighed and moved her hand to rub Kara's shoulder softly as she pulled back into the street.
A few minutes later Alex parked the car, glancing over to find Kara asleep, curled loosely in the passenger seat. Alex smiled at her little sister for a moment, mind filling with memories of road trips and early morning rides to high school. On road trips especially, Kara's excitement would hype her up, she'd talk a mile a minute, gazing out the window – enamored by the world. Even at six in the morning or eleven thirty at night, after hours of driving, Kara was awake with eyes full of wonder and head full of thoughts. Sometimes, Kara's zeal at ungodly hours had earned her a pillow in the face from Alex or a groan of 'shut up,' but it was always good natured, tending to encourage Kara's rants rather than stop them.
The sight of her little sister asleep in the car pulled a smile across Alex's face as she opened Kara's door, affectionately combing a hand through Kara's hair. Sleepy Kara always reminded Alex of just-landed-on-Earth Kara, and it made the older Danvers sister feel all warm and fuzzy inside and overwhelmed with the impulse to keep Kara safe.
Alex leaned closer to Kara. "We're here, baby. Time to get up."
Kara stirred slightly, eyes opening with a sharp intake of breath as her body stiffened.
"Alex," she groaned.
"Yeah, I'm here. I'm right here," Alex said, kneeling beside the open door. "What's wrong?"
"I feel like I'm going to throw up."
Alex stood up and stroked Kara's hair. "That's not entirely uncommon with fractures, and you've racked up a few of those today. Do you think you can make it or do you want to stay here for a while?"
Kara sniffled again. "I can do it," she said as she pulled her head off Alex's side and made a shaky, but successful, attempt to ease herself out of the seat.
"Come on, my sweet baby sister," Alex said, holding her arm open, allowing Kara to tuck herself beneath it and lean against her.
Alex locked the car, tapping the door closed before leading Kara through the parking garage.
As they approached Kara's apartment, her labored breathing filled the silent hall. Alex cringed as her sister took in a slow, painful breath followed by a suppressed whimper.
"It's the broken rib," Alex explained, reverting to science and facts in an attempt to help rationalize her concern. "Breathing's going to hurt a bit until you get your powers back. I have some pain meds from the DEO that should make you feel a little better."
Kara nodded weakly and made the final four steps to reach her apartment.
"Touchdown," Alex said as she helped Kara onto the couch, pulling a small smile out of her little sister. "You stay right here, I'll be back in a minute."
Alex began to stand up from the coffee table when Kara reached out and grabbed Alex's shirt. "Don't go."
"I'll be right back, I promise." Alex hesitated for a moment before she gently pulled Kara's hand off her shirt and gave it a soft squeeze.
She returned a moment later, arms overflowing with the various supplies she'd gathered from Kara's apartment and her own bag. "Take these," Alex said, extending a few white pills to Kara and a glass of water.
She watched as Kara swallowed the medicine and handed the cup to Alex, slowly leaning back into the couch. "There's not much we can do for the broken rib," Alex said. "But some ice should help."
After spending a full minute making sure the ice was perfectly settled on Kara's rib, Alex stepped back. "That feel okay?"
Kara offered a nod, her eyes drooping.
"And your wrist is still wrapped up?"
Kara responded with another nod.
"Anything else I can do to help?"
"You can get over here. I want my sister Alex, no more doctor Alex," Kara murmured. "You could also bring a blanket. The fuzzy blue one. With polka dots," Kara added with a small smile.
Alex rolled her eyes and returned Kara's smile. She grabbed the requested blanket and sat down beside her sister.
Immediately, Kara snuggled against Alex, ignoring the pain in her ribs in favor of cuddling as close to her sister as possible. She was practically half on Alex when the oldest Danvers laughed, brows furrowed and a smirk tugging across her lips.
"Kara, what are you doing?" Alex asked, running a hand through her sister's blonde hair.
"Tryin' to get closer to you," she mumbled as though it were obvious, her voice muffled by Alex's shoulder.
"Then get over here. Just be careful not to hurt yourself, please," Alex said with a grin at Kara's sleepy clinginess, wondering just how strong those pain meds were.
"Oh, perfect," Alex said when Kara had, quite literally, positioned herself on Alex's lap. With a soft laugh, Alex placed her chin on top of Kara's head. Kara sunk back against her sister with a soft sigh and covered Alex's hands with her good one, where they were resting across her stomach, keeping the ice in place.
"Still feel like you're going to throw up?"
Kara nodded. "A little," she said, making a move to turn toward Alex and nestle against her. She winced sharply, freezing mid twist.
Alex felt concern growing heavier inside her. "Hey," she said softly. "What's wrong?"
Kara had put on a brave face at the DEO as the medics checked her out; kept herself together as they wrapped, stitched, and bandaged her up. But Alex was her safe place. Alone with just her sister, Kara could unravel. She didn't have to be bulletproof. She didn't have to be made of steel. She just had to be Kara. And with Alex, it was okay if Kara shook and cried and didn't seem so perfect. It was okay if she broke a little, because Alex always knew how to put her back together. The medicine was making her tired and vulnerable and honest; and her voice was breathy and on the brink of tears, as she choked out a soft, "It hurts."
Alex frowned and tucked some hair behind Kara's ear. "I know. But you'll feel better soon," Alex soothed. "Can you show me where?"
"It hurts here the most," Kara mumbled, motioning to her left side with a weak gesture.
Alex moved out from beneath her sister, careful not to jar Kara or aggravate her injures any further.
"Here?" Alex asked, kneeling in front of Kara, hand hovering over the ice.
The blonde nodded, chewing on her bottom lip as she fought the tears pooling in her eyes.
Alex gently moved the ice off Kara, discarding it on the other side of the couch. She looked up at her little sister, heart breaking at the pain etched across Kara's features.
"I'm going to lift up your shirt and take a look, okay?"
"Okay," Kara said with a sniffle.
Alex pulled up the navy fabric, suppressing a grimace at the red and blue bruise that bloomed across Kara's side, expanding beyond her broken rib and reaching down toward her hip. On her lower right abdomen, stitches stood out against another group of contusions.
Alex lightly traced the discolored area, swallowing away the memories of Kara collapsing, falling as her powers gave out and the prisoners advanced on her. "Kara, why didn't you tell the medics about this?"
"They saw it," Kara managed to get out, glancing down at her stomach before looking away and swallowing hard. "It didn't look like that."
"Sometimes it takes a while for bruises to show up, especially if the injury's deeper. Oh, Kara, how did this happen?" Alex breathed out in a sigh and Kara wasn't quite sure which thing she was referring to, so she stayed quiet and shrugged as best she could.
Alex moved her hand to another contusion as guilt knotted in her stomach.
Kara gasped, suddenly flinching back.
Alex pulled her hand away as if she'd been burned. "Kara, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"No, it's okay," Kara reassured her. "It just tickled and then I got squirmy."
Alex looked unconvinced, guilt evident on her features. "I'm going to get you some more ice, for the other side. Then I'll call the DEO, see if there's any other medicine I can give you. Is there anything else I can do to make you feel better?" Alex rambled, beginning to pace around the coffee table. "Are you hungry? Do you want me to make anything?"
"Alex."
"I could get you something to drink? Pajamas. Pajamas might make you feel better. I could -"
"Alex."
" – I could put on a movie, it might help distract you. Or I can –"
"Alex!"
The brunette finally paused, changing direction mid step to face Kara.
"You're totally freaking out and it's starting to freak me out too. I'm fine," she said from the couch. "I think the medicine's starting to work. It doesn't hurt as much."
Alex had a hand tangled in her hair, eyes wide with concern, brows pulling down. "Really?"
Kara nodded eagerly. "See," Kara said as she straightened up. "I can breathe like a normal person." She took a deep breath, wincing slightly at the end. "… well, mostly like a normal person. But it's getting better and I can't even feel my wrist."
Alex exhaled slowly. "You're sure you're doing better?"
"Yeah," Kara said, trying to ignore the pain throbbing in her side and do her best to put a smile on her face, but Alex easily saw through it.
"It still hurts, though?" Alex said softly, more a statement than a question.
The blonde gave a small nod, averting her eyes.
"How 'bout we get you to bed?" Alex said with a sympathetic smile, pulling herself together and watching briefly as the sun began to dip below the horizon.
Kara responded with a meek yawn, pulling the blanket tighter around her body.
"I'll take that as a yes."
Alex eased her sleepy sister off the couch, steering her unsteady, battered limbs to the bedroom. It took a few minutes, some minor struggles, and a bit of colorful language from the eldest sister, but eventually Alex had helped Kara change into pajamas and settled her on the bed with a mountain of pillows situated behind her.
"Good?"
"Mhmm," Kara mumbled, eyes already closed. "You're staying, right?"
"Of course," Alex said and climbed into bed. Somehow, with as little movement as possible and without opening her eyes, Kara managed to press herself against Alex's side, letting out a sigh of content when Alex wrapped an arm around her.
Alex hadn't even finished running through the events of the day before Kara fell asleep. Alex looked at her sister, a shuddery breath escaped the brunette's lips and that's when she began to cry.
Hot and heavy tears pooled in her eyes, slipped over, and fell into her sister's blonde hair. Tears that Alex hadn't even know she'd been holding back.
Alex Danvers didn't cry often, but when she did, she cried hard.
So hard, that she had to move off the bed, slipping out from under Kara and disappearing into the living room where she sunk to the floor; how close they'd been to losing Kara finally catching up with the agent.
It was dark outside when Alex managed to reign in her tears, hiccupping softly as she pushed herself off the ground and wiped her eyes. She went to check on Kara, sliding back beside the girl and readjusting the blankets so Kara was tucked in.
Subconsciously, Kara gravitated toward Alex, seeking out her sister's warmth.
Kara peeked into awareness, looking up at Alex and instantly noting her red eyes and the soft tremble of her lip. Kara knew exactly what that meant.
"You've been crying," she said quietly, immediately reaching out and brushing the last few tears off Alex's cheeks.
Alex captured Kara's hand in her own, giving it a soft squeeze and memorizing the feeling of Kara's warm, soft skin and the rhythmic beat of her pulse. "Don't worry about it. I'm okay," Alex whispered. "Go back to sleep."
"Did something bad happen?" Kara asked, her voice and eyes heavy with exhaustion.
"No, sweetie. Nothing else. I was just worried about you." Alex ran a hand through Kara's hair, internalizing the ache she felt at the bruises and cuts on Kara's face.
"Oh." Kara made a soft noise and snuggled against Alex. "Well you don't need to worry, 'cause I'm always good when I'm with you."
Alex buried her face in Kara's hair, willing herself not to cry at Kara's medicine and sleep induced sweet words. "I love you, baby girl."
"I love you, too," Kara parroted back. "Don't worry about me."
Alex pulled back slightly and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Kara's ear. "Impossible," she promised, and saw Kara was already asleep against her.