A/N: Thank you to everyone for sticking with this story! You guys are the greatest.:) If you haven't already, you can vote on the poll for the next chapter. Also, if you're reading as a guest and would like to vote, you can just tell me which of the prompts you want in a review and I'll add it with the other votes. :)

Today's prompt comes from Rachel, Alex gets tortured and Kara tries to help her through it.

When they find Alex she isn't moving, at least not as far as they can tell. Her back is turned to them and she blends into the dark, windowless room, still clad in the tactical uniform she was wearing when she disappeared one month ago.

At the sound of footsteps, Alex curls into herself further, gingerly pushing a hand to the gash across her abdomen and tries to press further into the wall.

"Alex," Kara says, a soft unbelieving whisper as she breaks through the wall of DEO agents, taking quiet steps toward her sister. Alex doesn't react to her name.

Finally, Kara reaches Alex, placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Alex, it's me. It's Kara."

Alex squeezes her eyes closed before she opens them and turns around. She shoots up, arms outstretched to Kara, seeking comfort, but the chains on her limbs, the weakness in her bones, the injured, burning, aching pain in her body teams up with gravity and tugs her back down to the cold concrete. Kara drops to her knees and pulls Alex into a hug. Alex heaves huge, heavy sobs that send pain coursing through her body and makes her cry harder, so she clings to Kara because her sister is here and everything hurts, and it's hurt for so long that she barely knows any different, but with Kara by her side, Alex sees a ghost of what it's like not to feel so bad.

She can't hear much, all the commotion exploding in the room is overwhelming after the weeks she's spent being tortured. She wants to close her eyes, but she learned that closing her eyes only takes away the ability to anticipate blows and only makes things worse. It's been so long since she's seen light and now that it's here it burns.

It's all making her breath catch in her throat. Kara holds her, whispers soothingly to Alex as someone comes over and cuts the chains from Alex. It's supposed to set her free.

/

They're back at the DEO within two hours and it takes another few for the medics to finish examining and treating Alex. Under the harsh lights of the DEO, she looks even worse – sickly thin and pale, with dark circles under her eyes from fatigue or bruising, maybe both. She threw up on the way over and stuck as close to Kara as the doctors would allow.

A vacant expression had settled across her face and she still hasn't said a word.

A doctor is performing the last of Alex's stitches, concluding with the twenty fifth loop. Alex is squeezing Kara's hand impressively hard for her current state, and it must be excruciating because between her wrist and the tips of her fingers alone Alex has sustained six fractures – two transverse, one greenstick and three hairline.

The rest of her body is the same, wracked with fractures and bruises and deep cuts.

Kara feels anger, hot in her stomach, and there's a part of her that wants to reciprocate every injury onto the man that tortured Alex; however, she gently pries Alex's tight grip from her hand, running her fingers over the bandages on Alex's arm. "Please don't hurt yourself anymore," Kara says. "It's okay. You're going to be okay."

She pulls back for a moment, waving J'onn over and whispering something to him.

"Please," she adds with a meek smile. "It's on the chair. You'll know it when you see it."

He nods and heads to the door. "I'll be right back."

Two, maybe three, minutes later he returns, looking a little ridiculous with the fuzzy blanket in his arms. It has the periodic table printed across the fabric and the sight of it makes Kara smile, sending a hopeful look at Alex.

Kara thanks J'onn as he passes the blanket to her, an eyebrow raised.

"What?"

"Periodic table?" he asks, face amused.

"Alex is a dork," Kara explains with a fond shrug, tucking the blanket around her sister affectionately.

J'onn smiles. "The doctors told me you can bring her home now," he said, turning to leave the room. "Take care of her, Supergirl."

Once they're alone, Kara refocuses all her attention back to Alex. "Hear that? We can finally get you home. My apartment or yours?" she asks, hoping that Alex might say something.

Instead, Kara's met with silence and some desperate, pleading look in Alex's tired eyes.

/

Alex stares blankly at the food Kara's placed in front of her. The IV drip the DEO had her hooked up to rehydrated Alex and gave her the nutrients she needed, but Kara had still expected her to eat something.

She waits another minute before putting the fruit back into the fridge. Kara feels tears burning in her eyes. She's so completely helpless, she doesn't know what to do for Alex. She pushes her tears away, begging herself to pull it together for her big sister.

"How about some water?" Kara asks, putting a glass in front of Alex. She ignores that, too, until Kara places the cup in Alex's unbroken hand and guides it to her sister's lips. Food can wait, but the doctors had stressed to Kara that Alex needed to stay hydrated.

Alex finally swallows before downing the rest of the cup. A sigh of relief slips from Kara. "Small sips," she reminds softly as Alex tentatively drinks half of the next cup Kara brings her. The act isn't much, but it's progress at least.

Kara threads her fingers gently through Alex's hair. It's soft now, after it got washed when the doctors cleaned her wounds and patched her up.

Alex leans into Kara's touch. "I love you," Kara says and Alex snuggles a little closer, shutting her eyes, and Kara knows that even without words they can still talk.

/

Kara wakes up to Alex's whimpers as she rolls in the bed, trashing against the sheets with weary limbs.

"It's just a dream," Kara says, as she rubs her eyes and moves to wake Alex up. Without meaning to, Kara's hand slips and she presses against one of Alex's stitches. It sends hot pain shooting down Alex's side. She tries to sit up, yelping in pain as Kara scrambles back, pulling her hands away. She's always had less control of her powers and strength when she wakes up late at night or early in the morning, when sleep still has its grasps on her.

"I'm sorry. Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Alex. Are you okay? I – I didn't mean to hurt you." Kara's feet are cold against the floor as she glances at Alex; a sobbing, rocking shadow of Alex.

Hovering near the door, Kara gathers a bundle of hair in her hand, letting out a slow breath. She sniffles. "I'm sorry I'm not doing a good job of helping you feel better, but maybe your mom can. I'm going to grab my phone and call her so she can talk to you," Kara says, having spoken to Eliza earlier and filled her in on the situation.

Kara turns to leave when a soft, raspy voice came from the darkness.

Kara freezes.

Alex talks.

"Stay," she cries. "Please don't go. Please, please stay," she manages.

Kara's stunned for a moment and then she's at Alex's side in an instant, tears of relief spilling from the blonde's eyes. "Okay," she says. "I'll stay. I'll stay forever if you want me to."

"Don't go. I need you. P-please don't leave me," Alex cries again.

"Never. I'll never leave you."

Alex throws her arms around Kara.

She's finally home.

/

"You're going to be fine, Alex," Kara says three months later, swiveling in a spinny chair situated in one of the DEO's labs.

"I never said I was worried," Alex responds, pausing mid-pace and crossing her arms.

Kara raised her brow skeptically. In half an hour, Alex will be leaving for her first official, full mission since her kidnapping; and she's barely sat, barely eaten, barely stilled all day. "You're totally freaking out. It's kind of obvious."

Alex rolls her eyes. "I am not."

"You're fidgeting."

"Am not."

"Are to."

Alex shoots Kara a dirty look, but drops her fingers from the hem of her shirt. Suddenly appearing a little lost.

Kara stands up, squeezing Alex in a side hug. "You're going to be great."

Alex shakes her head, relaxing against Kara. "I don't want to screw up again."

"Alexandra Danvers," Kara begins, making her sister laugh. "You are going to do fine. You've gone on hundreds of missions before, don't let one bad experience psych you out."

Alex nods. "Thanks, Kar."

The blonde beams, looping her arm through Alex's. "Come on, Big Sister. Let's go kick some ass."

"Aww, you're cursing for me," Alex says with a laugh as they leave the lab, nudging Kara with her elbow.

Kara grins. "For you, anything."