A/N: Since I received some requests for a sequel, here it is. Big thanks to the guest who requested part of this chapter include Cat having to call Alex for Kara.
Thank you so much to the guest who left such a sweet review. Also, the prompts submitted will be added to the next poll. Keep voting on this poll if you haven't already!
Reviews have been messed up lately, if I haven't replied to yours yet it's because the site won't let me, so I'm sending my thanks here. :)
"Ms. Grant," Kara says, stepping into Cat's office and letting the door close behind her. "I need to call my sister, Alex."
"Kiera, have you really grown so incompetent that you can't press numbers on a phone by yourself?" Cat feels a bit of remorse at when the harshness of her words leave her mouth, especially following the kidnapping and semi-recent confirmation that Kara and Supergirl are the same person, but it's important to keep up workplace pretenses. God forbid one of her workplace minions notices a difference in behavior and makes the connection between Kara and Supergirl.
Her stomach is in knots and she tries to hide her shaking hands by curling them together behind her back. "I—um, my phone is still broken after…" she pauses and trails off, drops her gaze to floor where she can't stop bouncing the leg. Her chest feels tight, she looks toward the ceiling and closes her eyes. "I really really need to talk to my sister right now." When she opens her eyes again there's moisture brimming the edges, she pulls her trembling lip between her teeth and tries to will herself to hold it together just a little longer. She doesn't know why everything is sinking in, but she can't stop it and Rao, she just needs to hear her sister's voice.
Cat watches each movement, feels concern begin to spread. She puts down her coffee and steps forward. "Kara, are you okay?"
The blonde nods feverishly, sends her hair bouncing as warm tears pool and spill over. "I just need to talk to Alex."
"Okay, we can do that," Cat says and she wonders how much went on during Kara's three month long disappearance. The information she'd received from the DEO was vague and in Kara's past week at work she hasn't said one word about the experience, closing up entirely each time Cat made an indication she was about to ask. The older woman, however, couldn't avoid noticing that Kara flinched at loud noises and recoiled at touches and kept quiet as much as possible and looked down when she walked and kept her hands shoved firmly in her pockets. Whatever had happened was bad, unimaginably so.
"What's her number?" Cat asks and Kara relays the digits as she paces, drags a hand through her hair before shaking them out so her fingers slap against her thighs. She is spiraling and her breath is coming faster and her heart is pounding and this is so not good.
"Kara," Cat says and extends the phone as it rings.
Kara shakes her head and drops onto the couch, pulling a pillow into her lap and clutching it against her stomach. "One second," she mutters so quietly Cat almost misses it. Her face falls into her hands and she rubs her forehead, leaving the skin red.
Cat handles the call; she's been on decent terms with the oldest Danvers after Kara first disappeared, their mutual concern for the blonde uniting them.
Alex moves her arm around Maggie, positioning the perfect pool shot for the detective. She's just about to jut the cue forward, breath bated behind Maggie's ear and smile flirting across her lips, when the phone rings. She flinches for a moment, drops the cue, and sighs dramatically before tugging her cell from the back pocket of her jeans.
"Can't handle a little distraction, Danvers?" Maggie teases as she turns around, greets Alex with sparkly eyes.
"You're more than enough of a distraction already," Alex says with a grin as she flicks on her phone and sees Cat's name flashing across the screen. The agent's brows contort in concern and she pulls her lower lip between her teeth. She looks back at Maggie. "I have to take this," she says tensely and disappears through a sea of people toward the door.
When she returns mere moments later her expression is somber, her cheeks void of the warm blush that colored them just minutes before.
"What's wrong?" Maggie asks, pushing off the table she was leaning against and moving closer to her girlfriend.
"It's Kara," Alex says and swallows, tangles her fingers in her hair. "This is bad, Maggie." Alex gathers her coat and pockets her phone. "It's been two weeks and Kara keeps acting like she's fine, but she's not and she won't talk to me about anything that's happened. I don't even have an idea of what they did to her. Everything I know I learned from x-rays and blood tests, but it's not enough, it's not what she needs and I don't know how to be what she needs."
Maggie takes Alex's hands in her own. "Right now, it sounds like Kara just needs her sister at her side. So, come on, let's go get your sister and figure out the rest later."
Alex nods and pulls her keys out of her pocket. "You're right."
"Do you want me to come with?"
"It's okay, thanks though," Alex says. "I think Kara just needs as much quiet and space as possible right now. It'll be better just the two of us."
Maggie nods. "I understand, I'll see you later, Alex. Let Kara know I'm thinking about her, okay?" The detective gives one of her warm smiles and for a moment Alex feels like everything will be fine.
"Will do. Thanks for being so okay with the weird chaos that is my life," Alex says as they walk out into the parking lot.
Maggie knocks Alex's leg with her hip. "You need me, and I'll be there. I like your life and your family."
"Thanks, Maggie," Alex says as she steps into her car. "I'll see you later."
"See ya," Maggie says, tapping the hood of the vehicle before Alex backs out and pulls away.
Back at CatCo, Kara squeezes her eyes closed before pulling them open again. "Is she still on the line?" the blonde asks, looking up at Cat through tear blurred eyes. The desperation in her voice jars Cat's heart.
Cat shakes her head. "But I can call her back if that's what you need."
Kara bites her lip. She doesn't want to be a burden, she doesn't want to be a mess, and waste time and energy and all these things that nobody has enough of, but the growing panic catapulting through her body takes over her every thought and drives the nod that prompts Cat to redial Alex's number.
"Sorry," the younger woman says and Cat waves a dismissive hand.
"Don't be sorry, just focus on getting better. I know you can do it."
When the phone begins to ring Cat passes it to Kara's shaking hands. The blonde's fingers curl around the device, pull it close to her face where she cradles it against her ear with tears in her eyes and trembling legs.
"What happened? Is she okay?"
"Alex?" Kara asks with a small voice, heavy with exhaustion and fear.
Alex's voice immediately softens. "Hey, sweet thing, what's going on?"
"Alex, I'm about to freak out."
"Okay, that's okay. If you freak out it happens and we'll get through it. What's got you panicking?"
Kara swallows a sob. "It's all coming down and I can't—I can't…" she breaks off and from her desk Cat tilts her head in concern, stepping out onto the balcony to give Kara some privacy.
"Shh, hey, hey, hey, it's all right, just keep on breathing. What can I do to help you right now? I'm already on my way."
"I don't know," Kara says and her voice is high. Alex can feel her sister's alarm building. "Just, can you just stay on the line and get here as fast as you can?"
"Absolutely."
"Just keep talking."
Alex keeps the line busy. She talks about Maggie and Eliza and the most dramatic Kardashian news, and she talks about a recent painting she saw that reminded her of Kara and the cutest dog she saw the other day when she was running. She keeps it simple and light, she talks to keep her sister's mind full, to fill the cracks that threaten to split Kara into pieces.
The door flies open behind Alex as she enters Cat's office, sends papers flitting to the floor. "Where is she?" Alex asks, glancing toward the CEO emerging from the balcony.
"I just moved her outside, it's getting chaotic out on the floor."
Alex nods and gets to Kara's side as quickly as possible while Cat lingers inside to give them space. As Alex approaches she hears Kara whispering, listens as a series of names falls from her sister's lips. Alex, Eliza, Jerimiah, Mom, Dad, Clark, J'onn, James, Winn, Lucy, Cat, Maggie, Alex, Eliza, Jerimiah, Mom, Dad, Clark, J'onn, James, Winn, Lucy, Cat, Maggie. It's a list of all the people Kara loves, all the people that ground her. Alex feels her heart clench, she wants so badly to take Kara in her arms and hug those three months of separation away. "Hey, Kar," Alex says gently, kneeling in front of her sister. "What up?"
"I don't feel good," Kara says and even with her lips pulled down and her eyes closed she extends a hand out in search of Alex's. The brunette wraps her fingers around Kara's, runs her thumb over her sister's knuckles.
"Do you feel sick? Are you hurt?" Alex asks and leans back, scrutinizing Kara for any injuries or signs of illness before reaching out for her sister's forehead.
The blonde shakes her head and pulls back. "No it's not like that, I-" she let's out a quivering stutter of a breath and feels her throat tightening again, sees flashes of the CADMUS basement and green kryptonite. She snaps her eyes open. "Nothing feels good. You wouldn't get it, you won't understand. Nobody understands." She's Supergirl and she's supposed to be brave and sturdy and never falter. She can do it, she can put on the suit and let a mask fall over her features and she can pretend, but she can't stop the flinches at loud noises or the worry that's always coiled in her stomach or the way her heart feels like it's constantly racing. She can't help the fact that hands make her nervous and looking at household objects only stimulates pain and faces are terrifying and so is the dark and night and being alone. She can't shake the images that lurk in the shadows of her memory and present themselves in shrieking vibrancy when she's just trying to get through the day. She's just trying to get through the day and she can't.
"Then explain it to me," Alex says, swinging Kara's hands between them. "Help me."
Kara looked at Alex through dark lashes. "It's just—it's all too much. I try to shake all these memories but I can't. It's like I'm drowning. I see them everywhere and I thought I could keep going but I can't, and today I felt all this panic coming down on me. It was like I didn't know myself, I didn't trust myself."
"Kara, I know what you're talking about. I've felt it before."
"You have?" She was so tired of being alone.
Alex nodded and wiped a tear from Kara's face. "Remember the mission I went on last year? I lost comms connection for three days, and I know it isn't to the exact degree of what you're dealing with, but we lost agents there, we were hostages and I remember what it feels like to come back from that. To feel like a stranger to yourself. To feel like they still have control."
Kara's eyes were linked to Alex's like her sister had the answer to every problem, like the agent was the only thing that could fix her.
"It's so hard and Kara you are so strong, but you've been keeping all of this in and I don't know if that's a good thing. It's not like you and I'm worried." She tucked a strand of Kara's hair behind her ear. "I know that you need time and I respect that, but I also need you to know that you have always got me in your corner, okay? You can tell me anything. If you need to talk, if you need me to spend the night or have someone with you after a nightmare, you're got me. Always."
"It was so bad," Kara whispers and her voice cracks. "They tortured me for hours every day," she squeezes her eyes closes and the images fall like rocks in a landslide. "There was so many of them, there was so much. They threatened everyone and everything I love and they told me you were dead and that hurt more than any of the beatings or knifes or electricity or kryptonite." Her words are increasing, flooding together as her breaths increase and she chokes on a sob. Her frame quivered violently. "I'm not okay. On the outside everything looks fine and I've healed, but on the inside I'm falling apart and I just can't do it. It feels like everything is broken."
"God, why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want you to think of me differently."
"Oh, Kara, I would never," Alex says and pulls her sister into a hug. "You are everything to me."
/
Six hours and two movies later finds them snuggled up on Kara's couch, pajama clad and full of pizza and popcorn. Kara's head is settled on a pillow in the older Danvers' lap and Alex runs her hand through the blonde's hair. The touch is gentle and familiar and Kara finds herself melting into it, feeling relaxed for the first time in weeks. She hasn't received more than three hours of sleep a night since her return and after talking for hours, Alex knows it. Mere minutes after Kara's eyes flutter closed and she tucks her hands beneath her head, Alex's phone rings and Kara's eyes shoot open. She glances around blearily and Alex laughs softly, putting a hand on Kara's shoulder. "It's okay, you're fine. Close your eyes again." She rubs Kara's back, tries to urge her to sleep again as she answers the phone, but instead Kara sits up, blinking at the TV.
Alex makes a move to stand, but her sister curls loose fingers around the agent's arm. After starving herself from contact and interaction, Kara wants all the time she can spend absorbing the security and comfort Alex exudes. So per Kara's request, the brunette settles back on the couch and Kara curls into her side.
"Hey," Alex says softly as Maggie's voice greets her from the other end of the line. "What's up?"
"I was just calling to check up on you two and everything that happened earlier. How's Little Danvers doing?"
"Better, I think." Alex says and smiles down at Kara, who's looking up at her with messy hair and pillow creases pressed into her cheeks. "She's gonna be just fine."
"I'm glad to hear it," Maggie says and even though they can't see it she's smiling. At the same time Kara perks up a bit. "Is that Maggie?" she asks.
"You have superhearing," Alex says.
"But I wasn't using it, because I respect your privacy." Kara makes a face and Alex scoffs, pulling Kara closer.
"Yes, Kara, it's Maggie," Alex announces loudly, so both other women can hear it.
Maggie laughs and Kara raises her eyebrows, teasing her sister, but then her features become innocent and earnest, "She should come over."
"One sec," Alex says to Maggie and temporarily pulls the phone away. She's serious when she faces her sister. "You think you're up for it?"
Kara nods.
"It's okay if you're not," Alex says, even though she's glad that Kara's taking steps to put herself back into the world. "We can spend the rest of the night quietly. You can sleep and I'll just hang out with you," she reasons, but Kara shakes her head.
"I want to let people in, I want to start feeling normal again," Kara says and slumps against her sister to keep their heartbeats closer. "Maggie's a good place to start."
"Okay. I'm proud of you," Alex says with a smile and she invites Maggie over. Even though the little blonde alien is passed out on the couch under her favorite blue blanket by the time the detective arrives, it's okay. Alex knows they're going to be fine as she and Maggie curl on the couch with hot chocolate and more movies and Kara snuggled between them. She knows they'll be fine when Kara sleeps through the whole night without any thrashing or yelping, and when she wakes with a sleepy smile pulling at her lips at the sight of Maggie and Alex wearing matching Christmas socks and dancing through the kitchen. They'll be fine.