and just a big WARNING at the beginning: trigger for implied rape of a minor.
This one was kind of a rush. I know it's been super slow-burn so I'm trying to move this along as much as possible. But holy hell, this might be gearing up to be one of those long fics that I write.
"You did it!" Kara had broken through the crowd, jumping with joy and cheering loudly. It was a weird sort of wiggling jump and shout, because she was trying not to overexert herself and looked way too much like a wriggling puppy.
"Hey!" The crowd parted for Alex with her board under her arm, and the small trophy in the other hand. Even with her hair dry from the sun and sticky with salt, Alex felt glorious. "It's only third place."
"I don't understand your Earth competitions or the standards on which you judge a 'win'." Kara shrugged, her new favourite thing to do as she was getting the hang of 'human body language'. But when Kara was concentrating on body language, her speech reverted back to 'robot-Kara' as Alex liked to tease her about.
"Well, we'll work on that." Alex plucked the sunglasses off the top of Kara's head and gently put them on for Kara. "I was so nervous!"
"You did great and it was amazing!" Kara gushed. "But the mo' money you come across, the mo' problems you'll see."
Alex threw her head back and laughed, giving Kara a brief, impulsive hug.
"Alex!"
Alex turned to see her parents and friends were pushing through the crowds to get a piece of Alex, her friends surrounding her.
"WE'RE NUMBER THREE! WE'RE NUMBER THREE!" The kids hollered until Alex was doubled over laughing at her ridiculous friends.
"You did it!" Brendan raised his hand to give her a high five, smoothly transitioning to pulling her into a shoulder bump. Alex accepted the congratulations from her friends, grinning wide, but her eyes kept drifting back to Kara.
"Kara," Alex pulled the Kryptonian back to her side when it seemed everybody had finished giving Alex their well-wishes. If it weren't for her rashie, Alex was sure her back would be red from the enthusiastic back slapping.
"Alright, no matter what, let's go celebrate!" Jeremiah cheered enthusiastically. "Who wants ice cream?"
The kids all kind of exchanged looks with one another while Alex kinda winced at how dorky her dad was.
"Well, we were going to go hang out at McDonald's or something after…" Brendan hedged, looking over at Alex. "You know… just us kids."
"Can I come, too?" Kara pushed her sunglasses back up again, eagerly looking up at Alex. Nobody could see, but Alex could definitely see the pointed looks Rebecca was throwing at Alex, out of the corner of her eyes. And she was sure Kara could see it, too.
"Well, it is a thing for the surfing crew," Alex said regretfully. She hugged Kara close though, grinning down at Kara. "But how about we go grab ice cream first?"
Kara nodded eagerly, not at all put out that she wasn't being included. There were rarely lines drawn in Kryptonian society, someone who would be considered a 'child' on Earth would not be considered so on Krypton so everyone could lean in and have their say. However, certain groups might not have been open to people who have not trained to be part of those groups, like the military, the various branches of the science guild, or the judiciary to name a few of the groups. Which didn't mean you didn't get a say but Kara understood roles and Alex was an athlete of surfing, something she herself was not.
Well, rationally the blonde understood that. But Kara, still smiling, still felt a bit left out. She didn't know why she felt that way, either, not when she already would get to have ice cream AND time with Alex before. She held Alex a bit closer and glanced over at Rebecca who seemed to be staring at the Danvers girls with something akin to… longing.
"We all gotta go get changed first, anyways." Brendan seemed to make the decision for the rest of the teenagers hanging around. They all nodded, the children, still children, either came on their bikes, or their parents had come to get them.
"Hey, Becs!" As the kids were dispersing and Jeremiah was complaining loudly to Eliza about how he was still 'cool', Kara could see Rebecca freeze at the sound of a voice calling out for her.
Kara could hear a heartbeat suddenly double-triple time, and she looked from the approaching man to Rebecca.
"Hey, Connor! What are you doing here?" Rebecca greeted, smiling. The man-who seemed a bit younger than Jeremiah-came over and slung an arm around Rebecca's shoulders, pulling her into a hug and a quick kiss to the forehead. This was something Kara had seen time and time again, with kids, especially Rebecca's age, grudgingly accepting these displays of affection from their parents or relatives. Kara tilted her head to the side, paying close attention the Rebecca's body language. It seemed… weird.
"Came to get you, sweetheart! Your mom is working late tonight and I'm working from home today." Connor was wearing sunglasses that matched his outfit of a short-sleeved linen shirt with chino shorts, and a pair of boat shoes to match. Kara could see how, for a man his age, he may be considered attractive.
"Hi," Connor held out a hand to Jeremiah and then to Eliza. "I'm Connor."
"Nice to meet you, Connor." Eliza smiled. "You're Rebecca's father?"
Usually Eliza had more tact but she was still a mother so she wanted to be sure.
"Oh, no, I'm the boyfriend. Of her mother." Connor explained grinning. Eliza glanced over at Rebecca and seemed to relax a little bit at how nonplussed the teenager looked under this man's arm.
"Ok, the kids are all going back home first to change and then their going out again." Jeremiah informed Connor.
"Well, I came on my bike, I can just bike back-"
"Nonsense." Connor scoffed. "I can toss your bike in the back of my SUV."
Kara was still staring at Rebecca and flinched when the other girl noticed.
"What?" Rebecca asked, a little bit hostile but trying not to seem too hostile in front of the adults. Kara just tucked herself closer to Alex and looked up at the older girl furtively.
"What?" Alex repeated the question as the adults made small-talk about the surfing competition.
"Invite her to come eat ice cream with us." Kara whispered frantically up to her sister.
"What?" Alex frowned down at Kara, but at her puppy-dog eyes that Kara had recently perfected, Alex sighed and proceeded to do as asked.
"Hey, Rebecca, wanna come have ice cream with us?" Alex said loudly as Kara clung onto her arm.
"Yes!" Rebecca immediately replied. "Yes, I'd love to!"
"But it looks like a family affair," Connor rubbed his chin. "Come on, Becs, let's not bother these nice people. I got ice cream at home for you and you can change, and then head out with your friends."
Kara tightening her fingers around Alex's arm made the brunette wince a bit, but she got the hint.
"No, it's fine. It's fine, right, mom? Dad?" Alex looked over at her parents. Jeremiah glanced over at Kara who was nodding her head furiously and looked like she was about to nod her head off.
"Of course it's fine." Eliza quickly gave permission. Connor was looking at them with a tight smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Alright then. You girls have a good time." Connor seemed reluctant to go. "I'll grab your bike and bring it home first."
"Alright, thanks!" Rebecca got the keys out and handed it over to Connor, getting another quick hug and kiss on the forehead from the older man.
"I'll see you in a bit!"
Rebecca smiled and waved good-bye. "See ya!"
As soon as Connor was far enough away and they were all heading to the Danvers family car, Rebecca, who had been walking a bit behind with Alex, bumped Alex's shoulder gently with her own.
"What?" Alex smirked over at Rebecca and bumped her back, still on a high from her win.
"Nothing." Rebecca looped an arm in Alex's, her eyes on the other girl. She didn't notice Kara with her head slightly turned, watching her from the corner of her eye and taking a surreptitious sniff.
They stopped off at the public showers, then changed in the small stalls set up on the beach for that reason. Rebecca had to wait a bit to change so Alex was out first, gravitating to Kara's side.
"Alex," Kara looked up at Alex solemnly. "Something is wrong with Rebecca."
Alex frowned. "What?"
"I smelled her-"
"What did I tell you about smelling people-"
"Hey!" Rebecca was out of the stalls, even managing a smile in Kara's direction. "I'm done!"
"Alright, come on." Alex took off towards where her parents were parked, the couple having taken Alex's board to strap it to the top of their car.
"Alex," Kara huffed, running beside Alex, easily outpacing Rebecca.
"Kara." Alex copied the blonde's tone of voice. "We'll talk about this later, ok?"
Kara nodded, frowning. Alex tried to clarify, slowing down so she could talk without panting.
"Let's just have some time to settle down with some ice cream, and then we can talk."
"Hey!" Rebecca huffed, finally catching up. "Speedy McSpeedy One and Two, could you please slow down?"
"... My name is Kara." Kara was confused. "And that's Alex."
"Why are you such a loser?" Rebecca huffed.
"Hey, be nice." Alex frowned, still wary of Rebecca, but protective of her adoptive sister. "Kara's a bit different. So what? Just give her a break."
Rebecca huffed again but gave the tiniest nod of her head. In the station wagon, Alex sat in the middle to keep a barrier between the two girls and felt a little bit like she was being pulled in two different directions. Rebecca was a bit more clingy than usual and seemed to lean in closer to Alex whenever possible. Kara, for some reason, seemed a bit confused overall with the whole situation. Alex had been worried Kara might have strong feelings about Rebecca taking up some of Alex's attention, but Kara seemed to be preoccupied with studying Rebecca throughout the whole car-ride, and more than once Alex had to quietly remind Kara not to stare at Rebecca.
When they got their ice cream and while Rebecca was busy texting their friends about where they were, Alex and Kara, who had gotten their ice cream first, slipped outside to sit on the patio.
"So can you tell me what's going on?" Alex asked between licks of her ice cream. Kara was eating her ice cream with a serious expression on her face, frowning a little bit.
"Kara?"
"Alex," Kara looked over at her sister, and Alex noticed that Kara's sunglasses again, were pushed up to rest on top of her head. Alex took the opportunity to bring them down again. "Rebecca isn't a nice person."
Alex winced, but nodded. "No. She's not."
"I've noticed that she's pretty popular at school, and that makes her strong." Kara seemed to be struggling to get her words out. "She isn't afraid of anyone."
"Okay?" Alex didn't know what Kara was getting at.
"When Eliza was outside cleaning the deck, and she found that… that centipede? And Eliza just stood there staring at it?" Kara chomped on her ice cream absentmindedly. "I know what she smelled like. And-and you said that your mom was afraid of centipedes."
Alex still didn't know what Kara was getting at but tried to listen as patiently as possible. Sometimes the Kryptonian went on little meandering rambles to get her thoughts together.
"Rebecca was scared when that man came." Kara finally blurted out. "Can you fix it?"
Kara remembered that Alex had gotten rid of the centipede for her mom, Alex had kicked it off the front porch and brought her mother a glass of water while Eliza sat, shaking and a bit sheepish at how an insect had so paralyzed her. Kara remembered the sour smell of fear, acidic and metallic at the same time, and Rebecca had smelled exactly like that when Connor had shown up.
"Could you help her? You make things better." Kara said it with such conviction, Alex was taken aback. This was a girl who could literally rip a person apart and seemed so lost and unsure about the information she had that she was now giving to Alex.
Before Alex could reply, Rebecca had exited the shop to join them on the patio with her own ice cream. "Hey, the guys are at McDonald's, but I think they all want to go back to Brendan's to play a videogame or something."
Eliza and Jeremiah had been close behind Rebecca, motioned for Alex to go on.
"Skedaddle, you!" Jeremiah made shooing motions with his hands, laughing. "Before your old man makes you look more uncool."
"Yeah, yeah." Alex got up, put a hand on Kara's shoulder and smiled. The blonde smiled back, knowing beyond a doubt that Alex would help. Alex, for the first time, suddenly realized the gravity of Kara's gaze, realized that Kara looked at her differently. The mantle of Kara's trust in her was heavy on Alex's shoulders, but she felt happy to take on that weight.
"I'll try." Alex replied.
Alex said that, but the rest of the day they just spent together with everyone and it was hard to get Rebecca alone to talk to her. Alex had tried broaching the subject to ask more about Connor, but Rebecca firmly moved the conversation away from her mother's boyfriend. Even after, when they were biking home, Rebecca sped up so Alex was mostly trying to keep up and wasn't even able to talk.
"First!" Rebecca crowed gleefully, skidding to a stop on Alex's driveway.
"Only because I'm tired from today!" Alex argued back gamely.
"Alex!" Kara was at the door waiting for them, eyes darting from Alex to Rebecca anxiously.
"Kara." Alex was all smiles again, happy to see the younger girl.
"Oh, hello Rebecca!" Eliza peeked out the front door and threw it open when she saw that Alex was back with a friend. "We're just about to start dinner. Will you be staying for dinner?"
Rebecca exchanged glances with Alex and at the Danvers girl's shrug, shrugged also.
"Yeah, if that's okay?"
"Well, I made more than enough with two growing girls and my husband to feed." Eliza laughed. "Put your bikes in the garage, wash up, and dinner will be ready!"
"You make it sound like I don't help you cook!" Jeremiah hollered from inside.
"I can help!" Kara darted back into the house, at Eliza's heel, eager to set the table. That left Alex and Rebecca alone to push their bikes into the open garage of the Danvers' house.
"You don't have to be home for dinner?" Alex asked.
Rebecca shrugged. "I'll just call and say I can't make it."
"Is it just you and your mom's boyfriend?" Alex continued on, using a casual tone of voice. "That's awkward."
Rebecca shrugged and Alex could finally see it. The tension in her shoulders, the firm line of her mouth.
"Hey," Alex leaned her bike against the wall. "You know you can talk to me, right?"
Rebecca's mouth was still set in that grim line as her movements stilled.
"Like, about anything."
Rebecca took another second before turning to Alex with a teasing smile on her face, pulling near Alex until her mouth was almost pressed against Alex's ear.
"Same goes for you, Alexandra Danvers." Rebecca sing-songed, trailing her fingertips over Alex's arm as she moved back to the house. Alex was flushed red, hoping that the tan she had gotten from being out on the water so much this summer covered up her embarrassment. She still didn't understand how Rebecca made her so flustered sometimes.
Making it back in the house, Alex smiled at Kara sitting at the dinner table already, waiting impatiently for dinner. Rebecca's phone rang before she could sit down and she glanced at the caller display before excusing herself from the table. Alex nodded but kept her eyes on Kara, who had an ear turned towards the direction Rebecca had escaped to.
"Hey," Alex called out casually. "Who was that? One of the boys?"
"No, just my house calling and wondering if I'm home for dinner." Rebecca shrugged. "But I told them I'd be eating with you."
"Alright." Alex sat down next to Rebecca in her usual seat, facing Kara. Dinner was filled with talk about the surfing competition and what Alex was going to do with her prize money and if she would continue competing. Dinner passed by relatively fast, with the family and guest migrating to the couch. After it had gotten pretty late, Jeremiah looked over at Alex pointedly before addressing the girls in general.
"It's getting pretty late now. Do you need me to drive you home, Rebecca?" Jeremiah pushed himself up from his comfy armchair.
"Oh, no Mr. Danvers. I have my bike in the garage." Rebecca checked the display on her phone. "Wow, didn't realize the time."
"Maybe you should give your mother a call, dear." Eliza suggested. "She must be worried."
"Nah," Rebecca shook her head. "She's been working late hours. Thanks for having me over!"
"Anytime." Jeremiah said immediately, though truthfully, he didn't like this friend of Alex's much because she always seemed to be a bit mean to Kara.
Goodbyes were said and Alex walked Rebecca out to the garage to get her bike. It seemed a bit weird, as Rebecca shouldered her bag, how she lingered.
"See you tomorrow?" Alex offered and couldn't seem to get a read on Rebecca.
"Yeah." The popular girl's shoulders slumped. "Seeya."
"Rebecca." Alex tried again. "Come on, something's bothering you."
"No," Rebecca shook out her light-coloured hair. "I'm just tired. I'll see you tomorrow."
When Rebecca had pedalled away, Alex walked back to the house and almost jumped out of her skin as a shadow parted from the front porch.
"Alex."
"Jesus, Kara!" Alex had had to bite back a little shout. "Don't do that!"
"Sorry." Kara was hovering maybe an inch off the ground, that was why Alex hadn't even heard her approach. The blonde touched down, tilting her head to the side in a gesture that was very… puppy-ish.
"Rebecca is not staying?"
"She went home."
Kara frowned. "But she said she was staying here tonight. On the phone. I heard."
"No, she's not. You know the rules." There were no sleepovers at the Danvers' house just because Kara still had trouble sometimes at night and Eliza and Jeremiah didn't think it would be good to have kids over when they have an off-limits lab in the basement.
"But she said. On the phone." Kara insisted.
"Well, maybe she's going home right now."
"No." Kara stared off into the distance where Rebecca had disappeared to. It was starting to get really dark out. "She's biking to the beach."
Alex frowned at that, promptly turning on her heels, back to the garage to grab her own bike.
"Tell mom and dad I'll be right back?" Alex pushed off and pedalled away. The sound of running footsteps told her Kara was quick behind her and had sped up to run alongside her.
"Kara-"
"How will you know where she is? If I'm with you, it'll be easier to find her."
Alex couldn't argue with that logic. They travelled in mostly silence, Alex following Kara on her bike. They finally got to a part of the beach where they usually didn't go because it wasn't the best surfing conditions.
"Down by the lifeguard tower." Kara said after a quick scan of the area.
"Okay. Can you stay here?"
Kara nodded solemnly. Alex left her bike with Kara and made her way carefully down the beach until she was at the base of the lifeguard tower.
"Rebecca!"
There was no answer. So Alex made her way up the stairs until she found Rebecca tucked into a corner and watching Alex warily.
"How did you know I was here?"
"I followed you." Alex lied. "I was worried."
"You don't have to be worried."
"You're sleeping on the beach, I think I should be worried."
"Technically, sleeping in the lifeguard's tower."
"TECHNICALLY, right outside the lifeguard tower since you can't even get inside."
Rebecca scowled at Alex. The brunette replied by taking a strong stance, placing her hands on her hips and facing down Rebecca with the most intimidating look she could muster.
"Rebecca, you tell me what's going on or I'll call your mom." Alex threatened. Rebecca glared at Alex balefully until the eldest Danvers girl pulled a phone out of her back pocket and made a show of pulling up Rebecca's home number.
"No, no, don't call my house! Connor is there!" The girl lunged at Alex in a panic.
"Chill, I'm not going to actually call. But it's about him, isn't it?" Alex sighed in frustration. "Can you just tell me?"
"Well, what do you think?" Rebecca snapped, falling back on an emotion she was familiar with and lashed out with her anger. "You know why I'm avoiding him! Can you guess? I mean, I use you enough as an excuse to get out of the house and away from him when he's home! Why do you think I need to be away from him?"
"Rebecca-"
"But you're always with your stupid adopted sister!" Rebecca was shouting now, tears streaming down her face. "You're taking care of her all the time but she's FUCKING FINE. She's just fucking slow! She doesn't need you, and y-you're so strong-but you're such a fucking idiot!"
"Rebecca, Rebecca," Alex gathered Rebecca into her arms, unsure of what to do as a cold chill gripped her. "It's alright. It's going to be okay."
"I just need you to help me," Rebecca rasped, and Alex winced as the girl pounded a fist against her shoulder as she sobbed. "J-Just be there."
Alex let the other girl cry, she didn't know for how long. Just knew that her knees were hurting from kneeling down on the hard wooden floors of the lifeguard tower.
"Is he… is he touching you?"
"I don't want to talk about it." Rebecca choked out. She was shaking. Alex didn't know what to do. They had learned in phys-ed class about this, very briefly, but actually being confronted by it...
"We have to tell someone. We have to call the police-"
"No." Rebecca wiped at her face. "No, you can't. I'm serious, I would kill myself. I would rather die."
"Why?" Alex demanded. "We have to. It's the only way-"
"No. My mother-" Rebecca's face was frantic. "He has pictures of me. He has pictures of me, Alex."
Alex didn't know why she asked, why at that moment she was so damned obtuse. "What kind of pictures?"
And now, Rebecca weeps. Just sits there and weeps and weeps into Alex's shirt.