It's been a rough couple of months. Work and life in general is messing with me and I have a cold and it's not going away. So please be warned that this chapter was reviewed under exhaustion and medication and I was finally like, FUCK IT, it's not my best but I've kept them (the readers that are still around) waiting long enough.
It feels rushed cuz I was sorta rushing lol. This fic is becoming a monster and I need to move it along and speed up the timeline a bit so there will be time jumps. And yeah, I meandered a bit because I've been just shaking my head at all the white-washing going on. And I know it's two white girls talking about racism (yes, I know one is an alien but she is white), but I wanted to bring it up.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to say that the CW is fucking racist. I fucking hate Mon-El and James Olsen, damn, they did him wrong. It was racist as fuck. And their side-lining of almost all relationships to hold up romantic relationships on a pedestal is fucking disgusting.
Also, the CW isn't even doing the romantic relationships right.
Okay. I'm done. Enjoy!
Rebecca disappeared. Nobody saw her at all, even though rumours went around, nobody really knew what had happened. She was gone. Her locker had been cleaned out, her social media sites went dark and her phone was disconnected. Alex biked by Rebecca's place but when she knocked on the door and rang the doorbell, nobody came to answer the door. There were rumours floating around, of course, of the police being involved, that Rebecca had done something bad and she had to be transferred…
Alex and Kara said nothing. They both wanted to know what had happened, but nobody told them anything. Alex had been interviewed after school by a plainclothes police officer, with her parents hovering anxiously, and had asked her what had happened. She gave her side of the story, but the officer had said they probably wouldn't need Alex to do anything, they just needed her statement. The police and the school had been mum on the whole issue, saying it was under investigation so nobody said anything. Alex had asked Dr. Turing one day, and the doctor had very quietly told her that all she needed to know was that Rebecca would be okay, that she was safe now.
Kara had done one better and said she had overheard Dr. Turing speaking with the principal and that Connor had been arrested and Rebecca was cooperating with the police. Alex was happy that at least Rebecca was safe, but she felt like she had betrayed Rebecca's trust. And maybe Rebecca hated Alex for it, that Rebecca knew it was Alex who told.
It was sad in a way. Things continued on as normal, settling down until Rebecca's name was only mentioned in passing. People had been envious of her, scared of her. Rebecca had been popular but hadn't been well-liked.
Alex had liked Rebecca. They had been friends, of sorts. And Alex remembered how Rebecca had looked at her, that night on the beach, crouched in a corner of a lifeguard tower.
But life went on. Alex would have to say that her closest friend was Brendan now, and she got a fair amount of teasing about the two of them dating, but they both were happy to just hang out with each other. Whatever it was that she thought she had felt for him was just replaced by an overall fondness for the young man. She thought about Rebecca less and less, and when Alex did think about Rebecca, Alex tried to keep the thoughts short, tried not to let them take her.
Kara, meanwhile, seemed to blossom. Running their little mission, grabbing those videotapes and giving them to the police had seemed to change Kara. She was brighter, faster, more sure of herself. Kara was still clumsy and sometimes had accidents where she broke things unintentionally, but those times were far and few in between. Kara shone with this new confidence.
The school year sped past in a blur of projects, school assignments, and Kara. Always Kara. Kara was no longer that awkward girl, the 'special' kid in class. People of course still whispered about her being 'quirks' at times when she did something weird, but it seemed like everybody was finally seeing, at least a little bit, of who Alex saw. Who Kara really was. And even though Alex really liked that, there was a tiny part of her that was afraid. Afraid that as people started seeing Kara for who she really was, as they became friends with the sunny blonde, there would be less room for Alex in Kara's life. That there would be less room for Alex altogether.
All the emotions roiling through Alex made her feelings for Kara complicated sometimes. Like when the teacher advisor for the Science Club had approached Alex about recruiting Kara into the club and continued to do so even though Kara was not interested, and Alex had said she wasn't interested. Or when suddenly all eyes drifted towards the young blonde laughing in the hallway. When some of the boys in Alex's grade made sly, or what they thought was sly, remarks about her sister. Remarks that caused Alex to punch first, consequences be damned.
What did Alex feel? She tried to tamp down her less charitable thoughts, the mess of bitterness, of sheer resentment at Kara for being everywhere in her life, of taking away Alex's status of being number one, being the star, of Kara now being foremost in her mind. Sometimes, Alex wondered at how strong her feelings were, when she felt like she almost hated Kara for making her feel this way.
But Alex especially hated that selfish feeling she got when someone else made Kara laugh or smile. Hated the way people were starting to notice that Kara was the sun, a shining pillar of light that tugged everyone in. Kara's awkwardness drew laughter and her strangeness made people wary of being associated with her too closely, but Alex could see, just like her, they were being pulled in by Kara's gravity.
Alex tried to focus on the feelings that didn't confuse her or make her think negative thoughts about Kara. The best way to get rid of these feelings was when Kara smiled at her. And when Kara looked at her and Alex suddenly felt complete content, trapped in Kara's gaze, and something that she was too embarrassed to name seemed to take root. Something that, despite all the resentment she felt, the jealousy, the discomfort, the anger associated with feeling so MUCH while being around Kara… all that quieted down when Kara looked at her like she was the only thing in the universe.
On top of all of these new, confusing feelings, Alex wasn't able to quite escape Kara to get a reprieve from her thoughts, when Kara had moved into Alex's room. There had been too many nights where Eliza and Jeremiah caught them up at all hours of the night and moving Kara over seemed like a good thing to do. Kara had been weird about it at first, but kind of accepted this change when Eliza and Jeremiah had both assured her it was fine and moved Kara's bed into Alex's room without any real input from Alex. Despite that, this was one thing Alex liked. She felt wanted, appreciated. Relied upon.
Kara still sought Alex out at night. Still came to her with questions and asked about things that Alex thought Kara would've gotten by now. Alex was relieved that Kara seemed to still need her. Sitting face to face on Alex's bed, in the dark, it was comforting to still have this.
"So different colour nails… the colour is removable and not a sign of infection?" Kara asked nervously. Kara had seen some girls in class who had come in with coloured nails, noticing a lot of little things now that she was able to focus in and out, able to control her powers, able to concentrate and not be overwhelmed and have to retreat into Alex's heartbeat.
"No, it's not an infection." chuckled Alex. She took Kara's hand in her own, rubbing the tops of Kara's nails. Alex found herself more and more fascinated with Kara's… well, it sounds weird, but Kara's body. It was very much like a human's, but sometimes Alex would take a magnifying glass and examine things like Kara's fingernails. They were perfectly smooth. It looked very much like Kara's nails had been buffed and the tips of her nails had been rounded carefully, then a layer of clear polish put on top. Her parents already knew how to take care of Kara, the special tools Kara needed to cut her nails and such.
Kara seemed mammalian, but Alex, now having gradually become a more tactile person, especially with Kara, knew different. Kara's hair was different. It wasn't composed of keratin, Alex was sure. It was like, the difference between human hair and animal fur, but it wasn't fur. It was something else entirely. Just like Kara's nails. But close enough that she looked like just a normal teen girl. Touching her like this, their mutual, curious examinations, told Alex that Kara FELT different underneath Alex's inquisitive fingertips.
"Did other beings from different planets have nails, too?" Alex asked, still holding Kara's hands gently.
"No, not all, of course. Every one of us is shaped by our environments." Kara said patiently, her eyes trained on Alex's hands. When Alex touches her, she knows she is allowed to touch Alex, too. And just like how Alex was entranced with Kara, so was Kara with Alex. This was a chance to examine the species the Kryptonian would be living with.
"Were there other races on Krypton?" Alex asked, remembering how curious Kara had seemed when she first met Sharon, and then Brendan. "Is that why you asked me about Sharon and Brendan before?"
"We have, but it's not like on Earth? On Earth, it's strange to me." Kara shrugs, beaming when Alex nods approvingly at her body language. Kara was working on it. She had to not walk 'weird' as Kal El had so eloquently put it when she first arrived on Earth.
"What do you mean?"
"The idea of race? When humanity has so little difference in genetics that the idea of 'race' is laughable sometimes?" Kara tilted her head to one side. "That it's just visually, there's a difference and so the idea of race is so prevalent. That's strange to me."
Alex nodded, always acutely aware whenever she talked to Kara that she was so much smarter than Alex, so much smarter than anyone Alex will ever meet.
Ignorant of Alex's internal thoughts, Kara rambled on. "Earth is very different from other systems. Here, people of the same 'race' may be related? That there was a higher chance, an actual correlation?"
Kara's brow furrowed in thought. Alex was used to the fact that Kara sometimes asked questions that seem to have come out of nowhere or seemed entirely inappropriate, but they were such important questions to Kara, sometimes the keystone to piecing together whatever was bothering her.
"Well, you and Clark look the same. Wasn't your family, I dunno, mostly white?" Alex was a bit intrigued by this line of conversation. What was it like on Krypton?
"Some of the House of El were 'white' as you put it, but all my other cousins have different 'colour' skin. That is the norm. Was the norm." Kara pursed her lips, her eyes getting dim at the talk of Krypton, briefly, before continuing. "So I don't understand sometimes. I understand a little bit, because I had to study those issues when we went on diplomatic missions. I guess it's different because most species still rely on sexual intercourse for reproduction and we have the birthing pods. So 'race' would correlate a relationship and an assumption. But Kryptonians are not able to make an assumption like that since children are given through lottery."
"Wouldn't that be confusing?" Alex asked. "Having relatives who all looked different, even your parents?"
"Well, I'm sure that adopting a child of a different 'race' isn't so rare. It's not confusing for them, is it?" Kara asked.
"Oh. Oh, yeah." Alex felt a bit stupid. Kara continued on blithely, unaware of Alex's feelings.
"I recognize that here on Earth, there is a clear difference between people of lighter skin with people who have skin that is a different colour or they are darker. Or both. There is clearly different treatment, both overt and subconscious." Kara trailed her fingers up Alex's arms and Alex shivered at the light touch. "I have no idea how to handle this, because I realize that I also have this… privilege? I have read extensively on this, as much as I could using your 'internet'. I feel like I don't know enough. And I want to learn more because it will help me integrate better with human society."
"Maybe don't treat this like it's just a diplomacy or integration thing?"
"Learning about these things is the key to good diplomatic relationships. To integration. That is what I'm aiming for." Kara said primly and Alex could see the child of diplomats, a daughter of the House of El with all the privileges she was probably afforded. Alex could feel the weight of Kara Zor-El's name.
"It's called racism. Our history of slavery here in the US really doesn't help with our racism problem." Alex tried to explain. She didn't think she was the best person to explain to an alien about racism but she wanted Kara to know that this wasn't quite the right approach to this topic, what with the history of the US and how even in Midvale, maybe especially in mostly white Midvale, people still said things that were disgustingly racist.
Kara's face wrinkled up in disgust. "Slavery is abhorrent."
"Use smaller words." Alex reminded her.
"That's whack, yo."
Alex chuckled. "Where did you pick that up?"
"Ron Stoppable."
Kara's hands wrapped around Alex's back and pulled her in for a hug, her chin resting on Alex's shoulder. They stayed quiet for a while, until Kara cleared her throat, breaking the silence.
"Are you feeling alright, now?"
"Hm?"
"About the Rebecca thing."
Alex sighed. "Well, there's really nothing much to be done. She's gone off somewhere and nobody seems to care that much. I just hope she's okay."
"She will be, I think." Kara insisted. "And you don't think so now, but you got her out of a bad situation."
Alex wanted to say something else, wanted to tell Kara she was wrong, that she could've done MORE somehow, but all that came out was a loud yawn.
"Oh, you must be tired." Kara stood up, her body language screaming out how reluctant she was to leave Alex's side. The pout and the refusal to let go of Alex's hand was another indication.
"Do you want to stay tonight?" Alex asks, shaking her head at how ridiculously weak she was to that look. Kara had been trying different facial expressions and deliberately using them on her older sister. Some sent Alex reeling with laughter while pouts like these made Alex putty in Kara's hands.
"Really?" Since the first time Kara stayed in Alex's bed, it was like an addiction. Nights were whiled away talking about everything, meandering in their conversations about the stars and the different stories of Earth and Krypton. Kara knew she should go back to her bed, maybe go back to separate room. At least back to her own bed. It was expected on Krypton. It was proper. Only companions who wanted to scandalize their respective Houses slept together. But there was no more Krypton, and the Great Houses were no more.
There was only Kara Zor-El, Kara Danvers on Earth. There was Kal-El, Kal 'call me Clark' El. Clark Kent.
And then there was Alex who's heart beat obliterated the white noise of Earth, who gave her peace. Who let Kara cry at the thought of her surviving people in far and distant solar systems, flung out and scattered amongst the stars. Too far away to get to Kara, or for Kara to get to them before they, and her, were dead.
"Come." It had become habit for Alex to just lift the covers and let Kara snuggle in. Kara always ran hotter, which was fine since Alex always ran cold. After the first few sleepovers, Alex could sleep almost immediately. Alex also found that some nights without Kara, it was hard for her to go to sleep. Both of them let out a sigh of relief as Kara snuggled backwards into Alex's arms. Alex was already sleepy, but the light, ticklish touch of Kara's fingers running up and down her arms was keeping her awake.
"Stop." Alex grunted.
Kara laughed lightly, bending her head down to press her nose against Alex's arm, taking a deep, happy breath.
"Stop smelling." Alex squeezed Kara lightly, tucking her nose into Kara's mess of blonde hair, snuffling noisily at the back of Kara's neck. Kara laughed and bends her head forward, allowing Alex to snuffle against the ticklish skin of her neck for a few more moments. As Alex noses along the skin of her neck playfully, Kara's eyes flutter shut, her breath hitching as Alex presses closer, behind her ears. Alex's light chuckle suddenly leaves Kara a little bit breathless and she presses back, minutely, arching back, searching for… something. Whatever it was, fades, with Alex's movements getting more sluggish by the second, before she stills, breath evening out. Kara concentrates on Alex's breathing, trying to mimic the slow exhale-inhale of Alex's breathing. Trying to get herself to calm down.
What had happened? Was it an Earth thing? Kara snuggled back into Alex and the sleeping teenager unconsciously wrapped her arms tighter around Kara while mumbling nonsensically. Whatever it was dissipated at the familiar warmth and the feeling of… FULLNESS, that Alex inspired. Of her tattered heart, ripped apart by Krypton's destruction, being filled to the brim, to the point of overflowing. Of Alex holding it all together, like how she was holding Kara now.
"Alexandra Danvers." Kara said Alex's name in a near reverent whisper. The next words, she spoke in Kryptonian, trying parts of the vow for the bonded on her lips, only able to say them when Alex wouldn't be listening. "I am Kara Zor-El, daughter of Krypton. Would you be mine? Would you let me be yours?"
Kara closed her eyes and concentrated on Alex's heart beat, the rush of her blood through this human body. With the sound in her ears, Kara let herself relax, let her mind slow down.
Kara and Alex had been having such an easy time since the Rebecca incident, slowly getting used to each other, of moving around each other. Jeremiah liked to joke that they were in a symbiotic relationship, which would earn him withering looks from his eldest daughter.
Everyone had been having such an easy time that they didn't know that tomorrow would change the Danvers family forever. It had been such a normal day, it was even par for the course for a boy in some of Kara's classes to take it upon himself to be a creep.
When Alex went looking for Kara after class because Kara still hadn't come to the front of the school to meet Alex, Alex hadn't been worried at all, just thought maybe Kara had been held behind now that people actually wanted to be friends with Kara.
"Where's Kara?" Brendan usually biked home with them, since they were on the way.
"Dunno. Let's go check."
Brendan nodded, bumping against Alex's shoulder playfully. "Look at you, Ms. Big Sister. All worried and stuff."
"Shut up, you goof." Alex huffed, pushing him back. He slung an arm around Alex's shoulder companionably, still grinning down at her.
Alex was only worried when she heard Sharon shouting loudly and what sounded like a few voices laughing mockingly at Kara's friend. Alex hurried along, Brendan close behind her and turned a corner to see some kid with a tight grip on Kara's sleeve, stretching out her shirt out as she tried to pull away. Sharon was there angrily yelling at the kid who currently seemed to think the whole thing was a big joke.
"Chris, you asshole, let go of her!"
"I told you, soon as she says yes to going out with me then I will." Chris turned back to face Kara, smiling, his friends shouting encouragement. "It's just a movie. Come on, it'll be fun! What do you say?"
Kara was shaking, but still managed to answer. "N-No. I just… that's not something I want to do with you."
"You have a boyfriend?" Chris casually pushed Sharon away, and the girl stumbled back, getting jostled back and forth between some of Chris' friends. They all didn't notice Alex storming up but Kara did.
"Alex!"
Chris turned around just in time for Alex to suckerpunch him across the face. Brendan barked out a laugh as Chris hit the ground, but the boy was scrabbling up almost immediately, blood gushing from his nose, snarling and launching himself at Alex, managing to get a wild swing in that knocks her across the side of her face. Brendan had jumped in now and used his bigger stature to get in Chris' way immediately, easily shoving him off with one hand, other hand on Alex's shoulder, keeping her away.
"What the hell is your problem?" Chris shouted at Alex, a hand to his bleeding nose.
"You stay the hell away from Kara!" Alex tries to push forward, ignoring the pulsing pain blooming on the side of her face.
"Alright, why don't we both calm down." Brendan keeps in between them, trying to calm both sides down.
"Fuck off, you chink!" Chris sneers at Brendan.
"HEY!" Alex shouted, enraged.
"Fuck you, asshole." Brendan said indignantly, bristling. Before it could escalate even more, Alex had stepped in front of Brendan to push her friend back and Chris' friends were holding their friend back.
"Yeah, hide behind that fucking dyke you slanty-eyed-" Before Chris could get another word out, Brendan had launched himself forward and grabbed the front of Chris' shirt, using his other hand to punch Chris, over Alex's head. In seconds, the situation had dissolved into a skirmish, with Alex trying to push the two apart and getting jostled in between the two bigger bodies. One of the guys, she couldn't tell who in the mess of limbs, grabs at her shoulder and pulls, her shirt ripping audibly. She could see it was Chris now, and he reached forward again, grabbing a handful of her hair and pulling painfully.
"Stop fighting! Let go of her!" Kara was suddenly in the middle of the fight, one hand on Brendan's chest, the other having captured both of Chris' wrists in her hand, effectively stopping the fight. It was so stunning a move, immobilizing both boys, that it was hard to wrap their brains around.
"Let go, you freak!" Chris finally moves, tries to shake Kara loose, but her grip was iron and unmovable. She tightened her grip, causing Chris to gasp out in pain and fall down on one knee.
"Kara, let him go!" Alex hissed. Kara releases him but the look in her eyes was one of sulky petulance.
"What the hell, are you some kinda-"
"She does kung-fu." Alex blurts out. "Don't get her mad, she'll kung-fu you to the moon!"
Chris' friends shifted about nervously. They didn't sign up for this. They had wanted to help Chris out with his crush on their classmate, not get into a fight. Especially a fight where it seemed like they would probably lose.
"What is going on here?" The sound of Mr. MacNeill's voice sounded from around a corner and Chris and his friends scattered quickly. Brendan grabbed Sharon by an arm and high-tailed it out of there. Alex takes a hint and drags Kara into a nearby empty classroom, hiding until Mr. MacNeill had stormed past, intent on finding the disruption.
"He's like a bloodhound! How did he even know there was trouble?" Kara asks, shaking her head. "Mr. MacNeill has like a secret power or something!"
"Kara," Alex was shaking. She had been so scared. "Kara, don't you EVER use your powers in public. Ever."
"But I stopped a fight! And nobody really could tell it was like, superpowers." Kara frowns, that petulant look on her face again. "And why shouldn't I? Superman uses his powers-"
"Superman is an adult!"
"I am technically older than him, and it doesn't matter whether he's older than me or not." Kara doesn't step down, fists clenched at her side. "I was able to do something! You taught me to control my powers! Why shouldn't I use them for good?"
"You just can't! If you do and people know, you'll be in danger!" Alex rakes her fingers through her hair in frustration, using the hair tie around her wrist to tie up her hair.
"I'm invulnerable," Kara points out, switching to Kryptonian, the words flowing out in a torrent. "I have the exact same powers as Kal-El! I don't need to protect him anymore but I can protect you!"
"I don't need you to do that! I need YOU safe!" Alex snaps back before storming out of the room. She could hear Kara trying to call her back, and when that didn't work, her hurried steps to follow. Brendan and Sharon were at the front of the school where their bikes were locked, both having waited for the Danvers sisters.
"You alright?" Brendan puts a calming hand on Alex's arm. Alex nods tightly before addressing Sharon.
"Are you okay?"
Sharon nods shakily. "They just kinda all crowded up and Kara was feeling uncomfortable and I know she doesn't like to be touched sometimes but I couldn't stop it-"
"It's fine. I'm fine." Kara took her friend's hand carefully and shook it, once, before dropping it. "See? I'm fine."
"You're so weird." Sharon lets out a wet kind of laugh. "Can I hug you?"
Kara looks over at Alex, still asking for approval, still looking for hints and guidance. Alex doesn't say anything and Kara makes the decision, giving Sharon a hesitant, very robotic, hug.
"I'm sorry. I'll work on it." Kara flushes, her awkward hug lasting a second.
"It's fine. You don't have to, I'm just glad you're okay." Sharon takes Kara's hand, shakes it once, and lets go. Both girls seem to find this hilarious and burst out laughing.
"Kids." Alex shakes her head and rolls her eyes, catching Brendan giving her a smirk.
"Alright, I'm going to take you to your parents' restaurant." Brendan nudges Sharon. Being the only two families of Asians in this small, white suburb, Brendan and Sharon's family had connected early and were pretty close.
"Not made of glass." Sharon scowled at Brendan.
"Yeah yeah, you big strong woman. Me, stupid boy." Brendan grinned down at Sharon. "Just let me or I'll never hear the end of it from my parents if those idiots decide to keep bothering you on the way home."
"You just want food."
"We can walk with you, too." Kara's eyes were shiny. "To the food-home. To your home."
"And now we see why you're friends with me." Sharon says jokingly.
"I'm friends with you for more than just your food!" Kara looked aghast. Did her friend truly believe that was all?
"I know, Kara. I'm joking."
"Oh."
"Alright. You'll be okay?" Brendan touches Alex's shoulder again, something Kara had noticed the first time, and frowns when she notices it a second time. She knows that's just how humans are and she'll have to learn to be more… touchy. But there was a queasy feeling at the pit of her stomach at the soft looks Brendan gives Alex.
"I'll be fine. You go on ahead." Alex gave him a thin smile, which didn't seem to convince him at all as he rolled his eyes at her.
"Alright, all of you are tough strong woman who don't want to talk about your feelings." Brendan declared dramatically. "Know that I care and I want the-ow!"
Sharon had kicked him in the shins, groaning out loud. "Why are you so embarrassing all the time?"
"What, everyone thinks I'm cool here." Brendan hops on his bike. He had bike pegs on the back and Sharon jumped on, holding tight to his shoulders. "See you two later!"
With Brendan and Sharon gone, Alex silently unlocked her bike.
"Are you mad?" Kara asked quietly. Alex doesn't reply, but doesn't move until Kara had gotten up on the back of the bike.
"Alex?" Kara's voice hitches a bit. "Alex, don't be angry at me."
"I don't need protection, Kara." Alex says tightly. She's the older sister, Alex wants to say. She is supposed to take care of Kara and Kara is making her fail at her job! Alex was no longer the only child, the star of the family. She was no longer the fastest, or the smartest, or the most beautiful. Alex was awkward limbs and sinewy body, freckled from the sun. Kara was ethereally, and effortlessly beautiful. Kara moved sometimes, like she was underwater, like she was dancing, until she remembered she was supposed to act more human. Alex bumped into the corner of her bed enough times to learn not to, but Alex still managed to trip over her bed almost weekly.
Alex was getting okay at being an older sister, at protecting Kara. Now Kara was showing that Alex couldn't even be that. And Alex was getting to like this new role.
"I know. But…" Kara leaned forward so her forehead could rest in between Alex's shoulder blades. "You can't tell me to stop. Because I can't stop."
"Protecting me?"
"Caring about you." Kara's hands tightened on Alex's shoulders, bordered on painful, but not quite yet. "I was… afraid."
The admission softened Alex.
"You don't need to protect me or be afraid for me, I'm not the alien." Alex said lightly. "I can take care of myself. Us humans bounce right back up."
"That's a lie." Kara giggles, leaning forward so she can hug Alex around the shoulders and nuzzled the side of Alex's head.
"So now you can hug properly?" Alex grinned, her eyes forward, on the road in front.
"I'm used to hugging you. Not other people." Kara snuffled at Alex's ear, almost causing Alex to lose control of the bike.
"Kara!" Alex snapped, but there wasn't really a bite to her words. "We're gonna crash if you keep doing that!"
"But you like it." Kara replies smugly. "I know you do."
Alex just shakes her head, not knowing how to reply to that, but couldn't stop the blush that was heating up her face. It didn't take them much longer to get home, and surprisingly, both Jeremiah and Eliza were home. Jeremiah met Alex at the front porch, after the girls had put away Alex's bike.
"Kids, glad you're home! We were thinking of spaghetti tonight-what happened to your face? And your shirt?" Jeremiah asked in alarm, reaching out to cup Alex's face and turn it to the side so he could take a closer look at the bruise.
"Alex, what did we say about you fighting?" Jeremiah tsked. "Come on, let's ice that sucker."
"It wasn't Alex's fault." Kara followed close behind them. "Chris was bothering me."
"Who was bothering you?" Eliza was dicing tomatoes in the kitchen and sighed when she saw her eldest daughter. "Alex… are you going to make a habit out of this?"
Alex's mouth set into a stubborn line. It wasn't her fault!
"There was this boy bothering Kara." Alex folded her arms across her chest. "He wouldn't let go of her."
"What?" Jeremiah frowned. He wrapped the bag of frozen peas he had in a tea towel and handed it over to Alex. "Do I need to call the school? Do I need to go punch this kid's father?"
"Jeremiah!"
"He just grabbed my sleeve." Kara held up an arm, showing them her stretched-out shirt. "He wouldn't let go."
"What did he want?" Eliza had paused in her dicing to give Kara her undivided attention.
"He wanted to go on a date."
"Oh." Jeremiah held out a hand to Alex. "High-five, Alex."
"Jeremiah!" Eliza snapped as Alex high-fived her father. "Don't encourage her!"
"What?" Jeremiah dodged his wife's swat. "Maybe violence is not the answer but boys shouldn't be so grabby."
"Well, boys will be boys." Eliza sighs.
"Really, mom?" Alex asks, incredulous.
"I'm not saying it excuses their behaviour but it's something that happens." Eliza went back to dicing tomatoes. "It's an unfortunate part to growing up. And we can't punch people all the time." Eliza paused in her dicing to frown a bit. "Wait. Why didn't the school call us?"
"It was an after school thing." Alex glossed over how they barely managed to escape Mr. MacNeill.
"Violence is never good, Alex, but when they're manhandling you or your sister, you do what you gotta." Jeremiah gave Alex another high-five.
"Jeremiah! Alex might have gotten hurt!"
"I can take care of myself."
"And I helped!" Kara chirped. Alex winced, as Eliza and Jeremiah zeroed in on Kara.
"Helped how?" The knife was down again and Eliza was looking at Kara with that worried expression on her face. Jeremiah had his arms folded across his chest, eyes darting from Kara to Alex.
"I got in the middle and pushed them away from each other." Kara said carefully, realizing that Eliza and Jeremiah didn't like that she got involved. "I just got in between them and-and stopped them."
"I told them she does kung-fu." Alex stepped in front of Kara, blocking her parents from looking at Kara. "It's fine, they didn't suspect anything."
"But what if they did?" Eliza wiped her hands on a dishrag, then threw it into the sink in a gesture of frustration. "Alexandra, you need to stop getting into fights, look what happens-"
"I was trying to protect her!" Alex protested, feeling tears of frustration making her eyes hot. She held the peas tightly against the side of her face, willing herself to calm down.
"It's not Alex's fault!" Kara insisted.
"Alright, let's all calm down." Jeremiah sighed. "It's no-one's fault. Let's just say that Alex, you stop getting into fights. Kara, you don't ever step into fights. Even if someone manages to punch you, it would expose you. Your face would break their hand."
"Then they shouldn't fight with Alex. I will protect what's mine." Kara mutters before turning on her heel and speeding away to her room.
"No speaking Kryptonian in the house!" Eliza calls out, shaking her head, not understanding what Kara had said or noticing Alex's red face. The sheer possessiveness of the term sent a thrill through the teenager. Viox had explained the different possessive terms recently and Alex knew Kara was using the term that denoted a link that was deeper than what the English language could convey. She didn't know how to address the weight, the usage of this term with Kara, so Alex just… didn't.
Jeremiah recruited Alex into helping out with dinner so Eliza could go up to speak with Kara. Alex kept an ear out for them and heard them coming back down a half-hour later, feeling a twinge of jealousy at the hand her mom had on Kara's shoulder. Alex didn't know if it was because of the display of affection Eliza was showing Kara, or the fact that Alex hadn't been allowed to go up to check on Kara.
"Here, Alex." Kara had one of Alex's plaid shirts in her hand and held it out to Alex.
Alex nodded her thanks.
"I can help." Kara handed the shirt over and held out her hand for Alex's butterknife. Alex passed the knife over, letting Kara take over spreading garlic butter on slices of bread while she ducked out of the kitchen to change her shirt. Dinner was prepared relatively fast. Throughout dinner, Alex waited for the other shoe to fall, but it seemed like whatever Kara and Eliza had spoken about upstairs, it kep Eliza's words at bay.
"Alright, don't you have a test to study for." Jeremiah said aloud to Alex, after dinner. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, drawing her close to continue talking to her in a low voice. "Your mom is working on her dissertation, she's a bit on edge, so just don't let her get to you, ok?" In a louder voice, Jeremiah called to Kara. "Kara, help me with cleaning up?"
Kara called out an affirmative and Alex nodded, going up the stairs to hole up in her room. It didn't take long for Kara to come up.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Alex said, not looking up at Kara. The Kryptonian came over, leaning over her, scenting Alex's neck. Alex shivered. At times, Kara's alienness was so apparent, it would hit Alex like a ton of bricks. This girl that Alex called her sister sometimes, she was from the stars. Kara looked like she was cut from marble, the other-worldliness of her tempered by bangs that were getting too long, clunky glasses, and frumpy clothes. Alex didn't feel fear, just a thrill of wonder when she glimpsed the Kryptonian between the partitions of Kara's disguise.
"Well, I think you could be a bit better than just fine." Kara seemed to make a decision, going to the window and pushing it open.
"Kara-"
"Come with me." Kara held out a hand to Alex. Alex shakes her head.
"We'll get in trouble." Alex replied. Kara flashes Alex a mischievous smile before she ducks out the window. Alex sits there on her bed, jiggling her leg anxiously before she gets up and slips out the window after Kara.
"Wait, Kara!"
"It'll be fine." Kara replies soothingly.
"I don't think it's a good idea." Alex worries, remembering the look on her parents' faces. "You're not supposed to, Kara."
"Come on, Alex. It'll be so much fun." Kara floats up in the air, holding a hand out to Alex. The half-challenging look on the blonde's face dissolves into one of soft adoration, of gentle pleading. The facial expressions Kara had been practicing was really working, because Alex could feel her resolve melt, stepping forward to take hold of Kara's hands.
Kara pulls her close, flush against her, a wild grin on her face before they were shooting up into the sky with an excited squeal. Neither of them would know that their flight will draw unwanted attention. The flight that was a cumulation of the entire day, of the fight, of Kara's feelings for Alex, of Kara wanting Alex to feel better. And Alex accepting that flight when she should've told Kara no.
And Alex just KNOWING it was her own fault. She should've discouraged Kara.
And that knowledge of what she should've done lodging, like a knife in Alex's heart, when they took her father away.