Merry Christmas Loves!
The days went by in a blur. The Gala loomed before them as the four women teetered in different directions. Kara threw herself in to the Alien Food story. She and Jonn had not figured out the logistics such as location and new shipments. They were tricky. Alex tried to get involved but for at least one more week she was on desk duty. She wanted to know if it was Cadmus or someone else who didn't want the food getting to the right people.
Alex and Winn did everything to find anything to either find her attacker, or to find the food. Alex felt that if you found the guy, you would find the food. The tracker placed on him gave them only one clue. They were underground. The only problem with that was the DEO could not expend resources to search every sewer, every tunnel, or every pipe. Alex, bored out of her mind, offered to take a small detail but Jonn denied her request. Alex knew why, and it had nothing to do with her health. Winn had a drone he could fly into the funnels and map with a video feed and show them in real time the underground passages updated. When the end of the week neared even Kara could not have done it as quickly and thoroughly. It was a better use of resources, Jonn said and now they had an in-depth map of the sewers. Winn grinned as he sat with gaming headphones on and a joystick maneuvering the drone as if it was a mere flight simulation game. Alex sat back and watched. From time to time she would flag a timestamp, so they could go down a different off shoot of the tunnel they started in. Like doors off a main corridor, they needed to be explored.
At night they all went their separate ways. Kara was not avoiding Alex or Lena, but she seemed to have thrown herself into her work with a fervor that was not normal for even her. It all came to a head when Kara crashed at work. She spent late nights patrolling, and even later nights trying to locate the newest food shipments took a toll.
She sat in her tiny office and then propped her head on her hand reading her article on waste management. Her eyes slid closed, she blinked she swore. Then when she opened her eyes in the same position in was 30 minutes before her deadline to Snapper. She panicked and typed as quickly as she could. She was lucky she had auto save set up and hit save as she smashed the print button which in turn smashed the damned machine where she panicked yet again. She held her head in her hands shaking her blonde crown back and forth cursing silently, then the sound of her printer whirled, and she reached for the papers and read quickly. She breathed deeply and then let out a calming breath, clearing her head and lungs. She looked down to her computer and watched the screen flicker and sighed once more. She gathered up her story and the computer. She pulled the USB drive from the computer and hoped everything saved.
She walked to Snapper's office dropped off the story. She was out of it, tunnel vision, and all she wanted was a bed. She didn't reply to the people saying hello, or good afternoon. She simply smiled weakly waved, and hoped it was the right response. She then walked down to the IT department. It was not her first faux pa with technology. She handed the computer over to Daniel with a sheepish smile.
"It was smashed during a story," she supplied in a half truth, "Can you save it?" she asked as if talking about a run over turtle recovered from the middle of the road. The tech looked at it and raised an eyebrow and shook his head.
"I can try to recover the data, but I think you killed the machine Kara," Daniel smile playfully. He reached behind him and supplied her with an exact model of what she brought him. "Let's see if this one can survive a year, yeah?" he asked, and she beamed at her tech friend. She turned around shouting her thanks and went back to her office. She walked through the door, closed it, and then leaned on the barrier slumping slightly closing her eyes. She stayed that way, exhausted. She felt her back slide down the wall, but never hit the ground. She felt and hand slide under her arm, and the other take the computer. She was ushered to the chair. And she sat down. She could feel the other person sit next to her. She heard the pop of a soda can, and the unwrapping of foil. A hand turned her hand over and shoved something in her palm and guided it upwards.
"A sandwich, Kara. You need it," The voice, so soft, yet bossy, yes bossy told her. Kara almost smiled if she wasn't about to fall asleep in her chair.
"Eat Kara," Another voice said, and Kara shook her head.
"Sleep Please," Kara pleaded and then there was wrestling of clothes and two sets of hands on her shoulders.
"Let's get her to the elevator," One domineering voice suggested. Then Hands, lifting, and then two bodies. Her legs were walking, they were moving. Kara didn't feel hands on her any longer, but two people flanked her. Somehow, as if on automatic, she made it to the elevator. Somehow, she stood there, sturdy as a rock in the box. Then moving once more. It was instant as soon as she sat down in sunlight. Once again, a sandwich was placed in her hand and a coke can in another.
Kara tilted her head up to the sun. She took in the rays of the star and sighed. Then she took the biggest breath she could and then exhaled. Cleansing her lungs. She moved her fingers and felt food. She brought the sustenance to her mouth. She didn't taste anything, she simply ate. But she knew she was getting better.
"How did you know?" asked one voice, so very familiar, then a laugh. It was rich, and light, one she heard very little, and hardly ever.
"I have seen her drive herself into the ground many times. I will never forget the time she blew out her powers," That voice… she opened her eyes. She looked across from her and watched an auburn-haired woman and a blonde headed woman smile and face each other on the small lawn sofa. She bit into the food, and watched, as her sister smiled at her… Cat. Then the other woman with a glass in her hand pointed to the one on the table between them and then Alex smiled. She reached for her glass and clinked glasses with Cat and then they talked. She could not hear, she … was she deaf?! Kara calmed down and closed her eyes and opened her senses. The voices came back.
"She needs sleep," Alex said. Yes, she knew this was Alex, her bossy sister.
"She needs more than that, Alex," Cat said and then Kara opened her eyes, and saw Alex looking at her but Cat's hand on Alex's shoulder then it pulled back. "Hello Kara. How are you feeling?" Cat asked. Kara looked between the two. Alex's brown eyes, then Cat's Brown eyes. How close they sat together. How familiar they were. How they seemed to …
WHOOSH!
She closed her eyes. She didn't care where she ended up. All she knew it was too much for that moment, too many feelings, to many variables. She crashed through glass. She opened her eyes and found green.
"She is with Alex," Kara croaked out. The last thing Kara saw was Lena's frown.
Other POV… Lena
Beep..
Alex: Kara just took off. She is exhausted. Hasn't sleep for what seems like days. If you see her make sure she gets sunlight and lots of it. I will look for her. I'm sorry Lena
She looked down at the blonde that crashed through her window. How would she explain this the to the insurance company? She sighed as she put the phone down and moved the blonde. She lifted Kara up enough to leverage herself under her body and then half dragged Kara to the antechamber she had for late nights. She let the woman go and collapse on the bed. She pushed her to the center, and then yanked off her shoes, unclasped the belt, and pulled that off, and then, through the back of the shirt, popped the bra loose. Lena lifted the blanket over Kara, then went to the window and tried to get as much sun into the room as possible. Finally, she turned around and thanked her lucky stars she didn't have those foreign investors from Japan negotiating today.
She walked back to the bed and sat on the edge. She looked at her blonde friend. She tucked blonde hair behind her ear and watched as the woman breathed deep in slumber. She let her fingertip trail over her jaw, and then she pulled her hand back in a fist. She would always be second place to Cat Grant. She placed a caste kiss to Kara's forehead and then walked back to the office and as soon as she saw the mess she shook her head. Jess already had a cleaning crew in her office. She looked to the door and found her assistant.
"Thank you, Jess. I was simply cleaning up. I have no idea what happened, do you?" Lena asked as she looked over to her assistant. Jess never broke a beat, never let her mask falter, and never looked up from her tablet.
"No, Miss Luthor. We are wondering if there was a projectile. It was only a matter of time we would be hit from an altercation," Jess said, "Statistically we should have incorporated more damage in the past year, but we have been lucky," Jess tapped her head set, "Yes today will do, and make sure it is bulletproof, military grade windows. Yes, and now would be better than later seeing as you have so many questions for an order you have filled previously," Jess hung up on the contractor and Lena raised her eyebrow.
"I am glad you are on my side. Well done," Lena smiled to her assistant and then looked at the almost done cleaning crew. She looked at her clock, only an hour had gone by, "Jess can you…"
"Move your appointments back? It is already done. As soon as you are ready you can have your meeting in the conference room across the hall. We will have you set up in 20 minutes," Jess looked at her tablet, "25 minutes sorry miss Luthor."
"No, that is perfect. I do not want to reschedule. I am happy with pushing the meetings back," Lena held out her hand silencing her assistant and calming her. She went to pick up her phone from the desk. The crew moved it. She opened the messenger. She sighed nothing more.
Lena: Alex I had a rather explosive afternoon. Maybe you and Kara could meet me for dinner this evening around 8pm. Also, never apologize for things you cannot control. I'll be here late.
Lena put her fingers to the bridge of her forehead. Then her phone beeped.
Alex: I will bring the pizzas. Thank you so much Lena.
Lena: No thanks required. See you later.
Alex: It may not be required but I see ice cream in your future.
Lena laughed and shook her head and sent back a simple smiling emoji. She hated the little faces, but she needed to get to her meetings.
Other POV… Cat and Alex
Her shoulders slumped as she got a text back. She could not follow Kara's trajectory, but she would only guess where she would go if she could.
"She is safe then?" Cat asked from the rail looking out to the horizon. Alex had been watching the woman with hawkish eyes and realized it was worse than she thought. Cat didn't simply care for Kara, she loved the woman. She loved her sister with all she had left. She was like a battle worn warrior, and Kara was her last castle. Her last step to achieve her happiness, whatever the answer may be. She recognized in Cat the feeling she began to feel churn in her belly. Perseverance. She will try for the Luthor. She will be determined to fight for the woman who stole bits and pieces of her heart with every glance, smile or text.
"Yes," Alex looked to her phone and braced herself for how Cat might react to the news of Kara's whereabouts, "She is with Lena. Crashed into her office from what I can tell," Alex said as she stood beside Cat. They looked out over the city watching the sun set. The lower the sun got, the more the city gleamed, the more Alex hoped her new friend was alright. It was the hand that looped through her arm and held her own and a head leaned on her shoulder that made Alex really wonder what happened to the woman. She was warmer, and less sharp… if one knew where and how to look. It was so unlike Cat to show vulnerability, to show any kind of affection whether in pain or in pleasure in any sort of public venue. Alex sighed and squeezed Cat's hand and the older woman didn't move.
"Are you alright?" Alex asked and there was no response, "You don't seem like the type of woman to be affectionate physically," Alex said softly hoping she took the sting out of her words. What she got was a soft chuckle.
"Yes, the heartless, Cat Grant can't be capable of affection. Call the press and notify any deity willing to listen Cat Grant can break," Cat pulled from Alex with her shield of icy smiles, and her blade of sarcasm. Alex spun the woman to her and then looked in to her eyes.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it, oh Queen of All Media," Alex retorted but took the sting out of her words with a smile.
Alex looked to the side, wondering when it happened. When did she become Kara? Comforter, listener, emotional supporter, and gods forbid a hugger. Alex lifted her eyes back to Cat. Brown eyes, soft like a chestnut mane on a horse, Alex watched as emotions flickered. Alex pulled ever so softly, but let her hands drop to her sides.
"Lena is safe for her," Alex whispered, "Something she saw must have triggered her to fly off. Something she saw, or what we said, but I will promise this Cat," Alex paused and then opened her heart just barely, and felt her hands clench into frustrated fists, "You will not be alone in this. I am new to this… this affection thing, but I will try to make sure you are not alone, no matter the decisions made in the future."
It was something in the way it was said, or maybe it was who was said it, but Cat let her arms lift and slowly, almost as if she fought it every inch of the way. But when Cat's hands flattened on Alex's back she let herself close her eyes. She felt Alex's own hands awkwardly slide up her back. She let herself be held. Comforted.
"You are a part of this crazy ass family, Cat," Alex whispered in her ear as she felt other other woman welcome the comfort, "Anyone would be honored to receive your affections," Alex pulled from Cat. She looked in to the blonde's brown eyes.
"Besides I am beginning to think my sister is an ass hat to the highest degree," Alex laughed as Cat tilted her head in question, "She has two very wonderful and attractive women wanting her. I'm sorta jealous," Alex said with a grin. Cat laughed and pulled from Alex's embrace.
"Watch out Agent Danvers or I will walk out of the gala in a few days with my lips on the pulse of the older of the Danvers sisters, and not the younger," Cat grinned and her eyes gleamed. The she walked back to her office with the wicked grin upon her lips. Alex watched Cat seemingly prowl back in to her office.
For a moment, maybe two Alex thought she wasn't lying.