A/N: I'm back! Work is settling down, so hopefully I can update this one more regularly.
"You never really told me what happened between you and James," Cat prompts her. They've moved inside to the couch and Cat's on her third glass of wine.
"That's because nothing happened," Kara shrugs. "We tried to go out twice, but the first time I was held up at CATCO and forgot to call him. The second time, he came to my apartment with pizza and potstickers so that we could watch the Venture launch. So you know how that date ended."
Cat purses her lips but doesn't comment, waiting for the girl to continue.
"And it was obvious that James and I were in two completely different places in our lives. And with all the changes, it just seemed like we weren't connecting and then you promoted him to CEO, which was great for him. But I couldn't be that person. I mean with all the rumors about you and me, then James is promoted. Well you know what that would look like," Kara explains.
"The rumors about us... so what were they exactly?" Cat questions.
Kara flushes a little and reaches over for a pillow pulling it into her lap defensively.
"Y-you don't want to know. Actually, I am sort of relieved that you don't know," Kara admits.
"That bad huh?" Cat asks rhetorically. "Well it can't be any worse than what was said about me when I started out as Perry White's assistant," she adds with grin.
"I just didn't expect people to say things like that about me or you," Kara confesses as she shivers at the memory of the mean spirited comments from earlier today.
"People can be terrible, especially when they are jealous of someone else's success," Cat points out.
"I work really hard. And they don't even know me," Kara protests.
"The things that they say, say more about them then it does about us," Cat counters.
Alex flinches at the sound of the sharp knock on the door.
"Hey," Alex says worriedly as she opens the door to reveal a pissed off Maggie Sawyer. The tersely worded text was Alex's first clue that tonight's visit by her girlfriend wasn't what she was hoping for.
"Olsen is Guardian," Maggie blurts out as she enters the apartment.
"Oh," Alex replies carefully. "How did you... How did you find out?"
Maggie stops taking off her jacket and glares at her girlfriend a moment, before huffing. "I can't believe you. You knew!" She argues and puts her jacket back on. "Alex, you knew that Olsen was Guardian and yet, you were going to let me go interview Maxwell Lord?"
"It wasn't my secret to tell," Alex replies weakly. Holding out a hand asking her to stop and not leave.
The detective scoffs. "Is Guardian working at the DEO too?"
"No, he isn't working with the DEO," Alex answers. "Maggie, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. You figured out Kara so easily, I knew that it wouldn't take long for you to sort this out too. So, um, what made you realize that it was James?"
"His penchant for customized motorcycles tipped me off. The customizer signed both bikes, I'm sure that Olsen doesn't even realize it, but he should have one of them removed. Oh and he should get a voice modulator for his helmet, that gravelly whisper is as bad as Kara's glasses." Maggie answers proudly, letting go of some of her anger.
Alex notices it and reaches out to finger her jacket, "Maggie, don't go away angry. I want us to talk about this tonight."
Maggie exhales and then shakes her head. A small smile sneaks across her lips. She takes off her jacket this time and drapes it over the chair.
Alex steps closer to her as Maggie turns around to face her. "Can I kiss you hello now?" She asks tentatively.
Maggie leans in and presses a light kiss to her lips. "Hi."
"I hate when you're mad at me," Alex murmurs against her lips.
"Honestly, Alex I'm not mad at you. But I am annoyed when you don't tell me things like this. You do realize that I was headed to Lord Tech before I was called out to the scene of Guardian's latest heroics," Maggie replies taking her girlfriend into her arms.
"Well Max is out of town, so you wouldn't have been able to talk to him..." Alex says nonchalantly.
"Jesus Alex!" Maggie exclaims backing away from her girlfriend. "You are un-fucking-believable!" She grumbles before snatching her jacket off the chair and storming out of the apartment.
"So tell me what happened with this Mike fellow?" Cat prompts her next.
"Mike was nice to look at, but not really interesting or interested in me. I mean, it always felt like he was just waiting for me to stop talking, but not really listening to me," Kara explains. "I think that it's easier to just not date at all rather than settle for someone who is attractive but not my equal," Kara remarks.
"Hmm, perhaps you have been paying attention," Cat teases her.
"Ugh, I didn't mean that the way it sounded," Kara adds embarrassed by the arrogance of her own admission.
"There's nothing wrong with what you stated, Kara." Cat admonishes lightly.
"My sister would have a field day with that statement," Kara replies sheepishly. "Sometimes I feel like you are the only one who understands me."
Cat's breath hitches at Kara's admission. It is possible that the girl doesn't even understand what she has said yet. "Well Kara, over the past several years that we have spent working together so closely, we have gotten to know each other's secrets," Cat remarks.
Kara sets down her own glass and fidgets nervously. "Secrets," she repeats, taking a deep breath.
"Don't." Cat says softly as if she knows what the girl is going to say.
"You deserve for me to say it," Kara insists.
"No. No I don't," Cat remarks. "And I understand why you don't trust me."
"It was never about trust. I trust you completely with this," Kara asserts.
"My initial reaction was not my best moment," Cat admits.
"You were caught off guard. I was too. I didn't think that you saw me at all. But then you did and I freaked out," Kara recalls.
Cat looks at her stunned. How could Kara think that Cat didn't see her. Did she really treat the girl that poorly?
They sit a moment in the silence of the last remark. Kara wondering what she said and Cat wondering how to respond.
"I've always seen you Kara," Cat murmurs softly, causing Kara to look up at her hopefully.
"And it's not like you are the first person to tell me that you felt invisible to me, I have two ex-husbands who would agree with you," she adds sarcastically.
"Don't do that. Cat, I was just your assistant," Kara replies attempting to assuage the CEO's guilt.
"You haven't been 'just my assistant' in a long time," Cat retorts fidgeting nervously with her wine glass.
Unsure of what Cat means by that remark, Kara takes a moment to consider how to respond. Biting her lip nervously, she makes a decision. "My real name is Kara Zor-El."
"Why now?" She manages to ask after a stunned moment, her heart threatening to pound out of her chest.
"Because I need you to know me," Kara replies, before taking off her glasses and setting them on the coffee table.
"Okay," Cat replies nervously taking a long look at the woman sitting beside her.
Kara pulls out her ponytail and runs her hand through her hair.
"I've spent too many years hiding who I am and I think that you understand that, maybe more than anyone else," Kara continues. "Yesterday wasn't my birthday, Cat. It was the anniversary of my arrival here."
"W-when is your real birthday?" Cat asks the obvious question, still processing that Kara is revealing herself to her.
"I don't have one here. Time doesn't work the same way here as it did where I am from," Kara answers carefully.
"You were adopted at 13, so that was 13 years ago?" Cat asks not wanting to ask her age outright.
"No actually," Kara answers. "I was 13 years old when my cousin was born and we were sent here."
"I've known your cousin for almost 15 years," Cat exclaims in confusion, "How is it possible that you are older than him?"
"I-I lost everything when my parents sent me here. I lost them, my cousin, my planet and I even lost years of my life stuck in space when my pod was knocked off course," Kara explains sadly.
Cat moves closer to her. "Kara," she says softly. "Kara, I had no idea."
"I was sent here to take care of him, which seems crazy now. How could a 13 year old girl take care of infant? I mean, my parents had no idea how things worked here on earth," Kara remarks lightly.
"You really do trust me with this," Cat comments tearfully.
"Completely." Kara replies firmly.
"Kara, how old are you?" Cat can't refrain from asking any longer.
"I was in stasis for about 20 years, if I had landed on time, I would be 46 in Earth years," Kara admits.
"How did Detective Sawyer find out that I am Guardian?" James asks. He has been sitting outside Alex's apartment for over an hour waiting for her to leave for work the next morning.
"Morning to you too, Olsen," Alex replies sarcastically. "She's a detective. She figured it out."
"What should I do?" He asks.
"Nothing. She's not going to out you. But what the hell are you doing? You quit CATCO?" Alex questions.
"It was just a distraction," James blurts out.
"So what's your plan? Are you going to be a full-time vigilante now?" Alex asks standing in front of her government SUV.
"Something like that," James answers. "So you really didn't tell her?"
"No and believe me, I wish that I had. She is beyond pissed at me right now," Alex admits before opening the door and slipping into the driver's seat. "Look, just lay low for a bit and let things die down," she advises.
James steps back and watches her drive away. Then pulling out his phone he sends a quick message to Kara.
Kara is already tucked into her office and writing when her phone beeps. She glances over at it and sees the message from James asking her to call him.
"Hey," she says when he answers. "Don't worry about the article. I am working with NCPD, apparently they are starting a vigilante task force."
"I heard. Did you tell Detective Sawyer about me?" James blurts out.
"Of course not, why? Does she know?" Kara asks.
"Yes, she knows," James says heavily into the phone.
"Well, she figured me out. It makes sense that she'd figure you out too," Kara points out.
"Wait, she knows that you're Supergirl too?" James questions.
"Yeah, but I don't think that you have to worry. She wouldn't do anything to jeopardise her relationship with my sister," Kara counters.
"Then you obviously haven't talked to Alex today," James replies.
"Not yet. Wait, you have? What's going on?" Kara asks quickly.
"I'm sure she'll tell you later. Just keep me posted on the vigilante task force, okay?" He asks ending the call.
Kara stares at the phone in her hand. She sighs. She had planned to avoid talking to Alex today until she had time to sort out her conversation with Cat from last night. Alex isn't going to be happy when she finds out that Cat knows everything.
Cat glances around the conference room at all of her department heads, satisfied that everyone is here, she nods to her assistant that she can leave.
"I am positive that by now, you all know that James Olsen resigned as interim CEO and I have returned," Cat states and is immediately greeted with murmurs of appreciation.
"It is good to be back, but there will be many changes. Some of you will be taking on new responsibilities," she continues. "While others," Cat glares at Steven and Clayton, "Others may find the changes to be less challenging."
The CEO picks up the remote and clicks a few buttons to reveal the new CATCO organization chart. The room goes quiet as each department head gleans the chart for the changes to his/her department.
"I may have been away for the past few months, but I was not out of touch. Many of you rose to the occasion, showed initiative and you have been rewarded. My assistant will be scheduling one on ones with each of you. I will outline your new responsibilities personally," Cat explains. "The rest of you may want to step up your game, or polish up your resumes."