Busy, and distracted by writing The One-*looks around guiltily*-Sorry. I disclaim.

Victor was freaked out slightly by all of this matchmaking business.

It felt like people in the league were pairing off left and right.

He wasn't ready for his turn.

He was . . . afraid of falling in love again.

He wasn't proud of it, but he was terrified.

Opening up to that pain, to that rejection? It wasn't worth it.

He'd been slowly falling for someone . . . but the whole Mia/Bart quadrangle had reminded him why he hadn't wanted to get too close. Friends, family . . . both basically the same to him, they were enough.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't get hurt again. Have his heart undergo a stampede . . . love wasn't worth it.

Love wasn't for him.

She was in love with him. Ridiculously so.

It didn't bother her that he didn't feel the same way.

It didn't bother her that she had to keep her feelings to herself.

It didn't bother her that he would probably never love her.

Lies.

It bothered her that he didn't feel the same way.

It bothered her that she was too afraid to tell him how she felt.

It bothered her that he would probably never love her.

Most of all-it bothered her that one day she might have to watch him fall in love with someone else.

Things were complicated though.

Generally, she pretended that absolutely nothing was wrong though. She simply took his friendship. And accepted that that was how it had to be.

"Chloe, I'm worried about them."

"I'm not. It'll work out."

"It's not going to be easy, they have a lot rooting against them."

"Lois," Chloe sighed. "There are a few different basic types of relationships in the world. There are those like yours and Clark's-where things just fall together because of something almost . . . destined. Then there are those who fall together because of common interests-such as Bart and Mia. Then there are opposites, like AC and Dinah. Then there are relationships like mine and Ollie's-where situations, personalities, and everything just . . . aligns properly. There's a screwed up sort of perfection between Ollie and I-and I think it may be the same with Victor and Kara. They've both been through a lot, maybe they can help each other heal."

As much as Lois understood what Chloe was saying, she still wasn't sure she bought it. "You and Ollie are special-Kara and Victor are just friends, with slightly strange chemistry."

Chloe sighed. "That's how it started for us too, Lois. Things change, people change. They're meant to, or else the world might as well stop revolving on its axis."

"That makes sense in an odd sort of way."

"All the best things do."

"I feel like something's about to happen."

"Well, it's entirely possible that something is about to happen. You are, after all, playing mini-golf. Maybe you could try swinging the golf club sometime within the next century?" Kara suggested with a smirk.

Victor scowled, and did as she suggested. "That's not what I meant. I meant that something feels rather fishy."

"Maybe you should talk to AC then."

Victor lifted an eyebrow, "All joking aside-" Hint, hint, Kara-"Something doesn't feel right."

"You're probably just picking up on the weird vibes Chloe and Lois have been giving out lately." They'd been even stranger than normal. Even since they'd started this ridiculous matchmaking scheme, they hadn't ambled into such psychotic territory-Kara was quite aware that her train of thought was suggesting that there was some sort of figurative walk that Chloe and Lois had gone on . . . that somehow ended with them in a mentally disturbed park.

She giggled.

Victor looked at her strangely. "Share?" Sure, she was being silly, but he rather liked that side of her. That happy aspect of her personality that some-most-people didn't appreciate. She got him to loosen up, and that made him feel . . . safe. Which was an odd choice of term, but definitely accurate.

She explained her thought process to him. He laughed, of course.

"Only you, Kara."

"It's why you love me."

"I know." He meant in more ways than one.

"Told you so." Chloe and Lois had hacked into the security cameras, to watch Victor and Kara's hangout. Well, technically, Chloe had hacked, and Lois had just watched. Lois wasn't exactly Miss Technology. Chloe was often actually afraid of letting Lois touch anything more complicated than her computer or her phone.

"I think you might be better at this than I am," Lois said grumpily.

"You're just busy." Chloe said simply.

"You're way busier than I am, and that's just the truth."

"You're pregnant though-it messes up your hormones."

Lois smiled-a silly look that just sort of brightened up her entire presence.

"And that's why they say pregnant women glow." Chloe smiled back at her cousin. "How's Clark taking impending fatherhood anyway?"

Lois glared at Chloe. "He may have taken it better if you hadn't told Oliver before I got a chance to tell him."

Chloe had been with Lois when she'd found out. She had accidentally let slip that Lois and Clark were having a baby-she blamed the lack of sleep, it was twisting her up in messy ways that staying up into the wee hours and subsisting on coffee had never done. Chloe winced, "Sorry. I didn't know that J'onn would read his mind and accidentally tell the rest of the league though, it wasn't my intention."

"I know," Lois sighed. "Makes it tough though. But we're getting through this. And we're both really excited for the baby. Everything's been . . . easier since we found out, and he's spending more time driving me insane, trying to make sure I'm not over-exerting myself."

"I'm glad."

"You're glad he's driving me insane? Nice to know we still have family loyalty, cousin."

"Oh, Lois. You know I love you."

"Ditto, dear cousin, ditto."

"Victor and Kara are going off together on a mission this weekend. Italy, that's romantic, right? Originally we were going to send Clark with Victor, but then I convinced Ollie that Clark doesn't want to be gone for as long as a week, and Kara has basically the same skills and abilities as Clark. The difference, of course, is that she actually keeps in contact with us while she's on a mission, unlike some people."

"Clark, no matter what happens, always feels like a solo superhero. He isn't, and he's been better lately . . . but he's always felt different from the rest of us." Lois sighed with frustration.

"For Clark, not being human makes him feel as if he doesn't quite belong."

"It never seems to bother Kara."

"It's different when you don't quite belong-yet you're with someone else-it's harder being in a relationship."

"But it's worth it."

"It is."

Kara couldn't be honest about life with very many people. And although she much appreciated her female friends, most of them seemed to pair off with one another. And most of the men in her life were intimidated by her. Clark wasn't, of course, but he was her cousin. She couldn't-and eew, wouldn't-exactly date him.

And that was what she really wanted-someone to date.

She liked her friendship with Victor, because he wasn't intimidated by her. Which meant something. Even though many members of the league had their own special abilities-she was different. And when she was with Victor-well, he was different too.

It was nice and comforting.

She was gifted, but so was he-in a different way, that meant that they didn't have to compete.

But he was just as damaged as she was, which was just . . . comforting.

"Italy?"

"Wow." Victor wasn't sure whether to be excited or suspicious. He was leaning towards the latter, as he should have been.

"I've done some reading, that's supposed to be a beautiful country, right?" Kara asked. She'd considered going off for a little visit, but it had just never quite happened.

"It is." It was also supposed to be one of the most romantic countries. "You promised, Chloe."

Chloe smiled sweetly. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not breaking any promises. Have fun."

It was a set-up. Kara and Victor shared a look. And everyone knew it, but there was no way to stop it.

"This is sweet." It really was absolutely fantastic. Chloe had-he assumed-not spared any expense when it came to making sure that their trip to Italy was as romantic and conducive to falling in love as it possibly could be.

"Yes, it is very sweet. Not so much that they decided to go with one room, but at least there are two beds."

Victor looked at Kara. Yes, at least there were two beds.

Earlier, on their flight-commercial- because Oliver's jet had been in use-they'd actually had fun with the idea that they were being set-up.

It was interesting, because they were both annoyingly in love with each other and neither one of them would admit it. Yet, they could just pretend it didn't matter. It wasn't easy-but it didn't affect their enjoyment of each other's company.

"Anyway, I think-that since we're not supposed to do any surveillance during the day, we should probably, you know, go sight-seeing."

"Sounds wonderful."

And it really did.

They ate, they took pictures, they acted like complete tourists . . . and they ended up at a fountain.

"Make a wish."

Kara turned to him an quirked her head. "What?"

Victor smiled, "It's a tradition." He handed her a coin, "You make a wish with the coin, as you throw it into the fountain. You're not supposed to tell anyone what the wish is though, until it comes true."

"What a lovely human tradition." She felt the coin in her hand. Hmm.

She might as well try. She flipped it through the air. She closed her eyes.

Victor stared at her-she was so pretty in the sunshine.

He took his own coin and made his own wish.

That night, when they went out to see what they could find out about this new evil genius dude, they had fun with it. They made it into a game.

Every night before they went out they took bets on which buildings would be a bust, and which ones might have something useful.

At the end of the week, they were about equal. That is, until they finally found what they'd been looking for. Kara quite happily took the crown. "Oh yeah." She did a happy dance. And just because he could, Victor joined in.

On the way home-because of course they had to go home eventually-Victor turned to Kara. "That was fun."

"It really was. Part of my wish came true."

"I'd ask you how exactly, but-"

"-then it wouldn't come true." She completed the sentence for him, she was really getting the hang of this.

"Exactly. And I hope it does."

"I hope yours does too."

"It didn't work."

"No, it didn't."

"It was your idea Chloe, and it failed."

"Don't be mean Lois. They're just too comfortable with each other-romantic experiences and close quarters don't work on them."

"I think I have a plan."

"A plan that will work?"

"Well, possibly."

Kara and Victor were . . . soaking wet.

"Are you okay?" It was hard to know what would mess the Cyborg part of him up.

"Fine. Just wet."

They had gotten trapped in the rain. And now they were in Kara's apartment.

"You're welcome to stay until it lets up."

"Thanks."

Kara left the room for a moment.

Victor, realizing this, followed her-"Kara I-"

Oh.

Half-naked Kara.

Right in front of him.

He opened his mouth to say sorry-but then no words came out.

"Oh."

"Sorry."

"Don't be."

She stepped forward, and gently kissed him.

He pulled away.

It was strange, you see.

Simply put, love wasn't for him. But at this point, it didn't matter. Because he wanted it anyway. He surged forward and grabbed her in a hug. His lips met hers, and everything was actually quite . . . lovely.

Perfect.

Sparks, and friendship and love.

And they were everything in a single moment-that felt like it could last forever.

It couldn't, of course.

But now was enough.

Even when it was over, the the feelings weren't.

And they could always go back and do it again.

Such is love.

"This will work out just fine, all we have to do is . . . Oh, hello." Lois smiled brightly at Kara and Victor-who had just entered the Watchtower, holding hands.

"Apparently there's nothing to do. How are you two?"

"We're fine. When we got back from Italy, we were caught in a freak rainstorm. Or, we would have been here yesterday for debriefing."

Chloe smiled. "Yes, debriefing, how about that."

Somehow, the mission had been a success.

And two wishes-really quite the same in all honesty-had come true.

I feel ashamed of my horrendous updating. Anyways. The next-and final-chapter is Tess/Bruce.

Yes, I just said that. There will be some sweet Clois and some adorable Chlollie.

And an ending. Yay.