A/N: Hello everyone!
I just wanted to wish you all HAPPY HOLIDAYS and for those who celebrate in the next couple of days...MERRY XMAS!
And do not fear...I will update again later today. And also tomorrow.
Working on some fluffy SuperCorp OS as well ;)
Much love xo
BE YOUR OWN HERO
6 - Friends despite everything
Lena shot up from the couch while she kept staring at the emblem on Kara's chest.
She was trying to process what Kara had just revealed while her mind was racing a mile a minute.
All kinds of memories washed over her, leaving her feeling dizzy.
"You're safe now."
"I flew here...on...on a bus."
"If I'm calling you Lena..."
"Someone's trying to kill you."
"You like to take risks, don't you?"
"I believe everyone should be judged on their own merrits."
"Kara and I will both be at your party."
"Miss Luthor..."
"Don't do it, Lena."
"You're safe now."
She was also flooded by visuals of Supergirl saving her, Kara blushing, Supergirl being confident, Kara being insecure, ying and yang, two sides of a coin.
It was not that she didn't have her suspicions before, but to hear it, to actually see it, was a different story. Before she had thought her mind was playing tricks on her, that she was just paranoid, but now she had to face the fact that everything had been a lie.
She remembered vividly how she had told Kara that one could learn to protect themselves when they had talked about her alien detection device and Kara had confessed that she had re-thought her position, but the truth was that Lena had never been safe.
Not as a child and even less so now.
Supergirl had saved her on countless occasions, but Lena was well aware that there might come a day when Supergirl wouldn't be around.
She had pushed the thought to the very back of her mind, but ever since Lex had tried to have her killed she was extremely wary again.
Kara was not the enemy, Supergirl wasn't the enemy either.
But how was she supposed to trust Kara now?
It wasn't that she was an alien, it was the fact that Kara had lied straight to her face from the beginning.
Supergirl had too.
While Lena had understood why she had done it, especially considering the Luthor history, it didn't change the fact that she had been lied to.
She was well aware how much trust Kara was putting into her now, she got that, but she felt so...
She wasn't reall sure what she felt.
But the thought that she had asked to talk to Supergirl the other day because she hadn't been ready to face Kara, because she hadn't been ready to forgive her friend, made her sick.
Her trust had been violated in the worst way possible.
"Lena?"
It was only when she heard Kara's trembling voice that Lena realised that she had started to pace the room like a caged animal.
She met Kara's gaze quickly, but had to look away when she caught sight of the worried expression on her face.
First she thought Kara was worried that she had made a mistake by telling her the truth, but then Lena took a second glance and saw the situation for what it was.
Kara was worried for her.
Lex and Lillian despised aliens and yet here she was, talking to one, being friends with one.
And Kara didn't act like she was superior, she honestly cared about her.
Kara cared while her own family never had.
She had so many conflicting feelings in that moment and Lena wasn't sure how to deal with them.
She understood why Kara hadn't told her earlier, if she was honest she was surprised that Kara had told her now, but it only made things more complicated.
Did it bother her that Kara wasn't human?
No, it didn't.
"I'm sorry I lied", Kara tried again, "Really, I am. But...when I first met you...I didn't know if..."
"If you could trust me", Lena finally found her voice again.
Kara got up as well, but kept her distance while she looked at Lena with so much hope in her eyes and Lena felt absolutely crushed, because she couldn't really embrace the situation.
"Kara, I...I don't mind that you're...that you're an alien or Supergirl. And I promise you that your secret is safe with me", Lena assured.
"But?"
Kara knew there was a but, she could hear it in Lena's voice, and she tried to brace herself for what was about to come.
"But...I am a Luthor and you are a Super and...things are complicated. They've been complicated before, but this...I get why you didn't tell me before...and I appreciate that you trust me enough to tell me more than you know, but I need...I need time to process all of this. So much has happened..."
Kara nodded, "I understand that. A lot has happened. But you're wrong...you're Lena and I'm Kara. We can be friends. We are friends."
Lena stared at her, "Are we really?"
"Of course we are. Our situation is pretty...unique, but I consider you a friend, Lena. Luthor or not...I'm sorry I lied to you. I am. I thought about telling you more than once, but then your mother had me kidnapped...well, Supergirl...and she made it perfectly clear that she wants me to stay away from you. And then I couldn't tell you anymore...I was scared that, well...I didn't know how close of a relationship you had with your mother then...I didn't want to get you in trouble or danger before...even less so once I found out that your mother was in charge of Cadmus. And I was scared that you didn't want to be my friend anymore if you found out that I am who I am", Kara confessed and it finally dawned on Lena that the situation was even more complicated than she had initially thought.
This was about so much more than lies and family histories, this was about Kara caring about her.
She was important enough to Kara that the blonde had been scared of losing her.
And then she remembered how welcoming and kind Kara had been from the beginning.
Although Kara was a Super. Although she was a Luthor.
It hadn't made a difference for Kara.
She had been open minded and willing to give her a chance.
"Okay."
It was all Lena could say, all she trusted herself to say without her voice breaking.
"Okay?"
Kara looked at her, hopeful and insecure all at once.
"You're right...we're more than our names. And we are friends. Or at least we'll be now that there are no more secrets. But I still need a bit of time to process", Lena stated carefully, praying that her reaction wouldn't hurt Kara.
"That's fine. You know where to find me if you need me. Or want to talk", Kara smiled and walked over to the door that led to the balcony, "Thanks for hearing me out, Lena. Good night."
Before Lena could have said a word Kara opened the door and disappeared into the night like the Supergirl she was.
The next couple of days were extremely busy for both women as Lena had to deal with L-Corp business and her secret research on her brother and her mother, but she didn't get far as Kryptonite was such a complex topic and she didn't know the first thing about it.
She had to find someone who could shed some light onto the topic, but more than that she needed a contact who could tell her more about Cadmus.
She was talking down a dangerous path and she was aware of it, but she had to figure out what they were up to, now more than ever.
Snapper had made Kara's life miserable as usual, but what really had her on edge was that more aliens had went missing and they hadn't found out anything about heir whereabouts.
She also had experienced another encounter with Cyborg Superman while she had been out, trying to find out what had happened to the aliens and metahumans, who had basically vanished from the earth.
Kara was desperate at this point. Desperate because she felt so helpless. There had been countless raids all over National City and they hadn't found a thing.
Cadmus had to be behind it, they all knew it, but with no evidence and no idea where to look all they could do was wait and hope that Cadmus would make a mistake eventually.
It was hard for Kara to accept that there was nothing else she could do and she felt rage bubble in her stomach more and more with each day that passed by. She was used to help, to save and to protect and not being able to do that was weighing her down.
She had went to see Lena the day before and had explained the situation to her, but Lena hadn't been of much help either, which hadn't been all that surprising since she hadn't been involved with Cadmus to begin with nor did she have any idea about her mother's nefarious plans and work.
And that was how Kara found herself patrolling the city once again as she flew circles over National City, trying to hear or see anything out of the ordinary.
Lena left the L-Corp building, her phone in hand, ready to text Kara.
She had been glad that Kara had come to see her yesterday, because even though she had asked for time once again, she always welcomed the light Kara's presence brought to her darkness.
And she had appreciated that Kara had asked for her help this time, no hidden agenda, just the plain truth and it had made her see that they were on a good way.
She would tell Kara about her own research eventually, but she wanted to have something useful first.
With Christmas only a few days away she had decided to ask Kara if she wanted to grab a drink, because Lena was honest she missed spending time with her geeky reporter friend. Their refreshing conversations always filled her with an unknown warmth, most likely because Kara didn't consider her a threat, didn't see her as a Luthor or a villain. All she saw was Lena, all she saw was a friend.
She had thought about it a lot the last couple of days and she had come to the conclusion that, despite everything, Kara had always had her back. And Supergirl as well.
But more than that Lena had had Kara's as well and she wasn't willing to give that up.
Kara Danvers was probably her only friend, not just in town, but also in life. And while their circumstances were truly unique, deep down Lena knew that she could count on Kara.
Her driver had called a couple of minutes ago to let her know that he was waiting for her in front of the building, but now that she was outside there was no one.
Neither her driver, nor her car.
What was going on?
Her message to Kara long forgotten Lena dialed her driver and she could hear a phone ringing somewhere in the shadows, but no one could be seen.
"Hello?"
Nothing.
She knew she should probably head back inside, that she should probably call Kara after all, because something wasn't right, but before she could have moved Lena felt someone's breath on her neck and a knife on her throat.
"Drop your phone, Miss Luthor."
The voice wasn't familiar, but the determination the words had been spoken with made Lena do as she was told.
The device fell to the floor and a heavy leather boot stepped on it, cracking it in the process.
"Your mother sends her regards. She said I should just kill you, but I think I'll have a little fun with you first."
Lena tried to get away, but the deathgrip she found herself in made it impossible and the blade that dug into her skin and made it break stopped her every motion only a second later.
She felt something warm run down her throat while her body turned cold.
God, she had been so naive.
How had she not seen this coming? Of course her mother wouldn't just let her get away with betraying her and putting her in jail.
As the tall, masked man started to drag her away it dawned on Lena that she had indeed never really been safe.