Prompt: How would baby Vega react to Astra at first? Would it be like she already recognized her, or another stranger in her life and she wants Alex?
Vega is ten, almost eleven months old when Astra lands. Astra, at first is hesitant to hold her. She's afraid it's a dream, that she's still in the pod, or worse that she's still trapped in the Phantom Zone and all this has been a dream that will shatter the moment she has Vega in her arms. But Alex encourages her gently and Kara is practically hopping up and down waiting for mother and daughter to reunite, it's the Disney-like ending that Kara almost craves after all. When Astra takes Vega from Alex she sighs heavily, world-weary with just that note of happiness mixed in that says it was all worth it for this.
Vega looks up at Astra and smiles. She's always been a happy baby, a little prone to dramatics, and sometimes so quiet Alex wonders why, but when she looks down Vega always is happy. She coos at Astra now and reaches up to grab onto the silver streak in her hair and tugs. Astra just laughs with tears in her eyes as her breath catches in her throat. This is her child. Her child. In her wildest dreams she could have never imagined that this would happen and yet there is living breathing proof in her arms and she feels shattered but so, so alive.
"What is her name?" Astra asks.
"Vega Astra-Ze Danvers," Alex says quietly.
Kara had picked out the name. Alex had insisted that her name be something Kryptonian despite the fact that a great deal of Kryptonian names sounded almost like gibberish to English speakers. Being Kryptonian was part of the little one's heritage and her name should reflect that. Kara had thought on it for a long while, there were a few days where Vega was just called the baby or little girl while she thought. When she had come back to Alex holding Vega and had placed the girl in Alex's arms, Kryptonese glyphs glowing softly on chubby arms, Alex had dusted off her reading skills and translated slowly. Vega. Kara smiled sadly and told Alex of an old Kryptonian goddess, that of wisdom and strength named Astra. The gods of the old pantheon hadn't liked her much because she had a way of going against them, all for good reason of cours, they were being foolish,, but in a great many of the stories she was painted as a villain. That did not stop her from having a daughter though, one she loved beyond all measure, who she named Vega. Vega later became the goddess of the arts and charm and had a way of smoothing the arguments between her mother and the other gods. So much so that in those stories where Astra was the villain, Vega was her redemption. Kara had said it was an old myth, that not many knew it, but that her mother had told her of it as a bedtime story many times.
Alex looks at Astra as she absorbs the name, and knows that Astra knew the myth too and knew the implications. There is a look deep in her eyes that says "yes, she is my redemption, but not only her." Alex just smiles a wisp of a smile and says, "Kara picked it out."
"Of course she did." Astra looks at Kara with more love in the world than Alex has ever seen before looking back at Vega. She starts to coo in Krpytonese and Alex melts a bit.
But eventually Vega starts to wiggle about after a long while. It's not a storybook and to Vega right at this instance, Astra is not her mother. Astra tries to soothe her when she starts to fret, but she doesn't calm. After a few moments a bit of the light goes out of Astra's face as she holds Vega up to Alex, knowing that this particular battle isn't worth fighting. Keeping Vega happy is what is important. And besides all will come in good time, as with many things.
Alex takes Vega and looks down at her face, smiling again, eyes drooping tiredly. "That's your Ieiu right there, baby girl. She's traveled a long way to meet you." Her pronunciation is a bit off, but she hasn't practiced in a long while with Kara, but the fact that Astra is Vega's mother just as much as she is remains the same no matter how bad she botched the Kryptonian.
"I never thought I'd hear that word directed at me," Astra says quietly.
"Well, you're going to hear it a lot. She'll start talking soon enough."
Astra looks up at the ceiling of Alex's apartment, out and through the plaster and wood into the sky beyond that's turning towards night as they sit together, and she nods for a few long seconds, taking it all in once more. "Yes. I suppose she will."