YEAR 1862

LOCATION: NEW JERSEY

Drops of red merged into the water, the color creating intricate designs before it finally blended in. Kara continued to wash her hands, trying to get rid of all the blood that had just stained her skin when she helped a solider – no – when she had ruined a man's life. Kara scrubbed her hands harder, hoping the red stain would be washed away from her skin, but no matter how much she scrubbed, cleaned, or grinded her hands against the clean cloth and soap, her hands would never truly be cleansed of the blood. It remained as a reminder of what she had done to this young man, a man who had an entire life ahead of him, a man whose life she had helped derail.

Kara kept telling herself: it wasn't her decision, it wasn't her call, and it wasn't her fault. But no matter how much she repeated those words in her head, the guilt wouldn't escape her. The young solider had come in with a broken bone, his fibula quite literally jarring out his leg. And the leg was twisted in the wrong direction. While trying to set the fracture, the doctor had discovered an infection, there was a dirty bullet lodged between his tibia and fibula, and removing it wouldn't have helped, the infection had already spread. Only one alternative was left: amputation. Kara protested harshly to the doctor's decision. Amputation would have resulted in the end of this person's life, this world had no technology to help amputees. Hell this world couldn't even accept different people of different skin, they weren't going to be inclusive to people with disabilities, Kara was sure of it.

However, Kara knew that the main reason for her protest was more than just for the sake of this unknown young man's life, it was because of the short-comings, and guilt, and her inability to actually do something that were weighing on her. Back on Krypton, they had technology to help this man. Medicine and bioengineering had advanced so much on Krypton that artificial appendages had the ability to work as normal limbs, and they had been created and integrated into society seamlessly. The best part? Hardly any cases had gotten that far that they needed artificial appendages, since medical advancements prevented amputation from occurring. That was why Kara felt so disgusted by the events before her, because she knew that somewhere in this universe, the care and help that this man needed existed and he couldn't get it.

The worst part? Kara hailed form a world where this medical knowledge existed and she could do nothing to help him. She knew of these advancements, but she was no doctor or physician, she was just an explorer. And a horrible explorer to add to that.

Her skin pulsed as she continued to rub her hands against the cloth, the basin filling up with more blood and with her guilt, disappointment, and overwhelming sensation of helplessness. Kara tried to hold back her tears that were dangerously close to pooling out of her eyes. Not only did the man lose his legs, but when the doctor delivered the news when the man was finally lucid, he simply just said 'it's okay', and beamed a smile before he fell back into a deep slumber.

The strong vindication that man expressed for his cause pained Kara even more. Kara believed in the cause as well: abolition and equality. Krypton was a democracy that preached and practiced equality for all. Slavery was something she abhorred since she first interacted with society on this planet. It made her sick to her stomach watching the brutal treatment of slaves, just because they were different and could be easily subjugated. The only thought that lulled Kara from watching this occur for almost a hundred years was that this was a Level 7 planet, and they were still primitive in certain aspect. They barely just breached into Level 8 territory. Kara had learned from her Intergalactic Studies course that all planets evolved differently. Some always had equality, some had slavery that was later outlawed, and occasionally there were planets that started with equality and later resorted to slavery. Kara had held onto hope that Earth would eventually get rid of this vile practice, and just when they were one step closer to reaching that goal, she wished for the war to end?

It was a just and noble cause, and those always came at a cost. Kara took a deep breath, remembering all the times Krypton had warred with itself in make sure that peace and equality reigned across the land. The wars were bloody, and countless lives were lost, but in the end peace and equality won, so doesn't the need of the many outweigh the cost of a few?

Despite the many wars that Krypton had engaged in, the most bloodied war was between Krypton and Daxam, a war that ended with Daxam's independence. Daxam's freedom hurt Kryptonians the most. This war happening right now, this Civil War, reminded Kara of Krypton's war with Daxam. Daxam was a direct sister planet, orbiting the same sun. Family's lived on both planets, travel between both planets was frequent, and prosperity of one ensured the prosperity of the other. But after the war started, people picked sides, families were torn apart, communication ceased between the planets, and Krypton and Daxam had never been able to forgive each other. The grudge, an enmity that lasted for five hundred years, and Kara strongly believed that if she returned to Krypton a hundred years from now, the animosity would still be there. Kara also knew that Daxam held a different perspective than Krypton on what had actually caused the war, and what had transpired. History is based on who writes the story, not what is fact, and she wondered how the history books were going to spin the tale of the war they were currently fighting. How many casualties and deaths were going to written in margins of the book to let people know how brutal it had been?

Kara glanced at her hands, looking over them to see if there was any blood left. As if the blood will ever go away? The thought echoed in her mind, and Kara tried to brush it off by brushing her hands against her nurse's apron to dry them. Kara took another deep breath while she continued to dry her hands, her eyes looking towards the ceiling and refusing to look at the blood-stained basin below her. She walked towards the cabinets to grab some pain-reducing medication for her patient.

She scoffed…her patient. She just hacked off his right leg and she didn't even know the man's name. A bitter taste ran through her mouth, and she tried to swallow the unwelcoming flavor away as she looked through the cabinet for the medication the doctor had ordered her to administer. Kara often struggled to read the ink-written words of this time, she was used to the electronic way of communication from Krypton. Her own penmanship was rather awful.

Finally, she located the two bottle she needed: morphine and aspirin. Morphine was the drug of choice at the turn of the 19th century, and when doctors didn't quite know how to relive the pain, besides alcohol, they often mixed different drugs together. Kara grabbed a mortar and pestle and began grinding the drugs together. After they were grinded into sawdust, she mixed it into a water glass and made her way to the patient's bed.

As she approached, she heard whispering from the room. Kara didn't know that the man was already awake, or that he even had any guests.

"Major, you needn't come all this way to see me," the man spoke. Kara was relieved to hear no agony is his voice, although the words came out rather strained, "I'm just –."

"James, you are a man in my ranks, why would I not come to see you? And even if you weren't, you are my friend," Kara stopped breathing.

No.

No. No. No no no. Kara's grip on the glass tightened. Usually she was great at controlling her strength, but right now her focus so was shattered that she might even break the glass. A million different thoughts were resonating in her head. What? How? Now? Why? WHY? She couldn't face him. She was scared, she was a coward, and she was humiliated.

Kara peered through the cracked door to see him standing in a blue uniform. He was holding the man's hand and had a reassuring smile on his face. Oh Rao, how she missed that smile. He had grown out his beard, but still hadn't aged a day like her. She drank in his sight because she wasn't going to see him, she just needed a moment to look at him and then forget this ever happened. Hopefully, she would get another nurse to administer the drugs. However, it was the evening, and she and only one other nurse were on shift right now. Kara just had to track her down, ask her for this favor, maybe take over one of her patients and she might agree, or perhaps a doctor could do it instead, or she could wait for him to leave –

"ARGH," the man, James, yelled out in anguish.

"Captain! James! Are you okay? Do you want me to get the doctor? Where does it hurt?" Mon-El asked, panicked.

"It's okay Major. The doctor informed me the nurse will be here shortly with the medication. I will feel better soon," James gritted out through his clenched teeth.

Kara closed her eyes. The man was in pain. James was in pain. She couldn't just go on a mission to ask another nurse for help, the man was in pain and she had the solution in her hands. She could face Mon-El, she had to face Mon-El. The fate she once praised for making these chance meetings occur, she now cursed. Kara exhaled, and opened the door.

"Good to see you are awake James," Kara walked in, looking at James and avoided Mon-El like the plague. What would his face look like? Confused, happy, or angry? Kara didn't want to find out, "I have the pain medication that doctor ordered. It might take a while to actually work, but once it does you will feel infinitely better. Here you go," she handed him the glass of water, "Drink up."

"Thank you miss…" James said.

"Kara. Nurse Kara," Kara responded. She could feel the hole that Mon-El was burning into the side of her face but she couldn't look at him, she was too scared, "I'll be taking care of you for the rest of your recovery. The first night is always the hardest, but I am quartered in the boarding home next to the hospital so if you ever need anything just tell someone to give me a holler," Kara fixed up his bed as she said her monologue. The elephant in the room getting bigger, "Come on now, drink up," Kara said again when she noticed that he hadn't even taken a sip.

James chugged the entire glass of water, and Kara couldn't blame him. The thought of relief was probably so tantalizing to him.

"This is Major Michael Matthews, my ranking officer," James introduced him, with a glint of pride in his voice, "and my friend."

Kara swore the entire room froze when she looked at him. His steel blue eyes pierced her so harshly that she thought she was cut in two. Kara initially didn't want to see him, didn't want to see the emotions on his face. But now looking at him, his face was devoid of anything. No expression, no emotions, just stoic. Now she wished she could get some signal as to what his feelings might be.

"Pleasure," Kara choked out, betrayed by the weakness in her voice.

"Likewise," his voice was so monotone that Kara's heart broke a little. She was the cause of this.

No other words were exchanged, and the room grew quiet. The silence was suffocating her, and Mon-El's burning glare wasn't helping her at all.

Kara cleared her throat, hoping her voice wouldn't betray her again, "So James. We should leave you to rest. My shift is over, but as l said – if you need anything, just tell someone to call me. I am right next door," Kara smiled at him, and tucked his blanket in, "Major, after you," she pointed towards the door behind them.

Mon-El sauntered off towards the door, while Kara followed like a shadow. She gently closed the door behind and hoped she could walk off without Mon-El noticing. But, she took one step before she felt herself being forced back. Mon-El had gripped her arm and pulled her towards him. Kara fell into him and she stabilized herself by placing her hands on his chest.

She gently pushed herself off, but Mon-El continued to grip her arm as if she would run away the moment he let go. Kara couldn't fault him on that, she had tried to run away a second ago.

"Kara," his voice hoarse, "it's…um. Um nice seeing you again. I was worried that after you left, we would never see each other, and the way we left it, the way I left it… I didn't want that to be the last memory of you."

Perplexed, Kara's eyes boar into his. He seemed to be genuine and that wounded Kara even more. He had no fault in the events that had transpired. Kara was the one who started it and ended it, but he seemed to feel just as guilty. This wasn't the reaction Kara had hoped for, she wanted him to be angry at her, for him to lash out her, just as she had done to him. But instead, he was being so sweet, and sincere, which proved that Kara was indeed a horrible person.

Kara was at a loss for words. How could she articulate how sorry she was at how she acted? What she had said to him in the heat of the moment? Especially now that it seemed he didn't hold any of that against her.

Mon-El and she had explored Europe, just like Kara had promised him they would after they meet with John Dalton. For twelve months they stayed together, learning new cultures, discovering new places, and finding nice company with each other. But Mon-El was a little more than she bargained for. He brought a sense of lightness wherever he went. Every town they explored, he would make new friends, and he would get attached. Sometimes they would spend a whole month in a town because Mon-El had gotten too invested. Every town he treated like his new home, he would go to people's houses for dinners, go to the local tavern and make friends, and help around the town as if he planned to live there forever. And all of that annoyed her. No, it infuriated her.

They weren't here to make connections. And every time Mon-El befriended someone, Kara was reminded of their immorality and the humans' mortality. When time came to leave any specific town, Mon-El would become extremely unhappy, and he would talk at length with Kara about how much he would miss these people, and how he wished he could stay a little bit longer with. Kara got use to these monologues since she heard them every time they left a town or a city. Kara would hold back her tongue from saying anything bad. 'Mon-El you wouldn't be this upset if you didn't try to make friends with every person you met.' 'This is your fault Mon-El. Stop getting attached.' 'Quit being so friendly and the pain would stop.' But Kara kept all those thoughts to herself.

On the twelfth and last month they were together, they were exploring a coastal town in the Scottish Highlands. They had already spent two weeks there, and Mon-El had promised Kara that they would be there for only two weeks because she didn't want to see another invested Mon-El be dejected. It was like he couldn't learn from his mistakes. But at the end of the second week, Mon-El came requesting one more weeks stay in the coastal town because he wanted to help the townsfolk build a new school. And Kara lost it. All the pent up frustration, rage, and harsh words she kept bottled up for the last year spilled out.

'I'm not here to help and make friends Mon-El, we are supposed to exploring' 'And I don't want to console you again, it's tiring.' 'Mon-El you wouldn't be this upset if you didn't try to make friends with every person you meet.' 'This is your fault Mon-El. Stop getting attached.' 'Quit being so friendly and the pain would stop.' 'We have a job to do Mon-El, and it is not helping build schools. I came to explore.' 'Stop acting like a lost puppy that finds a new owner in every town, and it's eventually left outside with no home again. It's pathetic to watch, and it's pathetic that you keep doing that.' And she continued her onslaught at him, calling him pathetic, miserable, and more. And Mon-El silently listened. When Kara was finished he said one thing, just one thing that caused her anger to ignite again.

'Kara, I know why you are upset. But this isn't like the Danvers. I am not that attached, I just want to spend time with these people a little bit longer, not establish a life with them just to lose them.'

Mon-El hit a nerve that she thought she long buried. In hindsight, Kara knew he was trying to be rational and maybe if she let him continue his speech she would understand him his point better. But Kara wasn't thinking straight and she choose to insult him even more.

'How dare you talk about the Danvers like that? They were my family!' 'You Daxamites are all the same. No emotions, just drugs and pleasure. No wonder you don't care about all the friends you make, you have no emotions to care about them.' 'It's probably just a charade you put on every time we live to make it seem like you care about these people, your new friends. But you actually don't, do you?' 'I should have never agreed to come with you. I actually thought this could work. But Krypton and Daxam can never work together. Like. Like… like oil and water, too different to coexists.'

Kara threw every insult at him, not stopping to think if she agreed with any the words she was spewing. She had only goal in the moment, inflict as much pain on him as she was feeling.

'Then leave Kara. No one is holding you back. If you don't like all of this, then leave.'

In retrospect, Kara understood why Mon-El had said that. He wanted her to stay, hoping that asking for her to leave might make her stay. Mon-El looked so disappointed, despondent, and the silent plea in his eyes was something Kara was blind to in that moment. She was too hot-heated to even think her actions through, let alone think about what Mon-El was going through as well.

'Fine. I'll leave.'

And literally, she turned around and left and never looked back.

Now they were standing face to face, and Kara was mortified that Mon-El was more willing to address the past and even share equal blame than she was. Kara felt remorseful, she had felt remorseful every day since she realized how inconsiderate, rude, vile and condescending she was to him. And now that she presented with an opportunity to be remedy her wrong, she wanted to flee than face it head on.

"Kara, I need you to know that I'm sorry," Mon-El released his hold on her, and took a step back. He rubbed the back of his neck, while he thought about his next words very carefully, "We should of…I should have never mentioned the Danvers. I went too far. You were upset, and I should have calmed you down, instead I made the situation worse. Gods Kara! I asked you to leave," Mon-El started pacing about the hallway, while Kara remained put, still shocked that this conversation was happening, "I asked you to leave! I was just so angry that you brought up Daxam and ... and I wasn't thinking straight! You were upset and angry, and then I decided to be upset and angry as well. And look where that landed us, nowhere!" Mon-El threw his arms in the arm, trying to emphasize his point.

He stopped right in front her, expecting her to say something – anything. But Kara was still shell-shocked, words were jumbled in her brain, and she didn't know how to tell him that it wasn't his fault at all. She started it, and she ended it because she was being too rash and impulsive to actually think anything through. And here he was, taking the blame and Kara couldn't get enough courage to tell him he wasn't at fault.

"Kara," he said expectantly, "please say something Kara. Please," he begged. His eyes were watery. She knew what she had to say. It was the easiest and most simply thing to say. I'm sorry.

Kara cleared her throat, "I'm –."

"Major!" a voice boomed from the other side of the hallway. A man, dressed in similar army clothes as Mon-El ran over, "Major! There are rebels fighting our men at the southern border. If we lose the borderline we will not be able to cross over tomorrow morning to reach the rest of our men. We need your command at the forefront!"

Mon-El paused for a moment before jumping into action, "I'll meet you at the border," the young man ran away quickly. Mon-El turned to Kara, "I'm so sorry Kara. I have to go. I'm so so—."

"Go Mon-El. I understand," Kara smiled weakly, "Go, please. Your men need you," she gently pushed him towards the exit, "please."

"If I can come back, I will Kara. I promise," Mon-El turned and held Kara's hands, his grip was crushing, "I promise."

Kara nodded her head in agreement. Holding back tears, what if he couldn't come back? Would they had to wait another forty years to see each other again? Another forty years for her to simply apologize? Mon-El turned and sprinted down the hallway, and Kara watched him run until she could no longer see his shadow.

Kara leaned against the wall, her mind reeling in what just happened, or what could have just happened if Mon-El wasn't called away. Her heart was racing. Everything could have been fixed. Everything could have been resolved. And know she had to hope that Mon-El would return so she can explain to him that he wasn't wrong, it wasn't his fault, and hope they can move past it. Oh Rao, please let him return.

Kara gathered herself from the wall, and made her way to the boarding home next door. Her shift was over, but she instructed the desk hostess to call her if Captain James needed anything.

Her boarding house room was composed of a bed, a small longue chair, and a desk. Everything else was communal: the showers, the bathrooms, the kitchen, and the dining. The rent was low, and it was close to the hospital and Kara didn't need much. She had no personal affects in the room, it was a bare as it was when she moved in.

After taking a swift hot shower she changed into her sleeping gown. Kara snuggled into her sheets, while hoping and praying to Rao that Mon-El would be able to visit her in the morning before he left to join whatever mission he had.

Loud bangs echoed in Kara's ears, jolting her up from her slumber. Her eyes slowly blinked open, chasing away her drowsiness with each blink. She glanced at her at the single window in her bedroom to see if was the morning, but she was greeted by darkness. It was still nighttime. She heard the bang from her door again, and she jumped up into a sitting position on her bed, sleep long gone. If anyone was knocking at her door this late at night, it meant that one of her patients needed her help. Her mind automatically flashed to Captain James. When she visited him to administer his medication he did seem awfully calm about losing his right leg. Maybe the gravity of the situation finally bore on him. Honestly, Kara was expecting a meltdown, and it just might be happening later rather than sooner.

The banging on her door got louder, causing Kara to scurry off her bed, and a light the candle besides her bed. She hastily ran to the door, her path now illuminated by the candle. She unlocked and swiftly opened the door, expecting to be greeted by another nurse, or an errand boy, or even the desk hostess from the hospital asking her to come help out with her patient. But Kara let out an audible gasp at who she discovered was at her door. Mon-El.

He looked so pale, the color draining from his face. His hair was matted against his forehead, as if he was sweating to fight off a cold. It was the beginning of autumn, the weather was too cool to allow him to be sweating profusely. He was hunched over, leaning against the door frame for support, his head downcast and his hand raised up in a fist, as if Kara opened the door in the middle of knock. Kara wasn't quite sure what do to, or what had happened.

His Daxam physiology didn't allow him to get sick, just as her Kryptonian physiology didn't allow her. But seeing Mon-El as white as a sheet, sweating, and so weak frightened her. What could possibly do this to him?

Mon-El dropped his raised fist to his stomach, and gingerly raised his head to look at her. His face was so pale, his lips so dry, and his eyes heavy, "Help," he mumbled before he staggered forward, completely losing his balance.

Kara caught him in an embrace. His entire weight fell on her, but she managed to hold him up.

"Mon-El. Mon-El!" she screamed, as his head lulled back and forth, "What happened? Mon-El, tell me what happened," her voice rising as she started to panic.

"Kara, bullet," he whispered. If it wasn't for her super-hearing, she knew she wouldn't have been able to hear him. He removed his arm from his mid-section to reveal a bloodied hand, "hurts."

A thousand thoughts ran through Kara's head. But one thought was the loudest. HELP HIM.

"Okay. Okay. It's okay. It's all going to be okay. Mon-El, look at me," Kara repeated. Trying to convince herself more than Mon-El. But Mon-El's head remained tucked in the crook of her neck, "Mon-El, I'm going to fix you up. Okay. I'm going to take care of you," she kicked the door shut, and walked back to her bed.

She lifted him up, and gently spread him across the bed, and sat beside him. His eyes were closed, and Kara gently swept away his matted hair so she can get a better look at him. Kara choked back a sob and brushed her thumb across his cheek, "Mon-El open your eyes. Come on, please. Wake up for me," but his eyes refused to open.

She looked down at his stomach, where she assumed where the injury occurred. Obviously, Kara thought. There was a giant red stain on the white shirt across his mid-section. Kara tried to calm down her heart so she could focus. If she was going to help, she needed to be level-headed.

Kara ripped the shirt apart to see his wound. His entire lower half was bloody, and Kara couldn't tell where it was all coming from. She grabbed a cloth from besides her bed and started wiping away the blood. She just needed to know where to start working, she needed to find the source. Although Kara knew she had to be calm, she could feel the hot tears pouring down her cheeks. She continued to clean the blood up through her bleary eyes. But it wasn't helping. She couldn't see anything beyond a now bloody rag and the tears in her eyes.

"This isn't going to work. I need water, and…and tools," Kara tossed the bloody rag away. She leaned up towards Mon-El and whispered to him as if he could hear her, "I'm going to come right back okay," she cupped his cheeks, "I just need to get the right tools to fix you up," she chortled out, she felt the heaviness in her throat as she tried to keep her tears at bay and her voice leveled. If he could actually hear her, she didn't want to frighten him with a panicked voice.

Kara became a blur as she used her enhanced speed to get all the tools and equipment she needed to help him. Rules be damned, Mon-El was dying and she didn't care if anyone saw her using her inhuman sped. First thing Kara got was a basin filled with clean water and some extra clothes. She then super-sped into the hospital, hoping no one would notice her in the dead of night, and took some forceps and a suture kit. Mon-El said bullet, right?

Kara stalled before the medicine cabinet. Would human medication even work on him? Does it even matter? Someone who is supposed to be invincible is currently lying unconscious on her bed due to a bullet wound, all the rules were breakable now. Kara grabbed some pain medication and sped back to her boarding home room.

Mon-El was so still on her bed, that if she hadn't noticed the inconsistent rise and fall of his chest, Kara would think he was dead.

She tried to relax herself, inhaling and exhaling until her heartbeat was steady. Wetting the new clothes in the basin, she began cleaning up the dried up blood, and struggled to find the bullet hole. The basin of water turned red as she continued to wring out the blood.

When she finally cleaned up a patch of blood she saw strange cracked lines of silver on Mon-El's skin. Dumbfounded, Kara tried to wipe away the silver lines, but they remained on his flesh. Kara wiped again, clearing up more blood, and noticed more lines of silvers. Although she was thoroughly confused, she just kept cleaning. She didn't have time to think about them right now. Maybe it was just a Daxamite thing?

It felt like forever until she finally located the source, or sources. She saw two gaping holes about five inches from each other on the lower right quadrant of his mid-section. With most of the blood removed Kara finally saw the full picture. The silver lines were literally coming out of the wounds in a spider-web like fashion. They looked like they were slowly spreading across his whole body, some had already reached his back.

Poison. That's all Kara could think of. Poison. Someone poisoned him, meaning there was something on this planet that he, if not her as well, was not immune to.

Kara skimmed her fingers across his flesh, tracing the silver lines. The largest and thickest one creeped up all the way to his chest. It was nearing his heart, and Kara didn't want to think what would happen when it finally reached it. She quickly rubbed anti-septic on both of the bullet holes and grabbed the forceps.

"This is going to hurt Mon-El. Please stay unconscious," Kara pleaded to his sleeping form. She wiped the tears that was trickling down her cheek and dug the forceps into his wound to get the bullet out. As soon as she started adding pressure, Mon-El jolted up.

"ARRGG," his scream filling up the entire room. He began to pant and his body pushed itself into an upright position causing Kara to dig into his wound accidentally.

"Mon-El, please sit back down. I need you to sit back down."

"It hurts," he mumbled through his clenched teeth.

"I know it does, but I can't see your wound if you are in this position," Kara rubbed his back and tugged him back on to the bed. Mon-El hissed at the movements but Kara could tell he was holding back on his pain.

She sat on the bed, with her knees against the mattress and one hand holding the forceps and the other pinning Mon-El's body down, just in case the pain was too much for him. She returned to her ministrations, and Mon-El squirmed while she dug for the bullet, but he remained quiet during the entire ordeal. Kara would occasionally look at him to see that his jawline was tight and clenched, like he was swallowing every scream that generated in him. After Kara removed the first bullet, she started rubbing circles on his arms, hoping it would soothe him.

"I got one out, but there is one more bullet left. I'm going to do it again," Kara told him to brace himself. Mon-El gripped Kara's free hand, and nodded quietly, fearing that opening his mouth would cause all the pent up screams to be released. Kara thought the position was awkward, but if holding her hand calmed him down then he was going to hold her hand. Kara began digging around for the second bullet, and she could feel Mon-El's grip on her hand tighten every time it hurt, or when she ventured too far.

"Almost got it," she could feel the bullet touching the forceps. When she got the last bullet out, she sighed and felt the tension roll off her shoulders. The imminent threat was dealt with, "I got it Mon-El. You can open your eyes."

Mon-El slowly opened his eyes, and was greeted with smiling Kara. Although her tear stained cheeks told a different story.

"Thank you," he finally spoke.

"I'm just going to stitch you up, mhmm. It shouldn't hurt as much. The worst part is over."

"Okay."

"I'm going to need both of my hands Mon-El," Kara chuckled.

Mon-El looked down at their entwined hands, "Right. Sorry," he reluctantly removed his hand.

"You can have my hand back after I stitch you up, Mon-El," she teased him, and he actually laughed. That was a small victory in this horrible night.

Kara stitched up both of his wounds and dressed it was some gauze while Mon-El watched her.

"Mon-El. Uhmm… I don't know how to say this. But I think you might have been poisoned."

"Poisoned? On Earth. I don't think that's possible –."

"Well I didn't think we could be mortally wounded on Earth by anything because of the yellow sun, and here I am stitching up your bullet holes. So impossible is out the window," she finished up her last stitch, "and look at this. These strange silver lines that are coming out your wounds. It is like the poison is spreading, and all I can hope for is that lines begin to recede and you can heal."

"If Rao wishes, then it will be."

"If Rao wishes…," Kara echoed his thought.

After finishing, Kara shuffled across her room, getting Mon-El a glass of water, and cleaning up any residual blood that was on her and him. To think, she was worried about the blood of a stranger on her hand today, and now her hands rang red with the blood of her closest friend.

She sat on the bed, and watched his wounds like a hawk, tracing the silver lines to memorize them so when they began to recede she would know. Mon-El and she welcomed the silence like an old friend. He once again held Kara's hand, refusing to let go it, and Kara didn't want him to either. He was rubbing his thumb across her hand and it was reminder to her that he was still alive. He was still alive.

As time passed, and the lines didn't recede Kara began to worry, "Mon-El, the lines. They aren't going away."

"Kara—."

"No, Mon-El don't try to calm me down. They aren't going away and don't act like it doesn't hurt every time you breathe. I have been looking at your chest this entire time to make sure it doesn't get to your heart –"

"So you like looking at my chest," Mon-El smirked.

"Mon-El be serious!" Kara practically yelled, "What if the lines don't go away? Huh? What then? What if kills you? Are you going to be joking when that happens as well?" her pitch increasing with every question.

"Kara," he tried to soothe her, "whatever happens, happens. I can't control fate any more than you can. I just hope that I can get better, the rest isn't up to me."

"How are you leaving it to fate!? I didn't think you were one to believe in such a thing."

"Well, fate brought me to you, over and over again. I can't look at our history and not believe that these coincidences aren't correlated, Kara."

"Why are you acting like this? YOU COULD DIE! Do you realize that? Die! Death! Cease to exist!" Kara shrieked, tears flowing nonstop, "All because of two bullets! Rao only knows what was in them to make," she points at his chest, "all of this happen. You just had to join the war, didn't you? Had to be a hero. And look at this, look at you now. Basically on your deathbed trying to make a joke as if this is another Friday morning. Were satisfied Major?" she sneered, "Your rank, your title, and whatever else you accomplished for you to only die for it! Huh, was it worth?"

Kara couldn't even see Mon-El, the tears clouding her eyes. She tried to blink them away but they wouldn't stop coming. She was seething in anger, her blood boiling, but despite the rage she felt defeated and sad.

"Kara, you don't understand," Mon-El tried to explain, "I am just –."

"Don't understand! I don't understand what? That you are dying? That you are somehow okay with it? That you are going to leave me alone on the wretched planet? What am I not understanding? For Rao's sake, why did you even join the Union? Daxam had slaves, why are you fighting to free them anyway—"

Kara clamped her mouth shut, she knew she just went too far. Eyes bulged out, looking for Mon-El's reaction. Last time she brought up Daxam to insult him, they left on horrible terms and hadn't seen each other for over four decades. Hell, they haven't even properly moved on and forgave each other for that, and Kara was opening up new wounds when the old ones hadn't even been dealt with yet.

Kara waited for him to yell at her, for him to accuse her, to lash out, but he didn't. He beckoned her closer to him, and patted the open space next to him, asking her to lay down. Kara, still fearful that she went too far, would do anything he asked if it would appease him. She laid down next to him, and his arm wrapped around her and she leaned in towards him. She could smell blood, metal and his musk on him. He was rubbing small circles on her waist and Kara looked up at him to see that his eyes were lost in deep thought.

"Kara, there are thousands of men losing their lives, fighting for this cause. What makes my life more precious, what makes my life more important than theirs? Huh? We are all fighting for the same thing, for the same goal: freedom. If I don't lay my life down for this, then what's the point of living? You know, on Krypton and even Daxam, we might like to think we are better or more evolved. Better because we have freedom and choice but the truth is we don't, it's just an illusion. I was born to be an explorer, quite literally born to be one. I had no choice, I was set down this path the moment I took seed in the birthing matrix, and I assume it was the same for you Kara.

We might be bound by different shackles, but they are shackles nonetheless. Growing up on Daxam, I would always had a desire to try new things, to adventure into new subjects. Perhaps that was the explorer in me. But every time I wanted to learn something different, something even as miniscule as learning how to cook, I was beaten until that 'misconception' left my mind. Just because I was born on Daxam doesn't mean I agreed to everything that happened there. I finally have a chance to make it right, a chance to try and make a difference. Maybe this a penance for living like I did on Daxam, being aware of the atrocities but being a coward and complacent. If I can do anything to help free those kept in this…this archaic practice, I will. And if I lose my life in the process, it was a sacrifice worth making."

Mon-El looked down at Kara, lifting her chin so she was facing him, "Right Kara?"

"No. I don't want you to be right," Kara said feebly, and turned her head away, "And I don't want to agree with you."

"Kara, I know it's hard to understand, but in your heart you know it's true."

Of course she agreed with what he said. Fighting the good fight to help those who couldn't help themselves. How could she want him turn away from that? Was she just too selfish and wished strangers would die rather than someone she cared for? Was that selfish, or just human nature? But Kara didn't want to think about that right now, he was on his deathbed, and she didn't want to argue the ideals of world's old and new, she wanted to talk to him, say thing she wished to tell him one day.

"True or not, if you are really dying I don't want to spend the last couple hours talking about philosophies. I need you to hear this – I'm sorry."

Mon-El looked puzzled, "Sorry? For what?"

Kara bit her lip, "For saying all those things in Scotland. Calling you an emotionless coward, and insulting your race and leaving you alone. It wasn't your fault Mon-El. I was just being rash and hotheaded. I wasn't thinking. We could have settled it like adults, we are almost 150 years old and I behaved like a child throwing a tantrum. We needed to communicate, and I was having a one-sided fit. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left it like that," Kara gripped the edge of his torn shirt, "I came back after a week, after I cooled off. I realized how horrible I had acted and I needed to apologize, but you were already gone. And the longer I held onto this apology the more scared I became that you wouldn't forgive so what was the point in even trying. But I was wrong, I didn't give you enough credit."

"I accept your apologize Kara. I never held anything against you. I never would. We both were being childish, but it's time to move on now. Especially since I might not have any time left."

"MON-EL!" she bellowed and raised herself on her elbows to look at him. She glared at him, but he was right. The silver lines were still present all over his torso.

"I'm was only joking Kara. I'm sorry," he raised his free hand in a mock surrender, "It looks like we are both apologizing. Could you please come lay down again, it's suddenly really cold without you."

Reluctantly, she laid back down into his embrace, and Mon-El returned to his ministrations of rubbing small circles on her waist, like the movements soothed him.

"If we are apologizing, I want to apologize for marooning us on this planet –"

"Kara, no –"

"Mon-El, please let me finish. We both know it was my fault that our ships collided. I lost control, I was too curious, and now we are exiled on this planet for another three hundred years. I never took responsibility for my actions, and I need to do that now. I need you to know, it was my fault and I am sorry, and I should have said that a long time ago but I couldn't face the truth."

Mon-El remained silent, and Kara watched his chest rise and fall, "Kara, it is okay –"

"No. I don't need you to say anything. I don't need you too console me, or make me feel better. I just needed you to hear me say the truth, take responsibility for what happened that day. And I needed you to hear me apologize. Okay. Nothing more…please."

Kara wasn't looking at him, but she could feel him nod his head in agreement to her wish. Her fingers began to trace the silver lines, wishing that they would begin to disappear but alas they remained the same. Mon-El was close to falling asleep, when Kara felt his breath hitch, and he started to cough. Kara jumped, and grabbed a water glass and helped Mon-El drink it. The coughing fit died down a little after he drank the water, but Kara could see he was trying to hold the coughs back to make it seem like he was feeling better. He was getting worse, and Kara couldn't do anything about. Once again, she felt helpless.

"I can't lose you," Kara murmured, "I can't. I just got you back, I can't lose you again."

"Kara," he cupped her cheeks, "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere," he smiled.

Kara grabbed the wrist of the hand that was at her cheek, and leaned into his palm, "Even when weren't with me, knowing you are out there, somewhere on Earth would ease my thoughts. I don't think I can live on this planet knowing you aren't here. Knowing that I might never see you again," she cried into his hand.

Mon-El leaned forward connecting their foreheads, "Kara, I'm not going anywhere. I am right here," he pulled her closer so she flush against him, "see? I would never leave Kara, I wouldn't dream of it."

Kara didn't know if it was their emotions, or the life or death situation, or that their bodies were so close to each other, but she felt warmth radiating off of him, and she drew herself to his body heat. His hand moved and entangled into her hair and pulled her closer so their noses brushed against each other. Her skin was tingling all over, and her heart was racing. As soon as he wiped away her tear, temptation took control and she captured his lips. She half expected him to turn away, but instead he added a little more pressure, and she could taste her salt tears on his supple lips. It only lasted for a second, and they lingered just a little when they parted. It was chaste kiss, and they parted feeling content with each other, not desiring anything else or anything more. Kara placed a promise in that kiss, a promise that he had to get better.

They didn't say anything else too each other, they didn't need to. They just snuggled back onto the bed, with Kara in his embrace, and her head on his shoulder and his arm around her waist. Kara watched his shallow breathes turn into long ones indicating that he was sleeping once again. Kara held a watchful eye on the silver lines on this torso, until sleep came for as well.

Kara woke up as the sun's ray penetrated her room. It must have been dawn. She outstretched her arm and felt an empty space next to her. Where was he? She was the only one in the entire room. Baffled about where he could be she quickly changed into a less bloodied gown. She was ready to burst the door open, and set off on a mission to find him but stopped when she noticed a piece of paper nailed onto the door.

"This has to be Mon-El's," Kara whispered to herself.

Kara,

I'm sorry that I left before you awoke, but I am part of the Union, and a leader to my men and we had orders to move before dawn and so we must. So yes Kara, I am alive and well, and those silver lines are no longer on my body, so you mustn't worry. I told you I would never leave you, and I didn't. Now I can only hope we meet again soon, and if fate continues to spin the same tale we will meet soon, I believe.

Your Daxamite,

Mon-El

Kara clutched the paper to her chest. He was alive. He was alive. She thanked Rao a thousand times for sparing his life. He was alive…but he was gone. Gone to the same place that caused him this injury, to the same place that had bullets that could actually hurt him. Mon-El said in the letter that he hoped they would meet again soon, and Kara prayed that no bullet would harm him again and indeed they would meet again soon.

Hope you guys enjoyed it! As always - please ignore any errors :) Comment/Reviews appreciated :)