It had been almost five weeks when Diana found her in the cafe. She smiled brightly at the woman but it quickly fell when she registered the solemn look in Diana's face.

"What's wrong?" Kara put the half made coffee down and made her way to Diana, ignoring the protest of the costumer. "Is she okay?"

"She's been hurt," Diana said. "It's bad, happened about two weeks ago. Sam said they wouldn't write to you because you aren't family, you're just a pen pal, according to them."

"Is she-" Kara swallowed thickly. "Will she survive?"

"They don't know yet," Diana answered. "She protected Sam, used her own body to shield her. Sam had to carry her for miles. There was shrapnel, a lot of it, but they got most of it out. They have no idea how the shock wave affected her or if any of the remaining shrapnel will migrate. She lost a lot of blood, too."

"Is she coming home?"

"Not yet, not until she is awake and stable. Sam is putting off her leave to come home around the same time. But she is contracted to be there, once her fracture heals she will be back there." Diana shook her head. "I will let you know as soon as I find anything but that's all Sam told me, and she sent me this to give you, she said Lena was planing on sending it when they got back."

Diana handed Kara a few things, a photo, a stack of paper, and a card with Diana's number on it.

"Call me any time, Kara."

Kara nodded, unable to speak due to the lump in her throat.

She put the card in her pocket, almost smiling at the photo. It was one taken of Lena and Sam, in a jungle somewhere, dressed in full camo gear and sitting on a log.

Sam was grinning widely, leaning into Lena's side with Lena smirked at the camera, two fingers against her forehead in a mock salute.

Kara opened the first of the stack on papers, trying to ignore how they were muddy and dirty, and maybe a little blood.

20/03/74

Hey, Kara

I thought I would write to you when I had the time, and just send all the letters in bulk when I'm back at base.

We're heading through the jungle, you should see it, it's beautiful but so vast, I think we will be out here for a while.

There is something on the other side, I'm not allowed to say what but it's bad, a few teams have already headed through and haven't made it back yet.

I think it has something to do with a rebel leader? I'm not really sure.

How are you? How is studying going? I miss you a lot, which seems ridiculous.

Sam seems a little spaced recently, I think she needs a break. She is due to be deployed home in soon, hopefully that gives her the break she needs.

Lena,

'24/03/74

Hey, Kara

This forest just seems to go on forever, I haven't seen anything but foliage since we entered.

Hopefully the other men are okay, and just got lost in the forest.

I hope your well, Kara.

Lena'

'2/04/74

Hey, Kara

We ran into some trouble a few days ago, they came out of nowhere and ambushed us, we managed to fend them off but there was a few injuries.

The one thing that got me through was the photo that you sent me, the one of you as superheroes. You are so beautiful, I can't wait to get back to you.

Lena'

'12/04/74

Hey, Kara

We found a waterfall, so we actually managed to clean ourselves up, I've never been more thankful to get out of a pair of boots in my life.

I got a photo, apparently private Lance had an instant camera. I will send it as soon as I get back to base.

Lena.'

'22/04/74

Hey, Kara

They have kids out here.

God only knows what they are doing out here, but we think maybe they are doing recon, which is crazy. How can they justify sending kids out here, Drake almost shot them, he would have if Sam handed grabbed the muzzle of his gun and pulled it up. She burned her hand pretty bad.

The food is shit, some of the guys have taken to killing and eating the wildlife around here.

Lena'

'23/04/74 I think?

Some of the guys are starting to lose it, I think. We've been trudging through this forest for weeks now, but I think we're close.

I think we're flying back, once we take out and clear whatever is on the other side of this forest they will send in air support.

I can't wait to get back to camp.

Lena'

Kara found herself tearing up, breaking down completely when Barry asked if she was okay.

Kara didn't know anything for a few weeks until Diana finally came in with some good news, that Lena had woken up and they were landing in a few days.

—

Lena's entire body ached as she stepped off the bus, her ribs taped and still broken.

Sam got off behind her, carrying both of their things.

"That your girl?" Sam nudged her chin in the direction of the excited blonde waiting by the door with Diana.

Lena grinned proudly. "Yeah,"

Sam nodded, holding her arm out to Lena, and Lena bumped the side of her fist and arm off of Sam's. "Nice."

Kara and Diana were peering over the crowd of people, a large smile pulling on Kara's lips when she spotted Lena, then she disappeared into the crowd.

Lena had an arm full of Kara after a few seconds, a pained little squeak leaving her throat when the girl collided with her.

"Sugar, Lena, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Lena assured, a little breathlessly, patting her chest area. "Just a little tender."

"I'll see you tomorrow, private." Sam gently patted Lena's back before making her way over to Diana, passing off Lena's bag to Kara as she walked past.

"I can carry that." Lena said but Kara ignored her, shouldering the bag

"Let's go back to your place, we can get you in some comfortable clothes and watch a film or something."

They were barely in the door (Lena hadn't even set her bag down yet) when Kara was kissing her, her hands softly cupping Lena's cheeks.

"I thought I'd lost you," Kara whispered against Lena's lips, the raw emotion in her voice taking even Kara by surprise.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily," Lena teased.

"Good," Kara sighed. "You scared me."

"I'm sorry,"

"It wasn't your fault." Kara assured, kissing Lena softly.

They settled on Lena's sofa, Lena dressed in her army sweats and hoodie while Kara stole her shorts and sweatshirt.

"When do you have to go back?" Kara asked half way through the movie, raking her hands through Lena's hair, the girls head resting in her lap.

"The army doctor is going to come out and see me in a few months, to see if I am fit for action." Lena spoke in a soft, sleepy tone. "If I am I head back."

"Do you want to go back?"

"It doesn't matter what I want."

"That's all that matters." Kara frowned.

"I enlisted, I have to see this through." Lena sighed, cuddling closer to Kara.

"You almost didn't make it out this time."

"But I did, because I have a great friend who carried me to the plane." Lena reasoned. "It have been going on for eighteen years, surely it can't go on much longer."

"The Roman-Persian war lasted around six hundred and eighty one years."

"Okay, nerd." Lena commented playfully. "If it's not over by seventy seven I'll leave."

Kara conceded then, turning her attention back to the movie.

Kara didn't leave her side for the first week, until Lena gave her a stern talking to, reminding her that she had exams and Lena wasn't a child.

After that she started going to class again, spent most days on Lena's floor studying then, more often than not, would stay over.

They would have Sam and Diana over often, and they would go on double dates to the movies and dinner (Sam and Diana was way more brazen and handsy than Kara or Lena).

"I know it's crazy," Kara commented one night, her eyes fluttering when Lena trailed her fingertips along her bare back and hummed questioningly. "We've known each other for, what?"

"Almost a year,"

"And we've spend two weeks together in person." Kara pushed herself up onto one elbow, turning to face Lena.

"Roughly," Lena said questioningly.

"I've had boyfriends before, most just stupid, high school relationships, but you're different. You feel different. And not just because your a woman."

"I don't have anything to compare this too," Lena said, playing with Kara fingers. "But I know this is something special."

"How?" Kara questioned softly. "How can you know if you don't have any other comparison?"

"Well, the first time I ever saw you I was leaving, heading off to a shitty place to fight for shitty people in a shitty war not caring if I lived or died but seeing you, that made me feel a little better. Then spending those few hours down at the pier, I've never felt anything like that before. The nerves, the excitement, and, oddly enough, the calmness. I hate this country, I hate the people in it, but I left that day thinking if I could make this country even a little better for that girl this will all be worth it."

"You have made things better." Kara smiled. "You. Not this country, or you making the country better. Just you. Your presence, there is something all around calming about you, Lena. I feel safe around you. You have incredibly expressive eye, when you look at me I can tell how you're feeling. You have the most inviting smile." Kara's smile was soft for a few seconds before turning cheeky. "Not to mention, you have a fantastic body."

Lena laughed, lightly hitting Kara's shoulder, trying to hide the fact that everything Kara said just meant so much to her, she had never been told anything remotely like that in her life.

"I am going to fall in love with you, Lena." Kara turned serious then. "So don't go getting yourself killed over there, okay?"

"I have something to fight for now," Lena said, peering over at Kara through her eyelashes. "I'm gonna fight my damn hardest to get home."

"Good," Kara tucked a strand of hair behind Lena's ear. "Because it wouldn't be as bright around here without you."

—

The doctor came sooner than expected, only three weeks after Lena had got back. He found her in her apartment with Kara, Sam and Diana.

He deemed her 'good enough' and stamped her ticket back to Vietnam for a few days later.

Kara looked a little heart broken, Diana looked baffled and Sam looked angry.

"What the fuck? You are in no way ready to go back there. He just poked at you a little bit, he didn't even assess your mental state."

"I'm fine, Sam, really."

"Fine? Fine, oh really?" Sam challenged. "You were delirious, that wound on your leg infected and they pumped you full of god knows what and you still woke up screaming, Lena."

"Like you said, I was delirious."

Sam seethed, a long breath leaving her nose as she settled Lena with a glare. "You aren't ready for this."

"None of us are," Lena shot back. "None of us are ready to go out there and kill people, but you do it anyway. We push through, that's what I'm going to do."

Sam's jaw worked. "I'm coming with you."

"You still have two weeks left of your leave." Lena rolled her eyes.

"I don't care, you're going to go over there and get yourself killed without me." Sam said and Lena looked to Diana, begging for her to agree with her or tell Sam to back off.

"She's right," Diana said, "You aren't ready but if you insist on going back right now then you need someone to have your back."

"I'm not insisting on going back, I've been cleared for action, there's nothing I can do about this."

Kara and Diana saw them off again, Lena ignoring Sam for the majority of the journey over.

She and Kara exchanged letters, Kara informing Lena that she had passed her exams and that Barry was father while Lena gave Kara updates about everything.

Lena knew she wouldn't be getting home until the following year, so she worried that as time went on their exchanges become more sparse and eventually just fade to nothing. That maybe Kara's feelings would dwindle with her not around but they never did.

Kara still wrote to her with excitement, telling Lena how much she missed her in every letter, and that she sometimes used the spare key Lena had given her to keep an eye on the place to go over and take a new sweater that smelled like her ('I'm sorry if that invades your privacy, I can stop')

Lena managed to get her leave a little early, after her injury and putting her life in danger to save her comrade her superiors started to pay more attention to her and decided that she deserves to get home a few weeks early.

So she and Sam boarded the plane on December twenty third. Diana was expecting Sam, Kara wasn't expecting Lena.

Kara looked rushed off her feet when Lena entered with Sam and Diana, the other girls taking a seat while Lena headed over to the counter.

"I'll be with you in a second." Kara said distractedly.

"I was just wondering if you have seen my girlfriend?" Lena said after making sure no one was close enough to hear her. Lena grinned when Kara's head whipped up to her, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. "She's about you're height, inconceivably beautiful."

"What are you- you should be in 'nam." Kara looked stunned as she rounded the counter, haphazardly putting the coffee she was making a little too near the edge of the counter, Lena just managing to catch it before it clattered to the floor.

"They let me come home a little early." Lena explained, setting the mug safe on the counter and wiping the coffee from her hands.

"This is new," Kara said, tracing her thumb over the scar just under Lena's eye.

"It is," Lena hummed.

"Come on," Kara gripped Lena's wrist and began dragging her to the back room, narrowly missing Barry with the door.

"Congratulations on the baby, Barry." Lena threw over her shoulder as she was dragged away.

Barry merely chuckled and shook his head.

"How long have you known you would be getting home early?"

"Few weeks," Lena shrugged.

"And you didn't tell me?"

"I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, consider me surprised." Kara grinned, pulling Lena into a kiss by her neck.

Alex appeared a few seconds later.

"I get that this is exciting but we are already understaffed." Alex jabbed her finger in the direction of the cafe. "You finish in an hour."

"I will bring you coffee and be with you in an hour," Kara kisses Lena quickly before bouncing into the cafe, leaving Lena and Alex, who was staring a the soldier with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't mean to distract her," Lena offered sheepishly.

"Welcome back, Luthor." Alex said. "At least you made it back in one piece this time."

"I'm as surprised as you are."

Alex smiled at that, nudging her head. "Get out."

Lena settled at the table with Sam and Diana, watching Kara as she bounced around the cafe, the big smile of her face turning shy whenever she glanced over and saw Lena already staring at her.

Diana and Sam left just before Kara finished, wishing Lena a nice Christmas and saying they would meet up again on Boxing Day.

Kara threw her apron at Alex bang on seven o'clock, practically skipping over to Lena. "Let's go,"

"Where?"

"Anywhere, everywhere. I don't care."

Lena laughed, grabbing her bag. "How about my place?"

"That sounds good."

They headed to Lena's place, grabbing a few groceries on the way, Lena cooking them both dinner, much to Kara's annoyance.

("You've just been at war, Lena. Let me cook."

"I enjoy cooking, Kara. Go pick a movie.")

They settled on the sofa with their food, Lena raising her eyebrows when the logo for Psycho appeared.

"You said you hadn't seen it."

"You hate scary movies." Lena pointed out.

"I don't hate them," Kara huffed. "Just a strong dislike."

"Okay, whatever ends with me ending up with an arm full of you in up for."

They finished their food before any of the scary parts, Kara snuggling up against Lena's side.

"How long are you back for?" Kara asked half way through the movie.

"Three weeks." Lena answered against the top of Kara's head, her eyes not leaving the TV.

"What are you doing for Christmas?"

"Uh, probably hang out here. Get some reading done." Lena shrugged half-heartedly, Christmas meant nothing to her.

"You can't spend it alone," Kara looked scandalised at that when Lena looked down at her.

"Why? Christmas never really mattered to me, anyway." Lena said, pointing to herself. "Orphan, remember?"

"Your orphanage didn't do anything for it?"

"Nah, they could barely afford to feed us all most days. I went around in a jumper too small for me for months." The nonchalantness of Lena's tone threw Kara a little.

"That's horrible."

"I was alive, healthy enough, and I was getting an okay education. I couldn't really ask for more than that."

"You're spending it with us,"

"Us?"

"Yeah, me, Alex, Maggie, Barry, Iris and baby Wally."

"I couldn't impose like that."

"You wouldn't be, Iris will have you help with the meal and clean up, you will earn your place." Kara assured. "Come on, Lee, you can't spend it alone."

"Okay, but only if it is okay with everyone else."

"It will be," Kara assured, settling back against Lena, a content smile on her face.

That's how Lena found herself in between Maggie and Barry, chopping veg while Alex and Kara dealt with the baby and Iris watched over the food.

"It's exhausting," Barry commented. "I try my best to get up most nights, Iris did just push that huge thing..." Barry trailed off, looking a little disgusted but mostly impressed. "It's only fair I do some hard work."

"How is he? Is he much of a crier?" Lena asked, glancing over at Barry.

"For a baby, no. But for someone who isn't used to being woken up during the night by a screaming baby it is a huge adjustment." Barry said, reaching in to get himself some carrots, getting a few for Lena and Maggie too. "He's great, he really is. He is so well behaved, doesn't cry much at all."

"But?" Maggie prompted, grinning over at Barry.

"But I have no idea what I'm doing." Barry whispered, so Iris didn't hear. "I'm so afraid I'm going to drop him or accidentally kick him."

This made both Lena and Maggie laugh. "How do you accidentally kick a baby?" Maggie asked.

"I don't know but I'm sure it happens."

Lena glanced up in the direction of the baby then, a smile pulling in her lips when her eyes landed on Kara, already staring at her with a soft smile, the baby giggling and bouncing on her lap.

Kara pointed at her, then at her own eyes, then held her pointer finger and thumb together and up at Lena.

Lena frowned, mouthing 'what?' to Kara. Kara repeated the motion, like Lena was supposed to understand this time around.

"She is telling you you look good." Maggie said.

"Trying, at least." Barry added.

"Doing a terrible job, really."

"Oh," Lena could feel her cheeks heating up, which make Barry and Maggie laugh.

Lena ended up sitting in between Kara and the baby at dinner, the baby receiving food from his mother before turning his head back to Lena, his large brown eyes staring up at her curiously.

Lena was good with children, she had looked after a few that were dropped on the orphanage door step, so she was more than comfortable offering up her finger for him to grab onto, eating with her non-dominant hand when he wouldn't let go.

After dinner they decided to play games. Kara, Alex and Maggie on one sofa, Barry and Iris on the other and Lena on the floor beside Kara's feet, the baby sitting happy between her legs as they passed the ball back and forth, Wally giggling every so often.

Kara played with her hair as they played a few games, Wally giving up on the ball after almost half an hour, clambering onto Lena's lap, resting his head against her chest.

Lena glanced unsurely over at Iris, but found her looking at Kara over her glass of wine, a little smile on her face as she nodded.

Lena had no idea what that meant but Kara seemed to, grinning back with a nod.

Wally fell asleep on her not long after, Lena gently rocking him.

"You're really great with kids," Kara said as they left the house, walking in the direction of Lena's place.

"Yeah, we had a few come into the orphanage, a lot of the time the bigger kids were left to look after them."

"You're kidding?" Kara gasped. "That's horrible."

"Yeah, but they were understaffed and couldn't afford to get new people in." Lena shrugged, offering her arm up to a slightly tipsy Kara.

Kara looped her arm through Lena's, resting her face against her shoulder, a content little smile on her lips.

—

Kara slept at Lena's place every night she was home, to the point Lena had just given her a drawer and a new toothbrush, and Alex had ask her for they had moved in together.

They hadn't.

Not officially anyway.

Lena woke up with a start the night before she was due to head back, cold sweat drenching her body and Kara's hand placed gently on her bare chest.

"Hey, hey, you're okay. You're safe." Kara murmured softly and Lena swallowed, panting to catch her breath. "I've got you."

Lena allowed Kara to pulled her against her, her damp forehead pressed against Kara's chest.

"There were children," Lena whispered against Kara's skin. "There were children and they still took out the building because they thought there maybe could've been a suspect there. They didn't know for sure, they didn't care."

Kara skimmed her nails up and down Lena's back calmingly. "That's not on you."

"I know. I know it's not but that doesn't make it feel any less horrible." Lena sighed, pushing herself up straight. "I'm not going to be able to get back to sleep, I'll get out of your way."

"Lee," Kara tried to object just Lena had already pulling on her sweats and was pulling on her shirt as she left.

Lena sat on the sofa in the living room, staring blankly at the TV that was playing reruns. She startled when Kara appeared beside her, holding a cup of the tea Lena liked.

"I'm proud of you," Kara said, "for not being one of those ones who blindly follows orders, for knowing that we aren't always the good guys." Kara dropped a kiss to Lena's forehead before straightening up. "Come back to bed whenever you're ready."

"Kara," Lena called quietly before Kara could leave the room, waiting for the girl to turn to face her. "I don't know if I can do this anymore." Lena seemed to notice the way Kara's face dropped before her tea was on the table and she was on her feet within seconds. "Not this, not us. I don't think I can go back."

"Oh," Kara took ahold of Lena's hands. "Babe, you have to. But there is talk to a peace agreement, there is talk of this all ending soon."

"I just- I can't do anything else, Kara. Being in the army is the only thing I've ever been good at."

"Now, that's a lie." Kara gave Lena a crooked little smile. "You have amazing understanding of some of the most complex branches of physics out there. Come home, you write the best damn research paper you can on whatever you are most confident in and hand it in to MIT. They would be stupid not to give you a scholarship once they how incredibly clever you are."

"I'm so exhausted, Kara." Lena breathed, falling against Kara.

"I know, baby." Kara hummed, wrapping her arms tightly around Lena, planting a kiss on her head. "I'm sorry you have to go back there. But if it makes you feel any better I will be here waiting for you when you get home. Every single time, I'll be waiting for you."

"Even if this war goes on for another twenty years?"

"Even if it lasts six hundred and eighty-one years." Kara swore, a little grin on her lips when Lena looked up at her. "You have people here, Lena. Everyone loves you."

"Everyone?" Lena asked quietly, looking at Kara through her eyelashes.

"Yeah," Kara whispered. "Everyone."

"And I love… everyone." Lena replied unsurely, but judging from the smile on Kara's face, it was exactly the right thing to say.

"You're strong, Lena. You can do this and come back, you will carry some of it with you, but you're strong enough to over come this."

Lena met Sam at the bus station the following morning, the girl looking just as exhausted as Lena was. They didn't speak at all until they got on the plane.

"Bad nights sleep?" Lena asked as they settled down on the plane.

"Try no sleep at all." Sam glanced over at Lena. "Same as you, by the looks of it."

"Nightmares?" Lena let her head fall back against the seat, side eyeing Sam.

"Yeah,"

"Same."

A humourless laugh escaped Sam's lips as leant her head back against the seat. "We are never getting away from this place."

Lena knew exactly what she meant. They may, eventually, get to go home but, mentally, this war was always going to stay with them.