Hey everyone, thanks for sticking with me, had some computer issues. Quick note ... Kara did work as a waitress at Noonan's from 2010 until 2013 according to her resume (2.01 The Adventures of Supergirl). Reviews are very much welcome!

Royce will never spend the three million six hundred and fifty thousand dollars stolen all those years ago. Detectives located the money hidden under one of the out buildings at an abandoned tire factory his father worked at. Royce and Oliver didn't have anything to say as they were arrested. Munson died of his wounds shortly after he arrived at Gotham General Hospital. Charges against the three convicts in connection to the Harding murders were dismissed after sources reported the convicts boasted they lied about their involvement in an escape attempt.

Kara, fresh from a police interview and writing out a statement, was met at the front steps of National City Police Department Headquarters by James and Winn. Both looked grim. No one said anything until they were safely inside James' car.

"You want to talk about what happened? I mean, are you okay? Did you blow out your powers or something?" James asked making no attempt to start the engine.

"Yeah, Kara, I understand about not wanting to tell people who you are and everything but how could you just let them chop off John's fingers like that?" Winn asked from the backseat.

"Guys, no. I'm okay … I mean I didn't blow out my powers or anything like that. These bad guys … they, uh, … they didn't give me a chance to help John." Rao, why is Winn looking at me like I did it?"I tried to help – to stop what they were doing to John but –"

"What do you mean you tried? How hard could it have been, Kara? You can stop bullets, you have super speed, I mean, it was John – not some nameless person you didn't know," Winn demanded.

"Hey, buddy, enough!" James broke in. "I'm sure Kara has her reasons. Let's get back to Catco. Ms. Grant wants to see you."

"Yeah, sure," Kara swallowed the lump in her throat and managed to hold her tears in check. He's right. I should have figured something out sooner. Kara spent the rest of the short trip reliving the event.

"She's in her office, waiting," James said as he parked his car in front of Catco. "Go on. I'll park the car. Winn and I need to … talk. We'll be up in a few minutes."

Kara exited the car looking around at the once familiar entrance to Noonan's. Crime scene tape, police officers, and police vehicles still decorated the area. A couple of civilians Kara recognized as stringers for other news organizations were peppering the cops with questions that mostly went unanswered.

"Hey, you! You were one of the hostages, right? Can I get an interview?"

Oh, not in a million years!

Kara rushed into Catco looking briefly over her shoulder at the reporters who started after her.

"Hi, Ronald," she greeted the man at the security desk. "Could you please make sure –".

"Hey, Kara, glad to see you're okay! We were all worried about you," Ronald smiled then frowned when he saw the hospital scrub style shirt she was wearing. "Why are you wearing that?"

"I'm sorry, Ronald, I can't talk right now," Kara glanced over her shoulder again. "Ms. Grant wants to see me and … those reporters outside? Ms. Grant doesn't want me to talk to anyone. I'm sure she's expecting an exclusive."

"Right on it, Kara," Ronald said as he stood up and put his security hat on. "I'll go out and let them know they'll have to find someone else to harass."

"Thanks," Kara headed for the main elevators wishing the National City Police hadn't confiscated her torn shirt as evidence after the interview. The prisoner shirt they gave her to wear, inside out, looked conspicuously out of place and garnered more attention than she wanted.

Kara fielded variations of "Kara! Are you okay?" during the trip to Cat's office. Am I okay? I wasn't the one who was chopped up. I wasn't the one who was hit over and over. I wasn't the one who had a gun screwed into my ear – knowing at any second someone could pull the trigger and kill me. I wasn't the …

"This is your floor, right? Going to see Ms. Grant?" Elizabeth asked as the elevator stopped.

"Yes, yes, it is. I'm going to see Ms. Grant," Kara confirmed and nodded to Elizabeth as she exited the lift. Come on, Kara. Snap out of it. Take a deep breath and –

"Kiera! My office, now!"

Crap, not her 'having a good day' tone.

"Yes, Ms. Grant?" Kara responded as she walked into the office.

"Close the door and sit."

Oh, boy. Definitely not having a good day. Guess that makes two of us.

Cat stood near her desk as Kara sat on the sofa and asked, "James said you wanted to see me, Ms. Grant?"

"What the hell happened? When Mr. Schott told me you were among the hostages, I called Chief Thomas and used up a lot of good will to get his people to back off – to give you time to get things under control. The next thing I know the police are commandeering my helicopter, the other hostages severely beat up – one of them lost most of his fingers, and Supergirl is notably absent," Cat spat out then glanced to the bullpen. No one was looking in their direction.

"I tried. I wanted to help so badly …" Kara fidgeted with glasses. "You weren't there … at first, when those guys came in, they took everyone – including me, by surprise. They had guns to the heads of the two people sitting by the front door before I could turn around. Those people would have died if I hadn't gone along with their directions like everyone else in there. I … I tried to think of a way to stop them but these guys were … professional. They had us crawl into the kitchens on our stomachs then ordered us to look away from them. I would have, you know, but I couldn't see where they were and they each had a hostage."

"So you're saying you think they would have killed at least one of the hostages before … before Supergirl arrived?" Cat's voice sounded a little less strident.

"I know at least one of the hostages would have died. That's why I was playing for time … I figured they'd make a mistake and Supergirl could … help. When they started hurting John, because he said something about Supergirl stopping them, it was all I could do not to move. Hell, they didn't even know who Supergirl was so it wasn't much of a threat to them but they still … hurt him. They liked hurting him … hurting people."

"And you felt you had to let them do that because to save someone else from being killed?" Cat's eyes became a little softer. "Better to let one person get hurt than have someone killed?"

"Something like that, yes." Kara looked down at her hands then back up at Cat with a wan smile, "I couldn't think of a way to make them stop … until I started thinking about what you would do."

"Do tell," Cat's eyebrow arched.

"I directed their attention to me. I started talking to them. Told them I was a reporter and I wanted to interview them. It sort of worked – at least they stopped from chopping off John's entire hand."

"I take it the interview didn't go well?" Cat added dryly.

"Wasn't much of an interview … more like trying to figure out what to say to make them stop hurting the other people."

"And it worked?"

"Sometimes … at least they focused on trying to hurt me sometimes instead of anyone else. The one guy, Munson, broke his toes when he kicked me."

"Serves him right. Is that what happened to your glasses?"

"No. That happened before – when I tried to look at them – find out where they were. One of the guys fired a shot into the floor next to my face then said … it was the last warning shot. They'd kill the next person who moved," Kara fought the urge to readjust her glasses. "I don't doubt they would have, either. They were getting ready to shoot all of the hostages when the police were about to storm the restaurant. Then the cops pulled back and I started telling them about using a helicopter instead of the police tactical tank to escape."

"Because …?" Cat prodded.

"The tank was too big. They were going to take the others with them so I told them about your helicopter – cause it's small. They couldn't take more than one person," Kara explained.

"And how did you convince them to take you? Some kind of mental telepathy I don't know about?"

"I sort of, um, told them I was really important and the cops didn't want me hurt. I figured if they could only take one hostage they would choose me." Kara added, "Thanks, by the way, it wouldn't have worked if you hadn't told the chief I was some kind of great reporter who could talk her way out of anything. The police negotiator told Oliver, he was the leader, I was the reason why they didn't come in."

"So you weren't letting people get hurt – maimed – to protect … Supergirl like Mr. Schott said," Cat reasoned nodding to herself.

"Winn said that?" Kara's voice rose an octave. "No, no, absolutely not! How could he –"

"Inside voice, Keira." Cat warned then went on, "Apparently, he and the man who was seriously injured are gaming buddies or something like that. He was … upset after we found out the condition of the hostages and started piecing things together. I overheard he and Mr. Olsen discussing the matter. Oh, and remind me to have a chat with them both about the meaning of discreet."

"I've known John for years. He was at Noonan's when I worked there as a waitress. I had to … make a choice," Kara's voice dropped and she lowered her gaze. "I've gone over everything a million times and … I'd make the same choice again."

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"I'm not sure what else you could have done either," Cat admitted. "All of the hostages survived and, from what the police are saying, you are the reason. So … nice save, Kara."

"Yeah, thanks, it … it doesn't feel much like … other times," Kara admitted. "Ms. Grant? Would it be all right if I went down to National City General and checked up on John?"

"Go, go." Cat made a shoeing motion with her hand then called out, as Kara reached the office door, "Remember, you are mine. No interviews … and Snapper expects a short synopsis on his desk by six. He'll have someone else write the article."

"Thanks, Ms. Grant," Kara smiled for the first time since she walked into Noonan's.

Hours Kara dropped off a manila envelope on her boss' desk and turned to leave the office.

"You look like hell, ponytail," Snapper observed.

Please, not today.

"The background stuff is in there, with sources," Kara explained defensively. "I was told someone else was going to write up the article. I can write it if you want me to."

Please say no.

"No. Raymond has worked this all day and, for some reason, Cat Grant wants us to leave you out of this as much as possible so no features or anything like that. Got it?" Snapper spared a glance at her.

"Yes, I'm okay with that."

Thank you, Cat!

"I didn't ask you if you were okay with it. I'm telling you what's going to happen," Snapper sounded annoyed, "Now get out of here. Ray will call if he has any questions."

Kara nodded and walked out of the newsroom.

I'd better not stop at the hospital again. I barely got out of there last time without the reporters seeing me. At least Alex is coming over for sister night.

"Kara sit down," Alex said as Kara stood by her window looking in the direction of National City General. "I talked to Winn. He said he'd call me with an update when John gets out of surgery. He said he was sorry, too. Why would he be sorry?"

Kara shook her head, "I don't want to talk about this right now. Can't we watch television and forget today ever happened?"

Alex cocked her head, "You know, you're right. Grab the ice cream and we'll catch up on 'Game of Thrones'.

Good. Mindless entertainment. Maybe that will help. Aw, crap, I forgot to pick up more ice cream.

"Here you go Alex," Kara said as she handed Alex a pint of ice cream and a spoon.

"Where's yours?"

"I forgot to pick some up today, you know, kind of busy," Kara answered.

"Sure, well get a spoon. We'll share," Alex smiled.

"No. I'm not I the mood for ice cream right now, anyway," Kara said glancing at the window again.

"You're not in the mood for ice cream. Really?" Alex gave Kara a long look then put the ice cream down on the coffee table and wrapped her arms around her sister. "It isn't easy, is it? Making the tough decisions."

"How? What?" Kara turned toward Alex.

"I read all of the preliminary police reports what the hostages had to say. I even read your witness statement."

"How did you... oh, Detective Sawyer let you, right?"

"Yeah. The NCPD negotiators were very impressed the way you were able to keep those assholes from killing anyone. You saved those people, Kar. You made the right choices even if someone got hurt."

"It still doesn't make it easier. I'll never forget the sound of them hurting John. Alex, it was terrible, I wanted to stop those guys but I didn't know where they were. They kept moving around and they wouldn't let me look at them and they had guns to people's heads and –"

"And you had to make a choice, let them hurt John or kill another person," Alex interrupted hugging her sister tight. "Shhh, now. John getting wounded was not your fault. The guys that took you hostage, they weren't amateurs. They took a gamble to try and escape because they had nothing to lose … they really didn't care if they died as long as they could take out as many people as possible when they did. Thanks to Kara, not Supergirl, no one at Noonan's died."

The two sisters sat together long into the night.

Supergirl is owned by Warner Bros. and DC Comics. I own the bad guys and the cops.