Regina wrung her hands together as she sat in the car, watching the empty park and hoping that the peace she'd been feeling the last several days wouldn't disappear the moment she introduced Henry to Bella, Kieran, and Emmett. Em had called, saying that they were picking up Henry, and Regina's breathing techniques weren't working as well as she needed them to. Her door opened, and she glanced warily at her son.
"It's okay to be nervous, but you can't sit in the car all afternoon."
"But what if he hates me?"
"What if he doesn't?"
Regina slumped forward, and Emmett knelt beside her.
"Ma, you can't control everything. You have to trust us, but you also have to trust Em, and you have to trust Henry. I know he's a child, but we were too when you had to explain what happened to Charlie and Liana. We were children too when you had to explain why you spent so much time with Snow White. Tough conversations are a part of parenthood, but it's how you've raised that child that determines how they'll react. You and Em sound like you've raised Henry the best you could considering the circumstances. He sounds like a good kid, so hold onto that."
Regina rested her head on the headrest and sighed.
"I hate when you're the reasonable one," she said.
"You say that as if I'm not always the reasonable one."
Regina turned off the car and unbuckled her seatbelt. Emmett held out his hand, and she allowed him to help her from the car. Bella and Kieran came up from behind where they'd been waiting, and Regina pursed her lips.
"Isabella, I know how you are with new situations -
"Calm down, Mom. I'm not going to be mean to the kid," Bella interrupted.
"He's sensitive," Regina said.
"I just said I won't be mean to him."
"Your version of mean, and our version of mean, are two different things," Kieran said.
"Have I ever been mean to you?" Bella scoffed.
Kieran didn't answer, and Bella frowned, looking nervous suddenly.
"I haven't, right?"
Kieran looked down, and Bella flinched back, moving toward Emmett. Regina didn't know what was going through her daughter's mind, but before she could even think of offering some form of comfort, Bella's face cleared, and she had shut herself off. Emmett glanced at Regina, shaking his head, and Regina knew well enough to let it go. It would come up later, but she hoped that her daughters would figure it out without her intervention. Her attention was diverted when the cruiser turned onto the lot and parked next to Regina. Em shut off the engine and got out of the car, smiling at Regina.
"Madam Mayor," they greeted.
"Sheriff."
Em winked before opening the backdoor, and Henry crawled out with a confused expression. He looked between Kieran, Bella, and Emmett, before finally settling on Regina. His smile was hopeful, a little nervous, but it made Regina's heart warm in her chest. She opened her arms, and Henry ran into them, hugging her around the waist.
"Hi, my Prince," she greeted him softly. "I've missed you."
"You just saw me a few days ago," he joked.
"I can still miss you when you're gone, no matter how much time has passed."
Henry snorted and pulled back, squinting up at her.
"You're in a good mood," he said.
"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked.
"Because Grandma -
Em coughed, and Henry stopped talking. He blushed and ducked his head, and Regina arched her eyebrow, glancing at Em.
"What did your mother do now?" she asked.
"I think we should wait until after lunch."
Regina searched Em's gaze, but Em was unrelenting.
"Fine," she said. "As soon as it's over-
"I'll tell you," Em said. "I promise."
"Promises from your family mean very little," Bella drawled.
"Nice to see you too," Em deadpanned.
"Isn't it always?"
Em rolled their eyes, and Henry returned his attention to the three hovering behind Regina.
"Hi, I'm Henry," he said. "Who are you?"
"Polite and demanding," Bella mused. "You are our mother's child."
Regina pinched the bridge of her nose and said, "I thought we agreed on waiting until after we ate."
"If he's your kid, he's not going to wait for food. He wants to know now," Bella said. "Plus, he's got a little of Em inside of him too. Patience was not inherited on either side."
"I can be patient," Em said. "I waited for your mother, didn't I?"
"Hardly," Kieran muttered.. "You had to have an emotional breakdown to realize she had feelings for you."
"Stop," Regina said, glaring at her children. "I didn't bring you three to torment me."
"Then why have children in the first place?"
"Isabella -
"Oh! You're Mom's other kids!" Henry exclaimed. "Grandma and Grandpa mentioned you." All eyes went to Henry, and he winced. "Oops, I wasn't supposed to mention that," he added.
"Henry," Em said slowly, "when did Snow and David mention them?"
"About a month ago, I think? Grandma was upset about something, and Grandpa said that things would be different if they hadn't taken Mom's kids. Then Grandma got mad and said she did what was right for the kingdom. Grandpa told her that the Blue Fairy warned them that messing with magic like that would backfire -
"Hold on, is that why they're fighting?" Em interrupted.
"I guess. I haven't seen the Blue Fairy around much anymore."
"Huh. I didn't even know the three of them could ever fight with one another," Regina said.
"Blue came to the station to report a theft, and she refused to look at David the entire time," Em said.
"I'm still stuck on the fact that the Blue Fairy even stepped in," Bella grumbled. "She was never on our side when it mattered."
"What do you mean?" Henry asked.
"Nothing," Bella sighed. "At least, nothing for now."
"Okay."
"That's it?" Em asked. "No tantrum about secrets?"
Henry shrugged and said, "I'm learning to be patient."
"Yeah, you're definitely Mom's kid," Kieran murmured. "That kind of sass can't be faked."
"Thank you."
Regina and Em shared a look, and Em gave her a crooked smile. Regina rolled her eyes out of amusement instead of annoyance, and she gestured to the park.
"Come on," she said. "The Sheriff has work to do, I'm sure. We won't be here long."
Henry stuck out his tongue as he piled cheese and ham onto his sandwich. Emmett watched with a morbid sense of fascination, and Regina picked at her salad, pointedly not looking at her son. Em munched on a bag of chips, fully engrossed in a conversation with Kieran about the dangers of growing up in a world full of superheroes and villains, and Bella propped her head, staring at Henry.
"What?" he asked distractedly.
"You've taken this surprisingly well for someone who moved out not even six months ago."
Henry stopped making his sandwich and looked at Bella, saying, "I'm eleven. I'm supposed to have massive mood swings and tantrums."
"But?" she pressed.
"I'm also learning how to own my mistakes," he grumbled. "I was wrong to blame Mom for a lot of what happened because of a book. Good isn't always good, and evil isn't always evil. Sometimes, there's a gray area that people overlook because it's easier to blame bad things on bad people instead of acknowledging that good people can make bad decisions."
"What an astute observation."
"I'm in therapy," he said, smooshing down his sandwich. "And I talk to Em a lot whenever we're alone."
Bella blinked, and she asked, "You call Em, Em?"
"That's their name, isn't it?"
Bella blinked again and glanced at Em, who was flushing red and picking crumbs out of their uniform. She looked back at Henry as he shoved a good portion of sandwich into his mouth. His cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk as he chewed, and Bella felt an unusual amount of fondness for the child in front of her. She wanted to push him, dig deep into his psyche about why he did and said the things he did, but instead, she stole one of his chips and let the conversation end where it did.
Kieran's phone (the one that she purchased when they had their trip outside of the boundary) vibrated on the blanket, and she picked it up. She read the message, and she pursed her lips.
"May I be excused?" she asked.
"Where are you going?" Regina said.
"Jess needs me. I'll only be but a moment."
Regina sighed and waved her off, and Kieran jumped up. She was gone in a cloud of red smoke, and Bella had a weird feeling in her chest that her sister wasn't telling the entire truth.
Kieran appeared in the kitchen with Rosalie, and she frowned at the person sitting at the island. Kieran took in Alex's injuries, and a warning bell went off in the back of her mind. Alex wouldn't come to her unless she absolutely had to, and if she had to, that meant-
"I need your help," Alex said, her voice cracking.
"What happened?"
"Listen, I know you're home, but we have no one else. We have exhausted every avenue, and everything we do makes things worse."
"What happened?" Kieran repeated.
Alex slumped forward and said, "Lex and Lillian set off a Kryptonite bomb, and Supergirl got the brunt of it. Dreamer, Winn, and Brainy were with her when it happened, but by the time I got there," Alex sniffed. "Kara was gone, and another bomb went off."
Rosalie moved to stand beside Kieran as she tensed, and Kieran took several deep breaths.
"How many?" she whispered.
Alex wiped under her eyes and said, "Twenty-five agents, fifteen with the first bomb, and ten with the second."
Kieran felt like someone gut-punched her, and she closed her eyes
"You're our – my – last hope at saving her life. Please, help me. I can't live without her. She's my baby sister."
Kieran's eyes opened, and she asked, "What do you need?"
"For you to come back," she whispered.
"They want me."
"Yes."
"In exchange for Kara?"
"Yes."
Kieran grunted and said, "Fine. If they want me, then they can have me."
Alex sagged in relief, and Rosalie put her hand on Kieran's arm.
"Hold on. Maybe you should talk to your Mom or Bella-
"I can handle myself," Kieran grumbled.
"This isn't about you handling yourself," Rosalie hissed. "You're leaving without telling anyone!"
"So tell them when they get back," Kieran said. "Simple."
"Kieran -
"I'm going. End of discussion."
Rosalie ground her teeth and said, "Then I'm coming with you."
"We both can't leave," Kieran argued.
"You mean the world to my mate, so there is no discussion about letting you go anywhere alone."
"It's a quick trip across the realms, and I'll be back."
"Drop the act," Rosalie snapped. Then she softened her gaze and added, "Look, I know you like to pretend like you don't miss them, but I can see it in your eyes when you think no one is watching. There are people you love still there missing you as much as you miss them. And from what you said about Lex and Lillian, it sounds like this isn't a joke. So if you're going, I'm going with you. You need backup, and if you're not going to tell your family, then I'll be that backup."
Kieran clenched her jaw and turned back to Alex.
"I guess we're both coming," she gritted out.
"Thank you," Alex whispered.
"Of course. You are a part of my family."
With Kieran's back turned, Rosalie pulled out her phone and shot off a quick message. Kieran might not have been willing to tell someone, but Rosalie knew if they didn't, Regina would hunt them both down. By the time Rosalie finished the message, Kieran had turned back around, and she sighed.
"I'm sorry if it seems like I don't want you to come. But it's - I can do this."
Rosalie felt as if there was more to the story than Kieran was letting on, but she said, "I'm only here as a backup plan. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Fine."
Kieran nodded at Alex, who gave a tired grin before standing and activating the portal. THe three of them walked inside, and the portal closed.
Emmett walked with Henry on his shoulders with Bella while Regina and Em spoke on the bench. His phone, tucked in the backseat of the car, lit up with a message from Rosalie.
Kieran's breath caught in her throat when they emerged on the other side.
"Oh my God," she exhaled.
They were in the DEO. Or what was left of it. Kieran barely noticed the portal close behind her, and she placed a hand over her heart. The building was condemned and abandoned, almost a shell of what it used to be.
"There was an inside agent, who was later found hanging in his apartment. When we refused to tell Lex and Lillian where you were, they set off the first bomb in the morning. They didn't know J'onn sent several agents on field retreats, so the fatalities were less than what they would have been." Alex cleared her throat. "But we shouldn't be out in the open for long. Lex has drones that come by every hour, and we have a few minutes before they return."
"But I - Alex, how long have I been gone?" Kieran stammered.
"Three months," Alex sighed.
Alex led Kieran and Rosalie outside of the DEO, much to Rosalie's annoyance when the sun caught her skin. Alex blinked at her a few times before moving on, and Kieran bit her lip to hide her smile. She wondered how long it would take before Alex started asking questions about who Rosalie was, but so far, the agent was holding her tongue. The trio went down a set of stairs into an underground tunnel and walked several minutes before finding themselves at a metal door. Alex muttered something under her breath and tugged at the handle. She huffed and placed her foot against the wall, pulling again, but it still wouldn't budge. Rosalie tapped Alex on the shoulder, and the redhead reluctantly stepped aside. Kieran watched in amusement as the blonde opened the door with ease. Alex puffed out her cheeks but didn't push. The three of them entered what appeared to be a bunker.
"Where are we?" Kieran asked.
"J'onn built this a few years ago in case of emergency," Alex answered. "Never thought we would have to use it"
Kieran glanced at Rosalie, whose eyes were focused on something ahead of them.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Blood," Rosalie explained tightly.
"Do we need to leave?"
"No, I can handle it, but I will need to eat soon," she said.
Kieran nodded and trusted Rosalie's judgment. They followed Alex down the hall to a set of double doors. Alex hesitated before pushing them open, and Kieran swallowed her initial reaction.
"Oh," she whispered.
Alex touched her arm and gently pulled her down the aisle. Rosalie followed every step, eyes black, but it was clear she wasn't breathing. Nia and Brainy lay with their hospital beds pushed close. Nia had gauze covering the entire left side of her face, and Brainy's right leg was elevated in a cast. They held hands as they slept. Kieran covered her mouth when she saw Winn. Tears pooled in her eyes, and it was only because of Alex that she remained upright. His left leg was missing, and like Nia, he had gauze around his face down to his neck. Kieran felt sick. Lex did that all because he wanted to get to her. Alex directed them to a courtyard of sorts. Once they were in the fresh air, Kieran broke down. She leaned into Alex, who held her close.
"I'm so sorry," Kieran cried. "This is all my fault!"
"Hey. No, it isn't. Listen to me," Alex adjusted her hold until she and Kieran were eye-to-eye, "you did nothing wrong. Lex and Lillian are awful human beings, and they hold full responsibility for what happened. I know everyone in that room, and Kara too, would make the same choice that day to get you home. When we decided to help you, we knew there would be consequences, but we would do it all over again. Okay?"
Kieran sniffed and nodded, squeezing Alex's shoulders as she stepped back. She wiped under her eyes and let out a humorless laugh.
"I can't believe this all happened in three months," she said.
"Well, believe it or not, all the crazy stuff happened last week."
Kieran gave her a confused look, and Alex gestured to a nearby bench. The three of them sat down, and Alex rubbed the back of her neck.
"We had to give up the search for you, Lex, and Lillian to another agency once they assumed you had skipped town. The DEO went back to alien activity. Supergirl, Dreamer, and J'onn made schedules to fight crime or go on patrols, and Kelly and I moved in together. Everything was normal, and when Brainy came back, he just told us everything was okay. We took that to mean you were home, and that was it. Kara moved on as best she could, and it felt like we were heading toward a new dynamic. But we should've never gotten comfortable." Alex glanced up, the view limited by the dirt and grime on the ceiling windows. "On Monday, Kara came to the DEO happier than she'd been in weeks. I didn't question it. I hadn't seen my sister smile like that in a long time. Before she could tell me what was going on, Clark showed up with James…"
"Kara!"
The sudden arrival of Superman caught everyone's attention. Kara turned around and frowned. Her last conversation with Clark didn't go well, and Kara did regret how she handled it, but she meant what she said. Which was why she was confused that Clark was back in National City. She hadn't seen him in three months, so what changed? Kara noticed James hovering in the background but thought nothing of it. They were always together.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
Clark threw something at her feet. Kara twitched at the show of disrespect before kneeling down and picking it up. She glanced at the familiar metal and turned it over, seeing their family's crest etched onto the side.
"This is from the door of my pod," she said.
"You have forgotten who we are, where we have come from, and you betrayed our oath."
"What are you talking about?"
"I know you helped Lena Luthor escape this realm," he said.
The DEO went silent, and all eyes went to Kara.
"You son of a bitch! You tricked me!"
Kara and Alex turned in unison to find Winn standing in the atrium, fuming as he glared at James. James flinched but kept his head down. Kara clicked her tongue against her teeth and passed the broken remnant of her pod to Alex. She knew Brainy was somewhere in the labs with the data about Kieran, and there was no possible way she wanted that falling into Clark's hands. Kara glanced at Alex meaningfully, then down and back up again. Her sister nodded and left the atrium, dragging Winn with her. Another figure joined Kara, and J'onn's presence was a relief.
"Superman," J'onn said. "This is not the time or place for your accusations."
"Accusations imply lack of evidence," Clark responded.
Kara stiffened as Clark pulled a picture from his pocket and held it between them. Kara glanced at it, and her stomach rolled in fury and anxiety. It was a candid shot of her kissing Kieran on the forehead after putting the necklace around her neck. She didn't even sense James in the garage that day. She ground her teeth in frustration as Clark put the image back in his pocket.
"Do you still deny betraying your family and this city, Supergirl?" he asked.
Kara bristled and clenched her fists.
"I did not betray my family."
"Then prove it. Tell me where Lena is so that she can pay for her crimes."
"What crimes?" Kara asked, throwing her hands in the air.
"She nearly destroyed this building, and I know she helped her brother escape."
"Now, that is an accusation you cannot prove."
"Lena always played nice when the situation required it, but we both know she has no loyalty to you or this city. She is a Luthor, Kara, and that entire family is evil. They need to be stopped."
"You cannot apply that logic to anyone with Luthor as their last name because Lex broke your heart."
Clark's eyes flashed at that, and he asked, "Did you help her or not?"
"I did not betray my family," Kara repeated. "And if you are done throwing around baseless accusations and circumstantial evidence, then see yourself out of my city."
Clark stood straighter and stared her down, and he said, "I will find Lena myself. I will do what you are clearly incapable of doing and bring the Luthor family to justice."
"You're wrong about her, Kal-El."
"And it is clear to me that I was wrong about you," he said. "At least Zod had the decency to own his crimes and stand behind his decisions. You stand here and lie to my face!"
Kara reared back in shock. He stared at her with so much contempt, and she couldn't understand. There was something different about her cousin, so much anger and hate in how he looked at her, but Clark's eyes remained the same color. No red streaks coursed under his skin. It was all him, and that fact scared Kara more than she wanted to admit. She failed him, just as he failed her. Kara's vision blurred with tears as she realized she was looking at a complete stranger. At that moment, she knew that his visit had nothing to do with betrayal. And it was never about Kieran or Lex. It was about guilt, rage, and regret. It was about fear, pain, and being survivors of a culture long gone. Clark was always one step behind Kara in everything, even when he seemed too far ahead for her to catch up. They were never meant to mesh as one. Because while the blood of Krypton flowed through her veins, her cousin was just a farm boy from a different planet. Clark stepped closer and lowered his voice.
"Tell me where she is, or I will tear through every realm until I find her," he threatened.
"I cannot betray my family," she whispered brokenly.
"Then you have made your choice."
Clark turned and flew out of the DEO, and Kara didn't even hesitate to fly after him.
"What happened after that?" Kieran asked.
Alex pursed her lips and said, "Superman and Supergirl nearly destroyed the city. But there was a moment where the fighting stopped, and they were standing right in front of each other. Clark said something to Kara that flipped some kind of switch. I'd never seen her so angry before. Ever, and he paid the price for it. By the time we got there, Clark was barely breathing, and it took J'onn pulling Kara away from him to stop her from finishing the job. She still hasn't told us what he said, but the fight with Clark changed her. It changed everyone. But Kara? I'd never seen my sister so numb.
"The fight affected our family too, both blood and otherwise. Lucy broke up with James because she couldn't believe he betrayed Winn's trust and because she knew that he only did it because he was still in love with Kara. Lois got upset with Lucy for taking Kara's side, which meant they got into it again," Alex scratched her cheek, "Lois and Martha pretty much cut us out of the picture. Lois came to National City and stayed with Clark while he recovered. When he woke up, I'd never seen him so furious. But I think he was embarrassed because the entire world saw him get his ass handed to him by his female counterpart."
Alex snorted and ran a hand through her hair.
"But we had no idea he would go back to Metropolis and use Lois as a way to denounce Kara on camera. Kara lost a lot of popularity, and she kind of stopped going out in public. Anyway, he never tried to cross the realms, so we're assuming Kara's message got through to him regardless."
"And this all happened last week?" Kieran asked in disbelief.
"You know those Supers. They're always moving faster than the rest of us," Alex joked weakly.
"I can't believe Kara fought her cousin over me."
"She didn't," Alex said. "That's something I do know. While I don't know the specifics, Kara was adamant that it wasn't solely because of you that they got into it. Personally, I think he used you as a catalyst. Clark was off-kilter about everything ever since their fight months back, and Kara wasn't in the right state of mind to handle it. Either way, Superman and Supergirl's fight was broadcast across the world. Even Cat saw it, and she reached out to me to check on Kara. She's in DC, but I have several text messages and missed calls to prove that Cat's well aware that Kara's been kidnapped. Thankfully, J'onn talked her off the ledge, so to speak."
"I didn't know Cat cared so much," Kieran said slowly.
"You didn't know?"
"Know what?"
"That Kara and Cat were together for a little while back in the day." At the look on Kieran's face, Alex laughed and added, "Yeah, I had that same reaction. But it took seeing them together to realize they worked."
"So why'd they break up?"
Kieran couldn't keep the bitterness out of her tone even if she wanted to.
"Cat refused to be someone's second choice, and Kara couldn't be what Cat needed her to be. Their breakup was surprisingly amicable, considering the circumstances, but I think Cat always knew Kara could never fully commit. And I think Kara knew she would never be enough for Cat in the long run. Then there was Carter and Adam and a bunch of moving pieces that weren't always fitting."
Kieran swallowed roughly and looked down, plucking lint off her jeans. She heard what Alex wasn't saying, but she couldn't focus on that. At least, not until Kara was back home and away from Lex.
"How did it come down to Lex blowing up the DEO?"
"Lex had been sending messages ever since you left. I guess he got frustrated. All I remember is being with J'onn. Then there was this explosion that rocked the building. We both ran out and found green smoke filling the hallways. We followed the noise to the atrium, and that's when I heard Kara screaming at the top of her lungs." Alex's eyes glazed over. "Winn was trapped under a column and unconscious. Nia was on the ground rolling in pain. Her mask had caught fire and melted to her face, but I couldn't stop and help either of them. I passed Brainy, who was under pieces of the ceiling. There was so much happening, but I had to find Kara. And then Lex shows up in this ridiculous helicopter. A hook dropped down, and we were all forced to watch as Lex picked up my sister like a prize. He dangled her in the air like some kind of puppet. Kara was bleeding everywhere, and her skin was so…." Alex coughed and cleared her throat. "We've tried everything to find her and done everything possible, but we don't know where she is," she said.
Kieran glanced over her shoulder at the doors hiding Winn, Brainy, and Nia from sight. That sick feeling came back and became anger. Kieran scowled and rose from the bench, touching the necklace hidden under her hoodie. She couldn't believe Lex took things that far, but some deeper part of her knew Lillian and Lex were capable of much worse. They wanted her. No, they wanted her power, and they found her weakness. Kieran had been so concerned with getting Jess, Sam, and Ruby to safety that she'd assumed Kara would be fine. Kara was Supergirl, for fuck's sake. But once again, Kieran underestimated Lex and Lillian Luthor. And that wasn't going to happen again. She was going to end it, once and for all. Her eyes turned red as she glanced back at Rosalie, and the vampire arched an eyebrow.
"I need you to get some things for me," she said.
Alex chewed on her bottom lip as she and Rosalie waited outside the bathroom. Kieran was inside, changing into whatever Rosalie bought her from the store. She was tight-lipped about her plans, but Alex wasn't an idiot. She saw the way Kieran's eyes remained red, the way the floor iced after every step, and it scared Alex a little. That day at the DEO seemed like so long ago, but it was only a small reminder of what Kieran was capable of.
"May I ask you something?"
Alex jumped at the sound of Rosalie's voice, and she nodded. Rosalie pursed her lips and glanced at the bathroom door before returning her attention to Alex.
"I apologize if this is insensitive, but do you believe your sister is alive?"
Alex swallowed and said, "It's okay. You're the first person to be bold enough to bring it up, but even if this has turned into a recovery mission, my job is to bring my sister home to my Mom. And while I have faith she's alive, I know that bomb had enough Kryptonite in it to destroy her. My expectations are as low as they are high."
Rosalie nodded as if she expected that answer, and she asked, "And will you be okay with Lex and Lillian Luthor dying?"
"What?"
"Kieran takes after her mother, and she will not leave it up to chance if she gets her hands on them. She will kill them both, and I know she will do so in the most painful way possible."
Alex didn't know how to respond to that. Part of her felt like she shouldn't condone killing, but Lex had Kara. He could have – he could have killed her sister. So Alex's guilt over murder vanished quickly, and she sighed.
"I wish I could say I'd stop her, but I can't."
"Good. Sometimes murder is justifiable."
Alex sure as hell didn't want to travel down that obvious minefield, so she was glad when Rosalie's phone rang. Rosalie pulled out her phone, and she grimaced when she saw who was calling. She answered, and Alex tried hard not to listen, but the phone was right there. And she was a nosy motherfucker.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Did you truly just say what's up to me?"
"Would you have preferred if I said hi, baby?"
"Rosalie, you have two seconds to tell me where you are."
"National City."
"How the hell did you get there? Your message was disgustingly vague."
"Kara's sister, Alex, came to us. She needed our help, and since there weren't many options available, I volunteered to come with Kieran to help rescue Kara, who was kidnapped by Lex. He plans to kill her unless they tell him where Kieran is."
There was a brief moment of silence before -
"How predictable. I had assumed Mr. Luthor would be a bit smarter than that, seeing as he is a prolific villain."
That wasn't Bella. Rosalie's eyes widened as she realized she was on speakerphone, and she said, "Miss Mills, I-
"Do not bother with your excuses, Miss Hale. I'm well aware that Kieran's connection to Kara put you in an awkward position. And I can only thank you for having the common courtesy to inform my son that you were leaving. However, the next time you and my daughter run into a different realm on some half-baked rescue mission, understand that I need to be the first person you call. Clear?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good. Stay where you are, please."
That's when the phone call ended, and Rosalie jerked when it hit her.
"Fuck," she said.
"What?"
Rosalie held up a finger to Alex before walking to the bathroom door. She knocked, and Kieran opened it, hiding the bottom half of her body.
"Your sister and mother just called me, and you left your portal watch with Sam."
Kieran paled, and she said, "Shit."
"Glad to see you've caught up with the class."
"I haven't," Alex said from behind them. "I'm genuinely…"
Alex trailed off, and Kieran groaned when a portal appeared. Rosalie quickly stopped Alex from pulling out her gun. They stood in silence as a small group of people exited the portal into the hallway. Alex stared at the people in front of her and swallowed roughly.
"Holy fuck."
Alex couldn't believe it as she watched the Evil Queen talk to Kelly in the other room. Em, Snow White's fucking spawn, spoke tactical strategies with J'onn and Rosalie. Emmett was in the computer lab with Kieran, but he'd come back to the room to look over some kind of map. The odd one out was Bella, who stood on the wall with her eyes closed. Emmett said she was meditating, but it looked like more than that. Regardless, Alex felt like she was spiraling in a good way. A group of strangers traveled to a different realm just to help bring Kara home. That gave Alex something she hadn't felt ever since she lost her sister.
Hope.
"I came over to ask why you were glaring at me, but it's clear you're in your head."
Alex winced when she noticed Bella in front of her and said, "I'm sorry."
"No, I get it. I've been in your position before."
"What do you mean?"
Bella shoved her hands into her pockets and shrugged.
"There was a handmaiden at the castle who was obsessed with getting into the King's good graces. She wanted to take Regina's place and thought the best way to do that would be to tell the King about us. Kieran, Emmett, and I were secrets. The King would've gotten rid of us if he ever thought Regina's attention was diverted from raising Snow. One day, the King was having guests, so the entire castle was busy. Regina was in dress fittings, Emmett was on patrol with the older guards, and our other mother was in meetings. I was supposed to be in the library with Kieran. But I got hungry, and I left her there alone. I thought she would be safe, but when I came back, she was gone. I snuck around, checking every place I thought she would be, but she wasn't at any of them. I started to panic. It was pure luck that I ran outside when I did. The handmaiden was rushing through the gardens with Kieran, and I saw in my sister's eyes that there was something wrong.
"I didn't call for help. I didn't do anything but chase the handmaiden into the woods. Kieran's been the silent type for so long. We only knew something was bothering her if she cried or got fidgety. So it wasn't a surprise that Kieran wasn't screaming for help. She was just crying, clutching the handmaiden even though she knew she was in danger. I caught up with them, and that's when I discovered my magic. I don't remember much after that, just Kieran holding onto me with her face tucked into my neck with the handmaiden dangling in the air by the tree roots. There was a root around her throat, so she couldn't scream or anything. It felt like I blinked. One moment, that handmaiden is alive. And the next thing I know, her limbs are everywhere. I remember walking back to the castle. Kieran was barely six years old, and I'd murdered someone in front of her. That afternoon, I took the risk and went to our second Mom, Liana. I asked – I asked her to find a way to block Kieran's memory so she wouldn't remember what happened."
"Why are you telling me this?" Alex murmured.
"Because I have a lot of blood on my hands from protecting my family. And I care about my sister, and if she cares so much about Kara that she was willing to lie to us over it, then that means I will do whatever it takes to protect Kara as well. You have my word. Being a big sister means taking whatever steps necessary to keep them safe."
"Even when you lose a piece of yourself in the process," Alex added, resting her head on the wall.
"I was a mess in those minutes without Kieran, and I can only imagine how you feel after several days."
"Kara's strong, and I have to hold onto the idea that she's alive. But I'm tired of waiting."
"Em and Kieran are narrowing locations based on Kieran's history with the Luthor family. Once we find the hideout, we'll bring Kara home." Alex nodded, and Bella changed the subject. "What's your favorite thing about Kara?" she asked.
"Her heart."
"Gross," Bella joked. "What's something you hate but know you probably shouldn't?"
"She's so trusting," Alex chuckled. "She opens up to everyone she meets, and I have to remind myself that not everyone is out to get her. No one knows she's Supergirl."
"I don't see how they miss it. Those glasses don't hide shit," Bella snorted.
"Tell me about it," Alex said. "What's your favorite thing about Kieran?"
"She's cunning in a scary way. This version of her is watered down. The Kieran I knew was terrifyingly brilliant, and I'm afraid of her when she's at the top of her game."
"I can see why. Lena Luthor garnered a reputation in certain circles for being smarter than every genius in the room. She created things that even the DEO couldn't replicate, and we have some pretty talented people on the payroll. Lena ended up being our dark horse, and it always blew my mind how easy she made it seem."
"It's frustrating, though. Like damn, woman, let me figure out my own work," Bella laughed.
"Nah, I think it's hot. And oh my god, do not tell Kieran I said that!"
"You have a crush on my sister?"
"Not anymore," Alex muttered sheepishly.
"Sure, that's what they all say," Bella teased. "But don't worry. Sam and Jess both admitted to having crushes on Kieran too."
"Of course," Alex sighed. She shook her head and added, "Dare I ask what you secretly hate about Kieran?"
"Nothing."
"What? You're kidding."
Bella laughed and said, "No, seriously. You have to understand because of where we grew up and how we grew up, Kieran was and will always be my best friend. She is my better half. Even if we are in the middle of a fight, or she's done something I don't like, I know if I turned around, she's still there. But if I have to answer, I hate how Kieran doesn't see what everyone else sees. She's so damned incredible, and I'm always trying to get her to stop selling herself short."
"You can thank Lillian and Lex for that," Alex said sadly. "The fact Kieran survived the Luthor family is nothing short of a miracle."
"Yeah, she told me Lex was abusive."
"Biggest understatement of the century," Alex scoffed.
"What do you mean?"
"She didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?" Bella asked, somewhat annoyed.
Emmett went back to the room to talk to Em, and Kieran breathed a sigh of relief. Having her family with her was a blessing and a curse. They were second guessing everything, and it was getting annoying. She noticed a flashing message in the corner of her screen and clicked on it. Her hands paused over the keyboard when she saw who it was.
Al. X. Ander: Come and find us where we first introduced you to the world.
Kieran chewed on her bottom lip. She glanced over her shoulder, making sure Emmett wasn't coming, and she erased the message board. Some part of her wanted to tell her family, but she ignored it. Gathering her nerves, Kieran cleared her history and left the computer lab, leaving her phone on the table. She went the opposite way of where the others were and hurried down the hall. Lex and Lillian were her responsibility, and she wasn't going to let anyone else get hurt because of them.