It took four days for Kara to wake up. Em recovered faster than anyone expected, but it was touch-and-go for a moment. They were in and out of consciousness for the first forty-eight hours after the surgery, but twelve hours later, they were up and moving around. It had more to do with their stubborness than the whole 'born of magic and True Love' thing. Alex wanted to ask more questions, but she sensed some kind of tension brewing. She couldn't figure it out, but it seemed as if that family was teetering on the edge of collapse. Emotions were running high, and it felt as if something was bound to break.

Emmett and Rosalie spent time out of the bunker, helping J'onn get the DEO back in working order. Em locked themselves in physical therapy, bonding with Winn and not speaking to anyone unless spoken to. Regina and Kelly were almost always together, huddled together and speaking in whispers. Alex wasn't jealous. She knew why Kelly was monopolizing Regina's time, and Alex only hoped that Kelly gave Regina the peace she was looking for.

But as Em and Kara were on the mend, Kieran coded twice. It scared everyone, including J'onn, who had to help Alex stabilize the former princess. Whatever Lex injected her with had reacted negatively in her body, and Kieran couldn't fight it without help. But the worst part was over, and Kieran woke up shortly before Kara. She didn't let anyone in her room other than J'onn or Alex, and like Em, she didn't say a damn thing until someone asked her a direct question. Alex knew, though, that it wasn't out of spite or anger. Kieran was feeling guilty, and she wasn't ready to face her family.

When Kieran coded the second time, it was no secret they thought that was it. Bella was the one who took over the CPR, and she refused to let Kieran go. Not that it mattered, seeing as everyone else was focused on Emmett and Regina. Rosalie worked hard to keep Emmett at bay, and J'onn had to bring Regina back from the edge. Losing a child was never easy, and he was the only one who could calm her down. Alex worked with Bella to bring Kieran back. She knew all too well that there was no reasonable reaction to losing your sister. It took far too long, way longer than Alex knew was medically possible, but Kieran opened her eyes. Exhaustion won out with Bella, and she collapsed next to her sister. Alex saw the orange and red magic swirling between Bella's hands and the space over Kieran's heart, and she realized there was nothing scientific about Kieran's resurrection.

Magic had stepped in where science failed.

The dynamic changed from then on. Kara never knew what happened to Kieran. Alex begged everyone not to say anything until she got the chance to tell her, and her sister went to the part of the roof that wasn't destroyed. She laid under the sun while Alex sat beside her under the shade, gun in hand. After another two days, Nia and Brainy were able to move around and help Emmett and J'onn with the main floor as best they could. Em and Winn came out of their self-imposed isolation and started interacting with everyone. And Em walked with a slight limp, but that was the only indication that they'd gotten shot. Winn adjusted to his wheelchair with little fanfare and routinely lifted everyone's spirits by making pirate jokes because of his eye patch. In the short time that they'd known one another, the makeshift and dysfunctional family forged bonds that would last a lifetime no matter what part of the multiverse they lived in. But that tension was still there.

Lurking.

Alex spent time with Bella, and she was aware something was off with the brunette. There were flashes of black and orange in her eyes, flickering on and off like a broken light switch, and fire sparked from her fingertips randomly.

Bella was bound to break at some point, and it made sense that the cause of her undoing was also her redemption.

Kieran sighed as the ice around her door melted, and she finished putting on the DEO shirt J'onn snagged from her. She ignored the burn marks over her heart and the person standing behind her. The heat in the room skyrocketed, and Kieran didn't flinch when a too-hot hand landed on her shoulder. She stared at her sister, and Bella's face was expertly neutral. Not even her eyes gave her away, and Kieran knew she was in trouble. It was one thing to piss off their mother, but Kieran always hated disappointing her sister.

"How are you feeling?" Bella asked.

"I'm okay," she said.

And physically, she was. Bella hummed and released her shoulder, eyes going to something behind her. Several emotions passed over Bella's face in the meantime, and the silence ate at Kieran's nerves. She would have to be the one to start the conversation.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked.

"Mad does not begin to cover how I feel." Bella blinked, and orange connected with green. A cold smile crossed Bella's features that told Kieran she was more than in trouble. She'd pushed Bella too far, and whatever would happen next would hurt. "But you knew that, which is why you took my name off the visiting list, a testament to how far you were willing to go to avoid me."

"Emmett's name wasn't on the list either," she argued weakly.

"And neither was Mom's, but she's nice enough to let it slide. I am not." Bella cocked her head and frowned. "You almost fooled me. You almost made me believe that the person who came to Storybrooke had not changed, but it is my fault for believing it. I should have known that being a Luthor went beyond sharing the same blood. It is a learned behavior, and you are a Luthor through and through."

That stung, and she made the first worst mistake of the morning. She started to tear up, and Bella smelled blood in the water.

"Oh, did that offend you?" she mocked. "Do you want me to apologize?"

"Bella, please -

Kieran cut herself off when Bella stepped into her space, and she held her breath.

"From where I stand, Lena Mills would not have left without telling anyone. She would have made a plan, then she would have made a plan for the first plan, and she would not have allowed herself to be drugged by her brother. And yes, I said her brother. Because at the end of the day, Lex was family, right?" Bella backed Kieran until she was against the wall. "Are you truly so confident in your abilities that you could have fought off an alien tranquilizer to save Kara in time? Because if so, then I lost my sister the day she fell through that portal. My sister would have spoken to someone before making a reckless decision My sister would not have been a fucking idiot and face off against the source of her trauma without backup! So tell me, why should not take my family back to Storybrooke and leave you here to pretend a little longer? You do have a funeral to prepare for. Then again, who the fuck is coming to see the little bastard, Lena Luthor, cry over two people who would have rather seen her dead than show her an ounce of love. She was nothing more than the freak who fell from the sky-

The second mistake was more of an impulsive response, but that didn't make it any better. Bella's head snapped back from the punch, and Kieran paled.

"Shit," she whispered.

Kieran didn't give Bella a chance to recover. She jumped on the bed, scrambling to the door and leaning out of reach of Bella's outstretched hands. Kieran ran out of the room, down the hall, and out of the bunker. She ducked on instinct, missing the fireball aimed for her head, and she sprinted down the tunnel. Kieran swept her arm in a circle and half-heartedly sent random items to slow Bella down. She needed to get above ground because Bella could bring the whole damn place down if she wanted too. Kieran burst into the street, stopping to get her bearings, and she ran to the side entrance. She broke the lock just as Bella emerged, and if the flames pouring from her hands wasn't a sign, the solid orange eyes were a fucking warning. Kieran entered the building, side-stepped another fireball, and she caught Emmett's eyes.

"Move!" she shouted.

Emmett grabbed Rosalie and J'onn just as the door exploded behind her. Kieran dropped and slid on her knees, bending backward as the door passed over her head. It crashed into the wall, and Kieran twisted around as she came to a stop.

"What the hell did you do?!" Emmett shouted.

"She started it!" Kieran shouted back.

"Then end it before Mom gets here!"

"No shit," Kieran huffed.

"Aw. Did I hurt your feelings, little Luthor?" Bella taunted.

"Isabella, please! I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving," she exclaimed.

Bella paused at that, and her eyes cleared.

"You think this is because you left?" she asked.

"Isn't it?" she asked weakly.

Bella twitched, and Kieran held up her hands, forming an ice shield. She kept it up but did not block her face. She wanted to calm Bella down, not antagonize her into a full-fledged fight.

"You died. Twice," Bella gritted out.

"I know," Kieran said. "I felt you pull me back."

"And then you shut me out!"

"I know," Kieran paused and slowly stood up, "I was scared, okay? I knew you'd be mad at me, and I didn't know how to handle it."

"So you let everyone else in but me?"

Kieran wanted to point out that technically no one was allowed to see her but J'onn and Alex, but she bit her tongue and got rid of the shield.

"I can handle Mom being angry and Emmett being upset, but I couldn't… I can't handle disappointing you or making you angry with me."

"Really?" Bella deadpanned. Kieran pouted a little, and Bella huffed, extinguishing the fire. "When are you going to get it through your thick skull that you and I are a package deal? You do not run into the fire without me, just as I would not brace a blizzard without you."

"Then stop treating me like a damsel in distress! I can do things without you hovering."

Bella lifted her head and closed her eyes, putting her hands on her hips. "Kieran, I have never believed you could not do it without me. I know you can. I have watched you accomplish things that no one else ever will because you are made of something so damned special that it is only found in you. You are so focused on proving that you can do something without help. But if you cannot, you have yet to realize that someone has to pick up the pieces. And that is almost always me. Not Mom, and not Emmett. I am tearing people apart because you wanted to explore the castle alone even though Mama told us to stay out of sight. I am strangling grown men with my bare hands because you want to go to a tavern and prove you can drink a full pint, and they see an innocent little girl ripe for the plucking. I am burning someone alive because he was going to kill you once he got what he wanted."

"But I didn't ask you to do that!"

"Then who else is going to protect you?" Bella huffed.

"Izzy, I can protect myself." Kieran held up her hand to stop Bella's response. "And if I can't, and if I get hurt, I want my big sister there to make me feel better. But that's all I've wanted," she paused and took a step forward, "All I've ever wanted was to show you that I'm good enough to be your sister. I want to make you proud of me. You're so strong and brave, and you make me feel safe. And I want to prove that I can be strong too, but it feels like you never needed my help. That you still don't need me the way I need you."

Bella deflated and crossed the small space between them. She cupped Kieran's face and said, "Who do you think I am being strong for? You have always been my source of strength. Everything that I am is because of you. I am who I am because you are who you are. I have been proud of you since the day you were born, and that has never changed. Ever. I am so sorry for what I said. You are more than a Luthor. Hell, you might be a better Mills than I can ever hope to be. I was way out of line, and it was not fair for me to say any of that. Mom warned me not to see you yet, but I thought… I thought I had a better handle on my emotions. I have only been scared twice in my life. The first time was when I fell through the portal. The second was when your heart stopped beating. I would have sacrificed everything to switch places with you because I am lost in any world without you."

Kieran reached up and squeezed Bella's hands.

"You idiot," she murmured. "I'd bring you back to life with a resurrection spell."

"Even if I was a zombie?"

"It's a trifecta," Kieran laughed. "A vampire brother, a zombie sister, and a witch for a Mom."

"You forgot about your alien girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," she muttered.

Bella chuckled and kissed her on the forehead.

"I should not have said what I said. And that is why I promise to be a better sister. I promise to communicate and listen, and I promise to trust you. And I promise to be there for you, no matter what."

"Don't get me wrong. I love how protective you are of me, but let me try first before you come blazing in," Kieran said, looking up at her. "And, just so you know, I already knew about all the people you hurt on my behalf. I've always known, but I never wanted you to feel guilty, so I didn't say anything. You're a hothead, literally, so I know you're going to have these crazy outbursts."

"Gee, thanks." Bella kissed her forehead again before releasing her face. "Can I ask who taught you how to punch? Because it was not me," she asked wryly.

"I had to learn when I got here, but I'm not sorry for it." Kieran looked down. "What you said hurt," she sighed.

"I wanted it to hurt."

"Mission achieved." Kieran puffed out her cheeks and closed her eyes, laying her head on Bella's shoulder. "Can we just be sisters? No more fighting like this. I want you to steal my ice cream when you think I'm not looking and change my ringtones to something obnoxious. I want to have sleepovers in front of the tv and watch scary movies even though I hate them. But you love them, and you never make fun of me when I scream or hide under the covers. I want to have flour wars while we make muffins and climb trees even though you cheat all the time because I can't do this again."

"We might need therapy."

"Archie is a cricket."

Bella burst into laughter and knocked her head against Kieran's gently.

"Don't be mean. He's doing his best."

"You're an asshole."

"I know."

"And I'm telling Mom what you said."

"Yeah, she knows. She's been glaring at me the last five minutes."

Kieran lifted her head and looked to the side, seeing Regina in the corner with her arms folded.

"Oooh, you're in trouble," she teased.

"Think I can make a run for it?"

"Not a chance." Kieran sighed and stepped back. "I'm sorry I died," she said.

"Yeah, don't do that again, okay? Mom almost killed J'onn trying to get to you, and Rosalie got a broken arm for her troubles."

"It was an accident!" Emmett exclaimed.

Kieran snorted and looked around, seeing they'd gathered quite the audience. Nia was crying, which made sense, and Em seemed guilty? Kieran made a mental note to talk to them when they got back. The only people missing were Alex and Kara.

"Your girlfriend is fine," Bella said. "She's eating twice her body weight in dumplings."

"They're called pot stickers here," Kieran corrected. "And she's not my girlfriend!"

"Say that to your face. You're the color of a fire truck."

"Fuck off, and in case the punch wasn't cluing enough, fuck you."

"Love you too. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go do something important in another dimension."

Bella ran in the opposite direction of Regina, and Kieran laughed when their mother disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"You think she's going to kill her?" Emmett asked, appearing at her side.

"Doubt it, but she's so grounded."

Alex sat on the bench and watched Kara perform push-ups using a Jeep. She sliced up an orange, wary about the amount of strength Kara was exerting, and she wondered how long before J'onn noticed Kara wasn't in her room anymore.

"I can hear you are worrying," Kara grunted, glancing over her shoulder. "I'm fine."

"Oh, I'm not worried about you. I'm worried for you when J'onn finds out that you're working out when you should be resting."

"I couldn't lie there any longer, Alex."

"All you were doing was avoiding the people who are connected to your girlfriend."

Kara fumbled and nearly dropped the car, but she saved it and threw it back in the junk pile. It made a loud, screeching noise that had them both covering their ears. Kara jumped up and sped over to the bench, stealing the rest of Alex's orange. She made a whining sound in the back of her throat, and Kara stuck out her tongue.

"That's what you get for being a meanie."

"Okay, one, how was I being mean? Two, you don't even like oranges!"

"I wasn't going to eat it."

"Then what- Kara! Give me back my orange!"

"Nope. Apologize."

"For what, you psychopath?"

"That's rude." Alex twitched, and Kara held out the orange to her. "Kieran's not my girlfriend," she said.

"Please. You're already packed and ready to follow Kieran to Storybrooke tomorrow." Kara froze, and Alex gave her a knowing smile as she kept peeling her orange. "I figured this whole near-death experience would change your mind. Plus, Eliza texted me and said I should be prepared to say goodbye. It wasn't hard to put two and two together after that."

"Alex…"

"No, it's okay. I made my peace with it, and when Brainy secretly admitted that he made multiple watches in the safety of his private lab. More than enough for me to pop in on you. Did you know time works differently there? He said they've been here for close to six days, yet it's only been five hours in their world. That means I can annoy you for a year, and it'd be the equivalent of my vacation time at the DEO."

"First, it's unhealthy to work as much as you do. Second, I don't even know if Kieran would say yes. And I have to ask her Mom."

"Regina might give you a hard time, but Kieran will say yes."

"How do you know?"

"Because only an idiot will say no to you, and Kieran's proven time and time again that she's not an idiot. Except recently, but I'll chalk that up to desperation."

"What if I don't have my powers in this new universe?"

"It's the same sun, Kara," Alex snorted. "You could be the Kryptonian Knight."

"And this is why Cat should be in charge of all superhero naming."

"I almost called you Kara the Kryptonian Knight, but you walking around with a massive KKK on your chest will send the wrong message."

"That is a massive understatement."

Alex grinned and held out an orange slice. Kara scrunched her nose and pushed it away.

"You do know you're going to have to eat more fruits and veggies if you want to grow big and strong."

"My body's ninety percent sticky buns and ten percent potstickers. If I eat anything healthy, it might upset my natural balance."

"Your math is off."

"How so?"

"You're not ninety percent sticky buns. You're one-hundred-percent full of bullshit."

"Shouldn't you be nicer to me?"

"This is me being nice," Alex said pointedly.

Kara grinned and nudged her shoulder. The sisters sat in silence before Alex slumped forward.

"What am I going to do without you?" she whispered.

"The same thing you were doing with me. Living," Kara said.

"Are you sure she's worth it?"

Kara squinted at the ceiling and said, "I think she is, but who knows? I may come back broken-hearted and cursing ever thinking someone like her could love someone like me. I could stay there, marry her, and adopt kids before coming back and introducing them to their crazy Aunt Alex. Or I can come back, knowing that I gave it a shot and it didn't work out. But in all of those scenarios, I come back. I always come back."

"You almost didn't this time," Alex sighed.

"I had faith you'd find me. You're my big sis." Alex grunted and turned away, glaring at the door. Kara didn't take it personally. She leaned over and laid her head on her shoulder, grabbing the hand that didn't have the orange in it. She squeezed it, knowing her sister wouldn't want anything else, and added, "One thing I've always known is that at the end of the day, you're there. No matter what. We don't share the same blood, but there is no one else meant to be my sister."

"Shut up," Alex scoffed, wiping at her eyes. "We're not having a moment."

"Are you going to put a sappy letter in my bag?" Kara asked.

"There's already one in there," she muttered.

Kara laughed and kissed Alex on the cheek.

"I do think Kieran and I are meant for something special."

"You said the same thing about Ginny from calculus."

"Okay, that's not fair! She made me cookies!"

"Right, the steppingstones to a lifelong relationship," she deadpanned.

"They were good cookies," Kara pouted.

Alex grinned and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Kara."

"Gross."

Alex pushed Kara off the bench. She knew Kara let her do it, but the sight more than made up for it. Then, J'onn cleared his throat. Kara and Alex pointed at one another.

"You two are unbelievable," he sighed.

Regina threw a pen at her daughter's head as she left the room.

"We're having family counseling and private sessions when we get back."

"Archie's a cricket!"

"We'll be meeting with Pocahontas," Regina deadpanned.

"Rose will kill me if I'm near her."

"An added benefit."

"Ouch, Mom."

Regina rolled her eyes and dismissed her.

"Oh, and you're grounded for a month."

Isabella groaned loudly and stomped off. Regina rubbed her temples and made her way down the hall. She had reservations about allowing Isabella to go in alone, but her daughter needed a release. The last couple of days had been emotionally charged, and having Kieran flat line was the tipping point. Isabella was a walking time bomb, and Kieran was the only person who could balance her again. Regina just didn't count on Isabella saying what she said or Kieran punching Isabella. But it worked out in a way, and Regina counted it as a win. Regina's steps led her to Em, and she stopped to watch the blonde exercise. Science in National City was far greater than Storybrooke, but magic was still magic. Em was almost back to their old self, which was great because they needed to get home, and Red would have a fit if Em showed up in less than perfect condition.

"You're staring."

Regina blinked to find Em right in front of her, and she glanced down at their waist. The scar was barely noticeable, but Regina could still see it as she ran her fingers over it. Em grabbed her wrist and pulled her close.

"I don't know what I'm doing," Regina confessed.

"And you think I do? You turn me into a teenage boy every time I see you," Em muttered.

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Yes."

Regina rolled her eyes and adjusted their position, dropping her arms on Em's shoulders. She never appreciated their slight height difference until that moment.

"Are you wearing high tops?" Em asked, glancing down.

"It was either this or combat boots."

"The boots might've been hot on you."

"You know everything looks hot on me."

Em made a show of looking her up and down and licked their bottom lip.

"If you say what I think you're about to say, I will stab you in the stomach," Regina huffed.

"Promise?"

Regina put her hand against Em's face and pushed them away. Em laughed and pulled her back, nuzzling their nose against Regina's neck. Em placed soft kisses against whatever skin they found, and Regina giggled. Em's head snapped up, and Regina blushed.

"Did you just giggle?" Em asked, shocked.

"No."

"You totally did!"

"I have every right not to let your lips touch me ever again," Regina said pointedly. Em's mouth snapped shut, and Regina patted them on the cheek. "Finish your exercise. I need to go check and make sure my daughters haven't reunited to cause chaos," she said.

"I don't think I've said this, but your kids are good people," Em said. "I'm happy I'm getting to know them."

"You say that now," Regina teased.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Regina winked and walked away.

"Hey, wait! What's that supposed to mean?!"

Kara bounced on her toes outside the room, chewing on her thumb. She raised her fist to knock, then dropped it. She did it again, but the second time, the door opened, and she looked up. Bella's smile spelled trouble, and Kara's nerves skyrocketed for a different reason.

"Hey, Kieran, your girlfriend's here," she called out, never taking her eyes off of Kara.

There was a yelp, and Bella hissed as she rubbed the back of her head. Kieran opened the door wider and smiled shyly at Kara.

"Hi, you can come in. My sister was just leaving."

"I was?"

"Yes."

"Okay. But you should know that if you hurt my sister, I'll find a way to burn you alive."

Kara blinked and said, "Out of all the threats I've heard, that one was the scariest."

"Good because I meant every word."

"Out!" Kieran huffed, pushing Bella from the room.

"I'm going to find Mom and tell her you're about to have hot sex with an alien."

Kieran's eyes turned red, and Bella ran down the hall, laughing and dodging icicles. Kara scratched at her cheek, and Kieran blushed.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't be. I'm pretty sure if Alex could do that, I'd be getting pelted with snow all the time."

Kieran gestured for Kara to come in, and she did. Kieran closed the door behind her, and they sat on the couch in the room. Kara had an entire speech planned, but as soon as she looked into Kieran's eyes, she forgot all of them except eight words.

"I want to come with you to Storybrooke," she blurted.