Author's Note: A while back I had an idea for a Mother's Day one-shot. After Michael Weyer put out his followup to my 4th of July one-shot so close to Mother's Day, I decided I'd not only use the idea, but alter it accordingly to make it a followup his story set shortly after it. I've honestly been meaning to do more holiday one-shots so it was nice to write this (especially since I got it done just in time). I hope you find it interesting.

Earth-38

National City

Kara Danvers sat on the couch in her apartment, dressed in sweats and an old Wendy the Werewolf Stalker t-shirt. She looked rather disappointed. Her television was on, displaying a piece from CatCo about Supergirl and Ghost Spider having taken down Leopard, a gadget wielding super crook who wore a metallic visored helmet modeled after his namesake. Kara had thought that seeing the footage of the fight from last week would make her happy, but it didn't. Sure, the team up had been quite enjoyable, but watching herself at full power just reminded her that today was one of the days she wouldn't be able to put on the cape.

"Dang it," Kara grumbled while looking down at the wristwatch that Brainy had made to monitor the effects of the gold kryptonite. "Why couldn't you've been blinking green when I woke up?"

She let out a bored sigh. She should've realized she had overexerted herself the last two days. After the clip finished with a shot of Kara knocking Leopard into a wall with a blast of super breath, the CatCo produced program transitioned to the hosts having a fairly trite discussion about silly Mother's Day cards. Kara then turned off the TV and stood up.

"Oh right, it is Mother's Day today. I nearly forgot," she said to herself while pacing around the room. "Hmm…I don't have work until Tuesday. I could see if Alex wants to visit Mom."

Kara smiled at the thought of her and Alex driving out to Midvale to surprise her by that evening, just the two of them. Without Astra. Or any reminders that Alex was being intimate with someone old enough to be her own mother while looking just like the original mother of her adoptive sister.

"I should call and see if she's up for that." Kara thought aloud.

But then a concern other than the persisting awkwardness with Alex and her aunt came to Kara's mind. She walked back up to her TV and looked at her reflection on the black screen.

"Would I really want Mom to see me like this today, though? If she realizes I don't have my powers today, she'll waste her Mother's Day worrying all about me."

Kara groaned in frustration and plopped back down on the couch. She wasn't sure what she could or should do. Then something peculiar began to occur. A green light began to gleam behind her. She turned to see the silhouette of a person in it, the light being an aura around her.

"Kara, child of Zor-El and Alura," a mysterious yet enthralling voice spoke, simultaneously whispery and impossible to not hear. "You have nothing to fear. I am a friend who has come bearing a gift."

Kara climbed over the couch as the aura dissipated, revealing her unexpected visitor in full. She was a very becoming woman who looked to be of some kind of Chinese origin, with long, voluminous black hair spilling out from under a raised hood that was a dark green in color, which covered her eyes. The hood was attached to a long flowing cloak. Under it she wore a white-violet gradient dress with slits along the sides that exposed her thighs and long legs, her feet in black shoes. The front of the dress depicted a lantern on a pole in black. The woman held a tall wooden crook that had an old fashioned Chinese wooden lantern hanging from it. The lantern was painted green and from within glimmered a light similar to the light she had emerged from.

"Woah..." Kara gazed at her. "Who are you?"

She knew she should've had more questions, but she felt completely calm in their presence.

" I cannot tell you my true name," the woman answered. She gestured up at her lantern with her free hand. "But I have been called Green Lantern in the past. no, I am not affiliated with any cosmic lawmen with power rings. Any connection we do share is, shall we say, tangential."

Kara couldn't stop staring. She felt like if she looked away from this 'Green Lantern' woman, she would be making a mistake somehow.

"You…you said you had a gift for me just then…" Kara said, her confusion and fascination both hard to hide. "If this is a Mother's Day thing, I don't have any kids yet, so I—"

Green Lantern formed an orb of twirling green energy in her open hand, then gently nudged it. It floated into Kara's hands.

"Look inside, Supergirl, and you'll understand," Green Lantern urged her. "And in the event that you don't, I am a talented storyteller."

Before she even realized it, Kara Danvers was doing exactly as she was instructed, her eyes looking into the orb of twirling green until she began to see something else within…

Earth-1212

Metropolis

Kara saw herself, sleeping comfortably in a bed that she didn't recognize in a house she had never seen before. It was like looking in the mirror, but not quite; This other Kara's hair was in a short pixie cut and she looked maybe four or five years older. But there was no doubt in her mind that the woman she was looking at was herself, or at least another version of herself. Her eyes began to flutter open.

"…hmm…hmm…huh?" the other Kara felt around the bed, searching for someone else she thought would be there. "Honey?"

It was only then that Kara noticed that the other Kara's bed was large enough for two. Realizing this meant this version of her must have a serious boyfriend, she found herself thinking of her past boyfriends and crushes from the last few years and wondering who the other Kara could've ended up with.

"It's Sunday," the other Kara said to herself. "Kenny doesn't work on Sundays."

Kara felt herself do a double take upon hearing that name. Her other self couldn't be talking about the first person she thought of with that name. Her school friend Kenny Li had been murdered years ago, long before she ever moved to National City. She then noticed something through the window near the bed. It was the iconic globe that sat atop the Daily Planet offices.

"Kenny! Hey, Kenny?" the other Kara called out. "Your wife is looking for you!"

That's when it all clicked together for Kara. Now she got it. Whoever this Lantern woman was, she was showing her an alternate universe. One where she was married, lived in Metropolis, and even seemed to have a different sense of style too. Kara wondered how this was supposed to be a gift though. As if to answer this question, the door to the bedroom was then opened from the outside, revealing a dark haired, friendly faced Chinese Indonesian-American man still in his pajamas. Kara recognized him. He was indeed a still alive, grown up Kenny Li. Kenny silently held open the door for a short figure walking up the hall while carrying something.

"Happy Mother's Day, Mom!" a youthful voice announced.

Kara watched as a young girl strode into the room with a tray in her hands. She couldn't have looked older than eleven, maybe twelve. It wasn't hard to tell the girl was mixed race appearance wise, though her features leaned closer to her father's, including his dark black hair, which was a mess. She was wearing a bright red tank top and medium blue athletic shorts with white piping.

"Oh! Thank you, Linda. Good morning." the other Kara smiled at her daughter, pleasantly surprised.

So this was the gift. A look into another world, one where events had played out differently and its native Kara had gone down a different path. Kara watched as her counterpart masked her urge to wince at the bowl of burnt oatmeal with slices of underripe banana that Linda had prepared for her. She watched Kenny whisper to his wife that they'd go out for donuts after Linda left for school when she briefly left the room. She watched Mrs. Kara Li quickly combed her girl's hair and then tied it into some cutesy braided pigtails.

"Come on, Linda," Jenny said after their Kara finished. "Let's go clean up and give your mother a chance to take a shower."

"Thanks, babe." their Kara pecked him on the cheek.

"Eww!" Linda scurried out of her parents' bedroom.

After a chuckling Kenny left, the other Kara grabbed a bath towel for after her shower. Before she went into the bathroom though, she turned on her smartphone that had been sitting on her nightstand. She opened the internet browser, which brought her to the home page of the Daily Planet's website. Several headlines that linked to full articles were on display:

'Martin Suarez Throws His Hat Into the Ring for Presidential Election' - By Meg Tempest

'Who Are the Gangbusters?: What We Know For Certain About Metropolis' Newest Vigilantes' by Lois Lane-Kent

'Award Winning Ukrainian Pianist Natalya Trusevich Announces Engagement at Concert in Gotham City' by Jim Olsen

'Fast Food Chain Taco Whiz to Shutter At Least 52 Locations' - By Brad Hunter, Jr.

But it was the next one that caught the eyes of both Karas, albeit for different reasons.

'Will Supergirl Ever Return? Looking Back at the Girl of Steel Who Used to Fly Our Skies' by Jennifer Knight

Kara Li set the phone down and shook her head.

"No, Ms. Knight, I don't think she will," she smiled contently as she walked to the bathroom. "Losing your powers for good kind of makes that impossible."

Before Kara could react, her vision into this world faded away, overtaken by the same dancing green light that allowed her to see it in the first place. Whatever happened after that would be a mystery, at least to her.

Earth-38

Kara stumbled back for a moment, overwhelmed by the experience. The orb of green energy floated away from her and into the lantern that hung on Green Lantern's crook.

"You're likely wondering why I showed you how another reality's Kara's morning is going." she hooded woman spoke.

Kara caught her and stood normally.

"Actually…I think I understand," Kara responded. "You wanted to show me that things will work out. Even in a world where I apparently don't have any powers period, it's still possible for me to have a beautiful life. One with joy and family."

"That's not exactly how I would've summed it up, but that's the gist of it, yes." Green Lantern smiled coyly and nodded.

She turned to leave, but Kara grabbed her shoulder. The two gazed at each other.

"I want to know who you are…but I can already tell that you either can't tell me or you won't," Kara pulled away, almost bashful. "Despite that…well, Thanks. I didn't know I needed that, but I did."

"My pleasure, Supergirl," the unusual Green Lantern smiled more openly. "For what it's worth, I think going to see your adoptive mother is a fine idea."

Then, in the blink of an eye, she was gone.

"If that wasn't a sign, I don't know what is." Kara looked out the window.

It was time to get moving, especially if she was going to try and do that. Despite not having her enhanced speed, Kara quickly got ready for the day. Since she had already showered the previous night, she just swapped out her sweat pants for a pair of jeans, brushed her teeth, put on her shoes, packed her purse and locked her apartment door as she left. Before she knew it, she was already standing outside her building.

"Ms. Danvers!" someone called out to her from not too far away.

Kara turned to see yet another unexpected site; A large, shiny new camper van with zigzagging red, white, and blue stripes pulled up right in front of her. Three men crowded up by the lowered window, all of them in tracksuits. Kara knew these men, having been properly introduced to the trio after they had stepped in to subdue 'Funnyface', the assassin who had shot her with the Gold Kryptonite bullet back on the Fourth of July after they had been sent forward in time by unknown means.

"Hey, the 'Red, White, and Blue' crew," Kara looked at their new mode of transportation. "What're you doing here?"

"We thought we'd offer you a lift in our new ride we got from Holt Industries, Ms. Danvers." Blooey Blue answered.

"That Brainiac 5 fella just installed a screen in here that's connected to that gadget on your wrist. It signals us when you can't summon any of your superpowers so we can come help you," Red Dugan explained. "Only if you want us to though. We'll make it a habit to call ahead."

"Well, I actually could use a ride to Midvale to see my adoptive mom. That's where I lived after Krypton but before here," Kara motioned around at the city surrounding them. "It's a bit out-of-the-way though and I was gonna go check with Alex first."

"We were actually just at your sis's place," Whitey Smith informed her. "Mr. Olsen suggested we ask her to show us her moves…"

"We ended up interrupting her while your mother's twin sister was…err…" Red blushed that his cheeks were the same color as his hair. "You know, making her happy."

"Then she got called off on some important D.E.O. thing. J'onzz said not to call under any circumstances." Whitey said.

"Y'know, I don't think she even realized it was Mother's Day." Blooey noted.

"If that's the case, I'll take you guys up on your offer after all." Kara grinned.

She hopped aboard the camper van and they set off for the highway out of National City, chanting 'Road Trip! Road Trip!' with her newest allies and singing along to a bunch of K-Pop songs by Luna Snow that we're playing on the radio.

The Parker Household

Peter Parker sat in an armchair in the living room, his crutches propped up to his left as he watched the TV, which was turned down low. He was watching a National Geographic documentary about tropical reptiles. Up in the attic where he did his research, Peter had a stack of books and DVDs about all kinds of lizards that he had acquired from the public library. The TV was turned down very low so as to not wake the other teenage boy sleeping on the sofa. Said boy wasn't his friend Harry but Joey Deseronto, one of his History classmates. The two had been assigned to work on a diorama project together over the weekend and Joey ended up staying the night so they could finish it. Peter had honestly been surprised that he was allowed to, as Mary Jane had told him that she heard Joey's mother Kateri was the extremely protective type.

After the program on the tropical reptiles ended, Peter scribbled down some notes in a pink '#1 Cute Guy Magnet!' notebook covered in glittery hearts, lipstick kisses and flowers that Gwen had 'gifted' him as a joke. After that, he switched over to a local news station. His Aunt May didn't care much for CatCo, though not for any reason based in politics. She just thought Cat Grant was 'too much', or something like that.

"Good Morning to all you 'hot mamas' out there," said the weatherman with a cheesy grin. "I'm afraid that statement applies to all of you, because today the humidity is estimated to reach up to–"

"Hold that thought, Tom!" the screen cut to the morning anchorman. "We just got word that the masked vigilante Ghost Spider is clashing with an unknown opponent at the geology museum!"

The program then displayed live footage from a news copter that showed exactly what the newsman had suggested in the upper right corner. Peter saw a fully costumed Gwen Stacy swinging and flipping around the roof of a large, dodging hot red beams of surging energy being shot from the eyes of a bald man with pale green skin dressed in a torn yellow flannel shirt, which exposed shards of emerald lodged in his chest. Peter turned up the sound without even thinking.

"So lemme get this straight – Your name is Basil Elks?" Ghost Spider could be heard taunting him. "No offense, but that doesn't sound all that tough, so I'll call 'Basilisk', 'kay?"

"Sure! As long as I get to call you dead beat, you wiseass!" her newest foe boomed.

This was just loud enough to disturb Joey's slumber.

"Hrrm…Huh? Parker?" the young brunet Mohawk sat up. He saw the battle playing out on the TV. "Hey! That's Ghost Spider!"

"Whoops! Didn't mean to wake you, Joey," Peter looked over at him, his glasses sliding further down his nose.

"Y'know, I was there when she and Supergirl fought that Leopard dude downtown."

"Really?"

"Heck yeah!" Joey beamed. "I love checking out superhero battles when I get the chance. Back in New York I once managed to catch Vixen doing her thing. I missed her team-up with that Sideways guy though."

"I hope you're not planning to try and catch that in person." Peter motioned at the screen.

"Oh crud. That's live footage? That means it's morning already!" Joey shot up from the Parkers' sofa and stretched for a second. "I need to get going then. I promised my mom that I'd be back in time for me and my dad to take her out for brekkie."

"Did you just say 'brekkie'?" Peter couldn't help but crack up a little. "I thought you and your folks moved here from the Rez, not the Outback."

"Watch your tongue, P. Nobody makes fun of a Deseronto and gets away with it." Joey chided him in jest.

The two shared a quick laugh. Even though they didn't know each other particularly well, Peter had enjoyed having company over the night instead of twiddling his thumbs waiting for Gwen to call about something Ghost Spider related.

"Well, I hope you can show your mom a good time, Joey," Peter reached down and grabbed a blue backpack from the right to his chair and tossed it to Joey. "Don't forget this!"

Joey nearly dropped his backpack after an awkward attempt to catch it, but managed to get a grip on it before it hit the plaid carpet beneath their feet.

"Thanks!" Joey termed to leave, but then stopped and walked back. "Wait a sec. Where's the diorama for class?"

"My uncle brought it out to his car. He's driving me to school tomorrow morning." Peter answered.

"I thought I was gonna carry it in on Monday," Joey couldn't help but to glance at Peter's crutches. "You know…uhh…"

"Because my hands won't be free?" Peter sighed.

Joey awkwardly nodded yes. He had wanted to avoid pointing out the state his intelligent classmate was in. Though Peter appreciated the effort, he still couldn't feel like this was just the latest example in a life full of people assuming he was weak.

"You can help me then," Peter hid it behind a casual smile. "Go on, Joey. Have a nice day with your mother."

Joey shrugged, twirled back around, and waved as he departed from the Parkers' house. After hearing the door click shut, Peter's smile faded.

"At least one of us will get to." he whispered.

He opened up the stereotypically girly notebook and looked at a list he had made of names of a diverse range of lizard species. The page next to it showed a bare bones depiction of his own body frame and proportions. He then looked back up at the television and focused in on the Basilisk's green skin as he clashed with Gwen. His expression was uncharacteristically cold and distant.

"One day, Peter," Peter Parker softly said to himself, resting the end of his pen on his chin. "One day. Soon."

An Undisclosed Location

The Ultra-Humanite was not in his lair, but his presence could be felt in each and every corner. The tables and desks were cluttered with equipment and the walls were covered in pinned up graphs and photographs of various superheroes, it was their known monikers underneath their photos. Photos of Supergirl, Ghost Spider, and even Guardian could be seen among the photos, as well as a young woman in a silvery white and dark blue costume whose face was obscured. The photos weren't merely of those that were based in National City, however, but also of ones from other cities from across the United States and beyond such as Metropolis' famous Superman, Fawcett City's Captain Marvel, the Australian hero Tasmanian Devil, the globetrotting Challengers of the Unknown, and even some recently debuting post-Dusting teen heroes like the Locust and H-Dial wielder Miguel Montez. But among the many, many photos, one stood out because it wasn't of a superhero at all, but of Peter Parker. At some point, the Ultra-Humanite had written some words over the boy's picture in marker:

Prime candidate for new reptilian-based body. Make sure to make him think it's his idea.

That's a wrap! Please let me know if you enjoyed it or have any thoughts.

Some Notes:

- 'Wendy the Werewolf Slayer' is parody of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that appeared in the pages of Young Justice.

- Leopard is based on a villain who made his one and only appearance in Superman #20, published in February 1943. I picture him as looking like a leopard-themed Power Ranger who uses his arsenal for crime and be an underestimated thorn in the side of the good guys.

- Yes, that was indeed the Tangent Comics version of Green Lantern, or at least my spin on her. In the comics she had an inconsistent dress color so I combined the violet and white ones with the more consistent elements like the green hood and the wooden crook for her magic lantern. I also explicitly made her Chinese here, because I just thought it made sense that way. Is she native to Earth-38 or is she from somewhere else? Well, I think only she knows for sure.

- Earth-1212's number is based on the "LL" initials that are so prevalent among Superman's supporting cast.

- Linda Li's name is a reference to "Linda Lee", the civilian identity used the original Golden Age Kara/Supergirl. Her braided pigtails are a reference to the wig that Kara wore as Linda.

- Martin Suarez was a politician character in DC Comics who was briefly the President of the United States before they showed Obama as having the position.

- The Gangbuster was a superhero vigilante character who operated in the slums of Metropolis, with his true identity being Jose Delgado, a teacher who took the problem of gang violence into his own hands.

- Taco Whiz is a fast food chain that has appeared in multiple DC books. The mention of 52 locations being closed is a reference to the use of the number as an "Easter egg" in various DC works.

- Natalya Trusevich was a (literally) short lived love interest for Bruce Wayne in the comics. She first appeared in Batman: The Dark Knight Vol. 2 #10.

- Meg Tempest and Brad Hunter are minor Daily Planet employees in the comics. As for Jennifer Knight, in the comics she was one of the many women to take on the mantle of the Phantom Lady, a member of the Freedom Fighters. I like to think that she's Phantom Lady in secret as a solo hero.

- Luna Snow is a K-Pop Star-Turned-Superhero from Marvel Comics. She was originally created for the mobile game Marvel Future Fight before being brought into the comics. On Earth-38, she had a similar backstory (just without the presence of Stark Industries or AIM) and continues to perform while being a hero in her home country.

- Joey Deseronto is a version of the character of the same name from Marvel Comics, where he is son of the very minor Spider-Man villain Kateri Deseronto/Coldheart. In the comics, he was killed as a child along with his father in the crossfire of a battle between an unknown superhero and supervillain, which drove his mother to become Coldheart and try to kill superpowered and/or costumed individuals. On Earth-38, he has avoided such a fate and is instead a new student at Midtown and his mother is a normal mother. At least for the time being.

- Basil Elks/Basilisk is a supervillain who got his start fighting Spider-Man and Captain Marvel (as in Mar-Vell in this case) in Marvel Team-Up Vol. 1 #16, released September 18, 1973. Like in the comics, he got his powers from an alien artifact called the Alpha Stone that merged with his body while he was trying to steal it.

- Given all the liberties taken with various worlds in Infinity Crisis (such as Earth-199999), I thought it'd be fun to confirm that there are some other superheroes on Earth-38, as alluded to in Distant Cousins with the mention of DC's Captain Marvel existing there. I mostly stuck to DC characters that I thought it'd be fun to see other writers possibly introduce in future stories involving Earth-38, but I also threw in the Locust from Marvel's Champions series to show that there can be Marvel elements in the setting other than Spidey villains for Gwen to fight.

- As for the reveal that the Ultra-Humanite is covertly manipulating Peter for his own ends, I mainly did that to make a stronger connection between between National Stride and Not So Super Strides.

Thanks for reading!