Hello guys !
Well, first, thank you for all your reviews, follows and favs! You really are awesome and it gives me the courage to continue.
So here is chapter two, as painful as the first one, sorry-not so sorry ;) I hope you like it anyway :p
Sorry for any mistakes found : I wasn't corrected and I am french so I don't master this language perfectly.
Next chapter next Sunday in two weeks ;) In the mean time, don't hesitate to tell me what you think, I find it really interesting and it means a lot to me :)
Enjoyyyy :)
It had been a couple of weeks since Supergirl's death was officially announced at the radio and television. A couple a weeks since National City was grieving, and the number one target of alien attacks. Superman had helped, of course. He had been there for the young hero's funeral. To help the city rebuild itself after threats. He had been there for Cat, willing to remind her how important she was to the young hero. But it wasn't enough. He belonged to Metropolis. Supergirl was dead, and had left the city unprotected. Cat sighed, letting her pencil rest on her desk. She missed her dear friend, and couldn't hold her tears back. She had been strong when she had made her official goodbye at the funeral. She hadn't blinked during her speech, hadn't broken down in front of the entire nation, even in front of her coffin. Her body came from the stars, and remained where it belonged. She was gone, her heart was broken. Could it be fixed?
And now, she had to write an article about her hero's death. About how her friend passed, trying to save the world. Trying to save her. She just couldn't. She couldn't find the right words to qualify this courageous act, to say how much she would be missed.
The CEO wasn't supposed to see that. She wasn't supposed to die so young.
It had only been a year ever since she gave her that name, immortalizing the girl's birth. How could she write anything now that she was gone? A single tears escaped her weary eyes. If only she could bring her back…
Take it all back.
See her on her balcony.
She was interrupted in her thoughts by a small, timid knock at her door. She sighed of annoyance seeing that the woman entered in her office uninvited. Usually, Kara would take care of her meeting and unwanted visitors but the girl had mysteriously disappeared, not giving any news to her boss or friends. Kara had disappeared, Supergirl was gone… Her life was a mess.
« Ms. Grant, I am sorry to interrupt… » The stranger began, coming closer to her. What if she was sick? What if she was dangerous? Wasn't it a gun inside her pocket?
« If this is again about Supergirl, you can see yourself out. I do not wish to talk about this. »
The woman was a tall brunette, with a soft smile and puffy eyes. She seemed very strict, and strong, walking right at her without even hesitating. Cat loved people who knew what they wanted and would do whatever it took to get it. She also liked her fashion tastes. Wearing black, she had the composure of a fighter, and her soft make-up made her dark eyes pop. Her guest was beautifully dangerous, wearing a gun on her right side. Was she an agent? Why would she be here?
« This isn't about Supergirl, ma'am. I want to talk to you about Kara Danvers. »
Was she in trouble? Was it why she had ran away? At the name of Kara, Cat Grant shivered. She hadn't heard from her since the myriad wave. She had worried a lot, and then, as life came by, she had soon found herself stuck into a polemical storm after Supergirl's death. It hadn't been easy to find a balance again. She hadn't been sleeping well, and had spent most of her time alone in her study, trying to compose Supergirl's eulogy. She had been working to forget whom she had lost.
Hearing about her former assistant made her heart quiver.
« What about Kara? » She said, offering the brunette a seat in front of her.
The woman sat, never breaking eye contact with the CEO. The way she had said Kara's name made her believe that the two of them were close. Very close.
« I'm agent Alex Danvers. I am Kara's foster sister… »
« So you know where she is! Is she fine? I was worried sick about her… »
Alex swallowed hard, visibly not sure of what to say. She was watching her hands, resting on her thin thighs. Here was the famous Alex Cat had heard so much about. The foster sister who was Kara's whole world, and model. She could understand why. While the blond girl represented innocence and care, Alex was, on the other hand, the strength and will. And despite the fact that they were not related, something in the agent reminded her of her former assistant. Was it the smile ?
« Oh god, this isn't easy… » She said, shaking her head. « No, Miss, Kara is not fine… She… was close to the source of the Myriad wave when it hit… We found her unconscious on the ground and by the time we brought her to the hospital… »
Her voice broke. There was no need for her to continue. To say these painful words.
Cat dropped her pencil in realization, and her mouth opened in shock.
She didn't say anything. She didn't need to. There was nothing to say, nothing powerful enough to indicate how she felt.
Broken.
Desperate.
Alone.
Terribly sad and abandoned.
Lost.
Supergirl was gone and now Kara… Sweet Kara with her lovely smile. Kara, her ray of light.
« I am so sorry Ms. Grant. » Alex whispered, voice broken from the pain.
The blond suddenly rose from her chair, and started walking away from the other woman, willing to escape this reality she had brought her into. She didn't want to hear it. Her lips quivered. She could not cry. Not here. Not in front of her employees. Even though no one was paying attention to her. And yet, she had lost the one that mattered the most to her, other than her kids. She had lost Kara. How could such thing happen to her?
« I knew something was wrong. She always answers my calls… » she finally stated, looking down as tears rolled from her green eyes.
She did her best to hide her emotions. Since her childhood, she had been taught to do so. Don't let them know what you feel inside. Don't let them take advantage of you. But this time, it was just too much. This time, she couldn't hold back anymore. A silent sob escaped her lips, as her heart broke. Kara was dead too… Cat was so angry. How could she do this to her? Abandon her just like that? Kara knew she was needed. How selfish of her to die like this! It wasn't her fault. And yet, Cat was angry at her. Angry because she didn't say a proper goodbye, because she had been horrible to the girl never letting her know how much she meant. She should have sticked to to hierarchical relationship. Boss-employee. That way, nobody would have gotten confused, or hurt. She should have. It was too late now.
Alex cleared her throat. She was crying too now.
« I came here because I know she would have wanted you to be there… at her funerals… »
The word funeral echoed in her heart. She was dead. Dead.
« I uh… yes… yes of course. »
She was confused. She couldn't believe she had lost two of the people she loved most in less than two weeks. People die everyday. People die, why did it have to be Kara today? She was barely twenty, she had not seen the world. It was too soon.
Alex suddenly appeared by her side, a big enveloppe resting between her hands. She had pulled herself together, and was now wearing her emotionless mask.
« And she also left this for you… I guess after myriad, she feared the worse. »
The CEO took the enveloppe and caressed the paper, as if it were Kara herself she was touching. She would miss the girl's blue eyes, and her voice. She would miss seing her everyday, coming in her office with a latte in her hand. She nodded, thanking silently her assistant sister's and put her gift on her table. She could not open it now. Not yet. She was not ready.
« My condolences, Alex. I know how hard it is to lose family… »
Alex nodded, ready to go. She turned one last time to her sister's boss.
« She cared about you, Ms. Grant. She would have done anything for you. She cared about you and your happiness. Never forget that. »
And I cared about her too.
She was a sun in my life. A fresh flower blooming outside my office.
She was everything. Everything I've ever wanted.
« Ms. Danvers? »
« What were Kara's favorite flowers? »
Alex smiled, sadly.
« Lilies. »
She was wearing a black dress and had straightened her hair. She had abandoned her sunglasses and had her son's hand resting in hers while she entered the church, her high heels echoing inside the building. It was a beautiful and sunny day, inside the nicely decorated cold church of National City. She had, in her hand, a beautiful bouquet of white lilies. White for her purity and innocence. White, like her soul.
She had sat on the second row, just behind Alex Danvers and her mother, holding each others. They cried during the whole ceremony, cried the death of their beloved adopted sister and daughter. Cat had waited, emotionless for the coffin to enter the chapel. She hadn't said anything, holding her weeping son against her, trying to make him feel better about this situation while she knew she couldn't. Nothing could bring Kara back.
The music began, slow, tragic. So not Kara.
Kara was the joy, the happiness that's in the world. Her smile alone was a true sunlight. And yet, today, everyone was wearing black. Would she have liked it?
Kara appeared in the alley. Kara, or rather the box she was in, carried by a few men in black. They walked gravely in the middle of the alley, carrying the dead body of her assistant. Her dear assistant.
It was a beautiful, white wooden coffin, decorated with flowers and plants. Bright just as she was. Beautifully sad last home. When the coffin walked past her, she kept staring at it, not believing that someone was actually resting inside of it. How could she enter in something so small? Was she at ease ?
The blond woman had remained silent during the ceremony. She hadn't said anything to anyone. Not even James or Winn, siting nearby, crying incontrolably. They were devastated as well. They had lost their best friends and love interest. They had every right to feel this way…
Cat only rose when she was told to, leaving her son to Alex. She had wanted to say a few words to say goodbye to her assistant. She wanted to say what was in her heart, what she had never been able to say the her friend while she was alive.
« When I first saw Kara Danvers, I found her terribly boring and normal. I thought she would just be like any of my former assistant. Weak. Uninteresting. And I was wrong…. » She took a deep breath. « I have been horrible to Kara. I treated her in a way nobody should be treated. And even when I threatened to fire her, when I screamed at her… Kara always had that smile. » Cat smiled softly, remembering the girl's features sadly. « I didn't realize it soon enough. She was a light in my company, in my life even. »
She smiled sadly, remembering her first encounter with the young girl. Her voice broke. She stopped, looking at the audience in front of her. Thousands of faces were facing her, attentive to her every move and words. It was way harder than she thought it would be. Way harder than any interview she had done.
« Kara Danvers was more than just my assistant. She was my friend. She was committed, and caring. She was, by far, the best person I had the chance to meet. She was not normal. She was my personal superhero, my guardian angel. I cannot find words to express how I feel about this tragedy. I am angry at the world for whisking my friend away, angry at myself for not having told Kara how much she meant to me. She was young, and she deserved to be happy. She was my friend, and sometimes even more than this. »
She, for the first time, allowed herself to look at the coffin resting in front of her. She wished she could have seen her face one last time. Even lifeless, she knew she still would be the beautiful woman she used to know.
« Kara, if you hear me, wherever you are, I just want you to know that you have made the difference. You have made me happy. You have changed me. And I am not easy to change. I will never forget your face, and your laugh, echoing in my office. I will never forget what you have done for me, Kara Danvers. May we meet again. »
She broke down into a sob. Her face was wet from all the tears that had fallen during her speech. And she had run away back to her place, sobbing, and hiding her tears behind her hands. She didn't want Kara to see her so sad. And yet, she had cried for hours. And when the ceremony finished, she went to the graveyard and watched as her former assistant was put into the hole that would be her final home. She talked with Kara's mother and sister. They had shared memories.
And Cat had said her last goodbye.
She had thrown her lilies on the coffin.
And that day, she had promised herself that she would never love someone again, let alone her sons.
It was just too painful.
« Trick or treats! »
Cat Grant smiled at the children in front of her, dressed up and waiting for their sweets. It was Halloween night, her son was at his friend's, she could spent her evening working. Working? Not really. The only reason Cat liked that night was because she could admire the joy inside the kids eyes while they wore their favorite outfit. See happiness while her world had just shattered into pieces. Leaning against her doorsteps, she putted her best mask, and stared at the little ones in wonder.
A little girl was dressed as Snow White, her brother as a very dangerous pirate.
There was fairies and pricesses, zombies and witches.
And besides all of them, alone, there was a blond little girl, weeping.
She was wearing a Supergirl outfit.
Cat's heart quivered as memories overwhelmed her. Supergirl, Kara, their smiles.
The CEO kneeled down to face the poor girl, gently rubbing her arm in an attempt to soothe her.
« What's wrong sweetie? »
The girl, Lidia, stared at her with her blue eyes.
« Alan said that my outfit was lame. »
She sighed. How could children be so mean to each others?
« Your outfit is nothing like that. You are wearing the cape and the dress of the most caring person I've ever met. Be proud, darling, be strong just like she was. »
« You knew Supergirl? »
« I did…» She answered with a tearful smile.
Kara had been gone for a few weeks now. Everything was almost back to normal. Cat Grant returned at CatCo, running her business with an iron hand as always. Winn and James came back as well, after a few days off. They drowned themselves into their work to forget. Just like she did. National City was peaceful, recovering from the loss of it's hero.
Everything was fine.
Except for the empty office in front of hers.
The desk no one dared to touch, or look. It was a momento, covered with white lilies. A relic of the past where Kara Danvers used to sit in this very chair, using this same phone.
Cat had thought about replacing her assistant. She had made researches. She had met some people. She never found the courage to go further. Nobody could fit the job as Kara. Nobody was Kara. None of them would ever fill the whole in her heart.
She shook her head. No, she couldn't think about her now. She had been able to control her emotions ever since the funerals. She could not fall into this hole again. Even though she was alone, she had work to do. She had to manage her planning herself since she was now on her own. Yes, she should better work. Work was enough for her to forget how miserable her life had become.
Looking for her agenda, the blond woman came across the enveloppe Alex Danvers had given her not so long ago. Kara's enveloppe she had never opened.
Cat Grant took it carefully, not willing to fold it, and moved to her balcony. She watched the peaceful city at night, her empire. A cool breeze came, caressing her tired face. She used to come here with Kara to talk about pretty much anything. She slowly sat in front of an empty armchair. The one Kara used to sit on. It took her all the strength in the world to open it.
It contained papers. A few pages. Nothing much. Cat Grant didn't know what do expect. The first page was a list with names, with a tittle « Assistant replacement ». The CEO smiled. Of course, Kara had prepared a list for her so that she would find the best assistant she could. She had sorted them, according to their political opinion, past, family…
The next one was a letter. She had written it not so long ago… The ink still seemed fresh.
And the last ones were an article called « everything you need to know about Supergirl ». She frowned. When did Kara became friend with Supergirl?
She took the letter first and began to read.
Dear Ms. Grant,
She read, bursting into tears. She read each line with emotion, tears almost keeping her from understanding what was written. It was a goodbye letter. It was her last word to her boss, and more importantly her friend. Bringing the paper to her heart, Cat Grant clung to it as if It were Kara herself. But Kara was gone. And she was filled with regrets.
I beg you, Ms. Grant, I beg you to be happy. It's all that matters to me. It's all I've ever wanted from you. To be happy.
She cleared her throat. It was so painful, and yet, she couldn't help but smile at her former assistant's words. The blond woman took a look at her assistant's article about Supergirl, reading between lines. It was a summary of Supergirl, gathering informations without great importance, and yet, details that made Cat feel closer to the fallen heroin. She was not in a good mood to read the few pages entirely, so she just left her eyes wander on the pages. She smiled, learning that the alien's favorite color had been red because it reminded her of Krypton, and that her favorite flowers were lilies because her foster family grew a bunch in the garden.
She frowned.
Lilies.
« What were Kara's favorite flowers? »
« Lilies. »
« That's what I am… Very boring and really normal…»
« Supergirl? We can't name her that! »
Suddenly, all the pieces matched. She remembered the girl's absences, and her appearances by her side when she needed it most. She remembered her eyes full of hope, and her flawless hair. Of course.
Kara Danvers was Supergirl.
Kara Danvers didn't die because of the myriad wave. Or at least not really.
Kara Danvers had sacrificed herself so that the world could live.
So that she could live.
To be continued...