A/N: I'm not dead, I promise! Here's an update, sorry for the delay. As always, reviews are always welcome!
Two months later
Alex always had been a big fan of routines. It was what drew her to medical school in the first place apart from her love of science. After awhile, you start to get used to the monotonous schedule: lectures, labs, problem sets, et cetera. But her first two months living with Kara were anything but predictable.
The girls went on countless spur of the moment excursions dictated by Kara's seemingly insatiable appetite. Most days, it was random. Pizza one day, burgers the next, or sticky buns at 2 AM, to name a few. However, potstickers soon became a recurring theme in the Danvers household once Kara had become obsessed with them after their first Chinese takeout day.
During car rides, Kara would often point out dogs in neighboring cars or on the street and dote on them for the next twenty minutes, often recounting, "Alex, did you see how cute and button-y his nose was? He was so adorable! I need him, Alex! Is it weird if you just slowed down a bit so I can stare at him for a couple more minutes?" It was a far cry from her normal silent car rides Alex had grown accustomed to, but she always gave in. She couldn't find it within herself to say no to those puppy dog eyes that Kara donned so often.
It was never a dull day at the Danvers household ever since Kara quite literally dropped out of the sky.
Alex shouldn't have thought today would be any different.
The sticky, humid summer air had given way to the soft, yet biting autumn winds. The leaves were well into their transition to warmer colors. In the sprawling backyard of the Danvers household, critters of all shapes and sizes were scurrying to stockpile whatever food they could find before the long, harsh winter.
A little over half a mile into the sea, Alex was checking her last traps and lines. Her hands were roughly calloused now, after months of hard labor. In the first couple of weeks into her new profession (She never intended on it being her full time job, but it pays the bills, so she can't complain), her hands were covered with raging blisters and her muscles ached with every subtle movement. But not anymore. Little by little, Alex had become accustomed to new life, mentally and physically. Her routine.
When she was completely satisfied with her handiwork, she leaned back and stretched, arms reaching for clouds that once dotted the skies in the midsummer heat. The coming weeks would be crucial to her business. Soon winter would descend without much warning and the fish would seek residence in the ocean floor, instinctually drawn to the warmth that all living things so desire. But it was also a time when the fish were more eager to search for food. There was much work to be done.
This morning, she had sent Kara over to Metropolis to buy stronger lines and new nets. The girl was proving herself to be great help to Alex; She was every bit as strong as her toned physique had suggested. Kara was more than eager to join Alex in her work, claiming, "it's the least I can do."
"Kara, no. You fell out of the sky, for fuck's sake! You need to rest." She crossed her arms for emphasis.
"I'm fine. Eliza said I'm fine. Let me help." Kara pleaded with her sparkling blue eyes. "Just think of it as my way of repaying you for all the food I've eaten since I came here." Damn her and her puppy dog pout.
As it turns out, Kara definitely didn't need the rest. She pulled hefty, waterlogged net out of the sea by herself with ease. Tossed cages farther than Alex thought was humanly possible. Hauled in forty pound fish like it was nothing. More often than not, Alex just stood there dumbfounded.
She wasn't just brawn, however. Within a week, Kara had accurately plotted their course and pointed out the inefficiencies in the routes and methods Alex had been employing. Alex was catching more fish than she ever dreamed of and in record time. Kara was incredibly inexperienced, but with Alex's guidance, fishing was slowly but surely becoming second nature to her. There was the occasional loose knot and missing bait and Kara often beat herself up over her mistakes, careless or otherwise. Alex always had to remind Kara that it was okay; that it wasn't a big deal and that she's still learning. Mistakes were expected and inevitable.
Then Kara would respond with something concerning her "doing her part" and "being a burden" for Alex. Sometimes, Alex saw red eyes prickling with tears. She stole away her tears when she thought Alex wasn't looking, making sure to dry them as soon as they fell. There was a time and a place. She could manage to not fall apart until nightfall.
And after Alex had reassured Kara that she was doing a great job, the blonde threw herself back into her work with a feverish intensity and renewed vigor. Alex elected to keep quiet in those moments, better to let the fire burn and rage on. She couldn't think of the right words to say. Or any words to say. So they went on, working in silence, each doing their part in a melodious duet, falling perfectly in line with one another.
Alex moored the boat back into the docks with dinner plans in mind. They were running low on groceries. Alex wasn't a light eater by any means, she'll scarf down a large pizza on her own if she was starving, but she couldn't even hold a candle to Kara when it came to appetite. Boy, can that girl eat! Or better yet, what can't she eat?
Instead of shopping and cooking for two like she expected to, Alex now cooked for four or maybe even five if Kara worked up a significant appetite on the boat during the day. In truth, Alex was getting worried if their fishing production could keep up with their expenses on food. However, all her worries dissipated when she saw Kara's face light up with delight whenever she was presented with heaping platters.
Setting her keys and jacket on the dining room table, Alex peered through the contents of the fridge…there wasn't much, maybe just enough to feed both of them for tonight and tomorrow. A trip to the grocery store was in order, but for now, this would do.
Alex grabbed some onions and tomatoes and set about prepping for their meal. A photo of the two of them smiling together, side by side, with ice creams in hand popped up on her phone. Alex hastily washed her hands, dried them off, and answered the call.
"Hey Kara, did you pick up the lines and nets yet?" She asked, leaning against the kitchen countertop.
"Alex," Kara was noticeably out of breath. Her voice was scraggly yet grave. Alex furrowed her eyebrows in anticipation of what this could mean. "I think they found me."
The redhead leapt off the counter. "Are you okay? Are you still in Metropolis?" Alex could hear shouting and the deafening cacophony of car horns in the background. Kara was still breathing hard.
"I'm okay. For—" Then a crash, some flurry of objects clattering on the floor. "For now." Several pops. Those were unmistakable.
Gunshots.
"Listen, Alex. I don't think I have much time. I just wanted to thank you. For everything."
"Kara? Stay there, okay? I'm coming to get you." She lunged for her car keys and coat, rushing for the door while not bothering to even put her shoes on correctly.
"No! Alex, please don't come looking for me." The gunshots only increased in frequency. And volume. "You need to stay safe. Just," Kara hesitated for a beat. "Thank you. Bye, Alex."
And the line went dead.
Two months earlier
"Gosh, Alex. There's so much to order! How do I just pick one?" Kara asked, her face buried in the diner's menu. Her nose was scrunched up as she focused entirely on her dinner choice. It was as if she was asked to choose her favorite child. She couldn't possibly decide.
"Order as much as you want, Kara." Alex chuckled to herself. She had never seen someone agonize over food like the blonde who sat across from her. At Alex's approval, Kara's face brightened immensely, shooting Alex a brilliant smile. She was sure that she'd heard a squeal coming from the blonde while she reconsidered her order.
"The roast beef sounds good…So does the burger…Can't go wrong with pancakes either…" Alex heard Kara murmur to no one in particular. When the waitress came to take their order, the poor girl stood there wide-eyed at how much food Kara was ordering. Her pen barely kept up with Kara's rapid-fire barrage of dishes. When she finished, the waitress looked on expectantly, waiting for the avalanche continue.
"And that's it!" Kara concluded with as much energy she could possibly muster.
The waitress shot Alex an uncertain look, making sure that the redhead was okay with all the food they had ordered. More importantly, if she could pay for it. Alex nodded knowingly and handed her the menus. She then turned to Kara.
"Hey, Kara. Do you want dessert too?"
Yes. Always yes.
Darkness. It was the first thing she noticed. Her world was covered in it, barring a few dots of light. It must be the night sky, she mused. The stars are so pretty this time of year.
A motion to her right interrupted her thoughts, shaking her out of her reverie. She squinted to make out its identity, and found the unmistakable shape of a fin.
Not the night sky.
But water.
In her surprise, she gasped for air, inhaling copious amounts of water in the process. She coughed in a futile attempt to rid the water that burned her lungs with an unbearable flame. It only succeeded in letting more in.
She thrashed about, desperately trying to cling on to whatever she could find. She wasn't thinking, all remnants of her training abandoning her when she needed it most. Every second that passed, her lungs begged for mercy, pleading with her, but to no avail.
The stars she saw began to dim, one by one. Her vision verged on complete darkness.
It would be so easy…
She inched towards unconsciousness, sleep's seductive voice calling out to her like a siren. She had to fight it. She had to.
She had to for…
For what? For whom?
She didn't know.
Despite her best efforts, her body sank rapidly to the depths of the ocean, as if she had an anchor tied to her feet. Her hands shot out, grasping at nothing but water. She couldn't help herself; it was so easy to fall, to let go.
As the last star lost its light, the only thing she could she could hear was her own voice, echoing for no one to hear but herself.
It's not fair.
It's not fair.
It's not fair.
Kara woke to the panicked sound of Alex's voice.
"Kara? Kara!" She was sweating profusely; evident by the way her pajamas and sheets clung to her skin. Her breathing was shallow. She was taking in air at twice the normal tempo. Without realizing it, her hands were shaking as violently as a leaf barely hanging on to the branch in the fierce winds of autumn.
Alex's words were muffled, hardly registering to Kara. Her own heartbeat was too loud, pounding an erratic rhythm against her ribcage. She could hear her own blood coursing through her veins. Feel the electrical pulses of her brain.
Too much.
It was all too much.
She kept her eyes clamped shut, drew her knees close to her chest, and covered her ears with her trembling hands. By pressing them against her ears, Kara stopped their shaking for the most part, except for the occasional spasm.
"Kara? I know it's hard, but I need you to look at me. Can you open your eyes for me, Kara?" Alex gently asked.
She gave her host a faint nod and slowly opened her eyes, taking in the world piece by piece. Alex was seated cross-legged across from her. Her brown eyes stared intently into Kara's cerulean.
"Focus on me, okay?" Her voice was light yet carried all the gravitas she normally commanded. It was reassuring, in a way. "I want you to take deep breaths. In for four seconds and out for four. Can you try that?"
Kara's breath was ragged, spilling out in a frantic staccato.
"That's it, Kara. Just like that. Keep going, in and out. In and out." Alex made an effort to demonstrate the procedure with her, keeping cadence with Kara's speed. Over time, her breathing returned to a more regular pattern and Kara could hear—no feel—it all fading away. She kept her focus on Alex's face, not risking breaking eye contact for a fear of aggravating what had just passed.
When most of the symptoms had subsided, Alex reached out and gingerly wiped tears off of Kara's face that she didn't even know had fallen. Alex wrapped the younger girl in a tight hug and Kara reciprocated with the same ferocity, not daring to let go. She let the rest of her tears fall then.
"Why can't I remember anything?" Kara sniffled into Alex's shirt.
"I don't know, kid. I don't know." She rubbed soothing circles on the girl's back.
"Oh god," she choked out.
"You're going to be all right, Kara. You're safe here. I got you."
Present day
Lena Luthor was having a great day. Well, great for her standards. While most people would consider getting a raise or watching their favorite sports team win qualities of a great day, Lena rated her days based on how often she encountered her mother at work. And now, with her chair reclined back and her private plane due to take off any minute for Europe, she couldn't be more pleased with how the day had played out so far. It might even be the best day she's had in weeks.
Her mother was insufferable anywhere, but she shined especially at work. If it could be possible, Lillian was a notch more condescending, a tad more disapproving, a bit more strict, another level of stubbornness. They had gotten into a particularly nasty fight just hours before, so Lena had taken upon herself to take a well-earned vacation to another continent. Miles and miles away from her devil of a mother.
Oh, her mother would be furious once she finds out, but that's a problem for another day. Right now, Lena was perfectly content with a glass of sparkling water and long nap on cushioned leather seats. Not to mention the dinner reservation that was waiting for her on the banks of the Seine river. Things, for once in her admittedly tragic life, were good.
Lena was halfway towards dozing off, thanks to the surprisingly relaxing drone of the turbines, when she heard the commotion outside. She peered open her window and peaked out to the tarmac. A lone figure was yelling at the flight crew, waving her arms around like a madman. The crew members, bewildered, took cautious steps back, letting whoever it was carry on for their own safety. The figure disappeared from view as they climbed up the stairs and backed into the entrance.
Lena was startled, to say the least. She jumped up on her feet and held the glass of sparkling water in one hand, primed for action. She had never taken self-defense classes before, but she desperately wished she hadn't skipped those classes her mother had scheduled for her.
When the figure came into view, reappearing in the aisle of the plane, facing Lena, she nearly dropped her weapon of choice.
It was a blonde girl, not much older than she is, with disheveled hair and clothes to match. Her jacket had holes and rips in various places. She grasped her own right shoulder with her left hand and held a pistol trained on Lena with her right. Her hand wavered slightly, but her steel gaze pierced.
"Tell your pilot that we're leaving now." She barked, her teeth clenched in pain.
Lena sighed.
She knew this day was too good to be true.
A/N: Come yell and freak out with me on tumblr: window-raindrops