Alex cackled hysterically before setting her face into a stone cold expression. "No." She said sternly. "Last time we did that with Black Mercy I barely got her out in time. We're not risking that again. Not when she's perfectly capable of living out the rest of her life."

Lena's heart sank. "Alex, please! She's living, but she isn't happy, and I can fix that. I can go in there, make her realize that it was just the Gray Mercy, and then get her to escape the Gray Mercy permanently."

Alex shook her head. "Insecurities are a lot harder to destroy than your dream life, Lena. So, no… I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that. She'll be better in a couple of months. Until then, just give her time to get over you or forgive you. Or, try to find another way to reverse the Gray Mercy, but I'm not going to let you do this to her."

Lena was fighting back tears; she needed Alex to get on board with this or else she was going to lose Kara forever. "I can do it, Alex. Just give me an hour, and if she doesn't wake up, you can burn it off of her again."

Alex looked disgusted. "Do you see what happened to her by just being under there for a few minutes? Just imagine what could happen if we gave her an hour! I love ya, Lena… and I want you to be my sister-in-law, but I'm not going to let you risk her life."

Lena was beginning to panic as Alex turned to leave, so she resulted to pettiness. "What if this was Sam!?" She asked desperately.

Alex turned around and huffed as she looked at the ground. "I'd be devastated." She admitted. "I'd be heartbroken, and desperate to get her back, but I wouldn't put her through the Mercy again." Alex smiled sadly at Lena and put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Once she gets over the heartbreak, I'm sure you two could be friends again until you figure something out."

Lena sighed. "One month."

Alex furrowed her brow. "What?"

"If Kara isn't over this in another month, will you give me a chance to put her under the mercy again?"

Alex shook her head. "I don't care if it lasts years, Lena. You aren't going to kill my sister."

"I'd rather cut off my own foot than kill her, Alex! I want to get her back," Lena said, voice shaky as tears caressed her cheeks.

Alex huffed. "The answer is no, Lena. That's final."

Without another word, Alex yanked her hand away. "I hope we can find another way to reverse it. I really do. Because if that is the only way, then it's not going to get reversed."

Lena cried out. "Please, Alex! I miss being able to hold her. I miss her loving me."

Alex had tears of her own welling up. "I know, Lena. I miss you guys being happy too, but right now, she's getting better, let's just hope that means her memory will come back too and then you two can ride off into the sunset together. Plus, who's to say that helping her conquer the Gray Mercy will help? What if she woke up and still had both memories and it was still too hard for her to be with you because the cheating still felt real to her? It'd be even worse for everyone involved then."

Lena let out a shaky breath. "I just want to hold her again." She whimpered.

Alex pulled her into a hug. "I know… I know you do. We will try to figure this out, Lena. We can even get Winn involved if we have to, but we will figure this out."

Lena sniffed. "How can you be so sure?"

Alex chuckled. "Because it's Kara we're talking about, and she's the epitome of hope."

Lena found that she couldn't entirely disagree with that.

XXX

Lena was moping around her office when she heard footsteps land on her balcony.

She immediately whipped around, her heart hammering in her chest as she saw Supergirl standing there, looking perfect as usual. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

Kara smiled timidly. "Alex said that I'm good as new about thirty minutes ago."

Lena let out a relieved sigh. "I'm delighted to hear that." She said honestly. "I was worried."

"I know," Kara said with a nod. "I could hear your heart beating like it does when you're terrified for me."

Lena smiled sadly. "How's it beating right now?"

"It's going a mile a minute," Kara replied. "I scare you now, don't I?"

Lena swallowed. "Only because I don't know what to do or say around you anymore."

Kara frowned and lowered her eyes. "I… I want to try something, because maybe… Maybe if it goes right, we can… we can um… Try counseling? R-relationship counseling?"

Lena's heart beat even faster out of hope. "Anything!" She replied instantly. "We can try anything."

Kara let out a breath. "I'd like to try to kiss you… Just to see if it still feels the same as it did before, or if the spark is gone because of what happened… I know that my feelings are still down there somewhere, because it kills me to be away from you… But I can't figure out if I need to be your friend or if I still want more, and after seeing how terrified you were for me, I realized that you still do love me, so maybe if there's still a spark between us, we can work through this."

Lena's hope rose… Maybe she didn't need to reverse the Gray Mercy after all. "R-really?"

Kara nodded. "It'd be a slow process, and there wouldn't be sex right away… We would just… start over… Completely over. No engagement, no sleeping over. Just dates, and talks, and things. That's if the spark is still there."

Lena swallowed, terrified that she was going to kiss Kara wrong and ruin her chance at getting Kara back. "Yes.. I-I'd like to try."

Kara nodded and let out a shaky breath. "I-I'm just… going to come closer now." She said as she awkwardly gestured between the two of them.

Lena laughed nervously and nodded as she licked her lips, eager to feel Kara's against her own; but also, insanely terrified. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly as Kara put her hands on her hips. "Ready?" Kara asked nervously.

"I will always be ready for you, darling," Lena replied.

Kara smiled genuinely at that, and it melted Lena's heart.

She watched Kara bite her lower lip as she hesitantly eyed Lena's mouth. "Kara, if you don-,"

Kara shook her head. "I don't know what I want… That's why I'm trying this."

Lena's heart raced as Kara slowly leaned in and closed her eyes. She followed suit but didn't pursue Kara, letting Kara take control like she always did.

Lena closed her eyes, puckered her lips, and stayed in place, waiting for Kara's lips to touch her own.

When they did, Lena's heart raced rapidly in delight; fireworks shot off inside her chest. I've missed you so much. She thought.

The kiss was hesitant, exploratory, and over all too quickly. Lena pulled back and looked hopefully at Kara.

Terrified of what the answer may be, Lena eyed Kara nervously and asked, "So… W-what did you feel?"

What do you think Kara felt?