AN: Not mine.

Sunlight stabs her in the eyeballs when she wakes.

Alex groans and rolls over, burying her head into her pillow. She's so tired. J'onn all but kicked her out of the DEO, so surely there's no harm in staying here just a little while longer…

J'onn. Kara. Red kryptonite. The letter!

She sits bolt upright, heart clenching in her chest. "Kara?! KARA!"

"Hush, brave one." Astra's voice washes over her like a soothing balm as a gentle hand cups her face. "Kara is here. She is safe. I convinced her to leave you just long enough to assuage her fears about the state of the Green Martian. She will return soon."

Alex sucks in a shaky breath and closes her eyes, briefly overwhelmed. "I guess we don't have to worry about her finding out about you anymore," she manages at last.

"I saw her leave the letter on your table and thought the best course of action was revealing myself." There's a slight hesitation in Astra's voice, as though she's not telling Alex something important, but Alex honestly isn't sure if she can handle anything else at this point, so she doesn't ask. "Upon seeing your reaction, it seems I was correct." Astra softens, thumb stroking across Alex's cheek and brushing away the droplets of moisture she finds there. "You frightened me, brave one."

"Blame it on your niece. She's so fucking stupid." Alex's voice cracks. "In what world does running away make any kind of sense at all?"

"She was under the impression it was for your protection." Astra shifts so that she's sitting next to Alex, dropping her hand from the human woman's face and wrapping an arm around her. "Kara is nothing if not noble."

"Fucking idiot is what she is. Doesn't she know I need her?" She turns her face against Astra's shoulder.

"She knows she caused pain to the one she loves most of all. And that tears her apart." Astra lowers her head until her lips are brushing the top of Alex's head.

"She was right, you know. Not about…..you, but everything else…" A vise grips her heart with steely pincers. "She's been my life since I was fourteen. And I love her dearly, but…. I do resent her. Somewhere inside…..and she knows." Alex's voice quivers. "I love her so much, Astra, how could I ever resent her?"

"Your mother placed a heavy burden on you. One that, perhaps, you were unwilling to bear. No, Alexandra," Astra cuts Alex off as the human starts to protest, "that is not a crime. Your world was changed forever when Kara came, and you were given more responsibility than any child should have to bear. I know that now it is a weight you carry gladly because you love her, but the fact remains. She was your responsibility before she was your sister."

"I love her," Alex cries, half-pleading and half-defensive.

"I know, brave one." Astra pulls her closer as she lifts her hand to protectively cradle the back of Alex's head. "I know you do."

"I don't want to lose her….she's family…."

"You will not lose her. I swear it. Now rest, my Alexandra." Astra presses her lips to the top of Alex's head as she leans back against the pillow, Alex still tucked firmly against her. "You humans need your sleep."

Alex is too drained to argue.

"Aunt Astra?" Kara slowly pushes the door open, keeping her voice low to avoid waking her sister.

"Hello, little one. Is the Martian all right?" Astra could care less whether he lives or dies, but he clearly means a great deal to both Kara and Alex.

"For now." Kara bites her lip, and if Alex weren't clinging so tightly to her, Astra would move to her little one's side and soothe her fears away. "He was being hunted before Alex's dad died to save him, so I'm not sure if they're still going to…"

"He knew what he was doing. He made his choice, both to protect Alexandra and keep you from doing something you could never forgive yourself for." Absently she pushes Alex's hair back out of her face. "He is noble and brave."

Kara pauses, her eyes falling to her sister draped over her aunt. "Uh…."

Astra actually flushes. "She woke before you returned and was….distressed, and so I….we have become closer since the start of our deception, naturally, but this is not…."

"Oh, gross," Kara groans, "you so have a thing for my sister!"

"I have a—thing? That is terribly unspecific."

"Like…you like her. You want to date her."

"Date? How do you date a person?" Astra knits her brow. "She has not told me her day of birth, true, but what does that have to do with anything?"

In spite of everything, Kara can't hold back a tiny smile. "Aunt Astra, on earth, we call courting 'dating'."

It's amazing how red Astra turns.

"Would you two shut up?" Alex slurs, eyes still closed. "'m trying to sleep."

Kara swallows hard, but then her sister opens her eyes and looks right at her and reaches out. "C'mere. You should sleep too."

"Alex…" she starts, shaking her head, but Alex just rolls her eyes.

"Look, we can talk about this later when I don't feel like I haven't slept for a year. You can bet your ass I'm pissed as fuck and I'm going to kick the crap out of you in the kryptonite training room first chance we get, but for now…" She softens. "Please."

Astra shifts out from underneath Alex to give the two some privacy, unable to resist kissing the top of Alex's head again and smiling slightly at the grateful look she receives. The general—former general, now—wraps Kara in a brief yet fierce hug, pressing a kiss to her niece's forehead before leaving the room. Kara swallows again and slowly moves over to the bed, and Alex scoots back to give her some room, lifting the covers like they're children again. Kara pauses just long enough to take her glasses off and put them on Alex's nightstand before slipping under the sheets and curling close. Alex wraps her sister in a hug that would have been painful if Kara were human. "I love you, idiot," she whispers. Kara presses her face into Alex's shoulder, unable to hold back tears.

"I love you too. I'm so sorry—"

"I know. It's going to be okay. Just rest now," Alex soothes. Kara closes her eyes, letting Alex's heartbeat calm her the way it always has, and soon she's asleep.

Alex stays awake for a while longer, guilt churning in her gut, but eventually her own exhaustion wins out and she's asleep too.

Tomorrow, when they wake, there will be bridges to mend and painful truths to unearth. There will be tears and guilt, but the important thing is that they're together.

Just like always.