A/N: Is it just me, or does 'Thunder take you!' sound really painful? And no, I don't mean like that. Also, toasty! No, I will not apologise for that, nope. Nope...

A Rose By Any Other Name

"You look really happy".

Stephen nudged Kara, who looked away, swept the hair from her face and smiled.

"I am".

"Oh? Big signs there. This guy must be good". He grinned cheekily. "I know you well enough Kara". He raised his brows. "Is it someone I know?"

Kara looked at him quizzically.

"Why does it have to be a man? Can't I just be enjoying life?"

"Of course, and I'm glad you are", he paused, "I still reckon its a man though".

Kara sighed. "Okay. So, what if it is?"

Stephen grinned proudly, pulling the collar of his robes.

"See? I knew". His smugness made his ex want to slap him playfully. She resisted the urge.

"Is it someone I know?"

"Is there a point in me telling you? You can see right through me anyway", she shifted, "you always could".

Her ex hummed. "Huh. So, someone I know, but not well?"

Kara smirked. "You aren't going to let this drop, are you?"

The shake of his head made her roll her eyes, part humour, the rest frustration.

"Nope".

She retorted.

"Bloodhound".

"Nah". Stephen kept that grin, only now, it took on more of a goofy nature. She laughed upon seeing it.

"Can't keep a serious face for long", she pouted, "can you, snake in the grass?"

He began chuckling. "You know it".

The tent flap opening added to Kara's woes as Lin walked in, carrying food trays. Kara took them off her with her mind, attempting to take it off the current topic of choice.

Not her choice...

Lin took one look at her, realised what was up and lit up, her demeanor becoming playful.

"It is a guy, isn't it?"

Kara almost dropped the trays in blind panic, her heart in her throat. Potatoes and gravy threatened to spill over the edge of the plastic utensil.

"Oh for fucks sake! YES, okay? Yes", she steadied herself. "sheesh". She was still angry, but it began waning, replaced by confusion, then clarity, as she'd finally admitted it.

She admitted it, and felt significantly better for doing so.

She regained control of the plates and moved each one to the table in front of her. She placed them down, jumped off the crate she was on and sat down, attempting to look civilized.

She wasn't fooling anyone, but that wasn't in her mind. What was was now trying to work out how to make her friends shut up about her admission, before she went stir crazy, and the food really would go flying...

Everything was going swimmingly. Kara hummed into a bite of buttered potatoes, Stephen and Lin's kids had arrived and were eating too. It was quiet, peaceful. A calm took over the five.

That was until a few more people popped their head into the tent. They'd heard her shout the conformation, and, as the flap opened, she saw almost all of her friends, looking right at her.

If at any point she wished the ground would devour her completely, it was now. She wanted that, right this very second.

And hell, she'd help it if she could...

A few days later found Kara in the Jinsei chamber, this time with Sub-Zero and Master Hasashi 'attacking' her. A frigid, bitterly cold blast hit her from one side, scorching, molten flames the other. Both were testing the strength of her telepathic shield. It held up well against the barrage, much to her parents, and Raiden's relief. Neither wished to witness Kara ending up half charred, half frozen solid.

A beep drew attention from Kara. She let out a huff and relaxed for a bit. The veins were starting to pop up on her forehead. Her once bright amethyst eyes were now dimming pastel violet.

"Damn. We got minus seventy on one side, and, on the other? One-thousand-five-hundred degrees celsius. Yeesh".

Jacqui tightened her ponytail and placed her phone down. Kara snorted.

"Hold on. Did you just use your phone to guess the temperature of the attacks I am blocking? How is that in any way accurate?"

Jacqui shrugged. "Modern technology. Pretty amazing".

Another snort riled the teen slightly, and she bit her lip.

"Don't need new tech if you have my tech".

Loud groans and stage boos came from her 'audience'. She laughed, coughing upon a stern reminder from Hanzo, in the form of his 'I'm about to murder you' look, that she was still, indeed, being 'attacked'.

She bluffed. "Okay guys? I am getting 'the face', so I really ought to not mess this up. Any lapse in concentration and my ass is toast".

Johnny smirked, and immediately shouted.

"TOASTY!"

Hanzo's palm hit his head faster than everyone could start laughing. Even Kuai was laughing at him. Kuai! The nerve of that has the man in yellow and black seething.

Sub-Zero would rue the day he chose to laugh, Hanzo would make sure of that...

Kara's temple began to throb. A pain pulled at her, signalling she was overdoing it. She'd proven her worth, shown everyone that she was a capable fighter, that she could hold her own beside them...

So, why did she feel like she had yet more to prove? That she'd be somehow left behind, whilst others flourished?

Age old wisdom?

She scoffed, quickly looking around, to see if anyone saw that.

They hadn't. She sighed.

More like age old wis-dumb.

"Grand-Master, and, er, Master? I need to stop. My head's getting fuzzy".

Both men ceased their attack, the former promptly rushing on over towards his General.

He spoke softly, borderline cooing to her. Kara gently perched herself on the edge of a pillar, careful not to knock the book on said pillar onto the floor.

"You shouldn't push yourself you know. All of us here", he gestured around, "know that you are strong".

Kara shrugged, letting her head drop a little. She regretted that motion as the dizziness intensified.

"Tch. Yeah, but, hey. We all want a little time to show off, right?" A wicked grin took her mouth. "And besides, I think I handled myself well against the two of you. That's a testament to how well I've been trained. Not long ago, I wouldn't have dared asked you to actually try and wound me. I know if I was hit by either attack", she shivered, unintentionally, "then I'd be in trouble. I can't die in here though, thanks the Gods".

Tiama, who was listening in smirked at Fujin and Raiden, who returned the audacious look.

"You're welcome, darling".

Kara's expression mirrored how she felt internally. Thoroughly flustered.

"Mo...Thank you", she played it cool, throwing out formalities as if they were going out of style, "Lady Tiama, Lord Raiden and, huh". She paused. "Mr Fujin? Sir Fujin? What term do we call you?"

Fujin waved her off, a little red in the face himself.

"I do not have one".

Kara's eyes widened. She looked at her Mother, Raiden, then her Mother again.

"Wait. How come you two get fancy titles, whereas Fujin doesn't? How is that fair? Isn't he a God, the same as you?"

Kara's teasing didn't go unnoticed by wondering eyes. Tiama noted a look, a look, between her daughter and Raiden. She fought the urge to grin.

"I don't know. Am I still a goddess? That title was taken from me when I married your Father".

Raiden frowned. "I did not decide that. The high council did. I could not dispute it as it is in the rules, written millennia ago".

Kara joined in the frowning contest, hers not as marring as the thunderer's.

"They need updating then, surely. It's not like my Mom deliberately scoffed at the rules and broke them. The high council sound like pompous, stuck-up...".

She dared not say another word, as the glare she received from Tiama would have been deadly, were she not in a chamber of healing.

Speaking of which...

She let in the Jinsei's energy, it's soft embrace ridding her aching head swiftly. Goosebumps appeared on her arms, the hairs standing on end as she stretched upward. The satisfying click of her shoulders made her smile, then giggle, as Sub-Zero winced.

She could have clicked her neck, knuckles, ankles and toes if she so wished, but decided not to torture the man in the blue, in front of her any longer.

Evening fell with the General still in the chamber, now lounging on the floor, lapping up energy, like a cat did a bowl of cream.

Harnessing her chi, she felt she wasn't alone. She did not mind, actually wanting the company. She didn't need to voice it. She focused on fusing it with Raiden's as he walked into the room. Lightning made it's way towards her. A small flicker of her eyes and dilating pupils signaled fear. She didn't want to try and use the God's power herself. A foolish endeavor that would only see her hurt. They let their abilities 'fight', and hers 'outwitted' his, whizzing past, or encapsulating the bolts and dissipating them. Twinkling sparks trickled towards the floor, like tiny fireworks.

"You're letting me win". She rolled over onto her stomach, cracking an eye up at him.

In response, he sat down. A light flick of the wrist led to a sudden burst of light, the God's form aglow. Kara's eyes widened as she watched, the flash hit the purple energy spheres she had created and dispatched them effortlessly. She breathed out laughter.

"Fair enough". She sat crossed-legged in front of him, dusting, then showing her palms, still dusty.

"This place, it could do with a clean", she offered, "I could do it. You know I'm pretty through when it comes to that".

"Ah. Is that why the underside of the chest-of-drawers is always dusty? So much so, I could draw a line in it, and you could see how thick the dust was around the line?"

Kara growled. "Well, that damn duster was too big to fit under there. Short of de-feathering it, which I decided against, I couldn't get it under there". She teased, a minute quirk of the lips. "Honestly", she put a hand to her mouth, biting back a giggle, "so ungrateful".

The answer she received made her zero in on a piece of thread, hanging from her greave.

I am grateful. More than you know.

She swallowed, and it went down the wrong way. An immediate burn stung her windpipe as she spluttered, trying her best not to cough. She looked way.

Good to know.

Yep.

She said the last part to herself, as a reassurance, as to what she'd just heard?

Then again, in the rain. Everything felt different, clearer. I had a sense of clarity, understand. We understand one another now.

Despite herself, she felt her face heat up. The back of her hand on her cheek warmed the skin quite considerably.

Yes. Clarity. That's what it was.

Kara looked back, mustering courage, thanking the candlelight for masking most, if not all of her reaction.

The feeling's mutual.

A long, drawn-out yawn left her mouth. She stretched.

"Hmm. I'm off home".

Kara wasn't sure what time it was. Raiden stood and offered a hand, which she took.

As the pair walked outside, Kara gazed up at the stars.

"I'm getting soppy in my old age".

Abrupt silence accompanied the statement. Did she just say that out loud? Mortification filled her. She retreated away from the God, and buried her face in the collar of her robes, her sanctuary, albeit, a rather poor one.

Raiden kept his hand outstretched. Kara peeked at it, then looked away, wished to scurry on further. He sighed, and walked to the portal, letting her take things at her own pace. Making her feel cornered wasn't what he'd originally planned. He stopped, an odd feeling washing over him.

Planned?

Had he planned to come there? No. Had he ended up there anyway? Yes. He'd say that he came here often, with or without company, but. He knew.

Kara knew. They were the only ones who needed to know this nugget of information.

The woman moving past him brought him from his thoughts.

He needed to talk, say something, see if Kara was on the same page, if she'd even opened the same book...

The two teleported to his home. Raiden walked to the front door, waiting for Kara. When the woman just stood there, seemingly shy, he paused.

"Walking me to the portal? What a gent".

Cursing indecision, the General put up a hand, gesturing to wait.

"Wait".

Books began flying from the shelf in the far corner. They landed in front of Kara's feet. Six were stacked precisely when she prompted him to walk over. More than a little curious, the thunderer did.

Kara looked at her handy work.

"Call me spontaneous, or, you know, short".

Even now, her stomach felt like it would drop out of her body, her heart bursting free from her mouth. Nervousness fluttered its wings gently against her rib cage.

Hadn't she done this before? Yes.

Was she usually spontaneous? No.

Wasn't she a pro at this? Definitely not. She hadn't yet managed the ability not to appear an inexperienced whelp.

Had she ever kissed a God before? Netherrealm no. She was far beyond being out of her depth here. The tide could swallow her here. This wasn't her territory, but she was about to stake a claim here.

Raiden tilted his head. Kara made up her mind not to flee, standing on the books and ever bold, questing arms made their way around Raiden's neck. Tiptoes were necessary, the books not providing enough height, leverage. A snort and smile occurred when her face made his jawline.

"I may levitate. I may not levitate. Element of surprise, see".

She nuzzled his jaw. He dropped his head, resting it on the crown of hers. Letting boldness win out, she shook free and nuzzled his nose. Eyes of mischievous hazel met pearlescent white and grey, fading in and out. The General was a little apprehensive, whilst Raiden took this in his stride. Kara hadn't seen or heard of him being with anyone over the years, but assumed he had. She kissed next to his mouth before walking away, leaving behind her a thin line of telepathic energy. Raiden never took his eyes off her, taking the wisp and wrapping it around his wrist like a bracelet.

He let her go, though not from his thoughts.

Kara opened her front door and stepped in, shrugging off her jacket and placing her keys on a little hook embedded in the wall.

"Hi Mom".

Tiama was on her couch, a proud, knowing smile on her face. She tapped the side of her nose when her daughter eyed her warily.

"I know, you know. You are both happy, I don't need to read your mind to know that".

"Mom's intuition", she turned on the ball of her foot, "I don't even know if it is 'something'. We're just taking it in our stride. At our own pace".

Her Mom nodded.

"That's good. In the past, you have rushed things".

Kara acceded. "Yeah. Well, at least I know now that Raiden had had millennia to hone patience, and that he is, patient. I reckon any other guy would be pissed that I didn't bother with them for twenty years".

She sighed giddily.

"God. Am I having second teen phase? I sound and feel like one".

Tiama stood, taking her daughter's hands, seeing yellow in her aura, accompanying and coexisting contentedly.

"No. You're simply letting yourself be happy. That's how you feel, when truly enamored".

Kara made a face.

"Mom. Don't use that word. Yes, I look up to him, really look up. You know, seven foot and all".

The two laughed. Tiama covered her mouth.

"I think we all do".

The chuckling went on into the night for quite some time...

Bold Kara is bold. Had an epiphany with her and Raiden and how they interact. So glad I did, I was wondering how I'd approach it. With dignity and respect of course.

Okay. I am sorry. I simply HAD to get Scorpion's 'Toasty' in there somehow. I find it hilarious.