"Kara! Open up." James said banging on Kara's door. He was about to bang again when the door opened revealing a very disheveled Kara. "What's going on?" He asked entering the apartment, shocked by the state of turmoil it was in. "Winn said you had quit."

"I have."

"Why?"

"Because I have had enough."

"You're not a quitter, you're a fighter." James said as he continued to look round the apartment which looked as if the Tasmanian Devil had torn through it a few times.

"Perhaps I don't have anything to fight for anymore." Kara said sadly.

"What happened?" James pressed.

"She lied." Kara said.

"Who?"

"Alex. She lied about Astra. She told me Hank had killed her, but he didn't, she did."

"I sorry." James said not entirely sure what to say. "I'm sure she had her reasons."

"Don't defend her." Kara said bitterly. "You don't know what happened."

"You're right. But I do know she loves you."

"You don't know anything about her. How can you? I apparently don't know anything about her."

"There is something you should know." James said. "Just before Alex used the VR tech to jump inside your dream, when the Black Marcy had you, she asked me for a favour. She asked me to stop Henshaw pulling her out before she got you back. She said she was either coming back with you or she wasn't coming back. She nearly died getting you back. You can question her actions but the one thing you can not question is her love for you."

"If she really loved me she wouldn't have lied."

"She would if she thought it was to protect you." James said. "I know you're hurting, but don't let this destroy what you two have."

"Had." Kara corrected. "And it is already destroyed. I have to get away from here. I feel so angry all the time."

"I can see from the extra ventilation in the walls." James said dryly.

"If I stay I can't guarantee that I won't do something stupid."

"Where will you go?"

"I don't know."

"When will you be back?"

"I don't know if I will. Right now I need space. I can't think here. Everything reminds of Alex's betrayal. I have to get away."

"I get it." James said. "Just promise me you'll look after yourself."

"I promise." Kara smiled weakly as James pulled her in for a hug.

"I will always be here for you." He reminded her.

-00-

"So did you go and see Kara?" Winn asked as he entered James's office.

"Yeah, last night."

"And?"

"She's gone."

"Gone where?"

"I don't know, she didn't say."

"When will she be back?"

"I don't know either, but she said she might not come back."

"And you let her go? Are you mad?" Winn asked.

"She said she needed space."

"No, no she doesn't. Space is bad for Kara, she needs people, family."

"She is kinda mad at Alex. To be honest keeping them apart is probably best in the long run. I have never seen Kara as mad as she was last night. If she sees Alex at the moment she'll say things she can't take back and they'll never recover from that."

"I get that, but I have known Kara a lot longer than you have and she does not do well in isolation. She really needs to be with people."

"I don't know what to tell you." James said as Siobhan entered his office. Looking over to her he asked. "What do you want?"

"Ms Grant would like to see Whit."

"Winn." James corrected as Winn nervously asked.

"Me? Why?"

"I don't know. But I was told to bring you to her office so shall we?"

"Um, okay." He said unenthusiastically as he followed Siobhan out. "So she gave you no indication why she wants to see me?"

"No. Maybe she has confused you with some one else?" Siobhan said snidely.

As they entered Cat's office Cat looked up and said to Siobhan. "You are not needed for this. Go."

Despite himself Winn found himself enjoying the annoyed look that crossed over Siobhan's face as she walked towards the door. Just before she reached it Cat called. "Oh, Shannon, shut the door on your way out."

With the door shut Cat stood and said. "Join me on the balcony."

"Um, do I have to?" Winn asked. "I mean I hate heights."

"Now." Cat said walking out of the window. Reluctantly Winn followed her but ensured he hugged the wall. "You may sit." Cat offered.

"I'd prefer to stay back here." Winn said.

"Have it your way." Cat said as she watched Winn for a moment before saying. "You have proven before that you are not completely incompetent and you can be discrete."

"Um, thanks."

"I need you to use both those skills for me."

"Okay."

"I need you to investigate something for me."

"But I'm just an IT guy." Winn said nervously.

"I know. What I am asking you to do is not entirely core business. I need you to dig into the past of my assistant."

"Wait. What? Siobhan? Why?"

"Because I don't trust her. She is too good at her job. She is hiding something. I want to know what. You are going to find out."

"I am?"

"Of course. You don't like her."

"I wouldn't say that exactly." James said.

"I would. She upset Kira and you like Kira. If for no other reason you dislike her out of loyalty to Kira."

"Is there anything else?" Winn asked deciding it was best to get off the balcony.

"Yes, one other thing." Cat said looking at Winn. "I need you to tell me what Maxwell Lord showed Kira to make her leave."

"I remember Kara listed her reasons for leaving as she resigned." Winn said.

"Kira has only ever lost her temper once and I concede may have been partially responsible for that. I was the catalyst. This time whatever Maxwell Lord showed her was. I want to now what it was."

"Whatever it was it was personal." Winn said avoiding all eye contact with Cat who he was fairly sure was staring at him.

"Have it your way." Cat shrugged. "I'll just have to go to the source."

"You can't she's gone."

"I was referring to Maxwell Lord." Cat pointed out before asking. "What do you mean gone?"

"I mean she has left the city and is probably never coming back."

-00-

"How did you find me?" Kara asked as Hank entered the cave she was in.

"Unusual Earth tremors from this region, which I assumed were caused by your destruction of the cave." Hank said. "I brought you a gift." He added throwing Kryptonite cuffs at Kara's feet.

"You're here to take me in? Treat me as the criminal whilst Alex walks free?"

"You can adjust the Kryptonite levels in the cuffs. If you want to punch a wall without setting of a natural disaster try using them."

"You lied to me." Kara said as she picked up the cuffs.

"I did and I am not going to apologise for it. I felt it was the best thing I could do, for both of you." He said walking up to Kara who was struggling to figure out how to adjust the setting. "May I?" He asked.

Shrugging Kara handed the cuffs to Hank who placed one on each wrist then pressed a button immediately causing Kara to drop to her knees.

"This is the highest setting. When I am done I will lower it to something more tolerable for you. I know you don't want to hear this, but you need to listen." Hank said sitting in front of Kara who was struggling against the effects of the Kryptonite. "I know you've seen the video, but you weren't there. You don't know what was being said, what was being felt. Alex tried to reason with your aunt but she wouldn't listen. Your aunt was about to kill me. She said I would die a soldier's death and had a knife to my throat. From where Alex was standing her only option to guarantee I lived was to kill Astra. Was it the right thing to do? Yes, we are at war and your aunt was the enemy. Am I sorry she did it? Yes, because killing Astra killed something inside your sister and it killed something inside of you." He paused and stared at Kara, making sure she was listening.

"I know you are angry at Alex, but by holding her responsible you are hurting yourself as much as you are hurting her. If you need to blame someone blame me. If I hadn't joined the fight when I did maybe, just maybe, Alex could have got through to Astra, but all I could see was your aunt trying to kill your sister. I sure to hell wasn't going to risk your sister on the off chance your aunt had seen the light. It was also my decision to lie to you. Alex didn't want to. It tore her up, but I persuaded her it was the right thing to do." He then reached out and lowered the level of Kryptonite in the cuffs as he said. "You saved me from myself. You told me I could fall into the hole in my heart. I had to fill it. It's time you followed your own advice." With that he walked away, hoping he had done enough.

-00-

"Alex?" James asked as he walked up to her at the bar.

"James." She slurred not looking round. "Drink?"

"No thanks. And I think you've had enough."

"I really haven't." Alex replied.

"Yeah you have. I'm going to take you home."

"I'm not ready."

"Yeah you are." James said tugging on her arm. As she turned to face him he saw the left hand side of her face was bruised. "What the hell happened?"

"It's not important." Alex shrugged.

"It doesn't look that way." James said. "I'm going to take you to hospital."

"I'm fine."

"Alex, I'm taking you home or to a hospital. Your choice."

"I am happy here."

"You are not happy anywhere right now." James pointed out. "I am taking you home. Let's go." He added putting his hand on Alex's arm and trying to pull her away.

Too drunk to struggle she allowed James to lead her out of the bar to his car.

When they finally arrived at Alex's apartment James felt a sense of Deja vu as he saw that Alex's apartment was in a similar state as Kara's, the only differences being that the holes in the wall were smaller and the place was littered with empty bottles.

Leading Alex to the couch he set her down then went to the kitchen to fetch some ice. As he entered the small room he was dismayed to find more empty bottles. When he returned to Alex's side she immediately started speaking.

"I killed her, then I lied about it. She hates me. I hate me. But she really hates me. All she ever wanted was family and I just killed hers. I shouldn't have listened to Hank. I should have told her the truth. I miss her. How could I do it?" She rambled as James pressed an icepack to her face. "You know, maybe she was right, maybe there was another way. There must have been another way, she said there was and Kara can't lie. Did I not see it because I didn't trust Astra and didn't want Kara to get hurt or was I too focused on saving Hank? Maybe, maybe Kara was right, maybe I wanted Astra dead. I'm just a murderer. A cold hearted killer."

"Alex." James cut in only to be interrupted by a knock at the door. "Don't move." He instructed.

"Olsen?" Hank asked surprised when James opened Alex's front door.

"Henshaw? Man, I'm glad you're here."

"What's happened?"

"I found Alex at a bar she was in a bad way."

"Drunk?"

"And beaten."

"What? Where is she?" Hank demanded walking straight past James. When he saw Alex sprawled out on the couch with an ice pack to her head he asked. "Damn it Alex, what happened?"

"Just a run in with some Fort Rozz guys."

"By yourself? Without back up? What were you thinking?"

"That I had killed a Kryptonian General and some low level prisoners wouldn't be much of a challenge."

Turning to James he said. "Thank you for bringing her here. I've got this."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

-00-

As Alex woke up with a splitting headache she forced her eyes open and was surprised to see Hank staring down at her.

"Where am I?" She asked.

"Your place. You don't remember last night?" He guessed.

"Slightly foggy on details." Alex confessed as she sat up wincing in pain.

"Olsen found you in a bar, drunk."

"Logical place to get drunk." Alex pointed out as she rubbed her temples.

"You confessed to being in a fight with some Fort Rozz prisoners." Hank went on as he handed her some tablets and water. "What were you thinking going after them, alone?"

"I was thinking that every alien who was in Fort Rozz wants Kara dead and that by stopping them she would be safer."

"What are you doing Alex?" Hank asked standing. "You are better than this." He said waving his arm round the room.

"Fairly sure Kara would disagree on that point." Alex argued.

"Non said he would be back and the next coffin would be your sister's. So you can either lie around here drinking yourself stupid, wallowing in self pity or you can try to stop Non and protect your sister. It's your choice, I can't make it for you. Either come back to work sober or don't come back." With that he left hoping and praying he had taken the right approach with both sisters.

As the door shut behind him Alex got to her feet, grabbing her ribs in pain as she did so. Deep down she knew he was right. Kara may hate her but she could never hate Kara. Regardless of how Kara felt towards her she needed to protect her little sister.

-TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up early next week.