Once Upon National City

A/N: Hey everyone! Here's another drabble for you! Enjoy!

POST DRABBLE REVIEWS

Guest - You are so true. Most stories I've read involving these two are all about Alex taking care of Kara. I thought I'd mix things up a bit. XD I am considering writing a sequel to this drabble, but haven't quite decided yet if I'll actually do it. Only time will tell. :P Thanks for reading! :)

Disclaimer: The characters and the worlds I write in do not belong to me. The stories that I write are intended for entertainment purposes. I do not make any money from them.


Summary: Kara always knew her sister was stubborn. But Alex seemed to take stubborn to a whole new level whenever she was sick. Alex & Kara. Family/Hurt/Comfort.


*** ~ When Stubborn Met Steel ~ ***

When J'onn had called her, Kara wasn't sure what to think. As far as she knew, everything was going fine in her absence, aside from a few minor alien related scuffles which the DEO handled without issue. That she knew because her over diligent sister texted her updates on a daily basis, sometimes more than one. Her sister's texts had lessened significantly over the past couple of days, and it wasn't until J'onn called Kara did she realize why.

Alex was sick.

Leaning against the open doorway to her sister's personal DEO lab, Kara crossed her arms over her family crest and observed. Like she did whenever she wasn't in the field, Alex was diligently working away on some report or the other, her older sibling the model hard working and dedicated DEO agent. At least, to people who didn't know her so well.

To Kara, she could see the way Alex's shoulders slumped ever so slightly in fatigue, the glazed sheen in her eyes, the slight trembling of her hand as she jotted notes down, all as Alex feigned normalcy. Just by the way her sister massaged her temples every so often, Kara knew Alex had a wicked headache, the kind which no amount of painkillers could fix. And the exhaustion the agent tried so hard to hide, no amount of coffee could chase that away. Though Alex tried. The three empty, extra-large disposable coffee cups sitting on her desk were evidence of that. And it was only nine o'clock in the morning.

Rao, this was going to be a fun conversation.

"Alex," Kara said, walking into the lab, having watched her pretending-not-to-be-sick sibling long enough.

Apparently Alex was even more out of it than Kara thought, the brunette not even noticing her, even as Kara came to a stop right next to her.

"Alex," Kara tried again, this time putting a hand on Alex's shoulder.

"Son of a-!" came her sister's rough shout, Alex nearly tumbling off of her chair as she jerked in the opposite direction and away from Kara.

Acting on reflex, Kara grabbed Alex's arm, preventing what would have been a nasty fall on her sister's part. For her efforts, she came face to face with Alex's favorite space gun, the weapon humming a mere two inches away from her forehead. Blue eyes locked with hazy hazels.

"Hey Sis," Kara said cheerily. "Expecting someone else?"

A raised eyebrow.

"Kara…?" Alex said gruffly after a few seconds of tense silence.

"Surprise?" Kara said, the corners of her mouth quirking upwards.

Alex blinked a whole of two times before re-holstering her weapon.

"Damn it, Kara!" the brunette exclaimed, re-seating herself properly. "What have I told you about sneaking up on people like that? Namely me!"

Grumbling, Alex's head dropped to her arms which were now crossed over her desk, Kara rubbing her sister's back sympathetically.

"Sorry," Kara said. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the heat seeping through Alex's shirt. Her human sister was warm, much warmer than usual. And she was trembling. Or was Alex actually shivering?

"Having a bad day?" she asked when Alex remained silent, Kara moving her hand up to the back of the DEO agent's neck. She frowned when clammy skin met her fingertips.

"You have no idea," Alex groaned, Kara's brows furling at that answer.

"Want to talk about it?"

To that question, the older Danvers just made an incomprehensible noise, making Kara frown even more. Very rarely did her sister respond with unintelligible words when asked about anything. Sure Alex could be confrontational or even avoidant at times, but she always responded with something. Even if it was a simple 'no'. The fact that she didn't this time, that was a clear indication of how crappy the brunette felt right now.

"Alex-"

"What are you doing here?" Alex cut Kara off, her voice sounding rough around the edges. Turning her head to the side, with great effort Kara noted, Alex looked back at her blearily. "I thought you were in Metropolis."

"I was," Kara said, tucking a stray lock of hair around Alex's ear.

"But you're back now," Alex stated, looking at her in confusion. "And it's only…"

Kara watched with growing concern as her sister barely raised her watch hand up to her face to read the time.

"Nine o'clock," Alex continued, her right hand dropping back down to her desk again like dead weight the moment it was no longer needed. "On a Wednesday. I thought you weren't going to be back until Friday? Did something happen?"

Before Kara could even answer, Alex's eyes widened and the DEO agent bolted upright.

"Was it CADMUS?! Is Clark-"

Kara grimaced at the jagged, hacking cough which interrupted Alex's words, her sister quickly stifling the sound by jamming her mouth into the crook of her elbow. While that muffled the DEO agent's gasping breaths, the same could not be said for the way Alex's entire body shuddered through the coughing fit.

"Easy now," Kara said, handing Alex a bottle of water she'd snagged from the mini fridge on the other side of the lab. With a hand on her sister's back, Kara rubbed gentle circles between the agent's shoulder blades, Alex chugging half the water bottle in one go.

"Thanks," the brunette rasped after coming up for air. Once capped, the water bottle was dropped on the desk next to all the papers lethargically.

Alex looked even more exhausted than before, and pale, Kara's heart immediately going out to her older sibling. Due to technological advances, sickness on Krypon was very rare. So when someone did get sick, it tended to be very serious, if not fatal. While Kara knew things were not like that here on Earth, that didn't stop her from worrying anytime Alex did get sick. Especially now. Alex wasn't looking so good. Like really, really, not looking so good right now.

"You didn't answer my question," Alex said, drawing Kara out of her thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"Did something happen?" Alex repeated, worry in her eyes.

"Oh!" Kara said smiling. "Nothing happened and Clark is just fine."

Alex visibly deflated in relief at that answer, Kara watching as the agent lay her head back down on her arms again.

"So what are you doing here then?" Alex asked tiredly, her eyes struggling to remain open.

"I should be the one asking you that question," Kara retorted, giving her sister a look.

"Huh?"

Kara sighed.

"Alex," Kara began. "What are you doing here?"

Staring at her blankly, Alex blinked a few times before answering.

"I work here?" was all her sister said.

Kara pursed her lips.

Ever since Alex and Maggie broke up, Alex had been working nonstop. It was the same when Jeremiah betrayed them to CADMUS months ago, Alex pulling more than one all nighter in a row during that time, making Kara worry greatly. Her only saving grace back then was that Maggie was there to help Alex through it all when she couldn't. That unfortunately wouldn't work this time, Alex's guilt over Maggie being the reason she was running herself ragged right now.

"Alex," Kara chided, a frown slipping back into place. "You're sick. You should be in bed resting, not here working yourself to death."

"I'm not working myself to death," Alex said defensively, glaring. "I'm just..."

Kara raised an eyebrow.

"I just have a lot of work to catch up on, is all."

"Uh huh," Kara said, unconvinced. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Is that why J'onn grounded you from the field? Because you're behind on lab work?"

"How did you-"

Kara gave Alex a look.

"He called you," Alex said after a moment.

"Yep."

Alex buried her face in her arms again.

"Kara, I'm fine," the agent groaned, Alex still face down on her desk. Her voice was getting rougher by the minute.

"You say that, but you don't look fine," Kara stated. "Or sound fine."

"Gee, thanks Sis," Alex grumbled in annoyance. "That makes me feel so much better."

"Hah!" Kara exclaimed, pointing at her sister in triumph. "So you admit you're sick then!"

"Kara," Alex whined.

Kara beamed brightly.

"I know," Kara said. "I'm the greatest."

Alex mumbled unintelligibly into her arms again.

"C'mon now," Kara said, patting her sister on the back. "Time to get you out of here."

Inhaling deeply, Alex weakly pushed herself to sit upright again, slouching back in her chair as she turned to look at Kara again.

"Kara, I'm fine," the DEO agent said. "Really. I promise to take a nap later, alright? But I really need to get back to work."

"Aleeexxxxxxxx." It was Kara's turn to whine.

"Kara," Alex said, tiredly.

"You know," Kara mumbled to herself, her hands on her hips. "This would have been so simpler if I just threw you over my shoulder and flew you away the moment I walked in here."

"I heard that," Alex growled.

"Well it's true!" Kara exclaimed. "And it's not like you could stop me or anything."

"That would be a gross abuse of your power," the brunette argued.

Kara shrugged. "And what power would that be? It's not like I'm officially a member of the DEO. I'm just an alien helping you guys out. Remember?"

"Technicalities," Alex said, waving her off. "That still doesn't mean you can just go around manhandling people because you feel like it."

Kara looked at her sister in exasperation. It was time to bring out the big guns.

"Do I have to call Eliza?"

Alex froze.

"Because if that's what it takes, I will," Kara threatened. "Heck, I would even fly her over here myself if I had to."

The glare which Alex sent in her direction could have melted steel.

"You wouldn't," the DEO agent stated.

Kara crossed her arms over her chest.

"Try me," she challenged.

Dead silence filled the air for the next thirty seconds, each daring the other to cave.

"I hate you."

In the end, Alex was the first to back down, Kara secretly relieved she didn't have to actually carry through on her threat.

"No you don't," Kara said, knowing there was no truth to her sister's harsh words. "You're just grumpy because you're sick. But that's okay. I still love you anyways."

Alex rolled her eyes.

"And because I love you, I promise that if you let me take you home to get some rest without further argument, we can watch that new action movie you've been dying to see over pizza and ice cream. My treat."

Alex raised her eyebrow at Kara, clearly having not expected that.

"And Mom?"

Kara smiled, putting a hand over her house crest.

"I promise not to call her," she said. "But only if you let me take care of you for once," Kara quickly added. "Deal?"

Squinting at her for a few seconds, Alex eventually sighed.

"Fine," the DEO agent relented, much to Kara's delight.

Putting a steadying hand on Alex's back as she rose shakily from her chair, Kara wrapped part of her cape around her sick human (it was Kal's old baby blanket after all) and led them both out of her sister's personal lab.

"That was a cheap shot by the way," Alex grumbled, the brunette leaning heavily against Kara as they made their way out. "Pulling the calling Mom card."

Kara smiled at that comment, taking a brief moment to shut the lights off before closing the door behind them.

"Of course it was," Kara said, gently steering her miserable sibling down to the locker room to get her things. "Would you have let me take you home otherwise?"

Her answer came in the form of a huff, Alex pouting at her.

"That's beside the point," the agent muttered, stuffing her wallet into her pants pocket.

Smiling even brighter, Kara helped her sister into her jacket before the both of them made it out to the main balcony so Kara could fly them both back to Alex's apartment.

"Kara," Alex murmured, Kara pausing briefly with an arm securely around the brunette's waist. Alex's head rested against her shoulder.

"Hmm?"

She looked down.

"Thanks."

Pressing a kiss to her sister's hair, Kara gently lifted off the ground and turned in the direction of Alex's apartment.

"Anytime, Sis," Kara said.


A/N: If you're anything like me, when I get sick, I'm easily irritable, cranky, and at times stubborn. And hence my inspiration for a cranky, sick Alex. :P

In some stories, I've seen people refer to Alex as having red hair. As Chyler Leigh, the actress who plays Alex in the show, has naturally brown hair, Alex is a brunette here.

For those of you wondering why J'onn didn't just kick Alex out of the DEO himself, the reasoning is simple. (1) Manhandling your second-in-command, even if it's for her own good, probably wouldn't be so good for morale, and (2) why do that himself when he could get Kara to do it for him? Besides, Kara could get away with a lot more with her sister than J'onn ever could. XD

I was so tempted to have Kara carry Alex bridal style back home at the end there, but I didn't think Alex would forgive me if I did that. No matter how sick she is, she will always be badass. :P