Time at the Mansion passed in a haze of preparations and the six teenagers pretending that they weren't scared out of their minds at the thought of facing their parents again. The memory of Karolina laid up in a bed at the DEO with a broken arm was fresh in all of their minds, especially in Nico's whose mother had the dubious honor of being the one who broke Karolina's arm. The pressure each of them feel is mounting by the day, but they all do what they can to escape it.
Alex finds his way into Lena's lab in the evenings. He knew that Lena was one of the biggest and strongest companies around and that she was in a contest with Nico's parents for the most prolific technology advancements in California. Lena was a well of scientific knowledge and, after she had gotten over the initial surprise of Alex being in her home lab-which she hadn't told anyone but Kara about at the time-she was more than happy to share her knowledge with Alex. He was a bright young man with a very promising future in science if that was what he wanted. Lena hadn't told him yet, but she would be glad to offer him a position at L-Corp after he finished college.
Gert and Molly had taken over the den for movie nights that were intended to be just for the two of them but invariably ended up drawing all inhabitants to the room most nights. It was reminiscent of the Danvers' sister nights, which had been lacking recently with Kara living out of the city and Alex spending a good portion of her evenings off at the DEO with Winn looking for information about Pride.
(They knew disturbingly little about the deals that Lex had made with Pride, even with access to some of Lena's private files that had once been Lex's.)
On the nights that Alex did make it out to Mansion with the rest of them, Nico would meet with the agent privately. There were things that Nico didn't want to talk about in front of the group, things that she didn't want them to know about, but things that she could talk to Alex about. Of course, it was like pulling teeth the first time Nico tried to initiate one of these conversations, but now she was a little more prepared for the heaviness of it.
"You're holding back a bit," Alex noted with a wary eye. They were in the backyard sparring, just the two of them. The sun had already set so their only light came from the industrial lighting Lena had installed around the backyard, more than adequate. They could hear Old Lace running around in the garden behind them and the Mansion was quietly buzzing with the sounds of life in its walls. Kara had been called into the city for Supergirl business so Karolina was watching a movie with Gert and Molly rather than hanging out with Kara. Nico assumed that Alex and Chase were both in the lab, Alex talking with Lena and Chase sequestered in the small lab he had created for himself downstairs.
"I'm not holding back."
"Really? Because we've been doing this for a good half hour and you're barely winded."
"Maybe I'm just in better shape than you," Nico replied, rolling her eyes when Alex gave her a very pointed look. Okay, sure, Alex was probably as ripped as Kara with the added bonus of having had to actually work for any sculpted muscles she had, but Nico could still pick on her for one thing. "Well, I am much younger so there's that."
"Brat," Alex playfully swatted at Nico's arm, satisfied when the attack was dodged nimbly. Nico wasn't giving her full attention to their sparring but Alex honestly hadn't expected her too. They were three days away from the deadline Pride had given them for Jonah's big move. "You gonna tell me what's bothering you or do I have to pull it out of you?"
"I'm nervous," Nico didn't have to elaborate on what she was nervous about exactly, Alex already had a pretty good idea from the way her gaze shifted to the Staff of One that lay on a bench nearby, but she still wanted to hear Nico say it. "The last time I used the Staff against a person, Alex nearly drowned and Karolina broke her arm."
"But that wasn't you doing that. Your mom was holding the Staff when those things happened."
"Yeah, but I don't really remember what happened after I got the Staff from her. I could hear Karolina crying and Alex trying to help her and my vision just went red. I had no clue what I was doing."
"So, what were you feeling?" Alex questioned softly. She didn't move any closer to Nico because she knew the younger girl liked her space during these conversations, but her face turned down into a soft frown.
"Anger, hate, fear," Nico sighed, looking away from the Staff. "That place, my parents, they had already taken so much away from me. They took my sister. They murdered my sister and told me that she took her own life."
"Nico…" Alex said softly, but she went unheard as Nico continued on.
"The only reason I know that she was murdered is because Alex knew but he didn't tell me for two years! I spent two years barely able to breath in that house because I had already lost one person I loved there. And then I got away from there and it felt so freeing. I could breathe again."
Alex remained silent as Nico continued but she felt like she had a little bit of a revelation. She knew that all six teenagers had a great deal that they were dealing with, murderous parents and all, but she never would have guessed that in a better world they would be protecting seven teenagers instead of six.
"But then we have to go back there because something as powerful as the Staff can't be left in Pride's hands. I'm the only one who can control the Staff so I have to go get it, Karolina goes with me because that's just who she is and Alex tags along because he's my best friend. We faced half of Pride together and I just stood there while my mother hurt both of them. My best friend and the girl I-" Nico cut herself off, the cries she had been keeping at bay finally escaping. Alex did move forward then, sweeping the sobbing teenager into her arms in the same way she used to hold Kara through her nightmares.
"Nothing that happened in that house is your fault, Nico. Nothing." Alex spoke firmly as she held Nico to her chest. She doesn't say anything else as Nico sobs against her chest. She just holds the girl tight and lets her cry for as long as she needs too. She has a feeling that this might be the first time Nico had cried for her sister in a very long time and Alex is more than willing to let her shirt soak up the girl's tears.
After a few minutes, Nico cries began to quiet down and it's then that Alex becomes aware of other people nearby. Still holding Nico close, Alex turned her head to see Gert, Molly, Karolina, Lena, and Alex standing just outside the backdoor that leads to the kitchen. They must have gone in there for a snack and heard Nico's cries. Alex gestures for Karolina to come closer with a small movement of her head. Karolina appears and is at their side a moment later.
"Karrie?" Nico questions when she feels the extra hands on her back.
"Hey, baby," Karolina says softly as she rubs Nico's back. Nico turns into her embrace easily, throwing a half-apologetic look back at Alex, who waves her off. "What do you need from me?"
"Just this," Nico nuzzles closer. A few stray tears are caught by Karolina's sweater as she drops a kiss to her girlfriend's hair. Karolina tightens her grip, closes her eyes to find that switch inside herself that activates her powers, then gently carries Nico up to the balcony that leads to their room.
"Is Nico okay?" Gert asks Alex D. Her anxiety must have spiked at seeing Nico in such a state because a moment later Old Lace comes out of the garden and places herself at Gert's side.
"She will be," Alex gives the group a comforting smile. "Give her a little bit of time."
Gert accepts the answer easily enough and pulls Molly and Alex back into the house with her, leaving Alex D. and Lena in the backyard.
"What happened?" Lena asked once the kids were gone. "I thought you guys were sparring?"
"We were but I could tell that Nico wasn't really into it. We got started talking and Nico just...there's a lot of things that she needs to work through and we should really look into getting all of these kids professional help when this is all over, but I think she started healing a little bit."
"I've already had Jess vetting therapists for the kids," Lena admits, rolling her eyes at Alex's amused glance. "Kara and I had talked about it a few weeks ago. Even if their parents weren't evil, running away can be fairly traumatic. It would help them a lot."
"Making sure they don't have to go back to those evil parents would help a lot with that too."
"I'm at least three steps ahead of you on that one," Lena chuckled softly. "We've already got a place for them to stay and two full-time caretakers for them, three if you decide to move in too," Lena gestures vaduley around them. "Molly is the only one who would need an official guardian because the others are old enough to be emancipated but still, Kara and I are going to offer."
"A house, six kids, and a pet dinosaur after barely a month and half together," Alex whistled. "I thought uhauling was a joke."
"Please, I've been in love with your sister since the day she walked into my office. If anything, I've been taking it slow." They share a laugh at the small joke before they sober again. "Besides, maybe it will be good practice for us. If we can survive having six teenagers, four of them girls, in one house, I'm sure we'll be able to handle our own kids when the time comes."
"And have a revolving door of babysitters to call on," Alex pointed out lightly. She fixed Lena with a somewhat intense gaze that had Lena swallowing against a sudden lump in her throat. "I guess I don't have to ask what your intentions with my sister are?"
"Alex, I love her. And I'm willing to move at whatever pace she wants but I want to be her wife someday. I want to share everything with her for as long as she'll let me."
"Good," Alex pulled Lena into a warm hug, smiling as she caught the surprise that Lena tried to hide. "I'd hate to have to get rid of the Good Luthor because she broke my sister's heart."
Lena laughed as they pulled apart. By mutual agreement, they moved into the Mansion side-by-side and joined the three teenagers in the den to finish their movie before heading up to bed.
Karolina landed on the balcony of the room she and Nico shared gently, pulling her lights back into herself so Nico wouldn't be blinded when she opened her eyes. They stood there together for a moment wrapped in their tight embrace before Nico began to pull back.
Instead of leading Karolina into the bedroom like she had been expecting, Nico pulled her girlfriend over to the chair that they had been cuddling up in on the balcony whenever they got the chance. Nico sits down first and then pulls Karolina into her arms so she can hold the other girl close to her. Karolina settles easily between Nico's legs with her back pressed to Nico's front. Nico's arms wind around her stomach and Karolina laces their fingers together over her abdomen. Feeling somewhat content with Karolina in her arms, Nico turns her gaze up to the stars above them.
They sit like this for quite some time, neither of them speaking. Karolina waits patiently for whatever Nico wants to do. She doesn't expect there to be much of a conversation between them after her crying fest with Alex and as much as Karolina wants to know what was said, she wants Nico to feel comfortable and safe even more. As would be expected due to the late hour and the long days that they had been having, Karolina can feel her body relaxing against Nico in preparation for sleep. Nico must sense this as well as she begins to card her fingers through Karolina's hair. She draws a sleepy hum from Karolina when she lightly scratches her nails against Karolina's head.
Nico turned her gaze back to her girlfriend only to find Karolina already looking up at her. Karolina offered her a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Nico smiled back, scratching lightly at Karolina's skull again. "Sleepy?"
"A little bit," Karolina felt her eyes drift closed for a moment and then opened them again. She stared into Nico's eyes for a moment, before the blue orbs lit up with an idea. "Do you want to fly with me?"
"Now?" Nico asked, half shocked and half excited. Karolina smiled at her.
"Sure, not for long. You don't have to."
"I'd love to fly with you," Nico said warmly. It was the truth. She had been wondering what it was like to fly with Karolina since the first time she saw it happen but hadn't wanted to pressure Karolina into flying with her. Now she couldn't help but be a little disappointed that the first time she had flown with Karolina, Nico was too wrapped up in her own emotional turbulence to enjoy the moment. She wouldn't make that mistake again.
"Okay," Karolina stood them both up and then adjusted her hold on Nico so they were standing like they had been before, face to face with their arms wrapped around one another. "Hold on to me." She whispered and waited for Nico to give her a nod to signal she was ready.
Karolina released the hold on her power and let the light fill her being, decorating her skin in a multitude of colors and then letting the light lift her from the ground. She loved this feeling, light and free and bathed in colors. She looked down at Nico, seeing the glow of her powers reflecting on her girlfriend's skin as they drifted higher above the mansion. Karolina was careful to not go too high up, not wanting to be seen by a plane or anything else that may be flying above them. Instead she hovers just above the roof of the mansion, tilting her head up to see the stars above them.
Nico cast a glance up to the sky but she was much more interested in looking at the girl holding her. Karolina seemed so much more relaxed now, exuding a warmth that came from more than just her powers. Nico was sure she could spend her life living in that one moment, safe and warm in Karolina's arms, drifting high above the world that seemed determined to make them fight for more nights like this.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Karolina spoke softly a moment later, her gaze still focused on the sky above them.
"Yeah, it is." Nico agreed, sliding her hand to the back of Karolina's neck. Karolina looked down at her, sighing against Nico's lips when the smaller girl leaned up to press their lips together. They kissed gently for a moment, until Nico shifted slightly, tilting her head and sweeping her tongue against Karolina's bottom lip. Their tongues danced together in an increasingly familiar manner as Nico continued to move in Karolina's arms until she had her legs wrapped around Karolina's waist, both arms draped over her shoulders.
"Do you want to go inside?" Karolina asked when they pulled apart to breathe. She had unconsciously carried them towards the roof while they had been kissing and her feet rested on the angled surface.
"Not yet," Nico replied softly, swooping back in for a soft kiss. Karolina nodded slightly and carried them down to their balcony, where they settled together in the chair. Nico sat leaning back against Karolina's chest, idly playing with their intertwined fingers that rested on her stomach. They were both content to stay that way until Nico finally fell asleep and Karolina carried her to bed.
An hour and a half after Karolina had flown Nico out of the backyard, Alex had claimed a bed for herself in one of the many guest rooms on the second floor. All of the kids except for Chase were already in their own rooms. Lena had stopped by the room Chase claimed as his lab to remind him not to stay up too late before retreating to the room that she and Kara had been sharing for the past month. She settled in with a book to wait for her personal superhero to return from whatever event she had been called out to help with.
Chase had been trying to escape the pressure building on their shoulders the only way he knew how, tinkering with his Fistagons. There's not much left that Chase can actually fix on his current Fistagons, not after he's spent hours every night for the past week and a half down in his workshop with them. He secured the wiring, tried to minimize the discharge they gave off, re-fitted the cuffs, and even had some of the other runaways put them on to see if they fit comfortably enough to use. He doesn't want to think about one of his friends using the Fistagons, because that's supposed to be a last resort. Someone other than Chase using the Fistagons means someone other than Chase could be staring death in the face.
That's the reality that Chase is really running from. The very real possibility that they might lose someone when they face Jonah and Pride again. Their parents had been killing for Jonah for almost two decades, and they'd already proved they would go to extreme measures even against their own children when they kidnapped Karolina. Chase doesn't want to lose anyone else. Losing Amy two years ago had been hell, it tore the group apart and he's still not sure that they've totally recovered. Sometimes it seems like they get along purely because they are constantly around each other, it's hard not to care about people you see every day. He can't imagine losing anyone else and he's scared to find out what would happen if they did. He can't imagine going a single day without trading jabs with Wilder, wrestling with Molly, teasing Nico about her heart eyes for her girlfriend, training with Karolina. He can't even think about losing Gert and the soft intimacy they've settled into now that they're finally, finally together.
Chase shook his head to clear his thoughts, not wanting to spiral further into the all too depressing possible future, Instead he focuses on the Fistagons again, propped up on special holders for easy viewing. He wished he had his blueprints, wanting to compare the final product to his original design. He's halfway considering drawing up a new set of blueprints for Fistagons 2.0 when he feels a presence behind him. He can't help but stiffen as he registers the person behind him, his back straightening and jaw clenching. He hates himself for the reaction, but he can't help it. The air around him changed, the figure behind him embodies strength in every way and his reaction to such a presence was born from years of cowering beneath his father. He hates himself even more because Kara is nothing like his father.
"Chase?" Kara asks softly. Chase can't tell how far away from him she is, but he knows she stopped moving when Chase stiffened. "What are you still doing up?"
"Tinkering," Chase has to clear his throat after he speaks, his voice shaky, "gotta keep the Fistagons in tip top shape."
"Tinkering," Kara draws the word out, still standing motionless a good distance from Chase, "at two in the morning?"
"You're awake too," Chase doesn't know why he's suddenly so defensive.
"There was a fire downtown," Chase looks over his shoulder and sees that Kara is dressed in her Supergirl uniform, "I just got back and I could hear that someone was still awake."
"Right," Chase nods. Sometimes he forgets that Kara has super senses along with all her other powers. Even in uniform, Kara always seems so human. He wonders if that's intentional, if she's always holding back from her true self.
"Chase," Kara said softly and Chase spun on his stool to face her. "Are you okay?" She asks so softly, so sincerely that Chase feels like crying. Kara exudes strength from her pores, yes, but she's also the personification of love and empathy. It's part of why Chase struggles to separate Kara and his father in his head. They're so different in personality, polar opposites really, but an almost terrifying air of strength surrounds them both.
"I-" Chase clears his throat again, feeling his eyes grow moist under Kara's concerned gaze. She looks conflicted, taking a miniscule step forward, so small Chase probably wouldn't have noticed if he wasn't looking directly at her, before stopping again. Chase knows she's waiting for him to continue speaking or give any kind of indication that she could move closer. "I don't think so."
He's surprised by the admission, and then even more when he looks into Kara's eyes and silently asks for something. He isn't sure what he's asking for, if it's comfort or vindication. He almost expects to be chastised for his tears. Stein men aren't weak, they don't cry, not for anything. The sound that he makes when Kara hugs him is soul-wrenching, coming from the back of his throat as a half-choked sob. Chase is tall enough that when Kara hugs him, his head rests against her shoulder even when he's sitting down. He feels the fabric of Kara's cape against his hands as he hugs her back hard, the material soft and hard at the same time, just like Kara and the dam inside him breaks.
He sobs into Kara's shoulder, his cries driven by fear and hate. Fear of losing his friends, of losing Gert, fear of what he feels, the fear of facing his parents again and not being able to say for sure that they'll all make it out okay. He hates Pride and Jonah from what they've done to his family. He hates his father, a deep, soulful hate that still can't snuff out the craving Chase has for his father's approval. He hates himself for craving that too, and it just makes him cry harder.
If Kara is surprised by his outburst, she doesn't act like it. Her arms are steady around his shoulders, her warmth soothing instead of intimidating as she focuses on making herself as soft and open as possible. She's been concerned about Chase for almost two weeks, watching him lose sleep and train too hard. He's been so driven by fear and hate and it's running him into the ground. Kara wasn't the only one who noticed, but neither Lena nor Alex knew how to approach the topic with him. Their shared suspicion that Chase had been a victim of domestic abuse complicated matters.
The three women were pretty sure Chase had greatly suffered in his LA home, but they didn't think the other Runaways had any idea. Gert was the only one they could see Chase having opened up to, but they weren't sure that had actually happened. Chase seemed like the type to internalize, working out his problems in his head by distracting himself from them physically. Lena had said it was a common coping mechanism, like Chase was making himself strong enough to beat the monsters in his mind since he couldn't face the real ones. Except, Chase was going to face the real ones, because the Runaways had chosen to face Pride again and that put Chase in close proximity with his abuser. None of them had wanted to ask Chase about their suspicions, afraid he would lash out or shut down. They had hoped Chase would come to one of them on his own, when he felt safe enough to talk about what happened.
"Why?" Chase asked suddenly, his voice more broken than Kara had ever heard. "Why did they do this to us? Why did he do it?"
"Who, Chase?" Kara asks, because Chased switched from 'they' to 'he' and that could be the most important distinction. She feels Chase cling tighter to her and she's sure she knows the answer, and when it comes tumbling from Chase's mouth like a broken prayer, Kara feels her own heart break.
"My dad," Chase's whole body is shaking as he cries, "Why does he keep hurting me, Kara? I haven't seen him in months and he's still right here."
"I don't know, sweetie," Kara hopes Chase doesn't mind the term of endearment that slips out before she can stop it. "I wish I did. I wish I could make it stop hurting."
"Why can't you?" Chase sounds broken and angry, lost in the tidal wave of emotions he's been holding back for far too long. He stiffens slightly in Kara's arms. "You're Supergirl, you're a fucking superhero. Saving people is what you do."
"Saving people and stopping something from hurting are different things, sweetie," Kara strokes his hair soothingly and can almost feel the fight leave his shoulders. "Some things will always hurt, and no matter how much I want too, I can't change that."
"Then what can I do?" Chase looks up at her, hopeful in a way Kara had never seen before. In all the time they've spent together training and cooking and settling into this family they've created, this is the first time Chase has genuinely looked to Kara for answers. "How do I make it stop? I just want it to stop hurting. I've lost so much, we all have. I can't take any more pain."
Kara fights against the tears that threatened to fall. The pain in Chase's voice echoes the pain that has lived in Kara's chest since she entered her pod and felt her planet die at 12 years old. It's the kind of pain no child should ever have to face.
"You keep fighting," Kara says, the answer as simple and complicated as that. "I know it's hard and tiring. I know you'll want to give up and it's okay if you do. Some days you just can't fight back. Do you know what to do on those days?" Chase shakes his head against her shoulder. "You lean on your family. Gert, Alex, Molly, Karolina and Nico, they'll all be there for you, however you need them to be." Chase can hear the certainty in her voice.
"No," Chase shakes his head again, "I can't do that to them. I can't burden them with this." Chase won't be the cause of any strife for his friends, even empathy on his behalf.
"It won't be a burden, not to them," Kara knows the reassurance isn't enough just coming from her but she has to try, "just like it won't be a burden to Lena or my sister. Just like it's not a burden to me." She can feel him start to lean away so she let's go of his shoulders. When he looks at her, eyes shining with gratitude, Kara feels the same warmth in her chest that she's come to know so well the past few months. A deep, almost maternal care for the six kids who stumbled into her life with their pet dinosaur.
"Promise?"
"Promise." Kara offers him a kind, reassuring smile and receives a watery one in return.
"Thanks, Kara," Chase hugs her again, softer and more reminiscent of a hug between family members. Kara hugs him back gently.
"Are you going to stay up?"
"I think so," Chase half-turns back to his work bench, "too wired to sleep." His unexpected emotional release had helped clear his mind, but he was still too full of energy to get any rest. Besides, he had been awake for so long now it would be easier to just stay awake anyway.
"I'm pretty useless when it comes to science on earth," Kara says, "but I know sometimes having company helps."
"I don't want to keep you up," Despite what Kara said a moment ago, Chase still feels a little guilty about unloading his emotional turmoil on her. He's not used to trusting adults with emotional problems, having just barely gotten used to trusting adults to give a crap about him in the first place.
"Don't worry about that, I don't need as much sleep as humans. Plus, I spent decades drifting through a timeless pocket of space sound asleep, so I've got a good stockpile." Kara smiles when that pulls a chuckle out of him. "Hungry?"
"Not for anything you're going to cook." He mocks, glad Kara will let him shake off the emotional talk they had earlier without pushing him to talk more.
"How about heat-visioned take out then? I picked up plenty on my way home." Kara's suddenly glad she decided to indulge her craving for potstickers and fried rice after putting out the fire. Chase voices his agreement and Kara playfully muses his hair, glad that she pulls a half-hearted yelp at the motion. It's more of a reaction that she thought she'd get and she knows it's because Chase is feeling more like himself. She sweeps out of the workshop and up the stairs.
"Hey, there you are," She's unsurprised to see Lena is awake and sitting up in the bed they've shared for the past several weeks. "I was starting to get worried."
"Sorry," Kara moves over for a quick kiss before heading to the closet. "I've been home for a little bit, but I got held up downstairs." She changes her suit out for a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt.
"By what? Is everything okay?" Lena questions as Kara emerges from the closet again.
"Everything's fine, don't worry," Kara kisses her again. "Chase needed to talk."
"There seems to be a lot of that going around tonight," Lena hums, shaking her head slightly when Kara looks at her curiously. "You sister and Nico had a bit of a heart to heart earlier that ended with Nico crying, but I think it was a good kind of cry."
"That's kind of what happened with Chase. I feel so bad for these kids sometimes, but I'm also proud of them. It's not easy to talk to people about trauma but they're opening up to us."
"They trust us," Lena follows Kara with her eyes as she moves around to what has become her side of the bed. Kara offers a soft hum of agreement as she reaches for an elastic for her hair. "Are you coming to bed then?"
"No," Kara pulls her hair up into a messy ponytail but leaves her glasses on the bedside table, "Chase is going to stay up working on the Fistagons and I'm going to keep him company." There seems to be a lot that Kara wants to say, but won't because she doesn't want to discuss something that Chase told her in confidence, and without really meaning too. Luckily, her girlfriend is amazing and doesn't press Kara for answers.
"Please don't break anything." Is all Lena says, making Kara roll her eyes as she ducks down to give her one last kiss goodnight.
Kara pauses briefly as she steps outside the bedroom she now shares with Lena, focusing her hearing to see if there is anyone else awake who might need something. She's greeted with deep, even breathing and slow, steady heartbeats from all occupants so she heads back down the stairs. After a quick detour into the kitchen to reheat the food she picked up earlier, she joins Chase in his workshop again. He seems lighter when she returns, like he's somehow better than he was before. Kara doesn't bring up what happened before again, she doesn't think Chase wants to think about it anymore. She's just relieved she could do something, anything to lessen the pain he or any of the other kids feel.
The next day, when Gert pulls her to the side, thanks her and pulls her into the most sincere hug they've ever shared, Kara knows Chase will be okay. Maybe not right away, but he will be.