"How is your leg?" Eliza asked her eldest granddaughter the next morning.
"It's fine. Good as new." The teenager said before looking at her mother and asking. "So can I go out with MJ and Alex today?"
"How much pain are you in?" Alex asked.
"A two." Kara confessed.
"Take these." Alex said passing her some pain killers. "Then you can go for four hours maximum. No running. No jumping. And if it gets worse you come straight back." Alex said.
"Okay."
"You aren't arguing for more?" Alex asked suspiciously.
"I didn't think you'd let me leave the house at all so I'm good with four hours." Kara said.
-00-
"What do you think they are up to?" The adult Alex asked a couple of hours later.
"The kids?" Kara guessed.
"Yeah."
"Exploring Midvale."
"There is not much to explore." Alex pointed out.
"But it is all new to Alex and I'm guessing she keeps stopping to watch the waves."
"Maybe." Alex said. "But I am sure they are up to something."
"Don't be so paranoid." Eliza said.
"If that was me when I was sixteen what would you be thinking?" Alex countered.
"You had a worse track record." Eliza pointed out.
"I was not that bad." Alex protested.
"That's not how I remember it." Kara said.
"Whose side are you on?" Alex asked.
"We are talking about history, there are no sides." Kara countered.
"The only reason I have such a bad reputation is because I always took the blame for what you did."
"Really? You are blaming your sister?" Eliza asked.
"This is what I am talking about." Alex said.
-00-
"My leg is fine." Alex's daughter said as the teenagers returned to the house a few hours later.
"Hello to you too." Alex replied.
"You weren't going to ask?" The teenager countered.
"Well yes, but I wasn't going to lead with that. I take it you avoided trouble." Alex said.
"It's Midvale? What trouble is there?" MJ asked.
"There was a murder." The younger Alex said.
"Yeah right." MJ countered.
"Ie-, Mom and Aunt Alex helped solve it when they were kids."
"Really?" The younger Kara asked. When her cousin nodded confirmation Kara looked at her mother who said.
"Told you Midvale was exciting. Anyway go wash up it's going to start soon."
"What is?" MJ asked before the younger Kara figured it out and said.
"No."
"What's wrong?" The younger Alex asked.
"Can't we miss it?" MJ asked his mother.
"No." His mother said.
"If we stay we will give a running commentary on inept business skills." Kara said.
"Fine you two can skip it." Alex (the older) conceded.
"What about me?" Her namesake asked, no idea what her cousins were getting out of, but trusting their judgement.
"Something tells me your mom will want you to watch it."
"Sorry. You are on your own." Her older cousin said. "We'll see you later."
"You aren't watching it with us?" The older Kara said as she walked into the kitchen.
"No." Alex's kids said in unison as they left.
"Why?" Kara asked looking shocked.
"They are uneducated heathens." Alex said reaching into the cupboard before suddenly stopping and asking.
"Is popcorn okay?" Alex asked Kara.
"Yes. Alex has far less issues than I did." Kara assured her.
"What's going on?" The younger Alex asked completely lost.
"A Christmas tradition. Every year we sit together and watch the best Christmas movie of all time." Kara explained, leaving her daughter none the wiser.
-00-
As the film went on, Alex, not really understanding why all three adults were so enthusiastic about it, noticed her mother was crying. Alarmed she wriggled out of Kara's hug and asked. "What's wrong."
"Nothing." Kara said.
"You're crying."
"Happy tears." Kara assured her as she hugged her confused daughter again.
-00-
"I don't get it." The teenage Alex complained to her cousins that evening. "All three of them cried while watching it."
"And they do it every year." The teenage Kara added.
"Well they are all weird." MJ said.
"This whole Christmas thing is weird." Alex complained.
"You'll get used to it." Kara said. "We are going to play some frisbee on the beach, want to come with us?"
"Frisbee?" Alex asked confused.
"It's a game where you throw and catch this….We'll show you." MJ said. "And it will be a great way to learn to control your powers."
"Not so loud." Kara warned.
"How will we see?" Alex asked.
"It's glow in the dark." MJ said.
-00-
"Which part of rest did she take to mean play frisbee?" Alex muttered as she watched the kids play on the beach.
"She really does take after you." Kara smiled.
"It's not funny." Alex complained.
"It kind of is." Kara said unsympathetically.
"She can't push her leg too hard."
"And she knows that." Kara said calmly. "The last thing she wants is to be stuck in bed for weeks." She added as Eliza joined them holding cups of hot chocolate.
"It's nice to see them getting on so well." Eliza smiled handing over the cups.
"Yes it is." Kara agreed before noticing Alex was frowning. "Why do you look worried?"
"Because they are up to something." Alex said.
"They're playing frisbee." Kara countered.
"I don't mean right now." Alex said. "But I know my kids and they are hiding something."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. You could use your super hearing and figure it out."
"I am not spying on your kids."
"So now you have principles?" Alex asked.
"I always had principles."
"You spied on me the whole time." Alex countered.
"Kids." Eliza cut in.
"Sorry." They both muttered.
"Right now all the children are getting on well. Appreciate it."
-00-
"Merry Christmas." MJ greeted as he entered the lounge the next morning.
"MJ?" Alex asked confused as she and Kara woke.
"You stayed up all night watching movies?" Alex's eldest asked as she entered the room and saw her mother and aunt sprawled on the couch, the TV on in the background.
"Christmas tradition." Alex said.
"You are setting a really bad example for us." MJ said moments before Eliza walked in.
"Mery Christmas. Wait did you two stay up all night?"
"Yes." Alex confirmed.
"What kind of example for the children is that?" Eliza asked.
"Wow, two generations of disapproval." Kara said standing and noticing her daughter wasn't there.
"She's still asleep. She's in mom's bed." The teenage Kara said.
"I wish I was." Alex grumbled as she tried to shake off her weariness as her sister went to check on the younger Alex.
"You've only got yourself to blame." Eliza said unsympathetically as her children sat down next to her on the couch.
"No, pretty sure I have Kara to blame." Alex said.
"How is this my fault?" Her daughter asked.
"I meant your aunt." Alex corrected.
-00-
"Ieiu?" Alex asked opening her eyes as Kara stepped into her old childhood room.
"Hey." Kara smiled. "You okay?" She asked moving over to the bed.
"Yeah. Is it time to get up?"
"Everyone else is up. It's not like you to sleep so late. You sleep okay last night?"
"No."
"What happened?" Kara asked sitting next to her.
"I had a nightmare and then you weren't there. I thought you'd left-"
"I'm sorry." Kara said hugging her. "I promise I am not leaving you. I was just downstairs with Alex."
"I know, I came to find you."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Kara asked pulling away.
"You looked like you were having fun. I didn't want to interrupt."
"You could have joined us." Kara said. "How did you end up in here?"
"Kara saw me come upstairs and figured I couldn't sleep. She said I might sleep better in here."
"Did you?" Kara asked.
"Yes." Her daughter confirmed before pulling away from her mother and saying. "I'm glad we came here."
"So am I." Kara said as she stood. "Come on, lets go downstairs."
-00-
As Kara sat next to her daughter on the couch, Alex's children started to pass round presents.
Moving over to her cousin the younger Kara passed the younger Alex several boxes.
"For me?" The teenager asked confused.
"That's what the label says." The older Alex pointed out.
"You guys didn't need to do this." Kara said.
"We wanted to." Alex said sitting on her other side and hugging her, as Kara's daughter opened the presents.
"Besides I have fourteen years of not spoiling my granddaughter to make up for." Eliza said as her other grandchildren opened their presents faster than Kara normally eats food.
"Are you sure they don't have powers? That is impressively fast unwrapping." Kara commented to her sister.
"Just natural talent." Alex replied as her kids stood up, grabbed their stash of gifts, before walking to the stairs. On their way the teenage Kara stopped by the teenage Alex and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet before following MJ upstairs.
"Where are you going?" Alex asked.
"To play the new game." MJ said.
"What about breakfast?"
"We've got candy canes." Her daughter pointed out as all three children disappeared.
"That's not actually-" Alex started before realising her kids had already made it upstairs.
"Thank you." Kara said looking from her sister to her foster mother.
"You don't have to thank us." Eliza said hugging her. "We are just so happy to have you back with us."
"I'm happy to be back." Kara said. "I never thought I'd have another Christmas here."
"You are home now, that's all thats matters." Eliza said.
-00-
"Are there more people coming?" MJ asked when the teenagers finally came down for lunch and saw the feast on the table.
"No." His mother said. "We are just making sure your aunt's super appetite is catered for."
"It's not my fault I burn so many calories." The adult Kara said before asking. "What have you three been up to?"
"Just playing some games." MJ shrugged. "Alex is annoyingly good at HFZ."
"At what?" Kara asked confused.
"It's the latest computer game." Her sister said. "It's mostly harmless."
"Mostly?" The adult Kara asked frowning.
"It's fine." Alex said. "Kara and MJ play it all the time."
"And they don't like It's a Wonderful Life." The older Kara countered.
"That just shows we have taste." Her niece chipped in as she sat at the table.
"Sometimes it is just best not to talk to them." The adult Alex said as she carried the final dishes from the kitchen.
"Did you make that?" Her daughter asked.
"No. Mom did." The adult Alex replied. "You don't have to look so relieved." She added, she then saw her niece was also looking relieved. "I get those two looking relieved by the fact I didn't cook, but why do you look so happy?"
"Mom has told me all about your…." She paused trying to think of the right word.
"Inept cooking?" MJ suggested.
"Terrible cooking?" The teenage Kara added.
"Yes." The teenage Alex agreed.
"Did she?" The adult Alex asked looking at her sister who tried to look innocent.
"We should start before the food gets cold." Eliza interrupted. "But before we do, I just want to say that to have both my daughters and all my grandchildren here is more than I could have ever hoped. And is the best present I could have asked for."
"To family." The adult Alex said raising her glass.
"Family." The others also toasted.