As Alex woke up again she saw her daughter lying on the edge of the bed fast asleep. Looking to her other side she saw her sister sitting in a chair.
"Hey." The older Kara said. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay. The kids?"
"They're okay. MJ is at the house with Eliza." Kara explained before looking at her niece and adding. "Kara refused to leave."
"You okay?" Alex asked. "I remember you taking a beating."
"I'm fine now. Actually I'm not. I'm mad at you right now."
"Why?"
"Hiding how much trouble you were in. You should have told me."
"How do you know?"
"Lena and J'onn. Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want to force you into coming back." Alex said.
"This is bigger than preferences." Kara said. "You should have told me. I mean even the backwater I have been in we had heard of Mongul. Just not the fact he was taking on Earth. Do you know how dangerous he is? Of course you do but you still didn't tell me. At the very least you should have warned me, what if he had come after Alex?"
"I tried to warn you back in Midvale." Alex pointed out.
"The whole 'Earth is not as safe as it used to be'? That's not a warning. Did you really think I would run away of you told me?"
"I was scared you'd stay and get yourself killed."
"So instead you tried to get yourself killed?"
"That's not plan A." Alex said shifting in the bed, wincing as she did so. "I know you are mad, but I was trying to protect you."
"Why Earth?" Kara asked changing subjects, not wanting to yell at Alex when she was in so much pain.
"Not sure exactly. I mean no one knows why he first attacked us. But now we think he is ticked at loosing to your cousin. For a few years he disappeared, turned out he was rebuilding and now he plans on enslaving Earth. For the last year small squads have been coming to Earth and taking humans as well as generally being a pain. We think they are testing our defences before the Armada gets here."
"And now he has managed to share his infamous gem stone technology with his lieutenants." Kara said. "Beating one of them was hard enough. If there are more of them we could be in big trouble."
"I know." Alex said grimly.
"You should have told me, but I can see why you are working for the DEO." Kara said. "You should tell the kids."
"That would be illegal." Alex reminded her.
"Firstly, that hasn't stopped you before, secondly, it might keep them safer."
"Or it might cause them too much stress." Alex said. "I want them to have a normal life. Surely you appreciate that more than anyone."
"I do. But I also know how damaging secrets can be."
"How about no more secrets?" The teenage Kara said form Alex's side.
"You heard all that?" Alex guessed.
"Yes. But we had already figured most of it out." The teenager said hugging her mother before sitting up. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Alex assured her before asking. "Shouldn't you be in school?"
"It's the weekend."
"It is? How long have I been here?"
"Fifty one hours." The older Kara said.
"You've been waking up and then drifting straight back again." Alex's daughter explained. "They have you on a huge cocktail of meds."
"So I can go home soon?" Alex asked hopefully.
"You are going to be on bed rest for weeks." Her daughter said.
"I'll give you some space." The older Kara said standing. "I'll bring back some food."
"Kara." Alex called.
"Yes."
"I'm sorry. And thank you for saving my life."
Nodding Kara left the room as Alex's daughter commented.
"She is way to nice, you deserved a lot more yelling for lying to her."
"I know." Alex said hugging her daughter.
As the adult Kara walked through the waiting area she saw a TV showing the latest news, with the heading. 'Hostages at CatCo'. Not thinking she ran from the hospital.
-00-
"Well well well." Cat said as Supergirl landed on the balcony.
"I thought you'd want the exclusive." Supergirl smiled at Cat who was held by a man with a gun.
"Who are you?" The man asked.
"She's the one who stopped that alien." His partner replied, sensing that this was about to go badly.
"She's Supergirl. And you should really do your homework before you attempt something like this." Cat said.
"Supergirl? More than Supergran." The man holding Cat said.
"Was that meant to be funny?" Supergirl asked. As she started to walk forward the man holding Cat said.
"Back up or I will shoot her."
"And what will that get you?" Supergirl asked. "Right now you can walk away. Anything happens to Ms Grant you can't. So why don't you give me the guns."
"Sure." The man said turning his gun on her and firing.
As the bullets bounced off she added. "Ms Grant is right, you should really do your homework." She said before using her heat vision to burn the man's hand. As he dropped his gun in pain, his co-perpetrator began to run, only for Supergirl to use her freeze breath to freeze him to the ground.
"Are you okay?" Supergirl asked Cat as she secured the other man by bending a metal lamp round him.
"I'm fine. Thank you." Cat said before pulling herself together and saying. "But you need to work on your timekeeping."
"I'm sure you'll mention that in the article." Supergirl smiled.
"Article?"
"On my comeback."
"I've not written for months. Why do you think I'd write it?" Cat asked.
"Who else could give such carefully crafted criticism?" Supergirl asked.
"You have a point." Cat said before reaching into her desk and saying. "Before you go, sign this." Cat said handing her a piece of paper.
"What's this?" Supergirl asked as she skimmed the contract.
"It is formally confirming what everyone knew. That you are mine. Or at least CatCo is a prime sponsor of Supergirl and is therefore insuring her. It's not exclusive so you can still more for clandestine government agencies. This way you can be more flexible in what you do and stay true to your beliefs. You can see at the bottom you can cancel anytime, but CatCo can't. If you trust me sign the document."
"The date-" Supergirl said noticing it was dated a few days earlier.
"Will give you ample protection. Sign."
Nodding Supergirl picked up a pen and signed.
"You are far too trusting." Cat said. "But welcome on board."
-00-
"Something you want to tell us?" Alex asked when Kara returned to the hospital room.
"What do you mean?"
"You were on the news." Her niece explained.
"Cat was in trouble." Kara shrugged.
"So you are really back?" Alex asked.
"I guess so." Kara smiled.
"Well now you are the city's saviour again can you do me a favour?" Alex asked.
"Anything." Her sister said. "Do you want a burger from that food truck in Chicago?"
"That went out of business ten years ago." Alex said.
"Oh, do you want me to look after things at the DEO?"
"No." Alex said quickly looking stressed.
"Than what?"
"Can you take Kara home?"
"No." Alex's daughter immediately said.
"You've been here non-stop. You need rest. I promise you I'm okay, or I would be if I didn't have to worry about you collapsing from exhaustion."
-00-
"Hey guys." The older Kara greeted as she and her niece entered Alex's house.
"Is mom okay?" MJ immediately asked.
"She is already talking about going home." The younger Kara said. "And she is being bossy again."
"She sent us home." The older Kara explained.
"I'm going to visit." Eliza said. "Do you want to come?" She asked MJ who shook his head.
"You need to go to bed." Kara said to her niece, who was too tired to argue.
"Is mom disappointed in me?" MJ asked his sister as he followed her upstairs.
"Of course not." She said turning to face him.
"Are you?"
"No."
"But I'm a coward."
"No you're not. I never knew how hard it was for you after the accident. I mean I was unconscious for a long time. But seeing mom like that I am starting to get an idea. But I still can't start to imagine what you are feeling right now."
"I feel like a coward." MJ repeated.
"I promise you, you're not." Kara said hugging him. "Come on let's watch a movie."
"But aunt Kara said you had to sleep."
"I can doze on the couch." She shrugged.
-00-
"Mom?" Alex asked from her hospital bed.
"Hey Sweetie, how are you feeling?"
"A little groggy." Alex confessed.
"That's better than being in pain." Eliza pointed out.
"How's MJ?"
"Feeling guilty that he isn't here." Eliza explained. "I told him you understood, but when you are out you need to talk to him."
"I will." Alex said. "Thank you for being here."
"Where else would I be?" Eliza said squeezing her hand. "I was so scared when I saw the news. And then when J'onn told me what you are fighting against… why didn't you tell me?"
"You know I can't talk about work." Alex said.
"I think you are hiding behind your job." Eliza countered. "But we can talk about that later, for now just focus on getting better."
"I'm okay." Alex assured her.
"You nearly weren't." Eliza stated.
"I know." Alex said, her chest suddenly feeling tight.
"Alex, listen to me." Eliza said. "You are okay, so are the kids. Just relax, you are safe, so are they."