"Hi Alex." Alex greeted her niece as she entered the house a few days later. "Where are MJ and Kara?"
"They have club stuff."
"You don't want to join a club?"
"Not really. I know I don't live here anymore, but mom is out, can I wait here?"
"Of course you can. You are welcome here anytime you want." Alex smiled. "Besides I am going crazy being all by myself."
"Should we ask Eliza to come back?"
"No. I think she will worry less in Midvale." Alex replied. "How is school?"
"Okay I guess."
"Do you need any help with your homework? Despite what your mother may have told you about calculus I'm pretty good now."
"No thanks. I did it all during free period." She shrugged.
"You did?" Alex asked surprised.
"Yes, it's not hard."
"What about history? Your mom used to hate that." The adult Alex asked.
"It's just dates and events, it's not hard." The teenage replied.
Noting her niece seemed less chipper than normal she asked. "Everything okay?"
Before the younger Alex could answer the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it." The teenager offered.
"Hello. Is your mother in?" The woman asked.
"Who are you?" The teenage Alex asked.
"Are you trying to be funny?" The woman asked.
"Apparently your reputation only extends to the Earth." The older Alex said limping towards the door.
"Hmmm. Is Kiera here?" Cat asked. As she did the younger Alex recognised the name the woman had used and recalled stories her mother had told her and said.
"You're the Cat Grant." The teenager said. "The queen of media."
In response Cat looked at the teenager and said. "I assume you are Kiera's daughter?"
"Yes." The teenager said.
Cat then looked at the adult Alex and said. "You were saying about my reputation."
"I stand corrected." Alex said. "She'll be back soon. You are welcome to wait."
"Thank you." Cat replied before looking back at the teenager. "You don't talk much. That is an admirable trait." Cat commented before following Alex into the lounge.
"Should you be walking?" Cat asked.
"No." The teenager answered on her aunt's behalf.
"I'm fine." The adult Alex said. "So what do you want with Kara?"
"To discuss the future and I thought she should have a copy of the contract she signed." Cat said taking a seat.
"What contract?" Alex asked as the front door opened.
Assuming it was her mother the teenage Alex went to the door as the adult Alex read the document Cat had brought over.
"Hi." Kara said hugging her daughter. "Sorry I'm late. How was school?"
"Okay. You have a visitor."
"Who?" Kara asked following her daughter into the lounge.
"Cat? What are you doing here?" Kara asked.
"I thought we should talk."
"Alex, why don't we go make some dinner?" The older Alex suggested sensing Cat didn't want an audience.
"But you can't cook." The younger Alex said confused.
"We'll figure something out." Alex said guiding her niece out of the room.
"What brings you to this side of town?" Kara asked.
"To start with, I wanted to thank you for saving my life."
"Always." Kara smiled.
"And then I wanted to finish our discussion."
"Discussion?"
"You came to my office and it felt like you wanted to talk, but then you ran out." Cat said.
"I had so much to say and I didn't know where to start so I kind of-"
"Ran off?" Cat finished for her.
"Yes. You have always given me so much direction and I wanted that, but then when you started talking about Supergirl I thought that maybe you'd be disappointed that I had only returned as Kara."
"She may not be as confident or act in such extreme ways, but I assure you Kara Danvers is every bit the hero that Supergirl is." Cat said. "So what's your plan?"
"My plan? I don't really have one."
"So you are making it up as you go?"
"Pretty much."
"And are you living a double life again?"
"I'm trying to."
"And what is the Kara element of that?"
"The Kara element?"
"Yes, what is Kara Danvers doing?"
"Right now trying and failing to find a job. An eighteen year career gap is a killer."
"You still want to help people?" Cat asked. "I mean as both Kara and Supergirl?"
"Of course."
"And do you think you can balance being Kara, Supergirl and a mother?"
"I'll try." Kara said. "But like you once told me I can't have it all at once."
"During your last stay on Earth you had nearly become competent as Supergirl, having met your daughter, you are clearly doing fine as a mother, so the only part you really need to work on is figuring out who Kara Danvers really is." Cat said.
"I have spent the last eighteen years as just Kara." She said before adding. "None of the planets I was on had a yellow sun, so no powers."
"Not having powers doesn't mean you figured out who Kara was." Cat said. "I sometimes wondered if you really valued you. I think you felt Supergirl was more important and lost sight of the good that Kara Danvers could do. My advice, for what it is worth, is to find a way to be you, once you do that everything else will follow." She then paused before saying. "CatCo is looking for an investigator who won't be biased by too much knowledge. They need to get to the truth and then pass the story onto one of our faces of CatCo."
"You are offering me a job?" Kara asked.
"The pay won't be much and you will need to prove yourself, and there will be no glory for you. However, you will be able to help people and the work will naturally need to to be out of the office for prolonged periods, helping your cover. If you want it, be at CatCo at eight am."
"I don't know what to say."
"It's quite simple, yes or no." Cat said standing. "But whatever you choose my balcony is always available."
"Thank you." Kara said hugging Cat, who after a moment of surprise returned the hug.
"Welcome home." Cat said.