"You sure I am normal?" Kara asked as Alex drove her home.
"Your scans are completely normal." Alex said. "Besides, you were worried about the ring. You aren't wearing the ring. And you said to remove it was death so clearly you haven't worn it. You are the exact same you that you were before you ran into Lobo."
"Okay." Kara said. "But if I turn, you have to stop me before I hurt Alex."
"Kara, you are not going to turn. You are fine." Alex said. "But I will protect Alex."
"Thank you." Kara said before looking out of the window.
"Want to fill me in on what happened?" Alex asked.
"I told you."
"You talked about the ring. I get the impression there was more to it than that."
"The ring is the important point." Kara said. "Most of the rest of it was him drinking, and talking, but mainly drinking."
"If it makes you feel better we know he left orbit hours ago. He is gone. He went straight from the cave."
"It is what he is going to do next that worries me." Kara said as Alex pulled onto the driveway.
"Whatever it is, we are in it together." Alex assured her. "Let's get you inside. Alex wants to see you."
"Alex." Kara said as she got out of the car. "Thank you for coming for me."
"Always." Alex said as she fell into step along side her sister. Before they reached the house though the front door flew open and a teenager sprinted towards them.
"Mom!" Alex said before tackling her mother.
"Alex." Kara said holding her tightly before looking over her head at Eliza and silently try to assure her foster mother that she was okay.
"Are you okay?" The teenager asked, refusing to release her mother.
"I'm fine. Especially now I'm home."
-00-
"Here you go." The teenage Alex said as she passed her mother a mug of hot chocolate that evening.
"You don't have to fuss over me." Kara assured her daughter. "I'm just a little tired. Other than that I'm fine." Seeing the doubtful look she was getting back she asked. "How are you doing?"
"I was scared."
"I know. I'm sorry." Kara said. But as she looked at her daughter she sensed she was hiding something and asked. "What is it?"
"I made Alex mad." The teenager confessed.
"Been there." Kara sympathised. "What did you do?"
"Ran away. I mean not away away, but to protect Kara and MJ and find you." The teenager explained.
"You shouldn't have done that." Kara said sitting up straight and looking at her daughter.
"That's what she said. Right before I think I was grounded."
"She grounded you?"
"It was a little ambiguous, but maybe."
"Well then I will be not ambiguous and tell you that you are definitely grounded."
"While you are grounding me I may have trashed Alex's house and broke a fountain."
"What?" Kara asked.
"Not deliberately. I just kind of lost control of my powers."
"Come here." Kara said drawing her daughter in for a hug.
-00-
Unable to sleep Kara sat in the darkened lounge of her apartment thinking about what Lobo had said and what he might do. As she started to lose herself to dark thoughts she heard a noise and looked up to see her daughter walking towards her.
"Alex? Why aren't you asleep?" Kara asked.
"Couldn't sleep. Why aren't you asleep?" The teenager countered.
"Just thinking."
"Without the TV on?"
"I don't always have the TV on." Kara protested Alex sat next to her and hugged her.
"Yeah you do. So what's wrong?"
"Nothing. I really was just thinking."
"About what?"
"How important you are." Kara said kissing her head.
"And that makes you frown?" Alex asked.
"I'm not frowning."
"Yes you are."
"Want to talk about what happened with your powers?" Kara asked changing subjects. For a moment Alex didn't say anything, but finally she said.
"They're harder to control when I'm scared. And the wave thing doesn't work."
"Every one gets scared." Kara said. "But you can overcome your fears and when you learn to do that being scared won't cause you to lose control."
"What if I can't overcome my fears?"
"You will." Kara said. "And if the waves aren't working we will find something that does."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I have gone through what you are going through."
"And what worked for you?"
"It changed with time. But right now it is you." Kara replied.
"What if my fears come true? What of something happens to you?" Alex asked.
"I'm okay." Kara assured her as she held her tightly.
"But Lobo is still after you?"
"No he isn't."
"He always completes his contracts."
"How do you know that?" Kara asked confused.
"I read about him on Argo."
"You did? Why?"
"I wanted to help. So what's going to happen now? When is Lobo coming back?"
"I don't know if he is." Kara said. "He has no reason to. There is no contract on me."
"Then why did Lobo take you?"
"He was bored, apparently. He wanted to talk. The important thing is he is gone."
"So you're safe?"
"From Lobo? Yes." Kara said, hoping she wasn't lying.
"But not from everyone else?" Alex asked.
"Because of Supergirl people will always come after me. But I will do every thing I can to stop them."
-00-
"How are you feeling?" Alex asked when Kara appeared in her kitchen the next morning.
"I'm fine."
"You don't look it." Alex pointed out.
"I didn't sleep well last night. I kept thinking about what Lobo said. Plus Alex confessed."
"Confessed what?"
"Everything. At least I hope is was everything. It seemed like some big ticket items. Thank you for looking after her."
"I didn't do a particularly good job on that." Alex reminded her. "Before you get too mad with her though, she was just scared."
"I know." Kara said. "But she shouldn't have run off. And she needs to learn that lesson." She added as Eliza walked in.
"Sweetie, how are you feeling?" Eliza asked hugging her.
"I'm fine. All healed."
"Not quite what I meant."
"I'm fine." Kara assured her. "Thank you for being here for Alex."
"Always." Eliza said hugging her again. "Where is Alex?"
"At my place. Kara and MJ came over."
"They did?" Alex asked confused, convinced they were upstairs.
"Yeah, about thirty minutes ago. Kara cooked breakfast."
"She did?" Alex asked before wondering. "How did they sneak out without me noticing?" She then paused before asking. "How come my kids do your chores, but not mine?"
"I'm their favourite aunt." Kara pointed out. "And I don't want to take sides, but walking out of the front door isn't sneaking." She then looked at Eliza and asked. "Can you keep an eye on Alex today?"
"Of course. But where are you going?"
"The DEO."
"Why?" Alex asked.
"To work."
"No you're not." Alex said.
"So you aren't going in?" Kara asked confused.
"I am, but you're not. You need to rest."
"I'm fine. Besides don't we have to do the debrief?" Kara asked before saying. "Will you two stop looking at me like that. I'm fine."
"Kara, ignoring the beating you took when the red lamps were on, that grenade he used was enough to knock you out even with powers. You need to rest." Alex said firmly.
"Really I am fine now. But if it makes you feel better I will spend an hour under the lamps at the DEO."
"You are volunteering to spend time under the lamps?" Alex asked. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I was just trying to appease you." Kara said.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked refusing to accept Kara's answer.
"Nothing." Kara protested.
"Kara Sweetie, you are clearly lying." Eliza said.
"I'm not. Physically I am fine."
"But?" Alex pressed.
"I'm still worried about the Lantern rings. If I stay here I am just going to worry about what I will do if I wear that ring. At the DEO I can at least look at the information you got off Diggle."
"Fine. But you go under the lamps first and you tell me everything that happened in the cave." Alex said.