"What are you doing up so early?" Eliza asked when she sat on the bench next to her youngest granddaughter a few days later.
"Couldn't sleep."
"You miss your mom." Eliza said.
"Yes."
"She took a lot of persuasion." Eliza said. "You know more than anybody that your mom tries to put on a brave front and make everyone think she is okay so they don't worry. And you know she isn't okay. I don't know exactly what Alex had planned, but whatever it is, she is doing it to force your mother to open up."
"I know. And I want her to have fun." The teen said.
"But you don't like her being away?"
"Yes, but it's not that."
"Then what?"
"It just feels like she is always freaked out when she is around me."
"What do you mean?"
"After that guy from Dakran messed with her head it's like … I don't know, may be I am just being stupid." The teen said.
"What is it?" Eliza pressed.
"She seems super stressed and it's like I'm causing the stress. Like now she knows what I might be able to do she sees me as a freak."
"She doesn't. But she's worried about you and she doesn't know how to help." Eliza said.
"What do you mean?"
"She knows you are having nightmares and she knows you aren't telling her about them."
"She's already stressed." The teen pointed out.
"Perhaps you two should spend less time worrying about each other and more time talking." Eliza suggested.
"Maybe."
"Do you want to talk about your nightmares?" Eliza asked.
"Not really. They're just dreams."
"Dreams that are stopping you sleeping." Eliza pressed. "Just because your mother is stubborn and bottles everything up doesn't mean you have to." She added as Alex's phone buzzed.
"Who's messaging you at this time?" Eliza asked.
"It's mom." The teenager said typing a message back. Having written it she looked at her grandmother and asked. "Weren't you scared when you took mom in? I mean you had no idea who she was or what she was like. She could have been dangerous."
"She was a little girl." Eliza said.
"Doesn't mean she wasn't dangerous."
"Do you think you're dangerous?" Eliza asked trying to get to the root of Alex's concerns.
"Hard not too." The teen said. "Powers aside, my father's family don't exactly sound like good people."
"Your mother believes that everyone is good." Eliza said.
"I know. But that's what scares me."
"What do you mean?"
"What if I'm bad?"
"You're not a bad person." Eliza said hugging her.
-00-
"I just want to make sure she is okay." Kara said when she noticed her sister looking at her.
"She'll be fine." Alex said. "But I'm sorry, I shouldn't have forced you to come."
"You didn't. And last night was great. I just felt a little guilty having fun when Alex was -"
"In Midvale, having fun?" Her sister finished for her.
"Yes. I know it is stupid but-"
"It's not stupid." Alex said sitting next to her. "I'm sorry I just wanted you to have fun and relax."
"Karaoke was fun." Kara said.
"It was. And I am never going to let Lena forget it." Alex smiled.
"I did forget for awhile." Kara said.
"Forget what?"
"Everything. There was a moment during our Britney set that I forgot about Mongul and Lobo and Fels' family." Kara said as a door opened.
"What was in those drinks?" Lena asked as she stumbled into the main area of the suite.
"I think it might have had something to do with quantity not content." Alex said.
"It's a good thing I am not my brother. If I were I'd weaponise those drinks." Lena said sitting down before noticing Kara holding her phone.
"You messaging your daughter again? Isn't it 6 in Midvale?"
"I need to make up for last night. I mean you were the one who stole my phone and sent hundreds of drunk texts to Alex." Kara pointed out.
"You shouldn't have left your phone unattended." Lena said unsympathetically. "Where's Sam?"
"Still asleep." Alex guessed as Sam walked into the room.
"Morning guys." She smiled.
"How are you not hungover?" Lena asked.
"Practice?" Sam suggested. "So what's on the cards for today?"
"Food. I'm starving." Kara said.
"How can you eat?" Lena asked. The thought of food making her stomach churn.
"Not all of us drank our body weight in cocktails last night." Alex reminded her.
"Just because you are dry, don't be smug. Besides I needed something to get through karaoke." Lena said.
"You loved it really." Kara added.
"And we have the videos to prove it." Sam added.
"I hate you all right now." Lena grumbled.
"Then you won't want to join us at the spa." Sam said.
"Spa?" Lena asked perking up.
"But it is a no phone spa. So send your final messages to Alex now." Sam warned looking at Kara.
"Fine." Kara said. "But can we go shopping afterwards?"
"Retail therapy?" I like it Sam said.
"I'm pretty sure she is talking about different kinds of shops than you are expecting." Alex warned.
-00-
"What do you three want to do today?" Eliza asked her grandchildren.
"Last day of freedom, we can't waste it." MJ pointed out.
"Just because your mom isn't here doesn't mean you can do whatever you want." Eliza warned before looking at Alex and asking. "Anything you want to do?"
"No."
"Then I get to choose." MJ said.
"What about me?" Kara asked.
"Your tastes suck." MJ said.
"If you three can't agree on anything, I'll choose." Eliza warned.
"What do you want to do?" The teenage Alex asked her grandmother.
"Well, there is the wildlife sanctuary, we could go there?" Eliza suggested.
"Okay." Alex immediately agreed before MJ could protest.
"And you two?" Eliza asked.
"Sure." Kara agreed as MJ reluctantly added. "Fine."
-00-
"You were right that was not my idea of a shopping spree." Sam said to Alex as they sat down for a meal. "But it was still kind of fun."
"And Kara is happy." Alex said as Sam checked her watch. "Are we keeping you from something?"
"No. I was just checking we had enough time to eat."
"There is always time to eat." Kara said.
"It might be tight, but one course will be fine." Sam said.
"Tight for what?" Lena asked regretting not organising the itinerary herself.
"The last surprise." Sam said.
"Which is?" Alex asked.
"Tickets for a show."
"Why do I get a feeling it is a musical?" Lena asked.
"Alex said make this weekend about Kara." Sam pointed out.
"You didn't have to." Kara said. "But thank you."
"You should be grateful it isn't Disney on Ice." Alex pointed out to Lena before looking at Sam and asking. "It's not Disney on ice is it?"
"No. It's something I have been wanting to see again for years." Sam said. "And the reason we may be in a hurry is because we may want to dress up."
"For a musical?" Lena asked sounding slightly snobbish.
"Opera is technically a musical." Kara pointed out.
"True, kind of. Although plenty of people would object to that grouping. But something tells me it's not opera." Lena said.
"It's not." Sam said.
"So what is it?" Kara asked.
"Rocky Horror." Sam said.
"Oh we so need to dress for that." Kara said as the waiter collected their orders. Once he had gone Sam asked Kara the question they had all been tip toeing around.
"So how are you really doing?"
"I swear if you say fine I will buy up your favourite take away shops and then shut them." Lena said.
"Not even Lex went that far." Kara said.
"Just as well he never figured out your true weakness." Alex countered. "But I suggest you answer Lena's question."
"I'm okay." Kara said, seeing Alex's glare she said. "What? I didn't say fine."
"You do remember I bought CatCo on a whim?" Lena asked as she pressed on with the threat.
"I'm constantly scared." Kara confessed. "That something will happen to Alex. And none of those very specific fears seem irrational. And to top it all off she possibly has all these extra powers and I don't know how to help."
"She's smart she'll figure it out." Sam said.
"Do you really think we'll let anyone come to this planet and take her?" Lena asked. "In case it escaped your attention my brother was obsessed with weaponry. Including weapons that would stop aliens. I have no issue using them to protect Alex."
"Comforting and terrifying." Kara said.
"I'm serious Kara, I'll do whatever it takes to protect Alex, we all will."
-00-
"I missed you so much." Kara said hugging her daughter as she and her sister returned to Midvale.
"I missed you too." The teenager said tightly hugging her. "Did you have fun?"
"I did." Kara said as MJ looked at his mother and asked.
"Did you get us presents?"
"It was a weekend." The adult Alex countered.
"So no?" MJ pressed.
"Not exactly. Thanks to your aunt's insistence of retail therapy AKA finding a present for Alex, presents are in the bag."
"Sweet." MJ said taking his mother's bag.
-00-
"How did it go?" Eliza asked when it was just her and Alex.
"It was probably a mistake. I mean I don't think it helped Kara. She spent most of the time stressing about Alex." Her eldest said. "How were things here?"
"Pretty quiet." Eliza said.
"Thanks for taking them."
"You don't have to thank me for spending time with my grandchildren." Eliza said before asking. "Did the break do you any good?"
"Me?"
"Focusing on being a mom and a big sister doesn't hide all your problems."
"I know."
"And?" Eliza asked.
"I'm doing okay."
-00-
"Have I mentioned how much I missed you?" Kara said as she walked along the beach with her daughter and her dog.
"Just a few times." The teenager said. "But did you really?"
"What? Of course I did. Where did that come from?" Kara asked stopping and looking at her daughter.
"Ever since you were interrogated you have been treating me differently."
"What do you mean?" Kara asked confused.
"Whenever you look at me you have this frown."
"You want the truth?" Kara asked. When her daughter nodded she said. "After what happened you had a nightmare and I came in to wake you up and I got this image in my head of drowning and so many emotions came with it. I don't know for sure but you may have projected that image. And if you did then that is what you saw and felt and you never told me how scary that experience was, or how it still effects you. And I realised at that moment how I had failed you and I don't know how to help."
"You were freaked out by my nightmare?" The teen asked confused.
"Yes. What did you think it was?" Kara asked.
"You always seem freaked out by my powers."
"I'm not. I'm freaked out because I want to help you and I can't and I feel like a failure."
"I don't need help." The teen said.
"Everyone needs help." Kara pointed out.
"I meant I don't need you to worry about my powers. I'll figure them out. Besides J'onn is going to help me with them."
"He is?" Kara asked.
"Yes, so you don't need to worry."
"Okay, I will try not to worry so much." Kara said. "But that will only work if you actually tell me when things are bothering you. Because if you don't I am going to worry about everything."
"Fine."
"Good." Kara said before adding. "You can start anytime."
"Start what?"
"Telling me what is bothering you."
"Okay. The thing that really bothers me at the moment is all the junk food you eat." The teen said.
"Okay, I walked into that." Kara said.
"I'm fine."
"Really? Because I'm not." Kara said.
"Want to talk about it?" The teen asked.
"No I want you to tell me what's bothering you."
"Right now. Nothing. I'm fine. If I wasn't I'd tell you."
-00-
"We so need a bigger car." The teenage Kara said when she saw all the food that Eliza had made. "And a bigger freezer. Unless Aunt Kara eats it on the way back."
"What am I eating?" The adult Kara asked walking into the kitchen. "Is that chocolate pecan pie? Three of them?"
"It is." Eliza confirmed. "There is also lasagne and some curries." She added before passing her granddaughter a tin. "I made your favourite muffins too."
"Thanks." She said placing it in her bag. Seeing the look the older Kara was giving her she said. "What? MJ will eat them all otherwise."
"Where is your brother?" Eliza asked.
"Raiding the attic with Alex." The teenager said.
"What are they looking for?" The adult Kara asked.
"Stuff." The teenager replied unhelpfully. Before grabbing her bag and leaving the room.
"Was I that monosyllabic?"
"Yes." Eliza confirmed.
"How long before they all grow out of the monosyllabic response stage?"
"Well, Alex clung to it until she was in her thirties." Eliza pointed out.
"Is there a cure?"
"A time machine?" Eliza suggested as the other two teenagers entered the kitchen.
"Hi guys. What were you looking for?"
"Stuff." The teenage Alex said.
"Find any?" Kara pressed.
"Sure." MJ answered as he took one of the cookies Eliza had baked.
"MJ, why aren't your bags in the car?" The adult Alex asked coming into the kitchen.
"I'm going." MJ said grabbing another cookie and leaving.
"What are you frowning about?" Alex asked her sister.
"The communication skills of teens."
"What communication skills?" Alex asked. "You ready?"
"Yes." Kara said before hugging Eliza.
"Remember what I said." Eliza said. "And try not to worry so much. Alex will be okay. But she needs you to be okay, so take care of yourself."
"I will." Kara said before pulling away.
"Same goes for you." Eliza said to her eldest as she hugged her.