"I don't see why you are pushing the memory projection power so much." The teenage Kara said to her brother the next day as the three teenagers sat at the kitchen table doing their homework.
"Because I am going to fail tomorrow's test." He pointed out.
"So study." The teenage Alex said unsympathetically
"You know what you need to do?" Kara asked her cousin. "You need to think about the scariest memory you have of mom and project it into his head, then he might be motivated to study."
"I have plenty of those memories already." MJ pointed out as the front door opened.
"And tomorrow you will have new ones." His sister pointed out.
"Why? You'll get the blame?" MJ said.
"Why?" His sister asked.
"For hanging out with Diz rather than making me study." He explained.
"You've not been studying?" His mother asked from the doorway.
"Mom?" The teenage Kara asked before running over and hugging her as her cousin looked towards them. Not seeing her mother the teenage Alex went back to studying only to hear her mother ask.
"No hug for me?"
"Mom!" Alex asked before sprinting to her mother and hugging her.
Feeling how weak the hug was Kara asked. "What's wrong?"
"I don't want to hurt you." The teenager said.
"You won't." Kara said squeezing her tightly.
"Your powers are working?"
"I'm back to normal." Kara confirmed causing her daughter to squeeze her tighter.
"But no one can know that." The older Alex warned.
"Because you have given up Supergirl?" MJ asked his aunt.
"No." The older Kara said.
-00-
"Are you really okay?" The teenage Alex asked her mother as they sat on the couch in their apartment, Chewie sitting on Alex's lap.
"I am. Especially now I am home. I missed you so much." Kara said hugging her daughter.
"Me too."
"Want to talk about what happened when you were exposed to Silver Kryptonite?"
"Doesn't matter. It wasn't real." The teen said staring at the dog.
"But you thought it was." Kara pressed.
"But it wasn't and that's all that matters." The teen said hugging her mother tighter.
"Okay." Kara said deciding not to push her daughter too hard.
"Are you going to tell me what happened to you?" The teen asked.
"That's in the past." Kara said.
"So they won't come after you again?"
"I don't know." Kara replied. "They might. That's one of the reasons I am not being Supergirl for awhile. But no matter what happens I'll make it back."
-00-
"Here." The teenage Kara said passing her mother, who was on the couch, her splinted leg resting on the coffee table, a mug of tea.
"Thanks." The adult Alex said. "Where's your brother?"
"Upstairs cramming. Grandma is helping him." The teen said sitting down next to her mother.
"How are you doing?" Alex asked.
"Okay, I guess. No more acting crazy."
"You were never crazy." Alex assured her. "And recovery isn't that easy."
"I'm okay." Her daughter said. "I'm still seeing the shrink. Well in between being sent to other cities and going to Argo."
"Good, but that doesn't mean that you are okay. You've been through a lot, it will take time to recover, even with help. Just promise me you'll ask for help when you need it."
"I will."
"Good." Alex said before asking. "How's Diz?"
"Mom-" Kara started to complain.
"It was a question." Alex said. "Am I not allowed to ask how your boyfriend is? Especially as you aren't with him."
"Well this is your first night home and I thought you wouldn't be interrogating me." The teen said.
"I'm not interrogating. I just want to make sure you are okay. And I know Diz is important to you, so that means making sure he is okay as well."
"So does that mean you are going to start being nice to him?" The teenager asked.
"Baby steps." Alex said wrapping her arm round her daughter and pulling her in for a hug, wincing as she moved her ribs.
"I missed you." The teen said as she leaned against her mother.
"I missed you too." Alex said. "Your grandmother, Ruby, Sam they've all told me how hard you worked looking after MJ and Alex. I'm proud of you."
"I just did what you asked." Kara shrugged.
"I'm sorry I missed your birthday." Alex said.
"You had a pretty good excuse."
"Well I am home now, is there anything you want to do to celebrate?"
"Not really."
"Let me know if you change your mind."
-00-
"You not going to hang out with your cousins?" Kara asked when she saw her daughter lying on the couch with Chewie after school the next day.
"No."
"Have you had a fight with them?"
"No."
"Then why are you lying there looking bored?" Kara pressed.
"Alex got taken because I wasn't powerful enough to protect her."
"Protecting her isn't your job." Kara pointed out.
"That's not what Kara and MJ said." The teen said.
"When?" Kara asked confused.
"As Alex was getting kidnapped."
"When Alex got taken they were scared and upset. They didn't mean what they said, any more than you did when you were on Red-K." Kara said before asking. "Does this have something to do with what you thought you heard when you were exposed to Silver Kryptonite?"
"Maybe." The teen said.
"Talk to me." Kara said sitting next to her.
"What if they are only being nice because they think they have to be?"
"I am pretty sure MJ would have told you if that was the case. And you really think Kara would have chosen to go with you to Argo rather than hang with Diz if she didn't like you?" Kara said. "But if you don't want to hang with your cousins that is fine with me. It gives me more time to spend with you." She said as her phone buzzed.
"Do you have to go?" Alex asked as Kara read the message.
"No." Kara smiled as she came and sat next to her daughter. "It was just Lena checking that I was okay."
"Are you?" Alex asked.
"I am."
"What about Settlers of Catan?" Alex asked.
"Wouldn't you prefer the aquarium or the gardens?" Kara asked.
"No."
"Is something wrong?"
"You are meant to be resting." The teen reminded her.
"Alex, now my powers are back I am fine. I don't need to rest. Besides I have been resting all day." Kara assured her.
"More rest can't hurt though." The teen said.
"Okay, I will take it easy and hang out with you herey. But we go to your cousins' for dinner." Kara said.
"Okay." The teen agreed.
-00-
"The DEO are still digging." Stagg said to Tycho over the video link.
"I heard that apart from a few prints they have nothing. And seeing I am sure you have disposed of those who left prints, what's the issue?"
"I told you I didn't want the meet to happen at one of my labs." Stagg said. "If I was paranoid I'd say you planned it."
"The last thing I wanted was to lose my prize asset." Tycho said.
"Have you figured out why she hasn't coming running back?" Stagg asked. "I thought you owned her mind and body."
"They are probably trying to fix her." Tycho said. "One way or the other I will get her back, even if it is just her corpse. But if you are concerned with keeping a low profile, perhaps you should keep your subjects locked up. There have been plenty of rumours about your research?" Tycho asked.
"The cocktail worked better than anticipated." Stagg said. "They broke out. We won't be making that mistake again."
"I assume there is a reason for this call." Tycho said.
"Where are you getting your Kryptonite from?" Stagg asked.
"That's my business." Tycho said. "But I will continue to share."
"Why?" Stagg asked.
"We're partners."
"Are we? Or are you trying to set me up as your fall guy?"
"You'd prefer me not to share?" Tycho asked.
"Just trying to figure out your motivation."
"Simple. The best assets for your endeavour are the Kryptonians. I merely want to make sure you aren't tempted to go after them."
-00-
"Is Alex okay?" Eliza asked her youngest after dinner when the three teens had disappeared upstairs. "She seemed more quiet than normal."
"She's still trying to get over what happened with the silver Kryptonite. She's started to believe that Kara and MJ don't really want her round."
"You went through something similar with Alex." Eliza reminded me.
"Yeah, but Alex didn't want me around." Kara reminded her.
"That isn't true." Her sister said. "Most of the time. And I changed. The important thing is you accepted that."
"I know. It's just that Alex has never really been close to anyone her own age and then after getting close to Kara and MJ, I hate that she's started to drift."
"You want me to get Kara and MJ to talk to her?" Alex asked.
"I think that will make it worse. I mean I think she'll think they are doing it because they have been told to."
"Alex has been through a lot." Eliza said. "She might just need time."
"I hope so. I still can't believe she ran away." Kara said.
"You've seen what silver Kryptonite can do." Alex reminded her. "And who knows exactly how it interacts with Alex's DNA."
"I know, but what if it is something I did-"
"Kara she thought you were dead." Eliza reminded her. "For her to feel like she didn't belong means the rest of us let her down not you. We are all going to work on that. But just try to remember how long it took you to feel like you had a home on Earth."