"What are you two doing up?" Kara asked when she found the teenage Alex and MJ lying in the backyard in the early hours.
"Couldn't sleep." MJ said.
"Well, that might be because you are out here, not in bed." Kara said.
"Isn't that true for you too?" The teenage Alex asked.
"Why can't you two sleep?" Kara asked, ignoring her daughter's observation.
"Just couldn't. Plus Diz snores really loudly. So thought I'd star gaze." MJ said. "Then Alex started telling me some stores about some of the stars, well your trips."
"And why couldn't you sleep?" Kara asked her daughter.
"Just couldn't." The teen said.
"Talking may help." Kara said.
"Tried." Alex said.
"Failed." MJ added.
"So you are just going to stay out here all night?" Kara asked.
"Yes." The two teens said.
"Want to talk?" Kara tried again.
"No." The teens said before MJ asked.
"Can you tell us some more star stories?"
"Sure." Kara said before pointing. "You see that really bright one."
"Yes." MJ confirmed.
"It has moon that is famous for one of the strongest materials in the galaxy. You can't see the moon from here, but it is close enough to the star that it influences the orbit. That system, especially that moon always reminds me of you mom."
"Why?"
"Because you may not see it, but it is always there. And that mineral is so strong, no matter what happens to it, it always survives. Just like your mom."
-00-
"No singing." MJ said as he got in the minivan the next day, his mood influenced by lack of sleep.
"Why?" The older Kara asked. "It's a road trip."
"No, it's us going home." He said before seeing his mother sitting in the back row. "Why do you get the back row?"
"So I can stretch my leg out and to keep an eye on all of you." Alex said.
"Your paranoia never ceases." Lena quipped as she sat in the row in front of Alex.
"Don't you like have a fleet of luxury cars we could use?" MJ asked Lena.
"Yes, but watching you in this tin prison could be amusing." Lena commented. "And if it isn't I can just get picked up."
"Can I come with you?" MJ asked.
"No."
"This sucks." He said as he took one of the single seats and started to play on a game.
"He okay?" Diz asked as he took a seat next to the teenage Kara, aware of the older Alex watching he every move.
"It's before nine." The teenage Kara shrugged.
"If we can't sing, how about games?" The older Kara asked enthusiastically only to be met by a chorus of "nos."
"Maybe you should sleep?" Her sister suggested.
-00-
"Here you go." Ruby said passing Alex a bag containing some food and water several hours later.
"Thanks." Alex said before she noticed they were moving.
"Wait if you are here with me, who is driving the bus?"
"Don't worry, it's not a AI controlled. Diz is driving."
"Diz?"
"Relax, he's a good driver." Ruby said.
"Plus if he is driving you don't need to worry about chaperoning." Lena pointed out.
"That's a good point." Alex conceded.
"You know we can hear every word up here?" The teenage Kara shouted.
"Good." Her mother called back, as Ruby passed her a tablet.
"What's this?"
"Every photo that has been collected is on there. We thought you might want to go through them see if anything jogs your memory."
"Thanks." Alex said.
"Want me to go through it first?" Kara offered. "I'd be faster."
"No. But you can go through it with me." Alex said shifting slightly so her sister could sit next to her.
"Might be worth all you guys looking." Ruby said looking at Eliza and Lena. "Any one of you may have seen someone scouting."
-00-
"This is like the worst game of snap ever." Kara complained after an hour. "Does it sound xenophobic to say all humans look the same?"
"A little lubricous maybe." Alex said. "But I know what you mean."
"Why can't the bad guys wear something obvious like they do in the cartoons?" Kara asked.
"Because then there wouldn't be any criminals." Alex countered.
"Works for me." Kara said as Alex turned off the tablet and stretched. "Has anyone checked the house?"
"For what?" Alex asked.
"Traps?"
"It has been under DEO surveillance. But they'll do a sweep before we get there."
"Want me to do one as well?"
"You aren't escaping that easily." Alex said.
"But I'm so bored." Kara complained.
"Well we have a few more hours of criminal snap to play." Alex pointed out.
"Yeah, that's not fun." Kara complained before suddenly sitting up straight and exclaiming. "Wait!"
"What?" Alex asked. Instead of answering verbally Kara took the tablet off her sister and scrolled back a few photos.
"Him. I've met him." She said handing the tablet back.
"Who is he?" Alex asked looking at the photo.
"No idea, but he was at CatCo, no not CatCo." Kara said trying to remember. "But somewhere. I didn't talk to him, but he was there. The school."
"The kids' school?" Alex asked sitting up straighter. Her voice loud enough to attract attention of everyone in the minivan.
"Yes, after the fight I saw him."
"Which fight?" Alex asked. "Wait, hold that thought I am going to get Vasquez to run facial recognition on all the CCTV images from near the school."
"What's going on?" The teenage Kara asked.
"We may have lead." Her aunt said before looking back at her sister and asking. "Should I go to the DEO?"
"No. How would you even explain your disappearance anyway?" Alex asked. "Besides you are meant to be resting. Let my team dig. We can follow up when we get back."
"Fine." Kara said before noticing her daughter was looking at her suspiciously.
"What?" She asked the teen.
"Why do you need to rest?" The teen asked in a language no one else on the bus understood.
"Your aunt is being overly protective." Kara said in the same language.
"But-"
"I'm fine." Kara said, the language of choice making the words sound harsher than they were to the others in the minivan. "Besides all I am doing is sitting."
"Can we look at the photos?" The teen pressed on in the other language.
"No."
"Why? I want to help. We want to help."
"I know." Kara said.
"So." The teen said.
"I don't want to trigger any nightmares." Kara pointed out.
"It won't." The teen said.
"It might." Kara countered as the rest of the bus looked on wondering what they were talking about out.
"Please." The teen pleaded, pouting as she did so. "I want to make sure you are safe."
"You don't need to worry about me." Kara counted.
"Yes I do." The teen said. "Please. It will make me feel better."
"Fine." Kara said turning back to her sister.
"Problem?" The adult Alex asked guessing Kara and her daughter had finished their alien conversation.
"No." Kara said before passing the tablet to her daughter who was immediately surrounded by her cousins who all started looking over the photos.
"Next time I'll bring more tablets." Ruby commented.
-00-
"I've seen him." The teenage Kara said handing the tablet back to her mother an hour later.
"Where?" Her mother asked.
"He was there when Diz was in hospital." The teen said. "He was dressed in scrubs."
"Same guy I saw at the school." The adult Kara said looking at the picture.
"Have you guys seen him?" The adult Alex asked the other two teens, who just shook their heads.
"Is he important?" The teenage Kara asked. "Does it mean Diz is in danger?"
"I don't know. But the DEO is investigating. Right now, there is nothing that anyone can do. So just try to stay calm." The adult Alex said before noticing they were pulling off the highway.
"What's going on?" Alex asked.
"Driver change." Ruby said.
-00-
As the minivan entered National City the adult Kara noticed everyone apart from Ruby and her sister were asleep. Taking the opportunity of non-prying ears she said to Alex.
"Can you look after Alex tonight?"
"Why?"
"So I can go to the DEO."
"Sure."
"Really?" Kara asked expecting more of a fight.
"Yes, but if you go to the DEO you spend your time there under the lamps."
"I'm fine."
"And we'll keep you that way." Alex said. "Besides if someone is going to make a move, wouldn't you feel better being here with Alex?"
"Well yes." Kara said.
"And don't you want to talk about why Alex couldn't sleep last night?"
"Yes." Kara agreed.
"Then stay at home and rest. We'll go to the DEO tomorrow. Remember Tycho is still out there."
"That's why I want to end this." Kara said.
"I get that. But if you don't take it easy it gives the upper hand to Tycho. You have to play this smart."
"Fine." Kara conceded.
-00-
"Why is Alex so worried about you resting?" The teenage Alex asked when she entered the apartment with her mother.
"She's just trying to protect me." Kara said. "It is nothing to worry about."
"Is Lobo really gone?"
"I told you he was." Kara said.
"You still seem stressed."
"I'm going to be stressed until I know you are safe." Kara pointed out.
"Would you tell me if something was wrong?" The teen asked still concerned.
"Yes." Kara said. Seeing the doubt on her daughter's face she she. "I would. But you also need to talk to me."
"I do."
"You didn't tell me why you couldn't sleep last night." Kara reminded her. "Want to tell me now?"
"I just wasn't tired." The teen said.
"Well if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. But I get to choose what we talk about." Kara said before immediately launching into the conversation. "When I got back you told you me you were feeling guilty about being glad that Lobo killed those people." Kara said. "And that you thought you had bad genes in you. That's not the first time you've said that."
"Not the first time I felt it." The teen said.
"And each time you have blamed your father's family. But your father was a good person."
"But his family had you hurt."
"It wasn't quite that simple. Besides my family is no better." Kara said. "My aunt was a terrorist, my father created a genocide weapon. We are all made up of good and bad parts. What makes a difference is how we choose to act. Take Diz, I am pretty sure a few years ago he was doing things he wouldn't be proud of now, but he found his way out of that life."
"What if I choose the wrong path?"
"You and I won't always choose the same path, but that doesn't make one choice better than the other. And whatever you choose won't make me love you any less. What you need to do is always act for the right reason."
"What if I can't?"
"Has something happened?" Kara asked getting concerned.
"When I was with Lobo, he talked about the ring. He said he wanted you to wear it. He said he'd either use me to do that, or just get me to wear it. But he said that wouldn't be fun because there was no challenge in that. When he said it I didn't understand, but when he was hurting you I got so angry I wanted to hurt him back. And even though he is gone, I still want to hurt him."
"You said it yourself, Lobo likes messing with people." Kara reminded her.
"What if he wasn't? What if it easier for me to wear the ring because I am a bad person?"
"You aren't a bad person. I know you are a good person, look at the way you protect your cousins and your aunt, not to mention how you always try to look after me. There will always be people like Lobo trying to make you doubt yourself, and sometimes you will doubt yourself. But just remember you will always be surrounded by people who will never doubt you. Especially me."
"I just don't want to let you down." The teen said.
"You won't. And I'm sorry you feel like you could. You are so strong and you will be better than me." Kara said hugging her tightly. "I know there has been lots going on. But I need you tell me when something is bothering you."