"Where were you last night?" Kara asked.
"I had lots to catch up on." Alex said.
"Is that the reason you look so bad this morning?"
"No Kara got home, way after curfew. And we fought?"
"Alex mentioned that." Kara said.
"Is that why Alex wanted to go home?" The older Alex asked.
"I think she was trying to diffuse the situation." Kara said.
"It worked, after I had walked Alex home Kara had disappeared to her room and was pretending to be asleep."
"You used to do that too." Kara recalled before asking. "And how are things this morning?"
"Kara left for school early so not great."
"Then let's go get some breakfast."
"How will that help?"
"Everything looks better on a full stomach."
"That is perhaps the most Kara thing you have said all year." Alex said.
-00-
"Welcome back." Kara said to Lena.
"Thank you. And thanks for doing that hospital visit."
"Of course." Kara smiled. "I'm always happy to help."
"So how have things been here?"
"Tense."
"Tycho is making a move?" Lena guessed.
"No. It's Alex. Or Alex and Kara. But I think mainly Alex."
"The older Alex?" Lena asked.
"Yes. She's really stressed and not sleeping and continually fighting with Kara."
"That's not that unusual." Lena commented.
"I know, but when we were camping Kara was convinced Alex had changed."
"Maybe events are catching up with her?" Lena suggested.
"Maybe. I just wish I could help."
"You just being there is probably helping." Lena said.
"I hope so."
"If you want me to get Sam to organise a weekend let me know." Lena offered.
-00-
"What's going on?" Supergirl asked landing at the DEO that afternoon.
"There was a spate of muggings this morning." Alex said. "The police found the perp, dead."
"How does that fall under DEO jurisdiction?" Supergirl asked.
"They had spines."
"They had more than one back?" Kara asked.
"What? No. Spines like a hedgehog." Alex said. "All their hair had turned into spines.
"All?" Kara asked pulling a face.
"Yes, they ended up spining themselves to death."
"That sounds painful." Kara said. "So I assume they were a meta?"
"More like an artificial meta." Vasquez said entering the room. "Jim Chory had a broken leg a year ago and when he was in hospital they took plenty of blood samples that confirmed he was a normal human. The samples we just took form his very prickly corpse had meta human traits."
"Could he have developed late?"
"Not this late he was in his fifties. Plus the meta traits are unstable we think that led to his death. The spines grew in both directions. As in into and out of his body and he had one hairy chest."
"Ouch." Supergirl said. "Wait does this mean Stagg's work is out there?"
"Hard to know for sure, but it looks like it." Vasquez said. "The full autopsy results are on the server."
"Thanks. I'll look at them tomorrow with fresh eyes." Alex said as Vasquez left.
"So ready to go?" Supergirl asked her sister.
"I've got work to do."
"Alex, you've been pushing yourself too hard." Kara said. "You need to rest. Why don't we have a family meal and games night?"
"I can't." Alex said as Wildcat walked in.
"Hey boss, are you ready?" Wildcat greeted before seeing Supergirl. "Oh hey."
"Hi." Supergirl replied.
"Give me five minutes." Alex said causing Wildcat to nod and walk out. She then looked back to Kara and said. "Like I said I need to work."
"Can I help?"
"No, it's just paperwork. But can you watch the kids?"
"Sure."
-00-
"Is mom here?" MJ asked when Kara entered the house.
"No, she's working." Kara said.
"Looks like you didn't break curfew for no reason." MJ said to her sister.
"Typical." The teenage Kara muttered.
"At least you are motoring through your school work." The adult Kara said. "Why are you doing school work rather than gaming?"
"Mom is mad enough as it is." MJ said as Diz threw his pen down and complained.
"This makes no sense."
"You didn't apply the limits." Alex said glancing at his paper. "And that one is a standard trig identity."
"How am I meant to know that?" He complained.
"You need to memorise them." The teenage Alex said before her mother added.
"I used to sing them to a catchy tune."
"Doesn't that give you more to remember?" Diz asked.
"And ruin a good song?" MJ added.
-00-
"How come you are still here?" Alex asked when she got home.
"I was worried about you." Kara said. "Where have you been?"
"Like I said I had paperwork and then I needed to clear my head so I went for a drive."
"Did it help?"
"Not really." Alex sighed. "Everything okay here?"
"All homework has been done. And the kids are asleep."
"Sorry to leave you to deal with everything."
"I'm happy to help however you need me. I just wish you'd talk to me."
"About what?"
"Whatever it is that is bothering you."
"It's nothing." Alex said. "Or more like it is everything. It's just a bad week, well month. I'll be okay."
"What about a weekend away with Sam and Lena?" Kara asked.
"I'm tired enough as it is." Alex said.
"What about Midvale?" Kara suggested.
"I don't have time."
"Even you get weekends off." Kara said. "Why don't you come home early tomorrow and call Eliza? And then we can all go up to visit."
-00-
"Any leads on our prickly half meta?" Supergirl asked the next day.
"If it is related to Stagg it is a change in MO. I mean previously they targeted the young." Vasquez replied.
"That was because the tech worked on them. If they have created a drug they may not have that limitation." Alex said. "If they have created a drug, then the question is how do they distribute it. They can't be selling it main stream as we have a sample of one."
"Having dug in to Chory's life we can't find anything that stands out. He was fifty four, lived alone, but had a stable job, paid his taxes. Even helped his neighbour take out their trash. We'll keep digging." Vasquez listed.
"What about the other metas anything on them?" Alex asked.
"No. Still no sign of them and no more information on where they came from."
"I'm going to go fly round the city and see if I can see or hear anything."
"Be careful." Alex warned.
"I will. And don't forget I am taking you home at five."
-00-
"Was that grandma?" MJ asked.
"Yes." His mother confirmed.
"Are you in trouble?"
"No." Alex said. "Why would I be in trouble?"
"Well, you still can't cook and aunt Kara isn't dating."
"What?" The adult Kara asked.
"Ignore him." Alex said before explaining. "We are going to Midvale this weekend."
"All of us?" The teenage Alex asked hopefully.
"Yes." The older Alex confirmed before looking at her son and adding. "So make sure you finish your assignments before then."
"Sure." MJ said unenthusiastically before asking. "Does Kara know?"
"Seeing she isn't here, no." Alex said.
"So you guys are going to fight about that tonight?" MJ guessed as he tapped away on his phone. He then looked up his cousin and aunt and asked. "Can I take Chewie for a walk with you?"
"Sure." Kara agreed.
"Why are you volunteering to walk Chewie?" The older Alex asked.
"Because Kara is three minutes away and I don't want to be here when you start fighting." MJ said.
-00-
As Kara, MJ and Alex returned to the house they heard raised voices from inside. Stopping on the doorstep they listened in.
"No you're not." The adult Alex said.
"Yes, I am." Her daughter countered.
"No. We are going to Midvale for the weekend."
"We've have only just got back from boot camp. Why do we have to go away again?"
"Because for some reason only she understands, your grandmother loves you and wants to see you." The adult Alex pointed out.
"I'm not going."
"I'm not leaving you here alone." Alex said. "You are coming."
"I'm not." Kara countered.
On hearing the argument the older Kara said.
"Why don't we get some ice cream?"
"Shouldn't you save her?" MJ asked.
"Right now I'm not sure who needs saving." Kara pointed out as the front door opened in front of them and the teenage Kara stormed out of the house and walked straight into her her, bouncing off in the process.
"You okay?" The older Kara asked.
"No." The teen said storming off towards her aunt's apartment.
"We'll go after her." MJ said leading his cousin and Chewie after his sister.
"You okay?" Kara asked entering the house where Alex was sitting on the couch.
"No." Alex said miserably.
"What happened?"
"I told Kara we were going to Midvale this weekend and she told me she wasn't coming."
"It's not like Kara to not want to see Eliza."
"It's probably more that she doesn't want to see me." Alex said.
"That's not true."
"Yes it is. Maybe a break would do us both good."
"Want me to look after her?"
"No. Alex was really excited about Midvale." The older Alex said.
"What about Lena?" Kara suggested.
"What about her?"
"Couldn't Kara stay with her?"