"Thank you for not giving up on me." Kara said as Alex drove her to the house.
"I've made that mistake once, I will never do it again." Alex said glancing at her sister before asking. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine." Kara said. "I mean it. I'm fine."
"Do you remember much?" Alex asked.
"Not really. I mean I remember talking to Alex, then feeling this intense burning pain. And then … I kinda knew that was it. I wanted to be strong for Alex, but I was so scared. And then nothing until the DEO."
"We still don't have any idea how you survived or what exactly happened, so promise me you will take it easy."
"I promise." Kara said as they pulled into the drive.
"Ready?" Alex asked.
"Yes." Kara replied getting out of the car. Not waiting for her sister she entered the house and called for her daughter, who hearing the voice immediately ran to the hall.
"I don't understand." The teenage Alex said not believing her mother was really there.
"Neither do I." Her mother said. "But I'm okay. I'm right here. And I could really use a hug." She said holding out her arms, which almost immediately found themselves being filled with her sobbing daughter. "It's okay, I'm here." She said as Eliza and the three teens walked into the hallway.
"What's going on?" Diz asked confused.
"Our aunt is a zombie." MJ guessed.
"Let's go for a walk and I'll fill you in." The older Alex said guiding the teens and Eliza from the house to give Kara and Alex space.
-00-
"I'm sorry. It's my fault." The teenage Alex sobbed as she hugged her mother.
"What is?" Kara asked confused.
"I made Lobo mad. That's why he stabbed you. I broke his ring."
"Slow down." Kara said. "What do you mean you broke his ring?"
"The red lantern ring. I broke it."
"You broke the indestructible red lantern ring?" Kara asked completely lost.
"Yeah, only it wasn't indestructible."
"How?" Kara asked.
"I projected my feelings at it and it kind of exploded. And it made him really mad. He warned me but I did it anyway and then he killed you." The teen said crying.
"I'm okay." Kara soothed. "Right now none of what happened matters. But you need to know that everything that happened was not your fault." Kara said hugging her. "I love you so much."
-00-
As they walked down the street Alex explained what had happened and saw confusion and relief on their faces. Once she had finished MJ said.
"We have watched like every horror film made in the last ten years. And we know how this goes."
"What are you talking about?" The older Alex asked confused.
"Bringing people back for the dead. You either do some deal that steals a soul, or you get zombies or vampires or-"
"Ok no more TV for you." Alex said.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Her daughter asked.
"About what?"
"Aunt Kara maybe being alive."
"Because I wasn't sure." Alex said. "And I didn't want to give Alex false hope." She explained glancing at her mother and immediately realising how angry and upset she was with her. "Only four of us knew and three of them were pretty sure it wasn't real." Alex went on.
"How long?" Eliza asked.
"The night l left following a phone call." Alex confessed.
"So you knew when you came home to tell us about Lobo?" Eliza guess, sounding hurt.
"I knew there was a chance. But I only knew for sure a few hours ago." Alex said. "Up until then we didn't really believe she'd come back."
"We?" Eliza asked.
"Vasquez, Robertson, Lena and I." Alex said feeling like she was digging a bigger hole for herself.
"But you are sure this is real?" Her daughter asked.
"As sure as we can be." Alex said.
-00-
As the group walked back into the house they saw Kara walking down the stairs.
"Sweetie." Eliza said rushing over and hugging her. Wanting to say more, but not knowing the words she silently hugged her daughter.
"I'm okay." Kara said into the hug, but still Eliza clung to her.
When Eliza finally released her she was replaced by the teenage Kara and MJ.
"That's two hugs from you in less than two months." Kara said to her nephew.
"Don't get used to it." He said, but he kept hugging her.
"You guys doing okay?" Kara asked when the teens finally released her.
"We're fine." The teenage Kara said.
"And you?" The older Kara said looking over to Diz.
"Fine. Don't need a hug." He said.
"Where's Alex?" Eliza asked.
"Upstairs, asleep." Kara said.
"Let's move into the lounge so we don't wake her." Eliza suggested wrapping an arm round Kara and leading her into the lounge, where she sat next to her on the couch.
"What was it like?" MJ asked.
"What?" Kara asked.
"Being dead."
"Wow, you really have no tact." His sister commented.
"I don't remember anything." The older Kara explained. "One minute I was talking to Alex, the next I was as the DEO."
"So no remembering regrets that you feel the need to make amends for?" MJ asked.
"No."
"No paranormal consequences?" MJ pressed. "No desire to bring us back to the afterlife to help correct your mistakes?"
"I can't believe you have watched Flatliners." His aunt said.
"Don't worry, I have a whole list I am working down. Any desire to eat brains?"
"MJ." His mother said wearily.
"What?" He protested.
"I am hungry." Kara said.
"I'll go buy some pizza." Diz offered, feeling like he was intruding on a family reunion.
"I'll come with you." The teenage Kara offered.
"It's fine. You stay here. Why don't you place the order while I drive over?" He said.
"Have Jenkins and Abel drive you." Alex said before reminding him. "Lobo is still out there."
"So any weirdly obsessive feelings?" MJ went on.
"I have one." His mother said. "To ground you."
"You said I should think more." MJ said. "That's what I am doing. I am thinking about every possibility."
"I tell you what, if I feel like I am about to become the plot of the bad horror movie, you'll be the first to know." His aunt said. Suddenly hearing her daughter's heart rate increase Kara disappeared from the room at superspeed.
"Alex, it's okay, I'm right here." Kara said arriving at her daughter's side.
"Mom?" The teen asked tears rolling down her face.
"I'm right here. What's wrong?"
"I woke up and you were gone and I thought I'd dreamed it."
"I'm okay." Kara said. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have left you. I just didn't want to disturb you."
"You're really here?" The teen asked.
"I'm really here." Kara smiled as she hugged her.
"Where were you?"
"Just downstairs talking to the others."
"They're back?"
"Yes."
"Don't you want to be downstairs with them?"
"The only place I want to be is with you." Kara said. "We can stay up here as long as you want, but at some stage you need to eat."
"Okay." The teen said. "But can we hug for a few more minutes?"
"Of course." Kara said.
-00-
"Hey." The older Alex smiled when Kara and her daughter entered the longe. "I was about to bring you up some food."
"We thought we'd join you guys." Kara said sitting on the couch next to Eliza, while her daughter, sat on her other side.
"We go you an AKS." The teenage Kara said passing her aunt a box.
"A what?"
"Aunt Kara Special." MJ clarified. "Full of cheese, cheese and more cheese."
"My favourite." Kara smiled taking the box before looking at MJ and asking. "But no brains?"
"Please don't encourage him." The older Alex said.
"There's one with vegetables on as well." The teenage Kara said holding out a box to her cousin.
"Thanks." The teen said taking a slice before silently eating it while remaining glued to her mother's side. Noticing her daughter's behaviour Kara wrapped an arm around her and said something in a language no one else understood.
"So is the invasion still happening or do we have to go to school tomorrow?" MJ asked.
"You get to go to school tomorrow." His mother said.
"Don't see why." He complained.
"Your grades suck." His mother reminded him.
"They are not that bad."
"They are worse than mine." Diz pointed out.
"I thought we agreed not to mention that." MJ said looking from Diz to his sister.
"No. No agreement." His sister replied.
-00-
"Is she asleep?" The older Alex said seeing her niece lying against the older Kara, her arms wrapped tightly round her, with her eyes shut.
"I think so." Kara said glancing down at the daughter.
"You doing okay?" Her sister asked.
"I told you I'm fine. I feel normal."
"Tell me if that changes." Her sister ordered.
"I will." Kara said glancing down at her daughter again before frowning.
"What?" Her sister asked.
"Alex said something earlier that I didn't really understand." Kara said to her sister.
"What?"
"About destroying the ring."
"That was awesome." MJ said.
"What exactly happened?" Kara asked.
"Lobo tried to make Alex take the ring and then she agreed. Only when she took it, it kind of exploded." The teenage Kara said before looking at her mother and asking. "What happened to it?"
"I don't know." The older Alex said adding it to her mental list of things to worry about.