"Have you seen Alex?" The older Kara asked entering the kitchen the next morning.

"She's on the beach with Kar and MJ." Diz said.

"How come you aren't there?"

"Looked like they were talking about something important." Diz shrugged as his phone buzzed. As he read the message his expression changed and Kara asked.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah." He said putting his phone away as the older Alex walked into the kitchen.

"Here you go." Eliza said passing her daughter a coffee.

"Thanks." Alex said looking round the kitchen before seeing her phone. Picking it up she sat down and started to read her messages.

"Aren't you meant to be not working?" Kara asked.

"I'm just reading emails." Alex shrugged as she skimmed the messages and drunk her coffee. As one caught her eye she nearly choked on her coffee.

"Are you okay?" Kara asked frowning.

"Fine." Alex said glancing over at Diz who immediately stood and said.

"I'm going to go buy some .. um.. more eggs."

"You don't have to do that." Eliza said.

"I want to." Diz said.

"I'll come with you." Alex said standing.

"It's okay."

"I insist. Besides you don't know the area." Alex said before following Diz out of the kitchen.

"What was that about?" Eliza asked.

"No idea, they were both acting weird." Kara said. "I'm going to find the kids."

-00-

"Hi guys." Kara said as she walked towards the three teens on the beach.

"Hi." They replied.

"What are you up to?"

"You mean you weren't listening?" MJ asked.

"I'm not your mother." Kara pointed out as she sat behind her daughter and hugged her. "So why are you up so early?"

"Couldn't sleep." The teenage Kara said.

"Your mom is okay now." The older Kara reminded her before adding something in an alien language for the benefit of her daughter. She then reverted to english and said. "I know it is hard but you guys need to stop worrying."

"Kinda hard when you and mom keep getting into trouble." MJ said.

"I know. We're working on that." The older Kara said. "But right now you guys are our priority. So try to have fun. Or include Diz in your misery."

"Is he back form his run?" The teenage Kara asked.

"He is, well was, but he's gone out." The older Kara said.

"Where?" The teenage Kara asked.

"He's driven your mom to the shops."

"Why?" The teen asked frowning.

"To get eggs."

"Why has mom gone with him?"

"To show him round." The older Kara said.

"Or kill him and hide the body." MJ said.

-00-

"Did you think I wouldn't find out?" Alex asked as Diz drive them to the centre of Midvale.

"I thought you'd be too busy." He shrugged. "Ruby said you weren't involved in the process until the end, and I didn't think I'd make it that far."

"Does Kara know?" Alex asked.

"No. Didn't think anything would come from it and I didn't want to cause trouble."

"Why not tell me?"

"I wanted to make it, or not make it, because of me." Diz said.

"I get that. But you need to tell Kara."

"I will."

-00-

"They're back." The older Kara said a while later when she heard a car pull up.

"Both of them?" MJ asked.

"Well there are two heart beats. But Diz's seems a bit high." The older Kara said as her teenage namesake went out to meet them.

"Everything okay?" The teen asked as Diz and the older Alex got out of the car.

"It's fine." Alex said. "I'll take these inside." She said waving the eggs and going into the house.

"Wait you really did go for eggs?" The teenage Kara asked Diz.

"Yeah. Where did you think we'd gone?"

"Don't know." The teen said.

"Want to go for a walk?" Diz asked.

"Sure." The teenage Kara said as he took her hand and led her down to the beach.

"What's going on?" Kara asked.

"Do you remember a few months ago you were pushing me to try for college?"

"Yeah."

"Well, Ruby told me that the DEO runs a college sponsorship programme, with a place at NCU. And I applied."

"Doesn't that tie you to working at the DEO after you graduate?" Kara asked.

"Yeah."

"As in the DEO my mom runs?"

"Yeah."

"As in work for my mom?" Kara pressed.

"Yes."

"You?" Kara asked still finding it hard to process.

"Yes."

"Does mom know?"

"She found out this morning."

"Hence the shopping trip?"

"Yeah."

"Why tell her this morning?"

"I didn't. I got an offer this morning and she was cc'd in."

"You got in? That's amazing." She said hugging him.

"So you're okay with it?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"The whole working with your mom thing."

"Your funeral." Kara shrugged.

-00-

As the teenage Alex sat watching the waves she suddenly felt a blanket being wrapped round her. Looking round she saw her mother who sat down next to her.

"How are you doing?"

"Okay."

"Then why are you sitting out here by yourself?"

"I'm not. Chewie is with me."

"You know what I mean."

"Kara is with Diz, MJ is with Alex and you were talking to Eliza."

"You could have joined us." Kara said hugging her.

"I like watching the waves." The teen said before asking. "What's going to happen now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Lobo is still out there isn't he?"

"He's not on Earth." Kara said.

"But he could come back."

"He could. But the DEO are doing everything they can to find him."

"But he knows who you are."

"The first time I was on Earth, plenty of the bad guys knew who I was, and things worked out."

"How many is plenty?"

"Well there was Astra and Non, and then Rhea and Lex and Lilian and Max and -"

"You suck at keeping secrets." The teen said before saying. "I think he was right."

"Who was right?" Kara asked lost.

"Lobo. When he said I was like him."

"You are nothing like Lobo." Kara immediately said.

"You don't understand. When we were in the desert with him and I had the forcefield round him, I wanted to hurt him. If you hadn't stopped me I -"

"Alex listen to me." Kara said. "Wanting to hurt Lobo doesn't make you a bad person. Especially as you were doing it to protect me. Or are you saying I am a bad person for punching him?"

"Of course not." The teen said.

"The important thing to remember is regardless of what you felt you stopped."

"Because you told me to."

"You still stopped. That's what matters." Kara said hugging her. After a few moments she said. "You know your grandmother reminded me that a few miles up the coast is a small bay, it is great for snorkelling."

"For what?" The teenager asked confused.

"You'll love it. Come one." Kara said jumping up.

-00-

"Where's Alex?" MJ asked coming into the kitchen and not seeing his cousin.

"Gone snorkelling with your aunt." Alex said.

"It's the winter." He pointed out.

"Don't think they care." Alex countered. "Have you seen your sister?"

"On the beach with Diz. You probably don't want to go out there."

"I'm not going to ask. Come on, let's go get some milkshakes." Alex said standing.

"Really?" MJ asked.

"Unless you have something better to do?" Alex said.

"No."

"Then let's go." Alex said.

"Can you get the cake?" Eliza asked.

"Sure. We'll see you later."

-00-

"You sure Kara doesn't know?" The older Alex asked her mother that evening as she helped put the cake out.

"Yes why?"

"She is staying away perfectly."

"That is a coincidence, kind of. All I did was suggest the snorkelling spot. To be honest I thought they'd only be an hour."

"Knowing Kara they probably stopped for food as well." Alex said as MJ entered the kitchen and complained.

"I'm starving."

"It won't be long." His grandmother said.

"You said that an hour ago." He pointed out as they heard the door.

"Finally." He said going to the door.

"Sorry we are late." Kara apologised as she entered the house with her daughter.

"It's okay." Eliza smiled. "Did you two have fun?"

"Yes thanks." The teen replied.

"Good, then why don't you come into the lounge where we have a surprise for you?" Eliza said guiding her granddaughter into the lounge. "Today marks one year since you arrived on Earth and seeing your mother gets two birthdays, it seems only right you do to."

"Why didn't you tell me you were doing this." Kara asked her sister as they stood to one side.

"We wanted it to be a secret." Her sister answered.

"Thank you." Kara said before noticing another cake to the side. "Why is there a coffin cake?"

"MJ's idea of a joke. It's to congratulate Diz."

-00-

As a woman's high heels clicked through a lab a voice from a small chamber said.

"I assume everything is going to plan?"

"Yes."

"You sound annoyed Ms Thorn."

"No Sir."

"I have known you too long for you to start lying to me."

"Your impatience could have cost us years of planning."

"Nonsense, they still don't know what is real or not. And it was too good an opportunity to miss."

"An opportunity that has led to further investigations." Thorn said.

"We always planned on them happening.

"Your obsession could cost us everything."

"Me." The man said. "Cost me everything. Not us. As loyal as you are Ms Thorn, it is me who funds everything. Do not forget that."

"Yes Sir. I didn't mean to-"

"I know you didn't." He said. "And I am aware of how much you do for me. However, sometimes I think you forget why we are doing this. This obsession, as you call it, is why we are doing this. I have given everything for this and I have been planning this for nearly twenty years, I won't do anything to jeopardise that."

"Yes Sir. So what now?"

"I assume everything is still running to schedule?"

"Yes Sir. Our assets are where they are meant to be. And assuming everything keeps playing out how we want we should be ready in a year."