"Is mom okay?" The teenage Kara asked her aunt the next morning.
"You have reason to believe she isn't?"
"I heard you two talking yesterday."
"Does that explain MJ's change in behaviour last night?"
"I think, I hope, he has figured out mom needs him to be less like recent him and more like old him."
"Well that's something." The older Kara smiled.
"So mom?" The teenage Kara pressed.
"She's okay."
"You know I know you are lying right?"
"Fine she isn't okay." The older Kara said. "But we are working on it."
"Anything I can do?"
"Funny you should say that, you are one of the things your mom is worrying about."
"Me? Why?"
"Because you are doing so much. Make sure you rest too okay?"
"Morning." The teenage Alex said walking into the kitchen.
"Hi." Her mother said hugging her. "You sleep okay?"
"Yes."
"So what's on the cards for today?" The older Kara asked the two teens.
"I was thinking of going surfing." The teenage Kara said.
"I thought you couldn't surf." Her aunt said.
"I can, I just don't. Or at least I haven't for a long time, but I thought I'd take it up again." The teen said before looking at her cousin. "You going to join me?"
"No." Alex said, still not wanting to go into the water.
"You going to be okay out there by yourself?" Kara asked her niece.
"I'll be fine. I'll see you later."
"I'm going to take some breakfast up to your aunt-" Kara said to her daughter only for her sister to say.
"No need, I'm here."
"What part of rest are you not getting?" Kara asked.
"I'm fine. Besides if I have to stare at those walls any longer I will go insane." She said before looking at her niece. "Hi Alex."
"Hi."
"Where are others?"
"MJ is asleep and Kara has gone surfing." The older Kara explained.
"Kara?" The older Alex asked confused.
"Yeah."
"By herself?" Alex asked concerned.
"She said she'd be okay." Her sister said.
"I'll keep an eye out when I'm walking Chewie." The teenage Alex said standing.
"What about breakfast?" Kara asked.
"I'll have something later." The teen said leaving.
"What about you?" Kara asked her sister.
"I'll wait for mom."
"I can cook pancakes." Kara protested.
"My waistline can't cope with any more of your pancakes." Alex pointed out. "But I will have some coffee."
00
As the teenage Alex walked Chewie along the beach she looked out and saw her cousin get hit by a wave before climbing back on the board and going again.
"Don't look at me like that." Alex said to Chewie. "I don't want to go in. Besides who'd walk you if I did?" In response Chewie just ran round Alex before seeing a stick being washed up on shore. After that he ran to the stick and brought it back to Alex who took it from him and hurled it down the beach. Grimacing when she put more power on it than she intended. "Sorry." She said to Chewie, but he was already running after it. As he ran Alex turned back to the water and saw a distinct lack of her cousin. After a moment she saw the board floating on the water, but still no Kara. Walking closer to the water she suddenly saw a hand break the surface. Knowing her cousin was in trouble she ran into the water without thinking and headed straight to her cousin.
As she grabbed hold of Kara she was aware that her cousin looked like she was in pain. Dragging her to the board she managed to lift her spluttering cousin to safety before looking round and becoming aware of her surroundings. Seeing the water she suddenly started to have flashbacks to her near drowning. Flashbacks that led to a panic attack. As her chest tightened and she couldn't breathe was vaguely aware of the cousin's voice, but couldn't focus on it and instead started to sink.
Seeing her cousin struggle, the teenage Kara snagged her cousins wrist with one hand and activated her necklace with the other.
00
"What happened?" Alex asked as Kara flew the two spluttering teens into the lounge.
"Leg cramped." The teenage Kara explained, wincing as her muscle still burned. "Alex saved me." She added.
"Alex, you okay?" Kara asked her daughter.
"I'm sorry." She said wrapping her arms round her torso.
"For what?" Her mother asked.
"Not strong enough." She replied in an alien language.
"That's not true." The adult Kara said hugging her. Feeling her daughter trembling in the hug she pulled back and said.
"Go have a shower and warm up."
As the teen left Kara grabbed a blanket and wrapped it round her niece.
"What happened?" The older Alex asked her daughter.
"My leg cramped and I started going under. Alex saw me and swam over to me. She got me onto the board and then she had a panic attack."
"How's your leg now?" Alex asked her daughter.
"Still hurts but not cramping."
"Sit down." Alex instructed before taking her daughter's leg and gently massaging it.
"Should you be doing that?" Her daughter asked.
"My hands are okay now." Alex said. "Is it helping?"
"A little." She said before looking at her aunt and saying. "Sorry."
"For what?" The older Kara asked.
"Alex getting into trouble."
"It's not your fault. I'm just glad you are both okay. I'm going to check on Alex." She said leaving as Eliza entered the lounge and passed her granddaughter a hot cup of coffee.
"Thanks." The teen said before noticing the look her mother was giving her. "What?"
"Was your sudden interest in surfing a deliberate ploy to get your cousin back in the water?"
"Technically it had been my plan, but not through drowning. I just thought she'd come in with me. But then my leg cramped."
"What's going on?" MJ asked looking half asleep.
"Short version is your sister almost drowned and Alex saved her."
00
"Alex?" The older Kara called as she entered her daughter's room. As she entered she saw her daughter sitting in the corner of the room, hugging her knees and shivering. "Alex, what's wrong?" Kara asked rushing to her side.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I failed."
"What are you talking about?"
"Kara, I couldn't help her."
"Listen to me." Kara said forcing her daughter to look at her. "You saved your cousin. Yes it would have been smarter to use your necklace straight away and get help, but your instinct was to help her."
"But I didn't. I had a panic attack."
"After what happened that isn't surprising. Having panic attacks doesn't make you weak but overcoming them will make you stronger. But you can't overcome them alone. I've had panic attacks too and I know how helpless they make you feel. But you will never be alone. I know the water terrifies you right now. But you will get over it and I will be with you every step of the way." She said pulling her in for a hug.
00
"How's Alex?" The older Alex asked when her sister came into the lounge.
"Shaken. But okay. She's calmed down and is talking to Kara."
"Talking is good." Her sister said.
"I know, I just hated seeing her like that."
"She'll learn from you how to get through it." Alex said.
"I just feel so helpless." She said as she came and sat next to her sister. As she did so she asked. "What are you looking at?"
"Vasquez sent me some files." Alex said.
"Aren't you meant to be resting?"
"They are from the waterside, when Alex got pushed in." She said handing her sister the tablet.
"I thought there weren't cameras?"
"One of the ships had one." Alex explained. "Roberts found it."
"You know who did it?"
"No, they are all in masks." Alex said. "We have a team looking through all the frames looking for any evidence that might help us find them."
"Why didn't she fight back?" Kara asked watching the video.
"There." Alex said pointing to the screen where one of them were pointing a phone towards Alex. "They were filming her, she didn't want to give away her identity. The question is why were they filming? To share the video, in which case where is it? Or to stop her using her powers. But if that is the case, how do they know? Or may be they don't and they were just following orders. I mean the man you saw clearly knows who you and Alex are."
"So what do we do?"
"My team will keep looking. For now all we can do is be careful." Alex said as the two teenage girls entered the lounge.
"Hi guys." The adult Alex said looking over to them.
"Hi mom." The teenage Kara said.
"What are you guys doing now?"
"We were going to play a game, want to join us? We can make teams."
"Sure." The older Kara smiled.
"Great, I'll go get MJ." The teenage Kara said.
00
"I don't want to jinx it, but did that feel normal?" The older Alex asked her sister.
"Yes, and I am sure I saw Alex smile at one point." Kara agreed.
"And MJ actually talked to me." Alex said.
"You think the fight is over?"
"I mean I hope so, but it could just be MJ's way of trying to get his phone back."
"Are you going to let him have his phone book?"
"Of course. But not until after Christmas." Alex said. "What did you do with them anyway?"
"Took them back home. I figured if we kept them here there might be illegal access."
"Wow, was that cynicism?" Alex asked amused.
"Maybe." Kara confessed.