"Does he hate me that much?" The older Alex asked as she sat at restaurant the next day eating lunch with her sister and Lena.
"He doesn't hate you." Kara said.
"Evidence suggests he does. I have been trying to figure out at what point I lost him."
"You've not lost him." Kara said.
"It doesn't feel that way." Alex said before looking at Lena and asking.
"Can you find him?"
"MJ?" Lena asked confused.
"No, his father." Alex corrected.
"Possibly, but you can't ask too many questions."
"Do it." Alex said.
"Are you sure?" Kara asked.
"I have always said I would help them if they wanted to know." Alex said. "Besides if we find him we can vet him first and make sure there isn't a repeat of yesterday."
"I'll get my team on it." Lena said.
"Thanks.
"Of course. And how are you doing?"
"Been better. I just feel so lost." Alex said. "For a minute I thought it might have something to do when the imposter took my place, that maybe that had caused MJ some sort of anxiety and that is why he searched, but you heard Alex, this started way before then. And he was desperate to hide it from me, I mean that is why he and Alex barely talk."
"Maybe he was trying to protect you?" Kara asked.
"That doesn't exactly correlate with the rest of his behaviour recently." Alex pointed out rubbing her leg.
"Is it hurting?" Kara asked frowning.
"What?" Alex asked.
"Your leg. You are rubbing it."
"Oh, yeah, I overused it yesterday. It'll be fine."
"You sure?" Kara asked.
"It's fine." Alex promised her.
"I know I am the last person who should be offering parenting advice, but do you think you are going a little easy on MJ, I mean he has been a …" Lena started, trying to find a word that wouldn't upset Alex too much. " … monster, and he has got away with it as you have persuaded yourself you are to blame. And he is exploiting that."
"I know." Alex said. "But yelling and grounding doesn't make any difference."
"Maybe a little outside help is needed." Kara suggested.
"What do you mean?" Alex asked.
"Maybe James could help." Kara said.
"MJ's not been answering his calls." Alex reminded her.
"I know, but James is harder to ignore in person. I could bring him down tonight?"
-00-
"Hey." Diz said when MJ opened the door.
"What are you doing here?"
"Seeing how you were."
"I'm fine."
"Alex told me what was going on." Diz said.
"Of course she did." MJ muttered.
"Why did you it?" Diz asked.
"I needed to know who I was."
"Knowing doesn't help. I know who my parents are and I wish I didn't." Diz pointed out. "But that's not what I meant. I meant with Alex."
"What are you talking about?"
"Going solo. Cutting her off."
"So you're on her side?"
"No, I just don't get what's happening. But whatever it is, she still hid stuff from her mom and put herself in danger to protect you."
"I don't need protection."
"MJ, you were nearly kidnapped." Diz reminded him.
"You done?" MJ asked angrily.
"Umm sure." Diz said taken by surprise by his attitude.
-00-
"Hi James, thanks for coming." Alex said when Kara flew him into the house.
"Of course. How is he?"
"Shaken. But okay." Alex said. "Actually that's a lie. Something is wrong with him, it has been for a while. I hoped it was just a result of what happened to me, and maybe it is. But he needs help I was hoping you could assist."
"Of course. I know we have had our differences and most that is my fault, but I am always here for you and the kids."
"Thanks." Alex smiled wearily.
"I'm going to leave you guys to it, I need to get back to Alex." Kara said before looking at James and saying. "Let me know when you want to go home."
"I will." James said watching Kara go before asking Alex.
"How are you doing?"
"Been better." She confessed. "But right now MJ is my priority."
"So what's going on with him?"
"He's just angry all the time. And it turns out his friends have changed and according to Kara they aren't good friends to have."
"Any idea what caused the change in friends?"
"Could be his girlfriend. But I don't know."
"Has Alex said anything?"
"They've barely been talking."
"Why?"
"A few months ago MJ asked Alex for help finding his biological father. She refused saying he should talk to me and after that things have been tense between them."
"He's due some work experience right?" James asked.
"Yes."
"Why doesn't he do it with me? We can spend some time together, catch up."
"You sure you are okay with that?" Alex asked.
"Of course." James said as the front door opened. Hearing the footsteps head upstarts straight away Alex called.
"MJ!"
"What?"
"Can you come in here please?"
"Fine." He said before they heard muttering as he came downstairs. As he opened the door James greeted.
"Hey MJ."
"Uncle James." MJ replied. "What are you doing here?"
"Well I was hoping you'd help me out."
"With what?"
"How do you feel about working for me for a week?"
"What?" MJ asked confused.
"For your work experience." James said.
"Um sure." MJ replied. "Wait, where would it be?"
"Over in DC, you'd get to -" He started on for MJ to look at his mother and say.
"You are sending me away?"
"Of course not." Alex said.
"It was my idea." James said. "I thought it be fun, plus we could hang out, go to a few games. Plus it will look good on your college applications."
"Sure." He said not sounding particularly enthusiastic.
"Why don't we go to dinner and I'll tell you more about it?" James suggested.
00
"It's quiet here." Kara said entering her sister's house.
"Well it is just me. James has taken MJ out."
"That's good." Kara said before seeing her sister's expression. "Isn't it?"
"It is. But James suggested MJ went to DC to do his work experience and MJ accused me of sending him away. And he isn't exactly wrong."
"Except you don't actually want him to go." Kara reminded her. "And could his reaction be more to do with being separated from his girlfriend for a week?"
"Maybe. It just feels that no matter what I do it is wrong." Alex said. "Where's Alex?"
"With Frax."
"I thought you two had plans tonight."
"We did, but Frax thought of a new technique to help her control her powers so she is off with him."
"Does that mean you've forgiven him over the Lobo contract?"
"Technically it was done behind his back." Kara said.
"Yet you don't seem happy."
"I just, I don't know, there's something not quite right."
"Yeah, I'm going to need more to go on." Alex said.
"You'll say I'm paranoid." Kara said.
"I might not." Alex said. "What's wrong?"
"It feels like Alex is distancing herself from me."
"You think she is hiding something?"
"No. Not exactly. It's just when Frax showed up she jumped at the chance to train with him and before well she would have invited me too."
"You were pretty angry with her last night, maybe she is trying to avoid you."
"Well she was in the wrong." Kara said.
"I didn't say she wasn't, but it is the hardest I have seen you come down on her."
"It wasn't." Kara said. "And she doesn't normally avoid me."
"Maybe she is looking out for you. She knows how much you are dealing with, but she wants you to focus on it."
"Maybe, but she is my focus. But she doesn't seem to see that. When we were at the aquarium the other day, Rose called with an emergency and I asked J'onn to handle it. But Alex kept pushing me to go."
"Well you wear your heart on your sleeve she probably saw that you were feeling guilty."
"But I wasn't. It wasn't a big emergency and I knew J'onn could handle it."
"Well it sounds like you two need to talk. Perhaps you should go away for the weekend?" Alex suggested.
"I can't leave you."
"I'll be fine." Her sister said.