"Thanks for picking me up." The teenage Kara said as she approached her aunt.
"Of course." Kara said. "And your mom is so happy about having you being back this weekend and she can't wait for vacation."
"How is she doing? She seemed a little down when I spoke to her last weekend."
"She's just worried about MJ."
"I thought he was getting better?"
"He his, and the time he is spending with Diz is helping. But your mom feels guilty about not seeing what was happening. It's going to take time, but she will be okay."
"What about you?"
"Me? I'm fine. Why?"
"The nearly dying thing? Or the Lobo kidnapping Alex thing?" The teen said.
"I'm fine." The older Kara smiled before adding. "But I need a favour, and you can say no."
"What it is?"
"I'm worried about Alex. She said everything's okay, but she seems off."
"Off how?"
"Tired, bad dreams, which when I say it out loud could be connected."
"I'll talk to her."
"Thanks." The older Kara said. "Anyway, let's get you home so you can see Diz and your mom."
00
"We're back." The older Kara called moments before Alex limped to the hallway.
"Hi." She smiled before she hugged her daughter.
"Hi mom." The teenage Kara said.
"How were the exams?"
"Okay I guess." The teen said. "How are things here?"
"Same as ever." Alex said.
"I'm going to go meet Alex." The older Kara said. "I see you later." She added before leaving the others.
"You sure you are okay?" The teenage Kara asked her mother.
"I'm fine. Especially now you are here."
"Where's MJ?"
"Upstairs, doing his homework."
"Wow, things have changed." The teen said. "So do you have any plans for tonight?"
"Aren't you seeing Diz?"
"I'm seeing him tomorrow. So why don't you, MJ and me go out and do something?"
"That sounds nice. But you can invite Diz."
"I know." Kara said.
00
"Hey man." Wildcat greeted as Diz came over to get some drinks at the DEO family day the next day.
"Hi." Diz said. "Everything okay?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
"What do you mean?" Diz asked.
"The vultures have descended." Wildcat said nodding back to where the teenage Kara was. Turning Diz saw she was surrounded by the other sponsored students. Shrugging he turned back to Wildcat and poured some drinks.
"You aren't worried?" Wildcat asked.
"About what?"
"Pretty sure they are hitting on her." Wildcat pointed out.
"She's not interested." Diz said.
"You are unnaturally secure." Wildcat said.
"I trust Kar." Diz said. "Besides, Kar's mom will scare them off."
"That's true." Wildcat smiled. "Speaking of, where is she?"
"Kar said she had to go via the DEO." Diz explained before asking. "Is something happening?"
"What do you mean?"
"This is meant to be a really important team building event and she isn't here."
"Well you know the boss, she's a workaholic. Plus Vasquez is here. So you can tell your girlfriend to quit worrying."
"I think worrying is in her DNA." Diz countered. "But I'll tell her."
"Tell who what?" Kara asked walking up behind him.
"You, not to worry." Wildcat said.
"So mom isn't hiding anything?"
"I didn't say that." Wildcat grinned. "Anyway, I need to get ready for the game. I'll catch you later." He said walking off.
"You aren't playing?" The teenage Kara asked Diz.
"No, I'd rather hang out with you."
"That's sweet and I'm guessing a lie?" Kara countered. "If you want to go play, go."
"Really?" Diz asked.
"Go." Kara said.
"See you later." He said kissing her and sprinting after Wildcat. Within a minute of Diz leaving she was surrounded by some of the other new recruits.
As Kara listened to them she noticed they suddenly tensed. Guessing the reason she turned and saw her mother approaching.
"Hey mom." Kara smiled.
"Mom?" Chris, one of Diz's cohort, asked confused.
"Everything okay?" Alex asked her daughter.
"It's fine." Kara smiled.
"You guys not taking part in the game?" Alex asked the male teens.
"Umm." One of them said, his confidence suddenly gone.
"Is that an order?" Another asked.
"You are meant to be having fun." Alex said. "If you want to play, play."
"Um sure." Chris said as the trio walked off, trying to work out of it was a test.
"You okay?" Kara asked her mother.
"I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"
"You turned up late."
"I had things to do. I promise I'm fine. And I am here now." Alex said, but seeing her daughter was still frowning she said. "Come on this is meant to be a fun day."
"Don't you have mingling to do?" Kara asked.
"Nope. Done that already. Besides people are more relaxed when I'm not around."
00
"MJ? Why are you here?" Lena asked when she saw the teenager in one of her labs.
"I work here." He reminded her.
"You know you don't need to? I remember your mother scrapping that punishment."
"That didn't feel right."
"Not sure the robot cleaner would agree." Lena said pointing to the dismantled robot that MJ was trying to repair.
"Sorry, it was harder than I thought."
"It normally helps if you read the instructions." Lena pointed out.
"I may have skimmed rather than read." MJ confessed.
"I can tell." Lena said sitting next to him and looking at the damage. "Where does your mom think you are?"
"Here. Although not destroying robots. Can it be saved?"
"I think so." Lena said. "Which is just as well as you'd be working here a decade to pay for a new one."
"How much are they?"
"You could buy a car for less." Lena said picking up one of the parts on the table and examining it as she did she asked. "Are you really here to work or to run away?"
"If I was going to run away I would have left a while ago."
"I meant running away from your problems, not literally running away." Lena said. "But seeing you have thought about it, what stopped you?"
"Alex. She reminded me how much that would hurt mom."
"Yet, instead of spending the day with her, you are here."
"It's the DEO fun day."
"Isn't that more reason for you to be there?"
"No. I know it makes me a coward, but I can't face them."
"Them?"
"All the DEO Agents who saw jerk me."
"Well the good news is by the time you have finished repairing this the DEO fun day will be over. The bad news is, by the time you have finished repairing it, you'll be collecting your pension." Lena said. "I suggest you ask your mom for help." Lena said standing.
"You aren't going to help?"
"No, I have a meeting." Lena said before saying. "MJ, I have been where you are, the best way through it is to talk. Let the robot help."
00
"Hungry?" The teenage Kara asked when she saw her mother box up loads of sugary food.
"This isn't for me." Alex said.
"Aunt Kara?" The teen guessed.
"And Barry." Alex said before explaining. "They have been making sure we have been safe. The least I can do is feed them."
"They're here?"
"Yes, your aunt has been hovering and Barry has been circling." Alex said. "Speaking of circling, why do you keep staring at that woman, who has been walking round the area for the last couple of hours?"
"It's Diz's mom. She's hassling him." Kara said. "Wait why don't you look surprised?"
"MJ mentioned it."
"How does MJ know?"
"You'll need to ask him." Alex said. "Stay here." She added before passing her daughter the boxes of food and walking towards the woman.
00
As Diz passed the ball he glanced back at his mother and saw Alex heading straight for her. Panicking he left the game and sprinted over.
"Why are you here?" Alex asked the woman.
"I'm here to see my son."
"I don't think so." Alex said. "I've heard you've been hassling him. He doesn't need that."
"You are actually defending him?" The woman asked. "When he abandoned his family."
"You threw him out. Which while I concede was the best thing for him, I know that isn't why you did it."
"If you knew the truth you wouldn't let him anywhere near your daughter." Diz's mother said just as Diz arrived. "Or has he lied to you about his past?"
"Diz, why don't you go keep Kara company? In fact it is late, you should take her home." Alex suggested, although her tone made it obvious it was more of an order.
Feeling conflicted Diz walked back to Kara as Alex watched him go. Once he was out if earshot Alex turned back to Diz's mother.
"He works for me, I know everything."
"I doubt that. He put his father in hospital."
"Something his father did to him plenty of times." Alex said before asking. "You want the truth? The truth is, you should never have been allowed to raise him, the injuries Diz inflicted on his father, in self defence, were justified. But more than that I know how much he has done for my family. He has put his past behind him and I am going to make sure it stays behind him."
"Problem?" Supergirl asked landing next to her sister.
"No she was just going, and will not be coming near Diz or my family again."
"You can't stop me. He's my son. He owes me."
"I don't think you understand. I have enough on you that I could get you sent to jail. If you ever initiate contact with Diz again I will come at you with everything I have. If Diz wants to make contact he will." Alex said. "You have ten seconds to get out of my sight and out of Diz's life." Alex said. When the woman didn't move Alex counted. "One … Two …. Three." Before she got to four the woman turned and walked away.
"Think it will work?" Kara asked.
"She's a coward." Alex said. "If she does come back she knows it will end in jail. She won't risk it. If she does, well her being in jail is no bad thing."
"So did you send Diz away so he wouldn't hear you say nice things about him?" Kara asked her sister.
"No. I thought things might turn nasty."
00
"I'm home." Alex called as she entered the house.
"In the kitchen." MJ called back.
"Are you cooking?" She asked her son.
"I thought you might be hungry."
"You know there was a barbecue?" Alex asked.
"Yeah, but I was guessing you ended up working and not eating."
"MJ as much as I appreciate the help round the house, you don't have to do everything."
"It's just dinner and it's my turn."
"I think you are doing it to make amends." Alex said.
"I need to make things right." MJ said putting the burnt looking food on some paltes.
"You know what you did was wrong and even though you were also a victim you have taken responsibility." Alex said. "If anyone needs to make amends it's me."
"Why?"
"I let you down." Alex said.
"What are you talking about?" MJ asked.
"I should have seen it."
"You were kidnapped and nearly died." MJ argued.
"The thing that upsets me most is what it has done to us." Alex said. "We used to talk and you'd tell me things. But you've not told me anything about what happened with Jess, or how you are feeling or how you were feeling. I want to help you, but I don't know how."
"Well, I kinda screwed up at work today, I need some help fixing a robot."
"Come on, let's go fix it."
"Shouldn't we eat first?" MJ said.
"Um sure." Alex said looking at the burnt offering.
00
"I know it isn't true, but everyday I had Jess telling me how I wasn't your real son." MJ said as he soldered a capacitor in place later that evening. "She pointed out that you always rode Kara hard, but me you never really bothered with."
"That's not true." Alex said. "I used to yell at your sister, a lot, as she relentlessly tested boundaries. You had more sense."
"I know, but then I'd come back and you'd praise Alex and have a go at me and at the time it felt like you wanted to replace me. I mean it didn't always but Jess always encouraged me to talk about what was bothering me and pointed out the things you were doing that meant you didn't want me."
Alex looked at son desperate to tell him it wasn't true, but on seeing his expression she knew it was better to let him talk so stayed silent.
"They made me feel like I was someone other than Kara's little brother, or Alex's dumb cousin. With them I felt wanted. And after I'd get home you'd act just like Jess said you would, proving I wasn't wanted."
"Ignoring the device you were wearing, what they did was social engineering." Alex said. "I should have paid more attention. Maybe if I wasn't working all the time I would have spotted it sooner. If I had insisted on meeting Jess maybe I would have seen something was wrong."
"You weren't the one who made me act like a jerk. That was all me."
"No. It was part you. Part you being manipulated."
"I wish I hadn't hurt you."
"I know. But MJ, you need to know how much I love you." Alex said hugging him.