The Return Chapter 399, a supergirl fanfic

A/N: Sorry this has taken so long.

The end of summer ...

"You have been back at work for less then ten minutes and you are already looking stressed." Vasquez commented as she walked into Alex's office.

"Can you blame?" Alex said scanning her emails.

"No, but you haven't got to the bad part yet."

"What do you mean? I've scanned all my emails already."

"This wasn't suitable for email. Plus we need Kara in the room."

"How bad is it?" Alex asked.

"Bad."

"I'll call Kara." Alex said calling her sister. As she waited for her sister to answer the call she felt a breeze and then heard her sister's ring tone. Looking up she saw Kara standing in front of her.

"You called?" Kara said as Alex ended the call on her phone.

"You better sit down." Vasquez said.

"What's going on?" Kara asked.

"When you were away, Lucy visited. She found another journal." Vasquez started. "We have been testing it and we believe it was written at the same time as the others."

"What's in it this time?" Kara asked.

"It looks like a lot of failed ideas. But there was a symbol that cropped up several times." She said opening the journal and passing it to Kara.

"That's the house of El crest. Why is that there?" Kara asked.

"We don't know, but it is on several pages." Vasquez said. "We know it was written after the Grattlok, but at the moment can't narrow it down further."

"Have you translated it?" Alex asked.

"Yes. We don't understand a lot of it, but I can give you a copy." Vasquez said. Noticing Kara staring blankly at the journal she said. "I'll leave you two to it." With that she left.

"It could be a coincidence." Alex said looking at her sister.

"Or my family is involved." Kara countered.

"What about Clark's family? I mean you aren't the only El out there. And for all we know that symbol is used because who ever wrote it thought the contents could harm you." Alex argued.

"I guess." Kara said. "I have to get back to CatCo. I'll see you later."

As Kara entered her sister's house that evening she went straight to the couch and dropped down on it.

"You okay?" Her sister asked.

"I guess."

"Still worried about the journals?"

"Yes, but it's not that. I mean you are right, it may not be what I think it is. And I will go to Argo and find out."

"So what is wrong? Alex?" Her sister guessed.

"The apartment seemed too empty. I guess I am missing Alex."

"You remember you saw her this morning, when we left Midvale?" Her sister asked.

"I know. But I still miss her."

"Are you flying up to Midvale?" The adult Alex asked.

"No, I'm not that overbearing. And I know Eliza will be looking after her. But I still miss her. I am going to be such a mess next year."

"At least you'll have Chewie." Alex said.

"That's true." Kara said before asking. "How are you so calm?"

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

"Kara is off with Diz, MJ is in Midvale."

"I still have you." Alex pointed out.

"So can I stay here tonight?"

"I assumed you were." Her sister said.

"Does that mean you have already ordered pizza?" Kara asked.

"Yes."

"Wait, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"You are meant to be eating better."

"Or taking my supplements, which I have." Alex said.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"So I don't need to defile a pizza?" Kara asked.

"You'd do that for me?" Alex questioned.

"No, I'd get you a different pizza."

"Kara? Hi." Steve greeted when he saw her in the queue at the cafe the next day.

"Steve. Hi. Why do you look so confused?"

"Martin said you were in Midvale."

"We were, and Alex and MJ still are. But I had to come back to work."

"How are you coping without Alex?"

"Well I miss her obviously. But Alex, as in sister, is trying to distract me." Kara smiled. "How's your ankle?"

"It's fine now. Even managed a jog this morning."

"That's good."

"It is, I was going crazy not being able to use it properly." He confessed.

"Pretty sure that is a doctor thing."

"Your sister still causing trouble?"

"Always." Kara smiled. "I know you probably have plans with Martin, but we are having a games night tonight if you want to join us?"

"Thanks to the internet, Martin is gaming with MJ and Alex tonight, so that sounds great. Do you want me to bring anything?"

"Snacks are always good."

"You're in early." Alex commented when she saw Vasquez in the control room staring at a screen.

"Just going over the incidents last week."

"And why are you frowning?"

"We haven't seen any modified aliens." Vasquez said. "It's like they have disappeared. The question is why?"

"Too hard? Or maybe not enough profit." Alex said. "Or their supply of aliens who wanted the drug changed."

"Maybe." Vasquez said without sounding convinced.

"I take it none of our prisoners are fit for talking?"

"No." Vasquez said. "What gets me is there were a lot of them."

"So where did they find them?" Alex asked.

"What if there is another portal, like the one to Slaver's moon or Argo?" Vasquez asked.

"Then why stop all of a sudden?"

"Things could have crumbled after what happened to Thorn and Tycho?" Vasquez said.

"You believe that?" Alex asked.

"No. Pretty sure that isn't the answer, but right now I can't think of a better one." Vasquez said sighing. "But I will keep working on it. In the mean time the forensics report on the warehouse that exploded – the one out of town that was set up as a trap, is in."

"Anything interesting?"

"Not in the Exec Summ, but you know how bad people are at writing reports, maybe they buried the interesting stuff in the main body."

"I'll read it after my meeting." Alex said.

"Hi." Lena greeted as Alex opened the front door that evening.

"Hi Lena, come in." She greeted.

"I'd ask if you enjoyed Midvale, but your frown implies otherwise. So what did they do?"

"Who?" Alex asked confused.

"The kids."

"Oh, they were fine. It's work. Too many questions, not enough answers." Alex said walking into lounge where Kara was.

"Hi Lena." Kara smiled.

"You are looking happier than I was expecting." Lena commented.

"She has been on the phone to Alex for the last hour." The older Alex explained.

"It wasn't an hour." Kara said.

"Close enough." Alex shrugged.

"So apart from eating, any plans for tonight?" Lena asked.

"It's Games Night." Kara reminded her.

"And there are three of us-" Lena started.

"Four." Kara said. Seeing the confused looks she was getting she explained. "I invited Steve."

"Really?" Lena grinned.

"Not like that." Kara said as the doorbell rang. "That will be Steve, be nice."

"Of course I will." Lena said as Alex let Steve in.

"Hey Steve." Alex greeted as she noticed the large box he was carrying. "What's that?"

"Kara said bring snacks." Steve explained as he followed her to the lounge and put the box on the table.

"She also tell you there were only four of us?" Alex asked.

"Yes, but she likes snacks and I assumed there was no such thing as too many snacks."

"You assume correctly." Kara smiled.

As Kara and Alex won another round Lena commented to Kara. "Pretty sure my losing streak could start to rival your dry spell."

"Pretty sure it exceeds it." Alex said. "I mean it predates Kara going missing."

"That's true." Lena sighed. "My loosing streak marginally beats Kara's dry spell."

"That's mean." Kara said.

"But true." Her sister commented.

"It can't be that bad." Steve said.

"It's worse." Alex replied.

"I mean I know Alex said you don't date, but I'm sure that was just teenage exaggeration." Steve said to Kara.

"No exaggeration." Alex said. "She hasn't dated since Alex."

"Wait you haven't dated since before Alex was born?" Steve asked. "And I thought my record was bad."

"I fake dated you." Kara pointed out.

"Yeah, that doesn't count." Steve said.

"Why are you siding with them?" Kara asked.

"Speaking the truth isn't exactly taking sides." Steve pointed out.

"Can't you pick on Lena instead? Or Alex?"

"They scare me, you don't." Steve said.

"Why? I have powers and could crush you, fry you, drop you." Kara responded.

"But you won't." Steve said. "They may."

"You can come more often." Alex said.

"Although you'll need to improve your trivia knowledge." Lena said.

"I've got more right than you have." Steve pointed out.

"You know I can uninvite you?" Lena asked.

"I'll practice." Steve said. "Although I feel like I am just here as cannon fodder."

"We both are." Lena confirmed.

"Hang on a second." Steve said looking at Kara. "When we bowl do you deliberately bowl bad?"

"No, she sucks at bowling." Alex said.

"No I don't. I just have to hold back my skill so no one realises who I am." Kara argued.

"You keep telling yourself that." Her sister said.

"It's the truth."

"Sounds like a challenge coming on." Lena said.

"So bowling tomorrow?" Steve suggested.

"No, I'm going to see my mother." Kara said.

"Is she even on Earth?" Steve asked.

"No."

"So space travel is completely normal for you?" Steve asked.

"I spent years trapped in space." Kara shrugged. "But technically it won't be space travel. I mean it is, but not in a ship, it's a portal."

"A portal? Like Stargate?"

"You know Stargate?" Kara asked.

"Well yeah. Not Universe, but who wouldn't like RDA?"

"I am surrounded by nerds." Lena commented.

"Kara! It is good to see you." Alura said hugging her. "Is Alex not with you?"

"No, she is spending the summer with Eliza." Kara explained. "So you just get me."

"Well I am happy to see you." Alura said. "But I am guessing there is a purpose to the visit?"

"Yes, we found something else, which links to our family."

"Let's go talk." Alura said leading her daughter away from the portal. As they walked she asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Why?"

"You look concerned. In fact you have the same expression you used to wear after you heard Astra and I arguing. Is Alex okay?"

"She is, but she has been through a lot because of me."

"She knows you love her."

"I know, but I just feel like I am letting her down."

"That is part of being a parent." Alura said as they entered the lounge. "So what have you found?"

"Another journal. This one had several pages that were marked by a crest, our crest." Kara said passing her mother a copy of the journal. "It would appear the crest was used to mark pages, but there is nothing remarkable on these pages. Or at least not that we can see."

"May I?" Alura asked looking at the pages.

"Sure." Kara said causing Alura to flick through the pages.

After what felt like an eternity to Kara Alura looked up and said.

"Some of these I recognise from your father's work. He could be connected to all of them. His lab may still have records of interest, we should go look."