Several weeks later …
"You ready?" Kara asked as she stood with her daughter in the Boston sunshine.
"No."
"You can't put it off forever." Kara reminded her.
"Wish I could fly, then I could just fly here everyday." The teen said.
"Living here, is part of the experience." Kara reminded her. "You'll make new friends here."
"Who are your college friends?"
"Umm, Alex. It was complicated for me."
"How is it not complicated for me?" The teen asked.
"Umm. You're smart."
"So are you." The teen countered.
"You're smarter." Kara said. "You'll be fine."
"What if something happens to you?"
"I'll be fine. But if anything happens J'onn can get you, or Kal or Barry." Kara said.
"I'm going to miss you." The teen said.
"Me too, so much. But you will love college."
"What if I don't?"
"You will. I mean can I lie?" Kara asked.
"No."
"There you go." Kara smiled triumphantly.
"Okay." The teen Alex said. "Let's go."
00
"Wow, this is better than the dorm I lived in." Kara commented as they entered Alex's room.
"Why are you surprised? It looks like Kara's." The teen pointed out.
"You are right. It is like every college follows the same designs." The older Kara agreed as they heard a knock on the door.
"Hi." A teenage girl said from the doorway. "I'm Mel. Room next door."
"Alex." The teen said. "And my mom." She said nodding at Kara.
"I'm Kara." The eldest in the room smiled. "Have you just arrived?"
"No. Been here a couple of hours. I was starting to think I was going to be the only resident. At least the only one with a love of robotics."
"Now there are two of you." Kara said.
"Really?" Mel said looking at Alex.
"Well she was talking about joining the robotics club." Kara said before nudging her daughter and asking. "Weren't you?"
"Yeah."
"Great then we are destined to be friends." Mel smiled.
"On that note, I will go. I'll being staying near by so call if you need anything." Kara said hugging her daughter.
"I will." Alex said hugging her tightly.
Finally Kara released her and left the room. Noticing Mel was looking at her Alex asked.
"What?"
"You get on with your mom?"
"Yeah."
"A little weird, but I can live with it." Mel said. "Want to tour campus?"
"Sure."
00
"No Kara?" Steve asked as he joined Alex in the cafe.
"No, I assume it is a long goodbye." Alex said.
"Where as you look like you have been here a while."
"Yeah, MJ couldn't wait to be rid of me." Alex shrugged.
"Pretty sure I was like that with my parents too." Steve commented before asking. "So is Kara going to be super fake happy or super miserable?"
"I'm sure we will get both." Alex said. "How's Martin settling in?"
"He says fine. There are plenty of activities tonight so hopefully he'll be okay. Even if he isn't something tells me Alex and MJ will look out for him." He said before asking. "How are you doing?"
"Me? Fine. Why?"
"Well you've kinda offloaded two kids now."
"Kara moping will be a good distraction." Alex said. "Besides the way things are going at the moment I don't think I'm going to have much time to feel sorry for myself."
"It does feel there is a full blown invasion round the corner. But I had just hoped that was the media blowing things out of proportion."
"So do I. But it isn't the invasion I am worried about." Alex said.
"Indomitable?" Steve guessed.
"Yes."
"I take it his commentary job isn't full time employment then?"
"No. Although it has a twenty four seven vibe." Alex said.
"And seems to be the cause of Kara's frustrations."
"Yeah."
"Is she going to be okay without Alex? I mean without Alex to focus on is there a chance she is going to react?"
"It's possible." Alex agreed. "Which is why Sam is visiting next weekend. But we need a longer term solution, or to stop Indomitable."
"You think you can?"
"If I could have I would have." Alex said. "But I'll keep trying." She added as her sister approached the table.
"Hi." Alex smiled.
"How's Alex settling in?" Steve asked.
"Fine. I think she found a friend."
"That's great Steve smiled."
"And you?" The older Alex asked her sister.
"Me? I'm fine." Kara said in an over-exaggerated way.
"You really don't get better at lying." Steve said standing. "But sit down and I will get the perfect comfort food."
00
As Kara flew into the DEO the next day holding a squirming alien her sister approached and reminded her.
"Containment was meeting you there."
"Well I was faster."
"You were, but part of the plan is getting my team trained, which involves them doing something." Alex reminded her.
"I know. I'm sorry." Supergirl said as the DEO agents took the prisoner down to containment
"Let's go get food." Alex said.
"I'm not hungry."
"Which tells me all I need to know." Alex said leading her sister to her office, which had a box of doughnuts on the desk. "Is this an Alex thing?"
"Yes, no. Maybe. I miss her."
"I know." Her sister said.
"But it isn't just that. Sometimes I hate having Super hearing."
"What do you mean?"
"He's always there, criticising and I can't shut it out."
"He knows you have Superhearing. He is trying to distract you." Alex reminded her.
"I know. But he's right I am making mistakes and I am making more mistakes than I used to."
"Because you have him effectively whispering in your ear the whole time." Her sister countered.
"Doesn't make him wrong."
"Even if he is right, his behaviour is responsible."
"So what do I do?"
"We stick with the plan. The DEO needs to carry more weight anyway." Alex said as Kara's phone buzzed. "Problem?"
"No, it's Alex." Kara said reading the message.
"She okay?"
"She's fine, sounds like she's having a great time."
"That's a good thing." Her sister reminded her.
"I know." Kara said before putting the phone away and looking at her sister. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Moping. And not worrying about you."
"Me?"
"MJ, Kara, college." Kara listed.
"I'm fine. Besides I have Chewie."
"Technically you don't. Chewie is Alex's and therefore mine." Kara said.
"Chewie is where the food is." Alex countered.
"And so am I." Kara said taking a doughnut as there was a knock on the door.
"Am I interrupting?" Lucy asked.
"Lucy?" Kara smiled before jumping up and hugging her. "How's your dad?"
"Stubborn." Lucy said before looking at Alex and saying. "Don't worry I have good news for once."
"You do?" Alex asked suspiciously.
"Yes. The Gunnison Sage-Grouse Bill."
"Isn't the Gunnison Sage-Grouse a bird?" Alex asked.
"Yes."
"And its bill is important?" Kara asked. "Have I missed something?"
"Congress Bill, not the bird's bill." Lucy corrected.
"Still lost." Kara said.
"It's a Bill written to introduce new laws to protect the habitats of the bird." Lucy said.
"And still lost." Kara repeated.
"There was an amendment tightening the laws on interfering with Federal and military operations. Any one found doing so will go to prison." Lucy said. "The bill passed."
"Did I know about this?" Alex asked confused.
"No. You mentioned there may be a mole, so we couldn't risk it." Lucy said. "But now you have more elbow room."
"Thank you." Alex said.
"Actually it is James you should thank." Lucy said.
"You've been working with James?" Kara questioned.
"On this, yes."
"How was it?"
"Complicated." Lucy replied. "But the point is if Indomitable tries to interfere you can arrest him."
"Isn't the President worried about starting riots if we do that?" Alex asked.
"Yes. Which is why it can only be used with Presidential Approval and several steps need to be taken before it can be used. Those steps will be initiated by the White House and are already in progress. But I am here to brief you on how you fit in and how you could use it." Lucy said.
"That sounds like a long briefing." Kara said.
"It is." Lucy agreed. "And better if you don't listen to it."
"Works for me." Kara smiled.
00
"Where's Lucy?" Kara asked when her sister entered her apartment that evening.
"Finalising the main DEO briefing."
"She needs to eat." Kara said.
"I said that. She said her weak human body has had its sugar allowance for the year." Her sister pointed out. "I also think she wanted to avoid talking about James."
"So something did happen?" Kara asked.
"Don't know, I knew better than to ask." Her sister said.
"But I don't."
"True, but based on Lucy's glare I don't think your powers will be enough to save you if you did ask."
"That just makes me want to know more." Kara said before her sister asked.
"Aren't we missing someone?"
"Lena is out of town and Steve is working lates." Kara listed.
"I meant Chewie."
"Oh, he's in Alex's room. I think he is pining."
"That's sweet?" The older Alex asked. "But isn't he meant to be looking after you?"
"He'll be out when he gets hungry." Kara said.