A/N: Thanks for the reviews.
Baratta jennifer - Thanks!
As a weary Alex returned to the house she quietly started to walk upstairs only for her to hear her daughter ask.
"No hello?"
"Kara? What are you doing up?" Alex asked turning before walking back to her daughter and hugging her.
"I wanted to see you."
"Sorry I'm so late." Alex said finally releasing her.
"It's okay, I saw the news. You okay?"
"I'm fine. It was your aunt dealing with the alien, not me." Alex reminded her.
"I know, but you were still working and stressing over aunt Kara." Her daughter listed. "You eaten yet?"
"Umm-"
"I'll make you something." The younger Kara said walking to the kitchen.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Alex said following her.
"I'm fine." The teen said taking some food out of the fridge.
"What's that?" Alex asked seeing the contents of the fridge.
"Food. We arranged for a delivery today."
"Thanks. But you didn't have to."
"The emptiness implied I did." Her daughter countered as she put some leftovers in the microwave. She then turned back to her mother and asked. "You really okay?"
"I'm fine, just a little tired." Alex said. "How about you?"
"Me? I'm fine."
"And Diz?"
"Upstairs, asleep."
"You didn't have to stay up." Alex said.
"I know. But I assumed you were going to be working long hours every day."
"I-"
"That wasn't a criticism." The younger Kara said. "I just meant, you are kind of maxed out, so we wanted to take some of the strain."
"Thank you." Alex said.
"Plus we have the extra person coming for the holidays."
"Mel?" Alex asked.
"Yes."
"Your aunt said she has character."
"Sounds ominous." The younger Kara smiled. "And backed up by what Alex and MJ said."
"Your aunt also thinks Mel has a crush on MJ." Alex said.
"Really?" Kara asked smiling. "Must be pretty obvious if aunt Kara sees it."
"Well not to your brother." Alex said.
"When's grandma getting here?" The younger Kara asked changing the subject.
"Tomorrow, well today. I think J'onn is getting her after lunch." Alex said as her daughter took the food from the microwave and put it in front of her.
"Anything I can do?"
"No, besides you need to rest too." Alex said taking a mouthful of the food.
"How's aunt Kara?"
"Feeling the strain." The older Alex said. "But looking forward to Alex coming home. Speaking of, how is she doing?"
"Alex? Better than she was. MJ even managed to get her to go to club. And we have plenty of plans for the break."
"Good." Alex smiled.
"What about you? You going to get any down time?"
"That is out of my hands." Alex pointed out. "But I'll try."
00
As the older Kara put a bowl of dog food on the floor the next day, Chewie started to wolf it down.
"How come you don't get mocked for your eating habits?" Kara asked him as the front door opened.
"Hi." Her daughter called.
"Alex? You're early." Kara said rushing over to hug her as Chewie became torn between his food and Alex. Deciding to eat he increased his pace.
"I've missed you." Kara said holding her daughter.
"Me too." The teen said into the hug.
"How are you doing?"
"Good." Alex said as Kara saw Mel in the doorway.
"Hi Mel." Kara smiled, releasing her daughter as Chewie stopped eating and ran over to Alex who lifted him up.
"Hey." The other teen waved from the door.
"Come in and make yourself at home." Kara said.
"You sure you are happy with me being here?" Mel asked.
"Of course. Although you'll probably spend most of your time over the road." Kara said before Alex explained.
"MJ's house. All the games consoles are over there. And the food is marginally safer."
"Seeing your grandmother will be there, a lot safer." Kara said.
"When's she arriving?" Alex asked.
"Around lunch time, so don't forget to say hello." Kara reminded her daughter.
"I won't." The teen said finally putting Chewie down who suspiciously looked at Mel.
"You guys have plans for today?" Kara asked the teens.
"Kara said she had loads. But she hasn't told us what yet." The younger Alex said.
"Well, I'll let you get settled, I need to go to work. I'll see you later." Kara said before hugging her daughter once more. "I missed you." She said into the hug before leaving.
00
"Has our latest prisoner said anything?" Alex asked Vasquez.
"No. We still can't translate what he is saying. But he sounds pretty angry." Vasquez said. "Kara is in with him now, but no progress is being made."
"And our invisible alien?"
"Nothing so far. Ruby is leading that investigation." Vasquez replied. "But the good news is the lockdown at the desert base was a genuine false alarm."
"You sure about that?" Alex asked.
"I am. We have triple checked. We know what caused it."
"Which was?"
"Leaking AC unit."
"That simple?"
"Yes. Unlike our rat problem." Vasquez said. "Which is worse than we thought."
"Sure they are rats and not robots or aliens or -"
"Before you get too paranoid we have a few bodies and they have been checked. They are rat. Human rat. So are their droppings. But our lab techs may want a rise." Vasquez explained.
"Doesn't everyone?" Alex asked dryly as her sister entered the office. Seeing her Alex asked. "Any luck?"
"No. Haven't got a clue what he is saying. But he seems really angry. Like really angry." Kara said.
"Got that when he punched you into a wall last night." Alex replied.
"Any chance we can get the Professor in to help with translation?" Kara questioned.
"Sure." Alex said. "But we'll handle that, don't you want to get home to Alex?"
"She's out with the others. So I am all yours."
"You sure?" Her sister asked.
"Yes."
"Then perhaps you can help me make sense of these." Alex said pointing to several piles of files.
"What are they?" Kara asked.
"Crime scene reports." Alex said.
"Looks like pizza work. Back in a minute." Kara said disappearing.
-00-
"You really need to learn how to have fun." The younger Kara said to her cousin who sat in the club that evening while MJ and Mel hit the dance floor.
"MJ stops me every time I try." The teenage Alex said.
"What? Oh wait, you mean he tries to stop you working?" Kara asked amused.
"I like my assignments." Alex said.
"Sometimes you sound like a real alien." Diz commented as he sat down next to Kara.
"Says the guy who signed up to have my mom as his boss." The younger Kara commented.
"I see your point." Diz conceded before asking Alex. "You doing okay?"
"Your shirt is safe if that is what you mean."
"Only in part." Diz said as Mel approached looking flustered.
"Hey, you okay?" Alex asked Mel.
"Actually I have a bit of a headache, I may head back."
"I'll come with you." Alex offered.
"It's fine-"
"I'm coming with you." Alex said following her friend out of the club.
"I'll be fine, I just need some air."
"I'll walk back with you." Alex said.
00
"What happened?" Alex asked when they got back to the apartment.
"I made an idiot out of myself." Mel said hugging a cushion.
"How?"
"I kissed MJ, who was horrified and now I have days of awkwardness. I should go."
"You're not going. And MJ's reaction wasn't to do with you."
"The mystery ex?" Mel guessed. "Who I knew there was an issue with but I kissed him anyway, what does that say about me?"
"That you have weird tastes in guys." Alex commented.
"MJ's nice and he's-"
"We aren't having this conversation." Alex said. "But MJ just needs time."
"Which is why I should go."
"No. And if you do MJ will feel terrible and it will ruin Christmas for him."
"So instead I ruin it for everyone?"
"You aren't ruining anything." Alex said. "Besides Chewie has almost warmed to you, so you can't go yet."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Besides you saved me from a night in a club tonight so I kinda owe you." Alex smiled. "Why don't we watch some movies?"
00
"I talked to Mel." Alex said to her cousin the next day.
"Is she okay?" MJ asked.
"Worried about taking advantage of you and ruining your friendship."
"You aren't going to lecture me about taking chances?" MJ asked.
"After Jeff?"
"Not all guys are jerks." MJ reminded her.
"And not all girls are shapeshifting sociopaths." Alex countered.
"I know, but I'm not ready. I'm sorry you are caught in the middle." MJ said.
"It's okay. Just don't let things get awkward."
"I'll talk to her." MJ said.
"She's at my place." Alex said. When MJ didn't move she added. "Threatening to go back to Boston."
"I'm going." MJ said leaving the house.
00
"You okay?" Kara asked her sister as they sat in Alex's office at the DEO.
"Yeah why?"
"You are frowning."
"It's nothing. I'm just worried about MJ."
"He was acting weird too?" Kara guessed.
"Who else was acting weird?" Alex asked. "Let me guess. Mel."
"Yes. My guess is Mel finally made a move and MJ panicked." Kara said.
"What has Alex said?"
"Nothing, but Mel was there this morning so I couldn't exactly interrogate." Kara said as Ruby entered the office.
"Sorry, am I interrupting?"
"No." Alex said. "What's up?"
"I've been thinking about that cannery and the alien we found. And I have a theory."
"What is it?" Kara asked.
"That alien didn't trip our sensors and since we got back we haven't got it to trip any of our sensors."
"Only it did trip the one at the road." Alex said.
"Except what if it didn't?" Ruby asked.
"Then we wouldn't have looked." Kara said looking as lost as Alex felt.
"Precisely." Ruby said.
"Ruby, I really am not following." Alex said.
"Okay, that alien, when it is cloaked is invisible to all sensors." Ruby said.
"Got that part." Kara said.
"So for that sensor to have been tripped either it wasn't cloaked, which seems unlikely as no other detector sensed it." Ruby said. "Or it didn't trip it. Someone else did."
"So there is another alien out there?" Kara asked.
"Yes, no. Maybe. Not the point." Ruby replied.
"Ruby, you have clearly given this a lot more thought than us, you are going to have to slow this down." Alex said.
"Right. Sorry. Say the alien didn't trip it. It was tripped to get Supergirl down there. The only building was the cannery, so she was going to go there and inside it was full of cameras." Ruby said. "We were a minute away from leaving. Something that would have been caught on camera."
"But the alien wouldn't have been caught on camera so what difference does it make?" Kara asked.
"What if after we left the alien attacked someone, or killed someone? Live on camera."
"You are saying it was staged to make Supergirl look bad?" Alex asked.
"Is that so hard to believe?" Ruby asked.
"No." Alex agreed. "We need to find out when those cameras were set up and where that feed went."
"Well the later is impossible, but we are working on the former." Ruby said.
"Let me know when you have something." Alex said.
"Will do." Ruby said turning.
"And Ruby." Alex called. "Good work."
"Thanks boss." Ruby replied leaving.
"The set up may have been there to make you second guess everything." Alex said to her sister.
"I already am." Kara said.
"I know."
00
"You okay?" Alex asked her son as he helped with the dishes that evening.
"Yeah."
"You sure? You seem a little distracted."
"Have you done a background check on everyone at MIT and BU?"
"Where's that come from?"
"You are super paranoid." He said.
"I meant why are you asking?"
"Can I trust the people there?"
"You have reason to doubt it?"
"After everything that happened with Jess, yes."
"MJ, what happened with Jess was terrible, but you can't live your life not trusting anyone."
"You do."
"Being cynical is not the same as being paranoid." Alex said. "But I may have, unofficially, run a background check on classmates and room mates. And all of them checked out. Plus none of then have tripped your watch. But at the end of the day, whether you trust them or not, it something only you can decide. I know trusting is hard, but at some point you are going to have to."
"What if I get it wrong again?"
"I'll be right here." Alex said before asking. "So what's her name?"
"Her who?"
"The her who is behind this line of questioning."
"How did you know?"
"I'm your mother. So who is she?"
"Don't you already know? I mean DEO agents are always with me." MJ said.
"They aren't there to spy on you." Alex pointed out.
"Well after my freak out I don't think there is anything to spy on."
"Freak out?"
"She kissed me and I ran off."
"Do you like her?"
"Does it matter anymore? She is going to spend the rest of the year avoiding me."
"Well if you like her you could try talking to her or sending her a message." Alex suggested.
"Alex already tried smoothing things over, but I don't think it helped. And my attempt seemed to make things worse."
"Well seeing Mel-" Alex started.
"You know?" MJ asked.
"Yeah. And seeing Mel is besotted with you-" Alex said only for MJ to cut in again.
"What are you talking about?" MJ asked.
"Everyone can see it, even your aunt." His mother said. "My point is, talk to her. She'll be fine."
"I tried apologising, but it was just awkward and weird."
"If you like her I am sure between you and Alex you can get her to hear you out." Alex said.
"What if I don't know what I want?"
"Then tell her that." Alex said. "It is better to be honest. But if I were you, I'd try sooner than later."
"Does that mean I don't need to help with the dishes?" MJ asked.
"Go." Alex said causing MJ to walk off, only to return a moment later and hug his mother.
"Thanks." He said before leaving.
"Everything okay?" Eliza asked coming into the kitchen.
"I hope so." Alex sighed as Eliza picked up a cloth. "You don't need to help."
"I can cope with a few dishes." Eliza smiled. "How are you doing?"
"Me? I'm fine."
"And the truth?"
"I don't know." Alex said. "Nothing feels within my control right now. And I'm worried about Kara."
"Which one?"
"The older one. She is doubting everything right now."
"Is she talking?"
"A bit. But she she hasn't said what Alex said to her at Thanksgiving."
"Maybe she has moved past it?" Eliza suggested.
"Or she is trying to protect Alex. And I get that. But if she loses her focus I'm scared it will cost her."
"Your sister will talk when she is ready." Eliza said. "In the mean time we will keep her on track."
"I know. But I am still worried." Alex said.
"So I am. But together we can help."
00
"So how are you really doing?" Kara asked her daughter as they walked Chewie.
"I'm okay."
"Really?"
"No more hormone swings."
"I didn't mean that." Kara said.
"I'm okay."
"Really?" Kara asked.
"Really. I even started going out at college."
"And?"
"I don't get clubs."
"Baby steps." Kara smiled.
"You think Mel and MJ are going to be okay?"
"I'm sure they'll figure a way through it. And I know you will help them." Kara said.
"What about you?"
"What about me?" Kara asked confused.
"How are you doing?"
"Me? Fine. Why?"
"I see the news. I see how people treat Supergirl, like she is unwanted and-"
"Alex, I'm okay." Kara said. "Right now Supergirl isn't popular. But that doesn't mean I can't help people or be myself. Besides didn't we agree you were going to stop worrying about me?"
"Not that easy." Alex pointed out.
"I know." Kara smiled wrapping an arm round her daughter's shoulder. "Come on let's go home. Otherwise you might sleep through the presents tomorrow."
"Pretty sure you wouldn't let that happen." The teen smiled.