A/N: Thanks for the reviews.
Baratta jennifer - The disk will lead to more questions.
"Why are you here?" Vasquez asked as she entered Alex's office at six in the morning.
"Oh hi." Alex said looking up.
"Hi." Vasquez said before waiting for her first question to be answered. When Alex remained silent she asked. "Why are you here so early?"
"Mel got hold of hidden files that belonged to her father."
"She did? How?"
"Went to one of his hidden properties." Alex said. "The contents is encrypted but I gave the disk to the techs."
"Okay, but why are you sitting here?"
"I was just thinking."
"About what may be on that disk?" Vasquez asked.
"Probably wait until the techs finish with it before jumping to worse case." Vasquez said before shutting Alex's door and sitting opposite Alex and asking. "You okay?"
"Fine. Why?"
"You have been a little, I don't know, off, since Indomitable."
"Well the city is a mess."
"I don't think it is that." Vasquez said. "I think what happened with Indomitable reminded you of what happened twenty years ago and I don't think you have dealt with it."
"That is not - it's probably right." Alex sighed.
"Probably?"
"Definitely." Alex confessed.
"You sleeping?" Vasquez asked.
"Not really." Alex said before adding. "And since Kara went missing not at all."
"Have you talked to Kara?"
"She's a little busy with Alex."
"What about Lena?"
"Yes. Briefly. But she is maxed out with the shapeshifters and sensors."
"There will always be an excuse not to talk to them." Vasquez said.
"I know." Alex said. "But I'll be okay."
"Want to talk to me?"
"No, you have too much to deal with as it is. I just need time."
"Then why don't you take a few days off?"
"Because the contents of that disk may be about to cause us a headache."
"Or allow progress." Vasquez said. "You said they are encrypted so there won't be answers for awhile. Go home. If we find something I'll let you know." She said as there was a knock on the door.
"Yes." Alex called.
"Ma'am we are seeing energy spikes in the desert. We think it is your sister." Tuttle said poking their head into the office.
"Go." Vasquez said to Alex. "And don't come back."
-00-
As Kara and Alex blew up the rocks in the desert, Kara heard and then saw a car approaching.
"Oh." Kara said.
"What?" Her daughter asked, following her mother's gaze to the dust trail in the distance. "Doesn't Alex normally phone?"
"Yes." Her mother agreed.
"Are we in trouble?" The younger Alex asked.
"I don't know." Her mother said as the SUV came to a stop.
"You do the remember the part about you taking it easy?" The older Alex said as she got out of her SUV and walked towards her sister and niece.
"We are." Kara said.
"The trail of destruction implies otherwise." The older Alex said looking round. "You two okay?"
"We're fine." Kara said looking at her daughter. "Although I am a little hungry."
"I thought you might be." Her sister said.
"So you brought food?" Kara asked hopefully.
"No." Her sister said. "But I thought we could go get some breakfast."
"With pancakes?" Kara asked hopefully.
"Yes." Her sister confirmed.
"This is why you are my favourite sister." Kara said. "Want me to fly us?"
"I have my car." Alex reminded her.
"I could fly that."
"I think you have used your powers enough." Alex said. "Get in the car."
00
"You know we have passed five diners." Kara said ten minutes later as her sister drove back to the city.
"Breakfast is at home." Alex explained.
"Could we stop for a pre breakfast breakfast?" Kara asked.
"No."
"But I'm hungry." Kara complained.
"You shouldn't have over used your powers." Her sister said unsympathetically.
"Alex, your favourite niece, is hungry." Kara said.
"And yet she doesn't complain." Her sister countered as Kara started to look through the various compartments.
"What are you doing?" The older Alex asked.
"Looking for food."
"You are unbelievable." Alex said pulling the car over outside a small diner and looking back at her niece.
"Can you go get your mom something?"
"Sure." The teen said getting out the back of the car and going into the diner. Once she was inside the older Alex looked at her sister.
"So why were you in the desert?" Alex asked her sister.
"Nightmares. Alex's not mine."
"And how are yours?"
"Been better." Kara confessed.
"So does that mean you are ready to talk?"
"About?"
"What happened to you. The full version."
"I have. Besides it wasn't anywhere near as bad as last time. I mean it wasn't for that long. Also, although I knew what I was doing was wrong, I didn't know how wrong. And then it was over. Like I said it wasn't as bad as last time." Kara said before looking at her sister and saying. "Thank you for rescuing me."
"Anytime. Although this time Alex had a big part to play."
"I know." Kara said before saying. "Frax came round yesterday. He thinks Lobo was behind me being taken. He is going to organise an investigation." She then paused and asked. "Why aren't you yelling at me?"
"For what?"
"Not telling you sooner."
"I assumed Alex's nightmares took priority." Alex said.
"Yeah, but you are still too clam." Kara said looking at her sister and seeing her frown. "What's wrong?"
"Something happened last night." The older Alex said.
"What?"
"Mel gave me a disk with her father's files on."
"What?"
"Mel wanted to help and went to one of her father's secret properties and copied the contents off his computer."
"What was on it?"
"Don't know. The disk is at the DEO, they are trying to decrypt the files."
"How's Mel?"
"Seems fine, but I'm worried she is doing this."
"Does MJ know?"
"No. Well he didn't last night." Alex said as the door opened and her niece climbed in the back.
"Did I interrupt?" The teen asked sensing a change in mood.
"No." Her mother said.
"So yes then." She said passing her mother the bag with the bun in. "Were you talking about Frax's theory about Lobo?"
"How do you know about that?" Kara asked.
"Frax told me. You told him not to hide things from me."
00
When everyone had dispersed after breakfast Kara looked at her sister and asked.
"Shouldn't you be at work?"
"Forced day off."
"Are you sick?" Kara asked frowning.
"No."
"Then why are you being forced to have a day off?"
"Vasquez thinks that I am un-repressing memories."
"What memories?"
"Of when you went missing, the first time."
"Hey, I'm okay." Kara said.
"But you nearly weren't. I thought I had lost you again." Alex said.
"You found me." Kara reminded her. "Within hours."
"I mean when Indomitable exploded. We couldn't reach you, we couldn't find you and I thought you were gone. It was so much like what happened with Lex and I was so scared."
"I'm okay." Kara said hugging her. "But why are you only telling me this now?"
"I thought I was okay and you had so much going on with Alex and then the babies. And I really thought I was okay. And then you went missing again and then Kara and MJ were lying there in the infirmary and then Kara started to … I thought I was going to lose her and-" Alex said before Kara grabbed her and flew her back to her apartment.
"What?" Alex asked trying to get her bearings.
"I thought you'd want to talk without your kids around." Kara said.
"Thank you. But I'm okay." Alex said but as Kara stared at her she said. "Fine I am not okay, but you have bigger things to worry about."
"Not right now and besides I am kinda to blame."
"No you're not. I mean you did what you needed to do to save the city."
"I didn't mean that." Kara said. "If I hadn't got captured MJ and Kara would have never been in that position and you wouldn't have been pushed towards the edge."
"You were kidnapped, I don't think you can be blamed."
"I should have called in and been more careful." Kara said.
"You were targeted." Alex said. "I should have looked for signs of that."
"You are carrying too much already to have non deserved guilt." Kara argued.
"Back at you." Alex replied.
"What can I do to help you?" Kara asked.
"Pretty sure I should be the one asking you that."
"Alex, right now you are drowning, I'm not. Let me help."
"I just … sometimes … sometimes it feels too much. Like all the walls are closing in. And all I see are ways things could go wrong. I'm scared." Alex said.
"Because of you, everyone is okay." Kara reminded her as she hugged her again.
"You're not." Alex said into the hug.
"Better than you." Kara replied.