"Want to talk about it?" The older Alex asked, joining her sister on the beach where she sat staring at a small object in her hand.
"Nothing to say. I am a terrible person and a horrible mother."
"I know for a fact that isn't true." Alex said. "You want to tell me what she said?"
"There's not really a direct translation, but the closest would be that I am a terrible person and I abandoned her."
"She didn't mean it."
"She did and she's right. I abandoned her. I should know better than anyone. For years I carried round so much anger towards my mother for putting me in that pod. But when it came down to it, I was no better." Kara said.
"You didn't throw her in a pod by herself, you entrusted her to J'onn knowing that he would bring her here. And knowing that no matter what happened we would look after her." Alex argued.
"I still abandoned her. You saw how angry she was with me."
"You both did what you thought was the best and only thing to protect your daughters." Alex said. "And she'll understand and accept that, just like you did."
"She didn't sound accepting."
"She's a teenager." Alex reminded her.
"I know. But she doesn't normally lash out at me."
"Really?" Alex asked, her doubt obvious.
"No." Kara said shaking her head sadly.
"As someone who gets shouted at on a regular basis I promise you she will calm down and things will go back to what is normal for you." Alex said as Kara leaned against her. Seeing the object in her sister's hand Alex asked.
"What's that? You've been playing with it since you arrived."
"Alex made it for me a few years ago. When she wasn't with me it made me feel closer to her." Kara said staring at the object.
"And now?"
"I was hoping it would provide inspiration on how to make things better."
"It's going to be okay." Alex said.
"What if it isn't?"
"It will." Alex said. "You are too stubborn to let it not be." She paused then asked. "Do you want to talk about why you separated?"
"No Not yet. I just want to fix things with her."
"You will."Alex said. "You want to go find her?"
"No, she's with Kara and MJ. Maybe she needs some time with people her own age."
-00-
"Alex, wait up." The teenage Kara called at her cousin who was scrambling over some rocks.
Realising she was completely lost Alex stopped in frustration and sat down.
"You want to talk?" Kara asked. Seeing her cousin shake her head she asked. "Mind if I sit here?" Not getting a response she sat down as MJ skidded to a stop behind them.
Not saying anything Alex's two children sat and waited before noticing their cousin was transfixed with the ocean.
"Say something." MJ mouthed to his sister.
"What?" Kara mouthed back.
"I don't know. You're a girl." The comment earning an eyeroll from Kara just as Alex spoke.
"What if she realises it was a mistake and that she never should have come for me? Or what if she leaves?"
"Your mom isn't going anywhere." Kara assured her.
"She should. I was so mean."
"No you weren't."
"Do you speak Tharis?" Alex asked.
"Um no."
"Then you don't know how mean I was." Alex pointed out, her speech slightly broken as she focused on the pronunciation.
"We may not speak, um Tharis, but we could get the gist from your tone. And trust me you only reached a four on the scale." Kara said.
"What scale?" Alex asked.
"The brat scale. You have a long way to go before you reach the ten needed to be abandoned."
"How do you know?"
"I'm pretty sure Kara has reached an eight at least twice, but mom keeps coming back for more abuse." MJ pointed out.
"You try to hurt her?" Alex asked looking appalled.
"No. Of course not. But sometimes I just get so angry and I can't help myself. I don't know why because I really love mom, but I can't control it. What I do know is your mom loves you and isn't going anywhere." Kara assured her.
"How do I make it up to her?" Alex asked.
"From what I've seen of your mom, probably a hug." Kara said. "But there is something we could do and it will teach you something about Earth too. Come with us."
-00-
As Eliza walked into the house she heard laughing and shrieking coming from the kitchen. Confused she walked towards the room only to see absolute chaos. Looking round she saw all of her grandchildren and most of the kitchen covered in white powder, which she assumed was flour.
"What is going on?" Eliza asked.
"Um." The teenage Kara said. "We were teaching Alex how to bake cookies….We'll clean it up. I promise."
"Okay. I'll leave you to it." Eliza said backing out of the room going off to find her daughters. Finally seeing them sitting on the beach she went out and joined them.
"Hey mom." Alex said seeing her mother approaching.
"You two okay?" She asked.
"Getting there." Alex said still hugging her sister.
"You fight with Kara again?"
"No. This time it was Kara and Alex." Alex said before adding. "These names are getting confusing."
"Well Alex seems okay." Eliza assured Kara. "All of the kids are getting on like a house on fire."
"I really hope you mean that metaphorically." Alex said.
"I do." Eliza assured them.
"I should go see her." Kara said.
"Why don't you give them a bit longer." Eliza said.
"Umm, okay." Kara said not sounding convinced.
"In the meantime have you two figured out where everyone is sleeping?"
"Alex and I can go in the den." Kara said.
"Just to be clear, which Alex?" Eliza asked.
"Mine." Kara said. "If she is still talking to me."
"Why don't you two take our old room?" Alex said. "It will be more comfortable."
"The den is fine." Kara said. "It will be far more comfortable than many places we have stayed."
The comment causing Alex and Eliza to share concerned looks.
-00-
"Mom, I'm sorry." The younger Alex as as her mother finally entered the house with the adult Alex and Eliza.
"You have nothing to be sorry for." Kara said as she hugged her before reverting to a language only she and her daughter spoke and started speaking. After several exchanges Kara kissed her daughter's head before noticing white powder in it.
"What's in your hair?" Kara asked in English.
"Flour."
"Flour?" Kara asked confused.
"We baked you cookies."
"You did?" Kara asked knowing full well her daughter couldn't bake.
"Kara and MJ showed me how."
"You two can bake?" Kara asked the teenagers.
"And cook. It was that or dying or starvation." The younger Kara said as her namesake bit into the cookie.
"Wow, these are really good." The older Kara said before looking at her sister and asking. "Are you sure they are your kids?"
"You are such a brat." Alex replied lobbing a cushion at her sister.
"Don't we get into trouble for doing that?" MJ asked as his mother took one of the cookies.
"Yes you do. So don't do it." His mother said.
"Shouldn't you follow the same rules?" He pressed.
"Yes she should." Eliza said.
"We'll add it to the list." The teenage Kara said.
"What list?" Her cousin asked.
"We call it the hypocrisy list." MJ explained. "It records all the times mom doesn't follow her own rules."
"We also have the grounded list and something tells me you two are going to be back on it real soon." Alex said to her children.
"Grounded? You can fly?" The younger Alex confused.
"No. It's an expression for when you can't leave the house." MJ said, not really helping his cousin understand what was going on.
"Before we get too lost in crime and punishment." Eliza started as she took out a box. "I have a present for Alex."
"Me?" Kara's daughter asked confused.
"I don't know how much you know about Christmas, but one of our traditions is everyone in this family gets their own Christmas Tree ornament."
"Don't worry, we'll teach you about." MJ offered seeing how lost Alex was looking.
"I got you one." Eliza went on handing her newest grandchild the box.
"Thank you." Alex said still lost, but taking the box anyway.
As she unwrapped the gift and took out the ornament her mother looked over to Eliza and mouther her thanks.
"Thank you. It's really pretty." Alex said to Eliza, still not entirely sure what she was meant to do with it.
"You can put it anywhere on the tree you want." Kara explained.
"Where's yours?" Her daughter asked.
"It's just here." Kara said pointing to her one. In response her daughter placed the new ornament on the branch next to it.
-00-
"Are we going to stay here?" Kara's daughter asked as she and Kara walked along the beach that evening.
"I don't know." Kara confessed. "Do you want to?"
"I get a say?"
"Of course you do."
"I haven't before." Her daughter said.
"I know. And I'm sorry it's been so hard on you." Kara said. "But this time we can settle for good so your opinion is more important than anything."
"We don't have to hide?"
"Not any more." Kara said. "So we can stay or we can go."
"You would prefer to stay because your family is here?" The girl asked.
"Even though you don't know them, they are your family too." Kara said. "If we stay they will give us a home and love. But being here won't necessarily be easy. I mean neither of us are human. And if you develop powers you'll need to hide them."
"No matter where we go we will always be different." The girl said.
"I know. But we'll always have each other." Kara said. "We don't have to decide anything right now. Why don't you spend a few days learning about what the Earth is really like and then we'll take it from there."
"I don't want you to give up your home." The girl said.
"Where ever you are is my home." Kara said hugging her daughter. "I missed you so much."
"I'm sorry for what I said earlier." Her daughter said.
"Don't be. You were right, I should have come up with another option. But I wanted you to be safe and I knew J'onn would keep you safe. But seeing you go with him was the hardest thing I have ever done. I never want to do that again." She finally released her daughter and said. "It's getting late, we should get inside."
"Can we sit and watch the waves for a bit?"
"Sure." Kara smiled as she sat behind her daughter and wrapped her ams round her.
TBC...