When Kara woke the next morning she saw her sister looking at her with concerned eyes.
"How are you feeling?" Alex asked.
"Okay I guess." Kara said sitting up. As she looked round her apartment she asked. "Where's Alex?"
"She stayed at my place."
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"Last night, looking after me."
"I'm your big sister. I will always look after you." Alex said. "I'm just sorry I hadn't seen how bad it had got. If you want I could take Alex for a couple of weeks and you could stay with mom. Let her spoil you."
"I don't want to leave Alex." Kara said.
"Okay, then we will figure out a way of cutting down your Supergirl duties." Alex said.
"Okay." Her sister replied.
"Let's go over the road. I'm sure Alex wants to see you."
"I'll just get changed." Kara said disappearing in a flash and returning a minute later dressed and ready to go.
-00-
"Where have you been?" The teenage Kara asked when her mother and aunt walked into the house.
"We got back late so I stayed at Kara's so I didn't disturb you." Alex said as she put some coffee on.
"Everything okay?" The teen asked.
"It's fine." Alex replied. "Where are the others?"
"Still asleep."
"What time did you go to bed?" Alex asked her daughter.
"Can't remember, but I doubt MJ will be up for awhile." The teenager said as her namesake said.
"I'm going to check on Alex."
-00-
"Hey." Kara said entering her daughter's temporary room.
"Mom?" Alex asked sounding tired. "What time is it?"
"Nine." Kara said. "I'd ask what time you went to bed, but I don't think I want to know."
"Probably." The teen said sitting up as Chewie jumped off the bed and stretched. "Is everything okay?"
"It's fine."
"You were up really late." The teenager said.
"Which you know how?"
"I can see the light from the apartment from here." The teen said pointing to the window.
"And yet I'm not the one still in bed."
"I'm tired." The teen said.
"I'm sorry I didn't see you yesterday." Kara said.
"It's okay."
"No it's not." Kara said. "So how about we do something today? Just us."
"Like what?"
"How about the aquarium?" Kara suggested.
"Okay."
"There is one problem though." Kara said. "You seem pretty tired. I may have to do something about that."
"What?" Alex asked suspiciously.
"Remember what always got you up when you were five."
"Mom. No." Alex said moments before Kara reached out and tickled her. As she screamed for her mother to stop a dazed MJ burst into the room.
"Alex? Are you okay?" Seeing his aunt tickling his cousin he said. "You're own with this." He then shut the door and left.
"I'll see you downstairs." Kara said kissing her daughter's head before walking towards the door.
"Mom." Alex called.
"Yes." Kara said turning.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I'll see you downstairs."
-00-
"We are going to the aquarium." Kara said as she came downstairs.
"Good." The older Alex said. "But before you go, do you have your phone?"
"Yes."
"Can I see it?"
"Sure." Kara said handing the phone to Alex who put it in her pocket.
"What are doing?" Kara asked.
"You need a break so no phone."
"What if there is an emergency?"
"Someone else can handle it."
"But Supergirl-"
"Is taking the day off. If there is anything world ending I will call Alex."
"Call me what?" The teen asked entering the kitchen.
"If I need your mom I will call you. Are you okay with that?"
"Sure." The teen said looking confused.
"There you go." The older Alex said looking at her sister.
"But-" Kara started, only for Alex to order.
"Go."
-00-
"How do you know so much?" Kara asked as she and her daughter walked round the aquarium. "And why does everyone seem to know you?"
"I come here a lot."
"How? It's costs a fortune."
"I use my allowance. I like it here."
"Kara?" Someone called before Kara could ask more questions.
"Carter? What are you doing here?" Kara asked as she turned and saw Cat's son.
"I work here. Well not here exactly, but I am doing some work for them."
"You're a marine biologist?" Alex asked.
"Um, no. I work with machine learning and AI. I'm using it to predict migratory habits of Giant Sea Bass. They're critically endangered." He said looking nervous. "If you are interested I can give you a back office tour?"
"Really?" Alex asked excitedly.
"Really." Carter said before looking at Kara and asking. "If that's okay with you?"
"Sure."
-00-
"One of the problems marine biology faces is the need to collect data on vast spatiotemporal scales, being able to track and isolate the effects of different water masses in highly dynamic systems as well as collecting data from very dangerous environments. Unmanned vehicles has helped this, but the ocean is vast and you'll never be able to collect enough data. But if you use machine learning you can look for indicators in the mall data set and look for markers to make predictions." Carter explained enthustically. "Well that's the theory anyway. In the case of Giant Sea Bass we are trying to predict optimal breeding conditions and detect when illegal fishing might be taking place."
"All without knowing anything. It really is voodoo." A man said walking across the room. Their presence causing all the other researchers to silently look at their computers.
"Professor Ramsey." Carter said looking at his shoes, all his confidence drained. "I didn't think you'd be in today."
"Can you identify this fish?" Ramsey said pointing to one of the fish in the tank.
"Umm." Carter said.
"If you can't identify the difference between the Hemilepidotus spinosus and the Scorpaenichthys marmoratus, how do you expect a computer to do so? So can anyone identify it?"
"It is a Cottus asper." Alex jumped in. "Or the Prickly Sculpin if you prefer."
"Who are you?" Ramsey asked looking at the teenager.
"A friend of Carter."
"Children shouldn't be back here." Ramsey said glaring at Carter. "Although she seems to know more than most of you." He said looking round the room. "My point was though if you can't identify the difference how an algorithm, especially when every image will have different conditions biasing results?"
"The algorithms can be trained." Carter said quietly, still looking at the ground.
"Yet yours is always getting it wrong. What does that say about you? Let's look at this one. Your algorithm keeps misidentifying this as a Cymatogaster aggregata, when it should be identifying it as a Phanerodon furcatus."
"Actually it is a Rhacochilus vacca." Alex said.
"Alex." Kara warned quietly.
"It's fine." The man said putting on his glasses and looking more closely. "She's right. Come with me." As Alex followed him to his office Kara asked.
"Should I go with her?"
"Do you have a PhD or higher in marine biology?" One of the post grads asked.
"No."
"Then you do not exist in his world. You should stay out here."
"Will she be okay?" Kara asked.
"His bark is far worse than his bite." Another researcher said.
"He doesn't need to bark he has an army of sharks." Another researcher countered.
"She knows her fish." Carter whispered to Kara.
"Apparently so." Kara said. "She really likes this place." She added before using her super hearing to try and figure out what was happening in the office.
"Kara?" Carter asked.
"Sorry what?" Kara asked focusing on her current surroundings.
"I was saying I am sure she'll be fine."
-00-
After what felt like an eternity to Kara her daughter emerged from the office.
"You okay?" Kara asked.
"Fine." The teen said.
"Wait." Professor Ramsey said before leaving the office.
"What have you done now?" Kara asked her daughter.
"Nothing." The teen said looking innocent.
"I enjoyed our talk." Ramsey said coming back into the room holding a card. "This is for you. It'll grant you unlimited access to the aquarium."
"Thank you." Alex said taking the pass before Ramsey walked off.
"Seriously, I still have to pay for entry and I have desk here." One of the young researchers commented.
-00-
"Thank you for today." Kara said as she, Alex and Carter walked away from the aquarium.
"My pleasure." Carter smiled. "I'm sorry you were exposed to Ramsey. Although I guess you are kind of use to it. I mean his reputation is similar to mom's."
"Your mom doesn't live up to that reputation." Kara said.
"True, but she enjoys having the reputation." Carter argued. Before adding. "Speak of the devil."
"Carter." Cat said.
"Hi mom." He greeted before hugging her.
"Kiera and mini Kiera." Cat said as she released her son.
"Hi. We ran into Carter at the aquarium. He took us on a tour." Kara explained.
"Really? I've not been afforded that tour." Cat said looking at her son.
"You'd hate the smell and if you and Ramsey meet I think we might create a singularity, destroying the universe." Carter said.
"I can handle Ramsey." Cat said before looking at Kara and Alex and asked. "Did you meet this infamous Ramsey?"
"Yes, he was a jerk to Carter." Alex commented.
"Alex." Kara said.
"He was a jerk." Alex pointed out.
"Doesn't mean you should call him one." Kara said as someone shouted from a few feet away.
"Alex!"
"Martin?" The teenager asked confused as she saw her school friend.
"Sorry for interrupting." Steve said approaching, trying to catch up with Martin. But as he reached them he saw Cat and exclaimed. "Oh god."
"You know each other?" Kara asked.
"Yes." Steve said. "I should go. I mean we should go."
"We?" Kara asked confused.
"Yes, we have that thing." He said.
"Right." Kara said looking lost. She then turned to Carter and hugged him. "Thanks again."
-00-
"So how do you know Cat?" Kara asked as she walked away with Steve.
"Cat?"
"Cat Grant." Kara clarified. "The woman you just talked to and ran away from."
"I know who Cat Grant is, I just wasn't sure why you called her Cat."
"That's her name."
"Not in my parts, there it is 'she who must not be named'." Steve said.
"What did she do to you?"
"Me nothing. The hospital had an entirely new board put in place after she disagreed with the provision of health care to the non human population. I have never been so terrified in my life. That glare, it wasn't even directed at me, but it still gives me nightmares. There is no way she is not connected to the underworld."
"Cat isn't bad. I mean what she did was the hospital was good."
"And terrifying." Steve said. "And here you are calling her Cat."
"She's always been a mentor to me."
"To you?"
"Yes."
"So you didn't actually need the rescue?"
"No. But thanks anyway."
"We were going to watch the light show, do you want to join us?" Steve asked before seeing the two teens were already there. "It looks like Alex and Martin have already decided to."
"Okay." Kara agreed.
"So how is Alex doing? She looks like her normal self." Steve asked.
"I think she's almost over it." Kara said.
"And you?"
"I'm fine."
"Really? And don't take this the wrong way but you look kind of tired."
"Work has been keeping me busy recently." Kara said.
"Now I know who your boss is that makes perfect sense." Steve said as they fought their way through the crowd and joined the teenagers.
As the music started and the lights started to flash there was a small explosion off the coast before a burning party vessel lit up the sky.
Looking round Kara waited for someone to go the rescue but no one seemed bothered. Using her super hearing she heard teenagers screaming on the boat before hearing splashing as they presumably jumped in the water.
"Mom." Alex said. "I don't feel well."
"What's wrong?" Kara said frowning.
"Go." Alex whispered in her ear before pretending to collapse.
"I've got her." Steve said catching her. "Let's take her somewhere with more air." He said carrying her through the crowd to the back where there was more space. As he lay Alex down he took her pulse and felt her forehead.
"It could be a blood sugar thing. She'll need something sweet. Like an orange juice."
"I'll go get it." Kara said running off before changing into Supergirl jumping into the water. Rescuing the screaming teenagers, who she dropped off on the promenade by the ambulance before flying off, changing, getting orange juice and returning to Alex, Steve and Martin."
"Here." She said.
"What happened? Your hair is drenched." Steve said taking the bottle and helping Alex drink it.
"Oh I .. I took a short cut … through a fountain … how is she?"
"Everything seems okay. Heart rate is normal and pulse is strong. How are you feeling now?"
"Better. Thanks." Alex said.
"Did you have lunch today?"
"Just a garden salad."
"That might be it. In future try to have sugar and protein okay?"
"Okay." She said sipping the juice.
"It's probably nothing, but if you want me to get her checked out properly, I can take her to my hospital." Steve said to Kara.
"I appreciate that. But if she seems okay I'll leave it and take her to her doctor tomorrow."
"Okay. I'll give you a ride home."
-00-
"You sure that was a fake faint?" Kara asked when she and her daughter entered the apartment.
"Of course it was. It looked liked you needed a distraction."
"I did and it was quick thinking. But that will only work once."
"I know." The teen said. "I'm going to pick up Chewie."
"Wait, before you go, I want to say I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"You were right when I said I had been neglecting you."
"What do you mean?"
"You spend so much time at the Aquarium and I had no idea."
"Because I didn't tell you."
"When did you start hiding things from me?" Kara asked.
"I'm not. Not really. It's just you have more important things to do. Besides, I go there because I can just think. If you came or if Kara and MJ came we'd just end up talking, which sometimes, like today, is good. But sometimes I just want to think."
-00-
"How was the aquarium?" Alex asked when her niece entered the house.
"It was good. I got an unlimited pass."
"That's good." Alex said. "Kara, MJ and Chewie are upstairs if you want them."
"Thanks." The teen said, although she didn't move. Instead she looked at her aunt and asked. "What's wrong with mom?"
"What do you mean?"
"At times she was like super happy."
"And that's bad?"
"Like super fake super happy. Then she went to super guilty. Is it because of what I said to her?" The teenager asked.
"Since your mom returned to Earth she has been through a lot. She wants to protect you and make sure you are safe and happy, but she feels like she keeps letting you down."
"How do I help her?"
"Don't get kidnapped, stay out of trouble and don't shut her out."