"You are meant to be sleeping." The adult Alex said as she limped over to her sister who was sat in Sam's backyard a few hours later.
"I couldn't." Kara said.
"Feeling guilty about having a grenade blow up under you and not mentioning it?" Alex asked sitting next to her sister.
"Vasquez told you?" Kara guessed.
"Yes. Why didn't you."
"I didn't want you to worry. Besides I'm fine."
"Clearly not. You are sitting out here not sleeping." Alex reminded her. "Want to talk about it?"
"I don't know where to start."
"Well you can take your time, I'm not moving anytime soon." Alex pointed out as she tried to get her leg comfortable. "But while you are thinking I am going to remind you that I'm still angry at you for flying me out here."
"Did you want to be captured and used as bait again?" Kara asked.
"Of course not."
"Then I did the right thing." Kara pointed out. "Besides you were here for Alex, which helped me more than anything you could have done in National City. Thank you."
"Always. But what happened out there?"
"Haven't you already watched the news and interrogated Vasquez?" Kara asked, still dodging.
"Yes, but I'd like to hear it from you, or at the very least the part that is causing you not to sleep."
"When Stagg surrendered to me I wanted to just give him to Lobo." Kara said.
"So?"
"That's not who I am." Kara said. "Well who I was. What if everything that happened with the Kryptonite actually changed my brain? What if I am different?"
"You are different. No one can go through what you went through and not be changed." Alex said. "But that doesn't mean you aren't you. And it definitely doesn't make you a bad person. Besides you protected Stagg. I wouldn't have done."
"I hesitated I am not sure I would have done before."
"Ignoring what he did to us, he had Alex kidnapped and was going to experiment on her." Alex reminded her. "He would have deserved whatever Lobo did to him, and that probably doesn't even compare to what I would have done to him if I got to him. Besides if he had taken Alex six months ago, before your Kryptonite cocktail I am pretty sure you would have still have wanted to kill him."
"I just-" Kara started only to stop herself.
"What is it?" Alex asked.
"Did Alex tell you she was feeling guilty for feeling glad the people in the lab died."
"Yes. She thought you were disappointed in her." Her sister confirmed. "I told her you weren't, but she is carrying a lot of guilt."
"And I missed it." Kara said bitterly. "She is still convinced she has all these bad genes in her from her father's family." Kara said "But what if they are from me? She shared her feelings so I know how glad she was so I know I was far more glad than she was. Then to top it off I nearly just gave Stagg to Lobo."
"But you didn't." Alex reminded her.
"What if I can't trust myself?"
"You can." Alex said. "And I trust you more than anyone. But if I think you are doing anything strange I will tell you."
"Thank you." Kara said leaning against her sister.
"By the way, where are Stagg and Ruby?"
"Oh Rao, I forgot." Kara said sitting up.
"You forgot where you left them?"
"No. I forgot I didn't tell anyone."
"So where are they?"
"With Lucy and Agent Bell."
"Lucy as in Lane?" Alex asked trying to keep up.
"Yes."
"And who is Agent Bell?"
"Saffron Bell. Someone Lucy trusts."
"So they are at Bell's office?"
"No. In hindsight that would have been a good place."
"So where are they?"
"Lex's secret lab. The one off the coast."
"You left them in Lex's former secret lab?" Alex asked.
"Yeah, I mean who would look there?" Kara asked.
"True, but kind of twisted." Alex said sending Vasquez the information.
-00-
"Everything okay?" Eliza asked as she approached her youngest grandchild who was staring out of the window.
"Is mom okay?" She asked.
"You think she isn't?" Eliza asked moving over to the window and seeing what her granddaughter was looking at.
"She doesn't look okay." The teen said still staring at her mother and aunt.
"She's tired. She needs rest. But I am sure she'll be okay." Eliza said wrapping a comforting arm round her granddaughter. She gave her granddaughter a moment before asking. "How are you doing?"
"Okay." Sensing the teen was in no mood to talk she asked.
"Where are your cousins?"
"Upstairs. MJ is giving Diz grief over his powers and Kara is trying to keep the peace."
"Why aren't you with them?"
"I was worried about mom."
"She'll be okay." Eliza said. "But I think what your mom needs more than anything right now is for things to be normal."
"What do you mean?"
"Your mom needs to feel like she isn't letting you down. That would be a little easier if you were acting normally, rather than hanging round by yourself worrying about her."
"She's my mom, I can't not worry about her."
"I'm not asking you too. But I want you to remember it isn't just you two any more. You have a family who is going to help both of you. Let me and Lena and J'onn and Alex worry about your mom."
"Has anyone see-." Sam started only to see the two in deep conversation. "Sorry am I interrupting?"
"No. Alex was about to head up and join the others anyway." Eliza said.
"Before you do." Sam said heading over to a set of drawers. "I found this earlier and thought you might want to read it." She said pulling out a book. "Ruby kept notes when she was learning to control her powers. There might me something in there that helps." She added handing the book to the teen.
-00-
"Hey mom." Ruby called entering the house a few hours later.
"Rubes! What are you doing here?" Sam asked hugging her.
"Taxi service." She explained. "How are things here?"
"Surprisingly quiet." Sam said as Kara walked into the hallway.
"Ruby, I am so sorry." Kara said.
"For what?"
"Leaving you in the lab. Well kidnapping you and taking you to the lab, then leaving you in the lab."
"It's all good." Ruby smiled. "How are you?"
"I'm fine."
"You sure, it sounded like you had a -" She started, only to stop herself when she saw the teenage Alex emerge. "Hi Alex."
"What happened to mom?" She asked having heard the end of the conversation.
"Nothing. Well lots of spiders." Ruby said.
"What exactly happened with Lobo?" The teen Alex pressed as the other three teens came downstairs.
"Hi guys!" Ruby wave, grateful she couldn't be interrogated in front of Diz.
"Are you here to babysit?" MJ asked.
"No. To take you home."
"Sweet." MJ said.
"But not until tomorrow." Ruby said.
"Why?" MJ asked.
"Because it is a long drive and I'm tired. Plus I'd like to spend some time with my mom."
"Fine." MJ said not happy with being stuck there for longer.
"Is that my old journal?" Ruby asked noticing what Alex was holding.
"Yes." Sam said. "I thought Alex might find it useful."
"Sure, well let me know if you want to talk about any of it." Ruby smiled before saying. "I should go check in with the boss."
"She's in the kitchen." Sam said.
-00-
"Hey boss." Ruby said entering the kitchen.
"Ruby? What are you doing here?"
"Vasquez thought you'd need a ride back to National City. And she said to tell you if you think someone is capable of flying you back to National City, someone has been hiding the full story from you."
"Someone has been a little less than forthcoming." Alex confirmed.
"Well I can't fill in any details I have been stuck with Stagg." Ruby said.
"I know." Alex said. "What's happening with Stagg?"
"He's giving a very detailed confession. Most of it is probably a lie. But he is definitely sticking the knife in Tycho's back. Bell thinks there is enough to get warrants to search Tycho's offices."
"And Lobo?"
"Gone. I thought Vasquez told you that." Ruby said.
"I wanted to check." Alex said. "And J'onn?"
"He was taken by Tycho's goons who obviously were expecting a Kryptonian not Martian. When he arrived at a facility he broke out and detained all his captors. We have control of the facility, but we haven't found anything that tells us where Tycho is. But J'onn is fine. So is Superman."
"And you?" Alex asked.
"Me? I'm fine. I've just been listening to Stagg."
"You look like you are hiding something." Alex prompted.
"You know how you said I should trust my instincts more."
"Yes." Alex said.
"Something is telling me we are missing something."
"What?"
"Stagg is interested in money. He doesn't care how he makes it, but he tends not to get his hands dirty. He has people for that."
"Yes." Alex agreed.
"One of his people organised the kidnapping of Alex and tried to take you. Whoever that is, is probably still out there and something tells me he is going to cause problems."
"What did Stagg say?"
"Nothing. He gave over some names, but I know he hasn't given the right ones. Which makes me wonder if he is hoping chief goon is about to break him out."
"You told Vasquez?"
"Yes. And Harris has been assigned to digging into it."
"But?" Alex pressed.
"You may have seen them when you were being held prisoner or Alex may have seen them when she was taken. And I get you don't want her to go through that again, but she may hold the key to figuring it out."
"What do you want to know?" The teenager asked from the doorway.
"Alex? What are you doing here?" The adult Alex asked.
"I heard my name." The teen said.
"You already told us you didn't see who took you." Alex reminded her. "And you shared your memories with your mom."
"But I may know something that could help? I want to help."
"Help with what?" Kara asked entering the kitchen.
"Rounding up Stagg's gang." Ruby said.
"What has that got to do with Alex?" Kara asked.
"Alex may have seen someone when she was taken. So may you."
"I want to help." The teen pressed.
"Right now we don't know what we need. If we think you can help then we'll ask you and your mom." Her aunt said. "But for now there is nothing you can do. Apart from making sure that your mom is eating and sleeping enough."
-00-
"You okay?" Alex asked limping over to her son, who was sitting by himself in the backyard, after dinner.
"Sure."
"Want to try answering that one again?" Alex suggested.
"I'm fine."
"You normally just give the truth, why are you holding back?" Alex asked.
"Are you going back to work?" He asked seemingly changing subjects.
"Yes. I need to work." She reminded him. "Do you not want me to be at the DEO?"
"I don't know." He said.
"Where's this coming from?" Alex asked confused.
"It's like it has all been thought out." He said.
"What has?" Alex asked completely lost.
"What will happen to us if you die."
"I'm not planning on dying." Alex assured him.
"That doesn't mean anything." He said. "But you are. It's like you have figured out what to do with us if something happens. Why would you do that if you weren't planning on something bad happening?"
"You always have to plan for the worst." Alex said, taken aback by her son's sudden display of insecurity. "I need to know that you and your sister will be safe."
"What's the point? What if Aunt Kara isn't around to help? What would have happened if they came after us here?"
"We would have fought them off." Alex said, wondering what had driven her son so far.
"But you didn't last time. You only got away because of Alex and Diz. What happens next time?"
"Personally I am hoping there won't be a next time." Alex said. "But you know better than most that life is unpredictable. And no matter how much you prepare things can go wrong. But if you sit here worrying about it you are going to miss out on so much."
"You've been sitting worrying all day." MJ countered.
"That's kind of my job. I know it has been hard and we both need a break. So how about when we get back to National City and I can stand for more then thirty minutes we do something, just the two of us? It has been ages since we hung out. And you can chose what we do."
"Sure." He said unenthusiastically. He then stood and said. "I'm going to bed." With that he walked off before Alex could even stand.
Seeing her grandson disappear at speed Eliza approached her daughter and asked.
"Everything okay?"
"I don't know." Alex said frowning.