"For a minute there I think I saw a lack of frown." Lena said as she downed another shot.
"That is because you are drunk." Kara said as the front door opened.
"Mom? What are you doing here?" Kara asked walking over and hugging Alura.
"Alex told me what happened." She explained.
"She did?" Kara asked confused.
"She was after information about Worldkiller-1 and told me everything."
"We will leave you to it." Lena said.
"I'm sorry, I did not mean to interrupt." Alura said.
"You aren't. We were about to hit the town anyway and Kara had already given us hundreds of excuses why she wouldn't go." Lena said before she and Sam left the apartment.
"I can't believe you are here." Kara said to her mother.
"I can only stay a couple of days, but I was worried about you." Alura said. "How are you doing?" Alura asked as she and her daughter sat on the couch.
"I just feel so guilty every time I look at Alex."
"Does she hold you responsible."
"No. But I do."
"I understand your guilt." Alura said. "Your father did what he felt was best to protect Krypton and to protect you. That led to a lot of research he regretted. Research that you have ended up paying the price for. You brought so much light into our lives. But we have caused you so much pain."
"I'm back." The teenage Alex called as she entered the apartment. "Alura?" She asked confused,
"Alex!" Alura smiled before standing and hugging the teenager. "I have missed you so much."
-00-
Finding herself trapped in a nightmare, the teenage Alex relived her possessed mother telling her she was a mistake before being dropped to the ground.
Opening her eyes she saw her mother looking down at her and for a moment, unsure what was real and what wasn't, she flinched, causing pain and guilt to flash across Kara's face. But figuring out she was in her room and no longer in the nightmare the teen suddenly hugged her mother seeking comfort.
"It's over." Kara said, holding her daughter tightly. "You're safe."
"I'm sorry." The teen said.
"For what?" Kara asked pulling back slightly.
"Waking you."
"I will always be here for you. Day or night." Kara pointed out, wishing she could take her daughter's fear away. "I love you so much."
"I love you too."
"You going to be able to sleep?"
"I don't think so."
"Then let's watch some TV."
"What about Alura?" The teenager.
"She's not really a TV person." Kara said causing her daughter to roll her eyes.
"Won't we wake her?"
"We'll keep it quiet. Besides if it helps you she'll be happy." Kara said standing before leading her daughter to the lounge, but once there she saw her mother on the couch.
"Sorry did we wake you?" Kara asked.
"No. My body still thinks it is on Argo and with the energy I feel from the yellow sun, I am finding it hard to sleep."
"We are too." Kara said. "We normally watch TV until we fall to sleep. Do you want to join us?"
"That does not seem healthy. Can we try something else?" Alura asked.
"Okay." Kara agreed.
"You two stay here, I will be back in a minute." She said before collecting a bag from her room and then going to her daughter's room.
"Any idea?" The teenage Alex asked.
"No." Kara said. "But something tells me TV would be more fun."
"Okay, come in here. And lie on the bed." Alura said reappearing.
Obediently Kara and her daughter walked to the bedroom.
"Are they-" Kara started to ask recognising some crystal like objects that Alura had put round the room.
"Kara, no questions, you need to clear your mind."
"Sorry. She apologised as she lay on one side of the bed, her daughter on the other. Feeling left out Chewie barked a couple of times and Alura carefully picked him up and put him in the middle of the bed.
"Now shut your eyes and focus on the sounds that will play."
For several minutes Kara listened to the sounds, which weren't making her tired. After awhile those sounds were punctuated by Chewie's snoring. Trying not to smile Kara kept her eyes shut and face motionless until she heard her mother leave and the door shut behind her.
"You awake?" The teenage Alex asked her mother.
"Yes." Kara confirmed rolling her head to face her daughter.
"So what now?"
"You tired?"
"No."
"You want to try round two of weird Kryptonian meditation?" Kara asked.
"No."
"We could sneak out." Kara suggested.
"And go where?"
"Well it will soon be sun rise on the East Coast so we could got to Shenandoah National Park, see sunrise, have breakfast and come back here before anyone misses us."
"Won't Alura be mad?"
"She'll never know."
"What about Chewie?"
"He's asleep. We can bring him back a treat. So shall we?"
"My clothes are in my room."
"Wear mine." Kara said before realising that maybe her daughter's hesitance was because she was afraid to fly with her. But before she could say anything else she her Alex said.
"Okay."
-00-
"It's really nice up here." The teenager commented as they watched sunrise from a ridge.
"It is." Kara agreed.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?" Kara asked.
"This morning. When I woke I up and flinched. I didn't mean to upset you."
"I hate that any part of you is scared of me." Kara said. "But none of that is your fault, it's mine. I don't know how I will make it up to you. But I will."
"It wasn't your fault." The teenager said.
"If I had been stronger I could have fought him off."
"You did fight him off."
"But not until after I hurt you." Kara said sadly.
"You didn't ask." The teen suddenly said.
"Ask what?"
"What my nightmare was about."
"I kinda assumed that was obvious. It was me trying to kill you."
"It wasn't. Not really." The teen said. "I mean dreamed you dropping me in the park, but that isn't what scared me."
"Then what was?" Kara asked.
"It was what you said." The teen said looking at the ground.
"Worldkiller-1 was trying to break our bond." Kara said. "But you have to know you are so wanted. I love you so much."
"I know." The teen said hugging her. "But it still hurt hearing it."
"I'm so sorry." Kara said squeezing her tighter. "I promise you that wasn't me."
-00-
"Hello Alura." Eliza smiled when she answered the front door and saw the Kryptonian, holding Chewie, on the other side."
"Eliza."
"Please come in. Are Kara and Alex not with you?"
"No."
"Still sleeping?" Eliza guessed leading Alura to the kitchen.
"No. They snuck out."
"What do you mean snuck out?" The older Alex asked.
"They were both having trouble sleeping last night, well this morning, so I tried to lead them through Kryptonian meditation techniques. Only they were not very receptive. Instead they pretended to fall to sleep then snuck out of the window."
"Flying is such an awesome power." MJ commented as he ate his breakfast.
"MJ." Alura smiled.
"Hi." He waved.
"Alura, hi." The teenage Kara said walking into the kitchen.
"Hello Kara." Alura greeted before noticing a third teen.
"That's Diz, if you haven't met him before." Alex explained.
"Hello Diz." Alura smiled as they heard the door and Kara and her daughter hurried into the kitchen.
"Hey mom." Kara said. "You didn't wake us."
"I think that would have been some what impossible." Alura said as the older Alex asked.
"Overslept?"
"Yes, those meditation techniques were …. were ..." Kara said struggling to find the right word.
"One of a kind." The teenage Alex filled in.
"So they worked well?" The adult Alex asked.
"Yep." Kara lied.
"That's great. You can have another session tonight. In fact is it something you should do more than once a day?" She asked Alura.
"Absolutely." Alura agreed. "We should meet for lunch."
"And then before dinner as well." The adult Alex said.
"You know?" Kara guessed.
"That you snuck out? Yes. I have superhearing." Alura reminded her.
"By which she means she hears really well." The older Kara said to Diz, unaware he knew who she was.
"So where did you sneak off to?" MJ asked.
"Shenandoah for sun rise." Kara explained, before grimacing at saying that in front of Diz.
"And breakfast." The teenager added.
"Isn't that the other side of the country?" Diz asked, amused that Kara didn't know he knew.
"Yes, but no." Kara said. "It was the local one."
"The local one?" Diz asked.
"Yep, really close." Kara said.
"We should all go tonight." Diz said.
"Well, it is um, shut?" Kara tried.
"He knows." The teenage daughter said putting her out of her misery.
"What? When? How?" Kara asked confused.
"Forever. Glasses are a terrible disguise." Diz pointed out.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"To avoid a lecture from mom." The teenage Kara said.
"Makes sense." The older Kara agreed.
"And he liked messing with you." MJ said.
"So all the times you questioned my ability to protect Kara you were testing me?" The older Kara asked Diz.
"It was kinda fun." Diz said.
"You do remember I am the only person capable of stopping Alex coming after you?" Kara asked him.
"Doughnut?" He offered sliding a plate over to her.
"He still has my protection." Kara said to her sister as Diz got up and said. "See you later." With that he left the kitchen moments before they heard the door open and close.
"I need to go too." MJ said standing.
"This early?" His mother asked confused.
"Extra training." He said.
"I'll come with you." His cousin said.
"So will I." His sister added, before all three disappeared.
"Sorry, it is always chaos in the morning." The older Alex said to Alura before asking. "Are you still okay coming to the DEO?"
"Of course." She replied before looking at her daughter. "I will see you tonight."
"How are you holding up?" Eliza asked Kara when it was just them.
"Okay I guess." Kara said. "Alex opened up this morning which was good. But when she woke from her nightmare she saw me and flinched. I hate that I have made her so scared."
"You haven't. It wasn't your fault." Eliza said and Alex knows that. "Why don't we do something today, just the two of us."
"As much as I would love to. I have to go to CatCo. But I could do lunch?"
"Lunch it is." Eliza said.