"Hi Diz." Eliza said as she walked into the kitchen where he was busy making something.
"I wasn't sure if any of you would want to eat, but I was figuring you wouldn't want to cook. I mean I can't really cook, but it's food and tastes kinda okay." Diz said.
"You didn't have to, but thank you." Eliza said.
"It's nothing." Diz shrugged. "Anyway, I'll get my things and give you guys some space."
"What?" Eliza asked.
"This is a family thing. I shouldn't be here." Diz said.
"Diz, I know this is not the most welcoming environment right now. But you don't have to go. Plus I am sure Kara would prefer it if you stayed."
"Are you going somewhere?" The older Alex asked entering the kitchen carrying a bag.
"I don't want to intrude." Diz said.
"You aren't. I'd prefer it if you stayed." Alex said. "What happened today will have dredged up a lot of of memories for Kara and something tells me she'd prefer to talk to you about it than me."
"You sure?" Diz asked, still feeling like an outsider.
"Yes." Alex said before asking. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay I guess." He said.
"I want the DEO doctor to look at you. Whatever you were hit by could have caused some damage."
"I thought the cell protected us?"
"It probably did, but I don't want to take any chances." Alex said. "Why don't you wait with Kara until then?"
"Sure." He said leaving the kitchen.
"How was Alex?" Eliza asked when Diz had gone to the lounge.
"Doing as well as you could expect. But she has finally got changed." Alex sighed as she tossed the bag containing the blood stained clothes in the trash. "I wish I could help her."
"All we can do is be there for her."
"That's more important than you might think." Alex said.
"What do you mean?"
"After she was exposed to the silver Kryptonite she became convinced she wasn't wanted and that was made worse after the Worldkiller-1 incident. We need to make sure she doesn't act on those feelings. I know she needs space, but we need to watch her."
"Do you really think she'll run away?"
"I hope not, but I am not ruling anything out. That's why J'onn has taken the keys to Kara's ship. We also have the advantage that if she does run off Frax can locate her. But let's hope it doesn't come to that."
"Who is telling Alura?" Eliza asked.
"Right now the priority is Alex. Besides Alura can't do anything right now. Once Alex has adjusted I'll go to Argo. I want to tell Alura in person." She said.
"What's happening with the invasion?"
"Vasquez said it was mainly contained. There will be pockets of fighting for a while, but we should be safe here." Alex said almost robotically as MJ walked into the kitchen.
"Hey." Alex said hugging her son. "How're you doing?"
"Okay." He shrugged.
"I'm going to take Alex up some food." Eliza said picking up a selection of what Diz had prepared. "I'll see you later." She added disappearing.
"You sure you are okay?" Alex asked her son, sensing he wanted to say something.
"No." He said. "I'm a bad person."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm sorry about aunt Kara, I really am, but part of me, a big part, feels glad it wasn't you. What does that say about me?" He asked.
"That you are normal." Alex said hugging him again.
-00-
"Hey Sweetie." Eliza walking into the bedroom, where her granddaughter was lying unmoving on the bed, Chewie by her side. "I know you aren't hungry, but in case you want something later I'll leave something on the side."
Having put the food down she walked to he bed and sat down.
"I don't want to talk." The teen said.
"That's fine." Eliza said pulling the teen in for a hug. "You can talk or not talk, cry, scream, whatever helps. But whatever you do you won't do it alone."
-00-
"Frax?" The adult Alex greeted when she opened the door.
"I'm sorry to disturb your grieving, but I wanted to check on Alex. How is she?"
"Distraught." Alex said leading him into the lounge.
"And you?"
"There are more important things to worry about." Alex said as they entered the lounge. Seeing the teens he greeted.
"Hello."
"Hi." The teenage Kara said from the couch where she was being held by Diz. Meanwhile MJ silently nodded.
"Is there anything I can do for Alex, or you?" Frax asked.
"Not at the moment." Alex replied.
"What will happen to Alex now?" He asked as he sat down.
"She'll move in with us." The older Alex replied immediately.
"I don't want to intrude into your mourning and I do not know of your rituals, but I would like to support Alex."
"I'm sure she'll appreciate that." Alex said. "There will be a funeral in a few days, but I don't think anyone is up to thinking about that now."
"Of course. But if I may, on Dakran, when someone passes to the next universe we hold a ceremony in space to give thanks and offer prayers for their protection as they go to the stars. We remember the good and all the ways they touched our lives. If Alex would like, and not now, whenever she is ready, I would be honoured to hold such a service."
"I'm sure she'll appreciate the offer." Alex said before adding. "I didn't say this earlier, but thank you. You didn't have to do that today."
"It clearly wasn't enough." Frax said sadly as the doorbell rang again.
"I'll be back in a minute." Alex said getting up.
"Barry." Alex greeted as she opened the door.
"Hey. How are you holding up?" Barry asked hugging her.
"Better than Alex." She replied. "Do you want to come in?"
"Thanks." He said following her to the lounge.
"Hi guys." Barry greeted seeing the assembled group. "Where's Alex?"
"Upstairs with mom." The older Alex said.
"I know right now she isn't ready, but when she is, I thought maybe I could talk to her. I get what she is going through." Barry said.
"That would be great." Alex said. "Sorry do you want something to eat or drink?" Not giving him or Frax a chance to answer she went to the kitchen and without thinking started to take out glasses.
"Let me do that." Barry said entering the kitchen.
"You've done more than enough today." Alex said.
"I'm sorry I couldn't do more." Barry said. "I don't know if Frax mentioned it, but we have got all but twenty of the Dias- Dies-"
"Diasporans." Alex corrected.
"Yeah them." Barry said. "I'll stick round until they are all caught."
"Thanks." Alex said as she opened a cupboard and just looked at the contents blankly.
"Alex?" Barry asked gently.
"I've only just got her back and now she is gone." Alex said as tears rolled down her face.
-00-
As the older Alex sat on the couch reading reports, in a failing attempt to take her mind of everything she saw the door open.
"Hey Alex. Can I get you something?" She asked her niece who stood in the doorway.
"I thought you'd want your bed back." The teen said.
"It's all yours." Alex said. "I'm fine on the couch." When her niece silently stood where she was she went on. "I don't think I could sleep anyway. But if you want to stay down here I'd like some company."
"Aren't you working?"
"Not really. I was just trying not to think." The older Alex explained. "Why don't you sit here and find something we can watch. I'm am going to get a drink."
Nodding the teenager sat down moments before Chewie jumped up onto her lap. "I'll be right back." The older Alex said disappearing into the kitchen.
Returning a few minutes later with a tray full of food and drinks, hopeful her niece would have something, and a blanket tucked under her arm, she saw her niece sitting motionless on the couch, staring at nothing.
Putting the tray down she sat next to her niece and wrapped them both in the blanket and pulled her in for a hug as Chewie tunnelled his way out of the blanket and repositioned himself on top of it.
"Want to talk?" The older Alex asked.
"No."
"Then TV and hugs it is." The older Alex said before noticing her niece was wearing her psychic inhibitors. "How long have you been wearing them?" She asked.
"Since I got back. I don't want to hurt anyone."
"You can't wear them forever." The older Alex warned.
"I know." The teen said.
-00-
"Hi mom." Alex said going into the kitchen early the next morning.
"Hi, how's Alex?" Eliza asked as she poured some coffee for her daughter.
"Still won't eat. But she's gone for a shower." She then looked at her mother and guessed. "Couldn't sleep?"
"Don't think any of us could." Eliza pointed out.
"Where are the kids?" Alex asked.
"You need to not get mad." Eliza said.
"What does that mean?"
"Kara is in Diz's room. She slept in there. But the door is open and it looks innocent enough."
"It's alright. I know. I heard her go in a few hours ago. She sounded very upset." Alex said.
"She'd grown close to Kara." Eliza said sadly. "So had MJ in his own way."
"Where is he?"
"He's playing video games upstairs."
"Has he said anything to you?"
"No. He shut me down every time I tried to talk to him." Eliza replied before asking. "How are you doing?"
"It's not like this is the first time we've been here." Alex said.
"That doesn't make it any easier." Eliza said.
"No it doesn't." Her daughter agreed. "But there isn't time to focus on that now."
-00-
"I went to your place to feed your fish and pick you up some clothes." The teenage Kara said as she approached her cousin who was lying on the bed a few hours later.
"Thanks."
"I got you some other stuff too." MJ said.
"What?" The teen asked rolling over.
"After the accident I was here by myself and part of me didn't want any reminders of what I'd lost, but part of me did. So just in case, I got you some of your mom's things."
"What else did you do?" The teenage Alex asked before clarifying. "After your mom died."
"Come with me." MJ said.
-00-
"Hey." The older Alex said when her daughter entered the kitchen. "Everything okay?"
"I think so, MJ persuaded Alex to do something in the garage." Her daughter explained.
"Should I be worried?"
"He said it would help." The teenager said.
"That's good I guess." Alex smiled.
"Mom?"
"Yeah."
"Last night I ..."
"Spent the night in Diz's room?" Alex finished for her.
"Yeah, but it wasn't what you think it was-"
"I think you needed support and Diz gave you that." Alex said. "Are you saying it was something else?"
"No. I just thought that you'd be mad."
"I know you had got close to your aunt." Alex said. "And I know how much it hurts right now. If Diz is helping you, that's great. I trust you." Alex said.
"Thanks." The teen said.
"But I need you to promise me that in the face of the tsunami of emotions you are feeling you won't do anything reckless."
"I won't." The teen said before asking. "Are you going to be okay?"
"Sure."
"Really? I remember after aunt Kara got back to Earth that you told her last time she disappeared you went off the rails and started drinking really badly."
"You're right, I did. But back then I didn't have you or your brother to ground me." Alex said.
"So you'll be okay?"
"You don't need to worry about me." Alex said hugging her. "If you really want to worry about some one worry about your cousin."
"About that." The teen said pulling away.
"What is it?" Alex asked.
"When I was over the road feeding the fish that spaceship key wasn't there. I'm worried-"
"It's okay. We moved it." Alex assured her. "Just to be on the safe side."
"Hey Kara have you-" Diz said walking into the kitchen. But seeing his girlfriend talking to her mother he said. "Sorry, I'll go."
"Wait a minute." Alex said causing him to stop.
"Is this about last night, cos I swear it-"
"Diz, it's okay." Alex said. "That's not what this is about."
"Okay." He said, although he still looked worried.
"I'm sure it is feeling a little claustrophobic in here right now, so why don't you two let Jenkins and Hale drive you to Nonan's where you can get a meal, spend some time away from here, and then bring back dinner for everyone."
"Really?" Her daughter asked.
"Really. But if Jenkins or Hale give you an order you follow it without hesitation."
"We will." Kara said hugging her mother.
-00-
As the older Alex lay on the couch trying and failing to sleep that evening her phone started to ring. Picking it up she wearily answered.
"Danvers."
"It's me." Vasquez said. "You were right."
Hearing the words Alex jumped out of bed threw on some clothes and ran from the house.