"Hey, how are you feeling?" The teenage Kara asked when her cousin entered the kitchen next day.
"Fine, I guess." The teenage Alex replied.
"Mom has already gone to work." The teenager said to her aunt.
"It's Saturday." The older Kara said.
"It's mom." The younger Kara shrugged.
"I will check in on her." The older Kara said before asking. "How come you are up so early?"
"Protecting Diz from hugs?" The teenage Alex guessed.
"More like finishing up my final applications." The teenage Kara said.
"And?" Her aunt asked.
"Pressed the last send button this morning. So now it is just waiting."
"Your EA should be back soon though shouldn't it?" Her aunt asked.
"Yes, but I'm not holding out hope."
"You'll be fine." The older Kara said before looking at Diz and asking. "What are you doing next year?"
"Not sure yet. I mean I have sent off a few applications but with my history not holding my breath." He said.
"You guys need more optimism." The older Kara said. "You are way too young to be this pessimistic."
"For me it is genetic." The teenage Kara pointed out.
"Your mom is not that bad. Sometimes." The older Kara said before asking. "Where's Eliza?"
"Shower. And MJ is kinda making sounds of being alive. Maybe." The teen said.
"I better go or I'll be late for work." Diz said kissing his girlfriend before leaving, making sure he stayed out of hug range of the older Kara.
"What?" The teenage Kara asked noticing her aunt smiling.
"I just find it sweet that Diz refuses any PDAs when your mom is in the house, but when she isn't he's all for it." The comment causing her niece to redden just as Eliza came in.
"Hi Sweetie." She said hugging Alex. "You feeling better?"
"Yes thanks."
"Good." Eliza smiled. "You still planning on paintballing?"
"I guess. MJ sent loads of instructions."
"I am sure you will have fun." The older Kara said.
"Maybe, it sounds weird."
"That's because you are looking at it wrong." The teenage Kara said.
"What do you mean?" Alex asked.
"Yes it's a game, but it is a game where you are encouraged to pelt everyone who annoys you with paintballs. It's kinda therapeutic."
"Remind me never to go paintballing with you." Her aunt said. "How come you aren't going paintballing?"
"Which of MJ's friends are going to be there?" The teenager asked her cousin.
"Tom, Chris, David, Mike, John, Raj, Somak." The teenage Alex listed. Once she finished the teenage Kara looked at her aunt and said.
"There's your answer."
-00-
"What brings you to work so early?" Kara asked as she entered her sister's office.
"Trying to prove, Cale of some form, was involved in the drugs that hit the streets."
"And?"
"Nothing. So far." Alex said before asking. "How's Alex?"
"Okay I think. She says she is okay anyway and is looking normal this morning."
"That's good." Her sister said. "I forgot to ask, why were you wanting to see Cale anyway?"
"My CatCo story. Which is basically the same as your investigation. Except as I won't be pressing charges I have a little more leeway." Kara said.
"Meaning what?"
"You need to prove the link between the drugs those kids took and the drugs Cale sold right?"
"Yeah."
"But you don't have the technology available to do a full sequencing. Well you don't have the verified tech to do it."
"And?" Alex probed.
"What if there was a lab somewhere that could be used, but not for legal cases?"
"What lab?" Alex asked.
"Well, I don't know, but I was thinking Frax has a pretty cool spaceship, one which he used to pinpoint all the Diasporans based on genetic sequencing. Maybe he could do something."
"Worth asking." Alex agreed.
"Good, well I will do that after I have got back from Pennsylvania."
"Why are you going to Pennsylvania?"
"Christmas shopping."
"We have shops in National City." Alex pointed out.
"But no stock." Kara said. "I'll be back soon." She added leaving.
"Problem?" Vasquez asked walking into the office.
"I hope not." Alex said wearily. "What have you got?"
"Bell has got a warrant that allows us to search Slater Tunnel." Vasquez said. "And the hidden underground canals."
"Good, let me know what they find."
-00-
"Kara!" Frax greeted as the Kryptonian walked towards him. "I am so happy to see you alive."
"Thanks. And thank you for everything you did."
"You are welcome and if I am honest, as terrifying as it was, it was exciting." He replied. "How's Alex?"
"Okay, still a little shaken." Kara said. "But is looking forward to seeing you again."
"As am I her." He smiled. "I wanted you to know that haven't told my parents anything yet. If I had they would have come here and insisted they took care of Alex, on Dakran. They'd mean well, but I didn't think that is what Alex would want, so I didn't tell them. I think it would be better if we never told them."
"I appreciate that, but I don't want you to lie to your parents?"
"Why? I do so all the time." He said. But seeing Kara's expression he said. "Maybe I missed. That was a joke. Maybe I should stick to the book."
"What book?" Kara asked.
"Alex gave me a joke book. One that MJ had given her, to help her fit in. To be honest none of the jokes seemed funny."
"Yeah, books aren't normally a good place to learn jokes." Kara said, wondering what else Alex had tried to teach him.
"I see. Well I will try to educate myself in other ways."
"How about you meet us for lunch tomorrow?" Kara suggested.
"I'd like that." He said.
"But are you sure it is okay for you to stay on Earth."
"My parents have blessed it." He reminded her.
"What about your crew? Don't they have families back on Dakran?"
"Yes. But their loyalty is to my family. They do as instructed."
"Is that what they want?"
"I have never asked. It is not a question that is ever asked." Frax said. "Therefore asking would have little value as they would just tell me they wanted to stay with me." Seeing Kara's expression he said. "You still find our customs strange?"
"A little, but I am sure you think we are strange as well." Kara said. "When I first came to Earth I thought everyone was weird."
"How long did it take you not to feel like that?"
"I'll let you know when it happens." Kara smiled.
"I see." He frowned. "Wait was that a joke?"
"It was."
"I see, I think." He said looking confused.
"I hate to do this, but I have a favour to ask." Kara said deciding it was best to change topics.
"Of course." Frax said.
-00-
"So why head all the way across the county for Christmas shopping?" Alex asked when Kara entered her office a little later.
"Well Pennsylvania has a shop with unusual stocks. Including one of these." She said opening a bag.
"That looks like an engine coolant pump." Alex said looking at it.
"A heavy duty engine coolant pump." Kara corrected.
"Why?"
"It is for Diz. Well his car. It's his Christmas present. Alex said he needed a new one, but couldn't afford it."
"How do you know enough about cars to get the right one?" Alex asked.
"I don't. But I took a picture of the reg and VIN number. Plus I double checked with his boss at the garage." Kara explained. "What have you got him?"
"Same as everyone else, so far, nothing. I have five days."
"You are way too relaxed about that." Kara said.
"It'll be fine. How did it go with Frax?"
"He is running the samples. He'll contact me if he finds anything. How about you?"
"They have been really clever in hiding their tracks." Alex said sounding frustrated.
"Has anyone probed Cale's connections with Tycho and Stagg?"
"They don't have completely separate histories." Alex said. "But there is no evidence of collusion. Well so far anyway."
"So I was speaking to Lena about Tycho yesterday and she said she hadn't found anything. So I was wondering how the DEO Tycho investigation going?" Kara asked. "Any better than Lena's?"
"Honestly?" Alex asked.
"That a question that makes it sound like I won't like the answer." Kara said.
"The programme that Lena contained is still contained."
"See that sounds good." Kara said.
"What we don't know is was that a sacrificial programme to throw us off the scent. Was there a backup? Or is something else at play?"
"Remind me not to ask in future." Kara said miserably. "What about Malaise?"
"Gone to ground. To be honest that investigation is on the back burner."
"Want me to look into it?"
"You need to stay out of trouble." Alex said.
"Alex." Vasquez said walking into the office.
"What is it?" Alex asked.
"We uncovered a massacre."