"Is she asleep?" Eliza asked as they drove to Midvale.
"Looks like it." Kara said looking round into the back of the car where her daughter was fast asleep. "She hasn't been sleeping much."
"You have both been through a lot it will take time to recover."
"Thank you for looking after her when I was, well dead."
"You don't have to thank me." Eliza said. "How are you doing?"
"Okay, I guess."
"We have been travelling for more than two hours and you have barely said a word."
"Sorry, did you want me to drive?" Kara offered.
"No and that's not what I meant. Something is worrying you."
"I failed. I am meant to protect Alex and I couldn't."
"Alex is safe." Eliza reminded her.
"But she was close to not being safe. I mean there was Lobo and before that I allowed her to be kidnapped and if she hadn't escaped they cou-"
"But she did escape thanks to you." Eliza reminded her.
"But what she's seen, what she's gone through-"
"Kara, think about what you had been through by the time you reached her age."
"I wanted to save her from that."
"I know. But no matter how hard you try, you can't shield her from everything. What is important is how you are there for her now."
"What if that isn't enough?"
"Why wouldn't it be?" Eliza asked. "You are so strong and Alex will draw her own strength from that."
"I guess." Kara said glancing into the back again where the teenage Alex remained asleep, Chewie by her side.
"Teenagers are normally a lot more resilient than their parents." Eliza said. "Which brings us back to you."
"I'm okay. Less angry. But I'm still scared."
"You will never stop worrying." Eliza pointed out. "But you can't let it consume you."
"I know." Kara said as Eliza pulled into the drive. Once Eliza had turned the engine off Kara looked back expecting to see her daughter wake up.
"What do you want to do about Alex?" Eliza asked turning as well.
"I'll carry her." Kara said opening the rear door and effortlessly lifting her daughter out of the car before carrying her into the house, followed by Chewie.
Having put her on her childhood bed she kissed her daughter's head and put a blanket over her before going back downstairs.
"Is she okay?" Eliza asked when Kara entered the kitchen.
"She's still asleep." Kara said.
"Why don't you try to get some sleep?" Eliza asked.
"I'm not tired, well I don't think I could sleep." Kara replied.
"Then why don't I make us something to drink while we wait for the others? Go sit down, I'll be there in a moment."
"Okay." Kara said walking into the lounge. But instead of sitting she stood and looked at the photos on the side, losing herself in thought until Eliza returned a few minutes later.
"It's black coffee I'm afraid. We forgot to stop for milk." Eliza said. "But I did find a packet of cookies."
"Thanks." Kara smiled taking the mug and sitting on the couch. "I'll go to the shops after Alex wakes up."
"So ready to talk about you?" Eliza asked.
"The others will be here soon."
"We probably have an hour before the others arrive. They left later and Diz is unlikely to break the speed limit with your sister in the car."
"True." Kara said.
"So talk." Eliza ordered.
"It just feels like everything I do is wrong. If there is a choice to make I pick the wrong one."
"Give me an example, a specific one." Eliza said.
"Well … I …. right now I can't, but they exist." Kara argued.
"You second guess yourself because you are a good parent." Eliza said.
"I don't feel like one." Kara said before adding. "I'm lying. I can list all my bad decisions because they are all basically the same. So many times I have been given a choice, to help someone or not. And I always try to help, and so many times Alex has suffered because of that."
"Alex is fine and she is proud of you. She doesn't resent the decisions you made. Kara, you make the decisions you make because you are a good person and you have always been able to make hard decisions that have benefited others. But I won't lie to you, there were times I hated that, because I hated you being in danger and getting hurt. But just like Alex does I respected those decisions."
"I thought after I got to Earth, things would get better."
"But they haven't?" Eliza asked.
"I don't know. Somethings have. But others are so much harder."
"Maybe they are just different so they seem worse." Eliza suggested.
"Maybe."
"Raising a child by yourself is hard." Eliza reminded her. "Even without being Supergirl. But you have done an amazing job with Alex."
"How did you make it look so easy? I mean there were two of us and I was an alien."
"That didn't matter. You were both my daughters." Eliza argued. "And it wasn't easy. There were times when I felt lost and alone."
"I'm sorry I didn't notice."
"I didn't want you to notice." Eliza pointed out. "I wanted you and your sister to be kids, just like you want Alex to be a kid."
-00-
"Where's Alex?" MJ asked bursting into the house an hour later.
"Upstairs asleep. Where's your mom?" His aunt replied.
"Car. Asleep." MJ said.
"She slept in the car ride over?" Kara asked surprised.
"Yep."
"She never sleeps when I drive."
"That is because she was too scared." MJ said.
"Why does everyone think my driving is bad?"
"Because we don't have the safety net of being invincible." MJ pointed out.
"Why don't you guys go have fun, I'll unpack the car and get your mom inside." Kara said ignoring her nephew.
"I can unpack." Diz said.
"It's fine. Go have fun." Kara said.
-00-
"Kara?" The older Alex asked confused as she opened her eyes.
"Hey." Kara smiled.
"Why are you in the car?"
"I'm not." Kara pointed out as Alex looked round. "You fell to sleep. I was just about to carry you inside."
"I can walk." Alex said getting out and stretching. Seeing her sister get all the bags out of the trunk she asked. "Why aren't the kids helping?"
"I told them to have fun." Kara said carrying the bags inside. "It's not like they're heavy. For me anyway. You feeling okay?"
"Yes, why?"
"Because you fell to sleep with some else driving."
"So?" Alex asked confused.
"You never do that."
"Yes I do." Alex said grabbing the final bag and following her sister in the kitchen where Eliza was making coffee for Alex.
"Here you go, it sounds like you need it." Eliza said passing her the cup.
"Thanks." Alex said as the teenage Alex walked into the kitchen, still looking half asleep.
"Hi Sweetie." Eliza said.
"Hi." The teen said before looking at her mother and asking. "When did we get to Midvale?"
"A couple of hours ago."
"Why didn't you wake me?"
"You needed the sleep." Kara said hugging her daughter. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay."
"You hungry?"
"Not really."
"Your cousins are on the beach, why don't you join them?" Kara suggested, seeing her daughter hesitate before answering she offered. "Or you can come with me to the store?"
"I'll come with you." The teen said.
"We will see you soon." Kara said looking at her mother and sister before leaving.
-00-
"So what's bothering you?" Kara asked as she walked down the street with her daughter and Chewie.
"Nothing."
"Want to try again?"
"I had a nightmare."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"I didn't want to talk about it in front of everyone."
"How about just to me?"
"There's no point, I'll tell you, you say it was a dream and it won't happen. But it did and it keeps happening." The teen said before explaining. "It was you getting hurt."
"I'm sorry." Kara said. "And you are right I do keep telling you that it will be okay. And then things happen."
"It's not your fault. I just hate seeing you get hurt. And you always seem to get hurt."
"I know." Kara said hugging her.
"I'm scared I'm going to lose you." The teen said into the hug.
"You know I can't promise that I will always be there. But what I do know is that whether or not I am there, you are going to be okay." Kara replied.
"How?" The teen asked. The question causing Kara to pull away and look at her daughter.
"Because you are smart and tough and strong and brave and you are surrounded by people who love you." She paused and then said. "I know you are scared. I'm scared too. I'm scared that you will get hurt or worse. But I can't let my life be controlled by that fear, if I do I will lose so much, so will you. No matter what happens all you can do is follow your path."
"Okay." The teen said, not sounding entirely convinced. She then changed topics and asked.
"How do you deal with your nightmares?"
"Hugs help." Kara said hugging her daughter again.