As the group started to eat breakfast the teenage Kara sighed and looked at her aunt and said. "Just ask."
"I thought we weren't meant to ask." Her aunt said.
"Actively not asking is just as bad as asking." The teenage Kara said.
"Okay then, when are you due to hear?" Her aunt asked.
"Between ten and Midday. And no I will not be here."
"Isn't here the only place you get good signal apart from the centre of the town?" Diz asked.
"See that type of thinking is why he already has a college place." MJ said.
"MJ." The older Alex warned.
"What?" He asked innocently. He then asked his mother. "Seeing Kara is going to be super crabby all day and so will you can I go out?"
"Where?" He mother asked.
"Wherever Kara isn't. I could teach Alex how to ride a bike. I mean there are still ones in the garage right?" He suggested.
"Have you asked your cousin if that is what she wants to do?" His mother asked.
"Want to?" He asked his cousin.
"Sure." The teenage Alex shrugged.
-00-
"Hi Diz, you okay?" Kara asked when he entered the lounge a couple of hours later.
"I guess."
"You giving Kara space?"
"Kinda. I keep saying the wrong thing. I thought I'd get her a drink."
"Stay here for a minute." Kara said before disappearing in a blur.
"You kept pretty calm waiting for your results." Eliza commented to Diz.
"Well no one expects anything from me so there wasn't pressure like there is for Kar."
"I'm sure she appreciates your support." Eliza smiled.
"I'm not so sure."
"When Alex was waiting for her results she was terrible. Kara bore the brunt of it."
"Brunt of what?" Alex said walking into the house.
"Your temper when you were waiting for your results."
"I wasn't that bad." Alex said.
"Yes you were and you were bad for a good week." Eliza commented.
"Well I didn't want to disappoint you." Alex countered as her sister flew back into the room holding a brown bag.
"Here." She said passing it to Diz. "Give this to Kara, it's her favourite."
"Thanks." Diz said disappearing upstairs.
"Where have you been?" Kara asked her sister as she sat down.
"I went for a walk." Alex replied. "I didn't think Kara would appreciate me pacing round down here." She shrugged before looking at her mother and asking. "How did you stay so calm?"
"I didn't. But I was at work so you didn't know."
"Oh." Kara said.
"What?" Alex asked.
"Email."
"From who?"
"I don't know, I have super hearing not telepathy."
"Well has Kara said anything?" Alex pressed.
"No, but her heart rate is really fast."
"And now?" Alex pressed again.
"Nothing. Wait. Oh." Kara said.
"Oh what?" Alex asked.
"She says she knows I am listening and she wants you up there."
"Okay." Alex said standing and walking out of the room.
"And tell her you made me do it." Kara called after.
-00-
"What's going on?" Alex asked entering the room where her daughter was pacing the room while Diz sat to one side.
"Can you read it?" The teenager asked tossing her phone to her mother.
"Um, sure." Alex said before seeing the mail hadn't been opened. "You haven't read it yet?"
"No."
"I'm going to give you some space." Diz said leaving the room.
"You not reading it isn't going to change what it says." Alex pointed out.
"I know."
"And regardless of what it says you are already miserable so delaying doesn't really buy you anything."
"I know."
"Then why not read it?" Alex asked.
"Because regardless of what it says I have so many what ifs."
"Well if you open it you will probably halve that list." Alex said earning a wry smile from her daughter. "What?"
"Diz said that as well. He doesn't even work for you yet and he is saying what you say."
"Well you can freak out about that later. For now let's focus on the email."
"Okay. Can you open it?"
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"Okay." Alex said opening the email and reading it.
"Well?" The teen asked.
"Give me a moment, it is hard to read on a phone."
"I told you that you needed glasses." The teen said before she instead just looked at the message on her watch. After a moment she said. "I'm in." The words were barely out of her mouth when her mother hugged her.
Not sensing a huge amount of excitement coming off her daughter she pulled back and asked.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know if I want it."
"Because you are worried about Diz? Worried about me?" Alex guessed earning a nod from her daughter.
"Only you can make this decision." Alex said. "But I will give you some advice. You will have plenty of time to live your life for others. But you only get to make this choice once so make sure you choose what you really want deep down. Don't go for what you think you should do, go for what you want. This is the one time thinking with your head is probably the wrong thing." She paused and said. "No matter what you decide I love you and I'm so proud of you."
-00-
"Are you listening?" Diz asked the older Kara.
"No."
"Really?"
"Yes really." Kara said.
"But you were earlier."
"Alex made me."
"Aren't you Supergirl?" Diz asked.
"And who is more scary, Alex or Supergirl?" The adult Kara asked.
"I see your point." Diz said as they finally heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
"Well?" Eliza asked when she saw her granddaughter.
"I got in." The teenage Kara said before being engulfed in a hug by her grandmother.
"I knew you would." Eliza said before finally releasing her only to be replaced by the older Kara.
"Thank you for the help with my essay." The teen said to her aunt.
"I just proof read it." The older Kara said before stepping away as Diz hugged her, but remembering Alex was in the room Diz pulled back.
"I know there aren't many places in Midvale, but why don't you two go out and celebrate tonight?" The older Alex suggested.
"I am sure I can get you in a Gino's." Eliza said.
"That's a little out of our price bracket." The teenage Kara pointed out.
"That's why I am treating you." Eliza said. "Go celebrate, both of you deserve it."
"Thanks." The teenager said hugging her.
-00-
"How are you doing?" Kara asked as she sat next to her sister on the bench.
"Me? Fine. Why?"
"Kara going to Stanford."
"You know she doesn't go for several months?" Alex reminded her.
"I know. But I know you are already thinking about it." Kara said.
"Well it's not that far and it's not like I won't see her." Alex said before pausing and resting her head on her sister's shoulder and adding. "But I am really going to miss her."
"I know. But you won't be alone." Kara reminded her. Any reply Alex had was cut off when she saw two muddy teens walk towards them causing Alex to ask her son.
"What have you done?"
"What do you mean?" MJ asked trying to look innocent.
"I thought you were teaching Alex to ride a bike."
"Yeah."
"Looks like you taught her how to crash a bike."
"You learn from your mistakes." He shrugged.
"And why are you covered in mud?"
"Well we may have got a little competitive and went a bit too fast on some mud trails."
"Are you hurt?" Kara asked.
"No. We're both fine." Her daughter answered.
"Although one of the bikes is a little scratched." MJ confessed.
"You sure you aren't hurt?" His mother asked.
"I'm fine."
"Then got get washed up. Dinner will be ready soon." Alex said but as they started to walk to the house she added. "She got in."
"I know. She told us." MJ said.
-00-
"What's wrong?" Kara asked as she sat next to her daughter on the beach that evening.
"I was just thinking."
"About Lobo again?"
"No. Kind of. But not like before, well not exactly."
"About what he said?" Kara guessed. Seeing her daughter nod she said. "You aren't a bad person. What happened to make you think you are?"
"I'm a little sad that Kara is going."
"I know." Her mother said. "So am I. But you'll still see her and you'll still talk."
"I know. And I know it's not like before when we moved planets and I knew I'd never see people again. But this feels worse."
"That's because you are closer to your cousin." Kara pointed out.
"How are you going to cope if I go to college?" The teen asked.
"What do you mean?" Kara asked. "When you go to college I will still see you just as much."
"So you are going to stalk me?"
"I prefer the term protectively mother you." Kara smiled before turning serious. "But being a little sad that you won't see your cousin as much doesn't make you a bad person." Hearing a car pull onto the driveway way she said. "Come on, let's get inside."
-00-
"Hey." Kara said finding her sister on the bench an hour later.
"Hey." Alex said looking over to her.
"What are you doing out here?" Kara asked passing Alex a mug of hot chocolate.
"Just thinking. Plus I didn't want to get drawn into a game of Twister. It's so not a game you should play sober."
"Have you told the kids that?" Kara asked.
"Was Alex okay? She seemed a little quiet this evening." The older Alex asked her sister, ignoring the question.
"She's realised she was going to miss Kara. It's the first time she'll say goodbye to someone she's friends with. Then she worried about how I would cope when she went to college."
"What did you say?"
"That I would be with her every step of the way."
"So when are you changing your name to Margaret White?" Alex asked.
"I'm not that bad." Kara protested.
"If you say so." Alex smiled.
"You still thinking about college?"
"No. Not exactly. I was thinking about Kelly. We talked about the kids getting into college so many times. Then over dinner it kinda hit home that today is the first of major things that we were meant to do together and never will."
"I know it's not the same, but you still won't be doing them alone." Kara reminded her.
"I know. Thanks."
"But is this one of those you want company things or you want to just think times?"
"Probably the latter." Alex said.
"Okay. I'll see you inside." Kara said.
-00-
"You okay?" Alex asked joining her son by the telescope later that evening.
"Sure." He said looking through the eyepiece.
"What are you looking at?"
"Jupiter." He said, stepping aside so she could look through.
Stepping up to the eye piece Alex made a few adjustments before standing back and letting her son have it again.
"So why are you out here rather than in the warm gaming?" Alex asked.
"I don't know what to do." He said standing back from the telescope.
"What do you mean?" Alex asked confused.
"Alex and Diz have powers, Kara is really smart and I have nothing."
"That's not true. You are good at basketball."
"But not good enough." He said.
"You are smart, you just don't apply yourself." Alex pointed out. "But you don't need to decide about your future now. You are still a kid. You get to try things and have fun."
"Then why do you make me study?"
"Because worrying about the future is my job and I know one day it will be important." Alex said hugging him. "But it is possible to have fun and study." The comment causing him to snort.
"Are you really okay?" He asked.
"I'm fine. My shoulder is almost one hundred percent."
"I didn't just mean your shoulder."
"I'm okay." Alex assured him.
"But shouldn't you be resting? Not out here star gazing."
"Probably." Alex said. "But right now, here is the only place I want to be. So why don't we go Galaxy hunting?"
"You sure?"
"I'm sure."
-00-
"This takes me back." Kara said as Alex crept into the bedroom in the early hours.
"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you." Alex apologised.
"That's what you said back then too. Followed by 'not so loud, you'll wake mom'." Kara said. "Is MJ okay?"
"I hope so." Alex said. "I mean he admitted he's not completely okay, which is a big step."
"He may regret making you think that." Kara said. "I mean next year when it is just you two I am sure you will over compensate and smother."
"Said the kettle to the pot." Alex said sitting on her bed.
"You okay?" Kara asked.
"I'm not the one lying in bed at two in the morning not sleeping. So what's stressing you?"
"Lobo." Kara said simply. "Well more the waiting. I thought after Rensh died I wouldn't have to live looking over my shoulder anymore. But here we are."
"I can't imagine how tiring it is living on the run for that long without help. But you aren't alone now and we are all going to help keep you safe." Alex said.
"I know." Kara said as Alex lay down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. "I never really thanked you for what you did for Alex, but thank you."
"What are you talking about?" Alex asked rolling over to face her sister.
"When I was dead, or presumed dead, how you took care of her."
"You would have done the same." Alex said. "How is she doing?"
"Okay, I think. Better than I'd be." Kara said.
"What about you?" Alex asked.
"What about me?"
"Have you actually got over what happened to you?"
"I don't really remember it." Kara reminded her. "But I'm still angry with Lobo."
"That's probably what he wants." Alex said.
"I know. And the fact I am doing what he wants makes me more angry."
"Well the good news is, he isn't here." Alex said.
"I know and I am grateful for that, but what does that say about me? I mean he is out there killing and making people's lives misery and I am here feeling grateful it isn't me."
"I think it is more of a case that you are grateful Alex is safe." Her sister pointed out.
"I still feel like a bad person."
"But a good mother." Alex countered.
"That's the one thing I don't feel like." Kara sighed.
"You getting into trouble all the time aside, is Alex happy?" Her sister asked.
"It's not all the time." Kara protested.
"Debatable." Alex said. "But is Alex happy?"
"She says she is."
"Then you're doing fine." Alex said rolling onto her back and staring at the ceiling.
"Can I ask you something, without you snapping my head off?" Kara asked after a few moments.
"Depends on the question." Alex said.
"Is your health really okay?"
"Apart from slightly high blood pressure I'm fine." Alex replied.
"You promise?"
"Kara." Alex said rolling over to face her again. "I promise I am fine."
"Okay." Kara said not sounding entirely convinced.
"If anything changes I will let you know." Alex added.
"You better." Kara said.
"That works both ways." Alex reminded her.
"I know." Kara replied.
"Night Kara." Alex responded.
"Night." Kara responded before silence descended.
After several minutes, knowing Kara wasn't sleeping Alex said.
"Want to go star gaze?"
"It's two in the morning." Kara pointed out.
"Are you sleeping?"
"Well no."
-00-
"Shouldn't you four be asleep?" Alex asked when she saw all four teens stand round the telescope.
"Shouldn't you?" Her daughter asked. "But it is good you are here. You can try explaining to Diz why stars are more than just dots in an eye piece."
"You think the burning balls of energy are just dots?" The older Alex asked.
"No. I just think if you wanted to see them you could just get images from the web." Diz said.
"But that is not as fun as finding them ourselves." MJ said.
"But you're not. The telescope is." Diz said. "I mean it is computer controlled."
"But you are looking through the telescope." MJ said.
"Not so loud, you'll wake your grandmother." Alex warned.
"Too late, she is making us hot chocolate." MJ said. "You woke her when you went back inside. "
"Told you that you sucked at creeping in." Kara said to her sister. "So what are you guys looking at."
"Gilese 880 in the Pegasus constellation." MJ said. "Alex was telling us about your time there."
"It's the Jural system." Alex translated for her mother.
"Ice cave planet." Kara said.
"Ice cave planet?" Her sister asked.
"Technically it was called a random assortment of letters and numbers from an alien tongue so would mean nothing to you. But it had some really awesome ice caves, which is where everyone lived."
"Which other planets can you tell us about?" MJ asked passing the control panel to his cousin who started to pick some out as Eliza came out with a tray of drinks.
"What about Kit'cl?" Kara suggested to her daughter who reprogrammed the telescope before she and her mother started talking about their time there.
-The End (for now).