"What's wrong?" The older Alex asked her sister, when the Kryptonian entered her office looking miserable.
"I warned Alex about the chemical and now she is stressing more than she was before." Kara sighed.
"She'll be okay." Her sister said before asking. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. No after effects."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure. Plus Alex has interrogated me already."
"Well I still want to run some follow up tests on you."
"I figured." Kara said unenthusiastically. "That's why I'm here."
"Good. Let's go to the infirmary then." The older Alex said getting up. As she did so she frowned and asked. "Are you being compliant because something doesn't feel right?"
"No. It is to make sure Alex doesn't stress." Kara explained.
"I need to remember to play that guilt card more often." Her sister mused as they walked down the corridor. As they walked Kara asked.
"You still up for tonight?"
"What's tonight?" Alex asked confused.
"Drinks with Lena."
"That's tonight?" Alex asked.
"Yeah, it's Lena's last day before she flies to Paris."
"I'd forgotten." The older Alex confessed.
"But you'll be there?"
"Yes. At the very least I need to keep an eye on you." She replied as they reached the infirmary.
"Have you had any luck finding the chemical?"
"No not yet. The team that stole it has disappeared. I have sent a team over to talk to Stagg to see if he knew about military research, but I'm not holding my breath." Alex said as she started running the scans.
"Seeing this research was happening are we sure Lex wasn't involved."
"He has been in isolation. His DNA is checked every week by the prison and we do spot checks at least every ten days, but on a random cycle which can't be predicted. We have also checked his research for something similar to the chemical. But found nothing. I really don't think it is him." Alex listed.
"That's good I guess." Kara said.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked seeing her sister frown.
"Why do people hate me?"
"They don't. Well Lex does, but the others don't. They are just afraid of things they don't understand and you fall into that category. Besides from what we have discovered this was designed to work against all aliens and metas, not just you."
"I guess." Kara sighed.
"The good news is you are all clear of the effects." Alex said turning off the scanner.
"Told you." Kara said standing. But before she walked off she said. "It was worse under the lamp and my suit offered no protection. I know you said it was designed to work against aliens and metas, but it feels personal."
"I know." Alex said. "But trust me I am doing everything I can to figure this out and keep you safe."
"You always do." Kara smiled. She then turned serious and said. "But this time don't."
"What?" Alex asked confused.
"When you figure it out, you'll figure out a way to neutralise the effects. But I don't want you to prioritise neutralising the effects on me. I want you to make sure Alex is safe first."
-00-
"You do remember we are meant to be having fun?" Lena asked the two sisters that evening.
"Sorry? What?" Alex asked.
"Fun." Lena said. "It is that thing people have to relax. Well most people. Perhaps not you Alex. But Kara she's normally fun loving. Yet both of you are acting like you accidentally killed Alex's fish. So what's wrong?"
"MJ snuck off to another party with his new girlfriend." Alex sighed.
"Why haven't you brought him back?" Kara asked.
"Because technically I don't know. He doesn't know he is being tailed." Alex said. "Besides I have a nasty feeling he's going to be getting grounded tomorrow."
"For what?"
"Bad grades and SATs."
"That's not exactly optimistic." Lena said.
"Well all year his grades have slipped."
"And you?" Lena asked looking at Kara.
"Sorry. I'm worried about Alex."
"I'm sure her results will be fine." Lena said.
"It's not that, I mean it is, but not just that. She barely goes out anymore. She never hangs out with MJ's friends. She just studies."
"Seeing MJ has a more serious girlfriend maybe she is staying out of the way?" Lena asked.
"Maybe." Kara said.
"Besides, doesn't she hang out with Martin?" Her sister asked.
"She studies with Martin." Kara corrected before seeing Lena smirk. "What?"
"I just find it funny that you have spent the night complaining about Alex not partying. Where as you," she said turning to Alex, "spent tonight complaining that all MJ does is party."
"I'm glad someone finds this funny." Alex said.
"Maybe you should develop lives away from the kids." Lena said. "I mean you could try dating."
"Pretty sure that wouldn't help the MJ situation." Alex countered. "Besides I don't have time. Have you had any luck with the chemical?" She asked quickly changing subjects.
"No, I have never seen anything like it." Lena said. "But I'll see if I can modify the suit when I am back."
-00-
"Did you go to sleep?" The teenage Alex asked when she saw her mother in the lounge the next morning.
"Of course I did." Kara said.
"Uh huh. Shouldn't I be the one stressing about this, not you?"
"I'm your mother, it's my job to stress about you."
"You weren't this bad on Dressel." The teenager pointed out.
"Well if you'd failed we could have changed planets." Kara pointed out.
"Can't we this time too?"
"Well technically yes."
"Also, don't I already have a fortune on Dakran?"
"Well yes."
"So no need to stress." The teen shrugged. "Were you this bad when you were waiting for your results?"
"No."
"Then you should relax now." The teen said.
"You are far too calm." Kara complained as her daughter asked.
"Do you want breakfast?"
"It's on the side. I went earlier." Kara said.
"How come you've not eaten?" The teenager asked seeing the box was full of sugary treats.
"Way to nervous." Kara said as her daughter's phone buzzed.
"Is that them?" Kara asked.
"No, it's Lena wishing me luck and asking if you have hyperventilated yet." The teen said as her phone buzzed again. This time she said.
"That's them. They are ready to view." Alex said reading the message.
"Then go view." Kara said moving to her daughter.
"Would you like to do it?" Alex asked handing her mother her phone.
"Your disinterest worries me." Kara said following the link before saying. "I don't know your password."
"Kale123."
"That is a weak password." Kara said entering it.
"I didn't think my results were going to raise the interests of criminals." Alex shrugged moments before she found herself engulfed in a hug.
"Is this a good hug or a bad hug?" The teen asked.
"Good. I'm so proud of you." Kara said hugging her tighter. "We should celebrate. What do you want to do? We can go out for dinner or go to the aquarium or I can take you snorkelling in the middle of the Pacific or -"
"Can we go training?"
"You want to celebrate by training?" Kara asked confused.
"Yes."
"You are one weird kid, but okay." Kara agreed before her superhearing heard something.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked.
"I was going to suggest we invited Alex and MJ, but that isn't a good idea."
"Why? Did MJ Flonk it."
"Flunk." Kara corrected. "And while Flunked is a word that is bounded around a lot, based on the shouting going on, in this case justified."
"Alex isn't happy?" Her daughter asked.
"That would be an understatement." Kara replied.
"Do you want to see her?"
"No. This weekend is about you. So get dressed then we'll go. I just need to set some things sorted so I'll see you in ten minutes." Kara said.
"Okay." The teen said before walking back to her room. Before she got there she found herself in another hug and her mother saying. "I'm so proud of you."
00
"Here we are." Kara said when she landed in the desert with her daughter a little later.
"Is that a tennis ball machine?" The teen asked confused.
"It is." Kara said.
"Why?"
"Practice."
"We're playing tennis?"
"No." Kara smiled. "We are practicing your powers. We'll get onto the machine in a bit. Let's start slow. First of all I'm going to throw a ball and I want you to use your powers to get it to gently land over here." Kara said marking the ground with an X.
"Okay." The teen said as her mother gently threw a ball that she used her powers to take control of and land.
"Okay, this time I'll throw harder." Kara said, this time putting more power on it. Again Alex managed to take control of the ball and gently put it down. But as Kara started putting more power on her throws Alex began to struggle to keep up.
"That's good." Kara said before Alex lost confidence. "Now you are warmed up, time for the machine." She then walked over to the machine and stood behind it. "Same as before stop the ball midair and move to the x."
"Okay." The teen said following her mother's instructions with ease. But as Kara cranked it up it wasn't long until Alex couldn't keep up with all the balls.
"That's impossible." The teenager complained. "There's no way I can split my focus that much."
"One of the biggest mistakes I made, and probably still make is assuming I could do everything. First you need to understand what you can't do and then focus on what you can." Kara said walking over to her.
"So I sacrifice three out if five balls?"
"Saving two out of five is better than zero out of five." Kara said.
"What about the others?"
"That's the good thing about working in a team, someone else will pick up the slack." Kara said. "Want to try again?"
"Okay." The teen said.
Nodding Kara walked back to the machine and started it on the same setting it had been when she had stopped it. Only this time when Alex struggled with the sheer number of balls Kara did nothing. Instead she let her daughter figure out the best route and eventually Alex found a rhythm whereby she gently directed every few balls to the x.
When the machine ran out of balls Kara turned it off and walked back to her daughter.
"See that was great."
"Didn't feel it."
"What did it feel like?"
"That I should have been able to do more."
"That is what training is about." Kara said. "Let's clear this up, then we'll get Chewie and go for a picnic."