Having spent the night watching Alex, sending messages to her sister and feel her anger towards Malaise grow, Kara was eventually pulled from her dark thoughts by her daughter having a nightmare.
"Alex." She called trying to gently wake her before the nightmare to full hold. "Wake up sweetie." She called, relieved when her daughter opened her eyes. "It was just a dream, you are safe now." She soothed.
"Mom?" The teen asked confused as she sat up.
"I'm right here." Kara said before repeating. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay, I guess." The teen replied just as the door opened and Chewie scampered across the room to the couch before jumping up and licking Alex.
"Sweetie, how are you feeling?" Eliza asked entering the apartment
"Okay." She said moments before she was pulled into a hug.
"Are you sure?" Eliza asked pulling away.
"Yes. But I don't want to go to school." The teen said glancing at her mother.
"That's fine." Kara said. "I'll cancel my meetings and stay with you."
"You don't have to, I'll be okay here." The teenager said.
"I'll stay with her." Eliza said. Seeing Kara was about to argue she went on. "You need to find the people responsible."
"You okay with that?" Kara asked her daughter, who nodded causing Kara to agree. "Okay." She said pulling her daughter in for a hug. "Call if you need anything."
"I will." The teen said.
00
"How's Alex?" The older Alex asked when her sister entered her bedroom.
"Okay. I think. I mean physically she's fine, but she's really shaken."
"That's not surprising. Where is she now?"
"At home with Eliza. She didn't want to go to school."
"What do you want me to do?" Alex asked.
"You need to stay in bed."
"I can still help." She pointed out. "Do you want me to look at any of the results?"
"Yes." Kara said holding out a tablet. "I mean I know Lena said she was fine, but just in case there is anything that was miss-"
"Kara I am happy to help." Alex said. "I'm sorry I can't do more. I'm getting really sick of this room."
"Well we'll be off to Midvale soon." Her sister reminded her. "I think the break will do everyone some good." She added as they heard the front door open and close. Before footsteps bounded up the stairs. Moments later the teen Kara entered the room.
"Hi." The teen said before approaching her mother and hugging her, being careful not to hurt her ribs.
"What are you doing back?" Alex asked.
"It's Christmas."
"Yeah, but I thought you weren't coming home until first thing tomorrow." Alex said.
"No classes today and a friend could give me a ride so I came back early."
"What time did you leave?" Alex asked confused.
"After a party last night. You'd feel happier not asking questions."
"I would have come and got you." Her aunt said.
"I know, but I thought you'd have your hands full keeping mom in bed." The teen smiled.
"Do you have plans for today?" Her aunt asked.
"No. Why?"
"Can you go see Alex?"
"Isn't she at school?" The teenage Kara asked confused.
"No. She was attacked last night and-"
"Is she okay?" The teen jumped in.
"Shaken, but okay. But I'm sure she'd like to talk to you."
"Sure, I'll head over."
00
"Hi." The teenage Kara called entering her cousin's apartment.
"Kara?" The teenage Alex asked looking at the door.
"Hey." She smiled.
"When did you get back?" Eliza asked hugging her.
"Just now." She replied before looking at her cousin. "I saw your mom. How are you doing?"
"Okay I guess."
"Why didn't you tell me what happened?"
"Lost my phone. In the water I guess." The teen said.
"Seeing there is no food in this kitchen, I'm going to get some." Eliza said guessing Alex may open up more to her cousin.
"We'll hang out here." Kara said sitting next to her cousin.
"I'll be back soon." Eliza said leaving.
"So what happened?" The teenage Kara asked.
"There were some guys on the waterfront and they pushed me in. Then I had a panic attack and nearly drowned. If mom hadn't found me I would have-"
"You're safe know." Her cousin said hugging her. After a moment the teenage Alex asked.
"How did you get over it."
"Over what?" Kara asked.
"What Malaise did to you."
"Malaise. He was involved?" Kara asked, still trying to figure out exactly what had happened.
"That's what mom said. She said that's why I had the panic attack. So how do I stop it happening again?"
"It just takes time." Her cousin said.
"I hate time." The teen grumbled.
00
"Tell me you have something." Supergirl said marching across the control room.
"Nothing concrete. We have footage of Alex leaving the aquarium, but where the incident happened there was no footage."
"Where was her DEO guard?"
"There was a mix up between her and MJ's team. Neither kid had an escort last night. The Agents involved have been sent back to training. It won't happen again." She explained before asking. "How's Alex?"
"Scared. It really shook her." Kara said. "Did you get footage of Malaise?"
"No, but there was someone who bumped into Alex, we are assuming that was Malaise. Unfortunately we can't see their face and they disappear shortly afterwards."
"So you have nothing?"
"So far. But we will catch them." Vasquez said.
"What aren't you telling me?" Kara asked sensing her friend was holding something back.
"If they wanted to kill Alex they could have done. This wasn't a plan to kill her it was a plan to let you know that they could."
"I got the message." Kara said angrily.
"So the question is why? The fact this follows so closely to what happened to Steve suggests it's a distraction."
"From what? We aren't making any progress. Everything seems to be a dead end apart from..."
"What?" Vasquez asked.
"Yesterday afternoon I went to the clinic Steve told us about. Maybe that has something to do with it. I mean it was outside there that guy approached me."
"We'll look into it. And even if that is a deadend, for them to do this we must be onto something, even if we don't know it." Vasquez said. "We'll work every angle."
"Thanks." Kara smiled.
-00-
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Diz asked when Kara walked towards him in a coffee shop later that day.
"I thought we could catch up." She said.
"Okay." He said looking confused before looking round.
"Are you on a date?" The teenage Kara asked.
"No."
"I damage your image?"
"What? No." Diz said.
"Are you in trouble?"
"No."
"Are you on stakeout?"
"No. Why would you think that?" He said feeling confused.
"Then why do you keep looking round like you are scared we will be seen together."
"I'm not."
"What's going on?"
"Nothing."
"You know I'm not dropping this." She said staring at him.
"Fine." He sighed. "Just after we ended it-"
"You ended it." Kara corrected.
"You agreed."
"Well I was wrong." Kara said. "But we can come back to that. What happened after we broke up?"
"I had a visit from my mom."
"Your mom? As in the one who threw you out?"
"Yeah."
"Is she sick?"
"That's one way to describe it." He said. "But not in the way you are talking." He paused and said. "She heard I was making something with my life and wanted in."
"As in she wants to see you?"
"No. She wants money. She knew about you and said she'd cause problems for your family."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"I told her it was over between us and she lost interest in you."
"I didn't mean that. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because it was over between us."
"We agreed we'd still talk."
"I thought if she saw us together she'd go after you. You don't need that."
"I can handle your mom."
"I know. But you shouldn't have to."
"I could let my mom deal with her."
"Pretty sure she has enough issues without that. How is she doing?"
"Okay I think. But how long she stays resting I don't know, especially after what happened with Alex."
"What happened with Alex?" Diz asked.
"She was attacked last night and nearly drowned. She's okay now, but really shaken."
"That sucks. What about MJ? Grant said he was kind of angry last time he saw him."
"He hasn't coped with what happened to mom very well." Kara said. "But hopefully time in Midvale over Christmas will help him. Thanks for looking out for him at the hospital."
"Sure." He replied before asking. "Why are you here?"
"I wanted to see you. I've missed you."
"Me too." He said.
"Want to do something tonight?"
"Sorry, I'm working." He replied. "But what about when you get back from Midvale?"
"Sure." Kara said standing. "See you after Christmas."
-00-
"Hey." The teenage Kara said entering her mother's room.
"Where have you been?"
"I went to see Diz."
"Everything okay?"
"I guess." The teen said sitting next to her mother on the bed. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine."
"You don't look it." The teen said.
"I just hate being stuck here not being able to anything." Her mother explained. "How was Alex?"
"Withdrawn, but grandma was making sure she felt spoilt."
"Did she talk about what happened?"
"Not really. More about how she felt now. She's really scared."
"Hopefully some time in Midvale can help." Her mother said. "So how is college going?"
"Hard, but good. And before you ask my grades are fine."
"Never doubted it." Alex said.
"Where's MJ? I thought he'd be back from school by now." The teenage Kara asked.
"Out at a party."
"A party?"
"A Christmas party."
"Do I sense double standards?" Her daughter asked.
"No. Yes. I was hoping time with friends might draw him out of his funk."
"How's he doing?"
"I think he misses you. At least I hope that's what it is."
"What do you mean?"
"He's been pretty angry and is definitely pushing boundaries."
"Well in Midvale there are only so many boundaries he can push." Her daughter pointed out.
"He'll probably see that as a challenge." Alex said.
"I'll keep an eye on him. You just focus on getting better."
"I'm okay." Alex assured her.
"No you're not." The teen argued.
"Coming from the person who looks like they didn't sleep last night."
"Well I didn't sleep last night." The teenager yawned.
"Why don't you get some sleep before dinner?"
-00-
"I'm back." Kara said entering her apartment before heading straight to her daughter and hugging her. "How are you?"
"Okay."
"I'll give you some space." Eliza said. "I'll get dinner started."
"Thanks." Kara said watching her foster mother leave before sitting next to her daughter and pulling her in for a hug. "You sure you are okay?" Kara asked. In response Alex just held her tightly and nodded.
"You are safe now." Kara reminded her. "Tomorrow we will go to Midvale and everything will be fine."
"Have you caught Malaise?"
"Not yet."
"So he could get me again?"
"I can't promise you he won't, but I will do everything I can to make sure he doesn't. And Lena is working on a way to curb his powers." Kara said before asking. "You up to talking about what happened?"
"I just want to forget it." The teen said.
"I know, but in order to catch those responsible you need to tell me exactly what happened." Kara said as she heard some shuffling outside the front door. Using her xray vision she looked through the door and saw someone bending down on the other side.
"Stay here." Kara said to her daughter before going to the door and opening it. As it opened the figure on the other side looked up and said sheepishly.
"Hey."
"Steve?" Kara asked confused before stepping outside of the apartment and shutting the door to give Alex some privacy.
"Sorry, I planned on just dropping this off and running." He said looking down at a box. Seeing Kara's confusion he explained. "Martin told me what happened to Alex-"
"He did? How did he know?"
"You know High School and gossip." He said. "When Martin couldn't reach Alex we were worried and wanted to drop off some supplies."
"Alex is okay, she lost her phone in the water."
"That's good." Steve said picking the box off the ground. "I mean not losing a phone, but the bit about her being okay. Like I was saying, this is for you guys."
"You didn't have to." Kara said.
"It's not much and after all you guys did for us, it was the least I could do. Anyway, if you need anything else let me know. If not have a good break."
"Thanks, you too." Kara smiled.
"I'll leave you to it." Steve said leaving.
Carrying the box back into the apartment Kara put the box on the coffee table and explained. "It's from Steve and Martin."
"What's in it?"
"Why don't you look and I'll pack?"
"Okay." The teenager said as her mother disappeared. A moment later Kara returned with a couple of suitcases that she put by the door. Facing her daughter and seeing one item out of the box she commented.
"That is either a really oversized box, or you are really slow."
"Don't worry, there's loads in here." The teen said. "But I am pretty sure these are for you." She added passing her mother a box of doughnuts.
"What else is in there?" Kara asked as she started to eat the doughnuts.
"Settlers of Catan Deluxe edition and Candy Land." She said taking out the boardgames. "A cookery book, correction bakery book. More food and some hot chocolate." She added before standing.
"Where are you going?" Kara asked confused.
"To get my laptop."
"Why?"
"So I can email Martin and say thank you."
"You can borrow my phone and call if you want." Kara said.
"I don't really want to talk to him right now." The teenager said walking off. "I mean he'll ask about what happened and I really don't want to talk about."
00
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Kara asked when she saw her sister sitting in the lounge.
"I'm fine." Alex said shrugged. "Besides I wanted to see Alex." She then looked at her niece and said. "How are you?"
"Okay I guess."
"Mom wants you in the kitchen." The older Alex said looking to her sister.
"Oh, okay." She said walking off.
"Why would Uzheiu want mom in the kitchen?" The teen asked.
"To talk?" The older Alex suggested
"That sounds lie a lie."
"Well the truth is look like you don't want to talk, so I thought your mom could help mom and you can sit here quietly."
"Is this reverse psychology?" The teen asked.
"No." The older Alex smiled. "It is experience."
"Thanks." The teen said sitting down moments before Chewie jumped up on her lap just as the teenage Kara entered the room.
"Hi." She greeted before seeing her mother. "What are you doing down here? Did you tell me to sleep so you could sneak down here?"
"That's very paranoid." The older Alex said.
"That wasn't a denial." The teenage Kara said sitting next to her cousin. "But seeing you are down here and Alex is over, why don't we do some games after dinner?"