Chapter 19 - Gravity

After making sure Kara was physically all right, Alex sighed and sat next to her on the sofa, unsure how to bring Kara out of her obvious funk, which deepened with the clinking sound of broken glass from the sconces and lightbulbs being deposited into a trash can.

Sitting dejectedly, Kara whispered to Alex in Kryptonian. Alex frowned and placed a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder. Kara shook her head and spoke with more insistence.

"Do you speak Kryptonian?" Cat asked Eliza, hearing the agitation in Kara's voice, wishing she knew what they were saying among the many zhas and zhis that that were bouncing back and forth between the sisters.

"Not as fluently as Alex. But I speak Kara. She's realized that she really could hurt us," Eliza said thoughtfully.

"That's . . . ," Cat instinctively protested.

". . . possible, Cat," Eliza interjected bluntly. "Kara might hurt us. Especially now, when she's learning how to control her powers. And even when she gets control, she could get distracted or forget how careful she needs to be," Eliza said and offered, "She accidentally sprained Alex's wrist just after college."

Cat shook her head feeling terrible for Kara, never having appreciated her burden before. How does one ever feel comfortable always having to be careful with her powers?

Carter came rushing back into the room. "The delivery guy is here! I need money to pay him."

"Delivery guy?" Cat asked with surprise, eyeing her son.

"I ordered us dinner," he said with a shrug.

"You did, did you?" Cat said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Uh, he's waiting at the door," Carter said, motioning behind him.

Cat nodded and just stared at her son.

"Ok, mom. I get it. I should have asked you and not assumed you didn't want to slave over the hot stove to cook for all of us."

"Heating up lasagna and tossing a salad is not that terribly burdensome," Cat said, unimpressed.

"Uh, he's waiting?" Carter said uncomfortably.

"So you said," Cat said with a thin smile.

"And I'm sorry for assuming you would want to get Kara's favorite foods to help cheer her up," he said innocently. Just because Kara's favorites happened to be his too, and just because his mother rarely let him have them, didn't make the gesture any less good, did it?

Cat's eyes narrowed at the blatant use of the "Kara" card.

Carter winced, realizing his mistake.

"I . . . I'm sorry for ordering something I don't have the money to pay for," he said somberly, and begrudgingly added, "I'll pay you back with my allowance."

Cat smiled with satisfaction. "You may retrieve the money from my wallet in my purse," she said, causing Carter to nod and quickly depart.

"Carter?" Cat called out.

He stopped at the doorway and turned around uncertainly.

"Don't forget the tip," Cat said, withholding a smile.

"Yes, mom," he ground out with some irritation that she would think he'd forget. When he turned and started to leave, his mother called to him again.

"Carter?"

Once again delayed, he stopped and turned to look at her impatiently.

"Make sure the order is complete," Cat said. "I've read stories about delivery people snacking on the way to their deliveries," she quickly added, with a disgusted look on her face.

With a slight cringe, Carter nodded slowly and started to leave again.

"Oh and Carter?" Cat said again, enjoying his clear frustration as he turned again as he struggled not to roll his eyes, pretty sure she was toying with him to prove a point.

"Good idea about the food," she said with a small smile, surprising him.

"But . . . poor execution," he acknowledged with some embarrassment, having heard hundreds of lectures from his mother about how having a good idea is not enough. Success comes when a good idea is properly executed.

"You may keep your allowance," Cat said magnanimously, making him exhale in relief because it was a rather larger order.

As Carter finally left to settle up with the delivery guy, Alex joined Cat and Eliza, leaving a depressed Kara on the sofa.

"Well, I managed to convince her . . . of absolutely nothing," Alex admitted in frustration. "She wants to go back to the Fortress of Solitude, where she'll be away from people she could hurt," she said, shaking her head.

Cat rolled her eyes. "I'd like to talk to her alone," she said, looking between Alex and Eliza.

"Good luck," Eliza said warmly, patting Cat on the shoulder before she and Alex left them.

SGSG

"I would have caved when he said he got Kara's favorite foods," Eliza admitted quietly as they got to the kitchen that was filled with pizza boxes and Chinese food.

"That's because you're a sap," Alex teased, prompting her mother to make a disapproving face.

"I am not!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Mom," Alex said with a chuckle.

"Hey! I hope you guys don't mind pizza, potstickers, and fried rice," Carter said enthusiastically, personally pleased with the selection.

"Is there anything without tomatoes or MSG?" Alex asked curiously, glancing over the pile of food, then tossed out with a shrug, "Food allergies."

Carter's eyes widened. His mother was going to kill him for not thinking about that!

"Alex!" Eliza scolded. "This is all good, Carter. We thankfully don't have any food allergies," she offered. Carter eyed Alex, who was amused with herself.

"With the delivery guy and your home alone saga, do you ever get away with anything?" Alex asked curiously, opening up a pizza box to inspect the contents.

"I can neither confirm, nor deny, getting away with anything," Carter said with a satisfied smile.

Alex and Eliza chuckled.

"I seriously hope you don't become a super villain," Alex said, eyeing the intelligent boy.

"Now there's an unsettling thought," Eliza said, grabbing a plate.

"I'm pretty sure we'd need to recruit your mother to stop your master plan . . . but then, you'd probably already have recruited her yourself," Alex said.

Carter smiled at the odd praise. "No super villain here. I want to help people. Of course, not like Supergirl or Superman, cause I don't have powers, and I'm not really suited for being a first responder. But I really think I can help make things better through science or engineering," he said sincerely.

"How wonderful!" Eliza gushed.

"Sap," Alex teased quietly, grabbing a slice of pizza.

SGSG

"So we're back to this," Cat said, sitting next to Kara, who looked at her curiously. "The moping."

Kara shook her head. "You said you could replace anything in this home, Cathrine. You were wrong," she said, clearly disturbed. "You can not replace a life I accidentally end!"

"That is not going to happen, Kara," Cat said confidently.

"Then you do not truly understand how dangerous I am," Kara said miserably.

"Oh I do," Cat countered wryly. "Trust me, my heart certainly knows."

Kara looked at her with frustration that she didn't seem to be taking this seriously, then glanced down at her dangerous hands, now resting in her lap. "When I wrapped my arms around you, I could have ended your life with too much pressure," she said in anguish.

"And yet, here I am," Cat said breezily with a slight shrug.

Kara shook her head with exasperation. "Just holding your hands . . . Rao! I could have crushed them! Like your glass . . . and chair!" Kara said, horrified by how reckless she had been.

"And yet," Cat said, holding up her hands and wiggling her fingers.

"You have to understand, Cathrine," Kara said, tears forming in her eyes. "I have no control over what is happening to me!"

"You've learned control before. You'll learn again," Cat said simply.

"I can't even rely on gravity!"

"Then rely on us."

"Catherine! I am too dangerous to be around! I could hurt you or Carter, or Alex or Eliza," Kara said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"And yet, that is exactly what you would be doing by isolating yourself and trying to deal with this all alone," Cat countered firmly. "Do not deny your loved ones, darling. Not being able to be with you and help you through this uncertainty would cause us all enormous pain," she said, carefully pulling a nervous Kara into a needed embrace.

"We'll get through this, Kara. Together," Cat promised, her cheek resting on Kara's head.

"I'm scared," Kara whimpered.

"You are not alone, darling" Cat admitted and vowed, tears filling her own eyes as she kissed the weeping Kryptonian's head.

SGSG

As Carter chewed on his pizza, attentively listening to Alex seriously answer his question, Eliza shook her head in amusement as she ate her fried rice.

"Black Widow and Hawkeye? Please," Alex blurted dismissively, shaking her her head. "And the Hulk and Captain America only have strength. She could blow them all away - literally," she said, prompting a snort from Carter.

"Actually, Alex, you're forgetting that Captain America has a Vibranium shield," Eliza interjected and noted the surprised look on Carter's face. "Who do you think got Alex her first comic book?" she offered with a satisfied smile.

"Mom, do you really think his shield would prevent him from being blown away?" Alex challenged.

"I was just pointing out that that Captain America has more than just strength, which was your assertion. As you know, if you are analyzing something you want to have the most accurate and complete data set available, even if some of the data ultimately turns out to be inconsequential," Eliza gently lectured, causing Alex to slightly roll her eyes and Carter nod enthusiastically.

"His shield could possibly be a formidable projectile against Kryptonian physiology. But the effectiveness of it as a projectile is impossible to say without data on the material and its unique ballistics. However, I do believe the sound of his shield's travel would make it unlikely to impact someone who is able to use super-hearing and speed," Eliza offered thoughtfully.

"I agree," Carter gushed with a big smile on his face as he grabbed another pizza slice.

"Anyway . . . ," Alex added flatly, then continued her own, important analysis. "Iron Man's suit is very impressive with a variety of high-tech sensors and weapons, not to mention an artificial intelligence aide, which is a big plus, but I think her speed could avoid the threats and her freeze breath could quickly incapacitate his technology," she said and both Carter and Eliza nodded with interest.

"Thor might be tricky. She would have to be careful around his lightning. With enough current and voltage, she would have problems . . . so I'm sure she'd use her super powers to avoid facing the threat directly. And if her freeze breath failed to immobilize him, I think she could make him weaker by melting his hammer with her heat vision," Alex offered.

"I'm not so sure about melting the hammer," Carter countered. "It has magical properties that might make it resistant to her heat vision."

Alex looked at him thoughtfully. "Valid point. I really have no point of reference for magic," she said. "Thankfully, we haven't actually had to deal with it."

"But I think she could wield the hammer," Carter said confidently.

"Because she is worthy," Alex said with a grin. Eliza smiled.

"Right! And by lifting it, she might gain Thor as an ally," Carter suggested enthusiastically, then chuckled and shook his head in amusement.

"What?" Alex said as Eliza tilted her head curiously.

"Kara said Supergirl would use her power of persuasion," he said using air-quotes, "to not have to fight them. She'd probably go for the hammer first to persuade them to be allies."

Alex and Eliza shared a smile.

"But . . . Thor and the others might think it some trick, maybe assume Loki was behind it," Alex offered, making Carter nod thoughtfully.

"And if she couldn't persuade them, even with wielding the hammer, she might be in trouble if they figured out what made her weak and worked together to plan a trap. Stark and Banner are very smart guys," Alex said with a shrug.

"True. But Supergirl has you covering her back. So I think their planning would be ineffective," Carter said with conviction.

"I would hope so," Alex said softly, looking down at her plate, troubled that she hadn't anticipated the assassination attempt. Eliza was disturbed to see the familiar look of guilt cross her daughter's face.

"Well, you hot-wired her pod to save her, didn't you? So I'm pretty sure if the Avengers ever tried something stupid, you'd help her stop it," he said confidently.

"Well said, Carter," Eliza chimed in happily.

SGSG

Cat glanced to Kara before pulling up her contacts on her cell phone and dialing. After two rings, Clark answered. "Cat! Is Kara all right?" He asked worriedly.

"Her powers have started to return. She's . . . having difficulties," Cat explained delicately.

"Golly," he said, causing her to roll her eyes that a grown man would actually use that word. "She must be terrified."

"She would like to talk with you."

"Ok. Sure!" he said, eager to help.

"One moment," Cat said and handed over the phone to Kara, who looked uneasy as she very carefully took the phone.

"Kal?" she said, putting the device to her ear.

Cat smiled and retreated from the room, closing the office door behind her to give Kara some privacy.

"Hey, Kara. Cat said you were getting your powers back. I know it doesn't seem like it, but that's actually good news," he said cheerfully.

SGSG

"They've been in there a while," Carter noted, grabbing his fifth slice.

"Well, Kara's going through a lot of emotions adjusting to her powers," Eliza said softly. "I'm just so sorry she has to go through this again."

"Yeah. She had a really rough time when she first got here," Alex added. "On top of learning how to control her powers, she had to learn about our culture and how to blend in. She still has those hurdles . . . unless she remembers," she said sadly.

"You brought her clothes . . . without the "S" ?" Carter asked Eliza, who nodded.

"That's good," he said with a nod.

"Yeah," Alex agreed. "I really don't want to go through explaining why Kara looks so much like Supergirl while wearing wearing her family crest again." Carter nodded wearily.

"What did I miss?" Eliza asked with concern.

"My Dad," Carter moaned, complaining, "He just had to meet Kara when he dropped me off."

"Well, if someone didn't talk to his father so much about her . . . ," Alex teased with a thin smile and batted her eyelashes, earning a formidable Grant glare.

"Oh, Alex," Eliza sighed heavily at her daughter, having thought she was past the bratty teen stage. Apparently not.

Choosing not to respond to Alex, Carter explained, "Dad saw Kara in mom's Supergirl pajamas, with her hair down and no glasses," Carter said, shaking his head.

Eliza looked alarmed.

"I know, right?!" Carter blurted. "But Alex took care of it," he added with a shrug and took a bite of his pizza. Alex withheld a grin.

"Indeed she did," Cat said, joining them. "Exterminators? Supergirl Cosplay? Your imagination is clearly wasted in the government, Alex," Cat said, then watched Carter, whose chewing slowed down under the scrutiny. "Carter? How many slices have you had?"

"Four?" he said hesitantly, which was technically true.

"Does that include the piece you are inhaling now?"

Alex and Eliza shared an amused glance.

"I'm a growing boy!" He complained.

"Yes, in the horizontal direction if you are not careful," Cat said, shaking her head.

"How's Kara?" Alex asked, changing the topic to Carter's relief.

"Still upset, but she has agreed there will be no trips to the Fortress of Solitude in the immediate future."

"Thank God," Eliza said, echoing Cat's thoughts.

"What's she doing now?" Alex asked curiously, starting to stand.

"She wanted to talk with her cousin," Cat said and briefly saw a glimmer of irritation on Alex's face as she plopped back down in her seat.

"It's good she is reaching out," Eliza declared with a nod.

SGSGSG

"I don't know why I agreed to Monopoly," Alex grumbled, paying Carter $200 for landing on one of his four railroads.

"You said you never played Settlers of Catan, which could be remedied by . . . playing Settlers of Catan," Carter said sassily.

Cat smirked, delighted Carter felt comfortable enough around Alex and Eliza to tease Alex. And Alex certainly deserved it, she considered. "One of these days, Carter, we'll convince her of the superior quality of that game," Cat said, neatly stacking her pile of money, which of course exceeded everyone else's. She always did have a knack for real estate.

"What's your favorite game, Eliza?" Carter asked curiously.

"I like board games in general, but I am partial to Scrabble. There is something very satisfying in adding to the played tiles to form multiple words during your turn," Eliza offered warmly. Carter nodded, also liking that game.

"Well, Dr. Danvers, I think we have a Scrabble game in our future," Cat announced, prompting Eliza to smile, looking forward to it.

"Careful, Cat. Weird science words count and Mom's an expert in the weird. And science," Alex chuckled.

"Are you actually doubting my mother, the Queen of All Media, would not prevail in word play, which, oh by the way, is her expertise? Carter said incredulously.

Eliza looked at Cat, both women chuckled at their children.

"What I am saying is . . . ," Alex started, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

SGSG

Cat looked through her peep-hole, then rolled her eyes as she opened her door. "Why if it isn't Clark Kent," she smirked, motioning him to come in.

"Hi, Cat. Kara thought it would be best to speak in person," he said with a smile.

Eliza felt the irritation radiating off of Alex, who was never good at hiding it. Not that she ever really tried.

Kara emerged from the office and approached them, causing everyone to look at her. She shifted uncomfortably and smiled weakly. "You look well . . . Clark. Thank you for coming."

"Anytime, Kara," he said with a pleased smile.

Kara turned to her sister. "Alex? I need your help."

Alex's face immediately brightened as she stood. "Sure! What do you need?"

"I need help with my clothes. You have mentioned the dangers of wearing my sigil in public, and I want confirmation that the clothes I wear are appropriate to blend in," Kara said, uncomfortable with the thought of having to hide.

"You're not thinking of going outside now, are you?" Alex said, alarmed, with a 'hell no' on the tip of her tongue.

"We're just going for a walk," Clark piped up helpfully, confidently adding, "I'll keep her safe."

"Was this 'walk' your idea?" Alex said tersely, eyeing Clark pointedly.

"It was mine, Alex," Kara said firmly, standing a bit straighter.

Before Alex could argue, which she fully intended to do, Cat piped up. "A nice walk in fresh air should do Kara some good," Cat said, more than willing to battle Alex to give Kara what she needed.

Kara relaxed slightly and smiled at Cat gratefully.

"Don't you agree, Eliza?" Cat immediately asked, cutting off Alex's objection.

"Yes. But don't stay out too late, Kara, or we're going to worry. I don't care that you're with Clark. We are going to worry about you, sweetie," Eliza gently warned, immensely pleasing Cat with her words. Though Alex was even more annoyed now that she was out numbered.

"We will not be long," Kara promised, gaining a pleased smile and nod from Eliza.

"And you know my number, if you are worried," Clark added, patting his jacket pocket, where he kept his phone.

"Thank you, Clark," Eliza said sincerely, gaining a happy smile from him.

Alex sighed in resignation. "Let's take a look at what Mom brought for you," she said begrudgingly to Kara.

As Alex and Kara left to deal with the clothes situation, Cat noticed her son's curious gaze, studying their visitor.

"Clark, I don't think you've ever met my son, Carter," Cat said, leading him further into the room towards Carter.

"I haven't. Pleased to meet you, Carter," Clark said sincerely, holding out his hand for the boy, who shook it firmly. "Quite the grip," he said with a smile.

"My mother told me that first impressions are important. If you shake someone's hand with a weak grip, weakness will be the impression they'll have of you," Carter said sagely.

"My father told me that too," Clark said warmly.

"I have a question," Carter said, prompting an encouraging smile. "If Superman had to fight the Avengers, who would win?"

Eliza could only chuckle at the boy's fascination with super-powered matchups.

Cat tilted her head curiously, wondering if his answer would be like Kara's.

"Uh," Clark blurted, surprised by the question. "I really don't know that much about those comic book characters. Well, other than they are supposed to be heroes, so I can't imagine them fighting," he said with an apologetic shrug. "But, Carter," he lectured gently, "you do realize fighting should only be the last resort?"

Cat suppressed a laugh at her son's unimpressed expression, giving him enormous credit for not rolling his eyes.

"Have you seen any of the movies?" Carter asked, almost accusingly.

"Uh . . . no. Are they any good?" Clark asked with a smile.

"Yes," Carter said with a disappointed sigh. "Thanks for the talk," he said politely.

"Sure," Clark said uncertainly and watched Carter return to Eliza's side at the Monopoly board. Strongly suspecting he failed a test of some sort, he turned to Cat and quietly asked, "What just happened?"

Cat patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Never underestimate the importance of comic books and superhero matchups, Clark. Now, I suspect you didn't get an in-flight meal and are likely hungry. We have plenty of pizza and Chinese food," she offered, adding, "though, I am reserving the potstickers for Kara."

"Sounds great," Clark said, perking up at the thought of food. "Thanks, Cat," he added with a smile.

SGSG

"I've been through this with you before, Kara. You can talk with me, you know," Alex grumbled, as she dug through the luggage, pulling out a small, portable sunlamp before retrieving a pair of jeans and a blouse.

"You do not have answers to the questions I have," Kara said, taking the shirt and pants carefully.

"What questions? Try me," Alex challenged.

Kara looked at her. "How can I have a physical relationship with a human and not constantly worry about hurting them?"

Alex blinked.

"Clark has Lois. He has made that work. I need to understand how. Assuming I gain control of my powers, how can I possibly maintain control if I am aroused?" Kara said worriedly.

"Uh . . . ."

"How will I not suddenly float away when I passionately kiss her!" Kara blurted with frustration.

Well that answered one question, Alex considered. "Aren't you jumping the gun here?" she said bluntly, causing a confused look. Alex patiently explained, "rushing things with Cat? You don't really know her, Kara," she added.

"I do know her!" Kara argued, then grumbled, "I just . . . don't remember everything."

"And when you do remember? What if your feelings change? For a long time she didn't treat you well. Very poorly, in fact," Alex offered, earning a sharp look.

"Yet she saved my life and provided me comfort and courage when I needed it most! If that is treating me poorly, I have no complaints," Kara snapped.

"Kara, I'm not trying to discount what she has done for you recently. I was just trying to help put things in perspective. Maybe you should focus on getting control of your powers first, before panicking about a physical relationship with her," Alex said reasonably, then had a disconcerting thought. "She . . . she isn't pushing you into something physical is she?" Alex blurted worriedly, immediately realizing her mistake from Kara's angry look.

"Cathrine has been nothing but honorable!" Kara hissed, her eyes started to glow.

"Whoa, I'm sorry!" Alex immediately blurted, lifting her hands up in appeasement as Kara shut her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself.

"She protected me. She pushed aside her own fears to help me and look after me, and you dare accuse her of being . . . manipulative?" Kara growled. "I was the one who sought a physical connection!"

"I'm sorry," Alex interjected, realizing just how big a mistake she made. "I was out of line," she said guiltily, then saw Kara's confusion at her words. "I had no right to question Cat's integrity," she explained.

Kara glared at her a moment. "On that, we agree," she said tersely, then sighed and shook her head, glancing at Alex before focusing on her clothing.

Alex could not blame Kara for the anger. But the look she just received, of disappointment, was unsettling. She knew she had earned it, letting her old concerns about Kara's malleability under such a powerful personality immediately fly uncensored from her lips.

Absently watching Kara change, Alex worried that the Kara standing before her had only experienced Cat's caring and surprisingly heroic side. What if Kara had a change of heart after fully experiencing Cat Grant's infamous ire and countless idiosyncrasies? There were far too many late-night discussions with her sister about how ridiculously demanding and petty Cat was to believe those bad qualities would never resurface. And Alex feared Kara would tolerate being treated less than she deserved, considering how often Kara would complain, then defend and still harbor a massive crush on the older woman.

Alex silently pulled out socks and loafers and held them up to Kara, who silently accepted the offerings with a small nod and slowly and carefully donned the items.

During and after the Myriad crisis, Alex had learned that Cat actually cared for Kara. But was she actually interested in a real, long-term relationship? With her assistant? Who was the age of her eldest son? There were so many opportunities for Kara to get seriously hurt, Alex thought worriedly. And even if none of that mattered, Alex firmly believed her sister should really be focusing now on controlling her powers before worrying about . . . sex.

Alex grimaced slightly, not wanting to think about Kara having sex. Ever. Clark did have Lois so . . . her beautiful and bubbly sister would find someone eventually. And Kara's struggles with some bad dating experiences in school? The date's chipped tooth or broken nose? She had just chalked them up to Kara needing better control over her powers.

But guilt started to bloom as Alex recalled the different accidents over the years when Kara had control, including the sprained wrist she got during Kara's move into her old apartment when her sister got happily distracted by the arrival of a pizza delivery guy. If a delivery guy could distract her, how the hell does someone remain focused when aroused? Or God, during an orgasm! She cringed, realizing no human could never fully appreciate Kara's dilemma.

"You're right," Alex exhaled with guilt. "Clark will have answers I don't have," she admitted reluctantly.

Kara turned to her with an appraising look and concluded, "You are jealous of Kal-El."

Everything in Alex balked at that . . . truth. "It's just . . . he hasn't been there for you growing up. I have. And you usually come to . . . ," Alex admitted, then sucked in a breath. "You know what? Doesn't matter. He'll have answers I don't have," she blurted with a tight smile for her sister, who now wore regular Earth clothing and glasses. "Uh, your hair is normally pulled up into a pony tail. Let me?" Alex asked hopefully.

Kara nodded, prompting Alex to grab a brush and hair tie from the luggage.

Once the ponytail was finished, Alex looked her over and nodded. It almost seemed as if things were back to normal.

Kara turned to the mirror hanging on the door and sighed unhappily at her reflection. "I understand the need to blend in, but it feels as if . . . as if I'm betraying my house," she quietly admitted, her hand lifting to her chest where her family's crest should be.

"Kara, you are fighting for your House every day you and Clark survive."

Kara weakly nodded. Was hiding and struggling to survive to be her life now? Was this what her parents envisioned for her?