DAY 1
She was freaking out. But she couldn't. Lena pushed up the glasses on her nose. Hid a lock of hair under the black cap she was wearing. She had to do this. It had been seven years. She had to believe it wasn't too late. She could do it. She had to. For Liz.
Looking down, Lena watched as her daughter was fidgeting from one foot to the other. The little hand clasped in hers was shaking with anxiety already. But she stayed silent. Not complaining. They were waiting for the elevator in the Tower to bring them to the highest level, where the old quarter of the Super Friends used to be. It brought out so many images Lena tried to stifle. With the memories came the regrets and remorse. Lena's heart kept beating faster and faster. She tried to control her breathing, to stifle the panic attack that was threatening to come. She had this. She had been in charge of one of the biggest and most prolific societies of the world. She had faced white rich cocky men every single week for years. She could do this. And it wasn't like se didn't know anyone. It had been seven years but they should still be the same. Even if they weren't, she had to come back. And face the music. She couldn't avoid it anymore.
It was surprising at first, to be able to walk through the door and activate the elevator in the Tower with her fingerprints. Lena thought J'onn would have improved the security since then. Apparently not. She was still welcomed at least. It meant she wasn't banished from the Tower. Or they just didn't see her as a threat. Anyway, they entered and they were going up to see everybody. Lena realized Liz must have been terrified. The girl knew why they were there. She knew it was to find help for her. Lena could feel her energy spiking around her. The little girl was so young, yet she had already so much power. That was the reason of their move back to National City. Liz needed help to control herself. And Lena couldn't help her anymore. Liz's powers were beyond her skills. With all the love she had for her daughter, she couldn't help her more than she already had. They needed Kara's help.
When the elevator doors opened, Lena was met with a dark room. The space where she had spent so many hours working and making plans was very bright in her memories. Now the windows were closed and covered with grey steel security shutters. It was very hot outside, and sunny since it was the middle of summer and National City was a west coast city. But the atmosphere inside was cold and gloomy. Lena took a step inside the room and felt Liz immediately grabbing at her leg, hiding behind her. The energy surrounding them was electric. Lena looked down and drew a hand across her daughter's face.
"It's okay, sweetheart. Breathe. Just like we learned." She said, breathing in and out purposefully herself. Liz's deep blue eyes stayed on hers and the girl matched her breathing, nodding slowly. Lena nodded in response too, satisfied, and she kept walking in the room, Liz's body glued to hers.
"Is anybody there?" She asked aloud, searching the room with her eyes. There weren't the computers and all the tables she used to work on anymore. In place were furniture, a whole lounge area with a TV and bean bags. Lena remarked a small kitchen set up in a corner with a sink overwhelmed by dirty dishes and take out containers. And, just under the stairs leading to the balcony, was a mattress with the sheets undone haphazardly. Like somebody had just stood up in a haste.
"Who are you?" Asked a threatening voice above their heads and both mother and daughter startled in surprise. Lena looked up and right there, before her eyes, was Kara, floating in her shorts and band T-shirt, blond hair flowing freely, fists ready to fight and eyes glowing a dangerous shade of red. The shadows were casting terrifying shapes on her form. Lena felt Liz bury her head in her hip, trembling like a leaf. She didn't need to look down to know her daughter's hands were surrounded by a sparkling purplish glow. She glanced anyway and winced. Her heart seemed to weight heavier seeing how terrified the little girl looked with her face scrunched up, her eyes pinched close, her little body convulsing with the affluence of energy. The overflow was nearing. Putting a hand alarmingly in the air in surrender, the other on her daughter's back, Lena decided it was better to announce herself. "Kara, it's me! It's…"
"Lena?" Kara pronounced her name in a gasp. She let herself fall to the ground, her eyes their natural shade of blue now. Her face was the definition of disbelief, with her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide. She took a step towards Lena, her arms already wide open to hug her, but stopped when the little girl behind Lena buried herself deeper in her mother's waist.
"Who's that?"
Lena took the time to really look at her. Kara didn't particularly age a lot but time had had its effects on her. Her skin looked tanner, if possible, under the white T-shirt she was wearing. Her eyes were bright and smart, as always, but with that sense of seriousness only life could put there. Her hair was as long as she remembered it and her face, devoid of glasses, was too. Kara looked more grown up. A woman more than a girl, with all the responsibilities she must have had now.
Lena heard Kara clear her throat and realized she was staring. Flushing a bit, she looked down. Her daughter was still glued to her. She passed a hand in the girl's dark hair. "It's my daughter."
Lena decided it was better to say the least possible. She would explain more later. For now, she had to reassure Liz and avoid a disaster. "Your what?"
Kara walked to her and Lena could feel the energy flowing through the little girl, escalating through her veins, demanding to be freed. She cursed herself for not thinking about Liz's reaction sooner. The girl was frightened and uncontrollable.
"Kara, please, stay where you are." Lena ordered more than asked, her hand in the air, the other soothing the girl. But Kara didn't listen, curiosity taking the better of her. She scrunched up her nose, already opening her mouth to contradict.
That was when Liz's powers freed themselves. The girl's trembling hands erupted in a shade of purple, the energy pulsing around them, forming two purplish lanterns. Her eyes took the same color and shot a first laser, which arrived just close to Kara's bare feet. The blond looked down immediately, surprised. When she looked up again, the frown on her face showed irritation and determination. Her eyes glowed again with confrontation.
"Lena, if she doesn't stop…"
"No, please, she can't control it. You're making it worse." Lena's voice was pleading, imploring Kara to believe her.
Kara's face softened. But it was already too late. Liz was so scared her powers took control of the entirety of her body. She was lifted in the air against her will, her nails scratching the skin on Lena's arm.
"Mommy, help me! I don't want to! Please!"
Her daughter's cries for help made Lena's eyes water. She didn't know what to do. She looked at Kara with panic in her eyes, pleading her to help silently. The blond was taking in the scene, motionless, her mouth agape.
Liz's eyes started to shoot randomly, destroying paintings on the walls and furniture in the room. Lena had to do something. Liz was out of control. Putting her hands up, she pronounced a barrier spell as calmly as she could. A big blue bubble surrounded Liz.
"It's okay, sweetheart, listen to me. Listen to my voice. Take a deep breath." Liz didn't seem to react to what she was saying but she continued anyway.
"You're safe. It's okay. I know you're scared, and I know it's not your fault." The girl's eyes stopped shooting purple lasers. That was good. It was working.
"Go ahead, Lena. It's working." Kara said encouragingly. Lena nodded her way. "Liz, can you come down now? For me? Please, honey. It's alright, you're safe. Nothing will hurt you. Kara won't hurt you."
In the corner of her eyes, Lena saw Kara's face turn quickly to her. The purplish glow around Liz's hands started to shiver, alternating before shutting off entirely. And then Liz was falling. Kara shot up to retrieve her in the air and ease her down in Lena's arms. The girl was crying heavily. She clung at Lena as if her life depended on it. Hearing her sob was a nightmare to Lena. She couldn't bare see her daughter suffer without being able to help her.
"I'm sorry, mommy. I didn't want to. I'm sorry. I swear."
Lena shushed her, caressing her hair gently, her heart in her throat. She felt Kara hover around them. The blond was pacing, a hand on her forehead. When she stopped, Lena closed her eyes, anticipating her questions.
"Lena, what's going on? Was that heat vision? And flying?"
There was no trace of judgement in her voice, but a bit of fear and insecurity, and maybe curiosity too. Lena looked up with tear tracks on her cheeks. Liz was still heavily crying on her shoulder. She tried to say everything through her eyes. Not now. Later. I'll explain later. You already know why. Because she didn't want Liz to panic again. She didn't want to have this discussion right there, with her daughter so shattered she could light up the room in an instant.
Kara's face showed all the emotions possible. Incomprehension, disbelief, anger, disturb, puzzlement and then affection. Lena saw her eyes fall on Liz and her mouth fall open in wonder. Her pupils glistened.
"I… I'll call Alex."
Lena nodded and hugged her daughter a little closer. Worry was gnawing at her but now she wasn't alone anymore. They would find a solution.
The thing about Alex was that she was always ready to help her sister, no matter what. When Kara called her with alarm in her voice, she didn't even question it. Lena was back. Kara was going to be fine now. Alex hoped so. She had hoped for their friend to come back for seven years now. She couldn't endure more of Kara's depressed behavior. It had to stop. And Lena had come back just at the right time, it seemed. And not alone. With a curious little girl, a carbon copy of herself.
"Can you show me your arm, please?" Alex asked the girl who was laying on a bed in the medical bay. They had moved their quarters to the Justice League satellite, a couple of years ago, for practical purpose but Kara kept the medical bay active in the Tower just in case. It seemed she was right to do so. Liz showed the inside of her arms to Alex, who was ready with gloves and a green needle in hand. The former doctor tried to reassure the little girl. "It might hurt a little but I'm sure you're strong enough to take it."
Liz didn't say anything, but all three adults noticed her face crunching up in apprehension and disgust. Lena was hovering next to the bed, Liz's hand clasped in hers. When Alex arrived, they decided to do some tests on Liz. At least to prove what Lena already knew. Blood tests and DNA tests. To make sure Liz was okay and not endangered by her powers. To make sure she was Lena's daughter. To know if her powers were Kryptonian or not.
"There, all done. Do you want a lollipop? Kara loves them after she has shots." Alex smiled, extending lollipops of different colors in her hands to show Liz. The girl looked at her mother to ask permission with her blue eyes and Lena nodded. Liz took the red one and thanked her. She then turned back to Lena, all sorry and shameful. "Mom, I need to go to the bathroom."
Lena glanced at Kara and Alex, excusing herself, before taking Liz's hand and leading her out of the room. Alex turned on her stool to face Kara. Her sister was staring into space, her arms crossed, leaning against a wall. Alex took her gloves off and threw them in a bin. Then, she cleared her throat. "You are incredibly silent."
Kara hummed in response then looked up, focusing her eyes on her sister. "That's because it's a lot to take in." Her fingers brushed the space in front of her. "I have a lot to say, actually, but not to you."
"I see." Alex nodded thoughtfully. She was surprised, of course, to find out that Lena had been hiding a daughter for six years. Voluntarily. At least, that was the bit of explanations they managed to drag out from her before Lena asked them to wait for them to be alone to discuss. All these years, they were all worried sick, thinking she had been murdered in an alley, sequestrated in a basement. Or brought to another dimension, or… The scenarios had been plenty when they discovered Lena had disappeared. Kara had turned crazy, searching every plot on Earth to find her. And now they knew why they couldn't. Lena didn't want to be found.
"Just wait for the results. Nothing's sure." Alex said, shrugging half-heartedly. She didn't even believe in that. Kara scoffed. "She has my father's eyes, Alex. And the El's nose."
The blond started pacing, her socked feet beating the floor. "I saw her shoot lasers with her eyes! And fly!" Now, Alex recognized her sister's reactions more clearly.
"Yeah, but you don't have the glowing hands."
Kara snorted. "I guess this part is all Lena's. Do you remember when she made that Dunmer explode just by extending her fingers?"
Alex nodded. It was a long time ago but they all had been able to notice the extent of Lena's powers. Once the woman had accepted her mother's legacy and learned to use the magic given to her, she had developed abilities nobody could have suspected. Coupled with Lena's natural intelligence, the former CEO became a real asset for the team. It was short-lived though. "No wonder the girl is this powerful."
They stayed in silence, both contemplating what had been said, what they had just learned. It was really a lot. Kara was still pacing the room, grumbling uncoherent things, arms crossed. The sight was something. Alex was almost glad to see her sister react like this. It meant she was feeling something. Kara had been so angry when Lena disappeared. And then passive. Empty. Numb. She closed herself off of everyone. She wasn't coming to game nights anymore. After some time, Alex realized they had lost the bond that had linked them since they were teens. Kara wouldn't speak to her anymore. So seeing her name on her phone screen, hearing her call for help, Alex felt relieved, really. Her sister was back. At least a bit. Alex watched her walk from one corner to the other like a tawny, repeating the motion endlessly. And then she stopped in front of Alex.
"I don't know why she would do this?" Kara burst out frustratingly before continuing walking. Alex furrowed her brows. She wasn't sure Lena was responsible for Liz's existence. "I don't think she planned her pregnancy, you know."
Kara stopped again. "Of course not! I mean why would she disappear like that? Didn't she learn anything while she was with us?" She kept pacing endlessly. "She should have told me! She may be right about being in danger but she should have called and I could have helped. After all the fights we had, all her jabs about me betraying her, she…"
That was when Alex thought it was about time she interrupted her and gave her opinion on the matter. "Yeah, may have, should have…" She said with a dismissive brush of the air with her hand. "What's done is done. She's here. Liz is here. What are you going to do now?"
Kara sighed and walked to the bed to let herself drop on it dramatically. "I don't know. I can't… I don't want to take a place that's not mine."
"It is yours." Alex exclaimed, making Kara look at her. "She's your daughter."
"But Lena, she…" Kara gasped. "I have a daughter."
Alex chuckled a bit. "Yeah, congratulation! Welcome to parenthood. You're lucky you skipped all the diaper phase." Kara crunched up her face in disgust before a small smile grew on her lips. "I think I would have liked it anyway."
Alex snorted. "I'm sure you'd have. Now be nice your daughter, I'm sure she's dying to know you."
Kara was about to tell her when was always nice when Alex looked above Kara's shoulder and motioned for her to shut it. Lena and Liz were coming back. As mother and daughter entered the room, Lena looked at the duo suspiciously. "Is everything okay?" The former CEO asked in a tense voice. Alex jumped out of her stool. "Yes! I'm going to see if the results are already out." Lena watched her as she crouched down in front of Liz.
"What do you think about a snack, kiddo?" Alex extended a hand and waited patiently. Liz looked up to Lena for permission and reassurance. The mother brushed her fingers through black curls and nodded. "You can go, baby. I'm not going anywhere."
Liz seemed to analyze Lena's response for a bit, her eyes scanning her mother's face, before she looked to Alex again and took her hand in her gloved one. As they walked out of the room, Liz threw a last glance to her mother. Lena smiled back encouragingly. Her daughter was shy and introverted. Perhaps it was her own fault, keeping her away from every member of their family. But she did it for a reason and she would never regret protecting her child.
Facing back the extent of the room, her green eyes met Kara's and the blond shrugged. They needed to talk. How could they start this discussion? It was absurd, really. They had passed so many times discussing every topic possible, confessing secrets, personal fears. Now that time and space had interfered in their relationship, the discussion seemed impossible.
Lena had prepared herself for this. The whole fly to America. Hell, she'd prepared her speech for six years now. Alternating between explanation and apologies. Reasons and emotions. But now that she could explain to Kara why she disappeared for six years to give birth to their daughter and raise her on her own, she found that the reasons weren't enough. She wouldn't be able to forgive if the roles were reversed so why Kara would?
Clearing her throat, Lena was about to start by apologizing. She didn't have the time though. Kara took a step to approach her but stayed at arms' length. "I know I lied to you about my identity years ago. I did a lot of shitty things to make you believe I was two different persons. But this," Kara pointed in the direction of the door. "Is an entire other level of lying."
Her voice was tense. Her eyes were watering. The frustration and betrayal Kara was feeling were clear on her face. Lena didn't like the sight, but it was about time she took responsibility for what she did. "I know, Kara, I'm sor-"
"She's six years old, Lena! Six! And I didn't even know she existed! I wasted six years! What does that make me?" Lena winced. The last time Kara had talked to her like that, Lena had just crawled back in her life, apologizing profusely for her behavior and for helping her brother destroy the world again. It was the last and only time Kara had raised her voice on her. She didn't like it one bit. "She knows we couldn't be with you because she was in danger."
"In danger? That's what you told her? I'm the strongest woman on the planet, I'm indestructible. Isn't it safe enough?" Kara wasn't the type to brag about her powers. She had hated them for most of the time she spent on Earth, but she was also a realist. Lena was just making excuses. Kara knew her better than that. It must have been something more important, heavier, that had weighted on the balance. Lena realized Kara knew her more than she thought.
"You know what?" The blond said, putting her hands around her hair. "I can't talk to you right now. I'm too mad at you. We'll have this discussion later."
And she walked off, fuming. Lena heard the door slam behind her and winced. They would need to fix the handle later. Lena let her shoulders sagged in a sigh. She knew coming back meant she would have to face a lot of anger and resentment, but it was still tiring. Kara wasn't known to lose her temper easily, but this was new territory for everybody, and Lena could understand her reactions. But she couldn't give up now. She couldn't just throw in the towel. She had to fight and if Kara needed her to apologize for the rest of their lives, Lena would do it.
Putting herself together, she turned around and exited the room to meet with Alex and Liz. She found them in the old lounge area Lena remembered spending so much time reading in. They seemed to be in a discussion about the results. As Lena came closer, Liz lighted up.
"Mom, Doctor Alex said I'm very strong!" The girl said cheerfully, surprised of her own abilities.
"It's just Alex, kiddo." Alex laughed. "And I'm sure you already knew that. We need to make more tests to see if you have all the same powers as Kara. But it can wait." The girl's only reaction was to jump up and down excitedly. It was astonishing and refreshing to see Liz so at ease while interacting with other people. And talking about her powers too. It was a real change in character as Liz was always so frightened by her own abilities.
"You did a good job, Luthor." Alex said referencing Liz. "It's good to have you back." Lena smiled back and nodded. "Likewise."
Alex patted the couch next to them in invitation. Lena circled the coffee table, with all the snacks spread on it, and sat down next to her daughter. The girl was munching happily on some dry fruit stick. "Wanna come to our house this evening? We were having a barbecue anyway. That way Liz could meet everybody."
Alex's eyes were pleading. Lena was surprised to find that Alex wasn't mad at her. Not as much as she thought anyway. Or maybe it was because Liz was around. Or just maturity came with the years and Alex didn't need to protect Kara as closely as she was before. Lena kept waiting for the other shoe to drop though. Alex wasn't the type to leave the matter down easily.
"I don't want to be a burden. Kara looks really mad. We should ask her if it's okay first."
"She's upset, that's for sure. But I think she missed you more than the anger she's feeling right now. I'll ask her but I'm sure she wants you around. Both of you." Alex smiled down to Liz as the girl was listening to them silently, folding the paper of her dry fruit stick neatly. The woman placed a hand on her knee gently. "I'm really happy to meet you. You don't have to be afraid here. Everybody wants the best for you. You're family."
Liz looked up to meet her mother's eyes in a wordless discussion. Lena tilted her head and smiled. She pulled up a hand in an introduction gesture.
"Alex is Kara's sister. She's your aunt, sweetheart." Alex watched the interaction. Liz gasped and looked at her again with wonder. "Is it true? Do I have cousins too?"
Both women chuckled. Lena was glad to see Liz at ease enough to be herself. She trusted Alex already and that was heartwarming. The little girl used to be guarded around strangers or new people because she always feared her powers would come out and hurt them. But she didn't seem afraid with Alex. She trusted her. Alex had always been good with kids anyway.
"You do. I have a daughter named Esme, and we're having a little boy for November." Alex explained patiently. She threw a proud glance to Lena who gasped in shock and happiness. "Really? Alex, that's fantastic."
"Yeah, Kelly's four months pregnant. She's glowing." Alex shrugged with a proud smile.
"I bet she is." Lena smiled back. "I'm really happy for you guys. You deserve it."
Lena knew the battle Alex and Kelly had to have Esme. Kelly was supposedly unable to have children. They were talking about adopting or testing other possibilities when Lena disappeared. She was glad to discover they finally made it possible.
As she was about to ask how Esme was doing, Kara came back, dressed properly with a short sleeve shirt and linen pants, a look of remorse on her face. "Do you have the results?" The blond asked, shyly. She was fidgeting with her hands. It was a huge contrast from the woman who had slammed the door upstairs just minutes ago. Alex nodded and extended the pieces of paper to her. "Liz is yours and Lena's daughter." She said as an explanation for the curves of numbers on the page. "And she has more of a Kryptonian structure than a human one. She's perfectly healthy."
Kara's eyes flew immediately to the little girl next to Lena. Liz's demeanor had changed instantly when Kara had appeared. The girl was hiding against her mother again, throwing shy glances to the woman in front of her. Kara sighed and approached tentatively. The last thing she wanted was to scare the little girl. She crouched down in front of the couch and extended a hand. "It's really nice to meet you, Liz. I can't wait to know you."
Liz's deep blue eyes traveled from Kara's hand to Kara's face. She didn't look to Lena for permission though. She hesitantly approached her gloved hand to Kara's and squeezed lightly before pulling away quickly, keeping her hand to her heart. Kara looked, puzzled, to Lena who shrugged with one shoulder and circled her daughter with an arm. "Liz has actually something to tell you."
The girl looked at Lena with betrayal in her eyes. Lena gave her a pointed look. If the situation wasn't that heavy, Kara would have laughed. She could see the remnants of the CEO and the silent discussion going over between the both of them. Liz looked back to Kara then avoided her eyes as they met. "It's okay. I'm sure it can wait." Kara said, trying to appease the girl. Poor little one. She had had a long day already. They all had, really. But Liz shook her head hastily. "No, I…" She stuttered and Lena put a finger under her chin gently to make her look up. Liz finally met Kara's eyes and dared speak up.
"I'm sorry I broke your things up there." She said, pointing to the ceiling. "I'll fix it, I promise."
Liz's little voice made Kara's heart melt. She patted at her knee. "Don't worry about that. I broke so many things by myself when I came to Earth. It's not that important. What counts is that you're safe."
Liz analyzed Kara's face. She seemed to search if Kara was honest. She nodded then, accepting Kara's forgiveness with a little smile on her face. Kara noticed the thin lips, the pale skin. Liz definitely had Lena's lips.
"So I was asking Lena if she wanted to come to the barbecue tonight. You're welcomed too, if you want to go out for once. J'onn will not be there but you know…" Alex said, clearing her throat and standing up. She took a look at her watch. Kara shot up too, surprised. "Oh."
She knew Lena was looking at her. Alex's expression was just patient. Both women seemed to wait for her reaction. "That would be great." She shrugged.
"You're sure? It's okay if you don't-" Lena asked.
"Of course! Everybody will be so happy to see you back." Kara said, a smile spreading on her face as she saw Liz jumping excitedly when Lena turned to her.
"What do you think, baby? Want to meet your aunts and uncle?" Liz nodded cheerfully, excitement glistening in her eyes. "I take that as a yes. You still know where I live?" Alex asked.
"If it didn't change, yes." Lena confirmed.
"Good. 6 p.m. sharp. Don't bring anything, it's fine. Kelly's made a stock of wine." Alex added before putting her glasses on. She ruffled Liz's hair as she walked to the elevator doors.
"Okay, thank you. We'll just pass by the loft before we come. To freshen up and change." Lena said raising her voice to be heard. "Alright."
Alex took off after that, probably eager to go help Kelly and tell her everything, leaving Lena and Liz with Kara. Now that it was just the three of them, both women looked at each other without knowing what to say. Lena stood up, rearranging the snacks on the table so it was in a neat pile. "I don't know where you keep all that." She said, avoiding Kara's gaze.
"Oh, you can leave it there. I'll put them in the closet later." Kara said with a dismissive gesture. Lena nodded and reached for her cap to put it back on her head. "We're going to go then."
"Right." The blond whispered. "See you tonight, I guess." Lena nodded and led Liz to the elevator. Kara waved them out awkwardly as the doors closed. That was so painful to experiment that Lena winced in the cabin. They would need time to go back to the friendship they had.
"So what you're saying is that you got abducted around August 2021 in your apartment, woke up in a bunker in February 2022 in Malaysia with a Kryptonian baby on the go and you only had a letter to explain what happened." Nia summarized for everybody as she deposited the letter back at the center of the table. Said like that, it sounded even crazier. Lena never thought about unpacking the whole thing but now that she was reminded of the things she went through, it felt about time she came back to National City. She needed answers.
"Yeah, it's pretty much everything I know. I got this gem too in the envelope. The letter says Kara is the only one who can open the files on it." Lena added, showing them the platinum gem she found six years ago which was now in a steel pendant around her neck. Kelly leaned over to take it between her fingers. "There's the house of El's symbol on it." She said thoughtfully.
"That's how I knew the letter was telling the truth." Lena shrugged. "There was nothing in the room. The computers there were very old. There was a bunch of analysis papers stating the evolution of the pregnancy. But nothing much."
"There's been no trace of Lex since he's in the Phantom Zone and your mother passed away so it's nothing like a Luthor revenge." Brainy stated. He took a sip of his beer. Everybody turned their heads to watch the children play. The gravity of the situation was putting them into silence.
After all the hugs and sweet words were exchanged when Lena arrived, they all had settled around the table on the terrace in Alex and Kelly's garden. Esme had come back from her karate class with wonder in her eyes, excited to see her godmother back and discover she had another cousin. Liz was then pulled away from her mother's lap by the twelve-year-old who wanted to show her the swings. Nia and Brainy's son had tried to follow them but he wasn't quick enough yet on his little chubby legs. Lena wondered how much longer he would listen to the girls as they showed him how to shoot in a ball before babbling away impatiently.
"You know, I could go to the Fortress tomorrow with the gem and ask the Matrix there if there's data about it." Kara said suddenly, putting her beer down on the table. She was sitting at the other end of the table, as if she wanted to be as far away from Lena as possible. Lena nodded, surprised but happily so. Kara hadn't said much since she had arrived. She had helped Kelly put the drinks and snacks on the table. She had played with Esme and Liz a little and hugged Ambrose close to her when the little boy eagerly jumped in front of her. After that, she had stayed seated on her chair, watching the children closely as they were playing around the pool. She didn't participate in the discussion.
"If there's something on it, would you wait for me to open it with you?" Lena asked as she stretched her arm across the table to give the necklace to Kara. "I will." Kara promised. "But I don't think it can be opened in the Fortress. There's no gap or base where I think I could put it."
"We'll see. At least we're progressing." Lena replied, throwing a glance to Kelly then Alex on the side of the table. All heads nodded in synchrony. They all looked very thoughtful. Lena herself felt a headache forming behind her eyes and spreading in her skull.
"What's the plan then? Any idea who did this?" Nia asked, taking a ham roll with a pick.
Lena shrugged. "I thought Lex had come back at first. But he's still lost somewhere." She moved her fingers cryptically. "I talked to an old friend though while I was on the way. He should be in the city tomorrow afternoon."
"Interesting." Kelly jumped in. "Who's that friend?"
"Dick Grayson." Lena saw a smirk spread on Alex's lips as she sipped her bear. "He helped Liz and I stay hidden. He did a lot of research for me too. I asked him to bring everything he had. I think it'll help us since we're starting from scratch again."
"Are we talking about Bruce Wayne's adoptive son?" Nia asked enthusiastically, always ready to gossip. Lena chuckled. "The one and only."
"Great. He will be able to show me how he managed to pass under all my radars." Brainy quipped and Lena burrowed herself between her shoulders.
"That was me actually." She said sheepishly. "I know how you work so I created an algorithm which was supposed to erase every key word your alerts would search. Dick created our fake papers though."
Brainy gasped and leaned on the table. "That's impossible. You can't do this with the tech Earth has now."
"It is. Because it's not only about technology. I used magic to modify Liz's and mine's face when we were out. I used protection spells too and barriers around the house. We were unattainable for people who wouldn't use magic to search us." Lena explained further. They were all watching her with wide eyes and she blushed a bit under the glances.
"Your powers must have extended a lot." Nia wondered aloud. "That's why I couldn't see you either."
Lena hummed and all retreated in their thoughts. She was aware of the hurt she had caused to every person around the table. So many times she had wondered what Nia was up to or what cake Esme had baked. How many villains they had fought together, how many battles during which they had almost lost one of them. She was a part of this. A part of this incredible and out of this world family. And she had missed them a lot.
She cleared her throat purposefully and placed both hands on the table. "Guys, I know it's a lot. I'm sorry I disappeared and I'm sorry I used everything I could to stay hidden. But I had too. I don't know who did this but it certainly took them a lot of means and I had the instinct I needed to protect Liz. Now that her powers are becoming a handful, I realized I needed your help to put all this hell together."
Lena felt Kelly's hand squeezed hers. They shared a smile. Kelly had always been on her side. "You're here now. We'll find a solution together."
"You could've come here. We would've protected you." Kara grumbled against the bottleneck of her beer. Lena rolled her eyes. "I know but I didn't."
They shared a heated glare. The tension between them hadn't stopped increasing, everybody could feel it. Fortunately, the children came back to ask for something to drink and they broke eye contact when Liz jumped on Lena's lap. The mother threw Kara a last glance, though, and noticed the envy on her face. Under the tensed stoic face, Lena could see Kara's affection and curiosity toward Liz and she couldn't deny her that. She had deprived Kara of knowing her daughter, of watching her growing up until now. She could take a bit a resentment and some jabs if it eased Kara's heart.
"Mum, can I go in the pool? Esme said she had a swimsuit for me." Liz asked out of nowhere. Lena felt all the eyes on them, waiting for her to decide. She looked at the sky. It was dawn and the sun was setting for the night. Her eyes met Kelly's who shrugged and smiled.
Lena sighed. Liz loved water. That was a problem since Lena would prefer to be pushed in a lion's den that to be caught in a swimming pool. "Do you guys have water wings? She can't swim."
"We do." Alex replied. "In the shed. But Esme also knows she can't go in the pool without an adult." She added pointedly toward her daughter who shrunk back.
"It's fine, I'll go with them." Kara said suddenly. She stood up as everyone watched her and finished her beer in one go. "Can I borrow a bikini?"
Alex nodded, mouth wide open as Kara walked inside. When her sister disappeared behind the double doors, she turned hastily toward Kelly. "It's been ages since she went in the pool!" She whispered-shout.
Kelly chuckled. "I know. She must miss it."
"Or she just wants to spend time with the kids." Nia winked, wiping Ambrose's face with a napkin. Lena listened to the discussion with her brows furrowed. Kara had always been eager to do literally everything. Hearing her friends' astonishment, it must have changed though, during her absence. But Liz pulled on her hand, asking her help to undress so she would think about that later.
Later in the evening, Lena found herself with her feet in the water, watching as the girls and Kara were playing volleyball. Kara was really good with them. All tender and calm as she explained the rules to Liz who never played the game ever. But she stayed away from Lena. She threw her glances at times, especially when Liz would ask Lena's attention because she had made a good shot. Lena would wave or applause when asked but she never addressed Kara either. She was glad Liz was warming up around the blond, though. It was progress.
"You know you're safe to go in. There's plenty of people to save you around here." Alex said, sitting next to her. Lena smiled. They all knew about her fear of water. Seeing her mother drown had been an event in Lena's early life she hadn't been able to heal from yet. She had made it clear to her friend that she couldn't be in water or under water or near water, except for tea and showers. "I know but I'm good here. That's the best I can do."
Alex snorted but said nothing. She slammed her bear bottle against Lena's glass of white wine and drank a sip. They watched the girls play in silence. Liz wasn't successful in her shots most times. Her arms were too short above the water to be efficient, but she seemed to have fun and it was the most important to Lena.
"She's good with her." Alex stated. Lena turned her head to watch her. The former agent had kept her thin and muscular shapes but time had taken its toll on her skin, revealing light wrinkles around her eyes. Her hair was longer too, and colored in black.
Lena looked back in the pool and nodded, watching Kara laughed as Esme rubbed at her forehead because she had caught the ball in the head. "She's a natural. She always has been."
Alex hummed in reply and took a sip again. "It must have been hard. To be away."
"It was but it was for Liz's security. It'll always be my priority." Lena inhaled and pushed Alex's shoulder with her own. "I miss this though. Although, I have to say I'm surprised you're not mad at me."
Alex sighed. She had been mad at first. A lot of people had suffered Lena's disappearance, especially Esme who would ask questions they didn't have the answers to. But now that Lena had explained what happened, Alex could understand. She couldn't say she would have done the same thing but she remembered what she had been ready to do when Esme got abducted by Nyxly and Lex so she couldn't judge.
"I'm not mad. I'm disappointed because you suffered by yourself instead of trusting us just because you thought you weren't safe enough. I think you coming back now for the reasons you're giving is an excuse."
"What do you mean?" Lena's brows furrowed.
Alex huffed in frustration. "Come on, Lena. You're smart, you could find a way to control Liz's powers without us. You invented Esme's necklace to stifle hers."
"Well, it's not just about Liz's powers-" Lena started but got interrupted.
"No, of course not. I think you're still as afraid about your feelings as you were when you left." Alex arched an eyebrow pointedly.
"Feelings? What are you talking about?" Lena pretended she was more interested in the color of the water than in the discussion.
"Oh please! Not to me! I know the both of you." Alex exclaimed pointed to Kara. Lena hoped at the moment that the Superhero wasn't listening to their conversation. "You're both so headstrong at being mad that you don't see how much you missed each other."
"Oh, don't worry, I'm aware I've missed her. I had her blue eyes watching me for the last six years. I couldn't forget about her." Lena replied in a dry tone.
"Then why don't you tell her?" Alex exclaimed, her voice going higher than usual.
Lena huffed and crossed her arms, her legs shuffling the water under them. "She doesn't need this. Her life's already full. You know there's no place for a relationship in Supergirl's life. Just like there wasn't a place for a child."
It was Alex's turn to sigh. She shook her head, annoyed. "Kara was a mess when you disappeared. She became a shadow of herself. So I think it's not far-fetched to say you are what makes her happy."
"Maybe I was." Lena shrugged. "But I lied to her, betrayed her. Hid her daughter to her. She can't even look at me."
Alex scoffed. "Then it's your job to fix it, Luthor. But I still think your reasons are bullshit. And I know you're just burying it to punish yourself, but you won't get rid of her." She gave her friend a sharp look. "Now that she knows about Liz, she'll do whatever it takes to protect her. To protect the both of you. And that would be unfair to make her stay away just because you're scared of what might happen."
Alex stood up then, collecting her beer on the way, and left Lena pondering their talk. The truth was, there were so much things Lena had to think about. She was aware of her feelings for Kara. She had vowed to never lie to herself after the whole Supergirl identity debacle, so she knew. When she realized her intentions towards Kara weren't that platonic, when she wondered why Kara's lies were affecting her that much, she vowed to never be that oblivious again. Of course, she loved her. And it was a part of the problem. Lena thought a lot about what her life could have been if she had come back in National City directly after waking up in Malaysia. Maybe they would have found who did this earlier. But what would have Kara's reaction been? Would they have kept the baby? What if they had?
Lena wanted to have the child. That was the first thing she had realized when she had read the letter. But the chance that Kara wouldn't want Lena to keep the baby had terrified her. So much that she had fled. And now she was crawling back for forgiveness, seven years later. Lillian used to say it was better to ask for forgiveness than for permission. So maybe Lena's disappearance was due to the Luthor brainwash. Maybe it was because of the last instinctive reflexes Lillian had put in her that Lena flew away and decided to raise a child by herself. Maybe she was just a coward and was too afraid to face the possibility of seeing disappointment and resentment on Kara's face knowing a Luthor was pregnant with a Super. Afraid to be classified as another Luthor who tried to clone a Super. Maybe she was afraid to accept that Kara loved her too and would want a life with her and raise a kid. Or maybe it was a mix of all the above and Lena was just a deprived mind with too much to think.
Anyway, over-thinking never was a solution for the scientist that she was. So she decided to put all this away for later. It wasn't lying, or denying, it was omission. Lena could do omission for now.
Rubbing at her neck, Lena stood up, trying to ease the tension present in her shoulders. It had been a long day. She looked around. Brainy and Nia were putting the table as Alex was cooking the meat on the barbecue and Kelly was talking with Ambrose on her lap animatedly. Lena had really missed them. The atmosphere. The ease of just being herself. It was a real delight and relief to discover the life her friends built in her absence. To know Nia and Brainy's little boy and see them as parents. To see Esme so grown-up, interested in everything. To notice she still had her place in the group.
Turning around, she watched Liz throwing the ball above her head for the hundredth time and falling back in the water in a splash. She saw Esme trying to climb on Kara's back to catch the ball but failing and falling heavily in the water under Kara and Liz's laughter. Her daughter already seemed happier and it was just their first day. Thinking about what Alex said, Lena realized she couldn't turn around now that Liz knew her family here. It wasn't fair for her nor it was for Kara who looked like she wanted to know her daughter and take her role seriously.
Shaking her head, Lena headed back to the table while Alex called for the girls to come out of the pool. Esme ran out of it and put her mother into a wet hug. Alex moaned and growled but everybody knew it was just for show. They laughed though because Alex looked like a wet racoon now.
Yeah, she had missed them a lot.
It was already late in the night when they decided to go back inside. The night was chilly and the kids were becoming cranky so Kelly had put a Disney movie on TV and the three of them were piled under blankets on the couch. The adults had decided then that coffee and cake could be a good way to end the night. Brainy and Alex were finishing a heated game of monopoly, Kelly playing bank and referee. Kara had disappeared upstairs to take a shower after her defeat. And Lena had gone to refill her cup of tea and was now watching Nia from the kitchen counter as she was putting Ambrose in his pajamas with delicate attention to not wake up the three-year old. The girls weren't that far from falling asleep either. Lena was thinking she should do the same with Liz before it was too late.
"You seem deep in thought." Kara said as she slipped on her elbows on the counter next to her, her hands surrounding a cup of tea. Lena shrugged. "I was just thinking Liz would be a beast to take care of if she falls asleep now without her pj's on."
"Oh, right. Do you want me to…" Kara fidgeted with her fingers. "Do you need some help?"
Lena softened. She couldn't help but think Kara was sweet to ask. They hadn't talk a lot since Kara got out of the pool with Liz in her arms. The sight had shocked Lena at first. In a good way. It was a lyrical image with glitters and ringing in her ears. Watching droplets of water run down Kara's body as she was walking with their kid in her arms. But then Liz had put her hands on Lena's bare legs and she got out of her reverie. She loved it though. Kara and Liz were meant to be family, even a dysfunctional one. "It's okay, I'm used to it. She always falls asleep while reading in the couch at home."
In the corner of her eye, Lena saw Kara winced but she erased the expression from her face quickly and nodded absentmindedly. She cleared her throat then and put a lock of her hair behind her ear. She was nervous, Lena could tell. Even after all those years, she knew Kara's intentions behind her gestures.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier. It's just… a lot." Kara said, her face genuinely lost. Lena understood her preoccupations. The same morning, Kara didn't know she had a child.
"It is. And it's fine. I deserved it. I hid a child from you." She shrugged, playing with the spoon in her mug.
A puff of air escaped from Kara's lips. "Yeah, well it doesn't mean you deserve it. Nobody deserves to be yelled at. Especially after all you've been through."
"Hum…" Lena only half-agreed. "You can't stay perfectly polished all the time. You have feelings too and if you are at least half as shocked as I was when I woke up in that bunker, it must be huge."
Kara tilted her head as if she was measuring something with her eyes. Her expression kept all its seriousness. "I don't know what to feel. To be honest. I never thought it was possible for me to... I… I wished for this so many times. To have a family. To leave a legacy. But now that she's here, watching me with her big blue eyes, I just… I don't know."
Lena hummed again, this time she knew what Kara meant. A child was a big responsibility. Even if Kara was used to high stakes, raising a child was an entire other level. It reminded Lena of all the times she had a breakdown the first few months after Liz's birth. As a single mom, away from any support, she had hard nights during which she had cried and cursed herself for her choices. But the thing about those nights was the morning after. Those mornings and days during which Liz would prove that all her efforts weren't for nothing. "I know the feeling. It's terrifying, isn't it? To realize another being depends on you. It keeps me up at night sometimes. But the world can say whatever it wants, she'll stay the best thing I'll leave behind."
They both watched Liz as her head was slowly falling against Esme's shoulder. The girls got along like a house on fire. Lena had never seen Liz sympathize this quickly with anybody. The six-year-old never asked a lot of questions about their family. Her questions used to be mostly about Kara and her job and what she looked like and what she liked to eat and do. But as curious as the girl always had been, Liz never said anything about wanting to meet them. Only Kara. And now, they had a whole bunch of new family members. Lena prepared herself for the stream of questions when they'd be alone.
"She looks so much like you." Kara exhaled suddenly, as if she had been holding her breath this whole time. Lena smiled. Liz had her long black hair and her thin features. Her shyness too. The rest was all Kara's.
"She has your eyes. And your heart." Lena added. She looked at the blond when she heard her hummed. Kara's eyes met hers and Lena was captivated for an instant by all the emotions she could see swimming there. She knew she wasn't forgiven yet, just by the little wrinkle between Kara's eyebrows. But there was affection there and concern, and a bit of anger, still.
"I am so mad at you. You ran away, you hid from us, you hid me my child. It's as if you didn't learn anything. You could have died." Kara exclaimed. She probably wanted to express how furious that made her but all Lena could see was how sorry and grave she felt.
"But I didn't." Lena refuted. Kara scoffed and faced her entirely now, her eyes showing how annoyed she was. "Yes, by chance."
"No, not chance. I have Sam to thank for that." Lena explained as surprise grew on Kara's face. "Sam Arias?"
"Yes, this Sam. Who knew she had the guts to play midwife?" Lena replied wryly. Realization hit Kara and she threw a hand on her forehead. "Rao, I can't even fathom what it was like."
"Just like any other childbirth, actually." Lena shrugged, amused but she chose to skip the details. Kara was frightened enough. The reminder of the day Liz's was born was hard enough for herself. She had been terrified. A normal human baby would probably cause stress enough, but a Kryptonian one… No, Lena didn't want to go there.
They fell silent again. Around them, cheers and curses were exchanged in whispers in the living room as Kelly reminded their friends there were children in the house. Lena had almost forgotten about them playing a board game. Kara had always had a knack for surrounding her in a comfortable bubble.
"Why did you choose to name her Liz?" Kara asked all of a sudden, curiosity shining in her eyes. Lena smiled, her eyes falling to her hands shyly.
"Her full name is Elizabeth Alura Walsh Danvers. It's my mother's name." She explained. "But it's also a tribute to Eliza for what she did for you. And…" She sighed, knowing her answer could raise more questions and anger. She looked up to focus her gaze in Kara's so that the blond knew Lena was conscious of her choices. "I wanted her to know where she comes from. Who her family is. Her roots. From both sides."
She watched as Kara's frown deepen gradually as she spoke. Her mouth opened and closed several times, the gears in her mind clearly working hard. She looked back to Lena, still confused. "Why would you tell her about me if you thought you would never see me again? If you thought she would never meet me?"
Ah, that was the one-million-dollar question. Probably because Lena knew deep down in her heart that she couldn't stay away from National City forever. That she would come back eventually. Would she confess that though? Of course not. Because it meant confessing much more and she wasn't ready for that. It didn't stop her cheeks to take a reddish shade though.
"I didn't want her to grow up with the feeling of not being sure of who she was like I did." She finally replied with a half-truth. Kara seemed to accept that as she nodded thoughtfully.
"Where did you hide all this time?" The blond asked, taking a sip of her coffee. It must have been cold but it didn't seem to bother her.
"In Ireland. I got my mother's house back when Lillian died. I bought it under an alias just in case, not knowing it would help me almost a year later." The house had been in a weird state between old and new. Lillian had kept it cleaned up and fixed when storms had damaged the roof. Elizabeth Walsh's furniture had stayed inside though. Stuck in time, as if nothing had been moved since her death. When Lena walked in the house for the first time in twenty-five years, she recognized the smell immediately.
"So now you're the one with the glasses and the secrets." Kara brought her back to the present, pushing her shoulder against hers playfully. Lena chuckled.
"Yeah! It was a disguise at first, but I guess all this time in front of a screen had to come back and bite my ass at one point." She joked, shrugging. There was a shuffle in the corner of the living room so they both looked at the same time to see Esme standing carefully from the couch and easing Liz down on a cushion before putting a blanket on her. The credits were rolling on the TV. It was time to go.
Lena turned back to Kara who did the same. "Look, I know there're still a lot of things we need to talk about but…" She looks at Liz again. The peaceful face reminded her so much of Kara's when she was sleeping under the sun lamps in her memories. "I'm glad you know the truth and that she can finally meet you."
Kara nodded and, for the first time since Lena arrived at the Tower this afternoon, she addressed her a genuine smile. "I'm happy to meet her too. She's wonderful." She fidgeted with her fingers again. Then the lock of hair behind the ear. Lena smiled softly as Kara inhaled and exhaled in a puff.
"I know you don't need my help, you did a really good job on your own, but..." She looked up from her shoes. "I'd like to be a part of her life." Lena nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way." She smiled back. Lena's heart melted as Kara's face showed how delighted and relieved she was to hear the news. Lena couldn't deny her that anymore. She couldn't prevent her from knowing her daughter. They had been separated long enough.
"I warn you, though. She's obsessed with you." Lena declared playfully, putting her mug in the dishwasher.
"Really?" Kara chucked. "She mentioned she watched me on TV. I presumed she knows I play dress-up from time to time."
Lena snorted. She remembered the first time Liz found out about Kara being Supergirl. Lena had shown her photos of Kara, explaining she was a journalist. But then Liz saw Supergirl on TV fighting rogue aliens and she became captivated by what the woman could do. She watched her every time the news would broadcast her fights. She asked for the same suit. She even had socks with the House of El's symbol on it. Of course, Lena never said anything, never once mentioned Supergirl and Kara Danvers were one and the same, but she indulged in her daughter's obsession, knowing the truth. And then, Supergirl was talking on TV to the US citizens, really close to the camera and Liz realized the scar on her face and her blue eyes looked familiar.
"She discovered it herself. My four-year-old is much more perceptive than I am, apparently." Lena shook her head, amused. Kara winced but chuckled too. "I guess she's as smart as you but plus, you know, with the enhancement of being half Kryptonian." The blond said playfully as she followed Lena in the living room to retrieve Liz.
"Yeah, that's another way to put it." Lena replied, pinching her eyes, falsely offended. She grabbed the bag she had brought with her with Liz's clothes in it. The girl was sleeping peacefully but Lena preferred to put her pajamas on now so she wouldn't be cold while going home. As she pushed the blanket away from Liz, Lena felt Kara hover next to them.
"Why does she wear gloves?" Kara asked without any trace of judgement in her voice. Lena's eyes shot directly to the little hands covered in blue leather gloves. It was the first time Liz's gloves had been mentioned since they arrived. Nobody questioned it more than that. Kara probably wanted to know just because it was another fact she was curious about concerning the little girl.
"She's very sensitive." Lena answered as she removed Liz's denim shorts. "I don't know how it was for you, but her hands can feel so much it's overwhelming for her. When she was a baby, she always needed contact. I could only calm her by putting her on my chest, directly on my skin." Kara hummed next to her in understanding. "Don't they burn when she does the thing with her hands?" She asked, shuffling her hands in the air like they were burning.
Lena chuckled and shook her head. "No, but honestly, I don't know how she does it. It's as if the purple glow isn't really around her hands. But it burns everything it touches outside of her body. She burnt one of her shirts once because she didn't want to wear it that day."
"That's impressive." Kara gushed silently, her eyebrows raised in astonishment. Lena agreed even if she was really pissed at the time. "Yeah, she's out of control most of the time. That's how her powers started to show. She would get angry and purple halos would surround her hands like all her powers were concentrated in her little fists."
"Strength is the hardest thing to control here. I still slip up sometimes." Kara confirmed, her mouth scrunching up in a pout as she probably remembered all the things she had crushed. "But I can't do that with my hands. Is it something you can do with magic?"
"Sort of." Lena shrugged, stopping all movements because Liz grumbled in her sleep, before continuing to remove her shirt. "I can form balls of fire or ice or gather earth and air above my hands and throw them. My powers are linked to the elements. It's nothing with sparkles."
"Wow, I'd like to see that." Kara said in a childlike amazed voice. Lena shook her head, amused. "It's nothing crazy. I cast spells too, and I'm improving with potions but there's still the scientist in me who thinks about tech and innovation above anything else."
As Lena had finished to dress Liz up, she put the blanket back on the girl and brushed the black hair away from her face affectionately. She felt Kara's gaze on her and looked up. The blond looked mesmerized, her eyes focused on Liz's form. It was nice to be able to talk to Kara without restraint. Without fearing of revealing too much or saying something that could be misinterpreted. She sat down next to Liz and Kara took a sit on the arm of the couch.
"Does she know about your powers?" Kara asked, her tone revealing she suspected the answer. Lena nodded again. "Yeah, I couldn't cast a barrier around the house without her noticing. She used to imitate me with her hands in the air." Lena mimicked the movements, chuckling. "She asked me to teach her very early and I thought it was a good thing for her to know about it, since I learned about my mother's legacy so late already." She threw a glance at Kara to see if she agreed with that or thought it was a bad idea to teach magic to a child. Kara was just listening to her with a neutral face so Lena continued to explain.
"I taught her magic since she's old enough to understand it. Easy things, really, just to ease her a bit. She can grow little daisies using the water in the ground and make a feather float above her hand but we haven't tried that again since her other powers appeared." She threw a sad glance to Liz, remembering how the little girl had been scared to discover what she could do with her hands.
"When was that?" Kara inquired.
"Two months ago."
"The glowing hands first?"
"Yeah." Lena exhaled sadly. "Then super-hearing. She complained about the noise at school. I got called to pick her up. After that, she was homeschooled until summer holidays. She got used to it by herself but it was hard at first."
"And the heat vision?" Kara's head was tilted on the side as she was listening with rapt attention. Lena could see Kara felt as sorry for the girl as she was. She probably was remembering all the times her powers got in the way of a normal life.
"That's when I knew we had to come back." Lena choked out. Liz didn't want to talk about it. There was an incident. Liz didn't mean to, of course. She got really angry with a kid in the park they used to go. Liz didn't go to school anymore so when she was in a good day, Lena thought it would be good to bring her in a park so she could play with kids her age and breath fresh air. She didn't expect the day to end badly.
"What happened?" Kara asked but her voice had taken a soft tonality as she could see something was bothering Lena.
"She injured a boy in a park. They got in a fight for nothing, really, he was just… mean with the other kids and Liz tried to defend them. I…" Lena sighed defeatedly. "She was devastated. She doesn't want to talk about it."
"It was that bad?"
"She got furious and her eyes started to glow. It was hurting apparently because she started screaming." The sadness in Lena's voice was heartbreaking. "She looked at the sky at the same time the beam shot out. It cut the branch of a tree and it fell on the boy's head. He's fine now." Lena rushed to reassure. "He was a bit concussed but fine. But his mother kept yelling at Liz and insulting her. I almost got out of control myself." As she finished explaining what happened, Lena felt a hand on hers and looked up. Kara was leaning above Liz and her face only showed compassion and understanding.
"You did the right choice by coming back here. We'll find a way for her to control it." The blond smiled so gently, and her skin was so soft under Lena's hand that she thought she felt her heart grow three sizes. She turned her hand around and squeezed Kara's fingers in hers.
"Yeah, I think it was the best decision. She needs you." Their glances slid to the girl still sleeping innocently beside them. Kara's lips spread into a big grin.
"Don't worry. She's so loved already."
A/N: Hey, guys! This is my first time writing Supercorp and I'm very excited to share this story. Please tell me what you think and I'll never bother you again :P