CHAPTER TEN: 'Warnings And Suspicions'
"I'M SORRY, YOUR BROTHER Lex, is in National City as we speak?" Sam asked incredulously.
Lena nodded slowly, her hands remained in its pistol position, her two index fingers placed on her chin, as she thought hard. "You're not safe with me." She concluded, before she stood up and paced to her room.
"Oh no, you're not pushing me away again Lena." Sam said, following her close behind.
"I'm not pushing you away, Sam." The vampire stated, before retrieving a suitcase from under her bed. "Although, I may have to spend less time with you and Ruby."
Sam watched and followed as Lena brought the case to her kitchen counter, before opening it.
"Whoa." Sam whispered, leaning into the suitcase to take a better look, while Lena stood back and crossed her arms. "Are they—?"
"Yes. Wooden stakes. Vervain."
"Vervain?" Sam asked, as she took out one of the viles that held a yellow liquid.
"In layman's words, it's our garlic." Lena explained. "It's everything you need to protect yourself. Lex being here, just means a bunch of his minions are roaming and I won't forgive myself if anything happened to you or Ruby. Not when I can do something about it." Lena shut the suitcase. "It's yours."
Sam shook her head, "how the hell am I supposed to wield a wooden stake against a vampire with super speed and strength? I'm just a CEO."
Lena's steely green eyes bore into Sam's."You're the CEO and I'm going to train you."
"And Alex?" Sam asked.
"This is our vantage point. We don't know what the DEO knows, but we could be one step ahead of them for all I know."
Sam furrowed her brows, "wait. Lex is the big bad guy here. An enemy of the enemy is a friend, right?"
Lena sighed. "It's not easy for me to forge an alliance, let alone with vampire hunters. Growing up, I've learnt it's just you against the world."
Sam nodded thoughtfully. "Have you ever compelled me?" She asked out loud, questioning Lena's trust in her. She didn't know why it mattered to her a lot. She just wanted to help.
"No." Lena said firmly, confirming her trust for Sam. "The first and last time was the night we met." Lena pointed to the suitcase, "taking doses of vervain would stop any compulsion and your blood will taste like acid to any vampire."
"Well, what about you?"
Lena shrugged, "what about me?"
"Well, how will you feed? How will you protect yourself?" Sam mothered the vampire. A trait the three thousand year old has grown fond of.
Lena let out a short laugh. "You do realise I'm a three thousand year old vampire, right? That's three thousand years of developing speed and strength. Not to mention tactics. Mother always said, I was only ever good at chess."
"And your vegan diet?" Sam deadpanned. "Doesn't animal blood render your full strength?"
"That it does. I guess it's time for me to get off the, 'vegan diet' as you put it." Lena looked at the clock, noticing that it was almost fifteen past three. "We should go pick up Rubes."
Back at CatCo, Kara found herself ambushed by Alex at her (now decorated) office, just as she was about to leave for the night.
"Kara, we need to talk."
The blonde looked up from her laptop, surprised that her sister had paid her a visit. "Alex, what's wrong?" She asked, as she watched her sister closed her office door.
"Why on earth would you go on a date with Lena Luthor?!" Alex asked, her hands at her hips.
Kara was taken aback at the question. First of all, it wasn't a date. Second of all, who the hell does her sister think she is?
"Excuse me?" Kara asked, her eyes narrowing as she stood up. She wondered how she found out. Winn. She thought.
"I've heard—"
The reporter put her hand up to stop her sister from talking. "No, I don't want to hear it, Alex." Kara said sternly, as she stood up. "Yes, Lena and I went out for brunch. It wasn't a date. Even if it was, why are you so adamant about Lena being a bad person?"
She walked around her table to get closer to her sister. It was in fact, quite spontaneous for her to express so much anger and defense for a girl she barely knew. It surprised her, but it also felt right.
"You walk around acting like you can boss people around because you wave some unknown, shiny badge. You think I have the same views as you, but I don't! It's not fair for you to tell me what I can or can't do with whomever I want, without giving me an explanation. So please, enlighten me Alex." Kara leaned against her desk, waiting for her sister to give her answers.
Alex inhaled through her nose, taking in the words. She knew Kara was right. And it was protocol that no one could know of the existence of the DEO. It placed her in the middle, between choosing her job, over her sister's safety.
"I can't tell you anything." Alex admitted softly, Kara scoffing at the words, not surprised at them at all. "But Kara, please I'm begging you. Stay away from her. She's dangerous."
Kara folded her arms across her chest, remaining silent. She too, was in the middle between trusting her sister and giving a chance at her friendship with Lena. Not wanting to fight any further, Kara walked over to her door and opened it. Alex took it as her cue to leave. And she did.
The reporter's curiosity grew about Lena, now that she was left alone. Who was she? Why is she so dangerous? What is it about her that has Alex on edge? Alex telling her to stay away, only seemed to make Kara want to spend more time with the girl.
But it didn't make her as blind as a bat. She'd hear her sister out of course but, what is there to hear if Alex couldn't tell her anything? Kara wasn't naive, but now rather curious. Perhaps a bit suspicious.
Having little to know about the girl, Kara decided to just ask Lena. What harm would that do? But then again, what if Lena was someone who prioritised their privacy?
Someone who had enough on their plate, and having Kara probe questions at her would just make her look like an interrogating asshole.
Or maybe Lena was some notorious mob leader, or a murderer or—
"Stupid." Kara muttered to herself, stopping her scenarios from growing. She then decided on the next best thing.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Sam. I was wondering if you're free right now?" Kara asked, biting her nails.
Sam and Lena were back at Sam's after picking Ruby up from school. Sam decided to make them dinner before Lena would officially hunt for the first time in years. Sam put her hand over the microphone. "Lena." She hissed, before Lena popped her head out of the kitchen. "It's Kara."
Of course Lena knew it was Kara. She recognised her voice from the kitchen, but decided not to listen in on their conversation.
"Or later. I uh, hello?" Lena pointed at the phone (okay, one last eavesdrop), and Sam brought it back up to her ear.
"Yeah, I'm free. What's up, Little Danvers?"
"I was wondering if you'd have me over for dinner? Just to talk."
"Something Alex can't give you advice on, huh?" Sam asked all too knowingly. When they were in high school, Alex got too awkward giving Kara the period talk, so Sam took the reins. Since then, Kara sought to Sam for help Alex couldn't provide.
"Yeah, rough night. It's alright, right?"
Sam looked back at the kitchen, where Lena was cutting mushrooms while Ruby searched the fridge. "Of course. I'll see you in an hour."
Sam hung up the phone, and sighed. "It looks like we'll be cooking for one more."
Lena stopped cutting the mushrooms, "I should go."
"No, Lena. Stay." Sam offered, but Lena was already wiping her hands on the tea towel.
"She doesn't know I'm here—"
"She's Kara Danvers. She's not going to kick you out of my house." Sam rolled her eyes. "Now, chop those mushrooms." Sam said, before taking the suitcase and hauling it upstairs to her room.
An hour later has passed, and dinner was being plated. Ruby was in her room doing homework, while Sam showered.
Lena remained in the kitchen, plating up their dinner for the night. Chicken and mushroom risotto. The doorbell rang and Lena sped to the door. She smoothed her hair and wiped her hands on the tea towel hanging over her shoulder. She opened the door.
"Lena." Kara said with surprise, her heart rate picking up.
"Kara." Lena said, opening the door wider for her to enter. "I'm sorry to have surprised you."
"No, no don't apologise." Kara gushed, waving her hands and chuckling awkwardly. Alex is going to kill me. "I just didn't know you'd be here." She said, walking into the house.
"I told Sam I could leave but she wasn't having it." The vampire let out a small laugh, closing the door.
Kara nodded slowly. How did Sam and Lena know each other? Were they— "How do you know Sam?" The human asked, turning to face Lena who had her hands out for Kara's coat.
The reporter shrugged it off, before handing it to Lena with a small 'thank you.' She didn't like this feeling. Suspicion. She didn't know how to act towards Lena because of it.
"Sam and I knew each other when I visited National City a few years ago."
"What for?"
"Work."
"Huh."
Lena offered an awkward smile. She didn't think Kara would take her presence so badly. "I uh, hope you like chicken and mushroom."
Kara smiled slightly, "one of the best food combinations, ever."
"Right?" Lena asked, smiling as the two made their way into the dining room. "Sam's just washing up and Ruby's in her room. I can call them if you want?" Lena offered, sensing that Kara didn't want her around at all for whatever reason. She tried not to think about how that stung her a bit.
"It's okay. Who am I to deny one of personal hygiene and education?" Kara asked. The blonde figured it was time for her to get some answers, and from the source itself. Lena Luthor.