CHAPTER SIXTEEN: 'A Fairytale Gone Wrong'
"HEY, KARA. I'm sorry for not returning your calls." Kara looked at her home phone from over the kitchen counter with pursed lips, waiting for the voicemail to continue. "Uh, a family member is in town."
It was the next morning, and Kara was up bright and early. She'd just finished her breakfast and planned on writing a drafted report about the bank robbery from home.
"How about I make it up to you?" Kara stopped sipping on her vervain tea and tilted her head to the side like a confused puppy, now interested to what Lena has to offer. "Come to my place? I'll text you the address. Wear something you won't miss, because I have something in mind."
The offer was intriguing. Kara had never been to Lena's house before, and often wondered what it might look like on the inside. Retro? Plain? Colourful? Simple?
Her phone beeped, and Lena's name popped up, with it, her address.
"Tempting." Kara mused. She already knew she would go. Although, she decided to not text back, seeing as though Lena did the same to her.
Usually, Kara wouldn't be this petty. But after all she's been through this week, she figured she could let off some passive aggressiveness.
There was a knock on the door and Kara wondered who would come to her place so early.
She opened her apartment door and on the other side was Maggie and a paper bag full of donuts from Noonan's.
"Hey, kiddo." She greeted softly, her detective badge worn on a chain around her neck twinkled. "Can I come in?"
Kara's eyes flickered to the bag of goods and she opened the door wider.
"I'm not here to smother you, Kara." Maggie explained. "I just want to talk." She said, plopping the bag onto the counter.
Kara let out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry I snapped at you yesterday, Mags. I'm just—"
"Frustrated?" Maggie finished off the sentence and Kara nodded. "It's okay. What do you want to know?"
Kara furrowed her brows. "That's it? No lying, just… that's it?"
Maggie shrugged, "I don't know everything and Alex would murder me if she knew I was here to tell you," the detective gestured to the donuts, but the girl didn't give in and folded her arms. "But, you don't deserve being in the shadows. I'll tell you what I do know."
"Oh, so you think you can just lure me out with a bag of donuts and part of the truth?" Kara sassed, and Maggie just flashed the reporter her dimpled smile, already knowing Kara's response.
The reporter snatched the bag off the counter with a grumbled, "Dammit, Maggie" and sat down on the stool by the counter; as Maggie joined her with a victorious grin.
"Your sister was recruited into the DEO, three years after Jeremiah went missing." Kara took a pink donut and bit into it.
"She was following his lead."
"What lead?" Kara said with her mouthful.
Maggie inhaled slightly. "The death of your parents, Kara."
Kara's heart dropped. He did it for you. That's what Alex meant. And now, the girl just felt like absolute crap for hitting a nerve last night.
"Do you know what the DEO is?"
Kara shook her head no. "It's a classified organisation that stands for the Department of Extraterrestrial Operations."
That was definitely going on Kara's research board. "They study extraterrestrial life. Think of it as, Area 51."
"No, I got it." Kara said, but not believing it. "Like, where fairytale characters go when they've gone wrong."
"Kara, I'm serious."
"Extraterrestrial life doesn't exist, Maggie." The girl reasoned. She was a reporter. She believed in pure facts, and science. She wasn't much of a believer and after her parents died, her faith died with them.
"Believe what you want, Little Danvers. Your sister works in the supernatural department." At that, Kara snorted. This can't be real.
"Okay, Maggie. I believe you." Kara said sarcastically, just for the sake of it. She noticed the detectives' growing frustration. "Do you work for them too?"
"No," Maggie said slowly, "but I have signed an oath to secrecy which I am breaking. That's a big deal, Kar. You have to think I'm telling to truth."
It was a reasonable reaction, and Maggie expected Kara to think she was insane. She looked like a mad woman, claiming that supernatural beings and aliens existed. But it was part of the truth, and whether Kara accepted it or not, Maggie did all she could.
"That's all I know." Maggie said after some silence. "If you need anything else, I'll just be on my way out."
"Maggie, wait." Kara stopped the detective. "Sorry." She mumbled.
"For what?"
"For being a jerk. It's not everyday someone tells you this kind of…" lies? Jokes? "Information."
Maggie only shrugged, "it sounds stupid, believe me I thought so too. But I've seen it with my own eyes, Kara. That's how your sister and I met. Anyway, is there anything else you need?"
Kara offered the girl one of the donuts. "Yeah, I have to get going soon, but can you give me some information on the bank robbery?"
"Sure."
Lena wore a pair of old jeans and a plain grey t-shirt, with her hair down as she spent the morning lining the wooden floorboards of her apartment with plastic sheets and tape.
She hoped Kara would accept her offer. She was nervous of what state Kara would be in. After Lex's appearance last night, she was worried, afraid.
If he knew of Alex, he most certainly knew of Kara. The theory of her brother being behind Kara's parents' deaths was brought to her attention all night, but was enveloped with denial.
It wasn't a coincidence, it was strategically planned and Lena chose to suppress the idea of how clever Lex can be.
She had to be careful as well. His newborn vampires were prowling the city, being his set of ears and eyes.
He was always one step ahead. Lena should have thought more clearly and be more prepared. Yet, here she is, preparing her apartment to… redecorate per se.
The vampire had all sorts of food out on the kitchen counter for Kara as well, she just hoped that Kara would forgive her.
She knew why she didn't want to speak to Kara. After compelling her memories away, she couldn't even bring herself to face Kara again.
After contemplating her choices for the last twenty three hours, (seeing as though she didn't sleep a blink) she decided to give her memories back.
It was best if the truth came from her. She didn't want anyone to spoil Kara's kind of how she saw her.
Then again, she wouldn't blame the girl for seeing her as the monster she is. Something about Kara made Lena not want to disappoint her and if it meant that the truth came from her, so be it.
There was a knock on the door, and Lena sped to it. She heard Kara's heartbeat, fluttering faster than usual, and her usual rambling under her breathe.
"'Hey Lena', no no. Um, how about 'so, why haven't you answered my calls?' Yeah, that sounds pretty badass."
Lena let out a small laugh at Kara's self talk, before opening the door.
And there she was. Standing in a white long sleeve shirt and overalls, was Kara Danvers, blinking like an owl, with her mouth half opened.
"Uh, so why haven't you..." Kara trailed off, her self talk thrown out the window. She took in Lena's appearance, and she must say, casual looked good on her. "Wow." Kara breathed out.
Lena looked more relaxed, less serious and more homey. "What?"
"You look great." Kara said, as Lena frowned down at her lazy attire, with a sheepish smile. She hated how she couldn't stay mad at Lena for long. She was too captivating.
"Thanks." The vampire said shyly. "Come in." Lena held the door wider, and Kara stepped inside.
The vampire watched the girl take in her surroundings, like a newborn deer learning to talk for the first time.
"It's um,"
Lena arched her brow in amusement.
"Say it," Lena encouraged. "Dull, lifeless, boring, plai—" Kara playfully slapped Lena's shoulder to shut her up.
"I was going to say, quaint."
"I'll take that." Lena responded, smiling at the banter they still had.
Kara put her bag down on the kitchen counter and it was then she realised that the floor was covered in plastic (after noticing all the food on the counter).
There, holding the sheets down were buckets of different coloured paint, paint rollers, crates and brushes.
"Y—you want to paint your walls?"
Lena shrugged, as though the idea was merrily nothing. "Yes, unless you don't want to?"
"I mean, this is your apartment Lena. It could go horribly wrong."
"Well, I don't mind."
"Okay." Kara drawled out, as a warning.
The two settled with a brush in each hand, and after staring at a blank canvas for a while, Kara spoke up.
"We can paint a sunset."
"A sunset?"
"Mhm." Kara hummed. "Can't be that hard. I watch a lot of Bob Ross."
Lena smiled at the fact, "really?"
"He's so soothing, Lena." The girl said clutching her chest.
"Sunset it is."
The pair poured mixtures of white and red, orange, blue and yellow and made any other necessary to 'bring the painting alive' as Kara put it.
Lena stood on a crate and began using the roller to get the base of the sunset done. Blue on top, merging with red, orange in the centre and yellow at the bottom.
They worked in silence, and although it was quite comfortable for Kara, it grew more intense for Lena. She didn't like the silence. It made her overthink as she could hear her thoughts churning.
"Do you want to listen to some music?" Lena blurted out, and Kara looked up from her lower position on the floor.
"Sure."
"There's a record player in the other room." Lena said. "Need me to help out?"
"Ah, it's fine." Kara brushed off. She went into the other room and Lena waited to see what music she'd listen to.
There was the distinct sound of the record player crackling, before music started to play. The blonde returned, and began working again.
"Roy Orbison." Lena mused.
"You got it." Kara said, referring to the song title and winked at Lena.
The vampire staggered sideways at the wink, causing the crate to wobble. Guess she was more nervous than she thought.
"Whoa, easy there, klutz." Kara said, supporting Lena by the waist.
"Thanks." Lena squeaked, feeling her face burn.
"No problem." Kara smiled, innocently. "By the way, really cool room." The human said. When she entered she was met with shelves full of records on one side of the room. The other was filled with books.
In the centre of the room was a record player and a single lounge. Kara assumed Lena spent most of her days in this room reading and listening to music.
What surprised the blonde the most was the vast variety of books and music Lena had collected, probably spanning over the last few centuries.
"It's my favourite room." Lena murmured, trying to focus back on the task at hand.
"I can tell." Kara smiled, "it'd be mine too."
Kara's initial resentment towards Lena before coming had disappeared immediately. It was a nice change to be in the company of someone who'd done nothing but be a friend.
A friend that saved her life.
A friend that didn't lie to her.
A friend who she liked as more than a friend.
"Kara."
"Hmm?" Kara hummed.
"You can let go of me now." Lena said, and Kara's eyes flickered down to her hands, still on Lena's hips that most certainly over welcomed their stay.
"Sorry." Kara apologised, pulling her hands away as if she was burned. Her cheeks reddened suddenly.
"I'm sorry for not returning your calls." Lena said, changing the subject. "Things have been hectic with Lex in the city."
"It's okay." Kara forgave, as she crouched down to blend red and orange, "it's literally, the least of my problems right now."
"Oh." Lena said, shortly. Here she was worrying about it and Kara thought it meant nothing. Kara's eyes widened, when she realised how rude she sounded.
"Oh crap, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that it's nothing compared to what other people are doing to me right now." Kara rambled.
"It's fine, Kara." Lena said, finally. "Are people hurting you?"
"In a way, yes." Kara said softly, "by lying."
Lena tensed, as she stopped her movements before continuing, "do you want to talk about it?"
"No, not really. I don't think you'd believe me anyway."
Lena looked down at the girl. "What makes you say that?"
"I don't know, it seems as though no one would believe me." Kara hesitated for a moment, stilling the brushes' movements. "Do you think supernatural creatures exist? And aliens?" She asked, looking up at the vampire.
Lena's eyes widened slightly. "Maybe."
She couldn't keep doing this to the poor girl. Lying to her, and being a hypocrite about it.
She didn't deserve it.
Lena stepped off the crate, and sighed softly. She sat next to the girl who looked at her expectantly, wondering why Lena changed her position.
Having made eye contact, Lena began to compel the girl. "I want you to remember, Kara."
The blonde blinked in confusion. "Remember what?"
Lena furrowed her brows, "uh, that I had a family member in town. It's my brother." The vampire said sheepishly.
"Oh, I know you don't like him. You can come over to mine if you want to avoid him." The reporter offered.
"Thanks." Lena forced out a smile.
"Not a problem." Kara gave her another wink.
This time Lena wasn't phased by it. She was more phased by the fact that Kara was now on vervain.