A/N: Hi! For those of you who might be confused over the timeline in this story, here's a reminder:
The beginning of the story happens 7 years after the TV series, so in 2028 for me. Kara and Lena are around 30 at the moment ; Liz is 6 ; the Other/June is 4
In this chapter (and the one before), we're in 2039, so ten years later than DAY NINE. Lena and Kara are around 40 ; Liz is 17 ; the Other/June is 14
If you still have doubts or questions, go ahead. I know it's confusing, I had to write it down myself not to make mistakes ;)
Anyway, see you at the end!
DAY 3837 – EARTH PRIME – YEAR 2039 February 14th
The Alter Egos
Every time she woke up, she felt ill. Cotton mouth. Nausea. Heartbeat drumming in her ears. A migraine pounding in her head. She was drugging her. With what, she didn't know. Lena just hoped it wouldn't affect her son's growth.
Why was she always the one being captured? She was 43 and she was still being kidnapped as if she was a distressed damsel who couldn't defend herself. It was humiliating. She was so ready to be out of this cell and bite that bitch's head off.
For that though, she had to get out, and not to be pregnant anymore, which apparently would not be a problem for so long. Lena winced as another contraction hit her stomach. Tears beaded at the corners of her eyes. Of course, in all the drama that was her life, she was about to have a baby in a prison cell under the care of a psychopath. Why was she always the one in these situations? She didn't even know for how long she had been there.
The wave of contractions decreased, letting her breath for a moment in relief. She didn't know how long she had been in there, didn't know if it was time for her to give birth, but her son seemed to be ready to come out, happy or not. Prison cell or hospital bed, he wouldn't wait.
She had tried at first to remember the days, to count them. She had laid down locks of her hair but her alter ego noticed it after three days and, since she was a vicious woman, changed Lena's cell so she didn't have access to daylight. Since then, her life had been a perpetual cycle of electric neon lights and barely warm take-out dinners. A shower twice a week, a change of clothes usually waiting for her after that. A blood test every fortnight. And daily adventures to the bathroom in the corner of her cell. Which should have been six and a half feet in width by almost ten feet in length if her calculations were correct. She was going crazy.
At least this time, she wasn't in a coma. At least this time, she was fully awake and in capacity of understanding what was happening. Or maybe it was a curse, seeing the days pass one after the other without being able to escape.
To top it all off, her alter ego was pregnant too, which was terrifying. Lena didn't know what to think about the baby in that belly but she sure knew that she was worried about seeing her give birth in the middle of the ship. Worse, she feared that one day, the other Lena would go out and never come back, because she would have given birth on the way, leaving her alone and lost, without no one to call or a way to free herself.
It was depressing. Kara needed to open her eyes and come to her rescue. It was frustrating to realize the other Lena had succeeded in taking her place – because it was the only explanation to why she was still here after all this time (two months for sure, maybe three)– and that no one in her family had noticed she had disappeared or that she wasn't her usual self. Frustrating was a euphemism. Pitying too. It was hopeless.
Lena sighed heavily, rubbing her cheeks with anger. She had been kidnapped just before Christmas. She didn't spend Yule sabbath with Florence or share the ritual with Lucy for the first time. She didn't taste Kelly's hot chocolate nor see them all still drunk in the morning while the kids were opening their presents. She had missed so much already, she was sure of it and their time was running out. Maybe the battle with the Other was in months. Maybe it was in days. But it was approaching and Lena couldn't swallow the fact that she was probably spending these last moments in a cell instead of with her family.
A kick erupted in her belly. Lena put a loving hand on it. At least, she had her son.
"I know, my boy. It's you and me for now."
Kara and Lena never really celebrated Valentine's Day. Krypton wasn't known for its sentimental customs. They didn't have a day to celebrate women, or mothers and fathers, or a National Puppy Day. No, it wasn't necessary for them. As arrogant as it sounded, Kryptonians were above all these beliefs. But they had a day to celebrate love, sort of. It was more a day to announce who was going to marry in the next year, usually young adults around eighteen, promised to each other since an early age.
But Kara remembered those days well and she still loved to mark the day with a special something. Lena wasn't huge on the belief either, always saying Valentine's Day was made so that people could forget the real matters for a day. Kara didn't like it particularly either until she met Lena. It always had the knack to remind her she couldn't find someone who would appreciate her for who she was.
Now, it had changed though. She had that special someone and she wanted Lena to know that. That was how she found herself traveling bouquets after bouquets of plumerias from South America to Ireland, wishing with all her heart that the flowers would last the trip. In their house, she had made sure that Lucy and Lena wouldn't be there to see her spread flowers everywhere. She still had two trips to make for it to be perfect. Fortunately, Liz had helped fly them all from America. It would have taken a entire day otherwise. It would totally have been worth it though.
Plumerias were their symbol. Of when it all started. They were flowers of great symbolism. Very rare, for starters, just like their love. They were associated with grief and death in some cultures. With protection against spiritual beings in others. And they symbolized a proposal in another.
Kara counted on the last one. Lena knew perfectly what the flowers meant. She had mentioned it once or twice. Plumerias were her favorites because they could mean so many things. Friendship. Renewal. Vows. Protection. Eternal love. Kara had always wanted to make a gesture as grand as Lena had done that first time she had saved her, filling her office with flowers. Except she had always kept the plumerias for that special day. They were about to risk it all in several months. If it wasn't the right time, it would never be.
Looking around the living room filled with fresh flower perfume, Kara grinned to herself. She was proud and so, so ready. She had a speech ready. Her outfit ready. Even Liz was in the confidence, ready to pop out of somewhere to film them while Kara proposed.
That was it. That day was theirs. It was going to be perfect. Nothing could ruin it.
Of course, a Danvers' plan was never supposed to come out without a hitch. Especially when said Danvers were superheroes. Big powers meant big responsibilities, yes, they knew about it, thank you. But Kara had wished to spend her day at Catco working like a normal person instead of running after a giant crocodile (with two legs) in National City. The creature had been spitting out venom to deter her and she was sick of the goo she was covered with.
"Kara, on the left!" Nia said in her ear.
Kara flew immediately to the left of the building and found their guy running with a pouch in his arms, looking right, left and behind himself, scared to be caught. And he would be caught. With frowned eyes, Kara calculated his route and dove right in front of him. The crocodile guy stopped dead in his tracks, fear all over his features. Then, as suddenly, his glance changed. He opened his mouth to start spitting venom but Dreamer was quicker than him. She fell from the building she was observing him and surrounded his mouth with her lasso with precision. She pulled hard. The guy fell on his chin in a huff. Defeated.
"Thanks, Dreamer. I think I need a shower now."
Nia came next to her, hands on her hips, and looked down at their thief. She threw a side disgusted look towards Kara, covered with a yellowish substance.
"Yeah, you totally do."
Kara chuckled, tapped her on the back affectionately. "Good job. See you in the satellite."
Nia watched her fly away, shaking her head. She was once again the one taking care of their target.
Liz eased down next to her. She wasn't supposed to be on missions already. Kara and Lena were totally against it. But they had found an agreement. At the minute her grades dropped, she would be banned from missions. For now, she succeeded at keeping up. Luthor brains had its perks.
She wasn't supposed to approach their targets though, only supposed to give a hand at finding them. But this time, as Liz put electrical handcuffs on the crocodile's legs and arms, Nia was thankful to have her niece there.
When Kara entered the lab, freshly showered and ready to make her report on the mission, she was met with Brainy and Lena talking over blueprints.
"Hey, what's it for?"
Brainy and Lena shared a look. It wasn't meant to be scary but, usually, when the tech twins – as Alex so fondly called them – shared a secret, it wasn't good news. Lena pulled away from the table first, scratching at the back of her ear.
"We… hum… Are making armors." She said tentatively.
Kara frowned. "Why do I feel it's a bad thing?"
Brainy, his hands joined in a triangle, took the opportunity to explain. "It's not a bad thing, per se. You have to know, though, that some of the armors will be charged with Kryptonite."
"What?" Alex said as she entered too, at the same time Kara whispered, "Kryptonite?"
"Yes, but not green Kryptonite!" Lena was quick to assure.
"Okay, back up." Kara frowned. "Armor for whom? For what?"
Brainy took the blueprints and turned them over so they could all take a look at it. Nia came by with Kelly, Esme and Liz suited up in her brand-new purple and silver suit. Surrounding the table, they waited for Brainy or Lena to explain.
"What are we talking about?" Esme asked.
"We're talking about intelligent armors. We'll be able to control them from afar." Lena explained, pointing at the drawings for a specific processor on the side of the blueprint.
"Why?" Alex frowned. "Our suits are already good enough."
"Lena gave me this idea, a month ago, that we should find a way to extract one of us in situations of danger." Brainy turned around and the screen in front of him lit up on the images they had of a previous mission.
The mission in question was one of the riskiest they had. An old technology Batman had created a long time ago to survey the Justice League had been recreated and perverted into a weapon. It was called O.M.A.C. and it killed a lot of them before Wonder Woman used an old electromagnet made by Ted Kord – Blue Beetle number two - to neutralize it. Before that, Esme had been found hiding in a basement, running away from a O.M.A.C. creature, while being unable to contact anybody since the technology in her enemy was blurring all communications. They had lost lots of Amazons that day, and found Batgirl heavily beaten up.
Seeing the images pass after another of that terrible day put them all back in that state when security was at risk and they weren't so sure they could trust the people around them. The fact that it could certainly happen in a not so far future was even more frightening.
"You want to make AI armors so we can avoid this type of situations?" Alex summarized for everybody.
Brainy and Lena nodded. "That's the idea." Lena confirmed. "The Golden Kryptonite will only be in Liz's and your armor." She said to Kara. "It's one of our plans to fight against the Other."
"Golden Kryptonite?" Kara asked in disbelief. "How did you find some? It's very rare!"
"There was a fragment in Lex's vault. I kept it in my personal safe because I knew how it could affect you." Lena explained with sorry eyes.
"You hid Kryptonite again?"
Lena's head tried to disappear in the middle of her shoulders. Kara was confused. Lena had sworn she had given all the Kryptonite in her possession years ago. Why would she lie about something as important? Sure, she trusted her. There were few subjects they were disagreeing on, but Lena had always promised to stop using Kryptonite. She had to be completely desperate to one, hide it from Kara, and two, use it in an armor she knew Kara and Liz would wear.
"I trust you but I wish you'd told me." Kara said.
"Wait!" Alex intervened. "We're talking about using a Kryptonite that neutralizes Kryptonian powers from miles around when it's used. If we use it against the Other, Kara and probably Liz will be affected by it too."
"It's not the purest one. It's synthesized Golden Kryptonite. So, we think it'll only affect them temporarily." Lena assured quickly.
"You think?" Alex scoffed at her. "Are you both gone insane? We can't use it! I'm not using this!" She said with a confident finger pointed directly towards the blueprints.
"Good because it will only be in the two Kryptonians hands. You know, the two same Kryptonians that can be affected by it." Lena shot back, crossing her arms.
"Hey! Stop it, you two!" Kelly said, putting a hand on Alex's shoulder as Kara put herself between them.
"Alex is right. It's dangerous. It can even have effects on us. We don't even know if it'll affect the Other. You didn't test it, right?" Nia asked to Brainy with a raised eyebrow.
"No, w-we…" He frowned at his own stutter. "We couldn't without risking Kara or Liz's life."
"Then it's settled." Alex concluded. "We don't use it."
"Alex, we don't know. It might be our only chance." Kara said softly.
Alex's eyes widened. "Are you serious? You can't, for the love of God, be okay with this!"
"I'm not! I-"
"Alright!" Kelly interrupted, walking in the middle of the circle they had formed unconsciously. "Everybody, take a step back."
They all looked at each other, heated glances shared between Lena and Alex as Nia shook her head towards Brainy. Liz and Esme looked at each other with wide eyes, backing off in a corner of the room. It was unusual for their parents to disagree to that level.
"We're all stressed about what's coming our way." Kelly started. "Brainy and Lena's idea was to protect us for and foremost. To protect our kids." She said, pointing to said daughters, who knew better than to attract attention. "We shouldn't forget our goal. The Other is the enemy."
Reluctantly, they all took a breath in. Suddenly, shoulders sagged. Alex let her arms fall back, her hands taking their usual place on her hips. Lena's glare disappeared, stoic poker face back in place. Nia took Brainy's hand and kissed it, smiling up at him. They all agreed silently. Kelly was always their voice of reason. Her daughter was nothing short.
"Speaking of the Other, he's still in orbit?" Esme asked nonchalantly, picking at her nails. It was made to distract everyone, they all recognized it but it worked.
"Yes!" Brainy turned around. A globe appeared in his hand and showed the little dot around the Earth. "He's there. Nothing new from there."
"We're waiting for him to attack us, then." Lena said dejectedly.
"Did you find anything new concerning the prophecy?" Nia asked Lena.
The scientist frowned then realization seemed to dawn on her. "Oh, hum, not really. All we have to do is kill him. That's the only way to get rid of him."
"No!" Kara exclaimed. "Lena, we agreed not to do that!"
"Why? He's dangerous anyway!"
"Because he's your half-brother!" Kara scoffed. "Last time we discussed it, you agreed to capture him and try to reason him first. What happened to following the prophecy so we don't disturb the gods?"
"I changed my mind. I think we should attack him first, while we still can surprise him. He's a Luthor who has been trained on Apokolips. We have to use all opportunities given to us."
Silence met her declaration. Kara frowned. She wasn't the only one confused by Lena's U-turn.
"Mom, we can't kill him." Liz said, in a small voice, barely daring expressing her thought for once. She liked to keep to herself when they all met because she thought she wasn't experienced enough to talk about plan and fighting, but this time, she needed to stand her ground. "I'm sure it's not the right thing to do."
"How can you be?" Lena asked, her lips forming a thin line.
Liz shrugged, sad eyes and pout in place. "I just know."
Lena scoffed but didn't add anything. Kara frowned, once again finding her behavior quite odd. Silence enveloped them as they all pondered over their fate. It wasn't necessary to talk more about it. They had a plan. They should stick to it. End of discussion.
"Anyway, we should all go back to our day. We've discussed this enough. We know what we have to do." Kara said. "Come on!" She threw towards Lena and Liz. "We have places to be."
"We do?" Lena asked, confused.
Kara's surprise couldn't be contained this time. "Yes! We're meeting Sam and Andrea for lunch, did you forget?"
Lena's turned from confusion to delight. "No, of course not!"
Kara took her by the hand. She heard Liz vaguely telling Esme she would send her the video tonight and smiled. Yes, today was their big day. Maybe Lena had planned something too and was just distracted. That would explain her anxiety or the head in the cloud attitude she had since morning. Yes, it had to be it.
Liz was late to her literature class. Everybody knew she was Lena Luthor and Supergirl's daughter but it didn't prevent her from being reprimanded. As she crossed the door frame to enter the classroom a minute after the bell, her teacher turned on her instantly.
"Miss Walsh, happy to see you here."
"Sorry, Mrs McCarthy. I rushed to get here."
The teacher rolled her eyes and shooed her away, turning back to highlighting parts of the text she was presenting on the board. They were studying Shakespeare this semester. Her best friend, Sydney, loved it already. Her excitement was all over her face when she waved at Liz from the back of the classroom. Liz rushed to take the seat next to her.
"You're late." Sydney whispered, already taking notes.
"No kidding." Liz shot back.
Sydney rolled her eyes. "You promised to be there this morning. What happened?"
Liz turned a guilty face to her friend. Liz didn't like the feeling of being privileged. Her absences were already excused most of the times because her mothers had great influences. She didn't want to use her family name too much. Even if sometimes, it was for legitimate reasons. But disappointing people she loved was always hard on her.
Sydney had been her friend since she had started back school in National City. She knew about Liz's identity, knew about the prophecy, knew about her parents, aunts, uncles, family. Knew about June. Sydney knew everything there was to know about Liz. (Exception for Liz's feelings towards her but that wasn't the subject.) She especially knew that Liz would keep her promises.
"I'm sorry, something came up. My mom needed me."
Sydney nodded distractedly, understanding as always, as her beautiful red hair cascaded over her shoulders. She drew a loose hand in it to put it back behind her ear, her white-collar shirt hugging her bicep perfectly. Liz was mesmerized. Sydney ignored how gorgeous she was.
At the front of the class, their teacher cleared her throat, distracting Liz for good. "Your project for this semester will be to play an extract of one of Shakespeare's masterpieces in front of the class. You can do it in pair or in group of four at most. You're free to choose whatever play you want. Your presentation will have to last five minutes top."
Liz threw a smile to her friend. Sydney loved literature and classic theater was her favorite genre. She lived for this type of projects. It was obvious they would work together for this one too.
"Now, pair up with your neighbor to work on this excerpt. Find me three figures of speech Shakespeare used and write an introduction for the essay you'll have to finish for next week." Mrs McCarthy smiled knowingly as the class groaned.
Sydney approached her table from Liz's. "So, what happened this morning?"
"Nothing extraordinary. My mom is going to propose to my other mom so she asked me to help. And then, a crocodile decided to steal an old lady and run in the entire city." Liz grinned in synchrony as Sydney's smile spread on her face, her hazel eyes glinting in joy. Liz knew she didn't care about the crocodile.
"No way! Liz, that's so cool! Which one is going to propose? And how?"
Liz smiled fondly as she started to explain Kara's plan, their work for the day completely forgotten. Sydney was a real romantic. Growing up on the Amazons Island, she learned how to read with Diana – aka Wonder Woman aka the Queen of the Amazons – and immediately fell in love with Earth's culture. When Diana discovered her attraction towards humanity, she decided to give her a chance at a life out of the Amazons' culture, just like she did herself so many years ago.
Under her wings, Sydney started school purposefully in National City the same year Liz started. This way, Supergirl and her team could keep an eye on her when Wonder Woman was needed elsewhere. Sydney knew how to fight, how to defend herself since very young. She was a fierce challenger even, with her athletic body and archery skills. But her passions were divided between basketball and writing romance on her laptop. She hadn't one single violent cell in her system.
"This is a perfect plan! On Valentine's Day, even! Your mom's totally going to say yes."
Liz watched her friend as Sydney looked dreamy for a second, completely melting at the idea of a marriage proposal. The innocence in her eyes was astonishing. They didn't have weddings on Themyscira. Sydney was always intrigued to learn more about new cultures. Liz loved her even more for that.
"You could totally come, you know. It'll be cheesy but…" Liz shrugged, pushing her playfully with her shoulder. Sydney's face fell though.
"I wish I could but I have practice with the team then I'm meeting Di to practice my hand-to-hand fighting skills." Her pout was so cute Liz had to look away or she would be stuck in a mesmerized stare once again.
She chuckled instead, knowing her friend hated fighting. "Do you want me to find you an excuse? We'll say we're practicing together but just go eat ice cream and watch a movie in the cube." She grinned.
Sydney seemed hesitant, the idea not completely stupid. Liz crossed the table to put her hand on her friend's cool one. A blush spread low on her cheeks at the contact.
"Come on, Syd! It's Valentine's Day. We have better things to do at seventeen than to practice."
Sydney's eyes squinted suspiciously. "Don't you have a date with that guy in history or something?"
She was referencing to Kyle, the one and only boy daring to ask Supergirl's daughter out on a date. Liz had refused, obviously. Boys were so lame. Her heart was elsewhere anyway.
"No!" She replied, almost offended by the idea. "I'd rather be with you!" She shout-whispered spontaneously. Her heart skipped a bit at the admission. Her cheeks weren't the only ones burning but Sydney hid it well behind her hair.
"Okay, then." She whispered after a moment. "I'll meet you at your house after practice."
Liz's smile could only be described as charmed. She had told the truth. There was nobody she would rather spend Valentine's Day with than Sydney.
"Great!" She said a bit too loudly, attracting glares from the others. "We should work now though." She pointed to their notepads.
They looked at the excerpt of the text between them for a minute or two.
"By the way, how was your audition this morning?" Liz whispered innocently. Sydney was auditioning for a role in the school play. There were doing Wicked that year. Liz has promised to be there to support her but obviously, fighting a crocodile with legs and planning a marriage proposal had taken up almost all her morning. Sydney's bright face was all she needed to see to understand she wasn't mad at her though.
"I got Elphaba!" Sydney squealed as lowly as she could.
Liz congratulated her and squeezed her shoulder fondly. "I can't wait to see you in that costume."
And their assignment was once again forgotten, their discussion about the potential costumes of the play was more entertaining.
"So, Andy and I want to adopt a second kid." Sam declared after her second sip of wine. "A teen, to be precise."
Kara opened wide eyes in surprise before her head whipped immediately to Lena who wore a grave expression. Her smile had been replaced by a scowl.
"Well…" She said, extending the vowel purposefully, putting both hands on the table. "This is irresponsible of you both."
All motions seemed to stop around them. They were in the middle of a chic restaurant Andrea and Lena liked to eat at, sharing appetizers at one in the afternoon. Well, Lena was drinking water but it didn't stop them from indulging in the middle of the day.
"Excuse me?" Andrea asked without really asking, her tone offended as she leaned above her plate towards Lena because she had to have misheard.
"Lee…" Kara tried to put a hand on Lena's but was shooed away.
"We're all going to die in less than a year. It's irresponsible of you both to take a child under your care while knowing what will happen." Lena explained in a clipped voice.
"Oh, so you're already throwing the towel, I see." Andrea smiled bitterly. "Liz will be thrilled to know how much faith you put in her."
Kara and Sam shared raised eyebrows above their drinks. They were in for a ride.
"How hypocritical of you." Andrea continued, motioning towards Lena's belly. "You're the one pregnant here. Are you saying you're giving up on your unborn son's future too?"
"Andrea, that's not what she meant." Kara said quickly, turning towards Lena as her sentence finished itself in a question. Lena didn't mean that, right?
"Don't bother, Kara. I'll see you at practice." Andrea said, throwing her napkin on the table and standing up. "I'll wait for you in the car." She said to Sam. In her way out, she stopped at the bar to pay for their meals in a proud gesture before walking out of the restaurant.
Sam and Kara shared a look. Lena stood up with more difficulty and threw a scowl to Kara before walking out too.
"What's gotten into her?" Sam whispered immediately, as if scared Lena could hear her and come back any second.
"Hormones?" Kara winced at her own words. "She's terrified." She added, more seriously.
"We all are!"
"I know, I'm sorry." Kara scrunched up her face. What were the right words in this situation?
Sam frowned. "You shouldn't be the one apologizing." She said before finishing her wine in one gulp.
Kara huffed. "For what it's worth, you both have my entire support. You're already amazing moms."
Sam grinned, putting back her coat. "Thanks."
They separated in front of the restaurant, each searching for their own car. Kara found Lena sulking into theirs.
"Lena, you can't just run away like that! They're our friends!" She said as an introduction as she took the place behind the wheel.
Lena scoffed. "That's just a loss of time."
"I'm sorry?" Kara leaned sideways, observing Lena with new eyes. The woman on the passenger seat wasn't the loving, caring one she was used to. She was bitter and full of loathing. It was the Lena that used to terrify investors, not her family or friends.
"I said we're losing time, having dinner, making small talks. I should meet with the other Lena so we can try to work with her to defeat the Other."
Kara was astonished by what she was hearing. So that was the problem this whole time?
"No! She's unpredictable and completely unhinged! It's too dangerous!"
"She could help us with the Other!" Lena shot back. Her eyes were blazing with rage and terror.
Kara threw her arms in the air in frustration. "Are you kidding? Is it even worth it? Risking your life for something we aren't even sure?"
"Of course it is! Our daughter is supposed to die in this fight!"
"I know!"
"Then do something about it!"
Kara startled at that. She paused. Lena seemed to understand that she had gone too far. She huffed and crossed her arms, facing the road again. Kara reclined on her own seat, guilt boiling in her stomach.
"I see." She said through a shaky voice. "This is my fault, uh?"
Lena scoffed. It took her several seconds to reply. "Of course not. I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too." Kara sighed. "Listen, I don't recognize you lately. First, you went behind my back to synthesize Kryptonite, then you change of plan about the Other, and now you're accusing me of not doing enough." She turned fully towards Lena, her hands falling on the armrest in the middle of their seats. "You're back with all those walls and I don't know how to go through them anymore."
Lena's eyes met hers. Inside were just sadness and grief. Kara could only link it to her fear of being alone. If only she knew Lena had lost much more than she thought.
"You're frustrated. I am too. And you need someone to blame." Kara exhaled heavily. "Go for it. I won't get mad."
Lena turned an offended face to her. "No! You're… No! You don't deserve that. It's not your fault."
"Then stop blaming me or the entire world. It's not your fault either." Kara said softly, brushing the back of her hand against Lena's cheek. The alabaster skin had taken a rosy color from the cold. It looked lovely.
"Huh." Lena tilted her head sideways. Her shoulders sagged with defeat and realization. A small smile played on her lips. "It's always been this way." Kara frowned. "Me being selfish, you rescuing me from myself." Lena cleared up, motioning between them.
Kara disagreed. "You're not selfish. You're guarded and I know that." She said, taking Lena's hand in hers. "We've known each other for years. We complete each other. That's how I know you need me, even when you're like this."
Lena blushed lightly. "Of course I need you." She admitted from the tips of her lips.
"Even when you want me to think otherwise." Kara added.
Lena chuckled and shrugged. "Can't trick you."
"Nope. I'm here to stay. Always."
Lena leaned her head on the seat, watching Kara through burning green eyes. "I'm so sorry, Kara." It meant much more than Kara could understand at the moment but it wasn't important. The most important was that Kara acknowledged it.
"I love you." Kara replied instead.
Lena grinned. "I love you too, darling."
They kissed over the console. Lena groaned as her belly rubbed uncomfortably against the armrest. Kara chuckled and switched the engine on.
"Let's go home. I have a surprise for you." She whispered as she intertwined their fingers on the armrest. She kissed the back of Lena's hand and pulled out on the road.
"Okay, but your eyes on the road."
Kara's only response was an eye-roll.
Lena was going to die there. She was sure of it. She hadn't seen Lena 2.0. since the past evening. Or was it morning? That bitch was wicked enough to give her dinner in the morning just to confuse her more.
Lena's breath caught in her lungs. Another contraction. She was going to die. Her vision blurred. She groaned through the pain, her teeth biting hard on the bed sheet she had turned into a ball. Sweat pearled at her forehead. The contractions were coming quicker and quicker. It wouldn't be that long until it would be time for her son to come out.
Another contraction hit immediately after the other.
"Karaaa!" Lena shouted to the ceiling. "For fuck's saaake!" She let the contraction run through.
Her eyes traveled wildly around the room. She had analyzed the possibilities already. There was no window, no sharp object, no key to the door cell. Nothing. Nothing that could be used to escape.
Lena screamed her despair to the ceiling. Shouting and cursing everybody who was believing in her alter ego charade. She was going to give birth in a cell. Stuck. Alone. And probably die from it. Just because they couldn't recognize she wasn't her.
"Wow, Kara! All these flowers for me?" Lena exclaimed as they entered their house. Kara watched her take into the flowers displaced around the house.
"Well, you know it's Valentine's Day so…" Kara replied, rubbing at her neck. "Plus, I wanted to shower you with flowers like you did to me years ago."
Lena turned around, frowning. "I did that?"
It was Kara's turn to frown. Lena filling her office with flowers was one of the highlights in their love story.
"Yes, you did, honey. The first time I saved you. Did you forget?"
Lena tilted her head in concentration then beamed. "No, of course not." She drew one of the vases closer and smelled the flowers in it. "They smell really good."
"I went south to find them."
"You shouldn't have troubled yourself that much. You know I don't like Valentine's Day."
"Yes, but it was worth it. Liz helped me." Kara said, motioning to their daughter entering the room with an old camera in her hands. "It is a special occasion, after all." She said as she approached, her hand clasped around the box in her coat pocket. The box she had asked her mother to send to Earth only a month after Lena and Liz's came back to National City.
Lena turned in her arms, suspicious, a light smile playing on her lips. "Alright, what's the occasion then?"
Kara exhaled shakily to hunt away her nerves. It was Lena. Only Lena. Especially Lena. She drew closer and squeezed Lena against her. Their eyes met, Lena's protuberant belly caressing Kara's sweater.
"I need to ask you something."
"Of course." Lena's raised eyebrows were the only proof she had doubts. "You're worrying me."
Kara only shook her head with a reassuring smile. "Lena, you know I love you." She started solemnly, her speech still vivid in her memory. "As much as I could try to put it into words, nothing seemed to be enough to tell you how much I love you. We've known each other for a good half of our lives now. I know when you feel sad just by the crinkle in between your eyebrows." Lena smiled wetly at her. "I know when you're frustrated just by the glint in your eyes and the way you play with your pen when you're working." Liz snorted at that. "I know when you're emotional, your heart quickens a bit just like it's doing now." Kara put a soft hand on Lena's chest. "I know you." She emphasized then took a deep shaky breath. "I also know you're the bravest of us both. The first time I lost you, I thought you would never give me a second chance. It was hard to live without you but I was ready to accept it. It was my burden. My fault. But you gave me a second chance." She swallowed hard, emotions taking the best of her voice. "When I lost you a second time, I realized I couldn't live without you. I was dysfunctional. Barely living. Perusing the entire universe to bring you back." She chuckled bitterly. "Thankfully, you came back seven years later with our little girl, giving me your love and the most precious gift at the same time."
Tears rolled down Lena's cheeks as she threw a look at Liz. Their daughter wasn't better at hiding her feelings, sniffling behind her camera. Lena squeezed her eyes shut. If only Kara knew all the things she had done for them.
"You were brave enough to trust me again and again. I'm asking you to do it one last time." Kara's own tears rolled down her face as she pulled a squared box from her coat pocket. "Lena, will you give me the honor of-"
"Kara, we need you in the satellite." Alex's clipped rushed voice resonated in her ear. "With Liz. End of com."
Kara frowned. "Not now." She whined to the ceiling. She pressed the ear com and called after her sister. "Alex, I'm in middle of something here."
"Kara." It was Brainy. "It's important. Come without Lena."
Kara's raised eyebrows couldn't be more suspicious. Brainy was never worried. Never. She pulled away from Lena and threw a glance at Liz, who had to have heard the whole conversation.
"What is it?" Lena asked, startled. She rubbed at her cheeks urgently.
"Alex needs us." Kara said, turning towards Liz.
"What? But we can't just leave like that." Liz complained, as confused as her mother.
"I know, but she seemed stressed. It looks important." Kara insisted. She turned around, kissing Lena on the forehead. "Stay here. We'll be back in a jiffy. And we'll finish this. I'm sorry."
Lena huffed. "We've waited ten years. A day or two shouldn't deter us." She smiled affectionately. "I love you both. Be careful."
Kara winked at her, kissed her soundly on the lips, whispering an I love you back against her lips before pulling away. With Liz, they walked out of the house, sharing odd glances. What was so serious that Lena couldn't know? They were relieved she didn't insist to follow them.
In the satellite, Kara and Liz were met with grave faces. All heads turned on them when they entered. Brainy and Alex were posted in front of a screen as Nia, Kelly, and Diana were behind them, crossed arms and eyes low.
"What's up?" Kara asked as they drew closer.
"Aunt Di!" Liz rushed to hug Diana in her Wonder Woman attire.
"Nice to see you, kiddo." Diana looked behind Liz to salute her mother. "Kara."
Kara nodded as a reply. "What's the matter, Alex?" She didn't want to beat around the bush.
"It's about Lena." Alex replied, motioning towards the screen. "You need to see this."
"Which Lena?" Kara said.
"Both, actually." Brainy replied.
Kara scrunched up her face. She didn't like that. On the screen, a camera footage started. It was one of the satellite's halls. The ones just around the cells. Where they had been keeping Jason for ten years. On the footage, Lena was seen walking out of Jason's cell. The camera followed her to the corner. Another camera took the turn from the corner to the end of the hall. As she passed an alcove, someone came out of the shadow. Kara gasped. She leaned closer to watch Lena be abducted by the other Lena, a needle in the neck. The other Lena pulled her hardly to the alcove and hid her there. They disappeared from the screen for two minutes then the other Lena came out with Lena's clothes, putting them in place quickly. She seemed to cast a spell on the alcove to cover it. Kara looked down at the timer on the corner of the footage.
"That was three months ago!" She said in horror.
"What?" Liz hissed as she came next to her mother. "You're kidding. We would've seen it if Mom wasn't the same." Kara looked at her with worried eyes. "Or not…"
"You need to go and get her." Alex said. "We need to be careful and play it thin. She's dangerous."
"Don't rush into it." Nia added. "We need her to think she's not been caught yet otherwise she might flee."
Kara frowned, glassy eyes looking at the floor without seeing it. She was lost, caught between worry for Lena and anger for the other Lena. She had just proposed to a complete stranger while her actual partner was somewhere, probably sulking about how they were all fools, not recognizing the wrong Lena from the right one. What was this Lena's plan? What did she want? Her goal couldn't only be to take Lena's place and live like that eternally.
"I've seen nothing." She whispered to herself.
Two hands on her shoulders caught her attention. "Hey," Alex smiled at her. "I'm sure she's okay. We'll find her."
Kara was thankful for Alex's hope. None of them seemed to think that Lena could be dead by now. It wasn't even a thought wanted to have. And, Rao, their son!
"She's pregnant, Alex!" Kara hissed, a tear running down her cheek.
"The other Lena seems pregnant too."
They both frowned deeper. This situation was so messed up. Kelly approached them and put both hands on each of their shoulders.
"She's fine. It's Lena. She's a warrior. She's seen worse." Kelly tried to reassure.
"Jeju, what are we going to do?" Liz asked, voice shaking with fright.
Kara looked at her and sighed. Liz might be strong on the surface, with all her powers and confidence, but she was this young girl scared to lose her parents. Lena's first kidnapping when Liz was only six had left so many scars in her.
Kara pulled away from Alex to take her daughter in her arms. She squeezed her tight against her, her hand cupping the back of Liz's head as her daughter hid in her neck. Just like when she was a child. Kara squeezed her closer.
"Don't worry. We'll go back home and try to get this Lena to come here unaware of what will come." She turned around, speaking to the whole team. "I need a cell ready to welcome her." She said determinedly. Alex nodded in agreement.
"On it!" Brainy exclaimed.
Kara pulled away from Liz slightly and cupped her cheeks. "We'll find your mother back. I promise." Liz nodded, swallowing a whine. She straightened up and, seconds later, the determined fighter was back.
"This has lasted long enough." She said with fiery eyes.
Kara recognized Lena's determination on her daughter's face. A gust of pride erupted in her chance. She was so proud of the young woman her daughter was.
They had their plan. Now they had to be sneaky. Lena couldn't know they were coming for her.
As a gust of air flowed in the ship, Lena turned the head quickly to her door cell. There were movements. Her fists tightened their grips on the bedsheet in anticipation. Rushed steps on the ladder. Then her alter ego's face appeared. Simultaneously, two incredible things happened. As Lena stood up awkwardly from the bed, she met Lena 2.0.'s eyes and realized she had been crying. At the same time – was it shock or just fucking Mother Nature getting revenge, she didn't know – her waters broke.
"Great!" Lena exclaimed through gritted teeth. She threw her arms in the air in frustration. "I'm having a baby. You better get me out of here quickly or you'll have to deliver him right here and I don't want to die bleeding on that fucking floor."
The other Lena chuckled bitterly but approached nonetheless with some difficulty. Her belly was as big as Lena's. As incompatible with their activities.
"I don't like it more than you do. It's hard to lie every single day." Lena 2.0. said pathetically.
Lena scoffed, outraged. "You've put yourself in that situation!" Her last words were expelled through her teeth as another contraction hit her. She crumbled on her knees from the pain.
"When have the contractions started?" Lena 2.0. asked as she rushed to her side, helping her to sit on the bed.
"What do you think? I had them the whole fucking day!" Lena shouted at her face. "Get me out of here!"
"I can't!"
Lena groaned again in annoyance. She felt the contraction decrease but faked it a bit longer. Her brain was working at a lightning speed. She waited for Lena 2.0. to turn her back on her. She was pouring some water on a towel when Lena hit her on the back with a chair, aiming for the open-door cell immediately after.
She ran clumsily through the door without thinking once about closing it behind her. She ran – fast-walked as fast as a eight-months-pregnant woman could walk – through the ship, her steps resonating heavily on the metal frames. She climbed down the ladder, wishing all the gods above her head that her next contraction was still far away. The level below was dedicated to weapons and tech stuff. Lena didn't wait to analyze it. She hadn't seen it when she came in and she would certainly not wait for her alter ego to catch her watching as she came out.
Once outside, Lena took a breath of fresh air. It had been so long. She felt her stomach contracting, preparing itself for a new contraction.
"Shit!"
She rushed towards the forest surrounding her house. It was midday, apparently. Maybe end of the afternoon, if she had seen the sun's position right. She counted in her head, panting from exertion. Two hundred and forty seconds. That was the time between the contractions. She had a bit less now. Maybe a hundred.
Passing tree after tree, hands supported her stomach, she spotted the girls wooden cabin Kara had built a few years ago in the tallest tree. Hiding there would be too obvious. And it would cost her too many efforts. Of course, that bitch had to take her Platinum Kryptonite necklace too.
Lena continued throughout the forest. The house wasn't far away. She could see the door through the bare branches. She just needed a bit more time to reach it. Inside, she could find a solution. The watch. She needed the portal watch.
Forcing on her sticky wobbly legs, her teeth clacking from cold – a tank top and yoga pants wasn't the best outfit in winter –, Lena gathered all her energy and focused it on her goal. The house. Now that she wasn't in that cell anymore, she could use magic. That bitch would better stay in that ship.
Reaching the house door, she opened it forcefully with a shoulder. She was welcomed with a mesmerizing vision. She had never seen that many plumerias at once. A pang of betrayal rose in the middle of her chest. Those flowers hadn't been placed here for her.
With a determined look, she focused on her energy. This could wait. As she was about to pronounce the attraction spell for the watch, the contraction hit.
"Fuck!" Lena groaned, leaning against the staircase to prevent herself from falling.
A contraction normally lasted a minute or two. This one lasted a hundred and thirty seconds. That was enough for her alter ego to reach her.
Lena 2.0. grabbed her in a head lock, her forearm pressing dangerously against Lena's trachea. She was already panting from exertion. Now air wasn't reaching her at all.
"You shouldn't have played with me." The other Lena whispered threateningly against her ear. "I could very well kill you, nobody would see the difference."
It wasn't true. She was wrong. Kara loved her. It wasn't true. She was irreplaceable.
In a last spur of fury, Lena stomped on her alter ego's toes then hit her squarely in the ribs with her elbow. Alex's training sessions had paid at least. She then ran to the kitchen. The watch had to be there. She threw a vase full of water on her way. It broke on the floor, slowing down the other Lena only slightly as she slipped on the water and broken glass. Before she reached the kitchen, Lena pointed her two palms towards the floor, whispering in Latin. Quickly, thorns irrupted through the wooden boards and grew until they reached the middle of the door frame. They didn't last long though, as the other Lena was already chasing them away with fire balls.
"You can't escape, Lena!"
As Lena reached the portal watch on the kitchen counter, a hand pulled at her hair. Followed a combination of fists and head-butts, of struggle all over the kitchen, vases breaking under their weights. Fire, ice, electric shocks. Everything was used. Lena threw a glowing yellow punch but it didn't land as expected as it was met with a metal-covered skin. She panted heavily. Using magic was exhausting. Her pelvis was killing her. The other Lena didn't look better.
Lena felt another contraction growing in her stomach. Not now. No, she needed all her energy to fight her. But as always, God or whoever wasn't on her side. The contraction hit her hard. She whined, stopping all combat, her fists switching off their magical glow as she gripped at the kitchen counter and the table furiously. The other Lena paused, two hands on her forearms, her metal face and skull sticky with blood. She shifted her skin back to its normal form. Lena felt something glide on the side of her leg. Looking down, she grunted. She was losing blood. The baby was coming down.
"You need to lay down." Lena 2.0. said urgently, her hands pulling her gently towards one of the kitchen chairs still miraculously in place.
"Don't touch me!"
"I'm trying to help!"
"You're only doing worse!"
"What's happening here?"
Both Lena and Lena 2.0. looked at the kitchen archway. Kara and Liz were taking in the scene with horror on their face. Broken ceramics everywhere. Tortured plumerias laying on the floor. Water spreading through the parqueted boards. Kitchen cabinets unhinged, ready to fall. Lena with blood all over the back of her head, another Lena in her arms, groaning and whining in pain.
"She needs help. She's giving birth."
Lena realized how the scene had to be confusing for Kara and Liz when Kara put handcuffs on both of them. Magic neutralizing handcuffs. Kara stayed by her side, supporting her with an arm around her waist.
"Alex and Kelly are on the way." She said reassuringly.
"No! She needs to go to a hospital!" Lena 2.0. said, struggling against Liz's vicelike grip.
"I don't even know who's the real you!" Kara exclaimed, completely confused. She didn't even know who to address her complain. Her eyes kept traveling from one face to the other, then to one belly to the other. She was hearing two little hearts but didn't know which one was her son's.
"It's me!" Lena said through another contraction, her hands squeezed together to minimize the pain. "I'm having your son, you moron!" She felt Kara's hand unlocked the handcuffs and put her against her in support.
"Alright, I think that's Mom." Liz pointed out. Kara huffed.
"Take the other to the satellite, please. Be careful. I'll deal with her later."
The anger in Kara's voice provoked goosebumps to irrupt on Lena's spine. Once betrayed, Kara could show even less mercy than her, post identity reveal.
"What about Mom?" Liz asked, worried, already planning her destination on her wristwatch.
"She can't travel." Kara said as she took Lena in bridal style as gently as possible. Lena looked up at her, her face leaning against the sigil on her chest. The pain disappeared for a second. She was home. Finally.
"I guess we're having this baby in the living room." Kara said with a small smile. Lena found the strength to smile back before a groan escaped her lips.
Another contraction hit and now she hated everyone. She hated them all. Individually and all together.
For the first time, after three pregnancies, Lena had given birth in their family house. To a half-Kryptonian baby. The Platinum Kryptonite had barely helped. Their son's head had already been visible when Alex had arrived. Everybody had gathered in the living room while Alex helped Lena give birth on the carpeted floor, in between the coffee table and the bookshelves, rushing Kelly to give her instruments while Kara held Lena against her in between her legs. It had been quick. The labor had lasted the whole day. The little guy had been completely ready to come out.
Lena looked tiredly down to said little guy, quietly sucking on her breast. Between the exertion of escaping and using her powers while being in labor, she was exhausted. Kara had stayed close to her side after the birth, not quitting them to even change. She was now caressing their son's soft hair as he was drinking colostrum as if his life depended on it. Liz was just next to her, her head on Lena's lap as she was watching her little brother in wonder, Snowflake curled up next to her, purring.
"He's so precious." She whispered softly.
"He is." Kara agreed.
"Lucy will be ecstatic."
"Where is she?" Lena asked tiredly, her head rocking from right to left to look at Kara.
"In the kitchen with Alex and Kelly. Nia picked her up from school."
"I want to see her."
Kara nodded but Liz was the one standing up. "I'll go get her." She said simply. Snowflake whined as she shuffled him a bit. He then jumped on the couch and laid in a ball at Lena's feet.
Calm surrounded them. The calm after the storm, except their life was just a succession of storm after storm and Kara was getting sick of it. She exhaled shakily. She couldn't wait any longer.
"I think I owned you an apology." She said with a broken voice, her eyes already getting wet. "I'm such an idiot. You've been imprisoned for months and I've seen nothing."
Lena met her eyes with fondness. Long gone was the animosity. She was just glad to be back home. She rose a heavy hand to Kara's cheek.
"Don't beat yourself on it. You weren't the only one who got deluded. She lied to everyone."
Kara took Lena's hand to squeeze but wasn't agreeing. "I'm your partner! We live together. She helped Lucy with her homework and she taught Liz some spells and she…" Her voice got stuck in her throat as realization dawned on her already crestfallen face. "Rao, I made love to her."
Kara hid her face in her hands in disgust. It was already hard to keep the anger at bay. Now, she would have to deal with the guilt of having cheating on Lena with her alter ego.
"Darling, hey!" Lena grabbed at her hand to stop her from spiraling. "It's okay." She swallowed hard, because it wasn't totally okay but it had to be. "She played her cards right. You couldn't know. Otherwise, you would have locked her up from the beginning."
Kara turned sorry, wet eyes on her. "I'm so sorry, Lena." She took both of Lena's hands in hers, imploring on her knees to be forgiven. "Rao, she almost killed you. Again. And I…" A sob escaped her lips. Lena whined in response, as sorry as she was. "I can't even look at myself in a mirror right now."
Lena pulled a hand out of Kara's grip and brush it through the blond locks she had missed so much. "You can't control all the things happening to us, baby." She swallowed the lump in her throat. Her eyes fell on their son in her arms. "It's nasty and we'll probably need therapy after that but," She sighed, cupping Kara's chin in her hand. "At the end of the day, I'm okay and our son is doing just fine."
Kara smiled wetly at her then at the newborn in her arms, dozing off on Lena's chest. "I promise I'll do anything to fix that."
"There's nothing to fix, darling. I love you. I forgive you."
Kara smiled sadly through a sigh then leaned down to put her forehead against Lena. "I love you too, so much. You have no idea."
"Where is he?" Lucy's enthusiastic voice erupted in the living room as she ran through the door. The adults separated. Kara only had the thought to intercept her youngest daughter before she climbed on Lena and her little brother.
"Shh, he's sleeping." She said as she showed the baby to Lucy. "He just ate."
Lucy squealed silently, two little fists on her mouth. "He's so cuuute!"
Lena chuckled down at her, caressing her cheek before pulling on the blanket to cover herself and the baby a bit more.
"What's his name?" Lucy asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
Kara and Lena shared a knowing smile. Liz came back in the room with a tray filled with tea and hot chocolate mugs.
"Yes, you've kept the secret long enough!" She complained playfully.
Kara chuckled. "Tell that to your mother. She didn't want anybody to know."
"I just wanted to keep this between us a little longer. To relish in the whole pregnancy thing." Lena smiled as she kissed their son's head.
"So?" Liz insisted, an eyebrow raised, as she sat on the carpeted floor next to the couch with crossed legs. She took a sip of her tea patiently.
"I want to know!" Lucy whined, jumping up and down on Kara's knees.
Kara chuckled once again. "Okay, okay!" She looked at Lena. "Go ahead." She shrugged.
Lena smiled. She threw a wink to Alex and Kelly who were hugging, leaned against the living room archway. Nia stepped forward too, just behind them, her arms crossed, her easy smile on her face.
"His name is Atlas Lysandro Walsh Danvers." Lena said calmly.
Lucy gasped exaggeratedly. "I love it! Atlas is strooong!" She said in a deep voice, showing off her little arms.
Lena laughed lightly. "He sure is!" She agreed. She observed the reactions around. Liz nodded with a small smile, taking another sip. Alex and Kelly entered the room, Nia behind them. Alex crouched down next to the couch as Kelly put her hands on her shoulders. Nia sat on the armchair next to the couch, uncharacteristically quiet.
"It's beautiful. It suits him." Alex said, caressing the baby's soft cheek. "I forgot how their skin could be this soft."
Kelly chuckled above her. "It's been a while since we had a baby in the family." She said throwing a glance to Nia who was the last giving birth to Ambrose.
Kara nodded. "He's already so cherished." She said without quitting her son's innocent face.
"Born on Valentine's Day. Already breaking hearts." Liz commented cheekily. The adults laughed.
"Well, it sure runs in the family, I heard." Nia winked at her, making Liz blush lightly as she tried to hide it in her mug.
Lena frowned playfully. "He'll be a gentleman. I'll make sure of that." She looked up at Liz with a pointed glance. "His sisters too."
Lucy tapped Kara's forearm. "Jeju, what's a gentleman?"
The doorbell rang before Kara could answer. They all frowned. Liz's face brightened up.
"It's Syd!"
They all watched her as she exited the room quickly to open the door.
"Young love, uh?" Alex smirked up to Lena.
Lena rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Don't start." She warned, but a smile grew on her tired face. Alex only rose two guilty hands.
"It's time for us to go, anyway. Eliott is waiting and Esme is coming home for diner so." Kelly explained. "Will you be okay?"
"Yes!" Kara and Lena answered at the same time. "Thank you." Lena added earnestly.
Alex kissed Atlas' head as Kelly hugged Kara and Lucy tight. Nia hugged them goodbye too but stayed behind.
"Don't mention it, Luthor." Alex winked.
On their way out, they met Liz and Sydney. The girl had a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a blue paper bag in the other. She waved awkwardly to Lena and Kara.
"Dianna told me the little guy showed up a bit early." She shrugged.
Kara stood up with Lucy in her arms. She hugged Sydney sideways. "Thanks for showing up, Sydney. It's kind of you."
"Actually," Liz said, rubbing at her neck in a true Kara fashion. "I invited Syd to spend the night. Is it okay?"
Kara smirked, knowing fully why her daughter's cheeks were blushing suddenly. She turned towards Lena anyway to see if they agreed. Lena nodded, the same smirk on her face.
"I'll order pizzas. Don't stay up too late. There's still school tomorrow." Kara warned as Liz was already squealing.
"Thanks! You're the best!" The teen said as she kissed Kara soundly on the cheek.
Kara watched her daughter take the gifts from her friend's hands and put them on the console nearby before taking her hand and pulling her to the kitchen to retrieve bottles of water and candies before going to the basement. She shook her head, turning back on Lena, who was sitting up carefully on the couch. She was smirking like the Cheshire cat. Nia was wearing the same kind of grin.
Kara pointed a finger at Lena. "Don't tell me she's just like me, I know it already." Kara said in anticipation.
Lena chuckled tiredly. "I was just going to ask if it pained you as much as me to see our little baby fall in love that early."
Kara huffed as she let herself fall heavily on the couch next to her. "I don't know if we can talk about love already, but she definitely has a crush and it definitely hurts."
Lena leaned her head on her shoulder, carrying their son gently. She scrunched up her face. They didn't plan for this to happen this early.
"Syd is a good girl though. And I think it's not one-sided." Nia smiled at them.
Lena huffed. "I think you're right. But I feel old suddenly."
"Me too." Kara agreed.
"Jeju, what's a crush?" Lucy asked, her little hands coming to cup Kara's face. Kara sighed as Lena and Nia laughed good-heartedly.
"That's my cue to go." Nia said enthusiastically. She stood up, Kara and Lena doing the same.
She hugged Kara first and kissed Lucy on the cheek, tickling her gently. Lena came next and, suddenly, Nia's face fell, her worries resurfacing.
"I'm sorry for what happened to you. We didn't realize that she had taken your place. I wish I had seen it in my dreams but…" She seemed lost in thoughts.
Lena took this opportunity to reassure her. "Don't worry, honey. I know you'd have come rescue me if you knew. Nothing that happened was your fault." She cupped her cheek affectionately. "Or anyone, for the matter." She said, glancing pointedly towards Kara.
"I hope you'll recover from that quickly." Nia said earnestly. "I'm glad you're safe now."
Lena pulled her in a hug. "I'm glad too. I've missed you all."
Nia kissed the side of her head. "Brainy was right all these years ago. We should put a bell on you or something." Kara snorted next to them as Lena pulled away, offended. Nia smiled guiltily. "Okay, no bell."
Kara chuckled and hugged her once more. "Go home safe. Say hi to Ambrose for us."
"I will. Bye guys. Take care." Nia said while disappearing through her portal.
Lena saw a sigh escaped from Kara. They looked at each other and smiled.
"Pepperoni?" Kara asked.
"With pineapples on it." Lena asked cheekily. Kara's scrunched up face said everything. She kissed Lena on the cheek before going to the kitchen.
"Mom, can I have a bell too like Snowflake?" Lena heard Lucy ask on their way. She chuckled as she groaned as she heard Kara laugh naturally.
A small smile grew on her face then. She looked down at Atlas, happily sleeping in her arms, light brown hair in his little head. She sighed contentedly. She had missed her family so much.
Liz and Sydney were casually sitting in the middle of the cube, loaded to represent Sydney's room on Themyscira for the occasion. It was all yellow stone walls, rosewood sofas, and velvet cushions. The sunset was peering through the archway serving as a window. Waves from the sea below the cliffs would be heard rocking calmly. Everything was so peaceful here. That was their safe heaven.
"I thought we were watching a movie." Sydney said as she popped a Jelly Belly in her mouth. She threw a perfectly angled one right in Liz's mouth.
"Well, we can after I've finished this drawing for art class." Liz said while chewing. "I have to give it back on Monday."
Sydney took back her pose, reading a fictional book. "Why am I always your guinea pig?" She asked, her eyes never leaving her page.
"Because I like drawing you?" Liz said, her tongue sticking out as she focused on drawing Sydney's expression.
"Is that a question or…?"
Liz paused her pencil on her notepad and blushed as she saw the smirk on Sydney's face. Sometimes, her best friend had a spur of confidence and would fire back things like that, making Liz wander if the flirtatious tone in Sydney's voice was just in her head.
"No, that's actually true." Liz squinted. "Your face and your body in general are perfect for drawing. You're sculpted like a Greek statue."
Sydney's confidence fell immediately, shy under the compliments. "I'm not that perfect." She mumbled through her teeth but Liz heard it, Kryptonian ears and all.
She looked up from her drawing once again, softening as she watched Sydney pick at her nails, the book on her knees forgotten. Sydney wasn't perfectly normal to Amazons' standards. She didn't like to fight, she didn't like to take runs around the wilderness or kill impressive monsters. She had strength and she was fast, but she didn't like to use any of those skills. It had come naturally, with genes, but it wasn't who she was. Sydney was tender. Soft. She liked to spend her time in bookstores or playing ball games, only because it wasn't tainted by the Amazons' competitiveness they expected from her. She liked being alone, in quiet places, not surrounded by bunches of warriors. Liz knew that it bothered her sometimes, not to be a real Amazon. Diana's insane practice sessions weren't helping, even if they all knew it was coming from a fear of losing Sydney. Of losing her to unpreparedness, just as Diana had lost all her people once. Liz also knew that Sydney could be fierce if provoked. They all knew it. But it was in her shyness and her softness that Liz found her the most attractive.
Liz put her notepad away. She would finish her assignment later. She approached Sydney and interrupted her ministrations with a warm hand.
"You know you're perfect just the way you are, right?" She said as she sat next to her. Sydney's cheeks took a red color but her face stayed dejected.
"When it comes from you, it doesn't sound so impartial."
Liz snorted. "I'm definitely not." She shoved her playfully with her shoulders, intertwining their fingers. "But I'm also your oldest friend. I know you enough to know you're wonderful."
Sydney's hazel eyes as they met hers were full of emotions. Hope. Affection. Yearning. They shifted to Liz's lips as they opened in a quiet gasp. It was there. Right there. Liz could lean just a bit and act on her feelings. Taking the risk of deepening their friendship into something they both seemed to aspire. But she wasn't selfish to that point. In less than four months, she would risk her life and probably die. Sydney deserved better than that.
Instead, she squeezed the soft hand in hers, and looked away, not missing the disappointment on Sydney's face.
"You know, about that guy in History class. Kyle." Liz said, because of course, that was the only subject she could pick. "I told him to get lost."
The guy in question was typically harassing her into dating. He had showed up multiple times at her locker and followed her during her jogging in the park. She had to threaten him to freeze his ass off for him to let her be.
"Why?" Sydney asked with a strangled voice. She cleared her throat, straightening up. "I mean, I know, he's weird but he seems to want to know you."
Liz shook her head. "He just wants a chance at approaching Supergirl's daughter."
Sydney scoffed. "You're more than just your family name."
Liz smiled with a sigh. Sydney was always the first to rise to protect her. Well, after her whole family, obviously.
"It's not like he could keep up with our life anyway."
It was supposed to be thrown like that. It was just a simple declaration. But it bore some weight. Sydney knew better than to trust Liz's nonchalant tone. The whole prophecy thing was taking a toll on her. Sometimes, being Supergirl and Lena Luthor's daughter meant she had to look strong. Sometimes, being in her position meant she couldn't be vulnerable or silly like a teenager would. Sometimes, Liz wished her best friend would leave her stupid statement at that. Just a statement. But Sydney wasn't the type to beat around the bush.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
It was softly asked. A hand on her shoulder. The warmth of their bodies so close Liz could smell her best friend's flowery perfume. She sighed. Why did she even open her mouth?
"About my mother being abducted by a sociopath or about my baby brother being born in my living room?"
Sydney only frowned at her attempted joke. "About the guy's thoughts you're hearing in your head."
Liz hadn't talked to a lot of people about it. She had opened up to Esme because she had feared at first that it was a new power. That Esme would discover it by accident. She didn't, but Liz was kind of thankful to be able to talk to her about it. She was too, for Sydney. Esme had the maturity to deal with it like an adult and advise her. Sydney understood how it could be disturbing for Liz to have all these responsibilities at their age.
"I don't really hear him anymore." Liz sighed, her shoulders sagging. "He cut the link after the last time I went to meet him." She explained, her fingers picking at the fabric of her sweater. "I share his dreams, though. Nightmares." She swallowed with difficulty. "It's not the most joyous thing."
Sydney leaned her head on her shoulder in comfort. "He's still dreaming about ending the world?"
"No, it's more like…" Liz brushed a hand in her hair, leaning her head on Sydney's. "It's memories. He was beaten up as a child. They were expecting a lot from him. He was trained to be this merciless warrior. It's terrifying."
"Because he looks unbeatable?" Sydney asked softly, her fingers coming back in between Liz's. She started to form hazardous shapes on the back of her hand, her touch feather-like.
Liz shook her head against hers. "I can feel his pain." She shivered from the memories. "I feel his bones cracking under the hits as if it was mines. He was so young and…" She sighed, willing the shared hurt to go away. "So lonely." She finished in a whisper.
"You can't fight him." Sydney stated. It wasn't a question. She knew Liz enough to understand that her friend was feeling too much towards her nemesis to go through with it.
Liz shook her head, agreeing. "I can't. I don't want to."
"Then, don't."
Liz huffed. "You know that's not that simple. He'll hurt a lot of people. I watched my mom's memory key. He burnt everything down in the other dimensions."
"Hey," Sydney cupped her cheek, calming her. "He didn't have you in the other dimensions. Your link must mean something. It's not a coincidence."
Liz frowned, her eyes diving hopefully into Sydney's optimistic ones. "You think so?"
"I'm sure of it. It must be linked to the prophecy. Your bond is too strong to mean nothing." Sydney smiled, her thumb rubbing at Liz's cheekbone. "If you don't feel like fighting him, then don't. You know better than any of us."
Liz smiled at her gratefully. She pulled her in a hug, hiding her nose in her best friend gorgeous mane.
"What would I do without you?" She said rhetorically, her voice muffled.
Sydney chuckled. "Nothing productive, for sure." She teased, her hands traveling on her back affectionately. "I'll always be there. You know that." She said more seriously.
Liz squeezed her closer. If she came out of it alive, she promised herself to act on her feelings. Because Sydney deserved better than that. For now, their friendship was everything she needed.
"How could she just disappear?!" Jason heard a woman shout in the hall. He stood up from his bed and approached the cell door.
Supergirl, Wonder Woman and Cyborg passed in front of his cell and continued in the hall. They stopped several feet away, probably in front of the cell which was supposed to contain his sister's alter ego.
"I don't understand." Cyborg's deep robotic voice said. "I took her out to take a sample of her blood for analysis. She didn't struggle or attempt to escape. I put her back in and two minutes later, the sensors went off, signaling there was nobody in the cell."
"It's impossible. The cells are made of Thanagarian technology. It's tamper-proof." Wonder Woman said.
"Well, it means she didn't use magic." Cyborg said.
Jason took a step back as they seemed to approach. They stopped just next to his cell. He could see the two women surrounding the robot.
"Do you have some footage of her cell?" Supergirl asked, hands on hips, crinkle on a tired face.
The three of them leaned over Cyborg's made-up screen between his hands as he swiped the day's footage of the prison cells.
If Jason had heard right, they had finally found his sister back and rescued her. Just in time for her to give birth to her son. It was about time. He had insisted there was a problem with Lena weeks ago but it took the guards two whole months to realize he might be on something. She hadn't visited in months. It wasn't right.
On the video, the woman in the cell disappeared into a flourish of nanobots that slipped out by the small air vent above their bathroom. Thanagarian technologies were made to neutralize all powers. Their cells weren't made to neutralize technology. That was the reason why Lena couldn't visit with a simple watch or her smartphone.
Jason rolled his eyes. Amateurs. He listened as the three heroes' surprised faces morphed into disbelief.
"It looks just like Jack Sphere's nanotechnology!" Supergirl exclaimed. "I destroyed it here but it must come from her dimension."
"Now we know why she was untraceable by the sat." Cyborg said, shutting off the screen between his hands.
"We have to find her." Supergirl said, her fists tightening on themselves.
Jason had to admit he wouldn't like to know how it felt. He actually didn't like the feeling too well when Supergirl's blue eyes met his through the glass door. She approached tentatively, hands on hips, eyes fierce.
"You." She said with squinted eyes. "You're the one who warned us about Lena's abduction."
Jason shrugged. "I didn't know she had been abducted. I just thought it weird she hadn't visited in weeks."
Supergirl rose a finger to her chin pensively. Her eyes then met Wonder Woman's. They seemed to share a silent discussion. Then the Amazon drew closer and removed her lasso from her belt. Supergirl unlocked the cell door and opened it.
"You helped Lena." She said, walking forward, oppressing him into backing off. "Do you want to help us?"
Jason rose an inquisitive eyebrow. Supergirl tilted her head in curiosity. She waited patiently for a reply. He measured her up. His eyes traveled from her to Wonder Woman and her lasso. He nodded slowly, hesitantly.
"She's the last member of my family." He said as an explanation.
Supergirl shot a glance to Wonder Woman. In a quick motion, Jason found his chest pressed by the glowing Lasso of Truth.
"Explain your intentions." Wonder Woman simply demanded.
"I want Lena safe." Jason said through his teeth. He tried to struggle but it hurt too much. It felt like his bones were burning from within. "I want to protect her."
"Will you betray our trust?" Wonder Woman continued.
"No." Jason said quickly. "I want to know my family and protect them all. I won't hurt them anymore. I love my sister."
"Enough." Supergirl said.
Wonder Woman freed Jason immediately. He gasped, falling on his knees. He looked up to Supergirl with wide eyes. The despise in her eyes was still there, but he could find some trust there too. She came to him and grabbed him by the collar.
"If you so much as touch one of Lena's hair or our kids'," She said, her face mere inches away from his ear. "I'll end you."
She loosened her grip enough for him to fall clumsily on his feet. She brushed some invisible dust off his prison suit then extended a hand.
"Do we have an agreement?" The grin on her face was barely too kind to be honest.
Jason looked at the hand then looked at the two heroes behind her. He didn't have really the choice. Helping them was better than to rot in here, hands tied, knowing his family is in danger. He took her hand without hesitation.
"We do." He shook it, containing a wince back as she squeezed a bit stronger. "Thank you." He said as an olive branch.
"We'll see if you're that thankful when you'll meet my sister." Supergirl said, exiting the cell.
Jason scrambled on his feet to follow, Wonder Woman and Cyborg behind them. His thoughts went immediately to his own sister. He knew their relationship couldn't be fixed but he could at least try.
A/N: So, who's starting to get sick in this roller coaster? 'Cause I am.
It turned out longer than I'd planned. I didn't want it to go past 10K words and it did. I got carried away, probably because of the baby in this story (sorry not sorry! Imaginary kisses to Atlas xxx).
Also, I'm starting to really like Liz and Sydney together. I like Jason too. He's like Lex from Smallville if only Superman had trusted him instead of keeping him in the dark. He has hair too so it helps... All these OC will have important roles at the end, I can tell you that. Just like Lena 2.0...
I'd like to thank Swagittarius for their support. It came on the right day ;)
Thank you for reading!
Take care.