Jess quietly knocked three times as she always does when there’s a guest at the office. She came in closely followed by Alex Danvers.
Alex Danvers. The sister of Kara Danvers.
Kara Danvers. The one who broke her heart.
“The FBI is here to see you Ms Luthor.” Jess squeaked as Alex barged past, still holding her badge. She strolled right up to the CEO’s desk and stood there. Lena gave a quick nod to Jess and she silently left the office closing the door behind her.
“How can I help you, Agent Danvers? Were there any issues with the paperwork?”
“Oh, Agent Danvers? Right. Well then, Miss Luthor. No, that’s not why I’m here.” Lena quirked her brow as Alex continued. “It’s about Kara.” Alex watched at the composed CEO’s face turned to stone, remaining silent.
“Look, I’m really sorry. I know Kara shouldn’t have kept her secret from you, but I was the one who told her not to.”
Silence.
“Did she tell you what happened last year?” Alex queried as she sat down facing the CEO.
“No. So I’ll presume you are going to reply with another secret, that I, and I alone was left out of.”
“Well, kind of. But this isn’t like that.” Lena quirked her eyebrow again, so Alex continued. “Last year, at the DEO, I had just been promoted to Director and I disobeyed direct orders from The President. So they sent over Colonel Haley to basically babysit me to make sure I followed the orders from up high. I didn’t. Because half the time they were wrong. But anyway, The President wanted to know Supergirl’s secret identity and they had a truth seeker, so no one could lie—“
“Yes, Agent Danvers, I know what a truth seeker is.”
“Right, yes, of course. Anyway, that way they’d be able to find Supergirl’s identity. So J’onn, the old director, mind wiped every agent who knew her identity.” After seeing Lena’s puzzled look she clarified, “He’s a martian. So I had no idea Supergirl was my sister, and I was horrible to her. You might remember one game night, the question was Kara’s favourite movie and I got it wrong. It was a few weeks after I had my mind wiped of anything linking to Kara and Supergirl together, so I didn’t know that her favourite movie was the Wizard of Oz because it was relatable to how she felt when she first got here.”
Lena remained emotionless.
“There was one point, I was having memory flashes, or flashbacks or weird dreams. There was one in particular, right after my adoption fell through. I was watching a movie with Kelly and I fell asleep. And I woke up in a panic. I had this dream from when Kara and I were kids and we got run off a road, we would have fallen and died and we weren’t even 17. It was the first time she saved me. She saved me again the next day when I was going to get shot- even when she was banned from using her powers. Ever since she got here we have all pressured her to fit in, to be “normal”, to hide her alien identity. Do you remember her debut- the plane?”
Silence.
“She saved that plane because I was on it. She left the first date she’d had, like ever, to save me on a plane that was about to crash. You know what my response was? I yelled at her. I was so angry for revealing herself as Supergirl. I was mad because she was the happiest she’d been since before her entire planet exploded! My entire life has revolved around keeping her safe. My job, everything. And yet, it took her dying to remember she was Supergirl. She died Lena. Kara died. My sister died.”
Silence.
A single tear fell down Lena’s cheek.
“She died. Lena, don’t you understand? She was protecting you from herself when she hid her identity- you didn’t need to worry about your best friend Kara when she was in a coma two years ago from Reign. You didn’t have to worry about Kara whenever she went out and fought each day. You didn’t have to worry when she died in front of your eyes when you hadn’t even been able to apologise for being horrible.”
Silence.
A second tear joined the first.
“Lena, I didn’t want Kara to tell you her identity because I don’t trust you.” Lena opened her mouth to speak but was cut short, “not because of your name or whatever the hell you think, but because you are singularly the only person capable of being able to break my sister’s heart. The only one. Do you remember the Daxamite invasion? She chose Earth over Mon-El -and damn right if I’m honest, she said to me that Superman couldn’t have done the same for his girlfriend but she said she couldn’t live with herself if she hadn’t have picked Earth. But you know what- I think, if it were you, she wouldn’t pick Earth.”
Silence.
A third and forth.
“Do you remember a while after, when Morgan Edge framed you for poisoning the children? He put you on a plane that would release the chemicals into the water supply. You sent a mayday message. Kara knew it was you before you had even finished the word mayday. You said to her to save the chemicals and not you. She would not let yout die. Look, I get her excuses outright awful.” That earned Alex a scoff, “She loves you, Lena, more than she realises. And I think, you love her too- you were not this torn up over James being the Guardian. She has broken laws for you- with the diaries—“ after seeing Lena eyebrow raise, “Yes, I know about that- Kara isn’t that subtle. The person who represents hope and justice and all that is good and pure in the world, but she would drop everything to make you happy. She trusts you more than I can see reason to, when she walked out of your office for the first time with Clark Kent, she said she trusted you. Immediately.”
Silence.
Fifth.
Sixth.
Seventh.
“When you were framed for giving Cadmus the kryptonite heart- she knew- she knew it was edited. She knew you wouldn’t do that. And it broke her entirely when she found out you had found out a way to make that very thing. And, I know this a touchy subject between you, but there’s emotional trauma not just physical trauma. When you lived in Metropolis she was infected with Red Kryptonite and it brought every dark thought she’d ever had to the surface- she pushed Cat Grant, Cat Grant off of the building CatCo. A few months later, I killed her aunt with a Kryptonite sword. The only biological family she had who actually remembered what Krypton was like. I was also mind controlled, wearing a kryptonite suit and she had to fight me. I could have killed her. Isn’t just about the nails running through your blood, or whatever she said it felt like.”
Silence.
Eighth.
“You know, she said to me the other day, she realised she had lost her world four times. At first I was confused, then she started to explain. She lost Krypton when she was 13. Then she found Argo two years ago. When I asked for your help to evacuate the Earth, she had just lost Argo. Again. Then when her and the other paragons were at the Vanishing Point every single Earth in the multiverse was gone, just like that, including this one. That was the third time she lost her world. You know what she said the forth time was?”
Silence.
“Losing you.”
Ninth.
Tenth.
“Well, my speech is finished. Take from it what you will. Just know that Kara is broken right now. She has quit her job at CatCo and has thrown herself in full time to superheroing. She doesn’t sleep. She doesn’t even eat. Kara, Kara has stopped eating. So, it’s up to you know. I have done everything I can to save her.”
And with that Alex was gone. The door slammed shut and Lena was left alone in her office once more. But this time the floodgates opened as soon as she sent a message to Jess to cancel any meeting for the rest of the day.
She grabbed her coat and her bag and left the building. Calling her driver on the way out.
While she waited, she went into the donut shop next door where Kara would go whenever she knew Lena hadn’t eaten.
Once her car arrived, her first stop was to Big Belly Burger to get their usual order of salad for Lena and double stacked cheeseburger with bacon and a side of fries.
Her next stop was to the first class, overpriced florists, where Lena blight the flowers that filled Kara’s office, and bought a Plumeria and Red Rose bouquet.
Lena’s penultimate stop was at Noonan’s where she asked for Kara Danvers’ usual.
Finally she asked her driver to take her to Kara’s apartment. From there she dismissed him for the night. As he pulled away, Lena took out her phone, and noticed that Supergirl was last spotted stopping a bank robbery - 5 minutes ago. The CEO then sent a text to Alex Danvers.
Alex Danvers. The sister of Kara Danvers.
Kara Danvers. The one who could fix her heart.
Lena Luthor - Alex Danvers 10.12pm.
Hey, Alex. Can you ask Kara to go to her apartment?
Alex Danvers - Lena Luthor 10.12pm.
Of course. :) xx
Please fix this. Xx
Lena Luthor - Alex Danvers 10.12pm.
I’ll try.
Thank you for everything by the way.
I’m sorry I broke her.
Lena Luthor - Alex Danvers 10.14pm.
She’s just flown in through her window.
Wish me luck.
Alex Danvers - Lena Luthor 10.14pm.
God, she should not be doing that.
Good Luck Xx
Lena Luthor began to climb that stairs of Kara’s apartment building with each step she took, she became more and more anxious. She had not thought this through. The four bags balanced precariously on her arms. It would have been easier to take the elevator, but Lena needed time to think. To be fair, she has had 7 weeks to think. She hasn’t seen Kara in 7 weeks. She made it through 25 years without knowing Kara Danvers but it hurts when’s she’s not there.
The CEO reached Kara’s floor and started to head towards the door.
She stood there, staring at the door number for 5 minutes before she even lifted her hand to knock, but before her hand had even left the door it had been opened by the blonde on the other side. A shy hello barely escaped Lena’s lips when she saw Kara. It had been too long. Even though it was her fault, after all Lena did block her out, banning her from the L-Corp building and her apartment building, the sight in front of her still played on her heartstrings like someone strumming on a guitar.
“Hey” Kara said, making Lena’s heart flutter. She had missed that voice.
“Hey” Lena responded, looking to the floor as Kara opened the door further, a silent invitation inside. Lena walked in with the bags resting them on the breakfast bar before walking to the middle of the room, still wearing her coat, finding with her hands.
“Um... do you want me to hang that up? Or....” Kara trailed off, awkwardly. She had been cut out of Lena’s life entirely for 7 weeks, 3 days, 2 hours, 40 minutes and 38 seconds yet, the CEO shows up to her apartment unexpectedly. The blonde was willing to bet her impish sister had something to do with it.
The brunette gave a shy nod as she shrugged off her coat handing it to Kara. She turned to look back at the living room, reminiscing about all the game night and movie nights she had spent there. If she thought hard enough she could here the echo of a laughter and it sent a stabbing sensation through her chest.
“Um.... If you don’t mind me asking? Why are you here?” Kara questioned gently, with no malice, just genuine curiosity as she watched Lena gaze at her apartment.
Lena span on her foot after being disrupted from her daze, “oh... yeah, no... of course... I um.... brought food” pointing to the bags on the counter. She was surprised that she didn’t see the same gleam in Kara’s eyes that she used from the sound of food. “There’s your usual burger order, usual Noonan’s order and your usual donut order, unless it’s changed? It might be cold by now I bought it quite a while ago.”
“No, it hasn’t changed. Thank you. I do have a little party trick to solve that issue.” the blonde immediately covered her mouth with her hand.
“Hey, don’t worry. I know now, so we can move on. That’s actually why I came here, there’s also, um... flowers in one of the bags.” Lena said encouraging.
Walking over to her bags she put the flowers in a vase and filled it with water and pulled out various containers and laid them out as Kara gathered cutlery and plates as well as some glasses in a comfortable and familiar silence. “They’re beautiful!”
They sat facing each other at the breakfast bar, when Lena broke the silence, “So, tell be about Krypton.” Kara choked on her food as she had not expected that.
“Um... are you sure, I mean. That’s not what people usually ask first- or at all.” the blonde uttered, nervously laughing.
“Now we are on the same page, and I’m included I want to know everything, so start at the beginning.” Lena asked gently.
By now, all the food was long gone and they had moved to the sofa. Kara had been talking for hours and Lena patiently listened. When it seemed like Kara was finished, Lena spoke up, “Um, hey Kara?”
“Hmm” the blonde looked up intently at the CEO.
“Can I ask a question?”
“Of course, no secrets remember” Kara said, smiling.
“Why did you trust me?” The brunette, was looking anywhere but at the alien in front of her.
“Well, honestly...um...” Kara mumbled, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly, “I... um... felt like I already knew you...I don’t know, it sounds really weird, but it feels like I knew you in like a past life or something...I don’t know...” She trailed off.
“Hmm”
Silence.
“I heard you quit working at CatCo.”
“Hmm”
“Why?”
“Um...I think I needed to give me life a new direction.”
“Is that your planned answer or the truth.”
“I don’t know, I needed a fresh start I guess.”
“Hmm”
“Why did you come tonight? Of all the nights in the past 7 weeks, 3 days, 7 hours, 56 minutes and 24 seconds, why tonight?”
“Oh, um Alex came and spoke to me today, made me see reason.”
“Hmm, that’s what I thought.”
“Why do you ask?”
“Well, I figured as much, but did Alex tell you what today is?”
“No.......”
“Right, ok... Well, uh, um... I landed on Earth 18 years ago today”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, and, we uh, met uh... 4 years ago today. Ummm”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
Silence.
“What did Alex tell you?”
“Um, she started with what happened with Colonel Haley and the mind wiping, so that I knew there was a point when even she couldn’t know. And uh, then she told me uh... how you save her when you were kids from being run off the road, and the plane was to save her, and uh... how she was angry at you for it. and um... about uh… how she saw you die.”
“Yeah?”
“Uh.. and about the Red Kryptonite incident, and how she killed your aunt, I think. And uh... how you trust me for no apparent reason, and um... how you were.... uh... broken......”
Silence.
“Yeah.” Kara pace dover to the sink to get another drink of water. “Any questions?”
Lena laughed, the sound felt foreign coming from her mouth, she hadn’t laughed in a long time. “Only you would be told that you died and proceed to ask if anyone had any questions.”
“Well, do you?”
“I am a scientist, of course I do.” Kara came and sat back down, slightly closer to the chuckling brunette, “Why did you break?” Lena questioned sincerely.
The answer that Lena received was the one she was most terrified of.
“Because I love you.”
Silence.
“And you left.”
Silence.
“So it hurt.”
Silence.
“But it was fair.”
Silence.
“Why?” She queried, with genuine wonder.
Taken a back, Kara responded, “Why? Why do I love you.” Lena nods, “How could I not?” Kara gazed at Lena lovingly with sincerity and not an ounce of pity.
“You’re this perfect, brilliant, intelligent, brave, good, kind, generous, brilliant, beautiful, stunning, gorgeous, did I mention brilliant person who deserves all the love in the world.”
Lena giggled in response, crying in disbelief. No one had told her they loved her and meant it since she was four.
“Alex told me that when James told me he was Guardian, I wasn’t that torn up over it, but finding out you were Supergirl shattered me, she made me see that there had to be a reason for that, after all, I never really loved him, I loved the idea of being loved by someone. But breaking was what it took for me to realise that I love you too, not just the concept of being loved by someone.”
“Huh, you don’t like flying, do you?” Lena quirked an eyebrow at the sudden change in topic, but shook her head, “Hmmm, would you fly with me?” After a pause, the brunette stood up, holding her hand out for Kara to take.
“I’d go anywhere with you.”
Kara stood up, beaming as she held onto Lena’s hand. She forced herself to let go as she sped around the apartment putting a selection of items into a bag, zipping it shut. Less than thirty seconds later she was wearing a different outfit- not pyjamas- had Lena’s coat in her arms and the bag on her back. She gave the CEO the coat to put on, and then picked her up bridal style, receiving a surprised giggle from the brunette. They flew out into the cool summer evening sky through the open window. The brunette clutched the alien’s neck as they flew to the top of the L-Corp building, Kara touched down in the centre with a beautiful grace. She put the Lena down carefully and the put the bag down. She took a blanket out and lay it on the ground. They sat down as they watched as the sun rise over the waterfront of National City, until Lena broke the peaceful silence.
“It”s beautiful” she admired the sun gleaming on the rippling waves of the waterfront.
Kara, however admired the way the first glimpse of the daylight made Lena’s skin glow delicately, making her ocean green eyes sparkle, “Yeah.” she turned back to watch the sunrise.
Silence.
Once the sun rose entirely over the distant horizon, Kara spoke, ”Lena?”
“Hmm” Lena turns to face Kara.
Gazing into the brunette’s eyes, “Can I kiss you?”
“I thought you’d never ask”, as she leant forward, being met halfway way Kara. Their lips touch briefly before Kara pulled away abruptly.
“I almost forgot.” She took a box out of the bag and turned back to face Lena, “Ok, so please don’t judge.” Opening the box she began to take things out. “I wanted to show you this,” written on the side, it simply said Lena, which sparked Lena’s curiosity, “So in here, I’ve got various moments from over the time we’e know each other, hey... are you crying?” Lena was sobbing as Kara’s arms manoeuvred to hold Lena in a comforting embrace. “Hey, hey. If you want to cry, you can cry, ok? Hey, it’s ok.” Kara’s whispers only made Lena cry more.
“No one has ever done anything remotely like this, anything so meaningful or heart felt. I’m sorry, I just didn’t know how to react.”
“Hey, hey. You don’t need to apologise, If you don’t want to go through it, that’s fine.”
“No, no. I want to see this.”
Kara let go of the CEO but shuffled closer so she could drape one arm around her shoulders. Rubbing her hand up and down Lena’s arm soothingly, “Ok, so obviously there are all the CatCo magazines with articles that have been written by me about you, and the one my cousin wrote, when I met you. Then there’s one of the roses you filled my office with which I froze, along with a load of petals, because that was a lot of flowers.”
“The bouquet I brought with me was from the same florists.”
“Then there is one of the plumerias you had in your office that time. And one of the roses I gave you after you saved me from the nano bots. Here’s the receipt of the meal I bought of all the appetisers when I saw you in that restaurant when you said you weren’t here to make friends but invited me to join you anyway, claiming I couldn’t eat it all by myself, which I could but ya know...” They both started chuckling at Kara’s tremendous appetite. “Here’s the first movie we watched, Frozen even though you claimed to not enjoy it, you know half of the words to the songs...”
“Hey” the brunette said as she playfully punched the blonde’s shoulder, “they’re catchy songs!”
“There’s the book you gave me a few months ago, the necklace you got me for Christmas last year, and the watch from the year before and my jumper from the set we wore the year before that. Also, all the days when we’ve had any kind of brunch, lunch, movie night, where I’ve put it in my diary, I’ve ripped out the day from the book and they’re all here.”
“This is really sweet, I can’t believe you have all of this stuff. Like I’ve said, no one has ever done anything this thoughtful.”
“Now that I’ve show you that, can we resume where we were before?”
Lena pecked at Kara’s lips, “Of course” the words had barely left her mouth when Kara crashed her lips to Lena’s with a carefully controlled burst of strength. Trailing her kisses all over Lena’s face making Lena giggle.
They stayed like that, on the rooftop of the building where there first met four years earlier, into the late hours of the morning.