Chapter 20
It was towards the end of her fall semester when the blonde’s seemingly perfect world fractured. She and Laurel had settled well in the new aspect of their relationship, something that she got a lot of teasing from Sara and Lena, and her mother making sure that she was using protection. It was more embarrassing than when Cat gave her the puberty talk and what would be happening to her body. The younger blonde was blushing for a week and utterly mortified by the conversation, both conversations.
Kara's phone lit up and let out a loud shrill, startling the dozing Kryptonian up out of bed. She assumed it was only muscle memory that kept her from breaking anything as she fumbled around for the device before grabbing it off the nightstand and answering it. “Hello,” she mumbled, her face still pressed into her pillow.
“Kara?” Lena’s voice came through the phone, fear and terror lacing her tone.
“Lena?” Kara said, scrubbing at her face. “What's wrong?”
“Have you seen the news?”
The blonde’s brow furrowed as she heard the sob building in her best friend’s voice and she scrambled for the remote on her bedside table. She clicked the TV on and turned the channel to the news and sat back down on her bed in shock. Plastered across the screen were images of Lex Luthor in a suit of armor battling Superman, with captions that read ‘Luthor wages war against Superman, causing earthquake in Metropolis. Death toll rising.’ “Oh Lena,” Kara breathed, watching in horror as the broadcast continued.
“He did it, he really did it this time,” Lena sobbed, the sound breaking Kara’s heart.
“Lena, what-”
“He finally went nuts! His hatred of aliens, his fear, his jealousy, he finally did it and ended up taking out a huge population of Metropolis at the same time,” Lena yelled.
“Superman will stop him Lena, he won’t be able to hurt anyone else.”
“I’m afraid for Lex though,” the brunette replied, “He’s done horrible things but he was the only one in the family that was nice to me, that welcomed me. He’s not, he’s not right in the head. He’ll justify the deaths of all those people by saying it was a necessary evil if he could get rid of Superman.”
“You don’t believe him do you?” Kara questioned. “That Superman is evil and that aliens don’t belong in this world?”
“My best friend is an alien you dope! And Superman is an ass, but you have to understand, no matter what Lex has done, he’s still my brother.”
“I understand Lena, I do, but what he’s done-”
“I know, I know!” Lena gasped out, “What am I going to do? The Luthor name was already suspect but now…”
“Lena…”
“And you, he went after your cousin! Your only blood relative left, despite the fact he’s an ass, how can you even still be friends with me? A Luthor… I have to go.”
“Wait Lena!” Kara yelled into the phone but Lena had already clicked off, “Lena!” She groaned when she realized that the other girl had hung up the phone and called her right back. The call went straight to voicemail so Kara called a few more times. “Crap,” the blonde muttered, dialing her mother. “Mom!”
“Have you seen the news?” Cat’s voice came, her tone worried.
“Lena just called me,” Kara answered, “She was really upset and then hung up on me. I’m not quite sure what happened, but it seemed like she questioned whether we could be friends anymore and hung up, what’s going on in Metropolis?”
“It’s a mess as far as I can tell, though I just got contact back with the CatCo office in Metropolis an hour ago so I’m still getting information. I got a hold of Lane, and she was in Gotham working on a story when Luthor triggered the earthquake device to draw out Superman so she’s fine, but pissed that she’s stuck in Gotham since travel to Metropolis has been restricted.”
“Has Lex been captured?”
“My sources tell me that Lex Luthor has been captured by Superman and the armor he was wearing has been destroyed.”
“And Kal?”
“He’s fine, a little beat up but fine. Metropolis is a bit of a mess right now though, the death toll from the earthquake keeps rising, in the hundreds now.”
“What caused the earthquake?”
“No reports on that yet but apparently it was some sort of device. It didn’t seem like a real earthquake, but something manufactured, like something aimed to topple buildings.”
Kara groaned, rubbing at her face, “This is a mess… I need to talk to Lena, I need to see her, she’s ignoring my calls so I can’t just call her.”
Cat was silent on the other end of the phone for a few minutes before speaking, “You finish up in a week, I know that you were going to spend break at home with Carter and I, but why don’t you get the time off from the coffee shop and go see Kate? Lena will probably be staying at the Luthor home in Gotham. After everything that has happened, she probably won’t stay at school over the break, but probably won’t go to Metropolis.”
“Are you sure?” Kara asked, biting her lip, “Oh, what about your mother?”
The older woman scoffed, “You watched the Wizard of Oz, it takes a bucket of water to get rid of the wicked witch. She’s in Star City on some kind of book tour, and yes I’m sure. Lena is your best friend, when this sets in, she’ll need you.”
“Thanks Mom, I’ll have to explain this to Laurel though,” Kara groaned, “We were going to spend New Years together, but if I’m going to be in Gotham all break then…”
“I’m sure your lawyer girlfriend will understand. Something you’ll understand later in life Kara, but lovers aren’t a necessary for life, friends are. Best friends are hard to come by, never sacrifice your friends for a relationship.”
“More words of wisdom from Cat Grant?” Kara teased weakly.
“I know, I should write another book.” They continued to talk for a few minutes before hanging up with her mother promising that she would keep her informed of anything as soon as she learned it, her branches in Metropolis and Gotham working overtime to keep up with the story. Classes for the day were canceled so that students could follow the story and contact any family members they might have in Metropolis. Kara’s attention never strayed from the screen, not even when Megan and Sara wandered into the room to watch the news as well.
“Isn’t that your friend Lena’s brother?” Megan asked, looking at the blonde in concern.
Kara nodded her head absently and the two roommates glanced at each other worriedly. “Is Lena alright Kara?” Sara questioned, sitting next to Kara on her bed.
“She called me but she hung up before I could really talk to her and now she won’t answer my calls,” Kara replied, tearing her eyes from the screen. “Mom suggested I fly to Gotham during break since Lena will most likely be staying there during Christmas.”
“You sure it’ll be safe?” Megan asked, “Metropolis isn’t exactly far from Gotham.”
“Mom said Gotham was untouched, it was a man-made earthquake designed to rattle and topple buildings. Lex wasn’t looking to hurt anyone outside of Gotham, at least not yet. His main goal was to destroy Superman, no matter who he hurt.” Kara scrubbed at her face, “I can’t even imagine what Lena is feeling now. She knew that Lex was heading down a dark path but he wouldn’t listen, she couldn’t get him to turn from it.”
“Then you have to go,” Sara said, “I know that you and my sister had plans for over winter break, but she’ll understand, your best friend need you.”
“Thanks Sara,” Kara smiled, picking up her phone to send a text to Laurel, letting her know that she would have to cancel their plans over break and that Lena needed her. The brunette sent a response back, letting her know that it was okay she had to work on an upcoming case anyway.
Kara continued to try reaching Lena throughout the next week, each time being sent to straight to voicemail or having the other girl answer only to hangup a short time later. It took everything in her to not fly straight to MIT or Gotham herself and shake some sense into the the other girl. She let out a sigh of relief when she left her final critique and rushed back to her room to grab the bags she had packed earlier in the day. Leaving a note for Sara and Megan, Kara dashed out of the room and saw one of her mother’s less obvious town cars waiting for her outside the dorm.
“Hi Mark,” Kara greeted the driver when she tossed her bags into the backseat before climbing in, “Were you waiting long?”
“Not at all Miss Grant,” the man replied, a smile on his face. He loved driving around the elder of Cat’s children. Kara was always bright and bubbly when he saw her, and a general delight to greet. “My wife wanted me to tell you that she appreciated the painting you made her while she was in the hospital. The added color and beauty in the room definitely helped with her recovery.”
“Well I figured a painting of the Rockies would help encourage her to get better and get back out there,” the blonde smiled, “A broken leg shouldn’t keep her from mountain climbing all she wants.”
“She’s already back out on the trails in her cast and as soon as the doctor cuts it off and gives her the okay, she’ll be back to climbing mountains,” Mark chuckled. “The painting has taken pride of place in the living room where everyone can look at it, thank you Miss Grant.”
Kara blinked and nodded, “It’s no problem, and how many times do I have to tell you it’s Kara.”
“Probably a few more times,” he replied.
The blonde fidgeted a bit on the way to the airport, worried about how Lena would be when she finally got to Gotham. Kate had sent her a text the night before, confirming that she would be at the airport to pick her up and that her sources said that Lena was at the Luthor mansion in Gotham. Mark helped her with her bags once at the airport and Kara checked in at the gate. The plane was taking off in an hour, and would start boarding within the next fifteen or so minutes. Cat got her a ticket in first class since Kara said she wouldn’t take CatCo’s private jet, so she knew that she would be boarding early.
Several hours later Kara was stepping out of the plane at Gotham airport with her bags in hand and headed towards the receiving gate. She followed the sound of Kate’s heart beat until she spotted the red head standing near a shorter, Latina woman wearing a leather bomber jacket with dark wavy hair framing her face. “Kara!” Kate yelled when she spotted the blonde walking towards them and ran over to her, pulling her in a tight hug. “We’ll get this sorted out,” the redhead murmured in her ear before releasing the girl. She guided the blonde over to the other woman that was with her, “Kara, I want you to meet my girlfriend Maggie, she’s a detective for the science unit with the Gotham PD. Maggie, this is my little sister Kara.”
The woman smiled, revealing dimples in both cheeks and she held out her hand to the blonde girl, “I’ve heard so much about you.”
Kara ignored the outstretched hand and pulled the woman into a hug instead. “I’ve heard a lot about you as well,” the blonde smiled, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet. She had heard a lot about the shorter woman. When Kate’s former girlfriend Renee took up the mantel of the superhero The Question, their relationship tapered off. It was difficult to keep up with both of them being heroes, so they agreed to remain friends while Renee left to fulfil her new role. Kate met Maggie earlier this year when she transferred from Metropolis PD, and was instantly smitten. Kara had to hear about the whole love story, wishing that she didn’t have to hear about her older sister’s sex life.
“Oof,” Maggie said, wincing at the tight hold, “You’ve got a tight hold there.”
The blonde released the woman immediately and took a step back. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly, “I workout, I tend to forget my own strength.”
“She trains a lot with me,” Kate said, linking arms with the two women and tugging them out of the airport. “I’ve been teaching her martial arts almost every summer since she was fourteen years old.”
“That’s adorable,” Maggie replied before her phone buzzed on her hip. She glanced at it and sighed, “Sorry Kate, I have to go, I know I promised I would have dinner with both of you, but crime never sleeps in Gotham.” She pressed a quick kiss to Kate’s lips and shot a smile at Kara, “It’s nice to meet you Kara, I’m sure I’ll see you again while you’re here.”
“Thanks Maggie, be safe,” the blonde said, squeezing the woman’s hand.
“Hopefully Batwoman won’t show up tonight,” Maggie commented, rolling her eyes, “She’s so annoying at times.”
Kara froze, unsure how to reply to that but nodded her head. “Yeah,” she said, “Annoying.”
The woman waved and walked away, climbing into an unmarked police car before speeding off. Kara glanced over at Kate who just sighed and shook her head, “Don’t ask, it’s too complicated to explain.”
“She doesn’t know that you’re Batwoman?” Kara asked incredulously. “How is that even possible, you flirted with Renee all the time as Batwoman.”
“I know, I know, I just, I still haven’t told her, I’m waiting for the right time,” Kate replied, waving Kara into her car. “But enough about me, let’s talk about you and how you’re going to get to Lena.”
“Well,” Kara drawled out, “I figured I could call her, and if that doesn’t work, I figured I could break in. Selina taught me how to do that last time I was here.”
“When did you see Catwoman?”
“When I was hanging out with Bruce,” the blonde replied. “She popped in when I was there, we bonded, she taught me a few things, tried to convince me to become a cat burglar like her.”
“That woman…” Kate shook her head, “Anyway, it’ll be difficult for you to break into the Luthor mansion, the place is covered with security equipment and cameras.”
“Is Lena the only one there?”
Kate nodded, “As far as I can tell, Lillian Luthor is with Lex in Metropolis. The federal attorney brought in to prosecute the case wants a speedy trial and she’s there mounting his defense claiming that Superman’s alien ways forced him to act, to protect humanity.” She rolled her eyes, “Apparently she’s furious that Lena is refusing to come to Metropolis, showing solidarity as a family, but Lena isn’t talking, to anyone.”
“I need to see her Kate, I have to get in somehow,” Kara replied, her eyes watering. “She’s my best friend, she was there when I needed her; it’s time for me to be there for her.”
The older woman nodded understandingly, “I may have a few ideas. We can talk about them when we get back to the penthouse over dinner.”
They arrived at the penthouse, and the food Kate ordered from the car on the way back was waiting for them in the lobby. Kara relieved the man of his burden while Kate tipped him and the two started up the elevator. The redhead had ordered Kara’s favorite from the local Thai place and the girl instantly started demolishing the food while Kate thought of different ways to sneak past security at the Luthor mansion. Kara took a few of the devices Kate suggested to disable parts of the security system, and changed into black clothes and a mask, tucking her hair in a hat to hide the bright golden color.
She took off from the penthouse while Kate snuck out to stalk the night. The alien soared above the cloud line, following Lena’s heartbeat like a homing beacon until she located her friend. Kara glanced down once the sound was heavy, pounding in her ears and spotted a spacious mansion on the outskirts of Gotham surrounded by a tall fence. Her eyes shifted slightly to look through the building, but flickered slightly at the large amounts of lead in the walls and around the windows. Glass couldn’t be laced with lead so she hovered down slightly just out of range of whatever security system the Luthors had installed and peered into the house. She spotted Lena in one of the upper bedrooms, staring morosely out into the darkness, her hair listless, her eyes dull.
Kara set her mouth and analyzed the house, peering around the building to analyze the security. There were several cameras and the slight hum that she could hear indicated the presence of an electrified fence or lasers around the property. The lasers didn’t worry her, but being detected by the system did worry her. She knew that the Luthors didn’t like aliens and it would be dangerous if she was detected; Kara didn’t know what they would do to her or Lena if they found out that the two of them were friends. She took out a small device that Kate had given her to jam the electrical signals of the cameras and lasers; it would disable the lasers but freeze the cameras in case there were security guards watching the screens.
When she heard the hum of the electricity stutter before cutting out, Kara darted out of her hiding place towards the window she spotted Lena. She floated up from beneath the window and knocked on the glass, watching as the girl startled on the seat. Lena’s eyes locked with her own and Kara saw her friend’s eyes narrow before she wrenched open the window. “What are you- get in here Kara before someone spots you,” Lena hissed, grabbing her friend by her collar and dragging her in through the window.
“How’d you know it was me?” The blonde asked, peeling the mask off her face and looking at the brunette perplexed.
Lena gave her an exasperated look, “I’ve known you since we were kids, I know what you look like, and besides, what other flying alien girl would show up at my window?” Kara nodded in concession, and Lena shook her head and sat down on her bed. “What are you doing here Kara?”
“You wouldn’t answer my phone calls, texts or emails so I came to see you,” Kara said, crossing her arms. “I was worried about you.”
The brunette chuckled dryly, “You, worried about me? Shouldn’t it be the other way around with you worried about being around me? I am a Luthor after all…”
“Lena you’re my best friend,” the blonde murmured softly, sitting down next to her friend, “I’ve known you for years, you were the first friend I made after coming to Earth. You knew that I was an alien for years, and you haven’t told anyone, you were there for me when I needed you, through every nightmare, every anniversary of the death of my planet.”
“This is different,” Lena insisted, “My brother, Lex, he attacked Superman, went after the only family member you have left, the only blood you have left. You told me once how important blood ties were on Krypton.”
“Yes they were important,” Kara agreed, “But Krypton is gone, I’m all that’s left. Kal is basically human, doesn’t understand our customs. He may be blood, but that doesn’t make him family. On Earth, there is the custom of chosen families, and you are part of my chosen family; love bonds us together Lena, never doubt that. You’re my best friend, my sister in everything but blood. Why would I turn my back on you now when you need me?”
Tears filled the brunette’s eyes and she hugged the blonde. “I’m so sorry for doubting you Kara,” Lena gasped out, her tears dripping down her face, “I was just so afraid that you would hate me, that you would leave and I would rather push you away than have you break our friendship.”
“Are you kidding? It’s us against the world remember?” Kara replied, her own tears escaping as she hugged her friend, “There isn’t anything you could do that would make me stop being your friend.”
Lena broke down, sobs wracking through her body, “I don’t know what to do Kara, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Kara rubbed her friend’s back, holding her as she cried and wondered what the future would hold for the brunette after Lex’s tirade, what it would hold for the both of them.
“Hey Kara, welcome back, how was your trip to Gotham?” Sara greeted as she stepped through the connecting door when she heard the blonde come back, “How was Lena?”
“She’s doing better now,” the alien replied, falling on her bed with a slight ‘oof,’ “She was feeling well enough to go back to school this semester, it’s her last one since she crammed her schedule with classes for the past few years. It’s a good thing too since the board of LuthorCorp will likely put her in charge as CEO once Lex’s trial is finished.”
“CEO really?” The other blonde whistled, “She’s what, 20, 21?”
“Yeah, but I think they’ll wait until after she gets her MBA,” Kara replied. “She already planned on getting one after she finished at MIT, but this will just cement it. I’m just glad that I was able to go when I did because this upcoming semester is going to be brutal, I’ll have no free time.”
“You and me both,” Sara muttered. “How long will Lex’s trial take?”
Kara shrugged, “From the crimes building up, probably months, and Lena told me that Lillian is using her part of the family fortune to stall the trial, push it back as long as she can while they build a defense. I’m almost afraid of what kind of defense they’re going to build to cover mass genocide, but I wouldn’t put it past them to say it was for the greater good or something ridiculous like that.”
“You don’t think Lex is going to get away with this do you?” Sara asked incredulously.
“I don’t know. I like to believe that he won’t, but my mother always told me to never bet on a sure thing,” Kara sighed, “I mean, Hitler killed thousands of people before anyone really cared, and millions before he was stopped.”
“And he’s likely to face a jury and jury trials can go either way,” the shorter blonde said, sitting down next to her friend, “Just look at OJ.”
Kara was about to reply with a question as to what orange juice had to do with this topic when her cellphone rang. She glanced over and the device and grabbed for it, answering it, “Kyle?”
“Something’s happened,” he said, his voice sounded terrified but drained. “Alex has been attacked.”
“What?” Kara stated, bolting up on the bed.
“Someone she had been tracking for her job attacked her, attempted to kill her and stuffed her in the fridge. If I didn’t come home when I did to look at that project you emailed me she would’ve died.”
“They stuffed her in the fridge?” Kara exclaimed. Sara shot her a weird look so she whispered to her what was going on while Kyle continued to talk.
“I’m at the hospital with her right now; they told me that they got to her just in time and that she’ll recover physically I just… I just don’t know how she’ll be emotionally after all this.”
“Alex is strong, she’ll get through this,” the blonde replied. “Do you want me to come?”
“No, no I’m fine. Can you call your mother though? She’s Alex’s boss and I don’t want her to find out from one of her sources.”
“I’ll let her know, do you need anything?”
“No, I’m fine for now. I’ll let you know if anything changes.”
“Take care Kyle,” Kara whispered as Kyle hung up the phone. She tossed the phone towards the end of the bed and fell back down. “This is so crazy,” she muttered, “Who would attack Alex? I mean, she was a bit of a hardass, but still…”
“And they stuffed her in the fridge?” Sara scoffed, “Who does that?”
“I have to call my mom Sara, she’ll want to know. She likes Alex, she is her best photo-journalist.”
“The world has gone crazy Kara,” Sara sighed, setting her head at the foot of the bed so that her feet were near Kara’s head.
“Yes it has,” the taller blonde replied. “Your feet smell.”
“Shut-up.”
“Didn’t you have a date with your girlfriend tonight?” Megan asked the other alien as the blonde girl toddled into their room and collapsed on the Martian’s bed.
“Laurel cancelled, she’s sick,” Kara mumbled into the comforter, her golden hair puddled around her head.
“Why didn’t you collapse in my bed?” Sara whined, pouting at the other girl, her arms outstretched.
“Because you’re laying in it.”
“But we could snuggle!”
Kara rolled over and propped herself up on her elbows, “After I caught you with that exchange student two weeks ago doing that thing, I’m not going anywhere near your bed until it has been cleansed with fire.”
“You sleep with my sister regularly on your bed, and I don’t have a problem laying on it,” the other blonde countered.
“Because you like to joke that it is a weird threesome and make cracks about which sister is better in my bed,” Kara replied, rolling her eyes.
Sara shrugged, “It’s too good of an opportunity.”
“Anyway,” Kara continued, ignoring the shorter blonde, “I feel bad because this would’ve been the first time we’d have had a date in weeks since we’ve both been crazy busy. I was looking forward to seeing Laurel, but she sent me a text cancelling because of a cold. I’ve been busy with classwork, and she is working on that big case, we just haven’t had time for each other recently.”
“You have been dealing with a lot more than classwork though,” Megan pointed out, “You’ve been helping your best friend deal with the emotional trauma of the world turning against her because of something her brother did, and then Kyle moving to Coastal City after Alex broke up with him.”
“They didn’t technically break up,” Kara returned, “Alex just told him she was leaving and then she left, asked Cat for an assignment somewhere where she could bring attention to abused women and children. Kyle left because he couldn’t deal with the memories. And Coast City isn’t really that far away.”
“But he’s still not here, not just down the street or on the other side of the city, and he was one of your friends,” Megan continued. “It’s a lot to deal with, on top of not being able to see your girlfriend on a regular basis.”
“Why don’t you go see her anyway?” Sara mentioned, picking up one of her books. She held it above her face to read it but winced when she accidentally dropped it and it landed on her face. “Ow…” She rubbed at her nose before looking back at Kara, “Just go see her, my sister can be a little needy when she’s sick.”
Kara bolted upright on the bed. “I can take her soup,” she squealed, bouncing off the furniture into her room. “And ginger ale, that’s what people drink when they’re sick right? That’s what Mom usually gives to Carter, I have to go, I’ll see you guys later.” Leaving behind a small whirlwind, the blonde disappeared out the door, shutting and locking it as she went.
The two roommates blinked after her as she left and Sara shook her head. “I’m surprised more people don’t know she’s an alien, it’s not like she does a good job hiding it.”
“That’s only because she’s comfortable with us,” Megan said, returning to her computer.
“My sister doesn’t know and she’s sleeping with her,” Sara pointed out.
Megan gave her a dry look, “Your sister is also a bit oblivious.”
Sara shrugged, “Ain’t that the truth.”
Kara grinned as she swung a bag of cold supplies in her hand as she approached Laurel’s apartment. She focused on the brunette’s apartment, listening for her heartbeat as she pulled the key out of her pocket, and faltered for a minute when she heard two heartbeats. The older girl had told her that both of her roommates were away for a medical conference in Miami, which is why Kara was concerned about Laurel being sick in the apartment by herself. One of them must’ve come home early.
Her steps slowed as she headed up the stairs to the apartment, and unlocked the door, quietly stepping inside. The heartbeats were louder in her ears and both located in Laurel’s room. They were irregular, elevated and Kara’s heart dropped heavily into her stomach when her hearing registered pants and loud moans. She could’ve glanced through the walls and confirmed what she heard, leaving the apartment before anyone knew she was there, but she needed to see this, she needed the closure of knowing.
Kara hesitantly stepped towards Laurel’s room and opened the door. Her heart shattered at what she saw. “So this is what you meant when you said ‘sick,’” Kara stated, her voice thick with anger and tears.
“Kara!” Laurel gasped, pushing James off of her onto the floor. She wrapped a sheet around her and tried to smooth her hair down, “This isn’t, it’s not-”
“Don’t bother Laurel,” Kara bit out, “Don’t bother saying this isn’t what I think it is, what else could it be?”
“Laurel realizing she could do a lot better than some poor art student,” James sneered, adjusting his boxers as he pushed himself off the floor.
“Shut-up James,” Laurel spat, “Get out.”
“What-”
“I said get out,” the brunette repeated, hurling a glass that sat on her bedside table at the man, prompting him to gather his clothes and dash out of the apartment.
Laurel turned back to her girlfriend and tried to approach her again, “Kara…”
“Don’t Laurel, what can you… How could you do this to me? Cheat on me?”
“I didn’t, it just happened,” Laurel replied, running her fingers through her hair. “We haven’t been able to see each other for awhile, and James and I have been working together on a case, it just happened.”
“Cheating doesn’t just happen,” Kara returned, “You cancelled our date, the first one that we’ve had in weeks, to sleep with James. James who is a narcissistic, racist, sexist asshole; you know that I don’t like him, that he stands for everything that I’m against, and yet you still slept with him. What does that say about him, about you?”
“Look Kara, James is a good person once you get to know him,” Laurel sighed, “But you’re right, I shouldn’t have cheated on you, it was wrong, what can I do to fix this?”
Kara stared at the girl incredulously, “Fix it? There isn’t going to be any fixing this Laurel. You cheated on me, how could I possibly trust you again after this?”
“It was one mistake Kara, how can you hold this against me?”
“It wasn’t a mistake Laurel, that’s the thing, it was a choice. It only became a mistake when you got caught.”
The brunette growled a bit in frustration, “You know he was right about one thing, how could I be in a relationship with someone so young and immature.”
The words hit Kara like a slap in the face and she stepped back. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. We aren’t in a relationship anymore.”
Laurel’s eyes widened as she realized what she just said, “No, Kara, wait, I didn’t-”
“I’ll see you around Laurel,” Kara replied, dropping the key the older girl had given her on the counter before bolting out the door.
“Kara wait!” The blonde listened as Laurel called after her, her voice thick with desperation as she yelled.
Kara blocked out the sound and ran, her feet carrying her across the city towards home. She waved at the doorman and pulled out the keycard for the private elevator her mother put in and open the door. The run to the building from Laurel’s apartment kept her distracted from what happened, but the reality of it set in when she was still as the elevator ascended to the penthouse. Her breaths started coming heavier, faster and she could feel the prickle of tears burning in her eyes. She was close to hyperventilating when the elevator stopped and the door opened to reveal her mother standing there looking at her with concern.
“Frank called me from the lobby,” Cat said, reaching out to pull her daughter from the elevator. “He said you were coming up, didn’t seem like yourself, what’s wrong?” She sat down on the couch, pulling the girl down after her.
“Laurel and I broke up,” Kara gasped out, tears streaking down her face, “She was cheating on me Mom.”
“Oh Kara,” she murmured, tugging the girl to her. “It’s alright Kara, it’ll be alright.”
“Why Mom, why would she do that?”
Cat brushed back strands of long honey blonde hair, “Why do anyone cheat, because they can, because they think that they won’t get caught.”
“She was my first Mom, how can I move on from this? How can I trust anyone else after this?”
“Just because one lover cheated on you doesn’t mean that the next one will,” Cat said, trying to soothe the girl. “I know it hurts now, I’ve been where you are, but that doesn’t mean you have to shut yourself off from never dating again, never being in a relationship again. It hurts now, and it will continue to hurt for a while but eventually it’ll get better.”
“When,” Kara cried, “Because right now it feels like someone is stabbing my heart with a million knives, when will it stop?”
“It’ll take time and support from friends and family, but eventually the pain will lessen until it doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“I hope so,” the younger blonde murmured, burying into her mother’s arms.
Cat threaded her fingers through her daughter’s hair softly, scratching lightly at her scalp. “Would it make you feel a little better if I say I never liked Laurel?”
Kara barked out a little laugh, “No, but thanks for trying.”
“If she knows what’s good for her, she’ll leave town immediately before I get to her,” Cat growled, “Her and whoever she cheated with.”
“I might take you up on that one,” Kara said as she rearranged herself so that she was snuggled up next to her mother. “He’s an ass.”
“They both are.”
“No, Laurel’s not an ass,” the girl murmured, “Just stupid.”
“It’s the same thing,” Cat countered, moving to stand up. “I have caramel swirl and mocha gelato in the freezer, either of those sound good to you?”
Kara nodded, “And pizza… and popcorn.”
“Disney movie marathon?” The older woman sighed when she recognized her daughter’s usual menu when watching those ridiculous animated movies.
“Please?”
“Of course,” Cat conceded, “Anything for you.”