THREE
Three.
Kara didn't know what to do with herself after the elevator. So, to combat the foreboding, frantic beats of her heart when she thought of Cat, Kara ordered as much take-out as she could – pizza, Chinese, Thai, Indian, anything and everything was ordered. And then she raided the freezer in the complex basement, where she kept her two-dozen tubs of ice-cream.
Her neighbours asked her if she was having a party.
By the time midnight rolled around, her apartment was a mess, and her stomach for once was bulging. Half a tub of green tea curry sat on the coffee table, beside a melted tub of peanut-butter ice-cream. Homeland played on the television, but Kara wasn't watching – Alex would hate her if she did, anyway, so it didn't matter.
Kara picked up her phone which she'd retrieved from Lucy, scrolling through her contacts slowly, wanting so badly to call her sister, but knew it wouldn't pick up. Winn and James were both out, too, and Lucy – they were either compromised by Carter, or in love with her. It was strange how Winn fell under both categories. She continued scrolling, eventually coming to ELIZA. She debated. Then she decided to just call, ending up dialling four times before she picked up.
"Kara? Why are you phoning so early?" Kara winced at the sound of her foster-mother's tired voice and looked at the time, wincing again. It was half four in the morning for Eliza.
"Sorry, just…"
"What happened?"
"I got trapped in an elevator with Cat, because Carter thinks we're in love."
"Who's Carter?" Eliza questioned.
"That's what you took from it?" Kara looked to the ceiling. "Carter's her twelve and a half year old son. He blackmailed Winn and didn't let James warn me. And then got Lucy to steal my phone, and hid his mothers, so we couldn't phone for help. I didn't use my superpowers to get us out because people would ask Supergirl where I was, and I didn't want to break the elevator escape hatch."
"I'm going to have a grandson, then?"
Kara choked, "What? No- I don't think so? I'm confused about it all, and I really like Cat too, but-"
"So she likes you?"
"She's my boss," Kara whispered, voice full with fear. "Eliza, what if something went wrong? What- what if someone found out? No-one would ever hire me again!"
"Don't worry about that," Eliza shushed her, "Tell me what you like about her." But Kara stayed silent, not saying anything. "Kara Danvers, you phoned me at four fifty-three am, I deserve to know why."
Kara whimpered, "Everything. I love the way she always puts Carter first, and how she forgave me for throwing her off a balcony without a thought, and I love how she eats M&M's rather than drinks, and how she always knows what to say to me when I'm feeling terrible. She knows me, Mom, better than I know myself, and I know her. I know she abhors hypocrites, and liars, and that she loves her sons more than anything else in the world, and that CatCo is nearly just as important."
"Oh darling, you've got it bad. And she feels the same way?"
"No, I don't think so."
"So yes, then. You were always terrible at picking up when people were coming onto you."
"Hey, not fair," Kara moaned, "It's different on Krypton."
"A piece of advice, Kara – this is Earth. You've been here nearly half your life. You know it's different from Krypton, but you also know this difference. Now I want you to call your boss before you go to work, and ask if you can talk about matters outside your professional life. Ask her on a date or at least tell her your feelings. Screw your positions – I've seen Cat Grant on television, and I know you. Neither of you will let your relationship get in the way of matters within work, and you're only her assistant – you're not Editor, or working your way up the ranks. Unless she suddenly sends you away to a different department which you get put in charge of, then there's no reason for people to cry favouritism."
"Eliza…"
"No. You will call her. End of story. I'm tired and want to go back to sleep. Good night, Kara."
"Goodnight, Eliza," Kara hung up before throwing her phone across the couch.
No way was she asking Miss Grant out on a date.