Come Back To Me, Please
TWO DAYS AGO
Lena sips the whiskey in her hand while shuffling through the resumes stacked in front of her. She needs to find a new, trustworthy and loyal assistant to replace Eve. Although Lena decided not to ruin her image through the media, she still fired the young woman without severance. With another sip of the amber liquid, the burning in her throat, Lena glances over at the picture of her and Kara on her desk. The two women are smiling at the camera, shoulder to shoulder, blissfully unaware of how their relationship ends up. The picture was taken long before Kara revealed her identity to Lena. Picking it up, Lena brushes her fingers over the glass. Laying it flat on the desk, she takes another long sip before suddenly bringing the glass down hard on the picture. It shatters the glass, splitting the image of her and Kara smiling up at her. Sighing, she tries to refocus on the stack of potential applicants for the assistant position. She flips through a rather impressive looking resume before she’s interrupted by a short knock on her door. She frowns, certain she was the only one in LuthorCorp at this time of night.
“Who is it?” She asks irritably. Lena didn’t want company right now. Drowning her sorrows with the whiskey in her hand and focusing on work was the best idea. The door opens to reveal her brother, Lex strolling in gleefully. She rolls her eyes. “I never said you could come in.”
“Is that really the way you want to greet your brother?” He grins, sidling up to Lena’s desk and sitting on the edge.
“Adopted brother,” Lena clarifies, rubbing her temples. Without Lex’s presence, her head was already starting to throb, but now it’s a full on migraine. “What do you want, Lex?” The grin on his face widens, eyes sparkling.
“Can’t I just stop by to say hello when I’m in the city?”
“No. You always want something. What is it this time?” Lex places a hand on his chest, feigning hurt. Lena rolls her eyes and stands, moving to pour herself another drink. As the liquid sloshes into the glass, Lena hears Lex shuffling off her desk onto the couch.
“I went to speak with Andrea this morning,” Lex finally says. Lena stiffens before turning around to face her brother.
“Why?”
“I wanted to understand something.” Lena waits, knowing there’s more. “The weapon she built to kill Supergirl… It didn’t quite work. I needed to understand why. After a conversation with Andrea, I know what needs to be done.”
“Are you trying to kill Supergirl?” Lena hopes her voice is steady. “What has she ever done to you?”
“Kryptonians are a threat to this planet!” Lex bursts out, shooting off the couch to stand in Lena’s face. “Supergirl and her cousin, Superman, will destroy this world. I intend to kill them before they do.” Lena shakes her head.
“I can’t let you do that.” She stares at her brother, watching the hatred burn in his eyes. “You will not harm Supergirl.”
“And why’s that, dear sister?” Lex circles around her like a shark smelling blood. “You have no attachment to that alien…Unless…” he pauses behind Lena, his cologne infiltrating her nostrils and proliferating her headache. “… you know her secret identity?” Lena downs her drink.
“Leave, Lex. Leave National City before I make you,” Lena spins around to face him. “Leave! Now!” He grins, nodding to her before disappearing from her office. Lena slumps behind her desk. She picks up the picture frame, a few pieces of glass falling to her lap, staring at the blonde-haired woman smiling back at her. Hopefully, Lex will never figure out that Kara is Supergirl.
ONE DAY LATER
Lena walks the woman out of her office before closing the door with a soft click. Leaning her forehead against it, she sighs, wondering why it’s impossible to find a new assistant that’s even remotely competent. Checking her watch, she has a few minutes before the next interview. She pulls out her phone, scrolling through her and Kara’s most recent text messages.
July 23rd ⸱ 1:38 p.m.
♥Kara♥: Dinner tn? I’ll pick you up 😊
Lena: Absolutely. 7?
♥Kara♥: ttfn!
August 2nd ⸱ 5:53p.m.
♥Kara♥: missing you, my tech genius <3
Lena: miss you more, darling. Stay safe
♥Kara♥: always, but I’ll be fine. Superhero remember? 😉
Lena: yes, Supergirl might be the hero. But you, Kara Danvers, are my hero <3
♥Kara♥: you’re so cheesy, who would have guessed?
Lena’s scrolling is interrupted by a knock on her door. The next interview must be here. “Come in!” She calls out, setting her phone onto her desk, facedown. The door opens and Lena’s eyebrows furrow.
“Alex?” Kara’s adopted sister gingerly steps forward. “What are you doing here?” Alex’s face is pale with her eyes rimmed red as if she’s been crying. She clears her throat.
“Lena…” Alex starts, her voice scratchy and soft. “I-I need your help.”
“I’m kind of busy, Danvers,” Lena says, gesturing to the door. “I have several interviews to conduct still.” She begins shuffling through the papers on her desk, searching for the next interview candidate resume.
“It’s Kara.” Her eyes snap up to Alex, worry and fear coloring her face. “S-she’s…it’s not looking good. I-I thought maybe you could help me. Help her. I know you love her, Lena.” Alex casts her eyes down and Lena watches a few tears fall from her face.
“What happened?”
“I-I don’t know. Someone attacked her with Kryptonite. The artificial sun isn’t working,” Alex sobs out, wringing her hands. “I can’t lose her, Lena. She’s my sister.” Lena clenches her teeth, knowing exactly who did this. She stands, wrapping her arms around Alex’s shoulders, trying to comfort the woman while holding back her own tears. Kara needs her to remain strong.
LATER
Lena shakily reaches out to touch Kara’s cheek. All of her veins are glowing bright green as the Kryptonite continues to course through them. Her skin is pale and cold, the artificial yellow sun holding her inches from death’s door.
“Can you help?” Alex breaks the silence. “Please, Lena.”
“Yes, I think I have an idea. I’ll need a few sets of hands and a workspace.” Alex nods as Lena pulls out her phone. Connecting with a technological assistant at LuthorCorp, Lena lists off the supplies she’ll need. Alex comes back into the room, sparing a worrying glance at Kara before addressing Lena.
“Winn’s on his way along with James and Kelly. I wasn’t sure how many hands you needed so…” Alex trails off. Lena nods, understanding the words that Alex left unsaid. Everyone should be here in case this doesn’t work. Lena grits her teeth. It will work. It has to work. Once everyone arrives, Lena begins delegating tasks.
“Alex, you will work on the biomedical aspect of the suit.” Alex nods, moving away to a computer to begin her task. “James and Kelly. The two of you will alternate between checking on Kara and helping Alex when she needs you.” The Olsen siblings nod before making a quick decision that Kelly will sit with Kara first. “Winn,” Lena says, beckoning him over. “We need to make the suit filter out the Kryptonite from Kara’s system.”
“We should add into the symbol of the current suit,” Winn suggests, staring to work on the code. Lena nods. If Kara pulls through this, there will always be another enemy. When, not if, Lena chastises herself. When Kara pulls through this. The next few hours are tense and quiet.
“Alex!” James calls from the door. Lena’s stomach sinks. Alex rushes forward, Lena on her heels. They burst into Kara’s room. She’s convulsing on the bed, her heart rate spiking, blood pressure bottoming out. Alex moves quickly, grabbing a needle from the nearby tray before easing it into Kara’s arm. It sinks in easily due to the Kryptonite. Shortly after Alex pushes the liquid into Kara, her convulses relax.
“It’s a sedative to keep her from feeling the pain,” Alex explains, catching Lena’s panicked look. Lena tentatively steps forward, brushing a stray piece of blonde hair behind Kara’s ear.
“Come back to us, Kara Danvers.” Lena takes Kara’s hand in her own and leans down to whisper in her ear. “Come back to me.”