Chapter 14
Kara and Lena stood alone in the kitchen at the Manor, Lena cooking dinner and Kara scrolling through her work email on her phone. It’s quiet around the mansion, much more so than usual. Kara can hear the heartbeats of the six teenagers spread around the house, but they seem subdued. There’s no one running around with Old Lace, no one playing cards in the dining room or watching a movie in the den. There’s no one outside working out or sparring or practicing whatever abilities they may have. It reminds Kara of the first few weeks that the Runaways were in town, when they weren’t sure if they could trust Kara or Lena, or Alex or Maggie. When they would keep to themselves, but even that was uncomfortable for one reason or another. They’d come a long way from silent meals and absent looks. Now they had nicknames and inside jokes and memories of times were the kids could be just that, kids.
It hurts Kara’s heart to realize that no matter what happened when the kids returned to LA the next day, nothing would ever be the same.
Lena could feel it too, Kara could practically see the stress rolling off of her girlfriend in waves. They’d had a few conversations about the Runaways and what might happen when they get to LA. Truthfully, Kara had wanted to fly down there and deal with the rogue aliens herself but she knew she couldn’t. As much as Kara wanted to fight this battle, she understood that it wasn’t hers to fight. The Runaways had made the decision to stop their parents long before they knew Supergirl, and Kara knew that they were already surprised by the amount of help they’d been given so far. Lena knew that, too, but she still didn’t like the idea of six teenagers facing down the man and his followers who had been responsible for over a dozen murders, not to mention the fact that he had kidnapped Karolina once before.
Greater than Lena’s dislike, though, was her understanding. She knew what it was like to be the bad seed in a family of villains. Lena had been kept in the dark as a child, made to watch without truly understanding what was happening as her brother descended into madness and her mother celebrated that. She knew what it was like to be disillusioned by her family, as did Kara. Neither of them liked it, but they knew they couldn’t stop the Runaways from returning to LA. Even if they tried, the kids would simply take off on their own and do what they wanted to anyway. Five of the six of them could drive, and the sixth was strong enough to handle her own anyway. At least by supporting them, Lena and Kara could help provide some protection and a safe place to come back too.
Neither of them wanted to think about what would happen if the kids didn’t come back.
“They should be down here soon for dinner.” Kara said after reading a text from her sister. “Alex said she’d get them all in here when she and Maggie get here.”
“Sounds good, dinner should be ready in a few minutes.” Lena finished chopping the vegetables for the salad and checked the casserole that was in the oven. Kara watched closely as Lena’s hands fidgeted a bit.
“Hey,” Kara said softly, approaching Lena from behind and wrapping her arms around her waist. Lena leaned back into her embrace. “They’ll be okay.”
“We can’t know that, not for sure.” Lena replied just as softly. She felt Kara’s lips brush against her neck and let her eyes fall closed.
“No, but we can trust them and believe that they’ll do this. You believe in them, don’t you?”
“Of course,” Lena believed those kids could do anything, including save the world. Believing in them didn’t make her worry any less. These teenagers, they’d become like family to her, just as they had to the others. It wasn’t exactly how she thought she would feel about her own kids one day, but it was close to that. It was a bond that had formed naturally over the many weeks spent at the mansion and one that Lena had come to cherish. Having these kids in her life, who saw her as Lena and not as a Luthor, meant so much to Lena. “I’m just worried.”
“I know.” Kara kissed Lena’s neck again. She understood Lena’s worries, the ones she didn’t voice about the kids not coming back, or not wanting to come back. About them being hurt or a million other worse case scenarios that Lena had come up with over the last two weeks. Kara felt those worries, too. “But right now, they don’t need to know that. They need to know we support them, we believe in them, and we’ll be here when they get back.”
“I know, you’re right.” Lena turned in Kara’s arms to curl against her chest, resting her cheek against Kara’s shoulder. Kara held Lena close for a moment and pressed a kiss to her hair before the timer for the oven went off and they stepped apart so Kara could pull the food out of the oven. Even though she knew Kara couldn’t be burned, she still wasn’t quite used to watching her pull food from the oven with her bare hands.
The front door opened and then closed and soon footsteps followed, heading towards the kitchen. Even the dinner stampede was softer than normal, Chase, Gert, Nico, Karolina, Alex and Molly each claiming their plate and share with hardly any comment. It was unnerving, the lack of energy in the house. Maggie and Alex shared a look with each other and then with Kara and Lena before getting their own food and taking their seats. For a moment, the mansion was silent except for the noise of forks scraping against plates.
“Okay,” Molly said suddenly. “I can’t take this tense silence anymore. Someone please tell a joke or something.”
“I don’t think any of us feel like joking around right now, Molls.” Gert told her sister in a gentle tone. Molly rolled her eyes.
“Which is why we should be joking around.” Molly looked at each of her friends in turn. “C’mon guys, you’re all acting like we’ve already lost.”
The adults watched in silence as Molly’s statement washed over the other five teenagers. It was true, in a sense. The closer they got to going back to LA, the more glum everyone seemed. Kara had thought it was simply nerves, or anxiousness. She’d felt the same way plenty of times when facing an opponent who’d already knocked her down once.
“We’re just nervous, Molly.” Chase said with a half-smile. “There’s a lot that could go wrong tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I know,” Molly shook her head slightly, clenching her hands under the table. “But there’s a lot that can go right, too. We can save people, and make sure our parents don’t hurt anyone else. We can clear Darius’s name.”
“First we’ve gotta not die,” Gert reminded her sister, her tone less gentle than before. “I know you want to be the hero Molly, but we’re going to be in a lot of danger tomorrow.”
“I know. I’m not stupid. I just don’t get why you guys are acting like this. We’ve already proven we can do this. Karolina’s power was almost equal to Jonah without any training. Nico, you’ve already beaten your parents once, and most of that was without the Staff.” Molly shook her head. “Besides, you’re all acting like we don’t have the best backup ever.”
“Maybe she has a point,” Karolina spoke up, gently squeezing Nico’s thigh under the table. “Maybe we’re all too busy thinking about the worst case scenario.”
“Which is?” Alex W. asked with a raised eyebrow.
“We lose, Jonah launches the ship and knocks California into the ocean in the process.” Nico replies with a deadpan expression.
“Which will not be happening,” Karolina says, trying to match Molly’s enthusiasm. “We’re going to win, we’re going to put Pride away for the rest of their lives, and then we are going to come back here and marathon watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Karolina spoke as if it was the most obvious outcome possible.
“Wait, no, I thought we said we’d watch Supernatural first?” Chase questioned in an effort to keep the mood from souring again after the heavy silence following Karolina’s statement.
“Supernatural isn’t over yet, you can’t binge watch a series that hasn’t ended.” Gert rolled her eyes.
“Besides, we wouldn’t have Supernatural if it wasn’t for Buffy. We’re watching that first.” Alex agreed making Chase roll his eyes.
“Nico, I know you love Supernatural. Tell them we’re watching that first.” Chase adds in a pout, complete with puppy-dog eyes and an almost trembling lip for good measure. Nico looks at him, unamused. The pout doesn’t affect her in the slightest, but glancing over at Karolina to find her looking expectantly at Nico with one eyebrow slightly raised, does.
“We’re watching Buffy,” Nico says, “and we can watch Supernatural after that.” Nico smiles slightly as Karolina leans in to kiss her cheek.
“You’re just saying that because that’s what Rainbow wants to watch.” Gert points out lightly, helping herself to more salad.
Nico shrugs, “Eh, you know what they say. Happy wife, happy life.”
“You’re not married.” Chase looks between the two of them skeptically. “Are you?”
“Yes, Chase. Nico and I got married without anyone knowing.” Karolina laughed at the dumbfounded expression on her best friend’s face. “I’m kidding. We’re not married.”
“Just give them a few years and I’m sure they will be.” Gert says offhandedly. Everyone at the table to turns to look at her. She blinks. “What? Karo’s been in love with Nico since we were five and Nico probably was the same way, just better at hiding it.” Even without activating her powers, Karolina’s cheeks glow a pretty pink. “I bet they’ll be married by 23.”
“I say 25,” Alex W pipes up, looking at the couple with a considerate expression. “Yeah, 25 seems good.”
“Nah, I give it until 22.” Molly adds with a laugh. Nico and Karolina share an incredulous glance.
“20,” Chase says knowingly. “They’ll want to get married as soon as possible but not too soon.”
“Are you seriously betting on when we will get married?” Nico asked, somewhere between amused and exasperated.
“Well, who else can we bet on?” Gert returns easily. “We already know when Alex and Maggie are getting married, we’re invited to the wedding. Kara and Lena are pretty much a given, too.”
“Wait, what?” Kara asks. Gert shoots her a knowing look.
“Three years.” Gert says, pointing her finger at Kara and Lena in turn before turning back to Nico. “And Chase knows talking about marriage makes my anxiety spike, so we can’t bet on us. That leaves the two of you.”
“That’s rational,” Maggie says with a slight laugh. These are the Runaways she knows and loves and she’s happy to see them acting normal again, at least for a little bit.
“If a bit ridiculous,” Alex D. collects hers and Maggie’s now empty plates and carries them to the sink.
“Besides, a bet has actual stakes, this is just speculation.” Gert finishes her explanation with a satisfied smile, pushing her plate away. Karolina collects it along with her own and Nico’s which she had already been in the process of gathering up.
“Can we go back to the three years thing?” Kara asks the room at large, still puzzled over her apparent wedding date.
“As fun as that would be, there are a few other things we need to discuss first.” Lena hates the words coming out of her mouth, but it’s a subject they can’t ignore anymore. The mood change is immediate and stifling. The Runaways laughter dies and they suddenly seem much older.
“I’m sure everyone knows the plan by now.” Maggie stated as she crossed her arms over her chest. The six teenagers nodded.
“Karolina, Nico and Chase need to get down into the pit and see if they can bust open the ship without launching it.” Gert started outlining what they had decided to do.
“I’m going with them as added muscle.” Molly piped up, her fingers twisting a grayed edge of her ever-present cat beanie.
“Gert and I stay around the pit as look out,” Alex W. added and pushed his glasses more firmly against his nose. “And hope the comms you guys gave us work at that distance.”
“They will.” The Danvers sisters said as one and Kara continued a moment later, “and if they don’t, I’ll be there and can help get them out in time.”
“But only as a last resort.” Nico said. She met Kara’s gaze evenly and could see the understanding in there. Kara knew the Runaways needed to deal with this on their own. “If we can’t get the ship open, we stop Jonah from launching it however we can.”
“And then get out of there.” Karolina squeezed Nico’s hands. “We can deal with our parents and PRIDE another day.”
A silence blanketed the group, not as comfortable as they had grown accustomed too. This silence is heavy and filled with unspoken worries.
“You guys should get some sleep,” Kara finally said some minutes later. They had cleaned up dinner and washed all the dishes as they had done every night, but without the usual mindless chatter. It was a little unnerving. “You’ve got a long day tomorrow.”
“Kara’s right.” Nico agreed, pulling Karolina out of the room by her hand. They’d seldom let go of one another lately when not training with the others. “We’ve got an early start and a late end.”
“Goodnight,” Karolina called over her shoulder and the rest of the teenagers echoed that sentiment as they filed out the door.
“You’ll keep them safe, won’t you?” Lena asked softly once the kids were out of earshot. “You’ll make sure they come home?”
“Of course we will.” Kara pulled Lena into her arms, squeezing her waist gently.
“We won’t leave LA without all of them.” Alex promised as well. Maggie leaned into her fiance, pressing a gentle kiss against Alex’s shoulder.
“And we’ll be waiting at the DEO when they get back.” Maggie said, gesturing at herself and Lena. All four women shuddered at the implications of that, knowing the chance of one, all, of the kids needing medical attention after the battle was far too high for comfort. Lena nodded and looped her arm around Kara’s waist. Together the two couples walked upstairs and then separated at the top for their own bedrooms, all four of them filled with worry but confident that the teenagers they had come to love so much would do exactly what they had planned too.
Down the hall, instead of going straight to bed, the six teenagers and Old Lace had settled on Nico and Karolina’s balcony together. Karo and Nico sat in their chair like they did most nights, Nico sitting between Karo’s legs and leaning back against her chest. Molly and Gert sat against the railing, Old Lace resting in between them. Alex and Chase both sat on the railing of the balcony, carefully keeping their balance forward so they wouldn’t fall.
“We’re really doing this tomorrow, aren’t we?” Alex broke the silence, looking at his friends, his family.
“We are.” Nico answered lowly, Her hands rested over Karolina’s across her own stomach, fingertips lightly tracing Karolina’s knuckles. Karolina squeezed her waist gently and Nico leaned closer to her.
“And this will all be over?” Molly asked, sounding hopeful. Nico saw Gert and Chase trade a look and wondered what it meant. They seemed to have a silent conversation, something they’d accused Nico and Karolina doing quite often. It was sort of endearing, seeing that from the outside. It made Nico realize how connected Gert and Chase were, and made her feel that much closer to Karolina.
“No,” Karolina answered Molly’s question, and continued before Molly could ask the follow up that was on the tip of her tongue. “We won’t have to deal with Jonah anymore,” the ‘hopefully’ there went unsaid but not unthought, “but our parents are still criminals. We can’t let them get away with it anymore. I can’t.”
“But our names are cleared.”
“And the blame was placed on an innocent man,” Alex reminded Molly gently. “I’m sorry, Molly but we can’t go home yet. Stopping Jonah isn’t the only thing we need to do, just the first.”
“I wasn’t asking because I want to go home,” Molly said, idly stroking a hand along Old Lace’s flank. “I am home. I just wanted to go back to normal, you know, school and dancing? Mostly dancing though.”
Gert chuckled and rubbed Old Lace’s nose. “You like this place that much?”
“I mean the mansion is awesome,” Molly shrugged, “and it’ll be even cooler when Lena implements that AI she’s been working on, but it’s not just that. We’ve had good times here, and a few not so good,” they all laughed at the memory of Karolina burning Kara’s shirt off the first day they were there, “I don’t feel like I have to hide anything here, or like anything is being hidden from me. It’s comfortable.”
“So, you’d want to stay here? When this is all over, I mean.” Gert questioned in what she hoped was a light tone. Her friends knew her better than that and could see right through her, but none of them commented on it.
“I don’t really want to go back to LA,” Molly admitted, “I like it here, and unlike all of you guys, I’m still going to need an adult around after this is all over.” That was an unacknowledged truth among the six teenagers. Molly was still only fourteen years old, she’d been fifteen in a little over a month. Chase would be eighteen in three months, with Karolina following a month later and then the rest would follow one by one. “As much as I’d like to stay with you, Gert, we don’t know if the courts will let that happen.”
“I don’t really want to go back to LA either.” Karolina said, taking the focus off of Molly and Gert, the latter of whom looked moments away from having an anxiety attack as she thought about her sister’s words. “This place feels like home to me, and Kara, Lena, Alex and Maggie, they’re like the older sisters I never had.”
“I still can’t believe they did all of this for us.” Chase said, gesturing around them with one hand. “The mansion, the training, the food,” the others chuckled, “I’m glad we ended up here.”
“Me, too.” Alex agreed. Gert nodded her agreement, that feeling in her stomach that she’d had for the last few weeks sinking away, the feeling that they didn’t belong here. She could ignore that until another time, hope it was just her anxiety acting up.
“So we make sure we make it back here,” Nico said in the quietly authoritative way she had. “We’ll figure everything else after we make it back home.”
Karolina and Nico remained on the balcony as their friends trickled out to their own rooms for the night. The summer air was warm, they could see the stars above them in a dazzling display. It was an image they could never get in LA, one that was only possible due to the absence of bright city lights washing out the light from the stars. Absently, Karolina wondered which of those stars could have been her home in another life. In a life where she wouldn’t have been the poster child for a made up church, or the daughter of a murderer. A life where she wouldn’t have known Molly, or Gert, or Chase or Alex. Amy. Nico.
Closing her eyes, Karolina pushed those thoughts away. The life she had wasn’t perfect, but she’d gladly live it the same way if it meant that she’d end up getting to love Nico again.
“Karo?” Nico’s soft voice pulled Karolina from her thoughts and Karolina realized that not only had she started to glow but Nico had shifted in her arms. Now, Nico sat facing Karolina with a leg on either side of her body, straddling her waist.
“Oh, sorry,” Karo said as she called her lights back into herself. Her hands came to rest on Nico’s thighs and she rubbed her thumb against the fabric of Nico’s dark jeans.
“No, that didn’t bother me at all,” Nico smiled softly at Karolina, resting her hands against Karolina’s chest. Karolina could feel Nico’s fingers pulling at a loose thread on her sweater. “You know I love your lights.”
Karolina nodded mutely, offering Nico a smile of her own. Nico stared deep into Karolina’s eyes, so intensely Karo swore Nico was looking directly at her soul. There was so much emotion in the dark irises of Nico’s eyes, fear and hope and apprehension and love, so much love it took Karolina’s breath away. She could see Nico’s thoughts roll around in her mind, the confession she was building up growing in strength until Nico opened her mouth again.
“Karolina, I-”
“Wait,” Karolina interrupted softly, placing one finger over Nico’s lips. Nico looked at her in surprise, a dash of hurt in her eyes. “Not because I don’t want you to say what I think you were going too,” Karolina quickly explains. “Or because I don’t want to say it back. I do, I promise.”
“Then why?” Nico questioned as Karolina pulled her hand away but instead of it dropping back down to her thighs, Karolina cupped Nico’s cheek.
“Because I don’t want our first time saying that being out of desperation. Nico, despite everything we’ve done to prepare for this, we both know there’s a chance we won’t be coming home tomorrow.” Nico hadn’t even realized she was crying until Karolina wiped a tear away with her thumb. “I don’t want you to say it now, because your scared you might not get the chance to later.”
“That’s not why I’m saying it,” Nico protested. “I’m saying it because it’s true.”
“I know,” Karolina whispered, sitting up a bit so she could rest her forehead against Nico’s. “I feel it, too.”
“But you still don’t want me to say it.” Nico slid her arms around Karolina’s shoulders to pull her closer.
“Not yet.” Karolina wrapped one arm around Nico’s waist, her other hand sliding from Nico’s cheek to the nape of her neck. “Tomorrow. When we make it back home. Tell me then.”
“Okay,” Nico agreed softly. “You better make it home, Karolina Dean or you’re sleeping alone for a month.”
“No I’m not,” Karolina laughed softly and the sound made Nico smile for a moment until her lips were preoccupied. Karolina kissed her softly, all the words she couldn’t say spilling into Nico’s mouth with the promise of being said someday. Nico kissed back just the same, holding onto Karolina like she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to be like this with her again. They kept kissing as Karolina carefully stood from the chair, Nico’s legs wrapped around her waist and hers beneath Nico’s legs to keep her up as she walked them into their bedroom.
Karolina kicked the door closed and then settled Nico on the edge of their bed. Nico tugged on the edge of Karolina’s sweater and Karolina lifted her arms. Her sweater and undershirt hit the floor, Nico’s top following a second later followed by two pairs of pants. Nico slid backwards towards the pillows and Karolina hovered over her, connecting their lips again as they maneuvered under the blankets. Nico hooked her leg of Karolina’s waist and gently rolled them over. Straddling Karolina’s waist, looking at the expanse of flushed skin of Karolina’s bra covered chest, Nico almost felt like crying again. Karolina’s lips were slightly bruised from their kisses, her breath a bit heavier. She looked at Nico the way she looked at the stars, marvelling at her beauty and wondering what she did to deserve seeing them glow so brightly each night. Nico looked at Karolina the same way, silently promising to do everything she could to make sure they’d never have to sleep apart again.
“Tomorrow,” Karolina whispered, reaching for Nico’s hand and interlacing their fingers. Nico nodded and leaned down to place another kiss against Karolina’s lips, this one shorter but no less passionate. Then, Nico let her body drape entirely over Karolina’s, resting her head against Karolina’s chest and feeling their legs tangle together. Karolina dropped a kiss into Nico’s hair and held her close.
“Tomorrow.” Nico agreed softly. Tomorrow, she’d tell Karolina how she felt about. Tomorrow she’d show her. Tomorrow, they’d win and they’d do it just like they had done everything else so far.
Together.