See all the Marks of my Wounded Past - Chapter 3 - luthordamnvers, snowydragon (2024)

Chapter Text

Kara had been more openly assisting as Supergirl, a name given to her by Cat Grant, and it seemed to have captured the public’s attention, for some reason, but she was still getting used to it. Being in the super-suit. Also going around as a D.E.O. agent more.

“You don’t have to keep doing it, you know.” Alex pointed out, while they waited for the film to start at the cinema.

Kara looked at her while she poured herself a handful of peanut m&m’s.

“The whole…” Alex made a small flying motion with her hand before grabbing a handful of popcorn. “You could go back to how you did it before.”

“Mmm,” was Kara’s non-committal reply as she chewed on her candy, stalling to think for a moment. Some time passed with them just enjoying their cinema snacks, then, Kara spoke up, “I want to help and it’s a good way to do that. It is just an adjustment, despite me having done actions like this before. I am not used to being around people in this way, and to be honest, it is not my preference. But…” Kara tapered off, finishing with a shrug.

Alex was quiet for a moment, perhaps, shocked Kara had spoken so much. “I understand you completely.” She said, with a small smile on her face, handing Kara the second popcorn bucket they had gotten for the movie. Kara accepted it happily and turned to the screen as the lights lowered and the film began.

Lena had spent her entire life with too many soulmates and had never met one. And suddenly she found herself meeting two in the same week.

Kara Danvers was a name that had appeared on her body, in the last year. It was the most recent tattoo, it was not a name she had lived with, it was a surprise to meet her so soon.

She didn’t expect to meet Supergirl mere weeks after moving to National City. Supergirl, who she suspected was the first name that appeared on her skin, if the giant S inside a diamond in her chest was identical to the one on her tight was any indication. Of course, Lena met her, while she was saving her life.

She was supposed to fly to a meeting at the outskirts of the city, with a possible new investor, who she was determined to convince L-Corp wasn’t going to be buried by Lex’s crimes.

“I hate flying,” it’s the first thing she told the helicopter’s pilot, once she put on her headphones. “I know it’s statistically the safest way to travel, but still…”

They were lifting into the air, when a couple of massive drones menacingly floated in front of them.

“What the hell?” She asked, and as soon she did, the drones started firing at them.

Lena closed her eyes in fear, convinced she would die. But the pain never came, she opened her eyes only to see the blonde hair of Supergirl floating protectively between the helicopter and the shooting drones. Lena could hear the bullets ricocheting off of the Kryptonian, at least until one of the drones shot something a lot more powerful. The big explosion didn’t manage to knock down the alien, but it was powerful enough to move her from her strategic place between the drones and their target. Enough to finally fire at Lena’s chopper directly.

It missed her, but it hit the pilot, who tried for a moment to control the aircraft which was losing altitude as fast as he was losing blood. The pilot stopped moving, and Lena dove in to grab the lever that controlled the chopper, keeping them in the air. Still she tried to land safely, from her precarious seat.

She’s not sure what happened next, in reality. But she’s extremely aware that it wasn’t her who managed to ground the helicopter.

The superhero blonde, broke into the cabin as soon as they were on the helipad, using her hands to try and stop the pilot from bleeding out.

“What the hell was that?” Lena asked the blonde, taking off the headphones.

“Someone is trying to kill you.”

Lena doesn’t know what to say to that. What’s the normal, sane response there? ‘Hello, nice to meet you, though. I think you might be my soulmate, thanks for saving me?’

So she just stared, as the blonde applied pressure to the pilot’s wound, until black ops paramedics arrived. She recognized the redhead from the FBI, who nodded to the superhero right before she flew away, the blonde nodding in response.

“I didn’t know Supergirl worked for the FBI,” She blurted out without meaning.

The agent snickered. “She doesn’t, she just cheats to get places first.” She took her dark aviator glasses off and looked at Lena. “Glad you are okay, Miss Luthor. I’m afraid you’ll have to be in our custody for a while.”

For all the endless changes in her life, Kara never expected to be doing this. She never expected the D.E.O. to call her in and then suggest this was something they needed, Kara of all people, for.

“Really? Isn’t Alex better qualified for this?” Kara had crossed her arms over her chest after she was done speaking.

J’onn sighed a bit, and she could tell that Alex was trying to hold back a sh*t eating grin.

“I’m not even a full time ‘agent’ here.”

“While Alex is a highly capable agent, it’s in our best interest to provide Ms. Luthor with the finest protection. And it’s hard to beat a Kryptonian,” was J’onn’s calm reply to Kara. Kara swore she could hear him holding back a chuckle.

Kara did not back down, if anything her presence became even more intimidating, her body seemed to vibrate as she stood across from J’onn.

“You’ll be able to do things no one else can, no matter how well-trained Alex or anyone else is as an agent.” J’onn added, sensing that Kara was going to keep resisting.

Kara sighed and mumbled something not appropriate for the public, but relaxed her stance fractionally, her jaw moving with her annoyance.

Kara needed to clear her mind, so she went flying, not long after, a school bus required rescuing and a storm in Indonesia had trapped a lot of people. She had gotten into the rhythm this morning. She had even stopped to talk to some of the school kids as they were so excited to see ‘Supergirl’ and wanted to ask her questions. With kids, Kara didn’t mind interacting as much, it was easier, their joy infectious. What she had not anticipated today was having to rescue Ms. Luthor so soon after meeting her. At first, she had no idea it was Lena Luthor, she thought it was a rescue like any other. She had been flying high in the atmosphere when she got the call from Alex. She was there in an instant, before Alex had even made it to the building in downtown National City. She could hear and smell that the drones were about to fire so she swiftly got in front of the helicopter protecting the people inside as best she could. She didn’t even register the bullets bouncing off of her suit.

When the bullets stopped, she heard a voice say, “These bullets are the least of your worries, courtesy of Lex Luthor.” Kara let out a growl in return, then something bigger was fired and she was thrown off her game, the smoke of the missile filling her nose, and it took her a minute to reorient herself. She had absorbed most of the missile explosion, but the drones were able to fire at the people in the helicopter. She quickly moved toward the chopper, working to balance the helicopter and bring it safely back down onto the roof. The noise from the explosion and then the helicopter flooding her ears. In the rush, Kara didn’t notice that she had gripped the landing gear so roughly that she had flattened it into a paper sheet. Then she was super-speeding to open the co*ckpit door to check on the passengers and her eyes were immediately seeking out Lena Luthor, unable to pull herself away from the green blue of them. Colors had always been powerful on Earth for her, and Lena’s eyes were no exception. She, suddenly, had so much she wanted to say. Something had shifted in her, but then her attention was on trying to help the injured pilot while waiting for the paramedics, aware that Alex had also finally made it to the roof.

The pilot had just left in an ambulance, he would be fine, Kara sighed in relief to herself. She shifted her attention to watching Lena’s car leaving the scene where she had just been medically cleared.

“I cannot believe you met her again so quickly. What are the odds?” Alex said as she bumped Kara in the shoulder. Kara said nothing, but a crinkle did appear in her forehead.

“I don’t see how this is necessary.” Lena stubbornly said, crossing her arms over her chest, looking directly at Agent Alex Danvers and refusing to look at the other blonde agent. “I have my own security, I can take care of myself.”

“I’m sure your team can take care of you, but we just want to be thorough,” the redhead agent replied, like she was addressing an impertinent child.

“We have reasons to believe your brother is trying to cause you harm.” The blonde agent commented, her face like she’s trying to convey… something.

Lena’s head snapped towards Agent Kara Danvers. Did she know?

Did she have Lena’s name somewhere on her body, and was the universe toying with her once again by having her soulmate, one of them anyways, already given up on them by marrying someone else? Was this Kara Danvers even the right Kara Danvers?

“Why would my brother try to kill me now?” Lena said, as detachedly as she could. “It’s been months since I testified against him.”

The agents shared a look, the redhead was the first to respond.

“We believe he’s now settled, surely feels he has some control, and you decided to… rename his company.”

“Your brother is a narcissist, Miss Luthor.” Kara Danvers continued, as if she and the other agent were communicating the same thought. Figures. “In his mind this is probably worse than sending him to max security prison.”

Lex almost succeeded in killing the most powerful being in the world, and if it weren’t for her own preparation and Superman’s superhuman abilities, the Man of Steel would have perished.

“The Venture explosion… it was his doing, wasn’t it?” Lena darkly questioned a few seconds later, very sure she already knew the answer.

“We can’t say for sure.” The agent said, clear blue eyes focused on her. “But it’s a possibility. The explosion originated in the seat assigned to you. That tells us the attack was targeted.”

“The helicopter attack signals a pattern.” The other agent added, after clearing her throat, like reminding them she was there. “Our agency insists on giving you a security detail, for your protection.”

Lena wanted to scream in frustration, National City was supposed to be a new start, Lex was making it impossible mere weeks into her move there. But she had two years to make L-Corp profitable, and show the old geriatric men on the board she could do it. She could prove to them and the rest of the world that she wasn’t like her brother.

“Very well, Agents. Who’s the poor bastard who has to keep me alive?”

Later that day Kara found herself speaking to Jessica Huang, the CEO’s assistant, about Ms. Luthor’s schedule, also about all the entrances and exits to the Luthor Corp building, then she found herself going outside to speak with her driver, Frank. Everyone in Ms. Luthor’s day to day life needed to be aware of why she was there and they had to listen to her - it was all about keeping Ms. Luthor safe.

After Kara had agreed to this detail, J’onn explained to her and Alex that there had been a stream of attempts on her life and that some suspected what happened with The Venture was to get rid of Ms. Luthor, permanently. Kara told them what she had heard when she saved Lena from the helicopter. “Lex Luthor is dangerous even though he is in jail, he has resources. We’ll have to be vigilant.” J’onn said seriously. Kara and Alex nodded in agreement.

Once J’onn headed back to his office, Alex turned to Kara. “Are you sure about this? It’s very different from what you usually do.”

Kara held back a small sigh, “It has to be done. It’s concerning that Lex Luthor is still able to accomplish so much from prison.”

“A valid point.” Alex said though the edges of her lips were twitching, fighting not to smile.

“What?” Kara asked plainly as she scanned news feeds for anything that might need her assistance.

“Nothing, nothing. We can work out details later, but you are point on this assignment.”
Kara nodded in agreement, never taking her eyes off the news feed.
Alex let herself smile knowingly.

No one was going to kill Lena Luthor on Kara’s watch. So, she found herself going over Ms. Luthor’s office thoroughly, being precise, careful. Considering Kara had never done anything like this in her life, she took to it like she had found her calling.

“Is all this really necessary?” The woman in question said from her desk, not even looking up from whatever she was working on.

Kara stayed focused, moving section by section, using her powers when she could. She was methodically going over every inch of the office, after she had arrived early to canvas the entire city area and the building. “It is always better to be prepared, as safe as possible.” Kara replied quietly as she walked over to the bank of windows to check them.

“I understand that but, aren’t these measures a bit much?” Lena grumbled under her breath, as she looked at Kara checking a plant in the corner of the office. Kara tried not to smile at how utterly sweet it sounded.

“One never knows, and sometimes caution is the only way to stay alive.” Kara replied something heavy in her voice even as she focused on her work, or trying to seem to be despite everything inside her wanting to get closer and have a genuine conversation with Lena Luthor. This woman whose name had been on her arm almost as long as she had been on this new planet. And now everything of this woman was filling Kara’s senses, she couldn’t escape it. Kara did not buy into the whole soulmate theory, but she could not help but be curious. After a time, she was finally satisfied she had checked everything possible.

“Ms. Luthor,” Kara said, standing at attention, back straight, movements meticulous. She waited for Lena to meet her eyes, “I understand that all this may seem a bit ‘over the top,’ but I am here for your protection and, hopefully, it stays at me checking around your office.”

Lena paused and then nodded in agreement.

“I’ll take my post outside.” Kara bowed her head minutely and went to sit down at the spot Jess had found for her. It was not too obvious or in the way. Kara was a sentinel, seeming to blend into the rhythm of the office, but her entire being was always alert.

As much as Kara took to the job naturally, the fact that she wasn’t used to being around people so much and in an office caught up with her. She took solace in the comfort of her cave, the solitude, she didn’t have much there, but it was all hers. She did her work out routine and said her prayers and meditations. It helped to center her, even if part of her somehow felt restless. Kara loved to read books and watch movies; she even had a little projector that worked well on one of the cave walls. She settled down in the cushions she had and put a film on, after a time some foxes came to cuddle with her. She found comfort in the animals that came, without fear, to stay with her. Kara let out a happy sigh as she watched the film.

The ceremony to rename the company was still holding up, Lena refused to change it again. And thus at 10 am she was walking out of her own building towards the podium at the stage, with the new logo of her company behind. Her new bodyguard, dressed in the most stereotypical bodyguard suit, was a step behind her. Her closeness resulted in Lena's arms breaking up in goosebumps, which she insisted on ignoring.

“I guess I shouldn't be surprised there isn't a bigger turnout.” She mumbled instead.

“You're taking an awful risk, going ahead with the renaming ceremony with your life in danger.” The agent whispered back.

“I won't have a life if I can't make this company into something positive. All it will be remembered for is Lex's madness.” Lena declared, right before stepping onto the podium to address the public. “I want to thank you all for coming. My brother hurt a lot of good, innocent people.” She started, direct and to the point. “My family owes a debt, not just to Metropolis, but to everyone. I intend to pay that. By renaming my company L-Corp, we will usher in a new age of cooperation and community. Together, we will chart a brighter future.”

She had an entire speech planned out, she wanted to mention some projects they were working on, and how L-Corp would shift its focus towards medical and environmental development rather than weapons. But it all was left unsaid when explosions detonated close to Lena, right behind her. Quickly she found herself pinned to the ground by the muscular frame of Agent Danvers, behind the podium.

“Are you hurt?” She asked in a quick breath, not even looking at Lena, but scanning their surroundings with her eyes.

“No, I’m fine.” Lena breathed, looking at the blonde, with a bated breath.

“Alex, do you see anything?” The agent asked, clearly to her partner in her earpiece. “She’s fine, do you see the perp?”

Whatever the other Agent Danvers said, seemed to be inconsequential to the blonde, when there was very loud screaming close to them, another round of explosions.

“Stay here. Don’t move!” She said, and she stood up and ran fast somewhere.

Lena peeked around to see the chaos. People were running everywhere, the last explosion had been at the foundation of the building next to L-Corp. And Lena’s eyes zeroed on a lost child, close to the stage. She was alone, and crying, calling for her mother. She couldn’t help herself, she walked towards her, part of it reminded her of her own past situation when she was desperately calling for her mother at the lake, when she had drowned.

“Hey, hey… It’s okay I will help you,” she told the child, as she stood in front of her, trying to calm her down.

A police officer approached them, “Officer, thank God.”

The gratitude ended there, because the man immediately pointed a gun at her. She stood between the weapon and the child, until out of nowhere Kara Danvers pushed the man out of the way, disarming him.

They were soon wrestling on the ground, the child ran away towards who Lena could only think was her parent by the way the kid clinged to her.

When Lena could finally move, she saw the way Agent Danvers and the supposed police officer were fighting, and there was something weird in it, but Lena couldn’t put her finger on it. They were both on their feet again, and Lena located the gun on the ground, she just couldn’t get a clean shot.

It felt like long minutes, Kara Danvers matching hit by hit with her attacker, but as Lena was watching it all, there was something about the way they moved that didn’t feel natural to her, she just couldn’t place what it was.

But finally, the man took a taunting step, that was an opportunity for Lena. She didn’t think about it. She just fired the shot, right through his chest.

For the next couple of days, Lena couldn’t focus, in all honesty. After Lena was cleared of any wrong doings after the shooting, she kept just… dancing, avoiding being around her new bodyguard.

She was reading and signing reports, and without realizing her eyes would drift towards the door where Kara Danvers was somewhere behind. She kept daydreaming about conversations she had yet to have with the blonde. It was funny, really, she had spent half her life coming to terms with the amount of supposed soulmates, but she never really thought about what to tell them when she got to meet them.

After learning the reasons why more than one mark could appear, she may be forgiven for thinking she was never going to meet any of hers, besides maybe Supergirl.

And Lena was still doubtful she was even her soulmate. Lena could never be so lucky.

She didn’t know how to broach the subject, she didn’t even know if she wanted to know if married agent Kara Danvers was her soulmate. She didn’t even know if she even wanted a relationship, of any kind, with the woman.

She still was curious, though.

Like called by her mind, there was a knock on the door, and Kara Danvers’ face peeked into her office.

“Miss Luthor, your car is ready for you.” She informed her, entering the office and standing up stoically in an impeccable dark suit, as if Lena were her commanding officer and she was waiting for an order.

“To go where, exactly?” Lena dazedly asked. She had no idea where she was supposed to go, she looked at the clock, and realized she had lost the time. She indeed has a meeting.

“You have a meeting with your head of Research and Development,” Agent Danvers said. “You are scheduled to have a meeting in the warehouse in 20 minutes, and then Jess made you a lunch reservation at Table Salt.”

Very true. She had Jess pull the reservation, just so she could have an excuse to leave the meeting.

“Right. I’ll be there in a moment.” Lena replied, as she stood up and grabbed her purse.

The entire meeting was because she was canceling all of this particular engineer weaponry projects. And if her intel had been correct, then, said head of Research and Development would run towards his meeting spot with a Folston Tech’s executive to try and sell the weapons schematics that she was canceling at L-Corp.

At Table Salt.

She would fire him, take her blueprints, threaten to sue both of them to kingdom come, and go on her merry way after hopefully a satisfying meal.

The trip to the warehouse was almost clinical. Agent Danvers went down L-Corp’s elevator with her, and walked next to her like a human shield from the building’s door to the car. And then sat next to her in the vehicle as if they had done the same dance over a thousand times.

Frank drove them to the warehouse, while Lena tried to read some emails totally not distracted by the agent sitting next to her. When they arrived at their destination, Agent Danvers did the same, but in reverse. She swiped the place with her eyes, over her currently clearing glasses. And Lena could tell she was not only looking for danger but also looking at alternative exits.

“All clear,” she mumbled, and almost without noticing she put her hand on Lena’s lower back to give the go ahead.

It felt like lightning coursing through her veins. Lena walked away from her, as fast as she could. She’d never felt like that.

Still, she needed to put on her A-game face if she wanted to follow through with her plans.

“Wait for me here, please.” She said, once they got to the office occupied by the man of the hour. “Don’t let anyone interrupt us. But come for me if I don’t get out in 10 minutes.”

Kara Danvers looked at her, square in the eyes. Slightly almost imperceptibly she tilted her head, but then nodded. “Understood.”

Lena nodded too, and then entered the office, ready to finish Lex’s power over her company.

It went according to plan. Lena succinctly informed the man that she would be pulling the plug on all the projects he was developing, he screamed about how she couldn’t do that. She said she wanted them done by the end of the week, and told him to report to her for their new assignment then. Lena didn’t wait for Agent Danvers to come looking for her, she opened the door, and was faced with the militaristic stance of the woman behind the door.

“Everything alright?” She asked, a slight frown on her face.

Lena nodded, and walked back to the car, as the man kept screaming bloody murder from his office.

Agent Danvers, performed the same protective dance to get her to the car.

“Can I ask… Why was he so upset?” She asked when Frank pulled away from the parking lot.

Lena shrugged, “He worked on my brother’s vision of the company. I’m not interested in military development. There are enough weapons in this world. The company that I’m spearheading now is for the well being of the planet.” She turned back to the blonde. “I want L-Corp to focus on medical and environmental advancement.”

“So, you took away what he was working on?” The other woman frowned.

“Yes. But I have the feeling that the screaming won’t be the end of it.”

Lena was immediately shown to a discreet table at the end of the restaurant. And the maitre d gave her a menu, and the other one to Agent Danvers.

Lena smiled when the blonde frowned taking up the carte de jour.

“Take a seat, Agent Danvers.” She looked at the blonde, almost teasing. “Did you really think I would drag you to one of the most expensive restaurants in the city just to stand there and watch me not eat?”

“I had no expectations, Ms. Luthor. I’m just here for your protection.” The blonde replied with the seemingly practiced response, but at last she sat in the chair in front of Lena.

Lena hummed, looking around the restaurant before looking back at the menu again.

“We will spend a lot of time together, so I think it would be beneficial for us to set some ground rules.”

Agent Danvers’ brow twitched over her glasses, and Lena could tell she was a second from repeating whatever dossier she was given about her protection.

“I’m just not much of a social person, Agent Danvers.” Lena continued, before the other woman could say a single word. ”But I’m always dealing with sensitive corporate information that you will have access to. I just want to be sure that your agency is not secretly more interested in that, than in whatever supposed danger I’m in.”

“You think the FBI set me in your office as a mole?” The blonde asked.

Lena shrugged, “I know I can be considered a person of interest. I’m also aware that I’m in charge of the company my brother used to accomplish his crimes. And I know I’m the only link to my mother, who no one seems to be able to find.” She looked back at the blue eyes of Agent Kara Danvers. “And here comes a government agency offering… or demanding, I accept their bodyguard on my first week in the city. You cannot deny it seems convenient.”

Kara Danvers’ lip quirked slightly, like holding out a smile. Lena lifted a brow defiantly.

“I suppose you are right.” The agent commented. “But as far as I know, and I’m concerned, I’m only here for your protection, Ms. Luthor.”

“Glad we are on the same page then, Agent Danvers.” Lena commented, calling up the waiter. “I can recommend the steak, if you’d like that.”

“Would it be too uncouth if I got a burger instead?” she asked.

“Not at all, burgers are amazing.” She smiled before turning back to the waiter.

Lena couldn’t help but observe the way agent Danvers eyes sparkled every time a meal passed by their table. It was full of wonder, she took a breath every time, too. Kara Danvers liked food.

“I thought the FBI didn’t recruit people with vision impairment.” Lena couldn’t help but comment instead, as they waited for their food.

Her lead engineer hadn’t arrived yet. Lena may have had bad info, and she was desperate to fill in the silence. Kara Danvers turned back to her, finally peeling her eyes from Lena’s chicken and kale salad.

“What do you mean?”

“Your glasses, agent. I’m guessing they are not for show?”

She touched them, almost as if she had forgotten they were on her face. “They recruit if you can get 20/20 vision with aid. Rest assured that my glasses won’t be a problem regarding your protection, Ms. Luthor.”

“I wasn’t worried about it.” Lena commented once their food was delivered. “Just curious. We will be spending a lot of time together, it doesn’t hurt if we are acquaintances with each other. You just… don’t seem like the type.”

“And what type would that be?” The blonde frowned, almost ignoring the food in front of her. Almost.

“I actually don’t know how to explain it.” Lena smirked.

“Well, if you must know,” the agent replied, picking up her wagyu burger. “It wasn’t really my dream job.”

“And what would that dream job be?”

Kara shamelessly took an enormous bite of her burger, however the agent seemed to be thinking of how to respond to her question.

Lena picked at her salad, enjoying the fresh taste, but also regretting not also ordering a burger too.

“I just want to help.” The blonde finally said. “And I know this job helps… but it’s not the way I want to do so.”

“And what way is that?”

“You are very curious, aren’t you Ms. Luthor?”

Lena smiled, “I am a scientist, curiosity is always the first step.”

“I get that. My father was also a scientist. For a time I thought I would be one too.” Kara Danvers tried to smile, but it fell short, it seemed like something painful. “I just… I wasn’t as proficient with it as I should have been.”

“Problems getting into university?” Lena asked, with a frown.

The blonde laughed, more surprised than offended. “No, no. By that time my heart wasn’t in it anymore. To be honest, science was… painful, long before that.” She shrugged again. “Life just took me somewhere else.”

“Well, it couldn’t be that bad,” Lena tried to tease with a smile, even when her heart was doing funny beats in her chest. “I mean, is it customary for the FBI to let wives work together?”

Kara Danvers choked on her burger. “Wives?”

“Your partner. Alexandra Danvers.”

“And you think she’s my wife?” Kara Danvers squeaked, if Lena had to describe it somehow, her voice a pitch higher, and still coughing.

“No need to be coy with me, Agent Danvers, you share the same last name, you move around each other, in tandem without saying a word to each other...”

“My sister. Alex is my sister. Not my wife.” She quickly interrupted, drinking half her glass of water. “Adoptive sister. We… it’s not really protocol, either but, we get each other, we are good with non verbal communication.”

Lena smiled, her heart fluttering, foolishly hopeful in her chest, “I apologize for the confusion.”

“No need for it, I can understand the confusion, we… didn’t really make it very clear.”

“So we are both adopted, with a sibling called Alex. Quite the coincidence.” Lena mentioned. Quantum Entanglement repeating at the back of her head. Something else, clicking in place, she just couldn’t put her finger on what, yet. But in all honesty, she stopped paying attention to Agent Danvers, because just behind her, L-Corp’s chief engineer was indeed passing on some kind of folder to a tie-wearing man. She never saw them coming in, so invested in her conversation with the blonde.

“Miss Danvers, would you mind accompanying me to talk with another patron?” Lena asked.

It went as planned. With Agent Danvers by her side, like giving more weight to her claims, now L-Corp had a vacancy on their engineering team. Lena could tell that the agent didn’t quite appreciate the involvement, but she saw the way she smiled once they got back to their table, Lena with the incriminating file under her arm.

“Remind me, Ms. Luthor, to never piss you off.” She commented, right before taking another bite of her burger. “How did you even know he would be here?”

“There is a reason Jess has become my right hand woman in such a short time, Agent Danvers.” Lena smiled and asked for a glass of red wine, might as well celebrate a job well done.

At first, the days went by swiftly filled with learning Ms. Luthor’s work habits and memorizing her schedule, taking her to meetings around town. Kara took it all in stride though, at times, the sound of Ms. Luthor’s voice or the smell of her shampoo would make her freeze for a moment. After that first week, there was a period of calm, Kara would check her office before the CEO arrived, seeking out the smallest of irregularities. Kara even got used to her post, despite not being happy sitting and staying in one place so much. She indulged in some of her hobbies, at first, she would bring a small paperback book with her, one she could tuck into her coat pocket.

“And what book is it today?” Kara looked up from the page she was reading to find Lena Luthor looking at her over her ever present tablet. Jess was two steps behind her, they were clearly headed to another floor for a meeting.

“The Mysterious Island .” Kara replied, closing the book, tucking it back into her coat pocket, ready to follow them to the other floor.

“Jules Verne.” Lena raised an eyebrow, her shock clear. “I hope it’s a more recent translation.”

“Oh, yes, some of the translations of his novels to English, do his deft writing a disservice. I’ve found that translations of Dumas lose much of his humor. Today, I’m reading Verne in the original French actually.”

“Aren’t you full of surprises, Agent?” Lena said as she started walking towards the elevator.

“Who doesn’t enjoy a good adventure story?” Kara replied as she held the elevator doors open for Ms. Luthor and Jess.

Lena met her eyes for a moment and then went back to checking her tablet. Kara just joined her hands in front of herself, content to tag along where she was needed.

Lena had a detail who traveled with her on the road, Alex and Kara had agreed on this after the first week, so that Kara was free to watch from the air and use her raogrhyses, if they were needed. So, Kara’s days got even more of a routine, she had a travel plan. Kara tried a lot of places to get food in the morning, but she found that she loved a small coffee cart only a few blocks down from L-Corp the most. She would get herself a large coffee and several donuts. On her third morning doing this she happened to still be enjoying one of the donuts when Lena emerged from the elevator.

“Donuts, really?”

“Do you want one?” Kara asked excitedly, she loved donuts.

“Maybe another time.” Lena said as she went into her office. Kara finished her donut and pulled out a crossword puzzle book today. She noticed that Lena had gone into her office without food and none had been brought in, even near lunchtime. That would not do. Over the next few days, Kara observed that Ms. Luthor was terrible at remembering to eat, which was impossible for Kara to imagine, food was one of life’s joys. It seemed once Lena was ensconced in her office, pecking away at her long to-do list as the head of a large company that she was trying to redefine in scope and identity, everything else fell away, even remembering to eat, apparently. Memories of the renaming ceremony came to her mind, Corben had tried to extinguish the light Lena brought to the world, she felt herself uncharacteristically still reacting now. Kara would protect this brilliant woman who wanted only to do good.

So, the following week, Kara looked at what the coffee cart had to offer and she got Lena yogurt and some fresh berries. She also got her a coffee. Kara took all of this into Lena’s office, placing it on her desk before she went to her post to sip her own coffee.

Kara had just returned from assisting with a construction site disaster and had opened the large crossword puzzle she’d been working on when a now familiar voice said, “Thank you. The coffee was good.”

Kara looked up, an eyebrow raised, “we all need food and drink.”

Lena kept looking at her, “Do you like any other puzzles?”

“Sudoku is also fun.” Kara said as her eyes lit up a bit, “Also cryptograms.”

“I enjoy those as well.”

“I noticed the chess board in your office, do you play?”

Lena clammed up for a moment, but she blinked a few times, as if clearing her thoughts, “I do, just haven’t recently.”

“Maybe we can sometime.”

“Perhaps.” A ghost of a smile crossed Lena’s face. “For now, please excuse me, I see Jess coming.”

Kara nodded and went back to her crossword puzzle.

Kara had always been observant, detail oriented and she had cataloged everything about this assignment, but what Kara didn’t notice was that her senses would almost go wild around Lena, how the scent of her shampoo would waft from under the office door and Kara would be dazed for a moment, unsure of what had captured her attention. She mostly thought it was her protective instincts being on high alert, but then there were the times she would be meeting Lena’s eyes while she spoke, Kara didn’t register that she almost wanted to float, that swimming in the crystalline colors of Lena’s eyes reminded her of flying high in the atmosphere.

Kara was thorough if nothing else, so she read everything the D.E.O. gave her about Lena Luthor and she was lucky that she was from such a prominent family, there was a lot of information at her fingertips. She paid extra attention to any mentions of Lex Luthor. What Corben had said was still rattling around in her head. She needed to understand who she was protecting. Jess was also an invaluable source of information. It didn’t take long for Kara to learn the rhythms to Ms. Luthor’s days like she had embedded her meditations into her own. Kara was busy with this protection detail, but she still helped whenever she could, wearing her super-suit. Being called ‘Supergirl’ was still an adjustment for her, but deep down, when she examined all of it, it felt right.

One evening, Kara had gotten Lena to her car as was usual. She waited for the vehicle to exit the parking garage and then she used her superspeed to change into her super-suit and head up into the sky. She still monitored ensuring that Lena got to her penthouse securely and safely. This was often a good time for Kara as she was free of the office space and able to spread herself out more, but something unexpected happened today.

Her ears became filled with the noise of a tire bursting off of a car. She knew it was Lena’s car immediately and she sped down to ensure everything was okay. When she saw the tire, the rim was completely shot. No way they were going to get the spare tire on. Kara didn’t even notice that she had tuned into Lena’s heartbeat making sure she was okay and not scared. That her own breathing was reaching panic levels and her meditations were running through her mind, that part of her felt trapped in her pod, frozen in place. Nor was she aware that she had gripped the tire rim too tightly when she’d checked it and bent it even more out of shape.

“Alex, we need another car for Ms. Luthor. The tire on this one is broken.”

“On it.” Alex’s calm reply came. “When did this happen?”

“In the last two minutes.” Kara replied matter of factly.

All she got in response was a curious hum. Kara had no idea what had gotten into Alex.

Kara went to check on the cars that had gotten caught up in the tire popping off of Ms. Luthor’s vehicle and helped get the traffic flowing again. Then she went into the sky but her eyes never left Ms. Luthor.

When Kara was at her station in L-Corp she would scan the city for anything that might need her assistance, and she would also do security checks of the floor and perimeter. There were moments in her sweep where the sound of Lena’s heartbeat would be overpowering in the most wonderful of ways. Other times she could not help but notice how striking Lena was, her jawline, how she looked when she walked into a meeting. And, yet, sometimes she was just soothed by the sound of Lena typing away at her computer, occasionally making humming noises to herself. Kara was never the most talkative person, but she slowly found herself gaining a rapport with Jess.

“May I ask, what are the balloons for?” Kara asked one day, as she looked at the little balloons drawn on the corner of a date on Jess' giant monthly calendar that resided on her desk.

Jess looked up at her sharply, her expression very serious.

“What?” Kara raised an eyebrow from where she was sipping her coffee leaning against Jess’s desk.

Jess did not look away, but slowly said, “Do not tell anyone this, but it is Ms. Luthor’s birthday. She doesn’t like a fuss.” Jess almost seemed embarrassed about mentioning it. Kara merely nodded at her, though she tucked that piece of information away.

Over the years, Kara found herself hanging out in high places in cities, whether it was the mountains outside of cities or finding the tallest buildings and taking in everything from above. It was peaceful. She could almost reach a Zen state where she let her abilities free, being so high up made it welcome rather than overwhelming. Tonight, she found herself eating some big belly burgers from on top of Catco Worldwide Media, taking in the setting sun.

“You will do extraordinary things. ” The phrase her mom had said to her flew across her mind. It had taken time, but she did not hate it anymore. It was part of Rao’s light for her now, as her parents were in his light, and she hoped that she helped push even a little of his light out into this world. That it somehow touched others. And Kara thought of something she had not since she had returned to Earth.

Name day.

So important at home, but it had been too painful for her to think about all these years…she could not celebrate with her parents, her family. But sitting here taking in the setting sun, a time of day she loved so much, all the colors it was magical, suddenly she couldn’t stop thinking about name day. About her name. About her family, her house. As the last light faded into a clear starry sky, it hit Kara the only other time she had felt this with colors was when she had first met Lena.
She wasn’t sure what that meant, but it made her pause and wonder what color stardust might be. If she could ever hold some. If that is what soulmate marks were made of. She was drinking through her second milkshake and her fifth burger when the date flitted across her mind.

The next morning, she found herself carefully transporting a cupcake, which, no need to tell anyone she had brought it from a bakery in London, to Lena’s office. She waited until Lena was settled at her desk, then instead of leaving, she said, “I, uh, got something for you.” And then Kara was holding out a large cupcake with a birthday candle already lit, to Lena.
Lena looked up from her computer, her entire frame froze in place, her eyes as captivating as ever, even if Kara saw a few tears forming. Lena slowly got up from her desk after a few seconds, and made her way over to Kara.

“Thank you,” the shock was clear in her voice, despite her soft tones.
Kara’s heart felt heavy, but a small smile graced her lips, “We need to celebrate sometimes.” Then she quietly left the office and went to her post outside.

It had been a very long day. The code for the Image Inducers they were working on kept crashing. Lena kept racking her brain into deciding which should be L-Corp’s next big project, as the board kept asking for results and Lex kept trying to kill her. Supposedly.

She had very little patience with anyone, let alone Agent Kara Danvers’ protective aura. She was tired of it. She couldn’t stop thinking about it. The idea that this person was her person. She wanted so badly to believe, but she was also starting to think that she felt such a pull towards Kara Danvers, not only for the constant company, but also because she didn’t have anyone else.

Not Lex. Not Andrea. Not Jack. She was utterly alone, and it was so evident by the way her birthday came and went only Jess and Kara Danvers wished her a good one.

Twenty-four years old and she felt as alone as she did when she was four and her mother died. Saddest part, there was nothing she was willing to do to change that. Andrea had betrayed her, Jack was back in Metropolis. And Lex… well, she had lost him long ago.

It was past 8PM and she had sent Jess home over an hour ago. She was almost certain that besides the night cleaning crew, and security team, she was the only one in the building. Her and Kara Danvers, of course. Still she was half reading the latest report on the Image Inducer failure, and drinking her third glass of scotch.

The knock on the door made her actually refocus on what was actually happening in her office, “Come in.”

“Ms. Luthor,” none other than Agent Kara Danvers said, with her impeccable suit and her hair all blown off, as if she’d been caught doing some mischief, and ran to cover it. “Your driver asks if he should wait for you or come back later?”

Lena blinked at the blonde and then cleared her throat.

“I’ll be down in a few minutes. Thank you, Agent Danvers.”

“Of course, Ms. Luthor.”

As the blonde's hair disappeared behind her office’s door, Lena finished her scotch. Put the report on a file and started to pick up all her stuff. Andrea, Jack in her mind, and how alone she felt in this new city. And yet still afraid of more. The only person she trusted in the city was Jess. And she was adamant about keeping their relationship strictly professional. Frank… Well, she trusted Frank, but she didn’t think he would be open to getting sh*t faced drunk on a Friday. And… Supergirl, who she only saw on the news. She trusted her, just by principle. Not because she knew anything about the alien.
She still wasn’t sure about Kara Danvers. She trusted her professionalism, and her drive to keep her safe. She just didn’t trust anything else about her.

She opened her office door and her imposed bodyguard turned back to her.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Agent Danvers. I lost track of time.” She lied.

“It’s no problem, Ms. Luthor. Ready to go home?”

Lena stopped, dead in her tracks. Home was the last place she wanted to be. Her office was more her home than the minimalist apartment she had been living in. Still she forced herself to smile. “It’s been a long day.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Luthor.”

“It’s not your fault, Agent Danvers.” Lena entered the elevator and looked at the way the Agent loosened her tie, as soon as the doors closed. “I want to thank you for the cupcake. It was a very nice thing to do.”

“It was nothing, Ms. Luthor.” Agent Danvers replied, her hand still on her tie, but entirely focused on Lena. “Birthdays should be celebrated.”

Lena couldn’t help the sardonic laugh that escaped her lips. “Honestly, I wish I could say it was something special, but I had nothing to celebrate.” She let out, the alcohol clearly loosening her lips. The vulnerability she kept having with Kara Danvers without realizing. “My best friend betrayed me, my brother is a criminal and the only person that loved me unconditionally, I couldn’t love the same way. Worst part is, I miss them, and I feel utterly alone without them.”

Kara Danvers said nothing for a few moments, she didn’t even move a muscle as the elevator seemed stuck in between floors, though Lena was very aware the cart was moving.

“I understand that, you have no idea how much, Ms. Luthor.”

Lena wanted to run, she really did, but as it was now seemingly becoming a habit, she was sincere with the agent. “We spend too much time together, I fear you know me better than this entire city now, I think you have earned the right to call me by my actual name. You can call me Lena.”

The agent blinked at her, clearly surprised, but her lips pulled in a small smile. “Well, if I’m calling you Lena…”

“Kara it is.”

As soon as the phrase left her lips, it was like the frame of Agent Kara Danvers subtly grew. Like she was standing taller, even when Lena knew that her expression hadn’t changed.

They left the elevator, and like every day, the agent walked towards the car and opened the door.

“Go home, Kara. Be with your loved ones. Too much work and you will end up like me, with no friends around. I’m sorry for making you wait.”

“Nothing to apologize for, Lena. No loved ones waiting for me.” There was a charged second, right before the blonde closed the car’s door.

Lena’s heart was almost going crazy in her chest.

“See you tomorrow, boss.”

“Ms. Danvers, the order you made has arrived.” Jess said as she walked past Kara to go into the conference room. Kara could not help but be a little excited, she had ordered lunch for her and Lena. Kara went to pick up the food bag from Jess’s desk and headed into Lena’s office.

“What did you get today?” Lena asked as she entered her office. Jess having gone back to her desk.

“I got us burgers.”

“From where?”

“Big Belly Burger.”

“I haven’t tried those yet, but I have heard good things.”

Kara smiled as she pulled the food out and spread it on the table in front of the couch they had settled onto.

“What book are you reading today?” Lena asked before taking a bite of the burger.

“I’m re reading The Left Hand of Darkness.”
“Le Guin, I’ve only read some of her blog posts.”

“Really?” Kara was delighted. “She has some good ones. You should read one of her novels, if you get the chance.”

Lena nodded, “This burger is wonderful, by the way.”

“It’s not Table Salt, but Big Belly Burger is reliable.” Kara reached for the fries and noticed the chess set yet again.

“Would you be willing to try a game after lunch?”

Lena looked at the chess set then at Kara. Kara saw something pass across her eyes, but then Lena was nodding in agreement.

That was how Alex found them later. She was scheduled to arrive as Kara had somewhere to be later in the day. Jess had let her in, Alex believed because she didn’t know what was going on in Ms. Luthor’s office. All Jess had told her was Lena had canceled her afternoon meetings.

Alex could not resist quietly entering and there they were absorbed in a chess game. She saw how close they were. Sitting side by side. How relaxed Kara appeared.

Then Kara moved a chess piece.

“Wait, how did you–?” Lena said in surprise as she looked at the chess board.

Kara just smirked at her surprise.

At this moment, Alex cleared her throat.

“Agent Danvers, hello, how are you?” Lena said as she rose from where she sat next to Kara on the couch and walked over to her.

“I am well, Ms. Luthor. I hope you are as well. I am here to take over for Agent Danvers this afternoon.”

“Yes, Ka…Agent Danvers informed me.” Alex looked over and saw that Kara had stood at her full height and re-buttoned up her jacket. The ease in her demeanor now vanished.

“Agent Danvers, have a nice rest of your day.” Lena said as she walked around to sit at her desk.

Kara nodded respectfully, “Same to you Ms. Luthor.” Alex saw the ghost of a smile on her face. She had never seen Kara smile so much.

“Alex,” Kara murmured as they headed back outside of Lena’s office.

When the door had closed, Kara got her up to speed on the day, and then paused to catch Alex’s eyes, “Thanks for this.”

“Of course, you’re not alone on this detail.”

Kara bowed her head a bit in thanks and then headed toward the bank of elevators.

What she didn’t notice, but Alex did was that there was a lightness to her step that Alex had never seen in the years they had known one another. Alex looked at Ms. Luthor’s door and back at Kara as she entered the elevator. It left Alex with much to think about.

Ms. Luthor was scheduled to run the Luthor Children’s Hospital gala this weekend. Kara had not been expecting to be spending so much time with anyone. She preferred her space, the quiet of being able to travel anywhere, not needing as much sleep, but now she found herself woven into Lena Luthor’s daily life. It could be overwhelming at times, but it was also pleasant. Lena was extremely smart and capable, and she was caring in a way that belied her CEO exterior. This is what caused part of Kara, the part that had resigned itself to never truly feeling light again, to peek its head from around the corner, if only briefly.

Kara was waiting in Lena’s kitchen, as tonight, she was going with her in the car to the science museum where the gala was being held. As this was the first major public event since the renaming ceremony the D.E.O. wanted to leave nothing to chance. So, Kara found herself dressed in a crisp tuxedo, her hair styled but loose, and no glasses tonight. For some reason she found herself taking her cufflinks out and putting them back in place. Kara wasn’t consciously aware, but her senses were being affected by Lena’s presence: scent, sight, and sounds – she would never touch unless it was to protect, but some primal part of her could almost taste Lena’s pleasing scent on her lips, feel her skin that looked so soft. Instead, Kara straightened her jacket unnecessarily as she watched the sun setting from Lena’s penthouse.

“I’m ready.” Lena’s voice and the sound of her dress shifting filling Kara’s ears. Kara’s eyes moved from the bay windows and landed on Lena and she was just stunned. Kara’s eyes roamed up from Lena’s heels over the lines and curves of her legs and hips and further up still, taking in her lush lips and then falling into her eyes. Their eyes caught, Kara’s ears filled with the fluttering sound of Lena’s heart, and she moved closer, her shoulders wide, back straight, heat vision starting to pulse deep in her veins- lining up with Lena in a way that felt inevitable and ancient. She saw Lena’s lips start to part, but then Kara remembered her duty and went to open the front door.

They were quiet as they got in the car, and they were driven to The Science Museum. Alex and her team were already set up at the venue, they were taking no chances with such a public event. When they arrived, Kara got out first and checked everything then stood to the side, holding the car door open, as Lena got out. She truly looked stunning, it had been hard for Kara to concentrate and she had not said much, she focused instead on keeping Lena safe.

The gala was going well. Everyone was mingling, chatting, and some were even dancing. Kara took advantage of getting to watch Lena in her element, she didn’t get to see her in meetings, so it was intriguing to watch her work a room, there was no lack of charisma. Sometimes she could feel Lena looking over at her. Sometimes Kara would circle around just to pass closer to Lena once more. It was the most ancient of dances as much as Kara tried to deny it. Wherever she went that night her eyes stayed on Lena and she admitted to herself it wasn’t just about protection.

Kara was eating her third plate of appetizers and taking in all the science exhibits, it was fascinating to see how humans saw the universe. It was so far away from what she grew up with, but it was a new way to look at the cosmos. Space was compelling, there was an aching romance to it, despite the fact that she already knew other worlds were filled with zhehiods and had spaceships. Kara’s shesur ached a bit, as her parents had taken her to visit other planets especially at solstice time. She liked flying into space though she had not explored it much since falling to Earth, perhaps she would do it in the future. Not trapped in the Vrrosh Dokhahsh, trapped in that pod for 24 years, but traveling, as she once did with her parents.

“Enjoying yourself?” Lena asked as she took a sip from her champagne glass. Kara turned from the display about Saturn she’d been perusing to take Lena in. She realized, as Lena smiled at her, that she had never seen so much of Lena’s skin and she didn’t see any soulmate marks, but what she did see under the intense lights of the museum event space, reminded her of what she had seen before, a sheen of makeup covering what was clearly several tattoos or, perhaps, soulmate marks. Kara held back from asking at this moment, it seemed a tad too personal.

“I am. I love exploring space.” Kara easily smiled, sliding her hands into her pants pockets. Lena’s scent had not left her and with her this close, Kara wanted to lean in, when she knew she shouldn’t. She saw Lena’s eyes following the motion of her moving her arms, a tinge of something in her eyes.

“Well, there is lots to explore.” Lena replied, her eyes catching Kara’s, after she took another sip from her drink. Kara’s lips quirked up, feeling the heat in the veins behind her eyes, she allowed herself to lean into the gentle flirtation. “Have you seen the planetarium?”

Kara shrugged her shoulders as if reminding Lena of the obvious, she was here as protection.

“Would you mind coming with me? I want to see it for myself, and it would give me some time alone.” Lena waited for Kara to give the affirmative, then turned and started walking across the room. “Grab those glasses.” She added as she plucked a bottle of champagne from one of the waiters.

Kara held open the door as Lena headed towards the center of the room. She watched as Lena turned on the system and then the entire spherical room was filled with planets and constellations. Kara could not help but turn in a circle taking them all in, saying a few of their names under her breath. She felt a sharp pain in her chest that made her freeze. She could see the Fire Falls, feel the breeze that washed across the Wanan Valley so strongly in summer, hear the hush that fell over Argo City when their glorious red sun was setting. She missed it all.

“Come sit.” Kara looked down, pulled out of her memories, to find Lena sitting in the front row of the planetarium. Kara smoothly unbuttoned her jacket, never taking her eyes from Lena’s, and held the glasses out to Lena, so that she could pour them drinks, her eyes then running up Lena from her legs to how the collar of her dress was begging to be slid open so her neck could be kissed.

“Cheers.” Kara murmured, her voice deep, clinking her glass with Lena’s as she sat down next to her. At first, they were quiet just watching the show and sipping their drinks.

“No glasses tonight?” Lena asked curiously, not looking away from the show.

Kara took a sip of her drink, “Fancy event. I wanted to look my best.” Lena caught Kara’s eyes, the question in them almost calling to her. Kara quickly shifted the focus back to the stars, “I always liked Centaurus.” Kara could not help but point to the constellation when it moved over them.

“You’ve been to the Southern Hemisphere?” Lena asked delightedly.

“A few times. I like to travel.” Kara smiled deeply and she heard the effect that had on Lena’s heartbeat.

“I wish I did it more for pleasure than for work.” Lena took another sip of her drink, a small flush on the sides of her neck.

“You should. Travel can be both centering and freeing, everyone should have that.” The allure of Lena, from her scent to her mind to the deep color of her attentive eyes - Kara wanted to taste. Once again, the makeup Lena had on came to the surface of Kara’s mind. “I hope this isn’t too forward, but why the makeup?” Kara asked as her fingers lightly ran near Lena’s wrist. “Is it because you have a mark?”

Kara sensed Lena pause, but then she said, “It is a bit forward, but yes, I do. I have more than one, actually. I’m not sure how, but life can be strange.”

Kara’s mind was suddenly filled with thoughts of mates when she had not contemplated the subject since falling to Earth. A question spilled from her lips, “Do you believe in it – soulmates?” Kara took a deep sip of her own drink now, her eyes on Lena.

Lena took her time to answer. “I have spent a lot of time thinking about it, for obvious reasons,” Lena raised her free hand to almost touch the name on her neck, “…I’m not sure I believe in it, but,” she shrugged, never really finishing the sentence, just looking at the planets in front of them. “And you?” Lena asked into the quiet.

“And…I have one.” They both took a sip from their glasses, the tension between as delicious as the expensive champagne. “Do you have a favorite planet?” Kara whispered, unable to resist looking at Lena out of the corner of her eye.

“I’ve always liked Neptune, it’s so far out there, the edge of the known universe.” Lena leaned back, relaxing more into her seat, her leg brushing against Kara’s. “You?”

“I’ve always loved Saturn, the rings are so beautiful.” The excitement, clear in her voice, as she matched her posture to Lena’s. They kept talking quietly, legs still touching, the feel of that touch electric to Kara, as the planetarium show continued to take them through the cosmos.

Lena kept observing the planets in front of them, and then quietly, almost afraid to say anything else she replied to the question, “I’ve given a lot of thought to soulmates, I’ve studied their origin, how they work. And my scientific mind still cannot wrap around it completely. But…” She sighed, shrugging again, as if the conclusion was a bit painful to admit. “But the universe is vast, there is so much still to discover, and stardust is mysterious.” She finished, finally looking back at Kara.

Kara kept her eyes on Lena’s and a soft smile pulled at her lips, “I like how you view it.”

For what was probably the first time, Agent Kara Danvers accompanied her back to her penthouse’s door. Details were not important, in all honesty, other than Kara Danvers had actually entered her residence for the second time ever, after Lena asked if she would like another drink.

“Scotch okay?” Lena asked. “Please, make yourself at home.”

“Sure,” the blonde mumbled at the question, as she walked around the room looking at everything.

Lena took two glasses and poured some of the amber liquor of one of her favorite brands, because of how smooth the scotch was.

“Thank you for indulging me back in the planetarium,” she whispered as she gave the agent her glass.

“No, thank you. I really enjoyed it. I truly love space.” She whispered and Lena could sense such sorrow behind her last words. “It contains so much.”

“I agree,” Lena said as they cheered, clicking their glasses together. “And yet the real reason as to why I wasn’t in The Venture is because I hate flying.” She freely commented, sitting on her leather couch, looking at the blonde.

“Really?” Kara asked, her face scrunching, maybe in confusion.

“Yes… I hate how out of control it makes me feel.”

“Is it fear?” The agent asked.

Lena shrugged, “I suppose. I love space, but The Venture felt too narcissistic, ‘only billionaires and celebrities’ type of flight, to feel remotely scientifically exciting to me.” Lena smiled. “If that makes any sense.”

Kara sat down next to Lena, drinking from her glass. A slight grimace going over her face for the taste.

She hated scotch, Lena noted to herself.

“Like a very expensive commercial flight?” The blonde asked.

“Perhaps.”

“I love flying,” Kara said. “Seeing everything up there makes me feel small, and weightless. It puts everything else in perspective. Problems that seemed unsurmountable, feel minuscule up there.” She smiled. “Of course, I’ve only flown commercial, though.”

“Of course,” Lena smiled too. She hadn’t been able to tear her eyes from the blue ones of Kara Danvers.

Tonight had been incredibly hard to ignore her attraction to the blonde. And only recalling their conversation about soulmates made her heart skip a beat. Hammering so out of sync in her chest.

“I can understand the fear, to be honest.” Kara mumbled after a moment. “I hate closed spaces. They bring me bad memories.”

“I’m sorry,” Lena said. “Claustrophobic?”

“No, I… Not anymore. Not since I was a kid.”

Lena looked at Kara’s expression. She wanted to ask so many things about her. She had her suspicions, of course, but Kara had not been very forward about her personal life. But Lena was a certified genius. She could infer a lot from snippets and slip ups the blonde has had since they met. And she had a new theory about it. She just needed more evidence.

But for now, she was relaxed enough, at her own apartment, tired from a long day of work, and with a handsome woman that everything in her being pushed her towards. Even when she refused to truly listen about soulmates, she voiced something else, instead.

“You are not my employee, right?”

Kara snorted a laugh and shook her head. “No. I’m paid by the FBI to keep you out of trouble.”

“That’s good,” Lena mumbled, finishing her glass and leaving it at the coffee table in front of them. “So we can stop dancing around it.”

“What do you mean?” Kara asked, moving infinitesimally towards Lena, after clearing her throat.
If Lena hadn’t been so focused on her, she wouldn’t have noticed the movement. “I have seen the way you look at me, sometimes. When you think I’m not paying attention.”

The blonde fixed her eyes on Lena’s face, and then mirrored her actions. She finished her drink, and put the glass next to Lena’s on the coffee table. “I’ve seen the way you look at me too.” She said, a smidge closer than she was a couple of seconds ago.

Her voice was low, dark and it settled somewhere south of Lena’s waist.

“Like you have so much to say, but are not willing to share.”

Lena’s eyes were glued to the agent’s lips, and she didn’t want to fight it anymore. “But Kara, I’m so much better at doing,” she said before leaning in and kissing her.
Kara reciprocated immediately, one of her hands going to Lena’s lower back, in an effort to bring her closer. Lena’s hands flew towards the blonde’s neck, in an attempt to not let her get away.

The kiss was hungry, and desperate, and Lena didn’t want to stop at all.

Kara’s hand drifted from her lower back to the back of her thigh, and in an effortless move, she dragged Lena until she was sitting on top of her. All without drifting away from her lips.

Lena’s mind was silent, just enjoying the hands roaming her skin, and the lips kissing her own. And she wanted more, she didn’t want to stop.

“Don’t go.” She whispered, millimeters from the blonde’s lips, her eyes still closed.

There was a beat, where Kara didn’t say anything. But then she kissed Lena again, just as hungry and just as desperate. “I don’t plan to.”

Kara had only been drunk a few times in her life when she’d found alien bars that had alcohol strong enough to affect the system of a Kryptonian under the power of a yellow star. Being drunk had nothing on what the taste of Lena did to her. Kara’s senses had never felt so heighted, so alive as they did now, and she had battled other zhehiods and she had pushed her limits to truly discover what she could accomplish under this yellow star. It had nothing on what seeing the spark in Lena’s eyes did to them. She was gazing at a deeply slumbering Lena in the pre-dawn light, not wanting to disturb her, but she was also thrumming with energy. Every part of Lena still felt embedded in her. Right to the core of her shesur. It was a shocking sensation that made her want to taste her again or fly into space at top speed so she could swim in the stars because anything else seemed mundane.

Most of her had not been surprised that they had come together there was a pull between them from the moment they’d met, and coitus was not something Kara had shied away from since she’d come of age on this planet. Casual encounters were not a social ritual of her home, but Kara had always loved knowledge and it had all tied into her wandering, exploring, of this zhgehv. But, Lena, had been unexpected and beautiful. Kara shook her head to clear it. She softly tucked the blankets back around Lena and she stood looking down at her. Rao, sokaofidh nahn wkhuhp I ehrosh ni divi. Rao, sokaokypzrhiges w khuhp I raogrhys. She chanted the prayer in her mind as she moved some hair gently off of Lena’s face. Kara wondered if she should stay, leave a note. She could not decide what to do, so she quietly got into her suit and headed for her cave. She didn’t know if it was the planetarium or the woman or both, but after checking her cave she restlessly strode out into the gentle light of an early Alaskan morning and dove into the clear waters of the Kenji Fjords. Kara swam for a while then frolicked with some whales then she made her way back to get ready for the day.

Kara suddenly found herself craving her favorite cookies, so she stopped by Belmira’s knowing she always had them on hand. Then she had a desire for the best coffee she had ever had; it was in a little place in Italy. The owner had been making coffee since he was too short to see over the counter. Kara drank one for herself while she was catching up with the owner, she had not been in over a year. She got a few coffees to go and promised to be back sooner rather than later. Then she found herself craving a croissant and some danishes. She found herself going to a favorite place for the former and she ended up going to several places for the later until she found ones that tasted of sharp sweetness and clouds.

Kara found herself flying over National City and wanting to get to her post. She arrived even before Jess did at her work station, the first line of defense for Lena. Kara didn’t notice that she went looking for nice cups, plates, and cutlery or that she’d arranged it all perfectly, complete with a little flower in a glass on Lena’s desk. The entire time her glasses were tucked into her breast pocket, she had touched them a time or two, almost putting them on but then she stopped. Kara sighed though she did not process that she had, her ears perked up a bit, Lena’s car was close. She unknowingly opened up her hearing and caught the sound of Lena’s heartbeat, then almost like it had not happened, she was putting on her glasses and checking Lena’s office as per usual and then she headed to her post outside.

She felt her burner phone buzz and she pulled it out.

“You got to work early.” Alex said.

“And?”

“Just observing.”

Kara glared, a crinkle appearing in her forehead.

“I’ll be there, after Ms. Luthor returns home, to update you and J’onn.”

“Ms. Luthor, huh?”

Kara hung up and tucked her phone away, pulled out her book, and tried not to roll her eyes.

When Lena woke up the next day, Kara wasn’t in the bed, she wasn’t at the penthouse at all, for that matter. So Lena took it for what it was; one night.

She followed her routine as she did everyday. She took a quick shower, removing the lasting remains of her make-up, and she went to the gym. There she followed her 30 minute workout, and went back to her room. She took a longer shower, one to pamper herself, and erase the ghost of kisses and light bruises.

She detangled her hair, and proceeded to put foundation over all the names written in her body. Like every day, like she hadn’t been changed by one night.

She dressed, took a cup of espresso, and went to the garage when Frank let her know of his arrival.

The only unusual thing in her routine was the entire breakfast spread she found on her desk at her office. She had olympically ignored the FBI agent aposted right outside her door, but there was no way she could be mistaking the flower in the glass next to the coffee cup.

It was not something that Lena was ready to address. So instead, she decided to brush off the entire thing, by calling her secretary.

“Jess, please send someone to clear out the food from my office.” She looked over her schedule on her computer. “And please contact R&D, I want to go over all the active projects. We need to prepare for the Image Inducer to fail. We need a project that’s around the same timeline of development so we can pivot to that.”

They don’t talk about it. Days go by and Lena barely acknowledges Kara Danvers’ presence in her office everyday.

Except when Kara Danvers intercepted someone trying to sneak into her car, armed with a knife, presumably to stab Lena to death.

“Thank you, Agent Danvers.” She said, nonplussed. Her arms crossed over her chest. “I’m glad the FBI’s money is not going to waste.”

The blonde frowned, but didn’t say anything, she simply nodded and manhandled the perpetrator towards the building’s security.

Still, Kara Danvers accompanied her to her meeting with Helix Dynamics’ CEO. It was just a courteous meeting. Lena hoped to work with them in the future, and Lena wanted to keep that door open.

Helix Dynamics was a new company, its CEO was brilliant but their building was a very old one. She didn’t really pay attention to it, until they were on their way back and it happened.

Kara and herself were alone in the elevator, the blonde was stoically standing right behind Lena, tense and unmovable, when the light’s inside the cart flickered and the entire lift dropped for a moment, before the brakes activated.

“Oh, great.” Lena sardonically mumbled.

Kara stepped around Lena and jammed her finger in the lobby’s floor button.

“There is no electricity yet,” Lena explained as the agent kept pressing the button. “We need to wait a bit for the secondary generator to kick in.”

“I can’t be here,” was the only thing the blonde said.

It clicked in Lena’s mind then, ‘I hate closed spaces’, Kara had told her. She was claustrophobic, this is the blonde’s nightmare.

Lena observed as the agent’s breathing quickly became shallow and how she started sweating.

“Kara,” she called her. “It will be just a couple of minutes, just breathe.” She tried to calm her down.

The agent wasn’t listening. She kept pressing the buttons to the point they started to get stuck in place.

“I don’t want to be trapped again, time doesn’t pass here.” She mumbled, undoing her tie.

“Kara,” Lena called her again, putting her hand on the other woman’s arm. “Breathe. If you do, the doors will open before you know it. I promise.”

Kara didn’t seem to be listening to Lena, she kept repeating that time wasn’t passing, and that she was trapped with phantoms. Her eyes were focused on the button to open the doors she kept pressing, even when the button didn’t move. Her breathing became shallower and shallower and the electricity coming back was taking more time than Lena had anticipated.

She did the only thing she could think of, she put herself between Kara and the buttons, putting her hands on the woman’s cheeks to make her focus on herself.

“You need to breathe, Kara.” She said, looking directly at blue eyes. “Match my breathing, agent.”

She exaggeratedly took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and then released it, until the blonde started to imitate her.

Little by little Kara calmed down, her hands resting on Lena’s waist, balled in fists.

“There you go, well done.” Lena mumbled.

They were standing so close together, it was so incredibly intimate, but there was nothing inappropriate in the way they were touching.

Thankfully the lights flickered back to life, and even Lena could hear the electricity reviving the elevator cart.

“See? We will be out of here in no time.”

Color returned to Kara’s face, as her eyes focused once again on Lena’s eyes, and then lips. As soon as her eyes settled on them, the blonde took a step back. Her hands leaving her waist and grabbing the handrail instead.

“Thank you.” She said, taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Ms. Luthor, that was incredibly unprofessional.”

“This was out of your control, Agent Danvers. There is no need to apologize.”

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Kara Danvers was out of the cart. Taking deep breaths as if she’d been without oxygen for minutes.

Still, Lena saw the way the handrail that the blonde had been holding the last few seconds, was unrecognizably warped, in the shape of a hand.

Lena should really pay attention to the well-being of her company. She had two years to prove herself, to make the board believe she could be in charge of her family’s corporation, and save the thousands of workers from being without a job.

Instead, she was sitting in her office, past 5PM, thinking about one person; her soulmate.

She had come to realize that she hadn’t really been paying attention to the names themselves. She was so enveloped in the amount of names in her body that she never really thought about their commonality.

She had three soulmates named Kara. And it wouldn’t be much of a thing, if the one she had now met hadn’t told her that she was adopted. Was it too much of a reach to think that maybe the two previous Kara’s were the same, just with her previous last names? The weird thing is that she had found tombs and records about people matching those names in the past.

Not only that, but Kara Danvers had inferred that her last name change was recent, in the last year if the tattoo appearing in Lena’s skin was any indication, but Kara was a full blown adult. Why would she change her last name, then?

And then, there was Supergirl. Who she hadn’t talked to since she saved Lena from the helicopter attack, right before Alex Danvers and the FBI arrived, without her sister. Too quick, only for the redhead to deny that they and the alien worked together. The only other time she saw the Super was when she rescued her car from a blown tire, where she came in from nowhere. And the way Kara’s hand had so easily twisted the elevator handrail? Her mind was now jumping to the wild conclusion that maybe a majority of the names adorning her body were a single person jumping through identities. And maybe Kara Danvers, Kara Starikov and Kara Kieran and Supergirl were one and the same.

Lena needed more data. But, first she needed to focus on solving the problem with the Image Inducer.

She had a lot riding on the success of that product, but the interphase kept glitching out, so she took a deep breath and focused again on the code, trying to find the faulty line.

She was writing an entirely new code for the tech to work. She had lost track of time, again, and the only reason she realized that fact was because of the knock on her door, and Jess entering her office.

“Jesuschrist, Jess, what time is it?” She asked, notting the darkness in the place.

“Almost 8.30PM, Miss Luthor.” Her assistant replied. “I wanted to know if you needed me for something, or if I could go home.”

“Please, Jess. Go home, and don’t come in earlier than 11AM tomorrow. I’m so sorry for keeping you here.”

“I’m just doing my job, Miss Luthor.” Jess commented, as if it was nothing. “Should I tell Frank that you will also be on your way out?”

Lena smiled. “No. Tell Frank to also go home. I’ll drive myself home in one of the company cars, just get me the key before you leave.”

“Are you sure?” Her assistant asked, a light frown in her face.

“You worry too much, Jess.” Lena smiled, giving the conversation for finished. “Have a good night, and take care.”

Jess didn’t say anything for a few seconds, but did reply with her own goodnight right before closing the door behind her. Lena sank again into her code, determined to have it ready for a preliminary test early the next morning.

The knock on the door made her stop still, until her brain reminded her that an assassin wouldn’t bother to knock, and it was probably one of her security guards to give her the car key. She looked at the clock on her desk, 9:10PM.

“Come in.”

Kara Danvers entered her office with a brown paper bag and the aforementioned keys.

“Jess ordered food for you, and told me to drive you home at 10PM as the latest.” Kara announced.

“I may need to remind Jess that I’m her boss, not the other way around.” Lena smiled, shaking her head. Now her assistant's silence made sense. “Thank you, Agent Danvers. But that won’t be necessary. I’m very capable of driving myself.”

“I’m sure you are.” The blonde replied, leaving the bag in the corner of Lena’s desk. “But I need to ensure your safety, so I agree with Jess.”

She looked at the blonde without saying anything for a moment, just evaluating her options. “I’m very busy, I don’t think I can leave before 10PM.”

“It’s okay, we can stay here until midnight if you want. But, first you must eat.” The agent gently said, with a smile.

“Have you eaten?”

“Oh… I had a snack earlier.”

Lena looked at the bag. Of course Jess would order from Atelier Crenn , a Michelin star restaurant in a pseudo apology for disobeying orders. “Why don’t you join me?” Lena offered, remembering how much the blonde had enjoyed their food at Table Salt . “You seem like a foodie.”

“Seriously?” Kara asked.

Lena nodded, making sure to save her progress, before standing up. This was possibly a very bad idea. Especially because they hadn’t really talked about their night together after the gala. But Lena cannot help herself.

She needed data.

“Of course. You are giving me leeway to get home past midnight.” She commented in jest.

“I’ve tried to go to Atelier Crenn for months. I decided I wanted to splurge for my birthday,” Kara explained. “But getting a reservation is a nightmare.”

“I can help you with that, if you’d like. Dominique is a really nice woman.”

“Are you joking?” Kara asked in disbelief.

“Do you want to eat or not? If you keep dilly-dallying I will never finish what I'm doing.”

“Oh, I definitely want to eat.”

If that response made Lena’s mind end up in the gutter, Kara didn’t need to know.

Rao, sokaofidh nahn wkhuhp I ehrosh ni divi. Rao, sokaokypzrhiges w khuhp I raogrhys. Rao, sokaofidh nahn wkhuhp I ehrosh ni divi. Rao, sokaokypzrhiges w khuhp I raogrhys. It was the dark of night and Kara was relaxing in her spot, she had a small fire going, some fish cooking while she went through her tai chi routine and practiced her fight moves and stances. She was eating her fish, Guys and Dolls in the background, when she heard her burner phone ringing.

Kara floated to pick it up, “What is happening?” Kara knew it was a bit later in National City. Alex should be sleeping.

“Kara, Lena was taken.” Alex’s voice was careful, but Kara could hear the worry in her voice.

“Any idea who did it?” Kara tried to keep calm when suddenly her heart did an unexpected flip in her chest, her hand tightening around the phone.

“No, but it could be…”

“Lex. Where was she taken from?”

Kara heard a car door opening, “The penthouse. I am on my way there.”

Moments later Kara was in her super-suit flying across the evening sky. When she landed near the penthouse building, she immediately did a survey of the area, but she found nothing to indicate where the culprit had taken Lena. As Kara circled back to the front of Lena’s building, she slammed her forearm into the wall not even noticing that her strength crumbled part of the wall into particle dust. She kept walking the red heat curling up the veins behind her eyes. A few minutes later Alex arrived with a team and then they all headed up to the penthouse.

Alex immediately knew what to do to secure evidence and directed her team around. Kara found herself slowly following Alex, taking in everything from sounds to smells to using her x-ray vision and her ability to see colors beyond humans to find anything, any clues to where Lena could have been taken. Other than a few pieces of furniture tumbled around, a mug on the floor, Kara could find nothing out of place.

Nothing out of place.

Kara suddenly was clenching her fists so hard so felt she was going to bend a finger out of place. Rao, sokaofidh na - she couldn’t even think of her meditation. All she saw now was the inside of her pod, her breath becoming shallow, freezing, phantoms crawling to cover the pod windows.

Kara took a few steps back trying to recalibrate herself.

“Did you find anything?” Alex’s steady voice cut through the jumble in Kara’s head and she looked over to see her tapping away on a work tablet.

Kara cleared her throat, “Nothing that stands out, no.” Kara was tense, her hands still curled into fists as she tried not to pace around the apartment.

Alex looked at her from under her eyebrows, “We’ll find her.”

“This shouldn’t have happened.” Kara shook her shoulders, uncurled, and curled her hands back into fists. “This is what we were trying to avoid.”

Alex paused, then let out a small sigh, “Yes, but sometimes, we just can’t stop things.”

“Could it really be Lex?” Kara asked, scanning the living room for the third time. She heard Alex stop typing, freeze in place.

“That is possible.”

Kara nodded, trying not to unleash her anger. The heat had never gone away from behind her eyes, she wanted to burn something, but now was not the time.

Later when they were back at the D.E.O. Kara found that she could not stop pacing. They were in the command area, but Kara kept walking toward the windows and back to the windows and back.

“Perhaps, we can do a scan of Ms. Luthor’s apartment?” Agent Vasquez suggested as she was working through a list of possible suspects.

“A scan for what?” Kara asked as she paced back towards the windows.

“Good question.” J’onn added from where he was going over any evidence they had gathered. For a time, the only sound was the shift of Kara’s pants as she paced up and down the command area.

Alex had been sitting at one of the terminals, but her voice filled the space, after a time, “What if we check for a radiation signature?”

“Why would we…” Agent Vasquez started.

“L-Corp has a lot of projects you never know. But we need to find something.” Kara said, slowly the tension and anger clear in the lines of her body and the tone of her voice.

Alex ran a scan for the entire area, all of them looking for anything.

“There, there is kryptonite radiation.” J’onn said pointing at the map. “That leads directly to Mount Whitney.”

Alex isolated the signature in Mount Whitney, trying to figure out what was so significant about the place.

“Too much time, I’ll check it out.” Kara said intensely, “It could be Lex.” Then she was swiftly striding towards the balcony.

“Kara, wait…” Alex said worriedly even as she went to get comms set up so they could speak with Kara. “We don’t know how much kryptonite is there.”

Kara did not respond; she just flew even faster.

When she landed after barreling like a torpedo through the roof of the warehouse, she heard a woman say, “What would you think that? We are Luthors.” But then her focus was on Corben handling Lena, and she did not even pause, her cape snapping behind her, due to the speed.

“Stop her.” The woman said authoritatively, even as she rushed towards the exit with another man.

Then Corben was pulling his shirt apart and directing his chest at her. His chest that had a green glowing rock instead of a heart. It had to be kryptonite. He fired. Kara dodged and sped around Corben, holding Lena as she supersped them to another part of the room. She checked Lena over, other than some dirt scuffs she appeared fine.

“Alex, Corben appears to have a kyrptonite heart. That’s what the scan picked up.”

“Kara, you need to get out of there, his heart is probably unstable, it could blow up.”

“But what about…” Kara grunted as she sped Lena and her away from another hit.

“It will have to wait, get out of there.” Alex insisted.

Kara was breathing hard; her muscles itching to grab Corben and smash him into the ground.

24 years.

Vrrosh Dokhahsh

Frozen for 24 years. Phantoms torturing her nigh daily. She’d fought so hard.

Kara swallowed a whimper back and took a step forward ready to destroy Corben, not even hearing Alex. The veins behind her eyes were heated, and her eyes were glowing a deep red. Kara started to float ready to slam right into him. Right through him.

But she was thwarted, he fired again, and she had to zip away.

“Supergirl, it's not worth it, we should leave.” Kara had moved to head towards Corben again when Lena’s words got through to her. She still took another step towards

Corben, fists clenched, but then Kara turned abruptly, after firing a shot of heat vision, one hand still in a fist, then she swept Lena into her arms and flew them back through the hole she had created in the ceiling. Time. So much Time. Time was precious.

She did it at just the right moment as less than a minute later Corben’s heart exploded filling the air with kryptonite particles. Kara could feel them, but she pulled Lena a bit closer and kept flying. Kara did not think, did not stop, she flew them back to Lena’s penthouse.

“Alex, we are safe,” was all she murmured into the comm once she had set Lena down on the balcony. Kara quickly went inside and cleaned up everything that was out of place, so that Lena would not have to see it again. She had flown them around the block checking, and she scanned the apartment now, she was on high alert, and every cell of her body was charged, wanting to break, decimate. It would be a good time for some villains to punch, Kara was standing in Lena’s office space, trying to hold back a snarl, and her body was vibrating so much that she thought she was going to slip into a time stream. She just about did it for a moment – but there – Lena’s heartbeat washed over her, it was thrumming, steady, but not calm by any means. Kara released the snarl she’d been holding back and then she headed back to Lena.

Lena was shaking a bit, Kara made sure to make noise as she got closer to the balcony, not wanting to rattle Lena any further.

Kara held out her hand, “It’s safe,” she said slowly, softly. Lena caught her eye but didn’t move. “You’re safe.” Kara remained steady, all of her ire pushed aside because

Lena was here, in front of her, and needed her. After a moment, Lena finally moved and headed inside. She kept walking until she slowly sank into her couch.

Kara chose to stand across from her and then realized that may feel intimidating, so she shifted her cape out of the way and sat on the chair across from the couch.

“Thank you.” Lena said, finally meeting Kara’s eyes. Kara nodded sincerely. “I am sure you have other places to be, I don’t want to keep you if you do. This is obviously not the first time an attempt has been made on my life.”

Lena was always so polite and caring, and Kara was hit with a sudden urge to hug her close. It was so swift and deep that Kara almost gasped from it.

“I realize you’ve had an eventful and difficult evening, but I have to…” Kara cut herself off, turning her head to look out the windows. Then, she slid onto her knees in front of Lena, as a knight shows respect to their lady. She heard Lena’s quiet inhalation and her heartbeat jump, but, for once, Kara did not stay silent. Perhaps, there had been too much silence in her life. “I need to inform you of the truth. As you know, I am an alien, but I am Kara Zor El. I am the last of Krypton, I lived there before it exploded into the cosmos like ephemera near flame.” Kara was looking into Lena’s eyes, as much as she would allow herself, anyway, this was an important moment. “I want you to have the truth.”

Lena blinked a few times and opened her mouth and closed it, then she closed her eyes for a moment. “So, I was right. Supergirl and Kara Danvers are the same?” Kara nodded her confirmation, and Lena smiled. “Thank you, Kara, that means more than I think you can ever realize.”

Kara hesitantly reached out to rest one of her hands over Lena’s giving her ample time to pull away, but she did not.

It was Kara’s turn to look away as she gazed at the fireplace across the living room. “I don’t have many people in my life, I prefer it that way, the freedom of just existing, but Alex changed that for me. She made me see that having a friend is not an impediment. In fact, our connection caused me to realize that it made me more a part of this zhgehv.”

“Zhgehv?” Lena asked.

Kara smiled a bit, “My apologies, in my language, it means planet.”

“I like the sound of it.” Lena replied, Kara noticed she was starting to calm down now.

Kara swallowed and chanced a glance at Lena, out of the corner of her eye, she was looking at Kara thoughtfully.

“I told you because you make me feel something, connected, and that can only be maintained if you have the truth of this dhrroshium, this refugee, on Earth.”

Lena caught her eyes and gently squeezed her hand from underneath.

“I understand. Lex, my brother, is the same for me, despite all the evil he has done and his madness with the red sun and about aliens. He…welcomed me, he paid no mind that I was adopted. I think he saw me as someone he could connect with, and we did. It meant the world to me. At least at first, he did.”

Kara smiled gently at her and nodded in empathy. “I am glad you had him. What he has done, does not tarnish that bond.”

“Thank you.”

Kara heard the weight in the words, the depth of their meaning, and she raised her fist to her chest and bowed her head in thanks of her own.

You will do extraordinary things.

The phrase flew across Kara’s mind again. Kara hesitated then, “Sometimes it is difficult to process that those we love are not the precious, almost perfection, feeling or space they provided us. To see that they have the same darkness we know in ourselves.” Kara and Lena’s hands stayed touching. “My parents helped to bring about the destruction of my home and for the longest time I hated them. I ignored most of my culture, but, eventually, I realized that culture is also mine. So, I’ve let myself embrace our god, Rao, and I hope I give back to Earth some of what I believe to be the best of Krypton. In helping in any small way, it’s why…” at that Kara grabbed a corner of her cape looking down at her super-suit.

A small, sweet laugh left Lena’s lips at her gesturing.

“We are not our families. We are ourselves. But we can take the good they gave us and cherish the memories.”

Though her eyes were sad, Lena genuinely smiled.

She was right.

Lillian had kidnapped her to open some genetically locked vault only accessible to the Luthor genes, and just like that she had found out who her biological father was. Supergirl had come to her rescue. Her mother was once again impossible to find, but at least Lena was right about something and Kara confirmed her suspicions, she was Supergirl. She just told her that her alien name was also Kara, Kara Zor-El.

It made perfect sense, her theory clicked in place. Most of the names in her body belonged to a single person going through fake names. She had kept the name Kara, almost always, as a way to maintain her selfhood, her self worth after losing her family, everything she knew, her entire planet.

Still, neither of them had said, verbally, that they were each other's soulmates after that confession.

But something did change between them after that, though. Regardless of the last shred of truth not being spoken.

Lena discovered many new things about Kara. Not only was she a foodie, she really enjoyed knowing the process and preparation of the food she liked. She was so curious, especially of things that Lena took for granted, or unimportant. Things Lena never really paid any mind to.

Kara loved movies, and music. Musicals were her favorite, apparently.

“ The Wizard of Oz …” she said. “It was one of the first times on this planet that I felt… truly seen.” She smiled, between fondly and melancholic. “Don’t get me wrong, the first thing I enjoyed about this planet was the food, when I first landed, but it took me a moment to not feel entirely alone here.”

Lena looked at the blonde, they were at Lena’s office couch. The spread of Chinese food sitting at the coffee table had been thoroughly devoured by the alien, who had seemingly taken up the task of making sure Lena didn’t forget to eat, no doubt helped by Jess.

“The adventures of a young girl being lost in a faraway land. I connected to it, because I was also a young kid from a different planet.”

“There is something I do not understand,” Lena commented, thoughtful. “Superman has said he landed as a baby here after his planet was destroyed, but he’s older than you.”

Kara kept quiet for a moment, as if looking for the right words. “Kal El was my baby cousin. He was barely a year old when Krypton died, I was supposed to take care of him, but my pod was knocked off course and I ended up in the Phantom Zone.” Her hands balled into fists, and Lena was almost sure that if she had had anything in them it would have been pulverized, as her knuckles became white by the force.

Lena couldn’t help it, she put her hands over Kara’s fists.

“It’s a prison, time doesn’t pass there. I was trapped there for 24 years.” Kara continued in a mumble. “I don’t know how, but my pod managed to escape, and I found myself here, barely thirteen years old, and I could never find my baby cousin. Just this man flying around with the crest of my family in his chest, selling it as merchandise.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” Lena whispered.

Kara shook her head, taking Lena’s hands in hers, with such delicacy that if Lena hadn’t seen it, she would never believe those same hands could twist metal with no effort at all.

“No, thanks for asking. I don’t really have anyone to talk frankly about this, except maybe Alex. But it’s easier with you.”

“Why do you think that is?” Lena asked, her eyes fixed in Kara’s.

“I think you know why.” Kara replied, low and so close, that Lena could almost kiss her.

Lena’s intercom buzzed on her desk, and Lena leaned back to the couch. “Sorry.” She walked towards the phone and picked it up.

“I’m sorry Miss Luthor,” Jess’s voice replied. “But your 2 o’clock is here.”

“Don’t worry, Jess.” Lena said, though her eyes were still fixed on Kara. “Agent Danvers will let you know when to let Mr. Grayson come in, thank you.”

“I’ll get out of your hair.” Kara announced, once Lena hung up the phone. She cleaned the table in a literal blink and then smiled at Lena. “Thank you for conversing with me. It was very nice.”

“Thank you for the food.” Lena said, as a goodbye, as the blonde got out the door with a smile.

“You like old hollywood, then?” Lena asked, at the end of the day, after a long day of meetings, when Kara informed her that Frank was waiting for her at the garage.

She snorted a tiny laugh. “‘Old Hollywood’... More like the Golden Age of cinema. Citizen Kane is considered the greatest movie ever made.” She commented, accompanying Lena to the elevator. “And why when asked about iconic stars people often mention Humphrey Boggart, James Dean, Grace Kelly, Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Cary Grant and Elizabeth Taylor.”

“Oh, so you are a nerd.” Lena teased her.

“And what of it?”

“Nothing… I like it.”

Kara said nothing, just smiled, as the elevator descended to the garage. Once they got there, Kara escorted Lena to the car, and opened the passenger’s door, like every day.
“Have a good night, Ms. Luthor.”

“You too, Agent Danvers. Hope you have a nice weekend.” Lena whispered. “And thank you for telling me about yourself today.”
Kara nodded. “You too, Ms. Luthor,” she replied, maintaining eye contact with her, once Lena entered the car, and closed the door.

Lena was mindlessly scrolling over a science article on her phone when she got a text from an unknown number, and yet, she knew exactly who it was from. Another first after Kara’s reveal; texting.

‘For the record, I have a feeling you are also a nerd. Just a different kind.’ The text read.

Lena smiled and typed a response; ‘Very much so. Science, tech, chess, fencing and the Titanic movie quotes are my wheelhouse.’

‘I did not expect the last one. Leo DiCaprio fan?’

‘Not particularly, but I felt a sort of kinship with Kate Winslet's character.’ Lena typed back. And she saw as the typing bubbles kept appearing and disappearing on her screen for a few moments.

‘Can you tell me about it over ice cream? Tomorrow, 1PM?’

‘Is this you being smooth, Agent Danvers?’

‘Why, is it working?’

‘We will see about it. Tomorrow, 1PM.’

‘Have a good night, Miss Luthor.’

It took a while for Lena to fall asleep.

When she did, she dreamed of sailing across the Atlantic.

Her building’s receptionist called Lena to tell her Kara Danvers was waiting for her at 12:55PM.

It was silly, the outing didn’t have any pressure, but Lena wanted to look good, but not too trying. So she opted for blue jeans and a green crewneck, plus her signature lipstick.

By the time Lena joined her it was a minute past 1PM.

“You are very punctual,” Lena said as a greeting.

Kara smiled, with both her hands in her jeans pockets, but her reply didn’t have anything to do with the topic. “I was thinking, you might be the perfect person to ask… Could Jack have survived if Rose had shared the damn door?”

“So you are taking me out for ice cream to talk about Jack Dawson becoming a popsicle?” Lena lifted her eyebrow, with a teasing smirk.

“Well, seemed appropriate.” The blonde smiled easily, while shrugging in her maroon long sleeved henley. “Shall we?”

Lena nodded and started walking, with no destination, “Well, given the size of the door, at first glance, you would think that he could have fit onto it too.” Lena started her reply.

“Couldn’t he?” Kara asked, matching her step.

Lena shrugged. “There are many variables, but given that the movie explicitly showed us, I think it was right that he froze to death. It was a very cold night.”

“What about alternating?”

“But Jack would have never allowed that,” Lena replied. “He was all about saving Rose.” She continued walking, aimless, and Kara continued walking next to her. “And Rose’s story was all about her different life, the one no one in her family knew about.”

“Why do you like Titanic , of all movies?”

Lena shrugged, “I don’t know. I should hate it, my own mother drowned for Christ’s sake. But I don’t, I watched it so many times. I think Rose’s mother reminded me of Lillian… And I thought, ‘If she could escape her mother, I could escape mine.’”

“I should hate Star Wars …” Kara nodded, “‘A New Hope’. An entire planet exploding, right there as Leia watches. But I don’t feel much with that scene. I think it’s because there is a clear bad guy, but my planet exploding was our own doing.”

Lena didn’t really know what to say to that, Kara seemed to notice her silence, and smiled at her.

“Don’t fret, Ms. Luthor, I’ve come to terms with it, there is not much I could have done, I was a child.” Kara offered. “Though, I of course miss it. Miss my life there.”

“Tell me about it.”

Kara didn’t reply, she kept walking and without Lena paying much attention to the direction they were walking, suddenly she found herself entering a tiny creamery. It seemed artisanal, family owned, and tiny.

“I believe these are the best Ice Creams in the city.” Kara offered. “I’m partial to the peanut butter and chocolate candy swirl. Though I think you will like the cup of joe, one.”

“Seriously?” Lena asked.

“I think you have a caffeine addiction, Miss Luthor.” Kara said, her tone in clear jest.

Lena shook her head. “I will take your recommendation.”

Kara was right. The coffee ice cream was delicious. They walked towards the park, both with cones in their hands.

“The sun was red,” Kara mentioned, suddenly, when they both had finished eating their cones. “Our grass was sort of purple, except for the Scarlet Jungle, where it was more red. The sky was more green than blue.” Her voice was a whisper. Lena just drifted closer to her. “The Fire Falls were like magma rivers. And the Jewel Mountains were formed by the skeletons of Crystal Birds, extinct long long before my birth. And it was beautiful.”

“Sounds like it.” Lena mumbled.

“I have seen beyond beautiful sights here on Earth,” Kara said, looking directly at Lena. “Breathtaking views. But they are not Krypton, but perhaps that’s just my biased thinking.”

“Maybe, but you loved your home. So it’s perfectly understandable.” Lena offered, and grabbed her hand with her free one, squeezing it as a comforting gesture. “Thanks for sharing that.”

“Holland?” A voice asked, right in front of them.

Kara’s smile froze in her face, as she looked at the woman standing there, with a shocked expression. “Rose… Hi.”

“God, it’s been ages,” the woman said, as she went to hug Kara. “Half across the world too.”

Lena would have laughed at the name of Kara’s interlocutor given their previous conversation, but her mind was stuck on the name she had called the blonde. Holland… Holland was another name in Lena’s body.

“Yes, yes it has been. Actually, I go by Kara now.” The blonde corrected. “How have you’ve been?”

“Name suits you. I'm great. Got a degree, met Mr. right. We recently got engaged,” She replied.

In all honesty, Lena stopped listening, she heard Kara introduce her as Lena, and she nodded and smiled, but her mind was someplace else. Holland was a name that’s been with her for years; Holland Davis. She remembered it came right after the name Calvin Moore. She remembers it because they were the only two male names.

She had been thinking that a few of the names were just Kara jumping through names to keep her alien identity a secret. But she also thought there were one or more names that belonged to other people.

Kara going by Holland at some point in her life could mean that she was the owner of all the names in Lena’s body.

It felt like a massive discovery.

The woman, Rose, must have felt her face was one of displeasure, because she quickly said her goodbye to Kara and went on her merry way.

“I am sorry,” Kara apologized, for some reason. “I was 19 the last time I saw her.”

“As Holland Davis,” Lena said. Not an ask, not as an affirmation, either. More like a vague comment.

Kara tilted her head, curious. “Yes, I– I’ve gone by a few names over the years.”

“Yes. You have.” Yet, she wasn’t ready to say it. To voice aloud how she was Lena’s soulmate.

Because it was something she wasn’t entirely sure she believed in. She just knew that she had spent part of her life obsessing over it, trying to explain it, trying to study it. She had been bullied for it, judged by it. Defined by it. And yet she had done marvelously, she was a brilliant scientist, she was an almost olympic fencer, a chess champion, a CEO, despite it all.

Conversation stilted, Lena making a subpar joke about Rose and Jack, and the weather, until Kara accompanied back to her penthouse. She didn’t comment about Lena’s shift in mood, but she was decidedly aware of it, if the slight frown of her brow was any indication.

“Have a good rest of your weekend, Ms. Luthor.” She said, as a goodbye.

“You too, Agent Danvers. Thank you for the outing.” Lena whispered, closing the door behind her.

She wasn’t ready to talk to Kara, but she had too much to think about.

By Monday she had decided that while she still didn’t want to voice what both of them probably knew, she at least owed it to herself, and Kara to get to know her. The universe thought they were a good match, the universe was insistent on it, it had managed to write Kara’s many names in Lena’s body to prove it. And maybe, she just needed to trust the quantum entanglement a little.

Soulmates just meant they got each other in a way others didn’t. Both orphans, with families with complicated history, it made sense.

Lena could simply enjoy Kara’s company for a little while, she could make an effort.

Kara had spent the early part of the morning handling a few small Supergirl emergencies and the rest doing some crossword puzzles. Lena had worked in the office most of the day, but Kara had just been informed they would have to go across town later. So, Kara ordered something for lunch.
“I had no idea that sandwiches could be this good.” Lena said with delight in between bits of her impeccably made Italian hoagie.
“It’s about balance. You need the right amount of toppings, great bread, and enough sauce to make everything become magic.” Kara said as she finished a bite of her second turkey club. After the event at Mount Whitney, almost a week ago, and Kara’s confession they had started to speak even more easily than they had before. Kara found that she liked it, she looked forward to chats over lunch or in the elevator when she escorted Lena to her car to head home for the night. Kara’s shesur felt light for the first time in years.

Much later in the day, it was one of those long days for Lena. Today she had to go to another building downtown in the early evening to meet with some new potential investors. Kara was going with her. Lena’s protection detail had increased since Mount Whitney and Kara, in addition, was not taking any chances.
“Oh, I watched Only Angels have Wings last night. It was delightful. I had no idea Cary Grant was in it.” Lena’s excitement was clear in her voice.
“He was and that was not even the first time he worked with Howard Hawks. Hawks was such a groundbreaking director. He practically created several film genres, the lighting, how the cameras move, just wonderful.” Kara’s eyes had lit up and she was uncharacteristically moving her hands a bit as she spoke. She loved talking about movies and she was thrilled Lena was giving some of these films a chance. “You have to watch his film, Red River . It’s so intense and Hawks shot it in black and white because he felt it fit the story better rather than technicolor.”
“I will, I will. But I was thinking of watching The Awful Truth next. I have not seen these older comedies before.”
“Staying with Cary Grant, I see.” Kara could not help but smirk a little.
Lena shoved her arm a bit, “Stop, I was looking up screwball comedies.”
Kara just smiled knowingly. “Irene Dunne is in that one as well. She wanted to be an opera singer, but it never came to be. She was in several musicals on Broadway though. She got into the movies with RKO, and she did a few musicals with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Oh, have you seen any of their films?”
“I’ve seen Singing in the Rain.”
Kara grinned now, “Wonderful, but you need to add Swing Time and The Barkleys of Broadway.”
Lena smiled, “I’ll add them to the list.” She looked out the window, “I think we have arrived.”
Kara nodded and swiftly got out of the car. She went to check the area and then she came back to escort Lena up to her meeting.

The meeting ended up turning into two and then the sun had gone down and people were still talking. Kara was outside trying not to think about food or doing lazy loops across the sky. She might work with the D.E.O. sometimes now, but she was not a desk job sort of person. She was expecting it to be over soon when she heard Lena’s scream filling the sky.

Kara didn’t even hesitate, she was heading towards the closest window and opening her button-down shirt, before even fractions of a second had passed. She quickly changed into her super-suit and swooped around the building. She saw Lena falling and instantly began to calculate the best way to catch her - a second later she had scooped Lena safely into her arms, holding her slightly closer than necessary, checking her heartbeat. Then she floated them back up to the balcony, she heard the goons as she had flown down to save Lena.

“Drop something?” she taunted, her eyes glowing with heat vision, as she used her freezing breath to knock them out. Then she was landing on the balcony and held Lena for a second more before she returned her to her feet.

Kara used superspeed and deposited the goons in chairs, bending the arms to secure them in place. “How did they get in here?”

“I was about to leave the room when someone grabbed me from behind. I didn’t even hear them.” Lena had followed her into the room, once the goons were secured.

“Neither did I.” Kara pointed out as she started to examine every part of the room still in her super-suit. After a few minutes, “I think I found how they got in. One of the ceiling tiles was slightly out of place.” Kara was certain only someone with her abilities would even have noticed it. “Everyone was let out of the room, but you.”
Lena nodded, then added, “And they somehow knew to be quiet, so even you didn’t hear them.”
Kara met Lena’s eyes nodding in sharp understanding.

“Well, the most likely threat, in that case, is my mother or Lex.” Lena’s words were heavy in the air.

Kara could feel the tension in her body, the heat building up behind her eyes, she tried to hide one hand and the fingers slowly curling into a fist. She did not want Lena more scared than she probably already was.

“I will protect you. Always.” Kara said quietly as she moved back towards Lena. The idea of a mate flashing across her mind.
Lena looked into her eyes and something seemed to shift in them. After a moment, she nodded. Then something loose on Kara’s suit caught her attention.

“What’s this?” Lena asked as she touched something sitting over Kara’s glyph.

Kara looked down and then rested her hand over Lena’s before gently cupping the item to show it to her.

“My mother gave me this right before putting me in my pod. It’s a necklace, a piece of Krypton.”

“So, you always have it with you.” Lena murmured.

Kara nodded, “I couldn’t look at it for a long time. I kept it hidden away.” Kara spoke softly trying to hide that her lower lip was quivering a bit. She took a breath, “When I decided to wear this suit, embrace more of home again, I just couldn’t not wear it anymore.” Kara gently put the necklace back in place under her suit. One couldn’t even tell she had a necklace on.

“That is beautiful, Kara.” Lena’s hand was resting on Kara’s glyph now.
“Let’s get out of here. I’ll make sure you get home.” Kara slowly stepped back and then she was gone. Moments later she was back in her jacket and pants and ushering them towards the elevator bank, not registering that she had her hand on Lena’s lower back the entire time.

Much later that night Kara was back in the Kenji Fjords, she had stayed floating over Lena’s penthouse for a while. The uneasy feeling had not gone away. But she was also restless so she trusted in Alex’s team and had flown north. Kara had put some music on, some wolf cubs from the nearby pack were curled up on her blankets asleep. It should all be most soothing, but so many thoughts were running through her mind. She got up to run her hand over the writing on her pod. Everything had been running through her mind of late and so much of home had swirled to the top of her mind. Codes of honor, the depth of the connection between mates, rituals she had put aside since she’d landed here. She ran her fingers over the words over and over lost in thought.

Eventually she floated back over to the blankets and curled up with the wolf pubs, switching to putting a movie on with her projector. She wasn’t sure what to do with all that was flowing through her, but, perhaps, it was time to just let herself lean into it.

Lena couldn’t believe she had missed it. She had gone over all the LuthorCorp properties when she took over, and somehow not seen an entire facility. One that was supposedly shut down years ago, but one that kept receiving deliveries, and expending an immense amount of money, if Lena’s new financial advisor was right.

She needed to see it for herself, see what was happening there. Especially after her experience in Mount Whitney. Kara of course accompanied her, but given the experience of Lex having weapons to hurt Kryptonians in his vaults, Lena insisted that the blonde wait for her outside the warehouse.

“I shouldn’t be too long.” She said to Kara before entering. Kara nodded and reluctantly stayed standing outside the large lab space.

Lena examined the slot she had to put her hand in to open the vault for a second, deciding to bite the bullet. She put her hand in the scanner, and felt the subtle prick that took some of her blood. Once it confirmed her genetics, the door opened.

She took a few tentative steps, and the light inundated the place.

“Hello, sister. How are you these days?” Lex was sitting at the lab desk as if he was still in charge, as if he owned anything. “Done ruining my company?”

“How is prison?” Lena asked, crossing her arms, refusing to give her brother the ammunition he needed to diminish her.

“The food was horrible, so they let me out to get a nice dinner.”

Lena merely raised an eyebrow, “Why are you here?”

At that Lex rose to his feet and walked closer to Lena. “To take back control of what is mine. Changing the name, canceling my projects, erasing my legacy. Thinking you could somehow take all of it away from me.” Lex walked around his arms spread wide. “Lena, we both know you’d rather just play with your prototypes that run my company.”

“Was it ever truly yours?” Lena said, standing her ground. “It was dad’s before you took over. He founded it, not you.”

Lex’s eyes swiftly met hers, intense, then he moved towards her and he was suddenly in a metal suit and grabbing her by the neck. Lena was barely able to breathe, she couldn’t even scream.

“And don’t think I haven’t noticed you acting like a fool around that other Kryptonian. Always saving you.” He snarled through the mask of his lexo-suit and looked up, “let’s see if she comes to save you now.” He got a better handle of her and then blasted them through the ceiling. This time Lena did scream.

Kara heard the sound of concrete and steel breaking and Lena’s scream sounding above all of the other damage. Before even the blink of an eye passed, Kara was in her super-suit and flying up through the hole in the ceiling. When she burst out of it, she didn’t see anything in the immediate area. Her eyes were blazing a crimson red and her hands were curled into fists, trying to keep her anger in check. She paused and tried to find Lena’s heartbeat. Time seemed to stop every sound hitting her but falling away because they were not the sounds she desperately wanted to hear. Kara almost started to zoom around the globe - when she heard it, beating loudly but strong, close to NC Bay - and then she was off like a shot.

“Ah, look at that, Lena. The other Kyrptonian did come to your rescue, flying around acting a true hero.” Lex said as Kara came upon him in a suit that looked like an astronaut’s, his head encased in a helmet. He was holding Lena up with one arm, almost as a protector, if it weren’t because his other hand had a weapon pointing at her.

“I wonder when you got here? Did the Man of Steel hide you? Or did you get here recently?” Lex asked, almost curious, as if she was an experiment. Then his voice gained a sneer, “And why are you so interested in my sister? Does Superman want to get a rise out of me? Take her away from me?”

“I’m not yours… I’m not property.” Lena bit back, holding onto her brother’s arm.

Kara’s eyes began to blaze even hotter and she dared to float closer to them. She could feel heat curling up her throat, the energy building in her body, her cape snapping in agreement in the wind.

“I wouldn’t do that. A timer is about to go off, bombs will detonate lighting the entire city on fire.” Lex said practically holding back a laugh as he loosened his grip on Lena. “You either save her, or you save National City. Your choice, Kryptonian.” The disdain was clear in his voice despite the helmet.

Kara could do nothing but hear as what he threatened with, came to pass. A few explosions detonated back in the city, still she moved closer, hoping to confuse him enough to grab Lena away from him, but Lex was not bluffing.

He let Lena go, dropping her in the middle of the ocean and then she was falling.

Kara did not even hesitate, she dove towards Lena as fast as she could. She caught her, and carefully took her to safety. “You’re voi, you’re safe.” Kara murmured to Lena whom she held tight in her arms, listening to her heartbeat, checking her over best she could. “I’ll be back.” Kara added as she readied to fly back to Lex, she couldn’t let him be free, couldn’t let him wreak havoc once more. More than he already had.

What Kara didn’t notice was how she was shaking once again with anger, rage, her eyes on fire, every muscle in her body on high alert waiting for a chance to be set free.

“Back so soon? Thought I had distracted you, you can’t help rescuing people and all that jazz.” He asked, when she put herself between him and the city.
Lex clearly had a plan to cause destruction, but all Kara cared about in this moment was that he had been threatening Lena, trying to take her life.

So Kara took her chance and went for him just as he was getting ready to hit some buttons that were going to do Rao knew what.

Kara did not hold back her growl she supersped and grabbed him then punched him. He went flying back but he stopped himself and launched full force at her, punching her. The lexo-suit making him more powerful than the average human, he knocked Kara sideways, but she used her heat vision to try and knock his helmet off. It didn’t work, but it gave her the opportunity to hit the helmet again, this time with her fist. It half broke and now she could see one of his eyes.

“I am going to kill you, alien . But before I will kill Lena. I want to watch while you are helpless to stop me from snuffing the life out of her.” Lex said with a nasty smile, as his suit revealed a kryptonite sword of some sort.

Even feeling like she couldn’t breathe and as if needles were coursing through her veins, Kara did not stop, she attacked him again with a guttural scream, rage going through her, and this time she got a secure grip on him, by harnessing her anger to ball up her energy. Kara was controlled then she used her feet to dislodge the kryptonite weapon from his suit and it fell to the shore far beneath them.

Kara tightened her grip around his neck, her eyes a glorious fire, pulling him close so their faces were inches apart, “I won’t let you hurt her.” She threatened. “I won’t let you hurt anyone else.”

Lex laughed maniacally while struggling to dislodge her, get some hits in. “Ha! You are not going to stop…” Lex began saying, but then his suit started to fail and, suddenly, Kara was holding onto him, trying to ensure he did not fall.

She almost let him. If he died, he couldn’t harm his sister. Or her cousin, who while she still was apprehensive of, he was family. The only other being on this planet who shared her burden. If she just let Lex Luthor die, he couldn’t harm anyone else.

The one thing that got Kara to keep grabbing onto Lex, and not let her own rage win was that this was Lena’s brother. And some part of her still loved him.

Kara would never, so cruelly, take him from her.

“I don’t need your help, you filthy Kryptonian.” Lex was pulling against her hold, trying to get free. Kara strove to keep him close realizing she should return him to jail, not do what her rage wanted to do earlier. He had threatened to murder Lena and every emotion Kara thought dead had blazed to life in the clearest light she had felt in years. It took all her will to hold herself back.
Lex got a solid kick in, that sent Kara spinning and he was free. He laughed in triumph.
But being free meant that he was falling to the rocky shore below.

Kara dove for Lex as fast as she could, but the closer she was to the ground the closer she was to kryptonite, and while she couldn’t see it, she could feel it, the pain, slowing her down.

She was still in the air when she heard the dry thump of his body hitting the ground. It was too late, she was too late.

Lex was gone.

She landed next to him, half of his armor was around his body. Kara felt as if her skin was being peeled away from her bones, the kryptonite surely close. Still, she checked for a pulse.

Lex Luthor was truly gone.

Kara took a breath trying to calm herself. She was looking at where she had failed to save Lex. She called Alex and told her what happened, along with the exact location of the body. She didn’t touch anything else.

Then she was flying back to Lena.

“What happened?” Lena asked, Kara had put her safely on a seemingly abandoned ship, and Lena walked over to her just as she landed.

“Lena, I…” Kara’s eyes never left Lena’s but she paused trying to find the words. “We battled. In the midst of it, his suit failed. I had a hold of him. Wanted to bring him to safety.” Kara’s hands were running softly up and down Lena’s arms. “He got more hits in to free himself of me and… he fell. The suit was broken.” She saw the tears starting to fall from Lena’s eyes. “I flew to try and save him, but I was too late. I know the words are not enough, but I am so sorry.” Kara didn’t know if Lena wanted to be around her ever again so she took a step back, but repeated, “I am so sorry I failed in saving him.”

The only sounds for a time were the sounds of the ocean moving. Lena was silent, but there were tears running down her cheeks. Kara wanted to hold her, but she was not going to make the first move, she felt too guilty.

“He was mad. Insane.” Lena finally spoke. “He’s a highly intelligent person, but unhinged.” She paused. “He was. He wanted to use his genius to conquer the world rather than help it.”

Lena finally looked over at Kara, “And I know you. You tried to save him. You did your best. You always help, despite what I suspect you think of yourself.”

“I don’t…” Kara started her arms crossed, cape billowing behind her.

Lena finally, slowly walked towards her, “You will always do what you can. You care in a way that heals the universe deeply, somehow. And… I think Lex was always going to leave this world in a violent manner.” Now Lena gently laid her hand on Kara’s glyph, seemingly as much for herself as for Kara.

“I am so very sorry for any part I played in his demise.” Kara bowed her head to Lena and raised her fist in honor and respect. It was the deference one would show to their mate.

“Thank you.” Lena murmured moving so she was closer to Kara.

“For what?” Kara had lowered her arms to her sides, not wanting to overstep.

“For trying.” And with that simple statement Lena reached down and tugged one of Kara’s arms around her and she let out a very soft breath. Kara could tell she felt safe, as her heartbeat was finally slowing down. Kara tentatively lifted her other arm, bringing her cape with her, and she wrapped Lena in it, tucking her close to all of Kara. They stayed snug together on that quiet ship deck, Kara protecting not just her person, but her heart.

Addressing Lex’s death publicly wasn’t easy. Mostly because Lena herself was uncertain about how she felt. Lex was cruel, and manic in his pursuit of eliminating aliens, conquering the world, and being the leader. But he was also her brother. The only person she had while growing up in the huge mansion, that was the Luthor estate. He was the only person at home who undoubtedly and immediately accepted when their father brought her there. He taught her how to play chess, taught her how to code, and helped her assemble her first robotics project. She still loved him, even when he had not been that brother to her in a long time.

And the press felt somewhat the same. Of course she had been inundated with requests to interview her. She simply released a press note, asking for privacy, and refused all interviews. Still, with Lex’s death, voided her protection from the FBI… or whatever government agency Kara actually worked with. Kara wasn’t required to be her bodyguard anymore.

That was a bittersweet feeling too. She’d gotten used to her presence, the way she was always around to offer easy conversation, or the way Lena now basically relied on her to remember to eat.

And of course, she was thankful for everything. For saving her, for offering a shoulder to rely on, for trying to save her brother even when he was unredeemable. But maybe some separation would be healthy. Lena knew she was getting too close to Kara, too dependent.

Still the morning after Lex’s death, Kara wasn’t there to wait for her at the garage, and Lena felt like something was missing. She knew exactly who was missing, but it was a bizarre feeling when Lena has always been so independent. But she prepared to get used to her solitude again. No one but Jess, entering her office, and no surprise lunches.

“Thank you for all your hard work, Kara.” J’onn said. They were all in the command center, the demise of Lex Luthor was still all over the news, no way to avoid it. “You did great.”

Kara just nodded her thanks, quietly.

“You’ll have more free time again.” Alex pointed out. “And I know that movie you’ve been waiting for is releasing next week.”

Kara smiled a little now, Alex was trying and Kara appreciated it. Alex knew how bad she still felt about the way Lex had died. “I pre-ordered my ticket.”

“Excellent.” Alex said, then she lowered her voice a bit and said, “Are you going to see her again?”

Kara looked at Alex out of the corner of her eye, she had no real answer, so she just shrugged.

“Oh, don’t give me that.” Alex rolled her eyes. “You two definitely have something and, no, I don’t mean because of the soulmate marks. I was with you two enough.” Kara gave Alex a look. “Just think about it. We all deserve good things in this life and that includes a relationship with someone, if that is something you want.”

Kara nodded in understanding.

Later Kara was flying, taking in this planet as if she was seeing it for the first time. She let the wind sooth her, she did loops and swirls in the clouds, she stopped for food. She let the purity of it all seep back into her system. She had thought about things recently, events and emotions, that she had buried for a long time. It all seemed too specific in the pain it wrought, so she had set it aside.

She did a spiral through the clouds twirling it like ice cream. What had changed for her? But why was she even asking herself that?

That she knew– It was Lena.

Lena had opened up her life, had her talking, wanting to be part of the world more, to keep helping and the biggest thing for Kara, is that Lena got her to think about a future. Not to be in a form of stasis, but to be in each day, wanting to live for it. To be free.

That is what Lena gave her.

Kara found herself heading back towards National City. Kara was sipping a milkshake and hanging out on top of Catco Worldwide Media when she pulled her phone out and wrote a simple text. Sending it before she could think too much about it.

‘Hey.’

After a minute, ‘Hello, Kara.’

‘I was wondering if you’d join me for a movie?’

‘Which one?’

Kara hesitated but typed anyways after a few seconds, ‘ It’s a surprise.’

Kara watched the bubbles form as she waited.

‘I’m intrigued. My answer is yes.’ The text read.

‘Wonderful, does tomorrow evening work?’

‘It does.’

‘See you then, Ms. Luthor.‘

‘Till then, Agent Danvers.’

Kara had checked the weather, set up everything, and was just finishing making the popcorn when she heard her phone’s texts ding.

‘I’m ready.’

Kara moved swiftly and was in the air. Moments later she was on Lena’s balcony.

“Kara, hello.” Lena smiled as she came out to meet her.

“Hi.” Kara smiled back at her. “I wasn’t sure if you still wanted to interact, but thought I would reach out.”

Lena gave her a serious look, “Why wouldn’t I? Of course, I do.”
Kara looked into her eyes and found what she was looking for, her shoulders relaxed.

“Well, our film awaits.” And with that Kara opened her arms, her meaning clear.

“Fly there?”

Kara simply nodded. Lena hesitated but before Kara could get too lost in her head, Lena was in her arms. She was comfortable, if her heartbeat and how she so easily fell into Kara was any indication. Kara made sure Lena was secured and then she softly lifted them off the balcony.

She didn't fly too fast but soon they were across town.

They ended up in a secluded but open space. The sound of the nearby brook making it all the more peaceful. While Lena looked around Kara changed from her super-suit into slacks and a relaxed button-down shirt. “I found this spot a few years ago, it’s great for movie watching.” Lena turned back to her. “I like the shirt.” Kara smiled and moved aside. She watched as Lena took in what she had set up; a screen and projector complete with blankets and every bad-for-you snack known to mankind.

“Please.” Kara said and Lena walked over and sat down, immediately grabbing the m&ms.

“What are we watching today?” Lena asked, leaning comfortably against some pillows.

Kara sat down and pulled a popcorn bucket to her. “Well, since we haven’t had the chance to do this yet, I felt we should go with something fun and bright, so I chose Mamma Mia.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of this one.” Lena said, with a grin.

Kara smiled back as she started the movie.

They settled into viewing the film, but Kara couldn’t help but watch Lena enjoying the movie out of the corner of her eye. She could do this every night.

After a minute she looked up to the sky. It was a clear evening, as the weather folks had promised.

“Oh, I really enjoyed that one.” Lena said as the credits started to roll.

“Me too.”

“How many times have you seen it?”

“Not telling.”

“That many times, huh?”

Kara just laughed now, the deepest laugh she’d had in a long time. When she caught her breath, she looked at Lena again, the stars visible in her eyes. Kara took a deep breath.

“Do you know we are all made of stardust?”

Lena looked at her, but then slightly nodded.

“In the past I didn't think too much about the power of the universe's destiny. So much had been taken away from me. And everything in the universe felt like one big joke but… But slowly I found that perhaps we just had to learn to live. To just take each day and do our best.”

At this, after a brief moment of hesitation, Lena rested her hand on Kara’s over the blanket, without saying anything.

“Eventually I realized, for me, it was about giving some of Rao’s light back to this planet. In a weird way, my mother was right, perhaps something good of Krypton lasted in the end.” Kara shook her head as if to clear it. “Working and hoping those efforts may help others, move them, see that everyone struggles to adjust as they did and we need to help one another. That is Rao.”

“Kara…”

But Kara just kept speaking for once, letting it all tumble out, “I thought that was it - that I had reached whatever life was to be for me. But I forgot one crucial thing. I forgot the power of stardust, that it is life triumphing. That somehow all life is connected and some specs of life are meant to live as one.”

Lena’s heart started beating faster than before, her eyes studying Kara’s face, like looking for something.

Kara now caught Lena’s eyes. “Lena, meeting you–” Kara stopped swallowing down what she was going to say. Instead, she deftly unbuttoned her shirt revealing a Star Wars t-shirt below. Kara saw the corner of Lena’s lip go up in a brief smile, but she stayed focused and freed the left arm of her button-down shirt and rolled up the sleeve of the t-shirt. “Shortly, after I landed on Earth, this mark appeared on my arm. At the time, I did not understand English, but it looked like writing to me. Then I could read the name before I knew what soulmate marks were. I wondered if it was an Earth test.” Kara chuckled at herself. “Eventually, I found out what it was. It was surprising for me. My home had a different way of revealing one’s mate. And that’s not even touching on other cultural differences.”

“It must have been shocking, landing on this planet and not just because of the soulmate marks.” Lena said as Kara pulled her shirt back on though she didn’t re-buttoned it.

“Indeed, it was so different, overwhelming. Though, perhaps, it was also the shock of what I had lost, not processing the immensity of it.” Kara looked to the stars now waving her hand across them. “I didn’t think about the mark for a long time, it was out of sight most of the time. And I had no strong desire to be mated. The idea of a mate felt like something else that had fractured into the cosmos like my home. And there was a lot to learn about Earth. So, I explored, wandered, tried everything.”

“It suits you.” Lena said softly. “Not the loss, but being a wanderer like Isabella Bird. You carry it all in a way that is comforting. I cannot explain.” Lena looked down at their hands now.

Kara slowly turned her head to look at her and smiled, “I’ve never met anyone who knows who she is. Leave it to that brilliant, curious mind of yours.”

Kara saw a slight blush on her cheeks, she had an urge to kiss one, but she knew it wasn’t the time.

“Well, I am curious and I like to read.” Lena murmured.

Kara nodded then squeezed her hand once before continuing, “I realized I want to be alive and not just exist. I want you as a mate. As we'd say in my culture. And I don't know if I believe in all this–” Kara gently touched Lena’s wrist where she knew one tattoo was, “but I believe Rao’s light has power I don't fully understand and due to that, perhaps, stardust and soulmate marks do as well. I don't know if you feel the same, and it's fine if you don't, but I’d like to try living this life with you. Hand in hand.”

Lena couldn’t say anything. It was as if her throat had closed up, and her brain had stopped all higher functions, too.

She followed Kara’s hand, still touching over Lena’s wrist, and she realized that maybe Kara didn’t know. She didn’t know how… every decision she had taken had visibly marked Lena and guided every single turn her life took, in return.

“I need to go home.” She finally managed to say, standing up. Her voice rough and low, too many thoughts in her head and without knowing how to explain them.

To Kara’s credit, while she clearly seemed disappointed, she still stood up, nodded and offered to fly her back home.

Lena faltered, as nice as the commute to the place was; she still hated flying, but at the end, she stepped into Kara’s arms once again.

She was aware that a few seconds later they were flying over the city, towards her penthouse but Lena simply closed her eyes and hung on to the Kryptonian with all her might. She needed to order her thoughts, she… Kara had opened up to her, and Lena just couldn’t get the words out. She knew she had immense walls, erected to protect herself; her heart, her mind. But maybe she could listen to the universe instead of trying to contradict it or search for the why of all her tattoos, or the scientific meaning of soulmates. She could listen to the universe, and just follow its lead.

After all, Kara had revealed who she was, she had protected her, she had cared for her, she even tried to save Lex who hated Kara just for existing on the very same planet as him.

Kara deserved a chance, and the truth.
They both did.

Kara landed on the penthouse’s balcony, and Lena immediately took a step back; she needed a drink.

“Lena, did I do something wrong?” Kara frowned, a crinkle had formed on her forehead. “If you need me to go, I understand.”

“No, I just… I need a moment.”

‘Quantum entanglement’, she thought. The only way she had reconciled her scientific instincts with the idea of soulmates. If they were true, Kara would understand, her apprehension, her doubts, her fear. Still Lena drank a fortifying glass of scotch.

“You once asked me, If I believed in soulmates…” Lena started, not looking at Kara’s face yet. She needed a few moments to even find what she actually wanted to say. “And the truth is, that part of me needed to believe in them, because if they didn’t exist then all the teasing, the bullying and my family practically forsaking me, had been all for nothing.”

Kara seemed to be rooted at the spot, having walked into the living room, while following her, with sincerely worried blue eyes.

Lena went to the bathroom and got a couple of makeup remover wipes.

“I got my first mark when I was twelve,” Lena continued. “Except it wasn’t just the one. I got two. And there was something… at the back of my mind that told me not to confide in anyone of that fact. Let alone that one of them wasn’t even in a language known to man.” Without any embarrassment she lifted her shirt, up to her ribs, Kara had already seen her, after all, just not without the makeup. She cleaned the spot where, still presumably, the name Kara Zor-El was written. Lena chuckled. “For a moment, I even thought it actually was your cousin.”

“He’s too old,” Kara defensively replied.

“Aren’t you technically older?” Lena asked, in jest, letting her shirt drop in its place once again.

The blonde cleared her throat, seemingly embarrassed by the outburst, “that’s my name, though…” she whispered.

“Kara, I have had all your life tattooed on my skin…” Lena revealed. “Everytime you changed your name a new tattoo appeared on me. It made my life a living hell for a long time.” Lena confessed. “Linda, Calvin, Holland, Karen, all of them.”

“I’m sorry,” Kara apologized, with clear surprise and regret in her eyes. “I had no idea my actions had such a negative impact in your life.”

“I am not blaming you, nor am I trying to find your pity, I am explaining why I am so closed off, even when I want to give you what you asked.” Lena whispered. “I was shamed and mocked, because you were my soulmate. You, with all your identities. I just didn’t know they all belonged to one person just trying to survive. And yet after meeting you, it makes perfect sense.”

“Lena, what are you saying?” Kara co*cked her head to the side, curious, hopeful. Expectant.

Lena sighed, because honestly she wasn’t entirely sure about what she was trying to convey. “I don’t let people in. No one gets close to me, I am stubborn, and can be rude and insolent. All things you must know if you want to give it a try.”

“I can be all of those things too.” Kara said after a few moments. “We shall get along swimmingly, then.”

“I will try to push you away,” Lena added. “Just so it would be me who leaves, and not the other way around.”

Kara looked at her, and it was as if she was looking into the depths of Lena’s being, as if she was cataloging her fears and hopes and her real desires. She took a few steps until she was just a breath away from Lena. “I won’t leave you, Lena,” she whispered, carefully moving one piece of Lena's hair behind her ear. “And if you try to push me away, then, I shall resist, unless you truly don’t want to see me again. Because as I’ve told you, I want you as my mate. And while I was perfectly happy, just having you in my life as a friend… If you give me the chance, if you’d like to try…” Kara shrugged. “Maybe I can prove to you that I’d never leave you. Kryptonians… we mate for life.”

Lena’s eyes snapped to Kara’s, she was so curious about her culture, her customs, the way of life in Krypton, “Like Vultures? All of you? How did you choose?”

Kara laughed, and it seemingly surprised her, too. “You know, most people would have said like swans, not Vultures.”

“I’m not like most people,” Lena retorted.

“No, you are not. That’s why I’m so drawn to you.” Kara whispered, her thumb softly caresing over Lena’s cheek. “So undoubtedly intrigued by you since the first moment we met, even when I never had any interest in the name branded on me since my arrival on this planet. So, why don’t we listen to destiny and give this a try? The universe insists, with all the names and such.” She asked in a whisper, somehow inching closer and closer.

And Lena truly was spellbound. Unable to move, almost unable to breathe, lost in blue eyes.

Except she was moving, and next thing she knew, she was kissing Kara Danvers. Kissing Kara Zor-El.

And Karen Starr.

Calvin Moore.

Zala Jordan.

And Kara Starikov.

She was kissing Linda Lang.

And Linda Lee.

Holland Davis.

Claire Connors.

Kara Kieran.

And Supergirl.

Most important of all, is that they were all one single person. She was kissing Kara.

Their lips parted, and Kara rested her forehead on Lena’s.

“What do you say, Miss Luthor?”

She took a deep breath, her eyes still closed, feeling safe and protected. Not broken or afraid.

“We can start with a date?” she asked in a mumble. “And, please, no more name changes.”

Kara chuckled, her hands caressing Lena’s lower back, comforting, and yet possessive. “Well, maybe only one more name change.”