𝑆𝐿𝐼𝐺𝐻𝑇𝐿𝑌 𝐵𝐸𝑇𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝑇𝐻𝐴𝑁 𝐶𝑂𝑂𝐾𝐼𝐸𝑆 | 𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐑

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝟑

—♜—

𝐊𝐀𝐑𝐀 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐑 best to keep quiet as she appeared in her room, praying that her mother wouldn't hear her gently shut the door.

Unfortunately for her, her mother somehow had sonar hearing.

"Kara? Are you home?"

"Shit!" she muttered under her breath, now hurrying as she tossed her mask to the other side of the room and began to pull her suit off.

She had only managed to tug one sleeve off by the time the door opened, and she froze in her place.

"I thought I was driving you guys—what the hell?"

Kara slowly turned towards the door and offered Helen her most charming smile. "Oh, hey, Mom!"

"What—why—" Helen rushed towards her, her hands immediately cupping Kara's burnt cheeks as her eyes flicked over her exhausted body. "Are you okay?"

Kara sighed, giving her mother a small smile and shrug. "I will be soon."

Helen groaned and took a step back. She folded her arms. "What happened?"

"I, uh . . ." Kara shrugged again. "I went to homecoming."

"Okay, but all this" —Helen gestured to Kara's entire being— "didn't happen at homecoming, did it? Now," she added as Kara withered and shook her head, "tell me what happened."

Kara sighed. "I think you might need to sit down for this."

Helen was extremely quiet during the entire explanation, though her deeply furrowed eyebrows and tight frown told Kara enough about her worries.

"And both you and Peter are all right?" her mother said softly as soon as the story was done.

"Bit beat up, but otherwise, we're okay," she reassured her with a smile.

"God, I thought it was bad enough when Amelia and Peter were going out and fighting," Helen sighed, reaching out and placing a tentative hand on her daughter's cheek. "And now I have to deal with two more of my children risking their lives."

Kara chuckled. "We always end up okay, don't we?"

"Luckily," she sighed once more. "I don't know what I'd do if you . . ."

"Don't even think about it," Kara said softly, leaning forward and kissing her mother's cheek. "It won't happen."

Her mother tutted, though a smile was on her face. "Don't jinx it."

Kara giggled and shook her head.

Helen sighed, rubbing her forehead, and she then muttered, "I'm gonna kill Tony and Happy tomorrow."

Kara's eyebrows furrowed. "Hm?"

She shook her head and put the smile back onto her face. "Nothing, honey."

Kara's attention turned to her phone, which she had tossed onto the bed, as it began to ring. Amelia's face quickly popped up on the screen, and Kara then remembered the multiple calls she had made an hour before.

"I better answer that," she sighed, reaching and grabbing the phone. "She might be worried."

Helen nodded and stood up. She kissed the top of her head. "Come downstairs as soon as you finish your call, I want a better look at your injuries."

"They're healing by themselves," Kara pointed out with a chuckle. "There's no need—"

"Doesn't matter, I need to make sure." Helen wagged a finger at her as she headed towards the door. "As soon as you're done!"