Find Me a Find, Catch Me a Catch

Chapter 11 - Family

Instead of replying immediately, Lena began slowly to peel the wrapper off of her muffin. Inch by inch she turned the muffin, peeling each little piece of the covering off the snack. When she finally spoke, she did it with her gaze still affixed on the food. "Now I understand what they mean when they say ignorance is bliss." It wasn't until she had finished speaking that she raised her eyes and once again maintained eye contact with Maggie.

"Hmmm." Maggie's fingers drummed out a beat on the desk's surface. "If you could go back to not knowing about Kara, would you?"

"No," Lena replied immediately. "I'm a scientist first. Knowledge has always been my first passion."

"Okay, so what do you do when you don't like the results of something you learn on a little scientific expedition. Do you walk away?"

"I don't," Lena admitted. "I push forward."

"So push forward."

"It's not that easy this time." Lena made a gesture with her hand toward the general reporters' area. "Kara lied to me."

"You're right. She did," Maggie agreed. "Kara's not perfect. That hurts, doesn't it?"

"Quite a bit."

"Don't trust her?"

"Not really."

"Do you trust me?" Maggie asked.

"Not yet."

"Good instincts. We don't know each other that well, and I'm no Kara Danvers. I'm pretty good, at least I hope so, but I'll lie to you if we're friends."

Brows furrowed, Lena frowned.

"Don't give me the stink eye, Luthor. People lie to each other. I won't lie to you to hurt you, but if I think it's in your best interests, I'd do it. I'm sure you've lied to Kara." Maggie watched a thoughtful look cross Lena's face and added, "Medusa?"

"I didn't inform her of my plans to capture my mother for both Kara's and Supergirl's safety. It was hardly a long and ongoing obfuscation. The night of my gala I didn't tell Supergirl what I was planning because I wasn't sure she'd trust me. That was more of a deception, but we barely knew each other then. I was hoping I could prove myself to her, and I revealed my plans that evening. I never lied about who I was, not to her or to anyone, and I could have taken my family's money and slinked off to another country where people weren't trying to kill me."

"Hey, no one's denying you've got balls...figuratively speaking. Kara really is Kara Danvers though. She really is a reporter at Catco. She really is your friend. Those things are true. She has been honest with you."

"She came into my life under false circumstances. She knew who I was, a Luthor, but when I met Kara, and until this week, I didn't know she was a—" Lena looked up, gestured behind Maggie for someone to enter.

With a cup of coffee in each hand, Eve pushed the door open with her back and entered. As she placed each cup on the desk, she said, "Black coffee for you, Miss Luthor. Soy milk with two sugars for you, Detective Sawyer. Is there anything else I can get for you ladies?"

Lena lifted a brow, waiting for Maggie.

Lifting her cup, Maggie said, "This is great. Thanks."

"Thank you, Eve. That will be all."

"My pleasure, Miss Luthor. If you need anything, just let me know, Miss Luthor." Eve smiled as she backed out of the room, closing the door behind her

"You know, she is a lot more pleasant than your old secretary."

"Jess?"

Maggie shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee. "Hmmm. Makes a good cup of coffee too. I don't know the name of the girl at L-Corp, but she was ornery. This one is nice."