So, before any assassins show up from overseas looking for my head, let's just take a moment here. I know we want to see SuperCorp crash together with big, gay love, but we want them to be completely honest with each other, right? You can't build a strong structure on a weak foundation. SuperCorp deserves the best. They've been led into something with external dishonesty. Let's show they can do better between themselves. The CW has no problem with their couples lying to each other left, right, and sideways. That's not us.
<><>
Slowly, Lena woke up. She felt warm and comfortable, vaguely aware of the chirping of birds outside her window. There was something firm yet soft pressed against her torso, under her right arm and leg. A familiar scent like morning flowers, the air after an April shower, perhaps sunshine streaming through a field filled her senses upon each inhalation. A steady 'Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump' followed by a calming 'Woosh' threatened to lull her back to sleep. Snuggling into the cozy presence that drew her in, she hummed slightly, "Mmmmm," and pulled that warmth a bit closer as she prepared to surrender to sleep yet again.
"Are you awake?"
Body jerking wide awake, Lena's mind kicked into overdrive as the events from last night caught up and her eyes flashed open, green eyes wide and seeing startling blue eyes staring back at her from where she lay curled up on Kara's shoulder.
"Kara."
"You are awake." Kara smiled. "I didn't want to wake you, so I just..." Her smile grew a bit.
Shyly, Lena smiled back, unable to move away with Kara's arm curled around her back. "Oh, well, that's very considerate of you, but you could have gotten up. You didn't have to stay in bed because of me."
"Oh, I didn't mind. I'm used to sleeping alone, so this was kind of...nice?" She looked down for a moment then met Lena's gaze again, but her smile never faltered. "So, how did you sleep?"
With a laugh, Lena replied, "Far better than if I'd been on the couch, I'm certain. I'll have to thank Eliza."
"We both will," Kara said with a nod. "I do just barely fit on that thing, and I can't stretch or put my arm above my head or anything. I know I'm a bit of an active sleeper so...Oh! I didn't hit you in the middle of the night or anything, did I?"
"Well, if you did I slept right through it."
"Good, 'cause Alex says I can be a bed hog."
"Alex doesn't appreciate you like I do. You're welcome to hog my bed any day, Miss Danvers."
A silence stretched between them then. So much had changed in the last twenty-four hours. So much more had changed in the last two weeks. Walls had been torn down, built up, and then brick-by-brick disassembled. Now, far more open and less raw, ready and less vulnerable, they were moving together instead of at or away from each other. This shift in dynamics had finally grown comfortable.
"You look beautiful in the morning," Lena said breaking the silence as she used a single finger to adjust a few strands of Kara's hair to frame the blonde's face.
"You look beautiful all the time." Before Lena could disagree, Kara grabbed the other woman's hand, holding it against her own face. "You do. I noticed it the first day we met. I was a bit stunned. You weren't just beautiful, you were so put together, and you blew into that room. Clark and I were there, Superman and Supergirl, yet you had all this power about you. It was a bit intoxicating, and I'd never been drunk before then."
As Kara took her hand and applied one feather-soft kiss to the palm, Lena exhaled shakily. "So, those boundaries we'd discussed."
"Yeah?" Kara said, applying another kiss, her gaze never leaving Lena's.
"I'm assuming they didn't take into account us waking up in bed together."
"Ah..." With a small laugh, Kara laid Lena's hand across her face again. Eyes closed, she rubbed her cheek across the palm. "That's a fair assumption."
"You holding up any better than I am right now?"
Eyes popping open again, Kara said, "Well, I'm glad you're not J'onn."
As her brows furrowed, Lena laid in stunned silence for several seconds. "...what?"
Kara chuckled. "Oh, Rao. That came out wrong. J'onn's a telepath. I just meant I'm glad you can't read my mind. See that would have translated much better in my language. English is confusing."
"Oh," Lena said laughing slightly and relaxing. Biting her lower lip, Lena looked away before returning her gaze to meet Kara's. "Would you prefer I move away? Is it safe for me to stay, or do I remind you too much of John?"
Sighing and rolling her eyes, Kara gently squeezed Lena a bit closer to herself. "I'll try and control myself...J'onn."
As she snuggled up, this time knowingly, onto Kara's shoulder and curled into the other woman's body, Lena said, "Now I feel like a couple. You already have a pet name for me."
Kara laughed. "I can't wait to tell Alex about this moment. It will go something like this. 'Alex, Lena and I were in bed. I was kissing her.'" Pulling Lena's hand to her mouth, Kara demonstrated. "'Then I started to call her by my pet name for her...J'onn.'"
With a cruel chuckle, Lena said, "Oh, you must hate your sister."
"You have no idea what I've had to suffer through since she started dated Maggie. It's calmed down now, but the TMI was nearly unbearable at times, and I bore it bravely."
"Heroically."
"Definitely," Kara agreed. "When I have some gross stuff about us to share with her, I'm sharing."
"Well, I hope it's not gross."
"Sister gross."
"Okay, that's fair. I only have a brother, and he was nine years older than I. We didn't exactly talk relationships much. Still, if he knew who you were, I don't think we'd have to get beyond the fact that we're dating for it to be considered 'gross stuff' by Lex."
"Good thing he's already in jail," Kara said sobering a bit. "Your mom isn't going to take this well, is she?"
"As if I care. Obviously, I don't make my life's decisions based on what makes her happy, Kara. If I did that, genocide would be on the table."
"True. Still, how unhappy do you think she'll be on a scale of passive-aggressive comments over the dinner table to genocide?"
"Are you asking me if my family will try to kill either of us more than they are right now?"
"Oh." Cuddling Lena in tighter, Kara said, "That's valid. They do want me dead already. I don't think your mother is actively trying to kill you right now. That might change."
"It might. It might not. Are you going to refuse to date me because my insane mother might want you dead...er because of it?" Lena asked as she looked up at Kara.
Meeting Lena's gaze, Kara simply replied, "No."
"Good. Me neither. I guess we're stuck with each other then. So, what do you want to do about it?"
Smiling again, Kara said, "Well, I know what I was thinking about doing this morning."
One brow rising as her lips slowly curled into a smile, Lena said, "Oh, do tell."
"Heh, heh. Not that. I mean, yeah. I was but...boundaries."
"Boundaries are boring. Also, I'm not good at them."
"Lena," Kara said, exasperated. "This doesn't work if we're both not good at boundaries."
"Really." Lena's voice was sultry as she pulled her hand down from Kara's face and ran it along the other woman's abdomen, feeling abs tense even through Kara's pajama top. "So, I shouldn't try and seduce you?"
"It wouldn't exactly be that hard."
"Oh." Pushing away from Kara, Lena said, "Well, what's the fun of that? So, if you don't want to do that this morning, Miss Danvers, what's the plan?"
"Again, it's not about want; it's about boundaries. You get that right? I want."
"Appreciated. So?"
"So, what do you think of swimming?"
"In water?"
Pushing up onto an elbow, Kara asked, "What are the other options? Wait, are you going to make this dirty?"
"I could," Lena said with a smirk, "But I only meant we don't have an indoor pool here. Is there one about which I don't know? I didn't bring a suit though that could be fun."
"We're going to say the word boundaries so much it loses its meaning. I was talking about going swimming in the ocean."
"You're insane."
"What? The weather report for today said there was supposed to be a high of like fifty-four."
"In—sane."
Kara chuckled. "You could come down to the beach with me. Bring a book and read while I swim."
"First of all, no. I did not develop this fine sense of pale at the beach. Secondly, a high of fifty-four does not happen first thing in the morning. It's probably in the forties right now. Thirdly..." Arching an eyebrow, Lena paused likely for dramatic effect. "...no."
Chuckling again, Kara pulled Lena closer to her, smiling brightly when it caused a little yelp to erupt from the other woman. "Someone's bossy this morning."
"I am your boss."
"You are." Kara leaned over Lena, pressing her torso down onto the other woman's "And yet, I don't feel like you're in charge right now."
"...boundaries."
After several moments of smiling, Kara kissed Lena's nose and said, "Yes, dear." Vaulting off of Lena and the bed and onto the floor, Kara stretched. "Well, I'm going to change into my suit and head down to the beach. You can stay here and be boring this morning if you want."
"That's exactly what I want," Lena said as she sighed with a bit of relief. "Boring is my best thing."
"That's not true. No working, okay?"
"Unless Jimmy, Eve, Sam, or Jess call with an emergency, I won't. I promise. Have fun being insane at the beach."
"I will," Kara said zipping out of the room. She was only gone for a few seconds before she reappeared wearing a swimsuit and dropped her pajamas in the hamper. "Last chance to change your mind."
Lena's eyes widened as her gaze ran over Kara in the swimsuit. Kara was tan in a naturally golden sort of way. Her muscles were long and stood out beautifully, strong forearms giving rise to developed upper arms and those to sculpted shoulders. Her neck was long, and even the way her clavicle stood out from her body was lovely. Lena's vision barely took in the suit, red and blue of course, the top more like a sports bra. The bottom was a classic bikini cut that sat on the hips, and the combination gave Lena flashbacks to the women's Olympic volleyball team in the best possible ways. It was when Lena got to Kara's abs...abs...abs...abs... She shook her head, closing her eyes briefly to reset her short-circuiting brain that seemed to be stuck in a hormone-induced loop.
"Lena!"
Making eye contact, Lena found Kara smiling gently at her.
"Are you all right? I said your name like four times."
Eyes wide and nostrils flaring, Lena yelled, "Boundaries!" Then she tossed the blanket over her head and burrowed back under the covers.
After a few unsuccessful attempts to get Lena to talk to her, all that were met with grunts, slaps from under the covers, and repetition of just one word, Kara confusedly left. Downstairs, she found Eliza sitting at her computer. "Hey, I'm heading out to the beach. Lena's...Uh, she didn't want to join me."
"Because it's too cold for humans, Kara," Eliza said without looking up. "How did you sleep?"
"Awesome. Thanks for changing beds with us." Kara hugged Eliza from behind, looking at the pictures from last night on the computer. "Hey, those look great. You know, those are our first official couple pictures."
"I'm glad I could be part of it. I'm going to send some of these to your sister, okay?"
"Sure, just no posting pictures to social media of my flying without my suit, okay?"
"I'm glad you warned me. I was just about to do that," Eliza said with a laugh.
Kara laughed too. "Then I'm just in time. I'm going to grab a snack. Can we do breakfast when I get back?"
"Sure. What about Lena?"
Pointing up, Kara said, "She's showering. You two can figure it out when she comes down. Hey, Eliza, you really like her, right?"
Turning, a touch of concern on her face, Eliza smiled slightly, "Sweetheart, of course, I do. Lena is lovely."
"Okay, thanks. I just wanted to make sure because, well, I really like her."
Rising, a hand on each of Kara's shoulders, Eliza said, "I would hope so. You don't usually marry people you don't like."
"On Krypton, the matrix picked our mate for us."
"You're not on Krypton. On Earth, you pick your own mate. You get that, right, Kara? You pick Lena?"
Her smile growing, Kara sighed a little as she said, "I do, Eliza, I really do. There's just something special about her. I was really lucky that Clark placed me with you guys. He gave me a family after I lost my whole world. You were all amazing, and I don't want you to think you weren't enough, but I feel like I've always been looking for something, someone. I found that someone the day I met her. I felt something the day I met her. Is that normal?"
Rising and hugging Kara closely, Eliza said, "Oh, sweetie. I remember the day I met Jeremiah. I thought he was an arrogant ass."
"Eliza!" Kara said with a laugh as she stepped away.
"Sorry." Eliza laughed too. "Luckily he felt differently about me, and by the third...hmmm...maybe fourth time we met, I was warming up to him. Jeremiah though, Jeremiah met me and went home and told his mother he had just met the girl he was going to marry. I hadn't even told him my name yet." Shrugging, Eliza said, "Sometimes when you know you know. I guess you knew."
Considering it, Kara nodded. "I didn't know that I knew, but I knew. She's the one, Eliza."
"I'm glad for you, sweetheart."
"Me too." Hugging Eliza once more, Kara turned and said, "Well, I'm going to be a crazy alien playing in the ocean."
"Have fun."
"I always do!"
Sitting back at the computer, Eliza looked at a picture of Kara and Lena, her daughter's arms wrapped around the other girl as Kara held Lena from behind. They gazed into each other's eyes with a shared look of pure adoration, no barriers between them. They came from different worlds, different galaxies. They came from opposing families. In their own ways, both of their families had brought destruction to so many others and themselves, leaving for their children a tragic legacy. This image captured here told a different tale. This moment in time was a story of unification and of hope.
With a smile curling her lips, Eliza said, "When you know, you know."
<><>
Wandering back from the bathroom, Lena heard a few pings from her phone but ignored them. It was notifications from Twitter, some from Instagram. It was exactly the type of thing she and Kara had agreed to avoid as they worked on their relationship. She went to the other room and grabbed an outfit for the day, laying out some undergarments, dressing carefully in things that though Kara wouldn't be seeing...yet, Lena would know she was wearing and that would increase her confidence. As she hooked her bra, the notifications from her phone had erupted into a veritable storm. Curiosity getting the better of her and a touch of concern breaking in, Lena sat on the side of the bed and unlocked the phone.
Horrified, her jaw fell open as she scrolled through comment after comment, finally coming upon the picture that had started it all. There they were, she and Kara, the blonde holding her from behind as they looked adoringly into each other's eyes. Their backdrop was a Christmas tree, twinkling and shining in all its holiday glory. They looked like a fucking Christmas card. Below it was a comment that Eliza had posted, "My daughter and her fiancée home for the holidays. The perfect Christmas in Midvale." Her heart rate and breathing ticked up as Lena imagined the crosshairs over the photo.
"Fuck. Fuck. Mother fucker." As she went to her contacts and dialed Alex, Lena ran out of the room to the room that housed the rest of her clothes. She popped open a suitcase and began to toss things haphazardly inside.
"Hello?" A sleepy voice said.
"Alex!" Lena hissed out. "We have an emergency. Kara and I are going to have to leave, but you'll have to get people to move your mother out of here first. She's in danger."
"Lena?"
"Yes, Lena! Who the fuck else calls you in the morning because someone is trying to kill them!?"
There was a brief pause. "Actually, you'd be surprised. My life is pretty fucking screwed up."
"Well, welcome to the fucking club!" Running a hand through her hair, Lena took a deep breath. "Look, we screwed up. We should have just told your mother the truth that we were hiding out from an assassin instead of going along with this fake engagement thing. She's been so lovely though, and she got Kara and me to really talk, and now we're dating. She took this picture of us though, posted it to social media and—"
"Whoa! Wait, wait, back the bus the fuck up. Did you say you and Kara are dating?"
"That's not the relevant part, Alex. Your mother posted a picture of us to social media saying we're in Midvale. She might as well have emailed the address to Janković. He'll be coming here, and we're in danger."
"Where's this picture?"
"Where isn't it!?" Grabbing another suitcase, Lena opened it in preparation for more packing. "Look, just call your squad in and get some Men In Black up here ASAP. Kara is out swimming right now, and I'm packing. I expect we have a few hours until Janković can get here, but I want to be ready to clear out immediately. Should I tell Eliza to pack, or will you be putting the protection detail on her here?" Lena listened, hearing Alex moving around and breathing but no response. "Alex?"
"Hold on; I'm looking for the...Oh, my God! You guys look adorable!"
"Are you fucking kidding me? Are you on social media looking at that picture?"
"Hey, is that my hobo Santa ornament?" Alex laughed. "I can't believe Mom still puts that up each year. You know, when I was—"
"Alex, I swear to fucking God, if you don't pull your head out of your ass and get a protection detail up here immediately, I am going to make some phone calls and put a hit on you myself! Not the combined powers of the U.S. government and Supergirl will be able to save you! If I'm going out, by God, I am taking you with me!"
"Lena, relax, just relax. It's going to be okay."
"How in the fuck is it going to be okay!?" Dropping onto the still functional bed, Lena took a deep breath. "You've had me locked up in my apartment for two weeks, and then I had to flee the city. I was running around in your backyard with an ax and probably scared the life out of your mother just because a car backfired. I am a neurotic mess, and the safe-house you put me in has put your mother in danger...and by the way, she's a lovely, lovely woman. I adore Eliza."
"Yeah, she's the best, right?"
"She really, really is. You're very lucky. However!...You need to get me the fuck out of here and get protection for your mother because if anything happens to her, I swear to God, Alex Danvers, I swear to fucking God—!"
"We got him!"
For several seconds Lena sat just listening to the sound of her blood pounding through her body.
"Lena, did you hear me?"
"You got who?"
"Janković, we got him. You're safe. We got him."
"You...You got Janković?"
"Yes, we got him. You can relax. We got him."
"When? Why didn't you call us?"
"Uh...actually, we were just processing him. J'onn is interrogating him to make sure he doesn't have an accomplice, but he's always worked alone in the past. We have no reason to believe he isn't working alone this time, but protocol requires that we confirm it before removing the red alert status on you. As soon as I got the all clear from J'onn I was going to call you, but yeah, we got him, and you're safe. You can relax."
"I...You got him?"
"Lena, no one's trying to kill you." Alex chuckled. "Well, I suppose I can't say that given the way your average day tends to go. Maybe fewer public appearances, and stay out of anything that flies. If I were you, I wouldn't even book a flight for the safety of the other passengers. Maybe you should stick to Air Supergirl seeing as how you're dating her."
"Oh, my God. Alex, thank you. Do we know who hired him yet?"
"Uh, not yet, but we'll find out. Just give us time. I don't think he knows. You know how hit men and anonymity are."
"Not really, but I'll take your word for it. I talk a better game than I play when it comes to being that kind of Luthor. So, I can go home?"
"Well, yeah you...um, there's just one thing."
"Don't tell me someone else is trying to kill me." With a sigh, Lena added, "I have a one assassin a month maximum. Whoever it is, tell them my dance card is full."
With another laugh, Alex said, "Your sense of humor is awesome. You'll need it given who you're dating. That's actually the issue. We're working around the clock on the Reign situation, but we don't have an answer yet. Do you think you can keep Kara out of the city for a little bit longer?"
"You want me to ask her to stay in Midvale?"
"I want you not to tell her that we got Janković. Has she seen that picture on social media yet?"
"No. As I told you, she's off swimming. We'd actually agreed to stay away from our phones and focus on our relationship so we...did you just sigh? What was that?"
"Nothing. I'm just so darn happy for you two kids. Are you happy? Is Kara happy?"
"Well, I'm happy no one is trying to kill me."
"Yeah, yeah, but what about dating Kara. How's that going?"
"Um...well I think? We're taking it slowly, painfully slowly, too damn slowly, but it's good. That's fine. I'm on board. I respect Kara's choice, and I respect her. She's being incredibly sweet. Sleeping in the same bed with her is—"
"You're sleeping together?"
"In the same bed, Alex, not together. We...well, we broke your bed. We'll fix it. I promise. Your mother let us use her bed because we were just kidding around in the other room, and we got a little bit rough. Kara—"
"Rough huh?" The smirk came through in Alex's voice.
"You know what? Think whatever you want. I'll explain it to you in person later. Whatever you do, don't ask Kara about it. Her explanation would sound so much worse than anything I could purposefully try and make up to embarrass you, and I have a relatively filthy mind. Now, back to the Kara situation. You want me to keep her in Midvale?"
"Yes. Just don't tell her about Janković, okay?"
"I...I don't know about that. I don't want to lie to her. That doesn't feel right."
"How did it feel watching her lie in that bed after Reign nearly killed her?"
Recoiling in on herself, Lena admitted, "Like death."
"It nearly was. We need more time. We need your help. Will you help us?"
With a heavy sigh, Lena said, "I'll do anything for Kara."
"Thank you."
"It's not going to work though. That picture is out there, and paparazzi will show up. Kara will know it isn't safe for us here. We'll have to move anyway. She'll start asking questions and—"
"Leave that to me. I'll call my tech people and pull the picture down anywhere it went up. You talk to my mom, tell her you guys want privacy, and ask her not to post any more pictures until after you and Kara are ready to leave. Can you do that?"
"I can, but people will still show up. People have seen it. It's out there and like it or not, and I don't like it, my being engaged is news. My being engaged to a reporter who works for me in a business I just bought, well, that's bigger news. That picture disappearing is like a confirmation that I'm hiding from the press. We'll be overrun."
"I have an idea for that too. I can handle that."
"You can handle the press?"
"Trust me."
"If it works, I may hire you."
With a laugh, Alex said, "I'll keep the job offer in mind. Hey, you take care of my little sister. I'm really happy for you two. I mean that."
Smiling, Lena said, "Thank you. I have to admit; I'm rather surprised by all of the warm welcomes I'm getting from the Danvers family."
"Why? You're awesome."
"I...uh...thank you."
"Well, have a good day. Hey, at some point I want to hear how this whole protective custody gig turned into you and my sister dating and some weird engagement rumor. You two aren't really engaged, are you?"
"No," Lena said with a small laugh, then added, "Though something strange did happen at dinner last night. I could really use someone to talk to about it. Maybe I could call Maggie later?"
"I'm sure she'd love that. Give my mom and Kara my love, okay?"
"I will."
"Hey, and my love to you too, kid."
"Uh...thank you."
"Bye." Disconnecting, Alex grabbed her laptop and raced back to the bedroom. She hopped onto the bed excitedly. "Wake up! Wake up!"
"What? What? I'm awake already," Maggie said as she rolled over, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "What do you need me to do, and it better be you."
"Yeah, in a few minutes. First, look at this picture."
Pushing herself to a seated position, Maggie yawned and stretched. "Does it have boobs in it?"
"Ewww! No. It's my sister and Lena."
"Right. Sorry, I withdraw my question." Focusing on the screen, she smiled. "Hot damn, will you look at that. Print that out and put it on the fridge, babe."
"It gets better."
"Than that?"
Nodding, Alex said, "They're dating."
"What!?" Hand in the air, she said, "Give me five!" When Alex applied the slap, Maggie yelled, "Yeah, Super—"
"Don't you say it!"
Lower lip pouted out and eyelashes fluttering, Maggie said, "Just once...please?"
"Fine," Alex replied with a sigh. "This is not a thing though. I'm not approving this."
"Yeah, SuperCorp!" Maggie yelled jubilantly with fists thrusting into the air.
"Well, now that that is out of your system—"
"Not even close."
"Sawyer...expect a call from Lena later. She said something weird happened at dinner, and she wants to talk to you about it later."
"What happened?"
Alex shrugged. "I'm guessing now that my sister doesn't have to hide anymore, she ate four whole pizzas and two gallons of ice cream, or maybe she said, 'Wanna bet I can't fit eight meatballs in my mouth at once?'. Whatever she did probably freaked out Miss Perfect Table Manners, and she isn't sure how to deal with it. You need to talk Lena off the ledge."
"No problem. If I can deal with your disgusting habits, Lena can deal with Kara's."
After a few seconds of glaring, Alex swung her legs out of bed and left with the laptop. "I'm going to forgive you that one because you just woke up, and because I'm in a good mood."
"I love you, babe!"
"I love you too!" Placing her laptop back on the desk, Alex picked up her cellphone again, went into her contacts, and made a call.
"Winning Smiles Incorporated, how can I help you?"
"Winn, it's Alex. I need you to do a nerd thing for me."
"Good morning to you too, lovely lady. How can I be of assistance to you today, madam?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Look, I'm just going to assume you're online and already know there's a picture of Kara and Lena looking all lovey-dovey out there?"
"If I'm breathing, that's a safe assumption. So we did it, right? Mission SuperCorp was a success?"
"Hey! You know how I feel about that name. What have I said!?"
Winn mumbled, "If you're not fucking me you don't get to fuck with me."
"Better. Now, I need you to pull down that picture of Kara and Lena from every social media site you can find. Any mention of it that's out there I want gone. Redact proof of its existence like it's Area 51."
"Okay, but why are we...Wait, is area 51 real?"
"J'onn's a Martian, and you're asking me if Area 51 is real?"
"That...is both a valid and disturbing response. You haunt my dreams, Alex. You haunt my dreams."
"It's in my job description. Now, go do your nerd work and start redacting."
"Wait, why am I doing this?"
"Because you're scared of me, and I told you to. Now, stop wasting my time before I give you a reason."
"I repeat my statement from earlier.
"Good. Call me back if you run into any problems. I need to make another call."
"And intimidate someone else?"
"No, some people I like."
"Awww, that hurts my feelings, Alex."
"Grow a set...Luv ya."
"What!?"
Alex hung up immediately before Winn could say anything else and made another call. "Hey, it's Alex. We've run into a situation which is both awesome and needs some immediate intervention from your unique skill set. Are you free to go on a breakfast date today?"
After a brief pause, the person on the other side of the phone said, "Alex, are you asking me out?"
"What? No. That would be so..." As an odd look spread across Alex's face, she said, "Okay, my mind just went to a really kinky and interesting place. Please don't tell Maggie. What am I saying? It's Maggie. She's already thought of it. No, I don't need you to go on a date with me. I need you to go on a date with my sister."
"I...Alex, I don't think that's any better."
Smiling, Alex replied, "It is. Just let me explain."
<><>
Back in Midvale, Lena had reassembled the mess she'd made of the other room. She took an armful of clothing and headed down the hallway to Eliza's room just in case they didn't have Alex's bed fixed today. Lena had piled clothes on the dresser and was moving toward the ones she'd laid out on the bed when she suddenly turned, aware of another presence.
Exhaling shakily, hand to her chest, she said, "Kara."
"You ah...your..." Seeing Lena in just bra and panties, Kara's gaze traced a path up and down the curves of the woman's body, visually caressing pale skin. Suddenly, her gaze was pulled to a tattoo on Lena's side, just below the ribs. Shades of green, it had three triangular points, but the center was curved, almost circular, and there were some flourishes like leaves or feathers in the background in a different shade of green. Her vision traveled down to where, along each of Lena's hipbones and appearing just below the woman's bellybutton, were pieces of a tattoo that were otherwise obscured by Lena's black panties which themselves were such a stark contrast to the woman's skin. Kara's brain skipped like an old, scratched record at the small ring in Lena's belly, the image playing over and over again on a loop, and she was barely able to pull her gaze away and continue up. There, low and between the rise of Lena's breasts where the bra pushed them together, another tattoo peeked out, and Kara almost missed it. The ink was white and set against skin so very pale. It took deep concentration to make out the image, something Kara seemed capable of managing for the purposes of science in this moment, of course. Part of it was obscured, but it looked like a series of planets and stars, spreading out across—
"Ahem." A hand on her full hip that was stuck out to the side, Lena smirked as she lifted one eyebrow and pointed to her eyes. "I think you were the one who just yesterday was so kind to remind me that we keep our eyes up here, Miss Danvers. Feel free to make eye contact whenever you want to have an actual conversation."
"Uh-huh," Kara said, nodding while meeting Lena's gaze.
Her smile growing, Lena took several steps forward while Kara took two back.
"Leaving so soon, Kara? Surely you came here for some reason."
One finger extended, Kara waved it up and down at Lena four times. "Tattoos. There they are."
"Here they are," Lena agreed, holding her arms out to either side. Turning ever so slightly, she added, "I have one on the back of my right leg halfway up my thigh if you'd like to—"
"I'mgoodI'mgood." Grabbing the towel that hung around her neck, Kara wiped her face and said, "What's ah...that one?"
"This one?" Lena traced a finger in a winding pattern from one hip, across her lower abdomen, and to her other hip.
"Ho-boy." Kara nodded.
"This is one of the most remarkable engineering achievements of humankind. It's the Great Wall Of China, the longest man-made structure on Earth. Built in the 14th century, it stretches for 8,850 kilometers and protected the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from the attacks of nomadic tribes." With a little hum, Lena languidly licked her upper lip. "You're not a nomadic tribeswoman though, are you, Kara?"
"I...I...I...I...I..."
"That's what I thought."
Managing to tear her gaze from the tattoo, Kara's eyes had only moved slightly before she leaned forward, vision focused with laser-like precision again. "I, uh, I never knew you had a...thingy."
"A thingy?" Waggling her eyebrows, Lena asked, "Is that a Kryptonian term?"
With a nervous laugh, Kara pointed at Lena's center. "One of those."
"Oh, my navel ring?" Taking a few steps closer, Lena asked, "Do you like it?"
"Uh, it sure is interesting. How come I never knew you had it before?"
"Because previously you've always seen me wearing clothes. Now you're seeing me without them." As she watched further awareness spread over Kara's face, Lena asked, "Is that interesting?"
"I..." Kara swallowed hard. "...thought you'd be dressed."
"Well, then, Kara, you thought wrong." Moving close enough to wrap the ends of the towel hanging around Kara's neck in her hands, Lena said, "Isn't it amazing the things you're learning today? What shall we teach you next?"
"Lena, this is a bad idea."
A smile slinked along one corner of Lena's lip momentarily, rising up and falling elegantly in its curl as she held Kara trapped in her gaze. "Yes, bad ideas are my best ideas."
"Lena remember bound—" As the towel slid down to around Kara's middle and jerked her forward, her body colliding with Lena's, Kara's voice pitched higher and came out in a stuttery jerk. "—aries."
"Yes, boundaries. I was thinking we should renegotiate them."
"Rene...Renegotiate?"
Nodding, Lena said, "Yes, let's call a truce, make some common borders, perhaps a neutral..." Lena slid a leg forward, her thigh caressing the interior of Kara's. "...strip."
Head tossed back, Kara moaned slightly as she said, "Oh, Rao."
Lena walked a small curved path backward, pulling Kara along with her. As they collided with the dresser, Lena rubbed her nose along Kara's collarbone. "God, you smell good, Kara. You smell like the ocean, fresh air and..." Lena sighed. "I didn't know sunshine had a scent until you held me in your arms."
Pressing against Lena, hands on the dresser top, Kara said, "Lena, you...we...your safety..."
"I'm safe with you, Kara. I'm always safe with you." Dropping the towel and running her hands up Kara's sides, Lena felt the blonde shiver under her touch. "Tell me if you want me to stop. Tell me what you want to do."
"I want...I want this so much."
Smiling, Lena ran her hands up Kara's back, nuzzling her face under blonde hair.
"Lena?"
"Mmmm."
"Did you talk to Alex?"
"Mmmm?"
Leaning back, Kara held Lena's phone in her hand, screen facing Lena with the contacts, Alex's name there, clearly showing. "Did you call Alex? Did you talk to her?"
"I..." Gaze flicking back and forth between the phone and bright blue eyes, Lena said, "I did."
"You did?" Stepping away as she ran her hand through her hair, Kara asked, "And? What did she say?"
"Well, Alex said...Um, Alex, she said..." As Kara smiled at her, Lena said, "She sends you her love."
"I know that, Lena. What about Janković? Did they catch him?"
"Well..." Lena's voice pitched up just a little bit as the word hung in the air.
"Is that what's going on? Is it safe now? Is it safe for us to go back to National City?"
Eyes slowly closing, Lena turned her back on Kara as she pressed her forearms against the dresser. "No. No, it's not safe for us to go back. I'm sorry, Kara. I'm afraid we're stuck here a while longer. You won't be getting rid of me yet." Head down, a deep frown etched itself onto Lena's face.
"Hey." Curling over Lena's back, Kara hugged her from behind. "I don't want to get rid of you. I just want to keep you safe. I'd do anything to keep you safe. You get that, right?"
With a humorless laugh and a smile that didn't touch her eyes, Lena nodded. "I'd do anything to keep you safe, Kara. You're my priority."
"You don't have to protect me, silly. Protection is my job." With a squeeze, Kara stepped away. "Okay, maybe I need a little bit of protection from your tattoos. You, dressed like this, or should I say undressed like this, is more heroing than I can handle. I think I'd have a better chance of facing down against Reign again than fighting off Lena Luthor in her...purity."
Brows furrowing, Lena repeated, "Purity?"
"Purity," Kara said once again.
When one of Kara's fingers touched Lena's lower back, more than warm, hot, Lena jerked. Her head shot back at first then dropped back down, and she couldn't control the small moan that escaped her lips as that finger traced a pattern over her tattoo spelling out the word in cursive that had been inscribed in ink all those years ago. When Kara's finger left, curling off the Y with a flourish, Lena shivered both from the touch and its absence.
Taking a few cleansing breaths, Lena said, "Well, yes, I was young enough when I got that one that it was true at the time. Now it's just a reminder of a different time, of a different me, of a girl that didn't understand what being a Luthor entailed."
Placing a hand on Lena's shoulder, Kara said, "You have a pure heart."
Grabbing Kara's hand, Lena looked over her own shoulder. "You see the best in people no matter what, don't you?"
"I see the truth in you."
With two pats to Kara's hand, Lena stood upright and took a few steps away saying, "You should go shower, and I need to get dressed. We're not doing each other any favors right now, and I think more clothing will, don't you?"
With a sheepish smile, Kara admitted, "I think I'm going to remember what you look like right now with or without clothing."
Her smile sultry in return, Lena took a step forward, "Darling, I'm always going to remember what you look like at this moment. My imagination is very...fertile."
With a nervous laugh, Kara nodded and backed up. Her feet got tangled up in her towel, and she nearly fell before recovering. "I'm just going to...ah, shower."
"You go do that. Did you have breakfast yet?"
"Not a real one. I was waiting for you."
Her smile softening, Lena said, "Would you like pancakes?"
"And bacon and eggs?"
"Of course. Go wash the ocean off, and I'll start breakfast."
"You know, a superhero could get used to this kind of treatment," Kara said sighing happily.
"Then maybe a superhero should keep me around." They both gave that a few moments to sink in, and then Lena waved a hand dismissively at Kara, stepping forward. "Okay, out you go so I can get dressed. Shooo now."
"Yes, ma'am. Wow, you can be bossy."
"Only in some things," Lena mumbled, ignoring Kara's odd look as she ushered the other woman out of the room and watched her walk down the hallway. Lena stood there, waiting until the water had started to grab her phone. When Kara's singing began, Lena knew she was set. She closed the door, pushing her back against it, and went into her contacts. Finding Maggie's name, she made the call.
"Hey, Luthor, congrats on you and Little Danvers—"
"Blah, blah, blah! Enough chit-chat, Margarite! I need some advice!" Lena paced, a hand combing through her hair before she pulled at it nervously.
"Ummm, my name's not Margarite."
"And I don't give a crap. My situation is dire. Do you hear me? Dire!"
"Okay, kid, relax. What's wrong?"
"What's wrong, Maggie, is that I'm a homosexual having a panic attack! I'm having a gay panic attack! Do you hear me?"
"I can practically hear you without the phone. Take a breath, take a minute, and tell me why you're having a panic attack."
Inhaling and exhaling slowly, Lena said, "It's one part panic attack and one part gay, Maggie, and it's all Kara Zor-El's fault."
"Aaaah. So you're having a girl induced attack of the gays. Yeah, I've had a few of those in my time. So, what set this one off, Luthor?"
"Have you ever seen Kara in a swimsuit?"
"Ummmm...You do remember I'm marrying her sister, right?"
"I also remember you have 20/20 vision, so answer the damn question."
"Jesus. You are having an attack of the gays. Fine, yes, I've seen Kara in a swimsuit. It's...a nice view."
"Bullshit. 'Starry Night' is a nice view. 'Sunday Afternoon on Island of La Grande Jette' is a nice view. The 'Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel' is a nice view. Kara in a bikini should hang on the wall of the Louvre. She, Margarite, is a fucking work of art."
"Still not my name. Did you just call to tell me you're hot for hero, 'cause I knew that weeks ago, kid."
"No," Lena admitted. "I called you because I've lost my usual calm reserve, and as my gay elder, you're responsible for assisting me in my moment of need."
"Gay elder? How the fuck old do you...? Never mind. Fine. You need advice?"
"God yes!"
"Okay, besides Kara wearing a bikini, and I'm not dismissing the power of that, tell me what's set you off. I'm assuming she didn't wear it to dinner."
"Why would she wear a bikini to dinner? Does she usually?" Running her hand through her hair again, Lena said, "God, she isn't going to just stay in that damn thing all day, is she? I won't be able to function. I'm barely functioning now."
"This is still functioning?" Maggie laughed. "Oh, baby girl, you are so fucking gay."
"I know," Lena moaned as she dropped to sit on the bed. "At boarding school, they teach you to deport yourself with proper dignity and etiquette, and then they surround you with dozens of hormone-laden female teenagers. If you can make it through that without screaming 'Because I'm a giant queer!' then handling the Board of Directors at L-Corp is a piece of cake."
With another chuckle, Maggie said, "I look forward to hearing more about teenage Lena Luthor when you get back to the city. However, right now I want to know what happened over dinner last night. Alex said that you were going to call me about it. Did Kara shove her whole fist in her mouth or something?"
"She does that?"
"Uh...Just tell me what happened last night. Did it involve a bikini?"
"No, it um...You know that Eliza thinks we're engaged, right?"
"Right. That's crazy. You know we didn't have anything to do with that, right?"
"We who?"
"Uh...just tell me what happened last night."
"Okay, so Eliza asked us who proposed, and Kara...proposed."
There were several beats of silence. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to repeat that. It sounded like you just said that Kara proposed."
"Well, that's...Look, it was rather confusing. She didn't say, 'It was me, Eliza. Please pass the potstickers.' No, she said it was her, and then She. Fucking. Proposed."
"She who now what?"
"Well not really, of course, but she popped out with this speech about how every race has a word for forever even though forever doesn't exist. She said she never understood why until she met me because I'm the one with whom she wants to spend her forever. She asked if I'd spend my forever with her. Maggie, she said, 'Lena, will you marry me?' What the fuck is that about? Is that some sort of alien thing where they practice proposing, and it doesn't mean anything?" After a few moments of silence, Lena checked her phone to make sure the line was still connected. "Maggie?"
"Oh, sorry. She actually proposed? She asked you to marry her?"
"Well, she fake proposed, but yes she went through the whole proposal. When Eliza left the room and I gave Kara a piece of my mind, told her she might as well have gotten down on one knee, she asked if she should have gotten down on one knee. I...Maggie, this keeps getting more and more real, and my gay is reaching levels of critical mass."
"Yeah, yeah, I get that. I have one really important question here though kid. What did you say?"
"About what?"
"When Kara popped the question, when she went through the whole proposal, what did you say?"
"Well, I...We were in the moment, and Eliza was there, so I...Well, you know. I had to...uh..."
"Lena?" There was a certain note of warning in Maggie's voice.
"Yes."
"Was that an answer to my question?"
Biting her lower lip, Lena nodded.
"Hello?"
"I'm...I'm nodding."
"You do know we're not Facetiming, don't you genius?"
"Yes." With a heavy sigh, Lena said, "I said yes. She popped the question, and I said yes before my brain had even caught up with me. I recovered almost immediately, said I had said yes or we wouldn't be here. I made it look as if I were just reenacting the scene for Eliza's sake, but the whole thing felt a little bit too real to me."
"Wow. Okay, so is there any chance you two are actually engaged? You know you can trust me to keep your privacy private, but I also live with Alex. She's not above waterboarding a sister to get information like this."
"We're absolutely not engaged. I'm 100% certain about that."
"Okay, good because—"
"However..."
Maggie sighed. "Right, there's always a but. What's the but?"
"Soon afterward, we got into a fight about what last name we'd be taking when we were married. It was a doozy of a fight. I stomped off, and she came after me. She ended up saying she'd take Luthor and be both a Luthor and a Super. Eliza wasn't even in the room for that part of the discussion. We had no audience. What does that mean?"
"That you're not the only one whose gay has reached maximum capacity. You sound confused by all of this."
"So confused."
"Have you sat down and spoken to Kara about it? Have you told her that going through all of these engagement steps is blurring lines for you?"
"Talk like adults? Now that's a novel concept."
With a chuckle, Maggie said, "I try and mix it up."
"We've talked some. We didn't talk about the engagement or whatever it is. We did have a sit-down discussion about our relationship. I told her I wanted something outside of friendship, and that if she were going to keep shying away from that though I'd still be her friend, I wouldn't be waiting around for anything other than friendship anymore."
"Good for you. It worked out, huh?"
"It did. She admitted she was attracted to me, and she said she wanted to date. We're dating." With a shy smile, Lena repeated, "We're dating."
"How does that feel?"
"Amazing...and amazingly frustrating. You could bounce quarters off that girl's ass, and I just want to sink my teeth—"
"Whoa! Whoa! Little Luthor, I get it, but she's still my fiancée's little sister. I'm here for you, but we're going to have to have some boundaries."
"Argh! I hate that word."
"What, boundaries?"
"Argh!"
"O-kay. I feel like I came late to the party. Care to explain?"
With a grumble, Lena said, "I'm falling for the damnedest noblest woman on the planet. Her moral streak runs as deep and wide as my credit line."
"That's...That's dead on descriptively accurate. Hey, you're a good person too. You know that, right?"
"I may be good, Margarite, but I'm hardly virtuous."
With a sigh, Maggie said, "That's not my fucking name. Why you gotta be calling me that, Luthor?"
"Because misery loves company, Margarite. Now, give me some good advice, or I'll have your name legally changed."
"You can't do that. Only I can change my name." Maggie paused, and when she spoke again, the confidence had left her voice. "You can't do that, can you?"
"I'm rich, Carol. You'd be amazed what the number of zeros in my bank account can buy."
"I have zeros in my bank account too."
"I have a number beside zero in front of all of those zeros."
"...oh. Fine. Before Alex wants to know why mail is coming here addressed to Theodore Terwilliger Sawyer Esquire, let's just cut to the chase. What has your panties in a twist?"
"I'm...," Lena muttered something inaudible.
"What was that?"
With a sigh, she said, "I'm horny."
"Oh. Have sex with Kara."
"Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that? That thought had never occurred to me!"
"Jeez! Horny makes you mean. Did your brother blow up Metropolis because he wasn't getting any?"
"Not a discussion you want to have with my mother. Take it from personal experience." Hand twisting in her hair, Lena said, "Kara has somehow arrived at the notion that if we were to engage in coitus that I would be murdered with an ax."
"Whhhaaaat?"
"I respectfully disagree with her, of course. Do you have any suggestions?"
"Well, my first suggestion is that if you ever want to get laid you need to stop talking like an eighty-year-old English teacher. Who the fuck taught you to talk like that?"
"My...eighty-year-old...English...teacher," Lena admitted.
"Score one for the detective." Maggie cleared her throat. "Okay, so what I think you said, and I'm trying to translate Kara's thought process through your communication process...God help me...is that someone will kill you if you guys shag?"
"Accurate."
"Because?"
"She's watched a lot of horror movies."
"Okay, well that makes no—"
"And because she still thinks Janković is trying to kill me."
"Ah. Well, you could...Have you tried...Oh hell, kid. You have a nice rack. Take off your shirt. That should do it."
"You'd think. I have wonderful breasts. Dropping a pen on the ground and bending over to pick it up has always been my go-to move in the past. Breast or butt girls, no matter what they're into, you can give them a view. The Girl of Steel has willpower of steel."
"Which is she into?"
"Tattoos."
"Tattoos? You have tattoos?"
"Several."
"I can't picture that."
Lena's voice took on a sultry hue. "Pictures I can provide."
"Are you flirting with me?"
"Sorry." Lena shrugged. "That was just a reflex. Ignore me. Between the tattoos and the navel ring, Kara was putty in my hands. Then she saw that I'd spoken to Alex, and I had to tell her it wasn't safe to return to National City."
"You're protecting her."
"I'm lying to her. I'm filled with guilt and sexual frustration. I'm the gay Catholic poster child. What do I do?"
"Kid, I can't tell you that. I want Kara to be safe, but I can't tell you what's right when it comes to your relationship. I know Alex is worried about her sister, but Kara is an adult. Alex understands that too. The Danvers sisters, they can talk about this like adults. If being in the middle of this feels wrong to you, tell Alex."
Lena nodded. "How close are they with Reign?"
"I don't know. That's a deep inside the DEO issue, strictly hands-on for them."
"Maggie, you're a deep inside the DEO issue, strictly hands-on for you."
"Wow, you are living in Hornyville U.S.A., population you."
"I know. I'm dying here, Margarite, dying. I had Kara pressed up against me, and I could have..." Squeezing her eyes shut, Lena tapped a fist against her forehead. "Damn it. Why do I have to respect her so much?"
"Yeah, caring for and respecting the woman whose bones you want to jump is a real bitch, huh?"
"It's certainly inconvenient."
"I'm familiar with the alternative, Luthor. I know what a healthy relationship feels like now. I wouldn't go back, and neither should you. Kara deserves better. You both deserve better. So, until the DEO figures out a way to defeat Reign or you make a different choice about talking to Kara, you want my advice for your current situation?"
"God, yes!"
"This sounds like a hands-on situation for you. You understand me?"
"Unfortunately," Lena said with a sigh. "I'm far too familiar with that solution. Why does it seem so much worse now?"
"Because you're sharing a bed with a hot blonde?"
"And on that note, I'm going to hang up with you before Kara gets out of the shower."
"Don't want her to catch us talking?"
"I don't want her to catch me...anything. Thank you for your advice, Maggie. Call me if there are any Reign updates?"
"I'm Maggie again?"
"Just call me."
"I'll check with Alex. You want me to see if random proposals are some kind of Kryptonian thing?"
"You think you can ask her that? Would that be weird?"
"Yes and yes. I'll find out. Hey, we're pulling for you and Little Danvers to work out. I expect to see you dancing with that girl at my wedding. You hear me?"
Smiling Lena said, "I do."
"Yeah, I've been practicing saying that a lot too. Good thinking."
"No, I wasn't—"
"Bye." Disconnecting, Maggie made her way into the living room where Alex was sitting on the couch, laptop on lap, working and eating breakfast. "Hey, I have a few questions for you."
"Go for it," Alex replied, taking a bite of her toast while she continued to read the documents on her computer.
"How are things going on the Reign front?"
"Uh..." Alex paused. "That's classified."
"Just tell me."
"You know my boss is a mindreader, right?"
"Lena is having an existential crisis."
Putting the laptop on the coffee table, Alex turned so her arm was on the back of the couch and she could see her girlfriend. "A what crisis?"
"Existential. It means relating to existence or being."
"I know what it means. I have a fucking Doctorate. Is she freaking out about Reign?"
Shaking her head, Maggie took a seat next to Alex. "No, she's freaking out about being a gay mess and lying to Kara."
"Oh." Alex nodded. "Yeah, I guess that could be an existential crisis. Okay, so what did you tell her?"
"I told her to talk to you about lying to Kara. Keeping Kara safe is important, but Kara is an adult, and she gets to make adult decisions. Lena shouldn't have to be stuck in the middle of you wanting to keep your little sister safe."
"Fuck, that's good advice. Why do you have to give such good advice?"
Kissing Alex, Maggie said, "I love you too. So, anything on the Reign front?"
"Well, we think she might be related to Krypton."
"Like Mon-El was, a nearby planet?"
Shaking her head, Alex said, "No, we had Superman run that symbol she used through their setup in the Fortress of Solitude."
"And?"
"And there's mention of Worldkillers, scientific experiments done on Krypton. Reign could be part Kryptonian so—"
"Hold on. Hold on. You just went all plural on me, bitch."
"I what?"
Holding up two fingers, Maggie touched each one as she said, "Worldkillers. Experiments."
"Oh, yeah I guess I did."
"You guess!? Well, fuck me, Margarite."
"What?"
"So, you're saying there could be more of her?"
With a shrug and a sigh, Alex rubbed at her temples. "I'm saying we think she is part of an experiment where more than one was created, but it doesn't mean more than one survived. We think that's highly unlikely."
"Not the way our luck goes. Okay, so, dealing with the first of probably dozens of Worldkillers that are going to show up and beat us like piñatas until candy comes out, what's the plan?"
"Mass quantities of kryptonite to weaken her, then powerful enough weapons to destroy her in her weakened state."
"Destroy as in...?"
"Kill. She's killed dozens of people. We have no way of holding her for trial, and we're going to lose people if we try. This is war, Maggie."
Sighing, Maggie said, "Kara won't like that."
"Kara won't be in town. Kara believes there is good in everyone, even someone who has tried to kill her twice. Plus, with the amount of kryptonite we're planning on unleashing, National City won't exactly be Supergirl friendly."
"Fuck. That's your best option?"
"Best?" Alex shrugged. "That's our only option unless Lena happens to have her mom on speed dial. When it comes to making life unpleasant for aliens, that woman has a talent."
"Yeah, well, I don't think Lena and her mom are exactly the Christmas card exchange types, but if Lena gets one with a return address, I'll ask her to share it with the DEO."
"Thanks." Alex barked out a laugh.
"So." Cuddling against Alex, Maggie asked, "Do Kryptonians have any weird marriage customs that you know about?"
"Uh, they're different I guess. Their mates are chosen for them through a matrix, and they don't get divorced. They mate for life."
"Oh, that is different," Maggie admitted. "So, proposing isn't a Kryptonian thing?"
"Nope. Why do you ask?"
"Just curious."
Stilling, Alex leaned away. "What do you know?"
"What do you mean?"
"Is Lena planning on proposing to Kara?"
"What? Absolutely not. Right now Lena is trying to get your sister into bed. You should have heard her talk about how your sister looked like a snack in her bikini, and how she wanted to bite into her—"
"Ahhhh!" One hand over her ear while she pressed her other ear to her shoulder, Alex shook her head as best she could. "What the fuck is wrong with you!? That's my sister."
"I know, and Little Luthor is thirsty for her. Mission Completed." Maggie whispered something else.
Dropping her hands, Alex asked, "What?"
"SuperCorp!"
"Oh, fuck you!" Jumping up from the couch, Alex stomped out of the room.
"Heh, that really gets to you, huh?"
Stomping back, Alex snapped. "No, you know what gets to me!? What gets to me is I'm starting to fucking like it! Fuck you, Sawyer!"
As Alex left again, Maggie cupped her hands around her mouth. "SuperCorp!"
<><>
"Ahem."
"What is it?"
"You'll want to see this."
"I'm in the middle of..." Words died as she stared at the screen of the laptop that was placed in front of her. "No. This is a hoax. This is a...no. She's pushed the boundaries before, but this is...no. Someone faked this. Did we authenticate it?"
"I did it myself. It's authentic."
"No. We need visual authentication. I want proof. One way or another, get me proof damn it!" Angrily, the laptop was slammed closed.
A hand pressed against the desk, Hank Henshaw smiled. "I'll take care of it personally. I'll find her and get you the proof you need. What if it's true?"
Looking up at the cyborg, Lillian Luthor said, "Then bring my daughter back to me. She has no idea what has crept into her bed this time. I thought we'd hit the bottom of the barrel in her teen years when she went through that tattoo phase, and we caught her with that Baccarat woman."
"Roulette."
"Hmmmm?"
"Veronica Sinclair, she insisted on being called Roulette."
"Oh." Lillian waved a hand around aimlessly. "I knew it was some sort of gambling alias. Now I wish we hadn't paid her off to get rid of her. At least she was human."
"Even the lowest of us is worth ten of them." Henshaw nodded. "I'll get you the proof you need, Mrs. Luthor, and if she is involved with this...lifeform, what are your plans for Miss Luthor then?"
"My daughter has had free rein for too long. She has potential, and more importantly, she has the Luthor name. She has the Luthor bloodline. If she won't make something of herself, I'll do what a mother is supposed to do, and I'll make something of her."
"I wouldn't be so forgiving. If my child were involved with one of those things, I'd crush her." Fist crashing down onto the metal table, Henshaw left a divot an inch deep in the surface.
Eyebrows raised, Lillian looked from the table up to him and said, "You're not a parent, Mr. Henshaw. When you're a parent, you feel differently. Lena may not be my blood, but there is something special inside that girl that matters to me."
"You mean her DNA?"
For a moment, Lillian stared coolly without responding. "You've got your assignment. I expect a full report before you engage. I'll decide our next move and going in ill-prepared could be dangerous."
With an ugly snarl, Henshaw said, "I'm not worried about the Kryptonian. I look forward to another opportunity to face her."
"I'm not talking about the alien. She's a brute, but if they get a whiff of you sniffing around them, Lena's the real threat." Her smile more a bearing of teeth, Lillian explained, "You see, Mr. Henshaw, in the battle of mind over matter, it's the mind that matters. My late husband was a genius the likes of which this world has rarely seen, and Lena bears his legacy."
Bowing from the neck, Henshaw left the room.
Turning back to the desk, Lillian Luthor opened the laptop again and examined the photo. It was Kara and Lena, the alien behind her daughter and embracing Lena. The two young women smiled and looked adoringly into each other's eyes as a sneer rode along Lillian's lip.
Sighing, Lillian shook her head. "Oh, Lena. You have one of the most incredible brains on this entire planet. Why isn't that the body part you choose to use when making critical life decisions?"