Archive of Our Own ^beta

"Thanks again for coming back with me, Kara." Kelly was still a bit lost in thought as she spoke and Kara seemed content to just offer support and follow her through. 

Kelly moved quickly through the halls of the orphanage. She could already feel the change in the air. It was different from what she had sensed just a few weeks or even a few days ago, and it made her think of Alex's words from last night. Alex' words...James' note...There was a lot still to be observed.

She had woken up earlier to tie up loose ends. There were always loose ends even when the brilliant hero part and the punching was over. Leaving Alex embrace had been difficult as they had fallen asleep snuggled together on the couch. 

           .              .             .             .

( A few hours earlier)

"Kelly?" Alex had mumbled her name and she moved her lover's arm from around her body and kissed the side of  her forehead. 

"I'm just heading into work on something. "

"Uhm…" Alex slowly came into a more awake state. " Be care-"

"I know babe.  The hard parts are over. I just- I just want to check on the kids now that we've sorted out some of what was going on at the jail. And some of Joey's stuff-"

"I can come wi-" 

"No. I got this handled.  There is no danger and-"

Alex pouted. A grown adult woman and Kelly could clearly see her pouting. "At least take Kara with you. You promised to be careful, remember ? And it would put my mind at ease. "Alex paused for a moment. " Besides,  Kara needs to do something besides worry about Lena right now."

Kelly couldn't really say no to that. She was hard pressed to want to bother Kara again after the mess of the past 48 hours but maybe this was what both of them needed, she figured.

             .               .               .               .

(Present)

"Are you sure you're okay after-"

Kara had come in after Kelly had already punched the corrupt warden's lights out and caught the aftermath of the altercation.  

"Yeah.  I- I don't usually like to solve things that way.  I-"

"You didn't,  you know?"

Kelly paused in her walk towards Joey's room, or old room as the case was. With Frederick's innocence proven, the brothers had been reunited.

"Hmmmm…."

"You solved things with empathy and compassion. And- You- I think even as an alien refugee I've been able to pass as...as human and be seen as-" Kara paused mid sentence as if searching for a word. 

The word that Popped into Kelly's head was simply "white." You're pretty and you're white and you pass as human effortlessly do you get all the privileges that come with that. What you saw once again first hand was the combination of racism mixed with anti-alien xenophobia. "

Kelly didn't say that though. She was too tired and it was too much to dump on Kara when she was there being a friend in this situation. She simply nodded, letting Kara know she understood the revelation Kara had gained. 

They walked along a little bit more before stopping in front of the door to Joey's old room.

"I'm gonna-"

"I'll wait here." Kara agreed.

Kelly pushed open the room door, expecting to find it empty, save for Joey's blanket and probably his drawing that he might have left on the wall. Instead she saw a young girl sitting in the bed. She was wearing a little black skirt and a yellow shirt and her dirty blonde hair was pulled back in messy pigtails. Whoever the child was, she was sitting right on Joey's bed,looking at one of his Old crayon drawings. A stuffed supergirl doll that looked old but well tended sat next to her on the bed.

"Hello" 

The child looked up and appeared startled, almost scared really. Kelly paused. She wasn't here to spook a child. " Hi." 

"Hi" the girl finally replied back.

Kelly took a cautious step forward,  not wanting to upset the child. 

"What are you doing here?"

The girl looked her over as if trying to decide on an answer. "My friend Joey is gone. I miss him." The reply was so simple and honest.

"Oh." 

The little girl was quiet for a few minutes before asking,c"Are you the lady Joey said was gonna help him? You helped Joey and Frederick?"

"That's me.  I'm DR. Olsen. Kelly." Kelly nodded.

"Thank you for helping Joey." The child looked right up at Kelly then."

"Anytime. It's what I do. " There was quiet in the room again  before Kelly asked. "Can I sit ?" 

Obviously she could sit down but she wanted to at least give the kid a moment to gauge how she felt about someone in her personal space. After just a few seconds, the little girl nodded and  Kelly moved the last few feet over to the bed, sitting down.  She picked up the stuffed supergirl dill the child had been playing with and offered it back to her.

"What's your name sweetie? " 

"Amelia."

Kelly couldn't place her finger on it but there was something so utterly endearing and heartbreaking about this kid. And she couldn't help but think of her own childhood losses and how hard it had been for her to open up again.

"Well Amelia, Hello. It's great to meet you."

That was itself, was the start of a new step in both Amelia, Kelly and also Alex's life even though they didn't know it yet. 

FIN