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Chapter Text

It had been over a decade now. More than ten years of proudly weaning her family's crest on her chest to portray hope as she fought against all odds, foes, and herself. But now, Kara Danvers, Supergirl, had earned the title of being National City's hero in her own right. And the best part was that she was no longer alone to uphold such responsibility.

"On your six, Supergirl!" Alex shouted as her wife covered both of them from the incoming lasers.

"Brainy, how are we looking?" The Girl of Steel asked as she blasted her heat vision over the arsenal stored in the apparently not-so-abandoned warehouse.

"I've detected three more abnormal signatures," he answered through the com, being back at the Tower, "Dreamer is on her way, with backup."

"Are you sure this is the right mission?" Kara asked, covering behind her cape as fire blasts were aimed her way.

"We've discussed it," Alex began, engaging in hand-to-hand combat against a rough alien.

"And we think that she'll be safer if her first fight is with us watching her back," Kelly added, "besides, she's not getting anywhere near the action, we agreed on solely coping powers to help us evaluate the weakness of our enemies."

"And she should be arriving right about now," they heard Lena's voice on their frequency.

"I'll make sure to cloak her," J'onn assured, flying to meet Esme and Nia. The little girl had grown up to be a determined and valiant teen who had been stubbornly determined to also join in the family tradition of becoming a superhero.

"Ready?" J'onn asked his granddaughter as she fixed her mask.

"Ready." She said adamantly as J'onn merged them both to phase through the ground and sneak behind enemy lines to ambush the gang.

Even though Esme was surrounded by National City's mightiest heroes, that didn't stop Kelly or Alex from sharing a worried look.

"This is too soon, isn't it? Maybe we jumped the gun on this?" Alex asked, her voice ringing with concern as they took cover to regroup as Nia distracted the criminals to give Esme an opening.

"I'm pretty sure that's the same reaction you had when you saw me wear the suit for the first time," Kara answered, blowing her frosty breath to create an ice barricade with the remains of the wall.

"Well, yeah, you are my baby sister and you decided to dive headfirst into danger."

"A family trait, I might add." Kelly jabbed jokingly, trying to ease her own nerves as she adjusted her gear.

"Don't worry, I made sure to equip Esme's suit with everything I could think of. It's basically an indestructible exoskeleton, made with fire-resistant material, and bulletproof armor, too." the CEO said reassuringly, "With a protection spell added for good measure."

Kelly huffed amusedly as her wife smirked, "Thanks, Lena."

"Anything for that little girl." The youngest Luthor replied heartedly.

"More like 'rebellious teen' now, but yeah." Alex chuckled a bit more relieved, looking back at her sister, who was grinning in her signature adorkable way at the sound of Lena's voice in her ear.

The oldest Danvers patted her sister's arm to get her attention, "Hey, coms out for a second," she asked, taking off her own as the super complied as well.

"What's up?"

"Are you sure you have time for this?" Alex asked, "Kelly and I can easily take over if you need to go."

Guardian closed in, "Yeah, Kara. If you still need to set up some last-minute arrangements we can cover for you."

Kara smiled with adoration at both of them, "Thank you, guys. But it's under control, I promise. I just need to take a quick flight to Paris, but the bakery won't open for another hour anyway. And dinner is ready, all I have to do is use my heat vision and voilà! Everything will be set!"

"Okay, we'll try to wrap it up quickly, just in case. You do need to shower."

"Rude!" Kara's laughter was cut short by her barricade being blown to pieces, "Well, recess is over." She put her com back online, "Beta team, how are we looking on that copy-cat plan?"

"They have a fire-breather, and also an alien with unbreakable skin, it's going to be tough to take him down." Esme explained, "A psyche attack is the best option."

"Copy that," Kara said, "You two get rid of their arsenal, I'll take down the powered-up aliens." She instructed before rushing back to the arena.

After facing bigger foes for so many years, taking down gangs of underground and intergalactic arm dealers was just considerably easier. They didn't have a strategy or laid out plans, just pure brute force, and their brawls were nothing compared to hers. And their organization was no match for the incredible team backing her up every step of the way. Her Superfriends. Her family.

Before the battle could really escalate, it was basically over. Guardian and Sentinel had already handcuffed the goons as Nia recollected all the guns that would be confiscated and dismantled under Lena's supervision back in the Tower.

"Well done, team," J'onn appeared next to Esme.

"You did it!" Both proud parents smothered their daughter as the teen shrugged in a mix of embarrassment and pride.

"I'd say this mission was a complete success!" Kara said, smiling grandly as she posed in her usual hero stance. The only difference was that now her aura carried something else in it. A kind of security and confidence that exuberated the way she carried herself. She was no longer a Kryptonian trying to find her place on Earth, she knew where she belonged and whom she belonged to. She had a family, a home, a purpose. She was Supergirl.

Alex Danvers wrapped an arm around Kara's shoulders, "Come here little sister,"

"I'm not that little anymore," the super rolled her eyes.

"You'll always be my little sister." Alex shrugged carefree as both turned around to see the scene before them. All of them together, knowing that Lena and Brainy were celebrating through the coms as well. The real victory was that this picture-perfect moment was everything both had worked so hard to achieve.

"It really makes you look back, doesn't it?" the oldest sibling asked, "How it started, how we kept on pushing obstacle after obstacle, but finally...how we are here. After everything we've lived through."

"Yeah," Kara mumbled, her hands fidgeting with the small cold metal that fitted so perfectly into one of her fingers. "I guess today it's really the day to look back at it all, isn't it?" the super turned to her sister.

"For the first time in a long while, looking back doesn't hurt," she nodded, "I'd say we've earned ourselves this happiness, don't you agree?"

Kara embraced her sister in a side hug, "Indeed."

"So!" Nia clapped loudly, getting everyone's attention, "Should we go for some dumplings to celebrate?!"

"Here- here!" Alex raised her hand, going to Kelly's side as the other woman enveloped her in arms to kiss her.

"That sounds like a great plan," J'onn smiled, I'll call M'gann."

"Are you coming with us, Aunt Kara?!" Esme turned to look at the hero with hopeful eyes.

The super laid a hand over her shoulder, smiling softly, "Sorry, little one. I'll come next time, but I have somewhere to be."

"I'd say." A voice echoed from the back of the warehouse as a figure limped towards them, his sight fixed on the red and blue hero, "You should really haven't messed with our operation, Kryptonian. You put a serious dent on our plans for the future. But don't worry, I'm sure I can fix that." his eyes sparkled a deep shade of orange.

"Restrain him!" J'onn ordered, feeling that his attack was beyond the physical realm.

"Don't!" Esme jumped in, copping his powers and turning them back on himself, unaware of what his abilities might be.

"Get out of my head you little brat!" he shouted, his tone raw and desperate. "You are going to ruin everything!"

Supergirl flew right up to him, ready to apprehend him, but in the explosion of his eyes, she saw fragments of her own life on them, and suddenly her mind wandered to pieces of the past, and then... everything turned white.

"Okay, that did not go as expected!" Mxyzptlk shook it off as the shiver went up to his spine, "Okay, so let's try another one! We are getting close, I can feel it!" he turned to Kara...finding her on her supersuit, "Hold on, how did you-? Someone got a wardrobe change."

"Mxy?" Kara frowned looking at the fifth-dimensional creature, "What are you doing here? Did you come to help us with the aliens?" She urged, before taking in her surroundings, no one from her team was with them. "What are we doing at my old apartment?" Her eyes traveled throughout the room. The scene was scarily akin to the time he had shown up to...

"Kara?" Mxy eyed her closely, meticulously. He could see it, he could feel it. He gawked at her suit, scrutinizing it, "Is your...is your clothing emanating magic?"

Kara gazed down at her attire, at the symbol on her chest, "Yes, Lena put a protection spell on it." She answered slowly.

"Lena?" He repeated, pointing at the vintage TV screen, "As in the same Lena we are currently trying to get on her good side?" By the way her eyes widened, that comment was the very last confirmation she needed to know that something was terribly wrong, and the last clue Mxy required to put the pieces of the puzzle together. The way she carried herself alone was a dead giveaway, "You are not...you are not from around here, are you?" he gestured to the room, "not from...this time period?"

Kara's eyes crystalized as reality slowly dawned on her, "What did I get myself into?"

"Can we talk? Alone?" Kara barely registered Alex's words as she looked around with no Lena to be found to complete her task of fixing her friendship with the youngest Luthor. Instead, she was in front of Mon-el as Alex peeked through the door of the training room at the old DEO base of operations.

"Wrong one Mxy!" Kara shouted to the ceiling, "How am I supposed to reveal my identity here?"

"Kara?" Alex called confused.

The kryptonian didn't pay her much mind as she gazed at her attire, "You even missed the clothes! I'm in the same ones as in my apartment!"

"Hold it? How did you change so fast?" Mon-el interrupted, "I didn't even see you move with your super speed. You couldn't have made it back and forward like that."

"Okay, so clearly you had a fluke!" Kara kept on shouting in the general direction.

"Kara, who are you talking to?" Alex walked closer to her sister, looking at her worriedly.

Kara felt her palms sweating and her heart hammering down hard. Something was off, like really, really wrong, "Mxyzptlk, I want out." she snapped her fingers, "Not funny!" she started panicking as nothing changed. "This better not be one of your games!"

"Kara, what's going on with you?!" Alex demanded, grabbing her shoulders and looking into her eyes. When the blue skies gazed back at her, she could see how they looked...more mature; wiser. They carried experience in them. Her face even looked slightly older. How her baby sister seemed...not so little anymore.

"Alex...what year is it?"

Kara punched the air. If Mon-el had actually avoided that hit, she was mighty impressed... except Mon-el wasn't there. Instead, she was at an abandoned warehouse, where clearly a battle had taken place.

"Hello?" she called, looking around. How had she gotten there? She was practicing with Mon-el, she was scolding him...had he done this as payback? "Mon-el, you are not getting anywhere if you keep avoiding responsibilities!" she demanded when suddenly a woman in a blue suit rushed in at the sound of her voice.

"Guys! I found her!" She shouted and Kara rapidly opened her stance wider, ready for a fight. Behind the woman with long brown hair and a mask, appeared two more people wearing costumes of their own. One with a golden helmet and another one hiding under a deep blue hood.

"Supergirl!" the one with a shield said as the hooded one sighed with relief, "We have her, Brainy." She announced over through her com and that comment alone pushed her to the edge.

Kara was not about to find out what they wanted to do with her, but if they had been able to abduct her from the DEO, then she couldn't underestimate them. She flew right past them to reach the open skies, talking into her com, "J'onn, I have someone following me, they infiltered into the DEO, I don't know how, but they took me out from there." The static buzzed in her ear, offering no reply, "J'onn, Alex?" she called again, "They jammed my signal!" she scoffed, flying towards the DEO base of operations and...finding it was no longer there, "What the-?" she used her x-ray vision, but there was no trace of what it used to be there just a minute ago.

"J'onn, Alex?!" she cried into her device, "Please, answer me! Where are you? Are you hurt?!" but the only answer she had was the distant echo of her own voice, and panic began to take over.

"Come on, Kara, think." She scolded herself, flying in circles around the city for what felt like hours, looking at her surroundings for something, -anything- to give her a sign. And a sign is what caught her eye. A poster of herself pulled in all of her attention, mainly because she didn't remember it being there or even taking that picture in the first place. Her suit wasn't even remotely alike to the one she was currently wearing.

"What is this?" She frowned in confusion, nothing looked like it should. It was like her city but...not quite. This wasn't her home..."Home!" The thought of having somewhere to go filled her with relief as she immediately flew into her apartment... only to find it completely unrecognizable as to how it should be. None of her things were there; her couch, her furniture, all of it gone! Her pictures were replaced by those of a young couple that apparently lived there now.

"No, no, no, no." Kara backed away, hearing people in the other room- her room. Using her x-ray vision, she saw the couple being startled by her presence, because to them, she was the intruder in her own house! She bolted out of there, flying aimlessly. "This has to be another dimension, it has to be another Earth!" But why was there another Supergirl on this Earth?

Her next instinct was to fly as fast as she could to maybe tear the fabric of reality and slip back into her original Earth. That could do the trick, but her attempts didn't result in anything. She couldn't accumulate enough energy to make a rift. Not on her own, not like that. Perhaps finding this world's Supergirl and asking for her help could get her enough energy for a jump start. But as much as she looked for her, there was no other Kara Danvers soaring through the sky... It was hopeless, and the symbol on her chest could do nothing to convince her otherwise...

Was there any place that still looked slightly familiar? Or resembled something she could identify as her home?

Without knowing or questioning herself as to why, she landed behind CatCo's building, but even that place looked so different from the one she knew. And no picture or even mention of Cat Grant was in sight. This really wasn't her city...

She stumbled backward, leaning on the wall and sliding to the cold ground, hugging her knees to her chest, "Where am I?" She asked the stars, feeling overwhelming homesickness that she hadn't felt since Krypton exploded...and that thought sparked an idea, "The Fortress!" It was a last resort, a long shot, but it was a piece of home, nonetheless! She could go there!

"Supergirl! There you are! We've been looking everywhere for you!" A bright blue portal appeared next to her as the same three figures from earlier emerged from it. Had they been the reason she was taken to this place?

"Stay away from me!" Kara warned, standing up with newfound resolve, already charging into battle. If there were no places left to run to in this city, might as well stand her ground and face the unknown threat. And so, she threw the first punch that missed by less than an inch.

"Wow, hey!" The youngest woman complained, dodging her attacks, "What's wrong? Why are you attacking us?" she asked, truly confused. "Were you exposed to red kryptonite?"

The mention of the rock only managed to upset her further, "I don't know who you are, or how you abducted me, but you are going to take me back home!"

The woman in the blue hood stepped into the brawl, moving with far more combat experience than the other two. Her technique was flawless and determined and...it felt oddly similar to her own. This person could predict her movements and read her punches with scarily impeccable skill. Not even with her super-strength Kara could even the match between them, so it came as no surprise when the hooded woman managed to subdue her in a lock, forcing Kara to for the first time, be still and even listen to her own accelerated heartbeat, that only raced faster when the woman spoke next, "Kara, please stop!"

The fact that she had said her name was nothing short of alarming, but when her voice registered, Kara's world stopped.

"Al-Alex?"

The woman slowly let go, taking her hood down to reveal her face. Her short red hair was now a darker shade and completed by a buzz cut from one side. Under the dramatic makeup, a pair of brown eyes gazed worriedly at her, with such softness and reassurance that Kara couldn't mistake them. That was her sister.

"Alex!" She jumped into her arms, hugging her tightly, "What's- what's going on? What dimension are we in? Why do you look older?!" Tears were roaming out of her eyes as the redheaded cuddled her close to her chest. She hadn't held Kara like this in the longest time...

"Older?" Kelly repeated cautiously what Kara had said.

Nia leaned in next to Guardian to mumble, "Is- is she wearing her original costume?"

It was so obvious and yet...no one was ready to say it first.

Alex let go despite Kara's arms still urging her to hug her tightly. The oldest Danvers slightly pushed back to look into her face; her innocent, scared, and almost child-like face. She hadn't seen that doubt and that fear in her sister's eyes in years.

"Kara...what is the last thing you remember?" Alex asked softly, but somehow, the caution in Alex's tone and her well-concealed grimace was the scariest sensation in the world. Because if Alex was worried, then something was truly wrong.

Chapter Text

-Year 2020-

Kara Danvers, - from the future-, if technicalities were taken into consideration, was pacing through her old flat. Her sight was focused, her breathing steady, and her mind wasn't racing. She was calm while in the eye of the storm; many years of experience had shaped her up to have a cold head when faced with situations like this.

"Alright, Mxy. I need to know what brought me here," she said after thinking it through, "so you will have to show me."

"What? Whoa, whoa, hey, this is above my pay rate!" He raised his hands up in surrender, "Messing with time is not my expertise."

"Well, you were pretty willing to help me change my past!" She pointed at the screen.

"Yes, past! Something that occurred and we know how it played out, the future is a whole other thing! I can't take a glance there!"

"Hey, as I see it, in this version of the timeline, I haven't let you out the hook yet. If you want the authority's pardon, you still need to help me out."

Mxy was mighty impressed, "I never color you to be someone that knew how to pull the strings."

"Well, I've been around the right crowd." She retorted, her hands on her hips in her usual pose, "Believe it or not, you are part of that history."

"Sha-la-la-la! No, I don't want to hear it! I don't want to know the future! It's too risky to meddle with what hasn't come to happen!" he insisted.

"You won't!" She explained, "Look at it this way, I'm taking a look into my past, into something that already happened to me. I'm not asking you to take me to the scene, I just need to be a spectator. Show me the events before I appeared here, and I'll call it even. You would have righted your wrong." She said, raising her brow, "What do you say?"

"Oh dear," he ran a hand down his head, looking at the steely look the girl was giving him. She was so determined and scarily confident he felt as though she was using her heat vision on him. "Fine! Fine, okay, I'll do it!" he snapped his fingers, changing the channel of the vintage TV, ready to unveil her inquiry when the door swung open and Alex and J'onn walked in laughing among themselves.

The sight of familiar faces managed to soothe Kara. Even if it was not her proper timeline, they were her moral support, her rock.

"I'll admit, I wouldn't mind if your friend tagged along more often!" Alex said, looking up to find both standing there, "And apparently he is still here." She said, then looking back at Kara, noticing the little differences, "Huh, nice suit, sis. Is it part of the whole fixing your friendship with Lena or-?" Alex cut herself short as J'onn laid a hand over her shoulder, looking at Kara with intense attention.

"Who are you?" He asked, his voice low and severe.

"What are you talking about?" Alex turned to him.

Kara just smiled broadly, huffing to herself, "Of course, you'd notice my psyche-age." She walked closer, "Read my mind, J'onn."

The Martian didn't need to be told twice. He took his alien form, using his powers with violent apprehension, only to find this version of Kara knew how to share emotions telepathically, opening and closing the doors of her mind's corridor to keep the sensitive information well hidden, avoiding revealing too many details of the future.

"Kara?" He asked aback, his eyes wide in shock.

"Of course, it's Kara, who else did you expect?" Alex demanded, sensing she wasn't in the loop of something far more important.

"I have a lot to explain, don't I Dad?" Kara pursed her lips to one side.

"Dad?" Alex repeated, turning to Kara, finally taking in her face up close. She even looked slightly taller if that was even a possibility, "Kara…what's going on?"

"Short version, I'm from the future." She explained as if though talking about the weather.

Alex's vein popped up in her forehead as she angrily turned to the magical imp, charging against him, "You better fix whatever you did if you don't want to end up in-"

"It wasn't me! I swear!" he jumped in to say, already covering his face.

"It really wasn't." Kara walked up to her sister, stepping between both. Somehow, Alex felt small when faced with the emblem on her suit. Kara's usually fidgeting energy was morphed into this aura of maturity.

"Then what happened?" Alex demanded, her tone cold, her eyes worried.

"That's what we are about to figure out." Kara answered turning to Mxy, "Show us."

"To all of you?" he asked, "That's bending a bit the rules of looking to your past, slash, their future."

"They deserve to know, and I'll need all the help I can get. Besides, not much will be revealed from my location."

Mxy grimaced, "If you say so." He snapped his fingers and the scene unfolded.

There was Kara, arm tugged around Alex as both talked while watching their family wrap up the mission at the warehouse.

"There we are…" Alex mumbled, seeing her older self. Her suit was slightly different, far more advanced armor-wise, "And there's Nia and you, J'onn."

He just nodded in acknowledgment, seeing the image play itself.

"Who are they?" Alex pointed at the two other figures in hero costumes. Little did she know that was her future family, Kelly as Guardian, and their adopted daughter, "That girl looks really young."

Kara offered a tender smile, "You'll meet them soon enough."

"So! Should we go for some dumplings to celebrate?!" Nia exclaimed in the video and Kara had to pull her cape up to cover the image for a moment. Alex didn't know yet that Kelly would take over Jimmy's mantel, so she couldn't see her future self kissing her, "Sorry, these spoilers you can't see."

"What? Why? Something happens?" Alex's eyes were far too curious, far too invested.

"I don't want to spoil your fun," Kara replied, taking the cape down after making sure she wouldn't overhear Esme calling her aunt, "Okay, this is about the time everything becomes a blur for me," she turned to look closely at the screen. They saw the alien blast his powers and Esme jumping in the middle, then a white flash happened, and the alien disappeared a fraction of a second leaving behind a much younger version of himself in his place followed by a blinding white flash. The next thing Kara sees is Mxyzptlk and her old apartment.

"And that takes me to right about half an hour ago." Kara sighed, "So whatever that alien did is what brought me here. I was hoping it was something else."

"It was," J'onn corrected, "when the girl interfered, the alien's powers backfired. He was also the prey of whatever happened to you." He explained, "He was displaced as well."

"Displaced? What do you mean displaced?" Alex asked.

"This is no time travel. Kara was thrown into this time and space and judging by what we can see of the alien, if he was switched with a younger version, then our Kara was thrown to fill the missing space, too. So there would be at least a version of herself in the time continuum."

"So, you mean to say our Kara is stuck in the future?!" Alex snapped.

"That's a likely conclusion."

"We have to bring her back!" Alex urged, the thought of being unable to protect her baby sister unnerved her beyond compare.

"I'm sure my team will be working on the logistics of that, they have the rough alien on their timeline and probably in their custody. I have no doubt they'll reach this same conclusion and will work a way to get to me." The older version of Supergirl said levelheaded, "What is really concerning right now is that if this is not time travel, that means that I am writing over my already existing past." She explained, "When I jump back, this won't be reset, I'll just appear a week later, or a month later, or however long I stay here. And this version of Kara will do the same, she'll just pop back and have to deal with whatever actions I take on this period. What I'm living right now will stay as part of my history, isn't that right?" she turned to J'onn, who nodded solemnly.

"Luckily for us, since you are the one that created the paradox, it means that whatever our Kara does in your time won't affect you, since it simply hasn't happened. In your time you are just missing, not replaced."

"That's true," she exhaled, relaxing her shoulders a bit, "I know everything that will happen in the next few weeks, so that gives me an advantage. I can play the part, be this time period's Supergirl until I can swap back. Then, all you must do is tell your Kara all the choices I've made. I don't believe this displacement will last very long."

"So, what?" Alex challenged, "All we are going to do is wait around and keep on carrying with our lives as if nothing really happened?"

Kara turned to her, keeping her cool, "That's exactly right. The least changes I make, the better of the timeline will be."

"You can't seriously ask me to do that, Kar." Alex stood in front of her, "Not when it's about you. The younger version of you. My little sister."

"That's why I'm so calm about it. Because no matter in which part of my life she lands, she'll always have you."

Alex's eyes reflected her surprise, especially when she realized how heartedly Kara meant it. Even after so many years, Supergirl, -the youngest Danvers-, still saw Alex as her personal hero. So, the oldest sibling let go of her anger and fear and unclenched her fists, nodding once in understanding. There was no point in arguing against this Kara, she was not her enemy, just a victim of fate. She wasn't at fault for taking her version of Kara away.

"Okay…so what now?" she asked softly.

Kara smiled in gratitude for her acceptance of the plan and turned to Mxy, "You have paid your debt in full, twice in my perspective. Thanks for your help, old friend." She handed him the device that had been left on the couch, luckily for the fifth-dimensional being.

"Friend?" he repeated in equal parts disbelief and illusion, "Well, maybe the future won't be so bad after all."

"I'll see you again," Kara smirked and released him of his duty now that she had everything she needed to guide her back to her time. The magical imp dissipated, taking with him all the things he had created, but a VHS with a piece of tape "The one where Lena…" She couldn't digest the idea of reading it, of having to watch it.

"There's…something I have to do tonight," Kara explained with a deeply pained expression on her face, "I'll be back soon, but you can head home. Originally, we had dinner together, but judging by the time, it's probably best if I go make sure this part of the timeline is untouched."

"Are you going to be okay?" Alex asked when she noticed Kara's sudden shift. How her stoic façade began to crack with emotion.

"Yeah…it's just…not what I thought I would be doing tonight, of all dates." She chuckled dryly to herself, a humorless laugh that left a sour taste on her tongue, "I'll talk to you in the morning."

"Okay…if you need anything, call me." Alex asked and Kara knew right then and there, no matter what, Alex would always be her older sister, regardless of age.

"Thanks, sis." She said genuinely, "I'll see you soon." She changed into her former uniform and flew outside the flat, being faced by the bitter chill. She knew exactly where she should go, but couldn't bring herself to do it. Not like this, "Why today?!" she stopped mid-flight, unable to fight off the tears any longer as they rolled out angrily, pressing warmly over her cold cheeks. She hated it. Hated it. "Of all the times, of all the possibilities, why today?!" she sobbed, trying to catch her breath. She hadn't felt that desperation in a long while, probably right about this same time in her life. But this time around, she couldn't tell anyone about it. Not if it meant risking so much.

She had to face Lena and tell her something raw but necessary in a way. This moment did shift something in the Luthor in the past, so it had to be done.

Kara harshly wiped the tears away and pulled herself together, "I'm sorry." She said to no one, perhaps talking to a memory. She gazed into the penthouse's direction, but before going there, she flew past the barrier of sound just to grab one little thing. A promise. A small gesture that was not going to mean much at all. It really wasn't going to mean anything, not yet, anyway. So Kara hoped it would be a detail innocent enough to be done without upsetting the timeline. And just like that, she flew into the Luthor's balcony, hand on hips, chin up.

Lena turned to her already pouring her tea, she had made it slightly later than the original timeline, but it was still a forgivable sin. What Kara couldn't handle was the way Lena's face morphed from surprise to abhorrence at the sight of her presence. She leaned into the counter wearing her red sweater and tilted he head to a side, "Let me guess?" she started and the words pierced through Kara's brain like kryptonite bullets, "You are here to tell me once again that I should forgive you?" She walked around the kitchen's island, moving through the room with an air of disdain.

Kara had to cut her short, knowing that if she didn't speak up soon, then she wouldn't do it at all, "Not this time," she gazed away, unable to meet her eyes. Each word felt like needles on her tongue. She closed her eyes and recited word by word what she had said before, feeling the irony of saying "the past is the past and I can't change it" as she knew that was yet another lie, she was saying to her face.

And then, came the unforgiving question from Lena's lips "Then why are you here?"

Kara pressed her fists tightly until her knuckles turned white and said what Lena needed to hear to make sure the timeline was preserved, that she would be willing to help her if she decided to forgive her, but also to let her know her choices would bring consequences, "…Like I would any other villain." She swallowed the knot on her throat as she backed away, but found herself unable to fly out the balcony. She couldn't leave it like this, not again. She turned over her shoulder and walked back, leaving a small white flower.

"What's this?" Lena asked, folding her arms defensively, "Is it supposed to sway my decision?"

"No. As I said, it's yours to make," she shook sadly, finally looking at her mesmerizing emeralds, "It's a lily-of-the-valley." She explained with little voice, not missing the way Lena's heartbeat altered at the mention.

"Wh-why would you give me this?" she asked accusingly, looking at her differently from before. Crossed, yes, but also…vulnerable.

"Because tonight I was supposed to," Kara whispered weakly, shaking her head defeated, "you wouldn't understand," she turned around, "not yet, anyway." She mumbled to herself as she soared away, leaving behind a part of her broken heart, just as she had the first time.

-Year 2016-

Alex Danvers, a diligent DEO agent that had seen weird and bizarre in the eye as part of her daily routine, had a hard time coming to terms with what her sister was saying.

"So…you come from the future?" she asked slowly.

"Yeah, about four years from now," she nodded as they strolled through the park, walking among fallen leaves that were being swayed by the wind. "I was in the middle of solving something with this interdimensional being of mischief and magic when I suddenly appeared here." She explained, "My best guess is that he somehow messed this up and got me stranded. I left the controller back at my apartment, so I can't call him to come to get me out of this timeline. And until I'm confident this won't become permanent; I shouldn't change it too much, but I'm sure we'll just jump out of it and leave it untouched." She shrugged her shoulders.

"And why were you messing with the past?" Alex pressed, arching a brow.

Kara shoved her hands inside her light brown coat, looking up at the treetops, letting the air play with her hair, "I was…trying to fix something I broke."

"What? Like did you punch the ground so hard you broke the Earth in two?" Alex questioned, "Or was it the moon?"

Kara chuckled dryly, "No, nothing of the sort it was… regarding someone. A friendship I broke."

Alex whistled, "Must have been one hell of a friendship if you were willing to get a magical do-over."

Kara forced a smile, "Yeah. But I don't think it's going to work in the end," she admitted, "I visited so many alternative scenarios, and no matter what…there were always consequences for my actions. For the things I did, I said and even more so for the ones I didn't…it's just… it feels like I can't win, no matter what I do."

"Well, that's what decisions will always carry with them," Alex said, "responsibility for your own actions." She explained. "There's no way around that, Kar." Alex said, "And for a friendship to break, there has to be two parts of the party. From what you tell me, you've owned up to your end, so maybe stop fighting yourself over your decision and stick to the outcome. I'm sure that if it meant something to the other person, they'll be able to overcome your fallout, otherwise, grow from this experience and keep moving forward."

Kara eyed her with curiosity, "That's…surprisingly good advice."

"Come on, don't act so surprised," Alex chuckled a bit awkwardly, "I give you advice all the time, don't tell me it's the first time you actually think it's useful."

Kara laughed heartedly, "No, I'm sorry, it's just…I was expecting your perspective on this issue to be very different. If you knew who I'm talking about, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be even considering a reconciliation."

"It's not Maxwell, is it?"

Kara burst out laughing, "No, Rao! No!"

"Then, whomever they are, I'm cool with it. If they mean so much to you that you were willing to do this whole time-travel thing, then they must be worth it."

Kara smiled sweetly at her. Truth be told, the Kryptonian had resented Alex a bit in the past for the way she judged Lena so harshly at the beginning, but right now, even if unknowingly, her sister was saying all the things Kara had wished she would from the very start, "Thanks, Alex."

"So? What are you going to do now?"

Kara sighed, "Well, I know for a fact that Mr. Mxyzptlk will make an appearance in a week or so, trying to woo me by endangering a lot of people, because that's the egocentric and self-absorbed kind of person he used to be," she rolled her eyes, "So when he does show up, I'll demand him to get me out of here."

"And…what if it doesn't happen?" Alex asked, "What if he refuses? Or if he doesn't show up?"

Kara stopped dead on her track. She hadn't considered that possibility at all, "I'm…I'm not sure." She admitted.

"Well, we'll cross that bridge when the time comes." Alex said reassuringly, "Together." She added and Kara all but melted into her side.

"Thanks, sis." She closed her eyes, savoring the little moment of normality.

-Year 2028-

Kara Danvers gazed into what the future was like. To think just hours ago she was back at her own time, her own home, her own family… And now, the only truly familiar face was the one of her sister, who looked radically different from how she used to. Alex had always had an edge to her, a boldness and adamant resolve that made it clear she was the one in charge. It was odd but also nice to see the outside finally matching her inner spark.

"So…what you are saying is that this is not an alternate Earth?" Kara asked cautiously, "But my Earth twelve years into the future?"

"Yeah," Alex nodded as the two of them walked into the partially empty Tower, since Nia had gone to report everything to Brainy and Kelly had headed home to make sure Esme was dealing with the news alright, especially since she felt responsible for the whole ordeal, "We were facing an alien, we believe he is responsible for this mess," she waved a hand, "Brainy is currently trying to get some answers out of him. We'll probably have more luck tomorrow when J'onn interrogates him with a bit of mind-reading."

"J'onn is here?" Kara asked with such relief.

"Yes. Well, not right here- here. He offered to look after Esme while we searched for you."

"Esme?" Kara frowned in confusion.

"I've said too much," Alex offered an apologetic smile, "let's just say she's part of the team."

"So, there's no longer a DEO but we still operate with different allies?"

"Allies is…not quite the word," Alex said softly. Family was, but it was far too soon to say that.

"Well, um, where's Winn? And James?" Heck, where was Mon-el?

"Those are complicated questions to answer," Alex deflected.

"Are they-? Did they-?" Kara couldn't dare say it out loud and her eyes showed just how much the idea made her stomach turn in nauseous knots.

"They are fine!" Alex rushed to say, "They are safe and sound, they simply aren't part of our team. Let's say they found their own."

The answer carried enough truth in it to be soothing, and Kara exhaled, clearly letting go of the tension on her shoulders, "Okay." She nodded.

Alex smiled sympathetically, "I think it's been too much for one day." She gently squished her shoulder, unaware that there was still one more person the young Kryptonian would have to face, as the doors swung open and a figure raced in.

"Kara! Thank Rao you are okay!" Lena Luthor rushed to meet her but stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed the way the girl of steel was looking at her. There was confusion, doubt, and even…fear showing.

"Lena?" she eyed her as if trying to make sure the face matched the name. When there was absolutely no doubt about her identity, she turned to her sister, "She-she knows my identity?"

The hurt that flashed through the Luthor's eyes was one that pained Alex to her very core.

"She does, Kar," Alex mumbled before walking to the CEO's side, reaching for her arm to give it a gentle squish.

"She's from the past, Lee." The oldest Danvers explained softly, "By my calculations…she barely met you a few months ago."

By the way Lena recoiled, Alex might as well have punched her in the gut, that would have been far more bearable, "I-I understand," she said through a faint thread of voice.

"I'm sorry," Alex mumbled heartedly, and Kara was able to hear their exchange with her super-hearing. She couldn't understand what was transpiring between them, but she could tell it was really important for her sister to be that tactful and vulnerable, to Lena, of all people. She didn't recall her sister being this sympathetic or even friendly towards the woman. Kara even dared to say Alex mistrusted the youngest Luthor almost as much as she did Lex…so what had changed during those twelve years for them to be so close?

"It's okay, we'll bring her back, right?" Lena offered a watery smile, "It's what we always do."

Alex nodded, smirking sadly at Lena's attempt to put on a brave face for the sake of the mission, "Yes. We'll get her home to- to us," Alex amended, probably realizing Kara could hear them. She cleared her throat and turned around to the young hero, "I think for tonight it's best if we get some sleep."

Kara fidgeted, "Um, where do I live now?" she asked and the question caught both women aback, "Because, I went to my apartment and…it was no longer mine."

"R-right," Alex stumbled through the words, "I-I guess you could come to my house and stay with us-"

"Us?" Kara repeated and Alex winced realizing the slip of tongue, "Are you…are you living with someone?" By the way Alex's heartbeat speeded up and by how she instinctively reached to touch a ring on her left hand, Kara could deduce it was already something far more intimate. Alex was married. "Not the right time for me to meet them?" Kara pursed her lips to one side, knowing that staying with her sister was no longer an option, "Can I go to J'onn's?"

"Kind of…the same problem," Alex said guiltily. She wasn't too sure if this Kara had already met M'gann or even knew who she was, let alone how important she would become to the Martian Manhunter.

"She can come with me," the Luthor spoke up, raising her chin as she often did when trying to overcome her own demons while faced with the ones created by circumstances. If Kara wasn't mistaken, she even saw her chin quiver and her lower lip tremble a bit, "I still live in the same apartment as before, although I'm not sure you've ever been there."

Kara shook her head no, "I-I know your office at L-Corp," she offered, "We had lunch together." She added and seeing Lena smile so fondly at the memory evoked a kind warmth inside her chest.

"Are-are you sure?" Alex turned to Lena, "I can stay in the Tower with Kar tonight."

"You are needed at home," Lena countered with equal softness. The Luthor had seen the distressed state in which Esme had returned to the Tower after Kara's disappearance. The teen had all but broken down in tears, apologizing profusely and begging for forgiveness, as though she had somehow killed Supergirl. Ultimately, she had cried herself to sleep on the couch on Lena's lap as J'onn stood beside her, providing wise words and tender caresses on her hair.

"If you need anything," Alex insisted and Lena nodded, she knew perfectly well Alex would always be there for her, "Kara… is it alright if you do go with Lena tonight?" she asked the alien, "At least...until we can make some arrangments?"

Kara had known Lena for very little, but apparently in the future not only did she know her identity, but her sister also trusted her enough to be willing to consider letting her alone with her. If Alex trusted her so fully, then Kara didn't have anything to fear, "Yes."

The ride to the CEO's apartment was uncannily quiet. Kara would have rather flown through the night sky, but there were some concerns about her safety. So she kept on looking outside the window. To National City. The place, she had self-appointed to protect. The city she prided herself on knowing back and forward was now a knot she couldn't untangle.

"It's all the same but...I can just tell it's no longer there," Kara mumbled when the outside world became too much, "Does that even make sense?" she asked in disbelief, shaking her head, unaware of the way Lena turned to look at her, with such a deep emptiness in her eyes.

"It does," she mumbled back, redirecting her sight to the road, even though the car was driving itself it was far better to keep her gaze elsewhere, "we are about to arrive." She announced instead and Kara peeked a glance to the tall building.

They reached the top floor and Lena did the honors of unlocking the door with her bio-metric reading to then be greeted by a digital voice, "Welcome home. "

"Thanks, Halo" Lena answered the AI, "Please activate all the cloaking devices and jam any signals that are not originated from the Tower."

"Right away."

"Also, do you mind turning off your inquiry systems for the time being, please?"

"As you wish," the light of the house changed slightly.

"What was that?" Kara asked awestruck, "That's way too smart for a house."

"It's a program I developed, she helps me with the security system and it is an incredible assistant." Lena explained, "She's also connected to the web and can access any information available, that's why I had to ask her to turn off that system, so in case you ask something she won't immediately answer you, just in case it's about sensible information on current events."

Kara nodded, "Smart thinking," she admitted, looking around the elegant place, "Your house is really nice."

"Make yourself at home," Lena offered, unaware of how painful saying that felt.

The Kryptonian walked around the flat, seeing an arrangement of sunflowers by the counter. She was immediately drawn towards them as her smile brightened the place. "I didn't picture you for someone that like these," she mentioned.

Lena smiled softly, "They are not for me," she replied without elaborating further, "Well, you must be ravenous, you can rest after we've fixed that."

Kara smirked bashfully, rubbing her stomach, "Yeah, I think I could eat."

Lena chuckled, "Come on, darling. Let's see what's on the fridge. I highly doubt we can order takeaway at this hour."

Kara giggled and followed her to the kitchen, finding it to be a little bit messy, as many ingredients over the counter. But what really caught her attention was the scent of it, "Something smells phenomenal."Kara commented, perhaps too hungry to mind not being so nosy, but food was unarguably one of her greatest weaknesses.

Lena opened the oven to find a tray of homemade lasagna, "I guess this must be it," she pulled it out, "I'm sorry to say it will take half an hour to cook, though."

"I could use my heat vision," Kara offered innocently enough and a watery chuckle escaped Lena's lips.

"Of course, only you'd think of that," she set it over the bar letting Kara eagerly help prepare the final part of the meal.

The Luthor took the tray to the next room as both found the table to be set with candles and flowers waiting next to a bottle of wine and two glasses. If Kara hadn't been so shocked to see that table arrangement, she would have noticed that Lena was equally surprised by it.

"Oh, I'm...I'm sorry, I didn't know- You were expecting someone?"

"You...could say that..."

"I'm so sorry I'm intruding, you could have told Alex about it! I would have been fine staying at the-the Tower?"

Lena took a deep breath and walked into the scene that seemed frozen in time, "It's okay, Kara. My plans...fall through." She sat on one end of the table, "Please, join me."

Kara awkwardly took a seat on the opposite side, looking rather small. They began eating in silence and while they would exchange sudden glances and polite smiles, both tended to avoid the other's gaze.

After Kara finished her plate, she fumbled with her hands, as if trying to decide carefully what to do next. When Lena caught sight of that, she chuckled and pushed the lasagna closer to her, "Don't be shy, I know fully well how much you can eat, no need for fake modesty."

Kara's face positively brightened at the offer, as she served herself a bigger portion, smiling giddily as she shoved a bite into her mouth. Lena laughed at how much she resembled a hamster and extended her a napkin before she could even ask for one, "Here you go, dear."

"Thanks," she took it to clean herself before genuinely smiling at the older woman. "Thank you, by the way." Kara found herself saying, "You took me in and are being so nice to me when I barely even know you."

"You don't know me yet, but I know you fairly well, Kara Zor-El," Lena said affectionately and the alien felt her heart racing at the mention of her Kryptonian given name.

"You know about that?" She asked, "About the House of El?"

"Yes, you told me all about it," Lena's features softened as she took a trip down memory lane, "About your home planet, about Kal and Krypton..."

Kara smiled cautiously, looking down at her plate. She couldn't quite picture herself telling Lena all of that. She had barely met the CEO and although she had immediately sympathized with her desire to step outside her family's shadow, she hadn't imagined she would become someone that would be through so much of her life. Someone that would still be her friend twelve years later, "Is it alright if I ask...? When did...when did I tell you my secret?"

Lena's face rapidly fell, as she avoided her gaze, "I'm sorry, that subject falls under restricted topics for the time being."

"R-right, yeah, sorry for asking." she shrugged in her seat, feeling somehow guilty of taking away the sparkle of joy that previously had been in Lena's eyes, "Well...whenever it was, I'm...I'm glad I did." Kara said earnestly, "I mean, as confusing and different as things are, it's...it's nice to see familiar faces and...I'm glad yours is one among them. I'm happy you are on our team."

Lena grabbed her glass of wine, raising it up for a toast, "Always," she said heartedly and Kara found herself finally being able to let her guard down.

After dinner was done, Kara insisted on doing the dishes while Lena slipped into her room to find her a change of clothes for the night, so the girl of steel could finally take the boots and cape off and be able to get some much-needed rest.

Lena locked the bedroom door behind her and made her way to the closet, pulling out some comfortable pajamas that would fit Kara. But as she turned to deliver them, she noticed something lying over her pillow. She approached the bed and picked up a single lily-of-the-valley and the handwritten note that was laced to it. Lena opened it, being greeted by the two words she had yearned to hear the most that day, but that now were a hollow and bitter reminder...

"Happy Anniversary:

"To the woman that is both my sun and my moon, for you, I would go to the end of the universe and back, but since I don't want to be apart, I've decided to go pick your favorite flower instead. I love you, my dearest as I always have, as I always will. El Mayarah.

-Kara."

Her teardrops landed on the paper as she hugged that piece of her Kara to her chest. Her wife was missing and the younger version that was left in her place hardly knew who she was. On this, their first wedding anniversary, Lena would sleep alone on an empty, cold bed. And this Kara would rest in the guest's room next door, unaware of just how much she meant to the Luthor.

Chapter Text

-Year 2028-

The Tower looked far more welcoming in the day of light now that Kara really had the opportunity to see it up close and in all its glory. It had a certain…feel to it that simply drew Kara in. Perhaps it had to do with how much more lively it was now that people filled its empty space as though they were the heart of the building itself.

"Kara!" Alex was the first to notice their arrival as she rushed to provide a much-needed hug, "how are you feeling?"

"Better," Kara offered with a small shrug, shielding under the embrace as she felt all the other inquisitive eyes land on her. There was a man she had never seen with bright green skin standing next to the same woman in a blue suit and domino mask that had found her the prior night. The one with a golden helmet was currently looking at her with softness and care, probably wanting to close in to talk to her, but deciding against it.

Everyone was wearing their masks and uniforms and Kara couldn't help but feel that they were doing it purposely so as to avoid revealing their identities to her, although they knew who she was perfectly well. Is that what Lena had felt? Is that why the mention of her reveal seemed to upset her so much last night? Because Kara knew her but when the Luthor looked at her in full uniform she could only have a glimpse of who she really was?

Kara shook off that idea as she awkwardly stood in front of the team. If she really tried, she could simply use her x-ray vision to see their faces, but she highly doubted any of them would be even remotely familiar. And then, two more figures walked in and the morning took a whole other turn.

"Aunt Kara!" A young teen rushed to her arms hugging her tightly as if the Kryptonian was her lifeline, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, it was all my fault!"

Kara felt her body go stiff as the scene in front of her came to full dimensions, "Aunt?" she repeated, immediately looking for her sister's eyes, which showed just the right amount of shock and terseness to embody the word "Crap!" in them.

The girl let go, jolting back, realizing a moment too late what she had done, "I-I'm- I didn't-" luckily for her J'onn came to her rescue, patting her shoulder reassuringly as he stepped in.

"J'onn!" Kara embraced him with all her might, even putting a bit of super-strength into the hug just for the sake of having him a little closer. His heartbeat was that same stable, calmed, and reassuring rhythm that she could rely on whenever trying to find a bit of temperance for herself.

"It's good to see you," He hugged back, holding her with far more affection than what the Martian usually displayed. Apparently, years had softened his heart, but not his will.

He gazed up, looking at the rest of the team, "Could you all give us a moment, please?" J'onn asked all the people Kara couldn't even name yet.

One by one they left the room, all looking over their shoulders to steal a last glance, especially the girl, who was quietly begging the woman with the golden helmet to be part of whatever conversation that was going to happen next.

When only the three of them were in the room, Kara quickly turned to J'onn.

"Did you have any luck with the alien? Am I getting back to my time?" Kara asked immediately. She hadn't even realized how much desperation was filling her until she heard it in her tone.

J'onn put his hand on her shoulder in hopes of appeasing her, "I've made some progress, but we are not sure how to fix this yet. The alien we have in custody changed places with his future self, much like in your case, he was thrown into a time and place unknown to him. His mind is confused and scared. It's hard to navigate through such scrambled thoughts. It's plain to see this occurrence is abnormal for him as well. He usually swapped places with himself in short ranges, no more than a few minutes at a time. When Esm- when one of ours intervened, something shifted, and this was the outcome."

Kara swallowed hard, "How long…do you think it will be before I can…?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted, looking at her sympathetically. It was strange to see his daughter so vulnerable and broken. The thing he hated the most was not being able to do anything about it. "We won't give up," he assured. Then, his sight turned to Alex, a certain urgency in his eyes, "You've come to my same conclusion?" he asked and the redheaded nodded slowly.

"It means that if the alien swapped places, then our Kara is somewhere else as well."

He nodded gravely, "It's likely she was sent back to 2016. I'll be working with Lena and Brainy to try and triangulate a time window in which she could have landed, based on what we can deduce." He turned to Kara, "That means we'll need to see how much you know."

"An interrogation, of sorts," Kara smirked weakly, "If it gets us anywhere nearer to solving this, then, I'm all in." She gazed down, "But…what if in doing so I find out something I shouldn't about the future?"

"I've given it some thought," J'onn admitted, "I can not erase your memories, but I can block them. Hide them away in your subconscious, so when you go back home, this will feel like no more than fragments of a dream. That way we can discuss more freely this before sending you back to take over your life once we bring our Kara back. And I'm confident my version of the past can fill the gap in your mind with what our Kara has been doing so you feel as though those memories belong to you, even if they feel… foreign."

"Memory supplantation?" Alex frowned, folding her arms over her chest, "That sounds…risky."

"Given the circumstances, it's the best I can think of."

Alex sighed, "Hopefully there won't be far too many memories to change. Our Kara knows the past, and I'm sure she will keep the line running smoothly."

J'onn nodded approvingly, "I'll go meet up with Lena and Brainy, meanwhile the two of you can start figuring out a more precise date for us to work on."

"We'll do, Dad," Alex answered, and Kara snapped her head in her direction, completely struck at how she had called him. Alex, however, chuckled loudly at the expression written on her face, "It was a matter of time before we cave in and called him that." She explained mockingly, "He calls us daughters too, just not when in a mission." Alex said with a genuine smile. Having consolidated their family as to call J'onn by such a title felt right. After all, if he was Esme's grandfather, what was he is not Alex's dad as well?

"But right now…he is in a mission," Kara concluded a bit sadly. She couldn't really give herself the chance to let her guard down. Not when they didn't know still how to fix any of this.

"Right," Alex gazed down, fumbling with the ring on her hand, "Hey, um, how did you pass the night? With- with Lena?"

"It was alright." She nodded, "She was really nice to me, and even let me eat the leftovers of the lasagna for breakfast." Kara smirked giddily and Alex chuckled.

"Well, I'm glad. But I feel like I should ask, though. Do you want me to find you other arrangements?"

Kara shrugged awkwardly, "I…do have the impression I was imposing last night," she admitted shyly, "you should have seen her dining room, she was expecting someone, and I think I ruined her plans." She ducked her chin to her chest.

Alex's mouth opened agape, but words just didn't dare to come out to make any sense, "I'm- no, you didn't, well-" she pressed her lips shut, "Let me double-check with her." She said instead, "But I do think you'll be safer with her."

"Yeah, I saw her security system, it was Krypton's level of advanced," Kara commented.

Alex wanted to refute, she wanted to say she would be safe with Lena, not because of the technology surrounding their home, but because of how much the Luthor loved her.

"Well, if she's okay with hosting, are you alright with being at her apartment?" Alex asked in its place, waiting for an instant before Kara nodded.

"Only if she's truly okay with it," Kara emphasized. Truth being, she didn't want to face more change. Lena's apartment was now one of the few things she was getting used to, with far more ease than she expected, so she couldn't bear to lose that feeling by going anywhere else.

Alex nodded back and a silence settled between them. Now came the next part, having to sort out the atemporal mess they had in their hands.

It was clear to see in Kara's eyes the resistance of what had to come next, so her sister was bound to try to level the ground, "Before I have to sit you down to get as much information out of you as I can… I'm…sure you have some questions of your own you'd like to ask me." She concluded carefully.

"Can I?" Kara traced back, "Is it not too dangerous?"

"Well, you've heard J'onn," she circled around the table, to stand next to her as both leaned into the counter, "he will make it all look like some…wacky dream." Kara huffed at that, "So…I guess if I'm going to have to get some answers out of you, it's…only fair you can make some of your own." She smiled tenderly at her, "I hate keeping things from you, Kar, but if I think the information it's too much, then I won't answer." She added. It was a good clause, one that allowed both a bailing chip.

"Okay," Kara turned, pacing around the room, her cape following all her movements. She really didn't need time to think about what she wanted to know, but she couldn't bring herself to ask it while looking at her, "You are married."

Alex tilted her head to a side, "That's doesn't sound like a question," she gazed down at her hands, "you realized it yesterday, didn't you?"

"Well, your heartbeat hasn't changed much, so it's still a good giveaway," Kara stopped walking, "the ring was more than confirmation enough."

Alex chuckled, looking at that little piece of metal with pure affection, "Yeah, I'm married, Kara."

"So…the girl…" she pointed at the door, "the one that called me aunt, she's…she's…"

"Your niece," Alex finished for her, "Yes, she is my kid."

Kara let out a watery chuckle as pure happiness was met with tears of joy, "That's- that's amazing!" she rushed to hug her, "I'm so incredibly happy for you!"

"Thanks, sis," Alex closed her eyes, leaning into her shoulder. It was good to be able to share some good news with her in the midst of how confusing everything else was.

Kara sniffed, letting go to wipe the tears, "So," she smiled softly, "Do I know my future brother-in-law?"

And that fractured the moment, as Alex's eyes widened in shock.

"Sorry! Is that something you can't tell me?" she backtracked, alarmed to see her sister so…out of sorts.

"Wait, Kara," she held a hand up, processing it, "Are you…asking about my husband?"

Kara fidgeted in her place, tangling her fingers together, "Well…yeah?" she answered slowly, "But, I understand if you can't tell me yet!"

"No, Kar, it's not- it's not that," she grabbed her hands squishing them tightly, looking at her eyes before feeling something twist in her insides, "Gosh, now I have a pretty clear idea from which period you come from," she grunted, hanging her head low.

"Alex…?" Kara's eyes were pleading for an explanation, for anything to make sense.

"Kara, I…need to tell you something," she finally said, "Something about me."

Kara gazed at her with all her attention. It was weird when her older sibling wanted to address something about herself. The things the oldest Danvers usually left unsaid had been the cause of many growing resentments and misunderstandings between the two.

"Okay," the Kryptonian said, following Alex to a room with an empty couch.

"Come on, let's seat for a moment." She invited as she took the far end. When Kara settled next to her, looking like a doe facing the headlights, Alex understood Kara had really no clue at all, "Kara, I…found out something crucial about myself right about twelve years ago," she began slowly, she couldn't even fathom the idea that she had to do this twice, "You know…you know Maggie?"

"Your FBI friend, yeah." She nodded, looking at her exactly as Alex remembered it, but the oldest Danvers didn't want this to be the same as that first time, not when so much growth had already overcome her own fears.

"Well… I really liked her. The thought of her in my life made me see that my feelings were beyond those of friendship. Whenever she crossed my mind, my heart pounded in my chest and the thought of holding her in arms to kiss her was…just so overwhelming." She gazed down, she hadn't thought about Maggie in a long while, and although she had been severely heartbroken, Maggie still was an important piece of her own story, "She helped me realize that part of me," she said completely free of her own judgment, "When I began to admit this to myself so much of my past started to make sense, to be contextualized by what I was now understanding about my own feelings. That I was looking for something else in my life."

Kara blinked several times, her face blank as the words sank deep into her thoughts., "So…so you like…?"

"Women, yes." Alex provided, smiling to herself, "Actually, I love just this one, my wife."

Alex never used that word lightly. Love was one of those precious gems Alex kept close to her chest. She would never throw it into a conversation so casually. So, when she said she was in love with her wife, she really meant it to the full extent of the word.

"Woah," Kara exhaled, drinking the information, "I-I didn't know, I didn't realize you- " she hunched forward, resting her elbows over her knees, "So, is Maggie…?"

"No." Alex didn't have to guess what the question would be, "She was my first girlfriend, but…we wanted different things."

Maggie Sawyers, Kara couldn't picture it, but hearing her sister made her believe it, every single word of it, "So much has changed. Not even you are the same."

…The comment rubbed the wrong way.

"This was always who I was Kara. Who I am." Alex corrected.

"No, I'm-I'm sorry, I just-" Kara felt the tightness in her chest, "nothing is as I know it to be, and everything keeps changing right in front of my eyes! And-and you and J'onn are the only constant pieces of my life and I'm starting to realize I didn't even know you that well."

"It was never about you not knowing me, it wasn't a deception. I didn't even dare to recognize this about myself for years," Alex refuted, perhaps feeling wounded as the words transpired between them, "And I'm not telling you this twelve years too late, I told you back in 2016, so you are basically still hearing this the same time as the original version."

"But it's not you telling me!" Kara tried to explain, feeling frustration building up inside her chest, "It's future you! It's when everything else has already been said and done! My sister! Younger you haven't told me!" she threw her hands to the air, "I'm literally the last person to know in this twisted timeline because she didn't tell me!" her own words ringed horridly on her ears as she heard herself saying them, "Because… she… she couldn't." Kara suddenly fell silent, "Because of what I am doing right now…" her voice broke as she hid her face in her hands, "because I made this about me, and she could never…you never get a chance to be the center of a conversation since there's always a situation revolving around me." She barely dared to partially uncover her face, "And just to prove it, here I am, swapped in time and feeling wounded that I learned this in your future when what I should be asking is…" she swallowed the knot on her throat, keeping the tears from falling, "Are you happy?"

Alex was rendered speechless. It took her a solid moment of seeing into her sister's eyes to actually string the words together, "Yeah…I'm…my wife and I are…happy. Very much so."

"Then that's all that matters," Kara grabbed her hand holding tightly, "You are the one person in this world that deserves her happiness the most, Alex. You are always the one sacrificing everything for everyone else -for me-, and, if whomever your wife is, can bring you that happiness, then I love her dearly for it."

Alex nodded, giving her one of the softest smiles Kara would ever receive, "Thank you, Kar." She embraced her strongly, cuddling her sister against her chest. Sharing that moment meant far more than Alex could put down in words.

"I'm sorry I took away your Alex's opportunity to tell you this," the oldest Danvers added softly, but Kara shook her head.

"This was your moment to share, and…as long as you have that memory, then that's all I care about."

Alex smiled even if she couldn't see it. They would share another memory like this one, somewhere in Kara's future, a few years into Alex's past, where the table would be turned, "I love you, sis." Alex held her tighter.

"Love you, too." She inhaled the comfort the hug provided, "Never doubt that." They let go, both ushering the tears aside as a comfortable silence took over. Then, Kara smiled at equal parts timidly and hopeful, "So…do you think you can introduce me properly to my niece?" she asked full of illusion, "I promise not to make any questions." she rushed to say, "But, can we?"

Her older sister smiled warmly at her, "I'd love that."

Alex walked them to another room where everyone was gathered, moving like clockwork through the technologically advanced room. There, the young teen was currently being held under Lena's embrace as the Luthor tried to comfort her. It broke Alex's heart to see her daughter feel so responsible for her Aunt's displacement. Alex guessed it made sense Esme needed to be with Lena right now, the guilt of having pulled them apart was tearing her to pieces.

She approached her, "Hey, kiddo?" she called softly, "Can you come here for a moment? There's someone that would like to meet you for the second first time," she added with a tender smile and Esme had to suck in a breath to keep herself from sobbing.

Kara approached tentatively, as the others tried and failed to discreetly observe the interaction. J'onn eyed them carefully, wondering if that would be such a great idea, but he felt Kelly's hand on his shoulder, as if though she had been the one with the ability to read minds.

"Don't worry about it," she mumbled, "by the time Kara does meet Esme she would practically already be her niece."

J'onn sighed, "I guess you are right. I just don't want to have to hide so much of her current memories, I can't be certain of the effects this might have." He explained.

"I think this will be good for her," Kelly countered softly, "For both of them, actually," she added softly. Esme needed to know her aunt was alright, even if she was from another timeline.

"Hi," Kara waved her hand in a small motion as the teen stepped in front of her, "I'm Kara," she scratched the back of her neck, "I mean, you obviously already know that but, um, I wanted to introduce myself," she explained rather awkwardly, "This is so weird, but...It's really nice to meet you."

Esme couldn't bear it any longer and jumped into her arms again, "I'm glad to see you, too." she held her with a strength that matched Kara's own.

The Super was shortly aback before willing her arms to move around the teen to embrace her back, "Thanks for being part of our family, little one."

-Year 2016-

Living, or rather, re-living, these moments of her life were not exactly as thrilling as Kara had expected. Especially since she had to play along. When the parasite alien showed up she had to be drained of her powers, because that event also became a stepping stone for the creation of two new heroes. That was when Mon-el found his courage to fight for something more important than himself and Guardian made his debut. So she styled her bangs back and stood by the sidelines of her own life, letting the events take their course.

One thing she found to be comforting about the whole situation, was that she was no longer entangled in the conflictive emotions she once felt. She knew perfectly well how things between her and Mon-el would turn out to be. The good and the bad. So she was no longer prey to those emotions and that in itself made it feel better. Less complicated, all things considered.

"So?" Alex approached her as they drank at the bar among their friends, "What's on today's agenda?" she asked with a little mischievous smile. Kara made sure no one else was overhearing them, after all, they had agreed to only share the sensitive information among a few selected ones. Unsurprisingly that meant only J'onn and Alex were on the loop of the whole "time travel" ordeal she had gotten herself into.

"Well," Kara took a sip of her beer, "I have to get kidnapped by Cadmus to go save Mon-el from Lillian Luthor."

Alex choked on her drink, spitting it out while coughing violently as the others turned to look over their shoulders at her. Kara gave her a sympathetic pat on the back as she recovered.

"The hell you are! Absolutely not!" Alex's eyes were positively fuming.

"I can't mess too much with the timeline, remember?" Kara smirked, "Besides, I know how everything plays out, and as you can see, I'm still alive!" she offered a well exaggerated and humorless smile. Truth being, that day was going to be undeniably awful. A lot of things were going to happen and most of them were terrifying, to say the least. She purposely didn't mention Jeremiah, because having to see that hope in Alex's eyes be ripped away was far too painful to digest. And she would have to live through it all over again.

"Don't make me put you under house arrest, Kara Danvers," the DEO agent threatened with a serious hint in what was meant to be a light comment to brighten the mood.

"That's actually happening in Thanksgiving," Kara mumbled to herself thinking back on the release of the virus her father had created.

And then, someone else walked into the scene. A face Kara hadn't seen in a really long while. Alex jolted up from her place as if all her special training and impeccable fighting coordination had never existed. She stumbled against the table, almost knocking down the drinks as she forced her brain to string two words together.

"Ma-Maggie, hi."

"Hey," the FBI agent waved back as Alex hastily introduced her to everyone, and finally her eyes landed on Kara, "Ah, the sister. I've heard so much about you from Alex."

"Oh, I know plenty about you as well," Kara's response was harsher than expected. She cleared her throat, forcing a convincing smile, "It's nice to meet you,"

"Likewise," she answered a bit confused by the cold reception before eyeing Alex as if asking for an explanation, but the oldest Danvers couldn't return her gaze. Kara didn't even have to look closely at her sister to notice how completely awkward she felt. As if uncomfortable on her own skin and wanting to crawl out of it. And that's when realization dawned on her as to why Alex was not her usual self...because she hadn't admitted that part of herself to anyone yet.

"Oh, Alex," she mumbled softly, finally understanding that the day of her arrival was meant to be the day Alex finally talked to her...but she had stolen that away from her. And her sister had willingly stayed in silence, focusing on Kara's problems instead. As she always did.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" Maggie asked and Alex nodded curtly as they walked farther away from the table. Kara, however, could still hear them as Maggie leaned in to mumble, "What happened? I thought you were going to talk to her about you?" she asked softly.

"Something...came up," Alex deflected, "I haven't been able to tell her."

And Kara knew, no matter what the hell that day had planned ahead of her, she couldn't let Alex bottle that up any longer.

Kara balanced the two cups of coffee in one hand as she knocked on her sister's door with the other. Not a moment later, Alex opened up, clearly surprised to see her sister there of all places.

"Kara?" she frowned, checking the time, "Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Snapper will have to handle without me today," she replied, being fully aware that the news of Guardian being allegedly a killer, were going to be on the front page, "Large coffee just the way you like it?" she stretched her cup and Alex eyed it suspiciously.

"Thanks," she grabbed it.

"I was thinking...let's go for a walk, what do you say?"

Alex tilted her head, trying to read through her sister's demeanor, "Just a short one, I have to be at the DEO,"

"Of course!" Kara beamed as her sister closed the door behind her, following the Kryptonian to their usual park. They walked in silence, side by side, while Alex kept on throwing questioning glances that were only answered with polite smiles.

"Okay, Kara, what's going on?" the agent finally asked after they had carried that game for a moment too long, "Is this something that was supposed to happen on the original timeline? Because I'm pretty sure I've never seen you this quiet."

Kara smiled softly, fixing her glasses, "Well...it's not my turn to speak. I'm here to listen to you." she offered and by the way her sister paled, she guessed the subject was also on her mind.

Alex stopped dead on her tracks, pressing the coffee cup a tad too tight as her eyes were fixed on the ground, "You-you know?"

Kara turned to her with an affectionate smile, providing no answer.

"Well of course you do! You are from the future, I would have told you. I did tell you, didn't-didn't I?" the unusual expression of uncertainty replaced Alex's ever-present confidence.

Kara simply took a seat on the bench and waited patiently, giving her all her attention.

"This is ridiculous, Kara, just tell me!"

"Tell you what?" she asked back, innocently.

"That you know the way I feel about...the things I've felt... that I'm, that I am -!" she groaned into her hands, "Just say something so this doesn't have to be so scary!"

"Why would it be?"

"Because I'm terrified!" she snapped, turning her sight to the sky, "Because I've come to realize so much later in my life that all the times I've gotten close to someone I always bail because I couldn't bear it...if...if I admitted to myself that all the things I was feeling were real. That this is who I am, that I...want..." Her voice became faint at the last word, "that I want...more than what I already have with...with..."

"Maggie," Kara offered the last push and Alex finally collapsed on the bench next to her, hiding her face into her palms.

"So you do know,"

"I know now,"

"Don't toy with me," she warned but couldn't deliver her usual stern gaze when she found the soft way Kara was gazing at her, "Why have me say it out loud?"

"Because maybe I already heard it, but you needed to say it," she explained softly, "So, I'm here for you, to listen to whatever you need to tell me." Kara shrugged her shoulders lightly, this was not her place to take over Alex's moment.

Alex wiped unshed tears to a side, "Tell you something like what? How I'm always thinking about her? That...that I think I've developed...feelings...romantical feelings for her? Feelings I never knew could be there because I was always afraid to acknowledge them?" her throat close up as she stood up, facing away, "Damn it, Kara." she sniffed quietly. A moment passed, like a heartbeat and her voice finally broke free, "I'm gay." She hugged herself tightly, "And I'm...so scared to let others know about it, to let them down..."

The Kryptonian stood up, gently laying a hand on her back, "Alex, you are the bravest person I know, and seeing you feel less than perfect was one of the hardest things I've done since arriving here. You deserve to live unapologetically. You are and always will be one of the most amazing people I've met. And I'm from the future, so you have to believe me." she added with a cheeky smile.

Alex chuckled, pushing the tears out of her eyes, barely looking over her shoulder at her, "Does...does it work out? In the future I mean. Do Maggie and I...?"

"That's not something I can tell you," Kara said softly, "That's your journey to discover." Alex knew that was true, even if it was not what she wanted to hear, "What I can promise you, is that I will always be there for you, every step of the way."

Alex huffed, smiling at her, "That sounds about right,"

Kara returned the smirk, before daring to add, "You do know I would never be disappointed in you, right?"

Alex shrugged slightly into herself, "You are Supergirl, it's... kind of hard to be up to that standard."

"You will always be my role model, Alex." Kara said heartedly, "I mean it, there are not enough words to make justice to that statement."

Alex wrapped her arms around her, "Love you, too."

Re-living, or rather, living these moments of her life made everything else worth it, in Kara's perspective. The warm feeling of having talked to her sister comforted her enough to even bear the idea of facing what came next. She was not particularly thrilled to face Lillian Luthor for the supposedly first time. It would actually take a lot of self-control not to fly her into the sun. Truth be told, she had thought about Lillian a few times in the last few weeks. She was the first to tell the Kryptonian that Lena would hate her when she discovered her secret and...painfully so, she had been right. Because Kara had been a coward. She hadn't been protecting Lena by not confessing her secret identity, she had been protecting herself and now...she didn't have her best friend in her life. No emerald eyes gazing at her with adoration as she walked through the office door, no lunch dates to catch up on, or game nights in which they could team up. And no magic do-over could fix that.

And then the idea, innocently enough, sparked in her mind. She was going to miss that day of work anyways...

Kara didn't anticipate how much her stomach would toss and turn at the idea. How her sweaty palm shifted into a fist to finally gather the courage and...knock.

"Come in," a voice answered and the air got stuck inside Kara's chest as she forced herself to take just one more step in...to be face to face with Lena Luthor. And when her emerald eyes landed on her...they didn't look at her with resentment or hurt. They didn't carry hatred or mistrust. They were bright, open, and honest and the prettiest sight Kara had seen in a long while.

"Kara, hi!" Lena stood from her chair, going around her desk, "I told you before, you can always come in, no need to knock."

Kara chuckled breathlessly, seeing her, savoring just how happy the youngest Luthor was of meeting her, "H-hi," she stuttered through the words, lost inside her eyes "no I-, yes! I mean, I know, sorry, just...working through boundaries."

Lena pursed her lips into an adorable smirk, trying to untangle the blonde woman's train of thought, "Well, to what do I owe the pleasure?" She asked, "Need another exclusive for the magazine? A quote for an article?" she asked, going back to her desk, and Kara felt guilty that the CEO would assume so quickly that was the only reason she would visit.

"No, actually I just thought to bring you something to eat,"

Lena stopped abruptly, double-checking the information, "I'm...pretty sure your lunch break is not long enough to afford a 45-minute drive during rush hour from CatCo to L-Corp. And back."

"I took the day off," Kara waved a hand exhaling loudly. Honestly, she needed a break from so much of her life right now.

Lena eyed her curiously, "You...do look a bit tired."

Older was the right word, but luckily enough, only people truly close to her could really tell the difference and at this point of their relationship, Lena wasn't one of them. Not yet, "Yeah, a couple of sleepless nights," Kara fixed her glasses, clearing her throat, "anyways, here you go," she stretched a bag with food, "it's a kale salad,"

"My favorite," Lena said, eyebrows raised showing her surprise.

"I know," Kara said, immediately proceeding to panic, "I mean, I figured it would be something you might like? I-I didn't snoop around or anything! I'm not that kind of reporter," she amended, rather unsuccessfully, quickly adding, "and just because I truly don't think that salad is enough, or even remotely tasty, there are also some doughnuts in there."

And there it was, Lena's laugh filling up the empty space and Kara was convinced that sound itself could calm all the tempest in the world. The Super tried to commit that ring to memory. Even the sound of Lena's heart was a soothing melody; lively but centered. It was unlike the one Kara had been hearing for the last month, an accelerated pulse that ringed with anger and despair, a beat that couldn't find an accord.

"Well, I appreciate the thought," Lena giggled, opening the bag.

Kara nodded, smiling genuinely at her, "I... better leave you to it," she pointed over her shoulder, taking a step back.

"You aren't staying?" Lena asked, surprised. More so, aback by the idea Kara ultimately brought her lunch to leave the next moment, no request followed by the action.

"Sorry, I can't today," today Lena's mother was supposed to kidnap her to take her blood sample, "but...can I come back another day?"

Lena was surprised to hear her ask for permission, with the same hope and expectation of a little kid wanting to meet at the park, "Sure, I'd like that. Next time is my treat." She answered.

Kara grinned, her eyes shining with excitement, "Great!" she walked to the door, freezing at the threshold before turning over her shoulder to look at her, "Hey, Lena?"

"Yeah?"

"If...you don't have any plans for Thanksgiving, would you like to come to dinner at my house?"

Lena's lips parted but no syllables escaped them. She gazed at the reporter like she would a rare flower, "I appreciate the offer, but I wouldn't want to intrude. I'm sure you'll be better of sharing such a date with your family and friends." The CEO couldn't figure the reporter out. A moment ago she had asked for her approval to drop by again and now she was inviting her to a very personal celebration. One Lena had never personally partaken in.

"It won't be with all my friends if you are not there," Kara replied, candidly. She was not just seeing this past Lena, she was seeing all the years of friendship they had shared together and all the moments they didn't, such as that one. She knew perfectly well that Lena would be spending that holiday behind a desk with no one to accompany her but the unfortunate visit of her mother. And even if none of this would actually change her original timeline once Mxy snapped her back into her apartment, Kara needed to at least offer this to Lena. To get the opportunity of having this memory for herself, even if it was post-fabricated.

Lena blinked a couple of times before nodding slowly, "I'd love to," she finally said, regaining her footing, raising her chin, and flashing an endearing smile, "What should I bring?"

Kara wrinkled her nose, "Definitely not kale. But something tells me you know how to pick a fine bottle of wine, Miss Luthor." she answered teasingly, "We'll need something to toast with."

Lena found herself chuckling, "I could easily buy a wine cellar for the occasion."

"I don't doubt it for a second." Kara mocked tilting her head, "I'll text you the details," she smirked.

"Very well, Miss Danvers. I look forward to it." She held that confident smirk on her face, challenging her back, feeling comfortable with this unusual banter.

"Me too," Kara answered as she took in the image for a moment longer before leaving the office. At least this time around, when Lillian cornered her at that cell and asked her who she was to her daughter, she could honestly say, without a fraction of doubt to her name, "a friend."

-Year 2020-

Kara knew how it was all going to play. From the call to the DEO to protect Andrea Rojas, to the very identity of who was threatening the businesswoman. The only thing that changed, however, was the way none of that faze her. Her whole demeanor showed how much she was in control of the situation, the external factors, and her own reactions. So having, the Lex Luthor standing in front of her while explaining the situation with Brainy next to him, didn't even earn a blink out of her. Her eyes were focused straight ahead, seeing right through the ego-maniac sociopath, feeling nothing for him. No hate, no aversion, no emotion at all. She knew exactly how everything would play out, so her thoughts were clear and centered. And that...infuriated the oldest Luthor to an outrageous extent. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something there. He knew, somehow, someway, that Supergirl was one step ahead of him. Which was impossible! He was always on top of the game, he made the rules, he bent them and broke them mercilessly! So how was Kara Danvers, at the brink of losing it all, able to look him right in the eye?

Supergirl didn't look down once. She always ducked her chin to her chest, even in her usual hero pose, because she knew that not even wearing that emblem on her chest she could guarantee the success of her own endeavor. So why did she suddenly keep her chin up, proudly?

It unnerved Lex Luthor to the point he felt rage. Unfiltered, raw, and unpredicted rage that clouded his always pristine clarity.

"You'll be her bodyguard," he spitted the words, treating them as though they were bullets he tried to sink into her skin. But Supergirl simply nodded with such easiness and commendable confidence that it made Lex's own quiver. And then, in complete control of the situation, Kara turned around and flew away to do as he asked. She had complied, so why did Lex feel like he was the one stepping into a trap?

Kara did everything as it would happen the first time around. She even dressed the part, styling her hair with the bangs she wore in that period of her life. Her emotions remained in check, her head in the game, her actions on point. It was not only knowing what would happen next, it was the way she faced all of it. Even others around her could see it. When her image appeared in the media, calling her Supergirl seemed to fall short. If Cat Grant had been around, she herself would change her title to Superwoman. That was far more fitting now. And no one could put their finger on it as to explain, why. Which meant, Lex was no better than a commoner to his own eyes, and that wounded something far more important than his body; his intelligence.

"What the hell does Supergirl know to act oh so mighty!" Lex paced through the room, running a hand down his smooth scalp.

Lena stood in place, watching the news, scrutinizing the image thoroughly, "That's not Kara..." she mumbled to herself.

"What?" Lex turned, exasperated, "What does that suppose to mean?!"

"Nothing, it just...she has been acting...differently,"

Lex focused all his attention on his sister the moment those words weighted in the room, "You said "has been", as in, you've seen her lately" he said in an accusatory tone.

Lena knew this obsessive side of her brother all too well, "Nothing out of the ordinary, she just came to give me an ultimatum," she waved her hand dismissively, "and...a flower." She regretted the moment she added that little detail.

"A flower?" he repeated, "what kind of flower? With which properties?" he insisted.

"It was simply a lily-of-the-valley," she explained, folding her arms.

"What? Why?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted, pressing her opposite arm under her hand, "It was... a flower my mother used to love," her voice almost quivered with emotion, "I've...never told her that."

"She's probably trying to manipulate you with it. Don't let her mess with your head."

"That's rich, coming from you," Lena retorted with a scoff.

"Am I the one that lied to your face through years of fake friendship and half-truths?"

Lena clenched her jaw, her eyes stabbing him before she turned around, "I'll be at the lab."

Lex would have enjoyed the victory, if not for the pressing matter on his hands. If her sister felt something was different with the Kryptonian hero, then something was definitely off. And for the first time, he was chasing her lead.

Kara collapsed on the couch -how she missed this old couch!- and exhaled loudly, throwing her head back. She was finally in her civilian clothes which meant a moment's peace to hang the cape and kick off the boots.

A cold beer was pressed against her cheek as Alex walked around the furniture to seat next to her, "Here, something tells me you might need that."

"Thanks," Kara grabbed it, sending the lid flying off with a flick of her finger.

"I must say," Alex began saying, trying to feel the mood, "Seeing you out there today you were...kind of scary."

Kara huffed, taking a long sip, offering no reply. Her sight however was downcasted for the first time that day.

"Okay, what gives?" Alex asked immediately, kicking her feet up and turning to face her direction.

"What?"

"Come on, I'm your sister, I know perfectly well all your little tics and twitches. You've been bottling up something since the first night you arrived here. So tell me."

"I can't, Alex," she replied softly.

"The future can come and bite me if it wants, but I won't let you keep dealing on your own with whatever emotional mess you have inside."

That was one of the things Kara loved the most about her older, -not so older in her current perspective- sister.

"So, come on," Alex tapped her leg, prompting her to speak, "Get it out of your chest."

Kara sighed, looking around the room, trying to find a way to say it without spoiling the future events, "I...hate that out of all the times I could have been sent back to, this is the one where I landed," she said carefully, "I know it could have been worse, like the Phantom Zone,"

"That's going way back," Alex mumbled and Kara remembered that the second instance hadn't happened yet.

"R-right," she cleared her throat, "But...let's say this one stings on a very personal level."

Alex squirted her eyes, "No, I don't buy it. You are not telling me something,"

Kara sighed, "Alex...if I say anything about the future...you won't be able to tell any of it to my old self. No matter how desperate or hopeless she seems, are you sure you can handle that? Seeing me struggle, having the answer, and having to keep quiet?"

Alex nodded solemnly, willing to carry the whole responsibility, "I'm your older sister, and I-"

"I'm older than you right now,"

"No, you don't get to be the one having to face this on your own. I'm your sibling, you can always come to me and I won't let something as stupid as a perspective of time keep you from reaching out," Alex said adamantly.

If Alex saw how Kara's eyes were about to materialize the tears, she didn't make mention of it. The Super from the future took a deep breath and tried to untangle her own feeling to try and explain herself.

"Okay, it's...it's about Lena."

Alex blinked a few times, "Present Lena or future one?" she traced back carefully.

"Both," Kara admitted, hunching forward, resting over her knees, "She hates me right now, that's hard to bear." She mumbled, "I...miss her." she inhaled sharply, "I want to see her so badly, but I know that if I show up, her eyes will be filled with hurt and hate, and...I can't handle that," she sighed into her hands.

Alex pursed her lips to the side, "I know she was a really close friend, Kar, and I couldn't ask this to my version of you, but...is it worth all this suffering?" she asked softly, "because I haven't seen you in such despair since the first time you arrived to our house having nightmares about Krypton."

Kara grimaced at the reminiscence, "It's a similar pain to the one of losing my home," she confessed softly, "And I know that if it hurts this much is because it's something that is well-rooted into my heart."

Alex didn't expect to hear those words. This older Kara spoke her feelings so unapologetically it was inspiring. She had seen too much and realized there was so little life to live that she couldn't give herself the luxury of telling any more half-truths.

"You...know how this will play out," Alex said carefully, "The culmination of all your pain, of all of this," she gestured around, finally daring to look into her eyes, "Does it work out in the future?"

Kara waited for a beat, her muscles tense and her fists clenched. So rather than explain it, she hooked a finger under her shirt and pulled out a chain that held a Kryptonian piece of jewelry. Alex's eyes widened with shock. Kara had talked about those tokens before, but the oldest Danvers never imagined a time in which her sister would finally forge one of her own.

"You are married," she said breathlessly.

"To Lena."

Alex's bottle hit the ground, spilling over the carpet as she stood uncannily still, looking into her sister's eyes, needing no further confirmation than the genuine spark of happiness in them.

"You married Lena Luthor?!"

Kara found herself laughing loudly at her sister's reaction, breaking the moment of tension, "Please tell me I had a better poker face when you came out to me all those years ago."

Alex didn't even pay attention to the remark, the only thing racing in her head was the notion that Lena -the one currently trying to oppose them- Luthor, was Kara's wife.

"I know it's hard to picture it right now, and I know you currently don't trust her but the two of you are actually really close friends," Kara added, "when you work together on the lab you are basically unstoppable."

Alex didn't care about her future dynamic with the Luthor right now, what her brain was occupied with was the fact that her sister was the one married to her, "Holly shi-" Alex finally processed the whole dimension of the news, and suddenly all the parts started to fall into place, "So, wait-" she gazed at her with urgency and...sympathy, "All this-, what you tried to do with Mxy, that's because..."

Kara shrugged, looking small and uncomfortable, resembling more the version of herself that corresponded to this timeline, "I..didn't admit it to myself yet. It still took me another two years, more or less. And then a couple more before getting married."

Alex smirked teasingly, "For someone with super-speed, you took it really slow, sis,"

Kara chuckled dryly, "We lived together for a long while first." She pointed out in their defense, "And it was...Lena was the one not ready to marry. And I couldn't blame her, her role models were Lillian and Lionel, who would want to replicate that?" she scoffed before looking softly at her sister, "You...actually helped her a lot. You and..." 'Kelly, your wife', she wanted to say. But perhaps that was jumping the gun, that was something Alex wouldn't forget, "I can think of all the times Lena and you talked to hours on end until one night, she finally looked at me and we both knew it was time. We were ready."

Alex felt a warmth in her chest. Truth be told, she couldn't picture herself having a civilized conversation with the youngest Luthor right now, but her sister spoke so affectionately and so grateful about how she would help out Lena that she suddenly felt a soft spot for the brunette. "I'm...sorry you had to land on such a bad point of your shared history with her, sis."

Kara let out a choked watery laugh, "The night I arrived I had to go and make sure to say some...tough things to her, to ensure this timeline. And I couldn't help but give her a flower, even if it will mean nothing to her, I had to." She sniffed.

"Why the flower?" Alex asked soothingly.

Kara wiped the tears away, "It was her mother's favorite, her biological mother, I mean." she inhaled slowly, "Lena uses them to..." cast protection spells. But that was going to be hard to explain, "feel closer to her mom," she said instead, "I promised her I would get her one, no matter what. So I had to deliver." she smiled weakly, "It was our first anniversary after all." Her tone deflated and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

Alex's arms found their way around her, hugging her tightly, "I'm sorry, Kar. I'm so- so sorry you missed it," she stroked small circles on her back in a comforting manner.

Kara allowed herself the indulgence of being held by Alex, clenching into her jacket with might as she suppressed the sob that was threatening to take over, "I need to fix this, Alex,"

"You will- we will," she assured tenderly, "We'll get you back to your time, I promise." It was a bittersweet moment to realize that no matter how unwavering her sister fought in battle while wearing the 'S' on her chest, she would still be the same caring and sensible Kara underneath. If Alex had been worried her sister wouldn't need her anymore in the future, here was the answer to that inquiry. Kara would always turn to Alex. And Alex realized that if she wanted to protect her sister and take all her hurt away, she would need...Lena Luthor.

Chapter Text

-Year 2020-

Lena Luthor worked on her project with the same diligence that always characterized her. She was going to erase all the violence from human's conduct so they couldn't harm each other. So no one could ever inflict the same pain that had always loomed over her head, on every memory from her childhood and then from every single one that followed. Her motivation was honest, not pure. Just honest. She wouldn't delude herself into thinking this would be salvation to all, just amends. Harm came in many ways, but that also meant it could be stopped through different methods. And this was hers.

"You can't come in!" the voice of her head of security called, "You don't have the authorization, Miss Danvers."

Lena felt her blood boil in a mix of anger at her appearance and...nervousness all the same. Kara unnerved her. Not as before, not in the same way. Not since she flew into her balcony and gazed at her like she was a stranger in a memory she rather forget. As if looking over her shoulder at a bad dream she couldn't wake up from. And although Lena promised herself Kara wouldn't have any power over her, nor she would care about the Kryptonian's opinion...it still haunted her to see that look on her face when gazing into her eyes.

But Kara's eyes were not the ones to greet her, instead, brown templated marvels locked gazes with her, "Alex," she had to double-take the image in front of her. The woman hastily pulled her arm from the grasp of the security detail.

"Lena," she answered with the same amount of uncertainty, it seemed like Alex herself didn't know what had processed her to appear at the brunette's door.

"I'm sorry Miss Luthor, I'll escort her out of the premises," the guard assured.

"You'll make sure she never trespasses again," Lena warned steadily, "But for now, let go of her and give us the room."

Alex felt the shock wear off as the guard fixed his attire taking his leave. The moment that followed felt like the quietest minute in Earth's history.

And Lena was the one to break the spell, "What do you want, Alex?" she asked, raising her chin, "Did Kara ask you to come? So both our older siblings could step into the arena?"

"No, Kara doesn't know I'm here, and honestly, I'd rather have it stay that way," Alex replied. Her eyes were unwavering but her hands were shaking.

Lena was caught off guard because she could clearly see that Alex was being sincere.

"What do you want?" Lena repeated her demand, averting her gaze.

"To come to see you," she answered, "as I should have done so long ago," she admitted, "I...never checked on you."

Lena scoffed, "It's a bit late for pleasantries and amends, don't you agree?"

"I'm not sure. But...I rather have done this and regret it than regret not having tried at all," she replied, folding her arms, looking down, "I know you are mad-"

"Mad?" Lena repeated with sarcasm as a humorless laugh echoed in the room, "No Alex, I'm not mad. Mad was when Lilian locked me in my room to keep visitors from seeing the disgrace I was to the Luthor's legacy at dinner parties. I was mad when I had to move from Metropolis to escape actions that weren't even my own when Lex went to trial. Mad was having to sleep with the burning question of when the next gun barrel would be aimed at me while I could do nothing about it. So, no, Alex. I know mad and I know rage and this is well beyond that." Lena could taste the venom dripping from her own words.

"Fine," Alex took a step forward, "Betrayed. That word fits better?" She challenged back, "I know we all kept this truth from you, Brainy, Nia, me, but our reasons-"

"Spare me." Lena looked away, "Don't act as if we were ever really friends. You were all always Kara's. I was just an appendix of circumstances. Easier to be cut off."

The realization struck Alex without warning or apology. To Lena, it wasn't even an option to reach out to any of them. She naturally assumed all of the team would undoubtedly side with the Kryptonian. And not a single one of them proved her wrong. They all knew Kara's secret when Lena didn't, so when the Luthor claimed to have been betrayed, it was not by one person alone, but by all of those who claimed to be her support, her safe haven.

When Lena lost Kara, she lost everyone else as well. They all left her alone.

Was it really such a surprise then that Lena decided to partner up with her brother? The one person that protected her during her childhood? Someone that promised to always be by her side without judgment?... The one refuge she could turn to now that no one else was there for her? It must have provided a small comfort for the youngest Luthor. A little bit of familiarity after having learned that the one person she trusted the most had deceived her all along. At least with Lex, she could expect to be betrayed. But she never thought Kara would do the same.

"You acted as though you stood by me when we were tracking Eve, remember that?" Lena forced her voice to keep from quivering, "As if you would defend me from Supergirl," she chuckled dryly.

"That...wasn't pretend." Alex finally admitted, bracing for what she had to say next, "At the time my memories about Supergirl's identity had been...blocked. So, yeah. I thought you were in the right and I disagreed with my sister, even if unknowingly." She took a deep breath, "And I don't say this so I can win your sympathy," she clarified, "I say it first so I can also admit my share of the blame on your fallout." Alex said resolvedly, "I'm the one that told Kara not to entrust her secret to you."

Hurt. That's the only clear emotion that dawned into emerald eyes. It seemed fitting it was the one feeling Lena could so easily identify within herself.

"At the beginning, I was the one who judge you harshly and unfairly, while Kara always stood by you. Against what the world deemed you to be, against what I told her. She opposed to me, to defend you. And when I lost my memories, I truly got to see why." Alex said softly, "If Supergirl hadn't been my little sister; I would have given you a clean slate. But your last name was Luthor and hers was the same as Superman's and that was reason enough for me to see you as a threat." Her shoulders slumped, and the knot on her throat tightened, "I'm not proud of what I did or the way I reasoned. But unlike me, when Kara was with you she never thought of you as your last name and she didn't perceive herself as Supergirl for those instants." Alex thought of all the times her sister talked about their lunch dates, their spontaneous visits, their little talks...Alex couldn't help the genuine smile that spread through her lips. "When Kara was with you she... she smiled, and laughed, and she felt human. She allowed herself to make mistakes, to be vulnerable, to be free."

Lena couldn't help but remember those days that seemed so far away now, so foreign. She couldn't help but wonder if the happiest of times were already in the past for her.

"It was only in your presence that she gave herself permission to be someone she could never be with anyone else." Alex continued, "You didn't see her in boots and cape, and still, you made her feel like a hero." The Danvers grinned softly at the memories, "You saw her broken and didn't think of her as weak. She could never let her guard down with any other of her friends. Not James, not Winn, sometimes...not even me." That admission pained her the most, "Because we all knew she was Supergirl. So of course she wanted you for herself. Her real self." Alex chuckled breathlessly, seeing now how it was so obvious that Kara loved Lena, but also, how hidden those emotions were, even from Kara herself, "She wants you. It's always been you," Alex mumbled with the faintest of voices, realizing now that the future came as no surprise. Kara would always fight for Lena, even if that meant fighting against the woman herself.

Lena's hands tightened into fists as her heart hammered her chest, if it was out of ire or emotion was hard to tell.

"So be it," Alex stated firmly, feeling something within shift as she finally gazed up, "I know nothing I've said will change anything." The future was already set, and she highly doubted in the original timeline she had helped to fix this. But after holding a heartbroken older Kara, she truly understood how much all of this - how much Lena- really meant to her sister. And that made it important for Alex as well. "And even if it means nothing coming from me, I will say this," she looked into her eyes, "you deserve better." And as abruptly as she had shown up, she turned around to reach for the door, "I know how to find the exit, and don't worry; I won't be doing this again."

"That's it?" Lena called after her, "You'll say all this and leave? Do you expect me to believe in the honesty of your words after you've admitted you've mistrusted me from the moment you heard my full name?"

Alex looked over her shoulder, "Is there really anything left for me to do to make this right?" Alex smiled sadly.

Lena's silence was the loudest answer she could have given.

Alex nodded, exhaling silently "Know this. If you do hurt my sister beyond what she can forgive, then that's the point of no return for me, Lena." She said steadily. It wasn't a threat, it was the truth. From that point, to whatever the future might hold.

Her foot was out the door when one word echoed through the place.

"Supergirl," The Luthor shot the name into the dark like a flair in the middle of the night sky, "Who is she?" the question itself felt like a trap for both, "Because that's not the Kara Danvers I know,"

Alex couldn't help the smirk that tugged her lips, "Give it time and you will."

-Year 2016-

"I invited Lena to our Thanksgiving dinner," Kara announced, after fixing her skirt to do her hero pose while standing in the old DEO base of operations.

Every one of her friends gazed at her, while the engines on their heads stared turning to fully understand what was happening. Alex seemed positively agitated, James was unarguably apprehensive and Winn was painfully slowly connecting the dots together. "Lena...Luthor?"

Kara nodded back, smiling, "Yeah." It was so bizarre to be back with the original team dynamic, but at the same time, she had missed it dearly. These were her beginnings.

"Why?" James frowned, folding his arms defensively.

"Why not?" Kara countered.

Alex arched a brow, mockingly dignifying a response to such an obvious question, "Let me repeat that, Lena Luthor."

Kara grimaced, "That's not fair." She muttered under her breath. The girl of steel wanted to say that Lena wouldn't be like her family, but they weren't currently on speaking terms back into her time. But here? Here that pain seemed to fade. As if that had been a dream – a nightmare- she had finally waked up from, "I don't want her to spend the Holiday on her own."

"I'm sure she has plans," James intervened, "of world domination."

An agent on the back chuckled and Kara did her best not to turn and use her heat vision on him, "I've already invited her and she said yes. I'm just letting you know."

"Why would you invite the sister of Clark's greatest enemy to your house? She's a Luthor, they can't be trusted. You are making a huge mistake by letting her in,"

This time, Kara's eyes were actually close to blasting some rays through them. She didn't even notice the heat building up in the back of her irises; she just heard the humming sound before her pupils would actually change color. Before it was too late. If not for Alex's heartbeat quickening, Kara wouldn't have realized how much of a close call it had been. So the Kryptonian breathed in to steady herself and offered an exaggerated smile, "Come on, James. Let your Guard down," she stressed the word. She already knew his big announcement for the evening. He gulped, chuckling awkwardly.

"What guard? I'm-I'm not guard-" Winn elbowed him in the ribs, "keeping my guard up," he corrected.

Kara smiled, all things considered, she had missed their antiques, "Great, then this shouldn't be an issue," she turned to Alex, "She's only coming for dinner, the morning is still all ours," she knew what was weighing on her sister's chest. Eliza was coming, which meant Alex was coming out.

The oldest Danvers nodded, avoiding their gazes, hating to be the center of attention of the other three.

"So any Super talk will have to be before she arrives, okay?" Kara turned to the guys behind Guardian's creation.

"Isn't it a bit risky?" Winn asked. He knew better than to judge someone based on their family ties, he was the offspring of someone with a criminal history after all, "What if we accidentally say something that could give away who we are, who you are."

Kara's shoulders...dropped. Her facade slipped, even if just for a second, showing the tiniest crack of how fractured she really was. Of how much the future had actually broken her, "I...need this," the words left her mouth without resistance, "One evening of normality. One night of not having to answer the call. Just a selfish moment and that's it." She said as if bargaining with fate itself for that one request.

The honesty and vulnerability in her tone caught everyone off guard. All their protests and objections were quickly set aside in favor of their friend.

"Are you okay, Kara?" Winn asked. Winn who hadn't been around in so long. Winn who had been the first friend Kara had shared her secret with. Winn who looked at her like she was the stars in the night sky.

"Yeah," she mumbled back, sniffing discreetly, "Yeah, I'm just...tired." she conjured a timid smirk, seeing the worry in Winn's eyes, "I just want to hang the cape for a second."

He nodded sympathetically, finding his resolve now more than ever to see Guardian rise. Because he didn't want to see her be the one carrying the weight of the world on her shoulder, "Then we enjoy the evening," he said gently, with his kind smile that never failed to cheer her up.

"Thanks," Kara said genuinely, "Thank you guys. Thank you for..." for being there, for being her first support system, her original Superfriends. She wanted to thank them for always being there to help her stand after she stumbled and for all their sacrifices. The ones they've already made and the ones that were to come. All the shred tears and lost battles, all the times they toasted together and grew stronger in each other's company. She wanted to thank them all for that and for so much more, but it was not the time yet, "for everything." She finally said those two words instead. But in her eyes, a million more phrases of appreciation were kept quiet, "I promise I'll be more eloquent when we toast on Thanksgiving," she chuckled to herself, feeling suddenly hollow, "We'll have a lot of things to celebrate."

"But until then," Alex intervened, "Let's get back to work." The redhead said, ushering the guys away with a single stare. She knew how to ask for the room with some pretty scary tactics.

Once alone, Alex folded her arms tilting her head to the side, eyeing the Kryptonian intensely.

"I'm fine, Alex," Kara answered the unspoken question. Alex didn't look convinced at all, so it was Kara's turn to deflect the attention, "How are you feeling?" She asked earnestly. Even if she knew how the future would unfold, that didn't mean Alex feeling right now were any less real.

"Fine," she answered curtly. Clearly unnerved.

"I'm...sorry I cut your time short by inviting Lena," she added. None of her friends knew that their gather would be interrupted by a blue orb from another dimension, keeping all of them from sharing their own news. But this time around, Kara was ready to insist on staying and fix beforehand everything that would go wrong so they didn't have to cancel their celebration. Kara wasn't particularly worried about changing these events. They had won in the end. She was just going to take that victory a little earlier than anticipated. And if it changed too much, she could ask Mxy to snap his fingers and set the record back on track.

Alex stood silent, she didn't look mad or particularly annoyed, but there was something unfamiliar roaming through the eyes, "Why did you invite her?"

Kara couldn't decipher if that was a complaint of genuine curiosity, but it was a fair question all the same, "Because she's my friend." She answered steadily.

"You barely even know her,"

Now it was Kara's turn to tilt her head and wait for her sister to catch up to the events.

"Future you, right." Alex exhaled, perhaps a little resistant to the idea of her sister being close with the Luthor.

"You have to give her a chance. The two of you share a lot of common interests, I'll have you know."

Alex huffed, "I know you are from the future and I still have a hard time believing what you are saying."

Kara deflated, she had escaped her own reality so she wouldn't have to fight against Lena anymore, the last thing she needed was circling back to all the mistrust that started this mess in the first place, "Please. Just for Thanksgiving. After that, you won't have to even be in the same room as her." Except for a few unfortunate instances in which Lena would be entangled in Cadmus' exploits, becoming a person of interest on the DEO's agenda.

Alex sighed, defeated by the puppy eyes her sister was making, "Fine. One evening. And I'm not promising my best behavior, I have a lot on my mind as it is."

Kara smiled supportively at her, "I know. And I really appreciate this." She said in all honesty and Alex decided that Kara's candid gratitude was payment enough for her endeavors. For now. She would claim the last potsticker as retribution later.

Thanksgiving always came unannounced on Lena's calendar. It was simply another Thursday to cross out from her schedule. It was the same routine year after year, work and a meal behind her desk, that never changed, and Lillian Luthor made sure to remind her of that as she walked into her office, albeit uninvited this time around.

"What a sight," the older woman said, "celebrating Thanksgiving on your own."

"Mother," Lena answered, unbothered, swirling on her chair to face her better, "To what do I owe the pleasure of this most definitely unrequested visit?" She arched a perfect brow, "Do tell me you didn't scare Jess into resigning to get here."

"Does a mother need permission to see her daughter?"

"Adopted daughter, you never let me forget that," Lena said sharply, not letting Lillian slip through the cracks of her heart to get inside of it.

"Well, it's the Holidays; I thought it would be a good time to make amends after what happened when you testified at Lex's trial."

"Amends?" Lena repeated sardonically, "If Lex had succeeded we would have needed a second Earth to fix his maniac spree. Talking amends among us pales in comparison."

"I still hope we can see eye to eye, Lena," Lillian said gravely. It sounded far more like a threat than a conciliation offer.

"Why?" Lena asked coldly. There was always an angle in the Luthor's household. She had grown used to it. Not only that, she had become prominent at it too.

"Because I love you," the words struck a nerve. Lena's stoic face was caught with emotion, if only for a mere instant. And Lillian saw the opening, ready to exploit it, "We are the only Luthors left standing, Lena. We can be stronger together. You don't have to brave all of this alone." She walked closer, eyeing the half-eaten plate and the glass of wine, "You can have your seat at the table," The innocent phrase was heavy with meaning. It was an invitation to take her place in her family's real business. To be actually a part of what happened under wraps. To be a Luthor.

"She has a seat at the table," a third voice interrupted and both Luthor women turned to see the reporter at the door, "We are celebrating Thanksgiving at my home." Kara Danvers said with innocence as if she hadn't overheard everything else. As if she didn't know what Lillian was implying.

"And you are?" Lillian glared daggers at her.

"Kara Danvers," the Kryptonian took one confident step closer, stretching her hand towards the older woman, making sure to angle herself in a way Lena couldn't see her over Lillian's tall figure as she pushed her glasses slightly down to properly face Lillian, letting her see through the facade... letting her see Supergirl. "A friend." It was as much of a warning as it was a threat. In her timeline, Lillian had learned her secret, but it was Kara's turn to take control over the narrative. The woman's eyes widened aghast, recognizing not only her face but also the answer the super had stated a few days back when she had kidnapped her.

And without missing a beat, Kara pushed her glasses back up and turned to Lena, smiling openly and cheerfully at the raven-haired woman, "Hey! I hope I'm not interrupting anything,"

The youngest Luthor couldn't help the smirk that overtook her features, she wasn't sure how, but Kara Danvers had managed to render Lillian speechless for a whole minute, which was a huge feat on its own, "Not at all. Kara, this is my mother, Lillian Luthor."

"A pleasure," Kara played naive, "You must be here for the Holidays," she pressed, "I can't think of any other reason to leave Metropolis when it's such lovely weather over there right now."

"I only came to see Lena," the matriarch replied dryly.

"You are lucky you found her at her office in L-Corp," Kara stressed the words subtly enough, looking intensely at Lillian when she did, she knew her real motives and what she was looking for "a few hours later and you would have missed her."

Lillian squirted her eyes, "Well, now that I know she has plans, I think I'll take my leave."

"Please, not on my behalf," the Kryptonian kept her sarcasm disguised, "You could join us if you'd like. My whole family will be there. I'm sure they would be thrilled to meet you." A room full of people that wanted to shut down Cadmus and drag her along with it? It sure would be a feast.

"No," Lillian answered sharply, taking a moment to steady herself and smile through fake politeness, "I wouldn't want to intrude," The person with the most information in the room was always the one with complete power. And Lillian knew that wasn't her anymore.

She could, however, level the field to her advantage. The idea of revealing Kara's identity right then and there crossed Lillian's mind but the Kryptonian's eyes sparked with a dangerous flair in them as if reading her thoughts. And instead of shaking her head no, Kara raised an eyebrow, challenging the oldest Luthor to even dare mention her name. Both had a secret to keep and plenty of cards on the table to play. But this once, Kara wasn't going to be the one to fold.

"I better go if I want to make my reservation," Lillian fixed the purse under her arm, taking a step back, not turning her back on them until she was out the door. And the hidden battle was over. Kara smiled triumphantly. It had been a long while since she last had a victory like this one. And it tasted all the better when she heard Lena chuckle behind her.

"I don't think I've ever seen her so dumbfounded," Lena commented, unashamedly pleased.

"Occupational hazards of being a reporter, influential people tend to watch what they are saying," Kara turned to face her, hiding her boastful smile to keep appearances, "Sorry I dropped in unannounced, should I go back to knocking?"

"Not at all," Lena's smile settled into a more genuine one, "My door is always open for you."

Those words alone alleviated a pain Kara didn't know she had been feeling, "Thank you." She said with far more meaning than what could be explained. So she cleared her throat, "So, about Thanksgiving-"

"Don't worry, Kara. I won't hold you to your word. You already saved me from a complicated talk with my mother, I assure you, that's going to be the highlight of the things I'll be grateful for today."

"What?" Kara asked aback, frowning confused as Lena went back to her seat.

"I understand your other guests might not be comfortable with a Luthor seated at the table, no hard feelings. You offered, that's more than enough."

"No, no, Lena," Kara urged, sitting in the chair in front of hers, "That's not what I was going to say." Seeing the confusion in Lena's eyes made her realize how little Lena thought of herself, as no more than the sum of her family's sins. This past Lena couldn't understand why it saddened Kara so badly to hear her say she wouldn't be joining, because she still didn't know how important it was for Kara, how important she was to Kara, "We are pushing dinner an hour later," she explained, not getting into detail as of why.

Alex had talked to Eliza that morning, opening up about several things that she needed to unpack, so both had taken a walk outside, leaving preparations on hold, since Eliza was unarguably the designated chef. So Kara insisted on waiting because Alex had earned her moment to be the center of attention.

"I was already nearby; I thought to come to tell you in person," Kara explained, fumbling with her hands.

"Oh, I'm...I'm sorry," Lena stuttered through the words.

"I understand if you do have other plans or rather not come at all. I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable," Kara offered. Maybe she was pushing this friendship to be how it used to be on a far too early stage. Lena didn't know her and she hadn't given her a motive why to trust her.

And that was another reason why she had shown up. She needed to tell Lena something to clue her in to what was going to happen. She had done it as Supergirl the first time, and Lena had shown her the exit almost immediately. Kara knew that part of Lena's resentment towards the Kryptonian after her identity reveal had been because of the way Kara kept the two identities radically different. Kara Danvers entered through the door offering friendship and smiles while Supergirl walked through the balcony with stern remarks and judgmental opinions on the Luthors. How was Lena supposed to know which was the real her?

"And um...there's another reason I came," she fumbled with her hands, "as a reporter." She added. This she had to do in all honesty. No pretenses, no half-truths, "A source informed me that there's a toxin that can target solely aliens," she handed her a piece of paper with the formula written on it, "the ones responsible for it want to spread it worldwide."

Lena's eyebrows knitted in concern at the information, "Why are you telling me all of this?", she asked while opening the paper, finding her answer there. Her jaw clenched, "Do you think I'm behind this?"

"Of course not!" she said with unmovable resolve, "I'm worried about what the people behind it could do to you to get to it." She pointed at the paper.

Lena froze for a moment before a dry chuckle ringed with painful self-depreciation behind it, "Of course, that's why she would say I love you," she mumbled to herself, unaware of the broken look Kara was giving her. The reporter knew perfectly well what she was talking about, but said nothing about it. Lena swallowed and folded the piece of paper, "Does your source have a clue as to who is pulling the strings?"

"An anti-alien association, they haven't claimed credit for it yet, though. So nothing I could put down on paper."

"And your source...told you I have the final ingredient?" Lena's eyes inspected her, with that defensiveness that showed just how used she was to being misjudged.

"They shared with me that the only place with the isotope to complete it on a grand scale turned out to be your company. I wanted to be the one to tell you all of this. I needed you to hear it from me." From Kara and not from a Super interrogating a Luthor. Not this time.

Lena tapped the piece of paper with her fingers, unsure of what to do next. Her always determined gaze was out of focus, "I...will have to let my security detail know that we might be a target. This will put a dent into their evening plans," she chuckled humorlessly and out of breath, "I...better go make sure to set it in motion." She gazed up at the reporter with a distant stare.

Kara smirked sadly, knowing that was her cue to leave, "Right." She nodded, going to the exit with the woman trailing behind to bid her farewell, "If...this doesn't put a dent to your evening plans, the offer is still standing." She said honestly. It wasn't a plea and it wasn't a bargaining chip. If the Luthor wanted to, then her door would be open as well.

Lena offered a small apologetic and polite smile, the kind one gives when trying not to be rude when declining an offer, when they don't want to say no to their faces.

Kara knew that smile. It had been the one she herself had offered the Luthor in numeral occasions, each time she had to call a raincheck on one of their lunch dates because her job as Supergirl was always first. And now she was in the receiving end of it, feeling it stab her square in the chest.

The house was vibrating with excitement, somehow even more so than the first time Kara lived through this day. Nothing had cut their plans short. They didn't have to rush to the DEO and leave behind their celebration. Instead, all of them were there, James and Winn confabulating at the end of the room, Eliza talking to and Mon-el in the kitchen while Alex sneakily snatched a couple of beers past their mother to give one to Kara while they sat on the fire escape, gazing at the unusual peace and quiet that took over the city as the sun came down, painting the sky in autumn shades of oranges.

"Here, chug it down before mom notices."

Kara laughed taking the bottle, "Well, someone is in a good mood."

It was true. Alex seemed so much more...relaxed and happy? Something had shifted and all the nervousness and hesitation she had shown in the original timeline had dissipated. She was enjoying herself in a way Kara had only seen in the last year or so, completely comfortable in her own skin.

"I...had a good talk with mom," she provided, smiling shyly, "Thanks for making that happen, sis."

"I'm always on your corner," the Kryptonian raised her drink, "I'm glad you two were able to talk."

"Long overdue," Alex mumbled to herself.

"So? Are you telling everyone else tonight?" Kara asked in a low voice so no one could overhear them.

"Actually..." the redhead sucked in a mouthful of air, "I invited Maggie to join us...and she'll arrive later."

Kara's astonishment must have shown on her face way more than she expected, because her sister shrugged laughing awkwardly, "By your reaction, I imagine that's not something I did before?"

Kara had to put aside her own resentment towards the FBI agent, because this Maggie Sawyers hadn't broken her sister's heart, and although she would definitely do so in the future, the fact that Alex had been brave enough to ask Maggie to join them was a feat so incredible on its own that Kara couldn't help but to hug her, "No! I mean you didn't, but it's not bad, it's- it's actually great to hear you say this," she embraced her strongly, "I'm glad you feel safe enough to do this."

Although Alex was confused by the riddling answer, she could tell her sister's support was genuine and that's all that mattered, "Thanks, sis." She patted her back before they pulled apart, "So, where's Lena?" Alex asked what everyone else had been wondering.

Kara shrugged helplessly, "I guess she's not coming," she admitted, "I...had to tell her something to keep the future on track, but I wanted to make something right and by doing so, she's now annoyed with Kara Danvers and not Supergirl." And there it was again, that hollow look on Kara's eyes. That fracture in her always sunny smiles.

"Hey," she tapped the cold of her bottle against her arm, "What's going on, Kar?"

"What do you mean?" she took a drink, avoiding her gaze.

"Since you've arrived, there's something that has been bothering you. Something you haven't told me."

"I'm fine," she smiled with empty promises.

"It was Lena, wasn't it?"

"What?" Kara turned, frowning.

"The friendship you broke?" she clarified, "The one you were trying to fix and why you got stuck here in the first place?" she reminded her of the explanation Kara had given her after arriving to the past.

Kara's smile dropped altogether and her eyes drove away from the sunset to the half-empty bottle, "You wouldn't understand it," she mumbled, "not yet, anyway."

"I understand enough right now to know that you are in pain," she said firmly, "The way you reacted the other day when James made that comment...you were mad. That was real anger."

Kara huffed, pressing the condensation of the crystal against her forehead "Would you believe me if I said that James dated Lena?"

The way Alex spitted out her drink was answer enough, "Are you serious?!" she wiped the drops from her chin.

"Yeah, so even he will come around," she rubbed the back of her neck, pursing her lips to the side grimacing "that's one of the reasons all of this bothers me so much. James spoke so poorly of her, judge her harshly and unfairly, and then as if nothing really happened, he became Lena's boyfriend."

"If...it bothered you that much, why didn't you say something?" Alex asked carefully.

"Because technically I encouraged Lena to date him, well, J'onn did, disguised as me," she waved a hand, "It's messy to explain." She sighed, "The thing is that when our friendship broke, all those nasty comments others used to make about her came back, similar to the ones I'm hearing in this timeline and... I'm tired of them. She's a good person, she's just been hurt and betrayed and used by the people she trusted and I... I am one of those people, Alex." She finally admitted, "As Supergirl and as Kara Danvers and now she wants nothing to do with either of them. Nothing to do with me."

Alex's arm found its way around Kara's shoulders to wrap her in a half-hug. Kara leaned in without resistance and exhaled loudly in the comfort of her company, "I'm sorry, Kar."

Kara hid against her shoulder, feeling the last bit of the sun's rays hit her face before darkness took over, letting the night sulk in.

"Time for dinner everybody!" They heard Eliza's voice calling them together.

"Come on," Alex gave her a gentle tug, "we can think of what to do tomorrow. Besides, the world always looks darker on an empty stomach, so let's eat so you can feel a bit better," she said cooingly, bribing her with food as she used to when they were younger.

Kara snickered halfheartedly and nodded, "Yeah, okay. Tonight we have a lot to celebrate."

They walked back into the apartment finding everyone gathered around the TV, where the 7. P.M. news was broadcasting how an attempt to launch a biochemical weapon to target aliens had been frustrated and the labors of the police to apprehend Lillian Luthor as the one who orchestrated the failed attempt.

"A weapon that could kill only aliens," Winn covered his mouth in pure shock and disgust, unable to imagine all the deaths that could have cost; one of his best friends among them.

"Kara, did you know about this?" Alex mumbled, horrified as well by the news.

"It...Wasn't supposed to happen yet," she whispered back chocked. The guilt knotted her stomach at the idea that taunting Lillian that morning could have been the trigger to quicken the event. Her chest tightened making it hard to breathe, even though Kara knew how the future would play, she had been unprepared and unbothered to answer the call.

And when Lena's name appeared on the headline, Kara's heart stopped, not waiting to read any further she grabbed her coat, ready to bolt into the police station in case someone had the grand idea of pressing charges against her.

"Kara? Where are you going?" Eliza called after her, noticing how she was already dashing to the exit.

"I have to make sure she's alright," she explained over her shoulder. It was not until she was at the door that she heard the news anchor add how the youngest Luthor had been the one to foil the launch. They were...praising her. She looked over her shoulder to see it for herself, finding the footage of Lena Luthor leaving the scene after successfully tricking Lillian into believing she was on her side.

Now Kara was more determined than before to open the door and go find Lena. To hug her even if the raven-haired woman didn't expect it and to tell her she was proud, even if it would mean nothing coming from her. She just had to see her.

So Kara barely kept herself from tearing the door from its hinges as she opened it, ready to bolt to the roof to fly away when she had to stop abruptly before colliding with the figure standing there, about to knock, "Lena!"

The CEO barely manage to lean back before they would bump into each other, leaving the reporter to do some gymnastics to regain her balance, "Hi," Lena said rather awkwardly, seeing over Kara's shoulder the other guests, "I hope I'm not too late for dinner if I do still have my seat at the table?" She asked hesitantly, showing in her eyes something that was rarely there. Maybe this year, Lena didn't want the date to be just another box on her calendar for her to cross out. Now that Lillian was being apprehended, Lena found herself alone...but for the first time, she had the chance to not feel so lonely.

"Of course you do!" she propelled into her arms, hugging her wholeheartedly, "I'm so glad you are here with us," she mumbled into her hair, meaning every word far more than Lena would ever know, "Come on in!" she opened the door completely, letting her in into her life. She wanted to be an open book and maybe this was a good start, "Um, everyone, this is my friend Lena."

Mon-el gazed from the TV back to her, "As in the one that just...?"

Eliza jumped in, "Welcome, dear!" she walked toward her, mumbling over her shoulder for literally anyone to turn off the TV, "We are so happy you could make it. My name is Eliza, I'm Alex and Kara's mom."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Danvers"

"Oh please, Eliza will do."

Lena nodded in compliance, taking the opportunity to pull out a bottle of wine, "I brought this," she extended it for Kara, but Alex's quick hands got to it first.

"I'll be taking this,"

"Alex!" Kara complained as she left the Luthor empty-handed.

"Behave," Eliza called after her, "Come on in, join us, dear." Eliza invited her to the table.

Kara laced her arm around Lena's as she made the proper introductions, although pretty much everyone had already met her, and drove her to her seat on the table, right next to hers.

And somehow, Lena Luthor found herself having a proper Thanksgiving dinner in a house full of people she barely knew. And still, that felt far more welcoming and familiar than any other celebration she had ever attended at the Luthor's household.

That didn't make it feel any less awkward, she kept on gazing around, seeing them all talk among one another and share laughs and stories she knew nothing about. It was only when Kara whispered to clue her in that she felt like part of the conversation.

It was later when another woman came in that the balance tipped a bit, as an FBI agent walked inside, looking just as nervous.

"Maggie!" Alex Danvers rushed to the door to greet her as the others turned to look, a bit surprised to see the agent, but more so when Alex grabbed her hand to walk her in, "Everyone, you remember Maggie?"

"Yes,"

"Hi!"

The greetings echoed through the room.

"Hello," Sawyers waved back, "Sorry I'm late, paperwork," she connected gazed with Lena, looking utterly impressed, "the woman of the hour." She sat down, next to Alex and across from the Luthor, probably wondering why was she there, "Nicely done." Maggie added, nodding in acknowledgment of the raven-haired woman's endeavor.

Lena offered a small smile, nodding back. Somehow, having Maggie there evened the ground, because she too looked a bit out of place around the other faces. But Maggie found a place of comfort when Alex Danvers wrapped an arm around her shoulders, behind the chair, leaning in to whisper something into her ear, making the agent chuckle.

They were a couple, Lena realized belatedly, but apparently, others at the table were coming to the same conclusion just then.

"Hey," Kara called softly for Lena's attention, noticing how quiet she had been, "Are you alright? You know, with everything that happened..."

Lena smiled softly, "I am, thank you. Actually, thanks to you. If you hadn't warned me...things could have ended up so badly."

"You saved a lot of lives today," Kara said proudly.

"You made that possible," Lena corresponded, "Thanks for trusting me with that information; for trusting me."

"Always," Kara smiled in a way Alex hadn't seen in a while.

The oldest Danvers saw how comfortable and relaxed her sister was around the other woman. How her posture wasn't stiff and the hero persona was nowhere to be found. This was the most human her sister had ever looked. No indestructibility or bulletproof skin, just a tender smile and eager eyes gazing at her guest.

So Alex took a moment to actually see Lena Luthor. Luthor. Sister of the criminally renowned Lex Luthor; the man who almost killed Superman. Alex had hoped that the businesswoman would remind her of said brother, but instead, Alex found out that she reminded her of her own sister. The CEO looked hesitant and small in her surroundings, unsure of how to act or what to say in something as simple as a family dinner. It brought back memories of all the times Kara struggled to fit in, to find her place in a world that wasn't her own and in their home.

Lena had that same look in her eyes, a bit lost and a bit hopeful. And the thought that the always centered and stoic CEO was intimidated by the idea of sharing a meal on Thanksgiving, twisted something inside Alex's guts. It tasted like guilt in her mouth.

So she reached for the bottle of wine and opened it, pouring Lena's glass first. When the CEO noticed this, her eyebrow arched up questioningly. Alex simply served herself as well and held the glass up, locking eyes with her.

"Thank you for joining us tonight."

-Year 2028-

When days became a week, Kara had to wonder what was normality anymore? What was her future self doing in her timeline? What events was she living for a second first time, while she poorly took over this older Kara's life? Always confined to the same routine, with Alex keeping a watchful eye over her while they all worked in hopes of finding answers to get her home, but each lead turned to be a dead-end, and each time that happened, a little bit of hope diminished with it.

She had been there long enough to recognize the hero names everyone at base identified with, she had seen many of them leave and arrive at the same time, some even holding hands and the feeling of yearning made itself present. Kara wanted to regain a sense of self. Especially after seeing the news, and the implacable force of nature this Kara Danvers was. Fearless and adamant, wise and experienced. They had the same eyes, the same name, the same symbol on their chest but when Kara saw herself in the mirror...well, she didn't see the same person that appeared on the TV.

"Are you ready to leave, darling?" Lena asked, picking her belongings as Kara sat on the couch, the place where both of them ended up sharing multiple dinners by now, accompanied by the only moments of the day when the cape and the glasses were equally forgotten and Kara got to be herself without pretenses. Those were the rare instants when uncertainty became meaningless.

"Yeah," she hastily turned the screen off.

Lena frowned, processing the event, "Were you watching the news? I thought I told Halo to keep external events from reaching your ears,"

Kara shrugged shyly, "I asked her nicely?"

Lena couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her. Of course, Halo would obey Kara's instructions too, its interface was a mix of Kelex technology and Hope's. And this IA hadn't done a biometrical scan on Kara for it to realize it wasn't going to match the age of its data, the data of its actual owner.

"I'm sorry, I just...I guess I needed some answers." Kara deflated in her seat.

"It's fair, I suppose. After all, we haven't exactly been candid with you," Lena said weakly.

Kara shifted in her place, "Can you...can you answer me something honestly?"

"...To the best of my capabilities, I'll try," Lena sat next to her.

"Do you...do you think we will fix this?"

"We will," she said without hesitation, realizing now that in Kara's eyes, the answer wasn't as clear, "Do you fear we might not?"

"I...I don't know. I mean, we always fight against the odds but...what if...it takes us longer than we expect? What if it's not a month, but a year, or more? Can I really go back home to that? To take over whatever situation future me is doing and just... have memories inserted and pretend like nothing ever happened?"

"I'm...I'm not sure, Kara," she whispered, "I guess...I was so focused on getting our version of you back that I didn't stop to consider those implications," she confessed guiltily, "I know it's been already far more days than what you are comfortable with, but I promise, we won't stop working to get you home. And I won't let that take us much longer. I swear."

Kara found herself smiling at that, comforted by her drive, "Thanks,"

Lena nodded, standing up, "For now, let's stay out of trouble."

Trouble happened. It was an unavoidable instance after all, especially in a place like National City. The alarms went off inside the Tower and everyone sprinted into action, giving Kara Danvers from the year 2016, a chance to see what these Superfriends were really capable of.

The one called Dreamer jumped into a blue portal next to Guardian. J'onn took the green man, Brainy with him while Alex stayed on base with her daughter and Lena.

And all Kara could do was gaze at the screens helplessly as an alien ship of monumental proportions hoovered over the city firing lasers and dropping rough mercenaries throughout the downtown area for a violent takeover.

"You have to let me help!" the Kryptonian insisted –no- demanded. She couldn't be asked to stay on the sidelines while something this critical was happening.

"No." Alex and Lena said in unison.

"This isn't your timeline, Kar. We can't risk you going out there, you'd be way over your head." Alex said over her shoulder.

"This might not be my time, but it's still my city!" Kara refuted avidly, "I have to do something!"

"You are going to get yourself killed!" Alex snapped sharply, "You are staying here, Kara. That's final."

"Alpha team, we have a visual," J'onn's voice echoed through the com, "I recognize from which planet this ship comes from. They are extremely hostile, although not well-versed in fighting, they rely on their weaponry, which is, I'm afraid far too advanced. I don't think a frontal attack is a viable option."

Kara's heart accelerated, building up her concern, "You won't have a chance if I don't help."

"Kara," Alex warned, glaring at her.

"Brainy, do you think you could hack into their server and shut them down from the inside? Prevent them from calling re-enforcements?" Lena interrupted.

"That is a viable idea," he answered, "But I don't know how I can get past their defenses."

"J'onn, if you had to roughly translate the function of their ship to our technology, would you say it's mechanical or electrical?" Lena asked.

"Electrical, of a sort," he answered, "similar to the weapons we seized a couple of weeks ago at the docks."

"That's all I needed to hear, hold them up for a couple of minutes," she turned to Alex, "We need to come up with our own version-"

"Of an electromagnetic pulse, to disable their ship and armament," the redhead finished, "That's genius, Lee."

Lena smirked back, teasingly, "I'll grab the guns, and you prep the lab?"

"Meet you there," both parted ways to come together at their common playground; science.

They worked side by side with uncanny coordination, barely even needing to talk among themselves to know what the other needed. Without having to ask for it, tools were being handed, ideas and corrections were being discussed and in just mere minutes, a whole device had been created for the team to use. It was so bizarre for Kara to see her sister share a lab with anyone at all, especially with Lena. But both seemed to be so in tune, it was like a perfectly executed orchestra.

"I know, it's like they speak a language of their own," the teen –no. Her niece Esme- said, walking next to her.

"Hey," Kara greeted, smiling softly, unable to help herself from wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders in a half-hug. To her utter relief, the teen cuddled into her side, hugging her as well. It was strange since Kara knew absolutely nothing about Esme, she hadn't even been born in her timeline, but still, she already felt a special connection to her, especially since the girl spent every moment available close to Kara. The Kryptonian wanted to inquire about how their relationship was, but couldn't make many questions; so instead, she savored the company to make more bearable the idea of being grounded. All while gazing back at the dynamic duo working on the lab.

"Don't worry," Esme said, smiling tenderly, "They've got this, everything will be alright."

Kara smiled sweetly at her, "Shouldn't I be the one reassuring you?"

"You are here, that's reassuring enough," Esme held on tighter, holding the truth close to her chest and sealed behind her lips. She was the reason this younger Kara was here while the one that was her aunt was missing somewhere in the past.

"Do they often partner up like that?" Kara inquired, tilting her head towards the control room where Alex and Lena were coordinating the plan.

"More than you know," she chuckled, "It's really quite something to see them work together," Esme smiled, "Everyone here saves the world in their own way," the teen smiled proudly, "I hope I can be like my moms one day."

Kara focused all her attention on Esme, as the words settled into the room. Were both her parents part of the team? Could she had already met Alex's wife even if unknowingly?

"Okay, beta team, I'm going there to make the drop," Alex spoke up, securing the device, "Once the pulse is activated, everything will go offline, so Brainy, you have a small window of opportunity to steer the ship away from the city. Once it hits the ground, we'll apprehend and seize all their weapons. After that, we'll have the advantage in hand-in-hand combat."

"Copy that" Dreamer answered, already engaging in a fight on the streets.

"I'll start evacuating the zone in case the ship lands in the populated area," Guardian said.

"Good idea," Alex replied, "Brainy, do try to make it a smooth landing."

"I will as soon as you give me an opening,"

"Right," Alex turned around, "Ready, Lena."

The Luthor opened another one of those blue gateways, "I'll send you to the top of the ship. Just secure the pulse into position and walk back into the portal."

"How long before the wave expands?"

"Ten seconds, it should be enough for you to come back safely,"

"Understood," she marched into the orb, noticing that her daughter and Kara shared that same concerned expression on their faces. This was one part of the job she could never get used to. So she took the final step, appearing several dozens of feet up in the air, over a gigantic spacecraft that was terrorizing National City. In the distance she could see J'onn flying around the lasers, trying to neutralize them and she assumed that the turmoil happening in the park was caused by Kelly and Nia fighting the invaders off. Everyone was doing their part, so she rushed to accomplish hers, kneeling on the base of the roof and activating the countdown.

She stood up just to be knocked down by a right hook that connected straight to her jaw. She held the side of her face, making sure it wasn't unhinged, immediately looking up to evaluate the threat. Five aliens surrounded her, all with weapons at the ready.

She clicked her tongue with a smug smile, "Too easy," she kicked the knee of the closest alien bending it backward, knocking him before sweeping under two more, bringing them down as well. She jumped up taking one of the remaining foes to use his body as cover while his partner took the shot, hitting him instead. And just as the others recovered from the ground, ready to pull the trigger, the electromagnetic pulse exploded and all their devices became useless. Alex smirked self-satisfied, knowing that now that there were no gadgets, the fight would be far more interesting.

"Alex, come in!" Lena called from the Tower, seeing from the feed of the video how the ship was starting to lose altitude, "Alex, what's your twenty?"

"I'm here," she finally answered, "Sorry; I had to take care of a little situation."

"What happened to the portal?"

"Gone," Alex exhaled, "It was the same frequency as their technology. It got deactivated as well,"

Kara rushed to the controllers after hearing that, "Alex, are you still at the top of the ship?!"

"I am, but-"

"I'm going to get you out of there!"

"You don't have to, we'll think of another way."

"J'onn, are you in the proximity?" Lena chimed in, "Can you get to her?"

"I'm afraid I won't be fast enough,"

"I will!" the Super said determinedly.

"Don't!" Alex said gravely, "Kara, don't you dare step outside of the Tower. No one can see you like this."

"Do you seriously rather crash from the air than risk someone seeing me?! Again?!" Kara's outrage was an unusual sight, but she had a bleak tolerance for caution when it came to the people she loved, especially the stubborn kind that would pretty much die before getting her involved, "I'm going to your location now." That wasn't up for debate anymore. Kara couldn't simply stand down while her sister's life was on the line. Not when she could do something about it.

Kara was already removing the elastic from her hair to fly off the balcony wearing her version of the suit when she felt a hand grab her own.

"Kara, wait!" Lena Luthor urged, keeping her frozen in place.

"I have to save my sister!"

"I know, darling. I do." She said sympathetically, holding the back of her head to be face to face, gazing into her clear-blue eyes, "we will bring her home, I promise. But it can't be you," she explained softly, "Kara if something happens to this version of you then there will be no one left to save. None of us would be here without you. You are the core – the heart- of who we are. We can't risk that." she pressed her cheek in a soft caress, "Staying safe is how you can save Alex and everyone else. I have a plan, but I can't help if I have to worry about you. I need you to trust me." Her deep emeralds stared at her intensely and for a moment Kara had to wonder if they were made of kryptonite because she felt all her strength fade at the sight.

"Bring her home," was all the Super could muster.

Lena exhaled relieved, turning back to the screen and typing in, "Brainy, I need you to calculate a trajectory. I'll open a portal for Alex, the only trick it's that she'll keep her current speed as she is teleported, so I need you to tell J'onn where to intercept her and I need those calculations to be precise to the millesimal number." She remarked emphatically.

"I've received your data, I'm on it," he waited a whole second before answering, "J'onn, you'll have to position yourself exactly a 147° latitude and 85° longitude. Lena, you'll have to open your portal within the next eight seconds before we lose more altitude."

"Understood," she walked to the middle of the room, closing her eyes to focus, staying perfectly still. Kara was about to urge her to do something seeing that all her inventions were set to the side untouched, while they lost valuable seconds Kara could be using to fly away. But before she could even utter a syllable, Lena chanted foreign words and a burst of light exploded in the room blinding her.

"Now, Alex!" Lena instructed.

Kara didn't know what happened next. Nothing made much sense, not until she heard all the cheering through the coms and saw how Alex was safely cuddled under J'onn's arms and the others were containing the rebel aliens, claiming the victory.

Esme quickly reached Lena's side, helping her regain her balance as the woman recovered from the exhausting spell.

"I'm fine, sweetie," she assured, accepting her help to reach a chair.

There was a lot Kara didn't understand, but she knew one thing; Lena had kept her word and Alex was safe and sound.

It was odd but also comforting to know that in the future, even if it wasn't Supergirl the one who saved the day, others would rise to the occasion.

It was until a few hours later, after massive clean-up endeavors and a systematical confiscation of alien guns that the whole team returned to the Tower feeling in equal parts thrilled and exhausted. They were all talking among one another, celebrating the success of the other teams and sharing a few laughs. It was strange, but their friendliness reminded Kara of the spirit of how family reunions at the Danvers' house used to feel. It was warm and welcoming and absolutely everyone was a part of it.

Esme immediately rushed to Alex's side, hugging her, "Are you okay?"

"I am, kiddo," she answered softly, looking up to see her sister gaze at her from across the room, keeping her distance, although it was clear in her eyes there was nothing she wanted to do more than hurry to her side.

Alex sighed, pressing a kiss on top of Esme's head, "I'll be back in a moment okay?" she said soothingly before walking in Kara's direction, "Hey,"

Kara shrugged, ducking her chin to her chest, "Hey," she mumbled back.

"Can we talk?"

There was really no choice, even if Kara would have wanted to avoid it, she couldn't go anywhere, as others had made a point to tell her. So they moved to the lab to talk privately.

"Look," Alex exhaled heavily, "I'm sorry I snapped at you today-"

"That's not it," Kara interrupted; she had seen Alex snap at J'onn once, that was not personal.

Alex sighed, "You being here changes everything, Kar. I can't let you get hurt."

"Today I felt more powerless than the last time I lost my strength," she folded her arms, "we are always there for each other Alex, me being from another time doesn't change that. You were willing to plummet from the sky instead of letting me fly you back to base."

"Nothing was going to happen to me," Kara was at the ready with a retort, "because I trust our team," she added earnestly, "I knew someone would have my back, and in the rare case no one could, then yes, I would have asked you to come."

"As your last resort?"

Alex sighed in a mix of guilt and frustration, "I was scared, okay?" she finally said, "you are...so young! I haven't seen you as that much of my little sister in a while and I freaked out because I couldn't bear the idea of losing you." She admitted, running a hand down her hair, "Future you is...very different," she tried to explain tactfully, "it's still you, of course, she's every bit of the sweet, considerate and brave Supergirl as you are, but when she goes out there to fight next to me, I never hesitate because for over a decade I've seen you fall and rise and be so gravely injured that I feared you might die in my arms and... and the idea that it could happen all over again terrified me out of my mind."

Kara felt her chest tightening at her sister's admission. A lot of emotions swirled through her, but she was unable to untangle them all, "I... do understand you, Alex." She said slowly, "but...you have never made me feel incapable of anything in my life." Until today.

"I didn't mean to," Alex squished her arms tightly, "I'm sorry, sis. I do trust you, with my life. But not my life at the expense of your own."

It was the truth. It didn't have to be comforting, just real.

"I know this situation isn't ideal, but please Kara, for all our sakes, you can't be at risk."

Kara understood, she did, she didn't have to like it, but she could see the logic behind their actions. No one could know that a barely experienced Supergirl was here instead of the implacable hero this timeline knew. Hearing Alex talk so grandly about her future self was even a bit intimidating. How was she supposed to become such a legend? Someone that her sister looked up to?

Kara sighed, nodding in compliance, "Okay," Alex exhaled relieved.

"Thank you, sis."

A silence swept by them as the Kryptonian gazed around the lab, "You and Lena did an incredible job here," she commented, shrugging her shoulders with a bit of a timid smile.

Alex chuckled, relaxing her posture, "Yeah, it's always a treat to work with Lee."

"You two seem close," she mentioned, unsure of how to put down in words what was roaming through her head, "back in my time you were not...that friendly."

Alex smiled sadly at those words, "I know, but things changed. For the better, I might add."

Kara swallowed the knot in her throat, finally looking up, "Are you married to Lena?"

Alex choked on thin air, coughing violently, "What?"

"The two of you get along so well, and you work together with such...chemistry and I've seen Esme around Lena so much, I just assumed-" she gestured around unsure, "...you aren't exactly saying no."

"No! No, Kara-" she grabbed her shoulders looking into her eyes, "I love Lee, dearly, but she's not my wife" she's yours. But that was something she couldn't say, "And of course Esme adores her, she's her Godmother, she's- she's family." She offered truthfully.

Kara allowed this new information to settle in, unsure of why that comforted her, "Oh, I'm sorry? I thought..." she traced back.

"Lee and I are incredible friends, but nothing more." She assured. Maybe this Kara didn't know it yet, but she would fall in love so hard it was going to break her at some point, but when Lena and Kara finally grew stronger past that fallout, they would become one of the greatest couples Alex had ever seen.

"Mom!" Esme's voice echoed through the room.

"In here, sweetie!" she called back, seeing the teen walk in, "What's up?"

"Uncle Jimmy just called; he's leaving Metropolis right now to help us with the political backlash from the aliens that tried to invade. He thinks this issue can help us push the reform for an intergalactic peace treaty."

"With his contacts at the Capitol, maybe."

"Uncle Jimmy?" Kara repeated, "James is coming?"

"Yeah, big family reunion again," Esme smiled.

"Family reunion?" Kara repeated.

Alex took a deep breath; she guessed this was as good of a time as any to tell her the full truth. Especially now that she had mistakenly assumed that Lena was the woman she married, "Yeah. James is... my brother-in-law, Kara."

The Kryptonian froze in place, her face blank and unreadable while she kept on repeating those words in her head, finally gathering the courage to ask, "Did...did I marry James?"

"What?!" Alex was positively about to explode due to Kara's obtuseness, "No! I married Kelly!"

Kelly. Kelly Olsen. James' sister!

"She's Guardian," Alex added and the pieces finally fell into place. Everything started to make more sense and at least one part of the future became crystal clear and the feeling of doubt subsided. Such a tiny detail and still, it made all the difference for the Kryptonian.

Kara's face was overwhelmed with joy, "That's amazing!" she hugged her strongly, turning to look at Esme, "Both your moms are incredible,"

"I know," Esme smiled proudly, joining the embrace.

The nighttime snuck up on them without a warning. A silence took over the city, luring everyone at the base to go back home, to their loved ones, to their own safe havens where they could take the masks off and be no more than people living one day at a time.

When Kara walked back into the control room, she found Dreamer talking to Lena, while Brainy stood there in silence, offering a comforting presence.

"I've been trying to dream every single day, but it all keeps looping back to that night at the warehouse," Nia mumbled, giving Lena a sympathetic look, "I won't stop looking. You have my word, we'll solve this."

A weak smile tugged at the Luthor's lips, "Thank you. I don't know what I'd do if..."

Brainy gently placed a hand over her shoulder, uttering no words, but saying so much more through that earnest action alone that it almost broke her down.

The sight of the raven-haired woman about to collapse frightened Supergirl. She had only been there for a short amount of time, but Lena had always shown to be strong-willed and unstoppable. Just that day she had proven how resourceful she was and how well she could handle herself under pressure. So what was tearing her apart so violently that she ought to hide it?

"Lena?" the name slipped her lips without her knowing as the three of them turned to look at her, all trying to pretend that nothing was transpiring between them.

Lena did an effort to pull herself together, conjuring a smile through her disguised sniff, "Hey, darling."

Kara knitted her brows, even if the Luthor's voice was stable and kind, she could tell the sadness was still present, the ache, although well-hidden, was perceptible, even if Kara couldn't exactly tell how she knew that.

"We better go," Brainy said monotone, "we'll see you tomorrow. Let us know if you need anything."

Lena nodded, "Thank you," the couple left the Tower hand in hand and now it was only the two of them. Lena fixed her purse under her arm and turned to her, "Let's go home, darling."

The door opened after the bio-signature scan and the apartment came into view. Lena left her things over the table as Kara reached the couch, sitting in front of the sunflowers that hung their heads low at the lack of sun, despite Kara's efforts to cheer them up through gentle caresses and soft mumbles.

Lena gazed at the younger Kara with softness, seeing that the Kryptonian herself was one of those sunflowers, kept from the sun, the outdoors, kept from their very own open fields with clear blue skies. Even if unwillingly, they had all turned the displaced girl into a prisoner of sorts, unable to leave unsupervised or go anywhere that wasn't the Tower or their apartment. No, not their apartment. Not yet. It was still Lena's in the Kryptonian's eyes. A house arrest, no doubt.

"Hey," Lena called gently, "Come with me for a moment," she asked, going back to the door, taking a small bracelet from the entrance.

"Where to?" Kara asked.

"To get some fresh air,"

They reached the top of the building, where the best view of the city was. The night breeze blew softly and the stars shone brightly on the black sea of space.

"It's beautiful," Kara breathed out.

"Beautiful indeed," Lena mumbled back, seeing solely that look on Kara's face. This was the Kara she first met, the one that inadvertently would steal her heart through the years to come. But if Lena was being honest, in the privacy of her thoughts, she fell for those hopeful eyes since the first time she saw them.

"Do you come up here often?" Kara asked over her shoulder.

"Sometimes," she admitted, "but we are not here to stargaze,"

Kara turned to look at her confused, "We are not?"

Lena shook her head to the sides, "Give me your hand for a second," she stretched her own, waiting for Kara to do the same. Hesitantly so, she did and Lena was able to put the bracelet around her wrist, pressing a button.

"Cloaking device, activated," Halo's voice echoed.

"Wh-what's this?"

"This is insurance that you won't be detected by any instrumentation while you fly," Lena explained, opening her own coat to carefully remove the lily-of-the-valley and gently place it over Kara's chest, securing it with a pin. It was a bittersweet feeling to be handing Kara back the flower she had given her. The last little gesture that her wife did for her, was now going to be used to keep her younger self safe, "and this will make sure you are protected and invisible to any eyes but my own," Lena placed her palm over Kara's heart, mumbling softly for a white aura to emanate, enveloping the blonde in magic, "There," she mumbled, removing her hand from Kara's heartbeat and taking a step back, "Now you can go beyond the atmosphere and get a well-deserved sun charge." She finally explained with a gentle smile.

"Are- are you serious?" Kara asked, her eyes shining with excitement.

"As long as you don't take any detours, then yes." She nodded, "I'll be waiting right here for you," she handed her a com, "Call me if there's any situation, otherwise, enjoy it for as long as you need,"

Kara launched into her arms hugging her, "Thank you!" she let go, propelling into the sky the next moment, barely keeping herself from breaking the sound barrier and subsequently all the glass windows from the nearby buildings. When she finally reached the edge of the night and merged with it, she found the sun waiting on the other side, greeting her with a warm embrace that fueled her up. The comforting idea that the rays felt exactly the same soothed her, and if she closed her eyes, it was as if nothing had really changed at all.

She stayed there, floating freely as she would on water, letting her skin be sunkissed for a moment, or maybe an hour, she couldn't tell. But when she opened her eyes again, she notice that the position of the Earth had changed, and decided to gently descend back, finding her way to National City, tuning in to find her sister's voice among the turmoil of noises. She was talking to Kelly, her wife. Both shared some loving words that Kara decided to leave private, focusing on other sounds instead, finding a steady rhythm that anchored her to the ground, like the call of a siren or a soothing lullaby.

She softly touched down, feeling renewed.

"How was it?" Lena asked, startling her.

"I-I thought you would have gone to sleep," she admitted, "You didn't have to stay, you should have rested" but Lena shook her head no.

"I wanted to wait for you," the Luthor replied from where she sat, dangling her legs on the edge of the building, holding into the rail.

Kara reached her side, sitting next to her, "Thank you for today."

"It's okay, you weren't gone for that long,"

"No, I mean...for Alex. You brought my sister home. Just like you said you would," she smiled sweetly. "You saved her when I couldn't."

Lena softened her features, "You are always the one saving us," she averted her eyes, "I know we've been unfair to you-"

"I understand," Kara cut in, "What you said before actually made a lot of sense. If something happens to me here then...who knows what could happen with my timeline and your future, right?" She had regained faith about their mission to send her back. She had learned that day that Lena's determination and sheer willpower were worthy of praise. So having her word on the matter meant it would be a fact, not an empty promise, "If I don't go back to my time, then your Kara can't come back."

The pain that impaled Lena's chest robbed her of a choked gasp, while she quickly covered her mouth, keeping herself from sobbing.

"Lena?" Kara turned to her alarmed, her hand tentatively over her back, debating whether to touch her, "Are you...?

"I'm sorry, darling," she sniffed, "I'm sorry," she repeated.

"You don't have to apologize," Kara cooed.

"I do," she exhaled unevenly, "I can't bear the idea of something bad happening to you, but I also miss so much my..." her lips quivered and her gaze dropped unable to face those innocent eyes, "This all must be so confusing for you. And to top it all, you are staying with me when you don't even know me," she pressed her hands into fists, "I'm sorry." for being selfish. For wanting you next to me even when you have no idea why.

But warm hands wrapped around her cold ones, forcing her to gaze up to see Kara looking at her with such appreciation that it hurt a little, "It's okay," she mumbled, "It is confusing and it is frightening and somedays I do have to wonder how will I get back to my time but...but then we come here and...nothing feels as strange anymore," she admitted, "Isn't it weird?" she chuckled dryly, "I've never been to your house in my present, but when we are here I feel...I feel the most at home." She couldn't help the tears that rolled down her cheeks, "And that makes it better. The world doesn't seem so big and so different when we are together," she tilted her head down swallowing the knot on her throat, "So, I'm actually the one that's sorry to be here when you should be with someone else," she thought back to that first night in which the dinner table had been set, "but I couldn't bring myself to give up this comfort."

Lena's hand found its way to cup Kara's cheek, wiping the tears away with her thumb, smiling lovingly at her, "I'm really happy you feel that way here, Kara" because it was her home. And time displacement wouldn't change that. That place had both their essences in it, and even if unknowingly, this young version of her wife had recognized it as well.

But for Kara it wasn't only about the physical space, it was the feeling of seeing those green eyes gaze at her as if she were the sun...And then Kara realized what was that soothing rhythm that had driven her back to the ground before. That siren's call, that lullaby...that was Lena's heartbeat. She had memorized it and singled it out among the noise of change. And its steady melody? Kara could hear her own home planet in it.

Chapter Text

-Year 2016-

"That was close," Alex folded her arms, turning to face Supergirl as she came back from stopping a robbery with some unsolicited help from Guardian, "Too close for comfort."

Kara didn't have to ask what she was referring to. The thought of the past sneaking up on her at Thanksgiving was nothing short of alarming.

"I thought you knew what was going to happen," Alex stressed, folding her arms.

"I...might have changed some events a bit too much," her younger sister admitted.

"Maybe don't stray from the path?" Alex arched a brow.

"It was for a good reason," Kara insisted, "But if you want to have an easy week, I recommend you come with me to a doctor's appointment tomorrow and bring a whole DEO's team," she was not about to get stuck under a red sun again, "Besides, in the grand scale of things, the events didn't change that much. Lillian is in jail, no aliens were killed by the virus and Lena didn't join her mother. So I'd say we are still on the winning side."

"For now," Alex intervened, "What if the next time we aren't as lucky?"

"Time is really not an issue," Kara waved her hand dismissively.

"Shouldn't it be?" Alex sighed heavily, dropping her shoulder, "Kara...aren't you getting a bit too comfortable here? Don't you want to get snapped back into your present? I'm sure that whatever you are doing over there is equally important."

Kara's chest tightened, "It's fine," she said curtly, "time is perceived very differently with Mxy's interdimensional magic. Days and months sum up in a couple of seconds each time he shows me a scenario." She explained, "So when I go back it's still going to be the same night," she exhaled, "and whatever thing I'm about to face will be there waiting for me," she said bitterly.

Alex pursed her lips to the side, "You are not one to back down from a fight," Alex commented, circling the computer to stand close to her, "actually, quite the opposite. I tend to give you an earful because you are always diving headfirst into danger,"

"Learned from the best," Kara retorted.

Alex rolled her eyes, "My point is, how bad is this future of ours?"

Kara huffed humorlessly, "Even with Mxy setting this timeline back to normal, I don't think I should tell you."

Alex whistled, "That bad, huh?"

Kara playfully shoved her shoulder against hers, "Nothing we can't handle. It's like you said, I don't back down."

Alex saw through her attempts to pretend everything was under control, something frightened her sister, but she couldn't imagine what.

"Anyway, it's late," Kara straightened her back; pushing away from the desk she had been leaning against, "Don't you have plans tonight or something?" she raised a brow teasingly, seeing Alex's love-struck smile spread through her face, "Go be with your girlfriend," it felt salty saying that.

Alex was happy, happier than ever before now that she was with Maggie. But Kara knew how that would only lead to pain and heartbreak. How a proposal and the promise of a wedding would turn into nothing more than a sour memory.

"Yeah, I better go," the oldest Danvers turned around, ready to run into the arms of the woman that would cause her such harm.

Kara could warn her. Tell her something about the future, a clue as to what the deal-breaker would be. Perhaps that might spare her all the emotional devastation waiting down the line if she didn't get attached. Maybe that way she could protect her sister.

"Alex,-" she called out of impulse.

"Yes?" She turned over her shoulder, flashing that genuine smile on her face, showing how comfortable and uncannily joyful she was. Even if her relationship with Maggie was bound to end badly, Alex deserved to enjoy the good things about their time together, too.

"Tiramisu," she ended up saying, "Maggie loves that."

Alex's smile spread even wider, "Thanks, sis!" she waved from the door, going to write her own love story, one which it's ending Kara had already read.

"Do you ever plan on having kids one day?" Kara asked bluntly, gaze lost in the sky as she walked through the park.

Lena Luthor did her best not to spill her coffee at such a straightforward question that caught her off guard. She didn't want to draw any unwanted attention that could potentially ruin the peaceful stroll they were sharing. It had become one of their new routines. Whenever Kara could sneak out of CatCo, she would visit the CEO to bring her lunch, and lately, to drag her along a walk through the park, like that day. "I beg your pardon?" she coughed discreetly, "Are you asking as a reporter?"

Kara realized how unceremonious the question had been and chuckled shyly, "No, I'm sorry," she shrugged her shoulders, "I was thinking about my sister," she explained, fixing her glasses, "She wants to have kids one day."

"Oh," Lena replied, finding that answer reasonable enough.

"But...I'm pretty sure Maggie doesn't."

Maggie, the FBI agent that arrived at dinner that night. Alex's girlfriend.

"Oh."

"And I think...that might be something neither of them will bend on," she knew. But that was something for the future to unfold, "It just got me thinking," Kara shrugged.

"About how much you would be willing to give up for someone you are in love with?" Lena provided with an arched brow.

Kara felt her face blush without explanation. Or at least not an explanation she was willing to say out loud. Hearing those words from Lena reminded Kara of all the things she did for the Luthor in her present. How there were no boundaries for a friend like her. Somehow when the word 'friend' got substituted by 'someone you are in love with' it gained a whole other meaning. One Kara hadn't considered before.

The reporter hid behind her scarf, being only glad that the cold could be blamed for how rosy her cheeks were, "I...guess?" She cleared her throat, trying to deflect, "I just don't want my sister to get hurt."

"Then advise her not to date," Lena retorted sardonically, "If you want to protect yourself, then you shouldn't let anyone in."

Kara knew where those words were coming from. She had heard them at the Fortress of Solitude from a broken Lena.

"Do you really believe that?" Kara asked quietly.

Lena exhaled slowly, trying to find the way to express it "I believe...trusting others is a gamble," she decided, "but then again if you don't play the game you can't complain of not getting the prize."

"The prize being...?"

"Companionship," Lena turned to look at her, "love, romance. I don't know," she gazed back at the horizon, "It depends on what the person is looking for, I suppose."

"What...are you looking for?"

Lena's eyes dropped to her coffee, her lips sealed tight as if abruptly shutting close the book the Kryptonian had been reading before.

"I'm sorry," Kara quickly apologized, knowing that had touched a nerve, "That's none of my business, you don't-"

"A home," Lena finally answered, looking up with resolve, "a family," she added, "somewhere I could belong outside the Luthor's name," the truth left her lips without resistance, "have someone I could trust."

Those statements weighted on Kara's chest, each heavier than the last, "I'm sorry," she mumbled with the same regret as someone confessing an unforgivable sin.

"Don't be," Lena answered, unaware or unbothered of Kara's tone, "I'm the one that decided not to play, anyway," she offered one of her defiant smiles, "What about you?"

"Me?" She repeated.

"Yeah. What do you really want?"

Why did the question sound so familiar and yet so foreign? She knew what she needed to do as Supergirl, what she had to pretend when being Kara Danvers, but what did she really want?

"I'm...I'm not sure," she found herself admitting, "In...In a relationship I guess what I want is...to be me?" she let the words roll out of her tongue; they sounded right... but felt wrong. Who was she? A Super? A Zor-El? A Danvers?

"Well then, set a clear goal and you'll find the means to get what you are looking for."

It was sound advice. How could Kara yearn for something when she wasn't sure what she was looking for? When she wouldn't admit to herself what that was?

"To answer your previous question," Lena added and Kara tried to remember what it had been in the first place, "Yes. I do want children."

"You do?" Kara asked surprised. She never figured that would be the answer. Then again, she never asked.

"Yeah," she nodded, biting her lower lip and tilting her head down in contemplation, "Although I should have every reason in the book not to want kids, I do," she inhaled deeply, "When I was adopted into the Luthor's household I truly understood the meaning and the value of family because they completely lacked it," she said bitterly, "but at the same time, if they hadn't given me all the opportunities and resources I wouldn't be where I am today." She explained, "So I want to adopt and give a child the best future I can and a far better childhood than the one I was given." She clenched her fists, "I know I'm not ready yet and with how things are with L-Corp right now it doesn't look like it will be anywhere in the near future, but it's one of my personal dreams. The kind you don't talk about because saying it out loud makes it feel real."

Kara never knew this part of Lena before. She would never have imagined how much was hidden under the surface. How that was something she longed for.

"I...didn't know..."

Lena sobered up, putting up the walls that had been down, "As I said, it's not something I usually mention."

Kara nodded, fidgeting with her hands, feeling the ache in her heart while memories flooded her, "I was also adopted," the confession earned her Lena's full attention, "My family," my people, my planet, "suddenly died and in an instant...I also became one of the last of my name," she inhaled sharply, "and when I was adopted into the Danver's home I...I was mad. But also grateful?" she tried to explain, balling her fists, "Why me?" she fought to let the words out, let the hurt show, "Why was I the one to survive when everyone else died?" her jaw clenched, "what made me so special? What had I done that deemed me so worthy that I was saved?" She sniffed, fighting back the emotion in her tone, "And that brought guilt into my life. If I lived then I should be doing something worthwhile, I owed it to them. I wasn't living only for myself, but for all of those who couldn't make it." Her tears were close to evaporating due to how hard she was struggling not to let her ire and sadness mix and boil with her heat vision.

Kara hastily turned her back to remove her glasses and wipe her eyes, keeping her powers barely at bay and her identity hidden as she always did.

But then she felt a comforting cold that eased the fire that burned her insides with guilt. Lena's icy fingers carefully intertwined around her own, holding tight and holding her together when she thought she was about to break.

"Kara?" Lena called softly.

And that ended up disarming the Kryptonian from her last bit of strength. She turned to Lena, hugging her close to her chest, letting their heartbeats be tangled in a messy harmony. Kara hid in Lena's shoulder, glasses in hand, to just for a moment be nothing more than whom she really was, no cape and no civilian disguise. She needed to share this instant as her true self even if she didn't know who that was; Kara just wanted that moment to be real. So real not even Mxy could erase it.

-Year 2020-

Kara sighed, rubbing small circles over her temples, analyzing her options. She was seriously considering approaching this period's Brainy in hopes of getting him to contact the future. Granted, not the next century or so, just a few years down the road, but even that felt risky and unlikely. She needed to send a flare, a kind of signal to help her team find her, nothing too showy or prejudicial.

She had hoped they would have already pinpointed her location, but somehow that hadn't been the case. If Kara from the year 2020 had ended up in her place, she was sure her time period would be agonizingly easy to recognize, given that they had switched the same day Mxy had shown up to help fix her friendship with Lena. The fact that they hadn't managed to do that, unnerved her. Because that meant this change wasn't as straightforward as she imagined, but she had no way to prove or test her theories.

She sighed loudly, running a hand down her hair, thinking of ways she could tear the fabric of time to send a message without it being a threat to its integrity or creating a paradox. If there was something she had learned from Barry Allen was to never do that.

But her thoughts were interrupted or rather short-circuited when her hearing picked up the sound she usually tuned to when trying to sleep, her secret lullaby. She heard Lena's heartbeat...and her own stopped dead on its tracks.

"What are you doing here?" She mumbled to herself, turning around to look through the door with her x-ray vision, and sure enough, the Luthor was standing on the other side.

This was not how the original line played out, what had changed? What was supposed to happen now? She did her best to think back to these days but they were mostly a blur around the edges. She knew the main events, but the parts that caused her the most hurt were deliberately forgotten. And now she was empty-handed, trying to think what to do next that wouldn't compromise further the already delicate fabric of time.

But when Lena knocked reality came crashing down allowing her no time for a contingency plan. Kara took one deep breath, steadying herself, trying to keep her hands from shaking. It was not out of nervousness alone, it was due to the idea of seeing the woman she had been missing for the last week or so and having to pretend as if she wasn't yearning to kiss her until she could commit her taste to memory once more.

She turned the doorknob and took a step back, keeping her distance immediately. The least little details this past version of her wife could pick from her appearance the better. She had words at the ready, but seeing her there left her speechless all the same.

Lena folded her arms, "Not so fun when it's someone else reaching your home?" She challenged, which was fair enough. The last time she had shown up uninvited to her balcony, now the Luthor was paying back the visit.

Kara swallowed hard and turned around, letting her in, "Why are you here?" she asked, keeping a neutral tone.

"I want to know what's going on," Lena answered, walking into the apartment. She moved through the space with equal parts of familiarity and discomfort. Feeling no longer welcome into the home where countless game nights and reunions had been hosted.

"What do you mean?" Kara asked, barely looking over her shoulder, keeping her face partially hidden.

"For starters, why Alex suddenly showed up at my office, offering an olive branch to-"

"She what?" Kara turned around, unable to help the reaction, "When?"

Lena's arched eyebrows showed her surprise, seeing that Kara truly didn't know about that. That it truly had been Alex's initiative to reach out, "A few days ago."

Kara closed her eyes, sighing, "Alex," beautiful, considerate and headstrong, Alex. Alex who couldn't see her sister suffer without trying to help somehow, "I didn't plan that," Kara finally said, opening her eyes just to keep them averted from Lena's, "It's wasn't a ploy to manipulate you."

If that were true, why couldn't she look her in the eye when saying it? "Then explain the flower to me," Lena demanded, walking closer, not missing the way Kara took a step back to keep the painful distance between them. Why did that bother Lena so much? She had been the first to establish said distance, so why was she so hurt now that the Super was finally complying with it?

"It's a lily-of-the-valley," Kara answered without missing a beat.

"I know that," Lena said sternly, "Why did you give it to me?"

Kara bit her lower lip, putting her hands on her hips as she usually did, for the first time in days ducking her chin to her chest, "I needed to," she admitted, "it's one of your favorites."

"I never told you that," Lena incriminated, "So how would you know?"

The question was painful on its own, the idea of being unable to answer was so much worse "Let's just say that I do."

Lena chuckled woundedly, "Is lying to my face such a second nature to you?"

That hurt beyond what words could describe, beyond what any language could express. Because in this timeline, there was one more thing she had been lying about, not only to Lena but to herself.

"Who are you?" Lena finally asked, "Because you are not her."

Kara shut her lips tight, swallowing the knot that was tightening in her throat.

"You can't even look me in the eyes," Lena huffed defeated, "So I guess there's no point for me to be here any longer," she shook her head, fixing the leash of her purse, going to the door. And Kara heard it again, the way her heartbeat missed its rhythm, aching with something that was beyond explaining.

Paradoxes be dammed, and any or all the timelines that could be broken as well, but Kara could not bear that pain for a second longer, nor a second time. Whatever might come next, she would figure it out, but not before this ache had subsided.

"Lena," Kara called with such presence in her tone that it froze the Luthor in her place, making her turn to be faced by Kara who looked down and deep into her mesmerizing green orbs, "Look at me."

"What?" Lena took a step back feeling how Kara's presence had suddenly become imposing, radiating a different energy than the one before, than her usual amicable one. She was determined and adamant, exuberating a sense of control.

"Look. At. Me," she repeated pointedly, letting Lena roam her sight through her features. To see up close how a thin scar ran down her chin, to observe the way the crinkle on her forehead was slightly more prominent, to realize how inside her eyes was the experience and the burden that came through the passage of time, "It's still me," she said softly.

Lena's hand reached out to almost touch her face and Kara yearned to lean into the caress, but neither of them moved another inch.

Lena narrowed her eyes, truly taking in the image, "Kara?" she asked in disbelief, "You are...?" her eyes went wide at the realization, "you are from the future," that wasn't a question anymore, "That's why you know what will happen! Why you act so differently, that's why you knew about the flower, you-"

"You told me," Kara cut in firmly yet softly, "You told me that flower was one of your favorites because of what it meant to your birth mother,"

"Why would I have done that?" she asked defiantly, unable to think of an instance in which she would share something so private, so intimate, now that they didn't even see eye to eye, "Did you come back to make sure you'd win?" she folded her arms, "So you can tell me how this will be my downfall and convince me to join you?" she arched a brow.

Kara reacted to her words, and although her face hardened, her heart did the opposite, "No. Like I said before and as I said the first time, the choice is yours to make."

"Am I supposed to believe that's you are telling the truth? That this isn't another deceit?"

Kara's hands tightened into fists, her jaw clenched shut, and her eyes turned to stone, "You are right, you can't trust me," she nodded, taking a deep breath, "And you know what? There's one more secret I've been keeping from you throughout this time,"

"And what is that?" Lena raised her chin, daring Kara to meet her eyes, but when she did, Lena found herself unprepared to face the courage in them.

"That I love you."

Lena's breathing hitched, her world stopped, and so did her heart.

"And I know that all the suffering you are enduring right now is because you loved me too. And instead of giving you my heart, as I should have, I broke yours. And that's why you hate me so much right now. And I don't blame you. And I don't hold that against you, not even now."

Lena's mouth dried, feeling the privacy of her thoughts being breached, forcing her pulse to quicken to a rhythm she couldn't keep up with.

"Wh-why are you telling me this?"

"Because I should have done it long ago," she walked closer and Lena found herself pressing her back against the door, cornered. But Kara didn't lay a single finger on her, "Because it's as true right here and now as it is in my time, as it has always has been. Saying it today won't change anything, not in the grand scale of things, and it's likely that when I leave you won't remember any of it," she tilted her head, looking at the shorter woman's parted lips with forbidden desire, "I wish you could feel my heart hammer against my chest to reassure you my words are true, but then again you have never felt my heartbeat before and couldn't understand its pleas. So let me say it now for all those times I didn't," she leaned in, not missing the way Lena's pulse spiked, matching her own disarticulated one, as she whispered into her ear, "I love you, Lena." She said fearlessly, passionately. That was her most guarded secret, and now it was Lena's to keep.

And without grazing a single hair of the Luthor's, she reached behind her, opening the door. She wouldn't force Lena to stay or believe her truth over her own feelings. The decision had to be hers, but at least now there were no more pretenses among them, "I know it's not my time to ask you to say it back."

Alex spitted her drink out, making the carpet a victim of her reactions for a second occasion, "Yout told her what?!"

"The truth. That I love her," Kara answered unapologetically, eating calmly at the couch with her sister.

"Isn't that a bit out of the script?" Alex coughed.

"Given that she showed up at my door because you showed at hers..."

"With good intentions," Alex raised her arms, giving her a bit of a guilty smirk.

"I know," Kara nodded, she no longer had moral ground to scold her about changing the past, "I think it's out of the table to let things as they were, now," she sighed, "I'll have to ask J'onn to block her memories."

Alex frowned, shrugging into herself, "I...don't think you should," she said hesitantly, "That's...actually one of the things I went to apologize for."

"What?" her sister gazed at her in confusion.

"Kara... you weren't the only one that lied to her. We all did, but we were perceived as just an extension of the charade regarding both your identities. Isn't blocking her memories just another deception?" she asked uncomfortably, "When I couldn't remember you were my sister it's when I truly became Lena's friend since I was not biased. I trusted her far more than I trusted..." the words stuck on her tongue, "the DEO," she decided.

"Me," Kara offered, "you were going to say that you trusted her far more than what you trusted me," she exhaled, "you weren't in the wrong," she admitted, "my judgment was not..." she shook her head unable to finish the idea, "kryptonite was a delicate subject."

"Was?" Alex raised a brow, taking another sip of her beer.

"Still is as harmful as ever, I just have better equipment against it," she explained, taking another drink.

Alex pushed her lips into a side-pout, "Lena's equipment?"

"Should it not be that obvious?" Kara smirked back, sighing in contemplation, "I understand the point you are making, I don't like the idea either, but...but I just..." she clenched her hand around her wedding token, "poured my heart out to her." Kara shook her head, "I've been telling myself I wouldn't change much and at the sight of her pain I..." she exhaled, "I became undone. I jeopardized everything because I yearned to hold her and...remind her of my vows to always be there, but she's still hurting and...maybe I just made everything all the more complicated and confusing."

Alex scratched the back of her head, "Honestly? Yeah, maybe you did," she placed a hand over her shoulder, "but then again, you told her the truth. If she came back into your life because she could trust you again, then I think being sincere is a good thing. You didn't tell her anything about the future events, you didn't say you'd marry her, you still gave her the freedom of her choices, but you put your heart in the line this time around." Alex tilted her head, "Is that something you would have wanted to do on the original timeline?"

Kara pressed her fists so tight her knuckles turned white. She nodded.

Alex smiled sympathetically at her, "Then stand by your words, and face those consequences, regardless if you might still change the past or not."

Kara chuckled breathlessly, "How are you so good at this?"

"I grew up with a sister that got herself tangled in all sorts of trouble which gave me tons of experience, have you heard of her? Because rumor has it she's currently in the future and probably drooling over her future wife."

Kara's face boiled with embarrassment as she threw a pillow at her sister.

"I'm just saying!" Alex raised her hands in surrender, "Maybe she already beat you to it and confessed."

Kara rolled her eyes, but couldn't help to wonder what her past self was doing in the future and how much she had figured out by now.

-Year 2028-

Kara found the sunflowers by the window that morning, just in the right position to get the first rays of the day. That brought a smile to her face as she joined them to also absorb some of its warmth. It was weird, now that she thought about it, but other than the flowers, there really didn't seem to be a lot of decoration around, or anything that could clue her in as to what Lena's life was like. And when she had mentioned the flowers that first night she arrived, the Luthor had mentioned that those weren't for her, but hadn't provided any more information. Maybe they were for the no-show mystery date Lena had been expecting. The thought made Kara pout for no reason, perhaps it was that she had grown attached to the flowers and didn't want to imagine them being for anyone else. That could be it. She liked the flowers because they also chased the sun and she found the similarity comforting. But when Lena walked into the room, Kara turned to her as if she was the brightest star there was.

"Morning!" she said with a cheeky grin.

"Good morning, darling," Lena softly pressed her forearm, "How are you feeling?"

"Recharged," Kara smiled gratefully, "thank you."

"My pleasure," she replied kindly, before roaming through the living room in a bit of a hurry.

Kara stood in place, seeing her move in her home, and curiosity got the better of her, "Hey, Lena?"

"Yes, dear?" she called over her shoulder, going through her purse in search of something.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," she answered, fishing her phone out, seeing the multiple messages and missed calls from work.

"Do you have any pictures in your house?"

Lena stopped her movements, slowly turning around to see her, "I...do," she traced back carefully, "but I removed them in the early morning after the first night you spent here," she admitted, "it felt safer that way. There are still a few things you don't know that are better left unsaid and unseen," Like their wedding photographs, for example.

"Oh" Kara shrugged in her place, "that's...reasonable."

"Sorry," Lena mumbled.

"No, it's okay!" Kara waved her hands to the sides, "I'm sorry you had to rearrange on my behalf. I bet they were lovely, I'm honestly kind of surprised I didn't notice they were missing, I should have at least seen some that night."

"You had a lot on your plate," Lena pointed out, quite relieved that Kara hadn't seen them. She wouldn't have known how the young Kryptonian would have handled the news given that she was basically a complete stranger and sister to Superman's greatest enemy, "Speaking of plates, have you had breakfast yet?"

"I...might have eaten a few things from the pantry," she answered shyly earning a hearty laugh from the Luthor.

"I'll make sure to fully restock and order some takeouts on my way back."

Kara frowned, "Back? Fr-from where?" she asked, "The Tower?"

"I'm afraid not today," Lena answered, "I have to go to the office for some very important meetings regarding an upcoming fundraiser," she explained apologetically, "I spoke to J'onn and he said he will be doing some trials with the alien we have in custody, so you'll be with him today."

"Oh," she said aback, "Well that's-that's great! I've been meaning to ask him a few questions."

"Well, today is your chance," Lena said with a smile, "I'm sure he'll be just as thrilled to have time to catch up with you now that you won't have to be stuck in a lab with me."

"I-I don't mind," Kara rushed to say, shrugging her shoulders.

"Don't worry, darling. My focus is still to get you home, I promise I'll be gone for just today. There's a portal prepared to take you to the Tower and I already gave Brainy a detailed list of simulations he can run to find your timeline. Alex will be overseeing the experiment and will call me if there are any developments. Everything will run smoothly, you won't even notice I'm gone,"

But Kara already did. She couldn't hold it against her, however. Lena Luthor was an influential and powerful woman that had probably been neglecting her empire to be her babysitter and keep Kara out of trouble. It made sense she needed to show up at her office! Kara had already stolen so much of her time, Lena had a life of her own, one Kara knew very little about, "Okay," the Kryptonian offered a faint smile, "Good luck with your meetings!"

"Thank you, darling. See you tonight."

J'onn's eyes snapped back to reality, freeing the aline from his telepathic hold, "Is that as far as you can remember?" he asked.

"Yeah," he replied, scratching his head anxiously.

"So that's about twelve years ago, it matches your description," J'onn said to Kara, "the thing is that he wasn't on Earth by that time, so the chances of our Kara finding him to get snapped back here are slim to none."

Kara frowned, "Aren't you concerned?"

"I'm sure she can take care of herself," he said reassuringly. She could tell everyone trusted future Kara, but the one they currently had in custody? Not so much, "And in case she can't jump back to us, we'll go back for her." The Martian said determinedly.

"And how are you planning to do that?" the alien snapped, "let's not forget that without me you are stuck here too."

"We'll help you get back to your time, your cooperation will help your current situation."

"You sure know how to convince someone," he snarked, showing his chained wrists, "soon as I appeared here you kidnapped me and threw me inside a cell! So trusting you doesn't come naturally, you know?"

"You were involved in an underground arm-"

"I haven't done anything!" he stressed, "I don't know what shady thing future me did, but I'm not him, not yet. And given how grand my life was before snapping here, I kind of imagine why I would have to do something illegal to make it through the day," he grumbled, "and it's all your fault," he turned to the young Supergirl.

"I'm not this time's-"

"No, I'm not talking about future you, I'm talking about the current you," he spitted, "you broadcasted a message for all, inviting us to Earth like it was such a safe haven. But you weren't a champion for aliens, you lived among humans like one of them. You forgot to tell the rest of us that you had to look and act like them to be welcomed," he said bitterly, "And suddenly everyone migrated there, abandoning their own planets, their families and their world's economies," he huffed, "and I guess I bought a ticket too and ended up in Earth and to do what exactly?" he turned to J'onn, "You said that I was selling arms?" he chuckled dryly, "yes, such a promising future," he kicked the table, "So, hard pass. I think I rather stay here in this time, let my future self dig himself out. I haven't done anything illegal, so according to this Earth's costumes that means you'll have to let me go, right?"

"Listen here," J'onn was about to intervene when Kara sat down in front of him.

"I'm sorry," she said heatedly, "I didn't know...It wasn't my intention to create so much trouble, I just wanted others to share what I had," she explained softly.

"That doesn't make anything better."

"It doesn't," she agreed, "but I guess we both have a chance right now," she said, "when you go back to your time, you'll remember everything, right?"

"Correct," he nodded.

"Then you can rewrite your story."

"I don't think that's viable," J'onn shook his head.

"He deserves his second chance," Kara said to the Martian, "and if you help us, we can make that a reality," she addressed the alien.

"How do I know you'll keep your word?" he grimaced, looking at J'onn, "How do I know he won't wipe my mind clean and just send me back to the slaughterhouse?"

"Same as we don't know if you'll pull something to just get yourself back and leave me stranded here," Kara shrugged her shoulders, "we'll have to trust each other."

"Yeah, right. Like that will happen," he scoffed running a hand down his face, "I have the skill to get myself back in time a few minutes and I still end up tangled in the worst kind of trouble."

"What's your name?" Kara asked.

He eyed her suspiciously up and down, "Ja'ek" he answered after a beat.

"Well, Ja'ek. My name is Kara Zor-El," she said, "And I'm not this time's Supergirl, so I know what you mean when you say these weren't your actions," she said solemnly, "I can't take credit for the good or the bad she's done, nor should you take the blame for future Ja'ek's actions. But you have to make good on your word that you'll change the path you'll take," she explained, "J'onn will look into your mind, and if you can guarantee you won't make the decisions that will lead you to this future, then we can make a deal."

Ja'ek stood silent, observing her with determination before sighing noisily, leaning into the table, "Well, let's see first if we can actually do something about us being stranded," he turned to J'onn, "you think you'll be able to find some answers in my head?" he asked.

"If I can have a better understanding of your abilities, then yes," the Martian nodded firmly.

The alien exhaled obnoxiously loud, "Then let's try."

Kara walked into the control room, finding Alex monitoring the screens with Brainy, who seemed to be in the middle of sharing an idea, but stopped abruptly when he saw her walk in. His sudden silence prompted Alex to gaze over her shoulder.

"Hey!" She greeted, "I head J'onn is making some progress now that the alien is cooperating."

"Ja'ek, yes. He's...open to exploring his options," Kara said, smiling weakly as she approached them, noticing the way Brainy eyed her curiously.

Alex cleared her throat "Well, we were discussing some options as well."

"Really?" Kara asked hopefully.

"Why yes," Briany intervened with his usual and unmistakable tone, "We were wondering if it would be wise if I contacted the future to inquire how to solve this. There might be a footnote in history books."

"Wait, the future?" Kara asked, "Isn't this the future? Well, at least for me?"

"You see, similar to your case, I'm not from this time period, but unlike you, I came here with a mission and resources. Also, I am from a very much more distant time period."

Kara felt suddenly overwhelmed by the information, "That's...a lot," she swallowed hard, "can't we use the device that got you here to get me back?"

"It's not that simple," Alex intervened, "Remember, you aren't a time-traveler, you are displaced through time. There's a difference. Right now, my sister is writing over your story, which means that there's still one of you in each timeline, that's why it hasn't collapsed or created paradoxes."

"And that's also probably why the Legends haven't intervened," Brainy chimed in as if Kara would know who he was talking about, "Because the course of things is still relatively safe."

"That's right," Alex nodded, "so those are actually good news, Kar." Alex pressed her shoulder encouragingly, "So now we just have to be patient and look for the safest way to swap you back into your respective lines."

"Give time some time," Kara sighed through a breathless chuckle.

"I'm afraid so," Alex patted her back, but before any comforting words could be said, an alarm went off and the lights turned red. She turned to the screen seeing a violet anti-alien group attack a defenseless shelter, "Guardian, Dreamer!" Alex called into her com, "Get into the portals, we have a situation," her voice quivered, "Kelly, it's one of your centers."

The line went completely silent, and then Guardian's voice came through with icy determination, "Send us in."

Alex quickly obeyed, supervising the situation from afar, seeing the events escalate far too quickly, "Brainy, they'll need reinforcements, I'm going in," she put on her hood, adjusting her armor, "Be ready to give J'onn the signal."

"Understood," he nodded.

Alex turned to Kara, but before she could say anything, Kara complied, "Stay put, I know. Now go save them"

Her sister nodded and opened a portal for herself, disappearing through it.

Kara quickly got closer to the screen, to see them in action. Her sister was far more skilled than ever before, and when she fought next to Guardian, it was like watching a ballet. Their synchrony and unfaltering movements made a waltz in which only the two of them existed. Kara smiled to herself, Kelly was unarguably Alex's battlefield counterpart; her wife.

But the spell of the moment broke far too soon as multiple other rioters showed up with more than just bats and threats. The flames started to rise as the place got torched and multiple families scattered to the streets only to be faced with their aggressors.

"They are too many," Kara said, "you have to call J'onn!"

"To a mission with fire?" he retorted, clearly worried as well, "he would be compromised, there's less than a 30% chance of success," he stood up, "I'll go," he turned around to gaze at her, "our Supergirl would have 95% rate of success," he said, "without her, this will turn into a predicament."

Kara pressed her fists.

"Luckily for us, you are her," he gazed steadily into her eyes, opening a second portal, "in case everything else fails," and without another word, he disappeared into the portal and sprung into action.

The Superfriends divided into two groups, while Nia and Brainy helped evacuate the alien civilians, Guardian and Sentinel fought to keep them at bay and buy them time to get as many of them as possible through a portal.

"Is that everyone?" Alex asked, standing her ground.

"I think so!" Dreamer answered, coughing violently as she escaped the collapsing room, "I don't see anyone else."

"The police are on their way," Brainy informed, "same as the firefighters."

Guardian stood in front of the wreckage, seeing the building be turned to ashes, falling in front of her. Everything was falling apart way faster than they could put it back together. Her fists tightened and her eyes watered.

Alex reached her side, seeing her wife's work be blown away like cinder, "I'm…I'm truly sorry," she said heartedly, "and we'll make them sorry for it," she added fiercely.

"We don't have time for sorry," Kelly turned to her, "we have a lot of work in front of us," her eyes were shimmering with determination, her drive increasing.

Alex nodded back, "Right," she breathed in, "this is far from over."

And far from over it was. The explosion blindsided them all, throwing them in different directions.

"Was that a bomb?" Nia asked from the ground, recovering first.

"The gas line," Kelly answered, holding her side, "there must be a leak."

"That means more could-?" the second wave didn't get to touch them as a blur of red and blue appeared, blowing icy breath to contain the flames, keeping them from harm's way.

"Kara!" Alex was about to say something when her sister's attention was caught by a faint sound.

"There's someone inside!" the young Supergirl rushed into the building, flying blindly through the smoke, only trusting her hearing to find the person trapped. She moved the debris finding...three bodies, but only one heartbeat. Her stomach turned as she moved the entanglement of limbs and a pair of frightened eyes gazed at her from underneath. The eyes of just a little girl.

"Hey," Kara cooed, "I'm getting you out of here," she saw the burn marks in her arms and quickly removed her cape to wrap it around her protectively, flying through the blazes as the rooftop began to collapse over their heads. But Kara only had one purpose right now and that was to get the kid out safe, holding her to her chest, making sure her heartbeat was still beating against her own as she broke them through the last wall, finally seeing the light of day. She was so focused on the girl it took her several moments to realize her sister was already by her side, asking her to let go so Kelly could take the kid to the paramedics.

"Kara, Kara, it's alright," Alex said, holding her shoulder and Kara finally felt herself come back to her senses. Her mind had been completely elsewhere, captive of a violet scene from the past that haunted her deeply, "you got her out, you can let go,"

Kara's hold loosen and Kelly took the girl that was still wrapped in the cape.

The Kryptonian shivered, hiding her face into her hands, sighing unevenly, doing an effort to hold back a sob.

"Kara," Alex called again.

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have shown up," she apologized.

"It's okay, we'll talk about that later," Alex kept an arm around her, using her body to cover her from the cameras, "Are you alright?" Kara's lower lip quivered, but she nodded, "Alright, let's get you out of here," Alex helped her up, "Brainy, open a portal for us, please."

He nodded, looking apologetical at them, perhaps feeling guilty of having defied Alex's order, and encouraged the young Kryptonian to intervene in the first place, "Of course."

But before they could cross, Kelly rushed to them, "Wait!" she looked at Supergirl with urgency, "Her parents, did you-?"

Kara paled drastically, a pained expression in her features as she shook her head no, feeling nauseous, "Hers was the only heartbeat left, they...saved her."

Kara ran her finger around the mug in front of her, unable to drink the tea inside of it as she waited for news from the rest of the team. The Tower was unusually quiet, leaving her head to fill the silence with screams and pleas only she could hear. All in a language no one could understand, but Kara was sure that the devastation on their tones would have been enough to know that they were cries of help. Millions of voices begging to be saved from the flames and the explosions and all she could do was stay uselessly frozen in place while being shipped away, spared from a similar fate. But that little girl today, she hadn't even made a single sound...

The Super's stomach knotted again as she pushed the beverage away, unable to stand her own reflection.

"Aunt Kara?" Esme tentatively walked into the room, "I-I heard what happened. I thought to...well, I didn't want you to be alone while they all..." she shrugged.

Kara sniffed, cleaning her face, "Come here, little one," she opened her arms, and Esme was magnetized toward them, hugging her so tightly Kara couldn't properly breathe, but right now that's exactly what she needed, to stop the numbness that spread through her body.

"Thank you, Esme," she kissed the top of her head, cuddling her niece in arms, "You give great hugs, do you know that?"

Esme snickered lightly, "I've learned only from the best," she pushed away just enough to see her face, "you are on the top three."

Kara chuckled back, wiping the tears away and letting go, "Are there any news?" she asked after a beat.

"Mom said she'll be put into the system," she admitted, her own eyes saddening, "it will take a little while to place her into a proper home."

Kara cupped her cheek, "Are you alright?"

Esme shrugged where she stood, "It's...it's past talk," she explained fidgetting with her hands.

Kara smiled sadly at the sight, "Hey, if you don't tell anyone, neither will I," she offered, "it'll be our little secret. I'll make sure to tell J'onn to erase the information later, don't worry."

"Are-are you sure?"

"I'm your aunt, right?" Kara smiled, "or at least, I really want to be."

Esme could recall all the times she had turned to her Aunt in search of advice and comfort. Whenever her powers seemed to be too much, the Kryptonian would take all her worries away and reassure Esme, making her feel like she was the most important person in the galaxy. For her, that was the Super's real power; to always be there when she needed her the most.

And this time, it was no different.

"I'm a...I was also in the system," she explained, "before my moms adopted me and...even though I was so little I still recall things and-" her lips quivered and she made an effort not to cry, but Kara's arms were already around her, holding her together, "I don't want her to go through that,"

"I understand," Kara rubbed small circles on her back, "I don't want her to live through a pain similar to my own either," she admitted with a heavy heart.

Esme gazed up at her, looking into her eyes with confusion and sympathy. That part of her aunt's history was not something she truly knew about, and Kara realized it by her reaction.

"We are back!" Alex's voice echoed down the corridor and both turned to see the four heroes arrive still with their uniforms covered in cinder as a reminder of the events.

"Are they alright, is the girl-?"

"She's safe. Some minor burns in her arms and she breathed a bit of smoke, but she'll be alright," Kelly explained, "she's at the hospital right now."

"And the other aliens?"

"We'll relocate them to other shelters, we've already coordinated with the authorities, they'll be patrolling so nothing like this happens again," Alex explained.

Kara stood silent for a moment before daring to ask, "Has...this happened before?"

All of them shared a concerned look, which was confirmation enough, "We've been working on some peace treaties," Nia explained, "but there has been some discontent among some humans. But we are making progress, passing laws," she offered, "Alex, Kelly, and James have brought this issue to the senators, and the political environment" she gestured to herself and Kara, "we make sure to address it to the public through journalism, and Lena uses her technology and resources to fund many charities," Nia waved a hand to explain that the list went on and on, "we do a lot more, but there's still work to do,"

Kara nodded, feeling a warmth spread through her insides, comforted to see that everyone was doing their best, to see the passion and commitment in their eyes. She believed them, she believed in them. This was her future family, after all.

Kara waited in the Tower, instead of jumping into the portal back to the apartment since Lena had called before saying she was running a bit late, and somehow making it back to the house without her being there wasn't as appealing.

Nia and Brainy waved goodbye, with the latter gazing at her with a bit of a conflictive expression as if looking for the words to say something but failing to articulate them. But ultimately, he nodded at her and parted with Nia to their home.

It was a few minutes later that Guardian walked into the room, "We are about to head out, do you want us to wait with you at the apartment?"

"No, it's okay, I'll get going," she stood up, looking at the youngest Olsen through the mask, "So we are sisters-in-law, Kelly?"

The woman stood silent for a moment before removing her helmet, finally letting her see her without the mask, "We are, Kara," she smiled openly at her.

Kara sighed with relief, "It's good to see your face," she said, feeling suddenly vulnerable, "I'm...I'm sorry I couldn't save them all."

Kelly reached her side, grabbing her shoulders, "That's in no way your fault, you have nothing to apologize for."

Kara couldn't help the tears that escaped her, "Still, I feel like I should have done more, that I should have been able to-"

"No, sweetie. This doesn't fall on you."

"It feels like it does! It feels like Krypton all over again," And Kara couldn't even tell why this one incident had triggered something like that after she had faced far worst-case scenarios before. But her tears decided to stream down like rivers regardless.

"Maybe because for the last couple of weeks you've lost your home all over again," Kelly cooed softly, looking at the broken Girl of Steel, "we didn't give you time to process that you were displaced from everything you know," she rubbed her hand up and down Kara's arm, "We just kept on moving forward trying to make a plan, because for us the change wasn't as abrupt, we all know you," she said gently, "but for you, all of this is foreign, too big, too loud, too fast... like arriving to a different planet once more."

Kara broke down sobbing, realizing how true those words were, how painfully accurate they echoed inside her. It was like Krypton, but this time, there was a dim hope that she might be able to go back to her own home, and having that little hope also meant having something else to lose.

As if sensing her pain, Kelly added, "You might not recognize your surrounding, but know that the people here love you dearly. You are not alone, Kara. That much, I can promise you," Kelly gazed deep into her eyes, "you have all of us."

Kara sniffed, nodding, "Thank you," she hugged her tightly, "thank you for being part of the family," she said against her shoulder.

Kelly hugged back, "My absolute pleasure," she stroked her back gently, giving Kara a chance to pull herself back together. When the Kryptonian finally let go, Kelly squished her arm encouragingly, "Come on, let's get you home, I'm sure Lena will be there soon."

Kara nodded, "Yeah, and you have a family to get back to."

Kelly smirked, "I do," she waited for a moment, "we are going to the hospital first," she admitted, "Alex and I decided to host the girl for the time being. She won't be lonely," Guardian said gently, honoring her hero's name.

Kara felt a relief root deep into her core, healing something that had been wounded for far too long.

"Darling?!" Lena called for Kara as soon as she opened the door, "I just saw the news! Alex should have called me! Are you-?" she found the balcony's door open and the figure of the Super sitting on the riel, dangling her legs on the edge, looking quietly at the moon. Lena took a deep breath and joined her, "Kara?"

"I'm wearing the bracelet," she showed her wrist, "and I have the flower, so I don't think anyone can see me," she looked over her shoulder, "magic?"

"A talk for another day," Lena smiled softly, reaching her side, placing a tender hand on her back, "Are you alright, darling?"

Kara pressed her hands around the riel to the point a little more pressure would have pulverized the material, "Yeah, I was thinking about..."

"Zehdh?" Lena pronounced to the best of her capabilities the word for home, belonging.

"Zhi" Kara answered an affirmative before turning to Lena completely struck by the realization, "Wait you- you know Kryptonian?"

"To a very basic level, I'm afraid," Lena smiled shyly, "still conversational, just not fluid. You are a very patient teacher, I might add," she was about to look up when she felt Kara embrace her strongly, yet careful not to hurt her. The young Kryptonian hid in the crook of her neck, trying to keep from breaking down crying again, "Kara?" Lena called softly, adjusting her body to fully cradle her in her arms.

"I'm sorry, I just...I never thought I would have someone to talk to in my native language again," she confessed, "Kal was so little when we left and when he speaks it sounds so foreign, even when it's his first language as well and," she chocked, swallowing the knot on her throat, "And it's a piece of home, insignificant as it is," she sniffed, "thank you."

"It's not insignificant, Kara," Lena caressed her nape, "and it means just as much for me, too." She closed her eyes, savoring the moment. If she really tried, she could pretend she was in the arms of her wife right now. Even her smell was the same, sunkissed skin that lingered with the freshness of the day. She was her sun, the light that always pulled her out of the darkness.

Kara stood there, quietly being taken care of, held in a warmth and comfort she rarely allowed herself to feel. And once again, Lena's heartbeat became the only sound she could hear, soothing her like a lullaby. When she finally was able to catch her breath she opened her eyes to find she had been levitating over the balcony while holding to the Luthor heir.

"Sorry," she mumbled, touching back down, surprised to find that Lena hadn't been disconcerted by that. Instead, she looked even a little sad that the flight was over.

"Are you feeling better?" Lena cupped her cheek, her cold hand like a soft winter breeze against her always warm skin.

"Yes," she nodded, "I guess today was a bit too much."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there," Lena's brows knitted in concern.

Kara shook her head, "It's alright, I know you have many things to do. Dreamer mentioned you run a lot of charities for aliens, I- I wanted to say that it means a lot to me."

"I know," Lena mumbled, smiling weakly, unable to explain further all the things that had to be left unsaid, "Maybe it's best if you get some rest?" she offered in its place.

Kara faintly nodded, maybe a bit of sleep could clear her head and put at ease her troubling thoughts.

But it didn't. Sleep eluded her and Kara found herself staring at the ceiling, her mind light-years away. The hollow feeling settled into her chest as if taking the space where her heart should be. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to ease off and tune in to something far more welcoming than her own thoughts.

Lena Luthor, sitting by the edge of a bed too large for one person on the room over, also found herself prey of memories. She grabbed her wedding token from the drawer and stared at it fondly. The inscription inside of it was the same first phrase she had learned in Kryptonian. It was emblemed into metal and into her heart. "El mayarah". It was hard to believe in strength when feeling so lonely. And she had to wonder how was her wife handling the distance across time? Did she miss her touch? The midnight flights across the city? The tender kisses they would share when thinking no one at the Tower was looking?

Lena pressed the piece of jewelry against her lips, unable to call her name.

And then, a knock on the door brought her back to her empty room, "Lena?" The door opened ajar, revealing the figure standing by the frame, timidly gazing in.

"Kara?" she rapidly put the token back into the drawer, "Is everything alright, Darling?"

"Yes, I just-" she gripped the fabric mercilessly under her fingers to the point it almost get torn apart, "Can I sleep here tonight?" The request froze the Luthor in place and Kara found herself panicking, "Just for tonight, I don't even need space in the bed, I tend to float, I just- I-I don't want to be alone right now," she tried her best to keep her voice from quivering but felt her tone tremble nonetheless.

Lena inhaled sharply, remembering she needed air in her lungs, and took the final step to the door, "Of course, dear," she opened wide, letting her in, noticing Kara had brought her own pillow along which melted her heart for no reason.

"Thank you," Kara said, unable to look her in the eye, feeling embarrassed of her own request. She walked towards the couch before feeling her hand be gently grabbed.

"Don't be silly," Lena said softly, "the bed is big enough, I tend to sleep on the left side, you can have the other half," she offered with the same level of awkwardness Kara was embodying. She laid down on her side, leaving enough space between them to make her comfortable.

Kara slid under the covers, taking as little space as possible, sinking into the sheets, being swallowed by the cushions, with her sight averted.

"If you need," Lena's voice broke the silence, "I could call Alex."

"No!" Kara replied immediately, looking into her eyes with urgency before shying away from her fierce emeralds, "She's got a difficult night ahead of herself," she added evenly, "they took in the little girl from the shelter."

"Oh. I...didn't know that" Lena mumbled back, "was she the one you saved?" she inquired, not missing the way Kara's eyes flinched with hurt in them.

"Yeah...that one," she sank deeper into the sheets as if the fortress of pillows could compare to the one of Solitude.

Lena stretched her hand, pushing down the fabric to properly see her face, "Kara? What's wrong?" she asked delicately.

Kara's eyes soon flooded with tears once more and she pressed her face against the pillow sheepishly trying to hide away.

"Darling?" Lena lightly caressed her cheek, wiping away the salty drops.

"I'm sorry," Kara chocked out against the pillow. What was she apologizing for? Showing hurt? Feeling weak? For crying through all her attempts to stand tall? Lena couldn't find a reason in the world for her to say sorry.

"I'm here," was the Luthor's answer, "I'm here for whatever you need. To talk or stay silent, to hold you or give you space," she said resolutely, "I've got you, Little Darling."

Kara felt moved by the sincerity of her words and earnest actions. She pushed the hill of her hand against her face, erasing the trace of tears.

"How can I help you?" Lena asked gently, not pushing for answers.

Kara found herself latching her fingers into the colder ones of Lena, pressing lightly, "It's...the little girl," she said with a faint voice, "I...always have a hard time when it comes to kids."

Lena knew this, but she wouldn't dare say it. That was one topic she and her wife couldn't see eye-to-eye, not even after so long. Every time Lena tried to approach the subject Kara would all but flee to avoid it, never offering as much as an explanation. After a while, Lena just stopped expecting one.

Kara held on a little tighter, trying to find the words to say it. To say something that rarely came across on her talks, but seeing those emerald eyes so focused and gentle reminded her that if her future self had shared with Lena her native language, then there was nothing she wouldn't have told her already. "Especially when it has to do with babies," Kara said hesitantly, "I was supposed to...my one mission was to protect Kal and I failed," she said bitterly, swallowing the salty admission, " I was her family, I was supposed to keep him safe, to be there for him. Hold him, help him, let him know he was loved and that he wasn't alone and..." she hid her face, "and I can never get rid of that guilt inside of me." she said brokenly, "and...whenever I see a baby in someone else's arms...my mind takes me back to my capsule and all I see is how he is drifting away from my grasp." she exhaled unevenly, "And today, when I pulled that little girl out of the smoke and destruction, away from her parent's lifeless bodies I-" she bent over, feeling her guts twist, closing up her throat.

Lena quickly sheltered her against her body, feeling the trembling figure admit something her future self had buried for so long, "I've got you, Darling," she mumbled into her hair, rubbing circles on her back, "It's okay, you can say it, I'm here for you,"

"I was supposed to be Kal's family," the sob ripped through her chest, shaking her violently, "I was supposed to care for him, but instead he made sure to give me all the things I could never provide him. He made sure I had a family, a loving home, so how could I...?" she clenched into Lena's robe, pressing her forehead over her chest, "I knew right then that I could never carry a baby in arms and not feel this hurt," she felt her chest tighten, "and today, with that girl it all came back to me. All the memories, all the pain, all the broken pieces of that nightmare that I keep under the rug," she exhaled exhaustedly, finally having let it all out, letting the weight be lifted from her chest even if only for a minute.

Lena found herself shaking at her words, finally understanding a missing piece of the puzzle her wife was. The real fear and uncertainty that lay under her always determined gaze. Some wounded area of her heart had simply hidden away and hadn't resurfaced. But this young Kara had poured her soul out just for her ears. The reason Kara could never see herself as a mother was because of a pang of well-rooted guilt regarding her nuclear family. How could she be expected to care for a child when that simple act had been the beginning of her journey to the unknown? The premise of so much hurt and guilt that had built up throughout the years... But her lips had remained tightly shut around the topic, shielding her heart from that experiencing that ache once more.

"I-I didn't-, I'm so sorry, Kara," Lena held her back, wishing not for the last time that this version of the Kryptonian was her wife so she could say all the things that needed to be said. To reassure her that a family of their own wouldn't have to hurt, that she wouldn't be alone, that she would always be there, and even when she felt astray, that Lena would take her hand so both could keep moving forward. But that's not what she could tell this Kara. So instead, she embraced her lovingly, and spoke softly, "It's not your fault,"

Kara shook her head, unable to accept the same answer Kelly had told her before, "It is."

"It's not your fault," Lena said again, "It's not your fault," she repeated, holding her with might, "It's not," she kissed her forehead feeling the Kryptonian finally break down at her words, "you were just a kid," she mumbled weakly, "they shouldn't have made you carry the weight of your world and it's legacy on your shoulders. They were unfair to put that on you, and you deserve to know that you did everything you could. You loved Kal, and even if you couldn't be the one holding his hand as he grew up, you are the one that gave him back his family when you made it to Earth. You never abandoned him," she said heartedly, "You didn't choose to be pulled apart and you don't have to be the one having to stand tall and be the last daughter of Krypton. You are Kara Zor-El, and that's more than enough. Don't let the wight of your name drag you down. Believe me, I know that much," her voice quivered because she could feel her pain as her own. Because she was now realizing the battles her wife kept quiet about.

But when this young Kara gazed up with her impossibly clear blue eyes that look unfairly more beautiful through the tears, she saw something be restored. Or at least, the very first spark for that to happen. And she was looking at her with such affection, Lena felt her heart pull her closer to her, but this wasn't her time to say more or act on those candid wishes.

"Why are you...?" Kara lost her voice, "why do you care so much about me?" It was as if trying to get the moon to tell the sun why it orbited around it.

Lena couldn't say much, but she could spare this secret, knowing it wouldn't mean the same for this Kara as it did for her.

"Because I love you."

Her words were soft and true and she didn't have to express what she meant by them. She loved her for the friend she had been to her when they first met her and she loved her now for the life partner she was. In due time, in Lena's past, she would get to tell her more about it, but right now, that was still far ahead into Kara's future.

But Kara didn't need to know more to feel the sincerity of her words. Just the comfort of having someone to ease off the loneliness brought her that unique feeling that she was already home. So she held into that emotion and curled into Lena's arms, finding them to be a safe haven to let her guard down. Her eyelids finally gave out as she pressed her ear against Lena's chest, focusing on that steady heartbeat that never failed to soothe her.

Lena tangled her fingers through blonde hair, pressing her lips on Kara's head while gently humming a Kryptonian song she knew by heart because of all the times she had held Kara in a similar position when the hero came back home after a particularly tough day. The kind of days that weren't sunny, when she hadn't been fast enough or strong enough or couldn't save them all. But she always came back to her arms and that made it all a bit better.

And Lena needed her to come back to her once more.

Chapter Text

-Year 2028-

Kara stared long and hard at the tall figure before her. From all the bizarre and uncanny things she had lived through the last couple of weeks, this one was unexpectedly the most surprising.

"You have a mustache?!"

James "Jimmy" Olsen chuckled good-naturally at the remark, nodding his head as he stood in the middle of the Tower, having arrived before the Danvers-Olsens for the big family reunion, "Yeah, been growing this baby for six years now," he said proudly, running two fingers along the length of his dark facial hair.

"Why?"

"Ouch!" he put a hand over his chest in mock hurt, "You are one to talk, what about your baby face?" he retorted, "Kelly said that you are from 2016?"

"Yeah,"

"Long way from home," he pursed his mouth to the side, his mustache following his lip's movement.

"Not the farthest I've been from home," she replied with a huff, but it was clear that underneath the offhandedly given remark laid undeniable hurt.

"We'll get you back," James patted her shoulder just as the doors opened behind him and his sister came in along with her family and the small alien girl that had been living with them for the last couple of days.

"Uncle Jimmy!" Esme rushed to him, hugging him tightly.

"Hello princess," he kissed the top of her head, "how you been?"

"I've been taking some pictures I want to show you!"

"I'll be honored to see your gallery," he said affectionately, turning to Esme's mothers, "Kelly, Alex,"

"Hey, James!"

"Hi!" Kelly carefully put the girl down before hugging him, "It's been so long!"

"I know," he hugged back, "I wish my visit was merely social," he added gently.

"Let us have this moment before jumping into business," Alex scoffed as Kara approached her side, staying at a safe distance from the little girl that quietly watched the exchange.

"And who do we have here?" James knelt in front of the alien.

"We...don't know her name," Alex admitted, not missing the way her wife's hands clenched. That girl's family had been in one of the shelters Kelly had helped build and still, she didn't even know her name or that of her parents or if there were any living relatives out there. To make it harder, the girl hadn't uttered a single word still. J'onn had tried to read her thoughts, but apparently, they were transparent. He explained it was like trying to read words written on paper with a white pencil. He knew they were there, but couldn't make out what they said, so it was another dead end. It made Kelly feel all the more responsible for the child.

But she wasn't the only one. The sight of her bandaged arms and lost but inquisitive eyes made Kara's stomach turn all over again like the day she rescued her. The child looked no older than seven and severely underfed, not to mention surely traumatized. If her future self had been there, then maybe this kid wouldn't be an orphan...

Alex noticed her sister was sulking behind her in a rather unusual fashion, "Hey," she called softly, getting her back in touch with reality, "Where's Lena? Did you come on your own through one of the portals?"

"No, she's here; she just needed to attend a call while I talked to James,"

Alex nodded, "Good," she said, knowing fully well that the days she was apart from the Luthor were particularly the hardest for her sister, no matter the age apparently.

And right on cue, the youngest Luthor walked in, fidgeting with her phone, looking rather troubled. But her face brightened up at the sight of the family reunion.

"There you are, honey" Kelly called her over, "get in here,"

Lena all but melted. Somehow, even after all these years, the notion of being welcomed into both families still made her feel warm inside, like if she were standing in front of a chimney on a cold winter's night.

"We have so much to catch up on,"

"I'll say," James huffed, "it's not fair, you know? Every time I think my news will be bigger, you pull something like time travel to rain on my parade,"

"Hey, we'll gladly send you back in time if you ask nicely," Alex teased.

"And you'll stand in to take care of the whole political agenda?" he bantered back.

"If she doesn't I will," Lena mocked, "Remember that time Lex almost became president? If he could do it then so can I,"

They all laughed and Kara contemplated the exchange with a certain fascination. They were so... relaxed. She had solely seen them work under pressure and against the ropes since the moment their Kara went missing. But this right now, this image in front of her, it felt... so domestic and so right. And she wanted to be part of that because she knew that the four people before her were entirely too different from the ones back at 2016. She wasn't exactly part of this Superfriends.

"Alright, the person with the least interesting news will have to buy the drinks tonight," James smirked.

"Then prepare your wallet," they walked into the control room to debrief the mission ahead of them.

Meanwhile, Esme grabbed the girl's hand taking her to the table where pieces of paper and multiple crayons waited for her. The teen sat down with her, trying to get her involved in the activity while the grownups talked strategy she wouldn't be included in.

Kara gazed at them, seeing that the kid was arranging the colors in parallel lines, instead of using them on the paper. Maybe everything was still foreign and confusing for her as it once was for Kara. The Kryptonian gazed back at the team and immediately knew she wasn't needed there...but perhaps she could make a difference elsewhere.

She took a deep breath and approached the table where her niece was patiently trying to explain how the activity worked.

"Have room for one more?" she asked with a cheeky smile, but her eyes betrayed how nervous she really felt. She had seen the kid every day since Alex and Kelly decided to foster her, but she tended to avoid her and by extension everything that she represented for Kara. The thought that the kid wouldn't want to be near her also crossed her mind. In the most awful moment of her life, the face she had seen was Kara's. The association could be easily made and Kara would have no moral ground to resent the girl for it, given that she had already related the infant to a traumatic experience of her own.

"Sure thing, Aunt!" Esme said brightly handing her over a piece of paper, easing the Kryptonian's nervousness, "This is...actually one of the first things I did when they took me in," the teen said under her breath with a gentle chuckle, "I drew pictures of everyone," she gazed to the side, where her family stood, "that's why I thought...this might help," she shrugged shyly, looking at the girl who kept on silently putting more crayons along the length of the table.

Kara smirked, knowing fully well that Esme was trying to be part of the team in her own way, too. And this was her most earnest attempt to make sure her own story in the system wouldn't be repeated and the girl would feel accepted. It seemed like Esme was doing a much better job at overcoming her troubling feelings than Kara. Then again, much credit is due to Kelly for raising her to reach such emotional stability.

Kara grabbed her niece's hand giving it a tight squeeze, "I can't wait to see mine for the first time,"

Esme's grin grew wider, "Aunt Lena actually has it framed on her office's wall,"

"She does?" Kara asked with a bright smile, "Wait, mine?" The idea of Lena actually being sentimental about something such as a handmade drawing was beyond touching, but why would she keep Kara's?

"I-I mean, her own," Esme amended rather successfully, "I did one for her, too."

"Oh, right" that made far more sense, "well, I hope I kept mine safe as well," Kara said instead, rubbing the back of her neck.

"I'm...sure you did," Esme smirked looking at her Aunt affectionately. Talking to her while she was just barely a few years apart from her own age was...different. Not bad, just different. Supergirl usually displayed an unbreakable front but...it was also nice to see this softer side, the unprepared side that stammered and talked about the past and sat down with her at the table to do a drawing instead of preceding a mission briefing.

Kara began to color as well, thinking that perhaps leading by example could help the small alien understand the activity, but the girl looked at the paper with no emotion, deciding to put a second row of pencils distributed over the one she already had concluded. Kara exhaled softly, feeling the barriers that kept anyone from reaching out to her get a tad bigger. So instead of trying to force the girl into their world and customs, she grabbed more crayons from the box and started to hand them to her so she could keep doing what she was already enjoying.

Her little bright eyes gazed up at those of the Kryptonian and without a word or any expression, she took the piece from Kara's hand to place it down, then turning to be handed another one, letting Kara be part of the activity. Letting her in, in whatever she was doing. It was a small victory, but it felt like a major win all the same.

Lena stole a glance to look at Kara interact with the little girl, despite the Kryptonian confessing night priors in an entanglement of pillow and tears, to all the things that kid reminded her of.

But there she was, doing an effort to connect with the child and perhaps reconnect to a part of her own history that needed nurturing. It was so strange to see such an act of maturity from Kara. Not that Lena wasn't used to her wife's ever-present sense of responsibility, it's just she tended to take responsibility for everything around her and left her own well-being as a last priority. Her emotional wounds, although rare, still needed tending to, but sometimes it was just hard to articulate that. Perhaps all the years of being Supergirl had built a callous shell over those wounds, covering them, but not truly addressing the hurt that lay underneath.

"So, what do you think, Lena?" Alex asked, noticing the Luthor's attention was elsewhere, "Lena?" she repeated.

"I'm sorry, what?" she turned around hastily, receiving three equally concerned gazes.

"Maybe you should take a few days off, honey," Kelly said carefully, "you've had a couple of overwhelming weeks,"

"We all have," Lena folded her arms defensively, but she knew better than to try to put up walls, by now they all knew how to tear them down. One of the perks of being in a family, "it hasn't been easy for anyone,"

"It's different for us," Alex replied. She too had been dealing with the toughest part of having her sister displaced in time and being handed in return a very young version to look after. Alex would be lying if she said she had been handling perfectly fine. "I think Kelly is right, you should try to rest, especially with the gala closing in."

"Perhaps it is best if you cancel it," James suggested receiving a borderline murderous gaze, "don't kill the messenger," he raised his hands in surrender, "but think about it, the timing feels off,"

"This fundraiser will make the difference for hundreds of aliens out there!" the sheer passion and determination in her tone drew Kara in, as she turned to see the Luthor advocate avidly, "We need to do this more than ever after what happened. We can fund more shelters, promote the Intergalactic Peace Treaty you've been trying to pass to the senate. It's a great opportunity to be on the public's eye and do something worthwhile with that attention," she inhaled sharply, "that's what she would want me –and all of us- to do right now,"

The silence after that was deafening.

"Lee is right," Alex exhaled, "I can practically hear her voice in my head saying exactly that," she smirked to herself, "we have to go through with the event,"

"Then...what are you going to do now that your plus one is..." James side glanced "out of town?" Smooth, Olsen.

"I'll go with you," Alex offered without hesitation.

"No, no," Lena quickly said, knowing fully well the oldest Danvers mean it, "You are going with Kelly," she turned to the teams' most emotionally stable member just to realize Kelly was actually tilting her head to the side, agreeing with her wife's plan.

"I could take my brother instead,"

"No, no, you are going with your wife," Lena said resolutely. This was another thing about families; they were incredibly stubborn in the pursuit of ensuring her well-being.

"I mean, it sort of makes sense if I take the spot," Alex shrugged. She was Kara's sister, a good stand-in for Supergirl's absence. Fewer questions would be asked, especially because of Alex's signature, 'don't talk to me' look she had perfected over the years.

"I can do the honors," James said.

"With our shared history?" Lena challenged with a smug smirk, "I think that would give the wrong message, Mr. Olsen. The media would eat it up if I don't show up with whom they expect but with you instead."

Kara felt the crayon be turned to a molted mess in her palm due to how hard she clenched it after piecing together what Lena was implying. Lena had dated James Olsen, too?!

"Hey, media can't really touch you," he teased back.

"In any case, I think Brainy would be more fitting, given that his involvement in my lab has been the cause of some major break-throughs," Lena said, "I'll present him as my guest of honor and then he can sneak away with Nia."

"It will help that he isn't human," Kelly muttered, "since the image we want to give is cooperation among different species,"

Kara didn't know what possessed her, but she stood up all the same, "Why don't I go as your plus one?" she asked, getting every head to turn in her direction, "I mean, I'm an alien" she shrugged at their reaction, seeing them so aback by the offer.

"It's...risky, sis," Alex rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, unable to tell her the real reason.

"It's a fundraiser, how many attacks actually happen at those?"

Esme's snort was not a helpful answer, "Sorry," her niece apologize, "but our history books are plagued with them,"

"Wouldn't it be weird if Supergirl didn't show up?" Kara insisted, "I'm guessing future me has some sort of involvement in this kind of things, right?"

'More than you know' was the answer that no one dared say out loud. But Kara had a point and a stronger case than she realized. The figure of Supergirl had been elusive at best lately, and if she didn't show at her own wife's event like she always did, then questions would be asked.

Ultimately all eyes turned from Kara's to Lena's. The Luthor had the final word, after all, one way or another.

"No one would make any remarks," Alex said cryptically, referring that nobody would tell younger Kara that she was Lena's wife. No one at the event would point out the obvious.

"What about her looks?" James intervened raising a brow.

"What about them?" Kara asked, feeling the need to fix her glasses, but remembering she had none on.

"Well...besides looking a tad older you have a decade worth of muscles for every time you saved the day,"

Younger Kara folded her arms self-conscious of something she never thought would bother her.

"She could wear her armor dress," Kelly said, "the one for military events?"

Kara wanted to dig deeper into the fact she had one of those. Because really, how often did they get attacked that they manufactured a nightdress also suitable for battle?

"I don't know," Alex grimaced, turning to Lena, "the final say is yours, of course,"

For being a Luthor used to be put on the spot, Lena looked very uncomfortable.

Kara couldn't bear all the looks that were being exchanged throughout the room. Was she really so shortcoming of future Supergirl's standards for all of them to have so many reservations about her? Inevitably her head hung low, gazing down at the symbol on her chest. What was the point of wearing the uniform in the Tower anyways? They wouldn't let her help a second time and obviously, no one was thrilled that she had interfered the first one. She was not their Supergirl.

Lena saw Kara's hurt clear as day and grabbed her wrist, walking them a couple of steps away from the epicenter of the conversation to then gently place both palms over Kara's shoulders to look directly at her, "Listen, darling," she said softly yet determined, "I would love to have you by my side that night, only if you can promise me one thing, so no one will know about the change," the fact Kara's eyes were downcasted meant the petition was truly going to be a struggle. Lena gently hooked her fingers under her chin raising it, "keep your head up," she said firmly, "you can't look down, not once. You can't falter or gaze away first," she saw inside those innocent eyes and knew it was no easy task, but there was also such a determination and fire in those blue orbs that Lena knew Kara would deliver, "Can you do that?"

"Yes," the Kryptonian said gazing back with equal fierceness to prove she could handle it.

Lena's smile softened, "Very well, darling," she ran her finger through her golden hair to tuck a rebellious lock behind her ear, "Then will you do me the honors and be my plus one?"

Why did her heart have to beat so fast at Lena's words and her smile spread through her face without hesitation? She just found herself nodding enthusiastically, embodying the same energy of a summer's day.

And Lena gazed back at her with that soft calmness of a harvest moon shining through a quiet night, "It's settled then, I'll give you the details later," she said gently, turning back to the others, nodding her head, to clue them into the conversation.

Alex sighed, but nodded back, "Alright, now let's try to solve this time riddle," she turned back to the screen.

The little girl tapped her finger between two pencils, getting Kara's attention.

"What is it, sweetie?" she asked, letting the nickname slip from her lips without a warning.

But when Kara spoke, the alien moved her hand, to another empty space. There was really nothing there. Not a drawing, or a crayon, or a single thing to point at.

"Maybe it's Morse Code?" Esme suggested and the girl changed the location of her finger once more, "Guess not," she exhaled scratching the back of her head, "it's the closest thing she's done to try and communicate," her niece admitted, and since they shared a room, Kara had to take her word for it.

As Kara and Esme kept on talking, the little girl continued to move her hands through the length of the table, never touching the crayons, just the gap between them, and the more she did, the more intensely Lena gazed at her until her eyes opened wide, "She's trying to match the tone," the Luthor said and everyone turned to her, seeing that she was talking about the girl.

"What?" Kelly asked, and as if to prove it, the girl touched a place she hadn't before.

"Darling, hold a note," Lena asked the Kryptonian that froze in place embarrassed.

"We all have heard you sing, sis," Alex chimed in, "come on, do it for science," she mocked easing the mood.

"Alright," she cleared her throat and vocalized perfectly, holding the note. The girl listened and placed her hand more to the right.

"Okay, down an octave now," Lena instructed and Kara complied, getting the alien to move down the line again.

"It's a piano," Lena finally explained, "The spaces between crayons are the keys"

Soon the little arrangement took a whole other dimension. The discovery brought a sense of closeness to the child.

"So she is familiar with some Earth things,"

"She has exceptional hearing," Lena said truly impressed.

"Yeah, I don't think I could ever tell tones apart with such ease," Kara admitted. One thing was having the ability to hear what was being muttered a thousand yards away, but having an educated ear was a whole other feat.

"So she's musical," Kelly said, "J'onn might be able to locate which kind of alien has a kin hearing and help us figure out more,"

"Mom... Can I try?" Esme spoke up, gathering her courage, "can I see if...? Well, maybe she has an ability I could mimic to help us understand her," she swallowed the knot on her throat.

Both parents exchanged glances. It had been over two weeks since Esme last tried to use her powers -other than to match Kara's strength when hugging her- and neither mother had tried to push her to do it this time. But in this instance, Esme was the one asking to, perhaps trying to regain her confidence.

"If you think you are ready, then we are here for you," Kelly answered and Alex wrapped an arm around her wife.

"You've got this, kiddo" the oldest Danvers smiled encouragingly and Kara recognized that same gesture she tended to do whenever prepping her for a battle.

Esme nodded heartened, turning back to the girl, gazing into her eyes, trying to feel whatever her ability might be. Kara watched closely, she hadn't realized her niece had any powers, and apparently, she had deliberately avoided telling her this, same as everyone else kept their secrets.

The young teen closed her eyes trying to concentrate. She could tell there was something there, but she couldn't quite reach it. It felt exactly as J'onn described it, a whole story written in invisible ink. Just as she was going to break the link, the girl reached to touch her hand and suddenly images flooded Esme's mind. She saw another planet, and although she had never been there or seen it, it felt like a memory of her own.

Esme gasped, jolting back, freeing her mind from the hold of foreign imagery.

"Kiddo?" Alex reached her side, putting an arm around her.

"I-I saw," she stammered gazing back at the girl, "Was that your home?"

But the girl didn't answer, as if words meant nothing to her.

"What did you see?"

"Wa-wait, let me try something," Esme shut them out; she didn't want to lose the faint touch she still had in her head, the clarity of the phantasmagorias. She stretched her hand, being the one to touch her first, focusing all her might into images of her own home. She couldn't tell how, but she knew the girl was seeing them too. When Esme lost the focus of those memories, it was the child's turn to show something else, two faces; her parents, Esme was sure. She didn't know why, but it was like taking her place in those memories, being filled with all the information about what she was seeing. So Esme answered, showing Alex and Kelly, her mothers.

And then the girl retracted her hand to look at both women. She pointed at them and Esme nodded.

"What-what's happening?" Alex asked, noticing how the girl was paying close attention to them.

"I told her you are my parents," Esme replied.

"You told her?" Kelly inquired confused.

"Showed her, really," their daughter admitted, "She doesn't need words, she shows images and they are filled with her life experiences, like if you could jump into a first-person videogame and know the backstory," she tried to give a somewhat comprehensible example, "That's her language,"

"Can she show us?" Alex inquired, but when she touched her hand nothing happened.

"I think it only works with the people with the same ability," Esme mumbled, apologetically.

And the progress suddenly felt blocked again, knowing the communication was still limited.

"Perhaps," Lena spoke cautiously, her brows knitted showing how deep in thought she was, "we could be linked into it,"

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"What if J'onn links his thoughts into Esme's and projects them for the rest of us? Be a bridge between us,"

"So he'll be the projector screening the movie," James snapped his fingers.

"Sure, let's go with that analogy," Lena waved a hand.

"It's worth the try," Alex said, hands on her hips, "I'll go look for Dad,"

It took the better part of half an hour for J'onn and Esme to be in perfect synchronization for the trick to work. There couldn't be doubt or restrain; everything had to be put on the line for the communication to be honest and open.

"I'm...ready," Esme breathed out, stretching her hand for the girl to touch. When she did, images showed in her head, of when the alien family first arrived to Earth.

"Woah," Alex jolted, "what the-?!"

"Mom, please," Esme mumbled, trying to stay concentrated.

"Sorry, kiddo," the redhead whispered back.

"Can you ask her if she has any other relatives?" Kelly asked.

Esme stayed silent, trying to think of how to explain that. How to show something else that wasn't her parents? And the image of James came to view as he taught her photography while taking a stroll with Kelly. That was her mother's brother, a relative.

Esme could feel the girl grasping the idea, and inevitably Kara and Lena came into mind as well, from a memory not too far back of them coming over for dinner.

Kara felt her breath hitch, seeing for the first time her future self be just that; herself. It was like gazing into a mirror of 'what ifs' and 'could haves'. That Kara was everything everyone said she would be. She looked happy and free from a shadow this young Super didn't know she was dragging. There were no glasses, no cape, no secrets... her smiles were unapologetically honest, like the rest of her demeanor.

And just before the scene could unfold and Kara would realize Lena was holding her hand while wearing her wedding token, the image dissipated into darkness, mere moments before they would share a tender kiss.

There was a shared sigh of relief that the Kryptonian couldn't understand as she was left craving for one more taste of that.

"Sorry," Esme mumbled ever-so-gently, breaking her concentration for a moment to gaze at Lena, who struggle to reassure her while holding a watery smile.

Luckily, before more could be said, the girl answered the scene with one of her own. Her parents did use to have other family members, but...then the images just stopped. They weren't in the picture anymore.

"So...she really doesn't have anyone else," Alex mumbled, heartbroken.

And Esme's thoughts were taken hostage to a time she felt the same. Showing when she was left outside the house to fend for herself against angered men when she was just a child. She felt the fear and powerlessness of not knowing what to do, of her pleas being ignored. But then, Guardian and Sentinel showed up, and... everything felt less scary and not so lonely.

Esme hadn't meant for others to see that, and she was willing to end the experiment, but one more interlude occurred in her thoughts and although she hadn't lived it, she didn't know the context to recognize it. It was the fire at the shelter. Smoke was building up, blurring her vision, making it hard to breathe. Even if there was no sound to the image, the shouts and pleas could be felt in the memory. And before everything collapsed into hell's fire, her parents enveloped her in arms, sharing images of their own of better days, keeping her from seeing the destruction around. Even as they were in agonizing pain, they put every last bit of their will into protecting her, keeping her from the horrid truth to their last breath...

And when finally the link faded and there was only darkness, Kara's face appeared as she pulled her from oblivion's grip, breaking her free to see the sunlight once more.

...The image dissolved and the shared experience was broken, leaving everyone feeling as if a piece of their own hearts had been pulled from their chests.

Kara abruptly stood up, exiting the room with a great effort not to break down sobbing as she did.

"Kara," Alex tried to follow, but Lena gently grabbed her wrist.

"Let me talk to her," Lena asked softly, "please," her eyes were begging the oldest Danvers.

Alex sucked in a breath and exhaled hollowly, "'Kay, Lee," she pressed her hand back, "we are here if any of you needs us,"

Lena nodded at her loving sister-in-law, "Thank you," she hugged her for a quick moment before turning to follow the Kryptonian.

It was painfully easy to find her. The trail of tears spattered on the floor and the muffled sobs betrayed Kara's efforts to hide away.

Lena gazed at the broken figure before her, curled into herself, fighting her insides and failing to slay her own demons, "Darling?" she called softly, but the sole sound of her voice made Kara flinch.

"I-I need a minute, ple-please," she choked out, pulling her cape, hiding in it as a cocoon.

But Lena stood there silently, wishing she could kiss away every tear that was falling down her eyes as she would her wife's. Instead, she felt her own chest tighten every time a sob ripped through Kara's entire body, shaking her violently.

"Kara?" Lena mumbled, taking a step closer, "You don't have to hide from me," she reached her side, sitting next to her, "It couldn't have been easy to see that,"

"I'm not-I'm not Alex –or Kelly," Kara stated pushing through the tears bitterly, "they protected Esme, they kept her safe, I didn't- I couldn't save that girl's parents, so why did she share that image as if they were equal? I failed her."

"Kara, that's not true,"

"I'm sure your Supergirl could have been faster or stronger or braver, but instead I-I," she covered her face, "I know I'm not enough, I do. I just thought I could help, but-"

"Don't," Lena warned, hurt ringing in her voice, "Don't ever think you are not enough," she grabbed her shoulders making sure her words would be heard, "you are right here and now every bit of the hero that I know and that I love," she stated avidly, "the only difference I can name between the two of you, is that my version has learned a harsh truth you are yet to live, and that is that you can't always save everyone," she cupped her face, "and that's not your fault, Darling." She said, "No matter how hard we try, how much preparation and experience we gain, that is one reality we cannot escape. But we keep pushing forward because, for that lives we've lost, we have another hundred we have saved. And although fear and guilt are paralyzing, if we stop doing this, then we would really fail. As many times as we've lost someone, the number would be infinitely larger if we stood frozen and did nothing. That's why we keep fighting, Kara. For the ones we can still make a difference for," she "and that girl out there, she's one of them. You saved her, so don't ever let me hear you say that you think so little of yourself."

Kara embraced Lena strongly, hiding against the Luthor's chest, her make-believe fortress where she could find refuge.

"Thank you," she sniffed.

Lena could think back to all the times Kara had been the one picking up her broken pieces, telling her that she was more than what she thought of herself, stating valiantly how the Luthor's name wasn't worthy of Lena and not the other way around.

"I will always be there for you, Kara," even though the worst of their shared history, Lena would never dare imagine a world in which the Kryptonian wasn't in it, "I love you, Little Darling," she whispered into her hair.

And Kara knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt and against all logic and reason given how little time they had spent together, but seeing how their paths would merge for the next 12 years, that she loved Lena Luthor, too.

-Year 2016-

"If you could go back in time and change one thing about it, what would it be?" Kara asked the dangerous question, holding a double-edge sword made out of words.

Lena hummed, her gaze set into the horizon to the lovely view the street cafe offered, "World history or my own past?"

"Your own," Kara answered, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. It was an unfair question, but ever since arriving and getting stuck in the past, given that she had been trying to fix it through Mxy's magic, it left her thinking.

Lena's eyes took a trip into her memories and just as words were going to slip her lips, she prevented the truth from coming out and cleared her throat instead, "Stop Lex from doing so much harm, of course."

Of course. That was the answer everyone would expect of her, to show she wasn't a Luthor like the rest of her family.

"What about if you could change something for yourself," Kara said lightly but pointedly, "not for anyone else,"

That broke a small piece of Lena's armor, because, how could this barely named reporter could see through her? Read her so easily? But she wasn't being interviewed by a reporter; it was just Kara and her at a table, talking without a care in the world, being friends. And somehow that idea scared her a bit more; having someone to talk to.

Her lips trembled, "My mom," her voice quivered in the slightest, "My birth mother, I...I wish I...had done something differently," that was as much as she was willing to say. So she swallowed the knot and gazed up, "what about you? If you could change something just for your sake what would you have done differently?"

'This' Kara thought, feeling the comfort of such an ordinary scene. She had tried to change one huge event, telling Lena the truth from the very beginning and through multiple other instances, but really, these small scenes and gestures were all the more real and honest without having to take her glasses off to admit her hero persona.

"I...wouldn't have taken something for granted," Kara worded carefully, "I hurt someone," she admitted gazing down, "And I don't know if I can fix it," she held a tight smile.

Lena leaned into the table, reaching her hand to give it a tight squeeze, "I'm sure it will work out,"

Kara exhaled a humorless laugh, hearing Lena say that made it all the more painful and ironic, "I'm not sure, " she gazed sadly at her, "I broke that person's trust, and no matter how much I try to make it right I...I think they... hate me," Kara hadn't ever dared to say that out loud, because, in the deepest part of her being, she feared that might be true and it hurt more than a Kryptonite bullet to her chest could.

"I don't believe anyone could hate you,"

A watery chuckle broke free from Kara's lips, "You'd be surprised," she retreated her hand to wipe her eyes with the napkin, keeping Lena from seeing her take off her glasses to do so.

"Did you mean to hurt them?" Lena asked softly and Kara froze feeling her hands shake as she slowly turned to meet her eyes.

"No. I never meant to," that was the confession she wanted to tell her the most, but the Lena waiting back in her timeline would never hear it.

"Is it really worth all pain it's causing you?" Lena asked again, hearing her closely.

"Yeah," she nodded, "I could never live with myself knowing I lost what I had because I didn't try to make it better,"

"If they are hurt by it, it's because you meant the same for them. We are often wounded the most when the people close to us are the ones that hurt us. But...if they valued what you shared, then maybe they'll see past it. And if they really know you and can realize you wouldn't have purposely hurt them, then...you might both heal,"

Kara gazed deep into her eyes, wishing they would never gaze at her with anything but that softness and reassurance. She couldn't bear the idea of having to see hatred and betrayal in them, "I hope you are right," she whispered her prayer.

"I think I am,"

"Would you be able to forgive me if it were you?" the vulnerability in her tone, the glimmering hope in her eyes, it all made the question feel too real, no longer a hypothetical they could talk about as a distant 'what if'.

And that made Lena take a step back and face the mirror of her own feelings, seeing the truth about herself, "...I think...I would try," she said honestly and that was all Kara could ask for, empty words would mean nothing, but at least there was this small light she could try to follow through the dark tunnel, "I'm sorry if that's not what you were expecting to hear," she gazed down, "I just...have some baggage and I'd be lying to tell you otherwise. I must sound like a hypocrite, but-"

"No," Kara leaned in, reaching for her wrist, "It makes perfect sense," she nodded, "it's a double way street, my feelings shouldn't be the only ones taken into consideration," she gazed down, "maybe I...shouldn't have pushed them to be. I wanted so badly to fix what I had broken that...I didn't give the situation any time or space, I kept on pushing because I missed them so much, I just wanted to fix everything," she exhaled, "my sister once said I have a savior complex," and you once said I have a God Complex. Neither of them was completely off the mark. She was always trying to be the one in control of the situation and...now she was realizing that letting go of that control didn't mean having to let go of the people she loved. In her most earnest attempt to keep the ones she loved close, she had ended up pushing them away, pushing Lena away.

"Then maybe you should take a step back,"

Kara chuckled to herself, she had taken four years back, " I'll follow that advise," she fixed her glasses, "Thanks Lena,"

Lena smirked tentatively, "Welcome," she leaned back into her chair, clearing her throat, "I think I should head back to the office now, I don't want Jess to think I was kidnaped, she'll probably call the police if I don't show up soon,"

Kara giggled softly, "Right," she pulled out her wallet.

"Nonsense, I'll pay,"

"No, I'm the one that invited you," Kara answered back.

"You don't have to do that," Lena said. She was a literal billionaire, but Kara was treating her as a friend, not the heir of the Luthor's legacy.

"If you want to make it up to me, I love potstickers," Kara grinned giddily.

"Name the franchise and it'll be yours," Lena challenged back.

"I'm afraid it would be a terrible investment, I would totally eat everything myself," Kara shrugged her shoulders hearing her laugh, walking next to her to the exit, feeling a sudden pinch in the back of her brain. Like a needle pocking at her cortex. She shook her head trying to get rid of the sensation. What a strange headache.

"Well, then I insist next time it will be my treat," Lena said folding her arms, "You've already brought me lunch and took me out for a coffee, so if potstickers are what you like the most, it's on me."

"You'll love them, I eat them like every week at sister's night," Kara said energetically but found herself out of breath like she had been fighting for hours on end. She inhaled sharply and passed a hand through her forehead wiping away a thin layer of sweat, "What?" she mumbled to herself.

"I'll make sure to make a reservation,"

"It's more of a takeout restaurant than a dine-in," Kara provided, taking off her scarf to try and alleviate the sudden warmth she felt.

"Oh, well…in that case, maybe you'd like to come to my-?" Lena gazed to her right, finding that Kara had stopped walking a couple of steps ago, "Kara?" she turned to her, only to find the reporter's face knotted in pain, as she doubled back, holding into a wall, "Are you okay?!" she quickly reached her side, putting a hand over her shoulder, seeing how heavy drops of sweat were running down her face.

"I am, I'm sorry, I-I think I'm having a migraine," she pressed her eyes shut, trying to block out all the light, finding images waiting behind her eyelids. It looked like National City but different somehow. And that pinched a bit harder, making her grunt, she had never experienced this, not in this timeline and not in her lifetime. Something wasn't right.

"What do you need?" Lena placed a hand on her back and the gesture triggered another flashback as fleeing images took over her thoughts, showing things she had never lived but felt like she had been there.

Her strength faltered and she fell to her knees, trying to keep herself together, whimpering at how much this was hurting. It was not like being punched in the gut or be dried out of her powers, this ached her brain as if someone was scrabbling it with a fork, "Can…can you call Alex?" she asked breathlessly, struggling with each word, "I'm not- not feeling…too well," she panted closing her eyes, not really knowing in which point Lena had knelt to her side to tend to her. She only found a bit of relief when her cold fingers pressed against her forehead, easing for a moment the inscrutable pain her brain was putting her through.

"You are burning up!" Lena's pitch made her flinch, "Sorry," she whispered, "I'll call Alex, but we have to take you back to your apartment meanwhile," she said softly.

Kara didn't have the strength to refute, in all honesty, that sounded like the perfect plan. She just wanted to lay down and cease to exist for a moment.

The reporter didn't notice at which point Lena had called her driver, or how he had managed to drag her into the back seat. The only moments that registered were those in which Lena's gentle words were accompanied by cold brushes of her fingers, contrasting with her burning skin.

When the door of her apartment was finally opened Kara made a titanic effort to carry some of her own weight knowing Lena would be unable to walk her into the place otherwise.

"Where's your room?" Lena asked quietly and Kara pointed at the door on the back. She would much rather have collapsed on the floor or the sofa, but they managed to reach her bed and Kara finally found her body pressed on it, keeping the world from spinning.

Lena sat on the opposite side, gazing at her with deep concern, but Kara couldn't provide any comforting words to reassure her. Truth was, she couldn't even reassure herself since she didn't know what was going on.

"What do you need?" Lena asked and those words ringed deep into her head, she had heard them before from her, hadn't she? But when?

Kara winced as her brain tried to connect the dots but was short-circuiting while doing so.

And then Lena took her hand, her cold fingers intertwined into hers making the scene feel so familiar. She could remember this exact same feeling, of her being enveloped by the covers and pillows and Lena holding her hand, both lying in bed, gazing into each other's eyes. It was so vivid, yet Kara had never been in that situation before, so why did it feel like déjà vu?

"I'm sorry," the words left Kara's lips, echoing like a faraway dream she had woken up from.

"Hey, save your strength," Lena chided lightly.

The sound of the front door opening announced Alex had arrived. The Agent rushed into the room, looking absolutely terrified, "Kara?!"

The alien covered her ears shuddering, "Not so loud, please" she begged.

Alex knew perfectly well that request meant her hyper-senses were triggered, so she took a deep breath steadying herself, knowing Kara was picking up on the slightest of details, such as her heartbeat, "What happened?"

"We were walking back after lunch and she started to feel unwell, complained about a migraine," Lena provided.

"You never get those," Alex mumbled, frowning.

"I think she's broken into a fever," the Luhtor concluded.

"That's impossible!" Her sister's flinch reminded her to watch the pitch of her voice. She approached the bed, kneeling next to her, "Was it something you…ate?" she asked trying to hint at the real question, "Maybe you got intoxicated by something moldy, something green?"

Kara shook her head, "Doesn't feel like that," she said, shivering, "it would show,"

True. Kryptonite would make her veins look a radioactive kind of green.

"Alex I'm not sure…This wasn't meant to happen,"

"It's not your fault that you got sick," Lena said gently, unaware of the real context of the conversation.

Alex bitted down her lower lip, her brows knitted, "Let-let me call…"

Kara nodded, knowing she meant J'onn.

"Okay, hold tight," she pressed a quick kiss on her forehead, gazing up at the Luthor, "Can you keep her company meanwhile?"

Lena blinked, realizing the oldest Danvers was entrusting her, her sister's well-being, even if just for a moment, "Of course," she answered without hesitation.

After looking into her eyes, Alex could do nothing but believe her. So, she nodded and stepped outside.

Kara recoiled, hugging herself tightly, pushing a hand against her face, as if putting enough pressure into it would stop her thoughts from flowing.

"Hey, easy, easy, you'll crush your glasses into your face," Lena reached her side, gently taking them.

"Wait! I-"

"It's okay," Lena slid them away, forcing Kara to quickly cover behind the pillow, blocking out the light.

"You are not supposed to see me like this," the blonde mumbled, feeling small and exposed. How did she always embody such an indestructible persona with a symbol on her chest but felt naked and vulnerable without a pair of glasses on? All her strength and powers did her no good as she curled into a ball, hiding her face like an infant.

"Sick?" Len asked in disbelief, "Human?"

Kara's body tensed, but Lena didn't make any remark that could indicate she knew her secret, there was no reason she could know it, after all.

"It's okay," Lena sat down, tucking her legs neatly under herself, gazing at her, although her eyes were hidden, "Believe me, I know better than most how exhausting putting up an act can be for the sake of keeping an image, my board of directors rarely looks me in the eye,"

"I don't mean to put up an act with you," Kara mumbled, confessing to sins Lena knew nothing about, "I just…do, I guess," she shrugged, pressing a hand against her temple, feeling the pain drill a whole on her skull.

Lena's fingers gently reached Kara's hair "I'm going to take the elastic off, okay? It will help with the headache, trust me,"

Kara felt her heart stop abruptly by the petition, her disguise falling to pieces around her, but she didn't feel the need to hold into the parts "I trust you," she replied heartedly allowing smooth fingers to free her golden locks while intertwining in them, providing small caresses through her scalp. The pain subsided for an instant under Lena's care. Kara had never been this close to -accidentally- revealing her identity through such a tender scenario, and she would know given that she run through multiple of them with Mxy.

But on this occasion, Lena was there for Kara, not saving Supergirl. There was no world crisis to attend to, no grand gestures, no life or death situation, just a quiet room, a messy entanglement of limbs and soft words being mumbled for her comfort…Kara never knew something as innocent could disarm her so badly.

"You don't have to, you know?" Lena mumbled, "put up the façade when you are with me," she explained, "I think you are the first person that I don't feel the need to play these games of pretenses with,"

Kara breathed in, "I'm not good at letting people see me in pain," she exhaled unevenly, "I'm…expected to be strong. You saw Alex's reaction, I'm…I'm not supposed to break,"

Lena hummed, feeling the sincerity in her words, "Then I won't tell your secret," she offered, "you don't have to be unbreakable around me,"

Kara felt her breath hitch, moved by her words, unable to be unaffected by them, "How would you see me then?" Weak? As a fallen hero? A fraud?

"The same as right now, same as always," Lena answered, "you never see me as anything but who I am. I'm not…a Luthor…when I'm with you,"

Kara breathed in through her mouth, keeping herself from panting and with a shaky hand, she pushed the edge of the pillow down, allowing one of her eyes to partially gaze through the rebel streaks of golden hair at Lena. There was no armor to hide behind, no glasses, no immaculate image of a reporter to present before her.

And those mesmerizing emeralds gazed back at her as she promised they would, as she always had. Lena was seeing her. Nothing more and nothing less.

-Year 2020-

Jeremiah was dead. It was almost sardonic in how many instances in her lifetime Kara had heard that statement. The man that raised both sisters had become something of a ghost that surfaced once in a while like a washed away dream -or nightmare. But he was their father, nonetheless.

So when Alex appeared at her door, she wasn't there to tell her the news, but to demand answers as to how she had done nothing about it. And Kara could provide no satisfactory reply. She kept somberly quiet as Alex shouted, calling her out for being willing to use Mxy to fix her friendship with Lena, but not this time-travel opportunity to prevent his death.

"Don't give me that bull about not changing the timeline!" Alex shouted and her words could have been enough to make Kara's ears bleed, but she kept quiet, looking into the hurt of her sister's eyes.

"I'm sorry,"

"Don't-" Alex's jaw was clenched so tightly it could have broken, "don't you dare hide behind those words, Kara,"

"I'm not apologizing for not telling you this," she said evenly, using every bit of her strength not to lose her center, "I'm sorry that you keep having to bury his memory. I'm sorry I kept him from being your father when you needed him, for all those times you had to mature beyond your age for the sake of the family," she exhaled hollowly, "but I'm not sorry for letting this be as it originally was," she mumbled, "I'm not sure if I am in the right or in the wrong, but interfering with life and death when the past has already been written… that's not within my power and it shouldn't be," she knew Barry had almost lost his way trying to save his mother, somethings -although painful- shouldn't be tampered with, "…Jeremiah eventually would have passed away, the pain of losing him was still going to be there, Alex. More time wouldn't change that. There was never going to be a right moment to say goodbye,"

"I never had the chance to say goodbye!" Alex yelled, "he disappeared from our lives! You could have brought him back to us! You knew where he was!"

"Would he have listened to me?" she challenged without a bite, "He forged his own path through his decisions and eventually his own redemption, do you think he would have done as I say?"

"If he had known you were from the future then maybe!"

"A future in which I've already buried him," she said firmly but in a gentle tone, "I miss him, Alex. I do. But…but I don't need him," she stated, swallowing thickly, "he made sure I was strong enough to carry on without him. And I'm damn sure I'm not half as strong as you are,"

That had been the last time they have spoken. Needless to say, some events changed drastically afterward, like the fact she did all the arrangements on the service on her own, vaguely remembering how they had managed the first time. But changes weren't happening solely on her end.

Lex Luthor gazed at his master plan; all the pieces were falling into place once more. The sense of control was being regained after seeing Supergirl be thrown off balance by the news of Jeremiah. Leviathan and Obsidian were still pieces on the board waiting for the right moment to be moved, the delicate balance was barely being held together, but the strings were still at his reach to pull. But something else was being swayed, in the opposite direction, he might add.

Although his sister had an impeccable poker face and a façade almost as implacable as his own, he could see the small little details that slipped through her front. Like the way her eyes were lost in the horizon, reading the data without the usual dedication those numbers deserved, her mind was elsewhere, and if he had to guess there was only one possible answer.

"How are you patients, dear sister?" he asked, not missing the way Lena's shoulders stiffen in the slightest, being caught off guard.

"Stable," she answered curtly, putting her tablet down.

"Your…focus seems rather off," he said pointedly but in an attentive tone, "is something wrong with your study?"

"No," she said coldly, turning her back on him.

"It's the Kryptonian, isn't it?" his polite demeanor was nowhere to be found now as his true colors shined through, "You've been talking to her,"

"It has nothing to do with you," she walked past him.

"You see, it does," he grabbed her arm roughly, "I don't want her to keep you from reaching your potential. She'll tell you that what you are doing is wrong, she'll condemn you for trying to make the world a better place, she'll despise you solely because your last name is the same as mine," he said with venom dripping from his words.

Lena gazed coldly into his eyes, pulling her arm free with an unceremonious tug, "The opposite,"

Lex frowned, unprepared for the answer, seeing yet another angle that had slipped. His sister was being contemplative, sympathetically; something had happened, "What. Did. She. Say. Exactly?"

"As I said, it has nothing to do with you,"

It would, Lex decided. He had to change her perception once more, through all means necessary, "I thought you wanted nothing to do with her," he spitted dangerously, "didn't you want her out of your life?"

Lena stiffened, her eyes turning cold "I wanted her to feel the same hurt she inflicted on me," she raised her chin, "and when I saw her eyes, I finally knew she understood," Kara was heartbroken, too. She was longing for something precious that never came to be, a thin line between the loss of a friend and the idea of what could have been if things had been said, if feelings had been acted upon. Kara loved her, too.

"So now that you've accomplished your mission, what's next? Are you going to crawl back begging? Reduce yourself to a pathetic puddle of tears and regret?"

Lena eyed him unfeelingly, clicking her tongue, "Your greatest fear has always been to be wrong, to be proved inferior in any way, including your beliefs, but that's not mine,"

"Do tell me, what is then?" he defied, his eyes dark and cold.

Lena's lips parted, but words were cut short by the news echoing in the background with a last-minute report on the Girl of Steel, plummeting from the sky like a meteorite, crashing into the ground leaving a crater around while gasping and sweating, paling by the second. The Martian Manhunter quickly dived in, going to her side, tending to the Kryptonian who was shaking violently.

Lena felt the blood fall to her feet, "What did you do?!" she turned around, facing his eyes, only to find them be equally awestruck.

"Nothing," he said and meant it, this was not his doing, "that's not kryptonite,"

Lena took a step back and then another and finally reached the door.

"Where do you think you are going?" he demanded.

But Lena didn't spare even a look over her shoulder as she exited, "Take a wild guess,"

Kara felt her blood boil her from the inside out as she laid in bed on the medical bay of their independent base, the structure that would shape up to be The Tower she was familiar with. J'onn was standing by her side, unable to help as every pore in her body was transpiring madly, while her brain was pushing against her skull, her heartbeat was going mad captive in her chest, trying to beat its way out through her ribcage. Her skin was ablaze, her head was pushing all sorts of scenarios into her thoughts. She could see her home and Lena sitting across from her on the dining table in the arrangement she had prepared for their anniversary, but she had never made it there, so how could she see that image so lucidly?

She turned over her side, hastily reaching for a trashcan nearby, and ungracefully emptied her stomach due to the overbearing pain.

More images came flooding in as she dizzily closed her eyes seeing in her mind the Thanksgiving celebration she held many years ago, but things were not the same as she recalled them. Maggie was there, next to Alex, both hugging, sharing a discreet kiss, and…Lena was also there. Sitting next to her, "That's…not…" she panted, unable to string the words together.

"Take it slowly, Kara," J'onn asked gently, "I'm not sure what's causing you this,"

"J'-J'onn" she exhaled breathlessly, "re-read my-my mind," she double back, "carefully," she added, "don't get mixed with the pain," she barely managed to open one eye, "I think…I think my memories are being changed,"

J'onn's ever-neutral face showed his bewilderment as he quickly tried to connect to her thoughts. And then those images presented themselves to him, finding the same difference she had, seeing in the TV the news about Medusa when he had actually been there to fight Hank himself to prevent the launch, but in this memory that didn't happen, "That's not how I recall it,"

"It's…changing," she swallowed thickly, "I wasn't displaced in a two-way street, there's one more younger version of me who got swapped," she shuddered, fighting to get the words out, "that's why my team hasn't been able to find me, they are looking at another time period," she hunched forward, holding her sides as another wave of shivers ran through her, "My past selves are living through experiences that are being engraved into my mind. These things I've already lived through are catching up to me," she explained and J'onn understood that was what was making her ill.

"Since it's not time travel…"

"It means that I'm rewriting over my past and my brain is suffering those effects of the ink pressing new words over what was underneath. My head is fighting both scenarios," she shut her eyes tightly, feeling nauseous all over again.

"I could try to block those memories from flooding you, create a dam,"

"No," Kara grunted, "I need to know which time periods are the ones that have been mixed up, I need the information," she pressed a hand over her temples, "I just have to endure this, once I have clarity again it will make sense,"

"Are you sure you can undergo this?"

"What option do I have, Dad?"

J'onn was caught off guard by the name, remembering that for this version of the hero, he had taken a void Jeremiah had left. The Martian felt guilt, that mere hours away from having to attend Jeremiah's funeral, one of his daughters was giving him the title the other man deserved. But for Kara the perspective was completely different, for her, this event had happened years ago, and who she needed right now was him.

The Kryptonian jerked, a dry sob escaping her lips and the fever began to break more aggressively.

J'onn sat next to her, grabbing her hand, "You'll be fine," he said reassuring words he had no way to make good on, but still, he ought to keep that promise, "I'm going to try to keep your mind from fighting, okay?" he said gently, "you'll most likely lose consciousness, I'll make sure to keep you safe while you are out, okay?"

And Kara smiled softly and lovingly at him, at her parent, "Make sure Alex is alright," she asked breathlessly, "don't let her push others out, she'll want space and she needs it, but she'll be lonely, don't…" she double in pain unable to speak another word.

"I'll take care of Alex," he said solemnly, "rest assured," he gently placed his thumb over her forehead, "are you ready?"

"Yeah," she exhaled exhaustedly allowing J'onn to take her clarity away in favor of the deep void of darkness, offering a restless sleep in which her body kept on rejecting the foreign feeling, but at least the pain would subside a little bit.

Time seemed to move slowly after that, J'onn felt every second last an eternity seeing Kara be tortured by her own head, unable to escape it.

He was only brought back to reality when Alex Danvers busted in, slamming the door open ferociously, her own anger and resentment being substituted by pure fear, "What the hell happened?!" she marched up to the medical bed, "I saw the news alert on my phone!" just before she logged in into the virtual reality.

J'onn stood up, reaching her side, trying to appease her "Kara is fine,"

"Fine?!" she yelled, "she basically crashed like a shutdown missile!" she hissed.

"Alex," he laid both hands on her shoulders looking into her eyes, "she's safe,"

Alex hyperventilated until that turned to sobs, "I wasn't there," she said through gritted teeth hiding her face behind her palm, "I'm so angry at her but-"

"But she's your sister," he finished softly, "I understand," he nodded.

Alex breathed in, trying to even herself, "What happened?" she asked more calmly, "What can we do to help?"

"Let's get her home," he said softly, "she'll be in and out of consciousness for a while longer, I'm afraid,"

"Then you'll tell me what happened?"

J'onn nodded solemnly.

Alex sighed, "Come on, let's get her home,"

Alex was expecting a lot of things to happen once at Kara's door, but one of them was not seeing the youngest Luthor crouched on the floor on the opposite wall of it, waiting diligently.

"Lena?" Alex called and the woman came back to her senses, standing up in a jolt.

"How is she?"

"What are you doing here?" Alex asked the unnecessary question. There was no bite in her tone, but the depth of Lena's intentions still seemed ambiguous around the edges. The last time they talked, Lena seemed resolute to keep her distance from her sister and everyone related to her, but now, here she was.

J'onn appeared behind them, carrying the fading Kryptonian in arms, stopping abruptly when faced with the uncanny scene before him. He could sense the terseness in the atmosphere but decided to remain quiet.

Lena was about to walk to her when Alex stepped in the middle, facing her.

Lena felt her heart tighten, "You came to me saying you should have reached out long ago, that you were my friend," she said weakly, "if that's true, then please, I'm asking as a friend, let me see her,"

Alex felt her chest constrict at those words, feeling them hit too close to home, seeing inside those emerald eyes fear and uncertainty she could sympathize with. The redhead swallowed thickly, unlocking the door, "Come in,"

They walked inside, letting J'onn place Kara on the couch while she mumbled incoherent things, her eyes barely open before she slipped under again. After letting her settle, the three stepped to the side.

"What's happening?" Lena asked quietly.

"J'onn was going to explain," Alex replied, arms folded looking at the Martian who gazed from Lena to Alex, "she knows," the Danvers provided, "that this isn't our version of Kara,"

J'onn nodded, "It actually has to do with it," he said all the conclusions they had been able to draw with the few pieces of the puzzle they had.

"Wait-" Alex pressed a hand to her temples, "so there's another Kara displaced besides our own and the future one?"

"Yes," he nodded gravely.

"So her brain is fighting two atemporal memories?" Lena questioned.

"That's why it's being so aggressive," J'onn provided.

"So can this happen to any of us?" Lena gazed at the delirious Kryptonian, "given our common past?"

"I'm not sure," J'onn admitted, "although I think it's unlikely. I took a glance at her memories and I still remember them as they happened the first time, not this newer version,"

"Were there any important changes we should know about?" Alex folded her arms apprehensively. Future Kara refused to change things but her past selves apparently weren't as strict about that idea.

"Not quite," he shook his head, "the main events still happen, just differently,"

"In any case, once all the versions change back, she'll ask you to block all our memories, keeping our memories intact, right?"

"Yes. If all versions of me can do that, the flow will stay the same, even if things were done otherwise, I can convince our brains that those memories are the real ones and the others just vivid dreams. Thus far the only person affected by this is the one who was displaced," he motioned toward the sofa.

Alex sighed heavily, running a hand down her face, "Goddammit,"

J'onn approached her tentatively, lying a hand on her shoulder "I know this has been overwhelming,"

"Overwhelming?" she repeated with a scoff, shrugging his hands off "Overwhelming is having to save the world from a threat we don't even know," she vaguely gestured at Lena, "or arguing with Eliza over the phone because I don't want anything to do with the service! But having to deal with this displacement on top of hearing the news that my dad is dead and I never had the chance to-!" she covered her face, but the tears were already roaming, "I could have reached out one last time if she had said something…" her voice strangulated the words, "I'm tired," she clenched her jaw, "I love Kara, I do, of course I do, she's my sister but…but sometimes it's too much," she constricted the sob, "I don't know if I can keep doing this," she turned around, unable to fight off the tears.

The room fell completely silent, letting those words echo through every corner of the house.

J'onn reached her side, putting a hand on her shoulder to slowly turn her around. Alex wasn't ready to deal with whatever he was going to say, but what J'onn did next almost broke her entirely, as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.

"You are right," he mumbled, "we've always put so much on you and that's not fair. Your life has never been entirely your own and yet, you never hesitated to rise up to the occasion. But I shouldn't have let you have to carry so much on your own. I've always seen your strength and that blinded me from admitting that I was also hurting you, by allowing you to keep having to deal with everything around you" he said softly, "it's okay to say it. This doesn't make you any less of an amazing sister to Kara, it just shows you need to be taken care of as well,"

Alex felt the warm tears fall as she broke down crying, holding into him, "I'm so tired," she mumbled again, more frailly.

"Then let me handle this," he cooed, "I've got you," he softly rubbed circles on her back, "go home to Kelly,"

"I can't leave Kara," Alex answered shook her head.

"I'll stay here," he promised, "if anything happens, I'll tell you right away," he let go to stare into her eyes, "right now it's your turn to take care of yourself," he wiped away the tears on her face.

Alex sniffed, finally allowing her defenses to crumble as she nodded.

"I'll call Kelly," he said, "I don't want you going alone," he explained softly. Alex just nodded, cleaning her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.

J'onn smiled and stepped outside to reach Kelly Olsen.

Alex turned around, vaguely remembering Lena was still there, standing frozen in place, eyes wide and…sympathetic.

"I'm…I'm sorry about your dad," Lena whispered softly, "even if it won't mean anything coming from me," she said the words the oldest Danvers had said to her weeks prior when they last talked.

Alex felt the knot on her throat tighten, "Thanks," she sniffed, "truth is I don't know how to feel about it," she chuckled dryly, "I miss him, but I also want to…hate him?" she scoffed to herself, "that's such a messed up thing to say about a parent, isn't it?"

"Not to me," Lena offered a tight half-smile, averting her eyes, "Lillian has done so many unforgivable things, but whenever she shows me a speck of affection I just…" she folded her arms building her a shield so her own words couldn't reach her heart.

Alex gazed up, remembering who she was talking to, after all, "right," she shrugged uncomfortably, "At least ...dad was trying to make amends with his life in the end," she mumbled, "tried to right his wrongs…"

"That…doesn't have to automatically make him a good father," Lena said carefully, "being good in one aspect of their lives doesn't mean they were also apt to be parents,"

It was strangely comforting to hear that. The guilt of resenting a man that was considered to be such a good person to others subsided a little, "Yeah, maybe…"

"…thank you," Lena added after a beat, "for letting me in, for not…asking if I had done that," she turned to see the restless figure that was at least a bit quieter now.

Alex tugged her lips into a faint lopsided gesture, "I might not know a few things, but I do know what you are not capable of. Your eyes told me everything I needed to know," she dropped her gaze, "but why did you come?" she repeated the question, "Kara told me everything, that you know she's from the future, that she confessed that she's in love with you, so…why are you here? If you still stand by what you are doing why drop everything and come see her?"

Lena bit into her lower lip, "I'm…I'm not quite sure," she admitted, "because even though she made her intentions clear I'm still confused. Because despite everything that's been pulling us apart, I can't bear the idea of seeing her hurt so badly it made me fear she could die," her hands dropped to the sides, as she grew frustrated with herself for not being able to make sense of things "because…I'm afraid, I suppose. Afraid that the only time I'll hear those words will be from her lips and that…once she's gone then everything will vanish with her,"

"…Do you love her?" Alex asked, "my sister. The one that messed up big time, not this version that's so absurdly honest and collected,"

Lena's eyes traveled to see that version of Kara that so bluntly, so valiantly told her everything she never thought would be said, "I…have been in love with her for a long time now," she said feeling her throat close up, "but I thought Supergirl hated me, and if Supergirl was Kara then…" she pressed her lips preventing them from quivering.

Then Kara must have hated her, too, and her love was unrequited, Alex reasoned.

"She's an idiot like that," the oldest Danvers said bluntly, "she couldn't bear that you were disappointed in Supergirl, so she made sure to divide the two identities to such degree it was almost impossible to think they were the same person. She became unrecognizable to one point," Alex admitted, thinking back at when she recovered her memories and could see her sister's actions as Supergirl's actions. They were radically different, "you never gave her a free pass, you always called her out and…I think that helped her grow in a sense," she mumbled, "so…in case you do end up fixing your relationship, don't stop defying her when she forgets about the lines she shouldn't cross," lines such as not playing God and decide who to bring back to life, Alex thought to herself. The flavor of irony in her mouth almost made her chuckle sardonically as tears threaten to take over again.

Maybe Kara had grown up a great deal to have such a rational head over her shoulders that the always emotive hero hadn't let her own judgment be clouded by the desire to bring Jeremiah back.

"I'm…going to wait for Kelly outside," Alex sighed, too conflicted to deal with any more emotions. She reached the door, ready to step into the hallway when a faint string of voice echoed through.

"…Is it okay if I stay?" Lena asked softly, pleadingly.

Alex looked over her shoulder, gazing deep into her eyes, "That's for you to decide,"

Chapter Text

-Year 2016-

Kara dizzily opened her eyes, letting the world slowly come back in blurry shapes and colors, allowing her to regain a sense of self. It took her brain the better part of a minute to fully realize where she was and when. Her head had been completely elsewhere, still submerged into that psychedelic dream of vivid imagery.

She groaned feeling the needles gently poke at her temples to remind her of the previous pain she had been in. And then the sight of sunflowers came to view as a bouquet of them laid over her nightstand, happily soaking in the morning sun. She found herself smiling at them for no reason. Like if they were a familiar sight, something that lifted her spirits. But just as those thoughts were going to untangle themselves, the redhead walked into the room.

"How are you holding up?" Alex asked softly, reaching the side of the bed, putting a hand over her forehead to check the temperature.

"Better," she offered through a raspy voice.

"You gave us all a scare," Alex eyed her carefully, with concern and apprehension, trying to decide if she should say it, "You were out for 26 hours, Kara."

"What?!" she sat up in a jolt, feeling the blood rush through her head in unkind ways, making everything all the more confusing.

"Hey, take it slow," Alex chided, pushing her shoulder down gently to steady her against the wall, "J'onn managed to stop your headache from becoming too much, do you remember anything?" She asked cautiously.

"Just…parts of these weird dreams…they were…so real, Alex,"

"They weren't dreams," J'onn interrupted, walking in with a somber look on his face, "they were memories, Kara,"

"Memories?" she repeated, "what-? No, that's impossible, I've never seen those things,"

The Martian quietly approached, standing before her, "I had to block the images from flooding your mind, but in doing so I saw…many things that I'm not sure you are aware of,"

"Things like what?" she asked, feeling the sudden turn this conversation was taking.

"Let me show you the most important situation you need to understand," he stretched his hands towards her face, "May I?"

Kara frowned unsurely but nodded and suddenly she was transported into another place, a facility with far much more advanced technology than her own base of operations. There an older-looking version of J'onn and her sister stood, telling her how an alien had displaced her from the year 2016, taking the place of 2028 Supergirl and explaining the dynamics of how that atemporal anomaly was affecting them.

Kara jerked back, breaking the moment, looking at J'onn with horror at the realization, "Wait, wait, wait! But I am in 2016" she pointed at herself, "Does that mean-?" she felt her heart start drumming arrhythmically, "you are saying Mxy didn't do this?" she gazed around, starting to hyperventilate, "that all of this is not a test-scenario but my actual past? That everything I've said and done is…is happening for real?" that was far too much to assimilate, "Can't it be a telepathic attack?"

"No. I can recognize the veracity of these images, they were not tampered with,"

"Hold up, what are you talking about?" Alex intervened, sensing there was a bigger picture she was yet to see.

"Kara didn't jump back in time willingly, she was displaced from her own present taking our Kara's place while she was also pushed from this time and space, ending up in the future. And by the information we have, that leads me to believe that Supergirl from 2028 might be stranded in 2020,"

"What?!" Alex snapped, "Are you saying that my little sister is lost in the future?!"

"She's fine," J'onn tried to reassure her, but the oldest Danvers was already pacing around the room, fuming.

"Fine? Fine?! My sister has been missing and I just barely figured that out?!"

"She's with you," J'onn replied softly, "with future us, actually," he added, "she's safe and she's been taken care of, no harm has come her way,"

The thought of her older self looking after Kara was strangely comforting, she was sure she would take care of her baby sister, always, "Al-alright, well then…how do we fix this?"

"The future team is already working on that, they are looking for our timeline, the one problem they are yet to figure out is that their Kara is not here. They'll bring ours back, but will have another displaced Kara instead,"

"How did this even happen?" Kara mumbled, she had been uncannily quiet, drinking in the truth in small sips, fearing she might drown if she took reality all in one go. She gazed up, her sight distant and crystalized, "Can you show me more? Free those memories?"

"I…think it's wiser if I don't," J'onn said gently, "It will be hard enough to erase that future information from our Kara, the less you know about it, the better,"

Kara nodded, although her sight remained hollow, "I've…changed things," she mumbled, "I…I almost got all those aliens killed by Medusa because I thought I could press a reset button, I…" she covered her face between her palms, "What's wrong with me?"

"Hey, there's no way you could have known about it," Alex said, seeing how Kara was demoralizing herself so harshly.

"I'm supposed to be National City's hero!" she stood up, stumbling unceremoniously as she did so, "but all this time I've been selfishly letting my guard down, having a break from all the responsibility, from trying to go back to my time and face what- what I've done!" she pushed her fists against her face.

J'onn and Alex shared a worried look, "Listen…" the redhead said pacifyingly, "we might not know what the future will be like and it's probably best that we don't, but…but it's been nice seeing you…" what was the word for it? It wasn't selfish, it was "carefree," Alex offered, "You always put too much on yourself, but…letting your guard down didn't make you any less of a hero, if anything it made you a bit more human,"

Kara turned to gaze at her after hearing those words, why did that make her feel so much better? Why was she yearning a bit of that ease? Of having a normal day, of having…someone to go home to? A safe place that felt like just that, home. Suddenly not even her apartment felt as welcoming as that ghostly memory of something warmer. Her sight intuitively turned back to the sunflowers and her roaming thoughts found an anchor to stabilize themselves.

Alex followed her sight, "Lena brought them," she explained, "after you passed out. She stayed for a few hours before having to leave to see her lawyer about Lillian's trial,"

Kara very gently ran her fingers through the yellow petals, thinking how these little gestures would be gone as soon as she came back home, "J'onn… do you know how long it will take the future team to fix this?" she asked carefully, "did my memories showed a plan?"

"Nothing too concrete, yet. But given how it's been over a couple of weeks now, I'm sure they are getting closer,"

"Right," she mumbled, "that's…good. Everything will back to normal for everyone," her hand dropped, leaving the flowers without her tender caress, "I…I better write down everything as it should have been and…make sure that no bigger changes are made," she said mostly to herself before looking up, "you'll have to make sure to readjust your Kara to everything I've moved…"

Alex felt utterly helpless to see her sister, even this older version, be so… belittled by an invisible force she knew nothing about., "Are…are you okay, sis?"

"Huh?" she gazed up, completely disconnected, "Ye-yeah," she cleared her throat, "I…I have some work to do, especially now that we'll be expecting their arrival," she swallowed thickly, her eyes taking a last glance at the nightstand were the source of her comfort laid, "I have to go,"

"I have to go," Kara repeated to herself the words she needed to utter to even make them feel real. It was time to wake up, in a sense. So, she owed it to herself to at least make this one thing right. She walked past Jess, who nodded in acknowledgment of her arrival, giving her a free pass to the elevator. But when Kara made it to the office's door, she hesitated, her knuckles hovering over the wood to announce herself.

'My door is always open for you' she heard Lena's voice in her mind saying that. She cherished them now more than ever. If she hadn't been the first to close the communication between them then maybe…things wouldn't have turned so sour. She closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against the frame, inhaling sharply before daring to come in.

The youngest Luthor was behind her desk, pen in hand, reading through a monumental pile of legal papers with knitted brows and a tired expression, but her face morphed into a radiant smile the moment her eyes gazed up, meeting the ones of the reported, and soon all her work was forgotten as she stood up.

"Kara!" she circled her desk going directly to hug her, not letting the alien get one word in before adding, "I'm so glad to see you up on your feet again, you got me so worried,"

Kara couldn't keep herself from hugging back with might, realizing how frail Lena felt on her arms compared to how tightly she wanted to embrace her.

"Are you feeling better? Shouldn't you be resting for a bit longer?"

"I'm okay," she mumbled, but it tasted like a lie, "I don't have much time left to rest," she added with little voice.

"I know CatCo is demanding, but you need to take care of yourself," Lena said ready to let go when she felt Kara hold on tighter, urging Lena to keep her in the embrace for a moment longer, "Kara?" she called ever-so-gently.

"…Sorry," the Kryptonian whispered, "can we stay like this for a little bit?" she sniffed as discreetly as possible, trying to commit this feeling to memory, so she could look back and savor this instead of the cold remarks and distant stares they had been exchanging for what felt like so long now.

"Of course," Lena wrapped her arms back around her, cuddling close, being her shield. Supergirl always prided herself when she affirmed she protected others, but she rarely let others be her armor. Alex and J'onn were more of comrades in arms, fighting by her side, being heroes in their own right rather than extensions of the Super name. But in this instance, Kara was nothing more than flesh and feelings, curled into the warmth of the embrace.

"Thank you," Kara said heartedly, wanting the words to mean far more than what she could explain, but kept quiet.

"It's okay, Darling,"

Kara felt her chest tighten at the nickname, why did it move so much inside of her? Lena rarely called her anything other than her name, so why did it sound so familiar and natural coming from her lips?

The Super exhaled unevenly and finally gathered some courage to let go of the embrace -let go of Lena. When her emerald eyes inspected her, Kara felt like being faced with kryptonite by how weak her knees felt, "I wanted to come in person to thank you for staying with me and for the sunflowers, they are lovely,"

"I'm glad you liked them," Lena smiled softly, seeing how Kara's usual bright smiles were missing, and realizing how much she wished she could be able to restore them, "but you didn't have to get out of bed to tell me that," her hand reached Kara's forearm, giving it a gentle squish, "you look a bit pale, maybe you should go back home?"

'I am' Kara thought bitterly, but prevented herself from slipping those words out as she bit down her lip, trying to keep all her broken pieces together through the last of her willpower, "Can we go to the park, instead? For a little walk?"

Lena didn't even side glance the workload waiting back at her desk, she just grabbed her coat and accompanied Kara to the exit.

They walked under the bright rays of the sun and a clear blue sky while the chilling breeze announced the winter days would soon take over. Kara almost wished she could stay to endure those cold days, because they didn't seem as unforgiving as what she had to do, "I…heard about Lillian's trial," she began, stealing a glance.

"Yes," Lena cleared her throat, "I can't say it will be a completely foreign experience, given that I already testified against my brother once,"

"Right," Kara nodded, pushing her lips into a grimace.

"Actually," Lena folded her arms, taking a deep breath of the chilly breeze, "I was…hoping you could come to court with me? Heavens knows I could use a familiar face in that room that isn't looking at me with such hatred,"

Kara felt daggers in her heart, looking brokenly at her, "I wish I could be there," but the first time around she wasn't, and she couldn't move the past anymore, "But…I'm…I'm going away," she finally said her reality, "you probably won't see me for a few days," for Lena the change would be instantly, she probably wouldn't even notice the swap, but for Kara, this was a goodbye.

"Is something wrong?" Lena's face contortioned into a worried grimace.

Kara fixed her glasses, unable to meet her gaze, "I have to deal with some personal issues, it has to do with my recent fever and other things my sister and I have to figure out," her shoulders dropped as she tried to explain everything as truthfully as possible, "…That's…why I wanted to have one last walk before that," before it's not me, anymore. Those little moments of ordinariness would cease to exist. Those had been part of the things she had changed, "I'm…sorry I won't be there with you, Lena."

Kara kept on walking with her sight fixed to the tip of her shoes, absorbed in those thoughts until she noticed Lena had stopped walking altogether. But before she could turn around, she felt Lena tugging at the fabric of the back of her coat, staying perfectly behind her, hidden from her eyes.

"You are talking as though you are never going to see me again," Lena said, her voice distant.

"It's not-" she was about to look over her shoulder when she felt Lena hideaway.

"Don't turn around," the raven-haired woman asked softly, "I'm…I'm not sure I can say this while looking at you,"

Lena never shied away from anything. The Luthor always tried to look for her eyes when she talked to her. The only time she turned her back was the first time Kara tried to remove her glasses and confess to everything on the flight home after their travel to Kasnia. The memory still stung and she couldn't bear to live it a second occasion, so, Kara froze in place, listening closely to her heartbeat.

"…Stay," Lena finally mumbled, so faintly if not for her superhearing, Kara would have missed it, "I…I don't know if you are trying to put distance after what happened, but my words were true, and I don't see you any differently. You don't have to pull away,"

"Oh Lena," Kara mumbled, all the more heartbroken at her words. It was almost uncanny how easily she had seen through her, how she felt the farewell coming, even though Kara was going to be the only one leaving so their original relationship could take place, "It's not something you did," she tried to steal a glance, "I…I don't want to push you away. That was never my intension," not now, not ever, "I'm just…taking a step back, I think I've put too much on you," she could think back on how desperate she had been to transform this timeline's friendship to be the same as she knew it to be, the one she still longed for, "I barged into your life without any measurements, I…shouldn't have done that,"

"But you did," Lena answered, "you did and as much as I would like to say that my walls haven't been breached…that'd be a lie. You…chipped away my armor,"

Kara shut her eyes harshly, remembering similar words being said to her, feeling the hurt, the accusation, things she didn't know she had been guilty of.

"I don't usually let that happen; I learned my lesson in the past, but…but this time I'm the one willing to take that gamble," Kara could recall those words from one of their walks, how Lena had sworn to herself to keep from suffering heartache by not letting anyone in, "You aren't trespassing my boundaries, so please, if it is on my behalf, don't shut me out."

Kara wanted to choke on unshed tears, "What if you regret that decision?"

"Then, that's on me, not you," Lena held into the fabric tighter, "You are not responsible for how I feel, and I won't make you accountable for it. But I don't want to lose you before even having a chance to meet you," she admitted, "you are the first -the only- friend I have in this city."

Kara wanted to scream to the skies and use her heat vision until her powers would be dried out because anything would feel better than this agony, "You deserve a better friend than what I can be," her voice quivered, and her throat closed.

"You are the best one I've ever had," she admitted, "and if you think I could ever regret that, then you are wrong,"

That stabbed Kara's heart, as a watery plea broke through "Promise?"

"I promise," Lena answered softly, and just as she was going to let go of the coat, Kara turned around and hugged her tightly.

'You'll hate me one day,' it's what Kara wanted to say, 'you will get hurt', she held on tighter, 'you can't make good on that promise'.

But instead of uttering any of those words, three very different ones started to string together, but she didn't have the courage to gaze into that realization.

"I'm always going to be there for you, I swear," Kara said. Maybe it wouldn't be this version of her, but she would definitely keep her word. And for the first time, going back home didn't feel as appalling. She had gained a new understanding of what the Luthor was feeling, of all the things that had been left unsaid. She had to go back to her present and at least try one last time to see her Lena. And maybe the promise she just made wouldn't be forgotten...

As sundown began to take over the city, Kara diligently wrote down all the events she could recall thus far, trying to leave behind a comprehensive list only J'onn would read to make sure to fix everyone's memories after her departure.

Alex walked into the room, finding Kara sitting on the floor, writing on the table, "Hey, sis," she sat down, stretching her a bag of food, "how's the past coming up?"

"Almost done," she sighed, folding the piece of paper and pushing it away, "I thought you would be with Maggie?" she asked dryly, her demeanor had been distant since the morning and Alex couldn't help but wonder what was really lying underneath the surface.

"Well, I've been hanging out with her a lot lately and I thought…you might need me?" she offered, "I know you don't necessarily see me as your older sister right now, but-"

"You will always be my older sister, no matter the universe or timeline," Kara offered a soft smile, "and I do appreciate that you are here," she added, "and heads-up, past me will give you a headache when you spend time with Maggie," she couldn't help the bitterness at the end.

Alex pursed her lips to the side, "You don't like her very much, do you?"

"Huh?"

"Maggie," she explained, "you try to disguise it, but you still have that same giveaway when you frown," she pointed at the space between her brows, "Is it something I should be worried about?"

Kara found herself tongue-tied for a moment, "No. You shouldn't," not this version of her, anyway. This younger Alex was meant to enjoy being in a relationship, of being confident to be herself and…eventually, facing a heartbreak that will make her stronger. And then, meet someone new and perfect for her, Kelly, "It's just hard to share you with others,"

"Well, at least I won't have to worry about you being too lonely," Alex said, smiling at her.

"Right," Kara said, averting her gaze as she sighed, knowing that she had to put the timeline back on track "are you going to encourage me to go out with Mon-el?"

Alex frowned, "What?" she questioned, "why would I tell you that?" she saw her sister's expression and knew she was actually expecting to hear her say those words, "why did I tell you that the first time around?" she shook her head in disbelief.

Kara's frown deepened, "I…guess because you wanted me to share your kind of happiness?" she answered confused, "since now you are dating and want me to do the same?"

"I…get that, and I do want you to," she clarified, thinking back at the last few weeks, at how her sister hadn't been lonely for a single moment of it, and not because of the Daxamite's company, "but…Mon-el? You barely even bear being in the same room as him,"

Kara rolled her eyes, "He has his moments. But in the end, we did share some good ones, too"

"Shared?" Alex interrupted, "wait, you dated?" her tone wasn't as neutral as she would have liked.

Kara shut her lips but decided that from all the things to slip, that was not the worse one, "Yeah. Didn't…work, though," she mumbled, remembering all the heartache of losing him, mourning him, and then realizing he had made a life of his own, "But…it was nice for a while. To have someone know who I was -both identities. We shared that in common, it made it all feel so much easier, normal even. I don't get too many of those normal days anymore," she mumbled, "I…lost them,"

Alex gazed at her carefully, "When you lost Lena?" she asked softly and her sister's surprise was answer enough, "what…did you do to break her trust?" Alex asked softly.

Kara huffed, removing her glasses, and unbuttoning the top of her blouse to reveal the symbol on her chest, "you are looking at it,"

Alex felt a cold stab in her chest, "Your secret?"

"Yeah," Kara mumbled, averting her gaze, "I'm…afraid I did too little, too late," she clicked her tongue, "I lied to her for years, Alex. How can she believe in me now?"

Alex's sweaty hands fidgeted, "I'm…sorry, Kar,"

"It wasn't your fault," Kara sighed.

"But…I was part of the problem, wasn't I?"

Kara frowned, "what do you mean?"

"I mean…" she exhaled heavily, "I'm the one that didn't trust her, if it weren't because you told me you were friends in the future, I probably wouldn't have let you invite her to Thanksgiving to your own home and…if you changed this to make it happen, then it means that in your timeline, I did tell you not to trust her. To keep your secret from her?"

Kara gazed into her eyes for a moment before nodding, "Yes. But I know you were trying to protect me,"

"But in doing so, you lost something precious, didn't you?"

Kara felt how heavy with meaning those words were, "I'm not giving up yet, I know I can still reach out to Lena and fix our friendship,"

"Was that really what it was?" Alex dared to ask, gathering her courage, "or is that an attempt to keep the future a secret?"

"What?" Kara asked, clearly confused.

"I know I'm working with missing pieces here, but…I know you and I think that no matter how much older you are, I will always be able to read you and…when you talk about your fallout…I think there's more than what you are leading on,"

Kara's brows knitted, "I'm not sure what you are trying to say,"

Alex closed her eyes, breathing in, "Kara…did Lena break up with you because of your secret?"

"Break up?!" she repeated, the word echoing in the room back to her ears, where her heartbeat was drumming, "No, no, I never -she wasn't-!" she jolted up, "she's my best friend and that's what I lost,"

Alex tried to read through her reaction, to see how honest her sister was being. She really hadn't broken up with the Luthor, but there was still more in there, "But you would have wanted it to be more?" she asked softly, "that's what you are afraid you've lost forever?"

"More…?" she echoed, why did that idea was so frightening, but not foreign? She had never thought of more, she had only thought of not losing her, but there was something else in the back of her head, wasn't it? Something Alex could see, but Kara was afraid to recognize.

"It's okay, I understand if…you can't talk about it,"

"Talk about what?" Kara insisted, her tone harsh, not mad at Alex, but annoyed at herself. Something in her insides was nagging her to face the mirror and look at her own reflection.

"Kara…" Alex said gently, looking at her carefully, trying to see how much was a defense mechanism and how much was denial, "what scares you the most about losing her as a friend? Why won't you give up on Lena?"

Kara pulled back as if being stabbed with a knife, "What?"

"Just…bear with me," she asked, gazing at her intently.

Kara shook her head, trying to find words to answer, "I-I would miss hanging out together,"

"What else," Alex insisted.

"I would miss…going for lunch, having a partner at game night," her throat began to close, "see her smile when I walk into her office, having someone to talk to about everything or nothing at all, someone who…doesn't see me as Supergirl all the time," why were her eyes tearing? "I would miss…her. Having Lena in my life,"

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?" she asked back, feeling her hands tight into fists, her blood boil, her heart race.

"Say it," Alex pressed. It was tough love, but she was paying back the favor. When this version of Kara took her to the park to hear her talk about how she felt about Maggie, she didn't do it because she needed to hear it, she did it because she knew Alex had to say it out loud. To finally get it out of her chest.

Kara struggled to breathe as the tears build-up, "I- I don't kno-"

"You do know," Alex cut her off. Even if this version of her sister had four years worth of experiences Alex knew nothing about, she had seen her sister live without fear for the last few days. She had been able to see her without the pretenses and caution. Kara had been unapologetically vocal about what she wanted and needed. Maybe Alex's older self couldn't see clearly all of this about her baby sister, but right here and now, the oldest Danvers could read her like a book, "you don't have to say it to me, but you should do it for yourself. You shouldn't have to carry it on your chest," she pressed a finger to the House of El's emblem, "it shouldn't have to be another secret,"

Kara gazed down at the incriminating finger pointing at the "S" and without a warning, her tears landed on it.

"Why?" Alex repeated, softening her tone, "Why won't you give up on her? Why won't you let go and grow past it- grow past her?"

"Because I…I…" why were her hands shaking and her chest tightening? "I…" Say it. Let the hurt out, face yourself and admit that… "I love her," the words escaped her lips and suddenly there wasn't enough air in the galaxy to fill her lungs again as the tears rolled down, "I'm in love with Lena,"

-Year 2020-

Everything hurt. And Kara's body was painfully aware of it, as her hyper-senses exuberated every little bit of it. From the way, every pore in her skin resented the touch of even the fabric of her suit, to the burning sensation behind her eyelids warning her not to open them to avoid facing the blinding light. She could even taste a bit of metal on the back of her throat, which was sore and dry. Her hearing was picking up even the slightest sound around her, so she had to will herself to regain control of her powers.

Kara forced her eyelids to brave the light as she tried to make out her surroundings, starting by, where was she? That wasn't the Tower. She tried to move, but her strength faltered, and she crashed back against the cushions, grunting as her muscles resented the effort.

Just as she was going to push herself to face the outside again, her hearing picked up a sound she was familiar with, an anchor she could hold onto to steady herself. And that incentive encouraged her to open her eyes once more as she saw the blurry figure reach her side, "Le-" her throat was burning and the name couldn't be articulated, but that didn't stop the woman from leaning in, attentively.

"Easy, easy. Take this," a glass of water was gently pushed against her lips and Kara did an effort to swallow, feeling the liquid go down like a stack of needles. Luckily the next few sips went smoother and soon the soreness subsided.

Kara exhaled exhausted, forcing all her senses to comply to finally gaze up and see her face, Lena's face. Her eyes weren't cold, her brows were knitted in concern and not anger, her heart was beating rapidly, but holding that same rhythm she could fall asleep to, "You are here," Kara mumbled, tears at the verge of her eyes.

"Of course, I'm here," Lena answered, sitting on the edge of the couch, looking at her, "even if we were to never look eye to eye again, I could never bear to see you get hurt," she said heartedly and Kara's timid smile managed to make Lena feel weak. How could Kara look at her with such adoration knowing the feud they were in? How could she see Lena through all this pain as though she was the sun that provided her with power?

"I'm sorry," Kara mumbled, "I didn't mean to scare you," her voice faintly carried across the room as she closed her eyes, swallowing with difficulty. She could recall the last time she had woken up with a worry-sick Lena waiting at her bedside. Her emerald eyes were crystallized by the tears and her face showed the sleepless nights she spent waiting for her to wake up. Seeing her so devastated almost made Kara call off the wedding because she never wanted to make Lena feel that pain again, but she couldn't hang the cape to promise the Luthor it wouldn't happen in the future. They fought, both with a broken heart held in hands, as Kara implored her to forget about her and Lena refused to leave her side. Thanks to Kelly and Alex's intervention, they managed to work past that, and the wedding came to be. But Kara could never shake away the awful feeling of being tied to a medical med while Lena stayed by her side fearing that the next time they might not be as lucky. That image always broke her heart.

"I…wrote you a letter once," Kara said in reminiscence, "not…too long ago from this time period, actually," she opened her eyes again, trying to focus on her, "after I…almost died, poisoned by Kryptonite," she added in a quieter tone, "you saved me, remember that?"

Lena just nodded, silently gazing at her, seeing closely how much older this Kara really looked. How her expressions, her feelings, and body had been through so much, and how she kept it all together through sheer will. In this proximity she was able to see through the fractures how strained the Super really was, how her resilience and blatant behavior had been earned through trials of fire and conquests of determination.

"After I woke up…I had this thought…this fear that never crossed my mind before. If Supergirl died then…so would Kara Danvers," the Kryptonian licked her lips slowly, "It's such an obvious thing and still, it never occurred to me what it would mean…so, I put it all down on paper," she exhaled shallowly, "I wrote to you, to the friend that would never know what happened to Kara when the reporter suddenly just…disappeared from your life," she inhaled sharply, "What lie would the DEO feed you? What would they have you believe? Was I going to be the victim of a traffic accident that you could read about in the newspaper as a side note? Were they going to fabricate a medical record showing a heart attack? Would they tell you I went to Midvale to visit Eliza's and that…I simply never made it back?" the tears were now to blame for her blurry vision, "I was going to leave you, with not a single word of goodbye. Supergirl almost died in front of you and no one was going to tell you it was Kara Danvers in that medical bay," she sniffed, "You were going to be there with me and…never realize I needed to hold your hand," she chuckled dryly trying to keep herself from crying, "I do understand where all your resentment is coming from, I do hate myself for the lies I perpetuated and I hate that I deceived myself into believing it was for the best, that it was for your protection, but the truth is I was protecting myself. I was a coward that couldn't bear to lose you or your affection." she pressed her eyes tightly as the tears rolled down her cheeks, "That's why I had to make sure…I needed to know that if something ever happened, that you would know the truth coming from me," she opened her eyes, her lower lip trembling, "I don't think I ever got rid of that letter," she said out loud, realizing said correspondence was lost somewhere in that same apartment, "I never told you about it," she whispered, "I haven't thought of it in years," she tried to push the tears away with her trembling hand.

But then a cold and soft palm pressed against her cheek and Kara felt Lena's touch for the first time in weeks, as slender fingers carefully wiped away the trails of salty drops.

Kara's breathing hitched, moved by the gesture while her eyes met the softer ones of the Luthor. Kara felt a single tear slip away, as she leaned into the touch, closing her eyes, and letting her own fingers ghostly caress the back of Lena's hand. She could think of all the times they would lie in bed together, talking before drifting asleep, and even remember how it felt to entangle her fingers through Lena's hair and feel the gentle traces of the Luthor's fingertips going over her features, as if drawing her face, "I've missed you," she mumbled, wishing she could press a kiss into Lena's skin.

Lena's heart quickened and melted simultaneously, seeing how genuinely Kara was saying this, at how heartedly she reacted to the small action. The last time she had seen her, this version of the Kryptonian had said that she loved her, and Lena wanted to believe Kara's eyes reflected said honesty…

But she couldn't utter a sound, as J'onn walked in, "Kara, you are awake," he reached her side and Lena moved away, not missing the way Kara's hand followed the movement to hold her for as long as possible.

"Dad," she smiled fondly at him.

"How are you feeling?" the Martian asked softly.

Kara huffed, "Been better," she admitted, looking into his worried expression, "you had to block the memories, didn't you?" she asked, although the answer was pretty clear since her memories were a puzzle with missing pieces.

"It was turning out to be too much," he nodded, "they are still there, I just need to open them for you to see, but I insist you rest first, it's been a tough experience for you, your body, and your mind need to readjust after such disassociation,"

Kara's frown deepened, "How long was I out?" she asked, realizing she had no concept of time.

"Almost two days,"

Kara's eyes opened wide, "Alex!" she sat up in a jolt, regretting it immediately as she held her sides, hunching forward to suppress the overstimulated sensibility in her body, "the-the funeral-" she choked out.

"She…decided to attend," J'onn said softly, about to lay a hand on her back, but deciding against it, "she must be arriving as we speak,"

Kara's face fell as she pressed her eyes shut, hanging her head to hide behind her hair.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"It's fine…" Kara whispered, "I…have that memory in my head. At least for me, we were both there, even if this timeline won't show it. I'm just glad Alex decided to go," she smiled frailly, gazing down at her body "even if I could fly at my top speed, I wouldn't be able to make it in these conditions," she swallowed the knot on her throat, "what did you tell Eliza?"

"That you were ill," he admitted, "that's why they pushed the date of the service, she insisted on coming but-"

"No, of course. She can't see me like this, I can't let her worry over me, she needs to mourn her husband," she breathed in, feeling hollow, "I need to signal my team my position, somehow," she shook her head, trying to move, but feeling her muscles quiver, "But first, I have to readjust the stimulation of my sensorial system," Kara exhaled exhaustedly, "getting used to Earth all over again,"

"I could help you fly to get some sunlight," he offered a hand, helping her stand up.

"Thanks, Dad, but I don't think I could handle that right now. I need to power down," she leaned heavily on him, knowing she wouldn't be able to walk on her own, "Can you give me a couple of icepacks and a moment alone?" her eyes showed resignation, "it might give me a chance to plan my next move. I have to get home," she said longingly.

"Very well, we'll be near if you need anything,"

Kara stopped, looking back at the Luthor, "You…came, but I can't ask you to stay," she said softly.

"You always say the decision has to be my own. So, I'm deciding to be here for a moment longer," she turned to J'onn, "if that's okay,"

He gazed at her quietly. They had been on opposite sides for a long while now, but he didn't need to read her thoughts to know she meant no harm. She had stayed both nights in the apartment, tending over a delirious Kara that slipped in and out of consciousness, and when she thought he wasn't there to hear, she would murmur things, little secrets, and confessions of how she truly felt about their quarrel, of the hurt and mistrust, of her fears and doubts…

So J'onn trusted her, at least for now; she was showing to be exactly the same protective and caring friend she had always been to Kara Danvers.

"Of course," he nodded, before turning to Kara and helping her the room, where he left her to her devices to change out of the uniform, while he went for the ice.

As he made it back, he found the Luthor sitting on the couch, her sight lost in the horizon, her thoughts loud enough to hear their echoes.

"…I imagine it must be a lot to think about," J'onn mentioned, snapping Lena out of her trance.

She cleared her throat and gazed away, "The implications of time travel -or rather time displacement- alone are worth a doctoral thesis," she deflected, unconsciously moving farther away in the couch.

J'onn couldn't blame her, she had learned to mistrust them all, "Although it's true, that's not what I meant,"

Lena's shoulders tensed in the slightest, but her barriers didn't go down, "She calls you Dad, that must be worth a thought, too"

J'onn was effectively caught off-guard, "Indeed," he gazed down, "the thought of having a family again…of being able to call them that and accept the title of their father…I never dared imagine I could have that again," he smiled. And Lena couldn't help but stare curiously. Why-? How did he not show any fear or apprehension to such a big change? Did it not scare him?

"Does it really…not faze you?"

"Why would it?" he asked back, "Now I know I'll be given a second chance," he whispered mostly to himself.

Lena felt her insides turn; did she have a second chance? Was this it? Was it too late…? The thought had crossed her mind, that…maybe this version of Kara missed her because…she wasn't in her future anymore. That maybe she so blatantly said that she loved her because it had already been too late in the future.

"The timing, however, does feel unfortunate," he added in a somber tone.

It took Lena a moment to understand the comment, "Jeremiah," she mumbled.

"They lost their father and…although this already happened in this Kara's perspective, it doesn't make her sadness any less real or valid,"

Lena stood silent for a moment, contemplating his words before his phone's ringtone filled the space.

"It's Alex, I better take this," he stood up, looking at her with a bit of urgency.

"I'll get her the icepacks," Lena offered, knowing he really needed to check on the oldest Danvers.

J'onn smiled appreciatively and walked to the hallway to take the call.

Lena stood up, going to the kitchen and getting all the packs she could from the freezer, before heading to Kara's room and…stopping there. She could feel her heart racing but couldn't understand why it made her so nervous, so she had to gather her courage all the same and knock, "Kara?"

"Lena?" the voice called, "Is something wrong?"

That's was a magnificent question, so simple and so incredibly complicated, "N-no," she responded, instead "I have the ice,"

"You can come in," Kara answered and as Lena pushed the door open, she realized Kara couldn't have done it herself. She was sitting on the edge of the bed wearing a plain undershirt and biking shorts, as though, she was going to the gym, but every fiber of her being was twitching and throbbing.

What caught Lena's eyes, however, was the shining piece of jewelry dangling from a chain around her neck, but Kara immediately hid it behind her shirt, offering an apologetic smile, along with no explanation.

"Here," Lena handed the ice to her, and Kara's shaky hand grabbed it, immediately applying it against her nape, exhaling in a mix of discomfort and relief as it almost evaporated on contact.

Lena's face must have shown her surprise, because Kara smirked faintly, "Touch is always the hardest sense to rebalance," she explained, "unlike the other four, this one I have to overwhelm instead of ease," she moved the ice to her forehead, exhaling tiredly.

Lena stood in awkward silence, before daring to speak, "I…I wanted to…" she inhaled sharply, "I'm…I'm sorry about Jeremiah, even if it's not my place, I… I know what it's like to lose someone, even if that pales in comparison to what you have lost…" it suddenly hit Lena. Kara Danvers -Supergirl- lost her home planet, her people, everything. Every last little bit of normalcy had been stripped from her as she had ended up in a foreign world to brave it on her own at such a young age. Kara wasn't a stranger to loss…but she still tried to reach out to Lena when she could have simply moved on, just like life so harshly had taught her how to…

"…Thank you," Kara's voice finally emerged in a soft mumble, "you…you actually gave me your condolences in my timeline…you never knew how much that meant to me…because despite the fact that I called you a villain, you put all that aside and reached out…" she whispered, "same as you did by coming here, making sure I was alright…" her face twitched into a grimace as the cold rectangle slipped from her grasp, landing on her lap.

Lena walked a step closer, tentatively reaching for the ice, "May I?"

Kara gazed up at her in surprise, shyly nodding her head as Lena took the icepack, gently putting it against her back. Kara flinched, tugging at the sheets on the bed.

"I'm sorry," Lena pulled away.

"It's okay," she replied, exhaling unevenly "you don't have to be delicate," she grabbed her hand and drove it against her shoulder, pressing it firmly there, "it's best if you rip off the band-aid," Their eyes met, and her words took a whole other meaning. Was it best to face the music instead of this dance of avoidance?

Kara let go of her hand, driving her sight elsewhere, focusing on the sensations instead, finding that at least her hearing was not maniacally picking apart every single sound in the room.

Lena busied herself with the task at hand, moving the ice along Kara's shoulder, not missing the small way her muscles jumped, making her take notice of the thin lines that ran across her arms and back. She took a closer look, realizing they were a collection of scars, scattering all over her skin like a map of all her battles, "What-what are all of these?"

Kara gazed over her shoulder, seeing the marks as an extension of herself, of her history, "Those are my victories," she replied.

Lena hummed, or rather scoffed, "What do your defeats look like?"

Kara couldn't help the involuntary reaction of her posture tensing, or the way she desperately looked for Lena's eyes.

'They look like restless nights in which you hold me in your arms until I can fall asleep. They sound like soothing lullabies whispered into my hair and they feel like loving touches sending shivers down my spine. But they are also like merciless stabs that make me taste remorse because death always smells rotten and unforgiving'.

"…You will know one day," Kara answered, instead. She didn't mean to burden Lena with all the hurt and pain she endured while being National City's hero, but the Luthor never made her feel like a weight in her life, not once. She was her rock, her moral support, her shoulder to turn to.

The way Lena's eyes inspected her with curiosity and uncertainty forced Kara to look away, "…Am I…no longer there…in the future?" Lena asked softly, "you look at me as though I'm a faraway memory…"

This version of Lena was. Kara saw her as part of a dark time in their shared history, but she hadn't realized it made the Luthor feel as though she didn't exist at all anymore, when in reality, she was her wife. It made Kara wonder if her version of Lena ever felt like that…like if she should hide a part of herself and bury away the past to avoid the sturdiest disagreements…

Like having kids. Her mind provided out of nowhere as if the topic had been there, waiting to surface in her memories. Lena used to bring the subject up, casually but pointedly, although she never expressed why it mattered to her, after a while, she stopped mentioning it altogether. Kara assumed Lena had desisted, but…perhaps she had pushed her away with her silence.

Something in the back of her mind was screaming furiously at Kara the reason Lena even said something in the first place, but she couldn't place it. It was not part of her original recollections.

"You are not a memory, you are there," Kara found herself saying after a beat, "…sorry if I can't say more," she added softly, "just telling you I'm from the future was risky enough,"

"What's the risk? Won't J'onn erase my memories, anyway?" she asked almost sardonically. Why were her eyes watering?

"…Alex…actually asked me not to do that," Kara admitted, feeling the sudden way the ice was removed as Lena took a step back.

"What?"

"Well…she thinks it would be another way of deception, of keeping more secrets from you and…she has a point," her shoulders dropped, making her wince, and Lena immediately pushed the ice back against her skin to ease the affliction, "I…don't know how much I could leave untouched. The part about me being from the future definitely would have to be blocked but…I would like you to keep some of these moments in your mind…but I'm afraid of what it could move in the future," she whispered.

"…Why did you tell me?" Lena asked after a moment, "if you knew the dangers, why say anything?"

"I couldn't bear that look on your face. It was that plain and simple," she answered honestly, without hesitance, "I heard your heartbeat and…came undone," she focused her attention on the small drops of water running down her skin.

"…Because you love me,"

Kara gazed up, "Because I love you," she repeated, inspecting her heartbeat, "Is it so hard to believe?"

"That I'm worthy of love or that you could love me?"

Kara was saddened at her words. Lena had emotionally grown so much, it was easy to forget there was a time in which she thought so little of herself.

"…Do you love me?" the raven-haired woman asked, halfheartedly "this time's version of you, I mean,"

Kara contemplated her reflection on the droplets of water, "Honestly, I think I was so afraid of realizing it was love, it took me more time than it should have to…" she cut herself short, Lena still needed to come back to them willingly, without her interference or mentions of their future relationship, "…maybe your version of Kara won't say it, but it doesn't mean she doesn't feel it. She's just afraid and hurt. Same as you," she smiled sympathetically.

Lena stood in silence for a moment, running the ice across the multiple scars on Kara's back before stopping abruptly, still immersed in all those wounds that reflected how much the Super had been through.

"…Did you hate me?"

Kara's every fiber went ablaze at the words and her chest strangulated. She stood up in a jolt, ignoring all the demands from her nervous system at the abrupt action, "Never. Not for a single moment,"

Lena's gaze met her own, and she felt small under those implacable orbs that stood so unwavering when saying that, "W-why?"

Kara's heart almost broke as she raised her hand, ready to cup Lena's face, but desisting in the last moment, remembering this wasn't her wife, "I wish you could see yourself from my eyes and realize how hurtful that question is," she mumbled, "because if my word is not enough and I can't prove it to you through actions," I can't kiss you, I can't hold you, not yet "how can I attest to how much I love you?"

Lena swallowed thickly, pressing her hands into fists, "I want to believe you," the tears streamed down, as she hung her head low, pressing her forehead against Kara's chest, "but…How could you, after all I've done?" her tone was heavy with guilt. It wasn't mistrust or betrayal anymore. The last layer of all her resentment was strictly aimed at herself.

Kara slowly wrapped her arms around her, breathing in, feeling every point of contact between the two; how soothing it was to touch her always cold skin against her blazing one, "…love is that kind of ludicrous and irrational," Kara mumbled, forgetting all her attempts to keep her distance as she held the Luthor to her chest, holding into that familiar feeling of being home in her arms. It was funny how it always felt like that -for as long as she could remember- but it took her a while to realize what to call that feeling, "it makes no sense, it has no ground rules to follow. You can't analyze it and expect the same result for two different people," she gently allowed her hand to entangle in long dark hair, "I won't lie, this moment of my life is…probably one of the most painful ones. It's not something I often think about, let alone want to relieve…but…but I wouldn't change it, because through all that pain I realized just how important you were -you are- to me. Because it made me face myself and fully understand those words, so I would never say them emptily," she breathed in, "I love you," she stated avidly, "despite the conflict, despite the disagreements and the hurt we inflicted on one another, that never changed the way I feel," she held on tighter, "And you don't have to endure affliction to feel deserving of love," she added gently, "your family made you believe that, but they were wrong. They convinced you that the moment you allowed yourself any bit of happiness, it would be taken away from you, and that's why you expect the world to harm you the moment you feel safe," she softly pressed her lips against her temple, "but I would fight against fate itself to prove to you that you will always be safe in my arms."

Lena's hands clenched into the fabric of her shirt, hiding against Kara's chest, letting every single word emblem into her heart, so no force in the world could ever erase that feeling. That was hers to keep, "I…I lo-"

"Wait," Kara softly cooed into her hair, "I'm not the one you should say this to, wait for her," she pleaded quietly. She would not steal away that moment from her past self, that version of Kara had earned to hear it first from Lena's lips.

And so, the raven-haired woman slowly let go, fishing out of her pocket a device she handed to the Kryptonian. Kara gazed confusedly at it before recognizing the watch.

"I took it from Lex," she mumbled, "It should be able to portal you to Midvale. If you hurry, I'm sure you'll make it in time for the service,"

Kara felt her lips go dry as her eyes watered, "Lena,"

"Even if you are living it a second time, it's still your father's funeral, you should be there,"

Kara pushed the tears back and leaned in to tenderly kiss Lena's forehead, "Thank you," she said to the woman that one day would be her wife. The woman whose lips would be hers to claim while lovely words were softly exchanged in the quiet of the night, in the privacy of their apartment. She was going to be the woman she so desperately was trying to get back to.

And this seemingly small act, was unarguably one of the many ways Lena often expressed the words her past self would hear for the first time.

'I love you'.

"Go," Lena mumbled, "Alex needs you,"

It was a sunny day, which contrasted with the somber mood that took over the place. The ceremony was already taking place, but Alex couldn't follow any of the words that were being spoken. She let them echo into nothingness because they really meant nothing to her right now. She felt hollow. She felt the void. The missing piece her father had left in her heart…so many years ago.

It became unbearable at some point and she hastily stood up from the back row and headed to the exit to get some fresh air. But all her attempts to breathe in turned into gasps she refused to materialize into sobs.

And then, a whitish blast of light appeared behind her and as she turned she found the Girl of Steel standing there, looking…surprisingly small for being the tall figure that came from the future. She resembled her little sister, all but for the eyes that still managed to keep the adamant resolve in them.

Kara hesitantly took a step closer, seeing the broken figure of her sister in front of her; at how the redhead had left the church, avoiding all the emotions that awaited inside.

And Kara could sympathize with her because she couldn't bear to address all the things they had left unsaid as she had left their father's fate be sealed yet again.

"Alex, I'm so-"

But the oldest Danvers' arms wrapped around her with such strength and desperation it made Kara ache all over again.

"Don't," Alex asked, "don't say anything. Right now, I just need to hug my sister at our dad's funeral,"

Kara felt the tears assault her as those words really came to life, embracing her back. Because no matter how she looked at it, that was the reality, and she too, needed to hug her sister as they bid their father a last goodbye.

-Year 2028-

Lena stared fondly at the interaction happening in the back of the room, where Kara was sitting next to the little girl, while Brainy tried to teach her how to read some piano music sheets, enjoying the slightly smaller version of the instrument Lena had bought for the girl to use at the Tower.

Lena didn't miss the way the kid's hand was clenching into the emblematic red fabric; she often grabbed the edge of Kara's cape whenever they were together and more than once had used it as a blanket, drifting asleep while sitting next to her. She had shown them what Kara had meant to her, and the Kryptonian, despite all the inner demons she had yet to slay, had graciously become the girl's safe heaven. Kara took care of her while the team went on missions, keeping her company next to Esme, all while learning how to communicate, with music being her favorite method.

Lena had actually spent a bit of time herself with the child, playing piano, covering the kid's eyes, and playing a movement that then the girl would imitate after hearing it once. She was truly gifted and filled with wonders all the team was eager to discover as they took turns to look after her. Just as Brainy was doing that day, while the Luthor gathered Guardian and Sentinel.

"Lena, you absolute genius!" Alex was beaming, going through the notes.

"Like her Nobel Prize hadn't made that obvious," Kelly teased back, also smiling brightly, infected by her wife's optimism.

"This might actually work!"

Lena turned her attention from the piano lesson to the other two women, "Well, theoretically, yes. But I really needed to check with both of you first. Esme is the final piece, after all, I don't want to put too much on her, she feels guilty enough as it is,"

"And believe us, that's why she will be eager to help,"

It was a solid plan. After seeing how Esme and J'onn had linked their powers to amplify the ones of the little girl, it made sense to try and do that with Ja'ek's ability, sending the three of them, plus this version of Kara, back in time. Once there, J'onn would insert older Kara's memories into her younger version, make the change and head back home. Once the timeline settled, J'onn would help Ja'ek pinpoint his past line and help him jump back as well. If his new future self could show a change in behavior, then he would be freed. That was it.

"Don't worry, honey," Kelly said, "I know you fear she might feel forced to agree if you ask, so we'll explain everything to her. The responsibilities and the risks,"

"If she feels like she can't do it, please don't encourage her, I don't want to put this on Esme" Lena insisted. She knew far too well the coercive methods the Luthors made her endure.

"We promise," Alex said assuring, "speaking of our rascal, we should probably pick her from school and then get ready for the gala,"

"J'onn is staying with her to look after our little resident, right?" Lena asked, referring to the alien infant.

"Yeah, he'll help babysit and then take her to his and M'gan's" Alex nodded.

"He insisted on hosting for the night, probably because he knows we'll be too worn out tomorrow," Kelly smirked, "it's going to be weird not seeing him in one of your fundraisers," the Martian had actually become Lena's father-in-law and a better role model than any of her parents ever were, so not having him there was sure to be strange.

"Yeah...a lot it's going to be very different in this occasion," Lena smiled bleakly, rubbing her ring finger, which was missing exactly that characteristic piece in it, "I better go calibrate the instrumentation, now that we have a more educated guess of the timeline, it should help J'onn guide their efforts when jumping back," she turned around, heading to her lab.

Alex watched her leave and couldn't help the worry that poked her chest. She turned to Kelly, her wife was at the ready with an encouraging smile, telling her to go. The redhead nodded and followed the raven-haired woman.

She found with her back turned away from the entrance and pressing a glass of scotch against her temple, "Old habits die hard, I see" Alex walked in, arms folded, looking at her sympathetically.

"It's really one drink," Lena answered, knowing fully well Alex was looking out for her.

"Then make it half a drink and share some," she taunted back, pushing a button on the wall that raised a force field, "there, no super-hearing beyond this point," her smile softened, seeing that so did the other woman's posture, "how are you holding up, Lee?"

"As well as you could expect, I guess," she served the oldest Danvers a glass, handing it to her.

"I feel like I should have checked on you sooner," Alex took the scotch, seeing her reflection in it, "I'm sorry,"

"Don't be. This has been hard on you as well,"

"Yes but...I'm not the one standing at arm's length from my wife while being 12 years apart from even holding her hand,"

The remark ached, especially because it was true, "Well, when you put it that way," Lena took a long sip, almost finishing her drink in one go.

"You don't have to stay at the gala tonight," Alex offered, putting the glass aside, "Kelly and I will take care of everything, we will rub elbows with all the fancy prime ministers and politicians, smile and do the tedious small talk, heck, even eat kale, since you always insist on having a vegan side menu," the comment managed to make the Luthor chuckle, "so you and Kara can get out of there as soon as you finish your opening speech," she walked a step closer, "And if you need the night to yourself, I'll tell Kara to come to ours, make a sister's night out of it and you can finally process," she reached for her arm, squeezing tightly, "you don't have to shoulder all this, Lee. You have been working non-stop while having to tiptoe around your own house so Kara doesn't find out about the future. You haven't let your guard down in weeks," she said gently, "you can tap out, that won't make you any less of her wife,"

Lena swallowed thickly, "I'm...I'm the one that needs her in the house, Alex," she gazed up at her eyes, showing all her broken pieces, "otherwise the sound of silence would drive me mad, I would feel the empty space and that would make it unbearable to be there, and... although she's not her...she's the closest comfort I have right now,"

Alex couldn't help but to wrap her arms around her, "I'm sorry, Lee," she traced small caresses on her back, "We'll bring Kara back,"

"I know," she answered the hug, holding tightly into her sister-in-law, "doesn't mean I don't miss her," she mumbled weakly.

"Me too," Alex whispered in return, "Me too,"

Lena had made slight adjustments to the armor-dress her wife usually wore on military events. She had to ensure that the outside of it still preserved some of its dimensions since the whole point of wearing that dress was to disguise the less built frame of this younger version of Kara.

But seeing her walk out of the guest's room while wearing the dress made it look as if a kid had roamed through her mother's drawers to try her clothes on; it made Lena feel all kinds of guilt and remorse for forcing Kara to step on the red boots of her future self. She knew perfectly well how small the Kryptonian felt in comparison; having Kara literally fill said shoes made Lena feel like it was a cruel joke she was taking part in.

Kara cleared her throat, "I-I think it's a little bit too big," it was painful to hear her say that as she tried to adjust the way it felt loose when trying to fit her body.

"Let me help you fix that," Lena offered, after placing her earring to finish getting ready, to then approach in her high heels, evening the height difference that was usually noticeable between them. She opened the panel on her left shoulder, modifying the dimensions, making the inner part of the armor in her shoulders and breastplate adapt to her body, keeping the outside looking the same, "that might make it more comfortable," she offered a soothing smile, "I'm sorry if it feels too bloated, it's just-"

"So no one will notice I'm not their Supergirl," Kara provided with a tight smile and Lena felt her chest throbbing.

"...Yeah," the Luthor cleared her throat, closing the panel, and taking a step back to see the red and blue dress that had golden details embellishing the design. The top part was mainly an armor that could easily be activated to become a full-body kryptonite-proof uniform, but that meanwhile remained as an elegant sleeveless attire, that still protected her shoulder. Right under her family's crest, the mixture between technology and fabric happened, letting the long dress be strictly a fashionable gown that Cat Grant herself would approve of, made from the same material as her cape, making it also tactical for battle, "well, I think you look very dashing," Lena complimented, looking at her fondly.

Kara smiled giddily, ducking her chin in embarrassment before taking in the image before her. Lena's plain black dress did her sole justice, wrapping around her body in all the flattering ways it should, "You...look very gorgeous," she swallowed, looking back into her eyes. Her dark makeup managed to make her emeralds even more mesmerizing.

"Thank you, Darling," Lena smiled at her before having to gather her courage, "Ready to go?"

Kara breathed in, remembering the promise she had made before, the reason she was even allowed to assist in the first place. She couldn't look down or gaze away. She had to pretend to have all the confidence in the world – all the confidence this Supergirl already embodied, "Ready," she lied.

Chapter Text

-Year 2028-

Kara's hands were sweating. Which was uncanny, since she had never broken a sweat battling any opposing forces or foes. She always fought and faced all odds, so why was she the one feeling at odds when she saw the immensity of the ballroom? She could see the sea of people in elegant attires waiting on the lobby, all exuberating an air of superiority and poise Kara was trying to imitate, poorly.

She swallowed and pushed her chin up, breathing in. Lena was still giving some final instructions before they would let all the guests in, so that gave the young Kryptonian a couple of minutes to gather herself and try to play the part. She had given grand speeches for the masses, her trade was literally to communicate information to people, and yet, here she was, fidgeting with her hands and running a few scenarios in her head of what she could say in case someone approached her to talk.

"Are you ready, Darling?" Lena's voice anchored back into the present as she swallowed nervously, "we are going to let the guest enter in five minutes, they are mainly dignitaries and some of the most renowned activists, from Earth and otherwise,"

That didn't manage to reassure her, "What…am I supposed to talk about?" Kara asked cautiously, "I don't know anything about current events and, I haven't- I don't know any of these people," she gazed over her shoulder, "but I have a feeling they do know me," she shrugged into herself, folding her arms defensively.

Lena parted her lips, but nothing came out of them. Truth being, she had a very valid point, but Kara didn't need to hear that, so instead, she grabbed her wrist and laced her arm around one of the Kryptonian's, "Then don't leave my side," she smiled warmly at her, "and whenever you feel nervous, squeeze my hand," she grabbed her own, giving it a tight squish, "just like this, okay?"

Kara wrapped her fingers around hers, pressing carefully not to harm her, finding that little action to be incredibly comforting.

"That's it," Lena smiled fondly, and Kara felt electricity run through the tip of her fingers, "Come with me, I want to show you something," she drove her to the center of the empty ballroom, under the glorious chandelier. And upon pressing a button, every crystal of the ornament projected a tridimensional image, showing all the alien families their project had helped. Photographs of all the charity they were doing, extraterrestrials and humans, hand in hand, helping and being a community.

Kara was breathless, gazing up with innocent bright eyes, seeing the display before her, "What's all this?"

"This is what tonight is about," Lena answered, seeing the awe in her face, "this is what our project has done, what we want to keep achieving," she said proudly, looking at the moving images, "I actually used some of the fortress technology to make this presentation, to imitate the memory crystals, you were incredibly helpful," Lena noticed her slip of tongue, "you know-"

"Future me," Kara nodded, still roaming through the room like a little kid seeing the constellations for the first time, finding one symbol she knew by heart, "my family's crest," she pointed at the "S", hoovering above all, showing proudly.

"That's right,"

"But why?" Kara turned to her, "this is your foundation, isn't it? You organized all this, I thought it would be as part of L-Corp, why is my symbol there instead of the logo of your company?"

Lena felt her stomach flutter, "Because…I renamed it," she said, "This event it's actually part of El-Foundation," she admitted, "as in, the House of El," a family she had been welcomed into, "I started it because of you," as a gift, as a promise, as a grand gesture of their love, "you inspired me,"

"You…you did all of this…because of me?"

"For you," Lena mumbled, averting her eyes down, dusting her cheeks a faint shade of red, "I run the logistics and administrative part, but trust me, you are the heart of it. You…connect with people, you encourage others and make them feel brave…" she said sighing longingly, "you were always more human in that regard than me," she added softly, unaware of the arms that suddenly wrapped around her.

"Thank you," Kara said wholeheartedly, "this is…this is the greatest present anyone has ever given me," she held on tighter, "you made my family's mission your own,"

'You made me part of your own family' Lena wanted to answer, but kept quiet and embraced her instead, leaning into her shoulder, pressing her cheek against the cold metal of the armor. It felt so soothing to be held by the height and built of the arms she had been used to cuddle in.

"You kept their legacy alive, I- I don't have the words to express how much this means to me, how grateful I am," she let go to say those words while looking at her face.

"I see it in your eyes. I see them in your future self as clearly as I see it right now in your own," she reassured, "that's gratitude enough for me, Darling," she cupped her cheek and felt the way Kara leaned tentatively into her touch, smiling at her with that gleeful spark that made the sun pale next to it.

"We are ready to commence," a staff member walked in, a hand on his earpiece to give further instructions to the rest of his crew.

Lena gazed over her shoulder at him, "Just a moment, please," she turned back to the Kryptonian, "Ready?"

Kara breathed in and held her head high, feeling renewed and motivated by what this fundraiser had achieved, by what it meant to the people -including herself-, by how much Lena had done to make it a reality as a gift for her. So she intertwined her arm around Lena's and smiled confidently, "I am now,"

Kara had never been to an event this massive or exclusive. She had prided herself in the past for scoring an invitation to a few important events to go as press and get Cat Grant an entry for the magazine, but this was on a whole other level. Hundreds of different types of aliens were gathered among humans, talking, and enjoying each other's company. Kara couldn't recall a time in which she felt as comfortable in a group of people as right now. Usually, she was the anomaly that stood sorely in solitude among all the humans around her, but here, she was one of many. She was unable to think of a time in which these many aliens had been gathered in one place so openly.

And while the conglomeration of people around her was nothing short of overwhelming, whenever someone approached them to talk politics or suggest a strategic alliance, aiming the question at Kara, they were more than willing to hear the answer from Lena, as she intervened to take over and keep the Kryptonian from blowing her cover.

Lena's eloquent and refined way to carry a conversation was worthy of eulogy. She was always in control, on point, witty, and yet polite. And if someone ever tried to outsmart her, they would be faced with a true challenge since so far, she was undefeated, in Kara's mental scoreboard.

"You really are in your element," Kara said after they parted ways from the last politician that thought he could be clever enough to win an argument. To his credit, he had been civil and gracious, despite his loss, and eagerly agreed to set an appointment to talk with James Olsen about their Peace Treaties initiative.

"Years of practice, I'm afraid," Lena smiled irreverently.

"Remind me to never oppose you, I wouldn't stand a chance,"

But they would be on opposing sides for a while, in a quarrel Lena rather not think of. Even now, they had their disagreements, but at least not to such an unhealthy degree. Part of their dynamic as a team and as wives actually consisted in Lena reminding Kara where the line stood. Even if she loved her dearly, the Luthor had to still be the voice of reason when the Kryptonian's plans were taking it a step too far. Lena fought to keep Kara's humanity, and Kara persisted to stand for Lena's kind-heartedness.

"Trust me, you'll get a knack for it," Lena said lightly. This was not the time to reminiscence in memories, she was actually rather enjoying herself in Kara's company.

"Well, don't let me make a habit out of it," Kara retorted, and Lena laughed good-naturally.

"I'll make sure to remind you of it," she gave her forearm a teasing squeeze, "are you holding up alright?"

"I am," she assured. With Lena by her side, there was really nothing that could faze her, "…But if you need to socialize more freely, don't stop on my behalf. I don't want to jeopardize all your hard work because I'm no good at small talk. People might want to approach you and I've kept you to myself all night,"

People would think it strange if she hadn't.

"You are right where you should," Lena mumbled, looking into her eyes, "I need you by my side," she confessed, feeling the sudden honesty bring the words to life, so she cleared her throat, "for public credibility," she added, trying to school her pulse into a steady beat. But she couldn't pretend her prior statement hadn't meant far more than what Kara would understand.

"If that's what you need, you have my full support" the Super smiled solely at her, "I believe in you," Kara said, heartedly, avidly, with conviction, and…probably for the first time ever, Lena realized. Kara had said those words throughout their history together far more times than Lena could count, but this young Kara, who had been stranded in a timeline that wasn't her own, displaced before the two of them had even really become friends…just proclaimed the premise of what started their story together.

And Lena could do nothing to help her heart comply this time. Her eyes shimmered with tears -joyful ones- that she couldn't allow to materialize, "…Thank you," was the only thing she could say, as she held on tighter into Kara's hand, breathing in and raising her chin, "those words are the greatest gift you ever gave me," Lena said and Kara felt her own breathing hitch, seeing her emerald eyes gaze deep into her blue ones with such adoration. How could those words mean so much to her? They were so true and natural for the Kryptonian, how could Kara ever not believe in Lena?

"There you are," Kelly approached them, hand in hand with Alex, breaking the moment. Kara couldn't quite understand why she felt sudden relief that they did, but her hands were about to sweat all over again, "Sorry for being late, the little miss had a bit of a hard time understanding we were going to see her tomorrow,"

"She thought you were leaving her?" Kara asked softly, imagining how scared the alien girl must have felt.

"Something along those lines," Alex nodded, not missing the way Kara's brows knitted, "Esme, ever our lifesaver, contextualized it for her," Alex explained, "Luckily she calmed down, and thus, here we are," she smiled at the two.

"I hope we didn't miss your speech?" Kelly added, looking at Lena.

"Not yet, I'm afraid, you'll have to sit through it," Lena mocked, affectionately.

"Hey, it's an open bar, talk for as long as you want," Alex bantered back, before turning her gesture into a softer one, "we'll be right in the first row," as they always were, "Can't wait to hear what you have prepared, Lee,"

Lena smiled fondly, "Thank you, both of you," she inhaled, comforted, "I guess this is as good of a time as any to deliver said soliloquy, then,"

Alex couldn't help but gaze at her sister-in-law with fondness because she could see in Lena's demeanor that she had literally stalled giving her speech to wait for them, because she needed them there. They were her family after all, "Then let us get a glass to toast with," the older Danvers said, "Find me later, Babe?" she asked Kelly, as she knew her wife would go with the Luthor to set the presentation to show all the shelters they had built and the most recent attack on one of them.

"Yes, save me some champagne," Kelly leaned in, kissing Alex's lips tenderly before parting ways. Kara couldn't help but stare tongue-tied, feeling something inside her tickle.

"I'll be back shortly, Darling,"

Kara nodded, realizing how empty her hand felt when Lena parted ways. Her fingers resented the lack of touch and warmth and suddenly Kara didn't know what to do with said absence, so she grabbed a canape.

It took Alex a moment to lose sight of Kelly in the crowd to then realize the weird way her sister was staring at her, "What's wrong?" she asked, "are you feeling alright?"

"No- I, I mean, yeah, I'm okay," Kara averted her eyes, reminding herself to keep from ducking her chin or shrugging her shoulders, so she put her hands on her hips instead, staring into the distance, "It's just…it's the first time I've seen you with Kelly and fully realize she's your…wife," she explained, "I don't think I've ever seen you with someone and look…that happy," or free, "Never seen you kiss…" she mumbled, "it…caught me off guard," she quickly locked eyes to make sure it didn't come across wrong, "not in a bad way! I just- I…I hope one day I can have what you guys have,"

Her older sister's smile turned all the more tender. The first time Alex had dated -for real- Kara had been guarded, sisterly jealous, even, but… this time around, she wasn't resentful of Kelly or Esme, even though she spent most of her time with them while still being one of the few familiar faces Kara could turn to in this displacement. So, it was… nice, to feel Kara support her so fully, "I'm sure you will," Alex replied, unable to say she already did.

Kara smirked, gazing back at Kelly and Lena get up the staircase to the podium, "How did…how did you know she was the one?" the Kryptonian dared to ask.

Alex let out a long sigh, "It…wasn't an easy journey," she admitted, "It…took me a while to finally feel brave enough to dare get down on one knee, again," Kara's brows arched when hearing the word 'again', but said nothing, "but…I guess with Kelly it felt natural, to be with her. I never tried to fix her, and she didn't push me to be someone I was not," they respected each other and their dreams and personal journeys, "That's how I decided that it was time to ask the question…it was worth the risk, the rejection even, because it was far worse to bottle that up and miss my chance," she sighed to herself, "and she felt the same way," she smiled enamored, remembering how both had exactly the same idea for their mutual proposals, "I'm lucky. So incredibly lucky to have her in my life,"

Kara grinned, hearing her sister speak so bravely sure managed to infect her with some confidence. And for the first time, she wondered if her future self had someone like that.

"Good evening," Lena's voice echoed in the ballroom and suddenly all the scattered voices died down, allowing the room to stand in silence for her to begin, "I want to thank you all for being here tonight, to celebrate yet another fundraiser and strengthen the bond between humans and aliens," the images around them started to appear, moving throughout the room as though they were the ones dancing. Lena spoke with confidence and determination, showing that strong-willed personality Kara had learned to admire through her stay. The thing that moved her the most, was how accepting people were of the Luthor. She could remember how others used to misjudge her back in her timeline simply because her last name matched the one of Lex. And…Kara might have been apprehensive at first, too, especially since Kal had been so guarded around her. But Lena had shown that she wanted to step out of her brother's shadow and make a legacy of her own and Kara could sympathize with that. And right here and now, she could see so clearly how Lena had accomplished said goal because she was shining. She was bright and warm and welcoming, just like the sun. So, when her speech ended, Kara's applause was the loudest, and Lena's smile was aimed solely at Kara.

Kelly took over, showing the repercussions of the aggressions against aliens and inviting everyone to join forces to stop the violence by promoting their Peace Treaties. And after a small intervention made by James, they officially inaugurated the fundraiser so people could start donating as the orchestra filled the room with music.

The Danvers' sisters reached the side of the stairs, waiting for the other two women.

"Marvelous as ever," Alex said, diving in for a quick peck, "I'm sure we'll be able to fund at least three more shelters this year,"

"That's the plan," Kelly smirked, kissing back.

"Lena, that was amazing," Kara said, truly excited, embodying the image of a golden retriever.

"Thank you, Darling," Lena smiled, taking notice of how naturally the Kryptonian intertwined her arm around hers once again, latching her closely while still looking at Lena with stars in her eyes.

"I can't believe how advocated you are to this," Kara's features softened, "you truly are a beckon of hope,"

"Learned from the best," Lena replied, tilting her head, finding Kara's excitement and innocence endearing.

"Splendid performance," Brainy's voice intervened, escorting Nia next to him as they approached the other couples, "I estimate that at least 98% of the people present will donate within the hour and the remaining 2% after the third glass of wine, some of which might add an extra zero due to the sloppiness caused as a side effect of the alcoholic beverage,"

They all chuckled.

"Well, we'll try not to take too much advantage of that," Lena grabbed a glass from one of the waitresses, "for now, thank you all for being here,"

"Wouldn't dream missing it," Nia grinned.

"You know you are stuck with us," Alex smirked.

"There's not any other place or time I'd rather be," Brainy said solemnly.

"Me neither," Kara found herself saying, earning five equally struck expressions in return. Kara did an effort not to shy away as she swallowed the knot in her throat, "even though I know I'm not…who should be here, all of you have been incredibly warm and welcoming toward me. You've protected me and…you've shown me that the future is going to be bright, that we are still fighting the good fight," she gazed inside everyone's eyes, "I can't wait until it's my turn to be here and be the person you expect me to be,"

"You already are," Alex said.

"You are the reason we are all here," Nia added softly.

"And we'll always be your family," Kelly leaned into Alex's shoulder, "In due time, you'll come to learn that by yourself,"

Kara felt her chest swell with emotion, feeling how true and honest those words were. All this -everything and everyone around her- would be hers. She just had to keep pushing through all the challenges and struggles, because it would be worth it. For a moment, she felt ready to go home, but at the same time, sad at the idea of leaving this behind, -or rather, ahead- of herself.

"Cheers," Kara raised her cup, and they all shared a toast, "can't wait to see it," she mumbled looking at Lena. Of all the people in that room, her story was the one she wanted to learn the most.

Alex tilted her glass all the way down before turning to Kelly, stretching her hand, "Shall we?"

Kelly smirked, "We shall," they scattered to the dancefloor, sharing a slow-paced ballad. Meanwhile, the other couples talked, for the first time in weeks, about something that wasn't related to the Tower, their missions, or the displacement. They were just enjoying the evening. James approached to introduce his date and spare a few lines about how everything was in Metropolis, even sliding in how Clark Kent was doing alright.

Soon, all the Superfriends found a little moment to let their guards down and be just that, friends.

When it was well past eleven, Alex and Kelly shared a knowing look.

"We have to go back home now,"

"Already?" James asked.

"J'onn is probably taking our little guest to his house and we don't want Esme to be alone,"

"Of course, see you tomorrow,"

"Enjoy the rest of the evening," they hugged each other goodbye, "you did an amazing job, Lee,"

"Thanks for everything,"

Eventually, Nia and Brainy went dancing while Lena had to entertain a few more businessmen's conversations. So, Kara stood loyally by her side, portraying the "S" on her chest, to endorse the Luthor, but she was pretty sure Lena could have fended for herself. But that didn't stop Kara from holding her arm and pressing her hand once in a while when someone would make a remark about her absence on the battlefield lately.

"We all work very diligently to keep our city safe," Lena said, pointedly but with a friendly tone, "it's a team effort, though. It shouldn't be a burden that weighs on her shoulders alone," she gestured around, "that's why we do this. We can all help make our society better, so we don't have to resort to violence or confrontations to keep people from hurting each other, as it happened on the last attack to the shelter,"

"Oh yes, a tragedy," the man gazed down, "such a shame all the lives that got lost," he added, "it's a true shame you couldn't be there sooner," the comment wasn't phrased as a complaint or a jab, but it sure hit too close to home.

Lena's hand pressed tightly around Kara's, "She did everythi-"

"It is unfortunate," Kara spoke up, probably for the first time that night, "I couldn't be fast enough, I couldn't be strong enough, my efforts weren't enough," she nodded, "and they are never going to be, because I can't do it alone," she turned to Lena, "It's like she said, the only way to change things is if we change ourselves. Brute force should be a last resort, words ought to be our biggest asset, not a barrier of excuses we hide behind, as a society," she exhaled, "next time, I might be faster and stronger, but our goal it's for it to never be a next time," she ran her thumb across the back of Lena's hand, "and Lena is the one making sure my words are not empty dreams,"

All the people that had been around gathered at her words, feeling inspired by them. When Supergirl talked, they all turned to listen. She had such a magnetizing personality, no one was immune to her charm, especially not Lena Luthor.

The man chuckled, nodding, "Well said," he pulled out his checkbook, "then let me help fight in the front I am capable of," he wrote down the number, making Kara's annual salary pale drastically in comparison, "if you excuse me, I have to make sure to deliver this,"

"Thank you," Lena said heartedly, holding closer into Kara.

"My pleasure," he nodded, giving the Kryptonian an approving grin.

When the spectators started to disperse, Kara finally let go of the air she didn't know she had been holding, feeling her heart hammer on her chest.

Lena rubbed her hand up and down Kara's forearm, "you did incredible, Dear,"

Kara exhaled, doing a monumental effort to keep her sight from falling to the floor, feeling rather exhausted from putting up the façade. So, she leaned into Lena's side, to try to talk privately. The action caught Lena off-guard, she could feel the ghostly memory of her wife's lips softly brushing against her ear to say a few private words in Kryptonian, while in a public event, that were sure to make Lena's knees tremble and her cheeks burn.

"I think I'm going to slip," Kara admitted, "I need a moment to gather myself,"

Lena nodded, looking sympathetically at her. She could imagine how demanding it must have been for her to keep up an act, "Follow me,"

They subtly crossed the ballroom, reaching one of the several balconies, an empty one where only the moon could witness Kara break character. The Kryptonian relaxed her shoulders and leaned into the rail, hanging her head, and releasing a mouthful of air.

Lena smiled dimly, gently putting a hand on Kara's back and rubbing small circles there to comfort her, "You've done an amazing job, Darling," she praised, "We already made an appearance and talked to every single key partner, we can go home now," she offered softly.

Kara gazed over her shoulder at her, "You should be able to enjoy your gala for a bit longer,"

"I enjoy it because you are here, with me," she said to this Kara. Not to her future wife, but this version that had done above and beyond to make the evening perfect, "I couldn't have bear it if you hadn't been here," she admitted, standing next to her, looking up at the stars, "I've never done a gala in which you are not there with me, so I'm glad this wasn't an exception," she turned to her.

Kara smiled timidly, "What would you usually do?"

"Well, after bearing all the formalities, as you just did, and making a pit-stop at the dessert table so you could recharge your energies," she added teasingly, making Kara giggle, "I guess we would…join the dancefloor once, before calling it a night," she admitted.

"I know how to dance?"

"My heels do have a metal plate on the tip, just in case you miss your step," Lena mocked, winking an eye, sharing a soft laugh Kara joined in complicity.

"Well, I can't say that I am yet a good ballroom partner," Kara admitted, "but I wouldn't want to leave you without a dance," she pushed herself from the rail, stretched a hand toward Lena, "so, you step on my toes,"

"Wh-what?"

"You will have to trust me on this one,"

Lena smiled softly, "I trust you," she grabbed her hand, stepping over her metallic boots, losing her center of gravity, until Kara's palm pressed against her lower back, keeping her from stumbling backward. The sudden proximity made the Kryptonian's heart jump unceremoniously. She was only glad the robust armor around her chest would keep Lena from feeling her pulse go haywire. Kara cleared her throat, as she more delicately took her position, waiting for Lena to lay a hand on her shoulder while the other intertwined around her own, "Ready?" Kara asked.

Lena nodded, looking into her eyes as they took flight. The raven-haired woman pressed herself tighter into Kara's body, looking down, feeling the sudden movement.

"I've got you," Kara assured her, "I'm not letting you fall,"

Lena chuckled, letting go of the air trapped in her lungs, "I know," she pressed her cheek against her shoulder, closing her eyes, "you never let me down,"

Kara found herself swaying gently in the night sky, feeling the subtle breeze, hearing the chatter at the distance, drowned down by the steady heartbeat of the Luthor. The air softly carried Lena's perfume through the night, tickling Kara's nose with its fragrance. Everything about this felt right, it felt like…home. It was not the apartment that provided that feeling, anymore, with its advanced security system and tinted glass where she could hide to hang the cape and take off the glasses; It was not the walls keeping the rest of the world – the future- from becoming too overbearing. The real safety, the real comfort, and warmth, it was all Lena. It had always been her the one to feel like home. And right here, having her in her arms felt like the unspoken promise she once made herself, that one day, she wouldn't feel that loneliness that boarded the ship with her when she left Krypton.

"Lena…can…I ask you something?" Kara spoke up, softly, not wanting to break the moment.

"Of course," she nodded, turning to look closely at her, but Kara couldn't hold her gaze.

"I've…been pretending to be her all night and…for the most part it worked, others think I am their Supergirl but…you know better than that," she shrugged, "ever since you first saw me," she cleared her throat, "So, if you can tell the difference, then what…do you like about me?" she asked hesitantly, floating in a smooth motion, "what is that you…love about older me?"

Lena tried to meet Kara's eyes, but the younger woman kept her blue skies glued to the stars, so Lena chuckled to herself and breathed in, dreamily, "Well…I love a lot of things about you…your kindness, your hope in the world, how you always look for the good in people," she exhaled, "how you never give up, not even when the rest of the universe tells you that you should," not even when I gave you every reason to never forgive me, "and…all those things," she pushed back in the slightest to see her, "they are already in you," she assured, "I know that you think your older self is this mythological legend you have to measure up to, but in my eyes, you already are that hero," she pressed her fingers tighter, "the years will give you experience, they will make you wiser, they will build a callous shell around you and sometimes, they will break you. But that fire that keeps on burning, it's always been in you. Trust it and let it shine,"

"You truly believe in me so blindly?" Kara asked, finally turning to face her, losing altitude, feeling like Lena's eyes could anchor her back into the ground.

"You've given me every reason to believe in you," Lena answered, heartedly, looking deep into her blue orbs, showing nothing but honesty.

Kara felt her stomach flutter and her hands sweat, with a tingly feeling she was familiar with, but that had been so foreign for the longest while. Her heart began directing an orchestra inside of her as Alex's previous words that night echoed in her thoughts, putting lyrics to the music. Kara felt herself be drawn toward the pale face of the Luthor, leaning in…

Lena felt Kara's hot breath tickle her skin while those vibrant red lips parted with the promise of a taste of love and adoration. Lena's eyelids slowly closed, letting herself be fooled into believing that this was her Kara and that the distance could be closed…but she couldn't deceive herself. Her Supergirl was somewhere in the past, hoping to come back. Her Kara had fought by her side, for her, and even against her. They had shared laughs and tears in equal parts and that's why when they kissed for the first time all those years ago, it tasted like home.

Lena couldn't steal that first kiss from her past self.

That young broken version of herself deserved to be the one to claim that special moment because she had gone through all the pain and bitterness that made that one kiss be the sweetest.

Lena's hand pushed against the House of El's symbol, keeping the distance those twelfth years of history together meant as Lena shut her eyes roughly, sobering up, taking an abrupt step back into the ground, feeling the hurt and longing mix inside her chest, "I-I can't. You are not…you are not my wife,"

Kara jolted back, feeling her blood run cold, brutally bringing her back to her senses. Those words were sure made out of kryptonite, because when they reached her, they exposed Kara' feelings like an open wound, scaring her thoughts "Your-your wife?" she repeated, "You are married?" her head was spinning, scattering into her memories to look for all the clues she had left go unnoticed. A bed one size too big for one person, a dinner arrangement for a date that didn't arrive on the first night Kara was displaced, the sunflowers she had been drawn to. It was so obvious and still…her eyes watered. Why did everything hurt? She had barely met Lena, right? So why did she feel robbed of that chance Alex spoke about? Why did it feel like losing Krypton again? Like losing her home?

She hastily turned around, hiding her face behind her palms, trying to keep herself from crying, unable to ignore the unusual rhythm Lena's heart was beating in. Why did it sound so afflicted? It wasn't her heart the one being torn to pieces, was it?

"Kara, listen-" Lena attempted to lay a hand on her shoulder, but the young Kryptonian couldn't bear the idea of her touch, so she took flight into an unknown night, leaving nothing but a cold, harsh breeze behind her. And Lena found herself alone in that balcony.

Kelly and Alex had kicked out their high heels, tossing them carelessly in the living room as they stood on the kitchen's island, snickering quietly to keep from waking up Esme, as they shared a moment to themselves, mumbling a few words between soft pecks and kisses. Savoring those few moments of domestic life, they so rarely could afford. But their peace and quiet were obliterated by their security alarm, warning them about a perimeter breach, giving them no time to gear up as their balcony's door was burst open and a blur of red and blue broke in.

It had been such a hasty image, it took Alex a moment to realize this wasn't their Supergirl breaking free from the displacement and coming back from the past, but the past Super storming in while being completely broken down, bringing back to life a sight Alex hadn't seen in ages.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Kara demanded at her older sister, "you should have said something!" she marched to her, chocking the words out through tears.

"Kara, what's wrong?" Alex grabbed her shoulders, trying to connect gazes, but Kara pushed her hands off, taking a step back.

"Why did you let me stay with her?!"

"What are you talking about?" Alex insisted, feeling increasingly worried, as not a single word made sense, "Kara, what happened?!"

"I tried to kiss her, Alex!" the confession left her lips, draining her from all her strength as she fell to her knees, while her oldest sibling wrapped her arms around her to keep her from crumbling, "I-I tried to kiss Lena," she sobbed uncontrollably, "and she told me she's married," she clenched to the front of Alex's clothes, hiding against her chest.

Alex felt reality crash down like the plane she had been in the night her sister saved her for the first time. Her own heart ached because as she held the Kryptonian to her chest Alex realized that her baby sister…was heartbroken…for the first time in her life. This was Kara experiencing such despair without previous precedent, bearing her heart out to collect all the broken pieces, unable to put them back together on her own, turning to her older sibling so that she might make the pain stop. Because everyone had kept the truth from her, another secret.

"Oh, Kara," Alex hugged her tighter, keeping her from shaking violently as the sobs ripped through her body, "I'm sorry," she pressed her lips to her head's crown, without being able to explain what she was apologizing for. Was it for not telling her Lena was married or for still not admitting that it was to her future self?

Alex felt every bit of her sister's pain and couldn't help but wonder how she let that happen. It was so obvious and yet unforeseen. They all knew Kara would eventually fall in love with Lena, that she would confess to it, that they would marry one day, but she never expected this younger Kara to realize her feelings so quickly, so genuinely…yet, that was exactly what they had been sharing for weeks. This version of Kara didn't have two identities to hide, she had been open and trusting with Lena as the Luthor had been in return. Kara had been living in a home where she could be herself and be surrounded by all the things she loved and made her feel protected without even knowing it; she had been in the fortress the older Kara had made for herself, as a safe heaven.

So why wouldn't she have longed for that, too?

Alex turned to Kelly, who judging by the sad look in her eyes, had drawn the same conclusion, "I'll take care of Kara," the oldest Danvers said, swallowing hard, mouthing as quietly as possible, "can you check on Lena?"

Kelly nodded, leaving the room to look for her phone as Alex cuddled Kara, letting the sobs die down a little, leaving her sniffling and exhausted, "Come on, sis. Let's get you out of that dress," Alex said gently. It felt too cruel to let her still try to look the part, that had been an indirect reason that brought this misunderstanding upon them.

She took her to the bathroom, sitting her down to access the panel on the suit freeing her from its grasp, from the weight and burden of being Supergirl.

"I'll bring you some comfortable clothes," Alex mumbled, "you'll stay the night here, okay?"

Kara nodded, with a grateful sigh, she couldn't bear to look Lena after the fool she had made of herself.

"Alright," Alex stood up, going to her room.

Kara found herself alone with her thoughts and her memories replayed the scene with uncanny detail. She could feel the night around her, the breeze, the perfume… it had been intoxicating and maybe that's why her judgment had clouded. But then again, it had been every other single moment that led to that one. The way Lena made her feel, the way she spoke of her, how she always made sure to make her feel safe and important…

…Of course, Lena would have been married, how could she not? She was amazing…and years apart from her.

Her eyes flooded again, as Kara tried to compose herself, barely taking notice of her surrounding as the door opened again, but it was not Alex the one on the other side.

"Aunt Kara?" The Kryptonian gazed up, finding Esme there, worriedly inspecting her, "Are you okay?" she quickly reached her side.

"Hey, Little One," Kara's voice was raspy and dim.

"What happened?" Esme asked, seeing that there were no battle wounds in her, so at least she knew she wasn't harmed physically.

Kara sighed humorlessly, wiping her eyes, "I…I did something stupid," she replied, "Something I shouldn't have,"

Esme's brows knitted, "Can we help you fix it?"

Kara smiled softly at her, seeing how earnestly she wanted to help her pain subside, she could see how much of a Danvers she was, "Thank you, but…I'm not sure anything can be done. The future is already set in stone, so…the best thing is for me to focus on getting back to the past,"

Esme grabbed her hand, pressing tightly, mimicking the Kryptonian's strength, "I…I did something stupid, too," she admitted, swallowing thickly, "something my family has been trying to fix," she breathe in, "I'm…I'm the reason you are here," she said out-front, ripping off the band-aid, "we were on a mission, my first real mission and…when Ja'ek tried to use his powers, I interfered, turning them back on himself, when you jumped in the middle, trying to protect me, and then…you were gone- my aunt," her head hanged low, "it was hours later that Mom came back saying they had found a younger version; you. If I hadn't intervened, if I hadn't tried to play hero, Supergirl would have taken care of the situation and…none of this would have happened," the teardrops fell down her cheeks, "I'm sorry, Kara," she sniffed and the Kryptonian noticed how she stripped her from the title of an aunt, "I'm so sorry, it's all my-"

But she didn't get to finish that sentence as Kara hugged her firmly, "Don't say that," she asked, "don't say it's your fault, it's not,"

"If I hadn't intervened-"

"Then maybe Ja'ek would have done something terrible, maybe he would have changed how the battle played out and we would have lost the fight," she said, "So, don't ever apologize for trying to protect others, especially the ones you love. That's what makes you a hero,"

Esme felt the overwhelming emotion take over as she hugged her back, "Thank you, Aunt Kara," she mumbled, closing her eyes.

Alex kept on quietly overhearing them from the entrance, away from sight and cautious not to break the moment. Kara, even if unknowingly, had freed Esme from a pang of guilt that had been eating her inside for weeks now. No matter how much Alex or Kelly had tried, only Kara's natural kindness and words would be the ones the teen would believe in when she said it wasn't her fault.

Even when going through her own heartache, Kara made sure to protect those she loved…and Alex felt like she owed her sister more than half-truths. She walked away letting them talk before hearing Kelly's voice in the living room, finding a fading flash of light after a portal had been closed, leaving behind an equally distraught Lena Luthor.

"I've looked in the apartment, in the Tower, and at CatCo," Lena's eyes were red and watery, "I can't find her-"

"Honey, breathe," Kelly asked softly, trying to appease her.

"She's here," Alex answered, in a mumble, walking in her direction, looking at the woman with hurt and empathy, "Lena…you have to tell her,"

The Luthor's throat closed, and pain flashed clearly in her face as her fists tightened, "…I can't," she choked out.

Alex was already taking a step towards her when a blast of light blinded the three of them and the interdimensional being of mischief and magic appeared in the middle of the room, "You won't believe the headache I had" Mxy huffed dramatically, holding his temple, "or just how bizarre it was to learn what cause it,"

-Year 2020-

Kara leaned back into the couch, feeling the way her body still tried to comply with her commands, she could sure use another day to recover, but time was of the essence.

"Are you sure you are ready?" J'onn asked, showing clear concern.

"I am, Dad," she said adamantly, "I need to see those memories,"

"You barely managed to stand on your own for a couple of hours," Alex said from the back of the room, arms folded. Things between them were still slightly rough around the edges, but the pressing matter of the displacement forced them to look past it.

"The more I know, the easier it will be to get things back to normal," she replied, side glancing at her from the safety of the couch, "so, we move forward with the plan," she closed her eyes, bracing herself for the moment J'onn put his finger on her head and…

Everything came back to her.

Every single moment. She could see it all play in front of herself as the fresh new memories took over the events that occurred the first time. She could see her youngest self be transported to her home, to 2028, her present. It was such a strange relief to see Alex and her team again, even if it was through this strange arrangement. And then, Lena came to view, she saw the anniversary dinner that never came to be, their apartment, all of it. She saw the days in which she stayed at the Tower powerless to help. She saw… the fire at the shelter, she felt it. The way all of it took her back to the worst memories she ever experienced, to the screams of her people as her home planet was obliterated by flames and explosions. She found herself- younger self- sharing all the things she wouldn't have dared to say, talking about Kal, about an invisible pain that loomed over her every time a child was put on her arms. She found herself lying in bed in front of Lena as her wife comforted her and she admitted to everything that otherwise Lena would have never learned about.

It knotted her stomach, but then more memories came rushing. She saw National City as it was back in 2016. She saw herself talking to Alex about Maggie, she lived Thanksgiving through a different narrative, with Lena at the table after saving all the aliens from Cadmus. She saw the little moments of normality she shared with the Luthor. Small and inconsequential on the grand scheme of the timeline, but far more meaningful than what this future Kara could put down in words.

Like hearing Lena say out loud a truth that hadn't left her lips for as long as she had known her. Lena wanted kids, wanted to give a child all the love and affection she was denied. She wanted to hold an infant for the same reasons Kara didn't. Because she was haunted by the past and needed to mend it, because for so long she had been the last Luthor as Kara had been the last daughter of Krypton and both legacies had weighed on their shoulders, but each affronted it through such different approaches. Kara had shielded her heart from it, Lena had hoped to open her own. Kara always knew Lena was brave, she just never imagined how much so.

And both their silences had left them stranded where they currently were regarding the topic. One wife trying to bring the subjects while keeping her heart on her sleeve, the other avoiding it as far as to literally leave the room rather than sharing the hurt it would bring to say it out loud. And now, through such drastic means, this displacement, both wives had learned the other's secret wounds.

And that became too much.

Kara snapped her eyes open and jolted back, holding her sides as the abrupt movement tore her sore muscles in different directions.

"Kara?" J'onn put a hand on her shoulder blade, Alex already by her side.

"It's fine," she grunted, taking a deep breath, keeping herself from spilling a single tear, "I... I'm okay," even if that was a lie, she promised herself she would make those words become a reality, "I saw it all," she slowly laid against the backrest, "I know where they are, and who they are with. Thus far, everyone is safe, and the timeline hasn't been greatly changed," she said with a sigh of relief, "A younger version of me from 2016 is in my time and your Kara is back in that year taking her place,"

"So it goes three ways," J'onn corroborated.

"Yes," she exhaled, "Luckily, your Kara had the good sense of playing the part, although taking some liberties," she eyed Alex, "not much was changed," it sounded like an apology of sorts, like a way of trying to justify that no matter the timeline, the decision she made regarding Jeremiah would have been the same for any other version.

"Do you think your younger selves have seen what you have?" J'onn asked.

"I think only your Kara would have a glance to our youngest version," she explained, "Since 2016 Kara is living it for the first time, there's nothing being re-written in her perspective. That will make it harder for my team to know they need to make more than one change," she pointed out, closing her eyes "I need them to get to me first since I have all the memories from both perspectives," she exhaled, "And preferably before this timeline reaches its peak events," she opened her eyes, "otherwise I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to alter everyone's memories before the change. Lena knows too much at this point and these alterations might make Lex modify his plans,"

J'onn nodded solemnly, "Perhaps," he granted, "for now, try to rest a bit more, I'll be patrolling," he squeezed her shoulder encouragingly, leaving the Danvers sisters alone.

A silence filled the room before Alex shuffled in her place, looking down, "We should probably come up with a contingency plan, in case everything else fails,"

Kara only nodded, feeling the breach between them, it was an awful contrast to how things had been with her sister in this timeline.

"Well, I better get going then," Alex headed to the door when suddenly Kara's voice echoed in the room.

"I've missed this,"

Alex turned over her shoulder, looking at the Super, "What?"

Kara swallowed, letting her eyes wander aimlessly, bringing her walls down for a moment, "I've missed hanging out with you like this," she explained, "just now I saw all the timelines in which we are together and…I've come to realize this is the one in which I've enjoyed being with you the most," she admitted, "don't get me wrong, you are taking great care of me in every single one of them, but…but in this one you didn't have to worry about me or tried to keep me from harm's way, you didn't seem me as your full-time responsibility," she clicked her tongue, "I got to be with you like the old times, have sisters' nights and talk on the couch while eating take-out," she smiled fondly, "we don't have many of those reunions anymore. We still hang out but not just the two of us…," now both had their own families, their own responsibilities, "I've missed it. I just didn't realize how much," she finally gazed up, "and…I am sorry about what I did and what I didn't. I should have told you. He was our dad; I shouldn't have taken that decision on my own. I should have told you the truth,"

Alex slowly walked back to the living room, sitting across from her, "I…I don't know what I would have said if you have told me about Jeremiah," she admitted, "part of me is still angry at you," she gazed into her eyes and Kara nodded mutedly, it wasn't her turn to talk anymore.

They held gazes until Alex's fell, "but…at the same time, maybe…I would have told you to keep things as they were," she mumbled, "because…we've lost him so many times that…in the end, it would be just another farewell waiting to happen. It was his choice not to be in our lives, so…forcing him back in wouldn't have made that much of a difference. If he…had wanted it to be any other way, he would have tried to make it happen," she swallowed with difficulty, "despite what his true intentions were, he is the one that said goodbye to us a long time ago," she pressed her fists tightly, "at least now…we don't have to keep wondering, we know for sure where he is," her eyes stung.

Kara leaned in, softly placing a hand on Alex's knee, but kept her lips sealed.

"I thought I was the one that sacrificed everything for our family and that's why I was mad that you hadn't let me have that second chance," Kara felt her chest tightening, but didn't pull away, nonetheless, "but…you sacrificed that second chance too because you wouldn't compromise your morals and…that was really brave, Kara," she looked into her eyes, "that was incredibly mature and probably one of the hardest things you've done because I could see the fear and hurt in your eyes when you stood up to me and didn't back down from your decision," she held a watery smile, "just a month ago, my version of you was willing to change history to save a friendship because of the consequences of her actions and…here you are, owning up to all of it," she chuckled dryly, "you've really grown up, Kar,"

"You were a great role model," Kara spoke up, "still are," she admitted, "I still look up to you, you still inspire me to become a better person, a better hero," a better wife, "no matter the timeline, you will always be my older sister, and I would never want to harm you," she inhaled in sharply, "that's the one thing I'm sorry for, that you still got hurt,"

"Well, I loved dad," her own words caught her off-guard, "so it was always going to hurt," a tear slipped out, "but my feelings are my own, you can't keep burdening yourself over what everyone else does or feels,"

Kara smiled at her, "Thank you, Alex,"

The oldest Danvers, grinned faintly, standing up, giving Kara a pat on the shoulder, "I better go find, Kelly. We have to pursue a clue regarding missing people,"

Kara nodded, "Okay,"

Alex reached the door, one foot already in the hallway, before looking at her, "I still love you, even when I'm mad at you, you do know that, right?"

"I know," Kara nodded, "And I know that loving me shouldn't keep you from processing your feelings," she replied, "take your time,"

"Not much time left to take," Alex chuckled, the impending doom still hovered above them.

"Then I'll make time," Kara answered, "but please, this anger should be aimed at me. Your version of Kara has done nothing," she said cautiously. If the change were to happen before Alex could grant her forgiveness, then her older sister's hurt shouldn't be transferred to the Kara that would be left behind.

Alex stood silent for a moment before nodding, understanding fully the petition, "See you later,"

"Later," she nodded back, seeing her disappear behind the door as she now stood alone in the room. She felt the ghostly sensation of someone pulling at the edge of her cape and the sudden urge to wrap an arm around that memory, "later," she repeated. How many more 'later' did she have before time ran out? Before returning home? "Later…"

-Year 2016-

Kara watched her step, trying to follow the passing of time that tended to vanish as footprints in the shore after the waves washed over them. She couldn't slip, she couldn't change anything…nonetheless everything had changed already. For her. Inside.

She…loved Lena Luthor. Her best friend, the woman that currently was working next to Lex doing Rao knows what. The woman she hurt so badly that now couldn't bear looking into her eyes. That Lena Luthor.

And she couldn't help but wonder -admit- to herself just for how long had she felt like that? It was like trying to remember when she learned what to call the sun. It had always been there, shining in the sky, as a vital part of her life, that she just happened to know the term of, but couldn't recall when someone introduced her to its name. It was like that. Lena had been there, shining her own light, warming something inside Kara, something she never dared question because it was welcoming, comforting, and pure, only now, she could grasp the concept and blatantly admit that…it had been love all along.

And she felt all kinds of things twisting on her insides for not having realized before because she feared that…maybe it was too late for it. But she ought to say it to the one person that deserved to know that truth the most. She needed to say it to Lena, her Lena, the one in her present, the one she had hurt and betrayed. Come what may, but not before that last secret she kept hidden in her chest, behind the "S" she portrayed, was out there for the Luthor's ears only.

And the idea of all the things she wanted to say and do, contrasted with the ones she needed to. Because the timeline had to be preserved, and that meant keeping the events as they were, and until the swap was done, it was up to her to play the part and…give her heart to Mon-el.

If fate had a sense of humor, it was sure to be a dark one, because it felt cruel that the moment she had made that realization -granted, mostly enforced by Alex- had to be under these circumstances, when her hands were tied and her heart was finally free.

She swallowed thickly and walked into the DEO, wearing the uniform, but forgetting to portray the hope it should stand for. She went to the control room, barely locking gazes with the people around her, presenting herself as more of a ghost than National City's hero.

"Something troubling you, Supergirl?" J'onn approached her, his arms folded, his face unreadable.

"That's a trick question," she offered a forced smirk, "I'm…overwhelmed,"

"I can imagine," he said, standing next to her, "I'm not one to read private thoughts, but I feel like I could hear yours all the way from Mars," Mars, where M'gann was right now, away from him.

"I guess…we both have a lot on our minds," she said, smiling dimly at him, waiting a moment before daring to speak up, "…I could tell you, you know?" she offered gently, "about M'gann, about what will happen,"

"I know," he nodded, solemnly, "But I think some inquiries are better off being answered by time itself,"

Kara scoffed, "Time, of course," her sight dropped back to the screen, defeatedly, "I guess we all have learned a few valuable lessons through pain, sparing the suffering and giving the answer would defeat the purpose of that growth," the words tasted bitter in her mouth.

"You are not saying that to convince me, but yourself" J'onn evidenced in a gentle tone.

Kara turned to look into his eyes and couldn't find a reason why to deny it, "Yes," she breathed in, "I know you saw into my future through those memories…and…I want to know if Lena is in it... if she's still part of my life or if…I blew it," she admitted.

"Do you want me to answer?"

Kara's lips parted; her eyes turned wide. If she so decided, she could put an end to the suffocating question that hung over her head, get rid of the fear and frustration, finally know if she had lost the woman she loved… "No," her mouth felt dry, "If this situation is getting fixed or not, should be up to me, not because I took a shortcut," knowing it was the right thing didn't make it any easier to say out loud.

J'onn gently placed a hand on her back, "You've grown wiser," Kara forced a small smile to answer the compliment, "but that doesn't mean you have to grow cold," he added gently.

"What?" the Kryptonian's brows knitted.

"You are willing to let yourself suffer, though you know better,"

"You just said-"

"I'm not talking about gazing into the future," he explained, "I mean what you are doing with your past,"

"And what am I doing?" she challenged.

J'onn sighed, "You are giving up,"

"I've never-"

"On your happiness," he cut her off, leaving her speechless, so he continued, "these last few weeks we've seen you flourish, enjoy yourself, living your life as how you would have wanted it to be," he explained, "what Alex said was right, you were being free," he granted, "but the moment I told you this was your actual past it all crumbled,"

"I couldn't afford the luxury anymore," she defended herself, "I almost let a genocide happen because I was too distracted. I need to keep this timeline safe; I don't know what could be altered if I don't,"

"And you ought to make yourself miserable to achieve it?" he retorted.

"I'm not," she shut her eyes, "I was not," she corrected, in the original timeline, she truly wasn't unhappy with how things were, or so she believed, "even if things have changed from my perspective, I'm not this time's Supergirl. It's not for me to modify any of it," she stated, "and…it's not important,"

"It is for you,"

"Not important enough to risk the rest of history," she exhaled, "I already tried that once," she said under her breath, "with Mxy,"

J'onn gazed at her intently, "All of this pain is because of her?" he asked, "because of Lena Luthor?"

Because of her? No, "I'm the one that hurt Lena first," she covered her face, breathing in deeply, "and I just realized that…" she locked gazes with him, "I'm in love with her,"

The silence filled the room while the usual noise of the DEO echoed in the background.

"Is that such a bad thing?" he asked.

"Rao, no!" she exhaled frustrated with herself, "she's-she's my best friend! She's the one person that never made me feel like my worth was measured by what I could do as Supergirl," she felt the tears threatening to slip, "But…things in my present are so confusing and so complicated, while in this timeline I haven't hurt her, here she sees me with such affection and care when I am… I'm supposed to date Mon-el,"

J'onn's usually unreadable mask cracked with a hint of surprise.

Kara scoffed, his silence was louder than words, "I know, Alex can't picture it either," her shoulders dropped, "I…honestly think I fell for him for what he represented…the freedom of not having to pretend. To be myself as my civilian identity and as a hero…but…" was there really anything else there?

"And that's what you think you have to give up now," J'onn concluded, "with Lena,"

Kara pushed her lips to a side, shrugging, "I …I still lie to her in this version, she doesn't know I'm Supergirl, it will still lead to all the heartache that finally boiled and exploded in my present," she said sadly, but J'onn considered her words very carefully.

"Are you sure about that?" he questioned, "because, although you are keeping your identity a secret, I don't think you've lied about who you are. You have been open and honest, you invited her into your house, you introduced her to your family…you let her in, for real. You didn't give her any half-truths about who you are as a person. You didn't divide the civilian from the hero, you just presented yourself as Kara. It doesn't matter if it was Danvers or Zor-El,"

Kara's mouth hung open, but no words came to life. Instead, J'onn's observation roamed through her thoughts, "Is that enough?"

"You are enough, not just as the sum of your parts, but because of the core of who you are. You didn't give pieces of your personality and conceal others, you didn't fragment the good from the bad, the strong from the vulnerable, the brave from the scared. You weren't hiding behind the glasses or your family's crest. And that is the most earnest you've ever been to others and to yourself,"

Kara felt the tears threatening to roll down.

"And if you've finally achieved that, I don't think you should let that progress be taken away by having to play the part you think you should," he placed both hands on her shoulders, gazing deep into her eyes, "Perhaps you can't say any of it to this Lena, but the way you feel right now matters, and as far as the rest of the world sees it, you are this time's Supergirl for as long as you are here, and if you do not have feelings for Mon-el, then you shouldn't be forced to act as though you do. Because you'd be lying to him and to yourself,"

Kara finally broke down in tears, being only glad J'onn came to her rescue by wrapping an arm around her, keeping any other agent from seeing her.

"You've always put others first, Kara," he mumbled into her hair, "you deserve to put your feelings first once in a while," he patted her back, "an entire world and its culture was put on your shoulders for no fair reason," J'onn said carefully, "it's time you start living for yourself and not for what you think others expect of you,"

His words lifted a burden that had been so rooted into Kara's heart she thought it was just part of herself. But maybe there was room to discover who she really wanted to be, and who she wanted to be with.

J'onn held her close, knowing he had cheated, in a way. Because in Kara's memories he had seen his future self be called Dad by the Danvers sisters, and hearing that made him want to be that man. He cared deeply about them, in due time, he might even be able to put it down in words and say out loud how much he loved them both.

In due time.

Chapter Text

-Year 2028-

Despite the ungodly hour, everyone answered the call to meet up at the Tower the moment Alex informed them of an emergency meeting. Some had barely gotten a couple of hours of sleep in, while others were still in their evening gowns, coming directly from the gala. Even J'onn had shown up, with the little alien girl half asleep against his shoulder while M'gann pulled a blanket around her shoulders. The only one not present was Kara, who waited by the next room, with the force field on, preventing her from hearing anything else. In any other scenario, she would have stubbornly asked to be on the loop…but right now, she couldn't imagine being in the same room as Lena.

And the way Lena's emerald eyes were unfairly all the more beautiful because of her previous tears shading them a softer green, was almost enough for all of them to offer a shoulder she could turn to, but they didn't have the chance to approach her as the unexpected visit of the fifth dimensional being took the mains stage, as he dramatically began to unveil the events that led him to them.

"And that's when I woke up with a terrible migraine. Hands down the worst one since the last time I played cards with-"

"Mxy, focus," Alex cut him short, "tell us about Kara."

"Right!" he rubbed his hands together, "I saw this memory of the time I went to make amends with Kara, back when both Mrs. were in bad terms," he arched a brow at Lena. How fortunate he would appear when Kara and Lena were at odds again, and twelfth years apart from their shared history together.

"I remember that night," Alex nodded, "You sent me and Dad to play paintball. In the end, she decided not to move anything."

"Yes, that I did, and yes, that's how it played out, except that this time it wasn't little miss fidgeting with my glasses telling me we were even, but your Kara."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Mrs. I could catch a bullet with my eyelashes, Supergirl. She was the one there," the pieces were falling into place, "and she asked to look into the future. We saw a warehouse and an alien that disappear after a flash of light."

The silence was deafening.

"Kara is…not in 2016?" Nia asked very quietly, breaking the spell, saying the conclusion they all had drawn.

"She's is in 2020," Brainy finished.

"How come you can remember that, but we can't?" Alex intervened.

"My best guess, it's because I'm an interdimensional being and I perceive reality differently than you. Or maybe because I glanced into the future on that occasion and that breaks a few rules and it messed with my memory," he shrugged carelessly.

"In any case, he is telling the truth," J'onn provided

"So, wait-" M'gann pinched the bridge of her nose, "if our Supergirl is in 2020 and we have 2016's Kara that means-"

"That she was displaced from three timelines."

"No wonder we couldn't find her signature!" Alex slapped her forehead, grunting, "we were looking in the wrong time and for the wrong version!"

"So…my wife is…back when we had our fallout?" Lena spoke up for the first time, piercing reality with those words.

Alex grimaced, seeing the hurt in her eyes.

"At least now we know where to go," Kelly said encouragingly, giving her forearm a tight squeeze.

"And since Mxy has provided us with such a precise date, we'll be able to pinpoint her location accurately," Brainy said, "we can go back in time for her."

"There's one problem," J'onn interrupted, frowning in contemplation, "if we want to keep everyone's memories and all the events the same, we'll have to make the change simultaneously, and since there are three timelines…"

"That means we'll have to bend the laws of the space-time continuum," Lena mumbled, "pull them all into the same place."

"Wouldn't that create a paradox?" Nia asked.

"It's a likely risk," Brainy replied, "with a 99.2% probability that it would rip the fabric of time and space."

"That's more than likely, that's almost a certainty," Alex scoffed, "can we go for each one at a time and swap them systematically?"

"No, their memories would still be altered, by whatever happened to the prior Kara in the timeline."

"Maybe get the Legends involved?" Kelly suggested.

"That would be going beyond changing how things were."

"What if we create a small pocket?" Lena said slowly, "a loop, per say," she went to the board, "we take a moment, and we hold it on repeat, so they can co-exist for that time."

Brainy gazed at her theory and quickly grabbed another marker, adding to it, "Yes, if we purposely create a rift we can control, then the damage would be measured as we implode it, closing the pocket into itself. It would become an anomality, but not big enough to create a blackhole or morph into a wormhole."

"So, we have a controlled explosion instead of a ticking bomb," Alex gazed at the equations.

"Exactly," the Luthor nodded.

"Can you do that?"

"With my magic alone? No," Lena turned to the fifth-dimensional being, that was known for bending reality at his will, "but with your help, we might be able."

Mxyzptlk breathed in, that was sure to be a feat, an almost impossible one, then again, the fact that Mxy was free was nothing short of a miracle, given how things turned when Nyxly showed up to fight for the totems. But, thanks to a very hardworking and dedicated Lena Luthor willing to embrace magic and learn it's most powerful secrets, he was back. And for that, he was in debt.

"Of course, for old times' sake," he sighed, "but even our magic combined won't be enough to hold a time-lapse from this point of time to another for too long."

"So, we choose the closest timeline," J'onn said, "We'll go back to 2020 and once there we pull the remaining Kara from 2016."

"Then, here it's how it will go," Alex took the center stage, "Alpha team will be led by J'onn, taking Esme, Ja'ek, and Kara to make the jump. Meanwhile, Beta team, Mxy and Lena, will hold open the rift the moment Alpha makes it to 2020. Gamma will be Brainy's team monitoring to ensure the space continuum isn't collapsing into itself. Kelly and I will overlook the operation; if we reach a critical point, we bail."

"The most important thing is that there's one Kara in each time," Brainy said, "if you run into a predicament, just make sure you send one to each time, optimally the corresponding Kara, but if things are too dire, it doesn't matter as long as we don't break the congruency," he stressed, "I'll need a moment at the lab to make some communicators that can interconnect between times, to establish a frequency," he turned to Lena, "I will require your assistance."

"I'll get the lab ready."

"Do that," Alex nodded, "everyone has their mission," the oldest Danvers said, and suddenly it become too real, "Let's bring Kara home."

It was finally time.

They all began moving in different directions, going to accomplish their part, preparing the Tower for a remote mission, and all its members to be ready and face the odds once more.

"I'll go tell Esme," Kelly turned to Alex. It was plain to see that there was a fear behind both their determined eyes. It was their daughter the one having to make the jump and neither parent could take her place.

"We can still find another way," Alex mumbled, "this doesn't have to be it."

"We are so close," Kelly mumbled, "we can bring your sister back."

"I know we will, and I know we can come up with another plan."

"I don't think we have much time before this becomes a paradox," Kelly carefully cupped her cheek, "I'm also scared, Babe," she added quietly, "but Esme is ready," she said determinately, "she's our little girl, but she's not a little girl anymore."

Alex shut her eyes tightly, pressing her forehead against Kelly's, "I wish she didn't want to follow the same path as us. We know the dangers; we carry the grief of the people we've lost along the way…"

"But she has us," Kelly replied, "she has everyone at this Tower looking out for her," she breathed in, "we can't always protect her from everything, but we've made sure to raise her so she can face anything," she tenderly captured her lips on her own, kissing her softly, "if things go south, we'll get her out of there," she mumbled, "your dad is not letting anything bad happen to her, and she'll be going to where your sister is. I know our family will keep her safe."

Alex felt her lower lip tremble as she breathed in, unevenly, "Right. It's no more than a recon mission," she said more to reassure herself, "easy way in, fast way out."

"That's right," Kelly caressed her nape, "you should probably prepare Kara, tell her she's going home," she mumbled.

Alex felt something inside twist, "Yeah. I…just need to do something else first," she leaned in, stilling another kiss, for the comfort of being in Kelly's embrace "go with Esme, I'll join you both afterward,"

Kelly could see that certain urgency in the Danvers, "Okay, Babe."

They parted ways and Alex breathed in, bracing herself as she walked towards the lab, where Lena and Brainy were.

"We can use a similar frequency to the one I used whenever contacting the Legion. It should be safe," Brainy said, wiring the devices.

"You seem to have it rather under control," Lena said, tinkering the minor details, "it doesn't seem like you truly needed my assistance," she said, looking at the green man that stopped his movements, looking back at her.

"It's true," he admitted, "I was rather aiming to offer my assistance," he said, "you seem…unwell, comrade," Brainy gazed into her eyes, "and given that the last time I saw you, you were rather at ease in the gala, it's nothing short of alarming to see you in such distress just a couple of hours later."

Lena smiled softly, "I'm fine, Brainy. It's just…" she exhaled brokenly, "I just want things to go back as they were."

"That's what's concerning," he folded his arms, "you are using little boxes again," he said gently, "you are not letting yourself feel."

Lena's chin quivered and she was unable to look into his steady eyes, "I'm…afraid that the moment I let myself feel, I will be rendered useless because if I let the weight of reality crash in, it will surely tear me apart,"

"That' why you have us," he placed a hand on her shoulder, "To hold you together, so reality doesn't weigh solely on your shoulders."

Lena found herself wrapping her arms around him. It was rather strange, but if she had to admit it to herself, Brainy had turned out to be one of her closest friends. They had shared a lot of moments together, from those in which they worked side by side, to the ones in which tears were involved. They used to look at life in the same cold, measured way, and it often made them wonder things about themselves, each in the privacy of their own thoughts, Brainy questioned if he was that close to having human emotions and Lena considered if she could be as emotionless as a computer. But in the end, they helped each other figure out their inquiries, in their own way, they helped each other grow.

So, Brainy hugged her back, their work long forgotten as the silence carried all the conversation between them; words were meaningless after that.

It was until another figure walked in, that they broke apart, as Alex Danvers stood by the door. The look in her eyes was both an apology and a petition.

"Lena, can we talk?" she asked softly but firmly.

The Luthor gazed back at the Brainy, who nodded, "I'll finish the last details," he said, going back to the table.

Alex pulled Lena to the room over, making sure no one could hear what she was about to say. As soon as she closed the door, she turned to her sister-in-law and gazed deep into her eyes, "You have to tell Kara."

"What?"

"That you are married to her," she further explained, "she needs to know."

Lena pressed a hand to the bridge of her nose, "Alex, I-"

"She's heartbroken," the oldest Danvers said, folding her arms.

"You think I don't know that?!" she retorted, clear pain in her tone, "But she's going to leave now, she'll go to her own time, things will go back to normal! She'll forget all about it."

"But she's not going to forget you, not entirely," Alex refuted, and the way Lena collapsed into herself told her she had hit the nail in the head, "that's what scares you?" she asked carefully, "that she'll remember you?" she shook her head, "why?"

Lena felt her chest tightening, "When she first arrived, I was a complete stranger to her, she barely knew who I was. It came to her as a shock that I knew her identity, so having her know she married the sister of her cousin's greatest enemy wasn't exactly a sound idea."

"I know, you were trying to protect her," Alex said softly, paying close attention to what she was to say next.

"That's why we thought she would be safe with me, wasn't it?" Lena chuckled dryly, "because she hardly knew anything about me because as long as I was careful, it wouldn't spoil any future events and she would be in an environment she felt comfortable," she sighed, "but the more time she spent with me, the more she saw this version of who I am, Alex," she gazed up at her, "and when she goes back…that's not who I am going to be," she admitted ashamed, "I'll be twelve years away from whatever emotional stability I have right now," her eyes watered, "I'm going to hurt her, I'm going to turn on her and stab her in the back, and…and-"

Alex didn't hesitate to embrace her, "And that's not who you are right now, I understand, Lee," she held her tight, "and you don't want her to think her wife would do any of those things."

"That her future wife actually did all those awful things."

"Stop, Lee," Alex cooed, "that's in the past."

"So is this Kara."

Alex shut her eyes tighter, "I'm sorry, it never crossed my mind that things could get this messy," she said, "I shouldn't have- I should have taken care of Kara, she's always going to be my sister, no matter the timeline, but not every version was going to be your wife and I just…I kept looking ahead instead of back," she admitted, letting go to see Lena face to face, cupping her cheek to wipe away her tears.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Alex."

"I'm not sure about that," she mumbled, looking at her sister-in-law with affection and sadness, "…This is what…" could she really say it? "…what it felt like to her, you know?" she whispered, "back in the day. When she kept the secret from you, she did it to try and keep you safe, just as you have been doing these last few weeks," Alex gently tucked a loose buckle of raven-dark hair behind Lena's ear, "it backfired, too."

A humorless and watery laugh escaped Lena's lips, "I remember."

"But you can have a different outcome," Alex said carefully, offering some hope, "she has to know that she has a chance," she held her hands, "I know you are afraid of what will happen if she remembers you, but I'm more afraid of what will happen if she doesn't," she explained, pressing her fingers tighter "her memories might be scattered, they might feel like vivid dreams that she can't quite remember, but she will think, without any evidence, that you are just out of reach. That for some reason beyond her understanding, she can't have you," she swallowed hard, "because she the only thing she'll be left with a strange feeling that you are not willing to kiss her back."

Lena closed her eyes, unable to stop the tears that dropped, "Alex…" the idea that her future could or might be changed by something like that stabbed her in the chest.

"I have no certainties that what I am saying has any grounds…but I had to say it," the redhead added, quietly, "I know it's unfair -that I am being unfair- to be putting this on your shoulders right now, but she's your wife and you have the last say on the matter."

Lena clenched her hands into fists, feeling every part of her brain pull in opposite directions, her rational part fighting a brutal battle against the emotional one, while both had ultimately the same goal, to keep her wife by her side, "I-I don't know what to do," it had been years since the last time those words even crossed her thoughts. She had been in tough situations before, but she never came empty-handed when having to face them. This time, her mind was adrift, lost into the horizons of 'what ifs' she couldn't control.

"Whatever you decide, and whatever happens, you'll have us by your side. I am not going to leave you to fend for yourself, not again," Alex always regretted that during the fallout, it took the Agent so long to realize that she had also lost a friend to the war of secrets and betrayal. She let Lena slip away, realizing belatedly how the Luthor was also a part of her life by that point. It was through her absence that she figured out how much she also missed her.

"What if I make the wrong decision?" Lena asked brokenly, "I'm known to have a history of poor judgment, don't I?" she chuckled in a self-depicting way, that sounded a lot like her younger self talking.

"You've made some hard decisions on your life," Alex wouldn't call them wrong, it wasn't fair, to sum up all the circumstanced into that one word, "but I know you've never coward from any of them, and in the end, you always owned up to every single one of them," Alex stated avidly, "and you've also made some brave decisions in the face of fear," she smiled softly, "like the first time you decided to tell Kara that you love her."

Lena's lips tugged into a grateful smile that shyly peeked through.

"We are your family, Lee," she hugged her again, "and that's never going to change."

Change was coming, Kara felt it the moment J'onn opened the door, finally putting down the barrier that kept her from hearing everything that was happening on the other side.

"You are going home."

Those words, those four words. She had longed to hear them for so long, and now, having them echo in the room made them feel so real and yet, so uncertain. Was it truly that easy? He had just walked in and said it as though talking about the weather, deciding that it would be a sunny day and he could walk her back into her old life. Was that old life even still her own to claim?

"We are getting you back to your time," J'onn strolled in, sitting down next to her, as the Kryptonian's mouth hung uselessly open, providing no answer. She was gradually processing everything.

"Home," she repeated the one word that struck her the most. What was home? A place, a time, the people around her, a feeling?

"Esme and I will take you by mimicking Ja'ek's powers," he continued to explain, seeing that she was slowly drinking in the information, "you were displaced from three points of history, so we'll be arriving to the year 2020, where we'll set our base there for a brief instant to pull that time's Kara from your present. Once we arrange your memories, you'll be sent back to your time. That's it."

"That's it," she echoed, "I'll be rewired and sent back to my present," she gazed down at her hands, finally reconnecting her mind to her body, "everything…will be normal again," everything would make sense once more. Perhaps her heartache could be left in this timeline and she could escape the emerald eyes that weakened her like kryptonite, except, the same pair would be there, looking at her like a complete stranger that had never even entered her house.

J'onn nodded, knowing Kara's thoughts were far more entangled and complex than the words she was uttering. It was an unusual sight. Kara tended to voice her feelings and put down in words what couldn't be solved through fists alone. This time, her well-measured answers were far too unclear for the Martian.

"We'll leave within the hour when all preparations are concluded."

"What?!" Kara jolted up, feeling suddenly agitated. It became too real, too fast, "today?"

J'onn slowly stood up as well, "Yes, today," he eyed her carefully, "I thought this would make you happy."

"It- it does! I am," she tightened her fist, "I am happy about going back to my home," so why was her heartbeat speeding? "I just…I thought I would have a little more…time," time. The one culprit of the whole ordeal. So straightforward and chronological, yet incredibly frail and unforgiving.

"I'd say you spent a moment too long in here."

Kara chuckled darkly, "Yeah, just a moment too long," if she hadn't tried anything, if she hadn't offered a dance or leaned in… If this news had arrived just less than three hours ago, then maybe things would be different. Then maybe she wouldn't feel like she was racing against the clock once again as time ran out for her to amend whatever she had broken, to define the line she had tried to cross, to apologize for…

For falling for Lena?

That idea didn't settle into her thoughts the right way. It didn't feel like she should have to apologize for her feelings, ever. She hadn't known Lena was married, otherwise, she wouldn't have been so recklessly lured in by the sirens' lullaby…yet again, the song they sang was the most intoxicating one she had ever heard. Simple as a beat she had committed to memory now, Lena's heartbeat. She wondered if she would still recognize it afterward, or perhaps in 2016, it would drum to a completely different chord.

…Could she miss it? Miss something that didn't exist anywhere but in her washed away memories?

"I know all of this has been…beyond confusing," J'onn started, trying to appease her, to understand where exactly were her thoughts tangled into a knot.

"Will I…will I forget everything?"

"Rationally, yes," he said, "other things might linger for longer, sensations you won't be quite able to place," he inhaled thinking on how to explain it, "it will be like a tickle on the back of your brain, a gentle brush, a subtle whisper," he tried to meet her eyes, "but after a while, it will start to fade, be nothing more than a dream."

Kara swallowed, "I… I'm not ready," her own words surprised her, feeling the mix of guilt and confusion boil inside her chest, "I don't know why…part of me wants to…to stay," she felt the tears build up behind her lashes, "and that's so absurd!" she chastised herself, "ever since I got here the thing I've wanted the most is to go back and now I'm…" she gazed up, unable to find any other way to say it, "I think I'm afraid of facing change again," she covered her face behind her palms, "I-I don't…I don't know what normal is anymore."

"Normal is…perhaps a concept that is too human," J'onn offered, "A word people feel comfortable with, to label a routine, to assure certainty, to stay within the limits of what is known and…I'm afraid is a word that will never quite fit into your life, dear."

Kara gazed back at him with surprise, not only because of his words but for the way he called her with such fondness.

"What I can tell you is what you will always have," he continued, "you'll always have me on your corner, you'll always have Alex yelling something to your ear while on a mission to ensure you will make it out alive," Kara chuckled, picturing it perfectly, "you'll always find people willing to help you, to join your cause, to give you a safe place where you can be yourself," he wrapped her in a half-hug, "and all those things and all those people, they are mostly already in your life back in 2016, and you need to go back to find the ones you are missing," he rubbed her arm up and down, encouragingly, "And in the blink of an eye, when 12 years have already gone by and you live those moments for the first time, you'll feel this déjà-vu, and you'll know that the sensation you couldn't quite place before, was a reminiscence of this life."

Kara leaned into his shoulder, "I'll follow… a memory of the future?" she ducked her chin to her chest, could she be haunted by the longing of something she couldn't touch, of someone. She shook the thought away from her head, "Will it all…be there when it's my turn?" she asked quietly, "Haven't things changed too much?"

"I have no means to answer that with any guarantees, but I know that you'll always fight for the things you deem worthy. In the end, the kind of life you want is up to you; that's the greatest fight you'll ever have, and you must take it one day at a time."

His words felt warm and caring, like the arm that was lying over her shoulders in a paternal gesture. She couldn't picture the J'onn from her time showing this much affection, but as she leaned into the figure that she would call 'dad' one day, she realized that it would come to be.

"As much as all of this feels like a farewell, you'll have the same people waiting for you back in your home."

In a sense, he was right. He would be there, Alex too, even Lena...but they wouldn't be as she came to know them here, and she was yet to meet Nia and Brainy and Esme and… "Can I see her before we go?" Kara asked, breaking from her own thoughts.

"Who?" J'onn asked, confused.

"The little girl," she explained, "I…I'm not going to see her again, and I don't know where she will be placed and older me doesn't know anything about her, I just want to be able to say goodbye," to have closure. To look into her eyes and make her understand she wasn't leaving her, that she didn't mean to abandon her.

J'onn nodded understandingly, "She's with M'gann," she took her to the kitchen where the alien girl was eating quietly, yawning every now and then, clearly tired.

When M'gann gazed upon them, her sight lingered on Kara, seeing her as though she was a fragment of her imagination, "You look exactly like the day I met you."

Kara smirked shyly, unable to put any more energy into one of her usually sunny smiles, "Hi," she shifted her focus to the small girl, "can-can we have a moment?"

"I'm afraid Esme is with Kelly preparing her for the mission, she won't be able to translate for you," J'onn said apologetically.

"It's fine," Kara nodded, "I just…I want to make one last memory with her, before having to forget," her voice was frail and broken and the girl noticed the change of tone as easily as she could recognize a pitch to match.

She grabbed the edge of her cape and pulled on it, gazing up at her with innocent eyes that hid doubt and fear in them.

"Of course," J'onn grabbed M'gann's hand as they walked out. Kara realized belatedly that M'gann was J'onn's special someone. Yet another discovery she made a moment too late, or perhaps, 12 years too early.

But she couldn't dwell on that as she sat in front of the little girl, "Hey, little sun," she said, even though she knew her words would mean nothing. They would fade into nothingness, but she needed to say them, "I'm…I'm going to go," she started, "I'm going home,"

The girl tilted her head, she had heard that word before, as the team had tried relentlessly to locate where her home planet was.

"I'm…I'm not going to see you again," she felt fresh tears about to roll down, "it's hard to explain because you'll see me, but it won't be…me."

The way those childish eyes blinked slowly showed how little she could understand, but the way her brows knitted gave away she could tell something was wrong.

Kara sighed, grabbing her shoulders gently, "I won't be able to remember you, but I will always feel the way you helped me heal something that I couldn't admit how broken it was, deep inside of me," she cupped her cheek, "you made me face one of my most rooted fears and-" she swallowed, biting down her quivering lip, "and made me feel like I didn't have to carry that guilt anymore, my family's guilt...or rather…the guilt of wanting a family," she pressed a kiss on her the top of her head, "Thank you."

She was about to let go when the girl grabbed Kara's face as well, pressing their foreheads together, closing her eyes. Kara breathed in, holding back the tears, closing her eyes as well when suddenly, she saw. She saw the little girl's home, her parents, her life as a clear 'before' compared to her current 'after'.

Kara thought of Krypto, almost as a reflex, sharing images that very few people in the galaxy ever had the chance to see. That used to be her home, but then, her brain traveled to her present, to Alex, to the DEO, to the Danvers' household, all of it.

In return, images of the shelter came to view, as she arrived there for the first time, but only for a brief moment before images she knew all too well played in front of her. She saw the days they spent together on the Tower, she saw Alex and Kelly tucking her in at night and Esme giving her numerous teddy bears to keep her company. She saw Lena playing piano next to her with a contagious smile, and Nia sneaking her a cookie from the kitchen before dinner to Brainy's disapproval, and the way J'onn scooped her up in arms whenever given a chance. She saw that her new life was with them now, that was her home.

Kara didn't fight the tears this time, they deserved to be shed because they were genuine, they didn't hurt, all though they were filled with emotion.

"I want to be part of that," she mumbled for her ears only, although the sound of them would be no more than noise for the girl, she hoped she could feel the honesty in her voice, "I want to be here, to keep holding your hand and having you sleep tucked into my cape," the Kryptonian ran her hand though the kid's hair, "but I'm not going to be here to look after you anymore," that thought alone scared her senseless, "but you'll be with them," she showed her the people the girl had learned to trust and rely on, "eventually, you'll see my face again, among them, and she'll be older, wiser…she'll know better what to do," she smiled weakly, "but until she's here," she removed her cape, wrapping it around her, "hold on to this," Kara smiled adoringly at her, "it will keep you warm until I can embrace you again."

"We are ready," saying it out loud didn't help Alex convince herself that it was go time, yet, time was running out, and everyone was gathered, there was nothing else left to do, and stalling was no longer an option.

"Go to your teams, get into position," Kelly carried on giving instructions, as every individual braced to what was to come and mentalize to what their own task would be.

All but Mxy, who gazed openmouthed at the Super, "Oh my! You look exactly as the day I proposed to you," he grabbed her hand, kneeling down.

The comment earned him a shocked expression from the Kryptonian who had never seen him in her life, a borderline murderous glare from an overprotective older sibling, and a less than impressed threatening gawk from a very unamused Lena Luthor.

He gulped loudly, "Moving on!" he stood up, taking a leap back, "I'll need space to be creative and some instructions, so ready when you are," he briefly gazed at Lena, fearing that staring a moment too long would end up badly for him.

Alex rolled her eyes, approaching the Kryptonian, and taking her to the side of the room "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"I…honestly don't know," her sight dropped, "but it's time to go home."

Alex gave her arm a tight squeeze, offering a sympathetic smile before glancing discreetly at Lena, "Have you said all your goodbyes?" she asked in a hushed tone and by the way Kara awkwardly stole a glance herself, she knew her sister understood who she meant.

"I'm…not sure I should," she mumbled back, "or that I would be missed," now that she was going to leave, the apartment could host once more whomever Lena's wife was. She guessed they had kept it a secret as to not spoil the future, but now, she would be out of the way.

Alex sighed, wishing to say the truth, but knowing that this wasn't her secret to share, same as it was not her place to share Kara's identity to Lena in the past, "Please, Kara" Alex asked with urgency, with honesty. She knew how things turned out the moment the secret got out and they stopped talking to each other, "even if you think there's nothing left to say, then listen," she grabbed her hand, "don't leave with this heaving on your chest."

Kara could see how earnestly Alex was attempting to convince her. Her older sibling, although overprotecting at times, didn't usually interfere in her life or force her to do things, so she knew this was important to her, "…Okay, I'll…I'll say goodbye."

Alex sighed relieved, letting go of her arm, "I'm afraid you'll have to be quick about it," she gently pushed her in the Luthor's direction as she went to Esme and Kelly.

Kara inhaled deeply, clenching her fist in an attempt to muster all her valor as she took a step forward, ignoring all her heart's pleas to turn around and avoid the agonizing feeling of being turned down.

"Lena," she called and the Luthor turned, showing an expression that was equally scared and longing, mirroring the one Kara was wearing, "I…" she began, but lost her nerve, so she gazed down. There was no use pretending to be her older self, who could always keep her chin up, she wasn't that person, after all, not yet, maybe not ever, "so, you are magic," she said instead, pointing at the display in front of her.

Lena smiled timidly, or perhaps sadly, as she saw Kara fidget, unable to meet her eyes, "I am, though, I didn't always know," she explained.

Kara shrugged, awkwardly standing in place, "So, the flower…?" she pulled it out, the fact she was still carrying it with her, made something inside Lena melt.

"Yes," she nodded, "I put a protection spell on it, it was meant to keep you from harm's way while you were with me," she said softly, "although I know I'm the one that hurt you the most," that earned her an astonished glance from Kara, "I never meant to," she added quietly, a sincere apology she couldn't fully put down in words.

"I know," Kara mumbled back, "and…I wanted to thank you," she breathed in, "for…for hosting me, for looking after me through all this time," she nodded, "you were nothing but kind to me and…I'm sorry," it hurt to say that, to apologize for something that had felt so genuine, so pure, "I-I hope that you won't hold this against future me," she asked, or begged. Kara knew little about their future dynamic together, but she could tell the raven-haired woman was an important part of her daily routine, of the team, of her life…

Lena let out a breathless chuckle and a watery smile, "That's…that's exactly what I wanted to ask of you," she admitted, hugging herself, finding shelter in the action, "that you don't hold this against past me, because I'm pretty sure that without you I wouldn't be the person I am today. You were and always will be one of the most important people in my life," she said in all honesty, "you were the first friend I've ever had, the first person I truly let in…" the first person I truly fell in love with, "I wish I could say more, that I knew how to explain this without it being confusing, or it threatening the timeline, but…but I love you, Kara," Lena said avidly, "that's the one thing I hope you'll never put in doubt, the one thing I wish you'll always remember, even if you'll forget everything else, please, mark my words," she grabbed her hands, looking deep into her eyes, letting the words materialize, for all the times she should have said it before, "I love you."

Kara felt the words slip through all the cracks in her barrier, carving themselves in the core of her heart, as it did something it never had before, it matched Lena's. She could hear both pulses synchronized, in harmony, in tune…it lasted less than a moment, but Kara felt it, experienced it…cherished it. Because she knew those words to be true.

Kara's lips parted, she wanted to say it back, she wanted Lena to know she meant it as well, even if she had known her for so little, but the Luthor, gently cupped her face and leaned in, mumbling into her ear, "…I know. Someday you'll say it, too. But not today, Darling," she pressed a soft silky kiss on her cheek, and Kara felt her skin warm up like it would when receiving the morning sunlight. Her arms wrapped around Lena and she closed her eyes, savoring the last moment they would share together like this. She breathed it in, hoping that if she ever recognized that fragrance again, it would take her back to this feeling. The feeling of having her home close to her chest, the feeling of her heart finding a place to belong in the safety of someone else's arms…the feeling of having Lena in her life.

"I'll look for you," Kara finally said, "I'll be there, I'll be your friend, and I'll be the person you can say those three words to, for the first time," and I'll become the person who can say them back to you, one day.

Lena embraced her, feeling the tears slip into Kara's shoulder, leaving a last trace of herself that would soon vanish, same as her memory, "Then, it's time for you to go home."

They stood in place, holding hands as Esme and J'onn linked their powers to Ja'ek's.

"Are you stable?" Brainy asked, monitoring their mind waves.

"Yes," J'onn answered, he had several years of experience that had taught him how to keep a level head in the face of danger.

Esme, on the other hand, took a deep breath, making sure she wouldn't be the weak link on the chain. If she couldn't mimic Ja'ek, then nothing they did would matter, "Yes."

"Alright," Alex nodded, handing each one their coms, "J'onn, once in 2020 and after Mxy and Lena have made the loop, go back for the remaining Kara, change her memories and evaluate if you should also alter the ones of our 2016 past selves as well."

"Understood," he put on his earpiece.

"Ja'ek, when you come back, we'll keep our part of the deal," she handed the alien a transistor as well.

"Do I have your word?" he asked guardedly.

"Show us we can trust you and we'll reciprocate," she nodded.

When it was Esme's turn, Alex embraced her without hesitation, holding her in arms lovingly, "we are very proud of you, sweetie," she said, "you'll make an amazing hero one day," she let go, taking her shoulders, "what am I saying? You already are."

Esme felt her chest swell with emotion and pride, "Thank you, mom."

Alex kissed her forehead, "See you in a few," she turned to Kara, to her baby sister, "Kar."

The Kryptonian hugged her, "I'll miss you, Alex."

"You'll see me again," she assured, "you'll always have me."

Kara knew that was the one certainty she could always count on, "you are the greatest older sister in the galaxy," Kara cuddled in her arms, "and you are an amazing mother," she added.

"Well, I had some practice helping a superpowered stubborn Kryptonian," she teased lightly, before softening her demeanor, "being your sister is one of the greatest things to ever happen to me, Kar," she mumbled, "don't ever think otherwise, not even if I ever give you that impression. I love you."

Kara felt something be lifted from her shoulders, "I love you, too."

"See you on the other side," Alex patted her shoulder.

"All set," Kelly said.

"Coms are online," Nia nodded.

Alex stood back, giving them space, "Then, it's time to take a trip down memory lane."

-Year 2020-

Kara felt it. She couldn't place what it was, but she recognized the shift. It was time. She quickly geared up, ignoring her body's complaints at the sudden rush, putting on her uniform, the armor version of her suit, the one that her wife had designed for her, to make it feel as though she was in her arms whenever going to battle, making it kryptonite proof, and even adding a spell to keep her safe...

"That's it!" Kara exclaimed, holding her sore sides at her own abrupt movements, but it didn't matter now that she recognized that she was feeling Lena's signature magic, something that couldn't be from this time, not for at least another year or so into the future, her future.

And right before her eyes, a white flash of light exploded and four people appeared standing in the middle of the living room. The second it took everyone to register what had happened felt infinite, but the moment Esme's eyes landed on the experienced and adamant ones of the older Kryptonian, she all but bolted forward, hugging her tightly, "Aunt Kara!"

"Esme!" she hugged her back, kissing the top of her head and cuddling her in arms, "I've missed you so much, sweetheart," she felt the utter relief of seeing her once more, of holding her.

"I'm sorry," the teen apologized profusely, "It's my fault you were displaced, I-"

"You are here," she cut her off softly, "That's all that matters to me," she wiped away the tears that were about to roll down her cheeks, "you didn't give up."

"I couldn't give up, not when it came to you," Esme replied valiantly.

Kara smiled, moved by her sincerity, so she hugged her once more before taking another glance at the other three figures, "Dad!"

J'onn walked to her, keeping a hand on Ja'ek's shoulder as she went to meet his daughter once more, "I'm so happy to see you again, dear," he hugged her with such warmth and familiarity it made the younger version of Kara stare at their interaction for a bit longer. Long enough for the older Kara to notice her there. When she let go of the Martian, she approached this past version, looking at her as if she were a mirror to her memories.

"Hi," she stood in front of her younger self, towering over her like one of the famous statues that were all over National City in 2028.

"H-hi," she gazed up, feeling the distance between them, this Kara was somehow taller, more built and she was exuberating an air of maturity and authority that brought the whole image together. She was every bit of the legend the media promised her to be.

So, when her arms wrapped around the young Girl of Steel, she was taken aback by how warm and welcoming her embrace was. How soft and tenderly she held her, despite her implacable exterior, "thank you," she said to this version of herself, the young and naïve one that had been braver than her by opening up and saying out loud what she had kept quiet for way too long.

And her past self answered the gesture, leaning into her shoulder, being sheltered against the same symbol she portrayed, and feeling what it truly meant for the people when they were saved by that "S", in their darkest hour. In a strange sense, the embrace reminded her of one of her mother's signature hugs.

"Alex, we found our Kara, tell Lena and Mxy it's safe to start the loop, once it's steady, I'll jump further back," he said into his com, turning to his daughter, handing her the device, "she wants to talk to you."

The oldest Super grabbed the earpiece, putting it on, "Alex."

"You reckless, headstrong Kryptonian!" Alex immediately shouted in her ear, but her sister couldn't help the watery chuckle.

"I've missed you, too," Kara answered, "it's great to be talking to you," especially after having gone through a rough patch with this time's Alex about Jeremiah, but that was not something she could tell her over the com, "I've been hanging out a lot with your past self, though."

"Yeah, we had some fun with our own version of you," Alex teased back, before evening her tone, "are you okay?" she wanted to make the question less ambiguous, but couldn't risk revealing too much, "you are in 2020…"

Kara sighed, a bit brokenly, "Yeah…not my favorite year."

"It wasn't humanity's favorite year either," her sister taunted.

Kara huffed, keeping her tone from breaking as she breathed in, "Is she there?" she asked quietly, pleadingly.

"Yes, but she's halfway through casting a spell," Alex answered sympathetically, "so you better make it home so you can talk to her in person. You have a lot of making up to do for missing your first anniversary, young lady."

Kara scoffed, mutedly thanking for Alex's efforts to keep her from getting too emotional, "Yes captain," she swallowed, "thanks, Alex, for having my back."

"Anytime. Literally," Kara could feel the smile in her tone, "Now let Esme put you up to speed and hand the com back to J'onn, you are the first stop of this time-tour."

"Roger, that," she took the piece out, giving it to her dad, "the boss wants to talk to you," she turned to Esme, "enlighten me, how are you going to get 2020 Kara back here?"

Esme frowned because her aunt looked like she was completely unsurprised by it, "You knew?" she asked, "that there are three of you?"

Kara nodded, "Figured it out the hard way," she pointed at her head, "I have some of their memories, they started to write themselves over the ones I already had," she grimaced, "I have to admit, it left me in bad shape," she explained.

"Did you blow up your powers?" J'onn asked, considering the liabilities.

"No, the opposite. They were overwhelmed, same as all my senses," she explained, "I've managed to keep most of them at bay, but touch is still tricky. My muscles are not very cooperative either," she much rather say that now than have them blindsided by what she could and couldn't do when in uniform. Admitting to her weaknesses was one of the many ways she had grown as a hero.

"I'll go back for this time's Kara, make sure not to engage in the meantime," J'onn said, talking into his com, "is the backdoor ready?"

"Just about," Alex answered, "We won't activate the buckle of time until you have the last Kara there, once you are all in one place, we'll capture the moment and keep it in replay. It should give you a safe window to maneuver,"

"I'll work as fast as I can," he turned to Ja'ek, "Ready for another jump?"

"The sooner we do this, the better off I'll be," he said dryly.

"Esme?"

"Ready," she answered, "we'll be back in a minute."

And suddenly, they were gone, leaving behind two Karas in a time which wasn't their own.

The younger woman gazed around, having a moment to truly take in the image. Even if this wasn't her present, it was the closest thing to a familiar place she had been in a long while.

"I still miss that couch," the older Kryptonian said, after seeing her wandering gaze.

"Yeah," she touched it tentatively as if making sure it was real, "you…don't live here anymore," she traced back carefully.

The older Kara shook her head, "No. I haven't for a few years now, actually."

"…Where do you live?" she questioned, "Alex didn't want to answer me, future spoilers and all that."

"I figured," she tilted her head to the side, "so you stayed with Lena."

Her eyes opened wide, "How did-?"

"I saw," the taller Kryptonian pointed at her temples again.

"All-all of it?" the youngest Super fidgeted, feeling suddenly exposed and mortified.

"Some of it, the most recent events haven't quite made it to my head yet. I'm guessing once we sort all of this out, they will engrave themselves into my thoughts," she explained, "can't say that I particularly look forward to that experience again, but it will help me know the things that were changed."

Young Kara paled drastically.

"Don't worry, you couldn't have altered anything, it's between me and 2020 Kara to sort out how much was moved. If anything, you are the one that damaged the time-continuum the least."

"N-no, it's not that," she inhaled sharply, her lips dry "I-I have to tell you something that happened at the gala, with-with Lena," she gazed up, finding eyes like her own, but these ones looked centered and collected and she sure could use some of that aplomb, "I rather tell you myself. I-I trie-"

"Kara?!" they heard a voice coming from the hallway as the doorknob turned, letting in two more figures, "we saw an anomaly registered, we-" Alex cut herself off, looking at older Kara and even finding a younger one, "What-? How are two-? When did-?"

"Alex?" the past Kryptonian gazed at her, finding another person behind her, "J'onn?"

"We are doing the swap right now," the future Supergirl clarified, "your Kara will be here very soon," she explained, "We'll need Lena to meet us too, to make sure her memories are fixed."

"Lena?" the youngest asked, unprepared to meet another version of the Luthor when she was yet to admit what had happened in 2028, "she'll come here?"

"Yeah, I need to leave this timeline as it was, but I might have changed the script a bit,", Alex cleared her throat sardonically, giving her a pointed look, "or a lot," she amended.

Before more could be discussed, another flash of light happened and suddenly the room was full again, with people from all the timelines.

"I'm…I'm home…?" the final Kara asked, breaking the moment of chaotic silence.

"Kara!" Alex launched forward, hugging her tightly, J'onn close behind.

"Alex!" she hugged her tightly, feeling the way the red-haired woman's arms wrapped around her with such fierceness that it was impossible to mistake her, "it's really you!"

"Really me?!" her sibling repeated, "there are three versions of you in this room right now!" she let go for her to realize that what she had said was true.

Seeing her younger self standing by the couch was bizarre, but she could have never pictured that the woman that wore the armor suit like a true Kryptonian warrior was meant to be here some years into the future. In this visual narrative, if they were to be put in a frame-by-frame comparison, placing her in the middle, she was meant to be the missing link that would turn this young Kara and transform her into that imposing hero. But out of the three of them, she was the only one not wearing the costume. She was in civilian clothing because while the others battled to keep everything in balance, she had let her guard down, as the past and future Supergirl carried the weight and responsibility.

Kara swallowed thickly, knowing she was at home and still feeling alienated in it, "I…think I still have some questions," she breathed out.

"And we'll answer as much as we can," the oldest J'onn said, pressing his com, "Alpha team reporting, we have successfully brought middle Kara to her present."

"Middle Kara?" she repeated knowing they meant her.

"They are stabilizing the buckle of time," Esme informed, hearing the conversation through her own earpiece, "Brainy is analyzing the risks, so far, we haven't created a paradox."

"Hurry it up, my powers are not meant to be used like this," Ja'ek grunted, holding his head.

"Who are you?" Alex asked, finding two faces she didn't recognize, but by Esme's reaction, she could tell the teen did know who she was.

"Mom-" Esme bit down her tongue, "momentarily, we are the Alpha team," she offered, instead, "we are the agents sent to this mission."

"Aren't you too young to be a field agent?" Alex asked, the way her face showed true concern melted Esme because she could clearly see her mother inside of those brown eyes.

"My parents think I'm ready," the teen smirked, and J'onn wrapped an arm around her shoulders in complicity.

"She's telling the truth," the Martian said.

Alex arched a brow, sensing that there was a subtext she couldn't understand, while simultaneously taking in the fact that there were two J'onns now as well. This wiser-looking J'onn smiled at her with fondness but didn't say more as he suddenly pressed his earpiece, hearing the instructions.

"It's ready," he informed, "it's time to settle this," he gathered them around, "we'll start by the past," he gazed at the younger Supergirls, "We'll swap your memories first," he turned to his former self, "I can't make the change, since I'm in a constant link with Ja'ek, mind doing the honors?"

So the J'onn from that present put a hand over each version and began seeing into their minds, showing the other, "Let's start first by how things should have been," he said to his version of Kara, who nodded, showing the past as it was the first time around. From Alex coming out, being kidnapped by Lillian Luthor who was the head of Cadmus, to Jeremiah being alive and her biological father creating the Medusa Virus.

Younger Kara pulled back overwhelmed by the information, "Wait, it- it can't be, dad would never-" she hid her face, but her eyes were already turning red, "Is that-? Is that true?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Th-then, Jeremiah, is he-?"

"He is alive," middle Kara answered with a smile and a nod, while her oldest version felt the stab in her chest because 2020 Kara was yet to learn the truth about Jeremiah's fate. One she had sealed. It made her feel sick at the idea that she would have to share that memory and show her the truth, yet again having to bury the man's memory.

"Now let us see what you've changed," J'onn continued.

"I want to see that, too," the future Super said, taking a step forward, "I'll see it anyway, might as well get a head start."

"Very well," he linked her in as the three women shared the vision. Seeing Kara and Alex talk about Maggie, having Kara invite Lena to Thanksgiving, showing how she fearlessly revealed her identity to Lillian to spite her, which ended with the launch of the virus that same day, almost killing all aliens if not for Lena's involvement.

After having them see what she had done back in time, this present Kara exhaled defeatedly, "So, there you go, not many heroics…I wasn't much of a Super."

But her future self gazed at her with something precious hidden behind her eyes as if she wanted to hug her and thank her for putting the sun on the horizon.

"Now that you've seen, I'll replace those images," J'onn informed.

"What? No," younger Kara intervened, "Lena is the one that saved the day, we are not taking that away from her."

"It's not as simple."

"The timeline didn't get altered, right? That's what Brainy and Alex told me before, that if there hadn't been any paradoxes it was because it was relatively safe."

"Relatively," older J'onn stressed, "we don't know when it will be a moment too late."

"He's right," Esme mumbled from the back, touching her shoulder, "you've seen the future," the teen couldn't get into details, but she knew this younger Kara had seen that Lena was okay despite not having the public on her side at first.

"She shouldn't need to use the "S" as a shield for public credibility when she's been doing the right thing on her own since the beginning," she turned to her slightly older version, "you had your reasons to do it, didn't you? Telling her about the isotope as Kara Danvers and not when in uniform,"

The next Super in line took a step back, surprised at how this childlike version of herself had read through her intentions. That was indeed the reason she hadn't been wearing the suit as much because she wanted to be just herself and not the sum of her parts, "It- it doesn't matter," she finally said, averting her gaze, "but…but I agree. Lena deserves this, she deserves better than to be judged because of her last name, and if this can help even in the slightest, then it's worth the risk."

And that's when future Supergirl realized that this present Kara had finally figured out the last deep secret she had kept to herself, that she was in love with Lena Luthor.

But before she could even say a thing, Ja'ek began grunting, "Something doesn't feel right."

Esme pressed her temples, feeling the strange ways his powers were acting, "What's happening?"

The door was blown to bits, sending everyone to the ground after the explosion while a figure walked in, "Long time no see," an alien man walked in, wearing an armor suit that only left space to reveal his face, one Esme could never forget.

"That's him, that's who we fought in the warehouse. That's future Ja'ek"

"I must thank you," the alien walked in, "you saved me a lot of trouble by not only bringing one of my past versions to me but also all three Supergirls. Which is a treat, because no matter which version I kill, when I get back home I won't have to deal with her getting in the way."

The oldest Kryptonian stood up, opening her stance and keeping the other two heroes behind her, "How are you here?" she challenged.

"Please, don't sound so surprised, everyone knows this used to be your apartment before you moved into the penthouse," he scoffed, "as for how, I had to make a really long trip to make it to Earth, and once here, I had to get something tailored for the occasion," he showed the armor, "and for the grand finale, I waited for the time signature, once the anomaly was registered, I simply had to walk in."

"That's impossible," Esme said, "we are in a loop of time, how did you-?"

"You looped in a version of me, I only had to synchronize myself with the moment you chose," he shrugged his shoulders, "so as long as you are all here, so will I."

"We can't let him out," older J'onn mumbled.

"Agreed," his daughter answered, "I'm afraid you'll have to tell them to keep the loop open for longer than expected.

"That can create a paradox," Esme said, feeling how suddenly the peaceful apartment would become a warzone.

"Then we better be quick about it," Supergirl breathed in, "and keep it simple," she bolted in his direction, connecting a right hook that sent him flying through the wall.

"What happened to keep it simple?!" Alex questioned, seeing the hole.

"This space is in a buckle, when it gets reset it will all turn as it was. So, let's try to keep the fight here, I don't know how much room we have," she turned to her younger versions, "Little one, middle one, let's go."

"Are we set on those code-names?" the designated middle Kara asked, removing her glasses, having no uniform to wear as she got ready for battle.

"Is that or past and present," the future Kara answered, keeping her sight on the target, "Dad, tell the Tower about the development," she gazed over her shoulder, "Esme, if things get heated, I want you to-" she couldn't finish the sentence, as a flying metallic fist with a glowing hint of green connected with her ribs, knocking her to the back of the room. Behind the fist, the rest of the armor followed, as the alien walked in again.

Middle Kara quickly took over, stepping up to fight, flying toward him, taking a swing that was caught mid-motion and countered by a brutal knee to her solar plexus. It hurt. The kind of pain that could only be induced by one rock alone. Before she could even catch her breath, she was tossed like a rag doll into the kitchen.

J'onn and Alex immediately took action as the Supers regrouped.

Future Kara quickly gathered herself, holding her side, keeping her face as neutral as possible, as she took out a piece of Kryptonite that pierced through her suit, "I'm afraid I'm not at my best."

"I'll try to not take personally that your "not my best" was the equivalent to my best, just a moment ago," middle Kara huffed, rubbing the sore skin, "what's the plan?"

"We need to take his armor off," her future self said, "tell your Alex and J'onn to keep him at bay, but don't do any irreversible damage."

"He didn't seem to mind hurting us."

"We don't know what could happen if he dies stuck in this timeline," she refuted, "on that note, try to stay safe yourselves," she put a hand on both young versions, "let me do the heavy-hitting, I have to protect you," she emphasized heartedly, "Now go," she instructed middle Kara, staying behind with her youngest self, "stay with Dad and protect Ja'ek and Esme."

"I'm not sitting out this fight!" she removed older Kara's hand from her shoulder, "I know that if something happens to me, then so will it to both of you, but I'm still Supergirl, even if I'm a lesser version compared to you."

The older Kryptonian blinked in surprise and confusion, not due to the sudden outburst, but because of what she had said, "You could never be a lesser version of Supergirl," she said with that same adamant resolve that distinguished her from her past selves, "I'm asking you to take care of them because I know I can't right now," and she couldn't be sure middle Kara had recovered entirely from the memories being overwritten, "if their bond breaks, then this time displacement might go haywire," she explained, "I need you here because I trust you can protect them, especially our niece," she stressed, "I could never forgive myself if something happened to her," she said firmly, "And Esme needs her aunt by her side but right now I can't be that aunt," but through all their time together, this younger Kara had already become Esme's family on her own right, "so, please, stay with her," she gazed deep into her eyes.

The young Supergirl never expected to hear such praise coming from the person she had looked up to and measured herself next to for the last month. But this future Kara's admiration was so earnest that she had to believe she was telling the truth, "I will," she nodded solemnly.

"Thank you," Kara hugged her younger self before turning around and bracing for battle, rushing to the others, as Alex kept on shooting her laser gun and J'onn took on his full Martian form.

"I might be able to grab him and phase us both through the floor, leaving him stranded," J'onn said.

"Sounds like a plan, what do you need?" Alex asked, covering them with some heavy fire that bounced off like nothing more than foam darts.

"A distraction," he answered.

"On it," future Kara took in a deep breath, exhaling a freezing breeze that covered the furniture to then blast her heat vision, creating a literal smokescreen.

"I can do that?!" the present Kara asked in awe, turning to look at her sister.

"You tell me," Alex scoffed, recognizing how resourceful that trick was.

"Rao, she's really good at this," she huffed, using the x-ray vision to keep sight of the target.

J'onn quickly moved through the mist, sneaking behind him, but was cut short by a sudden blast of fire that kept him at bay.

"I did my homework," the alien said, looking through the clouded room, "It's all been fun, but I really only need one of you," he turned on a heat signature scanner on his suit, "I might not be able to go back in time to retrace my steps while in this loop, but I've learned from my past mistakes, so believe me, I'm prepared for all of you," his suit beamed a threatening bright green. And both Supers realized that fighting from the distance would no longer be an option. So they braces themselves and charged.

On the back of the apartment, the Alpha team kept the link alive through sheer power of will.

"I can't keep us here!" Ja'ek cried, holding the sides of his head, "I'm going to collapse and we'll end back in the future."

"You have to keep fighting," the young Kara said resolutely.

"He's not the only one having trouble," J'onn said, hearing through his earpiece, "Lena and Mxy won't be able to keep this pocket open for much longer if we keep altering it like this, it will start draining them from their vital energy. This was meant to last a few minutes, not a whole battle."

"We can't break the buckle as long as future Ja'ek is in it, who knows what he could do to this timeline," Esme said, being painfully aware of how dire the situation was, "he was expecting us, he is basically holding us hostage in our own devised safety net,"

Kara reasoned through Esme's words, letting them weigh down on her thoughts, "He's toying with us," she could see how he was brutalizing the future versions, and if they were willing to lay it down all on the line, then so was she. She removed the lily-of-the-valley she had hidden and handed it to Esme, "Take this."

"It's- Aunt Lena uses them to-"

"It will keep you safe," she closed Esme's hand over the flower, "stay here," she asked, and before anything else could transpire, she dashed into battle…

Future Kara was on the receiving end of beatdown, the most unsettling thing about it, was that she was willingly taking it for the sake of keeping everyone else safe, even if that meant at her own expense. That was her part to play, she needed to make sure everyone else made it home, that's all that mattered.

"Do you think I don't know what you are doing?" the alien hissed, "you are trying to stop me from pulling this evil from the root," Kara could read his movements, but was unable to comply her body to react fast enough to avoid the hit that connected with her jaw, busting her lip, "Or is it that you don't want to go back home to your adoring fanatics?"

Kara wiped her mouth, with her right hand, while her left arm hung unresponsive, if she had to guess, dislocated. Her sight, however, remained fixed on him, unwavering "You can take me down, and I know others will rise to the occasion to fight against the likes of you," she challenged, panting, "I've done my journey," but her past selves hadn't, the world still needed them to lead by example, "I know people will carry the torch long after I'm gone," she pointed at the House of El's symbol, "even if I don't make it out of here, this legacy will prevail."

"Such valiant words," he mocked, "an inspiring epitaph. I'll make sure that's engraved on your tombstone."

The woman chuckled, tasting her own blood on the back of her mouth, "I'm still standing, so you'll have to do better than that to make such claim," she raised her one-hand guard.

"As you wish," he pulled his arm back, packing a punch that came down full force, except it didn't connect. Instead, future Kara saw the dash of red and blue get in the way, taking the blow as her youngest version collapsed into her arms and the other one sprinted into battle to buy them some time.

"Hey, hey," she curled the figure in her arms, seeing the smallest version twitch in her arms, "are you okay?"

The juvenile Super grunted, but pushed herself to her knees, taking in a deep breath, "I am."

The relief was short-lived as older Kara saw her shoulder punctuated by a green spike, "Don't move," in any other case it was far better to leave the piece in, but it being Kryptonite made the decision tougher, so she removed the piece with her dominant hand, to then press the edge of her cape into the wound, "what happened to staying with J'onn and Esme?!" she demanded, scolding her younger self for making such a rash decision.

"You were willingly going to let yourself-" the innocence in her young eyes made it clear, she couldn't say it.

"I know the price of wearing the suit, I've done my part to help the world, it's not perfect still, but they'll rise above it. But in your timelines, National City still needs you, both of you," she looked up at the Kara fighting in civilian clothes, standing tall and imposing without having to display the symbol of hope.

"People still need you back home," the young Kryptonian said, "I saw it, you are their beacon, your journey is far from over. You have a family that depends on you. You call J'onn Dad, you have Alex, Kelly, Esme…" Lena, "Do you think they don't need you? That you don't deserve to go back home with them too?" How could such a young voice carry that much wisdom? "Remember why we put on the suit? Because we wanted to protect the people and by the end of the day, take it off and be part of them, have a normal life, have a place to belong…"

It was an unfair, poetic moment, for the older Kara to be able to hug the past part of herself that was hurt and needed so much nurturing. And to have her embrace back was the most healing sensation she ever experienced.

"Thank you, little one," she mumbled into her hair, caressing the back of her head. She breathed in the moment and her mind provided her with an answer. Because right there and then, she saw that her past selves were the reason she was still there, fighting. That everything that she accomplished and had become, was thanks to who she had been; thanks to them. And the brave and difficult decisions each made were what finally built up her character.

"Alex!" she called the redhead, "I need you to stay with her," she gestured to the previously impaled Kryptonian, "Stop the bleeding, please."

Alex quickly pushed her hands down the wound, making her patient wince, "What about your condition?"

"I still have one more thing to do," she stood up in trembling legs, but she didn't take the step forward needed to go back into battle. Instead, she flew to the back of the room, where the three figures were enduring their own battle on the psychic plane.

It didn't help their concentration to see the Kryptonian in such a state, "Aunt!" Esme's hand touched her face, regretting it the moment Kara flinched away.

"I'm okay, sweetie," she cooed, taking her hand and pressing it against her cheek without a single grimace, to prove it. Her focus then shifted to the person she knew the least, "I need your help," she told the alien.

"Can't you see I'm doing everything I can to keep us here?" he whimpered, heavy sweat running down his face.

"I know, and I believe you," she said, "but now I need you to believe in your own worth and have a change of heart."

"What?" he managed to open his eyes, grunting through the effort.

"Your name is Ja'ek, right? You told my past self that the actions that your future self took weren't your own."

"Ye-yeah, so?"

"So I need you to prove it," she explained, laying her hand over his shoulder, "right now, take the determination. Promise yourself that's not the path you will take, not the outcome you want out of your life," she gazed over her shoulder at the maniac alien that enjoyed the suffering and savored the agony of others, "see him and tell me if that's really who you want to be."

And that faced Ja'ek with a real decision, a now or never. He had said he was wrongly charged and held captive by actions he hadn't yet done, but would he ever become that self-fulfilled prophecy that stood just a few yards away?

"I know your life has been tough," Kara continued, "I'm sorry if I contributed to that, but believe me, the only thing I wanted was to help other aliens. I'm still learning how to, I'm still fighting that battle every day, but I have people willing to help me figure it out. So, if you let me, I want to help you, too. But the first step is up to you."

Ja'ek felt his breathing quicken, his blood rush, his thoughts scatter…he felt…worth more than what lay before him. Worth more than living a life which its only fulfillment was to end the existence of another, "That's not who I'm going to be," his words echoed through the room, materializing a resolution that traveled across time itself, rewriting a history that was yet to be discovered. And in doing so, it erased the already existing one…

The future Ja'ek saw with horror how his body was dissolving into nothingness, into no more than a bad memory that was being washed away, "No!" he shouted, "Stop!" he gazed into the eyes of his former self, "you can't escape me! This! This is your destiny! You'll rule the world, you'll rule them all!"

But his younger self gazed deep into his eyes, "I rather rule my life," and with that, the alien completely vanished, leaving no trace of the menace that had almost managed to bring them to their knees. But now, there was just silence.

The battle was over.

The chaotic peace that followed was violently quiet as only heavy breathing was heard throughout the room.

"Is…is he dead?" a voice bounced in the room, it was hard to even register who had asked.

"No," future Kara answered, without missing a beat, "he simply no longer exists like that, his past self changed."

The J'onn from that timeline approached them carefully, "You've…changed a lot of your past and yet are still here."

"I am," she nodded, standing up with Esme's help, "thanks to them," she smiled at the other Girls of Steel, "throughout this time, they showed all the bravery and determination that it takes to wear the uniform. Even when faced with uncertainty and fear, they kept the same morals and resilience, that's why I'm still here. The core of who we are prevailed in them, therefore, in me," she smiled lovingly at the image before her, "thank you."

"…So, it's over? We can each go home?"

"We have to fix your memories first," 2028 J'onn said, almost apologetically.

"No, Dad," Kara shook her head, "The fact that I'm still here means that their resolve will lead them to the same path I've taken. They've made me stronger, so I will respect their decisions. The past stays as they say,"

J'onn gazed into his daughter's eyes only to realize that the always implacable blue in them was now coated with a gentle spark. Part of her had indeed changed because of the decisions the previous Karas had made. Said soft glimmer made her look, somehow, more human, "Very well, dear. Then we'll just block out the mentions of the displacement," he offered.

"Let's patch you up, before getting into that," Alex said, still holding down the wound on the impaled Kryptonian.

Esme approached her mother while the others tended to each hurt Kryptonian, "Here, use this," she handed her a small spray, "it's plasma in foam, it will seal the wound. Once they get out of the loop they will be able to actually soak in some sunlight."

Alex grabbed the tube, applying some on the younger Kara's shoulder, effectively stopping the bleeding "This is actually pretty useful," Alex handed it back to her.

Esme chuckled, of course Alex would find it helpful, she designed it after all, "My parents think so, too."

Alex smirked, "Well, your parents tend to be right. You proved me wrong, you are ready to be a field agent."

Esme's smile spread widely on her face, looking at the younger Kara in complicity, "I'll tell them you said that."

Alex grinned back, unable to shake the feeling there was something she was missing, but her attention was stolen by the way the older Kara was tentatively approaching her sister, 2020 Kara, "Make sure it's sealed properly, I'll be right back," she told both, heading toward the other Kryptonians.

"There's...something I need to tell you," the older Supergirl said, looking at the Kara in civilian clothes, "a few things happened while you were gone, I-"

"Let's pop your shoulder back into place," Alex interrupted, "Sis, bring some ice packs, okay?"

"Ye-yeah, sure," she gazed back at her older self, sensing that whatever was to be said was serious, "I'll be right back," she turned around, leaving the other two alone.

"There aren't any ice packs left, you know?" future Kara said, as Alex carefully grabbed her wrists, placing another hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, I know. But she hasn't looked into her fridge in a while, I just needed to stall her for a moment," she looked into her eyes, "you were going to tell her," it wasn't a question, "about Jeremiah."

"Yes," she nodded solemnly, "I made a choice she'll have to live with. I much rather have her hear it from me than from my memories."

Alex rolled the Kryptonian's arm, putting the bone back in its socket in one smooth movement, making the tall Kryptonian hunch forward, grunting, "I'll tell her," Alex mumbled into her ear, "I'm her sister, the news should come from me. And the only thing she really needs to know is that we were both at that service to say our goodbyes," she slowly let go, "It's not your fault," Alex finally said, "so don't carry with that guilt," she took one step back, noticing her sister approach with a bag of frozen peas.

"This is all I could find."

Her older self grabbed it, trying to hide her reddened eyes, "This will do, thank you," she pressed it over her sore shoulder.

"Kar," Alex called, evening her tone, "something…something happened while you were gone."

"What is it?" her sister asked worriedly because Alex's features never gave away anything she didn't mean to express. And right now, all she could see was sadness.

Alex took her to one corner of the room and the older Kara could only see from the distance how Alex spoke softly and the way each word broke the Kryptonian a bit more until she was finally embraced by the redhead, who protected her from a pain that came within.

It was a sour-sweet moment to see for the oldest Super, but at least she knew that this Kara and Alex's relationship would stay strong through whatever came next.

"We better start," future J'onn called, gathering them.

He placed a hand on each past Kara and made the transition, beginning the memory supplantation, giving the youngest Kara a new story, a new life to follow. It made her brain dizzy, but...there was a certain kindness in the memories she was given because she could feel how much they meant to the version that had created them.

"Walks in the park?" she asked quietly, looking at the original owner of those moments.

"We've grown quite fond of them," she smiled tenderly, knowing she didn't have to explain who she meant by we. 2020 Kara gently grabbed the recipient's hand, "I...can't tell you how you should live your life, although I tried to alter it," she admitted shyly, "but you shouldn't do anything just to settle for the feeling of being normal," she stressed, "When I was your age, I... let myself think someone was good for me because that person was similar to me, because he-" she cut herself off, noticing she had slipped, "...you deserve more than to settle for that," she finally said, "you deserve to be treated as an equal and as someone worth more than the "S" and the glasses," she stated firmly, noticing inside those innocent eyes that she understood perfectly what she meant. So she hugged her younger version, "I love you, and I know you are doing your best, and your best is enough," she let go. She had to let go. Of her, of the past, of all the 'could have' and 'what if' scenarios. She had her turn to live those moments, now it was up to this Kara to choose her own path.

"Then it's time we take you home," future J'onn said, preparing to jump back and find the past versions of himself and Alex that would need some tinkering themselves, "This buckle will only grow weaker," J'onn warned.

"Then…this is goodbye," future Kara said.

The young Kara turned, looking at the imposing hero that stood tall throughout the battle, feeling that this was her last chance to speak up. So she grabbed her uninjured hand and pulled her to the side, "I-I still have so many questions I want to ask you, so many things I have to tell you," and so little time left together.

"And you'll have to let time take its course and give us both our answers," she replied softly, seeing so far into the past inside of her eyes, "out of all of us, I think you had the hardest part to play."

The youngest Kara shrugged into herself, "I barely did anything," she admitted, "I only ever tried to help as Supergirl once."

The future Supergirl gently placed a hand under her chin, tilting it up, "You did far more than you can ever imagine," she said, "you...did something far braver than putting the boots on, you took down the walls I had placed around the pain, you spoke when I only left silence, and that...that I could never have done," she leaned in, pressing a kiss on her forehead, "you are the strongest of us,"

Past Kara closed her eyes, feeling the display of affection, and letting her words ring inside of her. She was going to become that person one day, but she still had a journey ahead of herself to accomplish that, "There's…there's one thing," she spoke up, opening her eyes, "Lena…she's…I tried to…"

The way her cheeks burned in such a gentle red was a clear giveaway of her feelings, and older Kara couldn't help the sly smirk that spread through her features, "She's pretty amazing, isn't she?"

And that's when her face turned a tad sad, "She's married," the confession slowly sank in making her realize her younger self didn't know Lena was married to her.

"I'll let you in on a little secret," The taller woman fished for the chain under her suit, showing the piece of Kryptonian jewelry, "so am I."

Younger Kara's jaw dropped, seeing the beautiful token, feeling such excitement and nostalgia at seeing something that resembled home.

"T-to whom?"

Older Kara hid the shining piece again, "You'll know one day," she assured, "and you'll be the happiest person in the galaxy because of it."

It was a promise, yet not an answer. But maybe…just maybe, this younger Kara knew exactly who she meant.

Esme quietly approached them, placing a hand on this younger Kara, the one that had stepped up as her aunt and cared for her even if she barely knew who she was, "It's time to take you home."

The young Super breathed in and nodded solemnly, "I'm ready," she said with that same tone and determination that her older self displayed all the time. She was going to be that person one day, but right now, she was more than proud of being who she was.

So, the last thing both older Karas saw, was a confident smile on her childlike face, followed by the flash of light and…she was gone.

It took future J'onn a bit more effort to be able to fix his younger version's memories, but now, in 2020, all that was left to do was put Alex and J'onn back on the Tower.

"Here," older Kara handed him the portal-watch Lena had taken from Lex, "you'll have to ask our team to expand the loop to that location," she said apologetically, knowing perfectly well it was her wife the one being strained by those petitions, "and then to restart the loop so I can bring Lena here and fix her memories too."

J'onn nodded, "They are already on it," he informed, turning to the remaining pieces on the chessboard, "Let's go," they opened the portal and they all stepped away leaving two Supergirls behind.

And the first words that broke the spell were from that year's Kara, when she looked deep into her eyes and said, "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" her older self asked frowning, confused by the sudden urgency on the other woman's tone, "If anything I'm the one that dragged both of you into this."

"But while the two of you were painfully aware of how dangerous things were and how much was at stake I was… I was treating the whole situation as no more than a game, a simulation, a…"

"A second chance," the blonde nodded, solemnly, "I…I saw," she explained.

Middle Kara sat on the couch, exhaling defeatedly, "Then you know how pathetic that was," she rubbed her temples, "meanwhile you had to deal with this, with the mess I made," she stressed, guilt dripping from her tone, "I ran away and left you to clean it up because I couldn't face what I've done to Lena," she covered her face, chuckling a humorless laugh, "I'm not even wearing the uniform, I couldn't bear to be Supergirl, to be the person that betrayed her..."

The older Kara sat down next to her, inhaling sharply, "actually, I think you are the one that was left cleaning up my mess," her words echoed heavily in the room. She licked her lips, feeling the busted edge on the lower one, "when it was my turn, with Mxyzptlk, I…I tried to make everything right through this one big action. This decision to tell her before and…" she exhaled profoundly, "you know that didn't work, you saw the scenarios," she turned to look at her, "but what you did," she smiled fondly, "that was exactly what I should have done," she could see the confusion written on her face, "all the little things, the small details…you didn't do one grand gesture to show her that you trusted her, you constantly opened up to her, you let her see more than the hero and the civilian," she tilted her head, "maybe you are not wearing the uniform right now, but you aren't hiding behind the glasses either. You showed your true self, you weren't deceiving her, and…that's the most amazing feat you could have done with that second chance. So, don't regret it even for a single minute,"

The tears were already dropping from the present Kara, "Thank you," she sniffed, swallowing the knot in her throat, fumbling with her hands, "But I still have to fix this, my present and I'm so scared of what is to come next," she confessed, her chin trembling, "she hates me and I…," she shook her head, biting on her lower lip, "I love her."

Hearing her say that made older Kara feel incredibly proud of her emotional growth. Both young versions had matured so much in so little time, it was a feat worthy of elougy, "Then tell her," she said, adamantly.

"Can that really make a difference now?"

"I can't tell you how things will go," future Kara cooed, "but I know you should never have to hide the way you feel, not even from yourself."

"She doesn't want to see me," her sight dropped, "how can I show her…make her see that I…that I truly just wanted to protect her?"

Older Kara's lips parted as her eyes traveled to the back of the room, "You put it down in words once, remember?"

It took her slightly younger self a moment to realize what she was talking about. But when she finally understood, her face showed equal parts of doubt and hope, "The letter?"

"Maybe you shouldn't leave that correspondence to be sealed forever," she answered, "I know I never delivered my own, but I think I should have," she admitted, "but the decision is up to you," she pressed her shoulder tightly.

The flash of light flooded the room again and now just three people came back, "Are you ready?" J'onn asked, addressing middle Kara.

She turned back to her older self, seeing that confidence that inspired her to try to make things right, "Yeah."

Their memories were swapped with far more filters than the previous transition. She didn't get to see all the times Lena had been there, or the way older Kara poured her heart out to her, but she still felt that tingly sensation that loving the Luthor was the most earnest action her heart could do...

And as if all those weeks had been nothing, Kara was sent to CatCo, where she would appear to take over her life, as if it were another Monday. The headache and scattered thoughts would be blamed on the account of the recent fever she experienced, and so, suspicions wouldn't rise. How could so much be disguised under such a vague excuse?

But now, there was only one more person left to see to tie the last knot...

When the raven-haired woman walked into the apartment, Kara felt the clock stop ticking, and all she could do was stare at her, one last time.

And Lena stared back, with undeniable horror as she saw the state she was in, "You are bleeding," she approached her, moving her hair out of the way to see a deep cut on her forehead, which made her wince.

"Yeah, not my finest hour," she mumbled, feeling her cold fingers press the wound, "but sometimes you have to bleed to remember you still have a life to live," she mumbled, "and that was my wake up call," she gazed deep into her emerald eyes.

"…You are leaving," Lena said. She knew the time would come, but time had been so elusive and unfair that it was almost impossible to think it had already arrived to impose a permanent farewell.

"Yeah…I have to go home," Kara said quietly, "to my time, to my family," to you.

"…And you have to erase my memories," Lena added, realizing why she needed to be there. The soft moments of honesty between them would be hidden away inside her own brain, every gentle word, every subtle caress and all the times Kara said she loved her would be gone and still just within reach. Lena dropped her gaze, folding her arms protectively, "I thought...I could at least keep this," her eyes watered, "a small sense of..." home.

Kara gently cupped her face, looking into her eyes, "Out of all the versions of you, yours is the only memory that will have to be altered, and from all the versions of me, I'm the only one that will keep her memories intact," she swallowed the salty admission, feeling the warm teardrops on the edge of her eyes, "I will never let those moments be forgotten, I promise you that," she gently passed her thumb over her cheek, "the first night I arrived, I cried in a way I hadn't in years because I knew I had to meet you on your apartment and hurt you with words you didn't deserve to hear," she breathed in unevenly, "I hated every moment of it and I hated fate for pulling me in this timeline out of all the possibilities," she dropped her head, tasting the tears mixed with the blood, "but now I'm grateful," she gazed at her, at a broken version of her wife that she hadn't protected, "because, from all the points in time, I know this was the one you felt the loneliest. And I know I should have protected you, and made good on the promise that I would always be there for you," it hurt to say it, but each word lifted a curse, "This is the time in which I wished the most that I had held you, hugged you…kissed you…"

Lena's heartbeat raced in that same way that always filled Kara with adrenaline.

"So I'm glad I got to be here, and at least tell you how much I love you," Kara pressed a kiss on her cheek, "you can forget everything else, but never doubt that you are worthy of love."

Lena wrapped her arms around her and stayed there for a moment they stole from time itself, "Thank you," the raven-haired woman took a step back, knowing this was a goodbye she didn't have the words for.

The instant it took J'onn to wander around Lena's mind and block those shared experiences felt eternal to Kara, but when he finished, it was like just a second had gone past. And the past was what she was going to leave behind now. She felt hollow and complete all at once.

"Aunt Kara?" Esme called, making her look ahead, and no longer behind. She had a life she needed to go back to.

"Let's go home."

The burst of light exploded in the room, transforming the battlezone into the same old apartment it was before they arrived, as the pocket of time collapsed into itself, resetting the timeline, consolidating a new reality they were yet to discover...

Chapter Text

-Year 2016-

It felt…odd. Not wrong, not right, just odd. Like if something or someone was looming on the back of her thoughts and she couldn't catch the intruder as it fled from one part of her memories to another, as an elusive idea that refused to take form. Odd.

She rubbed small circles on her temple, trying to put a name to the weird sensation as she vaguely paid any attention to the screen she was monitoring at the DEO.

"Is your head hurting, again?" Alex asked, noticing that her sister was once more lost in thought.

"Hum?" she gazed up, seeing the worry look on the redhead's face, "Oh, no, I'm good," Kara smiled at her sister, "Sorry, I'm just a little distracted today," she waved her hand dismissively, "I'm trying to get used to being back," back to the DEO after taking a few days off to recover from her sudden and drastic illness.

"Maybe you should rest for a little bit longer. You gave us a scare with that fever," Alex folded her arms, "what if another solar flare happens?"

"I'm okay now," Kara said reassuringly, although she couldn't quite vouch for those words yet, as her hand grabbed the edge of her cape.

"You keep doing that," Alex said gently, pointing at her hand. Her sister had been acting out of the ordinary for over a month now. At first, it was by doing unexpected things such as inviting the Lena Luthor to their Thanksgiving dinner, which, to the Kryptonian's credit, ended up being a lovely evening, but now Kara was acting strangely, as if she was missing something she relentlessly looked for. And the weird behavior often included the way she gazed at her sides, to then immediately tug the edge of her cape, as a self-comforting motion.

Kara let go of the fabric after being caught red-handed, "It's just a tick," she admitted, "I keep having this faint sensation that it's being pulled, but when I look there's nothing there," no one.

"Well, if it starts getting in the way we can always ask Winn to pitch in another design," Alex shrunk her shoulders, "You could think about getting rid of the cape."

Kara's fist clenched the textile tightly to the point her knuckles turned white, while her expression matched with a blank stare, yet again lost in reminiscence, "I need it for…" she traced back but couldn't quite find the words. Said reaction didn't reassure Alex.

"Okay, sis," The older Danvers squeezed her shoulder encouragingly, "It's part of your uniform and your tradition, that's reason enough to keep it," she said, gazing to the back of the room at one of the screens, as someone turned on the volume to hear the coverage.

Kara followed her gaze only to find the news channel covering the event of the day; Lillian Luthor's trial, "I should get going," Kara said, "I don't want to be late."

"Are you sure you don't need a team escorting Lena?" Alex asked, arms folded, her face showing a trace of concern, "I've been digging a bit, there are a lot of threats addressed to her."

"I'll be there with her, if anything happens, I have it covered," Kara assured, smiling softly at Alex, "But thank you for offering, I'm sure it would mean a lot to her to know you care."

Alex scoffed, trying to play it cool, averting her gaze elsewhere, "I'm just trying to repay the favor," the agent said, "she did us a solid by spoiling that launch, she saved a lot of lives," Supergirl's included, her baby sister's life. For that, Alex was in eternal debt with the youngest Luthor, but for tending to a feverish Kara Danvers and staying by her side through the whole ordeal showing her genuine concern? For that, Lena had won Alex's favor forever.

Kara smirked seeing right through her sister's facade and found it endearing. The redhead was also warming up to Lena, despite her original prejudice. If Alex's perception could be swayed, then the rest of National City could also see Lena for who she truly was.

"Besides," Alex continued, trying to deflect, "you aren't in your best shape yet," she pushed her finger just below Kara's shoulder, purposely avoiding the most recent scar she had gained…out of nowhere.

Kara rubbed the spot, truth be told, she had no clue how she had gotten it, but the fact it engraved her skin could only mean it was made with Kryptonite, but she would remember an encounter like that, wouldn't she? "Well, I trust that you and Guardian can cover for me if needed. She can fight by your side meanwhile."

"He," Alex corrected.

"What?"

"Guardian?" the redhead clarified, "You said she, not that I think James would be particularly offended, but you never know," she shrugged her shoulders in an easygoing fashion.

Kara frowned realizing her mix-up, "He," she repeated, "right." Was that right? It didn't seem right, but at the same time, all logic pointed to that, James and Winn had created that alter ego, after all. Jimmy was Guardian.

"Besides, I don't think we would make a good team-up, no offense to him, but I rather go with Maggie, and I'm sure he prefers having Winn watching his back."

Kara wanted to refute, she wanted to say that Alex and Guardian would be a perfect duo, but then again, that didn't fit in quite right. The idea that Alex would be with Maggie didn't agree with Kara either, but she had no idea why. Maybe she was just jealous that they were spending time together? Maybe.

Ultimately, Kara just shook her head, trying to set those scattered thoughts aside, "Well, if I need backup, I'll give you a call."

"Who needs backup?" a third voice joined them as Mon-el walked in, "I'm available if we are talking about a mission."

Kara gazed at him, mouth hanging open as she tried to decide what to say next. It felt like there was something she was supposed to say to him…something they were supposed to do together, a moment that was missing between them, and judging by the way her sister was looking at both, she was also trying to figure something out. It was like looking at a puzzle and not having the reference picture of what the result had to look like. But Kara realized that she didn't miss it, or felt tormented by the void in her thoughts, unlike the ones she couldn't place. So, she smiled politely and shook her head, "No. It's fine. I'm going to see Lena as a friend, not as Supergirl. You don't have to come with me," she replied, taking a step back, closer to the balcony. But that distance, that single action of walking in the opposite direction, materialized a decision Kara hadn't realized she had to make. It was as if she could tell that their paths wouldn't be the same, Kara didn't know how she was so certain about it, but when she looked into Mon-el's eyes, she couldn't see a future together, he wasn't going to be there for her, and that much, she knew for sure. And lifting that off her chest was like taking a deep breath after having been underwater for so long. It felt…liberating.

So, she turned around, facing away from Mon-el, leaving behind, -in the past?- a future with him that wouldn't come to be.

Lena Luthor stood by herself, trying to school her hands into stop fidgeting and her breathing to settle on one rhythm, but she couldn't deceive herself into calming down. She knew the world would have its eyes on her once more, to scrutinize her, inspect her through a lens that was already biased and judge her as it deemed fit. She was a Luthor, therefore evil just like the rest of her family, and now that Lillian was faced with almost provoking a genocide, the final verdict was that three out of four Luthors were maniacs, so it was only a matter of time before it was the whole set.

"I took the liberty of adding two sugars," a voice called from behind, forcing Lena out of her thoughts, "I figured today you might need something sweet."

"Kara," Lena's face softened, and the previous unforgiving thoughts were momentarily set aside as she accepted the coffee that was being offered, "thank you."

Kara smiled kindly at her, as all her focus was directed at Lena alone. Her mind didn't seem to scatter when she was near her, it was one of the few instances in which her brain complied to the present and not with whatever her thoughts were doing in the background, "How are you feeling?"

"Trick question," Lena huffed, taking a sip of the drink, finding it a bit too sweet but also agreeable. Maybe she did need a bit of contrast to even how bitter she was feeling.

"Tricky deflection," Kara answered with a smirk as they began their stroll through the park on their way to the courthouse. Lena's driver had offered to take them, of course, but for the CEO, having a chance to clear her head before walking in front of the jury to give her statement was the obvious choice, especially given the company.

"You truly are a reporter," Lena teased back, stealing a glance at the blonde.

"I try to be," Kara shrugged her shoulders, before actually gazing into her eyes, "but not today. And not right now," she said evenly, "so, how are you feeling?" she repeated the question, more gently.

Lena felt exposed, but not hurt as the knot in her throat tighten, while she fought to keep her chin from quivering, "Scared," she admitted.

"You don't have to worry about what they'll say or think about you," Kara said with incredible resolve, like if she could guarantee that, one day, people would see her and not her last name, "I know you are advocated for justice and equality. You stopped the launch, you saved them all, and I'm sure others will see it that way, too" Kara stated adamantly.

"That's not…that's not what frightens me," Lena admitted, gazing down at the drink on her hands as a tear landed on it, adding a bit of salt to the sweetened coffee, "I'm afraid that…now that Lillian will be gone I'll…I'll be alone," she confessed, "It's an absurd thing, but the truth is…we were both what was left of the Luthor's household and now…she'll be gone, too," she bit on her lower lip, "that makes me the last Luthor standing and…I know all the terrible things she's done, but…but she was who I had left…" she turned, trying to wipe her eyes and keep herself together, given that she was going to be on national television in mere minutes.

"Then, you'll have me," Kara said, following her movements, gently grabbing her shoulders so their eyes could meet. Blue orbs meeting Kryptonite-like green ones, "I'm never leaving your side and I'm not going to let you carry the burden of being the last one," she stressed, "I know how that feels," she added, as the last daughter of Krypton. She had told Lena about being the only survivor of her family after all, in one of their walks. If not for the sudden fever maybe she could remember that event more clearly, but she recalled how it felt to tell her that, how genuine it was, "So, you don't have to face any of this on your own. I'm here."

She was. Kara truly was there, she made good on the promise of staying by her side. She was accompanying Lena to the courthouse because the Luthor asked her to. Lena rarely asked for favors unless she had something to give in return, but this wasn't a business transaction, like the ones she was used to, this was her friend being there for her.

So, Lena nodded, taking in a deep breath as Kara gently rubbed her arms up and down, "Thank you, Kara" she said softly, swallowing hard before inspecting her closer, "How have you been?" she asked in return, "Are you feeling better?" Kara didn't look as tired as before, Lena even dared to say the blonde looked rejuvenated.

It was Kara's turn to exhale, feeling at odds with the question, "I guess," she let go of her shoulders as they continued to walk through the mostly empty park, "I feel out of myself most of the time," she admitted, "then again, I've never been this sick before, so it makes sense," she sighed, "although some things still don't make any sense," her hand subconsciously rubbed the scar on her shoulder. The blonde shook her head, "I don't want to trouble you with this today," Kara exhaled, meeting her eyes.

"It's no trouble," Lena said, "I'm not wearing the mask, and you don't have to put up an act," she replied gently. It was just the two of them, there was no need for any pretenses, "I want to know… I'm here for you, too," she didn't want to feel like a Luthor, she wanted to feel like her friend.

Kara smiled tenderly, relaxing her posture, pushing her glasses slightly down the bridge of her nose, moving the rug to uncover the broken pieces that laid underneath, "I have…this strange feeling," she traced back, "like I'm missing something or…" someone, "I don't know how to explain it," she looked at her own hand, "but it feels like I left something that I was supposed to hold onto," she swallowed, "and I've been driving Alex and myself crazy trying to find it, trying to stop that hollow sensation," she dropped her arm to her side, sighing brokenly, "but in the end, my hand is empty, and I there's nothing I can do about it." She gazed ahead, her sight set on the horizon. No matter how much she tried to recall what was misplaced, she couldn't name it, she only knew it should be on her daily basis, and now…she felt the sudden withdrawal.

Her mind was drifting once more, her hand doing the ghostly gesture of pulling at a cape she wasn't even wearing, unaware of the cold fingers that brushed against her own, gently sliding across her palm to finally intertwine into hers, holding her hand carefully, tentatively.

Kara gazed down, seeing their hands together as her pulse quickened, looking up to find Lena was shyly averting her gaze while still trying to steal a glance, to know if this was acceptable, still afraid of the little gesture she had grown up without knowing, such as this. So, Kara smiled and pressed her palm in return, her thumb caressing the back of Lena's own, finding that the unnamed feeling that previously tormented her, was fading away, "Thank you," Kara said, "this makes it so much better," she smiled at Lena, as if she was the only person in the world right there and then. Like she would be the only one ever… but the world came crashing back, as they reached the outside of the courthouse, where every major news channel was waiting, still unaware of the Luthor's presence, "Are you ready to go in?" Kara asked quietly.

Lena took one deep breath, pressing her hand tighter, "Yes."

"Okay, then," Kara was going to walk there with her, not as a Super vouching for a Luthor's decency, not as a hero looking over a trial to ensure justice, or even as a DEO agent trying to see Cadmus be shut down, but as Kara. Kara, who was going to be another face in the crowd so that if Lena needed to gaze at someone when feeling alone, she could meet her eyes and be assured, that at least one person in that room was looking at her with nothing but trust and affection.

Everything that happened in the courthouse came and went like a blur. The only thing Lena registered was that her chest tightened while the flashes of cameras blinded her as she made her way outside, hearing the unforgiving questions rain down on her about her involvement with Cadmus, or the way others condemn her for turning on her mother.

The most unusual thing, however, was to see a small group of protesters with posters screaming on the other side of the police barricade and find them…cheering for her. A group of humans and aliens, no less. And that warmed her up, because…that's the people she helped save, those were the families that survived another day, despite all odds and hatred. And she felt the sudden urge to protect that -protect them- and maybe, she could do more to ensure they were always safe.

The reporters, however, made sure to chase her away, as she entered the limousine, ready to flee the scene, finally being able to let her guard down behind polarized windows, as she pinched the bridge of her nose, breathing in unevenly, trying to keep herself from breaking down.

"Are you alright?"

Lena jolted up, surprised by the sudden awareness that there was someone else on the backseats. Kara was at the ready with an apology on her lips for the intrusion, about to explain that her driver had let her in, but Lena didn't let her get a word in before hugging her tightly.

"Thank you," she mumbled into her ear, not trying to disguise how shaky her voice was, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this, but…thank you for being here."

"I'm right where I need to be," Kara slowly embraced her back, feeling as if those words had been whispered to her before, like a truth she had chosen to believe, that her place was by Lena's side. It made her feel grounded back to the moment, being lured by something she couldn't quite place when held in Lena's arms. It was warmth despite the world judging Lena for a cold exterior, it was kind, even when others deemed her to be a monster, it felt like…home…even when Lena thought she just had lost her own.

"What do you need?" Kara whispered, rubbing small circles on her back as the driver attempted to give them some privacy while trying to see where they would go next.

Any other day, and perhaps if Kara weren't with her, Lena would have asked to be taken to her office at L-Corp, because she had to give the image that she was standing strong and unwavering despite the circumstances. And most likely, she would have to go to her office later that day to ensure stability and so that the company's stocks wouldn't plummet like they did when Lex went to jail, but right now, what Lena wanted the most was to not be seen by judging eyes.

"I…I want to go to my apartment," she replied after a beat, slowly letting go of the embrace.

"Alright," Kara mumbled back, and the driver nodded, taking them to the penthouse, where no media was allowed. The limousine parked and Kara gazed up at the tall building from the window. Had she walked in front of those apartments before? They look vaguely familiar.

"Where should I drive you, Miss Danvers?" the man asked, and Kara felt the sudden urge to reply, "here", as if thought she just had made it to her destination as well.

"Can I stay with you?" Kara asked bluntly, turning at the raven-haired woman, "At least until you have to go?"

"What about CatCo?"

Kara shook her head, "I'm not a reporter today," she repeated her previous words and Lena felt her breathing hitch, unused to being someone's priority the way she was Kara's.

"…Yes," the Luthor answered, "I'd like the company"

So, they made their way upstairs and when Kara was let into the apartment it looked… like a place she had been before, which was impossible since this was the first time she had ever been invited to a house like this. Perhaps she had seen something like it in a magazine?

Kara had the absurd impulse to greet…something as they walked in, but she naturally knew Lena lived on her own, so instead, she looked around. It was so sterile and impeccable that it almost felt like a show-ready penthouse to display for future buyers. Lena's personality didn't shine through the décor, it was more like a hotel suite than an apartment, "Your place is really nice," Kara spoke up, feeling like she should comment on it, fixing her gaze to the window where the sun was coming in, "you could put sunflowers in there," she mumbled, yet again lost in thought, lingering her sight there, imagining perfectly how they would look.

Lena followed her gaze, "You truly love sunflowers."

Kara cleared her throat, realizing she had spaced out, "Yeah, they…remind me of my family, I guess," she admitted. Everyone in Krypton was like a sunflower in a sense. When there was no sun to nurture them, they would turn to look at one another to give them strength.

"Maybe I'll buy some," Lena said over her shoulder, leaving her purse on the couch and hanging her coat, setting everything aside neatly, although she clearly seemed too exhausted to be this tidy. Kara would have tossed everything aside and kicked her feet up, given the circumstances "I'm not…quite settled in yet," Lena found herself admitting, heading for what Kara was sure was the kitchen, "with L-Corp and everything else in between, I…I just looked for a place to live, not really a place where I could re-start my life, I barely spend any time here."

Kara found the idea strange, as she followed her, moving around the space with far more familiarity than Lena, "Well…if you want National City to be your new beginnings, maybe you should allow yourself to grow some roots," she said carefully, leaning into the bar, "it's your house, it should be a place where you want to be, your safe haven."

"I don't think I've ever been somewhere where I could feel that way," Lena mumbled, her eyes briefly meeting Kara's, and the Kryptonian knew she could provide more of a home in her arms for Lena than the Luthors could with a mansion.

"Well, I hope you can make of this your home," Kara said, and Lena offered a tired smile. Perhaps tired of hoping for that, too.

"Yeah, maybe," she exhaled, pouring the hot water on two cups, leaving a variety of tea flavors for her to pick.

"Thanks," Kara grabbed a bag, making sure to add plenty of sugar, noticing that the Luthor's gaze was a bit lost, a bit crystalized. It resembled how she had felt for the last couple of days.

Lena's lips parted, "Can I ask you something… something unfair?" something cruel and undeserving of your kindness.

Kara nodded, setting her cup down, listening closely to more than just her words.

Lena averted her eyes, swallowing thickly, "Why do you…why do you stand by me?" The syllables echoed in the inert apartment, "I know what I have to offer as a business partner, I know the gain of having me as a source or just by the influence of my brand, but…but you don't ask for any of those things in return," Kara had brought her lunch to the office, invited her to a Thanksgiving dinner and paid for her coffee, treating Lena as if she wasn't a billionaire, as if she wasn't a Luthor, or the adoptive daughter of Lilian, who was currently going to jail. And on the latter, instead of asking her for an exclusive, Kara had asked Lena how she felt regarding it, "You know my status and you never ask for anything for yourself, I don't…I don't understand that. What do you gain out of having me in your life?"

The question itself hurt more than the implication, "Well, just that," Kara answered, "having you in my life. I think that's the most valuable thing," she admitted, noticing the surprise in Lena's face. The uncertainty in her green eyes stabbed Kara to her core, because the Girl of Steel knew how much Lena was worth -not because of what she owned- but for who she truly was, and the Luthor couldn't see that about herself. Kara smiled tentatively, tilting her head, "I could ask you the same," the reporter countered softly, turning the tables, "other than some good press, a contact to get Supergirl and a sister on the FBI, what good can I be in your life?"

"You make everything better," Lena said immediately, the idea that she would have Kara for anything other than her companionship sickened her, "I would never use you for any of those reasons, you are my friend."

Kara smirked in return, "You are my friend, too," she said, holding her hand across the counter, "I trust you and I admire you. Not only because of what you are trying to do outside of your family's legacy, but because of your drive and your brilliance," she said heatedly, feeling no embarrassment in saying that out loud because there was no shame in saying the truth, although Lena's cheeks were the ones that dusted a faint red.

Kara breathed in, "I can imagine that… in the past, people have approached you for the wrong reasons," being Supergirl, she could relate to that. People saw the "S" on her chest and expected to get something out of it, "that…maybe even your family taught you that you were only worth what you could offer in return," Kara's worth as a Kryptonian was often measured by what she could do as a hero, a burden of misplaced expectations she had taken over her shoulders, "But…I just want to be with you. Not your title as a CEO, or your connections, or your family ties," she held on tighter, "I value our time together more than what I can put down in words because I feel…like myself" beyond being a Danvers or a Zor-El, "and…that means everything to me." She looked up, meeting her eyes, "Can you believe me when I say that's my only motive?"

Kara was Supergirl, she was keeping her secret identity from Lena, but she wasn't deceiving her when she said that what she wanted the most was her.

Lena felt her eyes sting as the tears blurred her vision because she did believe in Kara's words, she could hear the honesty in them, she felt them to be hearted and genuine, and that made her regret even having to ask, "I do. I trust you and I'm…I'm sorry," she added, removing her hand to dry her tears, "you've been nothing but open to me and I even asked you not to push me away and I just…I just assumed the worst," because life had taught her to question everything. If she had been offered sweets by a stranger as a kid, she would have taken them for the sole act of being handed something, because she wasn't used to receiving anything that she didn't have to fight restlessly for.

Kara circled the bar, reaching her side, "Don't apologize," she said gently, "not to me," she grabbed her forearms, "it's not your fault," why did those words hit Lena so heavily? "And you have my word, even if you feel like you have nowhere to belong, I will always be right here to remind you that's not true. As long as I'm here, you won't have to be the last one standing," her arms wrapped around her, building Lena a safe haven with her embrace.

"Does it ever stop?" Lena mumbled; her voice muffled against the reporter's shoulder, "that feeling…that our families left? That emptiness," the void inside, that Kara was intimate with, the feeling of having to carry a world's legacy on her back and the fear of daring to have a family of her own, of having someone to pass down the torch to, or deciding to put it out forever.

Did it ever stop? Did time really heal such wounds?

Kara felt something heavy weight on her chest, "I…" but she could picture it, she could see a moment in her life where there would be so much ahead of her that she wouldn't have to look back, "…Yeah," she mumbled, "I think it does," she held her tighter as she said those words and realized that the thing that lured her in, was a soft steady rhythm that tangled itself against her own, making a symphony of two. She was hearing Lena's heartbeat. And it was like remembering a song that had been forgotten, like waking up to Krypton's sun kissing her skin, like finding the place where she belonged.

Kara closed her eyes, feeling as though she could have fallen asleep to that melody, "And I'll make sure that one day, you don't feel this way anymore," she mumbled, "I'll be with you, always."

"Promise?"

"I promise," she said solemnly, as a vow, "you can hold me to my word," the blonde held her tighter.

"I will, Darling."

Kara felt her pulse quicken at the nickname, it felt…welcoming, it felt right, it felt…familiar. It was like closing a cycle that had somehow started there -or in a forgotten dream- perhaps.

But that strange sensation motivated Kara further to make good on that promise, no matter what came next, her arms would always be open to receive her in them, her heart would always have a place where Lena could reside…

And her door would always be open…

-Year 2020-

Kara felt her presence even before Lena was actually there, she could pick up the sound of her heels walking up the stairs, the way her breathing was uneven, but more so, she could hear the sound of her heartbeat racing as she finally made her way to the apartment door, knocking.

And that's the moment that brought everything together. Lena Luthor was on the other side, waiting, standing there, breaking the distance she had imposed between them. And that petrified Kara as she stared at the wooden portal, knowing that on the other side awaited a pair of eyes that could strip her away from all her strength just as Kryptonite would. But the way they gazed at her was what could tear her down or disarm her. If they were filled with hate or not was what Kara couldn't know unless she opened. Her hand hovered over the doorknob, her mouth dry as she gathered herself feeling as though… she had already opened that door before, making the barriers that had previously been there lose their strength and their dimension…and it didn't hurt as much to let her in. Because she already had, a long time ago; she had let her into her life, into her home, into the core of who she was. The blonde reporter had always been Supergirl, but she had never been any less of the Kara Lena had known.

So, when the door was no longer dividing them, Kara finally gazed upon those green, emerald eyes and before even being able to determine the way they were looking at her, she realized she had missed them dearly. And when they softened, Kara's heart began to pace to a rhythm that wasn't her own.

"Lena," time froze between them, mercifully so, letting both take in an image that was bitter and sweet, as both pulses tried to make a melody while being on opposite sides of the room as if trying to hear the echo of the other to know when it was the moment to join in with a cadenza to say and show all the things that words could never.

The Luthor breathed in, close to gasping for air as she held her fists tight, "I know I have no right to be here and do this," she bit on her lower lip, fighting to let the hurt and the venom behind, "but I was wrong and I…," how did she even begin to ask for forgiveness to the person she had hurt the most? What power in the world possessed her to believe that Kara would hear her? That she would deem her voice worthy of attention after everything they had been through?

Kara noticed her struggle as Lena's mouth hung open, unable to materialize any more syllables. If not for her racing heart, maybe Kara could have thought that was all that she had to say, but she knew better. She knew Lena better than most. So, she opened the door wide open and took a step back. If Lena was here to close the gap, to abolish the distance, then she would give her the space to walk forward. It had to be her choice to forgive her, and her decision to change.

Lena knew what the silent act meant and braced herself for what came next. She took one steady step forward, and the past walked in right behind her because both needed to address that before daring to look onward.

Lena sat on the couch, feeling like an intruder inside the other woman's apartment. It was such a sour sensation to be feeling like this. Kara's home had always carried a certain warmth and coziness that her own house could never provide, but right now it felt as cold and empty as her place.

"I was wrong," Lena repeated, her gaze barely looking up at the Kryptonian that stood in front of her with folded arms, "Lex, he…" he did just what the rest of the world warned her he would. He betrayed her, he played his cards behind her back, he used her and then abandoned her. Lena knew not to trust him, but she also thought she couldn't trust her own judgment anymore. The domino effect of one disastrous choice after another was her own doing, she couldn't plea innocence or ignorance. The only thing she could say in her defense was that pain was a drug she had been poisoned with from a young age. She knew little about anything else but pain. So, when she felt it, Lena reacted. But she had never experienced a pain like this, before. This one ached deep below the surface, scaring something that Lena thought couldn't ever get more damaged than what it already was, then again, pain could be unexpected like that, especially when it hit her coronary artery, bleeding her out. She had been heartbroken. And she still was.

Kara waited another moment, but her own thoughts weren't ready to comply with a talk about what had to be done next about Lex, Leviathan, or Obsidian. Those should have been her top priority, but not when she had been carrying with this guilt and hurt for so long. Not when this was probably the only chance she would have to talk to Lena before everything had to be put on the line. Before having to wear on the suit, with no guarantees of success, with no assurance that this talk could be discussed later. Not when her own heart was aching to know if this was closure or a new beginning.

"…Do you still hate me?" Kara's voice echoed in the room and suddenly it felt colder.

Lena gazed up, with surprise and…hurt, "I never hated you." The answer came without faltering, without hesitance or consideration, "I never could," she admitted, gazing down at her hands, "I'll confess, it doesn't mean I…didn't try, but…" she kept quiet, hiding her feelings as she had for the longest of times, "I once told you I wouldn't make you responsible for the way I felt," Kara recalled that walk in the park more vividly than any of the last few days of her life, "I didn't make good on that promise but… I'm trying to amend that," she whispered, looking into her past, "I know the way I acted is… beyond what words can repair at this point." Her eyes traveled elsewhere, "And I'm not asking to be forgiven, I just want to stop the wrong I've helped create."

"You could have done that by yourself, why come here?" Kara asked, tentatively. Her tone wasn't hard, but her posture remained guarded.

Lena tightened her fists, unable to explain the sudden urge and clarity that had overcome her to even dare stand before her door and knock. It was like something at the back of her head -her conscience? - was screaming and demanding her to rise and take the risk. It was just a glimmering hope, but she wanted to believe that there was still a chance, "I needed to know if it was too late." Too late for what? Conciliation? Amends? Maybe she just needed to be there, as the memories of their journey together started to resurface. She could hear Kara's voice trying to dissuade her from becoming close, maybe knowing that her secret would get in the way, sooner rather than later, "What if you regret that decision?" Kara's voice echoed in her mind, "For what is worth… I didn't regret being your friend…Kara's friend, that is."

The Super's fists tightened until her knuckles became white, "I didn't mean to deceive you."

Lena chuckled quietly, brokenly, "I truly wish I could believe you," she mumbled so quietly, that if not for Kara's hearing she would have missed it.

"Then why can't you?" Kara took a step forward, her arms falling defeatedly to her sides, "I was trying to protect you!" she repeated the same thing she had said since the beginning, but her conviction faltered a bit.

"From what?" Lena retorted dryly, gazing down, "I've always had a target on my back. That comes with the name, my name, not yours. I've always been threatened by all the people who hate me for what my family has done and from those who hate me for not following my family's footsteps," she exhaled as though that had been her last breath, "I've…never known a sense of protection," her throat closed up, "until I met you," she swallowed thickly, "not Supergirl, just…Kara. Someone who could build a castle out of words and a shield with just her arms, a person who felt like…" home.

And something new weighed on Kara, as she realized that when Lex took away the veil -the blindfold that Kara was meant to remove herself- it also stripped Lena from something far more precious during their fallout. It took away Lena's safe heaven, the shelter Kara often provided with her embrace and her company, because as Supergirl, she had been distant and condemnatory. So when the truth came to light, all the beautiful moments they shared were suddenly stained by doubt, as Lena wondered if any of them had been real.

Kara had tried to push her feeling to be heard by Lena, attempting to win back the relationship they had, to save what she had shattered, but she hadn't realized how much Lena had lost too. All their friends had sided, even if unwillingly, casting the Luthor to the shadows, back into Lex's arms…

Lena gazed up, meeting her eyes as if they were on a battlefield, "Do you still hate me?" she asked the same question Kara had as if already knew the answer, her sight falling to the floor, surrendering.

Kara felt the sudden stab of reality, Lena truly thought…

Kara's chest hurt, at the sole idea, at the thought that Lena believed she could carry hatred toward her. But her previous actions as Supergirl had been louder than Kara's attempts to be there, she had pushed both identities to such opposite extremes, that what could Lena conclude if not that?

Kara stood frozen, unable to breathe, to think, to shout or beg or try to reassure her that she had never hated her, but how could her words demonstrate that? Her mind wandered and raced to so many scenarios in her head where she wished she had said something…until her brain decided to visit a time in which she actually found the words, but not the courage to tell Lena.

And her legs walked past the couch, reaching the bookshelf, grabbing a large volume that she opened carefully, pulling out an envelope, sealed and signed with a date on it. She held it tightly between her fingers before daring to finally let go of it, handing it to Lena, without uttering a word.

Lena gazed up at her questioningly, seeing that it was addressed to her, "What's this?"

But Kara kept quiet, her eyes lingering on that piece of paper that hosted words Kara could vaguely remember. The only thing she recalled vividly about that letter was how the paper ended with more than a few teardrops landing on it at the end. And now it was on Lena's hands -its rightful owner's hand- that were slowly tearing the seal open, to reveal its contents.

"Dearest Lena,

I wish I had been brave enough to have said this while looking into your eyes, but the green in them weakens me far more than you'll ever know. Perhaps if I had been stronger, you wouldn't have to learn this from a letter, but written words don't fail me the way my voice does when I try to tell you the truth. So, I'll leave this on paper, since I'm a reporter after all, just like you said when we first met; you saw right through me before I could even realize that about myself, so maybe I hoped you would see through me once more and realize what I'm about to tell you. And that truth is, as you might have figured out now that Supergirl is gone, that I'm…no longer there. Because I am Supergirl.

I know I'm a coward for having you learn my secret after there's nothing else that can be said or done, but I wanted you to hear it from me, so my last act as your friend wouldn't be another lie, because I don't want to be a tombstone with empty meaning. I know that for the rest of the world, I was no more than a symbol but when I was with you, I thought of myself as something more than just the cape and the boots. I felt human, and that is to say, I felt real and alive.

So, when I was about to die, lying on that bed, poisoned by Kryptonite, I realized I couldn't bear the idea that I was going to exhale my last breath in your presence and that I was unable to ask you to hold my hand, because, how could Supergirl dare ask you for that comfort when she had treated you so poorly? …When I had treated you so cruelly? Of all the things and regrets I have, perhaps this will be the one I'll have to carry to my grave with the most remorse.

I pray to Rao that if this letter has found you, it's not because you had to be there to see it. I couldn't bear the idea that I saw your face for the last time without you actually seeing me in return, but the truth is, I don't know who I am, anymore…

But if I am nothing but a memory now, then please, even when I have no right to ask you this, have me be a good one. Carry just one moment of happiness that we shared in your memory, and that will make me immortal forever, because you'll always be in my heart, and I'll carry your memory to live with me on the stars, now that I'll be stardust drifting in the space like the rest of my people. If you ever miss me, look up, and that's where you will find me.

What I'm afraid to say the most is that I'm sorry I couldn't be better. I'm sorry I kept the truth from you. And I'm sorry that this is the last you'll hear from me because this is not enough, but I don't have anything else to show for myself. Even if I'll be filled with regrets for the things I said and the ones I didn't, having you walk into my life will always be one of the greatest things to ever happen to me because I learned the true meaning of El Mayarah by having you by my side.

Forever yours, Kara Zor-El"

Lena's tears landed on the paper, next to the one Kara once shed, mixing the two together like an ocean of lonely admissions. Even when Supergirl couldn't see her eye-to-eye, her wish had been to have her there…

"Zor-El," Lena whispered, wanting to clench the letter to her chest, but instead, staying unusually still, "Kara Zor-El, is that who you really are?"

"That's my Kryptonian given name," she whispered, "but she is not more real than Supergirl or Kara Danvers. I am all of them and I am none," she shrugged her shoulders, "I don't want to be the sum of my parts, but…I don't know who I am if not the three of them."

A legacy, a survivor, and a member of a newfound family…the blurry lines of who Kara was weren't only unclear to Lena, but to the Kryptonian herself. But the truth was, Lena would only have seen her blue eyes, whether they were behind glasses or not.

"You are the most real part of my life," Kara admitted, stringing the words together as if they were part of the fabric of fate, "And there was never going to be a right moment to tell you the truth, but I never felt like I had to choose one because all moments with you were perfect," she said breathlessly, "they were true, and I loved and cherished every single one of them. There's nothing in my heart but affection toward you."

Lena felt her eyes overflow with tears, "Don't lie to me," she warned, her voice quivering.

"I'm not!" Kara knelt down, grabbing her hands, trying to meet her eyes, but her green emeralds shimmered with misery, being faced by those baby blues.

"I'm far more deserving of hate than admiration," her lower lip trembled, as her chin did, "after everything I've done to you, all the hurt and the pain, you can't simply-" her voice broke, "you have to hate me."

"I don't," she replied softly, "and I never will."

"I hurt you! I was heartbroken, and I wanted you to feel it, to make you responsible for it!"

"You were in pain," Kara mumbled, "I know that. I hurt you, too."

"Stop," Lena begged, closing her eyes tightly, unable to conquer the tears, "please."

"Why can't you believe me?" Kara pleaded, trying to get those kryptonite-like eyes to see her, even if they were going to strip her away of her strength.

"Because it's easier to believe that I hurt someone that hated me, than facing that I've hurt the person I've always been in love with."

Kara felt her heart hit so violently against her chest that it was close to breaking free from its cage to put itself in Lena's hands, where it belonged. Her mouth opened agape, but words failed her as they often did as she realized that all the hurt they had shared was on the account that Lena thought she had been in love with a lie…

The Kryptonian wanted to steal a moment from time so she could repeat in her head the previous words that ringed like a battle cry and a lullaby in her mind, mixing the plea and the fear of what she most desired and what she thought was lost forever.

But time was ticking, and Lena pulled away, leaning back into the couch and far from her. Even if they were mere inches, that gap felt abysmal, because every fiber in Kara's body wanted to be as close to her as possible, to be welcomed back into her home. The reporter knew that she couldn't let her slip away a second time, she needed to speak up, break the silence, and...

"Your heartbeat," the words came out before she could even stop their flow, "I know it," by heart. "I could tell it apart from a thousand more and never get it wrong because since the first time I heard its pattern I committed it to memory because it sounded like my home," she breathed in, chocking on the echo of her own confession, "it made me feel like a part of my planet had somehow escaped the same fate I evaded and that it accompanied me here. When I hear your heart, I…I know I'm safe," her chest ached with desperation and hope, "And I know that I've hurt you because even when you didn't utter a word, I could hear your pulse scream all the things you kept quiet," she tried to meet her eyes, "and I was a coward for knowing this and not daring to do anything about it, for not realizing that…that it was beating for the same reason mine is." Kara felt it, deep down inside her core, this was the one secret she hid behind the symbol on her chest, "I love you."

Lena couldn't will herself to breathe as she looked into Kara's eyes. Not seeing Supergirl, a Danvers, or a Zor-El, just looking at her…

"And I'm afraid that I don't know your heart well enough now to know if I've lost my place in it," my home, "Because you fell in love with a part of who I am, but…but I kept so much more hidden, that I don't know if you could love all of who I am," Kara gazed down, defeated by the emerald green that shined in Lena's eyes. If this was the end of it, then she would let her eyelids down to try and hear her favorite lullaby for one last time.

But cold fingers caressed the side of her cheek, making the temperatures contrasts like a planetary collision, prompting Kara to steal a glance at Lena.

"Darling I've always seen you," she mumbled, cupping her face, wiping the tears with her thumb, "I'm sorr-"

But Lena couldn't utter another syllable, as Kara's lips crashed against her own, closing the gap, abolishing the distance, putting an end to a fight that words couldn't win or settle. And Kara felt the soft way Lena's lips captured her in return, hesitant at first as if kissing a mirage that could vanish right before her eyes. But it wasn't long before her eyelids gave out and she tilted her chin deepening the kiss, lacing her arms around the reporter, finding her safe heaven under the Kryptonian's embrace as Kara was welcomed back home inside Lena's heart.

Kara's lips tasted exactly as what the sun's warmth felt like, her touch was sweet but ablaze. She had the strength to pulverize a mountain but was holding Lena with such delicacy and care it send electricity down the Luthor's spine. And Lena wholeheartedly kissed her back, even through the pain and the fear, she let herself feel everything, breaking down every chain that held her to her past.

The moment their lips broke apart, only their breathless exhalations could be heard over the rapid beating of their pulses, as they gazed into each other's eyes, pressing their foreheads together. There was so much to be said, so much to apologize and forgive for, and so little time in the present to do so, and both knew it.

The conversation their eyes shared was meant to say far more than what words could express, it was soft yet hurt, honest and vulnerable, showing the duality they shared. Lena often hid on the dark side of the moon, while Kara's sunny brightness blinded people so they couldn't see the struggles that hid behind her smiles. But now, there was no mask and no lies, everything else could be doubted, but not the way each loved the other.

"Stay," Kara whispered, gazing at her with such affection that it hurt, "El Mayarah… it means stronger together," she said softly, in a frail whisper, not daring to disrupt the moment, fearing that the second she exhaled too deeply, all of this would be a dream, like the ones she had before, in which they shared lovely memories together, "And that's how I truly feel when I'm next to you. I want to be by your side forever. I love you, Lena," she said heartedly, tentatively leaning in again, letting Lena close the gap, leaving her the choice. And when scarlet red lips reached her own once more, it felt like finally waking up from that long dream and finding a reality worth living.

The messy entanglement of limbs, mixed with an ethereal feel of reality collided at their lips, as soft whispers tenderly admitted truths to one another, melting away the pain and doubt, bringing to an end a fight that started from a place of confusion and hurt.

"I love you, too."

The abrupt way the moment was shattered by the Superfriends breaking in at the ready for a battle, reminded them that there was a fight that still needed to be won.

"On the floor, now!" Alex commanded, taking the lead.

Kara rapidly stood up, putting Lena behind her, trying to appease the raging force with which her team busted in, "Stand down!" she demanded, although her reddened eyes and her quivering voice didn't do any favors to convince them she was alright.

"You send a 911," Alex replied, quickly taking a glance at the Luthor, who seemed just as out of sorts as Kara. But there was something else in there, Alex could feel the way something was hanging in the room. She inspected their body language, finding that Kara wasn't at risk, instead, her posture was fully alert and ready to protect the other woman, who was looking at Kara…exactly as she used to. Lena wasn't seeing Supergirl, her eyes didn't carry that hurt Alex had seen when she went to her office to reach out and talk to her. They were soft and vulnerable and…honest. So, Alex dropped her gun, looking at her sister, seeing in her blue skies a spark that had been so faint for the last few months that she feared it might have disappeared altogether, "Kara?"

"She's with us," the Girl of Steel said, giving all the confirmation needed, "She's with me."

Alex felt how heavy with meaning Kara's words were, as she said them. She proclaimed it as valiantly as she used to portray her family's crest. With the same pride and unmovable tenacity. The surprise in Alex's face most have shown because Kara made sure their eyes met as she nodded adamantly as if knowing what Alex's thoughts hid behind her stoic facade. So, the oldest Danvers put the safety pin back on, sliding the gun into the hostler without hesitance, having the rest of the team follow her example, trusting her judgment.

When her gaze met the Luthor's, Alex didn't see an enemy that crossed the trench, but the return of a friend. The redhead wasn't sure how or why, but it felt like something that was meant to be, something she knew would come to happen, but was meant to keep quiet about until the right time came, and this was it, "It's good to have you back, Lee."

-Year 2028-

She was going to be back. That was the one thought that roamed through her head as the white flash blinded her. Kara braced herself for what happened next, feeling her grip on the temporal-linear course of things shift as Ja'ek pulled them from one point of history to another.

Kara usually didn't claim her victories until she could take the suit off and go home, and that ritual never felt as literal as in this instance. She was going home.

The sudden weightless sensation stopped abruptly as if hitting the breaks after being 100 miles per hour, bringing them all to a halt as shapes and colors came back and the brightness dimmed, revealing silhouettes that waited on the other side.

Supergirl felt the unforgiving dizziness take over her body, making her knees tremble. If not for Esme putting her arm around her, while copying her strength to carry her weight, Kara might have fallen to the floor, but her team kept her upright as she finally gazed up to see, she was back.

Esme patted her shoulder, but it took Kara a moment to realize she was actually securing over her suit the small lily-of-the-valley she had picked up for her anniversary, "Your younger self gave it to me for protection," her niece mumbled, "but I think it should be with its rightful owner."

Kara smiled softly, shielding the small flower, but before she could utter a word, her sister's arms wrapped around her with unrestrained force, "You absolutely crazy force of nature!"

"Hey! Easy! Past you just popped my shoulder back into place, don't dislocate it again so quickly," Kara smirked, hugging her in return.

"I swear, if you weren't this beaten up, I would punch you!" Alex let go, wiping away rebel tears that dripped down despite her efforts to contain them.

"I'm sorry I put you through such a scare," she gazed into her eyes with affection, "and thank you for bringing me back."

"I will always look over you, Kar," Alex smiled confidently at her, "and I'm not the only one you should thank," she let go, so her sister could go meet the person that had missed her the most.

Kara felt her chest expand at the idea of being reunited with her wife. Even before she could see her, she let herself be guided by her hearing, following Lena's heartbeat to then bolt in that direction, barely giving Kelly and Mxy a chance to step back as the Kryptonian flew right into Lena's arms.

"Careful! She used too much magic," Kelly asked, but her words were barely registered. The only thing Kara was hearing was the pulse that greeted her home.

"Darling," Lena held her, hiding in the crook of her neck, hugging her so close that not even destiny could pull them apart again, letting all her worries and all the doubt be washed away with her tears.

"I'm so sorry, beloved," Kara mumbled into her hair, "I didn't mean to leave you."

"I know, Dear," Lena said mutedly, "You are here now," they pulled apart just enough to let their lips pull them closer together. All the pain and all the loneliness melt under the tender action that burned with untamed passion, letting fearless approaches devour the uncertainty.

Kara leaned into every caress touch-starved, wanting to commit Lena's taste to memory until her lips felt numb and the ache subsided, and then she wanted to kiss her again, for as many lifetimes as she could live.

If not for her body betraying her as she inhaled sharply holding her side, perhaps she could have stayed in the sweet moment, but Lena pulled away, her eyes already looking at her with such concern that it pained Kara far more than her sore muscles, as Lena held her face in cold hands, inspecting all the wounds.

"Oh, Darling," she mumbled, softly brushing her thumb over Kara's busted lip as the Kryptonian pressed a kiss on her hand.

"I'm alright, love," she said gently, "now that I'm here."

"You should go to the infirmary at once," Brainy interrupted and Kara finally took a moment to gaze at everyone else at the Tower. She welcomed them all in a superspeed-hug, leaving them no time to react as she thanked them for helping her return.

"We would have stopped at nothing," Nia smiled.

"We are glad to have you back," Brainy nodded, his tone showing emotion despite his efforts to remain stoic.

Kara smiled at all her team, her family, realizing there was a face she hadn't expected to see, "I'm surprised to see you here," she smirked at the fifth-dimensional being, "I think whatever debt you owed has been fully paid."

But Mxy's face turned a tad softer, "A favor to help out a friend is never an obligation, this has been my pleasure."

The Kryptonian smiled in return, nodding at him.

"And as much as we all want to catch up with you, honey, you should really follow Brainy's advice and go get treated," Kelly pointed out softly, gesturing at her beaten-up state.

"All I need is some sun and to go home," Kara replied, taking a step back, looking at her sister as she did so. She knew the oldest Danvers would have a much bigger say, and she needed her approval to get off the hook and not be the center of attention, so she could be with Lena for a moment before having to resume the last part of their mission, knowing that they still had one more displaced alien in custody.

Alex exhaled, understanding her sister's need to be with her wife, especially after having pulled her out of a timeline in which they were basically enemies, "Alright, we'll see you later to re-establish Ja'ek into his timeline, so you better be patched up by then."

Kara nodded, muttering her gratitude before turning around, "Let's go home."

Kara removed her cape, seeing the darker shade of red that stained it, her youngest self's blood. It felt so surreal to be back, to have returned, and be the only one to retain the knowledge of all that had happened. It was a burden and a humbling gift.

She tried to reach the zipper on her back to remove the suit and finally claim her victory, but the numbing pain shot through her body, as she recoiled, shielding her side and rubbing her sore shoulder.

"Don't move, Darling," Lena's voice echoed behind her as she zipped down her suit, helping her remove it while their sights met on the mirror's reflection.

"Thank you, love," Kara mumbled as she peeled off the sleeves, pushing down the suit to expose her torso, the skin over her ribs showing a nasty shade of purple and green.

"…Darling," Lena rested her chin over Kara's shoulder, wrapping her arms around her, carefully touching the bruise.

"I'm okay," the Kryptonian whispered as if quietly pleading her to believe her words.

Lena sighed, pressing a kiss on her shoulder blade, nuzzling on her back, "You know I will always worry," she mumbled.

"I know," Kara carefully reached for the small flower that was pinned to her suit, giving it back to her, knowing she had used it to perform a protection spell, "you found my gift."

"And it found its way back to me," Lena grabbed it, "bringing you along," she pressed it against the tip of her nose, "I pray to Rao you might always find your way back to me." She pinned the flower on the left side of her blouse.

Blue eyes shimmered with something close to sadness, "…You can ask me to stop," Kara said softly, cautiously, "and I'll hang the cape."

Lena sighed, holding her tighter, mindful not to harm her, "And I know you would, but I also know you couldn't live with yourself knowing others got hurt because you weren't there to help." That was just in Kara's nature, she had seen the Kryptonian's youngest self be torn apart over not being able to save the little girl's parents, "I knew from the moment you kissed me that I would have to share you with the rest of the world. You are not mine to keep."

"But my heart is yours entirely," Kara answered, placing Lena's hand over her chest to feel her pulse.

"I know, Darling," Lena gently caressed her bare skin, noticing a scar that she had never seen before, but that somehow looked aged, "What's this?" she mumbled, touching it carefully.

"That was littlest me being a lot braver than I could have been," Kara said softly, inspecting the seemingly insignificant wound, "She got hurt protecting me while we were in that pocket of time. Now that scar kind of binds the three of us to that event," she muttered, "even if I will be the only one to remember." Her sight lingered on the mark before drifting to Lena, trying to see If she could recognize that same wounded look Lena carried in 2020, "I knew I would be back to you but…I also wanted to stay there," she admitted, "because I know that's the time period in which you needed me the most and…I wasn't there to hold you."

"You can leave that in the past, Darling," Lena whispered, reaching to touch the wedding token that hanged from the chain around Kara's neck, while her own ring was back in its rightful place around her finger, now that she didn't have to hide it, "because I need you here with me now. I need my wife back into my arms."

Kara turned around, facing Lena to gently envelop her in arms and kiss her hungrily, tangling one hand through her raven-dark hair while the other rested on the small of her back, holding her close to her body, feeling every point of contact between their skins. All three versions of each had found a way into the other's heart, but only in this time were they bonded together by their vows.

"Oh, Lena," Kara whispered, her lips tracing down her porcelain neck, biting gently, almost tauntingly, "I've missed your touch more than you can imagine," she exhaled, shuddering, feeling every pulsation, every twitch, and every way Lena's pale skin reacted to her caresses, "but at least I could always hear your heartbeat." She gently nibbled where her pulse was the strongest, mindful not to leave a mark as she heard her wife's breathing hitch, biting down a moan, "And follow it back to you."

Lena tilted her head back, closing her eyes, feeling the shiver visit every corner of her body as she held tighter, "You are home," she mumbled, gently scratching her nape, feeling the unusual way Kara's muscles tensed at the words while her hands clenched at the fabric of her clothes.

"You are home," Kara mumbled, her forehead resting over Lena's shoulder, her arms embracing her strongly, "my home."

"Darling?" she cooed softly, sensing something was laying underneath the surface. Perhaps Kara needed a moment to breathe in the moment, to reassure herself it was real.

"I'm sorry," the Kryptonian mumbled back, without being able to provide an explanation as her throat closed up in a knot.

Lena gently pushed back, "Come on, let's patch you up." She grabbed into Kara's hips to stand on her tiptoes and reach her nose to press a kiss there, making Kara smile tenderly.

"Alright, love," she levitated softly above the ground, going to the bathtub that awaited her while she removed the rest of the suit to carefully submerge, letting the warm water envelop her body, overstimulating her senses. Soon the solar lights showered down on her and she felt immediately her more superficial wounds start reacting to the regeneration process.

"Try to rest, okay?" Lena asked while Kara followed the Luthor's every movement as she approached her side, slender fingers reaching blonde hair, caressing her scalp, forcing Kara's eyelids to go down and she indulged into the sensation, all but melting into her hand, uttering no words, "I'll give you a moment to charge up while I prepare you something to eat, alright?" she offered with a smirk, but Kara's eyes opened with urgency, her hand reaching for Lena's.

"Stay?" She asked earnestly, showing her vulnerability, "please."

Lena smiled lovingly, standing up to take off her shoes without breaking eye contact while slowly submerging in the water with her, being welcomed into her wife's embrace, as Kara cuddled her against her chest, providing a bigger sense of comfort and safeness that not even the "S" on her suit could match. Lena closed her eyes, feeling her wife's arms around her in exactly the way they should. She didn't have to fool herself into believing she was being cradled by her Kara because this was her Kara.

"…I'm sorry I missed our anniversary," Kara mumbled, her fingers tracing circles on Lena's back, under her shirt.

"It's not your fault," Lena said soothingly.

"Being a hero got in the way of being your wife," Kara answered, swallowing thickly, "that's on me."

"We don't have to talk about that right now," Lena offered quietly, not wanting to disturb the moment.

"…I…I don't want you to keep things to yourself because you think they'll be upsetting," Kara said, taking in a deep breath she stole from life itself, ready to open a wound for both of them, "You want to have kids to heal your past," she felt Lena's heartbeat quicken as she addressed the silence that previously had never bothered Kara, but that now felt deafening, "to give a child the love you were denied," she continued, carefully enunciating the words, feeling Lena tense in her arms like if she somehow had breached her more private thoughts.

"…I do," Lena mumbled, her fists tightening, as she inhaled sharply, "You feel guilt caring for a child because you think you've failed Kal and your people when they left you the burden of surviving," Lena countered gently, sharing the truths she had learned as well.

"…Yes," Kara answered, hugging her closer, "I'm…I'm sorry I never told you that," she felt the lump in her throat, "I… let that buried for so long I forgot how to articulate what that fear felt like," she bit on her lower lip, "so instead I stood silent because words were too hard and…I didn't realize that was hurting you…that I was hurting you."

Lena closed her eyes tightly, pressing her forehead over Kara's chest.

"…Why didn't you tell me what having kids meant to you?" the Kryptonian asked with a faint thread of voice.

Lena ducked her chin, getting a glimpse of her own reflection on the water, "It was…one of those things I wished for quietly, secretly. The kind of thing I could imagine while drifting to sleep, thinking that it could all be worth it if I worked toward that goal. But with Lex, Lillian, all the attempts on my life and everything else I… gave up on it, for a long while. It wasn't fair to bring a kid into the madness my life was, it wasn't safe. And if I moved forward with it, it would have made me a terrible mother for endangering that child," she mumbled, "I didn't think it could be until…until we got married and… and I felt safe again," in your arms, "I felt like I could hold on to that dream once more."

And Kara had almost shattered it completely with ignorance, "I'm sorry, Lena," she shut her eyes firmly, "I'm sorry I kept running away, avoiding the topic… hiding," she breathed in, "but I'm not running away anymore," she said adamantly, "I want your dream to be my own if you are willing to share it with me."

Lena gazed up, meeting her eyes with surprise and joy, doubt and hope, all mixed inside her eyes, "Kara I…" she breathed in, evening her tone, "I don't want you to do this because you feel like you have to," she said carefully, "I don't want you to resent me or that child for this when you wake up one day realizing it was a mistake."

"I know," Kara said solemnly, "I'm…I'm not saying this with empty meaning," she assured, grabbing her hand, "I…I felt that spark when I saw into the memories of littlest me," she admitted, "she…moved something inside, she faced the mirror, to let herself feel and…and that grew on me as well." She caressed her wife's face, "I want to raise a kid, as long as it's with you. Because with you by my side, the idea of having a family is not as scary, because I know I won't be alone, that…that I don't have to feel that loneliness anymore," nor the guilt.

"Are you sure…?" Lena's tone was ethereal and hopeful as if trying to touch a dream.

Kara leaned in, kissing her tenderly, "I am," she affirmed with more resolve than ever before, "I won't be perfect, and I'll get scared and I'll probably beg Alex to babysit and I'll have to rely heavily on Kelly for advice," she chuckled, making Lena share a watery laugh, "but…but I'll be there. I'll give our kid all my love and I will never leave you alone to raise them." She breathed in, holding her gaze, "So… can you make me part of your dream, my love?" She asked breathlessly, looking into her eyes as if she could see entire galaxies in them.

Lena wrapped her arms around Kara's neck, kissing her messily, tears roaming down her eyes as her heartbeat composed the most beautiful melody Kara had ever heard and her lips uttered just one word that sealed their shared future, "Yes."

Everyone gathered at the Tower as Ja'ek prepared for his departure.

"So, you'll jump back into your timeline and your future self will materialize here," Alex explained how things should go according to their limited knowledge of things.

"And if you deem him decent enough, you'll let me free," he said, folding his arms defensively.

"Well, we saw true determination to change," J'onn said, "You put everything on the line to erase your future mistakes, so we believe your future will be brighter."

"But if your future self needs help to go by, then we'll provide it to him," Kelly said, earnestly, "Our shelters will keep you protected."

"And if you could use some protection in your timeline, approach the DEO, we could use someone with your talents on the force," Alex smirked.

Ja'ek actually spared a smile their way, "I'll think about your offers."

"So…what will happen when he comes back?" Nia asked tentatively, "When all the pieces fall back into place…how will that alter the timeline?"

"Well…the change might not feel noticeable," Brainy speculated, "Maybe our memories will start to change progressively, or it will be all shifted in one abrupt moment," he explained.

"In any case, the people that were the most closely involved are the ones that will suffer these effects," J'onn said.

"So, Kara, obviously," Alex pointed at her sister, who stood quietly on the back of the room, wrapped in a shoulder spica, "J'onn, Lena, and me. Everyone else might just remember things the new way the timeline was altered, not even having a recollection of how they originally were."

"Well, since there are no signs of paradoxes, even after our involvement in the matter, there's an 87.3% probability this won't have a negative effect in our psyche or in the grand scale of things," Brainy said, "If things turn dire, I'll contact the future," he offered.

"If we have nothing else to lose, let's do this," Alex said, giving them the cue to commence.

Ja'ek nodded, closing his eyes, focusing on picturing his timeline with J'onn's help, "Ready," he breathed out, "see you in a couple of tomorrows."

And the bright flash of light blinded them, just as it had a month ago in that warehouse, and suddenly, the unknown floated through the air, leaving them in a limbo of questions and uncertainty, consuming space… to then ceremoniously bring back the world around them as a new established reality.

Ja'ek appeared back, his eyes a bit lost as he took in his surroundings, looking at them as if they were long-lost friends he was reconnecting with. And suddenly it felt…that way. As though he had always been there, at the margin of the interaction, someone who would occasionally cross paths with them. Another face in the bar where they used to hang out at, another protester that spoke up for equality, a pair of hands that offered to help when the first shelters were being built and a guest in one of the multiple galas. He…had been there.

"Ja'ek?" Kelly asked cautiously, but…with familiarity. As if she knew his name and character, like if she had worked with him before…

"Hey, boss," he smirked back, "long time no see."

"You…you truly did it," Alex was utterly impressed, "you changed your history. You used your powers for good."

"No," Esme mumbled, looking at him sensing…nothing to mimic, "He…hasn't used his powers in a really long while, they are asleep I can't- I can't feel them."

He smirked, "I figured that could put the timeline at risk, given that I already knew what was coming," he explained, "turns out, Earth could be a second home, if you knew where you had to look for. It wasn't easy but…" he tilted his head, "there were some good people along the way."

"Wait, but we…we can remember both lines," Nia said, carefully.

"For now," he said, "progressively, all you'll recall it's that I've been around, not what my previous version did," he explained, "same with the rest of the events."

Many questions followed as the team got to know this new version of the alien, someone they somehow had known for so long now. But Kara remained on the back of the room, her mind roaming through the memories she was bound to forget. The sudden bitterness of knowing she would soon cease to recall the things she had promised a heartbroken Lena she would never forget stung deep into her chest. The idea that she would no longer have the knowledge that she got to hug both younger versions of herself weighed on her chest, and she couldn't understand why it pained her to know that experience would be gone. But she had no time to dwell on things she couldn't change. Instead, she needed the wisdom the other two had bestowed on her to make sure their growth wouldn't go unacknowledged.

"You, young lady," Ja'ek pointed at Esme, "are the bravest person I've ever met," he said, "and the most important individual to ever cross my path. If you hadn't intervened…then I wouldn't be here today. You saved my life," he said earnestly, "Thank you. And you both should be very proud," he addressed the two women that had raised her to be the hero she was.

"We are," Kelly nodded, putting her arm around her daughter's shoulders.

"And we are happy she'll carry the family tradition," Alex added.

"You mean that?" Esme turned to look at her with hopeful eyes.

"Absolutely. You don't have anything to prove to us, sweetie," Alex said, "We both know you already are a hero. And we can't wait to go on more missions with you watching our backs," she winked, smirking in complicity.

"Well, what do you all say we finally have our reunion?" J'onn asked, "My granddaughter deserves a dinner in her honor, we have much to celebrate."

"We are down!" Nia said happily, wrapping an arm around Brainy.

"I'll call James to meet us," Kelly said as they all started to organize their much-deserved family night.

And that's why Kara knew, this was the moment. She breathed in and approached her sister-in-law, "Kelly," she called, keeping her in the room as the others walked out, "Can I talk to you?" she asked firmly, but showing a bit of nervousness.

The other woman gazed at her with curiosity, letting her family go ahead, "Of course, honey," she turned to fully face her, "Are you feeling alright?" she asked softly.

"I am, thank you," she nodded, but Kelly pursed her lips to the side.

"No one is expecting you to jump back to your feet, we've got you," Kelly said soothingly, "If you need to process all of this…"

Kara smiled in gratitude, but remained with the same defensive yet eager stance, "I know."

"…But that's not it, isn't it?" Kelly tilted her head, knowing that now it was Kara's turn to look for the words, so she stood quiet as the Kryptonian breathed in the moment.

"The little girl," Kara's voice broke the silence as memories flooded her, memories that weren't her own, memories of a building in flames and a scared child that was being swallowed by fire just as Krypton had been enveloped by explosions and death, "she's my kid." The words were spoken determinately and with passion, "Her place is with all of us, she already feels that way here at the Tower," she swallowed thickly, "And I know that Lena and I…we can be her home."

Kelly stood perfectly still as the words took full dimension, seeing the sheer determination in Kara's eyes as she proclaimed them, "You want to adopt her."

"We do," she nodded, "I know you are willing to take her into your house, and I'm sure that's a place where she would be loved and cared for and that my sister and you would give her everything she could ever need to grow up to be a loved child, just as you did for Esme. And…I can't promise we'll be a perfect fit, but I can swear we'll do anything and everything to provide her with all our love and affection." Kara's eyes met hers steadily, "If she is willing to let us be her parents."

Kelly's mouth hung open for a moment before a tender smile took over, "If she can find her home with both of you, nothing would make me happier," she hugged her, "Ready to meet her?"

"I feel like I've waited twelve years to see her again," Kara whispered, her eyes watering as she felt that phantom pain she could previously not name. She was yearning to see the girl again.

Kara felt her palms sweat and her heart hammer down her chest. It was thrilling and petrifying, all at once. Her right hand tugged at the edge of her cape as if it were a tic she had picked up somewhere along the way. She took in a deep breath and walked into the room where the little girl was. M'gann had been with her throughout the mission, babysitting while the fate of the timeline was being decided, and if anyone had asked Kara, she would have said, M'gann's had been the most important task that day.

Kara approached the girl that had been playing with the piano while still wearing the red cape her younger self had left her. Kara felt the tears materializing on the corners of her eyes, but kept them at bay, not wanting to startle her with that first impression. The blonde was about to say something for the kid to turn around when she suddenly realized she knew the melody the girl was playing. It was a tune she used to hum, a Kryptonian lullaby that she often sang for Lena and that the Luthor had probably taught her how to play.

Kara found herself frozen in place, listening to the interpretation, feeling this warm and tender sensation, as if she had somehow walked into a forgotten corner of Krypton that the obliteration of time hadn't touched. And without realizing it, she started singing the lyrics, in a language so rare that less than five people could speak it natively. So, she closed her eyes and allowed the words to bounce into every corner of the room, to fill it with a culture that was dying in oblivion, but that felt so alive during those precious moments in which the melody captured it.

So when the final note was struck, Kara didn't feel a loss or an emptiness, instead, the music had filled something deep inside. Invertedly, remembering her home and her childhood… didn't hurt. And when she opened her eyes, she saw a pair of big radiant eyes, looking at her with such attention and curiosity, giving Kara all the resolve she needed to make sure to give that small girl a childhood of her own.

"H-hi, little one," the Kryptonian said, approaching her carefully, "I'm…" Kara, "back," she decided to say, when in reality what she wanted to show was that she hadn't abandoned her, that she had kept her word and made it back, even if she wasn't as she recalled her to be. Kara knelt down, letting the girl take a closer look at her, her head tilted to the side as her eyes inspected the uniform, recognizing the crest that her fingers gently traced. Then she worked her way up to her face, carefully touching her features as if trying to discern if she was indeed the same person that had pulled her out of a torched building. Her fingertips traced over her nose, running through the arch of her brows, and carefully touching the cut on her lip to finally end up gazing at her blue eyes.

Kara smiled, taking in the image in front of her as well. This little girl was exactly as she recalled her to be in her memories, twelve years later, in her perspective. There was so much she wanted to say, yet, words weren't going to be enough, so she gently grabbed her hands, guiding them to hold her face as she leaned in, closing her eyes, giving her the possibility to lean in so she could show her. The girl tentatively closed the distance, putting her forehead over hers as the images flooded both.

Kara showed the kid her own journey, from the point in which she was displaced back in time to the memories she had about her through her younger self, the person she had actually met first.

The girl took in the information and nodded, understanding. Kara smiled sweetly at her, caressing her hair, "It's nice to meet you for the first time again, sweetie," she mumbled, "I know my younger self told you I'd be…wiser and…more prepared, but…I think she was braver than she gave herself credit because I'm terrified but…but I'm going to make good on her promise, and I'm going to be here for you," she swore smiling lovingly at her, savoring the moment they were sharing before daring to share what came next.

She showed her Krypton, the house where she grew up, the planet, and the sun she once loved. She shared images of her mother, her father, her uncle and aunt, and her cousin Kal. She let the girl take in all that information, making it clear that was her nuclear family and her origins. When the girl showed her own parents and her world in return, Kara proceeded to present Jeremiah, Eliza, and Alex. She showed her how growing up in Midvale was, the struggle and the acceptance of a new household, how she had learned new things, adapted to fit in, having new people walk into her life, a whole new life itself. The girl answered with images of the Tower and seeing them made Kara feel whole and… safe. So, she breathed in and braced herself to show her home…her life with Lena. Their daily routine, their dynamic, the apartment, and everything that made the place so amazing. Sharing not only how it all looked like, but how it felt. It was warm, cozy, and welcoming, and…she wanted the girl to be part of it, to experience it firsthand.

"Inah," she mumbled, showing how her mother used to call her, "daughter," her voice was frail, hopeful, yet scared, "I… I didn't understand what Lena meant at first. The idea that having a kid could mean healing something that was so broken… it's not about doing this for ourselves, it's to give someone else what we lacked… when I see you, I see myself in a sense and… and I want to protect you, and I've become so fond of you, you have no idea how much my younger self loved -loves- you," she gazed into her eyes, "and I've only been here so little time and I can see why she adores you," she smiled heartedly at her, "little one… can we be your home?" she pressed their foreheads together for the last time, trying to express something she had no images for. She could try to show how Esme had been adopted, she could show her own life with the Danvers, but she had no idea how it would feel or be like to start a family of their own in which she would be a mother.

And when she ran out of images to show, there was a moment of complete emptiness…followed by one scene Kara recognized as a moment of her own life, something the girl had been drawn to. She saw Kara's mother and she replayed one word, "Jeju."

Kara inhaled sharply, nodding, "Yeah, my mother. My Jeju." She gently placed a hand over the girl's chest, "I want to be your Jeju, Lena wants to be your Mom," she breathed in, "Can you understand that?" she asked softly, her tone was so honest and vulnerable that even if words failed to translate meaning, her eyes spoke all the languages in the galaxy as they gazed lovingly at the girl.

All doubts and fears were faced by an action so honest it broke all the walls that Kara had previously built around the wound in her heart as the girl's arms wrapped around her in a hug. And Kara created a home for her with nothing but that embrace.

When Kara walked back into the room holding the girl's hand, Lena was able to read in her eyes all the things Kara wanted to say. Words weren't necessary to explain how the broken pieces were no longer hidden away because Kara was willing to risk her heart and gamble on the opportunity to expand her family and leave behind the guilt that boarded the ship with her when Krypton exploded.

When they reached Lena's side, her bright green eyes were the ones of a kid that once swore to herself to hold on to a dream that was now coming true. A dream that was standing right in front of her, within arm's reach…so she reached for it and held them in arms.

She didn't even notice at what point she had fallen to her knees or how she had dragged Kara down with her, the only thing she felt was her wife's arms wrapped around her, cradling her and their daughter into their first family hug.

Suddenly time and space became meaningless. It might have been just mere seconds, or an entire eon and Lena wouldn't have known the difference because all that existed right now was the three of them. And perhaps the closeness to one another, or the fact that they were interlocked into each other's hands was the reason that both women were able to be shown what the girl was seeing. Her power linked the three of them, as an image presented itself and it was exactly what was currently happening. She was living the moment, too. Engraving this new feeling into her memories and her heart. That's when they knew, she fully understood the magnitude of the event. This was their family now.

This was their family. This loud, outgoing, and fearless group of individuals that stood inside the Towers' kitchen were the people Kara and Lena considered their family. They had all come to their lives at different points in time. Some had always been there; others simply appeared to never leave again. Many came from well beyond the stars and a few from across the country. But this, this team that had only grown since the first time Kara put on the suit, they were the most important people in their lives.

They all had faced and conquered the most unimaginable feats, sometimes at a great cost, but none of that ever stopped them, and that was why they were all standing there, in front of them, laughing and talking to one another. They were fighters, they were a team, they were family well beyond what blood could ever bound them to be. And they were about to welcome a new member.

"There they are!" Nia said, being the first to notice they were standing by the door, "We were thinking of taking a portal and getting some real pizza."

"Unless you two love-birds want to slip away and have a proper anniversary dinner?" Alex arched a brow with a teasing smile, her arm around Esme's shoulders, "We would totally understand."

"Maybe we'll do that another night," Lena replied softly.

"But right now, we want to be with our family," Kara continued taking in a deep breath while Lena nodded encouragingly, "And that's why we have something to say."

The expectation grew as the silence settled in and they all finally noticed that the small girl that was standing between both was holding their hands. And that image alone was more powerful than any force in the world.

"You are our family, and we know you will always make us feel safe and loved," Lena said, the phrase heavy with meaning because she knew just how valuable that one word was, "so we are ready to begin our own."

Kara breathed in, letting her tone be swept with emotion, "Dad…you have another granddaughter."

J'onn felt the words hit his chest prompting tears that dropped mercilessly. He covered his mouth, preventing himself from sobbing as he felt Kara share telepathically with him everything she was experiencing, not hiding the fear nor the happiness. Everything was there for him to see as she gave him the news.

The room turned from a chaotic silence to an incoherent explosion of joy. Hugs and words were being exchanged, mixed with tears and laughter. It was impossible to know who was talking or to whom, but it didn't matter, because the core of it all, the only thing that needed to be clear was just how much they all loved each other. This was their family. And it had just gotten bigger.

Their celebration continued in their apartment beyond the stroke of midnight, when the stars were fighting to keep their domain over the sky and the sun threatened to rise again, bringing the promise of a new day.

Kara could feel it, not only the way the warm star was about to take over but the subtle, almost unperceivable way her memory was shifting, slowly erasing the past in a much gentler way than the first time her mind had overwritten the events. She was forgetting, or rather, remembering everything anew.

The thought of grabbing a crystal from the Fortress and putting inside it all the journeys each version of her had lived crossed her mind, but somehow it didn't feel right. She wanted to give those experiences a proper burial, instead of an artificial life outside her mind.

So, as everyone else started to head home, Kara approached Alex, who was quietly drinking on the balcony, "Hey," the Kryptonian smirked, going next to her.

"Hey, sis," she smiled softly, looking at the horizon, "what a day, huh? Thirty hours ago, we were all in a gala with a younger version of you, and now we are celebrating you adopting a kid," she chuckled, shaking her head, "Things like this make you wonder what normal even is."

"If you ever find a definition, let me know," Kara teased back, clicking her bottle against Alex's.

"I'll drink to that," she scoffed, taking a sip, letting a silence fill the peaceful scenery, "…I never thought I'd see that look in your eyes again," she mumbled, taking in a deep breath, "the look you had when you gave us the news," she continued, "I've only ever seen that same spark in your eyes when you saw Kal for the first time after arriving to Earth," she whispered, "You looked at him as though… he was… Krypton itself."

Kara smiled weakly, "Yeah, he was all I had left then," she gazed over her shoulder seeing Kelly and Lena on the couch, with the latter cradling the little girl in arms while Esme brought her a blanket, "but now I have so much more," she said tenderly.

Alex's face turned even softer, "I'm really proud of you," she said, "I don't know if I say that often enough, because to me you have always been so much," she gestured at her, "but I got to see you back in your beginnings and…you've come a long way…it's really a sight to behold," she said solemnly.

"Thanks, Alex," Kara mumbled, exhaling slowly, "I think I was able to grow because I knew I would have people who would always stand by me, and your encouragement was the most important of all, because you are my sister, and... that's one of the things Krypton couldn't give that Earth did."

Alex felt her eyes sting as she roughly pushed the tears away, playfully punching her shoulder, "Today has already been a rollercoaster of emotions for you to add even more to it."

Kara smirked, dropping her head while leaning on the rail, "Well, I hope there's one more thing I can add, and that's a favor," she turned around, facing toward the inside of the apartment, "Do you think you could look after our little one for an hour or so?"

Alex arched a brow but nodded, "Of course." She followed her sister's gaze finding all the missing pieces she needed to understand, "Go already," she said, taking the bottle from her hand.

Kara smiled as both walked back into the loft, approaching the couch where Alex sat next to Kelly while Kara stretched a hand toward Lena, "May I?" she asked, looking into her eyes.

Lena threw a quizzical glance her way, but it was deflected by Kara's smooth smile, so she had nothing left to do but accept, taking her hand, standing up.

She walked her to the balcony, looking over her shoulder to mutedly thank the other three for babysitting as they stepped outside, "Hold on tight," Kara leaned in, softly brushing her lips against Lena's earlobe, wrapping her arms around her as she would on a waltz.

Lena slipped into them, fitting perfectly in Kara's frame as if she had been made to be held by her. And even when she knew exactly what came next, her stomach fluttered and her hands tingled as Kara took off, gently soaring into the remaining veil of the night sky. They swirled in circles in a dance directed by the orchestra both their hearts made. They were in the ethereal space that belonged to no soul, high above the ground, leaving the worries of the city behind, but still under the remaining stars that witness their gentle swaying.

The howling breeze twirled around them, prompting Kara to hold Lena closer to keep her from the cold, "Are you alright?" the Kryptonian asked quietly.

Lena cuddled under her chin, closing her eyes, exhaling slowly, "I'm perfect."

Kara gently ran her fingers through her back, tracing circles with her fingertips, "Do you want to go somewhere? I could take us to Paris, or the pyramids, anywhere you choose," I want to give you the world, is what she wanted to say.

"I'm right where I want to be," Lena answered, lacing her arms around Kara's neck, "and you are right when you should be." She tilted her head to the side.

Kara melted under her loving gaze, "I am," she said, slowly descending to her lips, savoring every single moment of it. She could feel in her memories how the youngest version of herself had yearned for that one kiss she was about to claim. She could feel the innocence of her desire to belong in the warmth and the welcoming taste of home in Lena's lips, "Sometimes I think about…the time I spent lost in the Phantom Zone as a child," she whispered into Lena's parted lips, feeling her agitated warm breath tickle her, "I think I was held there by fate, so I could fool time and come to a world in which you would be in my life," she gently captured her in another kiss, a more heated one, as pleading and as desperate as the feelings her 2020 version had felt when faced with her unnamed emotions. Fighting a war that took place in a battlefield where no one else could help her, inside her heart, all while helplessly knowing she had broken the heart of the woman she loved the most, "Maybe I survived so I could meet you, because the moment I first gazed at you I felt alive," she whispered, "as if I had taken a deep breath after being underwater, and every moment after, all I've wanted was to be next to you," she kissed her again as if to ease all the hurt she saw in a broken Lena in the past she had been living in for the last month, "So, I think time and destiny smiled upon me, even if though such strange methods." She proclaimed unwaveringly.

"That's one thing that always surprises me about you," Lena whispered, "even when you've gone through so much pain, you still look at the good side of things," she exhaled softly, "at the good in people, as you did with me."

"Looking at you, that's all I see," she hugged her closer, enjoying the moment, closing her eyes to commit her other senses to live the moment. She could smell Lena's perfume faintly lingering on her skin, she could still taste her lips on hers and feel her cold skin contrast her always warm one. But suddenly she realized she was picking up a sound that wasn't near them, one she could now recognize as well, "…I…I can hear her," she said unexpectedly in a mix of surprise and excitement, "I can hear her heart," she said, pushing back slightly to see Lena's eyes, "I can hear our daughter's heartbeat."

Lena felt the air being knocked out of her chest, realizing how real that felt as tears began to form, "You said…daughter. We have a daughter now," saying it out loud was as dreamlike as it was beautiful.

"We do," Kara nodded with the same excitement and innocence, "She's our kid," she breathed in, realizing she never thought those words would ever leave her mouth, "…how should we call her?" names had a strange power to them. For Kara, a name meant a past, for Lena a legacy. A name is what almost tore them apart once, a name was going to bring them together once more.

"She speaks mostly through images and music, so it would be something symbolic," Lena traced back, "But…maybe…Elle?"

"Elle?" Kara repeated, gazing at her curiously, knowing Lena always had a reason for each action and decision.

"Well…it… ties a bit of our history. Sounds like the beginning of El Mayarah, and the House of El, and the first letter of my last name," it was a whole narrative on its own. A reminiscence of a time in which they met because of L-Corp, in which they rivaled because the Luthors and the last survivors of the House of El were at odds, and finally, El Mayarah, an expression that ended up tying both their lives together.

"Elle," Kara said once more, rolling it out, it wasn't foreign, it was like greeting someone back after years of being apart, "Elle." She nodded, "That's perfect, my love."

Lena's smile made the world a brighter place as she gazed into impossibly blue eyes that shimmered like sapphires. Kara cupped her face while Lena held into her waist, balancing on top of the world as the break of dawn slowly crept through the horizon, taking away all the darkness that remained, fading the lights of the city into nothing but blurry urban fireflies. And as the rays that promised a new day began to shower down on National City, Kara felt the clarity of her mind drifting, forgetting the journey she had come back from. Her life would carry on as if that displacement hadn't ever existed, the timeline would prevail, at the cost of her memories.

She had left a month ago, bleeding out wounds she hadn't realized were still open in such different time periods of her life, but now, the future was shining brighter than ever, because it was shining in Lena's earnest eyes. There were no more secrets between them.

And maybe, just maybe, the end of her Odyssey had bestowed her something far more precious than she had realized. It gave her a chance to speak up, "I'm always going to be there for you, Lena," Kara said wholeheartedly, vowing to never abandon her as other people in her life had, "because if there's one lesson I learned through this displacement" the one she was bound to forget, "it's that you are at the center of my universe and I will always gravitate toward you, no matter the time, the place, the galaxy," she said solemnly, "and throughout this journey, I've looked at all the versions of you the same way I am right now, this journey gave me the chance to go to all the periods in which I wish I had realized it before," she held her in arms, kissing her devotedly as the sun kissed their faces in return, taking away what once was and bringing a new tomorrow they were yet to face, but at least, they would face it together, "For all the times I should have said I love you."

For over a decade now, Kara had been proudly wearing her family's crest as she fought against all odds, foes, and even herself. Thirteen years of valiantly proclaiming herself National City's hero, and as she gazed from the heights at the place that had welcomed her after losing Krypton, and while holding her wife to her chest knowing both had a kid to go back home to, Kara realized, her journey had only begun...