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Jessica's eyes fluttered open like wounded butterfly wings, her breathing in sync to a steady rhythmic beeping. Confusion swirled in her, where was she? Her eyes opened wide, only to shut against the bright lights that filled her vision.
Suddenly memories came back to her, her family, the road trip, arguing with her brother, that truck. Her family, oh God, her family, where were they?
"Eliza, she's waking up." Jessica heard an unfamiliar voice say.
Jessica felt a hand cover hers, and tried opening her eyes once again, this time managing to succeed as she saw four figures in the small white room.
The one who had her hand on her IV taped one was a woman who seemed to be in her early fourties, with sandy blonde hair that reached down past her shoulders. From her appearance she looked to be a doctor, but Jessica doubted a doctor would be so friendly and sympathetic with her.
The man who seemed to be the same age stood behind her, dressed in casual attire and standing beside two young girls. One who looked to be the same age as her; though she didn't know whether she was older or younger, with an unreadable expression across her face, with her arms across her chest.
There next to her stood a small blonde who leaned into the brunette's shoulder, her bangs covering her eyebrows and gracing the top of the glasses she nervously fiddled with. She seemed to be around a couple years younger than the latter.
"Hello Jessica." The woman spoke, her voice sweet like honey. Jessica hated honey.
"Who are you? Where are my parents? My brother? Are they okay?" Jessica fired off in a rough, raspy voice as she tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down by the woman.
"Rest, dear." She said, and Jessica scowled at her, why wasn't she answering her?
It took her a beat to respond, "My name is Eliza Danvers, this is my husband, Jeremiah," she gestured to the man standing behind her before then gesturing to the two girls.
"This is my eldest, Alexandra."
"Alex." The girl cut in, looking up at Jessica for a moment before retreating her gaze back to the floor.
"And this is Kara," she motioned to the blonde, who gave a shy smile and a wave before pressing back into the brunette's, Alex's, side.
"My family, are they okay? Are they in another ward?" She asked, and noticed how Eliza's face fell.
She didn't like what that could mean.
"I'm so sorry, honey, but your family, they weren't able to be saved, they perished from their injuries, I'm so, so, sorry."
Jessica felt her heart shatter with the force of a steel baseball bat to aged glass, and a sob wracked her body.
She felt arms wrap around her shoulders, pulling her close into the other. Had it been any other case she would have pushed them away, screamed at them, cursed them for daring to touch her, but she craved the contact so desperately, drinking in the need to be comforted, to be loved.
She didn't know what had caused her to lose conciousness, the exhaustion or the medication.
She had remained in the hospital for a week, recooperating. The Danvers family visited her every day as often as they could, which she was both grateful and spiteful for.
When the day came to discharge her, the Danvers were waiting for her, sympathetic smiles on their faces and bags in their hands. They had told her that they were foster parents, that they had adopted Kara a little over a year ago, and as she had no family left, they would take her in as well. She hated it, being treated like a project, like some pathetic charitable case.
So she walked with her head high, refusing any help from Eliza or Jeremiah or the nurses. Her arm was wrapped in a cast, stitches lining her skin at different places, embroidering her as if she were fabric of a tragic canvas.
The ride back to the house was spent in an uncomfortable silence, with Jessica staring out the window, trying to use the scenery to distract herself from her thoughts.
Jessica looked up at the house with wide eyes, it was a grand house, with a large yard and a sparkling lake in the distance.
She clambered out of the car, ignoring Jeremiah's extended hand as she did so. She followed them up the steps and into the house, soaking in everything she could.
"Welcome." Jeremiah told her in a friendly voice, and Jessica could tell that he had avoided the word home, which she was grateful for. This wasn't her home, it would never be. Her home was gone along with her family, along with her heart.
"Alex and Kara are up in her room, you're more than welcome to join them when you're ready. Your room is right across from Kara's. We'll call you for dinner shortly." Jeremiah said, and she gave a bleak nod, watching as the two disappeared into the kitchen, seemingly talking about something Jessica couldn't identify.
Jessica remained in her room, avoiding the two girls as she only stared out the window, ignoring the blondes attempts to coerce her out with the promise of monopoly and video games.
Dinner was uneventful, pieced together by small talk and the scraping of Jessica's fork as she lamely pushed food around the plate, unable to find herself the will to eat. Alex talked about her project with her friend which Jessica didn't care to remember the name of; and Kara beamed about her ecstatic new friend Lena, only remembering her name as her surname of Luthor had rung a faint bell.
Jessica pushed herself away from the table as soon as 'you girls are excused' had left Eliza's lips. She shooed them along up the stairs, telling them to brush their teeth and get ready for bed and Jessica had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from rolling her eyes.
She spat the toothpaste into the sink, cupping her hands under the faucet and rising her mouth out with tap water. She rose to meet her own unforgiving gaze in the mirror.
She looked like a ghost, and she might as well have been one. Her skin pale as a bedsheet, dark circles under her eyes, her raven hair framing her face and cascading down her shoulders.
She closed her eyes, fighting back tears as she could hear her family speak.
Dad, she took my game!
Jessica, give it back!
You're the reason for all of this!
You're the reason why I won't grow up, why I won't get married, have kids, you took everything from us!
"Enough!" Jessica cried as she slammed her fist down on the sink, surprise filling her being as the top crumpled under her force, falling to the tiled floor.
She stared down at it in shock, bending down to pick it up in her hands, amazed when she picked it up effortlessly, feeling like paper in her hands.
"How am I doing this?" She murmured to herself as she examined the sink she held above her head.
A shuffling caught her attention and she whipped her head around to see Alex and Kara standing before her, and Jessica would admit that they didn't look as shocked as she would have imagined them to be.
"I'm gonna go get Mom and Dad," Alex spoke, "Everything's okay, Jess." She said, and before she could protest at the notion or the new found nickname she was gone.
Kara, however, remained. Fiddling with her glasses she approached Jessica, who had placed the sink back down and stepped backwards away from her.
"Hey, um, it's okay." Kara spoke, her tone nervous but comforting as she took a slower step forward, and this time Jessica let her.
Jessica sat on the edge of the tub, her movements slow and careful, afraid of her new found powers. Kara sat beside her, leaning into her.
"Wanna know a secret?" Kara asked her, and Jessica turned to look at her in curiosity and intrigue. Kara took off her glasses, folding them and placing them on the edge of the tub before standing up.
Jessica swore she was hallucinating, there was no way the girl in front of her was floating in the air.
"What? That's not possible, how.." Jessica rambled on, and Kara slowly guided herself back down to the floor and took her spot back next to Jessica, turning to face her.
"You know how the Danvers adopted me?" Jessica nodded. "Ever hear of Superman?" Jessica nodded dumbly once again. "I'm his cousin, Kara Zor-El, last daughter of Krypton." She said, her voice formal but laced with sadness.
"So that's a trend of the Danvers, collecting broken freaks?" Jessica asked bitterly, not missing the way Kara flinched. Guilty, she spoke, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."
Kara waved her off, a weak smile playing on her features.
"It's okay, I know what you meant. It's, weird, being surrounded by this new family and these new powers huh?" She said and Jessica felt a smile of her own give way, limply shrugging her shoulders.
"That's a word for it." She said as Kara looked down at the broken rubble from the sink.
"When I first came to live with them, I missed my home. I mean, I still do of course, I always will. But I wanted to live up to my parents, I wanted to be strong, so I held it in. Until one night I was looking at the stars and I was thinking of them, how they would never see me grow up, how I failed them in watching over Ka-- Superman," she sighed, "And I broke. I just sobbed. Eliza came up and hugged me, and no matter how much I yelled at her that I hated her, to go away, she wouldn't leave my side. She just held me and said she'd never replace my mom, that I was allowed to miss them. It was freeing."
She paused before continuing, "What I'm saying is, you're not alone Jess." Again with that damn nickname "I know what it's like, to lose everything, being thrust into new and unwanted responsibilities, but we'll help each other. And Alex," she smiled, "She's rough, but it's all a front. She's the softest softie you'll ever meet. She helped me to feel at home here, she'll do the same for you."
Jessica nodded, blinking back tears as she cursed herself for being so weak as to show them in front of another.
"Can I-- is it okay if I hug you?" Kara asked, and Jessica let out a small breathy weak laugh, but a laugh none the less, quickly moving to envelop the blonde into a hug.
"Thank you," Jessica breathed into her ear, and she felt Kara relax against her, eagerly returning the gesture.
"Of course," she said, biting her lip before daring herself to say, "What are sisters for?"
Jessica's heart swelled and broke at the same time, and she willed herself to smile. A part of her wanted to curse the girl for being so bold, for saying such words to her. They weren't blood. But then again, she had lost everything too, she had gained powers too, she only wanted a family, wanted to be loved, too.
"Sisters." Jessica said, letting the word slowly roll of her tongue, as if trying to see it, savor it.
Alex returned with her parents, whom had explained Kara, and that they knew something were to happen and that was the reason they had taken her in, to keep her safe, to protect her, though Jessica wondered if she really were still just some project.
The pair left after an hour as they explained everything they knew to her, similar to when Kara had first landed on earth.
Alex's eyes moved to the rubble of the sink, and Jessica dipped her head in shame.
"I-I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to, I don't know-"
"It's okay, don't worry about it." Alex shot her a smile that lessened the weight on Jessica's shoulders, "When Kara first got here, she loves pizza, and when she heard we had spontaneously ordered some boxes..she ran down the stairs, taking three steps and the banister with her." She laughed as Kara's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, earning an amused chuckle from Jessica as she felt more relaxed.
Alex moved and sat down next to Jessica so that she was sandwiched in between the two sisters. "We're gonna help you through this. We'll never replace your family, nor would we try to, but just know that we'll be there for you as one, always." At this Alex extended her pinkie finger, and Jessica wrapped her around it, followed by Kara.
"We band of misfits stick together, always." Alex said, Kara nodding her head and Jessica giving a smile.
The girls spent the rest of the night in the basement, playing one of Kara's favorites, Mario Kart. Jessica could slowly start to feel herself unwravel among them. She could never have her family again, but she had Alex and Kara, and that was something.