Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Lena stepped into her apartment with a smile on her face. Though exhausted, she felt lighter than she had in a long time. Finally, Morgan Edge was finished. Months of plotting, and planning, and careful maneuvering had Edge right where she wanted him-- on the verge of arrest, with his assets and holdings seized by multiple federal agencies and Lena poised to testify against him, presenting all of the damning evidence she'd painstakingly collected with the assistance of the FBI. Now all that was left was locating him and slapping him in handcuffs. Lena relished the thought.

She noticed the rush of motion in the dark too late.

The heavy weight of a body slammed her against the door. Lena froze, in a single, heart-stopping moment of panic before training took over.

She opened her mouth to scream, but a gloved hand covered her mouth, muffling her before she could even draw breath. Lena snapped her teeth down, crunching against skin and bone until something groaned and snapped under the pressure. Rewarded with a sharp yelp of pain, the hand over her mouth was yanked away. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Lena slammed her head back.

Stars danced behind her eyes when her skull connected with something harder than the fleshy cartilage of nose, but the body pressing her against the door suddenly disappeared. Lena turned in a flash and elbowed him in the ribs, before slamming her foot into the inside of his knee, sending him to the ground. Before he could recover, Lena slugged him in the temple with all her might before dashing back towards the door.

Blinded by the darkness, Lena didn’t see the fist swinging in to meet her. It glanced off her cheek, as sloppy and blind as she was, but it made her stumble, and in the second of hesitation another arm slung around her waist and hauled her backwards.

She hit the ground hard. The force drove the air from her lungs, leaving her gasping. As Lena choked, a tiny corner of her mind puzzled at the angle of the fist, and the direction she'd been flung. More than two, registered briefly in her mind before hands grabbed her roughly and flipped her onto her stomach.

In moments her wrists were seized, and twisted sharply behind her back. When the first cuff snapped around her wrists, Lena swung her leg out and caught somebody across the ankles, sweeping their legs out from under them. Not the right someone-- the hands on her wrists didn’t relent until the second cuff closed around her left wrist.

As soon as the weight lifted, Lena lunged forward, managing to gather one knee under her. Before she could gain her feet, a booted foot knocked her leg out from under her, and the weight of multiple bodies flattened her to the ground once more. Lena opened her mouth to scream, but this time a cloth was shoved in her mouth and rough tape slapped over it, muffling her cry.

The weight on her back lifted slightly, only to be replaced by a sharp knee pressing next to her spine. Between the knee and the gag in her mouth Lena could barely draw breath, and she stilled.

"Hurry up and do her feet," a rough voice snarled over head. A hand pressed against her neck, pinning her head to the floor, and multiple arms squeezed her legs together before she heard the rip of duct tape coming off the roll. In moments, her feet were bound as securely as her wrists. They had her.

Just as the realization of Lena’s situation hit home, a slow, methodical clapping sounded behind her. In the dark, she couldn't see its source, only heard it from the vicinity of her bedroom, edging closer.

"Get her up."

The knee pressing against Lena’s spine disappeared. Hands hooked under her arms and pulled her upright until she was on her knees. The hands remained clamped around her biceps, and a new set of fingers twisted into her hair, keeping her head still.

"Welcome home, Lena," Morgan Edge greeted. The light snapped on, and Lena flinched at the sight of Edge's face mere inches from her own.

In an instant, Lena’s fear abated into rage. She lunged towards him, only to be caught by the hand in her hair. Edge rose with a chuckle.

"You're quicker than I anticipated," he observed, waving towards the door. "Almost slipped away there. Good thing I hired professionals, right?" Edge turned his head to look at the black-clad man only now climbing to his feet. "How's the face, Marco?"

"Shut the fuck up," came the answering growl, accompanied by a glare directed at Lena through the slit of a balaclava. Marco slowly moved to lock the deadbolt, sealing them all inside the apartment. 

Edge smiled, watching the man limp back to the rest of his buddies. In all, Lena counted five men besides Edge. Those she could see were armed. No one ever accused Morgan Edge of subtlety.

Turning back to Lena, Edge tilted his head as though to speak.

At the last moment, his fist flashed towards her face instead, and the next thing Lena knew she was sagging against the grips on her arms. When her eyes refocused, the pain hit, radiating across her cheek from temple to jaw.

His second hit drew a muffled groan from her. When he pulled out a hanky to clean the ring on his finger, the white square came away bloody.

"Wow." Edge’s grin widened into a laugh. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

Lena glared at him, recovering enough of her senses to keep her head up on her own. Edge squatted next to her, peering at her.

"You knew this was coming, Lena. I mean, on some level, you had to know I wouldn't take this lying down.”

Sure. She'd expected slander and stall tactics. Lena would have taken both gladly, because nothing he tried would have let him wiggle out of the charges filed against him. She'd expected come half-assed attempt to turn it all back on her, a possibility she'd prepared for. But even though she was set to be a key witness, Lena hadn't expected murder.

As though reading her thoughts, Edge rose with a wave of his hand. "Oh, I'm not gonna kill you."

Lena glared at him.

"See, that'd be too easy,” Edge elaborated. “You and I have played this chess game far too long for that. I'm ruined, thanks to you. I’m man enough to admit it. But I’m making damn sure to take you with me.”

Blood tickled Lena’s skin as it trailed down her cheek. Her face throbbed in time to her heartbeat, and fingers dug bruises into her biceps. Still, she fought the urge to smirk. L-Corp was clean, as was CatCo. She’d made sure of it before approaching the FBI with what she had on him. Nothing Edge thought he found would damage either company, or her.

Edge grabbed her by the chin, twisting her head against the painful grip on her hair.

“So what’s going to happen is that you and I will sit here, all night. And then tomorrow morning, we’re going to see how long it takes your little reporter friend to notice something’s wrong.”

Lena’s heart lurched. Her sudden alarm must have shown in her eyes, because Edge grinned.

“Oh, yes," he confirmed, "and when Kara Danvers comes to check on her very best friend… I’m going to put a bullet through her skull.”

He was bluffing. He was trying to get under her skin. That was all it was. Except Edge hadn’t killed her yet, and Lena couldn’t find any other reason why he wouldn’t. Edge looked her dead in the eye, unflinching.

“You make the mistake of wearing your heart on your sleeve, Lena. Your businesses are important, true, but you can rebuild those. You’ve done it before. And they don’t quite make you go weak in the knees, do they? But Kara Danvers does. In fact, I bet she came running to you for help when I announced my plans to buy CatCo. And you-- you just couldn’t resist the opportunity to play hero.”

Ice poured down Lena’s spine. No.

Edge smiled, relishing the fear finally creeping into her expression. “So, Lena, you will survive our final encounter,” he promised. “And then you’ll spend the rest of your life knowing that you’re the reason the world lost a soul as kind and as good as Miss Danvers.”

Edge shot her another grin, then rose and gave the men behind her a passing glance.

"Settle in, boys. It’s going to be a long night."

Chapter Text

Kara pounded on Lena's door.

Godammit James.

She knew, she knew something was wrong when Lena didn't text her that morning. But James had reminded her that Lena had mentioned a meeting with the FBI in anticipation of Edge's arrest. Neither of them remembered what time she'd said, but it was probably a morning meeting.

Nothing to worry about, he’d said.

And then when lunch rolled around, Kara had been set to hunt Lena down, only to be pulled into a chase for a Larien desertbeast. The meeting probably ran over anyway, James had assured her. They probably made her turn her phone off. And so Kara had reluctantly answered the DEO's call instead. And she'd forgotten, momentarily, until later afternoon, when she'd returned to CatCo to make up the time she'd missed.

When she'd walked into the bullpen, James' long face had greeted her, creased in concern. "The FBI prosecutor called. Lena never showed."

"LENA, OPEN UP!"

Her heart pounded in her ears, deafening her to all else. Losing patience, Kara dug into her purse for her phone, prepared to ring Lena until her battery died or Lena answered. At the very least, it would tell her whether her phone was even in the apartment.

Just as her finger hit the first digit, the deadbolt turned.

Kara’s senses snapped to the far side of the door, and her breath caught when she realized that the hand on the lock wasn’t Lena’s. The thundering in her ears had masked the unfamiliar pulses spread across the apartment within.

In a flash, Kara speed-dialed Alex, and set her phone to record just as the door opened a crack.

"Please come in, Miss Danvers," a voice called from within.

Kara quickly tucked her phone into the front pocket of her purse, careful to keep the microphone exposed as much as possible without attracting attention. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Kara pushed the door open. Her heightened senses tracked the motion of three guns lifting as soon as her foot crossed the threshold.

One was held by Morgan Edge himself, the source of the voice who had beckoned her. Two more were held by men flanking a prone figure on the floor, while a third man still lurked behind the door, grabbing Kara and pulling her further into the apartment before closing the door behind her. Kara let the tug move her, affecting a stumble as her eyes flew to the fifth and final man, who was forcefully pinning Lena to the floor.

He knelt over Lena, pressing her facedown against the hardwood with a pistol jammed against the base of her skull. Lena was bound hand and foot, and Kara could hear the short, shallow gasps pulling against a chest compressed by the knee digging into her back. Her captor eyed Kara expectantly through the slit in his balaclava, his intent clear.

Do as you're told, or Lena pays the price.

"Thank you for joining us, Miss Danvers," Edge greeted, breaking the tense silence with a congenial smile. There was a heady paused before he blinked and lowered his weapon.

“I’ve been telling Lena all day that you’d be here eventually. I was starting to think you’d turned me into a liar."

Kara's ears burned at the dig, but she said nothing. Edge's smile deepened. His confidence, standing in Lena’s apartment with armed men at his command, told Kara all she needed to know. No man on the brink of arrest, who had already lost everything, would look so calm. Not unless he had something that would change the game completely. Under his intense gaze, Kara knew-- Edge knew she was Supergirl.

Lena shifted under the knee on her back, twisting her wrists against the handcuffs digging into her skin. The masked man on top of her leaned forward, earning a pained whimper at the increased pressure of his knee.

"Let her go," Kara told him.

Edge's gaze sharpened at the steel in her voice, but the barest glimmer of confusion was soon wiped away by a cocksure smile.

"Oh, no, no…” he tutted. The goon at Kara’s shoulder shoved her forward again, this time ripping the purse from her shoulder as he did. Kara froze, sure he would find her phone recording, but instead of rifling through it he simply tossed it aside.

“That’s not how this works, Miss Danvers,” Edge continued. “You’re not making any demands today.”

With a flick of his fingers, he motioned for the man restraining Lena to let her up. With one last press of his knee, the man lifted the pressure entirely. Lena's ribs expanded with her first true breath since Kara's arrival, and she struggled to fill her lungs as hands roughly hauled her to her knees.

Their eyes met. Tape covered Lena’s mouth, partially obscuring the edge of a bruise that stained one cheek, and smeared with blood that had dried on the other. Lena’s panicked gaze flickered to the door behind Kara, silently urging her to run.

"As you can see, your friend’s had a rough day. Why don't you do her a favor,” Edge drawled, “and put these on."

Handcuffs dangled in front of her nose. Lena protested, the sound muffled and indiscernible behind her gag. As Kara hesitantly took the restraints, she was surprised to find that they didn’t burn her skin. In fact, she felt fine. No nausea, no ache in her bones, no fire tracing every nerve in her body. There was no Kryptonite at all anywhere in Lena’s apartment.

Confusion set in, and Kara puzzled the nature Edge’s true purpose. She closed the first cuff around her left wrist, and moved to secure the other, barely sparing it a thought.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Edge warned. Kara paused, shooting him a sharp look. “Behind your back, if you would.”

Kara hesitated for the sake of her audience, then obliged. She drew her hands behind her back and snapped the second cuff home.

Lena cried out from behind her gag, struggling furiously and almost squirming out of her captor’s grip. He fumbled to catch her with a curse, and hauled her back as she struggled all the while. Edge paused, casting one ear back to wait for them to get her back under control, but when Lena proved difficult, he lost patience.

Kara called out a warning the moment she saw him start to move. “Lena, stop, it’s okay--!”

Edge slammed the butt of his pistol against Lena’s face. It caught the edge of her eyebrow, slicing the skin and stunning her just long enough to be wrestled to the ground. The man holding her arms pressed a knee to her back once more, pinning her in place as Edge crouched in front of her.

“Keep this up, Lena, and it won’t be as merciful as a bullet.”

Kara locked every muscle in her body tight against the rage that burned low and hot in her chest. This time, Lena faced Kara, and her wide eyes flashed again to the door. Before Kara could even register that Lena had meant for her to flee, a heavy hand clamped onto her shoulder. Kara let the grip press her to her knees.

“Lena, it’s okay,” she said, struggling to keep her voice firm. She didn’t know what Edge wanted, and now that she was no longer sure it was about Supergirl, Kara struggled to piece it together. “I promise, it’s going to be okay. Please…”

Lena squeezed her eyes shut, dislodging angry, helpless tears. Her hands curled into fists, pulling on her cuffs to no avail. Kara turned her glare to Edge, who stood to revel in the scene before him.

“What do you want?” she demanded.

Edge’s grin deepened. He nodded to the man kneeling on Lena’s back, and again Lena was pulled to her knees. This time arms wrapped tightly around her and hugged her to the heavy chest of the man behind her. Crouching conspiratorially at Lena’s shoulder, Edge peeled the tape from her lips and pulled a damp cloth from behind her teeth.

“Why don’t you explain what’s going to happen, Lena?”

“Morgan, you don’t have to do this,” Lena pleaded. Her hoarse voice cracked and shuddered, struggling to reclaim her breath even as she spoke. “I’ll refuse to testify, without me--”

“Without you the case will hold up just as well,” Edge cut her off, a dark thread of anger coloring his voice for the first time since Kara arrived. “You made dead sure of that, Miss Luthor.”

Lena lurched, pulling ineffectively against the arms holding her. “This is between us!” she reminded him, voice lifting towards desperation. “Just you and me, Morgan. Kara has nothing to do with it-- you don’t need to bring her into this! Please, I’ll do whatever you want, just let her go--”

Edge slapped the tape back over Lena’s mouth, muffling her pleading. Edge rose, leaving Lena squirming in her captor’s grip. Kara met her gaze, and at the sight of her unrestrained terror, Kara realized this wasn’t about Supergirl at all.

“As much as I love to hear her beg,” he remarked, “she should have saved her breath to say goodbye, don’t you think? But hey-- what’s one more regret?”

Kara’s wrists tensed, stopping just shy of snapping the metal links between them. Edge intended to kill her. As much a relief as it was to know that Lena wasn’t the one on the chopping block, Kara now faced a new challenge: how to escape without exposing herself to Edge-- or Lena.

“You see, Miss Danvers,” Edge explained, “when I asked myself what would hurt Lena most to lose, it wasn’t L-Corp, or CatCo. It was you. So before I turn myself in to authorities, I’m going to make sure she sees your brains splattered across the floor here.”

Lena groaned as arms hugged her tight, bleary eyes streaming with tears that mingled with the fresh blood trailing down her face. Kara tried to hold her gaze, but Lena’s eyes tracked disjointedly between Edge and Kara. Not yet, Kara reminded herself of the recorder tracking in her purse. They could still come out of this without Supergirl being revealed. Where are you Alex?

“Lena! Lena!” Kara called, struggling to keep her voice calm as Lena worked herself closer to full blown panic. “Lena, look at me.”

Green eyes met hers, damp and frantic. Kara gave her a steadying smile. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

Lena shook her head, mumbling indiscernibly.

“That’s sweet,” Edge cut in dispassionately. He looked to the man holding Lena. “Make sure she watches.”

Rifles lifted intently as one of the arms holding Lena moved to cover her mouth, pressing her head back into his shoulder. She wouldn’t be able to turn her head if she wanted to. Lena moaned, breaths coming hard and fast as she struggled against the restrictive hold.

“It’s okay,” Kara repeated. To Edge she sent a scathing glare. “She’s right,” Kara told him calmly. “You don’t have to do this. You can still walk away.”

“I don’t have to,” Edge agreed. “But I’m going to enjoy it a great deal. I may have lost...” Kara didn’t need her senses to know that he’d leveled the gun at her head when Lena screamed, twisting ineffectively against the arm locked around her chest. “But with your death, I still win.”

Kara’s ears thundered with the pounding of Lena’s heart, and her vision filled with the sight of green eyes swimming with tears and terror. Before she could open her mouth to try reasoning with him again, the room exploded with sound. Lena cried out wordlessly, sharp and inhuman behind her gag as the gun fired.

The bullet snapped against Kara’s skull, then dropped to get lost somewhere in her hair. In the sudden silence that followed, Kara felt the world tilt on its axis. She watched as Lena froze, eyes wide above the hand pinning her head in place. Every gaze in the room froze when no blood exploded across the hardwood, and her skull remained intact.  

Behind her, Edge took a startled step back. His shoe scuffed against the floor, loud and stuttering in Kara’s ears. When she craned her neck to look at him, she met his dawning realization with a snarl.

“Surprise.”

The gun in his hand twitched, shaking as he lifted it in Lena’s direction. Kara burst into motion before it could come to bear.

With a blur of speed Kara snapped the chain between her cuffs and then slammed Edge through the far wall. He landed somewhere in the next room, and didn’t move again. In the next second the quickening heartbeats of all five gunmen slowed to unconsciousness as she disabled all of them and piled them into an untidy heap near the front door.

Lena sagged with a groan as soon as the arms around her disappeared, but Kara was there in a flash, bracing her before she could pitch to the ground. Smoothing the hair from Lena’s face, Kara met her stunned gaze. Her thumb trailed across a bruised cheek, smearing tears and blood as her own heart tripped in her chest when Lena simply stared.

“Are you okay?” Kara asked softly.

No response came.

With shaking fingers, Kara gently worked her fingernail under one corner of the tape covering Lena’s mouth. Peeling it away as carefully as she could, she apologized for every tug and pull against Lena’s skin.

“Sorry, I’m sorry,” she whispered, until the tape came free. A ragged gasp escaped Lena with a jerk. She stared at Kara, eyes wide with disbelief, even as Kara let her fingers trail across her cheek one more time before reaching around her to the handcuffs binding her wrists.

Lena’s racing heart thundered in Kara’s ears, shuddering breaths sharp and jagged as Lena’s weight pressed against her in shock and exhaustion. The skin under the metal cuffs had torn, leaving traces of both dried and fresh blood along the grooves. Rather than risk further injury by breaking the cuffs themselves, Kara broke the metal links between them as she had her own.

Now freed, Lena’s arms dropped to hang awkwardly for a short moment before clumsily wrapping around Kara’s shoulders. Kara quickly reciprocated, hugging Lena to her. The breath seemed to rattle in Lena’s chest, soon resolving into soft, silent tears.

“I’m sorry,” Kara said again, “I’m so sorry. I should have told you sooner.”

Lena said nothing. After a long moment, Kara drew back. Lena’s gaze focused on her without expression, flat and detached.

“It’s okay,” she said. Her fingers found Lena’s, and gave them a gentle squeeze. After a long moment, Lena’s fingers curled around hers in return. Gathering Lena close to her once more, Kara embraced her with one arm, keeping their hands linked awkwardly between them. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

Chapter Text

“Alex, we’re okay.”

If Lena thought it odd for Kara to speak aloud to an empty room, she didn’t show it. She didn’t even seem to hear it at all. Lena continued to simply lean bonelessly against Kara, their hands clasped tightly between between them. When the door opened 20 minutes later, Alex led the fully armed DEO team inside. Kara didn’t look up, didn’t budge from where she sat with Lena cradled against her, only heard Alex’s soft intake of breath before she put Vasquez in charge of restraining the unconscious men waiting for them by the door.

Coming to kneel beside them, Alex rested a gentle hand on Kara’s shoulder. Finally, Kara met her sister’s gaze.

“We need a blanket,” Kara murmured gently, squeezing Lena a little bit tighter. Alex disappeared with a nod, and returned moments later with one of Lena’s own blankets. With her help, Kara quickly cocooned Lena within it using one hand, while her other remained firmly in Lena’s.

Alex gently rubbed Lena’s back through the swaths of quilted fabric, holding Kara’s gaze. “Any injuries?”

With a jolt, Kara realized she didn’t know. On the surface, Lena’s wounds seemed superficial, and even the blow from Edge’s gun had only seemed to daze her temporarily. But-- she didn’t know how long Edge had been in Lena’s apartment, or what might have happened between the moment Lena came home and when Kara came looking for her.

“I’m okay.”

Lena’s voice drifted up, low and even. Kara and Alex both gave her a look, and Kara wasn’t at all assured by the flatness in her gaze. “Lena…”

“My head hurts, and I’m tired,” Lena continued, “but I’m okay.”

Alex shot Kara a look, but when she spoke it was to Lena. “How do you feel about trying to stand?”

Lena nodded. She gathered her weight over her hips, and moved to rise.

“Wait,” Kara urged her. Lena and Alex both froze. Kara gestured to the tape still wrapped tightly around Lena’s ankles. “Alex, could you…”

“Right.” Alex pulled her duty knife, and carefully cut through the silver tape. When the strips had all been severed, back and front, Alex sheathed her blade. “Okay,” she prompted. “Carefully…”

Lena climbed laboriously to her feet. Halfway up, the color drained from her face, and her legs wobbled dangerously. Kara grabbed her quickly, before she could drop back down to the floor.

“What hurts?” Alex asked. Lena didn’t respond, eyes pressed shut. “Lena?”

Lena blinked sluggishly, took several breaths before she spoke. "N-nothing. I’m okay." Alex eyed her in disbelief, but Lena offered nothing else.

Kara met Alex’s gaze. “We’ll be okay, Alex. I’ve got her.” Her fingers firmed around Lena’s hand.

“There’s a van waiting downstairs. If anything changes, get her to the DEO as quickly as possible.”

Her meaning was clear. Fly if you need to.

Kara nodded her understanding. Though Kara ended up taking most of her weight, Lena kept her feet. Their slow progress terminated on one of the bench seats inside the van, with Lena pressed against Kara’s side. The ride was short, but the dull silence in the van seemed to mute Kara’s senses, until all she could hear was the rasp of Lena’s breath and the double thud of her heartbeat.

Eyes followed them at the DEO. Lena didn’t seem to notice, and for a short moment Kara was glad for her shock. Then Kara saw her face as she helped Lena up onto the waiting infirmary bed in the medlabs, and her stomach clenched at the heavy set of Lena’s features, and startling lack of animation she found there.

She gave Lena’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Hey.”

Lena’s gaze lifted, focusing on Kara without a word. Kara resisted the urge to reach up and touch her cheek, wary of the bruises and blood. “It’s going to be okay,” she promised.

Green eyes stared dully on her for a long, tremulous moment. Whatever Lena might have eventually said was pre-empted by the arrival of a medic, who quickly got to work getting Lena cleaned up. By the time Alex arrived, the cut in Lena’s brow had been closed with a butterfly bandage, and the medic was halfway through cleaning the lacerations on Lena’s wrists left behind by the cuffs that had been closed too tightly on Lena’s skin.

“Mind if I finish up?” Alex asked, more to Lena than the medic. Lena’s only response was to pull her hand from the medic’s, and extending it once more when Alex took his place. Alex spoke softly as she swabbed the tender skin with gentle hands. “Edge and his men have all been taken into custody.”

Kara gripped Lena’s hand tighter in relief. Lena remained quiet.

“Do you mind if I ask you some questions about what happened?”

Lena stared at her. Neither Alex nor Kara moved until Lena finally seemed to come back to herself, enough to offer a half-hearted nod.

“Great,” Alex acknowledged. She finished cleaning the first laceration, and set the cotton ball aside in favor of the clean gauze pads already prepped and waiting. “What time did you get home last night?”

This time, Lena’s acuity seemed to deepen, and she responded more readily. “Seven, I think. Maybe seven thirty.” She swallowed thickly. “They were already waiting…” 

All of a sudden, Kara realized Lena’s lethargy was more than just shock and the aftermath of adrenaline. She still wore the same clothes she’d worn the day before, Kara now saw: the bastard had had her all night, and the entire day. Kara bit her lip as her anger turned inwards. She should have gone to check on Lena sooner. She’d sensed something was wrong by breakfast. While she and James explained Lena's absence away, Edge had held her captive in her own apartment for almost twenty-four hours.

Lena’s throat clicked as she swallowed. “I didn’t… I didn’t see them, until…”

Alex nodded, her gentle smile free of judgment or incrimination. “That’s okay.” Her fingers smoothed the gauze into place over her cuts, and deftly placed a strip of tape to secure it before moving to the next. “Were you restrained the whole time?”

Lena nodded. Her breaths tightened as fresh tears shone in her eyes.

“Alex,” Kara cut in quietly. “Can’t this wait?”

Alex echoed Lena’s nod. “Of course.” To Lena, she gave a reassuring smile. “We’d like to get some head scans taken, just to rule out a concussion,” she explained, motioning to her own forehead to indicate the cut on Lena’s. “If they come back clear, you’ll be free to go home.

Lena stiffened, her fingers tightening to a deathgrip on Kara’s.

“Kara’s home,” Alex amended. “Your place is going to be off limits for a few days.”

“Is that okay?” Kara asked nervously.

Lena nodded, relaxing slightly as Alex gave her knee a final pat. “I’ll send in a tech in a few minutes. It shouldn’t be too long before you’re both out of here.” She rose to her feet, stripping off her latex gloves. “I’m glad you’re okay, Lena.”

“Thank you, Alex.” Lena’s voice was low, but sounded more like herself than anything else so far. When she left, Kara was once again alone with Lena, and the weight of everything still unsaid hung between them, electrifying the very air. But even as apprehension buzzed along Kara’s skin, Lena seemed to deflate once more.

“Lena, I--” Kara stepped in front of Lena, intent on finding her attention and holding it, anchoring Lena there with her, when something small and metallic clinked to the floor. Lena’s gaze tracked the sound, and Kara's eyes followed hers-- they both froze in the same instant, staring at the smashed bullet that had bounced off Kara’s skull.

The room feel eerily quiet, and it was a long moment before Kara realized that Lena had stopped breathing. Kara quickly straightened and stepped between Lena and the offending metal fragment, pressing Lena’s palm to her chest.

“Lena, it’s okay,” she said. “Please look at me. Look,” she said with a smile as green eyes finally constricted, focusing on Kara. “Look, I’m alive. We both are. He can’t hurt us. We’re fine. We’re safe.”

Lena head began to shake no, short and rapid. “He-- he didn’t miss…” she whispered, trembling.

“No, he didn’t. But it’s okay. He didn’t hurt me.”

“You-you--” Her eyes dropped suddenly, to where her palm had come to rest over Kara's heart. Where the crest of House El lurked just a layer of cloth away. "You're..."

"Yes." Kara struggled against the burn of her own tears, nodding. "I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner, I'm so sorry--"

Lena stared at her with watery eyes, confusion and disbelief and unexpected relief all crashing down at once. Before either of them could say anything more, Alex returned. She handed Lena a small pill bottle.

“The scans came back clear, but you’ll probably still have a headache tomorrow. These will help.” She eyed Lena warily, then exchanged a look with Kara. “If you’d prefer, we can keep you overnight for observation.”

Kara could tell that would be Alex’s preference. The distance in Lena’s gaze clearly unnerved her, but when Lena shook her head, Alex accepted her decision with a nod.

“Okay. But if anything changes, contact me immediately.”

“We got it,” Kara confirmed. She gave Alex a thin smile. “Thanks.”

Alex let her knuckles brush down Kara’s arm. “Take it easy.” She left at Kara’s subtle insistence, giving Lena room to find her feet on her own. The rest seemed to have returned some of her energy, but when Lena wordlessly reached for Kara, Kara gladly took most of her weight once more.

"Let's go home."

Chapter Text

When they arrived at Kara’s apartment, Lena could barely keep her eyes open. Kara watched her as the car slowed to a stop outside her building, taking in the way her eyes drooped shut and repeatedly flashed open, blinking to keep the looming specter of sleep at bay.

“We’re here,” Kara murmured softly. Her fingers brushed the back of Lena’s hand, making her friend jump. Kara grimaced. “Sorry. If you want I can--”

“I’m fine,” Lena repeated, her mantra still holding strong. As though to prove it, Lena shoved the door open and left the car entirely unassisted. Still, by the time they were in the elevator Lena flagged, leaning heavily on the wall until the doors slid open. Then, finally, she accepted Kara’s arm, allowing herself to be guided into the apartment. Kara quickly flicked on lights as they moved through her apartment, and left them blazing in their wake as she guided Lena to the bedroom. There, Lena sank onto the edge of the bed with a rattling sigh.

Kara hovered, fingers twisting nervously. “Lena, I--”

Lena looked up at her, but her glassy gaze wasn’t entirely present. Pressing her lips together, Kara accepted that anything said tonight wouldn’t be the discussion they needed to have: in her current state, Lena looked like she wouldn't even remember the last few minutes, let alone be able to carry a conversation guaranteed to set the stage for the rest of their friendship.

“Here,” she said instead, scrounging through her top drawer quickly until she found her comfiest pajamas and thrust them towards Lena. Lena looked at them, then slowly accepted them with heavy hands.

Kara turned back to the drawer, digging again until she pulled out the chenille socks Alex had gifted her last Christmas. Soft, warm, and comforting. When she turned back Lena hadn’t moved. The pajamas lay in her lap, and one look at Lena’s slumped shoulders warned Kara that fine wasn't even close to what Lena was right now. Exhaustion was carved into every inch of her, and fatigue seemed to weigh her down so completely she couldn’t even find the energy to dress.

Words burned in Kara’s throat as she crouched in front of Lena, things she’d always longed to say, to explain, things she hadn’t been strong enough share earlier. But she swallowed them down as she reached up to tuck a long lock of hair behind Lena’s ear, exposing the colorful bruise that surrounded the cleaned cut on one cheek. Lena’s eyes focused on her anew. Though Kara searched, she couldn’t read anything in them.

“Do you need help getting undressed?” she asked softly. Lena swallowed, but didn’t respond. “How about taking off your bra and putting on a sweatshirt? Would that be better?”

This time, Lena’s shoulder lifted in a tired shrug. Kara nodded. “Okay. How about we start with that, and go from there, okay?”

Lena nodded, her breath hitching slightly. Her blouse was loose enough that Kara could unclasp the bra through the fabric, and she did so in slow, measured movements. When she reached around Lena, she felt Lena’s arms come up as though to embrace her, as they had when Kara had snapped the cuffs in her apartment, but didn’t quite get there before Kara drew back.

Fumbling, Lena managed to tug the straps down herself, reaching under her shirt to pull the bra away completely. Kara helped thread her arms through her old Midvale High sweatshirt and tug it over her head without disturbing any of the bandages on her wrists and face.

The sweatshirt was big even on Kara, and it nearly swallowed Lena. Lena didn't seem to mind. Kara helped her stand long enough to peel the covers back, and in moments Lena was settling in underneath them. Her fingers clutched at Kara’s wrist as she tucked Lena in; Kara froze, and Lena released her in the next breath, cheeks flushing.

“I’m sorry,” Lena whispered. Her strangled voice scraped against her throat.

Kara hesitated briefly before she lifted the covers once more and slipped in next to Lena. The weight of the covers felt strange over Kara’s clothes, but the tension that bled from Lena a moment later told Kara she’d made the right choice.

Their eyes met, and Kara reached for Lena’s fingers under the blankets. Lena’s eyes clouded with tears.

“Kara…”

“I know,” Kara promised. She gave Lena’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “I know. We’ll talk, I promise. But you’re exhausted. You should sleep.”

Lena stared at her, clearly reluctant. Kara offered a reassuring smile. 

“I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Kara woke the next morning in a nest of warmth. It took several long moments for her to remember that the body in bed next to her was Lena, and another moment still to realize Lena was already awake. Sunlight illuminated the curtains, the bright gold of afternoon rather than the pale beams of morning. Silhouetted against the glow, Lena lay heavy and still, eyes fixed to Kara’s chest where the buttons of her blouse pulled and twisted to expose gaps of blue suit beneath.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

The sound of Kara’s voice shattered the stillness enshrouding them. Lena jolted, eyes flickering up to meet hers before rolling over, gracing Kara with a full view of her sweatered back as she sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. There she paused, gripping the edge of the mattress tightly. Her movements were strained, as though stiff, and Kara realized she likely was.

“Lena?”

“I’m fine,” came the terse response. Kara sighed. Of course she was. Silence hung between them, as tense as Lena’s shoulders until Lena finally continued. “And you don’t owe me anything.”

Kara watched Lena draw a hand through her hair, combing through the tangles that had found a home there overnight. Her back remained turned, hiding her face. Kara sat up, letting the blanket pool in her lap. She could feel Lena’s walls creeping up, and wanted to rush past them before they could rise completely. Bunching her fists in the fabric of her duvet, Kara forced herself to maintain the space Lena had put between them.

"It wasn't that I didn't trust you," Kara said softly. She didn't know what Lena needed to hear. She couldn't imagine what had been running through her mind all morning. She just kept talking, hoping something, anything would return the spark to Lena's gaze. "I do trust you. I just... wasn't ready to share it."

Lena still wouldn't meet her gaze.

"I love you, Lena, and I love our friendship. The thought of changing that dynamic, for better or worse-- it scared me. I'm sorry I let that fear keep you in the dark. If there is anyone worthy of knowing my secret, it’s you.”

Without a word, Lena turned her head, allowing Kara the sight of her tired profile against the illuminated window. It sharpened her edges, accentuating the precise lines that sculpted her features and highlighting the slope of slumped shoulders.

"I didn't want this to be the way you found out.” Kara swallowed, her mind flashing to Lena’s face the night before-- eyes wide and full of fear. “I never wanted something like last night to happen. I’m so sorry, Lena.”

Lena's lips trembled, pulling at the corners as her breaths turned jagged in her chest. She rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand, turning forward again to hide the widening cracks. After a moment’s hesitation, Kara slipped out from under the blankets and maneuvered herself across the mattress to settle on the edge of the bed next to Lena.

“I don’t blame you,” Lena said softly. “I don’t, but…” She reached up again, scrubbing her hand over her eyes. “I don’t even know who I’m talking to.”

“It’s just me--”

“You Supergirl or you Kara? You’ve been two different people for over a year . All this time--” Lena shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m trying really hard to be okay with this, Kara, I am, I just...”

Kara nodded. She understood. When she opened her eyes to earth’s yellow sun and the tall silhouette of the man she would soon learn was Kal-el, she spent weeks waiting to wake up. She’d waited for the moment it would be revealed as a hallucination of prolonged hypersleep. Her new reality didn’t fully set in until weeks later, at the Danvers home. It felt like she'd watched Krypton die all over again. If Lena felt similarly dazed, Kara couldn't exactly blame her for it.

"Hey," she said softly, giving Lena's arm a rub. "Do you remember our first interview? The day you first showed me your alien detection device?" Lena nodded, sniffling. "You offered to validate my parking, and I told you I flew there..."

"On a bus," Lena supplied softly.

Kara nodded, laughing. "Yeah. I’m the one who fried your prototype, by the way. Sorry." Lena didn't respond. "And the night Supergirl caught you off the balcony, I said I'd been getting coffee with Kara Danvers. And when Supergirl found you and your mother in Lex's vault... do you remember what I said?"

"Kara Danvers..."

"Kara Danvers believes in you," Kara recited. "I always have, Lena. So has Supergirl. I’ve always been both people-- they’ve always been me."

Lena reached up and wiped her eyes. "So Kara Danvers... isn't just a cover? She isn't some lie--"

"No,” Kara said firmly. “The Danvers took me in when my pod landed. They welcomed me into their family. Supergirl is the cover, not Kara Danvers. Supergirl is the persona I take on to keep the people I care about safe."

With a shuddering sigh, Lena's tension lifted by a fraction. Kara let her head tilt to rest against Lena's.

"My name is Kara Zor-el Danvers," Kara said, voice low. "By day I'm a CatCo reporter, and in secret I serve the people of National City as Supergirl. And whether I’m wearing my cape or my glasses, I am so grateful to have you in my life."

Lena huffed, hiccuping slightly. For a long moment, they simply sat in the morning sunshine, letting their new reality sink in. Before long, Lena was wiping her eyes again, sniffling thickly.

Kara turned, pulling Lena closer. "C'mere."

Lena pressed against her, leaning her head against Kara's chin. "I’m sorry," she breathed. "I just can't stop..."

"Hey. It's okay."

"I'm so sorry, Kara. It should never have come to--"

Kara turned her head, pressing her lips to crown of Lena's head. "None of what happened was your fault,” she said firmly. For once, Lena’s exhaustion seemed to work in her favor-- Lena didn’t argue with her. After a few minutes, Kara shifted to study Lena with a careful eye. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got hit by a freight train.”

Nodding, Kara reached up to gently brush the cloud of red bruise staining the skin around the cut on her cheek. “And this..?”

Lena flinched from her touch. “Well, it hurts now. Thanks.”

“Sorry!” Kara jerked her hands away. “Sorry…”

But then Lena started to laugh, almost a snort at first, and then a rasping giggle that soon transformed into a full belly laugh. Kara stared, grinning, and then started to chuckle as well. Lena’s mirth edged on hysterical, but for a moment, things felt almost normal between them. When the laughter eventually trailed to nothing, Lena let herself lean against Kara’s shoulder.

“Now my face really does hurt,” Lena muttered, exhaling a weak huff of a chuckle. Kara looped her arm around her, hugging her closer until Lena let her head tilt to one side, coming to rest against Kara’s.

The tender moment opened the door to the sounds of the rest of the world, which now crept through the thin barriers the apartment walls provided. Dogs barked in the park six blocks over, and a car door slammed as someone exited a cab and sprinted into the apartment building across the street. Through it all, Lena’s heartbeat remained a steady counterpoint, thudding gently against Kara's shoulder.

“What happens now?”

Lena’s voice sounded small in the quiet. Kara found her fingers, and took heart when Lena’s grasped her hand firmly.

"I’m not sure,” she replied. “But we will get through it, I promise. Together.”

Chapter Text

They spend the day resting-- Lena naps most of the day away, to her shame, instead of asking any of the myriad questions spinning through her head. The morning after, she wakes to find a note on Kara’s kitchen counter.

Got called away. Back soon. - K

When the wail of sirens creeps in through the open living room window, Lena has no reason to suspect they were related to what Kara might have been called away for, but she knows in her bones that they would lead her to Supergirl.

To Kara.

The thought crawls under her skin and hooks its claws in her. Lena hasn’t known what her next step would be since entering Kara’s apartment two nights before, but suddenly she knows she can’t stay there. She changes back into her own clothes, makes the bed and folds Kara’s pajamas in a neat pile on top of the pillow. She scribbles her own note on the bottom of Kara’s.

Thank you

Thank you for what? For saving her life, when it had been Kara’s life in danger all along?

It had never been in danger. She was Supergirl.

Thank you for sharing the truth?

Kara hadn’t, though.

Lena flinches as her mind snaps to the instant Edge’s gun had fired, felt her heart stumble in her chest, felt her ribs constrict around her lungs until she could barely breathe. Kara didn’t share her truth with Lena. Lena had witnessed it, after a night spent on her knees, waiting for morning with her heart in her throat.

Thank you for taking care of her? For letting Lena spend the night? It feels inconsequential next to the gravity of their new reality.

In the end, Lena only adds her initial.

Thank you - L

Lena's apartment is off limits but her office is not. She goes to L-Corp and finds comfort within familiar walls, high above the rest of the city. Lena showers and changes into fresh clothes, and takes advantage of the weekend quiet to start tackling the messages that have backed up in her inbox. The going is slow: every sound makes her twitch in her solitude, every gust of wind behind her tightens her shoulders against the certainty that Supergirl has come to check on her.

It never is. The balcony is empty every time Lena cautiously scans the window’s reflection in the screen of her computer monitor. Kara doesn’t text her, and it’s hours before Lena realizes it’s because her phone is still somewhere in her off-limits apartment. Eventually, Lena relaxes marginally, and she runs out of work to keep her busy. Soon the empty space in her brain fills with replays of every interaction she’s shared with Kara, and with Supergirl.

She can see it now. She sees it with such blinding clarity she can’t fathom how she never suspected before. She sees it in the curve of Supergirl’s smile, and the sharp glint of determination she’s seen in Kara’s eyes.

Lena falls asleep on her office couch to visions of Kara smirking at her from behind her glasses. The next morning, the DEO finally comes for her. To her surprise, the knock on her door isn’t Kara or Supergirl (and, Lena reminds herself. And.) but Alex Danvers.

“How are you feeling?” the agent asks, tucking her hands into her pockets as she trails Lena back towards her desk.

Lena settles in her chair, even though she knows she’ll only be leaving in moments anyway. “I’m fine,” she offers. “Thank you for…” She lifts her hands, where clean bandages still adorn her wrists. Alex waves her away.

“It was nothing. I’m just glad there wasn’t anything more serious we had to patch up.” Alex’s smile is thin, but genuine. Lena wonders what Kara might have told her when she returned home to an empty apartment. She doesn’t ask.

“I imagine your employers have questions for me,” Lena offers instead, lifting one eyebrow in expectation.

Alex nods. “We have most of the details from the evidence we collected, but we will need your official statement. It’s better to get it now while it’s fresh--”

“I understand,” Lena cuts in quickly, rising to collect her coat from the rack. Alex leads the way with a grateful smile, and a short drive later she realizes that the sigil on the lobby’s marble floor isn’t the crest of the FBI, but something else altogether. The DEO. It’s existence isn’t a secret, and Alex’s involvement isn’t either-- but the sight of Kara pacing anxiously in wait still sends a jolt of surprise down Lena’s spine.

Kara’s eyes light up at the sight of her, and Lena feels a twinge of regret in her chest for leaving the way she did. But what Kara has to say is far from the accusations Lena deserves.

“I already gave my statement,” she says quietly as soon as Lena drifts to a stop in front of her. “They said I can be in there with you, so long as I stay quiet. If-- If you want. I don’t have to--”

Lena digs her fingers deep into her own bicep, where her arms had folded across her chest the moment she walked in. It takes a few seconds and several swallows before Lena can speak.

“I’d appreciate that.”

It’s not what she means to say, but Kara beams at her and Lena can’t bring herself to take it back. She forces her fingers to unclench, and then let her arms fall to her sides. They stand shoulder to shoulder as Alex introduces Lena to Deputy Director John Jones. Lena’s spine tightens at the sight of him, and only Kara’s hand in hers keeps her from bolting.

“Thank you for coming in, Miss Luthor.” Jones offers a warm smile.

Lena returns it, but it feels hollow on her face. No one seems to remember that a man wearing the Director’s face had given Lena his own set of bruises not so long ago.

“Of course,” she returns. Lena takes strength from the brush of Kara’s shoulder, and the gentle press of her fingers. She lets it smooth her smile into something more natural. “I appreciate the extra day to recover. I know this is a sensitive matter for all involved.”

Alex meets her gaze, and to Lena’s surprise something close to respect shines in the woman’s eyes. The sight of it shocks Lena almost as much as seeing Kara in the lobby, but she more than that she doesn’t know what to do with it.

“If you’ll follow me,” the Director delivers coolly, “we’ll try to get through this as quickly as possible.”

He and Alex lead them to what can only be described an interrogation room. Dark walls, metal table, pale lights-- it sets Lena’s teeth on edge. Only the fact that Kara’s hand remains in hers assures Lena that she’s still a guest. Even so, the line between answering questions and being questioned has always been thin, and Lena feels it inch closer as Jones and Alex settle across from them.

With little prompting, Lena launches into her story. It’s short, all things considered. She starts with the blitz in her apartment, brushing over the hours she’d spent on her knees waiting for Kara to arrive, always with Edge keeping a careful eye on her himself. The final showdown takes the most time to explain, mostly a result of the lump that suddenly rises to her throat.

As she talks the image of Kara kneeling in front of her fills Lena’s mind, and her heart clenches at the memory of a gun aimed at Kara’s head, and Kara-- so calm, so reassuring-- telling her it would be all right even as she faced certain death.

Except it hadn’t been so certain, had it? The bullet bounced off her skull, and here she was, gently clasping Lena’s hand.

Kara is Supergirl.

It’s Lena’s fingers that tighten-- Lena who reacts, who remembers, who feels the terror surging up once more. It fills her mouth, her nostrils, and only the two people staring at her from across the table keep her from losing it completely. Kara doesn’t seem to notice at all.

“Thank you, Miss Luthor,” Henshaw says again-- no, not Henshaw. Jones . Director Jones smiles at her, but it does little to put her at ease. “We’ll share our reports with the FBI to aid in the trial: they’ll likely be adding charges of false imprisonment and assault--”

“There can’t be a trial.”

It pops out of Lena without thought. Kara turns to stare at her, and gives Lena’s hand a little shake. “Of course there will be, Lena… He’s going to answer for what he did, don’t worry.”

“He’s not an idiot, Kara. He knows your secret as well as I do now.” Something shutters behind Kara’s eyes, and her features slacken by a fraction. “As soon as he’s on the stand he’ll shout it to the world. That can’t happen-- I won’t let it.”

The room falls still. The silence seems to echo as Lena looks between them all, and once again she feels as though she’s on the outside looking in. The sensation is familiar and repellent. It lifts her hackles, while the three of them share a heavy look. “What?”

“When I disarmed Edge,” Kara explains, lifting a hand to adjust her glasses, “he hit his head. He doesn’t remember firing the gun, or anything that happened after.”

Lena’s blood runs cold when she realizes that she recognizes the tone of Kara’s voice. She’s heard it before, just as she’s seen the tiniest lift of Kara’s left eyebrow, and the slant of her lips. She first saw it when a flustered Kara Danvers claimed to have flown to L-Corp on a bus, and countless times after. Every time she’d ducked out of lunch early, or explained away her lateness with some excuse about Snapper Carr or her sister needing her-- that tone, that eyebrow, that set of her lips had made an appearance.

In that moment, Lena realizes she knows what Kara looks like when she’s lying.

“And his men?” Lena asks, voice scraping against her throat. Her nose and eyes burn with rising tears. “I admit my own memory may be hazy at that point, but even then I think I’d remember you slamming all five of them through my bedroom wall as well.”

Kara’s cheeks flush, confirming Lena isn’t wrong. Realization cracks Lena’s chest open, and it feels as though her insides are visible to the naked eye-- to the naked eyes of Kara’s sister the not-FBI agent and a man who wears the face of her mother’s head henchmen.

“Lena--”

“Haven’t you lied enough?!”

The room freezes, and from Kara’s stricken expression one might assume her words were bullets themselves. Tugging her hand free of Kara’s, Lena stares at her lap, studying her fingernails while trying her best to ignore the two people playing audience to her burgeoning meltdown.

“The truth is,” Alex breaks the silence uneasily, until she earns a faint nod from her director, “none of the men remember anything that happened after the gun fired. All anyone remembers is that Supergirl interrupted the path of the bullet before it could harm Kara, and that’s all anyone will say about it.”

Inexplicable dread pools in the pit of Lena’s stomach. “How?”

Director Jones shifts forward in his seat, pulling the room’s attention to him. “There are alien races with certain telepathic abilities. With their help, we were able to nudge the perpetrators’ memories towards a new truth.”

The air in the room evaporates to nothing. Lena’s heart starts to pound in her ears, and suddenly her vision starts to pulse with the force of it. For a split second she sees Kara smirking, but when she blinks her friend’s face is nothing but a mask of concern.

Lena surges to her feet before she knows where she’s going. She snatches her purse onto her shoulder and dodges Kara’s reaching hands.

“Excuse me...”

Hysteria edges closer to the surface, and Lena hurries to leave before it comes spilling out of her.

“Lena, wait-- wait!”

Hands grip Lena’s arms, pulling her to a stop. The hands are Kara’s but they aren’t the warm fingers Lena has come to know. They’re sharp and an inch more pressure would press bruises into her skin. Lena freezes, and in an instant Kara pulls her hands away, as though burned. “Everything’s okay, I promise…”

“No, it’s not.” Lena’s hands start to shake. She crosses her arms tightly to hide it as her vision fogs. “Nothing about this is okay.”

“Lena--”

“He shot you!!” Lena’s voice rings shrill even in her own ears, and only the knowledge that she had an audience in Alex and Jones reminds her to reel it back in. Taking a deep breath, Lena forces herself to meet Kara’s eye. “Edge shot you in the head, and from my knees I watched it happen, powerless to stop it. Nothing is okay.”

Kara’s eyes fill with tears. “I’m sorry--”

“I’ve spent the past day and a half trying to figure out how I could have missed it, how I could have been blind to so many clues. People have lied to me my entire life-- I should have seen it, or even suspected, but I didn’t! When Edge put that gun to your head, I had no expectation you’d survive. And now you tell me that your people have the ability to tamper with human memory.”

Lena doesn’t know if the tension in her chest is hurt or anger or fear-- all she knows is that it’s about to explode, and rend her to pieces on its way out.

Kara blanches at the unspoken accusation. “No…” She shakes her head. “No.”

“Tell me the truth,” Lena grinds out. “Because if Edge knowing your secret is a threat great enough to warrant altering someone’s memory, then surely a Luthor knowing would be as well. Tell me I didn’t put it together, and that your friend here didn’t have my memory nudged too.”

“I would never let that happen.” Kara reaches for her again, but freezes when Lena draws back, recoiling. A shaky breath scrapes from Kara’s chest, and her lips press together as she pulls her hands back. “You aren’t a risk to me, Lena. You never have been.”

“I’m just going to have to take your word for that, aren’t I?” All at once, the tears stop stinging and the knot in her chest loosens to nothingness. In its wake a cool wave washes over Lena, steadying her and firming her spine. There’s no fighting this truth-- there is no one in this room she can trust, not even herself.

Lena huffs mirthlessly, drawing herself straighter, taller.

“And what is that worth?”

Gathering the last of her wits, Lena reaches for the door. Next thing she knows, she’s outside the building, and staring at an unfamiliar street. She chooses a direction at random, and starts walking.

Chapter Text

“And what is that worth?”

Lena’s voice rang in the silence of the interrogation room. The accusation stole Kara’s breath from her chest, and a sudden lump swelled in her throat as she struggled to replace the air she’d lost. She could only watch, frozen, as Lena yanked the door open and fled. Through the roaring in Kara’s ears, Alex muttered a warning to the front gate over her comms.

Anger flashed through Kara’s hurt, knocking her senses back into her.

“Let her go.”

“She hasn’t signed the--”

“I don’t care about your stupid non-disclosure agreement, Alex,” Kara snapped, whirling to face her. “Let her leave.”

To her surprise, J’onn nodded. “She’s right. Miss Luthor isn’t a threat.”

Alex’s gaze darted between them, taken aback by the unexpected team up. “O-kay...”

“Did you not just hear what happened?” Kara demanded. “Lena was ready to stop the trial in its tracks to ensure my secret didn’t get out. She’s not about to go shout it from the rooftops!”

“I said okay,” Alex snapped back. She tapped the commpiece in her ear. “Belay that order. Miss Luthor is free to leave.”

It wasn’t until she heard Lena’s footsteps click briskly through the lobby and disappear into the city beyond that Kara realized she was shaking. Her hands trembled, and then all of a sudden her lips pulled downwards.

“Kara…”

This time, Alex’s voice spurred her into motion. The door cracked at the hinges as Kara yanked it open and sped through, dashing through the DEO until she reached her balcony. She barely spared a nanosecond to tear her street clothes away before she lifted up into the sky and disappeared into the clouds.

J’onn found her hours later, high atop a tall water tower on the edge of the city. With a dull pang of guilt, Kara realized he must have searched the whole city for her-- she’d left her phone and comms at the DEO. As he touched down, the visage of Hank Henshaw dissipated, leaving J’onn with his true appearance.

He said nothing as he found a comfortable seat beside her, sweeping his cape to one side as she had done. For long moments they simply sat, staring out over the city. From here, the sounds and crises fell away to muffled white noise. If Kara strained, she could probably pick out Alex’s heartbeat, or the sound of Lena’s voice, but she didn’t. She found solace in the uncommon quiet, and let it try to still the turbulent emotions tightening her chest.

“I understand your need for reflection,” J’onn said finally, with deliberate care, “but blaming yourself for events outside your control won’t do you or Lena any good.”

Kara turned away, avoiding his gaze. “You weren’t there--”

“Did you pull the trigger?”

“It’s not about the bullet!” Kara surged to her feet, anger blazing trails of fire up and down her spine. “It's about the fact I lied to her! Lena's right! It stopped being a secret a long time ago. I’ve been lying to Lena all this time, and because of that she spent hours trapped with Edge, just waiting to watch me die! Believing that it would be her fault! She-- she fought so hard, tried to give me time to run, but I-- I-- ”

Suddenly breathless, Kara didn’t realize she was crying until J’onn suddenly appeared in her path. His arms opened and she walked into them, wrapping her arms tightly around him. Then she was sobbing, fingers clutching fistfuls of his cape as the tears kept coming.

“She was so scared!” Kara moaned into J’onn’s shoulder. “I could have prevented all of it! I shouldn’t have waited so long, I shouldn’t have given him time to pull the trigger. I should have-- I should have…”

Kara squeezed her eyes shut, unable to banish the sight of Lena’s battered features from her mind, the sight of Lena’s stricken gaze the moment the gun fired. The moment the pieces had all clicked into place-- the moment Lena's emotions had clicked off.

J’onn held her close as she cried, his hand stroking comforting circles against her back until the tears ran out and all she could muster were sharp, ragged breaths. Finally, she pulled away, lips still trembling as she scrubbed at her eyes.

“What’s happened is difficult for both of you,” J’onn told her, his voice a gentle rumble against her senses. “Don’t let your guilt keep you from providing the help Lena needs.”

“You heard what she said,” Kara muttered. “She has no reason to trust me.”

“What I heard,” J’onn corrected, “was a woman trapped in crisis. The event has not resolved itself in her mind enough to be released from its flight or fight instinct. And when she realized the only threat to fight was you, she fled. There is no fault in that, for either of you.”

Kara wrapped her arms around herself, letting the cool night breeze dry the tears on her cheeks. She had no reason to doubt J’onn’s insight. Nothing he said would require even touching Lena’s mind, but… The image of Lena’s eyes flashed across Kara’s vision. Sharp and shuttered against Kara's gaze, Kara had never seen them so distant. Even when Kara and Clark had interrogated her regarding the Venture explosion, Lena had always been open and unguarded with her.

“Do not turn Lena’s anguish in on yourself,” J’onn warned. “The fear will pass, and when it does, she will need her best friend to help her feel safe again.”

The calm regard gazing at her from dark eyes eased the final knot in Kara’s chest. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes once more, but with relief. Hope.

“Choices were made, and now all that is left is to move forward,” he continued. “While I may not know Lena Luthor well, I do know you , Kara Zor-el. With time and care, I know that you can rebuild the trust that has been broken.”

Kara nodded shakily. When J’onn took a step towards her, Kara closed the remaining distance to wrap him in another tight hug. She may not know the path forward, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was that she start moving. Lena deserved that much, and so much more. Kara couldn’t give up.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

A particularly chill gust of wind stung Kara’s cheeks as she pulled back, and carrying with it a sudden burst of inspiration. Sniffling, she offered J’onn a watery smile before taking to the skies once more. She rose above the clouds and angled south, suddenly certain in what she must do. It wasn’t a cure-all: it wouldn’t immediately solve the chasm between them. But maybe it could be a start.

Kara returned from the Fortress of Solitude shortly after noon the next day. Respecting Lena’s implicit request for space, she resisted the urge to fly directly to L-Corp, and instead returned to her own apartment. The following day, she hoped to get a moment alone with Lena at CatCo, but Lena never materialized. Through James, Kara learned that Lena would be covering L-Corp while Sam was on vacation with Ruby-- Kara vaguely remembered Sam mentioning the trip, before everything.

Fighting every urge to whip out her phone and text Lena, Kara threw herself into her next assignment. She only relented two days later, when she still hadn’t seen or heard from Lena. She received no response to the text she sent, or the email she issued the following morning. By the fifth day, Lena’s apartment had been cleared and released by the DEO, but when Kara passed by the penthouse that evening, it sat empty and dark. It was empty the next night too.

Kara finally risked the visit she’d been itching to make. Touching down on Lena's office balcony well after sundown, she found the room softly lit by a single lamp, and Lena asleep on her couch. Papers and folders covered every inch of the coffee table, but the nap clearly wasn’t accidental. With a blanket spread over Lena, and a bed pillow under her head, it was evident that she had been spending her nights here. 

Reluctant to wake her, Kara hesitated. But after a moment she gently rapped on the glass. Lena roused slowly, blinking awake at the gentle, but deliberate tapping. It was a long moment before her gaze focused on Kara standing outside her window.

Lena’s eyes widened briefly, then softened at the sight of her. She sat up, stiffly nodding her invitation for Kara to come in. Kara stepped inside, tugging nervously on the sleeves of her suit as Lena rubbed a hand over her face.

“Hey,” Kara murmured.

Lena glanced at her, shaking her hair out of its ponytail. “Hi.”

Lena slid to far end of the couch, taking her pillow and blanket with her. Kara carefully perched on the vacated cushion. With the air stiff with tension between them, they sat in silence for several long moments. Kara watched as Lena slouched and leaned forward to lean her elbows on her knees. The cuts on her cheek were still healing, but the swelling had gone down, leaving only lingering lines of red carved into patches of colorful bruises.

“I’m glad you came,” Lena said softly, startling Kara from her quiet.

“Re--Really?”

Nodding, Lena combed her fingers through her hair. “I got your messages. I didn’t know how to respond.”

“Oh.”

She’d thought Lena was ignoring her. Or that Lena had found her messages irritating, or juvenile, or nagging. Somehow, the knowledge that it had been instead the result of some internal conflict on Lena’s end came as a stark relief. The uncertainty that twisted her insides in knots loosened ever so slightly.

“Lena, you have to know, I would never let anyone touch your mind without your permission,” Kara explained, finally meeting Lena’s gaze. “I swear.”

To her surprise, Lena nodded. “I know.” Her head tilted. “Well, no, I don’t know. I won’t ever know. But-- I choose to believe you.”

A vacuum started up six floors below them-- the cleaning crew starting their shift. A scientist in one of the labs on twelve thumped his fist against a lab table in frustration. The tinny voice at the front desk confirmed that the guards were tuned into the baseball game happening at the stadium. Over it all, Lena’s heartbeat remained steady and calm as her breathing deepened, the tension in her frame slowly easing.

“I meant what I said,” Lena continued, leaning into the cushions behind her. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“No, I do!” Kara scooted closer, until their knees bumped. “I do owe you something, Lena. I owe you my life, and the life of everyone in the city. I should have trusted you with who I was a long time ago. You deserved to know and I had no reason to keep it from you except the fact that I was selfish.”

Lena’s gaze slid away.

“Nothing else has changed--” Kara fell quiet when Lena shook her head.

“It has," Lena argued. "Everytime I close my eyes, I see you. I see you with a gun to your head, I hear the gun fire, and I just--” Her voice cracked, and her head turned upward, blinking against the fog of tears. “No one died, but--”

Lena’s shoulders jerked, constricting as a soft sob pulled from her chest. Kara reached for her, only to pull back with self-doubt as Lena inhaled sharply, dispelling the tears with a wipe of her hand. She cleared her throat, avoiding Kara’s gaze.

“It still feels like I lost you.”

Lena’s voice almost got lost in the quiet. Kara inched closer until their hips were flush and she could wrap an arm around Lena’s shoulders. To her surprise, Lena leaned into the embrace, letting her head rest against Kara’s shoulder. With her free hand, Kara found Lena’s, and clasped it firmly.

"I'm right here."

Lena nodded against her shoulder. "I know. I know, but-- I don't know you, do I? Not really."

Unable to dispute it, Kara rested her head against Lena’s. Supergirl was a recent secret, but being an alien, hiding her otherness... it had consumed the better part of her life, of Alex's, and Eliza's. Jeremiah had given his life for it.

"I'd like you to," Kara offered, suddenly apprehensive, suddenly aware that Lena may not have any interest in knowing the alien side of her. May not have any interest in knowing her at all, now that she knew the truth. Kara swallowed thickly. "If you want to."

Lena lifted her head. Their eyes met, and Kara held her gaze as she felt the air between charge with electricity. Lena's eyes shone, not quite green, not quite blue, but bright and unshuttered as they were in only the rarest of moments.

"I do."

Kara’s mouth quirked upwards in surprise. She reached into the hidden pocket of her suit, pulling out the small data crystal she’d brought back from the Fortress. She offered it to Lena, who accepted it with cool fingers.

“What is it?” Lena asked.

Kara licked her lips nervously. “It’s me.” Lena looked at her in confusion. “It’s Krypton. Our knowledge, and culture-- everything that has made me who I am, that you don’t already know, is on this crystal.”

“I-- I don’t know what to say…”

“I should have thought of it sooner. I’m sorry, you’re going to have to find a way to read it. The Fortress didn’t exactly have a USB port. The DEO could help rig something up for you though, if--”

Kara trailed off when Lena pressed the crystal back into her palm. She blinked, heart plummeting. “Y-you don’t want it?”

“I don’t want to read it on a crystal,” Lena said softly, curling her hand over Kara’s fist. “I want to hear it from you. If you’re willing to share it.”

Kara nodded, the motion almost frantic as she struggled to swallow against the sudden lump in her throat. “I am. I will.”

Lena smiled. It was small, only a fraction of the luminosity Kara was accustomed to seeing. But in that moment, that tiny smile felt as radiant as a thousand suns.

Chapter Text

Several months later...

“Hey!”

Lena jumped at Kara's unexpected greeting, whisper-shouted from where she'd poked her head in through Lena's balcony door. Kara beamed as Lena's startled surprise melted into a bemused glare. Kara trotted into the office properly, cape swishing behind her. “Why are you still working? Game night starts in less than an hour!”

“Yeah, and if I’d known you’d be coming around to startle the daylights out of me, I’d have made more of an effort to get finished sooner.”

Lena turned back to her computer, finishing her email as Kara rapidly changed out of her suit. Following Edge’s arrest, the return to normalcy between them had taken time. Kara put forth a deliberate effort to behave as she always had, careful to mind any otherworldly comments she might let slip. She’d made a point to continue visiting Lena as Kara Danvers, entering through the office door in her street clothes and glasses, often with food in hand.

Lena’s adjustment to the new knowledge of Kara’s identity happened gradually. It started with questions, brief and curious about life on other planets. Then questions about Krypton, and Superman-- Kara was all too happy to share that she was indeed stronger than her cousin. Then there were little things that suggested Lena was fully on board. First was the box of cupcakes delivered to her door after a particularly grueling battle with a visiting very-drunk Andromedan. Then a folding privacy screen appeared in Lena’s office one day. It was beautiful, colored with a dark stain and decorated with thin, swooping lines of filigree, but seemed to have no purpose in a room designed primarily for function. It stood there unmentioned for almost two weeks before Kara could work up the nerve to ask about it.

“In case you ever needed to change while you were here,” Lena had answered softly, cheeks flushing a bright red. "Into... you know."

Kara had been so flattered that she didn’t bother pointing out that she could move faster than the human eye could see, and made a point to use it whenever she did arrive as Supergirl.

It was where she now changed with human speed, donning her khakis and pink cardigan over her suit while Lena wrapped up her last email. Adjusting her collar, Kara took a moment to steady her nerves, inhaling deeply against the anxious shudder that preceded her re-emergence from behind the privacy screen.

Lena glanced up at her, flashing a smile. “Almost done. Those German developers I told you about decided to play hardball.”

“Uh oh,” Kara commented, crossing back towards the desk. Lena didn’t seem too put out though.

“Luckily for them, they just might be worth it.” Lena’s fingers flew across the keyboard, then sent the email off with a soft whoosh. “Wanted to send an answering volley before I signed off.”

Kara returned Lena’s grin, using the moment of silence as Lena shut down her computer to broach the topic burning a hole in her pocket. “Before we go, I was hoping to ask you a question.”

Lena paused. Taking a breath, she rose from her seat. “So was I.” She moved to lean against the edge of her desk, facing Kara with complete focus. “You first. Is anything wrong?”

“Nothing, no-- nothing like that.” Kara locked eyes with her friend, swallowing thickly as her fingers dipped into her pocket. “I just… I wanted you to have this.”

She offered the small crystal to Lena, the same one she’d offered months ago, when the trust between them was born anew. Lena stared at it for a short moment, recognition sparking before she reached out and accepted it with numb fingers.

“I know you said you wanted to learn about me from me,” Kara rambled, “but there’s so much more than that on this too. Our science, and knowledge… When I first found the files in the Fortress' database I tried to figure out how the technology could help Earth, but I-- I never could figure out how to generate anything using the materials and means Earth possesses. But if anyone can, it’s you.”

Licking her lips, Lena’s gaze locked on the small chip. “Kara…”

“You did it before! With the transmat portal, you took Rhea’s designs and constructed the device on Earth using only the elements you had access to. If you can do that, then… I can’t imagine what you’ll be able to use from this, but I know it’ll be amazing.”

“Are… are you sure?”

Kara nodded. “I’ve always hated that all of Krypton’s knowledge was sitting uselessly in the Fortress, untouched, when Earth was facing the same early warning signs Krypton ignored. This knowledge didn’t save my planet, but maybe, with your help, it can save yours.”

She watched as Lena processed her words, absorbed them and adjusted to them. “This is… Kara, it’s too risky.”

“I trust you, Lena, more than I trust anyone else. And you’re the only one who can help me succeed where my family failed. Please.”

A long moment stretched between them, before Lena made her choice.

“I’ll need to create a private server to contain any information I can collect from this. This is too sensitive to put on the L-Corp network, I-- it’ll take time.” Green eyes flashed to meet Kara’s gaze. “Will you keep it safe for me until then?”

Kara’s smile suddenly felt like it would split her cheeks. She reclaimed the crystal Lena offered back, and tucked it back into her pocket. “Of course.” Her stomach fluttered with the desire to wrap Lena in her arms and spin in delight. She only just managed to quell her excitement. “Your turn.”

Jerking as though only just remembering, Lena’s cheeks flushed again. “Oh, right. Yes. It seems rather trivial, after that.”

With a laugh, Kara shifted into a sterner position. “Nothing is trivial. Now spill.” Lena hesitated, uncharacteristically gripped with apprehension. “Lena?”

“Will you have dinner with me?”

Kara looked at her oddly. “Well, we were planning on ordering pizza while we play…”

“No! Not… not tonight. But soon? Alone.” Lena stared at her, and when Kara failed to catch on, pale shoulders slumped in surrender to whatever came next. “As a date.”

The butterflies in Kara’s stomach suddenly turned electric, fizzling outwards from her belly up through her bones until her skin tingled. Time slowed, sound stretching to a dull roar in her ears as Kara’s focus slowly narrowed to Lena, and only Lena.

“Really?”

Oh, Rao. As soon as the word passed her lips, Kara felt her cheeks flush. Why did she say that?

Lena nodded, determined to see it through even though her own blush deepened and her gaze slid away to focus on anything but Kara.

“You-- don’t have to say yes,” she replied awkwardly, words sticking in her throat. “And I’m sorry if I’m overstepping, I just-- before, there were times it felt like, maybe you were interested. You always pulled back, but lately… We’ve been closer, haven’t we? And you haven’t pulled away from me, not once. So, I just wanted to-- will you? Have dinner with me? You don’t have to say yes--”

“Yes.”

“I don’t want to make things awkward between us, so really if you don’t, you--” Lena’s rambled trailed off as she blinked, registering Kara’s response with startled realization. “Yes?”

Kara beamed, closing the distance between them by another step. “Of course, yes. I would love to.”

The huff of air that escaped Lena bordered on the start of a laugh as her smile suddenly turned blinding. She clasped her hands in front of her, fidgeting with fingers that Kara noticed were trembling.

With another step, Kara was close enough to take Lena’s hands in hers. Lena stiffened in surprise, her breath a rigid gasp that got trapped somewhere in her chest, but her fingers curled around Kara’s willingly.

“In fact,” Kara continued, “I can’t wait.” She grinned. “Let’s go tonight.”

“Game night…”

“They can do without us for one night, right?”

Lena laughed, the sound bright and tinkling as night deepened against the window outside. “Kara, I’m hosting.”

Disappointment flooded Kara. Her shoulders drooped, but she kept hold of Lena’s hands, unable to bring herself to let go. “Oh. Right.”

“But, um--” Lena blinked, distracted by the slow circles Kara’s thumb rubbed against the back of her hand. “I have a reservation for Paca’s tomorrow. It was supposed to be a business dinner, but the client rescheduled. Would you like to join me?”

“Yes.”

No hesitation, no second-guessing. Kara didn’t know if she’d be off work on time, but whatever time the reservation was for, she’d make sure it happened. Lena nodded. “Okay,” she said, her smile somehow stretching even wider.

They continued to stand there for another long moment, until somewhere Lena’s phone beeped a reminder.

“That’s my cue to get going,” Lena said softly, though she made no move to disengage.

“Lena…” Green eyes warmed at the way her name rolled off Kara’s tongue, and Kara felt the way the rest of the anxious tension left Lena’s frame. “Can I… Can I hug you?”

A nod answered her, and before Kara knew it Lena filled her arms, the smell and sounds of her encompassing all of her senses. Following the revelation of her true identity, Kara had mourned the loss of their physical contact the most. Kara had refrained from any unnecessary contact, waiting for Lena to initiate it, to set the terms of their new relationship, but now it felt as though no time had passed. They still fit together a perfectly as puzzle pieces, and after a moment, Lena relaxed even further, letting her head rest on Kara’s shoulder. She squeezed Kara tightly.

“I’ve missed this,” Lena confessed, her voice a whisper in the growing quiet. “I didn’t know how to tell you.”

Kara grinned into Lena’s hair. “I was waiting for you to make the first move. I wasn’t sure if you’d feel comfortable, now that you knew.”

Lena pulled back, a self-satisfied grin curling her lips. “Then it’s a good thing I did make the first move, isn’t it?”

“For sure,” Kara agreed. “But now I have to survive an entire game night trying not to stare all evening. Unless… do you think we should tell the others?”

“The girl of my dreams just agreed to have dinner with me,” Lena teased. “I’m tempted to crash CatCo’s cover so I can run a new headline.”

Kara laughed, but any response she had was cut off by another, angrier chime from Lena’s phone. With a groan, Lena pulled away completely. “That’s my ‘leave now or face the consequences’ reminder. And I still have to pick up the wine for Alex.”

“Rao knows we can’t forget that,” Kara capitulated, though she itched to take Lena’s hand again. She did so, when Lena had put on her coat and collected her purse. “Lena?”

They parted again briefly so Lena could lock her office door behind her. “Yes?”

“Thank you.”

Lena turned, features creased in playful confusion. “Shouldn’t I be the one saying that?” she joked. She tucked her keys into her pocket, then reached for Kara’s hand as she headed for the elevator. “For what?”

The elevator doors opened with a ding, and Kara considered her response as they stepped inside. By the time the car started moving downwards, she still didn’t have quite the right answer to convey what she wanted to mean. She shrugged, edging closer to Lena until their shoulders bumped.

“For just… being you.”

Even in their blurry reflections against the elevator doors, Kara could see the surprise that lifted Lena’s eyebrows, and the brief smile that followed.

“Oh, is that all.” Lena leaned against her in reciprocation. “Any time.”

As they passed the fifth floor, Lena chewed her lip. “Kara?”

“Yeah?”

“I know how much the data crystal means to you, and it means a lot that you’re entrusting it to me, but…” Lena trailed off, her fingers tightening around Kara’s hand. “I’m more excited for dinner tomorrow.”

Kara grinned, relief washing over her in a cool wave of comfort. “Me too.”