Chapter Text
Dear Runt,
I know I said I’d tell you this story. But then I had a better idea. It’s all here, written down for you to read whenever you’re missing home. And I know you said you’d be fine, but Aunt Alex and Winn are already taking bets on how long it’ll be before you’re so desperately homesick you come home, and I’ve got money on you making it the full five months.
The way they tell it now makes it sound like it was all so easy, like they met and the rest was history. But honestly, this is either the most romantic love story of the past century, or the dumbest. You would not believe how hard it was for me to gather all this information up when I was trying to get past their moony eyes to the real story. But I guess that saves you the trouble of interrogating everyone like I did.
I’ve cut out some of the more boring bits and I’ve taken some artistic license with the bits that I could never get a straight answer on. Not that any part of their story was particularly straight…
Anyway, enjoy and don’t forget, the Luthor name was not always synonymous with good morals and charity.
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‘Kara that is a terrible idea.’
‘Why? No one else has gotten an interview with her. No one can get close enough.’
‘Well, firstly you aren’t a reporter Kara. If Lena Luthor won’t make time for an interview with any of National City’s most prestigious reporters, what makes you think she’ll make time for you?’ Kara’s brow set with a deep furrow, and Alex almost felt guilty for putting it there. Almost. But Kara being in the same room as Lena Luthor was not something she wanted to encourage.
‘But that’s the best part of my plan! I won’t be me, or any of the reporters from National City. I’ll be Lois Lane.’ Alex slowly blinked as she let out an almighty sigh of exasperation. This was not just a terrible idea, this was the dumbest plan she had ever heard. And Alex had been there when Kara had decided that glasses and a ponytail was a great disguise. She had also been there when Kara had decided to try and convince a telepathic Martian that she had lost all of her memories and would need all her favourite foods to bring them back. But Kara’s gift for terrible plans was never more apparent than in this moment.
‘Lois Lane? Clark’s Lois Lane? Star reporter of The Daily Planet Lois Lane?’
‘Exactly, no way will she turn down The Daily Planet’s top reporter.’ Kara bounced on the balls of her feet and grinned widely at Alex.
‘Kara, I love you and you are so smart… but sometimes you say the dumbest things.’ Alex slipped past Kara and started rooting through her fridge for one of the beers she was sure she had left there on their last sister night. With her head still in the fridge she continued to mutter. ‘So, you think Lena Luthor, sister of Lex Luthor, who lived in Metropolis until two weeks ago, won’t know what Lois Lane, Metropolis’ most famous reporter and biggest Superman fan, looks like?’
‘… Well I-‘ Kara cut herself off and knotted her fingers together nervously as she looked despondently at Alex. Right at the back and bottom of the fridge Alex caught a glimpse of the brown glass she was searching for. Opening the bottle, she kicked the door closed and smiled softly.
‘Kara, I really don’t think you should spend any more time around the Luthors than you have to. You could just write a piece from her press conference, it doesn’t have to be a one on one interview. Or why don’t you just ask Cat for that promotion? You don’t need to write an article, you deserve the chance already.’
‘I know, but…’ Kara whined, and Alex took a long swig of beer. ‘I know where she’ll be tomorrow morning and I didn’t spend the last week following her to give up now.’ Alex’s mouthful of beer came spraying back out and for a split second the light shining through the windows hit the droplets and painted a rainbow in the air. That was the only remotely beautiful part of the experience for Kara though. She wiped at her glasses to dry them off as Alex swallowed loudly.
‘You’ve doing what for the past week!?’ A knock on the door interrupted Kara before she could even think about what her best response options could be and she internally sighed in relief. Kara skipped to the door and gratefully accepted the pizza from a guy who tried to figure out what kind of plumbing emergency had her looking like she did. As soon as the door was closed again Alex was glaring at Kara and demanding an answer.
‘It’s not like I’ve been two steps behind her this whole week. I’ve just been keeping track of her. Finding her routine. Nobody can get close to her when she enters and leaves work. And I thought you’d appreciate me keeping tabs on a Luthor. Although she hasn’t done anything even slightly villainous yet. She mostly just works. She hasn’t noticed me. I’ve been really careful. Sometimes all I do is listen for her. Which is pretty funny actually, she mutters under her breath a lot and-‘
‘Kara!’
‘Sorry.’ Kara looked guiltily at her feet, suddenly unable to look Alex in the eye.
‘So where will she be tomorrow?’ Kara’s face brightened as she met Alex’s gaze.
‘There’s this coffee stand she goes to every morning. It’s half way between her apartment building and her work. I can introduce myself and… umm… charm her into an interview?’ Alex’s eyes rolled far enough back in her head that Kara wondered momentarily if she might get them stuck there.
‘And if I tell you not to do this, you’ll just agree now but go tomorrow anyway?’ Kara nervously grinned and subtly nodded her head.
‘Just… try not say anything that only an alien would say okay?’ Kara wrapped Alex up in a tight hug and proclaimed her the best, most supportive sister in the world.
Kara perched herself on a low wall next to the coffee stand at exactly five minutes to seven. She fiddled with the frame of her glasses as she mentally ran through what she wanted to say. Miss Luthor, Kara Danvers, reporter for Catco… nope that was a bit weak. Why would Lena Luthor want to talk to a reporter from Catco? Maybe just reporter. The city has questions and I would like to give you the chance to answer them. Smooth Kara… make it seem like you’re doing her a favour.
Kara was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she completely failed to notice the black sedan pull up in front of her. But the lilting tones of the Luthor’s voice ordering her usual snapped Kara to attention. She sprang to her feet and spurred herself on.
‘Miss Luthor?’ Lena turned so gracefully Kara was sure it was happening in slow motion. She had spent a week following Lena Luthor. She had spent a week listening to Lena Luthor and watching her from afar. But she was completely unprepared for standing face to face with Lena Luthor.
‘Who’s asking?’ That perfect eyebrow raised in question, with the hint of challenge. That intimidating yet unbelievably enticing jawline clenched just slightly. And those piercing eyes that were a steely blue that morning, but Kara was sure they had been a variety of greens ranging from seafoam to shamrock on other days. Kara gaped at her as though by studying Lena’s face she was being given the answer to the age-old question what is the meaning of life?
As she stood there unflinching Kara was certain she was somehow tuning into someone playing ‘Careless Whisper’ as they got ready for the day. There is no way that was only in her head, right? Because that, would be weird…
Lena’s head tilted ever so slightly to the side as her face scrunched in amused confusion.
‘That would usually be where you would say your name.’ Kara’s mouth snapped shut and she somehow managed to shake herself out of her stupor… sort of.
‘Oh, umm K-‘ nope, plain old Kara Danvers was not going to get an interview with this woman. ‘-Lois Lane, Daily Planet.’ What? No! Alex had been very clear; the Lois Lane lie would absolutely not work.
Lena’s faintly bemused smirk turned into a wide grin as she chuckled softly. It was the perfect accompaniment to the song that was somehow still stuck looping on the first ten seconds as it rattled through her brain.
‘And you want to write a piece on the fledgling Luthor villainess?’
‘Well, I-‘ Kara’s voice squeaked slightly, and she cleared her throat. Was this working? ‘I want to write a piece on you. Whether you are the villain is yet to be determined.’ Kara gave herself an imaginary double thumbs up for completing an entire sentence that actually sounded half way decent.
Lena glanced back at her waiting car as she collected her coffee. She straightened herself and seemed to stand a little taller for it as she bit her lip in thought. She hummed absentmindedly and paced to her car door, the driver patiently holding it open for her. Before she slid in she raked her eyes over Kara once more for effect and spoke again.
‘I just took over a company riddled with inefficiency and xenophobic terrorism, and my brother is trying to kill me. I don’t really have the time in my schedule for an interview.’
‘Oh.’ Although Kara was disappointed, there was an equal feeling of relief that perhaps Lena was not at all like her brother.
‘I also don’t have time for lunch, but my assistant keeps putting it in the schedule anyway. Come to L-Corp today at one o’clock and I’ll answer your questions.’
‘Really?’ Kara’s excited grin split across her face and her eyes sparked with glee. This Lois Lane bit was really working. Unbelievable.
‘Really. Who shall I tell my staff to expect?’ Lena paused to smirk at Kara. ‘There is no way the sunny girl in front of me is the same dullard that chases after Superman.’ Kara choked out a strangled cough laugh. Kara loved Lois and how happy she made Clark, but for some reason, that was hilarious.
Lena’s quirked eyebrow reminded her to answer.
‘Kara. Err, Kara Danvers.’ Lena nodded and smiled at Kara before she slipped into the darkness of the car and the driver sealed her away. Kara was baffled to find that the saxophone solo had abruptly stopped as soon as the door slammed shut. Maybe that was Lena’s ringtone… That would have made for a very persistent caller.
Kara pumped her fist and quietly whooped. Stage one of operation Become A Reporter complete. The operation name still needed work and stage one didn’t exactly go off without a hitch, but this was progress.
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If at any point you believed the Lois Lane gambit was going to work, I consider that a slap in the face to the intelligence of the greatest mind of our time. Shame on you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As her car pulled away Lena muttered to herself between sips of her coffee.
‘This is definitely not a good idea.’ She had no clue why the stumbling sentences and complete inability to lie had endeared her to the reporter. Though she did know how the swept-up waves of gold hair, pooling blue eyes and exuberant grin had won her over. That girl was a summers day personified. Ordinarily Lena shied away from the sun, but this sunshine felt safe. Which was stupid because the last thing L-Corp needs is the Luthor name raked through the mud by an overzealous reporter, again.
The car slowed to a stop in front of L-Corp, security hustled her inside and no one bothered her as she made her way to the top with only the sound of her heels clicking for company. Being a Luthor was always exhaustingly lonely. Even before Lex had frightened the world away from the name. The name and its wealth brought the kind of people that couldn’t be trusted. She could be in a ballroom full of people, they could be talking to her, fawning over her, and they still never really spoke to her. There was no one that wanted to really see Lena, only people that wanted to see Lena Luthor.
The elevator chimed, and the doors slid open. Coffee still in hand Lena inhaled deeply, mentally prepared for the morning of meetings filled with misogyny and sighed as she strode forward.
‘Jess, pencil Kara Danvers in for one o’clock.’ Jess sprang to her feet, tablet in one hand and a stack of files tucked under her other arm.
‘Miss Luthor, you have to eat.’
‘I will.’
‘I meant lunch specifically.’
‘I know what you meant. And I will, call it a lunch meeting if you like.’ Jess sighed.
‘Kara Danvers, okay.’ She quickly altered the schedule and pulled the files from under her arm. She walked a pace behind Lena as they entered her office and waited while she hung up her bag and coat.
‘Here are the staff reports from last year. Was there anything in particular you were looking for?’ Lena glanced across the first file and took her seat behind the nearly bare desk. She slapped the files down and looked up at her assistant.
‘Just people that might try to kill me. Nothing too unusual.’ Lena gave Jess a wry grin before dismissing her.
As she half heartedly flicked through the staff records she couldn’t help letting her mind wander back to the pale-yellow waves of sunshine that had brightened her morning. Why would anyone pretend to be Lois Lane to get an interview with a Luthor? Lois Lane?!
She had sifted through every staff member in the L-Corp building and set a small pile aside before she was due for her first meeting of the day. The meeting started in less than five minutes, but she was still in a cycle of power plays with the board. They could wait for her. She had enough time to quickly do a bit of research. If Kara Danvers knows enough about me to know where I get my coffee in the morning, I ought to know something about her.
She opened her laptop and headed straight into google. Kara Danvers was a nobody. She had an Instagram account filled mostly with pictures of food, and she had a twitter account that said she was Cat Grants assistant. So, unless Kara was planning on submitting a piece to get hired at somewhere more reputable than CatCo, this interview would be appearing next to ‘high waisted jeans, yes or no?’ If it appeared anywhere at all. Kara would either write a bland business profile that Cat would have little interest in, or she’d write some obscene hatchet piece on the youngest Luthor. And if she did slander Lena, well it would be in CatCo magazine, no great loss. Or so she told herself. It settled her somehow, the big hitters in the news world all wanted the one on one interview and Lena hid away from their speculating eyes.
One o’clock finally came and Lena could take a step away from the endless parade of men who thought her too young, too female, too inexperienced to do her job. Her lunch was already waiting for her on the desk when she slunk back into her office. A long sigh escaped as she flopped inelegantly into her chair and closed her eyes. After a moment of peace her eyes flew open and she focused on the clock. Twelve minutes after one. And no Kara Danvers. Lena should probably have been relieved, but the pit in her stomach felt like disappointment.
She despondently dug into her kale before the door flew open and very apologetic Kara Danvers practically flew into the room. She was shortly followed by a harried looking Jess.
‘I am so sorry Miss Luthor, she’s so fast.’ Jess gasped.
‘And I am so sorry I am late. I know you are really busy and I am basically bottom of the list of people you want to talk to. Please let me interview you. I promise I’ll be quick. This probably isn’t how you want to spend your lunch, and I’m late, which is really rude and I’m so sorry-‘
‘Yes, you said that.’ Lena spoke with a gleeful glint in her eye. ‘Thank you Jess.’ Jess nodded and quietly left, closing the door behind her.
‘Thank you so much.’ Kara rushed out before plopping into one of the chairs across from Lena.
‘I only have one stipulation.’ Kara audibly gulped.
‘Which is?’ Her voice slightly heightened as it tailed off.
‘You answer one question first.’
‘Oh.’ Kara sighed in relief. ‘Of course. What do you want to know?’ Lena studied the open and bright expression on Kara’s face. There was so much hopefulness there and when she gazed into Kara’s eyes it was like they were wells of optimism, wells that she could draw from.
‘Are you asking these questions for CatCo or are you intending to sell your work elsewhere?’ Lena could not draw her eyes away from Kara, she wanted to look down at her plate, up at the clock, out to the skyline, anywhere really. But her eyes were stuck to Kara’s face.
‘Uh.’ Kara nervously laughed and cleared her throat. ‘I see you’ve done your research.’
‘I never go into a meeting blind Miss Danvers. And really, how could I not want to research you?’ Lena masked her shock well, how the hell did that slip out? Kara gave a flustered laugh and looked down at the notepad in her hands.
‘It’s… It’s for Catco. I want to show my boss I can be a reporter.’
‘You’re very bold Miss Danvers. I’d already have given you the job if I were Cat Grant.’ Kara’s cheeks tinted pink and another flustered laugh burst out. ‘First you accost me on my way to work, then you steam roller my assistant and now I find you are writing a piece no one asked you for.’ Kara’s eyes shot up instantly.
‘I am so sorry about “accosting” you. I didn’t mean it to be like that. It’s just you’re really hard to get to talk to. And your assistant doesn’t put any reporters through to you. I didn’t want to ruin your morning before it began, I just didn’t know how else to introduce myself. Please stop me any time now. I will probably keep talking for the entire interview if you don’t stop me. I’m terrible at this. Sorry I-‘
‘I was willing to let you ramble for a little longer but there’s only so many times I will let you apologise.’ Lena smiled politely. ‘Honestly, our talk this morning was the most pleasant of the day by far.’ Kara’s mouth fell open.
At last, Lena dragged her gaze from Kara. She delicately stabbed at her lunch as she avoided the flushed face sat in front of her.
‘So, did you want to ask about how I could betray my brother, what my evil motives are for moving to National City or what my nefarious plans are for L-Corp?’
‘Uh… I-‘ Lena smirked deviously at Kara and relaxed back in her seat. ‘I suppose all of the above, though I wouldn’t have worded it like that.’ Lena’s smile softened as she searched Kara for malicious intent, unsuccessfully.
‘I’m just here for a fresh start Miss Danvers. I want to make a name for myself outside of my family. I hope you can understand that.’
‘Yeah.’ The word slipped out in a trembling sigh. A recognition of kinship flashed across Lena’s face and the two fell into relaxed conversation. Somehow Lena found it easy to explain how she wasn’t always a Luthor, wanted L-Corp to be a force for good, wanted to be more than Lex Luthor’s younger sister.
Kara occasionally made notes but it all felt so unlike an interview that it made Lena a little nervous. Kara never hinted at the expected distaste for Lena or the anticipated condemnation of the company she was trying to resurrect. Kara obviously knew about the Luthor history, so what game was she playing that she treated Lena with kind eyes and bright smiles? When would the other shoe drop? When would Kara spit in her face?
Lena felt the biting remark coming when Kara took a deep breath, preparing herself for the big question.
‘Why did you let me interview you?’ Oh, not quite so biting. Lena leant forward, resting her elbows on the desk. Her mother would have disapproved. She intertwined her fingers and pondered for a moment, letting the question sit awkwardly between them.
‘You’re different Miss Danvers.’ Lena paused to choose her words carefully. ‘You didn’t come barrelling at me with venom lined questions. And you’re a terrible liar, so I figured I would be able to tell what angle you were going for.’
‘I’m not a terrible liar. I can lie.’ Lena’s brow raised.
‘Should I be worried that this friendly interview was all an act, so you could uncover my dark motives?’
‘No, I just… I can lie… I don’t know why I’m arguing this.’ The two women smiled openly at each other just as Jess’ voice crackled through the intercom.
‘Miss Luthor your next meeting is in five minutes.’
‘Thank you Jess.’
‘Oh shoot, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to take up so much of your time.’ Kara said as she glanced at her watch. She stuffed her notepad into her bag and rose to her feet. Lena followed suit and circled her desk.
‘It was a pleasure to be interviewed by you Miss Danvers. I hope Cat sees what an asset you are.’ She offered her hand tentatively. Kara enthusiastically grabbed it and beamed at Lena. Beamed at her. Kara Danvers was beaming at Lena Luthor. That’s new. ‘I hope this isn’t the last time we talk.’
‘I hope not either.’
Stage 2 of Operation Become A Reporter complete.
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Buckle up kiddo, because things are about to get stupid. When I found out they were friends for over a year before they dated I thought they must have just slowly gotten to those feelings.
Not even close. I don’t think they were ever just platonic friends. They were just dumb.
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That evening Kara had fastidiously prepared herself to write the best darn article to maybe, possibly, ever grace the pages of CatCo magazine. She had set out her notepad, surrounded herself with pot stickers and pizza (the food of the forward thinker), curled up on the sofa with her laptop and, because George Michael had tunnelled his way into her brain in the morning, she had begun by listening to ‘Faith’. She wasn’t entirely sure what it was that made her put the music on, but it seemed to help with the writing process.
By the time she had finished it was the early hours of the next morning. She hoped it wouldn’t ordinarily take her so long to write one single article, but this one carried a lot of importance. It could be her key to her dream job, it could change a lot of people’s minds about L-Corp’s new CEO, and it was about Lena. Lena, who Kara was nurturing a blind faith and fondness for. And there it is, blind faith. Faith!
She had proof read it three times and was satisfied with the tone she had managed to hit with the help of her expert thesaurus using skills. Thesaurology is probably what it’s called. She had listened to ‘Faith’ significantly more times than any person with an ounce of sanity should have, which is to say, more than three times in one evening. And now she had produced something she wouldn’t quite call a business or character profile. It’s a very unbiased, article of truth to let Lena have a fresh start. It was incredibly biased. It was a thinly veiled scripture of adoration, a hymn of admiration to be sung in the church of Lena Luthor.
Kara was fairly certain she had never been so stomach churningly nervous before. She had been shitting bricks when she was stuck in the phantom zone. She had been soul crushingly depressed by the loss of Krypton. She had been debilitatingly apprehensive about becoming a part of the Danvers family. And she had been an uncomfortable combination of excited and blindly panicked when she had prevented Alex’s plane from crashing. But she had never been this nervous before.
Her fingers twisted together because she was the only thing she could grip without someone noticing her crushing it to dust. Her eyes flitted between timidly studying her shoes and optimistically watching Cat.
‘Keira, if you audibly gulp one more time I shall shove this in the shredder before I’ve even finished.’
‘Sorry Miss Grant.’ And that became Kara’s new focus. No more gulping. Gulping stands between me and success. Which was a difficult task in the circumstances, so she rapidly flicked through calming thoughts. Puppies playing, free pizza, Lena’s smile… flying, Lena’s hands are soft, nope no more Lena. Umm, movie night with Alex tonight, Lena’s eyebrow game… Oh come on. They’ve met one and a half times. Chill brain.
‘How much did she pay you to write this?’ Thankfully Cat saved Kara from her spiralling thoughts.
‘She?’
‘Miss Luthor.’ Cat looked at Kara with dismay smeared on her face.
‘Nothing. I was hoping you would pay me for it. I want to be a reporter.’ A thin smile almost imperceptibly appeared on Cat’s face.
‘And if you are writing articles who will be getting my coffee?’
‘Err… your new assistant.’ Kara quietly hoped. Cat’s smile grew just a little wider.
‘And where do you imagine me placing your article in my magazine?’ Kara’s eyes widened, was this a scathing indictment or a serious request for a suggestion? She let out a short sharp breath.
‘Celebrity profiles?’
‘Are you asking me or telling me?’ Asking, definitely asking.
‘Telling.’ Cat’s smile finally reached her cheeks. Kara wished it was a good sign but honestly it was unsettling in a Cheshire Cat kind of way, which seemed apt.
‘It needs some changes. It’s sickeningly sweet and far too biased. But it’s well written and we’ll be the first to have a one on one interview with Lena Luthor.’ Kara nearly burst with excitement.
‘Thank you!’
‘I wasn’t finished. I will put it in the next issue and I will even offer you a job as a reporter. If you do two last things for me.’ Anything! Wooh!
‘Of course. What can I do?’
‘Find your replacement, I don’t have the time or patience to sit through endless interviews with dithery graduates who will no doubt fall short.’
‘I’ll start looking right away.’ Kara turned to leave before remembering there was a second request. She twisted awkwardly at the waist with her feet planted towards the door. ‘And the second thing?’
‘Get out of my office before I change my mind and keep you as my assistant.’
Operation Become A Reporter completed!
When the next issue of CatCo Magazine was published there was a particularly ambiguous image of Lena Luthor gracing it’s cover. She was neither the raving madman that Lex had represented on many a newspaper and magazine, nor the courageous hero that Supergirl so regularly signified in media. She was however somewhat reminiscent of The Mona Lisa. She sat elegantly in contrasting lighting, with just the hint of a smile on her face.
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The cover is still proudly framed and on display. You’ve seen it. She says it’s because it was her first article and her first cover article in one. But Aunt Sam has always joked with an element of believability, that it was the only way she could frame a picture of her without raising questions.
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By midday that very same day a parade of delivery boys had trouped through the CatCo Worldwide offices and smothered Kara’s new cubicle in flowers. It was quite the spectacle, but the accompanying message was rather more subtle.
Thank you.
- L.L.
Kara was floored. This kind of gesture was not something she had ever been familiar with. She had received flowers before, but like most people, a bouquet at a time. She had been thanked before. But she, Kara Danvers not Supergirl, had never felt so special as she did that morning. Never before had she felt so seen as Kara Danvers.
All she had done was write what she felt was the truth. She had spoken to Lena and seen something familiar. It had been easy to write Lena’s story, her story of adoption, a childhood of feeling untethered and a drive to carve her own path was all so familiar to Kara. Lena was someone who could perhaps understand Kara Danvers, someone who saw her, not Supergirl. How do you make friends with a twenty-four-year-old billionaire CEO?
Kara pondered the question for a full day before inspiration struck. Food! And so, she found herself strolling towards the L-Corp elevator carrying a patisserie box at half past six in the evening. Security had tried to stop her but with one unbelievable phone call upstairs Kara was granted permanent access to the top floor of L-Corp.
From ground floor to top floor the elevator took forty-six seconds without stops. Most of the staff had gone home so the nervous questioning of her visit was uninterrupted for forty-six painful seconds. Lena had been eating the most offensively green lunch Kara had ever seen the last time they had spoken. She was just now realising that doughnuts may not have been the perfect offering. Doughnuts are my happy food, I have the metabolism of a… well a Kryptonian. She has the perfect figure, she’s probably very careful about what she eats. This was stupid.
Before Kara could spiral into self-doubt any further the elevator dinged, and Jess was stood in front of her, with her coat slung over an arm and thumbs tapping away at her phone. She glanced up, appraising Kara in an intimidating sweep before stepping into the metal box. Kara smiled nervously and stepped out.
Kara straightened herself up and took a reassuring breath before walking into Lena’s office with well-acted confidence. Lena raised her head from her papers and smiled wide.
‘Kara, I didn’t think I’d see you again until I’d had at least one more attempt on my life.’ She smiled wryly as Kara sadly nodded. How can she be so… so… blasé about her brother trying to kill her?
‘I wanted to thank you.’
‘You wanted to thank me?’ Lena stood up and circled her desk to stand in front of Kara.
‘Well I don’t know any other L.L.s that might have filled my cubicle with flowers.’ As though completely forgetting the inner turmoil of the elevator ride, she proudly proffered the small box of doughnuts. ‘I brought deep-fried sugary goodness.’ Panic flashed across her face as she recalled the kale. ‘You do eat doughnuts, right?’ Lena smirked at Kara.
‘Well, I am human.’ Lena’s grin as she slipped the doughnuts away from Kara and headed towards the sofa nearly melted Kara into a puddle. Wait… human… does she know?
‘Actually Kara, I’m glad you’re here.’
‘You are?’
‘Of course. You’re the only person in National City that doesn’t look at me and see Lex.’ She paused, pulling apart a doughnut delicately. ‘I wanted to thank you properly for the article. It wasn’t what I was expecting.’ Kara dove into the box herself and joyously bit down on a sprinkle coated treat.
‘I just wrote the truth.’
‘Well you’re probably the only one that sees it that way. So, thank you.’ They both smiled tentatively as they sat angled toward each other.
‘You’re welcome.’ Kara could practically see cogs turning in Lena’s mind. Lena’s face was smothered in apprehension as she stuttered over a few syllables before forming a sentence.
‘Cat gave you that reporter job you wanted?’ Kara grinned excitedly.
‘Yeah! Thank you for the interview, I would not have impressed Cat with anything less than a scoop of your calibre.’
‘I’m glad.’ Lena smiled nervously. ‘Could I ask you something?’
‘Seems only fair. I did ask you a lot of questions.’
‘Would you be willing to work with me?’ Kara’s face scrunched in confusion and her head titled to the side.
‘Huh?’ Was all Kara could manage to force out. Lena wrung her hands tightly and worked her jaw, choosing her words carefully.
‘Like I said, my company is plagued by an unwanted xenophobic agenda and my brother is trying to kill me. I was hoping you would help me root out what I don’t want and along the way you’d hopefully get some good stories to hand over to Cat.’ Kara was stunned into silence, mouth agape and information processing very slowly. She was expecting to be asked something simple like “where did you get these doughnuts?” or “where did you go to university?” She was not expecting to be handed exclusive story rights to the most popular topic in National City. Determining silence to be as good as a no Lena shrunk in on herself.
‘Never mind, it was a crazy idea. Insanity runs in the family you know.’ She forced out a hollow laugh. Kara blinked and finally her thought processes caught up.
‘You mean we’d be like Cagney and Lacey… or Rizzoli and Isles?’ Lena cocked her head and her smile pulled to one side of her face.
‘Well we won’t have any real law enforcement powers… but other than that, yeah.’ Kara squealed. Unabashedly, ear piercingly, squealed in delight.
‘Yes!’ Lena’s face cracked with a smile wider than she was aware she was capable of. ‘Wait, I just… Wh- I literally just became a reporter, I have pretty much zero experience and you barely know me. Why me?’ Lena smiled deviously.
‘Kara, do you know how many reporters asked to interview me?’
‘A lot?’ Lena laughed.
‘Yeah, a lot. Every media outlet in National City and Metropolis wanted an interview, every news blogger and vlogger wanted to scoop the big hitters. And every single one of them would have asked me all the questions about Lex and nothing about me. Every single one of them would have written about his legacy, not what I want to achieve.’ Lena paused and laid her hand on top of Kara’s. ‘I looked at you and I saw someone I hoped I could trust to see past Lex. And it was a risk. I can’t afford to take risks with my reputation. You showed me I could still trust people.’ Kara tried to smile merrily but her face was slightly contorted by the pain of knowing that Lena was so trodden down by the world that she had nearly given up on everyone. Lena saw the understanding in Kara’s eyes and feared dwelling on it.
‘Besides, you caught me at my secret coffee stop. You’re either exceptionally lucky or remarkably sneaky. And I don’t have any friends in National City. Who else would I ask to help me?’
‘Consider me your first friend in National City then.’ Kara smiled and it shone through her sparkling blue eyes, crinkling at the corners. Lena felt a twist of emotion settling in her gut, not guilt, fear or anger, it was something new, something she wasn’t familiar with.
‘There’s just one very important thing we have to do first.’ Lena said with an air of professionalism usually reserved for meetings. Kara’s face dropped into an expression as close to serious as she could get.
‘Do I have to sign something?’ Lena chuckled.
‘We have to make a decision.’ She bit her lip to keep from smiling at Kara’s struggle to beat her excitement into submission. ‘Is it Luthor and Danvers, or Danvers and Luthor?’
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Runt, the first thing we do when you get back is marathon Rizzoli & Isles. It’s a bit before our time and they stick them in the ‘gal pals’ zone but you’re going to love it. You’re buying all the food if you come back early and I lose my money to Aunt Alex though.
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