Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It's quiet in here. Elly thought to himself.

The bell rang about ten minutes ago and the last locked cubicle in the boy’s bathroom he's in, felt a bit bigger than usual. He stared at the glossy linoleum coated door and walls surrounding him. In this entire school, this is a place where he feels most safe. He felt the cold strip of metal around his wrist that he’s been wearing since forever, closed his eyes to hear his heartbeat slowing down and his breathing going back to normal.

“Deep breaths, Elly. Just breathe and you're going to be just fine.”

That’s how his mama would always tell him when he’s having difficulty in breathing. He covered his face with his hands, sucked in air through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. Good. He tried to breathe again but halfway through, he felt something itchy got stuck in his throat.

"ACHOOO!!!" He was able to close his hands on his mouth tighter just in time as he released a loud sneeze which echoed inside the empty bathroom, causing the cubicle walls to vibrate.

It's happening again. I have to call mom.

An eight-year old Lincoln Eddard Danvers hurriedly walked through the empty corridors of South National Elementary School to the nurse's office, one Tuesday afternoon. He saw her drinking tea, sitting behind her desk through the glass window. He knocked twice to get her attention and Nurse Jane gestured him to come in. He entered the nurse's office which a lot of kids doesn't like coming into. But for him, this place is more comfy than the library. It smelled like clean sheets and ethyl alcohol with a hint of something nice and warm coming from her tea.

"Lincoln! What can I help you with, this time?" Nurse Jane smiled at a teary-eyed Elly, his nose looking red and a bit swollen as she laid down her cup of tea.

Elly rolled his eyes at the sound of his name and walked-in. "Durse Jade, I think I deed to call by bob." he spoke with a clogged nose as he helped himself up on the examining bed, trying to speak without breathing too much to avoid another sneeze.

"Are you sure it's not the bullies again?" Nurse Jane stood up to take a good look at him. "It's better to tell your mom, you know. I heard she's a cop?" She blinked her little flashlight at him before examining his arms and neck. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh dough, it's dot them. And my mom’s a detective. It's a bit itchy up here, though" he pointed at his neck, still trying to hold his breath. "I think it's the cinnabon. They had cinnabon rolls in the cafeteria," he noticed that red patches have started to appear on his arms.

"Ah, you ate a cinnamon roll? Have you had this allergic reactions before?" the nurse asked, looking at the inside of his mouth.

Elly shook his head. "Dot like this, just the sneezing," he wiped his snotty nose with the back of his hand.

Nurse Jane scrambled through her desk drawer and took something from the bottom. She came back to hand him a box of tissue and a red colored lollipop. "Suck on this, it'll help you with the itching," and she started dialing on her cell phone. "Why don't you chill here for a bit, while I call your mom and tell your teacher about it? I'll be back in a second, okay?" she said smiling at him.

"Okay."

Nurse Jane left, closing the door behind her and he heard her broke into a run. Elly unwrapped the candy and placed it in his mouth. He looked around the nurse's office and saw the steaming cup of tea. Quietly, he jumped down the bed and walked slowly towards the nurse's desk. The tea had a soothing smell, so warm that he started to feel much better and a bit sleepy. He closed his eyes and everything went dark for a moment. He heard voices but his eyes felt too heavy to open so he kept them shut. This place feels really comfy. There was a long soft beep, a faint thud and another blinking sound.

"…subject still insusceptible to high temperatures and unresponsive to physical pain."

The voice sounded so near that Elly tried to open his eyes to see who it is but his vision was blurry. He felt a bit nauseous and he can see bright white and yellow lights when a female voice boomed again behind him.

"…also seemed to be unaffected by the earth's gravity when subject is stable and in a calm state..."

He felt like the whole place was spinning.

"And where do you think you're going? Come back here."

He felt a hand pulled on his feet and heard a loud heart beating fast. He felt something warm touching his back then surrounding his body.

"Shh. Oh, look at you..."

The voice sounded low and cold, but her smell felt warm and comforting. He was looking right at her but he can't seem to figure out what she looked like. She had black hair.

"You have your mother's eyes, Elly."

"Elly! Elly?"

Elly opened his eyes. He found himself holding the nurse’s cup of now cold tea with both hands under his nose and sitting behind her desk. He looked up to see Alex in her boots and leather jacket with a worried look on her face, standing at the door with Nurse Jane by her side.

"Mama!" he exclaimed with a smile and laid the cup down to the table. He ran excitedly to give her a hug.

"Are you okay? Nurse Jane called and I came as soon as I can. How are you feeling?" she knelt down to look at his son’s arms and neck exactly the same way the nurse did.

"Better. She gave me this." he opened his mouth to show her the lollipop.

"Allergy drops." Nurse Jane told Alex.

"Is it good?" Alex asked him while looking closely at his eyes. He’s looking fine.

"Yah, it tastes like strawberry," Elly replied.

Alex started applying pressure on his cheeks with her finger. "Does this hurt?"

Elly shook his head.

"Listen, sweetie," Alex looked at his son's blue-green eyes. "Why don't you wait for me outside, while I talk to Nurse Jane for like two seconds and we'll run to the doctor, then get some ice cream after, is that okay?"

"Okay."

Alex kissed him on his forehead as he walked outside the nurse's office. "Hey, you forgot something," she called out to him.

Elly came back in and gave the nurse a hug. "Thank you, Nurse Jane!" he said with a smile and headed out the door again.

"Sweet boy," Nurse Jane closed the door and was surprised to see Detective Danvers suspiciously sniffing on her cup of tea.

"He really is," Alex returned the cup, and looked her in the eyes with a blank look on her face.

"Detective, I'm glad you-...," Nurse Jane felt nervous. Alex walked slowly towards the nurse.

"I know what else is in that cup, Nurse Jane, but I'm not here to judge you, alright?" she said without blinking.

"I'm just trying to do my job, Detective," Nurse Jane politely replied.

"And as long as you're doing it right, we're good. You got that?"

"Yes."

"I just wanna say thank you for the drops and for calling me right away."

"You're always welcome. You should take him home so he could get some rest. I already spoke to his teacher so you don’t have to worry about anything.” Nurse Jane nervously looked out the glass window to where Elly was waiting. “He's such a brave boy."

"Well, he's a Danvers," Alex smiled. "So, we got to go now. Thanks again."

"Sure. Just give me a call by the end of the day on how he would respond to the drops so I could inform his teacher if he won’t be coming in tomorrow." Nurse Jane opened the door for her and waved at Elly. "Bye."

"Bye!" Elly waved back.

Alex nodded at the nurse and headed out the door. "Come on, let's get outta here!" she took her son's hand and started to walk.

"I'm glad you came to pick me up today, Ma. I really feel better now that you're here," Elly was beaming up at his mom, eyes glimmering in admiration of how cool she looked on her outfit.

"Oh, really? I actually thought you’d like it better if your Aunt Kara picks you up."

"Please, don't be jealous."

"What? I am not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not! You wanna race me, huh?"

And while holding hands, they ran towards the exit, the sound of Alex's boot echoing down the empty corridor. They reached the school parking lot and Elly can’t help but let out a short laugh at her mom.

“What?” Alex asked her son.

“You brought your bike to pick me up from school.”

“I was in a hurry, okay? And there’s also bad traffic, so...” they stopped in front of a black Ducati and she handed him a small red helmet. “Safety first.”

Elly just shook his head smiling and put the helmet over his head. “Do you have any idea how my friends and classmates would react if they’re seeing this?”

“Uh-huh?” Alex secured the strap of her helmet.

“Elly’s mom picked him up wearing leather jacket and boots on a Ducati to get ice cream after school!” Elly says in another kid’s voice while securing the strap under his chin. “And guess what? She’s also a doctor and director of the D.E.O.!” he whispered.

“Shh! Hey! That’s top secret!” she whispered looking around the empty parking lot.

“I know, I know. But if that doesn’t spell out cool and badass, I don’t know what is.”

Alex tried to hide her smile. “You’re flattering me too much now, kind sir. You want three scoops?”

“Seriously, mom, it is what it is. And please, make that four.”

Alex laughed, shaking her head. “I guess you really are feeling better now. The nurse said that the cinnamon roll you ate got you good. I’ll bring you in to HQ so I can take a better look at you. Don't you feel sleepy?”

Elly sighed and looked at his arms to see that the red patches have already disappeared. “No, I’m fine. The rashes are gone, look.” He said, showing both his arms to his mom. “And I can breathe better now. My nose doesn’t feel clogged anymore, you hear that? The allergy drops worked.”

Allergy drops, huh? Well, he did look and sound fine before leaving the nurse’s office. “Aye, I hear yah. So, you wanna ride in the front, Lord Eddard?” she said in a British accent as she hopped onto her bike.

“NO! Ma?!?” he blurted out, feeling a bit ridiculed but also knowing that this is just his mom’s idea of tough love.

Alex chuckled. “Hey, he was King in the North.”

“Will you please stop calling me that? And jeez, I’m a big boy now for the front!” waving his hands as he stepped on the footrest. “Winter might be coming but that is not cool.”

“I thought you said I was cool and a badass?”

“Not anymow, Lady Merlot. I changed my mind.” He said in a poor attempt to a British accent as he hopped onto the back of the bike and wrapped his arms around his mom’s waist.

“M’lord changed his mind real quick…oh, wow! Someone’s gained some weight. Two scoops it is!”

“We agreed on four!”

“No, we did not. That’s too much ice cream for you, sir.”

“But Aunt Kara can finish it in one go!” Elly snapped back.

“Hey, stop competing with her. She’s a big girl, with a super big appetite.”

“But…”

“Hep! No buts, you’re having two.”

“Err…how ‘bout, three?”

“No, two scoops for Lincoln Edd-.”

“Alright! Alright! Two scoops!”

“Are we clear on that, sir? Do you copy?”

“Clear and copy, m’lady.”

“Alright! Two scoops for Elly, coming right up!” Alex started the bike and let the engine roar.

“…with burger and fries.”

“Hah! I knew it!”

And they drove away, out of the school’s parking lot into the road and headed towards the city plaza. As they were driving, Alex felt Elly leaned his cheek on her back and his son’s gentle grip around her waist steadied. She can’t help but smile underneath her full-face helmet and feel proud of being able to raise such a sweet boy by herself, with a little help of course, from her family and trusted friends. She can’t believe her baby is all grown up and bravely riding at the back of this bike now, remembering it wasn’t that long ago when they first rode through these very same streets together with one year-old Elly on a carrier, strapped against her chest. It was the scariest bike ride of her life even if the road was well lit with street lights that night and however slow she thought they were going, she knew Elly loved it.

A few minutes later, they arrived at Tony’s Truck; Kara and Elly’s favorite ice cream place. Elly was looking up the menu, deciding on what flavor to try but his mom already knew what to get.

“One medium order of Combo 2 and a cup of medley number nine, please.”

Elly’s eyes went wide to his surprise. It was his secret three-scoop favorite that his Aunt Kara would always get him whenever she brings him here after school. She looked up to her mom with a skeptic look on his face.

“The third scoop is mine.” Alex winked at her son who just smiled and held her hand.

When they got their orders, they settled for the nearest table, sitting side by side. Elly immediately started on his ice cream while Alex munched on the fries.

“So, a little bird told me that medley number nine was your favorite?”

“That little bird can’t keep secrets, can she?”

Alex dipped a fry on Elly’s ice cream. “Not from your badass mom, no.”

“Well, I can’t blame her, you can be scary sometimes, you know?” He said, in a matter-of-fact way, almost halfway on his first scoop.

“Oh, really? I’m taking back my ice cream now.” Alex threatened a spoon towards his food.

“I’m just kidding!” Elly snapped back, defensively covering his ice cream with his hands.

Alex made a fake laughing face at Elly who found it so funny, that the triple chocolate flavored ice cream he just ate almost flew out of his nose when he suddenly burst out laughing.

“See? You have your ways…” He said while pushing his cup of ice cream to share with his mom. He took a fry and dipped it on the truffle marble. “…Detective Danvers.”

“You really think I’m scary?”

“Not really. Well, you can tell when someone’s hiding something from a mile away. That could be scary.”

“Since when did you become so witty?” Alex took a spoonful of vanilla velvet for herself. “Oh, this one is really good.”

I have to tell her. Elly fell silent and stared at his ice cream. “I lied to Nurse Jane about the cinnamon roll.” He blurted out, still staring at his melting triple chocolate, not meeting his mom’s gaze.

“I’m listening.” 

“I told her I ate one but the truth is I didn’t.”

“So what caused the allergic reaction, then?”

“The cinnamon.”

“Okay…so tell me exactly what happened?”

“I’m not sure. It just…kind of happened. I walked in the cafeteria and the whole place already reeked of cinnamon! And the next thing I know, my throat was itching, my eyes were watery and it was hard to breathe, so I walked away as far as I could. It smelled so strong that even the kids on the corridors smell of it! I stayed inside the bathroom at the other end of the school until the bell rang.”

“Let me see again, open up?” Alex got concerned. Elly swallowed and opened his mouth for his mom to look at. It sounded really bad but he’s back to normal now. “Well, it’s all gone now.” She assured him. “But if you feel any itching or pain, you tell me, okay?”

Elly nooded. “I’m sorry I lied.” he chewed on a fry and swallowed. “Are you mad at me?”

“No. But why did you?”

“Because it was easier? I didn’t know how to tell her and because I know she won’t believe me.”

Alex looked kindly at his son and said, “I believe you. And I appreciate you telling me the truth.”

Elly smiled weakly while he drew circles with his spoon on the melted ice cream. They kept eating and Alex was about to finish the fries in silence when Elly broke the ice.

“Ma?”

“Yes, sweetie?” she took another spoonful of ice cream.

“There’s something else.”

“What is it?” she lowered her head to hear what his son has to say.

Here goes nothing. “I…I sneezed while I was in the bathroom and…”

“…and?”

“…and the cubicle door…” he lowered his head to whisper.

“What happened to the cubicle door?” Alex whispered back.

“Well, it…” 

Alex patiently waited while munching on some fries.

He hesitated for a moment. “…I think I broke it off its hinges and crashed onto the sink.” Elly swallowed, looking down on his shoes under the table and waited for his mother’s response.

Alex looked carefully at his anxious son and sat up straight. She didn’t know exactly what to say. “Okay. Wow. We’ll figure that one out.” She was able to say that calmly. “Let’s umm…run some tests with Brainy tomorrow.”

He nodded but still looking worried.

“And I’ll have the bathroom fixed, okay?”

“Okay.” Elly’s face finally lit up in relief that he started eating his ice cream again.

“Why don’t you finish your food while I make a quick phone call, alright?” after his son’s satisfied nod, Alex took her phone out of her pocket and dialed for the school nurse. She stood up and walked away from their table while Elly finishes his ice cream.

“This is Jane Smith. Please leave a message.” *beep*

“Hi, Nurse Jane? This is Detective Danvers, Lincoln’s mom? I just called to let you know that he is feeling great already. But the doctor advised me to observe him for the next 24 hours so I’m afraid he won’t be able to make it to school tomorrow. Thanks again, for the lollipop.” Alex hangs up and made another call.

“Hey Brainy? I want you to investigate on the boy’s bathroom at Elly’s school, the one on the other end of the building opposite the cafeteria. Yes, you. Right now, discreetly and report only to me, kapeesh? And have everything fixed.” she hangs up again and dialed another number. She watched Elly unwrap and took a big bite on his hamburger from a distance. Why are you growing up too fast?

“Hi, something came up. Can you come over and take a look at him tonight? I think he needs an upgrade. Okay. Thanks. See you.”

Alex hangs up and walked back to Elly who already finished everything they ordered from Tony’s.

“Well that was fast. Good to go?”

“You could just drop me off to Aunt Kara’s office so you can go back to work.”

“Oh no, sweetheart, you’re coming with me.”

“What? Whyyy???”

“Whyyy are you complaining? Don’t you want to spend some time with your mom?”

“It’s not like that. I just don’t want to get in the way of your work, that’s all.” He stood up and walked with Alex towards the bike, his mom’s hand around his shoulder. “And besides…Curly Hailey is there. I’m sorry but she just gives me the creeps.”

“It’s Colonel! Tsk! Tsk! Don’t you mean Aunt Kara means pizza for dinner?”

“Well, I can ask Uncle Brainy for pizza, too, but…in CatCo, there’s my favorite Uncle James, so…”

“Aha! More pizza!”

“Then there’s also Nia and Eve…and a chance to see Aunt Lena…”

“Ohh, she’s in Metropolis honey, sorry. But please, don’t eat too much of everything or you’re gonna grow up too fast.”

“…pizza…and pot stickers…or donuts…or Big Belly Burger…”

“Woah! Woah! Slow down tiger, you just had a burger! But okay, I’m gonna hand you over to those friendly people of CatCo.” God, he’s turning into Kara.

They put on their helmets, hopped onto the bike and drove through the streets of National City. Back at South national Elementary in Nurse Jane's office, she dialed a number on her phone.

"Hello, Miss Luthor? The stabilizer worked."

Later that night in Alex’s apartment and after having too much pizza for dinner, Elly fell asleep and dreamt of overhearing a conversation in his sleep…

“How is he?”

“He fell asleep waiting for you.”

“What happened?”

“Well, the school cafeteria served cinnamon rolls today and he said the whole place reeked of it. That’s when the allergies started coming out. Even the kids smelled of it so he stayed in a bathroom on the other side of the building. He sneezed, blowing a cubicle door, off its hinges and crashing it onto the sink. I had Brainy look at it right away and he sent me these. You see that? It was pinned to the mirror on the wall. Good thing, no one saw him get in and out of there, not even the cameras.”

“Oh, my god. How did he take it?”

“He was very careful who to tell things to and he seemed more worried about the damages. We had it covered.”

“That’s good. Did you give him anything else? Shots?”

“It sounded really bad but the school nurse gave him this allergy drops and it worked pretty well on him. I checked on him a few times and he’s perfectly fine. We had the usual ice cream, burger and fries afterwards, and then pizza for dinner. A lot of it.”

“How much pizza?”

“Well, Kara said he was able to finish a whole pizza all by himself then James called and said he finished another box and some milkshake…”

“Jeez, that’s good for like…six people! He’s turning into...”

“I know, right? And when I told him we’re going to run some tests on him tomorrow with Brainy, he didn’t look so worried at all.”

“I can't believe he’s eight already.”

“Tell me about it. He’s just growing up so fast.”

“Look, I brought him a new band, upgraded and updated. I’ll just…put this here…and remove his old one…there. When he wakes up tomorrow, he’ll be good to go.”

“Thank you for coming all the way out here tonight in such short notice.”

“And I really appreciate you calling me.”

“Anything for him.”

“Yes, we’d do anything for him.”

Chapter Text

Elly woke up from the smell of fried rice, cheesy scrambled eggs and potstickers filling his nose. He sat up on the bed with a headache, a numb left arm and his stomach rumbling. On the bedside table, he reached for his prescription glasses that he's been wearing for as long as he can remember.

Alex just finished cooking the eggs when he saw Elly wobble out of bed. "And he's back from the dead! Congratulations!" She called out to him while transferring the eggs from the pan to a plate.

He sluggishly made the bed and walked towards the kitchen with his eyes still half closed. "Ugh, I feel so tired." Elly yawned and scratched the back of his head, messing up his already messy shoulder-length brown hair.

"You slept for almost twelve hours, good for you. Here, drink some water." Alex poured him a tall glass of water on the kitchen counter.

He sat up on a stool and drank while continuously opening and closing his left hand. Alex watched him finish the whole glass in a matter of seconds while she waits for the toasts to pop out of the toaster.

"More please." He heaved after putting down the empty glass as he stretched his left arm.

"Wow! Look at you. Is that your whitewalker face, m'lord?" She smirked at him and refilled his glass.

"Gaaargh. Good morning to you too, mama."

"It's almost lunch time, your grumpy grace." She kissed him in his temple. "Someone sent you brunch." She pointed at a take out bag on the dining table and went back to making some toast.

"Aunt Kara!" his face lit up and jumped down the stool to check it out. He peeked inside the bag and started taking the packs of food out and onto the table.

"Nope. Guess who just arrived in town this morning?" She winked at him and his smile grew bigger.

"Aunt Lena's here!?" Elly's sleepy eyes went wide with excitement.

"She umm...got work stuff here today so, yeah. She had that sent over early this morning." Alex answered while balancing the toasts on a plate.

"Oh, I thought I heard her here last night."

Alex froze for a second, a piece of hot toast almost fell out of her hand. "Umm...no, you passed out the moment your back touched the bed and then I had a hard time sleeping because someone..." With both hands on her waist she turned to blink at his son. "...was snoring."

"Really?!" Elly sounds surprised.

"Uh-huh." Alex turned back to her toasts.

Elly blinked back in return, his lips pouting like a duck's beak and tilted his head on one side so low that his glasses slid down his nose. "Sowee." He sat down with his morning eyes glimmering on the sight of food in front of him.

Alex just laid the plate of toasts down the dining table when a long quick knock on the door surprised them as it flew open before they could say anything.

"No school todaaaaaay!!!!" Kara entered the studio apartment with such enthusiasm in her voice and a big smile on her face. She held up three lidded paper cups on a carrier and kicked the door close.

"Hey look, someone got wasted from eating too much pizza last night." Alex greeted Kara and looked at his son while sitting right across from him.

It made Elly do the duck face again.

"Wha-hahaha-t??? Kara chuckled and laid the drinks on the table. "I got here two lattes for the grown ups and a triple chocolate milk for Ned Stark." She ruffled Elly's hair and kissed him on top of his head. "Good morning, Dumpling Danvers. Do you need aspirin?"

Alex giggled and Elly rolled his eyes but he gave his Aunt Kara a short hug anyway.

"My potstickers here are enough, just so you know."

"Ooh, grumpy." The Danvers sisters said in unison and giggled.

"Potstickers?!" Kara asked, smiling on the dumplings and sat down beside him.

"My favorite aunt is in town." Elly teased her and smiled.

"Yes! I am right here!" Kara snapped back, waving her hand in front of his face.

Alex watched in amusement while Elly made a funny face and stuck his tongue out as they started to eat.

"So Lena's in town for the day." Alex was fixed down on her plate but her eyes were looking sideways at Kara.

"Um-hm?" Kara responded, her mouth filled with fried rice and potstickers. She swallowed her food and tried dodging a bullet by asking Elly. "I heard you're running some tests with Brainy today?"

"Yah, about my allergies. It's not really that big of a deal." He threw a side look at his mom.

Alex and Kara looked impressed and nodded at each other.

"But the pizza..." Alex nodded and pointed a half-eaten toast at Kara. "...was another story. Hah!" She took another bite off the bread.

"Oooh-hohoho. James told me, you asked for more pizza while I was in a meeting. I didn't believe it at first! Two stories..." Kara took a sip from her coffee. "...in one day."

"Three!" Alex snapped back at her. "I'm telling you, he was snoring like a grown man last night, I thought my bike was being stolen."

Kara snorted and three of them laughed while shaking their heads altogether.

Elly pulled his duck face and groaned. "Ugh! I'm never going to eat pizza again!"

"Oh, really?!" Alex and Kara looked at each other with eyebrows raised, reacting in unison.

Elly laughed and made another funny duck face. "Nah."

The morning sun shone through Alex's apartment window and onto the dining table where three Danvers eat and laugh over their meal like it was a Sunday. Chinky eyes, big smiles, full bellies and funny stories, that's how they do breakfasts together.

---

It's been five years since she moved back to her hometown. LCorp Northeast in Metropolis was only a fifteen-minute chopper ride away but Lena Luthor decided to stay in her LCorp office in National City for the day. She wanted to make sure everything goes well after replacing Elly's old power dampening bracelet with a newly upgraded version, ten minutes before midnight.

Still in her hand, she went inside her office and pressed her palm against one of the cylindrical pillars near her desk. A door-sized opening slid sideways, revealing a storage closet within the pillar and a small vault inside. She opened the vault to leave Elly's old "lucky band" inside, along with a few documents and two other similar bracelets, but smaller. She held all three thin loops of cold metal in her hand, the smallest one inside the others.

I'm sorry but I knew you would be safer with her. Time sure flies, it was sooner than I expected.

 ---

"Looking good, Ned Stark. Watcha up to?"

"Am going swimming."

Elly placed his hands on his waist in front of a glass partition where Alex stood on the other side, watching. Inside the D.E.O. headquarters was a containment room where he was standing alone on his red and grey striped boxer briefs surrounded by bright white cushioned walls, marble floors and a full length viewing window. Wireless monitoring patches were sticking all over his robust body. Through the safety goggles covering only his eyes, he can see two blurry figures on the other side of the window which he knew belonged to his mom and his Uncle Brainy.

A bit earlier, he watched his mom take a small vial of blood sample from his right arm and drew dots and circles on his left that changed to different colors.

"Did it hurt?" Alex asked him, a soft smile on her face.

"No."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, you know you're good at this."

"Favorite color." She whispered and winked at him.

Elly smiled as he watch her stick a red colored plaster on his arm over the needle wound and gently kissed it.

 
"You okay in there?"

Alex's voice boomed from the speakers and he's back inside the white room.

"Yup."

"Listen sweetie, I need you to give your loudest sneeze for me, so I'm going to release some cinnamon smoke in there, okay?"

"Okay!" He signaled with a thumb up.

"Ready?" Alex took a deep breath, her hand ready to press a button from the tablet she was holding.

Brainy noticed and looked at her. "He's going to be just fine."

"Ready!"

*..pffffff...*

Brown smoke started coming out from the corners of the ceiling and a green net of laser lights appeared to be surrounding him. The hissing sound stopped and a thin brown fog covered the whole room.

"Achoo!" Elly started sneezing.

The green laser lights glowed and some areas turned to yellow.

"Ah-hah...hachoo! Achoo!"

"A few more, sweetheart, you're doing great."

"Achooo! Hah...choo! HACHOOO!"

"Okay, we're done sweetie, good job! Thank you!"

Elly sniffed. White smoke came out of the ceiling and the floor seemed to suck the brown fog out of the room. A few seconds passed and the room was clear again.

"You alright in there?"

"Aye! Can I put some clothes on now?"

"How do you feel?"

He sensed anxiety from the sound of her voice. "I feel..." He slowly swung his arms alternately, one on his front, the other behind his back while swaying his hips sideways. "...fine, ma. Am okay. A bit hungry maybe?"

He heard Brainy's muffled snicker on the other side of the window and Alex clearing her throat.

"Attention agents!" Alex's voice boomed again inside the isolated room. "The wall has been breached! I repeat, the wall has been breached! A white walker wearing red and grey striped boxers has been found inside the premises!"

"MAAAAAAHAHAHA!!!" Elly laughed and ran towards the glass window. "Let me out of heeere!" He was smiling while leaning his cheek and belly against it and pretending to bang his fists.

He heard two muffled laughters from the other side of the window and someone sighed with relief.

"We're good. Everything is normal." He heard Brainy said.

"Oh, thank god. Whew!"

A door slid open and Alex walked in to meet him. She handed him his eyeglasses and helped him remove his safety goggles. She checked his face, eyes and throat.

"How was it?" Elly looked up at her as he put his glasses on.

"You did great!" Alex smiled and raised a fist at him who then returned the fist-bump. She started to remove the stick-on patches all over his body. "Everything is clear."

"So...I won't be breaking anything anytime soon?"

"Nope! You're good to go, sir."

Elly sighed and walked out of the room.

"Great job, El!" Brainy greeted him with a high-five which he also returned. He handed Elly his clothes.

"Thanks!" He grabbed his clothes and started wearing his pants.

"Time for pizza?" He asked Elly.

Alex was helping her son put his sweater on when they both looked at each other, wide-eyed.

"Umm...thanks Uncle B, but I...already had too much pizza last night, so..."

"Too much?" Brainy seemed surprised and confused.

"He was a goner. Ned Stark. Whitewalker." Alex whispered and drew a line on her neck with her hand.

"Oh."

"And I'm still full from breakfast. But thank you. Maybe next time?" His eyes wandered from Brainy to Alex, asking for her approval.

"We'll hold on to that, yeah?" Alex nodded at his son. "Brainy?" She nodded to him as well.

"Oh yeah, sure. And I'll...get back to my station."

"Can we go visit Aunt Lena?"

"I'm not sure if we can, sweetie. She's probably the busiest person I know and she's only here for today, so...you know, she got a lot of meetings to go to and work stuff to do..."

"Yah, I know." Elly looked a bit sad. "It's just that...she always send over food and stuffs to let us know that she's here, but we don't see her at all. Are you and Aunt Kara okay with that?"

"Well, first of all sweetheart...she's a boss, so..."

"You're a boss too but...you always have time for me."

"That is because I am your mom, smartypants." She gave her son a light boop on the nose with her finger. "I am required to make time for you."

Elly just smiled.

"And besides, your Aunt Lena is not just any boss, she's a big boss. THE big boss."

"Yeah, I get it. But will you please call or text her for me? I just wanted to thank her for the potstickers this morning."

Alex felt sorry for him. "I have an idea. I'll drop you off at CatCo later so you can hang out with your Aunt Kara and her friends for the rest of the day, and who knows? Maybe you'll bump into the big boss in the elevator?" She winked at him and his face lights up again.

"That's a great idea!"

 ---

The CatCo elevator opened and Kara came walking out of it; a bag hanging on her shoulder and a notebook in her hand. She lifted her eyeglasses as she headed towards her desk.

"Kara? This just came in for you. It's on your desk." Nia hands her a note as Kara passes by her desk.

"Thanks, Nia." She took the note and read it.

Kara, For Elly...if he drops by. -Lena

She wrinkles her brow in wonder what it was and looked at her desk from the distance. She smiled at the sight of a familiar yellow box sitting on top of it. She tapped her fingers on the table a few times and opened the lid of the box from her favorite donut place. The smell of freshly baked glazed donuts seemed to embrace her and there she found a second note stuck on the inside lid.

Twelve pieces make A dozen. Always.

For some reason, this note made her bite her lips just to hide a wide smile. It reminded her of something she said to Lena a long time ago about "picking up the pieces". She sat down looking at the little note, gently peeled it off and stuck it in a page of a planner filled with other sticky notes that she hides inside her desk drawer. Without any hesitations, she grabbed a donut and took a big bite off of it. Ugh, this never gets old.

A few desks away, James waved and walked towards her. She took two quick bites from her donut in an attempt to finish it right away.

"Any updates?" James looked around him and leaned on Kara's desk, covering her with his broad shoulders.

She chewed and with mouth still full she whispered, "About the twins? They got away again!"

"What else do you have on them? All I know so far was their aliases, Jack and Jill. Known as The Hunter Twins."

"Oh, they're really hard to catch, those two. They are worse than the Graves!" She swallowed and whispered. "The Trapper and The Tracker."

"You've mentioned that before,...Captain Rad warned us about them. Was he talking about the twins? Wait, he has two more friends?"

Kara nodded as she popped the last bite of donut in her mouth.

"So, who's who? Jack is the guy and Jill is the girl...?"

"No..." She swallowed and explained. "...Jack does not track and is not a guy, so it's the other way around."

"Ah, so it's Jill. Jill was the guy - tracker and Jack was the girl - trapper!?"

"Exactly! I was able to stop them from stealing a trailer truck, though. They are up to something, I just know it!" Another donut has been bitten off between Kara's teeth when James tried to take one from its box. She hit his hand lightly to stop him. "Hey! These are Elly's!"

James pulled his hand back with wrinkled brows and looked at her. "Then why are you eating Elly's donuts?"

"Because my name was in here, look!" She handed him the note that came with the donuts.

James read and blinked at the note and then at Kara.

"It's...half-mine, right? Almost?" 

 ---

Alex entered Lena's office with a small package in her hand.

"How was it? How is he?" Lena asked right away when she saw her door opened. She's been waiting for Alex all day.

"It was good, everything seemed to be normal. He was relieved to know he won't be breaking anything by accident anytime soon. And I brought you this." She placed the package on the desk and pushed it towards her.

Lena opened the box. Inside was a slim memory stick and a small vial of blood, cushioned with foam. Lena looked up at her. "Alex, you didn't have to."

"I know. It's just..." Alex paused to think of the most appropriate words to say. "I just want to make sure that I...we...didn't miss anything."

Lena stared at the contents of the box.

"And I thought you might find or come up with something that could help him...you know, in the future."

Lena looked up at her and nodded. "Thank you, Alex."

Alex turned to leave but as she reached for the door, she came to a halt. "He's at CatCo." She opened the door and disappeared.

 ---

"You've already had four?!?" A displeased Elly whispers as he looks at the contents of the box of donuts on Kara's desk.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. They're from my favorite donut place." Kara whispered, feeling apologetically guilty.

"I..." James innocently raised his hands and shook his head. 

"These just came in and a third is gone already? Why do you keep doing that?" Elly whispered to his aunt.

Feeling tensed, she tries to wriggle her way out of her nephew's interrogation. "Errmm...when I opened it...they just started singing to me. What else was I supposed to do?"

Elly blinked, took a deep breath and looked his aunt in the eyes. "You could've at least waited for me so we could sing back to them together!? Duh?"

Kara already knew Elly would say something like that and it made her smirk in relief. "And what would we sing then?"

"...Bismilah, we will not let you go..."

"Let him go! Ohh-hoho, dumpling..." She sang along and snickered, pulls her nephew close and filled his forehead with kisses. "I'm really sorry, it was kind of a rough day for me."

"It's okay, there are still plenty of survivors in here anyway." He sniffs and looked hungrily on the donuts as Kara smiles at him lovingly.

"You think she's gonna come by?"

Kara felt a bit caught off-guard from his question. Elly has always been like this whenever he hears that Lena is in town. "Umm...I'm not sure." She looked out the office window trying to think of what to say. The sun is almost setting and for all she know, Lena might be heading back to Metropolis right at this moment. "Anyway, I have to go out for a meeting in like, ten minutes, so I'm gonna have James, Nia or Eve look after you for a little while."

"Don't worry about me, I don't wear diapers anymore. And I'm gonna be just fine with these beautiful donuts."

"Leave some for me, then?"

"Erm...I'll have to think about that."

"Please?" Kara blinks at him with her puppy eyes.

"I'll have my own little meeting here with the donuts first and then..." Elly giggled. "You don't have to ask, you know."

"I know." She winked and smiled back at him. "I'll be back for you." She whispered to the box of donuts before snatching her purse to leave.

"See you later, potsticker." Elly waved a donut to his aunt.

"Laters, Danvers. Love you."

Kara walked her way to the elevator, checking that her mini recorder is in her purse and was a few steps away from the private elevator when it's doors opened.

"Oh!" Lena froze and was more surprised when she realized it was Kara that she almost bumped into. "Kara?!"

Kara looked up and was just as surprised. "Lena!" She felt like her heart and time itself has stopped right in front of her eyes that she almost forgot how to breathe and blink. "Oh, hey..." she stuttered.

The elevator door was about to close again when Lena remembered to quickly step out of it while holding the door. Kara on instinct, was able to hold the door first, exactly right where Lena's hand landed. They gazed at each other's twinkling eyes for a second, both wide in surprise, their chests slowly rose and fell in sync. They pulled their hands quickly almost at the same time too, as if burned by each other's touch.

"Hey, it's been a..."

"I was just about to..."

"I just dropped-by to see..."

"Aunt Lena!"

Kara turned to see that it was Elly who yelled in surprise and came running towards Lena.

"Elly! Hey there!" Lena almost kneeled to take him in her arms, her eyes tearing up at the very sight of him. She was touched to feel how his embrace was just as tight as hers. "Oh, look at you! You've grown so big, wow!" She looked and smiled at Elly who was smiling back at her like it was the best day of their lives.

Kara can't help but smile at the sight of the two hugging, knowing that Elly have been looking forward to seeing Lena since this morning. "I need to go. It's nice to see..." Elly caught and tugged on her hand. He pulled her down so fast to join the hug and the next thing she knew, she was holding Lena and Elly in her arms. Her heart was beating so fast but she stayed in the group hug anyway, her nose buried into Lena's long dark hair, its scent filling her lungs.

Click! Click! Click!

Kara suddenly stood up breaking away to see James with his camera. "I gotta run! It's really nice to see you again,...boss." She found herself feeling breathless but managed to say it before closing the elevator doors.

"You too,...Kara."

Inside the elevator, she heard Lena sniff and laughed softly at something Elly just said. She was glad to be able to catch things with her super hearing but found herself not fast enough in that very second to let a tear roll down her own cheek.

Chapter Text

"Focus Kara, focus!"

I had to say that out loud to stop myself from walking too fast or to crash into things. I don't know why I kept running away from her. No one and nothing in this entire multiverse has ever affected me this way. There's always something about her that surpasses the effects of kryptonite on me. Discreet and subtle yet so loud and strong, it's awfully distracting.

Five years should be pretty long enough to forget the things you threw out the window, without having to check how or where they landed, right? But why does it still feel so weird whenever she's around? I mean, a lot has changed alright, but we're not totally in bad terms either or...maybe...oh no, I just walked past two buildings away from where I'm supposed to have an interview for the story I was working on, so I have to go back before it's too late and...what floor was that again? Oh, shoot! This is not until tomorrow.

__________________________

Vanilla and Band-Aids. That's what Aunt Lena smells like. She always looked so pretty and graceful in her long dark hair and red lipstick, like the big boss that she is. She's probably the busiest person I know. I wasn't expecting to see her just as happy as I was. It was like the going to the carnival for the first time and you have to see it before you miss it because it will be gone pretty soon. Just like now, I just watched her helicopter fly away and vanish into a small dot in the horizon. In Aunt Lena's case, I only see her during the holidays but most of the time, she sends over sweets or snacks when she's in town and send gifts for my birthday. It's another cool thing about her. She doesn't see me or talk to me in a regular basis but she never forgets my birthday. I've never told anyone about this but she gets me the coolest gifts ever.

She gave me Leo when I was three, a lion plush toy I can't sleep without with a sleek mane that I could change to a mohawk or one sided emo or whatever hairdo I want, which by the way I brought to school a few times for show and tell; an air rocket ship model for my 5th birthday that took me a week straight of after school to assemble, which I never got to disassemble again because I don't want to break it; and on my 7th, I received the coolest, minimalist red and black chess set I've ever seen, so cool I can't even let it leave the house. I can really say that she is my coolest aunt. I hope aunt Kara won't get jealous, though. Or was she? I heard her sniffling when she left.

What's with her and Aunt Lena anyway? Things get so weird whenever they're in the same room.

__________________________

"Ms. Luthor, we're landing in five minutes."

I almost forgot I'm in a helicopter headed back to Metropolis. It's only been ten minutes since I left CatCo and my heart is still beating fast from the sound of Elly's voice that's still ringing in my ears. I can't believe I get to see him fully awake even for a little while. And her. He still smells the same, his brown hair flowed the same way and his eyes were just as cheerful as hers. His cheeks, lips and chin...everything about him is almost like her, except for the shape of his face. That jawline was mine. And the way he smiles with his eyes...how could I ever forget?

The very first time he opened them and how he smiled at me felt like I was on top of the world. Like I could do absolutely anything. It was the same time I promised that nothing and no one could ever keep us apart, the first time I held him.

She held me. She had her arms around me. I felt her heartbeat against my back, her breathing in my ear. It's been a very long while. And in that short moment somehow, and again, I felt safe and complete.

__________________________

... about a year ago ...

__________________________

"Say hi to Ruby for me, alright? Thank you for the update, Sam. Good night." Lena hangs up and the door to her office swung open. "Alex! I was surprised to hear you were coming, is everything okay?" Lena said without looking up from her laptop, sitting behind her desk.

"What is this?" Alex curiously asked as she gently dropped an opened black gift bag in front of her.

Lena leaned back to her chair with a puzzled look on her face, eyed on the bag in front of her and then to Alex. "It's...my gift for Elly's birthday."

"Look, Lena...I really appreciate the gesture, but...please..." Alex never really had the chance to rehearse this conversation in her head.

Lena looked at Alex and paused for a moment to process what the director was trying to say. "It's just a chess set, Alex," she got up from her chair and poured herself a glass of wine. "I heard he's getting pretty good at it. You got to start giving them the motivation they need while they’re young, you know, from one prodigy to another." She turned around with a smile and winked at her.

Alex was dumbfounded. "We had an agreement, and I have been gracefully keeping my part of the deal. He is a Danvers now."

"Wait, what exactly is going on in here?" Lena asked with half a smirk on her face, shaking her head.

Alex points at the bag, her eyebrows raised. "I'm sure I can give him the things that he'd want and need, and I'd do anything -ANYTHING for that kid and you know it. This feels inappropriate, alright, but you don't ever get to make fun of that." Alex was still calm. "He’s only seven years old, Lena. I don't think he would want a chess set embellished with gemstones?"

Lena was stunned. “Oh.” Lena sighed looking peeved and dumbfounded herself, laid her glass down the desk while her other hand landed on her waist. "Listen, I'm sorry if it all came out wrong. I didn’t mean to upset you or be inappropriate in any kind of way but I am also keeping my end of that deal...”

Alex was not convinced. She looked at Lena with narrowed eyes, trying to sort out the truth from the lies or if there’s even any.

“...it’s just a misunderstanding because I was sure I asked Jesse's new assistant to pick a specific, surefire red kind of chess set. Elly mentioned that red was his favorite color?"

Alex had an uncomfortable look on her face. "Ugh, no."

Lena seemed to read her thoughts. “That wasn’t red, was it?” She took a sip from her glass.

“I'm pretty sure they were sapphires.” Alex sighed shaking her head, sank in the nearest chair with her palm on her forehead. She let out a short silent laugh of relief. “I just...I thought you were trying to...ugh! It looked like an antique, I thought it was a family heirloom or something." It was too late when she realized she should've just kept that to herself. "I’m sorry, I over reacted.”

“I know I can never be as good as a mother like you, so...I just thought I could try to be the cool aunt instead.” Lena nooded as she smiled at her. “Elly is a Danvers. See, this is the exact reason why I chose you to take care of him.” Lena went towards the window and looked out into the city. “If I were you, I would probably react just the same. That's what mothers would do on instinct.” Lena raised her glass to Alex and took a sip. "Someone's probably gonna get fired, for sure." Lena sighed.

“Oh no, please don't."

Lena chuckled. “Look, I’m so sorry for the trouble. I’ll send him a new one, and I will even pick it up from the store myself if I have to.”

“Thank you, Lena...for everything. And for being so cool with all this."

“Don’t mention it.”

Then there was an akward silence.

"Okay, so umm...I’ll just...see myself out. Good night.”

Lena nodded and watched her walk out as the double doors close behind the DEO director. She then took the gift bag from her desk, pulled the chess set out and down the coffee table, feeling somewhat aggravated and relieved. When she opened it, white and blue chess pieces rolled and sparkled out of the board. She sat down the couch with her drink and stared at the mess all over the table. She took a deep breath and shook her head. "Danvers."

There's something admirable about the Danvers sisters. Alex and Kara always have each other's backs as if they were bonded by blood, even if the latter was adopted. I somehow wish my relationship with Lex was like that. It was never easy being a Luthor. Even if I have tried and done my best, it's still not enough. There's always something missing or something much worse to come and it feels like I can't have it all at once.

She took a sip from her drink.

But he can. A loving family to support and help him become the person he wants to be...it doesn’t matter what his name is.

She took a queen piece and looked closely at its embellishments.

Who takes care of him, what he knows or doesn’t know...everything on the surface doesn’t really matter as long as he’s safe.

She threw the queen back to the rest of the chess pile and took a knight piece.

The world doesn’t need to know who he really is.

She looked at it closely, at the bottom was a small engravement of an “L” in black letter style. She ran a finger over it and put it upright, beside her drink on the coffee table.

I can’t allow him to grow up carrying all the burden of being in this family.

Chapter Text

It was a cloudless night and everything seemed to be so quiet as she was looking down the city lights and admiring the bird's eyeview of The Girl of Steel Statue when the captain's voice over the comms snapped her out of it.

"We're landing in five minutes."

The deafening sound of the chopper and cold night breeze welcomed her when they landed on the LCorp helipad. It's that time of the year again to pay a quick visit to her private lab in National City.

She walked through her office, past the secret door and down the labyrinth of corridors, taking the exact same turns to her destination which she still knew like the back of her hand.

"Project Wrinkle."

It took a couple more seconds than usual for the voice activated system to recognize her command. A doorway concealed behind the walls slid open for her. The lab felt darker and colder now that it’s almost empty, with only a football-shaped isolation pod left standing in the middle of the room that could fit a full grown man inside, which turned out to be too big to move. Or maybe, not really. It's still good enough reason not to get rid of the Isis pod. The toys, books, music player and the rest of the things that used to fill this room now rests in concealed shelves lying underneath the very floor.

This was Elly's room.

It’s been three years already since she decided to move back to Metropolis, her hometown. She comes here only on special occasions, sometimes, more often when she just feels too much of everything. It’s the only place in the building where she can think clearly and she likes how quiet it is in here. She pressed a button on a tablet she was holding, powering up the pod and the viewing window slid open. She closed her eyes as she took a whiff of the scent that came out of it.

“It still smelled like you,” she said out loud, putting a small glass of scotch that she brought along from her office, down the mattress of the pod.

Your dirty diaper days. It was a short while, but...I still remember. Even that time when this room was filled with music from Beethoven and Mozart for straight hours each day? I even hang out here to do most of my paperworks as I watch your little body twitch. You looked like a pale frog back then. You were so frail, I was expecting you'd fail but you didn't. And day by day, you kept growing stronger, proving me wrong.

”The sound of your laugh...” She sat on the edge of the pod.

When we played peek-a-boo while I was taking a short break from work? And I still remember how it felt like when I first heard you cry. You were so strong, you made your way out of that sac on your own. I was so impressed and amazed. Also that very first time you opened your eyes and smiled at me...and when you started floating around like a balloon and how I chase after you...

“Making use of the Daxam technology and all the sleepless nights were so worth it.”

You came out so perfect even if you can finish about a dozen bags of your formula in one day. And that time I decided to illuminate images of the galaxies inside your pod? I watched for hours how you stared at your ceiling. And when I didn't see you for almost a whole day, you cried and cried until I fell asleep on your bed with my feet hanging out the edge only to wake up to you, resting happily on top of my chest.

She pressed another button and a projection of the outer space filled the ceiling of the pod. She lied down the mattress and stared at the stars. “I hope you like my gift this year. I’ve never missed a single birthday or Christmas.”

At least we had your first birthday party together. We had a really good laugh, that day. You were so mesmerised with the lighted candle, that I slightly panicked when you tried eating the burning wick. And when you finished your pudding cake, I still remember the way I laughed because you looked so cute with your frosting-filled face that I just had to kiss you. The next thing I know was you were laughing back at me because I got frosting all over my face too. It was just you and me, laughing and making memories in this very room.

She sat back up to take a sip from her drink.

I heard the plush lion I gave was your favorite? And you named him Leo. It smelled like me, didn’t it? To keep your dreams sweet and your nightmares away. That's your own secret catnip, you weird little baby. I’ve been keeping my promises to you, you know? And giving you all the best things I never received when I was your age...things that money can't ever buy.

“I was there when you won your first chess tournament.”

I’ll get you your own chess set next year. You have no idea how proud I am and I can’t wait to see you grow into the man you’re destined to be. But for now, while you're still young, have a great life.

She went back to her tablet to close the pod and turn the lights off. She sighed with a smile on her face and glimmer in her eyes, her usual drink in her hand.

"Happy 6th birthday, Leopold Eddrick.” She raised her glass and drank it empty, leaving a red lipstick mark on it's rim. She walked out of the lab, leaving only the sound of her heels echoing within the walls of the Wrinkle Room.

Lena finds nothing more annoying than taking this walk down the corridors back to her office with tears in her eyes. It brings back painful memories. Still felt like the longest walk she ever had to take when she decided to give him away and the very same scenarios that took place between these hallways, her mind automatically replays once every year. It was like walking all over her own dreams, over and over again; feeling the same sadness, fear and most of all, the feeling of pure resent towards Lillian or perhaps the fact of being a Luthor can't ever be changed. Whenever she feels total bliss, Lillian would always do something horrible to destroy her joy. It's always been that way ever since she was little.

You will still never win.

That night was the same as this; cloudless, cold and quiet. It was getting late and the dinner meeting that took longer than expected was about to turn into a small private party of National City's most rich and powerful when she decided she'd rather go home and get some rest. Whatever excuse she made up that night just to get away from that gathering was convincing enough to get herself sitting in the back of her car, just in time to see another vehicle speed away suspiciously from the LCorp tower.

On instinct, Lena dashed to her office, speeding past the few surprised employees making their way out of the almost empty lobby. Her breathing was as fast as her heartbeat as she pulled up the security footages on her laptop from the last hour. With shaky hands, she browsed through the footage of the Wrinkle Room and her knees almost buckled. She didn't have the time to watch the whole damn thing but sure enough, someone has broken into Elly's room.

How was that even possible!? 

She ran as fast as she can through the labyrinth of corridors, almost stumbling at every turn and her tears...she wasn't even aware that she was crying. When she reached the entrance to the Wrinkle Room, he called out for his name even before the doors opened.

"Elly!? I'm here!"

She ran towards Elly's pod only to find it open and empty.

No.

She looked around the lab but nothing seemed to be out of place. Everything is working fine and exactly right where they are supposed to be. Except for Elly.

"No, no, no! Elly?! ELLY!"

Finally, her knees gave in. She collapsed onto the floor, sobbing and breathing like there was no air and as if there was a brick inside her chest, heavy and blocking her airways. The room started spinning. Or was it the floor? Or maybe just her head? She tried to get up by grabbing the edge of a nearby table but it ended up crashing on the floor, scattering everything that was on it. She screamed in frustration, flinging her arms and sending books of Peter Pan and Pinocchio in the air as she attempts to stand again but her knees kept failing.

Was it weird that her cry didn't have any sound? Or it did but she just can't hear it? She took a deep long breath and let herself bawl as loud as she can. She almost felt a bit of release but was suddenly interrupted by a silent sound from somewhere inside that room. She held her breath to listen closely, her eyes scanning the dark parts of the room. She heard a sound again, this time she knows she was looking right where it came from. And like a balloon stuck high up the darkest corner of the ceiling, she saw it. Then with a rush of adrenaline like a bolt of lightning, she was able to stand up with her knees back in full strength.

"Elly?!"

And her eyes lit up after hearing his low grunt in response. "Wrinkle? It's me, mom's here! Come, you're safe now!" Lena's voice was trembling but it was soft and gentle. Curled up like a ball, Elly descended slowly from the ceiling and drifted towards her.

"It's just you and me now, come here." She stretched her hands up to meet him mid-air and the moment her hand touched his back, she was able to breathe again. She can feel him shivering and his skin was cold as ice. When she saw his face, she can't help but cry. His little face was pale pink, filled with tears and snot and he was breathing through his mouth, making his sobs almost soundless.

Smart boy, you know how to hide.

She held him in her arms while giving him back rubs and gentle kisses, trying to calm him down and bring back warmth in his little body. "I'm right here, sweetie. Shhh...you're safe now, I'm right here."

Elly started making long soft grunts as if telling her what happened while she was gone.

"Tell mommy what they did to you. Did they hurt you?" She started checking every inch of his body for traces of wounds, bruises or scars but there was nothing. Or if ever there was any, probably, it has already healed. Elly rested his head right below her cheek, his warm breath blowing gently on her neck as he kept blabbering softly in between silent sobs. She patiently listened and whispered comforting words to him. "I got scared too. I thought I lost you." She lightly kissed his temple. They kept at it for a while until his shivering has stopped.

She turned to the pod to have him cleaned but when she was about to put him down the mattress, he burst into tears again, his hands gripped tightly on the collar of her shirt. "Okay, okay, I'm not putting you back in there but we'll have to clean up your snotty little face, okay? Let's get out of here." They headed out the lab, towards her office with Elly's little arms clinging around her neck. She didn't mind that she was carrying him in his full weight because her mind was wandering somewhere else.

She made sure the doors of her office were locked and showed Elly the view outside her window. He was still sobbing. The night sky was clear and the moon was peeking behind a skyscraper in the far distance when Lena started to sing:

"Melancholy moon, why are you hiding from me?
Way behind the clouds, far away for me to see. 

Melancholy moon, I miss the sparkle in you eyes, remember the last time you looked at me, I smiled?  Oh, don't be shy..."

Elly seemed to have calmed down from the sound of her voice and the twinkling lights coming from the buildings but his eyes stayed wide awake in awe of the world outside. At times like this, she would normally find herself drinking her heart out. But ever since Elly came, she had kept her alcohol consumption to a bare minimum and only when necessary. With one hand, she poured a serving of scotch in a glass and let it breathe inside her office.

"Melancholy moon, do you take so much to light?
Watching me walk towards your guiding light.
Melancholy moon, is that a frown wrong side up or is it simply a smile up side down?  Oh, don't be shy..."

For some weird reason, this scent alone never fails to calm him down and make him sleep. She took a small sip from her glass and sat down on her office chair, facing the balcony. With Elly still in her arms, she started cleaning him up with a warm towel.

"Melancholy moon, please tell me what you see.
Above the clouds, your love abounds,
Beyond it all so I may be...
Melancholy moon, I speak to you this way,
Hoping you're hearing me though you are far away..."

Elly's sobbing has finally stopped and his weight started to lighten, indicating that he is starting to fall asleep. He snuggled closer to her neck, his ear over her chest listening to her singing and her heartbeat.

"Cause you are my faithful witness.
And you are, you are my ever watchful eye..."

She looked at their reflection on the glass windows as she took his little hand to kiss.

"You never slumber or sleep,
Your fingers on my heartbeat.
At the end of the day I pray..."

He started breathing slower and deeper. He finally fell asleep. She kept singing even if her eyes started to burn again.

"...you'll find me faithful, you'll find me..."

Warm tears slowly rolled down her cheeks as she made up her mind.

"...you'll find me faithful, you'll find me...again."

Chapter Text

"I'm sorry for calling in on you at this hour, Director, but thank you for coming in such short notice." Lena gets up from her chair to shake hands with Alex.

"You asked for me, so, this must be important," looking a bit surprised with Lena's unusual formality, Alex shook her hand anyway. "How've you been?"

"Good. Take a seat and make yourself comftable." She offered the couch to Alex as she shuffled through and took some file folders from her desk. "And you?"

"Same." Hiding behind that long dark hair in a neat high ponytail and cherry red lipstick, Alex noticed the pale skin, dark circles under the eyes and a troubled look on Lena's face. She's exhausted, sleepless and from the faint scent of alcohol in an office this huge, been drinking a lot more than usual. "So...what's going on?" Alex asked as she sat down.

"I...have been working on something for the past few months and...I realized I needed some help from someone within your expertise.” Lena was trying her best to find the right words to say.

“I’m listening...”

“To be honest, I can't think of anyone else more suited for this case." Lena laid down the folders on the coffee table right in front of Alex and handed her the red one.

She reached out to take it but Lena pulled it back a bit, as if hesitating.

"It’s...something off-the-record." Lena looked her in the eyes, waiting for a reassuring response but Alex just blinked at her and took the folder anyway.

She opened it and read; "Project Cadmus 13?" she wondered as she carefully studied and flipped through the file.

"That file was found in one of my brother's lab years ago. I'm sure you've heard of it. Scotch?" Lena observed the look on Alex's face as she poured herself her usual serving.

"Thanks, but I'm good. Umm...yeah, I've heard about this before. Superman found the lab and destroyed everything." Alex said while opening another folder.

Everything? Lena thought to herself. "Now, that one was found in another Cadmus lab a few months ago." Lena sat down and took a sip from her glass, trying to read Alex as she curiously went through the files.

"They're making clones again...with human and alien DNA. Oh, but this is recent." Alex wasn't really surprised after seeing the last folder. "Lillian?" She said, taking a good guess who was behind it.

"Well, it's not a secret that it's been my family's obsession for decades. I'm not surprised that my mother continued working on this since Lex supposedly died in prison." Lena shook her head and took another sip, her eyes still on Alex. "You know how my brother is and his habit of hiding his precious toys around the planet, while my mother spent her life looking for them to do her thing, you know, to keep the family legacy."

"And she almost did it!?" Alex exclaimed while flipping through the pages, her eyebrows raised.

Lena sighed. "Turns out she found her way for LCorp to deliver supplies to her lab without my knowledge so I confiscated everything in there that could get me in trouble." her gaze never left Alex. "I'm sure you can imagine what my mother would do and the risks she’s willing to take to get all of these...back." she paused and gestured on the folders with another heavy sigh. "And cleaning after the Luthor name, it’s...,” she paused and shook her head in disappointment of not being able to put her thoughts into words.

Alex lowered the file she was reading to give her a short empathetic look. You’ve had too much scotch for today. I wish Kara was here, she’d know exactly what to say to you. She felt sorry for Lena and she understands now why Kara have been very protective of her.

“...it’s like cutting one head off of a Hydra; another two grows back." She took a sip of scotch and smirked. “I can't believe I still had to join their game of hide-and-seek out here while they chill and enjoy their time behind bars. But of course, there is nothing to do but to clean after her mess; and the good news is...I was able to stop her this time."

Alex closed the last folder and gazed at her, still wondering what kind of help Lena would ask her for. "So what can I do for you?"

Lena held her gaze and took a last sip of scotch without blinking. She took a deep breath before saying, "Let me show you something." She laid her glass on the table and stood up.

Alex, still curiously wondering, stood right up and followed after her. "How bad is it?" They have entered a hidden door from Lena's office and they're now walking in a long empty, well-lit corridor.

"You'll see." Lena stated and glanced at her watch, a medium-sized tablet in her hand. After a few minutes of walking and turning a few lefts and rights in what felt like a labyrinth of corridors, Lena went to a halt and blurted out, "Project Wrinkle".

Alex stood behind her and the wall on their left slid upwards, exposing a small empty room. They went inside and the wall suddenly slid back down, sealing them both inside and it started to move downwards. Or maybe upwards, Alex wasn't sure but she knew it an elevator. She still managed to keep her cool when green laser lights that started to scan them from bottom up, suddenly flashed red.

"Lena Luthor," Lena was calm, saying her own name loud and clear. "Now, state your name," she whispered to Alex.

"Alex Danvers." Her voice remained clear and calm, masking her nervousness. She felt relieved she didn't stutter. Red laser lights scanned her whole body a few times, and then the lights turned to green again. The D.E.O. definitely needs an upgrade. When the elevator and lasers stopped, steam suddenly came out of nowhere and another wall slid open. "You have them here, don’t you? The test subjects?" She blurted out, taking note of the impervious and impressive security.

Lena lead the way out of the elevator. "Don't worry, this lab is fully restricted and only I have access to...until today." She looked at Alex with tired eyes but she was smiling. "And it's - a subject. Just one."

They have entered a dim-lit laboratory with a few lit monitors and an isolation pod in the middle.

Alex looked at Lena after hearing the last two words. "Where's the rest of them?" She curiously asked, her eyes scanning the whole place as the lights turned on.

"Expired and incinerated." She took a blue folder from a monitoring desk. "Except for this one, Subject 15-03c," handing the file over to Alex.

"For what reason?" Alex gave her a puzzled look before flipping through the pages while Lena stood beside the pod, pressed a button on her tablet and a viewing window opened on top of it.

"I can't." She looked back at Alex, who's still going through the subject file. "Look at this. He's just too perfect."

"He?" Alex looked up from the folder, walked towards the pod and thought that whatever "he" is in there gave a good impression to the LCorp's CEO. Her eyes went wide as she peered into the window and look closely. "It's a..." Alex can't believe what she's seeing that the folder slipped from her hands.

"He was about three months old when I found him in my mother's lab. I've been keeping him here for about a year now." Lena explained.

The inside of the pod seemed to be cushioned and a little human-looking baby boy, wearing nothing but a diaper and a thin strip of shiny metal around his wrist was lying on his back, stretching its arms inside the pod as if he had been awakened from a good nap. He was fair skinned, chubby cheeks, with brown hair and a pair of blue-green eyes that started to tear up.

"But how? I-I thought it was impossible?" she remembered what her mother said about the probability and incompatibility of alien-to-human DNA, but there it was, right in front of her. A few seconds more and the little creature seemed to sob in her presence. To her surprise, the viewing window suddenly opened as the baby slowly rolled to his side then onto his belly and started crawling towards the opening. "Wha..." The baby seemed to be scared, teary eyed and was looking past her.

"Ummm..." He grunted and silently sobbed, calling out to Lena.

Lena smiled and stretched out her arm to meet the baby. "Shh, it's okay, Elly. Someone's just paying you a visit," she lifted Elly, who cooed in response with teary eyes wide open, looking so curious of the new person inside the room. “How was your nap? Good?” The baby in her arms answered with a grunt as she walked towards Alex. "You can hold him. He's a good boy."

Alex was still baffled, not knowing how to respond. But the next thing she knew, she was already holding the baby. She can't help but smile at the sight of him. Oh, his eyes....his eyes. The baby felt so light and warm in her arms and her heart melted the instant it smiled back at her. "Hey, little guy,...Elly?” she looked Lena who nodded in approval. “I'm Alex.” Elly cooed and she felt her eyes start to burn. She was not prepared for this and was totally caught off-guard. According to the file, she was actually holding an 13-month old baby, composed of half human and half alien DNA that is now getting heavier by the minute.

"He likes you." Lena smiled back at her, knowing that bringing Alex here wasn't a mistake.

"Wait, his file didn't mention which kind of alien DNA was used." Alex raised her eyebrows at Lena.

"His data was missing and his subject number was all I could retrieve from the old lab. I wasn't able to trace his origin, though, I ran my own tests and included everything else I found on that last file." Lena said what she had to say.

"U-huh." Alex didn't look so worried at all but seemed to be more distracted with the baby in her arms, rocking him gently side to side. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" She asked him, noticing the metal band on his wrist while he just stared back at her quietly. "What is this bracelet?"

"It keeps him stable. It emits a certain frequency preventing his vitals from spiking erratically. It seems he's at a different frequency than us normal human beings. But he doesn't have his powers yet. Or if he even has any."

"But he's still half human and...he has your brother's DNA, so...what's going to happen to him now?" Alex snapped back to reality.

“Half-brother. Well...” Lena took the baby from her and carried it back to its pod. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave that decision to you, Director.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve said a while ago, you are the perfect fit for this case. You've known how to handle anything extraterrestrial for quite a while. I trust you, I know you have all the means, and I know that you'll always do the right thing.”

She looked at the baby in Lena's arms. He was smiling and contently looking at the person carrying him as they speak. She laid the baby down and closed its pod.

“So, it's either you hand him over to the D.E.O., study him further, wait for his powers to develop and make use of it...or...”

“Or what?”

Lena took a deep breath before turning to Alex. “You can raise him as your own.”

Alex blinked for a moment and opened her mouth but no words came out.

“All you need to do is promise me one thing; we cannot let anyone else, especially my mother get a hold of this baby."

"Wha-? This is...” Alex was pacing slowly and at loss for words. Is this some kind of a dream?

“Off-the-record." Lena reminded her.

"Right."

"You’ve seen all his files but any copies of it cannot leave this premises. You can read them again if you want, memorize them, but as soon as he leaves this building, the files will have to be destroyed."

"Leave no trace."

"Exactly."

"Wait...so I really can..." Alex nodded slowly along with her hand gestures and also trying to read what’s in Lena’s mind at the moment.

“I’ll handle all the legal works. Birth certificate, adoption papers...all the documents you'll need.”

Alex stayed silent for a moment, trying to absorb everything that is happening and to regain her composure at the same time. What am I gonna do? What am I supposed to do?

“Please say something.” Lena was just as anxious.

“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just...this is just happening way too fast.” Alex was starting to breathe heavily perhaps in excitement.

“Okay...?”

“And you just sounded like you...can’t wait to get rid of him. Lena, he's still a baby...”

“My mother doesn’t know that I have him here, but I am sure her minions are looking all over for him. He can't stay here. I’m afraid they will be on the move pretty soon so we’ll have to move faster.”

“Okay...?”

“If he stays with me, I'm afraid he might turn out to be just like...you know, my brother and we can't let that happen, right?"

"Oh, no. Please."

"So...? What’s it gonna be?” Lena took another deep breath.

“So when you said move faster, you mean, now?” Alex’s eyebrows were so high up her forehead and almost losing her composure again. "Lena, it's...it's not that simple!"

“Alex, you have worked closely with a lot of other alien species. You know more about them than I do.” Lena kept pushing her for a straight answer, knowing that Alex won't be able to say no. "There is no one else I can trust but you. You're the D.E.O. director, you can protect him, keep an eye on him and keep him safe. You're a great mom, I've seen how good you were with Ruby. You're his best chance at living a normal life."

Alex took her time to stay on top of all the things running inside her head. “Okay...I’ll keep him.” She finally answered, trying to hide her nervousness but her eyes twinkling with excitement. She has already decided the moment she held him.

“Very well,” Lena beamed, sealing the agreement with a firm hand shake.

Chapter Text

"Umm...diapers, bottles, baby food, check!" Alex was making a list of the things she needs. "A walker, a crib...or a bassinet maybe?" she turned to Elly who was quietly sitting up on her bed, watching her pace back and forth her studio apartment. 

"Ungghh..." Elly responded to her as if he was aware of what was going on.

"...a carrier, a high chair, a car seat...a car!" Alex pointed at him, remembering how scary it was to drive along the night lights of National City on her bike for the first time with a baby strapped on her chest. "You liked it, didn't you? The bike ride?" The baby just stared at her and she found herself raising both her fists in front of her as if riding a bike and saying "Vroom! Vroom!"

The baby seemed to understand what she was saying and let out a playful laugh, raised his arms up in the air with a smile on his face.

"Oh, I knew you loved it!" Alex almost felt relieved but then Elly, still laughing and waving his little arms, fell sideways on the bed. "Oopsie." She reached for the baby, gently grabbed him by the armpits and pulled him back slowly up to a sitting position. 

"We're definitely getting a car...a car...Kara!" She was almost yelling, making Elly jump a little in surprise. How could I forget about you and movie night? She sat on the bed, an arm around the baby on her side and started calling her sister. But the moment Kara's phone rang, she suddenly hangs up. "Wait, back-story...umm..." She remembers her agreement with Lena that no one should know about her connection with the baby. She looked at Elly, trying to make up a convincing story when he got a hold of her thumb and placed it inside his little drool-soaked mouth. It made her laugh. "Well this was harder than I thought." She has calmed down a bit from the thought of having to lie to her sister about the baby.

"Hm?"

"Huh? You're asking me what?" She looked the baby in the eyes and noticed the color of it. "Taking Lena out of the picture, that's what." His eyes were twinkling light blue-green, almost turquoise, like an exotic tropical sea glimmering under the sun. "It'll be our little secret, okay?" 

The baby just smiled at her, still nibbling gently on her thumb.

"Hungry?" She kissed the metal strip around his wrist and looked over at the duffel bag that Lena prepared for Elly, containing all the basic things he'll need for the time being. "You really caught me off guard, back there, sweetie." Suddenly, the baby jumped a little as her phone rang. It was Kara. She picked up her phone and tapped the green button.

"Hey! Sorry, I was about to call you back I..."

"You called and hang up, is everything okay? You can still come over, the movie just started and pizza's still warm."

"Yah, I'm okay. Sorry, something just came up."

"What happened?"

"Umm...Kara...?"

"Yah, what is it? Where are you?" She sounded worried.

It's one thing about her sister that always makes her smile. "I'm fine, Kara. I'm right here in my apartment, I just..." She took a deep breath and looked at Elly who is curiously looking back at her like he was eavesdropping. "Can you come over instead?" She gave the baby a gentle poke on the nose.

"Oh, as in like, right now? Are you sure you're okay?" Kara's voice sounded clearly worried over the phone.

"Yes, right now and yes, I'm okay. Just get in here."

"Oh, okay, I'll bring the pizza."

"See yah." Alex hangs up and lifted the baby on her lap. "Are you ready to meet your Aunt Kara?"

Elly cooed in response.

"Okay, here we go." She was holding Elly with both hands when she felt him jump a little again at the sound of a faint thud from the upper floors as they were standing up. "Oh, you're a jumpy baby." Then there was a knock on the door. 

Kara just arrived at her sister's apartment. A pack of beer and a large box of cold pizza in one hand and knocked on the door with the other. "Super fast, isn't she?" she heard Alex whisper.

"Come in!" Alex said loudly. 

Kara turned the knob and went right in. "Hey! I brought some beer too!" She went straight to the kitchen and laid down the food on the counter. "The pizza got cold cause it was so--" She froze at the very sight of her sister sitting on the bed, a chubby baby on her lap. "Whoa!" She gasped, her eyes wide in surprise. 

"Surpriiiise!" Alex said with a smile, her eyes tearing up at the look on her sister's face. 

"Wait, wha--? No..."

Alex just nodded.

"Alex...it's a...?!"

"It's a baby."

"Yeah. Wait, who's baby?"

"My baby." 

"That's your baby?" Kara blinked, thinking she might've just heard it wrong. Her jaw dropped. 

"Yes! This is my baby!" 

"You got a baby?!"

"I have a baby!" 

Elly burst out laughing at the sound that these two adults were making.

Kara gasped. "We got a baby!" Kara started to tear up as well. 

"I know, right?" Alex broke into tears, still smiling, realizing that what she just said out loud was something she had always dreamed of and has now finally started to sink in.

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" Kara, jogging in place shrieked in excitement. "Oh Alex!" Still teary and wide-eyed, she almost ran towards her sister with arms wide open and wrapped them both in the biggest, softest hug she could give. "Congratulations!" She whispered. 

They stayed there for a while, both crying with joy and letting it all sink in. Of all the people in the world, Kara knew just how much Alex wanted and waited for this. Her sister, her favorite person in the whole multiverse is finally getting her biggest dream come true. The thought made her smile. After all the silent crying and sobbing has died down, she broke the hug, kissed Alex on her temple and gave Elly a soft kiss on top of his head. "Wow! I can't believe that this is really happening right now."

"Yeah, me too." Alex smiled. "Elly, this is your crazy Aunt Kara. Kara, this is Elly."

"Hi, Elly! Oh, you're so cute! Look at you, you're so small." Kara tickled him on his belly with the biggest grin on her face and Elly giggled back at his aunt the whole time.

"You wanna hold him?" 

"Umm...no, he's too small and fragile and I don't wanna...you know...maybe next time? Why didn't you tell me? How could you keep something as big as this from me? I mean, this is...huge! Does Eliza know? Who else knows about this?" She was so excited and happy for Alex.

"I wasn't sure that I was gonna umm..." Alex was just at loss for words with all the truth and lies she had to impromptu but still managed to pull up a big smile from what she's really feeling as of the moment. "I just...I didn't want to jinx it, that's why. But he's here now. Who loved that vroom! vroom! again?" Alex turned to the baby, who cackled adorably.

"Wait, what?!?! You brought him here on your bike?!?!"

"I'm an excellent rider. We weren't going that fast."

"No way! You didn't get caught!? You're crazy!"

Alex just shrugged and smiled at her sister.

Kara turned to the baby. "Hey, when you grow up, don't try to pull up something like that, you hear me? You hear your Aunt Kara, huh?" She lightly poked his tummy again.

"Boo! Aunt Kara is being a grinch."

Elly snickered.

"And he agrees!" 

"What?!? You little...I remember Kal was about this small when we left Krypton. Oh, hey what is that on your wrist?"

"It's a...charm...to ward off the bad spirits. It's his lucky band, the guys from the...orphanage said it helps him sleep well and that he would cry all day without it."

"Oh. Lucky baby band for you...you cute little weirdo, Elly Danvers. Wuh! Danvers suits you."

"So...how should we break the news to them?"

"Oh! Oh! A baby shower?"

"A welcome party?"

"How about umm...on game night?"

"Or over dinner like...an announcement?"

"A-manaman bubb-bubba?" The baby suddenly butts in.

"What? You want to come out of a box?"

"Kara?"

"I think that's what he said. I can speak baby."

"No, I think he said...oops...uh-oh...I think he just dropped a bomb."

"Uh-oh. I..."

"Grab that bag and...maybe help me?"

"Uhh...sure, I still remember. I'll walk you through it." Kara rummaged through the bag and laid down the changing mat on the bed. "Ready?"

"This is it." 

"You got this, momma!"

"I got this!"

__________

Jonn, James, Kara, Nia and Brainy sat around the coffee table in Kara's apartment with freshly dealt Uno cards in their hands. 

"Ready?" Kara asks.

"Wait! Wait!" Nia hurriedly rearranged her cards when there was a knock on the door.

"Oh! It's Lena! Reshuffle!" Kara runs to the door to let her in.

"Oh no, I'm good. Hah!" Brainy refused.

"Me too!" James agrees.

"Uhh..." Nia looks at Jonn who just stares cloudily on his cards.

"Hey, you made it!" Kara greets Lena excitedly with a hug.

"Yah, sorry I'm late, I just..." She hugged her back.

"Oh no, don't worry about it. We just started. Come in!" 

"I brought some ice cream for...everyone."

"Oh! Wow, thank you." She closed the door and let Lena greet the others and pick up the spot beside hers.

"Where's your sister? Is she coming?" Lena looked around the apartment while sitting down.

"Oh, yeah. She'll bring pizza and um...someone."

"Woah! She's bringing a date to game night? Bring it on!" James said loudly to the Uno cards in his hand.

Nia was dealing cards for Lena when there was a soft knock on the door.

"Umm, guys? May I have your attention please?" Kara sounded a bit nervous but more excited as she opened the door. "Are y'all ready to meet him?"

"Did she just said, him?"

"Him?"

"Wait, what?"

"Oooh?"

Alex slowly entered with a baby boy in her arms. She gasped and everyone else in the room gasped loudly in unison as she walked towards them.

"Oooh..." Brainy and Jonn looked and nodded at each other.

"That's the him?" James sounded both surprised and excited.

"And who is this cute little guy?" Nia curiously asked.

Lena just kept quiet but she was smiling and seemed to be in high spirits like the rest. Then there was a sudden silence of excitement in the room.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet...little Elly Danvers!"

Everyone's jaw dropped, even Lena's as they cheered softly in disbelief. They all stood up to congratulate Alex and welcome the baby whom they just started passing around gently like a ball while introducing themselves.

"Lil' Danvers in the house! Yeah? Who's your favorite uncle now?"

"Alex! He's so cute and squishy. I'm afraid I might sneak him inside my purse and take him with me!"

"His fingers and toes are so tiny, they look like..." 

"Brainy?!?"

"Nevermind. So adorable."

"Oh, Alex. This is unbelievable! Finally! I'm so happy for you. Congratulations!" A teary-eyed Jonn hugged her tightly.

"You're officially a granddad!" Alex returned his hug.

"He can just call me Pops."

Elly being the center of attention seemed to be a bit confused and surprised with all the voices of new people surrounding and carrying him but he didn't look agitated. He looked happy and interested how they all seemed to be in high spirits, he thought. 

"Hey, Lena! It's your turn!" Kara noticed Lena was just watching the baby get passed around.

"Oh no, please. I-I don't know how to hold a baby."

"Come on, he won't bite. Here..." Kara gently took Elly like a pro from James who seemed to be so amused with the baby, taking a turn every time Elly gets passed around. "I was scared at first too but you'll get the hang of it. Just relax. Don't worry he's a good boy and he's pretty good at this." She almost shoved the baby into Lena's chest.

"Oh, hello Elly. How are you?" Please don't say mommy.

Elly was smiling excitedly, looking straight to her eyes and let out a squeal of laughter. Lena had no choice but to take him, knowing that Alex's eyes were watching. 

"See? He likes you!" Kara giggled at the sight of her best friend holding a baby at arms length, both smiling at each other as if it was the best day of their lives.

"Uh-oh. I think someone just got completely smitten." Jonn smiled.

"Uh-oh. I think the battle for the favorite aunt is over." James looked sideways at Kara.

There was a few more uh-ohs that echoed and eyes looking right at Kara.

"Wise choice, little one. Wise choice." Alex smirked as she opened a box of pizza on the table.

"Wha-?" Kara just held her hands up in the air, feeling betrayed.

Everyone in the room, even Lena snickered as the baby on Lena's lap giggled adorably and reached his little arms out to her. She gave in and held him close, wrapping his hands around her neck and resting his head comfortably on her shoulder.

"Aww, why do I feel a little jealous?" Kara was blushing while munching on a slice of pizza but in fact, she kinda loves what she's seeing. "And threatened?"

The whole gang exchanged looks and took their own slices, smiling, nodding to themselves, all in mutual understanding of whatever is in the air have been obvious too long enough that there is no need for any words for it. 

"But I'm glad you didn't named him Ned Stark." Kara broke the silence as she nodded to her sister and reached for another slice of pizza.

"Umm...well..."

Chapter Text

"Bath time, play time, nap time, you know the drill and where to find all his stuff?"

"Yup."

"Umm...don't forget his vitamins and make sure he drinks enough water. Always give him some vegetables; he likes broccoli and pumpkin, and make sure he burps after eating. There's also ice cream in the freezer, you can give him some and the pot stickers you requested as payment just came in."

"Hmmkay."

"I left his schedule with a list on the fridge, and...umm...what else? Everything you'll need is right inside these walls, so..."

"And you're just a phone call away, so yeah, I got it."

"I will check in every umm...three hours?"

"This is not my first time with your baby, Alex."

"I know, but..."

"We'll be fine for the next forty-eight hours. You'll be back in no time so just relax, I got this. You go get that bad guy." Kara sighed. "I can't believe you're gonna go out there without me."

"Well, Hailey wants me there. But Brainy's with me so there’s no need to worry. Are you sure Snapper is okay with this?"

“Well, yeah. I talked to James, said I could finish my article here. He actually wanted me to bring Elly in the office but you know what happens when this irresistible little bean steps in a room. I reminded him, “James, we all got work to do.”

“Oh, the power of this magic bean.” Alex kissed Elly right above his ear.

"Speaking of power, Clark is still in Argo City but you know there’s always plan S, right?"

"Um, no there isn’t. Not when plan S is also on a special mission."

"Um, yes there is!? You're forgetting we have our own army of friends named Nia, Jonn and the favorite uncle James who calls himself The Guardian for a reason, duh?"

Alex chuckled. "I know." She looked at the not-so-little baby boy perched on her hip who just turned two a couple of months ago.

Elly already knows his colors and red was definitely his favorite. He already knows the alphabet and can count from one to ten but he doesn’t talk much. He's already been walking and running around on his own but this afternoon, she wanted to carry him close to her while she prepares to leave for Metropolis. She ran a hand before sniffing on Elly's hair for a while and then gave him loud smooches on both his temples that made him chuckle.

"Mama has to go away for work so Aunt Kara's gonna take care of you, alright?"

"Come here, little Danvers, mama's gotta go."

"Oh, nooo." Elly clung his arms around Alex's neck.

"Ohh...We talked about this. I promise I'll be back in two days." She hugged him and rubbed his back.

"Two days?"

"Yeah, umm...when you sleep tonight, that's one night, and after you sleep again tomorrow night, mama's gonna be here when you wake up."

"Two nights? Willy?"

Kara held a hand over her lips that she was already biting to stop herself from giggling.

"Yeah, two nights." Alex blushed trying to hide her smirk, feeling a bit embarrassed being corrected by a two-year old.

"Pwomise?"

"Promise."

"Okay. I wew miss you."

"Aww. I'm gonna miss you too, sweetie." She inhaled his sweet baby smell to take with her before handing him to Kara, who took him gently in her arms without any difficulties.

"I'm a good boy, mama. I'm gonna watch my Auntie Kara for you, yeah?" Kara nods as Elly leaned on his aunt's shoulder.

"If something happens to him..." Alex raised her eyebrows.

"...I'll be on top of your list of names, I know!"

Alex smirked. "...call me. Okay?"

"Yes, Director Danvers."

"And if something happens to your Aunt Kara, you call mama, alright?" Alex snickered to Elly and kissed his hand a few more times, the last one landing on the lucky band around his wrist. "You're my little Ned Stark." She planted a last kiss on his forehead and turned to pick up her duffle bag and jacket, ready to leave.

"Be careful out there ma, I'll be waiting for you." Kara mimics a small voice, her eyes on Elly as he watches his mama leave. "Give mama a flying kiss and say, bye-bye mama."

Elly kissed his palm and waved his hand. "Bye-bye mama."

"We love you."

"Wuv you mama."

"Love you too." Alex returned the flying kiss and waved back to Elly. She knows he'll be a good boy but her sister...well, she nodded and pointed a finger to Kara, who nodded back at her with a smile. As she turned towards the door and was about to open it, she looked back at her sister. She wanted to say no flying but knowing Kara, it will only spark ideas into her head just like what happened two months ago, three days before Elly’s birthday.

They had a late, last minute debriefing at the DEO and she asked Kara to watch him after the nanny’s shift. Alex was only an hour late than her usual routine and was horrified to come home to an open window and empty apartment. It was warm and humid, that night and as it turns out, Elly had a hard time sleeping so the amazing Girl of Steel took him out on his first flight above the city. Kara was totally unapologetic. She remember almost passing out but she was too tired to argue and her sister’s words sounded too ridiculously familiar.

“Don’t be mad, he loved it!”

“You're cra-...ugh!”

And besides, Elly was indeed sleeping soundly when they finally arrived.

So she just pointed two fingers to her own eyes then to her sister who understood and reassured her with continuous nodding until she finally closed the door behind her.

"I can imagine you running after your mom, you know? How you would cling to her leg so she can't leave? That would be a good IG story, but sadly, you don't do that kind of stuff, do you?"

"Huh?"

"Is it just me, or you're some kind of a nerd like your Uncle Clark?"

"Huh?"

"Huh? No? So you're just being a good boy, huh, Ned Stark?"

"Huh???"

"Don’t fancy that nickie, do you, huh? I said you're stuck with me now and what do we have here?" They walked towards the large take home bag sitting on the kitchen counter and peered inside. The smell of Yeung Chow fried rice and layers of warm dumplings filled her brain. "Oh wow, that's like a week's worth of pot stickers. Look! We have lots and lots of pot stickers!"

"Pop-sicle."

"Yes, pot stickers." Kara just had lunch but the dumplings in front of her were still warm, she can't resist it. "How about a snack? These are my favorite. Oh, they're really good."

She propped Elly on his high chair that was standing inches away from the counter and took the dumpling containers out of the bag. She laid them on the counter until she reached the large box of fried rice at the bottom.

“There goes my dinner!” She said out loud after putting it inside the fridge along with two containers of pot stickers securely saving it for later.

Elly watched her curiously, probably wondering what's inside those white paper boxes.

Kara opened one, it’s smell wafted all over her face. She quickly popped a dumpling into her mouth and started cutting another with a fork into smaller bite-sized pieces for her nephew while she chewed. Oh, that juicy savory meat!

"You smell that? Oh, you want some too, don't you? I can tell cause you're already drooling all over your clothes. Hah!" She excitedly said, almost in a sing-song tone.

"Popsicle!" Elly impatiently yelled.

"Yeah, okay, just a sec-" Kara was suddenly startled with a screeching sound coming from a vehicle just around the corner and two consecutive crashes followed with gunshots. Her super switch went on.

"Don't move." She pointed to Elly as she popped another pot sticker in her mouth before laying the container of chopped dumplings on his high chair tray. Elly jumped a little from the sound of a soft swoosh but he was too occupied with the delicate smell of warm dumplings in front of him to even notice that his Aunt Kara has already flown out of the open window.

The scene was only three blocks away from Alex's apartment where a pickup truck seemed to have been speeding too fast, stopped abruptly and lost control causing it to swerve sideways and hitting a delivery van parked right in front of an electronics store. The impact was so strong that the delivery van crashed through the display windows and went halfway inside the store. A man from inside the van wearing a ski mask was angrily shooting at the pickup truck.

Supergirl arrived just in time to stop another round of gunshots and as it turns out, a burglary was also taking place inside the electronics store. In a flash, she managed to crush all their firearms with her bare hands and tied the masked guys up in a bundle for the police to find.

“Sorry, I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

"Help!"

A woman in her mid twenties, wearing a knee-high leather boots was trapped inside the store, stuck in a corner adjacent to the truck and a wall. Supergirl came to her rescue by slowly pushing the van out of the store and returning it back on the parking slot out in the front.

"Thank you, Supergirl! That was amazing!"

"Hitting two birds with one stone, eh?" Supergirl saluted the woman as she heard faint police sirens getting closer to the scene. She analyzed the situation with her super senses and luckily, no one appeared to be seriously injured so she prepared to take off. "Nice boots by the way."

"Yours too!"

Supergirl was already a hundred feet up in the air but she heard it. Well, that was quick. She smiled to herself as she headed back to Alex's apartment, slipping swiftly inside the same window she flew out of.

"Did you like your p-"

Coming from the kitchen where she left her nephew, a crow suddenly flew right above her head and out of the open window.

"Oh! Was that a...bird? Wha...Elly?" Kara rushed into the kitchen.

“Huh?” Elly, still sitting on his high chair, responded softly and looked right at her with hands, face and tray all messy with bits and pieces of potsticker skins.

“Finished with your pot stickers?” She looked around and her jaw dropped to see the take home bag in front of him was torn into shreds and the greasy paper containers were scattered all over the counter, each one of them open and empty.

“What happened here? Are you okay?” A wide-eyed Kara quickly searched her nephew for scratches, bruises, wounds or any kind of mark or proof of him getting hurt. Ten toes, ten fingers, a pair of eyes and ears still intact...she counted his pody parts.

“Mm-hm.” Elly nooded. “Bud eat popsicle!”

“Who did what?!” Kara stared at her nephew in utter disbelief. She stared at the mess again, feeling a little saddened by the sudden disappearance of her pot stickers but was more scared and guilty about leaving Elly for a few minutes. She can’t even imagine what a crow could do to a baby or think of any other word that won’t make her cringe. That bird could’ve gouged his eyes out or nibbled on his fingers hurt him. But she was relieved that it didn’t.

“Bud eat popsicle!”

“The bird ate the pot stickers? All of it?” She started cleaning up the mess after wiping his face with the napkins that came with the take out food.

“Yes! No.”

“What happened exactly, little Danvers? What did the bird do? Tell me.”

He blabbered some phrases that she didn't quite understand except for the last part. “Elly eat popsicles too.”

“Yes, because I left some on your tray. I just...looked outside the window for a few seconds and now it's...I can't believe it's all...”

BUUURP!

“...gone.” Kara smirked and shook her head. “That was...one big burp for a small baby.” Elly seemed like he wasn’t scared of the burglar bird at all. “Wait, how many potstickers have you actually…”

BUUUUURRRRRRRP!!!

“Uhh...” Her eyes went wider and immediately used her x-ray vision, only to be horrified to see the contents of Elly's tummy.

“Uh-oh. Elmo. Where is Elmo…there you are!” Kara handed him his Sesame Street sippy cup filled with water and Elly drank like there was no tomorrow. She bit her nails as she watched him carefully.

I should call Alex. She grabbed her phone and was about to press the dial button but something stopped her. It hasn't even been an hour since Alex left. She tapped the side of her phone to her lips and sighed, putting her phone down the counter and looked at her nephew who is now sticking Elmo's nose to his own, his eyelids getting heavier, ready for nap time. He looks just fine. “What color is Elmo again?”

“Wed. Elmo is wed.” He responded with his eyes half closed.

“Yup, that's right. You wanna go take a nap?" I hope he’s fine.

“Uhm.” He lightly nodded.

“Okay, time for your nap.” Kara took him out of his high chair and carried him over her shoulder, giving him back rubs as they walked slowly towards his crib.

BURP!

“Okay, here you go, little one.”

But she felt Elly cling around her neck tighter, refusing to be put down on his crib.

“I wanna nap on mama's bed.”

“Oh, you wanna use mama's bed?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, let's take a nap on mama's bed, then.” She laid him gently right in the middle of the king sizes bed and placed a big pillow on each of his sides.

“Do you want me to get your binky?” His pacifier was his only sleeping companion but he stopped using it about a couple of weeks ago.

“No.”

“Oh, okay. I'll be right here then.” She gives him a kiss on his forehead and sat on the edge of the bed to watch him drift off to sleep. How could you be this cute and innocent even after eating all my dumplings?

Elly rolled onto his side to face Kara with his eyes half open and placed an arm over the pillow, reaching out to her. “Hold hands?”

“Oh, okay.” She knew her nephew is kinda weird like this but she held his hand anyway over the pillow between them.

“Pwease don't go.”

“I'm not going anywhere.” She kissed the back of his hand and the lucky band around his wrist. No nightmares, please. The bed automatically did it's magic, telling her to lay down comfortably and it didn't take that long for her to feel drowsy as well. Oh, I have still have an article to finish. But the bed was too powerful, she gave in and closed her eyes. Or maybe it was Elly’s hand.

A few minutes have passed, she felt Elly move and pull out his hand. Too sleepy to move, she kept her eyes shut and listened to his movement. The pillow between them disappeared and half of his weight are now on top of her chest. Peeking with one eye, she smiled at her nephew. The back of his head now a few inches away from her chin, an ear against her chest as if listening to her heartbeat and using her as a pillow. So they say, little boys are sweet like this. She rested her hand on his waist and gently drew small circles on his back with her thumb to get him back to sleep. He let out a last soft burp before his breathing became longer, slower and deeper just like her own. Or maybe he’s making sure I won’t go anywhere.

_____

“I forgot I was out of milk and eggs.”

“I would’ve gotten them for you if only you just called me.”

“I was only gone for two seconds.”

“It only takes a second for a baby to open their eyes, Kara. What if he woke up and you weren't there? He hates it when he wakes up alone.”

“He was fast asleep and I'm faster anyway. You know that.”

Alex sighed and shook her head. She just realized that arguing in whispers with her sister could be just as exhausting. “Have you ever seen me wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”

“Oh, plenty of times. It was never pretty.”

“That was nothing compared to this little Ned Stark in his tantrums. One time, I was just in the bathroom when he woke up and he cried for hours! He refused everything I gave him. He didn't want to be touched, he threw away his binky, refused his bottle, his toys, even Pinocchio!”

“What? He loved Pinocchio! I enjoy it too everytime I hear you read it to him.”

“Exactly! I sang him the whole mother-baby alphabet sound? It didn't work! I even called Jonn for advice, told me to just hold him but oh, my Lord Eddard...he was impossible!”

“Okay, okay! I'm sorry! What did you do to make him stop crying?”

“I felt strained after four hours of crying and bargaining that I poured myself a glass of Merlot. And then he fell back to sleep. I stayed with him until he wakes up again and that was it.”

It was the last time Alex left Elly with Kara.

In the DEO headquarters, agents rushed here and there. Files and satellite maps up on the large screen and more agents checking their comms and gears for the nth time. Alex on the other hand, can't help but think of how her little boy is doing with his Aunt Kara. She checked her watch and let out a huge sigh, so huge that even Brainy noticed even if he was twelve feet away.

“Director Danvers.” Brainy called out and walked towards her. “We're all set and ready to roll.”

“Good. We're right on schedule.”

Brainy signalled the team and they started heading out of the building. Knowing Alex and how she worries about a lot of things, he tried to cheer her up.

“The crinkles on your forehead tells me you are deeply worried about Elly. There is no need. I'm sure he'll be the safest with no other than your sister.” The tone in his voice was quite reassuring.

“So you can also read facial crinkles now?” She smirked at him. “I can't help it. It's his first night without me and he's only two.” She took a deep breath.

“I will make sure that you make it back to him on schedule as well, Director. I can assure you, Team S is always ready.”

“Thank you, Agent Dox.” But Alex wasn’t convinced enough.

“Ah. And I'll check on twinkle toes for you, so you could focus on the task at hand. Every hour, if you may please?”

“Oh, you're such an angel, Uncle B.” And just like that, Alex finally felt relieved. She checked her phone one last time and had to slow down to read a message from Kara that just came in:

Got himself a new pillow. See you in TWO NIGHTS. Break a leg and be safe!❤

She chuckled. It was followed by a picture of Elly sleeping soundly on Kara's chest. It made her smile. The thought that having these two in her life could be enough reason to keep her fighting for what she actually believe in despite all the risks and still be at her best self, knowing that there is someone patiently waiting for her to come home. She slipped her phone back to her side pocket and yelled.

“Agents!? Let's get this guy fast and go home!”

_____

The sun has already set and from her not-so-deep nap, Kara's eyes suddenly opened. She heard and felt that Elly, still with his head against her chest, was silently sobbing.

“Elly? What's wrong?”

His head turned slowly, showing her his pink squishy face, teary little eyes and snotty nose but didn't answer. He just sobbed and breathe quietly through his mouth.

She scanned through his tummy again and knew there was something wrong with him. Gently, she took him over her shoulder and rubbed his back to make him burp. She sat up on the bed, grabbed her phone and without thinking, pressed the call button on Jonn's number.

Come on, Pops. Pick up. But it just kept ringing and went straight to voicemail. She ended the call and tried Nia's number. It rang a few times and to her relief, she answered.

“Hello, Kara?”

“Nia! Is this a bad time?”

“What is it? Actually, I'm in a middle of a press conference I was covering for my - oh, yes please, thank you - Kara, I'm so sorry, I'll call you back as soon as I can, alright?” Nia hang up and left her with nothing but that short beep you hear after the end of every call.

Kara stood up and slowly paced back and forth by the bed while giving Elly gentle back rubs. Calling Eliza would only mean more trouble if not death, because grammy would probably ask her a lot of burning questions in between the lectures, so that’s another no.

Oh, I’m dead. I am so dead.

Of course Brainy wouldn't be the best choice to speak to at this time because Alex will definitely notice so instead, she tried James' number.

“Yeah-llo Kara? What's up?”

“James! Is this a bad time?”

“Oh no no, in fact I was just about to head out for a dinner meeting. How's Elly doing?”

“Yeah, it's about Elly. He umm...I think he has a tummy ache. I'm not sure what to do.”

“Oh, what happened? Do you want me to come over?”

“Oh, no no. I umm...I think he just had too much pot stickers this afternoon?”

“Uh-huh?"

“He burped a lot earlier before taking a nap though, but now I realized he hasn't burped yet since he woke up and he's been crying since. What do I do?”

“Calm down, Kara...you should call Alex. She'll know exactly what to do.”

“But she just left on her way to Metropolis for a mission. I don't want to distract her and make her too worried.”

“Umm...wait, try to give him something warm for his tummy. Warm milk to drink or a warm compress? That should help. I'll try to drop by after the meeting.”

“Thank you James, but you don't have to. Just please don't tell Alex.”

“Okay, good luck then. Text me, alright?”

“Yah. Bye.”

Elly was oddly crying quietly, his face red and now refusing to be put back down his crib, the bed, the couch, his play mat or even his high chair.

"Mama." He sobbed quietly on Kara's shoulder.

“Oh. I know you miss her but Aunt Kara’s right here, sweetie. I'm not going anywhere.” She went back to the kitchen to heat up some water with her heat vision and make something warm for him while she hummed a random song that's been playing in her head.

Taking it in, slow it all down.
Look around you now at the sundown.
Lighter than before,
Sit back, eyes wide.

At least he's letting me carry him and he's not wailing or something. Gently, she wrapped her arms around him to make him feel warm. Absentmindedly she started singing out the words to the song in her head.

It’s shining right, it’s shining right
We’ll never know, we’ll never know
What did we find out by the ocean
Feels right to me...

She rocked him gently side to side while quickly making his bottle with one hand which, as she anticipated, he refused.

Don't want to rewind,
Come all that may, I'll…
Drift on, drift on
Do it all again,
Nothing holding us still, we'll...

Then there was a sudden knock on the door. Kara froze for a second, thinking of who or what could that be. That can’t be James, it’s too early. She used her x-ray vision and saw a familiar figure, nervously waiting outside Alex’s apartment door.

What is she doing here? How did she even know where “here” is?

Chapter Text

"Who is it?!"

Kara called out loud. There was no answer but another soft knock on the door of Alex’s apartment.

“Mama.” Poor little Elly clung and sniffed over his aunt’s shoulder.

“Oh, my sweet little pea. I’m sorry but you’re stuck with me.”

Feeling worried, Kara rubbed his back to hush him after he refused another drink of warm water from his sippy cup as she headed towards the door.

Of all possible days, why does it have to be today?

She unlocked the bolts, feeling a faint zap of electric shock in her hand as she turned the knobs, taking a deep breath before swinging the door open. An enchanting smell that reminds her of frothy vanilla latte, abruptly greeted her first.

“Lena! What a surprise!”

She did her best to keep her head above the signature Lena Luthor scent and was indeed stunned to see her best friend in her usual daunting black trench coat, neat high ponytail and cherry red lipstick on her nervous yet charming smile.

“Hey! I'm sorry, I…”

Lena was taken aback herself, seeing Kara in her dorky glasses and messy hair in a bun, wearing what looked like a comfy faded charcoal gray long sleeved shirt with bold letters that says “Pizza Is Power”, paired with clover patterned emerald green sweatpants and a gloomy little Elly cradled over her shoulder.

“Come on in! I’m sorry, but Alex isn’t here. Is everything okay?”

Like hearing a snap of the fingers, Lena blinked and stepped inside, trying to remember what she really came here for.

“I...heard about Elly. I was there when you called James so I…”

“Oh. Um...” Kara gently closed the door behind her.

“So how is he?” Lena reached her hand to touch the toddler’s back who was still sobbing quietly on his aunt's gray sweater.

“He’s...been crying since he woke up from his afternoon nap. Probably a tummy ache.”

“Mama.” Elly lifted his head to see who it was. “Mama.” He murmured to Lena with a frown and stretched his arms towards her.

“Oh, it’s your Aunt Lena, love. Where’s your mama?” She squeezed his little hand and looked at her blonde friend to wait for an answer.

“Alex is out of town for work and won’t be back for the rest of the weekend.” Kara stepped closer so Lena can take him.

Lena settled her purse down the nearest table and took him with such ease. “Oh, you’re getting bigger. Your Auntie K said you got a tummy ache? What happened to you?”

The toddler snuggled comfortably against her neck and softly blabbered indistinctly which the worried aunts found kind of adorable, they can’t help but smile.

“He ate a lot of potstickers earlier.”

“A lot?”

“Oh, sorry. Let me help you with your coat.” Kara felt a bit guilty, forgetting to let Lena take off her coat first before handing Elly over.

“Yes, please.”

Lena unbuttoned her coat with one hand, shifting the toddler's weight from one arm to the other. Her brain lit up in a flash to think it was a perfect moment to steal kisses and sniff on her little Wrinkle’s hair again.

“Well, he had a little too much, maybe?” Kara smiled awkwardly out of Lena's sight as she helped her take off her trench coat from behind, one shoulder at a time, holding it by the collar and lapel.

The reporter’s hands felt warm on her nape and over the silky maroon button up shirt that she was wearing under her coat. For just a second, Lena closed her eyes to forget about everything else as she freed her arms out of the sleeves of her coat. “Thank you. And how much exactly is too much?”

“Umm…” Kara took and hung the coat on the rack by the door. She wasn’t entirely sure how much or how many but when she cleaned up the mess earlier, she remember counting a total of six paper containers, holding six pieces of dumplings each which made perfect sense, seeing them all inside Elly's tummy.

“Around fifteen?” She lied.

“Fifteen po-...are you serious?”

“Unbelievable, right?” No. It’s twice as many actually but who would believe that? Not even me.

“How did that happen? Where have all the potstickers gone?” Lena asked the toddler, who blabbered in a muffled voice again. She felt his tummy with her free hand and shot a concerned look at his Aunt.

Kara awkwardly smiled and gestured her to sit on the couch, which she did as she prodded Kara with another sharp look, waiting for her to answer.

“Well I...ran downstairs for just a few seconds, and when I came back, the dumplings were just...gone.” She flopped down the couch facing them.

“You ran downstairs?”

“To the...neighbor two floors down?”

Quick thinking. In times like these she’s just grateful that a Danvers skill can come in handy. “I had to return something that Alex borrowed from last week.”

Lena kept quiet and just stared at her longer, making her feel uncomfortable.

“It was a long ladder. So I wasn’t able to bring him with me.” Kara almost stuttered.

Lena just blinked at her blankly.

“When I got back, there was a crow that got through the open window and…”

“A crow? In National City?”

“Well yeah. A black bird with black beady eyes and beaks as big as their heads kind of crow.” She just realized that telling the truth could sound so stupid.

Still unconvinced, Lena squinted her eyes trying to make sense out of what Kara was trying to say.

“It ripped the whole take out bag and…”

Kara decided to just stop mid sentence in disbelief of what she was about to say and taking a deep breath didn’t help at all to ease the drilling looks that the CatCo owner has been giving her.

“A big beak that could have--”

Lena blurted out but to her surprise, a hand suddenly pressed against her lips, almost knocking her front teeth out to stop her from speaking.

“Shhh! You’re gonna scare him!” Kara whispered shaking her head, telling her not to continue whatever she was about to say. “I know! But Alex can’t know, she’ll kill me!”

Lena’s eyes went wide then squinted, staring fixedly at the blonde’s baby blue eyes. Good for you, you terrible babysitter!

“Please?” With apologetic eyes and a hand still firmly pressed on her best friend’s lips, she pleaded.

The CEO rolled her eyes and sighed, softening her gaze. Slowly, Kara’s warm hand parted from her lips, leaving her somewhat breathless.

“Lucky for you I’m wearing smudge-proof lipstick.” Lucky for you and your puppy eyes.

Kara blushed and smiled, still feeling Lena’s soft lips and warm breath in her palm. That was weird.

“He’ll be fine. It’ll pass in a few hours.” Lena continued. There goes that sunny smile again.

“Oh, and what about your dinner meeting?” Kara asked, looking a bit concerned.

“Oh yeah, I…” Lena waved a hand, trying to pull out words that were never really there. “...I don’t really wanna go.” True. “Morgan Edge’s brother is gonna be there and I don’t want to cause unnecessary drama with another sexist and judgemental businessman.” Not true. “You know how men could be when they’re intimidated by women.” She raised an eyebrow at Kara, who just giggled while nodding in return. “And I figured, James can handle it all on his own anyway, so...here I am.”

“He’s Jimmy Olsen, of course he can handle it.”

Kara answered absent-mindedly while staring admiringly to the woman in front of her who she hasn’t talked to in weeks. Her light green eyes looked tired but happy and the tone of her voice is as low but lively as always. The way she smiles while she talks about things with such confidence and power is just captivating for some reason. And whenever she catches a glimpse of her sniffing on Elly’s hair, she found it quite...lovely. Is that weird?

The Luthor heiress caught Kara staring blankly at her. This silence is getting pretty awkward. She thought and smiled back anyway, trying to think of other things to talk about. It’s true, she knew James can handle it but true enough, she doesn’t want to go to that dinner meeting and checking on Elly is the perfect, most valid reason not to go.

Elly. I’m here because of Elly. She reminded herself while looking closely at Elly’s metal bracelet. Just as I suspected, this needs to be replaced.

“That’s his lucky charm.” Kara noticed her friend's curiosity.

“Didn’t know the Danvers could be superstitious.” She teased her with a smile.

“Well, no. Not really.” Kara chuckled at the thought of the Danvers family being called superstitious by another scientist. “It’s from the orphanage, actually. They said it makes Elly sleep better and he would cry all day without it.”

“Really? Have you tried removing it?” Pretending not to know, Lena just went on with their conversation.

“Oh no, Alex didn’t want to risk it. But she said we’ll have it removed eventually when he outgrows it."

“Mama.” Elly murmured again, still snuggled comfortably against Lena’s neck.

The adults eyed each other as Kara clapped a hand on her own lips, regretting to have mentioned Alex’s name in a time such as this.

“Do you have everything you need? I mean, I can ask Fred to get it for you while he’s waiting downstairs.” Lena suddenly asked, thinking fast for a change of topic.

“Yes! A-...umm...” Kara felt relieved that she stopped herself in time before saying her sister’s name again. “I mean, we already have everything we need. She made sure of it.” Answering the question while looking straight to Lena’s eyes and making a quick downward glance to the toddler on her lap and back to her.

Lena just nodded and returned her attention back to Elly.

“But thank you. Really. You didn’t have to...do this. I got it all covered.”

“Oh, do you?” Her provoking Luthor smile spread across her face, followed by a raised on-point eyebrow.

“Wha-?” Kara’s jaw dropped, flabbergasted with the fact that she is completely smitten with this woman and how this kind of smile that she does affects her like a solid blow in the abdomen, solid enough to make anyone weak in their knees.

There’s that Lena Luthor smile again. She sniggered at the way conversations with her best friend always seem to end up like this and how she misses it.

“Umm, hello? I’m the coolest aunt here?”

“Umm...after you let him eat more than a dozen of your favorite dumplings? Did I hear that right? Yeah. And oh, I just disregarded a dinner meeting, you know. What do you say, Elly?”

“Oh no, we’re not really doing this...battle thing again!”

They both laughed at the ridiculous idea of competing for the favorite aunt that James originally started the first time they met Elly. Reminiscing that unforgettable night made their giggles echo inside the walls of Alex’s apartment which faded into bright smiles, flashing under the incandescent lights. They both sighed and gazed at each other with their eyes twinkling, feeling as if they're looking right into a mirror. Or somewhat in sync.

“I missed you.”

“I missed this.”

They ended up saying together, making them blush and bite their lips at the same time. When all of a sudden, a faint snickering sound came from Elly which they were both surprised to hear.

“Did he just…” Kara curiously asked.

“I think so.” Lena smirked.

Elly produced another long soft sound of passing gas that was followed by his own laughter after realizing what he just did. The ladies laughed again and feeling hilariously proud, high-fived each other.

“Well someone’s feeling a lot better now. Don’t you, you little…” Kara tried to think of something cute to call him to make him feel better and to impress her competition. “...dumpling?”

“Ooh, little dumpling suits you.”

Lena tickled the toddler’s tummy making him giggle and pass more gas that somewhat smelled between potstickers and papaya. She smirked with her nose crinkled at Kara.

“Woah! Come on, Dumpling Danvers!" She laughed while waving her hands awkwardly in the air to make the smell go away. "Not in front of the ladies! Where are your manners?” Feeling embarrassed, the blonde reporter leaned in closer and stretched her arms out to take him. “Now, now...we’re already taking too much of this fine lady’s time. Come here, little dumpling.”

Feeling a bit threatened, Lena reacted on impulse. “Excuse me Miss Danvers, but are you trying to get rid of me?” She pulled back and flashed her killer Luthor smile again while waving a hand to shoo Kara away from taking Elly.

“Wha-? No!?" Kara took her hands back quickly and sank down to the couch in defeat. "Of course not!”

“I just missed my meeting..." With puckered lips and narrowed eyes, she reminded her.

“I just...I don’t want to take too much of your time, that’s all! He’s okay now and he’s my responsibility in the first place, not yours. I know how busy you are and you probably need more sleep or something.” She stuttered, feeling a bit guilty of making Lena feel that way.

“...a dinner meeting. On purpose?”

Dinner. The word echoed in Kara’s ears, lighting up a bulb above her head and making everything seem so clear. Oh. She thought to herself. Lena surely does know her ways around things. She knows exactly what to do, when to make a move and how to do it. And here I am again, smiling to myself, submitting willingly to my dear friend who only wants to spend some time with me. I mean, Elly.

"Ooh."

Lena nodded happily, feeling proud that her dorky blonde friend somehow finally understood what she wanted to say.

“You eat fried rice and dumplings, right?”

“Who doesn’t love Chinese?”

While Kara prepared their dinner, Lena decided to sit with Elly on his playing mat. The moment she sat down, he started giving her his toys and books, showing them off to her lovely visitor. She observed his movements, amazed by his responses and the way he's trying to communicate with her. It wasn't really much of a surprise when he showed her his picture book to read the bold lettered alphabets and identified the colors as he pointed them to her one by one. For Lena, it was such a joy seeing him again, smiling with the same sunny smile and talking, walking, even running around on his own tiny legs. What surprised her was seeing him suddenly jump a bit in surprise, shortly before hearing Kara's phone ring.

"Oh! That's probably er...watchtower!"

Kara answered the call and talked with the phone in-between her ear and shoulder while setting dinner on the table.

In stolen glances, Lena just watched her walk to and from the kitchen that now smelled of fried rice and roasted chicken.

"He's doing fine, Brainy. We're about to eat dinner and I'm actually looking at him right now while he's reading his picture book..."

She paused to find Elly listening intently and leaning against Lena while she reads a page of Pinnochio to him out loud, sitting comfortably on his playing mat.

"...yeah, baby bird is kinda busy at the moment. You wanna go talk to him?"

Kara savored the unusual view for a moment, letting it distract her from the mouthwatering aroma of their dinner and the conversation she's having with the agent on the other end of the line.

"...I'll send her his pictures, okay? Please keep her safe."

When the call ended, she used her phone to take a picture of Elly with Lena, who noticed and looked up to smile at her. She took another quick shot and one last glance before announcing: "Dinner's ready!"

Lena whispered something in Elly's ear. The toddler then stood up and wobbly started putting his books and toys back to where they belong. Still sitting down, the impressed CEO helped him with his toys. She was surprised to see that Elly even waited for her to stand up before walking with her to the dining table.

"This one's a late talker." She watched him break into a run towards Kara.

"Oh, he's more of a charmer, not much of a talker. He would just smile most of the time and speak only when he's spoken to." Kara picked him up to set him on his highchair.

"But he's a smart one and a fast learner." Oh, look at him. He smiles just like you.

"Yeah, he is. You saw him pack his toys away? Watchtower thinks he has OCD."

There was a platter of fried rice, some potstickers, roasted chicken, steamed vegetables and dinner plates set for two. For some reason, it made Lena smile as they sat down and started to eat.

"Oh, just let him be. That could be a good thing, right?"

"Exactly! I just hope he doesn't grow up too fast and turn into a heartbreaker." Kara didn't realized she already had three spoonfuls of fried rice inside her mouth. "You seemed to be enjoying his company."

"Oh, he's a breath of fresh air, really. A break from everything that comes with being a grown up." She sighed as she chewed on her food. "I'm glad I came over."

"Quite an adorable stress reliever, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he really is." Lena nodded and smiled as she feasts her eyes from him to her and back to him, all the while secretly saving this scene and the last thirty minutes to her memory. The three of them sitting, having dinner together like a...she suddenly stopped, not wanting her own thoughts to go there. But then, she thought it was an interesting topic to talk about, wondering what Kara has to say. "Ever thought of having one of your own someday?"

Kara almost choked on her food but managed not to let it show. Aside from being a reporter and a superhero, being a Kryptonian on this planet didn't really gave her much of a choice so she gave her the most honest answer she could think of. "Haven't really thought about it. How about you, Ms. Luthor?"

"I..." Well, that was quick. She stared at her food as she took her time to pull up some answers, not realizing that knowing exactly what to say but not how to say it could be quite a pain.

"I'm not sure if I'm going to be a good mother, so in all honesty? It's one of those things that actually scares me."

Being scared is something she would never admit to anyone else but herself. But she also knew Kara isn't anyone else. She's Kara. Her Kara. She swallowed and smiled, feeling somewhat relieved for taking it off her chest without any trace of shame or regret on her face.

Kara wasn't surprised but didn't know how to respond. And precisely enough, what she does know is it was something she fully understands. Despite being from a family known for their genius, power and influence, Lena didn't had the easiest life, a pleasant childhood nor admirable parents. She has mostly been judged by her name or family history and rarely of her own merits. And it's moments like these when Kara wished that being taken care of the Danvers family was something she could share with others. But she believed in Lena and the goodness of her heart. She always have. She paused to look her in the eye and in the most sincere way she could, she told her: "I'm sure you're going to be a great mom."

Lena just smiled back as they both watched Elly take a stem of steamed broccoli from his tray and place it inside his mouth, munching happily as if it's the best tasting food he's ever had.

"Hey! Slow down, dumpling. Chew. And don't forget your drink." His thoughtful aunt Kara placed his Elmo sippy cup on the side of his tray.

"Popsicle!" He pointed at the platter on the table.

"No more potstickers for you, little dumpling. You already had all your unfair share for the day. Sorry." She blinked at her nephew who didn't argue further and kept eating his vegetables instead. She took her phone to take another picture of him. "For watchtower update."

Elly has always served as a short break from everything. Lena always thought she carries a different world, heavy on her shoulders but there's something about Kara that makes everything feel lighter and more simple. There are plenty of times, difficult ones that she chose not to turn to Kara but whenever she does, her best friend never fails to pick up her broken pieces and put them all back together. Just like the old times.

"Have you finished your article?" She suddenly asked. "I forgot to mention earlier that James asked me to remind you." Or did he? Of course, he didn't.

OH NO! Kara's thoughts came back to the present. She almost forgot she haven't even started on her article yet. "Umm...still working on it."

"He said it was due on Monday?" Not really.

"What?!?" Kara almost panicked but tried to keep her cool. "Oh, yeah. He mentioned that." No he didn't! Now, how am I supposed to finish that article in time? I am so screwed!

Of course, he didn't. “Okay. Because I can...you know? Stay and help? Just in case."

"You mean...for the night?" Wha-for the night?!? Did I actually said "for the night" out loud?

“...if you don’t mind?” HAH! Well, well, well, if that's what you want, blondie. "I'll ask Fred to get us some pizza or ice cream for later, then?"

"Oh, we have ice cream in the fridge."

"Oh, okay. I'll just get some things in the car after this then I will let Fred head home. So, pizza it is, then? Or donuts and maybe...good coffee...?”

Pizza or donuts and coffee. Kara's mind started to wander again. Not just any kind of coffee but she said good coffee. The way she said it was just...so Lena. Why are you making it so hard for me to say no?

"...to keep you up? Or burgers and fries?" Just like old times.

Burgers and fries. Oh, the smell  of caramelized onions and cheese...grilled and juicy beef patties...and hot crunchy, bigger cuts of fries on the side probably from 3B... She can feel her mouth starting to water.

"Hello? Earth to Kara?"

"Wha-...wai-...what?" She swallowed and blinked as she returned back to her loft.

"For your midnight snack?"

"How about...you?"

Lena froze, her eyebrows slowly rising up the top of her forehead as she opens her mouth to say something but then her words seemed to have frozen as well.

A clueless Kara stared at her frozen friend who sat there blushing.

"What?" She adjusted her glasses up her nose and seven seconds later, it hit her. OH MY GOD! What did I just said???

"I mean, what do you...feel like having? Big Belly Burger sounds nice."

_______________

"You go finish that article and I'll tuck him to bed."

A couple of hours later, Lena felt as comfortable as the pair of cloud patterned cotton jammies that Kara brought out for her to wear. She was in fact excited for this spontaneous sleepover which she hadn't done in a long time.

"Okay. That's easy enough." Kara paused from doing the dishes for a second to look at her.

The light blue pajamas made the color of her eyes a brighter shade. With her long dark hair down, no make up on and a toddler on her arms, she never thought she'll ever see her side of a Luthor like this. Soft, fragile, simple...and she's having a great time with Elly.

"Should I read him a book or something?"

"Oh, no. Nothing special. Just...hold his hand."

"Really?" Lena sounded a bit surprised.

"And stay with him. He hates waking up alone."

"Oh."

The moment Kara turned her back around to finish cleaning up, Lena didn't waste any time and replaced Elly's power dampening bracelet right away with a new one she brought along. She laid him down while she sat on the edge of the bed and slid his little hand inside a shiny thin ring of metal, similar to the one he was wearing. In an instant, it adjusted itself perfectly to the size of Elly's little wrist while the old one suddenly fell off.

Elly quietly watched as it took her just a whole minute to sync the dampener upgrade with her phone as his vitals appeared on the screen and only looking up for a millisecond to check if Kara was looking. She carried on until Elly slowly, and and as if on cue, falls into a deep sleep on the bed. She stared at him for a moment and watched his little chest rise and fall as he breathes, sweeping his brown hair to the side with her hand as it was getting longer, almost getting into his eyes. A lot has changed in a year but not the way she sees him.

He's the same little Wrinkle who used to float around my lab. Only that he got a bit bigger and doesn't float around anymore.

If only anyone else knew where to look to see the resemblance, they would say this child indeed belonged to Kara. It was his little nose and the shape of his face that made it so hard to see. But his eyes? His eyes were exactly like Kara's when they are closed. Almost exactly, only if they were the same color as hers. Lena sniffed on his hairline with her eyes closed and planted a soft kiss on his temple.

Sleep tight, Wrinkle. She thought to herself. She took a last look on her phone to check on his vitals, stable and all in green, before putting it back down the bedside table.

A large bag of warm Big Belly Burger sat on the dining table. It arrived almost an hour after they've finished eating dinner. The faint smell of beef, onions and cheese filled Kara's lungs as she sat in front of her laptop, already halfway done with the article that she's working on. Using her super speed in lowkey mode right behind Lena's back to clean the dishes was pretty fun. She stretched her arms out and let her knuckles pop when Lena slowly walked in.

"Dead as the night?" Kara was referring to Elly.

"I managed to knock him out fast."

"Oh, that's pretty badass."

Kara smiled. It's the simple things that makes Kara happy inside. As simple as this conversation may be, but it's about the little moments that she and Lena let each other in on this side of their beings. Sides hidden away and unseen by the world but only revealed to a chosen few whom they trust completely.

"Hey, you don't have to stay up. It's getting late, you should get some rest."

"It's still early for bedtime."

"Oh, right. So what does Lena Luthor usually do at this time of night?" Kara softly asked while reaching out for the bag of burgers behind her laptop.

"A lot of different things." Lena had to try not to show her smile as the reporter started munching on some fries. "Aside from plotting my next kill or villainous act, I also...meditate. But I read mostly."

"Really? What do you read, proposals?"

"Yeah, business proposals, project proposals...marriage proposals..."

Kara's eyes went wide. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Haha. Just kidding."

"Haha. So that's a Luthor trying to be funny?"

Lena blushed as she rolled her eyes, feeling a bit embarrassed thinking she wasn't funny enough for her best friend. "Still hungry? He ate all your potstickers, didn't he?" She smiled as she watch her chew on some more fries with such delight that she reached some for herself to munch on.

"Oh my god!" Kara whined before swallowing. "Was it so obvious? He's unbelievable!" She whispered and pulled the chair on her side for Lena to sit on.

"A few years more and you're gonna have someone to wrestle with over a slice of pizza."

"Oh no, that's a nightmare!"

"So savor the moment, Auntie K. While you can still win the war." Lena raised a short fat cut of french fry before popping it in her mouth.

There was a brief moment of truth and silence. And Kara, in her low serious voice, started to speak:

"This afternoon..." She took a wrapped burger out of the bag and handed it to her friend. "...I just lost my first war."

Lena felt a bit weirded out at how serious her friend's eyes has suddenly become. She sat beside her with a folded knee up to her chest and took the burger anyway.

"And I would like to thank you, Lady Luthor...for being with me at this time of defeat." Kara took another burger for herself and with sadness in her eyes, raised it up under the dim light of the dining table. "For the wars to come."

Lena had to cover her mouth with her hand to stop herself from laughing out loud. Her face turned red and she was shaking from laughing soundlessly that her chair almost fell.

Good thing, Kara's reflexes were fast enough to stop the chair from falling and she proudly watched the Luthor heiress as she silently laughed her heart out into the peaceful night. It's one of the most priceless things she could do for her friends, one she was always been good at. No matter how simple or shallow, she didn't mind looking stupid or embarrassing in front of other people just to make her friends laugh.

It took a while before Lena was able to take a deep breath to compose herself and raise her burger up as well. And as serious as she could, she tried to whisper: "For the fallen potstickers."

Kara smirked in the middle of sinking her teeth down her Big Belly Burger and suppressing her laughter only made a funny sound that made Lena laugh harder. They laughed and giggled as quietly as they can to avoid the sleeping toddler from waking up.

As their giggles faded out into deep sighs and shaking heads, Lena moved her chair closer to Kara and leaned her head against her shoulder as she takes a bite from her Big Belly cheeseburger. They sat and ate their burgers quietly in front of the lit up laptop screen, with Kara's cheek against her friend's hair.

It took Kara a couple more hours to finalize her article after Lena decided to get some sleep. She put her laptop on hibernate and went over the bed to check on her nephew and his guest. Leaning back against the wall, she sighed and smiled and sipped from her still warm half cup of coffee as she enjoys another sight so rare and wonderful.

Lena's long hair was spread out, bunch of dark strands flowed right above her head against the pillow, with her on-point brows and tired eyes now closed and resting. How her bare ears are free of all the gems and jewels or how her chin and jawline looked oddly softer, less fierce and more friendly when she's asleep. A pair of high cheekbones and pale plump lips taking a time off all the make up and all the kind of emotions that comes with being a Luthor. She loves seeing this side of her, not a single trace of the size or weight of the world that she's been carrying on her shoulders. She alone is already wonderful to look at but what made the view so rare was Elly falling asleep right on top of her, little legs dangling off her sides and head against her chest, pinning her down the bed. She held her phone up to take another picture.

You are going to be an amazing mother and your future kid will be proud of you, Luthor. I'm sure of it.

Chapter Text

"He's half Kryptonian, isn't he?"

In a low and calm tone, a panting Alex whispered as soon as the secretary got out of earshot.

Lena just walked inside her office in National City after a fifteen-minute chopper ride from Metropolis and her bottom hasn't even touched her chair yet when the DEO director suddenly burst in.

"Who's he?"

She doesn't seemed surprised at all and went straight for refreshments without even looking at her, pouring herself a glass of wine before sitting on the chair behind her desk, as if she had been expecting Alex.

"You know who."

Lena was clueless for about a second, or acted like it but by the sound of certainty in Alex's tone, she realised it would be useless.

"And he's not just any Kryptonian." Alex continued, taking her phone out to show Lena something. "He has Supergirl's DNA."

Lena reached for the phone and gave a skeptic glance at her before looking at a copy of Elly's detailed DNA test results which was surprisingly accurate. Feeling somewhat impressed and anxious, she sighed. "Took you long enough." She handed Alex her phone back. "You shouldn't keep something like that lying around, you know."

"So you knew and you didn't tell me? Lena, I need to know these things about him." She tried to be as calm as she can, not wanting to end up arguing with this Luthor. Not that she's afraid of her, but just reasonable enough not to get on the wrong side of her tracks. Especially when it involves Elly. It was the last thing she would want.

"I had my theories but...I never really got the chance to prove them." Should I tell her the truth? Is this the right time? Face still blank, Lena started to sign a small stack of papers that has been waiting on her desk. "Now we have. What gave it away?"

Alex sighed. Potstickers. She obviously can't say that out loud though, but that's exactly how she figured it out.

"He's been eating too much lately."

The CEO let out a snort laugh but didn't paused to look at her. "He's a growing boy."

"Well, consuming thrice the normal amount of food at his age was quite...alarming."

"Hmm." Supergirl does have a super appetite.

"And, I found traces of kryptonite in his bracelet."

There was a constant battle happening between Alex's heart and mind. A mix of emotions for Elly as she fears and worries for him being exposed to kryptonite at such a young age and feeling a bit of anger but more empathy for Lena, for going in such great lengths and risks only to keep another innocent life safe, alive and well. Something unlikely for a Luthor to do. Not to mention the fear she feels of the possibility of Lena knowing Kara's true identity.

"It's some kind of kryptonite, just enough to make him seem like a human."

Lena paused to read Alex through her eyes that were clearly filled with questions and worry. Was that a hint of fear in her eyes? Or is she upset that I didn't tell her the truth in the first place? I hope not. It made her anxious. Little did she know that the DEO director was doing just the same.

"It's modified blue kryptonite." Lena sighed, finally confessing. "Have a seat."

The conversation that followed was more like a private LCorp presentation of the power dampener that she developed specifically for Elly. She explained how it works, what it's basically made of and what it does for him. How to and only who can remove it, what happens to him without it and how to know when it needs a replacement. She told Alex almost everything she needed to know, only leaving out the fact that she can also monitor his vitals remotely.

"It was focused on weakening his superphysical abilities. Levitation, stamina, endurance, agility, fast healing; all that is obvious for the humans to perceive has been decelerated."

"How will it affect him as he grows up? I mean, suppressing his nature? And what about his heightened senses? His hearing and his vision?"

"That...I can't say. Yet."

"Because he doesn't have them yet?"

"Perhaps. Can you tell?"

Alex lingered on the thought. Kara was already twelve when she first arrived on Earth and that was also the first time she knew of her own powers. She remembered how scared she was. Clark was still a baby when he landed here and eventually gained his powers as he aged. Somehow they both managed to maintain an alter ego without dampening their powers but they were both originally from Krypton. Elly on the other hand, is only half Kryptonian, brought into existence right on this planet's gravity, atmosphere and under it's yellow sun, but is now forced to live like a normal human being. What could possibly go wrong?

"Is there anything else I need to know?"

"The dampening technology was more of a rush job, really, but that pretty much sums up everything there is to know."

Modified blue kryptonite. The agency have limited information about the kinds of kryptonite in existence. She haven't even held or seen a real blue kryptonite and it's effects on humans, what more on kryptonians. Though, she brought Elly to the DEO lab to sneak some tests on him, there's a lot more to uncover about him. And based on what Lena just told her, Alex suddenly realised something that made her squint, noticing how Elly's bracelet looked new. His lucky band have been replaced. "You were there while I was gone."

Lena raised her eyebrows as if she was both confirming and denying everything that the DEO director stated. She didn't know how much Kara told her sister about what happened that weekend and she won't be the one to tell of how terrible of a babysitter her friend was. So instead, she continued signing the rest of the papers on her desk.

"Lena, I'm..." Alex froze to let her quiet anxiety slowly kick in. There is indeed the possibility of Lena knowing that Kara is Supergirl and she definitely needs to do something about it. One Kryptonian under her protection was already a lot to handle for a mere human like her, let alone two. Good thing, she's surrounded by a league of superheroes that she can rely on.

Wait a minute...you exceptional smart ass of a Luthor.

She realised Lena's goal to protect Elly is completely on another level. That she has to be more careful. She paced in front of her desk trying to think of better words to soften the blow but the more she thinks, the harder it seems to get to the point. So with hands on her hips, she took a deep breath before letting her unfiltered words come out of her lips.

"You need to stop seeing him behind my back."

For a second, Lena flinched behind her desk, having to put her pen down. The woman standing right in front of her is telling her to stop seeing Elly. Her own Elly. She stayed quiet, eyes fixed at the woman in her leather jacket and biker boots.

Why does it ever have to be you? Just like all the other times before, Lena started questioning her decisions again on why everything has to come to this. She wanted to scream at her and throw everything that's sitting on top of her desk, but she can't. She can't lose her cool, she shouldn't. Not in front of her. Instead, she took a gulp from her glass of wine and yet again she came down to the same realisation that Alex was still the best choice, maybe even the only choice there is. Her only hope for Elly.

She's only doing what I can't. She reminded herself and took more than one deep breath inside her mind before she was able to speak. "He still needs me." That was all she could say to summarise all her thoughts. Which was true. What if there comes a sudden development that needs her attention? No one knows him like I do. She went back to the papers she was signing.

"That you had to come to my home unannounced while I was gone?" What if he gets used to having you around? "Your attachment to him is getting too obvious, and that's not healthy." For the three of us.

Unhealthy attachment? She let out a sigh before responding. "Kara was there."

She noticed that Lena was starting to get upset but Alex tried her best to make her see what the consequences of her actions could be. "Can't you see the bigger picture, Lena? What if Kara finds out? She's a reporter, you know her! She's curious and nosy and questions a lot of things! Who knows how long before she or everyone else figure it out?"

It took you a year to figure it out. "You need me." With her jaws clenched, she gave the director a sharp look.

There it is. The Luthor is upset. "Yes. I know, I do. There is no denying that but we also need to protect him from prying eyes." She stepped closer, looked Lena right in the eyes and whispered: "We can't let other people know and that was part of our agreement. He needs us both, Lena."

True.

"And you need me." Alex added, softening her gaze. "Now I know why you said I was the perfect fit for this...job. I fully understand that now."

Also true. The CEO crossed her arms and turned her chair around to face the view outside the balcony. She knew she placed a lot on the director's plate and her reaction now makes total sense. She can see Elly growing up with the Danvers, surrounded by superheroes but as good as it may seem, she can't deny the fact that it still hurts her deep inside. Still, she kept convincing and reminding herself that it was the best decision she ever made.

"You can still see him on special occasions. Birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas..." Alex continued.

"What about...school plays?"

"We can work on that. You can be a donor at his school or something."

Fair enough. She sighed and nodded before turning her chair back around to face her. "Please take care of him."

"You know I will." She made sure that Lena sees the sincerity on her face.

Conviced, the CEO gave a short nod, her face now softer than a while ago. "Whatever you need, I'm right here."

"Noted."

Alex was making her way to the door when Lena stood up and called her back.

"Alex."

She came to a halt and turned around.

"He's a Luthor." She reminded her with eyes gleaming under the lights of her office, the sun starting to set in the distant horizon behind the skyscrapers outside.

Alex paused for a bit, trying her best not to give a deeper thought of what the CEO just said. Was it pride? Or was it a threat? Replaying Lena's voice inside her head and how she said it made her recognise something about her tone. She was scared.

"He's a Danvers now. And don't worry, he's a good kid. I'm sure of it."

As the doors closed, Lena sank back to her chair feeling somewhat relieved. Her mind was floating like a cloud in the sky, slowly drifting along with the soft blowing of wind. It was quiet and peaceful.

He's a good kid. I'm sure of it.

Alex's last words sounded like music in her ears. And she had it on repeat.

---------------------------------------
... 8 months later ...
---------------------------------------

"I came as soon as I heard you're in town."

The day was almost over and Kara stood inside the LCorp office, staring at her friend, buried under a small pile of papers to sign who by the way refused to meet her gaze. She tried to read Lena the way she used to but can't seem to figure out what's been going on inside her mind. Could it be about work or something? Or someone?

"Can I help you? Is everything okay?"

It's the same deep tone, tired looking but lively eyes, dark hair tied neatly in a bun, a pair of flashy pearl earrings and dark red lipstick but the Lena in front of her seemed to be a completely different person. She didn't even looked up from her desk to smile at her or ask how she was doing. In a span of eight months, it felt like everything about her has changed.

"You tell me." Can I help you? Are you being serious?

"I...I'm sorry, I have a board meeting in about five minutes, so..." She shrugged and shook her head, looking anxiously at the papers in front of her while pretending to be clueless about why the reporter suddenly showed up.

"I came here the morning after...that day...to talk to you but, Jess said you just left. And I was like, "Oh, okay. Maybe I'll come back tomorrow or some other time this week." But then she said, "I'm afraid you'll have to wait for way much longer than a week, Ms. Danvers." Kara was getting impatient. And when she gets impatient, she tends to babble while waving her hands around, exactly like what she did just now.

"We can do without seeing each other for weeks." Lena said coldly without even looking up.

"Of course we can. But not like...this!?" Kara's hand went to and fro, referring to them both and whatever it is that they have now or what's left of it. After everything that's happened?

"This is all...just business as usual." Lena stood up from her desk to get herself a drink. She figured it was a perfect time for a sip of wine.

"Was it?" From the way Lena stood up from her chair to the way she sighed and poured herself a drink, Kara knew her best friend was keeping something. Red wine. That's what she drinks when she's being pinned down while feeling guilty. "You moved back to Metropolis and I was the last person to know. Why?"

"As if telling you would make any difference?"

"Was it something I said or did? Or didn't?"

Lena paused for a while to take a deep breath before returning to her desk and sitting back to her chair without even meeting the reporter's gaze. "No."

"Then what is it? Talk to me."

Lena pretended not to have heard her last three words. "I'm a Luthor and I have a lot on my plate. You know that."

"Just look at me. Please."

Lena paused again only to take a breath but refused to look at her. "I just...I can't do this right now, Kara. I'm sorry, but...do you mind?"

"Lena..."

"Kara. Please."

The door suddenly swung open and Jesse's head appeared. "Excuse me, Ms. Luthor? They're ready for you."

Lena nodded and gathered up her phone and a tablet from her desk, leaving the glass of red wine untouched. Still not meeting her gaze, she walked past the CatCo reporter who stood idly by just to watch her walk away.

In that instant, Kara felt there was nothing left to say. When Lena finally looked back at her briefly with cold apologetic eyes, she felt a struggling small balloon, pop inside her heavy chest right before the door closes; leaving her standing alone inside the quiet walls of the CEO's office.

Chapter Text

 
"What should I tell her, Ms. Luthor?"

Jess the secretary asked, as she walked with her boss into an empty conference room.

"Nothing. She knows her way out." Lena sat on one of the chairs.

"Can I get you anything? A drink perhaps?"

"No, thank you, Jess. Just...call me when she's gone."

Jesse nodded and returned to her station, discreetly feeling sorry for both her boss and Kara Danvers, wondering what could've happened between them. It felt like it wasn't that long ago when the friendly blonde's career as a reporter and her frequent unannounced visits in Ms. Luthor's office began. It wasn't hard to like the now-ace-reporter of CatCo Worldwide Media, but it was quite hard to believe that there is someone brave enough to befriend Lena Luthor. For a journalist, Kara is a natural charmer who knows her way with people just by flashing her bright eyes and sunny smile. She knows exactly what to ask, what to say, and how to handle any kind of conversation so gracefully. Most would say that's a qualification for a reporter. But whoever does not get intimidated by the CEO and heiress, who's last name happens to be Luthor, in any kind of way, must possess another level of courage and power.

Leaning against the headrest, Lena swiveled slowly on her chair and stared at the white walls of the quiet room to breathe and pass the time. She didn't really have any meetings set for the night. It's been almost a year already since she decided to switch places with Sam Arias and move back to LCorp Northeast in Metropolis. It was a safe enough distance from Elly, a way she knew how she could stop herself from seeing him whenever she wanted to and dodge the prying eyes of many. But truth be told, that wasn't the only reason why.

Something happened a few days after her confrontation with Alex, after finding out that Elly was made up of half-Luthor and half-Supergirl genes. Lena started drinking like her old self again since Elly left the Wrinkle room and it would usually take her three to four weeks to finish a good bottle of scotch with some wine in between. But since her confrontation with Alex, it hasn't even been a week and she's already about to open a new bottle.

"Here I am again, alone and lonely with no one else but you."

She said out loud to the last glass of scotch in her hand. Sleeping sober was impossible and if it weren't for her persistent secretary, she'd forgotten what eating was. Sitting on the cold marble floors of her LCorp office in National City, that has been reeking of expensive alcohol for a week now, Lena doesn't seem to get tired of the night view right outside her balcony. The lights coming from the windows on the floors of the buildings nearby, filled with people making calls and reports, probably cramming for their deadline or maybe just hanging around to let the rush hour pass before going out for a late dinner or back home to their loved ones. And how the twinkling lights from the skyscrapers faraway looked as if the whole city was surrounded by and made up of stars.

Maybe that's how Elly would think of it.

There are times that she doesn't understand why she had to be born a Luthor. For some, it was a gold mine, a blessing. But for her, it was more of a curse. Mostly, she would blame her father for being a Luthor or more likely, for being the kind of man that he was. And sometimes, when she's as drunk as she was like this evening, she would blame her own dead mother for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Unhealthy attachment. Lena had to let out a short laugh at Alexvs words before taking a long sip from her drink, pursing her lips on the edge of the glass as the alcohol trickled its way down her throat. And in her messy state, she decided to give Kara a call to talk and ask for some advice. But given that Alex's younger sister doesn't know a thing, she thought some quality time with her best friend might just lighten things up.

"Lena! What's up?"

Hearing Kara's lively voice over the phone was enough to make her smile.

"What's the point of being a Luthor if I still can't have what I want? That's funny, right?" She laughed at her own reflection on the glass windows of her office balcony.

"Oh, Lena. You've been drinking again? What happened?"

Inside her converted loft, Kara was sitting comfortably alone on her couch and just started digging in a small tub of ice cream in front of her TV. It's one of those nights when she enjoys staying in and her own company, with nothing much to do or think about but to listen to the city outside these walls. It was never quiet, though tonight seemed peaceful enough for the past three hours or so.

"Oh, yes! I will tell you when I get there. Wait for me. Oh, wait are you even there?"

"Wha-...in my apartment? Yes."

"I'll get us some booze, alright? Stay put."

Before Kara could even say anything, the call already ended. She blinked at her phone and looked around her loft, taking a last spoonful of ice cream into her mouth before dashing out of her pj's and into her Super suit. She swiftly flew out of her window, only to return a few minutes later with a box of donuts, a bigger tub of ice cream and a warm take out bag from Big Belly Burger.

"There we go!" She laid all the food down on the coffee table in front of the TV. "Welcome to Camp Kara Danvers! Where your best friends are donuts and burgers!" She smiled to herself then returned to the small tub of ice cream she left when she realised she's still wearing her Super suit. "Oh." So she dashed again out of it and back to her comfty blue and white striped jammies, just in time after a commercial break. Her ice cream tub was already half empty when there was a loud knock on her door.

"Knock! Knock!" A cheerful Lena's voice called out.

"Who's there?" Kara yelled back as she hurried to let her in.

"The circus!"

"The who?" An astounded Kara asked as she opened the door.

"I'm like the ring leader, I call the shots! I'm like a firecracker, I make it hot when I put on a showww!" Lena sang horribly as she wobbled through the open door, one hand pointing up in the air.

Kara's jaws dropped. Lena looked as stunning as ever in her trench coat, high heels, signature red lipstick and surprisingly neat high ponytail. Though dark circles appear around her eyes from time to time, they still looked lively just like tonight. But this was something completely unexpected: a drunk Lena Luthor showing up to her door as Britney Spears.

"It was playing so loud on the Uber ride. Would you believe it? I took an Uber to get here." She smiled excitedly like she was so proud of herself as she leans on the kitchen counter to steady herself.

Kara closed the door holding her breath, still not able to say a thing, while trying to dodge the whiff of vanilla latte that has been overpowered by the stench of expensive scotch coming from the Luthor heiress.

"I told the driver my name was Lena Danvers. And so he said, "Here we are, Ms. Danvers! Have a great night!"" Her smile was big enough to make Kara believe how pleased she was for doing so. "He called me Ms. Danvers! And a great night shall I have! And oh, I brought us some...wait, where's the booze?" Her smile vanished as she searched the pockets of her coat but found nothing. "I left it in the car?!? Ugh! Shit, Lena!" She stomped her heel on the floor in frustration.

"Hey! Chill, lady! How was I supposed to know that something wasn't right here?" Kara's eyes widen in surprise, for suddenly blurting out a line from another Britney Spears song.

It took Lena about four seconds before laughing out loud for another whole ten seconds while tapping Kara's arm. "You're good!"

And Kara awkwardly laughed along as she helped Lena out of her coat, the smell of her perfume appearing to be cooler underneath the alcohol.

"Have a seat, Ms. Brit-uhm...Ms. Luthor. Let me get you something better to drink." She lead and sat Lena down the couch, facing the TV before hurrying to the coat rack and to get her drunk friend a glass of water from the kitchen. When she got back, she made sure that Lena had some water to sober her up a bit before plopping her own ass down on the couch, sitting right across from her. "Okay, talk to me."

Lena's eyes twinkled. "Tell me your name, you blow me off like its all the same. You lit a fuse and now I'm ticking away like a bomb, yeah baby." She smirked as she sang a Ricky Martin song so out of tune. "He played that song, too. Oh, I liked that driver's playlist."

Kara really laughed this time in disbelief that Lena could be this cute when she tries to be funny. With gleaming eyes and sunny smile, she gazed at her dark-haired friend. This was a side of Lena she's never seen before and never even thought of seeing. It felt so wrong to feel amused and yet once again, she found her so captivating. There's something going on but maybe she doesn't really want to talk about it? Or maybe she just wants to be in the moment? Maybe this is what my friend needs right now, to have a good laugh? Kara wondered.

"Okay, you asked for it." Kara stood up and started setting up the karaoke that didn't take long. She is a bit worried about Lena of course, but a sing-along for the first time with her best friend was indeed kind of exciting. "I'm warning you, I put the Kara in karaoke."

"Okay, Kara. Bring it on!" Lena was fully aware of what was happening and what she was doing. She's never done this before but stopping is far from what she wants right now. She liked the feeling of being in the moment, being drunk and horrible and embarrassing like this in front of Kara. Though her friend was obviously worried, she still allows her and doesn't seem to mind when she puts on whatever face she feels like wearing. With Kara, she can be whoever she wants to be and not feel any shame at all, one of the many things she loved about her blonde friend.

As soon as She Bangs started playing, Kara can't help but enjoy it, moving her body along with the beat and making the CEO dance in her seat.

"Talk to me, tell me your name,
You blow me off like its all the same. 
You lit a fuse and now I'm ticking away like a bomb, yeah baby."

Lena raised her hands up, not for the former Menudo member but for her now singing and awkwardly dancing friend who really took the effort to go out of her way just to make her feel better. Kara can sing. She's never heard her sing or seen her like this before. Or maybe the younger Danvers has always been like this and she just doesn't know it?

"Well if lady luck gets on my side, we're gonna rock this town alive. 
I'll let her rough me up 'till she knocks me out.
She walks like she talks and she talks like she walks!"

Singing her heart out, Kara didn't need to try to have fun while entertaining her friend at the same time, who wobbled her way to the kitchen and suddenly whipped her ponytail around like a helicopter, just in time for the second chorus after successfully finding a bottle of wine from her stash.

Their laughter echoed from the mic, out to the speakers, bouncing off the walls of the loft. Kara pointed to the food for Lena to feast on and noticed that her eyes, though tired but genuinely smiling, they never lie. She can see it and feel it, behind those light-green eyes that for some reason, something was making Lena lonely. Sometimes, she doesn't even get it. Why do amazing people feel this way? Or why is it that albeit being successful, admired and surrounded by loving friends, incredible sadness still find its way and take the time to haunt people?

"Oh pretty baby, there's nothing that I wouldn't do,
It's not the way I planned it.
Show me how you want it to be,
Tell me baby 'cause I need to know now, oh because,
My loneliness is killing me, and I!
I must confess, I still believe!"

"Still believe!" In between bites of donuts, Kara sang along while Lena belts out the song she pulled up earlier.

"When I'm not with you I lose my mind, give me a siiiiiign. Hit me baby, one more time!"

The intoxicated CEO pointed the glass of wine in her hand at Kara, but the song, she was actually singing it for Elly. And yes, singing her heart out, though she has no love for it and vise versa, was the best way she could express herself somehow. She loved it anyway, how every word of the lyrics seemed to perfectly describe how she feels, all the while giving her a wave of nostalgia.

"Oh baby, baby, how was I supposed to know?
Oh pretty baby, I shouldn't have let you goooo."

Kara watched and listened as she drank, ate and sang along with Lena, taking turns on the mic while occasionally replacing the wine in her hand with a glass of water and sneaking up small bites of donuts and fries into her mouth.

"Hey, drink this. Go on."
"It's gone, we finished it. It's empty."
"Come on, Lena. Just one bite. For me? Thank you!" Kara kept on insisting as she sang to her.

"Running past in my mind, girl won't you slow it down?
If we carry on this way, this thing might leave the ground.
How would you like to fly?
That's how my queen shall ride.
But she still deserved the crown, hasn't it be found?"

Giggling in between dancing to the beat of JT's old hit, Lena can't believe it either how being with Kara could make her act like this, turning an awful evening into a night filled with singing and dancing, just the two of them being crazy and drunk. Kara being the crazy one while herself as the drunk. And in an amusingly unusual and vulnerable state as she maybe, Lena was glad she was still being well taken care of.

"Wha- this is water! Where's my wine?"
"The bottle, where is it? Where'd you put it?"
"Ugh! Again? Okay. Oh, you're as sweet as this donut."

As it turned out, Camp Kara Danvers night became Camp Britney Spears in an instant, with Kara lining up the pop star's hit songs on queue. At this age and year, this is embarrassing, really. But not for the two of them. Not for two people who are also friends because they are both Britney and Nsync fans. The next thing she knew, it was her turn on the mic again.

"Singin, I love rock n' roll!
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby!
I love rock n' roll!
So come and take a time and dance with me!"

The loud music was something different, a change of ambience from their usual quiet cozy dinners and lunch out. She did it on purpose, songs that were meant for Lena to hear, a way of telling her best friend that even without having to say anything, she knows there's something wrong. That whatever it may be, she gets her, and she's there for her like always.

"And they say, she's so lucky, she's a star,
But she cry, cry, cries and a lonely heart thinking;
If there's nothing missing in my life,
Then why do these tears fall-"

"Oh my god! Look at this song! This is so me!" Lena exclaimed over the mic, looking pleased and feeling a bit sober than when she got out of that Uber.

For a second, Kara thought she heard her phone ringing somewhere under the loud music. She scrambled for her phone, finding it sitting underneath the lid behind the open box of donuts, only to see a missed call from un unknown number. She wonder who or what could that be about and waited for a follow-up call or text that didn't came, and so the night went on.

"Oh, yeah...
I'd do anything, I'd give you my world,
I'd wait forever to be your girl.
Just call on my name and I will be there...
Just to show you how much I caaare!"

Looking at her friend, Kara smiled as they sang shoulder to shoulder, sharing the mic together for a song that turned out to be one that they both loved.

"Alright! I was born to make you happy!" Lena yelled from the top of her lungs as she helped herself to a still warm cheeseburger, not realising that singing could make a person hungry. She hasn't even taken a single bite yet when she dropped it instantly and grabbed the mic as another song she loved played next.

"People can take everything away from you.
But they can never take away your truth."

Lena can't help but smile at her song's intro. Holding the mic up her lips, she crinkled her nose as she looked through her blonde friend's dorky eyeglasses straight to her blue eyes.

"But the question is, can you handle mine?
They say I'm crazy, but I really don't care.
That's my prerogative.
They say I'm nasty, but I don't give a damn..."

Having a blast, Kara smiled in amusement, admiring the new pop star don't-wanna-be, hanging out in her living room and how she handles this side of herself. Only then she realised, the more quality and alone time she spends with Lena, the more she learns about who she really is underneath the Luthor name. She completely surrendered the mic over to her now not-too-drunk-but-not-sober-enough friend and sat back to listen to her horrible singing.

"With a taste of your lips, I'm on a ride.
You're toxic, I'm slipping under,
Taste of a poison paradise.
I'm addicted to you,
Don't you know that you're toxic?"

Kara giggled, pretending to be affected by the wine, which she managed to hide under the couch while Lena was busy, bottle half-empty, cork and all, away from the CEO's reach as she tried to do a sexy dance that goes with her song. Kara was reminded how she used to admire Britney Spears during her time. Her dance moves, her hairstyles and and the clothes she wore...just like how she's admiring the frisky woman right in front of her now, who just playfully winked at her, no matter how out of tune she was.

"And I love what you do,
But d'you know that you're toxic?"

There was a sudden knock on the door that Kara found as a surprise. She wasn't expecting anyone else tonight, not even Alex. She used her x-ray vision to see who it was. It's the old lady from the floor below hers. Have they been too loud? She headed towards the door, hearing another knock louder than the first one. By the looks of it, Lena didn't hear anything because she kept on singing.

"Just hang around and you'll see,
There's nowhere I'd rather be.
If you love me, trust in me,
The way that I trust in you."

Kara opened the door by just a crack to not let the loud music out of her apartment.

"Hello, Kara!" The kind lady greeted her with a smile, holding up a plate of homemade cookies.

Kara slid out of her unit and gently closed the door behind her, muffling the sound from inside. "Oh hi, Mrs. McGregor. Have we been too loud?" She nervously greets the kind lady back with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, not really. You're doing just fine. I see you have a lady visitor. Here, I brought some cookies I made this morning." Mrs. McGregor handed her the cookies then whispered. "Your friend sounded like she's going through a lot." She nodded as she gave a soft pat on Kara's shoulder.

"Oh, thank you, Mrs. McGregor. She'll love these. And yes, in fact she's going through...a really bad breakup." Kara made up something convincing. And you sounded like Mrs. McNosy.

"I see, I'll take my leave then. And maybe turn it down just a notch? It's getting late." The old lady smiled and left without even waiting for Kara's answer.

"Okay, yeah. I'm so so sorry." She called out to the old lady in a whisper as she watched her disappear behind the hallway.

Kara laid the plate of cookies down in the middle of the coffee table, surrounded by crumpled napkins and burger wrappers, donut crumbs, empty glasses of water and wine with a few pieces of fries here and there. The karaoke was still playing songs but Lena took a break from singing so she lowered the volume, enough to hear each other talk as she joins her on the comfy couch.

"I didn't know this could be exhausting." A now sober-looking Lena took a cookie as she sank back to the couch and crossed her legs.

"And it makes you hungry. Wait, I'll get us some milk." Kara stood up and ran to the kitchen to get two more glasses, half-filled with milk.

"True! I thought it was just me."

Both looking tired, they sat and ate Mrs. McGregor's oatmeal blueberry cookies while an Nsync song softly played in the karaoke. It was another one that Kara enqueued. And so, a cookie in her hand and without a mic, Kara started to sing:

"I know that you still dream of what money can't buy for you.
And in my dreams I'll make your wish come true.
For the girl who has everything, I bring you love. I bring you love.
Cause the girl who has everything, can't get enough of my love."

Lena blushed as she read the lyrics on the TV screen. She smiled at Kara who in her surprise was already smiling at her while singing, knowing the lyrics by heart like a true Nsync fan.

"If you just let me try my friend, listen.
I'll help you find what you've been missing.
Gotta listen to your heart and not your mind."

She adored the blonde reporter singing softly and with such sincerity by the way her eyebrows danced with the twinkling of her eyes. Or maybe it was just how these songs were written? These were the kind of songs she used to comfort herself with when she was younger and had no one to call real friends of her own. Lena's eyes started to burn as she leaned her head on Kara's shoulder, who caught her just in time before tears streamed down her cheeks. She can't tell why, but it's times such as these that she was eternally grateful for having Kara in her life; a true friend who helps her stay sane.

Although she had no idea why Lena was here or why she's feeling this way, still, Kara felt that being just here for her boss/friend would make a difference. She knew exactly what it feels like to be alone and this was something she wanted for herself when Alex was still distant during the first few months she arrived on this planet. To have someone. And so, she stayed still and as quiet as she listened to her sob and cry, letting Lena drench her shoulder in tears.

"You can stay for the night, if you want." She insisted.

And Lena just nodded weakly.

The music has finally stopped and the loft was back to being quiet as the night. Except for the sound of the city outside, of moving, honking vehicles and footsteps of passers by, talking softly, laughing, yelling with delight, that seemed to be peaceful enough and only Kara can hear. She waved a handful of unused Big Belly Burger napkins to her crying friend, who slowly took it to blow her now stuffy nose on.

"I'll get you something comfy to wear."

"No, wait. Don't go."

Four words. That was all she said, yet there was something heartwarming about it. Lena needs her. Kara smiled at the thought.

Don't go.

Two words that speaks to her heart. Where have she heard those words before? Little Dumpling. Before he falls to sleep and asked to hold hands.

"Okay, I'm right here." Kara placed an arm around her best friend while she wept. They stayed still on the couch, another perfect song meant for Lena playing inside her head.

You with the sad eyes, don't be discouraged, oh I realise it's hard to take courage.
In a world full of people, you can lose sight of it all,
And the darkness inside you can make you feel so small.
But I see your true colours shining through,
And I see your true colours and that's why I love you.
So don't be afraid to let them show your true colours,
Your true colours are beautiful, like a rainbow.

It's true. Not everyone can see it but Lena is beautiful. She appears to be tough and cold on the outside but fragile and a total softie deep down inside. It hurts Kara seeing her friend like this and she didn't realised that she started singing it out loud for her friend to hear.

"Show me a smile and don't be unhappy,
Can't remember when I last saw you laughing.
If this world makes you crazy and you've taken all you can bare,
Just call me up because you know I'll be there.
And I see your true colours shining through,
And I see your true colours and that's why I love you..."

The song only made Lena sob and cry harder. "I already know that." She whispered in between sobs and stuffy nose, her head still leaning on Kara's shoulder. "And I called, didn't I?"

"Yes you did." Kara smiled. "And you're here."

"You're here."

"With me."

"In your arms."

"Safe and sound." Kara took Lena in her arms and hugged her human-like tight. It was something she picked up from the Danvers family; how the sense of touch, hugs in particular, can give anyone a sense of belonging and ease any kind of emotional pain.

They sat comfortably still for a few more minutes, breathing in the quietness, each other's scent and the fading smell of cold half-eaten burgers until Lena's sobbing stopped. Or was it when they started to breathe deeper and slower, almost falling asleep in each other's arms? They weren't that tired, no, but it felt so comfortable, no one wants to move yet.

Being here felt nice. Warm. Safe. Loved. And accepted. It feels like...

"I should...clean up." Lena sniffed and wiped her tears, returning back to reality.

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll...get you a change of clothes."

A puffy-eyed Lena smiled weakly before standing up while Kara's eyes followed her as she headed for the bathroom.

Oh, Lena. It was all Kara could say to herself as the bathroom door closes. She sighed and started cleaning up what has become of the Camp Kara Danvers, listening closely to what's going on inside the bathroom. The shower was on but there was no more sobbing or crying, Lena's heart beat and breathing are now back to normal.

Inside the bathroom, Lena stared at her own reflection in the mirror. Her head felt heavy, face pink and eyes still swollen from crying. She used to hate this person for being too soft, too scared, too weak and alone. All these years, no one else has ever seen this person but her. Until now. Tonight, she doesn't hate her that much anymore because someone has finally seen her. Though, still soft and weak but she no longer feel scared and alone. Because when she finally stepped out of the dark and out of that Uber, she tasted freedom, love, and acceptance. It was sweet, something she never had before but the other girl already had the first taste about three years ago, or so. She smiled before removing her earrings, pulled out her scrunchie and unbuttoned her shirt, pants falling on the floor, stripping down to completely nothing. Lena took a deep breath before stepping into the shower, letting the warm water slowly pierce her like pins and needles, washing away the stench of alcohol from her skin and down the drain.

It took her only a full minute to make the living room spick-and-span again twenty minutes ago, but choosing between a pair of deep red or light blue pajamas seemed to take forever. She would definitely look good in red but which one would make the color of her eyes pop? Hmm. Kara returned her jammies inside the drawers after finally settling for the silky red one. And standing in front of the bathroom door with the sleeping clothes and a fresh clean towel, she hesitated once before knocking.

"Lena? I got you clothes and a towel. I'll leave them here by the door."

"What? Come in, I can't hear you!" Lena called out underneath the running water.

Without thinking too much, Kara took a deep breath before opening the door by a crack, wide enough to fit just half of her face. The air inside the bathroom smelled of shampoo and soapy chlorine. It was warm and damp, fogging up her glasses in an instant. "You okay in there?"

"Yeah. What were you saying?" Lena's soaking wet face suddenly appeared, peeking behind the shower curtain.

"I...got you pj's and a towel."

"Yeah, okay." Lena noticed she fogged up the bathroom and Kara's glasses as well. "Oh, it's steamy in here. Can you see me?" She said while sticking her tongue out.

"No. I'll just...leave them here then." Kara just smiled as she placed them by the sink and closed the bathroom door.

"Okay, thanks."

For how many minutes later, Lena stepped out of the shower, wiped the fogged up mirror with her hand and looked at her reflection as she dries her hair with the towel. Her head is clearer, lighter. She looks, feels, even smells better. A while ago, she was a different person. But this woman staring back at her now was the same Lena Luthor everyone knows: eyes cold, face blank and collected. Her smile was already gone, along with the tears, fears and smell of scotch and wine. She's now back to reality, back to the present and ready to face the truth. I have to move.

Kara was already sitting comfortably on one side of the bed. Her back against a pillow with legs stretched under the blanket, one foot on top of the other and typing something on the laptop on her lap. She closed and let it rest on her bedside table, the moment Lena sat down on the other side of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" Kara smiled, admiring how Lena's eyes turned brighter light green from the red pajamas she was wearing.

"Better." Lena smiled weakly, while combing her hair that was now dry and smelled of Kara's shampoo.

Quietly, they both gazed and blinked at each other, trying to read and crack the codes of what's going on in their minds through their eyes. It's not weird at all, because as friends, it's something they have learned to do without having to say anything and they've been doing this for as long as they can remember. It's how their hearts and souls talk deeply to each other. And most of the time, they can read each other quite accurately: Lena is brokenhearted and Kara is worried about her.

"No matter how many times you break, you know I'm always here to pick up the pieces, right?" Kara broke the silence, making sure that her dearest friend gets the message as clear as day.

Lena started to tear up again, but this time, her face was cold and calm when a tear slowly rolled down her cheek. It meant a lot to her that Kara still remembers what she told her that day, about three years ago. And the burgers, and the large tub of ice cream, and the movie back in her penthouse that they didn't really get to watch because they were too tired, they fell asleep with the TV still on...

"You cry baby of a Luthor. Come here."

With her back not leaving the headboard, Kara opened her arms for the young lady Luthor to sink into, who willingly crawled in to her strong arms, head resting perfectly by her neck. She smelled flowers in her hair, stargazers, if she wasn't mistaken. There was nothing else to do but to shower Lena with love and support. That's what Eliza and Alex, even Jonn would usually do whenever they noticed that she was going through some things but don't really want to talk about it. And of what seemed like a musical night of less conversations, she then decided to sing her to sleep as the heiress quietly emptied her eyes out once again.

"Set your eyes from your tears,
When everything's unclear,
You'll be safe here.
From the sheer weight of your doubts and fears, wounded heart."

Kara snuggled closer, making sure that Lena indeed feels safe and warm as she wept; while under the sheets, she felt a hand reached for hers.

"When the light disappears,
And when this world's insincere,
You'll be safe here.
When nobody hears you scream,
I'll scream with you.
You'll be safe here in my arms,
Through the long cold night, sleep tight;
You'll be safe here.
When no one understands, I believe.
You'll be safe here."

Wiping her tears away with her free hand, Lena raised her head to meet Kara's eyes, their faces only inches apart. At that moment, those eyes weren't smiling nor feeling sorry for her. They were somewhat filled with sincerity, deep concern and something else. Could it be commitment? Or love? It was mesmerising. And real. How she wished those words weren't just lyrics to a song for they felt like hot glowing coals touching her skin without burning it. It was hitting her. Too close, too bare, too...personal.

"Put your hand in my hand,
You'll be safe here."

Kara was looking into a pair of teary light green eyes. Red and puffy again, yes, but still beautiful for they belonged to an amazingly wonderful woman that not everyone can see. Strong but soft, fierce yet so vulnerable. There's something about her worth saving and protecting, something she would give her Kryptonian life for. What exactly it is, she is yet to figure out. The light green eyes suddenly leaned in closer to her, their noses side by side and lips now touching. For some reason, it didn't surprise her. She just sat there, kept her eyes open and didn't even flinched as Lena's lips gently brushed against hers.

Maybe she wasn't as sober yet as I thought? Or maybe this was something she really needed? She was lonely. And she needed to be with someone she fully trusts. The tears rolling down her cheeks tells me so. Her lips were soft and warm and trembling. And when she pulled away from me, I saw it. Right through her eyes, she needed help. She needs someone. She needs me. Right here, right now.

There was no other response from Kara but a long blank stare. She would blink slowly every now and then, but that was it. Lena's heart was racing and her head was throbbing, but not with pain. Anxiety and questions, that's what. Annoying, buzzing questions, asking what could Kara be thinking right at this moment. Or maybe it was her conscience?

What did you just do and why did you do it? Was it even necessary? What were you thinking?

Nothing. I just felt like doing it.

She did it, she finally did it. The leap of faith she waited for so long to take and she knew to herself that there is no turning back. Leaning in again, but slowly this time as if with warning. She looked deeply at Kara's baby blue eyes as if asking her for consent. Her lips were about to touch hers when the pair of blue eyes closed, giving her courage to dive in again. And she did. Slow and easy, she took a deep breath before treading the new waters. And as she gets used to it, she started to go deeper, harder, faster, as the water flowed and danced along with her pace and her will. She held her face, memorising how the blonde hair felt silky in her hands and how her breath smelled of something sweet. Peaches? Apples? It wasn't as cold underwater as she thought it would be. Quite surprisingly warm, in fact, and life changing to see such colors she's never seen before and never knew existed. Of dark, light and bright, of reds, blues and sparkling turquoise...the rays of sun shining from above the waters making everything glimmer...pearly, purply, iridescent neon pinks, greens and golds. It was filled with loud colors, yet so peaceful and quiet. It was just...magnificent.

How long have I been here? Have I lost track of time? But I like it here and I still have some air left to breathe.

And so she stayed.

She breathes in the cool air, filling her insides with warmth, fluttering butterflies and a trace of vanilla latte. It felt good and light and breathtaking and Kara was sure she wasn't flying. But it felt like it, thousands of feet up in the air, high above the clouds and onto the most quiet part of the Earth's atmosphere where the line between the sky and the clouds is still visible. Where everything was out of earshot, except for the singing wind and her own heart beating. Where the unfiltered yellow sun shines the brightest, making her stronger, faster, braver, making her feel like she can be anyone, be anything, be anywhere.

What is this?

She held her as gently as she knows how, tracing her jaw with her thumb while smooth dark hair brushed the back of her hand. It was just like her dream from years ago, but only this wasn't. She wasn't asleep, not even drowsy. She's fully awake and she knows this was real, more real and more...gratifying?

What is it?

Lena was the first one to pull away and stared right at her eyes while catching her breath before going back to her side of the bed, leaving her blinking, head spinning blankly and floating upwards to a place somewhere she never even heard of. What she can hear was her own heart beating so loud, it was almost defeaning. Or was it Lena's? Maybe both. As seconds and minutes passed, they lay silently still on the king-sized bed. For Lena at least, both still wide awake and facing away from each other, thoughts somewhere else, though, their breathing are in sync.

"Kara?"

"Yah?"

"Can you promise me one last thing?"

"What is it?"

"Tonight never happened."

Lena said it without any hesitation. It didn't sounded like a plea but it somewhat is. Her words didn't even stuttered or cracked when it left her lips, but her heart did. And Kara doesn't need to know. She was sober, but not as sober as she thought she was. Only then was when anxiety started to creep up her head, thinking Kara might've felt bad or mad or already fallen asleep because it took her a long two minutes, maybe three before responding.

Britney Spears? That feeling like I was flying but not really? Being Supergirl while wearing my glasses on? It will take time to figure this out. She doesn't really get it but Kara silently sighed before finally answering.

"I promise."

Chapter Text

Nia's eyes opened as she lifts a finger from her keyboard on her CatCo desk, that has filled five pages of document with nothing but the letter A. She was sitting up straight in front of her computer in the middle of writing her "The Fall of Agent Liberty and His Children (Where are they now?)" article. No one noticed that she just woke up from a dream about a crowded funeral with Supergirl watching from up above the clouds. She was facing the setting sun, as if soaking herself with all the power and energy it's been giving her. Her face was cold and blank but there were tears rolling down her cheeks. That was all the details Nia could remember as she shakes her head awake from her super-power nap. She was about to press the delete button after highlighting all the letter A's on her document when she noticed an apple juice box on the edge of her desk that obviously does not belong to her.

"Elly!"

Looking in every direction, she turned her chair around as she remembers she was in charge of babysitting him for the next fifty minutes or so. Nope, not here. There's only one place in this office that he likes hanging out to and that would be his favorite uncle's office. Nia walks in only to find the now 5-year old Elly fast asleep on the carpeted floor under James' desk, snuggled with his plush toy Leo.

"There you are." Nia whispered to herself in relief before kneeling down on the floor beside him.

The morning sunlight coming from the glass windows bounced off Elly's eyeglasses and made his long brown hair shine like spilled caramel fudge on the carpet. His face was smooth and pore-less, plain and smile-less, breathing slowly and steady, mind probably dreaming, possibly wandering somewhere far far away. He's always been adorable, fun to watch when he's awake but watching him sleep gives something more than that, specially in a place like this. Fast-paced, filled with young and old adults, some hurrying here and there while others sit on their desks for more than the usual nine-to-five, all seeking for the hot and not and what's been happening in-between, all throughout the city. He's been a breath of fresh air ever since and everyone on this floor seemed to know and love him. Even Snapper liked giving him treats and fist-bumps, making this place a bit brighter whenever Elly is around. It is true, children brings color and magic anywhere they go.

Oh, little Bean. Nia smiled, feeling lucky to have a family in this city and not noticing that James has walked in from his 9 o'clock staff meeting.

"Nia? What's going on?" A startled James looked up from the drafts and thumbnails he was holding.

"Shh." Nia turned with a finger on her lips and whispered. "He fell asleep on the floor."

James stepped closer to have a look and was surprised to see that it was Elly sleeping under his desk. "Is everything okay? What happened?"

Nia stood up to explain. "Some of the kids from his school got the colds so Alex dropped him off here a while ago; said she'll be back in an hour. Or two."

The editor-in-chief nodded as he placed the drafts on his desk. Being Elly's godfather, this is one of those little things that he promised himself to do for the youngest Danvers. It only felt like yesterday when Alex approached him to have "the talk" he never imagined he'll be having so soon and asked for, that left a big and bulky man like himself a bit emotional and teary-eyed: he was asked to be Elly's father-figure.

"She was in a hurry, uhm...emergency at work? And Kara isn't back from her morning rounds yet so I..." Nia softly continued.

James brought his knees to the floor to take Elly in his arms.

"Wait, you might wake him up!" Nia exclaimed in whisper, worried that the young boy's mood might turn to something not adorable.

"Oh, no. This little guy sleeps like a log." The favorite uncle carried his godson effortlessly and laid him gently on the couch. "You see that?"

Nia noticed that Elly didn't even flinch, his hand firmly gripped on the plush lion's hand and his arms and legs are still in the same position as they were on the floor. "How, cute."

"He barely moves." James chuckled softly, remembering how Elly has been sleeping like that for as long as he can recall and how hard it is to believe how time flies so fast indeed.

They both stood there quietly, mesmerized with the sight of Elly and his long curled eyelashes as he sleeps.

"Anyway, what are you working on?" James snapped at Nia, making their way back to reality.

"Umm...The Fall of Agent Liberty. And a few more leads on his children's whereabouts at this point." Nia answered in an instant, after almost falling into a trance from watching Elly.

"Okay, you keep working on that while I keep watch, and...oh, will you please get him a box of donuts and milkshake for later? That's to uhm...minimize the grumpiness, maybe in about...thirty minutes?"

"Oh. Sure."

"Thanks, Nia."

The young journalist turned to leave, but stopped a few steps away, only to turn back and face her boss as if forgotten to tell him something. "Umm...Mr. Olsen? I..."

"Yes?"

She wanted to tell him about the dream she just had a few minutes ago, but maybe it could wait until she gets more details about the funeral part. "Thank you." She said instead, as she pointed a hand at Elly, for covering her turn to babysit.

"Oh, it's nothing. I only have one more meeting left for the day anyway, so...go on and finish your article." James waved a hand and smiled at the promising journalist.

Nia nodded and smiled back as she leaves the editor's office, only missing Kara by a few seconds, who just fumingly walked out of the elevator and seemingly storms inside the same room where James is.

She came to a halt, surprised to see her nephew sleeping soundly on the couch. "What's he doing here? What happened? Where's Alex?" Kara turned back around to scan the place for someone wearing a leather jacket, but there was no Alex around.

"Uhh...some kids got the colds at his school and mom had an emergency out in the field so..." James was still standing in the middle of his office with arms crossed over his chest, watching over little Danvers.

"Why didn't she called me? Not even a text?!" Kara checked her phone to find no missed call or text from her sister and shook her head aggravatingly.

"Hey, take a breath, Kara. It's okay, it's only for a few hours and he's fast asleep." He said calmly as he pats her shoulder lightly, noticing his friend's unusual mood.

They both took a quiet moment for a few seconds standing there, watching Elly's chest rise and fall as he breathes.

"I got nothing on The Wall guy. It wasn't him causing trouble on the east side of town." The crinkle on Kara's forehead vanished as she sighed disappointingly while staring at her sleeping nephew. "I wish this city could be as peaceful as the way he sleeps." She slowly sat half of her butt by the edge of the couch, leaving enough space not to startle Elly while she gently removes his dorky little glasses almost same as hers, and tucks Leo safely between his arms.

"It's our job to make this city safer for him." The photographer looked at his Kryptonian friend.

"I know. And we're doing the best we can." She sweeps her Little Dumpling's hair to the side, away from his eyes and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. It took her quite a few years to learn how to resist burying her nose in his neck and his smooth chubby cheeks while he's asleep. She smiled at the thought of how it used to get her in trouble. "He looks so pure and innocent. How I wish he'd never grow up."

"He's so quiet when he sleeps." James smiled and blinked as he noticed something. He looked a little closer to his godson's face with a crinkle appearing in between his own eyebrows. "Wait, is he...starting to kinda look like you?"

"What, like a four-eyed donut monster?" Kara sounded somewhat serious as she stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. "Always hungry? He reminds me of Cookie Monster sometimes, God! I can still remember how he chowed down that potstickers from before."

"Well, I gotta tell you, young boys are always hungry." Uncle J said in Elly's defense while trying to hide his smirk.

"So am I but...I'm a girl."

James leaned his head closer to her and whispered. "Oh, yeah. You're Super...girl."

"Ha-ha." Kara was not amused.

Kara's phone suddenly rang. It was Jonn. She walked towards the balcony to answer her phone. "Jonn? What's up?"

"Hey Kara, I just got a lead about this guy who calls himself The Stonewall in the west shopping district. Tell Alex, she's not answering her phone."

"She's out in a field emergency. She dropped off Elly here at CatCo a while ago without even telling me."

"Why? Is he alright?" Jonn suddenly sounded a bit worried.

"Yeah, just...some kids in his school got the colds, so...you know how Alex could be."

"Then why not bring him here in my office? I could use some...you know...little company."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Pops. Maybe this was the nearest drop-off. But I'll remind her for next time."

"Okay. I'll send you the address and meet me there."

"See you." The call ended and Kara turned back to James. "I got some work to do, Guardian. You do yours." She whispered with a smirk as she points at Elly before flying out of the editor-in-chief's office balcony.

"Ha-ha." The favorite uncle just smiled and shook his head.

---------------

Alex admired the view of the city through her aviator sunglasses while tapping her biker boots on the LCorp helipad as she waits for the incoming chopper that was still about a few kilometers away, to land. The last minute from the fifteen felt like the longest few seconds of her life, trying to unconvince herself from the fact that helicopters are not slow.

Or whatever. It doesn't really matter. Just please get here quick. She took a deep breath as she checks on her phone, only to find another missed call from Jonn. She can't speak to him right now, knowing how well he can read her just by the tone of her voice. He'll call Kara, for sure. Aside from missing calls, playing conversations in her head helped a lot to distract herself from panicking.

Only seconds after the helicopter has safely landed, the young lady Luthor immediately climbed down on her own. She was wearing a deep red trench coat with matching high heels, a pair of lustrous white-gold earrings and her signature cherry red lipstick. Her dark hair was up in a neat french twist, one hand clutching on her satchel and the other removing her over-sized sunglasses before greeting Alex with a firm hand shake.

"Director?" Lena's voice was as firm and cold as usual.

"Ms. Luthor." Alex shakes her hand, trying her best to hide her tension. "Thank you for coming in such short notice."

Lena just nodded and gestured. "To my office?"

"After you."

They entered the building, letting the sound of their feet announce their arrival along the quiet hallways as they proceed on to their objective. It has been their unspoken routine whenever they are meeting each other out in the open, or even if there's just one other person in the room. Be formal. Business as usual. They both nodded as they passed by the secretary's desk who acknowledged their presence. As soon as they entered Lena's office and out of everyone's earshot, Alex bursts into small amounts of mild panic.

"Thank goodness, you're here! I'm so, so, sorry I had to call you this early, I-I didn't know what else to do..." Alex stuttered, her usual cool agent/mom vibe slowly disappearing. It was the first time she's seen the signs of Elly's nature upclose and it sent her heart out of her chest in an instant.

"It's alright Alex, breathe. Tell me what happened." Lena crosses her arms, pretending not to be affected by the director's reaction and kept her nervousness to herself as she turns to listen to what Alex has to say.

The director took a deep breath, her mind speeding up to summarise what she has witnessed in just a few words. "He finished a whole pumpkin pie in the car on our way to his school." She blurted out.

Ms. Luthor squinted curiously, wanting to hear more. "And?"

"Wha-? We just waited for the traffic light to turn green and then the pie is just...gone! And said he wanted more!?"

"So...no floating?"

"Nope."

"Or super strength?"

"No."

"Super speed?"

"Speed eating? He ate it in less than five minutes!"

Lena's eyebrows almost took off but it didn't show. "Where is he now?"

"I...he's at CatCo with Nia..."

Lena closed her eyes and took a deep breath to make it look like she was thinking of a quick plan, but the truth? It was really to compose herself. "So...okay, here's the upgrade." She seemed to be unsurprised at all but she hurriedly opened her purse and took out a small black box with a thin silver bangle inside which she handed to Alex. "You go and change it. Just return the old one back..."

"No, meet me in my apartment." In what seemed like a flashy move, Alex grabbed the small box and sped out of the CEO's office.

The young lady Luthor was left blinking her eyes, as the power dampener in her hand disappeared with the older Danvers and was replaced with a set of keys.

------------------------

The box of freshly baked donuts along with a tall cup of milkshake that Nia brought has only been sitting on the coffee table in the middle of James' office for a mere twenty seconds, when Elly woke up from his nap as if right on cue. He hugged Leo before looking around for his eyeglasses, which he found right beside the clear cup of blended goodness with his name written on it.

"The donuts are in aaaand..." Nia said in a singsong as she returns to her desk after running to and from the nearest bakeshop to get Elly's snacks. "...here's your bulletproof coffee." She placed a tall cup of piping hot paper cup on her desk right in front of James who was hunching over her desk while proofreading the article she wrote.

"Oh, thanks Nia." He scribbled down some notes on the side of the printout without even looking up at her.

"You know that every desk in this office comes with a chair, right?"

"Nah. This won't take long." James stood up straight and rearranged the stapled few pages of paper in his hand, smiling at her. "Just a few more changes here and here and...that's it! It's good to go." He showed her the pages and pointed on the notes as Nia looked on and nodded on the paper handed to her. "Great work, by the way." He continued.

That's when he saw Elly sitting up on the couch inside his office, waving lazily at him. He nodded at his godson and pointed to the box of donuts. He then ate an invisible biscuit between his fingers, gesturing him to eat. The young boy blinked at the pink box in front of him and raised a thumbs-up to his favourite uncle.

"Got it. Thanks!" Nia sat down to her chair as James took his coffee and left.

The editor-in-chief was on his way back to spend some snack time with little Danvers when he caught a glimpse of Kara walking out of the elevator. He stopped and waited by the glass doors of his office, noticing the crumpled look on her face as she walks glumly towards him.

"Back so soon?" James greeted her before taking a sip from his coffee.

"Yeah." Kara was about to gesture him inside the editor's office to talk but seeing Elly already awake and eating donuts, she waved and smiled at him instead as her nephew did just the same and kept on eating. Standing by the glass doors, she looked around before whispering in a low voice: "It was him."

"You got him?" James closed the doors of his office and looked around before listening back to Kara's report.

"No. He got away though." Kara sighed.

James can see she's frustrated. Their whole team is. Supergirl, Martian Manhunter, Brainiac 5, Dreamer, Guardian, even the DEO. Who wouldn't be? They've all been playing hide-and-seek and whack-a-mole with six of these bad guys, tracking each and every one of them down for the last five years and it shows. They would reappear only to cause trouble and terror then disappear again for a long period of time. And whenever they caught one, another one breaks out of prison.

"But I'm sure it was him! And he got bigger than the last time I saw him." Kara exclaimed in whisper.

By the way her eyebrows rose and the crinkle between them, James knew she wanted to catch this guy so badly and how it's starting to get on her nerves. "How did he got away?"

"We don't know! He just...vanished! Jonn said he could be a teleporter or a shapeshifter." They are getting better. She can't even stand the words or the thought of the possibility of The Stonewall being a morai.

"That's still something we can look into. These guys are getting better. Was Alex there?"

"No, she's in someplace else." Kara felt somewhat felt disappointed that Alex wasn't there to see it and also relieved that 

"Oh, there she is."

Kara turned to see her sister getting out of the elevator and somewhat catching her breath while walking her way towards them. She greeted Alex with a grumpy face with both her hands on her hips.

"You left your son here, no calls, not even a message?" Kara sounded like a displeased mother to her teenage rebel child.

"Well, hello to you too?" Alex didn't even notice how grumpy her sister was. "You were out so I explained it to Nia. There was an emergency at work that turned out to be a false alarm." The older Danvers calmly answered and had that kind of look on her face where she doesn't quite understand why her little sister is scolding her.

"Where were you? Why weren't you answering your phone? Jonn has been trying to call you all morning!" Kara wasn't done yet.

Now that she noticed Kara's mood, Alex pretends to whisper to James. "Well, someone's having a rough day." 

"I'm right here!?" Kara still with her hands on her hips, stood and waited for her sister to explain herself.

"Oh hey, James! Where's Elly? I'm gonna take him out to lunch." Alex greeted him with a smile like nothing happened.

"Wha-? And now you're pretending to ignore me!?" The younger Danvers sounded and looked pissed for real, as if she was on red kryptonite.

The tension felt a bit awkward for James so he didn't dare say anything nor blink or move an inch even when his hand holding the cup of coffee felt numb already, as if it will make him somehow invisible. He thought about Jonn or Clark, even The Hat to appear out of nowhere and take him away. Through the floors, out the window or in the middle of the next city, it won't really matter. How he wished he wasn't there.

"No. Okay, I'm sorry." Taking a deep breath, Alex felt a bit guilty and apologised immediately. The last thing she'll need is for her own behaviour today to become an issue to anyone. Act naturally. She reminded herself. "I had my schedule cleared because I want to spend this day with him."

That's when Kara remembered that Alex has a lot on her plate too. For all she know, her sister could be just as frustrated as her right now, only that she's really good at hiding it. As the director of the DEO, she's also been busy tracking down these bad guys from what little data the agency has and trying to extract information from prisoners didn't help at all. Spending time with Elly is more precious than diamonds to her. To the both of them, actually, especially now that her Little Dumpling likes playing chess with strangers that are ten times older than him and is starting to think and speak like one, if only he wasn't carrying Leo around.

"And I'm gonna call Jonn..." Alex softly continued.

"He wants you to take Elly to him next time." Kara's shoulders and voice softened, realising she really is having a rough day. "Pops needs some little company too, he says."

"Okay, mom." Alex curled up her lips into a soft smile. "We'll let Pops make a chess prodigy out of little Danvers."

Kara made a lame smirk. "I'm sorry, it's just that...The Stonewall slipped through my fingers twice this morning." She whispered before letting out a deep sigh, her eyes filled with disappointment.

"We'll get them all soon enough, I promise." Alex squeezed her sister's arm and gave her a reassuring look and they both nodded.

"Is everything okay at work? Are you okay?" The younger Danvers asked, suddenly sounding a bit worried, remembering how often she forgets to check in on how her sister is doing or feeling in general.

"Yeah, of course. Nothing I can't handle." Alex replied with a wink. Just another lie. Something she got used to doing and really good at, not only in her line of work but also in her life as a whole. It was true though, only half of it, she was glad that aside from Kara or Supergirl, she can call someone else this time to her rescue. And besides, she knows how Kara tends to worry way too much about her at times. "In the meantime, you should get yourself some sugary stuff to clear this up." She poked the crinkle in between Kara's eyebrows.

"Hah! Great idea." Kara's face lit up, remembering the box of donuts waiting on the coffee table in Jame's office and the fact how Alex always tends to pull her back on the ground knowing her sister worries about her too.

They both smiled at each other in a way that even James felt that everything is going to be okay. The tension is gone in an instant, but suddenly, Alex's phone rang. The director took out her phone and showed it to Kara before swiping the answer button.

"Speaking of the devil."

Kara nodded and turned to James with a grin as Alex stepped away to talk to Jonn. The photographer/editor let out a huge sigh of relief, speechless of how the Danvers sisters always turn each other's mood in a snap. He pushed the door to his office open to give way to his blonde friend.

"This way to the sugary stuff." James smiled, knowing exactly what that kind of grin meant as Kara walks in, who then suddenly came into a halt to his surprise. Kara's jaw drop at the sight in front of them. And when he looked at what she saw, the cup of coffee in his hand almost slipped.

Elly was sitting on the couch looking up at them while slurping loudly on his milkshake which has now sounded empty. And the box in front of him which contained a dozen of freshly baked donuts just a few minutes ago, has all disappeared.

"Donut monster."

James and Kara both whispered as they exchanged wide-eyed looks before checking on Alex through the glass doors, who seemed to just ended the phone call. They don't know how she would react if she finds out her son just finished twelve pieces of donuts in less than ten minutes, so they both scrambled on instinct to get the empty box out of sight. Having larger steps and longer arms, James snatched it first and was able to throw it away behind the couch, just in time before Alex walks in. Good thing there was carpet where it landed so it didn't make any sound. Kara on the other hand, placed a finger on her lips and winked at her nephew, who wondered what the fuss was about, as she pretended to be wiping her shoe with the paper napkins that came with the donuts.

"Ready for lunch, Lord Stark?" The clueless DEO director stood by the glass doors, both hands in her back pockets as she waits for her son to answer.

"Yes, m'lady." Elly smiled at his mom as he laid the empty cup down the coffee table before taking Leo and prepare to stand up.

"Oh, you had a milkshake." Alex blinked a few times before her eyes wandered around the quiet office. James was looking at some thumbnails on his desk while Kara stood in front of the coffee table, arms crossed over her chest and crumpled napkins in her hand. "Just a milkshake?" She asked suspiciously, hoping Elly didn't do anything out of the ordinary or tell anyone about the pumpkin pie.

It felt like minutes and as if crickets started singing in the distance. James and Kara held their breaths, careful not to meet each other's or anyone else in the room's gaze while waiting for Elly to answer his mom. Little did they know, even Alex was holding her breath.

"Yup." The young boy stood up from the couch, stretched his back like a cat and let out a satisfying yawn. "And a donut."

It's as if time has stopped in front of their eyes. He's a ticking time bomb. All three adults inside that room has a drop of sweat trickling somewhere underneath their clothes, no one dared to say or do anything. They all fell silent, standing there wondering and waiting what kind of bomb will explode as the clock ticks. Or will it ever go off?

"Can I have beef fried rice for lunch?" Elly continued.

A milkshake and a donut. He had a milkshake and a donut. Did he say A DONUT? As in...JUST a donut? Alex is starting to over think.

"Ma? Are you okay?"

"What?" Alex wasn't even aware that she has been staring blankly at her son, who is only a feet away and looking up at her. "Oh, yeah! Okay, yes! Sure. Beef fried rice and potstickers..." She smiled at him as she watch his face light up when she mentioned potstickers. It's just a donut. 

Beef fried rice and potstickers. Kara heard the angels singing. She can already smell the beef inside her head and feel her mouth start to water. But even before she could say anything, Alex already held a finger up to her, telling her to stay put. "What? I'm not a puppy." She said, feeling a bit salty.

"I'm sorry, but it's mama's day out today." She smiled weakly, feeling sorry for Kara, knowing how much she loves Chinese food and Danvers Day equally. "And can you see your face right now? Go on ahead, ask James what you look like."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Kara turned to James, her eyes asking for backup. To her disappointment, the favorite Uncle looked away shaking his head and refused to say anything because he was too preoccupied with biting his lips to seal his laughter away.

"Duckling Danvers." Elly blinked as he tilted his head to the side.

The Danvers sisters giggled on cue and James finally freed his soundless laughter. They were actually relieved that the bomb didn't go off.

"You Little Dumpling." Kara was so amused, she pretended to be mad at him by putting both her hands on her hips and and a mischievous smile on her face. "How dare you have dumplings without Lady Potsticker. Where's my kiss?"

Elly opened his mouth, started waving his arms in big circles and ran towards his aunt in a slow motion. Kara chuckled as she playfully meets him halfway in the same manner. Although this wasn't really a new scenario for James, Alex still felt a bit uncomfortable how she beamed with pride for a few seconds and shame for the next minute. It's fun to watch a little boy do these kind of things, but a grown up Kara Danvers of CatCo? Or The Girl of Steel from Krypton? Not really. As much as she wants to feel embarrassed by that fact, she can't. Her son looks up to her and has been picking up only her best qualities as a sister, as a friend, and as a hero. It's one of the greatest feelings about being Elly's mom. Sitting in the front row seat and watch him make a difference by making people smile, just like the way Kara does it. No matter how unexpected or embarrassing or weird or stupid or crazy it may look like, it works nonetheless. She can't be more proud and excited to see how Elly would turn out to be when he gets older.

When Kara and Elly's arms finally locked on each other for what seemed like a good three minutes, or equivalent to forever in Director Danvers' vocabulary, the boy flung his arms around his aunt's neck and buried a long loud smooch on her cheek. James and Alex stood by and watched, amused of how his kisses never fails to make Kara giggle. 

"Uhm...excuse me, kind sir? Could you please stop tormenting my sister?" Alex chuckled as Kara waved a hand, shooing her away.

"Lady Potsticker asked for it!" The youngest Danvers exclaimed before planting another long kiss on his aunt's cheek, knocking both their eyeglasses out of place and making her cackle with joy.

"Okay, enough of the smoochiness before your mama gets jealous." Kara flashed her pearly whites, her grumpiness moments ago now completely gone.

"Hey, what about me?" A smiling James opened his arms, ready for a hug. 

"I'll finish another bowl of fried rice for you." Elly whispered before breaking away from Kara.

"Aww, that's so sweet of you." She sat on the couch after planting a kiss on his nephew's forehead as he turns to give his godfather a hug. 

"Thanks for the snacks, Uncle J." Elly whispered as he pulls away from his embrace.

"Don't mention it." James smiled and winked as he gave him a fist bump. "See you bud!"

"See yah." Elly bumps his tiny fist against his.

"Have fun!" Kara added as Elly hopped back to his mom, waiting for him by the office doors. Alex nodded and waved goodbye before they headed out towards the elevator.

"And say hi to the potstickers for me." Kara told herself in a soft voice as she watched the elevator doors close.

____________________

"You realised you just handed me the keys to your apartment?"

"Yah?" Alex absentmindedly replied as she finally let out a huge sigh of relief. She sat on the edge of her bed looking at Elly fast asleep, and by the way of his breathing, she can tell it's as deep as his usual sleep. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and finding the set of keys to her apartment, dangling in front of her face as she turned. "Thanks, Lena." She almost forgot there was someone else standing right behind her.

"I appreciate you calling me right away." Lena dug her hands deep inside the pockets of the trench coat she was wearing.

"Well, I have no one else to call."

They both sighed at that fact. Today had been an unexpected rollercoaster ride and she never felt so scared in her life since the night she took Elly home. Thankfully, he fell asleep in the car, just a few minutes after driving out of the CatCo parking lot, giving Alex the chance to change his lucky band.

"Thanks for the donuts, Uncle J." She whispered to herself after successfully slipping in the new power dampener bracelet and taking out the old one before the traffic lights in the intersection turns green. She was greatful how sugary stuff comes in handy most of the time.

"Don't you want to move to a bigger place? He'll need his own room pretty soon." Lena looked around the apartment, seeing that nothing much has changed since the last time she was here. 

It brought Alex's thoughts back to the present. "I wanted to but...I don't know, I just...I find it hard to let him sleep in a room without any family watching him. I mean, look at him, he sleeps like a log. He wouldn't even remember how he got here."

So she's been watching him closely. Good. As they both watched Elly sleep, Lena can't help but notice at how much he has grown, yet looked exactly just the same, except for the long brown hair that looked great on him. "He's wearing prescription glasses?" It was the first thing Lena noticed when Alex came back, carrying a sleeping Elly over her shoulder.

"Yeah, around the time he turned three."

You mean, around the time I moved back to Metropolis? Lena thought at first, feeling a bit disappointed about missing a chapter of his life. But then she decided to push those thoughts aside before everything else from the past comes gushing back in her mind. What's important is that she's here right now with Elly. That's what she tried to focus on instead.

"It turns out everything was a blur to him." Alex remembered the huge smile on Elly's face and how his eyes went wide the moment he put on those glasses.

How could I have missed something like this? Lena tried to remember and think of the times she could have noticed it. Elly was able to read to me, and the colors, and his toys... And then a conclusion hit her.

"Imagine seeing the world so clear for the very first time? The sound of a voice finally having a face?"

That's it, Danvers. Sprinkle more salt and rub it in. Lena fought as she tried her best not to let the salt get in her nerves.

"You should've seen that look on his face. How he smiled as his eyes went wide." Alex continued.

"You're getting too good at this, mom." Lena tried to neutralize the vibe she was getting. "You do know you got to have fun once in a while."

"I am having fun being his mom. And besides, he doesn't like waking up alone. He calls me mama, by the way."

"Is that the plush toy I gave him?"

"Oh yeah, he loves it. He named it Leo and he takes it literally anywhere. He won't sleep without it, won't even let it out of his sight. He would even watch the lion as it gets washed."

Well, I guess some things don't change at all. She smiled to herself, thinking everything wasn't in vain at all. "I brought you guys lunch, by the way...just in case."

"Oh, you didn't have to, Lena. But thanks, really. I think I just got my appetite back." Alex smiled at how thoughtful Lena is. "Why don't you join us?" But she remembered Elly was sleeping and won't be waking up any time soon. "I mean, me?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't stay." And I honestly don't think that's a good idea.

"Wait, aren't you gonna say hi to them? I know they miss you." Alex knew people like Lena would need a friend every now and then. She doesn't even know if the young lady Luthor has friends in Metropolis. It may seemed like she took Elly away from Lena but having and being around real friends is something she didn't want to take away from her too. "And Kara's working late tonight, you might wanna...you know, say hi to her or something."

The CEO fell silent, asking herself why she finds it so unexpectedly defeaning when Alex mentioned her sister's name. She realised she hasn't heard that name out loud in a long time. "I'd rather not. It's better this way." Lena said with a deep sigh.

Being a sister and a friend, she didn't quite understand why Lena said that. But as Elly's mother, she did. "Don't tell me you don't have friends in Metropolis?" Alex regrets saying those words but it was too late to take it back. She learned to stop using her filters with Lena, knowing how transparency is essential in gaining each other's trust, especially with a Luthor. 

"I'm not really that good at making friends." It wasn't the first time Lena had been asked with that question but she was never up for a pity party. "I'm a Luthor, remember?"

"I'm sorry, Lena, but I seemed to have forgotten." Alex  turned to look at Lena right in the eyes. "Because you, Ms. Luthor, is good at keeping friends." Alex beamed up at her, trying to lighten up her mood somehow. It was true, though. She never thought Lena Luthor would be part of this chosen family. "But, if you say so."

Hearing something like that meant a lot to Lena and quite enough to cheer her up. "Yup. And besides, I should really get going." 

"You could at least...kiss him goodbye."

Lena smiled knowing it was all she really wanted.

___________

That same night, Nia sits up straight on her bed with legs crossed as she takes a deep breath and tries to resume her dream to look for more details about the funeral. These dreams would usually unfold more details on their own and she's been waiting, trying the whole day at work but with no luck. She straightened her back and tried to focus on the details she saw earlier, rewinding from Supergirl up above the clouds and back to the funeral scene but instead, she dreamt of something else.

It was night time and Supergirl hovered above the city, with her eyes closed and listening intently to the sound below. Nia suddenly found herself inside a quiet fancy office with white walls and furniture and wide glass windows overlooking the view of the city outside. The oval curvy desk in the middle looked classy and the black chair behind it had it's back on her. She didn't notice there was someone sitting on it until she heard something crash on the windows and shards of glass fell on the floor. Nia stepped closer to take a good look. It was a drinking glass, thrown by the person sitting on the chair. She heard sobbing when a phone suddenly rang. She waited for the chair to turn around but the person behind it didn't seemed to hear it.

Riiiiinnnnggg!

Nia opened her eyes and she was back inside her bedroom. It was her phone ringing, sitting on top of her bedside table. It was Brainy.

"Brainy?"

"Nia Nal. I'm...just checking in. How are you?"

"Umm...great, I guess. How about you?"

"I...just had this weird notion of someone from my Superfriends needing my help so I'm checking in on everyone. In fact, you were the first one I called. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Umm..no, I'm fine Brainy. Is everything okay?"

"Hmm...as far as I'm concerned, I am doing just fine. Are you sure you don't need any help with something?"

It took Nia a few seconds to figure out what to say as  the caller patiently waits in the other end of the line. She took a deep breath before talking again. "Actually, Brainy..."

"Yes?"

"...I had this dream that I've been trying to go back to, but can't. Can you help me?"

Chapter Text

"Ready?"

Alex glanced at her wristwatch that says ten minutes past three and secured the gray backpack on her shoulder, feeling it's weight while she silently recalls everything that's in there. A towel, change of clothes, water, snacks...

"Yes!" Elly answered back with excitement.

"And Leo?"

"Wight hewe!" He held his mother's hand as he hugged the stuffed lion toy in his arms. It has a long furry mane and soft yellow-ochre skin that smelled of vanilla ice cream.

It was a cloudy Saturday afternoon and it's Elly's first day out in the park that is just around the block, with Leo and his new pair of prescription glasses. They reached the exit of the apartment building and out to the pavement.

"It's gonna rain. You see the dark clouds over there?" Alex pointed out to the skies as they strolled down the sidewalk. "Those are called nimbus clouds."

"Oh." Elly looked up and blinked at the direction she pointed. "Nimbus."

"You sure you still wanna go?" Alex glanced up and down the side of the road, watching their backs and their surroundings discreetly. The windows on the buildings along the street up to three storeys up, the parked cars, the by-standers and passers by...it has been a habit of hers ever since Elly came to her life.

"I wanna see the wain."

"Hm. Okay. So how's the new pair of eyes, so far?"

"I can see better!" He responded.

Alex can't help but smile when she saw the twinkle in Elly's eyes as he smiled up at her. She gently squeezed his hand as tiny drops of rain appeared on his glasses when they reached the other side of the street towards the Krypton Park. Kids out in the open started to move slowly, while some ran to the sheds that were scattered around the park, as thin showers of rain started to fall. It wasn't as crowded for the usual weekend afternoon given the weather situation, and Alex recognized one of the kids from Elly's daycare, running along the nearest shed with his mother.

"It's Wazz!" Elly said loudly, as he pointed out to a little chinky-eyed boy with shiny black hair and wearing a red jumpsuit. There was excitement in his voice probably from knowing his friend is also here and from being able to see him about twenty feet away.

"Oh, so the glasses really works! Hooray!"

"Yay! I can see the yellow slide fwom hewe. And the blue monkey baws that-that's the same colow as the...mewwie-go-wownd..." Little Elly stuttered as they walked.

"Let's hurry. Race me to the shed?"

"Yeah."

Elly hopped excitedly while still holding his mother's hand, as they hurried to the nearest roofed structure. The rain started pouring the moment they settled on a table in the picnic shed. Out of nine tables, only four were occupied. Alex took and snapped two out of the six-pack flan pudding she brought along for their quick snack. One for Elly and one for herself. She watched as he tries to lift the tab open by himself as his glasses slips a little down his nose.

He was the first to discover this pudding from the grocery store, pointing at it randomly or maybe because out of all the puddings stacked on the display chiller, it was the only one packed in red. Elly seemed to like it a lot that ever since that day, every trip to the grocery stor, leaving without it would be a terrible thing to do. But she would refuse whenever Elly insists her to try it, telling him he can have it all to himself but the truth is, she just wasn't really a pudding-type of person. It was Kara who finally convinced her to give it a try, after finding out her sister has her own stash of pudding, sitting in her fridge back at her loft, and regretted all the times she hadn't, making it the newest addition to the list of Danvers' favorites.

"Mama? Open, please?" Elly handed her his cup.

Alex licked her caramel stained thumb from opening her own pudding before taking Elly's cup.

"Can Wazz have a pudding too?"

"Oh, sure!" She snapped out two more and handed it to her son. "Here you go, sweetie. Give one for his mom too."

"Okay. Thanks, ma. You the best!"

"You're welcome." Alex smiled.

It didn't surprised her at all. Elly has always been like this, offering his food or his toys to his close friends and family who visits the house often. That is in fact the reason why she has a couple more six-packs of pudding in her backpack.

Alex smiled as she watched her son walk to his friend Razz and his mom, who's head was buried in a book, two tables away from them. The chinky-eyed boy looked excited to see Elly too, and to her surprise, they even hugged each other. Elly handed the puddings and pointed to her direction after speaking with Razz's mom, who looked up from her book to wave at her with a smile. Alex waved back to the chinky-eyed lady, who then walked Elly back to her.

"Ms. Danvers, hi! Thanks for the pudding. May I?" Her soft voice has a trace of Northeast Asian accent. She gestured to the empty seat across, with her hand that was holding a book entitled Pathlands.

"Oh, it's nothing. Of course! Please, Mrs. Webber." Alex nodded and smiled but kept her eyes glued on Elly, who seemed to be having fun with Razz, watching the rain pour down a small patch of dirt by the side of the shed where the grass refused to grow. He has completely forgotten about his pudding that was still unopened.

Mrs. Webber laid her free snack on the table before sitting and opening her book. "You got your little one a pair of glasses?" She asked, trying to start a small talk with Alex.

"Huh? Oh yeah, he's umm...nearsighted." Alex flashed a smile and glanced at her, their eyes meeting for just a second.

"I see." The lady smiled and returned to her book.

Suddenly, the picnic shed started to spin and everything turned black and white.

"Set him free."

A voice stood out from the sound of the park. She can still hear a few children chattering and the rain falling. But the trees, the grass, the slide and the monkey bars, even the pudding cup in front of her all seemed to be colored in gray. The lady in front of her didn't seemed to notice.

"He's destined to save us all."

The voice continued, so does the spinning and the chatters as the sound of the rain against the roof of the picnic shed became louder. Alex squinted and blinked her eyes, trying to shake the voice away as flashes of white light cracked against the dark gray sky.

"Mama?"

Elly's voice topped everything. "Yes, sweetie?" Alex tried to look at her son but the spinning was so fast, she started to feel dizzy. She held on to the bench she was sitting on and another hand at the picnic table to steady herself as she started to breathe heavily.

"Set him free!"

The voice started yelling behind all the sounds.

"Wew's Leo?"

"I...Leo, he...he was just here, sweetie." Alex stuttered as she took a deep breath. Then she heard more chatter, even laughter. People, young and old, laughing...and then it turned to soft screams. It's sound seemed so far at first but then it keeps getting closer, louder, more and more people as if a wave of people was moving towards her.

"Leo?"

"He's destined to save us all!"

Everything she sees is still spinning and still in black, white and gray. Alex felt throbbing on her temples and applied some pressure on it with her fingers. She shut her eyes close and took deep, slow breaths, one after another.

And when she opened her eyes, everything stopped. No spinning, no rain, no laughter or screaming. Alex lifted her head to look around. There was no one else around, not even Mrs. Webber, Razz or Elly. Everything is still in black and white but the rain drops are literally hanging in mid-air, as if frozen in time.

"Set him free, Alex."

The voice sounded more clear. Cold, but now softer, more mellow.

"Elly?!? Where are you?" She was surprised to hear how her own voice echoed without even opening her mouth as she called out to her son that was nowhere to be found.

"Set him free."

"Who are you?" Alex asked the voice. The park was empty and she found herself standing in the middle of the open grounds of Krypton Park, covered with deep gray-colored grass.

"An ally." The voice replied.

"What do you mean, set him free? Who exactly?" Alex called out to the voice once again.

"Do it. Before it's too late."

Then suddenly, before she could even say anything, it came out of nowhere. A wave of red liquid fell down in a splash, covering the left half of her body and a huge part of the park. Probably ink, paint or blood, she didn't know. Was it even red? She wasn't sure. She shut her eyes close again.

"Mama?"

Alex opened her eyes and she was back, sitting on one of the picnic tables in Krypton Park, drops of sweat trickling down her eyebrows and her nape. The cup of flan pudding in front of her was red again. She lifted her head to see Mrs. Webber still holding her book open, but staring at her with concern.

"Are you okay, Ms. Danvers?" She asked with her weak accent.

Alex blinked a few times before taking a deep breath. "Yes, I'm...fine, I just felt a little...dizzy." She smiled weakly at the lady in front of her and looked at her side to see her little Elly looking a bit worried.

"Wew's Leo?" He asked.

She didn't notice anything. Alex opened her mouth to speak but started to look under and around the surrounding tables instead as the throbbing in her temples lingered. Only then, she noticed that the rain has stopped and there were more people in the picnic shed than a while ago.

"Leo?" Elly took a few steps away, looking around and suddenly caught a glimpse of his plush toy, it's feet touching the ground and being dragged by hands belonging to a little girl in a yellow dress. She was about the same age as him, walking towards the side of the picnic shed near the small patch of dirt in the open that has now became a puddle of mud.

"Leo!" Elly called out to his toy, as if it can hear him. But before he could even take a step, the girl in yellow has already swung her hands up with all her might, making the lion plush toy fly up into the air. She watched as she curiously awaits the demise of the clueless lion.

Alex stood up and as if in slow motion, Leo fell down the puddle of mud in a splat. Everything happened so fast that she wasn't even able to move or say anything.

"No!" Elly yelled, running towards the girl with his heart already racing.

And it's as if the gods were watching, just like that, it started to rain again. Big drops of water ramming on the roof of the picnic shed. It looked like Leo was sitting on the puddle in the rain. The little girl chuckled in amusement as drops of rain pushed Leo deeper down the mud but his mane remained sleek and clean. Heads turned to see what the commotion was about.

Standing quietly beside the girl in yellow, Elly stared out into his plush toy as it get muddied by the rain. His chest was rising and falling, fists in a ball, his face furious and tears about to fall. He glared at her with such contempt but didn't say a single word. The girl on the other hand just cluelessly blinked at him.

He's not gonna hurt her. Alex was sure but felt a small crack in her heart as she watched Elly hold back his tears in front of all of these people. She watched carefully as she wonders what her son's next actions will be. She didn't even realised that a tear rolled down her own cheek when he suddenly ran out into the pouring rain to pick up his muddy lion.

Elly hugged him, the moment he got his hands on his favorite toy that his Aunt Lena gave him from his last birthday. The rain or the mud didn't seem to bother him at all. He sniffed and kissed Leo's cheek, as he walked back to the shed, just like how his mama gives kisses to her little Ned Stark.

Alex almost stumbled getting out of the bench as she rummaged through her backpack for the folding umbrella that she forgot to bring.

"Tsk!" She looked up to see Mrs. Webber already holding up an open sakura-patterned umbrella. The kind lady just nodded as Alex took it and rushed out to meet Elly before anyone else does, also covering his head with the leather jacket she was wearing. "It's okay, sweetie. Look, you found Leo!" Alex said in a cheerful tone, killing the faint curious whispers around them.

As soon as they returned to their table, she dried Elly's shoulder-length hair with a hand towel and replaced his drenched shirt into a dry one from the change of clothes that she always bring with her whenever she goes out with Elly. She can't even tell if he actually cried or his face was just pink from the cold rain or from holding back his tears.

"You okay?"

Elly just nodded.

"We need to get you home fast so you could take a shower before you catch a cold, okay?"

_______

The rain has stopped and the blue sky began to peek through the thick white clouds. Back in Alex's apartment, steam filled the quiet bathroom, fogging up the mirror by the sink. Alex hums a cheerful song she learned from the daycare as Elly rests on her lap, still holding a soaking-wet-but-now-clean Leo in his arms, while they all share a warm and relaxing bubble bath.

"How are you feeling?" Alex mumbles in a cheerful tone as she slowly massages Elly's scalp.

"Wawm."

"Warm? I'm sorry for what happened to Leo. How is he?"

"He's okay." Elly started to give Leo a massage as well.

"Is he enjoying this nice warm bath?"

"Yes."

"Me too." Alex paused, recalling what happened in the park earlier. The cold voice inside her head, the spinning and the big red splash...she shook the thought away and focused on Elly instead. "Were you angry at her? That little girl in a yellow dress?"

"No." He softly replied.

"I saw you and I thought you were going to punch her in the face." Her voice was calm, a clear banter in her tone.

"She's a giwl!" Elly snapped back without looking up at her.

Alex smiled proudly, as she holds back a short laugh. "Yes she is."

"You said no hitting giwls. No-no." Elly was shaking his head slowly.

"Yes, I did. But she hurt Leo."

"Leo...is just a toy." Elly rested his head on his mother's bare chest as he hugged his lion tightly.

"Well, I'm proud of you." She told her son as she kissed and hugged him under the warm bath. "For being such a good boy."

Elly blinked while he listens to his mother's beating heart, his mind roaming somewhere far away. Slowly, he lifted his head to meet Alex's gaze, as she patiently waits in wonder what her son has to say.

"I left Leo." He said softly.

"Then someone took him?" Alex continued what she thought he was thinking.

With a little sadness in his eyes, Elly nodded with a sigh. He thinks it was his fault that Leo got taken away.

"That girl shouldn't have taken what isn't hers in the first place. And maybe next time..."

"Don't leave Leo." Elly said firmly, still clutching on his toy.

"Yes, you're right. That would work too." She gazed at her son who was looking back at her, listening intently. "Or you could leave him with me or your Aunt Kara or Uncle James...whoever's with you. People you trust."

"Twust? What is twust?"

"Uhm...trust is..." Alex paused feeling a bit surprised realising she was having this kind of conversation with a three-year-old. "It's when you believe that you can rely on someone and you know it in your heart that they will always be good to you, be honest with you and will not do anything to hurt you or make you feel bad." She tried her best to explain it the easiest way she can but then she saw Elly's eyes wander around the bathroom as he combed Leo's mane with his hand. Maybe he's too young to...

"I twust you, mama." Elly smiled at her with his eyes twinkling for a few seconds before going back to mending his toy. He lifted both Leo's arms and squeezed out water. "And Auntie K, Uncle J, Pops and Aunt Lena..." he continued.

Alex smiled back at him and used her hand to tuck his hair behind his ear. She swept his brown hair upwards, away from his eyes, showing his hairline. Elly's hair got long enough to make a ponytail. Would he want a ponytail like Kara's? The thought made her smile.

"...you can twust me." Elly added without looking up at his mother.

"Oh, I know, sweetie." She replied with a smile. And you're too good to be half Lex Luthor. She thought to herself while running her hand to his hair as she stares at one side of her son's face.

Her hand ran behind Elly's ear again, tucking a lock of wet hair and thought something about it felt oddly familiar. Alex swept Elly's hair upward once again, down the back of his head and behind his little ear. Her smile vanished as she froze, as if ice-cold water had been poured all over her head, giving her the shivers of how possible her new realisation could be. His hairline, his ear, his jaw...

Could it be? Alex tried to go back, remembering the past two years in fast rewind. All the conversations she had with her, the gestures and her facial expressions, the look in her eyes and the tone of her voice whenever they spoke about him. Everything she did for him, everything she said and didn't...even the conversation with Elly just now, surprisingly made a lot of sense.

And there he sat naked on her lap, still mending on his lion plush toy that still smelled of vanilla ice cream, in a bath tub filled with warm water and a thin layer of bubbles, his twinkling blue-green eyes looked right at her as a sunny smile flashed contently across his face.

My god, you are a Luthor!

Chapter Text

"You didn't answer my question, Lincoln Eddard. Do you still love me?" Lena softly asks, breaking the silence in a soft but more serious, authoritative tone.

Elly hadn't heard that tone in a long time and never in his life did he ever heard her call him by that name. EVER. He gulped. Is he in trouble?

"Yes, ma'am." Elly mumbled to himself, remembering the first time she heard Lena used that tone with the school bully from fourth grade.

He simply described that specific tone as The Spell. It's when Lena's voice becomes cold and deep and demanding, yet sounding so soft and endearing. When you hear it, her every word becomes the truth, the law, and the only thing that you know. Like she was casting an incantation and there is nothing else to do but obey.

=======================

"This doesn't end here, Lincoln. My dad's a cop."

Bob Brent, the school bully glared at him with gritted teeth as they waited outside the Principal's Office, as their guardians talked inside. They were in the same grade, only Elly was about three years younger because he was that darn smart. It was Bob’s fault anyway, not Elly's, why they were there in the first place.

There will be a school board meeting in the afternoon that day, so classes were cut short. Elly didn't mean to stare or smirk when some kid suddenly opens his locker, and Bob walks right into it, hitting his face in the process. And besides, the bully wasn't paying attention to where he was going. There were a few other kids who saw what happened but it was Elly's smirking face he saw first, after faint snickers erupted in the corridor. Or maybe because, Elly appeared to be the smallest among those who sniggered.

Feeling humiliated, Bob suddenly walked up to him, crumpled his shirt by the neck and pinned him against the lockers. It didn't scared Elly at all, but more like bothered him that his shirt got crumpled or Bob's hand might be dirty that it'll stain on his light gray shirt. And despite being half a foot shorter, Elly was able to hold his bully's gaze when their eyes met. Bob's eyes were a medium shade of green. But he found out that they were actually gray when up-close and only speckled with ochre, making them appear to be green from afar and Elly was amazed at that revelation. That's when a smile impulsively escaped his lips, making Bob more furious. And to make it worse, a member of the school board just so happens to be passing right by at that exact same moment for their meeting, in the unforeseen personification of no other than Lena Luthor.

"Karma is a bitch, Lincoln. So you better run to your mommy and hide before my dad snaps you both into two." Bob continued.

The mention of his mama wailed in Elly's ears like a loud siren, making his blood suddenly rush up to his brain. He never liked the idea of his Aunt Lena getting involved in situations such as this in the first place, what more involving his mama or anyone else in his family for that matter. He's had enough of this bullying for today.

"You know what karma is, huh? Danvers?" Bob towered over him after glancing up and down the hallway to make sure that no one was watching.

That seemed to have pushed Elly's button. He thought that lunging himself to smash Bob's large pointy nose and make him bleed would be satisfying, but that's just him creating scenes inside his head. He had to thank Game of Thrones for that. He knows too well how unnecessary that was and will only get him into more trouble so, no, he won't be doing that. But then, he straightens himself up as high as he could and resorts to a more humane, realistic attempt to shut him up.

"Karma is a who, Bob and I've seen her. In fact, I know her."

Bob was a little baffled at that, Elly silently snapping back at him. His voice was clear and firm while looking Bob right in the eyes with his own cold, blue-green pair, his face blank and apathetic. "And she's standing right inside that office, scolding your dad like a puppy with his tail between his legs, so...bring it on, Brent."

To what seemed like a shiver in the spine making Bob swallow hard, the bully turned his head towards the glass windows of the Principal’s Office, making out what he can from the strips of blinds blocking his view. His father was there sitting, in his suit with his back straight up while straightening, more like loosening his tie while the lady in her trench coat seemed to be standing, very straight and still in the middle of the room, probably uttering something to his father. He then noticed how his father seemed to suddenly fidget a little and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Th-that's your mom?" Bob muttered, not even wanting to believe it.

"I can't believe you haven't even heard of my mom yet." Elly finished smoothly, his lips curling into a tiny smirk.

Bob slowly retreated, still glaring, and stood on the other side of the hallway to wait for his father. A few minutes later, the office doors opened as the adults take their leave.

"May I talk to your son for a second, Mr. Brent?" Lena turned to Bob even before the police officer was able to answer.

"Yes, of..." Mr. Brent looked a little shaken and responded a little too late.

"Bob? From this day forward, you will not mistreat Elly or anyone in this school ever again. Is that clear?"

Elly felt frozen on his feet when Lena's voice seemed to vibrate through his ears down to the very bone underneath his skin. He's never heard her speak this way before. Her tone was deep, cold and commanding yet soft and kind.

"Y-yes, ma'am." Bob stuttered without even meeting her gaze, his eyes plastered on the buckle of Lena’s trench coat.

"Good." She then walks away, after giving Bob a soft pat on the head, leaving him speechless and flushed.

"Elly, darling? Come, you're late for class." Lena reached her hand for Elly to hold, as she let him lead the way back to his classroom.

They marched through the corridors as the sound of their footsteps bounced off the walls with little Elly on her heels. Elly remembers how she smiled back at him when he looked up at her, in her red lipstick, gold stud earrings and her dark hair up in a tidy bun. When they reached his classroom right before he goes back in, Lena lowered herself to meet his gaze.

"You okay?" She asked Elly, who responded with a short nod.

"Bob thinks you're my mom." He snorted and Lena can't help but chuckle and almost cried. Almost. She paused for a little while, letting those words ring in her ear for a bit longer. Her heart started to dance but she shook it off right away with a deep sigh.

"Listen, troublemaker." She squints her eyes and smiled while tilting her head a little, telling him that she doesn't mean it. "Can you promise me something?"

"What is it?" Elly smiled back, no longer unnerved with what happened a while ago. Lena gazed at him lovingly with a warm smile on her lips which he unknowingly mirrored in response.

"Today never happened." Then Lena holds up her pointer finger against her lips and winks, her smile unfading.

"Okay." Elly nodded and mimics her gesture.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

======================

"Come again?" Lena softly demanded, not quite making out what Elly just said.

"Yes, ma'am." He seriously said and a tad louder.

Lena had to suddenly step on the breaks after hearing how Elly responded, earning them a furious honk from the vehicle behind them. She raised her sunnies up and looked at her passenger with a somewhat pained expression on her face, the teenage boy looking back at him a little surprised himself.

"Wha-? Elly?!" She softly said as she stepped on the gas again. "Elly darling, we are not like that. No, we don't do that at all." Lena kept throwing side glances at him, a little taken aback and deeply worried.

"You've never called me that before."

"Okay, I'm sorry, Elly. I didn't mean to upset you. I just want to know if you still..."

"I still love you, okay?"

"You mean it? Promise?"

"Even after that overkill back there? Of course, I do! You know I do, always!" Elly started moping a little. "And I mean it."

"I'm sorry, okay? I only wanted to hear you say it, darling. That's all."

Elly sighed and nodded.

"I just...I like hearing it from you, because I...I never had this when I was your age." Lena gestured to the both of them at the mention of this and Elly understood right away what that meant. "And I want you to know that I love you too, and I mean it."

"I know that." He said softly as he stared outside the window, watching parked cars and trees and lamp posts they pass by and the people walking by the sidewalks to distract himself. He turned to her and smiled weakly. "Because you wouldn't be here if you didn't."

Those words made Lena's heart dance inside her chest and she let it. But sometimes, skepticism hits her hard, wondering what if all this was just a dream that'll be gone the moment she wakes up? She was so scared of losing, and therefore, also having something like this that felt too good to be true. But she knows she wants it and she loves it; every bit of it. If only Elly knew what and how much those words meant to her, if and only if...but he doesn't. And yet, it's still as good as a thick warm blanket wrapped around, hugging her heart. It felt so warm that she can even feel her eyes starting to burn. Good thing, she had her sunglasses on.

"I've missed you, Lady Scotch." Elly uttered to the window before turning to her and Lena replied with a soft smile.

"I've missed you too...baby Luthor." Lena smirked.

"Ugh! You like that, don't you?" Elly snorted.

"Oh, was it too obvious? Nooo." They both snorted at that. And then there was silence again.

"I miss her." Elly suddenly says.

Lena paused to take a deep breath. "Me too."

She let her answer ring through the silence, not really knowing what to say next. Her thoughts started racing again as anxiety starts to crawl in her skin. It’s been like that since Alex’s letter arrived on her desk a few days ago. And underneath the cool aunt stunt, the power dress and the flashy car, truth be told, she was scared. She hides behind these so-called pillars because she wasn't sure if she'll ever be good at this.

"Sick ride, by the way. Where we going?" Elly suddenly asks.

"Oh, you think so? I'll have to drop this baby back to its owner first. I was in a meeting and I just sneaked out during our short break to take this for a spin. I'll try to wrap up the meeting in an hour, then I'm all yours, is that ok?" Although starting with something small, Lena just felt oddly comfortable talking to Elly like this.

"Oh, okay. Let me guess, a potential investor in your meeting was trying to impress you, like, waving his car keys all over your face, and you, being the intimidating big boss lady that you are, wanted to see if he will actually trust you. With his car." Elly rambled, wandering his eyes around the dashboard, through the details of the interiors that he found pretty impressive.

Lena had to snicker at the accuracy. "Almost accurate except for one thing, a potential merger, actually."

"Woah! Really?"

"Yes. Well, they won't stop yaddling about the speed, its self-driving features, so..."

"How was it?" Elly curiously asked.

"You wanna find out?"

"I bet you can even make this thing self-fly in a few years." Elly suddenly blurts out, catching Lena by surprise as they reached the freeway.

The boy's compliment made Lena blush, feeling a soft fluttering has started inside her belly. She checks the side mirrors again only to find the freeway almost empty. "So, you've heard about my self-flying jet?" She asked.

"Aunt Kara was so amazed at how it cleans itself and make its own coffee. She won't stop talking about it once she started." Elly smiled as he shook his head.

Lena can't help but smile as the fluttering gets a little faster. She slowly stepped on the pedal and speeds past other vehicles until the dial reads a little over 400. They only slowed down before the next exit, which they reached in just about a couple of minutes. "Well, I bet you can make this thing self-fly in a few years." Lena countered and gave Elly sideway glances to see his reaction.

The youngest Danvers was frozen on his seat from the speed, his eyes wide and an exhilarated grin still plastered on his face as he looks on ahead of the road while the Bugatti steered itself back to the busy city streets. Lena nodded with a smile, somewhat pleased with the car's performance.

"James also told me about your drones. He was quite impressed with how you fly them." Lena started.

A wide sunny smile spreads across Elly's face at the thought that Lena had finally heard about his drones. "Yeah, he lent me some good action cameras and asked me to cover a sports event once."

"Really? That's good! I'll ask James for the raw footage, though. I wanna see it!" There was a clear raise of excitement in Lena's voice, as they approached the LCorp tower and the entrance to its basement parking.

"I'll try to send you one tonight. Oh wait, I think I have some old test clips here on my phone." Elly scrambled for his cellphone as the Bugatti parks itself carefully and comes to a halt. It purred while they stayed inside the car for a while as he held his phone up, showing her the video clips that he was talking about.

Lena seemed pretty impressed herself with what she was seeing. At first it was just the view of the open field in Krypton Park from the drone taking off. Then suddenly, the camera view started to flip and roll over the trees, flying back and forth under the monkey bars, the slide and between the chains of the swing. It even made her flinch a little, causing Elly to smirk, when the drone flew in between the branches of a tree, flawlessly making a half sideway spin out and around it, even passing through the beam ceiling of the covered area where the picnic tables are, gliding over and passing by surprised heads of a few onlookers there.

She thought the clip was about to end when it returned out into the open, the camera zooming in on Elly with a handheld controller and his phone mounted on top of it. But she froze when the video clip suddenly multiplied into four, now all showing Alex standing on the grassy patch of the park in different angles, clearly surrounded by the drones while they slowly and steadily orbit around her. Lena got something in her eye when the cameras moved in synch, zooming in and out of Alex's giggling face as she turned hear head around beaming with such pride at the camera, one after the other. Lena had to squint to make the best out of what she can see from the six inches screen without even noticing that she had snatched Elly's phone. She was holding it with both hands and only a couple of inches away from her face. It almost took her breath away when she caught a tiny glimpse of what the drones looked like; about twice the size of a hummingbird that made smooth and synchronized flips and loops in the air, making her feel a little dizzy as she fell into a trance of what seemed like a kaleidoscope of Alex in Krypton Park.

Elly stared contently, feeling his heart dancing around again at how Lena reacts while watching his clips for the first time. Her eyes glimmered with such fascination and enthusiasm. He blushed when she saw her send the clip straight to her email. Though the whole family, especially Alex and Kara had always been so enthralled and proud of him and his accomplishments, everything felt way different when it comes to Lena. No one knew about it, but for some bizarrely strange reason, there had been a constant tugging in his heart that her approval always mattered for as long as he could remember.