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[BREAKING NEWS: SUPERGIRL SAVES MUSEUM FULL OF CHILDREN FROM DINOSAUR ATTACK]
Lena shakes her head as the television flips through rapid images of the museum. It has a huge hole on the side from where Supergirl had just flown in. She takes another sip of her scotch as she starts to write the next check to that same museum...and puts it in the pile of other checks she'd written for everything else her girlfriend's destroyed in the past two weeks.
Don't get her wrong, she loves Kara! Loves her with her whole heart. But can't she find some other way to save people without causing property damage? Lena's just trying to look at it from a realistic point of view, thanks.
Just then a noise interrupts her line of thought. It's coming from the balcony--there's only one person it could be. A moment later and there's Kara--eyes bright, looking tired but happy, and it leaves an unpleasant taste in Lena's mouth. Any other time she'd be happy to see her but she can't help but be frustrated right now. Her girlfriend doesn't notice.
"Lena!" Kara says excitedly. "Did you see the dinosaur--?"
"I'm tired," she interrupts, and walks out.
Kara keeps trying to talk to Lena, to see if something's wrong, and Lena knows she should let her. Let her know that she's not actually insanely mad at her. It turns into something like they're just missing each other by chance, it seems, when Lena's in her office one day and Kara herself just walks in. She looks up from her computer.
Kara gives her a firm look behind round glasses, eyes flashing. Her hands are on her hips. She speaks before Lena can.
"Why're you avoiding me? Did I do something wrong?"
Lena opens her mouth and then closes it again without saying anything. She blinks once. Twice.
"...I want you to stop destroying all the goddamn buildings in this city, Kara Danvers."
...
Kara stares at her.
"Literally, I'm so serious. If I have to write one more fucking check I'm going to have a stroke--"
"How else am I supposed to save people?"
...and dammit, Kara looks like a lost puppy. Her lip even seems to tremble for a second.
"I don't know. But it's costing too much money. Can't you just use the stairs or something?"
Kara makes a face. "I guess I could try."
Cut to a few days later and Kara is actually taking Lena's advice (for once, Lena would add wryly, if she was here right now). Kara could've just flown out the window--yeah, breaking the glass in the process, but it would be a heck of a lot quicker! Instead, she's running down the stairs of Catco™. Without even using her super speed.
She makes it to the burglary on Fifth by some chance. Everyone gives her a look.
"...sorry I'm late," she says.
"B-but Supergirl, you have super speed."
"Uh..."
This isn't working either. She doesn't want Lena mad at her, but isn't saving people more important? Kara needs to talk to her. She goes to her office to say something, anything, to try to get her to listen.
"Kara," Lena says, and she smiles.
"Lena," Kara says in a more serious way. But like, in a way a little kid might say if they're trying to convince their mom to get them a puppy or something. "We need to talk, okay?"
"Okay." Lena crosses her legs under her desk. "What's the matter?"
"I need to find a faster way to help people." She pauses. "I need to be able to fly."
"Kara, the buildings--"
"Please!" And there's those puppy eyes again. "I promise I'll try my best not to crash into them unless I really have to!"
Lena knows she can't say no. "...fine."
"Really? Yay!" Kara squeals. She's so excited she shoots upwards--straight through the roof.
"KARA--"
"Oops!"
Lena will have a stroke one of these days. But for Kara? She'd do anything for her, so it's okay, she supposes.