Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“MOM!” he said running full speed at a nice-looking blonde woman. He hadn’t even lost the cops behind him, but damnit he needed an out.

Okay, so this is not how he saw his day going. It’s not as bad as it looks, okay? Step 1 of his plan was to pack all of his stuff and sneak out of the foster home in the middle of the night. That part of the plan went off without a hitch. Ms. Cummings really couldn’t give two shits less about some orphan kid running away. The vile woman didn’t even bother locking the front door. Step 2 of his plan, well, he was just gonna wing it. He had bummed around on the streets before, so why couldn’t he do it again? That’s where he was sorely mistaken.

Yah see, bumming around on the streets means you have to do some sketchy shit to get by. He had been a drug runner and a pickpocket before he got picked up by social services. It wasn’t the best job, but he could take care of himself. He knew a few people that would love to have a kid like him back in the game. He was smart and cunning and could convince a brick wall that it was a tree. Needless to say, he made sure that he was a valuable asset to anyone that came his way. That was something he prided himself on everyday even with his limited life experience.

So, he walked around Supergirl Park for a little while and found the few trees he used to sleep under before the foster home. He needed to bide his time before he went around looking for jobs in the morning. Sleeping outside was something that he was used to, so it didn’t bother him all that much like it used to. That just came with the territory of fending for yourself. I mean it’s not like an 8-year-old can just rent a sketchy apartment. At least not in National City. Gotham, maybe, he had heard of some places kids could live on their own through some other foster kids, but Supergirl cleaned the city up since she’s made her debut. That just made it harder for kids like him to get by undetected. Hence the getting picked up and placed in a foster home.

He stayed in the park until sunrise and started his way across the city where he knew well known drug and alien fight rings were. They paid okay, but come on, he was 8. The guys he had worked for just saw him as a cheap way of getting drugs where they needed to go. It was only enough money to make sure he could eat at least twice a day, but he was desperate for any income he could get. Since he had no money, he just decided to lift some chips off of a convenience store on his way. This is where his plan goes downhill. Big time. He didn’t expect for there to be cops just sitting outside. They weren’t there before he went in, so he thought he was in the clear. Obviously not. Lifting the bags was easy and quick, just put it in his pocket and done, but he didn’t know the store owner saw him. God, he was rusty with the pickpocket skills. Next thing he knows, the store owner is shouting at the cops as soon as he got close to the door. The cops were coming in the door just as he was about to open it to walk out.

“Hey! Stop that kid.”

He turns around like a deer in the headlights. The cops looked confused at the store owner then at him.

“Why are you just standing there!? That kid is shoplifting!”

That got the cops going after him. He’s got a split second to get between the two cops and bolt out of the store, but luckily for him he’s quick and got a head start on them. He gets about a half block down, and that’s when he spots her. It’s a tall blonde talking on the phone pretty animatedly. She looks a little distracted honestly. Good. Maybe he can use her as a scapegoat. They both had blonde hair and similar slim build. This could work, right? It was a split-second decision, but he just had to commit at this point.

“MOM!” he yells running full speed at her.

She looks really confused and little startled. I mean he is running like a mad man straight at her being chased by cops, so he can’t really blame her.

‘God, please let this woman play along’ he thought.

He just barrels right into her and throws his arms around her. As soon as he hit her, he knocked the breath out of himself. It was like hitting a damn brick wall. ‘Geez this woman must really hit the freakin’ gym.’ For her, it seemed like it was an automatic reaction to just wrap her arms around him and hold him close. Her phone call seemed to be long forgotten because she was just looking down at him with concern and confusion. His big green eyes were wide and pleading.

“Please just play along.” He wheezed out.

“Wha-“ She didn’t get to finish.

“Ma’am,” one cop huffed out “Is this your son?” Both cops had their hands on their hips very out of breath.

She looked down at the pleading expression and seemed to soften. The woman seemed to make up her mind while looking him in the eyes that silently begged her to help. She sighed, steeled her gaze, and looked back at the two officers that were chasing him.

“Yes, he’s my son. What seems to be the problem?”

“Ma’am, your son was just caught shoplifting from a convenience store about a block down.”

“What?!” She looked back down at him with a stern expression. Her arms tightened around him just the slightest bit. At least he had the decency to look ashamed. “What do you mean he was shoplifting?”

“Well, the store owner caught him stealing something and got our attention when he noticed that he was going to take it from the store without paying.”

“Wait, so he was still in the store when you started to chase him?”

“Uh yes ma’am. He was at the door as we were walking in.” The first statement ended up coming out more like a question.

“So, let me get this straight. He was still in the store when the store owner called for you, and you decided to start chasing after him?” She seemed a little pissed off. This may very well work out for him.

“Yes ma’am?” The second cop answered.

She looked back down at him with a look that said ‘Well, explain yourself.’. He stepped out of her arms the slightest bit and just started spouting off the first thing that came to mind.

“I-I was just looking for you at the door. I knew you were on a call, and you said it w-was o-okay to go ahead of you t-to get something. M-mom I promise I wasn’t stealing. I just wanted some chips, a-and I didn’t want to sit around and hold them while I was waiting for you, so I put them in my pocket. B-but I guess the store guy thought it looked sketchy and then they started chasing me. I got s-scared when they started yelling at me so I ran to find you.” The tears streaming down his face were actually real. He really was scared. Hell, what would you do if cops started chasing you if you were a runaway foster kid? He really did not want to go back to the foster home. It was a hell hole.

The lady bent down to his height and wiped away his tears with both hands. Hands that were extremely warm and soft. He couldn’t help but lean into the kind gesture. Sue him if he was a little touch starved. It felt good, and he was gonna milk it while he could. No sense in shying away from a little affection especially with the situation at hand.

“Shh. It’s okay honey. It’s okay. This is all just one big misunderstanding.” She stood up and wrapped him in a hug that felt really nice. ‘She gives good hugs.’ He thought absentmindedly.

“Look, officers. He was just looking for me. I told him to go ahead and wait for me while he got a snack. I didn’t give him any cash when he walked ahead of me. We will go back to the store and pay for the chips. There is no sense in everyone getting all worked up over this. We can all walk back there together and apologize to the store owner for this situation.”

“Yes ma’am. Sorry about this. We didn’t know the situation.” The cop said as they started heading back in the direction of the store. The lady’s arm wrapped firmly around the kid’s shoulders.

“It’s alright. You didn’t know any better. Though I would appreciate from here on out that you do not yell at children. You don’t know their situations, as you said, so it can and will panic them. There were two full grown men with guns chasing my son, so I can see why he ran.” She said admonishingly.

‘Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been chased by guys with guns.’ He thought.

When they made it back to the store, the owner was seething. He looked like he was ready to blow a gasket. The cops walked in first followed by the woman and the boy. He honestly wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole. He was never really all that good with confrontation. He may have done some bad things, but he still had a conscience. That’s why he never liked looking back at the wreckage of his wrong doings. The guilt would eat him alive if he looked back. Conscience or not he still needed to take care of himself.

“YOU! You thieving little piece of sh-“ He hid behind the lady slightly as she spoke up.

“Excuse me! Mind your tongue. I will not have you talking to my son like that.” The command in her voice was cold and steely and made a shiver run down everyone’s spines. The cops even looked a little bug eyed. This lady was not here to play.

“Now look,” She softened her voice a little. “My son was just waiting for me by the door to look for me. You three yelling at him, while he was still in the store, I might add, was enough to make him run. I am here to pay for the snacks and apologize for the misunderstanding that has taken place. Now if you will allow me to pay for it and get out of your hair, it would be much appreciated.” She set her hands on her hips and made for an intimidating figure. She turned to him with a sweet and disarming smile. “Sweetie, go put your snack on the counter so I can pay for it.”

He started to open his mouth to protest. He really didn’t want to owe this lady anything. She already handled the whole deal with the cops pretending to be his mom. He already owed her if he was being honest. None of the adults he had met would have stuck their neck out for some kid like him. He was just some worthless orphan that didn’t have anything to offer to those around him unless he made himself useful. Despite the lady saving his ass, he just didn’t have it in him to let her pay for the snack even if it was just some stupid chips.

Turns out, she was having none of it. While he sat there gaping like a fish, she lightly nudged him towards the counter and paid for the chips in his hands. He really couldn’t understand why this lady was being nice to him, but he kinda just had to sit there and take the help. They left the store with more apologies and assurances it wouldn’t happen again. The lady and the boy went one way while the cops went another. She still had a hand on his shoulder while they walked. Where they were going, he had no idea, but the silence was suffocating. She finally stopped at the corner of the block and turned so she was standing in front of him. She wasn’t intimidating like she was in the store or with the cops. She just had this understanding and warm smile as she looked down at him. He was squirming under the by the time she spoke up.

“You want to tell me why you were stealing chips?”

“Uuuuhhh, I just wanted a snack?” He answered with a sheepish smile.

“Well, I could’ve guessed that.” She chuckled a little. “Why were you stealing said snack?”

He looked down. His shoes suddenly became very interesting. “Well, I don’t have any money on me, and I-I couldn’t pay for them, and I was hungry, so I just lifted them.” He didn’t know her face had changed from bright and airy to concerned. She squatted and turned his chin up so he would look at her.

“Do you not have any adults around? Surely there was someone you could’ve asked. Someone is probably really worried about you.”

“Nope.” He popped the P.

“You don’t have anyone looking after you?” She said in slight disbelief. The concerned look never leaving her face. Her blue eyes made it feel like she was looking into his soul.

“Nah, but I’m a big kid. I can look after myself. You don’t gotta worry about me.” He said puffing out his chest. He looked more confident than he felt.

“Of course, I’m going to worry about you. You’re just a kid. You shouldn’t be out on the streets by yourself.”

“Look lady. I really appreciate your help back there and the chips you got me, but I’m serious. I can handle my own.” He sighed.

“Oh really?” She said with a slight smirk. “Because by the looks of it, you weren’t handling yourself back there.”

He huffs out a small self-deprecating laugh. “Yeah, yeah. I’m a little rusty on my skills, but trust me. I got this.”

“You shouldn’t have to ‘got this’. Where is your mom or dad?” She asked that a little hesitantly.

“Dead.” He said matter-of-factly. “I just look out for me. You gotta do what you gotta do. That’s life.” He shrugged.

“Wh-. Okay, are you on the streets or in a foster home?” She asked a little franticly. She was gripping his shoulders at this point like she was trying to keep him from running. Smart girl because he would run if he got the chance. Anything to avoid this conversation.

“Uuhhh, I was in a foster home, but I kinda sorta maybe ran away from there.”

“You did what?” She said with disbelief written all over her face.

“I mean, yeah? I hated it there. It was a really shitty and abusive place. Why would I stay there when I can take care of myself out here? I can do my own thing and not get beat on as much out here. Sounds like a win-win in my book.”

She looked like she was wrestling with what to say next. She looked hurt and angry by what he had said. There was a storm brewing in that head, and he really didn’t like it. He didn’t need this lady getting any bright ideas. He’d be damned if he was going back into the foster system. Kids like him did not do well in foster care because either they were too much work or the system failed them. Either way he was not going back if he could do something about it. He was caught off guard by her next question.

“Do you want to go get some lunch? My treat.”

“No, I’m okay. I got these chips.” His stomach growled in protest and gave him away. Stupid body giving him away.

The lady chuckled though she still looked like she was wrestling with what he told her. “Look there’s this place just around the corner, Noonan’s. They have really good sticky buns and hot chocolate if your game?”

He looked at her quizzically. “You ever heard of stranger danger lady? The whole white vans and free candy schtick?”

That got a guffaw out of her. “Well, my name is Kara Danvers. I promise you have nothing to worry about.” She pauses and then frowns while she looks at him. “That’s exactly what a kidnapper would say isn’t it?” She gets this sheepish look about her and that makes the boy let out a laugh that she beams a megawatt smile at hearing.

“Yes, yes, it is.” He giggles. “You’re not bad lady. I’m usually a pretty good judge of character. Either way, I mean it’s not like I got anything to lose. Lead the way.” She keeps the concerned look in her eye but starts leading the way anyways.

“What’s your name?”

“Ah there’s those kidnapper qualities again.” He giggles.

She looks sheepish again and murmurs a ‘sorry’. They walk in silence for a few seconds until he finally relents. Like he said. He’s got nothing to lose. He didn't know what this lady wanted, and he was weary of her, but he was hungry. 'Already owe her for saving my skin back there. Don't get in over your head.'.

“My name is Lucian, but you can call me El.” He replies quietly.

She starts at his name but flashes a big smile his way again and replies just as quietly.

“It’s nice to meet you El.”

Chapter Text

As they were walking towards Noonan’s, Kara’s mind was still reeling from what just occurred in the past 20 or so minutes. It felt as though her mind was tripping over itself to get a gasp as to how she had just saved this kid from being in trouble with the cops. One second, she’s going about her perfectly normal day, the next she’s got a little boy running full speed ahead at her yelling ‘Mom’. She had seen some weird stuff since she became Supergirl, but that was as Supergirl. Kara Danvers is supposed to be her normal human self. Sometimes, it feels like she’s a magnet for heroics, big or small, in both personifications of herself.

She looked down at the little boy walking beside her, El. She smiled and laughed internally at the nickname. Leave it to her to run into a little boy in need that shared her house name. Coincidence or not, she felt like she had to help him. He just looked at her with those big green eyes, and she caved. She didn’t like seeing anyone in trouble, especially kids. When he let it slip that he didn’t have anyone looking out for him, her heart just broke. Kids were supposed to be the light and innocence in this world. With the way El talked and carried himself, she knew he had experience with things that no kid should ever have to deal with on their own, let alone at all. He just had this aura about him that made him seem wise beyond his years because of his experiences. That just served to break her heart even more. She could see in him the young girl who had just lost her world that she used to see in the mirror every morning and at times still sees.

She was angry and hurt that someone could just turn away a child or treat them poorly. It just made no sense to her how people can be so insensitive and cruel. For a little boy like El to insist he was better off alone and taking care of himself spoke volumes as to just how messed up society and the world are in regards to kids like him. She felt this pull in her chest to just wrap him in bubble wrap and turn him away from an unforgiving world. She just counted herself and El lucky that she was the one he had ran to. Rao knows what could have happened to him if someone else would have gotten a hold of him. She shuttered at that final thought as they got to the front doors of Noonan’s.

She opened the door for El as he walked in front of her, still giving her very weary looks. She couldn’t really blame him for it. There’s no telling the experiences he has with adults. Some random woman sticking up for you and buying you lunch would probably be weird without the trauma. She was still kicking herself over the stranger danger thing. Of course, this is weird. She was just going to tread very carefully with him because she didn’t want him to run off. I mean she could catch up to him no problem, but it wasn’t something she wanted to do in a public area. He already looked a little cagey earlier when she asked about his guardians. She didn’t want to trigger him at all.

As they sat down and started looking at their menus, she felt those green eyes study her. She let him. She made sure that her body language was soft, open, and nonthreatening. Just like Kelly taught her. She was fighting not to squirm though because she was nervous. She wanted so badly to adjust her glasses just for something to do with her hands. She just held the menu a little tighter than usual and pretended to study the words in front of her even though she knew what she wanted.

‘Rao, what was I thinking? Here’s this traumatized little kid that I was just like ‘hey wanna get lunch’ after he just got chased by the cops. Gosh, that sounds so creepy. I’M the creepy lady. What is wrong with m-…’ She was broken from her internal scolding by the little green-eyed boy.

“I know you’re not actually reading that, and you’re doing a piss poor job at pretending.” El sat back with his arms across his chest giving her a critical look. She looked at him with startled eyes at his language and bluntness. Kara deflated and sighed when she saw the look on his face.

“Sorry, I think it just kind of caught up to me that this must be really strange for you.” She said closing her menu to give him her full attention.

“I mean, yeah, it is pretty weird.” He said keeping his face and posture the same. “Why are you being so nice to me? What do you get out of this?”

Again, the bluntness took Kara off guard. She may even have been a bit hurt that he thought that this chance encounter was transactional. ‘Seriously, what has this boy been through?’

“I’m being nice because it is the right thing to do. As for what I get out of this, I get nothing. I have no expectations from this lunch other than I get to know you have had an actual meal today.” She said giving her most sincere look, praying El wasn’t picking apart what she said.

He looked at her almost as if he was sizing her up. It was a look that she recognized from somewhere, or rather someone. She had another particular set of green eyes look at her this way more than once. There was a sharp and clinical look in his eye that let Kara know he had been taken advantage of in the past. He was in fact trying to poke holes in what she said. He seemed to have had the other shoe drop one too many times for him to be trusting of a stranger. ‘Boy does that sound familiar.’ She thought. But, if she could get through to Lena of all people, maybe she could get through to El too.

“Look,” Kara says. “I know you don’t trust me, and you can’t take what I say at face value, but I truly don’t mean you any harm or ill intent. I can imagine that you have had a really rough go of life so far, so I don’t expect you to trust me. You can ask me any questions, if, and only if, you feel like it. This lunch is on your terms. We can sit in silence or whatever else you’d like.”

El just looked at her like he was debating on speaking. His guard was up in full force, and he was hiding behind reinforced steel and bulletproof glass. There was silence for a minute until he spoke.

“Is Kara Danvers really your name? Or is it just a fake one to get me to trust you so you can actually kidnap me?” There was humor in his voice, and Kara silently thanked Rao she was getting somewhere. This was familiar territory to her. Humor as a defense mechanism. She could deal with this. She chuckled and pulled out her reporter badge and license.

“My name is actually Kara Danvers, as you can see. Not like I can fake these. Wait, no, I guess I could. Um, I have articles with my pictures and name at the bottom I can show you. Golly, let me restart. I’m a reporter for CatCo Worldwide Media. You can even write down my license number and badge number if it would make you feel better. Or you can ask any of the staff here. I’m here all the time.” Kara just kept sticking her foot in her mouth with her nervous ramble.

“Hmm, what do you write about?” El said slightly amused. His interest was clearly piqued.

“I write about social injustice among other things. I try and shed light on the subject matters that people shy away from. My latest article was about how alien refugees are treated in National City and the relief efforts that are being made in order for them to transition to life on Earth in an easier and more efficient manner. I want to be able to give a voice to those who need it. Too many people go unheard because of societal bias and hatred.” She was passionate about her job and what she was able to do with it. She wanted to help people in any way she could whether it be with her words or her powers.

“That’s really admirable. What makes you think you can make a difference? I mean you’re just one person.” He still seemed guarded but a lot more interested than before.

“Sometimes, all it takes is one person to get the ball rolling. I may be insignificant as a singular person, but I write what I do in the hopes that it sparks a conversation. It also helps that I write for one of the biggest media companies in the world and have friends in high places.”

El just hums and nods. “By friends in high places you mean?”

“Let’s just say that I’m friends with a billionaire that gives me more exclusives and praise than I deserve. I also know Supergirl.” She says blushing a bit thinking of Lena’s latest review of her article.

“Wait, wait, wait. Billionaire? You know SUPERGIRL?! Geez lady. Who ARE you?” To say that Lucian looked surprised was an understatement. He looked absolutely baffled. Kara counted that as a win.

“I do know Supergirl. Really well actually.” The irony wasn’t lost on Kara, but if it got him to open up the slightest, she was going to use the Supergirl card. She had to keep in mind she was still talking to a little kid no matter how mature he seemed.

“Wow. How did that happen?” El said looking wide-eyed at Kara.

“That. Is a very long story. Would it be alright if I asked you some questions now? You don’t have to answer if you aren’t comfortable with it. You can just keep asking me questions if you’d like.”

El didn’t get a chance to answer. The waitress came to take their drink orders.

“Hey Kara! And guest.” The waitress said with a bright smile. “I know you want a hot chocolate, but what can I get for you?” Directing the question at El.

“Um, can I just get orange juice?” El said hesitantly, side-glancing Kara.

“Can you add an extra hot chocolate for him too? It’s his first time here.”

“Absolutely! I’ll go get that for you guys. You’re going to love the hot chocolate!”

As the waitress walked away, there was an awkward silence that hung in the air. They were caught in a tense stare-down. It was strange being in a staring match with a little kid. It didn’t feel at all like she was looking at a young boy. Those eyes held stories, but she hoped he could tell there were stories in hers too. The silence continued until their drinks were brought to the table.

“I know you want to ask so ask.” He was back to the closed off bluntness.

“Okay.” Kara was hesitant. “Do you know your case workers name?”

“Kelly something.” He was precise with his wording. No hesitation. Just clinical detachment.

“Kelly Olsen.” He said as soon as Kara had taken a drink of her hot chocolate. It promptly came out of her nose as she choked on it. She sputtered and tried to get herself under control after hearing that name.

“Kelly O-Olsen?” She choked out. She knew that Kelly worked with kids and had a few cases, but she really never talked about it much. It sometimes weighed too heavily on her to talk about it. Now, she got why she wouldn’t want to talk about it if she was dealing with multiple kids in horrible situations. Kara respected Kelly for what she did but never had a greater respect for the woman until now.

“Yeah? You good?” He looked her severely confused.

“Small world.” She said once she got herself under control and cleared her throat. “Um, Kelly is my sister-in-law. She’s married to my sister.”

“You’re joking.” El deadpanned.

“I wish I was. Hold on. I have a picture of all of us.” She pulled up the most recent game night picture of the three of them snuggled up on Kara’s couch and showed El.

“Shit. That’s her.” He whispered. “Small world.” He just sat back and let that information marinate. So did Kara. In all honestly, this was just too weird for Kara. What are the freaking odds? Her thoughts were verbalized by El.

“What are the freaking odds?” He murmured mostly to himself.

“Right?” Both were in a similar state of disbelief. They both just sat staring into space with their respective thoughts racing.

“Am I interrupting?” The waitress was back.

“Uh, no. No.” Kara quickly shook herself out of her fog.

“Are you guys ready to order?” The waitress still looked unsure.

“Yeah, I’ll have my usual.” Said with a quick but slightly forced smile. “El, do you know what you want?”

“Huh? Um, no. Sorry, I didn’t really look.” He still looked like he was thinking. “What do you normally get?” He asked Kara.

“Um, I usually get two sticky buns, waffles, bacon, hashbrowns, and eggs.” She really didn’t really know how much he could eat, but her Kryptonian sized order would probably be too much for him.

“Okay, yeah, let’s go with that.” He said surprising her and the waitress. She wasn’t really sure he heard what she said. At this point, for all she knew, he had heard her but couldn’t listen. The waitress left them to go put in their orders.

“So, what now?” El said with a little bit of fear in his eyes.

“What do you mean?” She said with her eyebrows knit together.

“I mean what happens to me now? You know my case worker. It’s not like you’re going to let me walk out that door when we’re done here. So, what happens to me after we are done here?” He spoke with a hardness in his voice.

“I-I don’t know. In all honestly, I hadn’t thought that far ahead. I’m going to be upfront with you right now. I’m worried about you, and I don’t want you to go back on the streets nor go back to the foster home you were in. It’s not right for people to treat you poorly or take advantage of you.”

She really hadn’t thought that far ahead. She really just wanted to make sure he didn’t leave her sight after the incident earlier. She wasn’t about to send him back to the foster home he was in. He wasn’t safe there or on the streets by himself. So, what was going to happen after this? She needed Alex and Kelly. ‘Shoot, Alex!’. She was on the phone with Alex earlier when everything happened. She completely forgot. Her sister was probably so worried.

“Look, lady.” El started.

“Kara, please. Just call me Kara.”

“Look, Kara. Like I told you earlier, I can take care of myself. I would really prefer it if you would just drop this and let me go on my way. I’ve done this before. You’re gonna call Kelly and put me back in the system. I refuse to go back. The system is really shitty. I can do better for myself on the streets.” He was really insistent about being able to take care of himself. It just shouldn’t be that way. Kara was not going to let this go. No way in hell was she just going to let this kid slip through her fingers. She’s seen the worst of the worse working as Supergirl. He may be insistent, but she’s stubborn. Annoyingly stubborn.

“I can’t accept that. You should not have to take care of yourself. I learned that the hard way, okay?”

“What do you mean you learned that the hard way?” She had his attention, but he was still shut off.

“When I was younger, I lost my parents.” This story was one Kara did not tell lightly. Even with her closest family and friends, this was something she kept close to her chest. Only two people had heard this much of her story, one of them being Alex. She hadn’t even told Lena this much.

“They died when I was 13, and I shut myself off from anyone that wanted to help me. I ended up with a nice foster family that eventually adopted me, but I still refused their help. Having my adoptive sister hate my very presence only served to make me shut off even more. I was hurting, angry, lost, and very confused because everything I knew was taken from me in the blink of an eye. I was in an unfamiliar place with no knowledge of what was next for me. I had this kind woman that was trying everything in her power to make things better for me to adjust, but I just kept thinking that she wasn’t my mom. I didn’t want anyone but my mom and dad to come back and tell me it was nothing more than some horrible fever dream. But it wasn’t. It wasn’t a horrible dream. It was my new reality. I refused to open up because in my mind if I did that, then that would mean I would lose a part of myself. Maybe if I accepted this new reality that would mean that I would forget my parents and everything about where I was from. Opening up meant that I had to be vulnerable to those around me. One of the last things my mother said to me was to be brave. I thought that being brave meant not showing my emotions because showing emotion meant being weak in my mind. So, I get it. Accepting help isn’t easy. It’s something I still struggle with to this day.” She sucked in a shaky breath. Those wounds still stuck with her to this day. It didn’t get easier to think about, but it did get easier to manage.

“How… What made you decide to open up?” El asked quietly playing with his hands. She had obviously struck a chord with him.

“I learned that accepting help didn’t make me weak. What made me weak was closing myself off and dealing with my grief and guilt alone. I couldn’t take all of that on by myself being as young as I was. It took me breaking down in a panic attack in front of my adoptive mom to realize I was stronger with a support system. She just held me while I sobbed for everything that I lost. There was so much love that she had been trying to give me, show me, but I couldn’t feel it until that moment. It was then that I could feel that she could help me shoulder my burdens and that I didn’t have to do it alone. My parents wouldn't have wanted me to be alone. It was at that point that I remembered my family motto: El Mayarah. ” At this point they were both misty eyed.

“El Mayarah?” He looked into Kara’s eyes with such a broken look.

“It means stronger together. We are more than our experiences El. We may feel that we have to stand on our own in order not to seem weak, but those around us pick us up when we fall if we let them. Surrounding ourselves with love and support is what makes us strong. Letting people in only serves to give us a place to go when we can’t hold ourselves together. Everyone deserves to have someone looking out for them.”

El’s breath stutters and discretely wipes his eyes.

“Thank you, Kara.” Unknowingly, Kara had hit a lot of insecurities that El had. He had kept a lot bottled up in his short time, but it was nice to know someone had a similar story to his. That someone had experienced the feelings that he had. He could hear the pain in her voice when she told her story. He could spot a liar from a mile away, but you couldn’t fake that kind of pain. That kind of pain leaves you scarred for life.

“You’re welcome, El.” She replied quietly and sincerely. She wiped her eyes just as their food was sat down. The waitress wisely left quickly without a word as she registered the shift in the atmosphere surrounding their table. It only just seemed to register to El just how much food was sitting in front of them.

“Jesus. You can eat of this?” His voice was still a little weak, but it was coming back to normal.

“Yes.” Kara chuckled. “I, um, have a really high metabolism. Also, I have a really hard time choosing, so this is usually what I get. Everything here is just really good.”

“Is this how you usually eat?” There’s that humor again. It’s good to see after that conversation.

“Yeah. Ha. I have a really hard time saying no to food in general. Potstickers though. I will never say no to potstickers. They’re my absolute favorite food!”

“What’s a potsticker?” Kara gasps and clutches her metaphorical pearls.

“Only the best food ever! They are these little dumpling things that they cook in a pan. They’re usually filled with some meat or something. I swear up and down that there is no other food as good on Earth.” Her arms were flailing about much like they were when she was on the phone earlier.

“I’ll take your word for it.” El was snickering at Kara’s enthusiasm about food.

They fell into a much more comfortable silence while they ate. Aside from quiet murmurs of how good the food, especially the sticky buns and hot chocolate, were, they focused on eating their meal. The inevitability of the end of their meal was still hanging above their heads, but neither was ready to address it yet. Kara restrained herself from inhaling her food if only to prolong their time. She still needed a plan but was coming up blank. Midway through the meal, El broke the amicable silence.

“You can call Kelly.”

Kara almost dropped her fork. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Don’t get me wrong I’m not sure about this or you, but I want to be strong. Gotta start somewhere, right?” He was pushing his eggs around his plate not meeting Kara’s eyes.

“Okay. I can call Kelly if you are really sure you’re okay with that.”

“Don’t make me think too much more or I’ll take it back.” He said with a smirk.

“Right! Got it! No more thinking.” Kara adjusted her glasses. She breathed a sigh of relief that she wouldn’t have to come up with a solution on her own. Kelly would know what to do.

They finished their meal, and Kara went to pay. She kept a close eye on El still not sure whether he would bolt or not. He just sat there finishing the rest of his juice waiting for her to return to the table.

“Okay, I got everything taken care of. You ready to go? I can call Kelly when we get outside.”

“Yeah, that’s good with me. Where are we going?” He said as he got out of the booth.

“Um, well, I thought that we could call her first and maybe head over to her office once we got a hold of her. I know she would drop anything she’s doing to help.”

“I don’t want her to drop anything if she’s busy. I mean I got all the time in the world. No need to bother her if she’s busy.” Kara could still see the apprehension written on his face, but they were doing this.

“Remember no more thinking.” Kara nudged his shoulder with her elbow as they got close to the door. Kara wasn’t looking up when she did it, so she missed the body El was about to tell her to watch out for.

“Watch out.” The person said looking up from her phone. And there they were, the perfectly beautiful green eyes Kara loved to see. The both of them lit up as soon as they realized who they were seeing.

“Lena!”

“Kara!”

They said in unison.

“El.” Came Lucian’s sarcastic voice from beside Kara.

‘Well, this should be fun to explain.’ Kara thought.

Chapter Text

“I see you have a shadow today. And who might you be?” Lena said with an impeccable eyebrow raised.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” El fires back.

“Hmmm. I suppose.” Lena smirked looked up and caught Kara’s eye. She looked considerably less amused by the entire situation than Lena did.

“My name is Lena Luthor.” She said sticking her hand out to El.

They both seemed to appraising the other with watchful eyes. There was tension across El’s shoulders and face. It was clear that he wasn’t used to having a lot of attention on him. Kara had been on the receiving end of Lena’s observing gaze, and it was enough to make a grown man squirm. El seemed to take it in stride because he straightened his spine and squared himself to meet Lena head on. He took her hand and shook it.

“Lucian.” He got this smirk on his face that just spelled trouble. He turned Lena’s hand over and placed a kiss to the back of it. “Pleasure.”

The action took both Lena and Kara back. They both got this look on their face that just screamed ‘Did that just happen?’. The both looked at each other and back at Lucian who just kept a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Well, aren’t you just the little charmer? It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lucian.” Lena gave a smirk back at him.

These two were trouble together. Kara can just feel it in her bones that these two would get on as thick as thieves. Lena was an energy matcher and by Rao this was going to be the death of her. They were entirely too similar for this to end well for Kara.

“So, um, yeah. This is Lucian. He’s, um, my little shadow for the day.” She readjusted her glasses. She felt entirely too uncomfortable right now.

“Hey, I am not little!” El said, indignant as ever. Lena couldn’t even hide her laugh. It made Kara’s ears perk up.

“Of course not. You are very proportionate for someone your age.” Lena said. El just narrowed his eyes at her.

“Um, so what brings you here?” Kara asks.

“I came to get a coffee before I head to the labs to work on some new projects with my head of R&D.”

“Lena, it’s Saturday! You’re not supposed to work on the weekends. Weekends are for resting.” Kara admonished even though she worked on weekends. Supergirl duties and all that.

“Ah, but there is no rest for the wicked. CEOs don’t get weekends off. Perks of running a company I suppose.” Lena just shrugged off the concerned look on Kara’s face. “I take a little time on Sundays to myself if that’s any consolation.”

“You’re going to burn yourself out.” Kara pouted. Lena’s face softened marginally at that look. That puppy dog face was a freaking weapon.

“So…” Both turned to look at El. Oh no. There’s that look again. “You must be the billionaire that dishes out all the praise.”

Kara squeaked and turned the shade of a fire hydrant. This little boy was gonna be the death of her. If, by ay chance, the floor would open up and swallow her whole, that would be very fantastic. The greatest even. Maybe she should just fling herself into space. That could work, right? El was put to embarrass the hell out of her, she was sure of it. Even Lena turned an, admittedly very beautiful, shade of pink before she turned on Kara. ‘Oh god, not her too!’.

“I don’t know. Kara, am I the billionaire that dishes out all the praise?” Rao, Kara hated how much she liked the look on Lena’s face right now.

“Um, well, I mean we, we um, got to talking, and then things came up and he asked and then I said and... yes.” She finished weakly. Kara was thoroughly embarrassed now. She ducked her head trying to escape the twin looks of amusement pointed in her direction.

“Well, I guess I am then, Lucian. It is nice to hear that you enjoy the praise I give you, Kara.” Oh Roa, was she flirting right now? “But in all seriousness,” Lena softened when she placed her hand on Kara’s shoulder. “You deserve it all. You are truly one of most remarkable reporters I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. And you might be an okay friend too.” She joked lightly. Kara laughed.

“I’ll have you know I am an amazing friend. The best of the best. Top teer, no doubt.” She joked back.

“Amazing doesn’t do you justice, Kar.”

Sometimes, like now, they would just stare at each other with complete and utter love. It was hard not to just get lost in the look that Lena had on her face right now. She looked at Kara like she was the eighth wonder of the world. Her eyes held warmth and openness that wasn’t there once. It was that look that took Kara’s breath away every single time because it was directed at her. When Lena had begun to let her walls down around her, she got a look at how much love Lena had to give, but also how much love she needed to receive. She would get shy when Kara would say how amazing she thought Lena was. She would just get this childish err about her that told Kara she was not used to such kind words said with such conviction and sincerity. So, seeing this look on her face, it let Kara know she was doing a good job of letting Lena know she was cared about. If she could, she would wrap Lena up in a hug and never let her go. Someone cleared their throat and broke the silent moment they were caught in. They broke apart with matching blushes.
“Oh, ha, well, it was really nice seeing you, Lena. I don’t want to keep you any longer than we already have. I know you have important stuff you need to be doing. Did you want to do lunch sometime soon?” She caught El looking between them like he was trying to figure something out.

“I’ll always have time for you, Kara.” Lena said with an easy smile. “I’ll text about lunch plans sometime this week. I’m really glad that I ran into you. And it was very nice meeting you as well, Lucian.”

“You can call me El. It was cool meeting you too.”

Kara brought Lena into a hug. It was a newer development in their friendship, but Lena didn’t stiffen at the contact anymore. Now, she just leaned into it and tucked her face into Kara’s neck. It was something that Kara was getting more and more reliant on. The hugs were something she looked forward to because she was a tactile person. Lena always gave the best hugs, and it felt like each one she gave Kara was special.

“I’ll see you next week. Text me about lunch.” She said when they broke apart.

“I will. I’ll see you soon.” Lena smiled that smile at her again. Rao, she’d never get used to that.

“Come on. Didn’t we have somewhere to be… Mom?” Lucian apparently reveled in watching Kara squirm. Both Kara and Lena’s neck could have snapped at the speed which they looked at Lucian. He looked like a little angel, but Kara knew better. Lucifer, Lucian, what the hell was the difference at this point? She’d know the kid for two hours, and he was already giving her grieve in more ways than one.

“OKAY! We gotta go. See you, Lena! Great seeing you! Bye!”

Kara practically yelled as she hightailed it out of Noonan’s with her hand bunched on El’s shirt collar. She didn’t wait around long enough to see the moment Lena’s jaw hit the floor; confusion splattered across her features. She was definitely going to have to explain that one later. She’d rather not have to explain it at all. This little shi-.

“El, what the heck?!” El was cackling and doubled over on himself when they stopped.

“Oh, oh, ha, come, ha, come on! That was hilarious. Haha. You should’ve seen your faces!” It didn’t look like he was going to stop laughing at her any time soon.

“That was so not okay! Now, I’ve got to explain that to her! So not cool!” She sounded like a little kid whining about bath time, but that was so messed up! It only served to make El double over even harder.

“Don’t you think it’s weird that I’m going to have to explain to her after months of knowing each other why this kid, who, by the way, looks very similar to me, just called me mom when she knows I don’t have kids or a significant other?! I’m 26 for God’s sake! You’re like 7! That’s a big thing not to mention! What am I saying?! We’re not even related!”

El wiped the tears from his eyes and recovered from his giggling fit.

“I’m 8 thank you very much. That was worth it though. Seriously priceless. You should’ve seen the look on your face. You were like ‘oh no’. She was like ‘what the hell’? God, it was so good.”

“Glad to know an 8-year-old is the freaking downfall of my existence!” Kara said while running her hands through her hair and rolling her eyes.

“Oh, come on it’s not that bad. Quit freaking out. You’ll be fine. It was just a little joke.” El crossed his arms and looked put out with Kara’s freak out.

“Little jo-. You know what? Nevermind. I need to call Kelly to let her know we’re coming over to her office.” She took a deep breath to steady herself and pull out her phone. She saw that all the humor left El’s face. She changed gears quickly.

“Hey, you sure you’re still okay with this?” She was concerned about how quickly his demeanor changed.

“Yeah, it’s whatever. Just call her and get it over with.”

“Okay.” She didn’t take her eyes off of him while she was waiting for Kelly to answer. She picked up after the third ring.

“Hey, Kara. What’s up?”

“Hey, is there any chance that you’re busy right now?”

“I just got done with a patient, so I’m free at the moment. Why?”

“I think it’s better to explain in person. Is it okay if I come by your office?”

“Yeah, of course. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry. I just have someone who needs to talk to you. We can be at your office in 10 minutes.”

“We? Kara, are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine, Kelly. Like I said, it’s better to explain in person. I’ll see you in a few.”

“Okay. Be careful.”

“Always am. Bye.” She hung up and started to nudge El in the direction they needed to go.

Kara knew she couldn’t say anything right now that would make El feel better, so she just kept her mouth shut. He wouldn’t meet her eyes, and there was a slump to his shoulders. She felt horrible about this whole situation. She would honestly rather go back to the relentless laughter from earlier. Even if it was at her own expense, she wants to see that giggling little boy again. It was nice to hear him laugh because he seemed like the little kid that he actually was. This was a crappy situation, and somehow, she felt like a complete jerk for having to do this. He was just a little kid. He needed someone to look after him. She wasn’t going to just leave him on the streets in good conscience. It goes against every moral bone in her body to just leave him to his own devices.

So, to Kelly’s office they went. Kara spent most of the walk watching El’s body language. She didn’t want him to bolt on her last second, but she had the feeling that he wouldn’t. He would be completely in his own right to run away. Kara wouldn’t blame him if he tried. There was just something about this kid that Kara couldn’t shake. She had to help him, and she was going to in every way she could. Kelly would have answers for her. Maybe she could help sort his situation out. Rao knows she would feel horrible if he ended up back in another terrible situation because she decided to help. If she had to vet places herself to make sure El was safe, then she would do it with no hesitation.

When Kelly’s office building was coming into view, Kara took a deep breath and steeled herself for the likely draining conversation to come. El was a good kid. She could see that, but there was only so much a social worker could do when they’re balancing so many other cases along with legal red tape. Knowing how she was when she first got to Earth, she knew El would shut down. It’s what she did for the longest time. Help wasn’t easy to ask for, but she was going to try her hardest in order to get El into a better state of mind and a better situation to grow up in. No matter the means.

Both El and Kara walked into the building and made their way over to the elevators that would take them to Kelly’s floor. El hadn’t said a word the entire time. The elevator dinged as the doors shut and began to ascend. The air in the elevator was stifling and thick with an unspoken tension. Kara wanted nothing more than to hug El to her side, but she knew it would just be empty reassurance that would likely be unwelcomed. It made her chest grow tight as she looked down at a younger version of herself.

When the elevator doors opened, Kara began her walk to Kelly’s office with El following closely. She got to the door of the office and hesitantly knocked.

“Come in.”

“Hey, it’s me.” Kara said peeking around the door.

“Kara, hey, come in. Who is it that’s with you?”

Kara opened the door to walk in with El hiding behind her. She stepped aside and placed a hand on El’s back to get him to step forward to where Kelly could see him. She leaned down to take his hands in hers and got close to whisper to him.

“It’s okay, El. Remember what I said. El Mayarah.”

“Stronger together.” He whispered back.

Kelly watched the exchange with wide yet curious eyes. She looked very confused as to why Kara had one of her charges, but she still had a warm smile on her face. She finally spoke up.

“Lucian? Do you want to come and sit down? Maybe help me understand what’s going on a little better?”

“I guess.” He still hadn’t lifted his head to meet her eyes, but he made his way over to the couch silently.

“You can sit down too, Kara. I’m sure you can help fill in some gaps as well.” Kelly said when she noticed Kara start fidgeting by the door. Kara took a seat beside El. She left a gap between them. Far enough away to give him space as well as find a sense of security in feeling her presence if he wanted it.

“Okay, so I want to start by saying that this a safe place to tell me how you feel and about what’s going on. You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to, but there are a few questions that I will need you to answer. Just to make sure that you’re safe and okay. Is that alright with you?” Kelly asked. Warm and safe demeaner never leaving her once.

“Yeah, that’s fine.” El said quietly, looking down at his hands.

“Okay, that’s good. What brings you guys here today?”

“I, um, I ran away from my foster home. Kara was the one who found me.”

“Okay. That’s okay. Would you mind telling me why you ran away?”

“It’s not a good place. It was abusive, and it- it just wasn’t a good place to be. I can take better care of myself without that place.”

“How was it abusive?”

Kara could see the exact moment Kelly’s hackles started to raise. Right about the same time as Kara’s at hearing the word ‘abuse’. Kelly loved kids. She and Alex wanted to adopt one day, so seeing kids get abused in the places they were supposed to be taken care of hit a sore spot with her. It did with Kara too. She hated it. They both kept their outsides as clam as possible as to not spook El.

“It was talking down mostly. Telling me I was worthless or whatever. The lady laid hands on me and a couple other kids a few times because we weren’t doing things right or we talked back.”

“It wasn’t right of her to do that. No one should ever lay a hand on you, no matter the situation. That was not okay, nor will it ever be okay. You did nothing to deserve that. It wasn’t your fault.” Kelly said with a seriousness in her voice. El just sat there quiet as a mouse.

“Can you tell me how you ran into Kara?”

El looked over to Kara. He seemed to be debating on whether or not to tell Kelly the exact truth. Kara could tell he didn’t want to come clean about it. He was a little kid, so of course he seemed hesitant to get in trouble. She grabbed his hand to give him a little bit of quiet reassurance.

“It’s okay. You’re not going to get in trouble. Like Kelly said this is a safe place. You can tell her.” She said with a small, hopefully comforting, smile. He drew in a breath and faced Kelly.

“I, um, I kinda stole some chips from a store because I didn’t have money. The cops chased me down the street. I ran into Kara, and she helped me sort it out with the cops. She took me to lunch after that.” Kara could tell he was still a little ashamed of himself.

“Okay, it’s okay. So, Kara helped you out. That’s good. I’m very glad you went to her. You are a very lucky little boy to have found her. She’s an absolute marshmallow.” Kelly let out a small laugh. It got a small smile out of El.

“She’s right you know. I totally sob over puppy and kitten videos on the internet. They’re just so cute I can’t help it.” Kara was laughing right along with Kelly, maybe just a tad self-deprecatingly. Sue her. Baby animals are a weak spot for her.

“She seriously has a weak spot for big puppy dog eyes. Most of our family has banned her from going to the animal shelter because she cried last time she went. She got sad because she couldn’t bring them all home with her. My wife and I had to bribe her with ice cream and potstickers to get her to stop crying.” Now, Kelly was just teasing her.

“Can you blame me? They all deserve some love!” She turned to look at El, seeing he was smiling more now. “There was this one puppy with one eye named Cyclops, and it was like he was just calling my name. They had to drag me out. They haven’t let me go back since. Honestly, I don’t think my heart can take going back there.” She was teary eyed just thinking about it. El laughed as she wiped under her eyes. She gave him a fond yet exasperated look.

“See, I told you. Absolute marshmallow!”

“Yeah, yeah. Leave me and my impossibly weak heart alone.” She was smiling as she said it.

Kelly shook her head and turned back to El.

“Enough about Kara. I want to talk a little bit more about you, El. What do you want to happen next?” The mood was back to a heavy state.

“I don’t know. What are my options?”

“Well, I have to place you and all those other kids under someone else’s care. I’m not going to let anyone else be subjected to that environment. There is going to be a lot of legal things that need to happen, but I will get you and the other children into a, hopefully, better environment.”

“What’s going to happen with me?” El drew his knees up to his chest, looking much smaller and vulnerable.

“I can call around and see which foster homes have an availability to take you in, or I can call a few people from our emergency foster placement list.”

“I have to go back into a foster home? How do you know it won’t be like the last one? No one is gonna want another kid like me.”

“I promise you I will personally look into these places. I don’t want to put you back into a situation like the one you were in. I promise you there are people out there that want you and would be lucky to have you. You’re a great kid Lucian.”

It broke both Kelly and Kara’s heart to hear El talk so lowly of himself. Kara looked at Kelly and nodded her head towards the door. Kelly nodded and turned to address El.
“I’m going to go out into the hall with Kara for just a few minutes. Is it okay if we leave you here for just a second?”

“Fine.” El had turned his head away from both of them and hugged his knees hard to his chest.

Once Kara and Kelly close the door behind them, Kara let a few tears slip. Kelly ran her hand up and down her arm. Kelly finally let how much the situation affected her show on her face.

“I know, Kar. I know. These situations are always the hardest to deal with.” Kara sniffed and looked Kelly in the eye.

“What’s going to happen to him? He’s so little Kelly. You can’t put him back in a place like that. I’m sure he’s not even telling us the half of what was going on in that place.”

“I have to make a few phone calls to get that woman shut down, but I’m going to have to place him and all of the other kids in different foster homes. I’m going to call some of my emergency foster families to see if any of them have a bed for him for the night. I can’t do much else because of the legal side of this whole thing. I don’t like this anymore than you do.”

“Is there any guarantee that’s he’s going to be safe in any of the places that you put him?” Kelly winced.

“Considering I thought he would be okay in the home he was placed, there isn’t. We take so many precautions for situations concerning foster kids. There are interviews, welfare checks, and background checks, but there is never a guarantee. Unfortunately, I see things like this happen all of the time. I hate this, but this is all I have to go on right now. It’s a guessing game at this point.”

Kara just stood there with her anger boiling over. To think that things like this happened to so many kids just like El set her blood on fire. She got so lucky with the way things ended up for her, but there were kids out there that weren’t as lucky as her.

“What can you tell me about him? What’s his background?” The crinkle on her forehead was in full force as she studied Kelly’s face. She took a breath and began explaining.

“He’s 8-years-old. His parents passed away when he was 4. They had gotten caught up in riots that were happening surrounding alien refugees. A gunman opened fire at one of the protests. He watched them bleed out in front of him.”

She remembered that riot. That scene is one she still sees sometimes when she closes her eyes. Tears erupted from Kara as she thought about El surrounded in his parent’s blood. How scared he must have been surrounded by chaos. Something that should have been a peaceful protest turned into a blood bath. Why were humans so cruel? Having no regard for the lives that they were destroying by pulling a gun on innocent people. Kelly continued with tear-clouded eyes.

“His mother was from Bgztl, and his father was from Earth. They were just trying to make Earth a safer place for their son to be.” Kara shook her head trying to rid herself of the anger. “We had someone call in a report of a little boy, covered in blood, asleep in Supergirl park. That was when CPS first got involved in his case.”

Kara wiped her eyes. “First got involved?”

“Yeah, we lost him for about a year after he turned 6. This isn’t the first time he has run away from a home. We don’t know where he was in the time that he went missing, and he hasn’t said anything about it. We got another call almost a year later after someone found him wandering around alone in the same park. I was assigned to his case after that.”

“So, he doesn’t have any living relatives from his dad’s side? No one that would take him in?” Kara hugged herself as tight as she could. Kelly mirrored the action.

“None that we could find. As far as we could find, the father was an only child and so were his parents. The father’s parents had passed away before Lucian was born. He doesn’t have any living relatives.” Kelly finally let a tear slip. Kara couldn’t take it anymore.

“What if you placed him with me?” Kelly was startled.

“Kara, what?”

“I mean it. Place him with me. I can be his emergency placement.”

“Kara, we can’t do that.”

“Why not? You know me. You know I’m one of the safest places for him to be. I get his situation better than most. I’ve been through it. He’s half alien, and I’m full alien. I can help him, Kelly. Please, I can’t let him go to some other horrible foster home.” She was practically begging.

“Kara, you’re not even certified to be an emergency foster parent. There is a lot of legal stuff that goes into this. I can’t just let you walk out the door with him. That’s not how this works.”

“You said it was an emergency right? Call someone. Do whatever you have to do to get me certified or something. You know who I am. I can’t just stand by and watch him get into a worse situation.”

Kelly just regarded her with a pensive look for a moment. Kara was desperate and fiercely determined. If she could be to El what Eliza was to her, then she would go through every hoop she could to keep him safe. His story hit her straight in the chest. She wasn’t going to leave this building without that little boy by her side. Legal red tape be damned. El deserved better.

“Let me make a few phone calls. Go back inside and keep Lucian company. I’m not promising anything, Kara. Please… just don’t get your hopes up. Don’t mention any of this to Lucian.”

“Do what you can. I know you want to do right by him too.” Kara squeezed Kelly’s shoulder as she walked past her to go back into the office. El was still sitting in the same position they had left him in. Kara sat in the chair across from him this time.

“Kelly is going to make some calls. She is going to be back in a little while after she’s done. Hopefully, she will have some good news.” Kara had a hard time keeping her voice even.

“Whatever.” El said.

He was more closed off now than she’d seen previously. She gets why he is so standoffish now. Life had given him a terrible hand thus far. He had been given worse and worse situations over and over again. No one this young should have to go through what he had gone through. Rao, why does this have to happen to people? Kara knew the world wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. She was a survivor of the worst it had to offer. Seeing El and hearing his story was just a reminder of the horrible things it had in store for others. It happened to everyone every day, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. She tried to brighten anyone’s day that she came into contact with. Maybe she could be the one to turn around a bad day. No one should have to feel like she did on her worst days. Sucked is not the word to describe that all encompassing feeling. Like your body was on fire, and the ground itself was giving way underneath you. If she could take away even just the slightest bit of hurt that El had been through she would.

Kelly still hadn’t returned after an hour. Kara was getting antsy sitting and waiting. It felt like the both of them were waiting for the other shoe to drop. The longer Kelly stayed gone, the longer Kara’s gut turned over on itself. How long would she stay on the phone? Would they let Kara take El home with her? Would he end up in another bad foster home? Kelly wouldn’t let that happen, would she? What if… Her inner ramblings were cut off by the sound of the door opening. Both El and Kara lifted their heads at the noise. Kelly walked in and gave them both a subdued smile.

“What’s the verdict?” Kara asked hoping against hope.

“Lucian? I just got off the phone with some of my higher ups, and I’m going to run you through what is about to happen.”

Kelly didn’t give away a single hint as to what was about to happen. Nothing aside from a small smile.

“Okay. Where am I going now?” El said straightening up and playing with his hands.

“I am going to be putting you with an emergency foster placement. I know them really well, and I know that you are going to be safe with them.” Kara’s chest tightened. Maybe just maybe it had worked out.

“What else?”

“Well, I pulled some strings to get this special placement. She doesn’t have any kids under her care, so you will be her sole focus. She’s extremely nice, and I think you guys will really hit it off while you stay with her. She’s single and lives in an apartment by herself. She’s a really great person and very protective of those she cares about.”

Kara could’ve started crying with how relieved she was. El would be staying with her. She would be the one looking after him. She could make sure that he was safe, taken care of, and most of all, loved. She couldn’t help but break out in a stupid, goofy smile. Kelly side looked over to her and smiled even wider. El looked between them looking like he was trying to decipher why they looked so happy.

“So, when is all of this happening?” El asked.

“Right now, actually. Lucian, you’ve met my sister-in-law, right?” El looked baffled.

“You’re kidding, right?” He looked like he couldn’t believe it. Honestly, Kara couldn’t either.

“I wouldn’t kid about this. Kara is going to be the one I’m placing you with. I know she is going to take really good care of you. There is some paperwork that needs to be done before you guys can leave, but you’re going to go home with Kara tonight.”

“What?” El sat back and stared at both of them wide eyed. He was gapping like a fish.

“Are you okay with all of this?” Kara was hesitant, hoping El was actually okay with going home with her.

“I just… need a second. This is really weird.” He put his hand up to his forehead and rubbed it.

“Take all the time you need. It can be a lot to process.” Kelly reassured him.

“So, I end up staying with the lady I called mom. Fantastic.” He murmured, resting his head against the back of the couch.

“Guess you didn’t see that one coming?” Kara laughed a bit sheepishly. She readjusted her glasses.

“Yeah, no kidding.” He looked back up at them. “So how long is this for?”

“Well, for right now, it’s indefinite. It will more than likely be a few days until I can get in touch with a few homes with vacancies. This is a ‘for right now’ situation. It isn’t a permanent thing, just a solution for a short period of time.”

It hurt Kara to hear that she would only have a little while with El, but she was going to make the time she had with him count. There were more permanent solutions out there, but Kara wasn’t ready to think about that at the moment. Right here, was a little boy who needed her, and she was going to do her best. It may be a quick fix for a long-term problem, but it was a fix nonetheless. It would keep El safe for the time being, so she couldn’t be any happier with the outcome. Kelly really was a miracle worker.

“Kara?” Kelly broke her out of her musing with an amused smile.

“What? Yes?”

“I was just explaining that I need some signatures from you. I also have some stuff that I can send you home with to get Lucian situated.”

“Right! What do you need me to sign?”

After some more explanations on how the next few days would go, interviews, paperwork, and visits, Kara signed the immediate paperwork and got herself and El ready to leave. Kelly had given her some extra clothes, toiletries, and a set of Legos for El to have on the first night. It was enough to get him through his first night with her. He seemed okay with everything so far, but Kara was still worried about overstepping. It was a strange turn of events, and not at all how she saw her day going, but they were going to make it work. Between the phone calls, paperwork, and rundown of things, it was getting late into the evening. It wasn’t dark outside, but it would be in about an hour. As they got everything settled, Kara gathered everything up and turned to El.

“We can go shopping tomorrow to get you a few more things that you want or need, and we can go from there. Now, I have a very important question for you.” El raised a brow.

“And the question is?”

“What do you want for dinner?”

“Oh.” El seemed stumped. “Um, I don’t know.”

“That’s alright. How does pizza and potstickers sound?” Kara gave him a bright smile.

“That’s… good I guess.” He seemed to hesitate.

“I promise it’s going to be great! You’re going to love potstickers.”

“Make sure to get extra of everything because I know how you are about sharing potstickers.” Kelly piped up from behind them.

“Hey! I share!” Kara pouted.

“You didn’t talk to Alex for 3 days because she took one of your potstickers.” Kelly wasn’t impressed.

“It was the last potsticker! The only one left! I was mad.” She waved her hands around animatedly.

“Note to self: Don’t take the last potsticker.” El laughed.

“You can have all the potstickers you want. I’ll just get extras. I share, but I’m serious about my potstickers. Buuut… I would let you have the last potsticker if you really wanted it.” She nudged him with her elbow and smiled. He smiled back. That smile made her feel a lot better about where she stood with El.

“Okay, remember I’ll be coming by tomorrow to check up on how Lucian is settling in. I can bring by some more things he may need. We have an interview Tuesday at 9 in the morning to get some things finalized. Other than that, you guys are ready to go home for the night. Do you need a ride home?” Kelly said.

“Actually, yeah. We’re kind of far from my apartment. You wouldn’t mind, would you?”

“I don’t mind at all. Let me just get my purse, and we can leave.”

They left the small office and headed towards the elevator. Once they were in the car, they engaged in a little small talk. Kelly told her about how work was that day. She was working on Saturday’s for now due to a new project she was working on for some of her patients. In turn, Kara told her about how her new article is coming along. El didn’t contribute to the conversation much aside from a few questions. They pulled up in front of Kara’s apartment building before long.

“Do you need any help getting upstairs?”

“No, I got it.” Kara said gathering what Kelly had given her and opening the door for El.

“Hey, you should probably call Alex, and let her know what’s going on. Lord knows she’s going to want to know everything.”

“You’re probably right.” Kara winced. “I’ll call her in the morning. You think you can keep her off my back for the time being? You don’t have to lie to her or anything, but I just need a little time to get both of us settled.”

“I think I can do that. You know how Alex is though. Don’t wait too long to talk to her.”

“I won’t. I’ll see you later.” Kara said after everything and El was out of the car.

“Bye guys! Call me if you need me. I love you!”

“We will! Love you too!”

They both waved goodbye to Kelly and made their way up to Kara’s apartment. Kara unlocked the front door and lead El inside. He was quiet as he took in the new environment. Kara set everything down on the counter.

“It’s, uh, not much, but it’s home to me. This is actually the first place I’ve ever had on my own. I did have a dorm room, when I was at National City University, but I had a roommate. This is all my own though, and now it’s home to you for a little while. Do you, um, do you like it?”

She didn’t know why she was nervous. It wasn’t like El could say anything that would hurt her feelings… much. She was proud of her place, and she wanted him to be comfortable.

“I like it. The windows are cool. You can see a lot from here.” He said making his way over to the windows. He had crossed his arms as soon as he stepped foot into the apartment, almost like he didn’t want to touch anything. Kara went to stand beside him.

“That was actually the thing that sold me on this place. It’s nice to be able to look out on the city and let my mind wander after I’ve had a stressful day. It gives me a chance to shut off my mind for a little while.”

She didn’t tell him that she stood by the windows after a bad day just to listen to the people she love’s heartbeats. She will just stand here listening to everyone and remind herself how lucky she is being able to hear everyone safe and sound. On extremely bad days, she will tune into Lena’s heartbeat the most. It helps her to know that Lena is safe from all of the things her family and other enemies have in store for her. Lena’s heartbeat had become the one she relies most on hearing. It soothes her in a way she can’t really explain. It feels like Lena is the one thing that calms her the most. It used to be Alex’s heartbeat, but after a few incidents with her and Kelly getting, well, let’s just say she tries to tune that out. She shivered remembering busting in at a really, really bad time. It ruined the whole night for everyone. All three of them came away scarred for life after that. Never again. So now she listens to Lena the most. Sometimes, she’ll listen to watch she’s watching on Netflix after she’s poured a glass of wine, or she’ll hear her working in her office at L-Corp at late night hours. Lena had still yet to figure out how Kara knew she was working to late and knew exactly when to tell her to go home. It was a fun game, but it still worried her for Lena.

“Well, how about I order our food and you can go take a shower. After that, we can get you settled in for the night. Is that okay with you?”

She ran her hand over his head and scratched at the base of his neck. He leaned into it ever so slightly, letting Kara know it was okay. Kara was a tactile person, so physical affection was big for her. That didn’t mean El was, but she would still offer it when it seemed okay. He had leaned into it earlier today, so she took a risk with showing affection now.

“Yeah. That’s fine.”

“Okay, come on. I can show you where the bathroom is and how to work the shower.”

El followed her to the bathroom. She showed him everything on the way to the bathroom and let him have a once over of everything. The tour included the kitchen, the living room, and her bedroom, and lastly the bathroom.

“So, you just turn this nob to the left for hot and this one for cold. I don’t have any soap for you, but you can use mine. It smells really good, and it’s gentle on the skin. When we go to the store tomorrow, we can pick out some you may like better. This is the shampoo and conditioner. It smells like coconuts which is really great. Wait, do you know if you have any allergies?”

“Not that I know of. Guess we’ll know if anything happens to me.” He shrugged nonchalant. It made Kara’s stomach turn just thinking about something happening to El under her care.

“O-kay. So, um, just give the water a minute to warm up. I’m going to set out a towel and wash cloth. Call me if you need anything. I’ll set some of the clothes that Kelly gave us outside the door for you. I’ll leave you to it. Take as long as you want.”

A small and quiet ‘thank you’ was murmured before she closed the door.

She walked back into the kitchen to get some pajamas put of the bag Kelly gave her as well as a tooth brush and toothpaste. She set it by the bathroom door and took out her phone to order the pizza and potstickers from her favorite places. She plopped herself down on the couch after she did so, and let herself breath for just a second.

It had been a long and eventful day for her. If you told her this morning she would have a child in her care, she would have called you insane. It was insane. Completely and utterly insane. What was she thinking? Well, she wasn’t thinking. She just wanted to make sure that El had somewhere safe to go. She never would’ve thought it would be with her, but she just couldn’t turn him away. He was so much like her it was scary. She may not be an expert with kids, but she was an expert in childhood trauma. She saw that look in El’s eyes. The story that those eyes told was not a happy one. Her’s wasn’t a happy one either. She always wore her heart on her sleeve, and today El had grabbed it and just never let go. She was going to do right by him because it was about damn time someone did. She was a stranger to El, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to be a safe haven for him. Her phone pinged more than likely telling her that her order was out for delivery.

But no, it was Lena. Her heart skipped a beat thinking about how she just left Lena standing in the middle of Noonan’s after El called her ‘mom’. Rao, that was going to be all the more complicated to explain to her now. What was she going to say to her? ‘Hey, so, that kid from earlier isn’t my kid, or wasn’t, but now I’m kind of his temporary foster mom. So, yeah, I guess in a way I’m kind of his mom for a few days.’ She should honestly just kiss her friendship goodbye with that one. Let alone still hiding Supergirl from her. This was a freaking mess.

Lena (6:23 p.m.): Hey, when do you want to do lunch this week?

Kara bit her lip. Could she even do lunch this week? She would have El with her. He was homeschooled with his last foster home, so he wouldn’t be in school. After the day he’s had, she wouldn’t make him go even if he was enrolled in a public school. That would just be cruel.

Kara (6:26 p.m.): Hey, about that… um, I don’t know if I will be able to. A lot just came up.

Lena (6:27 p.m.): If you don’t mind me asking, would this have to do with a certain little boy I met earlier?

Ever the perceptive one. Kara sighed.

Kara (6:28 p.m.): It would. There’s a lot that I would like to explain about that, but I’m not sure a text message would suffice.

Lena (6:30 p.m.): It’s okay, Kara. You don’t have to explain anything to me. There are certain things we don’t know about each other. I get it.

Rao, she really didn’t get it. Not really. Yes, there were things they didn’t know about each other, big things, but this was probably not what Lena was thinking they didn’t know about each other. It’s a lot more complicated than Lena was thinking. She wasn’t hiding a child from Lena. They’d been friends for a few months, only having gotten close in the past two months, but she would never hide a child from Lena. Lena was the last person she would hide a child of hers from.

Kara (6:32 p.m.): No, Lena. It isn’t like that I promise. Look, let’s do lunch Tuesday afternoon. I can explain a lot better in person. Please, just bear with me. Try not judge me too harshly before I can see you again. Please.

Lena (6:33 p.m.): I would never judge you. Don’t worry, Kara. I’m not going to push you to tell me anything you’re uncomfortable with. I’ll see you for lunch on Tuesday. My office?

Kara (6:35 p.m.): Your office is great. I’ll bring lunch. Is it okay if I have El with me?

Lena (6:35 p.m.): The more the merrier. :)

Kara (6:36 p.m.): Sounds great! I’ll see you then! Thank you for not asking too many questions.

Lena (6:36 p.m.): You’re welcome. I’ll see you Tuesday. Goodnight, Kara.

Kara (6:37 p.m.): Goodnight, Lena. <3

Great. So she had until Tuesday to get herself together. That’s plenty of time to get her mind to function correctly. It was going to be fine. Absolutely fine. Nothing to worry about. She should’ve known Lena would be okay with waiting for answers. She was always patient with Kara. She would just sit there and smile and look at her with those impossibly beautiful green eyes while Kara went off on random tangents or stutter her way through things. She was a great person and even greater friends. Now, if only she could get through an entire conversation without getting distracted by Lena’s pretty dimples that came out when she smiled at her.

The shower shut off in the bathroom, and Kara shook herself out of day dreaming about Lena’s eyes and dimples. Rao, she was so useless when it came to her.

“Kara?” El called.

“Yeah, buddy?”

“Where are my clothes?”

“They’re right outside the door!”

“Okay!”

She heard the door open a crack and close again. There was a knock on the door. She used her x-ray vision and saw that it was the delivery guy. She opened it and paid the guy leaving a good tip. He saw her face enough that he deserved a good tip. She set up everything on the counter and got down some plates for her and El to eat on. She also switched on a Disney movie for them to watch while they ate. Just as she got some pizza ad potstickers onto each plate, El came out of the bathroom looking a lot better than he did earlier. She snorted at the Superman pajamas. Kelly had a great sense of humor; she’d give her that.

“Are you feeling better after a shower?” She said taking the plates to the coffee table in the living room.

“I feel a lot better. I’m just hungry and tired now.” He did look really tired. Kara patted the spot next to her and put down a pillow for him to sit on while they ate. He sat down beside her and looked at the plate with hungry eyes.

“You can dig in. Try the potstickers first though. I’m excited to see what you think about them!” She was smiling so hard at him and practically vibrating in her place on the floor when he took a bite.

“So? What do you think?” She said with barely restrained excitement.

“This is sooo good! I see what you mean now.” His little green eyes were blown out wide as he shoved the whole thing in his mouth followed quickly by another.

“Yes! I knew you would like them! You would have to be crazy not to like them.”

“You were right.” He was digging into the pizza and potstickers with gusto. Even Kara almost had trouble matching him in pace.

“What are we watching?”

Kara gasped. “Have you never seen The Princess and The Frog?”

“Um, no. We didn’t have a TV in my last foster home. She said that it would rot our brains.” Kara huffed.

“Well, we’re just going to have to change that. We are totally having a Disney movie marathon all day tomorrow! We’re going to sit in our pj’s all day, drink hot chocolate, and eat all of the junk food. Well, after we go to the store and get some stuff, but after that: MOVIE DAY!” She threw her arms up and did jazz hands for theatric effect. El just snorted and raised an eyebrow at her.

“Okay, whatever you say.” She could tell that he was at least a little excited because his little heart sped up.

They sat there and watched their movie and ate just enjoying the company. Kara would add in little comments hear and there about the things she knew about the movie. Once all the food was gone and the movie credits rolled, Kara noticed that El was looking sleepy leaned against the couch. Right, little kids had a bed time.

“Okay, buddy. Let’s get our teeth brushed and get you to bed. We’ve both had a really long day. You need some rest.” Kara may not be tired just yet, but nearing 9 o’clock for an 8-year-old, it was late. El didn’t even protest when she nudged him towards the bathroom.

Kara got changed into her pajamas while El brushed his teeth. She turned down her bed for him to get into. She would be taking the couch for tonight. She didn’t have a cot or anything for him, but she could get one tomorrow to put in her little office room. There wasn’t much in there to begin with, but she could make it home for him while he stayed. She went into the bathroom while he was still brushing his teeth to wash her face and brush her teeth as well. Once they were both done El just stood there swaying on his feet. The day must have really taken it out of him.

“Here, go ahead and slip into the bed.” He furrowed his brows at her.

“But where are you going to sleep?”

“I’m going to sleep on the couch.”

“But it’s your house? Shouldn’t I sleep on the couch?” He crossed his arms. She crossed hers too.

“Absolutely not. You get the bed; I get the couch. It’s no big deal. Go on. Hop in.” She wasn't taking no for answer.

He stood there looking at her until he finally sighed and gave in. He climbed up into the bed and slid under the covers. Kara tucked him in and made sure he was comfy.

“All set. Do you need anything?”

“I’m okay. Your bed is really comfy.”

“Like a cloud, right?” Kara laughed.

“Mhm.” His eyes were already starting to drift closed. She should really let him sleep.

“Goodnight, El. I’ll see you in the morning. Sweet dreams.” She whispered.

“G’night.” El mumbled back.

She sat there and watched him for just a second. He looked so little in her queen-sized bed. He looked like a sweet little angel with his face relaxed in sleep. Kara hesitated before she brushed El’s hair out of his face and placed a kiss on his forehead. His little lashes fluttered but didn’t stir from sleep. With one last look at him, her chest squeezing at the sight, she left to plug in her phone and grab a pillow and blankets for her night on the couch.

As she turned off all the nights and made sure everything was locked up, she finally laid her head on the pillow. Once she was comfortable, sleep was fast approaching to meet her. The strain of the day had finally caught up to her. Even a Super had their limits. With one last look towards her bedroom and the little boy that rested there, Kara finally closed her eyes. Tomorrow was going to be a better day for the both of them.