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Lena Luthor was a great boss. Fantastic, even. She was brilliant, kind, and never asked Jess to work late. More often than not, she basically forced Jess to go home on time, despite never doing so herself. Normally, Jess waved off any mention of raises or bonuses when Lena asked her to do something unusual (more often than not, this involved Kara Danvers or her caped alter ego), but today might be the exception.
“You want me to go to a different universe?” Jess repeated blankly.
She always admired Lena’s grace under pressure, and this situation was no different. Neither Lena’s expression nor tone suggested that this was anything less ordinary than asking Jess to order her lunch. “Yes, I need to get in touch with some friends Supergirl and I have there.”
“A different universe?”
“Jess, I know you’ve seen my briefs on the theoretical multiverse.”
“Theoretical!” Jess exclaimed.
At this, Lena finally had the decency to look slightly embarrassed. “Yes, well, it’s not really…theoretical anymore.”
Jess felt like she might lose her mind. “How…when…?”
“Well, Supergirl has a friend that came here temporarily some time ago from a different universe. As for the universe I need you to go to, Supergirl and I traveled there by accident a few weeks ago.”
“By accident?” Jess felt like she may as well have been a parrot for all she was bringing to the conversation, but one donut and half a cup of coffee did not prepare her for the reality of a multiverse.
“We were aiming for—it doesn’t matter,” Lena dismissed what was probably a long-winded explanation with a wave of her hand. “The important thing is we have a situation on our hands, and we can’t spare anyone we would normally send to do this. And, you’re the only person that I trust that’s not already a part of this.”
Jess felt a sudden rush of tears in her throat. She knew that Lena trusted her and relied on her, but to hear that she trusted her enough to include her in whatever she had going on with Supergirl was a whole other level. She swallowed and willed her voice to be steady. “Where do you need me to go?”
***
Switzerland, Earth 7, looked a lot like the Switzerland that Jess had visited on vacation with her parents as a young teen. The sun was high in the sky when she stepped through the portal with a backpack full of supplies, enough cash to get her through a week, and instructions to find Ava and Beatrice, more specifically Beatrice because they felt she would be easier to find. “They told us they work at a bar in town called Bar La Vasseur,” Supergirl told her. “That’s probably your best starting place.”
“We’re going to put you just outside of town,” Lena said. “We’re trying to be as discreet as possible.”
“Just outside of town” turned out to be a mile outside of town. A downhill mile. Jess mentally prepped her future conversation with Lena about a bonus as she walked. Keeping a good workout schedule wasn’t always easy while working for LCorp, but Jess was glad she had put in the effort. Switzerland was as gorgeous as ever, the mountains a beautiful rich summer green and the lakes glittering like diamonds. When she made it to the heart of town, she ducked into a café to ask for directions to the bar. Those in hand, she stepped outside and made a call to Lena on her cross-dimensional phone.
“You found them already?” Lena asked immediately when she picked up.
“No, I’m just checking in,” Jess answered. “I have directions to the bar. I’m going to find a hotel before I go over there.”
“Good idea,” Lena said. “I’m glad your safe. Please be careful.”
“Yes, Ms. Luthor,” Jess said and she hung up the phone. She had already spotted a small hotel nearby, so she took a deep breath and hitched her backpack a little higher. “Here goes everything,” she muttered, and stepped out onto the street.
***
The directions the employee at the café had given her led her straight to Bar La Vasseur. The sun was just starting to set when she reached it, and she stood outside it with her hands on her hips, smiling and basking in the feeling of her first Supergirl mission running smoothly so far. She allowed herself an additional ten seconds of basking, and then stepped inside.
It was a cute bar, built out of stone and with a variety of decorations on the walls; everything from skis and banners to various team and national flags. The bar was long, spanning the length of the building and most of it was standing only, but there were a few bar stools on each end. It was too early to be busy, and a lone bartender stood behind the bar, a phone to his ear. He had brown hair and a mustache, and whatever conversation he was having exasperated him greatly if his gestures were anything to go by. He was so absorbed in the call he didn’t even notice Jess approach.
“Yes, Lucia,” he said in heavily accented English, “I have told her. Many times!” He sighed and finally caught sight of Jess. “Oh, shit, a new customer. Lucia, I have to go. Yes. I will—I promise to tell her to call you. Okay. Goodbye.” He jabbed at his phone screen and then stuck it in his pocket and rushed over, chattering apologies in German.
Jess was glad that her job helped keep her German up to snuff. “No need, I’ll just have a Coke.”
He grinned at her and went to grab a glass. “American?” he asked.
Jess winced. “Is my accent that bad?”
“No! No!” he said quickly. “It’s very good, I just like to guess. It’s a fun game, especially on slow days.”
Jess found herself smiling. This little alternate universe trip wasn’t as bad as she thought it was going to be. “Yes, American,” she answered his original question. “I’m actually looking for someone who works here, Beatrice?”
“Most people come looking for Ava,” the bartender said with a laugh. “Beatrice is not here yet; she and Ava won’t come in for another 15 minutes.” He glanced at his watch and seemed to consider something. “Make that 20 unless Beatrice gets Ava out the door on time.”
“Sounds like fun,” Jess commented dryly, sipping on her coke. Lena had mentioned Ava too, made a comment about how if they wanted Ava, they needed Beatrice. She had gone so far as to call them “a package deal”. That phrase made Jess’s eyebrows reach her hairline, and given her the excuse to give a not-subtle glance at the latest edition of Catco Magazine on Lena’s desk. Lena had ignored it, as she always did.
Jess was wondering how blunt she was going to have to get with her boss. “Are they roommates or something?” she asked the bartender.
“Or something,” he rolled his eyes. “Well, they are roommates, but they refuse to acknowledge anything else. It’s ridiculous.”
Jess felt twin waves of sympathy and, well, glee surge through her. “So, what you’re saying is they have obvious chemistry that everyone around them can see but they refuse to acknowledge?”
The bartender lit up like a Christmas tree. “Exactly! You get it!” he exclaimed loudly, going so far as to gesture at her with both hands. They received a few bleary looks from some day drinkers, which the bartender ignored, focusing back on Jess. “My name is Hans,” he said reaching out to shake her hand.
“Jess.” She accepted the handshake. “I can sympathize with your plight. My boss is the same way. She has a ‘best friend’,” Jess used air quotes for effect, “that she’s in love with.”
Hans held his dishrag to his heart, nodding very seriously. “Beatrice is the same. Your boss’s friend, is it requited?”
“Agonizingly. She’s like a puppy.”
At this, Hans gave a hearty laugh. “Yes, yes, that also sounds familiar. Ah, one moment,” he said when someone at the other end of the bar raised their glass, looking for another drink.
Jess nodded and he moved down the bar. Without the conversation to distract her, she realized that the building was beginning to fill up. The chatter was livelier and a few people moved in beside her, waiting to place their orders. Hans took care of them easily and efficiently, traits that Jess could admire. You could not be Lena Luthor’s secretary without efficiency. She hoped to commiserate some more, but didn’t want to distract him from his job, so she was content to wait and sip her drink. The chance seemed to slip farther and farther away, however. More people were walking in, a steady trickle that meant there was always someone new to serve. She thought she had it though, when she finally took the last sip of her Coke and had the excuse to tip her glass towards him when she caught his eye. He walked over immediately. “Another Coke, or something different?” he asked.
“Another Coke is fine,” Jess said. “Thank you.”
“Of course!” He reached for her empty glass. “It is no trouble.”
“Hans! I know you’re not making a Cuba libre now that the master is here!” Jess spun in her seat to find a brunette practically rushing the bar, a huge grin on her face. A taller woman with her black hair in a bun followed behind at a more sedate pace, rolling her eyes.
“Ava, apologize, you startled the customer,” the second woman said in English.
“Oh, shit!” Ava had made it behind the bar, but she immediately turned to Jess and began apologizing in German.
“She’s American, Ava, and it’s just a Coke. No alcohol,” Hans provided as he started moving towards another group that was approaching the bar. “Beatrice, I just counted that section!”
Ava grinned at Jess and switched to English. “A virgin Cuba libre, then,” she said.
“Isn’t that just Coke with lime in it?” Jess asked.
Ava pouted. “We have another doubter, Bea.”
The second woman, Beatrice, had slipped behind the bar to grab a clipboard, standing just to the side of where Hans had been when Jess first walked in. She paused in making marks on it and smiled at Ava. It was soft. Very soft. Lena-Luthor-looking-at-Kara-Danvers soft.
It lasted only for a few moments, almost quick enough not to be noticed. Beatrice shifted her gaze to Jess, and her smile dropped until it was just a quirk at the corners of her mouth. Her eyes were a bit livelier, sparked with humor. “You are correct,” she said to Jess. “However, Ava claims that hers are special and not to be missed.”
Ava gasped in outrage, abandoning Jess’s half-poured drink—Jess understood by this point that the virgin Cuba libre was not an offer so much as a given—in favor of whirling to face Beatrice, her hands on her hips.
Impressively, Beatrice’s expression remained as it had, save for a slight eyebrow raise in challenge, one that Ava took up immediately. “Claims? I make a spectacular Cuba libre, virgin or not! And I only learned how to make the virgin ones because you won’t drink the fun ones!”
Again, Jess wondered what “learning” had to go into a virgin Cuba libre, but abandoned the thought in favor of the entertainment in front of her. Because, as it turns out, when the oblivious-idiots-in-love are not your oblivious-idiots-in-love they’re less mind-bendingly frustrating and more mind-bendingly fascinating.
Ava took a step closer to Beatrice and this, finally, seemed to fluster the other woman just a tad. “Don’t pretend like you don’t like them. And don’t pretend you don’t like them more than the ones Hans makes for you when I’m not here!”
Her outrage was comical, but Jess, ever a quick study—you couldn’t be Lena Luthor’s secretary without being a quick study—caught the slightest hint of vulnerability beneath it. This was not a real issue for Ava. Clearly, most of her reaction was for show. Except, it also wasn’t not a real issue. What’s more, what was a difficult read for Jess seemed blaringly obvious for Beatrice because she immediately backed down, reaching out to touch Ava’s wrist and her expression tipping towards concern. “Ava,” she said quietly, “I was just teasing you. Your Cuba libres are excellent, no matter the variety.”
Ava practically melted, her hands dropping off her hips, her smile returning in full force and boy, Jess had never met anyone with a smile that rivaled Kara Danvers, but she was willing to bet that Ava was her match. “That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, Bea,” she said, halfway between teasing and earnest.
Beatrice shook her head, a half-smile on her face. Jess felt almost like she was intruding by this point. “Just the truth,” she said. Ava just held her gaze, clearly enjoying the moment. After a few beats, Beatrice’s eyes flickered to Jess and she dropped her hand from Ava’s elbow. “I think you have a drink to finish making,” she prompted.
“Oh shit, right!” Ava said, spinning back to Jess. “Sorry about that!” she said brightly, tossing the half-made drink into the sink and starting with fresh Coke.
“No worries, your honor was clearly under attack,” Jess joked.
“Yes! You get it!” Ava crowed in an unknowing echo of Hans who picked up his head from the drink he was making and shouted a “Yes!” of agreement.
Beatrice watched this exchange with a small smile before going back to her clipboard. Jess shifted in her seat, wondering how to start a conversation with Beatrice without being incredibly awkward or blowing her cover completely.
She was saved the trouble however, when somebody stepped close to her, very close. It was young man, and he eyed Jess in a way that she didn’t like. He placed a flyer of some sort in front of her and asked in German, “Have you read the good news?”
He placed his hand on her back, and Jess barely got to read the word, “Angel” before the flyer was snatched from her and Ava was leaning over the bar, furious.
“Listen here, fucker,” she snarled, reaching for the man who quickly shifted backwards out of range. Jess was distracted by the fear shooting up her spine, but at the corner of her eye she saw a strange glow coming from Ava’s back. In an instant, it was covered by Beatrice’s hand.
“Ava,” she cautioned, her voice low. “I’ll handle this.”
Ava had both of her hands on top of the bar and it looked like she might vault it. “He’s in the bar, Beatrice.”
“I’ll handle it,” Beatrice repeated, her tone more forceful, “but you need to calm down.”
Ava took a deep breath, which seemed to accomplish whatever Beatrice was looking for because she was around the bar in quick, measured strides. Ava was behind her, a storm cloud ready to burst. Jess started to turn and push the man away, but he was already gone, his arm wrenched from her back by Beatrice.
If Ava’s fury was terrifying, Beatrice’s was the stuff of nightmares. She slammed his face onto the bar and twisted his arm up behind his back. He cried out in pain and she cut through it with a vicious jerk to his captured arm. “You have been warned not to come in here,” she barked at him in German.
“Let me go,” he shouted. He didn’t need to—the entire bar had gone quiet and was watching.
“You’ve harassed one of my customers,” she snarled back. “I’m calling the police.”
Jess began to panic; she could not leave any sort of record of her existence in this universe. “No, no—no police,” she said quickly. Ava reached Jess’s side and touched her shoulder in comfort.
Beatrice focused on Jess for just a second, and Jess could see the quick hint of curiosity rise to the surface before it was quickly doused. “You’re lucky today,” she said to the man. “Don’t waste it.” She hauled him up and walked him to the door, shoving him outside. She waited for a few seconds, undoubtedly for him to scurry away. When she turned around to return, she was met with a wave of cheers and whistles, which left her clearly stunned.
Jess was not surprised to hear Ava cheering the loudest. Beatrice recovered and ducked her head as Ava bounced over to give her a hug. “That was amazing, Bea!” she said as she dragged the taller woman back towards Jess. It was astounding that she didn’t knock into anything or anyone, given that she wasn’t looking at where they were going in favor of looking at Beatrice.
Beatrice let herself be dragged, a slight blush spreading over her features. “I told you I’d handle it,” she said. “It’s hardly outside the realm of my capabilities,” she added, sounding a little confused as they reached Jess.
“Still amazing,” Ava countered with a grin. It seemed that now she had an excuse to be hanging onto her roommate, she was going to stay there.
Beatrice struck Jess as the type of person to normally be bothered by this much physical contact, but she made no move to dislodge Ava, instead looking at Jess with concern. “Are you alright?” she asked. “I’m so sorry that he did that, they know they’re not allowed in here,” she explained.
Jess nodded. “Yes, I’m okay,” she said. “Thank you, I appreciate you taking care of that.”
Beatrice shook her head. “It was the least I could do. Are you sure you don’t want me to call the police?”
“I’m sure,” Jess said, extending her hand for a handshake. “My name is Jess, I work for Lena Luthor.”
Beatrice had automatically accepted the handshake, but she paused it, her eyes wide with shock.
“Holy shit,” Ava murmured beside her. “Like, the Lena Luthor that we met a few weeks ago that’s from…out of town?”
Jess smiled at her, appreciating the discretion. “Yes,” she said. “She asked me to travel here and see if I could find you. She needs to discuss something with you as soon as possible.”
Ava was grinning again, apparently loving the new development. Beatrice just sighed.
Jess dug out her phone and held it up. “Is it okay if I make the call?”
Beatrice nodded and Ava hugged her hard. The blush overtook Beatrice’s face yet again. Jess threw a knowing look at Hans, who had come around the bar, and received a “you see what I mean?” look in return. Jess simply nodded and walked outside to call Lena.
Fortunately, the man with the flyer was nowhere to be seen. The sun was almost gone from the sky, painting it with light pinks that faded into the cobalt blue of the approaching night. Lena picked up on the first ring. “Are you alright?” she asked.
“Yes,” Jess said, letting herself smile. “I found them. They’ve agreed to meet,” Jess said.
Lena sighed with relief. “Excellent, well done, Jess. Are you in a safe spot for a portal?”
“No,” Jess answered, but she was already moving. “Give me a minute,” she said.
Lena hummed in response.
“Is it going to be you and Supergirl or you and Kara?” Jess asked, as if she didn’t know that they were one in the same. She was back behind the bar already, hiking into a small wooded area that would hopefully conceal the light from the portal.
“Kara,” Lena said. “The costume is a little conspicuous.”
“Right,” Jess said, because she hadn’t thought of that. Maybe the encounter with the asshole with the flyer had bothered her more than she initially thought. She glanced around and could only see woods around her. “I’m at a good spot.”
“Okay, I’ve got your signal. We’ll be right there.”
Jess ended the call and waited, shifting on her feet, trying not to feel antsy. If she thought hard enough, she could still feel the hand from earlier, and she hated it. “What a creep,” she muttered. Thankfully, the telltale hum of the portal sounded and a blue-white bubble appeared in front of her briefly, like a ball of agitated water. Kara and Lena hopped through and landed, Lena already reaching for her watch to deactivate it.
“Jess!” Kara exclaimed. She stepped forward and engulfed Jess in a hug. “Thank you for doing this!”
Jess felt whatever lingering disgust she still had from the man with the flyer dissipate. Kara really did give the best hugs. “You’re welcome,” she said.
When they broke apart, Lena smiled at her and put a hand on her shoulder. “This is truly a huge help, Jess. Thank you.”
There were those tears again, dammit. “Of course, Ms. Luthor. Are you both ready?”
Kara was practically bouncing with excitement. “Lead on!” she said.
They were quiet on the way back to the bar. Jess, upon her glances back, pretended not to notice that Kara was clutching Lena’s hand in order to help steady her through the woods.
The bar was in full swing when they walked back in, providing anonymity through a sheer volume of people. Hans and Ava worked feverishly behind the bar, having been joined by an additional two bartenders. Jess caught sight of Beatrice near the stairs in the back corner of the building. She was already watching them and when she met Jess’s gaze, she waved them over. It turned out she was keeping a table open for them, which Jess gratefully sat down at.
Kara stuck her hand out, introducing herself. If Beatrice had recognized that Kara was Supergirl, she did not let on, accepting the handshake and then extending a similar one to Lena. They sat down, and Beatrice waved Ava over. Hans, surprisingly, followed close behind. The noise in the building was at a perfect level, low enough to have a conversation but loud enough to block it from carrying. Ava took the seat next to Bea, grinning over at their guests.
“Hi guys!” she exclaimed.
Lena smiled. “It’s wonderful to see you again, Ava. This is Kara, a friend of mine and Supergirl’s.”
Ava leaned forward to shake her hand and between the two of them, it was easily the most enthusiastic handshake of the night.
Hans waited until they were fully seated again before asking, “What can I get everyone?” in German.
Beatrice opened her mouth, presumably to translate, when Kara beat her to the punch. “What cocktails do you have?” she asked in perfect German, going so far as to match Hans’s dialect.
It stunned the table to silence. Through her own shock, Jess risked a glance at her boss. Lena was staring at Kara, her lips slightly parted, utterly transfixed.
Hans, delighted that Kara spoke the language, eagerly listed off the cocktails. Jess glanced over at Beatrice and Ava, both of them looked a little surprised still, but were clearly moving past it. Only Lena remained with her full attention on Kara.
Kara didn’t even notice Lena’s gaze until she had picked a cocktail. Once she did though, she immediately flushed bright red and reached up to adjust her glasses. “Ummm, did you want anything Lena?” she asked.
Lena glanced at Hans long enough to order an Irish Whiskey. “Top shelf,” she added, returning her gaze back to Kara. Her lips were curled now, just slightly, and it was sending Kara into a tailspin, if her own awestruck look was anything to go by.
Jess sighed and looked at Hans. “You can give me a real Cuba libre this time,” she said. He grinned at her and then tipped his head towards Kara and Lena and raised his eyebrows.
Jess nodded. He raised his eyebrows again, and mouthed, wow. Jess nodded again, already miserable.
He turned to his boss and coworker. Beatrice ordered a water, which didn’t surprise Jess in the least.
Ava grinned and gestured at Jess. “Same as her. Show me what you got, Hans!”
He laughed and jotted on his notepad before heading back towards the bar. Lena had finally managed to wrestle herself into a semblance of composure. Still, she couldn’t really let it go. “Kara, I had no idea you spoke German,” she said.
Her voice was pitched entirely too low for Jess’s comfort. “Neither did I,” Jess broke in, trying to remind them that other people existed. “Where did you learn it?”
If anything, Kara looked more panicked by Jess’s question that Lena’s flirting. “Oh! You know,” she gestured helplessly and Jess realized too late that it probably had something to do with being Kryptonian. “I made a New Year’s resolution a few years ago to learn a new language, so I…did,” she finished lamely.
“Well, it certainly worked,” Beatrice said smoothly, clearly picking up on how badly Kara was floundering.
“Hell yeah!” Ava cheered. “Hans is never that impressed by a foreign speaker!”
“Language,” Beatrice chided, although there was no real heat behind it. If anything, it sounded like a reflex.
Ava rolled her eyes, but corrected herself. “Heck yeah, then.”
Kara smiled and adjusted her glasses. “Thank you,” she said.
Moments later, Hans arrived with their drinks. Beatrice thanked him and let him know she would signal if they needed anything. Jess took her first sip and sighed. It had been a long day.
Ava took a sip of her drink too and complimented Hans on his work. As soon as he walked away though, she nudged Beatrice. “Mine are better.”
Beatrice turned her head to look at Ava full on, her face very serious except for a small smile. “It’s good of you not to tell him that,” she said.
Ava blushed, which surprised Jess. Ava just did not seem like the type of person who embarrassed very easily. In fact, it was the most Ava had been off her game the entire day. She still hadn’t even answered Beatrice beyond an uncharacteristic stammer. And all it took, Jess mused, was Beatrice’s undivided attention. But, just as Beatrice had saved Kara moments earlier, Lena stepped in to rescue Ava.
“Ava,” she asked. “Last time I was here, I never got the chance to ask you, where did you grow up?”
Jess was willing to bet that had she not already been so flustered by Beatrice, Ava would have given a different answer. “An orphanage,” she said.
Ava froze, and so did Lena. Only Beatrice moved: her hand to Ava’s elbow as if she had tripped on the sidewalk and Beatrice was steadying her.
“Oh,” Kara said, her voice just a little broken. “I’m an orphan, too.”
Jess looked over at her. She looked weary and devastated, a little piece of the alien she could not hide.
Ava was looking at her too, her expression morphing to match. “I’m sorry,” she said.
Because what else is there to say?
“I’m sorry, Ava,” Lena said. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
Jess noticed that she artfully dodged her own childhood, not that Jess blamed her.
Ava shook her head and tried for a smile. “Not your fault,” she said. “I talked without thinking, it’s kind of my specialty. You can ask Beatrice.”
Beatrice turned only her head to Lena, a quiet smile on her face, giving Ava space to recover. “Yes, I’m consistently surprised at how many customers she is able to charm despite a lack of filter. It’s astonishing.” Beside her, Ava chuckled weakly.
Lena picked up the thread and straightened in her chair. “Kara knows all about charming people, especially those who don’t want to be nice to her.”
“Who doesn’t want to be nice to Kara?” Jess wondered out loud.
“About three quarters of the people she interviews,” Lena said dryly.
Kara, having succeeded in tucking her sorrow away, protested vehemently. “That’s not true! Most people are happy to be interviewed.”
“Darling, the only two people who are happy to be interviewed by you are Supergirl and me,” Lena countered.
Kara blushed furiously at the pet name even as she scowled at Lena. “Why wouldn’t people want to be interviewed by me?” she demanded.
Lena raised one eyebrow and Jess could smell blood in the water. “Because you’re too good at your job. You’re a superb journalist and, usually, if you’re interviewing someone it’s because they have something to hide. You bring them to justice.”
Jess had never seen Kara so effectively silenced. She stared at Lena as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing. It felt too private, too intimate, and Jess had to look away.
Once again, Beatrice came to the rescue. “It’s too bad you don’t live here, Kara,” she said. “I’d love to read your articles.”
“Oh,” Kara said pulling her gaze from Lena. “You might get the chance to, actually,” she said with a smile.
Beatrice looked puzzled, but Jess took that as her cue to leave and stood. Lena started to object, but Jess shook her head. “Ms. Luthor, you need to be able to speak freely here and you can’t do that if I’m sitting at the table. I’ll sit nearby and watch to make sure no one else is listening. I’ll even enlist Hans’s help,” she continued, now addressing Beatrice, “if you’re amenable to that, of course.”
To her surprise, Beatrice nodded. “I’ve talked to him about taking on a more supervisory role, it would be a good test for him to step back and let the others run it. One moment and I’ll let him know.”
They stood from the table at the same time. Jess took her drink to the bar, watching as Beatrice took Hans to the side. She admired how she spoke to him, her face open and kind and her focus on him and how he was reacting. It reminded Jess of Lena, of the day that she had offered her the position of Executive Assistant to the CEO. Some people (people she had used to call friends) looked down on her position at LCorp and the fact that she had never pursued a career that was outside of being a “secretary”. But, she loved her work, had loved it for a long time. When she first met Lena, she was the Executive Assistant to the (new) CFO, a position she had retained in the change-over from Lex to Lena. (Anyone who survived, by definition, had somehow managed to work ethically in the midst of Lex’s machinations, a feat that was attainable at low levels, but in the high echelons of Luthor Corp was nigh impossible.) Jess had walked in on a Monday morning to a meeting request from the new CEO, the timing of which gave her no choice except to turn around and head up to the top floor. When she arrived, Lena was warm and shook her hand and apologized for the short notice. Jess assured her it was fine, and then Lena had looked her in the eye and offered her the position of her Executive Assistant. Jess had stuttered, had nearly fallen out of her seat. Surely, surely, ethics or not, Lena would not, could not, afford to have an EA that had been tied to Luthor Corp. When she finally stated as much, Lena just smiled and it was so gentle as to be heartbreaking.
“I’ve done my homework, Jess. I’ve looked through your work, your resumé, your communications, your employee reviews, every piece of data I could find. You’re incredibly smart and capable, you’re multi-lingual, you produce excellent work and you care about people. That last part is important. Do you know how I know that you care about people?”
Jess shook her head.
“Because I found the print records.”
Jess stared. She had been so careful.
“I know you care about people because you found out about Lex’s plans in Metropolis, and you printed out the evidence and you sent it via carrier to the Metropolis PD.”
“I was too late,” Jess said, and it was the only time—even in the years since—that she ever broke down, just a little, in front of her boss. “I should have found a way to send it to Superman.”
“But you tried, and that evidence is what allowed them to put him away for good. It took the insanity plea off the table,” Lena said. She had moved around her desk and crouched in front of Jess, offering her a tissue. “You want to do good, and so do I. I need your help here, and I promise that you will get the opportunity to do good things, to help people. Will you take it?”
It was by far the most flattering job offer she had ever had, and she had not regretted taking it, not once.
Still, universe-hopping and dealing with yet another pair of “best friends” maybe merited a raise. She finished off her Cuba libre as Hans nodded to Beatrice and pulled off his apron. He waved at
Jess, pointing at a table that had a clear view of their friends. Within minutes he had joined her there with a drink for both of them. “The one with the Irish whiskey, that is your boss, yes?” he asked her as he sat down next to her.
“She is,” Jess said.
“And she thinks that the blonde—”
“Kara,” Jess supplied.
“That Kara is just her best friend?”
“She is adamant.”
He looked at the pair under discussion. Kara was in the middle of some explanation, waving her arms for effect. Lena was watching her with a look that could only be described as adoration. Hans made a noise of confusion. “The way she looks at her…surely, she knows that’s not a friend look.”
Jess sighed. “I think Lena is well aware of her feelings. I just think that she’s convinced that Kara could never feel the same way.”
“But!” Hans gestured at them. Lena was speaking now, adding on to whatever Kara had said and Kara was entirely turned to her, elbow on the table, chin in her hand smiling softly as Lena spoke.
It was a look that Jess saw often when she was around the two. “Believe me, I know. I’ve tried to explain it to Lena, but she refuses to hear it.”
“A recording, maybe?” Hans suggested.
Jess laughed, loud and long. “You know, that’s not a bad idea,” she asked. “But you underestimate how stubborn Lena is.”
He nodded, a little glum. “A recording will not help in my case either, I don’t think.”
“How long have you been trying to get them to see what’s going on?” Jess asked.
“Since I found out they weren’t actually dating,” he said. “I assumed when they first starting working here. Then, I was talking to Beatrice and referred to Ava as her girlfriend and I thought she was going to have a heart attack.”
“What did she say?”
“She called it a misunderstanding,” Hans said. “She said they’re just very close and that she worries about Ava. Then she told me to restock the bar.” He sighed and took a huge swig of his beer. “I do not think there is a misunderstanding,” he complained.
“I agree,” Jess said. “The way they interacted earlier; I would have absolutely bought the idea that they were dating.”
He grinned at her. “See? You get it,” he said with a laugh.
Jess looked over at what she had deemed in her head the “useless” table, making sure that none of the patrons had drifted too close. They hadn’t, but it gave her the excuse to observe Beatrice and Ava without being observed back and the results were almost more eye-opening than her observations earlier in the night.
Beatrice was tuned into the room and the conversation in front of her. Jess could see her eyes flicking between Lena, who was talking, the bar and the crowd. Jess had been around enough security guards to recognize a threat assessment. The only person she wasn’t watching was Ava, and that was probably because Ava wouldn’t stop touching her. A hand on the wrist, a shoulder bump, a touch to the knee, Jess could even see Ava’s foot making contact with Beatrice’s leg every so often. Jess felt like there was a kernel of truth in what Beatrice had said to Hans: she was protecting Ava—from any and all threats. And while Beatrice was tuned to protecting Ava, Ava was tuned to Beatrice. She was paying attention to Lena, to the conversation, but above and beyond even the touches, her entire being seemed to gravitate towards Beatrice. The moment Beatrice so much as twitched, Ava’s focus was on her. And every time Beatrice made any sort of comment, Ava hung on every word.
“She said they’re not dating?” Jess finally asked, out of pure incredulity even though she knew the answer.
Hans just shrugged. “I couldn’t believe it either,” he said.
Ava was speaking now, and Beatrice melted back into that soft smile Jess had seen at the beginning of the Cuba libre argument. It was tempered only when Beatrice rolled her eyes, or clearly went to make an objection to whatever Ava was trying to put in motion. Whatever they were bickering about was making both Kara and Lena laugh. Ava gestured wildly and only received a firm shake of the head from Beatrice. Lena finished her drink and directed her next comment at Ava, who blushed. Something flashed across Beatrice’s face, but it was too quick for Jess to interpret. Ava shook herself out of it quickly though, letting out a short laugh and reaching for Lena’s drink. Once the glass was in hand she rose from her seat, only stopping when Beatrice grabbed her wrist. Ava flashed her a smile and then gently shook off the hand, heading for the bar. Now that Ava wasn’t next to her, Jess was not surprised to see Beatrice abandon all pretense of subtlety: she watched Ava like a hawk until she was on the way back.
Hans shifted beside Jess and shook his head. “They are not dating, and the most confusing part is that I don’t think either of them have an inclination to change that.”
“Really?” Jess asked. “I can see that for Beatrice, but Ava doesn’t seem like the kind of person to hold back from what she wants.”
“She’s not,” Hans confirmed, “except for Beatrice. I don’t know what the problem is, but she won’t make a move.”
“Have you talked to her about it?”
“Once,” Hans said. “She just said it was never going to happen and changed the subject. She seemed sad.”
“I wonder what makes her so sure?” Jess mused. “Does she think it’s unrequited?”
“I don’t know. Ava is…magnetic,” Hans said, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms. “She draws people to her naturally. And, she is aware of it. She is aware that she is pretty and that people like her. I’ve watched her flirt with Beatrice and I’ve seen Beatrice get flustered. I find it hard to believe that Ava doesn’t notice that.”
“Not to mention,” Jess said as she watched Ava get up again, and again saw Beatrice watching her as she headed to the bathroom, “it’s hard to believe she doesn’t realize that Beatrice’s focus is almost entirely on her.”
“That she definitely knows,” Hans said. “She expects it. She knows that whatever she’s doing, Beatrice will have an opinion on it.”
Jess considered this answer for a minute, sipping her drink. “She expects it?” she finally asked.
Hans nodded. “Not in an entitled way, more like a…trust way?”
“Trust?”
“Yes,” he said with another nod. “She trusts Beatrice to be there. When either of them needs help, the other is there. Always. They’re a team,” he concluded.
Jess studied the wooden table top beneath her glass, idly playing with the little plastic stirring straw as she thought about the dynamic she had witnessed that evening. Hans was right, the pair trusted each other and were a true team. When the man had brought in the flyer earlier, Ava clearly could have handled it, but Beatrice asked her not to and Ava had relented. Ava trusted Beatrice to handle a situation that clearly upset her beyond normal reason. And, Beatrice had trusted that Ava would follow her lead once it was given, and Ava had. They orbited around each other, which is why it was so easy to mistake them for a couple. But they weren’t, so what if…
Jess tapped the table, thinking through the possibilities. Nothing easily executable was coming to mind. She sighed. “We need to make Ava jealous,” she said.
Hans perked up immediately. “What do you mean?” he asked.
“Well, Beatrice is in denial, it sounds like. Out of the two of them, Ava is more likely to make a move, but she hasn’t yet. I think she’s complacent. She’s the center of Beatrice’s world and she knows it. Why risk her heart and the friendship if she can get all of that attention without rocking the boat?”
Hans nodded along. “I see what you mean,” he said.
“So,” Jess continued, “we need to make her jealous. We need her to see that Beatrice’s attention can be taken away. I just...don’t know how to make that happen.”
Hans grinned at her. “You’re brilliant!”
Jess felt the heat in her cheeks and took another sip of her drink. “Don’t thank me for an idea we can’t execute,” she pointed out.
“No, no!” he countered excitedly, “I think I know just the person who can help!”
“Really?” Jess asked, surprised.
He nodded eagerly, already pulling his phone from his pocket. “I have a friend, she’s very pretty, her name is Lucia.” He turned his phone around so Jess could see the photo he had pulled up. It was a group photo, but he had zoomed on a gorgeous black woman with loose curly hair and a beautiful smile.
“Oh, wow,” Jess said, amazed.
“She is a lesbian,” Hans explained as he pulled his phone back and began to tap on it. “She loves flirting with women. I’ll just have her come in one day and flirt with Beatrice and make sure she’s doing it where Ava can see her. She’ll love it!” His grin had turned maniacal.
“Well, that solves one problem at least,” Jess said with a laugh. She turned back to watch the couple in question and found them deep in a serious discussion. In fact, the environment at the table looked tense, the laughter and frivolity from earlier nowhere to be found. Lena and Kara were just watching. Clearly, they had made their pitch, and now it was just a question of whether Ava and Beatrice would help.
Hans put his phone back in his pocket. “Indeed, now I must return the favor.”
Jess shook her head, “You really don’t have to, Hans. It’s just been nice to talk to someone who understands.”
“I agree, but I still think I can help,” he insisted. Jess glanced over at him. He looked confident as he studied Kara and Lena, who were now whispering to each other, their heads bent close.
Lena was fully settled into what Jess referred to as her “Kara Mode”. She was softer, more direct, more open than with any other person. Jess sometimes thought that had Lena not been raised a Luthor, that this version of her would be the rule rather than the exception. It was a sad thought, but she tried to be grateful that Lena finally had someone in her life that she could be vulnerable with. “How?” she asked Hans, returning to their conversation.
“Well, I mentioned a recording earlier. You said that Lena was too stubborn.”
“Unfortunately,” Jess said. “Even if I could show her the way that Kara looks at her, I think she would just explain it away.”
“What if it was Kara talking, not just looking?”
Jess cocked an eyebrow at him. “What, like getting her to say that she wants to date her?”
His maniacal grin was back. “Exactly.”
“How are you going to make that happen?”
He tipped his head, his smile now more of a smug smirk. “People tell bartenders all sorts of things.”
Jess felt her own maniacal grin take over. “It’s definitely worth a shot,” she said. She lifted her glass and he tapped it with his beer bottle.
“Cheers,” he said.
They spent the next fifteen minutes hashing out their plan in between bouts of Hans texting Lucia. Once that was done, all they had to do was wait for the discussion at the other table to end. It did only minutes later, with a firm handshake between Lena and Beatrice and a hug between Ava and Kara. Given that everyone seemed happy, Jess assumed that Ava and Beatrice had agreed to help with whatever baddie Supergirl was up against. Privately, she wondered what was so special about them that made them more capable than all of the other friends Supergirl already had. But then, watching Beatrice wrangle that man with the flyer had been impressive, and for some reason, Ava didn’t strike Jess as a pushover. Regardless, Lena looked pleased as the group headed over, and that was all that really mattered to Jess.
“Hans, we’re going to need a couple of days off!” Ava declared as she approached.
“What?” Hans said, completely thrown by the announcement.
Beatrice put a hand on Ava’s shoulder and sighed. “What Ava means to say is if you’re okay with it, I’d like you to run the bar for a couple of days. I’ll take her off the rotation and see if Lilah can fill in.”
Hans looked around at the bar and shrugged. “It’s not like I didn’t run it before you were hired,” he finally said. “It shouldn’t be a problem even if Lilah cannot help.”
Beatrice smiled at him warmly. “Thank you, Hans.”
Ava lit up and slung her arm around Beatrice. “This calls for a celebratory round!” she crowed. “I’ll help you get them, Hans!”
“Actually,” Jess interjected smoothly, “Lena and I will need to discuss some details with you and Beatrice. Kara, would you be able to help Hans?”
If Kara found the situation odd, she didn’t show it. She just smiled at Jess and said, “Sure!”, already taking a step to follow Hans over to the bar.
Beatrice had her attention on Jess, no doubt wanting to hear about the details that Jess had not yet pulled out of her ass. Jess swallowed and reached for the first thing she could think of. “I handle the accommodations for Ms. Luthor’s guests. Will you be needing one hotel room or two while you’re with us?”
“One,” Beatrice said without missing a beat. “We look out for each other.” Jess had thought that Ava’s smile couldn’t get brighter. She was wrong.
Jess decided to press her luck just a little. “Of course, one bedroom with two queen beds?”
Ava and Beatrice looked at each other, just the slightest hesitation. Ava’s smile had dropped, but now it started to return, but there was a glint in her eye that spelled mischief. She opened her mouth, but Beatrice beat her to the punch. “Two beds in any size is fine,” she answered, now glaring at Ava.
Ava just smiled and shrugged.
“Perfect,” Jess said smoothly, glancing at Lena.
Lena had the smallest smile on her face. “You’ll need to grab your things from the hotel Jess, and I imagine the two of you will need to pack some bags?” she asked.
Her questions were answered in the affirmative. “What is the plan for leaving?” Jess asked.
“We’ll portal over as soon as everyone is finished up here,” Lena said.
“Ava and I will go get our things now and store them upstairs,” Beatrice offered. “It looks like Kara is having fun talking to Hans anyway.”
Jess looked over at the bar and Kara was indeed in deep conversation with Hans and it took all of her self-control not to smile.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Lena said. “Do you want to do the same, Jess?”
Jess felt caught. She wanted to give Hans more time, as Lena would inevitably go reclaim Kara’s attention as soon as Jess and the others left, but it did make the most sense for her to grab her bag while Ava and Beatrice were doing the same.
Beatrice read her hesitation and stepped closer. “Do you want us to walk with you? I can understand if you would feel safer with company after what happened earlier.”
“Oh, no—” Jess began to refuse, as she hadn’t even thought about the man with the flyer from earlier, but Lena cut her off.
“What happened earlier?” she asked, a slight edge in her voice.
Beatrice’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh, I’m so sorry Jess, I didn’t realize you hadn’t told her.”
Jess sighed and tried to ignore Lena’s stare.
“What happened to Jess?” Kara’s voice cut in from behind and damn her Kryptonian hearing because Jess knew for a fact that a human wouldn’t have been able to hear their conversation from where she was sitting.
“I don’t know yet,” Lena said, heavily stressing the word “yet”.
“There are some assholes around town handing out leaflets,” Ava said, ignoring Beatrice’s quiet reprimand of her language. “They’re not supposed to come into the bar, but one of them did today. He tried to sell Jess on his bullshit, put his hand on her back. Bea took care of it.”
“He touched you?” Kara outright snapped, moving around so she could look Jess in the eyes. Lena was right there with her, her face angrier than Jess had ever seen it. “Jess why didn’t you tell me immediately?”
With all four women looking at her, Jess floundered. “I—I don’t know? With everything going on, I guess I forgot.” She was drawing on every ounce of self-control not to squirm.
Lena looked over at Beatrice. “Where is he?”
Beatrice shook her head. “Jess asked me not to call the police, so I threw him out. I don’t know where he went after that.”
“Ms. Luthor,” Jess said. “It’s really fine, Beatrice intervened and I wasn’t hurt. I’m okay, I promise.”
“Are you sure?” Lena asked, her face had morphed from anger to guilt. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you to come here. I never thought you would be in any danger.”
“I’m absolutely fine. I was never in any danger, I promise. Beatrice and Ava had it more than handled.”
Lena huffed and crossed her arms. “I appreciate you saying that,” she said. “And I’m glad you’re okay, but Beatrice is right, you shouldn’t go to your hotel alone.”
“I’ll walk with her,” Kara volunteered immediately.
Lena faltered. Clearly, she had been intending to walk Jess herself, no doubt to apologize in private. “Kara there’s no need, I can—”
“Lena,” and, oh, there was the steel, that Supergirl tone that Kara was usually so careful not to let out when her glasses were on. “It will be safer if I walk with her.”
Lena was not usually one to back down on anything, but this time she did, acquiescing with a slight blush on her cheeks.
Jess wanted to roll her eyes, but she refrained. “I appreciate the help Kara, are you ready to go now?”
Kara nodded, and then reached and touched Lena’s arm. “Can you grab the drinks from Hans?” she asked. “He should be done with them now.”
Lena nodded and looked at Jess. “Be careful, both of you.”
Jess, having reached her limit on the conversation, just huffed and started walking outside. She caught Ava’s smirk as she and Beatrice fell into step behind her and ignored that too. She didn’t know how Ava and Beatrice could help Supergirl, but she was betting it had to do with superpowers and she was suddenly very tired of superpowered people trying to protect her. She stepped out into the warm night air and stepped aside to let Ava and Beatrice pass.
“We’ll see you back here in a bit,” Beatrice promised.
“Bea we get to go to another universe!” Ava hissed from beside her, wriggling like an overjoyed puppy.
“I don’t think this is going to be the vacation you’re making it out to be,” Beatrice said, unimpressed as they started walking up the hill.
Jess watched as Ava bumped into her bodily in response, her excitement still pouring out of her in waves.
“They’re quite the pair.” Kara had come up behind her and now stood at her elbow.
Jess laughed. “They are,” she agreed. “They suit each other. Come on, the hotel is this way.” She led the way down the street, happy to be walking in the summer air in one of the most beautiful places on any earth.
Kara followed without a word, humming quietly to herself as they walked. It seemed like Kara was content to leave Jess alone, which she appreciated, when a thought occurred to her. She was alone with Kara in a non-work setting. She didn’t think that had ever happened before, and she was not one to waste a chance like this.
“Kara,” she said.
“Hmm?” Kara responded, picking her head up and glancing at Jess.
“I know you’re Supergirl.”
Kara stopped walking.
Jess stopped too, and turned to her. The shock was evident on her face, and to Jess’s dismay there was a little bit of fear, too.
“How—what—did—how did you find out?” Kara finally asked.
“I just figured it out,” Jess said. “I see both versions of you a lot, and your voice has the same quality. Your tone is usually different, but not if you’re talking to Ms. Luthor. I get paid to notice things, to pay attention. And, to be frank, it took me longer to trust you than Ms. Luthor did. I look out for her, and I wasn’t sure what your intentions were, so I watched you. Eventually, I put it together, and once the idea was there, it seemed obvious.”
Kara fiddled with her glasses and sighed before taking them off. As much as Jess made fun of the glasses disguise in her head, seeing the change in front of her made her reconsider. The difference was striking, it was as if Kara was stripping off a mask rather than a pair of glasses. Her posture was straighter, her gaze more direct and confident. She stood out rather than blending in. It made Jess wonder how Kara ever managed to go unnoticed. “I’m glad Lena has a friend like you,” she said with a small smile. “She needs people who want to protect her.”
“You deserve to be protected too,” Jess said. “I won’t tell anyone, Kara. I swear it. I just didn’t want you to have to keep pretending around me. Also, you deserved to know that I know.”
“Thank you,” Kara said, her smile a little fuller. She put her glasses back on, but the transformation was less pronounced this time. She broke the effect with a groan, putting her head in her hands. “My sister is going to kill me!”
***
The rest of their trip to the hotel was entirely uneventful. They didn’t see a single person handing out flyers. Jess hoped that Ava and Beatrice did not encounter them either, as Ava had barely been able to reign in her temper at the bar. They couldn’t afford to postpone the trip just because Ava landed in jail. Kara chatted with Jess the whole time, telling her about various Supergirl saves and articles she was working on. She also apologized in advance for the amount of paperwork someone named Pam was going to make her sign.
“She’s in HR,” Kara said, as if that explained everything.
“Right,” Jess said, as if she understood.
Kara stopped her right outside of the bar and gave her a lingering hug. “I’m glad you know,” she said.
Jess had not counted on this trip making her want to cry so much. “Thank you,” she whispered back.
Kara pulled away and bestowed her with a brilliant smile before the two of them reentered the bar. Ava and Beatrice were already back, both behind the bar. Ava was serving drinks while Beatrice spoke to Hans—no doubt giving him last minute instructions. Lena was at the table Beatrice had reserved for them earlier in the night, watching the door. As soon as Jess and Kara walked in, she stood and started walking towards them. Jess could see her checking them for injuries before she even reached them.
“Did you run into any trouble?” she asked as soon as she was close.
“None at all,” Jess said. She hefted her backpack a little. “I’m all set.”
Lena looked relieved. “Good, we’re just waiting on Beatrice and Ava, then. Let’s sit down.”
Jess led the way, setting her backpack down next to the table before taking her seat. She saw that Kara had stopped Lena and was saying something to her in a low tone that Jess couldn’t catch. She didn’t say much before Lena’s eyes widened and focused on Jess. She strode forward, standing in front of the table with her arms crossed.
“You know?” Lena asked.
Jess glanced at Kara, who nodded. “Yes,” she answered.
Lena closed her eyes, as if in prayer, and then took a seat. Kara sat beside her, looking almost grim. Lena took another deep breath before she opened her eyes again. “Jess, I cannot overstress the importance of this secret,” Lena said.
“I know, Ms. Luthor,” Jess said. “I would never do anything to harm Kara, especially concerning this.” She felt almost disheartened at the implication that she would tell anyone about Supergirl.
“It’s not just her I’m worried about,” Lena clarified. “I’m more worried about you. Knowing this will make things inherently more dangerous for you.”
Kara made a startled noise of protest. “Wait a second, you called me an imbecile for not telling you about Supergirl because it would put you in danger!” she hissed. “You said—and I quote!—‘that’s not even a real reason, Kara, that’s an excuse’.” She stared Lena down, arms crossed.
“This is different,” Lena began to argue.
Jess winced.
The outrage on Kara’s face was nothing short of comical. “Different how??” she seethed.
Jess watched her boss fumble for a moment—it so rarely happened that it was almost a marvel, like watching an eclipse. When Kara’s face only continued to tighten in anger, Jess finally took pity. “Whether or not it’s dangerous, it’s done,” she cut in. “You can’t take the knowledge back—”
This seemed to jog Kara out of her anger, because she looked at Jess and then shrugged her shoulders and tipped her head to one side. Almost like she disagreed. Jess found herself spluttering. “No, you can’t possibly—how would you…?”
“I’m just saying, I know the Martian Manhunter, and erasing minds is a talent of his,” Kara said.
Jess felt the beginnings of a headache. Her raise request officially turned into a demand for a promotion. “Fine, I guess you can take it back, but you won’t,” she directed this part specifically at Kara with a glare. “I know the secret and it makes it easier on everybody. I won’t tell anyone and I’m sure that Kara and her friends will keep me safe. Let’s just concentrate on getting back to our universe to take care of whatever new alien you need Beatrice and Ava’s help with.”
Kara grinned at her and laughed. “Bossy Jess is fun,” she commented to Lena, who was giving Jess an appraising look.
“She is my best member of staff,” Lena commented. “Being my executive assistant is no walk in the park. Although,” she turned and looked at Kara, “from what I hear it may be compared to working for Cat Grant.”
“I’ve always wanted to ask you about that,” Jess jumped in, excited. “She’s legendary!”
Kara blushed. “It was tough,” she admitted, “but it prepped me for being a reporter. I wouldn’t have won the Pulitzer without that experience.”
“A Pulitzer?” Ava broke in as she approached the table. “That’s badass!”
“Language,” Beatrice reprimanded from behind her.
Ava, already holding her hand up to Kara for a high-five, ignored it.
Kara obliged the gesture and smiled. “Thanks,” she said. “Are you guys ready to go?”
“As ready as we can be,” Beatrice answered. “We should go now before the bar starts to empty.”
“Jess, can you get us back to the same spot we portaled into?” Lena asked.
Jess nodded. “Yes, just let me say goodbye to Hans first. He was very helpful to me when I first arrived.”
“We’ll wait for you outside,” Lena said. She and Kara stood and the four of them walked outside.
Jess turned around and made a beeline to the bar. Hans came around with a smile. “I got your recording,” he said to her, holding her phone out to her.
Jess smiled so wide her cheeks hurt as she took it. “Thank you,” she told Hans, “I owe you.”
He waved it off and put his hands on his hips. “You are going on this trip, yes?”
Jess nodded. “I probably won’t be back,” she admitted. “I wanted to say goodbye.”
Hans’ smile dropped. “Oh,” he said, “that is disappointing. I enjoyed talking with you.”
“I know,” Jess said quietly. She held the phone in her hand and chewed her bottom lip, considering her options. She did enjoy talking to Hans, and if he was willing to not ask any questions, perhaps…
She looked again at the phone and, making a snap decision, she unlocked it and began cycling through menus frantically. Within two minutes, she had locked it down as much as possible and programmed her own cell phone number into it. Then, she sent the video he had recorded to herself before handing the phone back to him. He frowned, clearly confused.
“I can’t tell you where I’m going,” Jess started out. “I can’t tell you who I am or where I’m from. I need you not to ask, okay?”
He cocked his head, but nodded.
“This phone will reach me, and only me,” Jess continued. “I’ve programmed my number into it and I’ve locked it so it will not call anyone else. If you try to call or text my number from any other phone, you won’t get to me. This is the only phone that can reach me. I can’t tell you why. Understand?”
“I understand,” he said slowly, “but I am confused.”
“I know,” Jess acknowledged. “I’m sorry, but I really can’t explain beyond this. I’d like to be able to text you and call you, to say hello. This is the only way I can make that happen, but I can’t tell you anything else.” She paused. “If this is too much, I understand. I can just take it and leave.”
“No,” Hans protested gently. “It is not too much. Thank you,” he said. “I am always happy to make a new friend.”
Jess smiled. “Me too,” she said. “I have to go now; they’re waiting for me.”
He nodded and stepped forward to envelop her in a hug. He was solid and smelled of cinnamon. Jess hoped she would get the chance to come see him again. “Goodbye Jess,” he said. “Safe travels.”
“Thank you, Hans,” she said as she released him and stepped back. “Be safe, and have a good night.”
He nodded and then started to move back behind the bar. Jess hurried outside, glad that she would be able to communicate with her new friend. The other four were waiting for her and they naturally parted so that she could lead the way. She grabbed her flashlight from her bag as she walked into the alley next to the bar, heading back for the woods beyond it. Beatrice came up beside her and put her hand on Jess’s wrist before she could turn it on.
“That might be a little too conspicuous and we need to make sure we’re not followed,” she said. “Kara told us that you know her secret. Do you feel comfortable taking on another?” she asked.
“Oh,” Jess said, surprised. “Yes, as long as you’re comfortable with it,” she said.
“Given that you’re from another universe and that your contact with ours is likely to be very limited, I have less issues with it than I would normally,” Beatrice answered. “Additionally, Kara indicated you are very trustworthy.” She pitched her voice a little louder, “Ava?”
There was a brief scuffle of footsteps before Ava was beside them both. “What’s up?” she asked cheerily.
“We need a little bit of light. Very soft, just enough to see by,” Beatrice.
Jess couldn’t see Ava’s face really at all, but she could feel the energy of her grin. “You got it, boss!” she said and trotted ahead.
Jess was about to ask what that was about when Ava began to glow. It radiated from her back, Jess could see a perfect circle glowing through her shirt, right between her shoulder blades. It was beautiful, casting Ava in an ethereal light as she walked.
“Oh my God,” Jess said, in awe. “What…?”
“It’s an angel’s halo,” Beatrice said in answer to the unfinished question.
“That never gets old!” Kara declared from behind Jess. “Right, Lena?” she asked.
“It’s very impressive,” Lena agreed from beside Kara.
Jess couldn’t quite tell because the light Ava was giving off was very faint indeed, but she thought she could see a note of pride on Beatrice’s face.
“Wait, so she’s an angel?” Jess prompted, wanting to know more.
“Not in the literal sense,” Beatrice said. “She is human, but the Halo gives her abilities. My order is tasked with protecting it. I am tasked with protecting her. We’re in hiding right now, otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to assist Kara.”
“What better place to hide than a different universe?” Ava tossed over her shoulder.
“Do you actually want me to answer that?” Beatrice asked in an amused, but slightly challenging tone.
“No,” Ava answered immediately. Then, she stopped, and looked back at Jess. “Okay, which way am I going?”
“Just up into the woods, there should be a small clearing a few minutes in,” Jess said.
“Cool,” Ava said as she began to walk forward again.
Jess focused on her own steps as she picked her way forward. Even with Ava’s light, it was difficult. But she understood Beatrice’s choice, it was a lot less noticeable than a flashlight. “An angel’s halo,” Jess murmured in disbelief. “How did that happen?”
Beatrice didn’t answer for a minute. Jess hadn’t expected her to answer at all. She was just thinking out loud, trying to wrap her brain around the new information. Then, just as they entered the woods, Beatrice cleared her throat.
“The Halo has been protected and passed down through my order for generations. When one bearer dies or is rejected, it is passed to a new bearer. When the bearer prior to Ava died, there was a complication. The Halo was put in a corpse. Ava’s corpse.” Here, her voice changed, breaking a little. “We didn’t know her then, but the Halo revived her, and she eventually took up the cause.”
“I’m practically a saint,” Ava tossed over her shoulder. “God’s holy warrior and all that.”
Beatrice heaved a truly exasperated sigh. “Ava,” she said.
“Sorry, sorry,” Ava said, spinning around and brightening the Halo a touch. “Bea doesn’t like it when I try to claim sainthood while also being an atheist,” she explained as she began to walk backward.
“It does seem like a contradiction,” Kara piped up, breaking out of whatever little conversation she and Lena were having.
“Is it though?” Ava asked, pure glee entering her voice.
Jess could feel Beatrice gathering herself in annoyance beside her and felt the situation would soon get out of hand. “Ava,” she pointed out quickly, “the clearing is just ahead.”
Ava switched gears immediately. “Sweet,” she said, spinning back around and resuming her normal pace.
They reached the clearing without further threat of religious arguments, thankfully. Lena and Kara immediately went to the center, with Ava close behind, eager to watch them activate the portal.
Jess and Beatrice remained on the edge of the clearing. “Are you religious then?” Jess asked.
“I’m a nun,” Beatrice explained.
“That—that would be pretty religious,” Jess commented weakly.
Beatrice made a humming noise. Then, so quietly that Jess almost didn’t catch it, she said, “I feel a little less so every day.”
Jess pretended not to hear the admission, which was made easy by the blue portal opening up just in front of Lena. Jess and Beatrice both walked over quickly. Ava was practically hopping around in excitement. “It’s so cool!” she exclaimed as they approached. The Halo’s glow increased even more.
“Ava, the Halo,” Beatrice reminded her gently, the fondness in her voice almost overwhelming.
Ava let out a quick curse took a deep breath and the Halo quickly dimmed.
Jess wasn’t sure why dimming it was important given how bright the portal was, but she didn’t argue.
“I’ll go first,” Lena said. “Ava and Beatrice, you come after me and then Jess. Kara will come through last.”
She waited for their nods of confirmation before she stepped through. Ava grabbed Beatrice’s hand and practically dragged her through.
Jess looked at Kara. “I’ll see you on the other side,” she said. Then, she stepped into the blue light and let it carry her home.
The transition was instantaneous, as it had been the first time. The lab at the DEO was empty save for Alex, Kara’s sister, who was already introducing herself to Ava and Beatrice. Jess walked over to Lena, who was already looking through some sort of report. Behind her, she heard Kara land and the portal deactivate.
“Ms. Luthor?” Jess prompted. Lena lifted her head and focused on Jess. “Unless you need me for anything else, I’m going to head home.”
“I don’t,” Lena confirmed. “Let me call you a car.”
“Oh, that’s okay, Ms. Luthor—” Jess began to protest.
“Jess,” Lena said, cutting her off. “Call me, Lena, please.”
Jess was stunned, but Alex’s shout of anger interrupted whatever answer she may have been able to cobble together. “Another one, Kara?”
Jess and Lena both turned towards the argument. “It’s not my fault!” Kara countered, throwing her hands in the air. “She figured it out on her own!”
Jess winced as Alex turned towards her threateningly. “Jess!” she demanded. “I have so much paperwork for you!”
Jess groaned. “Can it wait until tomorrow?” she protested.
“Not even a little,” Alex growled as she drew closer.
Jess sighed and looked at Lena. “I want a promotion,” she said.
Lena laughed. “We’ll talk about it,” she promised.
***
Jess didn’t consider Lena’s response a serious one. Her request for a promotion was mostly a joke. She loved her job and didn’t really want a different one. Still, three days after Beatrice and Ava returned to their universe, Lena told Jess to bring lunch into the office for both of them. This wasn’t unusual, Lena made it a point to treat Jess every so often and interrogate her about how many job offers she had received from competitors. So, when they initially sat down, Jess didn’t expect anything different.
“Morgan Edge’s office reached out again,” Jess said as she took the top off her sushi tray. “He really doesn’t take rejection well.”
Lena laughed. “That’s an understatement,” she said. “Still, I’ve been thinking about what you said last week, about a promotion.”
Jess stopped chewing and stared at Lena, then had to resume at a furious pace so she could swallow. “What?” she exclaimed.
“The promotion?” Lena said. “The one you asked for before you signed Alex’s NDAs?”
“Actually, it’s really Pam’s paperwork and it’s frankly a little ridiculous,” Jess corrected.
Lena arched an eyebrow.
“She’s in HR,” Jess clarified.
“I remember,” Lena said. “I signed the same paperwork you did.”
Jess sighed. “Right, of course you did.”
“Jess, the point of this was to talk about a promotion for you,” Lena pointed out.
“Ms. Luthor,” Jess began.
“Lena,” Lena corrected.
Jess hated using her first name in the office, but acquiesced. “Lena. I wasn’t really looking for a promotion,” she said.
“Whether or not you were looking for one, I’m offering you one,” Lena said. “It’s a bit of a hybrid position,” she continued, picking up a folder from her desk and sliding it towards Jess. “It’s something I’ve worked up just for you. The title is Chief Operational Liaison. It primarily tasks you to work with the government and various Superheroes around the globe and in other universes to solve problems and combat against dangerous individuals. It also gives you the authority to step in as interim CEO should I be indisposed.”
Jess gripped the folder tightly in her hands. “Lena, this is insane.”
Lena sat back in her chair looking smug. “It’s really not,” she said. “You’re brilliant, hard-working, and you know this company like the back of your hand. Your knowledge of what goes on around here rivals my own, possibly exceeds it in some areas. You know what projects are being worked on and what the applications are. You can hold your own in any boardroom and you’ve been read in on Supergirl’s identity. That makes you trustworthy to the entire superhero community. So, your job will to be to help them and the government where appropriate. It will require close coordination with me, we will be working with each other in much the same way as before, but your work will finally have the impact it deserves.”
For the second time in her life, Jess found herself completely thrown by Lena’s assessment of her. “That sounded very logical,” she admitted.
Lena looked even more smug. “You’ll take it, then?”
Jess looked at the folder in her hands. “Probably,” she admitted. “But I’m going to need some time to decide.”
“Of course,” Lena said. “There’s no pressure either way. You are the best assistant I’ve ever had. If you decide to continue working in that capacity, I will completely understand.”
“Thank you,” Jess said.
“You’re welcome,” Lena said as she began to seriously tuck into her food. “Now that that’s out of the way, what inane promises did Morgan make this time?”
Jess laughed and felt the tension drain from her shoulders. “I don’t know where they come up with this stuff,” she said, letting the normal conversational flow start up again. “It’s like they went on LinkedIn and just picked out every bad HR idea they could find.”
They finished lunch that way, laughing and joking in a camaraderie that they normally only achieved in these meetings. Jess had a feeling that if she took the new role, this dynamic would become the norm rather than the exception. It had her feeling comfortable, and just a little bold. “Lena, I’d like to show you something, if you can spare an extra minute,” she said.
Lena looked intrigued. “Of course,” she said.
Jess took out her phone and opened her text messages, going to the thread labeled “Hans”. It contained only one message, a video. Jess had already watched it, to make sure the quality and contents were sufficient. “Do you remember Hans, from the bar on Earth 7?”
Lena’s intrigue turned to concern. “Yes,” she said. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” Jess said. “Everything is okay, last I heard. But, he had a conversation with someone the night we were there, one that I think you should hear. He recorded it by accident.”
That last part was a lie, but Jess wasn’t ready for Lena to discover the depths of her machinations.
Lena’s mouth tightened in displeasure, but she nodded and held her hand out. Jess pressed play and handed her phone over.
Hans’s voice rang through the air, loud and clear. “Kara! What can I get for you?” he asked.
At the mention of Kara’s name, Lena’s gaze went from Jess to the phone and stayed there.
“I need another round of drinks for everyone,” she said. “So, two Cuba libres, a water, and you can give me another of whatever I had earlier. Oh, and that same Irish Whiskey for Lena.”
“You got it!” Hans said cheerfully. There was a moment of just background noise that Jess knew was Hans setting up some glasses. “Let’s see,” he said. “We’ll start with the easy ones. We’ve got a water for the boss, and the whiskey for your girlfriend.”
Lena’s eyes widened as Kara’s hurried protests nearly overwhelmed the speakers. “Oh, no, no, Lena’s not my girlfriend!”
“Really?” Hans asked. “I thought for sure you two were girlfriends. Is she already involved with someone?”
“No,” Kara’s reply was a little quieter this time. “Not that I know of, anyway.”
“Oh,” Hans said, sounding almost apologetic. “Do you not want to be with her? It seemed to me like you do, but I could be misreading the situation.”
Lena was gripping the phone so hard her knuckles were white. Jess desperately hoped that it wouldn’t break before the video finished.
“Of course I would love to be with her,” Kara said with a humorless laugh. “I mean, who wouldn’t? Lena is wonderful! She’s so kind and selfless and beautiful. Anyone would be lucky to be with her, most of all me. But, she’s my best friend and I know she doesn’t think of me that way. I mean, she could have anyone she wants, why would she want to be with me?”
Lena paused the video and stared very hard at Jess. Jess wondered if the promotion offer was about to be revoked. Lena held the phone out. Jess took it and took a step back for good measure. She fought her instinct to fill the silence.
“Cancel the rest of my meetings,” Lena said, her voice like ice. “Cancel tomorrow’s too.”
Now Jess had to fight to keep her face straight. “Of course, Ms. Luthor.”
Lena strode past Jess to her desk, gathering her jacket and purse. “We’re going to talk about this, Jess,” she threatened.
“I’m sorry Ms. Luthor, I don’t know what you mean,” Jess managed to say as she followed Lena out of her office.
“That’s a valiant attempt at playing dumb,” Lena clipped from ahead of her. “But it won’t work. I’m not sure how you got Hans to do that, but I know that recording didn’t happen on its own.”
Jess sat down at her desk and turned on her computer screens as Lena reached the elevator. “I didn’t ask Hans to do anything,” Jess said, because that was technically true.
Lena stepped into the elevator. “Jess,” she said as the doors closed, “thank you.”
Jess grinned in victory and let out a quiet, “Yes!” with a celebratory fist pump for good measure. She grabbed her phone and texted Hans: Success!
Lena ended up having Jess cancel the rest of her week. Within two weeks, it was all over the news that Lena Luthor was dating Catco’s lead reporter, Kara Danvers. Jess had never seen her boss happier.
Four days after Jess showed Lena the video, she got a string of text messages from Hans. They were all pictures. Some were of the friend he had showed Jess, Lucia. She was seated next to Beatrice and was clearly taking her flirting role seriously. She was touching Beatrice in nearly every picture Hans sent, and smiling and leaning in. The last few shots were of Ava, looking angrier than Jess had ever seen her, clearly watching Beatrice and Lucia from behind the bar.
Jess knew that Beatrice’s status as a nun had to be a complication for the pair, but she was still rooting for them. Go get your girl, Ava, she thought to herself as she texted a string of laughing emojis to Hans with an encouraging follow up text. Then she put her phone down and finished signing and initialing the paperwork on her offer letter.
Maybe one day she’d get to go back to Earth 7 and visit Hans and Ava and Beatrice. After all, she was now Chief Operational Liaison for LCorp. Her job was to help Superheroes save the world. Surely that could include some more universe hopping?