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“Mommy, Mommy! Watch this!” Lorelei Luthor jumped over the smallest wave at the edge of the wave pool. Water splashed back onto her belly, causing her to shriek in laughter. Her pink bathing suit making her look even more adorable.
Lena could only smile down at her baby. Already so big at 3 years old. God, where does the time go. “That’s great, baby!” Lorelei beamed up at her mom, eyes squinting against the sun and her huge smile. Lena Luthor was a sucker for that smile.
People could call her all kinds of things; a cutthroat businesswoman, a genius, a cold person, even a traitor. But she would never be called an unloving mother. Her daughter looked so much like her. Dark curly hair, bright green eyes. The only major difference was how much darker her skin was compared to Lena’s almost translucent skin. Lorelei’s skin and her smile reminded Lena so much of Jack.
Lena’s smile started to slip, as it always does when she thinks of Jack. But she is careful not to let Lorelei see her sadness. It was Lorelei’s day after all. All she wanted was to go to the Waterpark she saw on TV. Lena couldn’t say no to her baby.
“Come on,” Lena reached down for Lorelei’s hand. “Let’s go back to Aunt Sam and Ruby and get some lunch.” Lorelei pouted but reluctantly grabbed on to her mom’s hand, allowing her to lead her away from the water. Her pout didn’t last long though, when she saw her favorite person besides her mom. Slipping her hand free, Lorelei skipped ahead of her mother to get to Ruby, who was already digging into a bag of chips.
Thank goodness that Sam and Ruby agreed to come to the waterpark with Lena. She didn’t know how she would have handled the ball of energy her daughter was without help. Lena was so thankful Sam was in her life. After her brother started getting paranoid, Lena tried to distance herself away from the family. She didn’t have many friends, especially after Lex’s biological weapons manufacturing came to light. Any people she may have considered friends all fled; except for Jack and Sam.
Lorelei climbed onto the picnic bench, sitting on her knees to be able to reach the tabletop. Sam was good enough to have a spread of food already set out for them. Sam got Ruby and her chicken sandwiches, Lorelei chicken nuggets, and Lena her kale salad, along with various snacks for them. Lena caught Lorelei’s dirty hand before she started digging in the chip bag.
“You know the rule, missy,” Lena told her daughter. “Bathroom and washing hands before we eat.”
Lorelei threw herself backwards into Lena’s arms with an exaggerated sigh, pouting about not getting to eat yet. Lena tickled her sides, making her giggle and squirm in her arms. After a few moments of tickling, Lena relented, gathering Lorelei into her arms and resting her on her hip.
“Be right back,” Lena called over her shoulder.
After a quick trip to the bathroom, the group settled around the table to eat their lunch. Ruby teased Lorelei, tossing blueberries for Lorelei to try to catch them. Not being able to stop laughing, most the blueberries ended up missing Lorelei’s mouth and ended on the ground. A swift glare from Sam had Ruby pouting as she went around picking up all the thrown blueberries.
“You have such a mom look,” Lena teased.
Sam just chuckled, “Twelve years of experience. You’ll be just like me one day.” She mock threatened Lena.
Throwing her head back, Lena gasped dramatically. “Never! My angel will never be a teenager!” Lorelei was giggling at how silly her mom was being. Scooping her up, Lena cradled her to her chest. She blew a raspberry on her daughter’s cheek, causing the girl to laugh even louder.
Poor Ruby just rolled her eyes, smiling at seeing her very serious Aunt acting like a child. Lena may not have been her real aunt, but she was the best aunt a girl could have. She had been there for Ruby and her mom since Ruby was 5, and her mom was struggling to be a single mom and go to school. Now, with Aunt Lena taking over LuthorCorp, and moving all of them to National City, Ruby couldn’t be happier with her little family.
“Hey, Aunt Lena,” Ruby called over all the laughter.
“Yes, darling?”
“Thanks for bringing us with you guys today.”
Lena smiled at how polite Ruby was being. Not that the girl was ever rude, but it was funny how she always thanked Lena for things like trips to Disney or even just coming to get her from soccer practice. “You guys are my family. Lorelei and I would never want to come without you.”
They finished their lunch, continuously teasing each other, and having Lorelei climb from one lap to another. After they cleaned up, Ruby and Sam wanted to lie out in the sun. Lorelei tried to fight it, but she needed a little nap as well. Going over to the four lounge chairs they had claimed earlier, Sam and Ruby laid out their towels and lied down. Lena fought with her squirming child to put on more sunscreen, before putting up the umbrella next to their chairs.
Lena put a towel down on each chair in the shade, and tried to get Lorelei to lay down for a little while. The girl was overtired but determined not to sleep any of her fun day away.
“Come on, darling,” Lena sat and pulled the girl into her arms. “Just for a little bit?”
Lorelei just shook her head, stubborn look on her face. She whined and wiggled in her mom’s arms, not wanting to be held, but also really wanting to be rocked. Lena held on to her daughter and started humming on old lullaby that her own mother sang to her. Not Lillian, she would never sing to her children, not even Lex. But her birth mother. Lena doesn’t even remember her face, but she remembered how her mother would hold her close and sing to her as she ran her fingers through Lena’s hair.
Running her fingers through her own daughter’s hair, Lena could feel Lorelei fighting sleep. Her head snapped up every time her eyes drooped down. Eventually, Lorelei’s breathing slowed down, and evened out. Lena’s lips curled into a soft smile, hearing the small snores coming from her daughter.
It’s the small moments like these when Lena misses Jack the most. They never actually dated. Lena and Jack hooked up once while drunk, both confirming how gay they truly were. But Jack had been her best friend; besides Sam, probably her only friend. But it wasn’t long after their drunken slip that Lena found out she was pregnant.
Fearing rejection from the one person she felt closest too, Lena didn’t want to tell Jack about it. But after a few weeks of Lena getting constantly sick while they were trying to work on their nanobots project, Jack finally got the truth from her. Lena cried while telling him, not looking him in the eye and holding her arms tight around herself like she was physically protecting herself.
Jack, being the kind man he was, just held her, and laughed at the situation they found themselves in. His family wanted him to marry rich, to have the perfect housewife and raise children all while expanding the family business. Lena’s family hoped the same for her. Lillian especially was trying to arrange a marriage to get Lena out of the business world, and into a home of another rich man, so she couldn’t compete with Lex.
Both sets of parents would only partially get what they want though. Lena and Jack weren’t going to marry, or leave their projects behind. But they would raise their child together, with more love than either ever got growing up.
It was a tragedy that Jack was killed in a lab explosion, just weeks before Lena was due to give birth. Lucky Lena was with Sam and Ruby when she got the news. Her grief nearly broke her heart and caused her into labor early. It was only because of Sam that she got to the hospital in time.
“I can’t do this!” Lena cried, hand clutching onto Sam. “I can’t do it without him!” Tears streamed down her red face, all she felt was pain. Another contraction hit, Lena screamed, back arching off the hospital bed.
Sam could only hold her friend’s hand. She also felt the loss of Jack like a hole in her heart. The three of them were as close as friends could be. Lena and Jack, both helped her when her own family turned their backs on her. Sam didn’t leave Lena when her brother started down his path of destruction, and she wasn’t going to leave her now.
“It’s gonna be OK, sweetheart,” Sam tried to shush her, smoothing her sweaty hair off her forehead. “I got you now.”
Sam held Lena through the whole 9-hour labor. She fed her ice chips, brushed her hair out of her face, and just held her the whole time.
“One more push Lena, you got this!” Sam braced herself against Lena’s back. She lost feeling in her hand long ago from how hard Lena was squeezing it. With one last scream, Lena fell back against Sam.
The room was quiet for a long moment before a shrill cry broke the silence. Lena let out a cry of relief. “Sam,” she whispered.
Sam kept a hold on Lena while craning her neck to watch the nurses handle the baby. They wiped the baby off and wrapped a blanket around the small bundle, before bringing the baby back over to Lena.
“Ready to meet your daughter, mommy?” the kind nurse smiled down at the exhausted woman. She lowered the still crying baby into Lena’s waiting arms. When the baby snuggled into the warmth of her mother’s chest, her cries stopped. Lena was still crying, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. She brushed her finger tips lightly over the dark tuft of hair on top of her daughter’s head. She felt the smooth skin as she traced the tip of her nose, and her round cheeks. The most perfect being on earth, and Jack and her made it.
“What’s her name, Lena?” Sam spoke softly into her ear, her eyes glued to the precious bundle curling her small fingers and wiggling into her mother’s chest.
“Lorelei,” Lena breathed. “Lorelei Jaquelin Luthor.”
“Jack would be proud of you,” Sam hugged her friend close and laid her hand on Lorelei’s back, rubbing gently. Lena just smiled as more tears dripped down her chin. She pressed a small kiss on her baby’s head, breathing in deeply. Love at first sight, that’s the only way to call the warmth spreading through her chest. She loved her daughter more than anything in the world.
“Alright, mom, we have to take her to fully clean her up and make sure she’s healthy.” The nurse came back over and went to take Lorelei back. Lena held on tight, not ready to let go yet. “Its OK, mom, she’ll be right back.”
Lena just kept a hold on her. “Not yet, please not yet,” she begged.
“It’s OK Lena, I’ll go with her. I won’t let her out of my sight,” Sam promised.
“No, no, please not yet,” Lena started crying harder, her chest heaving.
“It’s OK mom. Mom, Mom, Mommy!”
Lena startled awake, clutching Lorelei so close she yelped. Realizing where she was, Lena quickly let go of her daughter. Lorelei sat up in her mother’s lap, looking at her, her brows furrowed.
“What’s wrong, mommy? You crying,” Lorelei touched her mother’s cheek, clumsily wiping her tears away.
Lena just smiled at her. “Just a bad dream, sweetie, nothing to worry about.” Lena smoothed her daughter’s hair back from her face.
Lorelei didn’t look that convinced. “Hugs?” She opened her arms out to her mother. Lena chuckled and engulfed her in a huge hug. Lorelei laughed and grabbed her mom tighter. “All better?” she asked, still holding on.
“I’m always better when I have you in my arms,” Lena kissed her daughter’s head, running her hands soothingly down her back. “How did you nap, darling?” she asked as she pulled out of the hug.
“Good!” Lorelei exclaimed, bouncing in her mother’s lap. “Can we go back in the way pool?”
“Wave pool,” she laughed, “and yes, we can!” Lena lifted Lorelei off her lap and onto the ground next to their chairs. She turned around to reach for her large hat that was laying on her beach bag. “Let mommy just get her hat on and – “ Lena turned back around and Lorelei was gone. “Lori, Lorelei! LORELEI!” Lena yelled, looking franticly to see where her daughter had run to.
Sam and Ruby both sat up in a rush, seeing Lena looking around desperately trying to locate her daughter. Sam rushed over the Lena as Ruby started searching too, looking around and under the chairs, hoping to find her close.
Sam grabbed Lena’s shoulder, her eyes shining with tears, her lip trembling.
“I can’t lose her Sam! I can’t! Lorelei!” Lena started getting frantic.
“Lena! Focus! Where would she run to?” Sam tried to calm her friend, trying not to lose her own head.
“The-the Wave Pool! She wanted to go back to the Wave Pool!” tears were flowing freely down Lena’s cheeks, desperation coloring her voice.
“OK, you go to the water, see if she’s there. I’m going to alert a lifeguard, see if they can make an announcement. Go!” Sam let go of Lena and took off running to the closest worker she could find. Ruby came up, grabbed her Aunt Lena’s hand, and they both took off towards the Wave Pool.
“Lorelei!”
“Lori! Where are you?”
“Lori!
“Lorelei!”
With every passing moment, Lena could feel herself getting more desperate. Her eyes were scanning the shallow end of the water for her daughter’s bright pink swimsuit. There were so many kids with so many different colored outfits. Her heart was in her throat, barely able to breathe.
“LORELEI!”
Kara Danvers loved the water. It didn’t matter if it was the ocean, a lake, a pool; if she could float in it, she loved it. Getting to hang out at the Water Park with her sister and her best friends was the best kind of fun.
After Alex broke up with Maggie, Kara tried to get her to do as many fun activities as possible. She knows that distracting her won’t make Alex magically better, but getting her out of the house and away from work helps.
When Kara first suggested the Water Park, not everyone was as excited to go. James was excited to show off his shirtless body to any available girl (even the one available girl that already turned him down). Winn, though excited for all the slides, wasn’t too sure about staying in the sun without a shirt all day. Alex was worried about spending a day surrounded by families, reminding her exactly why her and Maggie didn’t work. Nia was excited to hang out all day with her friends, and Brainy didn’t really understand everyone’s obsession with the sun and water.
Still, Kara planned the day where all of them had the day off, and it wouldn’t be too crowded. Alex, being the responsible adult (at times) made sure Kara actually packed a towel and some sunscreen. They didn’t need to repeat the first summer Kara came to live in Midvale with the Danvers. (She didn’t want to burden the Danvers any more than he had, so she didn’t ask for anything all day, and ended up burnt and dehydrated.)
Kara loved the slides, going up and down as many times as she could, Nia, James, and Winn behind her the whole time. Alex spent a long time in the Lazy River, eyes closed, trying to relax. Brainy spent most of his time under an umbrella, reading scientific journals. After a quick lunch all together, most of the group decided to lay out in the sun, sleeping off their early morning fun and lunch. Kara, after spending only 10 minutes laying down, decided to go into the Wave Pool.
Even with how crowded it was, Kara loved swimming as far out as possible and floating in the water. It made her feel weightless, like she was flying. After spending some time floating, Kara let the waves carry her back to the shallows.
Dodging her vast majority of the crowd getting swept down by the waves, Kara made it back to her feet, and started to walk in. Ringing the water out of her hair, Kara looked around, trying to see if any of her friends decided to join her. By the time the water was knee deep, she didn’t see her friends, but decided to hang out in the water before going back to their chairs.
Hearing a shrieking laugh, Kara saw a small girl in a bright pink swimsuit getting pushed by the small waves, just a foot away from where Kara was standing. The girl landed on her bottom as the waves hit her belly and stood quickly just to get pushed down again. The smile on the girl’s face was huge, dimples deep in her cheeks. Kara smiled too at the pure joy in the girl’s laughter.
The girl looked young, maybe three or four, and Kara was worried when she looked back and didn’t see any parent near the girl. Just as she was about look around more, Kara could hear an announcement over the park’s loudspeaker.
“Attention Water Park goers. Be on the lookout for a young 3-year-old girl. Answers to the name ‘Lorelei’ and wearing a pink swimsuit. Again, please be on the lookout for a 3-year-old girl, wearing a pink swimsuit. If found, please bring to any lifeguard. Thank you.”
“Hey, my name is Lorelei too!” Kara looks down to see the little girl looking up at her smiling. Kara blinked slowly, her brain seemed slow to connect that this little girl, and the missing girl were one in the same.
Kara shook her head, regaining her senses. “Hi Lorelei, my name is Kara.” Before Kara could say anymore, a high pitch whistle rang out. From the back of the Wave Pool, a huge wave started slowly, picking up speed and strength, coming right at them.
As far back as they were, the wave would probably only come up to Kara’s waist, but it was much too high for the kid next to her. With barely a moment to spare, Kara grabbed the girl and hauled her up above the water. She held Lorelei straight out in front of her; the girl barely weighing anything in her arms. Lorelei giggled as the water skimmed her toes, seemingly unbothered that a stranger just picked her up.
“Okay, little one, where’s your Mommy, or Daddy?” Kara brought the girl to rest on her hip and she turned and walked out of the pool.
“I don’t have a daddy, just Mommy, and Auntie Sam, and Ruby,” Lorelei started looking around. “Mommy?” Her eye brows furrowed in confusion. Mommy should be right behind her; she was just watching her.
Kara froze as Lorelei’s small lip started to quiver and her eyes filled with tears. Her little head looked back and forth before she quietly called, “Mommy?” her voice broke. Tears started streaming down her face.
Kara hugged the little girl close to her chest, shushing her, as she walked out of the pool. Spotting a lifeguard chair close by, she made her way around other kids, trying to wave down the guard and calm the crying girl in her arms.
“Lorelei, my name is Kara, I’m going to help you find your mom. Okay?” Kara finally caught the eye of the life guard in the stand. Seeing the pink swimsuit of the dark-haired little girl, the life guard jumped down from the stand and spoke into his walkie-talkie.
When the life guard got within talking distance, she asked, “Is this—”
“Lorelei!” A young brunette girl and a dark-haired woman came running up, interrupting the lifeguard. Lorelei’s fists tightened their hold on the straps of Kara’s blue one piece swimsuit, pulling back to look at the women running up.
“R-r-ruby! W-wan-want Mommy!” Lorelei was hiccupping, tears still flowing. With one little hand clamped on Kara, the little girl tried to launch herself into the dark-haired woman’s arms.
Chuckling through her own tears as they all got tangled in a group hug, the dark-haired woman tried to get Lorelei to calm down.
“I got you sweetie,” she shushed. “We’ll get mommy for you.”
“LORELEI!” A shorter, raven-haired woman came sprinting to the group.
Lorelei didn’t stop crying, but she turned and focused on the woman running to her. She opened her arms and cried out, “MOMMY!”
Before she could even stop, the little girl was out of her aunt’s arms and into her mothers.
Lena could barely breathe, but her baby was finally in her arms again. She couldn’t keep her own tears from falling, but she held and rubbed her daughter’s back. Lorelei was hiccupping softer, still sniffling, but her heaving chest was slowing.
Lena opened her eyes when she felt small arms wrap around her and Lorelei. She looked down to see Ruby hugging her tight, trying not to cry as well. Sam came next to her and squeezed them all in a hug. Lena couldn’t help but to smile, her little family was back together.
After a few minutes, Lorelei stopped cry, but kept her hold around her mother’s neck, and rested her head on her shoulder. Sam and Ruby both had tears shining in their eyes, but now they were tears of relief. Noticing that they had a little audience, Lena turned her attention on the other two people hovering next to her family.
She quickly glanced at the lifeguard – his red shorts and white shirt making his job clear – and focused on the woman smiling at her.
Attractive woman smiling at her.
Really, really attractive.
Her arms look so strong, and her smiling was almost blinding.
Her eyes were so blue too.
Lena shook her head, trying to stop those thoughts. Such a useless lesbian.
“Are you the one who found my daughter?” Lena asked the smiling blonde. The woman nodded her head.
“Kara Danvers, happy to help,” she held out a hand to shake.
God, her fingers are long. Stop it, Lena!
“Lena,” she purposely left her last name out. “Thank you, so much. I don’t know what I would have done if I lost her.” Her one hand instinctively tightened on her daughter. The other reached and shook hands with Kara. Warmth spread out from their connected hands. Lena almost stopped breathing, it felt so right to be touching the blonde.
Kara also looked flustered. They kept their hands together for a beat to long before Kara let go, reaching up to her face before stopping. It looked like a habit, reaching to fiddle with glasses that weren’t there.
“Well, it was more like she found me,” a faint blush brushed her cheeks. Lena arched a brow in question.
Lorelei finally lifted her head from her mother’s shoulder, looking at the blonde. Kara smiled at the little girl. Lorelei gave a shy smile back, before resting her head on her mom’s chest. Kara kept grinning at the small girl before her eyes drifted back up to Lena’s face.
“She walked right up to me when they made the announcement, and told me that her name is Lorelei, just like they said.”
Lena shrugged her arm, bouncing the girl up and down a bit. “Is that right. What do you say, sweetie?”
Lorelei looked up at her mom before looking back at Kara. “Thank you for finding mommy,” her voice was quiet, almost a mumble against Lena’s skin.
“You are very welcome, little one,” Kara looked like she wanted to say more, but the lifeguard interrupted.
“I’m going to talk to my supervisor and tell them it’s all clear. Stay safe!” He turned and walked away, speaking into his walkie-talkie.
The group stood there for a second before another voice broke their silence.
“Hey, Kara!” A red-haired woman, dressed in a simple black two-piece, came walking over.
“Damn,” Sam spoke in Lena’s ear when Kara turned to the newcomer. “They are both so hot!”
Lena blushed, agreeing with her friend, but not wanting to say it out loud. Plus, she only had eyes for the blonde. But she felt a little jealousy take over her. Of course, someone as beautiful as Kara would be taken. Even covered by her swimsuit, Lena could tell that Kara was ripped. She could see actual abs through the suit. And her arms were big. Lena didn’t normally like seeing huge muscles on guys, it looked too forced. But huge muscles on the blonde in front of her, made her weak at the knees.
Kara turned back when the red head came up next to her. “Alex, this is Lena and Lorelei. Lorelei and I met in the wave pool and we just helped her find her mom.” Kara winked at Lorelei, who giggled at the woman.
Sam stepped up next to Lena, and held out her hand. “Samantha Arias,” she shook Alex’s hand. “And this is my daughter Ruby.” Ruby stepped up to wave a hello.
“Alex Danvers,” her eyes were locked onto Sam’s for a long moment, barely blinking before she smiled down at Ruby.
Damn, of course they hot ones are married, both Lena and Sam thought.
“So, this little missy is the one causing all the panic,” Alex teased the little girl still in Lena’s arms. Lorelei smiled shyly up at the new-comer. “And here I thought I would have to work on my day off. Good thing Kara was here to help.” Alex winked at Lorelei, reassuring her that she was joking.
“Are you a police officer?” Lorelei asked, in awe. She had just recently learned that police can help if she was lost.
“Close, I work for the FBI, so we work with the police,” Alex’s smile seemed strained now, but she wasn’t about to be vulnerable in front of a bunch of strangers.
Lena on the other hand, tensed up at the knowledge that an FBI agent was standing in front of her. She was held and questioned for days by the FBI while she was still pregnant with Lorelei. Lex had bombed the Capitol building after being charged with the manufacturing and distribution of biological weapons. He had killed himself, and over 400 employees and visitors, and injuring countless others.
If anyone noticed how tense Lena became, no one mentioned it.
“I was just coming to tell you that we are all going to get some snacks, Kara.” Alex turned to the blonde.
Kara beamed and started bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Great! I’m starving!”
Alex shook her head with a fond smile. “You are always starving!” she said in exasperation.
Kara turned back to the group, looking at Lena in particular. “You guys should come gets some snacks with us! You can meet our friends!” Though she was talking to the group, she especially wanted Lena to come. She barely talked to this woman, but she was drawn to her in the most unexpected way.
Lena paused, not wanting to intrude, but also not wanting to get her hopes up about Kara. She was definitely attracted to the woman, but she had to think of Lorelei first. Plus, Kara was with Alex, and she was not about to get into that sort of mess.
Kara, sensing her hesitation, pouted, her blue eyes getting bigger. The look reminded Lena of a lost puppy. It was a dangerous look, and Lena was sure the blonde abused that power way too often.
Alex hip checked Kara, causing her pout to turn into a look of exaggerated outrage. “Put those puppy eyes away, Kara,” Alex teased her. Her eyes quickly went to Sam though.
Lorelei was the one to break their little standoff. “I hungry Mommy.” Her little eyebrows furrowed when all the adults started to laugh.
“I guess that settles it, then,” Lena chuckled. “It would be nice to get to know the woman that saved my baby girl.” She blushed when she looked back to see Kara grinning at her.
She was in so much trouble.
“OK! We’ll meet you guys at the Snack Shack?” Kara was so eager to spend time with Lena. Even if she was with Alex, she could still be a new friend.
A few minutes later, Sam, Ruby, and Lena – who had yet to let Lorelei out of her arms – spotted Kara and Alex standing with a whole group of people. Lena’s steps faltered and Lorelei tightened her arms around her mom at the sight of so many people, both feeling shy at the thought of being around a lot of strangers. Sam fell back into step with Lena, knowing how overwhelmed her friend must being feeling.
Kara spotted them and jogged over, leaving her friends to stop their conversations to look at the new people arriving.
When she got close enough, she saw how apprehensive Lena looked and felt guilty. “Sorry, I probably should have warned you that there was so many of us.” Kara’s smile felt more like a grimace. “But don’t worry! Everyone is super nice!”
Lena took a breath, and steeled herself, putting on her “boardroom face” as Sam would put it. With a nod, she followed Kara over to meet the staring group.
Nia was smiling the biggest, eager to meet the woman that Kara was just gushing about. “I’m Nia Nal, and this is my boyfriend, Brainy.” Nia shook Lena’s hand with a lot more strength than she meant to. She had a guilty smile on her face as Lena stumbled from the handshake.
The man next to her—Brainy apparently—merely nodded his head in greeting to Lena, Sam, and Ruby. The couple couldn’t be dressed more different. Nia was in a pink and black halter bikini top and black swim skirt, and Brainy wore jeans and a t-shirt with black boots on.
James was introduced next. He seemed friendly enough at first, but stared at Lena like he knew who she was but couldn’t remember. Lena hoped that he wouldn’t figure her out just yet—but those hopes were dashed as the last man rushed up to Lena.
“Wow! Lena Luthor, I can’t believe I’m actually meeting you,” he was almost vibrating with how hard he was shaking her hand. Lena froze, only tightened her grip on her daughter ready to run.
The man kept talking, speeding up as he got more excited. “You’re work with nanobots was revolutionary! And the new imagining machines that L-Corp just released—”
“Winn!”
“Wait. Luthor?”
“Hey!”
“Kara!”
“Stop!”
Everyone stopped talking at once. Lena kept her death grip on Lorelei. Sam started to step in front of Lena, while Ruby clung onto both Sam and Lena. James was glaring at Lena while Kara and Nia were glaring at James. Brainy and Winn both looked confused. For a beat, no one said anything.
“Mommy, we go please?” Lorelei tried to whisper. All the adults turned their eyes on the little girl who immediately shrunk further into her mom’s arms.
Lena just sighed, “Come on baby, let’s go get our things and go home.”
Kara stepped forward to stop her. “Wait, Lena. I’m sorry, you don’t have to go anywhere.”
James scoffed and crossed his arms. “Let her go Kara. We don’t need to associate with a mur—”
“James!” Alex snapped; her eyes full of fire ready to burn him. “That’s enough. I don’t want to hear another word out of you.” While Alex might be a little more wary now that she was aware of who her sister was interested in, there is a line that she would not cross while there were kids present.
Lorelei’s eyes filled with tears as she clung to her mother’s neck. Kara moved to Lena, blocking James form their view as Alex continued to chew him out quietly.
“Lena, I’m so sorry about him. I had no idea that he would act like this,” she sighed. “I understand that you don’t want to be anywhere near him. But I would still like for you to stay and get to know you.”
Lena looked past Kara to see James stomp away from the group. “We should go. I didn’t mean to ruin your time with your friends.”
“You didn’t do anything!” Kara exclaimed. “Its James’ problem, not yours.”
“Still, we’ve taken too much of your day.”
“Hey, James is taking a break and Winn is going with him so he won’t bother you with his million questions,” Alex chuckled as she came back over to the group. Sensing the tension with Kara and Lena, she decided to try and get everyone to relax again. She nodded her head towards Sam and Ruby. “Why don’t we grab some snacks while these two talk.”
Sam glanced over to Lena and Kara. When Lena gave a small nod of her head, Sam grabbed Ruby and followed Alex over to the snack line.
Kara and Lena didn’t speak for some moments. Kara rubbed the back of her neck, face starting to flush with embarrassment after James’ outbreak. Lena glanced from Kara’s face and back down, not knowing what to say.
“I’m so sorry-“
“We should really-“
They both started speaking, stopping short when they realized the other started, and chuckled at the break in tension. Lena indicated for Kara to go first.
“Lena, I am so so sorry that James would bring—that up,” she stopped herself, not wanting to make Lena more uncomfortable. Or to say anything bad in front of Lorelei.
Lena was already shaking her head. “You have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I’m sorry for interrupting your day with your friends and causing the issue.”
“You didn’t cause anything.”
“And yet, I made you upset with your friend.”
Kara scowled at the direction James and Winn went. “James is the reason I’m upset. He should never have said anything. He of all people know that we are not our families.”
Lena looked away, grief and anger at Lex swirled in her chest, but she swallowed it back down. Lorelei kept her head on Lena’s shoulder, looking up at her mother and then back towards Kara. Lena looked back down at her daughter. “As much as I appreciate you saying that, we have taken up too much of your time already. We should really just go.”
Lorelei started squirming and whining in her arms, not wanting her special day to be over yet.
“I want snacks, Mommy,” she whined at Lena.
“Don’t leave yet,” Kara practically begged. “I asked you to come get snacks, the least I can do is get you something before she starts to mutiny.”
They laughed as Lorelei furrowed her eyebrows and started to pout.
“If anything, I owe you some snacks to repay you for finding my baby.”
“All in a day’s work, ma’am,” Kara put her hands on her hips and puffed up her chest like she was some sort of superhero.
Lena just shook her head and chuckled at the other woman’s theatrics. “Come on, Wonder Woman, let’s go find our friends.” They turned and walked to get in line for the snack bar.
“Please, if anything I’m Supergirl.”
“They’re sisters,” Sam whispered into Lena’s ear as the two women and Lorelei joined Sam, Ruby and Alex at the table they managed to snag.
Lena shot Sam an unamused look before she focused on peeling an orange for her daughter. Ruby was regaling Alex with story after story about her soccer team, and Alex seemed genuinely interested. Sam watched Alex listen to her daughter before turning back to Lena and raise her eyebrows in a suggestive manner. She winked at Lena before turning back to join Alex and Ruby’s conversation.
“So how are you and Alex…,” Lena trailed off, realizing too late that whatever she was trying to ask was probably way too personal.
“The Danvers’ actually adopted me when I was 13.” Kara had a faraway look in her eyes. Her smile was bittersweet.
“Kara, you don’t have to share anymore. I shouldn’t have even brought it up,” Lena’s cheeks warmed with an embarrassed flush.
“No, it’s all good now. Our parents were close friends so when the fire happened, the Danvers didn’t even hesitate. Alex wasn’t too excited about getting a new weird sister, but we got over it.” She laughed at Alex who had looked over at the end of Kara’s story to stick her tongue out at her sister. Kara had opened her snack bag of cookies while she was talking. She didn’t miss how Lorelei stared at the bag while she slowly chewed on her orange slice.
“I was adopted by the Luthor’s when I was 4.” Lena didn’t know why she felt comfortable enough to share her story to a practical stranger, but something about the earnest blonde made Lena actually want to share. “I will never forgive Lex-“ she chocked on his name. “But he was a good brother, in the beginning.”
Sam reached over, putting her hand over Lena’s as silent support.
Lena took a shaky breath in, “Enough with the depressing topics.” She quickly wiped at the stray tear that started to fall down her cheek. “I really cannot thank you enough for finding Lorelai.” Lena smiled down at her daughter, still pressed to her side staring at the cookies Kara was slowly sliding towards her.
Kara smiled softly at her, not a smile of pity, but of understanding. “Honestly, she found herself. I was just lucky enough to be standing nearby.”
Sam took over the conversation, telling stories of Lorelai’s toddler antics as Lena interjected context into the wild stories. Alex chimed in with stories of a preteen Kara’s clumsy attempts to fit in at a new school. As the adults were talking, Kara tried to subtly push a cookie from her snack bag across the table.
Lena could see her failed try from the corner of her eye, but didn’t move to intercept the cookie intended for Lorelai. Lorelai snatched the cookie as soon as it was close enough, promptly shoving it into her mouth. Kara had to hide her laugh by fake coughing, as Lena ran her hand over her daughter’s head.
Lorelai looked up at Lena, mouth full of cookie. Lena smiled down at her and wiped the crumbs on her cheek. “What do you say?”
“Sorry?” Lorelai cheekily grinned up at her mom. At Lena’s raised eyebrow, Lorelai turned to the blonde, “Thank you Kara,” she mumbled shyly.
Kara winked at the girl, “You’re welcome, little one.”
After a while, Ruby was tired of sitting with the adults and pleaded with her mother to go back to the water slides. Not wanting to stop talking with the first woman who interested her since Maggie, Alex volunteered to do a few slides with the mother and daughter.
After they left, Kara and Lena moved over to Lena and Lori’s lounge chairs. Lori sat between the chairs playing in the sand while the adults kept talking. Almost an hour later, Lori climbed up onto her mother’s chair, laying on her back and blinking slowly as she fought to stay awake. Lena smiled down at her daughter, reaching to run her fingers through Lori’s tangled curls.
“It might sound bad, but I’m almost glad that Lori found me,” Kara smiled down at Lori before glancing up at Lena. Lena stared at her, her one eye brow raised in an arch and the corners of her mouth slightly curled at the corners.
“You are happy that I lost my child?” Lena monotoned.
Kara spluttered, the phrasing of her words just now hitting her. “No! Well, not happy that you – I mean – just that maybe – I didn’t mean –”
“Kara,” Lena tried to hold in her laugh, “It’s OK, I think I know what you meant.”
“I just meant,” Kara took a deep breath to slowly explain, “that while it was probably so terrifying for you –”
“Definitely the most terrifying thing that has ever happened to me. And I was interrogated by the FBI.” Lena interrupted.
“Still, I am grateful that we were given this opportunity to meet. I’ve never met someone who I’ve felt this comfortable with.”
Lena ducked her head to try and hide the flush of her cheeks. “I am happy that it was you who found Lorelai. You really are our hero.”
Kara and Lena both looked away from each other, cheeks burning. Lena was fidgeting with the beach towel on her chair, and Kara was rubbing her neck trying to get the courage to say what she wanted to the moment she looked Lena.
“I hope this doesn’t seem too forward, but I was wondering if you would like to do this again,” Kara glanced away from Lena to glance at the little girl dozing next to her mother. “Minus the heart attack of losing Lorelai.”
Lena turned back to her; eyes gleaming with hope but her face set. “I would really like that, Kara,” she turned her attention to her daughter. “But I need you to know that I cannot do casual. I’m not about to bring people into her life who can’t – won’t stay. So, if we do this, Lorelai comes first.”
“Of course, Lena,” Kara reached out to take one of Lena’s soft hands in hers. “I know that you guys are a package deal. I would never do anything to hurt her, or you. This is at your pace and your comfort.”
Lena tightened her fingers in Kara’s. At that moment, Sam, Ruby, and Alex came upon the two. Sam raised her eyebrows at the joined hands as Kara and Lena sprang apart. Alex couldn’t help the snort at their obviousness. Ruby seemed to finally run out of energy and flopped herself into the chair next to Lena and Lori.
The group spent only a little longer together before Lena and Sam decided that the girls have had enough of the water park and needed to start heading home. Kara immediately jumped up to help Lena gather up their belongings. Alex laughed at her, causing Kara to throw a towel at her face. Luckily Alex’s reflexes were faster and she was able to dodge it.
Too soon, Lena was lifting Lorelai into her arms as they said their goodbyes and Ruby was making sure that Alex promised to come to her next soccer game.
“You don’t actually have to come,” Sam said softly was Ruby moved to grab her own bag. “I know middle school sports aren’t the most thrilling, even if my daughter is the best one out there.”
“No, no, I want to come. Ruby is a cool kid and it would be fun to see her play,” Alex assured her before moving closer to whisper in Sam’s ear. “Plus, I need an excuse to see her hot mom again.”
Sam bit her lip as she moved in closer. “You don’t need an excuse, but I’ll accept one anyway.”
Kara hovered next to Lena, reaching up to fidget with glasses that weren’t there. As much as she didn’t want to have them leave, she knew that their day together was over.
“It was very nice to meet you, Miss Lorelai,” Kara reached out a hand to the girl who shook it with so much seriousness before she started giggling. “I can’t wait to see you again,” Kara turned her eyes to meet Lena’s piercing green gaze.
Lena moved closer and had to stand on her toes to press a quick kiss onto the blonde’s cheek. “I’ll be waiting for your call, darling,” Lena almost purred into her ear. She pulled back to see blue eyes glazed over, and Kara’s mouth hanging open. Lena giggled before turning and starting to walk away, putting more swish in her hips that necessary. That seemed to break Kara of her stupor.
“Wait, I don’t have your number,” she called out to the retreating figure. Lena just turned her head.
“Check your hand.”
“Wha—when did you,” Kara glanced down to see Lena Luthor’s business card was indeed in her hand. Flipping it over, she saw neat handwriting and a phone number that she assumed was Lena’s personal cell. “Do you just carry these things around with you?” She laughed and called out to the raven-haired woman who had paused some feet away.
“You never know when it would be needed,” Lena shrugged, a smile tugging at her lips.
Kara couldn’t help the smile spreading across her face.
“I hope you won’t keep me waiting for long,” Lena gave one last look at Kara before joining Sam and Ruby as they headed for the exit.
Alex came up next to Kara’s still form, both women staring after the group until they were lost from site. “Well,” Alex bumped shoulders with Kara before lifting her own hand to show off a similar business card to her sister. “We better not keep them waiting.”
They had barely reached the cars before both Lena and Sam’s phones chimed with incoming text messages. Lena barely held herself from checking the message before Lorelai was in the car and buckled in her seat. The text only contained four words.
Unknown (3:54pm): So… about that date…