Chapter Text
Kara grinned and bit her bottom lip to keep the expression off of her face. She knew Cat was going to arrive at the office in a few minutes, had heard her talking on the phone as she got out of the car all the way at the front entrance.
Cat’s arrival always brought a flurry of activity and especially during such a busy time of the year she had to be prepared for everything, no additional distractions needed, thank you very much.
Plus Cat was in the habit of blindly grabbing her latte as she walked past Kara, simply expecting the cup to find its way into her palm. The entire office had grown quiet the one time she had to stop and actually wait for Kara to pass it to her. Kara had never felt quite as mortified as she did under that glare.
Either way, she couldn’t allow herself to be distracted, despite the letter and the wrapped package under her desk.
Just in time the elevator dinged open and Kara stood at the ready next to her desk, her fingers curling gently around the paper cup before she handed it over to Cat who rushed past her without a second of hesitation. Her large sunglasses prevented Kara from seeing her entire face, but judging by the slight tilt of her lips, she wasn’t in a good mood this morning.
Kara turned back around and gathered her tablet in her arms, briefly pulling up the list of tasks for the day before she followed Cat into the office.
“Good morning, Miss Grant.”
“Get my lawyer on the phone,” Cat simply replied. She had discarded her purse and blazer rather distractedly on the cushions of the couch and was now taking a seat behind her desk. In one swift movement she had replaced her sunglasses with reading glasses and was staring at her computer screen with a scowl.
“Right away, Miss Grant,” Kara replied and spun around on her heel to hurry back to her desk. Something was definitely up and it seemed like it would be one of those days. Not that Kara minded, she had dealt with them before and it usually meant that Cat would be a little less irritated for a while once this issue was resolved.
She directed the phone call to Cat’s office and waited patiently while Cat paced in front of her desk, her voice quiet as she gestured with her free hand. Kara wasn’t going to listen in on a private conversation, never had and never would, but whatever was happening was clearly agitating as Cat eventually made a frustrated sound and stepped out onto the balcony.
With all of her emails already answered, Kara hesitated for a moment, at a loss for what to do. Since she hadn’t gotten to brief Cat, she wasn’t sure which parts of the agenda would fit into Cat’s schedule and what the next task should be. All of the departments had received their instructions and no questions or complaints had cropped up. So Kara sat at her desk, staring at her tablet with her hands uselessly hovering above the keyboard.
Cat was still out on the balcony and it seemed like she wasn’t anywhere close to ending her conversation. So while Kara contemplated what to do next, she felt curiosity pricking at the corners of her mind. Her eyes automatically wandered to the wrapped box in the purse at her feet and a small smile stole across her lips.
Her resolve crumbled rapidly. A little peek wouldn’t hurt, right? It wasn’t like she had anything else to do at the moment and Cat would never know. She could just read the letter later.
She bent down and grasped the box in her hands, quickly placing it in her lap and tugging at the wrapping paper. The edges were folded with absolute precision and she untucked them like an envelope. A silvery box was revealed underneath and a small gasp made it past Kara’s lips. The sign of the House of In-Ze was etched into the material and emotions welled inside of her at the sight of it.
It should’ve occurred to her that this was neither the time nor the place to open the box, but she was quietly overwhelmed and found her fingers reaching for the lid, slowly pushing it up.
Inside, nestled into velvet cushions, lay three colorful crystals, one more beautiful than the next. They all combined swirling colors and designs, and anyone with half an eye for such things would’ve realized that they could not possibly be from Earth.
That was why Kara almost jumped out of her skin when someone cleared their throat right in front of her. Her gaze snapped up to Cat’s pursed lips and raised eyebrow as she slammed the box shut. “M-Miss Grant.”
Cat narrowed her eyes and Kara quickly deposited the box into a drawer of her desk while rising to her feet.
“You know I do not tolerate crying at work.”
Kara’s hands flew to her cheeks and her fingertips were met with wetness. “I’m so sorry Miss Grant, I didn’t mean to… I wasn’t…”
She quickly wiped her face with her palms and inhaled a deep breath. “It won’t happen again, you have my word. I apologize.”
There was something in Cat’s look, like she was trying to figure out some sort of puzzle. Kara had seen it before and she didn’t like it one bit that it was now directed at her. Had Cat caught a glimpse of what was inside that box? Would she have recognized the crystals for what they were?
Cat’s flickered downward briefly before she turned on her heel. “My office, now.”
Kara scrambled around her desk, grabbed her tablet and followed right at Cat’s heels, exhaling a silent sigh of relief that Cat had seemingly decided to let the issue go.
S-S-S
- 24 Hours Earlier –
Astra shifted awkwardly and pursed her lips as she looked down at herself.
“Oh stop it, you look good.”
Astra’s eyes snapped up again and she cleared her throat. “I wasn’t worried about my look, little one, but rather trying to get used to the feeling of these… clothes.”
Kara pressed her lips together to stop the laughter that was rising up in her chest. The last thing she wanted was to make Astra feel even more out of place than she already did.
Despite having spent so much time on Earth, she was still very much unfamiliar with something as simple as human clothing. Kara hadn’t been lying when she’d said that Astra looked good. She’d already drawn several looks in her black jeans, simple shirt and matching leather jacket and boots. Usually, Kara was the one oblivious to what people around her thought, but since she had convinced Astra to go shopping with her she’d been a little more cautious than normal. There was still something decidedly different about Astra and that had to have some meaning coming from her, the other alien.
They had just purchased a few items Astra needed for her daily life, which now basically revolved around working with the DEO and spending time with Kara, when they walked past a display window. Astra stopped suddenly and stared. “What is that?”
Kara glanced around quickly, wondering if they’d somehow managed to run into a Fort Rozz escapee or something equally extra-terrestrial, until she realized that Astra was staring at a Christmas display. It felt like Halloween had barely passed by, bewildering Astra to no end with everyone dressing as fictional creatures, and now they were heading straight for Christmas and another set of confusing human traditions.
Admittedly, it was a rather ugly Santa Claus figure with his sleigh and reindeers, but Kara had gotten long since used to the way people enjoyed their holidays on this part of Earth.
“These get uglier every year,” Kara mumbled and turned to Astra, “there is a holiday here, it’s called Christmas, and a lot of people celebrate it in some form or another.”
“A holiday?” Astra replied quietly, her gaze growing thoughtful.
“Yes, nowadays it’s a lot about being with your family and spending time with your loved ones, even if you’re not quite as attached to the religious side of it. And you give presents, and decorate. It’s actually pretty fun.”
“We used to celebrate something quite like it on Krypton,” Astra said and Kara nodded.
“I remember, zehdh khehth.” Kara whispered the last two words and found Astra smiling at her with a sadness in her eyes they both usually managed to keep at bay.
The Kryptonian holiday was basically a celebration to honor the family and to remember their ancestors, all those who had come before them. In hindsight, it might’ve been more politically motivated than festive, but Kara still remembered spending those days in the circle of her family, simply being together and enjoying each other’s company.
Astra took a deep breath and seemed to shake herself out of the mood they’d unwittingly found themselves in. “Are we done here, little one, or would you like to purchase something for yourself?”
Kara shook her head. “I don’t need anything and I think we have enough clothes to last you for a while. Let’s go.”
Because of Astra’s aversion to public transport, mainly because of the smell and also because she deemed it inefficient, they made their way toward an empty alleyway rather than the nearest subway station. It was risky, as Alex liked to remind them time and again, but Kara found that flying with Astra gave her a sense of freedom and belonging she hadn’t expected to feel ever again. At least not like this.
Kara clutched the shopping bags to her chest as she urged her body to defy gravity. The cold air whipped around her and she smiled at Astra as they zoomed between buildings toward her apartment.
They were just about to put down their bags when a call from Alex and the DEO interrupted any and all plans Kara may have had for dinner. Eating with Astra was usually a strain on her wallet but also a lot of fun since she didn’t feel strange about the amount of food she consumed.
Instead they headed out to fight a giant black alien with a gaping mouth filled with sharp needle-like teeth and some sort of improved sense of smell. Luckily Astra had encountered something similar before and together they managed to detain the alien and wrap up a rather stressful night before Kara had to go into work the next morning.
The alien had just been transported to a special cell at the DEO and Kara smiled lightly as she watched Astra striding across the main floor toward her. She was very glad that they had managed to find common ground and Astra had decided family was more important than her plans to enslave humanity. In fact, she’d learned to appreciate human efforts to save the planet and had departed from her extremist standpoint to work alongside the native population.
Astra had turned out to be an invaluable help and Kara couldn’t be happier that her family now encompassed her aunt, a fellow Kryptonian.
“Good work out there,” Alex commented from beside her as Astra reached them.
“It was easy since we were engaging a highly inferior species,” Astra replied with a small scoff.
Kara and Alex shared a quick look. “Yes, no problem at all.”
“If our assistance is not needed any further, I would like to depart.”
“We’re good here,” Alex replied and Astra nodded before smiling briefly at Kara.
“See you later,” Kara said with a wave as Astra left.
“Is she behaving more strangely than usual?” Alex whispered.
“I’m not sure, she was quite appalled by the Christmas display we saw earlier but I don’t think that’s it.”
Alex exhaled quietly. “You should go get some sleep, we’ll talk tomorrow.”
Kara nodded and they exchanged a quick hug.
On her way back to her apartment Kara kept her mind purposefully blank, not wanting to worry about aliens or Astra’s behavior when she had a full day of work ahead of her. She quickly changed out of her Supergirl outfit and slipped into bed, falling into a deep slumber almost right away.
The next morning she awoke with a small groan and upon trudging into her living room found an envelope with her name in flowing script on the front and a small package on the coffee table. She recognized the handwriting as Astra's and she was just about to reach for the letter when her eyes zeroed in on the clock across the room.
The time couldn’t be right, right? She zoomed back into the bedroom and grabbed her phone. Yep, she was going to be late for work.
Kara doubted she’d ever gotten ready for work this quickly. Her movements were only blurs and yet it still seemed too slow to her. She got done in the bathroom and was fully dressed mere minutes after the mild panicky feeling in her stomach had settled there. She took a moment to convince herself that she had super speed and that she was going to make it to work on time before Cat got there.
It wouldn’t help anybody if she freaked out and exposed her identity by blasting into the office in front of everyone. Instead, she took a calming breath and quickly gathered her things, briefly hesitating at the coffee table, before she grabbed the package and the letter and put them in her purse.
She could’ve easily left them until after work, but sometimes Kara was too curious for her own good. Maybe she could peek inside during lunch break.
Astra wasn’t exactly known for showering other people with gifts, so this was definitely out of the ordinary.
With a little extra burst of speed, Kara managed to sit at her desk before Cat even entered the lobby downstairs and she had a piping hot latte waiting as soon as Cat exited the elevator.
S-S-S
- Present -
Cat looked up from the layouts in front of her and thoughtfully regarded the empty desk outside of her office.
She was trying to concentrate on the work at hand but to her dismay she kept getting distracted by other thoughts. She was not only musing over the talk she’d had with her lawyer this morning but also her assistant’s strange behavior. She’d known Kara for several years now, had gotten a feel for what kind of person Kara was, and yet she’d never seen her quite as emotional as earlier.
It was unexpected, really, to walk up to Kara’s desk after having received no response to her calls to see silent tears running down her cheeks. A strange feeling had fluttered through Cat and although her first instinct had been to reach out a comforting hand, she had snarked at Kara instead.
Cat tapped her pen against the stack of papers and slowly reached up to pull her glasses off of her face. She halted the movement halfway as a small alert on the corner of her screen signaled a Supergirl sighting in National City. Her eyes narrowed briefly toward the empty desk outside before she turned to her wall of monitors to watch the alien encounter that unfolded downtown.
Supergirl clearly had the upper hand as she struggled to detain some kind of alien that seemed to have an endless supply of regrowing tentacles. The camera zoomed in on Supergirl after she’d taken off yet another tentacle and got covered in purple gunk sprouting from the wound before a new one appeared.
Cat grimaced and slowly rose from her chair as yet another alien joined the fray. The woman in the black combat suit had been seen assisting Supergirl several times already, but anyone had yet to find out who she was. Of course Cat had her reporters follow every viable lead, but without an actual conversation with Supergirl, she would probably have to wait for any useful information until she was old and gray.
Once Supergirl and her friend had managed to squish the octopus-like alien into a container that seemed way too small for it, she turned away from the monitors and glanced out into the office.
It was lunch time and a lot of desks were abandoned. Those still around were watching the television screens above them with rapt attention.
Cat’s eyes landed on Kara’s desk once again.
She knew the tingling sensation at the base of her skull was curiosity. She had experienced it countless times throughout her career and sometimes when it was accompanied by a sinking feeling in her stomach she knew she was about to do something potentially stupid. Not that she would ever admit to that.
Still, she rose to her feet and moved forward until she was hovering in the vicinity of Kara’s desk. She’d seen her shove the box into one of the drawers, the top one to be precise, and as much as she wanted to listen to the little voice in her head telling her to forget about it, she just couldn’t get the colors she’d briefly glimpsed of out of her mind.
Her eyes flickered to the screen above her head. Supergirl was still busy shoving tentacles into that container.
Cat bit her lip and reached out quickly to open the drawer. Just one look at it. One little piece of information she would keep to herself, the last bit she needed to complete the puzzle. To confirm her suspicions. If there was one thing Cat Grant loathed, it was not knowing the truth.
The box was still there and Cat quickly flipped the top open, her breath catching in her throat at the sight of the crystals and their otherworldly colors.
Something was telling her to let things go, that it would be the smartest thing to close the box, respect Kara’s privacy like any normal sane person should. But another part of her, the one that was slightly bigger, wanted to know more.
She moved her hand slowly, her fingers a bit shaky until they came into contact with one of the crystals. Actual physical warmth spread from the tips of her fingers into her hand and up her arm.
She gasped and snatched her hand back. But the feeling didn’t disappear; instead it kept spreading further until her entire body was enveloped in warmth, almost like an invisible cloud of tingling heat was surrounding her. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling per se, only disconcerting because of its strangeness.
“Uh… Miss Grant?” a voice asked from beside her and she quickly slammed the box shut before closing the drawer with a loud smack.
Her eyes jerked upward and she found the IT hobbit staring at her as he stood beside Kara’s desk.
“I was just looking for a pen,” she snapped and briskly brushed past him.
She was mortified at having been caught snooping but she wasn’t going to justify herself any further. She was the boss, for crying out loud.
“Miss Grant,” Winn called again.
“What?” She spun around on her heels and shot him her best glare.
“You… you’re glowing,” he yell-whispered with wide eyes.
Cat looked down at her hands and sure enough, a flickering glow like the flame of a candle was emanating from her skin. She quickly pushed the sleeves of her blouse up until they bunched just below her elbows. The same glow seemed to have spread all over already.
They were slowly starting to draw attention and Cat reached out to grab Winn by his collar before she dragged him into her office and out to the balcony. He stumbled along until they were out of sight and Cat let go with a huff. “What is this?”
“I don’t… I don’t know.”
“Find out,” Cat hissed, “and make sure Kara doesn’t see me like this. Fix it or pick up your things and leave.”
“But Miss Grant –“
“Now.”
Cat watched Winn scurry back into the office and she exhaled a long deep breath, her eyes falling to her hands. There was still a light glow emanating from her skin and the warmth beneath seemed to have taken permanent residence all throughout her body. She rubbed her palms together and rolled her eyes.
She should’ve known better, had learned a long time ago that curiosity could get her into more than just trouble, but she wouldn’t be where she was now without it.
At least it didn’t seem to be harmful. Kara was the last person she would expect to bring something dangerous to work, so she wasn’t necessarily worried about her well-being. Her ego however, was an entirely different matter.
Admitting to the fact that she’d been snooping through her assistant’s desk? Sure, she could play it off as wanting to make sure her employees weren’t distracted during work hours, but she highly doubted Kara would buy that. Instead she was going to have to admit that she hadn’t fallen for the little doppelganger charade and had known Kara was Supergirl for quite a while now. And all of that because she glowed like a damn Christmas tree.
And the walls of her office were made of glass.
Cat groaned quietly and sank into one of the chairs on the balcony. It was fairly chilly and the air had a bite to it, but it didn’t bother her at all thanks to the otherworldly warmth pulsing underneath her skin.
The only problem was that she wasn’t going to get any work done like this. Not if everyone could see her in the office.
Cat’s eyes traveled over to the smart phone sitting on her desk. If she could just grab it quickly, she would be able to send out a few emails, reschedule meetings and such until this unfortunate issue was resolved.
“Miss Grant?” came the voice from behind her and she rolled her eyes while rising to her feet.
“I hope you’ve figured out –“
Cat trailed off as she turned around and found Winn nervously averting his eyes. Right beside him stood Kara, a deep frown on her face and her arms crossed in front of her chest.
“Please don’t fire me,” Winn whispered as he squirmed under her glare before he removed himself from what was surely going to be a beyond unpleasant situation.
Then Cat did something she hadn’t done in a very long time. She began to fidget. Her hands fluttered uselessly across her forearms and up to the collar of her blouse before settling on her hips.
Kara still had her arms crossed in front of her chest and her brow furrowed. She looked so much like Supergirl in that moment, Cat wondered how she’d ever doubted herself on the matter.
The silence stretched between them and Cat could only imagine what was going through Kara’s head at the moment.
“Are you alright?” Kara eventually asked.
“I… yes.”
Cat rarely stumbled over her words, had shed that habit years ago, and yet here she was, bumbling like an idiot because for the first time Kara looked genuinely disappointed and angry with her.
Kara took several steps forward and slowly raised her hand when they were close enough to touch. She hesitated for a moment and her eyes flickered across Cat’s face briefly. “May I?”
Cat swallowed and nodded. She held her breath as Kara’s fingertips made contact with the skin of her bare forearm. The warmth suddenly spread and Kara’s fingers began to glow as well until she drew back and the light flickered out like a dying flame.
Kara exhaled a small breath and her brow furrowed even further. The expressions on her face morphed so quickly that Cat couldn’t exactly pinpoint them. It seemed to be a mixture of confusion, happiness and shock.
“I’m… sorry,” Cat whispered.
And she truly was. Although she had gone through Kara’s things, which she knew she shouldn’t have, she’d never meant to cause her pain like this. Especially because Kara deserved better.
“I’m going to need the rest of the day off, and you should probably leave as well. I’ll bring you something to cover up,” Kara said, moving away from her.
Cat's stomach sank and she wanted to reach out, but she didn't dare touch Kara without permission. She'd invaded her privacy enough as it was. There had to be another way to fix things.
Kara walked inside and returned less than a minute later with her sunglasses, a coat and a shawl. It would look somewhat suspicious, but this was CatCo, stranger things had happened. She would be able to leave through one of the side entrances once her car was waiting downstairs.
During her career she’d been undercover in worse situations.
“Kara,” Cat said quietly.
Kara took a deep breath after she’d handed off the items. “You’ll be okay. I have to arrange something first before I can help you.”
“I’ll be at the town house,” Cat replied after a few moments of silence. They obviously weren’t going to have the talk just yet. The unspoken secrets uncovered hung heavily between them and despite the warmth still radiating through her body, a sense of dread settled in Cat’s stomach.
“I’ve called your driver, he should be waiting downstairs now. I’ll rearrange your schedule for today before I leave.”
Cat nodded wordlessly and slipped into her coat before she wrapped the shawl across her hair and tied it below her chin. The sunglasses completed the outfit and with her hands uncharacteristically stuffed into her coat pockets, the glow had been effectively minimized.
With her eyes hidden, she took a moment to scrutinize Kara. There was slight curve to her shoulders, a far cry from her usually so excellent posture. Kara’s eyes lingered on the exposed patches of Cat’s skin, but she quickly turned away when she realized that she had been caught.
“I’ll see you later,” Kara said quietly as she strode back into the office.
Cat sighed and followed shortly after, her steps taking her quickly past Kara’s desk and into the elevator.
The doors closed in front of her and she shook her head slowly back and forth. “I have to fix this,” she mumbled to herself with another sigh.
S-S-S
The cape flapped in the mild breeze around her and Kara reached down to hold it in place. Her eyes traveled across the foggy city below her. It was a very cold day but she enjoyed the crisp quality of the air and took a deep breath.
“You wanted to speak with me?” Astra asked as she gently floated to a spot beside Kara.
They were high enough so that no one down on the streets would be able to spot them, but still nowhere near the height where they could be bowled over by airplanes.
Kara exhaled a quiet breath. “I found the shahkh you left for me.”
Astra smiled and tilted her head. “Yes. After we spoke about holidays here, I thought you might appreciate a keepsake from Krypton. I don’t know how they made it to Earth intact but I happened upon them at Fort Rozz.”
After a moment of silence the smile slipped from Astra’s face. “You don’t like them? I remember you being absolutely amazed by their glow and how it would spread between everyone when you were younger.”
“No, that’s not it. I love them, they brought back so many good memories.”
Astra reached out slowly and rested her hand on Kara’s shoulder. “I never meant to make you sad, little one. I shouldn’t have just surprised you like that, I’m sorry.”
Kara finally turned to Astra and shook her head. “No, don’t apologize, there is no reason to. I was so happy to see something from Krypton again, especially connected to such a special time.”
“But you still seem a bit, how do they say here, down?”
Kara huffed out a quiet laugh. After Astra had begun spending more time with Alex she’d started to pick up the slang around here, but still her use of idioms or comparisons was off more often than not.
“Something happened with the shahkh. I took them with me to work, I don’t even know why I did it, I think I was just too curious to wait.”
Kara sighed and floated to the side a bit when a strong gust of wind rushed around them. “And Miss Grant caught me looking at them.”
“So you had trouble with your cat woman?”
Kara’s lips twitched. “You really have to stop calling her that.”
“Tell me what happened,” Astra said softly.
“I put the them away afterwards, and then Alex called. So while we were out there making sure Squishy stayed in his box, Miss Grant went ahead and snooped through my desk. I mean, can you believe it? She just… I don’t even… she had no right,” Kara finished with her lips pressed into a thin line.
“I think I’m starting to understand,” Astra replied. Her hair moved softly in the cold wind and she pushed it away from her brow. “You’re angry and disappointed, I would be too, but that’s not what this is about, I assume? She touched the stones, didn’t she?”
“Yes,” Kara mumbled.
“And the light?”
Kara took a deep breath and nodded. “It’s there, she looks like a lamp now. A tasteful one of course.”
Astra tensed her muscles and floated toward Kara until they were facing each other. “And you remember what that means?”
“I do,” Kara replied, keeping her eyes fixed on the lights of the city below their feet.
“And you are unhappy about it?” Astra asked, confusion creeping into her voice.
“I don’t know, I just… it doesn’t make any sense. She… she has to know I’m Supergirl, I mean she has always suspected but now I can’t pretend any longer. And it’s dangerous. What if she doesn’t feel the same way? I mean she is Cat Grant, she’s my boss. Why would she…?”
Astra reached out and rested one hand on Kara’s shoulder while she gently lifted Kara’s chin with the other until they were looking at each other. “On Krypton it was very special to have such a connection, very few got to experience the light of the shahkh on the night of Rao. If the light extends to this woman even without Rao’s presence, you shouldn’t let fear rule your decisions.”
“I don’t think it’s that easy,” Kara said quietly.
“I know I haven’t been the aunt you have deserved for so long, but listen to me now when I say that this is something you shouldn't just let go. Or else regret might accompany you for the rest of your life. I regret many things, Kara, but I will not add another and let this opportunity pass you by, even if I have to drop you at the cat woman’s doorstep myself.”
Kara smiled and reached out to pull Astra into a hug, inhaling the familiar scent with closed eyes. “Thank you.”
“Anytime, little one,” Astra replied and strong arms wrapped around Kara’s shoulders.
The icy wind blew around them but Kara was surrounded by warmth and comfort, just like she remembered feeling on Krypton all these years ago in the embrace of her family.
S-S-S
Cat took a sip of the amber liquid in her glass, closing her eyes at the way it burned in her throat. It was well into the afternoon and she hadn't seen or heard anything from Kara since this morning. Patience might have been a virtue, but it wasn't one of hers. Her day had been less than productive thus far and all of her attempts at distraction had inevitably led to this glass of bourbon.
She was lounging on the couch in her living room and while the sun was slowly setting outside, she had no need for any artifical light whatsoever because her skin was still glowing happily without any signs of stopping. Luckily Carter was still at school because of an extracurricular activity but he was going to come home eventually and she had no idea how to explain any of this to him.
With the glass raised to her lips, she hesitated when she heard a light tapping sound coming from the balcony window. She tilted her head and found Supergirl standing there, red cape moving in the breeze.
Cat took a deep breath and gently put her glass down onto the table before she rose to her feet to open the balcony door. She stepped aside wordlessly as Kara slipped inside. She kept her eyes trained on Kara, not wanting to miss any cue as to how they were going to handle any of this. Because there was no going back to the lies, not if Cat had any say in it.
"The glow, it will wear off on its own, hopefully very soon," was the first thing out of Kara's mouth.
"That's good to know. Although I could've probably played it off as the newest fashion statement."
Not even a tiny smile from Kara. This was going to be much more difficult than she'd thought. Cat sat back down on the couch and cradled the glass of bourbon in her hands to have at least something to hold on to. Kara remained standing, her eyes all over the place and never meeting her gaze.
Cat crossed her legs and leaned back. "Why don't we get straight to the point, then? There is no use in pretending anymore, obviously." Cat gestured toward Kara's outfit. "And you're angry, which is understandable. I made a mistake."
Cat rose to her feet again, the bourbon sloshing around in her glass. "It wasn't my intention to become like this," she raised her own arms to emphasize the glow, "but I hate being lied to. I just needed to know the truth. Granted, I should've gone about things differently, but there is only so much dishonesty I can take."
"Are you going to fire me?" Kara asked quietly.
Cat's eyes zeroed in on Kara's downcast expression. "No, I won't. I had time to think, and I was too rash with the things I've said. You have a place at CatCo for however long you want it."
She turned away from Kara and downed the rest of her drink. Perhaps it was finally time for honesty between them and someone was going to have to take the first step. "I'm not sorry for knowing the truth, but I am sorry that I've caused you pain. I want to make it up to you, Kara, and I cannot accept 'no' for an answer. You... you mean too much to me."
When she spun back around after her admission, she found Kara smiling softly at her.
"What?"