10. Making Progress

Kara was getting really, really tired of chasing aliens through National City.

Especially the flying ones.

First the bat-thorn- thing, which Winn had later identified as a Vespernam, and now a Kalvar. Not to mention all the other terrestrial ones they’d been rounding up. This one was humanoid, if you ignored the purple skin, feathered wings, and extremely sharp claws on its bird-like feet. Claws which Kara had already become intimately acquainted with. Her side still burned from three long gashes that had torn right through her supersuit and sliced deeply into her skin when Kara had made the mistake of getting too close trying to reason with it.

Alex was so going to yell at her for that one. Kara still wasn’t exactly clear on why getting injured was somehow always her fault, but Alex seemed to think it was.

Kalvar weren’t usually violent, but they were notorious thieves and smugglers.  This one had been reported for skulking around in the same park Kara and Winn had been searching. Maggie’s Science division had investigated, and the Kalvar had put three officers in the hospital before fleeing.

Hence the chasing.

At least this time Kara didn’t have to worry about ducking under bridges. So far Lena’s plan seemed to be working, and she wasn’t being magically yanked around the city anymore.

“Winn,” Kara said, veering to the left at the last minute to avoid a building. “Has Maggie got the park cleared?”

At first there was no answer, and then a hurried, “Affirmative.” Winn sounded a little frazzled, but his voice was clear through the comms. “You’re good to herd him back in that direction. I have back-up on the way if you need it.” There was a loud crash in the background followed by the rumble of angry voices.

“Winn...” Kara swooped back right and looped around the Kalvar, forcing it to bank and change direction. “Is everything okay?”

“Fine! Fine...” There was another thump, and a crash and then hissing and static and a muffled “No! That is not a toy!”

The Kalvar tried to dive to escape, and Kara dropped to block it, using her heat vision to singe a few feathers, and send it shooting back up in the right direction. “That doesn’t sound fine... maybe you should call Lena...”

“No, no,” Winn hurried to reassure her. “It’s okay... just a few minor accidents. I’m sure she didn’t mean to drop the priceless Hatorian artifact... or unplug all of the network hubs and disconnect the entire computer system...”

Kara winced. “I’m really sorry, Winn... Lena has back to back meetings, and then this Kalvar just had to pick today...” Speaking of which, they were flying back over the empty park and without the risk of civilian casualties, Kara put on an extra burst of super speed and closed with the purple alien, dropping down from above and forcing it to the ground. They crashed in a flurry of dirt, grass and feathers, the Kalvar hitting first and taking the brunt of the impact. Kara leapt clear, wary of flailing claws, but the Kalvar seemed to have had enough, and it stayed down, looking bruised and miserable and smelling of burnt feathers.

Satisfied, Kara gave Winn’s backup the all clear, and they moved in quickly to restrain and load the Kalvar into a waiting van. She stayed long enough to make sure the agents were playing nice with Maggie’s team, and then leapt back into the sky and headed for the DEO, hoping to find it still more or less in one piece.

*****

“You put her in a cell!”

“Okay,” Winn said, almost running to keep up with Kara as she stormed down the hallway towards the holding cells. “I can see how that might sound bad, like, really bad, but I swear it was for her own protection. I don’t know how she got a hold of a Vrangian spear, but she nearly impaled Agent Vasquez with it, and then she bit Mon El...”

Kara stopped so suddenly that Winn nearly ran into her, skidding to a halt at the last second.

“She bit him?” Kara demanded, turning around. “Why?”

“Uhh... he tried to take her spear away...?” Winn said, with an implied Duh tacked on. As if it was obvious. “He’s in medical.”

Kara closed her eyes and asked Rao for patience. “Which cell is she in?”

“Um, this way...” Winn edged around her and led the way to the minimum security cells.

“How did you even get her into a cell, if-“ Kara trailed off as they rounded the corner and Lizzy came into view, sitting cross-legged in the middle of her cell, and happily working her way through the entire bag of Oreo cookies that had clearly been used to lure her into captivity. “Oh.”

Lizzy looked up when she heard them coming, and her eyes widened in the universal oh shit expression when she saw her Mama, with the cape, and the boots, and a frown that promised the time out of all time outs.

“She still has the spear!” Kara rounded on Winn, hands on her hips.

“Yeah...So,  Mon El might need stitches.” Winn pointed out. “Mon El. Of Daxam. I know he’s not Kryptonian levels of invulnerable, but he’s still pretty tough. I wasn’t about to risk losing a finger.”

Kara gritted her teeth. “Open the door.”

Winn keyed in the code, and the clear barrier slid open.

Kara held out her hand. “Spear.”

Lower lip trembling, and looking every inch the repentant daughter, Lizzy pushed herself to her feet and trudged over, handing Kara the spear.

“Cookies.”

This was harder, and Lizzy hesitated, a single tear falling down one crumb-covered cheek, but Kara was immovable and eventually the now half-empty bag was also surrendered. Kara handed both to Winn and knelt down so that she and Lizzy were face to face.

“All right kiddo,” she said. “Do you see this?” she tapped the symbol on her chest and waited for Lizzy’s teary nod. “This is our family crest, and it means a lot of things you’re too young to appreciate right now, but mostly it means that we help people. We protect people, we don’t hurt them. I know Mon El made you mad, but that doesn’t mean it was okay to bite him. Do you understand?”

“‘Izzy ‘tect?”

Kara nodded. “That’s right. No more biting, okay? Not unless you’re in danger, or someone else is in danger.”

Lizzy nodded again, wiping tears and cookie crumbs from her cheeks with both hands. Kara scooped her up and balanced her on one hip. “Now, apologize to Winn.”

 “S’ry, ‘Inn,” she said in a small voice.

That was apparently enough to melt Winn’s already soft heart. “It’s okay, kiddo,” he said, tucking the spear under one arm, and offering up a fist-bump that Lizzy returned, her tiny little hand dwarfed by his. “I’m pretty sure we’ve all wanted to bite Mon El at least once. And hey, weapons can be fun, but not advanced high-tech alien weapons, okay? Those are for Aunt Alex, because she’s a bad ass.”

“Badas?” Lizzy mimicked, and Kara sighed, glaring at Winn.

“Don’t encourage her,” she warned him. “And if she repeats that in front of Lena, I’m blaming you.”

“Have you considered a nanny?” Winn asked, following Kara back to the control room. “Not that I  mind helping out, but clearly Mon EL and I are out of our league here, and Alex and J’onn have been running themselves ragged. Right now they’re dealing with a Branx at the Zoo, and before that there was a Ramien, and a Galloron...”

“I’ve thought about it,” Kara admitted. “But where are we going to find a nanny that can handle a half-Kryptonian toddler with a taste for larceny, mayhem and bloodshed and an irresponsible addiction to cookies, who tires me out on a good day?”

Winn shrugged. “Lena seems to manage.”

“Lena is clearly magical,” Kara pointed out. “And there’s only one of her.”

“True,” Winn admitted, sitting back down in his chair and spinning to face his computer. “In other news, I think I might have figured out what’s got our Alien population’s collective tail in a twist.”

“That at least, is good news.” Kara took the seat beside him, keeping a firm grip on Lizzy.

“Okay, so here...” Winn pulled up a map of National City. “Are the eight sites we’ve been searching for what we think are pieces of a talisman.” He pointed to the eight bright dots. “We have a park, a restaurant, a supermarket, the Natural History Museum, an art supply store, a public library, a School, and the National City Zoo. And here...” He pulled up a second map. “Are all the sites of unusual Alien activity in the last week.”

Kara frowned, there were a few points of overlap but, “they don’t match...”

“Nope,” Winn agreed. “But if you cross match the second map with all of the parks, restaurants, supermarkets, and so on in National City...” He clicked a few buttons and brought up a third map.

“Oh!” Kara saw what he was getting at immediately.

“I know, right?” Winn was clearly pleased with himself. “They don’t know where exactly to look, but somehow they know what kinds of places to look in. Don’t ask me how, I have no idea, but we are definitely not the only ones interested in finding this thing.”     

“Which means we have to find it first,” Kara said. “If this really is Mxyzptlk’s Talisman, we can’t let anyone else get their hands on it.”

“Right there with you.”

“Okay, but we’ve already searched all of these places. And we haven’t found anything. So unless you’ve got some new ideas...”

“Well...” Winn looked both smug and shifty. “I might have something. But you’re not going to like it...”

*****

“I can’t believe you agreed to this.”

“It’s just dinner,” Lena said, following Kara into the small family diner, Lizzy clinging to one of each of their hands. “If Winn’s right, eating here is no more dangerous than any other restaurant in National City right now, and besides...” she smirked, and leaned closer, adding just loud enough for Kara to hear, “I have my own personal Supergirl to protect me.”

Kara staunchly ignored the little shiver down her spine elicited by the brush of Lena’s warm breath on her ear, and clung to the crumbling fragments of her argument. “What about Lizzy?”

Lena rolled her eyes. “Please. She took out half of your DEO’s communications, two trained agents, and a Daxamite this afternoon. Our daughter will be fine.”

A good point, Kara had to concede, though she was still mortified by Lizzy’s behaviour.

“Table for three?” A perky brunette asked as they stepped up to the counter.

“Please,” Lena said, ending the argument.

“Do you need a highchair?” The server asked as she led them through the dining room.

“Just a booster seat, will be fine, thank you.”

“No problem!” She showed them to a booth by a window, and left them with menus, bouncing off and coming back with a plastic booster seat for Lizzy. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

“Ice water, please,” Lena said, getting Lizzy settled and handing her a small wooden puzzle box to keep her busy. “And milk for this one.”

“Chocolate Strawberry Milkshake,” Kara added, cheering up immensely as she looked over the menu. “With whip cream, rainbow sprinkles, and a cherry on top, please!”

Lena sighed.

“Hey! Cherries are fruit,” Kara pointed out.  

“I’ll add two,” their server offered with a wink. “And... I’m sorry, but you’re Lena Luthor, right?”

Kara could see Lena brace herself, her gracious, but icy, mask slipping into place. “That’s what my business cards say.”

“Oh, wow!” If anything the girl’s grin just got wider. “I’m majoring in business studies, and my girlfriend is in engineering.  You’re like, our idol!”

Lena blinked, startled for a fraction of a second, before her professional smile warmed into something more real. “And you are...?” she asked, holding out a hand.

“Oh!” the girl juggled her pen and order pad, freeing a hand to shake Lena’s with the air of someone granted an unexpected wish. “I’m Annie. It’s such an honour to meet you! We read about your Gala Fundraiser in the paper a few weeks ago, and we’re just so excited to see someone like you trying to make a difference for people like us. Emily, that’s my girlfriend, her parents kicked her out when they found out she was gay, so knowing what you want to do for LGBTQ+ youth... You’re amazing!”

“The honour is mine. I’m just happy to be in a position to help.” Lena accepted the praise smoothly, but Kara could see that she was genuinely touched, and a little shaken as she took her hand back. “This is my wife, Kara Danvers, and our daughter Lizzy,” she continued, deflecting some of the attention off of herself with practiced ease. “Kara is a reporter with Catco Worldwide Media. They’re co-hosting the Gala next weekend.”   

“I’m sorry, of course!” Flustered, Annie shook hands with Kara, and offered Lizzy a high-five, which she deigned to return. “It’s so great to meet you too! We’ve read all of your articles, and we’re pro-Alien Amnesty. The more the merrier, right? I know people have been grumbling lately, with all the... um... incidents, but a there’s bound to be a few trouble makers in any group. It’s not like humans are perfect.”

“Thank you,” Kara said, warming even more to this bubbly girl. “That’s... it’s nice to hear.”

“Your drinks!” Annie suddenly seemed to remember where she was and what she was supposed to be doing. “I’ll be right back!”

Lena pulled out her phone as soon as Annie was gone, holding up a hand when Kara asked who she was calling. “Jess? Hello. Sorry to bother you after hours, but I need two extra invitations reserved for the Gala. Annie and Emily. VIP treatment. Red Carpet. Throw in vouchers for hair and make-up, and that formal wear shop I like down on 4th. I want a car to pick them up, and take them home. Have everything delivered to Five D’s Diner on Main street. Yes, Annie works there. Thank you, Jess!” She hung up with a flourish, clearly pleased with herself.

“They’re going to name their first born after you,” Kara said with a grin, a little awestruck at how quickly and decisively Lena had acted.

“That’s the first time anyone has been excited to meet a Luthor since Lex went to jail,” Lena pointed out. “I’d have given her this restaurant if I thought she would accept it.”

“I was excited to meet you!” Kara protested.

“You thought I tried to blow up a spaceship.”

“Only for like, five minutes.”

Lena raised a brow. “Do you want a restaurant, Kara?”

“Not this one,” Kara admitted, looking around. “Now if you wanted to buy me a Chinese restaurant...” she added thoughtfully.

Lena picked up her phone again, and Kara scrambled to take it away from her, laughing.

“No, no, no! I was joking!”

Lena held her phone above her head, a coy smile on her lips. “And if I wanted to spoil you?”

Kara glanced around quickly to see if anyone was looking, and then used a surreptitious bit of super-speed to steal the phone too quickly for Lena to stop her, returning to her seat and placing it firmly face-down on the table in front of her. “No restaurants,” she said firmly. “And no cell phones during family dinner.” She opened her menu. “If you really want to spoil me,” she added, feeling a faint flush stain her cheeks as she looked it over. “You can buy me this triple chocolate brownie fudge sundae for dessert.”

 Lena made a face.

“Without judging me.”

“Fine,” Lena acquiesced. “But you’re eating at least one serving of vegetables tonight.”

“Choc’lat?” Lizzy looked up from the knobs and sliders on her puzzle box, expression hopeful.

 “You too,” Lena told her. 

“And she didn’t think she’d make a good mother,” Kara grumbled in an aside to Lizzy as Lena perused the menu.

“I heard that.”

“Don’t worry,” Kara added, ignoring her. “We’ll get burgers. Lettuce, onions and pickles are vegetables.”

“F’ies?” Lizzy asked.

“And fries,” Kara promised.

Annie returned with their drinks before Lena could protest, and they put in their orders, Lizzy adding “’Izzy, fies p’ease,” when Annie looked at her, pen poised. Lena asked for a salad. Pointedly, Kara thought, but then she stole a few of Kara’s fries when their dinners arrived, which compromised her position somewhat.

Lena shared updates about some of Lcorps new projects while they ate. “I’ve been thinking about reaching out to the alien community, actually” she added. “Not for weapons of course,” she said hastily, before Kara could open her mouth to object. “But... maybe if we showed National City what else alien technology could offer; green fuel, more efficient farming, even medical equipment. I could offer positions as consultants to any aliens who were interested and set an example for other businesses that might be hesitating to hire alien employees, while giving Lcorp an edge over any competition who won’t... what?”

Was her mouth hanging open? Kara closed it with a snap. She just... Lena was... Kara could practically feel her heart trying to burst.

“Annie was right,” she said. “You are amazing.”

It was Lena’s turn to blush. She ducked her head, eyes on her salad. “It’s not much,” she objected. “But I’d like to undo a little of the damage my mother did.

 Kara reached across the table and took Lena’s hand, tangling their fingers together. “It’s a lot,” she said. “Thank you.”

Lena looked up when Kara tugged on her hand, lower lip caught between her teeth, and green eyes full of... Kara wasn’t sure exactly what, but it made her heart pick up its pace, and her skin tingle where they touched. It was almost as if... But no, Lena didn’t think of her that way. And Kara didn’t... she was pretty sure she didn’t... oh Rao... what if she did? What if Lena did?

“Lena...” Kara began, having no idea what she was going to say, but unable to resist the urge to say something, but she didn’t get the chance.

“How is everything going over here?” Annie’s bright and cheerful voice interrupted the moment, whatever it was.

“Wonderful,” Lena assured her immediately, still a little flushed. “I think these two are ready for dessert though.”

Kara allowed herself to be distracted by the prospect of chocolate, fudge and ice cream, but she kept a hold of Lena’s hand. There was something here she needed to figure out, and soon... before they found all the pieces of the talisman and she lost her chance. Something told her that if she just let things go back to the way they were before, she’d never know what this was, or if it was really something she wanted.

It wasn’t long before Annie returned with the sundaes, a large for Kara, and a smaller version in a little bowl for Lizzy with a plastic child’s spoon. Kara’s came with a knife and fork, which surprised her until she saw the size of the brownie underneath the ice cream.  

She must have looked overwhelmed, because Lena chuckled at her, and released her hand so that she could tackle it properly.

“No judgement,” Kara reminded her, and Lena mimed buttoning her lips, turning instead to wrestle Lizzy into a bib.

Lizzy looked at her own dessert, and then at Kara’s, lower lip sticking out. She stretched out a hand, and Kara snatched her bowl back out of reach. “Not a chance, you little-“

“Kara, look!” Lena interrupted, eyes wide.

Kara looked down. Lizzy wasn’t trying to steal her dessert, she was reaching for the knife.

Which was glowing blue...

The same blue as Lizzy’s fingers...  

Damn Winn.

Lena snatched Lizzy’s hand back, and Kara tucked the knife into her purse, cutting off the flickering blue light show. They both held their breaths, glancing around quickly, but no one seemed to have noticed.

Relieved, their eyes met over the table.

One down. Seven to go.