Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Call Me Kara

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 25:

At 5:30 AM Alex rolled from under Nyssa’s arms in the very warm, very soft bed they were lying on. She felt incredibly comfortable but despite this had slept fitfully all night when she could, plagued by disturbing dreams she couldn’t quite remember. She knew they were violent and she most likely didn’t want to remember.

“I appreciate dedication but we haven’t trained at dawn since we discovered other activities at this hour. Why are you getting out of bed?”

“I can’t sleep well. I don’t want to get out of bed but every time I drift off my mind is filled with…”

“Darkness, troubled thoughts, insane images? Yes I know. I have been there myself. They stopped when we began sharing a bed on nights you would pull yourself away from Caitlin and Kara’s apartment.”

Alex did her best to ignore the unspoken accusation and instead walked to the dresser where she kept her extra clothes. She had also brought all her bags from Earth 3 here.

“Yeah about that. You are right. That is their apartment. I need my own place or at least someone looking for a roommate. Any ideas where I could find someone like that? I don’t actually have a job so rent may be tough to pay for a while.”

Nyssa stilled, her still drowsy mind trying to be clear on what Alex just said.

“Are you saying…”

“I want to stay here… with you. I know it is soon and we haven’t been together long but… I need my own life. If I am not going to hover over Kara like I promised myself and her that I wouldn’t, I need to decide what direction my life is going to go. I want that direction to lead to you. I’ve never lived with anyone and I will probably be a slob and you…”

“You truly wish to live here? With me?”

Alex had not turned around for the conversation for fear of rejection but Alex was one to always overcome her fear. She pulled her shirt over her sports bra and turned toward the woman she could no longer deny she was in love with.

“Yeah, I really do but if its too soon I understand.”

Nyssa moved at her usual incredible and grateful speed, taking Alex in her arms.

“Of course I want you here! I always want you here.”

Alex grinned and kissed her.

“But I want it to be because you love me like I love you.”

Alex once again gathered her courage and said the one phrase she had never uttered to anyone outside of her family. Despite the love she had for J’onn as the father figure she needed at a low time in her life the two knew but never said it and she had certainly never said it in this manner.

“I love you Nyssa. I’ve probably loved you since the first time you told me to fight you. You could have destroyed me but you didn’t. You wanted to make me better and you could have embarrassed me but you didn’t. You want the absolute truth? I don’t think, no, I know I have never been in love with anyone before. I’m not sure if I will be any good at it but I want to try.”

“Thats all I’m asking.” Nyssa told her, happier than she had been in many years, if ever. She knew when she saw Alex that she would do whatever it took to win her heart, even if it meant following her underground into a house of horrors with monsters the likes of which she had never seen or imagined. Alex hugged her tightly, relieved and nervous. She didn’t put her heart out much, preferring to stay guarded, to stay alert, to keep watch over her sunny little alien sister, ironically the most powerful woman in the universe. She stayed guarded around her mother, who she never felt close to until recently. Alex Danvers was a guarded person. To love outside of Eliza and Kara was unheard of.

“Your parents?”

“Probably time I introduced them to my girlfriend. Considering you have probably already shocked them enough, I don’t think it can get any worse. The biological weapon Nyssa? Trying to kill your father? Really?”

‘Wait until I tell them about leading my League while saving Oliver Queen from being destroyed by an army of Mirakuru soldiers in a freeway tunnel.”

“Please don’t.” Alex begged.

“You love that story.” Nyssa reminded her.

“I also love other things about you that we won’t discuss with my parents.”

“Point taken. And… Kara?”

“Yeah, and Kara. If I can get her to agree and she isn’t flying around saving the city tonight, the two of us are going to have a talk that is probably a long time coming. I am going to tell her about us and I know she won’t care. She will be happy for me. I don’t know why I haven’t before. Actually I do. If I told her it would make this real and I knew it wasn’t casual either. But I am not hiding anymore. I faced my demons underground. I’ve faced almost everything in my life that I have been afraid of and I know now. I’m me. I’m not Kara’s protector, I’m not a DEO agent, I’m finally just me. And the me that I am wants you.”

“I’m very glad to hear that.”

“But there is one thing I want you to do for me. If you can’t or won’t it won’t change how I feel and this is not an ultimatum, just a request. Don’t take anymore jobs.”

Nyssa was a bit surprised and confused by this request.

“What sort of jobs have I been taking?”

“Uh… you…”

“Do you think I am a hit woman of some sort?” Nyssa asked, smiling.

“Well, you did tell Carter Grant that you take the occasional job that…”

“Alex! I was playing with him. He was too innocent for me not to have a bit of fun. I won’t apologize for trying to kill the security guard. Honestly, you know how I feel about Kara and you and he could have fired at anyone.”

“I’m not asking you to apologize. Honestly if I had your’s and the Queen’s reflexes I probably would have fired myself. But these jobs, every couple weeks you go out of town for a couple nights. You told me two weeks ago you had business in Opal City. You were gone overnight and I assumed…”

“You assumed I was hired to kill someone and still you love me?”

“Yeah. I don’t know everything about you, it would take a lifetime, one I would gladly spend but I knew what I was getting into…”

“Alex, I am not an assassin. At least not any longer. I have not been for a very long time. I would have invited you to come with me but you have been close to Kara and I did not believe you would want to come along.”

“But, you said you had business…”

“I did. The League of Assassins was very wealthy, over a thousand years and the money tends to add up. I was the last Ra’s Al Ghul. When I disbanded the League the money was mine. It is mine. Since I don’t have a backyard to bury it in, I have distributed to many different accounts, tax shelters, and investments. Some of my investments are quite large, large enough that I sit on a stock holders board for a large printing company in Opal City. I am also a benefactor of the Metropolitan Museum of Art In New York City and sit on a board there as well. I would be glad to take you with me. Opal City is a depressing city, much, much dark history but the business is solid and has a strong history of growth for the past fifty years. New York however, is marvelous. I am considering forming an investment group in Coast City and begin developing several abandoned beachfront properties as well, so I may be making a few short trips to the coast. We could have so much fun there! I’ve actually never worn a bikini now that I think about it. I would love to see you in one.I really don’t need to invest in businesses or donate to Museums but it is more of a hobby of mine. I admit it was difficult in the past due to my position on A.R.G.U.S.’s most wanted list but due to my help in regards to events in Star City the past few years and Amanda Waller’s fortunate demise, Lyla Diggle deemed it appropriate to give me a clean slate, I suppose you could say.”

Alex stood back, mouth open, not sure how to take this. She had been convinced Nyssa paid for her luxurious condo with money from… other means.

“Business? When you say you are taking a business trip you actually mean business?”

“Well, not so much in regards to the Museum. That is more of a passion for art and I do enjoy being in the know so to speak in deciding on exhibits but it isn’t technically business. The two of us could have so much fun in New York!”

“You are… rich?”

“I make Ray Palmer and Thea Queen look like paupers in comparison, yes.”

“Wow… okay then. I need, I mean I don’t want to leave but I need to work out. Want to come?”

“Very much so but not in the manner of which you are speaking. I need to meditate. I will be along in a couple hours.”

“Okay… I will see you then.”

Alex began to walk out when Nyssa called her name once more.

“Yeah?”

“Say it again? Just once more?”

Alex grinned, walking up to the woman and kissed her.

“I love you.”

Feeling more vulnerable but happier than she had perhaps ever, Alex began the six mile run to S.T.A.R. not knowing what the day would bring but excited about it regardless. Her parents were together, safe in Joe West’s house. Her family was together on a world in which Project Cadmus, Myriad and the DEO did not exist. She would make a life for herself. Alex did not pretend that she could have a quiet life. She planned to talk to Joe West. She was a warrior and while Kara did not need her protection it did little to change the fact that she wanted to make the world, whatever world she was on, a safer place, to handle dangers that normal people could not handle. She was a guardian and a warrior. She was not afraid to go to war to protect others and that is what she would do.

Even though she just found out her girlfriend, who she would now be living with, was a billionaire she still needed a job. Perhaps she could buy her own motorcycle now instead of stealing others. Caitlin was right, being a cop who dealt with metahumans was sort of in her wheelhouse and she could probably keep Barry’s Dad, his real Dad in her mind, from getting himself killed.

By the time she had reached the lab, Alex had worked up quite a sweat and felt very warm. Using the key card in her running shorts card holder, she walked into the quiet, large space, imagining what this amazing building must have been like before Eobard Thawne purposely destroyed many lives in an attempt to get home. She noticed the med bay lab bed was occupied by a sleeping Barry Allen and Kara, their arms wrapped around each other. Stepping quietly up to the two, she couldn’t help but smile at how beautiful they were together. She gently brushed a strand of hair off of Kara’s face, kissed her on the forehead, soft enough not to wake her and moved on to the red sun room her and Kara trained with Nyssa often. The light wasn’t needed today and perhaps never would be again now that her sister finally had something to help the poor kid lose her virginity.

She pulled her sweaty tee off, clad only in her shorts and sports bra and walked up to the salmon ladder Nyssa insisted they have installed. Watching Kara attempt to use this structure without her powers was a bit funny but she was getting better. Alex on the other hand, loved it.

She grabbed hold of the bar and began working her way up and then back down. After doing this several times she went back to the top, flipped her legs over the bars and began stomach crunches upside down, twisting with each movement. After ten minutes Alex flipped back up using her arms to hold herself up on the top of the bar and began dips. Once she completed those she used the bar to work her way back down, stopping halfway and dropping to the floor.

Alex wrapped her hands in tape, prepared to battle the wooden dummy, going through the routine Nyssa had engrained in both her and Kara. Barry was still working on breaking rocks.

“Trying out the Oliver Queen workout, huh?” a voice Alex was very familiar with asked from the doorway. She turned and saw Sara Lance standing there with a cute little smirk on her face wearing her white Canary outfit that Cisco had made for her long ago. She was leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, looking highly amused.

“I don’t know. I understand you are the expert at working out Oliver Queen.”

Sara’s smile was gone but quickly returned.

“You really shouldn’t speak about things you know nothing about.”

“Wow, I couldn’t agree more. So lets see what I do know about since I have been in this lovely universe. Tell me when I say something that is incorrect. Oliver was a rich brat in a somewhat serious, for him at the time, relationship with your sister. You decided to screw Oliver on a yacht while he was dating your sister. The yacht sinks and you are rescued by another man, a doctor correct? I can’t speak of what happened there because I don’t know. I will assume the best and say you were using that year of college you had to help him research a drug that caused men to develop super human abilities but that also killed them half the time, Mirakuru right? Like I said I can’t discuss that because I really don’t know what you did for the good doctor. The same one that made Oliver decide between you and Shado who he loved and he chose you out of guilt.”

Sara’s smile was definitely gone by this point.

“Yeah Nyssa has told me quite a bit about you. Oliver hasn’t said a word but that is standard for him and its none of my business I guess but Nyssa told me because I asked. I was very curious about you for obvious reasons. What else do I know?

You almost died again, only to be rescued from starvation by Nyssa who took you in, despite her father’s disapproval and trained you, loved you, believed you loved her and then abandoned her without a word, not even a simple I want to check on my family. Once Nyssa granted you your release from an oath you swore, you began sleeping with Oliver Queen again, despite your sister’s alcohol abuse and knowing what it would do to her since she still probably loved him for some reason. Although that isn’t fair to Oliver. The man I have heard about is not the man I know now who would take a bullet for my sister or travel to another universe to fight her enemies if needed. So I can definitely see why your sister loved him when he returned. He slept with you because I am guessing, and this is only a guess, that he felt guilty, probably felt he owed you. Nyssa told me Oliver Queen is ruled by guilt. It determines 90% of his actions by her estimate. You stay with Oliver until your old friend Slade Wilson… Deathstroke right? Cute name. Slade comes back and has an army intent on not only taking over the city but you and Oliver out. Oliver is prepared to fight Slade but you know he can’t win so you go back to Nyssa begging her to save your life again. Of course you will go back to her, not because you loved her but because you needed something from her. Oh yes, you went on some time traveling adventure while your sister was taking your role and became a hero, a real hero. You meet my sister and… what? What was your draw to her?”

“I was trying to help her. I know what it is like to lose family…”

“And you didn’t even let them know you were alive. Seen much of your father since you have been back from time traveling? Nyssa tells me while you were chasing down Savage for a year or so, the same man my sister took out in twenty minutes, Laurel was fighting for her home while you were trying to what? Find yourself? So why Kara? Needed someone who you could turn to since Nyssa had enough of your crap?”

“I respect your sister.”

“Yeah you respect her. I have no doubt about that. Its impossible not to. She is a hero. She is a warrior, who has every reason to give into the darkness and doesn’t. Wait, have I spoken about anything I don’t know about yet? You haven’t told me to stop. I admit I don’t know much else. Oh wait, you did do an honorable thing by risking being stuck in another universe to bring Kara memories of her home. Of course you could have broken in after I left but no, you decided to kick the door in my face and attack me. Wanted to make me remember the issues Kara and I had. Did you not think that they were on my mind all day, everyday? You accused me of possibly being a part of the attempt on her life…”

“I didn’t say that…”

“Shut up. I’m still talking about things I shouldn’t because I know nothing about them. Oh yeah, I beg you to tell me how to get to my sister and you tell me good luck. I think thats about it. Thats all the things I can speak about that I know about anyway. Honestly I don’t want to know anything more about you except what the hell you are doing here?”

Sara walked slowly into the room, her anger barely contained.

“I came to say hi to Ray, Martin and Jax and see how Kara was doing. I wanted to make sure she was okay after her little trip down memory lane. I see she is fine, her and Barry, so I guess I will be on my way. I’m glad you forced your way back into her life. Good for you.”

Before Sara could turn, Alex hit her in the jaw, knocking the blonde to the ground.

“How do you want to do this? You passed everyone you just mentioned to find me. Did you expect me to back down? Thought you could taunt me a little bit? So what now? Want to use your big stick or your little sticks? Maybe one of your little sonic grenades?”

Sara stood up and rubbed her jaw.

“A couple weeks with Nyssa, probably spent more on your back and you think you are ready? You couldn’t beat me before.”

“That was then. I didn’t know what I was fighting for. I do now. Do you? Have you ever known?”

“I fight to survive.” Sara told her, unable to control her anger. “What do you fight for Alex? Your sister? She doesn’t need you to fight for her.”

“No, I don’t fight for my sister. What I fight for is something I had to figure out for myself and isn’t your business. We going to play with your toys or handle this like women?”

Sara unleashed a barrage of kicks towards Alex’s head, frustrated when she realized none were landing. Alex swept her leg and she dropped. Before she could stand up a small but extremely fast fist hit her eye, knocking her back to the ground. The Canary lifted up, her foot striking Alex, knocking her back, only for the brunette to perform a perfect spin kick landing on the side of Sara’s head.

The two stepped away, circling the room, Sara furious and Alex the picture of calm.

“League of Assassins huh? Ever fought man sized alien insects and survived? I have. I’ve fought and beaten enemies you wouldn’t imagine in your worst nightmares. Face it Sara, you are out of your league.”

Sara charged again only to feel a knee in her gut, doubling her over. A strike to the back of her head and she was on the ground face first with a knee in her back and her head bent back by Alex’s arms.

“I would say this isn’t personal. You are right, I really don’t know much about you, and I don’t want to but you need to know one thing.”

“Let me guess, stay away from your sister?” Sara gasped.

“Kara can see who she wants. You need to know that I hate you and every time I see you I am going to kick your ass so if you want to visit anyone in this lab that is your business but you had better make sure I’m not here first.”

Alex released Sara’s head and stood up, walking towards the door. Training was over and she needed a shower. Unfortunately Sara Lance was not one to take being defeated well. She pulled her extendable bo staff and ran towards Alex.

Alex was distracted by Kara walking in the door. Kara’s eyes lit up and she pushed Alex to the side, catching the staff and snapping it in half. Alex turned to see Kara at the top of the training room, holding Sara in the air by her throat.

“Have you lost your mind?! You were going to hit her from behind over the head with a metal bar? What the hell is wrong with you?!” Kara screamed. The fight went out of Sara seeing Kara’s anger and hurt. For a few seconds she wondered if she would feel two lasers burning out her eyes. Kara let her drop to the floor where she landed on her knees. Landing in front of her, she looked Sara in the eyes.

“Sara, what is wrong with you?” she asked in a gentler tone.

“I don’t know Kara.” she admitted.

“If you want to fight Alex I’m sure she will do it anytime you want but I wouldn’t recommend it judging by your face. But if you ever try to take a cheap shot at her again, especially with a damn metal bar while her back is turned, what I did to Savage is going to seem nice compared to what I do to you. I think you should leave until you can figure out whatever is going on in your head. You did a nice thing for me once, took a huge chance but never, ever mess with my family or you are going to see a side of me you don’t like. Don’t come back Sara. I hope whatever you have going on you can work it out but it won’t be here.”

Sara walked out, head down, trying to hold back tears, not because of the beating she took but because of the look in Kara’s eyes. She did feel broken and wondered if she would ever be fixed. Plus she let down a woman she considered a friend. Sara didn’t have many and she just lost another most likely. Kara may forgive, she didn’t seem the type to hold a grudge, but she wouldn’t forget. That look of gratefulness in her eyes when Sara handed her the bag with her mother’s necklace would never be the same. Because despite saying she wanted to visit her old teammates she had come to S.T.A.R. with one purpose, following Alex from Nyssa’s apartment and kicking her ass for no sane reason, most likely because Alex Danvers had a family and love that Sara knew she would never have.

In the training room, Alex tried to appear nonchalant about Kara’s actions but wanted to high five someone.

“Thanks, but you know, I had that. I heard her behind me.”

“I know.” Kara told her with a smile. “But sometimes it makes me feel good to protect you. I owe you a few thousand. I heard you talking to her. Something is wrong with her Alex but it isn’t our problem.”

“You want to fix her, don’t you?” Alex guessed.

“No. I hope she gets help one day but she tried to hurt you, to really hurt you. That’s unforgivable in my book.”

“Well, I have to say you looked extremely cute holding her by the neck in the air wearing your pajamas.”

Kara laughed and wrapped an arm around her sister, both of them walking out.

“Hey Kara, tonight after work, do you think we could…”

“Talk? Really talk? Yeah, its probably time we laid somethings out on the table and moved past them.”

“Good. It won’t be easy but there is a lot I want to tell you and I want you to know and I want to know…”

“When were you going to tell me you are gay and sleeping with Nyssa?”

If Alex had been drinking something it would have come out of her nose.

“You know?”

“Of course. I notice things. I’m not as clueless as you seem to think I am. I’ve known since it started. Not you being gay. I figured that out long before you and Nyssa were… involved, but yeah, I totally knew.”

Alex stopped and noted that Kara had her lying face on. She sucked at lying, a trait common around the circle of friends they all had and an unfortunate one for superheroes.

“Kara? Did Barry tell you?”

“Nope. Did you threaten him if he told me?”

“I just asked that I be the one who told you, not him. So if he didn’t tell you and I know Caitlin didn’t…”

“Caitlin knew?”

“I asked her not to say…”

“Yeah yeah, got it. Doesn’t matter, I knew before all of them. I mean you are my sister. Of course I noticed. I mean it was obvious you had a thing for Lucy.”

‘I didn’t have a thing for Lucy.” Alex told her, wondering where the hell that came from.

“Really? Why not? If I was gay I would totally do that, you know, whatever that is. How does this work… no, no, no, I don’t want to know… actually I kind of do… but I can get drunk with you now so you can tell me then, just not too many details. I just want the general mechanics of it. You know, like who does what when and how its decided and other things, yeah I guess I want to know a lot, not about you and Nyssa, Rao no, but just in general how this works. I was going to ask Caitlin about the general mechanics of you know, me and Barry, but I decided to look up most of the cool tricks online but Alex, illustrations are one thing but the pictures! I mean… I’m kind of scared of the whole thing. Its supposedly more painful than a stubbed toe and those are horrible. Anyway these pictures…”

“Kara! Who told you?” Alex asked, to stop her rambling before Kara began describing internet porn.

“Oh right. Yeah, no one told me. Me and Oliver were underground on the other side of the base fighting this big green monster. I was fighting, Oliver kept trying to shoot it with arrows and I was like, that is so not going to work, but I guess he didn’t have any better ideas. Anyway I broke its neck but then I was talking to J’onn and the thing came back alive and hit me pretty hard. I hit the ground and I don’t know, it just came to me. I remember…”

“Remember what?’ Alex pressed.

“When I made you watch the first episode of Homeland you couldn’t stand it. But when episode two came on and you saw that naked girl who was auditioning for the Prince guy’s harem…”

“Stacy Moore.” Alex prompted.

“That was like four years ago and she had 6 minutes screen time in two episodes and you remember the character’s name? I just remembered the look in our eyes when you saw her and you never missed an episode after that.”

“Thats what you were thinking about when you were knocked unconscious by a green giant alien who couldn’t die?” Alex asked, thinking it made sense in a Kara sort of way.

“Well that and then I started thinking about all the times you and Nyssa disappeared together and then Mom said she was pretty sure… I mean she wouldn’t tell me but it became obvious she knew once I really started thinking about it.”

“Wait! Mom knows?!”

“I’m not… I mean she didn’t say it, but I like to think I am pretty observant.”

“You’re really not.” Alex corrected. “It took an alien sized concussion to figure it out. I can’t believe Mom knows or at least suspects.”

“I know. Maybe during Myriad an alien knocked her in the head. Were you keeping a close eye on her? Anyway we can talk about this tonight. I have to get ready. Apparently work is here today according to Felicity. I’m not sure what that means but Ray is coming back from the dead this afternoon and I really hope this place doesn’t get dragged into that whole mess.”

“If I have learned one thing, its that this place is going to be caught up in any mess around.”

“Thats true. For a supposedly secure headquarters for a couple of superheroes it seems every bad guy and girl in the world knows we are here and can get in with pretty much no problem. We may as well do away with the security system and have one of those automatic doors that freak me out so much.”

“How can those things freak you out?” Alex asked, for not the first time.

“They didn’t until you made me watch Poltergeist when I was 14. So not funny. There were no ghosts on Krypton. Or evil scary whatever those were.”

“You fought a White Martian.” her sister reminded the woman of steel.

“Yep and if those things could have reached out of a TV set and dragged me in you can bet I would have flown away so fast Barry wouldn’t be able to keep up. I like to think I’m brave but we all have our limits.”

Alex laughed and walked to the shower room while Kara prepared for the day. To Kara’s disappointment Barry was already gone, probably wanting to get to work early. She grabbed her phone and texted him.

/Good morning to you too jerk/

/Sorry- You were having sister time. I didn’t want to stick around for the mechanics of lesbian sex. See you at ten./

Kara chuckled, glad to see he was in a better mood. Something had been very off about Barry since they had come back.

At ten AM Barry had arrived back, a bit annoyed because Joe had already set up an interview with Alex at ten and he wanted to know how it went when Alex came out. He was also making progress on the unsolved homicide. The man had been drugged by a gaseous substance found in his lungs but the method in which it attacked the brain confused him. Normally he would ask Caitlin to help him analyze it but he knew Alex was a genius as well, even if she did spend more time kicking ass than researching, and wanted her to take a look, especially if she would be working there full time. It would definitely give Cait more time to work on her projects. Instead he sat in a room with a smiling Felicity, a nervous Ray who was planning on announcing himself back to the world of the living in two hours and a confused Cisco and Caitlin, no doubt wondering like he was why they were here. Kara walked in, thankfully not angry at Barry leaving without a word this morning since she sat by him with a smile. She grabbed his hand under the table and kissed his cheek then whispered in his ear.

“If you ever leave in the morning without kissing me goodbye, you won’t like me when you come back. Understand… babe?”

Barry gulped and nodded, figuring he wasn’t quite out of the doghouse. Honestly since they had come back he didn’t want to leave Kara’s side out of fear for her, which made no sense now that she was back where she was safe. He left because if he saw her he would be tempted to stay all day and miss work, again. It wasn’t right and roses would be the minimum in regards to apologies.

“Thank you all for agreeing to see me today. Mr. Palmer and I want to…”

“Felicity? Its us and you trying to sound like a professional business woman instead of a badass hacker is going to freak us out, so if we could maybe chill on the whole serious business thing you two have going on?” Cisco asked.

Felicity let out a breath, not sure how this would go but deciding her professional approach probably wasn’t going to work, especially with Cisco slurping coffee with his Wrath of Khan t shirt on, complete with mustard stains.

“Fine, sorry, I’m kinda nervous. I shouldn’t be because we are all friend here and there is nothing to be nervous about but this is going to be a little out there. I mean compared to some of the stuff we have all gone through it isn’t but…”

“What Felicity is trying to say,” Ray cut in, obviously much better at this and wondering how his company was still standing with Felicity as CEO. If she was this nervous talking to friends he could imagine what the Board must have done to her. “Is that Palmer Tech Wants to buy S.T.A.R. labs.”

Barry, Caitlin and Cisco both froze, not knowing what to expect but not this.

“This is our home. This is the Superflash cave. We have had some great… and really horrible and terrifying memories here but its still our home.” Cisco pointed out.

“I know and that won’t change. I plan to take back control of my company today and make Central City my base of operations while Felicity handles Star City. You three aren’t making any money. Its a miracle the lights are still on.”

“We do all right for ourselves. We have been in a hole but things are looking better.” Cisco told him defensively, pulling out a lollipop and chewing on it.

“We are offering to buy S.T.A.R. for $30 million dollars. Ten for each of you. In exchange you would still be managers of the lab, and this place would be designated as a top secret research facility with access only allowed to select employees.”

“And if the board wants a tour? Caitlin asked.

“Seriously all you guys have to do is take the suits off the mannequins and put them in Kara’s room for a hour or so. Its not like you have arrows all over the place the way Oliver’s place is set up. This place is still a lab. There aren’t any giant lightning bolts on the walls. We would have advanced notice if anyone had a very legitimate reason to come in here. The only people allowed to work here are people who already know what goes on here. I need the lab and space for working on my suit. Dr. Stein needs a research area that allows him to leave with little notice should he and Jax be needed. Kara’s parents are outstanding bio engineers and will need jobs, the work they could do in the biomechanics division with you Cait, on the bio stimulant chips and nano tech designed for bloodstreams, treating strokes, blood clots, maybe one day attacking cancerous cells at the source. We could cure a lot of diseases and you can’t tell me they wouldn’t want to be involved in that. Alex obviously loves the work to when she isn’t… saving mine and Barry’s asses and being a cop. I know the work you four do isn’t cheap. How much take home are you and Cisco bringing in after the suits Barry and Kara wear are taken into account?”

“The suits pay for themselves.” Caitlin told him.

“I understand. I’m not trying to buy you out of your home, I just see an opportunity to help us all benefit while still maintaining business as usual and also proving livelihoods for our new resident scientists and a guy Felicity says is on par with Curtis when it comes to coding. Winn, right?”

All three said nothing, Barry already deciding he would let Caitlin and Cisco make this decision. This place belonged to them and while he was technically a co owner it was given to him by Thawne and that had always left a bad taste in his mouth. Allowing Cisco and Caitlin ownership and all profit, not that there was much, took some of the sting out of it.

“Can we have a minute? I think the four of us need to talk.” Caitlin asked.

‘I should go too…”

“Stay Kara. This place is your home as well.” Cisco told her. Ray and Felicity smiled and stood up.

“No matter what you decide I won’t be offended. Its going to require a lot of trust in me on your part. I will have stipulations of course that if I were to die the lab would revert back to its original owners. Take as much time as you need. I have come things I need to talk to Felicity about anyway.”

The two walked out leaving the four behind staring at each other.

“I have no part in this decision.” Kara told them immediately but remained sitting.

Barry looked at his two partners.

“This is you and Cisco’s decision. I have a job. This place is what it is, it survived because of you two.”

“And we stayed because of you Barry. If we do this you are taking your share. You have put as much sweat and quite a bit of blood and broken bones as either of us have. We are a team. We own this place together and the only reason I have stayed, that I left Mercury to come back, was because of you Barry.”

“Thanks Caitlin.” Cisco commented, earning a shoulder bump from his old friend.

“I guess the question is do we trust Ray?” Barry asked the three.

“I don’t know anything about him so leave me out of it.” Kara said quickly. She liked the man but had limited interactions with him.

“Selling, taking a couple million and still getting to do our things would be a good deal.” Cisco pointed out. “Plus we do have a lot of talent around this place now. Harry could actually earn his keep. How does he have money anyway?”

“I don’t want to know.” both Cait and Barry said simultaneously.

“What if there is a hostile take over or something? What if Ray loses the company? We may be able to pick another headquarters…”

“Cave.” Cisco corrected Barry.

“But we would still need the particle accelerator. I need it or at least I have used it quite a bit. The Speed Canon if we can ever get it stabilized has been a big help. The treadmill, Kara’s room…”

“Whoa. I can pack up and move anywhere.” she told the three.

“No one is moving. Barry you don’t need the accelerator again. You have the Tachyon device and can breach whenever you want.” Cisco pointed out.

“You want to sell?” Barry asked.

“I think it wouldn’t be a bad thing. I mean we would be set for life and could still do our thing, surrounded by help. Ray would stick around and Dr. Stein so we could always have backup. Jax can do whatever the hell he does when he isn’t being Dr. Steins superhuman car. We can trust Ray. He has always been a good guy. He isn’t trying to trick us.” Cisco argued. “What do you think Caitlin?”

Caitlin had mostly been silent this entire time, her mind going over every possible scenario as it usually did.

“I think we should do it.”

“Then its decided. If you two want it, then it is going to happen…” Barry started, relieved he didn’t have to be a deciding vote.

“Provided that you agree to take your part Barry.” Caitlin added.

Barry sighed. He wouldn’t give up his job but the idea of having that to fall back on, to be able to give Kara whatever she wanted, not that she ever wanted much or anything really, it was appealing.

“Okay.” he gave in.

“Yes! Lets get them in here…”

“No! Give me five minutes.” Caitlin ordered. All sat in silence while she opened her laptop and typed furiously.

Once she was done, she looked at Cisco who walked over and yelled for Ray and Felicity despite there being an intercom system in the room. The two Palmer Tech reps walked back and sat, neither having any idea how this would go. Barry, Cisco and Kara all looked towards Cait.

“We are open to selling S.T.A.R….” she began.

“Excellent!” Ray shouted happily.

“but not for $30 million.” she finished.

“I don’t understand.” Ray asked, thinking $30 million was extremely generous.

“The land we sit on is in the middle of Central City. The real estate value alone is fifteen million. We also have an operational satellite worth at least $5 and thats a friend’s discount. We have contracts with Opal, Star and Central City police departments in the range of $100,000 a year for equipment to hold metahumans that we own the patent on. These are five year contracts rounding out to a million and a half. While the particle accelerator is never going to be turned on again, we all know it can work if Thawne hadn’t purposely sabotaged it and CERN offered us $30 million for the pipeline and equipment alone to be taken to Switzerland last year. I turned them down because we needed the pipeline and honestly Ray, if this wasn’t you and Felicity there is no way we would sell. We also have advanced physics patents generated by the research and data we have gathered from classified experiments which are actually data collected from Barry’s use of the speed canon and the patents on the tachyon device which shouldn’t be given out but one day perhaps in two decades, while researchers are looking for ways to measure the universes vibrations and attempting to discover more about inter dimensional travel as it relates to space exploration and stable wormholes, we are already there, twenty years or so in front of the latest trend. We also hold the patents and copy rights to anything Flash, Green Arrow, and Superwoman related through a seperate LTD attached to the S.T.A.R. labs corporation. In other words every time a shirt is sold, a toy is bought or a poster is hung we get a percentage. Its becoming pretty lucrative and how we pay for the suits and tech in Barry and Kara’s suits. Its also how Cisco affords to make the enhancements to Oliver’s suit.”

All at the table looked at Caitlin in shock. Not one had any idea she had done all this. She looked at Barry and Cisco and shrugged her shoulders.

“What? We had to pay for this somehow. Who do you think pays the bills for this place? Oh, that reminds me, we are under contract to conduct research for A.R.G.U.S for curing Amanda Waller’s disasters. Mostly just DNA work and gene repair. That service we provide case by case. The work I am doing on King Shark alone is bringing in about $500,000 thousand this year. Government is always reckless with their money, especially if it involves correcting embarrassing mistakes made by heads of black op agencies.”

“I see.” Ray mumbled, a brand new respect for the woman in front of him. She was much more than a scientist.

“You make money off Green Arrow merchandise?” Felicity asked, not angry but fascinated. She always wondered who was making off with their work.

“Yep. I copywriter and patented it about five minutes after that TV broadcast where he gave out a new name. I’m just glad he has stuck with one this time. Rebranding is not really my area of expertise and I didn’t want to bring in marketing consultants for obvious reasons. Barry has kept us pretty busy. Point being while Cisco and I cleared about $50,000 thousand last year, because of the enormous cost of running this place, if you want to buy it, you are getting everything. I won’t bother detailing the advanced electron microscopes we have, the surgical equipment, the computer equipment and communication devices. You are getting everything we use besides Barry and Kara’s suits and we are trusting that you won’t kick us out, not that we are worried because you know what Kara can do to you, no matter how big or small you are. And I mean that to be funny because of your suit, not because of anything else.”

“We also acquired some very high powered solar lamps recently.” Cisco reminded Cailtin. “And we know how to replicate different types of non harmful solar radiations so Kara can get her freak on. We haven’t even begun to explore what that radiation can do in regards to skin cancer. Oh the bracelet stays with us too. I got you covered buddy.” Cisco finished, patting Barry on the shoulder while Kara blushed as bright as a red sun.

“So how much are we talking Caitlin?” Ray asked, grinning. He had to admit he never considered or even knew about all S.T.A.R had to offer and he had been living here since parting ways with Rip Hunter months ago.

“Ray the work you do is amazing, The nano tech in Kara’s suit that can change into reflector panels, that was so nice of you and you haven’t asked for anything in return besides a bed to sleep on. You help us out so much. Because it is you, I’ll give you the friends discount at $75 million.” Cait told him.

Everyone held their breath at the table. This was a side none had seen of Caitlin. Barry knew she handled the bills but had no idea she had done all this.

“What if I bought in? Most of the coding work will still happen at the new facility being built. Kara is still going to be over PR and Curtis and I hope Winn will be there. I won’t need the entire facility. Perhaps a merger…”

“Not looking for a new partner Ray. You want it, you get the whole thing.” Caitlin told him.

“I’m an executive assistant.” Kara reminded the room since everyone seemed to have forgotten on the Palmer Tech team.

“Yeah so was I. Six months later Ray was playing dead and I was the owner and CEO. Try having that dumped on you. Your lucky you are only getting stuck with PR.” Felicity told her. “And if Ray asks you to sign anything make very sure you read it first.”

“I don’t know if I can get the board…”

“I thought you owned the company? Your return alone is going to make the stock jump up 40%. You can get away with it if you wanted to. Its up to you. Me and Cisco are perfectly happy getting along on the salary we take home.”

“We are? I mean, yeah we are. We are Cait?”

“Yes we are Cisco.”

“Fine. We have a deal. Let me come back to life in an hour, handle the legal necessities to get my company back in the next couple days and Team Superflash will have corporate sponsorship and you three are going to be rich. Any chance I can get my name incorporated into the team?”

“No.” All three said at once.

“I guess two names combined should be the limit. Jax and I are working on our own name anyway. A pleasure doing business with you. Felicity can have the contracts drawn up by next week, say Monday?”

“That would be great.” Caitlin told him, standing and shaking Ray’s hand and hugging Felicity.

“Okay, time to get ready for the press conference and since I am soon to be the owner Jax and I are buying a pool table to put in my lab. Its going to be awesome!”

Ray practically skipped out, leaving the four team members staring at each other. Even Caitlin let out a breath, having a difficult time believing she pulled that off.

“You realize you just made us millionaires, right?” Barry asked her, smiling and so proud he wanted to run her around town on his shoulders.

“Oh my God I did… Barry you agreed.” she reminded him.

“Got it. If you insist on giving me millions I won’t argue. So… I have to get back to work.”

“Yeah, I do to.” Kara added. “I guess I need to make sure this press conference is going to work. I mean there are only a few people I called and didn’t tell any station or news agency outside of Central City but his return is going to be picked up around the world in a matter of minutes. I suppose I should… handle that.”

“Barry why the hell are you going to work?! We are freaking rich buddy!”

“Yeah I guess we will be but I love my job. So I’m going to keep doing it, the same as I know neither of you are flying off to a tropical beach and relaxing for the rest of your lives. Nothing is going to change. The four of us are still going to be out there, doing what it is we do everyday. We do it because we love it and can do it because Caitlin is a genius in more than bio engineering. So, I will catch you guys later.”

Barry bent down and kissed Kara, not wanting to leave her but telling himself that she was okay. He hadn’t processed the fact that he was going to be very rich soon and honestly didn’t care. He was happy for Cisco and Caitlin and glad he could provide whatever Kara may need. He could take care of his own family and if things ever changed they could have their own little cave to operate out of and the tech and money to not worry about anything else besides the work they do protecting the city and world.

Speaking of protecting the world, his world at least, Barry had an idea, the beginnings of an idea, an idea Caitlin would hate and by extension Kara. Still it was something he had to do. He knew the man who could help him with this. Walking in he was unsurprised to see Harrison Wells sitting at his work table, tinkering with a weapon of some sort.

“Harry?”

“Hey Barry.” Wells said without turning around. Barry looked back to make sure no one was in the hall and then closed the door gently. He spoke softly, not that he thought Kara might be listening but because he really didn’t want anyone to know about this yet.

“I need your help with something.”

Harry did turn at the man’s quiet and serious tone.

“Barry I think after what you have done for my family there isn’t anything I would turn down in my power. What can I do for you?”

“I want to know if it is possible for me to get…”

“Faster? Haven’t you gotten fast enough?”

“No I haven’t, but thats not what I want. I want to know how to hit something, anything, hard, without having to run miles away for a head start. I want to know how to hit something big and destroy it without shattering every bone in my hand. Do you think its possible?”

Harrison Wells grinned.

“Come talk to me after work. It is possible, using the speed force to vibrate… let me work this afternoon. I’ve actually been thinking about it myself. We can talk about something called the infinite mass punch. I think you can do it but it will be very dangerous.”

“Dangerous how?”

“The last time something hit the Earth with the force of infinite mass the dinosaurs became extinct. But that was a lot bigger rock than your fist.”

Barry grinned, knowing he had come to the right man. He wouldn’t hide this from anyone but he wanted to know if it was possible first. Next time he may not have bombs to leave inside Doomsday or another creature like him. Next time Barry wanted to have the confidence that he could stand in front of anything and destroy it with his body, speedster, monster or any other threat to his friends, family and especially Kara. Fast enough? No Barry wasn’t near as fast as he could be and he knew it as sure as he knew there were other uses for speed than just running. Mass X acceleration equals force. He may not have much mass but he had plenty of acceleration to burn.

That afternoon while Barry and Wells worked on physics theories at the lab, Kara and Alex headed to Kara’s apartment after spending an hour visiting their parents but suspecting they needed a bit more time alone. Jeremiah was practically attached to Eliza, constantly touching her. If she walked to the kitchen he walked behind her. The girls had told him a bit about Myriad but when it got to the point of Eliza watching a mind controlled Alex attack Kara he asked them to stop. Despite wanting to now everything he realized maybe he should learn a bit at a time. His new reality was hitting him hard and he was doing his best to deal. Joe had no problem with the couple staying as long as they wanted so he had time. They both did.

Cait and Cisco had decided to celebrate and show Winn the city at the same time so the apartment was empty. Kara turned on the bracelet she had snuck out of the lab, under Barry’s nose, pulled out a bottle of Vodka and placed it on the table where Alex sat across from her. Grabbing two shot glass they both started off preparing for the conversation that was about to happen.

“So who starts?” Alex asked.

“Go ahead.” Kara offered. Alex took up the offer.

“I thought… I was so scared that you were dead. Do you have any idea what that did to me? To Mom? Cisco could have brought you back at anytime, anywhere and you couldn’t even come back to tell us you were okay? Why Kara? Do I mean so little to you that you would just leave us like that, thinking you were dead?”

“Cisco isn’t great, or wasn’t at the time when it came to breaches and…”

“And what? You were scared you would be separated from Barry? I know he would have come with you and Cisco can do that whenever he wants. If we are going to have this talk lets be honest or this is a waste of time.” Alex told her calmly, despite the pain she felt inside.

“I was scared, okay? You want the truth. I was scared. I wasn’t even scared of being shot, although, no that was a part of it. I mean the look in that man’s eyes when he put a gun to my head and I couldn’t move… but mostly I was scared of going back. I was scared of ruining your life. You took a huge risk coming after me in that pod. You could have died, we both would have died and for what? What have I ever done for you Alex? I’m the reason your Dad was missing for years, you thought he was dead. I’m the reason you grew apart from Eliza. Remember at Thanksgiving? You were so mad and pointed right at me, asking her how you could dedicate your life to protecting me? That hurt Alex. I used to love how protective you were but I thought it was because… after that I kind of felt like you did it out of obligation to her and you resented Eliza because of it. Like you said, before I came you were the star. I was scared. If I came back I didn’t know if I could leave. Kal was there before I lost consciousness. I knew he would protect the two of you. They wanted me dead because of who I was. I was scared. I missed Barry when he left. I know I hadn’t known him long but something broke inside me when he disappeared from my life. I tried to move on but what did I have? A sister who resented me, who I wrecked her family, a blood cousin who was never really there who I was supposed to protect. A job that I liked but I wasn’t going anywhere. I’m pretty certain Cat knew who I was already and the whole double thing was a failure. She would have fired me eventually like she threatened last time so I could be Supergirl 24/7. I just thought it would be better if I was dead to that world. I figured you would grieve and move on. I didn’t know that you and Mom would…”

“Move Heaven and Earth to get to you? Ask Cat Grant for millions despite the way I felt for that woman and undertake a huge task of bending physics all so we could just get to you?”

“Yes! Thats exactly what I had no idea about. I didn’t think…”

“Anyone loved you enough to bother?”

“No… Alex I know you loved me. I have always known that, but I also recognized I probably wasn’t good for you. I’m sorry. That was your choice to make and I should have tried to come back. Barry would have come back with me and we could have escaped together, we could have found a way. I’m sorry. I was scared and selfish and I felt you would be better off without me. I was wrong.” Kara admitted.

Alex and her both took shots.

“I forgive you.” she told her. “Your turn.”

“Have you always resented me? I know you love me but when I was under the Red Kryptonite and I told you that you always hated me deep down, did you? At times you must have right?”

“At times? No. I just couldn’t. There were times I wanted to. I was glad you didn’t want to use your power. It not only made me feel better but kept you safer. I knew. Hank… J’onn told me who your mother was. I had seen these monsters first hand and they were monsters Kara, they were not you. You are love and they were hate, battle hardened hate. You had never felt pain since you came to Earth. You were gentle and good and I knew. I had nightmares about what would happen if they got to you. I had dreams about you being shred to pieces. That is why I told you I would rather have died than have you expose your powers. Once you started I knew you wouldn’t stop and they would find you. Then to make matters worse you had to wear that symbol. Kal El was a fighter, he had been in battles and still almost lost despite his strength. Metropolis was destroyed in his battle with Zod and Zod’s cronies. He almost lost because he was outnumbered. I didn’t want that to happen to you. He had to fight three Kryptonians. You would have had thirty or forty escapees that we knew about coming after you including Kryptonians. Kal and I fought about this because he wanted to be a hero but didn’t feel the need to protect you or train you. He should have known better, he should have known what it was like for him and how much worse it would be for you. But he didn’t so I did everything I could to hide you, to make you hide yourself. I was wrong. I should have trained you myself, I should have prepared you, taught you to fight and I shouldn’t have lied to you about who I worked for.”

“Why did you let Hank shoot me down with a Kryptonite dart? Did you really think that was the best way for me to find out about you?”

“No and I didn’t know he was going to do that. He called me at home and told me to come into the office. When I got there I found you just as you were waking up. I didn’t know what to do. You were… the way you looked at me, I was afraid I had destroyed any trust… I wanted to tell you after you saved me from that plane crash but J’onn said it would only encourage you. After you left I screamed at him for an hour. I actually quit. I threw my damn gun at him. He followed me out and apologized and told me to take time to think about it and what he did was harsh but would be effective. He didn’t know you like I did. Your spirit can’t be broken. It can be knocked down but never broken.”

“Why did you think it was okay for you to fight aliens and not me? Did you think they would see that you weren’t Alura’s daughter and let you go?” Kara asked her, never quite understanding why J’onn allowed Alex to be placed in danger when he promised Jeremiah he would look after both his daughters.

“No. I was in a low place in my life during college. I never hated you Kara but there were times when I was trying to find my place in the world that I couldn’t stand to look at you. You reminded me of everything I wasn’t. I was so depressed and angry at the world because I had lost my Dad and me and Mom had drifted apart and there you were, the epitome of light and you had lost everything. You had literally lost everything. I knew it tore you up inside because I listened to you cry in your sleep but when you woke everything was fine. I knew it wasn’t but you were just so selfless. You kept it in because you knew it would make Mom upset if she thought you were upset. I couldn’t do it. Looking at you was like looking in a mirror and seeing what I was supposed to be and the reflection changing to what I was. I’m sorry for that. Joining the DEO gave me purpose I wouldn’t have found behind a microscope. It made me feel better, knowing I could have a hand in taking out even one of the evil bastards who would hurt you if they found you. Its why I could look at you again without feeling disgusted at myself. I’m sorry for that. I really am. I wish I had handled the whole thing differently, but I can’t. I made a mistake.”

“I forgive you.” Kara told her.

Alex and Kara toasted each other before Alex took her turn.

“It really pissed me off that I wasn’t a part of your perfect world.” she admitted.

“I figured. I’m sorry. I love you but I had you. I had this life. It wasn’t perfect and I suppose in my mind what is perfect will always be my childhood. Remember I told you that you weren’t my sister because we didn’t share blood?”

“Yep. One of the top five worst moments of my life. I think I would have rather you melted my face off.” Alex told her.

“I know. The thing is, I was bitter growing up with you sometimes. I mean you had what I wanted, what I had. On Krypton family was everything. It was who you were. I had that, I wanted what you had. You had a mother and father you shared blood with and I always felt like an outsider and I was so angry at Kal El for leaving me because he didn’t understand. He should have known what blood meant to a Kryptonian but he didn’t because he grew up in Kansas. To him Krypton was this mystical place he was from, that he took pride in and represented. If he had any pride or knowledge about Krypton he would know he would have been expelled from the family for leaving me with another family. I couldn’t tell him that though. I was 13 and scared and angry and he was clueless. I tried to speak to him in Kryptonian and had to keep repeating myself because he couldn’t understand. He had a basic understanding of the words but no idea about the dialect. I felt like an idiot and he is the one who should have! So yeah, I grew up watching you have what I couldn’t and when my perfect world popped up in my head I was on Krypton and Kal El was a child and he looked to me as it should have been. But it wasn’t and I came back to you because I love you. I will always love you more than anyone Alex. Probably because you aren’t perfect and neither am I. Both of us are so screwed up… I’m sorry.”

“You do understand that no part of me hates you right? Yeah I may have resented you, wanted to be you but I have never, ever hated you. I love you always, you get that right?”

“Yeah I do. I hope you know I feel the same. You are closer than blood to me because you chose me when my own abandoned me. You do know I wouldn’t have actually killed you under the Red Kryptonite. I just wanted to scare you a little.” she told Alex with a wicked grin.

“You succeeded.” Alex admitted, pouring another shot for both of them. Kara began to get a bit dizzy.

“You know this is only the second time I have really drank alcohol right?”

“Don’t turn into a lightweight on me now Superwoman. Why did Sara Lance know all our problems?”

“I got drunk with the girls and just told them about my old life and they kind of… I didn’t say anything bad about you…”

“They just took it for what it was.”

“They didn’t… yeah but I was drunk. Very drunk. I told them I missed you though. I told them I loved you. When you came to me, what you did to get to me, I should have yelled at her for fighting you. I was so caught up in having my mother’s necklace and then to find out you were here and what had happened… I was surprised but I should have yelled at her. I’m sorry.”

“You are forgiven. I doubt you said anything that wasn’t true and the bitch did take a risk for you. I still hate her. Something about her face…”

“I doubt you will have to worry about seeing her again.”

“Where do you think she will buy a new staff to replace the one you snapped? Is there like an assassin’s store or do they have to build their own on top of a mountain?”

Kara looked at Alex with a stern gaze, at least she tried to before the thought of Sara on a mountain making a new staff mixed with the alcohol in her system made her burst out laughing, Alex joining her. It has been a while since Alex had drank as well.

“So are we done? All the serious stuff out of the way?” Alex asked.

“I don’t think we should ever be done. I think we should always get drunk and talk and maybe even do it without the Vodka. Maybe if we had talked like this more often we could have cleared the air sooner. I was afraid fi I said anything about what hurt I would lose you.”

“Same here.” Alex agreed.

“One last thing. Do you think I am a child?”

“No!”

“The why do you hide things from me like I am a child? I thought J’onn killed Astra because he thought it was the only way to stop her permanently. If he had told me he did it to save you, I wouldn’t have been angry. If you had told me you did it to save him… I was more hurt that you lied to me than you doing it. I would have chosen J’onn over her also. If I had been there I would have been forced to kill her to protect him because I loved her before but I love J’onn and there would have been no decision to make. I could have taken it.”

“J’onn thought you couldn’t and I believed him. I was so scared…”

“Hey, I know. We covered this. But that isn’t it. Its a lot of things. Why did you never tell me you were gay? I thought we shared didn’t you tell me the problems you were having in college? It seems like you don’t think I can take hearing or knowing anything bad. My freaking planet blew up Alex. I can handle knowing things you keep from me.”

“Because I don’t want you to look at me differently. I didn’t want you to know I was depressed and drowning my sorrows in alcohol and women. I didn’t want you to know… I never brought up being gay not because I didn’t want you to know, just because it didn’t matter. I wasn’t with anyone and never thought I would be so what was the point? Then with Nyssa,,, her background and I know how you feel about killing, I just wasn’t sure what you would think.”

“I think its great that you have someone to love and I think she is great. You do love her, don’t you?”

“Yeah I do.”

“Thats all that matters then. Does her… job bother you?” Kara asked gently.

“Nope because she isn’t an assassin. She is rich, filthy stinking rich. By the way I have moved in with her. I was supposed to take her to tell Mom and Dad tonight but Dad still needs time to adjust and Nyssa agreed. She was just happy I told you.”

“I figured it out first.” Kara reminded her.

“It took a monster induced concussion to help you out.”

“True. By the way, as of Monday Barry is going to be stinking rich too. Ray Palmer is buying S.T.A.R. from Caitlin,Cisco and Barry. He wants Mom and Dad if he is up to it to work there.”

“Yeah I saw the press conference. You did a really good job interrupting him every time he was about to say something stupid.”

“Felicity gave me pointers.”

“Hey wait a minute. Nyssa is rich, Barry is rich… wow, we are officially gold diggers!” Alex shouted in joy throwing back another shot while Kara laughed and did the same.

Alex settled down and moved towards Kara wrapping her little sister in a tight hug.

“Less than two months as we are dating rich people. We are so awesome. I love this Earth.” Alex whispered.

“Here’s to the Danvers sisters.”

“Nope,” Alex corrected, “Here’s to the Zorel sisters. We should come with a warning. Now lets put up the Vodka and break out the ice cream. But first I have to know one other thing about the whole Red Kryptonite thing. Its been bugging me forever.”

“Fine then we never speak of it again.” Kara groaned.

“Okay, where the hell did you get that black suit from and when did you have time to sew your family crest on the shoulder?”