61. Aftermath

Eliza relaxed once her family arrived at her house.  She’d been up all night the night before, and she hadn’t slept well in days from worrying about them all in the Daxamite invasion.  Once they all went upstairs, she laid back down for a couple of hours. She didn’t sleep long. She was an early riser to start, so she got up and made some coffee and watched the news.  There were aerial shots of National City and the devastation that was left. Buildings had been destroyed. People had lost their homes. The streets were a mess of cars and carnage. Occasionally, there were shots of Superman rescuing people from buildings.  She thanked the universe for the fact that her six family members were sleeping safely in her house, finally far from there. She knew Supergirl would have to go help eventually, but she hoped the poor girl got some rest first.

After the news, she got up to make herself breakfast.  She didn’t expect anyone to be up anytime soon, but sure as the sun shines, the twins smelled food and came investigating.  She smiled brightly at her granddaughters and hugged them tightly. “Oh, my girls, I love you so much!” she gushed. “I’m so, so proud of both of you.  And Jessie! You got your powers, huh? How exciting!”

Jessie grinned.  “Yeah! I’m so happy!  They couldn’t have come at a better time!”

“Tell me about the circumstances that triggered them while we make some French toast.”

The twins chattered away to her while they cooked, filling her in on the details of many things over the last week.  Of course, their favorite thing was getting to see pictures of the babies, but they had already sent her copies of the sonograms, so that wasn’t so new.  They were also excited about their new friends Ruby and Marcus. Sure Marcus was a little younger than them, but they didn’t care, as long as he was nice to them, plus, he had the added bonus of loving Star Wars.  They were worried about them, though. They hadn’t heard from either of them since the invasion.

“Maybe you should call your friends a little later today and see how they’re doing,” Eliza suggested.

The twins agreed that it was a good idea.

Dr. Danvers let her grandkids fill their little Super bellies, and then they retired to the living room to watch some cooking competitions Eliza had saved for them.  They made it about one and a half episodes in before the kids passed out against each of her shoulders. She kissed them each and changed the channel. They could watch their shows later.  She enjoyed the cuddles and watched TV for a couple of hours until the kids woke up again with their tummies rumbling.

“Oh, my,” Eliza chuckled.  “Guess we’d better feed you again, huh?”

The girls yawned and stretched themselves awake.  “Yes, please.”

About halfway through making lunch, the trio heard Alex run to the bathroom and throw up.

“Uh-oh,” Jessie cringed.  “There’s only one bathroom up there.”

“Crap,” Jamie hissed.  She grabbed the trash can from the kitchen and used her super speed to run upstairs just in time to keep Maggie from throwing up on the hallway floor.  She checked in the bedroom to see if Lena needed something too, but the CEO was still sleeping soundly next to Kara. “Come on, Maggie, let’s get you to the bathroom downstairs, OK?”  She lead her stepmother carefully down the stairs, carrying the trash bin in front of her, just in case, until they got into the downstairs bathroom.

“Thanks,” Maggie rasped before she collapsed in front of the porcelain throne.

“I’ll get you guys some waters,” Jamie offered, using her super speed to get both Maggie and her mother a glass of water.  She kept an eye on Lena, just in case the brunette woke up sick as well. Luckily, her other stepmother didn’t move a muscle.

“I didn’t even think about them having morning sickness,” Eliza admitted.  “I should have prepared a little better.”

“It’s OK, grandma, we’ll take care of them,” Jamie promised.  “It’s my fault they’re sick, anyway.”

“Alright, sweetheart,” Eliza agreed.

“Yeah, we’re used to it,” Jessie added.

“I’ve got some buckets in the garage, if you want to rinse them off and bring them in,” Eliza offered.

“OK,” Jamie went out to the garage and found the buckets her grandma had mentioned.  She took them outside and hosed them off before bringing them back in and drying them off, then she put trash bags in them and set them in the bedroom.

After that, they finished making lunch, including smoothies for the moms-to-be.  Alex was the first one to appear from the bathroom. Eliza hugged her tightly for a long time, and Alex allowed it.  She knew how worried her mother had been.

“Thanks for letting us come stay with you, Mom,” the redhead said with an extra squeeze.

“Of course, dear.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.”  Eliza caressed Alex’s face. “I’m so glad you’re OK.  I love you so much, and I am so, so proud of you.”

Alex actually blushed.  “Thanks, Mom.” She grabbed one of the berry smoothies the kids had made and sat down at the kitchen table.

“We love you too, Mommy,” Jessie stated proudly, smooching her cheek.

“So much!” Jamie added, smooching her other cheek.

She smiled at them.  “I love you girls too.  I couldn’t have asked for better children.”

“Aww!” the twins smooched her at the same time, squishing her face together and making her laugh.

“Goofballs,” she chuckled.

Maggie came sullenly out of the bathroom and headed upstairs.  “I need to brush my teeth,” she complained.

When she came back down, she glommed onto the coffee like a lifeline.

“Hello, Maggie, dear,” Eliza greeted her.  “May I hug you?”

The detective attempted a smile and fell into her mother-in-law’s arms.  “Thanks. I needed this.”

Eliza rocked her gently.  “I’m not surprised. You’ve had a rough week.”

Maggie huffed a laugh at the understatement.  “Yeah, something like that.”

“I’m so proud of you, Maggie.  Alex and the girls tell me you were quite integral to the entire operation, and they couldn’t have done it without you.  Thank you for keeping yourself and our family safe.”

Maggie teared up a bit.  “Wow, thanks. I couldn’t have lived with myself if I had done anything else.”

“And all the babies are OK?” Eliza checked. 

“Yeah,” Maggie nodded.  “Kara checked them all, and their heartbeats are nice and strong.”

Dr. Danvers grinned.  “I’m so glad.”

The twins both hugged her in greeting, and then Maggie sat her cup of coffee down on the table and fell bonelessly into Alex’s lap.  The agent wrapped her arms around the detective’s waist and rocked her gently.

“Who’s my girl?” Alex whispered into her ear, kissing her neck exaggeratedly.

Maggie giggled and nudged her away.  “Stop it!”

Instead of doing it again, Alex just squeezed her and resumed her rocking motion.

The detective closed her eyes and sighed happily.

Eliza, Jessie, and Jamie sat down at the table to eat their lunch.  The Danvers matriarch took the time to ask Alex and Maggie more questions about their points of view during the invasion, and the pair answered readily.  It wasn’t always that Eliza inquired about the details of one of their alien battles, but this one was a doozy, and she was curious.

After everyone was done eating, the five of them settled into the living room, and they all cuddled together on the couch.  Before they could put anything on TV, the girls pulled out their phones and started making phone calls. First, they called Ruby.  She told the girls that she and her mother were fine, and their house didn’t have any damage, but they would be out of food in a couple of days.  Then she quizzed the girls about their powers, gushing about how cool it was.   

When they ended their call with her, they called Marcus.  The boy was happy to hear from them, and he had questions for them that they took the time to answer.  Apparently, he had been worried about them too, especially after seeing them on TV taking on Rhea. He assured them that he was somewhere safe with the rest of the Phorians, and promised to keep in touch.  

Next the girls called Shayla, but she didn’t answer, and that worried them.  Thankfully, not five minutes later, their best friend called them back and assured them that she and her family had gotten out of town early and gone to their grandparents’ house outside the city.  Of course, she was stunned to have seen them on TV, and she asked them a million questions. They begged her to keep it quiet, and she agreed. 

Lastly, they called Amy who’s phone went straight to voicemail.  It shook them a little. Amy was strong, but who knows what happened to her during the invasion?

Alex and Maggie took their cues from the kids and started calling everyone they could think of to make sure they were OK.  Some people answered, and some didn’t. Apparently, they would have to wait a few days and see how everything turned out. They also called the Superfriends to check in and let them know what was going on.  

Turns out a few of them ended up sleeping in the bunks at the DEO, including Winn, Lyra, James and Lucy.  James and Lucy were both a little frustrated because they were supposed to get married that weekend, but their wedding site had been trashed during the Supergirl VS Superman fight, and the city was in no condition to host their friends and family from out of town.  They had spent the morning trying to contact everyone they could about rescheduling. Alex wished her friends luck and assured Lucy that she was still going to be her maid of honor whenever the wedding happened.

“Mom, we can’t get a hold of Amy,” Jessie whined.  “Her phone just keeps going to voicemail.”

“Maybe her phone got broken during the attack,” Maggie offered.  “I’m sure she’s fine.”

“What if something happened to her?” Jessie worried.  “She should have been with us!”

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t get a hold of her when I was calling everyone in,” Alex replied sympathetically.

The twins whimpered.

“Try to relax, OK?  Anything could have happened, and that includes good things,” Maggie tried to soothe them.  “Come here.” She and Alex wrapped the girls in their arms and tried to calm them.  

Truthfully, even the adults were a little worried about everyone they couldn’t get a hold of.  Many of Maggie’s alien friends were just barely scraping by. They would have a hell of a time if their homes were destroyed.  Amy, at least, had money, and lots of it. Not as much as Lena, of course, but enough that she would bounce back if she lost her home.  Maggie didn’t usually ask Lena for money, but she might suggest that the CEO invest a bit in alien housing when they returned to National City.

“Come on, let’s watch our shows and try to get your minds off of things for a little while,” Eliza suggested.  

The girls sighed, and plopped back onto the couch.

“I wish I could have a damn drink,” Maggie complained.  “That’s a great way to get your mind off of things.”

Eliza patted her shoulder sympathetically.  “Sorry, dear.”

“One of the reasons I never wanted to get pregnant was because I didn’t want to give up drinking.  It’s my favorite pass time to smoke cigarettes, get drunk, and play pool until I’m ready to pass out.  Now I can’t even go into a bar without being tempted, and it’s making me a little nuts.”

“Have you thought about going to an AA meeting?” Eliza offered.

Maggie turned her nose up.  “I’m not an alcoholic,” Maggie deflected.

Eliza chuckled.  “I’m not saying you are or you aren’t, but it might help you learn how to cope with the cravings.”

The detective looked thoughtful for a few moments.  “Hmm, I never thought of it like that.”

“And you can take my daughter with you,” Eliza raised an eyebrow.  “She’s definitely an alcoholic.”

“Mom!” Alex huffed.

The twins giggled at their grandmother’s antics.

“Relax, dear, I blame myself.  I let you start drinking too early.  But I felt bad for you when you had to take care of two babies, and you couldn’t sleep.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Maggie stopped her.  “You mean, you knew about her drinking all through college?”

“Yes, I’m afraid I did,” Eliza admitted.  “Her father and I were both partiers in college.  I knew she could pull it off. As long as it didn’t interfere with her studies, I turned a blind eye.  She got all the way through med school before she really fell apart. I guess that’s when J’onn got a hold of her and whipped her back into shape.  I’m very thankful to him for that, but even he could never get her to stop drinking completely.”

Alex looked a little grumpy after hearing all this.  “I am not an alcoholic!” she grumbled.  

“Well, I still think you two should look into AA.  After all, you have seven more months of pregnancy and then comes nursing, when you still can’t drink.  That’s quite a long time.”

“We’ll think about it,” Alex huffed.  “I thought we were gonna watch TV, not criticize me.”

“I’m not criticizing you, Alex,” Eliza promised.  “I just think it will help.”

“OK, I’ll try it, just whatever.  Can we watch TV now?” Alex huffed.

Eliza wordlessly picked up the TV remote and found their show again.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kara awoke slowly.  She felt like her body was under water, and she struggled to move.  He ribs hurt, and every twitch felt like she was getting beat up again.  She groaned and forced her eyes open. When she saw that she wasn’t at home, she started to panic a little, but the warm weight of Lena on her arm eased her fears.  They were safe at Eliza’s, and the invasion was over. It was OK. She dragged herself into a sitting position, trying not to jostle Lena too much. She needed to brush her teeth.  Her mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. She groaned again as her ribs rebelled against her, waking Lena. “Sorry, sweetheart, I was trying not to wake you up.”

Lena moaned as she stretched herself awake.  She felt better than she had, but she wasn’t convinced she should get out of bed yet.

“I’m gonna go brush my teeth,” Kara informed her partner.

Lena closed her eyes and answered quietly, “OK.”

When the CEO made no move to get up, Kara dragged herself out of bed to the bathroom.  She had no idea what time it was, and she didn't really care. Regardless, she was going to lay back down with Lena when she was done.  She could hear the TV going in the living room, with the twins and Eliza laughing, and Maggie and Alex whispering sweet nothings in each others’ ears.  They hadn’t noticed her getting up yet, so when she was finished it the restroom, she floated back to bed and climbed back under the covers with Lena. The brunette cuddled her arm and held her hand as they dozed, but they didn’t fall completely back to sleep.  Kara’s mind was fixated on the fight with Rhea and how close she had come to dying and losing the earth to that tyrant. And Lena was feeling sorry for herself at being tricked and letting the aliens in in the first place. Neither of them spoke. They were both feeling too sullen for conversation.

After a while, Kara heard Eliza say, “It’s four o’clock.  Should we wake them?”

“Don’t you dare!” Alex huffed.  “Do you know how hard it is for me to get Kara to sit still when she’s injured?  I want her to sleep for as long as she possibly can.”

The Kryptonian rolled her eyes.  She wasn’t that bad, surely. And right this moment, she was in no shape to get up and start running around.  She might not get up until tomorrow, she thought. She turned on her side, sliding her arm free of Lena’s grasp so that she could pull the brunette into her chest, and thanked her lucky stars for giving her enough strength to pull it off.  Lena whined when she thought Kara was getting up, but as soon as she was back in the Kryptonian’s arms, she settled down. “I’ve got you, sweetie,” Kara whispered, kissing her on the forehead. They laid there peacefully for a few moments until, 

“Shit!” Lena hissed and bolted from the bed.  She ran to the bathroom and heaved painfully.

“Lena’s up!” Jessie announced downstairs.  She hurried to the kitchen to get her stepmom a glass of water.  “Here you go, Mama Lena.” She set the glass down on the sink and peeked in at her Mama.   When Kara looked at her, she snuck in and curled up next to her, pressing kisses into her cheek.  “I love you so much, Mama.”

“I love you too, baby,” Kara breathed.  “Careful of my ribs, OK?”

Jessie frowned, lowered her glasses and looked at Kara’s ribs.  “Mama, your ribs are broken in a bunch of places!” she gasped.

“I know,” Kara mumbled.

Jessie started to cry.  “I’m sorry we didn’t come help you sooner!  We didn’t know she had Kryptonite! I’m sorry, Mama!”

“No, no, no, baby, no,” Kara shushed her.  “You did so good, my love. I’m so proud of you, and I’m so thankful that you saved my life.  Don’t cry, baby. I’ll heal in no time, OK? Don’t worry.”

Jessie got up and took her glasses off.  Using her X-ray vision, she looked at the rest of Kara’s bones.  “You have some fractures in your hands and one right above your left eyebrow too,” she sniffled.  “Let’s get you outside, OK? It’s nice and sunny out for you.”

“It hurts to move,” Kara complained.

“OK, I’ll get the deck chairs, so you can lay down,” Jessie told her.  “You don’t have to move, just float. Be right back.” She supersped down the stairs, into the garage, and back up with an outdoor lounger, setting it up on the upstairs deck.  It was a warm day in May, and it was perfect for a healing Kryptonian. She re-entered her parents’ bedroom and stroked Kara’s bicep where she knew she wasn’t hurt. “It’s all ready for you, come on.”

Supergirl floated herself upright and followed her daughter outside.  It was a world of difference from their north-facing bedroom. The deck was on the south side of the house, pointed directly at the sun, and she melted into the lounge chair her daughter had brought for her.  “Thanks, Jess,” she sighed.

“You’re welcome,” Jessie smiled at her.  “Can I sit out here with you?”

“Sure,” Kara permitted.  “Just don’t sit on me.”

“OK, I’ll go get some more chairs.”  Jessie sped off, and before they knew it, the deck was all set up.

“Is there any food?” Kara wondered.  She was hungry, but she still didn’t want to move.

“I can make you something,” Jessie offered.  “What do you want?”

“Surprise me,” Kara mumbled sleepily.

“OK,” Jessie said and headed back downstairs.

As she was going, the others wandered upstairs to say hello.

“Hi, Angel,” Alex greeted her softly.

“Hi, honey,” Maggie said at the same time.

She held her arms open to them.  “Come kiss me.”

They obeyed, leaning over and kissing her soundly.

“Jamie said you have some fractures?” Eliza spoke.  “Is there anything we can do to help?”

Kara shook her head and regretted it.  It made her a little dizzy. “No. Thank you, though.  Jessie is making me something to eat. That’s all I need right now.”

Alex took Kara’s hand and kissed the back of it.

“Careful of Mama’s hands!” Jamie panicked.

“It’s OK, baby,” Kara assured her.  “Mom didn’t hurt me.”

The group all sat around her and commented on the nice weather.  A few minutes later, and Lena joined them as well.  

“Lena!” Jamie jumped up and ran to her.  “Are you OK?” she asked with a squeeze.

Lena nodded solemnly.  “I’m OK, thank you.” She made Kara scoot to the side a little and squeezed in next to her on the lounger.

“Careful!” Jamie warned.  “Mama is hurt!”

Lena looked sideways at her wife.  “Still?”

Kara nodded.  “It’s OK. Just don’t move around a bunch.  And don’t lay over me.”

Lena frowned and kissed her on her forehead.  “I’m sorry, honey. Would it be more comfortable if you laid on me?”

“Maybe.”  

Lena put her arm out and let Kara lay on her chest.

“Yeah, that’s great,” Kara sighed, resting her hand on Lena’s shoulder.

They all sat in comfortable silence for a minute, and then Jessie appeared with a towering plate of food for Kara.  “Who’s hungry?” the preteen sing-songed.

Kara’s stomach growled in answer, and she looked sheepishly up at Lena, who chuckled.

“Go on, sweetheart,” Lena nudged her gently.  “I’ll be here when you’re finished.”

Kara groaned as she raised herself up and sat at the deck table to eat.  “Thanks, Jessie.”

“You’re welcome, Mama.   Hi, Lena!” she gave the CEO hugs before sitting down at the table next to Kara.

“It’s so nice out, we should go for a walk,” Eliza commented.

“Sounds like a great idea for some of us,” Alex agreed.

“I’m down,” Maggie nodded.

“I think Mama should stay here and rest,” Jamie countered.

“I agree,” said Alex.  “But the rest of us should get out of the house for a little while.”

“I’m staying here,” Lena told them.  “I don't feel like going for a walk.”

“OK, come on,” Eliza urged, standing to her feet.

Maggie, Alex, and the kids followed her out, leaving Kara and Lena alone again.  Lena closed her eyes and waited for her wife to finish eating. She didn’t want to leave the Kryptonian’s side.  Kara finished wolfing down her dinner and returned to snuggle into Lena. Again, neither of them spoke. They just laid there, lost in their own thoughts.

After a good half hour, Kara finally spoke, “Cat wants me to write an exclusive Supergirl interview.  I don’t know what to say.”

Lena kissed her forehead.  “You don't have to do that right now.  Just rest.”

The reporter took a deep breath and let it out.  “Am I squishing you?” she checked.

“I’m OK,” Lena assured.

Kara nudged Lena’s chin with her nose.  “Why do I get the feeling that’s not exactly true?”

“Look who’s talking.”

Kara huffed, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.  I just… I can’t seem to kick this feeling like I failed everyone, you know?”

Lena lifted Kara’s chin, so they could see eye-to-eye.  “Kara, everyone is so proud of you. Supergirl saved so many lives, and that is something to be proud of.  No one thinks you failed. No one is looking down on you right now. You’re not the one who let those bastards in.”

“Lena, that wasn’t your fault.  It’s not like you purposely invited them in.  Rhea tricked you. She tricked all of us. I’m just as much to blame as you are.  If I hadn’t stayed on that ship and tried to talk Rhea down, then Alex would have been able to use that positron cannon, and we would have been free of her.”

Lena burst into tears.  “What are we gonna do with ourselves?”

Kara shushed her with a gentle kiss.  “We’re gonna get through this together, OK?” she replied, tears in her own eyes. They cried together, clinging to one another and kissing each other’s sorrows away.

“What’s wrong?!” Jamie was suddenly standing at their feet, a panicked expression on her face.

They took a moment to compose themselves, then Kara answered.  “I guess we’re just feeling a little sorry for ourselves.”

Jamie’s eyes softened and she knelt beside them and put her arm delicately around both of them.  “Don’t be sad. You two saved the world. You should be proud of yourselves. I know I’m proud of you.”

“Me too,” Alex said, appearing with the others.

“So am I,” Maggie added.

“Me too,” Eliza smiled at them.

“Me too!” Jessie raised her hand in the air enthusiastically.

Lena and Kara sobbed at the encouragement.  Neither of them felt worthy of it, but it felt good all the same.  Their family took turns kissing them and wiping at their tears.  

“How about we play a game or something to take your minds off of everything?” Eliza suggested.

“As long as it’s something that doesn’t require me to move around much,” Kara replied.

“How about Apples to Apples?” Jamie offered.

“That sounds good,” Kara agreed.

Kara and Lena got up off the lounger and sat at the table with the rest of the family, while Jessie ran to the bedroom to get the game.  They played for about forty-five minutes, until people started getting hungry. Thankfully, the game did seem to lift Kara and Lena’s spirits, if only a little bit.  The kids cleaned up the cards and put the box away and headed downstairs to help their grandma with dinner. Maggie, Lena, and Alex stayed upstairs on the deck with Kara.

Alex switched chairs to sit next to Kara, sliding close to her and kissing her soundly.  “Kara, look at me.” She waited until the blonde obeyed. “I am so, so proud of you, Angel.  You did so good. You saved the world. Nothing else matters. Understand?”  

Kara nodded.

“Lena?” Alex continued.  “Same goes for you. You saved the world.  That’s all that matters to us.”

Maggie threaded her fingers through Lena’s.  “We’re not going to let you guys keep beating yourselves up.  You’re both heroes.”

Lena leaned over and laid her head on Maggie’s shoulder, but said nothing.

“We love you so much,” Maggie told her, stroking her cheek.  “You’re everything to us.”

Lena’s lip trembled, but she didn’t cry again.  She just soaked up Maggie’s warmth and tried to let the guilt wash away.

Alex lifted Kara’s chin and kissed her earnestly.  The blonde melted into her kiss. It went a long way towards soothing the ache in her heart.  Alex could always do that for her. It was one of the agent’s secret super powers.

“I don’t deserve you guys,” Lena murmured.

Maggie gently pulled Lena’s face into her hands, forcing her to make eye contact.  “Lena, you listen to me. You deserve everything good in this world. You’re a hero.  Take the credit you’re actually due, and drop the guilt. You are so good, and so brave, and I’m so proud to be a part of your life.  You deserve good things, Lena. All the good things.”

The brunette was at a loss for words, so she just kissed her wife and hoped it conveyed all her thanks.  Of course, Maggie took it for what it was, and they kissed languidly for a while before parting.  

Alex stroked Kara’s hair, “How are you feeling compared to when you first woke up?”

“Physically or mentally?” Kara chuckled humorlessly.

“Well, I meant physically, but now I’d like you to answer on both accounts,” the redhead scratched along her wife’s scalp.

Kara took a deep breath, “Physically, I’m still in a lot of pain, but the sun is helping.  I think I might heal up in a couple more days, as long as it stays sunny. Mentally, I’m still struggling a little, but your encouragement helps.  I’m really glad I have you to help me through this kind of thing.”

Alex gave her a compassionate grin.  “I’m always here for you, Kara. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, baby girl,” Kara said with another kiss.  “I love all of you so much,” she said to her three wives. “You’ve given me so much love.  It’s more than I could ever ask for. Thank you.”

Lena and Maggie smiled at her.  “Thank you too,” Lena replied.

“Likewise,” Maggie nodded.  “It’s an honor to be loved by you, Kara.”

Kara sputtered a bit.

“It’s true,” Alex confirmed.  “It’s so easy to love you, Kara, and having your love is like winning the lottery.”

“I feel like I’m the one that won the lottery,” Kara told them earnestly.  “I have the best wives in the whole universe, and we have a great relationship.  I don’t know how I could be any luckier.”

“God, I wish your ribs weren’t broken,” Alex lamented.  “I really want to fuck you stupid right now.”

Kara closed her eyes as elation and want washed over her at her wife’s words.  “Don’t tempt me.”  

“Sorry,” the redhead kissed her shoulder.  “I’ll give you that two days to heal. I don’t want you hurting yourself anymore.”

“You want to have sex, though, don’t you?  I know if I do, you do. Maybe Eliza and I can take the twins to Maureen’s tomorrow, and you three can have some alone time.”

“Tomorrow?” Alex whined.  “Can’t you take them out for ice cream or something after dinner?”

Kara chuckled.  “OK, baby girl. You got a deal.”  She heard Jessie calling from the kitchen.  “Speaking of dinner, Jessie just announced that it’s ready.”  Instead of jostling her aching bones, she followed her daughter’s earlier advice and just floated up and out of her chair and down the stairs to the kitchen.  “Mmm! Smells great!”

“Thanks, Mama!” the twins replied in sync.

“Can I help with anything?” Kara offered.

“No, no,” Eliza tisked.  “You go sit.”

“I can do something,” the reporter insisted.

“Kara, sit,” Alex repeated.

“OK, OK,” she grumbled, floating into the dining room and taking a seat.

Alex and Maggie set the table, and Lena got everyone’s drinks while Eliza and the twins set the food out.  Everyone managed to eat something that night, even Lena. Kara hoped that meant the morning sickness would be settling down soon.  That would be a blessing.

As promised, after dinner, Eliza and Kara took the kids out for ice cream, leaving Alex, Maggie and Lena alone to work out some of their adrenaline.  They took an extra long time, walking around the downtown neighborhood and peeking into the shop windows, and then letting the kids swing on the swings in the park.  By nightfall, Kara couldn’t think of anything else to keep the kids busy, so she texted her wives that they were coming home, so they wouldn’t be caught unaware. The outing had her feeling better.  She wasn’t stuck in her head as much as she was earlier, and her daughters’ light-hearted laughter was a soothing type of magic. She even found herself laughing with them.  

On the way back to the car, they spotted a mama duck with a few ducklings waddling along behind her.  The girls gushed and took pictures with their phones, while Kara recorded the twins being adorable. Eliza just stood by and grinned at the three of her girls.  She couldn’t have been prouder.

Once they were headed home, Kara and the girls sang along to the radio until they pulled into the driveway, and even then, they kept singing.  They sang all the way into the house, not stopping until they’d finished the whole song. Upstairs, the shower was running, and the other three were out of sight for the moment.  

“Hey!” Jessie shouted up the stairs, “There’d better be hot water in there when it’s my turn!”

No one answered, and Kara wondered if they had all crammed in the shower together.  The agent had only just recovered her ability to get into their shower at home, so she was a little surprised that they would do that.  Of course, Eliza’s shower wasn’t a box so much as a tub with a shower curtain around it. That could make a difference in Alex’s mind. Sure enough, all three of her wives came out of the bathroom at once, toweling their hair dry and looking smug.  It would seem they had fun. She smirked and chuckled to herself.

“Can we stay up a little longer?” Jamie asked.  “I don't want to have to take a cold shower.”

“Yes,” Kara answered easily.  “I don’t blame you.”

“Thanks, Mama,” Jessie replied.  “I want to hug you, is that OK?”

“Be very, very gentle,” Kara said, opening her arms to her daughter.

Jessie just barely placed her arms on her Mama’s back and laid her head on her shoulder.  “Thank you for taking us out for ice cream,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome, baby,” Kara stroked her daughter’s back until she pulled away.

“Me too?” Jamie pouted.

Kara smiled and let her other daughter put her arms around her.  “I love you girls so much.”

“We love you too, Mama,” the twins echoed.

“You wanna play some chess before we have to go to bed?” Jamie asked, batting her eyelashes.

“Sure,” Kara smiled softly at her.

They sat down on the couch, and the kids pulled the chess board out.  They played for half an hour while the rest of the family watched, then Alex insisted that there should be plenty of hot water for both of them, and it was time for bed.

“I think I’m going to turn in too,” Eliza told the group.  They all exchanged hugs and kisses and bid one another good night.

“I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty sure I could go to sleep now too,” Kara yawned.

“Yeah, I’m with you there,” Lena yawned too.

“No offence, Maggie and Lena, but I really need to sleep next to Kara tonight,” Alex informed them.  

“That’s OK, I would love some Maggie cuddles,” Lena smiled at the detective.  

“You got it, babe,” Maggie grinned her dimpled grin back.

“Shall we?” Kara invited.  Her wives stood up with her and followed her upstairs to bed.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, everyone woke up fairly early, and the house was bustling with activity.  Eliza and Kara were making breakfast, the twins were outside wrestling, and Lena, Maggie, and Alex were still getting ready for the day.  They could hear the kids outside laughing uncontrollably, and it warmed their hearts. Everyone was feeling a lot better that day. Kara even had a little smile on her face as she whisked her scrambled eggs in a pan.

When the moms-to-be came downstairs, they each came in and kissed Kara and Eliza on the cheeks, then sat down at the table to drink their one lonesome cup of coffee for the day.

“I think I’m going to work on my article today,” Kara informed them, adding some cheese to the eggs.  “But I might need help. I’m not sure how much I should disclose about what happened. I don’t want people coming after Lena and making her out to be the bad guy.  I want to make sure people know that it was all Rhea’s doing.”

“You’re never going to stop people from hating me, Kara,” Lena stated matter-of-factly.  “I was born a pariah, and I’ll die one. You can’t help what people think about Luthors.”

Kara stomped her foot on the floor.  “Lena, I would do literally anything to protect you.  I hope you know that.”

“I know, sweetheart, but I want you to be honest about what happened, at least when it comes to my involvement,” Lena pressed.  “I wouldn’t feel right about you covering things up. You’re a journalist. You’re not supposed to do that.”

“I think we can all sit down together and help you, Kara,” Alex offered.  “You don’t want to give away the DEO either.”

“Of course not,” Kara agreed.  “I would really appreciate that.  I’m going to call my cousin in a while and ask him for a quote or two from Superman.  I don’t know if I should reveal his side of things or not. I want to make sure everyone is covered, but I don’t want to give too much away.”

“Good thinking,” Maggie nodded.  “Maybe you could get some quotes from the Chief too.”

“Oh!  Good idea!  Can you call him for me?” 

“Sure, I’ll call him after breakfast,” Maggie smiled at her.

Kara kissed her in thanks.  “You guys are already helping, thank you.  Have you talked to him already? Is he pissed that you came here?”

“He’s a little irritated, but I promised I’d be back this afternoon.  I guess we lost quite a few men during the attack.” Her eyes glassed over with unshed tears.

“Oh, honey!  I’m so sorry!” Kara fretted.

“That’s terrible,” Alex frowned.

Lena laced her fingers together with Maggie’s.  “I’m so sorry, my love.”

“What a shame,” Eliza whispered.

Maggie took a deep breath.  “I don’t know who’s gone yet.  He wouldn’t tell me over the phone.  The worst part is, he made it sound like we hadn’t got a full count yet.”

Lena’s lip trembled, but Maggie was quick to catch her.

“No.  No, don’t you dare,” she warned.  “I will tell you until I’m blue in the face, this was not your fault.  Those men are not dead because of you. It’s because of that bitch Rhea.  My only regret was that I never got close enough to her to put a bullet in her head.”

“Maggie,” Kara chastised.  “Don’t talk like that.”

The detective rolled her eyes.  “Hey, a girl can dream, can’t she?”

Alex chuckled.  “I’m with Maggie on this.”

“Me too,” Lena growled.  “I would have given anything to take that bitch out.”

Kara sighed.  “Well, she’s gone now, and she can’t come back.  And no one had to die or be a murderer.”

Maggie scoffed.  “It’s not murder, when they’re a terrorist caught in the act.”

“Agree to disagree,” Kara shrugged.

“Kara, I shot plenty of those Daxamite bastards while I was out there in the streets fighting.  Are you going to hold that against me?” Maggie wanted to know.

“Of course not!” Kara knelt down beside her and took her hand.  “Maggie, I love you so much. I love everything about you, whether I agree with you one-hundred percent or not.  You are one of the most beautiful beings in all of creation, inside and out. I’m so lucky to have you, you are so good, and I would be a fool to let something like that get between us.”

Maggie’s dimples showed as she smiled gratefully down at Kara.  “Thank you,” she said with a kiss.

Suddenly, the twins came bursting through the door, red-faced and panting.  “Is breakfast ready yet?”

“Why are you so breathless?” Kara frowned at them.  Was something wrong with them? Was the Kryptonite suddenly taking its toll on them?

They raised their left wrists up to her to reveal that they were wearing their red sun bands.

“Oh,” the reporter sighed with relief.  “You scared me.”

“Mom said we had to wear them, if we were gonna spar,” Jessie complained.

“And rightly so,” Eliza commented.  “I don’t want you girls tearing up my lawn.”

“We didn’t wreck anything,” Jessie swore.

“I wouldn’t say that.  Your clothes are a mess,” Alex grumbled.  “Go change and put those clothes in the washer.  You’ll be lucky if those grass stains come out.”

The twins sighed and ran upstairs to change.

Eliza pulled the biscuits out of the oven, humming happily at the smell.  “Now, we’re ready.”

Everyone grabbed something to take to the table, and soon they were all settled down to eat.

“So how is everyone feeling today?” Eliza inquired.

“Great!” the twins answered.

Lena sipped on her smoothie, “Better than yesterday,  That’s something.”

Kara nodded.  “Same here.”

“I’m good now that I got some sleep,” Alex responded.

“Yeah, me too,” Maggie added.

“That’s good to hear,” Eliza nodded.  “I was really worried about you all.’

“I have to work on my article today, and then Maggie and I need to get back to National City for a little while.  I don’t suppose the kids could stay here for a few days?” Kara requested.

“Of course!  You’re all welcome here as long as you like,” Eliza replied.

“Thank you, Eliza,” Lena said sincerely.  “I’ll leave a card with you for groceries and things.”

“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Eliza waved her off.  “I can feed my grandkids, no problem.”

“I’d offer to go shopping with you, but I don’t know how safe it is for the kids and I to show our faces in public right now,” Lena commented.

Eliza pursed her lips in thought, “Hmm, that’s a good point.  Maybe Alex and I can go to the store while you and the kids stay here tonight?”

“I’m OK with that,” Alex agreed.

When they all finished eating, everyone helped clean up and then they went to the living room to help Kara with her article.  Before she started, the reporter called her cousin, and Maggie called the Chief of police to get quotes from each of them. She started off with the ‘attack’ by the Phorians, explaining that they were affected by the change of energy in the air, and the strange energy led them to the source of Lena’s portal.  By the time Supergirl arrived, it was too late. Queen Rhea had taken over the portal and locked Lena out, leaving them vulnerable to the Daxamite attack. Next, she explained that Superman had been poisoned and sent to attack Supergirl at Rhea’s beckoning. Lastly, she explained the Dakkam Ur, the lead dispersal unit, and the battle for the earth.  

Of course, she had to admit that the children who appeared at the Dakkam Ur were indeed Supergirl’s children, and that frightened her.  She didn’t want anyone coming after them or claiming that the Kryptonians were invading earth now too. She would have to keep them out of public sight for a while.  They definitely weren’t going back to school, and when she mentioned that, they twins squealed joyously.

“That doesn’t mean you get out of finishing the seventh grade,” Alex pointed out.  “You’ll just be homeschooling from now on.”

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted!” Jessie exclaimed with a grin.

“Me too!” Jamie added.

Kara let everyone read through the article before emailing it to Cat Grant.  By the time it was sent, she and Maggie were ready to head back into National City.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Supergirl touched down on the front steps of the NCPD station and gently set her wife on her feet.  “I’m going in with you,” Kara informed the detective. “I want to see what I can do to help get this city back on its feet.”

“Alright, follow me, then,” Maggie lead the way into the precinct.  It was bustling with activity. People were crying for lost loved ones, trying to get the police to find them.  Others were reporting crimes across the city. The police definitely had their hands full, but suddenly Supergirl had everyone’s attention.  They all seemed to cry out to her at once, and it nearly bowled her over with the sound alone.

Maggie didn’t let her stop.  “Go! Go!” She shoved the Kryptonian forward towards the Chief’s office and banged on the door.  “Chief, it’s me, Danvers! I’ve got Supergirl with me.”

Chief Williams opened the door and ushered them in quickly.  “Thank God you’re OK,” he hugged Maggie tightly, not caring that Supergirl was watching them.  “Kara, I’m glad you’re here. We could really use your help.”

“Kara?” she sputtered.  “I’m not Kara.”

Chief Williams gave her a Look.  “You think I don’t know your kids by now?  I saw them save you on the news. They sure are strong.”

Supergirl pressed her lips together.  “Um…”

“It’s OK, Kara, breathe,” Maggie urged.

“I’m sorry, but I haven’t exactly been having good luck with the people who know who I am,” Supergirl worried.

“Don’t worry, Supergirl, your secret is safe with me,” Williams promised.

Kara sighed.  “I have a feeling that’s going to be a moot point very soon.”

“Why do you say that?” Maggie asked.

The Kryptonian looked at her solemnly, “Their coming out wasn’t like mine.  They have clear, full HD close-up shots of my kids’ faces on the news, and it’s only a matter of time before someone from their school calls them out.”

“Well, fuck,” the Chief hissed.  “That’s not good.”

“Right.  Well, they’re at their grandma’s house right now, so hopefully they’re safe for a while,” Kara sighed again.

The Chief nodded.  “Like I was saying, I’m glad you’re here.  The streets around town are practically unnavigable.  Can you and your team help do something about that?”

Supergirl thought for a moment, “I’ll see what I can do.”

“OK, well, in the meantime, the mayor wants to speak with you.”

“The mayor?” Kara repeated nervously.  “What does he want with me?”

Chief Williams urged them to sit down.  “He wants to coordinate efforts. There are quite a few things you can do to help this city recover, and he wants to talk to you about what you’re willing and able to do.”

“Wow, that’s great,” Kara said, feeling a little direction coming her way.  “How do I find him?”

XXXXXXXXXXXX

As Kara shuffled painfully into Ms Grant’s office, she heard a disturbing news story:

“Lillian Luthor, the head of the anti-alien organization, Cadmus, claims responsibility for ridding National City of Daxamite invaders, returning peace to Earth.”

Cat turned the TV off.  “Fake news! Complete crap.”

Kara slinked into Cat’s office to check on her article.

“What's wrong with your face?” Cat sneered

“What?” Kara touched her face.  “Do I- Do I have something?” 

“That frown.  It's causing little, tiny wrinkles to sprout up under your eyes.  Kiera, the city has been saved from that fashion-challenged fascist.  So why do you look like your world is about to end?” 

“It's, uh-  It's personal.”

“Does it have anything to do with, say, your children coming to Supergirl’s rescue the other day?”

Kara’s head sank.  “No one was supposed to know that Supergirl had children.  Now, they’re going to be hunted by every anti-alien radical in America.”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

Kara gave her a look.

“OK, probably,” Cat relented. “But Supergirl is looking after them.”

“But what if it isn’t enough?” Kara asked earnestly.  “Rhea almost beat me this time, and what about next time?  What if I’m not strong enough to stop the next attack? It just feels like this shame isn't gonna go away.

“Ah, well, that's what I said about being caught with Donald Trump.  But it did. And it will. Now, see, the thing that makes women strong, is that we have the guts to be vulnerable.  We have the ability to feel the depths of our emotion, and we know that we will walk through it to the other side. And by the way, you have accomplished great things this year.  Your articles, 'Slavers Moon,' 'Alien Registry,' 'Alien Fight Club.' I mean, it's all very powerful. And your prose- Your prose is not bad. I mean, it's not great, but it's not bad.”

Kara chuckled.  “You read them?” 

“I did.  I did. 2017, and they have wi-fi in the Himalayan Mountains.  But you, my dear, are on a hero's journey. Like Joseph Campbell would say.  And yes, you have hit a bit of an obstacle, but you will soar right over it. Just like I would.  Except, of course, you won't be wearing Louboutins.”

“Breaking news.  A fire has broken out in two buildings on the west side of the city.  Firefighters are…”

“Um, I have to go,” Kara stood.

“By all means.”

 Before she left, Kara turned back and gave Ms. Grant the sincerest look possible.  “Thank you.”

Ms. Grant grinned, “Go get 'em, Supergirl.”