Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Mirrored in your face
Is a look that says it all
Boy I'm slow
I've been uncertain
Just couldn't be sure
Now I know
-K Wilde
“Take your shirt off.”
Kara practically inhaled the remnants of her sandwich and started coughing violently. “Excuse me, what did you say?”
Lena stood up, leaning on her fists on the top of her heavy desk, predatory gleam in her eyes. “Oh you heard me I have no doubt.“ She leaned forward even further. “Take. Your. Shirt. Off.” She stood up straight and folded her arms triumphantly.
Kara dropped her sandwich on the desk, instinctively moving back from the desk and the odd behaviour of her friend. “See, I thought that's what, I mean, do I have like mayo or...” She looked down to be sure. “Um, Lena are you OK?” She couldn't help but worry about what was going on.
“So let's do this the hard way then.” Lena pulled the drawer out, reached in and pulled a snub nose revolver out, pointing it at the bewildered reporter. “Last chance Kara.”
“Last chance to what? Lena what the heck are you doing?” Kara was backing up to the office door.
“Very well then.” Lena pulled up the weapon and aimed it at Kara, she squeezed the trigger, smirking the whole time.
****
“Yeah, no.” Sam looked through camera and shook her head. Facetiming with Lena was nothing if not amusing.
“Too Dramatic?”
“Well that depends, are you trying to rape and murder her at gunpoint? Because that's mostly what I got out of that.”
Lena made a disgruntled sound and flopped into her chair “And I'm being dramatic Sam?”
“Why yes, yes Lena you are. Apart from the whole creepy sixties villain with a snub nose revolver and who uses one of those anyway? Old people that's who.” Sam started laughing. “Take off your dress my pretty that I might have my way with you! Mwaahahahaha.” Sam's evil laughter came through the speakerphone.
“I use one of those actually. And I did not sound like a creepy sixties villain. Anyway stop mocking me, I'm quite angry about all this you know.”
“I know honey, and I get why, but shooting Kara to prove she is Supergirl is going about it all the wrong way.”
“I heard Superman's girlfriend did it.” Lena said, sulking.
“Pretty sure that's an urban legend. Look, what if there was something wrong that day and for whatever reason she wasn't Supergirl. Maybe some alien whacked her with anti Supergirl juice and you go ahead and kill Kara Danvers. What then? Or how about she IS Supergirl and the bullet hits her, ricochets off and shoots you in the foot, so to speak.”
“I could use blanks.” Lena mumbled, clearly not past the idea of shooting Kara to prove a point.
“OK, let's narrow this down. What exactly are you angry about? That she didn't tell you yet that she is Supergirl?”
“Yet? You assume she would tell me.”
“And you assume she wouldn't. Why Lena? It's only been a year since you met her.”
“I've known her for 18 months, I have trusted her implicitly for a year. She swore she trusted me. Didn't see me as another Luthor. Supergirl clearly doesn't trust me, ergo, Kara doesn't.” Lena poured another glass of Scotch. “Honestly Sam it's a wonder I'm not a raging alcoholic. “
Sam raised an eyebrow at the size of Lena's glass. “Yeah I'm gonna leave that one to your therapist. Your insanely expensive therapist. I still cant believe how much you pay her.”
“Irish genetics, my ability to hold my alcohol surpasses Lillian's upbringing. And I pay her that much for a reason. In between daddy issues, mommy issues, my homicidal half brother, being forced into the closet until I was 18 and inheriting a fortune from a man that didn't so much adopt me as took me in because he was the sperm donor to my mother who I watched drown.”
Sam chuckled at Lena's casual rehashing of the insanity that was her life to far. “She's going to up your rates at the next session when you bring up Kara and Supergirl.”
“At this rate I'm going to just sign my account over to her.” Lena finished her drink and let out a tired sigh. “You know she had James try to seduce me to find out whether I had synthetic Kryptonite?” Lena huffed and refilled her glass.
“OK, yuck, and what makes you think he didn't do that all on his own. He has a weird lust hate thing going with you.” Sam threw back at her.
“Pfft, he does not.” Lena scoffed.
“Oh he most certainly does. He may dislike you intensely, but he clearly wants in the Luthor Vault.”
Lena burst out laughing. “You're disgusting. Stop making me laugh, I'm trying to be angry here.”
“Well, I think you should see it from Kara's point of view. Alex and those people at the DEO are scarily secretive. They weren't exactly welcoming to you despite the fact that you were the only one that could split me from Reign. I bet she has a lot of mini Iago's whispering in her ear, telling her you cant be trusted. But she does trust you honey, even as Supergirl she never stays out of grab and run distance.”
“Right, to make sure I'm not gonna flip a switch and go all evil genius. Supergirl was kind of a bitch about the Kryptonite Sam.” Lena sat back and Sam could hear how much it bothered her.
“Again though, see it from her side of things, she probably has everyone telling her not to trust you and you are the one person that has the one thing in the universe that can kill her. That has to be scary.” Sam waited for Lena to process that.
There was a choked sob from the phone. “Fuck. I'm never going to get out of the Luthor shadow am I? ”
Sam sighed wishing she was close enough to hug her friend. “No honey, you aren't.”
Lena slammed her glass down on the desk, annoyed at the crack that emerged in the pristine glass. “Then what the fuck am doing all this for Sam? Why am I trying to clean up a murderous legacy for a family that is actively trying to kill me? I never wanted this.” She rubbed her hands over her eyes. “Everything I do to take back the decency of the name, every fucking thing, they would undo it in a heartbeat. Every fucking week I have to face down a bunch of rich old men that want me out so they can go back to making money off war and weapons even though I make them more than Lex ever did. What the fuck am I doing this for?”
Sam could see the posture change that meant Lena had reached the end of her anger and was now just sad. Sad and tired of it all. 26 years old, a brain like a super computer and the desire to make the world a better place, all while carrying the world on her shoulders, placed there by the worlds most fucked up family. It really wasn't right. “Well, I've been having a few thoughts about that actually. Pour another drink baby, you're gonna need it!” Sam joked.
Lena opened the bottle, pouring liberally and ignoring the crack in the glass. “I'm all ears Sam, rock my world.”
****
“I just don't see why I cant tell her.” Kara ducked a potentially vicious back elbow from one of the agents.
Alex stood in the corner of the green glowing room making notes on a clipboard. “Ungh, not this again. You know why you can't tell her Kara.”
Kara caught a full kick in the stomach that made her want to lose her lunch. “OK stop, time out, time out.” She wheezed forcing her hands into a T position.
The agents looked to Alex for confirmation, when she nodded they filed out the door to wrap their various bruises.
“See that's the thing Alex, I don't know why I cant tell her. I know why you think I cant tell her, but I don't agree with that. Lena isn't like her family. How many times has she blindly helped us? Just dropped everything when we called? And she asks for nothing in return.”
“And she is not getting anything in return, we're not telling her Kara, we can't trust her. And I wish you could just accept that, this is to protect you.” Alex snapped as they left the Kryptonite training room.
Kara sighed. “I bet she could come up with a better solution to weaken me than Kryptonite. I hate that stuff, makes me feel sick.”
“Oh that's a splendid idea, let's ask a Luthor to spend time coming up with yet another way to make you powerless. We could give her the research we have on red sun rays, make it easier for her.” Alex had the most sarcastic smile she could muster. Kara wanted to knock it off her face sometimes.
“Make what easier for who know?” James walked down the stairs to where they stood.
Kara groaned internally. “Nothing, pay no attention.” She said quickly hoping it would deter Alex.
“We were talking about giving Lena Luthor the research we have on the red sun formulas to weaken Kara. Kara thinks this is a good idea.”
Kara really wanted to punch Alex then. If Alex was immovable on the subject, then James was downright murderous.
“Are you crazy?” He yelled.
“Hey, don't look at me, her idea.” Alex threw a thumb at Kara as she chugged her water down.
James looked at Kara horrified. “Oh brother.” She whispered and rolled her eyes. “K, you know what, I have to go, Snapper is already on my butt about that article on water pollution.”
“Oh, no, you don't get to use work as an excuse to avoid this.” James pointed at her. “You need to grow up and stop being naive about Lena, she will turn on you Kara, it's what they do.”
Kara glared at James and Alex worried her heat vision was about to “accidentally” pop out. “Excuse me, I am not naive, well, not like that anyway and I think I can make my own decisions about who my friends are.” She looked very pointedly at James. “And you know what else? You are not the boss of me.” She snapped.
“Technically I run Catco so yeah, I am the boss of you.” He smirked.
“Well feel free to point out where in my contract it says I cant choose my own friends.” Kara turned and walked away.
James went to say something else. Alex took pity on him and spared him from Kara's wrath. “Leave it James, when she gets this irritated, it's best to wait it out.” She tapped him on the shoulder as she went about her day.
Winn looked over as Kara stomped up the stairs to where he and Brainy were figuring out the optimal ambush position for his latest game. He smiled over at her, looked around to make sure no one was watching before he whispered. “I don't think Lena is evil.”
Kara smiled at him. “Right?”
Brainy stood up straight in that way that made Kara think he was either about to salute or make a speech. “I have never found Lena Luthor to be anything less than forthright and Honorable.”
Kara caught movement out of the corner of her eye and looked up to see Nia flash brainy a quick thumbs up. She smiled.
“Kara? A word?”
She stopped smiling at the sound of James' voice. “You made your point James, I get it, can we just leave it?”
James rested his hand on her arm. “Sorry Kara, I know you think she is a good person, I'm just trying to look out for you, you know that right? I care about you Kara, I wont see your hurt by the Luthors.”
Kara clenched her jaw. “Sure James.” She tried to smile but felt it might have come out more of a grimace of pain. She wanted to say something snarky like 'that's why you were trying to get her into bed not long ago' but didn't want to have to deal with the irritation that caused her. “I have to go, I don't want to deal with Snapper again if this pollution article isn't perfect.” She made air quotes around the word. “See you later guys.”
James and Alex waved goodbye as she vanished in a puff of air. Upstairs Nia came down to the computer desks and sat down next to Winn. “She is totally gonna tell Lena.” She laughed.
Winn nodded. “Totally is.”
Brainy tilted his head to one side. “Yes. Totally.”
****
A week later
Lena walked down by the river with Sam. “I cant believe I am doing this.”
Sam jostled their shoulders together. “Long overdue. What time is the agent meeting you here?”
Lena checked her watch. “About 10 minutes. He wont be late.”
Sam laughed. “Definitely not, especially after you told him about buying the old hostel building as well. What's up with that? Going into the hotel business?”
Lena let out an indelicate snort. “Can you imagine, Luthor airbnb.”
Sam shook her head. “Not for long.”
“No, not for long. God it feels like a weight has been lifted and it hasn't even started yet.”
“It's because you are moving in the right direction. So, hostel?”
“It's for the hospital. I read about something similar, when you have kids in hospital, it's hard for the parents to travel all the time, I think if we can turn it back into a working hostel, somewhere clean and safe and local for parents visiting their kids. Plus it stops anyone from buying it and turning it into some God awful nightclub.”
“How is the kids hospital? Isn't it nearly ready to launch?” Sam asked as they arrived at the warehouse.
“It is!” Lena couldn't hide her excitement. “I'm hoping that all of this will tie up nicely and launch at the same time. It's completely self funded. My intention is to rent the diagnostic and surgery rooms out at high rates to insurance companies to keep it funded without donations or outside investors. It's my flagship really, if it is up and running with no outside finance within a year, I want to look at starting another one. Then if that goes well I want them all over the country by the time I die. Which fingers crossed this new plan will make a lot longer in coming.” She rolled her eyes aware that the next attack on her life could be at any moment.
A man in a far too tight fitted suit came up to them, slightly out of breath from the walk and heat. “Miss Luthor? Robin McEvoy.” He held his hand out. “I hope you haven't had to wait long. Are you ready to see inside?”
“Lead on Mr McEvoy.” Lena smiled at him in excitement.
****
“Oh my God it's perfect!” Lena gasped. She looked around the dusty and battered interior with wide eyes. “Tell me Mr McEvoy, why is there a giant tree in the middle of the room?”
“Ah, yes, the original owners planted it in celebration of something many years ago, needless to say, it continued to grow. I don't think they thought too much in advance about that. By the time the owner died and handed it off to the kids, I think they felt too sentimental to do anything about it. I can arrange to have it taken down.”
Lena looked up at the tree, stretching all the way to the ceiling. It looked as though as it had grown too high, someone had forced the higher branches around the wall where it had continued to spread out. To Lena it was like a living space. A living, breathing building. “Absolutely not. It's perfect.” She smiled. The top of the warehouse was mostly glass, desperately in need of replacement, but if she replaced it all with decent glass, the whole inside would be like working outside. A far cry from the sterile offices she was used to. “Sam?”
Sam wandered over desperately trying not to touch anything. “I think you have an idea in your head about what it will look like when you are done and I really hope the next time I see it, that it's finished. Currently it looks like...” She looked around. “Well, as I said. Next time.”
“You lack vision Ms Arias.” Lena dragged her over. “Cover the roof in solar panels so it is self sufficient. And look here! I can drive right into the front of the building and park in this little concrete dug out! And look how tall it is, I can have some floors put in, it's perfect!” She kissed Sam on the lips with a loud mwah making her laugh and the agent cough uncomfortably. “Thank you Sam.”
Sam laughed and removed Lena's lipstick from her mouth. “I'm just the ideas guy, you're the brains that will make it work. I like the idea of a car port tho. It's going to be very bat-cave-esque.”
“You know there is enough room for a car and a bike down there.” Lena looked thoughtful.
Sam burst out laughing. “Oh God, are you have a late rebellious stage or an early mid life crisis?”
Lena grinned maniacally. “Both. I'm having both! Mr McEvoy, please draw up the documents as soon as is humanly possible, I have a lot of work to do! Oh, and I've decided to go ahead with the hostel project as well please.”
The agent smiled like he had hit the jackpot. “I will have it sorted faster than you can believe!”
They parted ways at the front entrance, Lena's mind going a mile a minute about what needed to be done. “C'mon, I'll buy you an ice cream Sam.” They walked arm in arm up the water front.
“Lena Luthor living large.” She laughed. “You know when it finally kicks off they are gonna fire me right?”
Lena nodded. “No doubt. Are you OK with that? I mean I assume you already thought of that when you came up with this plan?”
“Honestly, I wanted to walk away for a while, this is all selfish, I just didn't want to leave you in the shark tank on your own. Something will come up. Maybe I'll move to National City.”
Lena stopped and faced her friend. “I really hope you aren't joking. Nothing would make me happier than having you here.”
“Well, you have a lot of job openings coming up. Find me something to do and I will pack my bags.” She beamed at Lena and threw her arms around her.
“Oh, is that Kara?” Sam squinted against the sun.
Kara was standing with a man, both of them looking into the water splashing against the dock wall as though the answers to the worlds burning questions lay just underneath.
Lena turned around to look in the same direction. “I believe it is. Not sure about her friend, he looks like he just sailed in on the Pequod.” Despite her anger her face naturally softened and she smiled in Kara's direction.
“Oh you have it bad Luthor.” Sam chuckled.
“I really wish I didn't.” Lena sighed.
“Trust me, that girl hasn't got a deceptive bone in her body. $20 bucks says if you asked her outright if she was Supergirl she would stumble all over the place before breaking down. My money is on the DEO trying to make her feel like she cant trust you, I think they have her between a rock and a hard place. Give her a little time, especially with what you are about to rain down.”
Lena smiled softly in Kara's direction. “I hope so Sam. I hope you are right.”
“I'm completely right. I've seen the way she looks at you, you cant fake those looks my friend. How did you figure it out anyway?”
Lena started laughing. She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Finger guns.”
Sam looked at her with her eyes wide. “I beg your pardon?”
“You know that stupid thing people used to do in the eighties or something, point their fingers as though they were guns. Like pew pew.” Lena mimicked the ridiculous gesture, blushing as she did. “Supergirl came by my office to give me an update on something, as she left she did that stupid gesture.” Lena mimicked it again before putting her hands resolutely in her pockets. “Next thing I know, my door is opening and Kara is walking in with lunch. I had to wrap it up quickly because I had a meeting. I apologised for kicking her out after she brought food and she smiled, said no probs and made those stupid finger guns at me as she closed the door. It suddenly made perfect sense! Honestly I wonder how much of my anger is at myself that I was fooled by a pair of glasses and a pony tail.”
“And that ass in the suit though.”
Lena blushed “Well quite. Kara!” She called out when the blonde started walking toward them.
“Lena!” She threw her arms around Lena leaving not an inch between them. Lena wanted so badly to push her away but found herself sinking into the blonde without conscious thought. “I've missed you! Every time I come to your office Jess says you've gone out.” She hugged her even tighter for a second.
“Hi Kara.” Sam smiled and found Kara's arms around her.
Lena was looking at them, she noticed the hug while more than friendly was nothing to the ones that Kara gave her. Her anger softened again.
Kara whipped out her notebook and laughed. “So! What's the scoop. Sam in town and Lena mysteriously disappearing for hours at a time. What's going on, should National City be concerned.”
Lena bristled at the implication but Kara. Sweet Kara, with that smile. There was nothing duplicitous about that smile. Lena found herself smiling back. “Actually, there is going to be a huge scoop coming up within about a month. Do you know any reporters that might be interested in breaking the news?”
Kara was shaking with excitement, Lena always felt that it was like sharing her life with a golden retriever. Then she thought that if her plan worked out perfectly, she could actually get a dog. She wondered what kind of dog Kara would want her to get. Probably the ugliest meanest thing at the pound that no one wanted. Probably spend most of it's time trying to bite Lena and rolling around on his back for Kara. She sighed.
“Any clues? Something I can tease Snapper with?” She bounced on the spot.
“Sorry, no clues. What's with you and Starbuck over there?” Lena nodded to the dock hand as Sam chuckled.
“Starbuck?” Kara looked around.
Sam laughed. “Lena was saying your friend there looked like he sailed in on the Pequod.”
Kara continued looking confused. Lena gasped at her. “You haven't read Moby Dick?”
Kara shook her head and made a weird face like she might have missed out on something really important. She makes a vow to read Moby Dick at the earliest opportunity.
Sam burst out laughing. “Pay no attention to Lena, she's a book snob. Most people haven't read Moby Dick Kara, I only know the characters because Lena likes to show off when she reads to Ruby.”
Kara beamed at the name. “How is Ruby? Is she settled in Metropolis?”
“She is, but thankfully she is open to change easily enough.” Sam winked at Kara.
“Oh my gosh you are totally coming back to National City aren't you? Is that the big secret? Are you coming back to L-Corp? C'mon, you have to tell me!” Kara pleaded.
“Sorry Kara, it really is a giant pile of moving parts but I give you my word, as soon as things assemble, the exclusive is yours.” Lena smiled at her.
“Fine, fine. I can wait. How long can I wait for?” She started doing what Lena had secretly termed the puppy wiggle.
“Probably no longer than a month?” Lena looked at Sam.
Sam nodded. “Sounds about right. I hope so anyway.”
“Well this sounds all terribly mysterious and not nearly as much fun as water pollution but alas, that is the article for today.” She looked at Lena. “Will I see you soon? I feel like it's been ages.” She pulled Lena into a hug.
Lena couldn't help it, she held on longer than usual, whispering into Kara's ear. “Soon, I really do have a lot going on right now, but I promise, only good things.”
Kara squeezed back before pulling away before she said something embarrassing. “OK, alright. Um. Yeah. K bye! Bye Sam!” Kara briskly walked away trying very hard not to fall over her feet.
“Oh she has it bad as well. What do the kids call it these days? Ruby told me. Oh! Useless gays. That was it.”
Lena rolled her eyes. “C'mon, we have a lot to get done in the few days I have you and honestly, I am so excited!”
****
“Hey babe, you home?” Alex dropped her crash helmet at the door, casually throwing her keys in a bowl.
“In the bedroom!” Maggie shouted.
“Now that's how I want to come home, tell me dinner is ready and I'll marry you right now.”
Maggie walked out to greet her girlfriend, her hair still wet from the shower. “Sorry baby, all I got is the number for a new Thai place.” She put her arms around Alex and squeezed gently. “Someone's tense. Bad day?”
“Oh you have no idea!” She moved around the kitchen putting some coffee together. “Kara went on another of her Lena Luthor isn't evil and I want to tell her about Supergirl so I can date her!” She said it in a high pitch whine.
“She admitted that?” Maggie stood in shock over the Thai menu. “She actually came out finally and said it?”
“No, but you know that's why. She has this dumb ass crush on Lena and thinks she cant, and I'm quoting here, court her with this big secret hanging over me.”
Maggie put her hand over her mouth. “That is so freaking cute, she said court her? Actually used that word?”
Alex glared at her. “It's not cute. She's gonna get hurt. Ungh, can you imagine her dating Lena Luthor? She has no idea how badly that will blow up in her face.”
Maggie shook her head. “You don't think your sister is able to figure these things out on her own? C'mon Alex, she is a grown ass woman, you cant keep protecting her. And honestly I don't think she needs protecting with Lena.”
Alex stomped around the kitchen, mentally counting to ten before she said something she couldn't take back. Behind her Maggie shook her head and started calling the delivery number. Alex was hotheaded at the best of times, but about Kara? There wasn't much she could do about that. Lena on the other hand. Lena she could definitely give the shovel talk to. Smiling as she read off the menu, she mentally worked out her timeline tomorrow to find a gap that she could visit L-Corp.
****
Kara walked up to her door, mentally exhausted from dealing with Snapper and his constant jibes, James and his giant ego and Alex. She had three pizzas balanced in one hand, her bag with all her stuff in held in the other hand and keys in her teeth. She noticed a small package at the door. She spent far too long trying to pick it up and get the door open without putting anything down.
She put the pizzas down gently, dropped her bag where she stood and held the package in her hands. It was beautifully wrapped in brown paper and wound with a red ribbon holding it together. Part of Kara wanted to just hold it, finding it too delicate to open. There was only one person she knew that would have done this.
With a smile, she pulled apart the ribbon bow allowing the paper to naturally unfold. A well thumbed copy of Moby Dick sat in the pristine paper. She instinctively held it to her nose, smiling, convinced that this worn copy of Lena's still contained some trace of her scent.
She opened to the front and saw the flowing script that she knew as being Lena's.
Darling Ishmael,
I hope this gives you as much
pleasure as it has given me
All love
Ahab
Grabbing one of the pizza boxes she sat on her couch and started to read.