Chapter Text
Kara Danvers know she must have another soulmate. After Krypton exploded, she was certain that she would no longer be mated like her mother and father were. She felt that there were no pups in her future because her soulmate died with Krypton.
She remembered when she first landed on Earth. When she was ten and broken because her cousin didn't want the hassle of raising a child. He told her that his life was busy and didn't have the time to raise a child. Also, he didn't want to have to explain how suddenly he had a surviving family member after explaining that he was the last of his kind to his adoptive family and the world. He took her to the Danvers' residence since he knew Jeremiah from the DEO. Being dropped off like that broke Kara more than watching Krypton explode. She would've been elated to keep Kal if his ship were to land years later, especially since he was family.
When it came to the Danvers family it was hard for Kara to understand why she had so many things she wasn't allowed to do. Having powers was new to her but why is showing them a bad thing? She was strong and she could fly; on Krypton they would've celebrated her and her abilities.
The one ability she could do without was the super hearing.
That ability came to her about four months into staying with the Danvers'. It was the middle of the night, and she could hear a car alarm from the other side of the country. She knew it wasn't America because the people in the surrounding areas didn't speak English. She screamed so loud it shook the house and Alex jumped up scared for her own safety instead of figuring out what was going on with Kara.
When she explained what was going on, Eliza helped her to focus on a single sound. When Kara was having difficulty doing that, Eliza rested Kara's head on her chest. Kara closed her eyes and listened to Eliza's heartbeat. Kara loved the sound because it reminded her of her mother. "I don't want to do this anymore, Eliza." Kara whimpered out. "Don't want to do what, sweetie?"
As plain as day she said softly, "Live."
The way Eliza's heart broke from that statement made her want to take all the pain away from her. "I promise you, Kara, it won't feel this way forever. You have a purpose in life."
Those words played in Kara's head every day. When she and Alex presented as Alphas, the next following year, the words were needed more than she thought. They stayed at each other's throat, especially during a rut. Kara felt bad for Eliza when she had to deal with them alone. The turning point came two years later when Jeremiah went missing. The DEO said that he went on a mission and lost contact with them. Kara and Alex were upstairs listening as the agents were talking to Eliza. "They are lying." Kara whispered to Alex as she pulled her back in the room.
"How do you know they are lying?"
"When a person lies their heart beats differently." Alex looked at Kara skeptically. "If you don't believe me then let's play that game." Kara offered. "What game?" Alex asked. Kara thought extremely hard to remember the name of the game she learned from her friends. "Oh yeah, it's called two truths and a lie." Kara finally replied happily. "Fine, let's play."
They sat in the middle of the bed staring at each other. Kara was incredibly nervous about what Alex could possibly say. "You can go first since you thought of the game." "OK. I miss Krypton. My mom was a twin. I had a dog named Krypto." Kara was surprised that she got through all of that with a straight face. Alex was thinking hard because she never really listened to Kar when she talked about her home life. "I'm going to say your lie is that your mom was a twin." Kara smiled and said, "Wrong. My mom was a twin. I never had a pet even though I wanted one so bad. Your turn."
"I got suspended from school last year for kicking a guy in the back of the head. I like having you here. I didn't eat your potstickers in the fridge." Kara gasped because she couldn’t believe Alex ate her potstickers.
"You owe me new potstickers. I told you I need those to survive." Alex's eyes grew wide because Kara caught her lie the first time. "How the hell did you figure that out so fast?" "Your heart rate sp..." Kara stopped when she thought about the two truths that Alex revealed. “You like having me here?” Kara eyes started to get real glossy because for the longest time she just knew that Alex hated her.
“Yea, I’m sorry that I haven’t been the most welcoming. That wasn’t my intention. This whole situation just shook up everything and I was not used to sharing my parents. I’ve been the only kid for a long time, so I didn’t know how to not be that.” Alex explained, looking down while playing with her fingers, with a guilty expression.
Kara was so happy that she couldn’t even say anything. She jumped up and hugged Alex with everything in her. She was so overwhelmed that she just started crying. Alex held her tightly until she calmed down. “I’m sorry for crying on you.” “Don’t ever be sorry for that. You’re my sister and I really do love you.” Kara had a smile so big that the sun couldn’t compete. “I love you, too.”
They talked some more about what Kara life was like on Krypton and why Kal was treating her like she wasn’t family. Then Alex asked her a question that Kara was scared to answer, for the sake of trying to stay on Alex’s good side. “Hey Kar, why do you call my mom by her first name, even though she has been your mom for almost four years?”
Kara bit her lip scared she was going to make Alex mad when she gave her the answer. “I don’t want my mom to be mad at me.” Kara whispered. If Alex wasn’t looking at her, she would’ve missed it. “Why would she be mad at you?” “Mad that I’m replacing her and I’m not. I also don’t want to hurt Eliza’s feelings because she’s been everything to me these past four years, but I just feel…” Kara stopped so she could reign in her emotions.
“I kind of understand the sentiment because I know if I lost my mom, it would be hard for me to see someone else in the title role. Do you want to call her mom and feel bad about it? Or do you not see her that way? I’m not asking this to pressure you into doing it. I have seen you slip up and almost say it then you correct yourself.”
Kara looked at Alex with wide eyes because she was certain that no one heard her slip ups. “I want to, but I want to be burden free when I say it. When I said it last time, I felt so bad, so I thought that it was my mom punishing me.” Alex grabbed Kara’s face making her look at her. She could see the turmoil and guilt in Kara’s eyes and in her body language. She was carrying a heavy burden that no 13-year-old should be carrying.
“Let it come naturally to you. I know, for a fact, that your mother is not punishing you for loving someone who is loving you. Do you want to ask your mother for her blessing?” “How would I do that?” Kara asked confused. Alex stood up with a grin and grabbed Kara’s hand leading her downstairs.
“Hey girls where are you all going?”
“We’re going to the beach. We will be back before dinner.” Alex pulled Kara along with her as fast as possible before Eliza could ask any more questions. They walked to the shoreline, sitting down, looking out at the water. The silence was very peaceful to Kara. Very few people were around, and the sun was starting to set in the sky.
“My mom used to say that the deceased can answer us with different signs. Like a breeze or a cold chill. An image or just the relief your body feels when you say what you need to say aloud.” Alex said while still staring out at the water. Kara was hanging onto every word that Alex said. “Talk to your mom, Kar. Tell her how you feel. Tell her everything whether it’s good or bad.”
Kara took a deep breath and started to talk into the horizon. “Mom, I miss you so much. I wish life didn’t deal us this bad hand, but I promise I’m trying to make the most of it. I didn’t get a chance to take care of Kal because I was sent to the Phantom Zone. When I got to Earth, he was already a grown man. He doesn’t want me though and for a while I was upset because he turned his back on me, but I would’ve never done that to him.” Kara had to collect herself because she felt herself about to start crying. “I have a good family now. Alex is my sister. I have one now mom even if she’s a pain in the ass.” Kara chuckled along with Alex.
She took a moment and started again, “Then there is Eliza,…” Kara looked at Alex, while her voice quivered as she said, “…she’s our mom.” Alex had tears running down her face with a watery smile. “She’s the absolute best and very gentle. She would be your best friend if you ever got to know her. She loves us unconditionally, even when we aren’t our best. She has embraced me like she’s known me her whole life.”
Kara stopped and grabbed Alex’s hand like she need it to ground her to this moment. “I want to call her mom, but I don’t want to disappoint you or make you mad. I love you, mom, but I love Eliza also. I just want to know if you are okay with me calling her a name that was gifted to you. My body aches when I say it and my heart constricts. It doesn’t know whether it has your blessing to bestow that sacred name upon another person who isn’t you.” Kara started sobbing as she asked the most important question, “Do I have that blessing, mom? I really need to know.”
A few minutes passed and Kara felt this presence engulf her body and then her heart felt this sudden relief. She knew then that her mother gave her blessing, and she just cried in Alex’s arms. She cried for the past and future. She cried for the relief she’s been waiting on for the past four years.
When the sun fully set, she and Alex started walking home. They walked in the door and smelled the food that Eliza cooked. Eliza walked to the door when she heard them walk in. She looked at Kara’s face and notice right away that she was crying. She didn’t ask any questions; she just enveloped her in the tightest hug she could muster up.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“I love you, mom” Kara stated burying herself further into Eliza’s arms.
“I love you, too, sweetie.” Eliza whispered into her hair with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face.