"Remind me again why you agreed to this?" Kara asks with an amused look as she carries various crates of equipment inside. She could have been done by now, but even in front of a deserted building miles from anyone who might see, with night falling to obscure visibility even further, Cat insists she at least make an effort to pretend she's human. She's as overprotective in some ways as Alex has become.

"Because Lois Lane goaded me and I have a competitive streak wider than your cape," Cat grudgingly admits to her girlfriend. She might pretend to have no faults to the rest of the world, but Kara has earned her honesty now that there's no one nearby to hear.

"So you let Lois corner you into spending the night Carter is with his father in an abandoned mansion rather than curled up with me in your much more inviting bed?" Kara says with a laugh, eyeing the place one more time. "Cat, I love you, but sometimes you should let her win."

"Preposterous," Cat disagrees instantly, bristling at the very implication. "Letting her win would make her insufferable. Carter will have other nights with his father, but this is the only night the owner would agree to let us stay. We'll stay the night, take a few readings to prove to Lois we actually took things seriously, and that will be the end of it. She can stop going on about how the team of Planet reporters was too scared to stay more than an hour, I'll have won yet again, and we can spend tomorrow catching up on lost sleep and other opportunities until Carter gets home."

Kara does have to admit that sounds appealing, Cat rarely agrees to spend a day in bed. She usually insists that she has no time for such an indulgence, and even Kara has limited success changing her mind on that. "I already agreed to help you out, Cat, don't worry. I'm not changing my mind. And I told Alex it was movie night, so unless the world is ending she won't be calling."

"What did you tell her we were watching?" Cat asks as Kara grabs the last crate. Alex has been invited to their last four movie nights, so for Kara to use that excuse means she'd picked something her sister wouldn't enjoy.

"Ghost movies," Kara admits sheepishly, and Cat just laughs. "Alex hates them, says the science is always too fake and the ghosts are lame. Apparently terrifying ghosts have nothing on the aliens she faces every day."

"You face them too, you know," Cat says, holding the door open. "And you still love sitting through hours of such films."

"Well, her scary aliens were my Galactic social studies class," Kara admits as she starts to unpack the equipment, hands moving faster than Cat can follow now that they're inside. "It's harder to be scared of them when I've been to their planet, or studied their culture. They need stopped, but that doesn't mean they frighten me just because of what they are."

"Sometimes I forget you didn't grow up here," Cat says softly, not wanting to upset Kara with her admission. "Even when I watch you use your powers, you seem so human to me."

"I'm pretty sure my people would agree," Kara says thoughtfully, thankfully not seeming upset by the observation. "I don't act very Kryptonian these days, I'm sure that would make a few people unhappy. A member of the House of El acting like a human would be a terrible scandal."

"Do you mind that?" Cat asks, needing to know. She's not sure how she could fix the issue if Kara does, but she'll put everything she has into trying.

"No, Cat, of course I don't," Kara says, pausing her setup to turn and meet her girlfriend's eyes. "I loved Krypton, and I miss it every day, but we were a very stuffy people sometimes. And most looked down on humans, that's what would make my actions such a disgrace. But I know better, and I love how I'm able to be myself here."

Cat isn't entirely convinced, but she has to admit Kara makes a good point. The few times she's head another Kryptonian talk, she's been struck by how formal they sound, no matter what the topic. She'd put it down to language differences, and that might well be part of it, but a deep cultural divide makes just as much sense.

"Well I for one am glad you don't look down on humanity," she teases to break the tone. "You might be able to throw me into space, but I have quite a few achievements of my own that have nothing to do with special abilities."

"Oh I don't know," Kara says softly, "I can think of a few achievements that are definitely a special ability of yours." And the way Kara is looking at her just isn't fair, because there's no way she's losing this bet, but at that moment she wants nothing more than to pull her girlfriend away from this filthy abandoned mansion and rack up a few more achievements before the night is over.

The look between them slowly heats, and Cat can feel her resolve weakening with every second. If she weren't so stubborn, she'd tell Lois where to stick the challenge, pride be damned. As it is, she's moments away from telling Kara the unpacking can wait when a door slams somewhere in the house, startling them both out of the spell they'd fallen into. And suddenly all thoughts of finding out exactly how roomy the backseat of the SUV they'd borrowed could be are gone, because Cat knows they're alone and there's no reason for a door to have moved, let alone slammed that way.

Kara has her glasses off and is looking around slowly, obviously scanning the house to see what she can find. And when faced with unknown noises in a deserted house that's supposed to be haunted, Cat's not ashamed that she moves to Kara's side a little faster than could be considered calmly. Her girlfriend is a superhero after all; obviously the safest place to be when dealing with the unknown is by her side.

"I don't see anything," Kara says after a long moment, tucking her glasses into her bag with a determined look. "There are a few windows open, so it could have been a draft, but let's get this equipment set up just in case."

"If there are windows open, then I'm sure it was just the wind," Cat says with a confidence she doesn't feel. Ghosts aren't real after all, so the most logical explanation has to be the right one. "I wouldn't put it past Lois to have her crew leave them open just to mess with us." She doesn't mention the improbability that a door would have stayed open for the past week just to slam when they arrived, choosing to ignore that little fact in favor of not panicking.

"Of course," Kara agrees, giving one last scan of the building before turning back to the crates. "Here, take this and tell me if anything changes on the screen." By the time Cat has studied the display enough to realize she has no idea what it's intended to do, Kara has the rest of the equipment set up, the room turned into a ghost hunting headquarters, and has even managed to set up the camp couch Cat had insisted they bring. She hadn't known if the place would have any furniture, but it hadn't mattered, she would have refused to touch whatever was in the place regardless.

"Where did you get all this equipment?" Cat asks, turning the device Kara had handed her over a few times to look for any kind of identifying marks.

"I sort of borrowed it from my sister," Kara says awkwardly, shifting in place as she picks up a few more devices before setting each down in turn. And Cat knows by now that by Alex she means the shadowy government agency the woman works for, and that 'borrowed' in this case probably doesn't involve permission.

"If I get arrested for misuse of government property, I'm counting on you to bail me out," is all she says, looking around to see where the camera has been put. "Now Lois said something about needing video proof, so let's get that set up next. And remember darling, even if we don't intend to share the video with anyone else, the possibility is still there. So try not to go flying through the ceiling if another door slams."

"I'm not the only one who jumped," Kara mutters as she sets up a tripod in the corner. And Cat wants to argue, just for appearances sake, but she really can't. She had jumped, quite noticeably if she's being honest, and Kara would definitely call her on that if she tries.

"What exactly am I supposed to be measuring with this?" she asks rather than pushing that line of conversation, still trying to make heads or tails of the numbers on the display.

"Um, that one measures energy on a few different wavelengths. It's helpful for finding aliens who don't have a 100% physical form on this planet." Kara says after she studies which one she's handed Cat.

"Kara, the tape," Cat reminds her, already planning to cut the comment from the video before she sends it to Lois. The woman will understand, she's gone through enough trouble protecting her own superhero over the years. "We're hunting ghosts tonight, nothing else."

"Right. Sorry Cat, I'm not used to hiding around you anymore." Kara is obviously sincere, and Cat ignores the camera for a moment to lean forward and kiss the embarrassed look off her girlfriend's face. But as soon as their lips meet something groans upstairs, and the two spring back with a wary look, Kara immediately scanning the house once more. "Still nothing," she says quietly, eyes moving across the ceiling, voice pitched quietly enough that the camera won't pick her words up. "Let's do a scan of the building with a few of these first, see if anything jumps out at us."

Cat shifts uncomfortably at the words, but refuses to be intimidated. Ghosts aren't real, it's a windy night, and this is an old house. Doors can slam on their own if the wind catches them, and old houses settle. There's nothing more to it than that. "Lead the way."

None of their equipment shows any unusual readings as they search the house, and nothing seems out of place. Kara has a ridiculous contraption strapped to her back that holds a lantern above her head to give light in every direction and avoid dark shadows, and as much as Cat wants to mock how it looks she can't manage to find the words. It's utterly absurd, but she has to admit it's much easier on the nerves than jumping shadows created by flashlight beams.

"I have some portable spot lamps in the SUV that we should be able to set up in every room," Kara whispers when she sees Cat turn suddenly yet again to study one of the shadows her lamp doesn't touch. It's a sweet gesture, even more so because she doesn't mention the lamps will be entirely for Cat's comfort and no other reason, and Cat quickly nods.

"A few lights shouldn't cause any effect on these readings," Cat says rather than verbalize her thanks, but she can tell Kara understands by the way she smiles. "You'll have to go get them though, Lois insisted the bet is off if I leave the house before the night is over."

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" Kara asks, studying her girlfriend's face carefully. "It won't take me long."

"I'll be fine," Cat says dismissively, refusing to show the spike of nerves that had surfaced at the thought of Kara leaving her side. "Be careful, don't hurt yourself lifting those things." She won't allow Kara to risk her secret by grabbing them all at once, but she can't say so in front of that damn camera. Damn Lois and her requirements for this bet.

"Okay, but I'll still be quick," Kara says with a pointed look, and Cat just sighs as her girlfriend heads out into the dark outside, knowing her warning will be at best half heeded. And sure enough Kara is coming back inside after only a few moments, carrying a single lamp in her arms as she smiles brightly. "Forgot I stacked them on the porch before I unloaded everything else," she lies with a quick glance towards the camera. At least she'd thought up a cover story before Cat had to.

"Darling, sometimes I think you'd forget your name if I didn't call it so often," Cat teases, not intending for her words to get the reaction they do.

She hadn't expected Kara to drop the lamp as she stumbles at Cat's teasing tone , and she has to spare a moment to be thankful it didn't break before meeting Kara's eyes. They're wide and hungry, and again Cat curses the damn bet, because there's nowhere in this house she trusts to be clean enough for what she wants to do now. And nowhere private enough to be sure the camera wouldn't pick up on their voices, either.

"You can't keep doing that to me if you're going to win this bet," Kara says after they spend a long moment staring at each other, and Cat finally nods. She hadn't meant to, but that doesn't mean much. She also isn't sorry she did.

"Fine, but after this bet, all bets are off," she agrees, knowing it's not a fair blow but unable to help herself. "Now get those lamps set up, the darkness is getting a little much," she says to deflect before Kara can retaliate.

Thankfully Kara does so without comment, giving Cat a moment to regather her bearings. The bet might only be to stay in the house overnight where Lois' team had failed, but Cat won't be satisfied with just that unless she has to be. The Planet had failed to find a story here, too ashamed of their panicked flight before they could gather any significant data or lack thereof, but if there's a story to be found then Cat will find it. Even if it's just debunking what's supposed to be the most terrifying haunted house in the state.

"There, all set up," Kara says after she's placed a lamp in every room, and Cat smiles softly in thanks. She might not have admitted to her fears, but she's still glad Kara had not only noticed but done something to ease them.

"Good, thank you darling," Cat says, needing to show her appreciation even if she won't specify why she's thanking Kara. "Do you have any other equipment that might be useful for a tour of the house?"

"Yeah, there are a few gadgets in there we can try next," Kara says with a smile before crossing to their makeshift command center and leaning over to sort through the pile of equipment she's stacked on the desk. It's a stunning sight, and Cat just stares for a long moment, wondering how she'd gotten so lucky, how she'd managed to convince herself to let Kara in when the chance was presented.

Just then the nearest spot lamp flickers and dies, leaving the next room in darkness and grabbing both women's attention. "You couldn't have made sure to pack new batteries?" Cat asks sharply to cover the way her heart had sped up, knowing Kara will notice anyway.

"I replaced them myself before I packed them," Kara says slowly, gesturing for Cat to cross to her side. "And that power source should have been good for weeks." Suddenly Cat is glad to move as quickly as she can away from the hallway and into the safety of Kara's protection. If Kara says she replaced the batteries, then Cat trusts her. It might just be a malfunction or faulty wiring, but that's one too many coincidences for the night for her to accept calmly.

"And you're sure you don't see anything?" Cat asks quietly, not taking her eyes off the now dark lamp.

"Not a thing," Kara says just as softly, head tracking slowly back and forth, obviously taking time to examine every inch of the house around them. "I'm going to call Alex, see what she might know."

Normally Cat would resent the implication that they couldn't handle things without help, but this is obviously beyond the both of them. At least it's Kara reaching out, Cat doesn't think she could get the words out without choking on them.

"Hey, Alex, quick question," Kara says quickly into her phone once her sister picks up. "What do you know about ghosts?" She's got the thing on speakerphone so that Cat can hear, and the older woman appreciates the gesture.

"They don't exist," Alex says shortly, and Cat rolls her eyes, forcing herself to keep quiet. If she cuts in, the conversation will probably devolve into pointed comments that get them nowhere. She and Alex actually get along fairly well, but their personalities tend to clash sometimes despite Kara's best efforts. "I know you decided to watch some scary movies tonight Kara, but I'm at work and it's a bit busy here, get your girlfriend to hold your hand when there's a scary noise." And with that she hangs up, leaving Kara and Cat both staring at the phone in disbelief.

"Did your sister just hang up on you?" Cat asks after a moment, not remembering another time that had happened.

"I think she did," Kara says, still with a shocked look on her face. "Things at work must be bad tonight for that to happen."

"She'd call you if you were needed, you know that," Cat says softly, already seeing the struggle on Kara's face. "Alex can handle herself, and you know she doesn't hesitate to call you when they need help. She'd interrupt a movie night without a second thought if it was that bad."

"I told her not to though," Kara mutters, still obviously worried.

"She's an adult," Cat says, turning Kara's face to they make eye contact. "She knows when to do what needs to be done, and she didn't ask for help this time. You have to trust her."

"Okay," Kara agrees softly, finally shooting Cat a weak smile. "How about we do another sweep of the house?"

"As long as you don't say something idiotic like 'let's split up' I suppose that's a decent idea," Cat says teasingly, leaning in to kiss Kara softly. "Just tell me what to carry and what to watch for, and let's get this night over with."

"Here, take these two," Kara says after a minute of studying the available sensors. "This one will measure temperature differences, I'll need a minute to add our readings so it doesn't flag us, but after that it will alert us to even miniscule differences in our surroundings. It might throw up a lot of false positives, but it will at least give us a starting point. And this one will go off if anything tries to interact with it. It's good if there's something here that wants to communicate."

"That seems straightforward enough," Cat says as Kara calibrates the first device, though she isn't thrilled about the possibility there's something here that could communicate with them. She's happier thinking this is just an empty house and the rumors about it have her nerves acting up. She doesn't have to admit to fear if she doesn't verbalize it, but a communicating spirit would be another story.

They slowly sweep the first level and find nothing, though Cat jumps every time the temperature sensor in her hand goes off. It's always nothing though, with no hint that the minor changes in the air are due to anything other than a drafty building with poor insulation. But even knowing that doesn't stop her heart from racing, or Kara from reaching out to comfort her every time it does.

Once they're upstairs things settle a little, the sensor going off roughly half as often as they make their way from room to room. It's not entirely comforting, given the number of windows still standing open upstairs, but Cat refuses to dwell on why things are calmer here than they are downstairs. It's an old, drafty house, and that's all there is too it until proven otherwise.

"Well, these didn't show anything out of the ordinary," Kara says when they finish their second sweep. "We can sit for a while, then take a third lap around with the last of the equipment, if you want. Or we can just sit for the rest of the night so you win your bet, and call the story a bust."

It's tempting, Cat has to admit. Even with the lights the house is unsettling, and she's already done enough, lasted long enough, to rub the night in Lois' face whether they find something or not. An entire team of trained reporters had fled before spending an hour in this building, and here Cat and Kara have already lasted five. It's late, and the thought of catching a quick nap is more than a little appealing.

But no, Cat has never backed down from a challenge before, and she won't start now. "Sitting for a minute sounds nice, but then let's make another sweep around. I may not actually write the story, but I want all the details for when I tell Lois' what we did and didn't find."

"She's going to see you jump when the light goes out," Kara points out, earning a glare from Cat. "I'm just saying, be prepared for her to have a few shots of her own when you two slug this out. We're going to win this bet for you, but you know she'll have a few things to say, if only to avoid total humiliation."

"Her insults will be as tired as her metaphors, I can handle them," Cat says dismissively, already knowing what barbs will be sent her way. There will probably be a few intolerable cat puns thrown in, and she'll need to have suitably biting retorts lined up for all of them.

"Will you two ever get along?" Kara asks a little while after they've settled comfortably onto the camp couch, Cat curling automatically into Kara's side. She'd tried to resist when they'd first gotten together, refused to seem so soft, but after several months she's lost that particular hang up. Even the camera in the corner of the room doesn't stop her. If Lois wants to mock how comfortable Cat is with their relationship, she'll be desperate for insults indeed.

"Basic civility is all you're going to get, I'm afraid," Cat says instantly, thinking over her mutually antagonistic relationship with the other reporter. "We can play nice if we have to, but most of the time we don't, and we both prefer it that way."

"Fair enough," Kara says with a sigh, wrapping her arm securely around Cat's shoulders. "At least you aren't at each other's throats all the time."

"No, there's only one throat I prefer to sink my teeth into," Cat whispers into Kara's ear, relishing the soft whimper the teasing elicits. "And in just a few hours, I plan to do just that."

"Rao, Cat, I told you not to do that," Kara breathes, just as quietly. They're both fully aware of the still rolling camera in the corner, but Cat couldn't resist.

"Do you want me to stop?" Cat asks, taking advantage of the fact the camera is on the other side of Kara and not focused directly on them to kiss lightly just below her ear. It's a teasing touch that they both know well, and Kara bites her lip to stifle a moan at the memories the contact brings up.

"Not even a little," Kara admits when she can form coherent words again. "But I think we need to."

"Fine," Cat says, trying not to pout as she sits back just a little, putting a few scant inches of space between them.

Just before Kara can open her mouth to respond, something falls upstairs, startling them both into jumping from the couch, Kara instinctively stepping in front of Cat as they face the rest of the house. "Grab my phone and the sensors we haven't used, that was definitely something," Kara says, falling into her Supergirl persona despite the absence of the outfit. "And if we find anything, you're going to run, I don't care about the bet, got it?"

"I can handle these three if you can get this one," is all Cat says, refusing to agree to something so ridiculous. It's not about the bet, but she won't leave Kara's side unless she has to, and nothing so far has made that possibility seem likely.

"Why am I only carrying one?" Kara asks in confusion, still staring past the walls around them as Cat presses the single sensor into her hand.

"Because that way you have a hand free if you need it," Cat says in a dry voice, wishing her superhero would learn to think a little when the situation called for it.

Kara wisely doesn't answer, instead glancing at the device Cat had handed her before nodding slightly and walking into the hallway. "Let me know if anything changes on those monitors," is all she says, still completely focused on the task at hand. "And I mean it, I know you hate to run, but if I tell you to go, I need you to go. I can't fight if I'm afraid whatever it is will get you."

"Let's just focus on this sweep," Cat says, refusing to consider the possibility unless she absolutely has to. "A quick sweep first, then a detailed one on the way back."

"Stay close," Kara says, not fighting to earn a promise she knows Cat won't give, already knowing that her girlfriend can be more than merely stubborn. Unmovable is probably a better description when Cat puts her mind to something, and Kara realizes that.

They've made it to the second room down the downstairs hall, the one whose door had slammed when they arrived, before any of the readouts change.

"Kara, one of these just spiked," Cat whispers, not sure what any of the numbers mean, but knowing something had changed. "Here, trade me sensors so you can look at this."

"I don't remember what this one does," Kara says when she studies the display, waving it around and watching the numbers fluctuate as she does. "I knew I should have paid more attention to Alex."

"So call her and ask what it does," Cat says, watching as a few other readouts start to slowly shift on the sensors she's still holding. "And do it quick, I have more shifting numbers here."

As Kara dials the door slams behind them, and Cat jumps forward to press securely into Kara's side, both women staring wide eyed at the door in shock. "Alex, don't you dare hang up on me again, this is serious," Kara says with a touch of hysteria in her voice, and the fact that Kara is panicking does nothing to calm Cat. "We're not actually having a movie night, we're in a haunted house, and that device you have with the blue screen is spiking at a 6.8, and I don't know what it means, but are you sure ghosts aren't real?"

"Shit," Cat hears from the phone, even though Kara hasn't put it on speaker again. "What's the number beneath that?"

"9.5 and there's a little squiggle next to it," Kara answers, eyes darting down quickly before jumping back up to focus on the door once more.

"That's not an alien signature I recognize, but it's definitely something," Alex says, and they can hear her suiting up as she talks. "Stay calm, don't antagonize anything, and make sure your girlfriend keeps her mouth shut before she pisses it off. I'm on my way."

If Cat wasn't absolutely petrified by the turn the night had taken, she'd have had a few words to toss Alex's way before the call ended. As it is she can't quite find her voice before the call ends, so she remembers a few choice insults for when they get out of this.

"Okay, so not antagonizing anything or anyone, we can do that, right?" Kara says in a high pitched voice, stepping impossibly closer to Cat as they each stare around them. "Do you think heading for the main room would be antagonizing?"

"I think it's worth a try," Cat says, needing out of the room whether it's a bad idea or not. She thinks it might be, considering whatever the thing is had slammed the door to shut them in here, but she's not going to say that out loud. Alex might have a point about pissing the thing off, even if Cat hates to admit it.

"Okay, then let's go," Kara says, slowly moving forward as she keeps Cat pressed into her side. "Rao I wish I had my cape, I'd feel better if you had some protection," she whispers as they ease the door open, each waiting to see if that earns a reaction.

"I trust you to keep me safe, cape or no cape," Cat says in response, hoping she sounds confident enough to reassure her girlfriend. "For now, let's just make it to the other room."

They don't run, though Cat desperately wants to, instead moving slowly as they continue to look at the readouts they don't understand. The numbers stay constant, not fading back to the baseline, and by the time they reach the rest of their equipment Cat's heart is pounding in her chest loudly enough that Kara could probably hear it without her super hearing.

"You don't have to worry," comes a disembodied voice from the corner of the room, and both women freeze, staring at the box Kara had handed Cat for their earlier sweep. "I won't hurt you, I just get bored here sometimes."

"Who are you?" Cat asks after a long moment of silence, falling into a reporter's mindset on blind instinct.

"My name is Sarah, and I'm sorry I scared you," the voice says, and Cat has a sudden urge to laugh at how ridiculous this whole thing is. A ghost is apologizing to them. If she weren't afraid of provoking a negative response, she'd laugh for hours until her nervous energy was exhausted.

"Why did you scare us?" Kara asks while Cat fights to keep herself under control, voice shaking slightly as she tries to stay calm.

"Like I said, it's boring here," Sarah answers. "And you two were fun, you didn't go running the first time I slammed a door shut like the last group. I didn't mean to actually frighten you though."

Cat has to admit that makes sense, as much as she wishes the ghost didn't sound quite so reasonable. What if she was lying?

Still, Cat hadn't been a reporter for years, hadn't built a company dedicated to finding and reporting the biggest stories, to let an opportunity like this go to waste. So with a look at Kara and a quick prayer that nothing would go wrong, she started to give the first real interview with a ghost the world had ever seen.

The tension in the room gradually ease as nothing overtly supernatural occurs, other than a disembodied voice answering whatever questions Cat asks. By the time they've finished discussing Sarah's history, things are even almost relaxed between the three of the, Kara managing to throw in a few jokes as the conversation continues. They've gotten so caught up in the conversation that they forget the earlier panicked call to Alex until the woman and what seems like half the DEO are bursting into the house with guns drawn.

"It's okay, it's all okay!" Kara yells quickly as Alex steps into the room, a sheepish look on her face as she takes in her sister's fierce look. "Turns out the ghost was friendly?" she tries, already knowing she won't get off that easily.

"And you couldn't have called me back to tell me that?" Alex all but yells before the words sink in. "Wait, there is a ghost here? It's not just a false alarm?"

"My name is Sarah, and I'm terribly sorry I caused such a commotion," comes the voice from the box, and Cat watches as Alex goes white. Seems like they've found a ghost story that scares the woman after all.

"You have a lot of explaining to do," is all Alex says despite the fear on her face, so much more obvious than Cat has seen outside of the times Kara is hurt. "But let me get the troops on their way back, if you're sure everything is fine."
"Positive," Kara says with a smile, trying to seem as if she hadn't just dragged government agents out in the middle of the night for nothing. "And I'll explain things to J'onn for you, don't worry."

"Like he's going to let me off that easily," Alex mutters as the last of the agents file out of the house. "Now, start at the beginning. Why the hell are you two at a haunted house when you told me you were having a movie night?"

"Well, there was this bet," Kara starts, and Alex just rolls her eyes.

"Grant, you have got to learn how to chill."