Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Supergirl or its plots or characters.

Chapter 11: I Won't be Left

The National City Diner. Lena couldn't keep the smile from her face as they arrived at their destination and she looked up at the neon sign. She had told Kara nothing fancy, after all, and comfort food was exactly what she needed after a long, stressful week full of nonstop meetings and budget reports.

They had taken the Metro, something Lena wasn't used to, but it had still been a bit of a walk. Lena's feet were going to be hurting like hell tomorrow from the high-heeled shoes she had chosen to wear, but it was going to be well worth it. Plus, the playful banter she shared with Kara along the way made it go by quickly and the hero's presence always made her feel so light, making her forget all of her physical ailments.

Lena had been out to eat with Kara many times, but this was different. Kara was taking her on a date. They were dating. This week had certainly been an emotional rollercoaster with everything that had transpired between her and Kara. But tonight, would be the start of something.

Excitement bubbled through her at the very idea and she couldn't wait to see where this was going to take them. Lena knew what she wanted. She wanted to spend every waking minute with the Kryptonian, and every sleeping minute as well for that matter.

Her facial expression must not have accurately reflected how she was feeling because Kara's voice piped up from beside her, uncertain.

"Is this okay? We can go somewhere different if you want. I know it's not very fancy-," Kara seemed to be preparing to go off on a nervous tangent, but Lena stopped her. She slid her hand into Kara's, interlacing their fingers, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. A broad grin of pure happiness spread across her lips at the feeling of Kara's palm pressed into hers, making her feel secure and grounded.

"This is perfect," she told her firmly, turning to look back up at the large sign for the diner, following up with, "I can't say I've ever eaten here, but I've always wanted to… they say this place has the best milkshakes in National City."

Kara seemed relieved at her words, rewarding her with a pleased smile, perfect teeth gleaming behind pink lips, eyes sparkling with joy. Every time Kara looked at her like that it made Lena's heart flutter knowing she had been the cause of the other woman's happiness.

Without further ado, Kara gently tugged her hand forward, leading her towards the diner, only releasing her hand to hold the door open for her as they entered. That was a gesture that many men had done for Lena but something about Kara holding the door for her made her heart swell with affection. Kara didn't do it out of obligation or some antiquated gendered habit. Kara did it because she genuinely wanted to do something nice for her, because she cared about her.

Kara was different than anyone she had ever met, and not just because she was a seemingly invincible goddess. This woman embodied everything she never had in other relationships, to the point that she didn't know what she was missing until she got a taste of what it would be like to be with Kara.

The only other serious relationship she ever had was with Jack Spheer, and, while he was a genuinely good guy, he was no Kara. In fact, when coming face to face with him, Kara was the one she chose to be by her side, knowing that she would be there for her no matter what.

When Lena had gotten the invitation from her ex to attend this press conference, she knew there was only one person she wanted to go with. So, she grabbed her coat and had George drive her over to Kara's apartment. The idea of seeing the blonde woman again made her feel giddy for some reason, but she brushed it off.

Taking a breath, she lifted her fist to the door and gave it a loud wrap with her knuckles, before stepping back and clutching her purse in both hands to wait. Her mind kept chastising herself over and over for pulling Kara into this. Supergirl must have much more important things to do than help Lena face her ex. But maybe not.

"Hey!" Kara greeted her with happy surprise. Lena sighed in relief that Kara was here and could feel her own smile spread across her face as the reporter pulled the door open wider so she could come in, "What brings you to the rent-controlled side of town?"

She stepped into the space, noticing several things at once. One, Kara was holding an apron in one hand and two, there was the distinct acrid smell of something burning.

"Are you grief baking?" she asked the reporter in disbelief, throwing her an incredulous look over her shoulder. Kara couldn't quite meet her eyes and her shoulders were slumped dramatically as she responded too slowly,

"No…."

"Liar," she shot back, a teasing smile on her face and Kara gave up the charade immediately, her shoulders slumping dramatically. Making her way across the room, Lena sat herself down at Kara's kitchen island as if it were her own home. She watched the blonde woman approach, appreciating the fact that even the most modest of attire- today she wore a simple long-sleeved grey shirt tucked into black pants- Kara was still effortlessly beautiful.

"Being unemployed is not fun anymore," she told her glumly, making her way over to where Lena sat. Something must have occurred to the other woman because she turned serious, her voice full of concern as she asked, "Wait, is everything okay?"

Behind those thick frames, Lena could see the crease of worry on the other woman's forehead as the piercing blue eyes studied her intently. The way Kara was looking at her made her feel several things at once. Lena felt warm and safe and nervous and guilty, all mixed together. She hadn't meant to worry the Kryptonian with her small problem, but she couldn't deny that Kara's concern for her was flattering and made her more than a little flustered.

"Yeah, no. Absolutely. Uh…," now it was Lena's turn to be completely unconvincing. She didn't want Kara to worry about her, so she chastised herself mentally for even coming here. And yet, she couldn't deny that having Kara with her would make her feel so much better, as always. Kara could detect her reluctance and gave her a look.

As she tried to control her restless hands, looking down at the table momentarily unable to meet those icy blue depths, Lena began, "So, today there is this press conference for Spheerical Industries' new unveiling. Whatever they announce is going to be the next big thing everyone wants."

Lena brushed her hair out of her face to give her hands something to do while she spoke. It was still difficult to talk about Jack and everything that had happened between them, but Lena tried to keep her stoic demeanor, unsuccessfully.

"Are they your competition?" Kara asked, but Lena didn't look up to see her expression, afraid she wouldn't be able to continue if she met those eyes again.

"No, uhm, their CEO, Jack Spheer, and I…," Lena began finally forced herself to look into Kara's eyes as the woman sat across from her. She was no match for their piercing depths, so she revealed, "we used to be close."

"Until when?" Kara asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Just before I moved to National City," Lena told her, almost afraid of Kara's reaction.

"Oh, I see. This is a recent closeness," Kara's demeanor had changed, Lena could sense it. She still had that bright, sunny manner and the same quirky awkwardness, but she was being a little weird. Kara still went on, "How long were you two together?"

Memories of her time with Jack flooded her mind.

"Romantically, two years, but we had a start-up together for five," she revealed, almost missing the way Kara's eyes seemed to cloud over just a bit as she continued, "Worked out of a garage trying to find a cure for cancer. It was a lot of small explosions and good times."

The memories of Jack were certainly happy ones because there was just something about the thrill of working with someone towards a common goal of helping people. He was one of the few people, like Kara, who never saw her as just another Luthor. These days it felt like she accomplished so little good in this world that it was hard not to be nostalgic.

Lena glanced up at Kara and couldn't help but notice her tight-lipped smile, but she trudged on, "He's given me a personal invite to this press conference."

"Are you gonna go?" Kara asked almost immediately, that furrowed brow returning.

"Jack's my Kryptonite," Lena told her, tilting her head slightly to look at Kara from behind the partial curtain of hair while Kara pursed her lips. She hadn't really meant to make the reference to her knowing about Kara's identity but the Kryptonian's face seemed to reveal nothing, so Lena continued honestly, "It's just gonna bring up a lot of painful things and I'm not sure I can relive it."

Kara seemed to get what she was hinting at and stood up from the kitchen island, saying, "But, if your good friend, Kara, came with you…"

"And had my back…," Lena continued, a happy smile curling her lips as she picked up her purse.

"It wouldn't be so hard to face him," Kara finished their joint thought and Lena gave her a relieved, 'thank you,' as Kara picked up her jacket off the hook and threw it over her arm. As she reached for her own purse, Kara assured her,

"I mean, it's so much better than grief baking, and I always have your back."

Lena leaned against Kara's doorframe and watched the blonde woman as she gathered her things. She had no idea how she had gotten so lucky to have a friend like Kara. She had no doubts that Kara would always have her back. She had proven that time and time again.

"You're my favorite," she told Kara honestly, but trying to put a little humor in her voice. Kara grinned broadly at her statement as she opened the door for the superhero and Lena couldn't resist adding, "So, what's your Kryptonite?"

Kara walked past her, deliberately not meeting her eyes stumbling with a response and Lena felt a little guilty, but not that guilty for toying with Supergirl's alter ego.

Kara led her down to one of the only vacant booths left and they both shed their jackets before sitting down. The diner was packed with all kinds of people, families, teenagers on dates, older men sipping coffee at the counter, and apparently a Luthor and a Super.

Her eyes were drawn back to the superhero across from her when she caught sight of Kara adjusting her glasses anxiously as was her habit. It was rather endearing, but she wanted the blonde to know that there was nothing to be nervous about.

Lena reached across the table and laid her hand on top of Kara's, drawing the woman's piercing blue eyes to hers, and Lena gave her a reassuring smile wanting to tell her exactly how beautiful and amazing she really was. Lena opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get any words out a middle-aged waitress with dark wavy hair pulled into a messy bun and tussled bangs came and leant on their booth next to Lena, facing Kara.

"So, you're just gonna walk in here and sit down without saying, 'hello,' or anything?" the woman chastised Kara with a hand on her hip. Lena was about to say something snarky back to the rude woman but then she saw Kara's face light up in recognition.

"Margot!" she greeted the older woman, standing up and pulling the waitress into a friendly hug. The woman returned it, her face breaking into a smile as well, all traces of the scowl gone. "It's so good to see you! I didn't know you were working tonight."

"Yeah, well, when am I not working?" Margot retorted sarcastically as they pulled away from one another and the older woman's eyes fell on Lena for the first time. "Well, hello there, didn't think to introduce me to your date?"

Lena felt a warmth spread in her chest at the use of the word and Kara's proud smile in response. She watched as the tell-tale pink flush began at Kara's neck and crept onto her cheeks as she introduced, "Margot, this is Lena Luthor."

During the brief pause, Lena gauged the woman's reaction to her name, but there was none, and Kara continued, "Lena, this is Margot."

Margot nodded down at her and Lena could tell she was someone who was slow to warm up to new people; Lena could definitely empathize, so she merely smiled politely in greeting.

"Should have let me know you were coming so I could warn the kitchen," Margot teased, directing this to Kara who flushed an even deeper red. Lena let out a little laugh because Kara seemed to have a reputation for her appetite every where she went. Now that Lena knew she was Supergirl, she realized that she must burn a lot of calories saving the world.

"Oh, well you know, I'm just keeping you all in business," Kara joked, flopping back down into the booth, clearly self-conscious, which was completely unnecessary as Lena held no judgement.

"No doubt about that," Margot agreed, looking over at Lena now, "I know she's having the chicken and waffles but what can I get you?"

"I think I'll have the same," Lena replied without looking at a menu. Southern comfort food wasn't something she ate very often, but nothing sounded more delicious than the greasy goodness of fried chicken right now with a sweet milkshake, so she added, "and also a chocolate milkshake."

"Let me go put that in for you," Margot straightened up and made her way through the crowd.

Lena turned her full attention back to the blonde across from her, whose cheeks were still tinged with color.

"You're obviously a regular here," Lena stated, a playful smile on her lips that Kara returned with a shy one of her own.

"Uh, yeah, I…," Kara seemed to pause, considering her response. Lena tilted her head as she wondered what was going on inside of the Krytponian's head as Kara's eyes seemed to soften, her body visibly relaxing as she finished her thought, "I like to come here when I need to be reminded why I do what I do."

Lena knew that Kara was referring to her protecting the people of National City as Supergirl. She tilted her head and listened intently as Kara glanced around at the people around them, speaking fondly, "This place reflects National City perfectly, from the homey atmosphere to all the different kinds of people. Not to mention, the food is great for refueling after a particularly strenuous day."

A light laugh escaped Lena's lips at Kara's last statement. She noticed that was one of Kara's habits; she would be vulnerable by speaking genuinely and then feel the need to lighten the mood. It was just one of the many things she loved about Kara.

Kara glanced down for a moment and Lena was able to appreciate her beauty. Kara really was gorgeous. Today, the reporter wore her blonde hair partially pulled back, the rest falling in waves over her shoulders. The locks partially obscured her face but Lena could see the soft curve of her jaw and the content smile on her lips. She wore a grey dress with a navy blue cardigan that somehow hid her lean muscled arms; it was difficult not to remember the feeling of those arms wrapped around her, holding her close.

At that moment, Margot appeared again with two milkshakes in hand, setting them down in front of each of them. They both thanked the older woman, but she stayed, folding her arms across her chest.

"I don't get to see you much anymore. I guess tonight you were able to take a break from saving the world?" Margot's rhetorical question couldn't have come at a worse time. Kara had been in the middle of taking a sip from her milkshake and upon hearing the waitress' words she snorted into it in surprise, spraying the table with drops of milkshake.

Meanwhile, Lena froze, staring fixedly at Margot. Did she know that Kara was Supergirl?

"Wow, well you certainly haven't changed," Margot teased lightly, giving Kara an odd look while she pulled a rag out of her apron pocket and mopped up the table. Kara seemed to visibly relax, and she used her napkin to wipe her own face and glasses, careful not to remove them from her face, Lena noted. "I was just going to ask what new story you were working on but you're a lawsuit waiting to happen, klutz."

Kara laughed awkwardly, and her eyes darted to Lena, who just smiled conspiratorially back at her. Margot had no idea.

"Sorry, yeah, I just finished a piece on the Alien Marriage Equality Act today actually," Kara was able to gather herself and reply after clearing her throat. "Pretty sure it won't save the world or anything."

Margot uncrossed her arms and put her hands on her hips and Lena wondered what her views on aliens were. In National City, like any other city in America, it was still a highly divisive topic. The woman answered her question with an unexpected reply, "Nonsense."

Lena could see Kara's shoulders slump a little at the woman's response thinking she was calling marriage equality rubbish, but she was doing her best to hide it. Anger bubbled to the surface and Lena had the desire to tell this woman off for making Kara feel small when the woman spoke again, "You're changing minds, Kara. If that's not saving the world I don't know what is."

With that, Margot gave Kara's shoulder a gentle squeeze before saying something about their food being out soon and taking her leave once again.

The broad grin had returned to Kara's face once more and nothing made Lena happier.

"She's right, you know," Lena agreed, taking the woman's hand once again on the table. Those blue eyes lifted to hers and Lena had a hard time breathing whenever Kara looked at her like that, like she was the only one in the room, but she managed to continue, "Supergirl may stop the bad guys, but Kara sees the good in them and makes them want to be better. I mean, look at me."

Kara's brow furrowed at that as she argued, "You've always been good."

"Well, sometimes I need a little convincing," Lena countered, with a soft smile. Kara seemed to be searching her eyes for something, the crease in her forehead deepening in thought. It was then Lena had the overwhelming desire to kiss Kara right there in the middle of the diner, but she controlled herself as she could see Margot approaching with their food.

Kara was never good at taking a compliment. Her humility could be as endearing as it was infuriating sometimes, but it was just who Kara was. As Margot set their plates down, Lena thought back to Jack's press conference.

Lena had George waiting outside with the car and he held the door open for them. Kara seemed overly interested in her relationship with Jack Spheer, asking a multitude of questions about their relationship, but Lena just chalked it up to the reporter in Kara.

It was a short drive to the National City Civic Center where the press conference was being held, and they quickly made their way inside, Lena fretting about her appearance. She wanted to look good in case she saw Jack, make him regret leaving her.

"You look great!" Kara assured her.

"Thank you," Lena replied gratefully. For some reason, it felt unexpectedly good to hear that Kara liked the way she looked. Lena tried not to pick that apart too much as they slid down and aisle and picked a couple of seats in the middle. As Lena was sitting down she saw Snapper, Kara's old boss, one row down and several seats over, give the reporter a withering look.

"They'll let anyone into these events now," Snapper grumbled and Lena could feel a spark of anger flicker in her chest. No one had the right to talk to Kara like that, especially not this small man.

"I'm just here with my friend," she heard Kara reply, adjusting in her seat. She mostly let Kara stand up for herself, knowing this was a battle she needed to fight for herself and right now, she was consumed with trying to catch of glimpse of Jack.

"Good. I was starting to worry that a dotcom counted as a press pass," Snapper countered easily, and despite her distraction, Lena could practically feel Kara's hackles going up.

"And I was worried that only people born before 1980 read your magazine," came Kara's rather lame comeback. Lena felt for her. Kara didn't have a mean bone in her body so snappy quips weren't really her forte.

"That's because we value real news. Not like some click bait millennials. Now, go enjoy the free cheese plate, Ponytail, and let the real reporters report the news," Snapper finished cruelly.

Lena gave him a harsh gaze and was about to say something just as nasty back to him, but her eyes met Kara's briefly and she hesitated. Kara was trying hard to look like Snapper's words didn't bother her but they did, Lena could see that. So, then she was going to say something reassuring to Kara but music started playing and press conference was about to begin.

It was a lot, for sure. There were strobe lights and smog machines and all kinds of media in the background while the shadow of Jack Spheer walked slowly forward.

"Impressive," Lena said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Are we allowed to look him in the eye?" Kara joked, eliciting a short laugh from her. Brushing her hair of her face, Lena turned her attention back to the stage and her ex.

"Vaccines, anesthesia, antibiotics," Jack began stiffly, "These are the three medical miracles that ushered us into the modern age."

"And now I will show you how Spheerical Industries will propel us onto the future," Jack continued, before gesturing to his right. "This is Beth Breen, our CFO of Spheerical Industries."

A short, brunette walked out into the stage carrying a metallic ball in both of her hands and she came to stand next to Jack. Lena didn't recognize her. Jack then moved to the podium where lights and camera were set up. Even from her distance from the stage, she watched his face closely and could see he was taking deep breaths, psyching himself up for something.

Then Jack took a knife and cut a large gash into his palm. Lena involuntarily cringed, imagining how much that must have hurt, as did the others in the crowd as there was a collective gasp. Jack nodded over to the CFO and she opened the metallic ball, releasing something that she almost didn't see.

And then she realized…

"Oh my god, he did it," Lena whispered excitedly to Kara as she witnessed the nanobots healing Jack's self-inflicted hand wound.

"This was the project you were working on with Jack?" Kara asked quietly, but Lena didn't take her eyes off the stage.

"We were so close in our research, but he finally cracked the code," Lena replied with awe in her voice, throwing a glance to the reporter next to her briefly, unable to hide how impressed she was with this development.

"What you have just witnessed is the fourth medical miracle: Biomax," Jack boasted and then his eyes found hers in the crowd, causing him to pause momentarily. She was impressed for sure, but there was more to it than that. There was so much unresolved between them and seeing him brought it all back. Jack seemed to clear his throat and continue, "No longer will we need to inoculate ourselves against disease, risk complications by going under anesthesia, or combat increasingly resistant bacteria with antibiotics. We are proud to launch our Biomax medical nanobot program across National City."

The room filled with applause and when it died down, Jack offered, "I'm happy to answer your questions."

As this was a room full of reporters everyone clamored to be called on for their question. Beside her, Lena could hear Kara saying his name over to beat out Snapper, "Jack! Jack!" Sure enough, Jack pointed to her (probably because she was seated next to Lena, but maybe that was just an assumption) and Kara stood next to her to ask her question.

"Kara Danvers with ," she said, with a hint of what sounded like embarrassment before plowing on, "Ah, yes- So- right-."

Lena internally cringed as Kara looked down at her notepad, obviously not having formulated a question in her rush to beat out Snapper. But eventually she was able to start a sentence, "You initially began this project in Metropolis-."

"Snapper Carr, CatCo Media," Kara's old boss shot out of his seat, interrupting Kara. "Jack, with these nanobots do you really expect-."

"If you started development in Metropolis," Kara interrupted him right back, and Lena was proud of her for not letting herself be trampled over by the pompous asshole, "but you're launching in National City are you following FDA regulations for distributing drugs across state lines?"

"Excellent question, Ms. Danvers. I would never compromise the FDA's rigorous standards for safety with any of our medical products."

There were a few other questions by other reporters, but Kara just sat and wrote them in her notepad, content that she had been able to ask her question. When Jack was finished answering questions, everyone filed out of the room, her and Kara taking their time, Kara picking her brain more about how the nanobots worked.

"Lena, I'm so glad you came," Jack's voice behind her made her turn around to face her ex.

"Yeah, I wouldn't miss it for the world," Lena replied, more nervously than she had intended, as he reached forward and they embraced in a friendly hug. It was weird. When they were together his arms were one of her favorite places to be, but now it just felt lackluster. Her body was still reminded of the sensation of being in Kara's arms; her fall from her balcony at L Corp coming to an unexpected halt when those strong, but almost impossibly gentle arms caught her midair, making her feel safer than she'd ever felt.

These thoughts were luckily interrupted by Jack's voice, otherwise Lena would have gone down a rabbit hole she wasn't ready for.

"You grilled me," Jack directed this at Kara as he pulled away, pointing a finger at her mock-accusatorily. Lena knew he was just trying to get on the good side of Kara because the reporter was her friend; Jack certainly knew how to charm people.

"I did," she replied, looking down at her feet self-consciously for a moment, and Lena had a rush of affection for the reporter. She really was everything Jack wasn't; he was a smooth charmer, and she was awkwardly humble goofball. Lena didn't really know why she was comparing them but decided now was not the time to pick that apart.

"This is Kara Danvers, she is one of the best reporters in National City," Lena introduced sincerely, and Kara burst out into embarrassed laughter at the compliment.

Telling her jokingly to, "Stop," Kara fiddled nervously with her glasses. Lena gave her a meaningful look and she seemed to get the hint, telling them awkwardly "I should go, actually, I have to go to tell the readers about the next medical breakthrough."

Kara had promptly left them and for some reason Lena immediately wished she had asked her to stay.

"That was easily the best milkshake I've ever had," Lena sighed contently as she strode out of the diner, Kara holding the door for her once more, a wide grin on her face.

"I'm glad you liked it," the blonde replied happily, falling into stride beside her as they made their way out onto the street. This time Kara reached out for her hand, warmth spreading through Lena's body at the contact.

They began making their way slowly back towards the Metro station, neither of them really interested in the night being over. Eventually though, they were closing in on Lena's building and she was debating inviting the reporter up for a glass of wine when a voice growled behind them,

"Don't move."

Lena froze, as did the Kryptonian beside her. She felt something hard pressed against her lower back and it didn't take much for her to realize that it was the barrel of a gun.

"In the alley, both of you. Move," the low voice ordered, thrusting the gun harder into the small of her back. Out of the corner of her eye, Lena could see the muscles in Kara's jaw clench in barely concealed rage. Lena tried to will the superhero to look over at her but to no avail. Through her hand she could practically feel Kara's muscles coiled, ready to strike.

"I said, move," the man growled, shoving her forward a little.

Kara had released her hand, rounding on him faster than Lena could blink, her fists clenched and she looked as though it was taking all of her willpower not to destroy him. Lena turned too, much more slowly in comparison, coming face to face with the gun, so without taking her eyes from the weapon Lena reached out to Kara, her hand finding her forearm. She needed to keep Kara from revealing herself; it wasn't worth her identity.

If Lena wasn't mistaken, in her peripheral vision she could see the skin around Kara's eyes begin to glow slightly behind her glasses. The gun was now pointed directly at Kara's forehead as the blonde stared fiercely at their would-be attacker.

Heart pounding, Lena squeezed the superhero's forearm as hard as she could, knowing it wouldn't hurt the Kryptonian, but would hopefully get her attention. Kara didn't look at her, but the slight tilt of her head in Lena's direction told her that she felt it, so Lena subtly tugged at Kara' forearm and finally the other woman acquiesced, stepping backwards towards the alley with Lena, never taking her eyes off the man and keeping her body angled in front of her protectively.

In the dim light of the street lamps Lena could just make out the man's features. He was a heavy-set man with short curly brown hair and dark eyes that were a little too close together. She knew who this was; this was Otis, one of her brother's many loyal henchmen.

They were now all in the relative cover of the alley and he continued to point the gun back and forth from her to Kara. Lena's hand slid down from Kara's forearm to her hand, knowing that if the Kryptonian really wanted to do something, Lena's feeble hand wasn't going to stop her, but it was something to keep them both anchored.

Lena was going to do everything in her power to keep Kara from revealing her identity as Supergirl though. If Otis really was still working for Lex or Lillian, then they probably had some terrible plan to kill the alien. The one thing that gave her hope was that, if she remembered correctly, Otis wasn't the smartest person in the world, so there was a good chance he hadn't recognized Kara yet.

"What do you want?" Kara snarled at Otis, her voice definitely the no-nonsense tone of Supergirl.

Even in the darkness the gun was close enough to her that Lena could see that the safety was still on. Also, Otis' shaking hand betrayed his fear. He didn't want to do this but his loyalty to Lex was strong despite how poorly her brother treated him.

Lena began formulating a plan in her head and she wished one of Kara's powers was mind reading because she really needed Kara to keep her identity a secret from this man.

"I don't know who you are, but I'm here for Ms. Luthor, so- so you just keep your mouth shut if you want to live," he stuttered back, shifting the gun to Kara, which was probably Kara's preference. This just confirmed Lena's suspicion; Otis had no idea that he was pointing a gun at Supergirl. Lex must really be desperate if he was sending this bumbling fool. Corben had been a much more formidable opponent as was her own mother.

"Otis, you don't want to do this," Lena told him softly, and the gun snapped to point at her causing Kara to step in more fully in front of her, blue eyes glaring icily at the henchman.

"How…?" he mumbled, and Lena could see the shimmer of sweat on his broad forehead. He was obviously surprised she knew his name, but he really shouldn't be.

Lena took a bit of a risk and made to step towards the henchman, her free hand up to show she meant him no harm. This made Kara bristle and the Kryptonian kept a firm grasp on her hand, preventing her from moving away from her.

"Lena," Kara hissed, her eyes wide with fear and confusion, but Lena did her best to assure her with a look.

Lena gave Kara's hand one final squeeze before she pulled away. She could feel Kara's reluctance to let her move any closer, but she released her nonetheless. Lena took another cautious step forward, her eyes fixed on the man in front of her.

"Otis, how could I forget you? You've always been the most loyal to the Luthors," Lena said, using the oily voice she usually reserved for investors. If there was one thing Luthors were good at it was the art of manipulating the weak. Lena wasn't proud of using it on him, but it would ultimately save him from Kara's wrath and save Kara from revealing her identity.

The gun lowered slightly as Lena approached, coming within arm's length of the henchman.

"You-you need to come with me. Mrs. Luthor is waiting," Otis stuttered and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him. He stood behind her and held the gun to her head.

Kara's reaction was immediate; the Kryptonian made to move forward, but, unwisely, Otis pointed the gun at Kara and barked, "Stay back!"

"You heard the man. Stay back," Lena repeated quickly, giving the superhero a meaningful look as she reached down into her purse silently. Kara's brow was furrowed in confusion but she trusted her and made no further forward movement.

Lena's fingers landed on what she was searching for: the taser. With Otis' gun still pointed at Kara, Lena whipped the taser out, spun to face the man, and pressed the electrodes to his neck in one swift motion.

The sound of electricity shooting through his body cut through the relative quiet and the flash lit up the alley. He went down hard, groaning on the pavement before going silent, unconscious but very much alive.

Kara was in front of her in an instant, her hands coming to her shoulders as her eyes gave her a once over- presumably using her x-ray vision to check for injuries.

"Lena, you could've been killed," Kara's voice was pressured, fear still coursing through her. Lena could see now that the immediate crisis was over Kara had allowed herself to feel everything. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, her eyes searching Lena's for answers.

"You could've been killed too," Lena countered, bending down and picking up the gun to show Kara the side. "For one, the safety was on the entire time and…," she bent down once more, searching his pockets until her hands landed on the rough surface, confirming her suspicions. She pulled the bright green rock.

"Kryptonite? I knew I didn't feel right," Kara said, eyes wide as her veins became a spider web of luminescent green under her pale skin.

Lena shoved the gun and kryptonite into her own purse. "He didn't know who you were… Lillian and, I presume, Lex, both know your identity, so why didn't he? Something was off about this."

"What do you mean?" Kara asked, now that the Kryptonite was out of immediate sight the green retreating from her veins.

"I'm not sure, but I feel like they have something else planned," Lena replied thoughtfully. Kara didn't question any further, just slipping her arms around her shoulders and pulling Lena as close as she could. Lena sunk into the embrace, burying her face into Kara's shoulder, her own arms wrapping around the other woman's narrow waist.

Her mind was working a mile a minute but it kept coming back to one thought: she was putting Kara in danger. People were always going to be going after Supergirl simply for who she was, but being with a Luthor was only going to increase the risk. Lena was only trying to be logical, so why did it feel like her heart being crushed in her chest. Keeping her expression as neutral as she could, Lena said into Kara's shoulder, "It's not too late, you know."

Kara pulled back slightly, keeping her hands on Lena's shoulders, giving her a questioning look as she asked, "Not too late for what?"

"For you to call this off," Lena told her, gesturing between them as she explained. "The Luthors know who you are… you'll never be safe with me."

Lena smiled sadly up into Kara's clear blue eyes. She had lost so many people just because she was a Luthor and she wasn't prepared to lose Kara too. If putting some distance between them kept her safe then that's what she would do.

The Kryptonian frowned at her, those sapphire eyes making Lena lose her resolve, "I told you I'm not going anywhere, in fact-," Kara slid her hands down Lena's arms to hold her hands, "I think I should stay at your place tonight. You might be right, they could be sending someone else to come after you and I want to be there when they do."

Lena reached up and laced her fingers into the hair on the back of Kara's head, pulling her down and kissing her soundly. Kara was right of course. Whatever was coming they needed to face together, but Lena would do anything to keep Kara safe. Even if it meant killing her own mother.

A/N: This chapter was definitely a challenge to write and I'm still not 100% happy with it, but it's essential for building where I'm going. Though still debating whether I should continue as with season 3 out, there's definitely not as much as interest, I'm sure, in this little story. But I suppose as long as there are people reading and work isn't killing me, I'll keep writing. :) This chapter is named after another Tegan and Sara song because they give me life. I hope you guys liked this chapter. Let me know what you think and as always thanks for reading!