CONTINUITY NOTE: Because the events of Arrow 5x09 are so abrupt, so impactful, for this series of stories (which are AU already, of course), they never happened. Detective Malone is still alive and with Felicity, Dig is still in hiding, and Laurel is still dead.

This takes place after "Ringing in the New Year."

As always, if anyone who owns Arrow, Supergirl, et al., wants any of this, it's hereby given to them with thanks.

# # # # #

Kara tumbled through space, too dazed from the fight with Mr. Mxyzptlk to right herself just yet. As she recovered, she realized that she wasn't tumbling through space, exactly. Instead, it was…

It was the not-space between worlds that she'd traversed several times to visit what Cisco had called Earth-1. Her own Earth, he'd told her, was Earth-38.

"Why does your Earth get to be Earth-1?" she'd asked.

"When you discover other parallel worlds, you get to name them." He'd grinned at her, and she'd had to laugh.

Now it was no laughing matter. She had to get back to her Earth, had to stop the crazy imp whose tricks too often turned deadly - but how?

Kara focused on orienting herself - somehow. This weird space had no obvious up or down, but she straightened until her positioning felt right. Even if it wasn't technically, objectively right, it was right enough for her, and in this formless place, that was really all she had to judge by.

She scanned the … area? place? She didn't know the best word, but she pivoted slowly, using all her different types of vision to search for an exit, some way out of this inter-dimensional limbo.

She made two complete circuits before giving up. She couldn't see any way out of here -

But that didn't mean there wasn't one. Something Oliver had said when he trained Guardian came back to her.

"He relies too much on his sight," Oliver had said, "on trying to see things and people. Sometimes, that's a liability. You've got to be able to use, and trust, all your senses."

So Kara closed her eyes and tried to relax, to open the rest of her senses to whatever this place might show her.

There was no way to judge how much time passed before something niggled at her awareness.

Still keeping her eyes closed, Kara willed herself to move toward that tiny hiccup in the formless nothing between worlds.

She could only hope it would take her home.

- S -

Since his brother's death, Cisco Ramon had buried himself in work. First it had been to distract himself from his grief. Then it had been to process his anger at Barry Allen for causing Dante's death. Now, having experienced firsthand how easy it was to change the future, however inadvertently, Cisco worked as atonement, indirect as it was, for his treatment of Barry.

Today, he updated the database he'd started of the other worlds they'd encountered, just to see what he might learn. Were they all at similar tech levels? What assistance - or conversely, what threat - might each of them provide? And, very privately, Cisco wondered which of them might provide the best vacations.

The first few Earths were easy: Earth-1 - or, as one of the alternate Harrison Wellses had called it, Terra Prime - his own Earth. Earth-2, where Hunter Zoloman had killed Jay Garrick and become the evil Zoom, where Harry Wells lived and his daughter was the heroine Jesse Quick. Earth-3, home of the Jay Garrick who looked like Henry Allen, Barry's father. And, of course, Earth-38, where Barry had met Kara Danvers, also called Supergirl.

The Earths between Earth-3 and Earth-38 were his focus today. Cisco started with the Earths they'd encountered while searching for a new Wells to help their team. Earth-16, where they'd seen a drunken Wells wearing clothes reminiscent of the Old West. Earth-17, where Wells had spoken with an almost-English accent and worn steampunk-style accessories. Earth-18, where they'd seen a Wells in mime-like makeup speaking with a French accent. Finally, Earth-19, where H.R. had come from.

Cisco slipped on his Vibe gear and was just about to vibe Earth-16 when a reddish blur streaked past him, lifting his hair away from his neck.

"What's up, Barry?" he asked without turning. "I thought you were having dinner with Iris? Or, wait - is that Wally? Still getting used to you having the speed, man."

A feminine voice answered. "No, I'm not Wally. And Barry is having dinner with Iris."

Cisco yanked his glasses off as he spun his chair to face the intruder. He relaxed when he recognized her.

"…which is why I came to see you," Kara - Supergirl - finished.

"Kara!" Cisco stood. "What's going on? Don't tell me the Dominators are invading your Earth?"

"No," she said. "I got thrown between worlds, and I don't have the extrapolator with me, so I need help to get back home."

"Who or what could throw you - you - between worlds?" Cisco demanded.

"He calls himself Mxyzptlk," Kara said, "and he's like a trickster god, but his tricks are deadly. I have to get back to try to stop him, somehow."

Cisco slid his glasses onto his face. "No problem."

He focused on the vibrations that marked Earth-38, and channeled his power through his gauntlets - then frowned when nothing happened.

"Where's the tunnel?" Kara asked. "There's supposed to be an Earth-spanning tunnel."

"Not the time for Looney Tunes references," Cisco muttered. "Though that was a good one. Something's … different."

But what that something might be eluded him. Cisco adjusted his glasses and tried again. A second adjustment and a third attempt were equally ineffective.

"Okay," Cisco said slowly. "Problem. It's not working."

"Why not?" Kara demanded.

"I don't know." And that was the worst part of it - to know that his powers could be affected by some being in a parallel universe, and he'd never realize it. But - just how much of his powers had been affected?

A couple of experiments made him frown.

"I can still open portals on this Earth, and I can still vibe objects. It's just crossing between dimensions that I can't do - not just your Earth, either," he told Kara. "I tried vibing Earth-2, Earth-3, and Earth-19. No luck."

"So I'm stuck here." Kara sounded resigned.

"Don't jump to conclusions just yet," Cisco told her. "It could be temporary, related to whatever this Mix-Up guy did."

"Mxyzptlk."

"Yeah, whatever." Cisco brushed that aside. "We'll try again tomorrow."

"Thanks, Cisco," Kara told him as he turned to remove his gear. "Just one question."

"What's that?"

"Where can I stay tonight?"

- S -

"Did you even sleep last night?" Thea's voice made Oliver Queen look up from where he sprawled on the sofa by the fireplace.

"Off and on," Oliver replied as she crossed to open the shades and let the mid-morning light into the loft.

"So what did you spend all night doing, if not sleeping, or going out as Green Arrow?" Thea climbed over the back of the sofa and perched on it. Oliver shifted his feet to give her more room.

"I've been thinking about a plan to let people found guilty of misdemeanors work off their fines," Oliver said. "Instead of paying a hundred dollars, say, they can spend five hours picking up litter or painting over graffiti."

"Don't they already use prisoners for that?" Thea asked.

"They do," Oliver agreed. "I just want to expand the program."

"Litter and graffiti are surface problems. Symptoms, maybe, but not the disease."

"If we can treat some of the symptoms, maybe the patient will heal a little more quickly."

"It's optimistic," Thea said. "Do you think the city council will go for it, given how strapped for cash the city is?"

Oliver reached over to the coffee table, pulled a manila folder from a scattering of papers and files, and offered it to his sister. "Take a look."

"What am I looking at?"

"For all the fines issued, the city only collects about sixty-five cents on the dollar," Oliver explained. "And we spend a lot more than that just trying to collect, so we lose even more. These aren't hardened criminals, either - they're people who get a speeding ticket or some other minor thing. We should give them a chance…. What?"

Thea stopped trying not to grin. "Just - listen to you. All those years of you have failed this city, and now you're arguing exactly the opposite."

"It's a matter of degree, Speedy," Oliver began, but was interrupted by a knock on the - balcony door?

His hand was already sliding to the knife concealed beneath the sofa cushions by the time he glanced up. He relaxed when he recognized the red-and-blue clad figure standing there.

"Kara?" Thea asked, swinging her legs over the back of the sofa and going to open the door.

"Sorry to drop in like this," Kara said as she stepped inside to hug Thea.

"Not a problem." Oliver rose and hugged Kara in turn, telling himself that his pulse was still elevated due to his surprise at her arrival, not her nearness. "Something happen on your Earth?"

"Not the way you're thinking," Kara replied. "The short version is, a villain on my Earth managed to send me here, and Cisco can't get me back."

Oliver heard the slightest tremor in her tone. He could only meet her gaze and say, "I can't imagine what it's like to lose your world once, let alone twice."

"We're not giving up," Kara said, determination fierce in her tone. "Cisco will keep trying. But at least I'm in a place where there's someone who can and will try, and where I have friends."

"More or less," Oliver murmured, and while Thea shot him a dark look, Kara gave a more genuine smile.

"More or less," she agreed. Then, "I need a favor."

"Anything," Thea promised, and Oliver frowned just slightly as he said, "What favor?"

Kara took a breath, let it out slowly, and met his gaze. "We don't know how long I'll be here, and if I'm going to be here a while, I'll have to make a life on this Earth. I'll need an identity. Some of the things you told me made me think you can help with that."

Oliver nodded. "I know some people."

"Great," Thea said. "While you do that, we're going shopping."

"Shopping?" Kara repeated.

"Shopping," Thea confirmed. "Friends don't let friends wear the same uniform every day. You need clothes, too, for your identity."

"Caitlin Snow loaned me some," Kara said. "And I couldn't impose -"

"Who doesn't love shopping?" Thea demanded. Oliver cleared his throat and smiled when Thea glared at him. "Besides you. Come on," she added to Kara. "It's going to be fun."

"But -" Kara began.

"Don't," Oliver advised her. "Thea's a force of nature, sometimes. This is one of those times. But."

Thea paused, her hand on Kara's arm.

"Before you go, I need some basic information."

- S -

Kara had to admit that there was already one respect in which this world was better than her own Earth. Here, she had girlfriends, or potential girlfriends.

At home, the Danvers family had been so protective - over-protective, she realized now - of her secret and her powers that she'd had few close friends. She'd had Alex, of course, and nobody could ask for a better sister, but how could you gripe to your sister about your sister?

So Kara griped to Thea while they shopped, all the little things that were so annoying when they happened but could be laughed about later. In exchange, Thea told her about some of Oliver's less heroic antics, before the island - and it was that conversation with Thea that told her just how much Oliver had changed, grown, to become the Green Arrow she was proud to call friend. More or less, she added with amusement.

It was almost sundown when they returned to Thea's loft, and Kara couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun she lost track of time.

If it weren't for Oliver's change of clothes, Kara might have believed he hadn't moved from when she'd left him this morning. Now, instead of a T-shirt and cargo trousers, he sat by the fireplace in a dress shirt and slacks, his tie loosened around his neck, and glanced up when the door opened.

"Only two shopping bags each?" he said. "You're losing your touch, Thea."

"She wouldn't let me buy any more," Thea said. "I had to buy a couple of things for myself."

"Of course you did." Oliver gave his sister a fond, amused smile before looking at Kara. "Did you get enough?"

"Enough for now," Kara said. "And if Cisco finds a way to send me home tomorrow, it's too much."

"If he does, then take them with you," Thea said. "They won't fit me, after all."

"And if he doesn't," Oliver put in, "then you'll need this."

He leaned forward to grab a thick manila envelope from the coffee table. With a fluid motion, he stood and sailed it toward Kara. She could only smile as she caught it. His aim was perfect even with oddly-shaped and imbalanced objects, it seemed.

Kara opened it to remove a stack of papers, a passport, a driver's license, a pair of credit cards, a library card, and what looked like a couple of hundred in cash.

"Oliver - how did you get these so fast?"

"You can get anything cheap, fast, or good - as long as you pick any two," he said. "I went for fast and good."

Thea reached over to thumb through the documents Kara held. "Impressive, big brother. Most impressive." She picked up the driver's license. "Even a good driver's license picture - you're smiling."

"What?" Kara yanked the license from her, stared at the picture, then at Oliver. "Where did you get this picture?"

"Barry took it at New Year's."

Then Kara frowned. "What's this address? Central City?"

"I figured you'd want to be close to Cisco," Oliver replied. "It's Joe West's house. Barry and Iris just got their own place, and Joe said you can stay with him as long as you want to."

"Oliver -" Kara broke off, suddenly uncertain. It was strange that such a businesslike thing could make her feel cared for and comforted, but it did, and she wasn't certain why.

"And you'll need this."

Kara looked up to see him toss a small object her way. She snatched it from the air, somehow not dropping the papers she held, and swallowed hard. "A cell phone."

"An encrypted cell phone," he corrected. "All the important numbers are already programmed in."

"It's too much," Kara said.

"Just the basics."

"Still. Thank you." She came around the couch to hug him. From the corner of her eye, she saw Thea grin.