SuperCorp Chronicles

Chapter 133

Lena was standing at the Tower's command console, the soft blue holographic glow washing over her face as Kara's image flickered in from Argo City. Kara looked exhausted — not physically, but in that emotional way Lena had learned to recognize instantly. She was being told about the situation on Argo, about the young girl she'd found, about the loss, the fear, the silence.

"You want to bring Cora back to live with us, don't you?" Lena asked gently, already knowing the answer.

Kara's shoulders sagged with relief that she didn't have to dance around it. "I do. Lena, she reminds me so much of myself when I first landed on Earth. Alone, scared, angry, traumatized. And she's only been calm while she's been with me."

Lena didn't even blink.

"Kara, say no more. I'm on board."

Kara's breath caught — Lena could hear it even through the transmission. "Are you sure? This is... a lot. I didn't want to spring this on you."

Lena stepped closer to the console, her voice soft but steady. "Kara, you don't have to convince me. If she needs a home, she has one. If she needs family, she has us. I trust your heart. And if this girl has found safety with you, then I want to help her keep it."

Kara's eyes softened, shimmering with something warm and fragile. "I love you," she whispered.

"And I love you," Lena replied. "Now bring her home."

"I will. And I'm so happy that you're on board with it, since while I didn't want to leave Cora here and bringing her to Earth and pushing her off on someone else isn't an option, I didn't want to just assume that you'd be okay with it. I'm not Batman, I don't just make decisions and expect everyone else to follow them. We're a partnership and I wanted to be sure you were okay with this before I brought her home." Kara said.

"Of course I am," Lena said, and there was no hesitation in her voice — just warmth, certainty, and that quiet conviction Kara had fallen in love with.

Kara blinked, almost startled by how sure she sounded. "You really mean that."

"I do." Lena's expression softened. "Kara, you forget sometimes that I know what it feels like to be the kid no one wanted. To be alone. To be scared. To be... unmoored." She exhaled, her voice gentling even more. "If this girl is anything like you were, then she deserves someone who won't flinch at her pain. Someone who won't walk away when things get hard."

Kara swallowed, her throat tight. "Lena..."

"And she deserves you," Lena continued. "Because you know how to love someone through that kind of hurt. You've done it for me more times than I can count."

Kara's eyes shimmered again, but this time with something steadier — gratitude, love, and the relief of not carrying this alone.

Lena reached out, brushing her fingers against the edge of the console as if she could touch Kara through the projection. "We're building a life together. That means we make room for the unexpected. For the people who need us. For the family we choose."

Kara let out a shaky laugh. "You make it sound so easy."

"It's not easy," Lena said softly. "It's right."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The distance between Earth and Argo felt impossibly large, but the bond between them felt unbreakable.

"Bring her home, Kara," Lena whispered. "We'll figure out the rest together. Plus, taking in an orphan will help my mayoral campaign." Lena added that last part with a laugh.

Kara huffed out a soft, incredulous sound — half laugh, half groan. "Lena..."

"What?" Lena lifted a shoulder, all faux‑innocence. "I'm just saying, the optics are excellent."

"You're impossible," Kara said, but she was smiling now, the tension in her shoulders easing for the first time since the transmission began.

Lena's expression softened again, the teasing fading into something gentler. "You know I'm joking. I want her here because you want her here. Because she needs us. Because... it feels right."

Kara nodded, her voice quiet. "It does."

"And," Lena added, leaning closer to the console, "if the voters happen to think I'm compassionate and family‑oriented, well... who am I to correct them?"

Kara laughed — a real one this time — and Lena felt the sound settle warm in her chest.

"I love you," Kara murmured.

"I know," Lena said, smiling. "Now go get our girl."

"We'll be home soon." Kara said and Lena could tell Kara was very happy with this development she was pretty about it herself.

"I'll contact J'onn, have him start putting together a cover story for Cora. And then I'm going to start getting the house ready for its newest resident. And letting Krypto know that he's gonna get to play the role of support animal again like he did for you. And we'll both be there to help Cora adjust however we can." Lena said.

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled. And tell my adoptive parents they're getting a grandchild earlier than expected, but warn them that they can't force themselves into that role for Cora. She has to accept them on her own. I'm gonna have a similar conversation with my parents here." Kara said.

"Agreed. I'll see you when you get back. I love you." Lena said.

"I love you too. See you soon." Kara said as the transmission cut out.

"So, you're gonna be a mom." Nia said as she and Sasha walked out of the training room.

"Apparently. I just hope Kara and I are ready for that particular challenge." Lena said, since while she wasn't having second thoughts, she was concerned about what kind of mom she would be. Kara was probably better suited for this than her.

Nia raised an eyebrow, a soft smile tugging at her lips. "Lena, you literally just handled that like you've been preparing for it your whole life."

Sasha nodded, crossing her arms. "Yeah, you didn't even blink. Kara said 'traumatized Kryptonian orphan,' and you said 'cool, I'll make up the guest room.'"

Lena huffed out a laugh, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "That's different. Making decisions is easy. Being... responsible for someone? Being what she needs?" She shook her head. "Kara grew up with love. With the Danvers. She knows how to do this."

"And you don't?" Nia asked gently.

Lena hesitated. "I know how to protect people. I know how to fix things. But being someone's... emotional foundation? I'm not sure that's in my skill set."

Sasha stepped closer, her voice steady. "Lena, you rebuilt your entire life from scratch. You chose kindness when you had every excuse not to. You show up for people even when you're terrified. That's what a parent does."

Nia nodded. "And Cora doesn't need perfection. She needs safety. She needs patience. She needs someone who won't give up on her. You're already all of those things."

Lena looked down at her hands, suddenly aware of how tightly she'd been gripping the edge of the console. "I just... I don't want to fail her."

"You won't," Nia said softly. "Because you're already thinking about how not to."

Sasha grinned. "Plus, she's gonna have Kara, and Krypto, and all of us. You're not doing this alone."

Lena exhaled slowly, some of the tension easing from her shoulders. "I suppose that's true."

"It is," Nia said. "And Lena? You're going to be amazing."

For the first time since the transmission ended, Lena let herself believe it — just a little.