Next of Kin - SuperCorp

Next of Kin Part 12 - You're Worth So Much More To Me

Kara sat staring at the chess board in Lena's room, a look of deep concentration on her face. She'd lost three games of chess in a row to a woman who was lying flat on her back reading contracts. Kara would carefully study the board, finally make her move after several minutes of anguish. Using the chart she'd found online, she'd tell Lena which piece she'd moved. She knew the basic names but quickly learned the difference between the king's bishop and the queen's bishop. She also found out that every square on the board had a name and it was different depending on which side of the board you sat. Apparently, this was called descriptive notation. She'd found out what castling was and why it was a good defensive move, although the first time Lena did it Kara had looked it up because it seemed like cheating.

Kara didn't know if it was worse to lose to someone who wasn't even looking at the board, just memorizing every move that was told to her, or better because only half Lena's attention meant no criticism. Kara was certain that if Lena were this good at chess while doing contracts, she wouldn't be impressed by Kara's attempts to play if she was actually giving the game her full attention. Kara was bright. She never doubted that. She just wasn't a scientist, though it was possible she could have gone that route back on Krypton. It made her think about what Lena wanted in a partner and also how Maggie and Alex made a relationship work when one of them was a scientist, and the other's strength was...strength.

Kara sat staring at the board, realizing she wasn't even thinking about chess anymore. Sighing loudly, Kara asked, "Have you ever played Pictionary Lena?"

"No."

"Maybe you should try it," Kara chirped up brightly.

"Hmmm," Lena said into her contract as she flipped the page over and kept reading.

Hooking the top of the contract with one finger, Kara pulled it back enough that Lena made eye contact. "Lena, how many sick days have you taken since you took over L-Corp?"

"Sick days," Lena replied flatly.

"You know, days when you stay home sick instead of going into work."

"Oh, I don't schedule those," Lena replied, trying to tug back her contract that Kara held effortlessly between thumb and forefinger.

"Lena, you don't schedule sick days. When you're sick..." Kara shaped her other hand into a fist and covered her mouth with it as she feigned a cough. "...you don't go to work. That's a sick day."

"Germs aren't allowed on my schedule. Give me back my contract."

"No. We're talking. You don't miss days of work for any reason?"

"Fine." Releasing the contract and being rewarded with Kara's smiling face, Lena replied, "I have missed work on occasion. For instance, there's the time the police arrested me, and then I was kidnapped from jail and almost killed by my mother. I missed work that day."

"It's a shame that didn't happen on a weekend," Kara said sarcastically.

"I know," Lena replied as she nodded. "I had the same exact thought at the time. My schedule was in such upheaval. I'm glad to see someone understands priorities." Slowly, Lena's smile grew.

"You are such a brat," Kara said pulling the contract back in a mock attempt to swat Lena with it. When she hit the chess board, knocking pieces over and others to the floor, she looked back at Lena with a hand over her mouth. "Oops. That was an accident."

"I know where the pieces were if you want to put them back, but it's checkmate in three moves now."

"Really?" Kara sighed loudly. "I thought I was doing better this game. I did the castling thing with the piece that looks like a castle and everything."