How Many Tears Are Enough?

Four

From there on Lena's only improving – be it with ups and downs, at least overall, she gets better. Lena's prescribed some new meds now that she's no longer affected by what Kara has begun to call the zombie drugs. It takes a while for them to really kick in but this time Kara does notice the difference rather quickly. She also learns Lena is extremely lucky to have the first medicine she tries immediately work and not cause too many side effects.

It's as if a light gets reignited inside Lena, slowly growing brighter as the medication and therapy really start to work. She's a completely different person, challenging Kara to more chess matches, asking her to watch movies together but also to just sit with Lena when she's feeling out of it. She's a lot more open in general.

Lena is not a morning person though, flourishing after the sun has long since set and having the hardest time to wake up when Kara comes to pick her up for breakfast. A cup of strong coffee – snuck into her bedroom by Kara – seems to do the trick.

Lena being a night person leaves Kara all the more surprised when one morning she knocks on Lena's door, steaming cup of coffee in one hand, and finds her up and dressed already.

"You're up early," she notes as she hands over the beverage. Lena closes her eyes and inhales the aroma, not daring to take a sip of the scalding liquid and risk burning her tongue.

"You're up late," Lena throws back.

"What's the occasion?"

"Well," a mischievous gleam appears in Lena's eyes, "mother said I need more time outside and I thought for once I should maybe listen."

"We're going for a walk?" Kara doesn't really understand Lena's sudden enthusiasm. They regularly go for walks in the mansion's gardens.

"No, out out." Lena doesn't seem willing to share more and Kara just accepts it as it is, waiting until Lena finishes her coffee to lead them to breakfast.

Kara has never seen Lena eat this fast. She still beats her by a long shot but Lena's more than half-finished when she does so and even seems to speed up when she notices Kara is done. Without further explanation, Lena takes Kara's hand and drags her through the halls of the mansion.

They end up in a garage Kara didn't even know existed. Lena lets her hand go and it takes a while for her lingering warmth to leave Kara's palm.  When Kara has her bearings back – this Lena really is very different, casually taking her hand an initiating a mysterious activity – she notices Lena has uncovered one of the cars.

It's a sports car, that much Kara can tell. Blue and super low to the floor beneath. Before she can ask Lena what she's doing, the ravenette is already revving the engine and lowers the car window on her side.

"Are you going to stand there and stare or do you want a ride?"

Lena drives like a maniac, going from zero to a hundred in seconds and causing Kara to be slammed against the back of her seat.

"Lena, are you insane?" Kara gasps, the air having been knocked out of her lungs. She clings to her seat while Lena expertly weaves the car along the snaking road.

"It does run in the family," Lena laughs, her eyes crinkling slightly at the corners.

Kara's shock dissipates and when she looks to the side she finds Lena smiling. Not a forced one or one that doesn't reach her eyes. It's a real smile, lifting some of the weight off her shoulders and softening her features to look like the 24-year old she really is.

Kara wishes she could see Lena like this more often. Lena's lightness might be connected to Lillian leaving on a business trip and thus not meddling in her life for a short time.