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Kara had been dating Lena for one whole month, but she loved her for what felt like a lifetime. As she sat across the table from Lena at the ridiculously expensive and fancy restaurant Lena took her to to celebrate their anniversary, she couldn't help but think it was all too good to be true.
How in the world did Kara Danvers score a smoke show like Lena Luthor?
It seems impossible and just so perfect. Lena is perfect. She is kind, smart, deceptively funny, and, of course, beautiful beyond words. Lena laughed at all of Kara’s corny jokes. She never seemed to mind the endless stream of musicals and romantic comedies Kara liked to watch. And the sex…Kara never imagined anything could feel like that and she was very sure Lena felt the same.
She knew it was early, way too early, but Kara wanted this forever—all of it.
Kara wanted to know everything about Lena, and she wanted Lena to know everything about her, too. Everything but that one small thing. That pesky alter ego that Kara hid from the world. That small thing known as Supergirl. She argued endlessly with herself about telling Lena—countless hours of weighing pros and cons and battling the crippling fear that accompanied both options.
Tell her and risk putting her in harm’s way. Knowing the truth would make her a target for every criminal in this world and beyond. Supergirl’s girlfriend would be worth her weight in gold to anyone looking to bring Supergirl to her knees.
Don’t tell her and spend the rest of her life lying to the person she loved most in the world, fracturing every ounce of trust between them and hurting Lena in the same way every other person has, betraying her trust.
There was no right answer, and Kara spent way too much time and effort trying not to think about it. Convincing herself it would be okay to just tell her tomorrow or the day after or the day after that.
It turns out the universe had its own plans.
Kara was lost in everything Lena Luthor. Her dress, her hair, her smile, and the sound of her laughing when another sound invaded her senses.
CLICK
The sound of a gun being cocked.
POP
The sound of a gun being fired.
Kara was up before the bullet was even out of the chamber. She threw herself forward between Lena and the would-be assassin. Lena watched in terror as the bullet struck Kara directly to her chest. Her fear changed to confusion as she watched the bullet fall to the ground at Kara’s feet.
Kara wasted no time in pulling Lena out of her seat and guiding her quickly to the alley behind the restaurant. A steady stream of bullets was flying in their direction from Lena’s would-be killer.
Out of options, Kara looked down into Lena’s eyes, “I’m sorry,” she said as she picked Lena up into her arms and flew them both skyward and out of harm’s way.
They flew in silence to Lena’s penthouse, and the moment they landed, Lena jumped from Kara’s arms and backed away.
“Lena…” Kara started as she reached out to stop Lena’s retreat.
“No!” Lena cried out. “No, don’t touch me. You…you’re Supergirl? How? How did I not see it? How long were you going to lie to me? How long were you going to make a fool out of me?”
“Lena, it’s not like that. I didn't mean to…I never meant to lie. You aren’t a fool. I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn't want you to get hurt.”
“Really, Kara? You didn't want me to get hurt? You hurt me more than any bullet could. You were the one person I thought I could trust. The one person I thought I knew.”
“You do know me. You know me better than anyone in this world.”
“So I am the only one who knows you are Supergirl?”
“Well, no. I mean, Alex knows and…”
“And…? How many people know? J’onn? Wyn? James?”
“Yes, and Maggie…”
“Maggie? And James? Wow, Kara…I really am the last to know. Yet you say I’m not a fool? I’ll bet they think I am. I know I think I am. Do you all sit around and laugh at me? Was any of it real, Kara? Did it mean anything to you when I shared myself with you emotionally and physically? Because it meant something to me. It meant a great deal to me. I fell for you, Kara, I fell in love with you, and now…”
“I love you too, Lena. I love you so much I just haven’t had the guts to say it.”
“You have left a lot unsaid, Kara. I wish you were braver. We might have had a chance.”
That hits Kara hard, and she reaches out again for Lena, and again, Lena pulls away, “I need you to leave Kara. Please, leave now.”
“Lena, it’s not safe...”
“My security team is working on it. They will keep me safe. I don’t want you here for another second.”
“Lena…”
“Kara, PLEASE!” Lena’s voice broke, and tears started to fall down her cheeks.
Kara wanted desperately to wipe the tears away, to make things right, to keep Lena safe, but she couldn't. Not at this moment, so she took a step back toward the edge of the balcony.
“I’m so sorry, Lena. I will love you forever.” Then she flew off into the night.
Nearly an hour later, Lena’s doorbell rang, and she cautiously checked her security camera. Alex Danvers stood at her door with a bottle in her hand. She looked directly into the camera, “I know you are there, Lena, open the damn door.”
Lena sighed, knowing Alex would stand there all night if necessary, so she opened the door and leaned against the frame.
“I told Kara my security team would keep me safe. You don’t have to babysit.”
“Kara didn't send me. I came here on my own. I thought maybe you needed to talk.” Alex replied as she held up the bottle.
Lena took the bottle and checked the label, “Tequila…expensive tequila. Ok, Danvers, let’s talk.”
Lena directed Alex to the living room where Alex sat on the couch as Lena retrieved two glasses from the bar. Alex took the glasses and poured them each a shot as Lena sat beside her. Without a word, they each lifted their glass and downed their shot. Alex poured another as she spoke.
“Kara is a mess.”
“And that’s my fault?” Lena queries as she downs her second shot.
“No,” Alex replies, then finishes her own shot, “but it may be mine.”
“Yours?” Lena raises an eyebrow and pours another round, “Do tell Alex. How is Kara’s lie your fault?”
“I used to do MAGIC.”
“You? Alex Danvers is…what? A Magician?” Lena can’t help the laugh that escapes her lips.
“Ok…ok…yes, I dabbled. I went to a friend’s birthday party when I was a kid; she had a magician, and I was in awe. The way his hands moved, the little stories he told to set the trick up. It was cool, he was cool. So, I went home that night and immediately asked my father to get me my own magic set.”
“I see…so you do magic tricks, but somehow Kara was the social pariah?”
“Whatever… it’s not that dorky. Maggie likes it.”
“Mmmm…I’ll bet. Sleight of hand and all…”
“Yes, I am very dexterous…among other things, but that’s not my point. Can I finish my story?”
“Of course, but first, I need to know your name. The one you used when you performed…MAGIC.”
“That’s classified. I could tell you, but I would have to kill you, and then Kara would hate me forever for killing the woman she loves…”
“Loves?”
“You know what? Forget it.”
“No, no…I’m sorry. Please, go on. I’m dying to see where this is headed.”
Alex leans back onto the couch and rubs her face in frustration before continuing.
“So I get my set about a week later, and I tear into it. There were several tricks to learn, and I practiced non-stop for days. I got down all the stories and all the little movements. I learned all the ways to distract a person’s attention long enough to execute the perfect deception. I did a test run on my Mom and then on a few friends. It was good, and they loved it. I loved it too, and eventually, I got good enough at the sleight of hand to try doing card tricks. I ordered a few and couldn't wait to try them. I learned how to shuffle the deck and how to get a person to pick a certain card without them knowing. It was fun, and it required skill. One day, I got a new card trick in the mail. It wasn’t just instructions on manipulating a regular deck of cards, it was an actual deck of cards, but it was fake. I taught myself the trick, and it was a huge hit. Everyone I did it for absolutely loved it. The thing is, I hated it. It felt cheap, like I was cheating because it wasn’t a real deck. Each card in the deck was normal on the top, but the bottom half was all the same. The bottom half was all the Queen of Hearts. So, you would have a person pick a card, ‘Any card,’ but it was rigged always to be the Queen of Hearts. Then, you would have them return it to the deck as you showed them the top half that looked normal. You give them a little spiel about their card taking over or infecting the deck to distract them as you flip the deck in your hands. The big reveal comes next as you show them a deck full of Queen of Hearts. During the ensuing excitement, you flip the deck back to normal, and it brings the house down.”
“Wow, impressive. Did anyone ever figure it out?”
“No. That’s kind of my point. It was my least favorite trick because it relied on that fake deck more than my skill. It was the simplest trick I did, and yet it worked every time. It worked because the people I was doing it for wanted to be fooled. They wanted to believe that deck changed into their card and back again. It made me realize that it wasn’t me that mattered. It was the person’s desire to believe that mattered.”
“Their desire to believe in MAGIC?”
“In MAGIC or anything. If you think about it, MAGIC tricks are pretty obvious. If you pay attention, the trick is always there to be seen, to be figured out. But you have to want to see it, and most people…most people don’t want to see. They wanted just to enjoy the moment, and they didn't care that I was deceiving them.”
“Ahhhh…so there it is. You think Kara was the magician, and I wanted her to deceive me, to lie to me? It was there all along and I should have seen it?”
“No…I don’t think you wanted her to lie, and I know she hated not telling you the truth, but I think it’s what had to happen. It had to be that way, Lena. My parents and even I have told Kara that her real identity must be kept secret for so long that she actually believed it. Kara wasn’t the magician. WE were. We waved our hands and told our story over and over until Kara believed that her truth would hurt the people she loves…yes…LOVES. Don’t let our lies and our deception ruin what the two of you have, Lena. I have never seen my sister as happy as she is when she is with you, and I think you feel the same. She lied to you because we convinced her you would be in danger if she didn't. She lied because she would rather risk losing your relationship than seeing you get injured or killed.”
Lena throws back her shot and shakes her head, “It still hurts…”
Alex takes her shot and pours yet another for both of them, “Get over it.”
A part of Lena wanted to be offended or maybe even a little angry at Alex for talking to her like that, but the truth was she wasn’t. Alex was simply calling it as she saw it. The truth was Lena didn’t want to spend any more time being mad at Kara. She really did have to decide to get over it.
“I like you, Alex Danvers,” Lena says as she pulls up Kara’s contact on her phone and presses send.
“I like you too, Lena Luthor, but I’m still not telling you my name.”