Chapter Text
There was a frantic knock at her door. A normal person would be annoyed by it and if they were really lucky they might even sleep through it. But thanks to Kara's superhearing it sounds more like a jackhammer to the skull.
She glances at her clock and curses whoever would be knocking at her door at two AM, because who does that? Then her world stops. Because with a quick scan with her X-Ray vision she sees it's Lena frantically knocking on her door, and besides the racing heart and labored breathing Kara can count two broken bones in Lena's frame.
Before she can blink adrenaline crashes through Kara's system and she's whipping the door open.
Lena's hands is frozen in the air mid knock and Kara takes her in. Drenched to the bone, shivering, blood flowing down her temple and from her busted lip, bruising forming around her neck, and that's not even counting the broken bones. For a second Kara can't even move, she can just stare at Lena Luther bleeding and scared in front of her, knowing that she failed, that she promised to protect her, and she failed.
"Kara, what's wrong? Has anyone else come here- did they threaten you?"
Kara just stood there mouth slightly agape, agony in her eyes.
Lena's voice comes out small and broken as she asks, "Did they hurt you?"
Kara snaps into action her hands reaching out pull Lena into the gentlest embrace she can manage, "No one else has been here- what happened?"
Lena's stiff in the hold, like her body is pulled taught and the second she lets go she'll snap, "You said come here ASAP?"
She pushes past the question as if Kara never asked. Like what happened to her is so far down her list of priorities that it doesn't dignify a response. Kara relinquished her hold to look into her eyes,
"To tell you I watched an episode early, it was in the next message. Lena, who did this?"
She watches a fraction of tension ease off her shoulders, like Kara not being targeted was the greatest comfort she could receive. She gives her a soft look, one Kara can't name before she steels her features and breathes, "I'm glad you're safe. But, if you're not in danger I should keep moving. I lost them for now but they won't stop looking for me, I have to put out an APB for Winston and get to a safe house,"
She barely hides a wince and clutches her side as she continues,
"I'm sorry to have come here in these circumstances, I thought you needed help. However, you seem unscathed and I have to keep moving."
She catches Lena's wrist before she can turn away.
"Lena, you're hurt."
"I can't stay here. It could put you in danger. It could lead them here."
"And it's safer out there?"
"For you, yes."
Kara shakes her head, trying as hard as she can to grasp the situation, but seeing Lena so beaten, so panicked, it's ruining her logical train of thought. She's got to get a grip before Lena runs back out there and gets herself killed.
"Please, Lena. They won't find you here. I doubt you would have turned up on my doorstep unless you were sure they weren't following. And even if they did I can call my sister, she can bring in the DEO cavalry and supergirl in a minute flat," unbeknownst to Lena it would actually be much quicker, "Stay here, where it's safe and we can clean your wounds and you can rest. Stay because I'm afraid I already saw you and if you leave I'll chase after you."
Lena wants to argue it's obvious, but the ultimatum has her trapped. It's dangerous to stay, but to leave and have Kara follow is so much worse. So Kara watches as she relents and lets herself be tugged through the threshold.
Kara lets out a sigh of relief as she locked the door behind them.
"So just to be clear, it's a complete 'no' on calling the police and taking you to the hospital?"
Lena looks at her like she grew a second head,
"I don't need to go to a hospital-" ("I strongly disagree." Kara adds) "-and even if I did, that's the first place they'd look. Besides, you'd be surprised how easy it is to pay off a police officer or medical personnel when it's only a Luthor they're hurting."
"You were never 'only a Luthor'."
For the second time tonight, in these 5 minutes of panic and confusion, a chip cracks off Lena's armor. That rubber band pulling her taught, keeping her on edge, loosens just little more.
"Maybe not to you." She settles on after a pause. For a moment they just stare at each other, Lena in a sort of wonder, and Kara in a guilt ridden daze.
Some unspoken connection solidifying the events past. That Lena was scared and hurt and ran god knows how far because she thought Kara needed help, and that Kara won't let her be alone out there until she's safe.
"I'm going to call my sister now, if that's okay?"
Lena nods resolutely and starts heading towards Kara's couch. Usually, it's where they have movie nights and dinner, it's where they should have been catching up on their show, not treating wounds.
Kara dials Alex's number and waits for the annoyed but ever reliable answer,
"You better be dying."
"Afraid not, but I need your help. Lena's at my place she's got broken- probably broken bones" smooth "and glass in her hand, and she's covered in blood and bruises- and we really need your help."
She can tell there's a thousand questions in Alex's head, she can tell she wants to ask them so bad, but her soldier training kicks in: that 'deal with now, ask questions later' mentality slipping into place as she says,
"Are you in any immediate danger?"
"No."
"I'll be there in twenty, you'd better have answers for me then."
Truthfully, Kara wished she had answers now. But she just makes a vaguely affirming noise and lets Alex hang up.
Forcing her superspeed down she rushes at a mostly human pace to get the med kit in her bathroom, and put tea on the stove because Lena loves tea, and grab a wash cloth and water, and advil she should grab that too, and-
"Kara, slow down. I'm alright."
She didn't even notice Lena in the kitchen until she gently grasped her arm. It looks like she tried to wipe some of the blood away on her sleeve but she just emphasized it by smudging it across her chin.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry this happened to you."
Lena's brow crinkled, "It's not your fault."
But it is. If she were just Kara Danvers it wouldn't be, but she's Supergirl. How did she miss this, how did she let this happen? She shakes her head, she can beat herself up later, now she has work to do.
"Lena,” she waits until their gazes meet, trying her hardest to have her eyes express what she’s too afraid to say. Then, after an eternity all in an instant, she asks, “What happened to you?”