"I didn't know what fillings you'd feel like," Alex said, the nurse holding the door open for her as she entered Lena's room with her hands full. "So, I got you three. Figured you'd eat them all anyway."

"Breakfast!" Kara grinned, jumping off the seat beside Lena's bed to help Alex. Kara had had a good eight hours sleep on the couch in Lena's room, leaving the sunlamp on and only turning it off when the natural sun rose at dawn. Lena had slept well over night, and was much more coherent when she'd woken.

"All yours," Alex said, handing Kara a brown paper bag. "Sorry if the bottle of juice squashed any of the bagels."

"They'll look more squashed once I eat them," Kara grinned.

"Oh good, you've got your painful levels optimism and generally overly cheerful hopefulness back," Alex teased, putting her coffee down on the table and an overnight bag on the floor. "Hope I got what you wanted," she said to Lena.

"Whatever's there will be fine," Lena said, grateful that Alex had picked her up some supplies. If she was going to be in hospital for at least another week, she wanted some of her own things.

"Also, I have no breakfast for you, because you're on a strict diet of hospital food for the moment."

"That's ok," Lena said, not feeling like eating anyway.

"Good too see you looking like you intend to stay in the land of the living though," Alex said.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"I mean," Alex smirked, "You look appalling, but you look less like death than you did yesterday."

"Alex, be nice," Kara said, between mouthfuls of bagel.

"I'm super nice," Alex said. "I got you that lamp. I got you a pair of glasses. They're in the bag here, somewhere," she said, bobbing down and rummaging through the bag. "But you have to go home later and shower and change. I want my clothes back. Oh, and L-Corp was definitely hacked."

"You didn't think to open with that?" Kara asked.

"I was distracted by the food," Alex said. "Anyway, whoever it was knew the systems, and how to cover their tracks. We're trying to trace the source, but they were very good."

"I suppose that's a relief," Lena said. "At least it's an outsider."

"I guess so. Glasses," Alex said, tossing the glasses over Lena's bed. Kara caught them in one hand, half-eaten bagel in the other.

"I don't know how I never saw it..." Lena said, watching Kara as she put the glasses on.

"You were just - overcome by my general radiance and perfection," Kara said, flipping her hair, and not knowing she had cream cheese on the side of her face. Lena chuckled.

Alex looked askance. "Well, you two seem to have kissed and made up," she mumbled, sipping her coffee.

"What?" Kara exclaimed.

"It's just an expression, Kara," Alex said, "Unless there's something else you want to tell me."

Kara blushed and tried to look sternly at Alex.

Alex winked. "Takes one to recognise one," she said.

"I stopped listening for one moment and now I've lost what this conversation is about," Lena said, looking between the sisters.

"Don't worry," Kara said, taking the second bagel out of the bag, "Alex has lost the ability to mind her own business."

Alex laughed. "This is definitely my business. Well, you know where to find me when you want to talk."

Kara made an extra effort to keep her eyes firmly on her bagel and away from Alex, who was looking far to pleased with herself.

"I'll take that lamp back to the DEO later on, too," Alex said. "I'm guessing it worked?"

Kara swallowed her mouthful of bagel and pushed up the sleeves of her hoody. "No bandages, no marks. Same on my ankles."

Alex walked around the bed for a close inspection. "Very nice," she said, running her thumb over the place on Kara's wrists where 36 hours ago had been angry, burn-like wounds.

"I told you not to worry about me."

"I'm your big sister. It's in the job description."

"Director Danvers?" the nurse asked, poking her head in the door. "Can I see you for a moment?"

"Of course," Alex said, and following the nurse out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"What are they talking about?" Lena asked.

Kara stuffed the last of the second bagel into her mouth, licked her fingers and wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. "There's been a delivery," she said, listening to the conversation on the other side of the wall. "Now they're walking over to the nurses' station. Someone sent flowers."

"What was Alex talking about?" Lena asked. "Was she - was it about us?"

Kara nodded, deciding the third bagel could wait. She took a big drink of juice and put the bottle on the table beside Lena's bed. "She's onto us."

"Tell her," Lena said. "Let her take you home. Go with her to the DEO for a bit if you want to. I'll be right here, watching mindless TV and still not being able to follow it."

Kara chuckled. "The fog will clear."

"I know. I feel like I should be annoyed, but everything is too foggy to allow for annoyance."

Kara smiled. "Alex is coming back."

"I hope she's got my flowers."

"Ugh, it's gunna be the most embarrassing conversation."

"What is?"

"Coming out to her!"

"Why?"

"Because she's my sister. And because - when she came out to me, I - I could have handled it better," Kara confessed. "Plus I - for the past couple of months I - I've wanted to call you. To tell you things. Just everyday things. Like I used to. And I couldn't bring myself to do it, and it felt like - it was worse than any break-up I've had before. I tried to rationalise it but I - I guess... I guess I knew why it felt that way. I just - I had to be honest with myself."

"I've wanted to talk to you too," Lena admitted. "As Kara and Supergirl."

Kara nodded, "I'm sorry. Again."

"I know," Lena breathed. "Anyway, maybe it's lucky I don't have to tell anyone. At least you know Alex'll be supportive. She'll always be on your side."

"I know," Kara squirmed. "It's still gunna be awkward."

Lena chuckled. "Tell me how it goes."

"You know she'll corner you and talk to you about it too."

"Yeah, but that won't be for a while."

The door opened and Alex entered looking grave.

"No flowers?" Kara asked innocently.

"There's a - security problem," Alex said, looking at Lena.

"What?" Lena asked.

"There are very few people who know where you are, and all of them I'd trust with my life. So this is very bad."

Kara noticed that Alex was holding a note. "But it's just flowers, right?" she asked, taking Lena's hand.

"I - I am so sorry to have to ask this," Alex said, "But Lena, are you sure Lex was dead?"

What little colour there was in Lena's face drained away. "I - what - yes. Yes, I - I'm..."

Kara squeezed Lena's hand. "Alex, what the hell is going on?"

"It would make sense," Alex said, "The hacking of L-Corp's finances, the synthesised Kryptonite, the really, really personal attack on you both. The - this note that came with the flowers."

"Read it," Lena breathed, "Please."

"I want to protect you both," Alex said, unfolding the note. "I do, I really do. But I - I don't know what to do about this."

"Do it, Alex," Kara said, feeling her stomach tighten.

Alex pursed her lips. "'Dear Lena'," she read, "'I thought you'd appreciate my gift. It took a bit of work to set up, but I really thought it was what you wanted. I thought you liked shooting those closest to you. I thought you wanted to hurt Supergirl, the way she hurt you. So why didn't you shoot her, Lena? Didn't you want to watch' - sorry," Alex sniffed, "It's so awful, and reading it out loud..."

"Give it here," Kara said, holding out her hand.

Alex passed the note over, sat down on the couch and wiped her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

Kara turned the note the right way around and continued reading. "'Didn't you want to watch Supergirl writhe in pain as the Kryptonite poisoned her body? I'm disappointed in you, Lena. Disappointed you didn't have the guts to shoot her. Brain or chest, it wouldn't have mattered. Then you had to have that bright idea. Obviously, I'd realised you might come up with some such scheme. I'd have been embarrassed if you hadn't. Honestly though, I'm disappointed that Supergirl got out, and got you out. It would have been so much sweeter if she hadn't been enough, but I suppose Supergirl gets to save the day one more time. Tell Kara and Alex I say hi and send my regards.

'Your loving brother, Lex.

'PS: I'm sorry you got hurt, but this doesn't make us even. You were collateral in this fight. I'll be back to make sure you go through just as much pain as you put me through when you planted those bullets in my chest.'"

"Oh, god," Lena choked.

Kara let the note fall to the floor and held Lena's hand in both of hers. "It - it mightn't be real. It might be - someone else."

"It's real," Lena said, her eyes filling with tears.

"Fuck," Alex muttered from the couch, her head in her hands. "Lena, I am so sorry. We'll start looking for him straight away. We'll keep you safe. We - " Alex looked up and caught Lena's eye. "We'll try."

Lena swallowed as hot tears ran down her cheeks. "He'll find me. It doesn't matter what we do or where I go. He'll find me. He'll use you both if he has to..."

Kara grabbed a clean paper napkin and dabbed Lena's eyes. "We won't let him do that."

"You don't understand, Kara," Lena said. "He'll wait. He's patient."

"We'll be ready."

Lena shook her head. "I'm the poison. He'll do it again, use us against each other, Alex too. You have to go. You both have to go, you - "

"Lena! Lena, hey," Kara said, resting her hand on Lena's cheek to force her to look at her. "We were apart and he got us both anyway. His stupid plan backfired and look at us now! We are so much stronger together. I'm not letting you go."

"Kara's right," Alex said, standing up and coming over to the bed. "We're not leaving you. Because if we did, he'd already be winning."

"But he knows I'm here..."

"He won't target you now," Alex said, standing beside Kara. "Hitting you while you're still so weak wouldn't do it for him. I'm afraid he'll wait. Like you said, he's patient."

Lena closed her eyes and leant her face into Kara's hand. "Please don't leave me," she whispered.

"I'm not going anywhere," Kara said, and kissed Lena's cheek. "I promise."

~~~~

The end.

I know it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but that's all I've got for this story. I'm sure Season 5 will bring new ideas and stories.

Thanks very much for reading, and for the kudos and comments, they're very much appreciated :)