(my ko-fi, if you’re so inclined)
Oh my God. You’re in love with her.
Alex shows up at Catco three hours after the fight where Supergirl went down. Cat’s nerves are fried. Normally on a day this bad, Kara would appear and offer her M&Ms before she got a chance to pour herself a drink. Even now, Kara a reporter and no longer her assistant, she always managed to arrive just before Cat stood up to head to her bar in the middle of the day.
She wasn’t here this afternoon, though, so by the time Alex gets there, Cat’s two drinks in, trying to hide the way her hands have started shaking.
“Agent Scully, finally,” Cat says. “Can we quote you for a story on Supergirl’s condition?”
“She’s fine,” Alex says, closing the door to Cat’s office behind her.
Cat doesn’t believe her. “Surely you don’t mind if I could hear that from the hero herself?”
Except Kara fell out of the sky.
Cat has been pretending all day like the sight didn’t stop her heart dead in her chest. She’s been yelling at employees, demanding a source, demanding eyes on Supergirl before any other news outlet. She’s been making it seem like it’s about the story instead of the girl.
She can’t simply believe she’s fine.
“When can we expect her back in our skies?” Cat asks. She’s rearranging things on her desk like she’s looking for a document, but what she’s actually doing is avoiding Alex’s eyes. “How long do criminals only have to outwit the NCPD instead of Supergirl?”
“She told me to tell you her article will be finished by tomorrow,” Alex says. “Though she claims Snapper will throw it in the trash anyway.”
The papers Cat is holding flutter to the ground.
Of course she knows Kara is Supergirl. She’s known, of course she has known. It’s clear, even, that Kara knows she knows, but they’ve never addressed it. Not directly. And here Alex is, talking about Kara’s assignments. Talking about Snapper. Alex would never do this if Kara didn’t insist–which means Kara is okay, must be, okay enough to have pushed this plan on her sister.
Cat sets her palms flat on her desk, pays no attention to the papers scattered around her feet.
“Good,” she says. “I’m glad to hear that.”
She still hasn’t looked at Alex, but something must cross Cat’s face, because the other woman lets out a harsh breath.
“Oh my God,” Alex says. “You’re in love with her.”
On any other day, she’d have a better poker face. But she flinches, and her fingernails scrape against her desk, and she’s sure that’s all Alex needs to know.
“She’s probably right about Snapper,” Cat says like Alex never said anything. “But someday she’ll write something he’s actually willing to publish, I promise.”
“Tell your staff you’re leaving for the day,” Alex says.
Cat finally looks at her. “Excuse me?”
“You’re coming to the DEO,” Alex says. “You and Kara need to talk.”
Alex levels her with a look like she’s an idiot.
Cat tries not to hope too much as she gathers her purse and coat. She’s too old for butterflies, but as she leads Alex to her private elevator, they swoop through her stomach anyway.
