Everything was in place. Lena dropped down into the passenger seat of Jess’s car. The trunk was loaded with presents and books and Lena was ready. Jess fired up the engine of her 2009 Honda Civic and off they went, navigating National City traffic.
Lena’s stomach was full of butterflies. She had her hood up and was dressed down in sweats, not looking at all her fashion place self. Jess parked by one of the service entrances and a security guard let them in with a curt nod. Lena had dropped him a four figure tip to cooperate.
The kids were gathered in a common area on the fifth floor pediatric intensive unit, ranging in age from three to fifteen. Lena fought the lump that formed in her throat as they gathered, some of the younger ones in the laps of the older.
Lena started with a reading of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, complete with sill voices and big smiles and a lot of effort on her part to keep tears from welling in her eyes.
Some of these kids were having their last Christmas, and some of them knew it. Some didn’t. Others would go home, and a lucky few would help change the world with their participation in clinical trials.
On some level Lena knew that Kara would show up eventually- she’d been dropping in regularly enough, once learning that Lena read to the kids.
Sure enough, she showed up as the kids were eating turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy prepared under the supervision of a Michelin star chef that Lena had hired at great expense to prepare their dinner.
Supergirl, all swagger and power, strode into the room. The response was curious. They knew her of course, and she’d been there enough times, even read to them, that there was a peculiar familiarity to her visits and only the new kids got truly excited.
They were more excited by Kara’s plus one. She’d brought with her the most perfect Santa Claus that Lena had ever seen. No fake beard here; every whisker was real, as was every crease and wrinkle. Even his costume was flawless, velvet coat and paints lined with genuine fur. He had a huge beach sack thrown over one shoulder and greeted the kids with a cheer, setting to work handing out gifts.
Kara came over and stood next to Lena.
“You’ve outdone yourself this time,” said Lena.
Across the room, Santa gave a hearty Ho! Ho! Ho!, and had taken up a seat to invite kids onto his lap.
“Believe it or not,” Kara said, “he owes me a favor.”
Lena snorted and Kara winked.
“‘sides, I live at the North Pole, too. Sort of.”
Lena watched the man with the children. He really was quite good, a consummate professional.
She looked over at Kara. There was a twinge of pink in her cheeks and snowflakes melting in her hair, and her new suit showed off her muscular arms. More than that, there was a look of a wistful joy in her eyes as she watched the kids enjoy themselves.
Lena’s heart would have grown three sizes that day, if it didn’t already feel like it might burst through her ribs every time she looked at Kara, really looked at Kara.
She’d long ago admitted her feelings to herself- it was getting them out that was the problem, even now.
Across the room, Santa Claus stood, startling Lena out of her reverie.
“I’m sorry kids, but I really must go. Lots more visits to make tonight!”
He stood and walked over to Kara. “I do have that one stop to make before I begin my rounds proper. Shall we?”
He even had the perfect Santa voice.
Kara turned to Lena and offered a hand.
That was how Lena ended up in something like the setup for a bad joke: Riding in an elevator with Santa Claus and Supergirl.
It was actually rather awkward. Kara opened the roof access door and motioned for Lena, and the Santa Claus impersonator followed her out. Kara went last, lingering by the door.
“May we speak in private?” Santa said.
“Sure,” said Lena, happy to play along. She pulled her hood up against the chill and walked a few dozen paces from Kara, and Santa turned to face her.
“I’m sorry I didn’t bring you that easy bake oven you wanted when you were six,” he began.
Lena’s face fell. Lillian had exploded at her when she asked on Santa’s lap, a much less convincing Santa, and asked for the silly cooking toy.
She’d screamed that menial tasks were beneath a Luthor and Lena was supposed to ask for the American Girl dolls that Lillian had already bought, and what an ungrateful, spoiled little bitch she was. It was the first time that Lillian had called her that and far from the last; she’d added many insults to it over the years, like stupid or lazy or, most painfully of all, fat; dropping that one had sent Lena into a spiral of crash dieting that almost turned into full blown bulimia by the time she graduated from high school.
She’d never told anyone about the easy bake oven. Not even Kara.
Before Lena could demand an explanation or even speak, Santa reached into his bag, withdrew something, and handed it to her.
Lena took the stuffed bear on instinct. When she did she knew it was more than a bear. As her hands touched the somewhat ratty fur and she saw the little tear in his left ear she knew, she knew.
When the Luthors took her in, Lillian destroyed everything of her old life- everything of her mother, as if to erase her from ever existing. It was spiteful, and hateful. Lillian couldn’t revenge herself on his husband’s mistress so she did it to her child.
She’d burned Lena’s stuffed animals. They were all gone, reduced to ash.
Except… except…
“Clive?” Lena whispered, hot tears burning down her cheeks. “This is impossible, how…”
He placed a gloved hand on her shoulder and Lena felt a wave of indescribable shock roll through her. Something just… opened.
Her mind filled with an image of perfect clarity, and a song fresh and bright in her ears. Her mother’s voice and the distant sound of the sea that would eventually take her. All her life Lena could barely remember her mother- she clawed at scraps, more able to feel her than truly remember her.
Not anymore. As she clutched the bear to her chest, memory flooded her mind like warmth from a hearth fire filling a cold room. She grinned like a fool and choked back sobs.
“How?” Lena chirped out.
“Kara asked me to bring you something very special, and I do owe her a favor. I really must get going, though.”
Then she heard it. Jingling bells.
Lena had seen a woman fly; said woman had saved her from splatting on the pavement too many times. She had never seen reindeer fly, pulling a sleigh behind them.
Wait.
No.
This was not possible.
Santa Claus threw his sack in the rear of the sleigh and climbed aboard. He threw Lena a wave.
“Merry Christmas, Lena Luthor.”
“Wait,” Lena called. “Did you bring Kara something?”
“What Kara Zor-El Danvers wants, I cannot give her,” he said, with a cryptic grin.
Lena stumbled back as the reindeer launched into a full gallop with a blast of air, the rider snapping his reins. It was only then that Lena noticed that the lead animal had a glowing red nose.
Kara stepped up behind her and put her hands on Len/ shoulders.
“Kara,” Lena said. “That was the real Santa Claus.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t understand. That was the real Santa Claus. He’s real. Santa Claus is real and he gave me my stuffed bear back.”
As Lena turned, Kara smiled. “I know, baby.”
Lena swiped at her cheeks.
“I-I don’t know how you did this, but thank you. Thank you so much. I don’t even know what to say.”
Kara stepped closer, into her space. Very gently, she brushed away one of Lena’s tears with the pad of her thumb.
“You don’t have to say anything.”
“He said he couldn’t get you what he wanted. I find that hard to believe.”
“He can’t just give it to me because it’s not his to give. He did give me this, though.”
Kara reached under her cape, drawing out a small twig with a pair of scalloped leaves and some red berries.
“Is that mistletoe?”
“Yeah,” said Kara.
She lifted it over her head and held it there, smiling at Lena.
It took a moment for her brain to catch up. Kara was holding the mistletoe over her head. She was under the mistletoe.
Lena faltered for just a moment, but then stepped forward, closing what little gap was left between them. Kara was every inch the dashing prince as she put her arm around Lena’s waist, spinning her a little as the other hand cupped her chin and tilted her head just so for Kara to place a gentle, loving, and utterly devastating closed-mouth kiss on Lena’s lips.
Suddenly Lena understood what it was that Kara wanted and for the second time in as many minutes her heart soared and Lena threw her arms around Kara’s neck and they swayed there like dancers amid the snow flurries until Kara flew them home.
