Capítulo 40: 40. Daddy's Home
After three days of brutal fucking, Alex was still a little sore. She held an ice pack between her legs as she watched a movie with her daughters. She had simply told them that she’d had an accident during a sparring session at work, and they accepted her story with minimal questions.
Currently, everyone else was at work, so she took the opportunity for some mother-daughter bonding time. Cuddling and watching a movie at home was among their favorite downtime activities. Right now, they were watching ‘Trolls,’ and the kids were cackling about the glitter trolls farting glitter everywhere. Alex loved the sound of her kids’ laughter. She could listen to it all day.
When the movie was over, the girls were still singing and dancing along with the end credit music. They dragged her up, and she tried to dance, but it was painful.
“Sorry, babies. Mommy just hurts too much right now.” She hobbled back to the couch.
“We're not babies!” Jessie insisted.
“Oh, get over it,” Alex waved her off.
Jessie stomped her foot and put her hands on her hips.
“If you could see how much you look like your Mama right now,” she chuckled. “You're definitely growing up, that's for sure. My two beautiful girls.” She checked the time. “We need to get you girls dressed, so you can be at your dance class in time.”
“Woohoo!” they cheered and ran to their room to get dressed.
She stayed with them through practice, chit chatting with the other moms, and when they were done, they headed home where Kara and Maggie were making dinner. There were still roses everywhere from Lena flooding the apartment with them, since she couldn't have them delivered to the DEO, and Alex tried to maneuver around them as best she could.
“How was practice?” Kara asked the girls.
“Good!” they answered. “We’re doing a new song!” Jessie added.
“Oh, yeah, what song is that?” Maggie inquired.
“Umbrella, by Rihanna.”
“Cool.” Maggie high-fived them.
“Alright, go change clothes, so we can have dinner,” Kara instructed. “Lena has a business dinner tonight, so she won’t be here.”
The kids pouted when they heard that Lena wouldn’t be at dinner, but they did as they were told. Far be it from them to be late for eating anything. They were changed and back at the dinner table in a jiffy. “Yum! Mashed potatoes!” Jessie exclaimed. “My favorite!” She rubbed her hands together gleefully.
Just then, Alex and Kara’s phones started going off.
“No!” the kids whined.
Alex read her text. “It's Cadmus!”
“Mom, don't go!” Jessie grabbed her arm.
Jamie burst into tears and grabbed Kara around the waist. “No!”
“You guys, this is our job!” Alex insisted. “We have been dying to take down Cadmus, and now we have a chance!”
“Every time Cadmus is involved, something bad happens!” Jessie pointed out.
“Yeah, that's why we have to stop them!” Alex huffed.
“I'll stay here with the kids,” Maggie told them. “You better get going.”
Kara grabbed a hold of Alex and they zipped out the window, with the twins crying behind them. The agent felt bad that the kids were freaking out, but she wasn't missing out on a chance to take down Cadmus. The girls would be fine. Maggie could handle them. They were gonna get these bastards!
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Supergirl dropped her wife off to get dressed and leave with the tactical team. She got the flight coordinates from Winn and she and J’onn headed out. They were after a big convoy of trucks surrounding a semi headed north out of the city. When they reached them, the bad guys got their machine guns out and started shooting at them. Supergirl heat-zapped the ground in front of the trucks, causing the ground to erupt with fire, but that barely affected them. The baddies just kept coming.
“Cover me,” the Kryptonian said to the Martian. She flew down and started disconnecting the trailer from the semi, while J’onn took the other cars out. As soon as the trailer was stopped, Kara ripped the doors off to find out what was inside. What she found stopped her heart. “Oh my god!” Inside, chained up to the walls was an unconscious, beaten and bruised Jeremiah Danvers. She ran inside and unchained the poor man, lowering him gently to the floor. She couldn't believe it! It was like Christmas day! Well, except for all the blood.
She called Alex and told her to go back to the DEO to meet them. The rest of the tactical team could come and arrest these goons from the convoy. Kara carried Jeremiah back to the DEO. He was out most of the way, but when they were almost there, he started waking up. By the time they got to the DEO, her father-in-law had fully woken up, and he could mostly stand on his own when they touched down on the main floor.
As soon as they flew in, Alex was sprinting toward them. “They told me, but I didn’t believe it!” She grabbed a hold of her dad and squeezed him for dear life.
“Alex!” Jeremiah said, “My Alex! Ow! OK!” He walked into the DEO with a tearful Alex under his good arm.
Everyone clapped when they walked through the main hall. The whole team knew that they’d been looking for Jeremiah for months. It was a long time coming, and everyone was happy for them. They took him to the infirmary to examine his injuries, and find out where he’d been.
“I don't know how long we were rotting out there in the Amazon,” Jeremiah regaled, “But I came to at Cadmus. They saved me, so I could save Henshaw. They forced me to keep him alive, to enhance him - physically turn him into the monster he was beneath.” He turned to J’onn, “It is strange seeing you in Henshaw's skin.”
“I hope I've put it to good use,” the Martian replied.
“Better than he ever did,” assured Jeremiah.
“But what happened after that?” Kara wondered. “You were gone for such a long time.”
“I guess I did too good a job enhancing Henshaw, cause Cadmus wanted me to stick around, help them with other projects. In the beginning, I tried to escape again and again. But, well, let's just say they didn't appreciate that very much.”
Alex fought the tears in her eyes, “Oh, Dad.”
“It's okay, by- By working with them, I was helping to keep you and your sister safe.”
“Um-” said Kara, at the word ‘sister.’
“About that whole sister thing…” Alex started.
Suddenly, Mon-El barreled through the door. “I came as soon as I heard!”
“Mon-El of Daxam,” Jeremiah smiled. “We meet again.”
“I'm glad you're okay. I was worried after you let us out that Cadmus was gonna-” he stopped himself.
“Cadmus would imprison and torture me for betraying them?” Jeremiah finished for him. “Yeah, well, you'd be right.”
“Dad,” Alex interrupted. “The, uh, the damage to your hand is... It's extensive.” Kara could smell her worry.
“It's a punishment for helping Mon-El and Kara escape,” Jeremiah informed them. “But I would do it again, in a heartbeat. I'm so lucky you found me. I'm so lucky to be back with you two.”
“Well, it's more than luck,” said Mon-El.
“What do you mean?” asked J’onn.
“We got an alert that Cadmus was moving a weapon, and we don't get alerts unless they're releasing a video or we catch them red-handed.”
“But we did catch them red-handed,” Kara pointed out.
“No, they were waving their red hands around in the air literally like they just didn't care,” said Mon-El.
“No,” Kara crossed her arms over her chest.
“No, Mon-El is right,” said Jeremiah. “You need to keep your guard up. Cause Cadmus does have a weapon.”
“What is it?” J’onn wanted to know.
“A nuclear fusion bomb. They're going to destroy National City, and blame it on hostile aliens.”
“How did Cadmus get their hands on it?” asked Kara.
“Well, they didn't steal it. They built it. Using the radiation they mined from your heat vision when you were in their custody.”
Kara’s heart clenched. “Oh, my God.”
XXXXXXXXXXXX
“So,” Winn smiled, “What you're telling me is that Jeremiah Danvers, former DEO agent and Alex and Kara's long lost father, has returned from Cadmus custody with news that our enemy has developed a nuclear fusion explosive using Kara's other-worldly heat vision radiation, and that they're going to drop that on National City and just kill us all? Ha! Is- Is this Is this place bomb-proof?”
“You could run a trace on Kara's heat vision radiation signature,” suggested Jeremiah.
“Right, yeah well, if the bomb is armed, then yes, I might be able to pinpoint its location before it goes off.”
“Good,” said J’onn. “Get to work, Winn.”
XXXXXXXXXXXX
“Hey, Kara, can I talk to you for a second?” Mon-El whispered in her ear, while everyone was watching Winn do his thing.
“Yeah.” She walked down the hall with him. “What's up?”
The Daxamite put his hands on his hips. “Look, I know you're happy he's back.”
“Are you not?” Kara huffed.
“I-” he sighed.
“He saved us,” she pointed out.
“Yes. Exactly. I was there, and I- I watched you solar flare, and it didn't look like they were trying to, you know, ‘capture your heat-vision.’ It looked like they just wanted you to blow your powers out.”
Now Kara was aggravated. “Mon-El, you are not a scientist, and you don't know how that Cadmus device worked, but Jeremiah does. Why is it so hard for you to trust him?”
“Why is it so easy for you?”
“Because he's always protected me. At great cost.”
“He also lived with your enemy for years. They- They forced him to keep Henshaw alive. What makes you think that they're not forcing Jeremiah to do something now?”
She sighed heavily. “I know you're just trying to look out for us. For me.”
“Actually, no. I don’t care about you.”
Kara’s face fell.
“Sorry,” he amended. “That came out wrong. I meant I’m more worried about the kids. Does he even know about them? What’s Cadmus gonna do when they get wind that Supergirl has kids? Hmm? They’re going to put all of their resources into finding those kids and destroying them. Or worse.”
“No, he doesn’t know yet, but we’re going to find a way to tell him. They’re his grandchildren. He deserves to know about them. He deserves to meet them.”
“And what happens when Jeremiah betrays you? What happens to those girls when their grandfather turns them over to their worst enemies?”
“That’s not gonna happen!” Kara insisted. “You’re worrying for nothing! Jeremiah is a good man. He will protect his family, and that includes his grandkids. He’s been kidnapped and tortured for over a decade. He needs us right now. Alex needs him. Please.”
“Okay,” Mon-El muttered.
Kara stared him down and puffed dominating pheromones at him.
“Okay! Okay!” he insisted.
“Thank you.”
“We're having a family dinner tomorrow to celebrate his return.”
“Yeah?”
“Just come over and get to know him. Spend time with him and you will see that there's nothing to be afraid of. At all. Jeremiah's return isn't an accidental gift. It's just a gift, and we should be happy about it.”“I’m family?” Mon-El looked smug.
“Of course! You’re like the annoying little brother I never had,” she smirked at him.
“Hey! I’m older than you.”
“Doesn’t matter.” She strutted back to her family.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Alex couldn’t help it. She couldn’t let go of her father if someone paid her. She was just too elated. This was both a blow to Cadmus and a boon for her, and she couldn’t be happier. Having her dad back was like a dream - surreal and a bit disorienting - but it wasn’t a dream. It was real. She was really touching him, really talking to him. She fought back her tears, even though they were for joy. There were just too many people around to break down right now. She wouldn’t do it in front of them.
“Everything OK?” she asked as Kara and Mon-El came back.
“Yes,” Kara nodded emphatically, smiling beatifically at Jeremiah.
“Good.”
“There is still something we need to discuss with you, though, Jeremiah,” Kara added.
“Right,” said Alex. That whole sister-but-not-a-sister thing.
“Do you mind coming with us somewhere private?” Kara requested.
“Sure,” he beamed down at her.
Kara lead them to an unoccupied conference room, and the three of them had a seat. “Um, I have a question, first.”
“OK, what is it?” Jeremiah asked openly.
“Does Cadmus spy on us?”
Their father shook his head. “No. I don’t think so. If they do, I don’t get to know about it.”
“That’s a relief,” she sighed. “But that’s not what we need to talk about.”
Alex pressed her lips together. She was really nervous all of a sudden. What if her dad got mad at them for being together? What if he got mad about the kids, or Maggie and Lena? She was going to have to explain all of this to him, and now she was feeling the awkwardness of it all. “Um, right,” she said stupidly. “What we really need to talk to you about is us.” She pointed between herself and Kara.
“Right,” Kara added unhelpfully. “Us. Um...”
“Um…” Alex repeated. “This is harder than I thought it would be.”
“Whatever it is, you girls can tell me anything,” their father assured them.
Alex took a deep breath and bit the bullet. “It’s just that Kara’s and my relationship isn’t exactly, um, sisterly.”
“You girls don’t get along?” he asked cluelessly.
“No,” Alex shook her head. “Actually, it’s the opposite of that. We get along really well. So well, in fact, that we fell in love when we were really young. Before you ever worked for the DEO or Cadmus, Kara and I were sneaking around behind your back. We, um, we might have kept it a secret forever, but then I got pregnant, and we had to tell Mom.”
“You got pregnant? From who?”
“From Kara, Dad. That’s what I’m trying to tell you.”
Jeremiah looked between them like he thought he was being pranked. “I beg your pardon?”
“I’m not human, remember? My biology is different. I can make babies with human women, apparently. Let’s just leave it at that, OK? I’d rather not get into the details with my father-in-law.”
“Father-in-law?” Jeremiah parroted. “You two are married?”
“We thought it was only right, if we were gonna have kids together, we should be married," Kara explained.
“Wow,” said Jeremiah. “This is a lot to take in.” He just stared down at the conference table for a long moment, then, “I can’t say I approve. You girls were supposed to be sisters. It just doesn’t feel right.”
Alex’s heart fell.
“But I’ll support you, whatever you do. I’m your father, and I love you. And it’s not like I can stop you, clearly, if you’ve been together for this long. How many kids do you have? I’d like to meet them. If I had known I had grandkids, I might have tried to escape from Cadmus a few more times.”
“We have two kids,” Kara answered, when Alex stayed mournfully quiet. “Jamie and Jessie.” She pulled out her phone and showed him a picture. “This was taken a few days ago, at their twelfth birthday dinner.”
“Oh, my god,” Jeremiah breathed. “They’re so beautiful.”
Alex couldn’t help it anymore. She burst into tears. She wanted him to love her kids so badly.
Her father stroked his granddaughter’s face on the phone, and it swiped to the next picture of Maggie and Lena with the kids. “Who are these women?” he asked curiously.
Alex frowned. “You don’t know them? Seriously?”
Jeremiah shook his head.
Alex pointed. “That’s Maggie Sawyer. She’s a detective at the NCPD. She’s been on all the Luthor cases here in National City. And that’s Lena Luthor.”
“It is?” He seemed genuinely surprised. “I didn’t know what she looked like. The only picture I’ve ever seen of her is from when she was four. I’m not allowed to read newspapers or anything. Only scientific journals and things like that. You’re friends with her?”
“More than friends,” Kara answered.
Jeremiah raised his brow. “What do you mean?”
Now Kara looked a little regretful and embarrassed. “Um,” she sputtered. “Well, Alex and I are polyamorous. Maggie and Lena are our other partners.”
“Polyamorous.” Alex’s father shook his head. “You guys, what are you playing at?”
“What do you mean?” Alex demanded.
“What about Supergirl?” he waved his hand at Kara’s suit. “The more people you tell about yourself, the more danger you’re in! And the more people you associate with, the more people you put in danger! Then, when you go and do something so outside the box, you’re bound to get too much attention from somewhere, and then someone will find out about you!”
“Dad, you’re worrying too much. Just promise you won’t tell Cadmus about them, and we won’t have anything to worry about.” She didn’t really expect him to tell Cadmus, she was mostly joking around, but he promised, nonetheless. “Thanks,” she told him with a smile. “Really, though, Dad, we have a great thing going right now. Maggie and Lena are amazing people, and we’re so, so lucky to have them in our lives.”
“Wouldn’t it be better, if you guys each dated one of them, and call it good? All this incest and polyamory business is just making my head spin.”
“Dad, no, we can’t do that. And not just because the public thinks that Maggie and Lena are the ones that are together.”
At Jeremiah’s frown, Kara explained, “They just got outed on Valentine’s Day because someone in the DEO thought it would be OK to video them kissing in the parking garage. He’s facing federal charges now. He’s going to prison. The DEO doesn’t take betrayal of confidence lightly.”
“No, it does not,” Jeremiah agreed. He was quiet for a minute, then, “Listen, I’m sorry. I’m not in any position to judge you girls’ lives. You need to do what makes you happy. That’s all I really want for you both. I made my sacrifices to keep you both safe, so that you could live your lives on your own terms. I don’t have any right to tell you not to.”
Alex breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn’t bear it if her father was disappointed with her after all these years. “Thanks, Dad.” She hugged him tightly.
“Thank you, Jeremiah,” Kara added with a hug of her own.
“I just have two questions now,” he told them.
“What?” Alex wanted to know.
“First, have you told your mother that you found me? I’d really love to see her.”
“Of course, I’ll call her as soon as we’re done here. I just haven’t had the chance, yet,” Alex replied. “Next?”
Jeremiah smiled. “When do I get to meet my grandkids?”
XXXXXXXXXXXX
“Sawyer,” Maggie answered her phone as she and the twins were loading the dishwasher.
“Maggie!” Alex exclaimed. “You’re never gonna believe it!”
“What?”
“We found my dad!”
“Oh my god!” Maggie almost dropped her phone.
“What?!” the twins demanded.
Maggie put the phone on speaker. “They found your grandpa,” she told them.
The twins looked confused. “Grandpa Dan?” asked Jessie. “Where was he?”
“No!” Alex replied. “Not your Grandpa Dan. You’re real grandpa. My father.”
“What do you mean, you found him? I thought he died.” Jessie wasn’t getting it.
“He was with Cadmus for almost fifteen years,” Alex explained. “They saved him.”
The girls looked positively frightened. “Cadmus?” the asked in unison.
“Yeah, they made him work for them.”
Maggie was sure the twins were going to go run and hide under their beds at any second.
“Did they also make him into a super-scary, evil cyborg/robot guy, like they did to Corben and Henshaw?” Jessie demanded.
“Of course not!” Alex defended.
“Are you sure?” Jamie pressed.
“Of course, I’m sure! I know my own father!”
“But what if he still works for them?” Jessie worried. “What if he just wants to kidnap us and take us to Cadmus?”
“He wouldn’t do that!” Alex assured them. “Everything he’s ever done has been to keep his family safe. That doesn’t change with you kids.”
“He worked for Cadmus to keep us safe?” Jamie protested. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Yeah, how does doing anything for Cadmus keep anyone safe?” asked Jessie. “They’re murderers and terrorists.”
“Girls, my father is neither a murderer nor a terrorist. He’s a victim. They kidnapped him and forced him to do their bidding by torturing him, if he didn’t do what they asked.”
“How do we know that’s not what’s happening now?” Jessie asked.
“Because we rescued him! That’s how!” Alex was starting to sound frustrated, but Maggie was on the twins’ side in this, so she kept quiet and let them do their thing as they all sat around the kitchen table talking on the phone.
“What if they wanted you to take him, so they could take something from you in exchange, like in chess?” Jamie piped up. “Like Supergirl and her children.”
Alex sighed. “You guys, that’s not what happened!”
“How do you know?” said Jessie.
“Because I know my father!” Alex insisted. “He would never do anything to hurt us.”
The twins looked completely unconvinced, but they stayed silent for a moment.
“He wants to meet you girls,” Alex told them.
The girls’ eyes narrowed. “Of course he does,” Jessie sneered. “He can’t kidnap us, if he doesn’t know who we are.”
“Jessie!” Alex chastised. “You’re lucky he can’t hear you. You would really hurt his feelings.”
“I somehow doubt that,” the younger twin crossed her arms over her chest.
“Well, you’re hurting my feelings! Or do you doubt that too?”
Jessie looked genuinely regretful. “Sorry, Mom.”
“Now, we’re bringing him home to meet you tomorrow night. Tonight, we want him to stay in the infirmary at the DEO. He’s pretty beat up.”
“Who beat him up?” Jessie asked.
“Someone at Cadmus.”
“That just proves that they beat him until he agreed to do what they told him to do!” Jessie insisted.
“Jessie, that’s enough!” Alex said firmly. “I don’t want to hear anymore of your suspicions! My father, your grandfather, is not going to hurt you. He’s not going to kidnap you, and he’s certainly not going to turn you over to Cadmus. I promise, even if that was the plan, which it isn’t, I would not let that happen, and neither would Mama. Have a little faith in me, OK?”
There were tears streaming down the twins’ faces now that Alex had dismissed them so thoroughly. They looked pleadingly at Maggie to help them.
“You know, Alex, maybe you could wait a few more days before you introduce them, so the kids can get used to the idea of him being around, hmm?” It wasn’t much, but it was something.
“Don’t be silly. He’s coming over tomorrow, and that’s the end of it!” Alex wouldn’t be reasoned with on this, apparently. “Kara and I won’t be home for a few hours. Can you put the kids to bed for us?”
Maggie had a feeling the kids weren’t going to be sleeping tonight, but she agreed anyway. “Sure.”
“Alright. I love you all. Be good.”
“I wanna say goodnight to Mama!” Jamie whined.
“OK, hold on a minute,” Alex retrieved her wife from inside the med bay.
“Hi, babies!” Kara sing-songed into the phone. “I love you so much!”
“Love you too, Mama,” the girls said solemnly.
“What’s wrong?” Kara worried.
The girls just pouted, and didn’t answer, so Maggie answered for them, “They’re afraid of Jeremiah because he works for Cadmus.”
“Girls, there’s nothing to be afraid of. We rescued him, so he doesn’t have to work for them anymore. You’ll see when you meet him. There’s nothing to worry about. I promise.”
The girls remained silent, looking forlornly down at the table.
“Alright, well, we need to get off the phone, so the girls can get washed up for bed,” Maggie spoke up. “Love you, Kara.”
“Love you too, Maggie!”
They hung up the phone call, and Maggie corralled the kids into the shower, cuddling with whichever one wasn’t in the shower at the time. She could feel the girls’ hearts racing inside their chests, and when both the kids were washed and dressed for bed, she brought them into the big bed with her. She couldn’t help it. She wanted them close to her, especially with them being so scared. She put on a movie, and the girls curled up under each arm and tried to go to sleep. It took them a while. They were still awake when Lena finally turned up after ten, but then, they put the girls between them, and they were finally able to go to sleep. Sort of. The kids kept getting woken up by nightmares all night, even after Kara and Alex finally came home around midnight. Suffice it to be said, no one slept well that night.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
The girls were ridiculously fussy in the morning. First, they didn’t want to get out of bed, then, they whined when Kara made them get dressed. Then they complained that they were still hungry after they ate the breakfast that Lena and Alex had made. She made them make their own food after that, and of course, they cried about that too. Then, when Maggie and Lena left for work, they practically had a meltdown. She knew it was because they didn’t sleep well, so she tried to be patient with them, but Alex wanted to strangle them a little.
Besides the fact that Saturday was their normal grocery shopping day, they also had to prepare for their family dinner that night. Eliza had driven in the night before, and she would be arriving at the apartment any minute. Hopefully her magic grandma powers would help them out today because Alex wasn’t sure she wouldn’t kill her daughters by the end of the day, if they kept being so impossible and whiny.
When Eliza showed up, the kids ran to her, clutching her for dear life. “Oh, hello, my girls!” she squeezed them tightly. “What’s wrong?” she asked, seeing their gloomy faces.
Alex sighed helplessly. “They’re afraid Dad’s gonna kidnap them and take them to Cadmus.”
“Oh, my sweet girls. Do you really think we’d let that happen? Hmm?” Eliza asked them.
“I don’t think you’ll be able to stop them,” Jessie answered despairingly.
“I think you’re wrong,” Eliza disagreed. “I think the people who love you would give their lives to protect you from anything like that. In fact, I know it.”
“And yet, no one wants to hide us from him,” Jessie complained.
“He won’t hurt you, I promise,” Eliza said firmly. “I won’t let him.”
The kids looked skeptical. Alex didn't blame them. Eliza couldn't do much to protect them, even if she wanted to. But the rest of them could. They would definitely protect the kids with their lives.
“No one will let anything bad happen to you girls,” Kara spoke up. “You're safe. I promise.”
The twins clung to Eliza. They looked like they were going to a funeral.
Alex couldn't think of what else she could possibly say to make them feel better, so she just pulled them into her arms. “I love you girls so much. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you. I promise.”
The girls remained as serious as the dead.
“We need to get moving if we’re going to get everything done for tonight,” Kara reminded them. “I don’t want to serve Jeremiah pizza and potstickers for his homecoming dinner.”
“Surprise of all surprises,” Alex teased.
“Haha,” the Kryptonian retorted.
“Where are Maggie and Lena?” Eliza inquired.
“They’re already at work,” Alex told her.
“On a Saturday? That’s a shame.”
“Yeah, well, they’ll catch up with us later on,” she said.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Everything was set and ready for Jeremiah’s arrival. They had chickens in the oven, almost fully cooked, and everyone had pitched in to make a feast fit for a king. Even the kids helped out, even though they hadn’t cheered up in the least all day. Kara insisted that they all dress up a little, so everyone was looking dapper, and the food smelled positively amazing.
Eliza had gone to pick up her husband from the DEO, and in the meantime, everyone else arrived to help celebrate his return. In addition to the five Danvers gals, there was Maggie, Lena, Winn, Mon-El, James and Lucy. J’onn would be arriving at some point too, but he wasn’t there yet.
The twins huddled around Mon-El, and he looked about as grim as they did. Alex was aggravated with them. Her father would never hurt his grandchildren. Ever. She wished she could shake some sense into them. They were taking this way too far.
Finally, the door opened and Eliza walked in first, followed by Jeremiah. When he saw Alex and Kara with hands full of plates and silverware, he grinned and said, “The last time I saw you two set a table, it was only after we took your phones away.”
“I have no idea what you're talking about,” Alex smirked.
“Yeah, we were perfect angels,” Kara insisted.
“Oh, really? That's the party line?” Eliza scoffed.
“I seem to recall a lot of grumbling,” said Jeremiah.
“Well, times have changed, Dad,” Alex told him.
“Yes,” Kara added. “We have embraced being helpful.”
“On scales both large and small,” Jeremiah smiled, hugging his daughters.
Alex turned around to introduce her children, and they were gone. “Girls! Where'd you go?” She looked through the kitchen doorway into the living room. They weren't there. “Did you guys see the kids?” she asked the people in the living room.
“I think they went in the bedroom,” James answered.
The agent sighed. “Girls!” she called, walking down the hall to their room. When she got there, she still didn't see them. She looked in her and Kara’s room. No one. “Kara!” she hollered.
The Kryptonian hurried to her side. “What's wrong?”
“I can't find the kids!”
Kara lowered her glasses and looked around. “They're under their beds,” she huffed.
Alex growled. She stomped into the kids’ room and demanded, “Girls, you get out here right now! You're being very rude, and I won't tolerate it! You're grandpa wants to meet you. Come on!”
The twins dragged themselves out from under their beds, and grabbed one another’s hands, looking like dead men walking.
“Oh, come on! You should be happy right now!” she insisted. “You’re meeting your long, lost grandpa! Let's go!” She and Kara each grabbed one of them by the hand and tugged them, dragging their feet, back toward the living room where everyone was waiting. When they finally had the kids in front of her father, she happily introduced them. “Dad, this is Jessie, and this is Jamie.”
Jeremiah smiled at them. “Hello, girls. It's really great to meet you.” He took a step towards them, and all of a sudden, Jamie's eyes started glowing red, and he just barely ducked down enough in time to miss a full blast of heat vision.
Everyone exclaimed in shock and amazement, as they watched Jamie blast a hole through one of the windows.
“Oh my God!” Alex shouted, grabbing her daughter and checking her over. “Are you OK?”
“Mommy, what just happened?” she grabbed hold of mother, who yelped.
“Ouch!” She tried to loosen her daughter's hold on her.
“Sorry!” Jamie pulled back.
“Jamie, I think you just got your powers!” Alex told her.
“She didn’t have powers before?” Jeremiah asked.
Alex shook her head. “They’ve never had powers.”
“She just got too scared, I guess.” Kara put her hand in Jamie's. “Here, squeeze my hand.”
Jamie obeyed and squeezed with all her might.
“Oh, yeah,” Kara said. “I can feel that pressure for sure.”
There was an uproar of noise from people exclaiming about Jamie’s powers, and the girl put her hands over her ears. “Mama! ”
Kara pulled her daughter into her arms and held her tightly. “It’s OK, baby,” she spoke softly. “Just take slow, deep breaths and try to calm down.”
The elder twin took some deep breaths and let them out, bombarding the room with cold air.
“Slow down, baby,” Kara encouraged. “It’s gonna be OK.”
Jamie slowed her breathing, and the temperature stopped dropping.
“Good girl,” Kara soothed her, stroking her back.
“I can’t believe it!” said Alex. “You got your powers from being afraid of your grandpa? That’s just great. Real lovely.”
“You can’t seriously be mad right now,” Maggie commented.
“No, I’m frustrated!” Alex huffed. “You know, this was supposed to be a happy occasion. My dad is home, after fifteen years of being kidnapped by Cadmus, and I thought we were all going to enjoy his company. I didn’t know I was gonna have to drag my kids out from under their beds like little four-year-olds! I didn’t know my daughter was gonna come this close to killing her own grandfather!”
“It was an accident, Mommy!” Jamie exclaimed tearfully.
“I know it was. That’s not the point. The point is, this was supposed to be a celebration. Now, it’s just chaos.”
“Aren’t you happy Jamie has powers to protect herself now?” Jessie asked.
“It’s not about that,” Alex defended. “And you know we didn’t want you girls to have powers!”
“Well, that’s too bad!” Jessie yelled angrily. “We’re getting powers, whether you like it or not!”
“Don’t speak to your mother like that, young lady!” Eliza snapped. “Don’t you think you’ve acted out enough for the day?”
Jessie harrumphed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I just don’t want to be kidnapped and taken to Cadmus. What’s so wrong with that?”
“What’s wrong is that I would never do that to you girls,” Jeremiah assured gently. “Not ever. Everything I’ve ever done has been to protect your mothers, and your grandmother. That protection extends to you, as well.”
“Name one thing you did to protect us,” Jamie demanded, hands on her hips.
Alex had never been so angry with her children in their entire lives. “You know what? This was a bad idea. You both can go to your room. I’m tired of this. You’re grounded until further notice. I’m really sorry about this, Dad. You don’t deserve this.”
Jamie stomped her foot, and it went through the floorboards.
“That’s just great. I guess you’re giving up your allowance now, too.”
Jamie started crying, and the next thing Alex knew, she wasn’t standing there anymore, and the bedroom door was slamming shut.
“Hey, wait for me!” Jessie exclaimed when she realized she’d been left behind. She ran for the bedroom, and they all heard the door slam shut behind her too.
“I am so sorry, you guys,” Alex apologized to the room. “I’ll understand if you wanna leave, but there’s still a whole dinner here, if you wanna stay and bring the mood back up.”
“Well, I hope no one leaves,” said Jeremiah. “I’m ready to celebrate my freedom. I’m sure the kids will come around soon enough. They’ll learn that I’m not here to hurt them.”
“I sure hope so,” Alex said wistfully. “I want us to be a family again.”
“Me too, sweetheart.”
Maggie and Lena tried to sneak off, but Alex stopped them.
“We were just gonna check on the kids,” Maggie said quietly.
“No, you guys. Leave them alone. You didn’t have to spend the day with them acting like little monsters. We’ll deal with them later. They’re not going anywhere.”
The pair looked at each other in concern, but they respected her wishes and left the kids alone for now. They could talk to them later.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
“So sorry I'm late.” J’onn finally came through the door.
“Oh, don't be silly, J'onn,” Eliza smiled at him.
“Oh, hey! I forgot to do something earlier.” Jeremiah hugged the Martian tightly with his one arm. “Thank you. Thank you for saving my life again. Thank you for keeping your promise to watch over my girls.
“It was an honor,” J’onn smiled.
“A toast,” said Kara. “To coming home.”
“Coming home,” the group toasted.
They all sat down at the table to eat dinner. Jeremiah asked questions to get to know everyone, especially Maggie and Lena. He was very kind and sweet to them. Kara was relieved. After his initial reaction to their relationships, she was a bit worried. Of course, she needn't have been concerned. Jeremiah was as good as they came.
After dinner was mostly finished, Jeremiah turned a bit serious. “Now, obviously, this is going to be a time of adjustment, but I hope you'll all be patient with me. I've seen and done things that I wish I hadn't.”
“Dad,” Alex interrupted, “Don't.”
“No, sweetie. If I'm going to move forward, I can't ignore my past. Cadmus changed me, they tried to break me, but in the process, they made me dangerous. I know their weaknesses, and I'm here to work with all of you to make our planet safer. So, if you'll have me, Director, I'd like to return to the DEO. Formally.”
“J'onn? Can he?” asked Kara.
J’onn smiled. “Pending a full psych evaluation and a field readiness exam, we'll give you the tour tomorrow.”
“Thank you, friend. Alright.” Jeremiah hugged J’onn.
Mon-El muttered to Kara under his breath, “I'm in the DEO for two months before I can pee alone, and he just walks right back in?”
“Say something nice to him,” Kara said through gritted teeth. “Now.”
The Daxamite cleared his throat. “I just wish you were coming back at a time of peace, sir.”
“We all do,” Kara added.
“What a lucky thing that you have returned when you did.”
“You mean when he was rescued, right, Mon-El?” Alex said dangerously.
“Um… I mean, that it is very fortunate that Dr. Danvers has returned just as a fusion bomb has become a threat. A fusion bomb that only he's mentioned and no one else has seen. I mean, what a gift.”
“What did you just say to my father?” Alex snapped.
“And now he's just gonna go right back to the DEO,” Mon-El continued. “With full access, I'm guessing, right, J'onn? No background checks for your old soldier buddy.”
“You need to back up!” Alex barked.
He pressed on. “Why don't you just let him right back in?”
Kara pulled him out of his seat and started shoving him out the door. When they were in the outer hallway, she closed the door behind them.
“What?” Mon-El huffed. “Why are you pushing me? So, we're just gonna give him free rein? Why is- Why is no one questioning this? Is that not crazy?”
She tried to get him to see reason. “If your father walked through that door right now, after all these years that you thought he was dead, what would you do?”
“I would run.”
“Run?”
“Because he was not a good man.”
“You know what? I'm sorry about that. But this is not about you. And your suspicion and your disrespect are out of line, and you need to leave my home.”
“Kara! No!”
“Yes! Goodbye!” She pointed down the hall to the exit.
“But I rode here with Winn!”
“Well, you can walk by yourself now. You're a big boy. Besides, it'll give you time to think about how you've been acting. Jeremiah is not a threat. He deserves respect.”
“You're making a huge mistake!” Mon-El huffed before storming off.
Kara shook her head and collected herself before she went back into the apartment. “I am so sorry, Jeremiah.”
Her father-in-law smiled at her. “It’s OK. He doesn’t know any better. He’ll come around.”
“I hope so.” Kara addressed the rest of the table. “Does anyone else have anything negative to say about Jeremiah being here? I’ll show you to the door, if you do.” She looked them each in the eye, but they all remained silent. “Good.”
Lena smirked. “Any deal where my mother is the loser is a deal I can live with.” She raised her glass in cheers.
“I’ll drink to that,” Maggie clinked her glass against Lena’s.
Jeremiah nodded seriously. “I’ve sabotaged her where I could. Trust me. You’d have heard from them a lot sooner, if I hadn’t gotten in the way of some pretty big plans. It always costs me, but it’s always worth it. She wouldn’t let me have anything to do with the Metallo project, or I would have sabotaged those guys too.”
“Don’t worry about that, Jeremiah,” Kara put her hand on his. “Metallo is dead because of Lillian’s own pride. She sabotaged herself on that one. I’m sure she’ll do it again soon. That’s when we’ll get her.”
“I hope so,” he said wistfully. “But enough about Cadmus. Let’s put that down as a work topic, and we’ll talk about work at work.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” said Alex.
“I’m really enjoying getting to know all of you,” Jeremiah smiled at them. “I’m glad my girls have such good friends.”
“I agree with that,” added Eliza.
“This isn’t just our group of friends,” Kara grinned. “They’re our family. Yours too, if you choose to accept them.”
Jeremiah raised his glass to them. “How could I resist? You’ve all been so good to my girls. I can’t thank you enough for accepting me back.”
“It’s our pleasure,” Lucy chimed in. “Ever since we found out that you were still alive, Alex has been going crazy from not finding you. It’s a real win to finally have you here.”
“Yeah, anything you need, you just let us know,” James offered.
“Thanks guys,” said Jeremiah. “I hate to be the party pooper, but I’m kinda worn out. Would you mind if we called it a night?”
“Of course, not, Dad. This is all about you. If you’re tired, you should get some rest,” Alex encouraged. “J’onn’s gonna set you up with a room at the same hotel as mom. That way you’re not alone, but you can still have your own space. Under a fake name, of course.”
Jeremiah grimaced. “That sounds wonderful. Thanks, but I think I’d feel a lot safer at the DEO.”
“Oh,” Alex nodded with understanding. “Whatever you want is fine, of course.”
He started clearing his dishes, but Kara stopped him.
“Don’t worry about that. “We’ll take care of everything,” she assured him. “Why don’t you take some stuff with you, in case you get hungry later?” She took his dishes and started packing up a couple of Glad bowls to send with him.
He chuckled. “I’m not sure how hungry I’ll be after eating so much, but thanks.” He accepted the food she gave him with a smile.
“I'll take you back and get you settled in,” J’onn offered. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay at the hotel? We can put some undercover security up for you, if you want.”
“No, no, I’d really feel much safer at the DEO, where I know they won’t find me.”
“Not a problem.”
“Alright. I love you so much, Dad.” Alex hugged him tightly. Her heart longed for the day when he felt safe again. Until then, she’d just have to give him all the love she could muster.
“I love you too, Alex.”
Kara and Eliza also hugged him and gave him their love, and the rest of the group gave them their well-wishes as he headed out the door.
“Alright,” Alex sighed. “I need to go talk with my children. Excuse me, guys.” She walked purposefully down the hall to the kids’ room. She couldn’t hear them doing anything, so she wondered if they’d fallen asleep. She knocked on the door. Nothing. She opened the door a crack, but when she didn’t see anything, she opened it all the way. No one was there. She looked under their beds. Nope. In the closet. No one. She searched her own room, under the bed, and in the closet, but to no avail. “God damn it!” she hissed. “Kara!”
The Kryptonian ran to her. “What’s wrong?”
“The kids are missing again.”
Kara lowered her glasses with a huff and looked around the apartment. “Uh…”
“What?” Alex was worried now.
“I don’t see them anywhere,” Kara pushed her glasses back up.
“Shit!”
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