1. Welcome to the Family

Alex looked up from her homework at the sound of voices outside her house.  She got up from her desk and peered through the window to see who was out there.  What she saw was Superman in all his red and blue glory standing on the hillside speaking with her parents.  Next to him, holding his hand in apparent terror was the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. She turned and headed downstairs to quell her curiosity.

Of course, her parents had spoken to her about this girl from the stars that needed a home, but seeing her in person was like a revelation.  Alex hurried out to meet them with a bashful wave.  “Hi, I'm Alex,” she introduced herself softly so as not to frighten the girl more.

“Hello, Alex,” Kara shook her hand with a little too much pressure.  “It's a pleasure to meet you.  My name is Kara.  I must be honest, I didn't expect my bond mate to be so beautiful!”

Alex frowned.  “Bond mate?”

The blonde nodded.

“I don't understand what you mean,” Alex looked to her parents who both shook their heads in confusion.

Superman laughed nervously.  “No, Kara, it's not like that.”

“Right,” The younger Kryptonian agreed, shaking her head. “Of course, bond mate is the literal translation.  I meant betrothed.”

Alex's eyes opened wide.  “What?!”  Her parents hadn't talked to her about anything like that!

“No, no , Kara, no.”  Superman shook both his head and his hand adamantly.  “That's not what's happening here.  That's not how marriage works on earth.  Well, in America.  Marriages aren't arranged here.  People here are free to choose whoever they want to marry.  We would never force you to submit to such a barbaric practice as an arranged marriage.”

“What's barbaric?” the young Kryptonian asked.

Superman scrunched his eyes as he thought about how to translate his intended meaning.  “Ancient, out of practice, unevolved.”

Kara looked at him like he'd grown a second head.  “Excuse me? What do you mean unevolved?  Kryptonians are highly evolved!   The Matchmaker is a result of thousands of years of scientific study and practice.  How is our advanced science - science that you wouldn't even begin to understand - barbaric?  You're the barbaric ones!  You leave marriage and procreation to chance, and you abandon family to live with perfect strangers!  You're the unevolved ones!”  She shoved the Man of Steel, and it sent him flying back a couple of steps.

“Come on now, Kara.  We've talked about this.  You can't stay with me. It's far too dangerous.  And you shouldn't be using your full strength like that.  You would kill a human with that kind of force.”

“You're not human ,” Kara answered in Kryptonian.  “Although you might as well be, for all the good you are to me. ”

Superman’s face slowly went from confused, to surprised, to hurt, to resigned as he first translated in his head, then understood what Kara had said.

Alex was glad that her parents were experts in all things Kryptonian.  She'd managed to pick up the language rather easily over the years.  “It's alright, Kara.  You're safe here.”

“That's right ,” her father assured.  “We won't be strangers for long. We're going to be your family now. ”

“You could never be my family!” Kara answered mournfully.

Alex might have taken such a comment personally, but her heart was too busy feeling broken for this girl who had lost everything and beyond.  Of course, they could never replace her real family, her real planet, but they could care for her and try to help her live a normal life.  “Please, Kara, give us a chance. ”

The little blonde alien peered at her thoughtfully.  “Are you even members of Earth’s science guild?” she asked in English.

Superman answered, “There aren't guilds here on earth like on Krypton.  But the Danvers are the best scientists I know.  They were instrumental in helping me understand my powers and alien biology before I found the Fortress of Solitude with all my parents’ information.  I've shared many things about Krypton with them.  They're very smart, and I'm confident that you will be safe with them.”

“Safe, ” Kara scoffed.  “I'm indestructible here.   It seems more reasonable to worry about me hurting them. ”

“It'll be ok, Kara,” Jeremiah spoke up.

“Yes,” Eliza agreed.  “Everything will be fine.  I'm sure of it.”

Kara didn't look convinced, but she kept silent, blowing out a deep breath and a gust of icy cold wind at Alex.  “Oh, I'm sorry!” she exclaimed, covering her mouth with both hands.

Alex smiled through her shivers.  “It's OK.”

“Let's go inside and get you settled in, hmm?” Eliza suggested.

Kara nodded sadly and followed them in, while Alex fell in step with her, trying to be reassuring with her presence.  She felt a desperate need to care for this beautiful alien girl, come hell or high water, but she was at a loss as to what to do to sooth her.  Should she touch her?  Hold her hand?  Speak to her?  What was there to say to someone who found themselves a stranger in a strange land with no way to return home?  So Alex remained silent but hyper-vigilant, just in case there was something she could do or say to make things better.

They showed Kara around the house to familiarize her with where everything was.  She seemed a bit perplexed by the staircases, claiming that such constructs did not exist in Krypton, but she navigated them just fine.  Then when they showed her the room the two girls would be sharing, she seemed confused again.

“I thought you said Alex and I were not betrothed.  Why are we sharing a room?

The adults and Alex all looked at each other at a loss.

“Well, that's what sisters do, sweetheart.  They share things - like rooms and clothing and secrets,” Eliza answered.

“Sisters?” Kara questioned.  “We're not even from the same planet.  How can we be sisters?”

“We're going to adopt you,” Jeremiah answered easily.

Kara frowned.  “I don't know that word adopt.”

“It means we'll legally be your parents.  You'll take our name and be Kara Danvers, and then Alex will be your adoptive sister.”

“That just doesn't make any sense!  I should be living with my blood-relations or my bond mate!  Where in Rao’s Light is the logic in this plan?!”  Kara pressed her fingers to her forehead in dismay.  “I know I'm supposed to pick my own betrothed, but can't you just make an exception and pick someone for me?  I've never even met anyone on this planet to begin to pick!”

“Kara, you're way too young to even be dating, let alone getting married!” Superman exclaimed.

Kara glared at her cousin.  “On Krypton, if a person had no more family, The Matchmaker would find them a bond mate, no matter the age!”

“Well, here in America, the legal marrying age is eighteen.” Superman insisted firmly.

Now Kara looked panicked.  “EIGHTEEN?!”  She started hyperventilating, causing the room to become very cold.  “But- but w-what about . . . when I present ?  Almost everyone in our family is an Alpha.  No one presents later than fifteen!  I'll need a mate by then, or something bad could happen!”

“ I don't know the words Alpha or present,”   Superman informed them, looking confused again.

Alex was relieved it wasn't only her who didn't understand, but she didn't get an explanation as Kara sat heavily on the floor, covered her head with her hands, and began to cry.  Without even thinking, Alex dropped next to the girl and put her arms around her.  “It's OK, Kara.  It's gonna be OK,”

“No, it's not!” Kara sobbed.  “How can you even say that?  Everything that could possibly go wrong has done so!  My home is gone.  My planet is gone.  My parents, my aunts, my uncles - all gone.  The one blood relation I have left, the one I was supposed to take care of, who I would never have abandoned, even if my life depended on it - even he doesn't want me around.  And now this?  How could anything ever be OK again?  It can't be!   How do you expect me to live like this?”   She sobbed loudly.

Alex had never felt so helpless before.  She began crying, too.  Crying for this girl who had lost so much. Crying because she couldn't do anything to help.  “I'm sorry, Kara,” she whimpered.  “I'm so sorry!  I promise I'll do everything my power to help you.  I swear it!  Whatever problems you might have, I'm here for you, OK?”

“Stronger together,” Superman said proudly, through watery eyes.

“Stronger together,” Alex repeated emphatically.  “We're a family now, and we'll all help you, right Mom and Dad?”

“That's right,” Eliza answered.

“Of course,” Jeremiah said.

Her parents had never seemed as proud of her as they were in that moment, if the looks they were giving her were any indication.  Alex's heart soared at the thought.  She held Kara a little tighter and was relieved when the girl finally leaned a bit toward her.  She breathed a sigh of relief and wiped her eyes.

“Stronger together,” Kara laughed humorlessly.  “Right.”  She looked seriously at Alex.  “I'm not sure you're going to like the kind of help I'm going to need when the time comes.”

“Well,” Alex answered, “I guess, whatever it is, we can talk about it when the time comes, and go from there.  How about that?”  

Kara looked pensively back at her for a long moment before nodding sadly.

Alex breathed another sigh of relief, believing she had dodged a bullet on the issue.  She sat holding Kara for a few more moments before her mother spoke up.

“Well,” Eliza said softly, pressing her hands together, “Maybe we should leave the girls alone, and Alex can help Kara get settled in.  Your father and I will get dinner ready, and tomorrow, we can go shopping to get Kara some clothes, but in the meantime, Alex, will you share some of yours?”

“Of course,” Alex nodded and watched as the adults filed out of the bedroom.  Then to Kara, she began, “Are you-”  She stopped herself from saying 'OK?'

If Kara noticed that she'd spoken, she didn't act it.

“Kara?”

The blonde turned her head and focused her eyes.  “Sorry, I was listening to them still.”

“What were they saying?” Alex asked curiously.

“In summary, they say everything will be fine even if I think it won't be.”

“Oh.”  Alex's heart ached at the wounded look in Kara’s eyes.  They sat together for a few more moments before she remembered what her mother had asked her to do.  “Come on,” she said, standing up and offering a hand down to Kara.  “Let's get you some clothes.”

Kara floated up to stand on her feet, ignoring Alex's hand.

“Show off,” Alex teased.

Kara gave half of a cheeky smirk before settling back into her frown.  “What's wrong with what I'm wearing?”

“Well,” Alex started, “It's obviously alien, for one.  And for two, it's got the Superman S on it, so double in alien-ness.”

“The Superman S?” Kara sneered.  “Are you kidding me?  That ‘S' is not an S!  It's our family crest!  The crest of the house of El!  El mayarah - stronger together!  That's where that phrase comes from!  Or didn't he teach you that?” she spat.

“No, he did. You're right. I'm sorry.  I wasn't thinking.  I'm sorry, Kara,” Alex pleaded.  “It's just that the whole point of you coming to live with us is to keep you hidden so you can have a normal life.  If you run around in your alien clothes, it's bound to give you away.”  She rummaged in her drawers as she talked, and came back with a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

“Stop calling me an alien,” Kara pouted.

“I'm sorry!” Alex exclaimed in frustration.  It seemed she was back to her old standard of not being good enough.  She shoved the clothes towards the -not- alien girl.  “Here.  Put these on.”

Kara apparently knew no shame as she began pulling off her foreign clothing, and it caused Alex to yelp and spin around in embarrassment.  When she turned back around, she giggled.  “Kara, you've got the pants on backwards!