Find Me a Find, Catch Me a Catch

Chapter 16 - Mustang Sally

Sleepy-headed and a bit rumpled, Lena smiled as she stumbled in silk pajamas into the kitchen. "Morning."

"Morning," Eliza and Kara said together as they smiled back at her, both dressed and ready for the morning. Eliza was sipping a cup of coffee and doing a crossword puzzle in the newspaper. Kara was just finishing up a big plate of waffles and sausages, a touch of whip cream on her upper lip.

"Someone slept in," Kara's smile grew. "I didn't even hear you come to bed last night. How late were you up?"

"Early," Lena said, running her hand through her hair.

"Coffee?" Eliza asked as she made her way to cupboard.

"You are a saint," Lena said in the way of response, pointing at Eliza who chuckled as she took down a mug.

"Why were you up so late?"

Using her thumb to wipe the whipped cream off Kara's upper lip, Lena examined it for a moment, held it out for Kara to see, then sucked it off her own thumb before taking the stool next to Kara. "Trying to tie up some end-of-year matters with China. You know how that goes."

"Why would I...?" Kara's gaze wandered down to where Lena dipped a finger in the whipped cream on her plate, then lifted that digit to between red lips. With a swallow, Kara began again. "Why would I know how that goes? Is this L-Corp business?"

Lena nodded, a finger returning to Kara's plate. "Sam has been handling it, but between her deserving to spend some holiday time with Ruby, and one of the people on the other side of this deal driving her nearly to the point of violence, I thought I should step in. Plus, it's good for me to keep myself in the business end of things with L-Corp, so I don't lose my edge."

"Well, it's nice for you to give Sam a break so she can spend some of the Christmas break with Ruby, but I think you're exaggerating about her temper. Sam is incredibly gentle. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body."

Finger in her mouth, Lena's eyebrows rose before her finger dipped back to the whipped cream lying along the edge of Kara's plate once again. "You'd think that, and it's usually true, but she has a temper." Scooping up a bit of whip cream, Lena pointed with it. "I know all about tempers, too. I'm a Luthor." When Lena tried to put the finger in her mouth, Kara caught her wrist.

"Why don't I get you a waffle?"

"I'm not hungry."

"You say that, but you obviously are."

"I'm not."

"Lena." Kara sighed. "You keep eating some of my whipped cream. You must be hungry. I'll get you a waffle."

"I'm sorry. Did my eating your whipped cream bother you?"

"Bother? Uh...no?"

Brows furrowing together, Lena said, "You sound uncertain."

"No, no it did not bother me. It's just that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so you should eat."

"Kara, I can't eat on an empty stomach."

"...what?"

"Here's your coffee," Eliza said sliding the mug across to Lena. "Sorry, that took a bit. I'm used to living alone, so I have one of those one cup coffee pod thingies."

"Canonized," Lena said with a smile at Eliza as she wrapped her free hand around the warm mug and gently took her other hand back from Kara, licking whipped cream that had begun to melt halfway down her finger.