Thanks for the Memories

Chapter 1

As Sam and Lena finish packing the picnic for their day out, Ruby stands in front of the TV, bouncing slightly in place. Supergirl is fighting an alien and struggling. The thing has twice as many eyes and arms as Supergirl, and it's giving the Kryptonian a run for her money. Even more concerning, the figure of Alex Danvers can be seen in the background circling around both aliens as she tries to get a shot off on the hostile alien without hitting the Kryptonian.

"Rubes, are you ready to go?" Sam calls out.

"She going to get hurt."

Brows furrowed, Sam walks into the living room, placing a hand on her daughter's back as she looks at the image on the television. "Sweetie, she'll be fine. Supergirl knows what she's doing."

"No, not Supergirl. I mean ... wait, look, back there! It's Alex!"

"Oh." Sam nods. "Okay, that is a bit more concerning, but I'm sure she'll be ... Lena!?"

"What? What's wrong?"

Sam is pointing at the television, her other arm wrapped around Ruby who holds her mother's hand in both of hers.

"Oh, Supergirl." Lena deflates immediately, her head following the roll of her eyes as she looks at Sam. "Why am I here?"

Sam clears her throat, lifting her brows and pointing with her chin. "Alex."

"Alex?" Lena looks at the screen again, frowning when the camera pans past the agent in question who is yelling orders to other DEO agents. Lena crosses her arms. "Sam, it's her job. She knows what she's doing." Still, Lena's face and tone lack the confidence of her words.

"Well, yeah but—"

"Sam," Lena places her hand on Sam's shoulder, "there's nothing we can do. If I could help, I would help. Trust me, Supergirl doesn't want my help." Lena turns, heading back to the kitchen. "Anyway, I have no idea what kind of alien she's fighting. We have no way of helping her."

Sam nods as she watches Lena leave, but her attention is quickly back on the screen again. The fight continues, Alex firing on the alien and scoring a hit which only seems to annoy it but garners her a response of a chunk of concrete half the size of her body being thrown at her head. Alex dives and rolls out of the way. Ruby yelps and Sam gasps as they watch the near miss. Then Sam stiffens.

"Mom." Ruby pats her mom's hand. "Mom, that hurts. Mom, you're hurting me." Ruby twists out of her mother's grip which has tightened on her upper body, not damaging but too tight to be comfortable. Turning, she stares up at Sam, "Mom, what's wrong with—" She stares into Sam's eyes, into the slight blue glow that comes from behind them, and panics. "Aunt Lena!!!"

"What!? What going on—" Lena proves she runs much better when she isn't wearing three-inch heels. She's in the living room within two seconds, no stranger to the difference between the sound of someone overreacting and the sound of abject terror. Ruby has looked into her mother's face and seen Reign, so the girl is not one to overreact. Seeing the glow of Sam's eyes, Lena pulls up short. "Oh, my God."

"What is it? What's wrong with her?"

"I ... I don't know."

"But she's not Reign anymore." It's a statement, but Ruby's gaze slides between the adults as if looking for reassurance.

Lena reaches out, taking Ruby's hand and pulling the girl back even as she steps between mother and daughter. "Sam? Sam, can you hear me, sweetheart? It's Lena." Lena's heart pounds in her chest as Sam doesn't respond, so she reaches out a trembling hand. "Sam?"