Hold On

Understanding

She couldn't believe it. Scratch that. She could. They were always pushing her around. Why didn't she see it sooner? Now she understood the timing too. She was always stopping them, they always went after her when Kara was around. It made sense that they would find a way to get to her when Kara wasn't there to stop them. Her Friday had been going so well too, with all her assignments over and done. The only thing she need to do was help Kara with her weekend project for her advanced art class. It was her last period of the day which always made Kara happy. Ending every day, and the week, with her favorite class. Unlike Lena, who had a class full of people who didn't care in an advanced setting. But that's what made Lena's days so much better. She could look forward to seeing Kara and her sunny personality, she would hear all about whatever it was that she painted that day, whether it be a simple piece of fruit or an extravagant landscape. The funny thing was, Lena felt like her day was going too well. She had yet to be shoved into a locker or yelled at to do some English paper. But as they say, all good things must come to an end.

There had been 10 minutes left before the final bell rang, and she asked to go to the restroom. Her assignment was finished over half an hour ago and she was bored. She wandered down the hall, every once in a while, seeing a painting Kara had done. Since they were abstract enough, and Kara's signature being almost hidden, the art teacher hung them up around the school. She had been looking at a fantasy landscape of Kara's, a futuristic looking room with sleek skyscrapers seen through the window. The part that drew everyone in was the fact that the world was bathed in red sunlight, giving everything a red tint. Lena was amazed by Kara's ability to make everything look sleek and shiny, while also being bathed in a single color. That's when things went sideways. Her hair had been up in a ponytail, up until it was yanked, and she was thrown to the hard floor of the hallway. He stood over her, his child-like smirk in place as she tried to clear her vision. At the moment, there were two of him, and God knows one is already to much for her to handle.

Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, two of his friends lifted her off the floor, each gripping her wrists much tighter than necessary. The one on her left, she didn't recognize him right away, clamped a rag of some sort muffling any and all sounds she made as they dragged her kicking but not quite screaming out the nearest exit. Everything happened in slow motion, the fence bordering the football field getting closer and closer as the two jocks carrying her followed him. Leading her to the darkness she would come to be terrified of. It was as if she went through a portal when they stepped through the fence. Once second, she was trying to kick them off her, the next she was on the ground. She couldn't close her eyes. Not without seeing his smirk, his blue eyes staring down at her. His hands, holding her by her neck at first, moving slowly down past her chest down to her hips. One of his friends held her wrists above her head uncomfortably, doing nothing to ease the pain coming from the back of her head, his grip was tight. The other was holding her legs still, though he was struggling more than the other with the force of Lena's kicks. Her cries for help went unheard as the cloth kept any sound from escaping, filling her mouth with the bitter taste of dirt and gravel. Her kicks grew weaker as the pressure on her hips increased. She had no chance. She had no idea what to do, she couldn't move, the cloth made it hard to breathe, and everything hurt. She could tell everything was going to bruise, and it would be a pain to cover. The only thing she did know was that her fear was increasing, and her will to fight was long gone. Everything blurred together after that, her staring at the leaves, the two jocks letting her wrists and ankles go, only for her to lay there for the most part unresponsive to the change in pressure. She hadn't heard them laugh as they left her there, his childish grin looking down on her, drilling its way into her memory.

Kara finding her was both the best and worst thing for Lena. The best, because she would get out of the woods, home where she would rather be, curled up on her bed with a good book, a cup of hot chocolate on her side table. It was the worst, because that meant her best friend found her in probably the scariest way possible. Seeing your friend bloody and bruised on the ground, that isn't easy, nowhere close. But for someone as happy and radiant as Kara Danvers, this sight had to be the worst thing her mind could never imagine. She couldn't thank Kara enough for saving her, but she would also apologize until she was blue in the face that she had to be found like that.

She was glad it was Saturday. She didn't have to worry about going to school. About facing him. Him. The dark corner of her mind never felt darker, his grin like the Cheshire cat's, looming in the shadows, waiting for her to close her eyes, waiting for her guard to be down. Saturday meant that Kara could stay all day, she just needed to gather the courage to leave her room. From what her mother told her, Kara wouldn't stop apologizing the previous day. Looking out her window, she could see Kara wasn't in the garden. The only other place she is when she's not with Lena, is her room. Lena was probably more excited than Kara when Lillian said the room across from hers could be Kara's. Going to one of her drawers, she pulled out a pair of black fuzzy socks, slipping them onto her feet before padding across the hallway to see if Kara was there.

"I failed her." Came mumbled through the door, Lena could hear Lex's soft reassurances. He was right. She did blame herself. She should have fought harder. If she had only fought hard enough, she could have run, but she was weak. There were three of them. What could I have done? Pulling herself out of the shadow clouding her mind, she knocked on Kara's door. She knew she could just walk in, she's done it before, but she already felt bad enough interrupting their conversation, though it had gone quiet for a few minutes.

A soft rattle of the handle and there was her brother, smiling down at her. Planting a kiss on her forehead, he made his way down the hall to his mother's room. I love you. Smiling at his retreating figure, she turned back to the room to see Kara curled up on a chair in front of her easel. From where she stood, she couldn't tell what the painting depicted. A few sniffles were heard as Lena entered the room. Coming up beside the blonde, Lena could see the whole picture. Knowing her friend, Lena knew that for the most part she painted what was in her head, not what was right in front of her, this picture making it hard not to cry again. But she couldn't. Not again. She had to help the person that helped her. She had to be the strong one now. Real funny Lena. Pushing everything aside she kneeled next to Kara, resting a hand on her shaking arm, I'm here. What's wrong?

"I failed you. I'm so sorry, Lena."

"Hey, look at me." It's not your fault.

"Isn't it?" Kara asked, turning her head so she was facing away. Lena looked down at her hands before standing.

"Come on. Get up." She said patting the blondes' arm. Slowly she stood up, keeping her gaze trained on the floor. Taking one of her hands, Lena led her to the bed along the far wall. Crawling onto the bed, she sat crisscross in the middle, pulling Kara so she sat in front of the brunette. "Look at me please, Kara."

Green eyes met blue and Lena could see the fear hiding in Kara's eyes. The same could be said for Kara. She could see the loneliness Lena felt the day before, sadness creeping down her spine. There was so much Kara wanted to say, but she couldn't figure out the words. I'm sorry. But that wasn't enough. It would never be enough. Not when it came to Lena. Not knowing what else to do, Kara closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around Lena's waist, burying her face in Lena's neck.