WHAT: Playing Santa Claus and finding a familiar face WHERE: Orphanage in the forest WHEN: Backdated to before Christmas WARNINGS: Just feels STATUS: Complete
Last year, Kara had still been new to Vallo around Christmastime. Everything had been fresh and new, and she’d done her best to just go with it – to adjust to the change and move forward. The very first briefing she’d received was that they had no idea how or why people came and went here, and she wasn’t arrogant enough to believe she was the exception. Learning that she’d just missed Alex and Lena had been a blow, but she’d decided to make the best of a strange situation in whatever way she could.
Thankfully, she’d known Sara, gotten to know Catra and Adora (and retrieved Mermista, Alex and Lena’s cat, from the foster home she’d been in), and then she’d gotten to work at L-Corp. It felt right to make sure her best friend’s business was in good hands, and the timing had worked out perfectly for her to step in and take over.
One of the first things she’d done was funnel money to local orphanages and children’s programs. Then, she’d taken it upon herself to play “Santa’s helper” and fulfill wish lists through the holidays. Seeing roomfuls of kids light up with joy and excitement as she called out their names and distributed gifts was the perfect balm for her heart, struggling more than she’d let on with unusual loneliness.
Everything had changed since then. Lena had returned, and they’d found their way into the relationship they’d only just gotten off the ground back home. They’d committed to starting a family together, gotten closure when Alex popped in for a couple of months’ stay, and witnessed the worst and best-case scenarios for their future all in the space of this last year. Stress came with these changes, as they were wont to do, but they were always checking in, always on the same page.
Stronger together.
This year, she was so much more excited for her Santa’s helper stint. She’d been planning for months instead of the rapidfire approach she’d had to take the year before. Gifts were continually purchased and wrapped (thanks to her assistant’s diligence), times and dates for visits were arranged early on. In the process, she’d managed to sweet talk Lena into joining her, but her wheedling for elf ears and pointy shoes had been unsuccessful. Which was okay! She knew Lena would just enjoy spending time with the kids, and that was more than enough for her.
With half an hour to spare before their next visit, Kara emerged from the bedroom in full Santa glory, smiling brightly, and called out, “Are you ready to go, my little elf?”
There was absolutely no way in every possible hell in existence that Lena Luthor would wear elf ears or pointed shoes. As much as she loved and adored her Supergirl, it wasn’t happening. That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to have somewhat of a festive outfit to pair with hers – a tasteful vintage-styled dress. More suited to her style and less, ah, velvet and bright. That didn’t do well for her complexion. Kara, though?
It was absurd how well she pulled her outfit off. Lena had been touching up the matte lipstick on her lips (ensuring no crookedness) when she emerged with pride. She had to pause before the shade of red veered off into her cheeks at the sight of her girlfriend, because she let out this delighted laugh. “Hi there,” she grinned, putting the top back onto the lipstick with a little click. “That whole outfit still has me very sexually confused, but you’re always adorable in it.”
“And you look beautiful.” Kara zoomed forward and wrapped her arms around Lena’s waist. She pressed the lightest kiss to her girlfriend’s freshly-coated lips, so as not to ruin the look, then pulled back to take her in admiringly. The vintage look really was perfectly suited for her, and had they not already made a commitment, she would be more than willing to do some un-confusing. “Very festive, it would totally go with the elf shoes,” she teased.
Lena supposed she could appreciate Kara being conscious about the freshly applied makeup, but she wouldn’t have been upset if it got all smudged by her - especially if it was on her. She might have a thing about seeing her girlfriend all wrecked with stains from her lipstick. They had a job to do and all those thoughts had to be put away. “It wouldn’t, darling,” she scolded lightly, tapping Kara’s lips with her finger. “But I always appreciate your determination. Your sack of gifts is ready to go, and I’m going to suggest we Waypoint over there?”
Her other hand smoothed down Kara’s side, a slow and purposeful appreciation of those curves even in that getup. “As much as I love being whisked away by you,” she murmured, “I really don’t want to mess up my hair.” After a second, she added, “And it’s cold.”
“Don’t get into any wrestling competitions with the kids, then. For your hair’s sake,” Kara grinned, pressing in closer to enjoy Lena’s touch for a few extra moments. It wasn’t helping that temptation to stay right where they were, but she was the girl of steel for a reason (maybe several). Even the temptation of Lena Luthor wasn’t going to change her mind.
She was only so strong, though, and took the time to press a much firmer kiss to those ruby-red lips. “Waypoint it is,” she agreed softly. “The last thing I would want is for you to freeze.” She pulled away to go gather her sack of presents and slung it over one shoulder, then reached out to Lena with one white-gloved hand. “Let’s go.”
“It’s a lot of wind in my face when you fly me around!” Lena explained, making their way towards the private elevator of their penthouse. It was a quick trip down and into the corridor with a private exit out into the city streets. Truthfully, the temperatures weren’t downright frigid right now so walking wouldn’t be completely unbearable, and the Waypoint they needed to take wasn’t too far off.
Buildings were decorated in all kinds of ways too in representation of a winter holiday. Not exclusive Earth holiday traditions, which were nice to see - and seeing it all lit up from the ground view and the higher view their penthouse allowed was lovely. “What do you want for the holidays, anyway? I can buy a whole store for you if you want. I figure it’s more low-key than a media conglomerate.”
The nearest Waypoint was on the corner about a block and a half down from where L-Corp resided, so the walk wasn’t long. Still, Kara wrapped her arm around Lena’s and intertwined their fingers, pressing in close to share some of her constant warmth for the short walk. The temperature under a yellow sun meant nothing to her; she was a space heater at all times of the year. Now, at least, it was helpful to those close to her, too.
“This is all I want,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. “No stores or media conglomerates necessary, please. I’ve loved stepping away from the journalism world, anyway.”
It hadn’t been her intention. Back home, Cat had been setting her up to take over CatCo and restore it to its former glory, a job she would have taken happily. Here, she had fallen into taking care of L-Corp with her girlfriend and her sister both freshly absent, and she’d never felt the need to leave. She could make use of the Luthors’ infinite fortune to help others, and she had grown very adept at generating beneficial business and helping to make a good name for the company here in Vallo. She had no desire to leave that behind.
“My only wish is that some of our friends were here, too.” She smiled a bit morosely but only for the briefest of moments. “But I have you, and we have a big future to look forward to, so I’m very, very happy where we are.”
“It could be the contents of a grocery store,” Lena chimed in teasingly, the store thing having been mostly a joke – Kara wasn’t materialistic, she didn’t care to be pampered by things. She preferred to enjoy experiences and loved ones (plus anything with food, she was pretty sure most of their personal money was spent on stocking up the fridge and eating out), and she respected that. “I’m with you on the friends front. Wishing we could have Alex and Esme for this holiday, too. She would have killed us for spoiling Esme rotten. I would have gotten her a drone.”
The holidays were more fun with kids. Lena was learning that with these little trips they were doing. She liked seeing their faces light up with wonder and amazement. It was sweet.
“But.” She swung their clasped hands a little between them. “Spoiling children in general is something I’m happy to participate in if we don’t have Esme around.”
Thinking about Alex and Esme when their disappearance was still so recent was always bittersweet. Kara had wished they would stay longer, but there was really no time she would be okay with them disappearing. She had to accept they weren’t destined to be here, that being home was where they were meant to be, and that they weren’t missing her or Lena while they were still in Vallo.
(Everyone would be spoiled back home, too, that wasn’t even a question.)
“Isn’t it the best? Their little faces…” Kara looked starry-eyed with anticipation. Not one of these visits had failed to make her feel warm and fuzzy. Spending hours and hours playing with the kids and their new toys was just the kind of joy she needed in the absence of the Danvers family traditions she’d come to love so much.
“Yes, love, their little faces,” Lena chuckled, cheeks dimpling with her smile. She liked those little faces, too.
The Waypoint they needed access to wasn’t far. A turn around the corner, and they went through the magical crystal like they were walking through a regular door - that sometimes felt like it spun them around a little too fast at times - but when they arrived at their destination, not a single hair on Lena Luthor was out of place.
Always such a triumph when that happened.
“This is–” Lena had to pause, blink, take in the sight. This particular orphanage was one of the few nestled in Vallo’s forest. The structure itself was part of some incredibly massive, ancient tree that looked like it belonged straight out of a myth. “Beautiful.”
The cold hadn’t killed its leaves. They were vibrant and thriving, and there were roots that poked out from the surface that were thick, gnarled and winding.
“Isn’t it? It’s just…magical. There’s no other word for it.” Kara squeezed Lena’s hand as she took in the sight of the orphanage they’d come to stand before. It wasn’t her first time seeing it, but a person really couldn’t help but be a little awestruck in its presence. She couldn’t imagine seeing anything like this back in National City, and it was all the more beautiful for how unique it was.
The forest felt like another world sometimes. Lena was often intimidated by it; the magic that made it shift, its little nooks and crannies that held terrors, but this was downright whimsical. She felt its energy, too. The tree felt alive in a slightly different way, like it was sentient enough to choose to protect the building it was part of.
“Lead the way,” she encouraged, tugging on her hand.
Kara did, the door swooping open automatically as they approached. Inside was a whirlwind – an office worker greeting them up front, then leading them back to a big playroom where the kids were gathered. From there on out, there was a lot of noise – joyful noise, excitement so high from kids of all sizes that the air around them practically crackled with it.
Clare, Kara’s assistant, had done a lot of the heavy lifting in preparing for these trips she and Lena made. Kara had forwarded her the lists the orphanages had sent on without much more than a glance at each. Clare had made sure to purchase the gift each kid had asked for, then sent them out to be properly wrapped. It was a lifesaver for Kara during a busy work season, and it made the trips she and Lena were making that much smoother to get through. Passing out gifts was always the bulk of the ‘working’ portion of these days.
They had worked through the bag in a timely manner. Kara was digging the presents out from further and further in her oversized Santa bag and finally emerged with one. Her eyes briefly widened when she saw the name on the wrapped box, and she took a deep breath before calling out, “Theo?”
The little boy that walked up – well, he was too little to really do any walking. He couldn’t have been more than two years old, escorted by one of the bigger kids holding his hand. Kara shot Lena a look and got out of her chair to drop down onto one knee in front of both kids.
“Hi there, big guy,” she grinned, studying his tiny face. She knew those eyes immediately, even on a face this small.
Stepping foot in some of these orphanages was also an enlightening experience. Vallo, for all its magical flaws, did a lot of things right. Its economic and political system was hardly capitalistic, and the social programs for what Lena had seen had been well-funded. But the situation these kids found themselves in wasn’t ideal regardless of all of that, so being able to bring them something that made their faces bright had been an excellent time to spend the holidays.
And then –
Theo.
Lena blinked, having handed off the gift before that to a little girl with pink-streaked hair and pony features (some flavor of fae, perhaps?) when Kara called out the next name. She looked towards her girlfriend, flabbergasted, and then snapped her attention to the approaching children. Particularly, the smallest one.
Theo had a pacifier in his mouth. He might not have had his first haircut yet – his was long – and the pointed ears poked out from beneath that soft thickness. There was still a chubbiness to him that was very baby, and from the looks of it he must have been a late walker. There was still a funny wobble to his steps.
Lena was speechless.
“Lena,” Kara said, looking over to her girlfriend, “do you want to help Theo open his present? I think I have one for you–” Her attention turned back to the sweet boy escorting Theo, about twelve years old, and she smiled. “Wilson, right? Last but not least!”
Honestly, Kara’s heart was racing in her chest, and it was taking all her willpower to stay calm and keep moving forward. She handed the gift over to Lena, letting Wilson release the little boy’s hand as she reached in and dug out a much larger wrapped gift to hand over to him. His eyes, soft green with cat-like pupils that made her think of Catra, lit up and he hugged her around the neck before hurrying over to a group of similarly-aged kids to join in their play.
That was when she turned back to Lena and Theo, heart officially lodged in her throat, and asked, “What do we have here?”
Finding Theo was always on Lena’s mind. She knew that he’d come into their lives soon, and she knew she wanted to begin the search once the New Year rolled around – but she always saw the scenario in her mind as them finding him. Not Theo just fumbling forward with a smile, a light sheen of drool around his mouth, his eyes a bright green just like the thriving leaves of the tree this building was part of.
She helped open the present, of course. Words kept dying in her throat, but Theo didn’t seem to mind. Lena joined him on the floor, pulling off the intricate ribbon that had been wrapped around the box. He clapped, excited.
He’d gotten Mega Bloks as a gift. The baby version of Legos, if you will.
“Open, open,” he chanted, flopping onto his little butt in the Rudolph footie pajamas the staff had put him in. “Open!”
Kara shed her Santa hat and sank on the floor cross-legged beside their future son. It was so surreal to see him like this. She’d seen photos of him a little older, from his first visit when it had been her sister who had been one of his mothers. And she’d spent two weeks with him all grown up, twenty-three years old, tall, and a responsible, sweet-natured adult. And now here he was, such a tiny guy.
And the Rudolph jammies only upped the cuteness factor even more. Kara couldn’t look at him without smiling.
“You heard the boss,” she told Lena, reaching out to squeeze her knee. “Let’s open ‘em!”
Lena didn’t have it in her to ask if they were done distributing gifts. If they weren’t, she doubted Kara would sit down with her attention honed in on Theo of all children. She could at least hear the enthusiasm of the other kids as they tore into their gifts, but she wasn’t too engrossed in what was happening around her. Theo had her captivated.
“Ah, just give me–” The box gave her some trouble and, no, she wouldn’t surrender it to Kara for her to open it up with her Kryptonian strength. Lena eventually managed, spilling the blocks onto the floor in front of them.
“Tank you, tank you,” Theo repeated around the rubber nipple in his mouth.
“I’m not – imagining things, right?” she asked, her eyes staying glued to him as he began to grab the toys. “That’s him.”
“That’s him, sweetheart,” Kara assured her, lifting her hand to rest it on Lena’s shoulder. She tore her gaze away from Theo to observe Lena. This was all so unexpected for them both; they had wanted Theo, expected him, but having him essentially fall into their laps hadn’t been the route they had imagined or discussed.
“He’s perfect,” she said reverently, her free hand reaching out to gently ruffle the little elf’s hair. He was completely unbothered, too focused on putting together his new blocks to worry about the touch. She desperately wanted to pick him up and hug him, but she’d leave that for later.
Dazed, Lena picked up one of the red building blocks and offered it to him. Theo took it with a funny, greedy “mine,” and busied himself with great concentration in stacking the blocks, ensuring they all fit in the holes. It was adorable, although she couldn’t help but notice just how fragile he looked; smaller than she’d ever seen him with tiny hands and full cheeks. She assumed he was still in diapers–transitioning to those pull-ups, perhaps?
He was vulnerable and entirely dependent on people to fill in on roles of parents he just didn’t have right now. She knew parenthood was an intense responsibility, something no one should take lightly, and the way the concept was hitting her right now was utterly terrifying.
One of the staff noticed their interest and approached with a kind smile. “Isn’t he a darling? He’s new,” she told him. “He was left in one of our safe haven locations. Healthy and unharmed, thankfully.”
“Thankfully,” Kara echoed, mirroring that smile back at the staff member. “He’s such a sweetie. He’ll be a little architect someday, won’t you, buddy?” Theo, of course, didn’t so much as look in her direction while she worked, but she hadn’t expected otherwise. She couldn’t deduce just what he was building yet, but he was firmly focused on whatever it may be.
“Is there a waiting period before he can be taken in by a family since he’s new?” she inquired. While she had spent plenty of time working with orphanages and other children’s services here in Vallo, looking to expand the family was still a relatively new, unstudied topic, and she didn’t know much about what regulations were in place – and if they were harder for Outlanders to work with, generally.
“There isn’t,” said the employee. “Any safe haven surrenders are assumed to be voluntary surrenders, so they’re eligible for applicants immediately. The paperwork is extensive. Moreso for–”
“Outlanders,” Lena sighed, having looked into it already. She handed Theo another block for him to add to his construction. He was busy, but he did look up to give them all a drooly grin before going back to it.
Stepping out of this place without him was going to hurt.
“Yes,” she added grimly. “The instability of your arrival and departures doesn’t exactly make you all a solid choice. I don’t mean that offensively.”
Kara’s smile became a little more strained. “We know you didn’t. It’s okay,” she assured the woman sincerely. “Thank you.” She had expected that answer, and it was an entirely fair stance, as far as she was concerned. That didn’t mean it didn’t sting, to have yet another reminder that the permanence of their lives here was always in flux, always in question.
“We’d still like to begin the process,” Lena intervened, giving Theo a reassuring smile as he looked at her - he knew they were talking, he just didn’t entirely understand what about. Then she blinked up at the employee with steely confidence. “I know you’ve worked with Clare in setting all this up - you can forward her what needs to be completed and we’ll start the ball rolling.”
The woman blinked. “Oh – yes, of course, I can get to that.”
Kara blinked in surprise, glancing after the employee as she departed, then looked back at Lena. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t expected that reaction from her headstrong girlfriend. This was what they’d discussed, what they both wanted. But for some reason, she’d expected they’d need to take a pause and talk over their next move.
She preferred it this way. She was never going to be upset with Lena taking charge of a situation. One of them needed that energy; Kara herself still tended to withdraw when she got into her head which she had to work to overcome.
“It might still be a while before we can take him home,” she mentioned. “Unless we can get a social worker on our side to speed things up.”
Lena took in a steady breath before replying. “I know.”
It had taken her a moment to reclaim her resolve. She didn’t do well with surprises, and this had thrown her for a loop. She liked to be prepared. In control. She liked walking into a place and knowing what to expect, and she hadn’t expected this.
“I know it’s going to be this while – process,” she gestured with a block, and Theo reached for it with a whine. Lena surrendered immediately. “I've seen what's available online several times so I know what to expect. There are court dates and character testimonies, and they look into how long you’ve been here and how many times you’ve been here.”
The process on paper seemed maddening, but she couldn’t say she didn’t understand the protocol. Adopting out to people who disappeared on a whim seemed like they’d be setting up the kids for heartbreak.
“I’ve had this little boy in three, three possible futures, Kara. Two of them are with you. I have to think that there’s a good chance we’re here until the end with him.”
Kara reached out to take Lena’s hand in hers and squeezed firmly. “He’s coming with us, Lena. He’s our boy, no matter what. You know I want him just as much as you do. I have faith that we’ll figure it out and bring him home. I just want to make sure both our expectations are set. I’m glad you did your research.”
It was clear that Lena was far more informed than Kara was herself. She’d known without a doubt the process would be difficult. Seeing the kids when they came from the future made it seem like bringing them home, taking them in, was the simplest thing in the world, but she knew better than that. They were Outlanders; just the overview Lena had given sounded like it could take months before the Vallo court systems gave them approval.
But she knew they would. She believed that with her whole heart.
“Why don’t you stay with him and I’ll go make the rounds with the other kids, okay?” That was what she was here for, after all, to spend time with all these kids and bring a little joy into their lives, no matter how hard it was to pull herself away.
That was exactly what Lena wanted: to stay with Theo, to watch him smash these blocks together and figure out how to connect them and make an insanely tall tower that would inevitably fall to pieces. But it felt a bit selfish to do that when they came here with a purpose, and that purpose involved other children as well.
“Are you–” Theo silenced her for a moment there, shifting around and climbing onto her lap to keep on working on his blocks. She blinked, hands up, unsure of what to do with them, but her heart might be melting. “Are you sure?” she finished.
Kara smiled softly and leaned over to press a swift kiss to her girlfriend’s lips. “I’m sure,” she murmured. “Stay.” She pulled back to take in the sight of them together. Despite the little bit of uncertainty in Lena’s posture, there was this softness about her. She would piece together how to handle him the more time she spent with him, and Kara didn’t want anything to get in the way of that right this moment.
Lena’s experience with actual little ones was—limited at best. Esme was mostly independent, although she required supervision when it came to her mischief (and powers). Finn was maybe the youngest, and she was always a tad nervous when she held them too long (plus, they often just gave her a deadpan look like they were unimpressed with her baby-holding skills, the non-verbal criticism was rough). Theo was somewhere in between. Learning independence, but still very much needing constant care.
If the future version of herself handled him through this and then birthed Lori, then she must be fully capable of it. There was no formula to this, no step-by-step process to acclimate her into full motherhood. It was simply a case of figure it out and do it.
The kiss yielded a small, adoring smile. The reassurance was needed and appreciated.
“Come back soon,” she told Kara, finding the confidence in herself to wrap her arms around Theo’s midsection. He leaned back into her, still nursing the pacifier in his mouth, and he looked up at Kara and gave her a little wave with his block.