InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Protect my nutcake"

Lizzy (

elizabethwalsh) wrote in

valloic,
@ 2024-08-24 14:15:00

Lena Luthor, Elizabeth Walsh & Kara Danvers ft. Theo

WHAT: Mother and daughter reunion
WHERE: Outside the Crossed Quills, then L-Corp
WHEN: Afternoon; Friday, August 16, 2024
WARNINGS: Talk of death/drowning
STATUS: Complete

“Oh my. Lena. I’m told it’s been quite some time, my darling.”

News traveled fast among Outlanders, especially when there seemed to be a sudden influx of missing family and friends whose people had been missing from home. Kara did her best to keep her hope at bay when she checked in later in the day. She went in an official capacity to make sure none of the new arrivals went without assistance, but her hopes were undeniably high. She missed Alex and Esme. She missed Eliza. She missed Nia, Brainy, Kelly, and Cat. Despite the many nuances of those relationships, they were all people she loved and would be excited to see if they showed up out of the blue. She tried to keep her expectations low; Vallo vacillated between giving Outlanders precisely what they wanted and giving them nothing. If she went in expecting nothing, she could be pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately, she’d always been the type whose hopes soared high. She managed to stifle the disappointment when she landed at the edge of the flower field behind the Crossed Quills and found no familiar faces. There were a few small groups scattered around, but one lone figure further back looked lost. Kara strode to her side, straightening her glasses and approaching with a small wave. “Hi! I’m Kara. I know this is really weird, but I can explain. What’s your name?” “It’s certainly weird,” the woman agreed. “But lovely, too, isn’t it? I feel a bit bad standing here, trampling these poor things.” She stooped to pluck a flower beside her foot, twirling it between her fingers. Her voice was accented—not strongly but noticeably, curling around her words. “Oh, my name—Elizabeth Walsh,” she said after a moment, raising her gaze to meet Kara’s as she offered a hand. “Kara, you said? I suppose an explanation might be useful, yes. I suspect magic?” As soon as the name registered, Kara’s eyes swept over this woman—Elizabeth—again and immediately began picking out everything that matched Lena. The thought lines between her eyebrows, the dark hair that naturally curled and fell down her back. The shape of her mouth and how her lips quirked as she admired the plant in her hand. That sharpness in her eyes, the same blue-green color as her girlfriend’s. “Right, yeah! This is Vallo,” she started, collecting herself when one of Elizabeth’s eyebrows raised curiously at her silence. “But this specifically is an inn, the Crossed Quills.” She waved at the building, then stared at Elizabeth for another long moment. “Okay, speaking of weird, this is super weird, and I’m sorry if I’m wrong, but I just have to ask…if you have a daughter named Lena? With, uh, Lionel Luthor?” Tension set over the woman immediately, and her eyes hardened into a suspicious glare like Lena’s. “You know Lena?” That sealed it, and Kara immediately began rambling through an explanation. She managed to keep the timeline straight, touching only on the big events without much detail. By the end of it all, Elizabeth strolled beside her looking confused, but her shoulders had eased, as if she had accepted there was no threat to herself or her child here. “So, she’s grown, then?” Elizabeth inquired, looking at Kara. “And you’re her partner?” “I am,” Kara said proudly. “I’ll take you to her.” She pulled out her phone to scan Lena’s schedule for the day. “She should be free right now. Here, this is a Waypoint. It’ll take us to L-Corp.” She took Elizabeth’s hand, pressed it against the device in the center of the Crossed Quills, and the ground fell out from beneath them. The walk to L-Corp was brisk. Elizabeth seemed fairly unfazed by the set-up of the building and agreed to wait outside of Lena’s office with her assistant while Kara went in to steal her girlfriend’s attention away from her work. “Hey, sweetie,” she said, tapping on the doorframe as she entered the CEO’s office. “Can I borrow you for a little while?” Lena was a creature of routine and they were - yet again - trying to establish the rhythm of a new one. It brought all sorts of frustrations and it was more chaotic than she’d liked, but she was adjusting - and a lot of it also had to do with her own indecisive nature. Sometimes she wanted Theo with her in the office. Other times it was straight to the L-Corp daycare, which had been an idea created by staff members that she absolutely loved and it helped a lot of working mothers. And then, sometimes, Theo asked for Finn by name and so they’d send him off to spend time on Darla, where Catra was more than happy to keep the kids occupied with arts and crafts and elaborate cardboard cities they also colored together. Today, Theo was the second occupant in her office, focused with a plethora of building blocks and legos that made her office horrendously untidy. Her floor was an actual hazard. Stepping on these blocks while she wore heels could send her flying and break about three different bones - or walking around barefoot and stepping on one would cause a curiously comparable kind of pain. But she was grace in heels so she maneuvered around it all like landmines, a true exercise in balance and coordination. She felt powerful. She had just gotten back to her desk after experiencing what she was sure was an Olympic sport when Kara came in. “Watch the toys!” she warned, and Theo looked up, and smiled his most brilliant little smile, and waved. It was only with Lena’s warning that Kara took a closer look around and noticed what seemed to be a trail of ordinary blocks and various sized legos leading to one specific culprit: Theo. With a burst of speed, she gathered the blocks into one large pile that she set further out of the office’s general foot traffic lane, before she leaned down to kiss her son right in the middle of his forehead. Her fingers drifted instinctively to his hair, pushing a few strands from his eyes and making another mental note that they really need to arrange a hair appointment for him soon. “I have a surprise for you,” she told her girlfriend as she straightened up. She strode over the desk to give Lena a well-earned kiss as well. “For all of us, kinda. Have you looked at the network today?” Honestly, Kara’s efficiency was almost godsent and a rub in the face, but it also made picking up all those tiny, annoying toys that seemingly multiplied by the thousands so easy. She kissed her back well and happy, ignoring the sound of Theo behind her dumping legos back onto the ground. It was fine. Kara could take care of that later too. “Too busy for social media,” she hummed, patting her girlfriend on the cheek. “Supervising a toddler and working out an algorithm is very time-consuming. What did I miss?” “An influx of new arrivals,” Kara reported. “Mostly Outlanders’ family members. Not Alex.” There was the briefest twinge of a sad smile there, but she let it pass. It was best to clarify that up front, so Lena’s hopes didn’t rise either. “And not your brother, thank Rao. But… Well. Hold on.” Kara slipped away again, vanishing out the double doors of Lena’s office and re-emerging a few moments later with Elizabeth Walsh following in her footsteps. She had never actually seen a picture of Lena’s mother. She heard her name and felt secure in trusting that this woman was who Kara thought she was – what reason would she have to lie, a stranger lost in a new world? That didn’t make Kara any less nervous, but Elizabeth mitigated that with such a complete lack of nerves that it was almost astonishing—especially given how recently she’d been informed that she was, unfortunately, very dead. “Oh my,” Elizabeth breathed as she approached the desk; Kara crossed the room to sit with Theo, giving them space for now but well within reach if she was needed. “Lena. I’m told it’s been quite some time, my darling.” An influx of new arrivals. How fun. Mostly Outlanders’ family members. Oh, so did that mean – Not Alex. Unfortunate. And not your brother. Very fortunate! They were blessed. Family was a very broad term, though, and Lena expected someone familiar to them—and if it were J’onn, Kara wouldn’t have been so calm. Her cousin, perhaps? They would have both zipped in here, most likely. James Olsen? Gods, awkward. And then came her mother. Her mother, as if she popped out of the pictures she had with her, unchanged from when Lena was four years old. She remembered the lake, remembered the splashing—remembered how it felt at that age to think that it was her fault. “You’re…” Lena stood, miraculously, her legs not buckling at the emotional weight that was just dumped on her. “You’re alive. At least—here, you’re alive.” “I’m fairly certain I was alive before arriving here as well,” Elizabeth replied, circling the desk to come closer to Lena. “But your lovely partner here told me I wasn’t long for this world.” Kara had the good grace to look sheepish and duck her head a bit, suddenly very concerned with the wayward lego building she was building without much attention to detail. She hadn’t meant to relay Elizabeth’s doom to her, but it had spilled out among the details of how Kara knew about her and how she had come to know Lena. Lena’s mother was remarkably resilient, though, taking it all in stride without indicating she was even a little bit off put. Elizabeth smiled in her direction and assured her, “It’s all right. She’s very sweet,” before her focus turned entirely to her daughter. Her grown, gorgeous daughter, immaculately put together and sharply dressed. “You’ve grown up,” she noted, reaching out to take Lena’s hands and examine her more closely. “And you’re well?” “Yes,” Lena answered, positively starstruck, and unaware of the trail of wet rolling tears left on her pale cheeks. She let her mother hold her hands for about, oh, four or five seconds before she shook off her grip, and hugged her so tightly one might think she had Kryptonian strength instead. Her heart fluttered like a hummingbird’s, so rapid that its motions threatened to burst the organ out of her chest. Of course Elizabeth hugged her daughter back with equal ferocity. It was a bit of a shock to see her so much older, to know she hadn’t been there to see her through each of her milestones. But there was not a single doubt in her mind that her Lena was brilliant. She had been a precocious child and seemed to have come far in life. “Oh, my sweet girl,” Elizabeth murmured. She wished with all she had that there was a way to change her fate, but she knew even Lionel’s iron control could not prevent acts of nature. “I’m so sorry.” She pulled back only to frame her daughter’s fair face in her hands and examine her more closely. They were not quite twins, but she could pick out some of her own features more prominently in Lena’s adult looks. She could certainly see why Kara had felt confident in their relationship. “You take after me, I see,” she observed. And then, with a sly smile, “I did hope my genes would save you from your father’s premature balding fate.” “I took after you in more than just appearance,” Lena hinted, her eyes having crossed over to the bleary bloodshot territory and it was a gift that the makeup she wore around her eyes were solidly waterproof. Her mother looked like a dream made flesh, but no dream could mimic the sound of her voice, nor her touch, nor her smile. They were never quite the same. “I know you’ve obviously met Kara—but over there is our son, Theo.” Elizabeth’s eyebrows lifted with the implication behind Lena’s words. It was simple to deduce the meaning, but the feelings that stirred up inside her were much more complex. She had hidden from her magic after the damage she’d inflicted and hoped beyond reason that Lena would not inherit the spark. But she swallowed her apprehension and took the redirection toward Theo. Her daughter’s son. Her grandson. An hour ago, she had been the mother of a four year old little girl and now she found herself the grandmother to a little boy who couldn’t be more than two. “Well, hello there, little one,” she cooed, kneeling down to greet Theo with an awestruck smile. Kara sat beside him, preening. “I don’t have the slightest clue what you should call me, but you are utterly precious.” Lena knew this was a lot for her mother, but she was in awe of how she just took everything with grace – and there was a part of her, too, that was eager to show off Theo, eager to show off Kara; this family she created for herself. Blinking curiously, Theo said nothing to Elizabeth, but his eyes were wide and he was looking a bit shy. He was a kind little boy, so he did offer her a toy block in lieu of a verbal greeting. It gave Lena the chance to dab her face dry, and then wipe her hands on her work pants. “Vallo is—diverse,” she explained. “So is our Earth, but this world is more accepting of that diversity. He’s a wood elf, and very in love with nature.” “Is he?” Elizabeth lit up, accepting Theo’s block offering with a tender smile. When his head shifted, she took note of his pointed ears poking through his locks of dark hair. “He and I have that in common, then.” Kara stood, slipping away to take hold of Lena’s elbow and lead her back a few steps. Elizabeth settled on the floor with Theo, allowing him to direct her in block positioning with pointing, and gave the girls their moment. “Do you want me to take Theo home?” Kara asked. “Or upstairs? I know this is a lot—good but still. We can give you guys some time to catch up alone, then dinner?” “Upstairs is fine,” she told Kara, giving her a kiss to the cheek. It was difficult to separate the sight between her mother and Theo, but Lena also selfishly wanted some alone time. It had been thirty years. The few memories she had with her mother were idyllic. They didn’t have a Luthor lifestyle, but it hadn’t been necessary. “Or if you need to take him home, that’s fine too. Do what’s best for him.” “We’ll head upstairs,” Kara decided. “And I’ll keep him entertained until you’re ready for dinner, alright? Maybe he’ll get a nap in.” She leaned in and kissed Lena briefly, giving her arms an encouraging squeeze. “I love you. See you in a little while.” She was her usual whirlwind self after that, letting Theo say goodbye to his grandmother for now before she swept his toys into their box, and gathered him into her arms. He waved at Lena and Elizabeth as they disappeared behind the doors of Lena’s private elevator up to the penthouse. “Well,” Elizabeth began, turning back to her daughter, “don’t let me interrupt you if you have any work to finish up. But I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to–” She paused to study her daughter, an entirely grown up vision of a woman. “The past twenty-odd years?” “Too much,” Lena admitted with a wet laugh, taking her mother by the hands and leading her towards the sofa across her desk. They’d have to get out of here soon for more comfortable accommodations (she sometimes missed the convenience of living at the penthouse, but the house was a lot more humble and cozy), but this was going to be a good start. “I became a full-fledged Luthor, and the experience was—a mixed bag.” She dabbed the space below her eyes with a little more grace this time. The crying had stopped overall. Happy tears usually lasted a short time less than tears of devastation, anyway. “You had no idea you got involved with a family that was destined to be supervillains, did you?” Elizabeth’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “I didn’t,” she said, baffled at the suggestion. “I was aware your father was a take-charge man. Controlling, really. I was drawn to him for that reason. I suppose you know some of that story now.” She met Lena’s gaze, a bit of color rising in her cheeks. She was not particularly proud of her choices made out of fear, but even now, the thought that she had that sort of power within her was difficult. She had fallen into her relationship with Lionel because he was willing to take that burden from her. Only recently, now that she had Lena counting on her and Lionel had not claimed her, had she begun reconnecting with magic and trying to get past her fears and regain control of her own. Oh, Lena knew. Her father was—well, he was a lot of things. He had introduced her to Lillian and told her this is your new mother now and hadn’t given his wife any grace in the decision. He was good to her when he wasn’t a raging alcoholic. She thought the world of him, and had been terrified of him all in the same breath. “I know a good bit,” she intoned, not judging her mother’s decisions on the affair. That affair was why she was here, after all. “And it’s alright—he died. He treated me well. Lex and Lillian may have lost their minds with xenophobia. Lex, in particular, has an eternal feud with Kara’s cousin.” And the reason why she even brought Lex up was because she knew her mother had known him. Lex had once spoken fondly about her, and she thought it to be one of the saddest things he’d ever told her. Elizabeth remembered Lex well. He had been unhappy under Lionel’s thumb, and on the occasions she saw him, she’d done her best to make him feel safe and comfortable. She knew Lionel was not easy to deal with, and she could imagine the crushing weight of expectations he had heaped upon his son. She may not have predicted a line of supervillains, but the Luthor name had been widely known even then. “I’m sorry you’ve had to contend with all of that, my darling,” Elizabeth sighed, reaching out for Lena’s hand again. “And I’m sorry it was without me. We planned to go to the beach this afternoon before I arrived, as soon as you’d finished visiting with your grandparents. I’m very grateful I was temporarily delayed now that I know what’s to come.” And it made sense. She had never been the strongest swimmer, and if there were currents in the mix, she could see how her fate had come to be. “If there was only a way for you to retain memories from here,” Lena breathed out, her whole body shaking through that exhale. It was brief. She knew how this place functioned—and she wished she knew more about it all on some magical molecular level, as if there was a way to unravel Vallo’s mystical DNA and truly know what made it tick the way it did. But she knew after this, whenever after came, her mother would be taken away to die. It was a gift. It was a curse. Right now she was trying to focus on the gift part—the here and now and all the things she might be able to do with her during their time that wasn’t possible back home. “I’m assuming Kara gave you the rundown of what you may expect? We’ve had people from back home visit. Sometimes they stay a little more long-term. Most of the time, we go into this understanding that time’s going to be brief.” Elizabeth nodded along. Everything Kara had said had raced by quickly and was, admittedly, a bit of haze in her head given the unusual circumstances she’d found herself in. She had retained just enough to know her daughter was here, grown, and that she had missed every bit of it because of her untimely drowning. A feeling crept across the back of her neck and she straightened, a strange sense of knowing overcoming her. “I think I may be among the short-term, darling,” she offered with a sympathetic wince. “Which means we’ll have to make the best of it, hm? I’d like to give you better, clearer memories of me to hold onto, assuming that’s the case.” Lena felt a cold sensation spread through her chest. It was a cocktail of dread and grief, and her hands tightened around her mother’s because of it. “I remember the stories you used to tell me,” she whispered, thinking back to the Irish stories of kelpies, selkies, and sidhe—mythical creatures that didn’t have a place in her Luthor upbringing. “I’ve been trying to share the same ones with Theo, but you’ll have to refresh my memory. You had a way of explaining them to me.” Elizabeth’s expression shifted into something brighter, another smile curling her lips. “Of course I’ll tell them again, for all of you,” she assured her daughter. “I’ll write them down or record them if you like. I’m very glad you remembered them. You’ve loved them recently especially. Full of questions,” she chuckled fondly. Lena was going to need those recordings of her mother more than her mother would ever know. She had a picture and her book of shadows—that was it. And with her here, she’d be positively greedy for more things. Evidence that she was here and had left a mark on Vallo in her own way. “I’m full of a lot more new questions,” she intoned and then leaned her weight into Elizabeth. “I think we’ll have enough time for them while you’re here.”

(Read comments)

InsaneJournal

Post a comment in response: