lol

The private jet ride from National City to Seattle had been short, but for Kara Danvers, it felt like an eternity. She wasn't there for a mission or a world-ending threat. She was there because Alex had insisted. A strange, lingering weakness in Kara’s joints—likely a side effect of a recent brush with a new strain of synthetic Kryptonite—had necessitated a consult with the best neurological and surgical minds in the country. Since the DEO’s medical wing was currently undergoing repairs after a rogue alien attack, J’onn had pulled strings to get them into Seattle Grace Hospital under the guise of a high-priority government transfer.

As the sliding glass doors of the ER hissed open, Kara felt the familiar hum of a busy hospital. It smelled of antiseptic, burnt coffee, and adrenaline. Beside her, Alex was in full "Protective Big Sister" mode, clutching a tablet with Kara’s encrypted medical files and looking ready to fight anyone who mispronounced a syllable of Kara’s fake history.

"Just act normal," Alex whispered, adjusting her glasses. "You’re a civilian journalist with a rare blood disorder and some localized nerve damage. No lifting buses, no heat vision, and for Rao’s sake, keep your heart rate under two hundred."

"I know, I know," Kara sighed, though her eyes were wandering.

They were met at the intake desk by a tall, dark-haired man with a stubble-covered jaw and a smirk that suggested he thought he was the most handsome person in the building.

"Danvers? I’m Dr. Mark Sloan, Head of Plastics," he said, his eyes lingering a second too long on Alex. "And you must be the sister."

"Agent—I mean, Alex Danvers," Alex corrected quickly, her voice tight.

Mark opened his mouth to make a quip, but he froze. His eyes widened, his cocky posture sagging as he stared at Alex. "Lexie?" he whispered, his voice cracking.

Alex frowned, stepping back. "Excuse me?"

The lobby seemed to go still. A group of interns stopped in their tracks. A woman with dark hair and a fierce expression, Dr. Meredith Grey, rounded the corner and stopped dead. She dropped the chart she was holding, the papers scattering across the linoleum floor.

"Lexie?" Meredith breathed, her face turning ghostly pale.

"My name is Alex," the redhead snapped, feeling the sudden weight of a dozen shocked stares. "Is there a problem? We have an appointment with Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Montgomery."

"It’s... it’s the hair," a shorter woman with a sharp bob, Dr. Christina Yang, remarked, appearing out of nowhere. "And the face. And the everything. You look exactly like Meredith’s dead sister. It’s statistically eerie."

Kara shifted uncomfortably, her super-hearing picking up the frantic heartbeats of the doctors around them. "Alex, maybe we should—"

"I'm not dead," Alex said to the room at large. "And I'm not Lexie. I’m here for my sister."

Before the tension could break into a full-blown scene, the elevator doors at the end of the hall opened. A woman stepped out, and for the first time in her life, Kara Danvers felt her breath hitch for a reason that had nothing to do with Kryptonite.

She was tall, wearing a perfectly tailored navy blue suit under a crisp white lab coat. Her hair was a stunning, deep shade of auburn that caught the fluorescent lights like spun silk. She walked with a grace that commanded the entire hallway, her heels clicking a rhythmic, confident beat.

"What is the hold-up?" the woman asked, her voice a rich, melodic contralto. "I have a surgery in twenty minutes and—"

She stopped when she saw the group. Her gaze shifted from Meredith’s shocked face to Alex, then finally landed on Kara.

"Dr. Addison Montgomery," the woman introduced herself, her blue-green eyes searching Kara’s.

Kara felt a strange, warm tingle zapping through her veins. It wasn't the searing heat of her solar flares; it was something softer, more intoxicating. She realized she was staring. She realized she had been staring for several seconds without blinking.

"I'm... I'm Kara," Kara stammered, her voice an octave higher than usual. "I’m the patient. Or, well, the sister of the sister who looks like the dead sister. Wait, that came out wrong."

Addison tilted her head, a small, amused smile playing on her lips. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kara. And don’t mind the others. This hospital has a bit of a flair for the dramatic."

"I like your hair," Kara blurted out.

Alex closed her eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. "Kara, please."

Addison laughed, a light, genuine sound that made Kara’s knees feel like they were made of jelly. "Thank you. I like your... enthusiasm. Why don't we get you up to an exam room so we can figure out what’s going on with those nerves of yours?"

As they walked toward the elevators, the rest of the hospital staff remained in a state of paralysis. Mark Sloan was still leaning against the nurse’s station, looking like he’d seen a ghost.

"She has the same nose," Mark muttered to Derek Shepherd, who had just joined the fray.

"It’s uncanny," Derek agreed, his brow furrowed. "But she’s different. The energy is all wrong. Lexie was a butterfly. This woman looks like she could break my arm if I looked at her wrong."

Upstairs in the exam room, the atmosphere was significantly more professional, though no less charged. Addison began the preliminary exam, her movements efficient and practiced. Every time her cool fingers brushed against Kara’s wrist to check her pulse, Kara felt a jolt of electricity.

"Your heart rate is a bit elevated," Addison noted, looking at the monitor. "Are you feeling anxious?"

"I... I get nervous around doctors," Kara lied, her face flushing crimson.

"Really?" Addison leaned in closer, checking Kara’s pupillary response with a penlight. "Because your sister seems like she could run a hospital better than most of our Chief Residents."

"She’s a doctor too," Kara said, trying to focus on anything other than the scent of Addison’s perfume—something that smelled like citrus and expensive soap. "Sort of. Government doctor."

"I see." Addison stepped back, crossing her arms. "Well, Kara, your charts are... interesting. Your bone density is off the charts, and your blood work shows some enzymes I’ve never seen before. But physically, you seem remarkably healthy. I want to run a specialized MRI to see if there’s any inflammation in the spinal column."

"No MRI!" Alex jumped in, perhaps a bit too loudly. "She’s... she has a metal plate. In her head. From a childhood accident. Very dangerous."

Addison raised an eyebrow. "A metal plate? It’s not mentioned in her history."

"It’s a new plate," Alex scrambled. "Very experimental. Non-ferrous, but it reacts poorly to the magnets. We should stick to ultrasound and manual testing."

Addison looked between the two sisters, her sharp mind clearly picking up on the inconsistencies. However, instead of pushing, she simply nodded. "Fine. We’ll do it the old-fashioned way. I’ll perform a full neurological workup myself."

For the next hour, Kara was subjected to a series of tests that required Addison to be in close proximity. Kara found herself mesmerized by the way Addison focused, the way she tucked a stray lock of red hair behind her ear, and the authoritative yet kind way she spoke.

"You’re staring again," Alex whispered when Addison stepped out to take a call.

"She’s just so... shiny," Kara whispered back, her eyes wide. "Did you see her hands? They’re so steady. And her hair, Alex. It’s the color of a sunset on Argo."

"Get it together, Supergirl," Alex hissed. "We are in a building full of the world’s most nosy doctors. People think I’m a ghost, and you’re looking at the world-class neonatal surgeon like she’s a giant pot of potstickers."

"I can't help it," Kara mouthed.

The door opened, but it wasn't Addison. It was a small woman with a fierce gaze and her hands tucked into her lab coat pockets. Dr. Miranda Bailey.

"I hear we have a miracle in Room 402," Bailey said, walking straight up to Alex. "A woman who came back from the dead and grew a few inches."

Alex sighed, squaring her shoulders. "I'm Alex Danvers. I’m from National City. I have a birth certificate, a driver’s license, and a very short temper. I am not Lexie Grey."

Bailey hummed, circling Alex like a shark. "The resemblance is enough to give Dr. Webber a heart attack, and he’s already had enough of those. But you? You have the eyes of a soldier. Lexie had the eyes of a doe." She turned to Kara. "And you. Why is your face the color of a tomato?"

"It’s the... the ventilation?" Kara suggested weakly.

"It’s Dr. Montgomery," Bailey said, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Don’t worry, honey. Half the interns in this hospital have that same look on their faces when she walks by. Just try not to drool on the exam table. It’s a slipping hazard."

Addison walked back in just as Bailey was leaving. "Everything alright, Miranda?"

"Just checking on the ghosts and the star-struck, Addison. Carry on," Bailey called out over her shoulder.

Addison turned back to Kara, oblivious—or perhaps just used to—the effect she had. "I’ve reviewed the manual tests. There’s some minor nerve conductivity lag, but nothing that won't heal with rest and a specific regimen of vitamins. I'd like to keep you overnight for observation, though. Just to be safe."

"Overnight?" Alex asked, checking her watch. "We really should get back."

"I think staying is a great idea!" Kara interrupted, beaming. "Safety first. Very important. The most important thing."

Alex looked at Kara, then at Addison, then back at Kara. She groaned, realizing she was losing this battle. "Fine. One night. But I’m staying in the room."

"I'll have a cot brought in," Addison said smoothly. "I'll be the attending on call tonight, so I’ll be checking in periodically."

Kara felt like she’d just won the lottery.

Later that evening, the hospital had settled into its nocturnal rhythm. Alex had finally fallen asleep on the uncomfortable cot, exhausted from the emotional toll of being stared at by every doctor who had known Lexie Grey. Kara, however, was wide awake. Her super-hearing was tuned into the hallway, listening for the specific cadence of Addison’s footsteps.

When the door finally pushed open, Kara sat up straight, smoothing her hospital gown.

Addison walked in, carrying two cups of coffee. She looked tired, but still effortlessly elegant. She noticed Alex asleep and kept her voice low.

"I thought you might be awake," Addison said, offering one of the cups to Kara. "It’s decaf. I figured you didn't need any more energy."

"Thanks," Kara said, taking the cup. Her fingers brushed Addison’s, and the spark was so strong Kara almost dropped the coffee. "You’re still here? It’s late."

"The life of a surgeon," Addison said, leaning against the edge of the bed. "Besides, I wanted to check on my most interesting patient."

"Am I interesting?" Kara asked, her heart hammering against her ribs.

"Very," Addison said, her gaze intense. "You have a very strange physiology, Kara Danvers. And a very protective sister. But there’s something else. You have this... light about you. Even in a hospital gown, you look like you’re ready to fly."

Kara’s heart skipped a beat. "I just... I like helping people. Like you do."

Addison smiled, and this time it reached her eyes, softening the sharp edges of her professional persona. "It’s a heavy burden sometimes, isn't it? Feeling like you have to save everyone."

Kara felt a lump in her throat. She had spent so much time being the symbol of hope, the girl of steel, that she rarely felt seen as just Kara. But looking at Addison, she felt a strange sense of understanding.

"It is," Kara whispered. "But it's worth it."

They sat in silence for a moment, the only sound the hum of the monitors and Alex’s soft snoring.

"You know," Addison said softly, "I came to Seattle to fix my marriage, and I ended up finding a whole new life. It’s a strange place. People tend to find things they didn't know they were looking for here."

"I think I know what you mean," Kara said, emboldened by the dim light and the intimacy of the moment. "I didn't think I’d find anything in Seattle but a doctor’s note."

Addison leaned in a fraction closer, the scent of citrus wrapping around Kara again. "And what did you find, Kara?"

Kara took a breath, her blue eyes locked onto Addison’s. "I think I found a reason to come back for a follow-up appointment. Or five."

Addison chuckled, a low, sultry sound. "I think I can arrange that. I’ll have to be very thorough, of course."

"Of course," Kara agreed, her smile wide and dorky and full of pure, unadulterated joy.

The next morning, the departure was significantly more chaotic. Derek Shepherd and Mark Sloan were standing by the exit, watching as Alex walked toward the waiting black SUV.

"It’s like watching a reboot of a show where they recast the lead with a more intense actress," Mark remarked, sipping a latte.

"She didn't even say goodbye," Meredith said, standing next to them, her arms crossed.

Alex paused at the door, looking back at the group of doctors. She gave them a sharp, two-finger salute—a move that was pure DEO—and disappeared into the car.

Kara was the last to leave. She stood on the sidewalk, her backpack slung over one shoulder. Addison was standing by the glass doors, watching her. Kara waved, and Addison blew a subtle, sophisticated kiss into the air.

As Kara climbed into the car, Alex looked at her sister’s glowing face and groaned.

"Don't say it," Alex warned.

"She gave me her personal cell phone number, Alex! For 'medical emergencies,'" Kara squealed, kicking her feet.

"You’re a superhero. You heal in seconds," Alex pointed out.

"I could get a splinter!" Kara countered. "A very deep, very medical splinter that requires an expert from Seattle."

"We are never coming back here," Alex muttered, though she couldn't hide the small smile on her face.

As the car pulled away, Kara looked back at the hospital. She had come to Seattle Grace to fix her nerves, but as she clutched the piece of paper with Addison’s number on it, she realized she’d left a little piece of her heart behind in the hands of a world-class surgeon with sunset-colored hair.

And for Kara Danvers, that was more exciting than flying.