So basically this all came about because CrazyBeCat and I basically headcanon screamed at each other about Supercat and Mirandy and what if they met which then turned into, oh my god what if they all got together. And then, of course, we decided we actually had to write that what if and this is the result. So with that I'd like to say like thanks times a million to my wonderful coauthor CrazyBeCat and get to it.

And for those of you who don't read author's notes, this will have polyamory in it, so be warned about that if you don't jive with that sort of deal.

Andy smiled as she passed through the crowds that lined the streets, waiting for the parade to begin. She waved to a few who called out, commenting on her very rainbow decked out clothes, and her bi pride flag temporary tattoos on her cheeks. She had an actual flag that she'd take out of her backpack for later.

She loved Pride. Always had, even back in Cincinnati when it was a lot less grand. Nothing was better than a big party where you could be yourself without fear, and the symbolism of fighting back didn't hurt either. She'd scraped more than a few knuckles defending herself back in high school. She'd bloodied a few noses defending others, too.

She looked around as the National City sun beat down on her, trying to find the perfect place to watch. Andy should have probably looked something up online before coming, but she'd been looking forward to exploring her new home. She'd only been here for a few weeks now, and had spent most of that time getting settled into her new apartment and job, not going out and about.

"Oh gosh! Hi! Andy, right?"

Andy turned to see a smiling face. The woman was off to one side, her eyes sparkling as she waved. "Oh, uh, yea. You work for Ms. Grant. Her assistant?" She still had the habit of carefully noting who the assistants were from when she worked with-well she wasn't going to think about that right now. Andy stepped out of the way of others walking and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm Kara. It's nice to finally actually meet you and not just wave you into Ms. Grant's office." The girl was speckled with shimmery glitter and fake colored hair pieces. Her shirt was pink, and she was wearing baby blue shorts with a bright yellow belt. Her socks matched, with three vertical stripes of pink, yellow, blue. Her ensemble was finished off with a pair of clean white tennis-shoes.

She grimaced. "Sorry I didn't remember your name."

"Oh, no, it's fine. Ms. Grant calls me Kiera anyway, so I doubt you would have heard my real name. New people get confused all the time." She shrugged like it was no big deal.

Andy gaped at her for a moment. "Ms. Grant does the name thing too?" She shook her head. "At least yours is sort of right. I got called Emily for three months. When I was sitting across from someone actually named Emily. It was a nightmare trying to figure out who she meant for the first little while."

Kara's eyes widened. "What? Oh, no, see, it was an accident. She called me Kiera and I didn't correct her… so, she still calls me Kiera. Are you telling me that you were purposely called by the wrong name for three months?"

"Uh, yeah. But haven't you tried to correct her any time at all? I got the impression that you've been working there for a while now."

Kara blushed. "It's complicated. It's actually strange to hear her say Kara at this point. And, it might actually seem like a reward when Ms. Grant calls me by my name?"

Andy stared at her for just a second, looking over Kara's entire face, though she was looking away at the moment. Oh, she had it bad for her boss, too. It was plain as day on her face. It seemed Kara was a bit of an open book. Andy took a breath and shook her head, it was time to change the topic. "So, pink, yellow, and blue? Pansexual?"

At that Kara perked right back up again. "Yes! I'm very open about sexuality and attraction. Even before the confirmation of alien species, I felt pansexual would be best. Boy, girl, transgender, intersex, humanoid alien from Krypton, anything and everything."

"Humanoid alien from Krypton huh? There are two that I know of. Supergirl, or Superman?" Andy laughed at the wide eyed look she got in response. "No wait, let me guess. You've probably actually met Supergirl because you work with Ms. Grant. I've heard she's gorgeous, and from the few photos I've seen I have to agree. So, is it Supergirl?"

There was that blush again, but the expression Kara wore didn't quite go with being called out on a crush. Andy couldn't quite nail it down though.

"Uh, yes, Supergirl. She just seems really nice and all. Who wouldn't want to be with her?" Kara scratched at the back of her neck and sent Andy a strained smile.

"I'd be cautious, because she's got super strength and laser eyes. Who knows what that would be like when she lost control during an orgasm. But between you and me?" Andy leaned in close. "I would love to know what it would feel like to be fucked while floating."

Kara made a pained sound and took a quick step back. "I- uh, wouldn't you be scared? What if you fell? Or, something?"

Andy shrugged. "We wouldn't have to float high, a few feet from the bed. Besides, sometimes a little risk in sex can be fun."

"Oh, right. Of course." Kara started to play with her glasses and fiddling with her belt. Andy looked at her and wondered for a second. She was getting awfully flustered talking about someone she supposedly had a crush on. Was she just that innocent, or was it something else? Her journalistic instincts were itching to push the subject and find out.

Suddenly a thought clicked in her head. "Oh. My. God." She bounced on her toes as she whispered, "You've had sex with Supergirl!"

"Um?" Andy thought the blush from earlier was bright red, but this was a whole new level. Kara was a very large tomato, blush spreading down her neck and onto her chest and arms. "Technically?"

"Technically? You aren't one of those people who think that sex is only the penis in a vagina thing right?" Andy couldn't imagine so considering she was pan, but stranger things had happened to her. The "Hell is Real" signs in Ohio probably counted. "Or was it some custom made doll? I've seen those before."

"People make sex dolls of Supergirl." Kara looked horrified, like she wanted to scrub that information from her brain.

Well… that's not it. Andy nodded. "Yea, I've even seen a few. The sex shop on South Martel has them. They have adverts in the window. I even saw a few of some other famous people." One in particular that she probably shouldn't mention. Cat Grant would rain down hellfire if she knew.

"Um, yeah I just buy my toys online. I've never been there. A girl only needs a vibrator or two when she's single."

"My ex took a load of our collection, so when I moved out here I needed some new ones. Asshole took my favorite." It had even been her favorite shade of purple. Miranda probably would have called it plum. She shook herself. That wasn't important.

"Oh! That's awful! Um, from the flags on your cheeks, I take it your bi? Was it a man or woman who took them?"

Andy practically snarled. "Man. And why the hell does he need my expensive vibrators? Honestly, at this point I wouldn't ever want them back. I don't want to know what he might have done with them, or if he used them on a different girl. Which luckily I'm clean and safe because what would happen if he passed something on?" Maybe she was still a little touchy from how close to home he'd hit on the street when she had taken that call from Miranda, but Kara didn't need to know that.

"That's terrible that he took your stuff," Kara sympathized.

He had taken most of the furniture too, but that was probably way too much information for a casual meet and greet with someone she only tangentially knew. Right, because talking about sex wasn't too much information. Andy took a deep breath to avoid snorting at the thought, and tried to remember that today was a happy day. Nate and Mira-New York, weren't to be thought about. So she shrugged it off. "Better off without him in my life, and now I'm here in National City. Who knows, maybe I'll get a date with Supergirl."

"Oh, um." Kara laughed nervously. "Yeah, maybe. But you may have to beat me in line?" She paused for a second before quickly adding, "Or better yet, you have to beat Cat."

Andy thought that her first comment sounded more like a question than a statement, and then the comment about Cat was to cover up the awkwardness, but she let it go for now. The parade would begin soon and she still hadn't found a place to watch. "Hey, do you know a good place to watch the parade?" she asked Kara. She'd been in town for a while, Kara would probably know better than she would. Andy loved parades when she wasn't actively walking in one.

"Oh, yeah! I'm meeting my sister and aunt a couple streets over. It's near the end of the parade so it's less crowded. And in front of a really nice bar that we're going to afterwards if you wanna come. It's owned by this really nice lesbian couple, so most of the people there are also sapphically affiliated." Kara grinned. "Maybe we can find you someone a little bit more attainable than Supergirl."

"Well, I won't say no to at least scoping out the scene. I haven't been to any of the local gay bars yet, so it'll be nice to check one out."

Kara smiled, looking like the sun. "Awesome! It's not a far walk. If we hurry we'll get there right in time."

"Great! Then lead the way."

Kara led them through the crowds easily, cutting through the people like she had a sixth sense for where people were going to be. Andy definitely wasn't complaining. She'd pushed through enough crowds in New York to relish not getting elbowed in the side. National City was more spread out than the City, but still, on a day like today people were packed in like sardines. They made good time, but Jesus, Kara's legs were long and she walked faster than a New Yorker, so by the time they got to the bar she was a bit out of breath and definitely sweating.

"Damn. You could be an Olympic walker." Andy laughed as she pulled a water bottle from her backpack, as well as her flag.

"Oh no, I'm not that fast." Kara looked away and fiddled with her glasses. "I just got excited."

"I lived in New York. The land of if you don't move you get trampled, and you were still leagues ahead of me and you're not even breathing hard. You would have been a godsend in New York with Miranda. No wonder Ms. Grant loves you." And oh god, would she ever stop thinking about Miranda? It was like the more she tried not to think about her the more she randomly spoke about her. It was maddening.

Kara shrugged bashfully and looked around, trying to find her relatives. She didn't say anything for a few long seconds before she finally jumped up on her toes and waved.

"There they are. Come on, I'll introduce you."

Kara grabbed Andy's hand tightly and dragged her the last few feet through the crowd, giggling as she shouted out, "Hey! Alex!"

Two dark haired women turned towards the sound of Kara's voice. Andy looked them over. The shorter one looked nothing like Kara, but the one with the white streak in her hair had a strong family resemblance. Neither of them looked old enough to be Kara's aunt though, so it was hard to peg which was her sister.

Kara dropped Andy's hand to give the two women a big hug before saying, "This is Andy, she's a new employee for TheTribune. Andy, this is my sister Alex, and my Aunt Astra." She pointed to the shorter woman and the woman with the white streak in turn.

Well. Shit. That didn't help her confusion, at least on the age thing. "It's nice to meet you." She stuck out her hand and got a firm shake from each of them; Astra's being a little bone crushing. Andy subtly shook her hand out afterwards.

Alex grinned. "So, Kara, is this a friend, or a friend?" She wiggled her eyebrows then promptly burst into laughter at her sister's sputtering.

Astra looked reprovingly at Alex. "Now, Brave One, it isn't nice to tease her in front of someone she might be courting." But then her lips quirked into a small smile, unable to hold the serious look for too long.

Andy blinked at the strangle formal language, but smiled and jumped in. "We've just met really, I didn't know her name until today. But not ruling anything out." She grinned at Kara who just stared at her a little dumbfounded. "What? You're gorgeous, and so far I've really enjoyed talking with you. It could happen."

"Uh, um, I-I." Kara cleared her throat.

"Oh come on, Kara, just tell her you think she's pretty too."

Kara groaned. "Alex, you're literally the worst."

"How can she literally be the worst. There are others who are worse than her," Astra said, scowling.

Alex nodded. "Yeah, like Non."

Kara just stared at Alex with an expression that clearly said "not helping." Alex, for her part just grinned.

Astra scowled deeper. "I thought I asked you not to bring up Non?"

Alex turned to Astra, grin dropping off her face in an instant. She reached out and took Astra's hand and squeezed gently. "Yeah, sorry. I forgot there for a sec."

Astra looked angry for another few seconds before her face cleared. "Alright Brave One, but try not to forget. I would rather not remember that time in my life."

Alex stood on her toes and kissed Astra gently. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You aren't that person anymore."

Andy just stared. Kara's sister and aunt had just kissed. Um, ok. She was definitely not comfortable with that. How exactly was she going to bow out now without looking like she was turning tail and running?

Kara must have seen Andy's offput expression because she blurted out, "I'm Alex's foster sister! Alex and Astra aren't related!"

"Oh," Andy said, simply, and stopped thinking about running away and avoiding Cat Grant's office like the plague, just so there were no awkward moments between her and Kara, because Kara for all intents and purposes was a nice girl even with a weird family. But less weird now that there wasn't potential incest.

Alex's eyes widened as she gasped. "Oh shit, you didn't know that?"

Andy shook her head. "I only found out she had a sister ten minutes ago. Like I said, I really only learned Kara's name today."

Kara just shrugged, embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry I didn't say something sooner. It's just commonplace for me, you know?"

"No, it's ok. I may be many things and be accepting of many things, but the idea of incest is very uncomfortable for me. But since it's not, we're all good here. Chalk it up to weird family dynamics. We all have them." She shrugged. " So, Astra is your biological Aunt, and Alex is your foster sister?"

"Yeah, my parents died when i was thirteen and Astra couldn't take me in either because she was only twenty and still in school, so the Danvers took me in. I love them to death. Even this one when she steals the last pot sticker." Kara nudged Alex in the side and Alex swatted Kara's elbow away easily.

"Hey! You ate like three fourths of them, sue me!"

Andy snorted. Oh yeah, siblings alright. She could imagine the same fight happening between her and her brother even now.

"Little One, Alexandra, behave."

Alex just glared at Astra and Kara. Kara looked like she'd seen a ghost for a fraction of a second. Andy wondered what that was about, but before she could really think about it Kara's expression had shifted back to happy-go-lucky and she was rolling her eyes at Astra.

"Alexandra is the one who stole the potsticker!"

"Oh no you didn't! Don't you use that tone of voice or my full name," Alex playfully threatened. "It's bad enough I get it from mom and Astra!"

"Ha! Alexandra, clean your room! Alexandra, make sure Kara doesn't jump down the stairs!" Kara laughed when Alex swatted at her. Her tone of voice changed as she continued, becoming a little breathier and deeper like she was imitating someone else during a rather...intimate moment. "Oh, fuck, Alexandra, please don-"

Astra slapped a hand over Kara's mouth. She leaned in closer and whispered something into Kara's ear that Andy didn't catch before pulling back again. "There's no need to be a parrot now is there?" Kara giggled behind the hand over her face just before Astra pulled away with a disgusted look. "Honestly, licking, I feel like we are back on Kry-at home and you are young again, not a grown woman."

Andy looked at Astra. What had she been about to say before she then changed her mind? Was it their hometown? And if that was it, why didn't she just say it? Was is too hard for her, some type of trauma cutting off the name? Something to do with the death of Kara's parents maybe? Her curiosity was really starting to get the best of her. She might actually start asking questions soon, but that wasn't her place.

"You still never learn the lesson of do not cover someone's mouth if you don't want to get licked." Kara grinned, looking all the world like she was that five year old that Astra had probably been imagining.

Astra looked at Andy. "Please forgive my niece for her terrible manners. She's always been precocious. She takes after my departed sister that way."

"Mom would say I take more after you in that way," Kara said, a little more subdued, but still smiling softly.

Astra laughed and shook her head, looking up at the sky like she could see something past the blue of the sky. "Oh, of course she would, but you didn't know her when we were younger, Little One. You are much like her in personality, just as you take after your father in looks. Besides, she got the position that I failed to, mostly due to her precocious behavior. She was quite the wild one in her day, but then she had you and motherhood calmed her. Somewhat anyway. She was still very passionate in the pursuit of justice."

"Yeah, yeah, estranged sisters still loved each other despite being jerks." Alex wrapped an arm around Astra's waist. "At least she didn't steal your entire container of potstickers."

Astra threw up her hands. "You two are incorrigible."

Andy just laughed and shook her head. This was turning out to be entertaining if nothing else.

Suddenly Astra and Kara's heads popped up and looked down the street.

"Parade is coming, we should move to the curb," Kara said, already moving.

Andy listened but could hear nothing of the sort. There was just the crowd talking around them and the faint back beat of the music in the club.

Alex looked at her. "Bat hearing, those two, I swear. Runs in the family. It was useful when Kara and I were sneaking around the house during the night. Not so useful when I had people over though."

"Amazing." Though honestly, Andy was putting it on her list of odd things. Because Andy didn't even feel the bass vibrating the ground yet. How in the world could they hear something yet, good hearing or no.

"Come on, they'll make sure we have a good view." Alex grabbed hold of Andy's hand and tugged her the few feet towards the curb where Kara and Astra were standing. They had cleared out a nice space for the four of them within twenty seconds with seemingly little effort. Andy wondered just how they did it. Then again, Miranda had done it with only her mere presence.

She shook herself-not this again. Paris had been two months ago. She needed to stop thinking about it. She had moved to make things better and yet here she was, still thinking about her ex-boss. She was a broken record at this point and it was more than a little annoying.

The feel of bass under her feet, finally, pulled her from her thoughts though. She couldn't hear the parade yet, but she could feel it, and the noise of horns and cheers were starting to get louder from down the street. She could feel the power underneath her, feel the celebration in the air, and she always wondered if this was what warriors felt like marching into a battle they were sure to win, high on adrenaline and the number of their brethren, knowing they could conquer the world.

"It's gonna be here soon!" Kara was bouncing on her toes, a huge grin plastered across her face. "This year, CatCo has a float and James is going to be on it and a few others from around the offices. I got an offer to join from several of them, but I decided I'd rather be in the crowds. But I got to help decorate the float, and it was amazing! So much glitter! There's always a float that tosses shirts into the crowd, I got one last year. Oh and there's a float that has a cannon that blasts boxes of condoms, mouthguards, and dental dams, totally grab some cause that stuff can get expensive! I usually donate the majority I grab to teen health groups, or Planned Parenthood."

"She's over excited like this every year," Alex said, shaking her head, but grinning. "Also, she saves you from getting beamed in the head a lot and stuff, so."

"Well, that's handy. I'm not exactly sure anyone likes getting various prophylactics thrown at their head. Though I will take free t-shirts. I can always use those." Andy wondered just what the Runway crew would think about taking a free t-shirt from a parade. She could imagine Nigel's horrified face now and Emily's sputtering and spewing out British phrases that Andy wasn't even sure made sense. She smiled at that and resisted the urge to laugh. It would have been worth one day of catching hell just for those things.

Now Andy could actually hear the parade, though it was still pretty far off. At this point the only reason Andy could think of that Astra and Kara had heard the parade so early was that they were actually legitimately echo-locating and were blind otherwise. She looked at her coworkers carefully, observing as Kara was still going on and on about all the things that she was excited about. Alex was laughing and pushing at Kara's shoulder while Astra rolled her eyes. Kara stuck her tongue out before she turned slightly to flash Andy a bright smile. She then looking down the street at the others crammed along the curb. Alright, if Andy was going to consider that something was odd about the girl in front of her who looked like the poster girl for 'wholesome midwestern girl' she might as well form a list of possibilities as to what was going on.

First thing was first is that there was nothing going on and she was just being overly analytical. It was possible. She was a journalist, it came with the territory. Kara had been to a few of the parades before, so maybe it was just knowing that the parade always started on time? So they were not really hearing the parade, just sorta phantom hearing it because it was punctual? Andy knew very well there were moments she'd imagined Miranda calling her name, and then just seconds later it really happened. Maybe it was something like that. It was probably the most likely option, if she was being honest with herself. But where was the harm in thinking of something a little less kosher? If nothing else she could laugh about it later.

She thought for a minute more. Well, Kara could be an alien. Something like Supergirl, but that would mean Astra would have to be too. Andy blinked. She blinked again and almost snorted. Right, Kara an alien. Ok, yeah maybe the heat was getting to her. The girl was way too just...too happy to be anything near what she thought of when she thought of aliens. Though Astra on the other hand, well. The jury was out because no one actually spoke in such a formal way anymore. But that wasn't exactly a foundation for accusing someone of being an alien, maybe English just wasn't her first language.

But also… Kara had been antsy about the sex with Supergirl thing, and maybe that's because Kara herself was an alien. Maybe sex between two aliens was different, which was why she said "technically." Andy felt her eyes widen and her heart stutter. Or what if she had said technically for another reason.

What if-what if Kara was Supergirl? Then technically could have meant masturbation. Oh fuck. What if she was the very woman who wore the suit? They had similar features from what anyone ever talked about in after-rescue interviews, though that only ever mentioned blonde hair and blue eyes, which was a good portion of the population. But it was enough of a niggling suspicion that Andy whipped out her phone and pulled up her browser.

She typed in Supergirl CatCo, because she knew that CatCo had the best pictures of Supergirl, and waited, toe tapping for the results to show. The parade was almost there now. Andy could hear it loud and clear now and feel it in her chest. She felt it like another heartbeat, and felt a little anxious because her heart was already beating hard. This was crazy. She had to be wrong. She shouldn't be reacting like this, but then again, what if she was right?

She glanced up to watch Kara and her family as they cheered and clapped and screamed like everyone else; even Astra was less reserved than when Andy first was introduced. She looked back down as the first photo loaded up. It was a beautiful shot. Supergirl was running, cape flowing out behind her and a determined look on her face. Andy stared at it for a long second, memorizing everything like Nigel had taught her to do with fabrics, colors and textures. Models' faces hadn't really mattered when Andy was learning about Fashion, the clothes had, but in this one case it was the reverse.

And then she looked up at Kara, whose hair was back in a ponytail with glasses perched on her nose, and god, it was a miracle that no one had seen it before but it was obviously her in that photo. The facial features matched up perfectly. Kara was Supergirl. There was absolutely no disputing it. How in the world had anyone with facial recognition software not come across this already. She looked down at the photo again and back up just to make sure, and her opinion didn't change. Glasses and pulled back hair didn't make a disguise, or at least a good one. Someone should probably tell Kara that soon.

Andy slid her phone back into her pocket. What in the world was she going to do with this information? She looked up and the parade was already streaming by her. She had missed the beginning. There were so many more things going on in her head right now than enjoying a parade. There would be others. But there was only one Supergirl.

She felt her face turn bright red. Oh god. Oh shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. She'd fucking told Kara she was interested in having sex with Supergirl. She'd told Supergirl, the Supergirl, that she was curious what having sex while floating would feel like. She was never, ever going to live that one down.

She took a deep breath. Ok, alright, everything would be fine. Her own personal embarrassments could take a backseat. The real problem here was that she was a journalist bound to tell the truth to the public when no one else would. And god above if this wouldn't be the story of the goddamn century. Her career would be made on this. But she looked up at Kara, looked up at her laughing face as she turned to Alex and pointed at something garishly covered in glitter that Miranda would have hated. In comics all superheros had a secret identity so they could protect those around them, but Andy wondered if it wasn't also to protect themselves too. Everyone deserved to be a regular person if they wanted to be.

And so here they were. She had the biggest story of her career. But in less than a minute she'd decided to shelf it for good. She took a deep breath and stepped closer to the curb, and took in the parade. She gasped as it began to rain small boxes from the sky. "Oh my god, you weren't kidding! It is a cannon!"

Kara looked at her and laughed. "Yes it is!" She was reaching up and grabbing what was in reach while it fell, but also scooping down to collect a few from the ground. "Watch your head!" She shouted as the cannon shot more little boxes into the air.

"Oh boy." Andy put her arms over her head to deflect any stray packages. There was a reason she played soccer instead of softball in high school. She couldn't catch worth a shit. She wasn't really all that worried about anything hitting her head with Kara around though.

Andy looked over at Kara who was now shoving boxes into a bag she had seemingly pulled out of nowhere, unless Alex or Astra had been holding it. It was close to bursting already, but Alex just handed her another small box and shook her head.

"You would think the way Kara acts with all this that it was the home run ball at a baseball game," Alex said, rolling her eyes.

Jumping at the gentle touch against her shoulder, Andy looked to see Astra giving her a smile. "Alex likes to think she is prickly and unkind, but she catches just as many boxes as my niece, and insists on helping Kara carry the bag, when it gets donated."

"Astra," Alex whined. "You can't just ruin my badass mystique like that."

Astra laughed. "I think you do that well enough on your own, my love."

"I do not!" Alex huffed as she chucked one of the condom boxes at Astra's head, only pouting more when Astra caught it easily.

Andy looked at Astra. If Astra was Kara's biological aunt, then it would mean that she was an alien too. Kryptonian, super speed, super strength, super hearing the whole nine yards. Which, now that she was thinking more about it would obviously explain how they both heard the parade. Here was another person with superhuman abilities, but she was an unknown entity. Andy wondered about that, wondered why. She obviously wasn't going around and rescuing people in the city. But how, with a niece like Kara, did you avoid such a thing? She had a feeling the other woman could be very, very persuasive. Then again, maybe she worked behind the scenes and Andy would never know it.

What must it be like, being one of three people left of an entire race, an entire planet? Except for that small group of aliens that had launched Myriad a few months before. There had been rumors that a few of them had been Kryptonians, but they had to be gone now, dead or in prison. Andy wondered if Astra had helped in that fight. Supergirl was powerful, but not enough to take on a whole army by herself. She had to have had help. Astra would make the most sense. If only she could ask without spooking them. Maybe she could find a way after getting to know them better.

She was pulled from her thoughts when something whooshed by her head and she gasped, startled.

"Got it!" Kara exclaimed, clutching a box in her hand.

Alex laughed, obviously noting the look of shock on Andy's face. "I told you she'd keep you from getting clocked on the head."

"Yeah, good thing. That box looks pointy."

Alex snatched another box from the air and shoved it in the bag she was holding. "I got hit in the eye once because someone got distracted by an ice cream stand going by."

"But Alex! It was The Big Gay Ice Cream Shop!" Kara looked at her with puppy dog eyes. "Can you blame me?"

"Yes, because you'd already had two bowls of ice cream that day!"

"But The Salty Pimp is different! It's so good. Chocolate covered, Alex, chocolate covered." Her eyes glazed over, but she still had no problem catching the last few pelted boxes of sexual protectants.

"Kara, you can get ice cream covered in chocolate at literally any ice cream place."

"But-"

"Yes, I know, they aren't The Big Gay Ice Cream Shop, but fucking still Kara. My eye. It's important." Alex crossed her arms.

"Little One, Alex has a point." Astra stepped in, leaning down to pick up a box from the ground. "You get distracted quite easily when it comes to food choices."

Kara stared at her aunt petulantly. "I'm not the one who ordered thirty different pizzas in one day, now am I?"

Astra blushed. "It was the first time I had been introduced to pizza. There was too much variety and it was all so good. You can't say much on that front, Little One."

Andy raised an eyebrow. "You ordered thirty different pizzas in one day?"

Alex laughed. "Please, Kara will order more than that of just Hawaiian pizza. Thirty-five, sometimes forty, from five or six separate pizza parlors."

Andy just looked at all of them for a long second. Thirty pizzas. And they both looked like that. If there was anything that convinced her totally that Kara and Astra were aliens it would be that. God, the people at Runway would have stroked out by now just hearing that someone ordered a pizza, let alone thirty-five. Also, where in the world did Kara get the money to order that many pizzas. She knew what an assistant worked for and that many pizzas would be a good chunk of a paycheck.

"Um, where do you even put it all?" Andy asked.

Kara's eyes grew wide as she stammered, finally realizing that maybe she'd said something odd. "I bring- see well- I bring, the uh, the rest into work! I'll put it uh, into the different staff rooms, and uh share it. Or sometimes, well Alex might bring some into her lab where she works, so uh, yea. But I love Hawaiian and forget that I can't eat so much so I-"

Alex and Astra exchanged looks as Kara continued to babble on.

"Little One, your favorite float is going by," Astra said.

Kara looked relieved at the out and turned to watch the CatCo float roll by at a sedate pace. The giant pink cat looked fearsome with it's mouth wide open and it's teeth showing, but there were rainbow flags all over the float and a banner reading "CatCo Pride" over the whole thing. Kara looked for a minute, glancing over the people on the float who were waving and throwing rainbow confetti and glitter off the float, before she spotted James with his camera, taking pictures from up by the top of the cat's head.

She jumped up and down and started to wave. "James!"

James pulled back from his camera for long enough to wave at Kara with a smile before raising his camera once more and taking a picture of their little group amongst the crowd. The float rolled on steadily and he waved one last time before it slipped out of sight.

"Honestly, you would think Cat would notice the implications of a giant pink pussy as the mascot," Andy said, with a smirk.

Alex snorted and Astra looked a bit confused, but Kara didn't even bat an eye.

"Oh, she does," Kara said off-handedly before she cheered at the man who tore off his shirt on the next float that was passing by. She cheered even louder when the woman beside him tore off her shirt as well.

"Wait, what?" Andy was taken aback. But then she blinked and thought for a second. Cat was a smart woman and it was a little hard to miss the whole innuendo there. Still, though, why do it then?

"She has a whole long speech about it, but basically it boils down to femininity is not weak and why shouldn't she have a mascot that embodies female power?" Kara looked back at Andy and shrugged. "She's right."

Andy thought for a moment and nodded. "She is."

More of the parade passed and Andy had a great time exchanging observations with everyone in their little group. She was glad that she had accidentally run into Kara because she was definitely having more fun now than she would've on her own. And Kara, while it seemed she couldn't keep a secret worth a shit, was a funny and warm person that Andy liked immensely even after such a short time.

The t-shirt cannon float came and Kara jumped up and down in excitement. "T-shirts! The shirts are here!" She looked at Andy. "This year they're different pride flags. I read it on their website. Do you want me to try and grab you a bi flag one?"

"Sure, sounds good. I'll grab a pan one if I see one."

Kara smiled. "Great!"

Andy watched as several different people kept stuffing t-shirts from various buckets on the float into the PVC pipes of their cannons and firing them off as fast as they could. She looked down at the bins they were held in to see if certain people had different flags or if they were all jumbled up. It seemed, though, that there was no real order.

"Gay Pride, coming up!" A man from the float shouted into a megaphone just before a set of cannons went off, showering the crowd with shirts.

"Lesbian Pride, get ready!" A woman said into her own megaphone as a second set of cannons blasted into the sky.

"Oh my gosh that's perfect! They're awesome!" Kara squealed happily as she bounced around and was able to snatch up one of the Lesbian Pride shirts. "I got one for you Alex!"

Alex took the shirt from Kara and held it up. "Why does it always have to be pink." She slipped it on though, over her other shirt without hesitation.

More scrambling atop the float before the man called out, "For all of our bi people here today!"

The cannons fired and Andy watched as a shirt arked perfectly towards her. She smiled and held out her hands and it landed perfectly in her grasp. Well, if only high school gym softball had worked out as well for her.

"Nice catch!"

"Totally a fluke, but thanks." She unfolded it and smiled at the bright, vibrant colors. It would be a good hang out shirt for the weekends.

"My good pans, here we go. Trans will be coming up in a moment!" The lady from the float announced. The cannons fired and the shirts were in the air.

"Grab for two of them!" Kara shouted, laughing as she lunged forward to grab one from the air, almost tripping over herself in the process.

Andy looked around but saw nothing coming towards her and shrugged. She couldn't catch what wasn't there. Kara, it seemed, already had it under control anyway, as she reappeared with a second shirt clutched to her chest and a too bright smile on her face as she handed the second over to Astra.

"Thank you, Little One." She looked down at her shirt and tilted her head. "These remind me of the nurseries back at home." She sighed wistfully.

"Yeah," Kara said, her smile slipping just a bit. "They kind of do."

"Though your mother hated the color pink. She chose greens and blues to decorate your nursery."

Alex snorted. "Only Alura hated pink? Please. The only way anyone can get you to wear pink is if it's the pride flag."

"We were sisters, Alexandra, we did share some things, if not a great many. And a dislike for pink is common enough." She gave Alex a significant look.

"Fine, fine, point taken." Alex held up her hands palms out. "At least the pan flag has more than one color."

"The lesbian flag has many colors, Alex."

"Technically, they're shades," Andy said, without thinking.

Everyone turned towards her with questioning looks.

"What, I learned something from working at a fashion magazine for almost a year." She shrugged even as her heart clenched, words about cerulean echoing through her mind. She didn't think she'd ever forget that lecture. Andy didn't think she'd forget a word Miranda had ever said.

"You worked at a fashion magazine?" Alex asked, looking Andy up and down. "You don't seem like the type."

"I wasn't, I just needed a job, any job, until I could get a foot in the door to be a journalist. And they said that working at Runway under Miranda could do that, and so I applied and here I am."

Here she was, clear across the country just to get away from the woman she had worked for, the woman she'd fallen in love with. As if it was so simple to just walk away from Miranda Priestly. As if she didn't have her own sort of gravity. She only wished she could truly be free.

Kara gave her a strange look. "Miranda? Runway? Miranda Priestly?"

Great, even Kara knew who Miranda fucking Priestly was. Then again, since CatCo Magazine was part fashion magazine, too, it wasn't that surprising. Assistants knew everything and everyone their bosses might come in contact with, and Miranda and Cat probably bumped elbows at some point.

"Yeah, that would be her." Andy's voice was light, like she was just shrugging it off as no big deal.

"Wow, the rumor is she's worse than Cat."

"Considering you've survived working two years with Cat Grant and Andy here didn't even survive one with this Miranda. That alone sounds like she's worse," Alex said.

Words pressed again the back of Andy's throat, trying to escape, to defend Miranda, to say anything. But if she said something she wasn't sure she could stop.

"Cat isn't that bad, and I think Miranda isn't that bad either. Rumors from disgruntled ex-employees shouldn't be listened to." Kara frowned while looking at her sister.

Andy just nodded along. "She was exacting, but once you had her figured out it wasn't bad to work for her. She always kept you on your toes, but it wasn't a bad thing. She's not the Fashion Queen for being sweet and cuddly, especially being a woman in a corporate world of sexism, racism, ageism, and xenophobia, as well as all sorts of other nasty prejudices and judgements. The only thing really going for her is that she's white, since many don't like to say she's attractive being in her fifties. She-"

Alex just looked at Kara before interrupting. "Man, she's got it as bad as you do for Cat."

And at that both Kara and Andy were spluttering out denials that were doing anything but disabusing the other two from believing the previous statement.

"Maybe since they have so much in common having the hots for their bosses, they should just get together. What do you say, Astra?" Alex smirked at her partner.

"I believe that Kara should be with whoever she wants to be with."

Alex pouted just a little bit. "Spoilsport."

"Teasing, Alexandra, isn't becoming."

"Oh, I can think of some instances that you like teasing."

Astra blushed a little but didn't dignify Alex's comment with a response.

After Kara finally started to get her babbling under control she turned to Andy. "I'm sorry, sometimes I think she was raised by wolves and only came back to civilization right before I came to lives with the Danvers."

"Hey!" Alex said, but Astra held her back with ease.

"I believe you deserve that one, darling."

Alex just grumbled but stayed in Astra's arms without struggle.

"It's ok, siblings are like that sometimes. My younger brother is an absolute idiot at times." Andy shrugged and looked away. "And honestly, she's not far off the mark anyway," she said quietly, so it was lost in the din of the parade around them. It should almost be over by now.

Kara bit her lip and reached out for Andy. "Yeah, she isn't for me either."

Andy looked up into Kara's eyes, blue, so like and unlike Miranda's. Kara's were the warm summer sky while Miranda's were the haunting blue of glaciers. And in Kara's she saw understanding to go along with the warmth. Something within her sighed in relief at finally having someone who knew what it was like to love someone you couldn't have. She reached up and squeezed Kara's hand for just a moment, a silent show of support, before they separated again.

The last few floats were going by and at the very end of the parade there were twelve people divided into two straight lines all in bright yellow outfits, being led by a person in a nun outfit. They were carrying signs that said "That's all there is, there isn't anymore."

"Oh my god, are those drag queens in Madeline costumes?" Alex asked. "I don't know if I love that or feel like my childhood just took a hit."

Andy and Kara laughed at the expression on Alex's face. Kara smiled and pointed behind them. "To the bar!"

"Because what could make this day of gay any better than a nice scotch?" Alex was already on the move, but was still giving the Madeline drag queens who were disappearing around the corner looks.

"Alex, I hope you plan to pay for your own drinks." Astra trailed just behind her partner, a look of partial concern on her face. "And also, I thought we were ordering that new drink you talked about, something about shouting and coming? Yelling copulation? Loud fucking? Screaming orgasm?"

Kara looked at Andy and rolled her eyes. "Alex barely needs an excuse to day drink. And she's always able to get others to buy them for her." Her eyelids twitched with every new drink suggestion that Astra tried. "Also, there are some things you really don't ever want to hear your aunt talk about."

"Screaming Orgasm Special. It's the SOS, baby," Alex said. She stuck her tongue out at Kara.

"Do refrain from calling me baby, Alexandra. You know I don't like it. And isn't an SOS meant to be a call for help. If you're orgasming I don't think you need much help."

Kara just looked at Andy and whispered, "Dear god please kill me." To which Andy snorted and shook her head.

"Please? Pretty please? This will only get worse once Alex gets a few drinks in her. So many innuendos Andy, you don't understand."

"Once you get a few drinks in I don't think you'll care as much either." Though Andy wasn't sure that alcohol would affect Kara since she was an alien. She'd have to see as the day went on.

Kara shook her head. "I, uh, don't drink really, I don't, uh, like the feeling of um, being drunk. Or honestly, the taste. I don't understand why people willingly consume it."

"Have you ever tried peach schnapps?" Andy asked. "It's like liquid peach rings." She hummed and sighed. Peach schnapps sounded great. Maybe she'd get a fuzzy navel first off.

Kara shook her head. "I haven't tried that one. But, um, I'll probably just stick to my regular ginger ale."

Andy shrugged. "Ok, I'll probably get something with schnapps in it while we're here. You are welcome to have a taste if you decide you want to."

"Thanks."

They paid their cover fee after pushing through the mass of bodies around the bar trying to get in as well. The bar wasn't super crowded when they emerged into the dim interior, but it was filling up fast. The music was already loud and reverberating through Andy's chest. The area around the bar was full of people lining up to get the party started with their first drinks and the bartenders were scrambling around. Alex was already at the bar waving for the bartender with a smile so Andy just followed behind her.

"Hey I'm glad I found you! Kara! Alex! Astra!"

Andy turned around to see a vaguely familiar woman walking towards her. She thought she'd seen her around Catco, but not with enough regularity to actually be an employee of Catco herself. Considering she was coming up to their little group she was probably friends with Kara and came there to see her for lunch or something like that.

"Lucy!" Kara exclaimed, intercepting her friend and hugging her. "Glad you made it!"

"I missed the parade though." She frowned. "But there was an issue at work."

Both Alex and Kara looked at Lucy with worried expressions. Lucy waved them off though.

"It was just paperwork, nothing scary."

Alex nodded and went back to staring down the bartender with flirty eyes while Astra shook her head and Kara brought Lucy forward into their little circle. "Lucy, meet Andy. She started at CatCo recently. She's joining us for the party!"

Lucy looked Andy up and down. "Journalist?" she asked. "Maybe in the fashion department?"

Andy felt her nails dig into her palm. She really wasn't going to get away from Runway today. "First part was right, not about the fashion though. I'm more into the political beat." She was in one of her few designer t-shirts, but for Lucy to spot that in a bar, she had to be very familiar with designer labels, near Miranda-lever familiar.

Alex looked over her shoulder. "She worked with the great Miranda Priestly though!"

Lucy's eyes lit up. "Oh, Runway is great. I've read it since I was a teenager."

Well that would explain the designer spotting then. Andy just nodded. "Yeah, it's...interesting. Fashion wasn't really my thing and still isn't, but I did learn a lot there. You should have seen the clothes I thought were acceptable for business wear before. I luckily had the great Nigel Kipling to help." God she looked back on that one plaid skirt and winced internally. What in the world had possessed her.

"Wow! What a powerhouse! And he helped you shape up your wardrobe? I'm jealous." Lucy looked impressed.

Andy looked down at the floor a bit bashfully. "Yeah, well, you sort of have to have the big guns when you're trying to impress Miranda Priestly."

"Yes!" Alex exclaimed under her breath. "What are your drink orders, quick."

Andy looked back at Alex and saw the bartender heading straight towards the other woman.

"Two screaming orgasms, a ginger ale, and?"

"Fuzzy navel," Andy said.

"Tequila sunrise. Might as well get the party started right off." Lucy grinned.

"Director or not, I'm not dragging your ass home," Alex said right before the bartender walked up to her and she set about ordering.

Astra gave Alex a funny look. "Why would you drag Lucy home when Agent Vasquez could come get her?"

"She's on duty," both Alex and Lucy said at the same time.

"Ah, I see then." She looked at Alex. "Then you will not leave your friend drunk in downtown National City. It will be no problem to take her home. If you won't do it, I can easily do so."

Alex huffed. "I wasn't seriously going to leave her anywhere, Astra. You know me better than that. It's just tequila and Lucy-"

Lucy cut her off. "I get a little crazy. In fact, someone please stop me if I try to do body shots off some rando. But hey, it's nice to be able to let loose every once in awhile and pride's a good time to do that."

"Tequila made me strip and run across Northwestern's campus in my underwear in November," Andy added. "So I relate to the crazy." In fact, she'd avoided it after than incident because she never wanted to explain to an ER doctor again why she had frostbite on her ass. Once was more than enough.

Alex handed Andy her drink. "I have a tequila story, but you don't unlock that story until about my third drink at least."

Andy just looked at Kara who snorted and grabbed her ginger ale from the bar behind Alex. "She drunk dialed her professor for genetics that she had the hots for in junior year two weeks before the semester ended and told her that she totally wanted to bend her over the podium in the front of the lecture hall and do all sorts of interesting things to her. Then of course had to face her in class for two more weeks. I could feel her embarrassment clear back in Midvale."

"Kara," Alex whined as she slammed back her drink, "there's a reason I wanted to be drunk for that story. I don't want to remember the re-lived humiliation."

"Alex, I'm surprised you weren't put on probation for sexual harassment. You told her you wanted to fuck her ass in front of the class. That is not normal, it was illegal for you to be drinking and she let it go."

Astra just raised an eyebrow at Alex.

"I was nineteen and stupid, ok?" Alex said to her defense.

Astra leaned in and whispered in Alex's ear and Andy had the impression that it was something dirty from the way that Alex's eyes glazed over for just a second. Kara looked on with horror and grabbed Andy and Lucy's arms.

"Come dance with me?"

Andy didn't even get a chance to agree before they were on the filling dancefloor, her drink still in hand. She smiled and felt the beat, her time in choir doing her a favor as she started to move with the music easily. She couldn't dance well, but in a club it really didn't matter. Kara smiled and started to dance beside her, looking relieved at being away from her aunt and sister and their flirting. Lucy downed half her drink with a grin and shook her hips with a laugh.

A few songs passed and Andy was having the time of her life, really. Kara was fun to dance with, always managing to stay on beat and never bumping Andy with elbows or stepping on feet. Alex and Astra joined them after a while, grinding on each other rather shamelessly. Or well, Alex was grinding on Astra and Astra just went along with it like it was all a rather strange custom she didn't understand but enjoyed well enough. Kara looked to the heavens for a long moment before mouthing "Family, why," and continuing to dance.

Lucy had gone back to the bar and ordered fresh drinks, bringing them with her out to the floor. Andy took hers and smiled her thanks because it wasn't like any words were going to be heard on the dancefloor with the music as loud as it was. Halfway through that drink she started to feel the effects of the alcohol and everything got warmer and a little fuzzier around the edges. She turned and smiled wide at Kara who smiled back like she was trying to be the sun.

It took only two more rounds of drinks before Lucy was trying to do body shots off of someone. Kara pulled her back easily but Lucy's face shifted into such a pitiful look that Kara let her go again. Astra came to the rescue then and pulled Lucy back to the dancefloor by the ear.

"Honestly, Little One, you can't be so soft," she said before going after her.

Andy just laughed as Kara looked at her with an embarrassed look that sort of resembled a kicked puppy. She was drunk now, well and truly. She should probably grab some water soon so she wouldn't have a hangover from hell the next day, but for now she pulled Kara back to the dance floor once more with even more drinks.

For all Andy could see neither of the Kryptonians were drunk, but then again, she didn't think they were actively drinking either. She supposed there was no real point in drinking if you couldn't get drunk. It wasn't like much alcohol actually tasted good. Except peach schnapps. But it was an outlier and shouldn't be counted.

More people were on the dance floor than ever and Andy wondered if the club had hit their fire code limit yet. As it was after she handed out the drinks and started to dance again, she was almost all the way pressed up against Kara. She didn't really mind. Kara was pretty and smelled good and she was nice. Andy really liked her. She wondered if it wouldn't be a bad thing to move on from Miranda with someone like Kara. She understood about crushes on bosses. They wouldn't be number one in each other's life, but if they knew that going in, it wouldn't be bad would it?

The music started to fade out and a spotlight shined on a stage that Andy hadn't seen on first inspection of the club. A woman with a rainbow colored pixie cut and hipster glasses stood at the front of the stage with a mic.

"Alright everyone, it's the part of the day I know you were all waiting for, it's time to pick the hottest couple at the club!"

A cheer went up from the crowd. Andy looked over at Kara with a questioning look. This was totally the first she was hearing about any sort of contest.

"It's a huge part of this club's popularity," Kara said. "They have a contest every month and a special one on Pride."

"For our new friends today, we will be having our biggest Hottest Couple event of the year! Pride Month baby!" The crowd went wild, a mass of jumping up and down and various levels of screams from even the older members there. "But first, introductions!"

The spotlight swung over and landed on Alex and Astra. Alex stood up taller and smirked, waving at everyone like she was some sort of royalty. Astra just looked out over the crowd with a dangerous look on her face that Andy had to admit was a little hot. Astra then smirked, and Andy gulped. Ok, more than a little hot, that was smoking.

"Our reigning Queens! Our longest running Hottest Couple, they have taken the torch every month since the last Pride Parade! That's twelve months of Hot! So for this special Pride Month event, we are going to find another potential Hottest Couple, and they will have to face off with our reigning Queens! Here we go, everyone, look hot!"

The spotlight started to scan over the crowd slowly, revealing women paired up with their partners doing various things to try and catch the eye of the announcer, some were kissing, some were posing, some were just standing around looking around and waiting. Andy looked over at Kara and giggled. It was all a little bit ridiculous, but it was all in good fun.

As the spotlight swung back around towards them the people around them started to move around her. Andy moved closer to Kara, but apparently not close enough because the couple right beside her, who was trying to do something that looked like a tango in the middle of the crowded dance floor knocked into her and sent her flying.

She had a moment to hope she wasn't going to hit the ground hard before arms were around her, catching her easily. Andy looked up to see Kara grinning down at her bashfully. In the shock of things Andy took a second to realize where her hand had fallen, right smack on top of Kara's boob. She blushed and tried to step back but then she realized one of Kara's hands had ended up on her ass.

And of course that was the moment the spotlight landed on them, tangled up in each other, blushing, and totally unprepared. Andy expected the spotlight to move right past them, but of course it didn't. It was just her lucky day apparently.

"Well, what do you think, ladies, have we got a good candidate?" The announcer asked.

A loud cheer went up from the crowd.

"Alright then, why don't the two dueling couples come up on stage then for the face off?"

Alex pulled Astra onto the stage, their arms linked, and a shit eating grin on her face. Andy wanted to disappear and by the looks of it so did Kara, but then Alex's voice rang out, "What? Are our competitors too chicken to face off against the Hottest Couple in National City?"

Kara's eyes narrowed and she glared at Alex. Andy had the distinct feeling that Alex was going to get what was coming to her later. Kara looked down at her with a clear question in her eyes, 'Do you want to do this?' Andy thought for a moment before nodding. A little competition would be fun, and she hated to lose anyway. Then she gasped when Kara scooped her up and pressed their lips together briefly before carrying Andy to the stage.

Kara smirked as she placed Andy back on her feet. "We're ready."

"Wow talk about an entrance!" The announcer fanned herself and wiped at her brow in a dramatic manner. "Are we ready to hear about the face off?" She called out.

A range of cries and shouts were given in reply, some with foul language, some unintelligible, and others just random screaming.

"Ok then, here are the rules. Each lovely couple gets one kiss to impress the crowd with their hotness. Nothing's off the table as far as the kiss goes, just try to stay within public decency laws if you would. People in uniform are hot, but not when they're arresting you, let me tell you. Afterwards, you guys will scream for your favorite, and whoever gets the largest response wins the title. How about that?"

More screams were heard from the crowd.

"Then let's get this show on the road. Since they're our reigning champs let's let the ladies Alex and Astra go first shall we?" She turned to the couple. "Take it away, you hotties."

Alex looked at Astra for all of millisecond before she launched herself into the other woman. Astra didn't even take a step back, she just caught Alex with ease. One of Alex's hands buried itself in Astra's hair and yanked her head back hard, baring Astra's neck to Alex who dove in. She planted biting, wet kisses along the entire length. The crowd cheered them on as Alex made her way towards Astra's mouth.

Alex finally reached her destination and let go of Astra's hair. Astra bent forward, lower and lower, dipping Alex towards the ground, but still having no problem holding the other woman up. Their kiss was heated and Andy could hear Alex muffle a moan against Astra's mouth as Astra moved to stand straight again.

The kiss finally broke amidst a chorus of wolf whistles. In a feat of agility that Andy knew she'd never have, Alex flipped herself around Astra's body so she was sitting on Astra's back in piggyback position. She grinned over at Kara and Andy as the audience went wild.

"Beat that," she shouted in a smug tone.

Andy looked at Kara, who was looking a bit traumatized, but also determined. Kara glanced over at Andy, and Andy knew that whatever was about to happen was going to be one hell of a trip. Andy just nodded again, and then Kara's hands were on her face, pulling her in with a jerk that had Andy pressed up against Kara all over again. Except this time their lips met and Andy visibly shuddered. Oh, Kara was so warm, almost like she had a fever and she tasted like the tang of ginger ale and the sweetness of ice cream. It should have tasted innocent, but with the way Kara's tongue slipped inside her mouth it was anything but.

Andy, not to be outdone turned them slightly so the crowd could see what she was doing and grabbed Kara's ass hard, squeezing it between her hands and marvelling at just how firm it was. Kara pulled back and moaned loud enough that the crowd heard it and went wild. Andy just smirked at Kara whose eyes had glazed over a little.

But then Kara's focus was back on her and she moved forward to Andy's neck and bit down hard enough to definitely leave a mark and this time it was Andy who was groaning and letting her head fall back so Kara could have her way with her. Kara moved on from the first mark a little way up her neck and bit again and then again. Andy thanked every god she knew that Serena had taught her how to cover up hickies with little effort before she'd left Runway because otherwise it would have been an embarrassing week at work.

One final nip to the underside of Andy's jaw had her knees giving out and all her weight leaning on Kara. Kara held her up with ease and pulled back to look at Alex with a raised eyebrow and that innocent smile that had no place on her face after what she'd just done. Even after a few seconds Andy wasn't quite sure that she could stand on her own power, but she was really just content to stay where she was for now.

The cheers of the crowd finally died down and the announcer stepped forward again. "Well, hell, ladies, I don't know how we're ever going to top a show like that." Agreements came from the crowd. "But that's a problem for another time. Now it's time to vote! Those of you who want our reigning champs to continue their benevolent and fiery reign, give us a yell." She gestured over to Alex and Astra.

The roar of the crowd was deafening and Andy saw both Kara and Astra wince slightly. She wanted to cover her own ears, she couldn't imagine how super-hearing would be affected by the thunderous cheers. Andy wondered, still leaning against Kara, if the Kryptonians were able to regulate their senses somehow. It would only make sense considering sensory overload was a bitch. She bit the inside of her lip as her hand itched for a pen and a pad. She can't turn off the journalist even after a makeout session that made her knees weak, she'd accepted that long ago.

The roar died down finally and the announcer turned to them. "And for these lovely challengers?"

Again the crowded cheered, but it was marginally quieter, even though her ears were ringing from the noise. Andy frowned, but shrugged slightly. Well, they had damn well done their best. She stepped back carefully, testing out her knees. They were still a bit wobbly, but she could hold her own weight. Jesus, how Kara had found that spot that made her go boneless every single time on the first try was beyond her. Maybe there really could be something to this after all.

Or maybe that was just the alcohol talking. Except she looked at Kara, and got a rosey cheeked glance back, and a big smile…and Kara was most definitely not drunk. And drunk words were sober thoughts. What about drunk thoughts? What were those?

Yeah, no she should sober up and think about this or else running across campus naked was going to look like a cute mistake in comparison. She didn't need to fuck with her heart even more than she had.

"Well, I think by a slim margin we have our winner," the announcer shouted, turning to Alex and Astra. Another woman in jeans and suspenders and not much else came forward with two sashes that read "Hottest Couple Pride 2016" and draped them over Alex and Astra's shoulders. There was more cheering and screaming and someone even threw their bra on stage to which Astra looked a little confused and Alex laughed.

"Well that's it for this year's Pride contest, see you next month for our more tame version." The announcer smirked when the crowd booed, and lifted the microphone back to her mouth. "Unless we can convince the winning couple for one more show!"

Alex and Astra looked at each other for a second before shrugging. Alex wrapped her arms around Astra's back and nudged the back of Astra's knees until Astra got the message and leaned back and Alex dipped her like they were in some old school Hollywood movie. She kissed Astra, long and slow for a minute, then two, before standing up again. The crowd was cheering again, Andy thought she saw some women fanning themselves at the front of the stage.

"My, my," the announcer said, "don't you two know how to put on a show. And ladies, I think we all desperately want to know what gym you go to because that upper body strength, mmm-mmm."

Alex flexed for the crowd, a grin on her face. "Well, government work has to have some perk, right?"

"I think if you're working there that would be all the perks we need," the announcer said with a laugh.

Astra looked a little bit murderous and the announcer stepped back. "But just for looking since you already have a nice hot lady of your own." At that Astra backed off with a small smile on her face, and pressed a quick kiss to Alex's temple.

"And that really is the end of the competition. Go back to drinking and dancing and being gay."

The music started up again and people swarmed the bar. The group of them climbed back down onto the dancefloor.

"Anyone see where Lucy disappeared to?" Alex asked. There was slight slur to her shouted words.

Everyone else looked at each other and shrugged.

"That woman." Alex stalked off through the crowd.

"Alexandra, I can find her without actually stalking off to Rao knows where!" Astra shouted, going after Alex.

Andy turned to Kara. "To the bar then?"

Kara smiled and blushed yet again before nodding. "Sounds great! Maybe you should start slowing on the alcohol though. Don't you have an article due for the online edition tonight?"

Andy's eyes widened. She'd totally forgotten about that. She'd signed up earlier in the week since she was going anyway but her article about a new bill trying to regulate firearms sales that was slated to fail even after yet another mass shooting had taken up so much of her focus that she'd just shoved it to the back of her mind.

"Shit, I forgot about that. Thank you for reminding me." She looked at the bar, then looked at her phone for the time. It was only four, one more drink for the road wasn't going to hurt her. She had until midnight to get it done and god knew how many articles she'd written drunk in college. Besides it was about Pride anyway, she could write about it in her sleep.

"No problem. I practically have the list of articles memorized every week so." Kara shrugged and tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear.

"Well, one for the road then and I'll go back to CatCo and get started. Good thing I've been to so many Prides. This article will be a piece of cake."

"Good, good."

Kara followed Andy to the bar and Andy swayed to the music playing without a care in the world. Well, one care because she didn't want another fuzzy navel. What to drink instead?

"Kara, what should I get to drink for my last one?" Andy asked. She was starting to feel a little fuzzier now. Maybe having one last drink wasn't such a good idea, but she was already here so why not.

"Uh, I don't know. I don't know much about alcohol since I'm not a big fan. Uh, a cosmo?"

Andy shook her head. "Nah." She perked up. "Oh! I know, a sex on the beach. That'll be great. And still with peach schnapps."

Kara blushed like she hadn't just left three hickies on Andy's neck in front of a crowd, and Andy giggled to herself about how cute Kara looked with rosy cheeks. "Uh yeah, whatever you want, I guess." Kara shrugged.

Andy thought it was a little bit cute that Kara could be so flustered one second and then a confident and sexy woman the next. She wondered what Kara would be like in a relationship, whether it would be the same sweet and flustered and also confident and sexy or would the confidence reign. She sort of liked the idea where Kara remained as she was, since there was no real mutual exclusion between innocence and sexiness.

The bartender came and interrupted her thought process and the next minute she had her last drink in her hand. She handed Kara the ginger ale she'd ordered for her and sipped on her drink. She hummed in appreciation. This place really knew how to make a mixed drink, not too much or too little alcohol.

Alex found them there by the bar, supporting an obviously wasted Lucy. "I'm taking this one home. She was doing body shots off of literally anyone who volunteered while we were up on stage."

"But Alex," Lucy said, hanging off the other woman. "I'm allowed to do body shots, Susan knows."

"You said to stop you if you tried to do body shots earlier." Alex crossed her arms in front of her, trying to dislodge Lucy's arms.

"Oh, right, I guess I did. Huh. Now why would I do that?"

"I don't know, you're the one who knows the limits you and Vasquez set, not me." Alex glared down at the other woman.

"Alex," Lucy whined. "Are you mad at me? I don't want you to be mad at me. Being drunk is supposed to be fun."

Alex looked back at Andy and Kara. "Yeah, so this is why we're going home to put her to bed."

Astra appeared behind Alex. "We weren't planning on staying long after the contest anyway, Alexandra."

"True enough." Alex shook her head and turned to kiss Astra on the cheek, disregarding that Lucy was still hanging off her arm and sort of sandwiched between them.

"Come along, Lucy, we'll see you home then," Astra said, stepping back. "We will see you later, Little one. It was nice meeting you Andy."

"It was nice meeting you too and fun competing against you. I think it was the acrobatic piggyback that stole the win. Maybe if Kara left another hickey we would have won." Andy smiled.

Astra grinned. "You fought well, but we are champions for a reason, Bold One."

"Wow, I even earned a nickname, seems like a good sign."

Kara replied with a considering expression, "Yeah, it is. I'll see you later Aunt Astra. Bye Alex."

"Bye losers!" Alex stuck her tongue out before hauling Lucy with her towards the door.

Astra rolled her eyes before following her girlfriend.

Kara turned to Andy. "Sorry, she's an idiot."

"I heard that!" Alex called.

"No, Astra heard that and told you and I know it," Kara replied.

"Same thing!"

Kara just rubbed her face. "Sisters."

"Family in general."

"Yeah."

Andy downed the rest of her drink in one go. "Might as well join the leaving trend since I have that article to write." She pushed off the bar and almost toppled right onto her face. Ok, so the last drink had definitely be a mistake.

"Whoa, hey, are you ok Andy?" Kara asked as she reached out to steady Andy.

"Yeah, fine, apparently some of the alcohol just had a delayed effectiveness and now I'm a little drunker than I thought."

"Oh, that's not good. I should escort you to CatCo to make sure you get there safely. You can sober up there while you write."

Andy nodded. "Yeah, that would be great." Honestly it would be even better if one of Kara's superpowers was curing hangovers, but she would take an escort for the short-ish walk to CatCo.

"Um, if you need help editing it I can do that too. I help out Miss Grant a lot when there's a bunch of editing to get through."

"Yeah, today that would probably be a good idea. I think I'm taking Hemingway's "write drunk, edit sober" a little too seriously." She rubbed her hands over her face. When that last bit of alcohol finally hit she was going to be fit to be tied.

Kara giggled. "Maybe a little bit, but at least the drinking fits in the spirit of Pride."

"I guess you're right." Andy stood up a little straighter and started to walk again. Now that she was aware of just how drunk she actually was she could compensate, at least a little bit. Kara was still beside her, supporting her marginally..

When they emerged out into the sunshine of National City again, Andy squinted. Oh, she hadn't drank any water at all in the club and her hangover later was going to be killer with this bright sun everywhere. At least in the City sometimes you would get a break and there would be clouds. She rubbed her forehead and kept walking. Well, she at least had Motrin in her desk.

Except no she didn't she hadn't gotten that far to setting up her little survival kit of supplies she always kept nearby. Oh boy, it was going to be rough going then. But then again, Kara might have some.

"Hey, do you have any Motrin?"

"I have aspirin," Kara said. "Does that work?"

Andy nodded. "Yup, same family. Tylenol doesn't work for me, but NSAIDs do."

"Good, it's in my desk at work. I have a few other things for hangovers too. They come in handy."

"Miss. Grant does like her scotch," Andy said.

"Yeah, and wine, and whiskey, and any expensive alcohol." Kara frowned. "Sometimes I really worry about her."

Andy nodded. "I understand." She remembered Paris. She remembered finding Miranda stripped bare of all her armor, a woman desperate for her children to love her and whose romantic commitments kept falling apart because she couldn't stop working and chasing perfection. She had worried too. She still worried. Still wondered if Miranda had changed anything now that Stephen was divorcing her.

"My mother used to tell me stories about how wonderful love was and how it would all work out as it was supposed to and how whoever it was that I ended up with would treat me as if I was the sun and how I would love them back just as much, but now…" She trailed off before drawing in a deep breath. "Well, it's a bit hard to believe. It's been a bit hard to believe for a while now. Since, well, since I came to live with the Danvers, honestly. It was a fairytale and life just isn't. It never was."

Kara looked so sad and lost in that moment. Andy wrapped her arm around Kara's shoulders and squeezed.

"Just because life isn't a fairytale doesn't mean that there can't be any magic, that there can't be any good. We have a long time until the end comes and who knows if it'll read and they lived happily ever after or not. For the most part, your mother was right, things do work out, even if they aren't as we pictured them."

Kara glanced over at Andy for a long moment as they kept walking. "Maybe they do."

Andy smiled, swaying a little into Kara."Yeah, maybe."

/SUPERMIRANDYCAT/