Hello beautiful beautiful readers, I am excited, happy, and more than a little sad to announce that this is the last chapter of A Chocolate Croissant Thief (stole my heart).

The story was always intended to be short; I originally had thought it would be a three-shot but here we are, a couple chapters past that. It's been so fun to explore this universe and slightly different writing style (along with some darker scenes) - thank you for coming along for the ride!

Quick note on Kara's selective mutism (because it's important to be accurate) - children with the condition often will be able to speak with reduced anxiety and in situations where they feel safe/comfortable. The story is meant to reflect that Kara is recovering (smiley face).

[IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT]

I wanted to let you all know that I will be taking a break from fanfiction as I am beginning a new job and life stage! I'll be working on my own novel as well - wish me luck!

That being said, The Bond That Binds Us (for any of you reading that) will still be updated every Monday, since it's already written. In addition, I will be periodically be checking my account, even when that is complete. So feel free to PM me for whatever reason your heart desires. I always love to hear from you.

Thank you for such an amazing experience! Until the next time, whenever that may be.

~silverlining

"Is he dead?" Alex asked the man standing behind the still form of Direct Henshaw.

"Yes." J'onn, who looked identical to the body lying on the ground, kicked the gun Henshaw had been holding, sending it skittering across the floor. "I am glad you heard what I said about shape-shifting." He stepped forward and snapped the thick chain that ran through the metal loop on the table and held Alex's hands together. "I was worried you wouldn't hear me with everything happening in here."

Even though in Director Henshaw's form, the Martian somehow managed to make the cold man's face soften with concern. His dark eyes, now tinted with care, swept over her various injuries.

"I was so focused on distracting him that I couldn't even spare a thought to what you said," Alex used her good hand to wipe the blood out of left eye from where it had run down from the contusion at her hairline. "Did anyone see you come in here?"

"They did." J'onn knelt to examine the director's body. "But they do not remember it anymore. Nor do they remember that they ever held a Green Martian here."

Alex stared at him. "You can do that?"

His eyes glowed red for a moment, a small smile twitching across his lips. "I think your agents will be pleasantly surprised the next time they meet Hank Henshaw and realize that he has developed morals. General Lane, however, might not be so happy that his partner no longer wants to decimate alien species."

Realization flooded Alex, hope rising to the surface of her being. She took a step forward and nearly collapsed, suddenly very aware of her injuries as her adrenaline began to fade slightly.

"I am very sorry it took me so long to intervene," J'onn shifted and Alex could feel his faint guilt. "I had to absorb all the director's memories first in order to ensure we could pull this off. Got through it all just in time, but not soon enough to prevent this…" He gestured at all of her.

Clearly she looked like a total mess.

Alex waved away his apology. "Just help me pop my shoulder back in," she requested, gritting her teeth as she gently probed at her shoulder with her good hand, taking stock of the situation. "I'm going to need both my arms to pummel the life out of Lane."

J'onn moved into position, gently but firmly putting his hands on her arm.

"Just do it," Alex clenched her jaw.

"I have an idea of how to get Kara without turning you both into fugitives forever." J'onn filled her mind with information and plans. "Take a deep breath," he instructed.

Thoughts consumed with the images and knowledge J'onn had given her, Alex distractedly took a deep breath and J'onn suddenly popped her arm back into position.

"Ahhhh!" She groaned, doubling over and breathing through her mouth as an overwhelming wave of pain washed over her. Curses and blood from her split lip dripped from her mouth.

"Better?" J'onn looked concerned in a way Henshaw never had been.

The tidal wave of agony ebbed slowly and Alex couldn't deny that her arm felt like it once again was attached to her body. "Much better," Alex straightened slowly.

"Ready to go?"

Alex nodded, clenching her hands into fists.

"Let's go get my kid."

"Where is she?!" Henshaw roared, flanked by several agents.

From her position a couple paces back, Alex almost forgot that Henshaw was in fact J'onn; his imitation was perfect.

Probably one of the perks of being able to absorb all the knowledge from someone's brain.

General Lane hurried to meet them partway down the hall, confusion clear on his face. "What the hell… This is a restricted military space!"

"The Kryptonian, I want her back," J'onn stopped only inches in front of the man's ruddy face.

Confusion turned to anger. "We made a deal, Hank," Lane hissed. "The terms were very clear. You can't just waltz in here and…"

"The terms have just changed since you traded me faulty weapons. If you don't give me the Kryptonian back, I will personally bring your favorite journalist daughter on a personal tour of your basement facility."

"You can't," Lane's face drained of color. "You'd never get in."

"You're right." J'onn folded his arms. "I would just have to settle with the scientific findings you've been updating me on, along with our communications. It wouldn't be as great as seeing it in person, but I'm sure your daughter would understand well enough to write an article that exposes what's going on here to the world."

Lane took a tiny step back. "Let's talk in my office," he grit out. "Alone."

J'onn motioned towards her and Alex stepped forward to follow him.

"I said alone," Lane stormed.

"Her presence is not optional." J'onn was already moving down the hall.

"Isn't she the traitor?" Lane had no option but to follow. His soldiers and Alex's agents trailed behind, exchanging looks of animosity and holding guns ready.

"You want to know who's a traitor? How about someone who purposefully sabotages a partnership."

They arrived at the office and Alex followed Henshaw and Lane into the room, the door shutting behind them.

Finally, they were alone.

"I didn't trade you faulty weapons, okay?! And you can't just discuss our business arrangements in front of my soldiers!" Lane slammed his hand down on his desk, face flaming. "I am this close to…"

"To what?" J'onn stalked forward, putting both hands on the desk and staring straight at the general. "Are you going to expose that I've been giving you aliens? Do you realize that you are the one torturing them? All I have to say is that you convinced me they would be safer with you." J'onn's face morphed into a look of mock surprise. "I never knew you were hurting them! I thought Cadmus was an alien health organization, I thought you had gained their consent for testing and that the aliens wanted to help you develop technology that would protect earth!"

"Nobody will believe you! If I go down, you go down with me." A vein in Lane's forehead throbbed.

"Do you think that would really happen?" J'onn paused his taunting, face solidifying into cold determination. "I would suggest you give me what I want. You can have your dumb technology back; my agents have already dumped it in one of your hangars."

Lane swallowed hard; Alex could see his Adam's apple bob. He stared at them both before touching his earpiece.

"Hangar A, have we received DEO-returned cargo?"

Alex couldn't hear whatever the general's soldier told him but knew it was an affirmative when the man nodded slightly at them.

"I'll have some soldiers take you to the Kryptonian."

They made their way to the basement of the military base, Alex's heart hammering against her chest so hard it hurt.

"Can you read any of them to find out what's happening to Kara?" she pushed her thought toward the Martian beside her.

His words were short, upset, in her mind. "It's not good, Alex. You're going to need to be prepared not to react." Even as he shared his thoughts, Alex could see his jaw clenching.

"Tell me."

He gave her three words. "Already in surgery."

Alex's vision flickered, her stomach churning and limbs going numb.

"We are going to need to get her into sunlight and away from Kryptonite as soon as possible. I want you and your team to do the quickest possible extraction; I will deal with any aftermath with Lane."

They rapidly approached a hall of laboratory rooms, a soldier leading them to a thick metal door. He began to open it then paused. "You really should be scrubbed in to enter…"

Alex shoved him out of the way and pushed past.

Her heart stopped.

Lying on an operating table in the glowing green room was Kara, her eyes closed and body still. Forms in white coats and masks bent over her with tools in their hands.

Everything blurred into a haze of terror and fury and before Alex knew what had happened, all the doctors in the room were on the ground and she was desperately trying to fix the damage they had done.

"Hold on, hold on, hold on…" Alex was trembling as she took in the sight before her. Without the surgical suction they had been using, blood was pouring onto the table and dripping to the floor. Alex screamed for medical assistance as she tried to close up the intentional wounds that had been inflicted. In the background she could faintly hear J'onn yelling for the Kryptonite emitters to be turned off.

"Sunlamps!" Alex ordered as she held the wounds together the best she could. "I need sunlamps!"

The green glow of the room suddenly disappeared, replaced by warm rays of light.

"Come on," Alex begged. "Come on."

Beneath her hands, Kara's skin began shifting, the wounds slowly but surely closing. Alex nearly collapsed with relief, her chest heaving and mind reeling with horror at what had been done. Quickly, she wiped away the blood on the girl's skin as best she could, checking that the skin had truly healed, before wrapping a sheet gently around Kara's form and pulling the girl into her arms. She cradled her close, glaring at any agent that got too close

"Kill them," she ordered J'onn silently as they hurried to the med evac vehicle. "Kill every last one of them. Except Lane - I want to kill him myself."

It was hours before Kara regain consciousness and in that time, Alex had allowed exactly nobody to touch the Kryptonian but her.

Someone had procured children's clothing; they didn't quite fit, but anything was better than the bloodstained operating gown. In the too-large t-shirt with a picture of a cat on it and baggy shorts, Kara looked even tinier than usual.

But at least she didn't look like she had been treated as a science experiment.

Alex dry heaved as images of what they had found at the lab filled her mind again. There was absolutely nothing left in her stomach though, it had been emptied long before when an agent had shown her the medical video the doctors had been making. Documenting their work, they had said.

Alex had destroyed it herself, instructing Winn to make sure any other records of the incident were wiped as well.

The door behind her opened. "How is she doing?"

Alex jumped at Henshaw's deep voice before forcing herself to relax. It would take some time before she got used to J'onn being Henshaw.

"I've been monitoring her vitals; she's going to be okay." Alex didn't look away from the Kryptonian, carefully stroking the girl's golden hair.

"How are you doing?"

Alex glared at the man. "Fine." She crossed her arms, daring him to object. She had refused medical treatment; she wasn't the one who had nearly been dissected. And she was an adult, not a child.

"Is the room secure?" J'onn changed the topic, seeming to realize his current thread of questioning would bring him nowhere. He closed the door behind him, stepping forward to stand next to Alex.

"Soundproof and unmonitored," Alex informed him. She paused. "I want to take her home."

J'onn moved to the other chair in the room, sitting down carefully. "I can arrange that."

Alex looked at him for a moment, marveling at her boss's face being controlled by a being so opposite to him in every way.

"I've deleted all your Green Martian files. Any doubts on your identity?" She took Kara's hand and held it gently.

"None." J'onn shook his head. "Nobody really expects their boss to be killed and replaced by a shape-shifter. With any luck, I can slowly guide the DEO back to some semblance of humanity. But we'll talk extensively later." He stood up. "I'll arrange a transport."

"Thank you," Alex turned slightly to faced him. "If not for you…"

The Martian stopped her. "No, thank you Alex. For the first time in… in a very long time, I feel like I have a purpose. I might not have been able to save my family, but there are beings that need to be protected here." His gaze rested on Kara. "I just needed to be roused out of my grief to be reminded of that. And now, I'm in the exact right position to do so."

Alex gave him a small smile before a subtle movement grabbed her attention. Turning back to Kara, she found that the girl's bright blue eyes were open.

"Kara."

Alex hugged the girl close, rocking her back and forth as Kara clung to her. For a while, Kara just held onto her and Alex stroked her hair, murmuring what she hoped were soothing words.

Part of her was surprised that after the immense trauma that had just occurred Kara had moved immediately to be close to her. Alex didn't ponder it too long; mostly she was just incredibly glad that Kara felt safe with her. Her arms were exactly where she wanted the Kryptonian child to be.

So as long as Kara wanted her to be there, Alex wasn't going to move. Some bonds, Alex supposed, were made of blood. And others were constructed from steel; melted by extreme circumstances, purified by desperation, and solidified by genuine care.

Finally, Kara drew back slightly and touched Alex's face, a question shining her in her gaze.

"Everything is okay," Alex reassured her. "We're safe. And we're going home."

Suddenly Kara stiffened in her arms. As the Kryptonian pulled back, Alex could see what had alarmed the girl; she had noticed Henshaw's form in the room.

"Kara," Alex rubbed her back soothingly. "I know he looks like Director Henshaw, but this is actually J'onn J'onnz. He's a shape shifter – a Green Martian."

J'onn dipped his head, keeping a respectful distance as he quickly transformed.

Kara stared at the alien then looked at Alex, clearly trying to process the new information.

"It is an honor to meet you, Kara," J'onn smiled, red eyes crinkling around the edges. "I will be posing as Director Henshaw from now on; he is gone and not coming back. I promise you and Alex will be safe." The Martian's tone was gentle and Alex could feel Kara physically relax.

The room was silent for a moment.

"Kara doesn't talk," Alex reminded J'onn, in case he was waiting for a response.

"That's okay," J'onn sat down with an easy smile. Alex could tell he was quietly taking in the way that Kara was clinging to her. "Alex is the best human here on earth, isn't she?" he addressed the small girl.

Kara nodded, peeking at the Martian shyly from where she had cuddled close to Alex.

"I think so too." J'onn leaned forward slightly. "That's why I'm going to make sure you can stay with her. Does that sound okay to you?"

Kara nodded again, a tiny smile appearing on her face. Very slowly, the girl reached out and put her hand on J'onn's large green one.

Alex could see tears well up in the Martian's red eyes at the Kryptonian's touch.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "Kara, you are changing everything for the better."

Alex couldn't agree more.

"Kara, I'm ordering pizza, do you want your usual?" Alex glanced into the room where Kara was at the table drawing. The girl didn't look up, just raised her fist in the air and dipped it forward.

Yes.

"Alright," Alex grinned and Kara looked up, touching her chin before moving her hand away. Thank you.

Alex signed the motion back to her. You're welcome.

Kara smiled, holding up her pinky and pointer finger, as well as her thumb.

I love you.

Alex stepped forward and wrapped her arms around the girl, kissing the top of her head.

"You're just saying that because I'm getting you pizza," she teased, her actions rewarded by Kara's beautiful smile. "I love you too." She leaned forward and kissed her kid's cheek.

Her kid.

The last couple of weeks had been challenging for everyone. Between J'onn's secret takeover of the DEO, Kara's constant nightmares, and Alex's healing injuries, her hands were more than full. But surprisingly, she had never been happier.

Alex never would have imagined that what was missing in her life was a little girl to take care of, but now that she was here, she could see that she needed Kara as much as Kara needed her.

Not to say it was easy though. Sometimes it felt like they were taking the tiniest possible steps forward and constantly stumbling back, like when Alex found out that Kara was hoarding food under her bed. Or when, for an entire week, the small Kryptonian refused to leave their new little house. Some days, Alex would walk into the living room and find Kara curled up on the couch, pressing noise cancelling headphones against her ears and sobbing. And the agent didn't even want to try to count the number of things that had been accidentally broken.

But through it all, they kept pressing forward, finding new ways to communicate, new foods to taste, new parks to explore, and new bakeries to buy chocolate croissants from.

Shaking her head at the memories, Alex moved toward the kitchen but was stopped when a small hand caught hers.

Kara had gotten up and was holding out a drawing.

"Kara," Alex breathed, taking the paper gingerly. On it was a drawing of herself and Kara. Her face was tilted downward, smiling protectively at the girl she had her arms around, while Kara was looking up and laughing. "This is so beautiful," Alex marveled, fighting back tears at the touching gift. "Thank you."

Kara looked at her and her hand moved to her chin for a sign word but then the Kryptonian paused.

"Alex."

Alex froze, unsure if she had just heard what she thought she had heard.

"Alex." The girl's voice was soft, slightly raspy from disuse but the noise was definitely coming from the Kryptonian's moving lips.

"Kara." Alex stared at her. "Kara, you just spoke."

Kara nodded vigorously, face lighting up with a breathtaking smile.

Alex laughed with pure joy, sweeping up the girl and spinning her around. "Oh my god, Kara! That's amazing!" She kissed the girl's cheeks, her nose, her forehead. "You spoke!"

"Alex," Kara wrapped her arms around the agent's neck and legs around her waist. "Alex, Alex, Alex."

"Kara, Kara, Kara," Alex bumped her forehead lightly against Kara's. "I love you, so so much."

"I love you, Alex."

Kara's soft voice was the most beautiful thing Alex had ever heard.

Weeks and weeks later, Kara would tell Alex that she had been trying to speak the whole time, that the sorrow of the world had pushed all the words from her lungs and that in the wake of a universe of loss and uncertainty, she had lost her voice. She would tell her that she had forgotten how to hope until an early-rising agent had reminded her how.

Alex would hug her close and tell her that she had forgotten how to fight for what was right until a little chocolate croissant thief had shown her the way.