#and yes-- totes a virgin river au

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Crisis Redo Pt 5

Kara's heart sinks as quickly as it had lifted at the unexpected sight of Lena. Her jaw works soundlessly, no words coming out until Kara can catch her breath.

"Lena..." is all she can get out before Lena's features harden.

"Nope." Lena's mouth downturns to a deliberate frown. She turns on her heel and goes back the way she came. "Nope, not doing this."

"Wha-- buh... Lena!" Kara calls after her, breaking into a trot. She jogs after Lena, speeding up when Lena begins to run as well, setting a steady, well-practiced pace through the trees. "Wait!"

Lena ignores her, soon huffing in even breaths as she resumes the run Kara had so rudely interrupted. Determined, Kara speeds up until she matches Lena stride for stride, jogging alongside her.

"I swear I'm not following you," Kara explains as smoothly as she can. Lena shoots her a sharp glare. "I mean, I am now, but I didn't know you were going to be here, honest."

Unlike Lena, her lungs don't pant for air, and her skin doesn't moisten with sweat. She could keep this pace for days, and she can see the moment Lena considers trying to outrun her, only to dismiss it out of hand. Any pace Lena set, Kara could easily outmatch.

In the end, Lena simply stops in the middle of the trail. Kara travels on a couple of steps, then backtracks to rejoin her.

"Exactly what part of our last conversation suggested I wanted to see you again?" Lena demands.

Kara sighs. "None. I know, you want nothing to do with me--"

"Due in no small part to the fact that I now have nightmares about shooting my brother and hearing him laugh at me for being a goddamned idiot." Lena huffs, crossing her arms to keep from gesticulating. Her fingers press hard into her biceps to keep her hands still. "Which is a memory you put back in my head-- without my consent, thank you very much."

Shame floods Kara, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. "I know... and I'm sorry--"

"Really? See, I don't think you are. Because despite me wanting nothing to do with you, here you are."

"I was just driving, and I ended up at the bed and breakfast last night--"

"And I'm supposed to believe that it's all just one big coincidence?"

"Yes!" Kara clips out, frustrated and helpless. "Because it is! I'm on vacation!"

"Vacation," Lena repeats, nonplussed. "In my town. In the middle of nowhere."

"Mhmm," Kara hums haughtily.

"And you just so happen to show up on my favorite running trail."

Kara falters. "Yeah, well... it's a public trail!"

Lena rolls her eyes. "Right. Well, I hope you enjoyed your stay at Nancy's. And your drive back to National City."

Sighing, Kara reaches for her friend. "Lena..."

Lena pulls away, tightening her ponytail. "Stay away from me," Lena warns, before turning and continuing her run.

This time, Kara lets her go, listening to the sound of Lena's footsteps long after the woman is out of sight.

---

Walking back to the inn, Kara decides to respect Lena's wishes. As much as she wants to stay, it's clear that Lena is uncomfortable to have her there, and she knows that crossing Lena's boundaries would only make things worse.

She showers in the en suite to her room and changes her clothes before taking advantage of the breakfast provided in the dining room. She chats with some of the other guests, but the conversation is superficial, meaningless. After, she takes a stroll down Main Street, but is careful to avoid getting anywhere close to where she knows Lena's practice sits.

On her way back, Kara's eye catches on a quaint food truck sitting on the boundary of the town square. As she nears, she discovers that its a bakery truck, complete with hot drinks to go. Kara orders a large vanilla caramel latte and a dozen assorted pastries for the road.

"You look familiar," the cashier says. Kara looks up-- and freezes when she recognizes Lena's mother Elizabeth behind the counter.

Kara immediately flushes. "Oh, uhm, well.... I just have one of those faces..."

"No, I definitely recognize you from somewhere. I have an eye for these sorts of things." Elizabeth regards her curiously as she transfers the pastries from their cases to the box. "You ever come through Willow Creek before?"

Kara shakes her head. "No... first time. It's lovely though."

Elizabeth nods. "That it is. Think we might just stick around."

"We?" Kara prompts, unable to help herself.

"Oh, my daughter became the town doctor, oh-- about eight years back now. Lena. She settled here, and I figured I'd come join her for a bit. Now it doesn't look like we'll be leaving any time soon..." Elizabeth trails off, then smiles brightly when she spots something over Kara's shoulder. "Oh! Here she comes now!"

Kara presses her eyes shut, bracing herself for the outrage that's sure to come. But when she turns, Lena only glowers once before schooling her features to deliver a smile to her mother.

"Lena! Come meet one of our visitors!"

"Morning, mom," Lena greets. She shoots Kara a look. "Kara."

"Hi, Lena," Kara says quietly.

"Oh, you've already met!" Elizabeth exclaims happily. "How wonderful." Then she pauses, her brow furrowing not unlike her daughter's does when faced with a particular intriguing problem. "Kara... oh! You're Kara Danvers, aren't you!"

Kara offers a grimacing smile. "Guilty."

Lena snorts.

Elizabeth rewards Kara with a broad smile. "Oh my goodness! I must have read every single one of your articles. Proud CatCo subscriber since 1998."

"Sorry to interrupt, mom," Lena interjects, "but do you have my regular? I'm late to the clinic."

Elizabeth reaches over and plucks a prepared travel mug from the counter behind her and hands it to her daughter. "Lena, you never told me you knew Kara Danvers."

For a moment, Lena freezes, and Kara can see the gears working inside her head as she swiftly considered what and how much to tell her mother.

"It's a recent development," is what she comes up with.

Kara nods in agreement. "We met when Lena was recently in National City. She, ah, she mentioned Willow Creek and I just had to see it for myself."

"And now she's seen it," Lena affirms, giving Kara a pointed look. Then she gestures with her thermos towards her mother. "Thanks, Mom. I should be home a little early today. Bye, Kara."

Kara watches Lena leave, then gives Elizabeth an apologetic look. "Yeah, I'm leaving this afternoon."

"Nonsense!" Elizabeth counters, leaning forward intently. "You can't leave before the Autumn Festival this weekend!"

"Oh, no, I couldn't... I have to--" Well, she doesn't have to get back to work, and her family probably wouldn't wonder where she was for another five days or so, so...

"At least stay for tea this afternoon," Elizabeth insists. "I close up shop in a few hours, and I'd love to pick your brain for details about Cat Grant."

Kara startles then, just a little. "Miss Grant?"

"Of course! I ran into her once in Metropolis, and her aura was unlike anything I'd ever seen before..." Elizabeth cocks her head to one side, as though studying Kara in a new light. "A little like yours, actually."

Kara flushes, tucking her hair behind one ear. "I uh-- I'd love to, but--"

"It's settled then!" Elizabeth says, clapping her hands together. "Come back here at two and we'll have some tea."

Before Kara can protest further, someone in line behind her clears their throat intently. Shuffling off to the side, Kara moves out of the way, her thoughts swirling chaotically in her head.

Lena is going to kill her if she finds out Kara had tea with her mom. On the other hand, Elizabeth intrigues Kara, and Kara finds herself desperately wanting to know the woman who raised Lena with so much love. If risking Lena's ire was the price to learn more of Elizabeth, it might just be worth it.

At least Lena probably didn't have any kryptonite squirreled away up here in the woods of Willow Creek...

Did she?