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“Mama! Mama! Wake up!” The little girl yelled, while trying to shake her mother awake.
Groggy, Lena awoke, putting her hand over her daughter's face. “Baby, it’s too early.”
“No mama. You said we go skatin’ today.” The small child crawled onto the bed to cuddle with her mother.
“Ellie, I don't understand why you wanna go to the ice rink so badly. You go to the indor one with me all the time.” Lena wrapped her arm around her daughter.
“Cause! This one ‘citing. It's outside!”
“Alright munchkin, get up. Let’s get breakfast, then get dressed.” Lena said as she sat up in bed, and placed her daughter on the floor.
Ellie ran to the kitchen, and dutifully sat in her chair. “What do you want for breakfast, love?” Lena asked as she handed her daughter a sippy cup of milk.
“Tanks, Mama.” Ellie sipped the milk, before looking back up at Lena. “Cans I have fruit please?”
“Yep.” Lena said, as she started her coffee, and opened the fridge.
“Mama?” Ellie asks, watching intently as Lena cut the fruit.
“Yes, baby?” Lena placed the assorted fruit pieces in a bowl, and placed them in front of her daughter.
“I wanna be ‘ike you when I gow up.” Ellie said positively.
Lena took a deep breath, holding back tears as she poured her coffee, “ You can be whatever you want baby.”
Once Ellie was finished Lena placed her empty bowl in the dishwasher and finished off her coffee, “Alright go get dressed, I’ll be in there to help you in a second.”
“Otay, mama.” Ellie rushed off into her room.
Lena padded into her bathroom to begin her morning routine. She settled for mascara only, and kept her hair down in natural waves. After brushing her teeth, and washing her face, she walked into her closet to get dressed for the day. She opted for black yoga pants, and a thick yet soft sweater. Just as she sat to pull her fuzzy socks on, Ellie ran into the room looking distraught. “Awh baby, and what’s wrong?” Lena said, trying to contain her laughter.
“I can’t get my hair.” the little girl said, holding out a hair tie and a brush to her mother.
“Okay love, what do you want done?” Lena sled pulling her daughter into her lap and began brushing her hair.
“Bun please.” Lena hummed in agreement and began to do her daughter's hair in a messy bun.
“Alright, go get your skates and then let’s go.” Lena said slippin on boots and grabbing her skating bag.
Lena met Ellie at the door and the little girl held her skates out to her mother. The ravenette placed the little skates in her bag and headed out the door.
When they arrived at the outdoor skating rink Ellie instantly saw a group of kids and begged her mother to hurry up tying her skates so she could play with them. Lena laughed and complied. “No running off where I can’t see you okay?”
“Yes, Mama.” Ellie said as she anxiously tapped her skate, waiting to go on the ice.
Lena nodded her daughter off with the other kids. As Lena tied her skates she heard the conversation with her daughter and the other kids.
“Woah, you can skate really good! How old are you?,”said a girl who looked about ten.
“I’m five! My mama teaches me!” Ellie waved to Lena as she slid onto the ice. Lena skated over and affectionately patted her daughter on the head.
“OMG. You’re Lena Luthor!” The older girl said. “My mom and I watch you during the olympics! You are our favorite!” The girl was bursting at the seams with excitement.
“Hi, what’s your name?” Lena asked as she glanced at her daughter talking to kids her age.
“I’m Ruby! Are you gonna be in the next Olympics?” Ruby asked her.
“Can you keep a secret?” Lena asked as the girl very aggressively nodded her head. The ravenette leaned closer to Ruby, “Yes I am.”
Ruby let out a small squeal of excitement. “Can you do a triple axel?”
Lena nodded and surveyed the rink. There aren’t many people on it and it is relatively smooth. She scooted back against the edge, checking to make sure her daughter was in the same place. She sped across the ice and performed the triple axel, and landed with people clapping for her. Lena looked up to Ellie and Ruby yelling for her.
Lena skated over to her young fans and jokingly bowed.
“Ruby! Why are you screaming!?” Lena looked up and saw a tall brunette with a shorter red headed woman.
“Sorry mom, but it’s Lena Luthor!” the brunette locked eyes with Lena who was just standing there awkwardly.
Lena audibly gasped when saw the older woman. “Sammy!” the ravenette said as she hugged the older woman over the railing. After finishing the hug with Sam, Lena looked over to the red head. “Alex.” Lena reached over and hugged her too.
“Mom, Alex, you know THE Lena Luthor?” Ruby said, staring at them in shock. Lena felt Ellie coke behind her and hide behind her legs.
“She used to go to school with us.” Sam said to her daughter, but she looked suspiciously at Ellie.
“Yeah, until she left us all to dance around on ice.” Alex said sarcastically.
“Lee.” Sam said, grabbing the attention of the ravenette. When she caught eye with Lena she nodded her head to the child still hiding behind her.
“Uh, yeah we have some catching up to do.” She nodded her head towards Ruby as well. “This is Ellie, or El.” Lena moved away to show and the little girl nodded shyly.
“El, huh?” Alex said, earning herself an eyebrow raise and a glare from Lena.
“Anyway, lunch? We were about to head that way.” Sam said, confused.
“No, I don’t want to intrude.” Lena said.
“You’re coming, Luthor, you don’t have a choice.” Alex smirked.
Lena sighed affectionately and skated out of the rink with Ellie and Ruby behind her. They each took off their skates, and put them in their designated bags. Lena pulled one of her Team USA warmup pullovers out of her bag and held it out to Ruby. “Merry Christmas.” Ruby took the pullover excitedly and hugged Lena expressing her thanks.
The three walked over to meet Sam and Alex. Sam smiled at Lena and hugged her without the wall as a barrier. “I missed you Lee.”
“I missed you too Sammy. You too Alex.” Lena laughed when she heard the red heads sigh of annoyance.
They all walked to the little diner, which was all decked out in holiday decoration. They had to walk through a large crowd of people who were waiting to go into stores or get trinkets from the open kiosks. By the time they got to the entrance of the diner, Lena realized Ellie was not following her.
“Sam, Ellie!” Lena grabbed Sam's arm in fear.
“Lee breathed, she probably got lost in the crowd. Ruby stay with Alex.” Sam grabbed Lena’s hand and walked into the crowd calling for Ellie.
After about ten minutes of searching to no avail, Sam and Lena returned back to Alex. Sam was holding Lena in an attempt to stop her from going into a panic attack.
“Hey, Al. Sorry I'm late, but I found a kid. I don't know who she belongs to.” The woman said, holding a little arm up.
Without even noticing who the woman was Lena looked to see a very calm looking Ellie. Lena rushed towards her and picked her up squeezing her. “Ellie, you scared me.”
“I otay mama. The pretty girl helped me.” Ellie said, looking at her mom.
Lena said Ellie turned to the mysterious woman who helped her daughter. “Thank yo-”
The ravenette stopped herself when she saw the woman. The blond hair, ocean eyes, sunkissed skin. “Kara.” Lena said staring into the ocean eyes she missed so much since she left.
“Lena.” The blonde inveloped her into the warmest hug Lena had had in forever.
“Mom, they know each other too?” Ruby asked, looking at Sam.
“Yeah, they were attached at the hip. Where one was the other wasn’t far behind.” Sam said, remembering the old time.
Lena broke the hug when she felt Ellie pulling on her pants. Reaching down she picked the girl up and adjusted her on her hip. “Mama, who’s that?”
“This is Kara. She was my best friend.” Lena said, smiling at Kara, and ignoring the butterflies having a moment in her stomach.
Smiling Ellie reached out for Kara to hold her. When Kara took the small ravenette, Ellie hugged her and rested her head on Kara’s shoulder. “tank you.” Kara smiled, and nodded to the little girl holding her tight.
Lena gave Ellie a weird look, which caused the blonde to look at Lena confused. “Sorry, she’s never done that before. She usually hates new people.” Lena reached out to see if Ellie wanted her back, but the little girl just held tighter onto Kara. “Fine be like that, stay with her.” Lena said in mock offense causing Ellie to giggle.
“You two! Hurry up!” Sam yelled as she opened the door to the diner.
Lena laughed and followed Sam into the diner. The server took them to a large circular style booth in the corner of the restaurant. “Do you guys need a booster?” The server asked, smiling, and giving Ellie a little finger wave.
“Yes please, if you don’t mind.” Lena responded, sliding into the booth next to Sam.
Once the server left the group alone, Ruby instantly turned to adults, “I can’t believe you all knew Lena Luthor and never told me!” Ruby explained groaning. “You knew how much I love her.”
“Okay well I honestly didn’t know where Lena went.” Sam said, side eyeing the brunette.
Lena sighed infake annoyance, “Sam, I let everyone know.”
The server came back with a booster seat for Ellie and took the group's drink orders.
“Lena, you texted us all saying that you will love and miss us but you are moving for better training.” Alex said, raising her eyebrows at the skater. “Not going to lie but we all thought you were dying for a second.”
“Well my apologies, I’m in National City for the next few years of training. We should all catch up.” Lena said, closing her menu, and putting it on the end of the table.
Their server takes their dinner orders and Sam turns to Lena grabbing her arm. “Us six. Tonight. My apartment.”
“Huh?”
“Lena, okay, us six,” Sam motions around the table at everyone. “We all go to my apartment and catch up.”
The ravenette looks up at Sam,”Um I don’t know Sam.”
“Lee, there’s a heated pool.” Sam says, giving her puppy eyes.
“Mama! Swimmin’” Ellie says happily as Lena shoots Sam a glare.
“Well I guess I can’t say no now.” Lena groans. As Sam sides hugs her, and Alex gripes for not getting a say.
“I’m gonna run to the restroom.” Kara says for the first time in a while.
Lena looks at her as she stands up, and then looks at Alex and Sam. When they both nod to her Lena slides out of the booth. “El, stay with Sam okay?”
“Okay.” Ellie said as her mom kissed her forehead.
Lena walked into the bathroom and saw Kara looking in the mirror with her hands resting her sink. “Kara? Are you okay?”
The blonde sighed and looked up to roll out her neck. “Ye-”
“Nope, rhetorical question. I know something’s wrong. Don’t lie to me.” Lena said, stepping over next to her.
“How has it been ten years, and you can still read me like a book.” Kara said with a small smile as she turned to look at her.
“Some things never change.” Lena said, leaning back against the sink. “So what’s up?”
“I know we haven't caught up with each other's life but I went into the military. I am an infantry Marine. I just got back from a pretty rough deployment in Kasnia. I lost a lot of buddies, and had to deliver some flags back to the families. It’s just hard seeing the families faces, especially around the time of year.” Kara shrugs, “I love what I do. It's just hard seeing the family's reactions, but I am stationed in National City for the next few years.” Kara smiles at the last bit.
“I’m so proud of you Kara! I know I can’t help bring back what you lost, but…” Lena holds her arms out to the blonde. Kara smiles and takes the ravenette in for a hug lightly burying her face into the crook of Lena’s neck.
“As much as I missed and love your hugs, I think we need to get back.” Kara says with her hands still resting on Lena.
“Yeah we should.” Lena says, not meeting Kara’s eyes and feeling her face ignite in blush. Some things never change.