Chapter Text
“You about ready to head out soon?” Winn asked as he peaked out from over their desk privacy divider. “I have a crock pot of hot chocolate and a bottle of peppermint schnapps waiting for us back at my place.”
“Um,” Kara bit her lip. “I still have a few more articles to go over.”
“But Kara, it’s already past five!” Winn whined. “And it’s almost Christmas! Everyone else has already head on out.”
“Christmas is still over a week away. And some of the reporters were late getting their articles in and most of them need complete rewrites.”
“Then send it back to them!” Winn threw up his hands. “It’s not your job to write the article for them. You’re only supposed to proofread them and check their sources.”
“But if I ever want to make it as a reporter, I have to prove that I’m worth it,” Kara insisted with an adjustment of her glasses. “Besides, it’s definitely improving my writing.”
Kara had only been at this job for a few months, and she knew that she just had to stick with it for a few months, maybe even years, to prove her worth as a copy editor before she got her break. That was how it worked when she got promoted from assistant to copy editor. It just took patience and hard work. Even if that meant rewriting most of the articles and working later nights than the CEO herself on the rare occasion.
“All you’re proving right now is you’re a pushover that other people can rely on to do their own work,” Winn said as he flopped back down in his chair and grabbed his bag. “I’m going to run to the breakroom for some coffee before I head out. Do you want anything?”
“Some tea would be nice,” Kara said, her focus already falling back to the article before her. From the looks of the piece in front of her, she would need several more cups of caffeine before the night was over.
“You got it!”
As she read the lead and preceding paragraph of the article, a headache festered in her temple as she spotted five errors before even making it to the third sentence. Just when she thought about rewriting this article from complete scratch, her phone buzzed. She fished it out of her back pocket to see her sister’s face lighting up the screen.
“Hey, Alex,” Kara said, leaning back in her chair as she rubbed her eyes behind her glasses.
“Hey, sis! I just wanted to know when you thought you’d be making it over to Midvale.”
“Uh, it looks like it’s going to be awhile,” Kara eyed the pile of articles on her desk. “I’m hoping I can be out there a day or two before Christmas.”
“That late? Kelly’s going to be coming down tomorrow from National City, and I thought you two could ride together.”
Kara scoffed. “Yeah, no, I definitely can’t make it that soon. Ms. Grant would kill me.”
“Really?” Alex groaned. “You’ve been working almost seventy-hour weeks lately. You deserve a nice holiday break.”
“That’s not how it works in journalism. The news never sleeps.”
“Still ridiculous if you ask me.” Alex gave a small grunt. “Also, do you know where the box of my old handmade Christmas ornaments is? Like the ones I made in preschool and elementary school?”
“Um, no,” Kara frowned. “I didn’t know you had any.”
“Yeah, you did. They were on the tree when we were kids. Those reindeer made out of popsicles and pipecleaners or those wreaths made from green ink and thumbprints?”
“I don’t remember them.”
Kara was sure of it. She remembered everything about when she first came to live with the Danvers, especially their first Christmas.
“Huh, maybe they were before you.”
Ouch, that definitely didn’t hurt.
“Anyway, I’m in the attic looking for them now and, my gosh, Mom and Dad have a ridiculous number of boxes up here. And I swear half of them are different sorts of Christmas ornaments or lights, but none of them are the right ones. Not to mention all these ridiculously old cards. Why do people still hold on to these things?”
Kara pinched the bridge of her nose and pushed back against the sour twist of her stomach. “Why are you looking for them?”
“Because I want to show them to Kelly when we decorate the tree tomorrow.”
The sour twist turned into a knot.
“You’re decorating the tree tomorrow?”
Decorating the tree had always been one of Kara’s favorite parts. It was the tradition that officially kicked off all the others. Drinking watered down Swiss Miss hot chocolate while reminiscing of the holidays they had shared before it or sharing stories triggered by different ornaments and Eliza insisting on decorating the back of the tree even though no one would ever see it. All those things always gave Kara’s soul a much-needed recharge.
“Well, yeah. I mean, I know it’s your favorite, but Christmas is almost here, and we can’t wait much longer. I hope that’s okay.”
“Uh, yeah,” Kara said even though her tone betrayed her words. “That’s fine.”
“It doesn’t sound fine.”
“I swear, it is,” Kara plastered on a fake smile hoping it would mask her lie. “I hope you and Kelly have a great time decorating the tree tomorrow.”
“We can leave a couple for you to do when you get here.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Kara told her. Nothing would be more awkward than her having to decorate the tree with a handful ornaments alone while everyone else watched.
“Alright. Oh, and hey, also,” Alex huffed, probably moving another box. “I don’t think we’re going to have the Pirozhki with Christmas dinner this year.”
“What?” Kara’s face immediately fell, erasing her fake smile completely.
“Well, it just makes sense. Kelly’s a vegetarian and with how busy you are with Catco and how you’re arriving late, it just doesn’t make sense to make them this year. Not to mention, Mom’s been pretty busy anyways so we’re ordering most of the food in.”
“But… we could just fill them with mashed potatoes or vegetables or something to make them safe for Kelly to eat. It doesn’t have to be filled with meat.”
“You know that’s not the same. Look, I’ll just throw in an extra order of pot stickers from that place you love to make it up to you. How’s that?”
“Alex—” but Kara was cut off by a load crash from the other end of the phone line.
“Ah, crap!” Alex groaned. “The bottom of the box just fell out. I’ll have to call you back. There’s all this broken glass and bits of plastic covering the floor now.”
“Alex—”
“Talk to you later, sis,” and then the line went dead.
Kara lowered the phone and stared at the now black screen as she felt her throat grow thick. Pirozhki had been a holiday tradition of the Danvers ever since Kara came into their life. Simply put, it was just a meat stuffed bun that they ate for Christmas dinner, but it was so much more to Kara than that. It was one of the few things that kept her childhood alive. One of the only traditions that she had brought with her. And she always thought Alex understood that. But apparently, Kelly meant more. And why shouldn’t she? No one had made her sister so happy since her break-up with Maggie. It was great that she had found someone to begin a new life with. It just seemed this new life involved less and less of Kara each day.
“Hey,” Kara looked up to see Winn drumming on her desk. “Ms. Grant wants to see you in her office.”
“Really? What for?” Kara asked, her spine stiffening.
“Beats me,” Winn shrugged before furrowing his brow in concern. “Hey, are you alright?”
“Yeah,” Kara said as she wiped her nose with the back of her hand as she stood up. “I’m fine.”
Kara walked away before Winn could pry more. The last thing she needed was to get on Ms. Grant’s bad side with either her tardiness or her tears; both things that the Queen of Media despised more than trashy tabloids and comma splices. Smoothing out her cardigan as she walked, Kara did her best to hold her head high and shove the thought of no more meat buns or tree decorating down to dwell on later.
Cat Grant was the founder and CEO of Catco, one of the world’s largest news publishers, who had been righteously nicknamed “The Queen of Media” and her office testified to that claim. From the wall of windows that showcased a spectacular view of National City from one of the top floors of the buildings, sunlight cast illuminated the room’s spotless couches and interior design. Screens with scrolling headlines and different news outlets lined the back of the wall behind Cat’s expansive and elevated desk, but no sound came from the office except for Cat’s typing and occasional shrewd demand at one of the many assistants she went through regularly. Kara certainly didn’t miss that.
“Um, you wanted to see me, Ms. Grant?” Kara announced as she crossed the threshold to her office.
“Tell me, Kiera,” Cat looked up from her computer, her reading glasses perched on the edge of her nose, “What do you know about Thorul?”
“Um,” Kara gulped, pushing her own glasses up. “It’s a country in Europe ruled by a monarchy…”
“A monarchy that has been rocked with scandal in the past years,” Cat continued for her. “With the great king passing, the handsome prince being convicted for treason, and the criminal queen on the run, the young princess has catapulted her way to the throne. A throne she is to be coronated for in the coming weeks.”
Kara blinked and shifted her weight to her other foot. She was familiar with the princess: Lena Luthor. Anyone who has paid any attention to the news lately was. The tabloids loved her, especially after King Lionel passed away, then again when the press got wind of the criminal charges the Throulian Parliament pressed against her brother, the then King Alexander. The princess, a woman who had attended a variety of prestigious graduate schools, although never for the time it took to obtain a degree, was a tabloid favorite. She had been seen exiting the apartments and cars of many known celebrities at early hours of the morning, always immaculate with never a hair out of place. Daily Mail even referred to her as the “Pansexual Princess” although Kara suspected it was more for the alliteration than actual sexual preference since none of the relations were ever confirmed. One of Taylor Swift’s latest hits had been rumored to be about her and some even claimed she was the first royal Meghan Markle ever got a taste of.
Of course, these were all just rumors. When asked in interviews, any of her supposed sexual escapees denied it, claiming that the princess was simply a good friend. But when did that ever stop tabloids or their headlines? If anything, the only confirmed relationship the princess ever had was an on and off again relationship with another European royal: Duke Jack Speer. While there weren’t any sneaky pictures or hot gossip about them, they had plenty of public appearances together under their belt with barely more than handholding between them.
“Yes, I am aware,” Kara nodded shortly.
“Good. I need you to cover the upcoming press conference at their palace,” Cat said, already settling down to work on her computer once more.
“The upcoming press conference?” Kara blinked. “In Thorul?”
“I don’t believe I stuttered,” Cat said, her eyes still focused on her computer as she typed.
“Are you sure, Ms. Grant?” Kara faltered as she twisted her fingers. “I’ve never covered anything that big. I just do copy edits.”
“I was under the impression you wanted to be a reporter,” Cat slowly said as she looked up. “I don’t give out these kinds of opportunities very often and certainly never more than once to one person.”
“Well, yes, of course,” Kara continued to stammer. “I’d be happy to go.”
“Good,” Cat said as she returned her focus to her screen. “I see a lot of potential in you Kiera. That and no other reporter wanted to cover it because they would potentially miss the holidays.”
“I’d miss the holidays?”
The Queen of Media raised an eyebrow, but Kara swiftly answered her own question, fearful to get anymore on her bosses’ bad side. Especially this close to Christmas bonuses.
“Yes, of course, that’s not a problem!”
“Good,” Cat said. “My assistant will email you the plane tickets. You leave tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, thank you, Ms. Grant,” Kara said but her boss was already waving her out of her office.
Kara hastily made her way out of Cat Grant’s office before slowing her gait as she returned to her break. Kara hadn’t left the country in years. Thankfully, she had a passport from back when Alex and Maggie talked about getting married in Mexico. Even if that relationship had fallen through, her passport thankfully hadn’t. Still, she had too much to do to be prepared for flying to another country tomorrow. There was packing, research, scheduling. Who would water her house plants?
“Congratulations, girl!” Winn exclaimed, holding his hand up for a high five.
“You were listening?” Kara asked.
“Well, yeah. I wanted to make sure she wasn’t giving you anymore crazy work,” Winn waved his still high hand. “You’re not gonna leave me hanging are you?”
“But I could be missing Christmas now!”
“But it’s your big break! Besides, weren’t you just grumbling about being a third wheel with Alex and Kelly the other day? This is perfect!”
“I don’t know if I’m ready for this, Winn.”
“Hey,” Winn’s hands fell on Kara’s shoulder as he looked her square in the eye. “Yes, you are. No one in this office besides Cat Grant herself works as hard as you do. You’re going to do great.”
Kara sighed. He was right. This was as ready as she would ever be. And her boss even told her that she wouldn’t be getting an opportunity like this again. It was now or never if she wanted to be a reporter and that was what she had working towards for years. This was her big break, and she was ready for it.
“Thanks, Winn,” Kara said, giving him a small genuine smile.
“Anytime,” Winn patted her shoulder. “Now let’s go drink hot spiked chocolate and pack!”