Fic: Fallen Star
Title: Fallen Star
Fandom: DC Universe
Characters/Pairing: Wonder Girl/Supergirl
Rating: PG
Request: Here
Words: 1369
Summary: After a tragedy, Cassie finds new purpose in helping Kara rebuild her life.
Life can change in an instant. No one knew this better than Cassie Sandsmark. She had seen the boy she loved ripped away from her in an instant, and it consumed her for so long. Even now, battling side by side against a rampaging madman with the girl she had come to call a best friend and maybe more, he was never far from her mind.
It only took an instant. An instant that Cassie wasn't paying attention. An instant she knew she would replay in her mind for the rest of her life. Kara flew head-first towards the villain, ready to plow through his armor. She was going well over 60 miles per hour when the sickening green glow she had come to associate with death enveloped his armor, but there was no slowing down at that speed. She collided head-first into his chestplate with a sickening crack, and collapsed to the ground in a heap.
"Kara!"
Cassie flew over, shielding Supergirl's unconscious body from the villain's blows. Drawing on the strength Ares gave her, she punched right through his armor, ripped out the Kryptonite core, and hurled it away as the armor deactivated. The police could deal with him. She only cared about one thing.
"Kara? Can you hear me?"
Kara's eyes fluttered. "Ng...hurts..."
"Just lie still, okay? The ambulance will be here soon. You're going to be okay."
Cassie took Kara's hand in hers and stroked it. Kara suddenly got a look of primal fear in her eyes.
"I can't feel my hand."
"What?"
"I can't feel you hold it. I can't feel anything. What's happening to me, Cassie?"
The ride to the hospital was a blur, as Cassie desperately tried to keep Kara calm while supressing her own fears. The news from the doctors was grim, if not completely unexpected. The collision, worsened by Kara's vulnerability to the Kryptonite, had shattered her fourth and fifth cervical vertabra and severed her spinal cord. In one instant, Kara had gone from Supergirl to quadriplegic.
The weeks that followed brought hundreds of specialists, all with their own opinions of the Kryptonian nervous system but very few answers. Cassie had wanted to be the one to break the news to Kara when she woke up, and the look in Kara's eyes as she realized exactly what had happened to her made Cassie wish more than anything that she could have taken her place. Superman searched the globe, looking for any potential miracle to help his cousin. The experimental solar therapies that had healed some of Superman's more serious injuries in the past didn't help Kara regain any function below the shoulders. The only silver lining was that due to Kara's invulnerability, she wouldn't have to worry about a lot of the medical complications that came with paralysis. Of course, as Kara bitterly noted, this meant she could live a long healthy life as a prisoner in her own body. Kara often mused on suicide, wondering if she could get Cassie to simply leave some Kryptonite on the table next to her, but somehow she never asked. It was a gut-wrenching period of disappointment after disappointment. Eventually, there was nothing for Cassie to do but take Kara home and hope she could give her something to live for.
=
The Titans couldn't believe it when Cassie resigned from the team to take care of Kara full-time. But in the three weeks since Kara had come home, Cassie was surprised by the fact that she felt more motivated and fulfilled than she had in over a year. It wasn't easy, but every time she made Kara smile and saw a little bit of the girl she was starting to fall in love with come back, it was all worth it.
Kara carefully pressed her lips to the straw mounted on her wheelchair and blew a little air into it. The chair jolted forward. A quick sip of air turned it to the side. These breath-operated controls were endlessly frustrating, but she was slowly getting the hang of it. It would have been so much easier if she could move her arms at all, but they just lay lifeless in their armrests. She hadn't gotten any movement back besides a slight ability to shrug her shoulders. Kara hated being helpless more than anything, but it was hard to avoid.
"You're getting to be a pro with that thing."
Kara swiveled her chair around to see Cassie smiling at her. "Thanks. It's a bitch, but I'm working on it."
Cassie's hand drifted onto Kara's shoulder, which she gave a little squeeze. "It's going to get easier. I promise. It might take a while, but I'll be here for as long as it takes."
Kara leaned in slightly, as far as her body would let her. Cassie saw this, and leaned in the rest of the way, kissing Kara on the lips. For a second, everything seemed to be at peace.
=
That afternoon, Cassie and Kara were floating in the pool on the balcony. Cassie was supporting Kara under her arms.
"Okay, babe. Try to move your shoulders in the water."
Kara, with effort, moved her shoulders up and down and propelled herself forward a few inches.
"Whoa. Did I just - "
"Yeah. The muscles you can use are still super-strong. Now we've just got to work on getting them stronger, and soon you'll be able to do laps around the pool."
Kara grinned at Cassie, although the exertion could be clearly seen on her face. "....Maybe in a few weeks. Can we get out now? I think I need to sleep a bit."
Cassie gently lifted Kara out of the pool and placed her on one of the deck chairs. As Cassie toweled Kara's limbs off, Kara lay her head on her shoulder, allowing the exhaustion to overtake her now that she was safely in the arms of her protector.
=
Night was falling over Metropolis as Cassie and Kara finished dinner on the balcony. Cassie carefully offered Kara a piece of chicken. As Kara chewed, she looked up at the moon.
"I really hate this."
"The chicken? I thought I followed the recipe, but - "
"No, not the chicken. The chicken's great. I hate being this way. You said it would get easier, but it never seems to. Every day, I seem to spend the entire time being reminded of the things I can't do anymore. I mean, this beautiful night sky...I used to love to go flying in it. But I'll never fly again. Hell, I'll probably never even be able to feed myself again. And I hate sitting here, watching you take care of me, because I know that as long as I'm like this, you'll never get to have your own life again."
Kara began to cry, tears running down her face. Cassie picked up a napkin and gently dabbed at her eyes.
"You are my life, babe. Before you came along...I was in a really bad place. I didn't know what I was doing with myself, and you made me feel alive again. Then, when you got hurt...I decided I was going to pay you back for all you did for me. So I'm here for you as long as you need me, and the last thing I want is for you to feel guilty while you should be working on getting stronger."
"It's times like this I really miss being able to hug you."
Cassie gently slipped her hand under Kara's and whispered in her ear. "Remember. You're still my Supergirl. Always."
Kara blushed. As she looked at her limp hand resting in Cassie's, she wondered if she'd ever be able to squeeze back. Her broken neck had left her helpless, but Cassie was helping her remember who she used to be. And even if she never moved again, she knew Cassie would always help her soul take flight.
Fandom: DC Universe
Characters/Pairing: Wonder Girl/Supergirl
Rating: PG
Request: Here
Words: 1369
Summary: After a tragedy, Cassie finds new purpose in helping Kara rebuild her life.
Life can change in an instant. No one knew this better than Cassie Sandsmark. She had seen the boy she loved ripped away from her in an instant, and it consumed her for so long. Even now, battling side by side against a rampaging madman with the girl she had come to call a best friend and maybe more, he was never far from her mind.
It only took an instant. An instant that Cassie wasn't paying attention. An instant she knew she would replay in her mind for the rest of her life. Kara flew head-first towards the villain, ready to plow through his armor. She was going well over 60 miles per hour when the sickening green glow she had come to associate with death enveloped his armor, but there was no slowing down at that speed. She collided head-first into his chestplate with a sickening crack, and collapsed to the ground in a heap.
"Kara!"
Cassie flew over, shielding Supergirl's unconscious body from the villain's blows. Drawing on the strength Ares gave her, she punched right through his armor, ripped out the Kryptonite core, and hurled it away as the armor deactivated. The police could deal with him. She only cared about one thing.
"Kara? Can you hear me?"
Kara's eyes fluttered. "Ng...hurts..."
"Just lie still, okay? The ambulance will be here soon. You're going to be okay."
Cassie took Kara's hand in hers and stroked it. Kara suddenly got a look of primal fear in her eyes.
"I can't feel my hand."
"What?"
"I can't feel you hold it. I can't feel anything. What's happening to me, Cassie?"
The ride to the hospital was a blur, as Cassie desperately tried to keep Kara calm while supressing her own fears. The news from the doctors was grim, if not completely unexpected. The collision, worsened by Kara's vulnerability to the Kryptonite, had shattered her fourth and fifth cervical vertabra and severed her spinal cord. In one instant, Kara had gone from Supergirl to quadriplegic.
The weeks that followed brought hundreds of specialists, all with their own opinions of the Kryptonian nervous system but very few answers. Cassie had wanted to be the one to break the news to Kara when she woke up, and the look in Kara's eyes as she realized exactly what had happened to her made Cassie wish more than anything that she could have taken her place. Superman searched the globe, looking for any potential miracle to help his cousin. The experimental solar therapies that had healed some of Superman's more serious injuries in the past didn't help Kara regain any function below the shoulders. The only silver lining was that due to Kara's invulnerability, she wouldn't have to worry about a lot of the medical complications that came with paralysis. Of course, as Kara bitterly noted, this meant she could live a long healthy life as a prisoner in her own body. Kara often mused on suicide, wondering if she could get Cassie to simply leave some Kryptonite on the table next to her, but somehow she never asked. It was a gut-wrenching period of disappointment after disappointment. Eventually, there was nothing for Cassie to do but take Kara home and hope she could give her something to live for.
=
The Titans couldn't believe it when Cassie resigned from the team to take care of Kara full-time. But in the three weeks since Kara had come home, Cassie was surprised by the fact that she felt more motivated and fulfilled than she had in over a year. It wasn't easy, but every time she made Kara smile and saw a little bit of the girl she was starting to fall in love with come back, it was all worth it.
Kara carefully pressed her lips to the straw mounted on her wheelchair and blew a little air into it. The chair jolted forward. A quick sip of air turned it to the side. These breath-operated controls were endlessly frustrating, but she was slowly getting the hang of it. It would have been so much easier if she could move her arms at all, but they just lay lifeless in their armrests. She hadn't gotten any movement back besides a slight ability to shrug her shoulders. Kara hated being helpless more than anything, but it was hard to avoid.
"You're getting to be a pro with that thing."
Kara swiveled her chair around to see Cassie smiling at her. "Thanks. It's a bitch, but I'm working on it."
Cassie's hand drifted onto Kara's shoulder, which she gave a little squeeze. "It's going to get easier. I promise. It might take a while, but I'll be here for as long as it takes."
Kara leaned in slightly, as far as her body would let her. Cassie saw this, and leaned in the rest of the way, kissing Kara on the lips. For a second, everything seemed to be at peace.
=
That afternoon, Cassie and Kara were floating in the pool on the balcony. Cassie was supporting Kara under her arms.
"Okay, babe. Try to move your shoulders in the water."
Kara, with effort, moved her shoulders up and down and propelled herself forward a few inches.
"Whoa. Did I just - "
"Yeah. The muscles you can use are still super-strong. Now we've just got to work on getting them stronger, and soon you'll be able to do laps around the pool."
Kara grinned at Cassie, although the exertion could be clearly seen on her face. "....Maybe in a few weeks. Can we get out now? I think I need to sleep a bit."
Cassie gently lifted Kara out of the pool and placed her on one of the deck chairs. As Cassie toweled Kara's limbs off, Kara lay her head on her shoulder, allowing the exhaustion to overtake her now that she was safely in the arms of her protector.
=
Night was falling over Metropolis as Cassie and Kara finished dinner on the balcony. Cassie carefully offered Kara a piece of chicken. As Kara chewed, she looked up at the moon.
"I really hate this."
"The chicken? I thought I followed the recipe, but - "
"No, not the chicken. The chicken's great. I hate being this way. You said it would get easier, but it never seems to. Every day, I seem to spend the entire time being reminded of the things I can't do anymore. I mean, this beautiful night sky...I used to love to go flying in it. But I'll never fly again. Hell, I'll probably never even be able to feed myself again. And I hate sitting here, watching you take care of me, because I know that as long as I'm like this, you'll never get to have your own life again."
Kara began to cry, tears running down her face. Cassie picked up a napkin and gently dabbed at her eyes.
"You are my life, babe. Before you came along...I was in a really bad place. I didn't know what I was doing with myself, and you made me feel alive again. Then, when you got hurt...I decided I was going to pay you back for all you did for me. So I'm here for you as long as you need me, and the last thing I want is for you to feel guilty while you should be working on getting stronger."
"It's times like this I really miss being able to hug you."
Cassie gently slipped her hand under Kara's and whispered in her ear. "Remember. You're still my Supergirl. Always."
Kara blushed. As she looked at her limp hand resting in Cassie's, she wondered if she'd ever be able to squeeze back. Her broken neck had left her helpless, but Cassie was helping her remember who she used to be. And even if she never moved again, she knew Cassie would always help her soul take flight.