"Can't they do that next week?", Cat's rising voice intruded on Kara's data entry. Even though Cat's office was sound proofed, Kara's superhearing still caught everything, especially if she was tuned in to it and concentrating. But, even when she wasn't, if Cat's voice rose loud enough, it could get distracting. "Screw the contract, it's the fucking Fourth of July, Richard!", she shouted, slamming the phone down. "Son of a Bitch!"

Kara had no idea what she was talking about or who Richard was but she knew beyond a doubt what Cat's next move was going to be. Kara's finger hovered over the intercom button for exactly 1.2 seconds before it turned red. She let it go a full beep, so she wouldn't appear too anxious, before she pressed the button. Cat's frustrated voice immediately filled the microphone in her ear.

"Kira. My office. Now!"

Grabbing her pen and pad, Kara jumped up and headed into the CEO's office. "Yes, Ms. Grant.", she said as she rushed in.

It was everything that Kara could do to keep her composure when she saw Cat was wearing that dress. It was royal blue and form fitting, hugging all her curves perfectly. The color, which was Kara's favorite, accentuated Cat's blue eyes in such a way that they seemed to sparkle and dance like dazzling multi-faceted blue diamonds whenever she wore it. Kara was glad that the older woman was seated behind her desk when she entered because she found Cat's body to be extremely distracting when she was wearing this particular dress. And her body, combined with those exquisite eyes of hers, never failed to make Kara act even more awkward and dorky than usual.

"Kira, I need you to work your magic."

"Of course, Ms. Grant, I'll try.", she smiled.

Cat nodded. "I've just been informed that there was a bombing at the Embassy in Milan this morning."

"Oh how terrible! Anyone hurt?", Kara asked with concern, immediately thinking she might need to head to Italy to help out.

"It just came across the wire and the story is still developing but so far no injuries or deaths have been reported as yet. The whole city is on lock down with no flights in or out until further notice."

Kara sighed with relief. "Oh that's good."

"I suppose.", Cat said, "But I was scheduled to attend a conference there this weekend and now it's been cancelled."

"Oh, well, that's understandable. But, I'm just glad you're safe."

"Me, too, of course, but here's the issue… I just got off the phone with the manager of my condo complex... obnoxious little man, no wonder his nickname is 'Dick'.", she rolled her eyes and shook her head in aggravation, "Anyway, he called to notify me that the complex, in its infinite wisdom, has coincidentally decided to schedule a fumigation of the entire building this weekend as well. So, at present, I have no place to stay!"

"Oh no, Ms. Grant!", Kara gasped, her hand covering her mouth in surprise.

"'Oh no' indeed, Ms. Danvers.", Cat said. She inhaled a deep breath to try to calm herself.

Kara looked into the slightly distraught, heavenly blue eyes of her mentor and she was lost. All she wanted to do was hug the older woman… and also relieve some of her distress by offering up her own apartment for Cat to share with her over the holiday weekend. But Kara knew that wasn't going to happen. Cat Grant would never agree to 'slumming it' with her lowly assistant, even if only for a weekend.

"Wh-What about Carter?", Kara asked, her voice filled with concern.

For just a fraction of a second, Cat's face went soft. And Kara knew that she was genuinely touched that Kara had thought of her son.

"It's Carter's weekend with his dad.", Cat explained, "We planned it that way since I was supposed to be in Europe."

"Well, one good thing at least!", Kara smiled hopefully.

"Yes," Cat admitted, "I suppose… one tiny pearl in an ocean full of shit."

Kara blinked. Ms. Grant didn't normally use such language in front of her. "I'm sorry.", she bowed her head.

"What have I told you about apologizing, Kira?", Cat reminded her. "There's no need to apologize for something that wasn't your fault and over which you had no control."

"You're right, if course, Ms. Grant. But, I'm still sorry that this is happening to you."

Cat took a deep breath. "I know.", she said, "Me, too. But I keep telling myself that this is, of course, very minor in the grand scheme of things. It could've been much worse. I could've been in the Embassy when it was bombed."

"I know! That's what I was thinking, too. I'm just so glad you're safe!"

Cat nodded. "So am I. As much as I love to be in the thick of things, I don't really relish being anywhere near a bomb going off. Therefore, I'm really trying my best not to panic about my current situation. But I still find it quite… irksome."

"Yes, understandably so.", Kara agreed.

"That's where you and your 'magic' come in, Kira. I need you to see if you can find any kind of decent place for me to stay in National City… on one of the busiest holiday weekends of the year…. Dammit! Now, what did I say about not panicking?"

"Don't worry, Ms. Grant. I will do my best to come up with something, but if I can't find anything, maybe you could… stay with Adam?"

"That would work," Cat agreed, "were it not for the fact that Adam is out of town and I don't have a key to his place."

"Oh.", Kara sighed, searching for another alternative. "W-Well, maybe a friend then?", she suggested hopefully.

Cat raised her brows and gave her a stare that could've melted the Statue of Liberty into a smoking puddle of goo and Kara realized that she had obviously hit a nerve. "A hotel, Kira. In National City. Chop. Chop."

"I'm on it!", Kara said, turning on her heel and scurrying back to her desk.

Two hours later, Kara had had zero luck. She'd checked hotels, B&B's and Vacation Rentals by Owner. She'd even called four different travel agencies and there was just nothing to be had. The only things she'd found with any availability at all were places that Cat Grant wouldn't even be caught in with a tag attached to her toe.

Kara's phone intercom buzzed to life and Cat's voice came through. "Anything?"

"I'll be right in, Ms. Grant."

"I am assuming by the way you dodged my question just now that you couldn't find anything.", Cat surmised, sounding more demoralized than Kara had anticipated.

"Well, um," Kara began, trying to dredge up some sincerity, "actually, I found a couple of places on the outskirts of town…"

"Oh?", Cat sounded intrigued, "Do tell."

"Uhhhh, yes, a um… Super 8 and a Motel 6."

Cat stared at her, her mouth agape. "Kira, I am the founder and CEO of CatCo Worldwide Media. I am not staying in any place with a number attached to the name. Super 8, Motel 6, Stalag 17… whatever..."

Kara gave her a confused sidelong glance over her glasses. "Stalag 17?"

"Look it up!", Cat snapped. Then, subsiding, "Suffice it to say, I'm not staying in some vile, rundown dump that's probably crawling with bedbugs and has sheets that are stained with more bodily fluids than… Kim Kardashian's g-string." She curled her upper lip in distaste and cringed as a small tremor of disgust swept through her.

"Oh c'mon," Kara stifled a giggle at her exaggerated description, "surely they're not that bad, Ms. Grant!"

Cat gave her an icy stare that said otherwise, then she shook her head. "So… those are the only two places you found?"

Kara sighed. "Unfortunately."

Cat pursed her lips and gazed back at her steadily. And suddenly all manner of naughty thoughts bubbled up in Kara's brain, chief among them: how those soft lips would feel suction cupped to one of her nipples.

She shook her head. Holy Rao, she had to stop this. This infatuation with Cat was getting out of hand.

"Did you tell them who it was for?", Cat was saying and it jarred Kara back to reality.

"Y-Yes, I did, of course, Ms. Grant, but there just isn't any availability in the whole city. Everyone is coming in for the big fireworks display tomorrow night."

Cat looked down at her desk and let out a long frustrated sigh. "I am very disappointed in you, Kira.", she leveled her gaze at the younger woman. "I thought you had my back."

As usual, Kara felt like she had been shot through the heart with about fifty arrows.

"I—I do, Ms. Grant.", Kara stammered, "Always."

Kara tried her best not to let Cat manipulate her into feeling inadequate. The struggle lasted all of two full seconds, which was a record for Kara.

This was a game to Cat and Kara knew it. Cat was a master manipulator and she didn't make any attempt whatsoever to hide it. On the contrary, she actually seemed to pride herself on it. She knew Kara genuinely wanted to help her more than anything in the world, that it was just her nature. And the older woman never failed to use Kara's eagerness to please her to her advantage.

And suddenly, before she could stop herself, Kara found herself saying, "Well, there is one more alternative that I haven't mentioned yet."

Cat gazed up at her and the look that swirled through her eyes was almost predatory. "Another alternative? Why on Earth didn't you say so?"

Kara couldn't look at her, she wanted to clap her hand over her mouth and take back what she'd just said, but she knew that was impossible. So instead, she looked down at her Bass weejuns and shrugged. "B-Because I didn't think you'd be interested."

"There you go thinking again. Now, what is it?", she asked, her blue eyes brightening at the unknown prospect.

"Well, um, okay…", Kara began, trying to keep her voice steady while figuring out just how she should broach it, "James is on assignment in Metropolis…"

"Yes, I know that, I'm the one who sent him there.", Cat said, impatience rising in her voice.

"And, my sister is out of the country…", Kara continued.

"And I need to know this information why?"

"Because, well it's just um…", Kara touched the corner of her glasses self-consciously, pushing them further up the bridge of her nose, "I mean, I know it's not something you'd ordinarily consider or—or anyth-"

"Oh dear God, Kira! Spit it out!"

"You could stay with me.", Kara finally blurted.

Cat looked momentarily stunned, then she collected herself and shook her head.

"Oh Kira, no.", she said, looking at her as if Kara was a cat who had just proudly dropped a rotting animal carcass at her feet.

"Bu-But, Miss Grant, I have plenty of room in my apartment. I would even give you the bed and I'd sleep on the couch."

"No."

"But where will you stay?"

Cat looked down at her desk and began massaging her temples. "Well, my bags were already packed for Milan. They're in the closet. I guess I'll just stay here."

"At CatCo?"

"Yes."

"In your office?"

"Yes."

"All weekend?"

Cat finally looked up at her, not even trying to hide the irritation on her face at Kara's rapid fire questions. "Yes!"

"Absolutely not!", Kara announced resolutely. "That is not going to happen! Not while I'm around and have a perfectly good apartment that you can share with me!"

"I said no, Kira, I can't put you out like that."

"You won't be putting me out, Ms. Grant. Not at all!", Kara gushed. "I'll be spending the 4th alone anyway so I'd love for you to come stay with me! I won't take no for an answer."

Cat looked up at her, rare indecision clouding those gorgeous blue orbs of hers. And, Kara could tell that she really wanted to say yes but couldn't bring herself to it.

"C'mon, it'll be fun.", Kara said, now that she could see Cat was actually interested, she was bubbling over with eagerness.

"Fun?", Cat's lips curved around the word as if it was one she'd never heard before.

"Yes, we can spend the whole weekend getting to know each other better!", Kara was now almost bouncing up and down with joy at the prospect.

"Oh boy!", Cat said, less than enthusiastically, "I suppose it is a measure of just how stellar my desperation is that I am actually considering this."

"Oh c'mon, Ms. Grant, you'll love it. Alex spends the weekend with me all the time and we have a blast together! We could pop popcorn and watch movies and order pizza and play Heads Up…"

Cat rolled her eyes but Kara didn't catch it, she was too caught up in planning their weekend.

"And roast marshmallows in the fireplace.", Cat said in the same upbeat, giddy tone Kara had been using and smiling so wide The Joker would have been jealous.

"Well," Kara considered it quite seriously for a moment, "it's a little warm for that in July and I only have a gaslog so they might taste a little funky, but sure whatever you want, Ms. Grant."

Cat shook her head in amazement. "My God, you're like an exuberant puppy! I was being sarcastic, Kira!"

"Oh!", Kara rocked back slightly on her heels.

"This is not going to be a slumber party.", Cat informed her sternly, "It will be a professional arrangement. I just need a roof over my head for 3 nights, Kira."

"I—I understand completely, Ms. Grant. No worries!"

"And we're not braiding each other's hair either!", Cat snapped and held up a warning finger.

Kara did her best to suppress a laugh, "Absolutely not!" She was unable to stop the silly smile that spread across her face. "So that's it then, you're really going to stay with me?"

Cat let out a long, sustained sigh. "It looks like I really am since it appears that will be the only way to get you out of my office!", she said, giving Kara what anyone else would've taken as a withering stare but which Kara knew was Cat-Grant-ese for 'thank you so much, I'd love to'.

"Yes!", Kara cried, giving a small fist-pump of triumph. Then, when she caught Cat's glowering expression, she tried to dial it back a notch, awkwardly pulling her hand back down by her side and lowering her head slightly as she fumbled with her glasses using her other hand, "I-I mean, th-that's great news, Ms. Grant. I will be looking forward to it."

"Mmmm…", Cat raised her brows and gave her an icy stare. "And Chinese.", she said matter-of-factly.

Kara looked at her, perplexed. "Chinese?"

"Yes, darling, Chinese.", Cat sighed, arching a haughty brow. "The only place in National City that has pizza that I can, in any way, abide doesn't deliver."

"Ahhhh, okay! Not a problem, Ms. Grant!", Kara's head bobbed up and down enthusiastically despite the condescending way Cat was speaking to her. Kara had long ago grown accustomed to Cat's bitchy attitude, it didn't faze her in the least anymore. In fact, if she was being completely honest, the sheer unapologetic audacity of it kind of turned her on. All she cared about right now was the fact that Cat Grant, in a snide way or not, had just called her 'darling' and that one little word had sent her over the moon with joy. Combine that with the fact that Cat was going to be staying the whole weekend with her and they were going to be ordering takeout together, almost like an actual couple, and it was all she could do to contain her urge to literally start jumping up and down. "Chinese it is!", she cried, "I know just the place!"

"Oh goody!", Cat said, her tone dripping with sarcasm, which, of course, did nothing to dampen Kara's eagerness.

"H-Here's my address.", Kara said quickly, hand shaking as she nervously scribbled it down on an empty sheet of the notepad she'd brought in with her. She ripped off the page and handed it to Cat.

"I have some work to finish after 5 tonight but I'll give this to my driver to plug into the GPS.", she donned her reading glasses and perused the note before looking back up at Kara, "I'll text you when I'm on my way."

"Excellent!", Kara piped, trying to ignore how adorable Cat looked in her glasses. "I'll buzz you in when you get there! I'm in 1016. We're going to have so much fun!", she promised, voice filled with unfettered excitement.

Cat's striking eyes, slightly magnified by the reader's lenses, gave Kara a quick once over before regarding her coolly. "We'll see.", she said finally, then she removed her glasses and tossed them onto her desk. "Now, be gone, I have a million things to do," she ordered, waving Kara out, "Fly away and chirp in someone else's ear... Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Glinda the Good, I don't care, so long as you get out of my office! Now shoo!"

"Y-Yes, Ms. Grant!", Kara nodded and bowed her head slightly, giddy delight plastered all over her face. "See you tonight!"

She turned to leave but then heard Cat's voice behind her. "A professional arrangement, Kira! This does not mean we're fucking BFF's!"

Kara turned back to the older woman briefly, forcing the smile from her face. "No, of course not, Ms. Grant.", she agreed. "Strictly professional." She only allowed her goofy smile to reappear once she had her back to Cat. She also took special care with each step to keep her feet firmly planted on the floor as she exited the office so that she didn't accidentally levitate into midair just from sheer joy.

Author's note: I do realize that Cat Grant has brown eyes on the show, as Calista Flockhart's eyes are dark brown. But in the comics, Cat's eyes are blue. I didn't realize this until I'd already published the story, so please forgive that inaccuracy here as far as the tv show goes. It is true to the comics, though. :-) Hope you are enjoying it so far, Chapter 2 is in the works. ~~QES