Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville. You know what would happen if I did? There would be problems.

AN: This is set in the same story line as Oliver is Bart's guardian. This would be set after the Ridge explosion but before the kidnapping.

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"Mr. Queen, please look this way," someone yelled among the flashes of light. Today was the opening of several eco-friendly houses that were made for low-income families. Oliver had come out with several of the board members and a couple of scientists for the publicity that was generated. They had been taking pictures for the past few minutes.

Finally, the men were able to sit at a long table. Each place had a microphone and a name in the front. "All right. Now, if you have any questions that weren't covered in the press packet, I would suggest asking them now," the PR person told them. Several hands went up.

"Dr. Evans, the solar panels were described as several times more efficient than previous. Could you please tell us how?" one reporter asked, holding up a recorder.

"The panels are able to take in some more of the sun energy due to the unique making of the cells of the panels. These panels can also hook up to batteries that can keep the charge of the energy," he explained. The questioning continued for the next several minutes. Then, someone pulled one out of thin air.

"Mr. Queen is it true that you have taken guardianship of a young man?" a reporter, far in the back, yelled.

"I wish to express that those questions weren't to be asked and that the rest do not print anything of it," the PR person said. The reporter in the back was hauled off by security.

The questioning was more subdued and ended earlier than anyone had participated. Oliver went straight to his car and back to the apartment. He could hear the tutor talking to Bart about physics. Oliver wanted Bart to have a semi-normal life, but just after a week from the Ridge explosion, he had already found Bart drinking massive amounts of coffee and not sleeping. Oliver had asked what the problem was, but Bart just went to his room and locked himself in.

Now, someone had found out about the guardianship papers. They only had a name connected to the fingerprints and no background to deal with. A reporter knowing about Bart, or at least about he had taken in someone, had only increased his worry about the plan to incorporate Bart into the school system. He had just been talked into it by pressure from the entire League.

Arthur Curry and Victor Stone were the first people that saw him when he came home. And they were the first people that had seen the Question and Answer on TV. "What the hell was that about?" Vic asked, joining him.

"For our sakes, I hope it's nothing." Oliver made to his office and shut the door in their faces.

"Do you think that this isn't the only thing bothering Ollie?" AC asked, turning to Vic.

"No, but he won't tell us unless necessary."

--

It was cold. The floor was cold. He couldn't see anything and he couldn't move. He wanted to open his jar, but trying to stretch duct tape didn't work."Make sure the area is prepared when he gets there. I don't want him getting loose," a voice ordered. Still foggy, he placed the voice as Lex Luthor's. "Great, I'm in the hands of the enemy," he thought.

He waited until he didn't hear moving anymore and started moving his hands. "So you're awake. You've gotten better at faking since I've seen you," a voice sneered.

He stopped cold at the voice. Years of bruises, lies and problems came back up and he didn't want to go back to them. He moved back from the voice. Something grabbed his arm and gave him a couple of kicks to the abdomen. He let out an involuntary yell, though it was muffled.

"I've found something better to do with you. It'll be fun. You remind me so much of your mother, the least you can do is take her place." There was an increased pressure around his hips. He tried to move, but he felt hands undoing something.

"NO!" he shouted, not like he could be heard. He tried to kick the person off of him, but then he was turned onto his stomach. He could feel the cold around the area and heard the second accompanying sound of a zipper being undone.

--

"NO!" he screamed, shooting straight up in bed. He couldn't find the pillow he was use to crying into, but he didn't need it as someone wrapped their arms around him. His reflexes took over and he hugged back, crying in the shoulder of Oliver.

--

Oliver was doing work in the living room. He had a small cup next to a late night snack and was going over surveillance photos from a possible target in Michigan. He was about to put it all away when he heard something in another one of the rooms. A whimper.

He walked to the room he heard it in. He opened the door quietly to see Bart tossing in his bed. Both pillows had been thrown to the ground and the sheets were twisted around his body. He went over to the bed to wake Bart up but Bart woke up screaming. All hold he had on his emotions fell as he dropped on the bed and hugged him. Two more arms completed the hug and Bart sobbed into his shoulder.

Oliver looked up at the doorframe to see Vic and AC. They both had worried looks on their faces, but once they saw Ollie was already there, they decided they weren't needed and went back to sleep. Dinah wasn't in the apartment at that time. She was traveling with her job for the month.

"Come on, Bart. Talk to me, what's going on?" Oliver asked, rubbing Bart's back to help with the hiccup he developed during the crying. Bart, not loudly crying but still showing tears, shook his head. He didn't trust his voice just yet. "Bart, what happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it." His voice sounded smaller than usual; Oliver didn't know what was worse, the nightmare Bart was having, or the fact it still affected him. All he could do is wait for Bart to tell him, so while he rubbed Bart's back to get him back to sleep, he devised a plan to get him to talk.

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I have entered the Dark Zone.

Read please. Review, pretty please.