Starting Over Again 3/?

The classroom was quiet for a change, and Chloe Sullivan looked at her students as they completed their English exam. She looked at the
various different expressions around the room. Boredom, fear, and for some, excitement. Her gaze drifted to the clock on the wall and reminded
her students they have ten minutes left.

There were groans and sighs, and Chloe just chuckled quietly as she heard her phone vibrate on the table. She picked it up and looked in surprise
at the text message from Lois.

I'm outside the school. Meet me here NOW!

She shook her head and replied, letting her cousin know she'd be there in fifteen, after the exam was over. Lois didn't reply, but knowing her cousin,
she'd be in big trouble if she didn't show up on time.

Soon enough, the bell rang, and the students stood up and one by one handed their papers to her.

"Since I'm sure you ALL studied for this, I'm giving you guys a break. You don't need to finish the chapter for
Wuthering Heights until next Friday, meaning your chapter summaries should be in my Monday next week..."

Her announcement was greeted with cheers, and she waved her students good bye. Quickly putting the test papers in her bag,
she made her way to the parking lot where she knew Lois was waiting. Her cousin didn't even wait for her to greet her when Lois spoke.

"What's your connection to the Green Arrow?"

Her question took Chloe by complete surprise.

"What? Lois... I...."

Lois sighed. "Please don't tell me you don't know. I'm already missing six months of my life doing who knows what somewhere.
So don't, Chloe. Just don't."

She didn't know how to explain this to Lois. "I can't..."

"Chloe! The man sought me out! The Green Arrow. And it wasn't like he wanted to see how I was doing; he had a message
for you. From him and from some league."

The blond woman tried to take a deep breath at what Lois told her. When it looked like she wasn't going to say anything, Lois continued on.

"What league? Why did it sound like you were in contact from before?"

"Lois, I'm sorry. I really, really am... but I can't."

Lois just nodded her head. "Can't or won't?"

"I... really... It was in the past, Lois. It belonged to a time that I don't want to revisit. I... whatever I did with the Green Arrow or this league that
he was talking about, it's in the past. Buried. I can't talk about it, and I just want to forget everything from that time..."

When Chloe took a deep breath, Lois felt guilty. She could see Chloe trying to control the tears, and Lois just sighed and pulled her cousin in her
embrace.

"Chloe, I'm sorry, okay? I just wanted to know how he could possibly be connected to you. Why he would send me as a messenger..."

"What's this message, anyway?"

Chloe felt Lois stiffen at her question; she pulled away and looked at her cousin. "Lois?"

Lois took a deep breath and held Chloe's hands in her own. "Davis Bloome is alive."

"No... no... that's not possible." Chloe said softly as she tried to pull away. "Jimmy... Jimmy killed him to save my life. I saw him..."

The world around Chloe started to spin, and she barely heard Lois cry out in panic as the world turned black.

*_*_*

When she opened her eyes, Chloe stared at her bedroom ceiling for a few seconds, before she remembered what happened. She almost sat up, when
she felt someone beside her. She looked and saw her son cuddled next to her.

"You okay, Chloe?"

Chloe looked up and saw a worried Lois near the doorway. She gently untangled herself from her son and covered him with blankets. When she reached Lois,
her cousin hugged her and they both walked away quietly.

"I'm sorry Chloe. I just... I didn't know how else to break the news."

They both walked to the kitchen and Lois reached for her hands. "How are you feeling?"

Chloe just shrugged and tried to clear her throat. "Are you sure? Are you sure that's what he said?"

Lois nodded. "He said, and I quote: 'He had reasons to believe that he's alive.' He mentioned that this league will be around..."

Chloe looked at Lois before she closed her eyes. "What else, Lois?"

Lois chose her next words carefully. "He said just to be careful."

Chloe let the lie pass; she had a feeling what Oliver really meant. She looked upstairs to the bedroom and felt her heart beat in panic. What if he came
for James? There was no denying what Davis would've done to her if Jimmy hadn't saved her.

"It's my fault, Lois. I screwed up..."

"Hey, we all screw up..."

Chloe gave a dry laugh. "I don't think anyone could compete since I was the reason Jimmy died and Clark going AWOL and everything else in between."

Lois could see how much Chloe wanted to stay in control when a loud knock interrupted them. She looked at the window and saw Bart Allen waving, but
instead of the usual cheeky expression, it was one of worry. Chloe opened the door, and Bart immediately embraced Chloe. What worried Lois was that
it wasn't the usual happy, teasing hug that the young man gave. Even with his whispers, Lois could've sworn he heard Bart mention the word 'arrow'.

The reporter in Lois knew something was up. There was something going on that Chloe wasn't going to share. She wasn't going to push Chloe for answers
because she knew that Chloe would be upset, Bart Allen on the other hand was going to have to face Daily Planet's best reporter.

Unknown to the occupants in the house, a figure stayed hidden in the shadows, listening to the whispered conversation between Bart and Chloe. The figure
closed his eyes and listened as Chloe's heart beat slowed down to normal, appeased by the presence of Bart and Lois. Satisfied that she was fine, the figure
disappeared into the night sky, with one destination in mind. Washington.

Less than five minutes later, Martha Kent looked in surprise at her son who landed quietly in her balcony. She ushered her son inside and greeted him with a
hug and a kiss. "When are you going to let them see you, Clark?"

"I don't know."

Her son walked in with her, and Martha sighed. She didn't need super powers to know her son was confused on what his next step would be.

"Davis Bloome is alive."

Martha looked in fear at the name. "Doomsday?"

Clark shook his head. "I don't know. I'm going to have to see the Green Arrow. I need to know if he somehow managed to fuse himself
with the monster again."

"And Chloe?"

At his mother's question, Clark felt a small tug in his heart. When he returned almost a year ago, he told his mother everything. After apologising
for leaving with just a note, he told her everything. Lana, the Justice League, Davis Bloome and Doomsday, and Jimmy..."

"She's safe, for now."

Martha held her son's face with her hands, and Clark welcomed the warmth his mother provided.

"You can't stay hidden from them, Clark." She said softly. "They need you. If he is Doomsday again, the world will need you, Clark. Isn't what those
years in the fortress and travelling were about?"

Clark held his mother's hands and kissed her on the forehead. "I don't know if I'll ever be ready for what Jor-El wants me to do."

Martha shook her head. "You were always doing what you were meant to do. Whatever happened in the past Clark, it wasn't your fault. Not your's,
not Chloe's. You can't be held responsible for other people's actions."

She could feel her son disagreeing with her. Clark had always felt his power meant that he had the responsibility for saving, for protecting everyone.

"I know what to do now, mom. I won't make the same mistakes anymore." His words reminded him of his last conversation with Chloe. To be the hero
he needed to be...

Martha could almost read his mind. She knew it was pointless to convince Clark that his humanity was never a hindrance for him to become a hero.

"You should just rest; think of what you need to do next."

"I need to see Arrow. If he is back, then I need to be ready."

With another kiss on her forehead, Clark disappeared in a blur, and Martha Kent could only sigh. She walked back to her table and looked through
her schedule for the week. Seeing a few extra days, Martha shifted through the various leaflets on her table and picked the one she needed. She
dialled a number on her phone and gave a smile when her call was answered.

"Kelly, hi. I'm sorry to bother you so late, but I need you to arrange something for me in Sacramento... yes, about the school tours. I'd like to visit
Blue Creek High. Thank you so much, Kelly."

If this Davis Bloome or this Doomsday monster was back, she was determined to be next to Chloe Sullivan's side. She was five years too late,
but she wanted to be there for the young woman who was almost a daughter to her. This time, she was going to make sure Chloe wouldn't be alone any longer.

_*_*

Back in Sacramento, Bart watched as Chloe and Lois tried to pretend everything was normal with James around. The little boy ate his pasta with gusto,
and told his mother and his aunt about his day at school.

He allowed his mind to drift to his conversation with Oliver Queen, who cornered him at work, where he couldn't run. Literally. His boss was more than
happy to let his employee go to speak with the billionaire.

"Look man, like you said. There's no more league, we've said what we needed to say ages ago..."

"You've kept in contact with Chloe, right?"

Bart glared at his onetime boss and friend. "You got a problem with that?"

"I've tried Lois, I don't know how well that conversation went, but I need you to let Chloe know that Davis is back."

Bart shook his head. "Davis? Davis Bloome? That's not possible. He's not even Doomsday anymore."

Oliver pulled a few pictures out of his pocket. "This was taken via satellite. It's the Luthor grounds in Scotland. I've been having Tess Mercer f
ollowed by satellite for years now, and this is the first time I got a hit."

Bart looked at the pictures, and was amazed at the clarity of the pictures, as if it was an actual camera that took the pictures a few metres away and not
a satellite image. True enough, there was a man who looked like Davis Bloome in the pictures.

"What's that on his back?"

Oliver shook his head. "I don't know what it means, I haven't seen it anywhere and Victor can't come up with anything either."

"Did you show Lois this?"

"Of course not! I can't..."

Bart shook his head. "Are you insane? So you just dropped the bomb on Lois saying Davis Bloome is alive and..."

"I went to her as the Green Arrow!"

"And you don't think that she's going to be hammering Chloe with questions? What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't! I was worried!" Oliver snapped as he looked at the young man before him. Gone was the Bart Allen he once knew. There was a maturity in t
he man he was speaking with now that wasn't there before. "I was worried for Chloe, okay? We all know he was obsessed with her."

Bart snorted. "Worried? Where were you in the last five years? Where were you when she tried to reach out to you?"

"I can never make up for the years that passed, Bart. I'm not going to lie and say that I' wasn't angry and disappointed with her..."

Oliver didn't continue. There was still so much pain, and even with the years has passed, none of them have completely moved on. There was still a
part of them that was rooted to the past.

"If Doomsday or Davis Bloome is back... we need to be back."

At his words, Bart gave Oliver a look of suspicion. "We?"

"AC, Victor and Dinah. They're already involved."

At his response, Bart nodded. "And me?"

Oliver nodded his head. "We need you back, Impulse."

"Watchtower?"

"She's compromised, considering who we are dealing with."

Bart was going to turn Oliver down when he remembered James. There was no way Chloe could get involve as Watchtower and take care of James at the same time.
JL was sure to want to know where his mama went. Knowing the hours she spent as Watchtower, being back in the league would mean less quality time with her son.

"What about Chloe? If it is Davis, we're just going to leave her out there?"

"We need to make sure we have all the information we need before we make a move. If it is necessary to move her and her son to a safer location, we will..."

"No."

Oliver looked in surprise at Bart's response. "No?"

"If you don't move her now, I'm not going with you. I'm staying right next to Chloe and JL where I can protect them." It was saying those words that made
Bart blink. JL. James Lucas. Justice League. JL. Bart gave a smirk. Trust Chloe to come up with that.

"Look, I know how important this whole thing is, for all we know, Doomsday is already making his way to Chloe. Ain't going to let that happen to my Chloelicious."

Oliver nodded his head, and took out a cell phone. "Take this, talk to Chloe and show her the pictures. Call me as soon as you talked to her. If she wants to move, We'll move her."

"UNCLE BART!"

The sharp voice shook Bart out of his thoughts. He looked surprised at JL who frowned at him.

"Sorry, dude."

"You weren't listening!" accused the young boy who looked completely upset.

Bart gave an apologetic smile. "That's because I was just thinking of how I can show you my surprise gift to you!"

At the word gift, James immediately perked up. "Really?"

"Yep!" Bart replied as he winked at Chloe and Lois and pulled something out of his back pack. "I have a feeling... that you will really want this..."

With a flourish, Bart took out a hand held video game that made James clap his hands in excitement.

"Is that a DS?"

Bart just handed the toy to JL who opened the box and completely abandoned his dinner.

"Bart, you shouldn't have!"

Bart just looked at Chloe and grinned. "Employee discount, just for you and the little man..."

"What about me? Where's my gift?"

"Maybe if you give me a kiss..." Bart never finished his sentence as Lois threw a rolled up napkin at his face.

"Why don't you all go to the living room and see how that thing works."

James didn't need to be told twice. "Thanks mama!"

With a quick peck on the cheeks, James practically ran to the living room followed by Bart. Lois knew this was her chance.

"You know what, that sounds like a good idea!"

Bart Allen would never know what hit him, Lois thought as she took a determined stride to where the two boys were. One way or another, Lois Lane was going to get answers.

End Chapter.

There you have it! Please review and let me know what you guys think. People are going to be popping out in the next chapters... will Bart survive after Lois is finished? Stay tuned!