Author's note: Hello all, I just wanted to let you all know that I'm still alive and that this story is also very much alive…unfortunately I have so unmotivated and have just had no will to write but thanks to some of you who have Private messaged me and left me lovely encouraging reviews, I just had to continue writing….I'm in the process of editing chapter 11…and will post it up sometime next week for so for those of you who are interested….in the mean time I decided to post up the cookies/interludes for the story…I had written them a long while ago and have decided to post them up..some of you may have read them while others have not…but anyway…I would just like to thank everyone who has read and reviewed the story up till now and for those who have PMed me…I really appreciate it from the bottom of my heart and it is for you guys that I will continue this till the end! I'm greatful for all the support and I'm sorry you've all had to wait so long! Anyway here are two cookies for the time being…take care and will post up real soon! by the way the 000 symbolises little section breaks...didn't want to have too many lines in this especially since its got two cookies...

Oliver put a hand to his head as he felt a sharp pain to his cranium. Oh for the love of god he thought to himself why does this keep happening? Am I supposed to be learning something from this? He watched as his vision began to blur and a scene began to flash before his eyes and the star of the show was the Oliver whose life he'd replaced.

It was a hospital corridor of some sorts and it was empty of people. Suddenly the swinging double doors swung open with a bang and a whole load of people came streaming in. Leading the throng was Chloe, seated in a wheelchair being wheeled in by her daughter. Running alongside her on her left was Oliver making ridiculous breathing noises.

"HEE HEE HOO" he was chanting over and over again like a broken record while Chloe was grimacing in pain at her contractions. Running alongside Chloe on her left was Orion who was also making the same ridiculous breathing noise as his fathers.

"HEE HEE HOO come on mom you can do it" he encouraged. At Chloe's back wheeling her in was Harlan who was also making the same ridiculous breathing noises as her brother and father.

Behind the four Queens came Clark with Lois perched on top of his shoulders , Bruce, Victor who was elected cameraman since he had a built in camera, AC and Bart. It wasn't weird that there was so many people following Oliver and his family but it was the fact that they were all doing the same ridiculous breathing noise as Oliver, Harlan and Orion.

"Will you all QUIT IT?" Chloe bellowed in between gasps of breath. "I get the idea! I've done this before" she growled.

"Sorry mom" Orion replied sheepishly while Oliver took no notice and continued to breathe like a woman in labor.

"I'll take Mrs. Queen from here" the nurse said taking the handles of the wheelchair over from Harlan. Oliver made a move to follow them but the nurse glared at him. "You can't come in" she said "after what happened last time you were here we're not letting you in there" she said and promptly wheeled Chloe into the labor ward.

Oliver began pacing up and down furiously as soon as Chloe was out of his sight despite fellow members of the league assuring him that everything would be fine. After two hours of pacing Oliver decided to change actions and began tapping his foot on the floor in a steady rhythm.

Meanwhile in the corner Lois was interrogating Clark. "Uncle Clark I don't understand" she was saying, her tiny brows furrowed in confusion.

"What don't you understand Lois?" Clark asked.

"I don't get how come mommy has to come her to get a baby when Uncle Bart told me that the stork brings babies".

"Oh, uh…err…BART a little help here" Clark yelled and Bart was there in a heartbeat.

"Yes senor and senorita I am at your service" he said with a mock bow.

"Since you're her god father you explain why Chloe has to come here to the hospital to have a baby when you told her that the stork brings babies" Clark said glaring at the younger man.

"What? I didn't know how else to tell her and she was so cute and she had this puppy dog eyes. I was a slave to it I tell you! A SLAVE" he finished dramatically and Clark rolled his eyes while Lois looked as confused as ever.

"So where do babies come from Uncle Bart? And why is mommy here" she asked and it was clear that it didn't look like she was going to drop the topic any time soon.

"Ok" Bart sighed "sometimes the stork brings babies baked in a pie, mmmm pie and then moms can sometimes mistake their babies for pies and then they eat them and so the moms have to come to the hospital to get their tummy cut open to take out the pies I mean babies"-

"BART!" Clark yelled "not helping" he said when he noticed Lois's lip trembling and her eyes welling with tears.

"Mommy ate my baby brother or sister?" she asked her voice teary.

"Err…this is awkward" Bart whispered to Clark.

"You think?" Clark hissed back "Now we have a four year old who thinks her mother ATE HER YOUNGER SIBLING thanks to you!"

"Who ate who's younger sibling?" Victor asked.

"Whoa where'd you come from?" Bart asked "no wait never mind I don't want to know. Now that you're here we need your help".

"My help?" Victor asked. "With what?"

Clark and Bart looked at each other with sly looks. It was time to pass this burden onto Victor.

000

"…so when the PC is joined with the CPU you get a computer" Victor finished and Lois blinked at him.

"Get it?" he asked and Lois shook her head.

"AC get your butt down here we need you" Victor called and AC padded over.

"What do you need me for dude?" he asked.

Clark, Bart and Victor traded sly looks with each other. It was time for someone else to give it a shot.

000

"…and then the daddy seahorse carries the baby sea horses in his belly for a long time until they're born" AC explained.

"Does the daddy sea horse eat the baby sea horses when they're born?" Lois asked.

Victor, Bart and Clark waved their hands about to form the universal hand gesture for the word NO but AC didn't seem to pick up on it.

"Uh yeah sometimes only when the daddy sea horse gets really hungry" he said and Victor, Bart and Clark all smacked their heads with a groan.

Lois's lower lip trembled and she let out a soft sob. "Err did I say something wrong?" AC asked looking uncomfortable.

"Mayday, mayday" Bart called. "Bring in the bat, bring in the bat!"

"Uh Bruce man?" AC called "dude we are in desperate need of your wisdom and guidance man"

"I'm not getting involved in any of your numbskull hairball plans" he replied.

"Dude it's nothing like that man, we need your help with Lois" AC said and the other three members of the league nodded solemnly.

000

"…And since bats are nocturnal creatures the mommy bat and the daddy bat can only make baby bats at night. Also because the baby bats are blind during the day the mommy and daddy bats can only teach them to hunt during the night" Bruce said.

"The baby bats are blind?" Lois asked and Bruce nodded.

Lois let out a sniffle and before she could burst into sobs Clark intervened. "Ok don't listen to any of your other Uncles they're all talking rubbish. Now actually you get a baby because when a man and a woman love each other very much"-

"NO" all the other members of the league yelled.

"Anything but that" Victor said glaring at the man of steel.

"Err…ok fine scratch that don't listen to any of you uncles me included" Clark told Lois.

"Oh for god's sake" Harlan exclaimed walking over to talk to her uncles. "Hearing you men explain where babies come from is enough to make a saint curse his butt off. Now when you want to handle a situation like this again, just do what I do" Harlan said.

"Which is?" Bart asked leaning forward.

"Lois" Harlan said turning to her younger sister "if you got to ask where babies come from than you're too young to know".

"Ok" Lois replied simply and bounded off to her father and her brother who were both pacing up and down the corridor together.

All five of Lois's dear Uncles looked on after her as she bounced off feeling incredibly stupid and foolish.

"Wow, we really explained it to her" Bart said and he promptly received four smacks on the back of his head. "Next time" he grumbled to himself "I'm not saying anything".

END OF FIRST COOKIE

-This cookie is for when Maya was hanging out with Harlan and Lois. It takes place after the fifth chapter-

Orion finished doing his assignment for his Physics class and deciding to take a break he walked downstairs and out to the back garden where he supposed the girls were. He stood looking out through the tinted glass sliding doors, not wanting to be seen. Harlan had already jumped into the pool and little Lois was cannon balling into the shallow end. Maya was still in her jeans and cashmere sweater from that day.

"Come on Maya" Harlan was calling trying to get her friend into the pool.

"I don't really want to" Maya called back "I didn't really bring my bathers".

"Don't lie" Harlan called back "I know you're wearing your lucky light blue bathers underneath your sweater just in case we were going to go swimming".

Maya sighed looking defeated "yes but I'm not sure that I want to get into the pool I'm feeling a bit self conscious…"

"Come on Maya" Lois called.

"Ok fine" Maya replied giving in to Lois. Then looking around to make sure that no one was about, she took off her cashmere sweater. Orion's mouth went dry at the sight of her bare back only marred by the strip of blue at the back and he felt himself harden when Maya slipped out of her jeans.

"Oh my god" Orion muttered to himself. "I'm going nuts. This is Maya for god's sake. I mean sure when I was a kid I fancied her but I mean things are different now, we're teens".

"Come here Lois" Maya said splashing about in the pool "didn't you want me to throw you across to the other side of the pool?"

"Yay!" Lois squealed splashing about in her Disney princess bathing suit. "You're not throwing me high enough" Lois complained when Maya hurled her across the pool. It was then that Orion decided that he should help out. He ran back upstairs and quickly pulled on his board shorts and ran back down again.

"Mind if I join you?" Orion asked standing at the edge of the pool clad only in his shorts.

"Err…" Maya stammered staring at his bare, well chiseled, well toned chest and she suddenly felt incredibly self conscious.

"YAY ORRIE!" Lois yelled.

"I've got to go" Maya said and she hastily tried to get out of the pool trying to cover as much of herself as she could with her hands. Orion walked over to her just as she got out of the pool.

"Do I make you feel uncomfortable Maya?" he asked standing in front of her.

"No- no it's just that I have to go now, I need to get home" she replied.

"Maya" he whispered his body just centimeters away from hers "don't leave because of me. In a way I've already made you leave once before and you didn't come back for four and a half years. Don't leave again" he whispered taking a step towards her and she took a step back slipping on the edge of the pool and falling backwards. She hit her head on the side railing on the pool and fell back first into the deep end.

"Maya?" Orion called "Are you ok?" but Maya didn't come to the surface.

"Maya" Harlan yelled and began to swim towards her friend but Orion got to Maya first.

Diving into the pool he swam to the bottom and brought Maya to the surface.

"Get dad now" Orion shouted and Harlan raced to get her father.

"Is Maya going to be alright" Lois asked him, her voice teary.

"Yes she will be" Orion replied confidently as he placed Maya on the ground. Listening to her heartbeat he pressed both his hands on her heart and began to do CPR. "Come on Maya" he urged before blowing air into her mouth. "You can do this come on".

He signed in relief when Maya began to cough out water, taking deep gasping breaths. "You're alright" Orion said soothingly as he wrapped her in a large beach towel. He rubbed her back gently to help calm her down.

Harlan came rushing out followed by Oliver "is she ok?" Harlan asked in concern.

"Yeah she's fine" Orion said "just exhausted and she has a nasty bump on the head and a twisted ankle from the awkward position in which she fell".

"Maya, thank god you're alright" Oliver exclaimed getting to his knees to look at his goddaughter.

"The doctor's on his way" Harlan said getting off her cell phone.

"I'm fine" Maya rasped her throat still sore from coughing out water.

"Yeah well we still need to get you checked out" Oliver said and he held his hands out to help Maya stand up but Orion already beat him to it.

"Ah" Maya cried falling back down as she unconsciously leaned on her twisted ankle.

"I got you" Orion said and he picked up Maya, carrying her as a groom would a bride.

"Take her upstairs while I call Victor" Oliver told his son. Orion nodded and carried Maya up to the room he shared with his twin. He headed straight to his black leather couch and gently laid Maya on it.

"I've got your stuff Maya" Harlan said coming into the room. "O, can you leave for a bit while I help Maya get dressed?"

"Yeah sure" Orion replied and grabbing some clothes and a towel he headed off to one of the other numerous bathrooms in the Queen mansion to have a shower.

About forty five minutes later he went back to his room to find Maya seated on his black leather couch already showered and changed, being checked up by Dr. Greenberg the league's appointed doctor.

"Well Maya, looks like you're fine. You just need to sleep and rest that ankle" he said pointing to her newly bandaged ankle. Oliver and Harlan followed Dr. Greenberg out the door. Harlan gave Orion a small sly smile and Orion rolled his eyes.

"Hey" Orion called walking towards the couch.

"Hi" Maya greeted back.

"You look better" he remarked noticing that some color had returned to her face.

"It's all thanks to the mug of warm milk and cookies that you sent Miss Lena up with. Thanks".

"No problem" he replied "Miss Lena had a little fight with me. She insisted that you'd be better off with her stew but I told her that nothing made you feel better like a mug of warm milk and chocolate chip cookies" he said and she laughed.

"Poor Miss Lena, she must think I don't like her cooking" Maya said with a smile.

"Nah don't worry about her" Orion said then turning serious he cleared his throat. "Look Maya I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable earlier it's just that"-

"No it's not you, it's me" she said "I guess it was quite weird for me adjusting to this whole 'being friends' thing. I've gone from not speaking to you in four and half years to seeing you everyday" she replied.

"I know" Orion said looking down. "Look if it's too much for you then"-

"I don't mind seeing you everyday it's just that I got a little freaked out. I keep forgetting that we're not enemies anymore. It's so stupid I know".

"Look Maya I know that it was my fault in the first place that we stopped talking but I'm going to try and make it up to you. I want things to go back to as they were, like when we were kids".

"I'd like that" Maya replied with a smile.

"Good I know I"-

Orion was cut off by a loud 'WHOOMP THERE IT IS! WHOOMP THERE IT IS'.

"Sorry" Maya apologized "it's my ring tone just give me a sec" she told Orion and answered her phone.

"Hello? Oh hi Chase, no it's not a bad time. Sure go ahead. Yeah I'd like that what time and when? Ok sure no problem. Tomorrow? Sounds great see you tomorrow then" she said and hung up with a giddy smile on her face.

"Chase?" Orion asked trying to look indifferent.

"Yeah" Maya replied.

"Hey Maya" Harlan exclaimed excitedly as she came into the room. "Guess what?"

"Let me guess" Maya said pretending to look thoughtful. "Xander just called you and asked you to go to the movies with him tomorrow night?"

"Yeah" Harlan replied excitedly. "How do you know?"

"Because Chase just called me and asked me the exact same thing" Maya replied with a grin.

"Oh snap" Harlan exclaimed "oh my god, it's going to be a double date! Yes! Yes! Yes!" she yelled and jumped around. Orion looked at the two girls and the smile on Maya's face and he felt his chest tighten. "Oh yeah" Harlan said when she'd stopped jumping "Dad's going to drive you home so he sent me to come up and get your stuff".

Harlan helped Maya gather her stuff and Maya stood up but lost balance and fell back down on the couch. "Here let me help you" Orion said and he placed his left arm around Maya's waist and her right arm around his shoulder.

"Thanks" she replied smiling at him. "I've got to get myself a pair of crutches".

They made their way downstairs where Oliver was talking on the phone.

"Sure I can be there as soon as I drop Maya off give me about half an hour. Yes, thanks bye".

"Dad" Orion said as soon as Oliver had gotten off the phone "I can drop Maya it's no problem".

"Ok then" Oliver replied feeling secretly happy that Orion and Maya might get some alone time.

"Alright then let's get going" Harlan announced.

"Oh Harlan, you can stay here with me I need your help with something" Oliver said and Harlan looked puzzled.

"What do you need my help with dad" Harlan asked and Oliver shot her a look.

"Something" he said gesturing to Maya and Orion with his eyes.

"Oh! Oh yes, I need to help you with something" Harlan replied getting his meaning.

"See you guys later" Oliver said.

"Yeah go, go bye! Shoo" Harlan said practically pushing them out the door.

000

Maya sat in the front passenger seat while Orion drove the black BMW. "So you're going out with Chase huh?" Orion asked casually.

"Sort of, I'm not sure" she replied.

"You must really like him" he said and Maya shrugged her shoulders.

"He's a nice guy".

He nodded his head in understanding. "So how's Stacy" she asked.

"I don't know, we broke up yesterday" he replied.

"So who's the next lucky girl?" Maya asked and he shrugged his shoulders.

"No one yet" he replied.

"So do you like anyone?" she asked "maybe Harlan and I can play matchmaker and set you up with someone" she teased.

"Nah not really" he replied.

"Oh we're home" she exclaimed as the car pulled up into the driveway of the Stone house.

"Do you need any help?" he asked her and she shook her head "I should be fine" she replied.

"Ok"

"You know O, I really missed talking to you" she said. "I'm glad we're friends again".

"So am I" he replied with a grin.

"And I just want to say thanks for helping me today, I really appreciate it" she said and then leaning over she hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. With a friendly smile, she got out of the car and hobbled to the front door.

Orion brought a hand up to his cheek. He could still imagine her warm breath on his cheek and the smell of her shampoo. He wasn't sure how long he stayed that way for but after a long time he looked at the Stone house and something clicked.

"I think I know who I like" he said to an empty car. The name escaped his lips with a soft whisper, "Maya". "It's you, Maya".