Chapter 39 — august
Oliver sighs as he paces around Austin's office. Max was sitting in one of the armchairs while Chloe currently occupied the other one. "Will Oliver regain ownership of Queen Industries," Chloe asks, getting to the point of why they were even there.
Austin sighs. "No," he answers. "Queen Industries is no more. I guess a couple of weeks before Zoey went on her trip, a merger between Queen Industries and Wayne Enterprises was finalized. Derek told me that an official announcement was supposed to happen the day of the avalanche. There was supposed to be a photo of her at the peak. Derek even sent a photographer with her."
Oliver stops and looks at him. "Are you telling me that this whole climbing Everest trip was a fucking publicity stunt?"
"I don't think so."
"I tried talking to Jessica," Max begins. "I wanted to know if Zoey had left behind a will. She claimed privilege. So, if she did leave a will behind, we won't know anything for years. I called Martha. She doesn't know anything. Could Clark go help with the search and rescue?"
Oliver shakes his head. "The government has asked the JLA to stay away from this."
Max frowns. "Why? You'd think having fucking Superman help would be a good thing."
"They want to avoid an international incident with the Chinese government," Chloe explains. "All we can do is sit and wait."
Oliver runs a hand over his face. He had just flown in with Chloe from Star City for the emergency meeting the JLA had called. The meeting was over the mysterious new figure that had appeared in Gotham and the recent attack that had occurred in the city. Through, thanks to the mysterious new figure, the death toll was minimal. "Are there any other new figures that have recently appeared in Gotham," Dinah asks, looking around the room. The JLA hadn't changed much over the years. The only thing that change was that they had put a bigger table in the center of the room.
"Bruce Wayne just came back from being dead," Bart says, looking around the room. His laptop was sitting in front of him.
"The papers say he's actually been on vacation," Victor argues, looking off in a corner. When he was scanning the internet with the hardware that had been implanted in him, Victor would look off in a corner. "I don't know how someone can be on vacation for seven years, but apparently Bruce Wayne can."
"Zoey lives in Gotham. She moved there not long after returning," Chloe points out, causing the room to fall silent. Oliver shifts. He hadn't spoken to her since she moved to Gotham nearly a year and a half earlier.
Victor clears his throat. "It was announced a few weeks ago that Zoey Queen and Bruce Wayne are fifty-fifty owners of Wayne Enterprises. The merger between Queen Industries and Wayne Enterprises is still in effect. And a man named Lucius Fox is now CEO of Wayne Enterprises."
No one in the JLA had ever pried into his relationship with Zoey. Oliver had made a point of never talking about Zoey with anyone in the JLA. When they had reconciled while trying to save their marriage, Oliver had stopped talking about his relationship with Clark. After their divorce, he had made a conscious decision not to talk about anything related to Zoey with Chloe or anyone.
Clark clears his throat. "Who wants to lead the investigation into Batman," he asks, looking around the room.
"I'll do it," Oliver volunteers. Everyone in the room stares at him and he shifts. "Look, no one will think twice I'm there. And reporters are now persona non grata at Wayne Enterprises unless they are personally invited and vetted by security."
Dinah snorts. "Who created that rule?"
"Zoey," Chloe answers. "She created it at Queen Industries."
"Then it's decided. I'll lead the investigation into Batman," Oliver says, standing up. "Zoey obviously knows something about Batman. We've all seen that photo. She'll talk to me."
"Do you think that's a good idea," Clark asks.
Oliver tenses. He didn't care what any of them thought. He wanted to talk to Zoey; to get the truth from her. While Batman's antics and the destruction of an entire neighborhood in Gotham had gotten most of the headlines, a photo of Batman and Zoey standing in front of Wayne Tower had fallen into Lois' lap before quickly disappearing. Oliver had seen the photo. Lois had sent it to Chloe and she shared it with him. He had been caught off guard by the intimacy between Zoey and Batman. "I'll lead the investigation into Batman. End of discussion," Oliver tells them, then walks out of the room.
Donna Paulson was the best secretary in Gotham. There was no question about it. She was good at what she did. Her last boss, who she had worked for three years, was devastated when she left. She actually had no intention of leaving her last job. But falling in love with her married boss and still working for him was something she hadn't planned on. So, when she saw an opportunity to work for Zoey, Donna jumped at it. And she was glad that she did. Especially considering that her boss's ex-husband was currently standing in front of her and trying to flirt with her.
Oliver Queen shoots her his million-watt smile. Donna had heard about this smile from Zoey. She had also seen it on a number of men who didn't take her seriously. "Good morning, Donna," Oliver says, setting a coffee tray on her desk. He pulls one out and hands it to her. "Two sugars, one cream."
Donna takes a cautious sip. "How did you know?"
"I have my ways."
"You bribed Adam. He's the only one who would know my order and Zoey's order."
Oliver laughs. "How'd you figured that out?"
"I'm Donna."
"How exactly did you convince Zoey to hire you?"
Zoey looks up when an impeccably dressed red-haired woman sits down in front of her. No one bothered her during her lunch at the restaurant in the Rosewood. She shifts. She was wearing jeans and her old Met U sweatshirt. She stares as the woman opens her purse. "That's my resume," the woman says, setting down a piece of paper in front of Zoey. "That's the offer letter that just needs your signature and this is your calendar for the next month."
"Um…" Zoey trails off, looking through the papers. "I - I haven't even actively started searching for an assistant. How did you know?"
"Stephanie Wilson got a job at the law firm I work at. She's telling everyone you fired her because you're a cold hearted jealous bitch who couldn't stand there being another pretty woman in the office. Not because she did everything she could to fuck your schedule up."
Zoey softly smiles. "Donna Paulson," she reads. She looks up at Donna. "Why do you want to work for me? You work at the top firm in the city. And no bullshit."
Donna leans forward. "Because we both know what it's like to be not taken seriously. People see what they want to see and by the time they realize what was right in front of them, by the time they want to fix their mistakes…it's too late."
"And if my ex-husband decides to pay a visit, what would you tell him?"
"Your schedule is booked solid for the next month. Try making an appointment next time."
Zoey stares at Donna. Then she looks down at the offer letter that Donna had prepared. "Is this your current salary," she asks.
"Yes."
Zoey scratches out the number and writes a new one. She slides the paper to Donna. "Does this work for you?"
"That more than works for me." Donna stands up and smiles. "I'll see you tomorrow morning at 9 am."
Donna smirks. "I'm Donna. That's how."
Oliver shakes his head. "Could I get the whole story if I took you to dinner tonight?"
"No."
Oliver frowns. "No to the story or no to dinner?"
"No to both."
"You know, I don't think Zoey would care if we had dinner."
"I'm sure she wouldn't mind, but Zoey is my boss and my friend. And I don't break girl code."
Oliver scoffs. "Girl code? You know, last time I checked we were all over the age of thirty."
Donna nods. "We are. And my answer is still no. I don't date or sleep with my friend's exes. Let alone my boss' exes."
The elevator doors open and Zoey steps off with a frustrated look on her face. Oliver plucks the coffee cup with her name on it and holds it out to her. "Morning, Zo."
Zoey stares at him. "What are you doing here?"
"Do I need a reason to visit you?"
"You? Yes."
Oliver dramatically places a hand on his heart. "Zo, I'm wounded."
Zoey tenses. She didn't like that Oliver was in Gotham. Part of the reason she moved to Gotham was to be away from him. "Why are you here?"
"I needed to talk to you."
Donna raises an eyebrow. "Pretty sure phones still work."
Zoey fights to keep a smile off her face. Over the past year, she had become friends with Donna. She always enjoyed it when Donna would call people out. "Donna, do I have any free time in my schedule?"
Donna looks at her computer. "Nope," she answers, smirking. "You're booked solid for the next two months."
"Nothing I can do," Zoey tells Oliver, then walks down the hallway to her office. She makes a point of leaving the coffee sitting on the counter, untouched.
Oliver stretches his neck and lifts the binoculars up once more. He had been sitting on the roof across the road from the Wayne Foundation building. Earlier, he shot an arrow with a microphone to the top of the window in a far corner of the building. He didn't like that Zoey had purposely avoided talking with him earlier that day. He knew something was going on with her and he was determined to know what it was. His research into her life since she had moved to Gotham had revealed that until Bruce had reappeared, she had lived a quiet life that was focused on work.
Since Wayne Manor burned down, Bruce had moved into the city and Zoey had moved in with him. The only times she left the penthouse alone was to go to Wayne Enterprises. Any other time, she would be out with Bruce. And if she had any connection to Batman, she wasn't saying anything out loud. Her relationship with Bruce was a very platonic one. Bruce would leave early in the evening and never return earlier than 5 am.
Currently, Zoey was lying in bed and watching TV. Her typical nightly routine would have her going to bed at 9 pm and waking up at 6 am. The door to her bedroom opens and Bruce was standing there. He was obviously freshly showered and wore only a pair of low-slung pajama bottoms. "I will never understand what Zoey sees in you," Oliver mutters to himself.
"Why are you still up and why are you watching porn," Bruce asks, climbing into Zoey's bed.
Zoey shoots him an annoyed look. "It's not porn. It's Outlander. This is the episode where Jamie and Claire get married. And I'm still up because I had a nightmare. Why are you home so early?"
Bruce shrugs. "Boring night. Why does she have two wedding rings?"
"The gold one is the one her husband, Frank, gave her. Frank is in 1945. The dark silver one is the one Jamie gave her. 1743."
"How did she end up in 1743?"
"Traveling through magic stones. Are you gonna let me watch or are you gonna ask questions the entire?"
"Someone is a little testy." Zoey shoots him an annoyed look once more. Bruce smirks. He rolls on top of her and presses his lips against hers. Oliver lowers the binoculars and takes out the earpiece. The last thing he wanted to see or hear was Zoey fucking someone else, let alone someone he hated.
"What are you doing," Zoey questions as Bruce yanks off her panties.
His lips are pressed against her neck. "Someone is watching us. The building across the road, roof."
Zoey gasps when he lightly rubs her clit. "Did-did…fuck, Bruce."
Bruce smirks against her lips. "Know anyone who likes to use arrows with high-powered microphones?"
Zoey's breath hitches. She tightly grips the sheets. She was close and he knew it. He pulls his hand away at the last moment. "Asshole."
Bruce chuckles, kicking off his pajama pants. He pushes up the oversize t-shirt she was wearing and it lands on the floor. "You did refuse to meet with him today."
"Asshole," Zoey repeats as he thrusts into her.
On the roof across the road, Oliver stares at the sky. He couldn't see any stars due to the city lights. He's not surprised when he hears footsteps on the roof. "Dinah was worried," Clark greets. "She said she lost comms with you."
"I took them out," Oliver answers. "I have little desire to listen or watch Zoey fuck that brooding dick."
Clark sighs. "I think you need to go home, Oliver. You're too close to this. And none of us think that Zoey has anything to do with Batman."
"I know what I'm doing, Clark," Oliver snaps. "I saw that fucking photo. Everyone did. Zoey knows something. But if you wanna take over, then fine. Take over. But fuck you. And fuck Bruce Wayne too." He shakes his head. His last encounter with Malcolm Meryln had been replaying in his head. Everything about that encounter had been on constant repeat since the attack in Gotham.
Meryln laughs, ignoring the pain of the arrow in his right shoulder. Oliver had been surprised when the shipping billionaire had turned out to be his newest enemy. Malcolm Meryln had a reputation in Star City as being an asshole people reluctantly worked with. Meryln Shipping had created a vast network of shipping lanes around the world and was known for getting anything through customs. "She's still alive," Meryln taunts. Oliver tenses; the search for avalanche survivors had been called off after six months. It was presumed that there were no survivors. Meryln reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out a cell phone. Oliver feels a desire to beat Meryln to a pulp when the man smirks at him. "I'd say she's better than okay," Meryln continues.
Oliver snatches the phone out of Meryln's hand. On the screen, was a threadbare room. A small bed was in the corner while a dresser was in another corner. But the thing that held his attention the most was curled up in the bed was Zoey. There was no mistaking her. Her hair was longer. And while Zoey had always been a small person, she seemed even smaller. But the shock of seeing Zoey apparently alive and well was quickly overtaken by the fact that she wasn't alone in bed. Lying with a protective arm over her was Bruce Wayne.
"Zoey is alive and well," Meryln gloats. "Well, now she's alive and well. Before not so much. But a dip in the Lazarus pits changed that." Oliver tenses. He had heard rumors of a series of pits somewhere that held healing properties. "Makes you wonder why the League of Shadows wants her alive."
Oliver twists the arrow in Meryln's shoulder, causing the man to groan with pain. Then he takes off into the night.
"So, what are we going to do about our little problem," Zoey asks, picking up the arrow that had been recovered by Bruce that morning. She, Bruce, and Alfred were sitting in the newly constructed bunker that sat in the basement under the Wayne Foundation building. "I'd prefer to literally shove this up Oliver's ass, but I don't want to go to prison."
"I think we need to find out why he's here," Bruce counters.
Zoey rolls her eyes and motions to where the Batsuit was on display. "We know why he and probably the rest of the JLA are here. New costumed heroes on the block get him super hard."
A look of disgust flashes over Bruce's face. "I don't need to know what gets Queen hard." He shakes his head. "Look we need to find out what he's here for. It doesn't matter if he's here for Batman or not, we just need to know why."
Alfred clears his throat. "If Mr. Queen and company are here because of Batman, what would they want?"
"Probably to figure out if he's a good guy or a bad guy. And to convince him to join the JLA. Which having access to some of the resources they have would be nice, but it also has drawbacks," Zoey explains.
Bruce nods. "I'll pay him a visit tonight to talk."
Zoey shakes her head. "No. I'll talk to him." She turns to Alfred. "Do you think it would be hard to get a model hired for the night?"
"I imagine it would be fairly easy," Alfred answers.
"I'm not letting you do this, Zoey. They want to talk to me, then they'll talk to me," Bruce argues.
"Oliver came to see me yesterday morning. He didn't want to see you. He won't leave until he talks to me," Zoey counters. "So, I'll talk to him. Besides, he'll listen to me."
"No."
"Oliver has spent the past six years trying to get me to forgive him. And I can't. I don't want anything to do with him. But he and the JLA by extension won't go away until I talk to him. So I will talk to him," Zoey tells him. "Look I got work stuff that I need to deal with. I'll handle this tonight."
Bruce watches as Zoey walks over to the elevator and steps into it. "I can't let her do this, Alfred," he says. "It's too dangerous."
"I agree with Ms. York, Master Wayne," Alfred says causing Bruce to shoot him a disbelieving look. "If anyone can convince Mr. Queen to back off, it would be her."
Alfred had been right. Hiring a model with a similar build as Zoey had been insanely easy. She was also surprised at how easy it had been for her to sneak out of Wayne Foundation Tower and make her way to the building across the road. Even easier: getting roof access. Bruce had given her a comm device so he could listen in. Earlier, he had communicated that Green Arrow was indeed on the roof in the same spot.
Zoey takes a deep breath and pushes open the door. She steps onto the roof and heads towards the side facing her bedroom. Except no one is there. She walks around the roof, trying to find where Green Arrow may be hiding. "He's not here," she says.
"You sound relieved," Batman growls in her ear.
"Yeah, well, no one wants—" Zoey's cut off as she's tackled to the floor. She coughs. A weight is pressed against her throat and chest. A glance into a familiar pair of infrared goggles told her she had found what she had been looking for.
"Zoey!"
Zoey shoves at the force on top of her. "Get off of me," she snaps. Green Arrow removes his arm from her throat but doesn't move any further. He hadn't told the JLA what he had found out from Malcolm Meryln nearly a year ago. About the truth of how Zoey had survived the avalanche and where she had been while missing for a year. "Get off!"
"No," Green Arrow angrily says.
"Oliver Jonas Queen, get off!"
Oliver pulls back. He yanks back his hood and takes off the goggles. "You weren't recovering in a hospital," Oliver whispers. Zoey stares at him, confused. "I know that you were with the League of Shadows. Please tell me you didn't have something to do with the attack that occurred a couple of months ago. "
"Oliver," Zoey softly says. "Please get off of me."
"Zo…Just tell me you had nothing to do with the attack. I know you didn't have anything to do with it. I just…I need you to tell me that you didn't have anything to do with it."
Zoey falters. "Oliver, I-I—"
"Ra's al Ghul tricked her into authorizing the production of the prototype used in the attack," a voice growls. Oliver looks behind him to find Batman standing there. "They kept her there for a year and only let her go when she signed what they wanted her to sign."
Oliver stands up and stares at him. "How would you know?"
"Because I was in Nanda Parbat," Batman answers. "I trained with them. And Ra's al Ghul didn't train her. Everyone saw her as an annoyance that needed to leave. They blamed me for her being there in the first place. During the avalanche, she traveled down the mountain and somehow she survived. She barely had a heartbeat when someone in the village found her. Ra's took her and put her in the Lazarus Pits. And the League of Shadows tried to kill her during the attack on Gotham."
Oliver looks down at Zoey to find a look of disbelief on her face. She didn't know any of this. Her gaze was directed over his shoulder. Zoey stands up and quickly runs over to the door leading to the stairs. He knew his mission was to talk to Batman, but at that moment, he didn't care. He takes off after her. "Zoey," he shouts, running after her.
Oliver quickly catches up to her. He reaches out and grabs her arm, causing her to slip and fall. Zoey lets out a pained groan. He kneels next to her and finds a small pool of blood.
Oliver knocks on the front door. News of Zoey's miraculous return from the dead had been everywhere. He had watched the news conference where Max had talked about how lucky he was to have Zoey back home and safe. Zoey, though, looked like she'd rather be anywhere else. She had put on the smile and answered the questions. Chloe had even commented that Zoey looked miserable at the press conference.
"Oliver?"
Oliver blinks and finds Zoey standing in front of him. He stares at her. She looked exactly as she had in the surveillance video he had taken from Meryln. He pulls her into a tight embrace. She felt the same; smelt the same. He doesn't know what causes him to do it, but he presses his lips against hers. He knows it's cliche to say that his heart soared when she kissed him back. But it was exactly how he felt. The urge to feel all of her; to be inside takes over him.
He doesn't care that they're standing in the entranceway of the Carmichael family home. He doesn't care that he's married. He picks her up and sets her on the table in the entranceway. The thing that he most cares about is that she's not pushing him away. His lips trail down her throat; his hands are shoving her dress up. He feels like he was drowning and is trying to drink as much as he can.
"Oliver," Zoey softly moans. His hands tug off the thong she was wearing. "Ollie."
"Fuck, Zo," Oliver mutters, quickly undoing his jeans. He thrusts into her and pauses. For years he had fantasized about this; about being with her once more. He had buried everything regarding her deep down. He was trying to do the right things for his family.
Zoey shifts. "Ollie, are…is everything okay?"
Oliver pulls her into another kiss. He buries a hand in her hair. "You're not allowed to leave me again," he tells her, moving his hips. She lets out a moan, pulling him close. And at that moment, he didn't care about anything else. He wanted to be with her and didn't care what it would take to make it happen.
"Shit, Zo," Oliver says, helping Zoey sit up. Blood was slowly falling from her nose and bruising would be forming soon. In his career as Green Arrow, a broken nose was an injury he was all too familiar with. And one that he had experience with setting. Oliver gently places his thumbs on her nose and she winces. "It's broken. I can set—"
"Don't you fucking dare," Zoey snaps, glaring at him.
"Zoey—"
"No!"
Oliver sighs and lowers his hands. "Zo, I didn't mean for you to get hurt."
Zoey stands up. "You never mean for me to get hurt. But it always happens. Just…leave me alone." She starts to continue down the stairs but stops when she realizes that Oliver is following her. She lets out a frustrated breath. "Oliver—" He pulls her against his chest. "If you think—"
Oliver lightly plucks the comms piece out of her ear and places it in his own ear. "Hey, Wayne," he greets. Zoey tenses. "Zo is going to take me back to your bat cave and we're going to have a little chat." He pulls out the comms piece and holds it out to her. "I think he wants to talk to you, Zo."
Oliver steps into Zoey's childhood bedroom at the Carmichael family home. The once bright pink walls were now muted. All of the furniture was covered in white sheets. No one had actively lived in the home since Shannon and Matt's deaths. Oliver understood why Max didn't want to live there. Too many memories. He had trouble living in Queen Manor after his parents died. It sat in a similar state for years, until he and Chloe decided to raise Jonathan away from the city and the press.
He understood why Zoey had decided to stay in one of the guest rooms. Despite having stayed at the house numerous times over the years, she had never changed anything in her childhood bedroom. For the past few days, Oliver had been glad that she never stayed in this room. He didn't think he'd enjoy having sex in a room that was designed for a small child.
Oliver's attention is drawn to the boxes in the corner and walks over to them. He had no problem with snooping through Zoey's things. Since their divorce, Zoey had kept him at arm's length. She had done the same thing to Max and Austin. So, he was going to take the opportunity and look into the personal details of her life she had kept from him. The last thing he is expecting is to see baby stuff. Particularly baby stuff that he remembered being in their brownstone in Metropolis.
"Oliver," Zoey says, walking into the bedroom. She held his phone in her hand. She hadn't expected him to go through her old boxes. "Chloe keeps calling."
Oliver grabs his phone from her and rejects the call. "Why didn't you tell me you kept all this stuff," he softly asks.
Zoey shrugs. "You weren't exactly around to tell. I tried. But you…you weren't there. I did what I thought was best."
Oliver looks down at the folded blanket in the box. 'Emma' was stitched into it. It was the name they had both agreed upon. He didn't blame her. He wasn't a supportive husband when he needed to be. He let his own grief encase him. "God, Zo, I'm so sorry. I was such an ass."
Zoey shifts. "Um…after she…I had her cremated and…she's in the family crept. Would you—"
"Yes."
The Carmichael family crept was towards the back of the property. The last time Oliver had been to it was to see Shannon and Matt's ashes sealed away. The groundskeepers of the property obviously had someone to come in and regularly care for the mausoleum. There was one marker that was newer than the other ones.
'Emma Moira Queen
January 29, 2009'
Oliver places a hand on the marker. He remembered holding her in his arms. She had been so tiny.
"I…I never got to see her," Zoey softly says.
Oliver pulls Zoey against his chest. "She looked like you. She would have been the spitting image of you."
Zoey wraps her arms around him. They stand there in silence for a few minutes before walking out of the crept. She sighs, not wanting to ruin the moment. But she knew that everything was going to have to end. "Oliver—"
He stops and kisses her. His hands slide under the tank top she was wearing. "Not right now, Zo," Oliver whispers. "Let's just have this last a bit longer. I'm not ready to go back. Not yet."
Zoey places a hand on his cheek. "Okay." She bites her lip for a moment, then pushes him against the mausoleum. "Let's have some fun."
Zoey shoots Alfred a thankful look as she takes the ice pack from him. She hadn't been surprised to find him waiting in the bunker when she arrived with Oliver. "Is there anything I can get for you, Mr. Queen," Alfred asks, ever playing the role of polite host.
"I'm good," Oliver answers, looking around the bunker. "This place has got some pretty nice tech. Is this all the stuff you've been hiding from me, Zo?"
Zoey shifts, but she doesn't answer the question. This was the last thing she wanted to talk about. She should've listened to Bruce and just let him handle Oliver. "Is there any Scotch down here, Alfred," she asks.
Alfred softly smiles. "I'll get you a glass."
Oliver sits on the workbench next to her. "You're going to have my questions eventually, Zo."
"Is this why you came to Gotham," Zoey softly asks.
"And to see you. I figured you'd rather have me look into Batman than Clark."
"I'm guessing Clark is still upset."
"Big time. Chloe too."
There's a loud roar and they look to see the Tumblr driving down into the bunker. The driver's side door opens and the pointed ear figure of Batman climbs out. Oliver hops off the table and walks over to him. Batman pulls off the cowl to reveal a very annoyed Bruce. A staring match ensues between the two men, then Oliver punches Bruce.
"Oliver," Zoey shouts. She jumps off the table and starts towards them. She stops when Bruce punches Oliver. She throws her hands up in the air.
Oliver laughs as they walk back towards the house. "When you said let's have fun, I never pictured sex next to a mausoleum," he amusedly tells her, plucking a leaf from her hair. "That was a first for me, Zo."
Zoey shoots him an amused look. "Both were firsts for me." She sighs. "Look, Ollie—"
"Don't," Oliver interrupts. They were close to the house now. He gently cups her face. His lips hover over hers. "I'm not ready for this to end, Zo."
"Oliver!"
Oliver closes his eyes. He had never expected her to show up here. Let alone even know where he was or how to get to the Carmichael family home. He turns around to find Chloe and Clark. "Why are you here," he asks.
"You weren't answering your phone," Chloe angrily says. "I was worried."
"I have to go pack," Zoey softly tells him. "My flight leaves tonight."
Oliver turns, stunned. "You're leaving? Zoey, you just came back. No. All right. No. You're not leaving."
"I'm moving to Gotham."
"Bruce isn't there, Zoey. Queen Industries doesn't exist anymore. You're not moving to Gotham."
"Oliver—"
"No," Oliver snaps. "No. I'm not allowing you to move to the other side of the fucking country. End of discussion."
"I'm moving to Gotham, Oliver. And you can't stop me."
"The hell I can't!"
"Oliver—"
"You're mine," Oliver roars. Chloe and Clark had never seen him so angry before. Chloe starts towards him, but Clark grabs her arm. He shakes his head. He didn't think it was safe to be near Oliver at the moment.
Zoey shakes her head. "No, I'm not. You made that decision years ago, Oliver."
She continues towards the house. "Zo," Oliver shouts, ignoring the growing pain in his chest. "Zoey! Zoey!" She doesn't pay any attention to him or Clark and Chloe. "Zoey!"
The only noise in the bunker was the heavy breathing coming from both Oliver and Bruce. Zoey was standing to the side, watching two people she cared about fight. Alfred had held her back, reminding her that this was something that was a long time coming. And she knew he was right. "Are you two done having your pissing match," Zoey angrily asks.
Oliver looks at Bruce. They were both bloodied and bruised. "I won't tell anyone," he pants. "Some members of the JLA won't believe that she didn't know. I'll do my best to keep them out Gotham. But you have to keep her safe."
Bruce nods, holding out a hand. "Truce?"
Oliver grabs his hand and shakes. "Truce."
"How did you find out?"
"Malcolm Meryln was a member of the League of Shadows. There was a camera planted in Zoey's room. Wasn't hard to put the pieces together once you started making the news."
"Everything I said was the truth."
Oliver looks at her. "Zo, how are you doing?"
"Other than the broken nose, I'm fine," Zoey tells him. She shakes her head. "Look, I'm going to bed. Unlike you two, some of us have jobs that we have to go to in the morning."
Silence fills the bunker as Zoey makes her way out. Bruce turns to Oliver. "She's keeping something from me," he states. "And I think she's keeping it from you too."
Oliver sighs. He had that feeling. "She was only home for a week before moving out here. I…I tried to stop her." He shakes his head. "She used to tell me everything. And now…she doesn't tell me a thing. All I want is my best friend back."
The next morning, after paying a visit to a doctor and having her broken nose looked at, Zoey finds herself in her office. She was exhausted, which was why she was currently stretched out on the couch. The door to her office opens and she looks up to see Bruce. "You look like shit," she mutters, lying back down.
Bruce chuckles, closing the door behind him. "What'd the doctor say?"
"My nose is broken, but he thinks it'll heal fine on its own. He gave me a prescription for some pain killers." He lifts her legs and sits down on the couch. "Did you and Oliver settle your pissing match?"
"We're going to split custody of you fifty-fifty. Every other weekend you have to go to Star City."
Zoey opens her eyes and finds an amused look on his face. "Ass."
Bruce shifts and hovers over her. He softly kisses her. Part of her wants to push him away; to tell him that she wasn't some prize that was given to the winner of a fight. She wants to tell him that making out in her office was unprofessional; that she worked hard to be taken seriously. But she doesn't. Instead, she pulls him close, no longer caring what anyone thought.
But I can see us
Lost in the memory
August slipped away into a moment in time
Cause it was never mine
And I can see us twisted in bedsheets
August sipped away
Like a bottle of wine
Cause you were never mine