Starting Over Again (Chlark AU) PG13

Author: Joy

Warnings: Spoilers up to season 8, including the 'discussions' surrounding the last scene between Clark and Chloe, especially on what Chloe did before the scne ended!

Summary: After five years, Chloe Sullivan has moved on. When the latest threat to Metropolis and the world arrives, Chloe has no choice but to face the past.

Starting Over Again 1/?

If someone told Chloe Sullivan she was going to be happy giving up journalism and her quest for a Pulitzer, she would've suggested
that person to have her head examined. But as Chloe finished packing the picnic basket, she knew that she was different from the girl that was the
editor of the Torch, the Daily Planet Reporter, and Watchtower. She briefly gazed at the photo of the man that she loved, and she knew it didn't matter
how many years had gone, the guilt will always remain.

"Mama! Mama! I'm ready!"

The source of Chloe's joy ran up to her, and Chloe couldn't help but smile at the enthusiastic boy that was practically jumping in excitement.

"You cleaned your room?"

She was answered with a nod as her son wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm ready now!" His blue eyes sparkled, as he practically dragged his mother to the door.

"Okay, let me just call your Aunt Lois, ok? I want to make sure she doesn't forget about this weekend"

Her son shook his head. "No, mama! Aunt Lois will just talk and talk, and we'll never be able to go!"

"James, I promise... I'll stop your Aunt Lois in five minutes, ok?"

"Cross your heart?"

Chloe kissed her son on the forehead. "Cross my heart."

As James watched his mama make the call, he walked towards the window and looked at the sky, and immediately panicked.
The sky was gray, and as he opened the window, he could feel the beginning of a rain storm. He looked back at his mom, and
back at the sky. Tomorrow would be his first day at school; he wouldn't be a little boy anymore, but a young man. This was his
last day with his mama as her little boy.

"Please, please don't rain! Please! I want to go to the park with my mama! Please!" The young boy whispered fiercely as he
heard his mama say good bye to his Aunt Lois. He knew, just knew that the moment his mama looks at the sky, they wouldn't
be able to go to their picnic. "Please!"

Almost as if by magic, he watched as the gray skies disappear, and the sun shined in the sky so bright, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Ready, James?"

"I'm ready mama!"

James decided to keep this magic a secret and smiled as his mama held his hands as they walked out of the house, ready to enjoy their day
at the park.

_*_*_*

James Lucas Sullivan

James traced the name with his hands as he looked in awe at the bag his Aunt Lois sent him. She may talk a lot, but he loves her so much.
Not as much as his mama, but he loves her because she always makes his mama smile, and she gives the best presents ever.

"Hey, punk."

He looked up and just to see an older boy standing in front of him. James didn't say anything, but was suddenly wary as the boy eyed his bag.

"Nice bag."

"Thanks..." he replied cautiously as he gripped the bag tighter.

"It's simple. You give me that bag; I don't beat you to a pulp. Get it?"

"It's mine."

"It's mine now, not like you have your name on it."

James made a mistake of showing his name stitched on the bag. "Yes it is!"

The next thing he knew, the bag was pried out of his hands, and he was shoved hard from his seat that he fell. Everyone else in the play
ground just looked, and James felt his anger rise as the boy opened his bag and dropped the contents of it to the ground. He quickly stood
up and tried to get the bag away from the boy, only to be pushed back down again.

"That's mine!"

"Like I said, it's mine now!" The older boy laughed as he walked away, leaving James alone, his hands bruised and his clothes dirty from his
fall to the ground. He carefully picked up his things, and was surprised when one of the teachers walked up to him and started to help him.

"Its okay, James. We'll get your bag back. Are you hurt?"

James shook his head and the teacher took his hands gently and breathed a sigh of relief when he looked at the dirty, but uninjured hands
of the boy. "Come on, James. We'll get you cleaned up."

James just nodded, and was relieved that the teacher didn't know his secret. His mama said that he's special. He could never get hurt for long
periods of time. It was his secret, like Uncle Bart had a secret.

He never realised that there was someone who saw his secret, standing far away, hidden by the trees outside the school.

That night, Chloe watched her son sleep, grateful that he was okay. Upset was an understatement when she heard what happened at the
playground. Her son assured her that he was fine, that his magic made the hurt go away, and no one saw.

For all her mistakes, somewhere along the line, she must have done something right to be blessed with such a gift. "Your father would be
so proud of you..." she whispered, her gaze drifted to Jimmy's picture on the night stand. She tried to stop the tears as she remembered
that last time she was with Jimmy. When he finally understood all the secrecy and her loyalty to Clark. They were supposed to be happy. Instead...

She stopped as she stood up, and kissed her son on the forehead. She didn't want to think about her stupidity, her betrayal that took Jimmy
away from her. She knew, in some way, she was attracted to Davis, Braniac infection or not, there was something that drew her to Davis. She
truly wanted to save him, and Clark. In some level, there was something about Davis that reminded her of Clark, and she wanted to save them
both. Except that all her intentions went straight to hell.

She kept her bedroom door open. She was glad Lois came back, with no memory of what happened, Lois could only tell her that the last thing
she remembered was fighting with Tess Mercer, next thing she knew, she was in Metropolis Hospital. Without Lois, she didn't know how she could've survived.
Her phone rang, and she answered it quickly, not wanting to wake James up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Chloeliccious!"

Chloe smiled at the voice. Bart was another blessing in her life. He was the only one that looked for her and stayed. "Bart, how was your trip?"

"Excellent! Just wanted to know if I can take JL up to the carnival here in Santa Monica. I Promise to be good and to watch out for the little man!"

"You can take him on Friday. School just started..."

"No problem... you're welcome to come along, of course."

"Maybe next time, Lois is coming by to stay for the weekend."

"Okay. Tell JL I've got a wicked cool surprise for him, got to go, I spy with my eye a pretty..."

Chloe laughed and decided to cut Bart off. "Have fun, Bart. I'll see you this Friday."

With the call finished, she placed the phone on her night stand and sighed. It's been years since she had contact with anyone from the League.
Most of them were always in the paper. Oliver being the billionaire he was, AC with his arrest record because of his protests. None of them have
tried to contact her, and with what occurred the last time they were together, she couldn't really blame them.

She's got James now, and that's all that matters.

_*_*_

Inside the Daily Planet, Lois Lane sighed. There was still so much more she had to do, but her brain has apparently gone on strike. She saw
movement from the corner of her eye, and she felt her jaw clench at the sight of Tess Mercer who looked at her with so much superiority that
she wanted to wipe it off with a right hook.

For one odd reason, they both made a silent commitment not to talk about that fight all those years ago. While Tess didn't exactly make her life as
a reporter a living hell, it was those looks she kept on giving. Like Tess knew something that she didn't. She looked at the mess on her desk, devoid
of any personal memorabilia, and it was just gut instinct that kept her from displaying a picture of Chloe and James on her desk.

Her phone rang, and she picked it up absently as she stared at her computer screen. "Lois Lane, Daily Planet."

"I need to speak with you."

Even without identifying himself, Lois recognised the voice immediately. "Why did you call me?"

Why the Green Arrow would want to talk to her, she didn't know.

"I need to see you."

"I don't want to see you."

"Meet me at the back of Francesco's Deli."

Lois rolled her eyes as she took a pen and started to tap it against the desk. "I don't think so, don't you have some goons to beat up..."

"It's about Chloe Sullivan."

At the mention of her cousin's name, Lois immediately sat up straighter. "What the hell do you want?" she hissed, not wanting to be heard.

"Meet me at the back of the Deli, I'll explain later."

With that, the Green Arrow ended the call, and Lois shut her phone and quickly gathered her things. She walked towards the elevator, her heart
beating a hundred miles per hour. What could the Green Arrow want to talk about regarding Chloe? She walked out of the building and headed
towards the meeting place, as her hands fisted on the mace she carried in her jacket pocket. She reached the back of the deli in five minutes,
and nearly jumped when the Green Arrow practically appeared out of nowhere on his bike.

"Okay, I'm here. What the hell do you want with my cousin?"

"I need you to send a message."

Lois took a deep breath, and closed her eyes before she spoke. "You scared the hell out of me, just so I can pass on a message? Are you crazy?
And no! I won't pass a message. Why would you be sending her anything?"

She could tell that the masked vigilante in front of her was choosing his words carefully. "She may not listen to me. But she will listen to you."

"And why would she be listening to... wait a minute, were you ever in contact with Chloe from before?" When he didn't say anything, her temper snapped.

"Are you the one responsible for all the crap she had to go through?"

"She made her own choices!"

Even with his voice disguised, there was no mistake in the anger within it.

"Yeah, buddy. She did. What I want to know is how you're connected to those choices she made!"

Oliver Queen knew this was a mistake. But he had no other options. Bart wouldn't talk to him. His speed made it impossible to track him down.
He didn't know how well Chloe would receive his, or any of the others presence, and Clark Kent was still MIA; Lois was his only chance to get
the message across.

"If you care about your cousin and your nephew, you will take this message to her."

All her protective instinct went to overdrive at the mention of James. "If you think I'm going to play messenger without knowing why..."

"Davis Bloome is alive."

That completely shut Lois up. Oliver saw the confusion, fear, and then anger at his words. Before she could say anything, Oliver cut her off again.

"I... I have reason to believe that he's alive. He may or may not go after Chloe. But I won't take that chance. Tell her to be careful. The League
will be there, but she needs to remember what happened the last time she made her own decision."

Without waiting for a reply, the Green Arrow drove off, leaving a confused Lois Lane behind.

_*_*_*

In the darkest room of the mansion, the man once known as Davis Bloome grinned as he read the latest report. It was time to come out of the
darkness, and spread havoc and destruction, just as his parents wanted him to. And he wasn't going to deny his destiny any longer. His mind
drifted to a blond woman who needed to pay.

A twisted smile formed on his lips. There were so many ways to make her pay, and he would make sure she did.

End Chapter...

Please, please review! I don't know if that gesture Chloe did means she's pregnant or not, but for the sake of this fic... she was!