Many Many Many Thanks to The Alternative Source for all her help. This story is only as good as it is thanks to her. With that said she only had my raw material to work with and making diamonds from coal isn't easy.

What was I getting at?

Oh yeah, if you love it that was all us. If you hate it, that was all me.

Reviews please!

The Day After

Chapter 1

Faking her own death had been the easy part. Living without him was a struggle. She hadn't realized just how much he had become the center of her universe, her everything, her heart…until he was gone.

Watching his news conference was torture in a way that physical punishment could never compare. Her heart broke for him. She wanted to hold his hand. She wanted to sooth him and tell him everything would be alright. She knew a part of him was doing it in the hopes she could return. God how she wished she could. How she wished she could feel him next to her again. Look into those warm brown eyes and intertwine her fingers with his. She'd give just about anything to be standing next to him.

It didn't make sense. She'd put on the helmet, Dr Fate's shiny golden helmet. She had seen her happily ever after. The image was burned into her soul. She saw it perfectly. The simple dark blue cotton dress she was wearing. The swell of her abdomen. The strong arms holding her close. Safe. Loved. The smile that she was certain was on her face. The one that she knew would make her cheeks ache. The smell of the man behind her. Dark and spicy. This wasn't how it was supposed to be.

Until the moment she had seen it she had never wanted a family. But now, snatched away from her, it was more heartbreak than one person should be forced to endure.

She knew the helmet wasn't fool proof but this just wasn't fair. Even if he didn't have a secret to hide anymore. Even if the world finally knew carefree Oliver Queen was a true blue American Hero she couldn't come back. The Suicide Squad had made it quite clear that they would use anything and anyone to get to him.

She knew that meant her. They wanted him to join their little band of psychotic killers and she wouldn't allow him to be forced to choose between her and the right thing to do.

So she ran, stayed away, in the shadows, watching, listening. Never able to get close to him or to anyone else. Chloe Sullivan had become a ghost. Living in the dark spaces no one dared to look. Keeping her head down, always on the move. Never getting settled in one place. Never staying anywhere for too long. The only thing that kept her going was the thought that if she could find the men who had threatened Ollie she could go back. And that's what kept her searching. Kept her hunting for them.

For weeks she followed every lead and every rumor connected to the Suicide Squad. But eventually the weeks turned into months and the months turned into years. Six years actually. Standing watch over her old life. She watched Clark fulfill his destiny as Superman. She saw Lois walk down the aisle with Clark from a far smiling as if she'd just realized that she'd hit the jackpot. The man of her dreams. And she watched the way Oliver led the league into the light and gave the world something to believe in. They brought hope and peace to the people and her heart soared.

Her heart broke piece by piece as she watched the years take them further and further away her. She saw how they forgot her. As they moved on. Chloe knew she had given them no choice but it still hurt. And she could have survived that. She would have been okay with the hope of "one day" going back to him. That ended the morning she picked up the paper and saw his face. The love of her life looked like he had the last time they had been together. His eyes were twinkling and he was smiling. Only it wasn't for her. It wasn't her face he was staring at. It was someone else.

He was standing next to the newest member of the JLA. The papers didn't know who she was and they speculated about her connection to Star City's own Green Arrow but Chloe knew. She was Diana, aka Wonder Woman. And Oliver, her Oliver, was in love with her. He might not even know it yet but she did. She knew.

Chloe pushed the paper away from her and walked into the tiny kitchen of the place she was currently staying. She wouldn't call it home. That word certainly didn't fit. It was simply a place to sleep and work. She pulled out the bottle of scotch she kept in the cupboard and poured herself a large glass. Moving back to the living room she sat on the couch in front of the TV. She didn't turn it on as his smiling face popped up in her head over and over. She sat there in silence, sipping from the cheap glass. She felt the first tear fall and knew it wouldn't be the last.

Sobs tore through her until her whole body ached. His face…she couldn't think of his face anymore. Stumbling towards the kitchen she grabbed the bottle of scotch and retreated to her room. The sad part was that she still loved him enough to be happy for him. To feel good that he wasn't alone anymore. She could almost smile at that. Almost. Her heart was in a million pieces and she was glad he had someone to come home to now. She refilled her glass and drank until she couldn't see his face anymore. When she finally made it to her bed she could barely stand. Pulling the blanket over herself she realized that it was over. There was nothing left. No reason to keep fighting anymore. She couldn't go home. He had moved on.

Wiping her tears she knew that she had to move on. She had to let go. So in the morning she would pack up the few things she always brought with her and she would leave without a trace. She wouldn't look back. And like the dozens of places before no one would miss her. She wasn't sure what her next stop was going to be but it was time to come out of the shadows. Time to take her skills and try and salvage what was left of her life, a new identity and a fresh start of her own creation. She was done with being alone. Chloe Sullivan was a ghost of her own making and it was time to come back to life.

Just a taste.

Not to fear this story is completed and the next chapter will be posted tomorrow.

Did I mention I love reviews?