Ten Months after Season 8

He was hurt, he was hurt bad. He found himself in this predicament more and more often, but this time he knew he wouldn't make it to his Fortress. He needed a safe place to recoup. He winced as he pressed his hand harder against his stomach trying to ebb the steady flow of blood.

Staggering around trying to make his brain think, he looked up and saw it. A place he hadn't been to for a very long time. Chloe's place. He could make it there, he had to.

Ten laborious minutes later, he turned the knob surprised to find that it was unlocked and pitched forward into her domain. Rolling onto his back, he weakly called for her. There was no response. There's something not right here. He forced his eyes open to take in his surroundings. It looked exactly as it had when he had been there ten months ago. That can't be right. She would have this place buzzing with all her tech equipment at the very least. The lights were on but no one seemed to be home. He didn't understand, couldn't make his brain understand. His vision turned hazy and then turned dark.

Sometime Later

The first thing he was aware of was someone's heavy breathing. The pulse was irregular and the breathing hitched at times. He opened his eyes to find Oliver sitting in a chair a foot aware from him staring at nothing.

"Oliver?"

Oliver snapped his head to Clark's prone form and a small smirk tugged at his lips, and then he took another swig of his drink.

"So the boy wonder survives." He slurred his words a bit, he didn't care though.

Gingerly Clark sat up, happy to find himself whole and not bleeding anymore.

"What's going on, where's Chloe?"

"Well isn't that the million dollar question? Where is Chloe? Truth is I dunno, last time I saw her was nine months ago at some dive bar. She tried to convince me to return with her, but I think I have all the friends I need." He waved his bottle in front of Clark's face, sloshing himself in the process.

"What? What are you talking about? Chloe is missing?" He rubbed his head trying to make sense of Oliver.

"No, I wouldn't say she's missing. I'd say she's finally wised up. I'd say she's much better off in the new life she embarked on."

"Wait, she left? Well why haven't you found her and brought her back? Or are you too busy with that bottle to bother?"

"Oh no Clarkie. You don't get to bring your carcass back into our lives and make judgments. You left, remember? Pretty much said you didn't give a damn about us lowly humans anymore. You know, I always thought you were the good one, the golden child here to save the world. But when your best friend's world was crashing down around her, you left her high and dry. How is that for judgment?"

"I had to, I keep getting caught up in these human emotions. I can't make clear headed decisions being attached to humans."

"And what's Lois? Is she an alien? I would actually believe that. No Clark, you can't go that route, everyone's heard about you and Lois, Lois has made damn sure everyone knows her personal acquaintance with the red blue blur."

"That's different." He defended, not sure how to explain that one.

"No need to explain Clark. You are having a very human reaction. It's called being horny. Apparently the only human worth your time is the one you want to fuck, does that about sum it up?" Clark slammed him against the wall.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I hit a nerve?" Oliver gasped as he tried to get his breath back.

"Really if that's not the reason, then what is it? When exactly did Lois become more important then the person who's known your secret since high school and spent pretty much the entirety of her life protecting you and putting herself in the crosshairs in the process! She's died for you, more times then you even know. How does she get relegated with the rest of us unimportant humans?" Oliver shoved him back as he fought himself to regain control. He couldn't be feeling like this, this bitter, vile anger that bubbled up, it sucked too much.

"What are you so mad at Oliver, since when did you care?"

Oliver let out a low chuckle and bent down to retrieve his bottle. He tipped his head back and let the fiery liquid burn through him once again.

"I don't care, not anymore. I tried, I tried to help, I tried to find her…but she hates us, do you know that she hates us? Wants nothing to do with the likes of us anymore, no more hero business for her, no more heroes that can't seem to save themselves." Clark had absolutely no idea what Oliver was rambling about and suspected Oliver wasn't too sure himself.

"Did you know she was pregnant?" Oliver grasped his bottle tighter and advanced slowly on Clark.

"What?! No way, Chloe has a kid?"

"Did you know, before you left her? You're a super man, you didn't hear another heartbeat inside her before you left her all alone? Your super vision didn't tell you the changes in her body?"

"God Oliver, no I didn't know! Wow, so a little Chloe running around. Maybe that's why she got out of the hero business?"

"I didn't say she had a kid. The last person she was in contact with was Dinah. She had been staying with her because she didn't want to be alone and one night they got to talking about you and me and the Justice League. And Dinah tried to get her to calm down, but she was so upset. Said she needed air. She left to go for a walk with tears streaming down her face. Dinah said she went to look for her ten minutes later and she found her beaten pretty badly, bleeding out and unconscious. The police say it had to be personal, the beating was intense and the perps didn't steal anything off of her. She lost the baby. And then she disappeared. When Dinah filled me in, I tried, I really tired to find her. Just to make sure she was okay. Dinah told me to give up, to leave her alone, that Chloe had spent her whole life helping us save people and when it came down to it, none of us could be there when she needed us the most. She hates us…and I don't blame her. I hate us too." Oliver went to stumble away.

Clark felt like his world was spinning, he never thought…she was always so strong, he had thought she would be fine. That she would be better than fine without him. He felt like he was going to throw up.

"Wait, Oliver, if she's gone, why are you here?"

"I come here everyday, I sit here with my bottle of whiskey and dream that she comes back. That she waltzes through that door ready to have us back into her life, happy and healthy as she disparages me on my drinking and cleans me up. I'm waiting for her save me." Oliver took the last pull of his bottle and threw it against the wall. He watched as the glass shattered and sprayed the floor and then he turned around and walked out the door.

"Some heroes we are." He muttered to himself as he left.

Clark spun around as he felt another presence in the room.

"Dinah? Watching over you leader?"

"Something like that." She crossed her arms and legs and leaned against the wall scrutinizing the man that could break Chloe so completely.

"Do you know where she is Dinah? I have to see her."

"No I don't and if I did, I would never tell you."

"Please."

"For what Clark? So you can tell her your sorry. Jimmy was dead, Davis was gone, Brainiac's possession was still rattling her, she finds out she's pregnant and the one person she thought she could rely on washed his hands of her. Without so much a tear I might add. No Clark. Be happy with Lois, your second-rate Chloe substitute and don't look for her. You will only bring her more pain."

"Lois is not a substitute! I love Chloe, I screwed up, I'll fix it."

"This isn't something you can fix. You have a funny way of showing your love to her. Stay with Lois, quite frankly you're not good enough for Chloe. You never will be. If I find you trying to get to Chloe, I'll find the largest green rock ever harvested and hit you with it. Got it?" She unfolded her lean frame and went to the door.

"Jesus, he leaves a trail of whiskey ever where he goes." And then she too was gone. Well this is what he had wanted. No attachments to worry about, no friends, no Chloe. Had it been his fault, had she lost the baby cause she had been too distraught to pay attention, to call for help? Maybe it had been one of his enemies, targeting Chloe, where it would hurt the most. He would find him, find the person responsible and rip him to pieces. And then…and then what? What would he do, without Chloe Sullivan?