He knew it was cliché but in all the joints in all the world she ended up in his. He was in an out of way pub in Edinburgh, Scotland. He wanted to see no one, talk to no one, and wash his troubles away one tumbler of Scotch at a time.
"Well isn't this sweet you and Glenfiddich best friends now?" the tiny blond approached sitting across from him in the pub booth.
"Well if it isn't the snarkiest mouth in America," he sassed as he poured another drink. "Do you get points for finding me? You get to go on to the next step of the Amazing Race?" his speech was slurred his attitude sucked.
"Wow, that was almost clever." She spoke. A bar maid came up to her and took her order. "Just bring me a glass, I'm drinking what he is." She spoke flatly.
"Looks like somebody's grown a pair," he sneered.
"And I'm obviously looking at a man who's lost a pair." She gave right back.
"Well, well,well, aren't we sharp tongued." He spoke picking up brogue.
Chloe just cursed at him in Gaelic,"Keep going Queen, I can go all night." She hissed.
"Promises, promises." He spoke. The bar maid came and set her glass on the table and Chloe poured herself a drink.
"Might as well bring out the Haggis, we're going to be here a while." She spoke taking her first drink in a chug. She winced as it burned going down, then immediately poured herself another and chugged that down too.
"What are you doin' here s'kick" he slurred.
"Well," she took another huge drink, "Saving the dumbass man that I love from himself." She shook her head as again the Scotch she drank burned going down.
"Little lady if you're trying to drink me under the table, I've been there since," his face frowned at the thought of what happened to Jimmy, the way he left Chloe, all the bad things in Metropolis. Yeah, his life was pretty bleak.
"Well you're still upright, still talking, so you're not under the table, and my meteor power could be holding my liquor you don't know." He looked at her pessimistically.
"Riiiiggght." He spoke. He paused his brow furrowed and he looked at her, 'Waaaaaaaiiiiiittt, you said you loved me?"
"Way to go genius that was so 5 minutes ago." She spoke ripping down another glass of Scotch. "And Yeah I do…do..do.." she giggled, her lips felt funny.
Ollie laughed at her laughing. "What on earth for, all I ever do is screw shit up. I hurt people, people that I care about, innocent people, I'm not a people person apparently."
"Idiot!" she spoke taking another drink. The bar maid brought out a plate of Haggis and Chloe grabbed her fork and dug in. "Everyone makes mistakes," She chewed and swallowed. "That's the game of life. What happened to Jimmm, jimmmmmmmm, Jimmy was h-horrible. But from that we found each other. Until you got all…" she waved her hands in the air. "And hit the rode for Ports, Ha Ports! I made a funny, parts, I meant parts unknown."
"But I am the biggest liability. I'm not all computerated like Vic, or water worldly like A.C," he sighed and took another slow drink. "I am just plain humannnn," he spoke like it was a disease.
"So, some of my closest friends and relatives are human. It doshn't matther, you big dumb man!" Chloe had taken a few really big bites of the Haggis and then looked at it like it was from Mars. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Yeah, it is." He answered as he watched her face turn green. He turned to the bar tender. "Check!" he spoke. They came and he paid with straight currency. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Yeah Adam its me… McEwen's Pub…thanks." They waited till the car arrived and he and Chloe stumbled to the car and were taken to hotel he was staying at. They managed to get into the hotel gracefully. Chloe was still very green. Oliver was starting to shed some of his intoxication.
He helped her to the couch and then sat on the coffee table facing her. "You are a crazy, crazy woman." He spoke softly.
"Look, Ollie, tap dance around it all you want, you and I, we had something or have something. You know me, all of me, more than Jimmy ever saw. My life with him was all half truths, you're all truth." She belched and the wrinkled her face, "Excuse me…I'm so very sorry he got caught up in all the drama, it was never meant to go that far. I've grieved, and its gotten a little less every day. I need you with me, the team needs you, and your company needs you. Start grieving, stop hiding, and come home." She pleaded than here eyes got really wide and he pointed to where the bathroom was and she bolted almost as fast as Bart.
He shook his head, stood, and clumsily made his way to the bed room. He grabbed and extra t-shirt for her and went into the bathroom. Chloe was worshipping to the porcelain god. He sat on the edge of the tub and leaned over to hold her hair back.
"What am I gonna do with you?" he asked.
"Oh, keep me, if this doesn't scare you away." She began to heave again.
"No, I'm staying here as long as you need,"
"Really?"she coughed, "That's just sick." She half smiled.
"Ok Tower," he laughed. "You feeling any better?"
"Sort of…"
"Take a shower, than come on out to the living room, we can have some tea and talk." He stood smiling down at her. He then headed to the door.
"Ollie?" she whispered.
"You don't need to say anything Tower, I need to thank you, you're my hero tonight." He winked at her then closed the door. Chloe sighed and turned to start the shower, knowing she had her hero back.