A Time For Changes 1/?

Notes: This is going to be my first long fic. Or at least that's my hope. I have a couple of ideas in mind that will hopefully keep it going. I do have one question for everyone reading it. Now this is following almosts everything up to the end of season 7, except Jimmy's proposal (blah) and I am going to pretend that Lois had absoluely no interaction with Oliver when he returned for Siren.

There was a familiar click at her door and she almost didn't bother to look up but did. What she saw was not the usual guard but a middle aged man she had become accustomed to being harassed by over the past week. Agent Barnett had been pretty insistent on finding out what she knew. She'd told him what she could to try to appease him. Made excuses that she had broke the law because she was so intent on bringing Lex down, but he seemed to know there was more to her story and had continued to question her. Clark's name never came up though.

"Ms. Sullivan." The agent gritted out, trying his best not to show his discontent. "It seems you are free to go."

"What?" She was already standing up but didn't dare step forward. The last thing she needed was someone to think she was making a run for it.

"You're free. I'm not repeating myself again."

Free. How though? The only way she expected freedom was if Clark to come barreling through the wall, but that never happened. She hadn't even had a visit from anyone. How could she just be free? "How?"

"Although, it seems you know how to rub some very important the wrong way, you some how have made good friends elsewhere." His body still burned with fury as he watched her stand there with that innocent look on her face. There was something she knew and now he would never find out. "Out."

He didn't have to tell her twice. At his command she exited her cell and was met by one of the guards who led her away. She followed the guard eagerly down the hallway, to nervous about what she'd find at the end to notice Agent Barnett glaring hatefully at her back as he followed. They went through a series of rooms until she found herself at the door of the warden's office. The guard opened the door and held it open for her. It was obvious she was supposed to enter but for a moment she became fearful. Was it Lex in there waiting to put a bullet in her head? There was no turning back though and she took the final step into the room. To her left stood the warden in front of his desk and to her right was Oliver Queen sitting comfortably in a chair. She barely caught herself from running towards him in relief. He was the only familiar face she had seen in over a week

"I suspect you'll probably want to change before we leave." Doing his best to keep his demeanor calm, Oliver stood up and held out a bag for her.

Did she want to change? Not really. All she wanted to do was escape that horrible place. But he seemed to want her to change and if he was getting her out of there she wasn't going to say no. So with a nod she took the bag and was led to one of the public bathrooms, not the prisoner bathrooms. As she began to pull out the clothes she slowly came to realize they were all hers. Jeans, underwear, shirt, slip on shoes. They all matched perfectly too. A guy didn't do this; it had to have been Lois. Did that mean they had known where she was and were trying to get her out the whole time? She felt a little bit of relief because of that. For a while she was beginning to think no one cared.

When Chloe exited the bathroom Oliver was standing in the hallway, alone.

"Let's go." When she didn't move right away he took her upper arm in his hand and pulled her gently down the hallway.

The walk out of the prison only took moments but it seemed like an eternity. She had so many questions but had enough common sense not to say a word. As they neared the gate a black limo sat waiting and she couldn't help but feel slightly ridiculous for getting picked up by a limo from a federal prison. She almost laughed.

As the driver moved to exit the driver's side Oliver waved him off and opened the door. All he wanted to do was get out of there before someone changed their mind. Once the door was closed behind them and the limo was moving he turned to her. "Are you okay?" She opened her mouth to speak then closed it. Now that he thought about it she hadn't said a word since he'd seen her. "You look horrible." Of course she looked horrible but it wasn't hard to notice that she was considerably thinner. "Didn't they feed you?"

Did she really look that bad she wondered? Unconsciously she raised a hand to her knotted strands then dropped it. Of course she looked horrible she suddenly realized and her eyes began to water.

"Chloe, no." Oliver groaned at his own bad behavior. She been in holed up in prison for a week and battered with question and now the one person she saw in almost a week that she trusted was telling her how bad she looked. "I'm sorry." But instead she cried even more. What was he supposed to do with a crying girl? When she buried her face in her hands and began sobbing he knew if Clark found out what he said he'd kill him. "Chloe…." Awkwardly, Oliver put an arm around her shoulder and pulled against him. To his relief she didn't fight him and instead scooted closer.

It wasn't that she looked horrible abut fear and relief that made her cry. She'd spent every day and every night crying, trying to stay strong, and afraid she would eventually break. "It's not you."

He felt a moment of relief that it wasn't him that was making her cry then immediately focused on what was. "Then what is it?"

"Oliver." Chloe sat up and wiped her eyes. He pulled a kleenex from the side and she took it gratefully almost crying again at the kind gesture. No one had been kind to her there. "Nothing. I was just scared and now…." It didn't matter she was out. "How did you do this?"

"You know a couple of strings here, some there, and a good bit of money. Plus, your arrest wasn't exactly legal any way." He shrugged it off.

"How am I ever going to pay you back?" Chloe wasn't stupid; people just don't walk out of federal prison, especially when people like Lex have you sent there.

"Come on." He settled back against the leather seat and looked out the window. "Most of the stuff they had you charged with you were doing for me anyway."

He was right, but still.

"Mr. Queen."

Chloe eyes flew to the side of the car where Oliver was reaching for the intercom.

"Yes?"

"You jet is ready and we will be at the airport in fifteen minutes."'

Airport? "Where are we going?"

He looked at her, almost nervously, knowing that convincing her would be hard but that she would have no choice. "Star City."