Little Tess/Oliver Drabble
Rating: G
Pairing: Tess/Oliver
Summary: Missing scene from Scion.
"My lawyers are drawing up papers that relinquish your complete control of Luthorcorp to me."
Lionel sipped the scotch and glanced at Tess. "Why would I do that?"
"Because of that scotch that you're drinking. It's laced with nanotrackers. They've burrowed deep into your stomach lining and have entered your bloodstream. From now on, I will know your every move. And if you try to retaliate against me or my friends... I will crush you."
He stepped closer to her, invading her space and setting her slightly on edge. But she stayed right where she was. Leaning in, Lionel looked her straight in the eyes. "Why don't you have me killed?" he taunted.
"Because that's not who I am."
They were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Hey Tess, have you seen-"
Oliver Queen stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Lionel Luthor.
"Ah, Oliver, you're just in time. My daughter, your business partner, and if I'm not mistaken, your ex-lover, has just informed me that she has poisoned my drink with nanotechnology."
Oliver glared at the powerfully elegant man and then looked at Tess. "What's he talking about?"
"Aw yes," Lionel sneered, looking back and forth between them, then he laughed his devilish laugh. "She outsmarted me. Yes, I would almost think of her as my own flesh and blood if the mere thought of it didn't leave me grotesquely ill."
"Well, I'm certainly not rushing out to send my alma mater any family photos for the upcoming alumni newsletter," she quipped back.
Lionel continued bating Oliver. "Does it bother you to find out you once slept with the daughter of the man responsible for killing your parents?"
Oliver seriously considered decking Lionel, but choosing the higher ground he simply leaned in and replied, "I don't think Tess's love life is any of your business."
Tess moved to the doorway, gesturing to Lionel to walk through it. He ignored her entirely.
"Similar to this reality, your doppelgänger couldn't bear being around her either once he learned the truth. He ran away from her so fast it was remarkable." Lionel chuckled. "It was quite a sight, I assure you. But the most amazing part to me is that in this life, you didn't need any such reason to leave her. You walked away from her all on your own."
Oliver grabbed Lionel's arms and jerked him forward.
"Oliver, don't! Don't react to him, please. My security will escort him out. And they're on their way."
"It's no secret, my dear," Lionel told her. "Everyone has left you, haven't they? And here you are still trying to gain the approval of Clark and Oliver? It's no use; they will never love you."
Tess glared at Lionel. She could see Oliver behind him, his eyes on her, begging her to let him punch his lights out. "I have no delusions of grandeur," she told Lionel. "I will protect them always."
"And we will protect her," Oliver stated firmly, somehow feeling that wasn't enough.
Lionel gave Oliver an incredulous look. "You'll protect my own flesh and blood from me?"
"Immediately, if not sooner."
The security team arrived. They took hold of Lionel's arms and began escorting him out. Tess slouched back against her desk, momentarily relieved.
"You know, Lutessa, in every life, all of your life, people tend to walk away from you. I would love to tell you that it has nothing to do with you, my dear, but I would be lying. It has everything to do with you."
"Get him out of the building," Oliver told the guards, his eyes fixed on Tess.
Lionel reached out for Oliver's forearm. "She will betray you, Queen. She might not do it intentionally, she might not even mean to, but trust me, she will."
He gave one last victorious look Tess's way before willingly walking out of the office.
Oliver could see the pain all over Tess's face though he could also tell she was trying desperately to conceal it from him. He walked over to her, tipping her chin up.
"Hey, look at me."
She did, and her expression broke his heart.
"You know you may not believe me, but I have magic hands," he said, waving them in front of her with a glint in his eyes.
A tiny smile crept over her face as she waited to see where he was going with this.
"And whenever someone has horrible thoughts circling around them over and over, I just banish all negative thoughts." He gently ran his fingers through her hair and grasped the back of her head, stroking her scalp delicately.
She immediately relaxed her head against his hands, dropping back against them as he massaged her skull. He stroked his fingers through her hair, relieving tension and hopefully, all memory of the last 10 minutes.
"And I'm just going to chase away all those thoughts ... every single one until they've all been forgotten."
He felt her relaxing and giving in, letting his fingers ease her stress. After a few more generous strokes, he gently let her go, seeing the calm on her face.
After an instant, he saw the worry come back to her face and he reached forward, pretending to catch the last remaining bad thought in his fingers.
"Gotcha!" he exclaimed softly, getting a small smile out of her. "And although my hands are magical," he gleamed playfully. "Occasionally - very occasionally - you'll need a second treatment. Absolutely no additional charge!"
She exhaled a tiny laugh, dropping her head against his shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered to him in relief.
She looked up at him, her warm eyes captivating him in ways that she would never know. "Thank you," she said again.
~o~
The End!
