Hurt (Time Doesn't Heal All Wounds)
Author: Greenarrow11
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Paring: Chlollie
Word Count: 1,137
Summary: Not all wounds heal over time.
Hurt
I was wrong
Now I'll never see your face anymore
Oh my love
I'd give anything for one more day with you
One More Day- Vast
It was that day. The day where he shut everyone out in the morning. The day where he drove to that same cemetery that he visited every time this year. His feet shuffled, his face down, he walked through the dreadful place. Even with his face down he knew where he was going, he made the trip many times; he was pulled to her like he always was.
He stopped in front of the elaborate headstone that bore her name. She hated how he tried to use some of his mass amount of money just to make her comfortable but he had to give her this last gift. He would give all his money up just to make her smile. Her smile. Her smile warmed him up as the sun warmed the land. He would do anything just to see it again. But he failed her and now he could never see her again.
The sun shined yet he was still hit with the biting chill that always came in mid March. But he didn't feel it. He didn't feel anything. Not now, not today. Happiness of this day, this hour, went away as she went away seven years ago.
But she wasn't alone. No, his parents were always at her side. They kept her company till he could be reunited with her. He wanted to. He wanted to so bad. To lay there and never wake up till he saw her again. But he couldn't. She gave him one final gift before she died: Connor. That day was supposed to be the happiest day of his life –their lives- but instead it became a Pyrrhic victory.
He bent down, placing a single tulip, her favorite flower, on her grave. She would yell at him if he gave her the bouquet that he wanted to give her. He remembered how flushed she got when he surprised her with one at work. She tried to pretend that she didn't like it but he knew the truth.
Reaching out, he brushed her name: Chloe Queen. It was the closes thing to touching her. The cold marble seemed to radiate heat just at her name. But then he pulled back. It was futile; he wouldn't be able to touch her again and he knew that she was yelling at him about moping. That Queen pout that she always said he had was probably showing and today he wouldn't argue that. He kneeled enjoying her silent company. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours. All drowned together but time didn't faze him.
"Connor just turned seven." Notifying her just seemed natural. They always talked openly. In fact one of their rules was honesty and he wasn't going to break it now. "He's getting more like you every day which is probably the best thing." Choking out he received no response but continued anyway. "All he does is ask questions. His curiosity rivals yours, Sidekick."
Silence greeted him. "God I miss you." Tears formed in the pit of his eyes and he blinked desperately to not allow them to fall. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I…I should have stopped them. I should have stopped them before they got to you." The tears ran freely from his eyes now. "I know you want me to stop feeling sorry for myself but you know me Sidekick, stubborn as hell." Again nothing responded except the howl of the wind.
The beeping from his watch awoke him from his trance. It was time, the time where he left her. Every year he did it. He hated it but did it for her and him. Kissing his fingertips he placed them on her name again. His hand fell and he got up, walking away. He didn't say goodbye. He couldn't say goodbye. Goodbye meant he would never see her again and he couldn't accept that. Not now, not ever.
The drive home was silent. The lights of the city blurred together as he made his way to his penthouse. Parking, he made his way to his private elevator taking it up all those floors. As he ascended he took deep breaths knowing that every year this was the hardest thing he had to do. Everyone told him that time healed all wounds. Not all he discovered.
The elevator doors opened and he walked in to his –no their- penthouse. He didn't change anything. It was the same furniture, same color, same way as it's always been for those long seven years. His reminiscing was broken by the shriek that brought him his only bit of happiness in his life. "DAD!" Connor sprang from his seat on the couch and jumped into his father's arms.
"Happy birthday Con." Oliver said as he gripped his son in his arms lifting him up so their faces were on the same level. And this is why this day was so hard. His smile was her smile. His laugh was her laugh. Everything of him screamed Chloe. And she would never see it. "How is the birthday boy doing?"
"Well I would do better if I had that cake you promised." And there it was. The smile was on full blast. His eyes twinkled. It was so hard to look into those emerald green eyes that resembled his mother and not cringe. Wasn't he supposed to be sad? Instead they warmed him. Looking deep into those eyes he realized that Connor was the phoenix of Chloe. As she died Connor was born. He couldn't help but laugh that she made sure he would never be alone.
"Yeah let's get that cake." Sobbing was held back knowing what he was doing at that moment. It wasn't a sad sob but it wasn't of joy either. It was of revelation and acceptance.
"Can I choose it?"
"Of course you can!" And that's when Oliver's first true smile emerged. Never on this day since that fateful morning did he ever truly smile on this day. But she wouldn't want that. Maybe all wounds did heal over in time.