Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville.
Summary: Set post Season 10; When Chloe moved to Star city she decided she wanted to become her own person again, and everything began to change for her. Eventual Chlark.
Chloe sighed as she idly bounced a small red ball she'd found against the wall. Just days ago everything had seemed so simple, but now... now not so much.
With the many, many functions they'd had to go to she hadn't been alone with Oliver nearly as much as she would prefer and the two of them had grown distant; this alongside his public reveal as Green Arrow had steadily created a rift that grew and grew until the two of them rarely saw each other in private save for sleep, sex and weekends in which she played the part of loyal "sidekick" and doting "wife".
She had found herself steadily growing more and more annoyed until several days ago when Oliver had called up and told her that he was going to be late; up until then she hadn't realized just how big a part sex and mutual comfort played in their relationship.
Ever since the fiasco that had occurred at Clark and Lois' wedding, something that had her kicking herself, she had been growing wary of their relationship. It was all well and good that he said that he loved her and that she was the one that bought him back, but she hadn't noticed anything wrong with him in the first place; she hadn't even suspected. When Clark had been replaced by Bizarro she had noticed, yet her own boyfriend/husband and nothing!
And yeah, in hindsight having a wedding between her cousin and one of the key players in the JL with her and Oliver there whilst Darkseid was still running around hadn't been such a great idea, but still... when she thought back on a lot of things they seemed kind of foolish.
She had a Vegas wedding with him; she didn't even remember getting married! Never mind the fact that shortly before they started dating he still seemed to be making overtures towards her cousin and their relationship had been built on "Fun", along with the fact that she'd been siphoning money from him with the whole 'Zod issue' and not telling him.
It seemed like such a good idea at the time, but in hindsight how could their relationship last? It was built on fun, heroics and danger; without the investigations, clubs, adventures, heavy drinking and private dinners what was there?
They were a good team; but that was all, and it had all come together to lead to heartbreak for the both of them. She was sorry for the depression and upset Oliver faced but it would pass eventually. The fact of the matter was that he couldn't be her hero 24/7, just as she couldn't be some stay-at-home wife or all that he wanted. She had hopes and dreams too, and ever since coming to Star city she had found herself wanting to be known as 'Chloe Sullivan - The intrepid reporter and hero in her own right', not 'Anne Queen - Oliver Queen's wife and Green Arrow's supporting Sidekick'; This was the main thing above all that lead to their break-up.
Overall, when she had been dependent they had been fine, but now that she wanted to strike out on her own everything was different. So she'd moved out of his penthouse and into her own apartment far across town, getting a job at the 'Star city Register'.
She sighed again and grabbed the ball, lazily tilting her head to stare at the certificate that lay propped up against the wall on top of her mahogany drawers. 'Inconsolable differences' indeed; now if only she didn't feel so guilty about it.
"Morning Sullivan." Her editor, Terrance Daniels spoke. In his early forties, Daniels was a gruff man with weathered tanned skin that made him seem even older than he was and pepper-gray hair cropped almost military in style. While strict Daniels was fair and even and despite all appearances pointing towards otherwise he was markedly difficult to anger, and easily distracted.
"Morning Mr. Daniels." She smiled at the older man, shuffling through her bag. "I've got that report you wanted on the Fairlands case." She pulled out a thick brown folder filled with even stacks of paper held together with a large paperclip.
"Good, good." He gruffed, leaning back and looking out his office window as she placed it down on the desk. "You got a call waiting at the front desk." He informed.
"From who?" She wondered out loud, tilting her head and gazing skyward as she thought.
The man behind the desk rolled his eyes. "How the hell should I know?" He questioned rhetorically. "Go and check for yourself. She's been holding up my secretary for fifteen minutes and won't go away."
A sinking feeling entered her chest and she gulped as she stood straight. "Loud, bossy, doesn't stop talking?" She queried.
"Yes you are." He agreed. "And so is she, you know her then."
"Yes." She grit out, glaring at him. "Yes, I do."
"Then keep your damn social life away from your work, Sullivan."
She decided to ignore the jab and quickly made her way from the room to the front desk. "'Sandra, is she still there?" She asked the brunette secretary sitting behind the large wooden desk.
"Yep." The other woman grimaced. "And she doesn't sound happy." She informed.
Chloe grimaced and drooped in resignation. "Alright." She sighed, holding out her hand. "I'll take it."
Cassandra Carver, the secretary in question, looked up at her gratefully. "Thank you." She said exasperatedly. "She just doesn't STOP!"
Chloe grinned as she lifted the phone to her ear, walking out of the room as she did so. "Hi Lois."
"CHLOE!" Said girl winced as her eardrums nearly burst. "I've been trying to call you for hours, but SOMEONE forgot to give me her new number!"
Chloe chuckled warily as she nervously twirled a pen between her fingers. "I don't have a new number yet Lois." She hedged.
"Then leave your mobile on!" Her older cousin shrieked. "Now, what's this I hear about you and Oliver?"
"He told you, huh?" She queried dryly.
"I wheedled it out of him, now stop trying to distract me!" The other woman chided. "What the hell is this I hear about you two breaking up?"
Chloe sighed as she put the pen down, focusing on the conversation at hand. "Look, Lois. Things just... Weren't working out." She stated simply.
"But how? You two seemed fine last time I saw you!"
"I know, it's just that ever since we got here we haven't really meshed, I mean he's always busy elsewhere or dragging me off to gala's and meetings and such and such and otherwise I'm just helping him at 'work'." She finger-quoted the word 'work' even though Lois couldn't see her. "To put it simply we were fine when it was all fun and games, but now... Not so much."
"But Chloe, are you sure about this? You two looked so good together and you seemed so happy!"
Chloe sighed again and frowned. "Lois, I was happy because we were dining out, playing around, helping each-other, having no-strings attached sex-"
"Whoa there cuz', That right there; TMI!" Her cousin cut across, and Chloe could practically picture her face, scrunched up and squinting. "Don't you laugh at me. You're not too old for me to put across my knee young lady." Lois reprimanded playfully.
"That'd be quite a trick hundreds of miles away." She chuckled.
"But seriously Chlo, are you sure about this? The guy's pretty depressed and you were happy with him; more than... before. And there was chemistry!" Chloe looked down at the mention of 'before', clearly knowing that Lois was tactfully trying to refer to her time with Jimmy without bringing up bad memories. It didn't work.
"I'm sure, Lo." She shook off old memories. "And maybe there was chemistry, but Ollie and I... We're just not heading in the same direction." She said lamely, unsure how to describe it.
Thankfully Lois seemed to understand what she was saying. "Alright, Cuz', I'll drop it for now, but just think about it for a while before you do anything rash, alright?" Chloe guiltily thought back to the signed divorce papers sat on her drawers at 'home'. "But if you need anything; advice, a place to stay, any help... Fashion tips, anything at all you know my number, right?"
Chloe coughed to cover up her laugh, determined to sound, and look, professional, so that no-one important in the office would think she was taking a personal call. "Okay, Lois. Thanks." She smiled, pulling the phone back slightly. "I'll talk to you later, alright?" She asked the brunette.
"Alright, but remember to leave your mobile on, I might need to call you little lady!" Her cousin joked down the phone.
"Okay, okay." She relented, rolling her eyes at Lois. "Bye." She finished cheerfully.
"Don't you roll your eyes at me Blondie, I'll talk to you later." *CLICK*
Chloe stared down at the phone for a moment before walking back up to the front desk and giving it back to Cassandra.
"Everything alright?" The older woman asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.
She smiled lightly back at her. "Yeah, it's all good."
Chloe walked back into the bullpen and sat at her desk, pulling her phone out of her pocket and clicking it on.
"You have: Twenty-three. New messages. To listen to these messages, please press-" She flicked it shut and shoved in back into her pocket, bracing an arm against the desk and putting her face in her palm, groaning as she did so.