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A Chloe/Oliver fic.

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Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Smallville.

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A/N: I've had way too many ideas for Chlollie fics lately, and every time I start one, another pops into my head. So, I have about 6 that I've started, that are still waiting to be finished. Hopefully I'll be able to get some of them up before I get distracted by another idea.

This one takes place shortly after the season 8 episode 'Hex', but as thought Chloe and Jimmy never got married in season 8 (in my opinion, Chloe only said yes to Jimmy to forget about everything that happened to her, and try to cling to some sense of normalcy), and Davis isn't in the picture at all. A photographer snaps a picture of Chloe and Oliver, takes it to the media, who immediately assumes that they are dating. In the whirlwind, Chloe and Oliver realize that their 'fake' relationship is a perfect cover for the league's headquarters being at the Isis foundation, and decide to go with it.

I hope you guys like this, I know I'll love writing it.

As always, please read and review, I live for feedback!

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"Something you wanna tell me, 'Cos?" Lois asked her, her hands behind her back.

Chloe looked up from her cup of coffee, glancing at her cousin. "I finished the pot, and didn't make another?" she guessed.

Lois shook her head, narrowing her eyes as she looked down at her younger cousin. "You know, I know that me and Oliver have been over for a while now, but the least you could have done was give me a head's up."

Chloe furrowed her brow, setting down the warm mug in her hands. "Lo, what are you talking about?"

Lois took the paper out from behind her back, dropping it down on the table.

It was a copy of some trashy tabloid magazine, which was bad enough, but on the cover was a large photograph of her and Oliver, where Oliver was kissing her cheek, and the headline read: "Metropolis's Most Eligible Bachelor Like's 'Em Blonde and Brilliant". Underneath the photo was a caption of the two, along with a short description of Chloe's ex-reporter life, and her newer status as the Head of the Isis Foundation.

Chloe blinked several times, staring at the photo in front of her. "You don't honestly believe this, Lois? I mean, it's totally out of context." She remembered the night the photo had been taken. It was a couple nights ago, and she and Oliver had just come out of Isis. They were still fine-tuning it to use as headquarters for the little band of heroes, and the kiss on the cheek had only be a 'see you later' kind of kiss. Nothing romantic.

Lois stared down at her, her hands settling onto her hips. "Really? 'Cause I wasn't even aware that you and Oliver spent that much time together, let alone enough to be kissing friends."

"It's only on the cheek, Lois," Chloe reminded her, standing up from the table to pour her coffee into a travel mug. She had to get to Oliver before this got out of control.

"Look, Chloe, I'm not mad," Lois informed her. "I just wish I didn't have to hear about it for the first time from some sleazy magazine."

Chloe sighed, knowing that Lois wasn't going to believe her. "Can we talk about this later, Lo? I gotta be somewhere."

Lois sighed, watching her cousin quickly gather her stuff up, and exit the small apartment. She herself was running late for work, but as soon as she got a chance, she planned on confronting the other half of Metropolis's newest couple.

...

Oliver had been fielding phone calls and emails for the last hour. His PR people wanted to know why he hadn't informed them of the relationship, so that they could control the media coverage. Many other magazines and newspapers had contacted him, wanting to set up and interview.

He'd told them all 'no comment', annoyed that the public had such an interest in his personal life, especially when the photo was more of a hoax than anything else. Being in the spotlight was a part of his life, he was used to it ... but he didn't want to put Chloe through all that, either.

He had been about to pick up the phone to call her and forewarn her, when he was suddenly struck with an idea. As much as he didn't want Chloe to get caught in the paparazzi crosshairs, the photo presented them with an opportunity.

If they just came out and said there was nothing happening between them, there would be questions asked. Why he was at the Isis Foundation with her so late, why they spent so much time together, what they could possibly have in common. The media was harsh, he was well aware of that. And now that Chloe had been brought into it, he knew that they wouldn't just accept a 'no comment', or even a 'we're just friends' statement.

They had only just started using the Isis Foundation as a headquarters of sorts for their team to conference in with one another. He would be spending quite a bit of time there, unless they found a more permanent location to have their meetings. Either way, the Isis Foundation was now in the spotlight in a whole new way ... he could either take advantage of that, or risk having everything blown.

Oliver had already set aside money to use as a donation to the Isis Foundation, wanting to have a cover for this specific reason. He would tell the press that he simply supported what the foundation was about. But that still didn't explain the kiss on the cheek.

Oliver groaned, dropping his head into his hands. Things would be much less complicated if he hadn't done that. It had been completely spontaneous, but really, it had only been a goodbye kiss. He and Chloe had gotten closer since she became Watchtower, but it wasn't anything like that.

So, he had a choice. Tell the media the truth, or use the situation to their advantage.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when the person in question strode into his office.

"Got a second?" she asked him, slightly breathless.

Oliver nodded, standing up from his desk. He came around the front, leaning back against the desk and crossing his arms over his chest. "I assume you read the papers this morning?"

"Briefly," Chloe confirmed. "But only because Lois thrust it in my face."

Oliver cringed. He'd forgotten about Lois. "You okay?"

Chloe nodded. "Yeah, but I'll be better once we get this all sorted out."

Oliver pursed his lips carefully.

"What?" Chloe wondered, reading his face.

"Well ... I was thinking about that," Oliver started.

Chloe crossed her own arms, staring headlong at him. "I'm listening."

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Chloe was nervous. More nervous than she'd been in a long time. What Oliver had told her made sense, and it wasn't as though he'd had to twist her arm too much to get her on-board, but she was still nervous. She had to lie to Lois about what they were doing, because Lois didn't know about everyone else: Bart, Victor, AC, Dinah ... she only knew about Oliver's 'Green Arrow' persona. It wasn't as though they didn't trust her, but she was better off not knowing.

Which was why Chloe was currently having a mini panic-attack, preparing herself to lie to her cousin. She just hoped that Lois wouldn't hate her.

"Hey, 'Cos, what are we getting for take-out tonight?" Lois wondered as she walked in the door.

Chloe stood up from the table, steeling herself for the lie. "I'm sorry, Lois."

Lois closed the door behind her, chucking her keys on the nearest counter. "About what?"

Chloe sighed. "Oliver."

Lois paused, regarding her cousin. After a long moment, she sighed as well. "I'm just happy you're finally telling me," Lois told her.

"Really?" Chloe asked. "You're not mad?" It wouldn't be an unreasonable emotion.

Lois shrugged. "Ollie and me were over a long time ago. It's about time he found someone else. And you two make a pretty cute couple, too."

Chloe blushed uncontrollably at that, thinking about the act that they would have to put on in the near-future. "Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't come out and tell you this morning. It was just a bit of a surprise to see it plastered all over the page. Can you forgive me?"

Lois rolled her eyes, stepping forward to give her cousin a hug. "Of course I can, Chlo. Now, give me all the goodies," Lois insisted happily. "How long has this little affair been going on?"

Chloe sighed, remembering the lie. "Just a couple weeks," Chloe told her. "It just sort of happened. He came over to talk about doing some funding for the Isis Foundation, and we got to talking, and it just sort of ... clicked."

Lois grinned. "Sounds like the best part of a relationship."

Chloe tilted her head at her cousin, quirking her eyebrows at her. "What part?"

"The beginning," Lois told her. "Where everything is fresh and exciting, and you're still in the 'isn't this a wonderful thing' stage."

Chloe pursed her lips, holding back a grin. "Sure, Lo. That's exactly where we're at."

...

"You're dating Chloe?" Clark asked, stepping into the room.

Oliver sighed, looking up from the floor plans he was going over. "Hello to you, too, Clark."

Clark ignored the comment, walking up to him and standing on the other side of the desk. "When did this happen?"

"Clark, before you get all caveman-possessive over our little, blonde sidekick, you might wanna take a breath and let me clear a few things up for you." He considered letting Clark believe that he and Chloe were really together, but really, where Clark was concerned, the lie wasn't necessary. He would probably understand the predicament, even if he wasn't happy about it.

Clark paused. "I'm listening."

Oliver nodded. "Chloe and I are not together."

Clark furrowed his brow. "So, it was actually just some trashy, tabloid lie?"

Oliver shrugged. "Yeah, but ... we - me and Chloe - decided to let them believe the trashy, tabloid lie."

Clark stared at him. "Why?"

"Because it's the perfect cover," Oliver told him, stepping back from the plans in front of him. "With Chloe being an official member of the team now, we're going to be spending a lot more time together, using Isis as headquarters. Without this excuse, people are going to be digging into why we're spending so much time together, and will eventually figure out that Isis is being used as a front. We can't risk everyone's identities by denying the relationship."

Clark narrowed his eyes, considering the situation. "Can't you just use someplace else as headquarters? Be a bit more stealthy about it?"

"That might be a quick fix, but it's not foolproof, Clark. This is the only way to ensure the security of Isis."

Clark doubted that, but he begrudgingly saw Oliver's point. "And Chloe's on-board with this?"

Oliver nodded. "It didn't take much convincing, Clark. She understands the importance of this."

Clark pursed his lips. "I'm not happy about this."

Oliver scoffed in response. "No one asked you to be. Believe it or not, Clark, this isn't about you."

Clark clenched his jaw, taking another step forward. "I'm just worried that this is going to hurt Chloe in the long-run."

"Your concern is duly noted, Clark. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an event to get ready for."

Clark wanted to press the matter further, but figured he should have a cool head when discussing this with Oliver. He didn't see this ending well, and didn't want his friend to get hurt. Oliver's playboy ways were well-known, and he didn't want Chloe to have any unrealistic expectations. He was heading back for the elevator when a thought occurred to him. "Is Chloe going with you to this 'event'?" he wondered.

Oliver forced a half-smile onto his face. "Not that it's any of your business, but yes."

Clark nodded, leaving the penthouse.

Oliver spent a few more minutes going over the plans in front of him, before he retreated to his room to prepare for the evening. It was a win-win that he would have Chloe with him tonight. It was going to be dicey enough to get the information that he wanted when he was going in solo. Chloe only needed a fifteen-minute briefing to get up to speed on the operation, and prepare herself for the event.

He was glad that Chloe was going to be on his arm tonight ... he just wished she'd let him pick out her dress. He had no idea what she would be wearing that night, and considering that she was going to be thrust into the spotlight, he would have felt a lot better if he could have a say in her wardrobe.

He put it behind him though, focusing on the task that was to come.

He and Chloe would have to put on a believable act in front of dozens of people, he just hoped that she wouldn't freeze up.

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End of chapter one.

I was going to make this one long story, but decided to break it up into a few chapters instead.

What do you guys think so far? Like it, hate it?

Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful.

Until next time ...!