-I need to find Oliver. RIGHT NOW!-
She was in pain. Lot of pain. She was shot, stabbed, thrown out of very tall buildings, but it all seemed nothing compared to what she was feeling now. For God's sake, she had died before but it never hurt so much. Clark freaking out and Lois babbling weren't helping either.
The only one who looked calm was Bart and she would have laughed about the situation if she had not been so focused on what she was doing now.
-Chlo, you need to breathe. I'm going to inject something to help you, but I need you to stop fighting the pain for at least a minute-
-Believe I am trying to breathe. I just CAAAAN'T- Lois stopped babbling to reach her cousin's hand, trying to ease the pain. She would have gladly swapped places with her little cousin to take it all away from her. Chloe had been through a lot in the past two year and she didn't need to be pressured more.
-Ok. Chlo, look at me. Smallville is going to find him, right?-Lois shot a killing glance to her super-boyfriend to be sure he understood that he HAD to find Oliver or would have to face the consequences.
-Uffff…ok…ufff….Clark, you have AUGH…ufff….you have to check the screen-ordered Chloe. A loud scream followed Emil's injection into Chloe's body and then a muffled "Sorry" was heard coming from the doctor.
Bart was pacing back and forth, unable to help because of the shock. When he was scared or under pressure he acted very calm: he simply couldn't help his feet from not moving. He hated seeing the strong woman known has Watchtower going through so much.
Oliver had been MIA for six months now and there was no sign of him. Chloe and the League had been looking everywhere, threatened anyone and they never stopped doing so; AC, Bart, Victor and the others all moved into watchtower to be all together in one single place. Even Lois was now an active part of the team: finding out who Clark really was and what her cousin's work consisted in made it pretty much of impossible to keep her out the League's business.
That morning had started like any other. Victor turned on the PCs checking on news, AC went to the swimming pool to keep active and Bart raced to Mexico to get the breakfast. Clark and Lois didn't show up, they were working on a big article and couldn't get away from the informer's back.
Lately was tired, so she didn't worry when her back started hurting. It was making her nervous so she kicked the boys out and crashed on the couch with the universal keyboard in her hands. She had fallen asleep, tears streaming down her eyes: no news of Oliver. She was usually strong in front of her boys but she couldn't help crying when she was alone because she felt even more alone. She had finally found someone to be herself with, she was learning to open her heart again and yet destiny came to get HER Oliver.
Pain. That's what woke her up. It was too much to handle, so she got to her phone and called Emil to make him rush to watchtower. ASAP.
-I'm going, ok? Bart, you're coming?-Clark couldn't stand watching her like this anymore. He had to get out, he had to find him for her. Even if it was the last thing he ever did.
-Nah, I'm fine with 'licious here. Plus, don't think your girl can stand Chlo crushing her hand for longer and so I think I'm going to take her place-Bart answered. He was nervous, anyone could sense it, even Lois who had met the kid just a few months earlier.
-He's right. I need him her to take her hand because she's actually starting to kill me here- said Lois trying to calm everybody.
Chloe couldn't help but smile a little bit watching them: they were worried and they were there to help her out. She was scared and she wasn't afraid to let the others know. At least not today.
Clark disappeared. Bart and Lois swapped places. And Chloe felt that it was time to end it. She decided she would stop fighting the pain and see what happened. So she focused on Lois, her big cousin who was putting ice on her most-certainly broken hand, on Bart, the little brother she never had now whispering jokes into her ear to calm her down. She thought about her boys coming back into her life and being there in the time of need, never leaving her side in all those months she acted as a fury looking for their leader. Clark came back into her life and realized that he had been an ass with her, so Chloe watched him making up for it. And then Oliver's image hit her like a bullet in the chest: the last words he spoke to her, those feelings she tried to hide for so long finally coming out but with the worst timing ever. She knew it would've been easier to let go if he had been with her. He would have found the right words, the right move to soothe her and to make her relax. But he wasn't there and she knew it.
She had to be strong because they all counted on her: Chloe Ann Sullivan, Watchtower, a woman born to protect secrets and help saving the world, someone who could be trusted in any situation. She was Chloe, she was an heroine.
-I've got to focus- she told herself out loud. Bart was startled at first because she had stopped talking for a few minutes now, but he then regained his self-control.
-You're right, 'licious. You have to focus 'cause there's no way you can make it without being completely on it. Lois and I are going to be the all time, we ain't leaving your side, we're going to be here the all time- he tried to reassure her.
-Yeah, we're here-Lois stood up from the chair and reached for Chloe's other hand.
-Emil, I'm ready- Chloe said sure of herself.
When Clark came back it was over. There was silence everywhere except some sobs coming from Lois's direction: he had hardly ever seen her cry so it froze him where he stood. Emil was nowhere to be seen but all his stuff was still located on the floor where Chloe stood when he left. He asked Lois if she was ok and when she answered with one of her characteristic "Positive" he headed for the bedroom Chloe had created during Watchtower's renovation.
-It was terrible, dude-Bart welcomed him. He was sitting in a chair next to the door watching over Chloe's body.
Clark sat next to her trying not to move her.
-Olivia-
-What?-asked Clark.
-Her name. It's Olivia- said Chloe slightly smiling-I think it suits her. And I think Oliver will like it-
-It will help his ego grow!-Clark said grinning.
-Nothing in the warehouse?-asked Chloe hopeful. When he didn't respond she simply started talking again-Emil said she is great, even though she came a few weeks earlier. He ordered me to take her to the hospital for some tests but I didn't want her to see a place like that so soon-
-I understand you-he said.
-It means that from now on I get to call you mamacita and you can't protest thanks to this lovely young lady- Bart decided it was time to sneak in the conversation-She is going to save me whenever I get in trouble with her mama, right girl?-
The little girl cooed slightly and drifted back to sleep.
-He is so confident because she grasped his finger when he brought her to me. Olivia isn't going to save you, Oliver would not allow her to-Chloe's smile died as soon as she spoke- If he ever gets to even see her-
-We're going to find him- said Clark and Bart together.
-All you have to do now is focus on little Miss Olivia Sullivan!-said Clark picking the baby up-
-Her surname's going to be Queen. No matter what, Oliver's her father and I want her to have something from him-explained Chloe and Clark could just nod.
Lois got into the room with Ac and the rest of the League: she had finally stopped crying for happiness so she decided to join her baby cousin and her baby niece.
-They desperately wanted to meet her-she said grinning madly.
AC and Victor approached Clark to see the little girl and started talking to her with rather stupid voices making everybody laugh. Dinah and Mia, who had now joined the team, looked from afar waiting to be able to get the girl from Clark's hands.
-Hello, little miss. Let me introduce myself. I'm uncle Victor and this one smelling like a fish next to me is uncle Arthur!-they couldn't stop behaving like this. That's what they were and Chloe wouldn't have had them any other way.
-Guys, let me introduce Olivia Marian Sullivan-Queen-
