Reacclimatizing
Chapter 2
It had been two weeks since Kayla had awoken to find her world completely disrupted and changed. She had slept for a year and a half, Oliver had apparently lost hope she would wake up and found someone else, and now she was on her own again. Sure he tried calling but she stayed clear of him. She needed to face the problem and she knew it but when exactly was the right time to face the fact that the man you still loved more than anything no longer loved you back?
Finding a nice apartment had been easy, as was paying for it since apparently Oliver kept her salary even in her sleeping state so she had plenty of saved up. It only took one trip to the bank to change the name on the accounts back to her so she could oversee them herself. Then the decision was made, she would need to get used to all the new developments before searching out a new job. That's when her eyes had fallen to her Angel gear and a smile had graced her features.
Currently she sat on the roof of a building overlooking Metropolis, thinking over everything that had changed and wondering if she would ever acclimate to it all. Suddenly, a scream sounded through the night and her eyes scanned below before she found the source of the disturbance in a nearby alleyway. Angel wasted no time in jumping off the roof, wings spread wide, to soar to the source of the turmoil.
"What is it about you thieves and not taking no for an answer?" She quipped as she landed a few feet from the man with the gun trying to take a woman's purse, a child crouching next to her legs. A sense of de-ja-vu hit when she saw the child and a familiar anger tore through her. "You can't make your money like everyone else, asshole?"
"Who the hell are you?" He snarled as he aimed the gun at her but stopped when her eyes flashed a bright blue, one beneath the half white mask covering her face, and she pulled her lips back to reveal fangs where her canines were.
"I'm Angel and trust me, that's the last thing you want to do right now." Her eyes followed his every movement while she judged the time it would take for a knife to embed itself in his shoulder versus the bullet he would send her way.
"Let's find out if you're really an angel or if you die like everyone else..." His sneer caused a shiver to flow up Angel's spine before she let a knife fly from its holster on her side. The crack of the gun had her eyes closing and waiting for the impact that never came. When she opened her eyes, the man was unconscious and in front of her stood Clark Kent.
"Kayla?" His voice was shocked as he took in her scantily clad form from the skin tight leather pants to the black halter top that showed off her midriff. "Is that really you?"
"The name is Angel, boy." Her voice offered warning to the woman crouching with her son near their car. "You're safe now, ma'am." The woman rushed into the car and sped off, leaving Angel there to sigh and shake her head. "You're welcome, don't mention it."
"You done?" Clark's arms were crossed before she turned back to him and shook her head, taking her mask off.
"Yes, it's me. Miss me, Farm Boy?" Her smile lit up her face as she rushed to him, feeling better for the first time since she woke up when she felt his arms surround her in his tight embrace.
"More than you know. You dropped off the face of the planet after you graduated." His eyes searched hers as they parted and she looked down.
"My father was let out of prison. Long story short, he attacked me, knocked my head into a rock and here I am awake after a year and a half coma." She shrugged it off and tried to ignore Clark's wide eyed gaze. "It's just a really long story I don't have time to tell. But it was good to see you." As she put on her mask and turned to go, Clark stopped her.
"Why don't you come by the farm? I'm sure mom would love to see you." He said and she tilted her head.
"What about your dad? He not want to see me?" His eyes became sad and downcast which set off alarms. "Clark, what aren't you telling me?"
"He died a while back. Heart attack." He could hear Kayla's gasp before she hugged him.
"Oh god, Clark, I'm so sorry!" Her voice was softer as she kissed his cheek. Kayla needed to leave now before the man she used to love in front of her saw the tears threatening to escape. "I'll stop by the farm soon, okay?" She offered him a warm smile before taking back to the skies.
The tears fell down her cheeks to drop on an unsuspecting city while she just flew with no destination in mind. Jonathan Kent was dead? He had been a father to her as well, not just Clark. He couldn't be gone! Before she could stop herself, she found herself on the balcony of Oliver's apartment and she had to jump out of sight when she saw Clark, Ollie and his girlfriend in the room.
Oliver caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and when he caught the edge of a feather, he knew who was outside. When both Lois and Clark had left, he made his way out to the balcony.
"I didn't think I'd see you back here so soon." He said with a smile but stopped when she didn't turn around. Her form was shaking ever so slightly and her mask lay on the floor while her head was down. Her back was to him but he didn't need to see her face to know she was crying. "Kayla..." He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "What's going on?"
Kayla had been trying to get herself under control but it was no use. She could feel her body shaking, including her wings. She had dropped her mask not wanting it on anymore tonight as the tears continued. Oliver's voice had been stopping her for two weeks but right now that didn't matter. What happened between them didn't matter. For now, she needed what only he could give her. Her ice blue eyes turned to bore into him. When she lost control of her emotions like this, she couldn't get her features back to normal so her fangs were also out there for the world to see.
Normal people would be scared by the sight before them but Oliver only brought his hand up to brush her tears away with his thumb. Was this his doing? Before he could blink, she was in his arms with hers wrapped tightly around him.
"He's gone, Ollie... He's gone..." He was about to ask who but then her sobs broke through and he sank down to the ground with her. Oliver knew he wasn't getting anything else out of her right now. They both lost track of how long they sat out there but when she finally calmed down, Oliver looked down to find her asleep. With a sigh, he picked her up and carried her into the apartment, up the steps, and into his room to place her on his bed. How had things gotten so complicated between them?
Oh yeah, he had given up on her ever waking up.
"Who's that?" Oliver's head snapped up to look at the door and there was the team standing there and he put a finger up to his lips before he walked out and shut the door to the bedroom.
"That's Kayla..." he said to Bart, Victor, and AC as he led them back downstairs. "She woke up a couple weeks ago."
"That was Angel?" Bart asked with wide eyes and Oliver just gave him a look. "Right... My bad."
"What do you have?" Oliver asked as he led the boys back down to his desk area.
"We found more LutherCorp holding facilities that could be 33.1." AC handed over the paperwork as they gathered around his desk.
"All right... here's the plan for the next few months, guys." Oliver said, laying out everything they needed to do while Angel slept peacefully upstairs.
"Hey, Oliver," Victor called softly to get all of their attention. "I'd hate to address the huge elephant in the room... or in your bedroom rather. Is she joining us or not?"
"From what you've told us, we could use her." AC agreed with Victor and Bart just nodded causing Oliver to sigh and drop his head.
"I haven't told her because it's a different kind of situation between us. I was going to wait until I was sure she could handle it." Came his reply but a voice that rang out behind him had him stilling.
"Until I could handle what? Who are these people.." Kayla had woken up in a strange room but it smelled like Oliver so it had to have been his bedroom. She had walked downstairs to hear him talking with other people but then ended up recognizing Bart. "Oh my god. You're the one who stole my wallet!"
"Oh... I thought I recognized you... Sorry about that..." Bart scratched the back of his neck while she turned back to Oliver.
"Until I could handle what, Oliver?" Her voice had hardened slightly as her nerves shot through the roof. Oliver dropped his head before turning to face her.
"We're trying to end a ring Lex has going called 33.1. He's doing experiments on people with abilities, Kayla." He put his hands in his pockets as he shook his head. "I was waiting for what happened to die down before approaching you about it. But their right, we do need your skills."
"You're serious? Lex is doing that to people?" Anger flooded through her since she had abilities. "I'm in. He needs to be cut down to size and I'll make sure that happens. But first thing is first. I need a job."
"You're serious right now?" Oliver smirked and stood, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I know you haven't filled the position of your personal assistant yet. All I ask is that you don't make out or have sex with your new woman toy anywhere near me and I won't let out all your dirty laundry." She walked out to the balcony. "I'll see you first thing in the morning, Mr. Queen." As she flew off, AC's eyebrows shot up.
"Anyone else find that attractive?" When he turned around, he was met with a glare from Oliver and Victor was just shaking his head. "No? Okay then. So, where are we starting?"
The next morning, Kayla replaced the sunglasses on her face with the hair on the right side of her face to hide her scar and tried to control her breathing as the elevator took her up to Oliver's apartment. When she stepped off the lift, her eyes fell upon an empty apartment. A confused look overtook her as she walked in and looked around. Where the hell was her boss and ex boyfriend?
"I'm out here." She turned to see Oliver sitting on the balcony and when she walked out, she saw a small table with two place settings for breakfast.
"Oh. I didn't realize she was coming for breakfast. I'll make myself scarce." She turned to go but his voice stopped her.
"The breakfast is for you." He didn't even look up from his newspaper as she turned around with a quirked eyebrow. "I figured, knowing your nerves, that you hadn't eaten yet." Dropping the newspaper, he eyed her. "I'm right, aren't I?"
"Looks like your premonitions are still correct." She said as she sat down, back straight as a board. Oliver noticed she didn't even meet his eye or even look up from his place.
"Kayla," He started and noticed she flinched at the soft tone he used when her name came from his lips. "We're eventually going to have to talk about this." The fork stopped halfway to her mouth with the eggs before she took the bite and ignored the statement. "It will eventually get in the way of our working relationship." Kayla's eyes snapped up to meet his behind the sunglasses.
"We don't have any relationship, Oliver." She stood up and walked back inside and he was quickly on her heels.
"What is going on that you can't even talk to me anymore?" His voice was loud as he called after her and she had enough. Quickly turning, she snatched her glasses off her face and both of her eyes flashed ice blue as emotions surged forward she had tried so hard to keep buried.
"You gave up on me!" Her voice was a shout as it stopped him in his tracks. Taking a deep breath and temporarily closing her eyes, she willed herself to calm down before speaking another word. "I know it's unfair to ask you to wait that long but it still hurts to know the man I was in love with gave up on me. It's just something that will take time to get over." Turning on her heels, Kayla retreated to the back of the apartment where her desk was so she could start work, leaving him stunned up front.
Lunch time rolled around and she was wondering where she was going to go when the phone rang. She didn't recognize the number on the ID but still picked it up.
"Oliver Queen's office, may I ask who is calling?" Her voice rang sweetly through the phone and the falsity of it made her want to vomit but not as much as the familiar voice that answered her.
"Oh. You must be the new assistant. This is Lois Lane, I'm just wondering if he is going to show up for our lunch date." The brashness of this woman really grated on Kayla's nerves. Taking a deep breath, something she had done a lot that day, she put a fake smile on her face before answering.
"One moment, Ms. Lane, I will let him know you are waiting for him." She pressed the hold button and made her way to the front of the apartment where Oliver was reading over some documents on the couch. "Mr. Queen..." She barely made it down the stairs when she started seeing other things.
Oliver looked up just in time to see her hand come up to her head before Kayla tripped and fell to the floor. Instantly he was at her side, taking her sunglasses off. He jumped back when they were flashing white and looking every which way as if to get her bearings.
With each blink brought Kayla a new sight. It went back and forth from Oliver's apartment to a warm palace, both of which had his face in her line of sight. A pain was splitting her head in half and it had her calling out. However, as quickly as the episode started, it ended and she was left gasping for breath in Oliver's arms on the floor.
"Kayla!" He shouted her name multiple times until she finally seemed to come out of whatever took her, her eyes going back to their double shade of blue and green. "Kayla, are you all right?"
On shaky legs, Kayla nodded as she stood up. She brought a hand up to rest against her forehead as Oliver led her over to the couch before pouring her a glass of ice water.
"What the hell was that?" He asked as he sat next to her and she just shook her head while she sipped the water.
"I have no clue." After a few shaky breaths, she seemed to have control of herself and she shook her head clear. "Oh, Ms. Lane is on the line wanting to know if you're showing up for lunch." The look on his face clearly said he had forgotten. There was something else there almost as if he didn't want to go and wanted to stay there with her but she didn't dare hope for it. "Go. I'll be fine. I'll just order in and take it easy. It's rude to leave a woman waiting. Get out." She shoved him off the couch and he put his jacket on, giving her a regretful look before stepping into the lift.
Once he was gone, Kayla stopped faking and slouched back on the couch. What the hell was wrong with her? The ghost pain was still in the back of her head and she needed to find Advil if she was going to make it through the rest of the day. Kayla tried to shake it off but inside she was scared. What the hell were these episodes? It happened in the hospital and then now. Was there something worse wrong with her? Could she have healed wrong or not fully healed from where the rock had hit her head?
Was she still Kayla Sanders?
