Truth is In The Eye of The Beholder

Chloe took a sip of her coffee, allowing the caffeine to sooth her frayed nerves. There was something about Bruce Wayne that left an unsavory taste in her mouth. Something just didn't sit right about the man.

A shadow fell across her paper. She glanced up with a curious smile only to have it fade to a frown as she recognized the man who stood by her table. The entire coffee shop went silent as they recognized Gotham's resident billionaire.

"Miss Sullivan, there was one more issue that I wished to discuss with you before your untimely departure," he said, giving her a grand smile.

Chloe glanced around suspiciously, noticing how everyone was staring at them.

"Care to walk with me?" he asked, offering her a hand.

"This couldn't wait until Monday, Mr. Wayne?" she asked, standing up but ignoring his proffered hand.

"Not really. It's concerning your living arrangements."

"I thought we had an agreement about that… it was none of your business," she nearly growled at him.

"I was referring to your current arrangements, not your past ones. Wayne Enterprises would be pleased to offer you a place to stay until you can get on your feet and find a place of your own," he spoke quietly as he lead the way out of the quaint shop.

"That's very kind, but I really couldn't…"

"Nonsense, Gotham is a dangerous city; even you have to see that. Until you are more familiar with the area, the good places and the bad places to live, I would feel much better if you were in the most secure place Gotham has to offer."

"And do you offer this to all of your employees?"

"We offer security measures, yes, but, no, we don't offer this exactly. You see, though, your position will be one of a… sensitive nature. I'd prefer the information you'll be privy to not fall into… unsavory hands," he explained in a vague manner.

Chloe stopped in her tracks.

"Exactly what will this position entail?" she asked, a tingle of intrigue running through her head.

Bruce just smiled.

"You will have to wait until Monday to find out. Now, shall we?" he asked, indicating the large black Towncar they had come to.

"I suppose it can't hurt to see this place," she agreed, getting in to the car, closely followed by Bruce.

"Wayne Tower, please, Alfred."

"Right away, Master Wayne. Ah, Miss Sullivan, pleasure to meet you, Ma'am," the elderly driver greeted her.

"Alfred Pennyworth. He has been with my family since well before I was born. The only family I have left," Bruce told her by way of introduction.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you," Chloe said, feeling instantly comfortable around the older man.

The car gently pulled away from the curb and into the flow of traffic. The passengers inside were silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Chloe was starting to wonder if perhaps this had not been her wisest idea, moving to Gotham. She had a plan, one she couldn't pull off in Metropolis, but still… this had possibly not been the best place.

She wondered exactly where he planned on stashing her and why they needed to travel to Wayne Tower first. She opened her mouth to ask those questions when a newsstand caught her eyes. She gasped.

"Stop the car!" she demanded. Alfred slammed on the brakes.

"What in the world?" asked a confused Bruce as she jumped out of the car and sprinted across the street. "Pull over," he told the older man, exiting the car as he spoke.

Chloe ran over to the stand and grabbed the newest edition of the Inquisitor. She walked off, not even thinking to pay for it.

"Hey!" the stand worker called out, but was quieted by the twenty that Bruce threw down to cover the paper.

She stared at the front page in horror. There, in color for the entire world to see, was a grainy picture of her and Oliver outside the Talon, entangled in a tight embrace, lips locked together. The headline caused stomach to churn.

Oliver Queen's Mystery Woman: Pregnant? Followed by the byline, Billionaire's Girlfriend Embezzles Money Then Skips Town.

She opened the paper to find the story on page three. There was another picture of her, this one taken the day she left Metropolis. There were tearstains on her face and… she had to admit, her stomach, which was circled in red, did look a little… plump.

Bruce finally caught up to her and grabbed her arm, steering her back towards the car.

"I suggest you read that somewhere private, people are starting to stare," he told her as he opened the door.

She allowed herself to be pushed into the car and barely noticed when it started moving again.

Bruce cleared his throat, eyeing the front page of the paper with disdain. He knew the Inquisitor's stories were about as plausible as alien invasions but he couldn't help but notice the distraught and horror filled expression Chloe had on her face.

"You know, most people know that the Inquisitor's not worth the paper it's printed on," he told her quietly.

Her eyes shot up to meet his, anger brimming in the green pools. She could see the curiosity in his eyes and was grateful that he hadn't asked the questions that obviously plagued him.

"Someone like Oliver Queen has probably had multiple headlines saying the same thing over the year, it will blow over," he assured her, searching her eyes for any hint of truth. He was surprised to find pain and… fear in them.

"Unless… the headlines were true this time…" he mumbled, raising an eyebrow.

"That's none of your business, Mr. Wayne," she seethed, her anger growing.

"We're hear, Master Bruce," Alfred announced, stopping the forthcoming argument.

Bruce quickly exited the car and held out a hand to help her out. She let him help her out but immediately released his hand.

"The penthouse is at the top of the Tower and it's yours to use for as long as you might need it. It is the most secure place in Gotham and a good place to hide away from reporters should you need it."

"Yeah, that's just what I need, another headline. Something along the lines of 'Money-Seeking Bint Trades One Billionaire for Another'," she mumbled under her breath.

Bruce raised an eyebrow at her words.

"I assure you, Miss Sullivan, that is not part of your work arrangement," he told her with a chuckle. She just glared at him.

He led her to the top of the building and opened the door to the lavish penthouse he had just recently vacated. She glanced around appreciatively.

"It's very nice, but I really…"

"Please, don't argue, just say yes."

She sighed, too emotionally worn out to even think about arguing with him today.

"Fine, you win. I'll stay here, whatever," she told him, dropping down in a chair and covering her face with her hands. He looked at her with a worried expression.

"I can have Alfred drive you to your hotel so you can check out and bring your stuff over," he offered, his earlier teasing voice gone.

Chloe glanced up at him, for once grateful for his offer.

"That would be nice, thank you, Mr. Wayne."

"It's not a problem. I will see you Monday, perhaps," he told her before heading for the door. He was sorely tempted to question her about the article, but decided it would be best to just leave it be. Her secrets were her own, so long as she could do her job it really didn't matter what skeletons were in her closet.

Chloe sighed once more as Bruce left the penthouse before bursting into tears. She had hoped to keep her fling with Oliver a secret, but now everyone would know. She would have to answer to Lois and Clark. Granted, they would have to track her down first, but she had no doubt they would, and when they did they would have a word or two for her.

Her eyes strayed to the close up of her stomach. There was one issue she really needed to deal with. Even she couldn't be cruel enough to leave Oliver wondering about something like that.

~*~*~*~*~

Oliver rushed around his penthouse, packing his bags quickly and trying to think of everything he could possibly need. He had received an invitation to Gotham's Children's Hospital fundraising Bizarre a month ago but had thought nothing of it, now he knew it would be the perfect excuse to go to Gotham and hopefully drag Chloe back with him.

His monitor beeped, alerting him to a visitor. Cursing under his breath, he walked quickly over to his desk, freezing when he recognized Lois's irate form waiting on the other side.

He quickly pushed the button to allow her up. Oliver shoved the last of his clothes into his suitcase by the time the elevator door rose to admit her.

"Lois, I was just getting ready to…" he started, but was quickly cut off.

"You son of a bitch, what did you do to her?" the very upset brunette demanded.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, his movements slowing in confusion.

"Chloe. She up and left, with no word and no explanation. Now, that in and of itself is not that uncommon, but then I saw this," she hissed, shoving a paper under his nose.

Oliver gulped, his mind reeling for an explanation. He glanced down at the paper and felt his stomach drop out. There on the front page, in a very compromising position, was a picture of him and Chloe. Even worse was the headline that blared across the top.

Oliver Queen's Mystery Woman: Pregnant? Followed by the byline, Billionaire's Girlfriend Embezzles Money Then Skips Town.

He ripped open the paper and read the article, his jaw clenching the further he went. His heart rate sped up with every word. He glanced at the pictures, all of Chloe going about her day to day business. One picture showed a close up of her stomach, a slight bulge circled in red.

No… it couldn't be. She wouldn't have just left, would she?

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Lois demanded.

Oliver swallowed twice before he tried to answer.

"I… I… I need to find Chloe," he croaked.

"Yeah, I would say you do! Jesus, Oliver! Even for you, this is a royal screw up!"

"Lois, not now. There's a lot going on, okay, I'll… I'll explain it later," he muttered, walking past her to grab his suitcase.

"No, way, buddy, I'm not letting you walk out of here until you tell me whether this is true or not," she said, stopping him in his tracks. He turned pain filled eyes on her.

"I don't know, Lois."

A/N: Thanks for reading! Hehe, sorry for a cliffie, but it was where it needed to end. Don't worry, lots more to come! Let me know what you think! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews!! I read them over and over again when I'm feeling down and they really lift me up!