Disclaimer: Not mine, not for profit, for entertainment only.

Spoilers and changes to the timeline: Dark Thursday never happened, Lex is bad, but not evil (similar past to the show without the more extreme things, ie. he never kidnapped Chloe). He dated Lana to try to learn Clark's secret for a short time, but there was no marriage or baby. The larger issues of alien invasions will not play in this story, but there are still meteor freaks, and Lex's interest in meteor freaks. Chloe and Clark are 21, Lois two years older but the same year in college, Oliver and Lex are older (6-7 years).

Money can't buy love

Chapter 4

When Chloe and Oliver returned from dinner at his favorite seafood restaurant, a dinner that had felt exactly like a date, they found Hal sitting on Oliver's living room couch, pay-per-view fight on the TV with a beer in his hand. Chloe quickly excused herself, declaring that she needed to look her best for the charity benefit the following night anyway. Oliver protested, but realized that with Hal in residence he wouldn't make much headway with Chloe for the remainder of the night anyway.

As Chloe tried to slip into the hall that led to the bedrooms, Hal stopped her. "You're going to give me a complex, Ms. Sullivan. Running away at the sight of me. I may not be as handsome as Ollie, but I think I hold my own," Hal teased.

Chloe turned a sour look on him, hands going to her hips. "Nice one Mr. Jordan. Either way I respond to that you win. Either I stay, admit I'm running or prop up your ego, which gives Oliver's a run for his money, by admitting that you're handsome."

Hal smirked back at her, but his gaze was watchful as he noticed how Chloe's eyes continually went back to Oliver. For his friend's part, Oliver had barely glanced at Hal, more interested in staring at the little blonde that so endlessly fascinated him. "So which is it?"

Chloe walked up to Hal, kissing him on the cheek while patting his chest patronizingly. "I'm not running, I just want to give you boys some alone time so you can alleviate your obvious boy crush on each other. As for your attractiveness," she shrugged and wrinkled her nose. "I suppose you're handsome enough. Just not really my cup of tea." Tellingly her gaze when back to Oliver and Hal mimed taking a stake to the heart, the large smile creasing his face giving lie to the action.

Oliver grinned, enjoying her sharp tongue even more when it wasn't pointed in his direction.

The two heroes stood silent until Chloe disappeared behind the bedroom door. Oliver walked to his den, accessing the secret room that led to the unit under his which housed his Green Arrow gear as well an extensive computer network that the league used.

Without a word, Oliver changed into his leathers while Hal just imagined himself in his Green Lantern disguise. Once Oliver was ready, Hal flew them both out into the city. It wasn't until after they'd patrolled for a few hours, stopping a mugging, two incidents of domestic violence, a burglary, and made note of some suspicious activity at the docks that Hal set them down on a roof top not far from Queen Industries headquarters. The distinctive Q shape of the building made it a landmark, visible from almost anywhere in the city.

Oliver inquired about Hal's most recent trip off world, and shook his head at the tales of intergalactic crime and conflict that his friend told.

A comfortable silence fell between the two old friends.

"So you finally got Chloe to Star City," Hal commented, his tone absent, but Oliver knew Hal had been cautious of Chloe in the beginning, and even now his friend worried about his relationship with 'Ms. Sullivan.'

"She volunteered, said she'd always meant to come," Oliver said slowly, his gaze focused off in the distance.

"And now she's here. What are you going to do with it?"

"I don't know," Oliver said with uncharacteristic uncertainty.

Hal nodded, understanding Oliver's paralysis. He'd wanted Chloe for so long, he wouldn't want to risk moving too fast, but if he moved too slow then the window they both realized had opened might close.

-Smallville—

Saturday morning Oliver headed to the Star City headquarters of Queen Industries bright and early, wanting to get some work done in time to meet Chloe and Hal for lunch. If the weather held, he wanted to take Chloe out on his sail boat for a few hours, before the three of them needed to head home to get ready for the benefit.

Another thing that Oliver appreciated about Chloe, was that while she could be girly, and enjoyed dressing up, she didn't obsess over her outfits or hair, and she could get ready to go in a reasonable amount of time, a big change from the women Oliver had dated in the past.

At Oliver's penthouse, Chloe and Hal sat down for breakfast together on the outside patio. Chloe was unusually quiet, her expression contemplative.

"Finally figured it out, did you?" Hal interrupted her thoughts. He'd seen the way Chloe had looked at Oliver the night before, the surge of emotion and sexual tension when she'd told Oliver to hang out with Hal, that she'd just go to bed early. Oliver had tried to convince her to stay up with them, and Hal could see the uncertainty and expectation build between them as Oliver finally bid her good night.

Hal's tone was light and easy, but Chloe's heart clenched as her tortured eyes met his. "Not on my own. It was pointed out to me, and none too gently either," Chloe said ruefully.

"I assume you mean your cousin, and not Oliver," Hal said with kind amusement.

"Yeah."

"And?"

Chloe didn't even consider playing dumb about what he meant. "And…" she let out a shuttering breath. "I'm attracted to him. I like him. But..."

"Do you love him?"

"I don't know," Chloe said in a trembling tone, realizing the full import of Hal's question. He hadn't asked if she liked Oliver, but if she loved him, which meant that Hal thought Oliver loved Chloe. And no one knew Oliver better than his best friend.

"I think you could. I think if you gave him a chance you could," Hal said softly.

Chloe swallowed convulsively. "I don't want to hurt him."

"Then be honest with him. Oliver's a big boy. He'll be happy to know that he at least has a chance."

"And if it doesn't work out?" she asked, turning glassy eyes on him, her green orbs swimming in tears.

Hal smiled, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. "You don't want to lose him as a friend, do you?" Chloe shook her head sharply. "Give him more credit than that. He won't let you go that easily, Chloe. I know you tease him about his ego," Hal grinned, "and God knows he needs to be put in check on occasion, but he won't let his ego or his hurt if you reject him, knowingly this time," Chloe flinched at his casual words, "take you out of his life."

"I'm scared," Chloe admitted.

"I know. But it's worth it, isn't it?"

"What is?" she asked in a small voice.

"Love. The possibility of love with a person who's worthy of it." There was a wealth of knowledge, hurt and experience in his voice. Chloe appeared on the verge of tears, and Hal stood up, tugging her out of her chair to hug her. "He'd be lucky to have you, and he won't forget it. He'll never take you for granted Chloe, he knows what it means to have lost someone, everyone, who was important to him."

Chloe nodded as tears spilled down her cheeks, rubbing her face on one of Hal's broad shoulders. "I'd be lucky to have him too."

Chloe was so uncertain. Could she be happy with Oliver? Would he be happy with her? Chloe knew she had a lot to offer, but she wasn't easy. Her life wasn't easy. Oliver wouldn't always come first. Sometimes it would be the story, someone who needed help or needed to be stopped. Sometimes it would be Clark, or Lois.

Then there was the fact that Oliver played in a whole other league, the major league. His world was populated by the richest, most successful and most beautiful people in the world. Chloe had never really been comfortable with people who'd been handed everything, not that Oliver's life had been easy. There was also his wealth of experience with women. Chloe wasn't inexperienced, but her dating history would fill a thimble compared to Oliver. To top it all off, Oliver lived in the public eye, Chloe needed the shadows to do what she did.

It was a risk, and the real question was did the potential reward outweigh the risk?

Chloe pulled out of Hal's arms, walking to the railing, letting her gaze fix unseeingly on the ocean. The fact that she was even thinking about the logistics of it all meant that she had already answered at least of the questions.

"There's more to Oliver than you know, Chloe. You have more in common than you realize. And, no, I won't tell you, but trust me." Chloe frowned but nodded. She did trust Hal. He was a good friend to Oliver. Protective, she'd experienced that first hand, but he was fair, decent. He'd given her a fair shake, a chance to explain herself after she'd hurt Oliver. And there was just an inherent goodness to Hal. He was normal people, like her he'd grown up middle class, worked for what he had. "Oliver's been alone for a long time, and when he chooses to make a family of his own with someone, he'll give it his all. How he feels about you isn't a whim. It's not about the chase, or winning."

"I don't think that, I know him better than that," Chloe said with some defensiveness. "But what if… what if he gets to know me better, and…" she shook her head.

"And decides he doesn't like you? Not going to happen."

"You don't know that, you can't know that," Chloe said tightly. "And you're wrong about another thing too. He's not alone. He has you."

Hal smiled. "He does, but the question of the moment is 'does he have you?'"

-Smallville—

Chloe was quiet for most of the boat ride that afternoon, but kept close to Oliver's side, asking about his sailing experience, questioning that he still enjoyed it after the accident that had left him stranded on a deserted island for two years. She also soaked up everything he tried to teach her, from maritime terminology (aft, fore, port, starboard, bow, stern, jib, etc.), to how to spot the wind on the water.

Hal was obviously experienced at crewing the boat with Oliver, the two men not needing her help at all, but they included her, letting her try and learn, and Chloe appreciated the vote of confidence.

-Smallville—

Chloe dressed for the charity event alone in her room. She knew it was a big night and wanted to make sure she looked her best. She'd picked her dress for the night carefully, wanting to balance classy and respectable, while still being sexy enough to turn Oliver's head.

Taking advantage of the endless hot water, Chloe took a long shower, washing the salt from her skin, using a moisturizing body wash with the faint scent of honey and vanilla. She washed her hair, then untangled it from the knots the wind had created, applying conditioner and leaving it on as she finished up.

Once her hair and makeup was done, hair up in a knot made soft by several loose curls, she slipped on a black strapless bra and panty set, then black stockings. She'd brought regular stockings and thigh highs, leaving open the possibilities that Oliver would be seeing her undressed. Chloe considered the two options, finally nodding her head as she made her choice.

Checking the time she saw that she only had a few minutes left. She opened the closet to find the black strapless brocade gown on a hanger, pressed and ready. She stepped into the dress, feeling the soft fabric slide against her legs, before she slid the side zip up feeling the dress tighten to hug her body from her breasts to her hips, flaring out to the ground from there.

Checking the time once more, she checked her appearance one last time, then dumped her purse onto the bed, grabbing out only the necessities and slipping them into a sequined evening bag. Sitting down to fasten the clasp on the ankle band of her four inch heels, she took a deep breath and released it. A knock sounded on the door, and she shot to her feet, rushing to open it, a bright, nervous smile on her face as she swung the door open. Her expression faltered as she saw Hal, not Oliver.

"Oh."

"Not the response I'm used to getting from a beautiful woman, Ms. Sullivan, but I'll survive." She shot him a annoyed look even as she reached out to take the arm he offered. "Oliver is on the phone, he awaits your pleasure in the living room."

Chloe took a step towards the door, then her eyes widened in consternation. "Oh," she said again, but not in disappointment this time. Releasing his arm, she darted to the bed to grab her purse, then after reaching his side again, she groaned and rushed to the dresser, opening the top drawer and riffling through the items there until she found a pair of green jade earrings. Slipping them on, she took another deep breath, blowing it out slowly.

"Relax, you look beautiful. Oliver will eat his tongue." Chloe beamed up at Hal, her nerves settling even as the butterflies in her stomach fluttered madly.

"You look rather dashing yourself, Mr. Jordan," she replied happily, as they walked down the hall to where Oliver was waiting.

"I do, don't I?" he agreed, making her laugh. He dipped his head down towards her ear just as they stepped into the living room. "I see you're wearing his favorite color," he whispered. "Green means go, you know?"

Chloe didn't respond to Hal, her eyes seeking out Oliver who looked dapper in a traditional black and white tuxedo, tailored to perfection. Chloe felt her palms grow damp, and Oliver's response to her appearance only made her nerves get worse.

Oliver was on the phone, but as soon as his eyes locked on Chloe it was as if he forgot that fact. Dark brown eyes drifted from her face down her body, lingering on her curves. A smile lit his face as she saw the green strappy heels that added height to her usually petite stature. The voice in his ear drew him back to reality. "Yeah, that's fine, just email me what you need," he said shortly, ending the call abruptly.

Hal made no attempt to hid his grin, looking from Oliver's stunned face, to Chloe's sweetly flushed expression.

-Smallville—

Their threesome made quite the impression in both the media line and inside the benefit. Chloe suddenly appreciated Hal's presence all the more when she realized that his being there meant that the attention wasn't on her and Oliver as a couple.

It was clear that Hal was a common fixture at events with Oliver, the media and many of the guests inside greeted him by name, asking about working for his friend's company after years at Ferris Air. "Ferris is a good company, a industry leader, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity that Oliver offered," Hal explained. Only a handful of people knew the real reasons for the change: Hal's complicated relationship with Carol Ferris and the difficulty of having to explain away sometimes frequent and long absences from work.

Oliver was obviously a popular figure, the press begging for pictures and sound bites from Star City's favorite son. Hal led Chloe away from the flash photography, leaving Oliver to it.

Chloe entered the ballroom between Oliver and Hal, her hands hooked though both men's elbows securely. Oliver and Hal stopped just past the entrance, looking around and letting the assembled well-to-do of Star City get a look at them.

"Bar or food?" Hal inquired, flashing a smile at a few women in the crowd.

"Chloe?" Oliver asked, letting her decide.

Hal dipped his head to Chloe once again. "Please say bar, Ms. Sullivan."

"As Mr. Jordan wishes," Chloe nodded her head regally, and Oliver grinned.

"Besides, they usually have terribly food at these things. Weird whipped fish and things that look more like flowers or sculpture than food," she said with some dread.

"Then we'll just have to find the best canapé that they have to offer and steal a whole tray for ourselves," Oliver said. Chloe turned her head to smile up at him, feeling her heart stumble at the soft look on his face.

"You would do that for me?" she asked breathlessly, her tone teasing.

"That would just be the start."

-Smallville—

Their threesome didn't last long, with Hal disappearing into the room flitting from woman to woman in what appeared to be highly flirtatious conversations. Chloe stayed at Oliver's side for the first hour, not knowing anyone in the room besides her two handsome escorts. Person after person came up to Oliver, inquiring about business, asking for donations, inviting him to other events, and offering up bits of Star City gossip. Then there were the women. The younger women, and some of the older, made their move on him, one after the other, some blatant, some more subtle but all ignoring Chloe's presence at Oliver's side.

Finally Oliver steered them to a long narrow outdoor balcony. "You holding up OK?" he asked his large hand wrapping around her arm.

"Yeah," she said brightly, but he could see the strain in her eyes.

"Chloe?"

She tilted her head, letting the fake smile fall. "I can see now why your ego is what it is. I don't have the courage to say what half those women just did, let alone if the guy in question was…" she broke off, not wanting to assume that they were on a date. He hadn't invited her to come, she'd volunteered, no matter what else lay unspoken between them.

"Let alone if the guy was with someone?" he finished for her, tilting her chin up so he could see her eyes. Chloe nodded briefly. "You're hardly typical, Chloe. You have pride and integrity to spare."

"Are you calling me proud?"

"You did just insult me in a backhanded way," he flirted back.

"The crack about your ego? It's true," she said with a truthful ring to her voice. She compressed her lips, hiding a smile. "I was just saying that you might have reason to believe your own hype." Her tone softened. "That, and you have to goods to back it up."

Oliver stared at her, wanting nothing more than to kiss her but knowing that now wasn't the time.

-Smallville—

Later that night, Hal had chosen his companions for the night, a group of girls in their mid-20s. Chloe was in a deep conversation with one of Laura Queen's former best friends about the importance of not just building schools but working on the social, environmental, and economic issues that impeded girls attending school regularly.

Oliver approached Chloe, two glasses of champagne in one of his hands, the other holding a small plate filled with little crab cakes. Oliver handed off one of the glasses to Chloe, greeting the older woman. "Evelyn, I hope that tonight raised enough money for your cause."

She smiled up at Oliver, a matrolly, motherly smile and patted his cheek. "It's never enough money Oliver, but every bit helps. Your friend is well informed. Well educated, well spoken, and quite beautiful. You could do worse."

Chloe blushed, but Oliver laughed easily. "I think we both know I have done worse."

A real smile graced the woman's face, and Chloe could easily see that she had been a stunningly beautiful woman in her youth. "Too true. You got your wild streak from your mother you know. Robert was always so well behaved. But your mother and I… oh, the stories I could tell."

Chloe saw the intense longing, the pain on Oliver's face behind the polite smile. "I'd love to hear some stories about Laura Queen," Chloe said. "I think there's a free table, maybe we could sit so I can rest my feet and you can tell us one or two?"

Oliver's gaze went to Chloe, so full of emotion that she forgot where they were for a moment. "I wouldn't want to waste your time," Evelyn said.

"We have time," Oliver said.

-Smallville—

Back at Oliver's penthouse apartment with both a view of Star Park and the ocean, Chloe stood outside on the deck that wrapped around two sides of his home. Oliver was alone inside, getting them some warm drinks, Hal having disappeared with the group of girls he'd befriended at the benefit.

Oliver returned with a cup of coffee for her, and hot tea for him.

"It's so beautiful here."

"Yeah," he said softly.

"Don't you miss it, when you're in Metropolis?"

"Metropolis has its own appeal," he said quietly, looking down at her face and knowing that if she kept being kind to him, if she kept looking at him like she had been for the past week, he wouldn't be able to hold himself back anymore.

"Ollie," she said with a gentle smile, not sure if she was ready for this.

"Chloe," he said with a faint frown. "I don't know what you were thinking coming here. If you just wanted to see Star City finally, or if you wanted to help me out, but… I think you know that what I feel for you isn't just friendship. So, unless you-"

"Ollie," Chloe cut him off, her heart pounding in her chest. "I think you should stop talking and kiss me now," Chloe said trying to sound firm but knowing her nerves were audible. Her stomach was alive with a million butterflies, and when he froze, his intense gaze boring into her, she felt them take flight.

Oliver slipped his hand behind her neck, tilting her head back and sealing his mouth over hers without hesitation. He knew what he wanted. He'd wanted her for months. But it went beyond want for him. He felt something real for her, and he didn't know why she'd suddenly changed her attitude towards him, and didn't want to push too far, too fast, so he kept himself in check as her mouth opened under his.

There was no hesitation on her part. The second his lips touched hers, Chloe felt like flames were licking cross her whole body, burning her with need. She pressed closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

-Smallville—

Hal left Oliver a voice message the next day, saying that he was returning to Coast City, and wishing him good luck with Chloe.

Oliver waited nervously for Chloe to emerge from her bedroom, wondering if she would withdraw from him or if things would be awkward in the cold light of day, but Chloe entered the kitchen with a tentative smile, and as they both moved to the coffee pot to pour her first cup of the day, she'd paused, bit her lip, then lifted up on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek.

"Good morning," she said softly.

Oliver nodded, his gaze locked on her face. "Good morning."

He let her drink her first cup in silence, sliding a bagel towards her along with a bowl of fruit. "Pushing your healthy food on me is not the way to my heart Oliver," she teased, then took a sharp breath.

Oliver smiled, reaching out to take her hand, raising it to his lips for a courtly kiss. "Consider my interest in your good health and long life an indication of my feelings for you." Chloe smiled up at him, her expression warm, and he saw her relax. "However, I do have an assortment of muffins," he offered, plucking a basket off the counter before setting it next to her on the kitchen island.

Chloe immediately dove into the basket, selecting a lemon poppy seed muffin and taking a bite. As she took another sip of her coffee, the look of absolute bliss on her face made him feel lighter than he had in years. He gently took her cup from her hand, earning a concerned look, but as he refilled it, adding the right amount of cream and sugar her approbation turned to happiness.

"You'll spoil me."

"If you let me," he said simply, the offer out there.

"Ollie," she said, shadows creeping into her eyes. "I-"

"I can go as slow as you want, Chloe," he interrupted. "We can do this however you want, as long as-"

She lifted her hand to press her fingertips to his lips, forcing him to be quiet. "I want to try Oliver, I'm…" she swallowed hard, then forced herself to continue. "You've done too good a job of showing me how amazing you are," she said teasingly, but the pain in her voice made his chest tighten. "I'm fully aware of your good qualities. My only problem now is that I'm not willing to lose you as a friend." Oliver's expression fell, and Chloe scrambled to explain herself, stepping closer to him. "So we'll try dating, and see where that takes us, but no matter what happens we both have to agree that we'll still be friends," she said in a rush.

A slow grin spread on Oliver's face and he pulled her hand around the back of his neck as he leaned down to kiss her, his hand going to her hips and pulling her closer until her chest was plastered against his. "Deal."

-Smallville-