Where We Were Really Meant To Be
Chapter 4
Chloe watched as Lois exited the farm house and made her way to the barn.
"Hey did I just see Ollie leave?"
"Uh.. yeah he said something about having a really rough day and needing to go get some sleep."
"Okay, but he didn't even say goodbye!" Lois complained with a slight whine in her voice.
"Don't worry Lo he said he'd come back to see you and Clark in a few days."
"Good, as he should, and is he going to get an earful from me for not waiting until I got back out here to leave."
" Lois give him a break Dinah left him."
"I know, how great is that? He so deserves better then Dinah Lance. I mean I really can not stand that woman. I swear she's the reason Ollie didn't make it to mine and Clark's wedding."
"Lois you have no way of knowing that."
" Oh yeah, then tell me this, why did Ollie say he would come when Clark flew over to Star City to tell him but then we get a decline on the R.S.V.P."
"Lois, Oliver is a very busy man, something probably just came up"
"Fine coz don't believe me I know she's what stopped him from coming though."
"Listen I don't doubt what your saying Lois but you don't know for sure," she sighed heavily. " Can we just talk about something else?"
"Like what?"
"I don't know, anything good going on at work?"
" You mean besides my plan to drive Jimmy Olsen insane," Lois said with a devious grin.
"Lois, what are you talking about?"
"Nothing."
"Lois."
"All right, all right, so I've kinda been torturing him."
"Torturing him, how?"
"Little things like removing all the screws from his chair in the photo lab, and I may have convinced Clark to blow his cup of coffee right into his lap a couple of times."
"How in the world did you convince Clark to participate in this little game of yours."
"Well as persuasive as Clark can be I'm even more so."
"Really, really don't want to know."
Suddenly there was a rush of wind behind them.
"Hey guys what's going on?" says Clark with a big grin that grows even bigger as he comes over and kisses Lois and then turns and hugs Chloe.
"You look like your feeling better."
"Yeah this wife of yours sure knows how to throw a proper Bitch Fest"
"You actually agreed to that?"
"Well my cousin can be very persuasive as you already know" she told him pointedly. "Speaking of which you want to explain to me why your taking part in her torture Jimmy plan?"
Clark stared at her wide eyed for several seconds before responding, "I wish I could say she had to try hard to talk me into it, but she didn't." He paused for a moment gathering his thoughts, " he hurt you Chloe and if helping Lois with her little game to hurt him is the worst I can do to him well then I'm all for it."
He looked at over at his wife and Chloe could tell he was hoping for some kind of back up, but Lois just shrugged with no signs of remorse. Chloe had to laugh, the world's biggest superhero looking to his wife for assistance. Once she started she couldn't stop the thought of jimmy's chair collapsing under him with coffee spilled all over him suddenly popped into her head only making her laugh harder. When she was finally able to stop she looked up at her two best friends whose faces were frozen in matching shocked expressions.
"You're not mad?" Clark asked
" I probably should be, but you guys love me and It's not like your actually hurting him," she stopped for a moment, "wait how hot was the coffee?" That's when they all lost control laughing until their sides hurt.
Chloe couldn't believe how natural it felt just laughing with friends, people she trusted. Over the past year and a half with Jimmy she had been so guarded. Not that she had been able to be open and honest with him before that which was the main reason her time with Lois and Clark had started to dwindle so much.
He still didn't know about Clark.
Twelve years together and he still hadn't figured it out, but if there was one thing Chloe Sullivan was good at it was keeping secrets.
After she stopped working with the JL it had become a lot easier. Less people to protect. She still remembered the day Oliver had told her he thought it was best if she stopped working with him and the boys…
Flashback…
She walked out of the Daily Planet with nothing on her mind but getting home making a big cup of coffee, and curling up on the couch while watching a good movie.
"Chloe."
She turned and saw none other then Oliver Queen heading her way.
"Hey Ollie what's up? I hope you don't have another mission for me already because I could really use a night off." She smiled her biggest smile at him so that he would know she was joking. Her smile quickly fell though when she saw no amusement on his face.
"Oh god what's wrong."
"Chloe you know I love having you as part of me team… but last night something could have happened to you."
"Ollie, Dinah wouldn't have hurt me she was just a misinformed good guy or girl as the case may be."
" Next time it might not be just some misinformed person who wouldn't actually hurt someone and I can't be responsible for something happening to you."
"So that's it then I'm just, what, FIRED!" She didn't mean to raise her voice at him but she found it totally condescending that he thought she was so incapable.
"No, look I just don't think it's a good idea anymore"
"Why? What's changed if the last 48 hours?"
"You got hurt" he told her stepping closer to her and touching his hand to her cheek.
"This is just a scratch."
"Next time it could be much worse."
"Okay. Fine. You don't want me working with you anymore I get the picture." she replied bitterly.
"The team and I are heading out in a couple of hours I just wanted to tell you in person. You deserve that much."
"I deserve better."
"You're right and I'm sorry. Please take care of yourself Chloe." He gave her one last half smile as he turned and started to walk away.
She wanted to be angry with him, scream at him, but she just couldn't. He was just trying to keep her safe. She didn't like it but his heart was in the right place.
"Hey Ollie?"
"Yeah?"
" You take care of yourself too." she told him with a smile.
He had to smile back, "Will do Watchtower."
"Chloe?"
"Yeah. Sorry what were you saying Clark?"
" I was just asking if you wanted to come in and watch a movie with us."
"Actually I've gotta get home."
" Chloe tomorrows Sunday, I know you don't have to work. So stay, I never get to spend any time with you anymore" Clark told her.
"I know and I would but I really need some sleep."
"So stay here tonight" Lois chimed in.
"Uh.. I can't I'm meeting a friend for coffee tomorrow."
"Who?"
"Oliver."
"Wait," Clark interrupted, "Oliver's back, since when?"
Neither woman answered him.
"You have a date with Ollie. When did that happen?"
"It's not a date were just meeting to have coffee and talk."
"So your going to have coffee with a man who just separated from his wife two days after your divorced is finalized. Are you insane?"
"Hold on, Oliver and Dinah broke up?" asked Clark who was once again ignored.
"Lois, Oliver is a friend of mine too. He is going through something very similar to what I am, and it would be really nice to have someone to talk too who understands."
"Hey!" Clark yelled
Both women looked at him like he was crazy.
"What?" Lois yelled back
"When did Oliver get back and he and Dinah broke up?"
"Today and yes! Please try and keep up dear!" Lois snapped.
Clark turned to Chloe choosing to ignore his wife's rude comment, " and you're going on a date with him?"
"All right listen to me both of you, it is not a date. I am nowhere near ready to start dating again. Now before this conversation gets anymore annoying I am going home. Clark could you please give me a lift, "I did have several drinks earlier this evening," she explained.
"Yeah sure thing." he told her before scooping her up and super speeding away.
Oliver pulled up to the coffeehouse the next morning, but as he went to exit the car his cell phone started to ring.
"Queen here."
"Oliver it's Dave, I'm in the process of drawing up the papers and had a question for you."
"Okay shoot."
"Okay first off do you want to try to have this prenup thrown out."
"Is that even a possibility?"
"I'm sure we can find some way, and it's my job to make sure you understand all your options."
Oliver thought about it for a moment, it would be so easy to use his money and power to get back at her for giving up and leaving. As quickly as the thought entered his head though he dismissed it. That wasn't who he was, no matter how angry he was at her she had been right. Their marriage was over it had been for awhile and at this point all he wanted was the whole mess over with so that they could just get on with their lives.
" Oliver?"
"Yeah Dave, sorry. No don't fight it give her everything she was promised."
He looked up and saw Chloe entering the coffeehouse.
"You know what give her the Star City apartment too. I'm going to be staying in Metropolis for awhile."
"You're sure?"
"Yeah get it done."
"You'll have the papers in just a couple of days."
"Thanks Dave, and Thanks for taking care of this right away. Tell your wife I'm sorry for ruining your weekend."
" She's fine with it Oliver she loves you. You know that, my god I've worked for you family for 42 years now and we both watched you grow up into a great man. She wanted me to tell you she was sorry and that she expects to see you for dinner sometime soon."
"As soon as I'm back in town I promise"
"All right I'll be in touch."
As he hung up Oliver stepped out of his car and headed toward the coffeehouse. When he walked in he looked around and saw Chloe already sitting at a booth hidden in one of the back corners with a big cup in front of her. He gestured for her to hold on for one minute before heading over to the counter and placing his order. The woman behind the counter placed his coffee on the counter in front of him, but as he went to grab the money out of his wallet she stopped him.
"It's on the house." she told him with a flirty smile tucking her long brown hair behind her ear.
"Thanks" he replied before putting the money back in his wallet, picking up his drink, and heading over to meet Chloe.
"Wow." She told him as he sat down across from her.
"What?"
" Looks like you won't have any trouble jumping back into the dating scene. Please tell me you don't have a thing for girls who work in coffee shops too."
He hesitated for a minute surprised she was able to joke about her husbands affair so soon.
"Nah, I prefer blondes," he said with a quick wink.
"Cute," she replied trying not to chuckle.
"All right so moment of truth," he said holding up his cup.
She picked up hers too and they both drank at the same time.
"So what's the verdict is it the perfect coffee, or do we need to do this again next week?"
"I don't know yet. I'll have to finish the cup and let you know."
"So how are you holding up"
"I really am fine Ollie. I mean it was hard, you know after I found out I realized how much of a fool I must have looked like. There I was going in there and making small talk with the women fooling around with my husband."
" Hey," he said placing his hand over hers, "you are not a fool, he is. You are amazing."
"Thank you."
" So am I allowed to ask how you found out?"
Chloe sighed heavily "Well there were signs here and there, the ones you always hear about hushed phone calls, unexplained late nights. I found out for sure though the night he confessed…"
Flashback…
Chloe was sitting on the couch updating her files to include some new clients that had recently escaped from one of lex's 33.1 facilitys when she heard the front door open. Looking up she saw her husband enter.
"Hey, how was your day?"
"Fine, look Chloe we need to talk."
"Okay."
"I did something. Something really bad and I can't stand not being honest with you about it anymore." Jimmy glanced at her for a moment before looking back down at his feet. " I met someone, and I started spending time with her, and we slept together." He stood in front of her silently waiting for some kind of response when he didn't get one he continued. " It's over. I promise but I had to be honest with you." Again she said nothing. "Chloe, I need you to forgive me. It will never happen again I swear, and I will find a way to make it up to you. Just please don't leave me."
"Okay. I'm just going to go to bed."
She got up and walked out of the room.
"Wow so why did you forgive him?"
"I don't think I ever really did. I just didn't want to fail"
He reached over and touched her hand again. "Would you believe me if I told you I know exactly how you feel?"
"Yeah I would she said looking up at him smiling"
"So when did you decide to throw in the towel?"
"About ten months later."
"What made you do it."
"Ooh going for the deep stuff now huh. I don't know, I just couldn't forgive him, probably because I never really loved Jimmy not truly anyways. I loved what he represented. He was just this normal guy away from all the aliens and evil billionaires. It got to a point though where that just wasn't enough anymore, and I realized I love helping do good things for the world and being with him I couldn't because I couldn't tell him anything."
Oliver smiled and nodded. "So coffees all gone, is it perfect or not?"
"Not quite we're just gonna have to keep looking."
"I'm going to have to agree."
"Good."
"So down to business."
"What business?"
"I would like you to consider coming back as Watchtower."
She looked at him like she was considering having him committed, "but you fired me last time."
"I was wrong. You're a strong women Chloe, and I think you should join the team officially. You just told me you want to do good in the world joining the team will help you accomplish that. So, what do you say?"
"Can I think about it?"
"Sure but I have something to sweeten the offer."
"What's that?"
"I will set you an official base of operations complete with state of the art technology courtesy of Queen Industries."
"What?"
"Not to mention a very large salary."
"Would you need me full time?"
"Eventually, yes but It's going to take several months to set everything up. That should give you plenty of time to find a replacement for your position at Isis. Right now I would just need you to do some research here and there."
"I'll do it."
"Really? Just like that?"
"Yeah just like that you know you really don't play fair Queen tempting me with lots of new toys."
"Hey if you've got an ace up your sleeve you'd be foolish not to use it."
"That's very true."
"Well I'm gonna go, but I'm going to need you to stop by the clock tower on Wednesday evening around seven to go over some files. Can you do that?"
"I'll be there"
"Good, see you then." he turned to leave but quickly turned back around. "You need to pick the next place we try, ok?"
"All right."
"Bye Chloe."
"Bye Ollie."
Chloe spent the next three days avoiding Lois. She just wasn't ready to tell her cousin she was quitting her job at Isis and going to work for Oliver. She knew how that conservation would go, and she wasn't looking forward to it. She hadn't even gone to get her car yet, so now she had to take a cab to Oliver's.
When she walked through the doors, in front of her stood Bart, AC, and Victor each with huge grins on their faces.
"Oh my god," she said walking over and hugging each of them. "What are you guys doing here?"
"We are your official welcoming committee," Bart told her with a huge grin.
"So heard your coming back to work with us." Said Victor.
"We're really glad you're coming back Chloe," added AC.
"Thanks. Me too. Where's Ollie?"
"Right here Chloe," she heard as Oliver walked around the corner.
"Do you really have files for me or was that just a story to get me here?"
"Oh it was just a story to get you here."
"Nice teammates for three days and already he starts with the lies," she says to the other men in mock anger. "Does he pull this crap with you guys?"
"Nope, he doesn't bother with cover stories with us. He just orders us around." answered Bart.
"All right so if I am not here for work then why exactly am I here?"
"Welcome to the team dinner," Oliver explained, "Figured we could all take a night and catch up, you up for it?"
"Absolutely," Chloe answered with a big smile.
A/N So there's chapter 4 next chapter will pick up right where this one left off so more JL boys, also more Lois/Chloe scenes next chapter. Will post it ASAP. Thanks for all the reviews Everyone. I'm glad so many of you are enjoying it Please Read and Review I love the feedback.