Title: Bridge to Nowhere - Chapter 7

Author: Poetess

Pairing : Chloe/Oliver

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Season 9, Pandora

Summary: Takes place immediately after Pandora. After Chloe finds out about the future she starts to question everything about her life and work with the JL/Clark…and whether any of it really matters.

Oliver shifted uncomfortably in the leather seat of his private jet. They had just taken off from Metropolis airport and already Oliver was itching to be on the ground in Washington D.C. His knee bounced up and down nervously as he stared out the window of the plane, almost willing the sleek leer jet to hurry up and land.

"Can I get you anything else Mr. Queen?" the stewardess asked as she placed the bottle of water in front of him.

Oliver looked up and gave her a small smile, "Yeah, think you could ask the pilots to speed it up?"

"I'll see what I can do" the young woman grinned in response as she headed back towards the galley.

Oliver took a sip of water, the cold liquid giving slight relief to his dry mouth. He had so many emotions running through him right now that he could barely register one before another quickly took over. After his conversation with Clark, and the realization of how he really felt about Chloe, he found himself even more confused and just a little bit scared.

Being concerned over the safety of your friend was one thing; knowing that you were in love with her was something else entirely. Oliver knew he didn't have the best track record when it came to women; Tess, Lois and the nameless, faceless women that had followed. And he knew why. He had never truly known what it was like to connect with someone; to know, not just think that there was another soul out there who really understood who he was and accept him with all his flaws…until now.

Chloe knew him. He hadn't been lying to her that day after the business with Roulette when he told her she had saved him, "both the man and the myth." Through everything they had been through she had believed in him and what he stood for. Even when he doubted himself and let himself fall, she was there to catch him and bring him back from the dark depths of oblivion.

He just prayed he was strong enough to do the same for her.

Chloe had just finished touring her fourth Smithsonian museum. The Air and Space Museum was by far her favorite. She marveled at all the planes and space shuttles; the little kid in her getting excited as she sat in the cockpit of old planes pretending to soar high up in the sky.

"This must be how Oliver feels when he's zipping around the rooftops of Metropolis" Chloe thought to herself, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Quickly realizing her mistake, she shook her head; trying to get the image of him out of her mind. She had promised herself that she wouldn't do this; she had left Metropolis and everyone in it behind her. She was determined to start anew; and that meant leaving her memories in the past, where they belonged.

She had spent most of the morning walking around D.C., making her rounds past the Capitol Building and the White House. As she turned and started down 15th Street, she found herself in front of the building that housed The Washington Post. She stared up at the black metal letters that seemed to gleam in the sunlight. The old reporter in her felt a slight chill of excitement run up her spine at the thought of all the chaos and craziness that was going on inside this very building.

Although Chloe had left her reporter days behind her long ago, she couldn't help but wonder what life would be like working at a newspaper like The Washington Post; chasing down stories instead of meteor freaks; staying up late typing a news story rather than gathering information on Luthercorp's latest illegal labs at the Watchtower.

"Why not?" she asked herself aloud.

She had promised herself a new life…a new beginning. This was just as good a place as any to start making good on that promise. So without a second thought, Chloe found herself pulling open the wide glass doors and heading straight for the reception desk.

"Who can I speak to about possible job opportunities?" she said, a determined glint in her eye.

"Mrs. Kent you won't believe where I just came from!" Chloe squealed as she walked in the door of Martha Kent's townhouse, dropping her bag excitedly by the door.

"I just met with one of the features editors of The Washington Post and…"

Chloe stopped midsentence and felt her breath catch in her throat as she found herself staring into the face of one Oliver Queen. He was sitting on the couch, his brown eyes seeking out her green ones, his intense gaze successfully stopping her dead in her tracks.

Her mouth suddenly went dry as she took in the man before her. He was, as always, dressed impeccably in black slacks and a crisp white collared shirt. He still wore his overcoat indicating to her that he had just arrived. He was leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees, and his fingers steepled as though in prayer. He gazed at her over his hands, his eyes never breaking contact with hers. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, finding her ability to speak failing her at the moment, and unable to tear her gaze away from him.

"Mrs. Kent went to the store to pick up something for dinner" Oliver said, finally breaking the silence.

He stood up slowly not wanting to make any sudden movements that might scare her off. He could sense the shock of seeing him in her face; her eyes blinking rapidly and her brow creased in confusion. He also saw that familiar look in her eyes; the one where she wanted to ask a million questions but didn't quite know how to put it into words.

He took a few more tentative steps forward as she watched him move closer to where she stood.

Chloe could start to feel the heat rise in her cheeks with every step he took. It had only been a few days since she last saw him, but if felt as though it were a lifetime ago. She had successfully spent that time away from Metropolis driving the image of him down into the deep recesses of her mind; safely putting him and everyone else into one of her mental drawers that she had not opened since that night he came to her apartment.

(Flashback)

Chloe felt herself slowly waking, the feeling of warmth all around her as if she were in a cocoon tucked away from the world. She was reluctant to open her eyes, fearing that if she did the warmth she was so desperate to hold on to would disappear.

Chloe slowly let one eye upon, then another. There in front of her she found Oliver's peacefully sleeping face mere inches from hers. She could feel the heat of his breath tickle her nose as his mouth hung slightly open. For a moment she closed her eyes once again, relishing the strength of his arms around her as she felt his chest rise and fall beneath her hand.

But just as quickly as she had closed her eyes, the same haunting image of her cold dead body came crashing back into her mind. She shut her eyes tighter trying to block it out, but there it was as gruesome and chilling as before.

And then she remembered. She remembered what had happened. She remembered what she had planned. She remembered what she had to do.

Chloe opened her eyes once again, feeling the tears slide down her cheeks. She lifted herself out of Oliver's embrace as slowly as possible, not wanting to wake him up. As she tried to get up, she felt him shift and reach for her, pulling her back into the shelter of his arms.

Chloe swallowed hard and took a deep breath, silently praying for the strength to get up. She gently moved his arm as she slipped out from underneath. Oliver moved once again at the loss of her touch but still remained asleep.

She stared down at him as the tears continued to fall. She reached down and brushed a stray lock of his hair out of his eyes and let her hand linger on his cheek.

"I'm sorry" she whispered as she let her hand fall from his face and brought it up to her own mouth to quiet her sobs.

(Present Day)

Chloe shook herself back into the present. Oliver was standing a few feet away, his eyes trained on her face looking for any sign of what was going through her mind.

She cleared her throat and straightened up, trying to steel herself against the flutters she felt in the pit of her stomach.

"What are you doing here Oliver?" she asked trying desperately to keep any trace of emotion out of her voice.

Instead of answering her, he just stood there staring at her as though he didn't hear a single word she had spoken.

She tried again, "Oliver I asked you what you're doing here." Still she was met with no response.

Chloe could feel the tension in the room, crowding in around her as each second of silence ticked by. She couldn't stand the way he was staring at her; the way he seemed to see past her uncaring façade and into her mind and heart; where she was secretly screaming for someone to help her, to save her.

She couldn't take it anymore and realized she needed to get away from him; away from his knowing gaze, away from those eyes that seemed to be pleading with her to stay. She couldn't. She wouldn't.

As Chloe took a few steps forward brushing past him in the process, Oliver reached his hand out and gently grabbed her wrist.

Chloe stopped walking and closed her eyes, swallowing hard once again. She could feel his fingers tighten protectively around her, sending small shocks of electricity up and down her arm where he touched her.

"I came for you" he whispered softly.

Chloe felt his words penetrate right through her wall, straight to her chest where she felt his words pulling at heart.

"I came for you" he repeated tugging at her arm.

She resisted at first but Oliver persisted finally succeeding in getting Chloe to turn around and face him.

Chloe lifted her face to meet his gaze, her chin set determinedly; although Oliver could see the slight tremble in her lips as she looked up at him.

"You shouldn't have come Oliver" Chloe said narrowing her eyes at him, "You shouldn't be here."

He could see her resolve building itself back up again and knew he had to do something.

Oliver released his hold on her wrist and brought his hands up to cup her face.

"I'm exactly where I should be" he replied, his thumbs caressing her soft cheeks.

Chloe shook her head and closed her eyes, "You can't be here."

"Tell me Chloe. Make me understand" he urged her to explain.

"You don't understand. No one can" she said opening her eyes once again.

He stood silently watching her, his eyes willing her to go on.

"I can't take this anymore. I can't go on thinking everything is going to be okay, when I know it won't be."

Chloe brought her hands up to cover his trying to make him understand.

"I'm sick of it Oliver…all of it. I want my life back. I want to find that girl who used to smile at everything; who only cared about becoming a great reporter; who wanted to fall in love with some ordinary guy and have a houseful of kids."

"I want my innocence back Oliver" she said as she pulled his hands down from her face and took a step back.

"I know it's impossible. I can't unmake the past and I can't erase the memories of everything I've seen no matter how hard I try. Most of all I can't change where this is all going to inevitably end up…"

Oliver stood speechless as he finally realized what this whole thing had been about all along. Chloe truly believed she was going to die.

The thought hit Oliver like a smack in the face. Between everything that had been revealed with Lois's trip to the future, he hadn't considered the idea that Chloe's death was even a remote possibility. To him, it was only a glimpse of what "could be" and something he never imagined would actually come to pass. Chloe on the other hand had seemed to accept her fate, albeit unwillingly.

"Chloe you know that's not true" Oliver said closed the distance between them. "It's not going to turn out like that. You can't just give up."

"I'm not giving up Oliver. I'm moving on."

Oliver could feel his anger begin to boil up inside. He couldn't believe what Chloe was saying. He couldn't believe this woman who had, on more than one occasion, stood in the face of certain death and conquered it, could now accept her supposed fate with such defeat.

"I don't believe you" he muttered, "You don't give up, Chloe. I know you and this is not who you are."

"Things change" she replied simply. "I've changed Oliver. And there's no going back for me…not anymore."

A/N: Okay dear readers…tell me what you think!