Target Practice
Thai food in hand, Oliver tried again to get a hold of Chloe, but there was still no answer at Watchtower. It wasn't an emergency so he really didn't want to call her cell. Probably just as well, he thought. She deserved a night out with Lois or hanging out in a coffee shop. He'd look through whatever status updates she had put together when he got there.
After parking his car he pulled out the gear bag, grabbed the food and headed to the elevator. He had a bow and arrows stored at Watchtower but the one in the bag was his favorite. Plus, if he got thirsty he had the scotch.
As the elevator security system confirmed his bio-print Oliver recalled what Chloe had said when she'd shown up at his penthouse the first time. "We trust each other. Clark tells me everything." While she and Clark were still friends they hadn't completely patched up the big rift created by Clark's departure after Jimmy's death. Of course, Clark couldn't be singled out for pulling a disappearing act on her; everyone had taken Jimmy's death hard. And everyone, except Chloe, had run away. Despite the superpowers and super skills, when reality came calling he and Clark had turned out to be the biggest cowards while Chloe turned out to be the true hero. He'd hoped he'd redeemed himself somewhat since Roulette. At least he wasn't at the top of Chloe's shit list. If Clark weren't keeping such a death-grip on that spot it might even be comical. Even with his X-ray vision Clark couldn't see how much he'd hurt Chloe when he left to do his alien walkabout. When Clark told Chloe he needed to purge his humanity he should have realized that saying he didn't want to be human meant he didn't want anything to do with her. As if losing a spouse wasn't tragic enough, having your oldest and best friend basically say you're irrelevant with a straight face must have been a crushing blow to her spirit. Chloe and Clark may have been the dynamic duo when he'd first met them, but now it seemed like he, not Clark, was the one Chloe came to when she had something to hash out. Sure he relied on her the way Clark did to help get the job done, but at least he had the decency to show some gratitude more than once a decade. Clark was an idiot for not seeing what was staring him right in the face, he thought, as the elevator doors opened.
There was no sign of Chloe as he stepped off the elevator. He set his gear by his desk and put away the food he'd gotten for her in the dorm fridge. If she didn't come back before he left Watchtower he'd leave a note to let her know there was food if she were hungry. Carrying his dinner over to the desk he turned on his computer work station and settled in to eat and read. As he pulled up different files his brain continued to muse over his partnership with Chloe. She'd made a huge save pulling him back into the hero game. If she hadn't cared so much he'd still be wallowing in guilt and self-pity. Hell, he'd probably be dead given how close he'd gotten to self-destruct. When he'd screwed up with Tess, (and hooking up with the hostess was minor compared to getting your friend's husband killed), she'd walked out on him. But Chloe, who was suffering the triple blows of losing her husband because of his mistakes, being frantic with worry over Lois being MIA, and dealing with complete rejection by her supposed best friend, reached out to help him – ungrateful, narcissistic, Oliver Queen – and showed him that his life was worth living. She'd called him a hero, but really the title belonged to Chloe. She wasn't just an unsung hero in their little band, she was his personal hero.
Closing out the files he looked around for a spot for a target. Not that he'd miss, but Chloe would kill him if he scratched any of the computer systems. He may have paid for them but the computers were without a doubt hers. Surveying the room he decided setting up the target near the door was the best spot. It gave him the longest distance for firing arrows and kept the electronics out of the line of fire. He threw away the take-out containers and pulled out his archery equipment.
Strange. Maybe it was being in Watchtower, but so many things in his life seemed to come back to Chloe. They worked together well, they both had a proactive view of how to make the world a better place, and they had the same focus when it came to reaching an objective. If he had to be honest, once Chloe assumed Watchtower duties full time the two of them were (practically inseparable) almost always in contact, more so than he'd been with any girlfriend. She was actually better than a girlfriend because he could talk to her about anything. He'd never worried about what to say with any of his casual dates because things never lasted any longer than a headline in the society pages. With Tess he'd kept her in the dark about his past bad decisions, but she'd been truly wounded by the part of him she didn't know and left because she wasn't equipped to handle it. For Lois it had been about protecting himself to keep her away from his alter ego, but when Dinah outed him so spectacularly, Lois was more outraged by the betrayal of trust than anything else. With Chloe he had nothing to hide, because she already knew everything. Really it was impossible for him to recall a day when he didn't email, call, or text her since she'd helped him get his life back together. Clark might no longer be telling her everything anymore, but he was only too happy to be sharing the trials and tribulations of his crazy life with Chloe.
Standing in Watchtower adjusting his bow Oliver Queen had an epiphany. Not since his mother had any woman done as much for him as Chloe; not Tess who'd saved his life, not Lois who'd given him honesty and friendship. Here was a smart, beautiful woman who was fully cognizant of the highs and lows of his life, who knew him not just as billionaire Oliver Queen or vigilante hero Green Arrow, but as plain old Oliver, and she still wanted him by her side. Granted, she wanted a partner in justice but really their compatibility extended beyond that of colleagues. Plenty of women had set their sights on him because of his fortune, looks, or both, but Chloe wanted him for entirely different reasons. She wasn't interested in him for herself; she was interested in him because she wanted him to be true to himself. Like Tess she'd saved his life and like Lois she didn't put up with his crap, but unlike either of them she chose to stick with him. She saw something no other woman had, the hero in his heart, as she'd called it. Was it possible the perfect woman had been right in front of him all along?
"Chloe," he said out loud.
He needed a drink, something to settle his thoughts, and luckily he'd brought just the thing. He quickly poured himself a double and took a slow sip. He'd never admit it out loud but Carter Hall was right, he was a jackass. A blind, jackass at that. For so long he thought having emotional attachments was a weakness but the birdman had made it quite clear that family and friends were a source of strength. The man Oliver would have picked as poster boy for brooding, isolated hermits in realty exemplified what it is to be a devoted friend and husband.
The slow burn of the scotch he swallowed fueled his thoughts as he considered what Chloe truly meant to him. He thought about his parents, what kind of relationship they had had and how devoted they were to each other. For the first time, okay second, in his life he wanted that too. As much as he'd loved Lois a relationship would never have worked out. He and Lois had been exactly like Chloe and Jimmy. Chloe's inability to share all parts of her life with Jimmy had placed a strain on their marriage that would probably have torn it apart even if Doomsday had never existed. If Lois hadn't been dramatically enlightened about his hero persona their relationship would have eventually disintegrated under the weight of his own secrets. But Chloe, she was different, unique. She was his friend, advisor, nursemaid, confidant, and, ultimately, savior. Chloe truly was the most important person in his life and now that he realized it he was damn well going to show her how much he appreciated her. If Carter could find a partner for eternity then maybe there was a chance for him and Chloe in this lifetime.
The real question though, was he the kind of man Chloe wanted to get involved with? Was he good enough for her?
Draining his glass, he set it on the table and picked up his bow. Convincing Chloe might very well be impossible but he was determined to try. All he needed was an opening, just the right moment to plant the idea of her with him.
Well, he'd brought up his gear to get in some target practice so he might as well get started. He fired an arrow to test the sights. Whizzing to the target it hit the red circle. Frowning, he adjusted the sight then fired another arrow. Arrow number two was closer than the first, but still not in the center. After a little more tweaking he notched a third arrow. He pulled back on the bowstring and released it – just as Chloe came in.
A/N Just looked through my files and realized I never posted this chapter. If anyone's still interested, please enjoy!
